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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, January 11th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude oil on its way to Turkey today. That's according to the Iranian state media. The move, which escalates tension in the region, is thought to be a retaliation against the United States for confiscating the same vessel called the St. Nicholas last year.
--:-- John Bickley: The U.S. seized the St. Nicholas in 2023 as part of a sanctions operation, at which time Iran warned that the move would not go unanswered.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Hunter Biden is in court in L.A. today facing nine charges of felony and misdemeanor tax-related offenses. Hunter is expected to plead not guilty to what prosecutors call a four-year scheme to not pay the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS, while instead funding an extravagant lifestyle that included drugs and women.
--:-- John Bickley: The charges were brought by special counsel David Weiss who had originally given Hunter a plea deal. That agreement fell apart when a Delaware judge rejected the deal.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Pentagon Inspector General says it plans to review the handling of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization due to a diagnosis of prostate cancer. Austin and his staff have come under fire for their lack of communication regarding his diagnosis and hospitalization over the last month.
--:-- John Bickley: Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder says that Defense Department lawyers are reviewing whether any laws were broken due to Austin's communication delay. Ryder also said that Secretary Austin remains at Walter Reed in good condition.
--:-- John Bickley: Republican Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas is warning about a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services, which he says could force foster parents to accept gender ideology and harm religious liberty.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham reports.
--:-- Megan Basham: Marshall and a group of Republican senators sent a letter to HHS Secretary Javier Becerra today expressing concern over the proposed rule that requires minors who identify as LGBT to be placed with providers who agree to affirm a child's gender identity. That includes using preferred pronouns and providing them with services that are, quote, necessary to support their health and well-being.
--:-- John Bickley: Marshall told The Daily Wire that the top priority of foster care providers should be matching vulnerable children with a safe and loving home. But he says this new proposed rule aims to exclude faith-based foster care providers from helping children in need.
--:-- Megan Basham: Not on my watch, said the Kansas senator.
--:-- Georgia Howe: In a sweeping vote yesterday the Ohio House of Representatives voted to override Republican Governor Mike DeWine veto of legislation banning medical transition procedures and treatments for minors as well as banning boys and girls sports. With 65 affirmative votes and 28 negative votes, the bill having received the required constitutional majority passed, notwithstanding the objections of the governor.
--:-- John Bickley: DeWine defended his veto decision, stating, I believe that parents, not the government, should be able to make these crucial decisions for their children. While Democrats insist that access to these procedures is the difference between life and death, Republicans say it does much greater harm than good.
--:-- Megan Basham: Here's Republican State Representative Gary Click.
--:-- Gary Click: Why in the world do we live in a society that says to our children that you need to have a scalpel and drugs to be your authentic self? That is hurtful, that is harmful, and that is horrible.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Inflation rose unexpectedly again last month, increasing by 3.4% annually. It's risen above 3% for the past 33 consecutive months. Housing costs, which include rent, were the main driver of inflation. They rose 6.2% year over year. The cost of gas and food rose as well.
--:-- John Bickley: Core inflation, which does not include food and energy, rose by 3.9%. Former Reagan administration economist Art Laffer offered some analysis.
--:-- Art Laffer: Inflation is way, way down. That's true. But prices aren't down. They're up 20 percent. And people buy things at prices, not at inflation. So they're 20 percent worse off than they were when he took office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Unemployment rates may be low but employment rates are even lower. And people have jobs that are employment rates not unemployment rates. So everything the president was saying about the economy and how it been really good and all that is just plain wrong.
--:-- John Bickley: No Labels, a political organization looking to get a third-party presidential candidate on the ballot in 2024, has reportedly engaged with allies of Chris Christie to gauge his interest in a third-party run.
--:-- Megan Basham: Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The former governor of New Jersey announced yesterday that he was suspending his presidential campaign. That's despite his early defiance of those who suggested he drop out. Now, as sources tell NBC, No Labels has been in talks with donors and other allies of Christie. However, some in Christie's camp have told NBC they're skeptical that he'd be interested in running as a third-party candidate.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, a spokesperson for No Labels says they're focusing on meeting signature requirements for ballot access in states across the country for their would-be candidate, rather than speculating on who that might be at this point in time.
--:-- John Bickley: And NFL coach Bill Belichick is departing from the New England Patriots today after 24 years. During his tenure, Belichick secured a record-setting six Super Bowl titles.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to sources close to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the parting is amicable.
--:-- John Bickley: Belichick says he'll always have fond memories of Gillette Stadium. I'll think about the Patriots and I'll always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here. But at this time we're going to move on and I look forward excited for the future.
--:-- 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 discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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