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Former President Joe Biden joked that he was a ‘young man’ during an October 2023 interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur over his mishandling of classified documents, newly released audio shows.

Axios released audio on Friday from Biden’s interviews with Hur in which the then-president appeared to struggle to remember when his son Beau died, when he left office as vice president, what year President Donald Trump was elected to his first term or why he had classified documents that should not have been in his possession.

In addition to Biden’s memory lapses, the recordings showed him slurring his words and muttering when speaking to Hur.

Transcripts of the interviews — conducted on Oct. 8 and 9, 2023 — were released on March 12, 2024.

On the first day of the interview, Hur stressed the importance of answering truthfully and urged Biden to make his best effort to recall the events in question, which the prosecutor acknowledged happened years ago.

‘I’m a young man, so it’s not a problem,’ Biden, now 82, jokingly responded.

‘Okay, great. Glad to hear it,’ Hur replied. 

Hur, who was appointed by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents, said in his report, released on Feb. 5, 2024, that he declined to bring charges against the president, in part, because a jury would find him a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.’ The report acknowledged that the documents were ‘willfully’ obtained by Biden during his time as vice president and as a senator.

‘I’m well-meaning and I’m an elderly man and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president, and I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation,’ Biden said when questioned by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy days after Hur released his report. 

The special counsel’s report, in addition to Biden’s gaffe-prone public appearances, amplified pressure from Republicans who said he lacked the mental fitness needed to serve as president.

Democrats and Biden’s White House initially criticized Hur for his report, insisting the then-president was ‘sharp’ and that the special counsel was politically motivated.

Later in 2024, during Biden’s re-election campaign, Democrats urged him to drop out of the race over his performance in the June presidential debate against Trump, citing his age and mental acuity. Biden formally dropped out of the presidential race in July and finished his term. His vice president, Kamala Harris, was defeated by Trump in November’s general election.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Leaked audio shared by Axios from President Joe Biden’s 2023 interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur has re-ignited serious questions about his mental sharpness, especially as he struggled to remember when his own son died and when Donald Trump was elected president.

In one moment, Biden tries to recall the death of his son, Beau: ‘My son. Is either been deployed or is dying. And so… What was happening though?’

‘What’s much about dying? May 30, 2015, he died,’ said Biden. ‘May 2015. I think it’s 2015. I’m not sure the months are, but I think that was it.’

Beau Biden passed away from brain cancer on May 30, 2015, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was 46.

In the audio, Biden also mixes up the year of Trump’s 2016 victory: ‘Trump gets elected in November of 2017. 2016. 2016. So… That’s when we left office, January of 2017. But that’s when Trump gets sworn in manually.’

The fumbling recollections are part of a six-hour interview that Hur used to support his conclusion that Biden’s memory was ‘significantly limited.’

The White House kept the audio under wraps at the time as critical moments in Biden’s own life and in recent American history appeared to be completely out of reach for the former president.

The conversation, part of a two-day interview in October 2023, led Hur to describe Biden as a ‘well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.’

On Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle Friday night, host Laura Ingraham put it bluntly: ‘This is the biggest scandal that I remember in recent political history: that this man was allowed to continue as the commander in chief of the world’s greatest superpower.’

As Ingraham said later in the segment, ‘We still don’t really know who was making the tough calls. It obviously wasn’t the man we heard on that tape.’

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Though new audio recordings released by Axios paint a picture of an elderly man suffering memory loss, rare exchanges showed glimpses into former President Joe Biden’s earlier days, and shed light on what could have led to Hur’s ‘sympathetic’ characterization and findings related to the investigation.

Biden reminisced during his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur about a 2011 visit to Mangolia where he claimed to have ’embarrassed the hell out of the leader of Mongolia.’

‘I went to Mongolia and, and great pictures,’ Biden said. ‘They were showing — they were doing a what they would do at the time of the invasion of the Mongols into Europe in the 14 — in the 800s. And they — and then show what a normal day was, or how they, how they bivouac.’

He described being ‘out in the middle of nowhere’ and looking up on a hill, seeing a tiny line of a 20-mile horse race between kids under the age of 16 on bareback.

