NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Dec. 12)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, the biggest single-day act of clemency. President Biden is commuting the sentences of roughly 1,500 people and is pardoning 39 Americans convicted of non-violent crimes. And are more acts of clemency on the way? Jason Blair brings us what Biden said in his statement today. The CEO of murder suspects shouting that made headlines this week is explained by his attorney. And something called a governor's warrant could ensure the suspect's extradition to New York. Chris Spears reports. President-elect Trump rings the New York Stock Exchange bell as he's named Time Magazine's person of the year for a second time. Jack Bradley has the updates on Trump and his nominees. Residents in Syria continue to celebrate after the country's government has fallen. And an American who traveled to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage is freed from prison. Jason Perry reports. This is NTD Evening News. Live from our global headquarters in New York City, here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. It's being called the largest act of clemency done in a single day by a president. President Biden announces that he's pardoning 39 people and commuting the sentences of about 1,500 others. NTD correspondent Jason Blair reports. President Joe Biden said he's pardoning 39 individuals who are convicted of non-violent crimes, as well as commuting the sentences for almost 1,500 people who were put on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the announcement, it's the biggest single-day act of clemency in modern history. AP reported that the second largest was Barack Obama in 2017, with 330. President Biden says America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses. There have been reports that President Biden is considering some preemptive pardons for key figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Congresswoman Liz Cheney. When asked about this, the White House Secretary of Creme Jean-Pierre had this to say. It would be a bad move on my behalf if I preempted the president or previewed anything that the president was thinking about, considering. And so this is something that he's going to talk with his team about. And I just don't have anything beyond that for you. The White House announcement also says that the president has more to come. And quote, President Biden will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver criminal justice reform in a manner that advances equity and justice, promotes public safety, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances. Biden's office also released a list of the individuals on Thursday. Reporting from the White House, Jason Blair, Entity News. The Justice Department Inspector General released a report today on the FBI's handling of its informants and undercover agents during the events of January 6th. The report concluded that no undercover FBI employees were at the Capitol during the breach. But the watchdog says that 26 paid FBI informants were in Washington, D.C. on that day. Three of them were instructed by the FBI to report on, quote, specific domestic terrorism case subjects who were possibly attending the events of January 6th. The other 23 came to Washington on their own initiative. And officials say that altogether, four of the FBI informants entered the Capitol during the breach and 13 entered the restricted area around the building. The FBI has never denied some sources were at the Capitol on January 6th. And none of the informants are facing criminal charges. Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray has rejected claims that the agency was responsible for the Capitol breach. Luigi Mangione's attorney explains his client's shouting. Mangione yelled and struggled with police this week as he entered a Pennsylvania courthouse. NTD's Chris Spears has the latest updates on the murder case of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. Luigi Mangione's private attorney, Thomas Dickey, explains why his client shouted while entering a Pennsylvania courthouse earlier this week. Dickey says the suspect in the UnitedHealthcare CEO murder case was irritated because of how police treated him and by his lack of legal representation. Mangione struggled with police and shouted something as he was led from a police vehicle to the courthouse door. Dickey pointed to his client's calm demeanor after the hearing. The suspect in this case is fighting extradition to New York, but something called a governor's warrant could ensure his return to the Empire State. A governor's warrant is a warrant sought by the governor of one state for the extradition of an individual in another state. New York Governor Kathy Hochul hasn't requested Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sign off on one yet. However, she told MSNBC, quote, it feels like the evidence is very compelling. Mangione faces murder charges in New York. Additionally, last week's killing has raised questions about security for executives. Antagonistic wanted posters targeting health care execs are appearing on the streets of New York, and hit lists with a similar message have been circulating online. An internal New York Police Department bulletin said these messages could signal an elevated threat. One security firm leader details the increased interest in his company's services. It's increased dramatically. If we do 150 to 200 missions a month, we saw 90 calls for support within the first few days after the killing of Mr. Thompson. So it's a large uptick, and it has not let off since then. There is a significant paradigm shift that's