Hunter Biden Sues Giuliani, Alleges Hacking; Biden Impeachment Inquiry Hearing: Witnesses Announced

What's happening in the world coming up on NTD news. First, our top stories. Hunter Biden is striking back. The president's son is suing Rudy Giuliani and his former attorney, alleging they tried to hack his devices. We have the latest on the lawsuit. The first witnesses are announced in the Biden impeachment inquiry. Find out who they are and what they're expected to focus on. Trump's lawyers want to shut down a possible gag order from special counsel Jack Smith. We had the latest on the former president's federal election case. President Biden is making a historic trip to Michigan to join the front lines of the United Auto Workers Union strike there. Will it help his poll numbers? Cartels making use of immigrants. The border patrol chief says cartels are bringing immigrants to overload and distract agents at the border. We bring you how this helps the cartels. AI generated images of nude minors are sparking outrage among parents in Spain. A probe is underway to find out whether this act constitutes a crime. An Australian leader who oversaw some of the world's longest lockdowns is now stepping down. Find out why the premier of Victoria State is resigning. Welcome to NTD News today. I'm Chris Beers. Our top news, Hunter Biden is suing former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his attorney. The president's son accuses the pair of violating his privacy over data allegedly taken from his laptop. According to the suit, Biden says Giuliani and his former attorney Robert Costello are responsible for quote, total annihilation of his digital privacy. Biden is asking for a jury trial in the matter. The lawsuit is the latest Biden has filed as he prepares to enter a not guilty plea to federal gun charges next week. That followed the collapse of a plea deal he struck with prosecutors. Earlier this month, he brought a similar civil suit against a former Trump White House aide. And last week, he sued the Internal Revenue Service for allegedly releasing his tax information illegally. The first impeachment inquiry hearing into President Biden is in two days. And we now know who the first witnesses will be. The hearing is set for Thursday. House leadership previously said the focus is on clearing up and organizing existing evidence. Witnesses include former Assistant Attorney General Eileen O'Connor, George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley and a forensic accounting expert. They are likely to address constitutional and legal questions. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden earlier this month. The investigation will focus on allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption by Biden related to his family's overseas business dealings. The panel is also poised to issue its first subpoenas to Hunter Biden and the President's brother James. Turning to the federal election case facing Donald Trump, the former president is seeking to have a possible gag order rejected. Prosecutors for Trump filed a 25-page memo Monday night. It says special counsel Jack Smith's requested gag order is unconstitutional and a quote, desperate effort at censorship. Prosecutors asked US District Judge Tanya Chutkin to limit Trump's ability to talk about issues including the identity and testimony from potential witnesses. Chutkin, who is overseeing the case in Washington DC, has yet to make a decision about the requested gag order. Trump was previously ordered to not intimidate or talk to potential witnesses about the matters involved with the case. A US president joining the picket line. President Biden is set to join members of the United Auto Workers Union Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan. Here to discuss is NTD businesses Don Ma. Don, what precedent is there for this, if any? Now, Chris, according to experts in presidential and US labor history, they're saying they really can't recall an instance when a sitting president joined an ongoing strike. You know, that's even including during the tenures of pro-union presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. You know, we often see lawmakers, right, appear at strikes to show solidarity with unions. But sitting presidents, you know, have long wanted to stay out of the front lines of strikes because they have to balance the rights of workers with disruptions to the economy, supply chains, you know, and other facets of everyday life. Well, that is until Biden, it seems like. Now, what does it mean that he's joining this UAW strike? Chris, I think it could show an allegiance to labor unions that appears to be unparalleled in presidential history. You know, presidents historically avoided direct participation in strikes because they see themselves more as mediators. They didn't see it as in their place to directly intervene in a strike or in labor action. But, you know, Biden's trip to join a picket line could be the most significant demonstration of his strong support for labor unions. And I think his actions, though maybe unprecedented, it is in line with his record of supporting unions. Don, Biden is trailing former President Donald Trump by about 10 points in the polls right now. Do you think his support of the unions at this strike could affect him in the polls? Well, you're right about that. The trip does indeed come as Biden faces low polling numbers on his handling of economic issues. And here's the thing, Chris, a prolonged strike and a shutdown could have economic consequences