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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: It's Wednesday, March 26th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We've got a lot to cover today, so let's dive right in. The White House is pushing back against The Atlantic after the magazine published more Signal messages regarding airstrikes in Yemen. Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has the latest.
--:-- Tim Rice: The new message appears to show timing and targets for the strikes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insists no classified material was shared. The White House backed up that claim today while accusing the outlet of sensationalizing the leak. Vice President J.D. Vance and other officials maintained the information was already known to allies and not a threat to national security.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Still, many on the left are calling for heads to roll, demanding that Hegseth and other officials step down.
--:-- Tim Rice: That's right, Georgia. And it's not just the left. U.S. intelligence officials, including the heads of the FBI and CIA, testified today on Capitol Hill. Here's Director of National Intelligence speaking to Tulsi Gabbard.
--:-- Tulsi Gabbard: [Audio clip not transcribed]
--:-- Tim Rice: The president and national security advisor, Waltz, held a press conference yesterday with a clear message. It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a Signal chat with high national security principles having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike.
--:-- Georgia Howe: National Security Advisor has taken full responsibility for this.
--:-- Tim Rice: That's right, Georgia. And it's not just the Signal chat. Sparks flew today during a Delivering on Government Efficiency subcommittee hearing regarding federal funding for public broadcast. NPR CEO Catherine Marr and PBS President Paula Kerger both testified.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The subcommittee chair, Marjorie Taylor Greene, argues that these outlets are supposed to be for all Americans, but no longer are.
--:-- Marjorie Taylor Greene: [Audio clip not transcribed]
--:-- Catherine Marr: I would agree with you that that number is a concern if it is accurate. I do believe that we need to have journalists who represent the full breadth of the American society so that we can report well for all Americans.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Kerger, for her part, argues that the future of local stations is at stake if federal support is lost.
--:-- Paula Kerger: There was an analysis done on PBS's NewsHour from June to November of 2023, where they found that far right was, that term was used 162 times and far left was only used six times.
--:-- Pat Fallon: Do you find that troubling?
--:-- Paula Kerger: I don't know the study that you're referring to and I'd be very interested in seeing it and understanding how they came up with those numbers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Trump is tightening federal voting rules, signing an executive order regarding who can vote.
--:-- John Bickley: The order requires government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and directs that all ballots be reviewed by election day. It also ties federal election funding to state compliance and aims to block counting of late mail ballots.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Voting rights groups say the move could disenfranchise millions but Trump says it's about protecting election integrity.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And it's not just voting rules. The president's cabinet is filling out, particularly in the area of health.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: The president's picks for both the FDA and NIH have been confirmed by the Senate. Dr. Marty McCary, a Johns Hopkins professor and former Fox News medical contributor, was confirmed last night in a 56 to 54 vote.
--:-- John Bickley: During the confirmation hearings, McCary faced questions on vaccine oversight and food safety. He criticized past decisions by the Biden administration and pledged to focus on food-related health issues like childhood obesity.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: A message that's resonated with moms across the country regardless of their politics.
--:-- John Bickley: A smarter FDA that works for all Americans should be a goal we can all agree on.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: As a scientist who has spent a career evaluating medical interventions, I believe in the scientific process.
--:-- John Bickley: Bhattacharya told senators that he plans to promote transparency, support dissenting research, and prioritize projects that directly improve public health.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: If confirmed, I will establish a culture of respect for free speech in science and scientific dissent at the NIH.
--:-- John Bickley: Over the last few years, top NIH officials oversaw a culture of cover-up, obfuscation, and a lack of tolerance for ideas that differed from theirs.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: We've got a special offer from Balance of Nature. Get your daily dose of fruits and veggies that you can take anywhere. Head 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.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: And don't forget about Fast Growing Trees. This spring, Fast Growing Trees has the best deals for your yard, up to half off on select plants and other deals. And listeners to our show get 15% off their first purchase when using Code Wire at checkout. Offer is valid for a limited time. Terms and conditions may apply.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: A Senate resolution condemning the far left attacks on Tesla will soon reach the chamber floor. Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn told Morning Wire that this resolution says the Senate stands against those acts of violence.
--:-- Marsha Blackburn: While many Democratic lawmakers have been silent regarding what I describe as acts of domestic terrorism.
--:-- Georgia Howe: She says this will give them the opportunity to speak up.
--:-- Marsha Blackburn: We have lived through four years where every time you turned around they were talking about domestic terrorism.
--:-- Georgia Howe: They were calling parents that went to school board meetings as domestic terrorists.
--:-- Marsha Blackburn: They were calling individuals that would stand across the street from a Planned Parenthood and pray for the women and the unborn children.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And they would call that domestic terrorism.
--:-- Marsha Blackburn: And now we are going through this where they're actually firebombing and shooting up Tesla dealerships and nothing is being said.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And Texas Governor Greg Abbott is firing back after a Democratic congresswoman mocked his disability.
--:-- Greg Abbott: Representative Jasmine Crockett called me, quote, Governor Hot Wheels during a speech in Los Angeles which sparked bipartisan backlash.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Abbott, who's used a wheelchair since a 1984 accident, tells Fox News the insult shows Democrats have nothing to sell but hate.
--:-- Greg Abbott: The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate. And Americans are not buying it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's one reason why Texas is going to remain red and why Republicans are going to continue to win elections across the country.
--:-- Greg Abbott: The bottom line is that Republican states like Texas are leading the way. And with comments like this by Democrats, we will just leave them in the dust in future elections.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Crockett later claimed her remarks were about Abbott's migrant policies, not his disability.
--:-- Greg Abbott: A House resolution to censure her is now being introduced by a fellow Texas representative, Randy Weber.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
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--:-- Host: Georgia Howe: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.
