NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Oct. 16)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump issuing a harsh warning to Hamas. Let's see, he says he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin eyeing a ninth peace deal. Mario Tsu with updates from the White House. Trump announces that India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia. Arian Pazdar has how India's foreign minister is now responding. Former Trump National Security Advisor John Bolton has been indicted. What are the 18 charges against him? Democrats reject a bill to reopen the government for the 10th time. House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries makes it clear that Democrats will consider ending the shutdown only when their policy demands are met. Luis Eduardo Martinez reports. President Trump confirms he's authorized CIA operations in Venezuela. The move marking a major escalation in his administration's crackdown on drug cartels and new pressure on the Maduro regime. Jack Bradley has the details. And a federal judge has ordered immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras. The Department of Homeland Security says demonstrators are impeding their enforcement efforts. That's after ICE receives 175,000 new employment applications. Jason Blair standing by with updates. This is NTD Evening News live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. President Trump saying he'll meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine. And the president issuing a new warning to Hamas. We now go live to NTD's Washington correspondent Mari Otsu who's at the White House. Good evening Mari. What is the latest on President Trump's announcement? Good evening. President Trump is saying that he's going to meet Russia's President Vladimir Putin in about two weeks in Budapest, Hungary. And that this meeting will come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, quote, very soon. Take a look. We're going to be meeting in Hungary. Viktor Orban is going to be hosting. And we think we're going to get, we hope we're going to get it stopped. This coming after President Trump called President Putin today, saying they spoke about U.S.-Russia trade when the war with Ukraine is over. The president calling it, quote, very productive. And as Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives in D.C. for his Oval Office meeting with President Trump Friday, where they're expected to talk about sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Meanwhile, President Trump issuing a harsh warning on Hamas. We're going to find out if they behave, if they behave good. If they don't behave, we'll take care of it. Saying if Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, quote, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. But the president clarifies there will be no U.S. boots on the ground in Gaza. Meanwhile, President Trump is announcing that the largest fertility drug manufacturer in the world, EMD Sirono, will significantly reduce the cost of fertility medication to help make IVF more affordable. We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children, the families I've always dreamed about. The fertility drugs will be available on TrumpRx.gov, EMD Sirono says, at an 84 percent discount. The White House saying that last year, 3.6 million babies were born in the U.S., half a million less babies than is ideal to replace our current population. But it turns out that it's about one in three families, a much higher number, that don't have the number of babies they desire. They're under-babied. President Trump is also saying that the White House is working to expand insurance for fertility care so that people could get fertility insurance like they would dental or vision. And this is now the third time in the past few weeks that the Trump administration has struck a deal with pharmaceutical companies to significantly lower drug prices. Tiff, back to you. All right, Mari, thanks for those updates. India's foreign ministry says it's not aware of a phone call yesterday between its prime minister and President Trump. Trump announced that India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia. NTD's international correspondent Aryan Pasdar has the latest. I'm not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders. A spokesman for India's foreign ministry on Thursday, responding to comments made by President Trump. On Wednesday, Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him the country will no longer buy oil from Russia. He's assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia. I don't know, maybe that's a breaking story. Can I say that? Would you say? There will be no oil. He's not buying his oil from Russia. It's started. According to Trump, the agreement was made during a phone call between himself and Modi. But Trump didn't specify whether the call took place on Wednesday or sometime before that, while India's spokesperson said only that no call took place on Wednesday. And Russia is also weighing in on Trump's comments. We rely upon the on the official statement issued by the India's foreign ministry. These statements are available to everyone. Therefore, we rely upon them. India hasn't publicly confirmed or denied Trump's assertion. And Treasury Secretary Scott Besant says the US hopes Japan will also stop buying Russian energy. Besant met with Japan's finance minister, saying they discussed the administration's The US says those countries should stop doing business with Russia because Moscow uses the money to finance the war in Ukraine. And in other Russia related news, the European Union unveils a plan to be ready to fend off any Russian attack by the end of the decade. Russia has no capacity to launch an attack on European Union today, but it could