“The defendants took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud the state of Minnesota and to steal tens of millions of dollars,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said. “This conduct was not just criminal, it was depraved and brazen.”
The defense argued that their clients provided real meals to real kids. The food aid reportedly came from the United States Department of Agriculture and was administered to the state of Minnesota. The state gave the funds to nonprofit organizations and other partners.
As rules eased to speed up money for those in need, the defendants took advantage by producing fake invoices to funnel money into their own pockets.
Federal prosecutors said that only a fraction of the funds went to actual kids in need. The rest of the money was spent on luxury cars, jewelry, travel and property. The group’s ringleader was convicted of 23 of the 24 counts. The charges ranged from conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bribery.
The seven defendants were the first of 70 people set to stand trial in what the feds have called one of the country’s largest pandemic-related frauds. It is estimated that more than $250 million in federal funds were taken from Minnesota alone. Authorities said that only about $50 million has been recovered.
The case garnered national attention after someone reportedly tried to bribe a juror with a bag filled with $120,000 in cash. That juror was dismissed before deliberations began. A second juror was dismissed from the trial after they heard about the alleged bribery. The FBI said that it is still investigating the case and has not made any arrests.
A trial date for the five people convicted in the first fraud case has yet to be set.
Opening statements to begin in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial
Opening arguments are set to begin now that the jury is seated in Hunter Biden’s federal gun charges trial in Delaware. And a young attendee on the House floor has social media abuzz. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, June 4.
Opening arguments to begin in Hunter Biden trial
Day two of Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial in Delaware will see opening statements begin. On the first day of trial on Monday, June 3, 12 jurors and four alternates were sworn in.
The 12-member jury consists of six men and six women.
The president’s son faces three felony charges stemming from allegations he bought and was in possession of a gun while he was on drugs in 2018.
While President Joe Biden was not at the trial on Monday, first lady Jill Biden could be seen sitting directly behind her step-son, along with his half-sister and Hunter’s wife. President Biden did, however, issue a statement on the trial offering support for his son.
The first witness expected to be called after Tuesday’s opening statements is an FBI agent who was responsible for investigating the case.
If convicted on all counts, Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
Biden to sign executive order temporarily limiting border crossings
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order Tuesday, June 4, that would temporarily shut down the U.S. southern border with Mexico when illegal crossings between ports exceed 2,500 a day.
With daily border crossings averaging well above that, the executive action could lead to an immediate shutdown of the border. The Department of Homeland Security estimates an average of around 4,000 border encounters every day.
Migrants would not be able to apply for asylum if they cross the border during the shutdown period. The border would only reopen when daily crossings drop down to 1,500 a day.
US Attorney General to respond to GOP’s threats of contempt
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is set to appear before a House committee that is threatening to hold him in contempt on Tuesday, June 4.
Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee have been critical of Garland for not complying to a congressional subpoena to release audio recordings of President Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur over his handling of classified documents.
“Certain members of this Committee and the Oversight Committee are seeking contempt as a means of obtaining — for no legitimate purpose — sensitive law enforcement information that could harm the integrity of future investigations,” Garland will say, according to prepared remarks released by the Justice Department. “This effort is only the most recent in a long line of attacks on the justice department’s work.”
Garland is also expected to counter Republicans’ claims that former President Donald Trump’s conviction in his New York trial was controlled by the Justice Department, with Garland saying that “conspiracy theory is an attack on the judicial process itself.”
Vote counting underway in India’s election
The results of polls in India will soon be released as vote counting in the world’s biggest election continues.
After six weeks of polls and 642 million votes cast, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is looking to win a rare third term and continue his decade in power.
Early results were indicating his party is currently on course to win around 300 of India’s 543 parliament seats, though Modi’s opposition is said to be doing better than expected.
Voters heading to polls over the past several weeks had to deal with an extreme heat wave, with temperatures reaching over 120 degrees. The severe weather is being blamed for dozens of deaths in the country, including more than 30 poll workers.
China plants flag on far side of the moon, returning to Earth with samples
The probe launched in May and landed on the far side of the moon on Sunday, June 2, to collect samples and will return them to Earth later in June.
The country has made significant progress in space exploration, including launching a space station.
