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The Morning News Brief on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. (YCSO; KSAZ-TV; Getty Images)
From a money laundering and human smuggling investigation that led to raids at multiple Arizona restaurants to a fiery crash along an East Valley freeway that left a driver dead, here’s a look at some of your top headlines for the morning of July 16.
1. Yavapai County restaurants raided 
What we know:
More than 20 arrests were made at multiple Arizona restaurants in connection with a money laundering, labor exploitation and human smuggling investigation.
Dig deeper:
The raids happened at Colt Grill locations in Cottonwood, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Sedona and Alabama.
2. Deadly crash along Valley freeway 
What we know:
A pickup truck driver was killed in a fiery crash along the Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway in Mesa.
Dig deeper:
The crash shut down the westbound lanes at Broadway Road.
3. The Epstein files 
U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi (L) arrive to speak at the Department of Justice in Washington, DC, on March 14, 2025.
What they’re saying:
President Donald Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi should release “whatever she thinks is credible” in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation amid pressure from some lawmakers over the release of files related to the late wealthy financier’s case.
The backstory:
Bondi implied in a February interview that Epstein had an alleged “client list” that was sitting on her desk. But the Associated Press reported that the Department of Justice later distributed binders marked “declassified” to conservative influencers at the White House, and the agency later acknowledged in a two-page memo that the “client list” didn’t exist.
4. House explosion in southern AZ 
House explodes in Tucson, firefighters say
No one was hurt when a fire on Tucson’s southeast side exploded, firefighters said. Six people were displaced, and a nearby home was also damaged. It’s unclear what caused the explosion.
5. Attempted kidnapping caught on camera
What we know:
A man is facing multiple felony charges after deputies say he tried to kidnap a woman outside a Florida business in broad daylight last month, which was captured on surveillance video.
Dig deeper:
Investigators said the man, identified as Theodore Michael Tundidor, robbed the store before dragging a female employee outside and trying to shove her into his vehicle.
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