--:-- [Upbeat music fades out, and the host, John Bickley, speaks]
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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Black Rifle Coffee. Right now, a portion of every purchase you make at BlackRifleCoffee.com goes to supporting veteran and first responder causes. Visit BlackRifleCoffee.com to learn more.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, June 26th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: The nation's highest court has tossed out a lawsuit accusing the Biden administration of pressuring social media platforms to censor content it claims is disinformation. Daily Wire investigative reporter Maraid Alordi has more.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: The lawsuit brought by several conservative attorneys general alleges that federal officials unlawfully influenced and coerced platforms like Facebook to censor conservative views. The allegations list both COVID and election integrity among the subject matter that was targeted. Initially, lower courts sided with the plaintiffs and issued injunctions against the government. But today's Supreme Court decision overruled the lower court with Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch dissenting.
--:-- Maraid Alordi: The majority of the court maintained that Biden administration officials have a right to advocate industry reforms without violating the First Amendment Many critics however argue this decision underscores the delicate balance between public discourse and regulatory oversight.
--:-- Law Professor Jonathan Turley: I believe that these standing decisions are too narrow because they do prevent the court from rendering a decision on such important constitutional questions. So this issue will have to wait for another day. But one of the things that many of us have been arguing for years is that the government is engaging in censorship by surrogate. I testified about this in Congress, that they have made a mockery of the limits of the First Amendment by doing indirectly what they're barred from doing directly.
--:-- John Bickley: Health officials in the Biden administration reportedly lobbied an international transgender health care group to remove age limits for transgender surgeries. Here with the details is Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short.
--:-- Ash Short: Newly released court documents show that the U.S. Department of Health pressured the World Professional Association for Transgender Health to remove age minimums for transgender procedures. The organization's original 2021 guidelines suggested age minimums for an array of transgender procedures, including 14 for hormone treatment, 15 for mastectomies, and 17 for genital surgeries. Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health, successfully urged WPATH to get rid of the age limits. Levine, who identifies as transgender, was reportedly concerned that the age limits would spark, quote, devastating legislation for trans care.
--:-- John Bickley: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich appeared in a Russian court today to face espionage charges in a closed trial The reporter has been detained for 14 months for what the journal says are false allegations Russian investigators have not publicly presented any evidence to back up their claims of espionage, and the U.S. has labeled Gershkovich wrongfully detained and has demanded his immediate release, saying the Kremlin is, quote, using American citizens to achieve its political objectives.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Birch Gold Group. Diversify your savings with Birch Gold. Their experts can help you turn your IRA or 401k into a 401k in gold. Just text WIRE to 989898 today.
--:-- John Bickley: Deadly protests in Kenya over tax hikes have prompted the nation's president to reject the proposal. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell.
--:-- Zach Jewell: Kenyan President William Ruto said earlier today that he would not sign a controversial bill that would sharply increase taxes on an array of household goods. Protests began last week, which convinced Kenya's parliament to scrap parts of the bill. After the amended bill passed yesterday, however, the protests turned violent and 23 people were reportedly killed. Ruto acknowledged the protests in his address today. Listening keenly to the people of Kenya who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede. The bill heads back to the Kenyan parliament where lawmakers will look elsewhere to remedy the country spiraling national debt.
--:-- John Bickley: Israel Supreme Court ruled this week that Orthodox men can now be drafted into military service ending a long exemption Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the details.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The court said that without a law that differentiates Jewish seminary students from other draftees, Israel's mandatory military service applies to everyone. Some Orthodox parties, as well as other key coalition partners, adamantly oppose the changes, citing traditions going back centuries. They want us to be like them. And we want to live our life like we lived for many years, for hundreds of years, and we're not going to be going to the Army. Meanwhile, members of the Knesset say the current anti-Israel climate in the region warrants more soldiers. Now that we are at war and the situation is very complex, this is a necessity. It's not, you know, something that is nice to have. It's a necessity. We need people to serve in the Army.
--:-- John Bickley: And Tennessee's attorney general says he's turned the investigation into the attempted foreclosure of Elvis Presley's Graceland estate over to federal authorities. According to a spokesperson, the decision was made because of the case's complexity and that it was, quote, best suited for federal law enforcement. The investigation began after Elvis's granddaughter, Riley Keough, sued to stop an investment group from auctioning off Graceland. A judge then halted the sale amid allegations that the documents used to claim ownership of the property were fraudulent.
--:-- John Bickley: All right, there's 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 our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
