Trump asks about ‘J-6 Hostages’ in response to Biden’s pardon of Hunter: ‘Such an abuse’
President-elect Trump reacted to President Biden’s surprise decision to pardon his son Hunter on Sunday. Biden’s move to pardon – a decision he previously claimed he would not make – turned heads across the country. In a Truth Social post on Sunday night, Trump suggested that Biden should have pardoned Jan. 6 protesters. “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?” Trump wrote. “Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” The Trump transition team also reacted to the pardon for Hunter Biden. BIDEN WON’T PARDON HUNTER, WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS, BUT CRITICS AREN’T SO SURE “The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponizing the justice system,” Trump’s incoming White House communications chief Steven Cheung said in a statement to Fox News. “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people.” Earlier on Sunday, Biden accused Republicans of unfair treatment and claimed Hunter was “treated differently” by prosecutors. Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony firearm offenses in a Delaware trial earlier this year, and then pleaded guilty to multiple felony tax offenses in September. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” the president’s statement read. TRUMP NOMINATES KASH PATEL TO SERVE AS FBI DIRECTOR: ‘ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH’ “Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form,” he continued. “Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions.” Biden also evoked Hunter’s battle with substance abuse and asked Americans to “understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” the president continued. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” NEW YORK JUDGE GRANTS TRUMP REQUEST TO FILE MOTION TO DISMISS CHARGES, CANCELS SENTENCING INDEFINITELY Biden had previously denied any intent to pardon his son after Hunter was convicted earlier this year. “I am not going to do anything,” Biden said after the conviction. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.” Trump previously told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin that, if elected, he “wouldn’t do anything that would be overt” regarding Hunter Biden’s cases, calling the first son’s legal woes “a sad situation.” “I’ll bet you the father probably pardons him,” the Republican remarked. “Let’s see what happens. But he’s a bad boy.”
Georgia protests spread as prime minister dismisses call for new elections
Demonstrators in Georgia have taken to the streets for a fourth night in growing protests against the government’s decision to suspend talks on joining the European Union. The protests on Sunday topped months of tensions fuelled by critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party, which some charge has moved the country away from its path towards greater integration with Europe and instead towards Russia. The unrest kicked into overdrive after the government last week announced it would freeze EU talks for four years. Protesters have further condemned the police response – which has included the use of tear gas and water cannon – as excessive. On Sunday, the outrage was further stoked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s rejection of appeals to hold new parliamentary elections. When asked if the vote would be held again, he told reporters: “Of course not.” He added that “the formation of the new government based on the October 26 parliamentary elections has been completed.” Still, the opposition continues to condemn the vote. President Salome Zurabishvili, who supports joining the EU, has asked the Constitutional Court to annul the election results and declared the new legislature and government “illegitimate”. Speaking to the AFP news agency on Saturday, Zurabishvili, whose term ends this month, said she would not step aside until the elections are rerun. Georgian Dream has nominated far-right former football international Mikheil Kavelashvili for the presidential post, which is largely ceremonial. Protests spread On Sunday, protesters again gathered in the capital, Tbilisi, predominantly on the central Rustaveli Avenue, with many waving EU and Georgian flags. Some wore diving masks to protect themselves against tear gas. But the demonstrations appeared to be spreading as Georgian media reported protests in at least eight cities and towns. In the Black Sea city of Poti, protesters blocked an access road to the country’s main commercial port, according to the Interpress news agency. Opposition TV channel Formula also showed footage of people in Khashuri, a town of 20,000 in central Georgia, throwing eggs at the local Georgian Dream office and tearing down the party’s flag. At least 150 protesters have been arrested across the country. Both the United States and EU – which have been vocal about concerns over the apparent lurch towards Russia – have voiced support for the protesters. On Saturday, the US said it was suspending a strategic partnership Washington maintains with Tbilisi, condemning the “excessive force used against Georgians exercising their freedom to protest”. Kobakhidze dismissed the move as a “temporary event” and said he would instead focus on the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office in January. The EU’s new foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Sunday also warned Georgian authorities over violence against demonstrators with France, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Poland, Sweden and Lithuania also voicing concern. Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in turn, has accused the countries of seeking to “interfere in the functioning of the institutions of a sovereign state”. But from within the country, hundreds of public servants in government ministries have also issued joint statements protesting against Kobakhidze’s decision to suspend EU talks. More than 200 Georgian diplomats also criticised the suspension, saying it contradicted the constitution and would lead the country “into international isolation”. For its part, the Kremlin – which has long accused the West of fomenting revolution in former Soviet countries – has not directly commented on the protests. However, security official Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president, has claimed an attempted revolution was taking place. He wrote on Telegram that Georgia was “moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss. Usually this sort of thing ends very badly.” Georgia has leaned strongly towards Europe and the West since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Its move away from Moscow was hastened by a brief war with Russia in 2008. Last year, it became an official candidate for EU membership and has been promised eventual NATO membership. Adblock test (Why?)
