NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Aug. 24)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump warns military troops could be deployed to new cities to fight crime rates. His comments on Truth Social come amid a spat with Baltimore's governor. Details on what cities the president is considering. Authorities in New York have identified five victims who died in a tour bus crash on Interstate 90. The vehicle was making the return trip from Niagara Falls when it fell into a ditch. A South Korean delegation visits China, calling for normalization of ties between the two ahead of Monday's White House summit with South Korea's president. Two guests unpack what that means for U.S.-South Korea relations and what to expect in tomorrow's summit. Are habits and lifestyle the keys to a longer, healthier life? Here are the details on what research says can help in a preview of Vital Signs with Brennan Fallin. And meet Maple, a former K-9 who's now helping to sniff out diseases and keep honeybees safe. Find out why researchers at the Michigan State University are counting on man's best friend. This is NTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight, I'm Tiffany Meyer. President Trump is warning that he could send military troops to cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and New York, to address crime rates in those areas. His latest comments follow a dispute with Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Moore invited Trump to tour Baltimore for a public safety walk. Trump responded on Truth Social, criticizing the city's crime record and suggesting he might deploy troops, as he did in Washington, D.C. Moore pushed back, highlighting Baltimore's declining crime rates and noting that homicides are down 24 percent from the previous year. Democratic leaders in Chicago and New York have opposed potential troop deployments. That's amid reports that the Pentagon is preparing for a possible operation in Chicago. From a monumental visit of European leaders in pursuit of peace to a major downsizing at the nation's top spy office, big updates from the Trump administration this week. NTD's David Monahan has your White House week in review. President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Zelensky to the White House on Monday. Major European leaders also joined the push for peace between Russia and Ukraine. On your indication, security guarantees of some sort of Article 5 style guarantees fits with what we've been doing with the Coalition of the Willing. And let's make the best out of today and make sure that from today onwards we get this thing to an end as soon as possible. I really want to thank you for your leadership. Trump showed the European leaders his Butler Fight, Fight, Fight painting. That was not a great painting. Following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House said Putin agreed to meet with Zelensky. The Kremlin later played down the potential direct talks. Trump also told Zelensky the U.S. would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any peace deal. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard announced a 40 percent workforce reduction at her own office, saying on Fox News that ODNI had failed its mission. ODNI has more than doubled in size. It is bloated with bureaucracy. It is rife with politicization, weaponization, the very thing that it was created to try to prevent and get after. And unfortunately, it has failed to meet its mandate. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched the Pete and Bobby Challenge. Fifty pull-ups, a hundred push-ups, you try to get under five minutes. How'd you do? We got close. I was about 525. You were right behind me. Kennedy says the challenge kicks off a national push to get Americans fit again. The U.S. finalized a historic trade deal with the European Union. The agreement eliminates EU tariffs on American industrial goods and commits Europe to buying hundreds of billions in U.S. energy and A.I. technology through 2028. Citing the Trump effect, the White House highlighted new investments. Johnson & Johnson's $2 billion expansion in North Carolina and Hadrian's $200 million manufacturing facility in Arizona. President Trump visited federal and local law enforcement working to reduce crime in Washington, D.C. We're going to take care of these criminals, we're going to put them where they have to be, we're going to, you're going to say, don't, don't play around with us. The president came bearing gifts. Would you rather have hamburgers from the White House or pizzas from a good place, huh? I think you want, oh, they want the hamburgers. FBI Director Kash Patel says arrests of violent criminals have doubled under President Trump this year. And finally, a New York appeals court overturned a half-billion-dollar fine against Trump, his family and his company. New York AG Letitia James emphasized that the court upheld the fraud liability and vowed to appeal. The Supreme Court also cleared the administration to move ahead with sweeping cuts to NIH grants for research related to DEI and LGBT groups. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. Authorities have identified the five people who died after a tour bus crashed en route from Niagara Falls. The bus fell into a ditch outside Buffalo, New York. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. With regard to this tragedy, we are particularly interested in issues relating to occupant protection and seatbelt usage, driver performance, and operations and oversight of the motor carrier. Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened, and to recommend changes to prevent it from happening again. One of the five who died was a Columbia University student from China. The school released a statement expressing condolences. Three more victims were residents of New Jersey, with one more from India. Most of the people on the bus were from India, China, or the Philippines. The crash occurred in Pembroke, 25 miles east of Buffalo. Almost everyone on the bus was injured. Fifty-four people were on board, including two bus company workers. The bus driver is cooperating with the investigation. Police said he did not show signs of impairment, and the bus seemed to be in good condition. Authorities believe the operator became distracted, lost control of the vehicle, overcorrected and ended up in a ditch. Governor Kathy Hochul stated on X that her team is working with state police and local officials to provide assistance. Ukraine is celebrating its Independence Day amid the ongoing fighting and peace talks with Russia. And Vice President J.D. Vance gives his take on Russian missile strikes directed at an American company in Ukraine. NTD's international correspondent, Arian Pazdar, has the latest. Ukraine is celebrating Independence Day on Sunday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded the Ukrainian Order of Merit of the first degree to Special Envoy Keith Kellogg. Today Ukraine celebrates Independence Day, fighting, defending itself against attacks and air raid alarms. And very importantly, we are strong and not alone. This comes amid strengthened peace efforts by the U.S. President Trump recently met with Russia's Vladimir Putin, and then a few days later with Zelenskyy and other European leaders. Vice President J.D. Vance tells NBC that the peace efforts are positive. That's despite a recent Russian attack on an American company in Ukraine. I don't like it, Kristen, but this is a war and this is why we want to stop the killing. The Russians have done a lot of things that we don't like. A lot of civilians have died. We've condemned that stuff from the get-go and frankly President Trump has done more to apply pressure and to apply economic leverage to the Russians, certainly than Joe Biden did for three and a half years. Trump on Friday gave Putin a two-week deadline for an in-person meeting with Zelenskyy, increasing pressure again. And Zelenskyy denies reports claiming that the Trump administration blocked some strikes on Russia in order to continue peace efforts. We use our domestically produced long-range weapons, and to be honest, we haven't been discussing such issues with the United States of America lately. The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. has been blocking Ukraine's use of some missiles to strike targets in inland Russia for months. The source said the Pentagon officials prevented Ukraine from firing any U.S.-made long-range missiles since late spring. That's reportedly to conserve peace efforts with Russia. The U.S. has not commented yet. Ariane Pastor, NTD News. Postal services across Europe are saying they will halt shipments to the U.S. The change comes as custom duties exemptions are set to expire for low-value shipments The postal services say they are ending shipments because the tariff rules are not clear without the de minimis exemption. The rule is set to end August 29th and was responsible for making shipments valued at less than $800 tariff-free. Last year, 1.36 million packages entered the U.S. under de minimis exemptions. The recent trade deal between the U.S. and European Union set a 15% tariff on goods entering the U.S. Now, that tariff will also apply to packages worth under $800. The de minimis exemptions ended in May for goods from China. The purpose was to prevent U.S. consumers from purchasing cheap goods in bulk from China. The White House has said the exemption is also linked to fentanyl and other illegal drugs entering the U.S. Asian postal services outside of China are also seeking clarity since the de minimis exemptions are ending for them too. DHL is Europe's largest shipper and said the pause on shipping to the U.S. is temporary until the collection of duties on low-value packages is worked out. Israeli forces have reported striking more targets in Yemen belonging to the Houthi terrorist group. Meanwhile, Israel has begun uprooting trees in the West Bank to improve security. NTD's Jason Perry has the latest. Members of the Israeli Air Force were seen loading munitions onto fighter jets on Sunday as Israeli forces prepared to strike targets in Yemen over 1,000 miles away. Israel said they struck power plants, a site for storing fuel and a military site near the presidential palace, which were being used for military activity by the Houthi terrorist group. Israel's prime minister said this after the strikes. Whoever attacks us, we attack them. Whoever plans to attack us, we attack them. I believe the entire region is learning about the strength and determination of the state of Israel. Israel's strikes in Yemen come as the Houthis have continued to launch missiles at Israel, most of which have been intercepted. The Iran-backed group says their attacks are in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, a Dutch foreign minister tried to secure new sanctions against Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip. But after his attempt to put new sanctions on Israel was unsuccessful, he decided to step down from his cabinet post in the Dutch government. Al Jazeera later posted on X that the Hamas terrorist group praised the Dutch foreign minister's actions, calling it a, quote, brave stance by the foreign minister. In response, Israel's