and could hurt him in the polls. And this is something the White House, you know, absolutely does not want because it needs to show that Biden's economic policies are working. But, you know, Biden is also appearing in the battleground state of Michigan just one day before his political rival, Donald Trump. Trump will also come to this crucial swing state to make his own appeal to union workers. But, you know, despite Biden repeatedly touting his status as the most pro-labor president, the UAW has actually not offered an endorsement of Biden's re-election bid, not yet so far, at least. All right. Thank you very much, Don. Thank you. Using immigrants as a distraction. Cartels allegedly bring in loads of immigrants at one place and then smuggle drugs at other locations. Here are the details. Mexican drug cartels are flooding the southern border with illegal immigrants. U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owen says that's used in part as a distraction so cartels can smuggle other things into the U.S. He told ABC one of those things is illicit fentanyl. In terms of flow and the threats that we're seeing with fentanyl and with criminal organizations that are our adversary, it's about as bad as I've ever seen it. He said other things the cartels bring in this way are bulk cash, weapons, hardened criminals, gang members and even convicted sexual predators. Mr. Owens also said that the primary focus of border agents should be to stop the smuggling of those things. But they're overwhelmed with tens of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding the border. CDC data shows about 71,000 Americans died from overdosing on synthetic opioids such as fentanyl in 2021. That was up from almost 58,000 in 2020. The rate of opioid overdose deaths in 2021 was over 20 times the rate in 2013. Meanwhile, House Republican Tony Gonzalez of Texas says we shouldn't rely on other nations to solve the border crisis. If we're going to rely on Mexico, there was just this deal. If we're going to rely on Mexico to handle our immigration system, I'm very concerned with that because they've failed in every aspect. Just look at the fentanyl crisis. Mexico has not helped us in this area. So we can't allow on other countries to handle our national security. Just last week, Homeland Security made the announcement it was deploying more military personnel to the border. The agency announced 800 new active duty troops were being sent to the border to help the 2,500 Federal National Guard members already assisting CBP. That's across the entire length of the southern border. The Biden administration aims to keep the U.S. refugee cap at 125,000. That's according to a draft report obtained by CNN. It recommends an increase in the number of arrivals from the Western Hemisphere and a decrease from Europe and Central Asia. These changes could provide a legal avenue for migrants without having to journey to the U.S.-Mexico border. With scandal blowing up in New Jersey, we hear from the former assistant district attorney in Brooklyn. What does he have to say about the bribery charges of a Democratic senator from New Jersey, Bob Menendez? Mark Ruskin, thank you for joining us again. Hello, Chris. Good to be here. Mark, how serious are these charges against Senator Menendez? These charges are pretty serious. I mean, the federal government's been investigating him for a long time. This is the third attempt. And it looks like this time, they're not making any mistakes. I mean, if there was any errors made initially, I imagine that this time, the FBI and the Department of Justice were not going to take any chances. This is going to be a serious case for him. And I think it doesn't look good. How likely is a conviction here? Well, at this point, we're not familiar with all the evidence. Much of the evidence is going to be presented at trial. But it's certain that the FBI has been working this case for a long time. They certainly have amassed a vast quantity of evidence, probably documentary evidence such as suspicious activity reports, intercepted phone conversations, maybe even the use of undercovers and informants. So it's likely to be a variety of types of evidence, all of which will have a cumulative effect, no doubt of having a serious effect on both him and his wife, Nadine. Now, you're saying there's a lot of evidence against him, but Menendez maintains he'll be exonerated of all these charges, even amid calls to resign. What do you think makes him so confident? Well, the appearance of confidence is a very good initial defense. So he's done this in the other cases as well, is he's denied everything and admitted nothing and gone all the way to the limit. In the prior criminal case, there was a mistrial, which is not essentially really a finding of not guilty. It's essentially that the jurors could not all agree on whether or not to have a verdict of guilty or not guilty. So he had very good counsel, good attorneys in the first trial and had the result which was ideal for him, but not for perhaps in the best interest of justice. Mark, Eddie Scarry from The Federalist seems to think this case against the Democratic senator is meant to lend an air of legitimacy for the DOJ at a time when many see it as politically motivated. What's your take on that? Well, you know, I worked on public corruption cases for several years when I was a FBI special agent. And the FBI historically would investigate both Democrats and Republicans equally or any other party and without political issues being involved. And I think that the