Capitol Report Full Broadcast (Nov. 27)

Evening and welcome to the Capital Report on Entity Television. I'm Steve Lance and at least for now, world leaders welcoming the deal while residents of the border area return to damaged homes. Some of President-elect Trump's cabinet picks receiving threats to their lives, how the FBI is responding and who is the latest nominee. And how will businesses adapt to Trump's proposed tariffs and will supply chain shift away from China? We'll explore this with Ian Arroyo, Chief Strategy Officer of Freightos Group. This is Capital Report live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. And fighting stops the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah officially commencing. Both sides are withdrawing from southern Lebanon, meanwhile returning to damaged homes. Entity's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has the story. Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah implemented a ceasefire on Wednesday morning local time. It's part of a U.S. proposed deal for a 60-day truce and ends more than a year of hostilities between the two. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the results of the campaign against Hezbollah create additional pressure on Hamas. From here we look towards the southern front where the most important goal is to return all the hostages home. This is the most important moral goal we are facing now. This is the ultimate goal. Key provisions to the ceasefire include a halt to fighting. Israel will withdraw forces from Lebanon within 60 days in a phased manner. Hezbollah forces will move north. The Lebanese army will deploy 5,000 troops in southern Lebanon. A monitoring mechanism will expand to include the United States and France to review breaches to the ceasefire. The deal also includes language that preserves both Lebanon's and Israel's rights to self-defense. World leaders reacted to the I wanted to salute the ceasefire deal agreed upon today between Israel and Lebanon. We must seize this opportunity to build trust, de-escalate tensions and push for a wider ceasefire. We must seize this opportunity and work now with conviction to a long-term stabilization of the Israeli-Lebanese border. We are pleased with the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Meanwhile, long-displaced residents of south Lebanon started returning to their homes early on Wednesday. Cars were seen driving back to Beqa with belongings and mattresses on top of their cars. Some were holding up peace signs as they passed through checkpoints. Thank God it feels great. Thank God for everyone's safety. We are returning well. I hope Lebanon stays safe always. Other Lebanese returned to homes damaged during the fighting. In the end, what is gone is gone. We will return to our normal lives. We don't know what will happen in the future. Israelis also returned to the north of their country. Israel evacuated over 60,000 residents of border communities. Farmers assessed the damage to their farms and communities dotted along the border with Lebanon. There's nothing. Total destruction. That's what there is. Look here at the house. Look, look. That's how a house needs to look. It's a heartache. All the good work that the IDF has done, unfortunately, will go to waste. Hezbollah will put in all the effort to restore everything, and unfortunately, the residents of the north are going to pay for it. Many say they will wait to see if the ceasefire holds before returning to their homes. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News, London. Three Americans imprisoned in China for years are now released after a high-stakes diplomatic trade between the CCP and the United States, who have been in custody for years. The White House says they will soon be reunited with their families. The released Americans are Mark Suidon, Kai Li, and John Leung. Mark Suidon is a businessman from Texas who is facing a death sentence in two years on drug-related charges. Kai Li, detained during a 2016 visit to see relatives in Shanghai, he was serving a 10-year prison sentence. He was interrogated without a lawyer and accused of providing state secrets to the FBI. A UN working group calls his sentence arbitrary. As for John Leung, China sentenced him to life in prison this May. The charge is related to spying, but Chinese authorities did not give details. He's a 78-year-old United States citizen. China also confiscated about $70,000 worth of his personal property. It is unclear who would be sent back to China in exchange for these three Americans. And several of President-elect Trump's new cabinet nominees and White House appointees say they were targeted with bomb threats. The FBI says they are taking these threats seriously, as some of Trump's new administration picks are targeted with threats to their lives. Thus, according to the Trump transition team, which says such attacks range from bomb threats to swatting. The FBI confirming the incident says it's working with law enforcement partners and taking all potential threats seriously. Among those targeted, Trump's pick for UN ambassador, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who says she was informed of a bomb threat to her home in upstate New York. Trump's pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, former Congressman Lee Zeldin, also posing about a pipe bomb threat targeting his home with a pro-Palestinian-themed message. And Brooke Rollins, Trump's pick for Agriculture Secretary, says a threat was issued against his home and family. Luckily, no one was harmed in these incidents. Trump's transition team thanks law enforcement for their swift action, and vows that acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us. The latest threats come as Trump continues to staff his new administration. Trump named health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to lead the National Institutes