Rainy weather has made its way up the East Coast Sunday, bringing flooding and killing power in New Jersey after Tropical Storm Ophelia battered North Carolina.  

In the Tri-State area, people will face the brunt of lingering, miserable weather for much of Sunday as the post-tropical storm moves past. There is still a risk of coastal flooding and heavy, persistent rain – from DC to NYC on Sunday. 

Yesterday, the National Hurricane Center reported just after 6:20am, the storm had made landfall near Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The storm had maximum winds reaching 70mph, with sustained winds of 61mph.

A tropical storm warning was issued from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Fenwick Island, Delaware. A hurricane watch was also in effect in North Carolina for the area north of Surf City to Ocracoke Inlet.

In New Jersey today, winds and the deluge have been causing disruption, and waves near the shore have been recorded as reaching up to 10 feet high. 

At the Cleveland Park Metro Station in Washington, DC, officials are anticipating flooding and have sandbagged the vicinity, as well as other flood-prone stations. 

New York City locals woke up to torrential rain and strong winds Sunday, with drizzly weather expected to continue into the beginning of the new week as the city reels from the final effects of Ophelia. 

Global Citizen Festival, held in Central Park, continued on despite the wet weather on Saturday evening – as festivalgoers in the Big Apple braved the torrent to watch big names like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lauryn Hill.  

Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center Philippe Papin said on Sunday: ‘There have been tropical-storm-force winds observed, but those are starting to gradually subside as the system moves further inland.

‘However, there is a significant flooding rainfall threat for a large portion of eastern North Carolina into southern Virginia over the next 12 to 24 hours.’

NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said: ‘New Yorkers should take precautions regarding the forecast for high winds and rain during our first fall weekend.

‘This weekend’s weather is also a reminder that we are still in the middle of Atlantic Hurricane season and it is a great time to review your preparedness plan for your home or business, especially if you live in flood-prone areas.’ 

Footage showed the destruction caused in Greenville and Washington, North Carolina, Sunday morning after the storm brought heavy rain and major flooding.

Roads and streets were submerged, with cars unable to pass through the floodwater. 

Rescue teams with small boats made their way through the water to bring people trapped in cars and houses to safety.    

On Sunday morning, 2,600 people were without power in North Carolina, and 5,800 were blacked out in New Jersey.

During the intense deluge on Saturday, there were over 52,000 people in North Carolina and Virginia without power – but the majority have now been restored.  

The National Hurricane Center said in a morning update there will be a gradual weakening during the next 48 hours as the low center moves slowly offshore.

Water levels remain elevated within portions of Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers – but should gradually recede through today, experts said.

Throughout Sunday, portions of the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England will experience up to three inches of rainfall. 

According to the NHC: ‘This rainfall may produce localized flash, urban, and small stream flooding impacts across portions of the Mid-Atlantic region into southern New England. 

‘Isolated river flooding is possible in areas of heavier rainfall.

‘Swells generated by Ophelia will continue to affect much of the east coast of the United States through today. 

‘These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.’

On Saturday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued his state’s emergency declaration, aiming to expedite preparations and help provide a swift response.

‘The storm’s path has been difficult to predict and we want to ensure that farmers, first responders and utility crews have the tools necessary to prepare for severe weather,’ the governor said. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order sought to ease response and recovery efforts.

‘We want to ensure that all communities, particularly those with the greatest anticipated impact, have the resources they need to respond and recover from the effects of this storm,’ Youngkin noted. 

Maryland Governor Wes Moore said in a statement on Friday evening that the state expected an extended period of strong winds, heavy rainfall and elevated tides.

In Annapolis, Maryland’s capital, water taxi driver Scott Bierman said service would be closed Saturday.

‘We don’t operate when it´s going to endanger passengers and or damage vessels,’ Bierman said.

In Washington, the Nationals baseball team postponed its Saturday game until Sunday.

It is not uncommon for one or two tropical storms, or even hurricanes, to form off the East Coast each year, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said.

‘We’re right at the peak of hurricane season, we can basically have storms form anywhere across much of the Atlantic basin,’ Brennan said.

