A quickie guilty verdict in Delaware: How Hunter Biden botched his defense
Of course Hunter Biden was guilty. It only took a jury in Delaware, where the family name is golden, three hours to figure that out. His defense was quite frankly absurd. Biden was a drug addict – he helpfully wrote and recorded a book about it – then his lawyer argued he wasn’t using drugs on the day, week or alternate Tuesday that he bought a handgun – so he didn’t mean to lie on the federal form. The result: Guilty on all three felony counts. HUNTER BIDEN’S EX-BUSINESS ASSOCIATE DISMISSES GUN TRIAL CHARGES: ‘DISTRACTION’ FROM ‘INFLUENCE PEDDLING’ The only real mystery is why Hunter didn’t plead guilty and spare his father the personal and political embarrassment of having all this dirty laundry aired in open court. Federal prosecutors clearly were pushing for a settlement. The testimony from Hunter’s exes, the excruciating text messages, all this could have been avoided. He would have gone to jail either way. And yet, for all the criticism from Republicans that the law enforcement system has been weaponized against their side, the Biden Justice Department just convicted the president’s son. There aren’t many countries around the world where you can imagine that happening. In fact, that same DOJ is now prosecuting two other prominent Democrats, Sen. Bob Menendez and his gold bars bribery case, and Rep. Henry Cuellar. In what must have been a difficult psychological blow for Joe Biden, who went to Wilmington last night to be with his son, essentially repeated a statement he made last week. “I will accept the outcome of this case, and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” said the president, who says he has ruled out a pardon. He said he and his wife are “so proud of the man he is today.” BIDEN’S MENTAL ACUITY QUESTIONED Despite hours of cable news banners, Joe Biden did not address the matter even when he was addressing a gun safety forum, which made for an awkward situation. But he was not going to give his detractors the sound bite they wanted. You might think, given that Donald Trump is also a convicted felon – and I’m not comparing the two cases – that he and his allies would let the media tout the Hunter Biden conviction. But no. The Trump camp’s press secretary said “this trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Crime Family is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit.” So we’ve gone from Hunter Biden must be convicted immediately to this is a mere distraction. The gun felony case has nothing to do with his dad, who kept urging him to get sober. The second, more serious criminal trial, for tax evasion, might feature a limited parental role. SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES But the “Biden Crime Family” refrain is aimed squarely at the then-vice president’s son trading on his last name to rake in global business for which he was clearly unqualified. So there’s a deliberate shifting of the goal posts here. Keep in mind that House Republicans, after months of investigation, failed to produce evidence of Joe Biden getting a dime, though he clearly used innocuous calls and a couple of lunches to help his son drum up business. Also, the committee’s key source was indicted for lying. Special counsel David Weiss told reporters yesterday the gun case shows “no one is above the law.” But he also suggested the government wouldn’t propose a harsher sentence than for the average person. One could argue that the case should have been brought five years ago. But there’s also a contention that it wouldn’t have been filed at all against Hunter Jones. These rare cases usually have to be tied to a larger crime, such as if the president’s son had used the illicitly obtained gun to rob a bank. (That’s the argument Trump made, that he faced a gussied-up misdemeanor because he’s the leading candidate for president.) But Hunter owned the handgun for all of 11 days before his paramour tossed it in the trash. The judge should sentence Hunter Biden around the time of the Democratic convention in August. And then comes the second trial. Awful timing for a notorious son who could have avoided this spectacle with a guilty plea.
