Morning Wire XX
[0] Justin Trudeau's government has moved to control the flow of funds in Canada, including private bank accounts, donations, and cryptocurrency in the name of preventing terrorism.
[1] The group that inspired the move, Freedom Convoy Truckers.
[2] We are making these changes because we know that these platforms are being used to support illegal blockades and illegal activity.
[3] What are the implications for this sweeping decision, and is it having the intended effect?
[4] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[5] It's Thursday, February 17th, and this is Morning Wire.
[6] Another violent weekend has left more than a dozen police officers wounded.
[7] As the nation's crime spree continues into 2022, Democrats are trying to distance themselves from the slogan, defund the police.
[8] We'll have full coverage.
[9] And after foregoing a host for the past few COVID -addled years, the Academy Awards announced a trio of hosts for this year's Oscar ceremony.
[10] But will that be enough to restore the prestige and ratings of what used to be America's most glamorous night?
[11] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[12] Stay tuned.
[13] We have the news you need to know.
[14] You can get this show and all of the content you love, wherever you are, all on the Daily Wire app.
[15] Even if you're not a Daily Wire member, you'll be first to know what's trending with mobile notifications for the latest news.
[16] And you'll get content from all your favorite Daily Wire shows.
[17] Download the Daily Wire app and keep up with the facts no matter where your day takes you.
[18] The federal government has invoked the Emergencies Act to supplement provincial and territorial capacity to address the blockades and occupations.
[19] That was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announcing Monday that he was invoking emergency measures to clamp down on protesters of COVID -19 restrictions.
[20] Now, several of those measures are sparking significant backlash.
[21] Here to tell us more is Daily Wire's Ian Howarth.
[22] So, Ian, first, catch us up to speed on Trudeau's announcement.
[23] this week.
[24] We've been covering the Canadian trucker convoys for some time now with protesters effectively bringing in border crossings and Canada's capital city, Ottawa, to a standstill.
[25] As you mentioned, Prime Minister Trudeau took drastic measures on Monday, announcing he was invoking the Emergencies Act.
[26] The Act can suspend basic rights like freedom of movement and freedom of assembly.
[27] It can also allow the federal government in Canada to even leverage the military, though Trudeau insists this won't happen.
[28] Those who violate the latest rules could be fined.
[29] up to $5 ,000 Canadian dollars or face a maximum of five years in prison, or even both.
[30] And one specific declaration from Trudeau's government that's really raised a lot of flags is that the government now has the right to take control of protesters' personal bank accounts?
[31] Right.
[32] It's the latest in a string of attempts to isolate these protesters financially.
[33] Earlier this month, GoFundMe took down a page accepting donations in support of the protesting truck drivers, and then donor data was leaked from another crowdfunding site called GiveSEN.
[34] go with $8 million, with officials even moving to freeze these funds.
[35] Well, now, through these emergency powers, Trudeau's government is empowering banks and financial institutions to freeze the accounts of any person or business, suspect of being involved with a, quote, illegal blockade.
[36] This is about following the money.
[37] This is about stopping the financing of these illegal blockades.
[38] We are today serving notice.
[39] If your truck is being used in these illegal blockades, your corporate accounts will be frozen.
[40] And Trudeau is also appearing to weaponize the same sort of powers to regulate cryptocurrency.
[41] We are broadening the scope of Canada's anti -money laundering and terrorist financing rules so that they cover crowdfunding platforms and the payment service providers they use.
[42] These changes cover all forms of transactions, including digital.
[43] assets, such as cryptocurrencies.
[44] So they're comparing these freedom truckers to terrorists.
[45] Yes, and critics are pointing out that the vast powers embraced by Trudeau are hardly justified by a group of truckers who are protesting, especially given Trudeau's embrace of the BLM narrative just a few years ago.
[46] And how are the protesters reacting to this new financial threat?
[47] Well, most are in good spirits and remain focused on standing up for what they believe in, And Daily Wire actually sent a reporter up to Ottawa to speak directly to the protesters.
[48] Here's what one of them said.
[49] As far as I'm aware, it hasn't been frozen.
[50] Because of the generosity of the incredible people here, I have barely had to touch my personal bank account.
[51] Continually, people are handing me gifts.
[52] A friend put me up in a hotel.
[53] These kind of things are happening every day.
[54] And Trudeau has refused to meet with the truckers or even discuss their demands.
[55] Right, and it's always, always disturbing when you see regular citizens being painted as a threat.
[56] Ian, thanks for reporting.
[57] Thanks, Georgia.
[58] That's Daily Wires, Ian Howarth.