The returned samples are expected to provide new insights into the moon’s geology and history. China aims to put a person on the moon by 2030.
Congressman’s 6-year-old son steals show during his father’s speech
When Republican Rep. John Rose, Tenn., took the mic on the House floor on Monday, he did not expect his speech to go viral. But thanks to his 6-year-old son, it did just that.
As the Tennessee lawmaker was delivering his serious speech criticizing last week’s verdict in former President Trump’s trial, cameras captured his young son starting to make not-so-serious faces behind his dad.
After the speech was broadcast live on C-SPAN, the boy’s facial expressions and hand gestures soon turned into countless memes and videos, turning the recent kindergarten graduate into a social media star.
Rose said his son is with him for the week and in a social media post of his own, explained the origins of his son’s behavior saying, “This is what I get for telling my son, Guy, to smile at the camera for his little brother.”
Jury selection to begin in Hunter Biden federal gun trial
Another historic trial begins on June 3, this time Hunter Biden — the son of the president of the United States — faces charges. And in Mexico, a woman is elected president for the first time in the country’s history. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, June 3, 2024.
Jury selection to begin in Hunter Biden federal gun trial
Just days after Donald Trump became the first former president to be found guilty on felony charges, President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, will be making history. Jury selection is set to begin in the federal gun case against him on Monday, June 3, making him the first child of a sitting president to go on trial.
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Hunter Biden is charged with lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application used to screen firearms applicants when he said he was not a drug user — at the time he was admittedly battling addiction — and illegally owning a gun for 11 days.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Hunter Biden has said he feels he’s been unfairly targeted by the Justice Department after a deal with prosecutors that would have resolved this case and a separate case into his taxes was thrown out by a judge.
Republicans decried that deal as “special treatment” because it would have had Hunter Biden plead guilty to only misdemeanor offenses to resolve tax crime charges against him and led to a “diversion agreement” on the gun charges.
Under that agreement, if Hunter Biden had stayed out of trouble for two years, those charges would have been dropped.
Hunter Biden’s separate tax trial, in which he is accused of failing to pay more than a million dollars in taxes, is set to begin in September.
Trump launches TikTok account, sits down with Fox after guilty verdict
Days after being found guilty in his criminal trial in New York, former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance over the weekend, launched his own TikTok account and sat down for an interview with Fox News.
Trump attended the Ultimate Fighting Championship event in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 1, where he was cheered on by thousands at the Prudential Center. During the event, Trump launched his TikTok account, quickly amassing over 3 million followers. His post from the UFC event has garnered over 60 million views since it was posted.
While president, Trump had advocated for banning TikTok in the U.S., a stance he has since reversed. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, who signed a bill in April that could lead to TikTok being banned, also launched his own account earlier this year.
In his Fox News interview that aired on Sunday, June 2, Trump discussed the possibility of facing jail time or house arrest, stating he is “OK with it,” though he questioned whether “the public would stand for it.” Trump was convicted of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 presidential election and has denied any wrongdoing.
During the interview, Trump also commented on his political rivals following the verdict, stating, “And I say it and it sounds beautiful — my revenge will be success.”
Trump’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11.
Mexico elects its first female president
In a historic landslide victory, Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected the first female president of Mexico, as well as the first Jewish person to hold that position.
According to the latest data, she received between 58 and 60 percent of the vote, the highest vote percentage in Mexico’s history.
“For the first time in 200 years of the republic, there will be a woman president and she will be transformative,” Sheinbaum wrote in Spanish on social media.
California ‘Corral Fire’ now 50% contained, evacuations lifted
California firefighters have achieved significant progress in controlling a wildfire that burned thousands of acres in San Joaquin County, located about 60 miles east of San Francisco. The blaze, known as the Corral Fire, burned about 14,000 acres.
Thousands of residents who had been evacuated due to the wildfire’s threat have been allowed to return to their homes.
Authorities, including teams from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory — a key center for nuclear weapons science and technology where the fire initially broke out — are investigating the cause of the blaze that began on Saturday, June 1.
Officials say the fire poses no threat to the lab.
Sally Buzzbee steps down as Washington Post’s executive director
Under her leadership, the Post won several Pulitzer Prizes but also experienced significant declines in audience and revenue.
