A Committee in the Republican-controlled Texas House that launched an investigation into Texas Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ken-paxton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> over allegations of misconduct met with a former Obama White House lawyer and major Democrat donor during the course of the investigation.
Hugh Brady, who serves as a Parliamentarian in the Texas House, met with the five-member House General Investigating Committee on Tuesday, the day that news broke that the Committee was investigating Paxton, according to a <a href="https://tylerpaper.com/inquiry-into-texas-ag-office-announced-after-paxton-calls-for-state-speaker-s-resignation/article_42a69438-f9de-11ed-8189-a3b98c7091b9.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Donald Trump Jr. called attention on Thursday to a video clip of Brady going into the private meeting behind closed doors late last month.
&#8220;Shown here: Democrat donor and former Obama WH lawyer going to work with Texas House Republicans (RINOS!) on the sham impeachment of Ken Paxton,&#8221; Trump Jr. wrote.
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Shown here: democrat donor and former Obama WH lawyer going to work with Texas House Republicans (RINOS!) on the sham impeachment of Ken Paxton. <a href="https://t.co/ULGIYP6wGj">https://t.co/ULGIYP6wGj</a>
&mdash; Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1666925246279036929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Records from the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) appear to show that Brady has donated a total of $12,400 to Democrat candidates at the federal level dating back to 2010.
Brady served as the general counsel for the Executive Office of President during the Obama administration from March 2014 to January 2017, according to his LinkedIn account.
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Six members of Paxton’s office have since taken a leave of absence to defend Paxton in his upcoming trial in the Texas Senate after he was impeached late last month.
The Daily Wire learned from two sources familiar with the matter that the six officials were offended by the entire process and they did not see a better use of their time right now than defending Paxton.
The six officials are Judd Stone, Solicitor General; Chris Hilton, Division Chief, General Litigation Division; Joseph N. Mazzara, Assistant Solicitor General; Kateland Jackson, Assistant Solicitor General; Allison Collins, Senior Attorney; and Jordan Eskew, Executive Assistant.
One of the main lawyers defending Paxton, Tony Buzbee, <a href="https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-lawyer-talks-about-defending-ken-paxton-in-upcoming-impeachment-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Wednesday, “Ken Paxton will never, never be convicted by the Senate — not on this evidence, not with this record and not when the fact is the allegations are completely untrue.”
After the Texas House of Representatives <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeached-temporarily-suspended-pending-senate-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeached</a> Paxton in a 121-23 vote, he was temporarily suspended from his office, as he now has to wait for a trial in the Senate.
Paxton faces 20 <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23825282-hr02377i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">articles</a> of impeachment alleging that Paxton committed a number of infractions, including violating the state’s whistleblower law, violating the Securities Act, bribery, and other activities.

Texas House Republicans Reconvene Session After Democrats Head To D.C. In Attempt To Break Quorum

Texas House Committee Met With Obama Lawyer, Democrat Donor During Probe Of AG Paxton

Barack Obama

General

Ken Paxton

Politics

Texas

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/national-rifle-association-nra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Rifle Association</a> on Wednesday moved to intervene in a legal challenge to the pistol brace rule being implemented under the Biden administration by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/firearms-and-explosives-atf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives</a> (ATF).
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/second-amendment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Amendment</a> rights organization filed a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/06/2023.06.06-NRAs-Brief-ISO-Motion-to-Intervene-file-stamped.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal brief</a> in a pending case in Texas to shield NRA members from the new policy that seeks to regulate pistols with stabilizing braces, according to a filing first obtained by The Daily Wire. The braces can allow a person to shoot a handgun one-handed more easily. The NRA is seeking a preliminary injunction against the regulation, known as the “Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached ‘Stabilizing Braces,’” which went into effect on June 1.
“The NRA has consistently opposed this arbitrary attack on law-abiding gun owners on multiple fronts,” said NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre. “The NRA is a leader in the largest and most aggressive legal challenge to this action, and now aims to intervene in the Texas lawsuit. We are pursuing relief to protect our members – and bring a halt to this attack on their freedom.”
The NRA is intervening in a suit brought by the Second Amendment Foundation and others who sued the ATF, Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Department of Justice, and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach over the new regulation.
&#8220;Because of the Final Rule, the millions of Americans, including NRA members, who own a pistol and a stabilizing brace, regardless of style or caliber or type of brace, must either dispose of, alter, or register their firearms. If they guess wrong, they face the prospect of felony prosecution, 10 years in prison, and large fines,&#8221; the NRA said in its <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/06/NRA_Complaint-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complaint</a>.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, the filing marks the latest move by the NRA to challenge the ATF’s pistol brace ruling, which came on the heels of President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/unacceptable-attack-biden-admin-slammed-after-doj-announces-news-pistol-brace-regulation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden’s request</a> to regulate the use of pistol braces. Biden said such braces could turn pistols into short-barreled rifles. 
The NRA eventually hopes to get a permanent injunction against the rule. The organization previously backed a lawsuit in North Dakota filed in February challenging the ATF&#8217;s pistol brace rule. 
“President Biden and his rogue regulators are on notice: the NRA will continue to defend its members and their constitutional freedoms – fighting this rule and the anti-Second Amendment agenda in every forum available,” said NRA President Charles Cotton.
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According to the NRA, disabled veterans are among the many individuals who use braces for safety when using a pistol. 
“As explained in the NRA’s Complaint in Intervention, many of its members are being irreparably harmed by the Final Rule,” the group said in a press release.
Other gun owners have already <a href="https://thereload.com/third-injunction-issued-against-biden-pistol-brace-ban-on-eve-of-enforcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been shielded</a> from complying with the ATF’s new rule, with members of the Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, and Texas state employees previously winning a preemptive injunction against the policy.
“The courts have already recognized other gun-promotion groups should be afforded protection from this rule,” Cotton added. “The NRA now seeks to intervene – to extend the protections to the Association.”