Tom Sandoval spotted leaving celebrity hotspot The Fleur Room solo… after bringing new girlfriend Tii to the house he still shares with ex Ariana Madix

By Amy Lamare For Dailymail.Com

Published: 14:29 EDT, 16 September 2023 | Updated: 14:36 EDT, 16 September 2023

Hunter Biden‘s ex-business partner Devon Archer told Congress that Joe Biden‘s ‘intimidating’ influence directly led to his son receiving huge sums of foreign money – and a $142,300 Porsche. 

According to the full transcript of his testimony obtained by DailyMail.com on Thursday, Archer said that the Biden ‘brand’ acted as protection for Ukrainian oil company Burisma because ‘people would be intimidated to mess with them.’ 

Hunter’s presence on Burisma’s board and access to his father – then vice president – led to the company’s ‘longevity’ because they had the ‘capabilities to navigate D.C.,’ Archer said according to the transcript. 

‘I think Burisma would have gone out of business if it didn’t have the brand attached to it. That’s my, like, only honest opinion,’ Archer continued.

Hunter’s best friend and business associate sat with him on Burisma’s board beginning in 2014. They also started Rosemont Seneca Partners, an investment advisory firm, together.

He confirmed that Hunter put Joe on speakerphone 20 times during business meetings over a 10-year period, which was a ‘signal’ of ‘value,’ and Hunter used his dad as ‘defensive leverage.’

He also told lawmakers that Joe sat and had dinner in-person on at least two occasions with Hunter and his foreign business partners, who then wired money almost immediately after to Biden-affiliated companies.

In the spring of 2014, Joe joined Hunter and a handful of his business partners for dinner at Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C. Those at the dinner included Kenes Rakishev, Karim Massimov, Yelena Baturina and possibly Eric Schwerin.

Archer confirmed that Joe was present long enough to eat dinner with the group. 

Following the dinner, $3.5 million was wired from Russian billionaire Yelena Baturina into Rosemont Seneca Thornton on February 14.

On April 22, $142,300 was wired into the Rosemont Seneca Bohai account from Kenes Rakishev, a businessman from Kazakhstan, who was also at the Cafe Milano dinner.

The payment was made as a gift to Hunter, who received an ‘expensive car.’

Archer told the committee: ‘I believe it was a Fisker first and then a Porsche.’

• Hunter’s ex-business partner Devon Archer testified that the  Biden ‘brand’ acted as protection for Ukrainian oil company Burisma 
• He said because ‘people would be intimidated to mess with them’ because the then-VP’s son sat on their board
• ‘I think Burisma would have gone out of business if it didn’t have the brand attached to it,’ said Archer 
• Burisma had the ‘capabilities to navigate D.C.’ based on its connections to Joe Biden through Hunter
• Archer testified that the company ‘requested Hunter’ to ‘help them with some of that pressure’ they faced from investigations
• Hunter put Joe on speakerphone 20 times during business meetings over a 10-year period, which was a ‘signal’ of ‘value’
• Archer said Hunter used his dad as ‘defensive leverage’
• Hunter got a $142K Porsche days after Joe sat down for dinner with his business associates at Cafe Milano in D.C. 
• Another $3.5 million from a Russian billionaire was wired into a Biden-connected account after Joe attended one of Hunter’s business dinners 
• Archer also said that Hunter Biden would refer to his father as ‘my guy‘

Hunter took a picture of himself while driving a Porsche at 172mph on a highway outside Las Vegas in 2018, according to pictures found on his abandoned laptop. It was not immediately clear if the Porsche gifted to Hunter by Rakishev was the same vehicle.

The then-vice president also sat in on another dinner with Hunter and his partners in 2015 at Cafe Milano, Archer confirmed.

‘Dear Hunter,’ reads a note from a Ukrainian executive following the dinner. ‘Thank you for inviting me to DC and giving me an opportunity to meet your father and [spend] some time together.’ 

During another dinner with Burisma executives at the Four Seasons, Hunter said he would be able to get ‘help from D.C.’ in order to relieve some ‘government pressure’ on the company.

Archer testified that Burisma was ‘getting pressure’ and as a result, they ‘requested Hunter, you know, help them with some of that pressure.’

He said it was ‘government pressure’ from the ongoing Ukrainian investigation into the company at the time – led by top prosecutor Shokin.

However, Archer said that Shokin ‘wasn’t specifically on my radar as being an individual that was — that was targeting him.’ 

‘But yes, there was constant pressure. And it was like it was like whack a mole in regards to the pressures that had to resolve,’ Archer continued.

