Baltimore Sun

FBI investigat­ing Russian involvemen­t in Hunter Biden story

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WASHINGTON — The FBI is i nvestigati­ng whether emails that were published by the New York Post related to Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, are connected to a possible Russian influence operation to spread disinforma­tion, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The newspaper said in its story Wednesday that it had obtained a hard drive from Rudy Giuliani — a lawyer f or President Donald Trump and a former mayor of New York — containing the emails, and that the messages were found on a laptop that had been left last year at a Delaware computer repair shop for service but never retrieved.

The unlikely account of how the emails surfaced raised immediate questions about Russian involvemen­t, particular­ly because U.S. officials have warned that Russia — which backed Trump’s 2016 campaign through hacking and a covert social media campaign — is interferin­g again this year.

The episode is being investigat­ed as part of a possible Russian influence operation, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press to discuss an ongoing matter.

The authentici­ty of the emails remained unclear as of Friday, i ncluding whether they were hacked or possibly forged or both. Giuliani did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment, but he said in a Fox News interview Friday that the material was “authentic as hell.”

An FBI spokeswoma­n declined to comment Friday, citing the bureau’s practice of neither confirming nor denying investigat­ions

Arms control: The U.S. and Russia on Friday rejected each other’s proposals for potentiall­y salvaging the last remaining legal constraint on their strategic nuclear forces.

President Vladimir Putin called for an unconditio­nal extension of the soon-toexpire New START treaty, and the White House called that a “non-starter.”

President Donald

Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, suggested the Russians rethink their stance “before a costly arms race ensues.” Neither Newsom nor the arrest of Mexico’s former Administra­tion officials White House gave details defense minister in the have previously alluded to on why the administra­tion United States on charges building up nuclear forces if shifted positions only hours Forbeheade­d: that he protected a drug the treaty is abandoned, after it initially denied the mer New Jersey Gov. Chris French President Emmancarte­l in exchange for bribes although the Pentagon has state’s request for a declaraChr­istie said he was wrong uel Macron denounced is a blow to Mexico’s miliits hands full paying for a tion that officials said could not to wear a mask at the what he called an “Islamist tary, one of the few instituone-for-one replacemen­t of provide the state with hunWhite House, after he and terrorist attack” against a tions that had maintained older nuclear weapons. dreds of millions of dollars. President Donald Trump history teacher decapitate­d the confidence of the peo

The Trumpple.administra-WhiteHouse­spokesmanb­othcamedow­nwiththein­aParissubu­rbFriday. tion recently proposed a Judd Deere previously said coronaviru­s. The teacher had disUntil Thursday’s arrest of one-year extension of the California’s request “was Christie, in a statement cussed caricature­s of Isretired Gen. Salvador Cien2010 treaty, which is set to not supported by the releissued Thursday, said he lam’s Prophet Muhammad fuegos at Los Angeles Interexpir­e in February 2021, but vant data” needed for aphas recovered f rom with his class, authoritie­s national Airport, the miliit said this must be coupled proval and that Trump COVID-19 after a weeklong said. The suspected attary was still respected by with the imposition of a agreed with a recommenda­stay in a hospital’s intensive tacker was shot to death by virtue of appearing to be broader cap on U.S. and tion from the Federal Emercare unit. He called on all police after Friday’s belargely above the corrupRuss­ian nuclear warheads. gency Management Agency political leaders to advocate heading. tion commonly seen in The cap would cover waradminis­trator to reject the for face coverings, with the The French anti-terrorothe­r pieces of Mexico’s heads not limited by the declaratio­n. practice becoming increasism prosecutor opened an security apparatus, despite New START treaty. Putin “The Governor and ingly politicize­d even as the investigat­ion concerning documented human rights said Friday a one-year ex(GOP) Leader (Kevin) Mcpandemic has killed more murder with a suspected abuses. tension was okay but should Carthy spoke and presented than 218,000 Americans. terrorist motive, the proseCienf­uegos was arrested not be conditione­d on a a convincing case and addi“I believed that when I cutor’s office said. at the request of the U.S. wider cap on warheads. tional on-the-ground perentered the White House A police official said the Drug Enforcemen­t Adminspect­ive for reconsider­ation grounds, that I had entered suspect, armed with a knife istration. He was scheduled leading the President to a safe zone, due to the and an airsoft gun — which to make an initial appearappr­ove the declaratio­n,” testing that and I and many fires plastic pellets — was ance in court via video call Deere said in a statement others underwent every shot dead about 600 yards Friday afternoon and to after Trump’s change of day,” Christie said. “I was from where the male eventually be transferre­d to heart. wrong.” teacher was killed after he New York where the case

McCarthy t hanked Christie was at the White failed to respond to orders originated.

Trump in a tweet for proHouse for the announceto put down his arms and Cienfuegos had been viding “the assistance ment of Judge Amy Coney acted in a threatenin­g manMexico’s top military offineeded to rebuild and reBarrett as the president’s ner. cial during the presidency pair,” though his office did nominee to the Supreme of Enrique Pena Nieto from not respond to requests for Court and to a participat­e in 2012 to 2018.

California wildfires:

President Donald Trump’s administra­tion abruptly reversed course and approved California’s applicatio­n for disaster relief funds to clean up damage from six recent deadly and destructiv­e blazes that have scorched the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday. more details on what changed.

Christie backtracks:

several rounds of Trump’s debate preparatio­n.

Teacher

Mexico corruption:

The

 ?? JACK TAYLOR/GETTY-AFP ?? Thailand protests: Thousands of student-led protesters, in defiance of a state of emergency, converged for a second straight day Friday in Bangkok. Using water cannons, riot police also cracked down on protesters by charging into the crowd. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha rejected demands from protesters that he resign.
JACK TAYLOR/GETTY-AFP Thailand protests: Thousands of student-led protesters, in defiance of a state of emergency, converged for a second straight day Friday in Bangkok. Using water cannons, riot police also cracked down on protesters by charging into the crowd. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha rejected demands from protesters that he resign.

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