Attorney Gen. Garland Meets With Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin At Dept. Of Justice

‘Arbitrary Attack’: NRA Moves To Shield Members From Biden Admin’s Pistol Brace Crackdown

NRA Moves To Shield Members From Biden Admin’s Pistol Brace Crackdown

Biden Administration

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF)

Courts

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This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jamie-raskin-refuses-to-give-details-about-what-was-in-fbi-document-alleging-biden-corruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comer Announces Contempt Of Congress Hearings</a>
House Oversight Chairman James Comer announced today that the FBI has refused to &#8220;hand over the unclassified record&#8221; that allegedly links then-Vice President Joe Biden to a pay-for-play bribery scheme with a foreign national. Comer said his panel will now proceed with hearings on holding FBI Director Christoper Wray in contempt of Congress this Thursday.
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🚨🚨BREAKING: House Oversight Chair James Comer says the FBI has once again refused &quot;hand over the unclassified record&quot; that links then-VP Joe Biden to a pay-for-play bribery scheme with a foreign national. Oversight &quot;will now initiate contempt of Congress hearings this… <a href="https://t.co/2qoas43Igm">pic.twitter.com/2qoas43Igm</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1665769189813145601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mike-pence-files-for-2024-presidential-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pence Files For 2024</a>
Former Vice President Mike Pence made his White House run official after filing Federal Election Commission paperwork to run in the GOP presidential primary. Pence is expected to formally announce in Iowa on Wednesday. Here he is on Sunday at Iowa’s Roast and Ride:
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Former Vice President <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Pence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Mike_Pence</a> on 2024: &quot;I don&#39;t have anything to announce today, but I can tell you when I got time to announce come this Wednesday, I&#39;m announcing in Iowa.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R4aVbM55wv">https://t.co/R4aVbM55wv</a> <a href="https://t.co/sdgud5KIiE">pic.twitter.com/sdgud5KIiE</a>
&mdash; The Hill (@thehill) <a href="https://twitter.com/thehill/status/1665346665044389888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, New Hampshire GOP Governor Chris Sununu announced in a Washington Post op-ed that he would not be running in 2024 because “beating Trump is more important.” Here he is on CNN:
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Chris Sununu announces he will NOT be running for president, telling <a href="https://twitter.com/DanaBashCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaBashCNN</a> there&#39;s &quot;a very large field&quot; and candidates need to be &quot;call[ed]&#8230;out&quot; when they&#39;re in the single digits and splitting the non-Trump vote.
He adds many will need to quit by Christmas. <a href="https://t.co/ZgwrSWHDK6">pic.twitter.com/ZgwrSWHDK6</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1665753168381108226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/texas-rangers-only-mlb-team-181100076.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just One MLB Team Won&#8217;t Have Pride Day</a>
So far, one MLB team, the Texas Rangers, announced they will not hold a Pride event. When asked about their decision, the Rangers released the following statement: “Our commitment is to make everyone feel welcome and included in Rangers baseball. That means in our ballpark, at every game, and in all we do – for both our fans and our employees. We deliver on that promise across our many programs to have a positive impact across our entire community.”
Iowa Apartment Collapse Update
