Hunter Biden lawyers tell Trump to end attacks warning they’re ‘one social message away’ from causing violence
Lawyers for the president’s son Hunter Biden sent Donald Trump a cease-and-desist letter on Thursday, alleging that the former president’s frequent hostile comments about Mr Biden are defamatory and likely to inspire violence. “We are just one such social media message away from another incident,” the letter, obtained by Law360, claims, citing the violent attack on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband as a cautionary tale of the dangers of online rhetoric. “You should make it clear to Mr Trump – if you have not done so already – that Mr Trump’s words have caused harm in the past and threaten to do so again if he does not stop,” the letter adds. The letter points to recent examples of Mr Trump’s aggressive statements about Mr Biden, such as a March social media post allegedly implying Mr Biden should get a “death sentence” and July message claiming cocaine found in the White House “was for use by Hunter”. The letter claims such provocations could inspire one of Mr Trump’s “easy-to-trigger followers.” Donald Trump’s lawyers Joe Tacopina declined to comment when contacted by The Independent. In June, Mr Biden reached a tentative agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to two misdemeanour counts of failing to pay taxes and to admit the facts of a gun charge in exchange for likely avoiding jail time. The plea still needs to be approved by a federal judge, and a hearing is scheduled for later this month. Republicans in Congress and beyond have alleged that Mr Biden is benefitting from his famous name to avoid harsher prosecution. During a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee this week with FBI Director Christopher Wray, GOP members sharply criticised the agency, alleging a political bias. “Here’s what the American people know and believe about the FBI today, sir,” Rep Wesley Hunt told Mr Wray. “If you are a Trump, you will be prosecuted. If you are a Biden, you will be protected.” “I obviously disagree with your description of the two standards,” the FBI director said in response. “In my view, at least under my watch, we have one standard. And that is we’re going to pursue the facts wherever they lead, no matter who likes it. Read More Trump news – live: Hunter Biden lawyer warns Trump over ‘inciting violence’, as Kushner testifies over Jan 6 Secret Service ends probe into mysterious bag of cocaine found in White House: ‘No fingerprints or DNA’ GOP lawmaker compares Hunter Biden to glitter: ‘You cannot get rid of him. We’re sick of it’ GOP lawmaker compares Hunter Biden to glitter: ‘You cannot get rid of him’ FBI director set to clash with Republicans on the Trump case, Hunter Biden and more Gal Luft claimed he had dirt on the Bidens – now he’s facing charges
2023-07-14 09:26
Biden signs executive order adding 3,000 reservists to US presence in Europe amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday allowing the Pentagon to tap an additional 3,000 military reservists to support the US mission in Europe to bolster Nato amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The additional troops will join the estimated 100,000 US service members already on the European continent. "These authorities will enable the department to better support and sustain its enhanced presence and level of operations,” Lt Gen Douglas Sims told Military.com of the move. The current US mission in Europe, dubbed Atlantic Resolve, began in 2014, as Russia annexed Crimea and put pressure on Ukraine’s Donbas region, a prelude to its wider invasion in 2022. So far, the US has sent more than $76bn in aid to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, more than $46bn of which has been military-related. The additional US forces came as President Biden made a high-profile swing through Europe for Nato summit in Lithuania on Wednesday. On Thursday, speaking from Helsinki, Mr Biden reiterated US support for Nato. “There’s overwhelming support from the American people. There’s overwhelming support from the members of the Congress, both House and Senate, in both parties,” he said, though he conceded “some extreme elements” of the Republican Party feel differently. The previous day, Mr Biden voiced his awe at the “unbroken” people of Ukraine,” who had shown “incredible dignity” in the face of Russia aggression. “One country cannot be allowed to seize his neighbour territory by force,” Mr Biden said. The US visit to Europe was not without its complications. Shortly before the Nato summit, Mr Biden threw cold water on the idea of Ukraine joining the defensive organisation in the near term. “I don’t think there is unanimity in Nato about whether or not to bring Ukraine into the Nato family now, at this moment, in the middle of a war,” he told CNN last week. The president also said that Ukraine would need to make reforms in terms of “democratization” before joining the alliance. Read More Thousands of Ukraine civilians are being held in Russian prisons. Russia plans to build many more Marjorie Taylor Greene’s antics show that the 2024 election will be about America’s role in the world Pentagon says cluster munitions have arrived in Ukraine The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary
2023-07-14 09:15
Singapore Expands Graft Probe to Include Hotel Tycoon Ong
A Singapore graft probe involving Transport Minister S. Iswaran was expanded to include property tycoon Ong Beng Seng,
2023-07-14 08:57
Asian Stocks Extend Weekly Rally on Peak-Rate Bets: Markets Wrap
Asian stocks look poised for their best weekly gains since January amid a rebound in Chinese shares and
2023-07-14 08:56
Yankees: Brian Cashman punches fans in gut with Aaron Judge update
Yankees GM Brian Cashman poured ice-cold water on the idea that Aaron Judge will be back shortly after the end of the All-Star break.One day, the Yankees will see Aaron Judge return to the lineup. That day is certainly not today. And it's probably not particularly soon either.Hopeful ru...
