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☆ Biden Asserts Executive Privilege in Fight Over Recording of Special Counsel Interview
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden has asserted executive privilege to deny House Republicans access to recordings of his interview with a special counsel investigating his handling of government documents, Justice Department officials and the White House counsel said on Thursday. The move is intended to shield Attorney General Merrick B. Garland from prosecution if House Republicans succeed in their effort to hold him in contempt for refusing to turn over audio of Mr. Biden’s conversations with the special counsel, Robert K. Hur. The move is certain to draw the ire of former President Donald J. Trump and his allies, but it is in keeping with the practice of his administration and that of his predecessor, President Barack Obama. The Justice Department cited executive privilege in opting not to pursue charges against two of Mr. Garland’s predecessors when they were held in contempt: Eric H. Holder Jr., a Democrat, in 2012 and William P. Barr, a Republican, in 2020. “It is the longstanding position of the executive branch held by administrations of both parties that an official who asserts the president’s claim of executive privilege cannot be prosecuted for criminal contempt of Congress,” Carlos F. Uriarte, the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, wrote in a letter to Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, and Representative James R. Comer of Kentucky, who leads the Oversight Committee.

Persons: Biden, General Merrick B, Garland, Robert K, Hur, Donald J, Trump, Barack Obama, Eric H, Holder Jr, William P, Barr, ” Carlos F, Jim Jordan of, James R, Comer Organizations: Justice Department, White, Republicans, The, Democrat, Republican, Committee Locations: Jim Jordan of Ohio, Comer of Kentucky

☆ ‘Civil War’ sends a message that’s more dangerous than the violence it depicts onscreen
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( John Blake | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

In “Civil War,” tanks trample democracy. But the messages they send may be more dangerous than the violence depicted onscreen: The collapse of democracy is inevitable. In the film, Humphrey Bogart plays Rick, the cynical owner of a Moroccan nightclub at the onset of World War II. John Springer Collection/Corbis Historical/Getty ImagesOther World War II-era films like “Don’t be a Sucker,” which emphasized racial and religious tolerance in America, emphasized the same message. The box office success of “Civil War” ensures, though, that more “American carnage” stories are likely headed our way .

Persons: Yuval Noah Harari, Harari, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, Alex Garland’s “, Donald Trump, Casablanca ’, Humphrey Bogart, Rick, “ We’ll, Dooley Wilson, Ingrid Bergman, Everett, Rick —, Adolf Hitler’s, Democracy’s, Cristóbal, Berry, “, Frank Capra, Frank Sinatra, Sinatra, ” Frank Sinatra, John Springer, Kermit Roosevelt III, Roosevelt, ” Roosevelt, Reagan, Obama, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama —, Diana Walker, ” Reagan, Reagan’s, Barack Obama, Chuck Kennedy, Trump, hasn’t, Walt Whitman, Whitman, ” Whitman, ” Read Whitman, ” Walt Whitman, Ian Beacock, ” Beacock, Beacock, Ivan Illich, ” Kirsten Dunst, John Blake Organizations: CNN, Casablanca, paragon, Library of Congress, Nazi, Convention, Former, Lions, Hulton, “ Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russian, America, United States, “, Casablanca, Moroccan, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi, Nazi, Charlottesville , Virginia, Vietnam, Kansas, Kenya, Denver , Colorado, Austrian, China

☆ Opinion | Give Me Liberty or Give Me … What?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Carlos Lozada | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

If the American experiment finally decides to call it quits, how might a national breakup begin? Perhaps California moves toward secession after the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the state’s strict gun control measures. Or Texas rebels when disputes over abortion laws grow deadly and the state’s National Guard remains loyal to the second Texan republic. These scenarios are not of my own creation; they all appear in recent nonfiction books warning of an American schism. We never learn exactly who or what started the new American civil war, or what ideologies, if any, are competing for power.

