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☆ COVID-19 fraudsters bought fancy cars, a Pokemon card - even a private island
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Patrick Parker Walsh is serving five and half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds that he used, in part, to buy the island. Instead, he's serving five and half years in federal prison for stealing nearly $8 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds that he used, in part, to buy Sweetheart Island. They potentially plundered more than $280 billion in federal COVID-19 aid; another $123 billion was wasted or misspent. They've created special "strike forces " to hunt down COVID-19 aid thieves and vowed not to give up the chase. A few weeks after Oudomsine applied for the pandemic aid, the government rushed him $85,000 to keep his non-existent business afloat.

Persons: Richard Lardner, Patrick Parker Walsh, Julio Aguilar, he's, fraudsters, Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump, James Brady, Trump, Alex Wong, Bob Westbrooks, Westbrooks, They've, Lisa Monaco, General Merrick Garland, Garland, David Weiss, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Drew Angerer, Konstantinos Zarkadas, Cartier, Zarkadas, Lee E, Price III, Price, Vinath Oudomsine, Oudomsine, Mickey Mantle, Dudley H, Bowen, Patrick Walsh's, Walsh, Jamie Lovemark, Kevin Lamarque Organizations: Press, AP YANKEETOWN, Associated Press ., James, Getty, YouTube, U.S . Justice, Top Justice Department, U.S, U.S . Department of Justice, Rolex, Houston, Associated Press, National Transportation Safety Board, Bethany Locations: Yankeetown, Fla, Sweetheart, Coast, Florida's, Florida, Associated Press . WASHINGTON, DC, U.S, Washington ,, Las Vegas, Tennessee, Vermont, COVID, Washington , DC, New York, Houston, Georgia, America, Bethany Beach , Delaware

☆ House Republicans Subpoena Biden’s Son, Brother for Business Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( C. Ryan Barber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Hunter Biden faces allegations that he traded on the family name. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/ReutersHouse Republicans subpoenaed Hunter and James Biden on Wednesday, demanding their testimony as lawmakers seek to tie President Biden to his family’s business dealings. The subpoenas to the president’s son and brother came as Republicans pushed to rekindle an impeachment inquiry that faced delays during the jockeying to select a new House speaker, a race that exposed fissures within the GOP conference. In the buildup to Wednesday’s subpoenas, lawmakers focused a spotlight on Hunter and James Biden as they alleged that the president’s relatives traded on the family name as they made millions of dollars.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Hunter, James Biden, Biden Organizations: Reuters, GOP

☆ US House Republicans will subpoena president's son, brother to appear
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrives at federal court to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., July 26, 2023. House Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry in September, following months of probes. Neither Hunter Biden nor James Biden could immediately be reached for comment. In addition to the subpoenas to Hunter Biden and James Biden, the committee is issuing a subpoena to Rob Walker, a former business partner of Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden, 53, has publicly discussed his past substance abuse and never held a position in the White House or on his father's campaign.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, James Biden, Biden, Barack Obama's, Devon Archer, Archer's, Karine Jean, Pierre, Donald Trump, Rob Walker, Tony Bobulinski, Trump, Mike Johnson, Makini Brice, Steve Holland, Chris Reese, Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Democrat, House Republicans, White, Biden, Senate, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Washington

The long-awaited move by Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, to subpoena the president's son Hunter and his brother James comes as Republicans look to gain ground in their nearly yearlong investigation. Lawmakers also requested that James Biden's wife, Sara Biden, and Hallie Biden, the wife of the president's deceased son Beau, appear voluntarily for transcribed interviews. Requests for comment from Hunter Biden and James Biden were not immediately returned. The five-year investigation into Hunter Biden had been expected to end with a plea deal this summer, but it imploded during a July plea hearing. Weiss has now charged the president’s son with three firearms felonies related to the 2018 purchase of a gun during a period Hunter Biden has acknowledged being addicted to drugs.

