Special counsel in Hunter Biden case responds to president’s accusations
Special Counsel David Weiss, who investigated President Joe Biden’s son Hunter, issued his final report Monday, Jan. 13. In the 280-page report, Weiss criticized the president for making “gratuitous and wrong” accusations that politics tainted his years-long case.
Weiss pointed to Joe Biden’s words when pardoning Hunter, claiming Hunter was the victim of an “unfair” prosecution and a “miscarriage of justice.”
He said while other presidents have pardoned family members in the past, none have “taken the occasion as an opportunity to malign the public services at the Department of Justice based solely on false accusations.”
Weiss said he ignored political opinions during his investigation and that his decisions were “based on the facts and the law and nothing else.”
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act reintroduced in House of Representatives
One Democrat and 120 Republicans introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The bill would allow anyone with a state-issued concealed carry license to conceal a handgun in any other state, and it would also allow residents in constitutional carry states to possess a firearm in other states.
“Our Second Amendment right does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines, and this commonsense legislation guarantees that,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said in a statement. “The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act will protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits.”
Lawmakers have introduced the bill several times since 2017. However, the bill has never been signed into law. While it will likely pass the House, it’s unlikely to get approved in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes.
President-elect Donald Trump committed to signing a reciprocity law during the campaign.
“I will protect the right of self-defense everywhere it is under siege and I will sign concealed carry reciprocity,” Trump said in February 2023. “Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line.”
Gun rights groups celebrated the bill’s reintroduction. Gun Owners of America said if the bill is passed, it would be the greatest legislative victory for the gun rights movement in a century.
“[The] bill not only protects people that have permits from their own state to be able to carry in other states, there’s 29 permitless carry states, [the] bill also protects them to carry permitless carry around the country,” said Erich Pratt, Gun Owners of America senior vice president. “That is huge because that totally fits within the 2nd amendment, ‘shall not be infringed.’”
Gun control groups oppose the legislation. Every Town for Gun Safety said reciprocity would “gut” state standards.
“CCR would force each state to recognize the concealed carry standards from every other state, even those that have dramatically weaker standards—and those that don’t require any permit at all,” the organization stated.
For instance, some states require training to get a concealed carry permit, others do not. Not all training programs are the same, some are online, while others are in-person and involve firing the weapon.
If the bill is approved, it would only apply to handguns. It explicitly states machine guns or other destructive devices are not included.
Long Island authorities approved to shoot down mystery drones
Long Island authorities have received the greenlight from Nassau County as of Thursday, Dec. 19, to shoot down mysterious drones that may pose a threat. Officials say that they are not waiting for disaster to strike before taking action.
The authorization came as the county showed off a new cutting-edge drone command center. The technology reportedly allows authorities to track drones from miles away and can intercept and take down aircraft posing a threat, but it still needs approval from the U.S. federal government.
As they await permission, county officials sayid they’re taking preemptive action against any possible threats. When asked if the authorization violates federal law, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman responded.
“No, no, we have the ability to stop a crime that could result in tremendous loss of life or tremendous loss of property damage,” Blakeman said. “We have that right. It’s not something that’s exclusive to drones. It would be with respect to, if we had to takedown a truck that was full of explosives.”
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said his officers are willing and ready to shoot, noting the department’s “world-renowned snipers.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., said the overflight restriction includes some of New York’s “critical infrastructure sites,” though she added there are currently “no threats to these sites.”
The FAA’s nearly monthlong ban allows for “deadly force” to be used to bring the drones down. While the White House has downplayed the drones as a non-threat to public safety, speculation is running wild.
A New Jersey mayor has claimed that the drones are sniffing out radioactive material, and a U.S. lawmaker raised concerns that they could be from an “Iranian mothership.” Others have suggested the sightings could be coming from space.
Ryder said he wants to use the new tracking tech to not just track drones but to shoot them down as well. In the meantime, he’s not waiting on the new technology.
“We have to do whatever means necessary to protect the people this county and we have been given that authorization,” Ryder said.
