This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/trial-begins-three-men-accused-pressuring-expats-return-china-rcna87266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Conspiracy Trial Starts</a>
One American and two Chinese nationals faced a jury Wednesday in the first trial stemming from U.S. claims of a Chinese government conspiracy. Officials say that China’s government has tried to harass and intimidate dissidents and others abroad into returning home. The three men are charged with conspiracy to hound a former Chinese city official, his wife, and their adult daughter to get him to go back to his homeland, where the government alleges he took bribes.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/latvian-parliament-elects-first-openly-gay-president-baltic-nation-rcna87077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World&#8217;s First Openly Gay President Elected In Latvia</a>
The world’s first openly gay president has been elected in Latvia by the country’s parliament. He received 52 votes — or just one more than necessary to win — in a close contest. Gay marriage is currently illegal in Latvia.
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/31/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ring-doorbell-privacy-violations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon To Pay $30 Million Over Privacy Violations Suit</a>
Amazon has settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that its voice assistant Alexa and doorbell camera Ring violated privacy protections. The FTC claimed in one lawsuit that the tech company kept recordings of children&#8217;s conversations in Alexa. The federal agency also alleged that Amazon employees illegally monitored customers without consent via Ring. Now, Amazon will pay over $30 million to settle the accusations.
<a href="https://cbsaustin.com/newsletter-daily/gov-abbott-appoints-former-tx-secretary-of-state-as-interim-attorney-general-ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-for-civil-litigation-impeachment-tx-house-lege-senate-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Abbott Appoints Paxton Replacement</a>
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has now appointed a temporary replacement for impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton — and Democrats aren’t happy about it. Abbott named former Secretary of State John Scott as the interim Attorney General this week, as Paxton awaits his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. Some Democrats have pushed back on the appointment of Scott because he worked with former President Trump during his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania.
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<a href="https://people.com/ill-man-who-joked-he-regretted-marrying-wife-convicted-of-murdering-her-7506988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family Feud Contestant Who Joked About Regretting Marrying His Wife Convicted Of Murdering Wife</a>
A former “Family Feud” contestant who joked on the show about regretting marrying his wife has now been convicted of murdering his wife. 40-year-old Timothy Bliefnick appeared on the show in 2020.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;Family Feud&#039; contestant who joked about regretting marriage now on trial for wife&#039;s murder" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K_lChiRhSRk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Bliefnick has now been found guilty of killing his estranged wife, Becky Bliefnick, in February. The court found that he broke into her home in Quincy, Illinois, with a crowbar and shot her 14 times. The pair was in the process of a divorce and Becky had previously text her sister, “If something ever happens to me, make sure the number one person of interest is Tim.” His sentencing is scheduled for August 11.
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Friday

Friday Afternoon Update: World’s First Openly Gay President Elected In Latvia, Amazon To Pay $30 Million Over Privacy Violations Suit

Friday Afternoon Update: World's First Openly Gay President Elected In Latvia, Amazon To Pay $30 Million Over Privacy Violations Suit

Amazon

China

Entertainment

Europe

Gay Rights

General

Greg Abbott

Morning Wire

Podcast

Texas

&#8220;Reacher&#8221; and &#8220;The Hunger Games: Catching Fire&#8221; star Alan Ritchson talked about being a Christian in Hollywood and said it&#8217;s important that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/faith">faith</a>-based films are supported, calling movie theaters a new &#8220;pulpit.&#8221;
The 40-year-old actor has been involved in the entertainment industry for the last 19 years and said he definitely wants to be &#8220;part of stories&#8221; that honor Christ, <a href="https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/reacher-actor-alan-ritchson-wants-the-name-of-christ-in-movie-theaters.html">Christian Headlines</a> reported.
Ritchson admitted that some studio executives are only focused on the bottom line but said that doesn&#8217;t make it any less important that faith-based films like his upcoming film &#8220;Ordinary Angels&#8221; and the surprise hit movie &#8220;Jesus Revolution&#8221; get in theaters.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#39;Reacher&#39;, &#39;Hunger Games&#39; Actor Alan Ritchson Stands for Movies That Honor &#39;the Name of Christ&#39; <a href="https://t.co/hdvX9NGiQf">https://t.co/hdvX9NGiQf</a> <a href="https://t.co/1wmhffOP5H">pic.twitter.com/1wmhffOP5H</a>
&mdash; CBN News (@CBNNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBNNews/status/1648361425696440327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He said it &#8220;doesn&#8217;t change the fact that people are hearing the name of Christ in movie theaters.&#8221;
&#8220;And if that&#8217;s where the pulpit is for people who wouldn&#8217;t normally step foot in a church, then that&#8217;s still a great way to have that conversation,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It matters that these films get supported.&#8221;
The &#8220;Reacher&#8221; star said when Christians support faith-based movies it sends an important message to Hollywood.
&#8220;Other people in [Hollywood] watch this and a groundswell kind of takes place in Hollywood that changes things in a real meaningful way,&#8221; Ritchson told the outlet.
Speaking about his upcoming faith-based movie &#8220;Ordinary Angels,&#8221; Ritchson <a href="https://jesusrevolution.movie/prayer-team">recently</a> said his movie is a story about how God uses &#8220;broken&#8221; people and those who don&#8217;t look like the &#8220;perfect Christian&#8221; to do His work, the outlet noted.
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&#8220;God continually shows up in our world in a way that kind of boggles our mind,&#8221; Ritchson said. &#8220;Because we, for whatever reason, I think we continue to buy into the idea that &#8230; God chooses heroes to do His work. And it&#8217;s just never been the case.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s the broken and the dysfunctional that God proves His power and strength through,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And this a story of that, too. It&#8217;s important that we remember that those who maybe struggle to follow the rules, who don&#8217;t look like the perfect Christians, who are the broken, are the people that God has a funny way of expressing Himself through. And that story is very much told in Ordinary Angels.”
&#8220;Ordinary Angels&#8221; is set to hit theaters Oct. 13.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-chosen-star-jonathan-roumie-hilariously-reacts-to-jesus-revolution-landing-in-top-3-at-box-office">&#8216;The Chosen&#8217; Star Jonathan Roumie Hilariously Reacts To &#8216;Jesus Revolution&#8217; Landing In Top 3 At Box Office</a>

