Evening Wire: Texas Refinery Explodes & Mullin Sworn In | 3.24.26

Summary

Morning Wire: Evening Wire: Texas Refinery Explodes & Mullin Sworn In | 3.24.26

Date: March 24, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Podcast: Morning Wire (Evening Wire Edition)
Main Theme:
This episode delivers concise, fact-first updates on significant recent events in US politics, public safety, international affairs, aviation, and government oversight. Through a series of news segments, the hosts and correspondents cover breaking stories, providing context, direct quotes, and the potential implications of each development.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Police Officer Shot in Southeast D.C.

[00:54–01:27]

• Incident: A U.S. Park Police officer was shot in Southeast Washington, D.C., near Queen Stroll Place around 7:30pm the previous night.
• Updates:
  • Officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
  • Large-scale law enforcement response; the FBI is involved.
  • No suspect or motive has been announced; the manhunt continues.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Police shut down multiple blocks in the area as a large law enforcement presence responded. The FBI is now assisting in the investigation.” — News Reporter [01:10]

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2. Explosion at Texas Oil Refinery

[01:27–02:00]

• Location: Port Arthur, TX, east of Houston.
• Details:
  • Massive plumes of smoke; no reported injuries among the 700+ refinery workers.
  • Major highways shut, shelter-in-place order issued.
  • Potential cause: Possible industrial heater failure, per Jefferson County Sheriff.
• Notable Quote:
  • “Local authorities closed two major highways near the site and cautioned residents to temporarily shelter in place until the situation was contained.” — Joel Niedler [01:43]

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3. US–Iran Tensions and Diplomacy

[02:00–02:38]

• Development: President Trump paused military strikes on Iran after Middle Eastern leaders brokered diplomatic talks.
• Diplomatic Effort: Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan met in Riyadh to attempt reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian Concerns:
  • Iranian regime suspects trap; fears for the safety of remaining senior leaders.
• Notable Moment:
  • “One of the chief problems was finding an Iranian leader that had not yet been killed.” — Tim Pierce [02:14]

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4. Markwayne Mullin Sworn In as Secretary of Homeland Security

[02:38–03:43]

• Event: Former Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin became Secretary of Homeland Security.
• Context:
  • President Trump attended and praised Mullin’s appointment.
• Senate Vote: Passed 54-45, with bipartisan support from Democrat Senator Martin Heinrich, who cited personal friendship and constructive working relationship.
• Notable Quotes:
  • President Trump: “I said, there's one man for this job… I have no doubt he’s going to be fantastic.” [02:49]
  • Martin Heinrich: “This is going to surprise some people, but I consider Mark Wayne Mullen a friend.” [03:24]

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5. Homeland Security Shutdown & ICE Funding Compromise

[04:09–04:54]

• Issue: Ongoing partial DHS shutdown; debate over separating ICE funding from rest of DHS agencies.
• Presidential Stance:
  • Trump rejects piecemeal funding, demands the passage of the Save America Act with full Republican support.
• Background: Republicans have secured much desired ICE funding in prior legislation.
• Notable Quote:
  • Trump (Truth Social, read by Jordan Schroeder): “I don’t think we should make any deal with the crazy country destroying radical left Democrats unless and until they vote with Republicans to pass the Save America Act.” [04:38]

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6. Delta Suspends Congressional Perks Amid TSA Worker Crisis

[04:54–05:40]

• Action: Delta Air Lines suspends special security privileges for Congress members due to TSA shortages.
• Context:
  • Over 400 TSA workers quit amid unpaid status from the shutdown; severe delays at major airports.
• Implications: Some smaller airports may need to shut down operations if situation persists.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Delta is telling Congress to wait in line like everyone else." — Andy Valdez [05:13]

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7. LaGuardia Crash Investigation

[06:45–08:06]

• Update: NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendy stresses blame should not fall solely on the air traffic controller.
• Findings:
  • The crash, involving an Air Canada jet and a fire truck, resulted from multiple failures in the system.
• Casualties: Both pilots died; over 40 injured.
• Aviation Safety Reminder:
  • “We rarely, if ever, investigate a major accident where it was one failure… So when something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong.” — Jennifer Homendy [07:17]

