Maui Emergency Chief Resigns Amid Criticism; Trump Proposes 2026 Trial in Federal Election Case

Good morning. In today's headlines, 10 days after the destructive wildfire in Lahaina, we speak with someone on the ground on how relief efforts are going and how the residents are doing. The death toll in the Hawaii wildfires continues to grow. With over a thousand people still missing, Maui is now without an emergency administrator after the chief's resignation yesterday. We have the latest on the disaster. I regret not sounding the sirens. I do not. Former President Trump announces no press conference on Monday and seeks to delay the trial date in the federal election case. Meanwhile, some are questioning whether Special Counsel Jack Smith's actions will prevent a fair trial. We have a live interview with a judicial expert. A new ruling allowing those with a drug history to possess firearms will likely impact Hunter Biden. We hear more on this from a professor. A viral video shows open-air drug use near a federal building in San Francisco. Entity hears from a local activist who is sounding the alarm. And according to experts, now is the best time to book your vacation. We have some tips to find the best price. Good morning, welcome to NTD. I'm Kevin Hogan. Good morning, everyone. And I'm Evelyn Lee. Today is Friday, August 18. Well, Hawaii residents are speaking out against the emergency management director and his handling of the sirens. Yes, absolutely. I mean, even the government website says that those sirens can be used for wildfires, and even residents feel the same way. Right. But based on that sound bite we heard earlier also, it seems like there is different views on that. But we want to get into a bit more detail later on. Right now, we have the death toll in the Maui wildfire disaster has risen to 111. Hawaii Governor Josh Green says over 1,000 people are still missing. Officials say under half of the burn zone had been covered as of yesterday. Recovery teams continue to search for and identify victims. The state's attorney general said yesterday that a third party private organization will be brought in to assess the response. At the same time, though, volunteers are rushing in to help. Hawaii's governor said that at least 1,000 families and individuals have lost their homes. Now, relief workers are raising funds and helping them get the necessities they need to survive. Jason Jones is one of them. He arrived in Lahaina within 24 hours of the fire. And he's also the president of the Vulnerable People Project. And he's joining us right now live from Lahaina. Good morning, Jason. Thanks for joining us this late at night. Now, please start by giving us an update. How are relief efforts going? Well, the most successful relief efforts are people from across the Hawaiian islands have come together with the people of Lahaina. Yesterday, I ran an organization that serves communities facing genocide and trapped in war. But I have never seen anything as powerful and as beautiful as what I witnessed yesterday. Several hundred Lahaina residents gathered at the beach while boats from other islands came offshore. And then men on jet skis would shuttle the supplies from the boats to near the beach, where there was a bucket brigade of hundreds of people then loading, taking the goods from the guys in the jet skis, passing it down the line. And they would be put on flatbed trucks. So the people, the community, has come together from across all of the Hawaiian islands to serve the families of Lahaina. Well, that's one beautiful thing, how together they are and how much effort they put into helping each other. Now, you just said that it's the local relief efforts that are the most successful. What about, you know, what are the challenges you run into than not being local, while working on the relief efforts for them? Well, I'm actually from Oahu. And so I run an organization that works around the world. And I will tell you, when I was on a plane, I was just recently in Ukraine. When I was on a plane flying back to Honolulu on my way to Maui, knowing that I was going to be doing the work that I have done in Afghanistan, in Sudan, in Ukraine, in my own home, it was really an uncanny experience. And as we drove through Lahaina, it was heartbreaking to see the devastation. When we were at church serving food for the volunteers that helped us unload the boats, there was a little boy that sort of sorrow broke through that was just sitting in the corner crying while his mother was trying to comfort him. I found out that that young boy had lost one of his best friends in the fire. We have over 1,000 people missing. And I think we all know what this means. I think this is, there are 13,000 residents of Lahaina. There are over 1,000 people missing. And so the scale is, you know, it's probably going to approach the numbers of 9-11, but yet in a town of 13,000. After 9-11, imagine if there were 800,000 missing New Yorkers. That's the impact on a community so small. So there's not going to be a family that has not been touched by this catastrophe in Lahaina and Maui. And then, of course, families are connected across all of the Hawaiian islands. Yeah, that's absolutely heartbreaking. And on top of that, there are concerns now that there is developers trying to take advantage of that situation. What do residents tell you about that? Yeah, I've talked to residents who received a dozen calls in one day. Well, we're still looking for bodies. Well, people are still mourning the devastation of their home. These predators have descended like vultures. I think there's three things we need to remember in this crisis. Number one is we need to care for the living. I think the best way that we honor those that have deceased is to care for their loved ones who are still living. And we need to care for, we need to make sure that those who died in the fires receive a proper burial. In Hawaii, where there were Hawaiian graveyards, you still cannot build to this day. And respect for the dead is foundational to all cultures. We need to make sure that