2023-07-14 08:49
Spain’s bull run tackles sexual assaults head on
Attacks on women at the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona continue despite efforts to clamp down.
2023-07-14 08:27
Australia Will Replace Philip Lowe as Central Bank Governor
Australia’s government will not reappoint Philip Lowe as Reserve Bank governor, as widely anticipated, seeking a circuit-breaker as
2023-07-14 07:57
Texas power use breaks record for second day in heat wave
(Reuters) -Demand for power in Texas hit a record high for a second day in a row on Thursday as
2023-07-14 07:54
Solar Farms Out at Sea Are Clean Energy’s Next Breakthrough
Buffeted by waves as high as 10 meters (32 feet) in China’s Yellow Sea about 30 kilometers off
2023-07-14 07:26
Explainer-What is aspartame and what do the new WHO rulings on cancer and consumption mean?
Aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke, chewing gum, yoghurt and other food products, is a
2023-07-14 07:25
Florida seeing spike in child labour as Republican states across the country push to remove barriers
A number of Republican-led states spent their most recent legislative sessions relaxing child labour laws — while one state is already experiencing a rise in child labour cases. A report from WFTV in Orlando published Wednesday suggests that central Florida is already seeing a spike in child labour cases that dates back to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The nature of the cases reportedly range in scope and seriousness from having children working too many hours on school days to operating heavy machinery and beyond. “From [fiscal years] 2020 until 2022, we have seen more child labor that we had seen from 2011 to 2020,” Department of Labor District Director Wildalí De Jesús told WFTV. The Covid pandemic began in 2020 and upended the labour market — causing the service economy to contract and then leaving a number of employers without adequate staff when lockdown measures were relaxed and consumption habits returned to pre-pandemic levels. Still, the data shows an alarming trend in the illegal exploitation of minors in the workforce at a time when states across the country are working to roll back child labour laws that are a longstanding legacy of the children’s rights and labour movements. Already this year, numerous GOP-led states including Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas, and Iowa have passed laws weakening child labour laws — allowing companies to hire children without work permits and making it legal for them to working longer hours in more dangerous conditions. The push to weaken child labour laws has reportedly been led by a Florida-based think tank, the Foundation for Government Accountability, which drafted the model legislation for states to use to roll back their child labour protections. The data from Florida is not entirely clear on several points, including how many of the children in question are undocumented immigrants. In her comments to WFTV, Ms De Jesús said parents are not always in a position to know the exact details of the work their children are doing and how it aligns with child labour law. “We’re seeing a trend of much younger children… because sometimes the children don’t know what they’re supposed to do or not supposed to do,” Ms De Jesús told the television station. “A lot of times parents don’t know either. They may assume that it’s safe or that [the child is] working the correct hours and that there’s no limitations, but there are.” Earlier this year, the Department of Labor reported a 68 per cent increase in the number of children illegally employed by US companies since 2018. A number of those children may be undocumented migrants. Read More Wisconsin teen dies in sawmill accident in one of 14 states looking to roll back child labour laws
2023-07-14 07:24
Cowboys depth chart: 3 players who could lose their jobs to rookies
The Cowboys could get big contributions from their 2023 rookie class with three particular veterans in danger of losing their starting gigs.With training camp quickly approaching, the Cowboys will soon find out which of their rookies are ready to compete in the NFL, which need time to develop an...
2023-07-14 07:22