--:-- Georgia Howe: Why shop at Burlington? Maybe it's the deals that are new each time you drop by. Maybe it's the brand names you'll be shocked Burlington has in store. Or maybe it's the quality of the items, the amazing selection, and the newest trends. If you like to save, but also like to stay in style, Burlington is your answer. And the question you'll be asking yourself is, why go anywhere else? Burlington. Deals. Brands. Wow.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Trump plans to make Biden's pardons null and void. Voice of America loses its voice and a major clothing retailer files for Chapter 11. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day. And this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: President Trump says he'll void pardons made during former President Biden's final days. Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has the latest.
--:-- Tim Rice: In a statement, Trump argued that the pardons are not valid because they were signed by an auto pen and that his predecessor had no knowledge of the pardons. Somebody was using an auto pen to sign off and to give pardons. This is one example, but the J6 unselected committee, they gave, think of it, they gave pardons with an autopend. I don't think Biden knew anything about it.
--:-- John Bickley: Among those pardoned were members of the January 6th committee and figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and General Mark Milley. The Heritage Foundation oversight project initially raised concerns over Biden use of the autopend to sign significant legal orders Critics of Biden mental acuity argue that the use of the auto pen for key documents raises serious questions about his direct involvement in the decision-making process.
--:-- Tim Pierce: State media network Voice of America has been silenced after an executive order from President Trump. The order dismantled several government offices, including VOA's parent organization, the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Trump criticized VOA for promoting biased content and what he calls divisive propaganda.
--:-- John Bickley: The order calls for the reduction or elimination of non-essential components and functions within USAGM, with significant layoffs and termination of employment for some staff, including those at VOA and its affiliates. Trump's order followed heightened scrutiny of VOA's coverage, particularly its portrayal of Hamas.
--:-- Tim Pierce: USAGM head Kerry Lake released a video on social media last week exposing how much money the agency is costing taxpayers. The Biden administration folks who were running this agency before, right before they left office, signed a brand new lease for this building, a 15-year lease that's going to cost the taxpayer nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.
--:-- John Bickley: Here's the kicker. They already have a building that they're located in that is paid off, that they could have renovated or updated, but they chose instead to get us into a lease that's costing the taxpayer a fortune.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Border wall construction is set to begin again in Arizona. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the seven-mile project will be built in the Rio Grande Valley. It's going to cost about $70 million, and it follows President Biden ending wall construction. Trump's first term saw approximately 450 miles of barriers built.
--:-- John Bickley: Vice President J Vance expressed hopes to complete the entire border wall by 2029 Meanwhile illegal border crossings have dropped dramatically since Trump took office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Recovery efforts are underway in the central and eastern U following a powerful storm system The storms brought everything from violent tornadoes to blizzard conditions across multiple regions. At least 42 people were killed as a result. The storm systems began Friday, unleashing over 1,000 reports of severe weather, including 56 tornadoes across 10 states.
--:-- John Bickley: Significant damage has been reported in Missouri, Arkansas, and Alabama. Meanwhile, Trump is pledging federal assistance while local officials have declared states of emergency.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com slash morningwire, all lowercase. Established in 2025 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Head over to shopify.com slash morningwire to start selling with Shopify today.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: The Department of Veterans Affairs is under fire for providing transgender medical services despite federal regulations banning gender alterations. Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak has more.
--:-- Luke Rosiak: Internal documents from the Biden era show the VA offering essentially everything other than surgery, including prosthetic male appendages and breasts. The documents show the VA also offered hormone therapy and voice training and used a fill-in-the-blanks form letter to convince outside surgeons to do sex changes.
--:-- John Bickley: The Trump administration today said it's put a stop to these procedures, except for veterans already undergoing them. VA Secretary Doug Collins said the money saved would be redirected to support severely injured vets.
--:-- Georgia Howe: One time youth fashion leader Forever 21 is permanently closing all of its U stores after filing for bankruptcy for the second time While the brand peaked in 2015 with billion in sales lately it struggled with rising costs and changing consumer trends.
--:-- John Bickley: Online rivals like Shein and Timu offering ultra-cheap fast fashion have overtaken the brand, especially as Forever 21's reliance on brick-and-mortar stores proved challenging. Despite efforts to restructure, the company's assets are now being wound down with no clear buyer in sight.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And the state of West Virginia is taking legal action against the NCAA. Officials argue that the West Virginia University men's basketball team was snubbed. Governor Patrick Morrissey argues that the team deserves to be in the NCAA tournament. He cites their, quote, strong 19-12 record.
--:-- Patrick Morrissey: 111 out of the 111 bracketologists projected WVU to make the tournament. And for good reason. The selection committee for years has talked about the importance of quad one wins. Now, for those who don't know much about a quad one win, this is when you defeat a team ranked first through 75th. Obviously, it depends upon whether you're home, neutral site or away. Well, West Virginia had six quad one wins. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Jormack also expressed disappointment, stating West Virginia deserved a spot.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The NCAA tournament kicks off tomorrow and continues throughout the week. Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it this morning, we covered some major stories, including the Democrats' leadership dilemma, Trump's aggressive foreign policy moves, and SpaceX efforts to bring two stranded astronauts home.
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire. Bye.
