--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe.
--:-- John Bickley: And I'm John Bickley, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire.
--:-- 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: Justin Trudeau's government has moved to control the flow of funds in Canada, including private bank accounts, donations, and cryptocurrency, in the name of preventing terrorism. The group that inspired the move? Freedom Convoy Truckers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity. What are the implications for this sweeping decision? And is it having the intended effect?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, February 17th, and this is Morning Wire. Another violent weekend has left more than a dozen police officers wounded. As the nation's crime spree continues into 2022, Democrats are trying to distance themselves from the slogan, defund the police. We'll have full coverage.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And after foregoing a host for the past few COVID-addled years, The Academy Awards announced a trio of hosts for this year's Oscar ceremony. But will that be enough to restore the prestige and ratings of what used to be America's most glamorous night?
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. You can get this show and all of the content you love wherever you are, all on the Daily Wire app. Even if you're not a Daily Wire member, you'll be first to know what's trending with mobile notifications for the latest news. And you'll get content from all your favorite Daily Wire shows. Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations. That was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing Monday that he was invoking emergency measures to clamp down on protesters of COVID-19 restrictions. Now, several of those measures are sparking significant backlash.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So, Ian, first, catch us up to speed on Trudeau's announcement this week. We've been covering the Canadian trucker convoys for some time now, with protesters effectively bringing in border crossings and Canada's capital city, Ottawa, to a standstill. As you mentioned, Prime Minister Trudeau took drastic measures on Monday, announcing he was invoking the Emergencies Act.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The act can suspend basic rights like freedom of movement and freedom of assembly. It can also allow the federal government in Canada to even leverage the military, though Trudeau insists this won't happen. Those who violate the latest rules could be fined up to $5,000 Canadian dollars or face a maximum of five years in prison or even both.
--:-- Ian Howarth: And one specific declaration from Trudeau's government that's really raised a lot of flags is that the government now has the right to take control of protesters' personal bank accounts?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. It's the latest in a string of attempts to isolate these protesters financially. Earlier this month, GoFundMe took down a page accepting donations in support of the protesting truck drivers. And then donor data was leaked from another crowdfunding site called GiveSendGo with $8 million, with officials even moving to freeze these funds.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, now, through these emergency powers Trudeau government is empowering banks and financial institutions to freeze the accounts of any person or business suspected of being involved with a quote illegal blockade. This is about following the money. This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We are today serving notice. If your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen. And Trudeau is also appearing to weaponize the same sort of powers to regulate cryptocurrency. We are broadening the scope of Canada's anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover crowdfunding platforms and the payment service providers they use. These changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So they're comparing these freedom truckers to terrorists?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yes, and critics are pointing out that the vast powers embraced by Trudeau are hardly justified by a group of truckers who are protesting, especially given Trudeau's embrace of the BLM narrative just a few years ago.
--:-- Ian Howarth: And how are the protesters reacting to this new financial threat?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, most are in good spirits and remain focused on standing up for what they believe in. And Daily Wire actually sent a reporter up to Ottawa to speak directly to the protesters. Here's what one of them said.
--:-- Georgia Howe: [Audio clip of a protester speaking]
--:-- Ian Howarth: As far as I'm aware, it hasn't been frozen. Because of the generosity of the incredible people here, I have barely had to touch my personal bank account continually. People are handing me gifts. A friend put me up in a hotel. These kind of things are happening every day.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And Trudeau has refused to meet with the truckers or even discuss their demands.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Right. And it's always, always disturbing when you see regular citizens being painted as a threat.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Ian, thanks for reporting. Thanks, Ian.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Coming up, is defund the police dead or just mostly dead for Democrats?
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--:-- Ben Johnson: More than a dozen law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty last weekend, continuing a trend of violence against police that stretches back almost two years. At the same time, Democrats have tried to pivot away from calls to defund the police.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to talk about these officer shootings and the political fallout is Daily Wire reporter Ben Johnson.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Good morning, Ben.
