A federal judge issued Hunter Biden a decisive legal defeat on Monday.Earlier this year‚ Hunter's attorneys filed eight motions to dismiss criminal tax charges against him. Among other reasons‚ they argued the nine-count indictment should be tossed because:Hunter has immunity stemming from a pretrial diversion agreement that was part of a controversial plea deal that eventually fell through last summer;Special counsel David Weiss was unlawfully appointed and his appointment violates the Appropriations Clause;Hunter is the victim of selective and vindictive prosecution;Hunter has suffered due process violations because of "outrageous government conduct." But United States District Judge Mark Scarsi bought none of Hunter's arguments.In an extensive 82-page ruling that was handed down weeks before his self-imposed deadline of April 17‚ Judge Scarsi decimated each argument that Hunter's attorneys made in their motions to dismiss.1. ImmunityLeaning on standard interpretive rules for contracts‚ Scarsi determined that Biden's pretrial diversion agreement is not in effect‚ and thus Hunter does not have immunity."Having found that the Diversion Agreement is a contract that binds the parties but that the parties made the Probation Officer’s signature a condition precedent to its performance‚ the Court turns to Defendant’s theory of immunity: that the United States’ obligation to refrain from prosecuting Defendant ... is currently in force. It is not‚" Scarsi ruled.2. Weiss' appointmentScarsi found that Hunter's argument regarding Weiss' appointment — and specifically his appointment as a special counsel — "clearly places form over substance." That's because Hunter's attorneys conceded multiple times in their filings that Attorney General Merrick Garland has the statutory authority "to appoint a prosecutor.""Following Defendant’s logic‚ the Attorney General could have appointed Mr. Weiss 'Designated Counsel' pursuant to the Attorney General’s statutory authority and the issue Defendant complains of would disappear. That the Attorney General used the term 'Special Counsel' instead of some other term similarly indicative of an independent counsel is a distinction without a difference‚" Scarsi explained.Moreover‚ Scarsi determined that "Weiss is lawfully funded through the indefinite appropriation‚ and the Appropriations Clause has not been violated."3. Selective and vindictive prosecutionScarsi not only ruled against Hunter‚ but the judge scolded Hunter's argument and evidence — or lack thereof."As the Court stated at the hearing‚ Defendant filed his motion without any evidence‚" Scarsi wrote."The motion is remarkable in that it fails to include a single declaration‚ exhibit‚ or request for judicial notice. Instead‚ Defendant cites portions of various Internet news sources‚ social media posts‚ and legal blogs. These citations‚ however‚ are not evidence‚" he continued. "To that end‚ the Court may deny the motion without further discussion."Still‚ Scarsi gave Hunter's argument some discussion.The evidence Hunter's attorneys provided to support their allegations are "only conjecture‚" Scarsi said. And even then‚ the judge found those circumstantial allegations to be "thin" — at best.4. Due process violationsHunter's attorneys argued that Hunter's due process rights were violated by the actions of the two IRS whistleblowers‚ claiming they leaked confidential information about Hunter's taxes.Not only did Scarsi disagree‚ but he explained that it would not be appropriate for the court to exercise its "supervisory powers" on the motion."Aside from failing to substantiate his allegations that the agents influenced the prosecutorial decision with anything but speculation‚ Defendant offers no case in which a court exercised supervisory powers to dismiss an indictment due to conduct that impacts the fundamental decision to prosecute‚" Scarsi wrote."Defendant offers no facts to suggest that the information Shapley and Ziegler shared publicly had any prejudicial effect on the grand jury’s decision to return an indictment‚" he explained. "That Shapley and Ziegler’s public statements brought notoriety to Defendant’s case is not enough to show prejudice."What's next?Abbe Lowell‚ Hunter's lead attorney‚ suggested in a statement on Monday that Hunter may appeal Scarsi's ruling."We strongly disagree with the Court’s decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden’s challenges to the abnormal way the Special Counsel handled this investigation and charged this case‚" Lowell said.Unless Scarsi's ruling is overturned‚ Monday's decision means the first son is headed to trial‚ which is scheduled to begin on June 20.Meanwhile‚ U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika has not yet ruled on Hunter's motions to dismiss his federal gun crimes. Many of his arguments in that case mirror those that Scarsi rejected. If Noreika takes the same views as Scarsi‚ Hunter will begin trial for that case on June 3.