Morning Wire - Jack Smith Report Decision & Cartel Border Tunnels | Afternoon Update | 1.13.25

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

Developing stories you need to know just in time for your drive home. Get the facts first on Morning Wire. Shopify: Go to https://Shopify.com/morningwire to start selling with Shopify today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash morningwire, all lowercase. Established in 2025 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Head over to shopify.com slash morning wire to start selling with Shopify today. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire, editor-in-chief John Bickley. It's Monday, January 13th, and this is your Morning Wire afternoon update. Special counsel Jack Smith's report on the cases against Trump will be released at least partially. Daily Wire Deputy Managing Editor Tim Rice has more.

A federal judge in Florida ruled that the Justice Department can release parts of Smith's report detailing decisions to charge Donald Trump in cases related to the 2020 election and classified documents. However, the judge blocked the release of sections tied to the classified documents case, citing risks to ongoing proceedings. Trump's legal team opposes any release, calling the report biased and unlawful. The Justice Department plans to release the election-related portion soon, while further court battles loom over transparency and accountability. Border agents have found a sophisticated smuggling tunnel between El Paso, Texas, and Juarez, Mexico.

The discovery follows similar finds in both California and Arizona. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has the details. Federal agents in El Paso found the tunnel connected to the city's storm drain system near the border. The tunnel is about four feet wide and six feet high and is equipped with electricity, ventilation, and wood supports. Homeland Security officials say it's a major blow to smuggling networks with agents vowing to bring those responsible to justice. Border Patrol chief Anthony Good praised the discovery and warned of the dangers posed by such tunnels. Investigators are working to trace the tunnels operators as similar discoveries have been made in Arizona and California. Here's Border Patrol agent Claudio Herrera, thanking other agencies involved.

Some of the efforts, combined efforts, is part of the HSI, FBI, a pilot. Texas Foreign Operations Branch, CBP Office of Fuel Operations, El Paso Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Mexican government, the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez, among others. The accused arsonists tackled and detained by onlookers last week in L.A. has not been charged with arson so far. The suspect who is a homeless Mexican national was put under citizens' arrest in Woodland Hills. Residents tackled and zip-tied. after he allegedly attempted to set items on fire with a blowtorch.

The suspect is in the U.S. illegally and is now being held on a felony probation violation. But police say there isn't enough evidence to charge him with arson at this time. Meanwhile, ICE has placed a detainer on him, but California's sanctuary state law is likely to prevent cooperation with federal authorities. Firefighters continue to race to contain the fires in Southern California. At last count, 24 are dead and many more. are missing in the devastation. Reporting from Pacific Palisades

as Daily Wire reporter, Spencer Lindquist. I've spent today driving through some of the areas affected by the Palisades fire, and it's difficult to put the destruction into words. I started in Santa Monica and took the Pacific Coast Highway headed north, and from there we found some Malibu landmarks, a popular restaurant and a wine bar that had both been completely decimated by the fire.

And it's an area that you think would be safe from fires. You could throw a baseball and hit the Pacific, but even there, The destruction is beyond words. And then you go up into the hills overlooking the coast, and there's an entire neighborhood that's almost totally destroyed. You've got the Santa Monica Mountains, which border Malibu, and now all this brush, all these root systems that were holding together these hills,

have been completely scorched off the face of those mountains. So it opens the area up to a risk of really major mudslides. Cease fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas have reportedly reached a breakthrough. Progress was made. We see some progress in the negotiations. Israel wants a hostage deal. Israel is working with our American friends in order to achieve a hostage deal. Officials say Hamas has promised to release hostages while Israel is considering releasing detained militants.

The talks attended by invoice from the Biden and incoming Trump administrations continue with both sides calling the next 24 hours. critical. About 100 hostages remain in Gaza with negotiations pushing for their return. Iran's president is set to pay Russia a visit this week. The Kremlin announced that Iranian President Musud Peskian will be meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow Friday. The leaders will reportedly sign a comprehensive strategic partnership pact aimed at expanding trade, logistics, and humanitarian cooperation. The meeting comes as both nations face accusations of deepening military ties, including claims that Iran has supplied Russia with drones used in Ukraine. Tehran is reportedly seeking advanced Russian weapons amid regional threats.

Carrie Underwood will perform at Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration next week. Underwood is set to take the stage after J.D. Vance is sworn in as vice president and before Trump takes the presidential oath of office. She's set to sing America the Beautiful. The performance confirmed by sources will feature Underwood alongside. the Armed Forces Chorus and the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club. Those are your drive home updates this afternoon. To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And for more in-depth reporting on the biggest stories of the day,

tune in to our full episode of Morning Wire every morning.