Morning Wire - Federal Reserve Cuts Rates & Kentucky Squatters | Afternoon Update | 9.18.24

Episode Date: September 18, 2024

Developing stories you need to know just in time for your drive home. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Shopify: Get a $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/morningwire Babbel: For a limited time, get 60% off your Babbel subscription at http://www.babbel.com/wire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash morning wire. That's Shopify.com slash morning wire. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, September 18th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. In an attempt to head off an economic slowdown, the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates for the first time since the pandemic, reducing borrowing costs by a half a point. According to the Fed, the move, which comes just 48 days before the election, is aimed at relieving

pressure on households and businesses that are currently struggling. The Fed's decision comes as inflation remains elevated, though showing some small instances of progress. The benchmark rate now sits between 4.75 and 5%. The move also comes amid growing concern over a slowing job market. Here's Fed Chair Jerome Powell giving further insight at a press conference. This recalibration of our policy stance will help maintain the strength of the economy and the labor market and will continue to enable further progress on inflation as we begin the process of moving toward a more neutral stance. We are not on any preset course. We will continue to make our decisions meeting by meeting. House Speaker Mike Johnson is moving forward with a vote to avoid a government shutdown,

linking the bill with the Save Act to crack down on non-citizen voting. wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has the latest. Johnson's plan includes a six-month extension of the current funding levels and requires states to verify citizenship for voter registration, a move largely opposed by Democrats. The Biden administration has threatened to veto the bill, and some GOP members warn it could lead to a government shutdown if not passed soon. Johnson, however, argues that Congress has important obligations to both fund our government and keep our elections secure.

As Johnson told CNBC this morning, this CR is the vehicle to do just that. I'm going to try with everything within me to get this pass because we owe it to the people. I've been traveling the country nonstop, Joe. I've been a campaign event so far in 206 cities across 40 states in the last several months. No matter where we are in every public setting, the first or second question from the audience is, can we count on the security of the election? And Congress has an obligation to do this. It's about a 90% issue on the polls.

It's not partisan. A former Border Patrol chief has issued explosive testimony against, the Biden-Harris administration, saying he was warned not to reveal an increase in illegal immigrants with ties to terrorism. As reported by the Daily Wire, during a Homeland Security Committee hearing today, former head of San Diego Border Patrol Aaron Heitke accused the administration of downplaying the security threat at the border. He noted a big rise in arrests of individuals with terror links, known as significant interest aliens. He said the administration's policies led to more illegal crossings and fewer deportations.

The fact that so many illegal aliens are being released into the United States spread worldwide very quickly. As this happened, the numbers of Border Patrol encountered illegally crossing the border increased exponentially. These numbers pulled 80, 90, sometimes 100% of the agents on duty away from the border. Those who did not want to be caught could simply walk in. We have no idea who and what entered our country over this time. Israel has reportedly launched a second wave of precision bombings targeting Hezbollah, detonating thousands of walkie-talkies used by the Iranian-backed terror group in Lebanon. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.

Israeli journalist Barack Ravid says the devices were booby-trapped by Israeli intelligence and delivered to Hezbollah as part of the group's emergency communication system. This follows Tuesday's explosions of Hezbollah Pagers, which killed at least a dozen and injured thousands. According to U.S. officials, Israel was behind that attack as well. Videos posted online show even more widespread damage from today's attack as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah escalate. This episode is brought to you by Babel. For limited time, get 60% off your Babel subscription at babble.com slash wire.

Rules and restrictions may apply. Baruch College is being accused of coutowing to anti-Israel agitators after attempting to block a Rosh Hashanah celebration. Jewish students were told by the school their security couldn't be guaranteed due to potential agitators. This comes just weeks after anti-Israel protests taunted new students attending a Hillel welcome dinner. Democratic Congressman Richie Torres criticized the move calling out the college

for under-policing anti-Semitism on campus. Torres, alongside college trustees, pressured Baruch to reinstate the event. Baruch College later denied their Rosh Hashanah cancellation attempt, affirming the festival will proceed as planned and condemning any form of hate on campus. A Kentucky homeowner claims he was left, homeless after friends he let stay in his garage turned into squatters and obtained a court order against him

Daniel Toma allowed a couple to stay with him temporarily but they then changed the locks installed cable and refused to leave citing squatter rights after an altercation one of the squatters filed a protective order which a judge granted preventing toma from returning to his own home toma denies any agreement with the squatters and is now challenging the order in court this week here's what he told local news in Louisville. I feel like I have no power. I feel like I have no rights. The bills are in my name.

Like, I need to take care of things there. And I want to sleep in my own bed, too. And police have confirmed that reports of explosives found near former President Donald Trump's Long Island rally are false. A Nassau County police spokesman denied the social media claims, which circulated just hours before Trump's event at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Authorities are questioning an individual who falsely reported the discovery while training a bomb detection dog. All right, there's your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to DailyWire.com, and for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day, tune in to our full episode of Morning Wire every morning.