It’s Thursday, February 17th, and this is your Morning Wire. Listen to the full podcast:
1) Canadian Government Cracks Down On Truckers’ Finances
The Topline: On Monday, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was invoking emergency measures to clamp down on protesters of COVID-19 restrictions, a move that’s now sparking significant backlash.
Quote Of The Day: “This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades. We are today serving notice: if your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen.”
– Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland
Photographer: Christinne Muschi/Bloomberg/Contributor via Getty Images
Background
The Canadian truckers protesting vaccine mandates — deemed the ‘Freedom Convoy’ — have effectively brought border crossings and Canada’s capital city, Ottawa, to a standstill.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took action on Monday, announcing that he was invoking the Emergencies Act.
The act can suspend basic rights, such as freedom of movement and freedom of assembly.
Those who violate the latest rules could be fined up to 5,000 Canadian dollars, face a maximum of five years in prison, or both.
Bank Freeze
One declaration from Trudeau’s government raising concern is that the government now has the right to take control of protester’s personal bank accounts. It’s the latest in a string of attempts to financially isolate the protesters.
Earlier this month, GoFundMe took down a page accepting donations in support of the protesting truck drivers. Donor data was then leaked from crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, as officials moved to freeze the $8 million in funds that had been raised to that point.
Through these emergency powers, Trudeau’s government is now empowering banks and financial institutions to freeze the accounts of any person or business suspected of being involved with an “illegal blockade.”
The prime minister has refused to meet with the truckers or discuss their demands.
Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Stringer/Getty Images
2) War On Police Continues
The Topline: More than a dozen law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty last weekend, continuing a trend of violence against police that stretches back almost two years.
Quote Of The Day: “My hometown, Springfield, Missouri, is looking for 40 officers. Columbia, Missouri, a department of 187, looking for 20 officers.”
– Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Police Shot
Last Friday, a total of thirteen officers were shot within a 24 hour span.
In Phoenix, nine officers were wounded while trying to rescue a young woman and her one-month-old baby. The assailant shot at police while they were in the process of rescuing the infant. Police said the woman died of her wounds, and the shooter committed suicide. The baby was safely removed from the home.
In Frederick, Maryland, police investigating a report of a suspicious man said the suspect walked away from them, then turned and opened fire with a 45-caliber handgun, injuring both officers. They shot the 25-year-old, who’s been charged with murder.
On Friday night in Philadelphia, a SWAT Team arrived to serve a drug warrant when they say the suspect shot at them through a wall. A bullet struck one member of the team, who survived due to his bulletproof vest.
While none of those officers were killed, since the beginning of this year, five officers have been shot to death in the line of duty, and three have died from vehicular assaults, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Last year, 73 officers were intentionally killed, a 59% increase over 2020. The number of police killed by gunfire reached its highest level in modern history last year, according to the Fraternal Order of Police, with a total of 346 policemen shot in the line of duty in 2021.
Staffing Issues
High retirement rates, low morale, and some local policies defunding police have left many departments nationwide understaffed.
Last week, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to fire 4,000 deputies because they weren’t vaccinated – a decision that Sheriff Alex Villanueva called “a suicide pact.”
Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) said she will continue to call for defunding the police, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) quickly tried to distance the Democratic party from that position on Sunday, saying “Defund the Police is dead.”
However, in June of 2020, Speaker Pelosi appeared to agree with the sentiment, saying that while police funding is a local issue, “Perhaps we can shuffle some of that money around.”
President Joe Biden also agreed to whittle down police funding on the campaign trail in 2020.
Polling Point: A Politico/Morning Consult poll taken last week found that 75% of Americans say defunding the police has caused crime to rise, and 69% believe increasing police budgets would reduce the crime rate.
Richard Harbaugh – Handout/Handout/A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images
3) The Oscars Gets Three Hosts
The Topline: Amid plummeting viewership, the Oscars this year will feature three hosts – comediennes Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, as well as actress Regina Hall.
The Hosts
On Monday, producers announced they will have three hosts this year after a few years without a host. Schumer and Sykes are known for left wing activism, but Hall is not politically active, nor is she a stand-up comic. All of the hosts are female, and two are black.
One of the main criticisms of the Oscars for several years has been the perceived shift toward politics at the expense of entertainment. While show producers could cut down on the political speeches within their programs, it will likely be difficult to get actors away from the topic during their time to speak at the awards ceremony.
The Oscars will take place on Sunday, March 27th.
Stephen Lam/The San Francisco Chronicle/ San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Contributor via Getty Images
Other Stories We’re Tracking
San Francisco School Board Recall
San Francisco parents voted overwhelmingly this week to remove three members of the San Francisco school board, including the board’s president. Critics, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed (D), have accused the board of focusing excessively on divisive racial politics and progressive ideology and not enough on academics.
Alec Baldwin
Halyna Hutchins’ family has filed a wrongful death suit against Alec Baldwin and possibly others involved in the on-set death of the cinematographer. Baldwin is named as having “portion liability” in Hutchins’ death, suggesting that others involved in the chain of events will be named as well.
NYC
New York Mayor Eric Adams (D) authorized the firing of at least 1,400 unvaccinated government workers on Monday, including 36 from the NYPD, 25 from New York’s Fire Department, and 914 education workers.
L.A.
Los Angeles County lifted its outdoor masking requirements on Wednesday for K-12 schools, child-care, youth sports, and outdoor mega events. Masks are still mandated for indoor public areas.
CNN
A Pennsylvania school board voted 5-4 to end mandatory CNN viewing in middle schools during homeroom. Teachers will now have the option to turn the TV off, show patriotic informational videos about historical events, or the CNN-10 programming.