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8. Supreme Court Reviews Asylum 'Metering' Policy

[08:06–08:55]

• Background: The Trump administration seeks to reinstate "metering," limiting asylum seekers due to capacity strain.
• Court Discussion: Justices questioned legal definitions—does knocking on the US ‘door’ equate to arrival?
• Notable Exchange:
  • Justice Alito: “Does a person arrive in the house when the person is not in the house and is knocking at the door asking to be admitted?” [08:43]

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9. New Pentagon Rules for Press

[08:55–09:35]

• Change: Press workspace moved outside main Pentagon building; new credentialing guidelines and tighter rules.
• Reason: After a court found previous press restrictions unconstitutional—the new rules seek to address legal and security concerns.
• Military Statement: These changes are a temporary measure pending an appeal.

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10. US Military Warns Iranian Civilians

[09:35–10:09]

• Advisory: US Central Command's Vice Admiral Brad Cooper advised Iranians to stay indoors for safety during ongoing operations, hinting at future signals for when it's safe.
• Notable Quote:
  • “The government doesn’t care about you. They’re launching missiles and drones from populated areas. You need to stay inside for right now.” — Vice Admiral Brad Cooper [09:56]

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11. High-Profile Trial on Venezuela Lobbying

[10:09–10:46]

• Case: Former Rep. David Rivera and Esther Neufer face charges for illegal lobbying for Venezuela's Maduro regime.
• Testimony: Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified, with context provided on previous association with Rivera.
• Allegation: Defendants allegedly sought to delay US sanctions in exchange for $50 million.

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12. Congressional Inquiry into California Hospice Fraud

[10:46–11:44]

• Findings: Over 700 out of ~1800 hospice providers in LA County flagged for fraud; significant overbilling of Medicare.
• Committee’s Action: House Oversight requests records from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office to examine state regulatory failures.
• State Response:
  • Newsom's team highlights a 2021 moratorium and over 280 license revocations in the last two years.
• Key Question: Did California miss or enable large-scale hospice fraud on taxpayers’ dime?

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I said, there's one man for this job, and I have no doubt he's going to be fantastic.” — President Trump, on Mullin’s DHS appointment [02:49]
• “We rarely, if ever, investigate a major accident where it was one failure.” — Jennifer Homendy, NTSB Chair [07:17]
• “Delta is telling Congress to wait in line like everyone else.” — Andy Valdez, on suspended perks [05:13]
• "Does a person arrive in the house when the person is not in the house and is knocking at the door?" — Justice Samuel Alito, on asylum policy [08:43]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:54] Police officer shot in D.C.
• [01:27] Texas refinery explosion
• [02:00] Trump pauses Iran strikes; regional diplomacy
• [02:38] Mullin sworn in as DHS Secretary
• [03:17] Senate confirms Mullin; bipartisan support
• [04:09] Trump rejects partial DHS deal
• [04:54] Delta suspends Congressional travel perks
• [06:45] LaGuardia crash investigation update
• [08:06] Supreme Court weighs asylum metering
• [08:55] New Pentagon press restrictions
• [09:35] US military warns Iranian civilians
• [10:09] Testimony in Venezuela lobbying trial
• [10:46] Congressional investigation into CA hospice fraud

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Tone:
Direct, factual, with moments of pointed commentary or dry humor, especially in political segments. The episode maintains a brisk, news-focused pace throughout.

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This episode offers a dense and timely roundup of headline-making stories across politics, security, transportation, and governance, emphasizing context and the immediate implications of each event.

Transcript

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[John Bickley]

A manhunt is underway after the shooting of a U.S. park Police officer in D.C. an explosion at a Texas oil refinery forces residents to shelter in place and Delta cancels Congress's perks amid the ongoing TSA crisis. I'm Daily Wire Executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, March 24th. This is EveningWire.

[Tim Pierce]

The search for a suspect continues after a U.S. park Police office was shot in southeast Washington, D.C. daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce has the latest.

