Suspected Terror Probed & Talarico Courts Christians | 3.13.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Suspected Terror Probed & Talarico Courts Christians | 3.13.26
Air Date: March 13, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Produced by: The Daily Wire

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on two major stories: rising concerns about suspected terrorist attacks in Michigan and Virginia, and the Democratic Party’s embrace of James Talarico—a Senate candidate from Texas who emphasizes his Christian faith in nontraditional, progressive ways. The hosts also briefly discuss the upcoming 98th Academy Awards and Hollywood’s renewed obsession with extreme thinness, particularly through the use of weight loss drugs.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rising Terrorism Concerns (02:51–06:11)

• Attacks Shaking Communities:
  Two alarming attacks—one at Old Dominion University (Virginia), the other at a Michigan synagogue—have put communities on high alert.
  • Virginia: A former National Guardsman, Muhammad Baylor Jalo, stormed into an ROTC class, killed a retired officer, wounded two others, and was subdued by students.
    • Jalo shouted "Allahu Akbar," had a prior conviction for attempting to support ISIS, and had been released from prison recently.
    • The FBI is treating this as a terror investigation.

    "According to authorities, a former National Guardsman stormed an ROTC class on campus and killed a retired military officer... The attacker has been identified as Muhammad Baylor Jalo." (Daily Wire Contributor, 02:59)

  • Michigan: At Temple Israel in Bloomfield, an attacker (Ayman Gaz, naturalized US citizen from Lebanon) attempted to enter a preschool in a car loaded with explosives but was quickly shot and killed by a security guard, likely saving dozens of lives.
    • The attack is being investigated as anti-Semitic.

    "A security guard at the Temple Israel... engaged the attacker soon after the gunman arrived. That quick action may have saved dozens of lives, including those of many children." (Daily Wire Contributor, 03:41)

    • Authorities had already heightened security based on weeks of intelligence.

    "We've been talking for two weeks about the potential, sadly, of this happening. So there was no lack of preparation." (Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, 04:03)

    • Jewish congregations in Michigan are increasing security; Governor Whitmer condemned the attack as "heartbreaking."
• National Security Context:
  • President Trump, speaking in Kentucky, claimed victory in “Operation Epic Fury” against Iran, even as operations continue.

    "Well, it's only good if you win... And we've won. Let me say we've won. You know, you never like to say too early, you won, we won. We won the bet. In the first hour, it was over." (Donald Trump, 05:31)

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2. James Talarico and the Battle for Christian Voters (06:14–10:46)

• Democratic Rising Star:
  • James Talarico, Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, is gaining attention for centering his campaign around his Christian faith—but with a progressive theological slant.
    • He beat Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary, making waves in the party.
    • Frames most policy positions, including support for transgender rights, from a Christian perspective.

    "Trans children are God's children, made in God's own image. There's nothing wrong with them, nothing at all. Bullying children, it's a sin, a special kind of sin." (James Talarico on Texas House floor, 07:34)

  • Media Reception:
    • Outlets like Vox and Ms. Now praise Talarico for his “unapologetic embrace” of faith and argue he’s teaching Democrats how to claim Christianity back from Republicans.
    • New York Times: Talarico poses a new threat to Republicans due to his faith-based critiques of traditional American church practices.
  • Backlash from Religious Leaders:
    • Talarico’s unconventional faith positions—such as claiming God is non-binary, referencing the Gospel of Thomas, and using the Virgin Birth to defend abortion rights—have led to backlash from pastors and theologians.

    "Talarico's arguments are not just heretical but would be unrecognizable to any historic expression of the Christian tradition." (Andrew Walker, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 08:41)

    • Went viral for being called "a heretic" by Dallas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton.

    "God asks for Mary's consent, which is remarkable. That's how I come down on that side of the issue." (James Talarico on Joe Rogan, 09:50)

• Electoral Realities:
  • Despite his primary win and media enthusiasm, Megan Basham is skeptical Talarico can flip Texas for the Democrats, pointing out that Republicans have dominated statewide races since 1994.

