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--:-- Georgia Howe: Good morning, and welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe, and I'm here with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Saturday, August 14th.
--:-- John Bickley: Good morning, Georgia. Thanks for joining me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Today, we're going to dive into some of the biggest stories of the week. We'll be talking about the American Booksellers Association, cryptocurrency, and the Obama Presidential Center. Let's start with the American Booksellers Association. One of America's most influential book associations has come under fire from the left for accidentally including two conservative books in a promotional mailer.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And we have the details on the controversy.
--:-- Georgia Howe: One of the books included in the mailer was the bestseller "Blackout" written by Candace Owens, one of our personalities here at Daily Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. And we're joined now by Daily Wire entertainment reporter Megan Basham to explain what happened.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for having me, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Megan, can you give us some background information on the American Booksellers Association?
--:-- Megan Basham: Sure. The American Booksellers Association, or ABA, is a nonprofit trade group that promotes independent bookstores. It was founded in 1900, so it has a very long and storied history.
--:-- John Bickley: And what happened with the mailer?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, to get the full picture, you really have to go back to July 7th. The ABA sends out these promotional book boxes every month, which include book lists and review copies of select new titles that retailers might want to consider stocking in their stores. Last month, a staffer mistook a short story collection with a social justice theme titled "Blackout" for Candace Owens' book of the same name.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what about the other book included in the mailer?
--:-- Megan Basham: The other book was Abigail Schreier's bestseller "Irreversible Damage," which is critical of the transgender craze among teen girls.
--:-- John Bickley: And how did the ABA respond to the controversy?
--:-- Megan Basham: They sent out two separate apologies, saying that including these books in the mailing did horrific harm that caused violence and pain to the members who received it. They also said it traumatized and endangered members of the trans community, erased Black authors, and put the other authors in that month's box in danger of a forced association.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what about the steps the ABA is taking to prevent similar mistakes in the future?
--:-- Megan Basham: They've released the details of an internal audit on how the mistake happened and promised to take steps to make sure it doesn't happen again. They're also instituting a review process to screen out titles that don't adhere to their diversity, equity, and inclusion policy.
--:-- John Bickley: And isn't it ironic that the ABA is promoting free speech and First Amendment rights, but in this case, they're joining in the censorship?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yes, it is ironic. The ABA prides itself on its activism for free speech and First Amendment rights, but in this case, they're joining in the censorship.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for explaining that, Megan.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Next up, we're going to talk about cryptocurrency. The Senate has passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, but it's not without controversy.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And we're joined now by Daily Wire's Ian Howarth to explain what's going on.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Ian, can you explain what's happening with the infrastructure bill and cryptocurrency?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Sure. The Senate passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, but it's held up by arguments over the role of cryptocurrency. The debate is over taxing cryptocurrency earnings.
--:-- John Bickley: And what's the issue with the language used to define crypto brokers?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Critics are concerned that the definition of broker is too broad, and anyone involved in any kind of crypto transaction could be caught up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what about the proposed amendments to tax cryptocurrency earnings?
--:-- Ian Howarth: A group of crypto lawmakers proposed an edit to the language, but it was quickly counted, and a compromise amendment was put forward and rejected.
--:-- John Bickley: And what does this mean for the cryptocurrency industry?
--:-- Ian Howarth: It means that the industry is back where it started, with no clear direction on how to proceed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for explaining that, Ian.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Next up, we're going to talk about the Obama Presidential Center. Former President Barack Obama is breaking ground on a new presidential center in Chicago, but it's not without controversy.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And we're joined now by Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak to explain what's going on.
--:-- Luke Rosiak: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So, Luke, can you explain what's happening with the Obama Presidential Center?
--:-- Luke Rosiak: Sure. The Obama Foundation is planning to build a private complex on city-owned land in the middle of a park, and the city has essentially agreed to lease the land for free.
--:-- John Bickley: And what's the issue with the location?
--:-- Luke Rosiak: The location is a 20-acre park in Chicago, and the city has agreed to lease the land for 99 years for just $10.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And what about the environmental concerns?
--:-- Luke Rosiak: The Obama administration made it very hard for everyone to build near waterways because of the environmental impacts, but this project is going to require cutting down 800 trees and building on special pylons.
--:-- John Bickley: And what about the economic benefits of the project?
--:-- Luke Rosiak: The project is expected to bring in thousands of visitors a year, but it's not clear how much of that money will actually stay in the community.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for explaining that, Luke.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining us on Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: And don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter, available exclusively to Daily Wire members.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Get the facts first on the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back Monday with the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: And if you liked this episode, be sure to give us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And don't forget to download the Daily Wire app to get all of our content, including Morning Wire, wherever you are.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time on Morning Wire.
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