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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, July 9th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Biden hosts NATO leaders in Washington today for the annual summit, where he aims to rein in concerns about his re-election prospects and age.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest. Biden is set to give an address today to promote a stronger, more united NATO under his leadership. The summit, which marks NATO's 75th anniversary, will focus on military and financial aid for Ukraine in response to Russia invasion. U officials and Secretary General Stoltenberg have said that the meeting could carve out a path for Ukraine to gain membership to the alliance. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky will speak and focus on the importance of fending off Russia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This gathering is a critical moment for Biden as questions about his capacity to lead continue to circulate.
--:-- John Bickley: White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told ABC that he believes Biden will redeem his debate performance. I think just the fact that this summit is happening here in Washington, that these leaders are coming, says a lot about how much they value American leadership on the world stage and how much they respect and are grateful for the return of that leadership that President Biden has ushered in the last three and a half years.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Hunter Biden has withdrawn his request for a new trial.
--:-- John Bickley: The news comes after federal prosecutors criticized him for misunderstanding appellate practice and failing to read prior court orders. The president's son, who was convicted on June 11th of lying about his drug addiction to obtain a firearm, filed for a new trial on June 24th, claiming jurisdiction issues. However, prosecutors pointed out that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals had already cleared the trial judge to proceed. This oversight led Hunter Biden to retract his motion, ending the latest legal maneuver in his case.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A convicted child rapist allegedly shot and killed four people over the weekend in Kentucky before driving off and shooting himself.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short reports. Police say they found four people dead and three severely injured at a home in Florence Saturday morning. According to Florence's police chief, the people were gathered for a party when the shooter, who was known by party goers but not invited, showed up and started shooting. The suspect crashed his car upon fleeing the scene and then turned the gun on himself. The alleged shooter was also known to law enforcement, as he had been previously arrested for raping a 13-year-old girl.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's Florence Police Chief Jeff Mallory speaking to previous crimes the suspect committed.
--:-- Jeff Mallory: He is a convicted felon on a sex crime in the past and doesn't appear to tie into this at all.
--:-- John Bickley: Kentucky Judge Kathleen Leip gave the man five years probation and no jail time.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Two deputy U.S. Marshals shot a suspected carjacker while guarding Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's home in Washington, D.C.
--:-- John Bickley: The incident happened Friday when 18-year-old Kentrell Flowers approached the car and pointed a gun. One of the Marshals fired several shots, injuring Flowers, who was then arrested and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Officials have not confirmed whether Justice Sotomayor was at home at the time.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Rust actor Alec Baldwin manslaughter trial began today with jury selection.
--:-- John Bickley: Three years ago the longtime Hollywood star was pointing a revolver at a cinematographer when the firearm discharged. Prosecutors say Baldwin pulled the trigger and didn't follow proper firearm safety practices like making sure the weapon was actually empty. Baldwin maintains that he did not pull the trigger, claiming he pulled the gun's hammer before it accidentally fired. Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison if found guilty.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And former U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe died today at the age of 89 after suffering a stroke last week.
--:-- John Bickley: He represented Oklahoma in the U.S. Senate for almost three decades. Inhofe's career was marked by his staunch support for the American military and opposition to climate change policies. He famously tossed a snowball on the Senate floor during a speech against global warming. When retiring from Congress in 2022, Inhofe recounted his 55-year political career.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Finally, I want to say to the people of Oklahoma, I really thank what you've done for me all these years. Thank you very much. I love you guys.
--:-- John Bickley: 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. Thank you.
