Biden Family Accused of Receiving Millions

Leaders of the House Oversight Committee have accused President Biden’s family and their associates of taking in more than $10 million from foreign nationals while Biden was VP, and they’ve laid out a trail of bank documents for the Justice Department to follow.

The accusations of Biden-family influence peddling have accelerated in recent weeks, leading Rep. Nancy Mace, one of the committee members to tell the DOJ to “get off its ass and investigate.”

During a press conference Wednesday, the committee focused particularly on $3 million in payments from a Romanian businessman after Biden met with Romania’s president. The White House labeled the accusations as “innuendo” and a “political stunt.”

Santos Pleads Not Guilty, Still Running

Rep. George Santos pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 13 charges of federal money laundering, fraud, and theft relating to the financing of his election campaign.

The embattled congressman, who admits he fabricated virtually his entire life story during his campaign, was taken into custody and released on a $500,000 bond. His next court appearance will be on June 30.

Santos says he will not resign, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who already removed him from all committees, has signaled that Santos can remain in office while his legal case plays out.

US Scrambles to Find Solution to Migrant Crisis

US officials say they’re ill-prepared for the flood of migrants expected to begin today when Title 42 Covid-era limits expire. The Border Patrol has been apprehending over 10,000 migrants a day, the highest ever recorded, and is already at capacity with 28,000 migrants in detention.

Because the system is so strained, White House officials plan to direct border authorities to begin releasing migrants into the U.S. without the ability to track them at all.

In another fundamental policy shift, The White House will begin denying asylum to migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border without first applying online or seeking protection in a country along the way, drawing criticism from pro-immigration groups.

➤ CNN faced a barrage of criticism for giving Donald Trump the stage last night in a live, two-hour CNN Town Hall. The network, which will likely see an enormous ratings spike, shrugged off the criticism, declaring Trump a leading presidential candidate. (More)

➤ Sen. Dianne Feinstein is returning to the Senate this week after facing calls that she should immediately resign. The 89-year-old senator, who has said this is her last term, has been absent for months due to illness, which has stalled several Democratic initiatives. (More)

➤ An Arizona lawmaker who was caught on video hiding Bibles under couch cushions to keep them from other House members is now the target of an ethics investigation. Democrat Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton, who is herself a Presbyterian minister, says the Bible-hiding was a prank. (More)

➤ Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver the commencement speech at West Point later this month, the first woman ever to do so. It will also mark her first visit to the military academy. (More)

➤ West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins will take a million-dollar pay cut and three-game suspension as part of a deal to return to the team next season. Huggins was under investigation for using an anti-gay slur in a radio interview this week. (More)

➤ Golf’s PGA Championship tournament this month will include 18 golfers from the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Tour. The PGA chose to invite all eligible LIV golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Cam Smith. (More)

➤ The national champion Georgia Bulldog football team has declined an invitation to visit the White House. The team said the June 12 date of the invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden conflicted with its schedule. (More)

Market Report   5/10/23

➤ Big Stock Move: Icahn Enterprises, corporate raider Carl Icahn’s conglomerate, fell 15 percent in trading Wednesday on news that federal investigators are seeking financial information related to the company’s governance. (More)

➤ Anheuser-Busch InBev took another hit Wednesday as an analyst at HSBC downgraded the beverage giant’s stock from “buy” to “hold” due to the ongoing Bud Light brand crisis. HSBC warned investors there were “deeper problems than ABI admits.” (More)

➤ Consumer prices rose 0.4% in April, a smaller increase than in March, but still a sign of continuing inflation. Stubbornly high rents were the primary cause, though grocery store prices fell by 0.2 percent. (More)

➤ Microsoft signed a surprising agreement with Helion Fusion to buy electric power generated from nuclear fusion technology beginning in 2028. Fusion technology remains experimental and unproven, and scientists are skeptical of the deal’s ability to deliver. (More)

➤ The first babies using DNA from three people have been born in Britain, British fertility authorities announced. The triple-parent fertility technology was used to prevent genetic defects in the embryos. (More)

➤ A meteorite that hit a New Jersey home may have originated from Halley’s Comet. Scientists believe the rock came from the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, created by debris thrown off by the famous comet. (More)

➤ Amazon is offering US shoppers $10 to pick up their purchases instead of having them delivered more expensively to their homes by truck. The company says it applies to customers who have never used Amazon Pickup or have not used that service in the last 12 months. (More)

➤ Buddy Holly, a petit basset griffon Vendéen, was the top winner of this year’s Westminster Dog Show. Monty the Giant Schnauzer won the top prize in the Working Group category. (Full Winner List Here)

➤ MTV News is shutting down after 36 years, part of the widespread cuts and layoffs announced by Paramount TV, owner of MTV. The long-running pop-culture newscast is most famous for asking presidential candidate Bill Clinton the immortal question: “Boxers or briefs?” (More)

Today’s Trivia

When will Halley’s Comet return to Earth?