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--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire, I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And I'm Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, January 14th, and we're here to bring you the latest news and analysis on the stories that matter.
--:-- John Bickley: Before we dive in, a quick word from our sponsors. Good Ranchers is offering our listeners an exclusive discount. Visit goodranchers.com and use code WIRE for an exclusive discount.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And if you're looking to improve your health, check out Lumen, the world's first handheld metabolic coach. Head to lumen.me/WIRE for 20% off your purchase.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's get to the news. The NFL is back, and FanDuel's got everything you need to play your game. From same-game parlays to live betting. Right now, new customers bet $5 and get $300 in bonus bets if you win. 21-plus in president select states. 18-plus in Kentucky and Wyoming. Must be first online real money waging. $5 deposit required. Bonus issued is non-withdrawable bonus bets that expire seven days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See full terms at FanDuel.com slash sportsbook. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Extreme winds return to Los Angeles, creating a recipe for fire. A red flag warning is in effect for the area until 6 p.m. Wednesday. We're expecting north-northeast wind gusts, very low humidity, and the vegetation is still very dry.
--:-- John Bickley: Why are many residents worried they won't be able to rebuild? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The process of vetting Donald Trump's cabinet nominees begins today, starting with his pick for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Well, he certainly has the qualities that we need to lead the Pentagon. He knows about a fit fighting force. He has a distinguished record of service in the military. And Donald Trump is cruising into his inauguration with historically high approval ratings and support for his agenda.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: used to be. Their steakhouse grade cuts come pre-trimmed and vacuum sealed, making meal prep a breeze and helping you spend less time cooking and more time with family. Subscribe now using code WIRE to get $25 off free express shipping and your choice of free ground beef, chicken, or salmon in every order for an entire year.
--:-- John Bickley: Southern California continues to burn with extreme winds expected today through Wednesday. Red flag warnings are in effect this morning through most of tomorrow. Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Hey, Georgia. Yeah, it's been confirmed that at least two dozen people have died from these fires. But unfortunately, dozens more are missing, so that number is expected to rise. The fires have been raging for a week now, starting last Tuesday. And forecasts show a return to extreme winds, so there will likely be more devastation and increasing challenges for firefighters.
--:-- Georgia Howe: In L.A. County alone, tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders. Now, over the past week, there have been numerous rumors about arson. Do we have any information about the cause of the fires?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: The New York Times reports that authorities on the ground do believe that the Palisades fire could have been caused by human origins, but not necessarily arson. There are several popular hiking trails in the area where teens sometimes have fires. So that's being investigated as a possible cause.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As for the arrests related to arson, there have been three so far, but none have been linked to any of the large devastating fires. The Kenneth fire is still being investigated as a possible cause of arson. There have also been a variety of unconfirmed videos circulating online of individuals setting fires in and around L.A., so that has caused a lot of anger and worry.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: L Times has also reported that an electrical tower is being investigated in association with the Eaton fire in Pasadena though the company is denying that Now another major concern is how California is going to pay to rebuild from all this damage Are homeowners having trouble getting covered?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, this is a huge issue. Thousands of Los Angeles homeowners were dropped by their insurers this past year or so, many in just the past three months. As we highlighted last week, there's a massive insurance crisis in California. A recent Wall Street Journal editorial pinned that crisis on the state's politicians.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: For example, in California, companies are barred from raising premiums to reflect the increasing fire risks. As a result, insurers have limited their coverage or just stopped doing business altogether in California. And the state's supposed safety net for those left without private insurance, which is called FAIR, that has a $458 billion exposure, while it only has around $700 million in cash on hand to pay out claims.
--:-- Georgia Howe: President Joe Biden has already promised federal funding for those affected by the fires, including low-cost loans for those with uninsured properties. And House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked on Monday about sending financial assistance to California, and he said that should come with conditions.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: There's been water resources management, forest management mistakes, all sorts of problems. And it does come down to leadership, and it appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty in many respects. So that's something that has to be backed in.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, speaking of leadership, people are extremely unhappy about how this has been handled. What is that going to mean for Mayor Karen Bass?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Yeah, things are not looking good for Bass. First, she was on a different continent when these fires started, and her more than 24-hour absence is only compounding what many view as her leadership failures. There's an online petition signed by more than 30,000 people demanding the mayor's resignation, and even legacy media is turning on the mayor.
