Biden profited from his family’s influence-peddling
Also, the double standard in presidential scandals
Editorial Team
October 23, 2023
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Joe Biden has repeatedly denied corruption in family business schemes. But are his court and bank records enough for the House to finally hold him responsible?
Today we’re covering:
💰 Suspicious payments in Biden family business dealings
🗞️ The media’s double standard on Biden’s scandal
🌎 The lack of U.S. ambassadors in the Middle East 🔒
And everything else you need to know.
☕️ Welcome back. I’m Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, our team scours 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t find in the MSM—all in 5 minutes. Were you forwarded this email? Sign up here.
WASHINGTON
Trump and Biden scandals show a double standard in media coverage
What’s happening: Establishment media outlets are aggressively downplaying or ignoring scandals in President Joe Biden’s family related to his son’s foreign business ventures, which have inspired a House impeachment inquiry.
Why it matters: Journalists sang a very different tune when former President Donald Trump was baselessly accused of colluding with Russia to become president. Though multiple Justice Department reports found no evidence, and Hillary Clinton’s opposition campaign had inspired the investigation, the corporate media continued to treat the collusion claims as serious and concerning.
When it’s Trump: The Trump-Russia hoax was America’s top news story for years, covered in meticulous detail, and the topic of hundreds of thousands of articles. New information was described as “stunning,” “bombshell,” or “damning,” even when reports relied on now-debunked claims from anonymous sources.
When it’s Biden: Reporters have described credible evidence of Biden’s corruption as “thin,” “unverified,” or even “testimony [that] … appears to exonerate” him. Outlets also claim that Republicans have turned up “no evidence of wrongdoing.” At the very least, the investigations have corroborated the complaint that Biden misled the public about his involvement with Hunter’s business partners.
Not even newsworthy? The largest television news companies have refused to cover new information from the investigations in their broadcasts.
The state of journalism: The New York Times and Washington Post — two of the most influential newspapers in America — each won a Pulitzer Prize for their Trump-Russia coverage. Some journalists still claim that the collusion hoax is true.
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
🇵🇸 Pro-Palestinian protests break out globally. People worldwide, including an estimated 100,000 in London, protested to call for a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel and to support Gaza's residents. Large demonstrations occurred in Washington D.C. and Brooklyn, where clashes with police led to hundreds of arrests. (Reuters, ABC7 New York, ABC News)
👨⚖️ Supreme Court will hear landmark censorship case. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear Missouri V. Biden, a crucial case on whether Biden administration officials can work with online platforms to censor viewpoints. But the court has paused a lower court's order, letting officials continue talking to these platforms until a final decision is made. (New York Post)
🪖 Israel braces for Gaza ground invasion. The second wave of humanitarian aid has arrived in Gaza as an Israeli ground invasion looms. The Israeli military is concerned that Hamas might be making chemical weapons after finding instructions for a cyanide device on the body of a Hamas member. (New York Times, Axios)
💥 Tension rises in the Middle East. U.S. and Israeli authorities are increasingly concerned that Iran-backed militias such as Hezbollah may join the conflict. In response, the Pentagon has moved a carrier group to the Persian Gulf to deter Iranian involvement and has deployed more air defense systems to the area. (Wall Street Journal, CBS News)
WHAT WE’RE HEARING
The race to become speaker kicks off again tomorrow with the GOP holding a closed-door vote after Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) failed to convince moderates to support his bid. (NBC News)
Republicans are increasingly calling for foreign students sympathizing with Hamas and Islamic terrorism to be deported and for their student visas to be revoked. (Fox News)
IN AMERICA
Biden profited from his family’s influence peddling
Revealed: President Joe Biden’s brother, James, sent him money in 2018 on the same day a U.S. company paid James with the expectation that “his last name could open doors,” according to court and bank records obtained by the House Oversight Committee.
Why it matters: The story adds to a larger picture of influence peddling by members of the Biden family, along with testimony and emails indicating the president was knowingly involved in selling the family “brand.” More importantly, it refutes the claim made by Biden, his allies, and the media that Joe Biden never directly benefitted from his family’s dealings.
Background: Americore, a struggling rural hospital operator, sued James Biden in 2018 for unpaid loans that he was given based on his promises of large incoming investments. The CEO and other executives alleged that James promised to bring Americore connections and cash flow based on his status as a Biden. The investments never came through.
The payment to James: Americore paid James so that he would use “his last name” to “open doors” for the company and “obtain a large investment from the Middle East based on his political connections,” according to the lawsuit, which James settled last year.
The payment to Joe: The day that Americore paid James $200,000, James sent $200,000 directly to Joe Biden. James recorded it as a “loan repayment” to his brother.
The bigger picture: The first family’s business dealings — spanning Joe Biden’s vice presidency and beyond — are now the topic of a House impeachment inquiry as Republicans seek to prove it improperly influenced his leadership.
Biden’s Ambassador Problem
What’s happening: Amid the most significant foreign policy crisis of Joe Biden’s presidency — the Israel-Hamas war — the U.S. does not have ambassadors to the two main state actors involved…
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POLL
Should Republicans still impeach Biden with the geopolitical crisis?Poll results will be in tomorrow's newsletter. |
POLL RESULTS FROM FRIDAY
Should judges have a say in children getting sex changes?
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👍 Yes (30)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👎 No (693)
⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (46)
👍 Yes: “If it's an issue that comes up between parents, then isn't that the point of a judge?” — Saarah
👎 No: “Absolutely not. It is absurd to think these surgeries are anything more than Frankenstein experiments” — Kim
🤔 Unsure: “With the number of “political” judges we now have I’m not sure that type of authority and power would be used properly.” — David
IN THE LOOP
China has six warships in the Middle East as the region prepares itself for a possible regional war. (South China Morning Post)
A majority of people 18-24 believe Hamas’s attack on civilians was “justified,” according to a Harvard-Harris poll. (Harvard-Harris Poll)
University students and staff have been seen tearing down fliers of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas. (Daily Wire)
Google is set to pay a female ex-employee $1 million after a court found the company liable for gender discrimination. (Bloomberg Law)
Detroit synagogue President Samantha Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home. Police have not yet found a motive. (Epoch Times)