A jury in Wilmington, Del., today found Hunter Biden, the president’s son, guilty of three felony counts of lying on a federal firearms application in 2018. He could face up to 25 years in prison, but first-time offenders typically receive no jail time.
The crimes stemmed from Biden’s purchase of a handgun at one of the low points of his troubled life. He had been addicted to crack cocaine, and he decided to buy a .38-caliber handgun because he thought spending time on a shooting range would help him avoid drugs. But when purchasing the gun, he wrote on a federal form that he was not using drugs — an assertion that prosecutors successfully persuaded the jury was false.
Here are some takeaways from the verdict.
The conviction brought an end to an extraordinary seven-day trial that made public Biden’s reckless behavior. The case reached that point after Biden’s plea deal with the government, which would have resulted in no prison time, imploded last year.
The verdict is likely to weigh heavily — personally and politically — on President Biden as he continues a bruising re-election campaign. The president has said he will not pardon his son, adding today that he will “respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles are not over. He still faces tax charges in Los Angeles that are considered more serious than those in the Wilmington case. That trial is scheduled for September.
Israel and Hamas face pressure to agree to a cease-fire deal
A day after the U.N. Security Council endorsed a U.S.-backed cease-fire plan for Gaza, both Israel and Hamas emphasized that they were open to the plan. But neither agreed to formally embrace the proposal. Here’s how it would work.
An Israeli official said that the proposal “enables Israel to achieve” its war goals, including destroying Hamas’s capabilities and freeing all the hostages in Gaza, but stopped short of saying whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would sign on.
A senior Hamas official said the group had “dealt positively” with the proposal.
The U.S. plans to send another Patriot system to Ukraine
President Biden approved the deployment of another Patriot missile system to Ukraine in an effort to bolster Ukrainian air defenses in their fight against Russia, senior U.S. officials said. It could arrive at the front lines in the next few days.
The system is considered one of the U.S.’s best air-defense weapons, and also one of the scarcest weapons systems in the American arsenal. It is also by far the most expensive single weapon system that the U.S. has supplied to Ukraine, at a total cost of about $1.1 billion.
The U.S., which sent a different Patriot system to Ukraine last year, will move the new one from Poland.
Age is on the ballot in North Dakota
For months, as the presidential election has drawn closer, a debate over the age of American politicians has swirled: Is there a point at which candidates should be deemed too old to run? Should age matter at all? Today, voters in North Dakota are weighing in.
The state is considering a ballot measure that would amend the state Constitution to bar candidates from running for Congress if they would turn 81 or older by the end of the year before their term ends.
For more: Here’s what else to look for in today’s primary elections.
Malls are making a comeback
For the first time in 20 years, the demand for retail space is outstripping supply.
That may come as a surprise after the pandemic fueled an online shopping boom and the struggles many traditional retailers have publicly endured. But the retail properties that survived have managed to attract shoppers by offering more restaurants and venues that promote recreational experiences.
Foragers can’t stop finding new fungi
There are so many different types of mushrooms that one group of botanists estimated that as many as 95 percent of the planet’s fungal species have yet to be described. One researcher even said that almost anyone in North America could go outside and “easily find a new species of mushroom.” That’s exactly what many hobbyists have been doing.
Foraging has become so popular since the start of the pandemic that state and federal agencies have begun to consider new restrictions on where it should be allowed.
A historical treasure in the basement
A 178-year-old photograph recently discovered in a basement turned out to be an authentic portrait of Dolley Madison, the wife of James Madison. Sotheby’s considers the image to be the earliest known picture of a first lady.
Now the auction house is putting the photograph up for bidding, where it is expected to fetch between $50,000 and $70,000. At the time the image was taken, Madison had left the White House, but was still considered the grande dame of Washington. She is credited with creating the role of the first lady as we know it today.
Have a pioneering evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Phil Pacheco was our photo editor today.
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