Alan Ritchson-1

‘Reacher’ Star Talks Importance Of Faith-Based Films, Calls Theaters A New ‘Pulpit’

‘Reacher’ Star Talks Importance Of Faith-Based Films, Calls Theaters A New Pulpit

Celebrities

Faith

Hollywood

Movies

U.S.

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> announced the forthcoming availability of multiple <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence?_gl=1*2dsaed*_ga*NzUzNDA5ODIxLjE2NzkzMjkzNzM.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY4MTM5NjUzOC45My4xLjE2ODEzOTc1NTUuNDguMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificial intelligence</a> products, throttling the company into competition with other major <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> firms which recently unveiled similar solutions for consumers.
The move comes after ChatGPT, an AI language processing tool, earned worldwide recognition as knowledge workers leverage its capabilities to execute tasks such as writing emails and computer code in a matter of seconds. Swami Sivasubramanian, vice president of data and machine learning at Amazon Web Services, <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/machine-learning/announcing-new-tools-for-building-with-generative-ai-on-aws/?trk=ace7c69a-33d1-4ab3-9cd3-c22ce23d47a7&amp;sc_channel=el" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Thursday that the e-commerce behemoth would introduce Bedrock, which offers access to several AI models for text and images, as well as Titan, which includes two large language models that can complete tasks such as writing blog posts, extracting information from documents, and creating applications for personalization and search.
Bedrock customers will be able to access multilingual large language models that can generate text in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and Dutch.
The firm will also make CodeWhisperer, an AI computer coding companion unveiled last year that can generate code suggestions in real-time, generally available and free for individual developers. Amazon conducted a productivity challenge with CodeWhisperer which found that participants who used the AI system completed tasks 57% faster and were 27% more likely to achieve success than those who did not use CodeWhisperer.
The announcement comes on the same day that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy remarked in a shareholder <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-2022-letter-to-shareholders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> that large language models and generative AI are receiving considerable investments from the firm. “Machine learning has been a technology with high promise for several decades, but it’s only been the last five to ten years that it’s started to be used more pervasively by companies,” he wrote. “This shift was driven by several factors, including access to higher volumes of compute capacity at lower prices than was ever available.”
Technology companies otherwise battered by economic tumult have seen mass market AI as a possible windfall in recent months. Microsoft, which invested billions of dollars into ChatGPT creator OpenAI, recently announced that the system would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-unveils-new-version-of-bing-powered-by-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">integrated</a> into search engine Bing and internet browser Edge, allowing users to locate information more easily. Google <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/google-search-will-soon-receive-ai-upgrade-as-company-scrambles-to-release-chatgpt-competitor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> one day earlier that Bard, an experimental conversational AI service, would soon be added to the company’s search engine, which has dominated competitors for two decades.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other senior executives at the social media company now spend most of their time on AI initiatives. Meta expects to commercialize elements of its generative AI capabilities by the end of this year for advertisers on Facebook and Instagram.
The breakneck rollout of mass-market AI prompted some technology leaders, including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, to endorse an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-wozniak-other-tech-leaders-call-for-six-month-pause-on-ai-development" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open letter</a> calling for a six-month moratorium on AI development as lawmakers consider the impact of AI on employment and information channels. The executives and academics who signed the letter referenced possible widespread unemployment that mass market AI solutions could render across the world.
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Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius and three other senior analysts indeed noted in a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colossal-share-of-american-jobs-could-be-replaced-by-ai-new-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that generative AI systems could have “potentially large macroeconomic effects” and produce “significant disruption” in worldwide labor markets. The estimated 7% of positions that AI could impact in the United States are broadly in sectors that rely upon office work, such as administrative support and legal, while jobs in sectors such as building and grounds maintenance, construction, logistics, and healthcare support will remain broadly intact.

