The chairmen of the House Judiciary, Oversight, and Ways and Means Committees are asking Attorney General Merrick Garland for the transcripts of President Joe Biden’s interviews with special counsel Robert Hur. On Thursday, Feb. 8, Hur submitted his final report on Biden’s handling of classified information found at his home and personal office.
Hur’s team determined that no criminal charges were warranted.
“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” Hur wrote.
Hur said that Biden couldn’t remember important dates during their interview, including when he was vice president.
The chairmen now want any documents, audio and video recordings related to:
The interview with the ghostwriter of Biden’s memoir, Mark Zwonitzer, with whom Biden shared classified information.
Documents related to Biden’s Dec. 11, 2015, call with then-Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk.
All communications between the Department of Justice, Office of the Special Counsel, the Executive Office of the President and Biden’s personal counsel.
The chairmen said they want this information for the impeachment inquiry into the president.
“There is concern that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings,” the letter stated. “Further, we seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden’s personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence — emails, text messages or witness statements — directly linking the president to troublesome foreign payments.”
The lawmakers are asking for the materials by Monday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m.
Straight Arrow News reached out to Democrats on the Judiciary Committee and the Justice Department for comment and will update if a response is received.
Luna, Jacobs introduce resolution to let new moms in Congress vote remotely
A bipartisan group of women in the House of Representatives introduced a resolution that would allow lawmakers who give birth to vote by proxy for six weeks after their baby is born. The trio, led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., hopes it will make it easier for current members to become moms and for young women thinking about running to have one less hurdle.
“This place is completely out of touch with average day Americans,” Rep. Luna said. “And in passing this legislation, it is the first step forward in the right direction to, I think, not just give mothers a seat at the table, but also to encourage people to have families.”
Rep. Luna is frequently in the spotlight. She sits on the House Oversight Committee and is a proud supporter of former President Donald Trump’s reelection. At many of her events, her husband isn’t far behind, pushing their 4.5-month-old son in a stroller. They stand in the hallway or in a corner waiting for mom. But even as a team effort, being a mother and an elected representative isn’t easy, especially during their commute back and forth from Florida.
Proxy voting would allow new moms to have another member cast their vote for them while they stay home. The co-sponsors said that six weeks gives the mother enough time to heal from labor.
Why do the co-sponsors believe this bill is important? Well, they put it bluntly: Congress is an institution mainly made up of old white men. They contend that this bill will help make Congress younger and more diverse.
“We need more moms in Congress. And if we continue to put up these arbitrary, harmful barriers that allow women of childbearing age to actually even consider this momentous step to consider this responsibility, then we’re only hurting ourselves as Americans,” Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, said.
Tokuda is co-sponsoring the resolution along with Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif.
Proud to be a #MominCongress & Co-sponsor of a bipartisan resolution led by @RepSaraJacobs & @RepLuna that would allow new moms to vote by proxy while recovering from birth. America is better with more moms in Congress, and this is a crucial step to making that happen. pic.twitter.com/dEVW8Lrjne
Proxy voting was allowed and common during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republicans said it was antithetical to the definition of Congress: “the act or action of coming together and meeting.”
They also felt it was being taken advantage of by members on both sides of the aisle. However, some opponents are willing to make an exception for new moms.
“I’m not in favor of proxy voting in general,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said. “I opposed it, I never did it. Friends called me to ask me to proxy vote for them and I wouldn’t do it, mainly because I think members abused the practice during COVID. They used to go to fundraisers, go on vacation. I mean just fake things. But you can’t fake a pregnancy.”
Reps. Burchett, Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., are joining their women colleagues in supporting the resolution.
Luna said both Republicans and Democrats have been hesitant to get on board, which goes against both parties’ principles.
“My party, Republican party, we champion pro-life and pro-family values, but there’s some hesitancy I think on supporting it,” Rep. Luna said. “And then on the other side, you have a pro-women platform and there seems to be some hesitance there.”
These moms, future moms and momma’s boys are eager to get this approved. They said if it doesn’t happen this year, they won’t drop it until it’s officially a new rule of the House.
