Evening Wire: Starmer Steps Down & Will Iran Allow Nuclear Inspections? | 6.22.26

Summary

Podcast Summary: Morning Wire – Evening Wire: Starmer Steps Down & Will Iran Allow Nuclear Inspections?

Date: June 22, 2026
Hosts: Georgia Howe & John Bickley (Daily Wire)
Length: ~11 minutes (excluding advertisements and outro)

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Overview

This episode of Evening Wire covers a range of significant global and domestic news stories: the resignation of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US-Iran nuclear inspections progress, campaign fund controversies in US politics, major crime stories, and cultural updates. Georgia Howe and John Bickley, with several correspondents, present concise updates on the latest political, legal, and societal developments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Prime Minister

[01:03 – 02:35]

• Event: Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister, announced his resignation after poor Labour Party performance in local elections led to internal revolt and high-profile defections.
• Starmer's Statement:

  “When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children who are my pride and my joy.”
  (Keir Starmer, [01:43])

• Succession: Andy Burnham, ex-Mayor of Greater Manchester, is the leading candidate to succeed Starmer.
• Political Fallout: Nigel Farage demanded an immediate general election, labeling the UK a “banana republic” and criticizing frequent party leadership changes without public input.

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2. Iran Agrees to Nuclear Inspections; US-Iran Tensions Shift

[02:35 – 03:27]

• Diplomatic Breakthrough: Vice President JD Vance is returning from Switzerland after talks with Iran, indicating conditional progress toward allowing nuclear inspections.
  • Release of Iranian frozen funds tied to progress on inspections and structured to benefit US farmers.
• Sanctions Easing:
  • Treasury Department grants sanctions waiver—US may now import Iranian oil.
  • Iran permitted to sell oil in US dollars.
  • Seen as a significant rollback, with ongoing concerns about Iran’s human rights record:

    “Wall Street Journal report says Iran has executed at least 45 people on political charges this year.”
    (Cassia Kiva, [02:42])

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3. Quantum Computing Security & US Executive Order

[03:27 – 04:11]

• Action: President Trump to sign an executive order to protect US quantum research from foreign threats, notably China.
• Rationale: Quantum computing’s potential to break encryption makes research a crucial security priority.
• Investment:
  • $2 billion federal investment gives public minority stake in nine quantum firms.
• Importance:

  “A single defector risks years of research falling into foreign hands.”
  (Zach Jewell, [03:38])

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4. US Political Controversies: Senator Gallego’s Campaign Spending

[04:11 – 05:07]

• Scandal: Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) faces criticism for spending campaign funds on personal trips (Disney World, Miami), Super Bowl attendance, and family childcare, including a $400 payment to his mother-in-law.
• Justification: Gallego did not dispute the spending, calling them “routine campaign expenses.”
• Potential Fallout:
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune may launch an ethics committee investigation.

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5. High-Profile Legal Developments

[05:07 – 06:16]

• Charlie Kirk Case:
  • Judge Tony Graf allows hearsay evidence for Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing in the alleged assassination attempt.
  • Testimony from Robinson’s ex-roommate/lover (Lance Twiggs) may be played via recording, not in person.
• Medicare Fraudster Captured:
  • Herbert Leon Kimball, mastermind behind a $1.2 billion Medicare scam, caught in the Philippines after two years as a fugitive ([05:43]).
  • Ran fraudulent call centers targeting the elderly for unnecessary medical equipment.

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6. Crime & Social Issues

[07:19 – 07:52]

• Date Rape Drug Bust:
  • Two men (Mark Deidon, Rodrigo Castro) arrested in NYC for importing 7 tons of GHL, which converts to GHB ("liquid ecstasy”), a date rape drug.

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7. Presidential and Political Updates

[07:52 – 08:26]

• Reflecting Pool Vandalism:
  • President Trump blames vandals for damage to Washington DC’s reflecting pool amidst ongoing renovations; several arrests made.
  • Trump:

    “What these terrible vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and should be dealt with accordingly.”
    ([07:52])

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8. International Politics: Colombia’s Election

[08:34 – 09:03]

• New President:
  • Abelardo de la Esprilla (right-wing populist) is elected in Colombia, vowing a tough stance against crime and drug networks.
  • Outgoing left-wing president challenges the preliminary results, indicating a court audit is forthcoming.

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9. Business & Technology

[09:03 – 09:44]

• Hollywood & AI:
  • Google invests in indie movie studio A24 (makers of “Backrooms”) to research AI in filmmaking.
  • Scott Belsky of A24:

    “Looking for uses that ‘preserve creative control and support risk taking.’”
    (Nick Sheehan, [09:11])

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10. Sports & Culture

[09:44 – 10:12]

• Serena Williams:

  • At 44, Williams receives Wimbledon wildcard to play singles and, with sister Venus, doubles.

• Supreme Court Ruling:

  • Pedro Hernandez remains imprisoned after his murder conviction is reinstated for the 1979 disappearance and death of Eitan Pates ([10:12]).

