Smiths case . Plus, americans in iran, out of prison and now under house arrest. The rare move marking a bright spot in u. S. Iran relations. The new details were learning about the tentative deal to free them and what iran is getting in return. And senator joe manchin says hes seriously thinking about leaving his party as he weighs his own political future. Why manchin might be stepping away from the democrats and what it could mean for the Balance Of Power on capitol hill. Good morning and welcome to Way Too Early on this friday, august 11th. Im jonathan lemire. Thanks for starting your day with us. And well begin with breaking and tragic news out of hawaii where wildfires continue to ravage the Island Of Maui. At least 55 people are now confirmed dead, and that number is only expected to rise. Four major fires are currently burning across the island. Theyre being fueled by dry conditions and strong winds caused by a passing hurricane. The fires have destroyed Historic Buildings and
Threatening federal prosecutors. Today, the judge in that case could decide exactly how much he can talk about it. It comes as federal prosecutors are now pushing for a trial right after new years day. Cue up u2. Well have much more on trumps legal issues ahead. Good morning. Welcome to morning joe. It is i mean, come on, man, its august. Its august. This is moving. This year is moving too fast. Its midaugust. You know, you get old like me, and it just flies, right . Its august 11th. With us, we have the host of way too early, White House Bureau chief at politico, Jonathan Lemire. Host of politics nations, wearing tan today, the reverend al sharpton. Looks good. Come on, man. President obama wore tan, and look what happened. It was a big news story. With me, its just another day. Can you believe that . That was a big news story. The president of the United States wearing tan in the white house. We have a the same people that were upset by that are now, like, hey, its really cool. We su
Thought that august 11th was april 1st because his announcement that he appointed a Special Counselee to investigate hunter biden was like a really bad practical joke here today to announce the appointment of David Weissea as a Special Counsel consistent with the Department Of Justice Regulationrts Governing such matters. In keeping with those ofgulations, i have today notified the designated members of each House Of Congreshouss of the appointment. Yes, thats the same david weiss who tried to give eethearthunter that Sweetheart Y Deal before a smart judge stepped in to say noott so fast. Now, beyond that, weiss isnt even eligibls isnt e to be nam Special Counsel under the relevant Regulation Governinunseg his appointment. First, according to section 600. 3, he has to have a reputation for integrity and impartial Decision Making. Now, thats obviously in questioin n is the impartial Decision Making part after how he handled the initial phasesl of this investigation. N and the Special Co
Election. Though the dispute is technically over the handling of evidence, its become a proxy war of the expresident s mob boss tactics. Its a little complicated, but incredibly important. Here is where things stand right now. Federal judge chutkan was ordered a hearing over the Justice Departments request for a protective order. The rules governing the process between prosecutors and the defense team. The Washington Post notes such orders can be technical but are routinely approved by judges to protect witnesses and government investigative methods and priorities by limiting evidence by the defense to people authorized by the court. In its argument for a protective order, the Justice Department made a nod to the fact that the defendant has prosecutors explained they wanted to immediately turn over evidence to speed Defense Trial Preparations but were concerned in part over trumps history of posting on social Media Associated with cases against him. Trumps defense team complained the g
Trumps legal team will face the federal judge overseeing the 2020 election interference case. This as the Special Counsel requests an aggressive trial date. Meantime, trumps 2024 republican rivals are flocking to iowa for the annual state fair. Former Vice President mike pence is being heckled by some people at the fair as a traitor. A Covid Variant grips the country as Health Experts brace for a surge in the flu and rsv as well. A viral Triple Threat threatens america. And thousands of hackers are headed to las vegas for a chance to win millions of dollars in prizes to crack chatgpt. The white house is telling them, do your worst. Cnn this morning starts right now. Breaking news this morning, that death toll from the catastrophic set of wildfires across maui has risen to 55 people. Officials are warning its expected to increase as Search And Rescue efforts continue. We are seeing loss of life here. As you know, the number has been rising, and we will continue to see loss of life. Its