--:-- [Upbeat music fades out]
--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm John Bickley, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Wire, and I'm joined by my co-host Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, February 11th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for tuning in, John. We've got a lot to cover today.
--:-- John Bickley: Before we dive in, we've got a couple of sponsors to thank. First up, Balance of Nature. If you're looking for a way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies on the go, head to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer, plus get a free bottle of fiber and spice.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. And if you're an entrepreneur looking to upgrade your selling game, Shopify is offering a $1 per month trial period. Just head to shopify.com/morningwire to sign up.
--:-- John Bickley: Alright, let's get to the news. We've got a big story out of Russia. Mark Fogel, a Pennsylvania teacher, is being reunited with his loved ones tonight after President Trump secured his release.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. According to a statement from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, President Trump and his special envoy Steve Witkoff worked to secure Fogel's release.
--:-- John Bickley: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is also making headlines. Two top officials, Enforcement Director Eric Halperin and Supervision Director Lorelai Salas, have been relieved of their duties.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presz-Giacomo has more on that story. Amanda, can you tell us what's going on?
--:-- Amanda Presz-Giacomo: Thanks, Georgia. Yes, it's a big story. The Trump administration is taking aim at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was created under President Obama. Enforcement Director Eric Halperin and Supervision Director Lorelai Salas were placed on administrative leave yesterday, and both reportedly resigned shortly after.
--:-- John Bickley: Acting Director Russell Vogt has ordered all CFPB employees to stay home and halt work, warning that violations could lead to further dismissals.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right, John. The CFPB has long been a target of Republicans, who argue that it overreaches in financial regulation.
--:-- John Bickley: A new report claims that USAID funneled millions to extremist groups linked to terrorism.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Middle East Forum uncovered $164 million in grants tied to radical organizations, with at least $122 million benefiting terror-affiliated groups.
--:-- John Bickley: Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it may soon be abolished.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest on the Trump administration's plans for USAID. Tim, can you tell us more?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks, Georgia. Yes, it's a big story. The Trump administration is taking aim at USAID, which has been accused of funding extremist groups. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says it may soon be abolished.
--:-- John Bickley: Two co-defendants in President Trump's classified documents case had their indictments dismissed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire reporter Mairead Elordi has the details. Mairead, can you tell us what's going on?
--:-- Mairead Elordi: Thanks, Georgia. Yes, it's a big story. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today to drop charges against Trump's valet, Walt Nada, and Mar-a-Lago employee Carlos de Oliveira after the Justice Department withdrew its case following Trump's return to the White House.
--:-- John Bickley: FEMA has fired four employees allegedly involved in sending millions of dollars to New York City for housing migrants.
--:-- Georgia Howe: DHS confirmed the firings this morning, which includes the agency chief financial officer over the unauthorized $1 million in payments to luxury hotels.
--:-- John Bickley: President Trump is doubling down on his plans for Gaza.
--:-- Georgia Howe: While hosting King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, Trump said the U.S. intends to take, hold, and cherish Gaza while relocating Palestinians.
--:-- John Bickley: We're going to make sure that there's going to be peace, and there's not going to be any problem, and nobody's going to question it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And we're going to run it very properly and eventually we'll have economic development at a very large scale, maybe the largest scale on that site.
--:-- John Bickley: Despite some anger in Jordan, King Abdullah did make the following offer at the beginning of their meeting.
--:-- King Abdullah II: One of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either cancer children or in a very ill state to Jordan as quickly as possible and then wait for, I think, the Egyptians to present their plan on how we can work with the president to work on the Gaza challenges.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The meeting comes as both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say the ceasefire deal is off if the hostages aren't released by noon on Saturday.
--:-- John Bickley: This all comes after Hamas announced it delaying the next release of Israeli hostages.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Trump is reversing many of the Biden green energy regulations.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire reporter Mairead Elordi has the latest. Mairead, can you tell us more?
--:-- Mairead Elordi: Thanks, Georgia. Yes, it's a big story. In a Truth Social post today, Trump instructed EPA Chief Lee Zeldin to reinstate his first-term environmental orders, loosening restrictions on sinks, showers, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, and light bulbs.
--:-- John Bickley: He argues Biden's rules made appliances more expensive and less effective.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Republican lawmakers are also pushing bills to block Biden's efficiency mandates on coolers, freezers, and water heaters.
--:-- John Bickley: With GOP control of Congress, Trump's pro-energy agenda could move quickly.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And a massive storm is rolling toward Los Angeles, bringing the risk of heavy rain, flooding, and landslides just before Valentine's Day.
--:-- John Bickley: The National Weather Service warns this could be the strongest storm of the season with up to eight inches of rain in the mountains and four inches along the coast.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Burn areas face a high risk of mudslides, especially in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
--:-- John Bickley: Los Angeles and Ventura counties have a 40% chance of extreme rainfall, while San Diego and the Inland Empire could see up to two inches.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Officials urge residents to prepare for potential flooding as forecasters refine rainfall estimates in the coming days.
--:-- John Bickley: That's all for today's drive home update. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And in case you missed it, we covered some key stories this morning, including Trump's tariff war, Doge's legal battles, and FEMA progress and controversy.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.