underway. And when we look at, you know, before Mr. Thompson's killing to where we are afterward, I agree that you're not putting the toothpaste back in the tube anymore. The evidence seems to be piling up against the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish updated the public. First, we got the gun in question back from Pennsylvania. It's now at the NYPD crime lab. We were able to match that gun to the three shell casings that we found in Midtown at the scene of the homicide. NYPD reported the weapon found on Mangione was a so-called ghost gun. These aren't traceable by authorities and can be manufactured at home. We're also able in our crime lab to match the person of interest's fingerprints with fingerprints that we found on both the water bottle and the kind bar near the scene of the homicide in Midtown. Mangione's attorney responded to reports about the fingerprint and ballistics match, telling CNN, quote, Those two sciences have come under some criticism in past relative to their credibility, their truthfulness and their accuracy. He said it's his responsibility as a lawyer to challenge evidence used against his client. Chris Beers, NTD News. And according to court documents issued today, Mangione is next scheduled to appear before a judge on December 30th. President-elect Trump today chosen as Time Magazine's Person of the Year. He ran the New York Stock Exchange Bell this morning. Entities Jack Bradley joins us live now from West Palm Beach, Florida. Good evening, Jack. How was Trump received in New York today? Good evening, Tiffany. Well, he was well received by a very large crowd in New York at the New York Stock Exchange. Time Magazine CEO Jessica Sibley said at the event, recognizing him for his impact on global affairs, remaking American politics and reordering the world. Here's Trump at the New York Stock Exchange. The economy, I believe, is going to be very strong. We do have to solve some problems. We have wars going on that we didn't have. We have a lot of things happening that we didn't have that would have never happened. I have to say Time Magazine getting this honor for the second time. I think I like it better this time, actually. Now, ringing the New York Stock Exchange Bell marks the ceremonial start of trading. His wife, Melania, rang the bell back in 2016 during Trump's first term in office. Now, this is the second time Trump was named person of the year. He received that title in 2016 after winning his first election. In an interview with Time Magazine released today, Trump said that he will use the military for mass deportations of illegal immigrants. He said that he will follow the law, but to the maximum extent of what the law allows. That includes using the National Guard to assist Border Patrol, which is not unprecedented. He said that immigration has reached levels of an invasion and that he will prioritize immediate deportation over building new detention facilities for migrants while they await their deportation. Now, in the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump criticized President Biden's recent policy allowing Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to strike into Russia hundreds of miles away. He said that this is escalating the war, making it worse. Trump also said that he'd like to bring a quick end to the war, but he couldn't say how publicly as that would compromise the plans. When asked about chances of going to war with Iran, he said, quote, anything can happen. And it is a very volatile situation. Now, this comes as Trump during his first term launched an attack against Iran's military leader, Qasem Soleimani, taking mount in the process. Now, as far as at the meeting at the event today, he also discussed a recent invitation sent to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which they which seemed he just seemed to reference this at the meeting today. Watch. I was even thinking about inviting certain people to the inauguration and some people said, well, that's a little risky, isn't it? And I said, maybe it is. We'll see. We'll see what happens. But we like to take little chances. Now, Tiffany, it's unclear if she would attend this meeting. He's not responded yet. And I but this would not be unprecedented as many leaders in the past U.S. presidents have invited world leaders. But it would be the first time that Xi Jinping attends an inauguration. Tiffany, back to you. And Jack, Trump's defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, met with the first Democratic senator, John Fetterman, after weeks on the Hill seeking support ahead of that Senate confirmation hearing. What did they discuss? Well, they discussed a wide range of topics. And it's a very significant meeting for them as well. This is Hegseth's first time meeting a Democratic senator on the Hill. He needs support from pretty much all Republican senators, remember, minus three. But if he gets support from the Democrats side, that brings him that much closer to confirmation. Now, take a look going into the meetings. They both had positive things to say and open minds beforehand. Watch. We're meeting with Republicans and in this case, Democrats, because there's nothing political about national security. We're just going to have a straight up conversation. It's all going to be off the record. It's just going to be, you know, hey, I'm going to meet the guy. And honestly, I've never heard of him before he was nominated. So it's an opportunity to just have a discussion on a lot of issues. And I suspect there's some things we might agree on in terms of military, whether it's China or Israel, maybe disagree some perhaps on the Ukraine. I know there