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Jumps Into Commercial AI Race With Multiple Competitors To ChatGPT

Amazon Jumps Into Commercial AI Race

Artificial Intelligence

Business

Technology

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> announced on Monday that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a> would dismiss some 9,000 employees amid efforts to become more efficient.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/update-from-ceo-andy-jassy-on-amazons-operating-plan-and-additional-role-eliminations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> to employees that most of the layoffs would occur in business units such as Amazon Web Services and Twitch, as well as human resources and advertising divisions. The headcount reductions at the e-commerce and technology behemoth come after approximately 18,000 employees were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> at the beginning of the year.
“For several years leading up to this one, most of our businesses added a significant amount of headcount. This made sense given what was happening in our businesses and the economy as a whole,” Jassy told staff members. “However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount.”
Jassy added that some employees were moved from one initiative to another and that new openings were created even as other positions were entirely eliminated. “The overriding tenet of our annual planning this year,” he continued, “was to be leaner while doing so in a way that enables us to still invest robustly in the key long-term customer experiences that we believe can meaningfully improve customers’ lives and Amazon as a whole.”
Shares of Amazon fell more than 2% on Monday morning against modest gains in the Dow Jones Industrial Index and the technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite. The company’s stock price has fallen 40% over the past year alongside declines seen by other technology firms.
The headcount reduction comes shortly after social media company Meta dismissed 10,000 employees and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-lays-off-thousands-more-employees-as-zuckerberg-urges-return-to-physical-offices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ceased</a> efforts to fill 5,000 available positions after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heads-roll-at-meta-as-zuckerberg-announces-massive-layoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decreasing</a> its headcount by more than 11,000 workers earlier this year. The layoffs in Silicon Valley come after entreaties from investors who have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meta-lays-off-thousands-more-employees-as-zuckerberg-urges-return-to-physical-offices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that inflated payrolls and diminished demand are preeminent factors behind lackluster profits.
Most prominent companies in the sector have reduced headcount as the elevated consumer demand which followed the lockdown-induced recession began to slow. More than 106,000 workers have been dismissed from technology firms so far in 2023, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs/#:~:text=More%20than%2046%2C000%20workers%20in,person%20layoff%20announcements%20this%20week." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Crunchbase, even after companies nixed about 140,000 positions last year.
Companies have also started to end the virtual work policies established amid the lockdown-induced recession. Jassy wrote in another <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/large-companies-roll-back-remote-work-make-employees-show-up-to-the-office-at-least-part-of-the-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> that employees must appear in physical office spaces at least thrice per week and that the firm believes “teams tend to find ways to work through hard and complex trade-offs faster” when they are in the same location. Thousands of employees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thousands-of-amazon-employees-revolt-as-ceo-makes-them-show-up-in-office-at-least-three-days-per-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reacted</a> by starting an internal messaging channel intended to challenge the end of fully remote work; four in five members threatened in one informal survey to search for new positions elsewhere because of the policy change.
“It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues,” Jassy continued. “When you’re in-person, people tend to be more engaged, observant, and attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural clues being communicated.”

Amazon To Dismiss Thousands More Workers As Big Tech Layoffs Continue

Amazon To Dismiss Thousands More Workers

Big Tech

Jobs

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> employees are furious as the company rolls back <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/remote-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remote work</a> arrangements, with some threatening to quit and others drafting petitions in reaction to a recent announcement that they must report to the office at least three times per week.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/large-companies-roll-back-remote-work-make-employees-show-up-to-the-office-at-least-part-of-the-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> to employees on Friday that the company believes “teams tend to find ways to work through hard and complex trade-offs faster” when they are in the same physical location. Shortly after the announcement, hundreds of Amazon staffers started joining an internal Slack channel called Remote Advocacy; there were more than 14,000 members of the channel as of Tuesday, according to a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-employees-plan-to-fight-against-return-to-office-policy-2023-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Business Insider.
Nearly 80% of workers in the channel claimed they would start to look for another job because of the new policy. &#8220;This is going to be absolute chaos and make everyone&#8217;s work distracted for probably a quarter, maybe longer,&#8221; one disgruntled employee wrote. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to be productive with so much uncertainty injected into our lives.&#8221;
The shift toward more traditional work arrangements, however, comes as Amazon seeks to downsize amid macroeconomic tumult and a decline in consumer demand that followed the lockdown-induced recession. Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> some 18,000 employees over the past several months and implemented a freeze on incremental hires in the corporate workforce.
Employees in the Slack channel nevertheless drafted petitions against the return to office policy. &#8220;We, the undersigned Amazonians, are responding by petitioning for the right to choose where to work, including remote locations,&#8221; an early version of the document said, according to Business Insider. The petition included survey data which found 56% of Amazon employees desire “monthly sync-ups in the office,” while 31% want to work in the office one or two days per week.
Employees tend to prefer remote work arrangements because of time savings from avoided commutes, as well as flexibility to balance work and personal matters, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Gallup. The costs for employers, however, can outweigh the benefits of attracting and retaining talent sometimes produced through virtual work policies: 85% of managers believe the shift to hybrid work “has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive,” according to a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Microsoft.
Jassy and other executives said the lockdowns affirmed the importance of creating meaningful relationships between team members. “It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues,” he wrote to employees. “When you’re in-person, people tend to be more engaged, observant, and attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural clues being communicated.”
Other companies, such as Walmart and Disney, have likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-work-disney-employees-told-to-show-up-in-the-office-at-least-four-days-a-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pivoted</a> away from their virtual work arrangements in recent weeks. Employees of the former company must work at least twice per week from physical offices, while employees at the latter must work from offices four days per week, preferably between Monday and Thursday.
Many firms have included carveouts that allow top performers to continue working from home. Walmart will permit some employees to remain full-time remote staff members even as they force others to relocate while technology hubs across the nation are shuttered; Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a leading skeptic of virtual work arrangements, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-remote-work-is-no-longer-acceptable-at-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would consider allowing “particularly exceptional contributors” at the automaker to work remotely.

