Morning Wire XX
[0] Israel and Hamas reach a breakthrough agreement on a hostage deal.
[1] What has each side demanded and what compromises will be made?
[2] I'm DailyWire, editor -in -chief John Bickley, with Georgia Howe.
[3] It's Wednesday, November 22nd, and this is Morning Wire.
[4] Foreign nationals are gaining a significant foothold in the U .S. marijuana business, often linked to criminal cartels, which countries are edging in and what action is being taken.
[5] And an L .A. blaze that shut down a stretch of highly traveled interstate is re -igniting discussion over fire hazards in homeless encampments.
[6] The city and the county have not done their job.
[7] When you look at underpasses filled with encampments, what did they think was going to happen?
[8] Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire.
[9] Stay tuned.
[10] We have the news you need to know.
[11] On Tuesday, Israel and Hamas agreed to a deal that will create a brief pause in the war and allow for the release of some 50 hostages held captive since the terror attacks on October 7th.
[12] Here with more on the hostage deal and what it means for the future of the war's Daily Wire Senior Editor, Cabot Phillips.
[13] Cabot, after weeks of rumblings, we finally got a breakthrough Tuesday.
[14] What can you tell us here?
[15] Yeah, a major development out of Israel.
[16] Prime Minister Nanyahu announced yesterday that Israeli leaders had reached a deal with Hamas that would secure the release of 50 women and children who'd been held hostage for 45 days in Gaza.
[17] In exchange, Israel agreed to a four -to -five -day pause in fighting.
[18] the shipment of more fuel to Gaza and the release of three to five Palestinian prisoners for every one hostage let go.
[19] On Tuesday, the deal was finalized after gaining the approval of Israel's war and security cabinets.
[20] While around 190 Israelis still remain in captivity, many reportedly in deplorable conditions.
[21] This deal is still just undoubtedly the largest diplomatic breakthrough we've seen since the war began.
[22] Yeah, significant development, no doubt.
[23] So how did we get here?
[24] What's led up to this point?
[25] Well, the negotiations have been taking place weeks now, but the process has been complicated by the fact that neither Israel nor the United States has any direct contact with Hamas, given their status as a terror organization.
[26] That's made Qatar a key player since the conflict began.
[27] They have a relatively strong diplomatic relationship with both sides, and Qatari officials have served as mediators throughout the process.
[28] Now, internally, there were some lawmakers and officials in Israel who opposed the deal, saying Hamas must be destroyed entirely before any agreements are made.
[29] But ultimately the overwhelming majority of Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Nanyahu and leaders of the IDF, Shimbab and Mossad supported the deal.
[30] And one more note, there are some reports from Israeli outlets that Israel would agree to pause the fighting one day more for each group of 10 or more hostages set free in the coming days.
[31] So this does appear to be a fluid situation that could shift in the near future.
[32] Right.
[33] Now, apart from this brief pause, what's the latest on the war effort?
[34] Yeah, while Israel has not engaged in a mass ground invasion of Gaza the way that some had predicted early on, they are still steadily gaining ground with targeted airstrikes and tactical teams specialized in urban warfare.
[35] According to the country's defense minister, Israel has now gained control of northern Gaza, seizing prominent government buildings and police headquarters, and also sharing video from hospitals full of weapons and other military equipment, proving once again that Hamas terrorists have been using hospitals as cover in clear violation of international law.
[36] The Israeli military is now expected to begin operations towards the south where untold numbers of terrorists are still hiding out in tunnels under Gaza, which obviously complicates the war effort.
[37] As Defense Minister Uov -Galant put it, we're talking about long months, not a day or two.
[38] Right.
[39] This is going to be a drawn -out process.
[40] While the war continues, we've seen a growing presence from an American adversary in the region.
[41] Tell us more there.
[42] Yeah, definitely an important thing to keep an eye on here.
[43] Since the war broke out last month, China has really pushed to expand.
[44] their influence in the Middle East, clearly hoping to undermine and challenge American influence in the region.
[45] On Monday, Beijing hosted top diplomats from Arab countries to discuss a peace deal, where Chinese leaders reiterated their support for the Palestinians.
[46] And then on Tuesday, she expanded on that message.
[47] Speaking at the summit of Bricks Nations, he rolled out what he called a three -step plan for peace in Gaza.