of Health. Investor Jim O'Neill as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Businessman John Phelan as Navy Secretary. Lawyer and China hawk Jameson Greer as Trade Representative. And retired General Keith Kellogg as Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia. Kellogg, who served as Chief of Staff to the National Security Council during Trump's first term, is suspected to play a key role in helping Trump broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. And as Trump's tariff proposals take shape, will businesses reduce their supply chain reliance on China? Let's hear more about this from Chief Strategy Officer of Freightos Group, Ian Arroyo. Ian Arroyo, thank you so much for joining. Absolute pleasure, Steve. Great to be here. Thanks for having me. It's great to have you on, Ian. President-elect Donald Trump vowing to impose even bigger tariffs on China over the course of the next few years. Will businesses be able to adjust their supply chains and reduce dependency on China in this case? Look, it's a great question and one that I think everyone's asking in light of the announcements coming out of the incoming administration. You're already seeing impacts of that rippling through moving orders forward. You saw the National Retail Federation increase their forecast for December and January ahead of Chinese New Year. You're already beginning to see very quickly the supply chain companies in the U.S. and Canada reacting to these quick changes and announcements. And I think you'll start to see rates begin to increase on China exports into the U.S., Mexico and Canada over the course of the next, let's say, 45 days. Yeah, Ian, the tariffs on China do seem like they are the most imminent, the ones that he announced on Mexico and Canada, 25%. A lot of experts say those are highly unlikely, more like bargaining chips at the moment. When it comes to China, tariff exclusions could allow companies to circumvent this charge or otherwise be exempt, if you will, because ultimately the tariffs are really meant to target industry that is taking away from the U.S. So if there is an industry that we don't have here and we need that product, you will be able to be exempt. Talk to us about how this works and how political donations may factor in. That's a great question. I think it's very interesting in regards to the USMCA and the relationship with China and Mexico and the increase, the massive increase of flow of goods into Mexico and the fact that Mexico overtook China as our largest trading partner, import partner from a U.S. perspective. I do believe very much that the U.S., it would be a departure for this administration to completely walk away from the USMCA, considering that that was a big part of the initial Trump administration's focus last time around. Look, the reality is that there's always folks who are lobbying. The question is, you know, who's lobbying the loudest and who's pressing the hardest and how much it's going to impact U.S. business. I do think that there are a lot of, let's say, bargaining chips on the table, especially in light of the fact that the USMCA was a big part of the Trump administration's first go. I doubt very seriously that we're going to see a complete walking away from that at the same time. It's obvious that there is an expectation that he is going and this administration is going to make some very significant changes to the way that goods are coming in and out of the United States. True to point, Ian, the USMCA is coming up for renegotiation in 2025. Is it 2026? Canada, like the U.S., is concerned about Mexico potentially acting as a backdoor for Chinese goods. What industries are most impacted by this and what can the U.S. and Canada do about it? And might Canada and the U.S. consider a bilateral trade deal if Mexico doesn't curb Chinese auto imports or maintaining other norms? Yeah, that's an interesting question. I mean, there's already, this past week, there was discussion coming out of Canada, both from the prime minister's office as well as the governor of Ontario, talking specifically about a potential bilateral agreement directly with the United States. If Mexico was not going to uphold what Canada at least has stated thus far, their end of the USMCA bargain in regards to moving so much Chinese material through Mexico and simply bypassing the original goal of the USMCA. So, I believe that there is absolutely a possibility that that happens. The question is, you know, what negotiation is going to happen within the next, let's say, few weeks and into the beginning part of this administration's term to ensure that the goal of the USMCA to begin with is maintained in regards to, you know, not being a backdoor for China or other locations, but really and truly increasing the ability for Mexico and the U.S. and Canada to be able to pass goods from one to the other that are much more focused on what is being built, made, developed within those countries, not just simply being brought in through from China or from other areas around the globe. Daniel Royo, fascinating perspective. Really appreciate you joining us. Absolute pleasure. Thank you, Steve. And turning now our attention to the southern border. Texas is now allowed to keep its razor wire fence on the border to deter illegal crossings. It's the latest in multiple border related legal battles between Texas and the Biden administration. The federal government sought to remove the razor wire along the Rio Grande. The court today ruling a Texas trespassing law does prevent federal officials from taking the fence down. The fence is located in the Eagle Pass section, which has been a hotspot for illegal border crossings. And coming up, lawmakers welcome the Israel Hezbollah cease fire deal, but demand a plan to bring back hostages from Gaza. We'll break down those developments with former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. And what are some of America's favorite Thanksgiving dishes? We speak with the folks in D.C. for a few honorable mentions in just a few moments after the break. Performance that truly matters for each and every one of us. This is what you've been waiting for. See it at least once in your lifetime. Get tickets now at shenyun.com. Get store wide savings at Mathis Home with Black Friday deals all month long. We have all the latest styles with hundreds of sofas starting at just $3.99. Dining sets and bedrooms at the lowest prices ever. And we're the only place with top name recliners starting at just $1.95. It's all in stock so you get it faster with our free delivery. So for the latest in fashion for your home at the best value, shop Black Friday deals at California's Furniture Superstore, Mathis Home. