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--:-- Georgia Howe: I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, November 2nd, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- John Bickley: The White House announced that President Biden will deliver a speech this evening addressing next week's midterm elections from D.C.'s historic Union Station.
--:-- Georgia Howe: According to sources, the focus of his speech will be on preserving and protecting our democracy. Democracy is under assault and we cannot pretend otherwise.
--:-- John Bickley: The president will continue to call attention to the threat to democratic integrity and to public safety posed by those who deny the documented truth about election results.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Unfortunately, we have seen mega, MAGA Republican officials who don't believe in the rule of law. They refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections, and they fan the flames of political violence.
--:-- John Bickley: California Governor Gavin Newsom warned fellow Democrats that the party is losing the messaging battle against Republicans, while acknowledging that conservatives could see big gains next Tuesday.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Does it feel like a red wave?
--:-- Gavin Newsom: Yeah, of course it does. I'm not paid to say that. I'm paid to say with fate and fuel. I mean, I get it. Look, I mean, I could be the cheerleader. I'm also pragmatic. You feel it. And it goes to my fundamental grievance with my damn party. We're getting crushed on narrative. We're going to have to do better in terms of getting on the offense and stopping on the damn defense.
--:-- Georgia Howe: CVS, Walmart and Walgreens have agreed to a $13.8 billion opioid settlement to resolve thousands of nationwide lawsuits. According to Reuters, CVS will pay $5 billion over 10 years, Walgreens $5.7 billion over 15 years and Walmart $3.1 billion.
--:-- John Bickley: US Treasury Department officials are reportedly looking at whether they have the legal authority to investigate Elon Musk's recent purchase of Twitter due to his close ties to foreign governments and investors which includes entities that are hostile to the United States.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The Federal Reserve officially raised interest rates again on Wednesday by another three quarters of a point, a move that's increasing concerns that the U.S. economy will enter a recession in its attempt to reverse inflation.
--:-- John Bickley: A 42-year-old Kansas woman named Allison Fluke Ekron was sentenced to 20 years in prison this week after leading an all-female ISIS battalion in Syria.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Pastor Tim Stevens of Fairview Baptist Church in Alberta, Canada, was acquitted by the province's criminal court after he was charged with breaches of public health orders for opening his church despite government lockdowns.
--:-- John Bickley: Footage of police officers taking Stevens away from his sobbing children went viral last summer as Canadian authorities made headlines for enforcing strict restrictions against public gatherings.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Top Russian military officials have reportedly discussed in recent days when and how to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine, should the Kremlin give the order to do so.
--:-- John Bickley: The New York Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has the sole power to use nukes under Russian law, was not part of the discussions, according to multiple senior U.S. officials.
--:-- Georgia Howe: National Security Council spokesman John Kirby also said on Wednesday that North Korea has been sending Russia a significant number of artillery shells for war in Ukraine via northern Africa and through the Middle East.
--:-- John Bickley: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.
--:-- John Bickley: From all of us here at Morning Wire, we hope you're enjoying the show.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Did you know that if you subscribe to Daily Wire Plus, you can get access to all Daily Wire has to offer. That means news, commentary, documentaries, movies, and so much more. Become a subscriber today. Download the Daily Wire Plus app and take us with you wherever you go.