foreign minister said in a post on X, quote, Europe must choose Israel or Hamas. Every action against Israel directly serves the jihadist axis in the Middle East. In another development, the Israeli military has begun uprooting trees in the West Bank. The decision came after a Palestinian in the area shot an Israeli. A Palestinian farmer shared his thoughts on the situation. My house is overlooking this land. I was sitting and looking at them destroying my groves while burning from the inside. No words can describe what happened. Israel said they had uprooted more than 3,000 trees in order to improve security, which would also prevent terrorists from taking cover behind them. Jason Perry, NCV News. Next, tensions between the U.S. and China are escalating over Venezuela. At a recent event, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro flexed his new Huawei smartphone, gifted by the Chinese regime leader. He said the phone has a direct satellite communication channel to the Chinese leader. The U.S. banned Chinese smartphone maker Huawei for its close ties to the Chinese regime and China's military. Meanwhile, Fox News reported that at least three U.S. destroyers are en route to Venezuela, equipped with missile systems and thousands of Marines. The military operation is part of President Trump's effort to crack down on crimes and drugs, including fentanyl, brought into the U.S. by cartel groups. In response, Maduro said he would put 4.5 million militia members' boots on the ground. China voiced against the U.S. military operation. It's worth noting China has been found to be a major source of fentanyl precursors. Through cartel groups, these chemicals are being pressed into fentanyl pills and smuggled into the U.S. According to the U.S. CDC, fentanyl overdoses are the top cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. Over in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan failed to pass a referendum aimed at bringing back the island's last nuclear plant. The referendum needed 25 percent of eligible voters to vote, but it fell short by about three percent. The referendum is backed by two opposition parties. They say Taiwan needs to cut its reliance on imported power, as almost all of Taiwan's energy comes from imports. This is sparking concerns that China could use this vulnerability to attack the island. But the ruling party argues bringing back nuclear power poses safety concerns. Coming up, a South Korean delegation visits China, calling for normalization of ties between the two ahead of Monday's White House summit with South Korea's president. Two guests unpack what that means for U.S.-South Korea relations and what to expect in tomorrow's summit. And our habits and lifestyle, the keys to a longer, healthier life. Get the details on what the research says can help in just a minute, here on NTD News. Stay big at Mathis Home with Labor Day deals in every department. Check out their new arrivals and stay big on the latest living rooms. This reclining sofa is a great example of their unbeatable prices. It's just $4.49. Where else can you find a sofa with two built-in recliners for just $4.49? With their incredible selection, you're sure to find the sofa just right for you. Plus, they're all in stock, so you can take it home today or get it delivered absolutely free. Hurry in. These deals won't last long. Now, through Labor Day, only at Mathis Home. 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 plum blossoms. They signify perseverance and hope that all brutal winters end and life is renewed once again. The magical painting. I was a quarterback at Ardoway High School. College first round draft pick. During the football season, I would stop eating. But I didn't know I was depressed. We didn't have any education behind what mental health was. I started to learn it starts here first. If this is together, I'll be better as a father and as a husband. We have to redefine what being a strong man is. And heal, love, you're mine. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung are set to hold their first summit on Monday after a snap election in June. Questions range from the future of U.S.-South Korea relations to nuclear-armed North Korea and a focus on China. But ahead of the trip, South Korea sent a delegation to China Sunday with the message of normalizing relations between the two. Here to unpack what all this means and what to expect are two guests, retired Marine Colonel Grant Newsham, who's a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy, as well as political analyst Gordon Chang, author of Plan Red, China's project to destroy America. Thank you both so much for being here. Great to have you both. Grant, starting with you, South Korea's envoy told China's Wang Yi on Sunday he hoped the visit would, quote, open the door to normalizing South Korea-China relations, which have been strained in recent years. What message is that sending ahead of the White House visit? I think it's sending a message of what the new South Korean administration really thinks, where its priorities are. It has a preference for the Chinese Communist Party, for the PRC, even for North Korea, the way they run things there. If you look at the people, the prominent people in the Korean administration, in the ruling party, these are people with an affinity to the People's Republic of China. The Korean administration does have to tread carefully because most Koreans don't think very much of China or the Chinese Communist Party. But at the same time, he's giving a very clear sense of where this administration really would rather be affiliated. For now, it