Morning Wire XX
[0] Higher than expected inflation numbers shake the stock market and dash hopes for a rate cut.
[1] What bothered me was the month -on -month number, you know, point four, if you extrapolate that over a year, you know, you're talking four to five percent inflation, and the Fed will not stand for that.
[2] Plus, how is Bidenomics playing out in the job market?
[3] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley.
[4] It's February 17th, and this is a Saturday edition of Morning Wire.
[5] One of the migrants arrested for beating a New York City cop is arrested again for another crime.
[6] Every minute that they're out in the streets of the city in New York is a worry that every New Yorker has to worry about.
[7] And are you suffering from a friendship deficit?
[8] Well, you're not alone.
[9] We examine the trend affecting Americans' mental health.
[10] Connecting online has its place has its value.
[11] But it's not a substitute for in -person connection.
[12] We really do need both.
[13] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[14] Stay tuned.
[15] We have the news you need to know.
[16] The Labor Department announced this week that inflation remained stubbornly high last month, sending markets tumbling and likely delaying rate cuts this spring.
[17] Here with the latest on inflation is Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips.
[18] So Cabot, more discouraging news on inflation, what did we learn this week?
[19] Well, on Tuesday, the Department of Labor released their monthly inflation report, and it showed that in January, the all -important consumer price index, which tracks the direction prices are going, rose 3 .1 percent compared to last January.
[20] That is higher than what economists had projected and served as yet another reminder that higher prices are just not going away anytime soon.
[21] We also saw concerning numbers on the core consumer price index or the core CPI.
[22] Economists often prefer that metric for gauging the true state of inflation because it removes volatile food and gas prices and just gives a better idea of how much consumers are paying on most things they're buying.
[23] And in January, core CPI came in at 3 .9%.
[24] That is almost half a percent higher than the month before, marking the largest spike in eight months.
[25] So zooming out, big picture, while inflation has steadily gone down this year, it bears repeating.
[26] That does not mean prices are coming down.
[27] They are still rising just a bit more slowly than before.
[28] Right.
[29] Well, even with slowing inflation, the cost of living, I think most people have noticed, is still a lot higher than it was just a few years ago.
[30] Yeah, you're absolutely right on that.
[31] Well, the White House has to how did this year's inflation data, saying that it's proof their so -called Bidenomics is working.
[32] There's a reason that just one in four Americans say the economy has stabilized.
[33] And it's because prices on everyday goods have continued to go up.
[34] According to the House Ways and Means Committee, overall prices have risen 17 .9 % since President Biden took office, while after inflation wages have actually fallen 4 .9 % over that same time.
[35] So even if someone got a 5 % or 10 % raised last year, they're still making less money this year for all intents.
[36] and purposes.
[37] And it's not just the cost of groceries or gas that are impacting people.
[38] The latest report shows that things like car insurance went up 20 % last year, while house repairs rose 18 % and hospital services went up 7%.
[39] So it's happening across the board.
[40] Right.
[41] We covered that trend pretty recently.
[42] So what do these numbers mean for things like interest rates and the stock market?
[43] Well, Wall Street had its worst day in months as stock prices just took a beating once the inflation numbers were released.
[44] Remember, they were expecting a much more positive report.
[45] By midday, the Dow had fallen more than 700 points as investors scrambled.
[46] And a big reason for that tumble is that the inflation report dampens hopes that the Fed will begin cutting rates in the short term.
[47] Remember, they hiked rates at the fastest pace in modern history last year in order to slow down the economy.
[48] And they've made clear they will not reverse course until inflation comes under control.
[49] Now, markets had been rallying in recent months in anticipation of those cuts, but now looks like they could be delayed until late spring or even summer.
[50] So not only is inflation impacting your family's trip to the grocery store, it's also playing a major role in 401K.
[51] Now, this comes amid other concerning data about the jobs market.
[52] Tell us about that.
[53] Yeah, the Biden administration has routinely touted the labor market as a bright spot on the economy, pointing out low unemployment and increased hiring this year.
[54] And while there's no disputing the fact that our economy is adding jobs, it's who is getting those jobs that's starting to raise eyebrows.
[55] So if you look at federal data, there are 2 .7 million more people working today in the country than there were back in 2019.
