NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (June 21)

Our top story tonight, reports indicate that American B-2 stealth bombers are heading west, departing the country. B-2s are the only aircraft equipped to carry and deploy 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs, which might be what Israel needs in its ongoing conflict with Iran. With Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by his side, former Columbia University graduate and activist Mahmoud Khalil returns to the New York metro area after three months of ICE detention. And Middle East analyst Gerard Felitti breaks down the latest on the Israel-Iran war. Will Iran concede to a deal before President Trump's two-week deadline? This is MTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Arlene Richards. As the nation awaits President Trump's next move in the Israel-Iran conflict, multiple reports indicate that B-2 stealth bombers departed Missouri overnight, heading west. The B-2, which is operated exclusively by the U.S., is the only aircraft equipped to carry and deploy 30,000-pound bunker busting bombs. Two U.S. officials disclosed to Reuters that the flying wing bombers were headed to the Pacific island of Guam. It's unclear if the deployment is connected to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, but it comes as Trump considers whether the U.S. military should join in support of the Israeli air campaign that began on June 13. A potential challenge for Israel is the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant, which is hundreds of feet underground in a mountainous region of Iran. One of the best options to destroy Fordow may be to use a 30,000-pound bunker busting bomb known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Trump said that he'll make his decision of whether to join Israel against Iran within the next two weeks. And what do everyday Americans think about President Trump's handling of the military conflict between Israel and Iran? And how should the U.S. respond if the situation escalates? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. How do you think President Trump has been navigating the situation between Israel and Iran? I think he's been doing a really good job. He's given Iran a lot of leeway. He's given them two months to come to the tables to negotiate, and they haven't done it. You can only give them so much slack before you have to do something. Poorly, because he said we have control over the skies over Iran when Israel has control. I do not want him to get involved again with any kind of conflict. He has managed to keep a distance, yet at the same time put forth everything the American people feel should be done. If you don't stop Iran in its tracks, what are you going to do with the nukes? They're going to get Israel, they're going to get all of our allies, and then all these other coalitions will team up, and then we're doomed. If this conflict continues to escalate, how do you think the U.S. should respond to it? The U.S. will back Israel to the end. Iran said, we have no intention of building a bomb. Basically we're peace-loving people, and I'm like, yeah, and I'm Gerald Ford. Stay out of it. Unless Iran does something to one of our embassies or something, then we should get involved. Besides that, stay out of it. Israel seems to have things under control. The supply and logistics is fine. We just don't want to have boots on the ground. We have enough boots on the ground with the Israelis, and they're doing a great job. I'm married to a veteran of Vietnam War, so he's really anti-war. I don't know. I don't want the U.S. to be involved if they don't have to be, but I support every troop that's out there, whatever they have to do. We need to stand firm with Israel, but let them take the front. I think with our aerial support that we have and our fighting power through the air, we don't need to put boots on the ground. We can handle the business just from the sea and the air. President Trump leaves the G7 early amid rising Middle East tensions. The Supreme Court weighs in on cross-sex procedures for minors, and Border Patrol sees a dramatic shift at the southern border. And today's Daniel Monaghan has your White House Week in review. President Trump attended the G7 summit in Canada, leaving early due to escalating Middle East tensions. Aboard Air Force One, Trump said he was looking for something better than a ceasefire between Israel and Tehran. An end. A real end, not a ceasefire. An end. While there, Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer finalized a trade deal reached between the two allies last month. The relationship that we have is fantastic, so I just want to congratulate you. