Evening Wire: Flash Flood Sweeps Texas & Earthquakes Shake An Active Yellowstone Volcano | 7.16.26

Summary

Morning Wire – Evening Wire: Flash Flood Sweeps Texas & Earthquakes Shake An Active Yellowstone Volcano | 7.16.26

Theme/Overview:
This fast-paced episode of Evening Wire delivers critical updates on natural disasters impacting the U.S., notable national and political developments, and cultural controversies. Presented with urgency and skepticism—reflecting Daily Wire’s style—John Bickley and Lyndon Blake guide listeners across politics, law, tech, and public safety, with a focus on media scrutiny and government overreach.

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Major Stories & Key Discussion Points

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1. Catastrophic Flash Flooding in Texas

[00:21–01:24]

• Event: Overnight flash flooding in Texas Hill Country kills one (near Centerpoint) as the Guadalupe River surges nearly 37 feet, rising roughly 32 feet in just four hours.
• Rescue Operations:
  • Crews rescued 10 people from a barn roof and witnessed bridges washing away.
  • Flooding spread over a dozen counties, including Uvalde, Bandera, Kendall, Gillespie, and Mason.
  • Shelters opened, such as in Kendall County, which accommodated 70 residents and their pets.
• Notable Details:
  • Floodwaters temporarily turned bright red after an agricultural dye spill—officials confirmed it was harmless.
  • Warning: "Anyone near rivers [should] move to higher ground immediately, with another surge expected this afternoon, though it's not expected to be as severe as this morning's peak." – Lyndon Blake [01:19]

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2. Rising Threats Against AI Executives

[01:24–02:17]

• Incidents Cited:
  • Intruder at Anthropic's HQ warned of a supposed imminent assassination attempt on a top executive.
  • Texas man charged with attempted murder and arson after throwing a molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home; authorities discovered a manifesto targeting tech CEOs and investors.
  • Multiple threats investigated against Anthropic staff, including gun threats over refund disputes.
• Industry Reaction:
  • Companies are "boosting executive protection and increasing spending on security" amid public fears about AI’s impacts on jobs, privacy, and energy use.
• Quote:
  • "Artificial intelligence companies are ramping up security as executives face a growing wave of threats tied to public backlash." – John Bickley [01:24]

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3. Trump Administration Fights Judicial Overreach

[02:17–02:59]

• Story:
  • Trump administration rapid-fired a court-appointed federal prosecutor, Roger Rogoff, in Seattle—less than an hour after he was sworn in.
  • Background: Rogoff was installed unilaterally by 17 district judges, bypassing White House input, flouting “long-standing tradition.”
• Notable Quote:
  • "The administration's counter strike was near instantaneous. While Rogoff was waiting...he received an email informing him that the president had terminated his appointment, ending his tenure before he could even unpack." – Lyndon Blake [02:53]

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4. Yellowstone Seismic Activity

[02:59–03:22]

• Context:
  • A 3.3 magnitude earthquake hits Yellowstone near the volcanic caldera.
• Expert Input:
  • Scientists attribute this to ongoing "earthquake swarms," emphasizing the volcano is at normal activity with no imminent eruption risk.
• Quote:
  • “Scientists say these, ‘earthquake swarms are common at Yellowstone and note that the volcano remains at normal activity levels’.” – John Bickley [03:15]

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5. Democratic Race to Replace Graham Platner in Maine

[03:22–04:06]

• Backdrop:
  • Platner withdrew after rape allegations.
• Field:
  • Eight Democrats now running; lead candidates include Senator Troy Jackson (endorsed by Bernie Sanders), former CDC Deputy Director Nirav Shah (openly seeking Platner's base), and Secretary of State Shena Bellows.
• Key Quote:
  • “[Shah’s] supporters, ‘have a home in his campaign.’” – Lyndon Blake [03:39]
• Upcoming:
  • Candidates’ debate set for Thursday, July 18; Nominee to be chosen at a July 25th convention.

