(CNN) Scientists find huge trove of rare metals needed for clean energy hidden inside toxic coal waste. Quoting,

These so-called rare earths are a cluster of metallic elements, with names like scandium, neodymium and yttrium, which exist in the Earth’s core. They have a critical role in clean technology, including electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines.

This is FALSE. The rare earth elements are not believed to exist in the core to appreciable degree. They have been concentrated by geochemical processes in the mantle.

(CNN) Police release unmasked photo of person wanted for questioning in CEO shooting. Quoting,

Among the interviews they’ve been conducting, law enforcement interviewed a female employee at the hostel who said, at one point, she asked the then masked man to lower his mask while flirting with him — which is when the photos released by the New York Police Department today were captured, the official said.

This indicates that  the suspect is more than normally communicative, inclined to engage a stranger when a less socially capable individual would isolate.

Quoting,

Law enforcement sources told CNN “depose” was written on a shell casing from a round that was fired into the victim. “Delay” was written on a live round that was ejected when the shooter appeared to be clearing a jam.

This indicates the suspect has a grudge,  common when healthcare insurance denies coverage perceived as life-saving for a fatal disease.

The social nature of the suspect implies that he inevitably verbalized his discontent to others. In combination with the photo,  and the likely region of residence, this implies a clue soon to drop.

An important clue as to his identity may shortly come from someone who knows him.

Google Search: United Healthcare denies claims.

(CNN) Calls grow for South Korea’s president to resign after martial law chaos.

There has been widespread comment at the political ineptitude of the move. About the motivation of Yoon Suk Yeol, there are these possibilities:

• He simply wanted to subvert democracy in South Korea, which is currently in legislative deadlock.
• The current North Korea vibe gives  him really bad nerves.
• He thinks he knows something.
• He actually knows something.

In the past few months, some analysts have seen disturbing preparations by the  North. See also (BBC) Man in US charged with allegedly shipping weapons to N Korea.  Despite the problematic presidency of Yoon Suk Yeol,  the fourth possibility should not be dismissed.

Is there a hair-trigger mechanism in place, subject only to the whim of Kim Jong Un? This question cannot be answered by open-source.

President Elect Trump should be aware of the circumstances that preceded the Korean War. Quoting  from (National Archives) US Enters the Korean Conflict,

However, the entry of the United States into the conflict signaled a reversal of policy toward Korea. Although it backed the government of Syngman Rhee, the United States had begun withdrawing its troops from South Korea in 1948. As late as January of 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson had implied that the Korea Peninsula lay outside the all-important “defense perimeter” of the United States, a statement that some took to mean that the United States would not defend the ROK from communist attack.

Some historians fault Acheson for tipping Stalin’s judgement. What lurked in Stalin’s head we will never know, but it’s plausible.

***Be careful what you say***

(CNN) China hits out at latest US effort to block Beijing’s access to chip technolog.y. Quoting,

On Monday, the US Commerce Ministry announced curbs on the sale of two dozen types of semiconductor-making equipment and restrictions on numerous Chinese companies from accessing American technology.

There is a little problem with this.  There is no US Commerce Ministry.

We do have the  U.S. Department of Commerce.

Wait till the U.S. Parliament hears about this!

EDIT: As of 2 p.m., this has been corrected.