Trump Co-Defendants Begin to Surrender in Georgia; Lahaina Residents Fend off Property Offers | NTD

What's happening in the world? Coming up on NTD News, first our top stories. Surrenders begin at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where Trump and 18 co-defendants are being charged. Who's showed up so far and what they had to say about it. The first Republican primary debate is happening tomorrow. Grouping you what topics candidates might discuss and a possible reason why former President Trump won't attend. Lahaina residents receive offers for their property just weeks after wildfires destroyed their homes. We'll hear from a local who says there's no chance she's selling. Residents in Southern California help each other clean up the damage following Tropical Storm Hillary. The rainfall leaves homes and local streets flooded. Texas moves its controversial floating barriers to the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. That's ahead of a court hearing on the legality of the buoys. Welcome to NTD News Today. I'm Chris Beers, our top news. Republican presidential candidates are preparing for the first primary debate. They all have different strategies going in. Here's what topics candidates might bring up. Eight candidates have reached the polling and donor thresholds needed to qualify for the first Republican primary debate. Those are former President Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. One issue that might come up a lot is abortion, according to journalist Elizabeth Nolan Brown. Mike Pence, who is a very true believer in the pro-life side, he really has already hit hards at someone like Trump, who is much more squishy about the issue, and I think that he, this is, Pence sees this as his chance to shine. Another topic is Biden's age and Vice President Kamala Harris. Nikki Haley in particular has already sort of been talking about her and how, you know, if you're voting for Biden, you're actually voting for a President Harris. And that's not an entirely unfounded concern. I mean, you know, Biden is up there in age. Other topics might include former President Trump, support for Ukraine, support for Israel, culture war issues, and illegal immigration. According to a Republican strategist, the US will undergo a stress test over the next 18 months that it has not undergone since the Civil War. I hope we can survive the stress, but it's going to be put under an enormous amount of pressure over the next 18. Former President Trump, who is fighting legal battles, says he'll not attend the debate. One reason might be the event will get more viewers with him attending, because some will tune in just to see Trump. A presidential historian points out how the upcoming election is unprecedented. A candidate running while at the same time dealing with multiple felony charges. Once in a while, historians ought to admit that there are uncharted waters, that there is, in fact, new history being made. The first GOP debate will take place on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In Georgia, Trump's bond is at least twice as high as each of his co-defendants, and the restrictions placed on the former president outweigh those placed on the others. I spoke with Epoch Times reporter Janice Heisel about why and how Trump is responding. Janice Heisel, good to have you back on the show. Thank you. Donald Trump's bond in the Georgia case has been set at $200,000. Tell us about this. Well, actually, last night, former President Trump did go on his Truth Social and had some comments to make about this bond. He basically said he thought it was ridiculous because it's not like he is the kind of person who can travel around the world and no one noticed that he shows up in his, he calls it nondescript plane that says Trump on the side. And he also said, what does she think I'm going to do? Run off to Russia, Russia, Russia, and hang out with Vladimir Putin in a gold domed building or something. So he kind of made a little bit of light of it last night. And tell us about the bond set for his co-defendants. Well, the bond for the co-defendants so far has been set considerably lower. The attorneys in the case have somewhat of a higher bond, more in the range of $100,000 each. And there was a bail bondsman that has been involved in this situation. His is maybe quite a bit lower than the other ones. So it's hard to say exactly how these amounts were set because some of the defendants, even though they have the same exact charge, everybody is charged with a racketeering charge. The bond amounts for that charge alone are very different depending on who the defendant is. So it's not very clear based on the documents how these amounts were set. So we don't exactly know why Donald Trump's bond is set so much higher? No, but I think the assumption is that he's considered kind of the ring leader, so to speak, of the alleged racketeering conspiracy here in Georgia. So that's the best guess that most people would make, I think. Now, Janice, the judge is also restricting the defendants, who they can contact and what they can say. Tell us about these restrictions. Well, it's sort of standard within criminal