everyone receives a proper burial. And then finally, we need to keep Lahaina local. The Hawaiians, the native Hawaiians, who this has been their home, obviously, since 400 AD is when the first settlers arrived. And to the Kama'aina, those communities that were brought here in the late 19th century, the Filipinos, the Chinese, the Okinawans, the Japanese, the Portuguese, who all came to the Hawaiian Islands and knit together one of the most beautiful, unique communities in the world. We need to make sure that the Hawaiians and the Kama'aina are here. This is their home. That when we rebuild Lahaina, that we keep Lahaina local. At the end, I think these should be the priorities. Now, we want to keep that in mind. And also, a couple more seconds before we have to go, how can people help from afar? Well, if you go to hopeforhawaii.com, you can make sure that we deliver all of the aid and support that the people of Lahaina need. And after that's taken care of, we're going to make sure that we pay for as many funerals as we can. Hopeforhawaii.com. Thank you. Thank you so much, Jason Jones. I really appreciate you sharing this with us. Now Maui's Emergency Chief Herman Andaya stepped down yesterday. He cited health reasons in his resignation. Andaya faced criticism over the island's response to the disaster. Some are adamant that lives could have been saved if the island-wide alarm system had been used. Andaya's departure takes effect immediately, leaving the top spot open. Maui County Mayor Richard Bisson said yesterday that someone will be placed in the position as quickly as possible. This comes a day after Andaya defended the decision not to sound the island's warning sirens during the deadly fires. That was over fears it would drive people to evacuate toward danger. Here's Andaya on Wednesday. Do you regret not sounding the sirens? I do not. The sirens, as I mentioned earlier, is used primarily for tsunamis, and that's the reason why many of them are found, almost all of them are found, on the coastline. The public is trained to seek higher ground in the event that the siren is sounded. Had we sounded the siren that night, we're afraid that people would have gone mauka, and if that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire. By the way, I should also note that there are no sirens mauka, or on the mountainside, where the fire was spreading down. Hawaii's government website lists wildfires as one of the disasters the sirens can be used in. And residents are also demanding answers from the island's largest utility, Hawaiian Electric Industries. The company is facing at least four lawsuits for its alleged role in the fires. There's evidence power lines could be one potential source of the deadly blaze. Lawyers are questioning the company's operation and equipment maintenance. And many suggest the fires could have been prevented if the power had been shut off in time. Stock in Hawaiian Electric is continuing to slump. It tumbled more than 20 percent yesterday. That's following a report the company could be restructuring. Traders fear the utility might not be able to bear the mounting liability claims, which could reach billions of dollars. The company's stock is down more than 60 percent so far this week. Hawaiian Electric had its credit rating downgraded to junk earlier this week. S&P Global says the company is at a higher risk of default due to the fires, and that there is potential for further downgrades. And we'll keep you updated with the latest on the devastating fire in response. And we continue with our coverage of former President Trump. His legal team submitted a request for a trial date in his federal election case, years away from the initial recommendation by the Justice Department. And today's Melina Weiskopf joins us from the Fulton County Jail, where the sheriff says the defendants will be booked. Melina, what's the latest on Trump's indictment? So as Trump's legal team continues to try to fight this indictment here in the state of Georgia, Trump has now canceled that press conference scheduled for Monday that was meant to refute this indictment. We'll read you exactly what he had to say on Truth Social about why he's canceling this press conference. We'll show you on the screen here. Instead of releasing the report on the Georgia election, Mylar's would prefer putting this, I believe irrefutable and overwhelming evidence of election fraud and irregularities in formal legal filings. Therefore, the news conference is no longer necessary. Now those legal filings that the lawyers say they will file this report in, it's unclear if they'll be planning to use this as part of their defense here in the state of Georgia or if that will be a separate legal filing. That's something we will be keeping an eye on. As for that DOJ case regarding the 2020 election, Trump's lawyers have requested an April 2026 start date for that trial. That's more than a year after the next presidential election and well over the start date of January 22nd, of January 2nd, that special counsel Jack Smith had previously proposed. Trump's lawyers reason that there's just too much information for them to review. There's more than 11 and a half million pages for them to review, which if stacked on top of each other, Trump's lawyers say would reach 5,000 feet high. They say if even if they were to review 100,000 pages every day, they still would not be able to meet that January 2nd trial date that special counsel Jack Smith has requested. But ultimately when that trial in DC starts is up to the judge, Tanya Chukin, who's overseeing the case. So we'll be keeping an eye on when she decides to announce that trial date in the future, as well as when the trial date will be set here in the state of Georgia. The DA here in Georgia has proposed a March 4th start to the trial date, which is a day before Super Tuesday, where they kick off the GOP primary, a very important day for Republicans in that presidential race, but the judge has not yet signed off on that. So that's something we will be keeping an eye on here in the state of