--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, October 23rd, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: Two Israeli hostages have been released from Gaza as the war between the Israeli defense force and the terror group Hamas rages on.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: As Israeli sources tell Fox News, the hostages were released after mediation efforts from Qatar.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The news comes as the United States has reportedly advised Israel to delay its ground invasion of Gaza to allow more time to free hostages held by terrorists and also move in humanitarian aid to the territory.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Meanwhile, Staff Sergeant Omer Balva, an American citizen and Israeli reservist, was killed in action near the Lebanese border on Friday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The 22-year-old was in the U.S. when the attacks first began. His family said he felt called to fight.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So far, Israel has called up more than 300,000 reservists, many from countries around the world.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The House GOP are holding yet another candidate forum today after nine Republicans threw their hat into the race for the speakership.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: A vote is expected to be held on Tuesday to try to weed out some of the candidates so that Republicans can find another nominee after Jordan was booted from the speaker-designee slot during a private vote on Friday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has put his support behind the highest ranking of the nine Majority Whip Tom Emmer.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This is not a time for a learning experience of speaker Tom would be able to walk into the job and do it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wildfire smog in Louisiana created fatal conditions on I this morning leading to 25 separate car crashes with dozens injured and at least two killed.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Several 18-wheelers were engulfed in flames and many drivers were forced to abandon their cars for safety.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Locals have been reacting to the accident.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: As one woman told WWLTV, her daughter and granddaughter are among those still blocked in by the crashes.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: My daughter and granddaughter is in there and I got a phone call. I was at a funeral and they was trying to get there and she calls me. Mama, they've had a bad wrecked and we're in it, but we're okay.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: And my granddaughter is a doctor and student and she just jumped out immediately and went to start doing what she could to save lives.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Democratic Senator Bob Menendez was back in court today for his arraignment over allegations of bribery and conspiring to act as a foreign agent while serving as a member of Congress.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The 69-year-old entered a not guilty plea as was expected.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The New Jersey senator stepped down from leadership position on his committee after his previous charges were brought to light last month.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: According to prosecutors, Menendez and his wife accepted bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car over the past five years for various acts of corruption
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--:-- Georgia Howe: While the U southern border gets more of the attention from media and politicians a new report shows that illegal immigration at America's border with Canada has increased nearly 350 percent in just one year.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: According to data from Customs and Border Protection, the number of encounters with illegal aliens at the northern border skyrocketed from 2,238 in 2022 to 10,021 this year.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: An off-duty pilot has been charged with 83 counts of attempted murder and reckless endangerment after he allegedly attempted to shut off the engine of an Alaskan Airlines flight Sunday afternoon.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The 44-year-old Joseph Emerson was riding in the cockpit, something common in the airline industry for off-duty pilots, when he tried to gain control of the aircraft.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The flight was initially traveling from Seattle to San Francisco, but was diverted to Portland International Airport where police arrested him.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: He was also charged with one count of endangering an aircraft.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: His motivation is unknown.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The United Auto Workers strike expanded today after 6,800 UAW members joined the strike at the Stellantis Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in Michigan.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The new work stoppage brings the total number of striking auto workers to 40,000.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Those workers are spread among the auto industry's big three companies, Ford, GM, and Stellantis
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The UAW blasted Stellantis proposed new contract with its members saying that it has quote the worst proposal on the table regarding wage progression temporary worker pay and conversion of full cost adjustments and more
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--:-- Georgia Howe: UAW President Sean Fain joined the picket line and spoke to local outlet WXYZ.
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--:-- Sean Fain: What kind of impact do you anticipate closing down Shab will have on Stellantis?
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--:-- Sean Fain: It's going to have a huge impact. It's their moneymaker. So just like Kentucky Truck Plant was for Ford, it's going to have a massive impact.
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--:-- Sean Fain: Like I said, we've been patient. Vice President Boyer and the team have been extremely patient trying to get our members' fair share.
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--:-- Sean Fain: We haven't got there, so we have to do what we have to do.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: In Ireland, an Iranian refugee who came to the Emerald Isle at the age of six has been sentenced over two grisly murders he committed last year.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The now 23-year-old Yusuf Polanyi received two life sentences in prison after he pleaded guilty of decapitating one of his victims, and a second victim was stabbed 25 times in April of 2022.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Authorities claim that Polanyi's prejudice against homosexuality was the motivating factor in these deaths, but Polanyi has denied those claims.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The murder rocked the nation and has brought new scrutiny to Ireland's refugee policies.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive-home updates this afternoon.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
