Biden’s ‘Armageddon’ comment; Hunter Biden charges; Nobel Peace Prize

President Joe Biden said the risk of nuclear “Armageddon” is at its highest level in 60 years; federal agents have gathered what they believe is sufficient evidence to charge President Biden’s son Hunter; and this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winners are seen as a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Theses stories highlight the Daily Rundown for Friday, Oct. 7, 2022.

Biden comments on “Armageddon” risk – Speaking at a fundraiser Thursday, President Biden said President Putin’s threat to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine has brought the world closer to “Armageddon” than at any time since the Cold-War Cuban Missile Crisis. Biden added that Putin is  “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons, because his military is, you might say, is significantly underperforming.”

“We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban missile crisis,” Biden said. “For the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis, we have a direct threat to the use of nuclear weapons, if in fact things continue down the path they’ve been going.”

It was not immediately clear whether Biden was referring to any new official assessment of Russian intentions. As recently as this week, though, U.S. officials have said they have seen no change to Russia’s nuclear forces that would require a change in nuclear strategy.

Hunter Biden could face charges – The U.S. Attorney in Delaware is reportedly set to decide if President Biden’s son Hunter will be charged with tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase. According to a person familiar with the case, investigators believe they have the evidence to do so.

The investigation into Hunter Biden began in 2018. Initially, it centered around Hunter Biden’s finances related to overseas business ties and consulting work. Over time, investigators focused closely on whether he did not report all of his income, and whether he lied on gun purchase paperwork in 2018.

Nobel Peace Prize goes to activists in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus – The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to jailed Belarus rights activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian group Memorial and the Ukrainian organization Center for Civil Liberties. Bialiatski was one of the leaders of the democracy movement in Belarus in the mid 1980s and has continued to campaign for human rights and civil liberties in the authoritarian country. Bialiatski was detained following protests that year against the re-election of Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko.

The Center for Civil Liberties has heavily promoted human rights and democracy in Ukraine since 2007 but was awarded specifically for their efforts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The group has worked to document Russian war crimes. The Russian group Memorial has similarly compiled information on human rights abuses in Russia.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said the panel wanted to honor “three outstanding champions of human rights, democracy and peaceful coexistence in the neighbor countries Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.”

AP Newsroom contributed to this report.