--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Babbel. For a limited time, get 60% off your Babbel subscription at babbel.com slash wire. Rules and restrictions may apply.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, July 1st, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: The Supreme Court ruled today that a U.S. president does have absolute immunity from federal prosecution for official acts, but not for unofficial conduct. The decision is viewed as a big victory for Donald Trump. Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has more.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: In a 6-3 vote, the high court sent the case back to a lower D.C. court to determine what constitutes, quote, official acts. The decision, which came on the final day of the high court's term, greatly reduces the chance that special counsel Jack Smith's federal trial against Trump will occur before November. Trump's lawyers filed to dismiss his federal election interference case back in October of last year by asserting that the former president's actions were, quote, within his official duties.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Federal prosecutors argued that the defense immunity argument threatened to give presidents quote license to commit crimes while in office Here constitutional law attorney Jonathan Turley explaining why this is a win for Trump.
--:-- Jonathan Turley: The court here is saying that we do need lines here drawn to protect presidents so they have some breathing room. And you have to sort of wonder how the context affected the justices. I mean, if they want to look at the implications of leaving presidents without protection, They just need to look around the country. Even though Manhattan was not a federal case, it was a political prosecution in the view of many of us that was rather raw and open.
--:-- John Bickley: Facebook parent company Meta is being accused of hiring bias against American workers. A U.S. court of appeals ruled 2-1 that a law barring discrimination based on alienage extends to bias against U.S. citizens. A meta-engineer claims that the company favors less costly foreign visa holders, though meta-denies wrongdoing. The decision could prompt more similar lawsuits challenging tech industry hiring practices, and the case may reach the Supreme Court if appealed.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Several U.S. military bases in Europe were put on alert over the weekend due to terrorist concerns in the region. The United States military raised its security level for bases across Europe, including the U.S. European Command headquarters in Germany. They are now operating at Force Protection Condition Charlie, the second highest level of alarm, which indicates the threat of terrorism against U.S. personnel or facilities. Officials have not elaborated on the change but one source told Fox News that it likely indicates an active reliable threat.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Good Ranchers. Go to goodranchers.com and use code WIRE to claim $100 off your order and free smoked brats for a year. That's goodranchers.com with promo code WIRE today.
--:-- John Bickley: France may soon have its first conservative government since World War II. Round one of snap elections show Marine Le Pen's National Rally Party leading with the next round of voting taking place on July 7th. Amid economic challenges and blowback to globalization, Le Pen's policies have really resonated with voters, especially in rural areas. If the national rally secures a majority, President Macron faces what's called cohabitation, where a prime minister from the new majority would govern, potentially altering French policy both at home and abroad.
--:-- Ash Short: The Biden administration appears to have walked back its stance on transgender surgery for minors after receiving backlash and media attention. The White House sent a memo to the New York Times last week detailing its stance on various transgender procedures. In it the Biden administration explicitly stated it opposes transgender surgeries for minors. The statement only mentions surgeries It stops short of condemning other treatments like cross hormones and puberty blockers. The move comes in response to the New York Times reporting last week that Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, pressured an international group to remove its age minimums for transgender treatment.
--:-- John Bickley: Former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon arrived at a federal prison today to begin a four-month sentence. Bannon was convicted on two counts of contempt of Congress in 2022 after refusing to comply with a subpoena issued by the House January 6th Committee. He called himself a political prisoner and asserted that he has no regrets defying the order. Here's Bannon in Connecticut earlier today.
--:-- Steve Bannon: I am proud to go to prison. If this is what it takes to stand up to tyranny, if this is what it takes to stand up to the Garland corrupt criminal DOJ,
--:-- John Bickley: And the future of iconic movie rental service Redbox is in jeopardy. Redbox's parent company, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, has filed for bankruptcy after months of financial problems. It bought Redbox in 2022, taking on $325 million of debt with hopes to partner the DVD rental service with streaming services. The plan never materialized and the entertainment company now carries almost $1 billion in debt.
--:-- 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 the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
--:-- [Theme music fades in]
