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Top Biden officials questioned and criticized how his team issued pardons, used autopen: report

Top Biden officials questioned and criticized how his team issued pardons, used autopen: report

Top Biden administration officials questioned and criticized the way the former president’s team handled pardons and made use of an autopen in the waning days of his White House term, a report said, citing internal emails. A person familiar with the clemency process told Axios that after President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Dec. 1, 2024, “there was a mad dash to find groups of people that he could then pardon — and then they largely didn’t run it by the Justice Department to vet them.”  The news agency reported Saturday that several senior Justice Department officials raised concerns with the White House counsel’s office regarding the process to pardon individuals. Three days before Biden left office, the president announced he was “commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy and practice.”  BIDEN’S AUTO-PEN PARDONS DISTURBED DOJ BRASS, DOCS SHOW, RAISING QUESTIONS WHETHER THEY ARE LEGALLY BINDING  “With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history,” Biden said in a statement Jan. 17.  However, Axios reported that the following day, senior Justice Department ethics attorney Bradley Weinsheimer argued in a memo that describing those who were pardoned as nonviolent was “untrue, or at least misleading.”  “Unfortunately and despite repeated requests and warnings, we were not afforded a reasonable opportunity to vet and provide input on those you were considering,” Weinsheimer wrote, according to Axios.  The news agency said Weinsheimer mentioned a man who pleaded guilty to murder-related charges.  Weinsheimer described how the Justice Department labeled the man as “problematic,” yet Biden commuted his sentence, Axios reported.  “I have no idea if the president was aware of these backgrounds when making clemency decisions,” Weinsheimer reportedly added.  Ed Siskel, the former head of the White House counsel’s office, and representatives for Biden did not immediately respond Saturday to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. ‘SHOULD BE PROSECUTED’: HOUSE REPUBLICANS ZERO IN ON BIDEN AUTOPEN PARDONS AFTER BOMBSHELL REPORT  Senior Biden White House officials also pushed back internally on requests to use the autopen, according to Axios, which cited emails it obtained.  It said Biden White House staff secretary Stef Feldman repeatedly asked for more information and confirmation of Biden’s intentions with the autopen.  “When did we get [Biden’s] approval of this?” Feldman reportedly wrote in a Jan. 7 email regarding the use of autopen to sign an executive order.  “I’m going to need email from … original chain confirming [Biden] signs off on the specific documents when they are ready,” she was cited by Axios as writing in a Jan. 16 email about using autopen to commute cases linked to crack cocaine sentences.  The developments come as President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into Biden’s administration, alleging that top officials used autopen signatures to cover up the former president’s cognitive decline.  “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false,” Biden said in a statement in June.   “This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations.” Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report. 

