Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
Hurricane Idalia
Hurricane Idalia made <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unprecedented-event-idalia-smashes-into-florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">landfall as a Category 3 strength storm</a> in Florida’s Big Bend at 7:45 a.m. this morning, smashing into the town of Keaton Beach, with 125 mph winds. Called “an unprecedented event” by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Idalia is the most powerful storm to hit Florida’s Big Bend in over 125 years, triggering evacuation orders affecting tens of thousands of people. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell told CNN that the state’s response has helped restore power rapidly:
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FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell: “I gotta tell you, the amount of mutual aid the State of Florida brought in to support power restoration is significant…What we saw during Hurricane Ian is that they were able to restore the power rather quickly, and I expect the same to… <a href="https://t.co/077gQyYjR4">pic.twitter.com/077gQyYjR4</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1696904013394960687?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave updates mid-day:
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Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) says the eye of Hurricane Idalia has moved out of Florida, but the storm’s bands are still impacting the state.
Power restorations are underway, but DeSantis says more outages could be reported. <a href="https://t.co/rkT6M1kjQZ">pic.twitter.com/rkT6M1kjQZ</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1696933838235259270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rapid Reaction: It&#8217;s amazing what a difference competent, prepared leaders make in government. This isn&#8217;t DeSantis&#8217; first rodeo.
Biden Admin Focused On Everything But What&#8217;s Important
In the midst of the Biden administration’s chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan, top Pentagon officials were working to get the Secretary of Defense to sign a major climate change initiative – that’s according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-frantically-worked-to-finalize-climate-plan-during-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal-emails-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emails obtained by The Daily Wire</a>.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The emails show that in the two weeks between the Taliban takeover of Kabul and the final U.S. military flight out of Afghanistan, Pentagon officials were scrambling on an unrelated matter: getting Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to finalize a Climate Adaptation Plan. He signed it just two days after the withdrawal, declaring climate change a major national security threat. The Pentagon confirmed to The Daily Wire that Austin spent time during the withdrawal considering the climate initiative. His critics say his full attention should have been on getting Americans and our allies safely out of Afghanistan, where 13 service members had just been killed by a suicide bomber.
Rapid Reaction: On the other hand, having incompetent, unprepared leaders results in chaos. The Biden administration is staffed with such &#8220;leaders.&#8221;
Chicago Journalists Robbed While Reporting On Robberies
A local news <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chicago-news-crew-robbed-at-gunpoint-while-reporting-on-robberies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crew reporting</a> in Chicago was robbed at gunpoint by three armed men in ski masks while coincidentally reporting on a string of robberies. Here with more is Daily Wire Investigative Reporter Mairead Elordi:
<blockquote>Spanish-speaking channel Univision Chicago says that a reporter/photographer team was out filming at 5:00 a.m. on Monday in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood when the incident occurred. As Luis Godinez, the Channel’s Vice President of News, Told the Chicago Tribune, “They were approached with guns and robbed.” The burglars mainly stole personal items, as well as the news photographer&#8217;s camera. Godinez says the footage they shot was in the stolen camera, and the story never made it to air.</blockquote>
Rapid Reaction: Until Chicagons stop voting Democrat, this sort of crime will continue.
CNN Names New CEO
A new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cnn-appears-set-to-name-new-ceo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> suggests that CNN is set to name a new CEO in the coming days after the network fired its last CEO over the summer following a damning profile piece and a town hall debacle involving former President Donald Trump.
As early as Thursday, CNN is expected to name former New York Times Company CEO and BBC director general Mark Thompson to be the network’s next chairman and CEO. The report said that Thompson has a reputation for “restructuring legacy media assets and pursuing innovative growth strategies” and that he could not be more different than the network’s last CEO, Chris Licht, who departed from the company in June.
Rapid Reaction: Something tells me the new CNN will be even more liberal than it was under Zuckerberg — and snobbier, too.
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, click here. 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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DeSantis at New College of Florida

Rapid Reaction: What A Difference Competent Leaders Make In Times Of Crisis

Rapid Reaction: Government Can Be Competent — If Leaders Are Prepared

Biden Admin

Chicago

Florida

General

Morning Wire

Podcast

U.S.

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. House GOP Subpoenas FBI
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jordan-subpoenas-doj-and-fbi-leaders-in-big-tech-collusion-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoenaed</a> both FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland in relation to the committee&#8217;s ongoing censorship investigation. The Committee is specifically seeking communication between the FBI, DOJ, and private companies. In a letter, the Committee asked both federal agencies for voluntary cooperation, while noting that historically their compliance has been “inadequate.”
Rapid Reaction: Have you ever seen the movie &#8220;Angels in the Outfield?&#8221; In a scene at the beginning of the film, the protagonist&#8217;s father tells him that they&#8217;ll be a family again when the Los Angeles Angels &#8220;win the pennant.&#8221; That sets up the premise of the film — the main character Roger praying for an LA win and actual angels helping the baseball team win the MLB World Series. It never would have happened unless the angels interceded.
Anyway, that is sort of what it&#8217;s starting to feel like with the GOP. Congress will only enact actual political pressure, begin impeachments, and wield the &#8220;power of the purse&#8221; with the help of divine power. Until then, the GOP leaders will keep sending strongly worded letters&#8230; Great.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Angels In The Outfield (1994) Roger’s Dad" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4kFEWRVO0RM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
2. Court Ends Mail Order Abortion Pills
Mail-order <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-appeals-court-makes-decision-on-the-mailing-of-abortion-pills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access to a drug commonly</a> used for abortion could end in the U.S. following a Wednesday Appeals Court Ruling — but it cannot take effect unless the Supreme Court weighs in on the matter. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decision overturns a part of a lower court ruling which would have revoked the FDA’s two-decade approval of the drug mifepristone. The decision did leave a part of the original ruling in place, that would end the drug’s distribution by mail, limit its use to the seventh week of pregnancy, and require it be administered in the presence of a doctor. Those restrictions won’t take effect right away because the Supreme Court previously intervened to keep the drug available during the legal fight.
Rapid Reaction: Any legal ruling that helps save babies is a win. Let&#8217;s hope that SCOTUS does the right thing here — legally and morally.
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3. Woke Lunacy In Hawaii To Blame For Wildfires?
A Hawaiian water official has been “reassigned” after allegedly refusing to transfer water resources that would have helped firefighters battle the Maui Wildfires. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources deputy director, M. Kaleo Manuel, denied requests from Maui firefighters and various entities to open up reservoirs and streams as the fires grew more out of control. Even after firefighters told the department they’d used all the on-hand water and were desperate for any help, Manuel reportedly delayed their request. Here’s Manuel:
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Here is M. Kaleo Manuel, the Hawaii water official who refused to release water resources and let landowners fight the Maui fire, explaining his &quot;philosophy&quot; about water:
&quot;Native Hawaiians treated water as one of the earthly manifestations of a god&#8230;We&#39;ve become used to looking… <a href="https://t.co/hjsWqdVtxf">pic.twitter.com/hjsWqdVtxf</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1692044616345014589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rapid Reaction: Writer John Nolte had the best reaction.
&#8220;Hawaiians voted for politicians who allowed this anti-science equivalent of a sun worshipper to take control of their water supply,&#8221; he tweeted. &#8220;You can’t help people who vote this way.&#8221;
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Hawaiians voted for politicians who allowed this anti-science equivalent of a sun worshipper to take control of their water supply. 
You can’t help people who vote this way. 
They are fanatics. <a href="https://t.co/H7i2TZxSnR">https://t.co/H7i2TZxSnR</a>
&mdash; John Ocasio-Rodham Nolte (@NolteNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NolteNC/status/1692171955078582735?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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4. Chess Cracks Down On Transgenderism 
The world’s top chess federation has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chess-federation-bans-trans-identifying-men-from-womens-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that men that identify as women cannot compete in its official events for females until an assessment of gender change is made by its officials. The decision was announced Monday by Switzerland-based International Chess Federation  FIDE and led to the federation fielding criticism from various transgender advocacy groups. The federation says that for now, transgender players are allowed to participate in the “open” section of its chess tournaments, and the assessment of gender change could take up to two years.
Rapid Reaction: Men and women are different — always have been, always will be. Perhaps it makes sense that a game based on critical thinking, rules, and tradition is fighting back on this issue.
5. Britney Spears And Husband Divorce
And, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are getting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/britney-spears-shares-cryptic-posts-following-news-of-split-from-husband" target="_blank" rel="noopener">divorced</a> after 14 months of marriage. Asghari filed a petition to end the marriage with the Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this week, citing “irreconcilable differences.” He is also requesting spousal support. The date of separation for the couple is July 28, the petition states. Spears and Asghari got married in June of last year. The pair first met in 2016 when Asghari co-starred with Spears in the music video for her single “Slumber Party.”
Rapid Reaction: First reaction: Who cares? Second reaction: The Daily Wire&#8217;s Matt Walsh was prescient on this topic (per usual).
&#8220;Remember when you guys all shouted &#8216;Free Britney!&#8217; because you saw a fake documentary and I told you she’s clearly an unstable lunatic and was in a conservatorship for a reason and you got really mad at me but literally everything that’s happened since then proves me right?&#8221; he tweeted in reaction to the latest story.
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336">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.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Abortion protesters

Rapid Reaction: Abortion Pill Restrictions & Maui Fire Update

Britney Spears

Chess

Jim Jordan

Matt Walsh

Transgender

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast.<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Click here to listen</a>. 
What&#8217;s Going On In Georgia?
Confusion<a href="https://nbcmontana.com/news/nation-world/georgia-court-appears-to-accidentally-leak-list-of-donald-trump-criminal-charges-online-2020-election-fraud-special-counsel-jack-smith-interferences-brad-raffensperger-indictment-arraignment-felony-state-crime"> sprang up on Monday</a> after the Fulton County Court in Georgia published a document on its website appearing to show that former President Donald Trump was being charged over a slew of crimes — including RICO violations — only for that document to be taken down almost immediately afterward. 

