custom taxonomy listing returns no posts

Answer moved from an edit in the answer to a real answer.

This is my query

<?php
                        $taxonomy = (get_post_type() == 'post' ? 'category' : (get_post_type() == 'news' || is_tax('news_categories') ? 'news_categories' : 'category'));

                        $tax_terms = get_terms($taxonomy, array('hide_empty'=> false) );
                        global $wp_query;

                        if( isset($_GET['s']) ):
                        $wp_query->is_search = true;
                    endif;

                    // var_dump($activeCategoryName = $wp_query->queried_object);

                        if(is_tax('news_categories')) {
                                $activeCategoryID = $wp_query->queried_object->term_id;
                                $allLink = get_bloginfo('url') . '/news';
                                $activeCategoryName = $wp_query->queried_object->name;
                        } elseif(is_category() || is_search()) {
                            $activeCategoryID = $wp_query->queried_object->term_id;
                            $activeCategoryName = $wp_query->queried_object->name;
                            $allLink = get_permalink(get_option('page_for_posts'));
                        } elseif (!is_search() && is_home()) {
                            $activeCategoryName="All Blog";
                        } elseif(!is_search() && is_post_type_archive('news') ) {
                            $activeCategoryName="All News";
                        }

                    ?>
                    <ul>
                        <?php

                        ?>
                        <li><a <?php echo ( !is_search() ? ( is_post_type_archive('news') || is_home() ? 'class="active_category"' : '' ) : '' ); ?> title="View all posts in news" href="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/136336/<?php echo $allLink; ?>">All</a></li>
                        <?php
                            foreach ($tax_terms as $tax_term) {
                                echo '<li><a ' . ($activeCategoryID == $tax_term->term_id ? 'class="active_category"' : '') . ' title="View all posts in ' . $tax_term->name . '" href="' . esc_attr(get_term_link($tax_term, $taxonomy)) . '">' . $tax_term->name . '</a></li>';
                            }
                        ?>
                    </ul>
                </div>
                <div id='search' class="col-lg-3 col-md-3">
                    <?php get_search_form(); ?>
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
    </section>
    <div id='blog_listing'>
        <div class="container">
            <div class="row">

                    <!-- <h1><?php echo wp_title('', false); ?></h1> -->
                    <?php
                        if(!is_search()) {
                    ?>
                        <h1>Currently Viewing <?php echo $activeCategoryName; ?> Articles</h1>
                    <?php
                        } else {
                    ?>
                        <h1>Search Results for <?php echo get_search_query(); ?></h1>
                    <?php
                        }
                    ?>
                    <?php
                        $postType = (is_home() ? 'post' : (is_post_type_archive('news') ? 'news' : 'post' ) );

                        $args = array(
                            'posts_per_page' => 6,
                            'post_type' => $postType,

                        );
                        $searchQuery = get_search_query();
                        if(!empty($searchQuery)) {
                            $args['s'] = $searchQuery;
                        };

                        if($postType == 'news') {
                            $args['news_categories'] = $activeCategoryID;
                        } elseif($postType == 'post') {
                            $args['cat'] = $activeCategoryID;
                        }

                        $wp_query = new WP_Query($args);

                        if ($wp_query->have_posts()) : while ($wp_query->have_posts()) : the_post();
                        $date = get_the_date();
                        $published_posts = $wp_query->found_posts;