President Joe Biden will visit the Southern border on Feb. 29—the same day that former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit the area. The move comes as polling shows the majority of Americans disapprove of the Biden administration's handling of illegal immigration.
President Trump lodged an appeal against his $355-million fine in the New York civil fraud case on Feb. 26. With interest, other fines, and associated charges, that fine has now expanded to over $450 million. Mr. Trump's lawyers are accusing Judge Arthur Engoron of abusing his power.
The Supreme Court heard arguments on Feb. 26 in a pair of social media cases. Two tech industry trade associations are suing Texas and Florida over new laws that they say violate their members' First Amendment rights.
Social media companies are challenging state laws that regulate what they can take down and who's allowed on their platforms.
The companies say that the laws violate their First Amendment rights.
They're taking the fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The breaking news continues as both President Biden and former President Donald Trump are separately planning visits to the Texas border on the same day.
GOP candidate for president Nikki Haley faces a significant setback in South Carolina.
She lost to Trump by 20 percent and is now losing a major source of campaign funds.
The Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity action halts funding for her campaign.
Trump is appealing his $350 million fine in his New York civil fraud case.
That fine has now blossomed to over $450 million with interest.
His lawyers are accusing the judge of abusing his power.
The Palestinian prime minister quits his position and calls grow for the U.S. and Arab nations to reform the Palestinian Authority.
Hungary's parliament approves Sweden's NATO bid.
This move marks a strategic shift and sends a firm message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Our media partners at The Epoch Times hosted a panel discussion about its new documentary,
the real story of January 6th, part two, uncovering more information never seen before.
Welcome to NTD Newsroom. I'm Jack Bradley.
In a rare visit, President Biden is heading to the Texas border this week.
It's on the same day as GOP candidate for president Donald Trump, who is also planning to visit.
Biden is planning to visit Brownsville, Texas, to meet with Border Patrol agents and local leaders over the immigration crisis.
According to the New York Times, Biden is considering executive actions to prevent illegal immigrants crossing the border from seeking asylum.
His visit comes as polling shows the majority of Americans disapprove of his way his administration is handling this issue.
His visit this Thursday will occur the same day that Donald Trump is planning a trip to Eagle Pass, Texas.
Now, each candidate is blaming the other for the crisis, with Trump saying Biden is responsible for illegal immigrants committing crimes in U.S. cities.
Biden says Trump's rhetoric and House Republicans who blocked a bipartisan package that would have enacted severe restrictions at the border are the reasons for the border crisis.
The Supreme Court is hearing arguments today in a pair of social media cases.
Social media companies are suing Texas and Florida over new laws that they say could violate their First Amendment rights.
We turn now to NTD's legal correspondent Arlene Richards, who joins us live now from New York with the latest.
Arlene, tell us about these new laws here.
Well, Jack, the new laws limit what the largest social media companies can take down from their own platforms.
Governors of both Florida and Texas passed similar laws designed to correct what they believed was an imbalance against conservative voices.
Now, these laws came about after these platforms took down former President Trump's accounts.
The governors believe the platforms have an anti-conservative bias.
The Florida and Texas laws are the first two that are attempting to regulate social media.
Arlene, now, who sued who in this case and what are their arguments?
Well, two trade associations that represent social media companies sued the state officials, and they are arguing that the laws violate their First Amendment rights to editorial judgment.
They say the provisions require platforms to not take down certain kinds of content and that they have to inform users when they do take down their posts.
Arlene, now, you've listened to some of these oral arguments here.
Do you have any sense for what the justices are concerned about?
Well, I did listen to the arguments in the Florida case, but the issue at hand for both cases is that the states are trying to regulate social media.
And the justices seem to be concerned that the power of the social media platforms will then transfer to the state.
And Justice Jackson and Thomas both tried to get Florida's attorney to narrow down what exactly this law is regulating and who is being regulated.
For example, Justice Sotomayor asked whether this law would apply to public marketplaces like Etsy, which has specific rules about what people can post.
And she said that the platform is open for the sale of goods.
So why are you imposing this requirement?
And so I think other justices were equally concerned about how far this law could go.
Jack?
Arlene, thank you very much for that report there.