Hunter Biden agrees to private deposition with House Republicans
In December, Hunter Biden defied a subpoena to testify in private, which kickstarted a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress that has since been called off. Biden’s lawyers have previously said a private testimony would allow Republicans to selectively leak manipulated information while demanding an opportunity for Hunter Biden to testify publicly.
Republicans view Hunter Biden as a key witness in their investigation into his father, President Joe Biden, alleging the elder Biden profited off of his family’s foreign business dealings during his tenure as vice president during the Obama administration. Republicans have not been able to show any proof of their claim up to this point.
“There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen,” Hunter Biden said in December, after defying the Republican’s subpoena. “There is no fairness or decency in what these Republicans are doing — they have lied over and over about every aspect of my personal and professional life — so much so that their lies have become the false facts believed by too many people.”
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters that the president’s son will be able to testify publicly sometime after the private deposition.
Congress passes short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 19, 2024
Congress passes a short-term funding bill with just hours left to avoid a government shutdown. And Japan looks to be the next country to land on the lunar surface with its ‘moon sniper’ explorer. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Friday, Jan. 19.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
Congress passes short-term funding bill to avert government shutdown
With just hours to go before Friday’s Jan. 19 deadline, Congress passed a short-term funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown, at least for a few more weeks. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed.
By a vote of 314-108, the House passed the stopgap measure on Thursday, Jan. 18, following the Senate’s 77-18 vote, extending current spending levels as four government funding bills were set to expire at midnight on Friday, Jan. 19. Funding for those operations now extends to March 1. The other government agencies, set to run out of funding on Feb. 2, will now receive funds through March 8.
BREAKING NEWS:
The Senate has just passed the bill to fund the government and avoid an unnecessary shutdown.
It's good news for every American, especially our veterans, parents and children, farmers and small businesses, all of whom would have felt the sting of a shutdown.
Some House Republicans met with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., earlier on Thursday, Jan. 18, to add a border security measure to the stopgap bill, but that did not come to be. Last week, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., agreed on overall spending levels of $1.66 trillion, with $866 billion for defense and $772.7 billion for non-defense spending. However, Johnson is experiencing opposition about the deal from within his party.
Hunter Biden agrees to deposition with Republicans behind closed doors
The House Oversight Committee has announced that the president’s son, Hunter Biden, will appear in front of Republicans for a private deposition next month. Confirmed by his legal team, Biden is slated to testify behind closed doors on Feb. 28, ending a months-long back and forth with House Republicans.
In December, Hunter Biden defied a subpoena to testify in private, which kickstarted a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress that has since been called off. Republicans view Hunter Biden as a key witness in their investigation into President Joe Biden, alleging he profited off of his family’s foreign business dealings during his tenure as vice president during the Obama administration. Republicans have not been able to show any proof of their claim to this point.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told reporters that the president’s son will be able to testify publicly sometime after the private deposition.
Former President Trump urges Supreme Court to keep his name on ballots
Following Colorado’s first-of-its-kind ruling to ban Trump’s name from the state’s ballot for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, which led to the deadly Jan. 6 capitol riot, Trump’s lawyers are urging the Supreme Court to reverse the ruling. First, Colorado took Trump’s name off the ballot, and then Maine followed suit.
With more states looking into similar matters, Trump’s legal time submitted a filing to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments from both sides on Feb. 8. With the 2024 presidential election looming and Super Tuesday in March just around the corner, the pressure for a decision is palpable.
Trump’s attorney’s writing that efforts to bar the GOP’s top presidential candidate from ballots “threaten to disenfranchise tens of millions of Americans and which promise to unleash chaos and bedlam if other state courts and state officials follow Colorado’s lead and exclude the likely Republican presidential nominee from their ballots.”
Now, American voters eagerly await a decision by SCOTUS. The 1872 14th amendment clause, which Colorado’s high court used to bar Trump from the ballot, is a Civil War provision that states that anyone who swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it is no longer eligible to hold state or federal public office.
Trump’s attorneys contend that Trump did not engage in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Netanyahu rejects calls for a Palestinian state post-war
In a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 18, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he objects to the idea of the establishment of a Palestinian state after the war ends with Hamas, striking an opposing tone to President Biden, who has called for a two-state solution.
Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have urged Netanyahu to seek a resolution where a revitalized Palestinian Authority would run Gaza once Hamas is defeated. In a nationally televised press conference, Netanyahu said that as prime minister, he needs to be able to say no, “even to our best friends.”
“The state of Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River; that’s a necessary condition; it clashes with the principle of sovereignty; what can you do?” Netanyahu said. “I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel’s security.”
Netanyahu’s remarks sparked an immediate response from the White House. National Security spokesman John Kirby said, “We obviously see it differently.”
The back-and-forth shows the growing rift between the two allies, as the U.S. suggested earlier this week it’s the right time for Israel to scale back its fighting after 100 days. In his remarks, Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas and bringing all the remaining hostages home. The prime minister said Israel will not stop short of an “absolute victory.”
In a memo sent to employees on Thursday, Jan. 18, the company said it wants to add more automation to its supply chain and will outsource some positions. In addition to the cuts, Macy’s will shut down five stores this year. The company currently operates more than 560 locations. Tony Spring, who formerly ran the company’s Bloomingdale business, will take over as CEO next month.
Japan attempts ‘pinpoint landing’ on the moon
Japan has its sights set on the moon as the country attempts to land its “moon sniper” explorer on the lunar surface on Friday, Jan. 19. If Japan’s first moon landing is successful, it will be the fifth country to pull off such a feat.
The “Smart Lander for Investigating Moon,” or Slim, was launched in September and uses “pinpoint landing” technology to reach within 328 feet of its specified target on the moon. The landing is scheduled for Friday morning, Jan. 19.
Meanwhile, a spacecraft that was intended to be the first lunar lander by a U.S. private company returned to Earth on Thursday, Jan. 18, burning up upon entering the planet’s atmosphere. A fuel leak doomed the U.S. lander’s journey early on. Another NASA-backed commercial moon mission is set to launch next month.
Haley, DeSantis face off in GOP debate as Trump holds town hall: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 11, 2024
As the Iowa caucuses near, two Republican candidates spar on the debate stage while the former president holds a town hall. And an avalanche leads to at least one death at a California ski resort. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
Candidates clash in 2-person debate; Trump holds town hall
With just days to go until the Iowa caucuses, all eyes were on the Hawkeye state Wednesday night, Jan. 10, as two Republican candidates took the debate stage while the GOP frontrunner held a town hall at the same time. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former United Nations ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley answered questions on immigration, abortion, Ukraine, and social issues while vying to be the alternative to former President Donald Trump, who has a commanding lead in polls nationwide and in Iowa.
The two candidates clashed throughout the night, each taking shots at the other. DeSantis said Haley is focused on appeasing her donors.
“We don’t need another mealy-mouthed politician who just tells you what she thinks you want to hear just to try to get your vote, then to get into office and to do her donor’s bidding,” DeSantis said.
Haley fired back and said DeSantis spread lies about her and had a piece of advice for those at Drake University, the location of the CNN debate.
“He has switched his policies multiple times, and we’ll call that out tonight,” Haley said. “But every time he lies, Drake University, don’t turn this into a drinking game because you will be overserved by the end of the night.”
The two sparred on their records, with Haley questioning DeSantis’ ability to lead the country, saying his campaign is “exploding” after seeing numerous personnel changes and millions of dollars spent. DeSantis responded that Haley is focusing on the political process, arguing that it is a topic voters don’t care about and a good window into her leadership.
The candidates touched on the former president, agreeing that Trump should have been on stage with them. However, the former president decided to skip the debate, taking part in a town hall on Fox News instead, where he was asked about a running mate.
“Well, I can’t tell you that, really. I mean, I know who it’s going to be,” Trump said.
The GOP field dwindled hours before the debate and the town hall when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped out of the race. Christie said there wasn’t a path forward for him to become president, and he would continue his goal to stop Trump from retaking office. But it was a hot mic moment just before his announcement that is getting a lot of attention. Christie was picked up on a livestream by his campaign criticizing Nikki Haley’s chances of becoming president.
“Yeah, that’s what you get. I mean, look, she’d spent $68 million so far just on TV, spent $68 million so far, $59 million by DeSantis, and we spent $12 (million),” Christie said. “I mean, who’s punching above their weight, and who’s getting a return on their investment? You know? And she’s gonna get smoked. And you and I both know it; she’s not up to this.”