[56] However, over that same time frame, the number of U .S.-born Americans with jobs has actually fallen by 183 ,000.
[57] So you might be asking, how could there still be so many more jobs?
[58] That is because since 2019, 2 .9 million foreign -born workers have been hired.
[59] Now, there's no way of knowing exactly how many of those workers came to the U .S. illegally, but those numbers are certainly catching the attention of Republican lawmakers who say that it's proof the Biden economy is not benefiting the American people.
[60] Ohio Senator J .D. Vance, for example, said, quote, Native -born Americans have been left behind by binomics.
[61] Good thing the Senate is doing nothing on border security while printing more money for foreign wars.
[62] Well, just that stat you mentioned about American jobs is something we could probably dig into in a later segment.
[63] I'm sure we will.
[64] Cabot, thanks for reporting.
[65] Anytime.
[66] Social isolation has been on the rise for the past two decades, with a sharp increase since 2015.
[67] Researchers say this is bringing on a flood of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.
[68] Here to tell us what's driving the problem and how it might be solved is Daily Wire Culture Reporter Megan Basham.
[69] Hey, Megan.
[70] So it seems like everyone has kind of anecdotally recognized that social isolation is becoming a problem.
[71] But now we're starting to see some real hard data to back that up.
[72] What does this data show?
[73] Well, a lot of the recent talk is stemming from a story in the Atlantic last week that dove into the statistics from the American Time Use Survey.
[74] And that's an annual government poll.
[75] And what it found was that while time spent face -to -face socializing is down for everyone, no matter what age group you're in, what education you have, income, gender, any of those things, some groups are especially being hit hard.
[76] So for men, it's declined about 30%.
[77] A single people are down more than 35%.
[78] And teens fared the worst of all, so down about 45%.
[79] And the crux of the article was this, I'm quoting.
[80] In short, there is no statistical record of any other people.
[81] period in U .S. history when people have spent more time on their own.
[82] So never more time alone than now.
[83] And then there's this increasing awareness that isolation has concrete health effects, correct?
[84] Yeah, very much so.
[85] Basically, what we're seeing is a related rise in all sorts of negative health impacts.
[86] Research, for example, has demonstrated that it can cause spikes in depression, in anxiety across demographics, but especially among teens and unmarried.
[87] So last year, an NBC poll concluded, we have never before seen this level of sustained pessimism in the 30 -year -plus history of the poll.
[88] So it's really not good.
[89] Yeah, it doesn't sound like it.
[90] We've talked before on this show about studies showing that social media is causing people to spend less face -to -face time with friends and family.
[91] Is that a cause of the isolation or more of a response to it?
[92] Well, probably a little bit of both, but certainly social media and technology have excelled.
[93] this problem, but it really started to ramp up in 2015, and that was well after the dawn of the social media age.
[94] So some of the other culprits that researchers are now looking at are things like frequently moving to climb the career ladder.
[95] People no longer have the rootedness that they once did that connects them to extended family and community.
[96] And then there's also the fact that Americans are becoming less religious, and church used to be a major focal point for socialization.
[97] And also the two -income family appears to play a role.
[98] When both parents have demanding jobs, that can often mean that no one has the motivation to schedule plans with friends on the weekends.
[99] And then speaking of couples, along with the rise of social media, a key driver of social isolation appears to be the decline of marriage.
[100] So I spoke to University of Virginia sociologist Brad Wilcox.
[101] He has a new book out about how an increase in singlehood is a major factor in the loneliness epidemic.
[102] So we have seen the marriage rate come down by about 65%.
[103] This is something that I talked about in my new book Get Married.
[104] And that just means a lot more young men are not married.
[105] And because men are less adept at socializing than women, that kind of is making these guys even more kind of socially disconnected than they otherwise would be.
[106] Wilcox also tells me that one of the things he reports on in his book is that singles are about twice as likely to be very lonely compared to married Americans.
[107] So when you talk about this broader problem with loneliness and isolation and atomization in our culture today, that's partly because fewer of us are pairing up, putting a ring on it.
[108] So I think when it comes to addressing this closing of the American heart that we're seeing both in our families and in the broader kind of culture, doing more to strengthen marriage is really the path we need to take here.
