Morning Wire - Zelensky in DC & COVID Test Distribution | Afternoon Update | 9.21.23

Episode Date: September 21, 2023

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I'm Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, September 21st, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, met with the U.S. Senate and congressional leaders today, as he makes his case for why the American government should continue to support his nation's fight against Russia. Zelensky spoke at a brief press conference with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He also met with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, but the top congressional Republican, that he denied Zelensky's request to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress during his visit. McCarthy said, quote, we just didn't have the time. The Ukrainian leader spoke before both the Senate and the House last December. For his part, President Joe Biden has requested $24 billion in funding from the legislative branch. The White House, however, refuses to say how much more money and aid

Ukraine needs from the American taxpayer. War is inherently unpredictable, of course. So I can't look you in the eye and I certainly can't look them in the eye and predict exactly what's going to happen on exactly what timetable. And therefore, we need to have a degree of flexibility and adaptability in our approach as we have since the beginning of this conflict. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is retiring as chairman of Fox and News Corp at age 92 and will become Chairman Emeritus of both companies. Murdoch started his business with an Australian newspaper, growing his empire over the last 70 years to one worth more than $11 billion. His son, Lachlan, will now become the sole executive of both companies.

The second highest ranking official in Texas says he'll call on the governor to announce a special legislative session to address Colony Ridge, a massive housing development north of Houston that's become a hub for illegal immigrants. That story was broken by Daily Wire investigative reporter Spencer Lindquist, who joins us now with the latest. Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, said this week that he plans to ask Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative. slate of session to address concerns about Colony Ridge, which many fears become a strategic center for Mexican cartels to operate within the United States. We can't have entire cities of people who have covered illegally with basically no law enforcement. In some cases, I've told they're running water. It's a very dangerous place to be.

This is not what America was built on it. Colony Ridge is a land of element that sprawls across roughly 60 square miles, and it attracts illegal aliens with a financing offer that does not require buyers to show. proof of citizenship. Biers are encouraged, exclusively in Spanish, to, quote, own land in the United States. The call for action on Colony Ridge was echoed by Representative Chip Roy, who told the daily wire that he has received additional information on the Colony Ridge development and that it is, quote, highly concerning. Texas isn't alone in dealing with the illegal immigration crisis. New York Democratic Governor Kathy Hochel had a message for immigrants after more than 100,000 have come to New York

city under the Biden administration, straining social services and infuriating residents. We have to let the word out that when you come to New York, we're not going to have more hotel rooms. We don't have capacity. So we have to also message properly that we're at our limit. If you're going to leave your country, go somewhere else. But the smarter thing is to apply for asylum before you leave your country. Hockel and other Democrats have been demanding that the Biden administration allow certain illegal immigrants to be permitted to work. Now, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who have entered the U.S. will receive legal permission to be employed. This week, the Department of Homeland Security expanded the temporary protected status of

nearly 500,000 Venezuelan illegal immigrants. But that status only applies to those who came before July 31st. The Biden administration announced that $600 million of taxpayer funds will go toward producing the new COVID test. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jule has a quick update. The Biden administration will also reopen the website to order those tests. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Baceres had in a statement on Thursday that these, quote, critical investments in 12 different U.S. manufacturing companies will strengthen our nation's production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus. The news comes as a summer surge of the virus has brought new variants,

though none of those are deadlier than previous strains. In artificial intelligence and business news, technology giant Cisco announced it will be buying the AI firm Splunk in a $28 billion cash deal. Cisco paid $157 per share for Splunk and says the deal will be finalized by the third quarter of 2024. That's per the Wall Street Journal. Two weeks into the 2023 NFL season, the NFC is off to a record setting start. Seven teams in the conference currently hold a record of two to zero. Sports writer and Crane and Company co-host, David Cohn, has more. The San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys are not only 2-0, but both look very strong throughout the first two weeks of the season.

Now, last year's Super Bowl runner-up, the Philadelphia Eagles, they're also unbeaten, even though their victories have been much closer. The other NFC winning streaks are a bit more surprising. The Washington commanders under new ownership, they're off to a hot start. And in the NFC South, we have three teams, the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they are all two and oh. Now, many had predicted that to be the worst division in the league. Meanwhile, in the AFC, only two undefeated teams remain.

That's the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens. Those are 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.