Hunter Biden trial: Jury selection began today in Wilmington, Delaware, in Hunter Biden’s federal trial on gun possession charges and falsifying paperwork in connection with his purchase of a gun. Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled that a psychiatrist from Columbia University cannot testify as a witness for Biden and that paperwork that had been doctored by employees of the gun store that sold the gun to Biden cannot be entered in evidence by the defense. First Lady Jill Biden was with Hunter Biden at court this morning.
Mexican election: Voters in Mexico have elected the country’s first female president according to preliminary results. Claudia Sheinbaum will be the country’s first female president and Mexico’s first Jewish president. She has a background as a climate research scientist. Sheinbaum will have to deal with several important issues include organized crime activity in Mexico, the influx of immigrants and relations with the U.S., especially when it comes to controlling the border. Â
Saving local journalism: The legislature in Illinois has followed New York’s lead and passed a tax credit for local news publishers. The tax credit is designed to help support the employment of local journalists. Zachary Richner, founding member of The Empire State Local News Coalition, which was among the groups pushing for a tax credit to support local journalism in New York, called the action in Illinois a “victory in the national effort to save local news.” He said lawmakers across the country are increasingly recognizing their role in the fight to protect local news organizations, which he said play an indispensable role in safeguarding democracy and strengthening social ties.
Rep. Lee’s illness: Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas has revealed that she has pancreatic cancer. Lee, who has served 15 terms in Congress, told her constituents that she occasionally will be absent from Congress in order to receive treatments for the cancer. In many cases, pancreatic cancer is not diagnosed until it is far advanced, meaning a poor prognosis for the patient. Lee did not reveal medical details.
Israel-Hamas: An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that Israel has accepted the three-phase cease-fire deal that was revealed by President Biden and that negotiators are awaiting word from Hamas. The deal calls for there to be an initial six-week cease fire accompanied by a release of some hostages held by Hamas and some Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, extending to further hostage and prisoner releases accompanied by an on-going cease fire which eventually would become permanent.
Trump on TikTok: Despite trying to ban TikTok in the U.S. while he was in the White House, Donald Trump has joined the Chinese-owned social media operation and started posting on the TikTok site. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign said TikTok will help Trump reach younger voters. He was reported to have about a million followers on TikTok so far. When he was in the White House, Trump signed an executive order banning TikTok in the U.S. A court threw out the executive order.
