Morning Wire XX
[0] British comedian and podcaster Russell Brand is adamantly denying claims of sexual assault alleged in a joint media investigation.
[1] The relationships I had were absolutely always consensual.
[2] What is being alleged and why is Brand calling this a coordinated attack?
[3] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[4] It's Tuesday, September 19th, and this is Morning Wire.
[5] A strike by the United Auto Workers enters its fifth day today, and is rattling the U .S. auto industry.
[6] This battle is about the workers standing up for economic and social justice and getting their fair share.
[7] What's the union asking for?
[8] And can the big three survive its demands?
[9] And a tragedy in a New York daycare that left a one -year -old dead shines a light on the growing threat of fentanyl in the U .S. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[10] Stay tuned.
[11] We have the news you need to know.
[12] Comedian and podcast host Russell Brand is refuting allegations of sexual assault, including rape, which were reported over the weekend as part of a years -long joint media investigation between the Times, the Sunday Times, and Channel 4 dispatches.
[13] Here to discuss the allegations and Brand's response is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo.
[14] So Amanda, first, let's get to these allegations.
[15] What are these women saying?
[16] So we know that four women are accusing Brand of sexual misconduct, and this is a lot of This dates back all the way to 2006 through 2013.
[17] None of the accuser's names have been revealed yet, not even to Brand.
[18] The most serious accusation comes from a woman who claims Brand raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home back in 2012.
[19] The Sunday Times said medical records showed that she went to a crisis rape center on the same day she claims the rape occurred, and then texted Brand that she had felt taken advantage of and said, quote, when a woman says no, it means no. Brand allegedly texted back, very sorry.
[20] Another allegation comes from a woman who says she had a relationship with Brand when he was 31 and she was just 16, which is the age of consent in the UK.
[21] She says Brand referred to her as the child and once sexually assaulted her.
[22] Another woman accusing Brand says he threatened her with legal action if she spoke out.
[23] And a fourth woman, says the actor sexually assaulted her and was both physically and emotionally abusive toward her.
[24] during their relationship.
[25] It's important to note that each of the women only spoke out after being contacted by the reporter, who specifically states that in the report.
[26] So some very serious allegations, and it's not just from one woman, what's Brand's response to this been?
[27] A brand attempted to get ahead of these allegations by posting a video to rumble and denying any non -consensual encounters.
[28] He's also been pretty open about his promiscuous past.
[29] For example, during a late -night 2010 interview, Brand boasted that he said, he wased that he said, he was, quote, having sex with different women three, four, five times a day, and once had sex with nine women in one evening.
[30] However, Brand insists that his encounters were always consensual.
[31] He also took issue with the media working together on this since 2019.
[32] He said this seemed like a coordinated attack and suggested it was because of his recent change in views, which now include the questioning of a lot of mainstream narratives.
[33] It's being clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there's a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices.
[34] And I mean my voice along with your voice.
[35] I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together.
[36] So as of now though, there are no criminal investigations, but it's kind of forced the issue into the court of public opinion.
[37] What kind of reaction are we seeing?
[38] Yeah, it's interesting.
[39] Brand actually performed in London on the very day these allegations dropped, and the venue was sold out and video shows that Brand was greeted with really heavy applause.
[40] One supporter was photographed holding a sign that said, we stand by you, Russell.
[41] That said, the remainder of this tour has since been canceled.
[42] Brand also did receive some big name support right off the bat.
[43] Elon Musk, the world's second richest man and CEO of X, he replied to Brand's response video suggesting this was an attack on brand because he's on alternative media.
[44] He wrote, Of course, they don't like competition.
[45] Tucker Carlson, too, commented, he posted, quote, criticize the drug companies, questioned the war in Ukraine, and you can be pretty sure this is going to happen.
[46] Meanwhile, one of the reporters who worked on this investigation has said that she's already received more claims about Brand's alleged misconduct since the story first broke.
[47] And there's another wrinkle in the story I want to mention.
[48] Brand worked for both BBC and Channel 4 when this alleged behavior was going on.
[49] Remember, Channel 4 dispatches helped conduct this very investigation.
