NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Dec. 8)

Welcome to NKD Evening News. Our top story tonight, Hunter Biden indicted on new tax charges. The president's son is accused of spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle. How did he spend the money and what does the indictment mean for him? Arlene Richards dives in. New jobs numbers above expectations. President Biden's campaign using that to target former President Trump. But are troubling polls making the White House drop the phrase Bidenomics? Iris Tao from the White House. A D.C. appeals court says Trump should be treated like any other defendant. It's keeping a gag order that bars him from talking about almost every person connected to the trial. Find out who he can talk about. The teenage gunman behind a Michigan school shooting is learning his fate today. Find out how long 17-year-old Ethan Crumbly will spend behind bars with no chance of parole. Israel Defense Forces battle terrorists in areas where residents were ordered to evacuate. The IDF detained around 100 military-aged men to determine who's a terrorist and who's not. Jason Perry reports. Are Ivy League presidents jobs at risk? See how they are responding following backlash over their testimony in Congress about anti-Semitism. This is NTD Evening News. Live from our NTD global headquarters in New York City, here is Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. President Biden's 2024 campaign wasting no time touting the latest jobs report. But there's no mention of Bidenomics, which is fueling speculation over whether the catchphrase has done his campaign more harm than good. NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao has more. The Labor Department says the U.S. economy added almost 200,000 jobs in November as the unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent. That's above expectations, and President Biden touted numbers today saying he's achieved, quote, better growth and lower inflation than any other advanced country. Biden's 2024 campaign, using it to target former President Trump, is saying in a statement today that Biden's, quote, cleaning up the economic disaster Trump left behind. But a messaging comes as a new CNN poll this week shows 71 percent of Americans think the economy is poor. Meanwhile, the White House says. Many other White House officials talk about how Bidenomics is indeed lowering costs. The White House began using the catchphrase Bidenomics this year in an effort to change troubling polling. But President Biden, who NBC News says has used the term 101 times since June, has made zero mention of it in the last whole month. Meanwhile, the White House says that does not mean that the term has been dropped. He had signs right behind him just last week. I was there. I'm sure you saw them. That said Bidenomics. When he talks about the economy, that is Bidenomics. The White House has also used the term Maconomics to contrast Biden's policies with Trump's. Trump today, meanwhile, decried what he called the worst inflation in decades and a terrible economy. New inflation numbers are expected to be rolled out next week. Reporting from the White House, Aruz Tao, NTD News. Will Tucker Carlson be former President Trump's running mate in 2024? The talk show host now reportedly responding to the rumors. This as Trump expands his lead in a new 2024 poll. NTD's Arian Pasdar has an election update. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson reportedly responding to speculation about running for vice president alongside former President Trump. Carlson was reportedly asked about the issue at a Christmas gala on Thursday night, responding, God would have to yell at me very loud. To go from being a well-paid street-corner schizophrenic to a politician, it's just kind of hard to envision. Tucker's comments came just hours after Axios reported on the speculations. And according to the outlet, it is Melania Trump who wants Tucker to run besides the former president. Now, the talk show host previously said he has no interest at all in positions of power, but he didn't rule it out when he was asked on Thursday. At the same time, a new Emerson College poll found that Trump maintains a 47-43% lead over President Biden in a hypothetical 2024 matchup. And Trump's lead increases when taking other candidates into account. In one scenario, the poll found Trump would get 43%, Biden 37%, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 7%, and Jill Stein and Cornel West 1% each. And looking at the GOP primaries, Emerson found Trump leading with a strong 64%, way ahead of all other Republican candidates. This comes as media are getting ready to host at least three more GOP primary debates. CNN will host two, one in Iowa, one in New Hampshire. ABC is also going to host one in New Hampshire. That one's going to take place just a few days before the CNN event. Ariane Pastar, NTD News. Former President Trump is 0-for-2 in his attempts to overturn his gag orders in New York and D.C. Today, a D.C. appeals court upheld the partial gag order from Judge Tanya Chutkan. The court said that although Trump is a former president, he is also a defendant in a criminal trial. Therefore, he must be treated like any other defendant. It kept most of Judge Chutkan's restrictions, including barring Trump from talking about potential witnesses, courtroom staff and their family members, and counsel and their family members. Consistent with Chutkan's original order, Trump is permitted to criticize the Biden administration and the Department of Justice and to criticize his prosecution as politically motivated. Over in Michigan, the fate is sealed for the Oxford High School shooter. 