Persons: David French’s “, Barbara F, Stephen Marche’s “, “, Alex Garland’s Organizations: U.S, Supreme, state’s National Guard, statehouse, America, ” Locations: California, Texas, Barbara, ” Marche

☆ Opinion: It’s time to change the way we think about sociopaths
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Opinion Sara Stewart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —This piece contains mild spoilers for the Netflix series “Ripley” and a scene in the movie “Civil War.”Are we finally ready to take another look at why we love to hate sociopaths so much? But his rendition of Ripley – highly capable, chameleonic, but never what you’d call charming — represents a refreshing take on one of the most famous sociopaths in literature and film. Gagne feels Hollywood’s nearly always gotten it wrong with portrayals of sociopaths, reducing them to a collection of cartoonish, villainous traits. In fact, I found one of film’s most recent sociopaths to be singularly chilling because of his very plausibility. He’s in Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” the polarizing film about a vaguely-sketched conflict set in the modern-day United States.

Persons: Sara Stewart, Ripley ”, Sara Stewart Todd Thompson, Andrew Scott’s, Tom Ripley, Patricia Highsmith’s, Scott, who’s, Ripley –, Steven Zaillian’s, “ Ripley, Jennifer Rubin, ”, Rubin, Tony Soprano, Walter White, Patrick Bateman, Dexter Morgan, Don Draper, I’ve, Emily Nussbaum, Norman Lear’s “, Archie Bunker, Carroll O’Connor, Penn Badgley, Joe Goldberg, Sociopath, Patric Gagne, Gagne, Hollywood’s, vilify, Jenna Ortega, Alex Garland’s “, Jesse Plemons —, —, Owen Gleiberman’s, “ Garland, ” Gleiberman, Ripley, sociopathy, we’ll Organizations: CNN, Netflix, Washington, Vogue Locations: Pennsylvania, ”, United States, America

Asked for proof of his claim that Mr. Biden was personally directing the local cases against him, Mr. Trump pointed to purported ties between prosecutors and “Washington,” but provided no evidence that Mr. Biden had been involved in any of the hiring decisions, conversations or meetings that Mr. Trump cited. The writer E. Jean Carroll filed her first lawsuit against Mr. Trump in November 2019, accusing him of defamation. Faulty and irrelevant comparisonsWhat Mr. Trump Said“I got indicted more than Al Capone.”— in a rally in Ohio in MarchFalse. Mr. Hur described Mr. Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who had “diminished faculties and faulty memory.” He did not declare Mr. Biden mentally incompetent to stand trial. Inaccurate attacks on judgesWhat Mr. Trump Said“Judge Juan Merchan is totally compromised, and should be removed from this TRUMP Non-Case immediately.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, President Biden, Trump’s, ”, Trump Said “ Biden, General Merrick B, Garland, Trump “, Biden, Mr, Doug Mills, Trump Said, Jack Smith, Merrick Garland’s, Fani Willis, Letitia James, Alvin L, Bragg, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, —, James’s, Colangelo’s, Bragg ramped, Willis, Willis — Nathan J, Wade, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Kamala Harris, Harris, Crooked Joe Biden, James, Jean Carroll, Smith, Brittainy Newman, Alexei Navalny, Navalny, Letitia James ’, Hunt, PolitiFact, Trump Said “, Al Capone, Capone, Brad Schwartz, Hillary, Bill, Bush, Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Bill Clinton’s, Taylor Branch, Branch, “, Barack Obama, George W, Bill Clinton, George H.W, Ronald Reagan, Robert K, Hur, Biden’s, Juan Merchan, Loren, Loren Merchan, Merchan, Merchan’s, Justice Merchan, Ahmed Gaber, Arthur F, Justice Engoron, Engoron Organizations: New York, Democratic Party, Trump, Justice Department, The New York Times, The, White House, Trump . Credit, New York Times, American People, Biden Administration, Prosecutors, Mr, Manhattan, Washington, Fox News, New, Times, White, Counsel’s Office, Supreme, Black, Trump Organization, Democrat, Companies, Exxon Mobil, Trump Foundation, Trump University, Associated, National Archives, Records Administration, TRUMP, Twitter, Credit Locations: Manhattan, Georgia, Trump ., Washington, New York, “ Washington, Fulton County ,, Russian, New, Ohio, Fla, South Carolina, Trump’s Florida, Beach

