Hunter Biden Awarded $1.7 Million in Defamation Lawsuit Against Former CEO Who Accused Him of Taking Bribe

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A California federal judge has awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages in his defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO and Trump supporter Patrick Byrne.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson had said at a hearing in January that Byrne would face punitive damages after “failing to defend himself” against the claims by the controversial son of former President Joe Biden, Courthouse News Service reported.

The defamation stems from a claim by Byrne that the younger Biden had sought an $800 million bribe from Iran sometime in 2021. Biden sued the former CEO for publicly making that allegation.

Specifically, Byrne’s repeatedly claimed the son that had sought the bribe from Iran in exchange for persuading his father, who was president at the time, to release $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets and ease pressure during nuclear negotiations.

Judge Wilson, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan, stated in his award:

Here, the evidence is clear and convincing that defendant has engaged in intentional misrepresentation with conscious disregard towards plaintiff’s rights. Defendant’s defamation went far beyond mere negligence. In fact, defendant has admitted that after the offending article was published, defendant repeatedly reposted the article across social media platforms and encouraged his followers on those platforms to promote it further.

(Read more from “Hunter Biden Awarded $1.7 Million in Defamation Lawsuit Against Former CEO Who Accused Him of Taking Bribe” HERE)

Trump: Graham’s Death a ‘Big Blow to the SAVE America Act’

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Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” President Donald Trump said Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) death was a “big blow” to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

Host Kristen Welker said, “President Trump, thank you for joining us and my condolences to you.”

Trump said, “Well, thank you. He’s a tough one to lose. He was great. He was unique in every way, actually.”

He continued, “He called and said, ‘We’re all set for the Save America Act. He was pushing the Save America Act like crazy. Got back, said he just landed from Ukraine.”

(Read more from “Trump: Graham’s Death a ‘Big Blow to the SAVE America Act’” HERE)

Lindsey Graham Death Shocks Trump World – Conspiracies Fly

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Washington is reeling after the sudden death of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina power player, one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in Congress and one of the most influential foreign-policy hawks in the Senate, died after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.” He was 71.

Dramatic photos first obtained by TMZ showed Graham being wheeled out of his Washington, D.C., residence on a gurney Saturday night, surrounded by EMS workers trying to save his life. In the images, the senator appeared to be in grave condition and reportedly intubated as paramedics lifted him into an ambulance. The D.C. Fire and EMS Department did not provide further details, citing health-privacy laws.

5 days ago, Senator Lindsey Graham posted about how the IRGC threatened to assassinate him. They threatened to assassinate me and President Trump as well with matching posters of our faces held by IRGC operatives at Khameini’s funeral that called for our heads to roll.

Graham’s sudden death immediately triggered conspiracy theories online — fueled by his hard line toward Tehran, his recent Ukraine trip and his central role in Trump’s foreign-policy circle. Far-right activist Laura Loomer was among the MAGA voices raising questions about the timing, with some speculation online pointing at Russia or its ally Iran. Graham had repeatedly backed tough threats against Iran’s leadership and was one of the loudest hawks in Congress. After his death, some users speculated about possible revenge by Tehran or Moscow. So far, there is no evidence for that: Graham’s office cited a “brief and sudden illness,” while Reuters reported that emergency crews responded to a cardiac-arrest call at his residence.

Trump reacted with unusually emotional words. In a Truth Social post, the president called Graham “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.” According to FirstPost, Trump also said he had spoken with Graham by phone the night before his death — and that the senator had seemed fine. (Read more from “Lindsey Graham Death Shocks Trump World – Conspiracies Fly” HERE)

Trump’s New Strikes Against Iran Creating Enormous Risk for Taiwan, South Korea

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With President Trump declaring on Friday that the ceasefire with Iran is “over”, the U.S. is now moving into a period of vulnerability. Key US weapons stockpiles remain significantly depleted and will come under even more intense pressure if strikes against Iran continue at the current level. 

“If the war continues at the rate it’s been going for the last [five] days … it would reduce stockpiles enough that there would be a new, higher level of risk … with the Indo-Pacific,” said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Corps colonel and defense analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

A China conflict scenario over Taiwan isn’t the only potential risk that the Pentagon may face if it continues to expend key missiles at a high rate. Analysts believe war plans with North Korea call for a significant number of US missiles, both to hit enemy targets and to defend US forces and Seoul from projected massive strikes by Pyongyang.

By the time full-scale fighting between the US and Iran stopped in April, the Pentagon had fired at least half of its THAAD ballistic missile interceptors, nearly half of its Patriot air defense interceptors, and around 30% of its Tomahawk land-attack missiles, according to a Center for Strategic and International Studies analysis.

