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--:-- Georgia Howe: Good morning, I'm Georgia Howe, and welcome to Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: And I'm John Bickley, Daily Wire editor-in-chief. It's Tuesday, May 10th.
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--:-- John Bickley: Protests over the draft ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade are escalating. But will the Supreme Court justices be persuaded to change their decision?
--:-- Georgia Howe: I believe these individuals understand the importance of their task and will not be bullied into ruling a particular way.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, May 10th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Supply chain backups are now exacerbating a severe baby formula shortage across the country and forcing parents into crisis mode. What's causing the shortage and when will it be resolved?
--:-- John Bickley: And San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is facing a recall election next month. Critics are blaming his soft on crime policies for increased crime in the city.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This is a city that definitely believes in and supports criminal justice reform, that also understands that we can have both criminal justice reform and public safety. And people don't feel safe in San Francisco.
--:-- 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: Tensions have escalated over a Supreme Court draft ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. Police confirm that a Wisconsin crisis pregnancy center was set on fire and graffitied with the threat, if abortions aren't safe, then you aren't either.
--:-- John Bickley: Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are trying to pass a bill that would federalize abortion laws. Joining us to discuss is Sarah Perry, Senior Legal Fellow at Heritage Foundation.
--:-- Sarah Perry: So Sarah, let's start with the protests. We've seen them staged in various cities, at Catholic churches, and even now at the homes of the justices. And some have turned destructive. What effect will all this protesting have?
--:-- John Bickley: Well, hopefully it won't have any effect whatsoever. In fact, if the five conservative justices do believe in the legitimacy of the institution of the court, as I believe that they do, this won't have any effect on them at all.
--:-- Sarah Perry: We know, for example, Justice Thomas' home has yet to be protested, but he just recently spoke at a judicial conference saying that we can't be bullied into submission.
--:-- John Bickley: All right, so you argue that the protests are not going to have an impact on how they rule, but what kind of precedent does this set?
--:-- Sarah Perry: Well, that is really the most unfortunate and troubling consequence of what we're seeing happen. And this began over the weekend with protesters storming into Catholic masses and churches. But it sets an unfortunate and very troubling precedent that Supreme Court justices who are ultimately responsible to and they are to be committed to the appropriate application of the law to facts and to the Constitution itself are somehow like political figures like any particular senator or representative would be on Capitol Hill and they most distinctly are not They are the only apolitical executives that serve in the federal government, and they must be kept separate from this wave of public sentiment.
--:-- John Bickley: This is sort of a trickle-down effect of the very heated rhetoric that we're seeing on Capitol Hill during confirmation hearings and the fact that the national temperature has begun to rise.
--:-- Sarah Perry: Now, at first, the White House had no comment on the protests, but they've now weighed in. Jen Psaki says the president strongly believes in the constitutional right to protest, but also warned against violence.
--:-- John Bickley: What do you make of the statement from the White House?
--:-- Sarah Perry: Of course, we know that the First Amendment protects the rights to petition the government for redress of grievances, but that isn't what's happening here. What's happening here is essentially an intimidation campaign.
--:-- John Bickley: And I can think of at least three provisions of the U.S. criminal code that would ultimately apply for bullying, harassment, intimidation, or use of force against a public official in performance of their duties.
--:-- Sarah Perry: These individuals aren't looking to make a peaceful statement about what they believe is their right to get an abortion. They are ultimately trying to destroy the federal judiciary and specifically the Supreme Court as an institution.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, the Democrats are planning to bring a bill to the floor that would federalize abortion laws. What do you think of those efforts?
--:-- Sarah Perry: What are they going to come to?
--:-- John Bickley: Well, they'll come to not particularly in terms of the composition right now in the two chambers. There will be absolutely no ability for the Democratic Party to get past the filibuster. They need 60 votes to do that. We know based on Senator Joe Manchin's representations that he himself is pro-life and will vote pro-life. They won't have the votes to overcome it.
--:-- Sarah Perry: This is saber rattling in the parts of the Democrats. They are using a crisis to be able to fundraise and gin up support for what has always been the golden calf for the left, which is abortion.
--:-- John Bickley: Last question. What do we expect out of Republican senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski?
--:-- Sarah Perry: I think, honestly, we're going to see some middling discourse. They will probably, at the end of the line, vote with the remaining Republicans.
--:-- John Bickley: But even if the GOP loses those votes, Again, they're not likely to be defeated in terms of their efforts to get past the filibuster. So the Dems, regardless of where we are with with Burkowski and Collins, are not ultimately going to be successful in the attempt to codify Roe.
--:-- Sarah Perry: And if that's the case and the final ruling does overturn Roe, the states will soon get to determine their own laws on this important issue.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for joining us, Sarah. That was Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Sarah Perry.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Coming up, parents struggle to feed their infants as a baby formula shortage worsens. Again, text WIRE to 989898 and secure the gains you've made while you can.
