Speaker McCarthy Announces Biden Impeachment Inquiry; 2,000+ Feared Dead in Libyan Floods | NTD

What's happening in the world, coming up on NTD News First, our top stories. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces a major step toward impeaching President Biden. House Republicans still hold divided views on the matter. Pennsylvania schools close as the manhunt for the escaped convict widens. Police say he was shot by a resident while stealing a rifle. We have the latest. Two thousand feared dead as floods leave eastern Libya devastated. Authorities are searching for thousands of people and seeking outside help. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrives in Russia. The communist leader is expected to meet his Russian counterpart for arms talks, despite warnings from Washington. Transferring billions of dollars to Iran to free American hostages, lawmakers accuse the federal government of negotiating with terrorists. That's over reports of a planned prisoner swap. And nearly 200,000 illegal border crossers were released into the U.S. without an accurate address to track them down. We have details from new watchdog reports. Welcome to NTD News today. I'm Chris Beers, our top news. President Biden will face an impeachment inquiry. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy formally announced the probe outside his office this morning. It will be led by Representatives James Comer, Jim Jordan, and Jason Smith, who have also been leading the investigation into Hunter Biden's business dealings. McCarthy said they found a culture of corruption and that these facts should concern all Americans. McCarthy and House Republican leaders are expected to meet Thursday to lay out their findings. An impeachment inquiry could lead to impeachment proceedings after evidence is analyzed. In that case, 218 lawmakers would need to vote for impeachment. Congressman Matt Gaetz and some others have threatened to try to remove McCarthy from his position if he doesn't follow through on an impeachment vote. This could also impact the current spending battle between Republicans and Democrats in Congress. The impeachment inquiry would not proceed if the government shuts down, which may sway some of the GOP lawmakers least likely to compromise with Democrats. Other Republicans do not support impeachment at this time. The White House says the move is politically motivated. Turning to escaped killer Danilo Cavalcante, he may now be armed after nearly two weeks on the run. Police said today that he stole a rifle from a Pennsylvania homeowner who then tried to shoot him. According to state police, the illegal immigrant was not injured after being shot at. Schools are closed as a precautionary measure following the new sightings of the fugitive. Cavalcante escaped from Chester County Prison on August 31st. He was awaiting transfer to a state prison to serve a life sentence for killing his ex-girlfriend. He's also suspected of a 2017 murder in Brazil. Police have offered up to $25,000 for tips leading to his capture. Officials in Libya fear more than 2,000 people may have been killed after devastating floods hit the country. The floods arrived with Mediterranean storm Daniel. As many as 10,000 people are still missing. The number of missing people is hitting 10,000 persons so far. About the number of dead people and other IDPs, we are still waiting for the finalization of the assessment process on the ground. The storm arrived Sunday night and caused havoc and flash flooding in many towns in East Libya. The worst destruction was in Derna, where heavy rainfall and floods broke dams and washed away entire neighborhoods. The Prime Minister of the government in Eastern Libya said many of the missing may have been carried away after two upstream dams burst. He said the devastation in Derna is far beyond the capabilities of his country. After more than a decade of chaos, Libya remains divided between two rival administrations, one in the East and one in the West, each backed by different militias and foreign governments. All eyes on Russia, where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived today on his private train at an invitation from Vladimir Putin. He was accompanied by top officials from the country's arms industry and military. Footage shows Kim's iconic dark green train stopping at a station in Russia's Far East. The communist leader stepped off the armored train to meet with Russian officials before traveling on northward. During his visit, Kim is expected to hold talks with Putin, their second meeting since 2019. According to Japanese and South Korean media, Kim might meet Putin at the Vestochny Cosmodrome in the north. Putin said at a forum that he planned to visit the same Cosmodrome, but didn't reveal whether he planned to meet Kim there. The reason the world is watching this meeting is weapons. Pyongyang has an arsenal at its disposal, but says it hasn't supplied any to Russia yet. Washington is concerned of closer military cooperation between the two countries. Officials on Monday urged North Korea to abide by its promise not to sell arms to Russia, which could be used in Ukraine, warning the move would violate Security Council resolutions. Are we negotiating with terrorists? The U.S. will transfer billions of dollars to Iran in order to free American hostages. Here's what lawmakers say about that. Congressional lawmakers are responding to news of a possible $6 billion transfer to Iran. Those are frozen Iranian funds which will reportedly be sent from South Korea via international banks to ensure no U.S. sanctions apply. That's part of a prisoner swap deal to release five detained American citizens in Iran. We continue to work towards the full release of the American citizens that were detained in Iran that have now moved on to house arrest. I don't have any update on timing for ultimate resolution. In unexpected news, part of the agreement also includes the release of five Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. Florida Senator Marco Rubio told the Epoch Times the deal is encouraging the taking of more Americans. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says she's very upset that the U.S. was getting into hostage negotiations. She noted that the deal just encourages bad behavior by the Iranians. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, meanwhile, told the Epoch Times he's glad the president is taking seriously getting our hostages home. President Biden has made it clear from the beginning that getting prisoners home is going to be a priority. Lawmakers also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to comment on the reported deal. Senator Tom Cotton wrote, first Joe Biden used 9-11 as an excuse to flee Afghanistan. Now he desecrates this day by paying ransom to the world's worst state sponsor of terrorism. Senator Chuck Grassley posted, it's ridiculous for U.S. to be blackmailed into paying $6 billion for hostages, which will help indirectly finance the number one foreign policy of Iran, terrorism. A journalist asked the State Department on Monday if sending billions of dollars to sanction Iran is undermining the effort of American sanctions. I think the fact that Russia is having to beg North Korea for military support speaks to the effectiveness of our sanctions and our export controls. It's not clear yet which Iranian prisoners might be involved in the swap. For more insight into this hostage deal with Iran, I spoke with Brandon Weikert, author of The Shadow War, Iran's Quest for Supremacy. Brandon Weikert, thank you for joining us. Republican Senator Cynthia Loomis says this deal is rewarding evil with financial remuneration, while Democratic Senator Chris Murphy says he's glad Biden is getting hostages home. What's your take? Well, on the one hand, you have to say it's always good when we can bring Americans home. I think that was the rule of the Reagan era. If Reagan could bring anybody home, he would do his best. The problem is, though, we're giving $6 billion, on the anniversary of 9-11 no less, we're giving $6 billion to a regime in Iran that is the mothership of Islamic terrorism, who have made for 50 years their mission statement, death to America. We know that that $6 billion will be folded into their larger program in Iran of destroying the United States' position in the Middle East, attacking our allies, and basically trying to empower China and Russia in the Middle East at our expense. It was not a great deal. Now, Brandon, reportedly, the funds in this deal released from South Korea to Qatar will be used only in humanitarian trade. What does that mean exactly? Well, there's no way that the United States is going to be able to control the flow of the money once it gets into the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Make no mistake, this money is not going to be used for feeding the people of Iran or helping the impoverished in Iran. This money is going to go right into the hands of Iran's massive, extensive, worldwide terrorist organization, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, and their subsidiary, the Quds Force, which is used to target Americans, to target Israelis, to target Saudi Arabians, to target Europeans, and to kill them or kidnap them. This money is not going where they say it's going to go. Now, Brandon, we recently found out that the release of five Iranians in the U.S. will be part of this deal. Does this additional term change the meaning of this deal in any way? Well, it does, and you can rest assured, as we saw with the Biden administration's trade of the so-called Lord of War, the Russian arms dealer for the women's basketball player Grimes, I'm forgetting her first name, Brittany Greiner, Brittany Greiner. You can rest assured that very similar to that trade, we are probably giving five very seriously threatening people that we captured, we're giving them back to Iran, where those five individuals will go back into the cycle of being used to target and harm American interests. We're getting in exchange Americans, and we're giving $6 billion, but those Americans likely were not anywhere near as strategically valuable as the people that we're giving back to Iran. Well, Brandon Weikert, thank you very much. Thank you. Coming up, a judge's order limiting government from contacting social media companies is set to go into effect more 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. Ganjing World. Family-friendly entertainment. One 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 and the miracles that surround them. A painting that has true beauty. I imagine it's like a door. The artist holds the key to open the door and bring people to a pure world, a world where people are more compassionate. Here you go. Thank you. Welcome back. A political showdown over Senator Tommy Tuberville's blockade of military nominations. