Special counsel David Weiss slammed President Joe Biden’s characterization of his probe as being infected with “raw politics” in his final report detailing his investigations into the president’s son Hunter Biden, which was released Monday by the Justice Department. Weiss’ work culminated in two separate criminal convictions of Hunter Biden that his father wiped clean with a sweeping pardon in early December, just weeks after Election Day. In July 2024, Weiss’ office secured a guilty verdict from a Delaware jury on three felony gun charges, and months later, on the eve of trial, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to numerous tax crimes, including six felonies. Weiss’ report — 27 pages in length plus hundreds of pages of public filings — caps a yearslong and politically fraught probe that remained a source
Tag Archives: US
Jan
As wildfires continue to blaze across Los Angeles County, authorities are sounding the alarm on another potential threat to the public: scams relating to the disaster. Multiple law enforcement officials have warned of bad actors scheming to take advantage of charitable people looking to chip in and give to those in need due to the fires. “We have people with big hearts who want to help, they want to donate, they want to support the victims,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a press conference Saturday. “We also see scammers who are taking advantage of that goodness and that generosity and scamming and defrauding those individuals.” Bonta urged the public to beware of fraudulent organizations falsely claiming to be charities or nonprofits aiding fire victims. A group of young
Jan
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump hosted 22 of the nation’s 27 Republican governors for dinner at his Florida club on Thursday night, looking to help drive the agenda in conservative-run states after he takes office in 11 days. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte told reporters outside the gathering that some of the GOP governors unable to attend were being inaugurated, and that one was delayed by snow and was unable to make it to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. But he said attendees who could come were “thrilled to accept the president-elect’s invitation” and welcomed a coming “collaborative, working relationship, which we have not had for four years” during the Biden administration. “It’s been a long period without cooperation from Washington,” Gianforte told reporters outside. “So, we’re looking forward to
Jan
With dry and windy conditions anticipated, a critical fire risk has been issued. Another round of Santa Ana winds is forecast to sweep into Los Angeles on Thursday night into Friday morning, putting most of the region under a critical fire risk, as emergency responders battle to contain five quickly spreading wildfires. The wind in the region relaxed overnight as the low pressure, which was helping enhance the wind, is moving away into Texas. But high pressure is building from the north and that will help to tighten the pressure gradient over Southern California, producing more gusty winds. An ABC News graphic shows the fire forecast in Southern California on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. ABC News Those winds may help spread the five sprawling wildfires that are spread around the
Jan
Carter to lie in state at Capitol until Thursday Former President Jimmy Carter will lie in state at the Capitol from Tuesday evening until Thursday morning, allowing the public to pay respects. A U.S. flag is draped on the casket of Jimmy Carter, the former president who died on December 29 at the age of 100, as he lies in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., Jan. 7, 2025. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters On Thursday morning, former presidents and other dignitaries will attend a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy. On Thursday afternoon, Carter’s body will return to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, for a private service and private interment. Carter will be buried next to his wife of
Jan
In a self-recorded video, the suspect in the deadly New Orleans truck-ramming attack appeared to be an average tourist peddling through the city’s French Quarter on a bicycle while wearing what appeared to be a pair of normal sunglasses. But FBI officials now believe the bike ride Shamsud-Din Jabbar took in late October was not intended for mere recreation. Lyonel Myrthil, special agent in charge of the bureau’s New Orleans field office, said during a news conference on Sunday that the shades Jabbar was wearing were a pair of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, equipped with cameras in the frame, allowing him to take video and photos without using his hands. “Everything he does with the glasses you could do with a cellphone, but it does give you cover,” said Brad
Jan
Police are poring over what they believe are letters left by Matthew Livelsberger — the driver of the Tesla Cybertruck that exploded on New Year’s Day outside the Trump International Las Vegas Hotel — on a phone in the destroyed vehicle, authorities said Friday. Livelsberger shared personal and political “grievances” in the recovered messages and called the attack a “wake up call,” police said. “I know everyone is very eager to try to understand and be able to explain what happened,” Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren said during a press briefing on Friday. “We still have a large volume of data to go through, a lot of content to go through.” Livelsberger, an active-duty Army soldier, said the country was being led by the “weak” and those out to
Jan
An Army veteran who was “hell-bent” on killing as many people as possible drove a rented pickup truck around barricades and plowed his vehicle through a crowd of New Year’s revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans at a high rate of speed, leaving at least 15 dead and injuring dozens of others early Wednesday, city and federal officials said. After mowing down numerous people over a three-block stretch on the famed thoroughfare while firing shots into the crowd, the suspect — identified by sources as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42 — allegedly got out of the truck wielding an assault rifle and opened fire on police officers, law enforcement officials briefed on the incident told ABC News. Officers returned fire, killing Jabbar, a U.S.-born citizen from Texas, sources said. At least
