NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Dec. 15)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. I'm Brendan Fallon. Our top story tonight. The drone sighting mysteries continue. Two men are arrested after a drone is detected flying close to Logan Airport in Boston. Officials say they will deploy a high-tech system into New York after drones there shut down an airport. Another advisor to New York City Mayor Eric Adams has resigned. Her departure comes after her home was searched and devices seized as part of a federal investigation. A terrorist threat against an Atlanta theater warns of a mass shooting if it hosts Shen Yun Performing Arts. How this highlights the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to silence opposition abroad. Israel continues operating in Syria, now getting closer to the country's capital city. What Israel's Prime Minister says about the operation and about speaking with President-elect Trump. The gingerbread house exhibit comes back to Sweden. Gingerbread versions of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, the Titanic and more. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. Drone sightings across several states have raised public concern, prompting federal and state investigations. New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the federal government will deploy a state-of-the-art drone detection system. NTD's Don Ma has more. The U.S. is continuing to investigate recent reports of drone sightings, but there is no indication of foreign involvement or criminal activity. This is according to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Speaking on ABC's This Week, Mayorkas said, quote, we are working in close coordination with state and local authorities and it is critical, as we all have said for a number of years, that we need from Congress additional authorities to address the drone situation. Reported drone activity prompted at least one airport, New York's Stewart International Airport, to temporarily close its runways for about an hour on Friday night. The sightings have put intense pressure on federal agencies to provide more information about the aircraft. Well, I think what the drone issue points out are kind of gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department. I think Americans are finding it hard to believe. We can't figure out where these are coming from. And I can tell you from the Defense Department standpoint, you know, they're focused on bombers and cruise missiles, and it's pointing to gaps in our capabilities and our ability to clamp down on what's going on here. In a briefing, an FBI official told reporters that the agency was working with 50 local, state and federal partners to look into increased reports. Biden's administration has played down concerns, but politicians continue to press for more information and resources to investigate the sightings. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he's asking DHS to deploy special detection systems that use 360-degree technology to better detect drones. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the federal government will send a state-of-the-art drone detection system to her state. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said the government needs expanded authority and criticized its communication with the public. Drone sightings have been reported in at least six states, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Virginia. Don Ma, NTD News. Two men are arrested after a drone is detected flying close to Logan Airport in Boston. One suspect escaped when police arrived. On Saturday afternoon, a Boston police officer detected a drone flying close to the airport. He used technology to pinpoint the drone operator's location, and it led to police to a mostly uninhabited island in Boston Harbor. Police located the men in a building. They tried to flee, but police were able to arrest two of them. Both were residents of Massachusetts. One had a drone in his backpack. Police believe a third suspect fled in a small vessel. Police initially charged the men with trespassing into the decommissioned medical campus where they were discovered. More charges could come after an investigation. New York City Mayor Eric Adams continues to see changes to his team amidst a federal investigation into corruption and bribery. Adams' top advisor Ingrid Lewis-Martin announced her resignation today, according to reports. Lewis-Martin had her phone seized and her home searched as part of the federal investigation. In a speech today, she thanked Adams for choosing her back in 2004 to run his Senate campaign, and according to Politico, she said she's going to retire and spend time with family. In a statement reported by Fox News, Adams said he and every New Yorker owe Lewis-Martin a debt of gratitude for decades of service to New York City. Her resignation marks another departure from Adams' team since his recent indictment. Former President Donald Trump has selected Richard Grenell to be the President's Envoy for Special Missions. Grenell served in multiple roles during Trump's first administration, including the Acting Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo negotiations. And he also spent eight years inside the United Nations Security Council working with developments in numerous countries. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Rick will work in some of the hottest spots around the world, including Venezuela and North Korea. And he also said Rick will continue to fight for peace through strength and always put America first. Israel continues operating in a buffer zone with Syria, now getting closer to Syria's capital city. What Israel's Prime Minister says about the operation and about speaking with President-elect Trump. NTD's international correspondent, Aryan Pasdar, has the update. Israel continues operating in a buffer zone between Israel and Syria. Israeli troops are now also stationed at Mount Hermon, which overlooks Syria's capital city of Damascus. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the goal of the operation is to protect Israel. I remind you that for decades, Syria was an active enemy state to Israel. It attacked us again and again. It allowed others to attack us from its territory. Netanyahu also says he spoke with President-elect Trump about the situation in Syria. We talked about the need to complete Israel's victory, and we also talked at length about the efforts we are making to free our hostages. Meanwhile in Syria, people are returning to their normal lives. Christians in Damascus attended Sunday Mass for the first time since rebels overthrew the government. This comes amid uncertainty over how the rebels will treat religious minorities. We have some concerns and worry, but we hope that it will be a civil state. All religions are joined on one phrase, which is, God is love. And the UN is also trying to get things working quickly. This includes ending sanctions originally imposed on the Assad regime. We will hopefully see a quick end to sanctions, so that we can see really a rallying around building up Syria again. The UK announced on Sunday that it will support Syria financially, so the country can rebuild. A £50 million package of support and aid. We want to see a Syrian-led and a Syrian-owned future, and we want one that is representative and inclusive. The money will be used to bring back essential services such as water, hospitals and schools. Arian Pasdar, NTD News. A Russian oil tanker carrying thousands of tons of oil products split apart today during a heavy storm, spilling oil into a strait that separates mainland Russia from Crimea. Russian officials said another Russian tanker was also in distress after sustaining damage. Video footage comes via the head of Russia's Natural Resources Watchdog. It shows at least one of the broken tankers at sea. Russian investigators opened two criminal cases to look into possible safety violations. At least one person was killed in the accident. The tanker had 15 people on board when it split in half. The Russian newspaper said it was carrying over 4,700 tons of fuel oil. The vessel was built in 1969. A second damaged ship was drifting after sustaining damage. Russia said more than 50 people and equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters and rescue tugboats, had been deployed to the area. Brazilian President Lula da Silva was released from the hospital today, this after a pair of emergency surgeries to treat bleeding in his skull. Doctors said Lula will continue his recovery at home in Sao Paulo. Lula surprised reporters by appearing at a medical press conference, saying that he was sure that he was cured. You know I defend the right to live up to 120 years. I say that whoever will live up to 120 has already been born. And I believe that I have the right to reclaim that this is me. So I have a lot of expectations. I am a very disciplined person. I have a huge commitment to this country. In the brief remarks, Lula said he was eager to get back to work as soon as possible. His medical team said the president could participate in government meetings with necessary care measures, but added that his physical activity should be limited to walks. They advised him to avoid long-haul international flights and exercise. The Brazilian president said he had the energy of a 30-year-old and the vigor of a 20-year-old. Weeks before President-elect Trump takes office, a blacklisted Chinese company has terminated its business in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwest China. The U.S. government accuses Beijing for forced labor crimes against the ethnic minority group Uyghurs in that region. NTD's Floral Hua has more on the story. Hikvision is a Chinese manufacturer of surveillance products. It announced it has terminated five contracts with Chinese authorities in Xinjiang and will no longer provide maintenance for them. Hikvision's move is seen as a step to avoid being targeted again by the incoming Trump administration. A company executive indicated two months ago that the business has been struggling due to the sluggish Chinese economy. So many deteriorated ties with the U.S. has become even more urgent. Washington blacklisted the company in 2019 during Trump's first term. That's over an alleged involvement in China's state-led human rights abuses against the ethnic group Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Last year, the Biden administration added five subsidiaries of the company to its blacklist over a similar allegation. It's worth noting that the northwestern region is home to most of