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Jill Biden is defending the decision to grant Hunter Biden a sweeping pardon, arguing that circumstances changed after President Donald Trump’s election and left the family convinced that their son would be singled out for prosecution.

Speaking with CBS News’ “Sunday Morning” ahead of the publication of her new memoir, View from the East Wing, the former first lady contended that Hunter Biden did not receive fair treatment from federal authorities.

“The Justice Department changed, and the process was not fair to Hunter,” Jill Biden told CBS News “Sunday Morning” ahead of the release of her memoir, “View from the East Wing.”

She maintained that the political climate shifted dramatically after Trump returned to office and said the family feared Hunter would become a target.

“When Trump was elected, things changed,” she went on, “and we knew that he would target Hunter. And we just could not let our son go to jail on a charge that no one would go — I mean, no one has ever gone to jail for.”

When asked whether she personally encouraged her husband to issue the pardon, Jill Biden stopped short of saying she pressured him but made clear that she backed the decision.

“Oh gosh, I truly supported it. I wanted him to pardon Hunter at that point, and I agreed with Joe.”

Hunter Biden, now 56, was found guilty in June 2024 on three federal firearm-related charges stemming from statements he made about his drug use when purchasing a gun in 2018. Several months later, in September, he admitted guilt in a separate federal tax case in Los Angeles involving $1.4 million in unpaid taxes.

Both prosecutions were pursued during Joe Biden’s presidency by special counsel David Weiss, who was appointed by the Justice Department. The cases moved forward after Hunter Biden initially agreed to a plea arrangement in June 2023 that would have avoided prison time. That agreement later collapsed when his legal team sought broader immunity protections, including protection from potential Foreign Agents Registration Act violations that critics argued could have drawn scrutiny toward Joe Biden.

At roughly the same time, IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler accused Justice Department officials of shielding Hunter Biden from aggressive investigation. Among their allegations were claims that prosecutors warned Hunter’s attorneys about a planned search and restricted efforts to examine Joe Biden’s connection to his son’s overseas business dealings.

Jill Biden’s assertion that individuals do not typically receive prison sentences in cases similar to Hunter Biden’s firearm conviction has been challenged by critics who point to other examples. One of the most notable is rapper Kodak Black, who received a 46-month federal prison sentence in 2019 after admitting that he provided false information, including an incorrect Social Security number, when purchasing firearms.

For years, White House officials publicly stated that Joe Biden would not use his pardon power on behalf of his son. Nevertheless, on Dec. 1, 2024, the president issued an expansive pardon covering Hunter Biden for any offenses committed between Jan. 1, 2014, and the date the pardon was signed, including conduct that had never resulted in criminal charges.

In the final moments of his presidency on Jan. 20, 2025, Biden also granted preemptive pardons to several members of his family, including his brothers James and Frank Biden, his sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses.

Jill Biden said Sunday that her husband issued those pardons “I suppose for the same reason, that he felt that they would be targeted.”

James Biden had long drawn scrutiny over business ventures that critics said capitalized on his family connections dating back to Joe Biden’s decades in the U.S. Senate. House Republicans uncovered records showing that James Biden transferred $240,000 to Joe Biden in 2017 and 2018 using funds they linked to alleged influence-peddling activities. James Biden has maintained that the payments were simply repayments of personal loans.

Republican lawmakers also accused James Biden of providing false testimony to Congress and urged prosecutors to pursue criminal charges. In addition, they raised questions about whether some of his business activities amounted to unregistered lobbying work on behalf of foreign interests.

{Matzav.com}

It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rebbetzin Miriam Twersky a”h, widow of the Rachmastrivka Rebbe zt”l of the United States. She passed away at the age of 92.

Rebbetzin Miriam was born in Romania in 1933 to her father, the Skverer Rebbe, Rav Yaakov Yosef Twersky zt”l, and her mother, Rebbetzin Traina a”h, daughter of Rav Pinchos of Ustila zt”l, who was a son-in-law of the Belzer Rebbe, the Maharid of Belz.

Following the war, the family immigrated to the United States in 1958. They initially settled in Boro Park before later relocating to Williamsburg.

Upon reaching marriageable age, she married Rav Chaim Yitzchok Twersky, the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of the United States, who was niftar in Av 5783. He was the son of Rav Yochanan of Rachmastrivka.