Dec
Nine states from Virginia to Maine are under snow alerts on Christmas Eve morning as a band of snow moves through the Northeast, bringing treacherous driving conditions. A white Christmas? The National Weather Service considers it a white Christmas if there’s 1 inch or more of snow on the ground at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning. New York City could see its first white Christmas in 15 years. One inch of snow fell in Central Park on Christmas Eve morning, but it’s not clear if it’ll melt before Christmas Day. Other cities that have a good chance for a white Christmas are: Minneapolis; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Boston; Buffalo, New York; and Burlington, Vermont. This weather map shows where one inch or more of snow is forecast. ABC News Christmas Eve
Dec
A “technical issue” disrupted American Airlines flights nationwide on Tuesday. December 24, 2024, 7:15 AM A “technical issue” disrupted American Airlines flights nationwide early on Tuesday, the airline said, at the start of a busy Christmas Eve for travelers around the country. The Federal Aviation Administration said American requested a ground stop for all its flights. “We’re currently experiencing a technical issue with all American Airlines flights,” the airline wrote in a post to X. The post added, “Your safety is our utmost priority, once this is rectified, we’ll have you safely on your way to your destination.” Replying to questions from other social media users, the airline said it was not able to estimate how long the fix would take. An American Airlines passenger plane is parked at a
Dec
One of the men worked for Combs and alleged he was assaulted at a hotel. December 12, 2024, 1:21 PM Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of sexually assaulting three men, including one of his former employees, who he allegedly plied with spiked alcoholic drinks, according to new civil lawsuits filed Thursday in New York. One of the men worked for the rap mogul and alleged his former boss raped him at a hotel. The lawsuits, filed by anonymous accusers, alleged a similar pattern of conduct by Combs. “It was a usual thing. Come for a meeting, have a drink, you get woozy, you wake up to Sean Combs raping you, you get ushered out the door. I was struck by the similarity,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Thomas Giuffra. “I was contacted
Dec
Prosecutors at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have begun presenting evidence to a grand jury as they work to secure an indictment against Luigi Mangione for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, sources told ABC News. The DA’s office declined to comment due to the secrecy surrounding grand jury matters. An indictment could strengthen the case for extradition, which Mangione is fighting. The 26-year-old Ivy League graduate remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison after a judge denied bail on Tuesday. “He has constitutional rights and that’s what he’s doing” in challenging the interstate transfer, defense attorney Thomas Dickey told reporters on Tuesday. Luigi Mangione is led into the Blair County Courthouse for an extradition hearing Dec. 10, 2024, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Jeff Swensen/Getty Images Mangione was apprehended
Nov
The House Ethics Committee obtained records, including a check and records of Venmo payments, that appear show that then-Rep. Matt Gaetz paid more than $10,000 to two women who were later witnesses in sexual misconduct probes conducted by both the House and the Justice Department, according to documents obtained by ABC News. The Venmo records show that between July 2017 and late January 2019, Gaetz — who was first elected in 2016 — allegedly made 27 Venmo payments totaling $10,224.02 to the two witnesses, who were over the age of 18 at the time. The payments, which sources said were displayed during closed-door testimony, ranged from $100 to more than $700 each. Documents show payment records obtained by the House Ethics Committee during its probe of Rep. Matt Gaetz. House
Nov
Nov 18 – Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Joe Biden in Lima, Peru, on Saturday local time. Both said their meeting was candid, profound and constructive, and expressed their willingness to stay in contact. The two presidents spoke positively about the important role of China-U.S. strategic communication, regular contact between the respective diplomatic and security teams, and dialogue mechanisms on mil-to-mil relations, economic and trade ties, and financial issues. They reiterated the seven-point common understandings on the guiding principles for China-U.S. relations, namely treating each other with respect, finding a way to live alongside each other peacefully, maintaining open lines of communication, preventing conflict, upholding the United Nations Charter, cooperating in areas of shared interest and responsibly managing competitive aspects of the relationship. The two sides are ready
Nov
The bill arrives as the first transgender congresswoman prepares to take office. November 18, 2024, 8:19 PM Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, said on Monday that she will be introducing a measure to ban transgender women from using biological women’s restrooms at the U.S. Capitol. Her announcement comes as Rep.-elect Sarah McBride prepares to take office as the first transgender person elected to Congress. The resolution, which is expected to be filed Monday night, would amend the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives in order to prohibit members, officers and employees from using facilities that are currently designated for the opposite biological sex. “The sanctity of protecting women and standing up against the Left’s systematic erasure of biological women starts here in the nation’s Capitol,” Mace wrote
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