mainstream political corruption investigators at the FBI and probably at the DOJ still would follow that pattern of indicting anyone who's found to have violated public corruption laws, be they Democrats or Republicans. And in this case, it's not as though there was good reason to be investigating Menendez because one just has to look at his past history. The issue that appears to me to be kind of unusual is how blatant he was about it. I mean, it's as if he wasn't even trying to hide his activity. I mean, they're driving a brand new Mercedes Benz as a gift, having gold and cash all over the place. It's a little blatant, I would suggest. Mark Ruskin, thank you for your insight. Thank you, Chris. Coming up, are the GOP debates turning into a battle for the vice presidency? That's what an election pundit thinks, given that frontrunner Trump isn't participating. Google celebrates its 25th anniversary on Wednesday. Users around the country describe the trillion-dollar company's impact on their lives. And with a $4 billion investment, Amazon is making its biggest bet yet in the race for AI. What's its chance of beating rivals? More in just a moment here on NTD News Today. 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He faces a maximum prison term of eight years for the felony and a possible six-month sentence for the misdemeanor. The guilty pleas were not part of any plea deal with federal prosecutors as McAbee rejected an earlier offer from the Department of Justice. His attorney says McAbee believes a jury trial will acquit him of the remaining charges. What's changed since the last GOP debate? We hear from Roger Simon, director of the Presidential Roller Coaster 2024, about the second GOP debate to be held tomorrow night at 9 p.m. at the Reagan Library. Roger Simon, thank you for joining us. How will the upcoming GOP debate compare to the previous one? Unfortunately, my prediction is it will get fewer viewers. That's one of the safest assumptions you can make, because as these things go on, the interest starts to wane, especially since Trump isn't there and he's just, a new poll shows him up by 10. Whether that's accurate, I'm not sure, but he's probably up. And he's certainly up against the Republican candidates. So this is sort of like a second place debate. Not particularly interesting. Now Donald Trump is leaving the second place holder, Governor Ron DeSantis, by about 40 points and the other candidates are polling in the single digits. And as we were talking about, Donald Trump is not going to be showing up at the debate this time. Given that, what's the significance of this debate? The big debate, the significance might be that the vice presidential candidate will emerge from it. Or he won't, or she won't, because there's no reason that Trump has to do that. I mean, he's said nice things about Vivek Ramaswamy. He hasn't said very much nice things about anybody else running. On the other hand, he hasn't attacked them much, except for attacking DeSantis. And DeSantis is a weak second, not a strong second. I mean, in some polls, in some areas, in New Hampshire he came in, what, third or fourth in one of these things. So he has not distinguished himself on the hustings, as they say. So it's, I don't know what the excitement is going to be and what the incentive is going to be to watch this thing. Although I, as a member of the media, will of course be watching because it's my duty. Now, Roger, Sean Hannity will moderate another debate on November 30th between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom. What can we expect to see with this one? Well, that's sort of like clickbait for the Floridian or something like that. I don't think, this is, you know, I think that the governor of California could end up running. I don't think DeSantis is going to end up running, frankly. But the governor, he could end up running. And if he does run, I would love to be in charge of making videos, because I could do before and after videos on San Francisco would be devastating. And so this man will be carrying behind him, Newsom will be carrying behind him, you know, like a bunch of tin cans of the state of California, which has gone into the toilet, literally and figuratively. So it's an interesting thing. I think this is more about Sean Hannity's clout, whatever it is, than it is about the two candidates. And I don't think this will get very much attendance at all. All right, Roger Simon, thank you again. Thank you. Google will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Wednesday. Users around the country reflect on the trillion-dollar company's meteoric rise and its impact on their lives. NTD's Andrew Thomas has the search results. Google is nearly synonymous with the Internet. Since 1998, the search engine has provided instant access to almost any information. Retiree Vicki Okamoto remembers the old days. Oh, gosh. I've witnessed the transformation of having Google compared to not having Google by. We used to have to make a lot of phone calls. We would have to go somewhere and find things out. We'd have to mail away for something. Most people use Google regularly, like high school student Oliver Spate. He almost always finds whatever he's looking for. Probably 50 to 100 times a day. I mean, I'm Googling anything from questions about school work, answers to questions that just pop up into my head. I'm searching up pictures of things like to work on projects. Security guard Kaisa Butler uses Google for her fantasy football team. I Google constantly. I use it for music a lot