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--:-- Georgia Howe: Good morning, I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, August 12, and this is Morning Wire.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with us. We've got a lot to cover today.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, let's start with the latest news from Europe. Protests are breaking out over new laws requiring citizens to show vaccine passports.
--:-- John Bickley: That's right. How are the countries enforcing the passports, and how will this influence similar efforts here in the U.S.?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, let's go to our guest, Daily Wire's Ian Howarth. Morning, Ian.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Good morning.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Before we talk about vaccine passports in the United States, can you talk about what's going on in Europe right now?
--:-- Ian Howarth: After four straight weekends of mass protests across France, the French government is now enforcing the use of what they're calling a pass sanitaire, which means health pass in English. In other words, a vaccine passport.
--:-- Georgia Howe: As of Monday, French citizens are required by law to show their vaccine passport if they want to eat at a restaurant, drink in a bar, visit a hospital for non-emergency reasons, or travel on long-distance trains.
--:-- Ian Howarth: For the previous week, it was already required for theatres and other so-called cultural places. And from September onwards, it will also be legally required by employers to make sure that all contractors have a vaccine passport before being allowed to work.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We covered this a few days ago, but let's review really quick. What exactly is a health pass?
--:-- Ian Howarth: It's a digital pass displayed on someone's phone, and there are three ways to obtain a health pass. Get vaccinated, test negative for COVID-19, or be recovering from COVID-19.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And you mentioned mass protests. Tell me a little more about that.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Hundreds of thousands of protesters hit the streets across France just last week, with banners reading things like, "I am not a QR code" and "I am not anti-vaccine, just pro-choice."
--:-- Georgia Howe: One common theme of these protests have been a rejection of the mandatory aspect of the COVID-19 vaccines, not the vaccines themselves.
--:-- Ian Howarth: However, the notion of freedom being called for by the protesters was effectively dismissed by France's President Macron. It's about citizenship, he said. Freedom only exists if the freedom of everyone is protected, he continued, saying that it's worth noting if by exercising our freedom, we contaminate our brother, neighbor, friend, parents, or someone we have come across at an event, then freedom becomes irresponsibility.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a pretty different definition of freedom, I think, than a lot of folks are used to.
--:-- Ian Howarth: That's true. And this kind of thing is happening everywhere, it seems like.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, protests also broke out in Italy against the country's Green Pass, another vaccine passport, which is required for teachers, university staff, and university students. And it also being required if you want to go to a museum, a sport venue, a theater, or dine indoors.
--:-- Ian Howarth: A lot of people here in the U.S. are concerned that we're heading in that same direction as France and Italy. Do you think that's likely?
--:-- Ian Howarth: Well, the answer here is that it depends on which state you live in. In Florida, for example, the state government has openly rejected the idea of vaccine passports, signing a law banning them in May.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The vaccine passport is a terrible idea. We are definitely not going to require anything from the state's perspective. That is totally off the table.
--:-- Ian Howarth: It's not something that we're going to support here in any way in Florida. And there's an ongoing battle in Florida right now, with a district judge allowing a cruise ship company to demand proof of vaccination for travelers before boarding.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Under the Florida law, the company could have triggered a penalty of $5,000 per passenger.
--:-- Ian Howarth: We should also remember that Florida isn't the only state to have banned vaccine passports. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, and North Dakota have all outlawed vaccine passports.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So that looks like a red state trend.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Yes, and then in some blue states, such as New York, vaccine passports have already arrived. New York introduced their own digital vaccine passport program called the Excelsior Pass, and some venues, such as Madison Square Garden, have used this pass to verify vaccination status.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And then just last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would be the first in the country to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, and concerts.
--:-- Ian Howarth: This is a miraculous place, literally full of wonders. And if you're vaccinated, all that's going to open up to you. You'll have the key. The key to NYC pass is going to be phased in slowly, they say, to apply to customers and employees.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So depending on which city or state you live in, vaccine passports might already be here. It's now just a matter of whether they are embraced or rejected by your local or state representatives. A question which is becoming more partisan by the day.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Ian, thanks for the update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: My pleasure. Thanks for having me.
