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--:-- Host John Bickley: The NFL is back, and FanDuel's got everything you need to play your game. From same-game parlays to live betting. Right now, new customers bet $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. 21-plus in president select states. 18-plus in Kentucky and Wyoming. Must be first online real money waging. $5 deposit required. Bonus issued is non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at FanDuel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Congress is back in session and the GOP-led House is facing a series of major questions and challenges. If you look at all the information we've been able to gather so far, it is a natural step forward that you would have to go to an impeachment inquiry. Will Republicans move to impeach President Biden? And will they be able to navigate the rapidly approaching funding deadline?
--:-- Host John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, September 6th, and this is Morning Wire. A new report highlights bold attempts made by Chinese spies to access sensitive U.S. facilities and information. This is just part of the avalanche of Chinese espionage that we are under right now. How are these foreign agents gaining access, and why are many of them only receiving minor citations?
--:-- Host Georgia Howe: And Novak Djokovic has reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open. After not being allowed to compete last year due to his vaccination status. Staying true to myself and my beliefs and my rights is above everything. So that's where I stand and that's where I will stand in the future as well. Can Novak's Djokovic pull out a win?
--:-- Host John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- Host John Bickley: The 118th Congress begins its fall session this week with a potential impeachment and a federal funding deadline looming. Joining us to discuss the new session is Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
--:-- David Marcus: Hi, Dave. So summer is officially over, I guess, as Capitol Hill is coming back to life. It's been an eventful summer in politics. What are the priorities for Congress in this term?
--:-- David Marcus: The big ticket item getting a lot of attention going into this session is the potential of Speaker Kevin McCarthy launching an impeachment inquiry over the Biden-Brandt scandal. McCarthy has now said that he will only proceed through a vote on the House floor, something that Democrats bypassed in the first impeachment of Donald Trump. And there are concerns that vulnerable GOP members in districts that Biden carried may be reticent to vote for it. But it seems unlikely that McCarthy would have set this standard if he wasn't pretty confident that he's got these votes.
--:-- David Marcus: Public opinion, especially among independents, has been moving in recent weeks, with more people increasingly saying they believe that Hunter's activities were in fact criminal. What would be the advantage of a formal impeachment inquiry?
--:-- David Marcus: It's a very good question. Representative James Comer's oversight committee has been extremely successful in exposing myriad Biden bank accounts that are giving foreign payouts to family members, as well as allegations of direct bribery and now emails where Biden was using fake names to talk to Hunter about Ukraine. And yeah polling numbers on this as you say they moving. The inquiry would give Congress greater investigatory power. But at this point the sense seems to be that there enough evidence to proceed. So just go make the case.
--:-- Host John Bickley: This comes at a time when Congress is also going to face a deadline of September 30th to fund the government. Where do things stand on that front?
--:-- David Marcus: The White House has asked for a short-term funding resolution to keep the ship of state moving forward. And both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker McCarthy have expressed at least potential support for that. But McCarthy still had this gang of conservatives, the same ones who challenged his speakership in January, who may well hold his feet to the fire and demand concessions on spending or cuts to the FBI.
--:-- David Marcus: This could get very dicey because any of them, a Matt Gaetz or a Lauren Boebert could challenge McCarthy's gavel at any time. In some ways, an impeachment inquiry could be a carrot to offset the stick of a clean funding bill. In fact, that is exactly the demand made by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
--:-- Host John Bickley: What would be the political fallout over a funding challenge or even a shutdown if some members of the GOP caucus are able to derail an agreement?
--:-- David Marcus: The politics of lockdowns are difficult for the minority party because it's hard not to appear obstinate. This could be even more pronounced if it's clear that only a minority of Republicans support allowing a shutdown. But there is significant number of Republican voters, especially Trump's base voters, who are frustrated by what they view as congressional inaction, and they're going to want to have their voices heard.
--:-- Host John Bickley: But thus far as speaker, he has managed to thread these kinds of needles. And for a speaker of the House. He's fairly popular, with some polls putting his approval at over 50 percent.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Finally, as we reported last week, there are concerns about the age and health of both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat. Do we expect any changes in their respective situations?
--:-- David Marcus: No. The physician of Congress seconded the physician of the Senate in saying that McConnell's in good health. There's no sign of stroke or Parkinson's. So Short of more episodes, it seems like his place is pretty secure. And in a way, that may have taken some pressure off of Feinstein. This just seems to be the status quo, at least for now. And there's not a lot of internal pressure for either senator to step aside.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Well, a lot of challenges facing this new Congress. We'll keep an eye on it. Dave, thanks for joining us.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Coming up, more concerning reports about Chinese spying efforts. According to an alarming new report, defense officials have reported a growing number of espionage attempts committed by Chinese nationals at U.S. military bases and other sensitive locations.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Here with more on the national security threat and what's being done to combat it is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, first off, tell us about this new report.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, so it's no secret that China is trying to access our secrets, but a new report is shining a light on just how brazen many of those espionage efforts have become. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chinese nationals have been caught attempting to infiltrate military bases and other sensitive sites as many as 100 times in recent years.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: These Chinese nationals, typically claiming to be tourists, have been dubbed, quote, gate crashers by the Defense Department because of their attempts to get into restricted areas without authorization. In some cases it appears these alleged spies almost want to get caught as part of a broader attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to test our security practices at military bases and probe our response times at sensitive locations.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While officials are obviously concerned about just how many attempts have been foiled, an even bigger concern is how many have not been stopped. So what exactly do these incidents look like?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So most details are still limited, but we do have a few specific examples to go on. According to officials speaking to USA Today, a number of gate crashers have been caught in Alaska, where a number of sensitive military bases operate. In one case, a car blew through a security checkpoint at Fort Wainwright, and when security caught up and surrounded the vehicle, they found a number of Chinese nationals with a drone.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While those in the car and others stopped elsewhere claim to be tourists trying to view the Northern Lights or other attractions, defense officials say it's a clear espionage effort. Other examples include scuba divers swimming in cloudy waters and taking photos near a government launch site in Florida, as well as a group of supposed tourists wandering away from a White House tour to take photos of communications equipment and the positions of Secret Service outposts.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: There are also cases of Chinese nationals attempting to drive through security checkpoints at military installations, claiming they had reservations at hotels on base, or were looking for restaurants. In one case, they said they were trying to find a Burger King.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Cabot, it sounds like those caught, it sounds like, almost always claim to be tourists. Right. And that's the problem. It's difficult to know what to believe.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For their part, unsurprisingly, the Chinese embassy has denied any wrongdoing, calling the accusations, quote, ill-intentioned fabrications. They urged the U.S. to, quote, abandon the Cold War mentality and stop groundless accusations.
