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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. Between two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a VPN, you try to be in control of how your info is protected. But many other places also have it, and they might not be as careful. That's why LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats. If your identity is stolen, they'll fix it. Guaranteed or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year. Visit LifeLock.com slash podcast for 40% off. Terms apply.
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--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Beam. Try Beam's best-selling dream powder for up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to shopbeam.com slash wire and use code wire at checkout. That's shopbeam.com slash wire.
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--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with guest host Michelle Tafoya, host of the Michelle Tafoya podcast. It's Tuesday, May 28th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: Thanks for having me, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Israeli tanks have reportedly made their way into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the latest.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Israeli tanks were spotted entering Rafah as the country enters its third week of its ground operation in southern Gaza city. The development comes following a weekend airstrike that killed two senior Hamas leaders, along with a number of civilians. There are varying reports regarding the number of civilians killed in the strike, with the Hamas-run health ministry claiming the death toll was at least 45. Hamas officials are claiming another 26 civilians have been killed by Israeli fire in RAFA since the Sunday strike. However, many experts have cast serious doubt on Hamas provided numbers, saying the terror group does not differentiate between civilians and terrorists.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Here's what a UPenn professor of statistics and data science told Fox News in March. Hamas continues to release total casualty figures, but it doesn't break it down on a regular basis and just simply says 70% are children and women. And when I walk outside my door, occasionally here at the University of Pennsylvania and there a protest going on or a rally or a demonstration that number is cited as evidence that Israel is waging war on Hamas but is instead committing war crimes against the people of Gaza.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: Spain joined Norway and Ireland today in a coordinated effort to pressure Israel to ease up on its response to Hamas terrorists' brutal October 7th attack. During a televised address, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the move is aimed at helping Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace. I would like to underline that starting tomorrow, we will focus all our efforts to implement the two-state solution and make it a reality.
--:-- John Bickley: Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz took to X in response, saying that Sanchez's government was, quote, being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Closing arguments got underway today, in Donald Trump's criminal trial over his alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the details.
--:-- Tim Pierce: In a roughly two and a half hour closing statement, Trump lawyer Todd Blanche argued that the prosecution's star witness, Michael Cohen, cannot be trusted. Blanche reminded the jury that Cohen is the only witness in the trial to give firsthand testimony about Trump's intent surrounding the money paid to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Blanche also said that records of the payments were not falsified because they were filed as legal services. And Cohen was, in fact, Trump's lawyer at the time.
--:-- John Bickley: Manhattan prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is delivering the closing statement for the prosecution.
--:-- Matthew Colangelo: [Audio clip plays, but no clear quote]
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: Outside of the courthouse, the Biden campaign, joined by actor Robert De Niro, railed against Trump and his supporters. During the press conference, De Niro denounced Trump and claimed that the American system of government is at stake in the 2024 election. Under Trump, this kind of government will perish from the earth. I mean to scare you. No, no, wait, maybe I do mean to scare you. If Trump returns to the White House, you can kiss these freedoms goodbye that we all take for granted.
--:-- John Bickley: Several New Yorkers confronted De Niro, calling him washed up and a traitor. He's a traitor to the Americans, the Italians and the Jews.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: Trump campaign officials characterized the event as an act of desperation by the Biden campaign, which has seen a series of dismal poll numbers for the president.
--:-- Caroline Levitt: Joe Biden's sending his campaign outside of this criminal courthouse. It is a full-blown concession that this trial is a witch hunt that comes from the top, comes from Joe Biden.
--:-- John Bickley: Special counsel Jack Smith's request for a gag order in Trump's classified documents case has been denied. In an order, U.S. District Judge Eileen Cannon found that prosecutors from Special Counsel Smith's office failed to confer with the former president's lawyers before filing the motion. The judge says prosecutors didn't give Team Trump, quote, sufficient time to review the motion, which was filed the Friday evening before Memorial Day weekend.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: Yesterday, Trump attorneys accused the government of, quote, unconstitutional censorship in response.
--:-- 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.
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--:-- John Bickley: The Democratic National Committee is planning to virtually nominate Joe Biden for the presidency before the Democratic National Convention in August. Here with more is Daily Wire Investigations Editor, Brent Schur.
--:-- Brent Schur: The Biden campaign announced the virtual roll call today in order to get the president formally nominated ahead of Ohio's registration deadline. State legislators met earlier today in a special session ordered by Governor Mike DeWine with the goal of ensuring Biden gets on the ballot While a bill had passed in the Senate House Democrats opposed additional provisions in the bill regarding foreign donations By nominating Biden ahead of the DNC Democrats won have to rely on Ohio lawmakers to get Biden officially on the ballot in the Buckeye State.
--:-- John Bickley: Severe storms over Memorial Day weekend left at least 22 people dead. The storm swept across six states from Texas to Kentucky, with tornado watches issued across the southeast and up the east coast. Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana are facing another round of storms today. Almost a million residents in the Dallas area are already without power.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: T-Mobile announced today that it will buy most of U.S. Cellular's business operations. The $4.4 billion deal will likely close next year. T-Mobile will carry 4.5 million new customers along with over 600 stores. U.S. Cellular will keep most of its wireless spectrum rights in all of its cell towers. The move comes in the wake of T-Mobile completing its acquisition of Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile earlier this month.
--:-- John Bickley: And basketball legend Bill Walton passed away this weekend. The Hall of Famer won two championships in high school, two national championships at UCLA, and two as a pro, one for the Portland Trailblazers and one with the Boston Celtics. The 6'11", tall center is considered one of the best to ever play the game. He was NBA MVP in the 1977-78 season, though he only played 58 games due to injuries. Walton also had a successful career as a TV commentator. He died at his San Diego home on Monday from colon cancer at the age of 71.
--:-- Michelle Tafoya: All right, those are 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.
