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As a father, Joe Biden has long defended son Hunter, despite controversy

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — It seems clear from his comments over the years that the fatherly relationship Joe Biden has with his son Hunter outweighs concerns about appearances and political implications.

Biden has long maintained he was confident Hunter, 53, one of his two surviving children, had done nothing nefarious amid a federal investigation into the younger Biden’s tax affairs and overseas business dealings.

“First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong,” Biden told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle last month as prosecutors neared the end of their probe. “I trust him. I have faith in him. And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.”

On Tuesday, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors, potentially bringing an end to the probe. The younger Biden will acknowledge failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018, and struck a deal with prosecutors regarding a felony charge related to illegal possession of a firearm.

The development comes just as President Biden has begun campaigning for a second term, and as congressional Republicans attempt at every turn to paint the first family as corrupt.

The charges are unlikely to satisfy those in the GOP who’ve been laser-focused on targeting what they call, without providing evidence, the “Biden crime family” and those lashing out at what they perceive to be a two-tiered system of justice in the wake of Donald Trump’s indictments.

The White House had largely avoided commenting on the investigation carried out by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump appointee, but maintained the president and his son never discussed the latter’s business dealings.

After news broke Tuesday of Hunter Biden’s plea agreement, White House spokesperson Ian Sams released a short statement.

“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” Sams said. “We will have no further comment.”

The administration had previously emphasized neither President Biden nor the White House had discussed the probe with the Justice Department, and Attorney General Merrick Garland said as recently as March prosecutors were operating free from any interference.

“That’s a matter that’s going to be decided by the Justice Department, by the legal process,” White House chief of staff Ron Klain said on ABC’s This Week in April 2022. “It’s something that no one at the White House has involvement in.”

The investigation began in 2018 and became public in December 2020, just after Biden became president-elect. At the time, Biden’s transition team released a statement saying Biden remained “deeply proud of his son, who has fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger.”

The president commented on the issue only a handful of times since then, each time coming to the younger Biden’s defense and occasionally bristling at questions and accusations about his son’s conduct.

“I’m confident that he is — what he says, and does, are consistent with what happens,” Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper in October 2022. “And, for example, he wrote a book about his problems, and was straightforward about it. I’m proud of him.”

In his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter Biden detailed his struggle with drug addiction (which he said entered a darker phase after the death of his brother Beau Biden from brain cancer in 2015) his relationships with his family and his attempt to build a successful business career while sharing a name with his influential father.

Hunter Biden described when his father came to check on him during one of his benders, writing: “”He looked aghast at what he saw. He asked if I was okay and I told him, sure, I was fine. ‘I know you’re not fine, Hunter,’ he said, studying me, scanning the apartment. ‘You need help.’ I looked into my dad’s eyes and saw an expression of despair, an expression of fear.”

Hunter Biden has been visible at recent White House events, appearing at his father’s side at a state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron and at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington. He also accompanied President Biden during his trip to Ireland.

When asked by CBS News’ 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley last September if any of Hunter Biden’s troubles have caused “conflicts for you or for the United States,” Biden said no.

“I love my son, number one. He fought– an addiction problem,” Biden responded. “He overcame it. He wrote about it. And no, there’s not a single thing that I’ve observed at all from th– that would affect me or the United States relative to my son Hunter.

It remains to be seen how the charges against him will impact President Biden’s reelection bid.

House Republicans have used their majority to launch an investigation and hold various hearings into Hunter Biden’s private dealings. House Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., vowed Tuesday to continue those efforts.

Trump — who faces multiple legal troubles of his own, including federal charges for his alleged mishandling of classified documents — on Tuesday alleged Hunter Biden was slapped with “a mere ‘traffic ticket.”

“Our system is BROKEN!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

President Biden’s last presidential campaign, too, faced swirling questions about his son and then Republicans were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempt to tie Biden to his son in the minds of voters.

In an effort to diffuse scandals burgeoning during the 2020 presidential campaign, the younger Biden gave some personal interviews discussing his addiction struggles and his past relationships, including one with his brother’s widow Hallie.

