Morning Wire - Special Counsel for Hunter Biden & Lady Gaga’s Dad Immigration Fight | Afternoon Update | 8.11.23

Episode Date: August 11, 2023

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I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Friday, August 11th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. Several years into the investigation of the president's son, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden case on Friday. Garland named Delaware U.S. attorney David Weiss, who has led the investigation into Hunter since 2019. The appointment comes after a heavily criticized plea deal for Biden fell apart in court last month, that came after the judge questioned the extent of Biden's immunity on future charges. Garland decided to appoint a special counsel after receiving a request to do so from Weiss.

Here's Garland making the announcement today. On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment, his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel, and he asked to be so appointed. Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary, circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel. Mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently, based only on the facts

and the law. Former President Donald Trump is reacting to an audit of the Congressional January 6th Committee that discovered that the group failed to save a large number of relevant documents. Republican Congressman Barry Loudermilk made the discovery during his audit of the committee. Trump called it a criminal act while claiming that the documents were deleted and destroyed. Oh, that nonsense you watched for a year and a half go on with all Democrats and two so-called Republicans. It's all been deleted and gotten rid of the real answers were there, but they didn't want to report it. In other news regarding the former president, Donald Trump announced this week that he will not sign the pledge, stating that he will support the 2024 GOP nominee, as is required by the Republican National Committee

to appear on the debate stage. I wouldn't sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge of people on there that I wouldn't have as somebody that I'd endorse? So far, eight candidates have qualified for the stage by other metrics, but only Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramoswamy, and Nikki Haley have signed the pledge. Inflation rose slightly in July after 12 straight months of downward motion. The consumer price index rose 3.2% from a year ago, and the core CPI, which excludes food and energy, was up 4.7%. Both numbers came in below economists' estimates. Most of the increase was attributed to shelter costs. Rents rose 0.4% and food prices were up 0.2%. The rising numbers mean the Fed may continue to raise rates. In an interview with Fox and Friends, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul says he has taken an extraordinary

step against Dr. Anthony Fauci. Senator Paul contacted the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., Matthew Graves, to inquire about prosecuting Fauci for allegedly lying to Congress. Paul claims that Fauci lied about the NIH not being involved with gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Irology in Wuhan, China. Here's the senator. I don't think there's ever been a clear case of perjury in the history of government testimony, and I don't say that lightly, but we have an incredibly partisan, Attorney General Garland, who's refusing to act. So I've taken the extraordinary step of actually going to the local U.S. attorney in D.C. to see if he will act. Now, the problem is, is there are

partisans littered throughout the legal system, and people are seeing this. You don't get prosecuted if you're a Democrat under this administration, no matter what you do. The Biden administration asked Congress this week to provide over $21 billion for both emergency defense aid to Ukraine and for humanitarian support through the of the year. The money to Ukraine breaks down to more than $13 billion for emergency defense and $8 billion for humanitarian support. The package also includes $12 billion to replenish the U.S. Federal Disasters Fund and to build up enforcement at the southern border. After everything, Congress will be looking at a $40 billion package. The Democrat Governor of Louisiana has ordered a clemency review of

56 of the 57 inmates on death row, including a man convicted of raping and stabbing a four-year-old girl. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Spencer Lindquist. Governor John Bell Edwards decided to order the review, but the leading GOP challenger to replace him in November, state attorney general Jeff Landry urged board members to not ignore its policy, which usually requires clemency requests to be made within one year of judges issuing appeal rulings. Baton Rouge District Attorney Hiller Moore III, a Democrat, agreed with Landry, saying, quote, because of the governor's request today, deep wounds have been reopened yet again, adding, when will this emotional roller coaster for these victims end?

And the father of Lady Gaga is leading the fight against letting illegal immigrants flood his posh, New York City neighborhood, saying they have basically taken over. Here with Morris Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce. 66-year-old Joe Germinata has lived in the Upper West Side of Manhattan for 35 years, raising his two daughters, including the art. artist known as Lady Gaga and a condo in the Pithian building. On Wednesday, Germinata complained to the New York Post about hundreds of immigrants being housed in the nearby Stratford Arms Hotel, the former home of the American Music and Dance Academy. He said the decision to move 500 immigrants into the building has caused mayhem. Germinada and other residents have come together in the

West 70th Street Association to lobby City Hall for more policing and better control of the situation. But Germinata and his neighbors are competing for strained city resources. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has predicted tens of thousands more immigrants will arrive in the city before the end of the year. If we don't get the support we need, New Yorkers could be left for a $12 billion bill. Those of your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.