DOJ Digs Into LA Ballots & Racial Tensions Smolder Over Stabbings | 6.8.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary – June 8, 2026

Episode Title: DOJ Digs Into LA Ballots & Racial Tensions Smolder Over Stabbings
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Notable Guests: Cabot Phillips, Megan Basham, Christian Toto, Cassia Akiva

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Episode Overview

This episode covers four primary stories shaping news and cultural discussions:

1. Ongoing controversy over mail-in ballots in the LA mayoral primary and new DOJ investigation.
2. Public outcry and increasing racial tensions amid two high-profile murder trials in the US and UK.
3. The unexpected box office success of two independent films and what their popularity means for Hollywood’s future.
4. Iran’s direct missile attack on Israel, the first since the recent ceasefire.

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1. LA Mayoral Race and DOJ Investigation

[02:45 – 08:12]

Key Points

• Vote Shifts Spark Fraud Allegations:

  • Republican Spencer Pratt led on election night but lost ground as late mail-in ballots were counted. Nithya Rahman, a far-left candidate, surged in these late counts.
  • As of Sunday night, Rahman overtook Pratt for second place, positioning her for the runoff (Cabot Phillips, 03:14).

• Ballot Collection Process in California:

  • Democrats claim the trend is routine; California law allows ballots postmarked by election day to be counted days later, and “ballot harvesting” is legal (Cabot Phillips, 04:22).
  • Republicans argue the system is ripe for abuse, echoing persistent suspicions of fraud.

• Trump’s Reaction:

  • On “Meet the Press,” Trump called the days-long vote count “cheating on the election” ([05:35]) and accused media outlets of bias, at one point walking off the set ([05:58]).

    “Let me tell you, it’s four days and they aren’t even close to coming up... Because they’re cheating on the election.” – President Trump (05:35)

• DOJ Involvement:

  • The DOJ, under Trump’s directive, announces federal prosecutors will investigate potential fraud:

    “…they would be sending DOJ prosecutors to LA to investigate potential election fraud, vowing to ‘follow the evidence wherever it leads’…” – Cabot Phillips (06:40–06:49)

• Democratic Leadership Response:

  • Democrats note late vote trends have favored their party for years, but questions remain over Rahman’s sharp surge and why similar gains weren't seen by incumbent Karen Bass.

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2. Racial Tensions: US & UK Stabbing Cases

[09:17 – 14:37]

United States: Carmelo Anthony Trial

• Case Details:

  • Carmelo Anthony, black, is on trial for the fatal stabbing of Cody Metcalf, white, at a high school meet. Key facts aren’t disputed, but motives and context are heavily debated.
  • Racial dynamics are inflamed both by the racial makeup of the defendant, the victim, and the all-white jury (Megan Basham, 09:56).

• Trial Highlights:

  • Witnesses testify Anthony was asked to leave a team tent; he refused, appeared confrontational, and then stabbed Metcalf.
  • Forensic video evidence shows Anthony fleeing, and bodycam footage captures him admitting the act and immediately asking about a self-defense claim.

    “I’m not alleged, I did it.” – Carmelo Anthony, as captured on police bodycam (trial summary, 10:53)

  • Protesters outside the trial vow not to accept any verdict but acquittal ([12:09]).

United Kingdom: Henry Novak Murder

• Case Details:

  • Henry Novak, white, was stabbed to death by Vikram Digua, a British citizen of Indian descent.
  • The case has ignited international debate over police response—officers prioritized Digua’s (false) accusation that Novak used a racial slur, even as Novak lay dying.

• Police & Official Response:

  • The Hampshire Police initially considered releasing a statement falsely painting Novak as the aggressor, leading to protest and outrage (Megan Basham, 12:24–13:30).
  • Massive protests spread across the UK and Europe. The US State Department condemned “two-tiered policing.”

• Political Fallout:

  • US Vice President J.D. Vance linked Novak’s death to “mass invasion of migrants” and “the politics of self-hatred,” prompting sharp rebuttal from UK Deputy PM David Lammy:

    “I disagree with him. This has got nothing to do with mass migration. This young man was a Brit, let’s be clear about that.” – David Lammy (14:05)

  • UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pointed fingers at Elon Musk for inflaming tensions.

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3. Indie Films Disrupt Hollywood

[15:07 – 18:59]

Box Office Surprise: “Backrooms” and “Obsession”

• Trend Overview:

  • Two low-budget, independently produced films—“Backrooms” ($10 million budget) and “Obsession” (just $1 million)—are outperforming big studio productions at the box office.
  • Their success is driven by digital grassroots marketing, word of mouth, and direct creator-fan engagement.