hasn't been any formal charges, criminal ones, but it's all one of the things I'm sure that perhaps might come up in that conversation today. Yes. Now, Fetterman referring to those formal charges not being filed, he's referring to Hegseth being accused of sexual assault as well as excessive drinking. All of these allegations Hegseth denies. Now, as for what he also said, there was a closed door meeting between the two. Following the meeting, Hegseth did not provide any comments and Fetterman also doubled down on not providing any comment coming out of that meeting. And it couldn't be clearer in what he said here. Watch. We agreed. We agreed that the Steelers are going to win. So there's not really a new thing. We had a conversation and that's part of the process. Now, things are looking up for Hegseth as he's meeting with more senators, Republican senators that are moderates, getting a lot of positive comments from them, although not committing either way how they'll vote. And with Fetterman's recent meeting, if he does get support from that side, it brings him that much closer to the confirmation hearing and a successful one at that. Tiffany. All right, Jack, thanks for those updates. Is Time magazine's person of the year a well-deserved title for President-elect Trump? And as President Biden begins pardoning people, should Trump be on that list? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to survey the crowd. Trump being the Time magazine person of the year, your reaction to that? I think it's great. He should be. May not be the perfect person, but who is? I mean, I'm not surprised what he did was, you know, historic for better, well, for worse, let's be honest. Time magazine, I think their person of the year has always been for most influential, maybe not best. So I think, to be honest, that's probably the right call. I guess that America is okay with keeping up with the biggest joke. Even if you disagree with him or don't like his politics, it's hard to argue that he hasn't had a lot of success and impact a lot of people. I mean, it's great. I think he's done a lot for the country. I'm ready for him to get back in office and see what else he does. He's done a lot for our country. For example? The economy is going to be better now. Really? With the tariffs? Oh, yeah. I mean, I don't know. He's a significant part of history. I'm giving him a chance, just like I give everyone a chance. President Biden is pardoning a record number of people today. So do you think President-elect Trump should be on that list too? I would say no. I mean, it's not written in law that the president can't be put on trial. I think he should, but he's not going to do it. Yeah, if he's going to put his son on there, why shouldn't Trump be on there? It really feels like both sides are weaponizing the judicial system. Whatever way I leaned before, I am leaning way more towards the middle because it's embarrassing to be a part of this. We are locking up innocent Americans day after day for the same crime, but he can run and be elected. Yes, he should not be pardoned at all. They've been just trying to get him on anything, and I think it needs to be pardoned, yeah. A juror of his peers, people that were selected by the judges and selected by the attorneys, they unanimously said, you're guilty. It was in a democratic state. They were after him. Run by his federally appointed Republican judge. We have to stop there. I think it would be a good show of unity because I think that there's a lot of divisiveness in today's country, and some things need to cross a political barrier. Yeah, I think to be honest, he probably should get done with all this crap, and let's just get back to making life better for the average American citizen. The head of the FAA will be departing on inauguration day. In a letter, Mike Whitaker announced to his team that he is stepping down on January 20th. An FAA spokesperson said family issues were a factor in Whitaker's decision to leave early. This will open a new position for President-elect Donald Trump to fill. Politico noted that the resignation comes at a time when the Federal Aviation Administration is dealing with air traffic control shortages, aging equipment, and a Boeing investigation. Meta has donated over $1 million to President-elect Trump's inaugural committee. Mark Zuckerberg's company confirmed the news to several media outlets after it was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. This comes two weeks after Zuckerberg met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. Nearly four years ago, Meta banned Trump from its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, following the events of January 6th. In March, Trump called Facebook an enemy of the people, which caused Meta shares to fall. But this recent announcement could indicate a thawing of the ice between Trump and tech industry titans like Zuckerberg. Presidents in Syria are still celebrating as their country enters a new chapter after the fall of the government. Meanwhile, an American who traveled to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage has been freed from prison. NTD's Jason Perry has the details. People gathered in the streets of Damascus on Thursday, still celebrating after the fall of the former Syrian government. And many people have been watching to see whether Syria's new leaders will be able to stabilize the country after a 13-year-long civil war. Israeli forces are also keeping a close eye on the situation as they continue to operate in a buffer zone near Syria and target strategic locations. On Thursday, Israel released video of strikes on Syrian fighter jets, helicopters, surface-to-air missile