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6. Free Speech Fight in Colorado

[04:06–04:59]

• Issue:
  • State law requires businesses to use customer-requested pronouns, even against owners’ religious beliefs.
• Legal Challenge:
  • Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) appeals after a court ruled against two businesses (a Christian bookstore and a sports apparel company).
• ADF Perspective:
  • “Colorado is at it again, trying to silence free speech...has little concern for the First Amendment.” – ADF Representative [04:06]

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7. Controversy Over Arizona Candidate’s Instagram

[04:59–05:49]

• Incident:
  • Joanna Mendoza’s campaign Instagram followed “sexually explicit” and “witchcraft” accounts.
• Response:
  • After media exposure, Mendoza’s team unfollowed questionable accounts.
• Quote:
  • “Mendoza is seeking to unseat Republican Representative Juan Siskamani in Arizona's closely contested 6th congressional district.” – John Bickley [05:34]

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8. Testosterone Screenings in the U.S. Military

[05:49–06:41]

• Policy:
  • Annual testosterone deficiency screening for all service members aged 30+; voluntary for younger service members.
• Justification:
  • Part of broader readiness and health initiative. Therapy remains optional and targeted only at clinical deficiency.
• Quote:
  • “Identifying hormone deficiencies earlier will help maintain combat readiness, improve overall health and better support service members during and after their military careers.” – Pete Hegseth (Secretary of War) [06:30]

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9. Privacy Battles in California

Sacramento Waste Inspection [06:41–07:23]

• Program:
  • Sacramento city workers check residents’ trash for compliance with new state organics recycling law.
  • Residents get “Great Job” or “let’s sort this out” tags. No official penalties reported yet, but other cities have fined repeat offenders.
• Criticisms:
  • Many label it “a gross invasion of privacy.”
• Memorable Moment:
  • “Critics online are calling the whole thing peak totalitarianism In Newsom’s California.” – John Bickley [07:09]

Facial Recognition in Grocery Stores [07:23–08:04]

• Development:
  • Grocery Outlet introduces facial recognition to combat sharp rise in shoplifting (up 50% since the pandemic in CA).
• Public Response:
  • Concerns over privacy and false positives; company insists they do not store a permanent shopper database.
• Quote:
  • “Technology could, ‘lead to a lot of problems for the stores and customers alike.’” – An unnamed shopper via CBS News [07:38]

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10. Canadian Wildfire Smoke Impacting U.S.

[08:04–08:50]

• Forecast:
  • Smoke from wildfires in Western Ontario and Northern Minnesota will impact up to 100 million Americans through Friday.
  • Major air quality concerns—heat domes, reminiscent of June 2023 Quebec wildfires.
• Quote:
  • “Their air quality peaked at a value of 465, which is the most hazardous level on record.” – Wyatt Harms [08:44]

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11. Canadian Woman Arrested over Altercation with Trump-Supporting Teen

[08:50–09:33]

• Story:
  • Caitlin Tracy detained for allegedly slapping a 16-year-old girl in Trump clothing; her husband calls the situation “a nothing burger.”
• Legal Status:
  • Tracy faces multiple charges and is being held in ICE custody for visa overstay.
• Quote:
  • “Jerony acknowledged he did not witness the July 3 confrontation, but he claims video of the altercation has been taken out of context.” – Lyndon Blake [09:06]

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Floodwaters turned an alarming bright red after a ruptured drum of agricultural dye spilled into the river, but officials confirmed that dye was harmless.” – Lyndon Blake [00:57]
• “Artificial intelligence companies are ramping up security as executives face a growing wave of threats tied to public backlash.” – John Bickley [01:24]
• “The administration's counter strike was near instantaneous...ending his tenure before he could even unpack.” – Lyndon Blake [02:53]
• “Critics online are calling the whole thing peak totalitarianism In Newsom’s California.” – John Bickley [07:09]
• “Technology could, ‘lead to a lot of problems for the stores and customers alike.’” – Unnamed Shopper via CBS News [07:38]

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Notable Timestamps

• [00:21] Texas Flooding coverage begins
• [01:24] Threats against AI executives
• [02:17] Trump administration fires Seattle prosecutor
• [02:59] Yellowstone earthquake
• [03:22] Maine Democratic primary shakeup
• [04:06] Colorado free speech case
• [04:59] Arizona candidate's Instagram controversy
• [05:49] Military testosterone initiative
• [06:41] Sacramento waste surveillance
• [07:23] CA grocery facial recognition
• [08:04] Canada wildfire smoke
• [08:50] Canadian assault charges/ICE detention

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This Evening Wire episode covers a swath of urgent news stories, offering succinct updates and opinion-tinged context for listeners seeking right-leaning perspectives on current U.S. and international affairs.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

A massive flood sweeps through Texas, an earthquake shakes an active volcano in Yellowstone national park, and smoky skies descend over a hundred million Americans. All thanks to Canada. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, July 16th. This is Evening Wire.

