NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Nov. 24)

Welcome to NTD Evening News, our top story tonight. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested three people suspected of murdering an Israeli Moldovan rabbi. The UAE Jewish community is in shock. Wall Street exec Scott Besant tapped by President-elect Trump to be Treasury Secretary. We talked to an economist about his latest cabinet nomination. A warning to sanctuary cities that may be getting defunded, that's according to the head of a new committee aimed at delivering on government efficiency. Historic flooding in California kills two people. One city received more than three times the normal rainfall this time of year, and more is expected. The traditional White House turkey selection was today. Out of thousands, only the very best two were chosen. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Good evening, and thank you for joining us tonight. An Israeli Moldovan rabbi has been murdered in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE's Jewish community is in shock at the news. Meanwhile, Israel conducted one of the deadliest strikes on the heart of Lebanon. Here's more. UAE authorities have arrested three people suspected of murdering an Israeli Moldovan rabbi, according to the Emirati Interior Ministry on Sunday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Sunday denounced the killing. He said it was, quote, a heinous anti-Semitic terrorist act. The State of Israel will use every means to bring the murderers and their dispatchers to justice. None of them will escape accountability. I greatly appreciate the cooperation with the UAE in investigating this murder. Full details of the incident will be disclosed upon the conclusion of the investigations, according to a social media post by the UAE's Ministry of Interior. Meanwhile, in Israel, at least nine people are injured after dozens of projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israel on Sunday. The Israeli military said Hezbollah was behind the attacks, saying at least 160 projectiles had been fired over the border. According to police, residential buildings were hit in the cities of Nahariya and Haifa. It comes after an Israeli airstrike killed at least 20 people in central Beirut on Saturday, according to Lebanon's health ministry. It's one of the deadliest strikes on the heart of the capital since Israel began its assault against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group. The blast struck the capital at around 4 a.m. and left a deep crater. It was the fourth Israeli airstrike this week targeting a central area of Beirut. An update now on the Russia-Ukraine war. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, at least 73 Russian drones launched into Ukraine overnight. NTD's Fiona Ji has the latest developments. Of the 73 drones, Ukraine said it downed 50 of them. The Russian defense ministry said it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones since the day before. Meanwhile, Ukraine's security service said that it studied debris from a new Russian ballistic missile that hit Dnipro on Thursday. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it was a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, known as Oreshnik. U.S. officials and NATO agreed with Putin's description of the weapon. The latest exchange of fire comes after Ukraine launched U.S.-made Atakoms long-range missiles for the first time this week. Mike Waltz, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for national security advisor, said the war must be brought to a responsible end. Jake Sullivan and I have had discussions, we've met. For our adversaries out there that think this is a time of opportunity, that they can play one administration off the other, they're wrong. And we are hand in glove, we are one team with the United States in this transition. He also emphasized the unity between the current Biden administration and upcoming Trump administration. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder rather than responding to it. Amid these rising tensions, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Italy Sunday to attend a meeting of the group of seven countries. The State Department said Blinken would discuss issues including conflicts in the Middle East, Russia's war against Ukraine, Indo-Pacific security, and the ongoing crises in both Haiti and Sudan. Drones were detected around American bases in England. The drones were spotted between Wednesday and Friday. According to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, the drones were seen in the vicinity of and over the bases. The Air Force didn't identify who was behind the incursions, but said base officials determined there is no impact on residents or critical infrastructure. One of the bases houses the 48th Fighter Wing. The Air Force describes the aircraft as the foundation of its combat capability in Europe. Britain's Ministry of Defense said, quote, we take threats seriously and maintain robust measures. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is sending out a warning that the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE for short, could put a halt to funding for sanctuary states and cities. Earlier this week, it was announced that Greene would head the delivering on government efficiency subcommittee. She expected to work alongside Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on the task of eliminating Greene has said she'd like to talk to the governors of sanctuary states and the mayors of sanctuary cities and have them come before a DOG committee. She said she's asked them to explain why, quote, they deserve federal dollars if they're going to harbor illegal criminal aliens in their states and their cities. President-elect Trump has filled most of his cabinet nominations. A recent pick is Scott Besant, the Treasury Secretary. Besant is a Wall Street financier. He founded global macro investments firm, Key Square Group. Joining us live to discuss economic implications of this nomination is economist and political strategist Christian Briggs. He's also the CEO of Hard Asset Management. Christian, good evening. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really honored to be here. Scott Besant is a prominent figure on Wall Street. Treasury Secretary is arguably one of the most important and influential seats in the cabinet. Why do you think Trump picked Besant over other top picks such as Kevin Walsh, the former Federal Reserve board member, or Mark Rowan, the Apollo Wealth Management CEO? OK, well, that's a really good question. I think what Trump was really focusing on was how he had worked prior. When Scott worked for George Soros as one of his top, pretty much picked the market tops with the British pound and the Japanese yen back in the day and made a fortune together, he was a real Soros guy. So to kind of put it in layman terms, what Scott's done is basically go from a George Soros ideology to a make America great, make America first again. Now, Trump was really inspired by that. My sources and people close to Trump have said it made a difference in the decision because here's somebody who looked at the way the U.S. was from a different lens and did a complete turnaround. And now he's all about mega. He's about make America great again. And that was a big deal for Trump. He wanted to see that kind of ideology bestilled in somebody. And he really, Scott really does show that America is going to be great. It's going to be number one. And here's the bottom line. They're going to put more jobs in America for the small businesses. In other words, their economic policy is going to be small business pro. For the first time in history, they're going to try to make it a number one focus of the Treasury on top of, of course, the debt and the deficit. Now, we can talk about that for days. How does Wall Street see Trump and his policies? Well, Wall Street has always looked at Scott as being a pretty smart guy. When you look at George Soros and the management team that he put together, and Scott was obviously a big part of that. And when they made a great deal of money shorting the yen and the pound back in the day, it was a brilliant move. No one saw that coming but Soros. So he is really respected. He's also respected for taking a stance. He believes in free markets. He believes in pro-business, less government regulations, and less government intrusion, period. Laws obviously can hamper the small business. But he's considered to be a very smart person when it comes to Wall Street. In fact, running the Soros fund and now his own fund, like he's been doing so brilliantly, has really gained a lot of steam. In fact, I think most people would say he's probably the best pick given the stakes that are at hand, which is grow the small business middle class, but more importantly, tackle the deficit spending and tackle the debt. President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, told Fox Business in September that Bitcoin is a commodity that should be treated like gold and like oil. Besant has also been a vocal crypto advocate. How do you see cryptocurrency changing the landscape of the American economy, as well as Wall Street, over the next four years? OK, so crypto has already changed the landscape in a way. Look at Venmo and look at other types of peer-to-peer digital cash apps. The one thing that I've said before is when you look at in 23, we had 27 percent of all transactions were digital based. We're going to be at about 45 to 50 percent this year. So crypto has already changed the landscape. What's interesting, though, about Bitcoin and the crypto markets, a decentralized system, there is going to be some type of a play that Trump is going to utilize the value of what it has done and how it's already programmed or at least condition the marketplace, which is us, to be able to accept a form of payment that really has no physical being. It's an algorithm. It's a it's a bit of code. And as long as the power turns on, we're in great shape. So I think there's going to be an adaptation timeline to where we're going to try to integrate more digital. And I think Bitcoin is going to play into it. I know Trump's pro crypto, OK? And I think Scott is, too, big time as much as he is, as far as he being Trump. So I do believe we're going to see some type of a crypto mechanism in monetary policy before the end of Trump's first term. As for the position of Agriculture Secretary, Trump has nominated Brooke Rollins. She's a veteran in Texas state politics. During Trump's first term, she was assistant to the president in the Office of American Innovation and director of American Policy Council. With this background, what can we expect from her as Agriculture Secretary? Well, that's a great question, OK, because agriculture has been a really big focal point. Biden's administration has actually paid farmers not to grow certain commodities, thus hampering and limiting sometimes the types of agricultural products that come to market. Two, he's also insisted on certain types of chemicals or pesticides to be used in the farming. Well, what you've got now is a woman who's coming in who's smart as a whip. Her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M in agricultural development is a perfectly suited degree, and her knowledge is incredible. And she's got the face after working under Governor Rick Perry in various forms of policy to help agricultural growth, but more importantly, to help the farmers make more money with less regulations. See, what we're doing here is we're we're putting in people that believe