--:-- Ian Howarth: Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Up next, the Texas Supreme Court weighs in on the showdown between Democrats and Republicans. If you're with Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile, you're paying too much. Switching to Pure Talk saves the average family over $800 a year. Go to puretalk.com, find the right plan for you, and enter promo code WIRE to save 50% off your first month.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Texas Democrats who left the state to prevent a House vote on election integrity bills received some setbacks this week from the Texas Supreme Court. As a result of the court's rulings, warrants for the arrest of dozens of Democrats have been signed and their paychecks are being blocked.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Here to discuss the ongoing political showdown is Daily Wire editor Ash Short. Ash, good to have you back.
--:-- Ash Short: Glad to be here.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So we've got some new developments in this Texas saga, including arrest warrants. Take us back for a sec. How did we get here?
--:-- Ash Short: This all started over bills on election integrity and women's sports. Last month, more than 50 Democrat state lawmakers from Texas chartered a plane to D.C. to deny the Texas state legislature a quorum.
--:-- Georgia Howe: By leaving the state, they blocked a vote on bills during a special session called by Governor Greg Abbott.
--:-- Ash Short: Without those Democrats present, Republicans in Texas couldn't vote on a voter integrity bill or a bill that would ban biological males from competing in women's sports.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So the Democrats didn't like the bills, so they blocked the ability to vote on them.
--:-- Ash Short: Yeah. And there was a lot of debate over this move, right?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah.
--:-- Ash Short: Some Democrats and members of the media cheered them for leaving the state and preventing those bills from being passed. But Republicans criticized the move with Governor Abbott saying that the Democrats who left the state would be arrested immediately upon their return, which is allowed by the state constitution.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Democrats plan was to stay in D.C. until this week.
--:-- Ash Short: Meanwhile, back home, a month-long legislative session will end up costing taxpayers a million dollars.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So not a cheap trip. Not at all.
--:-- Ash Short: What are the latest developments?
--:-- Ash Short: Well, a couple of things have happened. Governor Abbott last week called for an extraordinary session of the state legislature to vote on various bills, including the election integrity bill that led to the Democrats leaving the state.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A couple days later, the Democrats filed a lawsuit claiming their rights had been violated.
--:-- Ash Short: Their rights were violated how exactly? It's not exactly clear.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The lawsuit claims Governor Abbott and the Texas State House Speaker have tried to threaten and intimidate them and deny them the right to speak publicly, freely assemble, and more.
--:-- Ash Short: They also claim Abbott and the other Republicans have caused them to suffer much anxiety and distress, as well as discomfort and embarrassment.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Okay, so does their lawsuit stand a chance?
--:-- Ash Short: Probably not. The Democrats are demanding damages, but the burden will be on them to explain exactly what Abbott and the Republicans have done to deny them their rights.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And this week, the Texas Supreme Court got involved. What happened there?
--:-- Ash Short: The court effectively ruled against the Democrats. Democratic lawmakers had petitioned the court to restore funding to the state legislature, which would restore their paychecks.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Texas Supreme Court denied the petition, saying that Democrats weren't asking the court to resolve an issue between two co-equal branches of government, but to settle a dispute among members of the same branch.
--:-- Ash Short: The court also noted that Democrats left the state, preventing the House from restoring funding.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The court also said Governor Abbott can order the arrest of the Democrats if they don't show up to vote.
--:-- Ash Short: This paved the way for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to sign 52 arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Are they really going to be arrested?
--:-- Ash Short: We'll see.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Ash, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Ash Short: Thanks for having me on.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire's Ash Short.
