Footage Suggests Power Line Sparked Maui Fire; Trump Promises ‘Irrefutable' Evidence of GA Fraud

What's happening in the world, coming up on NTD News. First, our top stories. As Trump's fourth arraignment looms, how will his lawyers respond? One defendant in the case, a close Trump ally has already filed a motion. Trump's response to allegations he conspired to overthrow the 2020 election? Release a report on election fraud in Georgia. We hear about his upcoming press conference to do just that. What caused the Maui wildfires? A local captured video of the early stages of the blaze, and it hints at a cause. Find out how he jumped into action. The Supreme Court could review laws from Florida and taxes in social media content moderation. The laws are aimed at stopping censorship based on politics. Welcome to NTD News Today, I'm Chris Beers. Our top news, Trump's fourth arraignment looms in Georgia, and one defendant, Mark Meadows, has already filed the first motion. With more updates, Melina Wisecup joins us now from the Fulton County Courthouse. Melina, I want to know if you heard anything from Trump's lawyers, but first, tell us about how Mark Meadows is moving ahead. Hi, good afternoon, Chris. Yes, Mark Meadows, which was Trump's chief of staff when he served in the White House, he is the first of these 19 defendants to make a motion. And his lawyers argue that since he served in a federal capacity at the time of these actions that he's now being accused of as being criminal actions, his lawyers argue that this warrants them to move it to federal court so he can try his federal defense and perhaps use the supremacy clause to apply immunity to this case since he was acting in a federal capacity. Now, to answer your first question, Chris, we have not yet seen or heard anything from Trump's lawyers about how they plan to move ahead. We have not seen any motions. We have not seen any comment about when they plan to come here to have him arraigned in the state of Georgia. He could possibly follow Mark Meadows, which has been speculated by some legal experts out there saying that he could try to also get this case moved to federal court, where perhaps he could have a friendlier jury, one who he maybe perhaps appointed when he was sitting in the White House, the federal judge at least. So this is kind of the speculations out there, although we haven't been able to confirm any of that just yet. However, we do know that this case has been very speculated as being very difficult to prove because of the extent of the charges that there are. There are 41 counts here. There are 19 defendants, all of which the DA wants to try at one time within six months. So many are speculating that this could be very difficult to prove, but also because there are things like conspiracy charges, which are even more difficult to prove. Here's how John Bolton, which was Trump's national security advisor, recently commented on this ongoing case. Well, I'm not a big fan of over-reading statutes to go beyond what they were intended to. I think this is gonna be a very hard case to bring to trial and to prove in all of its elements. I think almost certainly, if it does go to trial with 19 defendants on all these charges, you're gonna have some guilty and some not guilty. It's gonna be a very mixed result because all of these allegations are not equal. All the charges are not equal. They've made it a very complex case. Now, as far as when we can expect to see Trump here in Georgia, as I mentioned earlier, we still don't know exactly when, but he is having a press conference in New Jersey, which I hear you will touch on later on in the show, and he will be presenting what he calls election fraud, his investigation into that. So he could possibly come sometime after that, but that timing is very critical because it is right around the same time as the first GOP primary debate, which Trump has said publicly he's leaning towards not going. He has not directly stated he won't go, but he has refused to sign the RNC pledge that would qualify him to go. So it's just all happening all at one time. The only indication that we've gotten about when Trump is coming or how it will play out when he does come is a statement by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office. So they just put out a statement yesterday saying that all 19 defendants will be booked here in Georgia at the Rice Street Jail, and we could expect to see something different here. As we mentioned previously, there could be a mugshot taken, which didn't happen in the first three indictments, but the Sheriff's Office did also say that since the nature of this case is very unprecedented, that it could warrant some changes at the last minute with regard to these circumstances. Chris? All right, thank you, Melina. Trump is holding fast to claims of election fraud in Georgia. Plans to present a quote, irrefutable report in Bedminster, New Jersey on Monday morning. Here to discuss the latest in Trump's legal saga is Epoch Times reporter Janice Heisel. Janice Heisel, thank you for joining us again. Thank you. Janice, tell us about Trump's upcoming press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey. Well, it sounds like it could be quite interesting. Former President Trump has stated that he will be releasing what he calls irrefutable evidence that the election was stolen or rigged, as he puts it, in Georgia. Now, of course, that's where his latest indictment arises from, is Georgia. And so he is saying that he and the other 18 co-defendants should all be exonerated based on the quote unquote irrefutable evidence he is going to present on Monday. Now, what happened with the unanticipated early release of the documents listing charges in Trump's Georgia case? Well, it's kind of interesting that the