prepare itself in the years to come. Danger will not disappear even if the war in Ukraine will end. A top priority would be the so-called drone wall, which the bloc now calls the European Drone Defense Initiative. This would erect drone defenses to detect, track and disable unidentified drones. The plan follows a series of troubling airspace violations against NATO members over the last month, such as Germany, Belgium, Poland and others. The drone initiative is part of a broader plan dubbed the Eastern Flank Watch. It aims to strengthen defenses along Europe's eastern border on land, in the Baltic and Black Sea, and in the air, as well as against hybrid attacks. The drone initiative is set to be operational by 2027, and the Eastern Flank Watch by 2028. Aryan Pasdar, NTD News. In the Middle East, some newly released hostages have returned to their homes in Israel. This comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to bring back the bodies of all deceased hostages from the Gaza Strip. NTD's Jason Perry has the details. A crowd in Israel cheered for newly released hostage Eitan Horn as he returned to his home on Thursday. He was freed from Hamas captivity on Monday and is returning to his home after two years. I'm completely fine. I'm home. I always believed I would come home and this is thanks to all the people of Israel. Only because of the people. Only because of the people I'm here. His brother, seen wearing a red shirt, was also held hostage in the Gaza Strip and was released in February. Eitan was visibly moved as he watched from the window while the crowd cheered that he was back home. So happy that he's home, that his father, that his mother, that his brothers get to see him again and to hug him. And in a different part of Israel, another crowd welcomed newly released hostage Nimrod Cohen. His neighbor said he was so happy that Cohen returned home. I'm living in the street so every day we are passing by the house of his parents. We see every time the signs and it's a very, very, very joyful day. Meanwhile, another newly released hostage attended the funeral of an Israeli soldier whose body was recently returned from the Gaza Strip. He died for his country, truly. Anyone who was lucky enough to know him knows. This is a man who is a symbol, simply a symbol in this country. He is a hero of Israel. And on Thursday, two funerals were held for hostages whose bodies were recently returned by the Hamas terrorist group. There are still 19 bodies of deceased hostages that Hamas has not yet returned. A Hamas representative in Lebanon said it was difficult for the group to find the bodies in the Gaza Strip. And he said Hamas is requesting equipment to be brought in to remove the rubble to help recover the bodies. And on the same day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is committed to bringing the bodies of all the hostages home. And in another development, Israel reported killing the chief of the general staff of the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen. The Houthis have fired missiles and attacked drones at Israel, saying it's in support of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. And the Houthis said they were monitoring Israel to see whether they would abide by the ceasefire agreement. And the Houthis added that the conflict with Israel has not ended. John Bolton, President Trump's former national security advisor, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Maryland. The Justice Department sought the indictment over alleged unlawful handling of classified information. An investigation says that Bolton used a private AOL email account to store and transmit classified notes during his 2018-2019 White House tenure in the first Trump administration. In August 2025, the FBI conducted a search on Bolton's Bethesda home and Washington office, where agents seized devices and documents marked secret or confidential, including materials on weapons of mass destruction. The indictment charges Bolton with 18 counts of transmitting and retaining national defense information. Bolton's attorney previously denied wrongdoing. It is day 16 of the government shutdown as Democrats have dug in on their positions, while Republicans are trying new ways to fund at least the essential parts of the federal workforce. Our Washington correspondent Luis Adorno Martinez has more. Continue to maintain the position. We will sit down, have a bipartisan discussion to reopen the government, to address the Republican health care crisis, and to enact a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people, because the American people are suffering. Democrats maintain that they will not consider reopening government unless their policy demands are met. This, despite the fact that the lapsed levels of government funding were set by Democrats, and despite the fact that the health care program that they allege is not providing for the American people and which has enhanced health care tax credits expiring by the end of the year, was established and set by Democrats. We are not asking Democrats to swallow any new Republican policies. We're not asking them to swallow any partisan policy riders. We're simply asking them to extend current funding levels for a few weeks while we work on full year appropriations. The Republican proposal to reopen government would extend current levels of government funding to allow for a regular appropriations process that would also include negotiations addressing Democratic health care concerns. We're going to debate and discuss that, and there are debates and discussions going on on our side of the aisle and on theirs, but to get everybody together and build that consensus is not possible until we get the government operating again and we stop holding, we stop, I'm sorry, we stop, I get very upset about that, we stop holding the American people hostage for these ridiculous political games. Senate Republicans put the House passed defense appropriations bill to a vote as part of the new strategy of continuing the regular appropriations process despite being in a government shutdown. So that if we can't reopen the entire government, we can at least make some progress toward securing paychecks for our troops and for defending our country. So this is Democrats' chance to make good on that promise. Democrats in the Senate rejected the House passed defense appropriations bill that would have extended annual funding for the Department of War. This means that active duty military personnel could miss their first paycheck starting next week. