Morning Wire - Wednesday | July 28, 2021

Episode Date: July 28, 2021

The floodgates open on vaccine mandates, the “Refund the Police” movement gains momentum, and troops withdraw from the Middle East. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a sudden move, COVID-19 vaccine mandates are being rolled out across the country, including for the first time by a federal agency. Will you require all federal employees to get vaccinated? That's under consideration right now, but if you're not vaccinated, you're not nearly as smart as I thought you were. As the CDC reverses course on masks for vaccinated people, what will the already tense debate over vaccine mandates look like? And how will this impact your school, workplace, and community?

I'm John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, July 28th, and this is Morning Wire. With crime rates rising across the country, a new movement is gaining ground. Refund the police. What's driving the movement? And how are local officials leading the charge? And the planned troop withdrawal from the Middle East continues. Why is the withdrawal happening now?

And what are the implications? Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. This show is sponsored by WIOTech. is built on the trades. Like the nation's truck drivers, WIOTech never let COVID stop hands-on learning. WioTech is one of the nation's leading automotive and diesel training schools and is paving the way in keeping the front lines of America running. WioTech is shaping young men and women and veterans

to build careers and businesses in the trades. Visit WioTech.edu to subscribe and donate to future technicians that keep America's industries and you moving. WioTech.edu. On Monday for the first time, a federal agency as well as multiple state and private organizations announced they would require proof of vaccination for employees and customers. This apparently coordinated move came as supporters point to the spread of the Delta variant and a lull in vaccination rates, while critics warn against the infringement of freedom and medical privacy. This is all while the CDC backpedals on masking guidance for the fully vaccinated. Here to discuss is Daily Wires Ian Howarth. Good morning, John. Morning.

So this all happened pretty suddenly. What's going on here? Well, there's a battle surging right now, both socially and politically, when it comes to mandating COVID-19 vaccines. Historically in the U.S., vaccine mandates have been very rare on a national level, but now there's been a large and sudden push by government branches and private businesses to require proof of vaccination in order for people to be able to reenter society. So how is the government pushing this? While the Biden administration has declined to confirm or deny, whether they support restrictions on unvaccinated people, it does seem like the dial is moving in one direction. On Monday, the VA, the Department of Veterans Affairs,

became the first federal agency to require its employees to be vaccinated. The VA secretary said it was taking this necessary step to keep the veterans it serves safe, and that each employee will have eight weeks to be vaccinated. So the VA is the first federal agency to require vaccines. What about vaccine mandates on the state level? Well, Gavin Newsom's office announced, again on Monday, that all state employees and healthcare workers must show proof of vaccination or get tested often

starting in August. The office cited the pandemic of the unvaccinated as a justification. Then there's New York City, which expanded its vaccine requirement to cover its 340,000 city workers, such as teachers and police officers in addition to health workers. Then there are multiple groups and organizations who are pushing for mandatory vaccines. More than 50 medical groups, including the American Medical Association, have called for all health care workers. workers to be vaccinated. While the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance announced that the 500 bars it represents will demand the customers show proof of vaccination or a negative test. And this all happen in a period of a few days? Yes, all on Monday. What's driving this? Well, those pushing vaccine

mandates are looking at the spread of the Delta variant and what they see is stagnating vaccine rates and say they are trying to react. Critics, though, are arguing that mandating COVID-19 vaccines is an unprecedented infringement of Americans' rights. with many pointing out that the vaccine has still yet to be fully approved by the FDA. Many Republican leaders acted to preempt this move in recent months and will likely feel vindicated. Montana, for example, made it illegal to discriminate based on vaccine status, while Alabama prevented schools and universities from mandating vaccines. And then there's Florida Governor Ron DeSantis,

who was one of the first to block vaccine requirements, signing legislation back in May which outlawed vaccine passports. DeSantis was even outspoken on this topic in March, pointing out that mandates have huge privacy implications. We are not going to have you provide proof of this just to be able to live your life normally. There's another layer of confusion here, too, with the CDC reversing their indoor mask policy, saying that fully vaccinated people should now wear masks while indoors in COVID hotspots. Federal health officials say that fully vaccinated people could still pose a risk to others.

