--:-- [Upbeat music fades out, and the host, Georgia Howe, speaks]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm Georgia Howe, and I'm here with our Editor-in-Chief, John Bickley.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Today's Friday, February 2nd, and we've got a lot to cover. Let's start with some international news. The European Union has agreed to a 50 billion euro fund for Ukraine to help with their war against Russia.
--:-- [Music transitions to a more serious tone]
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. This fund consists of loans and grants that will be handed out over the next four years. It's a big show of support for Ukraine, especially since U.S. aid is being debated in Congress.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And it's interesting to note that Hungary's Viktor Orban was initially hesitant to join the other European nations in supporting Ukraine, but eventually came on board.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. Orban did ask for an additional review of how the money is being spent to safeguard against corruption.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Moving on to domestic news, the Senate border bill is still in the works, but Kansas Senator Roger Marshall says Republicans are divided on whether to support it.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. Marshall believes that a majority of the border problem could be solved if President Biden reinstated the Remain in Mexico policy and fixed the asylum and parole issues.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And he's not afraid to speak his mind about it. Marshall said, "He [President Biden] has said he wants to grease the immigration system. So I'm a little bit leery of the person that we are trying to deal with right now."
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. Marshall also pointed out that under President Obama, 5,000 people were paroled per year, but under President Biden, that number has skyrocketed to 700,000 per year.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wow, that's a huge difference. And Marshall believes that if they could fix parole and asylum, they could solve 70% of the border problem.
--:-- John Bickley: Exactly. And it's worth noting that the U.S. House has already passed a bill calling for the deportation of illegal immigrants who are caught driving while intoxicated.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. The vote was 270 to 150, with 59 Democrats joining the Republican majority to support the bill.
--:-- John Bickley: And it's interesting to note that Alabama Congressman Barry Moore introduced the bill after two of his constituents were killed by an illegal immigrant in a car accident.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's heartbreaking. And Moore pointed out that the illegal immigrant had already been deported a couple of times, but still managed to get back into the country.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And Moore believes that there needs to be accountability in the process, and that's why he introduced this bill.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Moving on to other news, President Biden will be visiting East Palestine, Ohio this month, nearly a year after the devastating train derailment.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's worth noting that former President Trump did visit the disaster site in the days following the derailment, and even brought supplies to the affected community.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, it's interesting to see how the two presidents are handling this situation. And East Palestine resident Russell Murphy has spoken out about Biden's planned visit, saying that it's too little, too late.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. Murphy believes that Biden's visit will be nothing but a photo op, and that it will only cause more problems for the town.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern has agreed to participate in a new federal system that allows employees to report safety problems without fear of reprisal.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that an investor group has made a $1 billion investment in Norfolk Southern, and is trying to oust the company's CEO.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wow, that's a lot of money. And it's worth noting that Elon Musk is considering reincorporating Tesla in Texas, where the company is headquartered.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that Musk's $56 billion compensation package was rejected by a Delaware judge, citing that he hadn't properly justified the pay.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, that's a big deal. And it's worth noting that 87% of Tesla shareholders voted in favor of reincorporating in Texas.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that Delaware is considered the number one state for business, with 68 of the Fortune 500 companies incorporated there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wow, that's a lot of companies. And it's worth noting that Universal Music Group has pulled songs from Taylor Swift, Drake, U2, Adele, and Ariana Grande from TikTok after the two companies couldn't reach a deal on compensation.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that Universal Music Group said that TikTok is trying to build a music-based business without paying fair value for the music.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, that's a big issue. And it's worth noting that TikTok fired back, saying that Universal Music Group's greed caused them to be unable to reach a deal, which hurts their artists.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that music journalist Lars Brandl summed up the situation, saying that the two companies are engaged in a "bruising" battle over money.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wow, that's a strong word. And it's worth noting that this is a big deal, as it's a public dispute between two major companies in the music industry.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that this is not the first time a similar dispute has occurred, with Warner Music removing their titles from YouTube in 2008.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, that's a good point. And it's worth noting that this standoff lasted nine months.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's interesting to note that this is a big issue, as it affects the music industry as a whole.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, that's all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining us on Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Don't forget to check out our website, dailywire.com, for more in-depth coverage of these stories. And if you want to listen to our full episode, tune in every morning.
--:-- [Music transitions back to an upbeat tone]
--:-- Announcer (Voiceover): This episode of Morning Wire is brought to you by Balance of Nature. Get 35% off your first order as a preferred customer + free Fiber and Spice supplements. Use promo code WIRE at checkout: https://www.balanceofnature.com/
