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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Birch Gold Group. Right now on qualifying purchases by July 31st, you will also get a one-of-a-kind limited edition golden truth bomb. Just text WIRE to 989898 today.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley, and joining me fresh off maternity leave is Georgia Howe. Georgia, it's great to have you back.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's great to be back, John.
--:-- John Bickley: It's Monday, July 8th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
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--:-- John Bickley: President Biden is hoping to shore up support among Democrats as doubts about his re-election and age continue to grow. In a letter to Democrats, Biden dismissed calls to step aside and doubled down on his commitment to staying in the race. Following a disastrous debate performance, the president aims to demonstrate his capability and resilience against Trump's anticipated rematch.
--:-- John Bickley: The president called out elites in the Democratic Party on MSNBC this morning. Here's a bit from that.
--:-- John Bickley: Many of these guys don't think I should run against me. Good Announce the president Challenge me at the convention
--:-- John Bickley: Following this morning interview Biden schedule has been cleared while the First Lady is making three campaign stops in different states
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--:-- John Bickley: First Lady Jill Biden says she's all in on President Biden's re-election campaign. That's the decision that he's made. And just as he has always supported my career, I am all in too.
--:-- John Bickley: Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud charges linked to two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX planes. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta-Giacomo, who's also back today, has the latest.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The Department of Justice alleges that Boeing deceived regulators about the approval and safety of their 737 MAX model. The DOJ says the plane maker violated an agreement that protected it from prosecution for more than three years. If the court approves the deal, Boeing will pay more than $240 million for breaching the agreement. The plea deal covers actions before crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, leaving out recent incidents.
--:-- John Bickley: The judge overseeing the case criticized Boeing's conduct, which cast a doubt on the plea deal's fate. Future U.S. contracts for Boeing, crucial tube defense and NASA could be impacted.
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--:-- John Bickley: Another airline has also come under fire over safety concerns. Southwest Airlines is being investigated by the FAA, while it's also battling a takeover attempt by a Wall Street investment firm
--:-- Joel Needler: While not facing prosecution like Boeing Southwest has been scrutinized over recent and alarming pilot mishaps Three incidents this year including sudden altitude changes and taking off on a closed runway have reportedly led to an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
--:-- Joel Needler: The safety concerns put further stress on a boardroom that is battling Elliott Management, an activist investment group trying to take over the airline. Elliott Management has an 11% stake in Southwest. The investment firm is trying to oust CEO Bob Jordan. In response, Southwest adopted a so-called poison pill plan last week, which discourages investors from holding a large stake in the company.
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--:-- John Bickley: New reports show alarming actions taken by the Biden administration while it struggled to handle the immigration boom in 2021. According to the Wall Street Journal, Biden officials sent children to suspicious guardians while struggling to shelter unaccompanied migrant children.
--:-- John Bickley: The government repeatedly overrode caseworkers who had initially denied potential housing arrangements over concerns of criminal activity, poor living conditions, and signs of labor trafficking.
--:-- John Bickley: Biden officials said at the time, they wanted to avoid the kids in cages imagery that plagued the Trump administration. Notably, that policy began under the Obama administration while Biden was then vice president.
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--:-- John Bickley: Meanwhile, Texas officials say children crossing is still a huge issue. That's very, very concerning because whether they're sent through a port of entry or outside of a border of entry, those unaccompanied children are an exception to being deported.
--:-- John Bickley: Columbia University has permanently booted three deans from their posts after their alleged anti texts during a campus anti panel Susan Chang Kim Matthew Potashnik and Kristen Krom were all placed on leave last month after their disparaging messages came to light.
--:-- John Bickley: Columbia's president called their behavior unprofessional and it said it touched on ancient anti-Semitic stereotypes. The incident, exposed by images from a panel discussion, included emojis mocking concerns over rising anti-Semitism at the Ivy League campus.
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--:-- John Bickley: Airline travel hit record numbers this weekend after TSA screened over 3 million passengers yesterday. That's the highest single-day total in U.S. history. In fact, eight of the 10 busiest days for the agency have happened this year.
--:-- John Bickley: As a result, airlines are expected to have strong second-quarter earnings. However, more travelers has also resulted in more complaints. Last year saw almost 100,000 complaints, up from 86,000 in 2022.
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--:-- John Bickley: Tropical storm Beryl is ripping across Texas after it made landfall this morning as a Category 1 hurricane. So far, at least two people have been killed by falling trees, and more than 2 million homes are without power.
--:-- John Bickley: Beryl first struck the Windward Islands, where it killed around seven people before heading south. President Biden is receiving updates on the storm, and FEMA is prepared to respond.
--:-- John Bickley: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