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Oregon's Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek ratified legislation Monday re-criminalizing the possession of small amounts of drugs‚ bringing a fatal leftist experiment to an end. Narco state In 2020‚ radicals in the Beaver State figured that the best way to tackle addiction and perceived "systems of oppression" would be to enable addicts to openly carry illicit drugs such as heroin‚ cocaine‚ and methamphetamin without legal consequence. This decriminalization initiative took on the form of Measure 110‚ which reclassified possession of a controlled substance in Schedule I-IV from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E violation. The Democratic Party of Oregon‚ Multnomah Democrats‚ several medical unions‚ the ACLU of Oregon‚ NAACP Portland‚ NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon‚ and various other leftist outfits championed the measure. The Oregon Association Chiefs of Police‚ various recovery groups‚ the Oregon Catholic Conference‚ and the Washington County Republican Party were among those who understood the decriminalization scheme was a recipe for disaster‚ reported Ballotpedia. Naomi Schaefer Riley‚ a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute‚ warned that "such measures lower the risk and the cost of doing business for drug dealers and increase the supply of these drugs on streets across the country. Drugs will be cheaper and easier to get for adults already suffering from untreated mental illness‚ poverty or abuse. And the effects will be felt most severely by children." Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton underscored‚ "This is a terrible idea. It's disconnected to what's best for Oregonians. It will lead to increased crime and increased drug use." Measure 110 went to a vote in November 2020 and 58.5% of voters indicated they were on board. Kassandra Frederique‚ the executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance‚ touted the result as a "paradigm-shifting win and arguably the biggest blow to the war on drugs to date‚" adding‚ "Oregon showed the world that a more humane‚ compassionate approach is possible." The law took effect in February 2021. Fatal failure It turns out normalizing the use of hard drugs was indeed "a terrible idea." After all‚ earlier this year‚ Gov. Kotek‚ Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler‚ and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson each declared a 90-day state of emergency to address the out-of-control overdoses in the state. Newsweek reported that between 2020 and 2022‚ overdose deaths in Oregon skyrocketed by 75%. By way of comparison‚ overdose death increased by only 18% nationally during the same two-year stretch. Opioid overdoses in the Beaver State during this period increased by 101% and meth-involved overdoses increased by 112%. Violent crime increased by 17% after Measure 110 passed‚ while public drug use and homeless camps full of junkies became ubiquitous. Portland remains one of America's seedier cities‚ ranking 1 on Neighborhood Scout's crime index where 100 is safest. To make matters worse‚ as drugs were freely flowing through the streets of Oregon and crime was on the rise‚ the state also saw one of the largest increases in homelessness in the nation. The Oregonian reported that between 2020 and 2022‚ the state saw an increase in its homeless population from 3‚304 homeless persons to roughly 18‚000. The public quickly soured on the decriminalization scheme‚ with even radicals like Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland seeking some return to sanity. Correcting a 'huge mistake' Kotek ratified House Bill 4002 on Monday‚ effectively reversing Measure 110. Under the law‚ which had bipartisan support‚ a court can lock up an individual found in possession of illegal drugs for up to 180 days or sentence them to 18 months of probation. Jail sentences can be reduced "for any day the defendant is on release to a treatment program or previously served in-custody." The law‚ which prevents courts from imposing fines or fees for a drug possession conviction‚ won't go into effect until Sept. 1. The Statesman Journal reported that during testimony at the state legislature‚ the Oregon Public Defense Commission indicated it would have to hire 39 new full-time public defenders just to accommodate the glut of incoming suspects charged for drug offenses under the bill. "We must acknowledge that Oregon's number of unrepresented persons will likely increase due to House Bill 4002‚" Kotek wrote in a letter to the speaker of the state House and the president of the state Senate. While critical of Measure 110 and its fallout‚ Wheeler still appears unwilling to condemn the idea animating the decriminalization movement‚ telling the New York Times that "the state botched the implementation. ... To decriminalize the use of drugs before you actually had the treatment services in place was obviously a huge mistake." "The truth is that addiction rates and overdose rates skyrocketed. I personally do not attribute all of that to the passage of Measure 110‚" added Wheeler. "It was very easy for the public to draw a line between the passage of Measure 110‚ the decriminalization of hard drugs‚ the increase in addiction and the increase in overdoses — and criminal activity associated with drugs." Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An Alaska Airlines flight that was on its way from Hawaii to Alaska turned around after a bathroom on the flight flooded the aisles of the Boeing 737 Max 9 jet with water‚ according to Alaska News Source. The incident is the most recent in a slew of issues with Boeing flights over the last few months.The flight from Honolulu to Anchorage departed after 10:00 p.m. Friday night and was in the air for just 90 minutes when the front bathroom suddenly began to malfunction‚ ultimately leading to flooding in the aisle of the aircraft.Instead of continuing the six-hour flight to Alaska‚ the captain of Alaska Airlines flight 828 decided to turn back to Hawaii to have the problem resolved. Footage of the incident was posted to YouTube‚ where flight attendants can be seen trying to soak up as much water as possible with paper towels and blankets. Dustin Parker — a passenger on the flight — said that "there was probably two to four inches of standing water that swooshed out as soon as you opened that front door of the lavatory.""I would say an hour and a half into the flight is when we noticed the water and it was significant. The entire floorboards of that airplane were completely wet."The issue is believed to have originated from the bathroom sink‚ not the toilet‚ according to the Daily Mail. A flight map revealed that the flight was in the air for almost two-and-a-half hours before safely landing back in Hawaii at 12:30 a.m.Reports stated that the passengers were rebooked on other flights because there was no other plane at the airport to take them back to Anchorage.The airline said the following in a statement: "We apologize to our guests for the inconvenience this caused and commend the crew for their actions to ensure the well-being and comfort of our guests."Alaska Airlines made headlines at the beginning of the year after a door plug blew out on a Boeing 737 Max 9 — the same model of plane that the flooding occurred in. The Department of Justice opened an investigation into Boeing following the door issue.Boeing has been at the center of scandals over the past few years‚ including the mysterious death of John Barnett‚ who was in the process of giving testimony about quality checks for Boeing's aircraft earlier this year. While Barnett's death has been ruled a suicide‚ some are skeptical of this conclusion.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A 22-year-old from New Jersey was found dead in his fraternity house at Bucknell University‚ just weeks before he was set to graduate with a major in political science‚ according to the New York Post.Christian Samay — from Mountain Lakes‚ New Jersey — was reportedly pronounced dead at 1:50 p.m. Saturday at his Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house. While the cause of death has not been made public‚ the authorities were sure to confirm that Samay's death did not have anything to do with the active shooter alert and campus lockdown Friday night.College President John Bravman published a statement following the revelation of Samay's death‚ writing: “This is an unspeakable loss for the Bucknell community‚ and our hearts go out to Christian’s family and friends."“I wish to note that his death was unrelated to last night’s active shooter alert and campus lockdown and that the circumstances are not suspicious‚” he wrote. “I call upon all Bucknellians to support each other in this difficult time‚ and to keep Christian’s family in your prayers.”PennLive.com reported that Union County Coroner Dominick Adamo said the investigation into the nature of Samay's death is still ongoing and that an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.“Please know that the safety and security of our students are our utmost priorities‚” Bravman wrote to college community members.“I want to reassure you that we are taking every step possible to support our students during this difficult time. Counseling services are available for any student who may need support‚ and our staff and faculty are here to provide guidance and assistance as needed‚” he continued.Reports stated that an alert was issued around 1:47 p.m. on Saturday concerning an investigation at 78 University Avenue‚ which is the address of Samay's fraternity house. The school has not yet provided details about where Samay's body was found in the house or how officials believe he died.Amaya Becker‚ who is a student at the college‚ posted to Facebook: “Our student body is really shaken from the last 24 hours. Nothing is currently set in stone‚ but the students are currently organizing to have their own vigil on the campus quad in remembrance.”The active shooter alert on campus less than 24 hours before Samay's body was found was reported to be a hoax originating out of Virginia‚ according to Pennsylvania State Police‚ per USA Today.No details are available about how the authorities concluded the alert was a hoax or who may have been behind it. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Oakland Police Department announced that it recently arrested three suspected "East Bay Pirates" who allegedly raided houseboats and yachts along Oakland's waterfront‚ KRON reported.On Thursday‚ authorities detained three individuals believed to be connected to a March 13 robbery that targeted a maritime business on the 1300 block of Embarcadero‚ a San Francisco waterfront. The break-in prompted a joint investigation between the Oakland Police Department Marine Unit and the Criminal Investigation Division Burglary Unit.Police officers used security footage provided by the business to identify the suspects‚ who they recognized as individuals residing on boats in the Oakland Estuary‚ KPIX-TV reported. Law enforcement officials recovered items stolen from the business on two ships associated with the detained individuals. Authorities will present the case to Alameda District Attorney Pamela Price's office for charging. George