Matt Murray, former editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, will succeed Buzbee as executive editor. He is set to hold this position through the 2024 presidential election. Following the election, the Post plans to reorganize its newsroom.
Murray will head a new division focused on social and service journalism, while Robert Winnett, currently deputy editor of the Telegraph Media Group, will take over as the leader of the Washington Post’s core news coverage.
Michael Jordan autographed card sold for $2.92 million
More than two decades after Michael Jordan retired from the NBA, he’s still setting records. Over the weekend, a 2003-2004 Upper Deck autographed Michael Jordan card was sold at auction for nearly $3 million, marking the highest price ever paid for a Jordan card.
The card is especially valuable because it includes an NBA logo patch from a game-used jersey worn by Jordan during his time with the Chicago Bulls. The auction house has described it as the most sought-after Jordan card ever produced.
Despite this record for a Jordan card, it falls short of the overall record for a sports card. That record is held by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million.
Vice President Kamala Harris to tour Minnesota abortion clinic in historic visit
Vice President Kamala Harris plans for a historic stop at an abortion clinic in Minnesota. And a man who lived most of his life in an iron lung passes away. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, March 14, 2024.
Vice President Kamala Harris to tour abortion clinic in Minnesota
Harris’ visit to a Planned Parenthood clinic is a key stop in her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour, initiated in response to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The landmark ruling had recognized a constitutional right to abortion for nearly five decades.
During her visit, the vice president plans to meet with healthcare providers and possibly interact with patients, highlighting the significance of safeguarding reproductive rights. The Supreme Court’s decision has prompted states like Minnesota to pass laws guaranteeing abortion rights, a measure Harris is expected to address, especially in light of abortion bans in other states.
The exact location of the clinic remains undisclosed due to potential protest concerns, with sources citing security reasons. The vice president’s team will likely reveal the details closer to the time of her visit.
This event marks the sixth stop on Harris’ tour, which began in January on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, underscoring the administration’s commitment to reproductive freedom amidst a shifting legal landscape.
Trump’s legal team to argue classified documents case should be dismissed
The case centers on documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which his lawyers claim were designated as personal, thereby allowing Trump to retain them under the Presidential Records Act. However, Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team contends that the documents were not personal and that the act does not cover classified and top-secret documents.
Additionally, Trump’s legal team will argue that a portion of the Espionage Act, which pertains to retaining national defense information, is unconstitutionally vague as it applies to the former president. Smith’s team has countered, asserting the statute is clear.
Earlier this month, the judge also heard arguments from both parties regarding the setting of a trial date, though it remains unclear when either ruling on the case will be issued.
Hunter Biden has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges brought against him.
Israel plans to relocate civilians to ‘humanitarian islands’ before Rafah invasion
As the Israeli military gears up for a significant offensive in Rafah, plans are underway to relocate a large portion of the population from Gaza’s southernmost city, home to 1.4 million people, ahead of the operation. According to the IDF’s spokesperson, Israel intends to move civilians to “humanitarian islands” established with international community support in the center of the territory.
This move comes amidst warnings from Israel’s allies, including the United States, and aid organizations about the potential consequences of attacking the densely populated city. Many residents of Rafah have been displaced from other areas within the territory.
The objective of the planned offensive, Israel states, is to dismantle Hamas. The IDF spokesman detailed that the humanitarian islands would offer temporary housing, food, water, and other essential services to the displaced individuals. However, specifics regarding the start of evacuations or the offensive’s exact timing remain undisclosed.
Autopsy Report: Oklahoma teen died by suicide following school fight
The incident, which occurred on February 7 at Owasso High School, led to widespread condemnation from LGBTQ rights groups, who highlighted the issue of bullying at the school. The Owasso Police Department, which had been waiting for the autopsy results to confirm the cause of death amid initial uncertainty, stated that a report on the bathroom altercation was only filed after Benedict was taken to the hospital by relatives on the same day.
Prior to the release of the autopsy findings, police officials noted that preliminary results indicated Benedict did not die from physical injuries sustained in the fight.
Texas man who lived in iron lung for seven decades dies
Paul Alexander, a Texas man who spent seven decades living in an iron lung after being diagnosed with polio in 1952, has died at the age of 78. Alexander became a social media sensation in recent months.