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? Now you can with SmileActives, the teeth whitening breakthrough that safely gets your teeth white and keeps them white every day just by brushing your teeth. I never thought that whitening my teeth could be so easy. I just put the gel on the brush, the toothpaste on it, brush, and I can see my white teeth. Simply add SmileActives to any toothpaste and our patented PolyClean technology activates into a powerful microfoam that penetrates into the enamel surface to safely lift and remove stains. You need a simple way to whiten your teeth without strips, without trays, without going to the dentist. And it was about time that a product was developed that you would be able to do that with just brushing. And now SmileActives is even better with new pro-whitening gel with 33% greater whitening power, clinically shown to whiten teeth faster, up to eight shades. 100% of users saw whiter teeth on food stains, coffee and wine stains, even on veneers, crowns, and dentures. I eat the blueberries, I drink the coffee, and I know that SmileActives will keep my teeth white every day. If you could use something so easy like SmileActives to take yellow teeth to white teeth, why wouldn't you? Why spend hundreds of dollars for whitening treatments at the dentist when now you can whiten your teeth with new SmileActives pro-whitening gel every time you brush your teeth? Call or go to SmileActives.com and for a limited time get new pro-whitening gel for just $24.95. Order in the next five minutes and buy one get one absolutely free for just $24.95. That's two for one and save 58%. We'll even include free shipping. Get your teeth whiter guaranteed or return it within 60 days for your money back. I smile every day now. The difference is literally night and day. So now I'm always smiling, always choosing because now my teeth are much whiter. This offer is not available in stores so call or click now before the special buy one get one free offer goes away. And welcome back to the Capitol Report on NTD television. Lawmakers have welcomed the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, but have also stressed the need to bring the hostages who have been kidnapped by Hamas back home from Gaza. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on this story. Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, who has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his national security advisor, welcomed the ceasefire deal. On a social media post, Congressman Mike Waltz said everyone is coming to the table because of President Donald Trump. I'm glad to see concrete steps towards de-escalation in the Middle East. According to Congressman Waltz, President Donald Trump's electoral victory has sent a strong message to the world, in particular U.S. adversaries. For Congressman Jim Hines, a Democratic-ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, it's the hostages in Gaza and the conflict against Hamas that should be the center of attention. So, you know, it's obviously important to the Prime Minister that he could move his population back up into the northern part of the country, but Gaza is going to be a lot harder. My hope is that a final deal can be struck. It's going to be a lot more challenging, but I do suspect that the President is going to double down on his efforts to use the momentum from this Lebanese deal for a Gaza ceasefire for hostages deal. Both Republican and Democratic senators have expressed optimism that the ceasefire deal could be a building block to broader regional peace. And that's good news for the Lebanese people who want peace. It's also obviously good news for Israelis who want to return home in the north. I also think this now undermines even further Hamas. Israel has taken out the Hamas leadership. We need to end the conflict in Gaza as well. And it will ensure that there will be no October 7th generated from that border against Israel. Compromise is always difficult, but I think the ceasefire was the right decision. Lawmakers have yet to approve the National Defense Authorization Act for 2025. This is a bill that sets the spending priorities for the Defense Department for the next fiscal year. These new developments in the Middle East will surely play a part in the negotiations here in Capitol Hill. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. What should we expect next after the ceasefire? Joining us to break down the developments is Simone Ladin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. Simone, it's great to have you with us here. With the Israeli Hezbollah ceasefire taking effect today in Lebanon, are there concerns that Hezbollah will use this pause in fighting to rebuild its command? Certainly. Any pause in fighting gives Hezbollah the opportunity to rearm, refit for its fighters to rest, and potentially also regain the positions that they've lost to Israel in the last year. So, yes, there is a real risk of that. I think, just to expand on that a little bit, if I may, I think that it's important to note as well that the agreement has a provision in there for the U.S. and France to sort of confirm that neither side is violating their side of the bargain. It's complicated, though, because the agreement is between Lebanon and Israel, and the fighters on the Lebanese side are not the Lebanese Armed Forces, but in fact, the terrorist army of Hezbollah. It's a very important point. And with that said, how is this being viewed, I guess, in different parts of the world, most importantly in the Middle East? Is it more of a formality? And how does Hezbollah's removal from the conflict, at least for now, isolate Hamas? Do you see it playing that role? My contacts in the region are very skeptical about this agreement. Because fundamentally, it doesn't disarm Hezbollah. Israel would have to occupy the entire country of Lebanon in order to disarm Hezbollah at this point, and that's obviously not going to happen. So it's a much different scenario than, say, Gaza. So I see a lot of skepticism. I'm hearing a lot of skepticism. Of course, people in the region desperately want peace. But a lot of people are viewing this as a temporary measure and in no way permanent, unfortunately. Do you see this being able to impact efforts to secure the hostages released that are still in Gaza and perhaps maybe push Hamas back onto the negotiating table? Well, I think it's notable that, first of all, hostage release was not mentioned. Obviously, Hamas is the Iranian terror proxy that is holding the hostages, different, obviously, from Hezbollah that's based in Lebanon and not Gaza. But the problem is, number one, the hostages were not mentioned. Number two, Hezbollah has said that they would not put down arms, that they would be supporting Hamas throughout. And so it is notable that, in fact, they did acquiesce and agree to this ceasefire, apparently through Lebanon as the signatory. But it's important to note that there are a lot of questions hanging out there. One of which, and the main one in my mind, is how does this help us get to a hostage release? It is unclear. And one of the reasons why I think this is a temporary measure rather than a permanent one. Now, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his former defense minister. I want to play you a clip for you of Senator Lindsey Graham's response. I am going back to Congress and introduce legislation very soon that would sanction any country that tried to enforce the arrest warrant against Israel. Now, France said today that Netanyahu has immunity from ICC arrest warrants. What does the U.S. response mean on a global scale? Well, the U.S. is going to, especially under the incoming Trump administration, they've said publicly the incoming national security advisor, Mike Waltz, has said that they're planning to go after the ICC. The ICC fundamentally has lost its credibility with this action, whatever credibility that it was trying to maintain. It's just an outrageous action against a democratically elected leader and trying to put on the same moral footing, again, Benjamin Netanyahu, a democratically elected leader, and terrorists, literal terrorists, leaders of terrorist organizations. So that's completely outrageous. It's completely appropriate for the United States not only to push back against it, but to take strong action to prevent this from ever happening again, because it's a very dangerous precedent that cannot be allowed to stand. Simone Ladine, thank you for your insights and happy Thanksgiving to you. Thank you. You as well. President Biden is celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, continuing his decades-long family tradition of spending Thanksgiving on the Massachusetts island. The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to before the Bidens were married in 1977. It has remained a cornerstone of their holiday celebrations. Last year, the President and First Lady Jill Biden visited local firefighters during their stay. It remains unclear how long the Bidens plan to stay in Nantucket this year. And turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and more. What are Americans' favorite Thanksgiving dishes? Entity Sam Wong was out in D.C. to hear from the folks. Are you cooking this Thanksgiving? I cannot cook, so I'm not cooking, no. My sister-in-law Heather is cooking it this year. We don't have to host it. That's worth it. Worth the plane flights from California. I am cooking corn casserole and macaroni and cheese. My grandmother had a tradition. She'd make her biscuits. So my aunt and my mom, they carried on that tradition. So we always look forward to it. Thanksgiving, we're doing the traditional. We're doing turkey, we're doing mashed potatoes, we're doing gravy, we're doing the stuffing. And again, cranberry, homemade. I'm hosting, and all of our kids and grandkids are coming over. What's good on the table? I would say my specialty is my mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. What's your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Oh, stuffing, for sure. Inside the turkey or on the side? Oh, inside the turkey. It's got to be cooked inside the turkey, and then just straight into my mouth. Stuffing, by far. The more bread, the better. Inside the turkey or? Not a turkey person. I usually like the ham. I love the combination of the turkey, cranberry, and the stuffing. My favorite dish is green bean casserole. The turkey. Oh, yeah. Turkey and stuffing. A lot of turkey. The turkey, and I like some cranberry sauce. Probably our marshmallow float. Yeah, pineapple float. We're going to go to a restaurant where they're serving Thanksgiving meal. I love sweet potato pie, so hopefully the restaurant will have what I want. His mom made this fruit salad. It's like a marshmallow whip thing from the 1950s, and it's got pineapple and cherries and bing cherries. The key is to get the bing cherries in advance, because they're a little bit of a challenge