Sens. Warren, Markey propose bill that would lead to prison time for ‘corporate greed’ in health care
Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, both Democrats, introduced legislation Tuesday that would result in prison time for violators of “corporate greed” in health care. The Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would also offer state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department more tools to go after health care executives accused of corporate exploitation for endangering patient safety and access to health care, according to a press release. Warren delivered remarks in front of Steward’s St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, taking issue with the financial management of Steward under CEO Ralph de la Torre. In 2016, Steward sold the land where its eight Massachusetts hospitals are located to Medical Properties Trust, a real estate investment trust. The transaction resulted in the hospitals struggling with massive debt that ultimately forced Steward into bankruptcy. “My Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act would prevent what happened with Steward from ever happening again,” Warren said in a statement. “When private equity gets hold of health care systems, it is literally a matter of life and death, so if you drive a hospital like Steward into bankruptcy, putting patients and communities at risk, you should face real consequences.” CALIFORNIA AGREES TO REPAY FEDS $52M IN ‘IMPROPERLY CLAIMED’ IMMIGRANT MEDICAID DISBURSEMENTS The bill would create a new criminal penalty to put executives in prison for up to six years if they loot health care entities, including nursing homes and hospitals, if the looting leads to a patient’s death. It would authorize state attorneys general and the U.S. Justice Department to claw back all compensation, including salaries, to private equity and portfolio company executives within a 10-year period before or after an acquired health care firm experiences serious, avoidable financial difficulties due to that looting. Additionally, the legislation would authorize an associated civil penalty of up to fives times the clawback amount and require health care providers receiving federal funding to publicly report mergers, acquisitions, changes in ownership and control and financial data, including debt and debt-to-earnings ratios. There would also be a requirement for a Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General report to be sent to Congress detailing the “harms of corporatization” in health care. “What Dr. de la Torre, Cerberus Capital Management and Medical Properties Trust did to Steward-owned hospitals in Massachusetts and across the country is unforgivable,” Markey said in a statement. “They promised to improve health care, but instead traded lives and livelihoods for profit. Private equity firms and their enablers will continue to steal from America’s health care system to feed their corporate greed unless we stop them. We need guardrails now to guarantee CEO wealth doesn’t come before the public’s health.” SUPREME COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES IN HEALTH CARE FUNDING DISPUTE WITH GOVERNMENT Private Equity Stakeholder Project policy director Chris Noble said in a statement that private equity firms have “made a killing out of looting vulnerable hospitals and putting patients and healthcare systems at risk.” “Grounded in the common-sense idea that U.S. healthcare systems should prioritize safeguarding our long-term health over short-term profits, this legislation is a necessary and timely solution to that problem,” he said. Massachusetts Nurses Association president Katie Murphy also praised the Corporate Crimes Against Health Care Act. “As an organization representing frontline nurses and health professionals working in facilities owned and operated by private equity firms and other for profit providers, we have witnessed how the commodification of health care and the strive for profit taking by these firms has undermined the safety of the patients and communities served by those facilities, and as such, we applaud and support Senator Warren’s legislation that will hold these firms accountable for their misdeeds and corporate malfeasance, to claw back those resources taken from our patients and our communities to ensure those resources go to the care of patients and not their exploitation,” Murphy said in a statement.
Amarillo City Council rejects so-called abortion travel ban
A group of anti-abortion advocates must now decide whether they want the city voters to have the final say on their proposed policy.
EXCLUSIVE: War veteran Sam Brown vows to deliver for Americans ‘crushed’ by Biden’s policies after major win
EXCLUSIVE: Former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown vowed to deliver results for Americans “crushed” by Biden’s policy failures, his first promise after winning a hard fought Senate primary in the crucial swing state of Nevada. “Look, this is a clear signal that Republicans here in this state are united, not only behind President Trump, but behind me to take on Joe Biden and Jackey Rosen this November,” Brown told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview just moments after the race was called. “Americans need hope. Nevadans have been crushed by Biden’s policies. They’ve been supported by Jacky Rosen. And this is a resounding victory. We’re looking forward to going head-to-head and delivering a victory that Nevadans need,” he added. WATCH: TRUMP RALLYGOERS REVEAL WHO THEY WANT AS VICE PRESIDENT Brown said Nevadans would see a “clear contrast” between his and former President Trump’s America First policies over the next five months, and those of Biden, which he said had led to a worsening border crisis, a deteriorating state of the world, and an economy where prices are too high. “The solutions are clear. We’ve got to secure our border. We’ve got to go after the cartels. We’ve got to ensure that we’re not allowing people into this country that mean to do harm. We’ve got to make sure that the economy is working for all, that there are good jobs, that we don’t have unnecessary inflation, we have an American energy policy that provides security and lower costs,” Brown told Fox. “This is a future that’s not too far away. We’re going to deliver it after November.” Brown soundly defeated his main primary rival, former U.S. Ambassador Jeff Gunter, by a significant margin, and will head to the general election with solid backing from Trump and national Republicans, who view the Nevada race as one of their top targets to flip from Democrats. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Trump-backed incumbent wins red state primary that split House Freedom Caucus
