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--:-- Host: 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.
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--:-- Host: John Bickley: Amid continued COVID restrictions and economic uncertainty, a new study finds that Americans are less happy than they've ever been. Hey, John, I'm happy. It's good to hear. Well, we'll dig into the reasons for the rising malaise in America. I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, February 2nd, and this is Morning Wire.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: The massive trucker convoy in Canada continues to plague Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who's now being criticized for calling the protesters violent and racist. All Canadians want to see a leader who will work to heal rifts, not further divide. A leader who will listen even to those voices he might not agree with. The leader who will work to understand, not dismiss, name call and gaslight. And now the convoy might be coming to the U.S. And this time it's true. The legend, the goat, the winningest quarterback in football history, Tom Brady, is officially retiring. Plus, Putin weighs in on Ukraine and the latest on COVID vaccines seeking FDA approval. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: It's never been more important to rethink how we shop and choose brands that are aligned with our values. The Daily Wire's newest partner, Naturally It's Clean, is a home cleaning company that provides hospital-grade cleaning power while reducing the use of harmful chemicals. Try their powerful plant-based formulas for yourself. Today, you can receive 15% off your Essentials 4-pack at naturallyitsclean.com slash morningwire when you use the promo code MW15. That's naturallyitsclean.com slash morningwire.
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--:-- Host: John Bickley: Amid ongoing COVID lockdowns, rising crime, and economic uncertainty, a new study shows that Americans are less happy than they've been at any point on record. Here are the details of Daily Wire's Cabot Phillips. So Cabot, obviously not the kind of thing you want to hear. Tell us about the study.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: So every three years since 1972, the University of Chicago has run a general social survey. Now, this is the authoritative national study on American happiness that gauge thousands of opinions each year. For the past five decades, the numbers have more or less stayed consistent with around one in 10 Americans saying they're unhappy in their day-to-day lives. But in 2021, that number skyrocketed with one in four Americans now saying they're unhappy. And if you look at the chart, it's really shocking to see just how steep the drop is.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: And it gets worse the more you look at the data. For example, the number of Americans describing themselves as, quote, very happy also took a huge hit, falling from 31% in 2018 to just 19% in 2021. For context, more broadly, that's 10 points lower than at any other point on record. So the lowest we've ever seen.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: Did we learn who in particular saw the biggest decline in happiness? Well, every demographic and age group did see a decline in happiness, but there were some where it was more pronounced, especially among young people. From 2018 to 2021, the number of young people saying they're unhappy almost doubled, from 16 to 30 while the number calling themselves very happy fell from 25 to 14 So those are the worst numbers for any age group by a noticeable margin
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: Some other statistics we saw that were of note people who were married were three times more likely to report feeling very happy than those who weren't. And it's also worth pointing out, there were some very interesting political trends as well.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: Yeah, the political trends. Tell us about that. Yeah, Republicans were almost twice as likely to report feeling very happy as Democrats, while Democrats were about 30% more likely to report feeling unhappy compared to Republicans. Now, that trend of Republicans being happier than Democrats is something we've seen historically before the pandemic, but the gap became even larger during the last three years.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: Now, some theories say it's because red states were less likely to have endured strict lockdowns during the pandemic, while others say the discrepancy is due to religion for decades. Studies have shown that people who regularly take part in religious activities are happier, And Republicans, again, are considerably more religious than Democrats.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: So obviously, COVID is a major factor over the last couple of years. How much of this can be attributed to the lockdowns? Well, sociologists have been warning since COVID lockdowns began that forced isolation would have deep and long-lasting societal impacts. And it definitely appears that they're starting to be felt.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: Now, the study doesn't get into the role of lockdowns in happiness levels, and it may be years before we fully understand their impact. But the general consensus among the medical community is that it's not a coincidence that these numbers plummeted when they did. Experts, they always point out how the main contributing factors to unhappiness are a feeling of isolation and a lack of meaningful relationships, which obviously are impacted when the government forces you to stay inside.