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is accusing Tuberville of putting national security at risk. This is paralyzing the Department of Defense. The idea that one man in the Senate can hold this up for months, I understand maybe promotions, but nominations is paralyzing the Department of Defense. I think that is a national security problem. For months, Senator Tuberville has been blocking military promotions. That's in opposition to a defense policy that pays for abortion-related travel for service members. This gridlock disrupts fast-track Senate approvals, leaving more than 300 military officers in limbo, including top brass of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Current federal law under the Hyde Amendment bars the use of federal funds for abortion unless the pregnancy threatens the life of the mother or is the result of rape or incest. The DOD says its policy doesn't violate the Hyde Amendment, but Tuberville stands firm demanding change. He also clarified his position on the nominations. Take a look. A large number of these nominees have publicly expressed support for so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. I'm concerned, very concerned, that DEI distracts our military from its mission. The American military is not a social justice program. It is not a jobs program. The American military is the world's greatest killing machine. The military has one mission and one mission only, to win wars. All the false attacks on me do nothing except to strengthen my resolve. Tuberville warns that future generations will live in a more dangerous world if the Biden administration continues to inject politics into the military. Turning our attention now to the illegal immigration crisis, many illegal border crossers were released into the US without an accurate address to track them down. This is what a new watchdog report found. The Biden administration doesn't have information to locate over 100,000 illegal immigrants released into the US. That's according to a report released Monday by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. The DHS released more than 1.3 million illegal immigrants under federal law into the US from March 2021 through August 2022. DHS workers are required to identify an address prior to releasing each immigrant. The addresses help in situations when ICE officers need to track down fugitive illegal immigrants. The DHS inspector general reviewed over 980,000 records and found Border Patrol had not obtained an address or had obtained an invalid address from more than 177,000 released illegal immigrants. That included illegal immigrants with undeliverable addresses and addresses at entities such as charities or other government agencies. Some addresses were used repeatedly. A full 80% of the reviewed addresses were used at least twice over the 18-month period. More than 780 addresses were used over 20 times. The watchdog made several recommendations to the DHS, such as creating a plan for when illegal immigrants do not have a valid US address. The inspector general concluded in the report, ICE must be able to locate migrants to enforce immigration laws, including to arrest or remove individuals who are considered potential threats to national security. Minnesota will begin granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants next month. The state guarantees applicant information won't be revealed to immigration authorities. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says its Driver's License for All law eliminates the need to show proof of legal presence in the United States. The program begins October 1st. About 81,000 illegal immigrants in the state could be eligible. Minnesota previously required license applicants to show proof of either citizenship or lawful presence in the United States. Democrats in support of the plan insist the program will make roads safer as it will mean more vetting for drivers. Rehobocans warn the measure could encourage illegal immigration, enable potential terrorists to vote and fly illegally, and contribute to voter fraud. 18 other states and the District of Columbia provide driver's licenses to residents regardless of immigration status. U.S. officials could soon be limited from contacting social media companies. The order from a Louisiana judge goes into effect soon, despite being partially overturned. The case started with a lawsuit brought by the Attorneys General of Missouri and Louisiana and several individuals. They allege U.S. officials are lobbying social media platforms to suppress what the government considers to be misinformation and that this is violating users' rights to free speech. The case focuses on posts about the COVID-19 pandemic and claims of fraud in the 2020 election. A judge in July found that federal officials did violate the First Amendment by coercing companies into censoring posts. The judge issued a preliminary injunction banning a wide range of communications between officials and social media companies. His injunction was altered by another set of judges who limited the type of officials that it affected and what communication it prohibited. The re-induction ruling was also put on hold for 10 days. Now those 10 days are about to expire, but due to legal processing, the limitations are not yet in effect and won't be until November 1st. The future looks a little gloomier to small businesses. Main Street's optimism fell last