to get. Cranberry sauce, homemade or in the can? Oh, I like it homemade, yeah. Homemade. Homemade. Definitely homemade. Eh, no. Nope. Not homemade, not cans either. Nope. Don't like it. Never did. Favorite part of that meal? Favorite part of the meal is honestly getting together with people that you love and that you care about, and being able just to have that camaraderie. And coming up, Walmart, one of the latest companies to announce a rollback on its DEI practices, what some organizations are replacing it with. And a congestion charge is coming to New York City. Will the plan help solve the traffic gridlock in Manhattan? And how will it impact businesses? An infrastructure policy expert will join us when we come back. The Chinese Communist Party is exposing its hand. The fingerprints can be found all over. And I recently caught wind of these CCP operations on full display in South Korea. The top 13 theaters all rejected Shen Yun almost simultaneously. What makes the case in South Korea so different? And how does the CCP extend its influence into other countries? Now, for the Chinese Communist Party, this is warfare. War being waged here isn't being done through tanks and bombs, but instead through the invisible forces of culture and ideology. They also revealed a hidden war. I'm excited to announce our Christmas extravaganza is finally here. Get this season's final sheets for as low as $59.98. They won't last long, so get them while you can. Our famous MySlippers, they haven't been on sale for over a year. Regularly $119.98, now only $59.98. Our six-piece towel sets are back in stock with extremely limited quantities, only $29.98. With hundreds of MyPillow products, there's something for everyone on your Christmas list. Bathrobes, duvets, quilts, down comforters, and so much more. So go to MyPillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use your promo code to save on all MyPillow products. For example, flannel sheets for as low as $59.98. For our six-piece towel sets, just $29.98. But that's not all. I'm extending our 60-day money-back guarantee until March 1st of 2025. Plus, all orders over $75 or more ship absolutely free. Being a cowboy, I don't know anything different from when I was 34 years old. I did tough things. I thought everybody needed to do tough things. And if you didn't, I didn't have time for it. I had a very successful career at a very young age, and life was fast. I was preparing physically. I wasn't doing anything mentally on the inside. And then I got hurt. I wanted to be better as a person, and I really dug into mental health. I start my day with 20-minute workouts. I live life eight seconds at a time. Horses are so therapeutic. They know what you're feeling. When you're nervous, they're nervous. He won't say it back, but we're pals. I take a lot of responsibility in taking care of my kids and my family, being there for them. You're going to have tough days. Everybody does. Find a place to stop and just breathe. Love your mind. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. I'm Steve Lance. Just one race is still uncalled in the House of Representatives, and it's less than 200 votes apart. Currently, Democrat Adam Gray leads California's 13th district, narrowly edging out incumbent Republican Representative John Duarte. And just today, another incumbent representative in California lost her seat. Congresswoman Michelle Steele of the 45th district will be replaced by Democrat Derek Tran. But in Iowa, GOP Representative Marionette Miller-Meeks, narrowly winning by just about 800 votes in her race. This brings the totals in the House to 220 for Republicans and 214 for Democrats, and one still outstanding. Republicans will lose two representatives to Trump's leadership team, plus Matt Gaetz, who has also resigned. The bottom line is, it may leave them just shy of that 218 needed to pass legislation until those seats are ultimately filled in special elections. We turn now to the Legal Hub, where our legal correspondent Arlene Richards gives us an overview of one way Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy plan to make the government more efficient. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have an assignment, to reduce the size of the federal government. They say in a recent Wall Street Journal article that they will focus on three major kinds of regulatory rescissions, administrative reductions, and cost savings. Let's focus on regulatory rescissions, or removing thousands of federal agency regulations. Musk and Ramaswamy point to two Supreme Court rulings that came down during the Biden administration, West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency and Loper-Bright v. Raimondo. In both of these cases, the justices found that the courts don't have to accept federal agencies' interpretations of laws. Federal agencies create regulations based on their own interpretations of laws created by Congress. For 40 years, the court has accepted the agency's interpretations. But in the Raimondo case, the court said from now on, they will use their own judgment to decide legal questions. Because of these two rulings, Musk and Ramaswamy say these cases suggest that a number of current federal regulations exceed the authority Congress has granted under the law. With the help of various legal experts, they plan to dig out those regulations and provide a list to President Trump. They say Trump will then issue executive orders to immediately pause agency enforcement until the proper review and removal process has been completed. It's unclear how quickly or easily it will be to complete that process. And it's also not clear how they will deliver on their promise. Musk and Ramaswamy have a self-imposed deadline of July 4, 2026 to present the president with the list. Walmart announcing that it's now moving away from its diversity, equity and inclusion practices, otherwise known