Morning Wire XX
[0] Opposition to Russia's war on Ukraine spreads across the globe.
[1] Now Vladimir Putin threatens to crack down on his own citizens.
[2] What comes next in the brutal war?
[3] I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howe.
[4] It's Monday, March 21st, and this is Morning Wire.
[5] The price of filling your gas tank and your grocery cart is going up.
[6] Americans are feeling the costly effect of rising inflation on their weekly budget, and now the Fed is raising the interest rate.
[7] What does that mean for the economy?
[8] and you.
[9] Teachers in yet another state are being instructed to conceal students' gender identities from their parents, highlighting the growing rift between parents and educators.
[10] We have the details on the controversial policy.
[11] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[12] Stay tuned.
[13] We have the news you need to know.
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[20] As the Russian invasion of Ukraine stretches into its fourth week, Ukrainian forces still have control of both its airspace and key Ukrainian cities.
[21] But this is only driving Russian forces to implement more desperate measures.
[22] Here to explain his daily wires, Ian Howarth.
[23] Ian, things are escalating on the Russian side.
[24] What can you tell us?
[25] Well, as we discussed last week, the ongoing failure of the Russian military to capture Ukraine in a short time is leading to a notable escalation in the sort of violent tactics being used, including indiscriminate artillery strikes on civilian positions.
[26] We're also looking at an increase in terms of raw numbers of invading personnel.
[27] Ukrainian officials are warning that Belarus is readying its military for an invasion.
[28] Belarus is an ally of Russia and was used as one of the launching points for the Russian military when they invaded last month.
[29] So it wouldn't be a massive surprise if Belarusian forces did get involved.
[30] Meanwhile, Russia has reportedly ordered cadets to be deployed.
[31] This would mean that cadets, age 17 and 18, would be pushed to the front lines of the invasion.
[32] And as expected, the number of casualties among Ukrainian citizens keeps rising.
[33] According to the United Nations Human Rights Office, at least 902 civilians have been killed since the invasion began, and 1 ,459 have been injured.
[34] At least 115 children are among the dead.
[35] And this is just what the UN has been able to confirm.
[36] The real number is almost certainly far higher.
[37] Yeah, Russia's war is taking a horrific toll.
[38] In Maripole continues to be one of the hardest hit cities, correct?
[39] Yeah, without a doubt.
[40] Reports continue to flood in regarding the brutality of the Russian onslaught, with strike after strike hitting civilian areas of the now destroyed city.
[41] One report on Sunday came in that Russian forces destroyed an art school building, whereas many as 400 people were apparently hiding.
[42] Ukraine's President Zelensky said that the atrocities committed Maripole amounted to war crimes and that Russia's terror will be remembered for centuries to come.
[43] Maripole City Council is even claiming that Russian troops are forcing thousands of residents to move from the city, with some being sent to Russia.
[44] And according to local officials, more than 2 ,500 people have been killed in Maripol alone, which is amazingly still held by Ukraine.
[45] If Maripol does fall, though, the Russians will control an important Black Sea port, so Ukrainian forces will be desperate to hold on to the city.
[46] But the violence is certainly not limited to Maripal.
[47] At least five civilians were killed by Russian artillery in Kharkiv on Sunday, including a nine -year -old boy.
[48] And Russian attacks have also shifted to the west of Ukraine, with missile strikes destroying buildings at an aircraft repair facility near Levis Airport.
[49] So they're increasingly hitting civilian targets and moving further and further west.
[50] Over the weekend, there was a lot of talk surrounding the use of hypersonic missiles.
[51] What can you tell us about that?
[52] Yeah, on Saturday, a U .S. official confirmed that Russia deployed several hypersonic missiles, saying they destroyed a fuel depot and an underground missile and ammunition storage site.
[53] According to Western analysts, this would be the first time hypersonic missiles have been used in combat.
[54] These weapons, known as dagger missiles by the Russians, are designed to be launched from Meg fighter jets and can fly up to 10 times the speed of sound.
[55] But what makes them even more dangerous is that, like much slower missiles, they can change direction during flight, which makes it really hard to track them, or more importantly, intercept them.
[56] They can be used for conventional warheads, but also nuclear weapons.
