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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm Georgia Howe.
--:-- John Bickley: And I'm John Bickley, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Last night, the House passed a budget agreement that defers the debt limit for two years and staves off a potential default. The bill now heads to the Senate for a final vote. How heated did things get and were there any surprises? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley.
--:-- John Bickley: It's Thursday, June 1st, and this is Morning Wire. I just don't understand the purpose and what they're trying to achieve by inviting a group like this to Dodger Stadium.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The L.A. Dodgers remain in a controversial pickle after several MLB players speak out about the team's decision to host an anti-Catholic drag group.
--:-- John Bickley: And Angelenos are blaming George Gascon's policies for two recent murders and a 10,000-case backlog. What else is contributing to the county's rising crime?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On Wednesday night, the House passed a monumental budget agreement that defers the debt limit for two years and staves off a default next week. It now heads to the Senate for a final vote. Here with more is Daily Wire's senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, a lot of debate and a big vote yesterday. First, set the scene in Washington for us.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, quick refresher. Over the weekend, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden agreed on a deal that would prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt. Rather than raising the limit, as has been done dozens of times over the last century, the deal will defer the borrowing limit for two years, essentially allowing the government to borrow as much money as it wants in the meantime.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, in exchange for that deferral, Democrats agreed to a series of spending caps that would limit federal spending over the next two years. And that brings us to last night. After a contentious debate on the floor, the House voted to approve the measure overwhelmingly by a vote of 314 to 117.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: While the majority of rank-and-file members in both parties voted yes, a total of 71 mostly hardline conservative Republicans and 46 mostly progressive Democrats voted no.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So tell us about the debate. What led up to the passage on Wednesday?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, Speaker McCarthy was adamant from the beginning that the bill would pass, and ultimately it did, but not without a serious fight. On Tuesday evening, McCarthy held a closed-door meeting with Republican members to make a last-minute pitch for the deal.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, publicly, McCarthy praised the agreement as a win for fiscal conservatives, touting it as a massive budget cut. McCarthy pointed to a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which showed the deal would cut the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade, as supposed evidence that Republicans got their wish for spending cuts.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: But conservative critics say that number is actually deceiving and assume spending would remain at current levels in the future, which appears unlikely.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Throughout the week, hardline conservatives said with the debt limit deferred for two years, federal debt could balloon by as much as four trillion dollars from now to 2025.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Among the most prominent critics was Pennsylvania Rep Scott Perry, chair of the powerful House Freedom Caucus. Here what he had to say ahead of the vote yesterday.
--:-- Scott Perry: The speaker himself has said on numerous occasions the greatest threat to America is our debt. And now is the time to act. We had the time to act. And this deal fails, fails completely.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And to give you a further idea of the opposition, here's Texas Rep. Chip Roy speaking from the House floor.
--:-- Chip Roy: I don't hear a whole hell of a lot about what we're doing to devastate American families with rampant inflation because we keep spending money we don't have.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, that is putting it lightly. To give you an idea of how upset they are at this deal, a number of Freedom Caucus members have now for the first time made a tacit threat that they'll try to remove him from the Speaker position.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So another wrinkle here to keep an eye on as the bill moves to the Senate.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, let's get to the Senate. What are we expecting there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, Senate leaders on both sides have endorsed the bill, calling on their members to send it to the president's desk. Similar to what we saw in the House, the main holdouts at the moment are progressive Democrats and, again, hardline conservatives.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, Senator Bernie Sanders said that he'll vote no, releasing a statement accusing, quote, the extreme right wing of holding our economy hostage in order to get what they want.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: He and others, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have called on Biden to bypass Congress by using the 14th Amendment to raise the limit.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And while it is expected to gain the 60 necessary votes to pass, the question now becomes how long it takes to pass. Remember, the U.S. is projected at fault this coming Monday because of a Senate procedure that requires all 100 members to agree to fast-track legislation.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Single senators are able to slow down the process if they're not happy with what's in a bill. One such member could be Utah Republican Mike Lee, who said that he'd, quote, used every procedural tool to slow down a bill that didn't have significant spending cuts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Okay, so more drama ahead. Yep.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Gavin, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Anytime.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That's Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Fallout continues over the Dodgers' decision to honor a controversial LGBT performance troupe that depicts Catholic nuns in drag, engaging in sexual acts.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Players are now speaking out about the team giving the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence a Community Hero Award on the field in Dodger Stadium on June 16th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to give us the latest is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham.