‘And you know, there are sumo wrestlers doin’ everything they do,’ Biden said lightheartedly.

He said the leaders walked over to a target with bales of hay a hundred yards away, where locals were practicing their aim.

‘I think — I don’t know if it was to embarrass me or to make a point, but I get handed the bow and arrow,’ Biden said. ‘I’m not a bad archer. But (indiscernible) where I can pull it back, so I — and pure luck, I hit the goddamn target.’

The people in the interview room burst into laughter, to which Biden assured them, ‘No, I really did.’

He went on to describe the scene — ’20 bales of hay with a big target in the middle of the bale of hay.’

‘And so I didn’t mean anything by it, I turned to the prime minister and handed it to him and the poor son-of-a-bitch couldn’t pull it back,’ Biden said.

The room roared with laughter once again.

‘I was like, ‘oh, God,’’ Biden said through the cackling.

Hur ultimately decided the former president should not be charged criminally for having classified Obama-era documents after leaving office, describing him as a ‘sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Nvidia said it won’t be sending graphics processing unit plans to China following a report that the artificial intelligence chipmaker is working on a research and development center in Shanghai in light of recent U.S. export curbs.

“We are not sending any GPU designs to China to be modified to comply with export controls,” a spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.

The Financial Times was the first to report the news, citing two sources familiar with the matter. CEO Jensen Huang discussed the potential new center with Shanghai’s mayor, Gong Zheng, during a visit last month, the FT reported.

The center will assess ways to meet U.S. restrictions while catering to the local market, although production and design will continue outside China, according to the report.

AI chipmakers such as Nvidia have been hit with major China roadblocks since 2022 as the U.S. began cracking down on sending advanced chips to China because of concerns of possible military use.

Last week, the Trump administration said it would replace restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden with a “much simpler rule that unleashes American innovation and ensures American AI dominance.” Nvidia said last month that it would take a $5.5 billion charge tied to selling its H20 GPUs in China and other countries.

Huang has previously commented on the significance of China, which is one of the company’s major market after the U.S., Singapore and Taiwan. He told CNBC this month that getting shut out of the world second-largest economy would be a “tremendous loss,” estimating that China’s AI market could hit $50 billion over the next two to three years.

“We just have to stay agile,” Huang told CNBC’s Jon Fortt, in an interview alongside ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott. “Whatever the policies are of the government, whatever is in the best interest of our country, we’ll support,” he added.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Cava on Thursday reported better-than-expected sales in its latest fiscal quarter, shaking off the malaise the broader restaurant industry has felt as consumers have cut back on dining.

The Mediterranean chain said its same-store sales grew 10.8% in the three months that ended April 20, lifted by traffic growth of 7.5%. Analysts surveyed by StreetAccount were projecting same-store sales growth of 10.3%.

“When we look at our consumers in the quarter, we saw an increase in premium attachment on higher priced items, like our pita chips or amazing housemade juices. We also saw that our per person average continued to increase, and then when we look at our results, there’s positive traffic across all of our geographies, across all of our income cohorts, as well as the different formats of our restaurants and dayparts,” Chief Financial Officer Tricia Tolivar told CNBC.

She added that diners have been trading up from fast food and down from casual-dining restaurants into Cava’s bowls and pitas, a trend the company has seen for several quarters.

Elsewhere in the restaurant industry, companies have been reporting very different behavior from consumers, although many companies’ results did not include any time in April, when the industry’s sales and traffic performance improved.

Fast-casual rival Chipotle said its transactions fell 2.3% in the first quarter as consumers pulled back their spending in February, spooked by economic uncertainty. Sweetgreen reported its first quarterly same-store sales decline since it went public in 2021. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said fast-food industry data showed both low- and middle-income consumers spending less. The burger giant said U.S. same-store sales declined 3.6% for the first quarter.

Despite the strong quarterly performance, Cava reiterated its same-store sales forecast, sticking with its projections of a 6% to 8% increase. The chain said last quarter that it is expecting slower growth in the back half of its fiscal 2025.