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 this week to uphold Tennessee's ban on cross-sex procedures and puberty blockers for minors. It's a huge victory for America's children, and it's obviously something this administration believes strongly in. New illegal border crossing numbers are in. In May, Border Patrol released zero migrants into the U.S., a drop from more than 62,000 in the same month last year. The efforts by President Trump to stop the illegal immigrant invasion and secure the border in this short amount of time represent one of the greatest achievements by a presidential administration in the history of our great country. Sparring over the so-called Big Beautiful Bill continued this week. Senator Elizabeth Warren called it another effort by Republicans to hand over the nation to billionaires. It cuts access to health care for millions of Americans for babies. Simply put, the One Big Beautiful Bill is a massive win for middle-class Americans. The Navy announced it met this year's recruiting goal three months ahead of schedule. To our newest sailors, welcome to the fleet. Thank you. The courage makes it all possible. President Trump signed an executive order to keep TikTok running in the U.S. for another 90 days with the aim of bringing the social media platform under American ownership. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil arrived at Newark Airport today. A judge ordered his release on bail Friday after Khalil spent three months in ICE detention. Accompanied by Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he expressed his thanks to supporters. Thank you so much for everything. Not only for today, it's just for every day, like just your words, your words of support, your messages have kept me going. The fight is far from over. His detention by ICE, being taken from his home, as well as other advocates, Ms. Ozturk in Boston, Massachusetts, ripped off of the street, being taken is wrong. Khalil's attorney argues that the administration's attempt to deport his client is unconstitutional. Khalil's arrest was carried out under an executive order issued by President Trump, aiming to hold accountable people accused of engaging in anti-Semitic or pro-terrorist activities on college campuses. Thirty-year-old Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, served as a spokesperson for student protesters who opposed Israel's military campaign in Gaza following Hamas's October 7th terrorist attack in 2023. The White House condemned the decision to release Khalil, saying he should be deported for, quote, conduct detrimental to American foreign policy interests and for allegedly fraudulently obtaining a student visa. The case is still ongoing. Coming up, an in-depth analysis on the Israel-Iran conflict. Will the U.S. get involved? 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And NTD's founders know them firsthand. Our freedom of thought is the price. This is the lesson that guides us in everything we do. So there's the tear gas there. We know the value of a free society. We are not made. And we take seriously the responsibility to preserve it. We are NTD. President Trump touted complete and total control of the skies over Iran this week, but has stopped short of giving a final order for a strike on Iran. Meanwhile, Iran had talks with top European diplomats and is expected to meet with Russia's president in the coming days. Joining us to discuss the latest in the Israel-Iran crisis is Gerard Felitti, a Middle East affairs analyst and attorney specializing in national security law and policy and counterterrorism. Gerard, good to see you again. Pleasure. Thank you for having me. First, we have to kick off with what we've gotten reports on today, and that's the B-2 stealth bombers are heading out of the U.S. toward Guam. Now, there's not immediate verification from the White House on what they're for. But what are your thoughts, given that these are the type of aircraft that can drop those 30,000 pound bombs needed to reach Iran's nuclear stronghold? It's a message to Iran that we are in a position to strike if need be, that we don't need a lot of time to make up our minds. And if President Trump decides that this is what he wants to do, our men and women are positioned to do it quickly. So this really is a call to Iran to come to the table if they want to negotiate, if they want to enter talks to end this war, end this conflict, now's the time to do it. And positioning these in Guam is a much shorter flight time to Tehran. So there will be even less notice or an opportunity for Iran to intervene or any other country to intervene, for that matter, should President Trump decide to go ahead. Now, speaking of President Trump deciding, earlier this week he denied a report claiming that he had approved an attack plan on Iran, but he set a two week deadline on making the final decision. So what's it going to take for President Trump to order this strike on Iran? Right now, there are very vigorous discussions within the administration and within President Trump's circles with a number of influential people suggesting that America should not be involved in yet another war, should not be dragged into Iran. The concern that boots on the ground will cost American lives and there's no benefit for it. And this is a contribute held by other factions within the administration, including the military and intelligence analysts who believe that it would be in America's interests to eliminate the regime in Iran, to push for regime change, and that this would not