Morning Wire XX
[0] New York's Attorney General has found that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.
[1] We'll look at the details of the report and the governor's response to the findings.
[2] I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley.
[3] It's Wednesday, August 4th, and this is Morning Wire.
[4] New York City has issued a citywide mandate to provide proof of vaccination for many indoor venues.
[5] Now, patrons to bars, restaurants, gyms, and dance venues will be able to be able to be.
[6] be required to provide proof that they've been vaccinated.
[7] If you want to participate in our society fully, you've got to get vaccinated.
[8] You've got to get vaccinated.
[9] It's time.
[10] How will this mandate be enforced?
[11] And how our business is responding?
[12] And new whistleblower complaints highlight more problems at the southern border as thousands of unaccompanied minors fill already strained government facilities.
[13] With record numbers of border crossings, what's the plan for addressing the child migrant crisis?
[14] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[15] Stay tuned.
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[22] The report speaks for itself.
[23] And right now I think we should always be.
[24] focused on the courageous and bravery of the women who came forward.
[25] That's Letitia James, Attorney General for New York, talking about her office's bombshell report on Governor Andrew Cuomo.
[26] The AG's report found that Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, though James declined to reach a conclusion on whether the governor's behavior should be criminally prosecuted.
[27] Daily Wire investigative reporter Marade McCartle joins to discuss.
[28] Mairee, thanks for coming on.
[29] Great to be here.
[30] So the AG's investigation concluded that, Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.
[31] What's he being accused of exactly?
[32] According to the Attorney General's report, Cuomo sexually harassed current and former New York State employees, as well as several women outside of state government, including members of the public.
[33] This included Cuomo touching their, quote, intimate body parts, without consent, and engaging in unwanted groping, kissing, hugging, as well as numerous offensive comments of a suggestive and sexual nature.
[34] So they found evidence that this was a pattern.
[35] Yes, one of the women was actually a state trooper assigned to his protective detail.
[36] Cuomo touched her inappropriately several times, including while they were in an elevator together.
[37] On top of that, the report found the governor created a hostile and toxic work environment, and Cuomo and his staff even took, quote, unlawful retaliation against some victims.
[38] Hmm.
[39] But the AG did not recommend a criminal investigation.
[40] Correct.
[41] This information was actually tucked into a footnote of the report, which says that the report does not reach a conclusion on whether the conduct amounts to or should be the subject of criminal prosecution.
[42] Interesting.
[43] During her press conference Tuesday, James called it a sad day for New York, but she declined to recommend that Cuomo be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
[44] James reminded the public that her office's independent investigation is civil, not criminal.
[45] She does not have legal jurisdiction to bring criminal charges against Cuomo herself, but she does have the authority to recommend such charges.
[46] Instead, she opted to leave that decision to local authorities.
[47] Cuomo has repeatedly denied the accusations.
[48] What is he said about this report?
[49] Shortly after the AG released the report, Governor Cuomo gave another statement flatly denying the allegations.
[50] I want you to know directly from me that I never touched anyone inappropriately or made inappropriate sexual advances.
[51] That is just not who I am.
[52] And that's not who I have.
[53] have ever been.
[54] He has also encouraged people to read his version of events on his website.
[55] However, investigators interviewed 179 individuals and looked at tens of thousands of pieces of evidence over the five months this investigation took.
[56] They said that they found Cuomo's denials to lack credibility and to be inconsistent with the weight of evidence obtained during their investigation.
[57] One of the lead investigators said that the pattern of conduct they found is, quote, quote, not just old -fashioned affection of behavior, as Cuomo and some of his staff members would have it, but, quote, unlawful sex -based harassment.
[58] Well, there's bound to be more fallout from this investigation.
[59] We'll be watching.
[60] Thanks, Mairead.
[61] Thanks, Georgia.
[62] Investigative reporter, Marade McArdle.
[63] Up next, New York City imposes a proof of vaccination mandate.
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[70] A first of its kind proof of vaccine mandate was announced for New York City on Tuesday.