has to bide its time, however. And Gordon, on that note, reports say the U.S. wants Seoul to play a role in countering China. What is the likelihood of that after this delegation visit? It's really unlikely. The leftists, the Democratic Party of Korea, of Lee Jae-mong, has traditionally been very China-friendly, very hostile to the United States. I mean, Lee himself, five years ago, four years ago, called the American troops in Korea an occupying force. And even more explosively, he blamed us for the continued Japanese rule during the colonial period. Now, his charges, I think, don't have any basis in fact, but that's the way he feels. You know, we have seen the leftists basically say, well, look, you know, South Korea, protected by the U.S. alliance, should play what they call a balancing role in North Asia between the two big groups, one China and North Korea on the other side, and the U.S. and Japan on the other. Now, one can say a lot of things about that, but the only reason why South Korea exists is because the United States protects it. And so this should be an issue that comes up when President Trump meets President Lee tomorrow at the White House. And Grant, in terms of the White House visit Lee's office, saying the focus is on strengthening the country's alliance and economic security partnership. Now, you actually have a recent piece out called, Will Trump put money over principle when meeting South Korea's Lee? What are you watching for in this summit? I'm watching to see if Mr. Trump mentions something besides a trade agreement, $350 billion in South Korean investment in the United States, and the possibility of squeezing some more money out of the South Koreans to pay for U.S. troops that are in South Korea. I want to see if he raises the issues of the Democratic Party of Korea and the Lee Jae Myung administration actually persecuting the former president and his wife, doing everything it can to rein in the press, rein in the judiciary, establish a one party state, put any opposition, so not just on the back foot, just to exterminate it. And if he is going to address the credible charges of election fraud in the last four South Korean elections. The evidence is there. One just waits for somebody to show a report that actually looked into them. I'm going to see if he mentioned something along these lines, because there's some real fear that this administration does represent a group of hardcore radicals who don't like the United States and who do want to break the alliance. Mr. Trump overlooks those things, those issues, the nature of South Korean leftists in favor of just sliding through a trade deal and getting some more money for American forces. And I think he's missed a real opportunity, and I think we're going to pay for it later on. We saw something similar happen with Venezuela, where it was a strong ally for a long time. Some hardcore leftist radicals got in. Look at it now. We don't have any fiercer enemy than the Venezuelan regime. And Gordon, what about North Korea? Are you expecting any changes in terms of how these two leaders will approach nuclear armed North Korea? Well, Lee Jae-moon wants an accommodation with North Korea. He's worked very hard. And so we're going to see probably this race. Now, President Trump in his first term tried to have an accommodation with Kim Jong-un. That ultimately failed because the issue, of course, nuclear weapons. But from Lee's point of view, he'll do everything possible to support the North Koreans, including sending them money, which he did already and was actually convicted for. So really what we've got is a very pro-China, very pro-North Korea ruling group. But it doesn't have the support of the Korean people, as Grant just pointed out, because most Koreans, whether they like the U.S. or not, realize that they only have a country because of American troops. And so therefore, there's a real split in the people versus the government. And Grant, as you mentioned, defense costs are said to be a key issue at the summit. President Trump has long said South Korea needs to pay more for the roughly 29,000 U.S. troops based there. What are you watching for in this era? Could we see more security ties between the two? This, I think, is really sort of a distraction. We put too much effort in trying to squeeze money out of our allies, in Asia at least, when it comes to the Japanese and the South Koreans. They do need to pay more for their own defense. But in terms of, say, shaking them down for more for us, I think it's an effort that is probably put in the wrong place. There's other bigger things to do. Even if the South Koreans say, OK, we'll pay $100 million more, I would say, so what? Because it doesn't get to that fundamental question, the issue of the nature of the South Korean administration and the nature of South Korean leftists and what they intend to do. If we just ignore that and, say, try to get some more money out of the South Koreans, that we are going to find ourselves, I think, in a very difficult position. So that's what I'm looking for, is to see if Mr. Trump raises these issues and the treatment of the former President Yun and his wife. Both of them are in prison, very harsh conditions. This is something that needs to be raised. It is an important thing. We can't have friends of ours, allies of ours that we promised to defend who are treating their former presidents like this. And certainly Mr. Trump should understand that kind of treatment. And Gordon, expanding on that, break down for us what's at stake in this White House summit. Where could U.S.