Calif. man shared planned attack with teen Wis. shooting suspect: FBI
The FBI detained a California man on Tuesday, Dec. 17, that officials said was plotting an attack during conversations with the 15-year-old girl suspected of committing a deadly school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin. Police and FBI agents reportedly swarmed the home of 20-year-old Alexander Paffendorf in Carlsbad, California, on Tuesday to seize his guns and ammunition after a judge’s order under the state’s red flag law.
The court’s order came following allegations that Paffendorf was planning a mass shooting with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, the suspected Wisconsin shooter.
Officials said, during the interview with FBI agents, that Paffendorf admitted that he told Rupnow he planned to arm himself with explosives and a gun in an attack on a government building.
The FBI did not provide further details on the pair’s communication. It’s also unclear if authorities arrested Paffendorf or if he faces any charges.
However, law enforcement said there is no current threat to the local community. Madison Police said Rupnow opened fire at a private Christian school on Monday, Dec. 16, killing a teacher and student and injuring six others.
Police found Rupnow’s body at the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A motive for the shooting is still being investigated.
Federal judge rebukes Biden’s pardon of Hunter as trying to ‘rewrite history’
A federal judge rebuked President Joe Biden’s claims that his son, Hunter Biden, was unfairly prosecuted. In a court order issued Tuesday, Dec. 3, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi criticized the president’s statement suggesting Hunter Biden was singled out for political reasons.
In a statement, President Biden said, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process, and it led to a miscarriage of justice. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”
However, Judge Scarsi rejected that argument, noting that Hunter Biden admitted to evading taxes even after regaining sobriety and having the means to pay. The judge also dismissed claims that the case was politically motivated. He pointed out the Justice Department oversaw the investigation.
“The president’s own Attorney General and Department of Justice personnel oversaw the investigation leading to the charges… The Constitution provides the president with broad authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, but nowhere does the Constitution give the president the authority to rewrite history,” Scarsi wrote.
The president’s pardon, issued before the end of Sunday, Dec. 1, applied not only to tax and gun charges but also to any future charges related to crimes committed by Hunter Biden from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024. The judge raised concerns over the inclusion of potential future offenses, questioning whether the president exceeded his constitutional pardon powers.
Scarsi said he would close the tax case once official pardon paperwork is received. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden’s gun case is officially closed. However, prosecutors argue the charges should remain on the record despite the pardon.
The president’s actions come after Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax offenses, admitting to failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in a separate gun case earlier this year. The charges in his tax case carried a sentence of up to 17 years in prison.
Judge dismisses Hunter Biden’s gun case amid opposition from prosecutors
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika has closed the gun case against Hunter Biden a week before his scheduled sentencing. The dismissal comes after a sweeping pardon granted by his father, President Joe Biden.
Following the decision Sunday, Dec. 1, Hunter Biden’s legal team submitted a motion to dismiss all charges with prejudice citing the “Full and Unconditional Pardon.”
Federal prosecutors argued against dropping the three felonies Hunter Biden was convicted of this summer in Delaware. Hunter Biden faced up to 25 years in prison for lying about being a drug user on a federal form when buying a gun in 2018.
In a filing by the prosecution, it stated a “pardon does not blot out guilt or expunge a judgement of conviction.” Prosecutors noted historic rulings that removed the court record but did not dismiss the charges. Court documents revealed their arguments that it shouldn’t be cleared “as if it never occurred.”
A plea deal fell through last year when Hunter Biden came to an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prison time. Noreika questioned parts of it, causing it to not go through.
President Biden’s pardon defends his son against any offenses committed over the past 11 years.
The Justice Department’s Special Counsel has also voiced opposition against dismissing Hunter Biden’s tax fraud charges. Hunter Biden plead guilty in September, but the pardon covers it.
Both Democrats and Republicans have spoken against the pardon, as it violates the president’s original vows. President Biden initially said he wouldn’t pardon his son and instead abide by the jury’s decision.
Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime.
President-elect Trump, Hunter Biden react to President Biden’s pardon
Saying it is clear that his son was treated differently and singled out by the justice system, President Joe Biden has pardoned his son of his felony conviction. And winter weather moved in on the first weekend in December, bringing feet of lake-effect snow to parts of the Northeast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.
