--:-- Georgia Howe: Hey, this is Georgia Howe, and I'm with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, September 19th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: Japan has experienced widespread power outages and mass evacuations after typhoon Nanmadal struck the southern coastline on Sunday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: In more extreme weather news, Hurricane Fiona is now heading into the southwest Atlantic Ocean, where it's expected to intensify. Fiona has already hit the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
--:-- John Bickley: 60 Minutes aired an exclusive interview with President Biden on Sunday in which he made some eyebrow-raising remarks, including that the U.S. would send troops on the ground to Taiwan if China invaded the South Pacific island.
--:-- Georgia Howe: But would U.S. forces defend the island? Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack. Host Scott Pelley noted that an anonymous White House official walked back Biden's remarks after the conversation.
--:-- John Bickley: In response to Biden's comments on Monday, The Chinese foreign ministry said they have lodged a formal response to the U.S.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas told CBS that the Biden administration needs to ramp up border enforcement to mitigate the immigration crisis.
--:-- Henry Cuellar: We've got to get border patrol. We've got to get byes, homeland security, the equipment, the making sure they have everything where they can enforce the law. Because if we don't have repercussions at the border we're going to continue getting 8 people a day.
--:-- John Bickley: The Home Builder Confidence Index fell in September for the ninth straight month as home builders brace for a housing recession. The index fell to 46 in September, down from 76 a year ago.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A new study by a veterans group claims that the Department of Veterans Affairs is undercounting the number of former military service members who are dying from suicide and self-harm.
--:-- John Bickley: The Taliban freed the last U.S. prisoner held hostage in Afghanistan on Monday as part of a prisoner swap with the U.S. government. Navy veteran and engineer Mark Frerichs was exchanged for a Taliban member convicted in a heroin smuggling operation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Citizens across the United Kingdom gathered Monday to bid Queen Elizabeth II a final goodbye. The funeral service was held in Westminster Abbey and welcomed many distinguished guests and world leaders.
--:-- John Bickley: Roads near Hyde Park and Westminster Abbey were closed in order to allow the Queen's casket to make its final journey to Windsor Castle.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, we weren't going to come originally, to be honest, but... We want to be a part of history. History, yeah. It's kind of a historical moment, so that's why we're here.
--:-- 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 on the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
--:-- John Bickley: From all of us here at Morning Wire, we hope you're enjoying the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Did you know that if you subscribe to Daily Wire Plus, you can get access to all Daily Wire has to offer. That means news, commentary, documentaries, movies, and so much more. Become a subscriber today. Download the Daily Wire Plus app and take us with you wherever you go.