[59] Coming up, is defund the police dead or just mostly dead for Democrats?
[60] This show is sponsored by Birch Gold Group.
[61] Inflation is destroying the dollar.
[62] Birch Gold Group can help protect your IRA or 401K with a precious metals IRA.
[63] Text wire to 989898 to claim a free info kit on physical gold and silver.
[64] There's zero obligation.
[65] Text the word wire to 989898 to protect your savings today.
[66] More than a dozen law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty last weekend, continuing a trend of violence against police that stretches back almost two years.
[67] At the same time, Democrats have tried to pivot away from calls to defund the police.
[68] Here to talk about these officers' shootings and the political fallout is Daily Wire reporter Ben Johnson.
[69] Good morning, Ben.
[70] Good morning.
[71] So, Ben, this weekend really highlighted the dangers police face, well, every day.
[72] What happened?
[73] A total of 13 officers were shot within 24 hours last Friday.
[74] In Phoenix, nine officers were wounded while trying to rescue a young woman and her one -month -old baby.
[75] The assailants shot at police while they were in the process of rescuing the infant.
[76] Police say the woman died of her wounds and the shooter committed suicide.
[77] The baby was safely removed from the home.
[78] In Frederick Maryland, police investigating a report of a suspicious man, say the suspect walked away from them, then turned in open fire with a 45 -caliber handgun, injuring both officers.
[79] They in turn shot the 25 -year -old who's been charged with murder.
[80] Then Friday night in Philadelphia, a SWAT team arrived to serve a drug warrant when they say the suspect shot at them through a wall.
[81] A bullet struck one member of the team who survived thanks only to his bulletproof vest.
[82] Thankfully, none of those officers were killed, but since the beginning of this year, five officers have been shot to death in the line of duty.
[83] Three have died from vehicular assaults.
[84] That's according to the Officer Down Memorial page.
[85] The funeral of one of those officers, Jason Rivera of the NYPD, riveted the nation.
[86] I would say good morning to you all.
[87] But in fact, this is the worst morning ever.
[88] That scene was repeated 73 times last year for officers who were intentionally killed.
[89] That's a 59 % increase over 2020.
[90] The number of police killed by gunfire reached its highest level in modern history last year, according to the Fraternal Order of Police, and a total of 346 policemen were shot in the line of duty in 2021.
[91] So the highest number ever.
[92] Right.
[93] Despite violence increasing, though, many of these departments are still understaffed, correct?
[94] That's right.
[95] High retirement rates, low morale, and some local defunding policies have left a lot of police departments nationwide understaffed.
[96] Senator Roy Blund of Missouri addressed this issue on Monday.
[97] My hometown, Springfield, Missouri is looking for 40 officers.
[98] Columbia, Missouri, a department 187, looking for 20 officers.
[99] He said the Capitol Police are 200 officers short.
[100] Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last week to fire 4 ,000 deputies because they weren't vaccinated, a decision that Sheriff Alex Villanueva called, quote, a suicide pact.
[101] We're seeing sort of an internal battle with the Democrats on this.
[102] We saw Representative Cory Bush over the weekends, you know, say she would continue to call for defunding the police.
[103] But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly shot that down, said the Democratic Party does not align with that position.
[104] Right.
[105] Pelosi told George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
[106] Well, with all the respect in the world for Cory Bush, that is not the position of the Democratic Party.
[107] Of course, every major elected official to support defunding the police has been a Democrat.
[108] In fact, in June of 2020, Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC's Craig Melvin, while police funding is a local issue.
[109] There's some issues that we ask police to do, like mental health issues or policing and schools and all the rest, that perhaps we can shuffle some of that money around.
[110] President Joe Biden also agreed to whittle down police funding on the campaign trail in 2020.
[111] Do we agree that we can redirect some of the funding?
[112] Yes, absolutely.
[113] Is there a reason for the sudden change in messaging?
[114] besides the crime search?
[115] Yes, polling.
[116] A Politico -Mourning consult poll taken last week found that 75 % of Americans say defunding the police has caused crime to rise and 69 % believe that increasing police budgets would reduce the crime rate.
[117] By the way, a recent study from the UK found that when police responded to every burglary, the crime rate fell.
[118] Maybe not such surprising findings.
[119] Thanks for walking us through that, Ben.
[120] Anytime.
[121] That's Daily Wire reporter, Ben Johnson.
[122] Amid plummeting viewership, the Oscars this year will feature three hosts, comedians Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, plus actress Regina Hall.
[123] Here to unpack the Oscars Crisis and their new hosting Hill Mary is Hollywood writer Christian Toto.
[124] Hey, Christian.
[125] Hello.