☆ What It Would Really Take to Have an American Civil War - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Ross Douthat | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This week Donald Trump was put on trial by a liberal prosecutor on what seems like the most nakedly political of the multiple charges that he’s facing. This fairly pitiful scene made an interesting accompaniment to the country’s biggest movie at the moment, Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” which depicts a version of contemporary America riven by civil strife, with various secessionist forces at war against a dictatorial president who’s stayed on for a third term. That president is clearly a Trump-like figure, but the movie is extremely light on politics; it’s mostly interested in juxtaposing scenes of brutality — mass graves, tortured prisoners, firefights and summary executions — with the familiar American landscapes of shopping malls, carwashes and the pillars of the White House. We aren’t supposed to ask for detailed how-we-got-here explanations; we’re just supposed to meditate on how easily It Could Happen Here. Some people who like “Civil War” find the political lacuna admirable, since it cuts the movie free from current ideological preoccupations and lets us take the antiwar message straight.

Persons: Donald Trump, MAGA, Alex Garland’s “, who’s, it’s, we’re, ” Organizations: Trump, White Locations: York, carwashes

☆ The Dystopian ‘Civil War’ Reaches No. 1 at the Box Office
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brooks Barnes | More About Brooks Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hollywood executives — not all, but most — have insisted for years that uncomfortable, thought-provoking, original movies can no longer attract big audiences at the box office. Alex Garland’s dystopian “Civil War,” set in a near-immediate future when the United States is at war with itself, sold an estimated $25.7 million in tickets at North American theaters, enough to make the film a strong No. 1, surpassing the monsters sequel “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” Ticket sales for “Civil War” exceeded the prerelease expectations of some box office analysts by roughly 30 percent. IMAX screenings provided nearly 50 percent of the “Civil War” gross. “Civil War,” starring Kirsten Dunst as a journalist on a military embed, became the latest example of ticket buyers breaking with Hollywood’s conventional wisdom about what types of films are likely to pop at the box office.

Persons: —, Alex Garland’s, ”, Kirsten Dunst, Christopher Nolan’s “ Oppenheimer Organizations: North, “ Locations: United States

☆ Opinion: ‘Civil War’ is more than a reflection on America’s divisions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-13 | by ( Opinion Noah Berlatsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Noah Berlatsky Noah BerlatskyAlex Garland’s “Civil War” has mostly been discussed as a reflection of, and a warning about, America’s current partisan divisions. Unlike the actual US Civil War, this one doesn’t seem to have any particular racial or racist connotations. But it’s the same kind of cop out that powers most of Hollywood’s most iconic Vietnam war movies. Hollywood Vietnam war movies generally aren’t about whether America did the right thing, nor are they about how America’s choices affected people in Vietnam. Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), starring Matthew Modine as Joker, is based on the events of the Vietnam war.

Persons: Noah Berlatsky, CNN —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Noah Berlatsky Noah Berlatsky Alex Garland’s “, ”, he’s, Garland, Nick Offerman, Lee, Kirsten Dunst, Joel, Wagner Moura, Jessie, Cailee, Sammy, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lee Wagner, Trump, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Jesse Plemons, that’s, Francis Ford Coppola’s, Stanley Kubrick’s, don’t, —, Dawn ”, Stanley Kubrick's, Matthew Modine, It’s, transfixed Organizations: CNN, Union, Hollywood, America, Central, Warner Bros Locations: Chicago, Vietnam, Viet, American, Washington, California, Texas, Hollywood Vietnam, American Vietnam, Hollywood

☆ Opinion | ‘Civil War’ and Its Terrifying Premonition of American Collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Going into Alex Garland’s astonishing new film, “Civil War,” I expected to be irritated by the implausibility of its premise. In one 2022 poll, 43 percent of Americans said they thought a civil war within the next decade was at least somewhat likely. “Civil War” has received plenty of adulatory reviews, but Garland has also been widely criticized for eliding the ideological forces driving America’s fracturing. But now that I’ve seen “Civil War,” which is neither glib nor cynical, Garland’s decision to keep the film’s politics a little ambiguous seems like a source of its power. Still, it’s not a stretch to interpret the film as a premonition of how a seething, entropic country could collapse under the weight of Donald Trump’s return.