--:-- Megan Basham: So Megan, to quickly catch up those who haven't been following the story, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are an LGBTQ activist group that performs in drag as, quote, queer nuns, and some of their events depict Jesus in sexualized ways that Christians find offensive.
--:-- Megan Basham: What's the players' reaction to this been?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, I haven't seen any so far come out and say that they support the Dodgers' decision, And really all the players were silent for about a week following the team's announcement that they had re-invited this group after receiving pressure from various LGBTQ organizations, a California teachers union, and a group of California lawmakers.
--:-- Megan Basham: But then that dam broke on Tuesday when Washington Nationals pitcher Trevor Williams, who is a devout Catholic, posted an open letter to his Twitter account.
--:-- Megan Basham: I'll just quote directly from it here. To invite and honor a group that makes a blatant and deeply offensive mockery of my religion and the religion of over 4 million people in Los Angeles County alone undermines the values of respect and inclusivity that should be upheld by any organization.
--:-- Megan Basham: And he added that he thinks the team is violating its own anti-policy.
--:-- Megan Basham: Shortly after that Dodgers pitcher Blake Trinan put out his own statement saying this group, quote, openly mocks Jesus Christ, the cornerstone of my faith.
--:-- Megan Basham: And then finally, a lot of people were waiting to hear what Dodgers star pitcher Clayton Kershaw might say. He's well known as an outspoken Christian. He leads a Christian charity group.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, he told the Los Angeles Times Tuesday that he disagrees with what the team's ownership is doing because the sisters of perpetual indulgence are, quote, making fun of other people's religions.
--:-- Megan Basham: And he revealed that the Dodgers' decision to relaunch its Christian Faith and Family Day in July was, in fact, a direct response to this controversy. The last Christian Day the team hosted was back in 2019.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, last week we had on Brian Birch from Catholic Vote, which is one of the largest lay Catholic advocacy organizations in the country, and they had publicly pressured the Dodgers to distance from this sisters group.
--:-- Megan Basham: Have any other Christian groups spoken up since then?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, several dioceses have put out condemnatory statements. So have some bishops and archbishops, Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham and president of the humanitarian aid organization, Samaritan's Purse, did as well.
--:-- Megan Basham: And Birch said Catholic Vote is raising a million dollars to run ads on radio and television stations that air Dodgers games.
--:-- Megan Basham: He told Fox News he did talk to a top Dodgers executive this week. And Birch said he told that executive that if the team would reconsider their decision to honor the drag group, Catholic Vote would withhold that ad campaign.
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, the executive said that they're not willing to do that.
--:-- Megan Basham: And I think it's important to remember that the Dodgers historically have very close ties to the Catholic Church.
--:-- Megan Basham: In particular, their legendary announcer, Vin Scully, was known for his Catholic faith.
--:-- Megan Basham: Morning Wire spoke to Father Steve DeVoren, who conducted Scully's funeral, and he shared that as a lifelong Dodgers fan, he's heartbroken to see the team honor a group that has done things like perform a pole dance on a life-sized crucifix.
--:-- Megan Basham: The core of our faith, and this is what our whole Catholic and Christian tradition is on, the sacrifice and all of Jesus and mock it in such a way that it's the core of what we believe is. It's just so sad.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, how did the Dodgers select the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for their Hero Award?
--:-- Megan Basham: What kind of work or charity does this group do aside from the performances?