President-elect Trump, Hunter Biden react to President Biden’s pardon
Reaction is coming in after President Joe Biden’s decision late Sunday night, Dec. 1, to pardon his son Hunter. With his time in office ending in a matter of weeks, the president reversed previous statements he made when he said he would not use his power to keep his son from facing prison time due to felony convictions.
Hunter Biden faced sentencing later this month related to two separate criminal cases. In September, he pleaded guilty to nine tax charges, and last June, a jury found him guilty of lying on a gun purchase form.
Hunter faced up to 17 years in prison for the tax charges and 25 years in the gun case.
The president said he decided to issue the pardon because he believes his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted” and that the prosecution of Hunter’s arrests led to a “miscarriage of justice.”
President Biden said the charges in his son’s cases came to be after several of his “political opponents in Congress instigated them” to attack the president and oppose his election.
The president’s move is a reversal from last month when White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said there would be no pardon and over the summer when President Biden said the same at another press briefing and during an interview with ABC News.
Hunter Biden issued his own statement Sunday saying in part he has admitted and taken responsibility for mistakes he made during his addiction. He added, “I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
President-elect Donald Trump also issued a statement on his Truth Social platform asking if President Biden’s pardon also includes those arrested in connection to the Jan. 6 riots. Trump used Biden’s own words – saying this is “a miscarriage of justice.”
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 2, 2024
President Biden’s pardon covers any potential federal crimes Hunter committed from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec.1, 2024 — including his time on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma. Hunter Biden faced criticism for his foreign business transactions and lofty salary despite having a lack of energy experience.
This official grant of clemency cannot be rescinded by President-elect Trump.
Canada’s prime minister to up border security after meeting with Trump
Canadian officials are stepping up security at the country’s border with the United States after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump in Florida for dinner on Friday, Nov. 29. That’s according to a top Canadian government official who was there for the talks.
Trump announced Monday, Nov. 25, he would levy 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico if they did not stop undocumented people and drugs from crossing their respective borders into the U.S.
Thanks for dinner last night, President Trump. I look forward to the work we can do together, again. pic.twitter.com/lAWFMTtQt7
Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. said Trudeau was successful in getting the president-elect to understand that lumping the flow of migrants and drugs into the U.S. from Canada, with those from Mexico is unfair. Still, Trudeau has promised to increase northern border security in a “visible and muscular way.”
After their meeting, Trump posted on social media that it was “productive” and Trudeau had “made a commitment to work with us.”
Millions face winter weather warning as lake-effect snow blankets northeast
Cold temperatures are sweeping across a large part of the U.S., combined with record-warm temperatures in the Great Lakes, equaling lake-effect snow — and lots of it.
Some parts of the Northeast have already received a few feet of snow, and it’s not expected to stop until Wednesday, Dec. 4, with up to two more feet of snow expected to blanket the area through Tuesday, Dec. 3.
More than two feet of snow was on the ground when the Buffalo Bills put out the call on Sunday, Dec. 1, for fans to volunteer to shovel snow ahead of their game against the San Francisco 49ers. Lots of fans turned out for $20 an hour, warm refreshments and a ticket to the game.
There is a state of emergency in effect Monday morning in parts of New York state. Meanwhile, millions of people are under winter weather warnings from the East Coast to Ohio.
The cold is expected to last well into this week with nearly 70% of the continental U.S. set to feel temperatures below freezing. Some cities, like New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Cincinnati, will experience below-average temperatures for the entire week.
Big Ten fines Ohio State, Michigan $100,000 each for post-game brawl
A college football rivalry game over the weekend ended with both teams fined $100,000 each. The Big Ten issued the fines Sunday against Michigan and Ohio State due to a post-game brawl between players, that saw police officers using pepper spray to break up the fighting.
It began after players from Michigan planted their flag in mid-field at Ohio Stadium, known as the “Horseshoe,” following the Wolverines’ 13-10 upset victory over the No. 2 Buckeyes. After five minutes, the melee ended with some players and coaches bloodied.
The Big Ten said both teams violated the league’s sportsmanship policy, but it does not plan to suspend any player for the incident.