[57] However, some experts are stressing that this doesn't necessarily indicate an escalation in terms of force that could lead to nuclear war, while others are speculating that Putin might just be limited in terms of other targeted missiles.
[58] But this also ties into a massive escalation in the rhetoric of Vladimir Putin.
[59] who pledged a self -cleansing of Russian society last week in a really Stalin -esque -style speech, which is leading people to ask just how far he is willing to go.
[60] Well, so far he's made quite clear he's willing to go very far indeed.
[61] Right.
[62] Thanks for the inside, Ian.
[63] You got it, John.
[64] Daily Wires, Ian Howers.
[65] Coming up, interest rates are going up.
[66] What does that mean for you?
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[78] As American families struggle with 40 -year highs in inflation, federal reserve officials voted to raise interest rates for the first time since 2018, a direct response to inflation and growing concern over a looming recession.
[79] Here with more on the specifics and how the rate increase will impact your personal finances as Daily Wires Cabot Phillips.
[80] So Cabot first, what exactly does it mean for the economy at large when the Fed raises rates?
[81] So essentially the Federal Reserve interest rate establishes the target cost of borrowing money.
[82] So whether you want a loan for a car, house or land, banks determine their interest -based rate in large part on the rates set by the Fed. Now, since March of 2020, the Fed's rate has been between 0 and 0 .25 percent, meaning you could basically get money for free because the government was worried at the time about an economic slowdown during COVID, and they wanted to keep people borrowing money and spending money during the pandemic.
[83] Right.
[84] The Fed Committee that decides the interest rate meets every six weeks, and last Wednesday, they decided for the first time since 2018 to raise those interest rates.
[85] They'll start by going to a range of a quarter percent to a half percent, so just a slight uptick.
[86] But they will keep on going up after that until they hit 2 percent by the end of the year.
[87] After that, they're expected to hit 2 .75 percent by the end of 2023.
[88] And that would be the highest federal rate since 2008.
[89] Yeah, that is a steep increase.
[90] We haven't seen that in years.
[91] How much of this had to do with inflation?
[92] the rate was never meant to stay so low.
[93] It was always intended to be temporary as the economy shut down during the pandemic.
[94] But it's not a coincidence that rates are going back up now that inflation is hitting rates.
[95] We haven't seen in four decades.
[96] Yeah.
[97] Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell didn't explicitly say they did this to fight inflation, but economists across the board say that's exactly why they acted now.
[98] The general idea is that as interest rates go up, average people are less likely to take out loans because the deals just aren't as good as they've been.
[99] And as that happens.
[100] The idea is that people will stop borrowing money and stop spending money, which will leave fewer active dollars in the economy, hopefully curbing inflation.
[101] But again, all that is hypothetical.
[102] The Fed has been wrong, as we've covered on the show, over and over and over the last two years when it comes to inflation.
[103] They repeatedly predicted that it slowed down.
[104] And then when it rose, they said it wasn't here to stay.
[105] And then when it continued to rise, they said they predicted it all along.
[106] So the hope here is that this was slow inflation.
[107] But when it comes to the economy, nothing is ever guaranteed.
[108] No, it isn't ever.
[109] I think the obvious question on all of this is how it's going to impact the average family here in America.
[110] What's this all mean for them?
[111] Yeah, I don't want to sound alarm bells too much.
[112] Again, we've seen rates like this before.
[113] They were actually three times higher than this back in the early 2000s.
[114] But for anyone taking out large loans, they are going to feel this.
[115] If you have an existing car loan or a federal student loan, those won't be affected because typically those are fixed rates.
[116] But others will.
[117] For example, annual credit card rates are almost certainly going to go up this year, especially for people with lower credit scores.
[118] And banks are going to be more stingy this year on letting people open new lines of credit.
[119] And if you're looking to buy a home right now, mortgage rates are also going to go up in the short term.
[120] And if you have an existing mortgage that's not on a fixed rate, but instead of variable rate, you can also expect to start paying more in interest each month.
[121] And what other sorts of changes are we going to see as rates go up?