actually entail boots on the ground, but rather supporting a revolution from within. So really, this is a conflict within the administration as to which view will prevail, whether it's better long term for America to have a different government in Iran at lower risk of American lives or whether we just want to play this game again once Iran rebuilds its forces. Now, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson has said any American intervention would be a recipe for an all out war in the region. Now, he's referring to the U.S. targeting underground nuclear sites with those bunker buster bombs. So does Iran have the military capability to engage in an all out war? I think as we've seen, not just in the past week, but in the past months, several months with other Israeli strikes against Iran, Iran is very much a paper tiger. Its air force has been decimated. Its missile defense system is nonexistent. Israel and the United States have air superiority over Iran. Iran has boats that they can send after shipping, but those could also be suppressed by American allied, meaning British, French and multinational forces that have been patrolling these waters for years to keep the peace. Iran has a standing army, but that doesn't get very far outside its own borders without air cover. So essentially, Iran doesn't have many things it could do. What it can do is continue to wage terrorist aggression using proxies like the Houthis in Yemen or like Hezbollah in Lebanon or the Hamas organization and other groups, other terrorist groups in Israel, in Gaza, to continue waging terror attacks against Israel and broaden those attacks against other countries like the United States. But Iran does not have the wherewithal for a conventional military fight outside of its own borders. Now, despite their strong stance, Iran's foreign minister had nuclear talks with European diplomats and there was no breakthrough. So Iran has said that it will not negotiate with the U.S. until Israel stops its military campaign. So how likely is it that Israel will pause long enough for the U.S. to make a deal with Iran? I don't think there is a deal to be made. I think that at this point we recognize that if you make a deal with Iran, it just buys you a little more time before you have to go in again, as Israel did last week and is currently doing, to destroy its facilities. Iran does not keep its word. It cannot be trusted to keep its word. It has demonstrated over decades that it is not a trustworthy partner in peace. So these negotiations are really just a way to forestall the inevitable. The decision ultimately has to be made by President Trump with consultation of Prime Minister Netanyahu in Israel, whether the achievement of removing nuclear materials from Iran, degrading their program significantly, is enough to warrant ending the war or whether to push for regime change to make sure that Iran does not go back to trying to produce nuclear weapons down the line in the future. Now, I want to talk about the Iran-China relationship. Now, Iran has a significant trade partnership with China. Data showing China buys about 90 percent of Iran's oil exports and sells missile components to Iran. So the Chinese Communist Party is siding with Iran's regime. So what's at stake for China in this conflict? It's not at all surprising that Iran is siding with China and vice versa. They have been allies in destruction for decades. The issue ultimately for communist China is they need Iranian oil. China needs oil to keep its economy going. And let's not forget that China's economy is actually not thriving. It's not doing well and it doesn't need an interruption in its supply base because that would cause significant disadvantage to China economically. It would no longer be able to market all the goods that it's pushing across the world. So China needs an uninterrupted supply of oil. Iran is its go to for that, along with the black market, which also comes largely from Iran. So that would be very bad for China if there's no more oil coming from Iran. However, there's no indication that a regime change in Iran would change anything. Iran is still interested in selling oil. And if anything, it might do more to sell oil, including to China, if it rejoins the international community of nations instead of facing all the sanctions that it currently has. In terms of sales of missile technology and other weapons, China has plenty of other buyers interested. And Iran is also dealing with shortened cash reserves. They're losing very quickly foreign assets for dollar based denominations that they currently have during this war. So Iran's economy is already suffering and it's suffering even more as this war is going forward. Well, I want to switch to another ally here, which is Russia. Now, Iran's foreign minister is set to meet with Vladimir Putin on Monday. And from what angle are you expecting Putin to discuss this war during their talks? Well, in the last 35 or so years, Iran and Russia have become increasingly close. Before the Shah fell in 1979, before the Iranian revolution, Iran was an ally of the United States in the West