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[0] Protests break out in Europe over new laws requiring citizens to show vaccine passports.
[1] How are the countries enforcing the passports?
[2] And how will this influence similar efforts here in the U .S.?
[3] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire, Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[4] It's Thursday, August 12th, and this is Morning Wire.
[5] The showdown between Republicans and Democrats in Texas is coming to a head, with the Texas Supreme Court getting involved.
[6] Now, arrest warrants for dozens of Democratic lawmakers have been seen.
[7] sign.
[8] We'll look at the latest developments in the ongoing saga over the Democrats' attempt to block GOP legislation.
[9] And the recall election for California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom heats up.
[10] With polls showing a tightening race, does a Republican actually have a chance of winning the governorship in the deep blue state?
[11] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[12] Stay tuned.
[13] We have the news you need to know.
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[17] Vaccine passports have arrived in Europe, sparking protests in France and Italy.
[18] What does this mean for vaccine passports here in the U .S.?
[19] Here to discuss is Daily Wires Ian Howard.
[20] Morning, Ian.
[21] Good morning.
[22] Before we talk about vaccine passports in the United States.
[23] Can you talk about what's going on in Europe right now?
[24] Well, after four straight weekends of mass protests across France, the French government is now enforcing the use of what they're calling a pass sanitaire, which means health pass in English.
[25] In other words, a vaccine passport.
[26] Right.
[27] As of Monday, French citizens are required by law to show their vaccine passport if they want to eat at a restaurant, drink in a bar, visit a hospital for non -emergency reasons, or travel on long -distance trains.
[28] For the previous week, it was already required.
[29] for theaters and other so -called cultural places.
[30] And from September onwards, it will also be legally required by employers to make sure that all contractors have a vaccine passport before being allowed to work.
[31] We cover this a few days ago, but let's review really quick.
[32] What exactly is a health pass?
[33] It's a digital pass displayed on someone's phone, and there are three ways to obtain a health pass.
[34] Get vaccinated, test negative for COVID -19, or be recovering from COVID -19.
[35] And you mentioned mass protests.
[36] Tell me a little more about that.
[37] Sure.
[38] Hundreds of thousands of protesters hit the streets across France just last week, with banners reading things like, I am not a QR code and I am not anti -vaccine, just pro -choice.
[39] One common theme of these protests have been a rejection of the mandatory aspect of the COVID -19 vaccines, not the vaccines themselves.
[40] However, the notion of freedom being called for by the protesters was effectively dismissed by France's President Macron.
[41] It's about citizenship, he said.
[42] Freedom only exists of the first.
[43] freedom of everyone is protected, he continued, saying that it's worth noting if by exercising our freedom, we contaminate our brother, neighbor, friend, parents, or someone we have come across at an event, then freedom becomes irresponsibility.
[44] So that's a pretty different definition of freedom, I think, than a lot of folks are used to.
[45] That's true.
[46] And this kind of thing is happening everywhere, it seems like.
[47] Yeah, protests also broke out in Italy against the country's Green Pass, another vaccine passport, which is required for teachers, university staff and university students.
[48] And it's also being required if you want to go to a museum, a sport venue, a theater, or dine indoors.
[49] A lot of people here in the U .S. are concerned that we're heading in that same direction as France and Italy.
[50] Do you think that's likely?
[51] Well, the answer here is that it depends on which state you live in.
[52] In Florida, for example, the state government has openly rejected the idea of vaccine passports, signing a law banning them in May. The vaccine passport is a terrible idea.
[53] We are definitely not going to require anything from the state's perspective.
[54] That is totally off the table.
[55] It's not something that we're going to support here in any way in Florida.
[56] And there's an ongoing battle in Florida right now, with a district judge allowing a cruise ship company to demand proof of vaccination for travelers before boarding.
[57] Under the Florida law, the company could have triggered a penalty of $5 ,000 per passenger.
[58] We should also remember that Florida isn't the only state to have banned vaccine passports.
[59] Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, and North Dakota have all outlawed vaccine passports.
[60] So that looks like a red state trend.
[61] Yes, and then in some blue states, such as New York, vaccine passports have already arrived.
[62] New York introduced their own digital vaccine passport program called the Excelsior Pass, and some venues, such as Madison Square Garden, have used this path to verify vaccination status.
