Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in his federal tax case on Sept. 5, a surprise move that allows him to avoid a trial. The change of plea came hours before jury selection was set to begin and ahead of his sentencing in a separate case in Delaware.

“I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment,” Hunter Biden, 54, son of President Joe Biden, said in an emailed statement after he entered his plea. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty.”

The choice to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges came without a plea deal, which typically includes benefits such as dropped charges. Read the full story here›

Verizon announced an agreement on Thursday to acquire Frontier Communications for $20 billion in an all-cash transaction. The acquisition will significantly expand Verizon’s fiber network, extending its reach to 25 million homes and businesses across 31 states and Washington, D.C., and increasing its ability to deliver broadband and mobility services across the country, the company said.

Frontier is currently the largest fiber-only internet provider in the United States and has invested more than $4.1 billion in recent years to upgrade and expand its fiber network, according to the companies.

Frontier’s 2.2 million fiber subscribers across 25 states will be integrated into Verizon’s existing network, adding to Verizon’s approximately 7.4 million Fios (Fiber-optic service) connections. Frontier has also committed to expanding its fiber footprint with 2.8 million more fiber locations by 2026. Read the full story here›

Indulging in a little dark chocolate might be good for your eyes, according to a recent study. Researchers from Italy found that eating just a few squares of dark chocolate—around three from a standard bar—could improve how well the blood vessels in your eyes work. These vessels are essential for maintaining clear and healthy vision.

“The most surprising aspect was that a relatively small dose of dark chocolate is able to modify the motility and dilation of retinal vessels,” lead author Giuseppe Querques told The Epoch Times in an email. Motility and dilation refer to the ability of blood vessels in the retina to move and expand.

Querques, who is also a professor of ophthalmology at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan, said that this suggests that dark chocolate might help prevent eye diseases and could have broader health benefits, as the effects seen in the eye’s blood vessels might reflect how cocoa affects the rest of the body. Read the full story here›

How do you like our new sections? Tell us what you think here.