Persons: Alex Garland’s, ”, Garland, “, I’m, —, Lee, it’s, Donald Trump’s Organizations: “, Florida Alliance, Western Forces of, New People’s Army, Southwest, Portland Maoists Locations: America, California, Texas, Loyalist, East Coast, Western Forces of California, Austin , Texas

CNN —A New York judge has imposed a gag order on Donald Trump, limiting the former president from making statements about potential witnesses in the criminal trial relating to hush money payments scheduled to begin next month. The order does not prevent Trump from talking about New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who is a public figure, or Merchan himself. Trump criticized Merchan, his daughter and one of Bragg’s prosecutors in the hours before Merchan issued his order. The district attorney’s office had requested the gag order last month to remain in place for the duration of the trial. In the civil fraud case last fall, Trump was twice fined for violating Judge Arthur Engoron’s gag order and making comments about the judge’s staff.

Persons: Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Trump, Merchan, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Alvin Bragg, …, ” Merchan, reimbursements, Cohen, Daniels, denigrating, Arthur Engoron’s, ’ ” Merchan, “, Matthew Colangelo, Colangelo, General Merrick Garland’s, ” Trump’s, Bragg, Biden, ’, ” Trump Organizations: CNN, Trump, New York, Republican, New, Monday’s, Justice Department, Defendant, DOJ, Office, Democratic, Truth, Attorney Locations: York, New York, Washington , DC

☆ House GOP Biden inquiry stalls as impeachment becomes less likely
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Hunter Biden arrives at the Thomas P. O'Neil Jr. House Office Building for a closed door deposition on February 28, in Washington, DC. Abbe Lowell makes a statement to the press following a closed-door deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and House Judiciary Committee in the O'Neill House Office Building on February 28, in Washington, DC. “He was well-prepared for the kind of questions,” Issa recounted of Hunter Biden. GOP focus shifts away from impeachment probeInvestigating the Biden family and going after President Biden was a top priority for House Republicans when they reclaimed the majority and got control of committees. GOP Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana said the three Republican chairmen leading the impeachment inquiry have the same message: “They say we’re not in a position to go forward on impeachment.”

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Hunter Biden, James Comer, Jim Jordan, Comer, Donald Trump, Thomas P, O'Neil Jr, Countess, Merrick, Justice won’t, ” Comer, Mike Johnson, “, Jordan, Johnson, “ I’m, ” Johnson, Ralph Norman of, Troy Nehls, impeaching Biden, We’ve, Let’s, ”, ” Nehls, Alejandro Mayorkas, I’m, Trump, weaponized, ” Jordan, Vernon, Ed Siskel, ” Siskel, Hunter, Mary, ” Hunter, Abbe Lowell, Samuel Corum, Hunter Biden’s, Darrell Issa, ” Issa, Robert Hur, Garret Graves, Chip Roy, Texas, Lisa McClain, Richard Hudson of, it’s, Nick LaLota, ” Norman, Ryan Zinke Organizations: House Republicans, Department of Justice, CNN, Fox News, Merrick Garland’s Department, Justice, Louisiana Republican, ” Staff, GOP, Caucus, Democratic, Homeland, Senate, Trump, White, Getty, Committee, Republican, of, Hunter Biden, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Judiciary, House, House Republican, “ Locations: Washington ,, Merrick Garland’s, Louisiana, House, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Miami, Vernon Hill, Florida, O'Neill, Washington , DC, California, Lisa McClain of Michigan, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, New York, Montana

