Judges seeking appointments to the federal bench, wealthy Republicans hoping for ambassadorships and criminals who wanted pardons were among the big spenders at Donald Trump’s Washington, D.

Hunter Biden has agreed to appear before House Republicans for a private deposition next month, ending months of defiance from the president’s son, who had insisted on testifying publicly.

House Republicans are halting plans to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress this week for defying a congressional subpoena.

Hunter Biden has indicated a new willingness to testify before lawmakers under certain conditions as part of the impeachment inquiry against his father President Joe Biden.

Republicans have taken the first step toward holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena, hours after the president’s son made a surprise visit to Capitol Hill.

Hunter Biden's attorney says subpoenas issued by House Republicans to members of President Joe Biden’s family are a “political stunt."

House Republicans have spent more than six hours making their case for pursuing an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

House Republicans are releasing new information about the business dealings of President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden.

Hunter Biden’s former business partner has testified to Congress that President Joe Biden was never directly involved in their financial dealings, even though Hunter would often put his famous father on speakerphone to impress clients and business associates.

The years-long feud between congressional Republicans and the FBI is reaching a new level of rancor.

The House Oversight Committee is set to hear testimony from former Twitter employees involved in the social media platform’s handling of reporting on President Joe Biden’s son Hunter.

Survivors of last month’s deadly mass shooting at a Colorado gay nightclub have testified to Congress about the onslaught of threats and violence against members of the LGBTQ community as they urged lawmakers to pass a law banning some semiautomatic weapons.

The lease to the Washington hotel run by Donald Trump's family company while he was president has been sold to a Miami-based investor fund.

Vice President Kamala Harris says historically Black colleges and universities that were victimized by recent bomb threats are eligible for federal grants to help improve security and mental health on campus.

A book about a wealthy American family whose actions helped unleash the United States’ opioid epidemic has won Britain’s leading nonfiction book prize.

Congressional Democrats are calling top executives at ExxonMobil and other oil giants to testify about what lawmakers say is a long-running, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation about the role of fossil fuels in causing global warming.

Michigan’s acting Unemployment Insurance Agency director appeared before the House Oversight Committee Thursday to answer questions about the problems the agency has dealt with over the past 18 months.

An estimated 5.3 million claims were filed in Michigan.

Here’s what's coming up on Local 4 News at Noon.

Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at 11:

Frustrated business owners who are offering bonuses and upgraded wages testified in front of the Michigan House Oversight Committee that they can’t get workers because of expanded state and federal unemployment benefits.

Founder of a group called Let Them Play, McElvany questioned mask mandates and the science behind state COVID-19 data during a legislative hearing that didn't feature any witnesses from the other side. The committee chairman, Republican Rep. Steven Johnson, said the state health department was invited to testify but did not. In Tennessee, a Republican lawmaker is pushing legislation that would ban most government agencies from requiring anyone to get COVID-19 vaccines, which isn't a mandate anywhere. “Some call ‘misinformation’ information they do not agree with or do not want to hear,” Reinbold said by email. Several of those who are spreading bogus virus information in legislatures also have supported Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Michigan House Oversight Committee to hear testimony on winter sports banCommittee members including Chairman Steve Johnson (R-Wayland), Michigan High School Athletic Association Director Mark Uyl, Let Them Play Michigan Director Jayme McElvany, Olivet High School Athletic Director Matt Seidl, and concerned parents and athletes are expected to testify during the session Thursday morning.

The Michigan House Oversight Committee will hear testimony Thursday about the state’s ban on high school sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. Committee members including Chairman Steve Johnson (R-Wayland), Michigan High School Athletic Association Director Mark Uyl, Let Them Play Michigan Director Jayme McElvany, Olivet High School Athletic Director Matt Seidl, and concerned parents and athletes are expected to testify during the session Thursday morning. Gretchen Whitmer delivered a 24-minute speech in her office with no pomp and circumstance, and no Legislature and guests in attendance. New COVID-19 cases have plateaued and deaths are starting to slow. The state also reports “active cases,” which were listed at 75,100 on Tuesday -- near the lowest it’s been since November.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan House Oversight Committee will hear testimony Thursday about the state’s ban on high school sports due to the coronavirus pandemic. Committee members including Chairman Steve Johnson (R-Wayland), Michigan High School Athletic Association Director Mark Uyl, Let Them Play Michigan Director Jayme McElvany, Olivet High School Athletic Director Matt Seidl, and concerned parents and athletes are expected to testify during the session Thursday morning. “Families throughout the state have reached out to their elected legislators about the governor’s abrupt decision to extend the ban on certain high school winter sports,” reads a statement from the House committee. “The House Oversight Committee will listen to testimony in an effort to provide answers to concerned residents regarding the extension.”AdLate last week, Gov. Michigan House Republicans on Wednesday proposed a $3.5 billion coronavirus recovery plan but threatened to withhold billions to K-12 schools unless Whitmer cedes her administration’s power to prohibit in-person instruction and sports to local health departments.

