New Mexico House rejects paid family leave expansion, considers political deepfake regulation
New Mexico’s Democrat-led House of Representatives narrowly rejected a bill Wednesday that would have guaranteed paid time off for workers to cope with serious illnesses or care for newborns and loved ones, amid concern about companies’ opposition in an election year. The proposal failed 34-36 on a final vote that would have sent the bill to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose 2019 executive order established paid family leave of up to 12 weeks for state employees. Thirteen states and Washington, D.C. currently guarantee paid leave. New Mexico already requires employers to provide paid sick leave to workers under a 2021 law. Employees accrue an hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, ensuring up to about 8 days of leave annually. NEW MEXICO BILL TO LOWER INCOME TAXES AND CAP INVESTMENT TAX BREAK ADVANCES The failed proposal for paid leave would have eventually provided workers with up to 12 weeks of medical and family leave — which would be extended to parents of adopted, foster and stepchildren. The bill also included paid leave guarantees for workers who are victims of stalking, domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse as they pursue a protection order, counseling or flee their home. “My chamber is against it, the Albuquerque chamber is against it,” said Republican state Rep. Alan Martinez of Bernalillo, who voted no. “How do I go back to my district and tell people, ‘I know better?’ … Let businesses do what businesses do best.” On the House floor, bill sponsor and Democratic state Rep. Christine Chandler of Los Alamos pitched the initiative as a net-benefit to businesses who hope to retain loyal employees and cultivate a stable workforce. She highlighted an exemption on contributions to the program for organizations with fewer than five employees, and touted the intangible benefits of family leave. “I think we all know the societal costs that we have to pay one way or another if we do not have those strong bonds,” she said. Republicans voted in unison against the bill, along with 11 Democrats. Separately on Wednesday, legislators sent a bill to the governor to dissuade voter intimidation. The proposal would prohibit the open carry of firearms at voting locations and near ballot drop boxes, with exceptions for people who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun. The restrictions would take effect ahead of New Mexico’s June 4 primary election, banning guns within 100 feet of the entrance to a voting location. Guns already are prohibited at public schools that serve as voting locations. A dozen states including Florida, Georgia, Arizona and Georgia prohibit guns at voting locations, as legislators in several other states grapple with concerns about voting access, gun violence and public safety in a polarized political climate. New Mexico could also wade into whether to regulate artificial intelligence in the creation of political ads, under a bill passed by the Legislature on Wednesday with a 25-14 vote of the state Senate. Campaign advertisement would have to disclose any deceptive “deepfake” synthetic images, audio or video created by artificial intelligence that depict someone doing or saying something that they didn’t do or say, under the bill from Democrats including state Sen. Katy Duhigg of Albuquerque. The bill doesn’t prohibit those ads as long as a disclosure is attached. Willful violations would be punishable as a misdemeanor on first offense and felony on second conviction for people who create, produce or purchase a deceptive, deepfake campaign ad. “In addition to making people believe they did or said something they did not, deepfakes also give people who really have said or done something deniability — they can claim that reality was a deepfake,” Duhigg told Senate colleagues. “Deepfakes are insidious because they make the public question reality.” Lujan Grisham on Wednesday applauded passage of a $125 million appropriation to a revolving loan fund to spur housing construction and a companion bill that expands the mission of the New Mexico Finance Authority to support housing infrastructure and residential construction. On Wednesday evening, legislators raced against the clock to complete their work before the end of a 30-day legislative session at noon on Thursday.