Georgia as well. Thank you very much Melina for this. Now Fulton County DA Fannie Willis is recommending a trial date in Georgia's election case. She asked for it to start March 4th next year. The proposed trial date would have Trump in court mid campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. The Georgia DA has asked that arraignments for Trump and the 18 co-defendants be scheduled next month on September 5th. Voters in Atlanta have mixed feelings about the latest case against the 2024 presidential candidate. Entity's Jeremy Sandberg has reactions to Trump's fourth indictment this year. Georgia's indictment against Trump describes his dispute of the state's election results as a criminal conspiracy and not as a legitimate challenge. Residents in Atlanta, Georgia reacted differently to the criminal charges against the former president and 2024 candidate. It's time for him to pay for whatever he done. It's pay. You gotta pay. If you do wrong, you gotta pay for it. You can't get away with everything. How about it? I don't want to see that happen to nobody. You know the truth. You know, in my opinion, I don't want nobody to go down. So I really, in my opinion, I don't want to see nobody go down, especially the leader of the free world. All 19 defendants in the case have been charged under the RICO Act, a law used to target members of organized crime groups like the Mafia. Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis says she plans to try all the defendants together. I am trusting her judgment that what she brought before the grand jury was what, you know, she felt that he was, what's the word I'm looking for, what he may have been found guilty are that he actually did do these crimes. Well, no, it shouldn't be like that. Just because they don't like him. But he had to do something wrong in order to go. They don't pin that on him because he don't like him. Send him to jail. That don't sound too good. No, it's not like a person that don't automatically just, you know, confine him to jail. But we all make mistakes. We all make bad decisions. I mean, you know, it just won't be right confining him like that. The indictment alleges the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result with the goal of allowing Trump to seize the presidential term of office in 2021. Hopefully, you know, justice will be served. And if he is, you know, found innocent, then that's we have to support that and move forward with the next election. Willis has set a deadline of next week, Friday for the defendants to turn themselves in at the Fulton County Jail to be booked. Jeremy Sandberg, NTD News. Well, good to hear from the people. Yes, that's right. And March 5th is Super Tuesday. So that's just one day after we'll see how that affects voters. In Fulton County, Georgia, the sheriff's office says members of the grand jury that indicted former President Trump are the focus of online threats. Local law enforcement is now investigating. Here's the story. Law enforcement officials are investigating threats against members of the grand jury that are overseeing former U.S. President Donald Trump's legal battle in the state of Georgia. Threats that reportedly came after the personal information of jury members was leaked online. It's according to the sheriff's office in Fulton County, Georgia, the center of that legal battle. It's been high security around Fulton County's courthouse in Atlanta over Trump's indictment. State government policy is that indictments that are made public record include the names of grand jurors, but no other personally identifiable information. The sheriff's office says it's working with both state and federal agencies to track down the origin of the threats. And on this topic, the question on many Americans' minds is, will former President Trump get a fair trial in D.C. in his election case? We hear more on this from a judicial expert. John Malcolm, VP of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation, joins us live. John, it's great to have you with us. Former Lieutenant Governor of New York, Betsy McCoy Ross, she wrote an op-ed in the Epoch Times alleging that special counsel Jack Smith is not being truthful and is using legal trickery here. She listed a few points. Here's one. McCoy calls this a lie of omission. Do you think this is going to impact the trial? No, because I think it is going to come up at the trial. I agree that he should have said that. Look, there's a lot of stuff that President, former President Trump is going to be able to say in his own defense that was left out of that indictment that Jack Smith is aware of. But, you know, it's all going to be fair game. I mean, both the indictments in Washington, D.C., by Jack Smith and in Georgia by Fannie Willis pick and choose what it is they choose to put in the indictment, to try to paint a damning picture of the former president and his alleged co-conspirators. But everybody heard what the president said at the Ellipse on January the 6th, and that will all come in in the trial. And I am quite sure that the Trump defense team is going to say, see, I never told anybody to break into the Capitol. And what's more, I told them to go patriotically and peacefully to the Capitol. And indeed, had they stood outside the Capitol and just made their voices heard, they wouldn't have been indicted. Yes, and of course, we're expecting the defense to bring that up. McCoy also said that Jack Smith lied by saying that the January 6th Capitol breach was, quote, an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy minutes after he released the indictment on August 1st, implying that he was holding Trump accountable for it. But the violence at the Capitol was not part of the indictment, and it doesn't link Trump to the Proud Boys, some of whom have been convicted of seditious conspiracy. So how will this affect the trial? Well, I agree with that. I don't know whether Jack Smith was lying or not. Again, he chose to put in what he wanted to put in. He says in the indictment that Trump directed the people to the Capitol. He did say, I