--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Biden administration and the CDC are experiencing a crisis of confidence when it comes to their messaging on COVID. How has their narrative changed in recent weeks? And how has the media responded to the significant pivot?
--:-- John Bickley: It is so sad, but it's true. The CDC has turned into a punchline. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Tuesday, January 11th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: New York City will now allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. What are the parameters of this new measure? Plus, other controversial policies making headlines in the Big Apple.
--:-- John Bickley: And Pope Francis is in the news again over some politically charged comments, this time drawing criticism and praise from both the left and the right.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. This show is sponsored by Pure Talk. If you're with Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile, you're paying too much. Switching to Pure Talk saves the average family over $800 a year. Go to puretalk.com, find the right plan for you, and enter promo code WIRE to save 50% off your first month.
--:-- Georgia Howe: With the Omicron variant driving a surge in COVID cases, President Biden is struggling to deliver on his campaign promise of ending the pandemic. Here to explain how the Biden administration and the media is responding to the struggle is Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So, let's first discuss the administration's handling of this. The Washington Post, for example, just reported that the CDC director has hired a media consultant to try to get this messaging under control. So, what is their strategy exactly? It seems to be shifting with a really noticeable change in messaging when it comes to COVID-19 on the highest of levels, from ending the virus to living with it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Joe Biden entered office on the back of his promise to, quote, shut down the virus, but is now facing an ongoing surge in COVID cases and more COVID deaths since entering office than during the Trump administration.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So, with that in mind, the goalposts have been shifted, with this change in messaging filtering through all the wings of the federal government. And one clear example of this shift is the positions shown by the CDC. First off, there's the change when it comes to the demonstrably true notion that those with underlying health conditions are higher risk for COVID.
--:-- Ian Howarth: The head of the CDC, Rochelle Walensky, is now admitting that the vast majority of people who died from COVID-19 had multiple comorbidities. The overwhelming number of deaths, over 75 percent, occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities. So, really, these are people who were unwell to begin with.
--:-- Ian Howarth: And just for clarification, she was speaking about vaccinated people here. So, she says just over 75 percent of vaccinated people who died had at least four comorbidities.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Right, and as many might remember, the variable that is underlying health conditions was widely ignored or rejected by many leading voices. And that's not the only data-related mission from Walensky in recent days.
--:-- Ian Howarth: This weekend, Fox News' Brett Baer asked her if she knew how many of the 800,000-plus COVID deaths in the U.S. were with COVID as opposed to from COVID. Walensky effectively said the CDC didn't know.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Do you have that breakdown? Yes, of course. With Omicron, we're following that very carefully. Our death registry, of course, takes a few weeks to collect. And of course, Omicron has just been with us for a few weeks, but those data will be forthcoming.
--:-- Ian Howarth: And last but certainly not least, Walensky also admitted that COVID vaccines do not prevent transmission despite the continued messaging that getting vaccinated will stop the spread of the virus.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Our vaccines are working exceptionally well. They continue to work well for Delta with regard to severe illness and death. They prevent it. But what they can't do anymore is prevent transmission.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So, anymore, that's an interesting word choice there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, what about the media? Are we seeing any pushback to the change in narrative in the White House or are they largely supportive?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Yeah, that's actually an interesting piece of this puzzle. There are certainly members of the media who are helping support the changing narrative, but there are others who, in a similar way to the widespread realization that Biden's withdrawal strategy from Afghanistan was a disaster, are pointing out that institutions like the CDC are collapsing in terms of public trust.
--:-- Ian Howarth: CNN's Brian Stelter was one surprising example of this. There's a huge credibility crisis for the CDC. It just causes people, if they hear all these mixed messages and all this confusion, it's all too complicated. They just move on and ignore it.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Leading experts like Johns Hopkins, Dr. Marty McCary have also highlighted the crisis of confidence in the CDC.
