Morning Wire XX
[0] This episode is brought to you by Black Rifle Coffee.
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[2] Migrant border crossings were up significantly in March, and Secretary Majorcas is under fire on Capitol Hill.
[3] Do you not have just an ounce of human compassion for what's your open border policy, the type of human depredations it is causing?
[4] You are failing miserably.
[5] Our new migrant health care policies and the end of Title 42 impacting the numbers.
[6] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[7] It's Thursday, April 20th, and this is Morning Wire.
[8] Title IX rules are getting an update to address transgender athletes and on -campus sexual assault.
[9] But the update is angering both the left and the right.
[10] Through the Department of Education, President Biden, in my opinion, is attempting to weaponize Title IX, morphing it from a law that protects women to a law that disadvantages or endangers women.
[11] We break down the changes and when they kick in.
[12] And the United Nations is under fire after a new report from the organization claims sexual acts involving minors can be consensual.
[13] We have the details.
[14] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[15] Stay tuned.
[16] We have the news you need to know.
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[25] The number of illegal immigrant encounters at the southern border climbed again in March after falling for two months.
[26] The new numbers are a challenge to the Biden administration's claims that its policies have had a positive effect on the immigration crisis.
[27] Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest border numbers and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visit the Capitol Hill this week.
[28] Tim, first, what does this new data show?
[29] Hey, John, the new numbers show that a trend we have seen since January may have actually been more of a seasonal fluctuation than any real improvement.
[30] The Department of Homeland Security released its March numbers for immigration this week, and the data showed that the number of encounters at the southern border shot up over 20%.
[31] The total number of encounters in March, about 190 ,000, is similar to the numbers recorded in March of 2022 and 2021.
[32] It's important to note that the number has swung up just ahead of the repeal of Title 42 next month.
[33] We do anticipate a surge in the number of encounters at our southern border.
[34] Mayorkas has been the primary target of blame over the border crisis, and to that end, during the hearing, he argued that immigration problems are a regional issue.
[35] We are seeing is not exclusive to the southern border.
[36] The level of migration that we are experiencing at the southern border is reflective of the level of migration that is gripping the entire hemisphere.
[37] Republicans in the hearing seemed pretty upset with Majorcas, which is something we've seen a lot of recently with calls for the secretary's resignation.
[38] Any indication of movement on that, the effort to remove him?
[39] Not really.
[40] In fact, Mayorcas appeared more comfortable taking.
[41] making lawmakers' criticisms during this hearing than in the past, possibly because he knows that the GOP can't remove him from office without Democratic support.
[42] And none of the Democrats in the committee seemed ready to give it to them.
[43] But you could still feel the frustration with Mayorkas on the Republican side as he repeated talking points and avoided direct answers.
[44] Here's Utah Republican Mitt Romney.
[45] I have a question.
[46] Can you grade how secure our southern border is, an A through an F?
[47] Senator, we are dedicating our resources to, to achieve the maximum possible effect of them.
[48] Well, are we succeeding?
[49] Is it an A or is it B, a D?
[50] You're not willing to give it a grade.
[51] I mean, I am.
[52] It's an F. It's clearly an F. A New York Times investigation recently revealed that thousands of child migrants are employed in jobs here in the U .S. that violate child labor laws, but the children are forced to work to pay off smuggling fees.
[53] The Biden administration also had a hand in facilitating this system.
[54] Here's Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, pushing Mayarchus on that.
[55] Are you proud of this record?
[56] Senator, the horrific exploitation of children is something that we do not condone.
[57] You are incorrectly attributing it to our policies.
[58] Let me share with you.
[59] Wait a minute, wait a minute.
[60] It began, look at the numbers, look at the numbers.
[61] It began, this massive surge began when you came to office.
[62] In your first year in office, first year, there was a 342 % surge of unaccompanied children.
[63] Now, what about this recent news we've seen about the Biden administration expanding health care for migrants?
[64] Can you tell us what's going on there?
[65] Sure.
[66] President Biden announced last week a plan to expand government health care programs for hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered the U .S. illegally as children, those protected from expulsion under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
[67] Biden is expanding options for health care coverage under Medicaid and Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act for the so -called dreamers if they want to apply.
[68] Well, a lot of attention on what's going on the border up on Capitol Hill.
[69] Tim, thanks for reporting.
[70] Thanks for having me. That was Daily Wire reporter, Tim Pierce.
[71] Coming up, controversial updates to Title IX rules.
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[77] The man who leads the federal agency tasked with enforcing the anti -sex discrimination statute known as Title IX made headlines Tuesday for refusing to define woman while under oath.
[78] The incident was reminiscent of the famous exchange between Senator Marcia Blasie.
[79] Blackburn and Supreme Court Justice Katanji Brown Jackson.
[80] Can you provide a definition for the word woman?
[81] Can I provide a definition?
[82] No. I can't.
[83] You can't?
[84] Not in this context.
[85] I'm not a biology.
[86] Here to explain the state of the current Title IX rules and some upcoming changes is Daily Wire senior editor, Ash Short.
[87] So first off, Ash, tell us about this exchange with the Education Secretary.
[88] While Education Secretary Miguel Cardona was testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee when Representative Andrew Clyde of Georgia began discussing Title IX, Clyde explained that Title IX was originally meant to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, noting it has had a historic impact on women's sports.
[89] Clyde then asked Secretary Cardona to define woman.
[90] Cardona was evasive.
[91] Can you please define for me?
[92] What is a woman?
[93] Our focus at the department is, provide equal access to students, including students who are LGBTQ, access free from discrimination.
[94] So what's the definition of a woman?
[95] You haven't given me that?
[96] You haven't answered my question.