law that anybody who's accused of a crime, especially multiple defendants, that they would be barred from kind of talking to each other without having their lawyers involved. That's pretty standard. Or from intimidating witnesses, once again, fairly standard. However, under President Trump, there are very specific restrictions about his social media posts saying that he can't make direct or indirect threats against people who are possibly tied to this case, including, very interestingly, 30 unnamed and uncharged co-conspirators. So I don't know if he knows off the top of his head who these 30 alleged people are without them even being named. So it'll be kind of interesting to see how this plays out. I mean, there are a lot of concerns being raised about whether this is sort of a trap for him. And do we know why the restrictions placed on Donald Trump are heavier than those placed on the other defendants? There is nothing in the court records that specifically addresses that. What's next in this case, Janice? Well, former President Trump has indicated on his Truth Social that he will be presenting himself to be arrested at the infamous Rice Street Jail there in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday. And according to information that's been released already from the law enforcement officials there, they're saying this time a mugshot will be available of the former president. All right, Epoch Times reporter Janice Heisel, thank you again. Thank you. Co-defendants have started to surrender to the jail in the Georgia indictment. NTD's Melina Wisecup is tracking updates for us at the jail. Melina, tell us more about those first to surrender. Good afternoon, Chris. Yes, so two of those co-defendants of the 19, including former President Trump, who have been charged here, have surrendered to the Fulton County Jail behind me. The first one to surrender was earlier this morning, Scott Hall, who is a bail bondsman. He's being charged of seven counts, six of which are conspiracy charges. We'll show you what the charges he's facing are. So most of them are conspiracy charges, and he is accused of conspiring to unlawfully try to access voter data. Now, the other to surrender was John Eastman, which is a former Trump attorney, and he came here earlier this morning. They're very quick in and out. John Eastman, he was pushing a legal theory that said that Vice President Mike Pence had the authority to reject certain electors on January 6th. John Eastman, after he left the jail, he did come speak to reporters. He said that he believes this indictment should have never happened. He also said he has not spoken with former President Trump since this indictment took place, but he does not regret challenging the election results here in Georgia on Trump's behalf. We'll show you what Eastman had to tell us after leaving the jail. Each defendant in this indictment, less than any other American citizen, is entitled to rely upon the advice of counsel and the benefit of past legal precedent in challenging what former Vice President Pence described as, quote, serious allegations of voting irregularities and numerous instances of officials setting aside state election law in the 2020 election. The attempt to criminalize our rights to such redress with this indictment will have, and is already having, profound consequences for our system of justice. My legal team and I will vigorously contest every count of the indictment in which I have been named and also every count in which others are named for which my knowledge of the relevant facts, law, and constitutional provisions may prove helpful. I am confident that when the law is faithfully applied in this proceeding, all of my co-defendants and I will be fully vindicated. Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen, very much. I did try to ask his lawyer because Eastman did not wanna take questions from reporters. I did try to ask his lawyer what will be the most challenging charges to dispute and also if they could give us some insight into their legal defense. His lawyer did not directly answer my question, but he did say that his client, Don Eastman, did have every right to challenge the election results here in the state of Georgia, so we can assume that will be part of the defense strategy. Eastman was released from the jail on a $100,000 bond. Trump has a $200,000 bond and Trump says he'll be here at the jail on Thursday. Chris. How's the process playing out once they go in the jail? I mean, how long do they have to stay and what happens when they go in there? Well, just based off of the two co-defendants that surrendered this morning, we expect it to be a very quick process. Both of those two, Scott Hall and John Eastman, left within hours of being processed at the jail. Now, what we've heard from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office is that they're still doing fingerprints and mug shots as well as medical screening, so we could expect to see it move faster. The reason why it is more quick than a usual ordinary case would be is because they did make prior bail arrangements with the district attorney's office, many of which signed those