launchers and weapons manufacturing sites in the country. Israel also reported its Navy destroyed Syrian naval vessels in a recent operation. The commander-in-chief of the Israeli Navy spoke to troops afterwards. It is a coordinated mission of the IDF, something we have hoped and wished for over many years. The ability to create a coordinated mission with the Israeli Air Force, the intelligence directorate, and also within the Israeli Navy. Israel has said they are striking weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from getting into the hands of terrorists. However, a Kurdish general, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said that the Islamic State terrorist group, also known as Daesh, is now getting stronger. They were hiding before, but now they are operating openly on the ground. The other party that used to fight Daesh, the Syrian army, is no longer present, and there is no fighting between them. They are active in the desert, and some of them have entered our region. A few days ago, they killed three of our comrades in Hasakah. I mean, it wasn't like this before. And an American, Travis Timmerman, who was detained in Syria, now finds himself free. He says he went on a Christian pilgrimage to Syria and was detained after he crossed the border. He spent seven months in detention until some men, who he said used a hammer, opened the door to his prison cell. The armed men just wanted to get me out of my cell. And then, really, the man who I stuck with was a Syrian man named Gili, who was also a prisoner, that was just freed. And he took me by the side, by the arm, really, and he, and a young woman that lives in Damascus. And us three exited the prison together. The executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force said Timmerman had walked barefoot for 13 miles before they were able to find him. He also said that if the Syrian regime had not fallen, then Timmerman would have stayed in prison for decades. Jason Perry, NTD News. And two top administration officials are in the Middle East today. That says the outgoing Biden administration works to establish a peaceful transition of power in Syria. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Postdar has the latest. People in Syria celebrated days after rebels toppled the country's regime. The U.S. says it's important to make sure democratic elections will now be held in Syria. The Syrian people have the opportunity to choose their path forward. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Jordan on Thursday. He's meeting with King Abdullah as the outgoing Biden administration pushes for an inclusive transition of power in Syria. Blinken says the next government has to be non-sectarian, uphold the rights of all Syrians, including minorities and women, and make sure that it's preserving institutions of the state, including delivering services. Also make sure that Syria is not used as a base for terrorism, extremism, and pose a threat to its neighbors or ally with groups like ISIS. Neighboring Israel is especially concerned about the potential rise of a terrorist power in Syria. Israel's military destroyed weapons in Syria and deployed troops to the border region. On Thursday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regional developments in Syria were obviously discussed and Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect our security from any threats. The U.S. assisted Israel in launching airstrikes to prevent a resurgence of ISIS. On Thursday, the White House was asked about the future goal of U.S. troops in Syria. U.S. military presence in Syria is predominantly in the east and it's designed solely to help us counter ISIS missions and we're working with the Syrian Democratic Forces to that end. That's why they're there and that's the only reason that they're there. The White House also suggested that it's important for Syria to hold elections for a new government. Ariane Pasdar, NTD News. Coming up, sightings of mysterious drones across New Jersey, what the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are saying about the phenomenon. Thousands of acres in Malibu remain ablaze as firefighters battle the Franklin fire. Even with the winds dying down, evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for thousands of residents. Christina Corona reports from Los Angeles. Lawmakers have eight days to reach a consensus on funding or face a government shutdown right before Christmas. Luis Martinez has the latest on the negotiations from Capitol Hill. And in California, new laws become effective in less than a month. Among them, one that stops schools from notifying parents if their child changes pronouns. David Lam explains after the break. Are you over the age of 50 and considering buying an annuity in the next 60 days? I have some important news for you. Don't buy an annuity until you understand the pros and cons of annuities. Call now for this free book on maximizing your income in retirement. Annuity do's and don'ts for baby boomers from one of the nation's leading financial firms. That's right, free. This book reveals little known truths about annuities in simple to understand terms. Grab a pen right now because we're about to offer you this free book that unlocks the five little known truths we believe baby boomers and seniors should know before buying an annuity. And it's free. Call 800-360-0943. As a bonus, we'll also throw in a free annuity rate report. 