--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Welcome to Morning Wire. I'm Georgia Howe.
--:-- John Bickley: And I'm John Bickley, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Wire. It's Thursday, April 6th.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This episode is brought to you by LifeLock. When you visit the doctor, you probably hand over your insurance, your ID, and contact details. It's just one of the many places that has your personal info. And if any of them accidentally expose it, you could be at risk for identity theft. LifeLock monitors millions of data points a second. If you become a victim, they'll fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year at LifeLock.com slash podcast. Terms apply.
--:-- John Bickley: Progressive Democrats win big in Wisconsin and Chicago, while the GOP cinches a supermajority in the North Carolina legislature. This is a victory for all of us. This campaign has always been about building a better, stronger, safer Chicago. Modern day Democratic Party has become unrecognizable to me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We break down the implications of three big upsets in American politics this week.
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. The co-founder of Cash App was stabbed to death this week in San Francisco. The tragedy comes amid warnings from experts that the city is on the verge of collapse. We have the details.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And Justice Juan Mershon will be presiding over New York's case against former President Trump. I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris and now receives money from the Biden-Harris campaign. What do we know about the judge and his history with the Trump Organization?
--:-- John Bickley: Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.
--:-- [Producer Brandon speaks]
--:-- Brandon: Hey guys, producer Brandon here. Summer is just around the corner and the best way to prepare for your summer adventures is with a good night's sleep made from the finest, 100% organic cotton threads on earth. Bowling branch sheets guarantee that better night's sleep. They're so luxurious. They're loved by three U S presidents shop their spring sale and get 20% off your order with promo code wire at bowlandbranch.com. That's bowlandbranch, B O L L A N D branch.com. promo code WIRE.
--:-- Georgia Howe: This week, voters in Wisconsin headed to the polls to decide the balance of power in the state's Supreme Court, while Chicago's residents elected their next mayor to replace outgoing Lori Lightfoot. Here with the details on these crucial elections is Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: So Cabot, a lot of attention was rightly given to the historic arrest of former President Trump, but these two races will impact millions of Americans and could have some national implications. What can you tell us?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Well, on Tuesday, liberals won control of Wisconsin Supreme Court after Democrat-backed Judge Janet Protosiewicz defeated Republican-backed Judge Daniel Kelly 55 to 45. Following her victory, Protosiewicz took the stage flanked by the state's three other liberal justices and celebrated a victory that she said would lead to the protection of individual freedom in the state.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: It was a veiled reference to abortion, which was among the key issues driving this race. To that point, Protozewicz and her supporters spent millions of dollars on ads touting her pro-abortion record in court and promising to fight the state's abortion ban, which went into effect after Roe was overturned last year.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: In response to his defeat, conservative Judge Kelly gave a fiery concession speech calling his opponent beneath contempt and warning that liberal control of the court will have dire consequences for the state.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: She's disregarded judicial ethics. She's demeaned the judiciary with her behavior. And this is the future that we have to look forward to in Wisconsin. Remember million were poured into this race. That's three times more than we ever seen for any Supreme Court election in U history.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now one reason for that is the national implications this race could have. Yeah, remember, the conservative-controlled Supreme Court there had previously ruled that redistricting efforts in the state could move forward. And that resulted in Republicans taking control of six of Wisconsin's eight congressional districts. And it also helped give them a Republican supermajority in the state legislature.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: There's a good chance now, though, that that redistricting could now be overturned, which would pave the way for Democrats to pick up multiple seats in Congress. Remember, Democrats in the state have also called for racial justice in redistricting, which would see districts redrawn along racial lines in a way that would end up benefiting the left.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: And keep in mind, this court is now much more likely to rule against voter ID laws in the state. And if the results of a future federal election there are challenged the way they were during the 2020 presidential race, you can obviously expect them to strike those down as well.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So quite a few ramifications for this race. Now, shifting gears to Chicago, what happened there?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, this was another closely watched race to replace former mayor Lori Lightfoot. On Tuesday, far-left County Commissioner Brandon Johnson defeated the more moderate Democrat Paul Vallis by about two points.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, this was an upset as Vallis had been leading in most polls ahead of Election Day. And it signals a shift even further to the left from a city that's already dominated by far-left lawmakers.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Now, Chicago has been rocked by skyrocketing crime over the last few years. That was a big issue in this election. How did it play into it?