[News Reporter]

Authorities say the shooting happened around 7:30pm last night near Queen Stroll Place. The officer was transported for treatment and is expected to survive with injuries described as non life threatening. Police shut down multiple blocks in the area as a large law enforcement presence responded. The FBI is now assisting in the investigation. Officials have not released details on a suspect or motive, and the search for those responsible is ongoing.

[John Bickley]

An explosion at an oil refinery in Texas forced residents to shelter in place last night. Daily Wire's senior editor Joel Niedler has more.

[Joel Niedler]

Residents of Port Arthur, just east of Houston, reported seeing huge plumes of smoke rising from the refinery on Monday. More than 700 workers manned the facility, but no injuries or deaths have been reported. Local authorities closed two major highways near the site and cautioned residents to temporarily shelter in place until the situation was contained. The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, though the Jefferson county sheriff believes it may have been an industrial heater failure.

[Tim Pierce]

According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump decided to postpone strikes on Iran's power plants after Arab state leaders opened discussions between Washington and Tehran. Foreign ministers in Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met in Riyadh last week to kickstart talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But one of the chief problems was finding an Iranian leader that had not yet been killed. Meanwhile, the Journal reports that Tehran is worried that the ceasefire talks could be a trap meant to kill more Iranian leaders. The regime is chiefly worried about the safety of Mohammed Bagher Gali Baf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and one of its remaining senior leaders.

[John Bickley]

Former Oklahoma Senator Mark Wayne Mullen was sworn in as secretary of Homeland Security today. President Trump attended the ceremony and spoke briefly before Mullen put his hand on the Bible.

[President Trump]

So I'd like to ask Attorney General Bondi to come and do the honors of swearing in a man who's going to do a phenomenal job for our country. And I tell you, your family has to be very proud. You have to be very proud. Everybody wanted this job. I said, there's one man for this job, and I have no doubt he's going to be fantastic. Thank you. Pam, come on over. Thank you.

[Pam Bondi]

Congratulations, Secretary.

[John Bickley]

The Senate confirmed Mullen's nomination last night.

[Senate Clerk]

On this vote, the ayes are 54, the nays are 45. The nomination of Mark Wade Mullen of Oklahoma to be Secretary of Homeland Security

[Senator Martin Heinrich]

is confirmed, along with his fellow Democrat, John Fetterman. Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico joined Republicans in confirming Mullen. Heinrich issued a statement explaining his vote saying, quote, this is going to surprise some people, but I consider Mark Wayne Mullen a friend. We have a very honest and constructive working relationship.

[John Bickley]

Mullen will take over Homeland Security at a turbulent time. As the partial shutdown continues, Alan Armstrong, an energy executive, will fill Mullen's Senate seat until a new election in November.

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[Tim Pierce]

President Trump has rejected a pitch that would fund other agencies under the Department of Homeland Security, but not ice. Daily Wire Homepage editor Jordan Schroeder has the story.

[Jordan Schroeder]

Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated to the president that Senate Republicans and some Democrats would back the pitch in hopes of ending the shutdown. In exchange, funding for ICE would be handled through a future reconciliation bill that would only need Republican votes to pass. Trump rejected this posting on Truth Social, quote, I don't think we should make any deal with the crazy country destroying radical left Democrats unless and until they vote with Republicans to pass the Save America Act. A GOP Senate staffer also noted that there could be a, quote, true compromise coming because Republicans already have much of what they want for ICE funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill act signed by Trump last year.

[John Bickley]

Delta Air Lines has suspended perks for members of Congress amid the ongoing DHS shutdown. Daily Wire assistant editor Andy Valdez has more.

[Andy Valdez]

Many airlines offer special congressional desk service for members of Congress and their staffers, allowing them to skip security lines. But with TSA workers now without pay for nearly a month, Delta is telling Congress to wait in line like everyone else. Over 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began causing massive delays at airports. Atlanta International Airport, where Delta is headquartered, has reported security wait times up to four hours. Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl has cautioned that some smaller airports may need to halt operations entirely if the shutdown continues much longer.

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[Tim Pierce]

Investigators say the deadly crash at LaGuardia Airport likely stemmed from a series of failures, not just one mistake. Daily Wire reporter Lyndon Blake has more.

