New Jersey Drone Saga & East Palestine Settlement | Afternoon Update | 1.28.25

This episode is brought to you by Old Glory Bank. Co-founded in 2022 by Dr. Ben Carson, Larry Elder, and John Rich, Old Glory Bank now serves tens of thousands of customers in all 50 states. Go to oldglorybank.com slash wire today to open your account and put your money in the hands of people you can actually trust. I'm Daily Wire, Editor-in-Chief John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Tuesday, January 28th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update.

The first White House press briefing was held today and covered a wide range of topics. Among them, the Trump administration welcoming new media to the briefing, ICE, deportation efforts, and the freezing of federal grants. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt also had an announcement on the New Jersey drone saga. Daily Wire White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olahan was there in the room and is here now with some highlights.

Speaking to a jam-packed and energized press room, Levitt began by noting the amount of busts made by ICE in just the first week of Trump's administration, and then pivoted to news directly from the president regarding the New Jersey drone saga. The drones that were flying over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons.

Many of these Jones were also hobbyists, recreational, and private individuals that enjoy flying Jones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the enemy.

Levitt also announced some big briefing room changes announcing the independent journalist, podcasters, new media and social media influencers will now have a seat in the Brady briefing room. The new press secretary said that Trump administration is adapting to the new media landscape as traditional media faces record low trust levels.

Trump put a freeze on federal loans and grants today, halting trillions of taxpayer dollars from pouring into various financial assistance programs. No funds will be withheld from Social Security, Medicare, and other select programs, but the rest are paused indefinitely. The order is effective 5 p.m. Eastern today. The Office of Management and Budget will review all the pending programs and is expected to find itself in a showdown with lawmakers over the freeze. We'll have more on Trump's sweeping order in tomorrow's episode.

The New York City immigration crackdown has begun and federal agents launched sweeping deportation raids across the city. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the latest.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined officers as they targeted violent illegal immigrants and made arrests for crimes including kidnapping, assault, and even double homicide. Among the arrested was an interpol warranted fugitive from the Dominican Republic. Officials say the focus is on removing individuals with serious criminal charges to ensure public safety.

Officials say the raids also led to the arrest of an alleged trend de aragua ringleader in the Bronx. The 25-year-old is wanted for a high-profile break-in in Aurora, Colorado, and faces charges including kidnapping, burglary, and menacing. Neighbors describe the early morning raids as intense, with officers smashing down doors to apprehend dangerous suspects.

The House Oversight Committee has summoned the mayors of Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York City to testify about their sanctuary city policies. Chairman James Comer says these policies hinder federal immigration enforcement and endanger public safety. One of those mayors, Boston's Michelle Wu, faced direct criticism from Trump borders R. Tom Homan after suggesting that she won't cooperate with ICE.

We know that the federal government will continue to do what they do on the federal side. We will continue to do what we do on the city side, which is keeping everyone safe here. And we don't have the authority to, let's say, or overrule what they're doing in their domain. But neither do they in our domain either.

The Senate voted to confirm Trump's pick for Treasury Secretary last night. Scott Bessent was approved by a vote of 68 to 29, with more than a dozen Democrats joining Republicans to support him. The new Treasury Secretary will push to renew and possibly expand Trump's tax cuts, which are set to expire at the end of this year.

He laid out economic goals of 3 percent annual growth, deficit cuts, and increased domestic oil production. The Senate also voted to confirm Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary. Around two dozen Democrats joined with Republicans in the final vote.

Norfolk Southern and East Palestine, Ohio have reached a $22 million settlement. The deal comes nearly two years after the 2023 train derailment that released toxic chemicals into the surrounding area. The agreement resolves all claims by the village with funds allocated for local priorities. Norfolk Southern has also pledged millions toward public infrastructure and park improvements in addition to a $600 million class action settlement for residents.

The Gulf of Mexico is now the Gulf of America on Google Maps. Maps will update its platform to reflect the renaming after President Trump signed an executive order designating the change, and once official U.S. government records are updated. Google will also reinstate the name of Mount McKinley. President Obama had changed to the name of the mountain to Denali back in 2015.

and longtime CNN anchor and Trump critic Jim Acosta is leaving the network after nearly 18 years. Acosta, known for his heated confrontations with former President Trump, urged his viewers to, quote, stand up to tyrants and not give in to lies. His departure follows CNN's decision to exile his show to a midnight slot, a change he declined.

After giving all of this some careful consideration and weighing an alternative time slot, CNN offered me, I've decided to move on. I am grateful to CNN for the nearly 18 years I've spent here doing the news." Acosta plans to reveal his next step soon, thanking viewers for their support over the years. President Trump responded on truth social, calling Acosta a, quote, major loser.

Those of your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it, we covered some big stories this morning, including Trump's military rehaul, China's AI boom, and gunfire at the southern border. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.