Now, former President Trump is appealing his verdict in the New York civil fraud case.
His lawyers filed a notice of appeal today.
The lawyers are asking New York state's mid-level appeals court to overturn Judge Arthur Engeron's ruling.
They're asking the court to decide whether Engeron abused his discretion or, quote, acted in excess of his jurisdiction.
Engeron ruled earlier this month that Trump deceived banks and ordered him to pay $355 million in penalties.
That amount has grown to $454 million with interest.
If Trump is unsuccessful at the mid-level appeals court, you can ask the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, to consider taking his case.
Ronna McDaniel is reportedly stepping down as chairwoman of the Republican National Committee,
as she says she'll let the GOP nominee for president pick a new leader.
Multiple media outlets are reporting that McDaniel plans to resign after Super Tuesday on March 5th.
As she puts it, the RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee,
and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition.
Trump chose McDaniel to be chairwoman after the 2016 election.
That was after the previous leader left the post to become Trump's White House chief of staff.
Many Republicans criticized McDaniel after the 2022 midterms.
The GOP lost several critical Senate and governor's races in that election.
Two weeks ago, Trump endorsed North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley as the next RNC chair.
He also advocated for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be the co-chair.
In South Carolina's Republican primary this weekend, Nikki Haley lost her home state,
now trailing behind Donald Trump by 20 percent.
As a result, she also lost a big-time campaign donor, that's Americans for Prosperity Action,
a group backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, who's putting a hold on her funding for her campaign.
In keeping her promise to stay in the race, Haley is campaigning in Michigan today.
She spoke with voters ahead of tomorrow's primary.
She says Donald Trump is using the Republican National Committee as his playground.
She also told the crowd that both Trump and Biden are too old to be running the White House.
Many are feeling the aftermath of the January 6th Capitol breach still to this day.
It was the main topic of discussion at a panel hosted by our partners at The Epoch Times
during the Conservative Political Action Conference.
It's one of the nation's largest annual gatherings of conservative groups and voters.
I spent the weekend at CPAC speaking with panelists and audience members following the discussion.
They told me how January 6th changed their lives.
It was very eye-opening.
I didn't realize the extent of all of the, not only the incarcerations,
but the individuals that have been arrested.
A lot of people do not realize what happened, even though, like they said,
they showed the video of Roseanne Boylan as his testimony,
and the D.C. jury just doesn't care.
And it's incredibly necessary that we have people like these people from The Epoch Times,
these attorneys, these specialists, and these families that are willing to speak up
and to fight back against what's happening.
We had the attorney angle, we had the FBI whistleblower angle,
we had Kash Patel, and then we had the family aspect of it.
But ultimately, we had the investigative journalist on the panel
that has shed light on the atrocities surrounding January 6th.
It amazes me even now how many people are still in the dark
about how many January Sixers are still sitting in jail
that haven't even been convicted of a crime.
When I speak about this at the many engagements that I go to,
they look at me like in total disbelief.
It's because our media isn't reporting on it.
It's not reporting on it enough.
The Epoch Times is wonderful.
They are constantly putting news out there about the January Sixers.
It can be a fearful time.
I mean, I lived that firsthand.
Almost every day, I think, is today the day,
or every night when I go to bed,
is tomorrow morning, an FBI SWAT team like I used to be on,
is that the morning they're going to come kick my door in.
But even amongst that fear, you have to do what is right.
Now let's take a look at a bit of that panel discussion
that was going on earlier. Take a look.
I was kind of stunned by this.
He said, you know, the Epoch Times stands for vulnerable people.
Okay, vulnerable people of all sorts.
And he said, you know, I wasn't totally sure about you guys
until you decided to tackle January 6th,
because this was one of these issues
that, you know, you're really not allowed to go there.
The president acted preemptively.
Now the documents are out.
Mayor Bowser's letter shows her in writing
refusing the National Guard.
Nancy Pelosi's Capitol Police timeline
and her chief of police reported in black and white ink
that she declined the authority of the National Guard.
There's been no effort to examine
the law enforcement response to the arrival of the crowd
and what could have been done better or what was done wrong.
No.
The politicians need to know that this is not a losing issue,
that people care about this,
and they want to see the truth win out.