against Russian aggression. That changed after the Islamic revolution in 79. So that alliance between Iran and Russia has only been going closer and closer over the years to the point that now Iran is producing and providing a lot of the drones and missiles that are being used by the Russians in their illegal war against Ukraine. So that alliance for Putin and for the government of Iran is something that they want to see continue. The problem is outside of economic pressure and outside of military threats with little teeth to them, there is not much that Russia can meaningfully do other than potentially veto some resolution of the United Nations Security Council. Iran, excuse me, Russia is neck deep in a war with Ukraine. It's barely able to hold on and it does not have the wherewithal to fight militarily or to provide Iran with weapons because it needs those in Ukraine. Well, given that you said Russia likely would not get involved. If the U.S. does itself get involved in this Israel-Iran conflict, how likely is it that maybe some of the other allies, such as China or Hezbollah, would also jump in? Militarily, we are likely to see jumping in by Iranian proxies, the Houthis in Yemen, for example. There are other terrorist organizations that are being substituting off of Iranian money, including Hezbollah and Hamas. Hezbollah has been warned by the Lebanese government not to get involved because if it drags Lebanon into a war, it would be destructive for that country. So Iran is quickly running out of allies and proxies. Will we see increased terrorist attacks around the world? Yes, we probably will. We've seen already Iran trying to assassinate President Trump before the election. This is something that we would expect to see again. This destructive path of terror attacks. China is not likely to intervene militarily for the sake of Iran. It has more to lose if it joins the list of countries with sanctions imposed on it than it has to gain by the Ayatollah remaining in power in Iran. So ultimately, we're not looking at a meaningful tech, the same type of war that we expect, tank versus tank, plane versus plane. What we would see is an increase in potential terrorist attacks around the world. We would see perhaps economic battles with tariffs and sanctions being imposed on countries that support Iran. But we don't expect a larger military outburst from this region. We know also Putin had a conversation with Xi Jinping recently, and I think they both agreed that they were against this conflict. Gerard Felitti, a Middle East affairs analyst. Thank you so much for joining us. Pleasure. Thank you so much. Coming up in this week's profiles of service, New York City mayoral candidate Zeldin Mairi reflects on his path to leadership from a Brooklyn immigrant family to the state Senate. And how a grassroots movement overcame political delays and resistance to complete Romania's first children's cancer hospital built not with government funds, but with donations from 350,000 Romanians. That more after the break. I was a young dad of three amazing kids. I was finally following my dream. Just when you feel like life is starting to come together, you get kind of hit in the face. I was born with a congenital heart defect and had open heart surgery as a kid. I was supposed to go to the heart doctor once a year, and I finally went. He listened to my heart and I'll never forget. He sat back and he said, yeah, it's time for open heart surgery or you risk your aorta rupturing. And that's that's it. I was scared out of my mind. The night before my open heart surgery, I made a goodbye video for my kids. Be strong, take care of your mom. I love you guys. Seeing all the kids hug him goodbye and hoping that they were going to be able to hug him again. But I did make it thanks to the work of the American Heart Association. So that's why I'm asking you to join me. Please call now or go to helpheart.org for only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day. You can help get the next person trained in CPR, get the next hospital certified in high quality cardiovascular care, as well as fund the next medical breakthrough like these heart valves that helped save my life. When you give $19 a month with your credit card, we'll send you this special T-shirt to show you're a part of our community of monthly donors. I'm most grateful that I get to have a husband that I get to grow old with and a husband that gets to be there for his children. I believe without the American Heart Association, I would not be here today. If this can happen to me, it can happen to you, it can happen to anybody. Your donation can literally help save a life. Please call the number on your screen or go to helpheart.org now to become a monthly donor. Looking for a healthy and smooth tasting brew? Drop by Day's Coffee Roasters today and explore our wide selection of specialty grade small batch roasted coffee. Home to North America's first enzyme fermented coffee, we source a wide selection of specialty grade coffee beans from around the world and our baristas are ready to craft your customized brew. Visit Day's Coffee at 28 