Dopey Donald Trump Jr has spent years treating Hunter Biden like the world champion of dodgy presidential offspring. Foreign money. Foreign connections. Nepotism. The president’s eldest lad even warned that if a powerful man’s son depends on daddy, foreign benefactors can effectively “own” him.
A fascinating theory. Because Don Jr has now been revealed to have had his own wedding celebrations partly paid for by Umar Kremlev, a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin.
Kremlev reportedly shelled out a six-figure sum for a private island and fireworks during the three-day Bahamas knees-up. Don Jr and wife Bettina, who barely know him, insist it was simply an “extraordinarily generous wedding gift” from a friend.
Hunter Biden must be absolutely furious. After years of congressional investigations, laptop hearings and Don Jr lectures, he has discovered he was playing this game completely wrong.
Forget business deals. The advanced course in presidential offspring diplomacy involves dodgy Russians, private islands and someone else paying for the fireworks.
Family fallout
Florida police responding to a domestic row got rather more family drama than they bargained for. Officers say Christina Clemens, 46, had been in a four-year relationship with her adult son, Shane, while living with her husband, Terry.
The whole extraordinary arrangement apparently came crashing down when her lad decided he wanted to call time on it. Investigators were then presented with cameras, recordings, claims of more than 100 encounters and an alleged attempt to wipe evidence.
Christina and Shane now face felony incest charges. As family fall-outs go, this makes arguing over who forgot to empty the dishwasher look remarkably healthy.
Helping hand
Oklahoma City firefighters answered a medical emergency after a man fell ill halfway through mowing his lawn. They treated him, got him into an ambulance and watched him head off to hospital. Then they spotted the problem: half the grass was still standing. So one firefighter grabbed the mower and finished the job.
What a steal
A man in Georgia allegedly drove off in a £67,000 BMW after convincing hotel valets he was a professional basketball player. Police say he strolled through the Hyatt Regency Savannah, produced a ticket for a BMW X5 and explained he had several cars parked there because, apparently, that is what professional athletes do. The valet handed over the keys, and he simply drove away. A slam dunk of a steal.
Murky water
A Texas police department has been shut down after apparently deciding that the best way to deal with complaints about contaminated water was to arrest the person making them. Jennifer Combs spent a night in jail after a Facebook post claimed locals had been hospitalised by bacteria in Trinidad’s pipes. The felony charge was later dropped, and state officials have now closed the force after it failed to show it benefited the community. A novel approach to public health: if the water looks murky, arrest the witness.