[109] So pretty seismic shifts in how we generally approach life that are now contributing to this issue.
[110] Yeah.
[111] Are Wilcox or other researchers pointing to any possible solutions?
[112] Well, certainly putting down the technology, Wilcox suggested having a basket on the counter and maybe your phone goes into it for a set amount of time when you get home from work and when the kids get home from school.
[113] But also, we need to conscientiously realize that if we're experiencing anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, that this could very well be a factor.
[114] So we need to take steps to get involved with a church or start volunteering.
[115] We're really making an effort to make in -person plans with friends.
[116] All right, so it sounds like he's really advocating for self -awareness and intentionality in terms of seeking out community.
[117] Yep, absolutely.
[118] Megan, thank you so much for joining us.
[119] Any time.
[120] One of the several migrants suspected of beating up New York Police Department officers in Times Square in January was arrested again this week for robbing a Macy's.
[121] The 19 -year -old was initially released without bail after the violent attack.
[122] Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allardie is here with the details.
[123] So Mairead, authorities have been searching for these young men for more than two weeks now.
[124] Now it sounds like one has been arrested.
[125] Hi, Georgia.
[126] So yes, a second arrest for this migrant teen.
[127] He was part of the mob of at least seven migrants that beat up cops in Times Square last month.
[128] Darwin -Andres Gomez Ezekiel, who is 19, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with robbery and petty larceny according to police.
[129] He allegedly entered the Queen's Center Mall around 5 .30 p .m. and it was acting in concert with others to steal clothes and hide them in bags.
[130] A security guard confronted the group, and they struggled, causing the guard minor injuries, according to police.
[131] One of the group punched the guard in the face, and one kicked the guard.
[132] Overall, four people were charged.
[133] Some of those involved in the robbery fled with over $600 worth of clothes.
[134] On Wednesday morning, Gomez Ezekiel was escorted in handcuffs to Queens Criminal Court for his arraignment.
[135] Last month, Gomez Ezekiel was charged with second -degree assault on a police officer and obstructing governmental administration for the mob beating of cops.
[136] And as we reported then, most of the migrants charged with beating up the cops were released without bail.
[137] Only one of those migrants' charge in the beating was held without bail.
[138] So this teen was robbing the Macy's with a group of others.
[139] Were they also involved in the Times Square beating?
[140] Well, surveillance footage shows Gomez Ezekiel was acting with another male and a female, but neither have been apprehended yet, and their identities haven't been confirmed.
[141] Now, I know we've reported before about the rise in organized retail theft.
[142] Has New York had problems with migrants specifically getting involved with this kind of crime?
[143] Well, retail theft rings are becoming a major issue in big coastal cities and most of the perpetrators are American citizens.
[144] But New York City Mayor Eric Adams has stated that NYPD has identified a, quote, robbery pattern associated with some migrants.
[145] Another issue is gang infiltration.
[146] On Thursday, two of the assailants involved with the January 27th beating were identified as being associated with a very violent Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua.
[147] According to ICE, the gang has begun to gain a foothold in New York City.
[148] So all of this is directly related to what's happening at the border.
[149] Now there are rumors that a large group of people are set to be released into the interior of the country.
[150] What's going on there?
[151] Correct.
[152] So ICE has now reportedly drafted plans to release thousands of illegal migrants and lower its capacity to detain them.
[153] An internal proposal from ICE officials suggests releasing thousands of migrants and slashing detention beds from 38 ,000 to 22 ,000 to deal with a budget problem.
[154] That's according to the Washington Post.
[155] Well, meanwhile, after many attempts, Republicans in the House have successfully rallied a vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
[156] What happens now?
[157] Right.
[158] So that vote happened on Tuesday.
[159] This means the Senate will be obligated to hear the case from the House, but it will be up to the Senate to decide whether or not to convict.
[160] And keep in mind, the Senate is controlled by Democrats and a conviction requires a two -thirds supermajority, so a conviction is not expected.
[161] Well, every day this goes on, it's becoming more toxic with voters for sure.
[162] Marade, thanks for reporting.
[163] Thanks, Georgia.
[164] Thank you for listening this morning.
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