--:-- Georgia Howe: L.A. Times owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong called his paper's endorsement of Bass a mistake. I think we were one of the few to say competence matters. Maybe we should think about how we elect people on the basis of, did they actually run a job? Did they actually make a payroll? Do they understand what it is? And rather than having professional politicians whose only job is ready to run for office.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Well, this is going to be a defining moment for Los Angeles no matter what.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Amanda, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: You're welcome, Georgia.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: This morning, Congress will begin a whirlwind few days of confirmation hearings for some of Donald Trump's most high-profile nominees. Here with a look at what's sure to be a momentous week in Washington is Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice.
--:-- Tim Rice: Hey, John, Trump said he was going to hit the ground running on Inauguration Day. But with the slate of hearings we have, it seems like he's getting the ball rolling a week early. 13 of his 15 cabinet nominees have hearings scheduled this week. That's everybody except HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Labor Department pick Lori Chavez de Reamer, two of Trump's more controversial picks.
--:-- John Bickley: Well, let's dive into the hearings. You mentioned Pete Hegseth, who's been drawing a lot of scrutiny. What's the latest there?
--:-- Tim Rice: Well, listeners may remember that there have been two main criticisms of Hegseth. The first is that he was unqualified for the job, which usually goes to a general or a top Pentagon official. Here's Wyoming Senator John Barrasso on that.
--:-- John Barrasso: The current nominee compared to who been in the Pentagon the last four years where they had a woke military where recruitment went down morale went down I think Pete is going to be terrific in terms of recruitment in terms of morale in terms of returning America to a fighting force which is what the American people really want.
--:-- Tim Rice: Even more notable were the attacks on Hegseth's personal life. Reports surfaced that a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2017, and stories began circulating that Hegseth was often drunk at work at Fox. Hegseth says the 2017 encounter was consensual, and a police investigation resulted in no charges being filed.
--:-- John Bickley: First of all, I've never had a drinking problem. I don't, I'm, never, no one's ever approached me and said, oh, you, you should really look at getting help for a drink. Never. I've never sought counseling, never sought help. I respect and appreciate people who, who do. Just yesterday, Punchbowl News reported that senators have been told Hegseth's FBI background check was, quote, unremarkable.
--:-- Tim Rice: So we should expect Republicans to lean heavily on that while Democrats keep up their same criticisms.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, you mentioned Doug Collins. What can we expect from his hearing?
--:-- Tim Rice: Well, that one's going to be a lot less interesting, which is no doubt a relief for Collins. He's a veteran himself and a former congressman, and the VA is a historically troubled department. So senators are really just looking for someone with a proven commitment to helping vets, and they've got that in Collins.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, looking ahead quickly, who's scheduled for the rest of the week?
--:-- Tim Rice: Yeah, tomorrow's the big day with seven hearings scheduled. That includes Kristi Noem, Trump's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and Marco Rubio, his choice for the State Department. Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi will have the first of two hearings tomorrow and will wrap up on Thursday when Treasury nominee Scott Besant and EPA pick Lee Zeldin will also take center stage. Also appearing Thursday is North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, whose hearing was originally scheduled for today but got pushed at the 11th hour.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, you may think that will be another easy one. Burgum's pretty non-controversial, he was in the spotlight a lot during his presidential campaign, and the Department of the Interior just isn't something lawmakers tend to get excited about. But remember, Trump also tapped Burgum to lead the newly created National Energy Council, where he'll be in charge of bolstering fossil fuel production.
--:-- Tim Rice: So we're already hearing reports that Democrats are going to grill Burgum about that and try to get him to commit to protecting certain land from drilling. There will also probably be some questions about conflicts of interest since Burgum is a wealthy investor. That's part of why Democrats moved to delay the hearing. They say they still haven't received Burgum's financial disclosure forms.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll, of course, be watching these hearings closely, and we'll be back tomorrow with any highlights.
--:-- Tim Rice: Tim, thanks for reporting.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: With Inauguration Day just six days away, the president-elect is coming into office with historically high approval ratings for him and widespread support for his agenda. Here to break it all down is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce.
