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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: Another batch of classified documents were discovered at President Biden's Delaware home, dating from the time he was vice president. On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced an investigation into the matter. I signed an order appointing Robert Hurd as special counsel for the matter. We have the details. I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's Friday, January 13th, and this is Morning Wire. The suspect in the Idaho murders case appeared in court on Thursday. We break down the latest revelations about the case. And are you cooking with gas? Gas stoves could be the latest household luxury on the chopping block. It's not too late to change to a different cooking setup. We discuss the conflicting messages coming from the current administration.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Make the new year all about the new you with Jenny Cell Skin Care. Jenny Cell works for both men and women of all skin types and all ages. Right now, you can save over 70% off their most popular package, which includes a bottle of their top-selling vitamin C serum, absolutely free. All you got to do is visit JennyCell.com slash wire and use code wire at checkout for an extra 10% off your order.
--:-- John Bickley: On Thursday, lawyers for President Joe Biden announced they'd found a set of classified records at the president's private residence in Delaware. The new revelations come just days after reports that a separate trove of classified documents were discovered in a private think tank office belonging to the president. Now those revelations have prompted a formal investigation from the U.S. Justice Department.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here with more is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, as we've reported, this all started on Monday when the president's attorney announced that back in November, just a week before the midterm election, his lawyers had discovered a series of classified documents in the president's personal office at his D.C.-based think tank. The documents reportedly came from Biden's time as vice president and are related to Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The lawyers reportedly notified the National Archives and handed over the documents the following day, but reports of the finding just came out this week. Right. Now, initially, the Biden administration sort of brushed off that story, suggesting that it was an isolated incident and nothing more than an honest mistake. But now we know that it was not an isolated incident. So now we have the second batch of documents.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: On Thursday morning, the president was set to give an address touting the positive news on the latest inflation figures. But by noon, no one was really talking about the economy. That's because just before his speech, Biden's lawyer released a bombshell statement that additional classified documents had been found at the president's private residence in Delaware, this time in his garage and another adjacent room.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The search of the president's home was reportedly conducted in coordination with the Justice Department, which became involved after that first set of documents were found back in November. But it's worth noting it was not a raid like the one we saw at former President Trump's home. Right. Important distinction there.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, the involvement of the Justice Department is a key element here. What steps have they taken to this point? Well, look, it's hard for the White House to continue saying that it's not a serious issue when we now know the Justice Department has become involved.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: First, we learned that they've been interviewing members of Biden's former staff when he was working in the Obama administration as VP, looking into how those documents made it out of his office Those interviews were part of a review that Attorney General Merrick Garland had called for after that first batch of documents was recovered But then on Thursday Garland went a step further announcing that he had launched a DOJ investigation into the matter and appointed a special counsel.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: The extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter. This appointment underscores for the public the department's commitment to both independence and accountability and particularly sensitive matters. The special counsel appointed by Attorney General Garland is a man named Robert Herr, a former federal prosecutor who served three years as a U.S. attorney after being appointed by President Trump back in 2018.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: All right, so a Trump appointee. And we now have heard some from President Biden. What has he said thus far? Well, like we said earlier, rather than that new inflation report, which the White House was really hoping would drive the news cycle this week, This story was the first thing that every reporter asked the president about after yesterday morning's speech.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Here's how he responded to Fox News' Peter Doocy. Classified material. Next year, Corvette. What were you thinking? Let me, I'm going to get a chance to speak on all this, God willing, soon. But as I said earlier this week, people, and by the way, my Corvette's in a locked garage. Okay, so it's not like you're sitting out in the street. But as I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents and classified material seriously.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: I also said we're cooperating fully and completely with the Justice Department's review. As part of that process, my lawyers reviewed other places where documents from my time as vice president were stored, and they finished the review last night. They discovered a small number of documents of classified markings and storage areas and file cabinets in my home and my personal library.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Critics have been quick to point out that this downplaying of the matter does seem a bit hypocritical given the way he treated President Trump's handling of classified documents at his private residence.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, he told 60 Minutes a few months ago that it was, quote, totally irresponsible. Have a listen. How that could possibly happen. How anyone could be that irresponsible. And I thought, what data was in there that may compromise sources and methods? By that, I mean names of people who helped, et cetera. And it's just totally irresponsible.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So now the question becomes how that DOJ investigation will proceed and whether any more classified documents will be found. A story that seems to get bigger by the day. Yes, it does.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Cabot, thanks for reporting. That was Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- John Bickley: The suspect in the Idaho murder case of four college students appeared in court on Thursday. While in court, the suspect waived the right to a speedy trial and is expected to return to court in June. In recent days, new details have been released about the murders, including the revelation that one of the surviving roommates may have seen the alleged killer on his way out of the home.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to discuss the latest details is Daily Wire senior editor, Ash Short.
--:-- Ash Short: So Ash, a lot more information has come out over the past few days. What have we learned? Well, Idaho authorities last week unsealed the probable cause affidavit used to arrest the man they suspect of killing the four college students back in November.
--:-- Ash Short: The document revealed that one of the surviving roommates, Dylan Mortensen, was woken up around 4 a.m. by what she thought was one of her roommates playing with her dog upstairs. Mortensen also reported hearing someone say, there's someone here. But when she opened her bedroom door, she didn't see anything.
