Hunter Biden Makes Republicans an Offer
Biden's attorney said that previously issued subpoenas from House Republicans were "legally invalid" before making the offer.
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Welcome to the Bulletin,
Editor's note: The Bulletin will be on hiatus on Monday and will return on Tuesday.
- Trump's court drama: Donald Trump has lashed out at Judge Arthur Engoron on social media after also attacking him in court as the civil fraud trial in New York drew to a close. Here's what he said. Trump's speech in a New York courtroom could be "damaging" for him, according to a legal analyst. Find out why.
- Severe weather: A powerful storm is anticipated to bring a range of severe weather conditions to the eastern United States, including blizzard-like situations, intense thunderstorms, high winds, and extreme cold. Meanwhile, a tornado watch has been issued for 5 million people across the South.
- 'Parasite' actor's death: Oscar-winning Parasite director Bong Joon-ho is among several South Korean figures in film who have called for an investigation into police's handling of the drug case relating to Lee Sun-kyun, the actor who died by suicide last month.
- A new retirement crisis: A growing number of American parents are facing a retirement crisis, under the financial strain of supporting their adult children, according to a recent study conducted by Qualtrics for Intuit Credit Karma.
- Cheese recall: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said o that a California-based cheesemaker has recalled more than 300 cases of one of its cheese products over a listeria contamination. Check your fridge.
In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs on Thursday announced a military package for Ukraine that includes a large assortment of weapons for the country to use in its defense against invading Russian forces.
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TL/DR: "Any strike against us will be responded to, absolutely, without the slightest doubt, with all force and determination, and the region will be on the verge of escalation, the end of which no one knows," Nasreddin Amer, deputy information secretary for Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, told Newsweek.
The Iran-aligned Yemeni rebel group waging an ongoing campaign of attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea over Israel's war in Gaza has told Newsweek that it would respond forcefully to the U.S. bombing Yemen, which consisted of strikes at 60 Houthi rebel targets in 16 locations. President Joe Biden said that the U.S. and the U.K. jointly operated "with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands" to conduct "strikes against several targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."
Why it matters: The Houthis said the missile and drone attacks on ships headed for Israel, which began in mid-October, were in protest against Israel's military action in Gaza. The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution Wednesday demanding an immediate end to Ansar Allah's campaign in the Red Sea. While Biden cited America and its allies' interest in protecting global commerce, critics have argued Thursday's airstrikes threaten to expand the current conflict and drag the U.S. into another war in the Middle East.
Read More In-Depth Coverage:
Read Joe Biden's Full Statement on Strikes Against Houthi Targets in Yemen
Joe Biden Faces Immediate Backlash in US After Bombing Yemen
Joe Biden's Strikes on Yemen Spark Democrat Fury
Pentagon Firepower on Show Amid Yemen Strikes
What happens now? The U.S. and its allies are now braced for potential retaliation. High-ranking Houthi official Ali al-Qahoum warned on X, formerly known as Twitter: "The battle will be bigger ... and beyond the imagination and expectation of the Americans and the British. Meanwhile, Biden is already facing protests in America over his decision, with demonstrators chanting "hands off Yemen" outside the White House. Some Democrats have also criticized him for not getting Congressional approval for the strikes and potentially putting the US at risk. California Rep. Barbara Lee said that "violence only begets more violence" and repeated her calls for a ceasefire in the region.
TL/DR: "A pause would play into [Russia's] hands. It might crush us afterward,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out a ceasefire as Russian forces gain ground, following nearly two years of war. Zelensky argues that Moscow would use any pause in fighting to rearm itself and launch a more powerful attack. His comments come as Russia gains ground in eastern Ukraine and makes advances in the southern Kherson region.
Why it matters: Russian air strikes have been particularly devastating in recent weeks. This week, The Kyiv Post reported that Ukraine suffered one of its "worst days of the entire war" after 60% of Russian air strikes were successful, including 33 out of 51 attacks using missiles. The Ukrainian Air Force blamed Kyiv's struggling air defenses on a lack of much-needed military aid from Western allies. Roughly $60 billion in Ukrainian military aid requested by President Joe Biden remains held up in Congress.
Read More In-Depth Coverage:
Russia's Heavy Losses Could Scupper Golden Opportunity
MAGA Furious at Report $1 Billion in Ukraine Aid Possibly Stolen
Putin's War Is Changing How People Speak in Ukraine
What happens now? Ukraine is experiencing a spell of cold weather that will likely last for several weeks. The freezing conditions will harden the ground and make cross-country maneuvers easier, the U.K. Defense Ministry said. Experts suggest Moscow will likely fail to make the most of the more favorable weather conditions before a thaw in March. "It seems that the Ukrainians might be better prepared for winter, but I think they will refrain from major operations," Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria grouping of forces covering Avdiivka, told Newsweek.
TL/DR: “They were aware that that clock is ticking now. They're wrestling with that timeline.” Senior vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Jonathan Schanzer told Newsweek.
Israeli leaders find themselves under mounting pressure as the country prosecutes its devastating war on the Gaza Strip and a targeted assassination campaign against Iranian allies in Lebanon and Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week his country needs more time to achieve a goal of "eradicating" Hamas following October 7. However, time might not be on its side as the International Court of Justice in The Hague began deliberations on Thursday whether Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, while international calls for a ceasefire and civilian casualties continue growing.
Why it matters: Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD)—described as non-partisan but considered close to Israel—told Newsweek the IDF "needs time" for their military goals including conquering Hamas controlled territory and killing or capturing top leaders like Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. Although time is ticking. The White House has called for restraint in Gaza and Netanyahu is unpopular in Israel, as opposition leader Yair Lapid leads calls for new elections. Israel's offensive has killed over 23,200 Palestinians in Gaza, citing the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, and the toll is expected to be higher on account of people buried under rubble.