    "Texas has not seen a Democrat win statewide election since 1994, so I am not expecting Talarico to win this seat, but we'll see." (Megan Basham, 10:30)

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3. Oscars Preview & Hollywood’s “Heroin Chic” Renaissance (10:49–15:25)

• Red Carpet Focus:
  • The 98th Academy Awards (hosted by Conan for a second year) are expected to highlight not just films, but also a controversial return to extreme thinness in Hollywood.
  • Ballet icon Misty Copeland and Barbra Streisand to perform/appear for special tributes.
  • Best Picture nominee "Sinners" received 16 nominations—an Oscar record.
• “Heroin Chic” and the Ozempic Craze:
  • Hollywood is experiencing a new obsession with being extremely thin, aided by weight loss drugs like Ozempic (GLP-1 agonists)—a repeat of early 2000s trends.
    • Even celebrities associated with "body positivity" are now "shrinking."

    "After the body positive movement...That is over. Now we're doing even faces of that movement like Amy Schumer, Lizzo, Meghan Trainor herself are all dropping down to half their size." (Lauren Baer, 13:08)

  • Celebrities and influencers are financially invested in the weight loss business, with red carpet appearances functioning both as entertainment and subtle product endorsements.

    "Even if Oprah's not there, she has a book out that's about the weight loss drug that she is taking. And she already made a bunch of money off of us from Weight Watchers..." (Lauren Baer, 14:27)

• Oscars as Business Showcase:
  • Expect Oscar-night advertisements and celebrity brand tie-ins tied to the body image industry, reinforcing the commercial stakes of celebrity weight loss.
  • Lauren Baer admits she’s watching mainly for the red carpet, not the movies.

    "I'm gonna be honest, the only Oscar movie that I've seen I think probably is Sinners. That's the only one I've seen. But...I do wanna watch. And I'm going to watch." (Georgia Howe, 15:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Terrorist Attacks Preparedness:

  "We've been talking for two weeks about the potential, sadly, of this happening. So there was no lack of preparation."
  — Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard (04:03)

• On the Use of Faith in Progressive Politics:

  "Trans children are God's children, made in God's own image. There's nothing wrong with them, nothing at all. Bullying children, it's a sin, a special kind of sin."
  — James Talarico (07:34)

• On James Talarico’s Faith Claims:

  "Talarico's arguments are not just heretical but would be unrecognizable to any historic expression of the Christian tradition."
  — Andrew Walker, professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (08:41)

• On Hollywood’s Weight Loss Obsession:

  "So much of Hollywood is on the shrinkage train. Different shrinkage than on Seinfeld, if you remember that episode."
  — Lauren Baer (12:54)

• On Celebrities' Financial Stakes in Weight Loss Trends:

  "Even if Oprah's not there, she has a book out that's about the weight loss drug that she is taking. And she already made a bunch of money off of us from Weight Watchers."
  — Lauren Baer (14:27)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:51 – Michigan & Virginia suspected terror attacks
• 03:41 – Temple Israel synagogue attack details
• 05:08 – Trump’s remarks on Iran and Operation Epic Fury
• 06:14 – James Talarico and the progressive Christian narrative
• 07:34 – Talarico’s faith-based defense of trans rights (quote)
• 08:41 – Backlash from religious leaders
• 09:50 – Talarico uses Immaculate Conception to discuss abortion (quote)
• 10:49 – 98th Academy Awards preview, “heroin chic” in Hollywood
• 12:54 – Celebrity use of weight loss drugs (Ozempic) becomes widespread
• 14:27 – Celebrities’ financial connections to weight loss industry

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Tone and Language

The hosts maintain a brisk, informative, and often skeptical tone—particularly toward progressive trends both in politics and culture. The episode blends hard news with cultural commentary, deploying direct quotes and bite-sized analysis.

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This summary should provide a rich and faithful overview for anyone who missed the episode, covering the major news stories, cultural trends, and memorable moments discussed on Morning Wire.