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Yeah, so poll after poll showed that crime was the top concern among voters. And it's arguably the main reason that previous Mayor Lori Lightfoot was defeated in the first round of voting last month.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: She'd been widely criticized for her inability to address crime rates. And the conventional wisdom, at least coming into this week, was that voters would elect a tough-on-crime alternative. But obviously, that did not happen.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Paul Vallis, who ended up losing, campaigned primarily on crime. He pledged to hire 1,000 new police officers. He was endorsed by the city's police and firefighters unions, as well as leaders in the business community.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Johnson, on the other hand, has embraced the defund the police movement and said that more police officers would not solve the city's crime problem.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: For example, in 2020, he proposed diverting funds from law enforcement to social services and has also campaigned on addressing crime at the, quote, root level before it happens.
--:-- Georgia Howe: So a lot of wins for Democrats this week. Definitely. But one silver lining for Republicans came in North Carolina. On Thursday, Democratic State Rep Tricia Cotham defected from the party to join the GOP, creating a veto-proof Republican supermajority in the North Carolina House.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: This apparently wasn't much of a surprise, as Cotham had been trending that way for a while, but it is noteworthy and it will give Republicans more control in North Carolina.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right. Well, Cabot, thanks so much for reporting.
--:-- Cabot Phillips: Anytime.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Experts have warned that San Francisco could be on the verge of collapse, and the shocking stabbing death of Cash App co-founder Bob Lee has only added new focus to the city's troubles. Here to discuss the recent fatal violence in San Francisco's crime crisis is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presa Giacomo.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Hey, John it believed that Lee was the victim of a stabbing attack at around 2 a on Tuesday morning near Rincon Hill in the Bay Bridge It been speculated that this was a random mugging Responding officers rushed the 43-year-old to a nearby hospital where he unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Lee had reportedly gotten out of San Francisco and moved to Miami. He was only in the city for a quick visit when his life was taken. Lee was a big player in the tech world. He co-founded Cash App and was serving as the CPO of MobileCoin at the time he was killed.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: The story drove a lot of national headlines. What sort of reaction have we seen to this tragedy?
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Well, there's been an enormous outpouring of love for Lee, especially from his MobileCoin family who described him as a dynamo and a force of nature. There's also been a heavy reaction to the state of public safety in San Fran. Twitter CEO Elon Musk reacted by calling violent crime in the city horrific and said that even when attackers are caught, they're often released immediately.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Musk tagged San Fran District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, asking her if the city is taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders. Some might remember that Jenkins became the district attorney after the recall of far-left DA Chessa Boudin last year. She's promised to be tougher on crime and so far has at least helped to somewhat restore relations with the San Francisco Police Department.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: San Francisco is really struggling right now for a lot of reasons. How much does crime play into that?
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: It really is a major factor. The crime rate in the city is 111% higher than the national average. The homelessness rate is only surpassed by one other major city in the U.S., and that's Los Angeles.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Opponents of now-ousted Boudin said his soft-on-crime approach contributed to San Fran's public safety issues. Critics have also pointed to the major police cuts. Mayor London Breed in 2020 very proudly announced a $120 million cut to the police department's budget.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: What other reasons beyond crime have experts predicting this collapse for the city?
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: There are a lot of issues, but the main issue is that this was the home to the tech boom. During the pandemic, there was this movement of remote work, and a lot of these tech employees don't have to be in-house for what they do. Office occupancy was estimated last month to be as low as just 43%.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Once office buildings emptied, a lot of the surrounding businesses that relied on those workers to commute to the city just collapsed. This exodus gutted tax revenue. The San Fran office market, now the emptiest in the nation, generated 95% of the city's business tax dollars in 2021.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Depleted tax dollars can also affect city services and government employees and so on. Experts warn that this so-called doom loop can take the city down and the whole Bay Area with it.
--:-- Georgia Howe: What can be done to turn this around? Can it be turned around?