In a primary that split the conservative House Freedom Caucus, incumbent Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., fended off a challenge from conservative State Rep. Adam Morgan. Prominent members of the House Freedom Caucus were split on who should get the nod to represent South Carolina’s solidly Republican 4th Congressional District in the northern part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg. Timmons was endorsed by former president Donald Trump as well as conservative Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Byron Donalds of Florida and Jim Jordan of Ohio. Morgan received the backing of Florida’s Matt Gaetz and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good of Virginia. Morgan chairs the South Carolina legislature’s version of the Freedom Caucus. INCUMBENT SC REP TIMMONS HIT WITH RESURFACED VIDEOS OF APPARENT SUPPORT OF DEI IN CONGRESS Timmons raised more campaign cash than Morgan to the tune of $2.4 million to $578,000. Both candidates said securing the southern border would be their primary focus if elected. “Border security has got to be on the top of the list. Over 10 million people have crossed the southern border illegally in the last 3½ years. It’s unacceptable. We have to change the course. Our country can’t sustain it,” Timmons said, according to a report from Fox affiliate WSPA. Timmons will face Democrat Kathryn Harvey and Constitution Party candidate Mark Hackett in the general election on Nov. 5. Timmons won the 2022 general election with 90.8% of the vote. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Political newcomer wins GOP primary in key Maine congressional district
Political newcomer Ronald Russell was projected to win the Republican primary for Maine’s 1st congressional district as of late Tuesday. Russell defeated fellow first-time candidate Andrew Piantidosi in the contest and will face longtime Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree in the general election. He made his military service a hallmark of his campaign, describing his father’s time serving as a World War II artilleryman who convinced a young Russell to apply to West Point military academy in New York State. Russell went on to serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army beginning in 1976. FLASHBACK: MAINE MOM FURIOUS AFTER SCHOOL STAFF REPORTEDLY TRIED TO TRANSITION 13-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER While Russell’s state hugs the northern border, the candidate told local outlet WMTW that illegal immigration on the southern border will be an important issue for him if elected in November. “The way to stop it is to stop the incentives for illegal immigration. The amount of money that we are providing housing, free housing for them until they get on their feet, which is a couple of years here in Maine, salaries, for all intents and purposes, money to help them subsist, those are all incentives to have them break the law and come across illegally. Those need to go away as well,” he told the outlet. MAINE 2024 PRIMARY RESULTS After retiring from the military in 2006, Russell began working for a defense contractor before starting his own business that his campaign website said grew to 150 employees. Maine’s 1st Congressional District, while much smaller than its counterpart, contains most of the state’s population centers. It largely hugs the seacoast and includes the cities of Portland and Brunswick, and meets New Hampshire not far from Portsmouth. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Following 2021 census-related redistricting, the Cook Political Report placed the 1st District’s partisan voting index at D+9, indicating a substantial advantage for Pingree in the general election. Pingree has been successful in her recent reelection bids, though she suffered a 2002 loss when she challenged popular centrist Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. The last Republican to represent the seat, former Rep. Jim Longley, Jr., was ousted in the 1996 election.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 838
As the war enters its 838th day, these are the main developments. Here is the situation on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Fighting Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv, said the number of Russian attacks on the city had fallen since Ukraine’s army struck missile launch positions in Russia. While missile and drone attacks were continuing, Terekhov told the Reuters news agency that enabling Ukrainian forces to target sites across the border had helped bring relative “calm”. Russia claimed to have seized two more Ukrainian villages – Myasozharivka in the Luhansk region and Tymkivka in the northeastern Kharkiv region – Russia’s state TASS news agency reported, citing the Ministry of Defence. India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two Indian nationals recruited by the Russian army were killed recently on the battlefield. The ministry urged the Russian ambassador in New Delhi and authorities in Moscow to quickly release and return all Indian nationals who are with the Russian army, and stop any further recruitment of Indian nationals, it added in a statement. Politics and diplomacy White House spokesman John Kirby said the United States will announce new “impactful” sanctions and export controls during the G7 summit in southern Italy later this week, targeting entities and networks helping Russia fight its war against Ukraine. “We’re going to continue to drive up costs for the Russian war machine,” Kirby said. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jin said Beijing would oppose all unilateral sanctions after new warnings from G7 countries on small Chinese banks about their links to Russia. Germany’s far-right AfD and far-left BSW parties boycotted a parliamentary address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who earlier had warned that pro-Russian rhetoric posed a growing threat to the European Union. The AfD and BSW, which are both opposed to military support for Ukraine, made huge gains in the EU parliamentary elections. The US said the Azov brigade of 2024, pictured on the front lines in January, is different from the militia that was set up in 2014 and later disbanded [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo] The United Nations annual Children in Armed conflict report said the Russian army and its “affiliated armed groups” had killed 80 children in Ukraine in 2023 and injured 339. The report, due to be published on Thursday but seen by multiple news agencies, said violence against children in armed conflict reached “extreme levels” in 2023. The Moscow Regional Court upheld a ruling that 19-year-old Maksim Lypkan, who was arrested in February 2023 as he planned a protest against the Ukraine offensive, must remain in a psychiatric hospital and be subjected to involuntary psychiatric treatment, according to SOTA independent media. Lypkan was charged with spreading “fake [information] on the Russian army”. Russian President Vladimir Putin will keep demoted ally Nikolai Patrushev, a Cold War warrior who crafted the Kremlin’s national security strategy, on Russia’s national Security Council, according to a decree. The council is a consultative body chaired by Putin. Weapons Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on allies to increase their air defence support to help protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, telling delegates at an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine that at least seven Patriot missile systems were needed. The US State Department said it had conducted a “thorough review” of Ukraine’s Azov brigade and found “no evidence” of human rights violations, clearing the way for the unit to receive training and weapons from the US. Washington said the current brigade was different from the “Azov battalion” that was established a decade ago and “disbanded in 2015” and was blighted by accusations that some members held openly far-right and extremist views. Adblock test (Why?)
Malaysia’s Mahathir denies corruption, says most of his money ‘now gone’
Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has denied engaging in corruption, saying he earned his money from his salary during his decades-long political career and most of it is “now gone”. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Mahathir, who is under investigation by the country’s anticorruption agency, hit out at current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over remarks that implied that he had used his time in office to enrich himself and his family. “I am curious as I have not seen this money and don’t know where they are. If I had taken the money, tell the court how you [Anwar] conclude that I had taken the money,” said Mahathir, 98, who is pursuing a 150 million ringgit ($32m) defamation action against his protégé-turned-rival. Mahathir, who led Malaysia from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020, said he was willing to go to Switzerland with Anwar to look for banks where he could have stashed away his money. “If we can find such a bank, I will withdraw 100 percent of the money and give it to the Malays,” Mahathir said. Mahathir also accused Anwar of targeting his two eldest sons, Mirzan Mahathir and Mokhzani Mahathir. Anwar, who served as Mahathir’s deputy during the 1990s, has denied targeting political rivals and said he does not intervene in the legal process. “As he [Anwar] stated, he had files, boxes, documents which shows I have taken money. Well show, if you have the boxes, show them. But until now, he has not shown [the boxes]. Instead, he has tried to bypass [that] and now, he is going after my children Mokhzani and Mirzan,” Mahathir said. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim served as Mahathir’s deputy during the 1990s [Franck Robichon/pool via AFP] In January, the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) ordered Mirzan Mahathir and Mokhzani Mahathir to declare their assets as part of inquiries prompted by the Pandora and Panama Papers leaks. The anticorruption agency in April confirmed that it was investigating Mahathir as part of the probe. Mahathir said he does not benefit from his sons’ business activities. “They don’t give me money from their business,” he said. Malaysia’s long-serving leader said he forbade his sons from doing business in the country while he was in office as he did not want to be accused of nepotism. “Mokhzani only succeeded in business after I stepped down. During the time I was prime minister, he was not well-known for being a successful businessman. He was employed by petroleum companies as he was trained in that field,” Mahathir said. Addressing the source of his wealth, Mahathir said that he earned a monthly salary of 8,000 ringgit ($1,700) when he first became prime minister, rising to 20,000 ringgit ($4,240) by the time he stepped down in 2020. “For me, that was a fantastic sum… a very big sum of money,” said Mahathir, adding that he was paid 2,000 ringgit ($420) a month when he started out as a medical doctor in private practice in the 1950s. Mahathir said that he was