Persons: Joe Biden's, James Comer, Hunter, James, Biden's, Biden, ” Comer, Hunter Biden, James Biden, Rob Walker, Lawmakers, James Biden's, Sara Biden, Hallie Biden, Beau, Donald Trump, Hunter Biden’s, Abbe Lowell, ”, Comer, MAGA, Lowell, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, “, ” Johnson, Barack, Joe Biden, David Weiss, Weiss, Lindsay Whitehurst, Eric Tucker Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Constitution, White, Democratic, White House, Fox News Channel, Fox, Republicans, Biden family’s, Department, Justice Department, Associated Press Locations: Kentucky, Louisiana

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, arrives at federal court to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The Republican-controlled U.S. House Oversight Committee said on Wednesday it has subpoenaed President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, and brother, James Biden, to appear for depositions, in an escalation of its impeachment inquiry into the Democrat. In addition to the subpoenas to Hunter Biden and James Biden, the committee has issued a subpoena to Rob Walker, a former business partner of Hunter Biden. The committee has also asked four other members of Biden's family to appear, as well as another former business partner, Tony Bobulinski. Hunter Biden, 53, has publicly discussed his past substance abuse and never held a position in the White House or on his father's campaign.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden's, James Biden, Biden, Barack Obama's, Abbe Lowell, Hunter, Lowell, Devon Archer, Karine Jean, Pierre, Donald Trump, Rob Walker, Tony Bobulinski, Trump, Mike Johnson, Makini Brice, Steve Holland, Scott Malone, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Democrat, House Republicans, White, Wednesday, Biden, Senate, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Washington

☆ House Republicans Subpoena Biden’s Son and Brother in Impeachment Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Luke Broadwater | More About Luke Broadwater | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

House Republicans on Wednesday issued subpoenas demanding testimony from Hunter and James Biden, the president’s son and brother, as they hunt for evidence to try to build an impeachment case against him. It was the most significant move in the impeachment inquiry since Republicans announced they were opening it in September, despite no evidence that the president had committed high crimes or misdemeanors. Republicans have toiled for months to try to find support for their allegations that Mr. Biden corruptly profited from his family members’ overseas business dealings and accepted bribes. The subpoenas demand that James Biden appear for a deposition on Dec. 6 and Hunter Biden appear a week later. Mr. Walker was summoned to appear on Nov. 29.

Persons: Hunter, James Biden, James R, Comer, Biden’s, Rob Walker, Biden corruptly, Hunter Biden, Walker Organizations: Republicans, Republican Locations: Kentucky

☆ House subpoenas James and Hunter Biden in GOP-led probe of the president's family
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Ryan Nobles | Summer Concepcion | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

House Republicans on Wednesday issued subpoenas to Hunter and James Biden — President Joe Biden's son and brother, respectively — as well as a Biden family associate, Rob Walker, in an escalation of Republicans' impeachment inquiry into the president. A representative and attorney for Hunter Biden and James Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The subpoenas and interview requests come a day after the special counsel overseeing the probe into Hunter Biden testified before the House Judiciary Committee behind closed doors. The panel further alleges that the Biden family, their business associates and their companies received more than $24 million from foreign nations over approximately five years. "These records reveal how the Bidens sold Joe Biden around to the world to benefit the Biden family, including Joe Biden himself, to the detriment of U.S. interests," Comer said in the statement.

Persons: Jason Smith, Joe Biden, Hunter, James Biden, Joe Biden's, —, Biden, Rob Walker, James Comer, Walker, Sara Biden, James, Hallie Biden, Beau ), Elizabeth Secundy, Melissa Cohen, Hunter's, Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden, Ian Sams, Sams, Comer, should've, David Weiss, Weiss, " Weiss, Daniel Goldman, Mary Gay Scanlon, Ted Lieu, Ted Lieu of California —, Scanlon, Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Jordan, — Tom Winter Organizations: House Republicans, Biden, Republicans, Judiciary, Justice Department, Committee, United, United States Attorneys, Department of Justice, NBC News, Trump, Democratic, Florida Republican Locations: Longworth, Ky, United States, New York, Ted Lieu of California, Ohio

Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and private life have provided political fodder for Republicans seeking to pin wrongdoing on his father. Here’s what you need to know about the legal challenges facing the president’s son. Photo Illustration: Ryan TrefesThe yearslong criminal investigation into Hunter Biden has aired a lot of dirty laundry about the president’s son’s attempts at foreign business and his descent into drug addiction. A parallel congressional probe is now airing a lot of dirty laundry about the government officials investigating him. The younger Biden was indicted in September on three felony gun charges and pleaded not guilty last month in Delaware federal court.