month, according to a National Federation of Independent Business survey released today. Here to discuss this change amid higher inflation is Javier Palomares, founder and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council. Javier Palomares, thank you for joining us again. Thanks for having me, Chris. Javier, a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business said small business optimism fell last month. What's driving this? You know, I think Americans are living a life of two realities right now. If you look at key metrics, jobs numbers are looking good. Unemployment is at 3.5%. We haven't seen that sustainable percentage in over 50 years. GDP grew 2.2% pre-pandemic, it grew 2.1%. Consumer spending is up by 8% last month. Home values remain high. All of those metrics bode very well for us. But stubbornly, we see some other key indicators. Inflation continues to be a bit high. It's at 3.5%. It's not where we want to be. But I think it's important to remember that, you know, last summer we were at 9.5%. And it has steadily decreased month after month for about 13 months. But we still have that psychology of, you know, an inflation that's a bit high. We see some looming strikes with the autoworkers, the continuing strike with the screen actors and the writers, and a near miss with UPS in terms of a strike. So those kinds of things still loom in the psychology of the American people, and certainly Hispanic and small businesses. Yeah, there are a lot of things that are concerning small business right now. Now, what can small businesses do to hedge against the effects of inflation? You know, I think we continue to do what we do. Offer the best work environment for our employees. It's increasingly difficult to find the right employees and the right skill sets, and even more difficult to maintain and retain your employees. It's a difficult market when it comes to, you know, personnel and hiring. But with that said, you know, the creativity, the hustle of the American small business community continues. We're obviously the engine that drives the American economy. So, you know, anything we can get from this administration, our elected officials in terms of help, would be fantastic. Now, you mentioned our economy sort of has two realities. Can you explain what you mean by that? Well, again, I think, you know, there are some key metrics that we look at as a business association that are trending definitely in the right direction. But stubbornly, you know, there's a mood amongst the American small business community. There's a sense of foreboding. And while we haven't hit the recession that some thought might come about, I think we're going to come in for a soft landing, which is great. The optimism that one would expect with these kinds of metrics simply isn't there. I think to some extent, the Biden administration should be doing a much better job of touting these wins, of talking about these metrics that, frankly, are critically important for the American economy and certainly for American small businesses. Well, Javier Palomares, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Chris. Appreciate it. Coming up, Google heads to court in a landmark antitrust trial. What's at stake? Why is the tech giant in the crosshairs? And it's just days away to pay your estimated tax bill. The IRS is sending out an urgent warning. We'll have the details soon when we return. N.T.D.'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 the American cars and grades? 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 are in the know. Good morning. I'm Evelyn Lee. And I'm Kevin Hogan. Thanks for staying with us. A warning from the IRS for freelancers and retirees as a deadline looms to pay estimated taxes. The agency cautions people to stay current to avoid a surprise at tax time. The surprise is potential penalties for missing payments. Some taxpayers don't have taxes withheld from their income. For example, gig workers, freelance workers, retirees, partners and corporation shareholders. For them, the deadline for filing third-quarter estimated tax payments is September 15th. If you're unsure if the deadline applies to you, you can consult IRS guidance on Form 1040-ES for details. Alabama has petitioned the Supreme Court. They want a temporary halt of a lower court decision that blocks the state's recently redrawn congressional map. The state says it isn't required to create a second-majority black voting district, saying that would result in a racially segregated court-drawn plan. In June, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court ruling that Alabama needed to redraw its congressional districting map. This so black voters had the opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice, according to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, the map the state passed in July had only one majority black voting district out of seven. 