The grand jury in Fulton County, where district attorney Fani Willis is expected to bring charges this week, is reportedly still meeting today and tomorrow to discuss any potential indictments against Trump for his actions relating to the 2020 election. The Trump team and his supporters used the incident to castigate Willis and claim it was further proof that the justice system was rigged against the potential 2024 GOP nominee.
Rapid Reaction: At this point, why would anybody give Fulton County the benefit of the doubt? The district attorney&#8217;s office has yet to explain what that document posted online was. The grand jury is still hearing evidence. Meanwhile, somebody on Willis&#8217; team is apparently leaking<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/13/politics/coffee-county-georgia-voting-system-breach-trump/index.html"> evidence to CNN</a>. You can disagree with Trump&#8217;s election theories while still admitting that the wielding of state and federal power against him is troubling — even anti-American.
Biden Has &#8216;No Comment&#8217; On Hawaii
President Joe Biden is catching heat for his remarks, or lack thereof in the wake of the tragedy unfolding in Maui. While in Rehoboth Beach on Sunday afternoon, the president was asked by the press for his reaction to the blaze that has killed more than 90 people and caused billions of dollars in property damage. He responded by saying he had “no comment.”  Here’s the clip:
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&quot;Any comment on the rising death toll in Maui?&quot;
BIDEN: &quot;No. No comment.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/oORpRuLUpz">pic.twitter.com/oORpRuLUpz</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1691089298429280256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The president did authorize federal emergency aid for the Aloha State as it recovers from the devastating wildfire.
Rapid Reaction: Paging, Mr. Empathy. Biden has been propped up by the Democratic Party and its media allies as a decent and kind politician who cares for the plight of the common man. Anybody who has paid attention to his career has known that is a bogus characterization. 

Yet, now as president, his low emotional quotient has been on full display. Hawaii is just his latest example of tone deafness. See also his treatment of the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-ultimate-disrespect-gold-star-families-trash-biden-admin-over-afghanistan-withdrawal"> Afghanistan</a> withdrawal survivors as well as the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dont-let-bidens-all-time-offensive-response-to-the-nashville-shooting-get-buried"> Nashville shooting victims</a>.
What did he do on Monday? Well, his communications team tweeted out some statements on Hawaii, but Biden got lunch with his veep:
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The only thing on President Biden&#39;s schedule today is lunch&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/pm0RJvl9nE">pic.twitter.com/pm0RJvl9nE</a>
&mdash; The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMaineWire/status/1691083530443345920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Oversight Transcript Alleges That Biden Team Tipped Off About Hunter Interview
The House Oversight Committee released a transcript of a former FBI agent claiming that<a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/08/09/joe-biden-talking-points-burisma-executive-hunter-dc/"> Joe Biden</a>’s 2020 transition team and members of the Secret Service were notified of the bureau’s plans to interview Hunter Biden in December 2020 — and that that led to the interview of Hunter getting shut down, per The Daily Caller. The anonymous agent’s testimony corroborated other FBI and IRS whistleblower complaints.
Rapid Reaction: Will the Bidens ever be held accountable? Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro broke down on his podcast, &#8220;The Ben Shapiro Show&#8221; the latest in this never-ending saga. Watch and listen here:<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1787-joe-biden-s-big-hunter-coverup"> Joe Biden’s Big Hunter Coverup</a>
Things Are Super Expensive
A new report from Moody’s Analytics shows that the typical American household is paying $709 more per month for the same goods and services as it was two years ago, CNN<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/11/economy/inflation-rate-spending/index.html"> reported</a>. That cost increase reflects the high rate of inflation that has plagued much of the Biden presidency
Rapid Reaction:<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidenomics-gas-stove-crackdown-would-save-americans-9-cents-per-month"> That&#8217;s Bidenomics, baby!</a>
Political Upset In Argentina
Argentine voters rejected the country&#8217;s two main political forces in a primary election on Sunday, and put their support behind libertarian candidate Javier Milei.  Milei got just over 30% of the vote and now heads for the general election set for October 22nd. This shakeup comes after power was traded between two mainstream political coalitions for the last decade.
Rapid Reaction: In reaction to this upset, author and political strategist Ryan Girdusky  tweeted,  &#8220;Political earthquake in Argentina … arguably as big as Bolsonaro being elected in Brazil.&#8221;
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Nearly 90% in and an anarchic-capitalist is leading the presidential primary in Argentina <a href="https://t.co/ekqgoD9jVa">https://t.co/ekqgoD9jVa</a>
&mdash; Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanGirdusky/status/1690929187891052544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Milei&#8217;s candidacy has largely been a protest campaign against the Argentine elite, as<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/argentine-presidential-primary-voters-propel-far-right-outsider-to-surprise-win-ec24e5b4?mod=e2fb&amp;mod=e2tw"> described</a> by The Wall Street Journal. He was never supposed to win.
“If we don’t change today, the only destiny will be to turn into the biggest slum in the world,”  Milei told his supporters earlier this year. “I don’t want your vote so you give me the power, but to give you back your freedom so you can be the architects of your own destiny and we can end this state that makes us poor, with inflation and crime, and put the country on the path to growth.”
Perhaps, in other words, he wants to put &#8220;Argentina First.&#8221;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/will-trumps-next-major-announcement-be-a-line-of-pet-rocks-former-prez-needs-to-rekindle-2016-spirit-to-win-it-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sound familiar</a>?
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336">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.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