of times. I like to find out different artists. Also sports. I'm really into sports, so I love to just find out different facts. Google started as a search engine company in the late 90s. The company's divisions now cover commerce, advertising, technology products and more. I think that Google has changed the world. And it's changed the way we communicate. It's changed the way we talk with people and how we get things done and how we process information. But for many, the search engine is still Google's primary function. For Sherry Myers, it's a vital resource. The one Google product I really can't live without would be the search engine. I mean, it just gives so many options. And no matter what I need to know, it tells me what I want to learn more about. Not everyone is on board with Google's domination of internet search engines. The Justice Department is currently arguing in court that it's abused its monopoly to limit competitors. The tech giant also faces criticism over privacy and data handling. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Amazon is stepping up the AI race with a $4 billion investment in Anthropic, a high-profile startup. What's at stake in the gamble? Here's a closer look. Amazon is escalating the AI race with what may be a $4 billion bet it announced Monday, saying it's investing in high-profile startup Anthropic. It's Amazon's biggest answer yet to rivals in cloud computing like Microsoft and Google. Anthropic is building generative AI, a system that can draft content as if a human made it, and competes with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Amazon's planned commitment would give its employees and cloud customers early access to technology from Anthropic, which they can infuse into their businesses. The San Francisco-based startup in turn committed to rely primarily on Amazon's cloud services. That includes training its future AI models on large quantities of proprietary chips it would buy from Amazon, and Anthropic would also help develop technology for Amazon's own in-house chips. Amazon's rivals have marketed or developed powerful AI this year. Since 2019, Microsoft has put billions of dollars into its partnership with OpenAI, giving Microsoft customers special access to the prose-writing, image-generating ChatGPT and GPT models. Google, meanwhile, helped pioneer this generative AI technology. In May, it also invested in Anthropic's $450 million fundraise, and Anthropic says its relationship with Google is not going away. Anthropic was founded by former OpenAI executives. The startup has yet to gain the name recognition or usage of OpenAI's GPD4 and ChatGPT, which is one of the fastest-growing software applications in history. But it has aimed to distinguish its work by training AI to adhere to moral values. Concerns over security risks and the safety of humanity have soared amid the heated race in the development of artificial intelligence. In July, U.S. President Joe Biden announced an agreement reached with AI companies on safety guidelines and measures for the technology. There's an important recall for owners of bicycles with Shimano cranksets, that's the part of the bike that the chain and pedals attach to. 680,000 are under voluntary recall. There's a risk of those parts separating, causing riders to crash. So far, there have been more than 4,500 reports of injuries, including fractures and cuts. Shimano cranksets are used in its own bikes, as well as popular brands like Trek and Specialized. The company advises consumers to stop using the bicycles and contact Shimano directly or an authorized dealer to see if your bike is eligible for a free inspection. After the break, U.S. Army General Randy George calling for a free and open Indo-Pacific as concerns grow over Chinese influence in the region. A show of military strength in downtown Seoul as South Korea held its first large-scale military parade in a decade. Its president has a stern warning for the North. And speculations swirling over the alleged death of a Russian commander. Ukraine claims to have killed him in an attack, but he appears in a video. We'll have the details when we return. Stay tuned to get two rolls of alien tape free. You wouldn't stick your mother-in-law on the wall, but you could with alien tape. It just sticks. 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Washington plans to allocate more diplomatic and security resources to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. India's defense minister highlighted the complex security challenges faced by the region, including boundary disputes and piracy. Staying in India, Apple supplier Pegatron halted iPhone assembly the second day after a fire broke out at its plant. The fire has since been put out. Pegatron didn't specify the reason for the shutdown, and the company said the incident would have no major impact on finances. The plant has a daily production capacity of about 26,000 iPhones, but has assembled only around 10,000 per day in recent months. Meanwhile, a rare three-way talk took place in Seoul, where South Korea hosted senior diplomats from neighboring China and Japan. Officials seek to pave the way for a resuming summit between their leaders. The last such meeting took place in 2019. Those talks were halted due to legal, diplomatic, and trade disputes stemming from Japan's past occupation of Korea. China's relations with South Korea also deteriorated years ago over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system. Beijing has confirmed that the trilateral meeting will