The stock fell 5% in extended trading. As of Thursday’s close, Cava shares have slid 11% so far this year, hurt by investor concerns over its conservative outlook for the fiscal year and the economic fallout from the Trump administration’s tariffs.

Here’s what the company reported compared with what Wall Street was expecting, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG:

The company reported fiscal first-quarter net income of $25.71 million, or 22 cents per share, up from $13.99 million, or 12 cents per share, a year earlier. Cava reported an income tax benefit of $10.7 million related to stock-based compensation, which boosted its earnings this quarter.

Net sales climbed 28% to $332 million. On a 12-month trailing basis, Cava’s revenue has surpassed $1 billion, representing a major milestone for the company.

The company did raise some of its projections for the fiscal year.

Cava now anticipates adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $152 million to $159 million, up from its prior forecast of $150 million to $157 million. The company also plans to open between 64 and 68 new locations, higher than its previous outlook of between 62 and 66 restaurant openings.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

The Justice Department isn’t planning to prosecute Boeing in a case tied to two crashes of the aerospace giant’s 737 Max, a person familiar with the matter said, a tentative agreement that would allow the plane-maker to avoid a guilty plea.

Boeing agreed to plead guilty in the case last summer in a deal with the Justice Department after the Biden administration found earlier that year that the company violated a 2021 agreement tied to the crashes. A judge rejected that plea deal last year, citing concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion, and opened the possibility that Boeing could face trial.

The fraud charge stems from Boeing’s development of the 737 Max. The U.S. had accused Boeing of misleading regulators about its inclusion of a flight-control system on the Max that was later implicated in the two crashes.

A final, non-prosecution agreement hasn’t been reached yet, the person said. The Justice Department and Boeing didn’t immediately comment.

Under the new agreement, Boeing could pay family members of victims of the two Max crashes. In total, the two crashes of the best-selling Boeing jet killed all 346 people on board the planes.

The new tentative agreement, which was reported earlier on Friday by Reuters, would mean Boeing wouldn’t be labeled a felon. That label could have come with restrictions on defense contractor work.

Boeing is the country’s biggest exporter and, in addition to making commercial jetliners, it’s a major defense contractor. The Trump administration recently awarded the company a multibillion-dollar contract to build a next-generation fighter jet.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Where are we in the market cycle? In this video, Julius reviews the sector rotation and asset class performance from the past 2-3 weeks to provide an objective take on where we stand in the current market cycle. Using his signature Relative Rotation Graphs (RRG), he uncovers shifts in momentum and leadership across sectors and asset classes.

This video was originally published on May 15, 2025. Click on the icon above to view on our dedicated page for Julius.

Past videos from Julius can be found here.

#StayAlert, -Julius

Westport Fuel Systems Inc. (‘Westport’ or the ‘Company’) (TSX:WPRT Nasdaq:WPRT), today held its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders (the ‘Meeting’) in a virtual format. Shareholders approved all resolutions presented at the meeting including the election of all nominated directors for the ensuing year, the appointment of KPMG LLP as the Company’s auditors for the fiscal year, the advisory vote on executive compensation, and the sale of Westport Fuel Systems Italia S.r.l in accordance with the terms of the sale and purchase agreement dated as of March 30, 2025.

A summary of the results are as follows:

Resolution Outcome
of Vote
Percentage of
Votes For
Percentage of
Votes
Withheld/Against
Election of Directors
Michele Buchignani Approved 81.22% 18.78%
Anthony Guglielmin Approved 87.16% 12.84%
Daniel M. Hancock Approved 61.47% 38.53%
Daniel Sceli Approved 91.10% 8.90%
Karl-Viktor Schaller Approved 61.28% 38.72%
Eileen Wheatman Approved 81.43% 18.57%
Appointment of Auditors Approved 93.83% 6.17%
Executive Compensation
(Advisory Vote) Agree 52.87% 47.13%
Sale of Westport Fuel Systems Italia S.r.l Approved 83.38% 16.62%


About Westport Fuel Systems

At Westport Fuel Systems, we are driving innovation to power a cleaner tomorrow. We are a leading supplier of advanced fuel delivery components and systems for clean, low-carbon fuels such as natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane, and hydrogen to the global transportation industry. Our technology delivers the performance and fuel efficiency required by transportation applications and the environmental benefits that address climate change and urban air quality challenges. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with operations in Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, we serve our customers in approximately 70 countries with leading global transportation brands. At Westport Fuel Systems, we think ahead. For more information, visit www.wfsinc.com .