Hunter Biden, in a 2019 sit down with ABC News, defended the ethical implications of his private business dealings but conceded a misstep in failing to foresee the political implications on his father’s career.

“In retrospect, look, I think that it was poor judgment on my part. Is that I think that it was poor judgment because I don’t believe now, when I look back on it — I know that there was — did nothing wrong at all,” Hunter Biden said. “However, was it poor judgment to be in the middle of something that is…a swamp in many ways? Yeah.”

Jazmine Sullivan’s headlining set at Juneteenth Festival canceled following alleged stampede

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Jazmine Sullivan fans attended the Leimert Park Juneteenth Festival Monday with hopes of seeing her headlining set, but were met with the news of its cancellation. The singer updated fans via her Instagram Story, informing those in attendance to make their way home.

“I hope everyone made it home to their loved ones tonight! I’m so disappointed we couldn’t come together and celebrate Juneteenth!” she wrote. “If you’re still at the park, please leave. The show is canceled.”

It’s unclear why the show was canceled, but fans who attended the show claim a stampede had taken place.

“I didn’t even get to see Wale & Jazmine Sullivan b/c somebody decided to start a shootout/fight in Leimert park. I was scared for my life. I had a whole panic attack,” wrote one user. “It was beautiful seeing all those black people until those stampedes happened. I stand corrected. There wasn’t a shooting but seeing all those people running and kids looking terrified was scary.”

“Came all the way to Leimert Park to almost get trampled on and miss out on Jazmine Sullivan…wildddd,” another one of Sullivan’s fans tweeted. A third claimed that she “messed up my knee” as a result of the stampede.

Jazmine was set to headline the Juneteenth Festival, which also included Wale, Too Short and Alex Vaughn on the lineup.

Sonic Youth releasing final US show as live album

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Sonic Youth‘s final U.S. show is being released as a live album.

Live in Brooklyn 2011 is due out August 18 — almost exactly 12 years after the concert was recorded at New York City’s Williamsburg Waterfront on August 12, 2011. The set was notably filled with deep cuts and songs Sonic Youth hadn’t played in many years.

“For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it,” says drummer Steve Shelley. “After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set.”

A few months after the Brooklyn show, Sonic Youth co-founders and longtime married couple Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon announced that they were separating. The band would then play their final show in Brazil in November 2011.

Nicki Minaj accused of stealing “Barbie World” idea from Saweetie

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

As Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice gear up for their “Barbie World” collaboration, a Compton rapper alleges the stars stole the idea for the song from Saweetie.

JasonMartin posted on social media June 18 that he was a writer on a track that Saweetie created and sent to Nicki for a collaboration she wanted on the Barbie soundtrack. He claims Nicki then took the song and remodeled it as her new collab with Ice Spice. He says he wants his writing credit.

“Y’all gon’ give me what I deserve,” Martin said on Instagram Live. “Now, if Saweetie don’t wanna trip, that’s on her … But we crafted a record that was sent over to Nicki to hop on to submit to the Barbie soundtrack.”

“She said she was gonna do it … Then all of a sudden, a new version was created. Yes, it’s a sample, you can do what you want,” he continued. “But n****, you can’t hear one thing, say you’re gonna do this, then go do your version. It ain’t happening like that. Anybody that’s in this business knows that that’s not how this works.”

On Twitter, Martin said he will ensure that he gets compensated for his contributions on the song.

“If or when I need to detail the whole way it went down in regards to this Barbie s***, you will understand why all writers need to be compensated with day rates and contracts protecting their intellectual properties the day of,” he tweeted. “Hopefully this gets sorted out quietly. But please no I don’t scare easy.”

Nicki’s “Barbie World” with Ice Spice drops June 23; the soundtrack for the Barbie movie, which also features Lizzo, The Kid LAROI, Khalid and more, drops on July 21 alongside the actual film.

Aerosmith announces career-spanning ‘Greatest Hits’ set

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Aerosmith is ready to start their goodbye to the road later this year, and now they are looking back at their career with a new compilation of their biggest hits.