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11. Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

[10:49 – 11:27]

• New Project:
  • $450 million library to open in North Dakota Badlands on July 4.
  • Will feature an AI-driven Roosevelt avatar to interact with visitors.
  • Emphasis on blending facility into landscape with grass-covered, walkable roofs.

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Memorable Quotes

• "When I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job…being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic…and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children."
  — Keir Starmer ([01:43])

• "Banana republic…chopping and changing their leaders at will."
  — Nigel Farage (paraphrased by correspondent, [02:07])

• "A single defector risks years of research falling into foreign hands."
  — Zach Jewell ([03:38])

• "What these terrible vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and should be dealt with accordingly."
  — President Trump ([07:52])

• "Looking for uses that 'preserve creative control and support risk taking.'"
  — Scott Belsky, A24 ([09:11])

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Important Timestamps

• [01:03] — Keir Starmer’s resignation & statement
• [02:35] — Iran agrees to nuclear inspections; sanctions easing
• [03:27] — US executive order on quantum security
• [04:11] — Senator Gallego’s campaign spending scandal
• [05:07] — Legal developments: Charlie Kirk case, Medicare fraudster captured
• [07:19] — Massive date rape drug import bust
• [07:52] — President Trump’s response to vandalism of the reflecting pool
• [08:34] — Colombia’s election results
• [09:03] — Google-A24 AI filmmaking partnership
• [09:44] — Serena Williams returns to Wimbledon
• [10:12] — Supreme Court’s Hernandez ruling
• [10:49] — Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library announcement

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains a brisk, factual delivery, typical of Morning Wire’s news format. The tone is direct and often critical—especially when discussing political scandals or failures—without heavy editorializing.

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For further updates or to delve deeper into these stories, listeners are encouraged to visit dailywire.com.

Transcript

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[Georgia Howe]

the British prime minister resigns, Vance reports progress in Iran talks and a Democratic senator faces massive backlash over campaign fund allegations. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley. It's Monday, June 22nd, and this is Evening Wire.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Keir Starmer said that he would step down as the prime minister of the uk Contributor Tim Pierce has more.

Starmer's decision to leave comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the labor leader in which he was blamed for a wave of losses in local elections. The poor election results sparked an intraparty revolt against Starmer and resulted in a number of high level departures from his government. The premier ceded to the pressure on Monday morning, announcing his intent to step

[Keir Starmer]

down and when I leave the biggest job in the country, I shall spend more time on the most important job, being the best husband I can to my fantastic wife Vic, who has been a rock by my side through good times and bad and being the best dad I can to my beautiful children who are my pride and my joy.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

With Starmer's departure, 10 Downing street is set to be occupied by the seventh premiere in a decade. Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, appears to be the favorite to replace Starmer in the coming weeks. Nigel Farage also released a video today making demands for an immediate general election. He said the United Kingdom had devolved into a, quote, banana republic and spoke against the political parties for, quote, chopping and changing their leaders at will. He called for the people's mandate to be honored following a snap election.

[Georgia Howe]

Vice President Vance says Iran has agreed to nuclear inspections. Foreign affairs reporter Cassia Kiva has the latest.

[Cassia Kiva]

Vice President JD Vance is heading back to Washington after a weekend of negotiations with Iranian officials in Switzerland. Before departing, Vance said any release of Iranian frozen funds would depend on continued progress and could be structured to benefit American farmers through purchases of US Goods. Meanwhile, the Treasury Department has issued a sanctions waiver permitting the importation of Iranian oil into the United States and allowing Iran to sell oil in US Dollars, along with other additional relief measures, marking one of the most significant sanctions rollbacks in years. The developments come as a Wall Street Journal report says Iran has executed at least 45 people on political charges this year, with many of the executions carried out in recent months.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order as soon as this week, tasking the intel community with shielding US Quantum research from foreign influence. Reporter Zach Jewell has more.

[Zach Jewell]

The order comes amid concerns the field could become a soft target for adversaries like China. Quantum computing is an emerging technology that could one day break the encryption protecting government databases and financial systems, making US Research a prime target. The developing field is still small enough that a single defector risks years of research falling into foreign hands. The pending executive order follows a $2 billion investment from the Trump administration that gives the American public a minority stake in nine quantum firms, signaling that Trump sees it as a key industry for the future.

[Georgia Howe]

A Democratic senator is facing heavy backlash over his lavish spending of donors money. Arizona Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego tapped several campaign accounts to fund luxurious family trips to Disney World and Miami. He also used a joint fundraising account with disgraced California Congressman Eric Swalwell to attend the 2023 Super bowl and to pay $18,000 in child care since 2019. This included a $400 payment to his mother in law for babysitting while at a campaign fundraiser. Gallego, who's reportedly considering a presidential bid in 2028, did not dispute these findings and said these were routine campaign expenses. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has yet to announce an investigation, but he has left the door open to an ethics committee probe. A Utah judge handed accused Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson what could be a major setback today, host of that's so Criminal. Lyndon Blake has more.