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I didn't ask for my parents and my family to disown me. I didn't ask to end up in a homeless shelter. The beauty of it all is that I found Covenant House. The need is overwhelming, but your monthly support will make sure no young person is ever turned away. Call or go online right now to safeplacetosleep.org with your gift of just $19 a month. With your monthly donation, you'll receive this soft, comforting blanket as a reminder of the warmth and safety your gift will provide a young person tonight. Covenant House really helped me and really helped mold me into the woman I am today. If it was not for Covenant House, where would I be today? Your monthly gift is urgently needed to reach young people in communities like yours who didn't ask to be put in unthinkable situations. Show them they're loved and not alone. Call the number on your screen or go online to safeplacetosleep.org. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. The federal government is responding to the sightings of mysterious drones in New Jersey in recent weeks. The FBI and DHS put out a statement today while investigating with local law enforcement. The statement reads, we have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have foreign agencies say that the drones could actually be manned aircraft and they have not uncovered militia's intent at this stage. According to the FAA, the sightings began November 18th. At times, large drones, some up to six feet in diameter, were seen nightly in New Jersey from dusk until 11 p.m. Sightings ranging from four to 180. Local lawmakers say drones were spotted around a U.S. military research facility, Trump's golf course, local reservoirs, and critical infrastructure. Federal agencies have ruled out any connections to local, state, or federal governments to the sightings. Thousands of acres in Malibu are still affected by the Franklin Fire as firefighters work to contain the blaze. Red flag warnings in the area ended yesterday. NTD's Christina Corona is on the ground where many had to evacuate. We're here in Malibu where the Franklin Fire showed little growth Wednesday night but had already scorched over 4,000 acres. Behind me, aircraft had just rubbed water across different sections of this hillside. As of Thursday afternoon, the Franklin Fire has burned 4,037 acres and is now 20 percent contained. Nine structures have been destroyed and six structures have been damaged as the fire department partners continue their efforts to suppress the fire. Officials said more than 2,000 firefighters were assigned to battle the flames. Crews are working tirelessly around the clock to establish containment lines and defend structures. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Maroney emphasized that while crews are heavily relying on water-dropping aircraft, these efforts alone are not enough to extinguish the blaze. Our L.A. County fire personnel will remain on scene until the fire is fully contained. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place for some 18,000 residents. However, as of Thursday afternoon, officials announced some evacuation orders had been lifted in certain areas. Only residents in the affected area west of Pacific Coast Highway and west of Tuna Canyon are permitted entry. Eastbound access to the affected area via Pacific Coast Highway at Latigo Canyon Road will also be allowed, but the fire remains a major threat to some homes and prompted the evacuation of the Malibu Beach RV Park on Pacific Coast Highway. One resident said he was asleep early Tuesday when someone knocked on his RV to wake him up to evacuate the Malibu RV Park at around 3 a.m. I was like, why? And they said because the fires have come. So from here, I don't know if you can see from here, but when you walk out, you can walk out, you know, right over here and you can see the fires rolling in from, you know, over the canyon. It was like, holy crap, you know, this is real. The fire was discovered late Monday, fueled by low humidity and strong Santa Ana winds. Officials say winds blowing in the Malibu Canyon and the Pepperdine University area behind me are expected to remain calm Thursday. Reporting from Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Christina Corona, NTD News. Congress has until December 20th to reach a consensus to extend government funding or face a shutdown. A disaster relief supplemental request from President Biden is the main obstacle in the negotiations in the House and the Senate. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on the story. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson will need the help of Democrats to pass a continuing resolution and avoid a government shutdown next Friday. The razor thin Republican majority in the House has already shown signs that some will oppose the $113 billion supplemental requested by President Biden for disaster relief. I think the American people will appreciate any significant savings in their tax dollars right now. I think it's pretty clear the majority of Americans aren't satisfied with how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent in Washington. And I pointed out that we got $113 billion bill on the floor for the disaster supplemental. I'm pointing out that it's not going to be paid for. I'm pointing out it's going to continue to perpetuate waste like a bike path in Alaska, COVID spending across the country, I think a church parking lot in Vermont. I mean, I can just go down a laundry list of things that your current FEMA emergency funding is being used for. On the Senate side, some Republicans are demanding accountability from FEMA's disaster relief blunders this year. There needs to be an inspector general investigation to help ensure that all those responsible for playing politics with vulnerable people's lives and homes are held accountable. We must make sure that