The band just announced they’ll be releasing an “ultimate” Greatest Hits collection, which will be released in a variety of formats, including a super deluxe limited edition set to be sold exclusively through the Aerosmith store. It will feature 44 tracks, including such classics as “Dream On,” “Walk This Way,” “Sweet Emotion” and “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” It will also include some rarely seen photos, book-style sleeves, four black-and-white lithographs and more.

The set, dropping August 18, will also be released in a standard CD and LP format, as well as three-CD, two-LP and three-LP deluxe editions. All formats are currently available for preorder at the Aerosmith store and will be available for preorder at all other retailers on Thursday, June 22.

Aerosmith will hit the road this September on their Peace Out! tour. It kicks off September 2 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A complete list of dates can be found at aerosmith.com.

How one dad retired in his 30s and achieved financial freedom

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(SAN DIEGO) — Michael Quan was just 36 when he retired. Today, the father of two from San Diego is 46 and living a life of his choosing, having achieved his goal of financial independence.

“The goal wasn’t necessarily to retire super early. It was to really get to a place of financial independence or financial freedom where I didn’t have to work for money, where I could ultimately choose what I want to do with my time,” Quan told Good Morning America.

To achieve his goal, Quan started investing when he was 26, learning to make passive income from his uncles who had business and real estate investments.

“I was like, ‘You know what? That’s great. You get to focus on what really matters to you most and you get to be super intentional with your life,'” Quan said he remembered thinking at the time.

Quan adopted the F.I.R.E. method, short for “Financial Independence, Retire Early,” and began aggressively saving his salary. He started investing early, in his 20s, before he married and had children. He was also diligent and intentional from the get-go and was active and investing over time.

But instead of putting all his eggs in one basket, Quan invested his money into various stocks and index funds and his money grew over the years.

“I just started investing in the stock market and spending $5 a week, investing into stocks and so that really got me interested into building a portfolio at a young age, even before I started my company,” Quan said.

While working full time, Quan began to build an information technology consulting business that then led him to diversify his investments even more.

“Because I was building a business, I had the opportunity to cash out some of that equity and put that into real estate,” Quan said.

Quan worked on building his business for a decade until he received an unsolicited offer to buy out his company.

“I decided, I have a unique opportunity to be home and present with the kids. I have a lot of shots to build another business but only one shot at being a great dad,” Quan recalled thinking at the time.

Quan, who wrote a guide called The F.I.R.E. Planner, said one of the key tips he recommends to find success with the F.I.R.E. method is to embrace the right mindset.

“A lot of times, we are taught in school that you go out, you get a job, and then you work [a] traditional 9 to 5 job. And while that can work for some people, a lot of times, we feel trapped because we get into debt that society tells us is OK to finance your future. And if you remove that idea, you get back to a different belief that ‘Hey, I can actually build wealth over time slowly and it doesn’t have to be painful,'” Quan said. “It’s really the mindset that is the start. Once you have a belief and once you have the action, you’ll get the result.”

For example, if you think about building wealth over time slowly instead of trying to finance your future and set it up to be automatic, such as with automatic deposits into a 401(k) or an individual retirement account, you’re more likely to succeed at building a nest egg.

Another way Quan has achieved financial freedom without working is by relying on passive income, which offers a steady flow of cash with minimal upkeep. Popular passive income sources include investments, side hustles or high-yield savings accounts, where the majority of the work happens during the set-up process. Another way to generate passive income is to rent out high-value items you already have, such as your home, garage, power tools or even your pool for a day through services like Airbnb, VRBO or Peerspace.

Today, Quan said he uses the term “early retirement” in a loose way since he still works on different passion projects, such as financial coaching.

“I don’t think I’ll ever go back to work in a 9 to 5. What I will do though, is never stop working,” Quan said. “I get to work on incredible things. I love personal development and really helping other people. So I’ll definitely take on some coaching clients occasionally to help them in their journey. And then I’ve been doing some public speaking as well and going out and sharing with university kids or going to conferences and speaking.”