Thousands Of Amazon Employees Revolt As CEO Makes Them Show Up In Office At Least Three Days Per Week

Thousands Of Amazon Employees Revolt As CEO Makes Them Show Up In Office

Economy

Remote Work

Several large companies are reversing the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/remote-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remote work</a> policies they enacted during the lockdown-induced recession and are requiring employees to appear in physical office spaces for at least part of the week.
Many firms in the sector have been dismissing large portions of their headcounts as post-lockdown demand surges begin to mitigate. <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/walmart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Walmart</a> told their employees to appear in the office at least three days and two days per week, respectively.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a Friday <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/andy-jassy-update-on-amazon-return-to-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> to employees that the company believes “teams tend to find ways to work through hard and complex trade-offs faster” when they are in the same physical location.
“It’s easier to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture when we’re in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues,” he continued. “When you’re in-person, people tend to be more engaged, observant, and attuned to what’s happening in the meetings and the cultural clues being communicated.”
Beyond requiring their technology employees to work from offices at least twice each week, Walmart will close three technology hubs in Texas, California, and Oregon. Employees will be compensated for their relocation expenses to cities with primary technology hubs if they decide to remain with the company and will be offered severance if they leave the firm, according to a Monday <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/walmart-to-close-three-tech-hubs-tells-tech-staff-to-return-to-offices-3fb131e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> from Walmart CTO Suresh Kumar seen by the Wall Street Journal.
Employees generally prefer remote or hybrid work arrangements due to time savings from avoided commutes, as well as the flexibility to more easily balance work and personal matters, according to a <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from Gallup. The costs for employers, however, can outweigh the benefits from attracting and retaining talent: 85% of managers say the shift to hybrid work “has made it challenging to have confidence that employees are being productive,” according to a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work-is-just-work" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from Microsoft.
Disney CEO Bob Iger likewise <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/back-to-work-disney-employees-told-to-show-up-in-the-office-at-least-four-days-a-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last month that he would require employees to work from offices, preferably between Monday and Thursday. “As you’ve heard me say many times, creativity is the heart and soul of who we are and what we do at Disney,” the executive remarked. “And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe, and create with peers that comes from being physically together.”
Many companies, on the other hand, have allowed top performers to continue working from home. Walmart will permit some employees to remain full-time remote staff members; Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a leading skeptic of virtual work arrangements, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-remote-work-is-no-longer-acceptable-at-tesla" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he would consider allowing “particularly exceptional contributors” at the automaker to work remotely.
The trend toward consolidating office spaces and requiring employees to return to offices occurs as several technology companies face pressure from investors over declining profitability, resulting in the decision to introduce mass layoffs. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-white-house-brushed-off-concerns-about-mass-firings-at-microsoft-and-amazon-now-google-is-laying-off-employees-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> their intentions to decrease payrolls by more than 40,000 workers over the past several weeks. More than 77,000 workers have been dismissed from prominent technology firms thus far in 2023, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs/#:~:text=More%20than%2046%2C000%20workers%20in,person%20layoff%20announcements%20this%20week." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Crunchbase, even after companies in the sector dismissed some 140,000 positions last year.