So we're seeing a massive push for vaccines, but also the CDC calling for a return. to masking, even for the vaccinated. Lots of legal questions here. Ian, thanks for the reporting. My pleasure. Daily Wires, Ian Howarth. Up next, rising crime in cities is prompting a strong backlash

from some police and local leaders. Inflation is destroying the dollar. Birch Gold Group can help protect your IRA or 401K with a precious metals IRA. Text wire to 9898989-989 to claim a free info kit on physical gold and silver. There's zero obligation. Text the word wire to 98989898 to protect your savings today.

Following a wave of crime in Washington, D.C., the police chief has declared the city's rise in violence and the way the city handles it unacceptable. That's unacceptable. It speaks to the brazeness of the criminals that are in these communities that we're dealing with. The real issue is we have a vicious cycle of bad actors who do things, no accountability, and they end up back in community. Police chief Robert Conte's impromptu speech came after two men were shot in a popular area of the city.

Here to discuss is Daily Wire reporter Chrissy Clark. Hi, Chrissy. Hey, Georgia. So we just heard a soundbite from the D.C. chief of police. Give us a little context for that. D.C. is seeing a massive surge in crime. Between January and June of 2021, there have been 108 homicides, many of which have taken place in some of the swankier parts of the city,

About a week ago, two people were wounded outside of the Nationals' ballpark. The homicide rate is up more than 20% from 2019, which saw 166 homicides throughout the entire year. So a big spike, what's the chief blaming this on? Well, he listed a few reasons. Conti said that his colleagues have recovered a slew of firearms, which shows that residents are disregarding the district's strict gun laws. He also said that the justice system is failing the community because repeat offenders are committing crimes and being released back to the streets. Chief Conte also talked about the police department's

lack of resources and shrinking force. The reality is we have a shrinking workforce. I have a definitive amount of resources, 200-some officers less this year than what I had last year. With that being said, what am I going to do with these resources? I can't work these officers to death. What about D.C. Mayor Bowser? She's been a pretty vocal supporter of BLM.

Has she weighed in? Yeah, she has. Mayor Bowser, who was an advocate for Black Lives Matter protests last year, has actually been at odds with the city council, which does want to defund the police. Is that the council's official position defund the police? Yes, but not in those words. The city council has avoided using the controversial phrase defund and instead opted to use phrases like decenter, even though the objectives are the same.

The council's recommendations include hiring fewer officers, hiring more social workers, removing police from schools in traffic enforcement and eliminating no-knock warrants. Got it. Mayor Bowser has been critical of the council's efforts and said that more officers are needed to patrol the streets. She also approved overtime for officers. So Bowser's actually pushing back.

Yes, and it's because the city is seeing more issues than just police shortages. For example, a new report uncovered that D.C.'s 911 center has a severe staffing shortage. And this isn't just happening in D.C. Other cities are facing similar problems. That's right. Actually, 63 out of America's 66 major cities have seen an increase in homicides this year. And the other three haven't reported their numbers yet.

That's pretty bad. Yeah. All of this is leading to what people are calling the refund the police movement. In fact, in Minneapolis, where the defund the police efforts began, a judge ordered the city to hire more officers, citing minimum staffing mandates. We're seeing this trend in other big cities as well. I'm sure there are a lot of people who are really glad to hear that. especially people living in these high crime areas. Chrissy, thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me.

Daily Wire reporter, Chrissy Clark. The United States will officially end its combat mission in Iraq, with President Biden announcing Tuesday that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from the country by the end of the year. The decision marks an important milestone in the end stages of America's longest war and comes two weeks after U.S. troops began withdrawing from Afghanistan. Here were the details as Daily Wire managing editor Cabot Phillips. Cabot, thanks for being here. Thanks for having me.

So, Cabot, give us a quick overview of the two withdrawals. Well, first off, it's important to note how different the two situations are, militarily speaking. In Afghanistan, all-American troops began pulling out two weeks ago, and the remaining U.S. presence there will be next to nothing. In Iraq, however, the key phrase here is that an end is coming for the combat mission. That means troops in a traditional wartime role will be coming home, but most U.S. military personnel currently in the country will actually. actually be staying. So it's not really a withdrawal. It's more of a withdrawal on paper.

