--:-- [Upbeat music fades out, and the host, Georgia Howe, speaks]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Good morning, I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Friday, August 29th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Good morning, Georgia. Thanks for joining me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for having me, John. Let's get right into it. New congressional maps in Texas that recently dominated media headlines have been given the final nod of approval. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks, Georgia. Governor Greg Abbott signed a new congressional map on Friday, an effort that will likely yield more GOP seats. The redraw sparked outrage from Democrats who fled the state for two weeks this summer to delay the vote. Democrats are now vowing to fight the map in court, arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act. But a previous ruling from the Supreme Court suggests their chances of winning are slim.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Tim. Republicans say that the map actually increases majority-minority districts, while cementing a stronger path for the GOP to hold the House. California Democrats have responded by pushing their own redistricting plan to win more seats for their party.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks, Tim. Now, let's move on to some other news. The families of the two children from a Minnesota Catholic school murdered by a crazed shooter spoke at a press conference this week. Daily Wire senior editor Joel Neidler reports.
--:-- Joel Neidler: Thanks, Georgia. The two children killed by a trans-identifying shooter who opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday were identified by their families as 8-year-old Fletcher Alexander Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Lillian Moiske. The parents of both Merkel and Moiske shared statements on Thursday, addressing the shooting and reflecting on the lives of their children who were mercilessly taken from them.
--:-- Joel Neidler: The father of Fletcher, Jesse Merkel, read a statement on behalf of the family. Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming. Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sport that he was allowed to play.
--:-- Joel Neidler: While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time our family can find healing. I pray that the other victim's family can find some semblance of the same.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks, Joel. A Minnesota bishop slammed the city's Democrat mayor for mocking prayer following the Catholic school shooting. At a press conference shortly after the attack, Mayor Jacob Frey criticized people calling for prayer. Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.
--:-- John Bickley: Bishop Robert Barron responded with a sharp rebuke, telling Fox Digital the mayor's comments were completely asinine and saying, Catholics don't think that prayer magically protects them from all suffering.
--:-- Georgia Howe: In the wake of the tragedy, a top House Republican is demanding that Minnesota immediately repeal its transgender refuge policy. Congressman Tom Emmer, who represents the state, told the New York Post Thursday that the law was only encouraging more gender confusion in kids and making the state less safe.
--:-- John Bickley: The Trans Safe Haven Law was signed by Democratic Governor Tim Walz in 2023, and it allows parents to take their children to the state to undergo transgender procedures if their home state bans the practices. Emmer says, We've got to have compassion for everyone, but we've got to understand that we've got some serious mental health issues that are being exacerbated by these types of messages by people like Tim Walz and everybody who supported that law.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Governor J.B. Pritzker tried to fact-check President Trump on Chicago crime, but was corrected by exes Grok. After Trump blasted Chicago's weekend violence and called Pritzker, incompetent, the Illinois governor claimed Republican-led states were actually driving America's homicide problem. But Grok pulled the receipts.
--:-- John Bickley: The AI assistant pointed out that 19 of the top 20 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates in 2024 were actually run by Democrats. That list includes St. Louis, New Orleans, Detroit, Washington, Atlanta, and yes, Chicago, and that's under Mayor Brandon Johnson.
--:-- John Bickley: Here's Trump commenting on Pritzker's comments earlier this week. I would have much more respect for Pritzker if he'd call me up and say, I have a problem, can you help me fix it? I would be so happy to do it. I don't love, not that I don't have, I would have the right to do anything I want to do. I'm the president of the United States and I think our country's in danger and it is in danger in these cities. I can do it. No problem going in and solving his difficulties. But it would be nice if they'd call and they'd say, would you do it?
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Trump has pulled the plug on Kamala Harris's Secret Service detail. A spokesperson told Fox News that Trump has revoked the former vice president's Secret Service protection effective September 1st. Traditionally, former VPs receive only six months of protection after leaving office. But before stepping down, Joe Biden signed a memorandum extending Harris's coverage by a year. But Trump rescinded that order yesterday.
--:-- John Bickley: The move comes just weeks before Harris launches a nationwide book tour with stops in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Trump administration is clawing back $4.9 billion in foreign and peacekeeping aid using a rare administrative tactic known as pocket rescission. The president notified Congress last night that he intended to cancel the funds. Since the government's fiscal year ends next month, the change is likely to take effect without congressional approval.
