Morning Wire XX
[0] President Biden delivered a primetime address Thursday in which he declared Trump and Maga Republicans an existential threat to American democracy.
[1] Magi Republicans have made their choice.
[2] They embrace anger.
[3] They thrive on chaos.
[4] We break down the speech and the fallout.
[5] I'm Daily Wire editor -in -chief John Bickley with Georgia Howell.
[6] It's Friday, September 2nd, and this is Morning Wire.
[7] After years of shunning nuclear energy, many Western countries are expressed.
[8] addressing renewed interest.
[9] What's behind the shift, and what are some of the challenges?
[10] And, unlike many large American cities, Miami has managed to avoid the nationwide crime spike.
[11] Well, you know, I think the culture of Miami is different.
[12] We speak to Miami's mayor about the city's strategy on crime.
[13] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
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[20] Last night in a prime time address to the nation, President Joe Biden offered an ominous message to America, warning that former President Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans pose an existential threat to the future of our democracy.
[21] Here was more on what the president said and how it was received as Daily Wire's senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
[22] Cabot, let's get right to it.
[23] Tell us about this address that really sent a lot of shockwaves in the political world.
[24] Yeah, it was noteworthy to say the least.
[25] So standing in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the president had strong words for those he called Maga Republicans, saying they stand as a direct threat to democracy and equality.
[26] Now, throughout the week, White House staff had told the press that the speech would not be partisan in nature, but within minutes of starting, He directly referenced the January 6th riots and called out President Trump by name.
[27] Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal.
[28] Donald Trump and the Magiore Republicans represented extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.
[29] Independence Hall was lit up with really ominous red lights, and it's just tough to deny that there was a militaristic tone to the address.
[30] Even outlets, typically more friendly to the president, president like CNN, noted that he stood in front of a group of Marines in uniform, which is typically not something you see for speeches that delve into overtly political content.
[31] Here's how the Associated Press framed it.
[32] Biden unleashed the trappings of the presidency in an unusually strong and sweeping indictment of Trump and MAGA Republicans.
[33] And here, in my view, is what is true.
[34] Maggi Republicans do not respect the Constitution.
[35] They do not believe in the rule of law.
[36] They do not recognize.
[37] the will of the people.
[38] Maga forces are determined to take this country backwards, backwards to an America where there is no right to choose, no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love.
[39] Now, the president mentioned January 6th.
[40] What did he have to say there?
[41] Yeah, this part also got quite a bit of attention last night.
[42] Biden seemed to imply that similar events were coming in the near future, saying that Republicans viewed January 6th not as a mistake, but as, quote, preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.
[43] They look at the mob that stormed the United States Capitol on January 6th, brutally attacking law enforcement, not as insurrectionists who placed a dagger at the throat of our democracy, but they look at them as patriots, and they see their maga failure to stop a peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 election as preparation for the 2022 and 2024 elections.
[44] They tried everything last time to nullify the votes of 81 million people.
[45] This time, they're determined to succeed in thwarting the will of the people.
[46] This really is a new level of escalation from Biden here.
[47] Yeah, and there is a midterm element at play as well.
[48] Remember, Labor Day is typically viewed as the unofficial start of midterm.
[49] season.
[50] And beyond the symbolism of Independence Hall, it's not a coincidence that Biden picked Pennsylvania, where key Senate and gubernatorial races are unfolding.
[51] So what sort of reaction did the speech garner?
[52] Well, in the immediate aftermath, each side, as you can imagine, had their own take.
[53] While some Democrats felt the speech didn't go far enough in calling out Trump more specifically, the majority of Democrats appeared pleased.
[54] Keep in mind, the president hasn't really waited into the midterm elections yet, and many on the left have been calling for him to go on the offensive after a summer where Democrats were really playing defense amid record inflation and a faltering economy.
[55] So this definitely satisfied Democrats who might have been looking for a strategy shift ahead of November.
[56] But obviously, Republicans responded quite differently.
[57] Yeah, definitely.
[58] Most on the right saw it very differently.
[59] Many called it hypocritical for the president to call for unity and say that we must come together while simultaneously appearing to demonize millions of Americans as anti -democratic zealots.