agreements just yesterday. So we do expect to see a quick turnaround for many of the other co-defendants that are going to be surrendering over the coming days as well as former President Trump. Chris. Okay, Melina, thank you. Police arrested a Chicago woman for allegedly making death threats to Trump and his 17-year-old son, Barron. Tracy Marie Fiorenza is accused of sending two emails to a Palm Beach County, Florida school threatening to shoot Trump and his son. She was charged with one count of transmitting threats to kill or injure another person in interstate commerce. It carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison or a maximum fine of $250,000. Fiorenza was scheduled for an appearance in Chicago federal court on Monday, but it's likely she will be transferred to Florida where the charges were filed. When we come back, Texas has quietly moved its controversial buoys to the US side of the river. The state will face off against lawyers from the DOJ in a court hearing today. And the legality of a raid on a small town, Kansas newspaper is being questioned. State agency says the online search that spurred the raid was legal. More on that in just a moment here on NTD News Today. Hey, I told you enough of that. But look, this is different. It's Ganjing World. friendly Every single person is sometimes all it takes to change the course of history. With courage and great effort, our ancestors built the pillars we stand on today, leaving us a legacy of art, music, and wisdom. At the heart of almost every culture is our relation and connection with the divine. Today, their profound contemplations, beliefs, and great sacrifices have at times become misunderstood and even ridiculed. With the help of academic experts, we'll shine a new light on some of the most influential and courageous characters in history. Because that's around them. painting that has true beauty. I imagine it's like a door. Artists hold the key to open the door. bring people to a pure world. people are more compassionate. I am Li Ching-Yun, the founder of Kwai Shan Fang. In Taiwan, we have the world's largest cypress forest. My father especially loves the forest scent emitted by the cypress forest. To bring the forest's fragrance to my father and family, I founded Kwai Shan Fang. We aim to provide you with the most natural cypress forest essence. Welcome back. People in southern Texas are bracing for heavy rains. A new tropical storm, Harold, is rolling ashore along the Gulf Coast. The storm had maximum sustained winds of up to 45 mph. According to the National Hurricane Center, it could slam south Texas with 3 to 5 inches of rain, bringing moisture to parts of the drought-stricken state. A tropical storm warning is already in effect for the mouth of the Rio Grande through Port O'Connor. Some areas may get storm surge up to 3 feet. Forecasters also say some parts of south Texas could also see tornadoes. Lahaina residents are getting offers for their property just weeks after the wildfire destroyed their homes, but some locals aren't having it. NTD's Andrew Thomas has more. Deborah Loffler felt she couldn't lose much more after the Lahaina wildfire. Her five-generation home was destroyed. Then she started getting emails from supposed realtors. They offered cash for the beachfront plot where her house used to be. Well, I've got emails, you know, and I think two were from local, and I trash-canned them and I cleared my trash can, too. Wanting to buy your home, and they had your address already. Many families who lost homes don't have insurance. The Hawaii governor has warned against capitalizing on the disaster. I have instructed the attorney general to impose enhanced criminal penalties on anyone who tries to take advantage of victims by acquiring property in the affected areas. But that hasn't stopped some people from offering to buy Loffler's home. I can't really remember. I was so upset that they'd even offer. I know they apologize for your loss and something about if you're wanting to relocate, you know, we're willing to, I don't know how, exactly how it went, but something along those lines. But Loffler says there's no chance she's selling. This is home. They've got family roots here. My kid, my youngest son wants to come back here and, you know, finish raising his family here. We're not leaving. More than 800 people are still missing. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. A hundred-year-old Maui residence is shown vibrant in photos and in perfect condition, while all homes around it are gray with rubble and ashes from the fire. A couple that owns the home were out of town. They were made aware of the fire and that the whole neighborhood would likely burn down. But later they saw aerial photos that revealed their home was intact. The Milliken family purchased the home in 2021. They started crying when they realized their home still stands. Trip Milliken told the Honolulu Civil Beat that he felt guilty about his home surviving the disaster. Milliken said the home was made of California redwood, but so was the home that burned down next door. Californians are helping each other clean up the damage from Tropical Storm Hillary, which