17-year-old Ethan Crumbly has received a life sentence without parole for opening fire at his classmates back in 2021. He was only 15 at the time. In what appears to be the deadliest school shooting in Michigan's history, the teenage gunman killed four of his classmates and left seven others injured. Crumbly had pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including acts of terrorism and first-degree murder. Despite having the option of a shorter prison time for the minor, the judge instead handed down the state's harshest sentence. Crumbly's parents are also in jail. They're facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter for giving their son access to a gun. They've pleaded not guilty. Authorities have released the identity of the third person killed in Wednesday's shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Naoko Takemaru was an associate professor who taught Japanese studies at the school. The other two people killed were also professors. Police say 67-year-old Anthony Pulido used a pistol in the attack. He was a career professor with no ties to UNLV. He had previously worked with colleges in Georgia and North Carolina. Pulido died in a confrontation with police. And gun rights may be on the docket, as the Supreme Court is considering an emergency petition challenging Illinois gun law. The new state law bars more than 170 semi-automatic firearms. Many Democrats describe them as assault weapons. And it is Andrew Thomas spoke with the petitioner's director of legal affairs to find out what this case means for gun control laws across the country. In January, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker enacted a ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms. The law prohibits magazines with certain capacities as well. In response, local gun store owner Robert Bevis and the National Association for Gun Rights petitioned the Supreme Court for an emergency injunction. So Hannah, why has the National Association for Gun Rights filed this emergency petition to the Supreme Court? We filed it because simply put, a right delayed is a right denied. And we have been fighting for over a year now to try and stop rights from being infringed upon in the city of Naperville, Illinois, which is where this particular lawsuit started when the local city council passed an AR-15 sale ban. Later on that year, the Illinois legislature followed suit with a statewide assault weapons ban. We expanded our lawsuit to go after both the state and the local gun bans. And we've been fighting to get them knocked down ever since. The law goes far beyond prohibiting AR-15s. The ban covers 170 different firearms, including certain handguns and other rifles. But in 2008, the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller ruled such sweeping bans unconstitutional. So for gun bans specifically, the standard is still Heller. Heller has said that weapons that are in common use for lawful purposes like self-defense cannot be banned, period. Hill believes the case is a watershed moment, not just for the AR-15, but for the Second Amendment itself. Whether or not you can ban AR-15s strikes right at the heart of the Second Amendment. If you can do that, there's not a whole lot you can't do. Because this is the easy one, right? The Second Amendment protects your right to own an AR-15. Supreme Court precedents, multiple ones, protect your right to own an AR-15. And if the left can take America's rifle and they can unilaterally ban it, and the Supreme Court says that they can, that's going to give a green light to gun grabbers all across the country to basically have a field day with the Second Amendment. When it comes to this case and gun control, do you think there are any implications for the rest of the amendments to the Constitution? Just as your Fourth Amendment right protects your right from unreasonable search and seizure, and just as your First Amendment right protects your right of free speech, so the Second Amendment has to be protected in the exact same way. It's not a second-class right, and it's time that the courts finally recognized that and realized that no matter how they personally feel about the Second Amendment, they have to honor it because it is in the Constitution. Hill adds that the Founders had a specific purpose for establishing the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is what protects all the other amendments. When you disarm a people, then tyranny is right on its heels. It's the first step. Any student of history can tell you that, anyone who's really honest about what they've read in the pages of the history books. And if they can take away our guns, there's not a whole lot they can't do. That was the very reason that the Founders made sure that gun rights were enshrined in the Bill of Rights. It was the second one that they named. And the reason they did that is because they themselves had just had to take up arms against a tyrannical government, and that they knew that an armed populace is a check and a balance to a tyrannical government. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is reviewing the petition. