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Hunter Biden trial on felony gun charges tentatively set for week of June 3
Hunter Biden’s trial on felony gun charges has tentatively been set for the week of June 3.
President Joe Biden’s son was indicted last September by a federal grand jury on charges related to his purchase of a firearm in October 2018 while he was a drug user, according to court filings. The indictment returned by the grand jury convened in Delaware charged Hunter Biden with three felony counts stemming from his possession of a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in October 2018, which prosecutors previously said he unlawfully possessed for 11 days.
Prosecutors from special counsel David Weiss’ office said they expect their case to last about four days and Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, said the defense would likely take two days.
Judge Maryellen Noreika told the parties during Wednesday’s telephonic meeting that she was working through numerous motions, including Hunter Biden’s motions to dismiss the case, and she said would issue a ruling when she is finished.
However, Lowell also said he does not expect the case to go to trial because he thinks the judge will rule in Hunter Biden’s favor on his motion to dismiss, based on the diversion and plea agreement that had already been issued.
It is also likely that Hunter Biden will face charges in late June in a separate trial in a tax case in California. He has pleaded not guilty in both cases and sought to have all charges in both cases dismissed.
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A complete mastodon jaw was discovered in the backyard of a home in New York’s Hudson Valley, marking the state’s first such find in more than a decade, officials announced this week.
The Stockton, New York, homeowner initially spotted two teeth hidden in the fronds of a plant on their property and proceeded to uncover two more teeth buried inches underground, the New York State Museum said. Staff from the museum, which is based in Albany and has an archaeological research department, and SUNY Orange launched an investigation at the property.
New York State Museum
Their excavation unearthed additional fossils, including a full, well-preserved adult jaw and fragments of rib and toe bones that once belonged to a mastodon — ancient giants that existed during the Ice Age and became extinct some 10,000 years ago. The term refers to a group of massive elephant-like species, like the mammoth.
“When I found the teeth and examined them in my hands, I knew they were something special and decided to call in the experts,” said the homeowner in a statement to the New York State Museum. “I’m thrilled that our property has yielded such an important find for the scientific community.”
New York State Museum
Remnants of mastodons have been discovered in New York before. According to the museum, more than 150 fossils of these prehistoric creatures have been documented to date statewide, with around one-third of them coming from Orange County, where the latest bones were found.
But experts said the findings offer an opportunity to learn something new.
“This discovery is a testament to the rich paleontological history of New York and the ongoing efforts to understand its past,” said Robert Feranec, a research director and curator at the New York State Museum whose work centers on ice age animals, in a statement. “Fossils are resources that provide remarkable snapshots of the past, allowing us to not only reconstruct ancient ecosystems but also provide us with better context and understanding of the current world around us.”
The mastodon fossils will undergo carbon dating and analysis to determine the creature’s age, diet and habitat while it was alive, the museum said. After that analysis and subsequent preservation work are complete, the bones will be featured on public display in 2025.