Fired

Large Companies Roll Back Remote Work, Make Employees Show Up To The Office At Least Part Of The Week

Companies Make Workers Show Up To The Office At Least Part Of The Week

Walmart

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Flies Over The U.S.
U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed outrage after learning Thursday that a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-america-chinese-spy-balloons-in-the-sky-chinese-fentanyl-on-the-ground" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese surveillance balloon</a> has been traveling over the continental U.S., including Montana.
In a joint statement, the GOP and Democrat leaders of a House select committee on China called for a strong response from the administration.
The statement read in part, “The Chinese Communist Party should not have on-demand access to American airspace.”
The committee leaders said the surveillance airship’s presence over the U.S. shows that the threat China poses “is not confined to distant shores — it is here at home and we must act to counter this threat.” China has issued its own statement, insisting the incursion into U.S. territory was “unintended” and that the balloon is meant for quote “mainly meteorological” research.
A Pentagon spokesman has said that the balloon “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground” — and that they have chosen not to shoot it down thus far to prevent risk to people below. Amid the controversy over the balloon, the Biden administration has decided to postpone Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s upcoming trip to China.
Amazon Could Have Majority Robot Workforce
Investor Cathie Wood <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-could-have-more-robots-than-employees-in-seven-years-investor-predicts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicts that by 2030, Amazon</a> could have more robots than it has human workers at the company, pointing out that Amazon is adding “about 1,000 robots a day.”
Facebook&#8217;s Parent Company Plummets In Revenue
The net income of Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta, plummeted 41% over the course of last year, as indicated by the company’s last earnings report.
 Narcan Nasal Spray Coming To Los Angeles Schools
Students at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-students-to-be-allowed-to-carry-narcan-in-schools-amid-deadly-fentanyl-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Unified School District</a> will likely soon be able to have Narcan nasal spray on them in the event of a drug overdose. Narcan is a medication used to “reverse or reduce the effects of opioids.” Like many parts of the country, LA is experiencing an explosion of opioid overdose deaths.
Ted Cruz Demands China Release Texas Prisoner
Texas lawmakers, including GOP Senator Ted Cruz, are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to demand the freedom of a Houston businessman, Mark Swidan, who has been imprisoned in China since 2012 after being accused and convicted in 2019 of taking part in a criminal drug conspiracy.
Energy Seeks To Regulate Gas Stoves
The Energy Department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-proposes-new-gas-stove-regulations-despite-national-outrage-over-ban-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> new rules Wednesday that would mandate a certain energy consumption threshold for gas stoves even after the possibility of a nationwide ban garnered backlash.
Consumer Product Safety Commissioner Richard Trumka, Jr. said during an interview last month that gas stoves constitute a “hidden hazard” and said “any option is on the table” for a nationwide prohibition. A consumer Product Safety Commission chairman later walked back the commissioner’s comments, saying that neither he nor the agency planned to outlaw gas stoves.
Masks Make &#8216;Little To No Difference,&#8217; Study Claims
The Cochrane Institute <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gold-standard-review-claims-masks-could-be-only-5-effective-in-community-gets-slammed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">examined</a> 78 global studies on the effectiveness of masks and found that masks made “little to no difference” in the spread of respiratory infections. The studies involved more than 1 million people worldwide. Surgical masks reduced the risk of transmission of COVID or other flu-like illnesses by 5% the study found. The CDC’s latest guidance still recommends wearing masks in some situations, including indoor public transportation settings.
Sims 4 Has Transgender Options
And “The Sims 4” video game <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-sims-4-game-update-adds-trans-friendly-breast-removal-scars-binders-tucking-underwear-to-character-options" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> updated avatar options to include expanded transgender options. These include scars of breast removal surgery, chest binders, as well as additional medical wearable devices.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

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Friday Afternoon Update: Chinese Spy Balloon Over America, Study Finds Masks Make ‘Little To No Difference,’ And More

Friday Afternoon Update: Chinese Spy Balloon Over America, Study Finds Masks Make 'Little To No Difference,' And More