☆ Biden lawyers wrote to AG Garland objecting to aspects of Hur’s report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Kevin Liptak | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —The White House wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland the day before special counsel Robert Hur’s report was released, vehemently objecting to aspects of the report – including its “multiple denigrating statements” about the president’s memory. Ultimately, Hur did not appear to heed calls by Biden’s lawyers to produce a narrow and concise report limited to the facts of the charging decision. The lawyers wrote Hur’s report “mirrors one of the most widely-recognized examples in recent history of inappropriate prosecutor criticism of uncharged conduct.”“The FBI and DOJ personnel’s criticism of uncharged conduct during investigations in connection with the 2016 election was found to violate ‘long-standing Department practice and protocol,’” the lawyers wrote. The letter underscores the deep anger generated by Hur’s report inside the White House and lays bare tensions between Biden’s team and Garland. CNN has previously reported that frustrations have run high inside the White House regarding some of Garland’s decisions related to the classified documents matter.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Robert Hur’s, Joe Biden’s, Hur, —, ”, Bob Bauer, Edward Siskel, Garland, James Comey, Hillary Clinton, Biden, General Bradley Weinsheimer, Bauer, Richard Sauber, Weinsheimer –, Eric Holder Organizations: Washington CNN, DOJ, FBI, Politico, The New York Times, CNN, White, Department

Terry Jon Martin, 76, stole the slippers in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. But a person who deals in stolen goods, known as a fence, informed him the rubies were glass, Martin said. But old habits die hard, and the thought of a ‘final score’ kept him up at night,” DeKrey wrote. Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw had loaned one pair to the museum when Martin stole them. The Judy Garland Museum, located in the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and Wizard of Oz memorabilia.

Persons: —, Judy Garland, Oz, he's, Terry Jon Martin, Martin wasn’t, Dane DeKrey, Martin, DeKrey, ”, Terry, ’, ” DeKrey, “, Patrick Schiltz, Terry ”, Dorothy, Michael Shaw, Garland, Frances Gumm Organizations: Judy Garland Museum, FBI, U.S, District, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Smithsonian Museum of Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Grand Rapids , Minnesota, Duluth, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, Kansas, Oz, Hollywood, Los Angeles

Martin pleaded guilty in October to using a hammer to smash the glass of the museum door and display case to take the slippers. Martin had no idea about the cultural significance of the ruby slippers and had never seen the movie. Garland wore several pairs of ruby slippers during filming of the classic 1939 musical, but only four authentic pairs are known to remain. The slippers were on loan to the museum from Hollywood memorabilia collector Michael Shaw when Martin stole them. The Judy Garland Museum, located in the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and Wizard of Oz memorabilia.

Persons: Judy Garland, Oz ”, Terry Jon Martin's, Martin wasn't, Martin, Dane DeKrey, hadn't, Terry, ’, DeKrey, ” DeKrey, Terry ”, “, Martin's, ”, Martin didn't, Garland, Michael Shaw, Dorothy, Frances Gumm Organizations: Judy Garland Museum, FBI, Defense, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Smithsonian Museum of Locations: Grand Rapids , Minnesota, Duluth , Minnesota, Minneapolis, Hollywood, Kansas, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles

The shoes from the film were stolen in 2005 from the Judy Garland Museum in the actress' hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and recovered in 2018 by the FBI. Political Cartoons View All 1209 ImagesGarland wore several pairs of ruby slippers during filming of the classic 1939 musical, but only four authentic pairs are known to remain. The plea agreement was “fulsomely negotiated” between DeKrey and federal prosecutor Matt Greenley and would lay out the “factual basis” for his client's guilty plea, DeKrey said. The ruby slippers were key props in the 1939 movie. The Judy Garland Museum, which opened in 1975 in the house where she lived, says it has the world’s largest collection of Garland and Wizard of Oz memorabilia.

Persons: Judy Garland, Oz ”, Terry Jon Martin, Martin, Dane DeKrey, Terry, ” DeKrey, Garland, “ fulsomely, Matt Greenley, DeKrey, Patrick Schiltz, Schiltz, Michael Shaw, Dorothy, Frances Gumm Organizations: Judy Garland Museum, FBI, District, Twin, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Smithsonian Museum of Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, Grand Rapids , Minnesota, Grand Rapids, Minneapolis, DeKrey, Minnesota, Duluth, Twin Cities, Hollywood, Arizona, Kansas, sequins, Los Angeles

☆ Justice Department Offers to Assist Israel With Hostage Rescue Specialists
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Justice Department and FBI have offered Israeli officials highly trained hostage rescue specialists and other experts to help locate Americans missing in the Hamas attack on Israel last weekend. “We continue to work on the return of all missing Americans, including those believed to be taken hostage,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Garland’s own Jewish forebears came to the U.S. in the early 1900s, fleeing antisemitism in Eastern Europe.