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Some are calling for the total reinvention of San Francisco through public and private initiatives, something akin to how New York City transformed following 9-11. This would likely include building more apartments and homes where people could live, as opposed to just commuting to the city for work.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: There would also likely be tax breaks for developers and other incentives for people to move to the city. But there's been a lot of skepticism that San Fran can pull this off with its other issues, namely the homelessness crisis, high cost of living and high taxes, and regulations that are the most extreme in the nation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Well, a lot of headwinds facing the city. Amanda, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Amanda Presa Giacomo: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presa Giacomo.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday The charges were brought against Trump by controversial Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg And the proceedings will be overseen by Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Mershon Here to discuss the man who will be overseeing the criminal charges against Trump is Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short.
--:-- Ash Short: So Ash, first off, tell us a little bit about Judge Mershon's career and background.
--:-- Ash Short: So Judge Mershon is a Colombian-born immigrant who came to the United States with his family when he was just six years old. He earned his law degree from Hofstra University in 1994 and served in New York's attorney general's office until he was appointed in 2006 by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be a family court judge.
--:-- Ash Short: Since 2009, he has been an acting justice on the New York Supreme Court, which unlike typical Supreme Courts, is not the highest court in the state.
--:-- Ash Short: Now, President Trump has claimed on social media that Judge Mershon hates him. Why would he say that?
--:-- Ash Short: Well, Mershon has a history of ruling against Trump's associate. Earlier this year, for example, Mershon ruled against the Trump Organization, finding the real estate conglomerate guilty of 17 charges relating to a years-long tax evasion scheme that involved providing gifts and perks to executives.
--:-- Ash Short: He hit the organization with a $1.6 million fine, the legal maximum. The Trump Organization's former chief financial officer, Alan Weisselberg, took a plea deal to testify against the company during that trial.
--:-- Ash Short: Mershon sentenced Weisselberg, who is 75, to five months in prison. Mershon reportedly said that he believed a stiffer sentence would be appropriate. What the prosecutors and judge did to that man, I will never forget. Because it's right out of the old Soviet Union. That's where we are.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Now, this most recent indictment isn't Trump's only legal challenge. Tell us about some of the other cases pending.
--:-- Ash Short: Right, so investigators are also looking into classified documents found at Trump's home in Florida. Listeners will probably remember his home was raided by the FBI last spring.
--:-- Ash Short: And it should be noted that classified documents were also found at President Joe Biden's home in Delaware and at former Vice President Mike Pence's home. Though it's unlikely that Biden's DOJ will want to pursue charges.
--:-- Ash Short: And Democrats in Washington, D.C. are also looking for evidence that Trump committed a crime when he was trying to halt the results of the 2020 election because of apparent voting irregularities in several states.
--:-- Ash Short: And Georgia officials are also investigating whether he or his allies illegally interfered in the state's 2020 election. Georgia's electoral votes went to President Joe Biden that year.
--:-- Ash Short: Finally, columnist E. Jean Carroll claims Trump raped her in a Bergdorf-Goodman department store in the 1990s. and is suing him for defamation because he denied that accusation.
--:-- Georgia Howe: All right, well, keeping his lawyers busy as usual. Ash, thanks for reporting.
--:-- Ash Short: You're welcome.
--:-- Georgia Howe: That was Daily Wire senior editor Ash Short.
--:-- [Closing music starts]
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation. If you love our show and stand with our mission, consider subscribing, leaving us a five-star rating, and most importantly, sharing our podcast with a friend.
--:-- 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.
--:-- [Closing music continues]
--:-- [Producer Brandon speaks]
--:-- Brandon: Hey, guys. Producer Brandon here. Do you struggle to get through the day without relying on caffeine and sugar? Consider adding Balance of Nature to your daily routine. Balance of Nature fruit and veggie capsules are a convenient way to consume essential nutritional ingredients on the daily. Their products are 100% natural, GMO-free, and free of additives and preservatives. Balance of Nature is the perfect choice for anyone looking to improve their diet and feel their best. Go to balanceofnature.com and use promo code WIRE for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer. That's balanceofnature.com, promo code WIRE.