--:-- Tim Pierce: So, Tim, what can we expect to see at Trump's second inauguration?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah, so the weekend will be packed with all sorts of dinners, meetings, ceremonies, and a Make America Great Again victory rally. The weekend is even expected to feature several performances by the village people. That's the band that first performed the song YMCA, a staple at Trump's rallies about half a century ago.
--:-- Georgia Howe: On Inauguration Day, acclaimed country artist Carrie Underwood is slated to perform America the Beautiful. She'll be accompanied by the Armed Forces Chorus and the Naval Academy Glee Club.
--:-- Tim Pierce: After Trump is sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts he will head down the parade route to the White House where he expected to sign a slew of executive orders with special attention to immigration and the border
--:-- John Bickley: Now all of this comes as Trump is arguably more popular than ever correct Right The polls have been clear on that front According to a morning consult poll out last week Trump's favorability rating is at a seven-year high. Americans generally approve of Trump's transition, but while Trump's approval rating is high for him, it's still low relative to past presidents.
--:-- Tim Pierce: According to pollster Harry Enten, Trump's net favorability rating is about minus one. Contrast that with Joe Biden's plus 23 point favorability in January 2021. A 2009 Gallup poll put Obama's favorability at plus 54. And in 2001, Bush entered office with a 28 point positive approval rating.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That said, a Signal poll last month found a majority of Americans back key planks of Trump's agenda. 60% of Americans support Doge reforms led by Elon Musk and 56% support Trump's commitment to mass deportations.
--:-- Tim Pierce: While many Americans may have their doubts about Trump personally, they like his agenda and want him in Washington to shake things up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, over the weekend, his vice president, J.D. Vance, also gave his first interview since the election. What did he say?
--:-- Tim Pierce: Yeah, Vance covered a lot of topics in that interview, but one issue that has gained a lot of attention is Trump's seriousness about acquiring Greenland. Vance doubled down on that. Here he is.
--:-- J.D. Vance: Greenland is really important for America strategically. It has a lot of great natural resources. My friend Donald Trump Jr. was there a couple of days ago. And you know what they told him? They want to be empowered to develop. The people of Greenland want to be empowered to develop the resources there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We also need to make sure that Greenland is properly cared for from an American security perspective. And frankly, the current leadership, the Danish government has not done a good enough job of securing Greenland.
--:-- Tim Pierce: I think there actually is a real opportunity here for us to take leadership, to protect America's security, to ensure that those incredible natural resources are developed. And that's what Donald Trump is good at. He's good at making deals. And I think there's a deal to be made in Greenland.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, this is going to be a complicated discussion moving forward. Denmark has said it doesn't want to sell Greenland, but the Danish government is open to negotiating more U.S. influence over the Arctic Island. And Greenland's premier favors independence from both the U.S. and Denmark. But he's also open to a closer working relationship with the U.S.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The other major foreign policy issue is Trump's approach to the conflict in the Middle East. Vance said that Trump's team wants a deal for Hamas to release hostages before Inauguration Day.
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's very clear that President Trump threatening Hamas and making it clear that there are going to be consequences for Hamas is part of the reason why we've made progress on getting some hostages out.
--:-- Tim Pierce: We're hopeful there's going to be a deal that's struck towards the very end of Biden's administration, maybe the last day or two. But regardless of when that deal is struck, it will be because people are terrified that there are going to be consequences for Hamas.
--:-- Georgia Howe: To that point, reports on Monday said that Israel and Hamas were close to a deal and that more hostages could be released at any time. So a positive sign at least.
--:-- Tim Pierce: And with inauguration coming up, Daily Wire is going to be on the ground with all of the big news next week.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Tim, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Good to be on. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back this afternoon with more news you need to know.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Hey guys, producer Brandon here. Did you know that 80% of resolutions fail by February? You, however, can beat the odds and improve your health with Lumen, the world's first handheld metabolic coach. By simply breathing into your Lumen each morning, you'll discover if your body is burning fats or carbs. The app then provides personalized nutrition plans and lifestyle guidance based on your unique metabolism. Take the next step in improving your health. Go to lumen.me/WIRE to get 20% off your Lumen. That's lumen.me/WIRE to get 20% off your purchase. Thank you, Lumen, for sponsoring this episode.
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