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. President Trump confirming for the first time that he has authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela. The move comes amid U.S. military strikes on drug trafficking boats that were leaving Venezuela and bound for the U.S. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. President Trump says he's given the green light for covert CIA missions in Venezuela. It's part of the administration's crackdown on drug cartels. I authorized for two reasons really. Number one, they have emptied their prisons into the United States of America. And the other thing of drugs, we have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela. And Trump says his administration is now looking at striking cartels inside Venezuela. We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control. Every boat that we knock out, we save 25,000 American lives. At sea, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday that it seized more than 100,000 pounds of cocaine since August in an operation called Pacific Viper. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro of aiding drug cartels to flood American streets with fentanyl and cocaine. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death of Americans age 18 to 45, killing around 100,000 every year. The U.S. has a 50 million dollar bounty leading to Maduro's arrest. And when asked if that means the CIA could target Maduro, Trump responded. Oh, I don't want to answer a question like that. That's a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn't it be a ridiculous question for me to answer? But I think Venezuela is feeling heat, but I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat, too. This comes after a string of U.S. military actions on suspected drug trafficking boats off the Venezuelan coast. U.S. forces have carried out at least five strikes on vessels, all said to be tied with Venezuelan drug cartels. The White House says that these operations will continue as necessary, all to combat what it calls a narco state. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. A federal judge has ordered immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras. The judge said she was, quote, a little startled after seeing tear gas and other measures being used against protesters. District Judge Sarah Ellis pointed to images and footage of clashes between agents and demonstrators. Ellis said, quote, I live in Chicago, folks have a notice, and I'm not blind, right? Ellis ruled last week that agents in the area must wear badges as well. A Justice Department attorney said the images and footage in question were from, quote, one-sided and selectively edited media reports. He also said it wouldn't be possible to immediately distribute body cameras. Protesters have gathered outside ICE facilities and have filmed incidents involving agents in the nation's third largest city. The Department of Home and Security says demonstrators are impeding their enforcement efforts. DHS added that immigration officers have been subjected to increasing violence and doxing. ICE has recently received 175,000 new employment applications, according to the Department of Home and Security. The department is looking to beef up deportations as immigration officers are facing protests as well as harassment around the country. Joining us live now is NTD correspondent Jason Blair, who's been following this topic. Good evening, Jason. What is the latest on the new applications? Hey, Tiffany. Yeah, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, did confirm that 175,000 new applicants have been sent applications in for the ICE workers. And she told Breitbart's Alex Marlow that the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. might be as many as 20 million, so they are looking to increase deportations. Here's Really is encouraging to see the patriots see through the charade of the media. They want to enforce the rule of law and they want to protect our homeland. This as the number of protests have been increasing and ongoing against ICE agents, as well as reports of them being harassed and sometimes even boxed in while they are out on the field. Back to you. And Jason, speaking of ICE, you were just in Portland covering the protests outside the ICE facility there now after spending almost a week in Portland. Can you describe for us what it's like there? Yeah, one interesting thing about Portland is there aren't, there isn't any ongoing police presence, as you might normally see, at least in any protest I've been in other cities. There is a ongoing police presence, making sure people are staying safe, maybe separating two groups if necessary. However, that isn't happening in Portland. Sometimes they show up if there's a They might make an arrest, but then they leave and it's kind of mostly people just hanging out, standing around in front of the ICE facility, waiting for the agents to come out. They normally won't come out unless they want to move vehicles in and out of the facility. In that