--:-- [Upbeat music fades out, and the host, Georgia Howe, begins speaking]
--:-- Georgia Howe: The NFL is back, and FanDuel's got everything you need to play your game. From same-game parlays to live betting. Right now, new customers bet $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. 21-plus in president select states. 18-plus in Kentucky and Wyoming. Must be first online real money waging. $5 deposit required. Bonus issued is non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at FanDuel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, legal authority on abortion goes back to the states. In Oklahoma, I've been very clear. I don't believe in abortion. We're trying to do everything we can to get it out of our state. Which states are poised to limit abortion access and which states are expanding it? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's May 7th, and this is your Saturday edition of Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: A growing number of employees at companies such as Amazon and Starbucks are choosing to unionize. It's employees' choice whether or not they want to join a union. We happen to think they're better off not doing so. What's motivating the unionization efforts, and are they working? And the U.S. State Department has declared that Russia has wrongfully detained American pro basketball player Brittany Greiner, and the department has called on its top hostage negotiator to secure her release. We have the latest on the case.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: shipping added to your order. Just use code WIRE at GoodRanchers.com slash WIRE. Good Ranchers, American meat delivered.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Several states have moved to limit abortion in the past few years, while others have passed laws expanding access. These actions may prove significant if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as the court is poised to do. Here to break down how state laws could change if the court overturns Roe v. Wade is Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Thanks for having me on the show, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So as you all reported on Morning Wire, Politico released the document titled Opinion of the Court. It was written by Justice Samuel Alito and was joined by the four other conservative-leaning justices. Alito wrote, we hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled, adding it is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So if this decision becomes final, it will be up to each state to legislate whether or how they want to limit abortion access. So where do states stand right now on the issue?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, states have really moved in both directions on this over the past year or so in anticipation of a possible ruling on Roe. According to a Guttmacher Institute report, 23 states have legislation that could be utilized to limit abortion. As the New York Times points out, some states had abortion bans in place before the Roe decision took effect in 1973, including Michigan, Alabama, Arizona, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. If Roe overturned, as is expected, those old laws could become active again.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: But Michigan's Democratic Governor, Gretchen Whitmer actually already filed a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to clear up the issue and she openly pro And Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers a Democrat has vetoed pro-life bills in the past. Other states put abortion bans on the books after Roe, with the intention that they would likely go into effect if the Supreme Court let them. These are often called trigger laws. They have different parameters, but those states include Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to Guttmacher, seven states have said that they want to limit abortion as much as is allowed if Roe is gone, and nine states have post-Roe limitations that are currently blocked in the courts. Four states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, and West Virginia, have amended their state constitutions to specifically exclude the right to abortion.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Now, which states have moved in the opposite direction to actually expand access to abortion?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. So some states have definitely done that and have made abortion even more accessible to women, especially for women who may travel from more restrictive states to obtain the procedure. Four states have moved to allow abortion throughout the full term of pregnancy, including Colorado, New Jersey, Oregon, and Vermont. D.C. also has this provision. Colorado and California in particular have some of the most permissive laws.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Colorado recently passed a bill that specifically states that a fetus does not have human rights prior to birth. California Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed a goal for California to become a destination for abortion if and when women are restricted in neighboring states. California Democrats in the state legislature have also pushed for a bill that bars the state from fully investigating perinatal deaths, including infant deaths within the first week of birth.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Earlier this year, Newsom also signed the Abortion Accessibility Act, which in most situations makes abortion taxpayer funded.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So it sounds like there's a lot of variability between the states.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. If Roe is overturned, local voters will be able to decide their own rules based on their values. Based on opinion polling, the majority of Americans, almost 7 in 10, do favor having some access to abortion. But more than half of voters think the limit should be about 15 weeks, which that's comparable to the standard throughout most of Europe.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So it's likely we will see a lot of diversity among the states, with a handful banning it outright, but most falling somewhere in the middle.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right. Well, Charlotte, thanks so much for reporting. That's Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Coming up, Amazon workers in New York vote to unionize. this show is sponsored by indeed indeed is the hiring platform where you can attract interview and hire all in one place start now with a 75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com slash wire offer good for a limited time indeed.com slash wire terms and conditions apply pay per qualified applicant not available for all users need to hire you need indeed.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Amazon workers at a Staten Island warehouse in New York City have overwhelmingly rejected an attempt at unionization just weeks after a different Amazon warehouse on Staten Island voted in favor of it. The move comes as unionization efforts ramp up across the country since October of 2021, a stark increase from efforts hampered by the pandemic. Here to discuss the issue is Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short.
--:-- Ash Short: Thanks for having me on the show, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Ash, what's going on at Amazon, why the different unionization outcomes?
--:-- Ash Short: It looks like the organization behind the unionization effort the Amazon Labor Union was stretched thin and put more effort into the first warehouse vote than the second. The second warehouse also had about a third of the organizers as the first warehouse and relies more on part-time workers, who labor experts say may not support unionization because they're not as committed to the company.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And how did Amazon respond to the unionization efforts?
--:-- Ash Short: The company held mandatory meetings during which it attempted to persuade workers against unionization. Amazon also posted flyers and launched a website advocating against unionization.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So what was Amazon's argument to workers about why they shouldn't unionize?