-South Korea relations go from here? Anything can happen, Tiffany. Because Yi is very anti-American. It is not inconceivable that one way or another, he will break the alliance. Now, we have gotten through a number of leftist presidents, three of them before. And I think there is a confidence in the State Department that they can just outlast Yi. But I'm not so sure that's true, because Yi is much more determined than any of the three leftist presidents before him. So especially with a China that is pressing South Korea, I think that you could find the relationship could be broken. And that's one of the reasons why I think President Trump should not raise the issue of increased South Korean contributions to the United States, because Yi just might say, looks, I don't want your troops here anyway. So this is a very difficult situation. And let's, if I could just emphasize what Grant said, Yi is attacking democracy. He's outlawing opposition parties. He's going after everybody. This could be a one-party state in about six months. And Grant, very quickly, what would happen if that U.S.-South Korea alliance is broken? Well, what you would find is the Americans are not welcome on the peninsula. It'd be sort of a nasty sort of split. And we would find that we don't have a presence there. We don't have an ally there. At best, they're sort of neutral, but leaning towards the other side. And suddenly things get very difficult for us, for the Japanese. If Taiwan gets hit, we don't have South Korea helping out. Everything gets much more difficult. Plus, there's a political, psychological aspect of a 70-year-long relationship that was once thought very solid coming apart. And other countries start to say, well, now we wonder if the Americans really have what they used to have, that magic that they used to have. Maybe they don't. Chinese political warfare is already very active. And that would just step up and they would say, man, we had success in South Korea. We're going to have it in Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, everywhere else. So nothing good would happen. A lot at stake for sure. Gordon Chang, Grant Newsham, as always, thank you both so much for joining us. Thanks. Coming up, our habits and lifestyle, the keys to a longer, healthier life. More details on what the research says can help. And for decades, a Miami landmark stood as a symbol of hope for Cubans escaping communist rule. Now it's being transformed into a museum. Catch a glimpse in just a minute, right after this quick break. Here you go. Thank you. 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? First thing you do is not keep your ammunition with your weapons and that your weapons need to be locked at all times. The first time seeing my son, I feel like my life did a 180. I was already trying to change my perspective of life and really just be a father figure that I never had. Being present is the most important part. I'm still growing every day. Becoming a better version of myself to be the better mirror for my son. I mean, he's just growing. He's becoming his own person. Man, first I saw him dance. Bro, he brings the vibes. You know what I'm saying? He brings the party no matter what. He's really a definition of why he loves the body. And I love him to the death of me. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Have you ever ridden inside a Waymo self-driving car? The ride-hailing platform has cars on the road in several U.S. cities, but now New York City is getting added to the list. Officials on Friday announced the city's first-ever pilot program for autonomous vehicles. Eight Waymo cars will hit the road with a safety specialist behind the wheel. The program, backed by Mayor Eric Adams, aims to test innovative technology under strict safety rules. The cars will operate south of 112th Street in Manhattan and across the bridge in areas like Brooklyn Heights, downtown Brooklyn, and Dumbo. Critics, including the Transport Workers Union and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, argue the plan threatens jobs, prioritizes tech companies, and is dangerous due to the city's dense, unpredictable streets. Waymo defends its safety record and sees the program as a step toward safer roads. The company must follow strict safety and cybersecurity standards and coordinate with the city with the option to extend the pilot after evaluation. A long and healthy life. Something we wish for our friends, families, and ourselves. So where better to turn for advice than to those already living the longest? In this episode of Vital Science, Dr. Damon Noto joined host Brendan Falun to break down what studies reveal about the habits and disciplines that promote longevity. And that's a very hot topic. Talking about longevity and trying to live as long as we can. This study in particular looked at what are the factors that people do or don't do and how does that affect their lifespan. What stood out for me is that you could follow eight different principles and live 20 to 25 years longer simply by following these eight simple principles. And the top three being avoiding drugs, smoking, and the last one being being active, being physically active. We always know exercise is important, but we didn't realize based off of this study that you're talking about taking a decade or 15 years off your life if you're very inactive. So that really stood out for me. What stood out to me when I was reading some reviews of these studies was that it was people who had these systems kind of just kept them moving naturally like gardening. You have to look after the garden to keep these plants alive. And you're also building something, right? You're