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Israel Defense Forces are fighting intense battles in the Gaza Strip in areas they have asked residents to evacuate from. The IDF recently detained around 100 military-aged men in those areas. And now they're trying to figure out who's a terrorist and who's not. NTD's Jason Perry reports. And a warning, this report contains footage that some viewers may find disturbing. On Friday, Israel Defense Forces released intense video fighting terrorists in the Gaza Strip. As they approached this hallway, a terrorist was seen firing at them through this hole in the wall. This firefight happened in Shejaya, an area where the IDF ordered residents to evacuate weeks ago. And just the day before, the IDF released more video of Hamas terrorists sneaking through a residential building in Jabalia. Another area in which the IDF asked residents to evacuate from. The terrorists later fired an anti-tank missile at Israeli troops. And the IDF also released footage bombing these terrorists. Now, Israeli forces have detained approximately 100 military-aged men from both of these areas, which the IDF calls Hamas strongholds. The video, released on Thursday, shows that most of the men kept their heads down while sitting only in their underwear. And Israeli troops stood nearby and searched the other detainees. The Israeli government spokesperson explained that the men's clothes were removed to check for suicide vests. located in areas in which the IDF has been engaging Hamas in close-quarter combat, in areas where Hamas fighters, as we have consistently documented throughout this war, have been deliberately disguising themselves as civilians and operating from within not just civilian areas but civilian buildings. Now, those individuals will be questioned, and we will work out who indeed was a Hamas terrorist and who is not. A senior Hamas official said making these men sit like that in their underwear was a crime against innocent civilians. Israel stated that they have been calling for evacuations of these areas to try to locate the terrorists responsible for the massacre on October 7th, when Hamas murdered over 1,200 innocent civilians and took hundreds of hostages. This man, Gili Roman, explained what happened on October 7th when Hamas terrorists chased his sister, her husband, and their daughter. His sister tried to run away while holding her daughter, Geffen. Terrorists noticed them and started to chase them and shooting at them. After a few hundred meters, Yarden realized that she cannot save Geffen while holding her, so she made another brave decision, a very hard decision as a mother, and gave her daughter to her husband so he can run faster and find a hiding spot for both of them, which he did. She was then captured by the terrorists. However, her husband and her daughter got away. And here they are, reuniting during the temporary ceasefire after his sister spent 54 days in Hamas captivity. However, Gili said his sister-in-law is still being held hostage by Hamas. Jason Perry, NTD News. Speaking of the war, the U.S. just vetoed a U.N. draft to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Thirteen of the 15 countries on the Security Council voted in favor of it. The deputy U.S. ambassador called it imbalanced and detached from reality. Elated colleges in the country facing consequences over anti-Semitism on campus. The president of Harvard University walked back some of the remarks she made at this week's congressional hearing. In an interview with Harvard Student Newspaper on Thursday, Harvard President Claudine Gay apologized for her remarks on anti-Semitism. She said she got caught up in an exchange on policy at Tuesday's House committee hearing and failed to properly denounce threats of violence against Jewish students. During the hearing, lawmakers asked Gay whether calling for the genocide of Jews would violate the university's code of conduct. The Harvard president said it depended on the context. The president of University of Pennsylvania, who testified alongside Gay, answered the question in a similar way. And she, too, is facing backlash for her response. The Harvard president now says that what she should have done was to, quote, return to my guiding truth, which is that calls for violence against our Jewish community, threats to our Jewish students, have no place at Harvard and will never go unchallenged. Calls are mounting for UPenn president Liz McGill to resign, including from the board of UPenn's Wharton School of Business. The university's board of trustees held an emergency meeting on Thursday. A source who was at the gathering told the Daily Pennsylvanian that the board didn't ask McGill to resign, but they told her she should think long and hard about whether she can function in her role effectively, and if she can't, she should resign. UPenn could also suffer financially because of McGill's remarks. Major UPenn donor Ross Stevens is threatening to withdraw a $100 million donation. Stevens' lawyers say that the university failed to meet its anti-discrimination and harassment rules in the donation agreement. He pointed to the UPenn president's testimony in Congress as a key reason. Reporting by Allison Lee, NTD News. Hunter Biden's tax woes just got bigger after special counsel David Weiss hit him with a 56-page indictment late Thursday. It's the second indictment against Hunter Biden in three months. NTD's legal correspondent Arlene Richards reviews the highlights and the reactions. The president's son Hunter Biden is facing a nine-count indictment that includes three felony charges and six misdemeanors. The indictment, filed by special counsel David Weiss on Thursday, accuses the younger Biden of engaging in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 to 2019 while spending millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle. According to the indictment, he spent his money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing and other items of a personal nature. It says, in short, everything but his taxes. Hunter's lavish spending was at its highest in 2018, reaching $1.8 million. His four-year spending spree included over $600,000 in payments to various women, $397,000 on clothes and accessories and more than $180,000 in adult entertainment. Hunter Biden admitted to a crack cocaine addiction in his recent memoir. The indictment says