--:-- Ben Johnson: So, Ben, this weekend really highlighted the dangers police face, well, every day. What happened?
--:-- Georgia Howe: A total of 13 officers were shot within 24 hours last Friday. In Phoenix, nine officers were wounded while trying to rescue a young woman and her one-month-old baby. The assailants shot at police while they were in the process of rescuing the infant. Police say the woman died of her wounds and the shooter committed suicide. The baby was safely removed from the home. In Frederick, Maryland, police investigating a report of a suspicious man say the suspect walked away from them, then turned and opened fire with a .45 caliber handgun, injuring both officers. They in turn shot the 25-year-old who's been charged with murder.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Then Friday night in Philadelphia, a SWAT team arrived to serve a drug warrant when they say the suspect shot at them through a wall. A bullet struck one member of the team who survived thanks only to his bulletproof vest.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thankfully, none of those officers were killed, but since the beginning of this year, five officers have been shot to death in the line of duty. Three have died from vehicular assaults. That according to the Officer Down Memorial page. The funeral of one of those officers Jason Rivera of the NYPD riveted the nation.
--:-- Ben Johnson: I would say good morning to you all. But in fact, this is the worst morning ever.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That scene was repeated 73 times last year for officers who were intentionally killed. That's a 59% increase over 2020. The number of police killed by gunfire reached its highest level in modern history last year, according to the Fraternal Order of Police. And a total of 346 policemen were shot in the line of duty in 2021. So the highest number ever.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Despite violence increasing, though, many of these departments are still understaffed, correct?
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. High retirement rates, low morale, and some local defunding policies have left a lot of police departments nationwide understaffed. Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri addressed this issue on Monday.
--:-- Ben Johnson: My hometown, Springfield, Missouri, is looking for 40 officers. Columbia, Missouri, Department 187, looking for 20 officers. He said the Capitol Police are 200 officers short. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to fire 4,000 deputies because they weren't vaccinated. A decision that Sheriff Alex Villanueva called, quote, a suicide pact.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We're seeing sort of an internal battle with the Democrats on this. We saw Representative Cori Bush over the weekends, you know, say she would continue to call for defunding the police. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly shot that down, said the Democratic Party does not align with that position.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Right. Pelosi told George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. Well, with all the respect in the world for Cori Bush, that is not the position of the Democratic Party.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Of course, every major elected official to support defunding the police has been a Democrat. In fact, in June of 2020, Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC's Craig Melvin while police funding is a local issue. There's some issues that we ask police to do, like mental health issues or policing in schools and all the rest, that perhaps we can shuffle some of that money around.
--:-- Ben Johnson: President Joe Biden also agreed to whittle down police funding on the campaign trail in 2020. Do we agree that we can redirect some of the funding? Yes, absolutely.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Is there a reason for the sudden change in messaging besides the crime surge?
--:-- Ben Johnson: Yes, polling. A Politico Morning Consult poll taken last week found that 75% of Americans say defunding the police has caused crime to rise. And 69% believe that increasing police budgets would reduce the crime rate.
--:-- Georgia Howe: By the way, a recent study from the UK found that when police responded to every burglary, the crime rate fell. Maybe not such surprising findings.
--:-- Ben Johnson: Thanks for walking us through that, Ben. Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire reporter Ben Johnson.
--:-- Christian Toto: Amid plummeting viewership, the Oscars this year will feature three hosts, comedians Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, plus actress Regina Hall.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to unpack the Oscars crisis and their new hosting Hail Mary is Hollywood writer Christian Toto.
--:-- Christian Toto: Hey, Christian.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Christian, the Oscars usually have a host, but for people who haven't been paying attention, which statistically is most people, they've been hostless for the past couple of years. So do you think bringing back a host is going to bring back viewers?