the Uyghurs residing in the country. On top of that, Trump's pick for secretary of state in his 2.0 cabinet, Senator Marco Rubio, is known for his hawkish stance on China. He has led the charge against Hikvision and others and accused them of, quote, posing national security dangers to the United States, end quote, as well as aiding the Chinese Communist Party in building up a surveillance state in China. Flora Hua, DT News. Mass shooting threats against theaters in both Atlanta and San Jose that are scheduled to host Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based arts group long targeted by the Chinese communist regime. The threats came in the form of emails and are similar to a series of earlier threats which were ultimately found to be hoaxes. Organizers in both cities have reported the emails to local law enforcement as well as to the FBI and say the performances will go ahead as scheduled. These threats are just the latest in the Chinese Communist Party's growing efforts to silence overseas dissent. Joining us now to talk about these concerning developments is Mary Silva, volunteer for the Falun Dafa Association in Atlanta. Mary, good evening. Hello. Thank you for having me. What more can you tell us about this specific threat against the Shen Yun performances that is scheduled for later this month in Atlanta? Well, we got the email early Wednesday morning. It showed an image of weapons, guns, ammunition. It was written in Chinese. The first volunteer who saw it didn't read Chinese and translated it with Google Translate and saw that it was a threat to come to Symphony Hall in Atlanta and shoot everyone. So, of course, we immediately... There's a protocol that Shen Yun follows in situations like this. Our first step, of course, was to alert the authorities, the FBI, the Atlanta police, Homeland Security. They were very responsive. But I think an important thing about this is that there have been numerous, numerous threats of this kind. Bombs allegedly planted in theaters, threats of shootings. And they have all been hoaxes. For example, in Vancouver, there was a threat that there were multiple bombs placed in the theater before the performance. And as always, we alerted the authorities. They brought in bomb-sniffing canines and experts, and there were no bombs. And that has been the case each time. This is intended to terrorize us, to silence Shen Yun, to frighten audience members away. And it has always been a hoax and bogus. It's just meant as a threat. Mary, this seems like a really bizarre reaction on the behalf of the Chinese Communist Party to a group of artists. Why are they so threatened by Shen Yun Performing Arts? Shen Yun Performing Arts, as I'm sure you know, is based in America, based in New York's Hudson Valley. It's exquisite, it's magnificent, and it is intended to revive the authentic Chinese culture, which includes reverence for the divine, nonviolent values, integrity. These things are anathema to the Chinese Communist Party. That's the problem. Their performances always include stories from Chinese history and also from contemporary history. That includes the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners. Many of the artists with Shen Yun Performing Arts practice the spiritual discipline Falun Dafa. Mary, you're a volunteer with the Atlanta Falun Dafa Association. What other kinds of repression and threats does this spiritual group face overseas? It's quite serious. Thousands that we can confirm, that we can document, have died in illegal detention. People have been deprived of their livelihoods. People have been tortured to death. I know people directly who have suffered this kind of thing. People who've lost their parents, their grandparents, to this unbridled, hideous violation of human rights. That the artists are trying to raise awareness of this, as well as to create extraordinary art, is one of the reasons the Chinese Communist Party does try to disrupt the performances, because they tell the truth about it in a nonviolent way, in accordance to their principles. And just lastly, before we go, Mary, for our viewers who aren't familiar with Shen Yun, what can they expect from going to see a Shen Yun performance? Oh, so much beauty, humor, extraordinary artistry. The dancers are so, so good, so amazing, so graceful, so athletic, you can't believe it. Stories that grab your heart, stories that make you laugh. You'll just be immersed. If you come to Shen Yun and haven't seen it before, you'll be immersed in color, meaning, humanity, and joy. People usually come out of the theater very, very joyful. It's really an extraordinary experience. I've seen it every year, since it first started to perform in 2006, and I'm looking forward to this year's performance as well. Mary Silver, volunteer. It's different every year. This is important. It's a different show every year. Thank you. Thank you for that insight into the performance, Mary. Volunteer for the Falun Dafa Association in Atlanta. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me again. Retail businesses in New York state can no longer sell puppies, kittens, or bunnies from today, but there are many critics of the new pet sales prohibition law that says there are a number of problems not being addressed. The Gingerbread House exhibit comes back to Sweden. See gingerbread versions of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, the Titanic, and more. My 15-year-old son, Ethan, and I had a fun and relaxing morning. We returned home, and Ethan walked to his best friend's house an hour later. I heard the ambulance scream by the street, carrying my beautiful boy. Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun. He had zero chance of survival. The father, the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox. How do you feel? That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have. David, would you give any advice? 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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. The founder of clothing brand Mango died yesterday while cave hiking. He was 71 years old and leaves behind almost 2,800 Mango stores worldwide. Isaac Andik was hiking with his family in Spain when he had a tragic accident. The Spain-based clothing brand began in 1984. While Spain was emerging from the Franco dictatorship, the country was hungry for modern clothes. Andik opened up his first shop on a famous Barcelona shopping street with the help of his brother. The shop was a success and the company grew. The company's website says it is in 120 markets and has 15,500 employees worldwide. Today is the last day retail stores can sell puppies, kittens or rabbits in New York state. It's an effort to crack down on the mistreatment of animals in puppy mills. But those losing their businesses and jobs say they're going after the wrong enemy and that there is much more to the story. NTD's Sean Marshall has more details. Retail stores in New York state can no longer sell puppies, kittens and rabbits after December 15th or risk penalties of up to $1,000 per violation of the new puppy mill pipeline law. The ASPCA sent us a statement for their reasoning behind supporting the law. It reads pet stores often advertise that their animals are top quality and come from responsible breeders. But the sad reality is that these dogs are trucked in from out-of-state commercial breeding facilities also known as puppy mills where dogs often spend their entire lives in wire crates without adequate shelter, veterinary care, food or socialization. This is a money game. It's not about the animals, it's about money. It's about money. Emilio Ortez, a manager at City Pups in Manhattan is losing his job of over 20 years and believes the law should go after the criminals rather than shut down the retailers. A lot of these rescues and shelters are getting dogs from places way worse than what they accuse us of and they don't have to disclose where the dog is from. They don't have to reimburse clients for medical expenses. They could just make up some soft story. But here we have to tell you where the dog is from. We got to pay for your medical. All these things disincentivize us from being the evil that they accuse us of. Retail stores are being forced to either sell online or rebrand as humane pet supply stores and invite shelters and rescuers in to do adoption events. Ortiz says the process in the United States is nothing like the Dominican Republic where friendly dogs on the street become part of the community. Not once did it ever occur to people in the Dominican Republic, let's wrangle them all up, confine them in a shelter and then threaten to kill them unless somebody gave us one of them. Not once. The Pet Advocacy Network joined six New York businesses in filing a lawsuit to stop the law from passing before more consumers, animals and local businesses are seriously harmed. But according to the Pet Advocacy Network, a judge denied that lawsuit. Mike Bober, president and CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network told NTD that the PAN is looking at their options and have 30 days to file an appeal. He said, we are frustrated and disappointed that Judge Tanari ignored the widely available evidence that pet sale bans don't work and that it's a catastrophe that this would happen to the workers and businesses right before the holidays. Sean Marshall, NTD News. The gingerbread house competition comes back to Sweden. See gingerbread versions of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, the Titanic and more. Here's the story. The gingerbread house competition is back. In the Swedish Academy for Architecture, contestants have built gingerbread versions of the Titanic, Willy Wonka's Factory, the Frauenkirche and of course, houses. This is an exhibition that celebrates Christmas and the spirit around Christmas. It's a way for people to come together. Museum director Karen Nelson says they've been running the exhibit since 1990. They shut it down during COVID, but now it's back. And it's a very special exhibition because it gives everyone the possibility to build their own home. The winner. Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Like most people, maybe they buy like the ready-made houses and like spend the time decorating it. So I mean, this is maybe a bit more advanced what all these people did for this competition. But it's definitely a strong Swedish tradition. Cecilia Klarving, one of the winners, says everyone in Sweden builds gingerbread houses more or less. She's happy to win. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Brendan Fallon. Have a good night.