Morning Wire - Iranian Funds Unfrozen & Trump’s Mistrial Request | Afternoon Update | 11.15.23

Episode Date: November 15, 2023

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I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, November 15th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. The Biden administration has renewed a sanctions waiver granting Iran access to around $10 billion in frozen assets from an Iraq electricity purchase. Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips has more. The waiver, which will span 120 days, was signed by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday. bears several similarities to the $6 billion waiver issued in July, just months before Hamas slaughtered 1,200 people in attack Israel. The new waiver also comes amid a significant rise in attacks against U.S. forces from Iran-backed entities across the Middle East. As U.S. officials told the

Associated Press, the waiver says Iran will receive $10 billion currently being held in Iraqi escrow accounts and may only be used for humanitarian purposes. The waiver also allows the Islamic Republic to convert the funds into other currencies and purchase non-sanctioned products. Officials say Blinken signed the waiver to avoid Iraq being cut off from a critical source of electricity. The Israel Defense Forces brought critical medical supplies to the main hospital in Gaza today after special forces raided the hospital in search of Hamas terrorists hiding there. Hamas has a large underground tunnel system built under and around the hospital, a war crime.

U.S. National Security Council's John Kirby confirmed reports that Hamas was used. using the hospital as cover for terror operations. I can confirm for you that we have information that Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic jihad use some hospitals in the Gaza Strip, including Al-Shefa, and tunnels underneath them to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad P.I.J members operate a command and control note from Al-Shefa in Gaza City. Israeli forces killed at least five terrorists in the precise and targeted operation at the site and are searching for explosives and weapons.

The IDF said the following about the raid. Our war is against Hamas, not against the people in Gaza, especially not the Sikh. And here's State Department spokesman Matt Miller reaffirming that claim. We want there to be safe evacuation for patients at hospitals so they can get out of harm's way. we would support an independent third party or respected third party to conduct those evacuations. President Biden met face-to-face with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at a summit near San Francisco today. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has more. This comes after a year of rising tensions between the two countries.

It will be the first time that Biden and Xi have talked since their meeting at an international summit in Bali a year ago. Since that meeting, miscommunications and incidents like the Chinese spy balloon have soured U.S. and China relations, elevating the risk of confrontation between the countries. U.S. officials believe that Biden has an economic upper hand stepping into this meeting as China's economy is struggling with high youth unemployment and foreign disinvestment. The meeting is expected to yield agreements on steps to stop the full of fentanyl from the communist nation as well as bringing back communications that were cut off in response to

Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last year. A congressional hearing almost went off the rails earlier this week after a senator challenged the president of the international brotherhood of Teamsters to a fight. The confrontation came after months of on and off sparring between the two on X. In one post, O'Brien seemed to challenge Mullen to a fight. Here's a bit from their exchange, starting with Mullen reading O'Brien's tweet. Quit the Tough Guy Act in these Senate hearings. You know where to find me, any place, any time, any time, cowboy. So this is a time, this is a place. You want to run your mouth?

We can be to consenting adults. We can finish it here. Okay, that's fine. Perfect. You want to do it now? I'd love to do it. right now. We'll stand your butt up then. You stand your butt up. Oh, hold it. Oh, stop it. Is that your solution every polling?

No, no, sit down. Sit down. No, you're a United States senator. Actively. Okay. Sit down, please. All right. Can I respond?

Hold it. Hold it. If we can't, no, I have the mind. I'm sorry. This is what he said. You'll have your time. Okay. Can I respond?

Oh, no, you can. This is a hearing. The chairman of the Senate panel, Senator Bernie Sanders, pepped trying to get the hearing back on track, hitting the gavel several times. Lawyers representing Donald Trump asked the court today to declare a mistrial

in the New York fraud trial. They're claiming that the judge overseeing the case and his law clerk are biased. New York Attorney General Letitia James has sued Trump, his business associates, and his organization, saying they misstated information on various financial documents

in order to get better business deals and a higher net worth. The request for a mistrial claims that a law clerk to Judge Arthur Ingram is politically biased against the former president and has influenced the judge. Trump's attorneys have accused the judge and his clerk of co-judging the case, saying Angeron has granted his clerk a great deal of input in the case.

Lawyers representing President Biden's son Hunter have called on a judge in his Delaware firearms charges case to subpoena former President Donald Trump and several former administration officials. In addition to Trump, Hunter Biden is seeking subpoenas for Attorney General Bill Barr, former acting deputy AG Richard Donahue and former acting AG Jeffrey Rosen. And New Hampshire state officials announced today that they have set their first in the nation primary

for January 23rd. That decision was made in defiance of both President Joe Biden and the DNC's plan to give South Carolina the party's first contest. The state will now likely face punishment from the DNC for not following the party's new order, which was originally recommended by President Biden.