--:-- Georgia Howe: California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a tight recall election that new polls show could be getting even closer. All it takes to remove Gavin Newsom is a simple majority vote.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Whichever replacement candidate gets the most votes, then wins. Here to discuss the details of the election and what it could mean for all Californians is Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond. Charlotte, thanks for coming on.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Glad to be here.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So Gavin Newsom is being recalled. What are the chances that it's actually successful?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, obviously, California is a deep blue state. However, a recent poll by Emerson College and Nextar Media showed that support for Newsom's recall has gone up.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The poll results were put out last week and showed support for the recall at 46%, which is up from 43% in the previous poll from July 20th.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: But 48% said they opposed the recall and want to keep Newsom in place.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What's key here is that 6% of likely voters were undecided. In a previous poll a few weeks ago, undecideds were at 9%, so more people seem to have made up their minds since then.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Another poll from SurveyUSA and the San Diego Union-Tribune was conducted last week. It shows Newsom's support declining even more, with 51% wanting to recall the governor and 40% wanting to keep him in office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A previous poll from May had only 36 in favor of the recall.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Interesting. So if the margins are that thin, then turnout is actually going to be a really big factor.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. And the fact that California is allowing mail ballots for every registered voter will play a major role.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Definitely. So tell us about the recall election. When is it going to take place?
--:-- Georgia Howe: It's going to be on September 14th.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Voters will be asked two questions. First, they have to decide whether or not to recall the governor, basically if he should be kicked out of office or not.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. And as you mentioned, they only need a simple majority vote for that one.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Second, they choose who should take his place if he is successfully recalled. The winner of the second question is the candidate with the most votes, so there's no limit on how many candidates can jump into the race.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right now, there are around 46 people vying for that spot.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Wow, so full ballot there.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah. And who's on the ballot?
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, there are a couple of notable figures here. One of the most memorable ones is, of course, Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympian and transgender activist.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Right. Jenner made headlines early on for statements about the unfairness of biological males competing in women's sports, but hasn't gained much traction since then.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The person leading the Emerson poll was Larry Elder at 23%. Since the poll that was carried out in July, support for Elder had gone up seven points.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Elder is a fairly well-known name in California as a conservative radio talk show host.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The other poll by the San Diego Union-Tribune showed that Democrat Kevin Paffrath was leading at 27%, with Elder at 23%.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Paffrath is a YouTuber and real estate broker. Elder has more support in the rural areas of the state, whereas Pafrath pulled higher in the city regions.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: So a crowded field with competitive frontrunners from both parties.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Yeah, that's what we're seeing.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: And why is support for ousting Newsom growing right now?
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, it could be for a few reasons, including the fact that Newsom has been strict on COVID policies.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: In the Emerson poll, however, voters said the number one issue in California today is not COVID-19. They said that it was homelessness.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson College Polling, said this poll suggests that the tightening of the race could be attributed to people's increased concern on crime.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: The first debate in the recall election took place last Wednesday, but Elder declined the invitation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: His office said that a debate among GOP candidates only helps the current governor, and he wants to debate Newsom.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Well, crazy to think about California going red, but crazier things have happened.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's true. Thanks for reporting, Charlotte.
--:-- Charlotte Pence Bond: Anytime. Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Other big developments that we're tracking this week. In one of the largest thefts in history, cyber hackers recently stole more than 600 million in cryptocurrencies.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The attack targeted Poly Network, which allows the trading of tokens across different blockchains. Tens of thousands of people were affected by the theft.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And the National Security Agency's Inspector General announced this week that it will be conducting a review into the allegations that the NSA improperly targeted the communications of a member of the U.S. news media.
--:-- Georgia Howe: While it did not mention Tucker Carlson by name, reports say that Carlson is part of the review.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Earlier this year, Carlson alleged that a whistleblower from within the U.S. government told his show that the NSA was spying on him.
--:-- Georgia Howe: If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five-star review.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: If you like this podcast, get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at dailywire.com slash subscribe.
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