--:-- Megan Basham: You know, Daily Wire reached out to their foundation to ask about that, and we are still hoping to get an answer to that question.
--:-- Megan Basham: There are reports out there that they raised money for AIDS efforts in the past.
--:-- Megan Basham: But I did look into their IRS filings and I really could not find any clear picture of donations to anything.
--:-- Megan Basham: So I am still looking into that.
--:-- Megan Basham: But in the meantime, Pride Night, where the sisters will receive this award, is set to take place on June 16th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So hopefully we get some more answers before then.
--:-- Megan Basham: All right. Well, no doubt there's going to be a lot of eyes on that game.
--:-- Megan Basham: Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Anytime.
--:-- Megan Basham: That's Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham.
--:-- Georgia Howe: After the murder of a 30-year-old woman by a repeat offender, progressive L.A. District Attorney George Gascon's crime policies are under intense scrutiny.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraid Elordi is here with the details for us.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Hi Georgia, Well there a lot going on Right now critics are blasting Gascon for a murder that they say could have been prevented if the murderer had been incarcerated and not released thanks to Gascon policies.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Back in 2020, Gascon's office agreed to put a man who was an attempted murder suspect on residential mental health diversion instead of prison.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Diversion basically means the court decides the person needs mental health resources instead of jail time and that it's safe for them to be in the community while they receive that care.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The man had allegedly slashed the throat of a construction worker who he thought was making too much noise.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The probation department recommended a prison sentence, saying they were concerned the man would have future violent outbursts, but Gascon's office ignored that.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: This month, the man ended up allegedly actually murdering someone.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: He's accused of killing his upstairs neighbor, a 30-year-old woman, in her own apartment, firing a gun at her 19 times.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: In another similar incident, a 23-year-old woman named Jade Simone Brookfield fatally stabbed a 40-year-old father of two during an argument.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: According to law enforcement, Brookfield had a lengthy and violent criminal history but was repeatedly given mental health diversions as well.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: So it sounds like diversion is a pretty contentious policy, but LA also just reinstated no cash bail, correct?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: That's right, which means police in L.A. County cannot require cash bail for people arrested for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The goal of the policies is to make the criminal justice system more equitable for the poor who can't afford cash bail.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: But it also means that criminals who commit these crimes are released immediately.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: L.A. Deputy D.A. John McKinney says the no bail policy means criminals will now be immediately released.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: The sheriff's department will no longer detain people for crimes such as theft, shoplifting, drug use, vandalism, battery, and a whole host of other non-serious, non-violent crimes that affect the quality of life of people here in Los Angeles County.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Originally, when he took office in 2020, Gascon said he would prohibit prosecutors from requiring cash bail for most crimes.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: But prosecutors sued Gascon and won at the time.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Now, though, thanks to the judge's ruling this month, Gascon's no-cash-bail policy is in effect.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Another issue is the backlog of cases. Under Gascon's leadership, the city now has a backlog of more than 10,000 criminal cases waiting to be prosecuted, many of which will ultimately be tossed out.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Now, how did the city get so behind on prosecuting these crimes?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Whistleblowers are saying one reason is that the DA's office is understaffed.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Whistleblowers who spoke to the New York Post called Gascon authoritarian and toxic in his leadership, which has caused many prosecutors to quit.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: There are also accusations of retaliation against employees who don't agree with him.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Gascon's office claims they have a total of 139 positions available, blaming retirement and a previous hiring freeze for the issue.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Other outlets have reported that the city is down at least 200 prosecutors.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Now, what are the crime trends in LA?
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Well, crime in Los Angeles was up 11% overall in 2022.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: In 2023, rapes and robberies decreased, but the homicide rate, which spiked during COVID, is still high.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Homelessness is also an ongoing problem in LA that contributes to crime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, Wilma Raid, thanks so much for reporting.
--:-- Maraid Elordi: Thanks, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.
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