The bodies of the final three missing persons in the apartment collapse in Davenport, Iowa, were found Sunday night and Monday morning after days of searching. According to officials, the six-story apartment building partially collapsed late last week, and a rescue operation has been underway around the clock since. Here’s Davenport police chief Jeffrey Bladel:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Davenport apartment collapse press conference 10 a.m. Monday (6/5)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vphtjpELfKA?start=627&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-attorneys-visit-doj-after-accusing-special-counsel-of-misconduct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump&#8217;s Attorneys Meet With DOJ</a>
Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys met with the Department of Justice (DOJ) today to discuss complaints about the special counsel investigation into the former president’s handling of classified documents. 
Trump’s legal team arrived at the DOJ this morning weeks after accusing special counsel Jack Smith of misconduct. According to reports, Trump’s attorneys were to meet with DOJ officials about those accusations, as well as to get a feel for the state of Smith’s investigative efforts. Signs suggest that Smith is nearing a decision on whether to charge Trump over classified documents recovered from Mar-a-Lago last year. 
No details have yet been released from that Monday meeting. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith in November to take over DOJ investigations into the Mar-a-Lago documents and Trump’s role related to January 6. Over the weekend, Trump attacked the DOJ’s treatment of Biden and the myriad of alleged crimes connected to the current president’s family. 
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/austin-has-its-first-known-serial-killer-138-years-but-questions-remain-rainey-street-deaths" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Austin Serial Killer</a>
Austin, Texas has its first serial killer in more than a century, Fox News reported. 
 Last week, police in Texas announced the arrest of 62-year-old Raul Meza Jr. in connection with two murders. Meza turned himself in after a statewide manhunt was launched after the May 20th killing of 80-year-old former probation officer Jesse Fraga. After turning himself in, police say he admitted to an additional murder — that of 66-year-old Gloria Lofton in 2019. Meza has been in and out of prison for decades, most notably serving time for the rape and murder of an 8-year-old child in the 1980s. Police say they do not believe Meza is responsible for the recent series of deaths at Lady Bird Lake. 
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/06/05/woman-arrested-tuberculosis-treatment-washington/70287859007/#:~:text=A%20wanted%20woman%20who%20public,Pierce%20County%20Health%20Department%20said." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Authorities Arrest Tuberculosis Patient For Treatment</a>
Local authorities jailed a tuberculosis patient in Washington state who refused medical treatment for more than a year. 
A Washington judge issued an order in May for the unnamed woman to be involuntarily detained for treatment, which is legal under state law. Pierce County sheriff deputies located and detained the woman Thursday, and she is now being housed in Pierce County jail. This is the third time in 20 years that Pierce County officials have had to pursue a court order to force tuberculosis treatment. 
<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-train-crash-investigation-possibility-sabotage-odisha-disaster/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Train Wreck Kills Hundreds</a>
Indian authorities are trying to determine what went wrong in a deadly train crash that killed nearly 300 individuals and 1,000 injured others in India&#8217;s eastern state of Odisha on Friday. Authorities say initial data show that an electronic signaling system error is the likely cause of the crash. The incident is one of the worst train crashes in the country’s history. 
<a href="https://weather.com/news/weather/video/at-least-15-dead-8-missing-in-haiti-flooding-landslides" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Haiti Flooding Brings Death And Destruction</a>
And, torrential rain in Haiti over the weekend caused catastrophic flooding, leaving at least 42 people dead, 85 others injured, nearly 14,000 houses damaged, and many crops ruined. More than 13,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes on the Caribbean island.
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.

Monday stock photo

Monday Afternoon Update: Comer Plans Contempt Vote, Mike Pence Files For 2024, Austin Serial Killer?

