Evening Wire: “Metro Surge” Moves Out & Bondi Defends Investigation | 2.12.26

Summary

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Morning Wire (Evening Wire): “Metro Surge” Moves Out & Bondi Defends Investigation | 2.12.26

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Main Theme:
This episode delivers fact-driven updates on major national and international news. Key stories include the winding down of Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, developments in high-profile criminal cases, shifting U.S. policy and military maneuvers, controversy within the Olympic Games, legislative developments on voter ID, and the ongoing crisis in New York City due to extreme winter and governance challenges.

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Main Topics and Key Insights

1. Operation Metro Surge’s Conclusion in Minnesota

[00:21-01:13]

• Reporter Jenny Terr covers the end of Operation Metro Surge, a Trump administration initiative deploying thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents to the Twin Cities.
  • Nearly 4,000 arrests made; federal authorities tracked 3,364 missing migrant children previously unaccounted for.
  • Tom Homan (White House border czar): Cites “unprecedented levels of coordination” and a reduction in anti-ICE activity.
  • Homan rebuffs claims ICE is “backing down”:

    “You are simply wrong. Look at the data, record number of arrests and deportations and we'll continue that effort.” (Tom Homan, 01:13)

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2. Canadian Mass Shooting: Shooter’s Identity and Motive

[01:13-02:05]

• Senior Editor Joel Niedler reports on the trans-identifying Canadian high school dropout who killed eight in British Columbia, including family members.
  • Initial active shooter alerts described the suspect as “a female in a dress,” later clarified as a man who identified as transgender.
  • Eerie images online add to public scrutiny.
  • No overt speculation on motive, with coverage focusing on the attack’s facts.

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3. Nancy Guthrie Case Update

[02:05-03:00]

• Reporter Lyndon Blake follows the latest in the Nancy Guthrie disappearance.
  • FBI and investigators revisit her home, placing a tent where Guthrie’s blood and critical ring doorbell footage were found.
  • Authorities request neighbors’ surveillance from Jan 1–Feb 2; suspect list remains blank and official briefings have been sparse.

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4. Trump’s Energy Policy Shift—Coal Power Order

[03:00-03:34]

• President Trump issues an executive order requiring the Department of War to use coal-generated electricity, countering previous solar and wind priorities.
  • Trump at the signing:

    “Clean, beautiful coal. Clean, beautiful coal. We love clean, beautiful coal, don't we.” (Donald Trump, 03:23)

  • Policy moves to bolster grid reliability and “make use of America’s plentiful coal resources.”

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5. U.S. Military Escalation in the Middle East

[03:34-04:12]

• Zach Jewell reports the Pentagon prepping a second carrier strike group for Middle East deployment amid stalled negotiations with Iran.
  • Escalation signals possible imminent strikes.
  • Deployment poised as negotiation leverage; decision could come “in a matter of hours.”

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6. U.S. House Rebukes Trump’s Canada Tariffs

[04:12-04:53]

• House votes to rescind Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canadian imports; six GOP members join Democrats.
  • Largely symbolic—the President expected to veto.
  • Speaker Mike Johnson states the Supreme Court will likely make the final call after November arguments; a decision expected later this year.
  • Notable Republicans joining Democrats: Thomas Massie, Don Bacon, Kevin Kiley, Jeff Heard, Dan Newhouse, Brian Fitzpatrick.

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7. Pam Bondi Defends DOJ in Epstein Probe

[04:53-06:18]

• Political reporter Cameron Arcan covers Attorney General Pam Bondi’s contentious House Judiciary appearance on Epstein files.
  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Criticizes explicit victim details and protected perpetrator identities, urges Bondi to apologize—Bondi declines.
  • Bondi refuses to engage in “theatrics,” but expresses sympathy for victims.
  • Rep. Thomas Massie questions redactions and mishandling of names, particularly Les Wexner’s.
    • Bondi:

      “I believe Wexner’s name was listed more than 4,000 times…” (Pam Bondi, 05:56)
      “We corrected that within 40 minutes.” (Pam Bondi, 06:05)

  • Sharp partisan divide: Democrats criticize, while most GOP members defend Bondi as refocusing DOJ on the rule of law.

