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Monday July 26th, 2023
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Legal Proceedings Update: Hunter Biden Declares Innocence As Previous
Plea Deal Breaks
Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, issued a plea of not
guilty to federal gun and tax charges on July 26. This comes after a
judge vetoed an earlier plea deal, linking the two alleged crimes.
During the court hearing, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, an
appointee of ex-President Donald Trump, voiced her "concerns" over the
proposal that linked tax violations with the resolution of felony
firearm charges.
She found the deal's existing structure unacceptable.
After discussions between the prosecution and the defense about the
plea agreement's structure, Hunter Biden entered his not-guilty plea.
On June 20, it was disclosed by the prosecution that Hunter Biden had
consented to plead guilty to deliberate evasion of federal income
taxes, and to a felony firearm charge.
Supplementary Information According to an indictment, the president's
son earned taxable income exceeding $1.5 million in both 2017 and 2018.
Each year, he was legally obliged to pay income tax exceeding $100,000.
Nonetheless, he reportedly "did willfully fail" to fulfill this
obligation.
Each charge is a misdemeanor, and each carries a potential prison
sentence of up to one year.
In late 2020, Hunter Biden acknowledged that his "tax affairs" were
under investigation, expressing confidence that he would be found to
have acted legally and appropriately upon a thorough and impartial
examination.
A 2022 subpoena compelled JPMorgan Chase Bank to release Hunter Biden's
banking records. The subpoena was issued by David Weiss, U.S. attorney
for the District of Delaware. Some IRS agents have claimed that the
investigation was mishandled.
In a separate case, Hunter Biden faces charges for illegal firearm
possession while reportedly addicted to and using a controlled
substance, a felony offense.
Additional Charge In 2018, Hunter Biden allegedly illegally possessed a
firearm, as stated in another indictment. He is reported to have been
an unlawful user of, and addicted to, a controlled substance at the
time.
The gun in question, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver, was transported in
interstate commerce.
The applicable law bars convicted felons and illegal or addicted users
of controlled substances from firearm possession. Some reports suggest
that Hunter Biden possessed a gun in 2018, which was disposed of by his
then-partner, Hallie Biden. Authorities later retrieved the firearm.
Hunter Biden admitted to using crack cocaine that year in his
autobiography.
On this charge, Hunter Biden has consented to participate in a pretrial
diversion agreement, according to David Weiss.
Pretrial diversion programs allow defendants to have charges dropped if
they fulfill certain criteria.
The programs aim to deter future criminal activity and promote
rehabilitation, per the Department of Justice.
This charge carries a maximum penalty of a $250,000 fine and 10 years
in prison.
Hunter Biden's attorney, Christopher Clark, has not commented on the
case.
White House spokesperson, Ian Sams, conveyed the president and first
lady's support for their son following the announcement of the original
plea deal. The president has previously asserted his belief in his
son's innocence.
Judge Sets New Trial Date in Trump Classified Documents Case
Judge Eileen Cannon has announced a new trial date in the
classified documents case involving former President Trump. The trial
is scheduled for May 2024, just before the presidential election.
Trump's defense argued for a later date to avoid interference with his
campaign schedule and ongoing legal cases. However, the prosecution
pushed for a December date. Judge Cannon settled on the May date as a
compromise, taking into consideration the massive amount of documents
the defense needs to review. She also expressed concerns about the
potential prejudice during jury selection due to publicity surrounding
the election.
Former Trump Attorney Settles Case against Trump's Company
In another legal development related to Trump, former attorney Michael
Cohen has settled his case against Trump's company. Cohen claimed that
he faced financial difficulties after cooperating with federal
prosecutors in investigations into Trump's business dealings in Russia.
Trump's company argued that Cohen's involvement was his personal
decision to reduce his criminal exposure. In response, Trump has sued
Cohen, accusing him of violating a confidentiality agreement.
The NEW COVID-19 is HERE: Unstoppable Surge in Breakbone Fever Cases: WHO Alarms INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
Breakbonefever.com
reportd a snapshot from the transmission electron microscope
reveals multiple round particles of the dengue virus from a tissue
sample. (Frederick Murphy/U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention)
The World Health Organization (WHO) sounds the alarm about breakbone
fever, also known as dengue, predicting a potential record-setting
surge in cases this year.
Breakbone fever cases have witnessed an eight-fold increase since the
turn of the millennium, soaring to 4.2 million in 2022, as reported by
a WHO official on July 21.