as DEI. It's the largest company to do so thus far. Others starting to embrace something called MEI. Entity correspondent Jason Blair brings us more. Walmart plans to end its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, also known as DEI. The retail giant made the announcement on Monday in a statement. It said, We've been on a journey and know we aren't perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers, and to be a Walmart for everyone. The chain employs 1.6 million workers in the U.S., and it's the largest company to make this kind of move. It made a five-year commitment back in 2020 for an equity racial center after the death of George Floyd. Influencer Robbie Starbucks says he spoke with Walmart after telling them he was planning to do a story on them involving their, quote, wokeness there. According to Starbucks, the company told him some of the changes they intend to make include the removal of inappropriate sexual and or transgender products marketed at children, as well as funding for similar content. They will no longer use the term Latinx in official communications. Their racial equity training center will be discontinued, and they will no longer use the term DEI while ensuring a respectful and supportive environment. According to Starbuck, other companies who have ended their DEI practices include Lowe's, Jack Daniels, Ford, Coors, Harley-Davidson, and others. Then in contrast to DEI, there is a rise of what some are calling MEI, or Merit Excellence and Intelligence. It could be seen as a commitment by an organization to make hiring or admission choices based on those concepts. The University of Austin is one among a growing number of organizations doing so. We are putting resources into finding talent of an intellectual variety. And if you're interested in diversity, I recommend you look at the social backgrounds of our students, at the family circumstances of our students. Jason Blair, NTD News. New York City's Rikers Island jail complex is on the verge of a federal takeover. A federal judge today finding the city in contempt for failing to staunch violence and brutality at its jails. U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor-Swain in Manhattan says that the city had placed incarcerated people in unconstitutional danger. This is because the city's jail failed to comply with court orders pertaining to security, staffing, supervision, use of force, and the safety of young detainees. As a result, the judge ordered the city, as well as lawyers suing on behalf of the detainees, to meet with a court-appointed monitor. That's to discuss framework for what is called a federal receivership. The proposal would cede city control of one of the nation's largest, most notorious jail systems. Today's ruling stemmed from litigation starting more than a decade ago, accusing the city's Department of Correction of excessive and unnecessary force. New York City Mayor Eric Adams opposes a federal takeover. He responded to the ruling by saying the city had made, quote, significant progress toward addressing the issues on Rikers Island. And starting in January, a controversial congestion charge will be in place for drivers coming in and out of Manhattan. The policy is designed to reduce traffic gridlock, and the revenue will be used to fund upgrades to the city's transit system. To discuss, we're happy to have with us Rick Geddes. He's a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Professor Rick Geddes, thank you so much for joining. Great to be here, Steve. Thanks for inviting me. It's great to have you on. Rick, New York City's congestion pricing is set to begin January 5th. However, a Manhattan federal judge could ultimately freeze this plan before it goes into effect. Ultimately, I need to ask, would congestion pricing actually reduce traffic as intended? Yes, Steve, almost certainly. We actually have quite a bit of experience with this type of pricing. In my world of infrastructure policy, we call it cordon pricing because there's normally a circle or an area, a cordon, defined around the city. And if you enter that cordon at peak times, you pay an added charge to enter. So we have experience in Stockholm, Sweden, Malmö, Sweden. In London, we have experience with this. And Singapore has a lot of experience. And in every case, depending, of course, on the charge, it absolutely reduces traffic and increases the smooth flow, decreases congestion at that time, and increases the smooth flow of traffic through the city center. So we have a lot of experience with this, and we can almost certainly say, yes, it will reduce traffic. Really fascinating. The funds from this, I guess you would call it a tax, are set to go into updating the subway system. Would this have a net positive or net negative impact on businesses and cost to commuters and tourists? Just, I think, great, great question. I think the part of this, which is the use of the revenues. In this case, the MTA is going to receive those revenues, which you have to estimate based on the amount of the charge to reduce breakdowns and upgrade subway stations and everything else that needs to happen to keep the New York subway system running. So I think a smoothly operating New York City subway system, for people who don't have experiences like the lifeblood of the city, really helps the local businesses to survive. Because if people want to go out for a restaurant, they want to go to a bookstore, they want to go to a movie, they often take the subway. So the subway really has to be reliable. So I think the added funds that would come from the congestion charge going to the MTA would really help with a lot of much needed improvements. It is an old system, Steve, and it costs a lot to take care of it. But I really think those much needed funds would help with the smooth operation of the subways. How unique is New York's infrastructure from a planning