--:-- [Upbeat music plays]
--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire, and I'm here with Georgia Howe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Today's 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.
--:-- Georgia Howe: With a government shutdown looming, the Democrat-led Congress has scrambled this week to pass a $1.7 trillion omnibus package.
--:-- John Bickley: We discussed the 11th hour political wrangling and what's in the sprawling 4,000-page funding bill.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Home sales have plummeted in recent months, and new data could spell trouble for some homeowners and renters.
--:-- John Bickley: We look at the latest in the housing market.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And in the wake of their blockbuster Netflix miniseries, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reportedly requesting a royal summit and an apology.
--:-- John Bickley: When someone who's marrying in who should be a supporting act is doing the job better than the person who was born to do this, it shifts the balance.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: Go to BlackRifleCoffee.com with promo code WIRE for 10% off.
--:-- [Music transitions to a more serious tone]
--:-- John Bickley: With the deadline for a government shutdown quickly approaching, the Democrat-led Congress managed to push through a $1.7 trillion spending package on Thursday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But the 4,000-page bill was met with resistance from conservatives who say it's loaded with unnecessary spending.
--:-- John Bickley: Here to discuss the bill and the 11th-hour efforts to pass it is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Hey, John. Yeah, well, Congress has failed to pass normal spending bills, so they've turned to this omnibus package to finance all of the government through the end of next September.
--:-- John Bickley: It allocates $858 billion in defense funding. That's up 10% from last fiscal year and more than $770 billion for non-defense so-called discretionary programs and includes 12 different appropriations bills.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Lawmakers have been battling out over a number of issues, but a major snag came Wednesday when Republican Senator Mike Lee tied funding for Homeland Security to maintaining Title 42.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, we've reported about this before. Title 42 allows the U.S. to expel migrants on the basis of public health. This was enacted under Trump over COVID concerns.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Democrats want to lift this measure, but Border Patrol warns that that could more than double border crossings in an already overwhelmed system.
--:-- John Bickley: Former Democrat Kirsten Sinema, she's now an independent, she introduced an amendment on Thursday compromising on border funding and extending Title 42.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: That amendment effectively gave cover to both sides on the issue, and by making it an additional amendment vote, it got the bill back on track.
--:-- John Bickley: So with that, the Democrat-controlled Senate was able to get enough Republicans to push the bill through yesterday sending it to the House where Nancy Pelosi was waiting to fast it.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Now this bill is a stunning 4 pages long and the deadline to avoid a shutdown was midnight tonight
--:-- John Bickley: There obviously hasn't been much time to review what's actually in this bill.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Yeah, that's right. And unfortunately, this is not totally new for Congress.
--:-- John Bickley: To that point, here's Senator Rand Paul speaking about the spending package on Tuesday.
--:-- [Audio clip of Senator Rand Paul speaking plays]
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: The process stinks. It's an abomination. It's a no-good, rotten way to run your government.
--:-- John Bickley: So what is actually in this bill, at least what we know so far?
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Well, we have $45 billion in aid to Ukraine. Then there's another $38 billion in disaster aid, $2.6 billion that will partly fund U.S. attorneys prosecuting more January 6th defendants, as well as funding for a variety of welfare or government assistance programs.
--:-- John Bickley: Then there are also some add-ons that have generated some controversy on the right.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: North Carolina Republican Rep. Dan Bishop pointed out a package that allocates $410 million towards border security in places like Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia.
--:-- John Bickley: This at a time when our own border is severely lacking in resources.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: There's a $65 million commitment to Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery, $3 million for bee-friendly highways, a plan to phase out large-scale driftnet fishing, and new oversight on horse racing.
--:-- John Bickley: Then there's a $575 million commitment for family planning or, quote, reproductive health care in areas that could threaten endangered species.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Conservatives are concerned that this could mean funding for contraceptive, sterilization, and even potentially indirectly fund abortion.
