Colony Ridge Arrests & Inmate Gets New Trial | Afternoon Update | 2.25.25

Summary

Morning Wire: Colony Ridge Arrests & Inmate Gets New Trial | Afternoon Update | 02.25.25

Released on February 25, 2025

Hosts: John Bickley (Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Wire) and Georgia Howe
Reporting: Spencer Lindquist, Tom Homan, Cabot Phillips, Tim Rice

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1. Colony Ridge ICE Raid Results in Dozens of Arrests

The episode opens with a detailed report on the recent ICE operation at Colony Ridge, Texas. Spencer Lindquist covers the arrest of approximately 90 illegal immigrants during the raid.

Tom Homan, Border Czar, explains the severity of the operation:

"The rate of the Colony Ridge development in Texas resulted in the capture of roughly 90 illegal aliens. Criminals and violent child sex offenders were among those arrested."
(00:45)

An unnamed border official adds depth to the narrative:

"There were several sexual predators arrested for misconduct with a child, including one convicted of homicide."
(01:03)

Homan further elaborates on the incident involving a member of the MS-13 gang:

"One of the individuals captured was deported seven times and allegedly stabbed and killed a man before a seven-hour manhunt led to his arrest."
(01:26)

The operation is deemed "phase one," suggesting more raids are forthcoming, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration and associated crimes.

2. House Budget Plan and Trump's Tax Cuts

John Bickley introduces a significant development in the House of Representatives: a massive budget plan aimed at extending Trump's tax cuts.

Cabot Phillips, Senior Editor, provides insights into the legislative process:

"The GOP's sprawling budget resolution cleared the House Rules Committee late Monday along party lines, setting up a chamber-wide vote possibly as early as this evening."
(01:38)

Speaker Mike Johnson discusses the challenges faced:

"I can only afford to lose one Republican vote without any Democratic support. But I remain optimistic."
(02:16)

An unnamed GOP Representative emphasizes the need for fiscal responsibility:

"We have to change the trajectory of ballooning deficits. We are going to make a big course correction in this process."
(02:37)

The proposed bill encompasses $4.5 trillion to extend tax cuts and increase spending on border security and defense, while seeking up to $2 trillion in cuts elsewhere, including potential reductions in Medicaid. This comprehensive budget reflects the GOP's strategic priorities and fiscal stance.

3. Introduction of the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORA)

Spencer Lindquist reports on a new legislative effort to curb judicial overreach.

GOP Congressman Darrell Issa has introduced the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORA), aiming to limit federal judges' ability to block presidential policies.

Issa asserts:

"With over 50 lawsuits since Trump's return to office, this bill is much needed to address what we call judicial tyranny."
(02:49)

The bill garners substantial Republican support, positioning itself as a critical measure to reinforce executive authority and reduce judicial interference in executive actions.

4. Federal Employees Face New Accountability Measures

The podcast highlights a new directive targeting federal employees' performance.

Tim Rice, Deputy Managing Editor, explains the situation:

"The Department of Government Efficiency set a Monday deadline for workers to report their five accomplishments, now extending the deadline at President Trump's discretion."
(03:22)

Initially deemed voluntary by the Office of Personnel Management, the directive under Elon Musk's leadership asserts that non-compliance may be interpreted as resignation. President Trump defends the initiative as a strategy to eliminate government waste, stating,

"If people don't respond, maybe they're not working."
(03:32)

This move signifies a stringent approach to federal workforce accountability, emphasizing results and efficiency.

5. Anti-ICE Activists Dox ICE Agents in Southern California

Spencer Lindquist reports on escalating tensions between anti-ICE groups and federal authorities.

An activist group has placed posters in Southern California that publicly display ICE agents' personal information, accusing them of terrorizing immigrants. The posters, written in Spanish, include names, photos, and phone numbers of the agents.

Federal authorities warn against such actions:

"Identifying agents is dangerous and puts ICE and Homeland Security agents at risk. Activists are protecting criminal gangs and will be held accountable."
(04:19)

The FBI emphasizes that interfering with law enforcement operations could result in prosecution, highlighting the federal government's stance on protecting its agents from harassment and threats.

