Main Topic: Republicans criticize the appointment of U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the investigation into Hunter Biden.
Key Points:
1. Republicans accuse Weiss of signing a "sweetheart deal" with Hunter Biden and question his trustworthiness as special counsel.
2. Republicans suggest that Weiss was appointed to inhibit congressional investigations into the Bidens and to avoid testifying before Congress.
3. Republicans vow to continue their own investigations into the Biden family's alleged corruption and insist that Weiss must still testify before Congress.
Main Topic: Mike Pence welcomes newly appointed Hunter Biden special counsel and criticizes Justice Department under Trump administration.
Key Points:
1. Mike Pence welcomes the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe.
2. Pence criticizes the Justice Department under the Trump administration for pushing a "political agenda."
3. Pence expresses confidence in Congress, particularly House Republicans, to continue investigating the Hunter Biden probe.
President Biden is facing criticism from Republicans over a prisoner exchange deal with Iran that grants Tehran access to frozen oil revenues in exchange for the freedom of five imprisoned Americans, a trade-off that previous administrations have also made.
Relations between President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland have grown cold due to the White House's perception that Garland's infatuation with special counsels is damaging the Justice Department's reputation and giving the appearance of investigations being walled off from political pressure.
The Biden administration's chief negotiator on Iran, Robert Malley, hired at least three individuals who were working to influence U.S. foreign policy on behalf of Iran's Foreign Ministry, which is now raising concerns and prompting an FBI investigation.
House Republicans released documents suggesting that IRS agents investigating Hunter Biden faced obstacles whenever President Joe Biden's name came up in the probe, though senior Justice Department prosecutors believed the investigators had legitimate reasons to avoid the elder Biden, and there is no evidence that DOJ officials acted at the request of senior leadership.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) met with President Biden at the White House to begin talks on national security funding for aid to Israel and Ukraine, following his election as Speaker of the House.