this discrimination and indifference to suffering can never happen again. Some Republicans are advocating for an expedited approval of the funds to help the most affected communities in their states. I fully support the OMB request for $100 billion, but that's only the beginning. We've got to react differently to storms. This may be the first, but it won't be the last like we've seen in North Carolina. And we owe it to the American people to be ready to do better. Without our help, the simple fact is that many of these family farms will fold and they may fold soon. They're staring at devastated farmland and orchards. They're deep in the red and they're under immense stress. If they go under, our rural communities go under. Lawmakers have not reached an agreement on the total amount in the continuing resolution and have not reached an agreement on up to when the stopgap bill will run. Let's remember that lawmakers were supposed to pass a full year's fiscal budget back in September. And in the past 40 years, only in four occasions has Congress met the fiscal deadline. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. Starting in 2025, California will prohibit schools from notifying parents about their children's pronoun changes. It will be the first state to do so. NTD's David Lam has more. A new California law going into effect next month says school districts can't require parental notification when a child changes their gender identity unless the child consents. It's called the SAFETY Act, which stands for Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today's Youth. The bill was introduced by California Assemblymember Chris Ward. It was also aimed at developing resources for families of LGBTQ students. In July this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law. It has since sparked backlash over the rights of parents and LGBTQ students. Parents in the Chino Valley Unified School District have sued the governor, claiming the law violates the rights of parents. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had sued the school district last year over its parental notification policy, saying it discriminated against gender non-conforming students. David Lam, NTD News, California. Coming up, President Biden sets a new record with his acts of clemency. A legal analyst and former federal prosecutor joins us to react to Biden's clemency after the break. Now is the perfect time to update your living room at Mathis Home during the Holiday Savings Event. We have the largest selection of sofas starting at just $399, with all the styles you love at unbeatable prices. 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As the case develops, flyers made to look like wanted posters targeting healthcare executives started appearing on the streets of New York. An American man was found in Syria after crossing into the country on foot and spending seven months in detention. Travis Timmerman appears to have been among thousands of people released from Syrian prisons after the fall of the Assad regime. Time Magazine named President-elect Trump Person of the Year for the second time. Trump also rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. President Biden commuted the sentences of roughly 1,500 people who were released from prison. He also pardoned 39 people convicted of non-violent crimes. It was the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. Joining us now to discuss Biden's clemency announcement is Zach Smith, legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former federal prosecutor. Zach, thank you so much for joining us. Good to see you again. Now, the White House is calling this the most ever in a single day, the second largest being by Barack Obama with 330. What do you make of the scale of these single-day commutations? Well, look, as you mentioned, it's certainly larger than anything we've seen in recent memory. I think the Biden administration's characterization of many of these individuals as having committed non-violent offenses isn't exactly accurate. Included in the batch of people who included commutations were two individuals accused of and convicted of, in fact, spying for China or trying to get trade secrets. There is also another Chinese national who was convicted on child pornography charges. It looks like those individuals might have been part of a larger prisoner's swap. A lot of the information surrounding that is still playing out. But look, the fact that Joe Biden issued so many commutations, so many pardons in a single day this far before the end of his presidency certainly is noteworthy, and I suspect he will likely receive some blowback for some of these commutations and pardons that he issued, especially in light of the very egregious pardon that he already granted to his own son, Hunter Biden, to essentially let Hunter off the hook for the numerous federal charges that he was, in fact, facing. On that last point that you mentioned, this does follow that broad pardon for his son that reaches back to 2014, covers crimes known that Hunter might have committed during that time. Now, a poll released on Wednesday by AP says that only about a fifth of Americans approve of that pardon of Hunter Biden. Do you see this broad pardon setting a certain precedent? Well, I think it certainly could. And look, I think with the Hunter Biden pardon in particular, what was so troubling, what I think many Americans found so particularly distasteful about that pardon was the fact that Joe Biden had lied to the American people for many, many months, saying that he wasn't even considering pardoning Hunter Biden, which we now know, of course, is untrue. Now, in terms of