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--:-- John Bickley: Good morning, I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire, and welcome to Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And I'm Georgia Howe, co-host of Morning Wire. It's Wednesday, July 20th.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Who do Americans trust more with education, Democrats or Republicans? A historic shift is taking place among voters about which party they want involved with schools.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm here with Georgia Howe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And we're joined by our culture reporter, Megan Basham. Megan, what's the latest on this poll?
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for having me on the show. So, the poll found that likely voters now trust Republicans more when it comes to public education. This was a survey of about 1,700 likely voters, conducted in May in seven battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's the second largest teachers union in the U.S. So, what did the poll find?
--:-- Megan Basham: In response to the question, in general, do you have more confidence in the Democrats or in the Republicans to deal with education issues? 39% said Republicans compared to 38% who said Democrats.
--:-- John Bickley: That's key for a couple of reasons. First, because Democrats have typically dominated this issue both nationally and locally. So, to put it in perspective, a public opinion poll called Winning the Issues has been polling Americans about which party they trust more on education for 20 years. And Democrats have led in every single poll.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, historically, Democrats led by an average of 15 points until around 2019-2020, when that gap closed to single digits. So, the fact that this poll is now showing Republicans ahead on education is really a major shakeup.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But then secondly, the poll also finds that not only do likely voters trust Republicans more, they also care a lot about this issue. 68 of respondents said that education is either one of the most important issues to them in the upcoming election or at least a very important issue.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it did. And it seemed like parents would like less focus on social issues and more on reading, math, science. Those three subjects were overwhelmingly voters' top priority, though it was followed closely by practical skills like balancing checkbooks.
--:-- John Bickley: Meanwhile, less concrete social goals like preparing students to be comfortable and successful in diverse settings, ranked near the bottom. And 60% said they aren't happy with how racial issues are taught in schools.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, to go along with that, 43% of voters said schools spend too much time focusing on sexual preference and gender identity. In contrast, only 21% of respondents said that schools don't spend enough time on it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Randy Weingarten, president of the AFT, seemed to address these results at the union's convention last week. She blamed the negative public perception on the politicization of schools.
--:-- Megan Basham: Demagogues playing on fear, fear built on false narratives. And too many politicians are making it worse. And you know the politicians I'm talking about. The ones who stoke grievances rather than solve problems.
--:-- John Bickley: However, on that score, too, the poll really wasn't good news for Democrats. 33 percent of voters said they're more responsible for politicizing education compared with 28 percent who blamed Republicans.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, is this survey an outlier or are we seeing similar trends in other polls?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, there are signs that it might not be an outlier. So, the AFT poll dovetails with a Harris poll of 5,000 parents from last month that found that 83% of parents considered education to be a more important issue than it has been in the past.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a lot of parents. And 82% of parents said they'd be willing to vote outside their party affiliation if they liked a candidate's education platform.
--:-- Megan Basham: And that number held steady regardless of party affiliation.
--:-- John Bickley: To give you even just a little bit more context, a recent Gallup poll found that only 28% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in public schools.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, again, the party most identified with public education, typically Democrats, is going to struggle according to these trends.
--:-- Megan Basham: Right. And I mean, a lot of people commented that it was the education issue that put Glenn Youngkin in office in Virginia. But obviously, that was before inflation took off.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, it'll just be interesting to see if education is still a top issue in November.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for reporting, Megan.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- Georgia Howe: As of this month, we've had a 40-year high inflation at 9.1%. Have you considered what could happen in the stock market if our economy stalls out? Don't wait until it's too late to solidify some of your investment portfolio with gold from Birch Gold.
--:-- John Bickley: Throughout history, gold has maintained its value better than any other investment in the world. Text WIRE to 989898 today for a free zero-obligation info kit on holding gold in a tax-sheltered retirement account.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Again, text WIRE to 989898 and secure the gains you've made while you can.