Members of the family that owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma have acknowledged the drug had a role in the opioid crisis but have stopped short of apologizing or admitting wrongdoing. “I want to express my family’s deep sadness about the opioid crisis,” David Sackler, whose family owns Purdue Pharma, said at a rare appearance in a public forum. In contrast to the family members, Purdue CEO Craig Landau testified that the company accepts “full responsibility." The deal leaves open the possibility that family members could be criminally prosecuted. He also noted that about half of what family members took out of the company was paid in taxes.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson is under investigation after she posted on social media a response to the many violent, vulgar and racist death threats she’s received. The video, posted Tuesday night, has quickly gone viral and legislative leadership removed her from her House Oversight Committee assignments Wednesday. “My soldiers, they are soldiers for Christ, soldiers against racism, soldiers against domestic violence, soldiers against domestic terrorism,” Johnson said. Rep. Johnson has been removed from her committee assignments, and we are looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their own investigations. Whitmer, Secretary Benson, Rep. Johnson herself, and others.

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson, the Democratic chair of the House Oversight Committee is receiving death threats due to the election. She posted several of the threats to social media. After both Democratic and Republican representatives have received threats of violence over the election, Michigan Assistant Minority Floor Leader Laurie Pohutsky posted on Twitter about the SNL sketch. The SNL skit was amusing, I guess, but last night my caucus was trying to figure out how to keep those on that committee safe from the deluge of death threats they’re receiving. I’m sorry to be a bummer and I’m glad people enjoyed the skit, but the reality of it is heinous.

DETROIT – One day after Rudy Giuliani and several witnesses pushed voter fraud conspiracy theories before the Michigan House Oversight Committee, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says it’s time to “put up or shut up” in regards to offering actual evidence. Despite Republicans’ questioning of vote counting in the city, there is no evidence to show such a discrepancy. Michigan’s Attorney General, who has noted the fact that no evidence has been submitted to law enforcement to support any voter fraud claims, again called for Republicans to deliver the evidence -- or to stop making claims. — Dana Nessel (@dananessel) December 3, 2020In November, AG Nessel, responding to a wild claim by former state senator Patrick Colbeck, said Colbeck never filed any complaint of election fraud, despite claiming to have evidence. AG Barr: No evidence of voter fraud that’d change election outcome

LANSING, Mich. – President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, will appear before the Michigan House Oversight Committee Wednesday evening. He will discuss the allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 General Election. As of Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020, no judge has seen any evidence on which to rule. The Michigan Legislature has two committees listening to claims about election irregularities. A Michigan Senate hearing, where those who identified themselves as GOD poll watchers made claims about the vote-counting process at the TCF Center, lasted seven hours.

DETROIT – Here’s what you missed on Local 4 News at Noon. Rudy Giuliani to testify on allegations of voter fraud before Michigan LegislatureThe Michigan House Oversight Committee will be hearing from Rudy Giuliani Wednesday evening on allegations of election fraud in Michigan.

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan House Oversight Committee will be hearing from Rudy Giuliani Wednesday evening on allegations of election fraud in Michigan. Giuliani has made a series of allegations about the 2020 election that have not been backed by evidence or data. The legislature has two committees listening to claims about election irregularities. The Michigan House committee will hold a similar hearing Wednesday. Streaming video of Wednesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing can be seen here.

DETROIT – Some Michigan lawmakers will spend much of Wednesday holding a hearing about Detroit ballots, despite the fact that the state’s election results were certified. “I applaud the Michigan Senate for taking up such an important issue in today’s hearing. On Wednesday, the state house will hold a similar hearing at which President Donald Trump’s Attorney Rudy Giuliani will testify. Giuliani is flying into Michigan on Wednesday to testify before the Michigan House Oversight Committee. READ: ‘Watchers’ denied access to ballot counting at Detroit TCF Center due to COVID restrictionsREAD MORE: Michigan House Speaker says GOP will launch vote counting inquiry

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Capital One and Amazon are now facing congressional scrutiny over the banking giant's enormous data breach, disclosed on Monday, that affected roughly 100 million Americans. They also sought details about the Amazon cloud computing software that underpins Capital One's operations, and which could play a role in both the military's future and the 2020 census. "The Committee may carefully examine the consequences of this breach," Republican lawmakers Jim Jordan, Michael Cloud and Mark Meadows said in a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. The legislators also wrote to Capital One CEO Richard Fairbank, requesting answers on the scope of the breach and the company's response. Amazon has said that Amazon Web Services "was not compromised in any way" in the incident.

(CNN) - The House Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to subpoena testimony from White House counselor Kellyanne Conway after a federal agency recommended that she should be fired for repeatedly violating a law that limits the political activities of federal employees. Chairman Elijah Cummings, Democrat of Maryland, has warned that his panel would vote to hold Conway in contempt if she ignores the subpoena. Conway did not appear on Wednesday on the advice of White House counsel for the committee's scheduled hearing. Trump has said that he's not going to fire Conway over the alleged Hatch Act violations and White House counsel Pat Cipollone said in a letter Monday that Conway does not need to testify before Congress. In 2018, the OSC said Conway violated the law during the 2017 Alabama special election for Senate.