happen at the earliest convenient time. Also in Seoul, South Korea held its first large-scale military parade in a decade, sending a clear message to North Korea. Tanks, missiles, and drones rolled through the bustling downtown streets. Crowds braved the rain to witness this rare display of military hardware. Three hundred U.S. soldiers based in the country also took part in the event. South Korea's President issued a stern warning to Pyongyang against the use of nuclear weapons. If North Korea provokes, the South Korean military will immediately respond based on practical combat capabilities and firm military readiness. If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the ROK-U.S. alliance. President Yun Suk-yol said despite repeated warnings from the international community, the North has been advancing its nuclear capabilities. He added that South Korea will stand firm asserting its power and determination for peace. Next to the South China Sea, the Philippine Coast Guard spoke out on its recent removal of floating barriers placed by China. This particular action and the instruction of the President, we have shown the world the Filipino people will not back down and we're still going to consistently carry out whatever is necessary for us to maintain our presence in the West Philippine Sea. The remarks came one day after a Filipino diver removed a floating barrier set up by China. The barrier was meant to prevent Philippine vessels from fishing in the disputed shoal, an area China claims as its own territory. The Philippine Coast Guard said the barrier posed a hazard to navigation and was a clear violation of international law. Bomb experts in Singapore successfully dealt with a 100-kilogram World War II bomb today. Footage shows the bomb's detonation at a construction site. Authorities believe it was one of the largest wartime explosives discovered in the Southeast Asian city-state. Singapore authorities made no reference to the bomb's origin. During World War II, Singapore was occupied by the Japanese from 1942 to 1945. And an activist and lawyer in Thailand was sentenced to four years in prison for challenging the country's monarchy. The man was renowned for his calls to reform the monarchy. He denies any wrongdoing, but this landmark verdict is just the beginning, with 14 more cases looming against him. Thailand's strict Laissez-Majester law shields the monarchy from criticism. The law has faced international condemnation. Since 2020, over 250 people have been charged with more than 100 crimes. Turning to Southeast Europe, it's been 15 years since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. But the recent storming of a monastery has put tensions between the two back in the spotlight. Here's a look at what has been driving the unrest. Kosovo gained independence in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against repressive Serbian rule. It's recognized by more than 100 countries, including most Western ones like the United States. But not Serbia. It still sees Kosovo as part of its territory. The majority of Kosovo's population is ethnic Albanian. 5% of them are Serbs, of which 50,000 live in northern Kosovo, on the border with Serbia. They receive benefits from Serbia's budgets, like free public health care and larger pensions, and don't pay taxes to either side. Serbia foots the bill for teachers, doctors and infrastructure projects, and local Serbs are afraid they could lose those benefits if they become integrated with Kosovo. They've shown their disdain in a few ways, by refusing to pay their state energy bills and by attacking police who try to make arrests. From April, an already tense situation became worse. Serbs had boycotted elections, so ethnic Albanian mayors took office in northern Kosovo, a move that sparked rebukes from the U.S. and its allies. There's also a growing dispute over license plates. Kosovo wants Serbs to switch their old ones that are from the pre-independence era. Ethnic Serb mayors, local judges and hundreds of police officers have resigned over the looming switch. That's deepened dysfunction and lawlessness in the region. What Serbs in Kosovo want is an association of majority Serb municipalities with considerable autonomy. Kosovo is not a fan of that idea. Pristina says that would create a mini-state in its borders along ethnic lines. The U.S. and EU want both sides to get on board with a plan from 2022. The idea? Belgrade would stop lobbying against Kosovo getting seats at international organizations like the United Nations. Kosovo would commit to form an association of Serb majority municipalities. But talk stalled last week. With powerful nationalist hardliners on both sides, prospects for an imminent breakthrough appear bleak. More updates from across the Atlantic. A mystery is surrounding the alleged death of a top Russian general. Ukrainian special forces announced a major victory yesterday, the death of Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. This occurred during an attack on the fleet's headquarters in a Crimean port. Satellite images captured the billowing smoke from the attack, but in a surprising turn of events, Sokolov appears to have defied death and resurfaced in a video conference with top military officials. The Kremlin has declined to comment. In Ukraine, a ferry crossing point to Romania is now closed following an overnight drone attack from Russia. The attack only hit Ukraine, but the Romanian border patrol also confirmed that people cannot cross there and traffic has to take an alternate route