--:-- John Bickley: Democrats and Republicans have criticized the move as it does not allow the standard 45-day window for legislators to review the change. The funds were paused by the Office of Management and Budget earlier this year and have been tied up due to a lawsuit. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals removed a legal barrier yesterday, allowing the administration to proceed with halting the aid.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A brawl erupted in the Mexican Senate this week over U.S. military intervention against the cartels, and the whole chaotic incident was caught on livestream. Daily Wire investigative reporter Spencer Lindquist has the details.
--:-- Spencer Lindquist: Thanks, Georgia. Senator Alejandro Moreno charged at the lectern at the end of Wednesday's session and grabbed Senate President Gerardo Fernandez-Neronia, and he demanded the floor. When Moreno grabbed Neronia's arm, things quickly devolved into a shoving and slapping match, with more people getting involved.
--:-- Spencer Lindquist: The issue at the heart of the argument? Whether U.S. forces should be allowed to intervene in the country to crack down on the cartels, as President Trump has been threatening to do.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has blocked the leadership of the Palestinian Authority from entering the United States. Daily Wire reporter Cassie Akiva has a story.
--:-- Cassie Akiva: Thanks, Georgia. The Daily Wire has obtained documents revealing that the State Department will revoke or suspend visas for the entire Palestinian delegation, including President Mahmoud Abbas, which will prevent them from attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.
--:-- John Bickley: Abbas was expected to present a constitutional declaration outlining a Palestinian state, which Canada, Australia, France, and Malta plan to recognize. The State Department justified the move under U.S. law and national security interests, citing the Palestinian Authority's declaration of statehood, promotion of anti-Semitism, glorification of violence, and its so-called pay-for-slay payments to terrorists.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The bodies of two more Israeli hostages have been recovered. One of the victims, Elon Weiss, was taken captive with his wife and children in the October 7th attacks nearly two years ago. His family was released as part of a ceasefire agreement. The other body remains.
--:-- John Bickley: This comes as Israel begins its offensive into Gaza city, declaring the area a quote dangerous combat zone. In July, the IDF paused daytime operations in the city to allow for humanitarian aid distribution.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Ordering online, many small packages are now subject to tariffs. The Trump administration has reversed a tariff exemption that allowed packages valued at less than $800 to enter the U.S. duty-free. As of today, that limit drops to $100.
--:-- John Bickley: The majority of small packages come from China, including retailers like Shein and Timu. The administration defended the decision, citing concerns that small package shipments of fentanyl are coming into the U.S. unrestricted via e-commerce shipments. American retailers also noted that the exemption gave an unfair advantage to online stores based abroad.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A U.S. district judge in Wyoming has dismissed a lawsuit brought by former University of Wyoming sorority members who allege their organization violated the rules by allowing a male to join their chapter in 2022. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo has more.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Thanks, Georgia. The women alleged the male member went on to engage in sexually inappropriate behavior. The judge ruled that as private organizations, sororities may define women in any way they choose and cited the Kappa Kappa Gamma organization's bylaws, which do not explicitly limit membership by biological sex.
--:-- John Bickley: The judge also dismissed the plaintiff's invocation of President Trump's executive order defining women as an adult human female. The judge wrote, We are not entirely sure what this definition means, not having a degree in biology. He later added that the EO applies to interpretation of federal laws and it is not relevant in the world of private contracts, which is where we currently find ourselves.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And a newborn who recently entered this world in a McDonald's parking lot now has a nickname to match. Alice Rotunda and her husband were racing to the hospital when baby Matilda decided she wasn't waiting. Dad pulled into a McDonald's and within minutes, little Tilly was born right there under the golden arches. Her official birthplace on the birth certificate, that parking lot, which is why the family now calls her McTilly.
--:-- John Bickley: Both mom and baby are doing well, but no word yet on whether McDonald's is offering free fries for life.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive home updates this evening. 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 political fallout from the Minnesota Catholic school shooting, Operation Raise the Colors sweeps through the UK amid immigration backlash, and the multi-billion dollar college football season begins amid major changes.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with a weekend edition of Morning Wire.
