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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): 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 (Georgia Howe): The deal of the century is back on. Elon Musk will buy Twitter after all. What changes can we expect for the social media company under Musk's leadership? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, October 6th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Thanks for joining us, John. We have a lot to cover today.
--:-- John Bickley: Absolutely. Let's start with the big news: Elon Musk is buying Twitter. What does this mean for the social media company?
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That's right. So, let's break it down. The saga started back in April when Musk announced an offer to buy Twitter for $44 billion. That was well above what many thought the company was actually worth. It was a deal the board just could not turn down, even though they reportedly were not fans of Musk.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And as we reported back in April, there was sort of a meltdown among Twitter employees about this. But soon after, The real problem started, and it looked like the deal would not go through. Musk started publicly questioning just how many active users were actually on the site and claimed that Twitter was withholding information from his team.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): So he announced his intention to cancel the deal, which then prompted a lawsuit from Twitter, who, as you can imagine, wanted to force him to go through with the purchase.
--:-- John Bickley: Right. And that brings us to this week. Right. So from the beginning, Twitter had insisted that because Musk signed on the dotted line, that there was nothing he could really do to back out. And this week, Musk and his team appeared to concede defeat.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Now, what led Musk and his team to turn around? Well, look, there just isn't much legal precedent for being able to pull out of a deal like this after contracts have been signed.
--:-- John Bickley: So in a way, this concession wasn't totally unexpected, especially considering that Musk had also suffered some legal setbacks during early court hearings for this case. There also the fact that Musk was about to be deposed at the end of the week and that's not exactly the sort of thing you want to go through if your odds of winning are already low to begin with.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): So at the end of the day, it just seems like Musk knew there wasn't a way out of the deal and wanted to cut his losses and move forward.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, how are investors reacting to the news? Twitter shares shot up following the news. Trading was actually halted for much of the day as a result, But when the dust settled, the stock was up 22% in just one day at $52 a share, which is actually almost exactly what Musk had agreed to pay back in April when the deal was initially signed.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): And another interesting nugget here, there appeared to be some kind of follower purge in the hours after the news broke. Thousands of Twitter users, myself included, lost hundreds or even thousands of followers over the course of the day.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, Twitter did not give an explanation, but similar follower fluctuations did also happen in the days after Musk announced the deal back in the spring. Now, critics of the platform say the timing is not coincidental, but we'll have to wait to hear more on that front.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): So when would Musk officially take over at Twitter? Well, barring any more logistical or legal setbacks, which obviously could happen, Musk will take control of Twitter as soon as this month.
--:-- John Bickley: But we still don't have a great idea of what Musk will do with the company beyond making it a bastion of free speech, in his words. From a business standpoint, the big struggle for Musk is going to be making the company more profitable. Musk has teased the idea of making users pay for the platform as a way to turn the tide.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But for the most part, we're just going to have to wait and see what changes he actually implements.
--:-- John Bickley: Bottom line for now, Elon Musk looks like he's about to take over one of the largest tech platforms on Earth.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): All right, well, we'll continue to monitor this. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- John Bickley: Anytime.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That was Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips. Coming up, OPEC slashes oil production despite the Biden administration's full court press to stop it.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): In an economy as volatile as this one, it's important to have control when you're making a big purchase, like a new car. That's where Morning Wire's new partners over at CarZing come into play.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): On Wednesday, OPEC, the international group of oil producers based in Saudi Arabia, announced it would cut production by two million barrels per day in a move that could send gas and energy prices soaring again.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): President Biden and his administration had worked furiously over the past week to convince the Saudis and their partners, including Russia, that such a cut would be a major mistake.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But in a blow to Biden, the cut not only came, but is quite substantial.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Here to discuss is columnist David Marcus.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): You know, they went pretty much all out. According to reports, top White House advisers were really pleading with OPEC not to do this, saying that it would be an economic disaster.
--:-- David Marcus: And going so far as to say that the move could be viewed as a hostile act.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): It comes against the backdrop of Biden's strained relationship with Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, who Biden had called a pariah for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
--:-- David Marcus: A few months back Biden went to Saudi to smooth things out. You might remember the two men had their famous fist bump.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But judging from this cut in production the relationship still seems very much on the rocks.
--:-- David Marcus: One official said the administration was having a spasm and panicking. Another said they were taking the gloves off.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But what does taking the gloves off mean here? How could the White House respond now?
--:-- David Marcus: Clearly, if any threats of reprisal were made to OPEC, they didn't find them particularly compelling.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): And of course, the conflict in Ukraine already has energy prices over a barrel, so to speak.
--:-- David Marcus: So it's not clear that there's much that can be done to retaliate.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That having been said, Biden announced that he will increase tapping into the strategic petroleum reserve in response.
--:-- David Marcus: But that reserve is at its lowest point since 1984.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): So there's a question as to how often he can go to this particular well.
--:-- David Marcus: How have Republicans responded to this, not just to the OPEC decision, but to how the Biden administration has handled the situation in general?
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): I mean, they don't think very highly of it. That's for sure.
--:-- David Marcus: Officials have expressed concern over depleting the reserves.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But more generally, Republicans want more domestic production to secure energy independence.