Austin

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Haiti

India

Joe Biden

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Mike Pence

Republican Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/greg-abbott" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Abbott</a> signed a bill into law on Friday that makes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> the largest state to protect children from life-altering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgender procedures</a>.
The bill, <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/SB00014F.pdf#navpanes=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SB 14</a>, bans children from being given puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and undergoing surgical procedures such as a double mastectomy for girls who identify as boys. It also prohibits state dollars from being used to fund such procedures for children. 
“If there comes a time when a profession such as the medical profession cannot regulate itself to protect patients — protect children — then the government needs to step in,” <a href="https://herald-zeitung.com/community_alert/texas-lawmakers-debate-campbell-s-gender-affirming-care-ban-for-minors/article_20d2bcbe-c505-11ed-b10d-8f9a9faadec7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> state Senator Donna Campbell, the author of the bill, during previous debate on the issue. 
“Our children need counseling and love, not blades and drugs,” she added. 
With Abbott’s signature, the Lone Star State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nebraska-becomes-18th-state-to-ban-transgender-surgeries-on-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joins at least 18 other states</a> that have banned transgender surgeries for minors, with many prohibiting both surgical and chemical procedures. 
The Texas law says that the procedures are prohibited “for the purpose of transitioning a child’s biological  sex as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous profiles of the child or affirming the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s  biological sex.”
The legislation took a while to get through both chambers of the Texas legislature as Democrats used parliamentary tactics to stall it. Notably, Democrat Rep. Shawn Thierry voted for the bill, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-democrat-lawmaker-cites-science-to-support-banning-minors-from-trans-medical-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">citing scientific evidence</a> showing the long-term impacts of transgender procedures. 
Thierry said in a statement that she voted to ban minors from receiving “GnRH-analogs, (i.e. “puberty blockers”), cross sex hormones, and to undergo irreversible surgeries when experiencing gender dysphoria” after speaking with constituents and “reviewing the scientific data in this country and around the globe.”
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Left-wing legal groups, like Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Texas, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/02/texas-gender-affirming-care-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have said</a> that they will take legal action against the Texas law. 
“Transgender people have always been here and will always be here,” said Ash Hall of the ACLU of Texas. “Our trans youth deserve a world where they can shine alongside their peers, and we will keep advocating for that world in and out of the courts.”
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-childrens-hospital-performs-sex-change-procedures-on-children-as-young-as-11-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">law comes afte</a>r a report alleged that a children’s hospital in Houston was performing transgender procedures on children as young as 11. 
According to whistleblower documents <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/sex-change-procedures-at-texas-childrens-hospital#:~:text=Last%20spring%2C%20executives%20at%20Texas,affirming%20therapy%2C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> by City Journal’s Christopher Rufo, Texas Children’s Hospital, the largest children’s hospital in the U.S., inserted an implantable puberty blocker in multiple children, including at least one 11-year-old.

President Trump Holds Rally In Houston, Texas

Texas Becomes Largest State To Ban Transgender Procedures On Kids

Greg Abbott

transgender surgery

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/trial-begins-three-men-accused-pressuring-expats-return-china-rcna87266" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Conspiracy Trial Starts</a>
One American and two Chinese nationals faced a jury Wednesday in the first trial stemming from U.S. claims of a Chinese government conspiracy. Officials say that China’s government has tried to harass and intimidate dissidents and others abroad into returning home. The three men are charged with conspiracy to hound a former Chinese city official, his wife, and their adult daughter to get him to go back to his homeland, where the government alleges he took bribes.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/latvian-parliament-elects-first-openly-gay-president-baltic-nation-rcna87077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World&#8217;s First Openly Gay President Elected In Latvia</a>
The world’s first openly gay president has been elected in Latvia by the country’s parliament. He received 52 votes — or just one more than necessary to win — in a close contest. Gay marriage is currently illegal in Latvia.
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/31/ftc-sues-amazon-over-ring-doorbell-privacy-violations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon To Pay $30 Million Over Privacy Violations Suit</a>
Amazon has settled a lawsuit with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that its voice assistant Alexa and doorbell camera Ring violated privacy protections. The FTC claimed in one lawsuit that the tech company kept recordings of children&#8217;s conversations in Alexa. The federal agency also alleged that Amazon employees illegally monitored customers without consent via Ring. Now, Amazon will pay over $30 million to settle the accusations.
<a href="https://cbsaustin.com/newsletter-daily/gov-abbott-appoints-former-tx-secretary-of-state-as-interim-attorney-general-ken-paxton-texas-attorney-general-for-civil-litigation-impeachment-tx-house-lege-senate-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Abbott Appoints Paxton Replacement</a>
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has now appointed a temporary replacement for impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton — and Democrats aren’t happy about it. Abbott named former Secretary of State John Scott as the interim Attorney General this week, as Paxton awaits his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. Some Democrats have pushed back on the appointment of Scott because he worked with former President Trump during his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania.
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<a href="https://people.com/ill-man-who-joked-he-regretted-marrying-wife-convicted-of-murdering-her-7506988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family Feud Contestant Who Joked About Regretting Marrying His Wife Convicted Of Murdering Wife</a>
A former “Family Feud” contestant who joked on the show about regretting marrying his wife has now been convicted of murdering his wife. 40-year-old Timothy Bliefnick appeared on the show in 2020.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="&#039;Family Feud&#039; contestant who joked about regretting marriage now on trial for wife&#039;s murder" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K_lChiRhSRk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Bliefnick has now been found guilty of killing his estranged wife, Becky Bliefnick, in February. The court found that he broke into her home in Quincy, Illinois, with a crowbar and shot her 14 times. The pair was in the process of a divorce and Becky had previously text her sister, “If something ever happens to me, make sure the number one person of interest is Tim.” His sentencing is scheduled for August 11.
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To listen to the audio version of this podcast, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/morning-wire/id1576594336" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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Friday