He said that the Burisma executives weren’t specific in asking directly ‘can the big guy help?’ 

Rather, they used the ‘amorphous’ term: ‘can we get help in D.C.?’

Archer understood that ‘D.C.’ meant Hunter’s influence based on his connection to his then-VP father.

‘Well, I mean, he was a lobbyist and an expert and obviously he carried, you know, a very powerful name. So I think it was that’s what they were asking for,’ said Archer.

In March 2016, Joe Biden is alleged to have threatened to withhold $1 billion in aid to Ukraine if Shokin was not fired for corruption, which he eventually was.

Archer also added that Hunter Biden would refer to his father as ‘my guy,’ which Republicans noted following the closed-door testimony on Monday.

According to the transcript, Hunter was ‘getting paid a lot of money’ by Burisma and ‘wanted to show value’ by getting credit for Joe Biden’s Ukraine trip in 2014.

‘I can’t guide my father in what he’s going to do on this trip, but let’s get credit for it,’ Archer said Hunter was thinking by referring to his dad as ‘my guy.’

Exhibit 2 in the attachments also showed Hunter, on email as ‘Robert,’ writing to Archer in April 2014 saying ‘our guy needs to set himself up as the anti-Victor Pinchuk (coal and steel oligarch – pro Russian Yanukuvich supporter).  

At the time, then-Vice President Joe Biden was leading the U.S. anti-corruption efforts abroad. 

Questions had remained about why Archer decided to cooperate with the committee this week after he previously cancelled on the committee at least three times in recent weeks.

Archer, 48, was subpoenaed on June 12 by the House Oversight Committee, which is investigating Hunter’s businesses and whether he and other members of the Biden family improperly traded on their connections.

According to Archer’s opening statement in the transcript, he said ‘it’s been a long decade’ and his entire forties have been ‘mired in fighting the government.’

‘So I want to be cooperative now and maybe we can all be friends. So let’s take it from there,’ he told committee staff and lawmakers.

Archer is facing legal troubles of his own and is expected to go to prison shortly.

He was sentenced to one year and a day in prison in February 2022 for defrauding a Native American tribal entity and various investment advisory clients of tens of millions of dollars, in connection with the issuance of $60 million in bonds.

He is on the hook with his co-conspirators for $43.4 million in restitution over the fraud.

On the eve of his testimony, the Department of Justice sent a letter calling for Archer’s sentencing to be expedited.

Republicans claimed the move by DOJ was an attempt to ‘intimidate’ Archer, who they view as being central to providing information that is critical to their ongoing investigation into whether Joe Biden was involved in his son’s foreign business deals.

DOJ seemingly walked back their request in a fresh Sunday filing, telling District Judge Abrams that they did not wish to see Archer imprisoned before he testified before Congress.

‘To be clear, the Government does not request (and has never requested) that the defendant [Archer] surrender before his Congressional testimony,’ the letter read.

The White House has maintained the president was never ‘in business’ with his son, but the GOP have ramped up their investigation with testimonies from whistleblowers and a slew of other evidence. 

After Archer’s closed-door testimony on Monday to the House Oversight Committee, Republicans said he revealed Joe was directly involved in Hunter’s shady dealings, while Democrats insisted the then-vice president’s involvement was innocent and focused on ‘niceties,’ not business.

On Wednesday, Archer told Tucker Carlson during his first interview since giving testimony, that the ‘Biden brand’ was ‘absolutely’ a key component of Hunter’s work on the Burisma board. 

Archer confirmed he had met the now-president ‘probably 20 times’ and again confirmed that Joe Biden had interacted with Hunter’s business partners around 20 times over the 10 years he was close with the family. 

‘I can definitively say at particular dinners or meetings, he knew there were business associates,’ said Archer, who did not claim that Joe Biden had ever actually discussed the business dealings. 

‘I don’t know if it was an orchestrated call in or not. It certainly was powerful, though, because, you know, if you’re sitting with a foreign businessperson and you hear the vice president’s voice, that’s prize enough,’ Archer went on. 

‘Sometimes it was the call was coming in and the speaker would go on,’ Archer said, detailing the conversations. ‘You understand D.C. right? So the power to have that access in that conversation – it’s not in a scheduled conference call and that’s a part of your family. That’s like the pinnacle of power in D.C.’