Read More In-Depth Coverage:
Complete List of US Cities Calling For Israel-Gaza Ceasefire
Biden Says He Wants Israel to Leave Gaza
Israel Warns of 'Ruin' for Hezbollah, Lebanon Amid US Peace Push
What happens now? Experts believe an end to the conflict is not imminent despite Israeli forces withdrawing some reservist units from Gaza. Previous special assistant to President George W. Bush Michael Allen says Israelis are "going to continue to be very aggressive," with conflict possibly extending to Hezbollah. The looming threat of a northern clash adds uncertainty and Mairav Zonszein, of the International Crisis Group, says even if Netanyahu is dethroned from office, those challenging his leadership are not challenging the policies and the views Netanyahu represents.
TL/DR: "This is what the Texas GOP Republican establishment thinks of Texans. You don't have the right to petition your government. You're the 'wrong type' of voter according to Matt Rinaldi.” TNM legal team member Paul M. Davis said.
The Texas Supreme Court has declined to hear a case against the 'Texit' movement after it rejected a petition by the Texas Nationalist Movement (TNM) to secede from the U.S. in the March primary. The petition—with 139,456 signatures—was denied by Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi over signature validity, missing essential information such as residence address, county of registration, and dates of birth/voter registration number. The delivery was also "untimely," being received on the deadline as opposed to the day before. Despite the rejection, TNM filed an emergency petition, which the court almost immediately denied.
Why it matters: According to the Texas election code, the minimum signatures needed for a referendum to be considered is "five percent of the total vote received by all candidates for governor in the party's most recent gubernatorial general primary election." The last Republican gubernatorial primary was in 2022, when 1,954,172 votes were cast, electing incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and bringing the total signatures needed to 97,709. Texas Rep. Bryan Slaton introduced legislation in March 2023 to trigger a referendum on whether the State should investigate the possibility of Texas independence, though it failed to pass the committee stage.
Read More In-Depth Coverage:
What an Independent Texas Would Look Like
Texas Gets One Step Closer to Leaving US
Texas Independence Leader Vows 'War' on GOP: 'Buckle Up'
What happens now? State politics expert Joshua Blank previously told Newsweek that he sees "no plausible scenario” in which Texas could peacefully extract itself from the United States, with any Texit movement requiring a greatly expanded state capacity that would repel many Republicans. If Texit prevails, Blank says the state would have to significantly increase revenue through taxes and fees for lost federal dollars and for funding the many, often expensive, services no longer provided by the federal government.
TL/DR: “The implications of this massive decline in population will bring unprecedented challenges, possibly leading to disruptions in basic services like transit, clean water, electricity, and internet access,” the study suggests.
Nearly half of the 30,000 cities across the U.S. will face some sort of population decline in the next 80 years, a new study suggests. The shift is expected to hit the North and Midwest harder than the South and Western regions, the study published in Nature Cities found. Low-income cities are at a higher risk of losing residents; however, some larger cities such as Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo, may also see significant depopulation.
Why it matters: The degree of urbanization, housing density and prior population influence how likely a city's population is to grow or shrink. Higher household incomes can also influence how attractive a city is to new residents. These predictions have important implications for the stability of U.S. cities in the future. While a growing population can strain a city's resources, a shrinking one tends to be accompanied by smaller tax revenues and a lack of financial support for essential services and infrastructure maintenance.
Read More In-Depth Coverage:
Economist Sounds Alarm About 'Biggest Issue' in US History
Americans Are Leaving Democratic States, Census Data Shows
Scientists Predict 'Seismic Shifts' in Families by 2095
What happens now? Depopulation will likely drive significant disruptions to local amenities and economies, while areas with increasing populations will probably remove access to much-needed resources in depopulated areas. Climate change, legislation, and international immigration will also contribute to the degree of population change, the study suggests. For areas at higher risk, predicting these trends will allow for better city planning and design and meeting local needs around infrastructure and amenities.
I'm Rocky Myers' Attorney. Injustice Put Him on Death Row
I wanted to be a lawyer since I was five years old. Of course, I also thought I wanted to be a teacher, a circus performer, a journalist, and so on over the years—but somehow, I arrived back at lawyer by the time college graduation came around.
In all variations of my life as a lawyer, I've been lucky enough to help people. I specifically felt a calling to work with death row populations.
I believe those on death row are often left out of conversations around support and help. They are often people who never had anyone stand up for them, and I am grateful to be doing this work with them.
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I shared my pills. Her controlling boyfriend reported us to police
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In the magazine
January 19 issue
Vape Bans, More Tax Dollars for War, Seafood Crimes, and the Popular Vote
Andrew Tallman, Amani Wells Onyioha, Jeff Charles, and Rakim Brooks debate whether or not government should be further restricting or banning vape products, President Biden asking Congress for $100 billion for Israel and $60 billion for Ukraine, the human rights violations associated with imported Chinese seafood, and whether or not the President of the United States should be elected by the popular vote.
Biden Fiddles as the World Burns
Josh discusses the looming possibility of World War III on President Biden's shameful watch, the media's nonstop distortions of the Israel-Hamas war, and the Supreme Court's awful decision not to take up a recent Seventh Circuit case that held the Second Amendment does not protect so-called "assault weapons."
The Case For Climate Capitalism (Feat. Tom Rand)
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Final Thoughts
In this final episode, Kristal shares her thoughts on Donald Trump's legal battles and the new House majority leader, Mike Johnson (R-LA).
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