Although the Defense Department has inked deals with manufacturers to expand their production lines, Elaine McCusker, who previously served as the Pentagon’s deputy and acting comptroller, tells CNN that the “timeline for replenishment of munitions for the most part will be measured in years — two-to-five [years] for most.”

European Cars Now Must Track Drivers’ Eye Movements In Name Of Safety

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It became mandatory Tuesday for citizens of the European Union’s 27 member states to allow their cars to track their movements using artificial intelligence.

The European Union’s General Safety Regulation mandated Advanced Driver Distraction Warning (ADDW) systems that track drivers’ body movements, such as eye and head movements, in every new vehicle sold after July 7, according to Access Newswire.

“This is a driver support system,” Martin Krantz, CEO and Founder of Swedish AI company Smart Eye, told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview. “It’s a life-saving technology. It really helps to prevent accidents. It’s probably gonna be just like with the seat belt and the airbag.”

Smart Eye is one of the leading suppliers of eye-tracking and driver monitoring AI that is compliant with ADDW systems.

“The tracking [has] quite a high accuracy … So if you sit in your car and you’re driving your car, and then you look at the speedometer, then what happens is that the tracking realizes that this is the speedometer that you’re looking at,” the CEO added. “And then you’re allowed to take your eyes away from the road for a certain time period. Let’s say, for example, two seconds … You have a time … that you can spend on different objects [in your car].” (Read more from “European Cars Now Must Track Drivers’ Eye Movements In Name Of Safety” HERE)

Many Parents Now Worried Their Kids Rely On AI Way Too Much

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Many parents are now concerned that their kids are relying too heavily on artificial intelligence, according to a survey released Thursday.

The latest edition of Deloitte’s annual “Back-to-School” survey found that 49% of parents feel worried that their children are leaning on AI too much. Meanwhile, 35% of respondents were worried that schools are not doing enough to prepare students for AI, the survey shows.

Of those surveyed, 28% of parents reported that their kids are already using generative AI in their schoolwork. Generative AI, also known as GenAI, refers to a type of AI that can produce original content including text, images, video, audio or software code in response to users’ prompts, according to IBM.

Moreover, 13% of parents said they are planning to pay for generative AI-related classes our tutoring for their kids, per the poll.

One potential con of using AI tools for education-related tasks is that they can provide students and teachers misleading or inaccurate information, according to Discovery Education. There have also been a spate of recent reports about students using AI to cheat on their homework. (Read more from “Many Parents Now Worried Their Kids Rely On AI Way Too Much” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

‘Devastating’ Evidence Against Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Laid out in Court

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By Reuters. “Devastating” evidence, including DNA on a rifle and a text confession, shows a 23-year-old should be tried for murdering Charlie Kirk last year, prosecutors told a court this week, as the defence team tried to poke holes in the case.

The preliminary hearings gave prosecutors a chance to outline probable cause to try Tyler Robinson, 23, on charges including aggravated murder, a death penalty offence in Utah.

They painted a vivid picture of his movements in the 48 hours surrounding the murder of Kirk – using CCTV, witness testimony, a taped interview with Robinson’s roommate and messages between the pair.

The defence for Robinson, who has not yet entered a plea, sought to sow doubt on all of it. . .

For the past five days, lawyers for Robinson, a trainee electrician, raised repeated objections to evidence and testimony on arguments including hearsay and the tainting of potential jurors. (Read more from “‘Devastating’ Evidence Against Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Laid out in Court” HERE)

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Charlie Kirk’s widow views video she requested of husband’s alleged killer

By Reuters. Erika Kirk was allowed on Friday to watch surveillance video, as she had requested, that prosecutors say shows the Utah man accused of killing her husband, right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.

While the proceedings of the five-day hearing, on whether Tyler Robinson should stand trial in ‌the case, have mostly been livestreamed in accordance with Erika Kirk’s call for transparency, the video compilation of recordings by campus surveillance cameras was shown only ‌to those present in the courtroom.

Reuters was not in the courtroom and was unable to view the video, which prosecutors said shows Robinson in several different areas of Utah Valley University on September 10, the day Charlie ​Kirk was killed on the campus.

The Associated Press reported that Erika Kirk watched intently as the video showed a person running across the roof of the campus building from which investigators say Kirk was shot. When the figure was shown dropping to a crawl near the roof’s edge, AP reported that Erika Kirk turned and embraced Kirk’s crying mother and the two looked away until the video was almost over.

