Morning Wire
Federal Buyout Paused & 60 Minutes Transcript Released | Afternoon Update | 2.6.25
Thu, 6 Feb 2025
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Chapter 1: What is the Morning Wire Afternoon Update?
I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, February 6th, and this is your Morning Wire Afternoon Update.
Chapter 2: Why was the federal worker buyout paused?
A federal judge has delayed President Trump's federal worker buyout deadline amid legal challenges. The buyout plan, spearheaded by top advisor Elon Musk, is part of Trump's effort to shrink the federal workforce. Employees were initially required to decide by Thursday, but unions argue the offer is arbitrary and unlawful.
The American Federation of Government Employees is suing, claiming the plan lacks funding guarantees and could disrupt government functions. Another hearing is set for Monday.
Other efforts from Musk could also be interrupted. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing certain Treasury Department payment records. Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo has more.
Chapter 3: What are the legal challenges facing Musk's initiatives?
The order, which was issued on Thursday, prevents Treasury officials from providing access to the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which is responsible for handling 90% of federal payments. The ruling follows a Justice Department motion limiting access to just two Doge employees with read-only permissions. Those individuals remain under scrutiny for their ties to Doge Chair Elon Musk.
The controversy stems from an investigation led by Musk into USAID spending, sparking backlash from government unions and lawmakers.
If they can close down USAID, they can close down Social Security. And if they can let some billionaire who's not elected have access to your information, they can cut your checks off. So if you think this isn't important, you are very misled.
Republicans reject that sentiment from Democrats, saying that USAID was filled to the brim with wasteful spending.
Chapter 4: Why did CBS release Kamala Harris' 60 Minutes transcript?
After weeks of pushback, CBS News has finally released the full transcript and raw footage of Kamala Harris' controversial 60 Minutes interview. Now the FCC is asking them, what took so long? Daily Wire deputy managing editor Tim Rice has the latest.
The move comes just days after reports surfaced that CBS may settle President Trump's $10 billion lawsuit, which claims the network manipulated Harris' responses ahead of the 2024 election. CBS insists its edits were routine, but critics argue key portions were omitted. The release follows mounting pressure from both the public and the FCC.
Chapter 5: What controversy surrounds the Kamala Harris interview edits?
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency is investigating whether CBS violated the agency's news distortion policy by selectively airing portions of Harris's responses to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here's what aired in a promo.
It seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening.
Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.
Now here's what aired in the full interview. It seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening.
We're not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.
Critics claim CBS edited the interview to make Harris sound more polished, fueling claims of election interference. CBS denies wrongdoing, stating its edits were for clarity and time constraints.
Politico is responding to reports that they received millions of taxpayer dollars for subscriptions for government employees. In a memo to the staff yesterday, the Legacy Outlet's leaders said they have never received any subsidies from the government, but they did acknowledge that employees of several government agencies subscribed to their pro-service.
Those subscriptions result in Politico being paid millions per year by federal agencies. This comes after yesterday's White House briefing in which Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said that Doge found $8 million in taxpayer funds being spent on Politico Pro subscriptions. She also said the administration will be canceling those payments.
We are going line by line when it comes to the federal government's books. And this president and his team are making decisions across the board on do these receipts serve the interests of the American people? Is this a good use of the American taxpayers' money?
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