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--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe.
--:-- John Bickley: And I'm John Bickley, Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Today, we're covering the latest on unidentified objects shot down in the U.S. over the weekend, residents of East Palestine, Ohio, feeling uneasy about returning home after a controlled burn of toxic chemicals, and a bombshell report suggesting a State Department-funded group has been blacklisting reputable conservative news outlets.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And before we dive in, a quick word from our sponsors. This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And also, a big thank you to Black Rifle Coffee. Start your morning with America's coffee from BlackRifleCoffee.com. Use promo code WIRE for 10% off your first order or Coffee Club subscription.
--:-- John Bickley: Alright, let's get to the news. We're joined now by Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- John Bickley: So, let's dive right in. What's the latest on the unidentified objects shot down over the weekend by U.S. fighter jets?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, on Monday, we learned from defense officials that they're confident the three objects shot down over the weekend were not sending out communication signals and that the biggest threat they posed was to commercial airliners as they were flying between 20 and 40,000 feet.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And I understand the objects were different shapes. Can you tell us more about that?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, it's pretty bizarre. The first was car-shaped, the second was cylindrical, and the third was octagonal. But we still don't know what they are.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And the Pentagon announced that no debris from any of those three objects had been recovered.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: That's right. But we did learn that after that Chinese balloon incident, NORAD adjusted their radar system, essentially making it more sensitive to incursions into our airspace.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's interesting. And what about the official message from the Biden administration this week?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So, there seemed to be agreement among the general public that the president should have shot that first Chinese balloon down before it traversed the entire country. For example, a Trafalgar poll found that 60% of Americans think Biden mishandled that situation.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And it's not surprising that outwardly, at least, they're taking a much more aggressive stance this week.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, the White House ordered an interagency team to study, quote, the broader policy implications for detection, analysis, and disposition of unidentified aerial objects.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we're joined now by Congressman Ryan Zinke. Congressman Zinke, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Ryan Zinke: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Congressman Zinke, you've been vocal about your concerns regarding these unidentified objects. Can you tell us more about your thoughts on this situation?
--:-- Ryan Zinke: Well, look, it's quite clear. We're entering balloon warfare. And look, if we can't figure out balloons, we're not going to be able to figure out how to defend Taiwan.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And it's worth noting that there are those who say these objects are actually fairly low-tech and are simply being sent by foreign adversaries to test our detection capabilities.
--:-- Ryan Zinke: But, you know, the administration can't hide the fact that they're being penetrated by China.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we'll continue to monitor this situation.
--:-- John Bickley: Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Alright, let's move on to our next story. A train derailment in northeastern Ohio is sparking outrage after the rail company involved told federal officials that several of the cars contained hazardous industrial chemicals.
--:-- John Bickley: Yeah, and we're joined now by Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marita Lordi. Marita, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Marita Lordi: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- John Bickley: So, can you give us some background on the situation in Ohio?
--:-- Marita Lordi: So, this started when 50 cars on a freight train derailed on February 3rd near East Palestine, Ohio, a town right on the border of Pennsylvania.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And I understand the train was carrying several types of industrial chemicals.
--:-- Marita Lordi: That's right. To lower the risk of explosion, officials decided to do a controlled release of the chemicals, and residents within one mile of the crash site were ordered to evacuate.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And what are some of the chemicals that are so problematic?
--:-- Marita Lordi: One of those chemicals is vinyl chloride, a highly flammable substance used to make polyvinyl chloride or PVC.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And what are the health risks associated with vinyl chloride?
--:-- Marita Lordi: The National Cancer Institute describes vinyl chloride as a carcinogen linked to a rare form of liver cancer as well as lymphoma, leukemia, and several brain and lung cancers.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And some officials are assuring the public that the situation is now safe.
--:-- Marita Lordi: The EPA says they are monitoring the air quality and have found no toxic threats.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. But some locals are reporting animal deaths, including fish and even chickens.
--:-- Marita Lordi: My chickens were perfectly fine. And as soon as they started to burn, my chickens slowed down and they died. I'm going to be taking my birds to the vet to have them examined, because if we can do this to chickens in one night, imagine what it's going to do to us in 20 years.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And it's unclear if the derailment site is contained.
--:-- Marita Lordi: It's unclear. Norfolk Southern told the EPA on Sunday that the five train cars carrying vinyl chloride have been stabilized, that's their word, but they listed at least three more cars that contain other dangerous chemicals.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we'll continue to monitor this situation.
--:-- John Bickley: Marita, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Marita Lordi: Thanks, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Alright, let's move on to our next story. A bombshell report finds that the State Department helped fund a group that produces an advertising blacklist and that appears to have targeted conservative news outlets limiting their income potential.
--:-- John Bickley: Yeah, and we're joined now by Daily Wire culture reporter, Megan Basham. Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, can you tell us more about this group that the State Department funded?
--:-- Megan Basham: So, this news came from the Washington Examiner and its investigation centered on a non-profit named the Global Disinformation Index.
--:-- John Bickley: And what's the mission of this group?
--:-- Megan Basham: So, it says that its mission is to remove the financial incentive for creating disinformation. So, it was for this reason that the group said it created a list of news outlets that it told advertising companies are risky bets.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what outlets were targeted?
--:-- Megan Basham: Conspicuously, all of those outlets were what could be characterized as on the right of center end of the news spectrum. And this work was funded in part by two government entities. Tax records show that GDI has received 330,000 from the National Endowment for Democracy and the Global Engagement Center, both of which fall under the State Department.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And what about the influence of this group?
--:-- Megan Basham: Given that it has relationships with some major advertising firms, I think it's fair to say that it's pretty influential. And GDI's CEO, Claire Melford, who used to be an executive with MTV, boasted on a podcast last year that their blacklists have had, and I'm going to quote, a significant impact on the advertising revenue that has gone to those sites.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's right. And we'll continue to monitor this situation.
--:-- John Bickley: Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, my pleasure.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Alright, that's all the time we have for today. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- John Bickley: And don't forget to check out our sponsors. Get 10% off your first order or Coffee Club subscription with code WIRE at BlackRifleCoffee.com.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And if your business experienced shutdowns, limited capacity, supply chain challenges, or reduced revenue due to COVID, you likely qualify for Employee Retention Credit. Get started today with a free, five-minute questionnaire at RefundsPro.com.
--:-- John Bickley: And finally, use Promo Code 'WIRE' for 10% off your Will at EpicWill.com.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: And don't forget to follow us on social media for the latest updates.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all for now. Thanks for waking up with us.
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