brought flooding in one town a huge mudslide. Here's the latest. Flooded homes and inundated streets. Residents of Cathedral City are surveying the damage from Tropical Storm Hillary. City Councilwoman Nancy Ross and her husband Bob cleaned up debris. They chatted with neighbors and helped them put garden furniture back where it belonged. Everybody's on high alert today to check with their neighbors, check with their friends, make phone call trees. We have a lady, and I'm going to point over to her house here, and she is in the hospital. She's just had an ankle replacement, and I know there's that much water standing in her home right now. Ross said they didn't expect floods when it started raining on Sunday, but it quickly became apparent the storm drains couldn't cope. Well, I think when the rain started, people just didn't understand how bad it was going to be. But I will say, for the most part, the news pounded it and pounded it and pounded it, and people stayed in. The worst part was here on this street. It's called Coble. It took on thigh-high water. Tom Fitzsimmons and his neighbors in San Bernardino are also dealing with the aftermath. Bulldozers and sand trucks are clearing roads and driveways after a heavy mudslide trapped residents and vehicles in the hillside community. We're just trying to clear the driveway so we can get out eventually or bring a tractor in and clean up all the mud. We cleared all the rocks out, and this is just the finishing part of that. And we still can't go over that bridge because that's like quicksand there. Fortunately, Fitzsimmons and his neighbors were able to cope with the downpour. For us, it's minor, and I know we're, I think we're under an evacuation order, but we just shelter in place because we're all capable. No one's, you know, frail or older or anything like that. So that's what we always do if we can, right out of the storm. The extent of the damage is expected to become clearer later this week. A hearing today will decide whether Texas can keep its controversial floating barriers. Ahead of the court session, the state moved the buoys to the American side of the Rio Grande. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the repositioning was out of caution. Last week, a court filing said the floating barrier was primarily on the Mexican side of the river. Abbott said he didn't know if those allegations were true. Texas began installing the bright orange buoys in July. DOJ filed a lawsuit citing potential impact on Mexican relations as well as the humanitarian risks. Abbott insisted the barriers are legal. Supporters say they form a deterrent to illegal border crossings. The legality of a raid on a Kansas newspaper is being called into question. The police chief that led the raid says he had probable cause to believe the newspaper broke the law in obtaining information about a local business owner. A spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Revenue said yesterday the agency's website is public-facing and anyone can use it. He said it's legal to access its database online using information obtained independently. Legal experts believe the raid violated a federal privacy law or a state law that shields journalists from having to identify sources or turn over unpublished material to law enforcement. Police seized computers, personal cell phones, and a router from the newspaper and the publisher's home. They were returned after the county prosecutor concluded there wasn't enough evidence to justify the action. The newspaper remains under investigation. A U.S. appeals court has revived the Alabama ban on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors. The Atlanta appeals court said those challenging the law did not make their case regarding a right for parents to treat their children with transitioning medication. Judge Barbara Lagoa wrote for the three-judge panel. She said Alabama has a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs, particularly those for which there is uncertainty. Coming up, Tesla is informing workers of an insider data breach that exposed loyally personal info. What will the company do now? And three companies accuse the IRS of backdating penalty approvals. The approvals involve millions of dollars in penalties. We'll have the details soon when we return. NTD's Capitol Report. It's about getting answers, cutting through the fog of politics. It's about your questions and our chances to ask. What is the net impact of race? Thank you for joining us. We're speaking to those in power to find out what does this mean for the people. We're here so you're in the know. Hey! Morning, I'm Evelyn Lee. And I'm Kevin Hogan. the stories that need to be told, the voices that need to be heard, the truth that you need to see. Get unbiased and in-depth news. Don't miss a beat. I'm Stephanie Echox at MTV. We're here for you. Thanks for staying with us. Tesla is notifying current and former employees of an insider data breach. Over 75,000 confidential employee records were exposed in May. Tesla says the leak involved social security numbers, names, and addresses. In a letter to the main attorney general, Tesla wrote that a foreign