Rapid Reaction: Biden Enjoys Lunch With Kamala Harris While Hawaii Suffers

Rapid Reaction: Biden Enjoys Lunch With Kamala While Hawaii Suffers

Argentina

Ben Shapiro

Donald Trump

Economy

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. Congress To Subpoena Joe And Hunter
Rep. James Comer (R-KY) told Fox’s Maria Bartiromo that he will be subpoenaing Joe and Hunter Biden to testify about their alleged scheme to sell Biden influence. The announcement comes one day after the House Oversight Committee released a bombshell report detailing evidence that the Biden family received at least $20M from foreign countries including Russia. Comer says this was always going to end with the Bidens coming before the Committee.
&#8220;We are going to subpoena the family. We are putting the case together to win in court,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-family-will-face-subpoenas-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;ve shown the bank records. If I had subpoenaed Joe and Hunter Biden the first day I became chairman of the committee, it would&#8217;ve been tied up in court and the judge would&#8217;ve eventually thrown it out because at that time, the narrative was they never took any money while he was vice president.&#8221;
Rapid Reaction: That is a fair explanation for why the Bidens weren&#8217;t subpoenaed earlier. Yet, well done is better than well said. Historically, Republicans said a whole lot more than they&#8217;ve actually done. Comer has done an excellent job exposing the corruption, but, to borrow a phrase from Mike Howell of The Heritage Foundation, the real standard this Congress will be held to will be tangible results that de-weaponize the government and end the persecution of Biden&#8217;s political opponents. Read more on that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/selling-access-to-our-enemies-for-decades-the-latest-on-james-comers-biden-crime-family-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
2. Biden Unfreezes Billions For Iran
Five Americans imprisoned in Iran have been moved from a notorious prison in the country into house arrest, as part of a planned swap between Tehran and Washington. According to one of the prisoner’s lawyers, the deal will include the release of roughly $6 billion in Iranian government assets that were held up by U.S. sanctions. If the proposed agreement goes through, it will need to abide by existing sanctions that only allow Iran to use the money to buy food, medicine, or for other humanitarian purposes. Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-reaches-deal-with-iran-to-free-americans-in-exchange-for-iranian-prisoners-6b-in-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Rapid Reaction: The U.S. is effectively giving billions of dollars to Iran? Where have I seen something similar to this before? Oh, right, under the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lion-ted-unloads-missiles-fired-at-u-s-troops-by-iran-paid-for-by-the-billions-obama-gave-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Obama-Biden administration</a>. When folks said this would be Obama&#8217;s third term, they weren&#8217;t kidding.
3. Jack Smith Sets Trial Date — Right Before Primary Elections Start
Special counsel Jack Smith <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-08-10/government-proposes-date-for-trump-2020-election-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> a January 2, 2024, start date today for former President Donald Trump’s trial regarding his alleged effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Smith’s office has estimated that its case would take no longer than four to six weeks to present to jurors.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Rapid Reaction: The former president put it best in New Hampshire this week as he predicted what the coming campaign would like:
<blockquote>How can my corrupt political opponent, Crooked Joe Biden, put me on trial during an election campaign — that I am winning by a lot — but forcing me, nevertheless, to spend time and money away from the campaign trail in order to fight bogus made up accusations and charges? &#8230; &#8220;I&#8217;m sorry I won&#8217;t be able to go to Iowa today, I won&#8217;t be able to go to New Hampshire today because I&#8217;m sitting in a courtroom on bulls*** because [Biden&#8217;s] attorney general charged me with something.&#8221;</blockquote>
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Former President Trump: &quot;I&#39;m sorry I won&#39;t be able to go to Iowa today, I won&#39;t be able to go to New Hampshire today because I&#39;m sitting in a court room on bullshit because his attorney general charged me with something.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Ox2n9rrH7v">pic.twitter.com/Ox2n9rrH7v</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1689005551139627008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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And that&#8217;s exactly what this trial date would do to Trump&#8217;s campaign if it is not delayed.
To read more about why Smith&#8217;s indictment is &#8220;dangerous bulls***,&#8221; as explained by Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jack-smiths-indictment-against-trump-is-dangerous-bulls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
4. Hawaii Wildfires
Thousands of people have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/historic-hawaiian-town-of-lahaina-wiped-out-by-fire-270-structures-damaged-36-dead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">displaced</a>, and at least three dozen people are dead after wildfires ravaged the Hawaiian island of Maui and overwhelmed firefighters. 
The blazes erupted on Tuesday and continued to wreak havoc on the community on the western part of the island while flames raged in other areas. The fires have already engulfed thousands of acres and have killed at least 36 people. The cause of the fires is still unknown, and President Joe Biden has declared a FEMA disaster.
Rapid Reaction: The Left is already <a href="https://twitter.com/JunkScience/status/1689644761362333696?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blaming this on climate change</a>. They never let a crisis go to waste. Typical, but it is always gross and ignorant when it happens.
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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Joe Biden, Hunter Biden

Rapid Reaction: Subpoena The Bidens? Sounds Good, But Well Done Is Better Than Well Said.

Rapid Reaction: The Bidens Will Face Subpoenas? Sounds Good, But Well Done Is Better Than Well Said.

Congress

Hawaii

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. DOJ Lets Sam Bankman-Fried Off The Hook For Campaign Finance Fraud
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/27/business/sam-bankman-fried-campaign-finance-charge.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will</a> not pursue campaign finance charges against the disgraced former crypto-king Sam Bankman-Fried after the DOJ learned that the U.S. hadn’t obtained permission from the Bahamas to extradite Bankman-Fried on that charge. Bankman-Fried, who ran the multi-million dollar crypto-investing firm FTX, was charged on eight counts, including fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance violations. He was a major Democrat donor. The change in his indictment came late Wednesday night.
Rapid Reaction: Is it any wonder trust in the U.S. government is slow when the infamous SBF gets treated like this by the DOJ? As TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk said, &#8220;There&#8217;s a very real chance that one of the worst scammers in American history will get a slap on the wrist.&#8221;
&#8220;Between the kid glove treatment of Hunter Biden and the unraveling case against SBF vs. the entrapment of MAGA supporters and the relentless pursuit of Donald Trump, the American public is getting a crash course in how their federal &#8216;justice system&#8217; really works,&#8221; he added.
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Did you know that over the past two months, 6 of the 13 charges against FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried have been dropped? There&#39;s a very real chance that one of the worst scammers in American history will get a slap on the wrist.
Then, we have the plea deal for Hunter Biden,…
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1684603934365847552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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2. Radical Gender Ideology Hearing
A congressional subcommittee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbaric-pseudoscience-chloe-cole-calls-for-lawmakers-to-protect-children-from-transgender-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heard</a> testimony on Thursday about radical gender ideology and sex-change surgeries and other procedures. The testimony was emotional for both those who supported so-called “transgender care” for minors and those opposed to it. Among those who testified were Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who received sex-change procedures at the age of 15, an NCAA athlete, as well as a trans-identifying attorney and a mother who has a trans-identifying child.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t need to be lied to, I needed compassion, I needed to be loved, I needed to be given therapy to help me work through my issues, not affirming my delusion that by transitioning into a boy, it would solve all my problems,&#8221; Cole said.
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Gender transition therapy victim Chloe Cole: &quot;I didn&#39;t need to be lied to, I needed compassion, I needed to be loved, I needed to be given therapy to help me work through my issues, not affirming my delusion that by transitioning into a boy, it would solve all my problems.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/jtHF5vtL2o">pic.twitter.com/jtHF5vtL2o</a>
&mdash; NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) <a href="https://twitter.com/NEWSMAX/status/1684586945186500614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;That story is the exception, not the rule,&#8221; attorney Shannon Minster said. &#8220;Vast majority of young people who receive these treatments are getting them after careful assessment and because they really need them.&#8221;
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChoooCole?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChoooCole</a>&#39;s face when Mr. Minter lies and says her story is &quot;the exception, not the rule&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fdtz2d1w8M">pic.twitter.com/fdtz2d1w8M</a>
&mdash; Media Research Center (@theMRC) <a href="https://twitter.com/theMRC/status/1684584006052990976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rapid Reaction: Consider how insane this moment in American history is: A sizable chunk of the Democratic Party believes that not only can men and women change their sex and gender through bodily mutilation, but that minors should be allowed to do so. The Democrats are so adamant in this belief that states are pushing for laws that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-state-senator-warns-parents-to-flee-state-after-gender-affirmation-bill-advances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strip parental authority away</a>. And now, Congress has to host hearings on the matter in hopes of exposing how barbaric this practice really is.
It&#8217;s a bizarro world out there, for lack of a better term.
3. Supreme Court Strikes Down Gas Pipeline Ban
The Supreme Court has <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/national-news/ap-supreme-court-allows-construction-to-resume-on-the-mountain-valley-pipeline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struck down</a> a ruling from a lower court that prohibited the construction of a 300-mile natural gas pipeline &#8212; being built through Virginia and West Virginia &#8212; from moving forward. This morning, the high court vacated stay orders put in place by the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. That ruling was opposed by both the fossil fuel industry and the Biden administration. West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said he is relieved the high court upheld a law passed by Congress and signed by the president. The senator went on to say, “The Supreme Court has spoken and this decision to let construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline move forward again is the correct one.”
Rapid Reaction: Thank goodness for the conservative Supreme Court — and thank goodness for former President Donald J. Trump&#8217;s appointments. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meads-joe-bidens-energy-policy-is-the-embodiment-of-america-last" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously covered</a>, the Biden administration has effectively done everything to make the U.S. dependent on foreign nations&#8217; energy. It&#8217;s backward and hurting our economy and national security. This is a win for all Americans.
4. Trump Indictment Coming?
<a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2023/07/27/trump-j6-indictment-expected-n2626281">Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys</a>, Todd Blanche and John Lauro, were reportedly told by the prosecutors in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office to “expect an indictment” for their client over the events leading up to and during the January 6 Capitol riot. However, Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/110787141696035682">denied</a> this report on Truth Social and said it was a “productive meeting.”
Rapid Reaction: The Witchhunt continues &#8212; what else is there to say at this point? Perhaps the better question is — what is the GOP going to do about this double standard? Another letter? More on that <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=what%27s+the+GOP+doing+dailywire&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS998US998&amp;oq=what%27s+the+GOP+doing+dailywire&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l2.3838j1j4&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
5. Bowe Bergdahl Conviction Vacated
Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bowe-bergdahl-has-desertion-conviction-vacated-by-judge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captured</a> in Afghanistan and later traded for five Taliban leaders in a prisoner exchange, has had his desertion conviction tossed out.  A federal judge said the original case could have been clouded by a conflict of interest.
According to U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton, Judge Jeffrey Nance did not disclose his application to be an immigration judge under then-President Donald Trump. Walton argued that Bergdahl’s trial could then be construed as a conflict of interest because of Trump’s vocal criticisms of Bergdahl and that Nance’s neutrality was “undermined” because “he might be inclined to appeal to the president’s expressed interest in the plaintiff’s conviction and punishment when applying for the immigration judge position.”
Rapid Reaction: It&#8217;s easy to forget how terrible former President Barack Obama&#8217;s foreign policy really was. The Bergdahl swap typified his fecklessness on the world stage.
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <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.

