--:-- [Upbeat music fades out]
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--:-- [Music transitions to a more serious tone]
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): This episode is brought to you by Balance of Nature. Go to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer, plus get a free bottle of fiber and spice. That's balanceofnature.com, promo code WIRE.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): I'm Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, July 16th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Billionaire Elon Musk is pledging tens of millions of dollars to support Donald Trump's presidential run. Here with the details is Daily Wire contributor Matthew Sinofsky.
--:-- Matthew Sinofsky: Musk is reportedly planning to donate $45 million to a political action committee backing the Republican nominee every month until the election. That amounts to almost $200 million in total. The America PAC formed last month to focus on registering voters, helping them request mail-in ballots, and persuading them to vote early. It counters Democrat on the ground to get out the vote efforts that historically have vastly outperformed Republicans.
--:-- Matthew Sinofsky: Musk, currently the world's richest person, has swung considerably towards Trump after voting against him in both 2016 and 2020. Even just four months ago, Musk posted to X that he did not intend to vote for either presidential candidate. That changed over the weekend when he endorsed Trump, following the assassination attempt on the former president.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Top Democrat officials are reportedly rushing to confirm Joe Biden's presidential nomination as early as the end of this month despite widespread discontent within the party. Since May Biden has been set to be nominated virtually ahead of the Democratic National Convention in order to meet the August 7th nomination deadline in Ohio. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed legislation to extend the deadline until after the convention, which doesn't kick off until August 19th.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): However, despite the fix, Democrat Party officials remain intent on moving forward with the nomination via an early virtual roll call. The push is drawing ire from several House Democrats who have publicly appealed to Biden to withdraw from the race following his poor performance at the presidential debate last month.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): More details have come to light about the circumstances surrounding the attempted assassination of President Trump. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo explains.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: A CBS News report indicates that three police countersnipers were stationed inside the building that was used in the attempted assassination. The building had been identified as a vulnerability in the days leading up to the event, but Secret Service head Kim Cheadle said that the building was part of the outer perimeter and therefore left to local officials to secure.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: When Cheadle was pressed about the open rooftop in a recent ABC News interview, she said they declined to place officers on the roof due to safety concerns. Should that roof have been secure, period? That building in particular has a sloped roof at its highest point. And so, there's a safety factor that would be considered there that we wouldn't want to put somebody up on a sloped roof.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: The Secret Service has also confirmed that they did receive warnings about the would-be shooter from local authorities even before Trump took the stage.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): New Jersey Democratic Senator Robert Menendez was found guilty today on 16 counts related to a bribery scheme, including acting as a foreign agent, an unprecedented charge against a sitting U Senator. Prosecutors said Menendez took extensive bribes in exchange for protecting domestic businessmen and the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The defense argued the gold bars almost $500,000 in cash, and a Mercedes convertible were just gifts and not part of a this-for-that arrangement. Sentencing will take place on October 29th, where he faces up to 20 years in prison. Menendez's wife, Nadine, has also been facing a trial, but that was delayed indefinitely today as she fights breast cancer.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): This episode is brought to you by Good Ranchers. Subscribe to any box on goodranchers.com to save up to $150 on their 100% American Meat subscription service. That's goodranchers.com today.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Ukraine's parliament is reportedly in a state of disarray as the Eastern European nation approaches its 30th month at war. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has more.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Since the beginning of the war against Russia, Ukraine has been under martial law, giving President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Ukrainian military vast authority over the government. That has effectively sidelined the Ukrainian parliament, which now regularly holds sessions with more than 10% of its lawmakers absent and no elections to replace them.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Zelensky's political party is fractured and has to rely on support from legislators who previously belonged to a now-banned pro-Russian party. The New York Times reports that the parliament has no meaningful role in overseeing government agencies, even as they receive billions of dollars in foreign aid.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The report comes as Zelensky seeks the resignation of Ukraine's prime minister, as well as a new cabinet.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): An anonymous hacking group has reportedly published data from thousands of Disney's internal messaging channels, including computer code and data on unreleased projects. The group calls themselves hacktivists who advocate for artists and choose their targets based on their social, economic, or political values.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): The group spokesperson said it hacked Disney due to how it handles artist contracts its approach to AI and its quote pretty blatant disregard for the consumer. Disney said it is investigating the situation.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Up to a billion New York taxpayer dollars may go to waste after Governor Kathy Hochul halted plans to begin charging a congestion fee in New York City. Here with more is Daily Wire senior editor Joel Needler.
--:-- Joel Needler: The plan would have set up a toll zone in the most congested areas of the city, which could charge upwards of $15. Hochul abruptly halted the plan last month just weeks ahead of its scheduled start date.
--:-- Joel Needler: However, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had already entered a contract for equipment to carry out the tolling program. If the plan doesn't follow through, analysts say the city could be on the hook to lose close to $1 billion in equipment and planning costs.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Hochul has asserted that the program is only temporarily paused, though she has not set a new start date.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): And actor Jack Black's comedy rock band Tenacious D has canceled the rest of its summer tour after band member Kyle Gass made a joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump just a day after the shooting.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Make a wish, King. Don't miss Trump next time. That clip from their performance in Sydney, Australia Sunday night went viral on social media, drawing harsh criticism and the attention of the Australian Senator Ralph Babbitt, who said the band's members' visas should be revoked immediately.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Gass has since apologized and asserted the line was improvised. Jack Black himself posted a forceful denunciation, stating, quote, I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the tenacious detour, and all future creative plans are on hold.
--:-- Host (Georgia Howe): Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
