This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.
Mexican Officials Arrest Allege Kidnapping Suspect
Mexican authorities arrested a suspect late Tuesday allegedly tied to the kidnapping of four Americans last weekend that left two dead. The Daily Wire’s Brandon Drey joined Morning Wire’s “Afternoon update” for more on this story:
“The suspect, Jose Guadalupe N., is a Mexican national in his early 20’s. When he was detained he was guarding a small wooden house outside the city of Matamoros, where cartel members held the Americans. Authorities have not confirmed if he is involved with the cartel suspected of kidnapping the U.S. nationals. According to Mexican officials, when they discovered the victims kidnapped by the gunmen, two of them, Shaeed Woodard and Zindell Brown, were deceased. Investigations and efforts to capture those responsible are ongoing.”
Biden’s FCC Nominee Withdraws
President Biden’s polarizing nominee to head the Federal Communications Commission has withdrawn from consideration amid significant backlash – and Democrat Senator Joe Manchin’s announcement that he would not back her.
Gigi Sohn, a former Obama official who would have been the first openly gay FCC commissioner, backs the controversial idea of net neutrality and had been vying for the job for 16 months. But in a statement Tuesday, Manchin dealt a significant blow to her chances, saying, “Especially now, the FCC must remain above the toxic partisanship that Americans are sick and tired of, and Ms. Sohn has clearly shown she is not the person to do that.” Sohn withdrew within hours of Manchin’s statement.
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, who has been one of the more outspoken critics of Sohn’s nomination, declared Sohn’s withdrawal a “major victory” for bipartisanship, stating, “The FCC is not a place for partisan activists; free speech is too important.”
McConnell Bashes Tucker Carlson, Fox News
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky statesman criticized Fox News for airing newly released footage from the January 6 riots on Tucker Carlson’s Monday evening show.
“It was a mistake, in my view, for Fox News to depict this in a way that’s completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here at the Capitol thinks,” McConnell said Tuesday afternoon
BREAKING: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calls it a "mistake" for Tucker Carlson and Fox News to release the never-before-seen J6 footage. pic.twitter.com/8d2c75Z3eK
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) March 7, 2023
Fox News Host Tucker Carlson responded to his Democratic and Republican critics Tuesday evening:
Tucker Carlson Responds To Senator Chuck Schumer Calling For Fox News To Censor His Show pic.twitter.com/Bd6UcH9vb3
— Antonio Sabato Jr (@AntonioSabatoJr) March 8, 2023
“All sharing the same outrage, and from this, we learn two things,” he said. “One: You’re getting close to what they really care about, and you have to ask yourself why? Why is it so important that they would degrade themselves by telling such obvious lies and calling for censorship? Why? What are they trying to protect? That might be worth exploring, and we plan to, and the second thing that we learned from this is that they’re on the same side. The Senate majority leader joins the Senate Minority leader — Thom Tillis, Mitt Romney. They’re all on the same side. So, it’s actually not about left and right. It’s not about Republicans and Democrats.”
Novak Djokovic Denied Entry Into America
In the world of sports, we have the latest regarding the saga of one the world’s best Tennis Players, Novak Djokovic. Crain and Company co-host David Cone reported:
“Djokovic has once again been denied entry into the U.S. due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The number one player in the world requested a medical waiver to participate in the Miami Open and the Indian Wells Masters, but was turned away by Homeland Security.
This comes after Djokovic was forced to miss the US and Australian Opens last year, two of the four major tennis tournaments. Moderna, one of the largest vaccine makers, is one of the official sponsors of the US Open.”
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DOJ Accuses Louisville Police Of Violating Civil Rights
The Department of Justice released its findings in its civil rights investigation into the Louisville Police Department following the death of Breonna Taylor in 2020. The Daily Wire’s Tim Pearce joined Afternoon Update to walk us through that report:
The DOJ investigated Louisville Metro Police for two years, and now alleges that the city’s officers regularly, quote, “engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and Federal Law.” Those findings claim that LMPD uses excessive force, relies on invalid search warrants, discriminates against black people, and unlawfully stops, detains, and arrests individuals during routine traffic and street stops. The DOJ report also claims that ‘Some officers have videotaped themselves throwing drinks at pedestrians from their cars; insulted people with disabilities; and called Black people ‘monkeys,’ ‘animal,’ and ‘boy.”
The DOJ also announced that it will be reviewing Memphis, TN police department’s use of force and de-escalation policies in wake of the killing of Tyre Nichols.”
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