--:-- Ash Short: Amazon said it already provided most of what unions have demanded. For example, the company already pays a $15 minimum wage and committed hundreds of millions of dollars toward upskilling its American workforce. The company also says it has competitive benefits and career training programs.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But workers at the other warehouse did vote to unionize. So what happens next for them?
--:-- Ash Short: It's not guaranteed they'll actually be able to form a union since Amazon has disputed that election, claiming that organizers and the National Labor Relations Board's Brooklyn Regional Office tainted the vote. Union supporters, of course, see this as Amazon's attempt to delay, if not put a stop to contract negotiations.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So why was there such a sudden push for unionization at Amazon?
--:-- Ash Short: It's not just Amazon. According to the National Labor Relations Board, unionization efforts across the country have increased 57 percent in the first six months of the fiscal year, which began on October 1, 2021. The increase comes after prolonged pandemic lockdowns forced workers out of their jobs. Now, many businesses are struggling to hire employees, and we've seen reports of employers offering higher wages and better benefits in order to retain existing employees or to attract new ones.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So workers may feel like now is a good time to flex their power.
--:-- Ash Short: That's right. But what's interesting is the proposed union demands aren't necessarily about more money. It seems they're focused on ensuring that those at the top of the company don't make so much more than the employees. That kind of sentiment has been gaining steam in recent years in left-wing political circles, and it looks like workers are taking it to heart.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, aside from concerns about the discrepancy in pay between workers and execs, what else do they want?
--:-- Ash Short: Well, some employees may also want to unionize to feel a sense of community, especially after the isolation of COVID-19 lockdowns. It also appears that having someone on the ground like Chris Smalls, a former Amazon employee who's leading the unionization effort at the company, is more effective at energizing workers to unionize and politicians in Washington, D.C.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Where else are we seeing this?
--:-- Ash Short: At Starbucks, for one. Multiple locations have unionized following a win in December in Buffalo, New York. Apple employees from two store locations have also filed unionization paperwork, and Google employees formed the Alphabet Workers Union in 2021, which now has 800 members.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Interesting. Well, Ash, thanks so much for keeping us informed.
--:-- Ash Short: You're welcome.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire senior editor, Ash Short.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The U.S. government has announced that U.S. citizen and WNBA star Brittany Greiner is now considered wrongfully detained by Russian authorities, signaling a major shift in the way her case will be treated. Here to tell us more is Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Thanks for having me on the show, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Joe, we've talked about this case before and now things have really escalated. Catch us up here if you would.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Yeah, thanks for having me on John. So the biggest development is that the Biden administration will now consider WNBA star Brittany Griner as wrongfully detained as you mentioned by the Russian government. It should be noted that the move followed former U Marine Trevor Reed being freed from a Russian prison last week in a prisoner exchange.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Following the news, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN that Griner's case was a, quote, top priority for the government and that they were in regular contact with her team.
--:-- Joe Morgan: And remind us of the details of her case.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Sure. So as we discussed, Greiner has been in Russian custody since February after Russian Federal Customs Service officials say they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
--:-- Joe Morgan: In mid-March, it was reported that Griner's detention for drug charges had been extended. A Russian state news agency, TASS, reported that a Moscow court made the decision to extend the detention until May 19th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So from what we've been told, Greiner's hearing is coming up in the next couple of weeks.
--:-- Joe Morgan: The decision by the U.S. to label Griner as wrongfully detained is a significant moment in Griner's case. What it means is that the Biden administration will no longer wait for her case to play out in Russian court.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And we're told that Griner's Phoenix Mercury teammates, along with the rest of the WNBA, of course, will be encouraged to speak out on her case.
--:-- Joe Morgan: So wrongful detainment. Is she then considered effectively a hostage by the U.S. government?
--:-- Georgia Howe: No, she's not. The classification of wrongfully detained is actually different from hostage. However, the new classification now means that the U.S. will take action and attempt to negotiate her release.
--:-- Joe Morgan: It's also been reported that former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson, who is an international hostage negotiator, has agreed to work on Griner's case.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As we noted on this show before, Griner's case has largely remained under the radar. This decision by the government should change that, correct?
--:-- Joe Morgan: Yeah, it should. And, you know, I've actually written about this for the past several weeks, But WNBA great Lisa Leslie said in March that she was told not to make a, quote, big fuss over Griner's arrest, lest Griner be used as a pawn by Russia. However, as WNBA training camps have commenced, Griner's Mercury teammates have stated that she is on their minds as they prepare for the 2022 regular season.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I really would expect a lot more focus on Griner's case with this new classification, John.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Yeah, I think so.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for the update, Joe.
--:-- Joe Morgan: Yeah, absolutely.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Other stories we're tracking this week. Justice Samuel Alito canceled appearing at a public event on Thursday after the unprecedented leak of his draft majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade. Pro-Roe activists have held demonstrations protesting against the ruling in major cities. A government official in Canada has claimed that American women who want to get an abortion will be permitted to do so in Canada if the high court overturns Roe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And five days after a building in China partially collapsed, a woman was retrieved alive, according to government media on Thursday. Ten people survived the tragedy so far, with five people losing their lives and potentially dozens missing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks so much for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