Investor Inquiries:
Investor Relations
T: +1 604-718-2046
E: invest@wfsinc.com

News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The US Department of the Interior announced on Monday (May 12) that it will fast track environmental permitting for Anfield Energy’s (TSXV:AEC,OTCQB:ANLDF) Velvet-Wood uranium project in Utah

The decision slashes what would typically be a years-long review process down to just 14 days, and makes Velvet-Wood the first uranium project to be expedited under a January 20 statement from President Donald Trump. In it, he declares a national energy emergency and emphasizes the importance of restoring American energy independence.

This week’s decision signals what Anfield calls “a decisive shift in federal support for domestic nuclear fuel supply.”

The Velvet-Wood project, located in San Juan County, Utah, is expected to produce uranium used for both civilian nuclear energy and defense applications, as well as vanadium, a strategic metal used in batteries and high-strength alloys.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum characterized the move as part of an urgent federal response to what he said is “an alarming energy emergency” created by the “climate extremist policies” of the previous administration.

“President Trump and his administration are responding with speed and strength to solve this crisis,” he said. “The expedited mining project review represents exactly the kind of decisive action we need to secure our energy future.”

Anfield acquired Velvet-Wood, which is currently on care and maintenance, from Uranium One in 2015.

The asset sits on the site of a previously active operation. Between 1979 and 1984, Atlas Minerals extracted approximately 400,000 metric tons of ore from the Velvet deposit, recovering around 4,000,000 pounds of U3O8. If approved, the revived project would disturb only three acres of new surface area, according to the interior department.

‘As a past-producing uranium and vanadium mine with a small environmental footprint, Velvet-Wood is well- suited for this accelerated review,’ said Anfield CEO Corey Dias.

He added that the company aims ‘to play a meaningful role in rebuilding America’s domestic uranium and vanadium supply chain and reducing reliance on imports from Russia and China.”

The company also owns the Shootaring Canyon uranium mill in Utah, which it plans to restart. The facility, described as one of only three licensed, permitted and constructed conventional uranium mills in the country, would convert uranium ore into uranium concentrate bound for nuclear fuel production.

Uranium market sentiment turning a corner?

After a rocky start to 2025, the uranium market is showing signs of renewed strength and resilience.

According to Sprott Asset Management’s latest uranium report, the U3O8 spot price rose by 5.4 percent in April, climbing to US$67.70 per pound from a March low of US$63.20. The price recovery continued into early May, with the spot price briefly touching US$70, a nearly 10 percent gain from 2025 lows.

This rebound has renewed investor confidence and appears to signal the beginning of a steadier climb, underpinned by tight supply conditions, resurgent utility activity and greater clarity around US trade and tariff policy.

The uranium term price, which remains steady at US$80, continues to reflect strong long-term fundamentals. This persistent premium over spot pricing has re-energized the uranium carry trade — where traders purchase spot uranium for future delivery under term contracts — helping to support spot prices and inject fresh liquidity into the market.

A major contributor to the uranium market’s renewed confidence has been improved policy visibility in the US.

The Trump administration’s decision to pause the implementation of its new reciprocal tariffs for 90 days provided utilities with the breathing room needed to resume contracting.

Although uranium was excluded from the initial tariff package, it remains part of an ongoing Section 232 investigation into critical minerals, a move that Sprott believes elevates uranium’s strategic profile.

As for the long-term outlook, uranium’s bullish case is also being bolstered by growing power demands from artificial intelligence and data centers. In April, Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) announced funding for three new nuclear projects, each with at least 600 megawatts of planned capacity.

These moves align with a broader US Department of Energy strategy that includes identifying 16 federal sites for co-locating data centers and new energy infrastructure.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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