The New York Times - Tuesday Briefing: A presidential pardon

December 3, 2024

	By Gaya Gupta

Good morning. We’re covering President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter, and Russian warplanes in Syria.

Plus, Free North Korea Radio.

President Biden puts his hand on his son Hunter’s shoulder.

President Biden, left, and his son Hunter. Eric Lee/The New York Times

Biden pardoned his son in a sharp reversal

President Biden issued a full and unconditional pardon of his son Hunter on Sunday night after repeatedly insisting he would not do so. He said he made the decision because the tax and gun charges against Hunter were politically motivated.

“I believe in the justice system,” Biden said, “but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”

In pardoning his son, Biden sounded a lot like his successor by complaining about selective prosecution and political pressure, questioning the fairness of a system that Biden had, until now, long defended, Peter Baker writes. It was a remarkable turnaround for a man whose presidency and five-decade career were built in part on the idea that he would never interfere with the administration of justice. Some Democrats expressed their displeasure with the decision, while President-elect Donald Trump condemned it.

The pardon, and Biden’s rationale for granting it, will inevitably muddy the political waters as Trump prepares to take office. The incoming president has been open about his plans to use the Justice Department and F.B.I. to pursue “retribution” against his political adversaries. Trump has long argued that the justice system has been “weaponized” against him and that he is the victim of selective prosecution.

More on Trump

Trump’s decision to install Kash Patel as F.B.I. director indicates that he remains undaunted by Washington resistance.
Who is Massad Boulos, the Lebanese American tycoon and Trump adviser?
Some voters who believe the health establishment is corrupt are convinced that the only antidote is the upheaval promised by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Trump.
Here’s the latest on the next U.S. administration and a list of Trump’s cabinet picks so far.

Rubble left behind by an airstrike in Syria.

After a Russian airstrike in Idlib, northern Syria, yesterday. Mohammed Al Rifai/EPA, via Shutterstock

Russia and Iran pledged support for Syria’s leader

Russia and Iran pledged unconditional support to Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, sending warplanes as his forces tried to repel a startling rebel advance.

Syrian and Russian fighter jets struck targets across territory seized by rebels in northwestern Syria yesterday, according to Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory, a war monitor in Britain, said the strikes had killed both civilians and fighters.

The rebels appeared to continue their advance through Aleppo, once Syria’s largest city, and the surrounding areas, battling pro-Assad forces to capture more territory in the western province of Hama.

Analysis: Despite their promises to prop up al-Assad, its unclear how much Russia and Iran can really do. Neither has committed to sending troops — Russia is depleted from its long invasion of Ukraine, and Iran has spent the last year supporting Hezbollah against Israel.

A man holds eyeglasses in his hands. He is wearing a dark suit and a blue tie.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier last week. Julien De Rosa/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Calls for a no-confidence vote in France

Prime Minister Michel Barnier of France yesterday pushed a budget bill through the lower house of Parliament without a vote. The backlash was swift.

French left-wing parties and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party each said they would file a no-confidence motion — setting up a vote that could happen as early as tomorrow. The odds of a government collapse are now increasingly likely.

What’s next: The fate of Barnier and of his cabinet, both appointed by President Emmanuel Macron just three months ago, now hangs in the balance.

Economy: The turmoil prompted investors to sell French stocks and bonds, which has sent the country’s borrowing costs soaring.

MORE TOP NEWS

Two satellite images show the difference between Gaza before the war and the destruction as of September.

Satellite images of Gaza from before the current war, left, and in September 2024. Planet Labs

Gaza: The Israeli military has been fortifying military bases and demolishing Palestinian buildings, suggesting plans to exert long-term control over the enclave.
Russia: The wartime economy is slowing, causing tensions among the country’s economic elites as the war with Ukraine approaches its fourth year.
Romania: A center-left party won the most votes in a parliamentary election but a strong nationalist showing could make it difficult to form a stable, Western-oriented government.
Tech: Intel’s chief executive officer stepped down after nearly four years leading the semiconductor company.
Health: Hysterectomy patients in the U.S. are often in the dark about which organs remain and which were removed — particularly the ovaries.
Ukraine: Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany paid a surprise visit to Ukraine to reaffirm his country’s support amid fears in Kyiv that U.S. aid would dry up.
China: Inside a secret plan by U.S. diplomats to bring Uyghurs trapped in China to the U.S., reuniting them with their families.

Sports

Soccer: The Ipswich captain Sam Morsy chose not to wear a rainbow armband during an initiative to promote LGBTQ+ acceptance because of his religious beliefs.
Baseball: The Golden At-Bat rule could give the sport a new shine. But is it worth it?
Formula 1: The FIA has explained why Lando Norris was severely penalized during Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix and the delay in deploying the safety car.

MORNING READ

A man in a plain black shirt and a bucket hat.

Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Kim Seongmin fled North Korea in the 1990s. Now, he runs Free North Korea Radio, which broadcasts to his homeland twice a day, giving people the information that Pyongyang tries hard to suppress.

“North Korea is keeping its people like frogs trapped in a deep well,” Kim said. “We broadcast to help them realize that there is something wrong with their political system.” Read more here.

Lives lived: Bob Bryar, the former drummer for the rock band My Chemical Romance, has died at 44.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

An overhead video loop of Canada’s Western Arctic region.

A permafrost thaw slump on the shores of Lake Tiktalik. Renaud Philippe for The New York Times

The ground is melting: Canada’s Western Arctic is losing its permafrost. The Indigenous residents of Tuktoyaktuk know they’ll have to move but don’t agree on when.
A year of cinema: Our critics ranked the 10 best films of the year. Share your personalized watch list at the bottom of the page.
Back to black: A reader asks about the ideal number of black pants to own. Our fashion critic provides guidance.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

ARTS AND IDEAS

An owl-like stuffed toy seems to stare at you.

Furby plushies have been around since the 1990s. Gregory Bull/Associated Press

31 days of holiday delight

The holidays can be both a joyous and a complicated time. So, every day this month, The Times will offer small pleasures, reflections and distractions as part of our “31 Days” series.

Today, Genevieve Ko, a Food columnist, wrote about her tradition of baking a new kind of cookie every year to give her children a sense of amazement as they grow. Also, we looked back at the history of holiday “it” toys: Mr. Potato Head’s mustachioed glory in the 1950s, the Rubik’s Cube heyday in the 1980s and the more recent Squishmallows.

Sign up for our email newsletter to catch a holiday playlist from Jennifer Hudson, read about the return of Chrismukkah, and find out why Scandinavian gnomes are so appealing.

RECOMMENDATIONS

A colorful salad is served on a white plate.

David Malosh for The New York Times

Cook: Taverna salad, which draws inspiration from Greece and Lebanon, is a meal in itself.

Collect: So you just bought an art piece. Here’s why, and how, to hire a conservator.

Exercise: Working out can either ease insomnia or make it worse. This is what you can do about it.

Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya

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