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After a multiyear investigation into Hunter Biden, prosecutors could be close to sharing any possible results with the public and whether the president’s son will face any criminal charges. 

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that people familiar with the matter said prosecutors are close to a decision on whether to charge Biden with possible tax-related and gun-related legal violations.

The news came after his legal team reportedly met with the Justice Department (DOJ) to discuss possible charges that Biden might be facing. 

Biden first announced in December 2020 that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware was investigating his tax affairs after being a regular target of attacks from former President Trump during the 2020 presidential election campaign. 

Trump primarily targeted the now-president’s son over his membership on a board for a Ukrainian energy company while Joe Biden was serving as vice president during the Obama administration. 

Hunter Biden has acknowledged that he had “poor judgment” in taking the role because it put his father in a position to be attacked, but he emphasized that he did not commit any wrongdoing. 

Trump and his allies have called for Hunter Biden to face charges and accused the president of being involved in his son’s business affairs but have not presented evidence of that. 

Trump’s push for the older and younger Biden to face charges led him to make a phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019, in which he threatened to cut off aid if Ukrainian authorities did not launch an investigation. Trump was impeached by the House over the call but acquitted by the Senate. 

Multiple reports indicate that Biden has been under investigation for his foreign business dealings, specifically income he received from the Ukrainian company and operations in China. 

The Post reported in October that prosecutors believed they had enough evidence to charge Biden with tax crimes. They also reportedly had evidence of him falsifying paperwork for a gun purchase that he made in 2018. 

David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware and a Trump appointee, would ultimately make the decision about whether to file charges. 

President Biden said in response to the reports that enough evidence existed for Hunter to face charges that he has “great confidence in my son.”  

“I love him, and he’s on the straight and narrow, and he has been for a couple years now. And I’m just so proud of him,” he said.  

Biden has vowed to allow the DOJ to conduct its investigation without any outside interference, and the White House has repeatedly referred questions about the investigation to the DOJ. 

But the Biden administration was accused of mishandling the investigation in recent weeks. An attorney for a possible whistleblower who is a supervisor for the Internal Revenue Service sent Congress a letter late last month that they have evidence contradicting sworn statements that a top appointee gave to Congress. 

It alleges that the administration has allowed clear conflicts of interest to affect the investigation and notes instances of politics impacting decisions in the case.  Clarence Thomas’s problems multiply at Supreme Court Conservatives criticize liberal Supreme Court justices for ethics issues

The White House reiterated in response that the investigation would be handled independently by the DOJ and noted that Weiss was appointed by Trump. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) subpoenaed the FBI on Wednesday for a document that he says details an unspecified “alleged criminal scheme” involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who jointly sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, do not directly accuse Biden of participating in the scheme and describe it only in broad terms. 

The White House rejected the idea, saying that congressional Republicans have for five years “been lobbing unfounded, unproven, politically-motivated attacks against the President and his family without offering evidence for their claims or evidence of decisions influenced by anything other than U.S. interests.”

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Entertainment

Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawyers told to stop discussing cases

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Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's lawyers told to stop discussing cases

A judge has warned Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s lawyers to stop publicly discussing their competing lawsuits.

Both actors – who co-starred in 2024’s It Ends With Us – have filed lawsuits against each other following an initial legal complaint from Lively.

The 37-year-old accused Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the film – and an alleged subsequent plan to damage her reputation.

Baldoni then sued Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds, accusing them of hijacking both the production and marketing of the film, as well as allegedly attempting to smear him and others who worked on the production through false allegations.

New York district court judge Lewis J Liman has scheduled a trial date combining the two claims for March 2026 – but warned both parties on Monday that their comments to the media could impact their cases.

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Why is Blake Lively suing Justin Baldoni?

Lively’s lawyer Michael Gottlieb complained that Baldoni’s lawyer Bryan Freedman violated professional ethics rules for lawyers by accusing the actress of “bullying” in People magazine.

He told a hearing at Manhattan federal court that “it’s very hard to un-ring the bell” and argued such statements could taint a jury pool.

But Mr Freedman complained “this has not been a one-way street”, and claimed his comments to the magazine and on a podcast were a response to a New York Times article from 21 December that “completely devastated” Baldoni.

Judge Liman has now adopted a state rule barring most out-of-court statements that could affect a case’s outcome – with an exception to protect clients from prejudicial adverse publicity. Neither lawyer objected.

Lively’s legal team have previously accused Mr Freedman in a court filing of trying to influence potential jurors by creating a website to release selected documents and communications between her and Baldoni.

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In late December, Lively sued Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer Studios and others in New York for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation, asking for unspecified damages.

Baldoni then filed his lawsuit in January, accusing Lively and her husband, Deadpool star and Wrexham FC co-owner Reynolds, of defamation and extortion. He is seeking at least $400m (£321m) in damages.

The actor also sued The New York Times newspaper for libel after it published allegations about him.

Lively starred in the 2005 film The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants before rising to fame in the TV series Gossip Girl from 2007 to 2012. She is also known for films including The Town and The Shallows.

Baldoni is known for the TV comedy series Jane The Virgin and for directing the 2019 film Five Feet Apart. He also wrote Man Enough – a book pushing back against traditional notions of masculinity.

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Politics

US Treasury sued for giving Elon Musk’s DOGE access to sensitive info

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US Treasury sued for giving Elon Musk’s DOGE access to sensitive info

The US Treasury was accused of unlawfully allowing Elon Musk and his government efficiency organization access to millions of Americans’ personal and financial data.

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Technology

China to launch probe into Google over alleged antitrust violations

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China to launch probe into Google over alleged antitrust violations

In this photo illustration, a Google logo is displayed on the screen of a smartphone. 

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China said Tuesday it will launch an investigation into Google over alleged antitrust violations.

The country’s State Administration for Market Regulation said that it would initiate an investigation into the technology giant because of alleged violations of China’s anti-monopoly law, according to a Google translation of the official statement.

The statement followed closed on the heels of China announcing additional tariffs on select U.S. goods.

China’s finance ministry said it will levy tariffs of 15% on coal and liquified natural gas imports from the U.S., starting Feb. 10. It will also impose 10% higher duties on American crude oil, farm equipment and certain cars and trucks.

Google stopped its internet and search engine services in China in 2010, but continues some operations including helping Chinese businesses looking to advertise on Google platforms abroad.

The Google investigation could end without any penalties, Julian Evans Pritchard, head of China economics at Capital Economics said in a note.

Google is facing regulatory scrutiny in several countries including the U.S.

The company lost a lawsuit in August filed by the U.S government in 2020. It accused the firm of having a monopoly in the general search market by creating strong barriers to entry.

Following the ruling, the U.S. Department of Justice pushed in November for Google to divest its Chrome browser. The department also argued that Google should not be allowed to enter into exclusionary agreements with third parties such as Apple and Samsung.

Google is also currently being investigated by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority over whether it has “strategic market status” under a new UK law.

— CNBC’s Anniek Bao, Ryan Browne and Jennifer Elias contributed to this report.

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