CBS News
Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial to begin today
Jury selection in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial begins Monday in Delaware, as he faces three felony charges stemming from his alleged illegal purchase and possession of a firearm in 2018 while he was a drug user.
Biden was indicted by a federal grand jury in September after a diversion agreement for a felony gun offense and a plea deal related to misdemeanor tax charges unraveled when U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned whether the agreement would allow him to avoid potential future charges.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys decried the charges and argued they were “unconstitutional” and “unprecedented,” as well as in violation of the diversion agreement they maintain was still legally binding and valid.
A flurry of motions to dismiss filed by Biden’s attorneys were denied by Judge Noreika, and a federal appeals court rejected his motion to dismiss the gun charges in May.
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In the three-count indictment, the president’s son is charged with making false statements on a federal gun form about his drug use, certifying he was not a user of or addicted to any controlled substance during a period when prosecutors allege he was addicted to crack cocaine. Biden purchased a Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver, and it remained in his possession for 11 days before it was discarded in an outdoor receptacle by Hallie Biden, Hunter Biden’s romantic partner at the time.
Prosecutors are expected to introduce evidence that details Biden’s use of controlled substances leading up to and during the period he purchased the firearm. In their trial brief, they reference Biden’s own admission of drug addiction in excerpts from his memoir, Beautiful Things, as well as photos and videos from his laptop and text messages.
Prosecutors also intend to include testimony from Hunter Biden’s former romantic partners recounting his substance abuse, including his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle and Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother, Beau Biden, and expert testimony from FBI and DEA agents.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys seek to call their own expert witnesses on addiction and forensic psychiatry and forensic toxicology.
The charges were brought by special counsel David Weiss who was appointed U.S. attorney for Delaware by former President Donald Trump and named special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2023. Federal probes into Hunter Biden, led by Weiss, spanned five years over the course of both the Trump and Biden administrations.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden asserted that Weiss “buckled under political pressure to bring more severe charges” after the plea agreement elicited a “sharp rebuke” from former President Trump and his Republican allies when it was first made public. Weiss’ office slammed claims that the charges were fueled by politics and were pursued to appease Republicans.
“The charges in this case are not trumped up or because of former President Trump—they are instead a result of the defendant’s own choices and were brought in spite of, not because of, any outside noise made by politicians,” prosecutors said.
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines if convicted on all counts.
Separately, he faces nine federal tax charges in the central district of California in a second indictment brought by Weiss’ office where federal prosecutors allege President Biden’s son engaged in a “four-year scheme” to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in federal taxes.
Hunter Biden is charged with three felony and six misdemeanor charges related to his alleged failure to file and pay taxes, evasion of assessment, and filing a false or fraudulent tax return. Biden has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
His motions to dismiss the federal tax charges were all denied by U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi in April. If convicted, Hunter Biden faces up to 17 years in prison.
References to the tax charges or questioning related to those charges or the plea hearing are not admissible in his federal gun trial in Delaware.
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Hearing the voice of Sir Laurence Olivier catch you up on work memos may not offer the same thrill as watching the acclaimed English actor on stage or screen, but it could make your morning commute more interesting.
That’s the vision of artificial intelligence startup ElevenLabs, which this week announced that fans of Hollywood icons such as Judy Garland and James Dean can now listen to the voices of the deceased film stars narrate books, articles and other digital text.
The company said it had reached agreements with the estates of Olivier, Garland, Dean and Burt Reynolds to add their voices to a library of AI-generated voices on ElevenLab’s new Reader App. The product lets users listen to text on your phone, with the actors’ voices available for individual streaming.
ElevenLabs did not provide details about any financial compensation it is offering to the actors’ estates.
“We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as part of our platform,” Dustin Blank, head of partnerships at ElevenLabs said in a blog post. “Adding them to our growing list of narrators marks a major step forward in our mission of making content accessible in any language and voice.”
Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland’s daughter and the representative of her estate, said in the post that her family is excited to “see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her.”
Using AI to recreate a version of someone’s voice has drawn negative attention after being used in nefarious ways, including the creation earlier this year of a phony robocall from President Joe Biden urging people not to vote in New Hampshire’s presidential primary.
In another incident, actress Scarlett Johansson is May said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” after discovering that a voice option on OpenAI’s ChatGPT app sounded like her. Johansson had declined OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s offer to voice ChatGPT’s text-to-speech product. Altman said the voice is not Johansson’s.
AI was a key issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. A new actor contract includes limits on artificial intelligence. Producers for TV and film must get consent from actors to use a digital replica, and performers are also entitled to compensation for using AI to create their virtual likeness.
CBS News
Candidates in pivotal French legislative elections drop out in tactical move ahead of final vote
Paris – As France prepares for a decisive second-round vote Sunday, political parties from all persuasions are scrambling to secure seats in the National Assembly. However, more than 200 candidates – mostly from left and centrist parties – have dropped out in a tactical move to block the far right.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies led the first round vote with 33.4%. However, after the significant number of withdrawals to avoid splitting the vote against the far right, it’s unlikely the RN can secure an absolute majority in this second round and form a government.
The RN is anti-immigration and has been accused of being antisemitic and anti-Muslim. It wants to roll back the power of the European Union in France and has threatened to pull the country out of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.
There are 577 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Just 76 deputies were elected with an outright majority in the first round so the majority of seats are still up for grabs. A total of 289 seats is needed for that crucial absolute majority.
Final opinion polls on Friday predicted the RN and its allies would again lead the field – but would now only secure between 175 and 205 seats, well below the majority needed to form a government on their own, and below predictions in the immediate aftermath of the first round. However, that is more than double the number of seats held before these elections.
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The leftist group, Nouveau Front populaire, or New Popular Front, is predicted to take between 145 and 175 seats. That grouping of traditional left, hard left and green parties was hastily formed after President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections in June.
Macron hoped to rally voters against the far right after the RN did well in early June elections for the European parliament, which governs the European Union.
However, political analyst Douglas Webber told CBS News: “President Macron made a colossal error in judgment”.
His Ensemble – Together – centrist coalition for these parliamentary elections is tipped to win just 145-175 seats.
Polls predict voter turnout for this second round will be as high as 65%. That’s similar to the numbers for the first round on June 30. Turnout was unusually high as many voters said they either wanted to block the far-right, or just get rid of Macron’s government.
“Right now, we have big problems with the right wing,” said one young woman after the first round vote. “We want more democracy, you know, we don’t want people to feel afraid or scared about living in France.”
These elections have been marred by attacks on candidates. The interior ministry said 51 candidates or party activists – from different parties – were attacked during the short campaign. For Sunday’s vote, 30,000 police have been drafted in case of violence during polling or after the results are announced.
Initial predictions will be available shortly after the polls close in France on Sunday night. However, in the absence of an outright majority for one party or grouping, it may be days – or even weeks – before a government emerges.
RN president Jordan Bardella – who wants to be prime minister – has suggested that he would refuse to form a government if his party and allies do not win an outright majority. He argued that without a majority, his government could achieve little and, therefore, would not be worth it. Whether that is simply posturing to encourage all far-right supporters to vote in large numbers remains to be seen.
There is talk of a rainbow coalition of traditional left and right parties and centrists. But Macron made it clear on Wednesday at a meeting with his Council of Ministers, that blocking the far right did not mean that he would name a government led by the hard left LFI – La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed – led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. It remains to be seen if there would be enough deputies without the two extremes to form a government.
There is a third option. President Macron could decide to postpone forming a new government until after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which open on July 26. He could ask the current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to continue in a caretaker role and then deal with the fallout of the elections once the Games are over.
