Monday Briefing: President Biden pardons his son

Plus, fighting rages in Syria.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 2, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering a presidential pardon for Hunter Biden and fierce fighting in Syria. Plus: The best TV of the year. Until Sunday night, President Biden had said that he would not pardon or commute the sentence of his son Hunter. Eric Lee/The New York Times President Biden pardoned his son Hunter In a reversal, President Biden last night fully and unconditionally pardoned his son Hunter, using the power of his office to wave aside years of legal troubles, including a federal conviction for illegally buying a gun. In a statement, the president said he decided to issue the executive grant of clemency for his son because he considered the charges politically motivated and designed to hurt him politically. "The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," he said. Read the full statement. Past presidents have used their executive power late in a term to commute the sentence of a family member. President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton for old cocaine charges, and Donald Trump pardoned his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner, for tax evasion and other crimes. (Over the weekend, Trump said that he would nominate Kushner to be the U.S. ambassador to France.) In other U.S. political news: Trump announced his choice of Kash Patel to lead the F.B.I. Here are five things to know about Patel. Trump said he would name Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of his daughter Tiffany, as a senior adviser covering Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Rebel fighters with an abandoned government tank in the Syrian province of Aleppo on Sunday. Aref Tammawi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Fighting rages in Syria as rebels advance Rebel forces advanced in Syria amid fierce fighting yesterday, capturing the airport and the military academy of Aleppo and attacking the outskirts of Hama, a city in the country's west, according to rebel officials and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Government troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad rushed in reinforcements and launched airstrikes on Aleppo, according to the Observatory, a war monitor in Britain. The rebels had captured much of Aleppo a day earlier in a surprise offensive. They now control a broad patch across the provinces of Hama, Idlib and Aleppo in western and northwestern Syria, according to officials from the rebel-linked administration and the war monitor. The Observatory said that government troops were battling to defend Hama and that reinforcements had arrived to man defensive lines around that city and others nearby. Syrian government warplanes bombed territory now held by the rebels, including targets across the city of Aleppo, causing dozens of civilian casualties, the monitor said. The rebel alliance is led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was once linked with Al Qaeda but publicly broke with the terrorist group years ago. Turkish-backed rebel groups have also joined them. Also in the Middle East: A former defense minister of Israel accused its leadership of war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had struck several Hezbollah sites in Lebanon, keeping the country on edge over a fragile cease-fire. Israel said it had killed a World Central Kitchen worker whom it accused of taking part in the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks led by Hamas. It was the second Israeli strike to kill workers affiliated with the aid group. The police used a water cannon against protesters outside Parliament in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Sunday. Zurab Tsertsvadze/Associated Press Pro-E.U. protests rocked Georgia Thousands of protesters in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, clashed with the police late into last night during the fourth consecutive day of demonstrations over the recently elected government's suspension of the country's bid to join the E.U. On Thursday, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that the government would stall the process of E.U. accession — a goal enshrined in Georgia's Constitution — until 2028. He also said that the government would refuse all grants by the E.U., which are usually worth tens of millions of dollars annually. More than 150 people had been arrested as of Saturday night, officials said, adding that several police officers and 42 of its employees had been hurt since the protests began. Context: Georgia has been gripped by political crisis since the disputed victory of the Georgian Dream party in October's parliamentary elections. Since being elected, the party has been pivoting Georgia more toward Russia and China. Georgia's opposition, which says the election was rigged, seeks closer ties with the West. MORE TOP NEWS Legnan Koula/EPA, via Shutterstock Climate: Diplomats at a U.N. conference in Busan, South Korea, failed to reach an agreement on a proposed treaty to tackle plastic pollution, which would be the world's first. Ireland: Early electoral results suggested that the two main center-right parties had performed strongly enough to enter coalition talks. Taiwan: President Lai Ching-te began a trip to the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau to shore up relations with some of his island democracy's shrinking band of allies. Mexico: In their quest to build fentanyl empires, criminal groups are recruiting chemistry students. Angola: In an interview ahead of President Biden's visit this week, President João Lourenço talked about his effort to draw his country closer to the U.S. Business: Carlos Tavares, the chief executive of the automaker Stellantis, owner of Chrysler and Jeep, among other brands, resigned amid a decline in profits. China: American zoos have raised tens of millions of dollars and sent the money to China for the right to host pandas. Much of the money hasn't gone toward promised conservation efforts. Lexicology: Oxford University Press has chosen "brain rot" as its 2024 Word of the Year. SPORTS NEWS Formula 1: Max Verstappen of Red Bull has already clinched his fourth drivers' crown, but McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull battled for the constructors' title in Qatar. Premier League: Liverpool has a big lead. Can anyone close the gap? Soccer: Inside the mind of Erling Haaland, the most prolific striker of his generation. MORNING READ Tommy Trenchard for The New York Times The internet relies on hundreds of cables crossing the floors and the canyons of the earth's oceans. When they snap — as some did in the vast undersea canyon known as the Bottomless Hole — millions of people may find themselves cut off. For more: In a video, James Glanz, an investigative reporter for The Times, explains what went wrong with the subsea cables and shows how such problems are fixed. CONVERSATION STARTERS Coup de foudre: A new Parisian start-up is selling "le merch" for some old-school establishments. 'A poetry to it all': Angelina Jolie plays the superstar soprano Maria Callas in "Maria." The Times went to the Metropolitan Opera with her. From Opinion: Sarah Wildman's daughter, Orli, was forced to confront her mortality at 13. Sarah asks: Why do we find it so hard to talk about death? From Pong to Pokémon: A history of holiday "it" toys, over 70-plus years of gadgetry, innovation and Mr. Potato Head. ARTS AND IDEAS Katie Yu/FX, via Associated Press The best TV shows of 2024 In a year of so-so television — well-cast, professionally produced shows that failed to break new ground — a few dozen shows stood out. "English Teacher," "My Brilliant Friend," "Shogun," above, "Babylon Berlin" and "Somebody Somewhere" were among them. Read the full list, check off the ones you've already seen and create your holiday watch list here. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: Welcome December with these zingy iced peppermint cookies. Watch: These are the six movies our reviewers are talking about this week. Move: Should you try to exercise your way out of a hangover? Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018