Christie has not yet said if he would be endorsing any of the remaining candidates.
Donald Trump will not give his closing arguments in NY civil trial
Donald Trump will not deliver his closing arguments on Thursday, Jan. 11, in his civil fraud trial in New York as he hoped to do. The judge in the case was initially open to the idea, but only if the former president agreed to certain parameters.
However, in a series of heated email exchanges made public Wednesday, Jan. 10, Trump’s lawyers would not agree to the stipulations by the judge’s deadline, calling them unfair and saying Trump is being wrongfully demeaned. The judge responded by telling Trump’s team that he would not grant any further extensions, saying, “Take it or leave it.”
On his social platform, Truth Social, Trump called the judge “mean and nasty” and indicated he will still attend the court proceedings on Thursday, Jan. 11. The former president is accused of falsifying business records to receive better deals from banks and insurers. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Hunter Biden makes surprise visit as Republicans move to hold him in contempt
Hunter Biden is expected to plead not guilty on federal tax charges in a Los Angeles courtroom. This comes a day after the president’s son made a surprise visit to Capitol Hill as House Republicans moved to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena and not showing up to testify privately in their impeachment probe into his father, President Joe Biden. As the House Oversight Committee debated whether Hunter Biden should be held in contempt, he walked in and sat in the front row.
Biden’s appearance set off a political frenzy as a Republican called for his arrest on the spot, and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted that he was a “coward.” The House Oversight Committee and Judiciary Committee voted to push forward with holding Biden in contempt of Congress, with all Republicans voting for and Democrats voting against.
It is the latest in the impeachment probe into President Biden in which Republicans claim he financially benefited from his family’s business dealings as he served as vice president. Though the Bidens deny any wrongdoing, and Republicans have not produced any evidence of wrongdoing.
Now, the House will hold a final vote, and if the contempt referral passes, the Department of Justice will decide whether or not to prosecute Hunter Biden. In addition to these developments and the tax charges, Hunter Biden is also facing federal gun charges for unlawfully possessing a firearm.
1 killed, 3 injured in avalanche at California ski resort
One person was killed, and three others were injured when an avalanche hit a California ski resort near Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, Jan. 10. The avalanche occurred as a major winter storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region.
The sheriff’s office said the debris field at the Palisade Tahoe Ski Resort spanned about 150 feet long and 10 feet deep. The person killed has been identified as a 66-year-old man who lived in a town nearby. The others are said to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries. The resort had just opened for the first time this season 30 minutes before disaster struck. The cause of the avalanche is under investigation.
Amazon cutting hundreds of positions in its studio, streaming.
Amazon is laying off several hundred employees in its streaming and studio operations. The online retail giant said in an internal memo on Wednesday, Jan. 10, that the company will eliminate hundreds of jobs in its Prime Video and MGM studios departments.
The cuts also affect around 500 roles in the Twitch streaming platform. In the memo to staff, Amazon leadership said the company would be shifting its investments to focus on the highest-impact products. Amazon has laid off more than 27,000 positions since late 2022.
Researchers say climate change led to the extinction of largest apes ever to live
New research is shedding more light on what happened to a great ape species, referred to by some as the real King Kong, that disappeared hundreds of thousands of years ago. The largest apes on record stood at ten feet tall, weighed 650 pounds, and likely resembled modern Orangutans. Now, scientists suggest climate change was the reason behind their extinction.
The apes survived in Southern China for around 2 million years, living off the fruits and flowers in the tropical forests. However, scientists said as the region experienced more dry seasons, the forests began producing fewer fruits for the apes to eat. The researchers analyzed pollen and sediment samples preserved in Chinese caves and fossilized teeth to help solve the mystery of the giant apes’ extinction.
House Oversight moves to hold Hunter Biden in criminal contempt
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer released a resolution recommending Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena. The president’s son was supposed to appear for a deposition with the Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Dec. 13. Instead, he arrived at the Capitol, made a statement to the press and left.
“I’m here today to make sure that the House Committee’s illegitimate investigations of my family do not proceed on distortions, manipulated evidence and lies,” Biden said during his statement.