understand you all are going to go march to the Capitol. But I was expecting to see in that indictment that there were going to be communications between the former president or his people with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, something connecting him to the violence. And there wasn't. He painted a picture of the indictment of the president not stopping the violence until a couple of hours after the fact. But I did think that it was somewhat unfair to indirectly accuse him of everything that happened inside the Capitol without producing any evidence to really establish that. And John, the Sixth Amendment also comes into play here. McCoy is also saying that the legal trickery from Smith centers on how he said that the public is entitled to a speedy trial. But the Sixth Amendment reserves that right for defendants so that they can protect themselves against a powerful government and they can waive that right if they need more time for the defense. So do you think Smith's rhetoric here could jeopardize the chance of having a fair trial? Well, there's a lot that could jeopardize the chance of former President Trump having a fair trial. I'm not sure that rhetoric calling for a speedy trial will count it. To some extent, he has a point. I mean, look at Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the 9-11 conspirators who are down in Gitmo. They've been there now for two decades. And the public certainly had a right to have this thing tried by now. But it is, you are of course correct that it is the defendant who has the primary speedy trial rights and he can waive that by filing certain pretrial motions and demanding that you have time to prepare an adequate defense. And I'm sure that the trial judge will take all of that into consideration. But it's going to be very difficult in New York and in Atlanta, Georgia and in Washington, D.C. for President Trump to get a fair trial because he's not very popular in those areas. And of course, this is a case with a massive amount of evidence. So that's going to have to take into account. Now, Trump's lawyers argue that he was engaging in protected political speech, but some pundits assert the indictment, quote, goes where free speech ends and criminal conspiracy begins. What's your reaction to this? I'm with the people who think this is a threat to free speech. I mean, the president had a lot of people around him telling him that the election had not been stolen. But I know that he had a lot of people around him who told them that the election had been stolen and that the evidence was there. And a president has got the right to contest the results of that election. He can demand a recount. He can file lawsuits. He can speak to legislators to demand a petition for a redress of his grievances. And he can talk to officials who are under him, like people at the Department of Justice and its vice president, Mike Pence. And while people may not like what former President Trump did, I think that it entrenches on his presidential prerogatives and on his First Amendment rights. And it's particularly dangerous to challenge this when one is talking about questioning the results of an election. John Malcolm at the Heritage Foundation, thank you for bringing your clarity to this. My pleasure. Yeah, John makes some good points here. Yeah, I think it was definitely good to hear from John Malcolm, especially because it's such a messy situation, and to get a glimpse into what's happening. A lot of moving parts, no doubt. So coming up, a court rules those with a drug history still have a right to own a gun. We hear more about this, how this might affect Hunter Biden's gun charge. Congressman Jim Jordan says at least one major bank shared customer information with the FBI without legal process after January 6th. The subcommittee is now asking Citibank if it engaged in such conduct. That's after the break. Is deep sea fish oil really healthy? Due to pollution in the oceans, most fish contain heavy metal elements and radioactive substances. That's why it's so important to choose a pure source of omega-3. Puritan Green Vegetable Omega-3 is made from purslane and perilla seeds, which are rich in nutrients and minerals, especially vitamins A, D, E, calcium and iron. With natural processing and no harmful chemical additives, it has more than 90% concentration of omegas-3, 6, 7 and 9. It effectively improves brain power and is beneficial to the heart's health. Puritan Omega-3 does not smell of fish and contains no pollutants, so both adults and children can safely and easily consume it over a long period of time. Puritan Green Vegetable Omega-3. Greener, healthier and more effective. Visit puritan.com to learn more. Welcome back. A court has ruled that people with a history of drug use can possess firearms. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a law preventing those citizens from owning guns. We hear more from an expert about this from a constitutional perspective and how this will impact Hunter Biden's gun charge. Take a look. Joining us now is Alex Del Carmen, Associate Dean and Professor at Tarleton State University. I appreciate your time today, Professor. Thanks for having me. How should this ruling be viewed in terms of the Second Amendment? You know, it's pretty clear that the Fifth Circuit out of New Orleans essentially dictated that the rights of an individual to own a firearm supersede that individual's drug habits. And what that means is that, you know, if you are in fact under the influence of any kind of narcotics, the law cannot prohibit you from actually owning a firearm, even though there may be laws in place that may prohibit you from carrying one while you're intoxicated. So are there any risks that come with this ruling? Of course, you know, part of it is that people are not going to understand it. And by virtue of that, they're going to feel that they have a license to carry a firearm in spite of the fact that they're using drugs. And obviously, the danger of that is that in an altered behavior or habit mode, an individual can use a firearm