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--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm John Bickley, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire, and I'm here with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, August 19th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Today, we're going to cover record-breaking numbers of migrants crossing the southern border, a federal judge's ruling on the affidavit used to justify the raid on Trump's home, and the impact of the Democrats' "Inflation Reduction Act" on fuel costs and energy dependence.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. And we have some great guests lined up to help us break it all down.
--:-- John Bickley: First up, we have Tim Pierce, a Daily Wire reporter who's been covering the border crisis. Tim, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, let's dive right in. On Monday, Customs and Border Patrol updated their data on migrant encounters along the southern border to reflect the July totals. Can you walk us through what those numbers look like?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Sure, John. Since President Biden took office, there have been over 3.4 million border encounters, over a million more than under the previous administration.
--:-- John Bickley: Wow, that's staggering. And what about this fiscal year? How many encounters are we looking at?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Sources told Fox News that there are now about 2 million encounters for this fiscal year. We've never had this many encounters in that time frame, and we still have about six weeks left.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's incredible. And what about migrant injuries and deaths? Have we seen an increase in those numbers as well?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yes, we have. Border Patrol's search and rescue efforts have almost quadrupled from 2019 to today. Between 2019 and 2020, Border Patrol conducted about 5,000 search and rescues. They did about 19,000 this year.
--:-- John Bickley: That's heartbreaking. And what about the numbers tracking month to month? How are they looking?
--:-- Tim Pierce: In July, Border Patrol reported a little under 200,000 encounters. That's a bit fewer than last July, which saw about 213,000 encounters. But even with these decreases, these numbers are still way above the norm from just a few years ago.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And what about the Biden administration's response to these numbers? Have they acknowledged the crisis at all?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Well, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, has said that the border is secure. But it's clear that the numbers tell a different story.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks, Tim, for breaking down those numbers for us.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Next up, we have Cabot Phillips, a Daily Wire senior editor who's been covering the story of the affidavit used to justify the raid on Trump's home. Cabot, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, let's dive right in. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled that part of the affidavit used to justify the raid on Trump's home must be released. Can you walk us through what that means?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Sure, Georgia. The affidavit is a document that lays out the government's roadmap for getting a warrant to search Trump's property. The judge ruled that the public has a right to see the document, but that sensitive information could still be redacted.
--:-- John Bickley: That's interesting. And what about the DOJ's argument that releasing the affidavit could ruin their investigation or compromise the identity of confidential informants?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The DOJ argued that releasing the affidavit could compromise the investigation, but the judge didn't buy that argument. Instead, he ruled that the DOJ will have one week to remove any sensitive information from the affidavit before it's released to the public.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a big win for transparency. And what about the potential implications of this ruling for the Trump investigation?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, it's hard to say for sure, but it's possible that this ruling could give Trump's team more leverage in their defense. If the affidavit is released, it could show that the government's case against Trump is weaker than they've claimed.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks, Cabot, for breaking down that story for us.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Next up, we have Kenny Stein, the Director of Policy at the Institute for Energy Research. Kenny, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Kenny Stein: Thanks, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, let's dive right in. The Democrats' "Inflation Reduction Act" has been making headlines lately. Can you walk us through what's in the bill and how it could impact fuel costs and energy dependence?
--:-- Kenny Stein: Sure, Georgia. The bill invests heavily in climate initiatives and promises to promote energy independence and lower energy costs. But the reality is that the bill will likely make energy more expensive, not less.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a surprising claim. Can you explain why you think that is?
--:-- Kenny Stein: Well, the bill includes new taxes and fees on the fossil fuel industry, which will likely drive up costs for consumers. And while the bill does include tax credits and subsidies for green energy sources, those costs will be passed on to consumers as well.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a good point. And what about the bill's promise to promote energy independence?
--:-- Kenny Stein: The bill's authors claim that it will promote energy independence, but the reality is that the US is already a net exporter of oil, natural gas, and coal. The bill's focus on green energy sources will actually make us more dependent on foreign imports, not less.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a compelling argument. Thanks, Kenny, for breaking down the bill for us.
--:-- Kenny Stein: Thanks, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining us on Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening. We'll be back tomorrow with more news and analysis.
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