North Street, Middletown, New York. Come experience a brew like no other. Life's daily battles are not meant to be fought alone. Cloud, you OK? Because checking in on a friend can create a safe space. Reach out to a friend about their mental health. Seize the awkward. It's totally worth it. In this week's Profiles of Service segment, NTD's Paul Graney sits down with New York State Senator Zellner Myrie. Myrie recounts his journey from a Brooklyn boy to New York City mayoral candidate. I'm a born and raised New Yorker, son of two immigrants from Costa Rica, sent me to public schools in Brooklyn. I went to P.S. 161, Brooklyn Tech for high school, went to Fordham University for undergrad, Cornell for law school, became a lawyer, worked for a very prestigious law firm, and then I ran for state Senate in the same neighborhood that my parents raised me. And part of the reason why I'm running for mayor, part of the reason why I ran for office in the first place is I was the recipient of an after school program. I had really good middle school teachers. I had a city that looked after me. People stepped up and they gave me public service. I'm trying to give it back. My middle school teacher, Mrs. Randolph, was someone who believed very deeply in me. And she was the one that said, listen, I love you, Z, but you got to get your act together if you're going to be on the path to success. And I never forgot her investment. It's part of why it was my first commercial in my mayoral campaign. She said that if you can be diligent, if you can focus on your books, I know the potential that you have. And that inspiration is what I'm trying to give to some folks today. Is there any particular moment where you thought, maybe I won't be able to do it? You know, this is not easy. There's a lot of sacrifice that comes with public service. In particular, you sacrifice time with your family. You know, I'm recently married and I would love to be spending more time with my wife than being on the campaign trail. So that makes it difficult sometimes when you think about the mission, ultimately what you're trying to do that helps you to keep going. I've passed over 65 bills that have become the law. I have focused on things that my constituents care about. That's affordable housing. It's public safety. That's ensuring that people have a second chance. That our small businesses have support. I've been proud of the work that I've done in the state legislature. I'm trying to bring that same urgency, attention to detail to City Hall. Talk to us about the importance of bipartisan cooperation. You know, here's the thing. At bottom, people want leaders who are going to serve and who care about the things they care about. We're fighting for the things that they fight for. And I've been proud in the state Senate to pass legislation that has been co-sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, just yesterday, I passed a bill around junk food advertising with children that got Republican support. That's the type of leadership I think people want in this moment where we have two extremes biting each other all the time. I want to focus on the things that people care about. What is your philosophy of service? What's your North Star? People often try to put labels on you and they say, well, are you a progressive? Are you a moderate? Are you a conservative? When I'm talking to people on the street and when they stop me on the street, they don't ask if I'm a progressive or a moderate or a conservative. They say, are you getting the job done? That is my North Star. The on the street. What am I doing to deliver for that everyday person? And that's what I'm trying to bring the city hall to. So you describe yourself perhaps more pragmatic than ideological. That's exactly right. You know, the greatest mayor in New York City history, Mayor LaGuardia, said there's no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the trash. And that is my philosophy. Pick up the trash. Get the job done. Ultimately, that's what people are going to be concerned about. You're just recently married. Talk to us about the importance of family and how it supports you through your job. Family is everything. On the policy front, I want to ensure that New York City is a place where everyone can raise a family. As we know, child care is unaffordable. A lot of things are unaffordable. But also in my personal life, family is important. You know, sometimes I got to tell my campaign team, no more events today. I'm going on a date night with my wife. This is important because you cannot be a good leader. You can't be a good public servant if you're not being filled with the things that matter the most. What is your vision, not just for New York City, but for America as a whole? You know, we are in a period of great division. There's a lot of acrimony on both sides. There is a fever pitch conversation on both sides. And my hope is that we become a country that says, look, we can disagree. We can have strong disagreements, but we should not be disagreeable. We should have civil discourse, civil conversation, even passionately, but ensure that at