officials were not really saying what happened and they called it fictitious. But then when the actual indictment came out, it matched up exactly with the counts that were listed online in this kind of like a summary of the charges. And they finally released yesterday a statement that provided some explanation. They were saying that it was a test run gone wrong. But an attorney I spoke to who had been a former prosecutor said he wasn't buying that explanation. And what does that signify about this case? Well, critics of that prosecutor, Ms. Willis there in Georgia, are saying that they feel like that this just goes to show that the charges were already signed, sealed and delivered before that grand jury even ever deliberated or voted. And that is the concern as to whether former President Trump and his 18 allies are, you know, were being given proper due process under the Constitution. That is the concern. Janice, tell us about Trump's response and the response of his allies to this indictment. Well, as one might expect, they are, from what I have heard, all saying that, you know, they're denying this. Critics of the indictment are saying things like, wow, if you look at the details, it's showing one of the alleged wrongful acts on the part of former President Trump was that he tweeted, hey, everybody tune in to this hearing in Georgia. It's now live on a certain network. And some people are saying, wow, that's what is considered to be a criminal act, you know, furthering the, quote, conspiracy to steal the supposed rightful victory. Now, we don't know because there's still a lot of questions from another candidate in this case, now President Joe Biden. Now, Fulton County DA Fannie Willis has come under a lot of criticism from Republicans. Why is that? Well, she is a Democrat, but that's not the only thing. There are a number of cases where they feel like she has not properly prosecuted people who are violent felons. They say that violence is run amok in Atlanta, where her office is based, and that why is she, you know, really devoting so many resources to, quote unquote, Trump and his allies. All right. Epoch Times reporter Janice Heisel, thank you. Thank you. Traumatized Maui residents have grown weary from living off relief supplies. That's a week after wildfires ravaged the resort town of Lahaina. Many are kept from inspecting their homes and are left without waiting for news for missing loved ones. This charred rubble is all that remains of taxi driver Kiat Ma and his wife Daisy Lu's home. It's been one week since a wildfire ravaged their resort town of Lahaina on Maui Island, killing at least 100 people and leaving a trail of destruction. Maui was one of the few able to return to his home to assess the damage. everybody. Everything is gone." The couple are now staying indefinitely with family on the outskirts of Lahaina. Like many others, they are traumatized by what has happened and what they've lost. They're also facing the prospect of precious tourist dollars evaporating. The couple have been driving private taxis on the island for 20 years, putting everything into their house, and now it's all gone. Ms. Nguyen, Lahaina Resident It's been so many, many years we put all our hard work that we have in that house, everything. We have no chance to take anything out. There's no warning, no nothing, and we're on the road working. Thank God I have my husband and I still survive. Other Maui residents have grown weary from living off relief supplies. This woman, who fled the fire with her daughter, says she's been barely able to eat or sleep in the days since the fires. Adding to the local frustration, few residents have been permitted back into Lahaina to visit their properties. Many are still waiting for news about their missing loved ones. The fire destroyed or damaged more than 2,200 buildings, most of them residential, and according to officials, caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage. President Joe Biden has said he would like to visit Maui as soon as possible. Crews using cadaver dogs are part of the search effort on Maui. The canines were trained to detect human remains. Governor Josh Green said the dogs are part of a large search team formed by FEMA and other federal agencies. Over 180 people are working along with 20 dogs to search for victims. U.S. federal officials sent a mobile morgue with coroners, pathologists, and technicians to help identify the dead. Just two victims have been named so far. The country said it has identified three more and will release the names after notifying the next of kin. The early stages of the Lahaina blaze caught on camera. A Maui resident called the fire station and attempted to hose down the flames himself. The footage points to a downed power line as a possible spark. And TDE's Andrew Thomas has more on the riveting footage. Roaring winds woke Shane Troy as they tore through his Maui neighborhood. When he walked outside at dawn, he saw a wooden utility pole suddenly snap the flash. The line sparked and fell, igniting the dry grass below. The fire from there, to me, it simulated a fuse, like somebody lit a fuse for a firework, and it just followed a straight line all the way up to the pole where the thing was, and it landed in a bigger pile of dry grass, and that just ignited. Troy called 911 before live streaming his attempt to fight the blaze on Facebook. He started recording at 6.40 a.m., just moments after authorities received the first report of fire. They came up with a water truck, started dousing it, had another couple local construction companies brought up their water tankers, just also helped and assist in just knocking down the fire. The footage captured the early moments of what would become the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. The video also points to fallen utility lines as the possible cause of blaze. It's super crazy, and then on the other hand, it's like maybe it'll bring closure to some of the families, answer some of the questions, help determine what was the start. A class action lawsuit alleges that Hawaiian Electric was aware that shutting off the power could prevent wildfires, but the utility company never did. Hawaiian Electric's president and CEO noted several factors go into making that decision. Some experts say the fire may have started in multiple locations. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Wildfires appear to have spared a church in Lahaina. Check out this satellite image of the miraculous survival. It shows a building that seems to be intact and patches of green grass. They're surrounded by devastated buildings and scorched earth. That building is the Maria Lanaila Catholic Church. A newspaper run by the Diocese of Hawaii is reporting the pastor visiting the church and found it fairly untouched. Almost all of Lahaina was burned by wildfires that killed at least 100 people. Still to come, an exchange between presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and an LGBT activist goes viral as Ramaswamy gives his view on LG matters. And a congressman says Chinese hackers breached his emails. He's the first known lawmaker to fall prey to alleged Chinese espionage. More in just a moment here on NTD News Today. fulfilling. We want to keep you informed so that you can make the best decisions to support your family. Best education so you can join us in building a positive future for humanity. We hope to inspire you with goodness and compassion. Share your heart and soul with love and kindness. Fill your spirit with positive things. We'd like to share the tastiest meals with you, because you are part of our family. interesting and exciting things so we can enjoy every single day together. Ganjing technology for humanity. Imagine a coffee that cares for your health. expertly fermented with a 50 enzyme complex to enhance flavor and remove bitterness. Small batch roasted to a decadent medium dark resulting in a brew that is gentle on digestion, low acid, 90% less caffeine than regular coffee. America's first enzyme-fermented coffee today. Anyone who's ever sold a home will tell you it's really hard. And it's one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. That's why who you work with matters. Together with HomeLight, we take care of every detail. you so Thank you. Welcome back. Should social media companies be allowed to ban users for political content? Texas and Florida say no, but the Solicitor General is asking the Supreme Court to step in. The laws in Texas and Florida prohibit social media companies from banning users based on political viewpoints. As such, they restrict the ability of platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube to moderate content, even if such content violates the terms and conditions of the platform. Courts have been divided over the matter. In January, the Supreme Court postponed a decision on whether it would hear the cases, asking the U.S. Solicitor General to weigh in. The Solicitor General stated that confiscating decisions from circuit courts warrant a review by the Supreme Court. The high court could decide on whether to hear the lawsuits as soon as next month. Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy goes viral after answering a question on LGBT issues at the Iowa State Fair. His response surprises the activist who asked him the question. The activist asked Ramaswamy what his opinion is on the LGBT community. Ramaswamy says he doesn't think it's one community. He says you can't just mash so many different kinds of people together under one term. He mentions how gay people are in conflict with transgender people. When asked her views, the activist says she is pansexual. He also says he doesn't feel it's right to have women compete against biological men in sports competition or share the same locker room with men. He also disagrees with exposing LGBT ideologies to children. At the end of the conversation, he and the activist shake hands. A congressman says Chinese hackers breached his emails. The FBI says suspected Chinese hackers were able to access his personal and campaign email accounts. Nebraska Republican Don Bacon is a vocal supporter of Taiwan and a critic of the Chinese government. In a social media post, Bacon said the hackers only got access to political strategy and fundraising information. He says the FBI told him about the breach Monday. Bacon is the first known lawmaker to fall prey to an alleged Chinese espionage campaign. The hackers also breached unclassified email accounts of senior State Department and Commerce Department officials in May, including the U.S. Ambassador to China and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. A work from home notice for federal employees in San Francisco. They were told to work remotely for the foreseeable future due to drug use and rising crime around their office building. Nowadays, when you think about the city, you're less likely to think about the Golden Gate Bridge and the trolley cars and the wharf than you are to think about bashed in windshields and open air drug markets and waste littered streets. The issue was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. It involves an 18 story building that houses various federal agencies. A video posted on social media platform X shows dozens of individuals simultaneously using fentanyl steps from the federal workplace. The video was posted by a longtime San Francisco resident, Darren Mark Stolcup. He says he has seen San Francisco go from being the cultural capital of the world to the technological capital of the world. Now the fentanyl capital of the