Black Friday sees record $10.8 billion in online sales
Cyber Monday is here, but it looks like shoppers couldn’t wait. Black Friday saw record spending in the U.S. this year, with many shoppers chose to forgo the mall crowds and instead opting to buy online.
Shoppers spent a record $10.8 billion online Friday, according to Adobe Analytics. That’s over 10% — or $1 billion — more than they did last year. It’s also more than double what consumers spent in 2017.
Adobe said online shoppers shelled out roughly $1.3 million per minute between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday.
Friday’s in-store shopper traffic was down more than 8% compared to 2023, according to Sensormatic Solutions, which tracks retail store foot traffic.
‘Moana 2’ breaks Thanksgiving box office record with $221M
It seems getting full on turkey and stuffing were not the only plan for Americans over the holiday weekend. Many also went to the movies to see the latest from Disney.
“Moana 2” broke a Thanksgiving box office record. The animated sequel took in $221 million over the five-day holiday period from Wednesday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Dec. 1.
This topped “Frozen 2’s” Thanksgiving earnings of $125 million in 2019. “Moana 2” also overtook last year’s “The Super Mario Brothers” movie to have the biggest five-day debut in history.
Combined with blockbusters “Wicked” and “Gladiator II,” the three films brought in $420 million, making it the highest-grossing Thanksgiving weekend ever at the box office.
President-elect Trump building his team as meeting with Biden nears
President-elect Trump is already filling positions in his administration as he prepares for a White House meeting with President Biden. And the search continues for more than a dozen monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina research facility last week. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.
President-elect Trump building his team as meeting with Biden nears
President-elect Donald Trump continues to work to fill appointments in his administration as President Joe Biden looks to engage in a peaceful transfer of power. It was announced over the weekend Biden and Trump will meet at the White House later this week.
Trump has spoken to numerous world leaders since election night. A source told Reuters the president-elect recently had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Reuters has since reported the Kremlin denies. The source said Trump told Putin to not escalate the war with Ukraine.
It was not clear if that was the first time the president-elect golfed at his club since an assassination attempt on his life in September.
Russia, Ukraine launch record numbers of drones in overnight attacks
As President-elect Trump reportedly spoke with both Russia and Ukraine’s president, the war between the two countries rages on. A record number of drone strikes were launched over the weekend.
Ukraine launched its largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war, striking Russia’s capital late Saturday night, Nov. 9, into early Sunday, Nov. 10. Russia said a total of 34 drones were launched in Moscow’s direction, but all of them were shot down.
Kryvyi Rih. An ordinary five-story apartment building hit by Russian terrorists with a missile. The first to fifth floors of one of the stairwells were destroyed. So far, seven people have been reported injured, including two children. Emergency rescue operations are underway,… pic.twitter.com/usuWFCrehZ
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 11, 2024
That attack came after Ukraine said Russia launched a total of 145 drones Saturday night, the most ever in a single night-time attack during the war. Ukraine said its defenses shot down more than 60 of the drones, while others left Ukrainian airspace.
Israeli strikes kill dozens in Lebanon and northern Gaza
Lebanon’s health ministry said the offensive there left at least 23 people dead, including seven children, in a village north of Beirut away from areas of the country where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has a major presence. Israel did not issue an evacuation warning before the strike.
Israel’s military said the strike hit a Hezbollah site used to store weapons and the strike is under review.
The strike in northern Gaza was on a home that was sheltering displaced people, according to a hospital official in the territory. At least 17 were killed. The Israeli military said it targeted a site where militants were operating.
The strikes came less than 24 hours hours after Qatar announced it suspended its role as mediator for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza because neither side is willing to come to an agreement.
1 dead, 16 injured in shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama
They said Myrick was found leaving the scene of the shooting, which occurred during a homecoming week celebration at the school. Investigators said he was found with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device.
25 of 43 escaped monkeys in South Carolina recovered
More than half the monkeys that escaped a South Carolina research facility have been caught.
Last Wednesday, Nov. 6, 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from Alpha Genesis, a medical lab that uses the animals for clinical drug trials, in Yemassee. That’s about 60 miles west of Charleston.