Sam Bankman-Fried

Rapid Reaction: Major Dem Donor Let Off The Hook For Alleged Campaign Finance Fraud

Bowe Bergdahl

Supreme Court

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following four stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. Hunter&#8217;s Plea Deal Blows Up
In a surprising development, President Biden’s son Hunter entered a not-guilty plea Wednesday after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-plea-deal-almost-derails-after-questions-about-scope-of-deal-immunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his plea deal unraveled</a>. 
 Hunter’s plea deal was thrown into chaos after Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the deal&#8217;s language and its constitutionality. She pressed whether it would cover future charges and whether Hunter is still under federal investigation. The DOJ confirmed he was and that the deal would not apply to future charges, but Hunter’s attorneys disputed that, leading to new negotiations and the previous agreement being ripped up. Hunter wound up pleading not guilty — for now — and the two parties will reconvene before Judge Noreika sometime in the next four to six weeks. Noreika apologized to Hunter, saying, “I know you want to get this over with, and I’m sorry. But I need to get more information to do justice as I’m required to do.&#8221;
Rapid Reaction: This author will have more on this in a future column, but there have been signs that Hunter doesn&#8217;t tend to hire the brightest legal minds. Remember <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-is-not-an-admission-about-any-particular-laptop-hunters-curious-countersuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when his attorneys tried</a> to file a countersuit against the Delaware computer repairman, John Paul Mac Isaac, who claimed to have worked on Hunter’s personal computer way back in 2019? The president’s latchkey son is alleging that Mac Isaac illegally obtained and distributed his “electronically stored data,” thereby invading his privacy.
Yet, his attorneys insisted that the legal action in no way should be taken as proof that the “laptop from hell” is real.
With that in mind, it&#8217;s easy to see how the attorneys in Hunter&#8217;s plea deal botched it so badly.
2. UFO Whistleblower 
David Charles Grusch — a decorated former combat officer in Afghanistan and a veteran of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ufo-expert-set-to-testify-in-epic-house-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> today before a House panel investigating UFOs. Grusch, 36, was the Reconnaissance Office’s representative to the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) Task Force from 2019-2021. And then from late 2021 to July 2022, he was the NGA’s co-lead for UAP analysis and its representative to the task force. For more on this story, tune into tomorrow&#8217;s episode of Morning Wire.
Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congressman-matt-gaetz-opens-up-about-uap-beyond-human-capability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Rapid Reaction: Why are we allowing ourselves to be distracted by a literal shiny object? There&#8217;s the Border Invasion, the Biden crime family allegations, the ongoing Ukraine War and slumber toward World War III, Tech Censorship, and so many other stories that are — arguably — more important. It also defies the odds that the current Congress — perhaps the most rotten group of officials ever assembled — are either doofuses or liars on every other issue, except for UFOs.
3. Trump Endorses Early Voting
Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP front-runner, announced today that he is formally backing the Republican National Committee’s plan to encourage early voting — a change in his 2020 election strategy. 
&#8220;We may not like the current system, but we need to master the rules and beat the Democrats at their own game and then we can make our own rules. Republicans must get tougher and fight harder to cast our votes and get our ballots turned in earlier so Democrats can&#8217;t rig the polls against us on Election Day,&#8221; he added.
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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Former President Donald Trump Asks You to Bank Your Vote" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tE2luFSMaxo?start=1&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Rapid Reaction: Trump hit the nail on the head. You have to use the system to your advantage. And right now, Republicans are operating at a massive disadvantage after ignoring early voting for so many years. This also is smart politically now in the 2024 primary because it neutralizes criticism that Trump would not do what&#8217;s necessary to win in 2024.
4. Bryan Cranston Speaks Out Against AI
And, Actor Bryan Cranston <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/07/25/bryan-cranston-sag-aftra-rock-the-city-rally-speech/70464165007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excoriated</a> Hollywood executives and singled out Disney CEO Bob Iger on Tuesday for the use of artificial intelligence in the film and television industries.
&#8220;We’ve got a message for Mr. Iger: I know, sir, that you look through things in a different lens,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We don’t expect you to understand who we are. But we ask you to hear us, and beyond that, to listen to us when we tell you: We will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots.&#8221;
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Bryan Cranston has a message for Disney’s CEO Bob Iger <a href="https://t.co/i4UBqFeFhO">pic.twitter.com/i4UBqFeFhO</a>
&mdash; Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) <a href="https://twitter.com/WUTangKids/status/1684183878104399874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Cranston made his remarks during the “Rock the City For a Fair Contract” rally in Times Square, in support of the ongoing Hollywood writer’s strike.
Rapid Reaction: Technology erasing jobs in rapid fashion will impact all workers — and the social cost of that change can be debated — so there is a populist sympathy toward Cranston. Yet, it sure would have been nice to have Hollywood speak out when Disney used America&#8217;s legal immigration system to hire cheaper Indian nationals for its IT department and effectively forced American citizens to train their replacements nearly 10 years go.
As one worker <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/01/ex-disney-it-workers-sue-after-being-forced-to-train-their-own-h-1b-replacements/#:~:text=Disney%20IT%20employees%20were%20told,which%20most%20employees%20reluctantly%20accepted.%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the press,</a> &#8220;I felt extremely un-American. &#8230; I felt like I was part of destroying our economy because I had to train a replacement that was going to come here, take my job and potentially take other people&#8217;s jobs.&#8221;
Two of those workers sued, and ultimately <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2018/05/09/legal-fight-ends-for-disney-it-workers-who-trained-foreign-replacements/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost the case.</a> Before we debate the pros and cons of AI replacing jobs, perhaps we need to discuss the benefits of ever-increasing mass legal and illegal immigration.
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Hunter Biden

Rapid Reactions: Hunter’s Not Done Yet, Trump Pivots To Early Voting, Hollywood Goes Populist

Rapid Reactions: Hunter's Not Done Yet, Trump Pivots To Early Voting, Hollywood Goes Populist

2024

Hollywood

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. House Speaker Raises Prospect Of Impeachment Inquiry
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) doubled down on his claims on Tuesday that the Republican-controlled chamber is moving closer toward an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden. The Speaker says the inquiry would surround allegations that he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from foreign countries.
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🚨JUST IN: Speaker Kevin McCarthy doubles down on his calls for Congress to begin an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden: 
&quot;It&#39;s giving Congress the full power to get the information they need. It&#39;s the way people should go about investigating.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Shsn7iBOgE">pic.twitter.com/Shsn7iBOgE</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1683902452595310593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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McCarthy’s remarks come after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investigators-obtain-biden-financial-records-showing-transactions-from-ukraine-and-russia-oversight-chairman">released</a> an FBI-generated form last week in which a confidential source told the FBI that Burisma co-founder and CEO Mykola Zlochevsky claimed that he was “coerced” by the Bidens into paying millions of dollars in bribes. In exchange, the then-vice president pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma.
Rapid Reaction: Putting together as strong a case as possible is a wise plan, but at this point, what else does Congress need to begin impeachment proceedings? As The Babylon Bee satirically said, &#8220;McCarthy Says 783rd Impeachable Offense By Biden Will Be The Last Straw.&#8221;
Americans, and more specifically the GOP base, are getting tired of an apparent &#8220;All Talk, No Action&#8221; attitude. However, in this instance, McCarthy and the House Oversight Chairman deserve credit for pursuing this matter.
Yet as The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Mike Howell said, &#8220;The goal here is the de-weaponization of government, not just exposure, and Congress’ efforts will be judged by that standard.&#8221; It&#8217;s a good standard.
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2. Major Democratic Donor Bought Hunter&#8217;s Artwork
The art gallery where Hunter Biden’s paintings are featured sold one of his works to a top Democratic donor who is a “friend” of the Biden family and was, according to a new report, named by President Biden to a prestigious commission.
L.A. real estate investor Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who has given tens of thousands of dollars to the political Left, is one of the buyers of Hunter Biden’s artwork. Several months after Hunter’s art went on sale, the president appointed Naftali to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. In addition, according to The Washington Free Beacon, she has visited the White House 13 times, including a meeting with a top White House adviser. The date of her purchase is unclear, though the appointment and all of her White House visits took place after Hunter’s first art show. The White House has maintained that there is a wall between Hunter’s art sales and his father.
Rapid Reaction: The American people aren&#8217;t dumb, but the White House is arrogant. Everybody could see that the White House&#8217;s &#8220;wall&#8221; between Hunter and his dad was bogus. It&#8217;s almost comical that anybody would ever expect Hunter to not benefit primarily from Democratic donors or others trying to curry favor with the president.
Total speculation, but isn&#8217;t the following scenario conceivable: A Democratic donor, or a Chinese official for that matter, pays big bucks for a Hunter original. The buyer&#8217;s name is kept a secret. That buyer hangs it up in their McClean, Virginia, dining room. They then have a dinner party that the hoi polloi like you and I would never get invited to. Swamp creatures see Hunter&#8217;s artwork hanging on the wall, and voila, word gets back to Biden and his dad the identity of the individual who shelled out thousands to his son, and the buyer is then rewarded with certain benefits.
And that would be the complicated version of how the grift works.
3. Biden&#8217;s Dog Goes On Chomping Spree — Again!
President Biden’s German Shepherd “Commander” bit seven people in four months from September 2022 to January 2023. According to the New York Post, one secret service agent was even hospitalized due to the attacks. The president’s previous dog “Major” was also sent away because he, too, kept biting people.
Rapid Reaction: Bad dog or bad owners? Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bad-dog-or-bad-owner-bidens-dog-cant-stop-biting-people-records-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
4. India Bans Rice Exports, Panic In The U.S. Ensues
The country of India <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12331565/Indias-rice-export-ban-triggers-panic-buying-supermarkets-sparking-costs-20-pound-bag-soar-16-50.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned</a> the export of non-basmati rice last Thursday, triggering a panic around the U.S. as shoppers rushed out to buy rice. American Indian-owned grocery stores and markets experienced much of the increased demand, and in turn, prices for 20-pound bags of rice skyrocketed from $16 to nearly $50, with lines around the block. India invoked the ban as an attempt to slow down runaway food inflation.
Rapid Reaction: India&#8217;s leaders are putting India First; it would be nice to have a president who wants to put America First.
5. NFL Player Suspended For Gambling
A <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-suspends-broncos-eyioma-uwazurike-indefinitely-for-gambling-violation-isaiah-wilson-also-suspended/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive end</a> for the Denver Broncos has been suspended indefinitely for breaking NFL rules regarding gambling. The league announced Monday that Eyioma Uwazurike bet on NFL games during the 2022 season. Uwazurike played in eight games last season and was expected to push for more playing time this season.
Rapid Reaction: So long as he was betting on his teams to win, is this really so unethical?
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <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.

