--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by Birch Gold Group. Diversify your savings with Birch Gold. Their experts can help turn your 401k into a 401k in gold. Just text WIRE to 989898 today.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Monday, February 12th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: In a daring operation overnight, Israel Defense Forces rescued two Israeli hostages who were being held by Hamas terrorists in Rafa, Egypt. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce reports.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Israeli forces went into Rafa early on Monday despite pressure from President Biden to forego the operation. Israeli soldiers rescued both 61-year-old Fernando Marmon and 71-year-old Louis Haar. Both were kidnapped from near Yitzhak on October 7th. The brief operation included a battle with Hamas militants in the building, with hostages and others nearby.
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--:-- Tim Pierce: As an IDF spokesman told the Times of Israel, "This was a very complex action in which Israeli soldiers fielded heavy fire while performing the rescue." Both hostages are said to be in good condition after their arrival at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan.
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--:-- Tim Pierce: Here's the hospital's acting director. "I think that the most important moment is not just the medical part, but rather the personal issue and the fact and to see them joining with their families, with their loved ones. for months I've seen them Remember there is a 70 person there and a 60 person They are not young These are the people who were kidnapped from Israel"
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Closed-door hearings began today to consider the degree of access to evidence in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case for former President Trump. Special counsel Jack Smith is seeking to block requests by Trump's lawyers for unredacted documents.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Smith argues that it poses a significant and immediate threat to over two dozen witnesses. Trump faces a handful of charges in the case, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and corruptly concealing a document.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Lawyers representing the former president are seeking to have the charges thrown out and face a February 22nd deadline for pretrial motions.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is in critical care at Walter Reed Medical Center following symptoms of an emergent bladder issue.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The Pentagon says Austin has transferred his duties to his deputy. Daily Wire senior editor Joel Needler has more.
--:-- Joel Needler: In a statement Sunday, the military hospital said it is not clear how long Secretary Austin will remain hospitalized and that the bladder issue is, quote, "not expected to change his anticipated full recovery." The hospital also says his cancer prognosis remains excellent.
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--:-- Joel Needler: This comes on the heels of Austin's hospital stay earlier this year, during which he was hospitalized for two weeks. Apparently the secretary did not go through the proper protocol leading him to say "I want to be crystal clear We did not handle this right and I did not handle this right I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis I should have also told my team and the American public"
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--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by Policy Genius. Head to policygenius.com or click the link in the description to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has apologized for a $7 million Super Bowl ad paid for by the American Values Super PAC.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Kennedy, in a statement, said he was not consulted about the ad and apologized to his family members who were offended by it.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: A woman who opened fire at the megachurch of celebrity pastor Joel Osteen in Houston was shot and killed by off-duty officers on Sunday after injuring at least one person.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: A young child who was with the woman was also caught in the crossfire. Officials say that the child is in critical condition.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: As a federal law enforcement source tells CNN, the shooter used a rifle with the words "Free Palestine" written on it.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Questions regarding the shooter's gender have also emerged with past arrest records showing she at one time identified as a man named Jeffrey.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Osteen says his community was devastated. "We've been here 65 years and have somebody shooting in your church, but, you know, we don't understand why these things happen, but we know God's in control, and we're going to pray for that little five-year-old boy and prayed for the lady that was deceased, her family and all, and the other gentlemen."
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--:-- Georgia Howe: And a California man whose family's gender-reveal stunt started a wildfire that killed a firefighter in 2020 has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell reports.
--:-- Zach Jewell: According to authorities, a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off during the September 5th photo shoot at El Dorado Ranch Park in Uquipa and quickly set the dry grass surrounding it ablaze.
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--:-- Zach Jewell: Refugio Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Jimenez tried to frantically put out the fire with water bottles before calling 911. Over the next several days, strong winds spread the fire through the forest land roughly 75 miles from Los Angeles.
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--:-- Zach Jewell: 39-year-old Charles Morton was killed on September 17, 2020, when the blaze overran a remote area where firefighters were cutting fire breaks.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, there's 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 our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