Negotiators fail to agree on UN treaty to curb global plastic pollution
As the threat from plastic pollution mounts, countries could only agree to postpone negotiations to a later date. Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have failed to reach an agreement, with more than 100 nations advocating for a cap on plastic production and a handful of oil-producing countries only willing to target plastic waste. The fifth United Nations Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting in Busan, South Korea was intended to be the final session. It was hoped the meeting would produce a legally binding global treaty. If successful, it would have marked the most significant global climate pledge since the Paris Climate Accords in 2015, but the group of nations could only agree on Sunday to postpone negotiations to a later date. Saudi Arabia, in particular, was accused of standing in the way. The country strongly opposed efforts to reduce plastic production and used procedural tactics to delay progress. “It is clear that there is still persistent divergence,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, told the Reuters news agency. One plan that received significant international support was proposed by Panama on Thursday. If adopted, it would have established a pathway for a global production reduction target, but it did not specify what that target would look like. Another proposal did not mention production caps at all. Panama’s delegation head, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, lambasted the postponement of negotiations. “Every day of delay is a day against humanity,” he said. “Postponing negotiations does not postpone the crisis.” Based on current trends, plastic production is on track to triple by 2050. “Every day that governments allow polluters to continue flooding the world with plastic, we all pay the price. This delay comes with dire consequences for people and the planet, ruthlessly sacrificing those on the front lines of this crisis,” Graham Forbes, Greenpeace’s delegation head to the global plastics treaty, said in a statement. “This week, over 100 member states, representing billions of people, rejected a toothless deal that would have accomplished nothing and stood before the world committing to an ambitious treaty. Now, it’s time they stand by this promise and deliver.” The environmental group GAIA told Reuters that “there is little assurance that the next INC will succeed where INC-5 did not”. The postponement comes just days after the turbulent conclusion of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. At COP29, countries pledged $300bn annually to address climate change. However, this plan fell far short of the $1.3 trillion requested by developing nations, which are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. Adblock test (Why?)
US President Joe Biden pardons son Hunter despite pledging not to
BREAKINGBREAKING, Outgoing US president says his son was ‘selectively’ and ‘unfairly’ prosecuted due to his family name. United States President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter ahead of his sentencing on gun and tax convictions despite a previous pledge not to use his presidential powers to grant him a reprieve. Biden said on Sunday that his son had been “singled out” and “selectively, and unfairly” prosecuted due to his family name. “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” Biden’s decision comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to face sentencing for a string of felonies related to making a false statement about his drug use during a gun background check and failing to pay at least $1.4m in taxes. The younger Biden had faced a maximum of 25 years in prison in the tax case and 17 years in the firearms case, though he would have almost certainly received much less severe punishment under sentencing guidelines. In justifying his decision, Biden said that people are “almost never” brought to trial for wrongly filling out a gun purchase form and that those who pay their taxes late usually receive “non-criminal resolutions”. “For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. Here’s the truth: 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 – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further,” Biden said. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.” In June, Biden had flatly ruled out the possibility of granting his son a pardon or commuting his sentence. “I said I will abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him,” Biden had said. The White House had reiterated Biden’s intention not to pardon his son as recently as November 8, when press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: “Our answer stands, which is no.” Adblock test (Why?)
Shillong Teer Result TODAY December 2, 2024 Monday: Check 1st, 2nd-round lucky winning numbers
The complete list of winning numbers from the various games offered by the Meghalaya Lottery Department is shown below. View the results for the following tests: Shillong Morning Teer, Khanapara Teer, Jowai Ladrymbai, Shillong Teer, and Shillong Night Teer.
Cyclone Fengal crosses north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry coasts; heavy rainfall continues
Due to heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Fengal, a holiday has been declared for Monday in all government and government-aided schools, private schools, and colleges in Puducherry, said the Union Territory’s Education Minister A. Namachivayam on Sunday.
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘poor’ category, AQI at 274; schools to remain in….
A spell of favourable wind conditions has brought relief to the city, effectively dispersing pollutants and improving air quality to the ‘poor’ category, as per reports.
Weather Update: IMD issues alert for Kerala, predicts heavy rainfall in Karnataka due to cyclone Fengal, check here
Meanwhile, the district administrations declared a holiday for all educational institutions including professional colleges and anganwadi in Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Wayanad districts on Monday.