Persons: Hunter, Ryan Trefes, Hunter Biden, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Internal Revenue Locations: Delaware

☆ Hunter Biden prosecutor to testify behind closed doors to House Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

File photo: U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, arrives to appear in a federal court on gun charges in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., October 3, 2023. House Republicans allege that the Justice Department improperly interfered with an investigation into Hunter Biden, whose brushes with the law are a central focus of their impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Weiss has headed an investigation into Hunter Biden since 2019. Originally nominated during Republican President Donald Trump's administration, he was allowed to remain in place under Biden. Weiss has charged Hunter Biden, 53, with crimes related to owning a firearm while using illegal drugs.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Hunter Biden, Mike Segar, David Weiss, Biden, Weiss, Mr, Donald Trump's, Trump, impeaching Biden, Makini Brice, Andrew Goudsward, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Republican, Internal Revenue Service, Republicans, Justice Department, Department, FBI, IRS, Trump, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S

☆ Supreme Court revisits the Second Amendment in the wake of the latest mass shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The Supreme Court is considering a section of federal law that bars an individual subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a firearm. But then the Supreme Court issued its Second Amendment decision in Bruen. The 6-3 Bruen decision broke along familiar conservative-liberal ideological lines. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, wrote separately to stress that the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. The Second Amendment is “neither a regulatory straitjacket nor a regulatory blank check,” Kavanaugh said.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Joe Biden’s, “ Rahimi, ”, Andrew M, “, Roger Benitez, Zackey Rahimi, Rahimi, ” Biden, Biden, Elizabeth Prelogar, Matthew Wright, Wright, ” Wright, Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts, ” Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, ” Barrett, Barrett, Kavanaugh, ” Willinger, Hunter Biden, Hunter, That’s, Bruen, Patrick Daniels, Daniels, ” Hunter, Abbe Lowell Organizations: CNN, New York, Duke University School of Law, Circuit, Gun Safety, Chief, 5th Circuit Locations: New, California, Texas, Bruen, United States, North Texas, Wisconsin, Rahimi, USA, Delaware

☆ I read Rep. Anna Paulina Luna's children's book based on the 2020 election. It suggests Joe Biden's election victory wasn't legitimate and underscores that election denialism is never really going awa
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna recently wrote a children's book based on the 2020 election. In "The Legend of Naranja," a Biden-like banana cheats in a race against a Trump-like orange. It's yet another sign that 2020 election denialism is never really going away. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Nonetheless, it stands as a solid example of how lies about the 2020 election will be massaged, repackaged, and filtered down to the next generation over the coming years.

Persons: Anna Paulina Luna, denialism, —, Andrew Gamberzky, she's, Kevin McCarthy, Adam Schiff of, Donald Trump, Joe Biden —, Trump, Luna, Sara Carter, Andy Gamberzky, Jabin, Naranja, would've, there's, Manzana —, Naranja selflessly, you've, Hunter Biden, It's Organizations: Biden, Trump, Service, Florida Republican, Democratic, Adam Schiff of California, Washington, Caucus Locations: Florida

☆ Hunter Biden prosecutor tells House panel he is 'the decision-maker on this case'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Attorney David Weiss speaks during a press conference on May 3, 2018, at his district office in Wilmington, Del. The federal prosecutor in the cases against Hunter Biden told the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that "political considerations played no part" in his decision to charge the son of President Joe Biden with several crimes. "I am, and have been, the decision-maker on this case," Department of Justice special counsel David Weiss said in an opening statement for his closed-door testimony, according to a copy provided by the DOJ. The special counsel, who also is the U.S. attorney for Delaware, earlier this year charged Hunter Biden with criminal charges related to possessing a handgun while being a drug user, and with failure to pay federal income taxes. Hunter Biden, 53, has pleaded not guilty in the cases.

