Morning Wire - Ukrainian President Addresses Congress | 3.17.22

Episode Date: March 17, 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses Congress, Lawmakers attempt to make daylight saving time permanent, and Amazon pulls workers out of Seattle over rising crime. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ukraine's President Zelensky addressed the U.S. Congress Wednesday, invoking American patriotism, with references to 9-11 and Martin Luther King Jr. What exactly was Zelensky lobbying for and what resources has President Biden agreed to give? I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Thursday, March 17th, and this is Morning Wire. Could daylight saving time soon be a quirky relic of the past? A bill has just passed the Senate that would do away with biannual clock changing. We'll discuss the surprising reasons why it's still around and why some lawmakers say it's time to give it up. And Amazon is pulling its employees out of downtown Seattle due to growing fears about crime.

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or use code wire at checkout to get their biggest offer ever. $30 off your first order plus free express shipping. Visit good ranchers.com slash wire today. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has addressed multiple Western governments in recent days in an attempt to garner more support for his country in the ongoing Russian invasion. On Wednesday, Zelensky gave a passionate speech to the U.S. Congress.

Here to give us an overview of what was said is Daily Wire's Ian Howarth. Ian, a historic speech from Zelensky, what was his main message? Well, his main message was that Ukraine desperately needs America's help. Most of this speech was given in Ukrainian and translated to the audience, but Zelensky chose to end the speech with an emotional plea in English. First, he said they are fighting in Ukraine not just for themselves, but for the future and for the values of the world. Today, the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine.

We are fighting for the values of Europe. and the world sacrificing our lives in the name of the future. That's why today the American people are helping not just Ukraine, but Europe and the world to keep the planet alive, to keep justice in history. Now I'm almost 45 years old. Today my age stopped when the hearts of more than 100 children Stop beating. I see no sense in life if it cannot stop the death.

Then Zelensky addressed Biden by name, calling for him to be the leader of peace. At the leader of my niche, I am addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of your I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace. So he's really calling on President Biden to step up to this historical moment. Right. What specifically would he like Biden to do? Well, there are a few things that Zelensky addressed. He talked about more economic sanctions as well as military support, but most importantly, he asked for a no-fly zone. This is something he's asked for on multiple occasions, and it was a central pillar of the speech. Russia has turned the Ukrainian sky into a source of death for thousands of people,

he said. I need to protect our sky. I need your help. Now, a no-fly zone is a pretty big ask. How popular is that idea in Congress? Yeah, it's unlikely to happen, at least at the moment, because of the concern that it would trigger World War III. Senator Marco Rubio said as much earlier this month. I know fly zones become a catchphrase. I'm not sure a lot of people fully understand what that means. That means flying AWACs 24 hours a day. That means the willingness to shoot down and engage Russian airplanes in the sky. That means, frankly, you can't put those planes up there unless you're willing to knock out the anti-aircraft systems that the Russians have deployed, and not just in Ukraine, but in Russia and also in Belarus.

So basically, I know fly zone, if people understood what it means, it means World War III. I mean starting World War III. Now, Zelensky has acknowledged that it isn't a popular idea, but he's offered an alternative in the form of new air defense systems that could protect against strikes, as well as new aircraft for his pilots to use to defend Ukrainian airspace. Zelensky also relied heavily on appeals to patriotism during his speech. He referenced the attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11th attacks,

saying that his country experiences the same every day. He also referenced Mount Rushmore and Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, which falls in line with the start. of speech he gave to the British Parliament when he spoke about Winston Churchill and William Shakespeare. So he really grounded the speech in American history. Was the speech effective? Well, shortly after Zelensky's speech, President Biden announced an additional $800 million in aid to Ukraine, which would include hundreds of anti-aircraft systems and thousands of anti-armor systems. So in that regard, yes, but there's been no mention of addressing Zelensky's other more specific requests.

Now, in terms of the situation on the ground in Ukraine, what's the case? What's the case? It's the latest. Well, Russia is continuing to attack multiple Ukrainian cities. Maripol, in particular, is facing decimation, and the United Nations is now reporting that more than three million refugees have escaped the country. Really a devastating, humid tragedy in Ukraine. Thanks for keeping us updated, Ian. Of course, thanks, John. Daily wires, Ian Howers. Coming up, lawmakers move to make daylight saving time permanent. The market's slow decline has now worsened. And you need to make sure that your savings are protected with alternative investments. Hedge your savings today before it's too late with Birch Gold.

Text the word wire to 9-8-9-8-98 to claim a free info kit on physical gold and silver today. Again, text wire to 9-9-8-98 to protect your savings with Birch Gold today. The U.S. Senate this week passed a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent. Just days after Americans in most states move their clocks ahead an hour. Daylight saving time, which is also known as the spring forward schedule, is an effect from March through November and preserves daylight longer in the evening. But not everyone is on board with the idea of permanent daylight saving. The bill, which was introduced by Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio,

still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and signed into law by President Biden. Here to discuss the issue is Daily Wire Senior Editor Ash Short. So Ash, this seems to be one issue that unites people this time of year. So why can't we get this done? Well, we all like to complain, but the actual mechanics. and consequences of making daylight saving time permanent are more complex. We all hate when it's suddenly dark at 5 p.m., but the trade-off is night lasting until 9 a.m. Right. Winter is dark, no matter how you cut it, really. Yeah. We actually tried making daylight saving time permanent