[48] That plan included an immediate ceasefire, and according to him, quote, measures to prevent the conflict from spilling over and endangering stability in the Middle East as a whole.
[49] But U .S. foreign policy experts say it's all part of a disingenuous effort by China to position themselves as a stabilizing force in the Middle East while pushing the narrative that the U .S. is the one meddling in the region and so in instability.
[50] But regardless, it seems clear that Beijing views the war as an opportunity to build influence in the region and also importantly strengthen ties with Muslim majority countries who already viewed the U .S. as an enemy.
[51] Keep an eye on that in the coming months.
[52] Yeah, we certainly will.
[53] Kavana.
[54] Thanks for reporting.
[55] Anytime.
[56] Since states in the U .S. have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Chinese growers have become major players in the industry.
[57] Federal officials say Chinese buyers are acquiring American farmland for unlicensed grows and skirting labor regulations.
[58] Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestajakmo.
[59] So Amanda, what exactly is the extent of this issue and where is it localized?
[60] Hey, Georgia.
[61] So according to a leaked Department of Homeland Security memo that has since been reported in multiple outlets, Chinese gangs called triads and individuals with potential ties to the CCP are making inroads across the nation and the marijuana business, often operating without a license.
[62] It's states like Oklahoma, California, Oregon, and Maine that are major standouts here.
[63] The people in groups purchasing this land go to great lengths to hide their identities, so a lot is still unknown.
[64] But for some idea on the numbers here, we can look at Oklahoma.
[65] In just the last two years, more than 800 marijuana farms were shut down.
[66] for operating illegally, and 75 % of those were linked to China.
[67] The state has over 7 ,000 licensed marijuana growers.
[68] 3 ,000 of those have been flagged for suspicious activity by law enforcement, and according to GOP Senator James Langford, 2 ,000 of those farms have a Chinese connection.
[69] Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotic spokesman Mark Woodward said one of the biggest criminal organizations the Bureau has identified has ties to China and potentially the CCP.
[70] Woodward noted that they've also busted groves tied to the Mexican cartels, obviously, and Serbian, Armenian, and Russian nationals.
[71] Here's Senator Lankford discussing this matter back in September.
[72] In 2018, my state passed a medical marijuana law, and what we saw was a rush to be able to buy a farmland in our state.
[73] Oklahoma is now number eight in the nation for having land owned by foreign entities in our state, What we have found is Chinese criminal organizations are partnering with Mexican cartels to be able to facilitate the distribution of marijuana nationwide.
[74] Lankford has also made the point to tie these Chinese connections to the CCP.
[75] He said, and this is a quote, there isn't Chinese business activity without the Chinese Communist Party either knowing about it, being involved in it, or looking the other way, and ignoring it.
[76] The senator noted that human trafficking, sex trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering are also associated with this growing marijuana market.
[77] Now, you said Oklahoma is eighth in the nation, which states are near the top?
[78] So another state that's seen concerning foreign activity is Maine.
[79] According to that leaked memo from the DHS, there were 270 properties worth more than $4 billion identified as being, quote, actively used by the Chinese in relation to their operations.
[80] The memo also acknowledged approximately 750 properties nationwide tied to Asian transnational criminal organizations or basically cartels.
[81] The main wire has done some pretty extensive reporting on this issue, specifically in rural Maine.
[82] Here's some audio from their investigation from one neighbor of an apparent Chinese national growing marijuana in the state.
[83] A whole bunch of medical gloves, there's Chinese wrappings, Chinese cigarettes, never seen them before.
[84] So I took and I sent him to somebody I know, and he said, as far as the cigarettes, he said, the only ones I've ever seen smoke them is Chinese military.
[85] Who the hell's living in your neighborhood?
[86] Now, you touched on this earlier, but what are the main concerns with these unlicensed operations?
[87] So there have already been reports of violent criminal activity associated with these gangs.
[88] It was just last year when a Chinese national killed four other Chinese nationals on a marijuana farm in Oklahoma, in what authorities called mafia -style executions.
[89] There are concerns about the safety of the marijuana product being grown on these farms, too.
[90] And of course, we know, unfortunately, Mexican cartels have made inroads in the U .S. And now with these Chinese cartels moving in, there could potentially be violent conflict there.
[91] Now, is anything being done to address this?
[92] So some states are moving to try to limit Chinese nationals from owning these farms like in Oklahoma.