world guidance for federal employees to teleconference adds to the growing office space vacancy in the city. Congressman Kevin Kiley wrote on X in recent months, San Francisco's decline has reached a point of total collapse. The state announced the deployment of the National Guard to the area. The number of police officers doubled in June. Homelessness is on the rise, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, who reviewed data from across the country. Jeffrey Tucker, senior columnist for the Epoch Times and author of Liberty or Lockdown, says this increase is due to pandemic policy. Tucker is also the founder and president of the Brownstone Institute. I spoke with him about these troubling developments. Jeffrey Tucker, thank you for joining us. It's a pleasure to be here, thank you. Jeffrey, homelessness in America is up by 11% since last year. You attribute this to pandemic era lockdown measures. Explain that for us. This really is a burgeoning crisis. We've never seen homelessness increase like this. And this estimate, by the way, excludes the refugee problems developing in New York City and all over Massachusetts. But the estimates are that we have 557,000 people who are homeless. And in trying to think through this, of course, you've got lots of problems associated with substance abuse, inflation, professional displacement all over the country. But there is a pandemic measure that I think has played into this, and it was the rental moratorium. Now, that began in March and was extended by the CDC and ultimately invalidated by the Supreme Court. But what it did is it massively, it caused people who are landlords to really tighten credit standards for signing a lease. And it turns out that many people can't get through them. This includes even people in the middle class. So the homelessness problem is affecting a wide swath of the population now. And you also claim the nation's shortage of affordable housing is due to government interventions. Explain this for us. Oh, sure. I mean, not many people are real estate developers, but if you get into that business, it's overwhelming how much the paperwork is and getting through the zoning laws and the environmental controls and just buying property, getting approved by the city council. It's incredible what it takes just to get through all those barriers. And by the time you get through them, your costs are so high that there's no way that you could just create affordable housing. You have to create luxury living. And in some places in this country, that means rents from five to $10,000 a month, like in New York City, these converted office buildings that are becoming residences are only for the extremely well-to-do. And it's cutting off an entire slice of the population that needs housing right now. It's becoming a serious crisis that everyone is vulnerable to. Jeffrey, how do you think the pandemic should have been handled, given all this? Well, without attacking freedom and human rights above all else, I mean, it's kind of extraordinary to think that we had a government edict coming from Washington, told landlords all over the country, coast to coast, that they are no longer in a position to enforce rental payments and that they cannot evict people. It was a kind of a legalization of squatting in this country. That's really took place. The consequences of that are that people are just terrified of anybody trying to rent property from them. That's why the credit standards have tightened so much. A lot of people cannot qualify. And what happens then? Well, the only option is to sleep in your car or that lands you in the street. So the spiral down is very, very quick. And that, I think, is what's happening in this country. And it's tragic, because something that a prosperous nation should never have tolerated. We shouldn't have done any of these things. You asked how we should have handled it? We should have treated the sick with ways we knew to treat the sick, which is mostly with repurposed drugs. But instead, we destroyed human liberty, locked everybody down, and we're facing the consequences of that today. All right, Jeffrey Tucker, author of Liberty or Lockdown, thank you. Okay, pleasure. A judge accused of shooting his wife to death pleaded not guilty. Orange County Judge Jeffrey Ferguson was arrested at his California home last week. He was charged with killing his wife while drunk during an argument. At a court appearance yesterday, the judge allowed Ferguson to remain out of custody on bail. He agreed to surrender his passport and to wear a location monitoring ankle bracelet. He's also not allowed to possess any weapons and must stay within Orange, Riverside, and Los Angeles counties. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 30th. New video footage shows the night Congressman Ronnie Jackson was detained at a Texas rodeo. Body cam video captured him being taken to the ground by the law enforcement officers. The officers asked you to get back in the EMS room. Nobody asked me to get back. No, they didn't. I'm not talking to her about her blood sugar and her blood pressure. I'm gonna call the governor tomorrow. I don't even talk to him about this. The altercation took place on July 29th. Jackson was pushed to the ground and handcuffed after trying to assist a teenager in medical distress. That's after what looked like an argument with one of the people attending the teenager. A sheriff's report says the congressman ignored warnings to clear the way for EMS personnel. Jackson was heard saying he was just trying to help as he was a trained ER doctor. The report described Jackson as belligerent and aggressive. Jackson was reportedly uncuffed minutes after he was detained. His spokesperson said the congressman wasn't drinking that night and quote, won't apologize for