[71] Here to discuss what this could mean for residents is Daily Wire's Charlotte Pince -Bahn.
[72] Charlotte, welcome.
[73] Thanks for having me. So tell us about this.
[74] New York City has effectively issued a very very very.
[75] vaccine mandate?
[76] Yes, at least for businesses.
[77] On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city will be mandating that businesses require proof of vaccination, and they will be held accountable for enforcement.
[78] So while it isn't a direct mandate on citizens, effectively this is a vaccine mandate for anyone who wants to go indoors in certain venues.
[79] Got it.
[80] This includes eating at restaurants, going to gyms, and attending indoor entertainment and performances.
[81] The policy is still being finalized and will launch on August 16th with enforcement beginning in mid -September.
[82] So still a few weeks out before it launches.
[83] Right.
[84] What are the vaccination rates in New York?
[85] Well, according to New York City data, 72 % of adults have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine and 66 % are fully vaccinated.
[86] So this means about 30 % of New Yorkers won't be able to fully participate in city life unless they get vaccinated.
[87] So almost a third of New Yorkers?
[88] Yeah.
[89] Wow.
[90] Have any other states done this?
[91] No, this is the first mandate of its kind in the U .S. France and Italy recently created similar requirements, but up to now, Americans have mostly pushed back against this kind of thing.
[92] Right.
[93] Politically, this is a delicate topic.
[94] How is de Blasio framing all of this?
[95] He said there will be a smart mix of mandates and incentives.
[96] Last week, the mayor announced a cash incentive, but on Tuesday he added in the mandate part.
[97] It's time for people to see vaccination as literally necessary to living a good and full and healthy life.
[98] In France and Italy, they have a digital system that shows people are vaccinated.
[99] Is New York City doing something like that?
[100] Yeah, they are.
[101] It's part of the Key to NYC Pass Program.
[102] Some businesses were already requiring proof of vaccination on their own, though.
[103] For example, SoulCycle and theaters on Broadway will be requiring vaccines for most people soon.
[104] New York State actually already had a vaccination passport system that was available to participating organizations.
[105] So people could decide to opt in?
[106] Right.
[107] It was just a voluntary system that made it easier for businesses to see if you had a negative COVID test or were vaccinated in case they wanted to require that.
[108] How are businesses reacting?
[109] Some are pushing back.
[110] It's certainly going to be a lift for them.
[111] The National Restaurant Association issued a statement after the announcement saying that it supports vaccination, but it will be a burden on the workforce and lead to, quote, significant changes in restaurants in the city.
[112] The New York City Hospitality Alliance also issued a statement, calling it a difficult step, but saying it could hold off shutdowns and be better for restaurants if the government is involved.
[113] Okay, so what would you say are some of the broader implications for this?
[114] Americans will be watching to see if other states and cities make similar requirements.
[115] Traditionally, we've had strict HIPAA laws that protected personal medical information, so requiring a medical disclosure to eat at a restaurant, for example, is a pretty radical departure from that standard.
[116] Right.
[117] Certainly there are concerns about medical civil liberties as well.
[118] This is uncharted territory.
[119] We'll be watching New York.
[120] Thanks, Charlotte.
[121] Thanks for having me. DailyWire's Charlotte Pince Bond.
[122] After crossing the southern border, thousands of unaccompanied minors remain in government facilities.
[123] The number of children crossing alone has surged in the past year, with government facilities struggling to keep up.
[124] Here to discuss the situation is Daily Wire editor Asshort.
[125] Welcome, Ash.
[126] Thanks for having me. So a lot of kids are still in facilities at the border.
[127] What are the latest numbers?
[128] Well, we're not at record numbers like April, but we're still extremely high.
[129] The most recent data we have from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security say we have more than 15 ,000 kids still being held in various government facilities.
[130] And of those, more than 13 ,000 are in HHS custody.
[131] Beyond that, Border Patrol is still apprehending 100 ,000.
[132] hundreds of minors almost every day.
