Developing stories you need to know just in time for your drive home. Get the facts first on Morning Wire.
Morning Wire
Iran Vows Retaliation & J6 Praying Grandma Sentenced | Afternoon Update | 8.13.24
I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Hall. It's Tuesday, August 13, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. Iran has rejected calls to avoid retaliatory actions against Israel following the assassination of a Hamas political leader in Tehran. The Iranian Foreign Ministry says that Iran is committed to defending its national security and accuses Israel of violating Iran's sovereignty. The U.S. has beefed up its military presence, preparing for possible attacks from Iran or Hezbollah. According to State Department officials, the U.S. has been working with their allies to communicate with Tehran. "Everyone in the region should understand that further attacks only perpetuate conflict and stability and insecurity for everyone, and so what we're focused on is intensively on de-escalation through diplomacy." Authorities in Virginia are on the lookout for a suspect linked to a burglary at a Trump campaign office last night. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, by the time the deputies arrived on scene in Ashburn, Virginia, the suspect had fled. Surveillance footage shows an adult male in dark clothing and a cap carrying a backpack. Police have not said what, if anything, was taken or left behind. This comes just days after both the Trump and Harris campaigns were targeted by Iranian hackers. Newly uncovered footage is raising questions about Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's past interactions with a controversial Muslim cleric, Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice has the latest. The 2018 footage, which was first reported by the Washington Examiner, shows then gubernatorial candidate Tim Walz praising Assad Zaman, a Muslim cleric with a controversial past, as a master teacher. Have a listen. "I am a teacher, so when I see a master teacher, I know it. For the time we've spent together, one of the things I've had the privilege of is seeing the things in life through the eye of a master teacher to try and get the understanding, listening today to the stories and what it means." Walz's ties to Zaman came under scrutiny last week after Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign claimed Walz has no personal relationship with the cleric. Zaman has been criticized for his anti-Israel views and for promoting a pro-Hitler film. The Anti-Defamation League has urged public officials to distance themselves from Zaman through to his troubling statements. Walz has yet to respond to the renewed controversy. Last night's ex-space interview with former President Donald Trump apparently racked up tens of millions of views. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestajakomo has more. According to ex, Trump's space post received 73 million views even despite technical difficulties. Elon Musk, who owns ex, says that a delay in the stream was caused by a massive distributed denial of service attack, or DDOS, which is a cyber attack that seeks to overwhelm a site by flooding it with higher than normal traffic. The interview was also targeted for censorship by legacy media and the EU. Yesterday, during the White House press briefing, a Washington Post reporter suggested that the Biden-Harris administration should intervene to censor the conversation. "I think that misinformation on Twitter is not just a campaign issue, it's an America issue. What role does the White House or the President have in sort of stopping that or stopping the spread of that or sort of intervening in that?" Also ahead of the interview, Musk received a letter from the European Commission demanding he censor so-called harmful content or potentially face fines. A 72-year-old woman from Colorado who only spent 10 minutes inside the Capitol building on January 6 has been sentenced. Here with the latest is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pearce. Today Rebecca Lavrens, also known as the J6 praying grandma, was ordered to serve six months of home confinement and one-year probation. The judge also imposed a hefty $103,000 fine, criticizing Lavrens for her public comments and media appearances, while prosecutors sought jail time that the judge opted for home confinement, citing her age and lack of violent conduct. Back in 2021, Lavrens entered the building through an open door around 2.43 pm, walked around, spoke with a Capitol Police Officer, and then left the building at around 2.53 pm. The 72-year-old grandma, who has raised over $230,000 through crowdfunding, maintains that she acted out of obedience to God. Minnesota representative and squad member Ilhan Omar will attempt to defend her seat in a Democratic primary today. Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, a more moderate Democrat, challenged Omar for the first time in 2022 and lost by a slim margin. Samuels is returning to the ballot again this year, however Omar is favored to win. Two other squad members lost their seats in primaries this year, including Missouri representative Cory Bush and Jamal Bowman of New York, after their challengers were backed by pro-Israel funding. And USA Gymnastics has announced that the Court of Arbitration for Sport will not reconsider its ruling that stripped U.S. gymnast Jordan Childs of her bronze medal. The ruling on the women's floor exercise final comes despite new video evidence that challenges the decision. USA Gymnastics expressed disappointment and plans to appeal to the Swiss federal tribunal. 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. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)