--:-- John Bickley: A new poll commissioned by one of the largest teachers unions in the country is yet another sign that Democrats may be in trouble come November.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The survey found that likely voters now trust Republicans more when it comes to public education.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm here with our culture reporter, Megan Basham.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Megan, give us the biggest headline here. What did the poll find?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, you know, as John mentioned, the biggest headline here is that Republicans now hold an advantage over Democrats on the issue of education.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's key for a couple of reasons. First, because Democrats have typically dominated this issue both nationally and locally.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, to put it in perspective, a public opinion poll called Winning the Issues has been polling Americans about which party they trust more on education for 20 years. And Democrats have led in every single poll.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, historically, Democrats led by an average of 15 points until around 2019-2020, when that gap closed to single digits.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, the fact that this poll is now showing Republicans ahead on education is really a major shakeup.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But then secondly, the poll also finds that not only do likely voters trust Republicans more, they also care a lot about this issue. 68 of respondents said that education is either one of the most important issues to them in the upcoming election or at least a very important issue.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, it did. And it seemed like parents would like less focus on social issues and more on reading, math, science. Those three subjects were overwhelmingly voters' top priority, though it was followed closely by practical skills like balancing checkbooks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, less concrete social goals like preparing students to be comfortable and successful in diverse settings, ranked near the bottom. And 60% said they aren't happy with how racial issues are taught in schools.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, to go along with that, 43% of voters said schools spend too much time focusing on sexual preference and gender identity. In contrast, only 21% of respondents said that schools don't spend enough time on it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Randy Weingarten, president of the AFT, seemed to address these results at the union's convention last week. She blamed the negative public perception on the politicization of schools.
--:-- Megan Basham: Demagogues playing on fear, fear built on false narratives. And too many politicians are making it worse. And you know the politicians I'm talking about. The ones who stoke grievances rather than solve problems.
--:-- Georgia Howe: However, on that score, too, the poll really wasn't good news for Democrats. 33 percent of voters said they're more responsible for politicizing education compared with 28 percent who blamed Republicans.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, is this survey an outlier or are we seeing similar trends in other polls?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, there are signs that it might not be an outlier. So, the AFT poll dovetails with a Harris poll of 5,000 parents from last month that found that 83% of parents considered education to be a more important issue than it has been in the past.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a lot of parents. And 82% of parents said they'd be willing to vote outside their party affiliation if they liked a candidate's education platform.
--:-- Megan Basham: And that number held steady regardless of party affiliation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: To give you even just a little bit more context, a recent Gallup poll found that only 28% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in public schools.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, again, the party most identified with public education, typically Democrats, is going to struggle according to these trends.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. And I mean, a lot of people commented that it was the education issue that put Glenn Youngkin in office in Virginia. But obviously, that was before inflation took off.
--:-- Megan Basham: So, it'll just be interesting to see if education is still a top issue in November.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for reporting, Megan.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- John Bickley: Residents of the state of Texas are being asked to conserve energy and water as high temperatures and drought hit the Lone Star State.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What are the challenges facing the Texas water supply and the energy grid? And are energy policies to blame?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm here with our reporter, Charlotte Pence Bond.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Charlotte, what's the latest on the energy situation in Texas?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, as Georgia said, it's not just energy supply that's being scrutinized, it's water. The North Texas Municipal Water District last week asked customers to cut down on their use of water immediately, specifically outdoor watering.
--:-- Georgia Howe: One of its four water treatment plants and its complex had to be shut down unexpectedly on Saturday in order to work on the plant to get it back to full capacity for purifying water.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The water district pointed out that the call for conservation was due to the quantity being produced, not the quality of the water.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Did they give any reasons for this?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, the company issued a press release saying they still can purify enough water for basic needs and safety uses, but the continuing drought in the state, along with the uptick in outdoor watering and irrigation, has put a lot of stress on their systems.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This is the water district's communications director. We're experiencing a stress on our system because of peak demands with peak weather conditions. We are enduring a long, hot, dry summer, and we are trying to manage and meet the rising peak demands of our regional customers.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The company services 2 million people and up to 80 communities, so a significant population, especially if they can't get that plant back up, which, of course, we hope they do.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That regional drought they discussed is definitely an ongoing problem, though.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, over 51% of Texas is in an extreme drought, and 75% is in a severe drought.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those percentages have shifted over the past few months, but even more concerning, they have gone up as of the first week of July.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Now, Texas has already had some serious problems in the past with its electric grid, and some of this involves green energy sources.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What's going on there?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Right, so last week, ERCOT, the organization that runs the grid in Texas, issued an appeal to all Texans asking them to conserve energy. The reason the company gave for not being able to keep up with demand was, quote, low wind and forced outages in thermal generation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: ERCOT added that there are also clouds in certain areas that were restricting solar power.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So while the push for renewable or green energy sources continues in many states here, they aren't always reliable.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tesla joined ERCOT in asking electric vehicle owners not to charge their vehicles during peak time periods.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: And in June, the demand for energy reached a record in the state, and ERCOT had said that it wouldn't need to ask people to conserve. But that record was once again broken in July.