--:-- Christian Toto: You know, anyone who's suffered the last two years knows the Oscars needs a host. It's a three-hour show. You've got to have a lot of humor to keep audiences dialed in. So this year, the producers acknowledged that reality.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On Monday, they announced they'll have not one, but three hosts for the season's show. And to answer your question, I don't think so. I don't think it's going to fix the viewership issues. If anything, I expect another ratings drop next month.
--:-- Christian Toto: So you think the problems are bigger than just not having hosts?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Absolutely. Now if they had chosen the right host imagine the rating spike if they swallowed hard and got Ricky Gervais to do the honors. He's a huge talent, of course, but his ability to skewer Hollywood is hugely popular with regular people. You know, the kind of people who've been tuning out lately.
--:-- Christian Toto: His Golden Globes monologue actually went viral because people loved watching Hollywood get roasted. But not many people can pull that off. I'm thinking maybe Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, or even Bill Maher, but they weren't chosen.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So you're predicting that Schumer, Sykes, and Hall just aren't what viewers want right now?
--:-- Christian Toto: You know, Schumer and Sykes have serious comic chops, and that's a plus in this gig. But they also have a lot of baggage, politically speaking. Schumer and Sykes are known for their left-wing activism, and it's very hard to imagine them not taking the chance to bring that up at the Oscars.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Mainstream audiences are just really fatigued of all that stuff. I think Hall is a wild card. She's not politically active. She's also not a stand-up comedian. She's not an A-list talent. I don't think most people know who she is. Her selection is really the oddest choice here.
--:-- Christian Toto: So it sounds like you're predicting that politics could be a big theme, at least with Schumer and Sykes.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, we won't know for sure until the ceremony begins. But using the past as a guide, I think we can expect a few digs at GOP officials, President Donald Trump, similar targets.
--:-- Christian Toto: Hollywood really likes to go easy on Democrats, but it is possible we'll see a few jokes at their expense. I think to me, the elephant in the room is the obvious nod to diversity. All the hosts are female, two are black. So I think we're going to really check in with a healthy amount of woke jokes.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, that might be a dangerous move. I mean, if they want to bring audiences back. One of the main criticisms of the Oscars for several years now has been the move towards politics, especially in the films. I mean, that's been a huge turnoff for people. It's gotten to the point that a lot of Americans haven't even watched the films that are being celebrated.
--:-- Christian Toto: So do you think the Oscars can bounce back from that?
--:-- Georgia Howe: I don't think so. I think if Americans are reaching the point where they're tuning out the movies themselves, that's going to be a real problem. Just looking at the list of nominees this year, though, they're going to be completely obscure to most American adults. That's a bad sign.
--:-- Christian Toto: At this point, the films and nominees are locked in, so that ship has sailed. But I think one suggestion would be to cut out the political speeches. Show producers can actually track their ratings from minute to minute, and they can literally see people dropping off during those soapbox moments.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But it's going to be really hard to tear actors away from that time-honored tradition.
--:-- Christian Toto: But if they want to avoid a total implosion at the ratings, that would be the right move.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, I'm personally not ready to give up on Oscars parties, so hopefully they can course correct.
--:-- Christian Toto: Christian, thanks for reporting. Happy to help.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire's Christian Toto.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Other stories we're tracking this week. San Francisco parents voted overwhelmingly this week to remove three members of the San Francisco school board, including the board's president. Critics, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, have accused the board of focusing excessively on divisive racial politics and progressive ideology and not enough on academics.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Helena Hutchins' family has filed a wrongful death suit against Alec Baldwin and possibly others involved in the on-set death of the cinematographer. Baldwin is named as having portion liability in Hutchins' death, indicating that others involved in the chain of events will be named as well.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And New York Mayor Eric Adams authorized the firing of at least 1,400 unvaccinated government workers on Monday, including 36 from the NYPD, 25 from New York's fire department, and 914 education workers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five-star review. 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. If you like this podcast, get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at dailywire.com slash subscribe.