Persons: David Weiss, Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Weiss Organizations: Republican, Department of Justice, DOJ, United, United States Attorneys Locations: Wilmington, Del, United States, U.S, Delaware

WASHINGTON (AP) — The prosecutor overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation is expected to testify on Tuesday, marking the first time a special counsel will appear before Congress in the middle of a probe. The rare move by the Justice Department to allow a special counsel or any federal prosecutor to face questioning before the conclusion of an investigation indicates just how seriously the department is taking accusations of interference. Weiss' appearance comes after months of back-and-forth negotiations between Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department as lawmakers subpoenaed several investigators and attorneys involved in the Hunter Biden case. But the IRS whistleblower, who testified publicly over the summer, insists his testimony reflects a pattern of interference and preferential treatment in the Hunter Biden case and not just disagreement with their superiors about what investigative steps to take. In the Hunter Biden case, defense attorneys have already indicated they plan to challenge the gun charges he is currently facing on several other legal fronts and suggested that prosecutors bowed to political pressure in filing those charges.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David Weiss, “ Mr, Weiss, ” Wyn Hornbuckle, “, Hunter, That’s, Jim Jordan Organizations: WASHINGTON, Republicans, Committee, Justice Department, Democratic, Republican, Internal Revenue Service, Attorneys, GOP Locations: Washington and California

Two years later, Congress put such a law in place, prohibiting people facing domestic violence restraining orders from having guns. Gun rights organizations are supporting Zackey Rahimi, the Texas man whose challenge to the law led to the Supreme Court case. A gun, though, is more than just a potential source of violence, Glenn said, recalling how her husband threatened her and her then-teenage son, David, repeatedly. Rahimi’s case reached the Supreme Court after prosecutors appealed a ruling that threw out his conviction for possessing guns while subject to a restraining order. The court's decision in the Rahimi case could have widespread ripple effects, including in the high-profile prosecution of Hunter Biden.

Persons: — Ruth Glenn, Glenn, Cedric, ” Glenn, Zackey Rahimi, Shira Feldman, Brady, “, ” Feldman, David, it’s, Rahimi, Cory Wilson, Wilson, ” Wilson, Clarence Thomas, Hashim Mooppan, Trump, ” Mooppan, ”, Clark Neily, Jacob Charles, Hunter Biden, ” Charles, Cedric Glenn, “ We’re, we’re Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, Survivor Justice, Biden, Republicans, Democrats, for Disease Control, Gun Safety, Circuit, Justice Department, Georgetown Law, Cato Institute, Pepperdine University Locations: Denver, Glenn, Texas, Arlington , Texas, U.S, Bruen, Malibu , California

☆ Biden impeachment inquiry end game comes into focus, but moderate Republicans still not sold
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Annie Grayer | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent days, Comer has said in media appearances that subpoenas for Biden family members are “imminent.”The end of the inquiry is still likely months away. They did, however, secure an interview with the special counsel overseeing the Hunter Biden criminal probe, David Weiss, for Tuesday, which is unprecedented given that the case is ongoing. At every turn, House Democrats and the White House have dismissed the allegations against the president and poked holes in the Republican-led investigation. “The subpoenas to Hunter Biden and other members of the Biden family should have already happened,” Gaetz told CNN. “We’ll see what comes out.”Even members involved in the inquiry know that the evidence doesn’t clear the key hurdles needed to move forward.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, –, “, Jim Jordan, Jordan, James Comer, James, Hunter, Comer, David Weiss, Jamie Raskin, Mike Johnson, Johnson, Matt Gaetz, ” Johnson, ” What’s, they’ve, ’ ” Comer, I’ve, we’ve, ”, James Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Hunter Biden, ” Gaetz, Comer doesn’t, hadn’t, it’s, ” Comer, Jack Morgan, Mark Daly, Lesley Wolf, Morgan, Daly, “ There’s, ” Jordan, Don Bacon, Mike Lawler, we’ll, ” Lawler, , Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom McClintock, Doug LaMalfa, “ I’ve, Steve Womack, Mike Rogers of Organizations: Republicans, GOP, Ohio Republican, CNN, Hunter Biden, House Democrats, Republican, Maryland, Capitol, Judiciary, of Justice, DOJ, The Justice, Nebraska Republican, Committee, ”, California Republican, Arkansas Republican Locations: Ohio, Florida, Ukrainian, Nebraska, New York, California, Arkansas, Mike Rogers of Alabama