that. And I must say this is going to sound kind of crazy sometimes to some Democrats, but people can actually think for themselves. They really don't have to be told every day what to do. And I'm going to tell you something. This is the kind of person this she is going to make a great secretary of agriculture because she believes that the farmers are the heart of a country, especially in the United States. Without farmers, what are you going to eat? We can import everything and have twice the price on our foods. No, what we're going to do is she's going to make sure that the farmers have the lowest cost of entry to be able to make crops profitable and to make sure that the markets around the world are open and they're fair trader for all U.S. agricultural products. She's she's a rock star. I've known about her for years, having lived in Texas and kind of followed her career. But her name did come up various times and she is definitely the right pick. Trump knows what he's doing. He's picking good people. And on that, Christian, I think it's interesting to note that Kelly Loeffler was it was actually suggested by CNN from an anonymous source that she was going to receive this position. Yes, I did hear that. But I got to say that I think Rollins is a better pick, not that there's other people that were probably duly qualified. But you remember, she was Rollins was already part of Trump's first term. She was already in the White House as a key advisor. So she understands the inner workings of how Trump's personality and what his thoughts are and kind of what his agenda is. So Trump's America first policy, he's got to make sure and I know he's doing this, that the people he's had before and the people right before this next this past election and now going into his next second term, he has to have the people that he knows he can trust and deliver the job because he's not going to babysit these people every day. That's not what he does. He puts people in positions that can take what he knows to be true. Best for the country. Execute on that plan. So and even Treasury, let me tell you this, Treasury, there were some other great picks. Don't get me wrong. There were some fabulous ones. But what he's doing is he's trying to make sure that the people have one thing distilled in them. America first agenda. See, sometimes people think, OK, I've got a little tweak over here I can do. No, the president wants a specific agenda. These people will do that. The people have spoken to vote Trump in. And I'm telling you right now, based on every cabinet member that I've seen him do so far, I have only had maybe one or two or kind of like we'll have to kind of wait and see. The rest were fabulous. Christian Briggs, economist and CEO of Hard Asset Management. Thank you for joining us. Thanks for having me. Rain has left two people dead in northern California, a powerful storm caused record rainfall in some areas and more is expected. It was the wettest three days of rain ever recorded for the city of Santa Rosa. Santa Rosa is in Sonoma County, about 60 miles north of San Francisco. 20 inches of rain fell and brought the county three times its normal rainfall for this time of year. A local sheriff said a man died when he apparently drove down a flooded street and ended up submerged in water that was six feet deep. First responders reached his car after a passerby called 911. But it was too late. A second person was found dead near an overflowing creek. His death is still being investigated. Santa Rosa itself received 12.5 inches of rain in three days. A flood advisory is in effect until Monday afternoon. The trouble started last week when storms hit Washington and Oregon and swept into California. The storms were caused by an atmospheric river, a phenomenon where moisture is carried through the sky from tropical areas. National Weather Service meteorologist Tori Dooley said another storm system is expected to arrive for Thanksgiving week and linger into Tuesday in the Pacific Northwest. More rain is expected and snow is predicted for higher elevation areas. Federal authorities have released an update on an investigation into fires at the Biolab chemical plant near Atlanta. The fires produced a toxic chemical cloud and forced nearby residents to shelter in place. Biolab makes chemicals that kill algae and bacteria in water, primarily for swimming pools and hot tubs. The fires broke out September 29th at the plant in Conyers, sending a huge plume of orange and black smoke into the sky. The report says an employee reported hearing a popping sound and immediately saw that a product reactive to water was wet. By 630 a.m., flames could be seen through the roof of the area. The fire was put out by firefighters that morning, but a second fire broke out around noon and was extinguished by 4 p.m. The building was completely destroyed. Smoke drifted toward Atlanta, causing smog, haze that smelled of chlorine in parts of the city and surrounding area. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed in connection with the fire. Shifting gears now, over 70,000 children's down jackets made in China have been seized due to quality concerns. The jackets were priced at less than $13 each. A down jacket is supposed to be insulated with soft and warm under feathers from ducks or geese. But these children's down jackets had none, and yet their labels read 70% duck feathers. These clothes were made in a garment factory in southern province of Zhejiang. A spokesperson said they replaced the duck feathers with an alternative because the business wasn't running so well this year. The story became one of the most searched topics on China's biggest website, Baidu, on Sunday. This is not the first time that China-made products have been found to have quality issues. Many Chinese products from electric vehicles to clothing on Shine and Temu have faced similar scandals. Doing some holiday shopping? Well, egg prices in America have skyrocketed. Find out why they could rise even higher. That's coming up. The traditional White House turkey selection was today. Out of thousands, only the very best two were chosen. That and more after the break. I'm Richard Karn, and I love my hose. It ain't those old hoses. This is my hose. 