Evening Wire: Clawback Passes Senate & Treasury Sanctions Tren De Aragua | 7.17.25

Summary

Evening Wire: Clawback Passes Senate & Treasury Sanctions Tren De Aragua | July 17, 2025

In the July 17, 2025 episode of Evening Wire, hosts John Bickley and Georgia Howe delve into a range of pressing political, economic, and cultural issues shaping the national discourse. From legislative developments and international sanctions to public opinion polls and corporate maneuvers, the episode provides a comprehensive overview of the day's key events.

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Trump’s Clawback Bill Passes the Senate

The episode opens with Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice reporting on the passage of President Trump's clawback bill through the Senate. Despite its success, the bill faced notable opposition within the Republican ranks. John Bickley highlights:

"Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in voting against the bill, citing concerns over transparency and deep cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting" (00:32).

The legislation aims to cancel unspent federal funds, including $8 billion from foreign aid and over $1 billion from NPR and PBS. NPR’s chief, Catherine Marr, responded to criticisms by emphasizing the broadcaster’s commitment to unbiased coverage:

"We have an obligation to serve all Americans and ensure our coverage reflects interests and perspectives across the political spectrum" (00:32).

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Controversy Over Epstein Files: DOJ Developments and Public Opinion

The episode shifts focus to the ongoing controversy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's case. Tim Rice details recent developments:

"The prosecutor in Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case has been let go by the DOJ amidst renewed controversy over unreleased files" (02:04).

Maureen Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, opposed releasing evidence tied to Epstein, fearing it could impact Ghislaine Maxwell's case. John Bickley presents a poll indicating widespread public skepticism:

"Almost 70% of Americans think the government is covering up Jeffrey Epstein's alleged client list" (02:33).

Despite the controversy, President Trump's approval ratings among Republicans remain strong, showing an increase to 88% from a previous 86% as per CNN polls (02:33).

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DOJ Seeks Minimal Sentence for Louisville Police Officer

In a significant legal development, Tim Rice reports that the Department of Justice is requesting a federal judge to sentence Louisville police officer Breonna Taylor's killer, Brett Hankison, to just one day in jail:

"Hankison has already suffered professionally and will never serve in law enforcement again" (03:19).

This move has sparked debates about accountability and justice in high-profile police cases.

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New Fentanyl Legislation Gains Support

John Bickley discusses President Trump's signing of the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl (HALT) Act, which classifies fentanyl-related drugs as Schedule 1 substances:

"This bill is vital to ending the cat and mouse game with traffickers and stopping the surge of overdoses" (03:45).

The act enjoys bipartisan support and backing from over two dozen Republican state attorneys general, aiming to impose stricter prison sentences for fentanyl-related crimes.

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Treasury Sanctions on Tren De Aragua Gang

Another major story involves the Treasury Department's decision to impose sanctions on the Tren De Aragua gang. Tim Rice elaborates:

"The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control is freezing all US-held property linked to Tren De Aragua leader Nino Guerrero" (04:23).

This action follows the State Department's designation of the gang as a foreign terrorist organization during Trump's administration, aiming to disrupt their financial operations.

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Proposed Lowering of Voting Age in the UK

Tim Rice highlights a landmark proposal in the UK to allow 16-year-olds to join the voter rolls, aligning with Scotland and Wales:

"Prime Minister Keir Starmer says young people who pay taxes deserve a say in government" (06:02).

The bill is expected to pass, though it faces criticism from figures like Nigel Farage and the Conservative Party, who argue that teenagers lack the necessary maturity for voting responsibilities.

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Texas Sues US Masters Swimming Over Gender Policies

In a move addressing gender integrity in sports, John Bickley reports Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit against US Masters Swimming:

"The organization engaged in false, deceptive, and misleading practices by allowing men to compete in women's events" (06:26).

This legal action follows a controversial competition win by Anna Caldas, a 47-year-old man identifying as a woman, prompting Florida's attorney general to issue similar warnings.

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Coca Cola’s Shift to Cane Sugar and Corporate Responses

John Bickley covers President Trump's influence on Coca Cola's potential switch from high fructose corn syrup to real cane sugar:

"Coca Cola has not confirmed the switch to cane sugar, but says it appreciates President Trump's enthusiasm" (07:45).

This decision has affected Archer Daniels Midland's stock negatively, while other companies like PepsiCo are following suit by removing artificial ingredients from their products. PepsiCo's CEO stated:

"60% of our products already don't have artificial colors in the US, and we will continue that journey of transformation" (07:45).

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PepsiCo’s Strong Earnings and Economic Indicators

Transitioning to economic news, Tim Rice reports on PepsiCo's robust quarterly earnings, surpassing analyst expectations with $22.73 billion in revenue:

"Despite the upswing in share cost, they continue to see less demand for their products as their worldwide volume dropped 1.5% for their food and was flat for their drinks" (08:34).