setting a precedent, I think we certainly will have to wait and see what further pardons Joe Biden will issue before he leaves office. There's been talk about him issuing very broad pardons to members of his administration, members of the January 6th Commission from Congress, and other individuals who he believes may potentially be prosecuted by the Trump administration once it comes into office. So we'll have to wait and see. But certainly issuing this number of pardons that the Biden administration did today, issuing the pardon to Hunter Biden that was very broad in scope as it was, those certainly do set a precedent that has many people very, very troubled by those pardons. Now, there have been some controversial pardons in the past, like with President Ford pardoning his predecessor, President Nixon, in 1974, and President Clinton pardoning his half brother in 2001. Talk to us about the history of presidential pardons and commutations. Look, presidents have a very broad pardon authority. It's one of the few areas where presidents have plenary, complete authority to pardon. Now, if a president does issue a pardon to someone, that president can still be held accountable for those pardons. If Congress disagrees substantially enough with a pardon or commutation a president has issued, then that president could potentially be impeached, removed from office if convicted in the Senate. I doubt that's likely to happen in this case. But look, the fact that the president has very broad pardon authority, the fact that the president can issue a commutation or pardon doesn't necessarily mean that a president should issue a pardon or commutation in many instances. And unfortunately, I think you saw not only the Biden administration, but also before it, the Obama administration making very aggressive, very wide-ranging use of the commutation and pardon powers. And to your earlier point, President Biden has signaled he will continue to review clemency petitions. Now, outgoing West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and former House Democratic Majority Whip Congressman Jim Clyburn are calling on Biden to pardon Trump in the federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith. How likely are we to see a pardon like that? Well, stranger things have happened in politics in Washington, D.C. lately. Look, special counsel Jack Smith has already said he is dismissing the charges against Donald Trump. Now, that doesn't mean that a future Justice Department couldn't necessarily try to indict Donald Trump again. If that were to come up, I think that's unlikely. There are likely to be a number of practical and legal issues to prevent that from happening. Certainly, a pardon could be appropriate in this instance. Donald Trump, if he so choose, could pardon himself, although that is an open question because we've never before had a president try to pardon himself. But that's also because we've never before had a president criminally prosecuted for actions that he took in office. So all of this is uncharted legal territory. But look, I think the fact that a pardon is even being discussed helps to emphasize the baseless nature of these charges in the first place. Zack Smith, thank you so much for joining us. Of course. Thank you for having me on. Coming up, Shinyan Performing Arts Company is kicking off its 2025 World Tour on December 23rd. We take a look at reviews from industry professionals over the past year to find out what makes the performances so successful. In baseball memorabilia, how much is a dropped fly ball worth? Well, apparently, if it happens in the World Series, it's worth thousands. Dave Martin joins us to explain after the break. HEPA filter removes virtually 100% of dangerous contaminants down to 0.003 microns. That's 100 times smaller filtration than ordinary HEPA purifiers. This would have been in your lungs. Finally, get relief from allergies and asthma and reduce airborne disease. It's pulling the pollutants out. It's even pulling the toxic chemicals that our cleaning products leave behind. Call or go to TryAirDr40.com now. Get 40% off our best-selling air purifier. Call 1-800-876-0163. Call now. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? 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Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer performing the most profound traditional arts. Shen Yun will be kicking off its 2025 world tour on December 23rd. Over nearly two decades, the classical Chinese dance and music company has achieved tremendous success, garnering praise from audiences worldwide with NTD as a media sponsor. Ahead of its new productions, we take a look at reviews from industry professionals in the past year to see what made the performances so successful. And over the past 19 years, Shen Yun has brought to the stage a classical dance form that has thousands of years of history, earning praise from top dancers worldwide. It was an incredible performance with the professionalism of the dancers, as well as the choreography, the colors. Beautiful, a unique experience. In my opinion, all dance teachers around the world should see a show like this to truly appreciate this wonderful discipline of art. I wish they do more of that in raw ballet. It was unique and it's something I didn't expect at all. Musicians around the world also had high praise for Shen Yun's live symphony orchestra, which presents a harmonic blend of melodies from Western and Chinese instruments. I thought the orchestrations were very beautiful, a good interplay between both traditional and modern scoring techniques, which I think made a real big difference. The dancers and with the music, also the