• Christian Toto’s Analysis:

  • “Backrooms” is the work of Kane Parsons, a 20-year-old with a strong online following:

    “…this is just a filmmaker who’s been doing it for a while, who drew a crowd, who understands the story he wants to tell, who’s built up a mythology…” – Christian Toto (16:09–16:50)

  • “Obsession” is notable for growing its audience over weeks rather than dropping off, a Hollywood rarity:

    “It just doesn’t happen in Hollywood... There’s really nothing quite like the way this has been rolled out…” – Christian Toto (17:08)

  • Lower budgets allow creative freedom:

    “The artist has more creative control… if you got a young filmmaker who has a vision and there’s no studio pressure, there’s a chance that pure vision comes to the screen…” – Christian Toto (18:10)

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4. Iran’s Direct Missile Attacks on Israel

[19:01 – 19:49]

Key Developments

• Escalation:
  • After Hezbollah attacks and ensuing Israeli retaliation, Iran launched four missile barrages at northern Israel—intercepted by Israeli defense systems.
• Aftermath:
  • Israel responded with strikes inside Iran.
  • President Trump reportedly urged Israeli PM Netanyahu not to respond militarily (Axios report).
• Precautionary Actions:
  • Israeli hospitals moved critical operations underground; US Embassy in Jerusalem instructed staff to shelter in place.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Election Integrity Debate:

  “Because they’re cheating on the election.” – President Trump (05:35)
  “The artist has more creative control.” – Christian Toto (18:10)

• Trial Racial Dynamics:

  “You asked African Americans… what their opinion of the O.J. Simpson case was—vastly different from the responses by white Americans. And so you could see the same kind of thing duplicated in this case as well.” – Royal Oaks, trial attorney (10:39)

• International Outrage:

  “Novak… died the same way a civilization dies, abandoned by authorities who accused him of hate crimes he didn’t commit.” – Vice President J.D. Vance (13:38)

• Industry Disruption:

  “It just doesn’t happen in Hollywood… There’s really nothing quite like the way this has been rolled out and the way it’s succeeded week after week after week.” – Christian Toto (17:08–18:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Start | |--------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | LA Mayoral race & DOJ investigation | 02:45 | | US & UK racial trial controversies | 09:17 | | Independent films disrupting Hollywood | 15:07 | | Iran’s missile attack on Israel | 19:01 |

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Conclusion

This episode of Morning Wire underscores mounting public mistrust in elections, the justice system, and “mainstream” narratives—highlighting stories that fuel controversy and debate across America and beyond. The show spotlights how alternative media frames these issues and tracks cultural shifts, such as independent filmmakers capturing mass enthusiasm outside traditional Hollywood formulas.

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

Colorado is trying to silence free speech again. A state law forces businesses to use customers preferred pronouns even if they're biologically inaccurate. With the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian bookstore and a sports apparel company are challenging the law, but a court recently ruled against them. They appealed the ruling, and with ADF's help, they'll keep fighting another attempt by Colorado to skirt the First Amendment. Learn more about how you can support free speech by Texting Wire to 83848 or going to joinadf.com wire.

[John Bickley]

The Trump DOJ clashes with California after a flood of late votes tips the scales against Spencer Pratt look at what's happening in California.

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

The Republicans are doing well again in California. It's no, they're not. They're dropping fast because it's a rigged election.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, June 8th. This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

Tensions roil at home and abroad over two explosive, racially charged cases.

[Caller/Listener]

No, we gonna stand by ours regardless.

They stand by theirs. We gonna stand by ours regardless.

[John Bickley]

And a pair of outsider films are blowing up the box office and the Hollywood model. What might this mean for the future of filmmaking?

[Christian Toto]

The studio is not pushing the filmmakers to say, do this, don't do that. The artist has more creative control.

[John Bickley]

Plus Iran as massive missile barrages at Israel in its first direct attack on Israel since the ceasefire began.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to

[John Bickley]

know

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[Georgia Howe]

Despite a strong showing on election Day, Republican Spencer Pratt is falling behind in the Los Angeles mayoral primary as Nithya Raman surges with mail in ballots. The surprising emerging pattern has sparked allegations of election fraud.