☆ Moving the Goal Posts on the Hunter Biden Investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Kimberley A. Strassel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Kimberley Strassel is a member of the editorial board for The Wall Street Journal. She writes editorials, as well as the weekly Potomac Watch political column, from her base in Alaska. Ms. Strassel joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1994, working in the news department of The Wall Street Journal Europe in Brussels, and then in London. She moved to New York in 1999 and soon thereafter joined the Journal's editorial page, working as a features editor, and then as an editorial writer. An Oregon native, Ms. Strassel earned a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and International Affairs from Princeton University.

Persons: Kimberley Strassel, Strassel Organizations: Wall Street, Potomac Watch, Dow Jones & Co, The, Street, Fox, Sunday, Press, Policy, International Affairs, Princeton University Locations: Kimberley, Alaska, Brussels, London, New York, An Oregon

☆ Hunter Biden decries GOP lawmakers, media for 'weaponization of my addiction' amid probes, criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, arrives at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023. Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, on Thursday denounced congressional Republicans and right-wing media figures for using his well-known history of drug abuse to attack his father and launch "fruitless" investigations. "My struggles and my mistakes have been fodder for a vile and sustained disinformation campaign against him, and an all-out annihilation of my reputation through high-pitched but fruitless congressional investigations," the younger Biden wrote. The charges stem from him "possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days five years ago," Biden wrote, adding they "appear to be the first-ever of their kind brought in the history of Delaware." Biden pleaded not guilty last month to a three-count indictment in the case in a U.S. District Court in Wilmington, Delaware.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Lesley J, McNair, Biden, Hunter Organizations: Republicans, USA Today, Republican Locations: Washington ,, USA, Delaware, U.S, Wilmington , Delaware

☆ More on the Stifled Hunter Biden Probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Review and Outlook: Attorney General Merrick Garland demonstrates why appointing a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden was a bad idea. Images: Reuters/Zuma Press Composite: Mark KellyHouse Republicans continue to unpack the Justice Department’s botched Hunter Biden probe, and evidence is mounting of interference from the top. The latest testimony comes from an Oct. 23 Judiciary Committee interview with former U.S. Attorney Scott Brady . In January 2020, then Attorney General Bill Barr tapped Mr. Brady to vet information related to Ukrainian corruption, and to pass along credible material to offices with ongoing investigations. Mr. Brady says in the transcript we’ve reviewed that FBI headquarters and Mr. Weiss’s office made this very difficult.

Persons: General Merrick Garland, Hunter Biden, Mark Kelly, Department’s, Scott Brady, Bill Barr, Brady, David Weiss Organizations: Zuma, Republicans, U.S, Delaware U.S Locations: Delaware, Ukrainian