Vance’s office doubles down ‘impeachment time bomb’ warning in foreign aid package
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. JD Vance’s office will send a letter to GOP lawmakers Thursday doubling down on the claim that the Ukraine-Israel-Taiwan foreign aid package contains an “impeachment time bomb” that would tie the hands of the next administration. Vance’s memo comes a day after former Vice President Mike Pence’s policy think tank, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), sent a memo to senators dismissing Vance’s claims. The national security supplemental text assures the delivery of $1.6 billion to finance Ukraine’s military as well as just under $14 billion for Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through Sept. 30, 2025 – the same aid mechanism that Trump temporarily paused while pushing for an investigation into Biden family foreign business dealings. MIKE PENCE’S THINK TANK PUSHES BACK ON JD VANCE’S ‘IMPEACHMENT TIME BOMB’ CLAIM IN FOREIGN AID PACKAGE AAF claimed Wednesday that it’s the president’s duty to faithfully execute the law as “written into the Constitution” — known as the Take Care clause — rejecting the argument made by the Nixon administration that the clause “empowered the President to ignore federal statutes.” Vance’s office said AAF was actually supporting their point that the Ukraine supplemental would tie Trump’s hands if he returns to the White House. “Therefore, they advance the claim that a future president would have a constitutional responsibility to ‘faithfully execute the law’ that requires him to fund Ukraine well into his second term or face a (fake) claim of a constitutional/legal violation,” Vance’s office wrote in the new memo. “That is exactly the claim advanced by the Ukraine Supplemental Impeachment Time Bomb.” “Administration officials have been transparent about efforts to tie the hands of a future presidential administration, with one revealing to the Washington Post that this supplemental bill is a key component of their plan to ‘future-proof aid for Ukraine against the possibility that former president Donald Trump wins his reelection bid,’” the memo continued. “Former senior administration officials, including a former director of the Office of Management and Budget, have validated that this supplemental bill may function as a “secret set of handcuffs” and that opponents of a future president’s Ukraine policy ‘will use this to try and tie his hands in the initial weeks of his presidency.’” SENATOR PAUL ASSERTS UKRAINE AID PACKAGE WOULD ‘TIE THE HANDS’ OF FUTURE ADMINISTRATIONS Meanwhile, AAF noted in their memo if the president wants to cut off federal aid to Ukraine, he must get approval from Congress in a 45-day timeframe, “otherwise he must dutifully execute the law as written.” Vance’s office said that rebuttal actually “reinforces” their position “that this supplemental would tie a future president’s hands on spending in Ukraine or he would risk impeachment from Democrats on the same absurd grounds as President Trump’s first impeachment.” The Trump administration, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), withheld a total of about $400 million in security assistance from Ukraine in 2019. This came just before Trump asked Ukrainian President Voldomyr Zelenskyy to investigate the family of his 2020 rival, Joe Biden, and while the White House allegedly was withholding an Oval Office visit from Zelenskyy in exchange for an investigation. These actions are what fueled the impeachment effort against Trump, in which he was ultimately acquitted. Vance’s memo argues previous Ukraine supplemental bills lacked sunset dates extending into future administrations. The Biden administration requested specific sunset dates in the current bill to extend aid into the next presidential term, which was granted despite most Senate Republicans voting against it. SEN. VANCE MEMO WARNS GOP COLLEAGUES OF ‘SYSTEMIC FAILURES’ IN US AID TO UKRAINE Several other Republican allies of Trump agreed with Vance this week. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said the provision in the bill “is gonna force him to send money and spend money for Ukraine.” “This is in the bill,” Tuberville told Fox News Digital. “So, it’s just another situation where the Democrats are doing something and working towards making sure that money’s spent in a certain area where American taxpayers and this country don’t have.” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, also agreed with Vance and claimed that Democrats are “setting up” for a possible Trump presidential win.