he described his drug use in 2018 as 24 hours a day, smoking every 15 minutes, seven days a week. In March 2021, he spoke to CBS News about that experience. I spent more time on my hands and knees picking through rugs, smoking anything that even remotely resembled crack cocaine. Special counsel Weiss says Hunter Biden made millions of dollars from foreign entities, including business dealings in Ukraine, Romania and China, In 2018, he continued to earn handsomely and to, quote, spend wildly. Hunter Biden's attorney, Abby Lowell, said Thursday that if Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges would not have been brought. Lowell accuses Weiss of bowing to Republican pressure. Hunter's business dealings are at the center of a House probe into President Biden's involvement in his son's foreign business ventures. Republicans on Thursday released a resolution to further their impeachment investigation of the elder Biden. On Friday, some House members argued for fast-tracking the floor vote on the resolution in light of the recent indictment. Representative Jason Smith told Roll Call these charges further confirm the need for Congress to move forward with an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden in order to uncover all the facts for the American people to judge. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer attributed the new charges to the bravery of two IRS whistleblowers. The two agents, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, testified that the Department of Justice made decisions that benefited the president's son. Comer said the agents put their careers on the line to reveal misconduct and politicization during the probe and that the DOJ got caught in its attempts to shield the younger Biden. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Coming up, trillions of tax dollars at stake in a Supreme Court case that could decide how much more you'll be paying in taxes. And billboards and flyers advertising so-called sanctuary cities are mysteriously appearing near the US-Mexico border. What are the intentions of the group behind the ads? We'll take a look when we come back. I'm excited to announce that we're having our biggest Christmas sale ever. You're gonna get our brand new six-piece my towels for only $29.98. Or rejuvenate your bed with a MyPillow mattress topper as low as $99.99. Or how about MyPillow bed sheets for as low as $24.98. There's something for everyone. Duvets, quilts, down comforters, body pillows, bolster pillows, and so much more. Well, I know MyPillow products make for the perfect Christmas gifts. 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If operators are busy, please call again or go to loveshriners.org right away. Join me and bring a smile to the world. Welcome back. Trillions of tax dollars at stake in what could be the Supreme Court's biggest tax case in a century. The outcome could determine how much you'll be paying in taxes for decades. NTD's Dave Martin has details. Trillions of future tax dollars at stake in what could be the biggest Supreme Court tax fight in a century. In Moore v. The United States, Charles Moore argues it's illegal for the U.S. government to tax the stock he owns in a foreign company. Under current tax law, he owes the IRS around $15,000. If you haven't received any income, how can you be required to pay income taxes? Even though that's not a lot, what the Supreme Court decides could fundamentally change the tax system in the United States and what monies are taxed. And that could have repercussions for many years, many decades to come. David Williams is the president of Taxpayers Protection Alliance. He's worried that if the high court rules against Moore, the government could be able to tax wealth in addition to income. This could include your house, your car, or your stocks. The value of these things goes up and down, and you might not even have the actual cash to pay the taxes. We could see the repercussions of businesses and wealthy people leaving this country for lower tax jurisdictions and jurisdictions that don't tax their wealth. So while there might be a temporary, while there might be temporary revenue that comes into the system, the long-term effects may be a poorer country. On the flip side, the Supreme Court could rule in favor of Moore. This could cost the government from $3 billion to $1 trillion in lost tax revenue over the decade, money that would stay in the pockets of individuals and corporations. The court is expected to issue a ruling on the case by next June. This is Dave Martin, NTD News. Ads targeting illegal immigrants, billboards that tout San Francisco, New York, and Chicago as so-called sanctuary cities, have been spotted near the Texas-Mexico border. Someone claiming to be with the groups behind the ads says they want to provide information on cities that limit enforcement of immigration laws. NTD's Jason Blair has more. Billboards and flyers have been spotted in Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border, touting San Francisco, New York, and Chicago as sanctuary cities. Will Osborne, who claims to be part of the organization behind the ads, told CBS 4 they aren't political and, quote, it's more of a blanket statement just pointing people to the direction of it. These are cities that, through their policies and ordinances, have indicated that this is the place to be if you're undocumented. The billboards show landmarks in the advertised city, and in the bottom corner it says it welcomes immigrants. In October, flyers were found near the Texas-Mexico border, saying, quote, welcome new immigrants, United States sanctuary city guide. Inside it highlighted San Francisco, saying the city has sanctuary city laws, lacks