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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
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--:-- John Bickley: I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, passed away Thursday at the age of 96.
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--:-- John Bickley: We discussed the Queen's legacy and the next era for the royal family. I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, September 9th, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Biden administration has leased less land for oil and gas drilling than any administration going back decades. We take a closer look at the administration's handling of the fuel supply. And an influential California teachers union is being accused of conducting oppo research on a group of parents who wanted to reopen schools. What did the union seek to uncover? And were their actions legal?
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- John Bickley: Do you like to be the first to know about trendy news and current events? If so, you got to get the Daily Wire Plus app. Not only will you receive mobile notifications whenever something's happening, but you'll also have access to the best commentary to break it all down. Download the Daily Wire Plus app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The UK is in mourning following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday at age 96. She was the longest reigning monarch in British history. Her son Charles has now assumed the throne of England, taking the title King Charles III.
--:-- Megan Basham: So Megan, before we turn to the reactions from the royal family, the British nation, and the world. Can you just give us a few highlights from the Queen's long and very eventful reign?
--:-- Megan Basham: Hey, Georgia, yes, absolutely. It's well worth reflecting on. You know, it's fairly sobering to consider that the majority of her nation has never known a time without her on the throne. And in that time, she saw 16 British prime ministers and 14 American presidents come and go. But she was perhaps best known simply for being a tremendously stabilizing influence through all of those tumultuous periods.
--:-- Megan Basham: Though that said, she did get those famously gloved hands dirty on occasion. Towards the end of World War II, she actually trained as a mechanic on trucks and she was reportedly always very proud of her mechanical ability. She was especially beloved for carrying on her father's tradition of Christmas addresses.
--:-- Megan Basham: Here's just a bit we dug up from the very first one in 1957. That it's possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us. Because of these changes, I'm not surprised that many people feel lost and unable to decide what to hold on to and what to discard, how to take advantage of the new life without losing the best of the old.
--:-- Megan Basham: But it's not the new inventions which are the difficulty. The trouble is caused by unthinking people who carelessly throw away ageless ideals as if they were old and outworn machinery. They would have religion thrown aside. Morality in personal and public life made meaningless. Honesty counted as foolishness and self-interest set up in place of self-restraint.
--:-- Megan Basham: Elizabeth assumed the throne at the age of just 25 when Winston Churchill was still prime minister. Now, what kind of reaction are we seeing around the world to this news? As you might imagine, there's been an outpouring of respect and affection.
--:-- Megan Basham: The White House released a statement calling her a, quote, stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. France turned out the lights on the Eiffel Tower last night to mark the end of her life.
--:-- Megan Basham: And as for Britain, it's worth noting that Elizabeth was so popular, her recent approval ratings were actually higher than that of the institution of the monarchy itself.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, getting back to the role that the monarchy plays in modern British life, what people stateside may not realize is that a significant portion of Elizabeth's duties were ecclesiastical. She was the head of the Church of England, correct?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yes, that's absolutely correct. And given that our minds often turn to eternal things in moments like this, it seems worth taking just a second to note that Elizabeth was also known as a woman of great faith.
--:-- Megan Basham: She famously met with the American evangelist Billy Graham in 1955, and they continued a lifelong friendship. She also spoke frequently about her own Christian beliefs. This was Elizabeth during another of those Christmas addresses in 2000.
--:-- Megan Basham: For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.
--:-- Megan Basham: In light of that, I'm sure her deep faith is a comfort to the royal family right now.
--:-- Megan Basham: Now, as difficult as it is to imagine England without Elizabeth, the monarchy has no doubt been looking into the practical matters of succession. What's the protocol for that right now?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, so the UK government has had a plan in place in case of Elizabeth's death for more than 50 years. And that plan is named Operation London Bridge. So we know now that Prime Minister Elizabeth Truss received the call alerting her of Elizabeth's death with the code phrase, London Bridge is down.
--:-- Megan Basham: Following that, the UK has now officially entered a 10-day period of mourning as preparations are made for laying Elizabeth to rest. A state funeral will be held at Westminster Abbey. After that, she will be buried at Windsor Castle's Memorial Chapel.
--:-- Megan Basham: Of course, British stamps and currency will now need to be updated to bear King Charles III's image. The king, sounds a little strange saying that, has already issued a statement saying that, of course, the royal family is deeply saddened by Elizabeth's passing, but they will be comforted and sustained by their, quote, knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the queen was so widely held.
--:-- Megan Basham: And it seems very appropriate that Queen Elizabeth's last act of service to her nation was welcoming Liz Truss just two days ago as the new prime minister. She really did her duty till the very end. Very impressive. Yeah, she did indeed. The end of an era.
--:-- Megan Basham: All right. Well, Megan, thanks so much for reporting. That was Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham.
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--:-- John Bickley: Coming up, the Biden administration's handling of oil and gas leases comes under intense scrutiny. Did you know that if you subscribe to Daily Wire Plus, you can get access to all Daily Wire has to offer? That means news commentary documentaries movies and so much more. Become a subscriber today. Download the Daily Wire Plus app and take us with you wherever you go.
