Special counsel appointed in investigation of Biden’s son Hunter

The ongoing criminal investigation of Hunter Biden, U.S. President Joe Biden’s only living son, will now be carried out by a special counsel with greater authority, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, a move that could cast a shadow over the Democratic incumbent’s re-election bid.

The elevation in status of David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has led the probe, came after plea talks between the Justice Department and Hunter on tax and gun charges fell apart.

The 80-year-old president’s son has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to pay federal inc...