music is very well played and the orchestra is very good. And so, and also the tempos have to be just right, right, for the dancers to dance. So that's also, that could be tricky, right? It was terrific. We are dealing here with people who are geniuses of orchestration, in the sense that they move from one color to another with great ease, a lot of energy as well. And then an orchestra that plays wonderfully well. Audiences marvel at the visual beauty of the performances, describing it as deeply moving. I think we've gone to heaven as well. Well, it's something one doesn't normally see. I think it's gone beyond technical. And of course, the cleverness of, we know what they do, and the cleverness of the set, and then going down onto the ground, coming up as if you're real. I've never seen that before. So it was wonderful. And it was so accurate. The costumes are beautiful and bring a lightness to the dance. It makes you want to go in there and dance along. It was beautiful. I loved it. Thank you. It was a delight to see such a high form of artistry and being portrayed as a example of spirituality and beauty. Xinyuan will be kicking off its 2025 tour on December 23rd, premiering in Atlanta, Georgia, and simultaneously in Nagoya, Japan. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. They have a lot going on today, but let's start in baseball memorabilia, where an unusual auction isn't a progress. The fly ball Aaron Judge dropped for a key error in game five of the World Series is up for bid. Who are the bidders for this? I'm guessing it's Dodgers fans, maybe Red Sox fans too. Who knows? I mean, this isn't the most crucial or famous World Series error ever, because the Yankees still had the Dodgers 5-0 at the time, but it put runners on first and second with no outs, and things unraveled very quickly after that for New York. LA scored five runs in the inning. They tied the game. They eventually won 7-6, and that clinched the World Series. And then it happened to Judge. I mean, the regular season MVP, he didn't have an error the entire regular season. That's 158 games, but happens to get one at such a crucial time. In any case, the bidding is from the online auction of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The bid is up to $25,000 last I saw, so could be a good investment for you. Meanwhile, the trial for Tampa Bay shortstop Wander Franco, who faces charges in the Dominican Republic, appears to be ongoing. What is the latest here? Yeah, it feels that way, ongoing. This trial has been delayed until next June now. Now, this is at the request of prosecutors, after only three out of 31 witnesses arrived at the hearing today. Franco's lawyers asked the court to reconsider, arguing he's supposed to report to spring training in February. Obviously, they did not win that argument, though. Now, Franco has not played since August of 2023. He was one of the best young players in the game. All-star at age 22, he signed a contract worth nearly $200 million with Tampa Bay, but he's been charged with sexually abusing a minor, among other things. He was actually asked today if he thought his baseball career was over. He said this isn't over. So, he's still focused on getting back to the baseball and back to the United States. He's only 23, so you never know what could happen, I guess. Now, shifting gears to college football, Ohio State's athletic director said Thursday that regardless of what happens in the playoffs, he's confident that head coach Rande will be back next season. Is making the playoffs not always enough at Ohio State? They have very high standards. Even though Day has won better than 85% of his games there, he's only 1-4 against a rival Michigan. Meanwhile, he's 47-1 against the rest of the Big Ten. I mean, that's incredible. You know, I was actually talking to someone yesterday about how Michigan coach Sharon Moore, who maybe didn't have the greatest first season there, went 7-5, but he beat rival Ohio State. That goes a long way with fans whichever side you're on. Now, meanwhile, Ohio State does have a chance for a really special playoff run here. They host Tennessee, which is a tough team, but at least it's in Ohio State. So, there's that. If they beat them, they have Oregon the next round. Oregon will beat them by a point in the regular season. So, you never know. In any case, if Day ever got let go by the Buckeyes for not beating Michigan, I'm sure he would have his choice of place as coach. Tonight in the NFL, the 49ers host the Rams in a crucial division matchup. Now, right now, the Niners are low on running backs. Who's expected to start for them? Yeah, it looks like it's going to be rookie Isaac Guerrendo, who's a third-string running back, although he is listed as questionable with a foot sprain. He had a good game last week, scored two touchdowns. If he can't go, I think it's Patrick Taylor Jr. The Niners, though, have had some very unfortunate injuries. Kirsten McCaffrey, AP's Offensive Player of the Year last year, he's on injured reserve. Ditto for his backup, Jordan Mason. In any case, San Francisco at 6-7. They didn't even win very badly. They're tied for ninth right now in the NFC. Only the top seven make it. They might have actually a better chance of winning the division. I mean, Seattle leads at eight and five records, only two games behind there. Meanwhile, the Rams are really hot. They won six of eight after a one-and-four start. So this game is on at 8-15 Eastern tonight, and it is on Amazon Prime. Well, Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Well, thank you, too. And that's all for today's news. For around-the-clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.