Alcaraz vs Sinner – US Open final: Match time, head-to-head, stats, Trump

Alcaraz vs Sinner – US Open final: Match time, head-to-head, stats, Trump

The latest chapter of arguably the most riveting rivalry in modern-day men’s tennis is to unfold in New York when Carlos Alcaraz takes on Jannik Sinner in the final of the US Open 2025. For the tennis fans, it’s a chance to see the present and future of the game – nicknamed “Sincaraz” – duel in a Grand Slam final for the third time in 2025. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list For the young stars, the meeting offers an opportunity to put their hands on another major trophy as the year’s Grand Slams come to a close. Here’s everything you need to know about the match: When is the Alcaraz vs Sinner US Open final? The match is scheduled for Sunday at 2pm (18:00 GMT). Where will Alcaraz and Sinner play the final? The final will be played on the famous blue hardcourts of the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. What happened in the last Alcaraz vs Sinner match? The pair last faced each other in the final of the Cincinnati Open on August 18, but the match ended prematurely when Sinner retired over health concerns. The Italian felt unwell in the sweltering conditions and pulled out of the match after 23 minutes of play. Alcaraz was crowned champion but said: “This is not the way that I want to win trophies.” How many times has Alcaraz beaten Sinner? Nine. The Spaniard has got the better of his rival in their 13 meetings since they first faced each other in 2021. Sinner has managed one win in the pair’s five meetings in 2025. When was the last time Sinner beat Alcaraz? Sinner beat Alcaraz to lift his first Wimbledon trophy in July. The match lasted four sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4) and just over three hours as the Italian picked up his second Grand Slam title of 2025. Advertisement How long was the Alcaraz-Sinner match at the French Open final? The young stars enthralled crowds with top quality tennis in one of the most engaging Grand Slam finals of the modern era when they battled for five hours and 29 minutes in the final of the French Open 2025. Alcaraz emerged victorious in the five-set classic (4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6) for his second consecutive Roland Garros title. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played a five-set, five-and-a-half-hour final at the French Open 2025 [File: Aurelien Morissard/AP] How many US Open titles has Alcaraz won? One. The US Open gave Alcaraz his first taste of Grand Slam success when he won the trophy in 2022. He was unable to repeat the feat in 2023 when he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals and had a shock second-round exit in 2024 at the hands of Botic van de Zandschulp. Have Alcaraz and Sinner ever played against each other at the US Open? The pair’s only previous meeting at the tournament came in the quarterfinals in 2022. It was another epic that kickstarted their rivalry. Alcaraz won in four sets in a match that lasted five hours and 15 minutes, finishing just before 3am in New York. How many Grand Slam titles have Alcaraz and Sinner won? Alcaraz has five titles to his name – one at the US Open (2022), two at Wimbledon (2023, 2024) and two at the French Open  (2024, 2025). Sinner has won four Grand Slam finals – one at the US Open (2024), two at the Australian Open (2024, 2025) and one at Wimbledon (2025). What are the overall Alcaraz vs Sinner stats? Win-loss record in 2025: Alcaraz: 60-6Sinner: 37-4 Career win-loss record Alcaraz: 269-62Sinner: 300-84 Titles in 2025 Alcaraz: 2Sinner: 6 Career titles Alcaraz: 22Sinner: 20 Career prize money Alcaraz: $48.5mSinner: $46.3m Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after the men’s singles final at Wimbledon [File: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images] What was Alcaraz’s route to the US Open final? First round: defeated Reilly Opelka 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 Second round: defeated Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 Third round: defeated Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 Fourth round: defeated Arthur Rinderknech 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 Quarterfinals: defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 Semifinals: defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 What was Sinner’s route to the US Open final? First round: defeated Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 Second round: defeated Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 Third round: defeated Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 Fourth round: defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 Quarterfinals: defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 Advertisement Semifinals: defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 What has Alcaraz said about the final? “Just the level that I start the match, just wanted to keep that level really high during the whole match. “I’m thinking I’m doing that in this tournament, which I’m really proud about. ” What has Sinner said about Alcaraz and the final? “On court, we like to see each other, you know, because it means that, considering our ranking, it means that we are doing well in the tournament. “Sunday is a very special day and an amazing final again. “I feel like our rivalry started here, playing an amazing match. We are two different players now with different confidence too.” Why will President Donald Trump attend the US Open final? The US president plans to attend the tennis showpiece in his latest appearance at a major sporting event after trips to the Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July. The president will attend the final as a client guest and will watch the match from that client’s suite, a spokesperson for the US Tennis Association said. The association did not identify which client Trump will be a guest of. It’s to be Trump’s first appearance at the Grand Slam tournament in New York since 2015. Alcaraz said he would “try not to think” about the president’s presence at the final. “I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it, but I think, attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have

Cancelled concert shows political, social rifts in Iran amid war tensions

Cancelled concert shows political, social rifts in Iran amid war tensions

Tehran, Iran – By now, a celebrated Iranian singer was supposed to have performed a mega-concert at Tehran’s iconic Azadi Tower in a state-organised demonstration of national unity after the 12-day war with Israel. But the much-hyped late Friday public concert by 50-year-old Homayoun Shajarian, a traditional vocalist and son of legendary Mohammad Reza Shajarian, was cancelled by the authorities after days of speculation. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Two days before the event, Shajarian announced online that instruments and equipment for the 30-member orchestra that was to accompany him on stage were not permitted onto the site. He also said state organisers lacked a plan to manage the crowd, which could number up to a million people. Videos circulating online showed that Tehran Municipality workers welded shut gates at the square surrounding the tower, preventing the setup of audio equipment. The square is regularly used for state-organised affairs, having been heavily decorated a month earlier to host thousands marking the mourning ceremonies of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. Alireza Zakani, the hardline former lawmaker who has been mayor of Tehran since 2021, suggested a lack of coordination between government officials was to blame, and that the event should be held in a stadium instead. People walk past a billboard with a picture of nuclear scientists killed in Israeli strikes and Iranian centrifuges, on a street in Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters] The incident created a firestorm online, with the many interpretations surrounding it showing political and social divides at a tense time when biting United Nations sanctions could soon be reinstated by the West, and there are concerns that Israel and the United States will attack Iran again. Advertisement For some, the free concert in the heart of Tehran was a welcome proposal as it could bring a rare moment of joy to thousands at a time of hardship, which also includes surviving in an ailing economy defined by persistent chronic inflation. For others, including a number of Iranians abroad who are opposed to the theocratic establishment, the concert was seen as an attempt by the state to further lean into nationalist sentiment to muster any popular support while leaders in Israel and the West openly discuss regime change in Iran. Some of the foreign-based critics of the Iranian establishment lambasted Shajarian for allegedly backing the state through the concert, especially considering that his late father was known as a “voice of the people”. Other critics had hoped the massive public gathering would lead to antigovernment protests. Hardline member of parliament Hamid Resaee suggested the government organised the rushed concert in an attempt to “distract the people” from widespread power blackouts, a water crisis, and the devaluing national currency. The culture ministry apologised for the cancelled event, saying “we all lost” a missed opportunity for unity. A billboard with a caricature of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is displayed on a building in Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters] Meanwhile, local media predominantly backed the concert, with some rare support also coming from hardline and conservative outlets that generally oppose major public festivities that are not entirely controlled by the state. Such is the controversy around the event that even the pro-reforms Shargh newspaper slammed the anti-establishment diaspora for its opposition to the concert, saying they were too extreme and “have taken the people hostage”. Shajarian told reporters that he originally applied to take the performance to the stage seven years ago and only received government permission this week, without any official explanation as to why the concert was blocked repeatedly before and why it was greenlit this week. After the event was cancelled, the singer released a lengthy post online to address the criticism. He pleaded for the effort not to be entangled with politics, and insisted it was not aimed at “covering up problems, but providing a moment of good feelings to people who deserve joy”. Outside pressure grows Despite the failed concert attempt, the Iranian state continues to emphasise unity and increasingly uses millennia-long Iranian history dating back to before Islam to invoke nationalist sentiment – something it rarely did prior to the recent war with Israel. Advertisement In Tehran and across the country in recent months, authorities have installed sculptures of ancient Iranian figures, erected banners showing Persian kings defeating invading foes, and talked extensively about territorial integrity and unity among Iran’s diverse ethnic groups. Pressure by the US, Israel and their European allies has only been mounting against Iran with the stated goal of dismantling its nuclear programme. France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the remaining European signatories to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal that US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, are pushing to reinstate all UN sanctions against Iran that were lifted as part of the landmark accord. With Western powers trying to internationally blacklist Iran unless a deal is reached on its nuclear programme, the country’s markets are also on edge. The US dollar changed hands for about 1.02 million rials in Tehran on Saturday – slightly better than the new all-time low of 1.06 million rials, registered earlier in the week. The main index of the Tehran Stock Exchange slightly grew on Saturday to reach 2.54 million points, but the index has dramatically plunged in reaction to the war with Israel, having stood at about 3.15 million points in April when negotiations with the US started. Adblock test (Why?)