[Lyndon Blake]

Judge Tony Graf ruled that prosecutors can use hearsay evidence during next month's preliminary hearing, including potential prerecorded testimony from Robinson's former roommate and lover, Lance Twiggs. Judge Graff also denied the defense's effort to compel Twiggs to testify in person, finding the requested testimony was unlikely to undermine probable cause. Meanwhile, Graf postponed until Friday a decision on whether prosecutors violated a gag order and and whether that conduct could justify removing the death penalty as a possible punishment. We'll have more on this as it develops.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

The FBI has captured a fugitive mastermind behind $1.2 billion in Medicare fraud. 60 year old Herbert Leon Kimball had been on the run for two years. After failing to show up for sentencing, he was captured on June 11 in the Philippines by local authorities. Prosecutors say he opened a fraudulent health care call center between 2014 and 2019 that steered the elderly toward medically unnecessary equip including orthopedic braces. He's the second most wanted fraudster to be captured in just over two weeks.

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[Georgia Howe]

Two men have been arrested in Manhattan for importing millions of doses of a potent date rape drug. The men, Mark Deidon and Rodrigo Castro, are accused of importing 7 tons of liquid gamma butyrolactone, or GHL, with intent to distribute. When ingested, GHL metabolizes into GHB, sometimes known as liquid Ecstasy. The drug causes euphoria, impaired mobility, heightened suggestibility and memory loss, making it a potent and dangerous date rape drug. Dyden and Castro are now in federal custody and face up to 20 years in prison.

[President Donald Trump]

President Trump said Saturday that Washington DC's reflecting pool will need to be at least partially drained to repair damage from vandals. The pool has been undergoing a $14 million renovation project to fix cracks and leaks in the pool's casing. The president blamed vandals for cuts in the pool's freshly installed new floor coat and corrosive chemicals added to the water. Trump wrote on Truth Social that quote, what these terrible vandals have done is a true affront to both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and should be dealt with accordingly. He said multiple arrests have already been made.

[Colombian Announcer]

Colombia Aquiesta tu Presidente

[Georgia Howe]

over the weekend, Colombia elected right wing populist Abelardo de la Esprilla as the country's next president. He ran on pledges to confront criminal gangs and to tear down the drug trafficking networks that have flourished in recent years. The 47 year old lawyer narrowly beat his left wing opponent who had promised to build on the agenda of current President Gustavo Petro. Petro called the election results preliminary and warned against declaring a winner with the results so tight. The official result, he said, will be determined by courts through an audit.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Google is investing in the movie Studio A24, which was behind the recent horror hit backrooms. Writer Nick Sheehan has the story.

[Nick Sheehan]

A24 has become synonymous in the movie industry with gritty, thought provoking indie productions. Some were surprised then when the studio announced a new partnership with Google to research the use of AI in movies. A24 will work with Google's DeepMind AI to explore new ways to integrate it into the filmmaking process. Scott Belsky, who heads up A24's tech and innovation team, stressed that his team is looking for uses that quote, preserve creative control and support risk taking.

[Georgia Howe]

Serena Williams will play singles at Wimbledon this year after receiving a wildcard entry. At 44, the 23 time Grand Slam champion is significantly older than the current crop of elite competitors and is not favored to win. Nonetheless, after four years off the court, Serena says she's training hard. Serena and her older sister Venus have also been invited to play doubles together. A wild card entry is a special invitation from the tournament that allows a player to bypass the normal qualification process.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

The Supreme Court has reinstated the conviction of Pedro Hernandez after it was vacated last year by an appeals court. That means Hernandez will stay behind bars. He was convicted of murdering 6 year old Eitan Pates, who was abducted off the streets of New York in 1979 on his first day walking to school alone. Hernandez walked free for decades before confessing that he strangled the boy and disposed of his body. His legal team says his mental health challenges undermine his confession, noting that a body was never found. Prosecutors were preparing to retry Hernandez, but the high court's ruling means a retrial is no longer necessary.

[Georgia Howe]

And More than a century after his death, Theodore Roosevelt is finally getting his own Presidential Library. The $450 million project is located right in the heart of North Dakota Badlands, the rugged country frontier the future president retreated to following the death of his wife and mother, who died on the same day in 1884. The 96,000 square foot building is designed to blend in with the prairie environment, featuring a sloping grass covered roof and walking paths on the top. The library will also be the first presidential archive of its kind to feature AI, letting visitors hold a conversation with an AI avatar of Roosevelt himself. It's set to open on July 4th.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

All right, this is 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 J.D. vance leading turbulent peace talks with Iran,

[President Donald Trump]

soccer fans from around the world falling in love with America, and Tulsi Gabbard dropping new evidence of Anthony Fauci's Covid cover up.

[Reporter/Correspondent]

Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another

[President Donald Trump]

full edition of Morning Wire.

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