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8. Olympic Controversy: Ukrainian Skeleton Racer Disqualified

[06:36-07:11]

• Ukrainian athlete Vladislav Hareskevich is disqualified after plans to honor fallen soldiers on his helmet, which Olympic officials deem “political speech.”
  • IOC President delivers decision personally; Hareskevich emotional:

    “Of course as an athlete I always, always was dreaming about Olympic medal and it's also like a feeling that it was taken away from me.” (Hareskevich, 07:11)

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9. Legislative Update: Save America Act—Voter ID

[07:11-07:50]

• House passes the Save America Act, mandating photo ID and citizenship proof for voting.
  • Passed on party lines; only House Democrat joining: Henry Cuellar (TX).
  • Bill faces likely defeat in the Senate due to filibuster (60-vote threshold).
  • Polling: “Vast majority of Americans support voter id.”

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10. NYC Humanitarian and Weather Crisis

[07:50-09:07]

• Reporter Breckah Stoll details deaths and citywide struggles as NYC grapples with historic cold, snow, and trash.
  • Death toll: 19; rising trash and snowfall.
  • Interview with former mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa:

    “A lot of this is the result of Eric Adams’ failures as mayor... They spent $7 billion housing migrants... but we weren’t doing likewise with our own homeless and, more importantly, the emotionally disturbed…” (Curtis Sliwa, 08:13)

  • Sliwa points to Adams’ administration and severe weather, dating comparison to “1780, in the middle of the American Revolution.”
  • Homeless found sleeping directly on ice and snow.

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11. NYPD Seeks Drone Disruption Authority

[09:17-09:50]

• NYPD asks Trump administration for the legal ability to disable unauthorized drones.
  • Commissioner Jessica Tisch voices concern:

    “Tactics that once belonged to militaries are now increasingly accessible to smaller groups and commercial drones can be easily adapted into weapons of war.” (Jessica Tisch, 09:36)

  • Increasing drone activity, potential threats to NYC security.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tom Homan on ICE’s performance:

  “You are simply wrong. Look at the data, record number of arrests and deportations and we'll continue that effort.” (01:13)

• Donald Trump’s coal energy catchphrase:

  “Clean, beautiful coal. Clean, beautiful coal. We love clean, beautiful coal, don't we.” (03:23)

• Pam Bondi on redactions:

  “I believe Wexner’s name was listed more than 4,000 times about... We corrected that within 40 minutes.” (05:56–06:05)

• Curtis Sliwa on NYC’s crisis:

  “A lot of this is the result of Eric Adams’ failures as mayor. They spent $7 billion housing migrants... but we weren't doing likewise with our own homeless.” (08:13)

• Jessica Tisch on drone threats:

  “Tactics that once belonged to militaries are now increasingly accessible to smaller groups and commercial drones can be easily adapted into weapons of war.” (09:36)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• Operation Metro Surge Wrap-Up: 00:21–01:13
• Canadian Mass Shooting Update: 01:13–02:05
• Nancy Guthrie Investigation: 02:05–03:00
• Trump’s Coal Energy Executive Order: 03:00–03:34
• Middle East Military Escalation: 03:34–04:12
• Congress & Canada Tariffs: 04:12–04:53
• Pam Bondi’s Epstein Hearing: 04:53–06:18
• Olympics—Ukraine Disqualification: 06:36–07:11
• Voter ID Legislation: 07:11–07:50
• NYC Winter Crisis & Migrant Costs: 07:50–09:07
• NYPD Drone Security Concerns: 09:17–09:50

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This summary captures the core content and notable points in the Daily Wire’s Evening Wire episode, presenting a factual, comprehensive rundown ideal for listeners who need the facts first and fast.

Transcript

[A]

Tom Homan wraps up Operation Metro surge in Minnesota. More details emerge on the trans identifying shooter in Canada. And Attorney General Pam Bondi defends her department's handling of Epstein evidence. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Thursday, February 12th. This is Evening Wire.