Earlier this year, WHO flagged breakbone fever as the most rapidly
spreading tropical disease worldwide, even posing a potential "pandemic
threat".
The
disease was detected for the first time ever in Khartoum, Sudan's
capital, as per a March health ministry report. In addition, a wave of
cases has swept across Europe, and Peru declared a state of emergency
across most of its regions.
Raman Velayudhan, a specialist at WHO's Control of neglected tropical
diseases department, warned on Friday that nearly half of the world's
population is now susceptible to the disease. During a Geneva press
conference, he disclosed that the disease reached its highest ever
recorded number in 2019, impacting 129 countries with 5.2 million
cases.
This year, Velayudhan predicted that we are heading towards "4 million
plus" cases, largely dependent on the Asian monsoon season.
As
of now, nearly 3 million cases have already been registered in the
Americas, with rising concern over its southward spread to Bolivia,
Paraguay, and Peru.
Fighting one of its worst breakbone fever outbreaks in recent history,
Argentina is employing a sterilization technique that uses radiation to
modify mosquito DNA before releasing them back into the wild.
Velayudhan expressed hope that the Asian region might succeed in
controlling the disease while acknowledging the dire situation in the
Americas.
As of June 8, 2023, European Union officials reported approximately 2.1
million global cases, resulting in 974 fatalities.
Breakbone fever is expanding its reach into urban areas previously
untouched, according to Coralith Garcia, associate professor at
Cayetano Heredia University's School of Medicine in Peru.
With
the highest COVID-19 mortality rate worldwide, Peru's health system is
showing its vulnerability as patients begin to succumb to dengue,
Garcia added.
Breakbone fever, caused by any of the four dengue viruses, is primarily
transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is active during the
day. It's commonly characterized by fever, nausea, vomiting, rashes,
and various aches and pains, including eye pain, muscle pain, and bone
pain. Symptoms typically last between two and seven days. The CDC has
noted that most cases of breakbone fever reported in the United States
occurred in individuals who had traveled abroad.
Despite a small proportion of patients entering a critical phase of
fluid leakage into body spaces like the chest and abdominal cavities,
most patients recover without needing hospitalization, explained Dr.
David O. Freedman, a former professor at the University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
Meanwhile, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. announced the withdrawal of its
application for a breakbone fever vaccine, citing data collection
issues.
The
company's future plans for the vaccine, TAK-003, in the United States
remain under review.
Sanofi's Dengvaxia, the first-ever dengue vaccine, licensed in 2015,
had to be significantly restricted after it was discovered to heighten
the risk of severe disease in "seronegative" children, who had no prior
dengue exposure. Takeda's vaccine, QDENGA, authorized in the European
Union last year for those aged 4 and above, is still available for use
in the UK, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, and Thailand, as per company
records.
GOP Seeks to Censure Rep. Jaypal over Israel Remarks
Several Republican House members are pushing for a censure resolution
against Progressive Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. This move
comes after Jayapal referred to Israel as a racist state during a panel
discussion. Although she later retracted the statement, criticism from
both Democratic Leadership and her colleagues remains. The resolution
aims to address her remarks about Israel.
White House and Leading AI Firms Collaborate on Safety Agreement
The White House has announced new actions to regulate artificial
intelligence (AI) while safeguarding national interests. Major tech
companies, including Google, Microsoft, meta, and open AI, have pledged
to ensure the safety of their AI products before release. They will
also make it easier for users to identify AI-generated content.
President Biden emphasizes the need for further legislation and
regulation to cope with the fast-evolving AI landscape.
Whistleblower Alleges Retaliation at CBP amid Decreased Border
Encounters
A whistleblower has come forward with allegations of
retaliation against U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Chief
Patrol Agent Gregory Bovino. Bovino was reportedly relocated from the
El Centro border patrol sector to the D.C. headquarters after giving an
interview to congressional committees. The Committees have requested a
briefing from CBP and relevant documents regarding the decision to
relocate the chief. These allegations surface as the Biden
Administration claims a significant drop in illegal border encounters,
leading to debates over the impact of their immigration policies.
Putin Warns Poland over Potential Attack on Belarus
In the international sphere, a failed mutiny in Russia's Wagner Group
has sparked tension. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Poland
that any attack on Belarus will be treated as an attack on Russia
itself. This escalation raises concerns about the ongoing geopolitical
situation and potential implications on international relations.
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