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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, April 27th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy mustered enough support for the GOP-led House to pass a debt ceiling plan late on Wednesday. The move cranks up pressure on the White House to negotiate a deal before a potential unprecedented default in June.
--:-- John Bickley: The legislation would suspend the debt limit until it rises by $1.5 trillion or until March 31st, 2024, whichever comes first, in exchange for a host of government spending cuts. Four Republicans opposed the bill, while three other members abstained.
--:-- Georgia Howe: During a press conference after the vote, McCarthy dared Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to put an alternative debt ceiling plan to a vote, and the Speaker challenged President Joe Biden to agree to talks.
--:-- John Bickley: The Department of Justice sued Tennessee on Wednesday over a state law prohibiting transgender hormone treatments and surgeries for minors.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce reports. The DOJ claims Tennessee's ban on sex change treatments for minors violates the Equal Protection Clause.
--:-- Tim Pierce: In a statement Wednesday, the department argued that the law discriminates against transgender youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria by blocking sex change treatments for them while allowing non-minors access to the same or similar procedures.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee called the move federal overreach at its worst. In a statement to the Daily Wire, Governor Lee said, Tennessee is committed to protecting children from permanent, life-altering decisions.
--:-- John Bickley: The U.S. State Department says it is simply too dangerous to attempt to evacuate the 16,000 Americans left behind in Sudan as fighting and conflict in the African nation continues.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We believe that in our planning, we executed the operation in the safest, most effective way possible in terms of evacuating U.S. government personnel.
--:-- Georgia Howe: You've heard State Department and the White House talk to the situation with Americans who may still be in Sudan who wish to leave. We're coordinating the State Department, I know, and I'd refer you to them for further details, is making itself available to communicate with those Americans wishing to leave to find the best way possible for them to get out of the country.
--:-- John Bickley: While U diplomatic staff have been rescued from the country, thousands more have been advised to shelter in place. The notice comes as other countries such as U.S. allies France, Germany, Italy, Holland, and more, have been able to facilitate travel for their nationals.
--:-- Georgia Howe: At least two U.S. citizens have been killed in Sudan over the past couple of weeks.
--:-- John Bickley: The U.S. Navy confirmed Thursday that Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker flying under the Marshall Islands flag in the Gulf of Oman.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The oil tanker Advantage Sweet issued a distress call during the seizure, and the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet also reports that Iran's actions are contrary to international law and disruptive to regional security and stability.
--:-- John Bickley: The vessel was taken by Iranian forces after leaving Kuwait for its journey to Houston, Texas. Now the U.S. is demanding that Iran release the tanker immediately.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A Texas rally planned for this weekend seeks to put pressure on officials to take action on the crisis at the southern border.
--:-- John Bickley: According to organizers of the How Many More rally, people will gather at the Texas State Capitol in Austin on Saturday to demand that elected officials declare an invasion at our southern border and define Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Four patients at a downtown Seattle hospital are dead in connection to an outbreak of a bacteria often found in healthcare settings.
--:-- John Bickley: According to a hospital statement Wednesday, there have so far been 31 infections associated with Klebsiella. Hospital officials say the source of transmission remained under investigation Wednesday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The king of daytime TV, Jerry Springer, is dead at the age of 79.
--:-- John Bickley: The controversial TV personality is best known for hosting the syndicated talk show The Jerry Springer Show for 27 years.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On it, guests often appear to discuss wild topics and frequently got into onstage fights. A family spokesperson told TMZ that Springer was fighting a brief illness and died at his home in the Chicago area.
--:-- John Bickley: An unnamed source told the outlet that Springer was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. The host was known to end every episode the same way. Take care of yourself and each other.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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