media outlet told the company that it had obtained confidential Tesla information. The Germany-based newspaper received at least 100 gigabytes of confidential data from the two leakers. Handelsblatt newspaper reported in May that a disgruntled former employee provided the paper access to the files. Tesla says it filed a lawsuit against the two former employees. The electric car maker informed employees that it would offer complimentary membership to Experian Identity Works credit monitoring and identity theft service. Handelsblatt promised Tesla that it wouldn't publish any of the personal information, but it did report there were almost 4,000 customer complaints regarding Tesla's driver assistance technology in the leaked files. The IRS has come under fire by three Georgia businesses. They say a supervisor at the tax agency backdated approvals for fines. The issue centers around conservation easement deals, which is when people agree to restrict the use of their land for conservation purposes. By giving these agreements to charity, they can claim tax breaks. The IRS has been stepping up scrutiny for these cases, claiming taxpayers are taking advantage of it, but IRS agents can't impose penalties without a supervisor's signature. Three Georgia companies, Arden Roe Assets, Basswood Partners, and Dellwood Partners say that's what happened. They filed a lawsuit last week. They alleged that an IRS supervisor intentionally backdated approvals for millions of dollars in penalties. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Conservation easement tax provision has proven difficult to administer. A Brookings Institution study said it ranks among the top 10 most litigated issues between the IRS and taxpayers. Healthcare costs are hurting the middle class. That's the conclusion of a new study by a think tank called The Third Way. It shows that 25% of middle-class Americans, or about 17 million people, had unpaid healthcare bills in 2020. That's a higher percentage than lower-income or higher-income Americans. Third Way defines the middle class as a family of three earning between 50 and $100,000 a year. Researchers found while middle-class Americans may have good health insurance plans, they are hurt by high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs. The study also found disparities by race. Among the middle class, nearly 38% of black Americans and just over 25% of Hispanics have medical debt, compared with 20% of white people and 16% of Asian Americans. Another statistic shows that American workers are looking forward to record high wages. According to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, average minimum wages that workers are willing to accept, new jobs rose to over $78,000 last month. That's up nearly 8% from one year ago. The survey also shows that college graduates and men are the ones with the biggest boost. Economists are citing the labor market and the economy, including inflation, as part of the reason for the higher wage expectations. Goldman Sachs is warning clients that Washington is on track to its first US government shutdown in five years. Here to discuss this is my friend and colleague, NTD Business's Don Ma. How are you, Don? I'm good, Chris. A little bit tired, but I'll try my best to answer your questions today. All right, why is Goldman Sachs saying we're heading for a shutdown? Okay, so here's some context for us to why we're even facing the threat of a shutdown. Now, under the Anti-Deficiency Act, federal agencies cannot spend any money without appropriation or approval from Congress. Therefore, when Congress fails to enact annual appropriation bills, federal agencies must cease all non-essential functions, and that's known as a government shutdown. So then why would Congress be unable to pass the appropriation bills, right? Well, Goldman Sachs is arguing that a thin house majority and a dispute on spending levels, among other disagreements, are making things a bit complicated for Congress. So Goldman Sachs thinks that a shutdown is actually more likely than not this year. And during shutdowns, some federal employees, but not all, are told not to report for work. Government employees who provide essential services such as air traffic control and law enforcement will continue to work, but they don't get paid until Congress takes action to end the shutdown. But keep in mind that this applies only to about 25% of federal spending that's actually subject to annual appropriation by Congress. Shutdown could also potentially delay the release of federal economic reports, including the ones on inflation and the labor market. Yeah, and let's talk about whether this is worrying for the economy and individuals. So I like to say that it seems like Wall Street is not losing sleep over this, because a government shutdown would cause some problems for individuals, but it would not be very damaging to the US economy at large. And Goldman Sachs says basically the same thing as well. And Chris, we have to understand that a shutdown is actually far less severe than a US debt default. Benefits such as social security and Medicare will continue to flow because they're authorized by Congress