Rep. Dan Goldman, N.Y., the only Democrat in the room for Archer’s testimony, did not deny Biden had been on business calls with his son but said it was moreso to exchange ‘niceties’ like talking about ‘the weather, “what’s going on?”‘

‘Remember, this is when Beau got ill,’ Goldman said, noting that Hunter and Joe spoke on the phone frequently before Beau – Joe Biden’s eldest son – died in 2015. 

Through the investment and policy advisory firm Archer and Hunter Biden led together – Rosemont Seneca – Hunter led on ‘government regulatory issues,’ said Archer. 

‘Did Hunter have regulation expertise?’ asked Carlson. 

‘I think he led a team that did,’ said Archer, noting that the work Hunter did was primarily knowing who to call.

Both Archer and Carlson acknowledged it was not new for the relatives of famous government officials to use their connections in business. 

‘What we ran into was almost an Icarus issue,’ said Archer. ‘It was too close to the sun it was too good to be true. The connections were too close, the scrutiny too much.’

Archer also shared a letter with Carlson that then-Vice President Joe Biden had written to him in 2011. 

‘I apologize for not getting a chance to talk to you at the luncheon yesterday. I was having trouble getting away from hosting President Hu,’ Biden wrote referring to China’s then-president. 

‘I hope I get a chance to see you again soon with Hunter. I hope you enjoyed the lunch. Thanks for coming,’ it read, followed up with a handwritten addition: ‘Happy you guys are together.’

Archer and Hunter Biden were close friends at the time they were in business together. 

Last week Hunter Biden’s plea deal for tax and gun crimes imploded when a judge informed him he could be charged in the future for further crimes – specifically mentioning failing to register as a foreign agent (a FARA violation).  

President Biden is seemingly unbothered by Archer’s claims and his son’s legal woes – he’s spent Wednesday lounging on the beach in Rehobeth, Del., with First Lady Jill. 

This Morning cannot sack Holly Willoughby without bringing down the show’s entire senior management like a house of cards – insiders claim.

They say the 42-year-old is needed to ‘steady the ship’ – while her departure would mean ITV bosses are questioned about whether they knew of Phillip Schofield‘s affair.

It comes as the presenter is flying home from a holiday in Portugal ahead of her return to the sofa on Monday.

Insiders at ITV insist that she is going nowhere because she is needed to ‘steady the ship, and keep calm and carry on’ — and be at the forefront of any rebrand of This Morning required as the show fights for survival.

And they say that there would be no way she would accept being told to go while head of daytime TV Emma Gormley stayed. 

ITV’s senior management has come under increasing pressure to admit whether they were aware of Schofield’s relationship.

Things are also looking shaky for chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall who has been called before the Government’s Select Committee later this month. 

She will have to face questions over the broadcaster’s approach to safeguarding and complaint handling in the wake of the scandal over her former star on Wednesday, June 14.

On Wednesday she was forced into a humiliating climbdown, when they announced the broadcaster was bringing in a barrister to ‘carry out an external review to establish the facts’ around the chaos that has engulfed ITV since Schofield admitted to his affair.

It comes after Ms McCall wrote a letter to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Ofcom chief Dame Melanie Dawes and Ms Dinenage yesterday regarding ITV’s own investigation into rumours of the affair in ‘late 2019/early 2020’.

ITV director of television Kevin Lygo is also under pressure. 

He claimed no mistakes had been made in the 2020 investigation but declined to comment beyond the channel’s statement, when questioned by Sky News.

This Morning editor Martin Frizell – who has been in charge of the flagship show since 2016 – could also be in line for the chop.

He has not commented but is reportedly in favour of Alison Hammond joining Ms Willoughby on the sofa.

He said that ‘all will be made public’ earlier this week, saying that he would ‘stick with’ the statement made by Carolyn McCall when questioned by GB News.

Earlier this week he was criticised by Nadine Dorries, the Daily Mail columnist and former culture secretary, who told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg: ‘I think the editor of the programme has some questions to answer himself.’

And Emma Gormley – who was appointed in 2013 to run programmes airing between 6am and 6pm – could face questions over how the relationship between Schofield and the young showrunner went seemingly unnoticed.

And ITV chiefs have another problem — their rivals the BBC, as they are aware the broadcaster are looking to scoop Holly up and make her their biggest star should she be booted out of ITV towers.

