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--:-- John Bickley: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm John Bickley, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire, and I'm here with my co-host Georgia Howe. It's Monday, May 30th, and we're glad you're waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for joining us, John. Today, we're going to cover a lot of ground, from President Biden's visit to Uvalde, Texas, to the latest developments in the Johnny Depp defamation trial against Amber Heard.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right, Georgia. And we'll also be discussing the World Economic Forum, which wrapped up last week in Davos, Switzerland. But before we dive into those stories, let's take a moment to remember and honor our fallen heroes on this Memorial Day.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Absolutely, John. We know that without the sacrifices of the selfless and courageous members of the U.S. military and their families, we wouldn't enjoy the freedoms we do today. So, thank you to all who have given so much for the rest of us.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire, everyone. Stay tuned, we have the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And don't forget to check out our sponsor, Good Ranchers. They're offering a special deal for our listeners. Visit GoodRanchers.com slash wire to get a box of amazing American meat and get two pounds of free American Wagyu burgers and free shipping added to your order. Just use code wire at GoodRanchers.com slash wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Now, let's get to our first story. President Biden visited Uvalde, Texas, on Sunday, where he met with victims, families, and other leaders in the community.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: [Guest] Hi, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Cabot Phillips, Senior Editor at the Daily Wire, is here to give us an update on the president's visit and the controversy surrounding the response of law enforcement.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Thanks, John. Well, we now have a better idea of the timeline of the tragedy, and it's definitely raising questions about why it took so long to engage the shooter.
--:-- John Bickley: Can you walk us through what happened, Cabot?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Sure. After firing shots outside the school for around 10 minutes, the shooter entered the building through a back door that had been propped open by a teacher and began firing into a classroom. Just two minutes later, a total of seven officers were in the hallway of the school as the shooter was active. But it would be another hour and 15 minutes before the room he was in was breached and he was killed.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a long time, Cabot. What do we know about the school district's protocol for active shooters?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: According to reports, the school district's protocol is to immediately engage the shooter and not treat the incident as a hostage situation. But the school district police chief, who was in charge at the time, told officers to treat the shooting as a barricaded subject situation and ordered them not to breach the room until they could organize a response.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a pretty big mistake, Cabot. What's the reaction been from the governor and the Justice Department?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for a full investigation of the response and vowed to hold the authorities accountable. And the Justice Department announced yesterday that they'd also be conducting a review of the shooting.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a good start, Cabot. What about President Biden's reaction to the visit?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, ahead of the visit, he tweeted that he wanted Congress to turn this pain into action and pass universal background checks, as well as a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines. And White House Press Secretary Corrine Jean-Pierre said that the president wanted to see the minimum age for purchasing a rifle raised from 18 to 21.
--:-- John Bickley: That's interesting, Cabot. What about the legislative response in Congress?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, there had been a series of gun control laws earlier this year that had passed the House but then stalled in the evenly divided Senate. But there is some momentum now. On Thursday, a group of moderate Republicans met with Democrats to discuss a potential compromise on gun control, specifically regarding red flag laws.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a good sign, Cabot. What about the Johnny Depp defamation trial against Amber Heard?
--:-- Megan Basham: [Guest] Hi, Georgia.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Megan Basham, Culture Reporter at the Daily Wire, is here to give us an update on the trial.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks, Georgia. Well, the trial has been making headlines for weeks, and it's finally heading to a jury. For those who haven't been following, the case involves a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which Amber Heard described herself as a victim of domestic violence.
--:-- John Bickley: And Johnny Depp is suing her for defamation, right?
--:-- Megan Basham: That's right, John. Depp is seeking around $50 million in compensation, claiming that the article destroyed his career.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What were some of the most significant moments in the trial, Megan?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, one of the most important was when Amber Heard admitted that she did write the op-ed about Depp. That was significant because it's easy to forget that this is actually a defamation suit.
--:-- John Bickley: And what about the testimony from Depp's ex-girlfriend, Ellen Barkin?
--:-- Megan Basham: Yeah, she described him as controlling and jealous and said that he was always drinking and using drugs. But then Kate Moss took the stand to refute some of the allegations against Depp.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's interesting, Megan. What does it say about the Me Too movement and whether it went too far as a believe all women argument?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, it seems like we've turned a cultural corner where people are more comfortable questioning allegations of abuse in a way that they maybe weren't a couple of years ago.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a good point, Megan. What about the World Economic Forum, which wrapped up last week in Davos, Switzerland?
--:-- Mireille Alordi: [Guest] Hi, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Mireille Alordi, Investigative Reporter at the Daily Wire, is here to give us an update on the forum.
--:-- Mireille Alordi: Thanks, John. Well, the forum covered a lot of ground, from rising gas prices to futuristic tracking devices.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What were some of the most concerning ideas presented at the forum, Mireille?
--:-- Mireille Alordi: One of the most alarming proposals was a tool for measuring an individual's total carbon footprint. J. Michael Evans, president of Alibaba, told listeners to stay tuned because the concept is not operational yet, but the carbon footprint tracker is something they're reportedly working on.
--:-- John Bickley: That sounds like a big brother scenario, Mireille. What else was discussed at the forum?
--:-- Mireille Alordi: Well, there was a lot of concern about rising interest rates, inflation, and supply chain problems. Climate change and energy were big topics. Kirsten Brathen, CEO of Norwegian financial services giant DNB, talked about small and medium businesses going through energy transitions and the financial strain they may experience.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a good point, Mireille. Did any leaders at Davos offer solutions to the energy crisis?
--:-- Mireille Alordi: Well, German Vice Chancellor Robert Hebeck said that countries should resist the temptation to look out for their own interests first and instead stick to global markets.
--:-- John Bickley: That's interesting, Mireille. What about digital currency and free speech?
--:-- Mireille Alordi: Yeah, there was a panel discussion about central bank digital currencies coming within about five years. And Australian e-safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said that we need to think about a recalibration of freedom of speech and other human rights.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a concerning trend, Mireille. Thanks for the reporting.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire, everyone. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and you stand with our mission, please consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we have for today. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
--:-- John Bickley: And don't forget to check out our sponsor, Good Ranchers. Visit GoodRanchers.com slash wire to get a box of amazing American meat and get two pounds of free American Wagyu burgers and free shipping added to your order. Just use code wire at GoodRanchers.com slash wire.
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--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
