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--:-- John Bickley: Good morning, I'm John Bickley, editor-in-chief of the Daily Wire, and welcome to Morning Wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And I'm Georgia Howe, co-host of Morning Wire. Thanks for waking up with us.
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--:-- Georgia Howe: Ukraine tries to weather a growing corruption storm as the U.S. weighs sending tanks to the war-torn nation. Why did President Zelensky dismiss several frontline governors? And how are Ukraine's allies responding?
--:-- John Bickley: I'm joined now by Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo. Amanda, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Thanks, John.
--:-- John Bickley: Several top Ukrainian officials were ousted on Tuesday following allegations of fraud and corruption. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Zelensky continues to ask allies, including the U.S., for more financial support. So, Amanda, which officials were removed and why?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: It's believed that up to 11 Ukrainian officials have resigned or were fired in this latest shakeup. Those departures included a deputy head of President Zelensky's office, Kirillo Timoshenko, a deputy prosecutor general, a deputy defense minister, and five regional governors.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a lot of officials. Amanda, can you tell us more about Kirillo Timoshenko's resignation?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Timoshenko's resignation in particular is noteworthy. He oversaw regional policy and had previously worked on Zelensky's election campaign. In the past, he's been accused of having ties to the alleged embezzlement of $7 million worth of humanitarian aid. Timoshenko has denied those allegations.
--:-- John Bickley: And what about the deputy defense minister's resignation? What's behind that?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: The resignation from the deputy defense minister is reportedly tied to a scandal involving the purchase of food for Ukraine's armed forces. This scandal reportedly involves 200 million stolen dollars by way of inflated prices. Basically, the Ukrainian army was paying marked up prices for food up to three times the market price. And the surplus was going somewhere. We don't know where.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a huge scandal. Amanda, what has President Zelensky said about this?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: We don't have specific details pertaining to each ouster, but Zelensky has told the Ukrainian people that corruption in the country won't be tolerated, saying that there will be no return to what used to be in the past. And he noted during an address on Monday that he has banned government officials from traveling abroad for anything other than official business, and specifically mentioned no vacations.
--:-- John Bickley: That's interesting. Amanda, do we have any information about whether Western funds were embezzled or otherwise directly involved in any of these fraud schemes?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: According to reporting from The New York Times, there currently is no direct evidence that Western funds were involved in the scheme. But, of course, money is fungible, so it's hard to be confident about that.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a good point. Amanda, are any countries reconsidering their aid since all of this came out?
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Well, as of Tuesday, the Biden administration stated that they're close to approving a significant number of Abrams tanks, but they haven't confirmed yet. Likewise, Germany announced on Monday that they'd be sending Leopard tanks, but that's contingent on the U.S.'s decision. But the European Union is attempting to put pressure on Ukraine to root out the corruption.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a lot of pressure. Amanda, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Prestigiacomo: Anytime.
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--:-- John Bickley: Coming up, violent juvenile crime is on the rise. Guys, as we age, do you feel like it's getting harder to get in shape and stay in shape? Morning Wire show sponsor Nugenix Total Tea is offering a complimentary bottle when you text 231-231 and enter the keyword wire. Nugenix Total Tea testosterone booster with testifin will help you turn back the clock, re-energize your workouts, and look and feel like the man you really want to be. Get your complimentary bottle of Nugenix Total Tea today. Text 231-231 and enter the keyword wire.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A widely reported story of a brutal assault on a New York subway has highlighted a disturbing trend, with federal data showing a massive increase in homicides and other violent crimes committed by adolescents around the country. Here's more on this concerning spike and where it's most prevalent, Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: All right, Cabot, what have we learned about this rise in violent juvenile crime?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, a new report from the Wall Street Journal is really shining a light on just how pervasive the issue has become. According to the most recent federal crime data, since 2019, we've seen a 30% increase in homicides committed by juveniles acting alone and a 66% increase in homicides committed by multiple juveniles.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Wow, that's a huge increase. Cabot, what's being done to address the surge?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So numerous cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, and D.C., have implemented curfews for teens. But according to numerous studies, curfews just are not all that effective. First, they're hard to enforce. And second, most juvenile crime happens in the hours right after school lets out, which obviously wouldn't be impacted by a curfew.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a good point. Cabot, do we know what's really driving this spike?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, it depends on who you ask. Those on the left tend to say that a lack of resources and government funding in inner cities leaves juveniles with no hope and more prone to criminal activity. They also say young people have easy access to firearms and that stricter gun control laws are needed to fight the problem.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's an interesting perspective. Cabot, what do critics on the right say is driving this spike?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Critics on the right point out that the cities with the largest crime surges already have the strictest gun laws, so that won't solve the problem. They point to what they view as soft on crime policies as a major contributor and say the police have been hampered in their ability to do their job.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a good point. Cabot, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
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--:-- John Bickley: The labor participation rate for men in the prime working age range has fallen to the lowest point in U.S. history. New research suggests health may play a role in the problem. Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham joins us now to discuss.
--:-- Megan Basham: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- John Bickley: So, Megan, what's considered prime working age and how steep has that decline been?
--:-- Megan Basham: So researchers put the prime working years between age 25 and 54. And you know, there's some obvious reasons for that. For one thing, age 25 is when most people will have often completed their college education and they're just starting to get settled into their career. And then on the other end of the spectrum, as workers near that 60 age mark, that's when they all began taking sometimes early retirement.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That makes sense. Megan, what's the current labor participation rate for men in this age range?
--:-- Megan Basham: The rate has fallen to an all-time low. In the 1950s and early 60s, it hovered somewhere around 98. And then in the later 60s, it started to fall. Until after 2009, it never got back above 90%. And now it's at about 88%.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a huge decline. Megan, what factors do research believe are driving this?
--:-- Megan Basham: Well, you know, a study issued by the outgoing Obama administration in 2016 argued that the developing tech sector, international trade, made it harder for low-skilled men to find work. But the overall low unemployment rates during that period kind of seemed to undercut that argument.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's an interesting point. Megan, what about the role of government benefits in this decline?
--:-- Megan Basham: Conservatives have pointed to the increasing availability of government benefits. They think it just removes the motivation to work. They point to the increase in men on disability now.
--:-- John Bickley: That's a good point. Megan, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Megan Basham: My pleasure.
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--:-- John Bickley: Another story we're tracking this week. 20 Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Biden administration over its new migrant parole program. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- John Bickley: The 20 states, led by Texas, argue that the administration's new program, which allows the admission of a total of 120,000 migrants per month from Haiti, Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela, is illegal. The administration is overstepping its authority, the states say, due to the federal government's exceptionally limited parole power.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's a big lawsuit. Tim, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Anytime.
--:-- John Bickley: That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to know.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And don't forget to text 'WIRE' to 231-231 to get your complimentary bottle of Nugenix Total T.
--:-- John Bickley: And Balance of Nature is offering $25 off your preferred order. Use promo code 'WIRE' at BalanceOfNature.com.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire.