illegally and kill someone. So are there any ways to mitigate those risks? You know, I think information, education, being able to let people know exactly what this ruling means. It doesn't mean a carte blanche for every drug habit that is out there that an individual that has, you know, say, addiction to marijuana or cocaine or even a more serious substance than that, that that individual simply has the right to carry that firearm while they're intoxicated. It simply means that the Second Amendment cannot be denied of an individual, despite the fact that that person may be sadly subject to a drug habit. Do you suspect that this ruling will affect Hunter Biden's gun charge? I do. And I don't know exactly what the outcome of that's going to be. But I can tell you that the lawyers would be, in fact, incompetent if they did not cite it as a reason as to why it is that these crimes should either be dropped or in fact, you know, there should be some sort of a different type of crime, a lesser crime that he should be charged with. But I have a feeling that because the recency of this law and the fact that the Fifth Circuit just ruled on it recently, that they're going to cite it in their in their motion to the court. So what precedent does this ruling set? It basically sets the precedence that having the right to something based on the U.S. Constitution cannot be negated based on the individual circumstances at the time, meaning that if you are somebody that, you know, is subject to some sort of alcoholic component or a drug habit, it doesn't mean that you're going to lose your rights as a citizen, particularly as it relates to the Second Amendment. It means, you know, get your act together and you will be fine by owning the gun that that according to the law, you should be. So I think that this is going to likely end up again in the Supreme Court under a different premise. And we're going to continue to debate this subject for years to come. And based on the rulings that have come out of the Supreme Court recently with the justices there, what do you expect to happen upon appeal? I suspect that the actual appeal is going to be withheld, meaning that the appellate court all the way up to the Supreme Court is going to side with the rights of the individual to own a gun versus the, you know, the drug habits that they may have. However, they are going to they're going to likely use language that is going to be open enough that it would allow for states to be able to implement their own laws, restricting people that are under the influence of some sort of a drug to be able to carry a weapon versus owning that. Professor Alex Del Carmen, thank you so much for your analysis on this. Thanks for having me. In a strange case, a woman from Canada has been sentenced for sending poison to President Trump when he was in office in 2020. The woman now faces over 21 years in prison. 55-year-old Pascal Ferrier is a dual citizen of France and Canada. Back in September 2020, the White House intercepted a rye-thin-laced letter addressed to Trump. The letter reportedly referenced a special gift and concluded with a threat. Two days later, Ferrier was arrested while attempting to cross into the U.S. from Canada. Authorities reportedly found her carrying a loaded firearm plus hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Another eight law enforcement officials in Texas were also targeted with rye-thin-laced letters from Ferrier. Ferrier ultimately pleaded guilty to the nine separate biological weapons counts. CNN reported she expressed no remorse for her actions during her sentencing hearing. Ferrier was tried in a federal court in D.C. and got 21 years and 10 months in prison. Citibank was subpoenaed by a congressional subcommittee yesterday. That's for allegedly sharing clients' financial data with the FBI without legal process. The chair of the select subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government, Jim Jordan, first asked the bank for voluntary cooperation in June. Jordan cited testimony that alleged Bank of America shared information with the FBI about individuals who used credit or debit cards in the Washington, D.C. area between January 5 and 7 in 2021. That was despite having no connection to criminal activities. The committee contacted Citibank and other major financial institutions to find out if they engaged in similar conduct. Jordan claimed to have obtained documents that indicate Citibank may have shared customers' information with the FBI in a letter to the company's CEO. The congressman says the documents show a Citibank representative had Zoom calls with the FBI to identify the best approach to share information after the capital breach on January 6. And before we go into the break, we have a brief update on the rapidly intensifying Hurricane Hillary that could hit the West Coast. The storm, which is now a Category 4 hurricane, is predicted to impact the west coast of Mexico and California. Wind speeds reached 140 mph early this morning. It's not currently known where the hurricane will make landfall. It's forecast that Hillary will likely continue along its current path and move further north later today. If it makes landfall in California, it would be the first hurricane to hit the state in 84 years. The National Hurricane Center warns that heavy rainfall is expected to impact the southwest from today through early next week, peaking on Sunday and Monday. The rainfall may bring flash flooding and mudslides. Yes, everyone please stay safe. Hurricanes are no joke. Stay safe. And still to come, a federal judge turned down a bid to block a Florida law barring Chinese nationals from buying land in the state. Find out why. And a Chinese property giant is filing for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the US. The company Evergrande is currently the most indebted developer in the world. We'll have more on that story when we return. There's always a searching process for beauty. You know it when you see it. 