--:-- Guest: Cabot Phillips: So now the question becomes, will these numbers start to lift as lockdowns are lifted and as the world opens back up? Or is this going to have an even longer lasting impact than we can foresee now? and that this is kind of the new normal. Let's hope not.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: Cabot, thanks for coming on. Anytime.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire's Cabot Phillips. Coming up, will the U.S. see its own trucker convoy? You can get this show and all of the content you love wherever you are all on the Daily Wire app. Even if you're not a Daily Wire member, you'll be the first to know what's trending with mobile notifications for the latest news and you'll get content from all your favorite Daily Wire shows. Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
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--:-- Host: John Bickley: After thousands of truckers in Canada formed a convoy in opposition to COVID-19 mandates, protesters have gathered in the capital city, bringing Ottawa to a standstill. Here to give us the latest on the protest and how it might impact life in the U.S. as well as Canada is Daily Wire's Ian Howarth. So, Ian, what's going on in Canada?
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: Well, the latest in the viral Canadian trucker story is that we're now seeing reports that truckers in the US are getting ready to follow the lead of their Canadian counterparts. This is all in response to a vaccine mandate issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, which is requiring that non-US essential workers, which includes truck drivers, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Those who are not vaccinated will not be allowed to cross land borders, such as the borders between the US and Canada or Mexico.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: A group called the American truckers have more than 67,000 members on their Facebook group. In a message, they said that they are, quote, part of many large groups who believe in our founding fathers. So there's a possibility that these trucker convoys that we've seen in Canada could be coming to the U.S.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: Yeah, except we don't have any potential dates yet beyond the general plan to form a convoy coast to coast from California to Washington, D.C. And what sparked this protest in Canada in the first place.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: Yeah, this is a really fascinating story. This all started with a convoy of truckers protesting COVID mandates in Canada in opposition to the same sort of mandates we seeing here But it quickly snowballed into the obstruction of a border crossing route between Montana and Canada The protest stemmed from a so-called freedom convoy of truckers who travelled across Canada for several days, arriving in Ottawa on Saturday with the city packed with protesters on Monday as they rallied against COVID mandates as legislators were scheduled to return to Parliament.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: and it's fair to say that the blockage of both cities and key roadways is causing tensions to rise. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under a lot of pressure and has reportedly fled to a secret location after supposedly testing positive for COVID-19. One trucker told a reporter that he plans on staying in Ottawa as part of the convoy until Trudeau leaves office.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: And Trudeau is also facing a lot of criticism for his response to the protests, especially his decision not to attend or speak with protesters, despite having attended Black Lives Matter protests in recent years.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: I have attended protests and rallies in the past when I agreed with the goals, when I supported the people expressing their concerns and their issues. Black Lives Matter is an excellent example of that. And Trudeau is also being criticized for labeling the protesters as hateful and violent. But I have also chosen to not go anywhere near protests that have expressed hateful rhetoric, violence towards fellow citizens and a disrespect, not just of science, but of the frontline health workers.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: And this issue is only making things worse for Trudeau with the walls closing in in the Canadian Parliament. I do get very defensive of Canadians who are outside today, patriotic, peace-loving Canadians who are called misogynists and racist by the Prime Minister. So again, I will ask the prime minister, who may I remind this House wore blackface on more times than he can remember.
--:-- Guest: Ian Howarth: But with truckers looking like they're going to be protesting on both sides of the border in the coming weeks, it really doesn't look like the pressure is going to be off Trudeau anytime soon. It'll be interesting to see if Trudeau is swayed by this or if they just kind of crack down harder.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: Ian, thanks for reporting. Thanks for having me.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: That's Daily Wire's Ian Howarth. Will he or won't he? That was the major topic of conversation in the sports world over the past few days after ESPN reported on Saturday that Tom Brady would retire from football after 22 seasons. Separate reports stated that Brady had yet to make a decision, but we now know the future for the greatest quarterback of all time. Here to tell us more is Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan. Joe, what do you have for us?