On This Day, June 20, 1942: The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is born

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On This Day, June 20, 1942 …

Brian Wilson was born in Inglewood, California.

In 1961, he co-founded The Beach Boys and changed the face of popular music with his gift for musical harmonies and vocal arrangements. The band had a string of top 40 hits, including “I Get Around,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “Good Vibrations,” which all went to number one.

After a nervous breakdown in 1964, Wilson stopped touring with the band, but did go on to record what he considered “probably the best album I ever did”: 1966’s Pet Sounds.

Wilson is a two-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Beach Boys in 1988. In 2000 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Sarah Jessica Parker reveals which ‘Sex and the City’ character she relates to most

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Sarah Jessica Parker is reflecting on the impact of Sex and the City as the landmark series marks its 25th anniversary.

Sex and the City premiered 25 years ago in June 1998, forever transforming female characters on television thanks to a quartet of women living their lives in bustling New York City: Carrie Bradshaw (Parker), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall).

One of the biggest questions that has united fans throughout the years is which character — or characters — they relate to the most. So which does Parker see most in herself?

“I think … gosh, you’d think I would be able to answer this question by now,” Parker told Diane Sawyer in a new interview for Good Morning America.

She continued, “I think I’m probably a mix of Miranda and Charlotte and Carrie.”

Why not Samantha? “I think Samantha always had a sorta courage that I don’t think I could muster or summon,” Parker explained.

Sex and the City, which has spawned a prequel series, two movies and a revival series, celebrated single women being brave, making their own choices and owning their mistakes. Parker said the one rule in the writers room on Sex and the City was to tell authentic stories.

“There’s a rule in the writers room on our show, has been from the beginning, that if an experience didn’t happen to one of the writers, if it wasn’t a shared experience that was real, it could not be made up,” Parker said.

As for which line the writers came up with that Parker gets quoted to her the most on the NYC streets she still calls home, the actress revealed it’s “Hello, lover.”

Homeland Security deputy secretary retiring

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien is retiring from the Department, he announced in an internal message to department staff on Tuesday.

Tien, an Army veteran who served three tours of duty, including in Operation Desert Storm, is leaving the Department on July 20, according to the message.

“After 26 years of combined federal service including three combat tours in Iraq and living apart from my family for the last two years, I have decided to return to Atlanta to re-join them there,” Tien said to the Department workforce in an email. “When I depart from DHS on July 20, 2023, I will most fondly remember what the Secretary and I tried to do for the workforce to vastly improve the lives of our fellow employees in terms of pay, training, facilities, and technology support, all essential to improving morale.”

The outgoing deputy secretary served in the military for 24 years after graduating from West Point with the school’s highest honor.

Tien is also one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans in the Biden administration. He spoke about it to ABC News last month.

“As a first-generation Asian American, I know that I’ve got a responsibility to be both seen and heard,” he explained in May.

In a message to the workforce obtained by ABC News, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called Tien a “patriot.”

“On behalf of 260,000 of us throughout the Department of Homeland Security — across the country and around the world — I express our profound thanks to him for making our Department and all of us the beneficiaries of his dedication to country and qualities as a person for the past two years,” Mayorkas said.

Hunter Biden live updates: Plea deal struck on tax charges, potentially ending yearslong DOJ probe

June 20, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Hunter Biden, the president’s son, has agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors and enter a deferred prosecution program for one felony gun possession charge, which would potentially end a yearslong probe, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Biden will acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018, according to the agreement. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend probation, meaning he will likely avoid prison time. For the gun charge, he will agree to pretrial diversion, with the charge being dropped if he adheres to certain terms.

Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:

Jun 20, 10:45 AM EDT
AG Garland declines to comment, left decision on deal to Weiss

A spokesperson for Attorney General Merrick Garland declined to comment when asked about the plea deal reached with Hunter Biden.

Garland is currently overseas in Stockholm, Sweden for the EU/US Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial meeting.

The decision to enter this deal was entirely left to U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ discretion, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Garland has previously told Congress that Weiss had full authority to bring whatever charges he may deem proper in accordance with DOJ’s guidelines.