building a garden. If you're playing sport, if you're in a sporting team, you're building relationships with people. So there's that dual purpose there in these situations. Absolutely. And if you think about it, going to the gym or exercise routines, although they're great, it requires a lot of discipline. And you have to be someone who's very focused and very determined. How many times do those things fail? I mean, how many times do people say, I'm going to exercise, they exercise for three to six months, and then they quit the gym and they go back to being very sedentary? Compared to if it's already ingrained in your lifestyle, whether that is walking into town or your community as a place where you walk, you don't take a car or it's doing your own gardening or farming or like you said, getting together with friends and doing some type of sport activity. So it's built into your daily life and into your lifestyle. You're going to be more consistent with that activity. And over the long period of time, you're going to stay more consistent being active. That makes sense. What does the study suggest about alcohol use? So alcohol in general has been an interesting topic for many in the longevity field. Usually we used to say, if you're not an alcoholic and you're not drinking excessively every day, it probably has minimal or no impact on your overall health. What's interesting about this study found that people who actually binge drink, which means they might not drink during the week at all, but on the weekend they drink heavily, actually do not well at all and takes years off of their life. So when people say, you know, once or twice a month I drink and I drink and party heavily, that is actually taking a significant amount of time off of a person's lifespan. It's not something we actually thought. Most physicians didn't think that was a big issue. But now we're realizing with this study, that's having a major impact on their overall health. Yeah, that is kind of surprising. You'd think you just do this occasionally or even just, you know, if you're doing it once a week or once every few weeks, then you have all this recovery time. It's not going to take such a toll on your body, but apparently it does. That's exactly what we thought is, hey, it's not every day the liver regenerates, it's able to recover itself. It's not doing much damage, but actually it is a shock to the system and the system doesn't recover well and it affects the whole body. So people who are very consistently going out and partying over time are really causing a significant amount of damage to their health. Now it would be good to take a look at the blue zones, these areas of the world where people have much longer than expected longevity. To start with, we've just been talking about, you know, binge drinking and these kinds of things. Interestingly, there's one of the regions among the blue zones is Sardinia in Italy. One of the characteristics of the people there is that they drink a moderate amount, but almost daily. They're regular wine drinkers. So this is a bit of a contrast to the heavy impact of binge drinking on people's longevity. Yeah, and this is where alcohol becomes an interesting topic because here we're talking about people who drink red wine, very specific type of red wine, and they're drinking daily, but only one to two glasses of wine a day. To see that full interview and others on how to optimize health, go to ept.ms forward slash Vital Signs. Vital Signs offers general health information, not intended as medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult your doctor before undertaking a new health regimen. Hurricane Erin has weakened and moved back out to sea after a run-in with the East Coast as the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 storm season. It marks what can be a stressful time of the year for millions living in coastal areas. Next, let's take a closer look at how best to prepare for severe weather. The stress of hurricane season can be reduced if people have a plan for preparing their homes, whether they decide to stay and ride out a storm or evacuate. You should have a go bag to prepare for when a hurricane comes. A lot of things should be in it. Think about a week or two without power. You want to have batteries. You want to have a portable charger for your cell phone. You want flashlights. If you can, a portable radio, a crank radio, weather radio if you have it is especially good. This one also is a flashlight too. Wipes. Water. You need water. Think of it as a gallon or two per person per day. Food. It's also recommended to have enough non-perishable food for up to seven days. If you have any medical conditions, medicine. Make sure you have a couple weeks supply of medicine and put them aside in a go bag. A whistle is really good then to draw attention to yourself for rescuers. Other tips include bringing pets inside ahead of a storm and for parents to prepare something to entertain their kids, such as games or coloring books. Likely power outages after a hurricane mean there won't be internet and cellular service. If you are evacuating, evacuate early. Listen to local officials. Before a storm arrives, people need to know their evacuation routes and have backup routes in case roads get congested. Officials recommend fueling vehicles if a storm is approaching and for those with electric vehicles to make sure their routes include charging stations. Coming up for decades, a Miami landmark stood as a symbol of hope for Cubans escaping communist rule. Now it's being transformed into a museum. And meet Maple, a former canine who's now helping to sniff out diseases to honeybees. Plano Hawaii researchers at the Michigan State University are counting on man's best friend. That and more in just a minute after this quick break. Is deep sea fish oil really healthy? Due to pollution in the oceans, most fish contain heavy metal elements and radioactive substances. That's why it's so important to choose a pure source of omega-3. Puritan Green Vegetable Omega-3 is made from porcelain and perennacines, which are rich in nutrients and minerals. It effectively improves brain power and is beneficial to the heart's health. Puritan Green Vegetable Omega-3. Eat two a day and you'll feel brand new. 