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--:-- Georgia Howe: 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.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by Birch Gold Group. Birch Gold makes it easy and cost-free to convert your existing IRA or 401k. Just text the word WIRE to 989898 and get a free info kit on gold today. That's WIRE to 989898 today.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, November 13th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: Republicans in the Senate have chosen their new leader. John Thune of South Dakota will succeed Mitch McConnell and lead Senate Republicans for at least the next two years.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thune, who has served as the Republican whip in the chamber since 2019, won by vote of 29 to 24 over Texas Senator John Cornyn. A late favorite in the race Florida Rick Scott was eliminated on the first ballot after receiving just 13 votes to 15 for Cornyn and 23 for Thune
--:-- John Bickley: [pauses] Here was Majority Leader Thune in a press conference after the vote. We have a mandate from the American people, a mandate not only to clean up the mess left by the Biden-Harris-Schumer agenda, but also to deliver on President Trump's priorities. And I want to thank my colleagues who placed their faith in me to serve as leader. And to those who were supporting another candidate, I promise to be a leader who serves the entire Republican conference. We'll have an ambitious agenda and we'll take each and every Republican working together to be successful.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump has also announced his choice for secretary of defense, Army National Guard vet and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, known for his outspoken criticism of the military's embrace of woke ideology.
--:-- John Bickley: In a book he authored, Hegseth criticized the military's shift under the Obama and Biden administrations, citing changes focused on gender, diversity and extremism rather than military readiness. He's vowed to restore merit-based values in the armed forces if confirmed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here's what Hegseth told Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro on a recent Sunday special.
--:-- Ben Shapiro: Every aspect of it is how good are you at your job and how quickly can you execute? And that's what it's supposed to be. And if you a general officer inside the military you raise your right hand to defend the Constitution That what you defending You not going to let anything inside the ranks of your forces that tear that down We have a whole warrior general class that has done just that
--:-- Georgia Howe: The man suspected of leaking classified documents detailing Israel's preparations for a possible attack on Iran has been arrested. CIA official William Raman was apprehended by the FBI in Cambodia today and then brought to Guam where he faced charges.
--:-- John Bickley: According to a court filing, Raman was indicted in federal court last week on two counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by NetSuite. Download the CFO's guide to AI and machine learning at netsuite.com slash morningwire. The guide is free to you at netsuite.com slash morningwire. Again, that's netsuite.com slash morningwire.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Two House committees are set to question FEMA Director Deanne Criswell next week over allegations that relief workers in Florida were instructed to avoid homes advertising Trump.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The House Subcommittee on Economic Development has now expanded its investigation into FEMA after the now-fired supervisor Marnie Washington told workers to skip homes with Trump flags or signs following recent hurricanes. Washington claimed in an interview earlier this week that this was not an isolated incident but part of FEMA broader policy to avoid politically hostile homes Criswell is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee and investigations at both the federal and state levels are ongoing
--:-- Georgia Howe: The homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Travis Kelsey and Patrick Mahomes were both targeted in burglaries last month.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: According to reports, Mahomes' luxury mansion in Belton, Missouri, was broken into on October 6th, with Kelsey's Leawood estate hit the following day. Authorities say $20,000 in cash was stolen from Kelsey's property, though it's unclear if anything was taken from Mahomes' house. The FBI is now investigating, suggesting the instance may be part of a larger crime spree across state lines.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And Disney World's new water ride is making a much bigger than anticipated splash. Park visitors say they're getting too soaked on Tiana's Bayou Adventure.
--:-- Amanda Presta-Giacomo: The attraction replaced Splash Mountain, which was shut down over claims that it was racist, and is inspired by the princess and the frog. Guests say the ride leaves them drenched, with some even claiming that water collects in the cars, soaking riders from head to toe. Disneyland's version, which is set to open this week, is reportedly even wetter.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune into our full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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