back in 1973, and it didn't go well. The change was enacted because of energy concerns, but people quickly decided they didn't like it because of how dark it was in the morning, which meant people had to go to work in the dark. President Richard Nixon's Transportation Department initially predicted there would be more traffic accidents in the dark mornings, but that it would be offset by a decrease in accidents at night, when drivers were more likely to be stressed from work or to have had a couple drinks. But shortly after the change went into effect, there was actually an uptick in children getting struck by vehicles while they were walking to school in the dark mornings. So daylight saving time, which preserves daylight at the end of the day, could end up hurting kids traveling to school because it's dark. Well, we have to remember that this was last tried in the 1970s when kids were still walking outside their homes by themselves.

I think there's a lot less of that now. Right. So what are the arguments for keeping clocks permanently on daylight saving time? Well, there are definitely benefits to making this permanent. Multiple studies have shown that heart attacks and strokes spike in the seven days after people move their clocks forward an hour in the spring. And we're in that window right now. Interesting. So just due to throwing off their sleep.

schedule. Yeah, although it's specifically linked to losing an hour of sleep. We don't really see the same effect in the fall when we gain an hour. Cardiologists theorize that losing an hour of sleep increases stress levels, and for people who are already at high risk, that small change is enough to tip them over the edge. There's also the issue of crime. In winter months, people will likely have to commute in the dark on one end or the other, but it's thought that criminals are less active in the morning than in the evening. So for women or vulnerable adults walking to and from work, it may be preferable to avoid a dark evening commute. So what are the chances that this gets made permanent? It's really unclear. Senator Rubio has introduced this measure before and didn't get it

passed, but maybe the timing is right this time. Right, although personally I'm a little bit torn about it, probably an unpopular opinion, but there's something a little sentimental about changing the clocks and marking the seasons, you know? I could see that. Ash, thanks so much for reporting. Anytime. That's Daily Wire Senior Editor, Ash Short. Amazon announced last week that it's relocating hundreds of its workers out of Amazon's downtown Seattle offices over safety concerns related to rising crime.

Downtown Seattle has suffered a spike in violent crime over the last few weeks, and Amazon says it's just not worth it to have employees commuting to certain downtown areas. Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allorty, is here to tell us what's going on. So Marade, this is a pretty big move for Amazon. What are they doing exactly? Right. It's a big vote of no confidence in the city's safety. So Amazon said in a statement that was released over the weekend that it will move about 1,800 workers out of one of its downtown Seattle offices,

which is located at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street right in the heart of the city. Amazon cited recent incidents of violent crime near 3rd & Pine, saying they helped to return when it's safe to do so. So did something happen to an Amazon employee or, or what prompted this? Well, there haven't been any reports of crime against Amazon employees, but there have been a few high-profile incidents

quite close to the office, including a fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy earlier this month. A couple days after that shooting, a homeless man was stabbed in his sleep right around the corner from Amazon's offices. Just one day after that,

a man fired a rifle downtown and drove his car into a federal building. Police later shot and killed that suspect. All of this happened within short walking distance of the office building, and Amazon apparently just said enough. It's worth noting, the city has moved to increase its police presence downtown

to deal with the violence. So we're looking at a range of crime, not just homeless-related. That's right, although the homeless crisis in Seattle is definitely a contributing factor to the crime uptick. Just this month, a homeless man was caught on video repeatedly throwing an elderly nurse

down a flight of cement steps in a light rail station in Seattle. The attack was brutal and apparently unprovoked, and it made national headlines. The suspect is seen on surveillance footage grabbing the 62-year-old nurse who was on her way to work and throwing her at least twice down the flight of stairs. He then kicked her before running away.

She was rushed to the hospital with at least four broken bones. Turns out, the suspect has had 22 convictions since 2000 in Washington State and California, and he's been issued more than 15 bench warrants since 2016 by Washington courts for his failure to. to attend court hearings. Now, Amazon is a major employer in Seattle. So I imagine this has the city rattled

if Amazon is now pulling employees out of downtown. Has the city responded at all? So yes, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell did respond to Amazon. The mayor's office said in a statement that he will, quote, continue to develop a comprehensive approach to public safety with law enforcement, the community, and businesses, including Amazon,

to make downtown safer for everyone. However, Harold's office also said quote, it will take time to reverse long-standing safety issues, although it pointed to the increased police presence is a good first step. Well, hopefully they'll be able to make some changes so people feel safe working downtown again. Marade, thanks for reporting. Thanks, Georgia. That's Daily Wire investigative reporter, Marade Allorty.

Other stories we're tracking this week. On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution that would get rid of the mask mandates for public transportation, including airplanes. Republican Senator Rand Paul led the effort with eight Democrats voting in support. And two Fox News crew members were killed this week in Ukraine when their vehicle was attacked while traveling with work correspondent Benjamin Hall.

Hall was also injured, but is reportedly safe and out of Ukraine. Fox News media CEO, Suzanne Scott, released a statement early Wednesday saying Hall is alert and in good spirits. Thanks for listening to Morning Wire. We created this show to bring more balance to the national conversation.

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