[97] I think that's almost secondary to the important role that I have as Secretary of Education.
[98] Now, can you explain exactly what these new rules say about transgender athletes?
[99] So the new rules prohibit blanket bans on students participating in the team that conforms to their gender identities if it differs from their biological sex, but they still allow schools to limit transgender athletes from participating in sports if it would alter the fundamental fairness of the sport or risk the safety of other students.
[100] This caveat received criticism from the left for being too moderate, including from Leah Thomas, who used to compete in men's swimming but switched to women's swimming and dominated the sport.
[101] The caveat also only applies to high schools and colleges, ages at which athletes would have gone through puberty and biological differences would have developed.
[102] The rule means that schools could prohibit biological men from competing against biological women in, say, track, even if they identify as women, because there's a strong case for fundamental unfairness.
[103] Schools would also be able to say the same about contact sports in which biological women could be hurt by biological men identifying as women.
[104] But then new rules are also raising concerns from the right as well.
[105] Because schools can't enforce blanket bans, that means administrators will need to operate on a case -by -case basis.
[106] A lot of administrators will be hesitant to make unpopular decisions when they can't defer to a standing policy.
[107] Here's legal scholar Sarah Partial Perry.
[108] Certain considerations like bodily injury, rules of competition, or theories of fairness come into account, which ultimately makes every school administrator, a de facto lawyer.
[109] While it gives the pastiche of being something dedicated toward fairness and all individuals' participations, the scales are actually weighted in favor of transgender participation and against biological sex participation.
[110] So the new rules addressed transgender athletes, but they also touched a bit on due process.
[111] How did those rules change?
[112] The Biden administration is also seeking to undo due process changes under President Trump.
[113] The current roles ensure that students accused of sexual assault are able to defend themselves from allegation, including the right to review evidence against them.
[114] The Biden rule change would mean accused students will not necessarily have the right to review evidence, and the relevancy of the evidence would be determined by school Title IX officials.
[115] The new rules also do away with live hearings with the chance for accused students to cross -examine.
[116] and their accusers.
[117] Defenders of the old rules say cross -examination is one of the bedrocks of the American justice system.
[118] So are these new rules official at this point in time?
[119] Not yet.
[120] There's a 30 -day comment period, and then they should be revised before becoming effective.
[121] All right, well, definitely an issue we're going to keep our eye on.
[122] Ash, thanks for reporting.
[123] You're welcome.
[124] That was Daily Wire, senior editor, Ash Short.
[125] Multiple United Nations agencies have published a report that critics say opens the door to the legalization of sexual acts between minors and adults.
[126] Here to discuss the report and the growing backlash is Daily Wire Reporter Amanda Prestoge -Ochamow.
[127] So Amanda, first off, can you tell us what this report says and also what agencies are behind it?
[128] Yeah, sure.
[129] The report was produced by the UN Praise International Committee of Juris or the ICJ in conjunction with two UN agencies, UN aides, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
[130] It outlines what it calls principles for a human rights -based approach to things like sex, drugs, and reproduction.
[131] It was published on International Women's Day last month, but sort of flew under the radar until this week.
[132] And now it's really raising alarm because the report largely implies that consent is the primary thing that matters when it comes to sex.
[133] And that seems to include children without any specific age cutoffs.
[134] Now, what's the exact language in the report?
[135] So the most troubling language is found under Principle 16.
[136] titled Consensual Sexual Conduct.
[137] Here's a direct quote from that section.
[138] Sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual, in fact, if not in law.
[139] This section of the report goes on to say that the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of minors to make their own decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and the right to be heard in matters concerning them.
[140] The report says minors, quoting again here, should participate in decisions affecting them with due regard to their age, maturity, and best interests.
[141] Now, what sort of reaction have we seen since this report made its way into the mainstream?
[142] Well, on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary General came out and categorically denied that this report in any way calls for the decriminalization of sex with children or the abolition of the age of consent.
[143] The spokesperson said that criminal sanctions might not be appropriate in the case of two minor peers engaging in sex and that criminalizing that might prevent them from seeking out appropriate health care.
[144] On the other side of the issue, though, there were some scholars who quickly voiced concern over the UN -backed report.
[145] For example, Wesley J. Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute's Center on Human Exceptionalism, warned in a piece for National Review that if national laws were to be changed in line with these recommendations, statutory rape laws would be gutted.
[146] He said that the report can only mean, quote, if the minor consented to whatever kind of sex was engaged, it should not be prosecuted if the minor is deemed sufficiently mature to have said yes.
[147] The report also, unsurprisingly, lit up social media with critics.
[148] expressing outrage over what they said was the U .N. pushing to normalize pedophilia.
[149] They said this was part of a larger movement gaining steam to sexualized children.
[150] All right.
[151] Well, this issue is not going away, it seems like.
[152] Amanda, thanks for reporting.
[153] Yeah, anytime.
[154] That was Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presta Giacomo.
[155] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[156] The Supreme Court has temporarily extended access to an abortion pill until Friday, while the justices consider whether to allow restrictions on MIFA stone to take effect.
[157] The drug first won FDA approval in 2000, and conditions on its use have been loosened in recent years, including making it available by mail in states that allow access.
[158] The 84 -year -old man accused of shooting teenage Ralph Yarl pleaded not guilty in his first court appearance on Wednesday.
[159] The alleged shooter turned himself in on Tuesday and was later released on bond after agreeing to relinquish any weapons and have no contact with Yarl or his family.
[160] A fundraiser for Ralph Yarl surpassed $3 million in its first three days.
[161] Well, that's all the time we've got this morning.
[162] Thanks for waking up with us.
[163] We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.