Rapid Reaction: Both Biden And His Pup Are In The Dog House

Animals

Impeachment

India

Kevin McCarthy

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>.
Pfizer Plant Destroyed By Tornado
A North Carolina Pfizer pharmaceutical plant that makes anesthesia drugs suffered heavy damage from a Tornado earlier this week. Pfizer confirmed that the large manufacturing complex was damaged by a twister that touched down shortly after midday near Rocky Mount. The company went on to say in an email that it had no reports of serious injuries and all employees were safely evacuated and accounted for.
Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pfizer-manufacturing-plant-leveled-by-tornado-50000-pallets-of-medicine-damaged-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
 Carlee Russell Latest
The boyfriend of Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who disappeared mysteriously for two days last week — has wiped all traces of her from his social media. The Facebook page of Thomar Latrell Simmons was once filled with photos of him and Russell, but now those photos have been removed, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/20/carlee-russell-boyfriend-deletes-her-from-social-media-posts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The picture purge came hours after Hoover police revealed some strange internet searches that Carlee had done days before going missing, including a movie about an abduction and whether she was too old to be the subject of an Amber Alert.
Russian Prosecutors Move To Imprison Navalny
Russian prosecutors have asked a court to imprison opposition leader Alexei Navalny for 20 years, the Associated Press <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/russian-prosecutors-are-seeking-a-20-year-sentence-for-opposition-leader-navalny-ally-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. According to allies of Navalny, the trial, which went on behind closed doors in the prison where the politician is serving another lengthy sentence, is scheduled to conclude with a verdict on August 4. The 47-year-old opposition leader is President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s fiercest foe who exposed official corruption and organized major anti-Kremlin protests. He was arrested in January 2021 upon returning to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from nerve agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.
Tony Bennett Dead
Tony Bennett, a singer whose persona and warmth embraced audiences for decades, died today at his home in Manhattan. He was 96. His publicist, Sylvia Weiner, announced his death. His interpretations of musical standards helped spread the American songbook around the world, reeling in tons of fans. Bennett was perhaps best known for singing &#8220;I Left My Heart in San Francisco.&#8221;
Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/legendary-singer-tony-bennett-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Little Girl Gets $800k For McNugget Burn
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a jury <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-florida-chicken-mcnuggets-burn-case-lawsuit-20230720-6dvjdo4h3newpkneg3yfia35zu-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awarded</a> an 8-year-old girl and her family $800,000 after the child suffered second-degree burns due to a hot Chicken McNugget that scalded her leg in 2019. The injury happened as her mother was pulling out of the drive-thru, causing the extremely hot McNugget to land on the child’s lap. Attorneys were seeking $15 million in damages.
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One Winning Ticket For $1 Billion Powerball
A winning ticket has been sold in California for the Powerball jackpot worth an <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/powerball-winning-numbers-billion-jackpot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimated</a> $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game. The California Lottery said on Twitter that the winning ticket was sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market.
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California has a new Powerball BILLIONAIRE! One lucky ticket sold at Las Palmitas Mini Market in Los Angeles was the only ticket across the country to match all 6 numbers in the July 19 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Powerball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Powerball</a> draw, winning the $1 Billion Powerball jackpot 🎉 🙌 👏 🤩. (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/v3Ae41uyNC">pic.twitter.com/v3Ae41uyNC</a>
&mdash; California Lottery (@calottery) <a href="https://twitter.com/calottery/status/1681888133271650304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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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.

Pfizer

Afternoon Update: Pfizer Plant Destroyed By Tornado, Carlee Russell Latest, Tony Bennett Dead

Afternoon Update: Pfizer Plant Destroyed By Tornado, Carlee Russel Latest, Tony Bennett Dead