Diagnosed at the age of 6 as the disease swept through Dallas, Alexander was left paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on an iron lung to breathe. Despite these challenges, he achieved remarkable milestones, graduating from college, earning a law degree, and practicing law for 30 years. Alexander also penned an autobiography, sharing his life’s journey.
His cause of death has not been specified, but his passing comes weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
In January, Alexander launched a TikTok account named “Polio Paul,” quickly amassing hundreds of thousands of followers. Through his posts, he answered questions about his life and strongly advocated for polio vaccination for children, drawing widespread attention to his story and the importance of the vaccine.
Hunter Biden’s art sales add to list of questioned business dealings
Hunter Biden’s finances and business dealings have landed the president’s son in a heap of controversy. He’s going to court Tuesday, July 26, to plead guilty to two federal tax crimes.
Hunter Biden also allegedly received a $5 million payout from a reported bribery scheme involving a Ukrainian oil company where he served as a board member. He’s also made millions working with Chinese executives who are now accused of fraud.
The accusations are stacking up against the president’s son – and new revelations on Hunter Biden’s art sales add another layer to his questioned transactions. Hunter Biden’s artwork has been at the heart of controversy for years. His amateur paintings, listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, debuted and sold at a New York art gallery in September 2021.
Because there had already been wide criticism over the first son’s finances, the Biden administration put an ethics plan in place over the art purchases. Part of that plan was for the gallery to conceal the names of buyers and the amount the paintings were sold for. It also called for keeping the Biden family in the dark about who bought Hunter’s art pieces.
But for the first time since the gallery’s auction two years ago, it is being reported there was some bend to those ethics rules. Business Insider has learned the identities of two buyers.
One buyer is Elizabeth Naftali, an influential Democratic donor who has since been appointed by President Biden to the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
There is no known connection between her art bids and her landing the prestigious role.
But Hunter Biden, according to Business Insider sources, knew Naftali purchased his art. The art debuted in the gallery eight months prior to her appointment.
Hunter Biden sold at least $1.3 million worth of art, with one buyer purchasing 11 pieces for $875,000. Business Insider says the identity of that buyer remains a mystery.
Business Insider says the other buyer known to Hunter Biden is Kevin Morris, a wealthy lawyer who has been a financial backer of Hunter’s. Morris has also lent Hunter Biden upwards of $2 million to help him pay off back taxes, according to The New York Times.
The Business Insider report concluded that Hunter Biden knew who bought his paintings, something the White House said would not happen under its ethical standards over the art sale. Hunter learned about Naftali and Morris buying his paintings because they were his friends, according to Hunter Biden’s counsel.
The controversy behind the load of money Hunter Biden made and who paid him is a story not a lot of media outlets are reporting on. According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, 88% of the media outlets who are covering the art sale revelations are right-leaning.
This is considered a Media Miss for the left — meaning left-leaning news outlets, including CNN, NBC and ABC – are not reporting the story. They covered the story two years ago when the White House announced safeguards for an ethical sale, but haven’t reported on the identified buyers and their ties to the Bidens.
The finances and business dealings of the Biden family have been in question for years. A House committee investigating the family’s finances has not yet produced any evidence that incriminates President Biden. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this week that the committee has dug up significant claims of corruption worthy of an impeachment inquiry, which would give Congress the ability to further investigate the Biden family.
Hunter Biden to plead guilty to federal tax offenses, cuts deal on felony gun charge
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and admit to the facts of a felony gun charge under terms that will likely keep him out of jail. The Justice Department said in court filings on June 20 that the president’s son has tentatively agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges for failing to pay $1.2 million over the period of 2017 – 2018.
Biden’s representatives have said that Hunter previously paid back the IRS what he owed.
While Biden is pleading guilty to two tax charges, the gun charge is being handled as a diversion, which means he will not technically be pleading guilty to that crime.
In 2018, Hunter bought a gun when he was regularly abusing crack cocaine. This drug abuse is something he has spoken about publicly. The criminal charge stems from Hunter’s denial of drug use on the gun purchase documents. The denial exposed him to the potential charge of making a false statement, as well as illegal gun possession once he acquired the weapon.
In all, prosecutors would recommend two years of probation and diversion conditions, according to The Washington Post. If he successfully meets the conditions, the gun charge would be removed from his record.