[133] So a lot of kids.
[134] How do these numbers compare to previous years?
[135] We're seeing record numbers this year.
[136] In the fiscal year 2020, which runs from October 1 to September 30th, more than 76 ,000 unaccompanied minors entered the U .S. So far in fiscal year 2021, more than 93 ,000 unaccompanied minors have already entered the country, and there's still three months left.
[137] I will note, though, that the number currently in HHS care is down from a high of 22 ,000 in late April.
[138] What's the process?
[139] What happens to these kids when they attempt to cross into the country?
[140] They're first detained by Customs and Border Patrol and must then be transferred to the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement within 72 hours.
[141] They'll then be sent to government -run shelters or detention centers.
[142] From there, they'll either be reunited with family living in the U .S. or sent to foster homes.
[143] But because the shelters are overcrowded, kids are being kept for far longer than they should be.
[144] This is obviously really dangerous.
[145] I mean, some of these kids are just 13, 14 years old.
[146] Is the government doing anything to deter this?
[147] Not much.
[148] The surge has created a bed shortage, causing the government to set up tent cities at various military bases along the border.
[149] And even though Biden administration officials have told migrants not to come to the U .S., a steady stream of illegal border crossings are still happening every day.
[150] What do we know about the facilities?
[151] We've seen some concerning reports about unsafe conditions.
[152] That's actually been a major issue.
[153] Federal whistleblowers and immigration activists have filed official complaints alleging poor health care, crowded conditions, lack of clean clothes, even spoiled food.
[154] The conditions are reportedly causing physical, mental, and emotional harm to many kids, some of whom are kept in the facilities for months.
[155] Months.
[156] Yeah.
[157] A 13 -year -old girl from Honduras said in an official complaint that she had been in a shelter for two months after getting separated from her father while crossing a river into the U .S. She also said she had been placed on a suicide watch list.
[158] Another teen girl from Guatemala said kids had to drink expired milk after running out of water and were often thirsty.
[159] She also said numerous kids fainted due to the heat.
[160] And two more whistleblowers came forward last week about the spread of COVID among kids and staff, which they blame on the overcrowding.
[161] According to a federal complaint from whistleblowers Arthur Perlstein and Laura Reinhold, they were told by HHS to downplay the details about the COVID cases and to make everything sound positive while trying to play down anything negative.
[162] Do we know what happens to these kids once they leave the facilities?
[163] Most of the time, no. Once a child leaves a facility to live with a relative, the government effectively stops tracking them.
[164] The Office of Refugee Resettlement doesn't do much to ensure the child is enrolled in school, receiving proper medical care, or hiring an immigration attorney.
[165] So they're kind of left on their own.
[166] Right.
[167] Have you seen any signals from the Biden administration about how they plan to address this issue?
[168] Not really.
[169] With the pandemic and economic recovery, the border situation has not been the top priority.
[170] Really a complex and concerning situation.
[171] Thanks for joining us today, Ash.
[172] Anytime.
[173] Daily Wire editor, Ash Short.
[174] Other big developments that were tracking, this week?
[175] On Tuesday, China suspended flights, trains, and professional sporting events and ordered mass COVID testing in Wuhan.
[176] The lockdown measures come in response to an outbreak of a few hundred cases of the Delta variant.
[177] Gymnist Simone Biles returned to earn a bronze medal on Tuesday after withdrawing from numerous prior events due to concerns about her ability to compete safely.
[178] A triumphant Biles stated, it means more than all of the golds because I have pushed through so much in the last five years and the last week.
[179] Team USA, in Tokyo and at home, is thrilled to have vials back.
[180] And former President Obama celebrates his 60th birthday this week and will be hosting a star -studded event at his 30 -acre home in Martha's Vineyard.
[181] An expected 200 staff will be on hand to serve over 400 guests.
[182] The outdoor event will utilize a COVID coordinator to manage the safety of the guests.
[183] Guests have been asked to be vaccinated and receive a negative test prior to attending the event.
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