Persons: “, General Merrick Garland, Garland’s Organizations: Justice Department, FBI Locations: Israel, Eastern Europe

CNN —President Joe Biden over the last two days participated in a voluntary interview with special counsel Robert Hur as a part of his classified documents investigation, the White House announced Monday. A spokesperson for Hur, who oversees the Justice Department’s probe into classified documents found at Biden’s home and former private office, declined to comment to CNN. Hur was appointed in January to investigate incidents of classified documents being found at Biden’s former Washington, DC, office and his Wilmington, Delaware, home. While Biden has not often commented on the case, he said in January that he was surprised to learn that classified documents were found in his former office. “People know I take classified documents, classified information seriously,” Biden added, saying that the documents were found in “a box, locked cabinet – or at least a closet.”After documents were found in his Wilmington home later in January, Biden said he was cooperating fully with the Justice Department.

Persons: Joe Biden, Robert Hur, “, ”, Ian Sams, ” Sams, Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Trump, Biden, Hur, Justice Department’s, General Merrick Garland, Garland, John Lausch, Lausch, ” Biden, Biden didn’t, didn’t Organizations: CNN, White, White House, Justice Department, Justice, National Archives, The Archives, FBI, Wilmington, “ Locations: Israel, Washington, DC, Wilmington , Delaware, Rehoboth Beach , Delaware, Mexico City, Mexico, Canada, Ukraine, Iran, United Kingdom, “, Wilmington

☆ Takeaways from the combative House Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General Merrick Garland
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —House Republicans and Attorney General Merrick Garland clashed Wednesday at a testy hearing that offered a preview of the coming Republican impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden focused on allegations surrounding his son, Hunter Biden. He also didn’t engage in GOP attacks against special counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into former President Donald Trump. Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, one of the three committee chairs spearheading the impeachment inquiry, accused the Justice Department of not prosecuting Hunter Biden over the tax years when Hunter Biden was on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. “I’m going to say again, and again, if necessary, I did not interfere with, did not investigate, did not make determinations” on the Hunter Biden case, the attorney general said. I made him special counsel,” Garland said.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Garland, David Weiss, Weiss, Jack Smith’s, Donald Trump, Hunter, –, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Burisma, Biden, ” Jordan, Matt Gaetz, Devon Archer, ‘, ’ Garland, “ I’m, “, Garland didn’t, ” Garland, Trump –, Mr, Adam Schiff, Smith, “ Biden, Biden “, ’ ” “, Trump, ” Schiff, defunded, Jeff Van Drew, ”, ” Van Drew, Van Drew Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, Justice Department, Florida Republican, IRS, Trump, Republicans, Dems, Press, Supreme, House Republicans, New, New Jersey Republican, FBI, Southern Poverty Law Center, DOJ Locations: Ukraine, ”, Florida, Delaware, Eastern Europe, New Jersey

When David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, asked for special counsel status, the Justice Department says Mr. Garland approved his request quickly. A widely respected federal judge before becoming attorney general, Mr. Garland has become a favorite target of House Republicans after the Justice Department launched investigations that resulted in felony charges against former President Donald J. Trump. At the heart of the issue are assurances Mr. Weiss and Mr. Garland have given to lawmakers that Mr. Weiss had ultimate authority over the Hunter Biden case and when and where to bring charges. But they have vouched generally for the statements about Mr. Weiss’ limited authority, describing a more nuanced scenario in which Mr. Weiss had sought to partner with prosecutors in Washington, D.C., and California, only to be rebuffed, causing him to try a different approach. When Mr. Weiss eventually asked for special counsel status, the Justice Department says Mr. Garland approved his request quickly.