in laws that do not need annual approval. So that's good. And the treasury can continue to pay interest on US treasury debt on time. So the threat is definitely less. But because the risk to the economy is lower, that actually potentially could make it easier for Congress to, you know, for them to have less pressure to reach a decision in time. And that's what Goldman is saying too, that because the government shutdown would be manageable for the economy, it's why it's likely to happen. All right, thank you, Don. Nissan Sentra owners, here's a recall you don't want to ignore. Nissan is calling back more than 235,000 Sentras because drivers could lose control of them. This issue is a front suspension rod that can bend on certain impact, like hitting a curb. Once that happens, the driver can lose the ability to steer the vehicle. Nissan will send letters to owners in October, inviting them to have their cars inspected if they experience steering issues. Then when replacement parts become available in the winter, all owners will be allowed to get the parts replaced, regardless of whether they have noticed issues. The affected vehicles are 2020 through 2022 models. Staying with car safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is proposing a new rule for passenger vehicles. It would expand seatbelt warning systems. Right now, automakers must equip vehicles with sounds to remind drivers to buckle up. That could soon include front passenger and backseat riders. The agency wants to use sound and perhaps lights to urge people to buckle up. It says adding the extra warning could save about 100 lives a year. The public can comment on the proposed rule for the next 60 days. Is the world economy big enough for two major currencies? BRICS nations might be thinking so. BRICS nations include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Russian officials said the bloc is planning to create a shared gold-backed currency. To learn more, I spoke with Thomas Hogan, senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research and former chief economist for the US Senate Banking Committee. Thomas Hogan, thank you for joining us. Thanks, glad to be on. Thomas, why might BRICS nations be looking to create a shared gold-backed currency? So these countries already have a trade agreement, and so they've talked about whether a currency agreement will make that more successful, make it easier for them to trade. And the gold idea has been floated. It's not an official proposal yet, but gold standards in the past have been very historically successful at enabling international trade. And so this might be something that these countries could do to further promote their trade union. And what hurdles might they face in creating this currency? Well, they believe that this would be a big advantage to help them not only trade among themselves, but in international trade. But it is difficult because one of the things that a gold standard requires is that people have to trust that the government will actually redeem the gold. You know, it requires strong property rights, and Russia and China are just not known for strong property rights. And so it's questionable whether people actually believe that if Russia and China are holding their gold, that people will actually be able to redeem it when they want to. Talk to us about the ability of a potential gold-backed BRICS currency to challenge the US dollar. Right, yeah, that's been one of the most controversial questions about this, is will it be a threat to US dollar dominance? The US dollar is widely used in international trade, partly because we have a lot of trade partners, but also because it's just a very stable currency relative to the other ones. I mean, we're having bad problems with inflation in the last few years, but relative to a lot of other countries, it's not so bad. And so if they could provide a more stable currency, then it's worried that a lot of people would switch away from the dollar. We do see a couple of very stable currencies like the Swiss franc. They get very disproportional use in international trade. And so it is possible that if they were able to create a gold-backed currency, that a lot of people might want to use that instead of the US dollar for international trade. And what would that mean for the United States? So, you know, it'd mean, so on one hand, if they were able to create a better currency than the US dollar, then for a lot of US international trade, like some US companies might want to use that too, and some of our partners that we trade with might prefer to use a more stable currency. But largely it's political that the US government uses the dollar for political reasons and tries to have countries that are more closely aligned with the United States using the dollar. We've also, because we're such a stable currency, supported other countries when they have a financial crisis or when we and the rest of the world has a global crisis or recession, the US government has stepped in. And so, you know, there's a worry that there might not be that kind of help if the US government is needed, but mostly, you know, as a political tool that it's better for the United States if people are using our currency. Thomas Hogan, senior research faculty at the American Institute for Economic Research. Thank you. Thanks, glad to be on. Another top Biden administration official is set to visit China. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is scheduled to travel to Beijing and Shanghai from August 20th to August 30th. The department says she will discuss issues related to U.S.-China commercial relationships, U.S. businesses in China, and other areas for potential cooperation. A trade dispute is escalating between the U.S. and Mexico. A Mexican decree bans the import of genetically modified corn for use in tortillas, a staple food for Mexicans. Washington claims that the ban lacks scientific basis and that it violates the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, or USMCA, launched in 2020. Mexico's economy minister told Reuters yesterday that her country has ruled out further changes to the decree. I am convinced that the United States will agree with us because of the way we made the decree. And regardless of anything else, we will abide by the rule, whatever the panel decides. That's because we do believe that everything has to be done in strict accordance with the law. Mexico partially revised the decree back in February, modifying its tough stance on GM corn. The new order allows its use in animal and industrial food, but maintains a ban on human consumption. Mexico imports about $5 billion of corn per year from the U.S., much of it in yellow GM grain for livestock feed. Washington has called for a dispute settlement panel under the USMCA. With the panel rules in favor of the U.S., Mexico may have to pay punitive tariffs on their goods. And if you have any news tips or feedback for the show, please feel free to email us at news.today at ntd.com. After the break, a group of activists and moms lost their children to fentanyl in Times Square. They're there to raise awareness of the crisis. And there's hope behind the scenes of the opioid crisis plaguing a way unnoticed. Covered addicts are helping current addicts break free. 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Popular topics may include abortion, Ukraine, and illegal immigration, but Trump won't attend, possibly to avoid turning attention to his opponents. The Haina residents are receiving offers for their properties just weeks after the wildfire destroyed their home. But locals don't seem eager to sell. And Hawaii's governor has warned against capitalizing on the disaster. Efforts are underway in California to clean up the damage from Tropical Storm Hillary. Locals dealing with the aftermath of floodwaters and mudslides. Think again fentanyl kills. This message lit up a billboard in Times Square yesterday. It was National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. The CDC reported over 100,000 people died of drug overdoses and poisoning in the US last year. Almost 70% involved in synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Here's the story. A group called Facing Fentanyl held an awareness event Monday on Times Square. The organization warned people about the growing fentanyl poisoning problem in the United States. This morning our families stand in Times Square on the busiest street in America to acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been lost to fentanyl poisoning. The CDC says fentanyl is a synthetic opioid about 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the CDC the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45 is drug poisonings. The CDC estimates that over 110,000 Americans died from drug poisonings in just last year. Many of the fentanyl poisoning victims didn't even realize they took fentanyl. The national drug supply is tainted with this deadly analog called fentanyl. People when they're suspecting to buy some kind of prescription medication on the street, Xanax, Klonopin, Valium, and end up overdosing on poison from fentanyl, that is a national scourge that's claiming the lives of more Americans than ever before we tracked. Activists say educating the public is crucial in reversing the trend. We're doing everything we can with moms and dads and brothers and sisters who have lost people to band together with our federal government and educate our communities. National drug supply is tainted. We wish it wasn't, but it was. One pill can kill. The CDC recommends wider distribution of medications which reverse opioid overdoses and to increase awareness about access to treatment. Behind the spike in deaths from the deadly opioid fentanyl is the age old problem of addiction. In a two part series we take a look at the nature of this beast and the hope for addicts and their families. Today we'll hear the first hand account of recovered opioid addict Roger Garrison. I didn't really get introduced to any kind of drugs or addiction issues. I was actually in my 30s and I had a couple of back operations and I was taking a lot of pain meds at the time and I started to realize as time went on that even when my back and stuff was getting better, I still liked doing the pain meds. I was going to bed at night praying not to wake up again. Roger