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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, November 21st, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz has withdrawn his nomination for attorney general.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has the latest.
--:-- Tim Rice: The former congressman cited concerns that his confirmation process was becoming a distraction. In a statement, Gates expressed appreciation for the support he received, but emphasized the need to avoid unnecessary delays. Gates had faced scrutiny due to past allegations, including a federal investigation into sex trafficking that concluded without charges.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This comes as the House Ethics Committee deliberated and decided not to release a report on Gates, though committee chair Michael Guest confirmed they will reconvene on December 5th to discuss the matter further.
--:-- John Bickley: Senator Lindsey Graham says he respects Gates' decision but said it's time to move on to someone else.
--:-- Lindsey Graham: I would say the president nominated somebody, they chose to not go forward, now he'll nominate somebody else. You know, all this interest about Republican nominees, I understand it, but where were most of y'all at when the Democrats were doing this?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tensions continue to escalate in the Russia-Ukraine war with direct threats made against the U.S.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Ukrainian officials say Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at key infrastructure, marking the first known use of such a powerful weapon in the war. This attack follows Ukraine's use of U.S.-made missiles inside Russia, something President Biden has allowed.
--:-- John Elliott: This would mean a major escalation, really a response to the provocation that the Biden administration is doing in the last throes. We've got two months going in this administration. President Trump has said that he's going to ramp this war down. And suddenly, why are we provoking the Russians and then having a tit-for-tat?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Moscow has warned that such actions would escalate the conflict and appears to be doubling down. Moscow has threatened to target a new U.S. missile defense base in Poland with advanced weapons. Russian officials claim the base increases nuclear risks, while Poland insists it is purely for defense, not attacks.
--:-- John Bickley: A massive caravan of migrants hoping to enter the U.S. is heading north. The caravan of at least 1 migrants which includes children is trying to cross before President Donald Trump takes office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Many migrants expressed hopes for faster appointments for entry before Trump promised crackdown begins.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/morningwire.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta-Giacomo has the details.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The ICC has charged them with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the use of starvation as a warfare tactic and targeting civilians. The move has sparked outrage in Israel, with President Isaac Herzog condemning the decision as a mockery of justice and accusing the ICC of siding with terrorism.
--:-- John Thune: I am again calling on Leader Schumer to bring a bill to the floor, sanctioning the ICC, which the House has already passed with bipartisan support. If he chooses not to act, the new Senate Republican majority next year will.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Jussie Smollett's fake attack conviction has been overturned on a technicality. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Smollett's Fifth Amendment rights were violated when a special prosecutor tried him after charges were dropped.
--:-- John Bickley: Smollett had falsely claimed two men attacked him in January of 2019 but investigators later revealed he had orchestrated the hoax with two brothers to boost his career. Smollett continues to insist he's innocent.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A Pennsylvania Democratic election official has apologized after claiming precedent doesn't matter anymore in regard to counting provisional ballots in the state's Senate recount.
--:-- Diane Ellis Marseglia: I took my frustration out on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, many of whom are friends of mine and who I respect and whose decisions are complicated, difficult and important. We are all going to learn lessons from this new media landscape. And most of all, I am.
--:-- John Bickley: Ellen DeGeneres and her wife, Portia de Rossi, have fled the country in the wake of Donald Trump's election. The couple decided to get the hell out and say they will never return to live permanently.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your Drive Home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune into our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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