[B]

The end is near for the Trump administration's Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota. Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Terr has the story. White House border czar Tom Homan announced at a Thursday press conference that many of the thousands of ICE and Border Patrol personnel sent to the Twin Cities from other areas of the country will soon return to their home offices. Federal authorities made nearly 4,000 arrests during the operation. Homan said the operation has been successful, which led to a significant drop in criminal illegal immigrants roaming the streets, quote, unprecedented levels of coordination from local officials and a decrease in anti ice agitator activity. Federal authorities also tracked 3,364 missing migrant children who previously crossed the border alone. Homan also pushed back on reports claiming that ICE is, quote, backing down.

[A]

You are simply wrong. Look at the data, record number of arrests and deportations and we'll continue that effort. More details have emerged about the trans identifying Canadian high school dropout who killed eight people and injured dozens in British Columbia on Tuesday. Daily Wire senior editor Joel Niedler has more. Old images of the shooter have resurfaced online. One eerie picture shows the shooter sitting on a couch smiling while holding a rifle. Another shows the gunman sitting on a couch next to a much younger boy. The gunman killed eight people on Tuesday, including his mother and 11 year old stepbrother before apparently taking his own life. An initial active shooter alert described him as, quote, a female in a dress as he gunned down victims at Tumblr Ridge Secondary School. Authorities later described the attacker as a gun person and clarified that the shooter was a man who identified as transgender.

[B]

More developments in the Nancy Guthrie search today. Here with the latest is Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake. Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie's home Thursday. This time they put up a tent in front of her front door. There could be a lot of things going on behind the tent, but we do know that's where Nancy's blood was found and that's where the ring doorbell footage the FBI released came from. The tent was up for about an hour and then investigators left something else that's happening right now. Pima county sheriff is looking for footage from neighbors who live within a two mile radius from Nancy from January 1st to February 2nd. There are still no identified suspects in this case and there's not a press briefing meaning Pima county has gone more than a week or without giving a press briefing for updates on this case. The tip line for anything suspicious or any known facts about Nancy Guthrie's disappearance is 1-800-call-FBI.

[A]

President Trump has directed the Department of War to purchase electricity generated from coal power plants. The president's executive order, titled Strengthening United States National Defense with America's Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet, aims to shore up the US Power grid, and it also makes use of America's plentiful coal resources. The order comes after the Biden administration focused on supporting unreliable sources like solar and wind. At a signing ceremony at the White House, Trump sang the praises of coal. Clean, beautiful coal. Clean, beautiful coal. We love clean, beautiful coal, don't we.

[B]

Doug the Pentagon has directed a second aircraft carrier strike group to prepare for deployment to the Middle East. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has more.

[A]

A second carrier group would dramatically boost an already formidable naval presence in the region. This marks a significant escalation in military readiness as the Trump administration weighs potential strikes against Iran. President Trump confirmed Tuesday that he is weighing the deployment to increase leverage as negotiations over Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs remain stalled. According to one official quoted by the Wall Street Journal, the order to deploy could be issued in a matter of hours.

[B]

The House voted to rescind President Trump's tariffs on Canada. Six Republicans joined with almost all of the Democrats on Wednesday to rebuke Trump's invocation of emergency powers to impose 25% tariffs on imports from the Great White North. The vote is more a symbolic move than anything, as the president can and almost certainly will veto it. Republicans who broke ranks include Thomas Massie, Don Bacon, Kevin Kiley, Jeff Heard, Dan Newhouse and Brian Fitzpatrick. House Speaker Mike Johnson noted in a press conference following the vote that the ultimate decision on Trump's tariffs will most likely fall to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments on the issue in November. A decision is expected later this year.