[Lyndon Blake]

Catastrophic flash flooding tore through Texas Hill country overnight, killing at least one person. Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake has the latest.

[Governor Greg Abbott]

Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that one person has died in the flooding near Centerpoint after the Guadalupe river surged to a near historic 37ft, rising roughly 32ft in just four hours. Rescue crews pulled 10 people off a barn roof and watched at least two bridges wash away while the flooding spread across a dozen counties from Uvalde to Bandera to Kendall, Gillespie and Mason. The flooding forced road closures, evacuations and shelter openings, including one in Kendall county housing nearly 70 residents and their pets in comfort. Floodwaters turned an alarming bright red after a ruptured drum of agricultural dye spilled into the river, but officials confirmed that dye was harmless. Officials are urging anyone near rivers to move to higher ground immediately, with another surge expected this afternoon, though it's not expected to be as severe as this morning's peak.

[John Bickley]

Artificial intelligence companies are ramping up security as executives face a growing wave of threats tied to public backlash. Amid the heightened threats, a man recently slipped into AI startup Anthropic's San Francisco headquarters to warn that a top executive was going to be killed. That came just days after authorities say a Texas man threw a molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home. Investigators say the suspect was later charged with attempted murder and attempted arson and and officers recovered a manifesto calling for the killing of tech CEOs and investors. Police have also investigated additional threats against Anthropic employees, including violent online posts and gun threats over refund disputes. The incidents come as public concern over AI's impact on jobs, privacy and energy use grows, prompting major tech firms to boost executive protection and increase spending on security.

[Lyndon Blake]

The Trump administration stood its ground yesterday against what they're calling blatant judicial overreach, swiftly firing a court appointed federal prosecutor in Seattle less than an hour after he took the oath of office. Roger Rogoff, a former state judge, was unilaterally installed as the interim U.S. attorney for Western Washington by a panel of 17 district judges. The local bench completely bypassed the long standing tradition of consulting the White House, attempting to force their own preferred candidate into a critical law enforcement role. The administration's counter strike was near instantaneous. While Rogoff was waiting in the lobby of the federal prosecutor's office. He received an email informing him that the president had terminated his appointment, ending his tenure before he could even unpack.

[John Bickley]

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake struck Yellowstone national park this morning near the park's massive volcanic caldera. The quake is the latest in a series of minor tremors recorded in the area over the past several weeks. Scientists say these, quote, earthquake swarms are common at Yellowstone and note that the volcano remains at normal activity levels with no signs that an eruption is imminent.

[Lyndon Blake]

Speaking of shakeups, a slew of Democrats are now running to replace Graham Platner. Eight Democrats have filed to replace Platner on the main ballot a week after the disgraced nominee dropped out amid rape allegations. The field is led by Senator Troy Jackson, who is endorsed by Vermont Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders. Also in the field are former CDC Deputy Director Nirav Shah and Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows, who previously lost to Susan Collins by more than 30 points in 2014. Shah is openly courting Platner's base, saying his supporters, quote, have a home in his campaign. The candidates debate Thursday at 7pm Eastern, and delegates will pick the nominee at a July 25 convention.

[Alliance Defending Freedom Representative]

Colorado is at it again, trying to silence free speech A state law forces businesses to refer to some customers with inaccurate pronouns, even if using them would violate the business owner's religious belief or conscience. That's a violation of free speech. But as Colorado has proved time and again, it has little concern for the First Amendment. Alliance Defending Freedom is challenging the law on behalf of a Christian bookstore and a sports apparel company, but a court recently ruled against them with ADF's help. They've appealed, and they'll continue fighting to ensure Colorado doesn't get away with this attempt to skirt the First Amendment. Your gift helps protect free speech in cases like this all over the country. And for a limited time, your first gift to ADF is doubled with a special matching grant while funds last Text Wire to 83848 or go to joinadf.com wire to have your gift doubled.