across the Danube River. Ukrainian authorities say they are working to stabilize the crossing. A cruise liner captain was handed a five and a half year prison term in Hungary for his role in a 2019 collision on the Danube River. The accident claimed the lives of 25 South Korean tourists and two crew members after their smaller boat sank under a bridge in Budapest. The accident was described as the worst disaster on the Danube in over 50 years. Only seven people from the smaller vessel survived, with one person still unaccounted for. In Spain, unethical use of AI is at the center of a legal fight. Prosecutors are investigating whether AI-generated pictures of naked underage girls constitutes a crime. They received a 200 page police dossier containing complaints from about 20 families. Parents say fake AI pictures of their daughters were circulating on social media and in chat rooms used by teenagers. The mother of one of the victims said photos of her daughter appeared on the messaging app WhatsApp beginning in July. Many girls were completely terrified with the tremendous anxiety crisis because they were suffering this in silence, because they felt bad and were afraid to say anything and to be blamed for it. The case is a worldwide problem and I think that here the only difference is that we have given them a voice and we are behaving in a way that is exemplary enough for them to take notes. And we're showing more places to put the focus of attention on protecting the victims without loopholes and to educate these kids in order for them to recover. In the US, the FBI recently warned that more criminals are using similar AI images to intimidate and blackmail victims. A legal expert in Spain said that the question now centers on what responsibility lies with those involved in making and distributing these images. Another question is whether those who created the AI tools are liable. He says the goal is to stop the images from spreading further. The premier of Australia's Victoria State is stepping down from office. Daniel Andrews oversaw one of the longest pandemic lockdowns in the world. He's resigning after about nine years in office. Andrews led his Labour Party to three consecutive wins. However, he was criticised for his lockdown measures that shut down the city of Melbourne for a total of 262 days. Andrews admits the job consumed and defined him, prompting his departure. Today I will again visit government house and resign as premier and member for Mulgrave, effective 5pm tomorrow. It's not an easy decision because as much as we've achieved together there's so much more to do. But when it's time, it's time. The Labour Party holds the reins of power in Australia's federal government. Lawmakers will choose a successor from the same party for Andrews tomorrow. Coming up, the crown jewels of French art. Our reporter was in the Palace of Versailles to bring you the largest ceiling painting in Europe. English Heritage is unveiling the 1000th blue plaque, a tribute to notable figures who made history. Find out how they came to be more shortly here on NTD News Today. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your 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. Bars should lock up criminals, not your back. Don't get the shakedown from lesser spine surgeons who utilize screws, rods, and disc replacements. At Benati, no hardware is ever used. 65% of patients come to us after receiving fouled back and neck surgery at other facilities. With 98.75% patient reported satisfaction, you don't have to be a prisoner to your pain. Benati succeeds where others fail. Visit askbenati.com. Welcome back. If you're just joining us now, here are some of today's top headlines. Hunter Biden is suing Rudy Giuliani and his former attorney. He accuses them of violating his privacy over data taken from his laptop. The president's son is also preparing to plead not guilty to federal gun charges. President Biden's first impeachment inquiry hearing is set for Thursday. Three witnesses are announced. They are former Assistant Attorney General Eileen O'Connor, a George Washington University Law School professor, and a forensic accounting expert. Former President Trump is seeking to have a possible gag order rejected in his federal election case. His lawyers say the requested gag order is unconstitutional and a, quote, desperate effort at censorship. Biden will join the autoworkers strike picket line today. It underscores support of labor unions that appear to be unparalleled in presidential history. Historians say a sitting president has never joined an ongoing strike. Mexican drug cartels are flooding the southern border with illegal immigrants. The U.S. Border Patrol chief says that's being used as a distraction so cartels can smuggle fentanyl into the U.S. Prosecutors in Spain are investigating whether AI-generated pictures of naked minors constitutes a crime. Parents say fake photos of their daughters are circulating on social media. An Australian leader who oversaw some of the world's longest lockdowns is now stepping down after nine years on the job, including over 260 continuous days of lockdowns in Melbourne. He says the time is right. The Labor Party majority will choose a new premiere of Victoria tomorrow. Ceiling paintings in France are a feast for the eyes and the spirit, as they allow the viewer to journey to another realm. That's the idea behind a famous mural at the Palace of Versailles, the apotheosis of Hercules. NTD's France correspondent David Vivez reports from Versailles. Every year