--:-- John Bickley: As the economy continues to struggle under the weight of supply chain backups and record inflation, a nationwide shortage of baby formula has parents scrambling to find the supplies their children need to survive.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here with the latest on what's causing the shortage and how parents are responding is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, how bad has this shortage gotten?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Very bad. The problem first became noticeable back in 2021 when supply chain issues started to worsen. But throughout the year the out rate which tracks how often stores are sold out of products was generally around 3 to 8 for baby formula according to the tracking firm Data Assembly. So not great but still manageable. But then in November that number jumped up to 11 and it kept going up from there. Now 40% of stores nationwide have no baby formula.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But some states and cities are really being hit harder than others. In Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, and others, more than half of all baby formula in the state is totally sold out.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's gotten so bad that this week we saw three packs of formula selling on eBay for over $225.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah. I talked to some mothers in the D.C. area who said that they were trying not to panic, but had driven to a dozen different grocery stores and pharmacies before they could find the right formula. While others said that they had to settle for formula that they don't typically use, which they worry is going to have negative effects on the health of their babies.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And look, when you're dealing with a toilet paper shortage, for example, it's more of an inconvenience. But when you're dealing with a baby formula shortage, it really is a crisis.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So what's causing the shortage? So there are a few main causes. General supply chain issues started causing issues in some parts of the country back in early 2021 when it came to formula. But the major blow came in February. That's when the FDA launched an investigation into the Abbott Nutrition Plant up in Michigan after two babies died of a bacterial infection after consuming formula that was made there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This plant is where a sizable portion of the nation's formula is made. And the FDA says they found serious safety violations. So they shut it down and issued a massive recall.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It's also worth pointing out that right now it's low-income families who are being disproportionately impacted by the Abbott plant being shut down because that plant was the exclusive supplier of formula for over half of the agencies working right now with WIC, a government program providing assistance to low-income families.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And how are businesses responding to the crisis?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, on the production side, manufacturers say that they're scrambling to ramp up production. But again, it takes time. And in the meantime, we don't even really know how much longer that plant in Michigan will be shut down. The FDA and Abbott haven't offered any answers on the status of the investigation or even offered a timeline on when it'll be open again.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And on the distribution side, more and more stores are beginning to limit how much formula people can buy to try and prevent a run on the product. CVS and Walgreens, for example, say customers will be allowed to purchase three toddler and infant formulas per transaction, while numerous Walmarts around the country have implemented similar measures.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And it's not just baby formula that's in short supply. The plant that shut down in Michigan wasn't just a leading supplier of baby formula. They also produce formulas for adults and other children with severe allergies and other rare medical conditions that make it impossible for them to eat normal food.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And many of the people dependent on those formulas have not been able to get them. And again, it's really dire for those people who can't rely on other options.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They've started calling on the federal government to respond and force some sort of production ramp up. Now, in response, the FDA has issued a statement announcing that they would let the Abbott plant, quote, immediately release product to individuals needing urgent life-sustaining supplies. But again, they didn't actually offer word on when they would let the plant open back up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So right now, there is no timetable for when this crisis will subside. And that means a lot of worried parents in the meantime.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Right. A terrible situation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin is facing a recall election next month as critics accuse him of being soft on crime and failing to keep the city safe. Meanwhile, left-wing activists are working overtime to save Boudin.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraid Elordi is here with the details.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: So Maraid, tell us first about why this recall is happening.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Sure. So Boudin critics say that since becoming district attorney in 2019 he has overall failed to control crime in San Francisco which has been getting worse now for months. Boudin critics say his emphasis on rehabilitation and alternatives to jail time keeps criminals on the streets where they often reoffend.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Boudin ran for office during a nationwide push for a new progressive type of prosecutor. Now, though, he's in hot water. A poll from March found that 68% of likely voters support the recall and 74% have an unfavorable opinion of him.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Many political analysts doubt he'll be able to survive his June 7th recall election.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Okay, so what are the crime trends since Boudin took office?
--:-- Georgia Howe: There aren't a lot of bright spots. Violent crime has generally been creeping higher, and so has murder since Boudin took office. There were 56 homicides in San Francisco in 2021, according to the San Francisco Police Department. That's up from 48 in 2020 and 41 in 2019.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Police only solved 77% of last year's homicides. So far this year, there have been at least 15 homicides, up from 12 by this point last year. Assaults and rapes are also higher this year than by this time last year.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But critics point out that many of these crimes are committed by repeat offenders. The same suspect may be tied to over 100 burglaries in one area, according to the security service manager for SF Safe, a group that works with San Francisco police.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: This is all while police are wrestling with staffing shortages and lagging police response times. Here's San Francisco's police chief, Bill Scott.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: As we sit here right now, we have roughly about 1,640 officers. So that math, you know, we're somewhere around almost 500 officers below where we need to be.
--:-- Georgia Howe: However, police have struggled to crack down on crime under Boudin's policies.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: So back to the recall, does Boudin have any high-profile supporters?
--:-- Georgia Howe: He does. In fact, one of Boudin's most high-profile supporters is Black Lives Matter activist Sean King.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Sean King co-founded the Real Justice PAC, which has been working extremely hard to save Boudin from being ousted. The PAC sponsors a website called Stand with Chesa, which proclaims that Republicans, the police union, and the ultra-wealthy are banding together to overturn the results of the free and fair election of Chesa Boudin.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Real Justice PAC is also connected with another group founded by King, the Grassroots Law Project, which aims to, quote, radically transform the American legal system.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Boudin was heavily involved with the Grassroots Law Project. Back in 2020, he was tapped to be one of three district attorneys piloting the group's Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission, and he spoke at the commission's launch.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And Boudin has an interesting family background, correct?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Yes, Boudin's parents were part of the radical group The Weather Underground and were ultimately incarcerated for political violence. In 1981, Boudin's parents participated in an armored car robbery north of New York City that left two cops and a security guard dead.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As a result, they spent decades in prison. This experience appears to have influenced Boudin in his advocacy for ending so-called mass incarceration, ending cash bail, and refusing to cooperate with ICE.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Well, on June 7th, we're going to find out if San Francisco residents are on the same page about that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Maraid, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Thanks, Georgia. That's Daily Wire investigative reporter, Mairead Elordi.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Another story we're tracking this week. The price of gas is expected to increase over the next few weeks, with some projecting it will reach new highs. The price per gallon has risen sharply over the last year, climbing more than 70%, from around $2.50 at the start of 2021 to the current average of around $4.25.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks 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, please 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.
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