[John Bickley]

A Democratic candidate in Arizona may be offended by witchcraft in po Arizona Democratic congressional candidate Joanna Mendoza is facing criticism after reports that her campaign's official Instagram account followed a number of inappropriate pages. According to the report, some of these accounts included pages associated with sexually explicit behavior, adult content creators and trans socialist activism. Beyond the sexually explicit material, the Instagram account also followed pages promoting practices such as psychic readings, energy healing and other forms of witchcraft. After the story emerged, Mendoza's campaign reportedly began unfollowing several of the accounts. Mendoza is seeking to unseat Republican Representative Juan Siskamani in Arizona's closely contested 6th congressional district. Political analysts currently rate the rates as

[Lyndon Blake]

a toss up TRT for the troops. Secretary of State Pete Hegseth has ordered annual testosterone screening for service members. Daily Wire Associate producer Justice Bueller has

[Pete Hegseth]

more Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a new annual testosterone deficiency screening program for US servicemembers aged 30 and older. Hegseth described it as part of a broader effort to improve military readiness and long term health. The screening will be added to the military's existing annual health assessment, and while it is aimed for older service members, younger service members may request the test voluntarily. Hegseth said any recommended testosterone replacement therapy would be optional and stressed that the program is intended to treat medically identified deficiencies and not enhance performance. He argued that identifying hormone deficiencies earlier will help maintain combat readiness, improve overall health and better support service members during and after their military careers.

[John Bickley]

The city of Sacramento is sending government workers out to inspect what residents are throwing away in what many are calling a gross invasion of privacy. City employees are being tasked with peering into curbside bins, photographing the contents and and leaving behind tags reading either Great job or let's sort this out. This is all being done to comply with a new Gavin Newsom backed state law aimed at curbing organic waste and landfill methane emissions. Officials insist that there are no penalties for violators, but reports indicate that residents of a nearby city have already been fined as repeat offenders. Critics online are calling the whole thing peak totalitarianism In Newsom's California Bay Area,

[Lyndon Blake]

shoppers are outraged after a grocery chain announced the rollout of facial recognition technology in order to combat shoplifting. Grocery outlet is already starting to use the software at some stores with signs on doors notifying shoppers that their faces are being scanned. One shopper told CBS News that the technology could, quote, lead to a lot of problems for the stores and customers alike. Other critics argue that there's a strong possibility of false matches and that the facial data stored in the chain is an invasion of privacy. The president of the software company says data on suspects is only stored for a limited amount of time and that it doesn't build a database of shoppers. FBI data shows shoplifting in the state of California has jumped 50% since the pandemic.

[John Bickley]

100 million Americans could soon face smoky skies thanks to Canada. Daily Wire associate producer Wyatt Harms has the story.

[Wyatt Harms]

Heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires is predicted to spread across the United States through Friday, causing potential air pollution that could impact 100 million people. The hazy smoke from wildfires still blazing in western Ontario and northern Minnesota is forecast to drift towards the Midwest, Northeast and Mid Atlantic. The conditions are set to decline through the end of this week as smoke mixed with little wind and high heat in the east creates a heat dome. These conditions are being compared to those during Quebec's wildfires In June of 2023, when smoke settled along the east coast and New York sky took on an orange tint. Their air quality peaked at a value of 465, which is the most hazardous level on record.

[Lyndon Blake]

And the enraged husband of the Canadian woman detained for slapping a teenage girl wearing Trump clothing is defending his wife, calling the incident a quote, nothing. Burger the man Matthew Gironi took to social media to blame conservatives for turning the case into a national story. Jerony acknowledged he did not witness the July 3 confrontation, but he claims video of the altercation has been taken out of context and Insists his wife, 33 year old Caitlin Tracy, was not the aggressor. Police allege Tracey approached and slapped the 16 year old girl before leaving the scene, leading to assault, child endangerment, harassment and obstruction charges. Tracey later turned herself in and is now being held in an ICE detention facility after authorities announced she had overstayed her visa.

[John Bickley]

All right, those are your Drive Home updates. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and in case you missed it, earlier today we covered some major stories, including New York's governor blocking all new data centers in the state, President Trump's choice for attorney general trading bars with Democrats in his confirmation hearing, and the explosive parasitic illness outbreak blowing up across dozens of states. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morningwire.