He has also testified repeatedly that Weiss’ investigation has remained free from any improper political interference, which he affirmed in a press conference last month when asked about allegations by a purported IRS whistleblower who has sought to alert congressional leaders about potential misconduct in DOJ’s handling of the probe.

-ABC News’ Alexander Mallin

Jun 20, 10:33 AM EDT
Republicans on Capitol Hill vow to continue investigation into Bidens

While the federal investigation is over, the investigations will continue on Capitol Hill. The investigative committees have indicated they intend to keep pursuing Hunter Biden’s business dealings in foreign countries and whether he was trading on his family name.

The chair of the House Oversight Committee, James Comer, R-Ky., issued a statement saying this reveals a “two-tiered system of Justice” and calls it just a “slap on the wrist.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., tweeted it was a “stunt” to make Hunter Biden “look like he is just cooperating with DOJ.”

-ABC News’ Katherine Faulders

Jun 20, 10:21 AM EDT
Trump calls plea agreement ‘a mere traffic ticket’

Former President Donald Trump, who was defeated by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and could face him again in 2024, has posted to his Truth Social, calling the plea agreement “a mere ‘traffic ticket'” and saying “Our system is broken.”

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., called it a “sweetheart deal” and added, “The American people need President Trump back in office to appoint a truly independent special prosecutor that will finally bring justice.”

-ABC News’ Soorin Kim

Jun 20, 10:16 AM EDT
President, first lady say they ‘love’ and ‘support’ son

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden have released a statement through a spokesperson supporting their son.

“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” White House spokesperson Ian Sam said in a statement. “We will have no further comment.”

Jun 20, 10:08 AM EDT
Plea agreement could end yearslong probe

Federal authorities with the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware, led by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, opened their investigation into Hunter Biden in 2018. The investigation spilled into public view in December of 2020, shortly after Joe Biden secured the presidency, when Hunter Biden confirmed the probe into his “tax affairs.”

Prosecutors have since examined a range of potential crimes as part of their investigation and brought several witnesses before a federal grand jury empaneled in Wilmington, Delaware.

The impetus for the probe and investigators’ primary focus was whether Hunter Biden paid adequate taxes on millions of dollars of his income. The younger Biden paid off at least one significant tax liability of nearly $2 million in 2021 with the help of a Los Angeles-based entertainment lawyer name Kevin Morris, ABC News has reported.

Beyond his taxes, investigators scrutinized a gun application form signed by Hunter Biden in 2018. On the form, he checked a box indicating he was not an “unlawful user” of drugs, despite later acknowledging that he was indeed addicted to crack cocaine around that time, ABC News has reported.

A Yale-trained lawyer, Hunter Biden repeatedly said he was cooperating with investigators and remained “100% certain” that he would be cleared of any wrongdoing. Joe Biden has said he’s never spoken to his son about his foreign business and recently said Hunter Biden “has done nothing wrong.” There are no indications that the federal investigation involved the president in any way.

The White House has repeatedly sought to distance the president from the probe, and Attorney General Merrick Garland assured Congress that there would not be “interference of any political or improper kind.”

Jun 20, 10:05 AM EDT
Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax charges, enter pretrial program for gun charge

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has agreed to plead guilty to a pair of tax-related misdemeanors as part of a deal that would potentially end a politically fraught and yearslong probe into his personal and professional life, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Under an agreement negotiated with the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware, the younger Biden, 53, will acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors will recommend probation, meaning he will likely avoid prison time.

The agreement also includes what is known as a pretrial diversion for one felony count related to illegal possession of a firearm, which would not require Hunter Biden to submit a plea on that charge and stipulates that prosecutors would agree to drop it if he adheres to certain terms over a specified period of time.

If a federal judge accepts the deal, Tuesday’s development would mark the conclusion of an investigation that has dogged not only Hunter Biden, but also his father, whose political foes have latched onto the younger Biden’s overseas business dealings to level allegations depicting the entire Biden family as corrupt.

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