Transcript

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[Megan Basham]

I'm scared to death for my friends. I mean I'm just, I've never seen anything like this.

[John Bickley]

Michigan and Virginia are shaken after a pair of alarming attacks as communities remain on high alert.

[Tim Pierce]

I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community. It's a terrible thing. We're going to be right down to the bottom of it.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, March 13th. This is Morning Wire.

[Georgia Howe]

Texas Democrats believe they have a rising star in James Tallarico as their Senate nominee. But Republicans say not so fast.

[John Bickley]

If I had a dollar for every time someone said they're going to turn Texas blue, I could buy FOX News. And it's not going to happen this year, especially not with this character. And the 98th Academy Awards take place this Sunday. We discuss the headliners and the headlines consuming Hollywood.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING W. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. I am very excited to tell you about our sponsor today, Quince. Quince is an online retailer that sells high quality classic clothing and home items made of real materials like cotton, cashmere, silk, linen, leather. And they sell them for extremely reasonable prices. Today I am wearing a leather jacket from Quince. It's one of multiple that I own and it was such an amazing buy. This cost me about 250 doll, which is a fraction of what I've spent on some other jackets that I own. And the quality is extremely comparable to some much more expensive jackets. So if you're like me and you have a taste for luxury, but you also love a bargain, you need to check out quinte. Please use quints.comwire to support our show. Plus that link will get you free shipping and 365 day returns. That deal also extends to Canadians as well. That's Q-U-I-N C-E.com wire for free, free shipping and a whole year to decide if you like your items, that's quince.com wire concerns over terrorism grow after attacks at Old Dominion University and a synagogue in Michigan.

[John Bickley]

Daily Wire contributor Tim Pierce is here to talk about what took place on Thursday morning. Tim, so what have we learned so far about these attacks?

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

We'll start with the attack at Old Dominion University. According to authorities, a former National Guardsman stormed into an ROTC class on campus and killed a retired military officer and moved to two others before he was taken down by students in the class. The attacker has been identified as Muhammad Baylor Jalo. During the attack, Jalo shouted Allahu Akbar. According to authorities, he has a criminal record and links to terrorism. Jalo was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2017 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. He was released from prison in December 2024. The FBI is investigating this incident as a terror attack.

[John Bickley]

Now, there was another incident at a synagogue in Michigan yesterday. Very alarming there. What can you tell us about that?

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Right. So the good news here is that authorities say nobody but the attacker was killed. A security guard at the Temple Israel in Bloomfield, Michigan, engaged the attacker soon after the gunman arrived. That quick action may have saved dozens of lives, including those of many children. Authorities have feared that something like this attack could happen. Here was Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Thursday.

[Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard]

The chief and I have been communicating for almost two weeks. Every time I've gotten some intelligence from the national level, I've been sharing. We've been talking for two weeks about the potential, sadly of this happening. So there was no lack of preparation. In addition, all Jewish facilities in the area are going to have a lot of extra presence around it until we figure this out.

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Jewish congregations in the state are already taking extra security measures because of this, with officials in Michigan labeling this an anti Semitic attack. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in a statement called the attack heartbreaking and said anti Semitism and violence have no place in Michigan.

[John Bickley]

What do we know so far about the attacker in this case?

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

So the attack began with the gunman driving his vehicle full of explosives into the entrance of a preschool at the synagogue. His car reportedly continued down the interior hallway before a security guard shot and killed him. As for the gunman himself, he has been identified as Ayman Gaz, a naturalized US Citizen from Lebanon who lived in Dearborn, Michigan. And as we've reported before, concern for terrorism is very high right now.

[John Bickley]

Now, President Trump did speak in Kentucky on Wednesday and address the war with Iran. What did we hear from him?

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Right. During this speech, Trump touched on a lot of familiar themes. But one of his cheap topics was Operation Epic Fury. Now, the operation just began two weeks ago, and not all of its objectives are met, but the president has already declared victory against the Iranian regime.

