News Wrap: Biden defends legacy on world stage in address at State Department

Amna Nawaz:

We start the news with the release of the special counsel's report into Hunter Biden. David Weiss said that the criminal charges against the president's son were — quote — "the culmination of thorough, impartial investigations, not partisan politics."

But he added that President Biden's pardon of his son in early December means he cannot say if Hunter Biden should have faced more charges. The report comes at the end of a yearslong investigation into Hunter Biden that included charges related to gun and tax crimes.

Turning now to President Biden's legacy on the world stage, the outgoing commander in chief defended his foreign policy record during an address at the State Department this afternoon. Biden highlighted his administration's efforts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and he defended the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which has been a common target for his critics.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: In my view, it was time to end the war and bring our troops home. And we did. I commend the courage of all those who served in Afghanistan. We grieve all 2,461 Americans who made the element sacrifice in the longest war in American history. And I grieve those brave service members whose lives were lost during the withdrawal.

Amna Nawaz:

Biden also said that the U.S. and its global alliances are stronger than they were four years ago, and that he's leaving the next administration a very strong hand to play in world affairs.

The Biden administration is proposing new export limits on computer chips that are used in artificial intelligence. The framework would put restrictions on the number of chips that go to roughly 120 countries, but nearly 20 nations would be exempt, including allies like Japan and Britain. The regulations also keep in place existing bans on U.S. adversaries such as China and Russia.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the goal is to safeguard A.I. tech and — quote — "ensure that it stays out of the hands of our foreign adversaries." But industry advocates say the rules might disrupt supply chains and hurt U.S. companies. It'll be up to the Trump administration whether to follow through on the restrictions.

China's exports grew sharply last month, as companies rushed to lock in orders ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House. Exports jumped nearly 11 percent in December, beating expectations. That capped off a year that saw China's trade surplus reach nearly $1 trillion. Analysts believe American shoppers are stockpiling Chinese goods while they can. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Chinese imports upwards of 60 percent once he takes office again next week.

In South Africa, at least 100 people who were mining illegally have died after being trapped underground for months. That's according to a group representing the miners, which says a cell phone sent to the surface contained videos showing dozens of bodies wrapped in plastic. It's believed they died of starvation or dehydration.

The abandoned gold mine has been the site of a standoff between police and miners since November, when authorities first tried to force them out. South African officials are working to bring the survivors to the surface. Illegal mining is common in parts of South Africa.

The Supreme Court said today it won't hear an appeal from oil and gas companies who want to block lawsuits related to climate change. The order allows a case to proceed from the city of Honolulu that aims to hold BP, Shell and others libel for billions of dollars in damages linked to climate change.

Also today, the court denied a Utah lawsuit seeking to take control of nearly 19 million acres of land from the federal government. It also sidestepped two gun-related cases, one in Maryland related to handgun licenses and the other a challenge to Delaware's ban on assault-style rifles. And the court upheld a state House district in North Dakota that's located on an American Indian reservation.

In space news, meanwhile, Blue Origin called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early this morning minutes before blast off. Standing 320 feet tall, the uncrewed New Glenn is the company's first rocket that aims to bring satellites into orbit.

Woman:

OK, we have just been getting an update for mission control. We are sending down today's launch attempt.

Amna Nawaz:

Today's liftoff was canceled after launch officials reported unspecified technical issues. New Glenn is Blue Origin's attempt to rival Elon Musk's SpaceX rockets, which have dominated the commercial market for such launches. Blue Origin is headed by Amazon's Jeff Bezos. Officials have not yet announced a new launch date.

On Wall Street today, stocks ended mixed to start the week. The Dow Jones industrial average added more than 350 points on the day. The Nasdaq fell about 70 points, as investors turned cooler on tech stocks.The S&P 500 managed a slight gain of just nine points.