[A]

Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the Justice Department's release of files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation during a heated House Judiciary Committee hearing. Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arcan has the details. Representative Parmila Jayapal condemned the decision to reveal graphic details about victims while withholding certain prominent names, and 11 survivors seated behind Bondi indicated they had not been able to meet with the department. Jayapal pressed Bondi to apologize directly to them, but Bondi refused, saying she would not engage in theatrics, though she expressed sympathy for what the victims endured. Representative Thomas Massie tried to hammer Bondi over specific redactions of the perpetrators made on documents that showcased the names of victims, such as in this exchange. Are you able to track who in your organization made this massive failure and released the victims names? Are you able to track who it was that obscured Les Wexner's name as a co conspirator in an FBI document?

[B]

I believe Wexner's name was listed more than 4,000 times about.

[A]

I had. Yeah, I already told you that. This is where he's listed as a co conspirator.

[B]

My answer. Come on, let me finish my answer. We corrected that within 40 minutes he was already. You're acting like everybody's trying to cover up Wexner's name.

[A]

Reclaiming. Reclaiming my time.

[B]

Answer this question.

[A]

Reclaiming my time. While Democrats, including Representative Jamie Raskin, railed against Bondi's approach, most Republicans defended her, saying she was refocusing the Justice Department on the rule of law. Foreign.

[B]

What may be the biggest controversy of the Games so far? Olympic officials have disqualified a Ukrainian athlete after he planned to honor fallen soldiers on his uniform. Vladislav Hareskevich qualified for competition in the Skeleton, a sledding event on an ice track to take place in Cortina, Italy. But Olympic officials ruled that the Ukrainian athlete's helmet violated rules against political speech at the Games. The president of the International Olympic Committee delivered the decision on Herskovic personally on Thursday and left the meeting in tears. For his part, Hareskevich said he didn't break any rules.

[A]

Of course as an athlete I always, always was dreaming about Olympic medal and it's also like a feeling that it was taken away from me. The House passed a revised version of the Save America act on Wednesday. The legislation requires photo ID and proof of U.S. citizenship for voters. The vote went largely along party lines, with every Republican who was present voting in favor of the measure. The lone Democrat to break with his party and vote for the act was Henry Cuellar of Texas. The bill now heads to the Senate, where it faces an uphill battle having to reach the 60 vote threshold to overcome the filibuster. Polling shows the vast majority of Americans support voter id.

[B]

More than a dozen people have died in New York City as the Big Apple faces a brutal winter with trash and snow piling up. Daily Wire reporter Breckah Stoll has more. The outdoor death toll hit 19 today and piles of trash and snow remain on the city streets. I talked with former New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Lewis to get his perspective on the crisis and who or what is responsible.

[A]

A lot of this is the result of Eric Adams failures as mayor. They spent $7 billion housing migrants that we didn't even know in hotels, motels, giving them lodging, food, clothing. Okay, but we weren't doing likewise with our own homeless and more importantly, the emotionally disturbed who should have been brought to mental health care hospitals. So part of the blame is the Adams administration, the weather. We haven't had weather like this where it's straight sub freezing, zero weather. Then I think in like 1780, in the middle of the American Revolution. Now it's so cold that you can't get rid of the snow. It's become blocks of ice. And we found many homeless people actually sleeping on the ice and snow with a maybe a sheet over them to protect them from the wind.

[B]

Sliwa added he didn't want to blame Mohamdani one month into his administration, but he told us he believes the young mayor will need to make a hard pivot to remedy the situation.

[A]

And in other New York news, the police department there is asking for authority from the Trump administration to disable drones above the city. While the department can detect drones, it can't electronically disable them. That's created issues in their airspace as consumer models become more popular. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch highlighted her growing anxiety over the potential from drones to pose serious security threats in the city in a speech Tuesday. She said, quote, tactics that once belonged to militaries are now increasingly accessible to smaller groups and commercial drones can be easily adapted into weapons of war.

[B]

Those are your Drive Home updates this evening. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com and in case you missed it, earlier today we covered some major stories, including a trans identifying man committing one of the deadliest mass shootings in Canada's history, Ohio Republicans moving to protect parents who rebuff gender identity and the FDA zeroing in on chemical preservatives in American foods. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of MORNING wire.

[A]

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[B]

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