sparing no effort to help in a medical emergency. Bipartisan agreement on fentanyl. A handful of US senators want to increase access to testing strips to prevent overdose deaths. Their new bill would decriminalize using the testing strips. The testing strips are currently classified as drug paraphernalia. The bill was authored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas. The state has seen a significant increase in fentanyl related deaths in recent years. He said in a press release that poisonings among children and teenagers have skyrocketed given the rise in fake prescription pills containing fentanyl. At the state level, Texas lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to decriminalize fentanyl testing strips but this measure never made it to the governor's desk to become law. US Senator Tom Cotton says this new nationwide bill would quote, help prevent overdoses by people who didn't realize fentanyl was in the drugs they took. In 2018, Rhode Island became the first state to formally decriminalize the testing strips. At least 20 other states have followed the move. After the break, ratings agency Fitch is warning it could downgrade major US banks' credit rating. JP Morgan Chase has had spooked markets. And Bank of Ireland apologizes for an Appletch. It allowed customers with no money to withdraw cash. We'll have the details when we return. On our next installment of America's Hope, we focus on Samaritan's Purse operating on the ground in Maui to revive people's hope in the midst of their crisis. And then we'll introduce you to two Vietnamese refugees who fled that country during the fall of Saigon. Find out how they discovered hope right here in America. All of that and more on the next America's Hope. Thanks for staying with us. Social Security could be worth $17,400 less in a decade. A recent analysis studied how much the average retired couple is likely to receive in benefits. The Social Security program is funded by the Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund. Trustees predict that reserves will be depleted by 2033. That's according to a post by the committee for a responsible federal budget. The group says everyone will see their benefits cut by 23%. The committee pointed out that poverty among low-income couples could rise significantly once the money is depleted. The committee says 2024 presidential candidates are facing pressure to pledge not to touch Social Security in order to protect recipients' benefits. But the group says not touching it would also be harmful since it would simply deplete without action. Senator Dianne Feinstein is suing the trustees of her late husband's estate. The suit was filed by her daughter who has power of attorney for Feinstein. The lawsuit alleges financial elder abuse and breach of trust by the trustees. It accuses them of wrongfully withholding distributions Feinstein was entitled to and diverting assets that could have gone to her. Her husband, Richard Blum, was said to have a net worth of nearly $1 billion at the time of his death last February. The couple had been married since 1980. An attorney for the trustees said they acted ethically and appropriately at all times and called the filing unconscionable. Feinstein's Senate office described the case as private legal matter and had no comment. Further financial downgrading for the US, Fitch Ratings is warning that US banks could be downgraded if it lowers its assessment of the operating environment of the banking industry. Here to discuss is my friend and colleague, NTD Business' Don Ma. Don, I know Fitch already downgraded the US banking industry in June, but it didn't trigger a reevaluation. Yeah, so yesterday, an analyst with Fitch is warning another downgrade of the US banking environment. And here's the key thing that we need to understand, that individual banks cannot have a credit rating higher than the overall environment, the banking environment. So what that means is if Fitch, in fact, does downgrade the banking sector environment, that means it could trigger a domino effect where other individual banks will also have to be downgraded. Yeah, and it's also worth noting that this is not an official Fitch Ratings evaluation. This comes from an interview between CNBC and an analyst with Fitch named Chris Wolff. Yeah, that's right. Whether this happens or not is still up in the air, but there is a warning coming from this analyst. So it remains to be seen whether this will play out, but markets did react negatively to this news, a bit spooked yesterday, but nothing is for certain as of right now. Now, Don, you did an interview with Joseph Trevisani about this recently. Tell us about that. Yeah, so Joseph Trevisani, he's a senior analyst with FX Street. I asked him earlier, what are the chances that this will actually play out? Whether the US banking sector will actually be downgraded by Fitch? And I also asked him that if this does indeed happen, I mean, what are the impacts? How does it affect everyday people? How does it affect consumers? So I asked these questions for him, but yeah, let's listen to what he had to say. Should we take the warning seriously? I mean, is this going to happen? I don't think it's going to happen immediately, but it is something that Fitch is certainly looking at. I mean, the issue for banks, of course, is that if their ratings are lowered, that means that their profitability, their cost of doing business rises. They have to pay more for bonds that they issue and items along like that line. So it is an issue, but I don't see that it's going to be one that's going to be immediate because at the rate the US economy is growing, it doesn't seem like we're going to run into this problem based on a recession or a deterioration in economic conditions. So, I mean, what are the