--:-- [Upbeat music fades out, and the hosts introduce the episode]
--:-- Georgia Howe: This 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.
--:-- John Bickley: A liberal judge appears to side with Doge, U.S. and Russia officials plan a meeting in Saudi Arabia, and big banks backpedal on DEI. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, February 17th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A federal judge appeared skeptical today of an effort to block the Department of Government efficiency. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Attorneys general from 14 states claim that Doge is overstepping its authority by accessing federal data and firing government employees. But Judge Tanya Chutkin isn't convinced the states have the evidence to block it for now. The case focuses on actions within seven agencies, including the Department of Education and Health and Human Services.
--:-- Tim Pierce: While Chutkin questioned the urgency of the state's arguments, she also pushed back against claims that Musk has no direct influence over government decisions. A ruling is expected within 24 hours as the Trump administration pushes forward with its cost agenda.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Several top Trump administration officials will meet face with their Russian counterparts tomorrow in Saudi Arabia. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz will lead the U.S. delegation for what will be the first direct talks between the countries about ending the nearly three-year war. Notably absent is Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who has insisted no peace deal should be made without Kiev at the table.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For their part, the White House says Ukraine will be included at future formal negotiations. Russia, meanwhile, is expected to demand security guarantees. Trump has signaled skepticism over Ukraine's NATO ambitions, raising questions about what concessions he will seek from Russia.
--:-- Marco Rubio: I want to go back to the point I made. President Trump ran. He was very clear. He thinks this war needs to end. And if he sees an opportunity to end it, which is what he's looking for, whether there is an opportunity or not, we're going to pursue it. Ultimately, it will reach a point when you are, if it's real negotiations and we're not there yet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Iran is taunting the U.S. and Israel, saying they can in no way prevent Tehran's nuclear ambitions. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson declared, quote, they cannot do a damn thing about it. This comes after a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israel's prime minister in which Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to weaken Iran's influence.
--:-- Benjamin Netanyahu: And we also agree that Iran's aggression in the region has to be rolled back. Over the last 16 months, Israel has dealt a mighty blow to Iran's terror axis. Under the strong leadership of President Trump and with your unflinching support, I have no doubt that we can and will finish the job.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The meeting coincides with a shipment of bombs from the U.S. to the Jewish state following Trump's decision to lift the Biden-era hold on heavy munitions.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Four of New York Mayor Eric Adams' deputy mayors, all core members of his administration, resigned today in response to the mayor's handling of immigration. The deputy mayors say Adams is too closely aligned with Trump when it comes to his approach to deportations.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Jack Smith, the former special counsel who brought two federal cases against Trump, is back in the headlines, this time over a $140,000 gift. The prosecutor disclosed last month that he received $140,000 in pro bono legal services from a powerful Washington law firm as he prepared to leave office. That's according to a disclosure Smith filed last month as he prepared to leave the DOJ, as first reported by Politico.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: What exactly he sought outside counsel for is not clear but Trump repeatedly railed against Smith about his attempts to take him down while he was a presidential candidate. Trump AG Pam Bondi has announced a probe into potential weaponization of the government including the role Smith possibly played.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Canadian traffickers are allegedly using social media to advertise illegal crossings into the U.S. through the northern border. The ads, which promise safe same-day crossings for a hefty fee, have been removed by TikTok for violating community standards.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Lawmakers are now calling on the Justice Department to investigate. While illegal crossings at the southern border have dropped under President Trump's crackdown, officials warn that human smuggling networks are shifting focus to the north.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And big banks are quietly scaling back public mentions of their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that major firms like Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, and Citigroup are revising DEI language on their websites, annual reports, and scholarship programs to avoid legal scrutiny.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The move follows a Supreme Court ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions. It's not clear yet whether these are just messaging shifts or if significant changes are really in the works behind the scenes.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it this morning, we covered some major stories, including the fallout from Vance's big speech in Germany, colleges responding to the dismantling of DEI, and Doge's Progress Report.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.