And maybe that will bring courage to more of them.
But have hope, because there are investigations going on,
and you will be hearing about more of them in the near future.
The Epoch Times' original documentary,
The Real Story of January 6th, is on Epoch TV.
For full subscribers, check it out right now.
Yeah, and you can find out more at jan6realstory.com.
And also while I was at CPAC,
I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark Serrano,
former senior policy advisor to Donald Trump in 2020.
With Trump winning the GOP South Carolina primary
this weekend, Serrano told me about
what the next 100 days will look like for the Trump campaign,
including what his next move might be.
Mark Serrano, former senior policy advisor
to Donald Trump in 2020.
Thank you so much for joining us.
You bet, Jack. This is great.
Glad to be here with you at CPAC.
Now, here at CPAC, one of the main issues
is the election coming up.
South Carolina primary is this Saturday,
and then there's Super Tuesday.
What can we look forward to here?
This is a fascinating campaign.
I mean, we will never see anything like it
as long as we live.
God knows what we're in for this summer.
But there are, I think, three distinct phases
that we're approaching in this presidential campaign.
After South Carolina, of course,
we have Super Tuesday coming up on March 5th.
Around the 12th or 19th of March
is when it's estimated that President Trump
will go over the top in his delegate count
and officially become the presumptive nominee
for the Republican nomination.
So between Super Tuesday and around the 1st of July,
there's about a 100-day period I see as the next big phase
of the campaign.
Now, during that time,
Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee.
He'll take over the Republican National Committee
and he'll do it even better than before this time.
We're really gonna sort of make it a part of MAGA
and the America First movement this time,
which we didn't do as effectively last time
for a lot of reasons.
And there's this 100-day period,
and it's gonna be very interesting.
I actually think we're gonna see a lot more
unfortunately, than we will at big events.
Because frankly, if he's got the nomination sewn up,
then his team really has to regroup.
They gotta sort of prepare for the long haul
between now and November.
And then 1st of July,
we're heading into the Republican convention.
And so there's a period there between July 1 and Labor Day,
I see as the next phase,
which includes, of course, the convention.
Interesting.
What will be the deciding factors here
that'll win over voters who are undecided
that Trump or Biden can take advantage of here?
Yeah, that's an excellent question.
Because look, even though this is an extraordinary time
and unprecedented time with the lawfare
that's being perpetrated against Donald Trump
and against all of his followers,
it's still a presidential election.
So we have an interesting dynamic
because Donald Trump is a movement candidate.
Similar to Barack Obama,
although for very different reasons,
they're both movement candidates.
Whereas Joe Biden is an establishment candidate
and his job, especially considering his weak approval
and weak performance, is to mobilize his base.
If he doesn't mobilize his base, he's gone, he's sunk.
He has to do that as a baseline.
Donald Trump, of course, has the same responsibility,
the same challenge,
but he's more likely to attract
independent voters right now.
Donald Trump is leading in national polls
with independent voters by 12% right now.
It's extraordinary position to be in.
So I think what he's gonna have to do
is convince them, help them recognize
that success is the great uniter.
That if you match up his record against Joe Biden's,
there's no argument.
His record of success is what he's going to have to sell
to attract those independent voters.
And I think that's what his team will do.
They'll deliver messaging and advertising
that builds a tremendous contrast
and results speak for themselves.
I think independent voters will be comforted by the idea
that Donald Trump will deliver again.
Mark Serrano, former Trump policy advisor.
Thank you very much for your time here.
My pleasure, Jack.
Thank you.
Turning our attention now to the Israel-Hamas war.
Today, a major shakeup in Palestine.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister,
Mohammed Shetaya and his government are calling it quits.
Shetaya announcing his resignation
during a cabinet meeting today on social media
says his decision came in light of the war in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
must still decide whether he accepts Shetaya's resignation.
The U.S. wants a reformed Palestinian Authority
to govern Gaza once the war is over.
The Palestinian Authority also wants to control Gaza
after the war, but Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu rejects this idea.
Abbas is expecting to choose Mohammed Mustafa,
chairman of the Palestinian Investment Fund
as the next prime minister.
Hungary made a historic move,
approving Sweden's bid to join NATO today.