White House announces Palestinians will be protected from deportation by Biden’s ‘deferred enforced departure’
The White House announced it will be protecting Palestinian nationals from deportation for at least 18 months. President Biden released a memorandum on Wednesday explaining his decision to authorize deferred enforced departure (DED) privileges for Palestinian nationals. “Following the horrific October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel, and Israel’s ensuing military response, humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territories, and primarily Gaza, have significantly deteriorated,” the president wrote in the memorandum. ASKED FOR UPDATE ON BIDEN PROMISE TO SPEAK TO PRESS, KJP SAYS 7 TIMES SHE DOESN’T ‘HAVE ANYTHING’ TO SHARE “While I remain focused on improving the humanitarian situation, many civilians remain in danger; therefore, I am directing the deferral of removal of certain Palestinians who are present in the United States,” Biden added. Exceptions to the DED include Palestinians who do not continuously reside in the U.S. following the memorandum, individuals subject to extradition, those whose presence is a danger to public safety or foreign affairs, and those linked to terrorist activity. Those approved for DED will also be allowed to apply for noncitizen employment authorization in the U.S. through the Department of Homeland Security. WHITE HOUSE DODGES ON ‘SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’ AFTER HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE SOUNDS ALARM Biden wrote, “I further direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to take appropriate measures to authorize employment for noncitizens whose removal has been deferred, as provided by this memorandum, for the duration of such deferral, and to consider suspending regulatory requirements with respect to F-1 nonimmigrant students who are Palestinians as the Secretary of Homeland Security determines to be appropriate.” Biden previously extended DED for Hong Kong nationals in August 2021 due to human rights concerns regarding the governance of the Chinese Communist Party. Coverage of Hong Kong citizens extends through February 2025. Liberian nationals were granted DED coverage by President George W. Bush in Sept. 2007, with their protection set to expire in June of this year.
‘Enough is enough’: Australian PM denounces US, UK legal pursuit of Assange
Anthony Albanese takes stand against attempts to extradite Australian to US ahead of court ruling next week. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has slammed the years-long United States and British legal pursuit of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ahead of a court ruling on his appeal against extradition next week. Albanese said on Thursday that the country as a whole shared the view that “enough is enough”. Assange, 52, is an Australian citizen. Speaking in parliament after backing a motion on Wednesday calling for an end to Assange’s prosecution so that he can return to his family in Australia, Albanese said, “This thing cannot just go on and on and on indefinitely”. Judges at London’s High Court are due to rule on Assange’s appeal against extradition to the United States at a hearing on February 20 and 21. He has spent five years in London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison, battling extradition to the US, where he is wanted on criminal charges over the release of confidential military records and diplomatic cables in 2010. Washington says the release of the documents had put lives in danger. Assange was arrested after spending seven years in Ecuador’s embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced accusations of sexual assault, which were later dropped. Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego said that his supporters fear that Assange could essentially be “put behind bars for the rest of his life”. “What they’re essentially saying is that it is really the last chance for … Assange to be able to be granted any sort of freedom,” she said at a press conference held by Assange’s supporters. They said it would be a “terrible thing” for the notion of press freedom, Gallego reported, in essence, “setting a precedent for those who’ve been tried under the Espionage Act to essentially be pawns in the system”. Geoffrey Robertson, a former legal adviser to Assange, said the whistleblower had suffered enough. “He’s published details that were available to three million servicemen and officials about American policy and about war crimes that America committed. And this is what he’s got for it,” he told Al Jazeera. Australia’s parliamentary motion was a “wake-up call” for Washington, he said. He expected that the case would drag on after next week’s ruling. Assange, he said, would eventually have the option of taking his case to the European Court of Human Rights to request an interim order that could halt his extradition. ‘Standing as one’ Albanese said that the Australian government had a duty to lobby for its citizens and that he had raised the issue “at the highest levels” in Britain and the US. Australia should not interfere in the legal processes of other countries, he said. “But it is appropriate for us to put our very strong view that those countries need to take into account the need for this to be concluded.” Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, MP Andrew Wilkie, who authored the parliamentary motion, said that it sent a powerful message that Australia stood “as one” on the matter, he said. “Regardless of what you might think of Mr Assange, justice is not being served in this case now,” he said. Pleased to see @AlboMP give his strongest, clearest and most detailed statement on Julian Assange in the Federal Parliament today in response to my question. Please see full question and response at https://t.co/ZBZiBuP39h. #FreeAssangeNOW #auspol #politas — Andrew Wilkie MP (@WilkieMP) February 15, 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Bay FC break women’s football transfer record to sign striker Kunhananji
Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji becomes the most expensive female footballer as she signs for US side Bay FC. Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji has become the most expensive player in the history of women’s football after signing for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team Bay FC. The US club, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, signed the 23-year-old from Spanish club Madrid CFF for a fee of $788,000. Bay FC will play in the NWSL for the first time this year, becoming the league’s 14th team. The regular season starts on March 16. The deal also represents the first time an African player, male or female, has broken a world transfer record. Kundananji has signed a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year with the signing coming just two weeks after Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who won the African Footballer of the Year award for the sixth time in December, signed from Barcelona. The Copper Queen @KKundananji has arrived! 👑 The Zambian forward joins #BayFC from @MadridCFF. Read the announcement at: https://t.co/S5koi2QcV6#WeCameToPlay pic.twitter.com/xqNt4YN7zw — Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) February 13, 2024 ‘A natural ability to score’ Kundananji played for Zambia in last year’s Women’s World Cup. Overall, she has 10 goals in 18 games with her national team. She scored 33 goals in 43 Liga F games since joining Madrid CFF in 2022. “Racheal has a composure in front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations,” Bay FC general manager Lucy Rushton said in a statement. “We believe she will continue to grow and develop at our club, showcasing her skillset and adding to the array of exciting attacking talent we have here.” Kundananji arrived at Madrid CFF from Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and quickly became one of the club’s top players. “[She] improved with our club to become a great forward and we hope for the best in her next professional adventure,” the Spanish club said. “Madrid CFF once again demonstrates that it is one of the best clubs in attracting and incubating talent and will continue working with that goal in the future.” Kundananji’s arrival with the team is pending the approval of her visa and international transfer certificate. The transfer tops the reported fee of nearly $500,000 that Chelsea paid last month to Spanish club Levante for Maya Ramirez. Adblock test (Why?)
Which countries have stopped supplying arms to Israel?
EXPLAINER As civilian casualties continue to mount in Gaza, global calls for countries to halt arms sales to Israel grow. The United States Senate has approved a bill committing $14bn to support Israel’s war on Gaza this week. Even before the start of the war last October, the US firmly supported Israel with the supply of military equipment, contributing $3bn annually in military aid. Many other countries provide military support to Israel via arms sales. Civilian casualties continue to mount in Gaza – currently standing at more than 28,000 dead with thousands more trapped under rubble and presumed dead in just four months of bombardment and ground invasions. The rising death toll is prompting international condemnation from humanitarian and civil society groups in the form of statements, protests and lawsuits filed against countries alleged to be providing military support to Israel. Some countries are responding to this pressure. On Monday, the European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, commented on US President Joe Biden’s description of Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attacks as “over the top”. “Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed,” Borrell told reporters. So which countries continue to send weapons to Israel and which are taking steps to suspend supply? Who supplies arms to Israel? According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s arms transfers database, 68 percent of Israel’s weapons imports between 2013 and 2022 came from the US. The US military also stockpiles weapons on the ground in Israel, presumably for use by the US army itself. However, the US has allowed Israel to make use of some of these supplies during the Gaza war. Besides the US, Israel also receives military imports from other nations. Weapons imported from Germany make up 28 percent of Israel’s military imports. Germany’s military exports rose nearly tenfold in 2023 compared with 2022 after it increased sales to Israel in November, according to figures from the German Economic Ministry. Germany primarily supplies Israel with components for air defence systems and communications equipment, according to the German press agency dpa. The United Kingdom has licensed at least 474 million pounds ($594m) in military exports to Israel since 2015, Human Rights Watch reported in December 2023. These exports included aircraft, missiles, tanks, technology and ammunition, including components for the F-35 stealth bomber used in Gaza. In Canada, dozens of civil society groups have recently urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to end arms exports to Israel. The government says it does not send full weapons systems to Israel, but these civil society groups claim it is downplaying the amount of military support it provides. “Canadian companies have exported