--:-- Ian Howarth: My fear is that pharma may be calling the shots right now, not the CDC. And this is all playing into an even wider change in attitude towards issues like the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Just a few months ago, for example, the idea that these vaccines were having an impact on women's menstrual cycles was pretty much rejected as a conspiracy theory. But now multiple news outlets are reporting new studies which show just that.
--:-- Ian Howarth: So, it'll be interesting moving forward, especially with the midterms coming up, which many people think is actually sparking these changes, to track the change in narrative and the resulting impact on institutions like the CDC and the Biden administration more broadly.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. And it's interesting seeing the CDC now saying some things that other people have been censored and deplatformed for saying.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Thanks for the update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks, Ian. That's Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Coming up, New York City will allow non-citizens to vote. You can get this show and all of the content you love wherever you are, all on the Daily Wire app.
--:-- Georgia Howe: 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.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
--:-- Georgia Howe: More than 800,000 non-citizens living in New York City will now be able to vote in local elections under new legislation called Our City, Our Vote.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The measure, which went into effect on Sunday, makes New York the first major city in the country to allow non-American citizens to vote.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here with more on the controversial new law is Daily Wire's Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, Cabot, give us some background here. We've never really seen anything like this, right?
--:-- Georgia Howe: No, definitely not like this. There have been towns and cities in Maryland and California that have passed similar laws, but not on this scale.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Non-citizens, including many illegal immigrants, green card holders, and so-called dreamers, make up roughly one in nine voting-age New Yorkers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, this could have a huge impact on the city's electoral landscape overnight.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, it would seem so. The measure would allow those who've been, quote, lawful permanent residents in the city for at least 30 days to vote in the mayor's race, city council races and other local elections.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But more broadly, they still wouldn't be allowed to vote in statewide or federal elections.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The city's new mayor, Eric Adams, had hinted in the past that he might veto the legislation, but ultimately he decided to let the measure pass on Sunday when the 30-day veto window expired.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: He issued a statement saying that while he, quote, initially had some concerns about the bill, he believes the law will quote bring millions more into the democratic process.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I think it imperative that people who are in a local municipality have the right to decide who going to govern them. And I support the overall concept of that bill.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, obviously a contentious issue. What were the main arguments from each side?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, supporters of the bill, mainly progressive Democrats, say everyone living in the city, including non-citizens, should have a say in who controls the government.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They say that because permanent residents and green card holders pay some form of taxes and are involved in the local community, they should be entitled to a vote whether they're technically an American citizen or not.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, opponents of the bill, mainly Republicans and some moderate Democrats, say that it's simply illegal.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They point out how the Constitution says the right to vote belongs only to, quote, citizens of the United States who are 18 years of age or older.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And even some Democrats have opposed the measure on that front.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Councilman Common Yeager from Brooklyn, for example, said, quote, it's unconstitutional under state law. It's very clear we do not have the legal authority to do this.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, sure, sounds like we should expect some legal challenges.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Definitely. Republicans have already hinted that it's going that route soon.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And on that note, some states, including Arizona, Alabama, Colorado, and Florida, have all already passed laws of their own that preemptively restrict non-citizens from voting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, there is a good chance you would see more states follow that direction if other cities go the way of New York.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, this isn't the only controversial policy that we've seen in the city this month.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Tell us about New York's new criminal justice proposals.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yep. Last week, the city's new district attorney, Alvin Bragg, issued his day one policies and procedures memo.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It included new guidance on jail time for convicted criminals. The new policy says the city will only seek prison time for those convicted of serious felonies like murder, rape, or domestic abuse.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The majority of other charges, though, including drug crimes, resisting arrest, and prostitution, will all no longer result in incarceration, while the DA also urges prosecutors to stop seeking bail requirement for all those awaiting trial.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, a zero-bail type approach. Right, and kind of codifying that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: These policies were especially controversial given the city's crime surge in the last year or two.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Shootings, grand larceny, and homicides have all nearly doubled since 2019, which has many New Yorkers furious saying this type of legislation won't actually help curb that problem.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, all these policies have consequences, so we'll see how New Yorkers respond as they go into effect.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: We will.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Cabot, thanks for the reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime. That's Daily Wire's Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Pope Francis is ruffling feathers again with statements he made Monday about cancel culture and COVID vaccines.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to give us the details on the Pope's comments and the reactions they're getting is Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, Megan, I know one of the topics that the Pope talked about on Monday is cancel culture, and it probably surprised some people to hear him weigh in on that topic.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yes, and you know, not just to weigh in on it, but to weigh in at such a formal venue.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, we've seen Francis make waves with these kind of off-the-cuff remarks a number of times.