--:-- Host John Bickley: But while some of these cases could be innocent mistakes, the Pentagon and FBI say their frequency and their similarities make it obvious this is part of a broader intentional effort.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: They also point to the fact that many of the incidents take place in remote areas far from any airport or tourist stop. And keep in mind, it's often difficult to tell whether these are hardened spies or simply Chinese nationals being forced into service by the Communist Party.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Remember, the CCP has a long track record of forcing everyday citizens to engage in espionage abroad through extortion. They've been known to approach tourists or students heading to the U.S., threatening family members back home if they don't return with sensitive information, like photographs, videos, research, and other data, or engage in espionage activities like these.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Now, this is just the latest in a series of provocations that seem to have picked up in recent years. Remind us of some of the other types of efforts we've seen.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, so much has been made of the spy balloon that was shot down earlier this year. And we talked on the show about Chinese planes and ships provoking U.S. service members around the globe. But that really is just the tip of the iceberg. Beijing has been engaged in a decades-long espionage effort against the U.S., oftentimes right under our nose.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: According to the FBI, Chinese intellectual property theft costs the U.S. over half a trillion dollars annually, while Chinese nationals have been caught in dozens of cases attempting to smuggle sensitive research data out of the country. For context, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the Bureau opens up a new investigation into Chinese espionage once every 12 hours.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Well, it sounds like this is even more brazen than what we've come to expect in places like research labs. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Host John Bickley: The U Open Hard Court Tennis Championship is in full swing in New York City. World number two Novak Djokovic is seeking his 24th Grand Slam after being allowed back in the country this year. But there are plenty of Americans still making a run for the trophy.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Joining us now is sports reporter and host of Crane & Company, David Cohn.
--:-- David Cohn: Hello, David. Hey, John. So we're in week two of the U.S. Open and Novak Djokovic is making headlines on and off the court. Tell us about that.
--:-- David Cohn: That's right. Novak Djokovic, as we've reported, missed the U.S. Open last year because he was not allowed into the States due to his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Now, he also missed out on the Australian Open in 2022 when he was deported, but won that grand slam this January upon his return. And I'm sure a lot of Joker fans are hoping that he'll do the same in Flushing Meadows this year now that the vaccine restrictions have been lifted and he's allowed back into our country.
--:-- David Cohn: And now he's made his way through to the semifinals at the U.S. Open. In fact, last Sunday, New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was spotted in the stand supporting Djokovic. That's right. He even posted a photo of Novak serving with the hashtag NovaksDjokovic. The image had a red line through the Moderna signage that was plastered on the tennis court's walls as a sponsor there.
--:-- David Cohn: Rodgers himself has also been very vocal about not getting the COVID jab. And by the way, John, Rodgers will play his first game as a New York Jet on September 11th against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. All right, so first time we see him in action in terms of in the season in that Jets uniform. It's going to be fun.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Okay, let's move on to the Americans still left in the tournament. There are quite a few, but most of the attention is going to 19-year-old Coco Goff, who breezed through her match Tuesday. Tell us about her.
--:-- David Cohn: Yes, she did. Goff is definitely the queen of queens this year. She annihilated her opponent on Tuesday, 6-0, 6-2. That was against 20th seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, who had beat the number one seed in her previous match. Goff is very quick on the court, great backhand, and she's just two wins away now from claiming her first Grand Slam.
--:-- David Cohn: A lot of people believe this is Coco Goff's year, and her aggressive game has drawn some celebrity watchers as well, like Justin Bieber and his wife, Haley. Yeah, a lot of buzz about who's on the court and in the stands.
--:-- Host John Bickley: What about Americans on the men's side? Yes, it's a very exciting time for American tennis. Three American men served their way into the quarterfinals. Now, Taylor Fritz succumbed to Novak on Tuesday, as we mentioned earlier. And the other two Americans, Francis Tiafoe and Ben Shelton, faced off Tuesday evening with Shelton coming away with the W. He now faces Novak in the semifinals.
--:-- David Cohn: It's been 20 years since an American male won the Grand Slam, and that was back in 2003 when Andy Roddick beat Carlos Ferrero in straight sets. All the way back in 2003. It's been a long time.
--:-- Host John Bickley: Well, it sounds like an exciting tournament. Thanks for coming on, David.
--:-- David Cohn: Thank you.
--:-- Host John Bickley: That was Cranon Company co-host David Cohn. Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, please consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- Host John Bickley: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.
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