--:-- Ash Short: She then opened her door a second time when she heard more noises and told police she heard a male voice say something along the lines of, it's okay, I'm going to help you. When she opened her door a third time she told police she saw a man wearing black clothing and a mask over his nose and mouth walking toward her
--:-- Ash Short: She said the man was 5 or taller athletically built but not muscular and had bushy eyebrows She said the man walked past her as she stood in a frozen shock phase. She said he walked out of the house and she locked herself in her room.
--:-- Ash Short: So she likely saw the killer, but she didn't immediately call police. When were police called? Police weren't called until noon, so about eight hours later.
--:-- Ash Short: And why the delay there? Police aren't sure why there was a delay, but have been adamant that they don't suspect the roommate was involved in any way. Police have speculated that she might have been terrified and simply hid in her room during that time.
--:-- Ash Short: The victims were reportedly already dead by the time the killer left, so no one was making noise or calling for help. And calling police earlier wouldn't have saved their lives.
--:-- Ash Short: Now, what else have we learned from the probable cause affidavit? Police were able to use surveillance footage around the area where the crime occurred to find a white Hyundai Elantra near the residence at the time of the crime.
--:-- Ash Short: They were then able to track the Hyundai's movements to and from Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington. Police also obtained the cell phone number belonging to the owner of the vehicle and also tracked its movements along the same route at the same time.
--:-- Ash Short: They connected both of these to the arrested suspect, whom the Daily Wire is not naming due to a policy regarding mass killers. One of the most frightening details in the affidavit is that police tracked the Hyundai back to the victim's home on the morning after the murders, suggesting he returned to the scene of the crime before police were called.
--:-- Ash Short: Now, do we know why the suspect targeted these specific victims? We still don't know. According to lawyers involved with the case, the suspect didn't know the victims personally, but it looks like the suspect's cell phone was near the home of the victims on at least 12 occasions in the months before the murders, almost always in the late evening to early morning hours.
--:-- Ash Short: An interesting side note, the suspect was pursuing his PhD in criminal justice and criminology and had previously worked on a survey that asked how criminals choose their victims.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, well, Ash, thanks so much for reporting. That was Daily Wire senior editor, Ash Short.
--:-- John Bickley: A heated debate over gas stoves erupted this week after a Biden agency said they were considering banning them before quickly walking back the statement. But critics have been pointing to steps already being taken by government officials to target the use of stoves.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Pressed on the possibility of a ban on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that President Biden is not looking to ban them, but also said that the White House can't speak to the safety of gas stoves.
--:-- John Bickley: The president does not support banning gas stoves, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves. We just want to be very clear on that. And so, again, that's not something that we can make from here about the safety of a gas stove.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraid Alordi is here with more details for us.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: Hi, John. So this all started earlier this week when a commissioner appointed by President Biden to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is supposed to protect the public from dangerous household products, told Bloomberg News that the agency will move to regulate or even ban gas stoves.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said the agency could issue a proposal as soon as this year, although he said that would be, quote, on the quick side. The concern, he claimed, is that gas stoves release harmful pollution indoors that can cause health problems, including childhood asthma, cardiovascular illness, and cancer.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: According to some research, gas stoves release nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter at unsafe levels. The agency appears to have mulled a ban for at least several weeks.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: Here Commissioner Trumka last month saying a ban is a real possibility That why I think we need to be talking about regulating gas stoves whether that drastically improving emissions or banning gas stoves entirely And I think we ought to keep that possibility of a ban in mind as you follow along, because it's a powerful tool in our toolbox.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: However, after a wave of rather intense pushback, the agency on Wednesday attempted to clarify the commissioner's comments, saying it's not currently planning a ban. But that appears to have been too little too late.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: This quickly became a very hot debate online and apparently also in Washington. How is this playing out in D.C.? Well, the ban has been supported by some progressives and pretty uniformly rejected by conservatives.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: Republican Texas Congressman Ronnie Jackson tweeted, come and take it, adding that he'd never give up his gas stove. Progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded to Jackson's tweet claiming that pollution from gas stoves leads to reduced cognitive performance.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: Some social media users dug up photos of Ocasio-Cortez, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other Democrats using gas stoves and accused them of being hypocritical. Centrist Democrat Senator Joe Manchin joined Republicans in slamming the idea of a ban.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: He tweeted it would be a recipe for disaster and that the federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. Now, as we've seen, the White House has since responded to all the backlash and insists that they aren't going to ban gas stoves, at least not now.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: But there have already been some bans set in motion, correct? Right. And we should note first that although some fear to ban would uproot the gas stoves already in about 40 million American households, any upcoming regulations would likely apply to new stoves, not existing ones.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: And as you noted, some states have actually already taken similar steps. Last year, California passed laws banning the sale of gas heaters by 2030 and banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. Meanwhile, in New York, Governor Kathy Hochul introduced a proposal just this week to ban gas stoves going forward, as well as hot water heaters and oil furnaces in new home and commercial construction by 2030.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: That sparked immediate pushback, including from the restaurant industry. So in other words, fears that bans are in the works are certainly not unfounded. Certainly not.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, thanks for reporting. That was Daily Wire investigative reporter, Mireille Delordi.
--:-- John Bickley: Another story we're tracking this week. Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, died Thursday night. She was 54 years old. She suffered a cardiac arrest on Thursday in her Calabasas home. This comes just days after she attended the Golden Globes and the film Elvis about her father's life won three coveted awards.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.
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--:-- John Bickley: Morning Wire is brought to you by LifeLock.