[63] And then just last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city would be the first in the country to require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, gyms, and concerts.
[64] This is a miraculous place, literally full of wonders.
[65] And if you're vaccinated, all that's going to open up to you.
[66] You'll have the key.
[67] The key to NYC pass is going to be phased in slowly, they say, to apply to customers and employees.
[68] So depending on which city or state you live in, vaccine passports might already be here.
[69] Yeah.
[70] It's now just a matter of whether they are embraced or rejected by your local or state representatives, a question which is becoming more partisan by the day.
[71] Ian, thanks for the update.
[72] My pleasure.
[73] Thanks for having me. Daily Wires, Ian Howarth.
[74] Up next, the Texas Supreme Court weighs in on the showdown between Democrats and Republicans.
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[80] Texas Democrats who left the state to prevent a House vote on election integrity bills received some setbacks this week from the Texas Supreme Court.
[81] As a result of the court's rulings, warrants for the arrest of dozens of Democrats have been signed and their paychecks are being blocked.
[82] Here to discuss the ongoing political showdown as Daily Wire Editor Ash Short.
[83] Ash, good to have you back.
[84] Glad to be here.
[85] So we've got some new developments in this Texas saga, including arrest warrants.
[86] Take us back for a second.
[87] How did we get here?
[88] Well, this all started over bills on election integrity in women's sports.
[89] Last month, more than 50 Democrat state lawmakers from Texas chartered a plane to D .C. to deny the Texas state legislature a quorum.
[90] By leaving the state, they blocked a vote on bills during a special session called by Governor Greg Abbott.
[91] Without those Democrats present, Republicans in Texas couldn't vote on a voter integrity bill or a bill that would ban biological males from competing in women's sports.
[92] So the Democrats didn't like the bills, so they blocked the ability to vote on them?
[93] Yep.
[94] And there was a lot of debate over this move, right?
[95] Yeah.
[96] Some Democrats and members of the media cheered them for leaving the state and preventing those bills from being passed.
[97] But Republicans criticized the move with Governor Abbott saying that the Democrats who left the state would be arrested immediately upon their return, which is allowed by the state constitution.
[98] Right.
[99] The Democrats' plan was to stay in D .C. until this week.
[100] Meanwhile, back home, a month -long legislative session will end up costing taxpayers a million dollars.
[101] So not a cheap trip.
[102] Not at all.
[103] What are the latest developments?
[104] Well, a couple of things have happened.
[105] Governor Abbott last week called for an extraordinary session of the state legislature to vote on various bills, including the election integrity bill that led to the Democrats leaving the state.
[106] A couple days later, the Democrats filed a lawsuit claiming their rights had been violated.
[107] Their rights were violated.
[108] How exactly?
[109] It's not exactly clear.
[110] The lawsuit claims Governor Abbott and the Texas State House Speaker have tried to threaten and intimidate them and deny them the right to speak publicly, freely assemble, and more.
[111] They also claim Abbott and the other Republicans have caused them to suffer much anxiety and distress as well as discomfort and embarrassment.
[112] Okay, so does their lawsuit stand a chance?
[113] Probably not.
[114] The Democrats are demanding damages, but the burden will be on them to explain exactly what Abbott and the Republicans have done to deny them their rights.
[115] And this week, the Texas Supreme Court got involved.
[116] What happened there?
[117] The court effectively ruled against the Democrats.
[118] Democratic lawmakers had petitioned the court to restore funding to the state legislature, which would restore their paychecks.
[119] The Texas Supreme Court denied the petition, saying that Democrats weren't asking the court to resolve an issue between two COVID - equal branches of government, but to settle a dispute among members of the same branch.
[120] The court also noted that Democrats left the state, preventing the House from restoring funding.
[121] The court also said Governor Abbott can order the arrest of the Democrats if they don't show up to vote.
[122] This paved the way for Texas House Speaker Dade Feelein to sign 52 arrest warrants for the absent lawmakers.
[123] Are they really going to be arrested?
[124] We'll see.
[125] Ash, thanks for joining us.
[126] Thanks for having me on.
[127] DailyWire's Ash Short.
[128] California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is facing a tight recall election that New Polls show could be getting even closer.
[129] All it takes to remove Gavin Newsom is a simple majority vote.
[130] Whichever replacement candidate gets the most votes, then wins.