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

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

Amazon

China

Entertainment

Europe

Gay Rights

Morning Wire

Podcast

Six members of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton&#8217;s office are taking a leave of absence to defend Paxton in his upcoming trial in the Texas Senate after he was impeached over the weekend.
The Daily Wire learned from two sources familiar with the matter that the six officials were offended by the entire process and they do not see a better use of their time right now than defending Paxton.
The six officials are Judd Stone, Solicitor General; Chris Hilton, Division Chief, General Litigation Division; Joseph N. Mazzara, Assistant Solicitor General; Kateland Jackson, Assistant Solicitor General; Allison Collins, Senior Attorney; and Jordan Eskew, Executive Assistant.
After being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeached-temporarily-suspended-pending-senate-trial">impeached</a> by the Texas House of Representatives in a 121-23 vote on Saturday, Paxton was temporarily suspended from his office as he now has to wait for a trial in the Senate.
The House delivered the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate on Monday.
Paxton faced 20 articles of impeachment. The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23825282-hr02377i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">articles</a> allege that Paxton committed a number of infractions, including violating the state’s whistleblower law, entering “into a settlement agreement with the whistleblowers that provides for payment of the settlement from public funds,” violating the Securities Act, and other activities.
Former President Donald Trump defended Paxton on social media while attacking Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R), who is often criticized as not being conservative.
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&#8220;The RINO Speaker of the House of Texas, Dade Phelan, who is barely a Republican at all and failed the test on voter integrity, wants to impeach one of the most hard working and effective Attorney Generals in the United States, Ken Paxton, who just won re-election with a large number of American Patriots strongly voting for him,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. &#8220;You would think that any issue would have been fully adjudicated by the voters of Texas, especially when that vote was so conclusive.&#8221;
&#8220;I love Texas, won it twice in landslides, and watched as many other friends, including Ken Paxton, came along with me,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Hopefully Republicans in the Texas House will agree that this is a very unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed—I will fight you if it does. It is the Radical Left Democrats, RINOS, and Criminals that never stop. ELECTION INTERFERENCE! Free Ken Paxton, let them wait for the next election!&#8221;
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

Six Members Of Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Office Take Leave Of Absence To Defend Him In Senate Trial

The Texas State Legislature passed a bill on Sunday that would ban the performance of “sexually oriented” shows in front of minors. 
The State House approved <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=88R&amp;Bill=SB12">Senate Bill 12</a> in an 87-54 vote. If the legislation is signed into law, performers who violate the law could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor and punished with a $4,000 fine or one year in jail. Meanwhile, businesses caught hosting such performances could be fined as much as $10,000. 
The Texas State Senate also passed the bill on Sunday, sending it to Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s desk. Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick <a href="https://archive.vn/BEOm4#selection-1695.95-1695.173">stated</a> that the legislation “prohibits sexualized performances and drag shows in the presence of a minor.”
“It is shocking to me that any parent would allow their young child to be sexualized by drag shows,” Patrick went on to say before also adding “Children, who cannot make decisions on their own, must be protected from this scourge facing our state.”
The sponsor of the bill, Rep. Matt Shaheen (R-Plano) also spoke out against sexual performances in front of children, remarking “We will not tolerate our children being exposed to explicit, hyper sexualized content from any type of performer in any way in the great state of Texas.”
The <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB12/id/2811308">legislation</a> would specifically apply to performances that feature nudity, or “the exhibition or representation, actual or simulated, of sexual acts,” as well as to performances that appeal “to the prurient interest in sex … regardless of whether compensation for the performance is expected or received.”
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Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-Clint) spoke out against the legislation, claiming, “The broadness could negatively implicate even the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders.” 
The bill will take effect on September 1, 2023, if it is signed it into law. Meanwhile, several <a href="https://time.com/6260421/tennessee-limiting-drag-shows-status-of-anti-drag-bills-u-s/">other Republican states</a>, including Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, and Montana have passed legislation banning sexual drag performances in front of children.