The Republican majority wants to hold Biden in criminal contempt, which means he could be charged, put on trial and possibly found guilty of a misdemeanor.
The speaker of the House would have to make a referral to the U.S attorney for the District of Columbia, who can then bring the matter before a grand jury. Not everyone held in contempt is ultimately prosecuted. Those found guilty face up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Lawmakers will debate and consider the resolution at the committee level on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Biden won’t be formally held in contempt unless the resolution is passed with a majority vote by the full House of Representatives. That vote will take place at a later date.
“The Oversight and Accountability Committee, with the other investigating committees, has accumulated significant evidence suggesting that President Biden knew of, participated in, and profited from foreign business interests engaged in by his son, about which the Committees intended to question Mr. Biden during his deposition,” the resolution stated. “Mr. Biden’s decision to defy the Committees’ subpoenas and deliver prepared remarks prevents the Committee from carrying out its Constitutional oversight function and its impeachment inquiry.”
Hunter Biden said he’s willing to testify publicly but Republicans argued he can’t dictate the terms of his appearance. They also said they need to question him behind closed doors so they can ask about sensitive bank information.
Democrats said the Republican-led investigation into the Bidens is going nowhere.
“They’ve got absolutely nothing,” Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told Straight Arrow News. “And they’ve wasted thousands of hours of time here at the Capitol to try and go after a former addict to weaponize that addiction against that addict’s father, who’s the president.”
Multiple people have been held in contempt in recent years, including former Trump White House staff members Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro. They were both prosecuted and found guilty of defying subpoenas related to the Jan. 6 riot investigation.
Congress to hold classified UFO hearing as public belief in aliens grows
Congress is holding a classified hearing on UFOs where members will be looking for definitive proof of their existence. This comes at a time when acceptance of the possibility of extraterrestrial life is peaking in America, with people on social media claiming 10-foot-tall aliens are already in Miami.
Members of the House Oversight Committee will discuss UFOs behind closed doors on Friday, Jan. 12.
There has been increased activity on Capitol Hill concerning the topic since 2020 when the federal government admitted that multiple Navy pilots have encountered “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAPs).
Videos of some of the encounters were released, and there is still no public explanation of what the videos show and how the objects reached Earth.
In 2023, former intelligence official David Grusch gave testimony claiming the government had “non-human biologics” from a “recovered UFO” in its possession.
Grusch asserted that the government was reverse engineering UFOs to try and learn the technology, but the Pentagon denied the claims.
The amount of Americans who believe UFO sightings are proof of alien life rose from 20% in 1996 to 34% in 2022, according to a YouGov poll.
An Ipsos poll found that 42% of Americans believe in UFOs, while one in 10 surveyed said they have actually witnessed some kind of UAP.
A large police presence spotted at a mall in Miami on New Years Day caused online users to speculate that 10-foot aliens prompted the significant response from police.
Police said the incident was a large brawl between teenagers.
“Have you ever seen this many police and emergency vehicles responding to a fight at a mall,” one person on TikTok questioned. “Why do we have every single police officer in the city here?”
The incident is reminiscent of one in Las Vegas in 2023 when a 16-year-old called the police, claiming to see aliens in his backyard.
“It has big eyes, it’s looking at us… and they’re very large, nine feet, 10 feet — they look like aliens to us… Big eyes, and they’re not human, they’re 100% not human,” the boy said in his call to police.
Some members of Congress are open believers in extraterrestrial life as so-called “credible witnesses” have come forward in recent years describing their experiences with UAPs.
“Such conduct could constitute an impeachable offense,” Comer and Jordan wrote.
Hunter Biden defied the subpoena, telling reporters outside the U.S. Capitol that day that he would answer any relevant questions lawmakers had about his foreign business dealings in an open-door setting. Following Hunter Biden’s comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the president was “familiar with” what Hunter would say in his statement; Comer and Jordan said that comment sparked their probe.
“In light of an official statement from the White House that President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two Congressional subpoenas, we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the president engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress,” Jordan and Comer wrote.