6. Supreme Court Grants New Trial to Oklahoma Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip

A landmark judicial decision is covered by John Bickley, focusing on the case of Richard Glossip.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the majority, stated:

"Prosecutors failed to correct false testimony from their key witness, violating Glossip's due process rights."
(04:50)

Richard Glossip, convicted in 2004 for orchestrating his employer’s murder, saw his conviction questioned by two independent investigations that cast doubt on his guilt. The ruling by the Supreme Court mandates a new trial, providing Glossip another opportunity to contest his conviction and seek exoneration.

7. Vivek Ramaswamy Enters Ohio Governor Race

Spencer Lindquist covers the entry of businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy into the gubernatorial race in Ohio.

Ramaswamy declares:

"I will lead Ohio to be the top state in the country where patriots across America actually flock to, instead of Florida and Texas."
(05:30)

A strong Trump supporter, Ramaswamy has secured the former president's endorsement. He joins a competitive field alongside Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and former Health Director Amy Acton. Ramaswamy aims to reshape Ohio as a beacon of excellence, leveraging his political experience and Trumpian backing to appeal to voters seeking effective leadership.

8. Changes to White House Press Access Announced

John Bickley discusses significant alterations to White House press operations.

White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt announces:

"We are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, watch your television shows, and listen to your radio stations. Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team."
(06:07)

This shift departs from the traditional role of the White House Correspondent Association in selecting the press pool, which has been criticized as a threat to press independence. The change follows a court ruling upholding the administration's decision to exclude the Associated Press from the press pool—a move initially instated by President Trump over reporting disputes regarding the Gulf of Mexico.

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Conclusion

In this episode of Morning Wire's Afternoon Update, John Bickley and Georgia Howe, supported by reports from Spencer Lindquist and others, deliver comprehensive coverage on critical issues ranging from immigration enforcement and legislative developments to judicial decisions and political campaigns. The hosts emphasize the importance of facts and accountability, presenting a perspective aligned with The Daily Wire’s commitment to straightforward news delivery.

For more in-depth coverage of these stories, visit dailywire.com.

Transcript

[Jeremy]

This episode is brought to you by Jeremy's Razors. The golden age of America is here. And with Jeremy's Razors, so is the return of a Damn good shave. 5 blades is superior engineering built for men who still believe in merit, manliness and the American dream. Order [e-mail].

[John Bickley]

Dozens are arrested in a raid on Colony Ridge. The House moves to vote on Trump's big, beautiful bill. And the AP won't be returning to press briefings anytime soon. I'm Daily Wire Editor in Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, February 25th, and this is your MORNING WIRE afternoon update.

[Spencer Lindquist]

Dozens of illegal immigrants were arrested in yesterday's Colony Ridge ICE operation. Daily Wire reporter Spencer Lindquist has more.

[Tom Homan]

The rate of the Colony Ridge development in Texas resulted in the capture of roughly 90 illegal aliens. Border czar Tom Homan says that criminals and violent child sex offenders were among those arrested in the operation. Hohman also referred to the operation as phase one, an indication that there could be more raids to come. Here's the border czar on Fox News.

[Unnamed Border Official]

There's a larger criminal investigation into a network and a lot of the people we're interested in were located in that area. No, for a fact, there were several sexual predators, I mean child predators that were arrested for sexual misconduct with a child. There are several of them. I know there's one that was convicted of either homicide or murder.

[Tom Homan]

One of the individuals captured yesterday was a member of Ms. 13 who had been deported from the United States seven different times. He allegedly stabbed and killed a man yesterday before leading authorities on a seven hour manhunt that resulted in his arrest.

[John Bickley]

A massive House budget plan that extends the Trump tax cuts is headed for a full vote. But does Speaker Johnson have the votes for it to pass? Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips has the details.