California

McDonald’s

Russia

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the Rapid Reactions The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. IRS Whistleblower&#8217;s Bombshell Allegations Update
On Wednesday, IRS Special Agent Joe Ziegler — the previously anonymous “Whistleblower X” — testified before Congress revealing his identity and providing detail into allegations of corruption at the IRS to protect the Biden family. Ziegler is a Democrat who worked as an IRS supervisory agent on the agency’s investigation into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden">Hunter Biden</a>’s tax affairs. He testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability:
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IRS Special Agent and whistleblower Joseph Ziegler: &quot;I am risking my career, my reputation, and my casework &#8230; No one should be above the law, regardless of your political affiliation.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/wH8H1FMhEx">pic.twitter.com/wH8H1FMhEx</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1681718788469805056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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IRS WHISTLEBLOWER JOSEPH ZIEGLER:
&quot;There is NOTHING that indicates Hunter Biden will be required to amend his false tax return for 2018 — a false tax return that includes improper deductions for prostitutes, sex clubs, and his adult children&#39;s tuition.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UNPMi5t0Sh">pic.twitter.com/UNPMi5t0Sh</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1681720603684872193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rapid Reaction: This author will have more on this topic later, but for now, readers can enjoy a reaction from The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Mike Howell, Project Oversight Director, sent to The Daily Wire via e-mail:
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HOWELL: The courageous IRS whistleblowers provided sworn testimony today confirming major political interference into the Hunter Biden investigation, which is set to culminate in a sweetheart plea deal next week.
This sort of activity, running a multimillion dollar international play to pay scheme involving the current President of the United States, is usually reserved for third world countries.  We are fighting this at Heritage in federal court and will be formally opposing the plea deal next week.  In that fight, we forced the DOJ to admit that it has over 2,500 pages of communications between Weiss’ office and DOJ or between Weiss office and other judicial districts about the Hunter Biden investigation.  That’s a substantial amount of coordination for a supposedly independent investigation. The Hill should subpoena and obtain that document set immediately.
Chairman Comer is to be commended for his dogged investigation and literally providing the receipts via bank records. The full weight of Congress should be behind achieving actual accountability, immediately. The goal here is the de-weaponization of government, not just exposure, and Congress’ efforts will be judged by that standard.
The Hill took a major step back when they let FBI Director Wray off the hook for contempt of Congress for his refusal to turn over a document alleging a criminal bribery scheme. The time has to come to re-engage forcefully and our hope is that the full Congress supports Chairman Comer in this effort.
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2. Wuhan Won&#8217;t Get Any More U.S. Taxpayer Funding
The Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/us-formally-suspends-funding-to-wuhan-institute-of-virology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administration has formally suspended</a> funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Chinese research institute at the center of the COVID lab leak theory. The administration claims the institute does not comply with federal regulations. The Department of Health and Human Services informed the Wuhan Institute this week that the U.S. is cutting off funding — potentially permanently.
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The decision comes after a months-long review by HHS, which concluded that the institute — a leader in coronavirus research based in Wuhan, where the COVID-19 virus began — “is not compliant with federal regulations and is not presently responsible.” The decision to scrap funding came after the Wuhan Institute failed to provide documents related to concerns that it had violated the National Institutes of Health’s biosafety protocols.
Rapid Reaction: The truth is that a Health and Human Services Department’s Office of Inspector General report alleged that both NIH and EcoHealth Alliance — the organization that provided WIV with taxpayer money — were careless in their business dealings with the Chinese lab.
That alleged trail of negligence, it seems, has left numerous questions in its wake — particularly just how dangerous the research being conducted at WIV was and its relation to the COVID pandemic.
According to the <a href="https://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region5/52100025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IG document released</a> in January, NIH and EcoHealth Alliance had established monitoring procedures for WIV, yet both failed to comply with those measures. Given the potential danger of the experiments being conducted by these groups, irresponsibility raises major alarms, according to the government.
The reality is that we&#8217;ll likely never know what WIV was doing with COVID viruses just before the pandemic hit — though thoughtful observers can probably take a guess.
Read more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-s-dirty-open-secret-about-that-chinese-government-controlled-lab-in-wuhan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
3. Media Will Be Allowed At <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/camilo-campos-crime-alert-tennessee-willimson-county-judge-denies-media-restriction-in-case-of-franklin-soccer-coach-accused-of-rape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illegal Alien</a> And Alleged Rapist Soccer Coach Hearing
A Tennessee judge denied a motion on Tuesday to restrict media from a case involving a soccer coach accused of drugging and raping young boys. Police in Franklin, Tennessee, arrested Camilo Hurtado Campos earlier this month. According to police, a restaurant worker found Campos’ cell phone which contained a large number of disturbing pictures and videos of young boys being assaulted. Police have confirmed Campos entered the U.S. illegally and had resided in Franklin for more than 20 years. Lawmakers, like Senator Marsha Blackburn, want answers.
A hearing for Campos is slated for July 25.
Rapid Reaction: Campos should be the face of the U.S.&#8217; dangerous immigration policies. According to officials, Campos was in the country for more than twenty years. He embedded himself in Franklin, TN — <a href="https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/tennessee/franklin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a town that voted 62%  Republican in 2020</a> — and allegedly took advantage of children for years.
He never should have been in the country in the first place. America should <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-should-deport-pelosi-attacker-and-all-other-illegal-aliens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deport</a> all illegal aliens.
4. Illegal Aliens Cause Alleged Machete Mayhem
In Waltham, Massachusetts, a machete fight led to the arrest of three illegal aliens. 
Authorities say that 27-year-old Osman Aguilar-Borrayo, 21-year-old Kevin Aguilar-Borrayo, and 19-year-old Bryan Aguilar-Borrayo, were arrested last Friday around 6:30 p.m. Osman was arrested for armed assault with intent to murder, assault and battery on a pregnant woman, assault, and battery with a dangerous weapon and mayhem, <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/07/18/machete-fight-leads-to-ice-capture-of-3-illegal-immigrants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Boston Herald. His two younger brothers were arrested on mayhem charges. ICE says that all three illegally crossed the southern border and were given an immigration hearings court date but never appeared. Now they face deportation.
Rapid Reaction: Had the Aguilar-Borrayo brothers never engaged in an alleged machete fight last Friday night, then law enforcement officials might have never known that the three illegal aliens were living in Waltham, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/massachusetts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a>, at all.
How many more men like the Aguilar-Borrayo brothers are out there? Well, it’s hard to say.
Millions have flooded the country in the past two and a half years alone. Deportations have been at <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/27/jim-jordan-ice-deportations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">low</a> for much of the Biden presidency.
In fact, the Biden administration has made it a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-immigration-deportation-a03ef5cc1b5468b396c0ff4688ff186d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">priority to only deport</a> “criminal” illegal aliens. So, rather than be proactive and deport all illegal aliens, authorities are advised to wait for illegal aliens to commit crimes before nabbing them. If those illegal aliens don’t get busted for committing crimes, then they’re virtually able to stay forever.
Read <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-bueno-machete-mayhem-leads-to-arrest-of-three-illegal-alien-brothers-ice-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more here.</a>
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To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <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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Fauci, Wuhan Institute of Virology

Rapid Reactions: Government Corruption From D.C. To Wuhan

Heritage Foundation

Illegal Immigration

Wuhan Institute of Virology

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the rapid reaction analysis. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. Zelensky Demands NATO Entry
World leaders are meeting in Lithuania for NATO&#8217;s annual summit to discuss a range of issues, including whether or not Ukraine should be allowed into the group. Monday evening, the NATO secretary general <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/zelensky-calls-nato-plan-for-ukraine-membership-absurd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I am absolutely certain that we will have unity and a strong message on Ukraine.&#8221; However, Tuesday morning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed NATO for not moving faster to welcome his country into the alliance and for setting no clear timetable as to when it will be allowed in. 
Rapid Reaction: Zelensky has been banging the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-almost-plunged-us-all-into-world-war-iii-again-enough-already" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World War III</a> war drum for months now. Ukraine entering NATO would undoubtedly result in direct conflict between the West and Russia. At the same time, the Biden administration has made it clear that it has no interest in peace. The longer this war goes on, the more people will die. Meanwhile, the U.S. is running low on ammunition, according to our own commander-in-chief.
Instead of crafting an off-ramp, NATO, the U.S., and Ukraine are looking to prolong the war. As Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-rundown-dont-forget-the-fbi-botcheds-larry-nassar-case-money-is-always-the-dems-answer-and-more-stories-to-know-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday, this course of action is &#8220;dangerous.&#8221;
2. Trump&#8217;s Legal Team Calls For Delay In Classified Docs Trial Until After 2024
Former President Trump’s <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/trump-wants-delay-classified-documents-141812074.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal team</a> is calling for a delay in the classified documents trial until after the 2024 election. Trump’s lawyers <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/07/11/trump-classified-documents-trial-date-2024-00105565">said</a> in a court filing Monday night that, “Proceeding to trial during the pendency of a Presidential election cycle wherein opposing candidates are effectively (if not literally) directly adverse to one another in this action will create extraordinary challenges in the jury selection process and limit the Defendants’ ability to secure a fair and impartial adjudication.”
Rapid Reaction: Perhaps the best explanation of why this is a good move came from Fox News&#8217; Mark Levin. On Tuesday, Levin explained, &#8220;This is a thoroughly rational and appropriate motion by President Trump&#8217;s lawyers.
Levin continued, &#8220;This trial should be delayed until after the election, if not dismissed altogether by the way (I assume there will be subsequent motion filings in this regard, as suggested by Trump&#8217;s lawyers).&#8221;
The attorney by trade also noted, that &#8220;if the DOJ/Garland/Smith object, it will definitively prove that among the primary purposes of this persecution is to interfere with the presidential election.&#8221;
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This is a thoroughly rational and appropriate motion by President Trump&#39;s lawyers, one that I suggested on Life, Libert &amp; Levin.  This trial should be delayed until after the election, if not dismissed altogether by the way (I assume there will be subsequent motion filings in…
&mdash; Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/marklevinshow/status/1678755878399295490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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3.  U.S. Destroys Chemical Weapons
The last of the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-destroys-last-chemical-weapon-pentagon-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical weapons</a> stockpile was destroyed last week at a Kentucky munitions plant, the Pentagon announced this week. In 1986, Congress ordered the destruction of America’s chemical weapons, and over a decade later, the U.S. joined 192 countries in the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1997, requiring the weapons’ complete elimination by September 30 of this year. Chemical weapons were first used on a large scale in the trenches of Europe during World War I, causing horrifying deaths through suffocation and devastating the nervous system.
Rapid Reaction: After so many lies from the federal government for decades — Iraq&#8217;s WMDs, COVID, NSA spying, Pentagon officials openly bragging about giving Trump incorrect information, and so many more — can you really trust that the U.S. destroyed all of its chemical weapons?
4. Watchdog Group Files Complaint Against Biden Joint Chiefs Nominee Over ‘Race-Based Hiring’
A watchdog group on Monday filed a complaint against President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Biden</a>’s nominee for Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman over his previous comments on “diversity.&#8221;
The American Accountability Foundation <a href="https://americanaccountabilityfoundation.com/blog/2023/07/10/breaking-aaf-files-inspector-general-complaint-against-biden-joint-chiefs-nominee/">filed a complaint</a> against Air Force General C.Q. Brown over his promotion of quote “race-based hiring” ahead of a Senate hearing on Tuesday to consider his nomination. The complaint <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watchdog-group-files-complaint-against-biden-joint-chiefs-nominee-over-race-based-hiring">cites</a> comments  Brown has made about hiring “for diversity” and referring to the military as a “white boys club.” 
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🧵1/ BREAKING: Biden&#39;s pick to be the new Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is so obsessed with race he explicitly says he wants to &quot;tweak the screening process&quot; to favor diverse candidates for promotion.
Here is a thread of his SHOCKING statements
1/ &quot;I hire for diversity&quot; <a href="https://t.co/knYacawIbk">pic.twitter.com/knYacawIbk</a>
&mdash; American Accountability Foundation (@ExposingBiden) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExposingBiden/status/1673835758048915457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rapid Reaction: As previously discussed, contrary to what his critics may claim, President Joe Biden is moving at blazing speed in transforming the federal government into a tool for advancing the principles of Critical Race Theory — diversity, equity, and inclusion — across America.
His picks for high positions in the federal government reflect his ideological agenda. It&#8217;s good that groups are fighting back against those who would place diversity over merit.
Readers should keep in mind that in March 2023, he signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/02/16/executive-order-on-further-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> that will create an army of equity bureaucrats who will be difficult to fire while the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-white-racism-is-all-the-rage-amongst-big-business-banks-unions-and-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-white ideology</a> seeps into the U.S. government.
Russell Vought, former Office of Management and Budget director under President Donald J. Trump and president of the Center for Renewing America, told The Daily Wire that the Biden administration has become a bit of an expert in racial discrimination.
“‘Equity’ policies are routinely used to justify making decisions based on race, gender, and other identity characteristics,” Vought told The Daily Wire.“This Administration has turned government-funded racism into an art. This is dangerous and exactly the type of woke and weaponized government we are trying to defund.”
5.  Oregon County&#8217;s Drug Kit Plan Halted
An Oregon county’s controversial plan to distribute tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users has been halted. The pause comes after Portland&#8217;s mayor and other officials sounded the alarm over the new program. In a statement to <a href="https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/multnomah-county-pauses-tin-foil-straws-fentanyl-users-plan/283-75270749-1ffa-47fb-ac90-4f4338e68e80">KGW-TV</a>, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said, “Our health department went forward with this proposal without proper implementation protocols. And in that light, I am suspending the program pending further analysis.”
Rapid Reaction: If these Oregonians really wanted to solve the fentanyl problem, they would demand that Biden do two things: 1) get tough on China and 2) close the border.
Fentanyl was the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/record-number-of-americans-died-from-drug-overdoses-in-2021-cdc-data-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main contributor</a> to America’s 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021.
Much of that fentanyl comes <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fentanyl-us-mexico-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">through the southern border</a> after being synthetically made in China. The drug cartels then pay or coerce smugglers known as “mules” to sneak it into America, where it is transported deep into the interior. The U.S. has had some success in slowing down such fatalities — but that’s in spite of Biden’s border policies — not because of them.
Congressman David Trone (D-MD) said in late December, &#8220;Our success right now on slowing or stopping the movement of fentanyl across the border is close to zero. We are failing because we have two partners, China and Mexico, who have chosen not to participate in any meaningful way to help us.&#8221;
To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <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.

Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky

The Rundown: Zelensky Demands NATO Entry, Oregon County’s Drug Kit Plan Halted, And More

The Rundown: Zelensky Demands NATO Entry, Oregon County's Drug Kit Plan Halted, And More

Drugs

Fentanyl

Oregon

United States

Volodymyr Zelensky

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the rapid reaction analysis. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. Larry Nassar Stabbed: Report
Former U.S. gymnastics doctor and convicted child molester Larry Nassar was reportedly stabbed multiple times in the back and neck in an altercation at the United States Penitentiary Coleman Sunday night.  The extent of his injuries is unknown, but he is said to be in stable condition. The full report can be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/convicted-child-molester-larry-nassar-stabbed-in-prison-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read here</a>.
Rapid Reaction: Never forget that the FBI <a href="https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/fbi-director-addresses-failures-larry-nassar-case-during-indianapolis-stop-usa-gymnastics-biles-raisman-maroney-sue-settlement/531-60daed07-20dd-41a3-9e31-9c3892a0d432" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> the ball on this guy long ago. The G-Men reportedly knew that Nassar was assaulting athletes at Michigan State University and elsewhere, but failed to open an investigation. It wasn&#8217;t until 2016 that the DOJ moved against Nassar.
The mistakes were so egregious that FBI Director Christopher Wray formally apologized.
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&#8220;Every great organization makes mistakes. What defines them is they learn from those mistakes,&#8221; Wray said in March 2023. &#8220;And I think we&#8217;re learning from them and we&#8217;re hellbent on making sure that what happened or more precisely what did not happen there, doesn&#8217;t ever occur again.&#8221;
So while the Right might view the FBI&#8217;s treatment of President Donald Trump, for example, as evidence that something is rotten with The Bureau, the truth is that it has been on the decline for quite some time. The decay is ubiquitous and not necessarily wholly political.
2. New York Dems Use Flooding To Push For Climate Change Funding
More than nine million Americans are under flood warnings in North Eastern states — including New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine. Heavy rainfall is causing mayhem, and now flash floods and even landslides are expected in those areas. Over 1,000 flights were delayed due to the flooding, and Amtrak temporarily suspended service along the popular Northeast Corridor. The full report can be read <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/rare-flash-flood-warning-issued-new-york-woman-dies-trying-evacuate-rcna93346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
Rapid Reaction: New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIC92Cwi8wE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> the tragedy to push for climate change funding and other big government programs on Tuesday.
&#8220;Yes, money is going to have to be part of the solution,&#8221; Hochul said of how New York will have to proceed in its supposed fight against climate change.
Somehow, spending taxpayer money is always part of the solution for the Left.
Failing schools?<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unions-complain-of-dire-teacher-shortages-ahead-of-new-school-year-push-for-more-funding" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Throw more money at it</a>!
Homeless? <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/san-francisco-has-spent-billions-to-end-homelessness-and-its-been-a-total-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Fork over billions</a>!
Climate change? <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-green-energy-boondoggle-keeps-getting-bigger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shell out more moolah</a>!
Want to have your classic New York pizza slice?<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-man-takes-on-woke-a-idiots-in-new-york-city-chants-give-us-pizza-or-give-us-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> That&#8217;ll cost you</a>! 
3. Wagner Leader Pledges Loyalty To Russia
Yevgeny Prigozhin <a href="https://www.walb.com/2023/07/10/russian-mercenary-leader-prigozhin-pledges-loyalty-kremlin-after-short-lived-mutiny/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> pledged loyalty to the Russian government in a Kremlin meeting with President Vladimir Putin just days after Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group led a short-lived rebellion against the Russian President. Though Russia’s president branded him a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief was later dropped. However, he could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges.
Rapid Reaction: The longer the Ukraine war goes on, the more people are asking, &#8220;What&#8217;s the endgame here?&#8221; On Monday, Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro tweeted an essay starting with the premise, &#8220;Western policy in Ukraine is incoherent, if not outright dangerous.&#8221;
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Western policy in Ukraine is incoherent, if not outright dangerous. We keep hearing our leaders repeating two phrases: &quot;as long as it takes&quot; and &quot;until Ukraine wins.&quot; The problem is that both are lies, and we all know it.
&quot;As long as it takes&quot; is always a lie in a democracy. See…
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1678406812012298243?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Indeed, hardly anybody in support of Ukraine has stated what ultimate success actually looks like. Well, one guy has provided a clear end-game scenario: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has repeatedly said that regime change and/or the assassination of Putin should be the goal for the West. If Graham got his way, a guy like Prigozhin could come to power.
As this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-is-the-wests-end-goal-in-ukraine-the-million-ruble-question-nobody-will-answer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">author wrote</a> in February 2023, &#8220;The West cannot define what &#8216;winning&#8217; looks like — but is asking U.S. taxpayers to help foot the bill to drag Ukraine over the finish line. In doing so, we just may wind up being dragged into a nuclear war with Russia.&#8221;
4. Tennessee Youth Soccer Coach Suspected Of Raping Unconscious Minors
A Tenessee youth soccer coach has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-youth-soccer-coach-suspected-of-raping-unconscious-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> after police say pictures and “unconscionable videos” were allegedly found on his phone revealing that he drugged and raped unconscious boys.
In late June, 63-year-old Camilo Hurtado Campos, of Franklin, Tennessee, left his phone at a restaurant, prompting a customer to hand it to employees. As employees went through the phone to identify its owner, they discovered the alarming content and contacted the police.  According to authorities, there is video evidence showing that at least ten minors were raped. Two minors have been identified, but police are working to identify the other victims. Detectives said some were in such an unconscious state they likely didn’t even realize what happened. The victims are expected between the ages of nine and 17. Campos would allegedly recruit young boys at playgrounds and schools to join his soccer team before taking advantage of them.
Rapid Reaction: It&#8217;s a dangerous world filled with creeps and the worst kind of perverts imaginable. And yet, for some reason, legacy Media outlets choose to disparage men like Jim Caviezel and Tim Ballard for helping to expose the child sex-trafficking industry in their new movie, &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-expected-to-hit-40-million-after-first-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound of Freedom</a>.&#8221;
While it&#8217;s unclear if Campos sold or trafficked children, it is clear that he posed a threat to the community and innocent minors, if the allegations are true. These sorts of dangers are around every corner — even in red states and conservative communities.
This author knows Franklin well. It is a generally safe, family-friendly own. In many ways, it feels like it has been frozen in time in the best possible way. Kids still ride freely on bikes. Strangers strike up conversations with each other. It has numerous parades and festivals replete with civic pride.
But simply because it&#8217;s idyllic doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s entirely safe. And despite what <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jim-caviezel-thanks-supporters-for-not-letting-the-media-silence-sound-of-freedom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Legacy Media insists</a>, sexual threats to children are everywhere. It&#8217;s not paranoia to recognize that.
5. NIH Funding Research On The Effects Of Puberty Blockers
A Daily Wire investigative report has revealed that the National Institutes of Health is funding research on the effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone treatment on youth despite acknowledgment from the grantee that these medical interventions can result in sterility.
The NIH has doled out millions for similar studies around the country. That full original Daily Wire report can be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nih-funds-study-on-puberty-blockers-hormones-on-youth-despite-risk-of-sterilization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read here</a>.
Rapid Reaction: There&#8217;s a lot of money to be made in &#8220;trans-ing&#8221; the kids. Don&#8217;t take my word for it, listen to some of the so-called experts.
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Last September, The Daily Wire&#8217;s best-selling LGBTQ children&#8217;s author Matt Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/huge-money-maker-video-reveals-vanderbilts-shocking-gender-care-threats-against-dissenting-doctors">exposed</a>  University Medical Center’s Clinic for Transgender Health’s Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor bragging about how radical gender surgeries were &#8220;big money maker.&#8221; 
Taylor also explained that individuals “just on routine hormone treatment, who I’m only seeing a few times a year, can bring in several thousand dollars … and actually makes money for the hospital.”
It would appear that hospitals also have incentives from our own government to encourage sex rejection and gender-denial procedures.
For example, the NIH is also giving more than $3.2 million to an effort from the Boston Children’s Hospital to produce a “trans health guide” that aims to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-senators-blast-nih-for-3-million-grant-to-expand-medical-transitions-for-minors">expand access</a> to sex changes for minors.
It&#8217;s all so perverse and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nih-funds-study-on-puberty-blockers-hormones-on-youth-despite-risk-of-sterilization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worth the read</a>. Why are our taxes going to this?
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Kathy Hochul

