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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: I'm Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley with guest host Katie Pavlich, editor at Town Hall VIP. It's Friday, May 17th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: Thanks for having me on the show, John.
--:-- John Bickley: So, let's get right into it. A man convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester back in 2020 has been pardoned. Army Sergeant Daniel Perry was convicted of shooting and killing Garrett Foster, who was part of a BLM protest. Both of the men are white. Defense attorney St. Perry acted in self-defense because Foster pointed an AK-47 rifle at Perry.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: That's right, John. The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole unanimously recommended Perry be pardoned and have his gun rights restored. Governor Abbott issued the pardon moments later.
--:-- John Bickley: And the U.S. military anchored a temporary pier on the coast of Gaza on Thursday. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has more.
--:-- Tim Pierce: U.S. Central Command made the announcement saying trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days. The United Nations will be in charge of distributing the aid. The Pentagon estimates 90 trucks a day could use the pier, which serves as an alternate route for aid into the region that does not have to come through Rafah.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: Meanwhile, Israel's defense minister Yoav Galant said they will be sending more troops into Rafah. Galant says the army has been able to destroy many of the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza that were used by Hamas to smuggle weapons.
--:-- John Bickley: A new rule may ease federal restrictions on marijuana. The DOJ officially moved to reclassify marijuana from a Class 1 to a Class 3 drug. Class 1 drugs are deemed to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: In 2022, President Biden urged his Health and Human Services Department to review the drug for potential health benefits. He called the potential reclassification monumental and said reclassifying marijuana is a priority of his administration.
--:-- John Bickley: But drug and law enforcement groups are against the move and say marijuana use has serious side effects and could lead to the use of more dangerous and harmful drugs.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: U.S. drug overdoses declined slightly in 2023. Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short has the details.
--:-- Ash Short: According to the CDC, there were 107 overdose deaths in 2023, a 3% decline from 2022. Deaths from synthetic opioids, which are primarily made up of fentanyl, decreased 2%, but remained elevated and now make up 7 in 10 overdose deaths. Deaths by cocaine and methamphetamine also increased slightly.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: State-by-state deaths varied widely. Several Western states, Washington, Oregon, and Nevada, experienced a more than 25% increase in overdose deaths, while every state on the East Coast, from Maine to Florida, saw overdoses decline.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Done With Debt. Let Done With Debt negotiate a plan to get you out of debt permanently. Go right now to donewithdebt.com. That's donewithdebt.com today.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: Netflix, Apple TV, and Peacock will soon be coming to a cable station near you. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham has the details on the offering.
--:-- Megan Basham: Comcast will be offering a bundle of all three popular streamers at a, quote, vastly reduced price. No word on those numbers yet, but last week, Disney and Warner Brothers said they'll offer a three-way bundle of Macs, Disney Plus, and Hulu starting this summer.
--:-- John Bickley: Netflix is betting big on live programming. The Tom Brady roast brought in more than 13 million viewers and is Netflix's most-watched event ever. They also announced a deal to air at least one NFL game on Christmas Day for the next three years.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: Happy Gilmore will be getting a sequel on Netflix nearly 30 years after the original film. Adam Sandler will reprise his role as the iconic golfer Happy Gilmore, though other information like release date, plot, and director are still under wraps.
--:-- John Bickley: The original film became a cult classic, receiving mixed reviews from critics, but ultimately bringing in $38 million at the box office on a $12 million budget. This will be Sandler's ninth Netflix film.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: And good news for fast food enthusiasts. McDonald's is introducing a $5 meal deal. The meal includes a McDouble or McChicken, small fries, small drink, and a four-piece Chicken McNuggets.
--:-- John Bickley: The fast food chain hopes the reduced price will lure back cost-conscious customers. But McDonald's restaurants located in high-labor, high-rent areas won't carry the option, which is being subsidized with $4.6 million by drink giant Coca-Cola.
--:-- Katie Pavlich: The item will hit menus on June 25th and will last only one month. So get them while they're hot.
--:-- John Bickley: 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 our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
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