43 monkeys that were being used for vaccine development escaped from a lab in Yemassee, South Carolina on Wednesday and are currently on the loose. This video, taken near the facility on Wednesday afternoon, appears to show shadowy figures moving through the woods. CBS News could… pic.twitter.com/ds1tOOpTZi
Officials said the remaining monkeys do not seem to have gone far. They say a “significant number” of them are still near the facility eating food left out for them and interacting with other monkeys still inside the facility. Trappers have not yet been able to corral them.
Biden, Harris to appear together for first time since election for Veterans Day ceremony
The White House said the two will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The president will then deliver remarks at the cemetery’s amphitheater.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will also be in attendance.
Last week, President Biden issued a proclamation for Veterans Day, saying in part, “Each one of our nation’s veterans is a link in a chain of honor that stretches back to our founding days — bound by a sacred oath to support and defend the United States of America. Throughout history, whenever and wherever the forces of darkness have sought to extinguish the flame of freedom, America’s veterans have been fighting to keep it burning bright.”
Police report details Missouri school shooter’s mental health issues
It has been two years since then-19-year-old Orlando Harris killed two people at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (CVPA) in St. Louis, Missouri, in October 2022. Now, police have released their investigative report, revealing Harris’s mental health struggles and the student’s anti-LGBTQ+ motive.
According to the report, in the year and a half prior to the shooting, Harris contemplated suicide multiple times and attempted the act at least twice — first in August 2021 and again between April and June 2022. He was hospitalized several times for his struggles with mental health and regularly saw a therapist. However, he ended his therapy sessions in the summer of 2022.
“After he was released from the hospital, Orlando H. advised Ward that he was not going back to the hospital and stopped contact with the therapist,” the report states.
Harris’ mother, Tanya Ward, told investigators that a package from “various gun and ammunition places” addressed to her son arrived at their home just weeks before the shooting on Oct. 15, 2022. The packages contained a body armor vest, magazine holsters, and magazines. Ward checked his bedroom and found a rifle in an old TV box.
Ward then called police, and crisis intervention officers responded to the house.
“The family contacted the police department to obtain assistance because they were concerned about Orlando H.’s mental illness and felt he should not be in possession of any firearms,” the report states.
Officers told Ward they could not legally confiscate the gun. Orlando told his mother he worked hard to save up for the gun but appeased her and the family by agreeing to put the gun and tactical gear in a storage facility.
The report includes an interview with Harris’ psychiatrist, who saw him twice in August 2022. His doctor described Orlando as having skewed expectations of himself and “thought he was a failure at everything.” She noted that Orlando had lost interest in hobbies, such as gaming, in 2021.
Ward also said he had attended CVPA, where the first two years were normal, but he quickly lost interest in the middle of the pandemic. He graduated from the school in 2021 and was slated to attend college that fall, but his family and friends reported that he was depressed.
Then, on Oct. 24, 2022, Orlando entered his former school and declared, “All of you are going to die.” A 15-year-old student and a health and physical education teacher were killed in the shooting, and several other people were shot and wounded. Officers eventually shot and killed Orlando.
Missouri has no “red flag laws” in place that allow for the temporary removal of firearms from individuals deemed to pose a risk to themselves or others.
New Mexico governor ends controversial gun ban in public parks
New Mexico Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday, Oct. 16, that her controversial public health order banning guns at public parks and playgrounds has ended and will not be renewed. She signed the order in September 2023 after an 11-year-old boy was shot at Isotopes Park, a minor league baseball stadium in Albuquerque.
According to the governor’s office, New Mexico has made significant strides in reducing gun violence, including collecting more than 1,700 guns through a buy-back program, doubling arrests for violent or gun-related crimes, and increasing public awareness of juveniles being detained for gun possession.
Gov. Grisham stated that the work to reduce violence is not finished, saying, “This is no time to slow down — we must accelerate our efforts to protect our families. The legislature must also prioritize budget requests from our law enforcement agencies, who need more resources to continue their fight against crime.”
Gun rights advocates filed several lawsuits over the order, claiming it blocked citizens of their Second Amendment right to carry in public for self-defense.