[Jennifer Homendy]

In a press conference Monday, NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said it's too early to place blame solely on the air traffic controller who was heard saying I messed up shortly after the collision.

Here's Homendy I would caution pointing fingers at controllers and saying distraction was involved. This is a heavy workload environment. We rarely, if ever, investigate a major accident where it was one failure. Our aviation system is incredibly safe because there are multiple, multiple layers of defense built in to prevent an accident. So when something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong.

The crash unfolded when an Air Canada jet collided with a fire truck that had been cleared on the Runway to check on another aircraft. The impact killed both pilots and left more than 40 others injured. Homendy stressed that the US aviation system remains highly safe overall, but said investigators will take a comprehensive look at everything from communication protocols to Runway procedures. The goal now determine exactly how those layers of safety failed and how to prevent it from happening again.

[Senator Martin Heinrich]

The Supreme Court seems poised to back the Trump administration in turning away some asylum seekers. The court heard oral arguments today about the president's authority for metering asylum seekers, which allows border officials to deny them entry if American facilities are overburdened. The Obama administration was first to put metering into practice, but the Biden administration did away with the policy. A lower court has since blocked attempts to revive it. Oral arguments focused on when asylum seekers precisely arrive in the US and the side challenging the metering policy used the analogy of knocking on a door. Justice Samuel Alito was one of multiple justices to pull apart that analogy.

[Justice Samuel Alito]

There's been talk about knocking at the door. Does a person arrive in the house when the person is not in the house and is knocking at the door asking to be admitted to the house?

[Tim Pierce]

The Pentagon imposed new limits on reporters this week. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has the story.

[Zach Jewell]

War Department spokesman Sean Parnell wrote in a memo that reporters work area will be moved into an annex outside the main Pentagon building. The department will also rewrite the rules for journalists who request credentials to clarify prohibited activities and fix other issues. Reporters inside the Pentagon will require an escort. The new rules were announced after a judge ruled that earlier restrictions the War Department placed on reporters were unconstitutional. The department said in a statement that it still plans to appeal the ruling and that the new rules are meant to preserve security while the legal process plays out.

[John Bickley]

A senior US Military official says Iranians should stay inside while the US Continues operations against the regime. In an interview, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, US Central Command deputy commander, told the Iranian people to avoid unnecessary risks until they hear from President Trump.

[Vice Admiral Brad Cooper]

Continue to heed our advice. We've had multiple messages that have come out that have said, beware, the government doesn't care about you. They're launching missiles and drones from populated areas. You need to stay inside for right now. There will be a clear signal at some point, as the president has indicated, for you to be able to come

[Tim Pierce]

out, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified today in the trial of a former congressman accused of secretly lobbying on behalf of Nicola Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan strongman. Republican David Rivera and his co defendant, Esther Neufer, are charged with making illicit efforts to stall sanctions on Venezuela in return for $50 million. The allegations date to after Rivera's time in Congress. Rubio previously worked with Rivera when they both served in the Florida legislature in the early 2000s. The Secretary of state was one of the lawmakers Rivera allegedly lobbied when Rubio served in the U.S. senate.

[John Bickley]

And House Republicans in the oversight committee have launched an investigation into alleged hospice fraud in California. Daily Wire reporter Megan Basham has the details.

[Megan Basham]

Reports show that more than 700 of roughly 1800 hospices in Los Angeles county triggered multiple state defined fraud indicators and that local hospices billed Medicare far above the national average. The committee sent California governor Gavin Newsom a letter demanding records on the state's oversight of these programs, arguing that weak internal controls allowed fraud over billing and the enrollment of beneficiaries without their knowledge. Newsom's office pushed back, saying California imposed a moratorium on new hospice licenses in 2021 and revoked more than 280 licenses over the past two years. The core question to be answered Did California regulators miss or enable a pattern of hospice fraud funded by taxpayers?

[Tim Pierce]

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 Trump announcing peace talks with Iran, ICE agents assisting TSA in airports across the country, and the Hail Mary that could save Hollywood if it listens. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.

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