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Minnesota Governor Tim Walls bows out of his re election bid. Maduro pleads not guilty to narco terrorism charges. And the U.S. child vaccine schedule gets a makeover. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Monday, January 5th, and this is Evening Wire.
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Former Democratic Vice presidential candidate Tim Walls abruptly pulled out of the race for Minnesota governor this year. Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arcand has more.
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In a statement released this morning, Walls said Minnesota has been unfairly targeted by the Trump administration's crackdown on ongoing fraud scandals in the state, which we've covered on the show. Here's Walz at a press conference today.
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Even as we make progress in the fight against the fraudsters, we now see an organized group of political actors seeking to take advantage of a crisis. Donald Trump and his allies in Washington and in St. Paul and online want to make our state a colder, meaner place. Election years have a way of ramping up the politics at a time when we simply can't afford more of that in Minnesota. So I've decided to step out of this race and I'll let others worry about the election while I focus on the work that's in front of me for the next year.
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Walz has faced calls to resign amid numerous fraud scandals in the state, including cases ranging from the fake children's charity Feeding Our Future and autism treatment fraud schemes prosecuted by the Justice Department.
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Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores appeared in court today in New York City. Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has been keeping an eye on the trial. He's here with the latest.
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Both pleaded not guilty to the charges presented, and Maduro claimed that he is still the rightful leader of Venezuela and had been kidnapped. Maduro is charged with narco terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Flores is charged with accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and arranging a meeting between a drug trafficking organization and the Venezuelan government. The lawyer representing Flores argued that she suffered, quote, significant injuries during the raid and asked the court to grant her a medical evaluation. As an aside, the attorney who negotiated the release of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will join Maduro's defense team. As Maduro was leaving the courtroom, he said in Spanish, quote, I am a prisoner of war. The next court hearing is set for March 17th.
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President Trump has already set some criteria for elections in Venezuela. When asked how soon elections could be held, here's how the president responded.
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Well, I think we're looking more at getting it fixed getting it ready first because it's a mess. It's been horribly run. So we're going to have the big oil companies going. They're going to fix the infrastructure, they're going to invest money. We're going to just take care of the country. We're going to cherish the country.
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He also told the New York Post on Sunday, quote, we should run the country with law and order, and added that the opposition leader, Maria Corino Machado, would not win an election without his support, though he, quote, likes her very much.
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The news of Maduro's capture and U.S. involvement in Venezuela's oil industry has hit the markets. Oil futures initially fell before climbing. Companies related to oil production and refinement saw their stocks jump, including Valero, Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Defense stocks rose as well, and the Wall Street Journal reports the Dow Jones seemed, quote, headed for a record close following morning trading.
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Starlink will provide free high speed Internet service to Venezuelans for the next 30 days as the country stabilizes. That's according to a post on X last night from owner Elon Musk. Musk has been a vocal supporter of the operation in Venezuela, posting on Saturday, quote, long overdue prosperity is coming for the people of Venezuela. Starlink is SpaceX's satellite Internet service.
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In the wake of the Maduro operation, the Trump administration issued a not so subtle warning directly to Iran on Sunday. Daily Wire reporter Cassie Akiva has more.
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The State Department posted a series of ominous messages on its Farsi language X account, including, quote, president Trump is a man of action. If you didn't know, now you know. The post included an image of Trump alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Radcliffe, who accompanied with the Farsi language warning, don't play with President Trump. The messages come as the Iranian regime conducted missile tests and continue to crack down on demonstrators around the country. As we covered this morning, the Islamic regime has thus far defied President Donald Trump's call for a stop to violence.
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The US Vaccine schedule for children is getting a major overhaul for the first time in decades. The Department of Health and Human Services is recommending fewer shots for kids. Under the new guidance, the CDC now advises vaccines for 11 diseases instead of eight, aligning most closely with Denmark's approach. Health officials say the move is aimed at restoring public trust after the COVID pandemic, not discouraging vaccination. While critics worry this change may cause confusion, the Trump administration says that all previously recommended vaccines will remain available and covered by insurance and parents can still choose the full schedule.
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Democratic Senator Mark Kelly may soon face censure for his part in a video pointedly reminding service members to refuse illegal orders. Daily Wire senior editor Virginia Gruta has the details.
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According to Fox News, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is referring Kelly's rank and retirement pay to the secretary of the Navy for review, citing, quote, seditious statements. Kelly retired from the Navy as a captain but could be downgraded as a result of the review, Hegseth said, quote, six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly and five other members of Congress released a reckless and seditious video. As a retired Navy captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. Kelly sniped back in a post on X, calling Hegseth, quote, the most unqualified secretary of defense in our country's history and labeled the censure and review as outrageous and un American.
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Dozens of villagers were killed or kidnapped in Nigeria this week as attacks on Christian communities continue to escalate.
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Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest. Despite limited US Airstrikes against Islamic State terrorists in Nigeria on Christmas Day, the village of papiri, home of St. Mary's Catholic School, was attacked days later, leaving at least 37 people dead, according to local residents. The regional Catholic Diocese reports that attackers raided the school's church, stealing money and destroying religious items. The assailants were reportedly searching for the local priest but were unable to locate him. It remains unclear whether the United States will take further action, though President Trump has previously pledged to ensure the safety of Christians in the region.
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Two bar owners in Switzerland are now under criminal investigation after their bar burst into flames during a New Year's Eve. Party officials say sparkler candles got too close to ceiling insulation, causing a rapid fire in the crowded basement. At least 40 people died and 119 people suffered injuries in the blaze, many of them teenagers. In Switzerland, the drinking age is 16 and the bar was popular with teens. Here's one young man who felt the weight of his near miss experience.
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It's so close to us that we.
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Might have gone there. There was a significant chance that we.
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We ended up dead because we decided to go party. The bar's two operators are suspected of homicide by negligence, causing bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.
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A federal trial is set to begin tomorrow in Mississippi in connection with a large scale welfare fraud scheme. Daily Wire senior editor Joel Niedler has the latest.
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The scandal centers on the misuse of funds from a welfare program known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Investigators say money intended to support struggling families was instead used to enrich nonprofit administrators and finance unrelated projects, including approximately $5 million for a new volleyball stadium. While most of those indicted in the scheme have agreed to plea deals, One defendant, Ted DiBiase Jr. Has chosen to take his case to trial. Dibiase, a former WWE wrestler, is accused of entering into sham contracts with nonprofit organizations and personally profiting by more than $1 million. The case mirrors similar fraud scandals in Minnesota and underscores a growing public sentiment that government fraud will no longer be tolerated.
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A federal appeals court has shot down California's ban on openly carrying firearms in most of the state, ruling it violates the Second Amendment. In a 2 to 1 decision, the 9th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals said the law, which applied to counties with more than 200,000 residents, effectively barred open carry for about 95% of Californians. Writing for the majority, Judge Lawrence Van Dyke said the historical records shows open carry was widely protected at the nation's founding and that California failed to justify the restrictions under Supreme Court precedent and.
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All Paws on deck at a Virginia airport in an effort to reunite a lost teddy bear with its owner. I did not write that Officials at Norfolk International Airport shared a photo of the plush toy sporting pajamas and bunny slippers after it was turned into a lost and found late last month. A photo shared on the airport's Facebook page quickly went viral, drawing thousands of shares and comments from users hoping to help. Some suggested the bear may be from a build a bear and could be traced through a manufacturer program. Airport officials say they're hopeful the attention will help bring the stuffed animal home.
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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 new details coming to light about the capture of Maduro, nationwide protests boiling over in Iran and Mamdani beginning his term as mayor with fresh controversy. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.