The Rundown: Don’t Forget The FBI Botched Larry Nassar’s Case, Money Is Always The Dems’ Answer, And More Stories To Know About

The Rundown: Don't Forget The FBI Botched Larry Nassar's Case, Money Is Always The Dems' Answer, And More Stories To Know About

Climate Change

Jim Caviezel

Larry Nassar

New York

Tennessee

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for rapid reaction. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/biden-administration-appeal-twitter-threatens-legal-action-afternoon-update-7-6-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to listen</a>. 
1. GOP Still Waiting On Answers After A Strongly Worded Letter
David Weiss, the U.S. district attorney leading the Hunter Biden investigation, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/06/doj-prosecutor-snubs-house-deadline-for-hunter-probe-docs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignored a</a> deadline to comply with congressional demands Thursday night. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Republican Jim Jordan (R-OH) demanded that Weiss provide materials relating to alleged retaliation against whistleblowers, who say the probe has been sabotaged due to pressure from Biden officials. Rep. Jordan sent the letter to Weiss in late June requesting more information, including on the removal of IRS agent Gary Shapley, one of the whistleblowers who was overseeing the agency’s investigation.
Rapid Reaction:  As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whats-the-gop-doing-about-the-doj-double-standard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously observed</a>, how many more strongly worded letters will Republican politicians promise to send? Will another hearing make things right? Does the GOP really think that any of that will force the Department of Justice or Democrats to change their ways? What&#8217;s the end game here?
It’s all a bit reminiscent of past corruption that Republicans promised to get to the bottom of, such as Benghazi, the IRS-Tea Party Scandal, Operation Fast &amp; Furious, Hillary Clinton’s emails, and countless other examples. Once they get to the bottom of the outrage du jour, that’s where the GOP remains. Meanwhile, Democrats and their allies move on to the next abuse of power.
2. Most Voters Disapprove Of The Hunter Biden Plea Deal
A majority of voters disapprove of the plea deal offered to President Biden’s son Hunter. A <a href="https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/biden_administration/55_disapprove_of_hunter_biden_s_sweetheart_plea_deal">Rasmussen Reports</a> poll found that 55% disapprove of the plea bargain, including 41% who “strongly” disapprove. Just 37% approve of the deal, with only 19% “strongly” approving. Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty on charges that he violated federal tax and resolve a gun violation, with some legal experts calling it a “sweetheart deal” that would not have been offered to the average American. 
Rapid Reaction:  The American people aren&#8217;t dumb. The Hunter plea deal is the latest evidence for many that the system is rigged. That has led to Americans seeking candidates who go against the D.C. Establishment. That anti-establishment fervor is found in both parties — hence the popularity of candidates such as Robert Kennedy, Jr., former President Donald Trump, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. All other GOP candidates, minus a few, also include anti-establishment rhetoric in their stump speeches.
To go off point one, perhaps the only to help &#8220;restore&#8221; order at the DOJ is to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland — as has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-threatens-ag-garland-with-impeachment-if-whistleblower-allegations-are-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> by folks like House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
3. U.S. Tap Water Majorly Contaminated, Report Says 
A new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-half-of-u-s-tap-water-contains-forever-chemicals-government-study-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Geological Surve</a>y reveals that nearly 50% of all U.S. tap water contains “Forever Chemicals” or polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) that can be dangerous to human health. PFAS have been linked to things such as cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage and hormone suppression, and other issues. 
Rapid Reaction: In the words of Sydney Evans, a science analyst for the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/even-if-your-drinking-water-gets-a-passing-grade-it-may-not-be-safe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Working Group</a>, &#8220;Legal does not necessarily equal safe.&#8221; Indeed, for years the U.S. government has legally approved tap water despite containing such chemicals.
According to Dr. Graham Peaslee, a University of Notre Dame professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and concurrent professor of chemistry and biochemistry, PFAS are &#8220;really insidious, this poison. We are going to have to get inventive on how to filter it out for all of our days.”
And yet, our federal government seems to have little to no interest in solving this problem.
So the next time a liberal tells you to trust the government always, especially as it relates to &#8220;the science,&#8221; maybe it&#8217;s a good idea to go over the level of PFAS in their drinking water and ask if they still think the government is always looking out for them.
4. UK Bank Refuses To Open Account For Conservative Parent Group: Report
Metro Bank, a popular financial institution in the United Kingdom, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-k-bank-refuses-to-open-account-for-conservative-parent-group-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> refused to open a bank account for an organization that opposes radical gender ideology. A spokesperson for the group called “Our Duty” claims that a Metro Bank employee said that Our Duty’s website had ideas that, quote, “conflicted with the culture and ideas we are pushing.”
Rapid Reaction: Welcome to the new normal, where conservatives are discriminated against for holding basic views such as the knowledge that men cannot get pregnant. This is, unfortunately, the way the world works these days. The only solution is to stop giving your money to people who hate you.
5. Death In Death Valley
A 65-year-old man was found dead in Death Valley National Park on Monday. Officials <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/man-found-dead-death-valley-082422175.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">believe</a> he died of extreme heat.  The man’s body was found by a maintenance worker in the late morning, inside a sedan parked about 30 yards off the road. The National Parks Services said in a statement, &#8220;The sedan&#8217;s tracks ran along the road shoulder and rocky berm before veering further away from the paved road. The vehicle did not crash but had two flat tires when stopped.&#8221;
Rapid Reaction: The Left is <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2023/7/7/bill_mckibben_climate_crisis_degrowth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already</a> using this story as evidence that &#8220;climate change&#8221; is going to kill us all. The fatality occurred on one of the hottest days in decades. Of course, it&#8217;s named Death Valley for a reason. It gets very hot there and has posed risks to humans for hundreds of years now. Furthermore, despite headlines claiming that June has been experiencing some of the hottest days ever — that claim simply isn&#8217;t true. The records to substantiate it only go back to the 70s.  

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To listen to the audio version of Afternoon Update, <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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The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Hunter Biden, Joe Biden

The Rundown: GOP Still Demanding Answers, Voters Disapprove Of Hunter Plea Deal, Liberals Capitalize On Fatal Tragedy

Federal Government

Merrick Garland

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