Any proposed plea deal would have to be approved by a federal judge. It’s not clear when Hunter Biden, 53, might appear in court to enter his guilty plea.
James accused Trump and his children of misstating the values of real estate properties to obtain favorable loans and tax benefits. Trump responded to the lawsuit with one of his own against James.
Wednesday’s deposition was Trump’s second related to the James lawsuit. At the first, the former president invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination.
Ahead of the New York deposition, Trump filed suit against his former lawyer Michael Cohen Wednesday, April 12. The lawsuit seeks at least $500 million in damages, accusing Cohen of breaking his fiduciary duty to the former president.
“Defendant breached his fiduciary duties owed to plaintiff by virtue of their attorney-client relationship by both revealing plaintiff’s confidences, and spreading falsehoods about plaintiff, likely to be embarrassing or detrimental, and partook in other misconduct,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant chose to capitalize on his confidential relationship with Plaintiff to pursue financial gain and repair a reputation shattered by his repeated misrepresentations and deceptive acts, fueled by his animus toward the Plaintiff and his family members.”
Cohen spent time in prison for campaign finance violations related to the hush money payment, which he carried out for trump. Trump’s lawsuit could be a way to dismantle Cohen’s credibility, as he will likely be a key witness for the prosecution in Trump’s criminal case related to the Daniels hush money payment.
Warnock holds on to Senate seat; Trump organization guilty
Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock wins his Senate runoff election; Trump organization found guilty; airlines pay for pollution; and San Francisco calls off its killer robots. These stories and more highlight the morning update for Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022.
Raphael Warnock retains Georgia Senate seat
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the Georgia runoff election.
“It is my honor to utter the four most powerful words ever spoken in a democracy, the people have spoken,” Warnock said Tuesday night.
While Democrats already had control of the Senate, Warnock’s win gives his party an outright 51-49 majority.
Supreme Court discusses controversial election theory
While the 2022 midterm election is now at a close after Tuesday night’s results, the landscape of future elections will be debated at the Supreme Court Wednesday.
The high court will discuss a controversial legal theory that declares state legislatures have the final say in how to conduct elections, including redistricting inside their states.
As it stands today, state courts can strike down a state legislature’s proposed redistricting map. That’s what happened in North Carolina. The state legislatures redrew the lines, but a state court threw it out. And Republican lawmakers sued.
It’s now up to the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether state lawmakers have the highest authority or whether oversight is warranted.
The ruling won’t only effect a legislature’s power over redistricting, it could also reshape many aspects of the election process.
Trump organization found guilty of tax fraud
“The former president’s companies now stand convicted of crimes. that is consequential,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday.
The organization faces a possible fine of up to $1.6 million. Top executives were accused of manipulating the books to avoid paying personal income taxes on what they considered write-offs, such as apartments and cars.
Former President Donald Trump was not on trial. The organization’s former finance chief had already pleaded guilty to tax crimes prior to yesterday’s ruling.
China’s Xi Jinping travels to Saudi Arabia today
China’s communist leader, Xi Jinping, will be arriving in Saudi Arabia Wednesday, just five months after Saudi leaders met with President Biden. They are now welcoming America’s adversary for talks on economy and security.
China’s visit is seen as a historic meeting between the two sides. A sign the two countries who share authoritative regimes could enhance a partnership.
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have long shared an understanding, but they’ve recently been at odds after Saudi Arabia’s cut to oil production.
Airlines to pay for how much it pollutes
We told you yesterday that airlines are looking to cut emissions but the price of the transition to cleaner energy will fall on customers.
A new law announced Wednesday, puts new pressure on airlines to make that transition happen fast. The European Union took to a vote in the early hours today deciding airlines will now have to pay when their planes produce too much pollution in Europe.
It adds new pressure to the transportation sector to shift away from fossil fuels.
San Francisco reverses robot force
Remember when San Francisco agreed for its police to add robots to its force? Never mind, says the city officials in a drastic U-turn decision after public outcry.
The reversal comes just one week after the board voted 8 to 3 to approve the use of robots only in extreme situations.
Now, in another 8-to-3 vote, the board says they changed their mind, siding with protesters calling for a stop to killer robots.