Morning Wire - Jack Smith Report Blocked & Congestion Toll Avoidance | Afternoon Update | 1.7.25

Episode Date: January 7, 2025

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This episode is brought to you by Black Rifle Coffee. Head to Black Riflecoffee.com and use code DailyWire for 20% off your purchase. That's BlackRifel Coffee.com code DailyWire. I'm DailyWire, editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howl. It's Tuesday, January 7th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. A federal judge has blocked the release of Special Counsel Jack Smith's final report on Donald Trump. Judge Eileen Cannon issued the order today, delaying publication until a court of appeals reviews an emergency motion from Trump's co-defendants.

The move follows legal filings that argue the report could create an unfair bias against some of the defendants. The Justice Department had planned to release the report by Friday. During a press conference today, Trump commented on the development. The fake witch hunt started by the DOJ, having to do with books and records, and Biden had many more, and he wasn't protected by the Presidential Records Act, I was. but all of that fake stuff that took the lives of people, I mean, literally destroyed people. People are destroyed because of what they did, destroyed.

Content moderation policies on Facebook and Instagram are headed for some drastic changes. Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham has more. In a video today, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the platform would end its partnerships with independent fact checkers, loosen restrictions on controversial topics like gender and immigration, and scale-back filters that previously censored innocuous posts. Zuckerberg cited bias among fact-checkers as a key reason for the shift, saying they had done more harm than good, especially in the U.S. Meta will now implement community notes,

a similar program to that used by X. Here's Zuckerberg. After Trump first got elected in 2016, the legacy media wrote nonstop about how misinformation was a threat to democracy. We tried in good faith to address those concerns without becoming the arbiters of truth. But the fact checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S. Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary says he's nearing a deal to purchase TikTok.

The deal comes as the social media platform faces a federal ban in the U.S. During an interview this week on Fox News, the 70-year-old businessman revealed that he plans to acquire TikTok's U.S. assets alongside former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. The pair hopes to secure ownership before the January 19th deadline that could see TikTok removed from U.S. app stores. Here's O'Leary. We don't have to shut TikTok down. It just has to change ownership to abide by American laws

as deemed by the order of Congress. The federal government raised alarms about TikTok's current ownership by Chinese tech firm BiteDance, citing risks of surveillance on American citizens. A U.S.-based owner could prevent the platform from being banned. Here's O'Leary again. This company is living in a dreamland thinking the Supreme Court of the United States is going to uphold spyware against this American people. Ain't going to happen.

And then you've got this timing situation. This episode is brought to you by Rhone. Men's closets were due for a radical reinvention, and Rhone has stepped up to the plate. The commuter collection can get you through any workday and straight into whatever comes next. Head to Rhone.com slash wire and use promo code wire to save 20% off your entire order. That's 20% off your entire order when you head to R-H-O-N-E.com slash wire and use code wire. A bill barring men from women's sports is expected to receive a floor vote in the newly Republican-led Senate. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Press-A-Gacamo details the legislation.

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would define gender under Title IX as based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth. It aims to block federal funding for athletic programs that allow biological males to compete in female sports categories. The bill was pushed forward by Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, along with 23 Republican co-sponsors, including Senators Ted Bud, Marsha Blackburn, and John Kennedy. Critics argue the measure discriminates against transgender athletes, while supporters like Tuberville say it protects opportunities and safety for women and girls in sports. The vote could come as early as this week. The Washington Post is cutting about 4% of its workforce as it grapples with millions in annual losses.

Employees in advertising, marketing, and IT are affected, but newsroom jobs remain untouched, at least for now. The Post says the layoffs aim to adapt to industry changes and build a more sustainable future. The paper lost $77 million last year with declining digital subscriptions and print revenue adding to its challenges. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy has experienced. expressed frustration after an illegal immigrant allegedly used a state-run shelter as a base for criminal activity. This comes just two months after Healy vowed to oppose Trump's deportation efforts. I think that the key here is that, you know, every tool in the toolbox has got to be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents, and protect our states, and certainly to hold the line on democracy and the rule of law as a basic principle.

Police say the Dominican Republic citizen was found with 750,000. $50,000 worth of fentanyl and cocaine, along with an AR-15 rifle. He had this all at a hotel-turned migrant shelter. The suspect is reportedly being held without bail. Governor Helia since ordered inspections of all state shelters and called for federal immigration reform. And some New York City drivers are turning to low-tech tricks to dodge the city's new $9 congestion toll, which took effect over the weekend.

From scratched out digits to plates coated with translucent. Gou, altered license plates have been spotted near Midtown Manhattan toll zones. These modifications can confuse cameras, potentially allowing drivers to bypass fees. The toll has seen a slew of backlash from commuters. I'm going to have to just take a different way. You know, it affects everyone's lifestyle. Like, I work right on 60th Street, so now I have to park a couple blocks up and walk. It's terrible for everybody.

If you can't make your subway or bus budget, figure out, you know, a bus. budgetary way to do it, but don't charge people, congestion tax. It just doesn't work for working-class folks that are coming into the city, et cetera, et cetera. So it's terrible. Not thrilled. I drive to work a couple days a week, and, you know, it's going to get expensive, or I'm just going to have to find another way. Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochle says the state will analyze toll data in the coming days to assess the system's effectiveness. All right, those are 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.