issues then facing the bank industry, in your opinion, that would justify a downgrade of the environment? Well, you know, it's interesting. You can tie this in with the Fitch downgrade last week of US debt. And what it's speaking to specifically there is political issues in DC and the apparent inability to run anything less than a trillion and a half dollar deficit every single year. Over time, that deteriorates the US economic condition rather dramatically. The US is currently paying more over 8% of its income, US government, in interest rates, in interest charges on its debt. So that's the background. If in fact they continue to deteriorate, then it would affect the banks as well. I don't see that for the moment, but it is definitely the trend for the US economy and the US debt. So is the biggest threat here, I mean, for individual banks, that is, that it could increase borrowing costs for the banks as their credit rating lowers? Absolutely. That is the biggest problem for banks. How does this impact the consumer if the overall environment is downgraded and then accordingly individual banks are downgraded? Well, it affects, it would affect their portfolios, their 401ks. It might affect mortgage rates and things like that that consumers have to pay. But overall, consumers pay much more attention and are much more dependent on the job market. And if we look at the job market and we look at the retail sales numbers, we see that that is still sufficiently strong enough to keep the consumer spending. And we know where that leads and what that means for the US economy. All right, thank you so much today, Joseph. Always great speaking with you. Thank you very much for having me. It sounds like Trevisani isn't terribly worried about this downgrade. Yeah, in fact, I actually had a conversation with him after the interview off the record. And he feels that the US economy isn't doing as bad as it was before. It's improving a bit. So it makes sense to him that this isn't an immediate concern because the overall environment is improving. All right, thank you, Don. Thank you. A bank app glitch has allowed customers to withdraw money they don't have. People flocked to ATMs across Ireland last night after news of the glitch broke on social media. The Bank of Ireland apologized for the technical issue involving its online app. It allowed customers with no money to transfer up to $1,000 to a Revolut digital account and then withdraw the money via an ATM. The bank warned customers that the money taken would still be debited from their accounts. School bells across the country are beginning to ring, but doctors and parents are worried about shortage of ADHD medicine. The Food and Drug Administration posted information about more shortages last month as students return to class, some parents and educators say the drug scarcity could have an impact on learning in the new school year. Some parents say they've had to skip doses or ration pills for their kids because pharmacies are out of the medicine. The FDA has added the generic drug Concerta and two types of Vyvanse capsules to the list of drug shortages. Recently, the FDA urged drug makers to increase production. Drug makers say they are working to resolve the problem, but it is likely to linger for the foreseeable future. Doctors say there is also increasing demand for medicine to treat ADHD, a trend that developed during the pandemic. A federal effort to boost personal data protection, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wants to set new guidelines for companies that track and sell consumers' information. The goal of the new rules is to safeguard millions of Americans from database breaches, criminals, and even artificial intelligence chatbots. The proposal would extend existing regulations and could bar companies from selling certain types of consumer information, such as income and payment history, with a few exceptions. The new rules have not been finalized. This isn't the only government effort cracking down on the data industry. Last year, the FTC proposed new regulations on how businesses collect and use consumer data. And if you have any news tips or feedback for the show, don't hesitate to email us at news.today at ntd.com. Coming up, thousands of Afghans stranded in neighboring Pakistan. They're waiting for news of their refugee applications to the United States. What does their life look like? And after the Taliban takeover, Afghan women have been fighting a tough battle for survival. More shortly here on TD News Today. You're not gonna get it all right. Just make sure you nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are in the right seat for their age and size. Get it right at nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. This is it, the culmination of everything our young athlete has worked for these past months. He's filled with determination. You can see it in his face. Is today the day he overcomes? And here we go. There is no defense in the world that will keep him at bay. He's on fire. Nothing can stop him. Watch him as he head scores the goal. Oh, he's blocked hard. But that doesn't stop him. He's a warrior. He's back up. His eyes are on the goal. He's set up for the shot. He shoots. Goal! Achieving goals like this is only possible with the monthly support of people just like you. Please call the number on your screen right now and give your monthly support to Shriners Hospital for Children so other children can reach their goals too. If you give just $19 a month, only $0.63 a day, we will send you your very own Love to the Rescue blanket as a reminder of the love you're giving us. Because of monthly support of people like you, nothing is stopping me from achieving my goals. And here we go. There is no defense in the world that will keep him at