Drag Performer

Texas Legislature Passes Bill Banning Minors From Watching ‘Sexualized’ Drag Shows

Texas Legislature Passes Bill Banning Minors From Watching 'Sexualized' Drag Shows

Drag Queens

Drag show

Social Issues

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/8-people-rescued-after-apartment-building-partially-collapses-in-iowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 People Rescued After Apartment Building Partially Collapses In Iowa</a>
Authorities in Davenport, Iowa are conducting a massive search and rescue operation after a six-story apartment building partially collapsed Sunday evening. So far, authorities have not released the number of any possible casualties or injuries. It’s unclear what caused the building to crumble, but officials say that they found a gas leak and water leaking when they arrived at the scene. Eight have been saved so far. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-conservatives-slam-mccarthy-biden-agreement-with-republicans-like-these-who-needs-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Debt Deal Latest</a>
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevi. McCarthy (R-CA) struck a deal over the weekend to raise the nation’s debt ceiling – with the clock ticking down on default. The Democratic president and Republican House speaker reached a final agreement late on Sunday, as negotiators scrambled to draft and submit the bill text for review. The text includes various spending cuts and increased work requirements for food stamp recipients, which Democrats had initially called a non-starter. Congress has until June 5th to vote on the measure. We’ll discuss the latest on the negotiations tomorrow morning. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/target-loses-10-billion-in-just-ten-days-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Target Down $10 Billion</a>
Retail giant Target has lost $10 billion in market capitalization in ten days, apparently due in large part to the backlash over prominent LGBTQ+ PRIDE displays – including transgender-friendly clothing items for children. As of Monday morning, the stock price had dropped to under $140 per share which translates to a 14% decrease in value for the Minnesota-based company.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/attorney-says-university-of-idaho-victims-families-want-death-penalty-for-accused-killer-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idaho Murder Victims&#8217; Families Want Death Penalty</a>
The families of two of the four victims slain in the University of Idaho killings last year reportedly have signaled that they support the death penalty for the 28-year-old man accused of the quadruple murder. The suspect was indicted on charges including first-degree murder of four friends and college students — Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen — who were stabbed to death on November 13, 2022. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeached-temporarily-suspended-pending-senate-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas AG Impeached</a>
Following an investigation into allegations of corruption, the Texas House of Representatives took the unprecedented move to impeach Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ken-paxton">Ken Paxton</a> on Saturday.  
The vote triggered an automatic temporary suspension of Paxton until the state senate trial is over. Paxton faces 20 articles of impeachment — including accusations of violating the state’s whistleblower law, entering into a settlement agreement with the whistleblowers that provides for payment of the settlement from public funds,” violating the Securities Act, and more. Paxton has slammed the impeachment as “illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust” after the vote. Now, the state senate will begin its trial which requires two-thirds support for the removal of the attorney general. We’ll have a full report tomorrow morning. 
<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/erdogan-wins-turkey-election-runoff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recep Tayyip Erdogan  Re-election</a>
Turkey’s incumbent president <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/turkey-elections-president-erdogan-early-results/">Recep Tayyip Erdogan cruised to re-election</a> in a historic run-off vote over the weekend. Turkey&#8217;s Supreme Election Council declared Erdogan the winner on Sunday, and he will now remain in office until 2028. Ergodan, who has been in office since 2008, said “The only winner today is Turkey.”  His supporters filled the streets of Turkey in celebration.
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BREAKING — Erdogan declares victory in Turkey’s runoff elections 
“The winner of this election is all 85 million strong Turkish nation,” he says 
 <a href="https://t.co/ijEuuK0kF1">pic.twitter.com/ijEuuK0kF1</a>
&mdash; Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) <a href="https://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1662873710192128002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Memorial Day

Monday Afternoon Update: Target Down $10 Billion, Debt Deal Latest, Rescue Efforts Underway In Davenport Iowa After Building Collapse