Biden pardons son Hunter Biden ahead of exit from Oval Office
President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year. The announcement was made by the White House on Sunday night. The pardon applies to offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden “has committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024. “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden wrote in a statement. “From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” The president went on to claim that his son was “treated differently” by prosecutors. BIDEN WON’T PARDON HUNTER, WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS, BUT CRITICS AREN’T SO SURE “Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form,” Biden added. “Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently.” Biden also referenced his son’s battle with addiction and blamed “raw politics” for the unraveling of Hunter’s plea deal. “There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” the 82-year-old father wrote. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.” “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden’s statement concluded. TRUMP NOMINATES KASH PATEL TO SERVE AS FBI DIRECTOR: ‘ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH’ Hunter Biden, 54, has had a busy year in court, kicking off his first trial in Delaware in June, when he faced three felony firearm offenses, before he pleaded guilty in a separate felony tax case in September. President Biden pardoning his son is a departure from his previous remarks to the media over the summer, declaring he would not pardon the first son. “Yes,” President Biden told ABC News when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter ahead of his guilty verdict in the gun case. Days later, following a jury of Hunter’s peers finding him guilty of three felony firearm offenses, the president again said he would not pardon his son. “I am not going to do anything,” Biden said after Hunter was convicted. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.” In the gun case, Hunter was found guilty of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL Prosecutors specifically worked to prove that Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018, when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of substances or addicted to controlled substances. Hunter has a well-documented history of drug abuse, which was most notably documented in his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” which walked readers through his previous need to smoke crack cocaine every 20 minutes, how his addiction was so prolific that he referred to himself as a “crack daddy” to drug dealers, and anecdotes revolving around drug deals, such as a Washington, D.C., crack dealer Biden nicknamed “Bicycles.” HUNTER BIDEN TRIAL ENTERS DAY 5 AFTER TESTIMONY FROM SISTER-IN-LAW-TURNED-GIRLFRIEND: ‘PANICKED’ Hunter’s attorneys did not dispute the first son’s long history with substance abuse amid the trial, which also included an addiction to alcohol. The defense instead argued that on the day Biden bought the Cobra Colt .38, he did not consider himself an active drug addict, citing the first son’s stint in rehab ahead of the October 2018 purchase. Prosecutors, however, argued Biden was addicted to crack cocaine before, during and after he bought the handgun. Just one day after the gun purchase, prosecutors showed the court that Biden texted Hallie Biden, his sister-in-law-turned-girlfriend, to say he was “waiting for a dealer named Mookie.” A day after that text, he texted that he was “sleeping on a car smoking crack on 4th Street and Rodney” in Wilmington. A jury deliberated for roughly three hours across two days before they found Hunter guilty on each charge. Hunter was scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 13, which was delayed until December before his dad intervened. After President Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity and age, Hunter faced another trial regarding three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses regarding the failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. As jury selection was about to kick off in Los Angeles federal court, Hunter entered a surprise guilty plea. HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS GUILTY TO ALL NINE FEDERAL TAX CHARGES BROUGHT BY SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS “I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment,” Hunter said in an emailed statement at the time. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty.” The charges carried up to 17 years behind bars, but the first son would likely have faced a much shorter sentence under federal sentencing guidelines. His sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 16. Ahead of the president’s decision to pardon his son, President-elect Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he would consider pardoning Hunter if victorious on Nov. 5. “I wouldn’t take it off the books,” Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt in October. “See, unlike Joe Biden, despite what they’ve done to me, where they’ve gone
Bernie Sanders admits ‘Elon Musk is right’ to slash Pentagon with DOGE: ‘Lost track of billions’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., appears to be in favor of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), after slamming the Pentagon’s budget and failed audits on social media and admitting, “Elon Musk is right.” President-elect Trump tapped Musk and former GOP presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE in an effort to stop the government’s wasteful spending. Sanders addressed the wasteful spending on Sunday in a post on X. “Elon Musk is right,” he wrote. “The Pentagon, with a budget of $886 billion, just failed its 7th audit in a row. It’s lost track of billions. Last year, only 13 senators voted against the Military Industrial Complex and a defense budget full of waste and fraud. That must change.” ELON MUSK SAYS THERE’S SUBSTANTIAL IGNORANCE ABOUT AMERICA’S NATIONAL DEBT Musk responded to Sanders’ post with two American flags. Sanders did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The post comes as Musk continues to bash government spending on social media. For example, he shared a post from DOGE’s X account about the California High Speed Rail Project, which was projected in 2008 to cost $33 billion, and now is projected to be between $88.5 and $127.9 billion. The post also said the estimated completion date was 2020 and, as of 2024, nobody has been transported and the majority of the railway has not been designed. The project received $6.8 billion in federal funding. The project team is now requesting another $8 billion in federal funds. ELON MUSK WANTS TO MEET ALEX SOROS — AND SOROS SAYS HE’S OPEN TO IT Musk wrote in a repost, “The government needs to stop wasting your hard-earned money!” In another post shared by Musk, he is seen speaking in front of an American flag. “The interest that we owe on our national debt is now higher than the defense budget. Over a trillion dollars and growing. The country is going to go bankrupt,” he said. “That’s why we need the department of Government Efficiency, D.O.G.E., on a brass plaque on a desk.” Even last week, Musk said a significant percentage of people do not even know there is such a thing as a national debt. US NATIONAL DEBT HITS A NEW RECORD: $36 TRILLION “Those that do often don’t know how big it is or that our interest payments now exceed what we spend on our military. Only a small % understand that government overspending causes inflation,” he said on X. The national debt has soared past $36 trillion. “America is going bankrupt fast,” Musk warned in another post. “The excess government spending is what causes inflation! ALL government spending is taxation. This is a very important concept to appreciate. It is either direct taxation, like income tax, or indirect via inflation due to increasing the money supply,” he asserted in a tweet earlier this month. Trump said in a statement that DOGE “will provide advice and guidance from outside of government and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large-scale structural reform and create an entrepreneurial approach to government never seen before.” In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Musk and Ramaswamy noted that they will work “as outside volunteers, not federal officials or employees.” Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.