[John Bickley]

Cabot Phillips, host of Wired and Live, is here to break it all down for us. Hey, Cabot. So it's been a week almost since election Day. Still counting votes in California, and things have really seesawed in the last few days. So where do things stand now?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, last Tuesday, it seemed that Spencer Pratt was cruising for a second place finish, meaning he would go to the runoff with Karen Bass, the Democrat Incumbent in November. 24 hours after the polls had closed, 63% of the votes have been counted. Bass was in first place with 34%. Pratt was right behind her with 30 and a half percent. And far left socialist Nithya Rahman was way behind in third place at just 22%. Republicans were jubilant and the general election appeared to be set. But over the last week, with each large batch of LA votes that are being released, Nithya Rahman has gained ground at a stunning pace. For example, on Saturday, a batch of 60,000 new votes came in. 40% went to ramen and just 17% to Pratt. Ramen has been gaining at about 1 to 2% a day over the last week. And as of Sunday night, a number of outlets had called the race for second in Ramen's favor. Though there are still a number of votes to be counted, it looks like she'll move on to the general election, meaning no Spencer Pratt this November. And as things currently stand, she's within 1% of catching Pratt for second place. And we still got about 20% of the vote yet to be counted.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. So how has Ramen done this? How has she gained so quickly?

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah, John, it. It depends on who you ask. So Democrats say that this is normal because of the way California elections work. Keep in mind the state accepts mail in ballots that come in days after the polls close, as long as they were postmarked before election day. And Democrat candidates historically overperform with mail in ballots, especially in a state like California where ballot harvesting is still legal. Every voter in the state receives a mail in ballot whether they ask for one or not. And campaign staff and party volunteers and third party groups typically go door to door, especially to Democratic households and ask if voters have filled out their ballot yet and if they would like help turning it in. And under state law, it is perfectly legal for those volunteers and third party organizers to then turn those ballots in on their behalf. So votes that come in through that system overwhelmingly again favor Democratic candidates. And those are the votes being counted right now that are breaking hard for Ramen. But Republicans say that system is ripe for cheating and opens the door for wide scale fraud. They say that election officials know exactly how many votes they need after the polls close and, you know, act accordingly. Here's President Trump on Meet the Press yesterday during a fiery interview making that case.

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

Let me tell you, it's four days and they aren't even close to coming up.

[Megan Basham]

That's how they, you know why they're doing that?

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

Because they're cheating on the election.

[Megan Basham]

You think it's appropriate how they, that

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

they count the votes? You think it's appropriate that they have an election and five days later they're nowhere close to picking.

[Megan Basham]

Local officials acknowledge they are slow.

[Georgia Howe]

They're urging, no, they're crooked.

[Cabot Phillips]

And things ultimately got so heated during that interview that President Trump ultimately ended things and kind of stormed off the set.

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

You're one sided crooked network. So let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling.

[Megan Basham]

Have a good day, Mr. President. Please. I traveled all the way to Wisconsin.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, look, Republicans do concede that historically Democrats perform better with mail in ballots. But those alleging funny business have questioned why the late vote has favored Rahman so heavily and why Karen Bass, the Democratic incumbent who crushed it on Election Day, was not showing that same advantage in late votes at that point. If you look at the votes counted over the last five days, Rahman is in first place with nearly 40, 40%. That is just remarkable given the fact that she was at only 22% the morning after the polls closed. Over the weekend, the Trump administration announced that they would be sending DOJ prosecutors to LA to investigate potential election fraud, bowing to, quote, follow the evidence wherever it leads and prosecute any violations of federal election law to the fullest extent.

[John Bickley]

We'll watch with interest to see what they find. Yeah. Now before we go, another story that's dominated the news cycle over the weekend, Graham Platner. More backlash against him and the New York Times. What is the latest there?

[Cabot Phillips]

So Platner, despite this torrent of negative press, has continued to dig in his heels, portraying the stories of his misconduct as gossip or even outright lies. I'm very happy to talk about incredibly uncomfortable things in my life. But when things come along that are just made up or lies, I'm very much going to push back against those

[Megan Basham]

you're promoting believing every woman and letting women tell their story.

[Caller/Listener]

But when one woman does, you say she's lying.

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, that's because they are lies now. For their part, Democratic lawmakers nationally have taken a much more cautious approach on Platner. Most have abstained from giving him their full throated support, but stopped short of saying that he should step down, basically saying it's up to voters in Maine. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, again a Democrat, was really the only prominent voice to turn on Platner within the left. He said he would ditch his signature hoodie and gym shorts, exchange for a suit if Platner could prove that he did not send inappropriate text messages to minors during his time on the controversial Kik app, which law enforcement has called a predator's paradise.

[John Bickley]

Well, the main primary is tomorrow, so we'll see if Platner does end up winning. It looks like he's going to. Kevin, thanks so much for reporting.