This marks a significant geopolitical shift
against Russia in its war with Ukraine.
We support that the accession should happen.
NATO is a defensive alliance.
We make alliances to defend each other
in the case of an outside attack.
No commitment is more serious than that.
The Nordic country remained neutral
through two world wars and the Cold War.
Sweden is abandoning its non-alignment policy
after Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
Stockholm announced its decision
at the same time as Finland,
which became a NATO member last year.
However, Sweden was kept waiting
as Turkey and Hungary raised objections to the bid.
When we come back, British investor,
Jacob Rothschild dies at age 87.
He was a senior member of one of Europe's
best known banking dynasties.
One congressional lawmaker wants a $50 an hour
minimum wage for American workers.
If this becomes reality,
what would be the impact on the U.S. economy?
European Union farmer protests escalate
as growers in Belgium are taking their anger
to the streets in Brussels.
That and more after the break.
Inspired by experience, Shane Yun.
First time I came in here was Monday
and today is Thursday.
I've had two surgeries and am doing fantastic.
I'm still in shock that I can walk.
It's all within four days.
In fourth grade, I was diagnosed with scoliosis.
I had 70 and 60 degree curvatures.
Went to Shriners Hospital in LA.
It's been fused ever since.
I noticed a lot of pain going down my left buttock
into my thighs and into my calf.
I could be standing there and my legs would just go out.
I went through pain management for two and a half years
and the pain management specialist told me
there was nothing more he could do for me.
We actually did our own research
and next thing I know, Dr. Benati called
and he told me immediately over the phone
what my issue was without even seeing me.
I was in a twilight stage during surgery
and you can actually say, where are you feeling that pain?
And it immediately stops.
Hold the leg up there.
No pain here?
No.
No pain here?
No.
No pain on the butt?
No.
All of a sudden, they're all,
do you wanna get up and walk?
Well, I couldn't walk before and I got up
and I just started crying because I had no pain
and I had all my weight on my left leg
and on my right leg and I walked a straight line
with no assistance, no falling,
no grabbing onto the walls, nothing.
I held my own weight and that's the first time
in months that I was able to walk by myself.
Benati succeeds where others fail.
For more stories like these
and the rest of our program,
check out American Medicine Today
featuring cutting-edge medical and science innovators
and a medical professional's insight
on political and social issues
plaguing our nation and healthcare.
American Medicine Today is Saturdays 6
and Sundays at 9 on NTD Television
and other streaming platforms.
American Medicine Today,
featuring cutting-edge medical and science innovators
and a medical professional's insight
on political and social issues
plaguing our nation and healthcare.
American Medicine Today, Saturdays at 6 and Sundays at 9 on NTD Television and other streaming
platforms.
A member of one of the world's wealthiest families has died.
British investor Jacob Rothschild was a senior member of one of Europe's best-known banking
dynasties.
The family is calling Rothschild a towering presence in many people's lives.
Rothschild began his career and his family bank back in 1963.
He would go on to co-found J. Rothschild Assurance Group.
Rothschild was also known for being a longstanding patron of the arts.
California Congresswoman Barbara Lee recently arguing that U.S. minimum wage should be $50
an hour.
Is this a good idea?
NTD's Don Maas speaks to a risk consultant to find out what impact this proposal would
have on the economy if this became law.
And now joining us is Derek Giorgino, NTD contributor and risk consultant in the Greater
L.A. area.
So, it seems like a Democrat in California is saying they want to raise the minimum wage
to $50 an hour.
How do you feel about that to start off?
Yeah, Don, it's a patently absurd suggestion.
A progressive Democrat, Barbara Lee, who is running for Adam Schiff's Senate seat out
of California, has proposed a $50 minimum wage.
Part of this could be because she's trying to jump the shark as she's forth and polling
with a long shot chance at that seat.
But she's not far off from her Democrat colleagues who are also running for that seat, as Adam
Schiff and Katie Porter have suggested, anywhere from $20 to $25 federal minimum wage.
We're not talking about the California state minimum wage, we're talking about the federal
minimum wage.
I think these candidates ought to change their campaign slogan to the fight for $15 Big Macs.
I think that would be more appropriate, obviously, a riff from the fight for $15 minimum wage
that occurred a number of years ago.