had hit rock bottom. He lost everything. He was homeless. He didn't have a job. He had nothing. I woke up one morning and I said if I continue to do this or if I continue on this road, I'm going to die. He joined a 12 step program. These mutual aid groups consist of addicts helping other addicts through simple steps to recovery. There, in one of the group's weekly meetings, Roger met someone who told him how to get his life back. The first thing you have to do is you got to stop doing the drugs. That's the most difficult thing probably there is to do. That's the thing you have to do perfect. You can't use the drugs. You got to deal with things on a daily basis. But I find myself talking to people, one addict helping another. I have a close friend that when there's something really going on in my life, I'll call him up. He'll come over. We'll just shoot the breeze for an hour, an hour and a half and have coffee. And it's one on one, one addict helping another. That's how we get through it. So it's never too late. It's never too early. You know, but I consider myself blessed to have found where I'm at now in my life and my life is really good. And I'm like, I'm in one of the best spots that I've ever been in. Even before I had issues there. Roger's story is not uncommon, though you don't hear about it very often. As for his message to people struggling with addiction amid the fentanyl crisis, Roger has this to say. It's a very difficult situation, but there's hope out there. You know, there are there are programs and there's people out there. You know, we look for people. We want people who are struggling to come in. That's the core of our program. You know, that's what we do. I mean, those people that come in struggling, we want to help them and show them there's a better way. And then when they get to that point, they can help others. After the break, two U.S. zoos are celebrating the birth of newborns. One is a frisky baby giraffe and the other a clouded leopard kitten who will become an ambassador for their species. Details to come on NTD News Today. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? Now you can, with SmileActives, the teeth whitening breakthrough that safely gets your teeth white and keeps them white every day, just by brushing your teeth. I never thought that whitening my teeth could be so easy. I just put the gel on the brush, the toothpaste on it, brush, and I can see my white teeth. 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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. Welcome back! Astronomers are waiting to see if aliens respond to a message they sent into outer space 40 years ago. The message they sent consists of 13 drawings depicting DNA, the theory of evolution, and the solar system. The drawings were translated into radio waves and beamed across space by astronomers at Stanford University. Now scientists in Japan are scanning the sky. They hope for a return message from the Alpair star, located in the Achilles constellation 16.7 light years away. Professor Shinya Narusawa of the University of Hyogo is leading the research team. He believes a planet in Alpair's solar system could hold extraterrestrial life. The team is using antennas to scan for any incoming outer space messages. The team picked today to begin looking for a message, since it corresponds with Japan's Star Festival holiday. Visitors to a well-known sunflower farm in the UK are being urged to keep their clothes on. When a farm on Heilong Island issued the unusual request on social media, the owners say too many visitors to the field of two million sunflowers were posing naked for photo shoots. Although there are remote areas of the farm on an island off England's south coast, many were posing nude out in the open. The farm's owners became concerned after children visiting the farm were exposed to the nudity. Although there have been risque social media posts from the farm before, this is the first year it has become a real problem. A celebration at a Chicago-area zoo! Zookeepers welcomed the arrival of a giraffe calf over the weekend. She's the 60th calf born in the Brookfield Zoo since 1940. The Chicago Zoological Society says the baby giraffe was born Saturday to a 16-year-old reticulated giraffe, Arnietta. It's around 6 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds. The calf will stay behind the scenes for a few weeks to bond with her mother before making a public debut. The pregnancy for Arnietta was confirmed in July last year, which followed a pair of miscarriages. It's the second calf born to Arnietta, following a male in 2012. And in Oklahoma, a city zoo is also cheering. This clouded leopard kitten was born last month after a 90-day pregnancy. The zoo says he's so special that he's getting extra care from zookeepers, and they report he's doing well. The little guy is more than just cute. The facility partners with other zoos to carry out a survival plan for this vulnerable species. When this little guy grows stronger, he's due to become an ambassador for his species at another zoo. Thanks for tuning in today, I'm Chris Beers. Does this look familiar? You probably think this is.