--:-- Georgia Howe: At this point, the grid is holding up, and ERCOT hasn't had to ask for any rolling blackouts yet.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, let's hope that remains the case.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for coming on, Charlotte.
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--:-- John Bickley: The Los Angeles County government took another step this week towards removing its tough-on-crime and famously outspoken sheriff from office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The county's Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to approve a ballot measure that would ask voters to give them the power to oust the sheriff, who has clashed with the board, on a number of issues.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm here with our investigative reporter, Maraida Lordi.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Maraida, tell us about this move by L.A. County.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Sure. So, the ballot measure wouldn't remove Sheriff Alex Villanueva directly, but if passed by voters in November, it would give the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors the power to remove a sheriff for cause, which the board appears poised to do with Villanueva.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The board approved the ballot measure in a 4-1 vote on Tuesday.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Supervisor Catherine Barger was the only dissenting vote, and she asked why the board was only targeting the sheriff specifically.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Why is it just the sheriff?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: We've had indictments in all levels of government, unfortunately, in the county.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Has the sheriff responded to this move by the board?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: He has. Villanueva has actually been blasting the board of supervisors for days now.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The sheriff said the move is a, quote, massive power grab by the board aimed at eliminating the few checks and balances in county government.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: The board is definitely tone deaf on this. Maybe they just drunken with power and they just don't really care.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Board Chair Holly Mitchell who co-sponsored Tuesday's motion denied that the board is attempting a power grab.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: And she said the ballot measure would put the decision about Villanueva in the hands of the voters.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This isn't a power grab by the board. This is a board responding to constituents we've heard loud and clear for the past couple of years.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Now, as we mentioned, the sheriff has clashed with the board over several things.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What do we need to know there?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Yes, that's right. Villanueva has found himself at odds with the board over several things. The board has accused the sheriff of not being transparent enough and complained that Villanueva ignored subpoenas to appear before the county's Civilian Oversight Commission.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The board has to approve the ballot measure one more time before it actually appears on the ballot in November.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: If it does appear, we'll get to see whether L.A. voters trust the board and think it's time for Villanueva to go.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Another key player here is L.A.'s district attorney, George Gascon, who Villanueva has traded barbs with, correct?
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Correct. Well, Villanueva has been a frequent critic of Gascon and has blamed him for allowing violent crime to increase in L.A., calling Gascon's approach a, quote, absolute disaster.
--:-- Georgia Howe: For his part, Gascon has sniped back and was forced to apologize after he said about the sheriff, quote, when you wrestle with a pig, you both get muddy and the pig likes it.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Their opposition to each other is very public.
--:-- Georgia Howe: When San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin was recently recalled over his failure to control crime, Villanueva had a warning for him. Go to Gascon, you're next. Not exactly mincing words there.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Now, what is the status of the recall effort against Gascon?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, the ongoing campaign to recall Gascon, who's one of the country's most progressive DAs, cleared an important hurdle recently.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: The L.A. County Registrar Recorder announced that it will now check the authenticity of the more than 700,000 signatures that have been collected.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, Maureen, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Maraida Lordi: Thanks, John.
--:-- [Music transitions to a new segment]
--:-- John Bickley: Other stories we're tracking this week.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped the highly controversial second-degree murder charge against Jose Alba, the bodega worker who stabbed and killed a man who attacked him.
--:-- John Bickley: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic leaders were detained Tuesday by Capitol Police outside of the Supreme Court for civil disobedience during an abortion rights demonstration.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Elon Musk Twitter trial has been set for October, earlier than Musk had asked for, but later than Twitter's preferred September date.
--:-- John Bickley: Around 25 million children around the world missed their routine vaccines last year due to the COVID pandemic. That's according to UNICEF and the WHO.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Gas prices hit a two-month low, falling just below $4.50 a gallon.
--:-- John Bickley: Temperatures continue to rise throughout Europe as Britain hits another all-time high of 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A Law & Order crew member was shot and killed in New York City Tuesday by a man not affiliated with the show. The shooter is still at large.
--:-- John Bickley: A pizza delivery man in Lafayette, Indiana, is being hailed as a hero after he entered a burning home and rescued several children.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now-retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced this week that he will return to teach at Harvard Law School.
--:-- John Bickley: Nancy Pelosi's office says the speaker had no knowledge of her husband's investment transactions.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This after Paul Pelosi came under scrutiny for investing millions into a semiconductor company just before that industry was set to be granted billions of dollars in subsidies.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: 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.
--:-- John Bickley: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