standpoint, since it's essentially an island and many commuters come in from, when I say New York, Manhattan being an island, coming in from New Jersey and Connecticut and various other places. Does this congestion measure make more or less sense in New York than, say, other cities? Yeah, it's another good question, Steve. I mean, if you look at a map of Stockholm, for example, there's a lot of water and islands and so forth around it. Maybe not quite an island to the degree that Manhattan Island is an island. So it makes a little more sense because a lot of people enter on bridges and tunnels. And so it is easier to toll that using the congestion charge. But on the other hand, Steve, London, the city of London, which has the river, but of course has land on other sides of it, has successfully implemented a congestion charge exactly like this. If you look at a map of Malmo, Sweden, most of that is on the land side. So they've been able to do it. I do think it's been a little more sensible in the case of New York because of the nature of Manhattan as being an island. New Jersey representative Josh Gottheimer has already put out an ad showcasing his fight against New York's congestion tax. How does public perception play into the decision to charge this type of attack? So, Steve, public perception is huge in this case. In fact, I would say it's the majority of the ballgame in getting this implemented is public perception. And the economics of this is pretty straightforward. If you talk to most transportation economists, urban planners and so forth, they understand the congestion reduction benefits of a cordon or congestion pricing scheme like this. The issue is convincing people. It's almost psychological. There's interesting data, survey data on Stockholm, Sweden, where a lot of Swedes opposed the cordon pricing, congestion pricing in Stockholm. But once they saw how it worked, in other words, after it was implemented, they saw the free flow of traffic, the reduced congestion. They realized that the value they were getting in terms of time savings, fuel savings, frustration savings, exceeded the amount that they had to pay in the congestion charge. And then they supported it. Professor Rick Gettys, really appreciate your insights. Thanks for inviting me, Steve. Good to be here. And coming up, Republican Senator Steve Daines sharing how he co-chairs a subcommittee with his Democratic colleague, regardless of who has the majority, and how he stays true to his values and the promises he ran on. And a pop-up market lights up the streets of Washington, D.C. Artists and vendors bring unique crafts and treats to share for the holidays. We'll take you there right after the break. I'm Richard Karn, and I love my hose. It ain't those old hoses. This is my hose. The new Pocket Hose Copper Bullet, now infused with real copper, so your water is always clean and lead-free. Just turn on the water and watch your hose grow and grow. And when you turn off the water, away it goes. Our new inner tube uses three layers of high-strength latex on the inside. Then it's wrapped in a new polymer filament jacket, three times stronger than the other hoses. But my favorite part of our new hose build? The oversized, easy-to-grip fittings. Get the super-light, 25-foot Pocket Hose Copper Bullet today for only $29.99. But wait! Call now and get our copper spray nozzle with our exclusive thumb drive free. This is an exclusive release of our newest Pocket Hose. Order now. Call 1-800-960-8919. That's 1-800-960-8919. Or visit CopperBulletHose.com. Order now. Will radical lies determine your child's future? Or will timeless truths? Fathom the Good equips children with wisdom against the world. Our homeschool curriculum teaches high schoolers to think critically. We provide primary texts, original content, reasoning tools, and mentoring videos to help them transform America. Teach your children to navigate the world's woke confusion. Teach them to Fathom the Good. Shen Yun Creations. The streaming platform from Shen Yun. Featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music. Masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy, and more. Explore ShenYunCreations.com. August was born three pounds, 9.8 ounces. When I first saw him, it was like a whole range of emotions. Joy, sadness. There's going to be obstacles. You're going to feel like, why is it happening to me? You're going to realize you're not the only one. There's no perfect way. Your own way will be the perfect way. You're going to protect it with all your might. Just seeing him happy, it's just joy, you know? I look through his eyes. I've envisioned like a whole future with him already. To throw the first football to him, give him ice cream for the first time. Oh man, he can smile now. I'm happy because he's advancing in life, you know? He's growing. Being a young dad, it's not giving up. It's shifting. My life is now devoted to his life. And welcome back to the Capitol Report. And now to NTV's Profiles of Service today featuring Senator Steve Daines of Montana, a fifth generation Montanan and business leader who transitioned from the private sector to public service. When you're sworn into office, you don't take an oath to a political party. You don't take an oath to anything but the Constitution of the United States. I watched my father start a little construction business and work hard to keep food on the table. And my parents had a big influence certainly on my politics and my worldview and my faith. I think some people go into public service thinking they will be powerful, that people will serve them. That's not what the Founding Fathers ever intended. This is the people's government and we are here to serve the people. We are here to serve, not to be served. And these are just values I learned as a child from my father who served in the United States Marine Corps. Some values we're teaching