[50] Both of these public media entities have had to open investigations into their own actions at this time.
[51] This doesn't seem to be connected to any criminal allegations, but instead brands over a wild behavior and hypersexual talk, which was clearly known at the time.
[52] But it's just interesting that it's coming out now.
[53] Yeah, it certainly is.
[54] Amanda, thanks so much for reporting.
[55] Thanks for having me. Last week, members of the United Auto Workers, one of the nation's largest unions, went on strike in cities around the country.
[56] The walkout now enters its fifth day with no end in sight.
[57] Here with more on what's behind the strike and how it could impact the economy is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
[58] So Cabot, yet another massive strike this time in the auto industry.
[59] What can you tell us?
[60] Yeah, this is a big one.
[61] So on Friday, around 13 ,000 auto workers walked off the job at plants in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.
[62] The strike began after failed negotiations between the United Auto Workers' Union and the country's three largest automakers, Ford, GM, and Stalantis, the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler.
[63] UAW is demanding a slew of pay raises and new benefits and promising they're ready to sit out for as long as it takes.
[64] Here's UAW President Sean Fane on CBS.
[65] We're prepared to do whatever we have to do.
[66] So the membership is ready.
[67] The membership is fed up.
[68] We're fed up with falling behind.
[69] It's been decades of falling behind.
[70] So it sounds like they're really digging in.
[71] Yeah.
[72] What exactly is the union looking for?
[73] Well, first and foremost, they are seeking a massive pay raise for all members.
[74] At the moment, they're calling for a 36 % raise, which includes an 18 % bump this year, followed by incremental annual increases the following four years.
[75] They're also very controversially demanding a 32 -hour work week with 40 hours of pay, the return of pension funds, health care for retired workers, and increased cost of living allowances, among other things.
[76] So a very tall order.
[77] Yeah, that's putting it lightly.
[78] For their part, automakers say they're willing to offer a 20 % raise, but have maintained that meeting all of those demands would threaten the very viability of their companies and eventually risk putting everyone out of work because they say the companies will go out of business.
[79] Union leaders, though, say the companies are raking in record profits and all to give workers their fair share.
[80] The question now becomes just which side blinks first, but at the moment, it looks like this is only going to get worse.
[81] Well, this strike, too, is kind of unique compared to others they've had in the past.
[82] Tell us a little bit about that.
[83] Yeah, you're right.
[84] So it is the first time in the 88 -year history of the union that they've launched simultaneous walkouts at all three automakers.
[85] What really makes the strike unique is how they're staggering their walkouts.
[86] Traditionally, when a strike takes place, all the members of the union around the country will leave their jobs at the same time.
[87] But this time, UAW workers are preparing to begin walking out in different cities with no warning.
[88] It's part of a strategy to inflict the most damage to the auto industry and essentially catch them off guard.
[89] Here's your AWAW President Sean Fain again.
[90] This strategy will keep the companies guessing.
[91] It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining.
[92] And if we need to go all out, we will.
[93] Now, what sort of impact do we expect this strike to have on the economy overall?
[94] Yeah, obviously, much of that just comes down to how long it lasts and how many of the unions 144 ,000 workers ultimately walk out.
[95] According to some projections, if every member does go on strike, which is a real possibility, it would cost the U .S. economy $5 billion every 10 days.
[96] But there are other factors that are harder to quantify.
[97] Tax revenue will take a hit during the strike, which could impact local governments.
[98] Employees at car suppliers and dealerships will likely be laid off as production grinds to a halt.
[99] And perhaps most importantly, for a lot of people, the price of cars will likely go up as fewer vehicles come off the assembly line.
[100] According to Anderson Economic Group, every 10 days of strike, will result in 25 ,000 cars not being made.
[101] Simple supply and demand.
[102] Now, all of this, though, comes amid a number of other high -profile strikes.
[103] The Hollywood strike comes to mind.
[104] Exactly.
[105] In the last year alone, we've seen massive walkouts in Hollywood among writers and actors.
[106] We've talked about that on the show a good bit.
[107] But we've also seen rail workers, teamsters, and now auto workers all go on strike.