[Cabot Phillips]

Absolutely.

[Caller/Listener]

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[John Bickley]

murder trials continue to ignite fierce debates over race and public trust in the justice system in Texas the prosecution in the Carmelo Anthony murder trial has now rested its case. While in the UK Revelations about police plans to paint murder victim Henry Novak as the aggressor has sparked mass outrage.

[Georgia Howe]

Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now with updates on both cases. So, Megan, let's start with Carmelo Anthony. He stands accused of first degree murder. And we've just gotten some testimony about what happened at that high school track meet in April of 2025. Both men at the time were just 17. What's the latest from that trial?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, Georgia Anthony's trial is now in its second week, and momentum really shifted Saturday when the prosecution rested its case after calling about 21 witnesses. And you know, just a quick reminder about what's not in dispute here, and that is that Anthony was sitting in the tent for Metcalf's team, and there was some kind of brief confrontation where Metcalfe asked Anthony to leave, and then Anthony fatally stabbed Metcalf. But the fact that Anthony is black and Metcalf was white, and also that the jury is all white, has led some experts, like attorney Royal Oaks, who represented media during the O.J. simpson trial, to say that this case is creating a similar racial divide.

[John Bickley]

You asked African Americans, you know what their opinion of the O.J. simpson case was vastly different from the responses by white Americans. And so you could see the same kind of thing duplicated in this case as well.

[Megan Basham]

Now, what jurors have heard so far, multiple students who were in the tent that day testified that Anthony refused repeated requests to leave and appeared confrontational even before the stabbing. So several witnesses denied the defense's claim that Anthony became scared when a, quote, unquote, large group surrounded him. They said that wasn't true. A forensic expert also walked jurors through video provided by the Frisco School district that was captured from multiple stadium angles. Now, it reportedly captures Anthony running away from the tent after that stabbing. He then runs down the bleachers and across the track while coaches and students reportedly tried to chase him. And then there's also the police body cam video that jurors saw this week. And that's also key because immediately after the stabbing, Anthony can be heard saying, quote, I'm not alleged I did it. He also reportedly even asked in the moments right after Metcalf was confirmed dead if he could claim self defense. But meanwhile, those protests in support of Anthony have continued outside the courtroom. And in fact, some protesters told TP USA's Savannah Hernandez that they're not going to be swayed by any evidence. That's presented no matter what it shows.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, I want to turn to the uk. We have a very similar case there that's sparking some similar concerns. Vice President J.D. vance has apparently even exchanged some words with British leaders. And this is over Henry Novak's murder. What's the latest there?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, just a reminder, Georgia, that Henry Novak was an 18 year old college student who was fatally stabbed by 23 year old Vikram Digua. Now, the case has drawn international accusations of biased policing because police responded first to DIW's false claim that Novak had called him a racial slur rather than Novak's plea through a mouthful of blood, no less, that he had been stabbed. So officers initially treated that dying white teenager as a suspect, handcuffing him as he laid there bleeding out. So when Novak told the police that he'd been stabbed, one officer is shown on this viral video saying, I don't think you have, mate. And then the latest shocking revelation here is that the Hampshire Police Department reportedly initially planned to release a statement that was going to falsely paint Novak as the aggressor. So that is now also a part of this internal investigation. But all of this has fueled some truly massive protests across the UK, even Germany, Sweden, other European countries. The US State Department also weighed in. They condemned two tiered policing. Vice President J.D. vance went even further than that. He posted on social media that Novak, quote, died the same way a civilization dies, abandoned by authorities who accused him of hate crimes he didn't commit. Vance also blamed the politics of self hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, saying that Novak would still be alive if European elites had resisted. Now that prompted a sharp response from labor leaders like Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.

[Cabot Phillips]

I disagree with him. This has got nothing to do with mass migration. This young man was a Brit, let's be clear about that. And I said, Look, Mr. Vice President, you're wrong about this.

[Megan Basham]

And you know Georgia Prime Minister Keir Starmer has come in for fierce, fierce pushback and criticism over this. And he's responded to it by accusing Elon Musk of inflaming tensions and interfering in British politics.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, Meghan, thank you for continuing to cover the Novak murder. It's an extremely disturbing story.

[Megan Basham]

Yes, it is. Thanks, Georgia.

[Cabot Phillips]

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[John Bickley]

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[Cabot Phillips]

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[John Bickley]

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[Georgia Howe]

Book [e-mail] Two low budget films are sending shockwaves through the entertainment industry as they've proven that more Independent and unorthodox movies can outperform the big budget Hollywood productions.