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: Well, John, it is official. Tom Brady officially announced his retirement Tuesday morning in an Instagram post. He thanked the Tampa Bay organization, the city, fans, and his teammates, but he did not mention the New England Patriots once in the lengthy retirement statement. Later on, on Tuesday, he did respond to a tweet from the New England Patriots organization, thanking them and beyond grateful for all they've done for them, basically.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: Brady finishes his career with seven Super Bowl rings, the most by a player in NFL history, and as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, completions, and passing touchdowns, among other records. In 21 seasons as a starting quarterback, Brady never finished a season with a losing record going to 10 Super Bowls. It's amazing. It is.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: At 44 years old, Brady led Tampa Bay to a 13-4 regular season record and led the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He has long discussed playing until the age of 50, but told NBC Sports reporter Peter King in August that he'll retire when the, quote, time is right, which apparently is now, John.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: Yeah, beer soap So what exactly was the controversy over the announcement Yeah on Saturday Adam Schefter and Jeff Darlington of ESPN reported that Brady was going to announce his retirement according to sources Shortly after the announcement, though, multiple reports pushed back on the news saying that Brady had yet to make a decision. According to the Associated Press, Brady had not yet made the decision to retire on Saturday and called Tampa Bay General Manager Jason Licht to inform him that a decision had not yet been made.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: Got it. Brady's father also told multiple outlets that his son had not yet made a decision on his future. Social media, of course, lit up going after Schefter for breaking the news without Brady confirming. But I have to be honest, John, Schefter was right. Personally, my belief is that when you're as famous as Brady, you can't just suddenly opt out of the spotlight. So I didn't have a problem with Schefter correctly reporting the news.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: Fair enough. On Monday, though, Brady joined Jim Gray on the Let's Go podcast saying that he was disappointed that ESPN's announcements may have taken away from the weekend in football, which was the AFC and NFC Championship games.
--:-- Guest: Joe Morgan: You know, I was actually a little bit disappointed that that would actually play some part of what's going on in NFL football, which to me has been such an amazing sport. And it's a great sport. And the focus should be on great games.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: Well, this is a real end of an era here. Yeah, that's kind of the understatement of the year, John. Brady has been in our living rooms for 22 years. He's one of the greatest competitors of all time, orchestrating epic playoff comebacks for the ages, including the famous 28-3 come-from-behind Super Bowl victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: It's going to be interesting to see what Brady does from here, but for now, we simply remember all that he contributed to the game of football. And it was a lot. Yes, it was.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: Thanks, Joe. Yeah, thanks, John. Daily Wire's Joe Morgan.
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--:-- Host: John Bickley: Other stories we're tracking this week. The FDA announced Monday it has granted full approval to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. The acting FDA commissioner said in a statement that FDA approval of the vaccine, quote, may instill additional confidence in making the decision to get vaccinated.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: The Moderna vaccine's name is Spike Vax. Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage is facing backlash from the dwarf community. Last week, Dinklage chastised Disney for their plan to remake Snow White, saying the story is insensitive to persons with dwarfism. As a result, Disney reportedly eliminated roles in the upcoming film that were initially intended for seven actors with dwarfism, opting instead to fill them with mythical creatures.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: Starting next week, Denver residents will no longer have to wear a mask or show proof of vaccine to enter businesses. According to Colorado health officials, the measures are no longer needed as the Omicron variant has, quote, run out of fuel within the community. The city of Denver has a 78% vaccination rate.
--:-- Host: John Bickley: And the ongoing international standoff over Ukraine continued Tuesday, with Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing NATO of having ignored the fundamental concerns of Russia and violating its promise not to expand an inch eastward. The U.S. and NATO have denied making that promise. U.S. officials said Tuesday that there's no sign that Moscow will remove forces from its Ukraine border.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five-star review. That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
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