--:-- John Bickley: Also included in the bill is $1.2 million for LGBTQIA plus pride centers, $477,000 for the equity institution in Rhode Island tied to, quote, anti-racism virtual labs, and $3 million for the American LGBTQ plus museum.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: We could kind of go all day with these, but I'll finish up with a section of the bill that designates a federal building in San Fran as the Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building and a $3.6 million transportation department allotment for a Michelle Obama trail in Georgia.
--:-- John Bickley: So this bill is seen as a win for most Democrats, so they've been behind it pretty consistently.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: What has the Republican response looked like?
--:-- John Bickley: A lot of Republicans wanted this bill passed.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, he's the vice chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, he encouraged Republicans to hop on board, highlighting the big defense budget as a win for the GOP.
--:-- John Bickley: Then there were a number of Republicans, more than 30, who threatened to stop any bills supported by someone voting for the spending package.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Yeah, so pretty fierce response against it.
--:-- John Bickley: It's a fascinating battle with, you know, trillions on the line here.
--:-- Amanda Presta Giacomo: Thanks for reporting.
--:-- John Bickley: That was Daily Wire reporter, Amanda Presta Giacomo.
--:-- [Music transitions to a more upbeat tone]
--:-- John Bickley: Coming up, the latest housing data is in.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Men, are you feeling less like your old self these days? Maybe you don't have the energy or the body you used to.
--:-- John Bickley: Nugenix Total Tea Testosterone Booster safely boosts free and total testosterone for better results in and out of the gym.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Get a complimentary bottle of Nugenix Total Tea when you text WIRE to 231231.
--:-- John Bickley: Text now and you'll get a bottle of Nugenix Thermo, their most powerful fat incinerator, absolutely free.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Text WIRE to 231-231.
--:-- John Bickley: After a summer of record growth in the housing market, new data shows that home sales fell considerably last month to their lowest rate since the start of the pandemic as mortgage rates remained stubbornly high.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here are the latest on what it all means for home prices and whether a housing crash could be on the horizon as Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, according to the latest numbers from the National Association of Realtors, the sale of previously owned homes fell by 7.7% in November compared to the month before, and they're now down 35% since last November.
--:-- John Bickley: That not only marked the 10th straight month of decline, that's the longest on record, but also the weakest single month since May of 2020 when COVID lockdowns first started and the market was really in a temporary panic.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: We also saw residential permit applications, which typically give you an idea of new construction on the way and how optimistic builders are, fall 11.2% month over month.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And remember, because of how long the process of closing on a home takes, these numbers actually reflect where the market was back in September and October.
--:-- John Bickley: So experts have cautioned that there's a good chance things are actually much worse off than they appear right now.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That doesn't sound like good news.
--:-- John Bickley: How is the market changing as things cool off?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So you can also tell things have cooled down by the incentives being offered to buyers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: When the market was hottest over the summer and past spring, buyers were really the ones bending over backwards.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But now we've seen a complete reversal as buyers are the ones with leverage.
--:-- John Bickley: We've seen a growing number of sellers offering cash to help lower mortgage rates for buyers or even pay for inspection fees.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And mortgage lenders are also really getting creative as well to try and just get people to want to buy a home.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And those falling home prices aren't just affecting those selling or buying a house.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They're also impacting current homeowners, correct?
--:-- John Bickley: Exactly. Millions of Americans now have considerably less equity in their homes than they did just a year ago.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, if you bought your house 10 years ago, the drop over the last 12 months won't be the end of the world.
--:-- Georgia Howe: To that point, Americans have never had more equity in their homes than they do right now.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And most people are still way up on their purchase.
--:-- John Bickley: But those who bought when prices were at their peak over the spring and summer are in serious trouble.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: According to Black Knight, over a quarter million homebuyers who made a purchase in 2022 are already underwater on their investment.
--:-- Georgia Howe: In total, one in 12 people who bought a home last year is underwater on that mortgage.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, in the long run, most folks will still end up ahead if they sit tight, but it is a scary proposition for a lot of people.
--:-- John Bickley: And most real estate experts say there will be a lot more people in that same boat over the next year unless things make a quick turnaround.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We've talked on this show about how the price of rent has gone up considerably this year, even as home prices have come down.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Tell us about that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, we did see a slight decline from October to November. Rent prices are still up around 20% over the last two years.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: On that note, we talked to John Leckie. He's a researcher at Rent.com.