[131] Here to discuss the details of the election and what it could mean for all Californians is Daily Wire's Charlotte Pence Bond.
[132] Charlotte, thanks for coming on.
[133] Glad to be here.
[134] So Gavin Newsom is being recalled.
[135] what are the chances that it's actually successful?
[136] Well, obviously, California is a deep blue state.
[137] However, a recent poll by Emerson College and Next Star Media showed that support for Newsom's recall has gone up.
[138] The poll results were put out last week and showed support for the recall at 46%, which is up from 43 % in the previous poll from July 20th.
[139] But 48 % said they opposed the recall and want to keep Newsom in place.
[140] What's key here is that 6 % of likely voters were undecided.
[141] In a previous poll a few weeks ago, undecideds were at 9%, so more people seem to have made up their mind since then.
[142] Another poll from Survey USA and the San Diego Union Tribune was conducted last week.
[143] It shows Newsom's support declining even more, with 51 % wanting to recall the governor and 40 % wanting to keep him in office.
[144] A previous poll from May had only 36 in favor of the recall.
[145] Interesting.
[146] So if the margins are that thin, then turnout is actually going to be a really big factor.
[147] Right.
[148] And the fact that California is allowing mail -in ballots for every registered voter will play a major role.
[149] Definitely.
[150] So tell us about the recall election.
[151] When's it going to take place?
[152] It's going to be on September 14th.
[153] Voters will be asked two questions.
[154] First, they have to decide whether or not to recall the governor, basically if he should be kicked out of office or not.
[155] Right.
[156] And as you mentioned, they only need a simple majority vote for that one.
[157] Second, they choose who should take his place if he is successfully recalled.
[158] The winner of the second question is the candidate with the most votes.
[159] So there's no limit on how many candidates can jump into the race.
[160] Right now, there are around 46 people vying for that spot.
[161] Wow, so full ballot there.
[162] Yeah.
[163] And who's on the ballot?
[164] Well, there are a couple of notable figures here.
[165] One of the most memorable ones is, of course, Caitlin Jenner, the former Olympian and transgender activist.
[166] Right.
[167] Gender made headlines early on for statements about the unfairness of biological males competing in women's sports, but hasn't gained much traction since then.
[168] The person leading the Emerson poll was Larry Elder at 23%.
[169] Since the poll that was carried out in July, support for Elder had gone up seven points.
[170] Elder is a fairly well -known name in California as a conservative radio talk show host.
[171] The other poll by the San Diego Union Tribune showed that Democrat Kevin Paffrath was leading at 27%, with Elder at 23%.
[172] Paffrath is a YouTuber and real estate broker.
[173] Elder has more support in the rural areas of the state, whereas Paffrath pulled higher in the city regions.
[174] So a crowded field with competitive frontrunners from both parties.
[175] Yeah, that's what we're seeing.
[176] And why is support for ousting Newsom growing right now?
[177] Well, it could be for a few reasons, including the fact that Newsom has been strict on COVID policies.
[178] In the Emerson poll, however, voters said the number one issue in California today is not COVID -19.
[179] They said that it was homelessness.
[180] Spencer Kimball, director of Emerson College polling, said this poll suggests that the tightening of the race could be attributed to people's increased concern on crime.
[181] The first debate in the recall election took place last Wednesday, but Elder declined the invitation.
[182] His office said that a debate among GOP candidates only helps the current governor, and he wants to debate Newsome.
[183] Well, crazy to think about California going red, but crazier things.
[184] have happened.
[185] That's true.
[186] Thanks for reporting, Charlotte.
[187] Anytime.
[188] Daily Wires, Charlotte Pence Bond.
[189] Other big developments that we're tracking this week?
[190] In one of the largest thefts in history, cyber hackers recently stole more than 600 million in cryptocurrencies.
[191] The attack targeted Polly Network, which allows the trading of tokens across different blockchains.
[192] Tens of thousands of people were affected by the theft.
[193] And the National Security Agency's Inspector General announced this week that it will be conducting a review into the allegations that the NSA improperly targeted the communications of a member of the U .S. news media.
[194] While it did not mention Tucker Carlson by name, reports say that Carlson is part of the review.
[195] Earlier this year, Carlson alleged that a whistleblower from within the U .S. government told his show that the NSA was spying on him.
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