They have been trying to poach her for several years, and when she last dipped her toe into Beeb waters with her prime-time show Freeze The Fear with Wim Hof, she won plaudits from the most senior management at the Corporation. Few more so than the powerful chief content officer Charlotte Moore.

The two women were seen together at last year’s Variety showbusiness awards, something which sent shockwaves through ITV.

Sources at the BBC have gone as far as to divulge that Moore is secretly hoping ITV will decide to part company with Holly.

‘Holly will get bums on seats at home,’ one BBC insider says. ‘She is popular with the very-much-sought-after 16-24 age group, too, which is a huge deal for all broadcasters.’

Another source says they want to make the 42-year-old their Saturday night star for the months Strictly Come Dancing isn’t on screen. ‘That’s the dream,’ they said.

Her television executive husband, television executive Dan Baldwin makes programmes for channels across the industry, although his biggest customer is the BBC.

Holly Willoughby will reportedly be joined by two co-hosts as she returns to the sofa on Monday.

It’s claimed she will be joined by Craig Doyle, 52, on Wednesday and Thursday’s shows, after Josie Gibson, 38, sits alongside her on Monday and Tuesday’s instalments.

‘Josie’s bubbly personality is just what the show needs to bounce back from a nightmare few weeks,’ an insider told the Sun.

‘She’s larger than life and will ease the pressure on Holly, who viewers will be glued to after the loss of her long time telly partner.

‘Craig has also been lined up and it’s a sign that the permanent role is his for the taking. Viewers have taken to him straight away and, not only is he easy on the eye, but he’s a natural in front of camera.’ 

It comes after Phillip, 61, admitted his TV career is over and he has been shunned by Holly – who responded with an Instagram post about how to keep ‘your hair safe all summer long’.

In his first broadcast interview since the scandal erupted, the presenter explained how he messaged his former co-host to say he was ‘so, so sorry’ for lying to her about his ‘unwise, but not illegal’ relationship with the man who is 34 years his junior.

But he denied he had groomed a younger colleague before their affair and revealed that he is suicidal, saying: ‘Do you want me to die? Because that’s where I am.’

On Friday, Alison broke down in tears on This Morning as she admitted it was ‘really painful’ to watch Phillip Schofield being interviewed about his affair.

The host, 48, who has been fronting the show with Dermot O’Leary during the fallout from the scandal, said the ‘family’ at ITV had been really struggling to process everything.

She said her late mother Maria, who died in 2020, used to tell her: ‘Use your Bible as a satnav in life, Al.’ Ms Hammond then quoted a passage from the Bible about a woman caught in adultery.

After watching the clip from the dramatic BBC interview in which Schofield said his daughters had saved his life, Ms Hammond was left in tears as she struggled to speak.

Regular guest Gyles Brandreth described the Schofield issue as a ‘human story but with public implications’, adding: ‘We are dealing with a human being that all of us here have known and liked over many years. So it makes it difficult for us.’ 

In his first broadcast interview since the scandal erupted, the presenter explained how he messaged his former co-host to say he was ‘so, so sorry’ for lying to her about his ‘unwise, but not illegal’ relationship with the man who is 34 years his junior.

But he denied he had groomed a younger colleague before their affair and revealed that he is suicidal, telling critics: ‘Do you want me to die? Because that’s where I am’.

The broadcaster, 61, also lifted the lid on how Holly Willoughby distanced herself from him when his paedophile brother was jailed and confirmed they are no longer speaking after he left ITV, although he admitted she may have been banned.

He said: ‘I WhatsApped her on the day I put out the statement. I said that you don’t have to reply, you probably can’t, but I want to say I’m desperately, desperately sorry’, adding Holly, who is currently on holiday in Portugal, hasn’t replied.

But shortly after Schofield confessed he’d sent her a text begging for forgiveness, Willoughby’s social media team took to Instagram to share a blasé post about hair care – with no mention of Phil or his apology.

The former presenter apologised to his family, friends and ITV viewers for lying about the affair, but insisted that much of the criticism of him since he left This Morning had been homophobic. He also told of a ‘catastrophic effect’ on his mind.

He revealed he texted former co-host Holly Willoughby begging for forgiveness over his This Morning affair lies but she never replied.