Soros-backed Price is currently facing a recall effort over her soft-on-crime policies‚ which critics argue have led to a significant uptick in crime in Oakland.Residents living in houseboats and yachts along the waterfront have reported an increase in theft and physical confrontations with the "East Bay Pirates‚" according to Fox News Digital. The thieves use small stolen or abandoned boats to reach and break into larger ships docked in the area.During an October San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission's enforcement meeting‚ former harbormaster Brock de Lappe stated‚ "The open shoreline of the (Oakland-Alameda) estuary is littered with sunken wrecks and derelict‚ end-of-life vessels‚ and crime has risen to truly intolerable levels.""Multiple vessels have been stolen and ransacked. Victims have had to resort to personally confronting the criminals to recover their property without the benefit of police support. Is this an appropriate activity for a 79-year-old senior?" de Lappe questioned.Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi told Fox News Digital‚ "In the waterways‚ it's very difficult to draw a line.""There are no roadways or fence lines‚ so we all have a shared interest‚ much like crime as a whole‚ to deal with this as a regional approach‚" Joshi noted.A Coast Guard spokesperson called the waterfront burglaries "a federal and state problem‚" Fox News Digital reported. "We're all working to protect the best interests of everyone in the estuary‚" the representative told the news outlet.Oakland police are still investigating the thefts. Residents across Oakland have sounded the alarm about the area's out-of-control crime problem. Several San Francisco Bay Area businesses‚ including Denny's‚ In-N-Out‚ Black Bear Diner‚ Subway‚ and Starbucks‚ announced that they would close amid the crime wave. Last month‚ Taco Bell stated that several of its Oakland locations will close their dining rooms following several recent robberies.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Lots of shooters showcase hyper-realistic visuals and true-to-life weapons‚ but few of them have ever touched Superhot for the sheer amount of cool packed into each frame. The third game in the series‚ Superhot: Mind Control Delete‚ is now available on Game Pass‚ and it's definitely worth checking out. Continue reading 2020’s coolest shooter lands on Xbox Game Pass today

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 still reigns supreme‚ unchallenged as definitely the finest gaming GPU on the planet‚ over 18 months since it was first released. However‚ it's never been cheap‚ particularly over the last few months‚ when prices have rocketed. Thankfully‚ though‚ you can today get a Gigabyte variant of the card for one of the lowest prices we've recently seen. The RTX 4090's time at the top of our best graphics card list doesn't look to be coming to an end any time soon so it's unlikely to receive a major blanket discount from Nvidia in the near future. That's why this Gigabyte RTX 4090 deal on Newegg is quite so notable. Continue reading Grab an Nvidia RTX 4090 for the lowest price we’ve seen in months MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Gigabyte Aero 15 laptop review‚ Gigabyte Aorus X470 Gaming 7 WiFi review‚ Best AMD gaming motherboard

Is Content Warning Steam Deck compatible? It's always exciting to see another indie title take off into the stratosphere‚ and Content Warning appears to be the next game to hit it big on Steam. However‚ its current Steam Deck status could be a dealbreaker for some. Content Warning surprised many when it launched for free on Steam‚ but the deal is only set for the first 24 hours. While it's proven very popular with PC players‚ landing over 200‚000 concurrent players in its first day‚ the lack of Steam Deck support has some players wondering if it's a priority. Continue reading Is Content Warning Steam Deck compatible? MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best graphics card‚ Best gaming PC‚ Best SSD for gaming

Fans of survival city builders have been spoiled for choice over the past few years‚ with terrific games like Surviving the Aftermath‚ Settlement Survival‚ and Medieval Dynasty to choose from. A new entry has launched in early access today called Of Life and Land‚ and it has a unique take on sustainable growth that might make it worth your while. If you're a little tired of Cities Skylines 2‚ or want something to complement and accompany RimWorld‚ you're in luck. Oh‚ and there's a free demo to try out as well. Continue reading This beautiful early access city builder has a free demo out now MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city building games‚ Best management games‚ The best games like RimWorld

If there's one game we're all waiting on‚ it's Hollow Knight Silksong. The highly anticipated sequel to 2017's hit Metroidvania has us all on the edge of our seats‚ hoping and praying that we'll catch a glimpse of the mysterious princess in action‚ needle-like blade at the ready. With no launch date in sight‚ though‚ I've been looking for something equally as creepy to keep me occupied‚ and new platformer Saviorless is exactly what I've been needing. Continue reading After eight years‚ this Hollow Knight style platformer is finally out MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best indie games‚ Best platform games‚ Best fantasy games