As Charlie Kirk’s legal representative under state law, Erika Kirk has called for all evidence presented at the hearing to be made public via a ‌livestream, or otherwise shown to herself and others present in ⁠the courtroom. (Read more from “Charlie Kirk’s widow views video she requested of husband’s alleged killer” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem To Divorce Bimbo Obsessed Cross Dressing Husband

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Kristi Noem is allegedly ending her 34-year marriage after her husband’s secret fetish life spilled into public view.

The former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary plans to divorce her husband, Bryon Noem, and he has moved out of their Castlewood, South Dakota, home, her mother, Corinne Arnold, told the Daily Mail. No divorce paperwork has appeared in South Dakota court records, the New York Post reported, and Noem herself has not confirmed the split.

Arnold, 77, told the Daily Mail that her daughter revealed the decision at a grandchild’s birthday party in late spring, after the scandal surrounding Bryon broke. “It has been difficult, but we knew this was coming, that they were going to get divorced,” Arnold told the outlet. She said she pressed her daughter directly during the gathering.

“She doesn’t tell me what she thinks. Finally, I said: ‘What’s the deal? Are you going to get together again?’ And she said: ‘No. No. We’re going to get a divorce,’” Arnold told the Daily Mail. Her daughter added that a lawyer from Sioux Falls was handling the matter. Bryon now lives about 20 miles away and still runs his insurance business, the outlet reported.

The split followed a March investigation by the Daily Mail that reported Bryon, 56, had taken part in the “bimbofication” fetish scene, in which adult performers inflate their breasts with saline to mimic a Barbie-doll look. The outlet reported he sent fetish models images of himself with balloons stuffed under women’s clothing to imitate large breasts. National security specialists consulted by the Daily Mail warned at the time that such conduct could expose Noem to blackmail. Noem said she was “blindsided” and “devastated” by the reporting and asked the public for privacy and prayer, the outlet said. (Read more from “Former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem To Divorce Bimbo Obsessed Cross Dressing Husband” HERE)

How Ukraine’s Drone War Could Drag World Into Nuclear War

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The use of nuclear weapons is becoming increasingly likely as the Russian and Ukrainian militaries continue to blindly scramble up the escalation ladder through deep strikes into Russia, with alleged involvement from a NATO member country, military analysts warned on Monday.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has accused Latvia of planning to launch drones from its territory in direct attacks against the Russian Federation. Russia could attack Latvia if these plans became a reality, which could trigger a chain of events leading to the use of nuclear weapons, analysts said during a meeting at the Quincy Institute broadcast by CSPAN on Monday.

“There are proponents of, I guess we can call it ‘escalate to de-escalate,’ people like prominent Russian academic Sergei Karaganov, who believe Russia must drastically up the airstrike campaign against Ukraine, seriously consider the employment of low-yield nuclear weapons as a means of ending the war, and strike Western targets inside NATO,” Quincy Institute research fellow Mark Episkopos said during the meeting on Monday.

The Russian Embassy in Washington, the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington and NATO did not respond to a request for comment.

When the Daily Caller News Foundation asked the panel about the potential for nuclear weapons use in Europe, analysts on the panel laid out two scenarios where the Russians would employ tactical nuclear weapons.

“We’ve had warnings throughout this war. If we provide HIMARS [missiles], the Russians will retaliate in some dangerous way, ATACMS [missiles], F-16s, etcetera, etcetera, and in each case, the Russians have not retaliated against the West directly, and so the impression is created that the Russians will never retaliate against the West directly. It’s just too dangerous for them to do so,” director of grand strategy at the Quincy Institute George Beebe said during the panel. “The danger we’re facing is, there’s only one way we’ll know for sure. And that is, after the Russians retaliate directly.” (Read more from “How Ukraine’s Drone War Could Drag World Into Nuclear War” HERE)

Passenger’s Head and Shoulders Hang from Broken Window After He’s Nearly Sucked out of Plane

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A plane passenger was almost sucked out of a window that shattered moments after take-off on Friday — with others grabbing hold of him as his “head and shoulders” were left hanging outside.

The traveler — only identified as a 61-year-old Serbian man — was pinned in his seat by fellow passengers as chaos unfolded on the Ryanair flight that left Greece for Germany at 5:55 a.m., CNN Greece reported.

The Boeing 737-800 plane was at an altitude of around 20,000 feet — when travelers heard a noise “like a tire bursting,” one passenger told Radio Thessaloniki, according to Agence France Presse.

They only later found out that a piece of the plane’s engine had broken off and struck the window, causing it to shatter.

“We immediately realised there had been a decompression. There were screams … for a moment I thought someone had accidentally opened the emergency door,” the passenger said. (Read more from “Passenger’s Head and Shoulders Hang from Broken Window After He’s Nearly Sucked out of Plane” HERE)

Photo credit: @RThessaloniki/X