over $84m [114 million Canadian dollars] in military goods to Israel since 2015,” said Michael Bueckert, vice president of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, an advocacy group, adding that the government has continued to approve arms exports since the start of the war. Australia’s foreign affairs minister has said the country has not provided weapons to Israel since the start of the war. However, The Australian Greens party’s defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, has asked for the government to be more transparent about exactly what items have been exported to Israel, adding that the country has one of the most secretive weapons export systems in the world. Amnesty International has also called on Australia to halt arms sales to Israel and claims the country has approved 322 defence exports to Israel over the past six years. In France, a pro-Palestine demonstration on February 7 called on French companies, including Dassault Aviation, to stop selling arms to Israel. Demonstrators said, according to the Anadolu news agency, “all French companies that sell arms to the Tel Aviv administration are complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza”. Demonstrators condemn Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip, near the southern port city of Limassol, Cyprus, January 14, 2024. Lawyers say weapons sales to Israel could render other countries ‘complicit’ in war crimes in Gaza [Petros Karadjias/AP Photo] Which countries are stopping arms supplies to Israel? In the Netherlands, a court on Monday gave the government one week to block all exports of parts for the F-35 fighter jet, which Israel is using to bomb the Gaza Strip. The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed by Dutch humanitarian organisations Oxfam Novib, PAX Netherlands Peace Movement Foundation and The Rights Forum against the government. The concerns laid out in this lawsuit overlap with the issues the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is considering in South Africa’s apartheid case against Israel. “It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the court ruling stated. In Belgium, a regional government said it suspended two licences for the export of gunpowder to Israel on February 6. It was reported that the regional government cited the ICJ interim ruling which found Israel may “plausibly” be committing genocide in Gaza. Japanese company Itochu Corporation announced on February 5 that it will end its partnership with Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems by the end of February. Itochu chief financial officer Tsuyoshi Hachimura told a news conference that the suspension of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Elbit Systems was based on a request from Japan’s Ministry of Defense and “not in any way related to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine”. However, he added: “Taking into consideration the International Court of Justice’s order on January 26, and that the Japanese government supports the role of the Court, we have already suspended new activities related to the MOU, and plan to end the MOU by the end of February.” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on January 20 that Italy had suspended all shipments of weapons systems or military material to Israel since the outbreak of the war on October 7. This was in response to Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein’s calls on
Maharashtra Speaker holds Ajit Pawar group as real NCP, says…
He also dismissed disqualification petitions filed by both the Ajit and Sharad Pawar-led factions.
US launches missile-detecting satellites into orbit as concerns about Russia in space grow
The U.S. launched multiple satellites capable of detecting global missile launches into orbit on Thursday, less than a day after new concerns came to light regarding Russia’s space-based weapons capability. The launch, handled by billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX, includes six satellites in total. Two belong to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and four others are with the Space Development Agency (SDA). The MDA’s pair of Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) satellites, coupled with the SDA’s Tracking Layer satellites will “detect hypersonic, ballistic, and other advanced threats earlier than terrestrial radars,” according to the Pentagon. “This launch represents a pivotal time for MDA as we enter a new phase of missile warning, tracking and defense,” said Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director of MDA. “These HBTSS satellites are an essential step forward in our efforts to stay ahead of our adversaries.” BIDEN’S MEMORY STRUGGLES COULD IMPERIL NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENSE EXPERTS WARN: ‘NOT ONLY WEAK BUT CONFUSED’ “Launching our Tracking satellites into the same orbit with the MDA HBTSS satellites is a win for both agencies,” said Derek Tournear, director of SDA. “We’ll be able to look at test targets from the same orbit at the same time, so that we can see how the two sensors work together. In Tranche 1, SDA will fly both sensor types as an operational system – medium-field-of-view demonstrating fire control, based on HBTSS design, and wide-field-of-view doing warning and tracking, based on T0 tracking design.” The launch came just hours after House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner sounded the alarm about a “serious national security threat” relating to Russia’s space capabilities. Fox News later learned that the intelligence related to Russian nuclear capabilities in space which could threaten satellites, including potentially knocking out U.S. military communications and reconnaissance. HOUSE INTEL CHAIR TURNER WARNS OF ‘SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT,’ URGES BIDEN TO DECLASSIFY Sources told Fox News that the Russian capability has not yet deployed. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will meet with Turner and three other members of the Congressional Gang of Eight to discuss the Russian threat on Thursday. The Senate is currently out of session, so its four members of the gang will not be in attendance. Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
