Evening Wire: Trump’s Maduro Bounty & Carano, Disney Settle | 8.8.25

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President Trump ups the bounty on Venezuela's dictator.

An Obama-appointed judge chomps down on Alligator Alcatraz.

And Disney settles a big lawsuit brought by Gina Carano.

I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley.

It's Friday, August 8th, and this is Evening Wire.

President Trump hosted leaders from both Armenia and Azerbaijan for a historic summit.

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce has more.

Today, the president hosted the prime ministers from both countries for what he called an official peace signing ceremony.

The declaration was hailed as a victory for peace and also paved the way for U.S.

rights to develop a South Caucasus transit corridor that will bear Trump's name.

The region, a strategic bridge between Europe and Asia, has long been a flashpoint for conflict, and some major questions are still to be resolved, such as competing territorial claims made by each country.

Still, the summit marks the first time in years the two countries have agreed to a comprehensive settlement after decades of failed diplomacy and violent fire-ups.

Israel's political security cabinet has approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, expanding military operations in the nearly two-year war.

The plan calls for evacuating civilians before the assault, and it's seen by Israeli leaders as key to defeating the terror group Hamas and freeing remaining hostages.

Hamas condemned the decision as a blatant coup against negotiations.

Netanyahu says Israel does not want to govern Gaza long term, but will maintain a security perimeter.

Here's the Prime Minister on Fox.

We want to hand it over to

Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life.

That's not possible with Hamas.

President Trump has authorized the Pentagon to use military force against Latin American drug cartels designated as terror groups.

The move could allow direct operations at sea or on foreign soil against groups like Trende Aragua, MS-13, and Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles.

Officials say it's part of Trump's pledge to treat cartels as armed terrorist threats to U.S.

security.

The Trump administration is calling out Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro for his continued narco-terrorism, and it's offering $50 million for information leading to his arrest.

Daily Wire reporter Mareta Lordy has the latest.

Attorney General Pam Bondi says Maduro works with transnational cartels moving cocaine, often fentanyl-laced, into the U.S., fueling addiction.

The DEA has seized 30 tons of cocaine tied to Maduro and his network, including nearly seven tons linked directly to him.

Maduro has faced U.S.

narco-terrorism and weapons charges since 2020.

The bounty, first set at $15 million under Trump, was doubled Thursday from the Biden-era $25 million offer.

Here's A.G.

Pambandi.

He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.

Therefore, we've doubled his reward to $50 million.

Under President Trump's leadership, Maduro will not escape justice and he will be held accountable for his despicable crimes.

An infamous narco rapper with millions of followers has been sanctioned by the U.S.

Treasury.

Officials say Ricardo Hernandez-Madrano, also known as El Machabelico, is guilty of money laundering on behalf of Mexico's Cartel de Narreste.

Reportedly, half of the rapper's streaming royalties go directly to the cartel, while his concerts serve as, quote, cash-washing fronts.

The cartel relies on such revenue streams to supplement drug trafficking, human smuggling, and extortion.

Officials say Hernandez's designation targets his ties to the cartel under U.S.

counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism executive orders.

President Trump is amping up the presence of federal law enforcement in D.C.

Daily Wire reporter Amanda Press-Giacomo has the latest.

The boost comes after a surge in violent crime, including the brutal street attack of a former Doge employee who's nicknamed Big Balls.

Starting early this morning, agencies including the FBI, DEA, and Homeland Security investigations will join local police for a week-long operation targeting high crime and tourist areas with the option to extend.

Back in March, Trump signed an executive order creating the Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which also calls for tougher detention policies and stricter immigration enforcement.

The White House says this is all part of Trump's pledge to make D.C.

safe again for residents, lawmakers, and visitors.

A GOP challenger is calling out Cincinnati's current mayor over last month's viral brawl in downtown.

Mayoral hopeful Corey Bowman argues that lax bail policies and mismanaged police resources are what's fueling repeat violence, as seen in the video.

He's promising more patrols, faster officer hiring, and shifting city funds directly to law enforcement.

Meanwhile, current Mayor Aftab Peraval defends community programs and says his administration is committed to both safety and long-term prevention.

Meanwhile, in Baltimore, a man who brutally beat two elderly pro-life advocates has dodged prison time.

28-year-old Patrick Bryce was sentenced to one year of home detention and three years probation for the 2023 assault on 73-year-old Mark Crosby and 84-year-old Richard Schaefer outside a Planned Parenthood.

Prosecutors sought 10 years calling for a strong deterrent, but the judge opted for house arrest instead.

After the trial, Crosby told the Daily Wire that he was not surprised by the outcome.

Baltimore City is criminal friendly.

It's not victim-friendly at all, especially if you're a senior.

So nothing surprises me with these judges.

The judges do not like pro-lifers.

They don't like us saving babies.

Both victims say the attack was unprovoked and politically charged, though Bryce denies targeting them for their beliefs.

A federal judge has halted all new construction at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz, which houses illegal immigrants.

Judge Kathleen Mary Williams issued a 14-day restraining order after environmental groups and the Miccosukee tribe argued that work began without required impact studies.

The site borders sensitive wildlife habitat and land reportedly sacred to the tribe.

Florida officials say the ruling is wrong, but note the facility will stay open, with the order only applying to new additions.

The state argues it's not subject to federal environmental law.

This is the way.

Disney has settled a lawsuit filed by the Mandalorian star Gina Carano.

Daily Wire's senior editor Joel Needler has the details.

Disney had fired Carano from the Star Wars show after she compared being conservative in the U.S.

to being Jewish in Nazi Germany.

Carano filed her wrongful termination and sex discrimination lawsuit against Disney in 2024.

Elon Musk backed the suit, helping Carano fund the effort.

A Disney spokesperson said the company looks forward to working with Carano again in the future.

No details about the settlement were shared.

Carano said the settlement was, quote, the best outcome, and thanked her supporters, including Musk.

Skydance is officially merging with Paramount.

The new company is called Paramount, a Skydance Corporation.

Daily Wire reporter Zach Jewell has the story.

The new company is under CEO David Ellison, the son of a billionaire Oracle co-founder.

The merger comes as the Federal Communication Commission continues to probe CBS News.

Meanwhile, Ellison said it is an honor to lead the company.

Some industry insiders believe he will try to get rid of the liberal bias at CBS News.

He's already agreed to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion measures at the new company.

Howard Stern Show is up in the air as his serious XM contract nears its end.

Stern's current contract is for $500 million.

The Sun reports that the shock jock would consider a short-term contract for the right price, but is considering ending the show altogether.

Stern's show has been on Sirius XM since 2006.

Stern's audience has dwindled in recent years from 20 million daily listeners to just 125,000.

Stern leaned Republican early in his career, but now calls himself woke.

And Greg Guttfeld appeared on Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show last night.

The Guttfeld host recounted the humorous story of how he and Fallon met in an illegal speakeasy owned by a mutual friend.

I light a cigarette and I'm smoking it, and you stop and you come over to me and you grab it and you crinkle it and you go, these things will kill you.

And you threw it.

And then I go, I go, dude, I go, I'm not rich.

If you're rich, I have to put that cigarettes are expensive in New York City.

I yell, and you just, and all of a sudden your face changed and you looked sad.

And then you left.

Yeah.

then, and then five minutes later, you come back with a fresh pack of parliaments and you hand them to me and you go here.

And I go, That was really sweet.

You want me to die?

All right, those are your drive-home updates.

To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com.

And in case you missed it this morning, we covered some major stories, including Trump reforming the banking industry and threatening to federalize DC.

Thanks for tuning in.

We'll be back tomorrow morning with a weekend edition of Morning Wire.

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