also provided with benefits, including a house and a car, which helped him to spend little while in office. “They paid for my electricity, water bill… government gives me transportation, cars and drivers. I don’t have to pay anything,” Mahathir said. “Even flying, the planes were at my disposal. So what I needed in terms of doing my work as a prime minister were all provided for by the government and the salary I got. I saved it for over 29 years – from being a minister of education to retiring as a prime minister.” In 2018, Mahathir declared assets worth 32.35 million ringgit ($6.9m). Mahathir said that when he first stepped down as prime minister in 2003, he rejected an offer from the government for a free piece of land in Putrajaya, a city about 25km (15.5 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur. “I said no, I don’t take free land. So I bought the land. I paid 1 million ringgit [$212,000] for 5 acres [2 hectares] of land. It is on record that I did not take a single cent from the government,” Mahathir said. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in April confirmed that it was investigating former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad [Reuters] Mahathir said he spent most of his money coming out of retirement in a bid to remove then-Prime Minister Najib Razak from power as the multibillion dollar 1MDB financial scandal unfolded. The elder statesman contested the 2018 general elections under the banner of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party, which he founded after leaving his longtime political vehicle UMNO, the largest party in the then-governing Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. At the age of 92, Mahathir went on to lead the opposition Pakatan Harapan coalition to a stunning victory over BN, which had governed the Southeast Asian country without interruption since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Mahathir resigned in 2020 amid internal tensions within his PH government. In 2022, Anwar was elected prime minister following two short-lived premierships under the banner of Perikatan Nasional (PN). “Unfortunately, when I was out of the government and I was involved in politics, I don’t have any other source of money except my own… I spent most of the money on politics,” he said. “My party had no money. People don’t donate to the opposition party.” On Najib, who is seeking to serve the remainder of a six-year prison sentence under house arrest after being convicted for his role in the 1MDB scandal, Mahathir said the former prime minister should not receive special treatment. “Staying at home means you are free. You don’t come out of your house, but you are free. When you steal billions and you are very well-treated, it is a bad example for future leaders,” Mahathir said. In February, Malaysia’s pardons board halved Najib’s jail sentence to six years and reduced his 210 million ringgit ($60m) fine to 50 million ringgit ($10.7m). “They are going to
Hong Kong cancels passports of six pro-democracy activists in exile in UK
The six, including former legislator Nathan Law, are also banned from any business dealings and financial transactions. Hong Kong has cancelled the passports of six pro-democracy activists who are in exile overseas under its newly-enacted domestic security law, calling them “lawless wanted criminals”. The government said that in addition to the cancellation of the “absconders’” travel documents, the six were also banned from any business dealings in Hong Kong, including financial transactions from cash to gold. “These lawless wanted criminals are hiding in the United Kingdom and continue to blatantly engage in activities that endanger national security,” a government spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday. “They also make scaremongering remarks to smear and slander the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. More so, they continue to collude with external forces to protect their evil deeds. We therefore have taken such measure to give them a strong blow.” The six men, accused of national security crimes in Hong Kong and wanted by police, include former legislator Nathan Law and British consulate worker Simon Cheng who was detained for 15 days in China in August 2019. The others are activist Finn Lau, labour rights activist Christopher Mung, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da, according to the statement. Writing on the social media platform X, Lau said the move was “an explicit act of transnational repression” but it would not stop him from campaigning for what he believed in. He said he had never applied for, or had, a passport for the HKSAR, Hong Kong’s official name. “The act of repression does not deter me from advocating for human rights & democracy,” he wrote. “The fighting spirit of Hongkongers, including mine, remains.” The territory’s legislature passed the security law, known as Article 23, in March, adding to a security law imposed by Beijing in July 2020 in the wake of mass protests which sometimes turned violent. Hong Kong and Beijing say the laws have helped bring stability to the territory. Critics say they have decimated Hong Kong’s freedoms. The government statement also warned people in Hong Kong that providing any kind of financial assistance to the six, or having business dealings with them, was an offence with a potential seven-year jail term. Some of the activists have Patreon accounts. Hong Kong police have offered to pay as much as 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) to anyone providing information leading to the arrest of 13 pro-democracy activists living overseas, including the six men whose passports have been cancelled. Adblock test (Why?)
J-K: Terrorists target Army checkpost in Doda, third terror attack in three days
A senior official said that an encounter occurred on Tuesday night in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir between security forces and terrorists.