Transcript of Evening Wire: 22 Arrested at Anti-Islam Protest & Trump Weighs In On Flock Cameras | 8.19.26

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22 people are arrested in Dearborn, Michigan during an anti-Islam protest. President Trump weighs in on flock cameras, and Moderna shares double after announcing a major breakthrough in combating skin cancer. I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Wednesday, August 19th, and this is Evening Wire.

Police in Dearborn, Michigan arrested 22 people yesterday during an anti-Islam demonstration held near a city council meeting. The protest was organized by activist Jake Lang as part of his Christian Crusader March, and it drew several hundred people. As we reported earlier this week, authorities had moved the council meeting in anticipation of the crowd to a different location. Police said most demonstrators remained peaceful, but officers did intervene at times when people crossed the line. All 22 arrests involved misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct and breach of peace, while no protesters, bystanders, or officers suffered injuries.

Congressman Byron Donalds cruised to victory yesterday in the Republican primary to succeed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. With less than 5% of the vote left to be counted, Donalds secured 48% of the vote. His next closest competitor was Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins with 25%. Donalds was the Trump-backed favorite heading into Tuesday's contest, but that didn't keep the primary from turning contentious. Here was Donalds' message after his victory.

Individual opinions and passionate supporters are the beauty of our conservative movement. But tonight, the primary is over. Tonight, we put aside our differences. Tonight, we are one united Republican Party.

In the general election, Donalds will face Democrat David Jolly, who left the GOP during Trump's first term.

A Somali national convicted of Medicaid fraud appears to be part of a network of shell company owners that have bilked U.S. taxpayers for tens of millions of dollars. Daily Wire contributor Tim Pearce has more.

Ali Jama was sentenced to 18 months in prison for fraud in February 2019. He stopped paying restitution after just a few checks, though, because his attorney said he was broke. But he continues to live at a house under his landlord, another immigrant who coincidentally ran a Medicaid firm out of the same building as Jama's fake business. Two other foreign nationals and close associates of Jama live just feet away from his rental on Morality Street in Columbus, Ohio. Each own multiple properties and their own Medicaid businesses, though there is little evidence that those businesses exist anywhere but on paper. You can read about it all and more in the latest installment from Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak's series on fraud, Medicaid Millions.

Inspired by Luke Rosiak's reporting, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst has crafted legislation to close a serious loophole used by fraudsters to bilk U.S. taxpayers. Here's Luke with more.

This week, Ernst introduced the No Cash for Cohabitating Kins of Crooks Act. The bill would stop government contracts from going to anybody who lives with somebody ruled ineligible because of fraud or other criminal conduct. The legislation should stop schemes such as those documented in The Daily Wire's Medicaid Millions series, where a fraudster is able to keep their hustle going even after being caught by restarting their business under a spouse's or child's name. Ernst said in a statement, quote, "The bill will close the fraudster family businesses by prohibiting hooligans living in the same house from getting their hands on taxpayer money." HHS Secretary R.F.K.

Jr. is launching an initiative to combat Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. The Secretary announced the new programs alongside actor Dennis Quaid.

Over the past 2 years, HHS has worked with the LymeX community to help bring 2 improved FDA-cleared Lyme diagnostics to market, giving clinicians better tools and helping more patients get an accurate diagnosis sooner. Together, we can advance science, improve care, and give more patients the answers they deserve. We want to get back to a country where families can enjoy the outdoors again. Where kids can spend their summers exploring the woods, camping, fishing, hiking, and playing outside, and parents don't have to wonder whether a single tick bite could change their child's life forever.

RFK and Quaid highlighted how patients with Lyme disease are often misdiagnosed for years. The new programs will push for new research on treatments while also improving diagnostic tools and helping patients find treatment resources.

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President Trump has made his first comments in the controversial flock camera debate. Daily Wire lifestyle reporter Lauren Baer has more.

Flock cameras have become a major point of political contention in recent months. The cameras, which have been adopted by hundreds of municipalities around the country, automatically log and track license plates of passing cars, as well as being capable of facial recognition. The information captured by the cameras then becomes available in a massive database for other Flock subscribers to use. Debates around the legality and potential misuse of the cameras have transcended party lines. President Trump was recently asked for his opinion. Here's what he had to say. What's your stance?

Well, it's being studied right now. You know, you have pros and cons, right? It's being studied right now. We'll have an answer sort of as to our views on it over the next couple of weeks.

The flock debate has become heated to the point where, around the country, masked individuals have made a veritable cottage industry around vandalizing the cameras. If the issue continues to escalate, Trump may soon be forced to weigh in more heavily.

President Trump confirmed Wednesday that he plans to sit down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un later this year, which would be the third time the two men have met. The president didn't offer any other details when asked by the media. But he will be in China in November for a summit. Trump told reporters he gets along with the North Korean dictator, which he called a good thing, not a bad thing. He also claimed that the regime has 57 very powerful nuclear weapons. That marks the first time a U.S. official has put a specific number on the North Korean arsenal.

Philadelphia police are on the lookout for a Chucky mask-wearing assailant accused of terrorizing a female jogger. Daily Wire Associate Producer Brooke Morgado has the story.

The incident occurred near Philadelphia City Hall when a black male suspect wearing a Chucky Halloween mask approached several individuals while filming himself. In one encounter, he accosted a female jogger saying, quote, "Are you ready to die?" The woman then ran away, calling for help. During the encounter, the suspect kept one arm concealed behind his back, according to police. No weapon appears in the surveillance video. But police say the suspect is wanted on charges including possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats, harassment, assault, reckless endangerment, and intimidation. Aside from a minor injury to her leg while making her escape, the jogger made it out unharmed.

There's an update in Carmelo Anthony's ongoing legal battle as the convicted murderer seeks a retrial. An outside judge has now granted the recusal of District Judge John Roach He was the one who originally presided over Anthony's trial, from deciding on a retrial. The defense team argued that Roach could not impartially rule on the matter due to interviews the judge gave following the trial. Visiting Judge Sid Harrell stated that he believes Judge Roach could adjudicate fairly, but he ultimately approved Anthony's request in order to remove any doubts about impartiality. The defense will now make their case for a retrial in a hearing tomorrow arguing in part that the jury was unfair due to not having any Black members.

And Moderna shares more than doubled today after the company and Merck reported encouraging results from an experimental mRNA vaccine designed to prevent melanoma from returning or spreading in high-risk patients. The results mark a major milestone for the company's effort to develop personalized cancer treatments using mRNA technology and could eventually provide a new option for patients with the deadly skin cancer. Moderna hopes to bring the treatment to market as early as 2027. Merck shares also climbed more than 10% following the announcement, with the two companies poised to add more than $50 billion in combined market value. All right, those are your drive home updates.

To learn more about these stories, go to dailywire.com. And in case you missed it earlier today, we covered some major stories including Disney going to war with Trump's FCC, Florida voters choosing their nominees to be governor as Ron DeSantis turns out and a shocking scandal rocking the polling industry and the media. Thanks for tuning in. We'll be back tomorrow morning with another full edition of Morning Wire.

What if a few minutes with God could change the direction of your entire day? With pray.com, you can begin each morning with powerful daily prayers, inspiring Bible stories, and messages created to strengthen your faith. Whether you need peace, encouragement, or a fresh start, pray.com helps you make prayer part of your everyday life. Download the pray.com app today.