The company's strategic focus on the protein market aims to counteract declining sales volumes. Additionally, broader economic indicators showed positive trends, with the Dow Jones up over 200 points and the S&P 500 climbing half a percent.

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Shane Gillis’ Controversial ESPYs Performance

Concluding with a cultural highlight, John Bickley discusses comedian Shane Gillis’ controversial jokes at the ESPYs:

"Shane Gillis shocked the crowd with jokes about Epstein, the WNBA, and Caitlin Clark" (09:35).

While some jokes were deleted, the performance sparked debates about the boundaries of comedy in contemporary society.

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Drive Home Updates and Teasers for Tomorrow

As the episode wraps up, Tim Rice provides a brief overview of additional stories covered earlier, including President Trump's criticisms of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and the GOP's legislative strategies. He also hints at upcoming topics for the next Morning Wire episode.

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This episode of Evening Wire offers a thorough examination of significant legislative actions, legal controversies, international sanctions, and corporate strategies, all underscored by the hosts' insightful analysis and timely reporting.

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Timestamp References:

• 00:32
• 02:04
• 02:33
• 03:19
• 03:45
• 04:23
• 06:02
• 06:26
• 07:45
• 08:34
• 09:35

Transcript

[John Bickley]

Trump's rescission bill gets through the Senate A new poll shows that most Americans believe there's a government cover up of the Epstein files and Coca Cola reportedly agrees to kick corn syrup to the curb. I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howell. It's Thursday, July 17th, and this is Evening Wire.

[Tim Rice]

President Trump's clawback bill passed the Senate in a narrow vote overnight, but not without some dissent from within the gop. Daily Wire deputy Managing editor Tim Rice has more.

[John Bickley]

Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats in voting against the bill, citing concerns over transparency and deep cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting. The bill aims to cancel unspent funding, including $8 billion from foreign aid and over $1 billion from NPR and PBS. NPR chief Catherine Marr defended the public broadcasters funding and challenged critics to point out specific examples of bias in their coverage. We believe that as a public broadcaster we do have an obligation to serve all Americans and we need to make sure that our coverage reflects the interests and perspective and we hear from Americans across the political spectrum. That's important to us and we want to make sure we live up to that. Her comments for backlash online, with many pointing to NPR's refusal to cover Hunter Biden's laptop, among many other examples, as instances of left wing bias. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Putin is not ready for compromises and that he's in talks with President Trump over a major drone deal deal. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the details. In an interview with the New York Post, Zelensky thanked Trump and urged him to accelerate sanctions that could trigger a social explosion in Russia by slamming its economy. The Ukrainian leader also warned that a 50 day deadline only prolongs a suffering. He told Trump each day is deadly, adding Putin only understands pressure. Zelensky also mentioned an agreement that would allow the US to buy Ukraine's battlefield proven drones while Kyiv purchases American weapons in return, calling it a win win for both nations. U.S. defense officials warn America lags behind drone warfare and this deal could help close that gap.

[Tim Rice]

The prosecutor in Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case has been let go by the DOJ. The move comes amid renewed controversy over unreleased files. Maureen Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, opposed releasing evidence tied to Epstein's network, fearing it could affect Ghislaine Maxwell's case. Epstein died in jail before trial. President Trump dismissed public interest in the case, calling it a hoax, comparing it to the Russia investigation.

[John Bickley]

Speaking of public interest. A new poll found that almost 70% of Americans think the government is covering up Jeffrey Epstein's alleged client list. In a Reuters Ipsos poll, only 6% said there's no cover up. Only 17% of Americans approve of his handling of the issue. Despite all that, President Trump's approval appears to be on the rise. Republicans who approve of Trump look at our CNN poll. The prior one 86%. The one out this week 88% were Republicans. How about Quinnipiac? The prior poll 87% approval. Republicans this week out 90% with Republicans. If anything, Donald Trump's approval rating has gone up since this whole Epstein saga started. He is at the apex or close there too, in terms of his popularity with Republican voters. Epstein files complaints or not?

[Tim Rice]

The DOJ is asking a federal judge to sentence a Louisville police officer to just one day in jail for his role in the 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor. Brett Hankinson was convicted last year for allegedly violating Taylor' civil rights during a drug raid. He was facing life in prison. But in a court filing yesterday, DOJ officials argued Hankison has already suffered professionally and will never serve in law enforcement again.

[John Bickley]

Several states attorneys general are singing the praises of a new fentanyl law President Trump signed this week. The president signed Wednesday the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl act, which classifies fentanyl related drugs as more dangerous substances. The GOP led bill that passed with bipartisan support places fentanyl related substances into Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. That means crimes related to the drug will now require prison sentences. The HALT act has earned the support of more than two dozen Republican state attorneys general who called it vital to ending the cat and mouse with traffickers and stopping the cataclysmic surge of overdoses.

