Morning Wire XX
[0] This is Daily Wire Editor -in -Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe.
[1] It's Tuesday, February 28th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
[2] President Biden said today he's nominating the current Deputy Secretary of Labor, Julie Sue, to be the next Secretary of Labor.
[3] Sue has come under criticism in the past for indirectly overseeing the California Employment Development Department as one -tenth of the $114 billion in pandemic relief claims the agency handled reportedly involved fraudulent activity.
[4] If confirmed, Sue would replace Marty Walsh, who left the administration to become head of the National Hockey League Players Association.
[5] On Tuesday, the Biden administration requested that Congress reauthorize the surveillance program known as Section 702.
[6] The controversial spying program is intended to monitor the communications of foreigners abroad.
[7] But critics warn that it has the potential to electronically record American citizens.
[8] The Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence claim it is necessary for American safety.
[9] This morning, 16 members of Congress sent the Biden administration a bipartisan letter urging the president to send F -16s to Ukraine.
[10] The Pentagon has said that F -16s are not needed at this moment in the fight against Russia, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say differently.
[11] Here's Republican Congressman Michael McCall.
[12] We can certainly write into our appropriations bills prioritizing.
[13] weapons systems, we intend to do that.
[14] Well, I think with enough pressure from Congress on both sides of the aisle, we can get into Ukraine what they really need to win this fight.
[15] Residents of Chicago head to the polls today to elect a new mayor for the nation's third largest city, where crime has become a key ballot issue.
[16] Current first -term mayor, Lori Lightfoot, faces challenges from eight rivals.
[17] And according to recent polling, the election could go to a runoff in April.
[18] A poll from Northwestern University shows a tight race, with Paul Vallis and U .S. Representative Jesus Garcia in the lead, with 19 % and 17 % respectively.
[19] Lightfoot currently sits at 14%.
[20] California officially ended its COVID -19 state of emergency today.
[21] It's been nearly three years since Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom enacted the emergency powers.
[22] Despite the governor being stripped of certain authorities, things such as statewide mask mandates in health care settings and long -term care and adult senior care settings will remain in place.
[23] A massive shipment of the deadly drug fentanyl enough to reportedly kill 50 million people has been seized by U .S. Border Patrol in Southern California.
[24] A tweet from Raul Ortiz, Chief of U .S. Border Patrol, reads, quote, San Diego agents and local LEO partners arrested three and seized 230 pounds of fentanyl worth over $3 million.
[25] The drug seizure was made during a routine traffic stop in Orange County over the weekend.
[26] Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill today that bans transgender medical treatments for children.
[27] House Bill 1125 banned sex change surgical procedures, as well as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for anyone under 18.
[28] Daily Wire host, Matt Walsh, was at the signing ceremony and gave remarks.
[29] I'm extremely encouraged to not only see this law being passed, but to see the national movement that we have been able to build pushing back against the gender ideology madness.
[30] One of the most basic truths is that children who are confused about their identity, need guidance and love and clarity.
[31] They don't need hormone injections and scalples.
[32] Those are your drive -home updates this afternoon.
[33] To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire .com.
[34] And for more in -depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.