Chinese Communist Party

Communist China

Face Masks

Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood predicted that <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> could use more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">robots</a> than humans by 2030.
The portfolio manager, who makes her <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/stock-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investment</a> decisions based on companies she believes will create disruptive innovations, noted during an <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/02/01/cathie-wood-amazon-may-have-more-robots-than-humans-by-2030.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with CNBC that Amazon is currently increasing automation to a tremendous extent.
“Amazon is adding about 1,000 robots a day,” she remarked. “If you compare the number of robots Amazon has to the number of employees, it’s about a third. And we believe that by the year 2030 Amazon can have more robots than employees.”
Wood noted that other firms will more quickly adopt automation due to its cost advantages. “We are just at the dawn of the robotics age. And I would say artificial intelligence and battery technology are all a part of that movement as well,” she continued. “For every cumulative doubling in the number of robots produced, the cost declines are in the 50% to 60% range.”
Wood has nevertheless come under criticism over the past several years as her Ark Innovation ETF, which invests in disruptive companies involved with sectors such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and genomic research, remains 70% below its peak nearly two years ago. The fund recently rebounded nearly 28% after technology companies rallied on the stock market.
Amazon employed more than 1.6 million people at the end of 2021, according to its most recent <a href="https://s2.q4cdn.com/299287126/files/doc_financials/2022/ar/Amazon-2021-Annual-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">annual report</a>. The company, which emphasizes worker productivity over other metrics, experiences excessive turnover rates in its warehouses and fulfillment centers across the country. Amazon predicted that they could run out of individuals to hire in the United States by next year, according to leaked internal <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/23170900/leaked-amazon-memo-warehouses-hiring-shortage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> obtained by Vox, which added that executives believe increased automation and higher wages could slow the crisis.
Amazon indeed unveiled nationwide pay increases toward the end of last year: average hourly wages for employees in customer fulfillment and transportation are slated to increase above $19.00 per hour, with employees earning between $16.00 per hour and $26.00 per hour depending on their position and location in the United States, according to a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/amazon-invests-nearly-1-billion-in-increased-wages-for-operations-employees#:~:text=Average%20hourly%20pay%20for%20employees,and%20location%20in%20the%20U.S." target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. Walmart <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walmart-raises-minimum-wages-as-worker-shortages-crunch-labor-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> similar wage hikes last month such that average pay for employees across the nation will now surpass $17.50 per hour.
The phenomenon comes as private and public sector employers struggle to fill positions. There exist roughly 10.5 million job openings and 5.7 million unemployed individuals across the economy, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unemployment-plummets-in-december-as-federal-reserve-vows-more-rate-hikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reflecting a constrained labor market that has worsened inflationary pressures as firms increase compensation.
Other companies that rely upon unskilled labor have likewise moved to automate their operations as the worker shortages disadvantage employers in the job market. McDonald’s recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-real-minimum-wage-is-zero-mcdonalds-restaurant-uses-automation-for-pickups-and-orders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">created</a> a test restaurant in Texas in which customers can use kiosks and a mobile app to grab their orders from a conveyor belt rather than interacting with customer-facing staff, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> a robotic tortilla chip maker in a California location.
The higher pay and increased automation comes as state and federal lawmakers call for higher minimum wages. Amazon supported recent proposals to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-wants-15-federal-minimum-wage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raise</a> the national minimum wage above $15.00 per hour, causing some commentators to note that the move would most likely harm small businesses with which Amazon competes for employees.
Discussions surrounding technological unemployment over the past several decades have centered around blue-collar workers losing their jobs to automation. However, the widespread adoption of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence language processing tool that can debug code or write emails in a matter of seconds, has led some to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/company-behind-chatgpt-is-training-system-to-make-basic-coding-jobs-obsolete" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conclude</a> that many white-collar professions could also be rendered obsolete.

Bitcoin 2022 Conference Draws Cryptocurrency Industry Professionals And Investors To Miami

Amazon Could Have More Robots Than Employees In Seven Years, Investor Predicts

Robots

Stock Market

White House Press Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/karine-jean-pierre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karine Jean-Pierre</a> repeatedly deflected questions from reporters about massive layoffs at <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> companies and claimed that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a> under President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> is unswervingly robust.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/microsoft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft</a> CEO Satya Nadella <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-announces-mass-layoffs-to-cut-costs-amid-economic-headwinds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> on Wednesday that the company would dismiss some 10,000 employees over the next several months to reduce costs amid the challenging macroeconomic climate. The announcement occurred after <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/amazon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon</a> CEO Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> a total headcount reduction of 18,000 employees. Jean-Pierre nevertheless began her Wednesday <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2023/01/18/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-january-18-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press briefing</a> by claiming that Biden “inherited an economic crisis and turned it into the strongest two years of job growth on record.”
One reporter noted that the commander-in-chief has been “quite optimistic” in his latest statements about the economy and asked whether the Microsoft layoffs are a “matter of concern” for the White House. Jean-Pierre responded that Biden watches closely “anytime there are reports of Americans losing their jobs” and affirmed that he “knows firsthand the impact of losing a job and what that can have to your entire family.”
“I don’t have a comment on specific moves announced by particular companies. As you know, we&#8217;re very careful from here talking about private companies. But more broadly speaking, layoffs remain near record lows according to job openings data,” she continued. “Companies across the economy are continuing to grow and invest in the United States.”
Another reporter likewise observed that the administration “believes the economy’s resilient” but asked how dismissals would “impact that recovery in the coming months.”
Jean-Pierre replied that “layoffs remain near record lows” across the economy. “We’re seeing the President’s economic policy actually working. And I think that’s important as well,” she said. “Is there more work to do? Always more work to do, and you hear that from us as well.”
“So no immediate concern from these tens of thousands of layoffs across corporate America?” the reporter pressed. “What I’m saying is we’re going to closely monitor this, or, you know, we are always keeping an eye on these things,” Jean-Pierre repeated.
The remarks came after the United States witnessed one of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stocks-had-their-worst-year-since-2008-after-biden-boasted-about-their-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst stock market</a> performances in modern history as soaring prices, geopolitical pressures, and backlogged supply chains plagued the economy. The S&amp;P 500 index plummeted nearly 20% in 2022, rivaling the 37% decline seen in 2008 amid the collapse of the banking system, as well as the 12% and 22% declines witnessed in 2001 and 2002 amid the dot-com bubble.
Recent economic data, however, present some signs of improvement. Year-over-year consumer price inflation was charted at 6.5% in December 2022, marking a decline from the 7.1% recorded in the previous month, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-tide-has-turned-inflation-sees-largest-drop-since-2020-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Producer price inflation was recorded at 6.2% for 2022, marking a decline from 10% in 2021, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the agency.
Even as both metrics remained significantly higher than at the beginning of his time in the Oval Office, Biden claimed that the findings are attributable to his economic policies.
“We are making real progress tackling inflation and lowering costs, successfully transitioning from a historic recovery to steady and stable growth,” he said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/18/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-december-producer-price-index/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.