[Tim Rice]

The Treasury Department has announced sanctions on the leader of Trend Aragua and other high level members of the infamous gang. Daily Wire reporter Spencer Lynch Lindquist has more.

[John Bickley]

The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced Thursday that it is freezing all of the US Held property linked to the trendy Aragua leader known as Nino Guerrero. The treasury says that entities with a majority stake held by the trendy Aragua leader, his wife and three other senior trendy Aragua members will also be blocked from conducting transactions in the US or with American citizens. This comes after the State Department designated the gang as a foreign terror organization during Trump's first month in office. Vice President J.D. vance had some fun at the New York Times expense during an event in Pennsylvania this week mocking the paper for an op ed from a former Biden official who said he had the solution to fixing immigration. I'm going to read you verbatim what the New York Times said just a couple of days ago. And I quote, I was one of Biden's border advisors. Here's how to fix our immigration system. What would he know about fixing our immigration system? It was the Biden administration that broke our immigration system, so we've been having a little bit of fun around the office. I assume that this is Eagles territory, is that right? Okay, awesome dissension here. We've got a lot of Eagles fans, but not 100% Eagles fans here. But congratulations by the way on last year. But this is what a buddy of mine sent me. He said I'm a Cincinnati Bengals player. Here's how you win Super Bowls.

[Tim Rice]

16 year olds may soon join the voter rolls in the uk. The landmark shift would align with Scotland and Wales and could have a huge impact on future UK elections. Prime Minister Keir Starmer says young people who pay taxes deserve a say in government. The Starmer backed bill is expected to pass. Critics, including Nigel Farage and the Conservatives, say teens lack the maturity to match such a responsibility.

[John Bickley]

As first reported by the Daily Wire, Texas is suing a swimming organization for letting men compete against women. Investigative reporter Miranda Lordy has the details.

[Tim Rice]

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing US Masters Swimming after an investigation determined the amateur sports organization engaged in false, deceptive and misleading practices by allowing men to compete in women's events. Back In May, a 47 year old man who identifies as a woman, Anna Caldas, won five women's events at a competition in San Antonio a day before Texas lawsuit. Florida's attorney general also put US Masters Swimming on notice, warning it to change its policy or face legal action. Both Florida and Texas say they will not back down in protecting the integrity of women's sports. In another major victory for the Maha movement, President Trump says he's convinced Coca Cola to use real cane sugar over high fructose corn syrup. Some studies have linked corn syrup to the obesity epidemic. RFK Jr. Even called it a poison. Coca Cola currently uses cane sugar to make Mexican Coke, which is sold in glass bottles and imported to the U.S. trump is a known drinker of Diet Coke and received the first ever presidential commemorative inaugural Diet Coke bottle. Coca Cola has not confirmed the switch to cane sugar, but says it appreciates President Trump's enthusiasm.

[John Bickley]

Following that news, shares of high fructose corn syrup producer Archer Daniels Midland fell the Corn Refiners association said switching to sugar could cause job without providing nutritional benefit. But the news comes as more companies agree to remove artificial ingredients from foods. The CEO of PepsiCo said its Lay's and Tostitos brands will remove artificial ingredients by the end of the year. Food and beverage is super important and you know, and it's normal that governments pay attention to, you know, what people eat and drink. And I think that that's fair. We as a company have been working on improving the profile of our portfolio for four times. 60% of our products already don't have artificial colors in the US and we will continue that journey of transformation.

[Tim Rice]

Speaking of PepsiCo, they just reported quarterly earnings and revenue that exceeded expectations of analysts. Shares rose more than 6% in morning trading, earning the company $22.73 billion. Despite the upswing in share cost, they continue to see less of a demand for their products as their worldwide volume dropped 1.5% for their food and was flat for their drinks. As part of their strategy to boost sales, the company intends to take advantage of the protein craze. Stocks rose today, powered by strong corporate earnings and better than expected economic data. The dow gained over 200 points and the S&P 500 climbed half a percent and the Nasdaq added 0.8%. Retail sales for June beat forecasts rising 0.6% while jobless claims dipped to 221,000. The rebound on Wall street comes despite the comments from the president saying he likely won't fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell while also not completely ruling it out.

[John Bickley]

And comedian Shane Gillis shocked the crowd at the ESPYs with jokes that some say couldn't have been made a few years ago, including ones about Epstein, the WNBA and Caitlin Clark. Actually, there was supposed to be an Epstein joke here, but as it got deleted, must have probably deleted it itself, right? Probably never existed. Actually. Let's move on as a country and ignore that when Caitlin Clark retires from the wnba, she's going to work at a Waffle House so she can continue doing what she loves most, fist fighting black women.

[Tim Rice]

Those are your Drive Home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to daily wire.com and in case you missed it, this morning we covered some major stories, including President Trump's new attack on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, how the GOP is gearing up for their next legislative fight, and the new AI investment promising to put Pennsylvania back on the map. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.