Hunter Biden indictment coming: The Morning Rundown Sept. 7, 2023

COMING UP — AN INDICTMENT MAY BE ON ITS WAY FOR HUNTER BIDEN.

THE LATEST DETAILS FROM COURT.

AND — AS WE APPROACH 1 MONTH SINCE THE DEVASTATING MAUI WILDFIRE — WE GET YOU CAUGHT UP ON HOW THE COMMUNITY IS RECOVERING — AND WHO MAY BE TO BLAME.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

THIS IS STRAIGHT-ARROW NEWS. BRINGING YOU UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS.

TODAY IS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER SEVENTH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I’M KARAH RUCKER.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WILL SEEK TO INDICT PRESIDENT BIDEN’S SON HUNTER BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO A COURT FILING FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL DAVID WEISS.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS PLAN TO ASK A GRAND JURY TO INDICT HUNTER ON A FEDERAL GUN CHARGE BEFORE SEPTEMBER 29TH.

THE NEWS COMES SIX WEEKS AFTER A TENTATIVE PLEA DEAL BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND HUNTER’S ATTORNEYS OVER TAXES AND A FIREARMS CHARGE FELL APART IN COURT —

AFTER A JUDGE QUESTIONED ITS TERMS.

THE COURT FILING ALSO SUGGESTS SPECIAL COUNSEL COULD ADD NEW CHARGES THIS MONTH —

WHILE HUNTER’S LAWYERS SAY NO NEW CHARGES CAN BE FILED.

A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS ORDERED THE STATE OF TEXAS TO REMOVE ITS FLOATING BUOY BARRIER FROM THE RIO GRANDE RIVER —

AND THEY’VE GOT ONE WEEK TO DO IT.

THE BUOYS HAVE BEEN CONTROVERSIAL SINCE THEIR DEPLOYMENT.

TEXAS ARGUES IT DETERS ILLEGAL CROSSINGS AND PREVENTS MIGRANTS FROM DROWNING CROSSING THE RIVER.

THE DOJ SUED FOR ITS REMOVAL — DUE TO “HUMANITARIAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.”

THE JUDGE RULED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A FLOATING BORDER IS AN ACT THAT SHOULD HAVE REQUIRED AUTHORIZATION FROM CONGRESS.

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT SAYS THE STATE WILL APPEAL THE RULING.

TOMORROW MARKS ONE MONTH SINCE THE DEADLIEST U-S WILDFIRE IN MORE THAN A CENTURY TOOK THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 115 PEOPLE IN HAWAII.

AUTHORITIES ARE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME OF THE HUNDREDS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR — AND LAWSUITS ARE PILING UP REGARDING WHO IS LIABLE.

ABOUT A DOZEN LAWSUITS BLAMING HAWAII ELECTRIC COMPANY HAVE BEEN FILED.

THE COMPANY SERVES 95 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS.

IN ONE OF THE LAWSUITS — MAUI COUNTY ACCUSED THE UTILITY OF FAILING TO SHUT OFF POWER DESPITE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS.

HOWEVER — IT MAY NOT BE SIMPLE.

AFTER VISITING A WAREHOUSE WHERE HAWAII ELECTRIC HOUSES ITS POWER POLES AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT — LAWYERS FOR LAHAINA RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS TOLD A COURT THAT CABLE T-V AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES **SHARE RESPONSIBILITY.

THE LAWYERS ACCUSED THE COMPANIES OF OVERLOADING AND DESTABILIZING SOME OF THE POLES.

ACCORDING TO THE LAWYERS — THE CABLES WERE ATTACHED IN A WAY THAT PUT TOO MUCH TENSION ON THE POLES, CAUSING THEM TO LEAN AND BREAK IN THE WINDS LAST MONTH.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS AIMED AT DETERMINING THE OFFICIAL CAUSE OF THE FIRE ARE STILL ONGOING.

AS THE LAWSUITS OVER THE FIRE PROCEED — SO DO RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THOSE AFFECTED.

MORE THAN 1-THOUSAND FEMA PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND IN MAUI — AND THE AGENCY HAS GIVEN MORE THAN 19 MILLION DOLLARS IN ASSISTANCE.

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS PROVIDING MEALS — MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE NEARLY 6-THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO ARE STAYING AT HOTELS THAT ARE SERVING AS TEMPORARY SHELTERS.

THEY ARE ALSO GETTING SOME HELP FROM THE RICH AND FAMOUS — WITH OPRAH WINFREY AND DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON ANNOUNCING A 10-MILLION-DOLLAR FUND THAT MAKES DIRECT PAYMENTS TO THOSE UNABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS CANCELED THE SEVEN REMAINING OIL AND GAS LEASES IN ALASKA’S ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE.

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ALSO ANNOUNCED PROPOSED RULES AIMED AT PROVIDING STRONGER PROTECTIONS AGAINST NEW LEASING AND DEVELOPMENT IN PLACES THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS SPECIAL AREAS FOR THEIR WILDLIFE, SCENERY, OR OTHER VALUES.

THE REFUGE IS SEEN AS SACRED TO A LOCAL INDIGENOUS TRIBE.

DESPITE THIS — POLITICAL LEADERS IN ALASKA HAVE LONG PUSHED TO ALLOW OIL AND GAS DRILLING — IN PART BECAUSE OF ITS ECONOMIC IMPACT ON INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.

EARLIER THIS YEAR — THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION APPROVED THE WILLOW OIL PROJECT IN ALASKA’S NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE.

THE PROJECT COULD PRODUCE UP TO 180-THOUSAND BARRELS OF OIL A DAY.

MEXICO’S SUPREME COURT HAS DE-CRIMINALIZED ABORTION ACROSS THE COUNTRY —

THROWING OUT ALL FEDERAL CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR ABORTION AND RULING ANY LAWS PROHIBITING THE PROCEDURE —

ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL .

THE RULING REQUIRES FEDERAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES IN THE COUNTRY TO CARRY OUT THE PROCEDURE WHENEVER ITS REQUESTED.

THE DECISION FOLLOWS A SWEEPING TREND — ABORTION ACCESS EXPANDING ACROSS LATIN AMERICA.

A NEW HURRICANE HAS FORMED IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN —

ONE WEEK SINCE HURRICANE IDALIA MADE LANDFALL IN FLORIDA.

WHILE THE PROJECTED PATH OF “HURRICANE LEE” IS NOT A DIRECT THREAT TO THE U.S. —

THE EAST COAST IS EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE GUSTY WINDS AND ROUGH WATERS FROM THE DISTANT STORM.

METEOROLOGISTS ARE DESCRIBING HURRICANE LEE AS A “MONSTER” —

HEADED TOWARD THE BAHAMAS AND CARRIBEAN.

WINDS ARE PROJECTED TO REACH UP TO CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE STRENGTH BY THE WEEKEND.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES.

THANKS FOR JOINING US ON THE MORNING RUNDOWN.

WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY SERVING ONLY YOU — NOT AN AGENDA.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR WORK AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.

AND YOU CAN ALSO FIND THE LATEST RUNDOWN EPISODES AVAILABLE AS A PODCAST ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!