President Biden Hosts 2022 NBA Champions Golden State Warriors

Karine Jean-Pierre Gives Non-Answers On Massive Tech Layoffs

White House Press Secretary Deflects On Major Tech Layoffs

Biden Administration

Karine Jean-Pierre

Microsoft

Politics

Amazon is shutting down its charity platform as part of the company&#8217;s recent cost-cutting efforts.
The AmazonSmile program that allows customers to donate a percentage of their purchases through the company to selected non-profit organizations will end next month, according to a Wednesday <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-closing-amazonsmile-to-focus-its-philanthropic-giving-to-programs-with-greater-impact" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> from the online retailer.
&#8220;We are writing to let you know that we plan to wind down AmazonSmile by February 20, 2023,&#8221; Amazon said. &#8220;We will continue to pursue and invest in other areas where we’ve seen we can make meaningful change — from building affordable housing to providing access to computer science education for students in underserved communities to using our logistics infrastructure and technology to assist broad communities impacted by natural disasters.&#8221;
Amazon added that it would help charities that receive donations through the program during the transition. The company said it would provide a one-time donation &#8220;equivalent to three months of what they earned in 2022 through the program.&#8221;
The company&#8217;s stock has experienced drops over the past year, with a loss of $1 trillion in market capitalization from its all-time high in 2021, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/technology/amazonsmile-closing-down" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Washington Examiner. Amazon has also recently made other significant changes, including an abrupt closure of its <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/8/24/23320768/amazon-care-shut-down-virtual-care-telehealth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telehealth service</a> and stopping the <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/09/02/amazon-warehouse-expansion-ends-hiring-workers-andy-jassy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">construction</a> of dozens of planned warehouses.
On January 4, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/update-from-ceo-andy-jassy-on-role-eliminations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the company planned to eliminate more than 18,000 jobs, with the majority of the positions from Amazon Stores and employees in its People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organization.
&#8220;Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so. These changes will help us pursue our long-term opportunities with a stronger cost structure,&#8221; Jassy said.
Amazon is not alone among technology companies announcing cutbacks in recent weeks. For example, Microsoft <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-announces-mass-layoffs-to-cut-costs-amid-economic-headwinds">announced</a> this week that it would release 10,000 employees over the next several months to reduce costs, representing 5% of its workforce.
Firms in the sector dismissed more than 90,000 workers, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from CrunchBase, which included both small businesses and larger corporations like Amazon.
Salesforce also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/salesforce-dismisses-one-tenth-of-headcount-as-silicon-valley-layoffs-continue-into-new-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a reduction of 10% of its workforce earlier this month as part of massive layoffs facing the tech industry.
“As our revenue accelerated through the pandemic, we hired too many people leading into this economic downturn we’re now facing, and I take responsibility for that,” Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff told employees. “I’m grateful for every single one of you who has contributed to our continued success as a company, and the hard work and sacrifices you have made to generate success for our hundreds of thousands of customers.”

Amazon Shutting Down Charity Program In Cost-Adjustment Shift

Charity

Mega party supply <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3818150-party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shop</a> Party City <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2023/01/18/party-city-bankruptcy-filing-news/11074820002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.
The company, Party City Holdco Inc. (PCHI) <a href="https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0001592058/000119312523009847/d643228d8k.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protections along with some of its domestic subsidiaries, according to a press <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pchi-enters-into-restructuring-support-agreement-with-senior-secured-noteholder-ad-hoc-group-to-advance-transformation-and-enhance-market-leadership-from-strengthened-financial-position-301724164.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> on Tuesday. Some other subsidiaries and its Anagram business are not included in the bankruptcy process. The company brought on a financial advisor in November.
Party City also said that it has struck a deal with an ad hoc group in order to help with the restructuring and cut down on its debt. The company noted that the restructuring was “[p]re-negotiated” and “[e]xpedited,” and they anticipate it will cut down on debt and best utilize its liquidity. It <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/18/business/party-city-bankruptcy/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that it has $150 million from the ad hoc group that will let it keep its stores going. 
&#8220;In the face of pandemic headwinds, a global supply chain crisis, and other macroeconomic challenges that have faced our industry, we have made significant strides in PCHI&#8217;s ongoing transformation – establishing a solid foundation for long-term growth and continued success as the market leader in the celebrations space,&#8221; Brad Weston, Chief Executive Officer of PCHI said in the release. &#8220;Today&#8217;s action to strengthen PCHI&#8217;s balance sheet will bolster our ability to further advance our strategic priorities and continue to innovate and elevate the customer experience.”
&#8220;As we take this important step to put our business on stronger financial footing for the future, we are as committed as ever to inspiring joy by making it easy for our customers to create unforgettable memories. We appreciate the commitment of our team members and the continued support of our partners as we further enhance our position as the &#8216;go to&#8217; one-stop-shop for celebrating life&#8217;s special moments,” Weston noted. 
Party City stores are still open for people to shop at, as well as its online website. The company anticipates the restructuring process to be done in the second quarter of this year. 
It is also filing motions in order to keep up its everyday workings, which involve its requests to keep paying its workers and giving them benefits. It also wants to “honor customer programs and policies.” 
While Party City has grown, it has also had to come to terms with the increasing popularity of e-commerce companies and major retailers, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/party-city-files-for-bankruptcy-to-restructure-piling-debt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. It didn’t expand its online platform, but rather spent money maintaining 800 shops around the United States. 
“They’re competing against Walmart, and Target and Amazon and the dollar stores and grocery stores,” Joe Feldman, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group, said. He used to cover Party City since the company went public in 2015, but stopped at the end of last year.

