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--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: One year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, President Biden made a surprise visit to Kiev on Monday with the promise of more money and military aid. We're delivering billions in direct budgetary support, which the government can put to use immediately. We break down the reaction to the president's trip from the U.S. and from Russia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, February 21st, and this is Morning Wire. Several video platforms have tried and failed to compete with YouTube. But now one streaming service, which promises to preserve free speech, is gaining traction. And avian flu is causing millions of chickens to be killed. What does it mean for the price of eggs? And why are some epidemiologists concerned about a potential new pandemic? Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: On Monday, President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Ukraine, meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the nation's embattled capital and promising further aid to the Ukrainians in their war against Russia. Here with more is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, President Biden was initially scheduled to fly to neighboring Poland on Monday to give a speech commemorating the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Now, that led to some speculation in D.C. that the president could make a hop across the border for a surprise visit. And that's exactly what happened. On Sunday night, the White House issued a public schedule that showed Biden still in Washington and then leaving the next day. But in reality, he'd taken off that morning at 4 a.m. and was already halfway across the Atlantic, preparing to land in Warsaw. From there, he took a 10-hour train ride into the heart of Ukraine as U.S. fighter jets circled the Polish border and Ukrainian forces increased security across Kiev and shut down parts of the city near the U.S. embassy.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Upon arrival, he was joined by Ukrainian President Zelensky and the pair walked to the streets and visited a war memorial. Biden also gave a joint address with Zelensky at the presidential palace where he reiterated America's support for Ukraine. One year later, Kiev stands and Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. The Americans stand with you, and the world stands with you. As part of that commitment, Biden also promised to send another $500 million in military aid to the Ukrainians, including javelin missiles, howitzers, and other artillery ammunition.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So what sort of precedent is there for a visit like this? Well, we have seen similar visits from presidents in the past. Bush and Obama both went to Iraq and Afghanistan, and Trump went to Afghanistan as well. But those visits occurred almost entirely within the walls of secure military installations and more importantly with U troops there on the ground This trip was unique in that Kiev is under pretty steady attack from Russian missiles and drone attacks So according to the White House this visit was more dangerous than those in the past. They made sure to point out that fact on Monday. Biden's comms director, Kate Bedingfield, for example, said, quote, it was risky and it should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that Joe Biden is a leader who takes commitment seriously.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: What about Russia? Did we see any response from Russia? Yeah, it's worth noting. The U.S. did talk with Russian officials a few hours ahead of the visit, giving them a heads up, quote, for deconfliction purposes, just to let them know Biden would be there. Russian President Vladimir Putin will be giving his own, quote, major national address today, where he's expected to address Biden's visit and announce his country's own renewed offensive across Ukraine. We'll keep an eye on that one today.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, this visit comes at a time when public support for continued aid to Ukraine is starting to falter a bit. Yeah, Biden definitely used this trip to reiterate his position that America would not be cutting off aid anytime soon. It's worth fighting for for as long as it takes. And that's how long we're going to be with you, Mr. President, for as long as it takes. That is notable because, as you mentioned, there's growing discontent among some on the right and on the left as well, who say the more than $100 billion of aid sent to Ukraine should instead be spent here in the United States. And keep in mind, the general sentiment from Biden and Zelensky has been that the only acceptable outcome is a full Russian defeat. That any peace talks that don't include a total Russian withdrawal will be turned down. Critics say that could be impossible, especially given Putin's promise to flood the country with hundreds of thousands more troops in the coming months. And that even if Ukraine does win, it could take years and then billions, if not trillions more in U.S. supports.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now the question just becomes if this visit silences those critics or emboldens them. But it's worth noting, beyond Congress, the broader public is starting to soften on their view of ongoing aid to Ukraine. A recent AP poll, for example, showed that just 48% of Americans still favor providing weapons there. That's down from 60% in May. A sentiment I'm sure the White House is keeping track of.
--:-- John Bickley: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips. Coming up, right-wing video creators find safe haven with YouTube's biggest competitor.
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--:-- John Bickley: Conservative-friendly social media alternatives have struggled to get off the ground in the past, but Rumble, a YouTube competitor, is finding surprising success, leading New York Magazine to call it the most significant player in the right's larger attempt to create an internet infrastructure of its own. Here to tell us more about how Rumble is performing and why it's been able to carve out a new user base in an incredibly competitive arena, is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham.
--:-- Megan Basham: So Megan, we often hear about new alternatives to Facebook, Twitter, and the rest, and the usual pattern is that they fizzle out really quickly. What's different about Rumble?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, for those who aren't familiar, Rumble is very similar to YouTube. It's a video posting platform that also has a little bit of a social component in that it allows users to interact with each other. And it was founded in 2013. So that's the pretty big difference there is we had some time to watch it and see if it would sort of take root in the big tech landscape or if it would do what some of those others you mentioned have done and that mostly wither away Well now that it is hitting the 10-year mark, it looks like it has definitely found an audience. So from 2020 to 2021, Rumble reportedly went from 1.6 million visitors to 32 million. And today, the company says it's up to 71 million monthly active users.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, a lot of that momentum came from the perception that YouTube was actively chasing away popular right-wing channels. Conservative podcast host Dan Bongino hosts one of the most popular channels on Rumble, and he actually started investing in the company after YouTube demonetized his content. Other what you might call Trumpian figures like Steve Bannon have also drawn some pretty big audiences on the platform. And all of this is in addition to some other types of content similar to what you tend to find on YouTube. The company's value is now estimated at $3 billion.