[108] According to new Labor Department data, 2023 has seen 4 .1 million missed days of work as a result of strike.
[109] That is the highest level in over two decades.
[110] And remember, that's before the UAW strike even began, so those numbers will get even worse.
[111] All right.
[112] Well, Cabot, thanks so much for reporting.
[113] Anytime.
[114] A one -year -old child was killed and three other children hospitalized last week in the Bronx after being exposed to fentanyl at a daycare center where drugs were being cut.
[115] Nicholas Felice Domenici was pronounced dead at Montefiore Hospital on Friday after police arrived at the daycare center and found four young children unresponsive.
[116] Here to discuss this tragedy is Daily Wire contributor, David Marcus.
[117] Dave, a story that, frankly, is hard to report on.
[118] First, can you give us an outline of how this all went down?
[119] Good morning, John.
[120] Police responded to an emergency call on Friday afternoon to the daycare center in the Bronx borough of New York City, where they found four toddlers unconscious.
[121] They were rushed to the hospital where Domenici died.
[122] It appears all four were experienced.
[123] to fentanyl as a result of the daycare also serving as a location where illegal drugs are cut for retail sale.
[124] On Saturday, two individuals who run the daycare were arrested on charges, including murder, and another man is being sought by police for his involvement.
[125] So a rapid response by law enforcement.
[126] Reports indicate that these children were not in direct contact with fentanyl, but rather that mere traces in the air led to the injuries and death, which is a terrifying thought on its own.
[127] How much fentanyl does it take to kill someone?
[128] Not much at all.
[129] An image often used is that of the lead tip of a pencil.
[130] Just that amount of the powerful drug can kill an adult.
[131] So for a toddler, as this case shows, literally an invisible amount of fentanyl in the air is enough to take a life.
[132] This makes fentanyl unique among illegal drugs, the rest of which almost always requires someone to intentionally take a dose in order to overdose, making matters worse.
[133] Fentanyl is now regularly cut into drugs like heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, and even fake pharmaceuticals like Adderall that are commonly taken by teens and young adults.
[134] So sadly, incidents like this are not rare and are rising.
[135] According to the National Safety Council, there were over 67 ,000 preventable fentanyl deaths in 2021, a 26 % increase from the previous year, and it's only been growing.
[136] Yeah, just really an alarming spike.
[137] This is a problem that has really only emerged in the last several years.
[138] Remind us, where is the fentanyl coming from and how exactly is it getting into the country?
[139] Well, the answer to your first question is China.
[140] According to Congressman David Trow, 99 % of fentanyl is produced from materials originating in China.
[141] And then it's mainly manufactured by the Mexican, Helisco, and Sinaloa drug cartels.
[142] These cartels then smuggle the drug into the U .S. in myriad ways.
[143] and it shows that along with the 10th city migrant Biden bills popping up in our cities and the drain on resources that New York's mayor Eric Adams has highlighted, fentanyl is also squarely a southern border issue and one that some politicians are now trying to shine a spotlight on.
[144] Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has pledged to use special forces across the border in Mexico to fight the cartels, and GOP front rudder Donald Trump has also urged a more proactive approach, including possible incursions into Mexico.
[145] Every politician with an R after their name is also shouting from the rooftops that the border has to be secured and, listen, that would help lessen the flow.
[146] Right.
[147] What about stiffening penalties for those who sell fentanyl?
[148] Is that also on the table?
[149] Absolutely.
[150] States like Louisiana, New Jersey, and many others have proposed or even passed much stricter penalties for fentanyl distribution specifically because its power to kill is so enhanced.
[151] The idea has even been floated that selling fentanyl should not merely be a drug charge, but an attempted murder charge.
[152] And so sadly, as we saw with the death of Domenici, this drug may be deadly enough to actually be considered morable weapon.
[153] Yeah, indeed.
[154] And meanwhile, another innocent life has been taken by those trafficking in.
[155] It's awful.
[156] Sure is.
[157] Dave, thanks for joining us.
[158] Thank you for having me. That's all the time we've got this morning.
[159] Thanks for waking up with us.
[160] We'll be back later this afternoon with more news you need to now.
[161] Thank you.