the end of the day, people feel safe to have that conversation. And we're focused on making everyday Americans' lives better. Senator, thank you. Thank you for having me. The co-founder of Romania's largest grassroots initiative joined Bay Area innovators to share how her team raised funds to build a children's cancer hospital and how they overcame political obstacles to improve healthcare and restore public trust. Let's take a look. How did this get started? How did you get the idea to build a hospital? We started in 2009 from a story of an 18 year old boy who was dying of leukemia because the Romanian state wasn't able to provide this treatment. And we fought for him, me and my good friend, Carmen. And after this story, we realized how difficult it is in Romania for families with children with cancer and for people with health problems. And we decided to do something here in Romania to build infrastructure. And this project started in 2018. But before that, we tried to renovate the Marie Curie Hospital, the oncological department. The existing state owned hospital, right? Exactly. The existing work for oncological treatment for children with cancer. And in this department, treating 30 children together with their mothers. And they had access to only one toilet. This can be possible in Romania, in a European country. And we decided to build toilets in every room. This was our first project. And we went there with the architect and some engineers. We asked what we can do for these children because it's not possible to let to treat it in these conditions. And our architect said we had built from scratch, something from scratch. At the beginning, we laughed because it sounds like it's not possible, how we can think about it. But step by step, we started to sing. We started to talk with people and people looked at us with trust. So we started to believe. And step by step, we raised money and we had a big chance to have with us the biggest TV station in Romania, ProTV, who helped a lot for our fundraising campaigns. Tell us about some of the hardships or some of the problems you ran into during the process. And how did you come out? How did you succeed to finish it? Every minister of health took the position, the power, tried to put some, I don't know, obstacles. I don't know why. The politicians were not very happy with this project because it was like a mirror in their face. They didn't build anything. And an NGO and people did it and they tried to stop the legislation that permitted us to raise money. They tried to ask some permissions and some paper. They invented rules. They tried to invent rules. But how I already said, the Romanians were very reactive and their reaction means a lot for politicians. And in the end, we managed to do it. How did you feel when the building was finished and you had an opening and you had you see the patients going to the new hospitals? How did you feel personally? It was very, it was a day very important for us with a lot of emotion. Everybody from our team was crying that day because after a lot of work and a lot of obstacles, we did it and we felt like something very important for us, for all our donors, for children, for their parents and for Romania too, because for Romania was a very important achievement. People said we can, we can do it. In the last 35 years, we were made to believe that we can't build in Romania. We thought that about us and this project was something that proved we can do it. You can watch that full interview on EpochTV.com by clicking the talk shows tab to find Bay Area innovators. Australia's scientists say that surfing can help ease symptoms of depression, anxiety and ADHD. The study of Deakin University found it also fosters a sense of connection among young participants. Here's the story. Just two years ago, getting out of bed every morning was a real struggle for teenager Montana Tagg. Now, Montana and her dad wake up before sunrise full of excitement. In 2023, Montana fully withdrew from high school and that's year nine. She dropped out completely. This just didn't work for her. The 16-year-old lives with a condition that causes chronic pain, joint hypermobility and frequent dislocations. A combination of her symptoms, bullying and challenges at her former high school led to a decline in her mental health. But since changing schools and joining regular sessions with the surf therapy charity Ocean Mind, her well-being has significantly improved. The waves are good. If the waves are bad, I still have to surf them and just try my best and see what I can do. Early findings on surf therapy are encouraging. Researchers observed a noticeable decrease in symptoms after just six weeks. They attribute these improvements to a mix of factors such as learning a new skill, forming social connections and engaging in physical activity. They need to be present. So there's that act of mindfulness and really paying attention. Being able to share an activity and sit side by side and chat about how people are going and their well-being in between catching waves or being in the ocean is quite different to sitting in a room. Surf