shoplifting laws, health care, and diverse and tolerant people. The ad says they were paid for by sanctuarycities.com. The website is small and defines a sanctuary city as, quote, a safe haven for immigrants like you, regardless of your immigration status. These cities have policies in place to limit their cooperation with the national government's effort to enforce immigration laws. This means you can live, work, and enjoy life with a lower risk of deportation. Osborne also told CBS 4, quote, the cities that we're pointing to are those that welcome undocumented immigrants, even if you're homeless or have committed crimes. He also said he didn't know how long the ads would be up for and didn't comment on how much they cost. Jason Blair, NTD News. Coming up, how serious are the latest charges against Hunter Biden? A legal fellow says they're very embarrassing to the president. We have an analysis of the repercussions. Some Jewish Americans are toning down Hanukkah celebrations this year. When we come back, more about their safety concerns as activists hoist a Palestinian flag at the Golden Gate Bridge. Anyone who's ever sold a home can tell you it is really hard. That's why who you work with matters. Together with Homelite, we've helped thousands of people sell faster and for the best price. Is deep sea fish oil really healthy? Due to pollution in the oceans, most fish contain heavy metal elements and radioactive substances. That's why it's so important to choose a pure source of omega-3. Puritan Green Vegetable Omega-3 is made from porcelain and perilla seeds, which are rich in nutrients and minerals, especially vitamins A, D, E, calcium and iron. 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Former President Trump's partial gag order remains in place in the federal elections case. A federal appeals court refused to overturn it, but judges made slight modifications. Special Counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden on nine charges related to tax evasion. The indictments is the younger Biden failed to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 to 2019. How serious is the new indictment against Hunter Biden and what's the likely political fallout of this? Joining us now to discuss, we have Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Hans von Spakovsky, thank you so much for joining us. Great to have you on the show. Thanks for having me. Now, Hunter Biden has been indicted a second time, this time on tax charges. How serious are these compared to the felony gun charges? These are very serious charges. And my reaction to reading the 56 page indictment was, well, it's about time. You'll recall that earlier this year, the just part was going to give him a sweetheart deal for evading taxes. They were just going to charge him with two misdemeanors and he was just going to get probation, no jail time. This is a much more serious indictment. There are nine counts of both felony and misdemeanor charges. And he's alleged to have not paid $1.4 million in taxes. And it's a very serious indictment. It could end up with a lot of prison time and a lot of large fines that he would have to pay. Now, to your point, prosecutors allege that Hunter Biden spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills. How damaging is that? Boy, I tell you, this indictment details a sordid lifestyle, something that has to be very embarrassing to Joe Biden and his family. And by the way, while these are very serious charges, there could have been more felony charges. This is for four years of not paying taxes, but there were at least two more years where he didn't pay taxes. The only reason that's not in the indictment is because the Justice Department allowed the statute of limitations to expire on those other two years, even though they've had this evidence now for quite a long time. There's nothing really new in this indictment. And given how serious these charges are, what is Hunter Biden's likely defense going to be? I don't think he has a defense. I mean, part of what's going on here is they actually cite the indictment, cites from his own memoir, from his own memoir to show that he made false and fraudulent statements in his tax returns. Now, look, the one thing that is not in this indictment, which, again, I just don't understand, is, look, the indictment details that he was representing foreign entities. Well, when you do that, you've got to register with the Justice Department under federal law. And if you don't, that's also a felony. Yet there's no charge in this indictment for his violation of that particular statute. Now, on the flip side, the defense attorney law is accusing prosecutors of, quote, bowing to Republican pressure in the case, saying that based on the facts in the law, if Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware and now California would not have been brought. What do you make of that statement? Do you agree with it? That is a completely, totally false statement. Because remember, it was the federal judge who raised questions about this plea deal that the Justice Department was going to give him, an unprecedented plea deal for very serious charges. And you can look at the record of DOJ prosecutions for people who don't pay their taxes, and all of them end up with jail time. And yet, initially, DOJ was going to basically let him go scot-free. Now, to one of your earlier points, what's the likely political fallout of this, given that his father, President Biden, is seeking re-election, and the House Republicans are inching toward formally sending an impeachment inquiry into him? What do you see as the political fallout? Well, I said, this is a devastating indictment, very embarrassing to the president. And at a time when