[60] Yeah.
[61] They, like, again, some mainstream media outlets, were also quick to point out the militaristic optics of the address and also the highly unusual, just really aggressive tone from the president.
[62] There's not really any other way to put it.
[63] Well, the speech really feels like a turning point in Biden's strategy.
[64] We'll have to see what comes next.
[65] Cabot, thanks for reporting.
[66] Anytime.
[67] That's Daily Wire senior editor, Cabot Phillips.
[68] Coming up, Western countries give nuclear power a second look.
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[72] Western countries are extending the lives of dozens of aging nuclear power plants.
[73] Leaders are taking renewed interest in the power source as the global oil supplies continue to tighten amid Russia's war with Ukraine.
[74] Here to discuss nuclear power's rising popularity is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce.
[75] So, Tim, what is pushing Western nations back toward nuclear?
[76] The simple answer is the rising cost of energy.
[77] Global energy supplies are constrained, and the belt is just getting tighter.
[78] Russia has been gradually cutting back its fuel exports to Europe, and President Biden's July meeting with Saudi Arabia has so far failed to yield the increased oil production he wanted.
[79] And with demand for oil rising with the gas, global recovery from pandemic lockdowns, supplies are still strained.
[80] So in the meantime, countries such as the United States, Britain and Germany in the West, and India, Japan, and South Korea in the East are taking a renewed interest in nuclear power.
[81] And what kind of actions are we seeing from these countries?
[82] So in the U .S., the Inflation Reduction Act included a bunch of tax credits for nuclear plants to keep them competitive.
[83] In Japan, which has shot away from nuclear since Fukushima's mountdown over a decade ago, lawmakers are debating funding a new generation of nuclear power plants while extending the life of those already in operation.
[84] In Europe, the situation is more tense, and countries are falling back on nuclear out of necessity.
[85] Russia's restrictions on the natural gas countries such as Germany have relied on to power their generators are taking a massive toll on energy supplies, and leaders are concerned about the potential for mass power outages this winter.
[86] So Germany is debating keeping its last three nuclear power plants operating, despite being scheduled to retire at the end of the year.
[87] Why the focus on nuclear rather than oil or gas or other renewables?
[88] Well, there is some renewed interest in those options, especially for fossil fuels as Europe tries to replace what it is losing from Russia.
[89] But fossil fuel generation remains fairly unpopular with environmentalists because of its emissions.
[90] In the U .S., for example, President Biden has made climate change action a priority and killed a number of major oil and gas industry projects that would have tamped down the inflated gas prices Americans are feeling now.
[91] Renewable energy options such as solar and wind power are more popular among world leaders, but those technologies are still really unreliable without batteries to store and release energy in a controlled way.
[92] Now, if nuclear is relatively clean and stable, why did it fall out of favor?
[93] Is it just primarily the safety concerns?
[94] That's a lot of it.
[95] After the Chernobyl meltdown back in 1986, the opinions of many soured against nuclear power, and then again after the meltdown of Fukushima in 2011.
[96] But nuclear advocates point out that the plants are extremely safe, as we've seen in France.
[97] They also note that no one died from fallout in Fukushima.
[98] Another factor is the immense cost of building those nuclear power plants, which keep getting more expensive with additional safety regulations.
[99] The estimated upfront cost of building a single reactor in the United States is somewhere between $5 and $10 billion, an investment all but impossible without significant government assistance.
[100] And then when reactors are built, fossil fuels still tend to edge them out on operating costs.
[101] That's a big reason why nuclear plants in the U .S. have shut down in recent decades.
[102] All right, well, we'll have to see if this brings down those energy prices.
[103] Tim, thanks so much for reporting.
[104] Thanks for having me. That was Daily Wires, Tim Pierce.
[105] While several major cities in the U .S. have reduced police presence and elected district attorneys who implement progressive policies, Miami is taking a different approach, ramping up its police funding and cracking down on crime.
[106] And the city is on track for its lowest crime rate since the 1930s.
[107] We reached out to Miami's mayor, Francis Suarez, to discuss the city's stance on crime.
[108] So Mayor Suarez, Miami has seen some.
[109] notable success in combating crime over the last few years, while other major cities have seen spikes in crime.