Many of the 2,500 troops currently stationed in Iraq will have their job descriptions reclassified from combat to training or advisory roles. So now the main goal of U.S. troops on the ground will be to help Iraqi forces develop methods for fighting the Islamic State, which still presents a significant threat to the region. Right. So why is this transition happening now? Much of the timing has to do with a visit to the White House from Iraq's prime minister, Mustafa al-Qademi. He met with President Biden over the weekend and said, quote, there is no need for any foreign combat forces on Iraqi soil. For what we're told by experts, the request has a lot to do with politics also. Al-Qademi is up for re-election soon, and even though he reportedly

favors the presence of U.S. troops himself, that position is deeply unpopular with a large portion of the Iraqi people. The other part of this is Iran. There among Iraqis, closest to allies, and they've been clear that they want U.S. forces out of the region. So from the prime minister's perspective, this is a way to score political capital and appease an important ally at the same time. Okay, so a lot of moving pieces there. What about Afghanistan? What led to that withdrawal?

Things in Afghanistan actually started moving in 2019 under President Trump. At that time, peace talks were being held between the Taliban and United States, with the U.S. agreeing to withdraw troops in exchange for the Taliban, preventing any other jihadist groups from operating in the country. So after that initial deal was reached, the Trump administration instructed the Pentagon to formally begin reducing troop levels until all U.S. forces had pulled out.

And this wasn't an on-paper withdrawal like Iraq, right? Right. All military personnel are set to leave the country by September 11th of this year. So what's happening now in Afghanistan? Well, fighting between Afghanian Taliban forces has increased dramatically, with the U.N. reporting more civilian casualties this month than any on record.

The Taliban is gaining grounds, too. They've tripled the number of districts they control in the last three months alone, which has opponents over the withdrawal upset. Supporters of the withdrawal, however, say there will never be a perfect time to leave the country, and they say violence like this was inevitable no matter when the U.S. left. All right, a lot to take in here. Cabot, thanks for the update. Absolutely.

Daily Wire Managing Editor Cabot Phillips. Those are the top stories this morning, but there's more in the news to keep an eye on. Other big developments that were tracking this week, a 24-year-old man became the first person convicted in Hong Kong under China's expansive national security law on Tuesday on the charges of terrorism and secession. The former restaurant cook was riding his motorcycle

while flying a flag with the slogan, Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times, when he crashed into a group of policemen. He says that the crash was accidental. He faces a possible life sentence. On Monday, President Biden announced that patients suffering with long-term symptoms of COVID could be eligible for disability. Long COVID is the term for patients who continue to experience symptoms weeks or months after recovering from the virus, including brain fog, fatigue, breathing problems, and chronic pain. And for an Olympics update, Daily Wire sports reporter Joe Morgan.

Simone Biles, arguably the greatest Olympic gymnast of all time, withdrew from the all-around team final Tuesday morning. On her vault attempt, Biles was unable to complete her scheduled two and a half turns in the air, landing awkwardly and taking a big step forward on the mat. The U.S. went on to take silver in the event, second behind the Russian team. Initially, the thought was that Biles had injured herself on the vault landing. But after the event, Biles admitted to being fine physically, but not emotionally. She told reporters that as she's gotten older, she has less confidence, saying, I'm just more nervous when I do gymnastics.

I feel like I'm also not having as much fun. after the event, Biles admitted to removing herself from the competition to focus on her mental health. If you liked this episode and are interested in hearing more, subscribe to Morning Wire on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening, and give us a five-star review. That's all the time we've got this morning. Thanks for waking up with us.

We'll be back tomorrow with the news you need to know. If you like this podcast, subscribe to our Morning Wire newsletter, available exclusively to Daily Wire members. Get the Morning Wire newsletter delivered straight to your inbox when you join at Dailywire.com slash subscribe. Use code MorningWire to try a reader's past membership and get your first month for only 99 cents.