I think he's got the lowest polling numbers of any president since they started doing that, the corruption that this indictment shows has to hurt the president, particularly because when you read the indictment, what was it that Hunter Biden was selling? Access to the president. That's what he was getting paid millions of dollars for. Quite a lot at stake here. Hans von Spakovsky, thank you so much for your time. Sure, thanks for having me. Some Hanukkah events and Christmas ceremonies were celebrated quietly this year amid the ongoing war in the Middle East and related protests. California's governor and others cited security concerns ahead of attracting unwanted attention. We hear more from NTD's David Lam. Some traditions were celebrated more quietly this holiday season in the U.S. Many Jewish communities say they want to stay under the radar in fear of protests relating to the Israel-Hamas war and anti-Semitism. Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festivity to celebrate light over darkness, began Thursday. But many say they will not decorate the exterior of their homes or businesses. Hanukkah House in Texas said it would be toning down its display lights to only white this year. And a New Orleans brewery also canceled its Hanukkah bake-off event, citing external tensions. Here's what Rabbi Abraham Cooper told NTD. We are talking about fundamental religious freedoms here, but also uniquely in the United States because the Jewish festival of Hanukkah that celebrates the victory of a few over many thousands of years ago in the land of Israel and the other festival for Christians happen to coincide in the same month. The theme of Hanukkah is light over darkness. In California, the state's annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with children with disabilities was rescheduled and went virtual this year. Five, four, three, two, one. Happy Holidays! The governor's office cited safety and security concerns amid protests. Pro-Palestinian protesters had planned a rally at the Capitol for the lighting event, hoping to speak to the governor. And on Wednesday morning, protesters at the Golden Gate Bridge hoisted a Palestinian flag right under a U.S. flag. It's been two months since the October 7th attack when Hamas terrorists attacked civilians in Gaza and Israel returned fire. David Lam, NTD News, California. Coming up, colorful lights, holiday treats, and festive cheer. We take a look at Christmas markets in Europe, which are attracting visitors from around the world. And in baseball news is a Shohei Otani signing imminent. NTD's Dave Martin will join us in the studio to discuss the latest developments when we return. I'll be home for Christmas You can count on me Please have snow and mistletoe And presents under the tree Right now all over the country, kids at Shriners Hospitals for Children are able to go home and be with their families for the holidays. And it's only possible because of the monthly support of people just like you. Thanks to a generous donor, every dollar you give can help twice as many kids like me and have double the impact. With your gift of just $19 a month, only 63 cents a day, we'll send you this adorable Love to the Rescue blanket as a thank you and a reminder of the care you'll be providing so kids can be with their families. Christmas Eve will find me Where the love light gleams It only takes a moment to call the number on your screen or you can visit loveshriners.org right now on your phone or computer. Thanks to a generous donor, your gift will go twice as far and help more kids like me. Because every child just wants to be home for the holidays and your gift makes that possible. Your call is the best gift of all. Your gift will be my favorite Christmas present this year. Thank you for giving. Please call the number on your screen or go online right now with your monthly gift. And when you do, your gift will have two times the impact. Organize your freezer. Now keep your freezer fresh and long-lasting. Smart freezer container. Thanks, Soyun. The magic of the freezer. Make efficient use of freezer space. Keep the freezer cleaner and more tidy. Easy-to-store modular system. Resistant from minus 22 degrees to 212 degrees. For family safety, BPA-free and LDPE material. Different sizes for different applications. Depending on the size and use. Use it smartly. Efficient space utilization for cold air circulation. Neatly organized with minimal empty space. Partitions and trays for more efficient storage. Smart freezer container. Thanks, Soyun. Welcome back. Christmas markets across the world are enchanting visitors with their dazzling lights and charming atmosphere. NTD's Kost Timonez has the story. The festive spirit is in full swing as annual Christmas markets across Europe open their doors to locals and tourists alike. In Croatia, Advent Zagreb has frequently been voted the best in Europe and has become a must-visit destination during the festive season. Oh, I love it. It's so beautiful. It's an experience like I've never had before. I love all the different kinds of food and the decorations are incredible. It was so exciting the other night when they lit everything up. The market is adorned with twinkling lights and colorful decorations. And the scent of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts fill the air. It's beautiful. I was just walking around and seeing all of the different stalls and food and drinks. It's really wonderful. So I think it's kind of got a modern flair to Christmas markets. I can see why it's won so many awards. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sarajevo Festival of Lights has illuminated for the first time the Botanical Garden of the National Museum in the capital. The museum boasts one of the world's largest collections of butterflies. The theme is reflected in the garden's light displays, with each drawing inspiration from the National Museum's holdings. What makes the first Festival of Lights noteworthy? The fact that it takes place in Sarajevo for the first time. It's taking place for the first time in the Earth Museum and its Botanical Garden, the most significant cultural and historical institution in Bosnia. And it's important because Sarajevo has become a part of the world. In the German capital Berlin, high streets are lit up for the holiday season as Christmas shopping is kicking off in Berlin's Kurfürstendamm shopping mile. Trees covered around 90 miles of LED lights, which are attracting visitors every day. But larger light sculptures, like the famous snowman and the nutcracker, had to be cancelled this year due to lack of funding. Festivities also kicked off in the Danish capital Copenhagen. A total of nearly 30 miles of Christmas light chains have been used to bring festive cheer to the 180-year-old Tivoli amusement park in the city's centre. And in Prague, people gathered in the city's Old Town Square on Saturday to see the Christmas tree being lit. Bountiful decorations adorned the 65-foot spruce, which was brought from the mountains in the country's north. Kost M&S, NTD News. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, it's a day later and the world of golf still seems a bit stunned by the defection of John Rom to live. What makes his departure so unique? Well, for one, it was during negotiations, the murder talks between these two leagues. You can't imagine that one over well with the PGA, of course. I mean, what could they do given the DOJ had them remove their non-solicitation clause that was to prevent either side from poaching the other team's players during the negotiations? But also, this was not only a prominent player, but also someone in the prime of their career. I mean, Phil Mickelson's departure now almost two years ago really put live on the map. But Mickelson is 53. Rom is 29. He's ranked third in the world. This also surprised people, I think, because Rom had kind of given the impression that he was going to stick with the PGA. That said, I think those loyal to the PGA felt a little stunned this summer by the sudden merger announcement. Now, the two leagues have set a December 31 deadline to finish these merger talks. I think it'll be very interesting to see how this actually plays out and what Liv's fate will be. Now, shifting gears to basketball, last night LeBron James and the Lakers advanced to the finals of the NBA's first ever in-season tournament where they'll play the Indiana Pacers. How would winning this compare to winning the playoffs later this season? I mean, I'm curious to see that as well. I certainly am not expecting the winning team to go crazy in celebration like he would if he won the NBA playoffs. They did entice the winning team with a cash prize of $500,000 per player. And even though most of these players are millionaires or multi-millionaires, $500,000 is still $500,000. I'm also interested to see how these teams do throughout the season. I mean, all granted, a single-loss elimination tournament is not going to get you the best team every time. But the Lakers, I mean, they're contenders just with LeBron and Anthony Davis for sure. Now, the Pacers, they're a little bit more of a wild card. They're a young team. Tyrese Halliburton, he's their best player. He leads the league in assists. He's just 23 years old. This could be a big sign of things to come for them, though. Now, LeBron James' son, Brony, who suffered cardiac arrest this summer while practicing with USC, he's been cleared for full contact practice. How soon before he plays in a game, though? It could be as early as Sunday when they host Long Beach State. No one is saying for sure, though. Now, USC could use him as soon as possible. I mean, they've had a number of injuries at guard. Whenever he does debut, it sounds like he'll come off the bench. He'll be restricted to a certain amount of minutes. But he's a big-time prospect. I mean, he was a high school All-American like his dad. He's not as big as his dad. I mean, he's like 6'3". LeBron is 6'8", and LeBron is thick. But LeBron has said he will be attending Brony's first game even if the Lakers play that day, which I think is pretty great. Now, looking at baseball's free agency, the rumor mill regarding Shohei Otani was all over the place today. There are multiple reports that he's flying to Toronto today, possibly to sign with the Blue Jays. Would this be a surprise? Yes, for sure. I mean, Toronto is not usually considered a prime spot for the best players to land in free agency. I mean, most prefer New York, Los Angeles, or at least, you know, the East Coast or the West Coast team. The Dodgers, of course, seem like the perfect fit, though I will say some people thought manager Dave Roberts might have slipped up when he mentioned this week that the team had met with Otani because Otani's camp has been very tight-lipped about this. They want their teams to be the same. Now, I should also mention, though, that there are other reports that he's not in Toronto and he's still in Southern California. I mean, at this point, it seems like anything is possible. Though the way it really heated up today, it seems like a decision is coming soon. This actually reminds me of LeBron's decision in 2010. I mean, maybe Otani will decide and announce on national TV as well. Anything is possible at this point. We'll have to wait and see. Yes, we do have to wait. Well, Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Thank you, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.