[Tim Pierce]

Well, it's only good if you win. You know, you can only do. And we've won. Let me say we've won. You know, you never like to say too early, you won, we won. We won the bet. In the first hour, it was over.

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Trump also took a few shots at his predecessors, Presidents Obama and Biden. The operation is still ongoing, even though Iran has almost no capacity to fight back. And the president said that that is because he can't count on another US President to finish the job.

[Tim Pierce]

We're not going to count on having competent presidents. We have to assume we're going to have incompetent ones like the one we had last time. They couldn't walk off a stage, remember?

[John Bickley]

Well, as you've laid out, Trump remaining confident but committed to finishing the job. Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Thanks for having me.

[John Bickley]

Democrats believe they found a new rising star in James Tallarico. Talarico heavily emphasized his Christian faith to beat Jasmine Crockett in the Democrat primary for a Texas Senate seat. Many in the party are now hoping his pitch could help them take back Christianity from the right.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with more is Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham. So, Megan, it's been a while since I've seen the legacy media and Democrats so excited about a candidate, and a Christian candidate, no less. Why is James Talarico generating so much interest?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, that's a really good question, Georgia, because Talarico was actually generating a lot of interest even before he beat Jasmine Crockett in that primary to run for that Texas Senate seat. He is one of the few openly religious candidates on the left. And so, so, you know, he's generating interest, I would say, honestly, on both sides. On one side very positive, and on the other side, much less so. And part of the reason that there's so much interest in him on both sides is because in speeches, in interviews, in social media posts, he will frame his views almost exclusively through the lens of Christian theology. In fact, this was what he said on the floor of the Texas House to defend his opposition to a bill that would have protected girls sports from accepting biological males.

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

Trans children are God's children, made in God's own image. There's nothing wrong with them, nothing at all. Bullying children, it's a sin, a special kind of sin.

[Megan Basham]

And so for that reason, you're seeing a lot of enthusiasm from the media who feel that he is a Democrat who may be able to draw some of those all important evangelical voters even in a conservative state. So Ms. Now, which is formerly msnbc, said that his quote, unapologetic embrace of his Christian faith sets him apart from other rising Democratic stars. Vox said that he's reclaiming Christianity from the right by teaching Democrats a better way to talk about faith. And then the New York Times said that he poses a new kind of threat to Republicans thanks to his matter of fact critique of how faith has come to be expressed in the American church.

[Georgia Howe]

Although as you alluded to, it's also garnered some backlash. I can imagine attempting to use the Bible to talk about having men compete in women's sports and support that might rub people the wrong way.

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, I think it would be hard to overstate the backlash as well, Georgia. And I'm not just talking about from conservative pundits and Talarico's opponents. I'm talking about pastors and theologians. You're hearing a lot of them out there quite alarmed about what Talarico is saying and claiming out on the campaign trail. So Andrew Walker, a theology professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said in an essay published in the Daily Wire that Talarico's arguments are not just heretical but would be unrecognizable to any historic expression of the Christian tradition. Now, for example, Talarico has said that God is non binary. To defend his support for providing transgender surgeries and puberty blockers to children. He has appealed to the gnostic text, the Gospel of Thomas, which to be clear, is not recognized in any biblical canon. He's appealed to appealed to that to argue that Jesus was a radical feminist and that Christianity is a feminist religion. And then on the Joe Rogan show, he said the immaculate Conception proves that God endorses abortion.

[Daily Wire Contributor (possibly Tim Pierce or another analyst)]

God asks for Mary's consent, which is remarkable. That's how I come down on that side of the issue.

[Megan Basham]

And keep in mind, he, he's appealing to the virgin birth to defend some really extreme abortion positions. And I think that's why you're seeing so much pushback from pastors and theologians. In fact, there was a viral post from Dallas megachurch pastor Josh Howerton in which he unequivocally called Talarico a heretic.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, he did have success in that Texas primary. Is that evidence that he can be successful with some of the moderates that Democrats want to woo over to their side?