--:-- Megan Basham: So is Rumble's success primarily due to right-wingers being pushed off YouTube? Or does it also allow other types of stuff that YouTube prohibits? Well, you know, Rumble also prohibits things like pornography, just like YouTube does. but beyond that, it is perceived to be a lot more open. Certainly the perception that it was a safe haven for right-wingers fueled a lot of its initial success. But YouTube's suppression of speech on a variety of topics has really broadened Rumble's appeal far beyond that typical left-wing, right-wing divide.
--:-- Megan Basham: So for example, one of the personalities who went over there who is not typically viewed as conservative, but challenges conventional wisdom is comedian Russell Brand. He said he made the move to Rumble because YouTube kept putting warnings on his videos that challenged government COVID policies. It also censored a medical roundtable hosted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that included Ivy League trained scientists offering their view that children didn't need to get the COVID vaccine.
--:-- Megan Basham: So here's an ad Rumble has been running that depicts YouTube as a baseball umpire. You mean like people not following your policies? Strike one! What if someone tells the truth, but it's labeled as misinformation? Strike two! Wow. What if I want to ask questions and have different opinions on things? Strike three! You're out of here! So clearly they're attempting to capitalize on the perception that YouTube doesn't allow open debate. And that framing does seem to be working. According to a Pew study, 22% of Rumble's users are Democrats. and half of its audience is actually between 18 and 49. So it skews considerably younger than you might say your traditional conservative programming on cable.
--:-- Megan Basham: A recent Pew poll found that over 20% of Americans have heard of Rumble, which may not sound like a lot, but it's a lot higher than the other big tech alternatives like Gab or Getter. All right, well, looks like a platform to watch.
--:-- John Bickley: Megan, thanks so much for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, my pleasure.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire culture reporter, Megan Basham.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: A global outbreak of bird flu has led to the culling of tens of millions of chickens, contributing to massive increases in the price of staple foods, and causing some public health experts to sound the alarm about the potential for a new global pandemic. Joining us with the details is Daily Wire's Amanda Prestigiacomo.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Hey, Amanda.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: So let's start with the economic side of things. It's hard to imagine a more kitchen table issue than the price of food. Most people know that eggs have become more expensive over the last year, but just how bad is this problem? In a word, bad. The most recent data from the Consumer Price Index shows that year inflation overall was at 6 last month So that down from the decades high of 9 that we saw last summer but still well above that more typical 1 to 3 rate And food prices in particular have consistently outpaced other consumer goods, really putting a strain on Americans. So food costs are up 10.1% compared to last year. The cost of poultry is up 12.2%, and egg prices are up a stunning 70.1%. Wow. So eggs were traditionally a cheap source of protein, but they're now more expensive than ground beef. An average pound of ground chuck, for example, costs $4.62, while a dozen eggs will set you back $4.82, so 20 cents more. For most of the last decade, the typical price of a carton of eggs has hovered between $1 to $2. So this is well outside the norm.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: How much is the bird flu driving that increase? Well, it is a major cause of the acute shortage of eggs. This strain of bird flu is unusually deadly. And as the outbreak enters its second year, American farmers have had to call 58 million birds in an attempt to stop the spread, costing them roughly a billion dollars. And the government response has cost $661 million. Let me add that demand is another factor here. eggs were a cheap source of proteins. So while meat prices continued to rise in this rough economy, the demand for eggs significantly increased, adding to the scarcity and therefore higher prices.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Now, regarding any relief, recent reports show wholesale prices for eggs actually went down last month, but that hasn't been passed along to consumers yet. If this trend continues, retailers are expected to lower their prices as well. So a little bit of hope there. Well, I guess we'll take what we can get.
--:-- John Bickley: So a question I'm almost afraid to ask, What about concerns that bird flu might jump to humans and cause another pandemic? Yeah, the last thing anyone wants to hear after COVID is another global pandemic. But because of how virulent and persistent this outbreak has been, some experts are worried that it could make the leap. Bats and primates have given us ulcers like Ebola and HIV, but most of history's greatest killers came from livestock. Tuberculosis, for example, came from cattle, and different strains of influenza have come from birds and pigs. A chance mutation let them infect humans. And an illness that makes cows or pigs a little sick makes humans very sick.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Of course, these kinds of chance mutations are rare. And while humans have caught bird flu from chickens before and the death rate has been high, human-to-human spread has been quite rare. Well, fingers crossed there.
--:-- John Bickley: Amanda, thanks for coming on.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Yeah, thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire's Amanda Prestigiacomo.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Another story we're tracking this week, a reported fire at a Cleveland area metal factory prompted multiple fire crews to respond on Monday afternoon. According to local news, a large plume of smoke could be seen coming from the building and videos posted to social media show damaged vehicles struck by debris from the fire. The factory resides just 70 miles from East Palestine where a train carrying toxic chemicals was derailed. That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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