But you have three candidates running for that Senate seat right now, all of whom have
proposed significant hikes in the federal minimum wage.
I mean, $50 an hour, to some people, I mean, this seems like a good idea.
Why not?
Well, I think a lot of folks have an underappreciation, Don, for how complicated supply chains are.
Not just here, but globally.
I encourage all of your viewers, there's a great video out there about how the number
two pencil is made and how it comes to be, from the woods into our hands as we write
down things, to cut the wood, to paint the wood, to mine the graphite, to form the metal
around the eraser, to form the rubber and cut the eraser for your pencil.
All of these things involve labor cost.
And labor cost is an immense cost burden for small and big businesses alike who are trying
to produce goods and services.
Goods and services, Don, don't grow on trees.
A lot like how people think money grows on trees, the same people who've ballooned our
debt to over $33 trillion.
But supply chains are highly complex.
When you do something like this, you disrupt the supply chain, you introduce artificial
labor cost to the economy, and it drives up cost of living.
Well, all right, Derek, as always, thanks for your time.
I appreciate it, Don.
Thanks for having me on, as always.
Farmer protests are escalating in Brussels today, as European Union agricultural ministers
meet to rule on new measures.
This echoes tensions at the Paris agricultural fair this weekend.
Farmers battling with police forced the French president to cancel his plans to visit.
NTD's France correspondent, David Vives, has the story.
Brussels is now the latest battleground for farmer protests in Europe.
Today, columns of tractors clogging the road from the EU district to central Brussels.
Farmers took to the streets, dumping tires and setting them ablaze just a short distance
from where EU agricultural ministers were scheduled to meet.
The ministers were to discuss new proposals addressing farmers' demands, including a reduction
in farm inspections and the potential exemption of small farms from certain environmental
standards.
Protesters say the EU isn't addressing their demands in order for them to see a profit.
We don't make a living out of our work.
We produce the food and we don't make a living.
Why is so?
Because of free trade agreements, because of deregulation, because the prices are below
cost of production.
These protests follow weeks of unrest across several EU member states, from France, Germany,
Spain, Greece, Poland.
We are in the red and we can't take it anymore.
Every day we see farms liquidating and we can't take it anymore.
They are killing our French agriculture.
Protests reignited this week ahead of the Paris farm show, a significant event attracting
around 600,000 visitors over nine days.
Three hundred farmers forced their way into the agricultural fair, confronting police
to call out the French president as he intended to tour the fair.
Macron canceled plans to tour the fair and hold a debate due to the protests where eight
police officers were injured.
French media outlets are calling the conditions a disaster.
The agriculture fair is a milestone for farmers' unions who expect the government to deliver
on promises and provide more help.
But some farmers are still blocking roads and highways across the country.
Many of them say they can't leave their fields as the work there needs to be done.
So the future of this protest, which started as a grassroot movement, is still hard to
predict.
David Duves, NTD News, Paris.
For the last four years, a woman in England has found a unique way to deliver fresh eggs
to her customers.
Alan the pack goat has become a local celebrity while making his rounds.
It's a cool February morning in the village of Sibford Ferris in Oxfordshire, England.
Sue Sabin, a teacher and small farm owner, is bringing customers fresh eggs using a unique
method of delivery.
Meet Alan, the five-year-old pack goat.
He's been making the rounds to locals for the last four years.
Sue raises goats for meat and dairy.
Usually, male goats are sold for meat.
But when Alan was born, Sue decided to give him a purpose.
He's become a favourite of the locals.
Well, he eats my flowers for me and various things like that, and he's a real character.
And I had to build a man here.
He said, I have never seen anything like this in my life.
He was just amazed.
He'd become a celebrity, you know.
I think he already is a celebrity.
Sadly, Alan was attacked and injured by a horse two years ago.
Since then, the two-mile trip through the village has become increasingly difficult
for him to make.
He's now training Boris, a younger goat, to take his place.
That means Alan will soon be able to kick up his hooves and relax in retirement.
Thank you for watching NTD Newsroom.
I'm Jack Bradley.
Don't forget to join Tiffany Meyer for NTD Evening News at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 Pacific.
I'll see you tomorrow.