Israel bombs more Gaza City high-rises after forced evacuation orders

Israel bombs more Gaza City high-rises after forced evacuation orders

Published On 6 Sep 20256 Sep 2025 The Israeli army has bombed another high-rise in Gaza City after telling Palestinian residents to evacuate or face being killed amid its ongoing siege and imposed mass starvation in the enclave. The Israeli military designated more high-rise towers as targets in a map released on Saturday. Shortly after releasing the map, it bombed the 15-storey Soussi Tower, which is located opposite a building belonging to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “These attacks are causing panic amongst the people, especially considering the time they are given to evacuate. Half an hour or an hour is not enough time for people to escape from these buildings,” Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said, reporting from Gaza City. The Israeli military said in a statement, without offering evidence, that the buildings struck were used by Hamas to gather intelligence to monitor the locations of the Israeli army. It also said armed Palestinian groups planted “numerous explosive devices” and dug a tunnel in the area. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected the claims and called them “part of a systematic policy of deception used by the occupation to justify the targeting of civilians and infrastructure” and forcibly displace Palestinians from their homes. It said 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Israel. The targeted buildings were near the 12-storey Mushtaha Tower, which on Friday was similarly bombed and razed to the ground, as Israel moves to seize Gaza City despite international criticism. At least 68 Palestinians were killed and 362 wounded across the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military over the past day, the enclave’s Ministry of Health said on Saturday afternoon. Advertisement The toll includes 23 aid seekers killed and 143 wounded by Israeli forces. At least six more Palestinians also died of Israeli-induced starvation, bringing the total number of starvation deaths during nearly two years of war to 382, including 135 children. At least 64,368 Palestinians have been killed and 162,367 wounded by Israel since the start of the war in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel declares new ‘humanitarian zone’, bombs the area Sources at Nasser Hospital, located in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, told Al Jazeera that at least two Palestinians were killed and many wounded in an Israeli air strike on a tent housing displaced people in the al-Mawasi area. While this area was designated as a “humanitarian” or “safe” zone by the Israeli army early in the war, it has been repeatedly bombed, leading to the deaths of hundreds of displaced civilians. Hours before the latest bombings, the Israeli army had announced the establishment of another similar zone in al-Mawasi, which runs along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. It claimed the area will have infrastructure such as field hospitals, water lines, desalination facilities and food supplies. Palestinians mourn the loss of loved ones killed by the Israeli military on September 6, 2025 [Hamza ZH Qraiqea/Anadolu] Reporting from central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said Palestinians do not trust the so-called humanitarian area as tents in similar zones have been attacked by Israel many times before and nowhere is safe. But people in Gaza City have few options: If they stay, they risk being killed, and if they leave, they face dangers on the road and may have to spend considerable money to move their belongings south. Those who have returned to their homes in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood, where Israeli forces withdrew recently after weeks of ground assaults, have found everything they owned destroyed. “What we have built in 50 years was flattened in five days,” resident Aqeel Kishko told Al Jazeera. “Nothing remains standing – buildings, roads and infrastructure. We are walking not only on ruins but also on dead bodies of our loved ones.” Nohaa Tafish said it would be impossible for Gaza’s largest urban centre to be revived. “What would people return to? There is nothing to return to,” she said. Ahmed Rihem also had his home in Gaza City reduced to rubble. “It is as if the entire Zeitoun neighbourhood was hit with a nuclear bomb,” he said. Adblock test (Why?)