--:-- [Upbeat music fades out]
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, November 19th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: New York prosecutors have requested a stay in the hush money case against Donald Trump, delaying sentencing until at least 2029.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has more. Trump was convicted in May on charges of falsifying business records related to payments allegedly made to an adult film star, which could have landed him four years in prison.
--:-- Tim Rice: This latest request follows Trump's reelection, with prosecutors seeking time to assess the impact of his new status. Trump's defense team, which is moving to dismiss the case altogether, argues that certain evidence was inadmissible due to a Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents presumptive immunity, raising questions about how state convictions will be impacted.
--:-- John Bickley: Former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy joined Morning Wire to discuss these updates.
--:-- Andy McCarthy: He says that while Justice Department guidance only covers the federal side of things, on the state side, the Constitution's Supremacy Clause still applies. Even though it's been held presumptively that federal courts won't interfere in state criminal proceedings, they make an exception for any state criminal action or any state procedure that could impede the federal government's ability to carry out its constitutional functions.
--:-- Andy McCarthy: And obviously there no more important constitutional function in our federal framework of government than the executive power which is reposed in one official the president
--:-- Georgia Howe: Ukraine fired American long missiles into Russia for the first time earlier today prompting threats of a nuclear response from Russia.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The missile struck an ammunition warehouse in the Bryansk region. American and Ukrainian officials confirmed Kiev used Army tactical missile systems in the attack.
--:-- Tim Pierce: This escalation comes just two days after President Biden approved their use. This was a significant shift in U.S. policy. Experts like Victoria Coates of the Heritage Foundation questioned Biden's timing.
--:-- Victoria Coates: The question is, why is this a good idea now? Why wasn't it a good idea two years ago when Ukraine had the advantage? Now it looks like we're kind of drifting towards World War III, as the president-elect has said, and as Don Jr. said, in a kind of weird incremental way.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Russia's Ministry of Defense says six missiles were used in the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a decree today lowering the threshold for use of nuclear weapons.
--:-- Vladimir Putin: [Audio clip of Putin's voice] In the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on Russia.
--:-- Vladimir Putin: Russia will also consider the possibility of using nuclear weapons when receiving reliable information about a massive launch of means of aerospace attack and their crossing of our state border. This includes strategic and tactical aircraft, as well as cruise missiles and drones, hypersonic and other delivery vehicles.
--:-- Georgia Howe: An attorney representing two women who testified in the House ethics investigation into Matt Gaetz is making the rounds on mainstream media.
--:-- Mairead Elordi: Joel Leppard says his client testified that she saw Gaetz having sex with her friend at a party. Gaetz denies all the allegations and points out that the Department of Justice investigated the claims and declined to press charges.
--:-- John Bickley: A statement from the Trump transition team.
--:-- Alex Pfeiffer: Alex Pfeiffer said Matt Gates will be the next attorney general. He the right man for the job and will end the weaponization of our justice system. These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration.
--:-- Georgia Howe: A new poll shows that a majority of Americans approve of Donald Trump's cabinet picks so far.
--:-- John Bickley: Echelon Insights found that 53% of voters approve of Trump's transition efforts, with 58% optimistic about the direction of the country heading into 2025.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The poll reflects a political paradox of sorts, because despite Trump's favorability rating sitting at 49%, a majority of voters still want him to succeed.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Balance of Nature. Go to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer, plus get a free bottle of fiber and spice.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That's balanceofnature.com, promo code WIRE.
--:-- John Bickley: This episode is brought to you by Z-Biotics. Take Z-Biotics pre-alcohol before your first drink, Enjoy your evening and wake up ready for whatever tomorrow may bring.
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--:-- John Bickley: FEMA's director is being grilled on Capitol Hill today, and she's agreed to an independent investigation into political discrimination by the agency.
--:-- Marnie Washington: During testimony before a House committee today, Director Deanne Criswell confirmed that workers were indeed instructed by a supervisor to skip Trump-supporting homes.
--:-- Marnie Washington: But Criswell also insisted there was no broader directive. Does the investigation include her immediate supervisors and several steps above that?
--:-- John Bickley: The investigation includes those that were deployed in this particular incident, and we have found no evidence that there is anything beyond this one employee's specific direction.
--:-- Marnie Washington: This is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you that they do not know.
--:-- Marnie Washington: But if you ask the DSA crew leads and specialists what they are experiencing in the field, they will tell you.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Venezuelan prison gang known for violent crime and human trafficking has expanded to at least 16 states.
--:-- John Bickley: According to the Department of Homeland Security, Trende Aragua has extended its reach into the likes of California, Florida, New York and even Tennessee.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Members are often involved in theft, fraud, assaults and human trafficking operations.
--:-- John Bickley: Donald Trump has promised to prioritize cracking down on Trende Aragua through deportations and military action once he reassumes office.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And a new bill introduced in the House this week would require members to use bathrooms that align with their biological sex.
--:-- John Bickley: The proposal comes as Democrats prepare for Sarah McBride that's the first trans-identifying member of Congress.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Critics, including Representative Becca Balint and McBride, decried the bill as cruel and divisive, while some Republicans have expressed openness to it.
--:-- Nancy Mace: The bill, which was introduced by South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace, seeks to shield women's restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms and aims to protect the safety and dignity of women in the House.
--:-- Nancy Mace: I'm absolutely 100 percent going to stand in the way of any man who wants to be in a women's restroom, in our locker rooms, in our changing rooms. I will be there fighting you every step of the way.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
--:-- John Bickley: And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune into our full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