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A huge fire has been brought under control after burning for hours in the capital of the Philippines. It broke out Sunday morning in a shantytown district of Manila with a thick smoke rising near the port. About 600 families or 3,000 people have fled to the nearby evacuation center in Tondo, Manila, while firefighters battled with a huge blaze. Fire and rescue units responded within an hour and had it under control by mid-afternoon. There are no casualties reported or homes destroyed so far. The cause is under investigation. Millions of Americans are set to hit the roadways and airports this week as the Thanksgiving travel holiday gets underway, and two separate storms are set to hit parts of the U.S. that could cause significant delays. Six western states are in winter weather alerts today as several feet of snow is forecasted in some areas. Planes, trains and automobiles. The holiday travel season is underway. AAA is estimating a record-breaking 80 million people will travel 50 miles or more this week, and millions are expected to fly the friendly skies this Thanksgiving week. TSA is expecting a potentially record-breaking holiday travel season. If recent experience is any guide, these will likely be some of the busiest travel days in U.S. history. If you're flying or driving for Thanksgiving, weather could be an issue depending on your destination. It's this system here. This is the one that's going to continue to spread its way across the country as we go through the rest of the week. Six western states are under winter weather alerts Sunday as feet of snowfall is forecasted in the Sierra Mountains. The roads have been pretty intense. The roads are pretty slippery. There's a slush layer underneath there, so you have to really be careful. The storm will move east to start the week, bringing lighter rainfall to much of the eastern U.S., and officials are urging travelers to pack their patience as delays could pile up. While there are, of course, some factors that affect travel, especially the weather, that are truly out of anybody's control, we can take and have taken a number of steps to make travel better. Officials urge travelers to be safe and give themselves plenty of time to reach their destination. Egg prices are going up. Factors affecting farmers and those on the consumer's end are combining to make egg prices extraordinary this time of year. The CEO of Stu Leonard's grocery chain says eggs will be one little price bump for Thanksgiving food. Egg prices were already high. The holiday demand is expected to make them higher. The Consumer Price Index shows grocery store egg prices up over 30% in October from a year ago. The other factor is avian flu. The American Farm Bureau Federation says the virus has killed 108 million birds and affected the egg supply since January 2020. It's down 8%. Earlier this month in New York, the cost of a carton of large white eggs was $4.23 at wholesale. Last year it was $2.43. That's a 54% increase. There are some 40 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving. Only two are pardoned. That's what John Zimmerman said in an interview to Time magazine. He is the year's chairman of the National Turkey Federation, which gets to supervise the official flock of turkeys for the White House. His task is to find the two best turkeys to hopefully be pardoned by the president. So after tomorrow's presentation at the White House, Peach and Blossom will be retiring to farm America in Waseca, Minnesota, where they'll be well looked after and serve as agricultural ambassadors for hopefully years to come, providing visitors with an opportunity for education and a greater appreciation for agriculture. Turkeys pardoned by President Biden's NTF's participation in the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation began in 1947 with President Harry Truman. The VITs, or very important turkeys, were raised by Zimmerman in the Northfield, Minnesota on his farm. The turkeys were prepared for lights, cameras, and were even introduced to a wide variety of music, everything from polka to classic rock to help them feel comfortable at the White House. The box office got the one-two punch it needed this weekend. We have the early estimates for the top five films in theaters. Venom The Last Dance fell to fifth place, grabbing $4 million for a domestic total of $134 million. Bonhoeffer, about the German pastor who worked to overthrow the Nazi regime, opened in fourth place with $5.1 million. Red One dropped to third place, collecting $13.3 million for a 10-day domestic total of $53 million. I remember that day. Gladiator 2 entered the box office fray in second place, starting strong with $55.5 million. You're green. I am. A magical debut for Wicked, which topped the chart with $114 million, the biggest opening ever for an adaptation of a Broadway musical. The Christmas lights were switched on along the Champs-Élysées in Paris this evening. The event marks the official start of the holiday season in France. The director behind the Paris Olympic Games ceremoniously pushed the button to light up the trees. Thousands of Paris residents gathered to celebrate. Fireworks lit up the skies near the Arc de Triomphe, accompanied by performances from 50 musicians and a DJ. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Brendan Fallon. Have a good night.