Biden pardoned Hunter, believing he was unfairly targeted due to his last name, despite running on preserving democracy and the rule of law.
Critics argue it undermines the rule of law and could embolden Trump, who has pledged to pardon January 6th rioters.
The attack weakened Syria's allies, Hezbollah and Iran, allowing rebel forces to launch an offensive against the Syrian government.
Rebels have captured Aleppo and are pushing towards Damascus, but their advance has slowed, and the Syrian army is regrouping with help from Russia and Iran.
Protesters demand new elections due to allegations of rigged parliamentary elections in October, which the European Parliament has called for a do-over.
The crisis reflects Georgia's struggle to align with the EU and the West, amid concerns of slipping back into Russia's orbit due to pro-Kremlin policies.
The U.S. has frozen a strategic partnership agreement, and Baltic countries have imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream's leadership, while the Georgian government remains defiant.
President Biden's move to pardon his son Hunter has been met with criticism from opponents and some allies. The rapid advance by rebel fighters in Syria is linked to a series of conflicts in the Middle East. And, protesters in Georgia are calling for elections as the government suspends talks for membership to the European Union. Join the new NPR Plus Bundle) to support our work and get perks like sponsor-free listening and bonus episodes across more than 25 NPR podcasts. *Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter).Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Andrew Sussman, Nick Spicer, Lisa Thomson and HJ Mai. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Kaity Kline. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange. *Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)