House Republicans have given the White House until Jan. 10 to turn over any documents related to the inquiry. The investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings has been ongoing for nearly a year. Republicans allege that President Biden benefitted financially from his sons’ foreign affairs and accepted bribes, but Republicans have yet to produce any evidence to back that claim or to prove any wrongdoing by the president.
Colorado GOP appeals ruling barring Trump from 2024 ballot: The Morning Rundown, Dec. 28, 2023
The Colorado Republican Party is appealing the ruling by the state’s high court that bans former President Trump from running again. And Apple is restocking its shelves after an import ban on its watches is temporarily blocked. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023.
Colorado Republican Party appeals ruling barring Trump from ballot
The Colorado Republican Party has appealed the state’s Supreme Court ruling that found former President Donald Trump is ineligible to run again due to the Constitution’s “insurrection clause.” In its 4-3 ruling last week, the Colorado Supreme Court determined that based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bans insurrectionists from holding office, Trump is barred from running for president because of his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
For the first time in American history, a former president has been disqualified from the ballot…
“For the first time in American history, a former president has been disqualified from the ballot, a political party has been denied the opportunity to put forward the presidential candidate of its choice, and the voters have been denied the ability to choose their chief executive through the electoral process,” party attorneys wrote in the filing.
Colorado’s Supreme Court had overturned a ruling from a district court judge who found that Trump incited an insurrection but could not be barred from the ballot because it was not clear if Section 3 covered the presidency. The Colorado Supreme Court put its ruling on hold until Jan. 4 to give time for an appeal. The former president said he also plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In a similar case, Michigan’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, Dec. 27, that Trump could remain on the state’s ballot, with one judge saying Colorado’s election laws differ from Michigan’s.
House Republicans seek White House documents over Hunter Biden
House Republicans have requested that the White House turn over any documents related to President Biden’s alleged knowledge of his son Hunter Biden’s refusal to comply with a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee in December. Republicans Jim Jordan and James Comer sent a letter to the White House looking for any correspondence regarding Hunter Biden’s scheduled deposition with the House Oversight Committee on Dec. 13.
…we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the president engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress…
Reps. James Comer, R-Ky., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio
Hunter Biden defied the subpoena, telling reporters outside the U.S. Capitol that day that he would answer any relevant questions lawmakers had about his foreign business dealings in an open-door setting. Following Hunter Biden’s comments, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the president was “familiar with” what Hunter would say in his statement; Comer and Jordan said that comment sparked their probe.
“In light of an official statement from the White House that President Biden was aware in advance that his son, Hunter Biden, would knowingly defy two Congressional subpoenas, we are compelled to examine as part of our impeachment inquiry whether the president engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct a proceeding of Congress,” Jordan and Comer wrote.
House Republicans have given the White House until Jan. 10 to turn over any documents related to the inquiry.
New York City mayor issues executive order for migrant charter buses
“We cannot allow buses with people needing our help to arrive without warning at any hour of day and night. This not only prevents us from providing assistance in an orderly way, it puts those who have already suffered so much in danger,” Adams said. “To be clear, this is not stopping people from coming, but about ensuring the safety of migrants and making sure they can arrive in a coordinated and orderly way.”
The U.S. is seeing a surge in illegal crossings at its southern border, with illegal crossings topping 10,000 some days.
Adams was joined in a virtual news conference by the Democratic mayors of Chicago and Denver, who are all pressing the federal government for more aid for the asylum seekers arriving in their cities.
Former U.S. Senator, Milwaukee Bucks owner Herb Kohl dies at 88
Herb Kohl, the former Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, died on Wednesday, Dec. 27, at the age of 88 after a brief illness, his foundation announced. In the 1970s, Kohl served as president of his family’s chain of supermarkets and department stores until the family sold their interest in 1979, which gave him time to fund his other passions outside of the business.
Starting in 1989, Kohl served 24 years in the U.S. Senate. He chaired the Senate Aging Committee and was a supporter of public education. Kohl purchased the Bucks in 1985 for $18 million, ensuring the team would not leave his hometown. In 2014, he sold the team while contributing $100 million toward the construction of a new arena. In 2021, the Bucks won the NBA championship; Kohl called it “one of the big days” of his life.