--:-- Megan Basham: He did something like that last week when he expounded on his belief that people who choose to adopt pets rather than have children are being selfish.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was a remark that definitely launched a thousand think pieces.
--:-- Megan Basham: But in that case, he was speaking sort of extemporaneously to a general audience.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, his comments on Monday were not that. This was an annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, you can think of it sort of like a State of the Union speech.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, what that means is that Francis carefully considered the subjects he was going to talk about and what he would say beforehand.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what that tells us is that he considers cancel culture a big enough threat to make it a key focus of his remarks.
--:-- Megan Basham: Here a bit of his speech translated to English via a Vatican interpreter: Under the guise of defending diversity it ends up canceling all sense of identity with the risk of silencing positions that defend a respectful and balanced understanding of various sensibilities.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A kind of one-track thinking is taking shape. One constrained to deny history or worse yet, to rewrite it.
--:-- Megan Basham: Wow. So, under the guise of defending diversity, cancel culture ends up canceling all sense of identity.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, that's a strong statement.
--:-- Megan Basham: It is. It definitely is. And I think we need to look at it in the context of things like the European Union's move to cancel the word Christmas.
--:-- Georgia Howe: He called it watered-down secularism and a form of ideological colonization, something he repeated yesterday.
--:-- Megan Basham: And he also said yesterday that cancel culture leaves no room for freedom of expression.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right, but on the other hand, he also talked about COVID vaccines.
--:-- Megan Basham: He did, and, you know, it was kind of interesting because he made it clear that he feels getting vaccinated is a moral imperative, but then he actually seemed to tie the subjects of cancel culture and COVID vaccines together.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, what he said was that we live in a world of strong ideological divides and that this divide has discouraged some people from getting vaccinated.
--:-- Megan Basham: In particular, he pointed to a lack of, quoting here, clear communication that generates confusion, creates mistrust, and undermines social cohesion.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, I know he just made these comments yesterday, but what kind of response is he getting so far?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, I will say people don't seem to be getting nearly as mad about this as they were about that dogs versus children thing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But there has been some criticism.
--:-- Megan Basham: Jay Richards, a prominent Catholic theologian and a Heritage Foundation fellow, he criticized Francis for thinking that vaccines immunize people against the coronavirus.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On the other side, it's been interesting to see how some media outlets are framing his cancel culture comments.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, in its reporting, Politico called it so-called cancel culture, seeming to question whether Francis was actually taking on a legitimate issue.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And that seemed to be a bit of a theme.
--:-- Megan Basham: In their English captioning of the speech, I noted that Bloomberg omitted the Pope's word "dangerous" in reference to the kind of one-track thinking cancel culture produces.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, at least from the media class, there seems to be a sort of soft criticism of his choice of topic and words.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, I fully expect we're going to see more direct pushback on both of those subjects in the next few days.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right, I'm sure we will.
--:-- Megan Basham: Megan, thanks for the analysis.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Absolutely. My pleasure. That's Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Another story we're tracking this week. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he'll remove at least three Democrats from committees if Republicans win the House in the 2022 midterm elections.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Eric Swalwell, Ilhan Omar, and Adam Schiff.
--:-- 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.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
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