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. Good to have you back. A Florida law barring Chinese citizens from buying homes in the state will remain in place. A U.S. judge denied a request from a group of Chinese living in Florida to overturn the law. The law bans anyone living in adversary countries from purchasing land or buildings in Florida. That's unless they are U.S. citizens or green card holders. Those designated as countries of concern include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and others. The law went into effect last month. Governor Ron DeSantis signed the law in May. He says it will help protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. That same month, a group of Chinese citizens filed a counter-lawsuit. They claimed the law violates the U.S. Constitution and the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits housing discrimination based on race and national origin. Judge Ellen Windsor said yesterday the ban is based only on citizenship, meaning it could apply to individuals who are not originally from China. So it doesn't discriminate on the basis of any protected traits. China's property giant Evergrande is filing for U.S. bankruptcy protection. That's under Chapter 15, which shields the U.S. assets of a foreign company while it works on debt restructuring. The company is now gathering creditor support to complete the restructuring process. Evergrande is seeking approval from a New York court for a nearly $32 billion debt overhaul. The company is now the world's most indebted property developer, with an estimated $300 billion in liabilities. Evergrande defaulted in 2021 amid China's deepening property crisis. At the time, companies accounting for 40% of Chinese home sales went into default. The upheaval added to the country's economic woes and sent shockwaves through global financial markets. A string of Chinese developers have since defaulted on their offshore debt obligations. Another property giant, also Garden, also worried investors after failing to meet two bond payments last week. That's a tall order, $32 billion in debt restructuring. A lot of things going on in that economy. Now also a note on a story we reported on August 15 about the NIH receiving $325 million in royalties from 31 nations. We incorrectly stated the source of the royalty payment. Multiple countries, including China and Russia, were the source of the royalties and we regret the error. Now heading to some short headlines around the world. Russia is accusing Ukraine of attacking Moscow after a drone smashed into a building in the city's business district. There were no casualties. Air defenses reportedly destroyed the drone, which then fell on a non-residential building. Officials say the incident disrupted air traffic at all the civilian airports of the Russian capital. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv. Wildfires in Canada rage on. Officials warned residents in British Columbia yesterday to prepare for extreme fire conditions. Meanwhile, fire crews battle to prevent wildfires from reaching the northern city of Yellowknife. All 20,000 residents are now leaving after an evacuation order was declared. Israel has secured its largest ever defense deal with Germany. After getting approval from the US, Germany will buy an advanced missile system designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles for $3.5 billion. The deal could draw the attention of Russia. With less than a year until the Olympics, Paris is holding a triathlon test event. Yesterday, a field of 65 female triathletes from all over the world swam over 1,600 yards in the River Seine. The group then cycled through 25 miles before finishing with a six-mile run on and around the Champs-Élysées. And of course we're seeing more and more attacks inside of Russia on their own soil now after they launched this war. Also another development to keep our eyes on. Yes. In the meantime, an eyewitness records a terrifying moment of a plane engine catching fire midair. And a viral video shows open-air drug use near a federal building in San Francisco. 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NTD, the first NTD global Chinese beauty pageant. Welcome back. A viral video shows open-air drug use near a federal building in San Francisco. NTT's Jack Bradley speaks to a local activist who is sounding the alarm. Good morning, Evelyn. Employees at the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in San Francisco were recently asked to work from home due to rising drug use and crime in the area. Darren Mark Stahlcup is a local resident and founder of the World Peace Movement. He works near the federal building and posted a video of the area on social media. It has since gone viral. I'm walking by the Nancy Pelosi building and I can't help but notice there are like 50 plus individuals utilizing fentanyl, whether they're injecting it or smoking it, as well as, you know, tents everywhere and feces on the ground. So I've lived in San Francisco. I'm born and raised growing up San Francisco Bay Area and I've lived in downtown San Francisco for the last nine years. Personally, I've seen San Francisco go from being the cultural capital of the world to the technological capital of the world to what seems like now the fentanyl capital of the world. Stahlcup said over the years he's seen more tents popping up in the city. The Tenderloin District in particular has seen unprecedented levels of homelessness, with encampments even appearing near public schools and libraries. The Tenderloin neighborhood used to be a party neighborhood. You know, there'd be a lot of bars, clubs, you know, you'd have your sex workers. There was a lot of alcohol, cannabis and cocaine being consumed. But that was that was the Tenderloin. It was a party neighborhood. And now it seems like it's it's taken a turn for the worse. It's absolutely horrible what's happening in our community. I live in the Tenderloin. I'm about to move from the Tenderloin to the Sunset District. But in my in my time in the Tenderloin, I can honestly say it felt like a living nightmare. Every day and every night I'd go to sleep to