Apple restarts watch sales as court blocks import ban
Apple is bringing back its latest watches to its store shelves after a federal appeals court has temporarily blocked an import ban by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
“We are thrilled to return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers in time for the new year,” Apple said in a statement. “Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, including the blood oxygen feature, will become available for purchase again in the United States at Apple Stores starting [Wednesday] and from apple.com [Thursday] by 12 pm PT.”
Beginning Thursday, Dec. 28, all watches will be available online and in stores, a major victory for the tech giant in one of its most profitable times of the year. Still, Apple is not out of the woods, as the ongoing patent dispute with medical device company Masimo makes its way through the courts.
Masimo sued Apple in 2020 over patent infringement, claiming the tech company stole its blood-oxygen reading technology for its watches. Massimo has not commented on the latest decision, according to media reports.
Times Square restaurants, hotels offering NYE experiences
Those of you heading to Times Square to ring in the new year won’t have to spend a dime to see the ball drop from the street. But if you want to experience it from a nearby hotel or restaurant, that’s a different story.
Thinking of spending the night at the Olive Garden’s Times Square location? That will cost you $450 per person. The party atmosphere includes a buffet, open bar, and dancing, but a live view of the ball drop is not guaranteed. At Applebee’s, tickets start at $799 for its event, which includes similar accommodations plus a guided stroll to the street to celebrate the ball drop at midnight.
Bubba Gump Shrimp is also hosting a New Year’s party with a buffet, dessert stations, and party favors for a price of $1,015 per ticket.
If a hotel is more your speed, the Marriott Marquis is hosting a formal wear gala complete with a 5-hour buffet and floor-to-ceiling windows, and guests are given an unobstructed view of Times Square. The prime VIP package for two costs $12,500 to celebrate 2024 in style.
Eric Swalwell denies helping Hunter Biden defy subpoena
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., denied he held a press conference on the Senate side of the Capitol building to help Hunter Biden defy a subpoena. The president’s son was supposed to appear for a deposition Wednesday, Dec. 13, with the House Oversight Committee, but instead, he appeared at Swalwell’s press conference, read a statement and left.
Swalwell was accused of “aiding and abetting” Biden by hosting the press conference on the Senate side so the House sergeant-at-arms could not enforce the subpoena and force Biden to appear for the deposition.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital he thought there should be a vote to hold Biden in contempt, and possibly Swalwell in contempt as well.
“Did you have [the press conference] on the Senate side specifically to prevent the House sergeant-at-arms from enforcing that subpoena,” Straight Arrow News asked Swalwell.
“No, that’s not what happened,” Swalwell said. “I actually tried to book the House side. I booked the House side at 10:30 and then I think the deposition time had moved and so the House side was no longer available.”
A review of the congressional schedule from Wednesday morning indicates there was another press conference scheduled in the House’s outdoor press conference area at the same time.
Had the press conference been held on the side of the building controlled by the House, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky, could have instructed the sergeant-at-arms to enforce the subpoena. However, on the Senate’s side, a House member does not have the power to do that.
“But like, look, Hunter showed up, he was ready to testify publicly,” Swalwell said. “You know, what Hunter chooses to do and not do is up to him, but he was offered multiple times by Comer to testify publicly and he came and raised his hand and said, ‘I’m here and I’m ready.’
“And I think anyone that wants to focus on the process of how Hunter Biden came here to the Capitol is ignoring the underlying substance here — which is that they’ve got absolutely nothing. And they’ve wasted thousands of hours of time here at the Capitol to try and go after a former addict to weaponize that addiction against that addict’s father, who’s the president.”
Swalwell also thought the Republican’s impeachment effort could help Democrats in the 2024 election.
“They don’t know why they want to impeach him,” Swalwell said. “It just goes to this frame of competence versus chaos. And as long as we show that on the core freedoms that people care about: financial freedom, freedom of body, freedom to vote and how to count it, freedom to come home from school and be safe as a kid, freedom to read and not have your book banned. We’re fighting for those freedoms. They’re fighting for chaos. I do think people will see through that.”
Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, announced they will begin contempt proceedings for Biden, but did not say anything about Swalwell.
“Hunter Biden defied a lawful subpoena this week,” the pair said in a statement. “There will be no special treatment because Hunter’s last name is Biden.”