☆ Republicans return to Biden impeachment inquiry following 3-week speaker race
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Another unknown factor is how House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan – who spent much of the last three weeks running for speaker – will return to the scene. A source familiar with Johnson’s thinking told CNN, “He believes it’s a fact-finding mission. GOP Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents a Virginia district Biden won in 2020, told CNN, “We have so much work we need to get done including these appropriations bills. I don’t think so,” GOP Rep. Mike Garcia, who represents a competitive district in California, told CNN of the inquiry. House Republicans have not held an impeachment inquiry hearing since their first one on September 28, where expert witnesses brought in by Republicans acknowledged they did not yet have the evidence to prove the accusations leveled against the president.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter, James Biden, Mike Johnson, Kevin McCarthy, Johnson, ”, Jason Smith, Jim Jordan –, –, Jordan, Russell Dye, James Comer, Fox News ’ Sean Hannity, ” Johnson, “, it’s, Comer, Smith, Jeff Van Drew, Jen Kiggans, Biden, Mike Garcia, Ralph Norman, Jim Jordan, Austin Scott of, ” Van Drew, Matt Gaetz, Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, McCarthy, Ken Buck, Ken Buck of Colorado, ” Buck, Chip Roy, “ we’re, Martin Estrada, David Weiss, holdouts, Ben Cline, Virginia, ” Gaetz Organizations: CNN, Republican, Republicans, GOP, Kentucky Republican, Judiciary, Fox News, New, New Jersey Republican, ” CNN, White, Democratic, California, Department of Justice Locations: Missouri, Kentucky, Jordan, New Jersey, Virginia, California, South Carolina, Austin Scott of Georgia, Florida, Ken Buck of, ”, Texas

☆ US attorney who initially vetted Biden bribery tip explains why it deserved further scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Marshall Cohen | Annie Grayer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

His testimony sheds new light on how his office vetted the tip, and he disputed past Democratic claims that he “closed” the matter without recommending any further scrutiny. However, it doesn’t bolster the GOP narrative that Joe Biden or his son Hunter Biden were offered or accepted a bribe. The informant described his interactions with Mykola Zlochevsky, a Ukrainian oligarch and owner of the energy company Burisma, where Hunter Biden had served on the board. The saga of a once-trusted FBI informant bringing explosive but unverified claims about a presidential candidate is reminiscent of the Christopher Steele debacle in 2016. This time, the political roles are reversed: Republicans are championing the unproven bribery claims, as Democrats try to discredit the material.

Persons: Hunter, Scott Brady, Brady, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Rudy Giuliani, The uncorroborated Biden, ”, Mykola Zlochevsky, Zlochevsky, “, ” Brady, Biden, David Weiss, Weiss ’, Lev Parnas, Petro Poroshenko, Hunter Biden’s, Jamie Raskin, Brady “, ” Raskin, “ Raskin, “ That’s, Weiss, Raskin, “ Mr, Brady’s, James Comer, Comer, Christopher Steele, Steele’s, Trump, he’s Organizations: CNN, Hunter Biden, House Republicans, Biden, Justice Department, Democratic, Trump, FBI, CHS, Giuliani, Ukrainian, White, Democrats, Maryland, Western, Western District of Pennsylvania, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Delaware, Pittsburgh, Western District, America, Russia

☆ Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, the platform and its cultural impact have fundamentally changed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Brian Fung | Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Here’s a (non-exhaustive) account of how Musk has fundamentally changed Twitter since he made one of the most consequential acquisitions of the social media age. Many of Musk’s content and product decisions have also led to what civil society groups have reported as a troubling spread of hateful speech on the platform. He recommended that X users monitor the Israel-Hamas conflict by following an account known for spreading disinformation, before later deleting his post. And, in an attempt to prove that former Twitter executives deliberately discriminated against conservatives on the platform, Musk provided a handpicked group of journalists with selective access to company records. It is perhaps Musk’s all-consuming presence that has most undermined what users used to love about Twitter.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, Elon Musk, Linda Yaccarino —, Yaccarino, ” Yaccarino, —, it’s, Here’s, Musk, he’s, Donald Trump, LeBron James, James, ”, X, General Mills, ” Weeks, “ Elon, what’s, “, Paul Pelosi, Dilbert, Scott Adams, George Soros, Joe Biden’s, Ron DeSantis ’, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Tucker Carlson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hunter Biden Organizations: New, New York CNN, Elon, Twitter, US Federal Trade Commission, Securities, Exchange Commission, EU, Premium, Nintendo, NPR, PBS, Volkswagen, —, Center, Defamation League, Wall Street, Florida Republican Gov, Fox, New York, Trump Locations: New York, Israel, United States, breakeven, New

WASHINGTON (AP) — The special counsel overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation is expected to testify before a Congressional committee behind closed doors as a GOP probe into the Justice Department's handling of the case continues to unfold. In a rare step, David Weiss is set to appear for a transcribed interview before members of the House Judiciary Committee on Nov. 7, sources told The Associated Press Friday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door appearance. However, the Justice Department noted in a letter to the Judiciary Committee last month that he could be called on for public testimony after the investigation is over. Hunter Biden has now been charged with three felony firearm courts related to his purchase of a gun in 2018, a period when he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. Weiss has also indicated Hunter Biden could face tax charges, though none have yet been filed.