Attorney General

Idaho

Iowa

Target

Turkey

Texas state lawmakers advanced a public school safety bill on Sunday requiring certain district employees to undergo mental health training and all campuses to staff at least one armed security guard during regular school hours.
Both chambers passed <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB00003F.pdf#navpanes=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Bill 3</a> just more than a year after a lone gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school — the third-deadliest mass school shooting in American history.
“It’s time to act,” Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian) said, according to <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/28/texas-school-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Texas Tribune</a>. “We need to prevent the next Uvalde.”
King and other Texas state Republicans praised the bill, while Democratic lawmakers signaled concerns over budget issues and providing armed security on school grounds.
“The potential for disastrous consequences is staggering,” Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) said, according to the Tribune.
The sweeping measure includes several protocols and other provisions to protect students, staff, and faculty from active shooter threats across the Lone Star State.
According to the bill, peace officers, school resource officers, school marshals, or school district employees could qualify as armed security guards for each campus. The measure would also require school employees who interact with children regularly to complete an “evidence-based mental health first-aid training program.”
The bill grants the Texas Education Agency authority to create safety and security departments, conduct annual vulnerability assessments on every school campus, and requires the agency to notify parents of “violent activity.”
The bill would also require regional safety teams to conduct on-site general intruder detection audits of school district campuses annually.
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The Texas School Safety Center, a think tank at the Texas State University, would conduct a review every five years to ensure the best practices and security measures for campuses.
County sheriff&#8217;s departments in areas with fewer than 350,000 people must also hold semi-annual meetings to discuss school safety and law enforcement response to “violent incidents.”
According to the Tribune, law enforcement must also ensure all radio communications properly work following the “chaotic, uncoordinated scene” when nearly 400 authorities from different agencies responded to the school shooting in Uvalde.
“This is a huge win for the safety of our children,” Rep. Carrie Isaa (R-Dripping Springs) said, according to the Tribune.
House Bill 3 now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) desk for signature.

Texas House Committee Holds Hearing On Uvalde School Shooting

Texas Lawmakers Advance School Safety Bill Requiring Mental Health Training, Armed Security On Campuses

Mass Shooting

Public Schools

U.S.

Uvalde

The Texas House of Representatives took the unprecedented move to impeach Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ken-paxton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ken Paxton</a> on Saturday following an investigation into allegations of corruption.
After the 121-23 vote, in which two members voted present, Paxton was temporarily suspended from his office as he now has to wait for a trial in the Senate.
Paxton faced 20 articles of impeachment. The <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23825282-hr02377i" target="_blank" rel="noopener">articles</a> allege that Paxton committed a number of infractions, including violating the state’s whistleblower law, entering “into a settlement agreement with the whistleblowers that provides for payment of the settlement from public funds,” violating the Securities Act, and other activities.
<a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/27/texas-ag-ken-paxton-impeached" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a> noted that Paxton is only the “third state official in Texas history to be impeached,” following a former governor in 1917 and a judge in 1975.
Following the impeachment, Paxton issued a tweet claiming that the impeachment is “illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I am beyond grateful to have the support of millions of Texans who recognize that what we just witnessed is illegal, unethical, and profoundly unjust. I look forward to a quick resolution in the Texas Senate, where I have full confidence the process will be fair and just. <a href="https://t.co/fEiAroA2DW">pic.twitter.com/fEiAroA2DW</a>
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1662578370477948928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
On Tuesday, it was revealed that the state House Committee on General Investigating was probing Paxton’s attempt to settle a 2020 lawsuit using an alleged $3.3 million in public money. As part of its investigation, the committee has subpoenaed Paxton’s office for records.
Four former employees of the attorney general’s office brought the suit in 2020, claiming they were retaliated against after accusing Paxton of corruption. The state legislature refused to fund the settlement, so the case continues to work its way through the courts.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Key Speakers At Conservative Political Action Conference

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Impeached, Temporarily Suspended Pending Senate Trial