[Megan Basham]

I don't think so. We have seen this movie before. Texas has not seen a Democrat win statewide election since 1994, so I am not expecting Talarico to win this seat, but we'll see.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, regardless, a candidate to keep an eye on. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

My pleasure.

[John Bickley]

The 98th annual Academy Awards are coming up this Sunday, and obviously I'm very interested in what everyone's going to be wearing. Georgia, maybe you should handle this segment.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, this is my fifth year in a row doing our Oscars segment, so. That's correct. Daily Wire reporter Lauren Baer joins us from our new lifestyle channel, Upstream. So, Lauren, just to start the new fashion trend that everyone is looking for on this red carpet this year is something we're calling heroin chic. Can you unpack that a little bit?

[Lauren Baer]

Yes. Okay, so first of all, so fun to be here with you guys talking about a topic that we are detailing over on Upstream. The Oscars are this Sunday at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to set the scene. I used to live down the street from the Dolby and they closed the entire block. Traffic is way worse than normal. And it's just everyone's starving themselves for like, what my friend used to call Hollywood prom night. So this year, Conan is gonna be hosting for the second year in a row, and we're set to see performances from all sorts of stars, notably. My mom will love this. Barbra Streisand is gonna be on hand to honor the late Robert Redford, who I love. They were co stars in the Way we Were back in the day. And ballet icon Misty Copeland will perform during the musical moment for best picture nominee Sinners, which, btw, got a record 16 nominations. They just shattered history for the Oscars. But I have homework to do because I have not seen any of the best picture nominees.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, you and the rest of America.

[Lauren Baer]

Yeah. However, I really come for the red carpet, so just be prepared to be shocked at how skinny Hollywood looks now.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, you wrote an article for Upstream about the alarming shrinkage of Hollywood bodies and the Ozempic craze. Obviously, we were all around in the early 2000s, so we've seen this before, but we are back in skinny territory. Tell us who you are gonna have your eyes on at the Oscars.

[Lauren Baer]

Um, everybody. Not everyone's copping to using it, but so much of Hollywood is on the shrinkage train. Different shrinkage than on Seinfeld, if you remember that episode.

[Georgia Howe]

I was in the pool.

[Lauren Baer]

So maybe you've heard of Ozempic. It's the thing everyone can't stop talking about. It's a GLP1 hormone mimicking drug that is meant to regulate your blood sugar. It's used by diabetic patients and it has like a weight loss side effect. So, of course, all of Hollywood is right in there on that train, just shooting drugs and popping pills to lose weight. So you might be feeling like a tiny bit of whiplash. After the body positive movement, when we were all doing Megan Trainor's all about that base and we were like, everybody has their different bodies and it was all beautiful utopia that is over. Now we're doing even faces of that movement like Amy Schumer, Lizzo, Meghan Trainor herself are all dropping down to half their size.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, something that you unpacked in your article on Upstream was that a lot of these celebrities who are appearing extremely thin also have a financial stake in the thinness industry. And people may not, may or may not be surprised to see lots of these pharmaceutical ads during the Oscars. Can you unpack the financial side of Oscars night?

[Lauren Baer]

Companies are making tons of money off of us watching the Oscars, even just stars walking on the red carpet. So, you know, there will be stuff in the swag bag that we'll Google. We'll Google, like, what are those shoes? What are those makeup stuff like that, including weight loss drugs to look like our favorite celebrities. So even if Oprah's not there, she has a book out that's about the weight loss drug that she is taking. And she already made a bunch of money off of us from Weight Watchers. Then there's Serena Williams. Even if she's not there, she's associated with Roe. You'll see her in ads where she's using RO saying that she lost all this weight. Her husband was an early investor in RO as a company. So they're making tons of money. They already have millions. They just need the rest of your millions.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, I'm gonna be honest, the only Oscar movie that I've seen I think probably is Sinners. That's the only one I've seen. But you know, every year I say that I hate the Oscars and I still, I do wanna watch. And I'm going to watch. Lauren, thanks for coming in.

[Lauren Baer]

Thank you so much.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show, you can also now watch the show free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back this evening with more news. You need to know.

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