for two days in September, France's national monuments see long lines. The Heritage Days draw hundreds of thousands of visitors who marvel at French cultural jewels. Among them, ceiling paintings are not to be missed. Painted ceilings grace numerous locations across France, from medieval castles to great town halls, and they occupy a cherished and unique place in the history of arts, while many of them are created purely for decorative and prestigious purposes. There are also those exceptional ceilings that narrate their own stories, designed to inspire the viewer to elevated thoughts and aspirations. The Italian and French Renaissance era was characterized by a marriage of different arts. The combining of sculptures, bas-reliefs and paintings enhanced the viewer's experience and created a special effect of grandeur in churches and castles. The residence of Louis XIV, the Palace of Versailles, is home to the largest ceiling painting in Europe. The Apotheosis of Hercules is a masterpiece by French painter François Lemoyne, which took him four years to complete. 142 divine beings depicted in an upmost precision celebrate Hercules reaching the heavens after passing by his earthly tribulations. You get the impression of an ascending effect, with the chariot of Hercules drawing our gaze towards the great luminous opening in the middle. There's a real presence of the heavens, and the sense that the deities of Olympus are there, hovering over our heads. The beings depicted are Greek divinities and allegories. Hercules is welcomed by Jupiter after he overcame his tribulations imposed by his wife Juno. He ascends on his chariot to meet the gods of Olympus. He's led by an angel called Love of Virtue. Contrary to how Hercules is commonly depicted, it's not physical strength that made him a hero in the mythology. Reaching the glory of immortality is not necessarily a question of demonstrating force or courage. In any case, not physical strength, that's for sure. On the contrary, it's necessary to fight against what is worst in oneself and to get rid of it. And this is what Hercules represents. It's the Love of Virtue that guides Hercules on his chariot and allows him not to be stopped by monsters. The monsters are the vices that besiege man. They are called anger, hatred and discord, and the most dangerous one, jealousy, which was said to be the closest to the hero, as it grabs Hercules' chariot until the end. Thanks to his moral qualities, Hercules was able to overcome the obstacles. His own virtues defeated the vices and the demons, and not just strength or courage, but his virtues, moral qualities, righteousness and endurance. Firmin says the mythological painting was created for the French king, but the message behind it was for everyone. The painter wrote that Love of Virtue can guide man to overcome any obstacle. What matters is to overcome all these obstacles, to go beyond, to become a superior man to what man is, and to reach divinity. It's one of the many stories the palace has to offer. David Vives, NTD News, Paris. In the UK, blue plaques are used to mark places where accomplished scientists, artists, writers and politicians made history. Now, English Heritage is preparing to unveil its 1,000th blue plaque. Let's hear from a craftsman who makes the plaques. At his workshop in Chepstow, Wales, Nick Haywood is carefully carving the letters on a blue plaque. After inscribing the disc with the honoree's name and accomplishments, they then apply the characteristic blue glaze and fire it in a kiln. We are, in our own tiny way, part of history. And we're marking history and we're making people aware of history. And they will appreciate the people that have done significant things within the community. Haywood said some plaques made 160 years ago still look great because they are made of ceramic and baked at 1,300 degrees Celsius. It can get damaged physically, but it'll never deteriorate. The surface will always look good. The colour will always be the same. And it's a great way of marking history because it is so permanent. He and his assistant need six weeks to make a plaque. The blue plaques commemorate notable people and their accomplishments by highlighting the places where they lived and worked. Haywood said they have made about 50 plaques and he noted more plaques are now for people of non-English names. A lot of the names are female rather than male, whereas 30 or 40 years ago you would remark on it if you saw a woman's name on a blue plaque. It's changing now, which is very much for the good. English Heritage unveiled its 1,000th blue plaque on Tuesday. The organisation installs a dozen blue plaques each year, selected from about 100 nominations. And that's all for today's news. Thank you for tuning in today. I'm Chris Beers. Debating the future of America, Republicans campaign to take the stage and win over voters. Where will the people take the nation? America must always stand for freedom and when I'm your president, we will. From Israel to Ukraine and stand up to our enemies in Iran and Russia. Watch our news analysis of the second GOP presidential debate. We're not teaching kids to hate our country or to hate each other. We will make America great again, greater than ever before. Let's go! Live on Wednesday at 11 p.m. Eastern time on NDD television. Thanks for watching us on YouTube. Did you know YouTube only keeps selective videos on its platform? So if you want to make sure you get the full picture, just subscribe to our newsletter. Go to newsletter.ndd.com and sign up. It's free.