[110] What's produced this effect?
[111] Well, it's been a variety of things, but I think it starts with funding our police and increasing funding for police.
[112] You know, other cities, major cities in America have, quote -unquote, defunded their police, which we know is a recipe for anarchy.
[113] You know, we have increased funding for police, so we have more officers than we've ever had in our history.
[114] I think, you know, the second thing is we've reduced taxes.
[115] And some might ask, well, what does reducing taxes have to do with crime?
[116] Well, if you have people paying less taxes, you have an increase in your budget, which allows you to increase funding for police.
[117] We've actually doubled the size of our budget because of our growth.
[118] We grew 12 % last year, which is the second most growth in recorded history.
[119] So as other cities are shrinking and their budgets are starving, we're lowering taxes, which is increasing the amount of resources, which allow us to deal with some of these issues.
[120] I think, Number three, we were voted the happiest city in America and the healthiest city in America.
[121] Now, why is that important?
[122] Well, it's important if you're happy and you're healthy and you're working.
[123] And presumably there's more police officers and you're paying less taxes, guess what?
[124] You're not doing.
[125] You're not committing crime.
[126] And so, you know, the fact that we have a 1 .4 % unemployment that also goes to, you know, our growth rate, that also goes to our tax rate.
[127] It's all connected.
[128] So I think, you know, in Miami, we like to say that our model for success, which we've implemented and executed is simple.
[129] Keep taxes low, keep people safe, lean into innovation.
[130] And innovation creates high -paying jobs.
[131] And if people are working in high -paying jobs, they can provide for their families.
[132] And obviously, they're focused on positive, productive things in their community.
[133] We've seen a lot of progressive DAs in other cities that are taking what critics call soft -on -crime approaches.
[134] What is different about the approach in Miami?
[135] You know, we have a pro -law enforcement culture.
[136] We back our police officers.
[137] we have zero tolerance for crime.
[138] And, you know, I think there's a misperception in some of these cities where the DAs are not prosecuting, that there's a lack of compassion in a city like Miami.
[139] That's not the case.
[140] If you think about what no tolerance for crime means, it means that you want law and order.
[141] It means that lawlessness is not tolerated.
[142] So then what happens?
[143] The CVSs, the publics, the Walgreens, right?
[144] The things that help provide, you know, opportunities and services for many in the inner city, particularly food.
[145] You know, we had in Overtown, we use our community redevelopment agency to work with a private sector, you know, supermarket to come into an area that was a food desert.
[146] Well, we have to make sure that, you know, people are not walking into that community center and stealing $1 ,000 worth of goods and just walking out, right?
[147] Like, we have an obligation as government to protect the private sector's investment.
[148] That's our role.
[149] That's our job.
[150] And when you see that role and you stop doing that job, there are consequences.
[151] And the consequences are not just to the people who are stealing this stuff.
[152] The consequences are to the law -abiding citizens of the community that cannot avail themselves now of the goods that they need to be healthy and happy, productive members of a city.
[153] And so that's the real problem is that we're not seeing the consequences of this fader to act.
[154] And I'm so happy that the DA in San Francisco was recalled.
[155] I'm hopeful that that will set off a wave of DAs in cities like Chicago.
[156] New York, that are not prosecuting crimes as well.
[157] Well, Mayor, thanks so much for talking with us today.
[158] Anytime.
[159] That was Mayor Francis Suarez.
[160] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[161] Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott's office said Wednesday that a new bus of migrants from the state of Texas have arrived in the city of Chicago.
[162] Democrat Mary Peltola won the special election for Alaska's only U .S. House seat on Wednesday, besting former Republican governor, Sarah Palin.
[163] Twitter announced Thursday it's testing out the highly anticipated edit button.
[164] The social media giant says the feature will be rolled out to paid subscribers in the coming weeks.
[165] A massive heat wave is expected to hit the western United States over Labor Day weekend, with some areas of Southern California projected to hit 115 degrees.
[166] Ahead of the heat wave, California's grid operator asked residents to avoid charging their electric vehicles.
[167] The request comes shortly after the state announced its plan to ban the sale of new gas powered cars by 2035.
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