bay. He's going left. Oh, he fakes right and continues. Look at those moves. He takes the shot. Goal! Achoo! Please call or go online now. If operators are busy, call again or go to loveshriners.org to give right away. Your monthly gift helps kids achieve their goals. Goal! 2023, the 10th NTD International Classical Chinese Dance Competition aims to promote the traditional art of classical Chinese dance. This September, top dancers from around the world will compete in skill and showcase talent at the Performing Arts Center of Purchase College in New York. Don't miss the chance to see these long-lost dance techniques performed live. Order your tickets at dance.ntdtv.com. Back to the news. The Taliban are marking the second anniversary of taking over Kabul. But for thousands of Afghans forced to flee their homes, their lives are stuck in limbo. Crowded into a small rented room near Pakistan's capital, this Afghan family of 12 is waiting for progress on their applications to go to the United States as refugees. Thousands are in the same position. This family has applied for resettlement in the US under a special program for Afghans who worked for US organizations known as P2. 18-year-old Marwa's father used to work as a guard for an American aid organization. But now money's running out and their worries are growing. We cook and eat twice a day. Some days we eat even less to save money. Reuters is withholding the full names and identities of family members for security reasons. The family sold their home in Afghanistan and left last year. They've been told by US authorities to travel to a third country to get their application processed. Marwa's husband, Khalid Zab, says their savings are almost gone. My father-in-law sold all his belongings and house so that we could come to Pakistan. He used most of that money to pay for the visas to come to Pakistan. So far, we are living with that money here and the remaining money will last at most for one or two more months. For thousands of Afghans applying for refugee status and visas in the West, neighboring Pakistan was their only option. It's thought between 16,000 and 20,000 applicants for the P2 settlement program are in the country, according to community members and advocates. Most Afghans are not allowed to work in the US Most Afghans are not allowed to work and don't qualify for public education and health care. Pakistani officials say the government, grappling with an economic crisis, is increasingly anxious about the number of Afghans arriving at times at the request of Western governments. The children of the family have not been able to go to school for more than a year. 14-year-old Azra has been going through the alphabet with her younger siblings. She was barred from school in Afghanistan, where the Taliban closed girls' high schools after returning to power two years ago. I want to go to school. I suffer a lot when I see my friends and other girls going to school. My neighbor's girls go to school. It worries me a lot when I see them going to school, and I can't. In the chaotic withdrawal of US-led foreign troops as Taliban forces seized Kabul in 2021, Western countries vowed to help. Though the Taliban announced an amnesty for old foes, many Afghans fear reprisals, and human rights advocates have criticized the slow progress in processing refugees by Western governments. A US State Department spokesperson acknowledged its processing capacity in Pakistan remains limited, but said they're actively working to try to expand it. But many, like this family, have been disappointed and wonder how long they can go on in limbo. Life isn't easier for those remaining in Afghanistan, especially women. Some said they had gone through drastic changes over the past two years. Since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan two years ago, Mariam's life has taken a series of drastic twists and turns. The 27-year-old used to work as a database officer for an international education project. But then the Taliban took over, and the project was closed. Mariam lost her job. She became a teacher at a private school for girls, but was only able to hold onto that role for a year, before the Taliban-led administration banned girls from attending high schools and universities. Refusing to give up, Mariam opened a sewing workshop six months ago, taking advantage of a course she attended four years ago. She's trained 15 former colleagues who were also unemployed to sew traditional Afghan clothes and hijabs. The Taliban entered the capital, Kabul, in August 2021, forcing the US-backed President Ashraf Ghani to flee. Afghan security forces, set up with years of Western support, disintegrated. The lives of women there have changed dramatically since, and the rights and freedoms they enjoyed during two decades of rule by Western-backed governments continue to ebb away. I didn't think that the Taliban would take over the country one day. And after they succeeded, the restrictions on women have increased day by day and caused us many problems. As far as I'm concerned, the victory day of the Taliban is the worst day for the people of Afghanistan. I don't feel good and I'm not happy about this day. Right now, the Taliban are not ruling the country in the interest of the people. I don't understand why they are so negative about women. They said they were able to provide security for the people, but there hasn't been much better security. The Taliban say they respect women's rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law. The group has stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies. They've closed beauty salons, barred women from parks, and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian. Afghanistan is seemingly enjoying peace it's not seen in decades, though. The country's UN representative says that corruption has been reduced, and there are also signs that a Taliban ban on narcotics cultivation has dramatically reduced poppy production in what has for years been the world's biggest source of opium. Despite that, the UN says there have been dozens of attacks on civilians, some of those claimed by rivals of the Taliban. 