the sounds of emergency sirens, leases, ambulances, fire trucks. I'd wake up to people screaming in the middle of the night, women screaming out, help me, help me. I'm being raped. Help me. You know, walking around every corner has a missing person flyers. I go on a morning walk every morning like most Americans. And it seems like every morning I'm having to count the bodies and looking around. The signs of our community becoming more and more uninhabitable are becoming very apparent. I'm traumatized. I have PTSD. My apartment's been broken into multiple times. I've had to fight off burglars with my own two bare hands. Stalker said the impact of fentanyl on his city is tremendous. This is a female genocide in this federal genocide is an absolute humanitarian crisis. Three thousand people have died from fentanyl in San Francisco between the years 2019 and 2023. That averages out to about 2.5 people every day. Unfortunately, I personally believe that it's it's a lot more than that. And, you know, fentanyl is starting to show up in schools. It's starting to show up in playgrounds. They're putting it in weed on the streets. They're putting it in pills. I can't help but feel like it's the collapse of Western civilization. Stalkup recently created a petition to declare a state of emergency for San Francisco's fentanyl crisis. It has since received over 1,200 signatures. Evelyn, back to you. Thank you, Jack. Dramatic eyewitness video shows a plane engine catching on fire just minutes after taking off from Houston. Southwest Airlines flight en route to Cancun was forced to make an emergency landing on Tuesday following the engine fire. Southwest Airlines acknowledged the incident, stating that their Boeing 737 encountered a mechanical issue shortly after takeoff. The company emphasized that the plane was grounded for review. The FAA will conduct a thorough investigation into the fire. That's really what nightmares are made of. But fortunately, no one was injured. Two passengers are speaking out after the incident. Right when we took off, within about three minutes, we started heading south towards Cancun. And within a minute of turning, you felt the plane kind of go side to side like we were in a crosswind. But then it started like shifting this way and going side to side. And immediately we all started looking at each other like the trust that you have, especially after going through that. The only thing you can say in the moment when you're sitting on that plane is they're professionals. But lucky they were able to land so fast after that. Yes, fortunate conditions in that scenario. And thankfully, no one was hurt. You know, hopefully the airlines will do something to compensate people, even though they weren't hurt, for maybe any emotional trauma they suffered. Heading into break now, calming up, U.S. mortgage rates soaring to their highest level in 21 years. We have an in-depth discussion with Entity Business host Don Ma. And according to experts, now is the best time to book your vacation. We have some tips on finding the best price when we come back. Here you go. Thank you. Okay. You're not gonna get it all right. Just make sure you nail the big stuff. Mama! 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. in Almond Square massacre in 1989. Why me? It is literally life and death for many party members to not let the story be told. The government is conducting one of the largest scale propaganda campaigns in history. You just want to wait for it. People are being hurt. They're being killed. They're being jailed. If we don't act... Sometimes you have to compromise. Compromise things you believe in to protect yourself. Good to have you back. U.S. mortgage rates jumped to their highest level in more than two decades. The benchmark 30-year home loan rate has climbed above 7% after weeks of gains. We're joined by Entity Business host Don Ma to tell us more. Good morning, Don. Morning, Kevin. Mortgage rates soar to their highest level in 21 years. The 30-year... the week ending August 17th, that's up from 6.96% the week before. And that's all according to data from Freddie Mac. So, Don, how did it get so high? Yeah, so here's some context first. The average mortgage rate is based on mortgage applications that Freddie Mac receives from thousands of lenders across the country. And rates have been above 6.5% since the end of May and climbing higher since mid-July. Now, the last time rates were over 7% was in November of last year. This week's average rate is the highest the 30-year fixed rate mortgage has been since April 2002. Mortgage rates have spiked because of the Federal Reserve's rate hiking campaign. That's the main reason. The rising average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage loan mirrors the trend of 10-year treasury yields, and that's important. And recently, the 10-year hit the highest level since the summer of 2007. So, in a nutshell, it's because the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates, why the mortgage rate has increased as well. Right, one of the offshoot effects of this inflation that we're seeing. So, Don, can you give us a quick explanation here? Why does the mortgage rate mirror the 10-year treasury yield? Right, so I'll keep this as simple as possible. Bond prices and mortgage interest rates have an inverse relationship with one another. That means when bonds are more expensive, mortgage rates are lower. And the reverse is also true. And bond prices only influence fixed-rate mortgage loans. Now, the 10-year treasury yield is often seen as a benchmark for the risk-free rate of return. So, mortgage lenders tie their interest rates closely to treasury bond rates. And typically, the gap between the 10-year treasury yield and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate spans 1.5 to 2 percentage points. But for some time now, that margin has grown. That's very interesting, Don. Do you have any other news for us? Yeah, just a quick update regarding Facebook. So, this is a deadline reminder for all Facebook users. You have basically one week left to