After LGBTQ lecture, Alabama Senate votes for more oversight of Department of Archives and History
The Alabama Senate voted Wednesday to put a politically appointed board in control of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, a change proposed after some lawmakers were upset about the department hosting a lecture on LGBTQ+ history. State senators also approved legislation that would allow local government officials to dismiss library board members they appointed if they become displeased with their performance. Both bills now move to the Alabama House of Representatives. The Archives’ monthly lunchtime lecture series last year included a June presentation titled “Invisible No More: Alabama’s LGBTQ+ History.” The lecture discussed topics ranging from the state’s first Pride march to the contributions of gay Alabamians. AL REPUBLICANS AIM TO CURB ABSENTEE BALLOT APPLICATIONS, DEMOCRATS SAY IT DISCOURAGES VOTING Sen. Chris Elliott, the sponsor of the bills approved Wednesday, said a dozen lawmakers called the Archives urging them to cancel the lecture but the department went forward with it. “This isn’t history. This is indoctrination,” Elliott said during debate. He said the change would ensure board members are responsive to elected officials. “I’m making sure that there is some accountability,” Elliott said. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton told Elliott that his bill appeared to be retribution because department officials didn’t change course when “big bad senator” called. “I let history be history,” Singleton said. The board currently has two members from each congressional district, two at-large members, and the governor. Board members are selected by a vote of the trustees and confirmed by the Alabama Senate. Current board members include famed civil rights lawyer Fred Gray, who is perhaps best known for representing Rosa Parks after she refused to give up her seat on a segregated Montgomery city bus in 1955. Under the legislation, the board would be appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and legislative leaders. The bill dealing with the Archives was approved on a 25-8 vote. The bill related to local libraries is being debated as conservative groups in several states have tried to remove or restrict access to children’s books with LGBTQ content. Elliott said existing state law gives city councils the ability to appoint library board members but currently gives no mechanism for removal. The bill was approved on a 26-7 vote.
Special Counsel Hur to testify publicly on damning report that revealed Biden’s memory, age issues: report
Special Counsel Robert Hur is in the final stages of plans to testify before Congress regarding his recently released report on President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents. Hur’s bombshell report revealed Biden’s significant memory issues, compounding voters’ long-held concerns about the president’s age. Hur’s testimony, expected to land in early March, would likely be before the House Judiciary Committee, Axios reported Thursday. Republican lawmakers will surely hone in on the various examples of Biden’s unreliable memory contained in the report. Hur described Biden as a “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” He also said Biden failed to remember the year his son, Beau, died, as well as the years he served as vice president. The testimony will also offer Hur the chance to clear up questions that have been raised after the report’s release. Biden, for instance, suggested Hur’s team asked him directly about Beau’s death following the release of the report. CONSERVATIVES RIP BIDEN AFTER CLASSIFIED DOCS PROBE DOESN’T CHARGE HIM, CITING ‘POOR MEMORY’: ’25TH AMENDMENT’ “How in the hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it wasn’t any of their damn business,” Biden said hours after the report was released. CONGRESSMAN, ARMY VET SAYS BIDEN BEING ‘USED,’ FEARS OTHERS ARE MAKING DECISIONS: ‘IT’S ABUSIVE’ A Wednesday report from NBC News stated that it was, in fact, Biden who brought up Beau during the interview, not Hur. The White House was quick to push back on news of Hur’s testimony on Thursday. “As Hur mounts his campaign, there will be another story to tell — of Hur and his deputy being two aggressive political prosecutors from the Trump administration who decided to gun for Biden in an election year for their own political futures as Republicans,” a White House spokesman told Axios. BIDEN ALLIES GO ON DEFENSE BLITZ FOLLOWING HUR REPORT: ‘BUCKET OF BS’ News of Hur’s testimony comes just days after a Reuters/Ipsos poll found that a majority of Americans, 53%, believe Biden received “special treatment” during Hur’s investigation. While Hur noted Biden’s memory issues in his report, he declined to recommend charges against the president for mishandling documents. Biden’s age and mental capacity have long been top issues for voters. Polls have found that large majorities of Americans believe he is too old to run for office. The Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that roughly 78% of respondents said he is too old to serve a second term, with 71% of Democrats holding that position.