[126] So, Christian, the Oscars usually have a host, but for people who haven't been paying attention, which statistically is most people, they've been hostless for the past couple of years.
[127] So do you think bringing back a host is going to bring back viewers?
[128] You know, anyone who suffered the last two years knows the Oscars needs a host.
[129] It's a three -hour show.
[130] You've got to have a lot of humor to keep audiences dialed in.
[131] So this year, the producers acknowledge that reality.
[132] On Monday, they announced they'll have not one, but three hosts for the seasons show.
[133] And to answer your question, I don't think so.
[134] I don't think it's going to fix the viewership issues.
[135] If anything, I expect another ratings drop next month.
[136] So you think the problems are bigger than just not having hosts?
[137] Absolutely.
[138] Now, if they had chosen the right host, imagine the rating spike if they swallowed hard and got Ricky Jervais to do the honors.
[139] He's a huge talent, of course, but his ability to skewer Hollywood is hugely popular with regular people.
[140] You know, the kind of people have been tuning out lately.
[141] His Golden Globes monologue actually went viral because people loved watching Hollywood get roasted.
[142] But not many people can pull that off.
[143] I'm thinking maybe Bill Burr, Dave Chappelle, or even Bill Maher, but they weren't chosen.
[144] So you're predicting that Schumer, Sykes, and Hall just aren't.
[145] what viewers want right now.
[146] You know, Schumer and Sykes have serious comic chops, and that's a plus in this gig.
[147] But they also have a lot of baggage, politically speaking.
[148] Schumer and Sykes are known for their left -wing activism, and it's very hard to imagine them not taking the chance to bring that up at the Oscars.
[149] Mainstream audiences are just really fatigued of all that stuff.
[150] I think Hall is a wildcard.
[151] She's not politically active.
[152] She's also not a stand -com comedian.
[153] She's not an atheist talent.
[154] I don't think most people know who she is.
[155] Her selection is really the oddest choice here.
[156] So it sounds like you're predicting that politics could be a big theme, at least with Schumer and Sykes.
[157] Well, we won't know for sure until the ceremony begins, but using the past as a guide, I think we can expect a few digs at GOP officials, the President Donald Trump, similar targets.
[158] Hollywood really likes to go easy on Democrats, but it is possible we'll see a few jokes of their expense.
[159] I think to me the elephant in the room is the obvious nod to diversity.
[160] All the hosts are female, two are black.
[161] So I think we're going to really check in with a healthy amount of woke jokes.
[162] Well, that might be a dangerous move.
[163] I mean, if they want to bring audiences back, one of the main criticisms of the Oscars for several years now has been the move towards politics, especially in the films.
[164] I mean, that's been a huge turnoff for people.
[165] It's gotten to the point that a lot of Americans haven't even watched the films that are being celebrated.
[166] So do you think the Oscars can bounce back from that?
[167] I don't think so.
[168] I think if Americans are reaching the point where they're tuning out the movies themselves, that's, going to be a real problem.
[169] Just looking at the list of nominees this year, though, they're going to be completely obscure to most American adults.
[170] That's a bad sign.
[171] At this point, the films the nominees are locked in, so that ship has sailed.
[172] But I think one suggestion would be to cut out the political speeches.
[173] Show producers can actually track their ratings from minute to minute, and they can literally see people dropping off during those soapbox moments.
[174] But it's going to be really hard to tear actors away from that time -honored tradition.
[175] But if they want to avoid a total implosion of the ratings, that would be the right move.
[176] I'm personally not ready to give up on Oscars parties, so hopefully they can course correct.
[177] Christian, thanks for reporting.
[178] Have it to help.
[179] That's Daily Wires, Christian Toto.
[180] Other stories we're tracking this week?
[181] San Francisco parents voted overwhelmingly this week to remove three members of the San Francisco School Board, including the board's president.
[182] Critics, including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, have accused the board of focusing excessively on divisive racial politics and progressive ideology and not enough on academics.
[183] Helena Hutchins family has filed a wrongful death suit against Alec Baldwin and possibly others involved in the onset death of the cinematographer.
[184] Baldwin is named as having portion liability in Hutchins' death, indicating that others involved in the chain of events will be named as well.
[185] And New York Mayor Eric Adams authorized the firing of at least 1 ,400 unvaccinated government workers on Monday, including 36 from the NYPD, 25 from New York's fire department, and 914 education workers.
[186] If you like this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to MorningWire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five -star review.
[187] That's all the time we've got this morning.
[188] Thanks for waking up with us.
[189] We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know.
[190] If you like this podcast, get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at DailyWire .com slash subscribe.