International
The International Atomic Energy Agency indicated in a report Wednesday that North Korea has established a new two-story uranium enrichment facility as part of the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
Since North Korea expelled the IAEA’s inspectors in 2009, the agency has relied on satellite imagery to monitor activity in the country. In the report, the IAEA described a facility capable of housing 28 centrifuge cascades for enriching uranium.
“The continuation and further development of the DPRK’s nuclear program are clear violations of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and are deeply regrettable,” IAEA Director Rafael Grossi said in a statement.
According to a 2022 report by a nonproliferation think tank, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un spends around $640 million each year on nuclear development.
“What makes North Korea’s nuclear programme so concerning is that many of its facilities are unknown, concealed, and thus difficult to target,” Edward Howell, a lecturer at University of Oxford, told BBC. “Beyond Yongbyon, we know that other facilities exist: Kangson, for instance. The embeddedness of North Korea’s nuclear doctrine within its foreign and domestic policy means that we should expect there to be more concealed production sites.”
IAEA said there are indications that operations began on another enrichment facility in Kangson near Pyongyang starting January of this year.
National
The White House took Build The Wall, a controversial arcade game published earlier this month, off its site this week following copyright concerns from The Tetris Company.
In early September, the White House published arcade.gov, a site featuring multiple themed games with names like Flappy Bill, Rio Run, Supply Line, and Trump Savings Tycoon. In Build The Wall, players stacked blocks to “protect the border” from undocumented immigrants.
The game was taken down Wednesday after The Tetris Company voiced copyright concerns.
“At Tetris, we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them,” the company said in a social media post. “To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community.”
The Tetris Company added they were not involved in the game’s development and that it “takes copyright infringement very seriously.”
The BBC questioned a White House official about the website:
“This administration is laser-focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the president’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” the official said. “This is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America.”
After taking down the game, the White House replaced it with a “Coming Soon” title card.
Local
After weeks of uncertainty, Oklahoma City’s Gold Dome sold for $1.1 million Tuesday at a court-ordered auction.
Originally constructed in 1958, the dome has remained vacant since 2011 when it previously housed Citizens State Bank. When the bank foreclosed on the property, the Oklahoma City Council discussed a $3 million loan to turn it into a concert and entertainment venue.
Bidding started at $600,000 at the court-ordered auction Tuesday, and the property was purchased for $1.1 million by Caleb Hill, who is affiliated with Precor Realty Advisors.
Be First to Comment