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I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley. It's Wednesday, June 19th, and this is your Morning Wire Afternoon Update. Russia and North Korea have signed a new mutual aid agreement, pledging support if either nation is attacked. Daily Wire reporter Tim pierce outlines the agreement.

This defense partnership was agreed to Wednesday at an in-person meeting between Russia's Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. The pack signals a major strengthening of their relationship and goes beyond security to include trade and cultural exchanges. The summit follows accusations from the US that North Korea is supplying Russia with weapons and missiles for its war in Ukraine, a claim both countries deny.

Iran is significantly boosting its uranium enrichment capacity. Daily Wire reporter Zack Juhl has more.

Iran's largest underground nuclear facility is tripling its production potential. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that nearly 1400 advanced centrifuges will be installed, escalating concerns about Iran's nuclear ambitions and capabilities. The Biden administration has warned that the enrichment capacity has no credible, peaceful purpose, but Iran claims it has no plans to build nuclear weapons. The expansion marks a major shift, which enables the country to quickly produce a nuclear arsenal.

The public outcry continues over the murder of Rachel Morin, a Maryland mother of five, for which an illegal immigrant was arrested this week. Americans are demanding answers from the Biden administration. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was pressed on the horrific murder on CNN Tuesday, asked by host Jim Acosta whether his policies are ultimately to blame. Mayorkas suggested the blame only falls on the criminal, not his Department. Here's the moment.

What do you say to critics who blame the administration for allowing something like this to happen? Obviously, this is something you hear in right-wing media all the time.

Jim, first and foremost, of course, our heart's break for the children, the family, the loved ones, the friends of the individual who was murdered, the woman, the mother. Jim, a criminal is responsible for the criminal act. The criminal who committed this heinous act should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and forcefully so. That is my response.

Another merchant ship has sunk at the hands of the Houthis as the US moves to secure the Red Sea region. The Iranian-backed group is believed to be responsible for the death of one mariner on board the bulk carrier. Just the latest escalation in the important maritime corridor. The conflict comes despite the United States' months long efforts to secure the region amid near daily attacks and some of the most contentious maritime fighting since World War II.

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A heatwave is forecast to hit the Eastern US, and experts are predicting record-breaking temperatures. Daily Wire reporter Mairead Alorty has more.

The so-called heat dome is bearing down on the northeastern States and is expected to linger into the weekend. Dr. Rob Danoff of Jefferson Health in Philadelphia worries the heat spike can be dangerous even to people who consider themselves healthy.

In our area, we have a double whammy. The reason being is because it's high heat, but it's also humid. When it's heat combined with humidity, it makes it harder for our bodies to sweat and then harder for us to evaporate heat, and we're more prone to heat illness. Listen to your body. You may start to feel light-headed. You might have a low-grade headache. Your muscles may start to cramp, and you might get a little bit nauseous. If you have any of that stuff, especially in this weather, get inside, try to cool yourself.

The extreme temperatures will range from 90 to 100 degrees in some areas, and with humidity, could feel as hot as 110. The heat advisory will affect over 70 million people. Meanwhile, wildfires are burning in the West Coast, and another tropical storm is brewing off the Coast of Texas.

Chipmaker NVIDIA has become the most valuable company in the US. Daily Wire senior editor, Kabbit Phillips, has the details.

Chipmaker NVIDIA assumes received the title of Most Valuable Company on Earth Tuesday after a meteoric rise this year. At the close of trading yesterday, the chipmaker reached a valuation of $3.34 trillion. Just edging out Microsoft and Apple, the only other companies to have crossed the $3 trillion threshold. Nvidia's value is driven by soaring demand for its high-end chips and processors, which are used in artificial intelligence.

And antifossil fuel activists vandalized one of the most revered archeological sites in the world on Wednesday. They Daily Wire senior editor, Joel Niedler, reports.

Video shows the Just Stop oil activist spraying several of the massive stones of England's iconic Stonehenge structure with orange paint powder before bystanders intervene. The activist said they targeted the ancient site to push their effort to have lawmakers, Sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030. Wiltshire police say that two people had been arrested on suspicion of damaging the ancient monument, while the British Prime Minister called the vandalism a disgrace.

All right, those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire. Com. For more in-depth discussion of the biggest stories of the day, listen to the latest full episode of Morning Wire every morning.