Their regal wedding took place on 20 Adar I, 5714, in Manhattan. Among those in attendance were some of the leading rebbes of the generation, including the Satmar Rebbe, the Vayoel Moshe, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, the Imrei Chaim, and many other prominent admorim.

The couple established their home in New Square and were among the earliest residents of the chassidic village founded by her father.

Throughout the many stages of their lives—in Williamsburg, New Square, and later Boro Park—the Rebbetzin stood faithfully at her husband’s side and played a central role in supporting his work and leadership.

She was renowned for her deep familiarity with the customs and traditions of Skverer chassidus and possessed an extraordinary memory for its practices and conduct.

During her lifetime, she endured significant personal losses. Her eldest son, Rav Mordechai Twersky zt”l, passed away in 1992. In Teves 5784, her daughter, Rebbetzin Malka Halberstam a”h, passed away at the age of 66. In Elul 5785, she lost another daughter, Rebbetzin Faiga Shprintza Hager a”h, wife of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Kiamesha Lake who was 70 at the time of her petirah.

She is survived by her sons, the Rachmastrivka Rebbes of Boro Park, Monsey, Lakewood, Williamsburg, Linden, and Airmont; her sons-in-law, including the Baranover Rebbe of Monsey, the Vizhnitz-Kiamesha Lake Rebbe, Rav Mordechai Twersky, eldest son of the Chernobyler Rebbe, Rav Menachem Nochum Twersky, son of Rav Yehoshua Heshel zt”l, and Rav Mordechai Aharon Twersky, son of Rav Menachem Nochum zt”l.

Her brother is the Skverer Rebbe, and among her grandchildren are the Rachmastrivka Rebbe of Spring Valley and the Zvhiller Rebbe.

The levayah is scheduled to take place today, departing at 1:30 p.m. from the Rachmastrivka beis medrash on 45th Street in Boro Park. At 4:00 p.m., the procession was to continue to New Square and then to Har Shalom Cemetery in Monsey, where she will be laid to rest alongside her husband, the Rebbe zt”l.

Yehi zichrah boruch.

{Matzav.com}

Iran announced Monday that it is suspending its indirect negotiations with the United States, pointing to Israel’s widening military campaign in Lebanon as the reason for the move, according to a report published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The report said Iran’s delegation would stop participating in “talks and the exchange of texts through mediators,” adding another obstacle to efforts by Washington and Tehran to advance a wider diplomatic understanding.

Speaking to NBC News, President Donald Trump said his administration received no prior warning that Tehran intended to halt the discussions.

“It’s an appropriate thing to say, because they’re better negotiators than they are fighters,” Trump said. “But they haven’t informed us of that.”

Trump also indicated that Iran’s decision would not automatically trigger an escalation by the United States.

“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there,” he told NBC News. “We’ll keep the blockade.”

Tasnim further reported that Iranian officials are weighing more aggressive measures, including a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz and restrictions on passage through other critical maritime routes such as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in an effort to increase pressure on Israel and countries aligned with it.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also weighed in on the developments, posting a message on X in which he linked any understanding with Washington to the broader regional situation.

A “ceasefire between Iran and the US is unequivocally a ceasefire on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

“The US and Israel are responsible for the consequences of any violation,” he added.

At the same time, Reuters reported that Tehran is attempting to secure a limited interim arrangement with Washington as it grapples with severe economic challenges while seeking to avoid major compromises regarding its nuclear activities.

According to Reuters, which cited three Iranian sources familiar with internal discussions, Iran is pursuing a temporary deal that would lower tensions with the United States, unlock access to financial resources, and ease economic hardship without settling the most contentious disputes surrounding uranium enrichment and other aspects of its nuclear program.

The report said Iranian officials view such a temporary understanding as a practical way to obtain economic breathing room and shore up domestic stability while delaying decisions on more politically sensitive nuclear issues.

Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, told Reuters that Iranian leaders appear to believe “that dialogue, even limited dialogue, is preferable to entering an open-ended period of economic attrition and uncertainty.”

Reuters added that Iran’s leadership is increasingly worried about worsening economic conditions at home, including persistent inflation, a weakening currency, and falling standards of living. Officials reportedly believe that even short-term access to additional funds could help ease public frustration and reduce the risk of renewed domestic unrest.