Persons: David C, Weiss, Garland, General Merrick B, Donald J, Biden’s, Hunter, Justice Department hadn’t, Kevin McCarthy, David Weiss, Merrick Garland’s weaponization, Biden, Hunter Biden, Gary Shapley, “, Kenny Holston, Shapley’s, Shapley, Weiss ’ Organizations: Justice Department, Republicans, Trump, Twitter, “ U.S, Committee, DOJ, Veteran, New York Times, Washington , D.C, Departmental Locations: U.S, Delaware, Washington ,, California

☆ Sally Yates: Voters ‘have a right’ to hear evidence against Trump before election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jack Forrest | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Sally Yates, a former acting attorney general early in Donald Trump’s administration, said voters “have a right” to hear the special counsel’s evidence against the former president before they head to the ballot box in 2024. She was set to serve until Trump’s pick for attorney general, Jeff Sessions, could be confirmed. Yates, who served in the DOJ for nearly three decades, called Smith “a talented, no-nonsense guy” and praised the strength of his team’s cases against Trump. “I’m not convinced that the government has to prove that Donald Trump believed in his heart of hearts that he had lost the election,” she said. “I think that Attorney General Garland took the right step in leaving the Trump-appointed US attorney in place to complete that investigation,” she said.

Persons: Sally Yates, Donald Trump’s, “, ” Yates, Obama, CNN’s David Axelrod, Trump, Yates, Jeff Sessions, Jack, Smith, let’s, ”, Axelrod, “ I’m, Donald Trump, ” Trump, ‘, Hunter Biden, General Merrick Garland’s, David Weiss, General Garland Organizations: CNN, Department, longtime Justice Department, Trump, DOJ, Justice Department Locations: United States, Florida

☆ Fact check: The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —Eight candidates for the Republican nomination for president took the stage for the first GOP debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. In April 2020, the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% — the highest level since monthly records began in 1948. It reached a 66-year low during certain months of 2019, at 3.4% in April and 3.6% in August, but by December 2020, unemployment for women was at 6.7%. That deal was negotiated by special counsel David Weiss, who was first appointed to the Justice Department by former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Daniel Dale Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump, Trump, Daniel Dale, Katie Lobosco Burgum, Doug Burgum, –, Goldman Sachs, Ella Nilsen Tim Scott, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Biden, ” Scott, Scott’s, don’t, Tara Subramaniam Scott, ’ Scott, Joe Biden, they’re, Kevin McCarthy, Merrick Garland, ”, Garland, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Haley, Haley, CNN’s Haley Britzky Pence, Mike Pence, “, Obama, CNN’s Haley Britzky Christie, Hunter Biden, Chris Christie, Biden’s son Hunter Biden, Christie, David Weiss, Donald Trump, CNN’s Marshall Cohen Scott, Burgum, Scott, Katie Lobosco Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, “, New, New York Tri, State, Trump, South, United Nations, Social Security, Dakota Gov, American Clean, Republicans, DOJ, Justice Department, National School, Department, Defense Department, of Foreign Relations, Former New Jersey Gov, US, IRS, Treasury Locations: Milwaukee, Florida, Broward, Palm, New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Louisiana, South Carolina, China, United States, Covid, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

☆ Why Naming Weiss Special Counsel in the Hunter Biden Case Isn’t Likely to Change Much
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Charlie Savage | More About Charlie Savage | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

That means making Mr. Weiss a special counsel may be more of a cosmetic gesture — essentially formalizing what has already been the case — than a new reality. The attorney general’s move came against the backdrop of accusations by Republicans that Mr. Weiss had offered what they portrayed as a sweetheart plea bargain to the younger Mr. Biden because of political manipulations by Mr. Garland or by the White House. Functionally, the formalization of Mr. Weiss’s independence could serve as a shield against such accusations. A special counsel is a prosecutor who wields the same powers as a U.S. attorney but is granted broader day-to-day independence from supervision. In making the announcement, Mr. Garland reminded the public that he had already said Mr. Weiss, who was appointed by President Trump, was operating outside the normal system of hierarchical oversight and control for the Hunter Biden case.

