--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Lumen. Did you know that 80% of resolutions fail by February? This year, don't let it. Take the next step to improving your health by going to lumen.me slash wire to get 20% off your Lumen. That's lumen.me slash wire to get 20% off your purchase.
--:-- [Sound of papers shuffling]
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, January 9th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Multiple wildfires continue to rage across Los Angeles County. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the latest.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: At the moment, Cal Fire says the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest, are both 0% contained. The Eaton fire has already claimed five lives. That death toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts expand.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, authorities have taken control of the Sunset fire, which flared up last night near Hollywood Hills. According to L.A. Fire Chief Kristen Crowley, arson investigators are probing the cause of the Palisades fire.
--:-- [Sound of a press conference]
--:-- Kristen Crowley: During a press conference today, Crowley said the fire's origins remain under investigation and teams are actively working in the area. Right now, as we speak, and they are actively investigating, as soon as we have information, we will share that with all of you. I know there's obviously, for the right reasons, a lot of interest in that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, police say around 20 people have been arrested for looting amid the fires. Here's newly elected District Attorney Nathan Hockman addressing the issue.
--:-- Nathan Hockman: These criminals need to hear, as they've heard from the sheriff, As they heard from Chief McDonald an unmistakably clear message that if you want to go ahead and loot if you want to commit burglary if you want to engage in grand theft if you want to engage in these Internet scams where you going to take advantage of people who are going to be seeking insurance and government benefits you will be arrested you will be prosecuted and you will be punished to the full extent of the law
--:-- Georgia Howe: A federal court in Kentucky has struck down the Biden administration's Title IX expansion, ruling it unlawful. Daily Wire senior reporter Mary Margaret Olihan is here now to explain.
--:-- Mary Margaret Olihan: The decision blocks a rule redefining sex discrimination to include gender identity. Chief Judge Danny Reeves said the rule overstepped federal authority, violated the Constitution, and lacked clear guidelines for enforcement.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Critics, including the Southeastern Legal Foundation, praised the ruling as a win for First Amendment rights and women's sports protections. The Biden administration has faced legal challenges over its proposals, including recent withdrawals of rules on trans-identifying athletes. The ruling is appealable.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The New York Court of Appeals has denied President-elect Donald Trump's motion to delay his January 10th sentencing. Trump was convicted of falsifying business records stemming from a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels. Trump's request to vacate the verdict, citing presidential immunity, was also denied. He remains set to be sentenced Friday morning, unless the Supreme Court intervenes.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The funeral for late President Jimmy Carter concluded this morning at the National Cathedral with heartfelt eulogies honoring the 39th president. Jimmy Carter's friendship taught me and through his life taught me the strength of character is more than title or the power we hold It the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity respect that everyone and I mean everyone deserves an even shot Not a guarantee but just a shot
--:-- Georgia Howe: A private ceremony and burial will follow in Plains, Georgia, where Carter will be laid to rest beside a willow tree at the home he shared with his late wife, Rosalyn. Carter passed away on December 29th at the age of 100. Prior to the funeral, he lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda, drawing tributes from across the nation.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The UK's Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, blocked a conservative motion to investigate child rape gangs in a vote earlier this week. The eyes to the right were 111, the noes to the left, 364. So the noes have it, the noes have it. The inquiry aimed to address allegations of widespread abuse by gangs, predominantly of Pakistani descent, targeting young white girls. Conservatives called the scandal one of the worst in British history and criticized the Labour Party for sidestepping accountability.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The House passed a bill today to sanction the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The legislation passed 243 to 140, with 45 Democrats joining Republicans. It now heads to the Senate where GOP Majority Leader John Thune promised a quick vote to have it on Trump desk by his inauguration Congressman Thomas Massey was the only Republican to vote present questioning why the bill was prioritized in Congress first week back Meanwhile, Republican Congressman Chip Roy demanded the bill pass, calling the ICC's efforts a, quote, political witch hunt.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This is an entity, the International Criminal Court, that has no jurisdiction over the people of the United States, should have no authority over our people, no authority over the prime minister of Israel. Yet it is extending into the people of Israel's business and defending their interest against violent attack by Hamas, which we define as a terrorist entity.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Pro-life Facebook users are calling on Meta to restore their accounts, citing CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent pledge to uphold free speech. Daily Wire investigative reporter Mairead Elordi, who first reported the story, has more.
--:-- Mairead Elordi: In a letter from Alliance Defending Freedom, Legal Counsel for Life News founder Stephen Ertelt and pro-life mother Abby Covington urged Meta to act immediately to reinstate their disabled accounts. Quote, if Meta is truly committed to the free speech principles that it recently announced, it will act swiftly, the letter states. Ertelt says his account was permanently disabled in May after posting a video of a C-section in which an unborn baby appears to grab a doctor's finger. The post, which was captioned, an unborn baby can't be just a clump of cells when he or she is grabbing the doctor's hand, was removed for violating Metta's rules on child sexual exploitation, according to his attorneys.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now the pro-lifers want Metta to follow through on Zuckerberg's promises.
--:-- John Bickley: All right, those are your drive-home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune into our full episode of Morning Wire every morning. Bye.
