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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, March 20th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: French President Emmanuel Macron survived a crucial vote of no confidence today. The vote came as the embattled leader found himself with the worst approval ratings in his presidency and the subject of mass protests after he reformed the nation's pension system, including raising the retirement age by two years.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: Chinese leader Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow on Monday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on what Beijing labeled a mission of peace. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta-Giacomo has more. She visits underscore strengthening ties between the two powerful nations and comes as the Chinese leader is trying to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. The U opposes any deal expressing concerns that a Beijing peace pact would be one in favor of Russia. On Monday, Xi said he is sure his visit will be fruitful.
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--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: That meeting comes a day after Putin made a surprise visit to Mariupol, a Russian-occupied city in southern Ukraine, where he spoke briefly with supporters.
--:-- Tim Meads: 16 people on the FBI's terror watch list were stopped along the southern border in February, according to new data. Here with more is Daily Wire writer Tim Meads. A total of 69 individuals on the terror watch list have been arrested at the U.S. southern border in fiscal year 2023, and authorities say that the U.S. is already on pace to shatter last year's 98 encounters. Immigration officials also report that the agency has encountered at least 214 people combined on the terrorist screening database at both the northern and southern U.S. borders.
--:-- Tim Pierce: In an update to our lead story from this morning's episode, potential 2024 GOP candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on former President Donald Trump's claim that he was going to be arrested Tuesday on charges brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just, I can't speak to that. But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction and he chooses to go back many many years ago to try to use something about hush money payments, you know, that's an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that that's fundamentally wrong.
--:-- Tim Pierce: At the federal level, a trio of Republican committee chairmen announced a probe into Alvin Bragg. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, and House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Steele wrote to Bragg's office on Monday and accused the Manhattan prosecutor of unprecedented abuse of authority. The House lawmakers sought records and communications related to Bragg's investigation of Trump, as well as a transcribed interview with the prosecutor. The lawmaker's letter comes days after Trump said Bragg intends to charge him in what would be the first ever indictment of a former U.S. president. Bragg has investigated Trump for more than a year now over alleged hush money Trump paid porn star Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair prior to the 2016 election.
--:-- Georgia Howe: An American hostage kept in Niger for six years has been freed from captivity, the State Department announced on Monday. Jeff Woodkey was a Christian humanitarian aid worker stationed in West Africa when he was taken hostage by a terrorist group. Secretary Antony Blinken thanked the government of Niger for their help securing his release. I also want to thank our team starting with Special Envoy Roger Carstens all of those who have been working at the department to bring him home, tireless efforts, and I'm very pleased that we are now seeing that come to fruition today. As you know, I have no higher priority or focus than bringing home any unjustly detained American, wherever that is in the world. But we won't rest until they're all home and, like Jeffrey, reunited with their families.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The mayor of Miami Beach has called for canceling spring break after two men were shot and killed over the weekend amidst wild partying on the streets of the city. In a statement, Democratic Mayor Dan Gelber said, quote, it's too rowdy, it brings too much disorder, and is simply too difficult to police. Miami Beach residents and business owners say out-of-control crowds and extensive property damage have become the norm in recent years. A midnight curfew was implemented Sunday night by Gelber.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And today marks the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Roughly 2,500 U.S. ground troops still remain stationed scattered throughout the country.
--:-- 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.
