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--:-- [Music fades out, and John Bickley continues]
--:-- John Bickley: I'm Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, January 28th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The first White House press briefing was held today and covered a wide range of topics. Among them, the Trump administration welcoming new media to the briefing, ICE deportation efforts, and the freezing of federal grants.
--:-- John Bickley: Press Secretary Caroline Levitt also had an announcement on the New Jersey drone saga.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan was there in the room and is here now with some highlights.
--:-- Mary Margaret Olihan: Speaking to a jam-packed and energized press room, Levitt began by noting the amount of busts made by ICE in just the first week of Trump's administration and then pivoted to news directly from the president regarding the New Jersey drone saga.
--:-- John Bickley: The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals that enjoy flying.
--:-- Mary Margaret Olihan: In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.
--:-- John Bickley: Levitt also announced some big briefing room changes, announcing that independent journalists, podcasters, new media, and social media influencers will now have a seat in the Brady briefing room.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The new press secretary said that Trump administration is adapting to the new media landscape as traditional media faces record low trust levels.
--:-- John Bickley: Trump put a freeze on federal loans and grants today, halting trillions of taxpayer dollars from pouring into various financial assistance programs. No funds will be withheld from Social Security, Medicare, and other select programs, but the rest are paused indefinitely.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The order is effective 5 p.m. Eastern today. The Office of Management and Budget will review all the pending programs and is expected to find itself in a showdown with lawmakers over the freeze.
--:-- John Bickley: We'll have more on Trump's sweeping order in tomorrow's episode.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The New York City immigration crackdown has begun and federal agents launched sweeping deportation raids across the city.
--:-- John Bickley: Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined officers as they targeted violent illegal immigrants and made arrests for crimes including kidnapping, assault, and even double homicide.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Among the arrested was an Interpol-warranted fugitive from the Dominican Republic.
--:-- Tim Pierce: Officials say the focus is on removing individuals with serious criminal charges to ensure public safety.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Officials say the raids also led to the arrest of an alleged Trende Aragua ringleader in the Bronx.
--:-- Tim Pierce: The 25 is wanted for a high break in Aurora, Colorado, and faces charges including kidnapping, burglary, and menacing.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Neighbors described the early morning raids as intense with officers smashing down doors to apprehend dangerous suspects.
--:-- John Bickley: The House Oversight Committee has summoned the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City to testify about their sanctuary city policies.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Chairman James Comer says these policies hinder federal immigration enforcement and endanger public safety.
--:-- John Bickley: One of those mayors, Boston's Michelle Wu, faced direct criticism from Trump border czar Tom Homan after suggesting that she won't cooperate with ICE.
--:-- Georgia Howe: We know that the federal government will continue to do what they do on the federal side. We will continue to do what we do on the city side, which is keeping everyone safe here. And we don't have the authority to, let's say, or overrule what they're doing in their domain. But neither do they in our domain either.
--:-- John Bickley: The Senate voted to confirm Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary last night. Scott Besant was approved by a vote of 68 to 29, with more than a dozen Democrats joining Republicans to support him.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The new Treasury Secretary will push to renew and possibly expand Trump's tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year. He laid out economic goals of three percent annual growth, deficit cuts, and increased domestic oil production.
--:-- John Bickley: The Senate also voted to confirm Sean Duffy as transportation secretary.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Around two dozen Democrats joined with Republicans in the final vote.
--:-- John Bickley: Norfolk Southern and East Palestine, Ohio, have reached a $22 million settlement. The deal comes nearly two years after the 2023 train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the surrounding area.
--:-- Georgia Howe: The agreement resolves all claims by the village with funds allocated for local priorities. Norfolk Southern has also pledged millions toward public infrastructure and park improvements in addition to a million class action settlement for residents.
--:-- John Bickley: The Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America on Google Maps. Maps will update its platform to reflect the renaming after President Trump signed an executive order designating the change.
--:-- Georgia Howe: And once official U.S. government records are updated, Google will also reinstate the name of Mount McKinley. President Obama had changed to the name of the mountain to Denali back in 2015.
--:-- John Bickley: And longtime CNN anchor and Trump critic Jim Acosta is leaving the network after nearly 18 years.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Acosta, known for his heated confrontations with former President Trump, urged his viewers to, quote, stand up to tyrants and not give in to lies.
--:-- John Bickley: His departure follows CNN's decision to exile his show to a midnight slot, a change he declined.
--:-- Georgia Howe: After giving all of this some careful consideration and weighing an alternative time slot CNN offered me, I've decided to move on.
--:-- John Bickley: I am grateful to CNN for the nearly 18 years I've spent here doing the news.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Acosta plans to reveal his next step soon, thanking viewers for their support over the years.
--:-- John Bickley: President Trump responded on Truth Social, calling Acosta a, quote, major loser.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.
--:-- John Bickley: And in case you missed it, we covered some big stories this morning, including Trump's military rehaul, China's AI boom, and gunfire at the southern border.
--:-- Georgia Howe: Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.