[93] And there are about two dozen states that have banned or limited.
[94] non -residents, foreign business entities, or foreign governments from acquiring or owning agricultural land.
[95] But there does seem to be a lack of movement here from the federal government.
[96] States dealing with this problem want the DOJ to get involved and they're asking for help.
[97] Amanda, thanks for reporting.
[98] You're welcome.
[99] Several reports are saying that more than 50 percent of fires in L .A. are now attributed to homeless encampments.
[100] The stat comes in the wake of a massive fire that shut down a stretch of Interstate 10 in Los Angeles.
[101] Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allardy, is here with the details.
[102] So Marade, first off, let's start with that massive fire.
[103] How did it start?
[104] Hi, Georgia.
[105] Officially, the city is claiming it's arson, but it's still under investigation and there hasn't been an arrest yet.
[106] The fire started near a homeless encampment under the I -10 freeway in Los Angeles on November 11th.
[107] There was some confusion about whether the fire had started in the homeless encampment or at a least storage space underneath the road that had flammable materials.
[108] Here's what California Transportation Secretary Tokes Amashokin said when asked if a homeless encampment started the fire.
[109] No one to speculate, but that's very possible.
[110] Eventually, the fire caused authorities to shut down a mile -long stretch of the I -10 near downtown L .A., both sides of the freeway.
[111] And we should note, too, this was a very destructive blaze.
[112] The fire destroyed several vehicles, including a fire truck.
[113] Photos from the scenes showed the blackened pillars holding up the freeway and a large amount of burned debris underneath.
[114] Thankfully, nearby commercial buildings escaped the flames.
[115] So do they have any leads about what caused the fire?
[116] You mentioned that they're calling it arson.
[117] Yes, police are looking for a person of interest and released a photo on social media of a man in his early 30s who was seen with burn marks on his leg before leaving the area of the fire.
[118] It's not clear if the man is homeless.
[119] Now, we've reported before that fires at homeless encampments have been an issue in the past.
[120] How common are they in L .A.?
[121] They're very common.
[122] In 2021, the Los Angeles Times reported that more than 54 % of the fires, the L .A. Fire Department responds to are connected to homelessness.
[123] That's about 24 fires every day.
[124] Some have been pretty severe, too.
[125] In 2017, a cooking fire at a homeless encampment in the L .A. area got out of control.
[126] That fire burned 422 acres of land, closed the 405 freeway, and shut down classes at UCLA and other schools.
[127] In 2021, another fire at the infamous Venice Beach homeless homeless.
[128] encampment burned a huge commercial building.
[129] That fire was also a cooking accident, according to officials.
[130] So is outdoor cooking the main hazard?
[131] That's definitely a major issue.
[132] Another is homeless people stealing electricity from outside light fixtures.
[133] The main problem is that homeless encampments tend to have a lot of highly flammable items like propane tanks, gas power generators, cooking grills, and plenty of debris strewn around that can easily catch fire.
[134] The storage area under the I -10 freeway had flammable wooden pallet.
[135] used for shipping.
[136] Estella Lopez, the CEO of the downtown industrial business improvement district, which is right next to the freeway and homeless encampments that have caught fire, commented on this to NBC Los Angeles.
[137] This was a disaster waiting to happen.
[138] Palates are currency to people living on the streets.
[139] They use them to move things around.
[140] They use them to construct their encampments.
[141] Now, what kind of solutions are being suggested?
[142] Well, there hasn't been a strong statement from Mayor Karen Bass, but people had already been aware this was a major risk.
[143] The owner of the company sub -leasing the land where this happened, Rudy Serafin of Serafin distribution, says he'd been contacting the city on a weekly basis for months due to his concerns about fires and the rising number of homeless camps in the area.
[144] He says he wasn't able to get insurance for his company's property due to concerns about cooking fires.
[145] He also said the city refused to clear out the encampment despite many warnings.
[146] And just three days after the I -10 fire, a smaller fire broke out under a different overpass on the 105 freeway.
[147] And again, it was a homeless encampment.
[148] Fortunately, that fire was extinguished before much damage was done.
[149] So obviously an ongoing issue.
[150] Mairee, thanks for reporting.
[151] Thanks, Georgia.
[152] Thanks for waking up with us.
[153] We'll be back this afternoon with more of the news you need to know.