27% of the population in Alabama is black. Google is in court today in Washington, D.C. Its search engine dominance is at the center of potentially the biggest U.S. antitrust trial in decades. Here to discuss is NTD Business host Don Ma. Don, what is the U.S. accusing Google of? Right. So, to put it simply, the U.S. is accusing Google of unlawfully stifling competition. The company is being accused of paying wireless carriers, smartphone makers, billions of dollars, Chris, to make Google search the default or sometimes the only option on products used by millions of consumers. And during the trial today, a Justice Department lawyer labeled this tactic as a feedback loop. The lawyer said, quote, this feedback loop, this wheel, has been turning for more than 12 years and it's always turning to Google's advantage. He also says this is a code red situation that Google illegally maintained a monopoly for for more than a decade. So basically, regulators are alleging Google has rigged the market in its favor and as well as some of its rivals. For example, DuckDuckGo has also complained that Google has been unfair because removing Google as the default search engine on a device takes too many steps. So people, they just don't do it because it's too much trouble. The case, as you mentioned just now, is widely seen as one of the biggest challenges to the tech industry power in 25 years. This actually, this legal showdown could reshape one of the Internet's most dominant platforms. And the trial will last 10 weeks, Chris. What's Google's argument here, Don? Right. So Google denies the accusations, of course. It says people use its services because they simply believe it's the best. And it's not for reasons because Google restricted competition or anything like that. Google argues it faces a wide range of competition at the moment that's ranging from other search engines like Microsoft's Bing and DuckDuckGo, as I mentioned earlier. So during the trial, Google's lawyers said that users today have a lot of search options and more ways to access information than ever before. Another stance by Google is that consumers can actually delete the Google app from their devices or simply type Microsoft Bing's search engine or Yahoo or DuckDuckGo into a browser to use an alternative search engine. And that consumers apparently stick with Google because Google says they like the answers that the search engine gives them. And what's at stake for Google in this case? Right. Great question. So what's at stake here is the way Google distributes its search engine to users. The judge may potentially decide to order Google to stop practices that has found to be illegal or the judge may order Google to sell assets. And all this could lead to fewer users or potentially lowered profits. But the U.S. is actually not seeking a monetary penalty. But the government has said in its lawsuit that the court could break up the company as a solution. But I would like to add that this would be an extreme outcome. A ruling against Google could impact other companies as well, because as I mentioned earlier, Google has been paying other companies like Apple a lot of money. So that could be an impact on Apple as well. So those are just some of the stakes. And presiding over the case is U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who also recently presided over the trial of Peter Navarro. All right. Thank you very much, Tom. Thanks, Chris. The city is responding to the illegal immigrant crisis with drastic cost-cutting measures. The city plans on cutting overtime pay for police, firefighters, correction officers, and sanitation workers to help pay for the massive influx of illegal border crossers. Mayor Adams ordered those groups to create an overtime pay reduction plan and track its progress monthly. Police unions say the plan will reduce the number of cops on patrol and make the city more dangerous. The Adams plan also creates a hiring freeze. The cost-slashing move comes after Adams recently described the flow of migrants into the city as a financial tsunami. He's also said that the migrant crisis will, quote, destroy the city. Adams said New York City can't manage 10,000 people a month with no end in sight. A New York man has confessed to a cold case killing in Virginia nearly three decades ago. 51-year-old Stephen Smirk told police he fatally stabbed Robin Lawrence inside her Virginia home in 1994. Investigators had recovered DNA from the crime, however, back then, there was no match in any system. When New Technology located a familial DNA match, detectives determined Smirk was working in the area at the time of that murder. They traveled to New York to question him and say that he confessed. Smirk was arrested and will be extradited to Fairfax County. He faces second-degree murder charges. A lone hiker inside a remote area of a national park in Alaska got caught in a bad weather storm and was in need of rescue. He then came up with a very good idea. Use a wildlife webcam to try to get help. Explorer.org said that some users of the website were watching a live stream of the webcam, likely hoping to spot a bear. When they saw a man walk up to the camera, he looked into the lens and asked for help. He also gave a thumbs-down sign. It was raining and the man looked cold. Users then contacted website moderators who alerted park rangers. The park rangers sent a search-and-rescue team out, and they found the hiker a few hours later. He was brought back to safety. They are not releasing the hiker's name, but explain this is the first time their cameras were used in a search-and-rescue operation. Are you home and finances prepared to weather a natural disaster? Experts weigh in on how to stay prepared for the unexpected year-round. Mother Nature has been punishing this summer, and hurricane season could bring more chaos before it wraps up. The National Hurricane Center says it's important to think a few steps ahead. Often people, when