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 plum blossoms. They signify perseverance and hope that all brutal winters end and life is renewed once again. The magical painting. Hey boss, you okay? I said I'm fine. Welcome back, I'm Tiffany Meyer. The U.S. Space Force launched a new mission involving its secret space drone this week. It's part of the U.S. military's efforts to remain the dominant force in every theater of war. Our Washington correspondent Luis Eduardo Martinez has more on the story. T-minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Engines full power and liftoff. Go sequence, go USS F-36. The U.S. Space Force launched its secret space drone, the X-37B, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket earlier this week. Its mission will help improve the U.S. military's laser communication systems and test its quantum inertial navigation systems, which would allow the U.S. military to avoid reliance on GPS. The U.S. is preparing for future and modern warfare, which heavily relies on drone technology in unconventional theaters. In this case, space. Nobody expected flimsy Japanese fighters to sink America's battleships at Pearl Harbor. Nobody expected 19 hijackers with box cutters to turn passenger jets into missiles on 9-11. And today, I fear we're making the same mistake with drones. Nobody's expecting them to cause catastrophic damage. But sadly, it's only a matter of time. U.S. adversaries like China can produce up to 700,000 FPV drones monthly, while the U.S. can only produce several thousands. That's why the Trump administration has instructed the Pentagon to boost the production of U.S.-made drones. Congress has also allocated over $33 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill to drone production in the United States, a number that could increase to over $50 billion through the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026. So while our adversaries have produced millions of cheap drones, before us, we were mired in bureaucratic red tape. Not anymore. In June, President Trump issued an executive order unleashing American drone dominance to bolster our drone industry and arm our warfighters. The Trump administration is also considering a $50 billion deal to purchase over 50 million battle-tested Ukrainian military drones for the U.S. military. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. And no need to waffle over what to eat because today is National Waffle Day. The occasion marks the day back in 1869 that the first waffle iron was patented. But it's actually been around for hundreds of years before that. The first known recipe dates back to the 14th century. An anonymous husband in France wrote it out for his wife. In those days, waffle batter included wine. To make the breakfast treat, all you need is leave-in batter or dough and two patterned plates to cook it. Or if you're hoping for less time in the kitchen, visit your favorite brunch spot. Favorite toppings usually include butter and maple syrup, fruit for a healthier option, or even fried chicken. You can find deals today at Waffle House and on Eggo Frozen Waffles. A new documentary is highlighting a tennis star's return to the court, while an animated favorite from Studio Ghibli is back in theaters. Here's a look at what's happening in Hollywood this week. I have multiple identities. My return to the sport is a love letter for moms. An inside look at Naomi Osaka's comeback. A new documentary follows the tennis star's challenging return to the court after giving birth to her first child. Naomi Osaka, the second set, premieres Sunday on Tubi. Her name is Ponyo. She likes to eat ham. Experience an animated favorite once again. Ponyo is back in theaters for five nights starting today as part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2025. More info and tickets to relive the magical sea adventure can be found at FathomEntertainment.com. This is no longer just to prove myself. It's to gain that confidence in myself. Moviegoers can feel like they're mountain climbing with a professional. Girl Climber lands on IMAX screens and follows mountaineer Emily Harrington on her journey to conquer El Capitan in Yosemite. The harrowing documentary is showing in theaters across the U.S. on Sunday. Miami's Freedom Tower has received a well-deserved facelift after decades of neglect. It will reopen as a museum honoring the history of Cuban exiles who fled Fidel Castro's communist revolution. Beginning next month, state-of-the-art exhibits will explore the meaning of migration, freedom, and homeland. Take a look. A powerful lighthouse lit up Miami's Biscayne Bay for decades. The Freedom Tower became a symbol of hope for many Cubans escaping communist rule during the Cold War. The 14-story Spanish Revival skyscraper was where the U.S. State Department welcomed Cuban refugees from 1962 to 1974. This fall, the Freedom Tower turns 100 years old, and what we are doing is opening up the Freedom