The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton strongly pushed back Friday afternoon on attempts by some Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives to impeach him, saying that the articles of impeachment were so weak that if they were filed in court they would likely be dismissed.
News that the state House had been investigating Paxton was made public on Tuesday — the same day that Paxton called on House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is friendly with the Left, to resign after video emerged allegedly showing him“in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication” on the House floor.
Two days later, 20 articles of impeachment were filed against Paxton.
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BREAKING: I have obtained over 6 minutes of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan being either drunk or having mini strokes while presiding over the Texas House of Reps. <a href="https://t.co/4SOXmT7SHA">pic.twitter.com/4SOXmT7SHA</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1661488194104307715?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Impeachment proceedings are set to begin on Saturday.
Paxton’s shot at Phelan came the same day that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-of-texas-top-officials-feud-over-accusations-of-drunkenness-corruption">news broke</a> that the House Committee on General Investigating was probing Paxton’s attempt to settle a 2020 lawsuit using an alleged $3.3 million in public money. As part of its investigation, the committee has subpoenaed Paxton’s office for records.
Four former employees of the attorney general’s office brought the suit in 2020, claiming they were retaliated against after accusing Paxton of corruption. The state legislature refused to fund the settlement, so the case continues to work its way through the courts.
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Paxton issued a lengthy rebuttal to the articles of impeachment, urging members to reject them due to &#8220;numerous failures,&#8221; ranging from not substantiating claims to not understanding his role as attorney general.
For example, on the first article of impeachment — Disregard of Official Duty — Protection of Charitable Organization — Paxton&#8217;s office writes:
<blockquote> The Articles of Impeachment imply that the Attorney General is legally required to “act as [the] public protector of charitable organizations.” He is not. He is required to protect the public from illegal conduct by charitable organizations. Hence why he is constitutionally authorized to investigate those organizations (see Tex. Const. art. IV, § 22). Likewise, section 123.002 of the Texas Property Code provides that the Attorney General is to act “for the behalf of the interest of the general public of this state.” The Office of the Attorney General initially sued the Mitte Foundation in 2009—before General Paxton’s election—to protect the public’s interests.</blockquote>
Paxton&#8217;s office continued by offering strong pushback to the other Articles of Impeachment, including II. Disregard of Official Duty—Abuse of the Opinion Process, III. Disregard of Official Duty—Abuse of the Open Records Process, IV. Disregard of Official Duty—Misuse of Official Information, V. Disregard of Official Duty—Engagement of Cammack, VI. Disregard of Official Duty—Termination of Whistleblowers, VII. Misapplication of Public Resources—Whistleblower Investigation and Report, VIII. Disregard of Official Duty—Settlement Agreement Similarly, IX. Constitutional Bribery—Paul’s Employment of Mistress, X. Constitutional Bribery—Paul’s Providing Renovations to Paxton Home, XI. Obstruction of Justice—Abuse of Judicial Process, XII. Obstruction of Justice—Abuse of Judicial Process, XIII. False Statements in Official Records—State Securities Board Investigation, XIV. False Statements in Official Records—Personal Financial Statements, XV. False Statements in Official Records—Whistleblower Response Report, XVI. Counts XVI through XX—Conspiracy and Attempted Conspiracy; Misappropriation of Public Resources; Dereliction of Duty; Unfitness for Office; Abuse of Public Trust.
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Shreds Attempt To Impeach Him

A feud between two of Texas’ top Republicans has broken down into sordid accusations of drunkenness and corruption.
The state party’s rift between its moderate and conservative wings fueled aspersions cast about two Republicans at the top of state politics. Attorney General Ken Paxton, an outspoken conservative, and House Speaker Dade Phelan, who is friendly with the legislature&#8217;s moderates and Democrats, launched into a public feud on Tuesday.
Paxton took aim at Phelan, <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1661097919443881987">calling</a> on the speaker to resign after appearing to be “in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication” during a House session on May 19. A video clip of the session circulating online appeared to show Phelan slurring words as he oversaw proceedings.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan on May 19" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QLhj-Nls18c?start=89&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Paxton also accused the speaker of failing “to pass critical conservative priorities including protecting the integrity of our elections and preventing Chinese spies from controlling Texas land.” Paxton said Phelan “has proven himself unworthy of Texans’ trust and incapable of leading the Texas House.”
Some lawmakers have come out to defend Phelan over the footage from the May 19 session. Democratic lawmaker Jarvis Johnson said he did not notice anything odd about Phelan’s behavior that day, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/texas-ken-paxton-speaker-drunk.html">The New York Times</a>.
Paxton’s shot at Phelan came the same day that news broke that the House Committee on General Investigating was <a href="https://twitter.com/bradj_TX/status/1661139400841998336">probing</a> Paxton’s attempt to settle a 2020 lawsuit using an alleged $3.3 million in public money. As part of its investigation, the committee has subpoenaed Paxton’s office for records.
Four former employees of the attorney general’s office brought the suit in 2020, claiming they were retaliated against after accusing Paxton of corruption. The state legislature refused to fund the settlement, so the case continues to work its way through the courts.
Phelan responded to Paxton’s call to resign saying “The motives for and timing behind Paxton’s statement today couldn’t be more evident.”
“The committee is conducting a thorough examination of events tied to the firing of the whistleblowers in addition to Ken Paxton’s alleged illegal conduct,” Phelan said. “Mr. Paxton’s statement today amounts to little more than a last-ditch effort to save face.”
Paxton hit Phelan again in a <a href="https://twitter.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/1661415070939611141">statement</a> on Wednesday, attacking the House speaker’s record on policy while accusing him of attempting to “disenfranchise Texas voters and sabotage my work as Attorney General.”

Dade Phelan

Two Of Texas’ Top Officials Feud Over Accusations Of Drunkenness, Corruption

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