they evacuate out of a hurricane zone, they underestimate how long it might take to safely get back into the community that they've evacuated from. And in the stressful run-up to a natural disaster like a hurricane or wildfire, basic needs like food, shelter and water take priority, which is why experts recommend having a disaster readiness financial plan at the ready year-round. To do that, FEMA recommends the following steps. First, gather your important financial documents and contacts. For documents that are paper-only, take a photo and keep some cash in a safe place in case ATMs or banks are inaccessible. Review your insurance policies to be sure that they are current, and know the range of disasters for which they'll support you. FEMA also suggests safeguarding paper and electronic copies of all files in safe locations, and updating items any time there's a big life change like a move, a job switch or the birth of a child. If households update a plan periodically, it's one less thing to think about when emergency is imminent, information flow is rapid and decisions need to be made quickly. Just focus on the information that is pertinent to you, your area, and that is actionable. If you have any news tips or feedback for the show, please feel free to email us at news.today at ntd.com. Coming up, a tragic tale from Morocco, how a family lost a 7-year-old in the recent earthquake. Plus, what made this tremor so deadly? We'll return with that and more after the break. Stay tuned to get two rolls of Alien tape free. 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After a devastating storm hit the North African country, up to 10,000 people remain missing. The US is reportedly preparing to unfreeze sanctions on Iran worth $6 billion and release five Iranians in exchange for five Americans. Some senators say it's good Biden is bringing Americans home, while others say this deal is effectively financing terrorism. The earthquake in Morocco has now claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people. And for some families, the pain is deep. One father recounts how he lost his seven-year-old son in Friday's disaster. Near the epicenter of Morocco's deadly earthquake, devastating loss is coming into focus. Brady Meitnerzer's seven-year-old son, Suleiman, was sleeping when the 6.8 magnitude quake struck. There were guests here at my house and I told my wife to take him to his room to sleep. And she took him to this room. As she came back outside, the earthquake happened and the ceilings were destroyed and they fell on him. His wife told him to listen for any sign of life in the rubble. But it was too late. Suleiman was about to start a new school year. His older brother, Mouath, says Suleiman had a special perspective on life. He always saw the whole world. Always saw the spring and the trees and the land. One day when he was playing with my other brother, he paused and said to him that there will come a day when he will cry over his loss. And here I am, doing just that. Mouath says he and another brother managed to survive by climbing through the collapsed kitchen ceiling. Boulders have blocked roads, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the area. Brahim said he helped rescue half a dozen neighbours in the hamlet and pulled out several dead bodies. Despite so much loss, Brahim says he plans to rebuild here. And is just grateful for the memories he has of his son. As rescue crews dig through the earthquake rubble, seismologists say multiple factors made the disaster so deadly. NTD's Andrew Thomas reports. Friday's earthquake shook most of Morocco. The epicenter was high in the Atlas Mountains, about 40 miles south of Marrakesh. Seismologist Richard Walker says multiple factors made the evening quake so deadly. It is an earthquake occurring in an area with a relatively large population, and especially a population where there's quite a lot of vulnerability in terms of the building types to earthquake shake. The earthquake occurred when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. But it was at a shallow depth, which made the quake more dangerous. So this means that the earthquake waves have taken less distance to get to the surface. And so because of that, they have more energy within them. So there's a lot of things that add up towards making this such a disaster. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake was Morocco's strongest in over a century. A magnitude 7.8 quake rocked Syria and Turkey, killing more than 21,600 people in February. In Turkey, the rupture created by the earthquake was 350 kilometers long. So the damages were spread over several regions. So the scale of disaster was an order of magnitude higher in Turkey. In Morocco, rescue teams are racing to reach remote mountain towns devastated by the earthquake. More than 2,800 have been confirmed dead. Aftershocks continue in areas with already damaged, unstable buildings. The risk is making rescue efforts even more dangerous. Survivors have been told not to go back inside their homes. It is clearly a difficult period, especially because at the moment people are trying to clear the rubbles. And of course, if there is a shock, then the new buildings can collapse. So it is a real safety issue for the rescuers. Any trapped survivors are running out of time. Most people can only survive a maximum of three days without water. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Still to come, hot weather in Tunisia hits the country's small wine industry. More than 1,000 miles away, Germany's grape harvest starts off strong. And the world's oldest functioning planetarium, it's entirely mechanical and it's seeking UNESCO World Heritage status. We'll be back with more soon here on NTD News. 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. Simply add SmileActives to any toothpaste and our patented PolyClean technology activates into a powerful microfoam that penetrates into the enamel surface to safely lift and remove stains. You need a simple way to whiten your teeth without strips, without trays, without going to the dentist. 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Back to the news, BMW is investing $750 million to keep production of Mini Coopers in the United Kingdom. The German automaker secured a deal with the UK government to build its electric vehicles in Oxford and Swindon. About a year ago, BMW hinted it had plans to move some Mini production out of the UK to China. But now the factories are set to start producing a three-door Mini Cooper and a compact crossover in 2026. The UK sites are also gearing up to make only electric vehicles by the end of the decade. BMW has owned the Mini brand since 1994, and the Oxford plant is where the original classic version of the small car was born 64 years ago. Tunisia's blisteringly hot summer hits the country's small wine industry. Dry weather and scorched grapes threaten the future of the region's winemakers. We had the latest through the grapevine. Dry wine and dry grapes are not the same thing. Today, Tunisia's winemakers are facing a crisis. The country's wine output is estimated to have fallen between 20 and 40 percent. This year, during the month of July, temperatures were exceptionally high and ranged between 38 and 48 degrees Celsius. This had a significant impact on the grape clusters, making them lose their sugar. The clusters dried up due to the intense heat and this year's lack of rain. Tunisia was a major wine producer under the Carthaginian and Roman empires. Commercial-scale output began under French colonialism. This year, farmers are suffering. Some couldn't harvest any grape clusters from their crops. Anything that wasn't irrigated yielded nothing, and although water crops fared a bit better, most farmers were badly affected. More than 1,000 miles away, Germany's grape harvest has just begun. A good vintage is expected for 2023, despite the weather this year. So for wine growing, it's actually a surprise that we have a good harvest because of the extremes, this drought. First, the chilly conditions in spring with the wetness when the wine didn't grow at all. That delays everything. Then it was totally dry, again growth difficulties, plus the fear of corresponding fungal growth. For winemaker Julia Walsen, rain has been the biggest challenge of the 2023 harvest. Last year, we struggled with the lack of rain with the drought. This year, we had exactly the opposite, a lot of rain. We struggled with the wet situation because the water that comes from the sky is stored directly in the grapes. And so we have to be a bit careful that the grapes don't burst. Walsen and her sister have also started to grow new, more resilient grape varieties. This year is very special. I think the wine will be good with a lot of handwork, a lot of perfection. But you have to put a lot of time into it. I don't think it's quite as easy as in previous years. Germany is best known for its Riesling grape variety, which prefers a cooler climate. But farmers are always adapting. The oldest functioning planetarium in the world is in UNESCO's orbit. The organization will decide if the institution earns World Heritage status this September. Here are the details. We know that everything here is moving. Welcome to the Royal Isa Isinga Planetarium. The celestial Dutch masterpiece was created in the 18th century. Storyteller and museum worker Frank Bell tells visitors how the planetarium works. Everything that is shown in the planetarium is constantly moving. He has built a huge gear mechanism over the ceiling, driven by a small clock. And that makes that everything here is constantly moving. The national monument was built by amateur astronomer Isa Isinga in the late 1700s. It's the oldest functioning planetarium in the world. Isinga created the exhibit to disprove a planetary collision end-of-times prediction. The genius of Isinga is still something that impresses people. It's a great example of how people thought in the 18th century, in the age of enlightenment, and how they tried to popularize astronomy. Now the planetarium is running for UNESCO World Heritage status. We see it happen, of course, because we are convinced that this really deserves that title. And for the rest, it's up to the board of UNESCO, I would say. The backbone of the planetarium continues to function. A clock and gear system control the exhibit. People will never see it because it's moving in real time, so that's very slow. The slowest object takes 29 and a half years for one round through the room, so you will never see it move. You have to be very patient to see the difference. UNESCO will consider candidates at the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The meeting will run from September 10th through the 25th. 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? 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