therapy is now part of the curriculum at Montana's new school. Coming up, step into a mansion and into the heart of 17th century Dutch life with a rare exhibition at the newly reopened Frick Collection. And Catholics in southern Germany celebrated Corpus Christi with a colorful boat procession of a lake. The event commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and the Apostles. And in a quiet Alpine town, two aging artisans keep a centuries old craft alive. Meet the last stone masons of Saman when we come back. This is such a gentle painting, so beautifully portrayed. A group of people reading together in this simple, everyday looking living room, a young girl reading along with an adult, a grandparent sitting in the lotus position, a businessman in his typical suit. You see all those people, they look like they have quietly settled down there. And you as a viewer, it looks like you've just stepped in the door. You can't see what it is they're reading. So you're a little bit curious and you're kind of invited to walk in. This harmonious feeling is not by accident. It is the very subject of the work. The book they are reading is the main text of Falun Gong, which is an ancient Chinese spiritual discipline in the Buddhist tradition. At the core of Falun Gong are the values of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Unfortunately, the practice is banned in China, where the artist resides. Thousands have been killed for their faith. Golden energy blooms into the room as a result of their steadfast faith. The painting on the back wall reminds us of this work's title, Plum Blossoms in a Muddy World. It's also a metaphor for the practitioners that are sitting in the room as they signify perseverance and hope that all brutal winters end and life is renewed once again. The magical painting. First time that I went to see him, a lot of stuff came into my mind because I wasn't prepared at all. Another first three months of his life were really important, and I wanted to be there all the time for him. First time he was like, Daddy, Daddy, that was one of his first words. He grew up so quick, he just surprised me every day. He's really smart. I really think he can be an astronaut president. But I'm going to support him for wherever he wants to be. I really want to be a photographer, musician, whatever. As a father, I guess you don't focus on you. I put himself first. That's what a dad does. Now to New York's Upper East Side, where a jewel of the classical art world has reopened its doors and with it an extraordinary reunion. For the first time, three paintings by the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer, all exploring the theme of letter writing, are being shown together in a single gallery. A woman pauses with a quill in hand. A maid offers a sealed letter. Another in a golden interior seems poised to read something that's only for her. These are Vermeer's love letters. Domestic, enigmatic, timeless. Three masterpieces, now for the first time, side by side in New York. Vermeer's love letters brings together the Frick's own mistress and maid alongside loans from the Rijksmuseum and Ireland's National Gallery. They're here together in a single gallery shown side by side for the very first time. So in very classic Frick style, this is an exhibition that encourages, fosters, invites close looking, deep thinking, and simply marveling at staggering works of art. Only around 35 Vermeer paintings survive. Of those, six portray the act of writing or receiving a letter. That makes this show, focused solely on that theme, all the more extraordinary. I think one of the key aspects of letter writing for Vermeer was the mental activity involved. What is the greatest challenge for an artist is to depict what we're all conscious of, but is not visible. And that's sort of the magic of consciousness generally, is that these thoughts, these emotions, you can read them on faces a bit or read them in people's postures. But how do you convey that as a painter? It takes a great deal of mastery to be able to convey these subtleties. Vermeer's magic lies in the everyday, his use of light, space and detail, elevating the ordinary into the eternal. Some even speculate that he used a camera obscura to achieve such precision. I think he replicates in his picture some of the effects that the lens creates. But I do not believe that he painted his depictions one-to-one from an image projected by the camera obscura. The show also marks a new beginning. It's the debut exhibition in the Frick's newly renovated exhibition galleries, a setting that once again places art within a space of classic refinement. We just love this place and everything and we're very excited. What do you like about classical art? I would say that it talks to me. I see that, I see the real parts and even though it's a painting, but I feel like it's moving, like the energy. This is what we love about it. For lovers of art, it's more than just an exhibition. It's a return of Vermeer, of the Frick, of a tradition that still speaks to us. In Manhattan, Stephanie O'Cox, NTD News. Every year, Catholics in southern