[Mike Johnson]

The GOP's sprawling budget resolution cleared the House Rules Committee late Monday along party lines, setting up a chamber wide vote possibly as early as this evening. Speaker Mike Johnson can only afford to lose one Republican vote without any Democratic support. The speaker met with potential holdouts last night, calling it a very productive conversation. But a handful of Republicans led by Kentucky's Thomas Massie say they'll vote no. Johnson, however, said today that he remains optimistic.

[Unnamed GOP Representative]

The deficits have ballooned. We have to change that trajectory now. You don't turn an aircraft carrier on a dime. It takes miles of open ocean to turn an aircraft carrier because it's such a large vessel. I think the metaphor is obvious here. We can't do it all at once, but we're going to take a big bite out of that. We are going to take make a big course correction in this process.

[Mike Johnson]

The bill includes $4.5 trillion to extend Trump era tax cuts and boost spending on border security and defense, while seeking up to $2 trillion in cuts elsewhere, potentially including Medicaid.

[Spencer Lindquist]

A new bill aims to keep federal judges from blocking presidential policies. GOP Congressman Darrell Issa has introduced the no Rogue Rulings act, or nora. It would rein in judges and limit their ability to pause executive actions beyond the direct parties involved in the case. With over 50 lawsuits since Trump's return to office, Issa says the bill is much needed, citing a continuing pattern of what he calls judicial tyranny. And Issa's office says NORA has strong Republican support and momentum to pass.

[John Bickley]

Federal employees are getting a second chance to explain what they've accomplished over the past week or face being fired. Daily Wire Deputy Managing editor Tim Rice has the latest.

[Tim Rice]

The Elon Musk led Department of Government Efficiency initially set a Monday deadline for workers to report their five accomplishments, but now says they'll have another opportunity at the discretion of President Trump. The Office of Personnel Management had previously said responses were voluntary, but but Musk insists failure to reply could be seen as a resignation. Trump calls the effort a way to cut government waste, saying if people don't respond, maybe they're not working.

[Jeremy]

This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com morningwire all lowercase established in 2025 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Head over to shopify.com morningwire to start selling with Shopify today.

[Spencer Lindquist]

An anti ICE activist group in Southern California has placed posters doxing the personal information of local agents. The posters are written in Spanish and accuse the agents of supposedly terrorizing immigrants. They also include ICE agents, names, photos and phone numbers. Federal agents say identifying agents is dangerous and puts ICE and Homeland Security agents at risk. DHS says activists are protecting criminal gangs and vows to hold them accountable. The FBI also warns that interfering with law enforcement could lead to prosecution.

[John Bickley]

The Supreme Court has granted a new trial to Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip. In her writing for the majority, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said prosecutors failed to correct false testimony from their key witness, ruling that they violated Glossop's due process rights. Glossop was convicted in 2004 for orchestrating his employer's murder, but two independent investigations have cast doubt on his guilt. Oklahoma's attorney General had urged the court to overturn the conviction. With the ruling, Glossop will get another chance to fight for his freedom.

[Spencer Lindquist]

Businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is officially running for governor of Ohio.

[Mike Johnson]

I will lead Ohio to be the top state in the country where patriots across America actually flock to. Instead of Florida and Texas. I will lead Ohio to be the state of excellence in America.

[Spencer Lindquist]

A strong supporter of Donald Trump, Ramaswamy has already secured the former president's complete and total endorsement. He joins a competitive race to replace term limited Governor Mike DeWine, with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and former health Director Amy Acton also running.

[John Bickley]

And White House press access is set to undergo some major changes. Here's White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt.

[Spencer Lindquist]

I am proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch your television shows and who listen to your radio stations. Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team.

[John Bickley]

These decisions used to be made by the White House Correspondent association, which is calling the decision a threat to press independence. The move follows a court ruling upholding the administration's ban on the Associated Press from the press pool. The outlet was banned by President Trump for using Gulf of Mexico in its reporting. All right, this is your Drive Home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and in case you missed it, this morning we covered some major stories, including Trump's Ukraine meeting with Macron, the raid on Colony Ridge, and Apple's battle with the UK thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.