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--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So Charlotte, what are we looking at here? In short, the Biden administration has leased less land for oil and gas drilling on government land and offshore than any other presidential administration at this point going back to the end of World War II.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: This comes from a recent analysis conducted by the Wall Street Journal. When we take a look at the numbers, we can get a better idea. The Interior Department leased around 126,000 acres for drilling until August 20. That was during Biden's first 19 months as president.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Nixon was the last president to do fewer than 4.4 million acres at this point during his first term. And you have to go all the way back to Harry Truman in the 40s to see fewer acres than Biden has greenlit. So going back more than half a century.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Right. In the first 19 months of a president's administration, we can see that Reagan leased the most in recent years, leasing out over 47 million federal acres. Even Obama leased over 7 million and Carter more than 11.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Now, in some ways, this isn't surprising from Biden as he campaigned against drilling, correct?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Yes. In all fairness, he said he would do this. When he was campaigning, he said he would end drilling on federal property. Here he is in a Democratic debate. No more subsidies for fossil fuel industry. No more drilling on federal lands. No more drilling, including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: When he got into office, he paused new leases and extra reviews had to be done for drilling permits for two months. But then he dialed back a little when Russia invaded Ukraine and there were huge spikes in oil costs. So he pushed for more oil sources.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The administration only had auctions in one of the six quarters it has held office. And that was in late June after gas prices were skyrocketing. The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 actually says that onshore oil and gas leasing has to be done at least quarterly.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The leasing practice had really already been dropping off because oil and gas companies were less willing to develop offshore drilling in federal lands as fracking took off. But Biden has accelerated the drop. Leasing is down 97 percent from the first 19 months of former President Trump's time in office.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: This is clearly a politically complex issue for Biden. What has the administration been saying about this amid the fuel crisis?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, that's just the thing. The Interior Department said, according to the Journal, that it gave out a record amount of drilling permits for leases that were already in place last year. The Inflation Reduction Act says that the federal government has to provide at least 2 million federal acres and 60 million offshore acres each year for oil and gas leases.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: But there are ways to do so that don't necessarily promote the leasing. White House spokesman Abdul Hassan said the Biden administration is making America a magnet for clean energy manufacturing investment, securing America's clean energy future, and putting us on track to meet our climate goals while still manufacturing close to record oil numbers.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: But the numbers don't lie. The Interior Department has given out 203 leases for oil and gas in President Biden's first 19 months. Trump and Obama each greenlit 10 times as many during the same time span. And all this could mean even higher fuel costs and more reliance on foreign sources of oil in the future.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: All right, Charlotte, thanks for reporting. Thanks for having me.
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--:-- John Bickley: That was Daily Wire Charlotte Pence Bond.
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--:-- Ash Short: A powerful California teachers union has been accused of conducting opposition research on parents who sought to reopen schools. The California Teachers Association instructed a researcher to look into the parent members of a group called Parents Association in order to fight the reopening of California schools.
--:-- Ash Short: So, Ash, what exactly is this union accused of, and what did the emails say?
--:-- Ash Short: Well, the California Teachers Association, or CTA, is accused of instructing a researcher, a woman named Ann Swinburne, to research the parent members of a group called Parents Association. The Parents Association was a group of parents who were suing the state over school closures.
--:-- Ash Short: The emails, which were revealed by a public records request, show that Swinburne and others were specifically looking into the ideological leanings of members in hopes of identifying political groups who could be helping these parents with their legal fight to open schools again.
--:-- Ash Short: According to tweets which have since been deleted, Swinburne speculated that the group was funded by right-wing organizations, which was not the case.
--:-- Ash Short: Now, how did the parents learn that this was going on? So, Alison Stratton, a parent and one of the founders of Parents Association, said she long suspected some kind of spying because the same people kept showing up at school board meetings and repeating what the union was saying.
--:-- Ash Short: Her organization filed a Public Records Act request to obtain the emails, which confirmed those suspicions. It's unclear how Stratton knew which individuals to query, but she successfully discovered incriminating emails where this plan was discussed with at least one school official.
--:-- Ash Short: So that's how she was able to access these emails because union emails would not have been public. Yes. So at one point, someone on the email chain accidentally cc'd a principal in the San Diaguito Union High School District.
--:-- Ash Short: People on the email thread realized that this would open them up to Public Records Act requests, and they specifically wrote in this thread that damage control needed to be done. Another person in this thread said that the only way it would be an issue is if someone did a records request for that specific principal's emails.
--:-- Ash Short: The two then discussed asking the principal to delete the email, which would have been illegal. The principal did not delete the email, and that's how this thread was exposed by the public records request.
--:-- Ash Short: Now, it's common for political campaigns to do opposition research. What's the significance of a teacher's union doing this kind of research?
--:-- Ash Short: The significance is that we are seeing a large teacher's union acting like a political campaign, and they are treating parents as their primary opposition.
--:-- Ash Short: Well, very curious to know how that parent knew to query that one principal. Maybe there's a mole in the organization.
--:-- Ash Short: Ash, thanks for reporting. You're welcome.
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--:-- John Bickley: Other stories we're tracking this week. A Memphis gunman was arrested Thursday after he live-streamed himself driving around the city shooting at people, killing four and wounding three others in seemingly random attacks.
--:-- John Bickley: According to court records, the shooter was released early from a three-year prison sentence for aggravated assault.
--:-- John Bickley: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid an unannounced visit to Kiev on Thursday as the Biden administration announced major new military aid worth more than $2.8 billion for Ukraine and other European countries threatened by Russia.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- John Bickley: 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.