Germany celebrate Corpus Christi with a colorful parade of boats. The event on Staffelsee Lake commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus and His Apostles. Villagers in the Bavarian town of Seehausen have traditionally marked Corpus Christi with a colorful procession and rowing boats since 1935. It's an old tradition. We have a lot of devout people here. I myself used to be a Staffelsee Lake fisherman myself. I used to have the permits. Now my daughter has them. The procession moves across the lake to an island. Anyone can join in with their own boat. It's something very special here, unique in Germany or even Europe, that such lakeside processions take place on Corpus Christi. Otherwise, it's normally on shore with these wonderful altars, which are usually decorated with flowers and lots of communion children, all in traditional costumes, or at least many of them. Corpus Christi is not just a church holiday, but is deeply interwoven with Bavarian culture. It's something very special here, unique in Germany or even Europe, that such lakeside processions take place on Corpus Christi. Otherwise, it's normally on shore with these wonderful altars, which are usually decorated with flowers and lots of communion children, all in traditional costumes, or at least many of them. The procession stops to pray at a total of four altars. The third altar is located on a chapel on the island. The procession then goes back to the mainland, accompanied by singing and brass bands. An alpine town on France's border with Switzerland has been famous for its stone masonry over the centuries. However, in 2025, just two artisans maintain the craft. And today's Andrew Thomas has more on the legacy of the local trade. Samoa honors its stone masons. A church in the center of this sleepy French town is a living testament to their work. Nora Berrieu at the Clos Parchat Eco Museum details their history. Local stone, limestone of Gifre, is very tough. So that's why it's a peasant to build their farm and to develop technique and tools to be able to sculpt this stone. Most of these stone masons were in France and neighboring Italy. But Berrieu suggests there's evidence of their work far away. We can follow them on different building sites in France, but even in French Louisiana, in New Orleans, two families moved to New Orleans to build administration and religious building. Berrieu says today stone masonry is disappearing from Samoa. At the beginning of the 20th century, the activity declined. And today we we have only two stone sculptors in Samoa, Guillaume Bozonnet and Pierrot Bianco. Bianco looks back at his predecessors in pictures spread across his kitchen table. Among them are his grandfather, his father and his uncle. It's not a surprise he was given the name Pierre, French for stone. Bianco is Italian for white, making him something of a name in the trade. But it's a craft that's dying out. I'm an old stone mason, but unfortunately, the younger generation isn't following suit. You rarely find someone with both skilled hands and a sharp mind. It's a great regret for me not to see these young people working on very interesting subjects. At the age of 82, Bianco labors away. He says artisans from abroad may keep the craft alive at home. Maybe some will come from Portugal or Turkey, but in Samoans, there are few who will take over. The workshop beneath Bianco's house shows he has no plans to stop. Even if the trade fades from this quiet Alpine town, his works etch his name in stone. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. And now to Spain, where a standard poodle is making some waves, literally, while most beach rescue dogs, there are Labradors or Newfoundlands. This summer, Nilo the poodle is ready to patrol the beaches. Let's take a look. Generally, Spanish canine beach rescue squads are populated by Labradors and Newfoundlands. But this summer, the two year old standard poodle will become a rare example of his breed to show off his skills. Nilo and four Labradors on the squad will support their human handlers in towing drowning victims back to shore. Nilo is a level one rescue dog, a support dog in normal rescue situations. No critical situations, as it is a level one. I go first to the victim about halfway between the ground and the victim. When I'm halfway, I call him. He enters the water so that by the time he arrives, I have calmed the victim down. I hand him his toy and he tows the victim to the sand. Poodles have a history of being used for water rescues. They were trained to hunt and retrieve in lakes with their thick fur protecting them from the cold. He has gone from swimming basically vertically, which is a way of swimming, which is not correct, to swimming completely horizontally. His strokes are perfect. He uses his tail perfectly like a rudder to turn and to move. The name poodle comes from a German verb that means to splash. The American Kennel Club said that poodles are also known for their intelligence and exceptional learning ability. And that's the news for this evening. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Arlene Richards. Good night.