Tower after a project to restore it to its beautiful originality that the Freedom Tower has, but most importantly, be able to tell the story of Miami through an exhibit called Libertad. The iconic building opened in 1925 as the headquarters of the once-acclaimed Miami Daily News. It was designed in the style of a Moorish bell tower from Seville, Spain. It was renamed the Freedom Tower when President John F. Kennedy started the Cuban Refugee Assistance Program. The program helped resettle many middle-class people and families escaping Fidel Castro's revolution. In 1961, it opened its doors as the refugee center for the Cubans that were leaving Cuba because of communism and political persecution and were leaving their homes. They came to the Freedom Tower, to the refugee center, and that stayed open for a decade and nearly 400,000 Cubans came through the Freedom Tower. The one clear name that people used to refer to this building was El Refugio, the refuge, and I think it was a very powerful way for them to refer to the place because it was a safe space. It was a place where they came to feel safe. The assistance refugees got here was just basic physical assistance. You'd have assistance with medical care, with food. There was some monetary assistance to help people get started. Freedom Tower was long ago overtaken by Miami's fast-growing steel and glass skyline. Abandoned for years, it was rescued in 1997 by a Cuban-American businessman. He later sold it to a prominent Cuban-American family, and it was then donated to Miami-Dade College. Galleries at the museum provide a gripping account of the Cuban-American journey to freedom. I had not been back here in 58 years, and the moment that I walked into that great hall, I'm sure you saw the great hall with the mural, right? The moment I walked into that great hall, it hit me. The emotion hit me like a nuclear bomb. The museum's final stop is a gallery flooded with all the sun, salsa, and pastel hues that make modern-day Miami so beloved. After a series of international honors, Malaysia's first professional violin-maker is mentoring a new generation. While not yet popular in Southeast Asia, the artisan's instruments are striking a chord in the region. NTD's Andrew Thomas has more on the craft. Tan Chin Sang tunes a violin in his workshop. The artisan shapes thin layers of wood from instruments in the works. The 45-year-old is Malaysia's first professional violin-maker. A computer science graduate, curiosity led him to become an apprentice before he built his first instrument. At first, it was just, I find it really interesting. Why not just make one violin? It's just after completing the first violin, I know this craft is for me, yeah, and I like it a lot, and yeah. Tan flew back and forth to Beijing for training, then traveled to Italy to study under other luthiers. In the early days, he would spend up to 16 hours a day perfecting his craft. In 2015, he committed to violin-making full-time. Everything about the process, you know, there is woodworking, carpentry, artistic thing, there's chemistry, acoustic, physics, everything about violin-making, I like it. And also turning wood into musical instruments is just, yeah, amazing. Dozens of violins hang in a suburban Kuala Lumpur studio. A single violin often takes hundreds of hours to make by hand. Wow, it takes forever because, yeah, it is never complete. Just like car, you can polish every day. Tan crafts up to 10 instruments a year. He says his work requires a particular mindset. We are all crazy. All the luthiers in this workshop, you see, they're all crazy. We just love our work too much, you know. Half of Tan's clients come from abroad, including France, Germany, and Hong Kong. Each violin sells for around $14,000. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Man's best friend is now helping to sniff out diseases threatening pollinators that are vital for the planet. Honeybee researchers at Michigan State University are counting on an English springer spaniel named Maple to help keep nature's pollinators in good health. The idea with the dogs is that they can work as a screening tool. So we have beekeepers that have, you know, 5,000, 10,000 colonies, and it's very hard to go through them with enough rigor to actually see all of the disease. It's a cool project, but I was over the moon excited because my dog would still have joy in her life and would still be able to work. Meet Maple, the nine-year-old English springer spaniel who used to work for law enforcement, but now she's helping researchers at Michigan State University to sniff out danger to honeybees. Clad in a yellow protective suit, complete with a veil for her head and boots to protect her paws from stepping on bees, Maple races between hive boxes to sniff out the correct one. She's training to screen out honeybee diseases like American foulbrood, which can lead to a whole colony's death. Bees are an important part of our biodiversity, pollinating a large number of plants that humans rely on. But bees and other pollinators have been on the decline for years, from disease to insecticides and a lack of diverse food supply. While Maryland's agriculture department has used canine detection in beehives before, Michigan State's objective is to teach others to do it, and that's where Maple comes in. As she trains on beehives, the researchers video and document the whole process. They'll be compiled into a book so that others can train their own dogs to help sniff out honeybee diseases and help the planet. And that's all for today's news. For around the clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.