--:-- David Marcus: They point to Biden's first act as president being to shut down the Keystone Pipeline.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Now, look, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also called for energy independence this week, but in a very different way, by converting to renewable resources.
--:-- David Marcus: The challenge is that right now people need gas for their cars.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): In order to bridge the gap to renewables, Democrats need foreign sources of oil, and OPEC knows it.
--:-- David Marcus: What, if any, impact could this have on the upcoming midterms?
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Might have been touting declines in gas prices in recent weeks, but now they're climbing back up again.
--:-- David Marcus: Could this move by OPEC make this problem worse in the short term?
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): I mean, it's not clear what the immediate impact will be to prices at the pump.
--:-- David Marcus: I mean, it sure won't help.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): But more broadly, many Republicans running for Congress are running ads slamming the Democrats on our lack of domestic production, arguing that Americans need that potential oil right now and that our refusal to produce it is empowering malign actors in Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and even Russia, who we're basically in a proxy war with.
--:-- David Marcus: So politically, this is ammunition for Republicans and not something that I think most Democrats want to talk about.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Well, thank you so much for joining us, David.
--:-- David Marcus: Thanks for having me.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That was Daily Wire contributor David Marcus.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Three powerful medical organizations have asked the DOJ to investigate so-called disinformation campaigns about transgender treatment for children, which they say have led to dangerous threats.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The issue has escalated in recent weeks as more hospitals have made headlines for providing irreversible gender reassignment treatments to children.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Here to bring us the story is Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
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--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So Charlotte, what are these groups and what are they specifically asking for?
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Hey Georgia, so the medical groups include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the Children's Hospital Association.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So some pretty prestigious groups. They're asking the DOJ to get involved in what they consider to be threats that put patients looking for gender treatment and their doctors at risk.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The hospitals claim that they have had to beef up security in the wake of recent protests and alleged bomb threats, and that hospital safety and operations are threatened by the increased controversy brought on by certain entities reporting on their treatments.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The group sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking him to investigate, quote, organizations, individuals, and entities coordinating, provoking, and carrying out bomb threats and threats of personal violence against children's hospitals and physicians across the U.S.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): They claim that doctors and medical groups are being targeted and threatened for providing what they describe as evidence healthcare.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Now who are they asking the DOJ to investigate specifically? They didn't name any specific individuals but they point to a few quote high users on social media who they say are waging an intentional campaign of disinformation that's leading to harassment of doctors and hospitals.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Two high-profile examples include Matt Walsh at the Daily Wire and Christopher Ruffo of the Manhattan Institute.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Christopher Ruffo uncovered the letter to the DOJ. He spoke to Fox on Monday. You can intimidate us. You can threaten us. You can mobilize the FBI against us. You can even drag us out of our homes in a pre-dawn raid. We are not going to stop reporting on radical gender theory in schools. We are not going to stop reporting on radical gender surgeries on minors. We are not going to stop until we've taken this rotten ideology out of our institutions.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): There's nothing you can do to stop us. The people of this country are coming, and they won't stop until you're finished.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Both Walsh and Rufo have reported on youth transgender treatments being performed by hospitals, some of which you've covered on this show before.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Right. We reported on the gender clinic at Vanderbilt just last month. Right. That story has continued to generate national headlines.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The doctor groups claim they've also asked tech companies to, quote, do more to prevent this practice on digital platforms. But in this letter, they're seeking support from Garland's office. again, that's the DOJ, to quote, take swift action to investigate and prosecute all organizations, individuals, and entities responsible.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Now, a lot of people are comparing this move to the National School Board Association asking Garland to go after parents who protest against school boards and investigate them as potential terrorists.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: In that case, that was last summer, Garland agreed, but it then kind of blew up in the press and they backed off.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Is that a fair comparison?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: It's a pretty similar situation.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That move was heavily criticized in the press, so it's not clear if Garland will make the same mistake twice.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Parents actually brought a lawsuit against Garland over the memo, but a federal judge recently dismissed it.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Now, do these hospitals have credible reason to think they are in danger?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, recently, Boston Children's Hospital increased its security and it experienced a bomb threat, and Vanderbilt Medical Center's Clinic for Transgender Health made its appointments online reportedly because of threats.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): A lot of this intensity came after reports that hospitals were offering this gender treatment for financial gain and providing sex change surgery procedures to kids who are under 18.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Boston Children's claims that they do not offer sex change surgery to minors, but they did host a video on the site discussing gender-affirming hysterectomies, causing people to speculate that the hospital was in fact offering them.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Well, I don't think this issue is going to go away anytime soon.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Thanks for having me on.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Thanks for reporting.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That was Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Other stories we're tracking this week. President Biden met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Wednesday as he toured the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The president praised the Florida governor's response to the storm, saying, quote, I think he's done a good job. We have very different political philosophies, but we've worked hand in glove.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The man convicted of shooting and killing retired police captain David Dorn has been sentenced to life without parole.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Dorn was killed while protecting a friend's pawn shop during the BLM riots of 2020.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The U.S. is sending the USS Ronald Reagan, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, to the Korean Peninsula.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): That's in response to North Korea firing a missile over Japan, the first such launch since 2017.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): If you love our show and you stand with our mission, please consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
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--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know.
