Morning Wire XX
[0] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[1] It's Wednesday, July 12th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
[2] A man accused of being an undercover FBI agent involved in the January 6th riots at the Capitol sued Fox News Wednesday for defamation.
[3] In the suit filed by Arizona resident Ray Epps, he claims that Fox News spread falsehoods about him when they say he encouraged a mob to invade the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
[4] The lawsuit accuses recently ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson of being a major proponent of the allegedly false smear against the Arizona man. FBI director Christopher Ray testified before Congress today, touching upon a number of subjects, including the alleged FBI double standard toward the Biden family, the January 6th pipe bomb, and other matters.
[5] The hearing was the first time Ray testified on the hill since Republicans took control of the House.
[6] know how the second bomb was found at the DNC?
[7] And when do you plan on answering our letter?
[8] Well, as to the letter, I will work with the department to make sure we can figure out what information we can provide.
[9] As you know, this is a very active, ongoing investigation, and there are some restrictions on that.
[10] Yes, we can handle classified information, and we fund your department, and so you need to provide that.
[11] Are you protecting the Biden's?
[12] Absolutely not.
[13] The FBI does not.
[14] Hold on.
[15] You won't answer the question about whether or not that's a shakedown and everybody knows why you won't answer it.
[16] Because to the millions of people who will see this, they know it is.
[17] And your inability to acknowledge that is deeply revealing.
[18] Microsoft and U .S. national security officials announced Wednesday that the Chinese Communist Party hacked into Microsoft email accounts belonging to the U .S. State Department and dozens of other U .S. and European government agencies.
[19] Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence, said Wednesday, quote, the Senate Intelligence Committee is closely monitoring what appears to be a significant cybersecurity breach by Chinese intelligence.
[20] Warner added that it is, quote, clear that China is steadily improving its cyber collection capabilities directed against the U .S. and our allies.
[21] He vowed that the private sector and government would work together on this threat.
[22] This week, the California Assembly's Public Safety Committee blocked a bill that would have made human trafficking of a minor a serious felony.
[23] The bill noted that California consistently ranks number one in the nation.
[24] the number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and human trafficking is among the world's fastest growing criminal enterprises estimated to be a 150 billion a year global industry.
[25] The bill would have made human trafficking of a minor subject to California's three strikes law and thus someone convicted twice could be sentenced to life in prison.
[26] In an interview with KCR3, the bill's co -author, State Senator Shannon Grove slammed the Democrats who voted against it.
[27] You can pass a note to a bank and rob a bank.
[28] You can commit arson, and that's considered a serious felony.
[29] But to traffic a minor child in the state of California is not.
[30] That's something wrong.
[31] I mean, I'm talking zero to 17 where the average age is 10, and they would not pass this bill.
[32] Iowa passed a bill on Tuesday, banning most abortions when an unborn child's heartbeat can be detected, usually around six weeks into the pregnancy.
[33] Republican Governor Kim Reynolds called a special session to address abortion after the Iowa Supreme Court blocked the state's 2018 Heartbeat Act last month and will now sign the bill on Friday.
[34] And a jury decided this week that a handwritten will found under the late Aretha Franklin's couch cushions is valid and overrides an earlier version found locked in a cabinet.
[35] The decision comes amid a bitter legal battle over the legendary singers reported multi -million dollar estate.
[36] Her son Ted White the second insisted that a notarized version of Franklin's Will from 2010 should override the 2014 version discovered in her couch because it was created in a more traditional way.
[37] All right, those are your drive -home updates this afternoon.
[38] To learn more about these stories, go to Dailywire .com and for more in -depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to our latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.