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Politicians make laws, CEOs make profits. And now, that's all changing. A movement has been growing to unite corporations, governments, global institutions. Its purpose is to deal with issues like climate change, racism, inequality, and gun control. It is called ESG. How does it work? How will it change our lives? Are we bending Wall Street to our will, or are we the one who will be manipulated? Taiwan's endangered stout camphor trees are worth conserving. Alps Biotech is committed to nationwide restoration to maintain eco-balance. To help counter global warming, we're keen to act on carbon reduction and attain zero emissions. We're realizing ESG sustainability while building up carbon credits. Restoring stout camphor trees, promoting global sustainability. Alps Biotech. Thanks for staying with us. A bakery in New York is making bagels entirely out of felt. Customers get to choose from 13 varieties of bagels, complete with cream cheese and lox. Take a look. Felt's Bagels is the latest addition to Lucy Sparrow's portfolio of felt exhibitions. When you come into Felt's Bagels, you have a choice of 13 different bagels, and you can put whatever you want into it. So here I have an everything bagel. And down here we have all the fillings. So you can have salt beef, you have American cheese, pickles. Inside the bakery, bins are filled with felt bagel replicas, but they're realistic enough to make you hungry. The creativity and the artistry of this shop is beyond impressive. You walk in as though you're walking into a real shop with real bagels, with real cookies, with real pastries, with real candy. Each piece is handmade. The installation took Sparrow eight months to complete. The felt really resonates with people because it's very much about nostalgia. It transports you into a place where, you know, when you're a kid where things were much more comforting. It was a lot more easygoing. Visitors can purchase any of the items on the shelves like they would in a normal bakery. The prices of my work are so accessible that it means that you can start a collection. It doesn't take it away from the fact that it's fine art. It just means that, you know, anybody can come in. The British artist's previous work includes crafting the interiors of a pharmacy, a supermarket, and a convenience store, all with felt. Felt Bagels is open to the public through September 4th. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Tinnitus is a common ear condition, but that doesn't make it any less annoying or painful. Let's look at the causes, treatments, and natural approaches. This is NTD's Gina Marie with Strong Mind and Body. Tinnitus is a common condition where you hear ringing sounds or other noises in your ears. It could be in one ear or both. According to the American Tinnitus Association, it affects 25 million Americans. It's about 15 to 20 percent of the population. It is a symptom that something is wrong in the auditory system. This includes the ear and the auditory nerve that connects the inner ear to the brain. It also includes the parts of the brain that process sound. The sounds associated with tinnitus are described as ringing, buzzing, swooshing, hissing, and roaring. Tinnitus can have a variety of causes, including damage to the inner ear's nerves, arthritis of the bones in the middle ear, aging, abnormal blood pressure, exposure to loud noises, allergies, vascular tumors, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, injury to the head or neck, reaction to certain medications, clogged ears from wax buildup, sinus pressure and barometric trauma, misaligned jawbones, and Meniere's disease. Tinnitus can affect anyone, but it is most likely to occur in aging adults who are experiencing some degree of hearing loss. It can also occur in people who are exposed to loud music, loud working environments, trauma, and conditions affecting the head and neck. Tinnitus can also affect children and be caused by several medical conditions. If you have tinnitus, the best thing to do is to consult your primary care doctor first. He or she will check for obstructions to the ear canal like earwax or fluid from an infection. Your doctor will also discuss your medical history and look for underlying conditions. Certain prescribed or over-the-counter drugs may also cause tinnitus. Next, you may be referred to an ear, nose, and throat doctor. They'll examine your head, neck, and ears and likely have an audiologist test your hearing. There are a variety of treatment options available, including earwax removal, treating an underlying blood vessel, tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, hearing aids, and other devices. You can also reduce your risks of severe or chronic tinnitus by supplementing with vitamins and minerals. Try those that support brain and ear health, such as magnesium and a high-quality daily multivitamin containing vitamins A, E, and C. Sleep problems are common among tinnitus patients. If you have insomnia, consider consulting a sleep specialist. So you'll want to stay current with physicals to ensure you haven't developed a condition that may lead to it. Thank you for tuning in today. I'm Chris Beers. Thanks for watching us on YouTube. Did you know YouTube only keeps selected videos on its platform? So if you want to make sure you get the full picture, just subscribe to our newsletter. Go to newsletter.ntd.com and sign up. It's free.