--:-- John Leckie: Typically, when you have the higher mortgage rates, it prices first-time buyers out of the market.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It causes some people to sell, to try to take advantage of the high prices, and then hold off on selling or hold off on buying until prices kind of come down.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And so all of that creates more renters, and that creates more demand, and that demand will push up the rental price.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, the rental market could start to cool a bit as more homes go on the market, but that likely won't happen until mortgage rates come down.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For a lot of potential sellers, it's just not that appealing to sell your home and take on a 7% mortgage rate when you're currently locked into 3% or 4%.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, I'm sure a lot of people are hoping rates and rents come down.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks for reporting.
--:-- John Bickley: That was Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- [Music transitions to a more serious tone]
--:-- John Bickley: While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix documentary has attracted record audiences in the UK, polls suggest it has not helped rehabilitate the couple's image with the British public.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The release of the series has culminated with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex reportedly asking for a summit and an apology from the royal family.
--:-- John Bickley: Here to explore whether the Harry and Meghan documentary represents a turning point for the British royal family is Daily Wire culture reporter, Meghan Basham.
--:-- Meghan Basham: So Meghan, I admit I did not watch this. Was it primarily a critique of the British press and maybe an attempt to correct the record? or did it feel like a more pointed personal message to other royal family members?
--:-- Meghan Basham: Well, that's what I'm here for, Georgia. I watch these things so that other people don't have to.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what I can tell you is that it does deal with the press and broader societal issues at some points, but it really does feel personal.
--:-- Meghan Basham: I expected the six-part series to address the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals, but I did not expect it to make such pointed criticism of them.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And frankly, the show is almost shocking in how much bad family blood we see on display.
--:-- Meghan Basham: To give you just one example, in the first 15 minutes, Harry seems to imply that his brother chose to marry Duchess Kate out of obligation rather than love.
--:-- Georgia Howe: I think for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mold, as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with.
--:-- Meghan Basham: The difference between making decisions with your head or your heart.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And then at a later point, the prince offers details about the private meeting the family had when Harry revealed his and Meghan's intention of leaving royal service.
--:-- Meghan Basham: It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me and my father say things that simply weren't true. and my grandmother, you know, quietly sit there and sort of take it all in.
--:-- Georgia Howe: At one point, Prince Harry even went so far as to suggest the other royals were jealous of Meghan.
--:-- Meghan Basham: So that's just a quick selection of many more moments in the same vein.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And it doesn't begin to address the accusations that have received a great deal of coverage, including accusations that the palace has a problem with racial bias.
--:-- Meghan Basham: And how has this series been received? You know, not well really by anyone, but the series only has a 38% positive rating among critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And if audience score is even worse at 17%, the couple are clearly cast as the heroes and victims.
--:-- Meghan Basham: Now, I understand that the rest of the royal family declined to be interviewed, but I don't think it would have been hard for the producers, which actually does include Harry and Meghan, to find some commentators willing to rebut some of the accusations on the palace's behalf.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And they didn't do that.
--:-- Meghan Basham: To cap it all off, they are reportedly demanding an apology and summit. Given that this series is already being so badly received, that seems somewhat tone deaf.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So when you say they're requesting a summit and apology, what's the context for that? And what are the other royals saying?
--:-- Meghan Basham: So it was originally reported by the Sunday Times and supposedly came from reputable insiders.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Neither Harry or Meghan nor the palace have officially commented on it, but suffice it to say they don't see relations between the palace and the Sussexes softening anytime soon, especially given that Harry's memoir, Spare, is due out next month, and it is reportedly even more sensational.
--:-- Meghan Basham: Well, Meghan, I'm going to count on you to read that one for me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Okay, I will.
--:-- John Bickley: All right, thanks, Meghan.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire culture reporter Meghan Basham.
--:-- John Bickley: Well, that's all the time we've got this morning.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- John Bickley: We'll be back this afternoon with the news you need to know.