Persons: Hunter Biden, David Weiss, “, Weiss, Hunter, That's, Jim Jordan, that's Organizations: WASHINGTON, GOP, Internal Revenue Service, Justice Department, Attorney Locations: Delaware

☆ Mitt Romney thought Sean Hannity was 'consumed' with trying to be like Tucker Carlson — but wasn't as effective as his fellow host: new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new book about Sen. Mitt Romney details his interactions with Fox News host Sean Hannity. Romney and Hannity were allies, but the TV host turned on the senator over his anti-MAGA posture. Romney believed Hannity was obsessed with how Tucker Carlson had dethroned him in ratings, per the book. AdvertisementAdvertisementGOP Sen. Mitt Romney believed Fox News host Sean Hannity was "consumed" with his colleague Tucker Carlson beating him in TV ratings, according to a new book about the Utah lawmaker. Hannity told Romney, per Coppins.

Persons: Sen, Mitt Romney, Sean Hannity, Romney, Hannity, MAGA, Tucker Carlson, —, Sean, McKay Coppins, Coppins, Carlson, Donald Trump, Tucker, Carlson's, Hunter Biden's, Biden, Mitt Organizations: Fox News, Service, The, CNN, Fox, GOP, MSNBC Locations: Utah, Washington, Ukrainian

☆ Mitt Romney criticizes Fox News and right-wing media for warping Republican Party
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Mitt Romney, once the Republican Party’s standard-bearer, believes the right-wing media machine is at fault for much of the radicalization that has disfigured the GOP. In another excerpt, Romney expressed alarm at how prominent storylines in the right-wing media space demonized people that he believed should have been celebrated, such as an Olympian struggling with mental health. The warped political environment made Romney, once the archetype of its traditional conservative values, an outcast to right-wing media figures, which after a brief civil war, wholly embraced Trump following his election. But the call didn’t go well, with Hannity scolding Romney and accusing him of making certain comments to appease the mainstream press. “You’re just doing this because you want to get praise on MSNBC!” Hannity told Romney, according to the book.

Persons: Mitt Romney, McKay Coppins, “, ” Romney, Tucker Carlson, Romney, Donald Trump, Trump, Sean Hannity, Coppins, Hannity, “ You’re, ” Hannity, Hunter Biden, Carlson —, Sean, Tucker, Tucker —, ”, Mitt, Rupert Murdoch, Lou Dobbs fearmonger, Fox, “ Lou, “ Fox Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, Republican Party, Romney, Fox News, Trump, MSNBC, Fox Business Locations: Utah, “ Romney, Washington

And 30% say Biden did nothing wrong, according to the poll. House Republicans have launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden, seeking to tie the president to the foreign business dealings of his 53-year-old son. Republicans have been investigating Hunter Biden for years, since his father was vice president. About an additional third in each party say they think Biden at least did something unethical. The same 2019 AP-NORC poll found that 69% of Americans said it was inappropriate for Hunter Biden to serve on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while Joe Biden was vice president.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, unethically, Biden, Hank Gardiner, ”, Gardiner, reelect, Donald Trump, ” Biden, swirled, Trump, “ We’ve, David Parrott, he’s, Parrott, Terry Kilgore, Kilgore, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, “, Shae Rouzan, Rouzan, Oakley Graham, Graham, ’ Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, House Republicans, Republicans, Biden family’s, GOP, Justice Department, U.S . Capitol, Republican, Trump, Democratic, Senate, Ukraine, Biden Locations: U.S, Idaho, Pocatello, Congress, Tennessee, Westlake , Ohio, Ukrainian, Carson , California, Michigan, Greenwood , Missouri

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