[John Bickley]

Joining us now to discuss the implications is Christian Toto, film critic and host of the podcast Hollywood in Toto. Christian, welcome back to the show.

[Christian Toto]

Good to be here.

[John Bickley]

So there's been a different kind of buzz about these two new movies, Backrooms and Obsession. Not just about the films which have received really high marks from viewers and critics, but what their success may signal for the industry. Let's start with the newest of the movies. What makes Backrooms unique?

[Christian Toto]

Well, you know, on its surface it looks like an art house horror film. So that usually doesn't draw a huge crowd, but it's the person behind the scenes. It's a young filmmaker, he's 20 years old, Kane Parsons, and he's worked on YouTube and other digital platforms before. And I think that's why this movie has become a sensation, literally out of nowhere.

[John Bickley]

Yeah. And Backrooms had its own built in advertising campaign going back for years through online chats and sort of collective participation. As you say, Parsons has developed his skills with these social media platforms. Can you speak to that process and how it's changing things?

[Conservative Commentator/Caller]

Yeah.

[Christian Toto]

You know, when movies like this come out and are very successful, we think, what happened? What do we miss? Basically, this is someone who's been kind of working in different media platforms, teaching himself a along the way. It also speaks to the technology that's available to young filmmakers. You know, back in the day, you had to have a clunky camera, then get the film process. Everything is so, is so sped up now. The tools are very powerful and robust. So this is just a filmmaker who's been doing it for a while, who drew a crowd, who understands the story he wants to tell, who's built up a mythology. Most importantly, this isn't just a horror movie. It's got a backstory to it. He's got this vision in mind. And for all those reasons, it just kept growing and growing at the box office. It's just, it's startling. It really is.

[John Bickley]

Now, the other movie, Obsession, the total budget for that was even less than Backrooms. Backrooms was around 10 million. Very minimal for a big theater film. But Obsession was only around $1 million. So nothing for a film that has been so successful in the theater. What's made Obsession stand out so much?

[Christian Toto]

It's one of the oddest stories that I've been tracking in 20 plus years. The bottom line is that when a movie comes out, it falls a little bit each week. As more and more people see it. It's just a natural progression. Some movies hold their audience. Some mo obsession has been building its audience week after week after week. It just doesn't happen in Hollywood. The reasons why the story is sort of a toxic relationship. There's a bit of a classic, you know, boy meets girl, boy frustrated that the girl he wants to today doesn't want him. I think there are core elements that are speaking to people, but I guess it's also more about the word of mouth, the digital word of mouth that people are loving these films. It spreads like wildfire. They're sharing this information with their friends. I'd like to draw some parallels. I'd like to say, well, this is just like X Movie. There's really nothing quite like the way this has been rolled out and the way it's succeeded week after week after week.

[John Bickley]

Is there something about this that is actually recreatable here? Or is this more about, you know, lower budget films being films you can take more risks on?

[Christian Toto]

I think there's a little bit of both. It is hard to capture the lightning in a bottle. I think Hollywood will kind of push aggressively in this direction and maybe not learn all the lessons. But the bottom line is if you're making a horror movie that's already a genre that is more likely to succeed, you don't need big stars to market those films. And that low budget means one thing in particular. The artist has more creative control. That isn't always successful. Sometimes you need those studio notes to kind of rein in the talent. But generally speaking, if you got a young filmmaker who has a vision and they want to share that vision with the world and there's no studio pressure, there's a chance that pure vision comes to the screen and that's what people are responding to right now.

[John Bickley]

Now it seems like clear evidence here that this is what viewers have been waiting for. We'll see, like you said, if Hollywood can learn any lessons at this point. Christian, thank you so much for coming on.

[Christian Toto]

Thank you.

[John Bickley]

Another story we're tracking. Iran launched missiles toward northern Israel on Sunday. It's Tehran's first direct attack on Israel since the ceasefire took effect. Daily Wire reporter Cassia Akiva has the latest.

[Cassia Akiva]

The escalation began Sunday after Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut. Iran followed through with its threats to retaliate and fired four missile barrages at northern Israel. The IDF says all missiles were intercepted. Israel then fired back at targets inside Iran. Despite Axios reporting that President Trump had urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not respond. Israel has instructed hospitals to move critical operations into underground facilities and the US Embassy in Jerusalem ordered all American government employees to shelter in place.

[John Bickley]

Check dailywire.com for the latest on the developing story.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. The reporting that fuels this show is only possible because you tune in every day and because of our Daily Wire subscribers.

[John Bickley]

To enjoy the show ad free and join our mission, become a [e-mail] we'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.

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