get your share of Facebook's $725 million settlement. So, last year, Facebook agreed to pay the money to settle a host of class-action lawsuits. They alleged the company let third-party access its user private data without permission. The data was accessed by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, who worked for the Trump presidential campaign in 2016. So, here's what you need to know to make a claim in this case. You must submit your claim by 11.59 p.m. Pacific Time next Friday if you're filing online. And if you're filing by mail, your envelope must be postmarked by August 25th. The payoff will vary for each individual, and it's still unclear when the payments will take place. Yeah, that's all from me this morning, Kevin. A little bit of compensation where compensation is due. Don, host of NTD Business, thank you so much. Thank you. Much of the country may have the record-setting hot summer temperatures on their minds. But travel experts say now is the time to think about winter and book flights for holiday travel. Here are five tips to lock in cheap prices on your airline tickets. Summer is still in full swing, and the last thing on many people's minds are the winter holidays. But if you're planning to fly to your destination this 2023, travel experts say now is the best time to book flights. And the reason why is think about it like you're buying a winter coat. When do those tend to go on sale? In the summertime. It's the same thing with those winter flights. Travel expert Scott Kyes has five tips to lock in the cheapest prices on your airline tickets. One, check if it's cheaper to book two one-way flights instead of just one round-trip flight, even if it means booking with two separate airlines. You can sometimes save $100 or $200 just by doing that. Two, use your points or miles. Kyes says you can often get a good deal during the peak holiday travel season. Kyes says one way to know if you're getting a good deal with points is to get at least two cents per point. Three, check fares for nearby airports. Sometimes you'll find cheaper fares than at your destination airport. Four, if you're looking to travel internationally, consider traveling over Thanksgiving. Kyes says that's the hidden best week of the entire year for overseas travel because most Americans are traveling domestically to see family. And finally, consider traveling on the actual holiday themselves. I often see fares that are 30 or 40% cheaper than a few days before or a few days after. Consumer Watch, I'm Jen Sullivan. Some good tips, lots to think about, and it's a great way to leverage that supply and demand. Good point. I, for myself, put down travel during Thanksgiving internationally. Ah, yes. That's a great one. Right, it's a good time to travel. Alright, heading into break now, coming up an Australian pensioner who's putting her fashion design skills to good use. We take a look at her elaborate but slightly unconventional creations. That and more after the break. Shen Yun Creations, the streaming platform from Shen Yun featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music. masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy, and more. Explore chenyuncreations.com. Does this look familiar? You probably think this is what owning hearing aids would be like. Let me tell you, there's a better way. The Atom by Audion Hearing. The all new Audion Atom is the world's first wireless charging hearing aid under $100. The Atom comes with an easy to use wireless charging dock. Plus, the Atom has a 22% smaller design, so it's nearly invisible when worn in the ear. That's why we have over 250,000 happy customers. Each pair has a 45 day money back guarantee, so there is zero risk in trying them. Call 1-800-918-3109. That's 1-800-918-3109. Call 1-800-918-3109, or go to audionhearing.com to get your pair of Audion Atom hearing aids for only $99. Good to have you back. We head over to Australia now where a creative pensioner has taken fashion to the next level by creating clothing out of paper. She's been hailed as an emerging artist for her work despite her old age. Let's take a look. Stephanie Reynolds has had a passion for design and fashion since she was young. A self-confessed textile addict, she has now challenged herself by starting to work with paper. That's tissue paper and this is a very fine Japanese tissue so you can see how unbelievably delicate that actually is. Her elaborate creations are made by using glue. I love the fact that it's unpredictable. It doesn't behave exactly like textile. Stephanie took up her long lost passion after many years working as a business management consultant. In the last year, she held a fashion show as well as a solo exhibition. Described as an emerging artist, she now features at the Launceston Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, proving one can be an emerging artist at any age. Emerging art is not based on age. And there's a great tradition of artists throughout the world who haven't actually done their seminal works until their 40s or 50s. So emerging can happen at any time. I think what Stephanie's done is amazing. Just to like put your artwork out there at any age is an incredible feat. Stephanie hopes the exhibition will inspire others to try something new. I would love if more older people didn't keep on with the story that they're not creative. Because it's just a story we've learnt somewhere in our lives. I reckon everybody's creative. Now her dream is that her art reaches beyond the shores of Australia and is shown throughout the world. Kostamanez, NTD News. Beautiful. It is nice. It's worth making. Yes. And I mean, you just got to watch out for the rain. And I bet those clothes need to be dry cleaned. Oh, well, that's a whole nother question. But I think it's worth it, right? They're beautiful. Why not? Such a novel idea. Yeah. That's all for today's program. We'd love to hear from you at goodmorningatntd.com. Shoot us an email if you'd like. Thanks for watching. I'm Evelyn Lee. And I'm Kevin Hogan. 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!