This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.

Top Cop Goes Before Senate

Attorney General Merrick Garland faced a bevy of questions today from Republican senators, particularly focused on what they say is the politicization of the DOJ against Christians and conservatives. Here’s what Daily Wire Managing Editor Greg Wilson told the Morning Wire podcast:

Garland was put through the wringer Wednesday as GOP lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled him on everything from topics such as the lack of arrests against left-wing protesters outside of U.S. Supreme court justices’ homes, to alleged anti-conservative bias within the DOJ. He was also asked whether or not America should designate drug cartels in Mexico as terrorist organizations, and there was a particularly heated back and forth between Missouri Senator Josh Hawley and Garland regarding the DOJ’s use of force against now-acquitted pro-life father of seven Mark Houck, [which] seems to be getting the most attention today. That portion lasted nearly 10 minutes, and Garland refused to say whether or not authorities used excessive force after drawing guns on Houck at his family home in Pennsylvania.

Lightfoot Loses Chicago Mayoral Race

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her re-election bid Tuesday night, becoming the first Windy City mayor in 40 years to not win another term. Here with more about the election and the key ballot issue of crime is Daily Wire writer Tim Meads:

Democrat Paul Vallas, a moderate who ran on a tough-on-crime platform, endorsed by the police union, closed the day with a strong lead over the other eight candidates, including progressive Democrat Brandon Johnson, who came in second. Those two will face off in a runoff election on April 4. For her part, Lightfoot had promised to clean up crime when first elected in 2019, but overall crime is up 52% from last year and has risen more than 100% since 2021. Despite that failed promise, Lightfoot blamed her unpopularity on the fact that she is a “black woman in America.”

Christopher Wray Alleges Wuhan Lab Leak

Following a bombshell report from the U.S. Energy Department, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed Tuesday that his agency also believes COVID likely began in a Wuhan lab. Wray’s comments come after a report from the energy department allegedly reached the same conclusion, though the Biden administration maintains there is no consensus as to the virus’ origins.

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Eric Adams Calls for Prayers In Schools

Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams made what some say were eyebrow-raising remarks this week after he claimed gun violence could in part be explained by the lack of religion in schools. His comments came at New York City’s annual interfaith breakfast:

NYC Mayor Eric Adams: "When we took prayers out of schools, guns came into schools…Don't tell me about no separation of church and state…you take the heart out of the body, the body dies."

Strange to agree with Mayor Adams, but here we are. pic.twitter.com/FWbvwOX18K

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 28, 2023

Greek Train Wreck

Rescuers searched through the wreckage of two trains that slammed into each other head-on in northern Greece late Tuesday night. At least 36 people are believed to have died. Daily Wire Producer and Researcher Brandon Beville broke down the latest for the Morning Wire podcast:

This is being called the country’s worst rail crash ever and there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding this devastating event. The passenger train was traveling from ​​Athens, Greece’s capital, to the city of Thessaloniki when it slammed head-on into a freight train traveling in the other direction on the same track. So far, we know police have arrested the stationmaster in the city of Larissa near the crash site … while also detaining two other people for questioning. However, police have not released any names yet. Another unknown is the speed at which either train was traveling when they collided. Survivors have said the impact sent passengers flying through cars in all different directions, even throwing some people through car windows. Officials say while many of the 350 people aboard the passenger train were students returning from Greece’s raucous Carnival, eight rail workers are said to have died in the crash. In light of the high-speed crash, transport Minister Kostas Karamanlis has resigned, saying he felt it was his “duty” to step down “as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.” So far, the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Havana Syndrome Isn’t From Foreign Enemy, Intel Community Claims

And, Intelligence officials told The Washington Post on Wednesday that five U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that it is very unlikely that the mysterious Havana Syndrome which affected hundreds of U.S. diplomats was caused by a foreign enemy wielding some sort of secret weapon, energy-based or otherwise. The report leaves many wondering why so many officials have suffered from acoustic and cerebral symptoms since 2016.

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Attorney General Merrick Garland assured U.S. Senators, under oath, that leaks about investigations regarding presidents’ handling of sensitive documents while out of office are not “directed” by the Justice Department.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) pressed Garland, who was appearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, about various media reports about the inquiries into former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

“I’ve read the leaks. They are inappropriate,” Garland testified. “We also don’t know where they come from.”

During his line of questioning, Cruz expressed the view that the leaks have been politically motivated, benefiting one side — Biden and the Democrats — while hurting Trump. But, the senator added, the Justice Department’s “intention” to indict Trump became “infinitely harder” when classified documents were discovered at Biden’s multiple residences.

After noting how “miraculously” there was no immediate leak about classified documents being found at Biden’s office at a D.C. think tank right before the 2022 midterm elections, Cruz asked the attorney general if there appears to be a double standard considering the torrent of leaks about the Trump inquiry.

“Leaks under all circumstances are inappropriate and they are not directed by anyone in the Justice Department,” Garland said.

Before his time expired, Cruz also said it was “striking” to him that leaks about the federal investigation into Hunter Biden seem to be more focused on possible tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase that could be complicated by his history of drug use rather than the “very real evidence” of corruption involving the younger Biden’s father, President Biden.

Garland has appointed separate special counsels to investigate Trump’s and Joe Biden’s handling of government documents, a move he attributes to their ambitions to seek re-election in 2024.

The Washington Post reported on Wednesday that prosecutors prevailed over FBI agents who resisted the plan to raid Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last summer in the search for classified documents.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) sought to have Garland answer to the new reporting, but the attorney general insisted he was not at liberty to discuss the investigation. However, Garland said generally there is often a “robust discussion” between prosecutors and investigators. Garland also said he “approved the decision to seek a search warrant after probable cause was found.”

Hawley argued that the reporting indicated that the FBI lacks confidence in Garland’s leadership.

“FBI field agents did not want to conduct the raid and they were overruled by [the Justice Department],” Hawley said. “It doesn’t seem to me, attorney general, that the FBI has a lot of confidence in you because what they’re doing, clearly, is trying to distance themselves from your decisions.”