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Party City Issues Filing For Bankruptcy Protection

Dollar General

Target

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/friday-afternoon-update-11-25-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Amazon Layoffs
Amazon’s chief executive Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Wednesday that the company is going to cut 18,000 jobs. In a blog post, Jassy blamed an “uncertain economy” and rapid hiring over the last few years. Another big tech company, Salesforce, announced it will lay off 10% of its 80,000 employees.
Bankruptcy At Bed Beth And Beyond?
Bed Bath and Beyond is also facing hardship, with the home goods retailer warning investors Thursday that bankruptcy may be in its future. The company <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-bed-bath-beyond-set-to-file-for-bankruptcy-after-announcing-struggles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> its sales were about a third lower than the year before, including the run-up period to Black Friday. The company’s share price also tumbled more than 20% in early trading on Thursday.
McCarthy Gains Momentum In Race For Speaker
House Republican Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthys-speaker-bid-gains-momentum-as-several-republican-holdouts-flip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy’s</a> (R-CA) campaign to become speaker gained momentum Friday as several GOP holdouts flipped and voted for him on the 12th ballot.
Republican members-elect who voted for McCarthy in Friday’s first ballot after opposing him in the first 11 votes this week included: Dan Bishop (NC), Josh Brecheen (OK), Mike Cloud (TX), Andrew Clyde (GA), Byron Donalds (FL), Paul Gosar (AZ), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Mary Miller (IL), Ralph Norman (SC), Andy Ogles (TN), Scott Perry (PA), Chip Roy (TX), and Keith Self (TX).
Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who voted for McCarthy on Tuesday and then “present” on Wednesday and Thursday, went back to voting for McCarthy on Friday.
Tesla Driver Intentionally Tried Kill Passengers, Police Say
Officials <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authorities-say-driver-intentionally-drove-tesla-over-california-cliff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Tuesday that the driver of a Tesla that went off of a 250-foot cliff in California intentionally drove the car over the edge. Two children and another adult were inside the vehicle. Miraculously, none of the passengers were killed. The driver “has been placed under arrest for attempted murder and child abuse,” according to California Highway Patrol.
California Teenager Makes Emergency Landing, Credits God
A teenager in California flying a plane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teen-lands-plane-on-california-road-after-engine-fails" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made an emergency landing</a> on Monday when the single-engine aircraft unexpectedly lost power near the San Bernardino National Forest.
&#8220;God helped me through that one,&#8221; he said after the incident.
FTC Proposes Banning Noncompete Clauses
On Thursday, the FTC <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2023/ftc-wants-to-ban-non-compete-clauses-that-keep-workers-from-changing-jobs-launching-startups/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> banning noncompete clauses, which bar former employees of some companies from joining or founding a competing company for a set period after they leave. The FTC claims that these clauses violate a 109-year-old law that bans “unfair methods of competition.”
Kinzinger Goes To CNN
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger is now a senior political commentator on CNN, the news network announced Wednesday evening.
Democratic Rep. Will Be Sworn In On Comic Book
California Democratic Representative-elect Robert Garcia says he will be sworn in “on the U.S. Constitution,” his citizenship certification — and a rare 1939 first edition comic book of Superman on loan from the Library of Congress. Garcia is a lifelong Superman fan who said he identified with the comic book hero as an immigrant.
Mega Millions Jackpot Hits $940 Million
And, the Mega Millions Jackpot is set to reach an estimated $940 million after nobody won the top prize on Tuesday. People typically take the cashout option, which the group announced will be around $483.5 million. The next drawing is this evening at 11:00 p.m. ET.
To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.

Friday Afternoon Update: Amazon Layoffs, Kinzinger To CNN, Speaker Update

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