[122] Again, I want to be careful making declarations here as trying to predict the future of economics is generally a crapshoot, but the expectation is that with less money changing hands, banks will start to do more to incentivize people to keep their money in savings because banks are going to be more hungry for money.
[123] That means there's a good chance.
[124] CD rates will go up in the coming months.
[125] There's also a good chance your financial advisor is going to start encouraging you to pay off that credit card debt and really look into the specifics on any new auto loans you're taking out because, again, if those aren't fixed, they are going to start to get more expensive.
[126] Right.
[127] Definitely a lot to keep in mind for consumers these days.
[128] Cabot, thanks for the reporting.
[129] Anytime.
[130] That's DailyWire's Cabot Phillips.
[131] A school district in Wisconsin directed teachers to hide students' gender identities from their parents.
[132] The move mirrors official policies in Washington State and North Carolina that made headlines in 2022.
[133] The district is defending the policy, but parents are upset.
[134] Daily Wire investigative reporter Marade Allorty is here to tell us what's going on.
[135] So Marade, this directive came from a teacher training, correct?
[136] Yeah, that's right.
[137] This directive was part of a professional training last month for staff at O 'Clair Area School District in western Wisconsin.
[138] A leaked slide from the presentation reads, Parents are not entitled to know their kids' identities, and that knowledge must be earned.
[139] The training went on to say that teachers are often, quote, straddling this complex situation and said that the district's priority is supporting the student.
[140] And this angered the parents, and now they're speaking out.
[141] Yes, this training has sparked outrage among parents as well as three school board candidates.
[142] The school board candidates who are attempting to unseat current members actually released a joint statement accusing the district of a, quote, blatant disregard for parental rights and responsibilities.
[143] They also said this policy directly pressures teachers to break what they call the known social contract between schools and parents.
[144] The school board candidates accused the district of pitting teachers against parents, and they also said it's sending the message that school.
[145] are in control of children rather than their parents and families.
[146] But as of now, the district is standing by their training.
[147] So what did they say in their defense?
[148] Yeah, so the O 'Clair District Superintendent Michael Johnson released a statement that primarily chalked it up to the need for equity and inclusion.
[149] He stressed that LGBT students are more likely to have mental health issues and feel isolated, and he said the district staff often find themselves in positions of trust with students.
[150] Basically, kids feel comfortable talking about gender identities with teachers, but less so with parents.
[151] The school board president, Tim Norton, also defended the policy.
[152] Norton said that it's a parent's responsibility to help their student become the best person that they can be and to, quote, live their true self.
[153] However, he added that students might not feel safe to be their true self at home, so that's why they should be able to turn to staff at school.
[154] Norton stated that he's unwilling to tell kids that they're not safe at our school.
[155] He says the situation is not about parents versus teachers.
[156] So the district is really doubling down, on this.
[157] Right.
[158] It sounds like they're sticking with their policy, at least for now.
[159] So this is not the whole state of Wisconsin, though.
[160] This is just one district.
[161] That's right.
[162] That said, as we've reported here, over the past few months, at least two states have begun implementing similar statewide policies.
[163] Washington state's official policy is that school staff may not inform parents about a student's gender transition unless the student gives a school permission.
[164] North Carolina made headlines for a similar policy in February.
[165] Parents, California, New York, Texas, and Florida have actually accused schools of encouraging children to explore new gender identities behind parents' backs.
[166] So a real conflict of vision when it comes to the role of schools versus parents.
[167] It seems so.
[168] Marade, thanks for reporting.
[169] Thanks, Georgia.
[170] That's Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allorty.
[171] Other stories we're tracking this week.
[172] Over the weekend, UPenn swimmer Leah Thomas became the first transgender athlete to be awarded a Division I national title at the NCAA Women's Swimming Championship.
[173] Thomas finished first place in the 500 -meter final, tied in fifth for the 200 -meter race, and placed eighth in the 100 freestyle.
[174] Over the course of the season, Thomas shattered Ivy League women's records.
[175] Before competing against females, Thomas competed for three years on the university's men's team.
[176] And a new study found that alcohol -related deaths jumped 25 .5 % in 2020, the year the COVID pandemic first hit the U .S. That increase is more than 10 times the average increase year over year.
[177] The data was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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