to our children and grandchildren. And we need more leaders, I think, that come from backgrounds outside of government. I graduated in chemical engineering, which is not the normal degree to get if you're going to go into public service. Usually it's lawyers and law. But I worked for 28 years in the private sector. Half of that time for a company called Procter and Gamble. Lived overseas for a while, advancing American products. And then I got in the cloud computing space and software business. Can you define service? What does it mean to you? This is about others. It's not about yourself. And that's one of the problems we have in Washington. We've got that inverted. This is what we fought the Revolutionary War over, was to reject the king who believed the subjects should serve the king. I think about Supreme Court. These are nominations and votes for justices that will serve for a lifetime. They'll most likely be on the bench longer than most of us will be in office. These are decisions that will affect literally our children, maybe even our grandchildren. I enjoyed that great moment that Ronald Reagan had that we got to have with President Trump. That's cutting taxes. Reducing the tax burden. The Trump tax cuts of 17. I was very active on that piece of legislation. Fighting on behalf of our main street businesses to help them. In my opinion, those dollars are better spent in a person who's working or a person who's growing a business rather than the government's pocket. One of the subcommittees of the Energy Committee is actually the National Parks Subcommittee, which is probably the most bipartisan and least partisan committee there is. My colleague on the Democrat side is Angus King, the senator from Maine. If you are in the majority, you're called the chairman. If you're in the minority, you're called the ranking member. We decided we are co-chairs no matter where the gavel falls, Republican or Democrat. When we're at a hearing, because currently the Democrats have control of the Senate, he calls me co-chair Danes and I'll call him co-chair King. We'll stay true to that. I think we're going to win the majority this fall. If we do win the majority as Republicans this fall, it'll still be co-chair Danes and co-chair King. There's a lot of egos in Washington. All of us have an ego, whether you're in Washington or not. But it's important to try to check that at the door and stay focused on mission and not your own personal gain, your own ego. And that's what I look at when you engage in some of these important legislative battles and so forth. I just come back to saying, am I staying true to what I told the people of Montana, what my values are, my principles? I think it's very important that we have principled leaders who will continue to stand for what they ran on. And one thing I told the people of Montana, I ran on four simple words, more jobs, less government. And ultimately, when you're sworn into office, you don't take an oath to a political party. You don't take an oath to anything but the Constitution of the United States. Well, the holidays are here and some folks are getting a head start on their Christmas shopping. And today's Melina Wisecup brings us a pop-up holiday market in Washington, D.C., where vendors share handmade crafts and some treats. D.C.'s Chinatown lights up for the 20th year in a row. It's really fun. I've like never been before. And for the first time, it's really fun. The smell of sweet treats and a toasty fire bringing the holiday feeling to the streets. And that was like really cool. And it seems like so delicious. So I'm really excited for that. Filling up tummies with holiday delicacies give shoppers more energy to browse the pop-up shops. Good place to come and see local vendors and come hang out and try new things. And new things are what you'll find at this holiday market. So to get those expressions like, hey, we don't have this stuff where I'm from. That's definitely satisfying and something to look forward to for sure. Each shop brings its own flair. Artists and vendors' unique ideas on full display. It's based on when the flowers are in peak bloom. So for example, like August here would be the poppy and September would be the aster. Especially for the nature lovers, people who love nature. That's what my girlfriend when she started this business was really passionate about, kind of bringing nature to people. And so like, that's why we love to incorporate a little bit of like nature in all of our products. From a fresh twist on modern trends to traditional styles from around the globe, Mostafa brings his family's Egyptian tradition to the States. The people, they love the Egyptian stuff. And something like this piece, this is it's made of wood and it's only do the seashell. It's a mother of pearl. So all this, it's done by hand. The easy part is for the carpenter to build the box, but the hard part to inlay the seashell on the top of the wood. His grandfather started the business in 1955, and he carries it on shipping the Egyptian decor to America. They make me love Egypt more too, when I move here. Shopping is only part of the fun. For many, it's a place to reconnect with distant friends and relatives. Yeah, this is the first time we've seen each other in three months, so it's fun. Parents with their children making holiday memories. This kind of market only comes once a year, so folks make the most of it while they can. Come to the holiday market. It's fun. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Wisecup, NTD News. Tomorrow, NTD will have live special coverage of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Tune in from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern tomorrow, right here on NTD. That's all we have for you this evening on the Capitol Report. From the nation's Capitol, I'm Steve Lance. Have a very happy Thanksgiving. See you back here on Friday.