Persons: General Merrick B, David Weiss, Biden’s, Hunter, Garland, Weiss, general’s, Biden, President Trump, Hunter Biden Organizations: Trump, White House Locations: Delaware, U.S

☆ The new twist in Hunter Biden’s case is a huge political headache for his father
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —A sudden new twist in the investigation into Hunter Biden means his legal tribulations will likely stretch on for months, creating an unwelcome new drag on his father’s White House and reelection bid. Just weeks ago, the shadow of criminal suspicion over Hunter Biden seemed about to lift. The change of status followed the collapse of a deal last month that likely would have seen Hunter Biden get sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. But the symbolic weight of an appointment of a special counsel stiffens the perception of scandal and potential wrongdoing even if the legal realities of the case haven’t shifted. Important differences between Hunter Biden and Trump casesThere are two important distinctions between Biden and Trump that the Republicans are trying to blur.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David Weiss, Joe Biden’s, Weiss, Joe Biden, Alberto Gonzales, Jake Tapper ”, it’s, …, ”, Gonzales, George W, Bush, Merrick Garland, Hunter Biden’s, Abbe Lowell, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Lowell, Trump, Garland, Clinton, Biden, Donald Trump, It’s, Tanya Chutkan, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, Biden’s, Hunter, Tapper, James Comer –, –, “, Joe Biden hasn’t, ” Comer, Comer, he’s, General Garland, Kevin McCarthy, couldn’t, Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, General Garland’s, Hunter Biden – Organizations: CNN, House, Justice Department, White, House Republicans, Trump, Republican, GOP Locations: Delaware, Weiss, Florida, Ukraine, China, Kentucky, California, Carolina

☆ Hunter Biden: US attorney leading Hunter Biden criminal probe is now a special counsel after plea talks break down and a trial looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Marshall Cohen Hannah Rabinowitz Devan Cole | Marshall Cohen | Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington CNN —The Trump-appointed US attorney who is investigating Hunter Biden has been given special counsel status after plea talks between the Justice Department and the president’s son fell apart. It’s the latest dramatic turn in the long-running criminal investigation of Hunter Biden that’s impacted President Joe Biden’s White House and has been a priority of congressional Republicans. The probe appeared to reach its conclusion when a plea deal was announced in June. The GOP had criticized the plea deal, accusing Weiss of giving Hunter Biden preferential treatment. Two career IRS agents who worked on the Hunter Biden probe went public as whistleblowers, claiming there was political meddling in the probe.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David Weiss, Merrick Garland, Weiss, It’s, Joe Biden’s, Hunter, Maryellen Noreika, ”, “, Garland, Jim Jordan, “ David Weiss can’t, ” Jordan, Russell Dye, “ Weiss, James Comer of, Biden, coverup, California Weiss, Hunter Biden’s, Chris Clark, Robert Mueller, John Durham, ” Garland Organizations: Washington CNN, Trump, Justice Department, Republicans, GOP, Department, Hunter Biden, Ohio Republican, Biden, Central District of, District of Columbia, District of Locations: Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky, DC, California, Delaware, Washington, Central District, Central District of California, District, Delaware , Washington, “, District of Delaware

☆ For President Biden, a Political Liability That May Not Go Away Soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Peter Baker | More About Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

All that Hunter Biden had to do was show up in a courtroom, answer a few questions, sign some paperwork and that would be it. What had been a painful but relatively contained political scandal that animated mainly partisans on the right could now extend for months just as the president is gearing up for his re-election campaign. This time, the questions about Hunter Biden’s conduct may be harder for the White House to dismiss as politically motivated. They may even break out of the conservative echo chamber to the general public, which has largely not paid much attention until now. It remained unclear whether Hunter Biden faces criminal exposure beyond the tax and gun charges lodged against him by David C. Weiss, the prosecutor first appointed in 2018 to investigate him by President Donald J. Trump’s attorney general.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Hunter Biden’s, David C, Weiss, Donald J, General Merrick B, Hunter Organizations: White

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