case, they do come out and try to clear the way. And when that happens is when things can get a little testy between the protesters, sometimes a lot with clashes happening. So it can seem like a normal, almost random block party if you walk in. But after being there a few days, I have noticed that behind the scenes, there is some organizing going on some Antifa, possibly Antifa affiliated individuals. I've seen them posted in certain locations regularly, almost all the time since I have been there. Another thing is I also saw lawyers and legal workers from the National Lawyers Guild coming there in the evening, they can be identified with their green hats, they are often observing, taking notes. And they have a history, that group has a history of being associated with radical revolutionary groups in the past. And also one time on Monday, there was a U-Haul parked and most likely Antifa related people were unhauling a bunch of supplies on one of the sidewalks and had kind of taken over this entire sidewalk with tents, etc. and other supplies. So after being there a while without the police there, it kind of felt like you were almost on Antifa's turf. So there's a lot going on in Portland, often more than meets the eye. Back to you. Well, Jason, thanks for that. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry shares details about the new detention facility, Louisiana Lockup, tonight on Capitol Report. Here's a preview. I tell you what, there's way more due process in the United States than there is in any other country. Anyone who says that, I challenge them to go try to illegally enter another country. Like try to go illegally enter Mexico and see what kind of due process you get. The governor also talks about his request to have the National Guard deployed to New Orleans and his executive order to prevent Chinese AI from infiltrating Louisiana schools. Catch it all tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Coming up as another round of No Kings protests are scheduled to kick off this weekend. We'll hear from folks in D.C. for their thoughts on the message. The Department of Transportation is pulling back funding from the Golden State, saying truck drivers were not required to demonstrate English proficiency. And the race for New York City Mayor heats up. Mamdani, Cuomo and Tsleil-Waututh face off tonight in their first televised debate, clashing over crime, housing and the future of Rikers Island. That and more when we return. Shen Yun Creations, the streaming platform from Shen Yun, featuring world-class dance. Past programs and all original music. Masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy and more. Explore ShenYunCreations.com. So at the age of five, I was sexually molested. I had my first child at the age of 15 and became homeless at the age of 16. The scariest part about not having a place to live was having a child and not having a place to live and not knowing where our meal was going to come from and where we're going to sleep. To be homeless as a teen, I didn't ask for that. No young person should ever have to worry about having a safe place to sleep at night or a warm meal to eat or whether anyone cares about them. One in 10 young adults will experience a form of homelessness this year and that's unacceptable. But the good news is there is an organization making a big difference, Covenant House. Call or go online now for a gift of only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, you can provide hot meals, safe shelter, medical care and love to more than 2,000 young people who sleep at a Covenant House every night. For over 50 years, Covenant House has been helping youth in crisis. It was pretty tough, but Covenant House really helped me and really helped mold me into the woman I am today. Call or go online right now to safeplacetosleep.org with your gift of just $19 a month. With your monthly donation, you'll receive this soft, comforting blanket as a reminder of the warmth and safety your gift will provide a young person tonight. I have no words to express how Covenant House changed my life. They gave me the love that I needed. They just really genuinely just wanted to help me succeed and I'm succeeding. Your $19 monthly gift is urgently needed to reach other young people who are facing unimaginable situations. Call or go online to safeplacetosleep.org. Your support makes the work of Covenant House possible. Thank you for caring. Did you know Mathis Home has been giving their customers the best styles and value for 65 years? Come celebrate with 65th anniversary savings on everything in the store. This set is a great deal. You get the modern trestle table with four comfy side chairs, the complete set for just $889. With over 100 dining sets in stock, you're sure to find the one just right for your family and get free delivery. Get your new dining room now with 65th anniversary savings at your furniture superstore, Mathis Home. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. President Trump plans to have a new monument in the nation's capital, a triumphal arch. Trump personally came up with the design to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary next summer. According to a White House official, small models have been made of the arch, which resembles France's Arc de Triomphe. The monument would be placed in a traffic circle near the Arlington Memorial Bridge, but it is unclear how the project will be funded or when it could be built. Another round of no kings demonstrations are said to take place this weekend across the nation. What do people make of this messaging against President Trump? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. Is President Trump a king? I don't think he's a king. I think he's doing a great job to be honest. I think everything he's doing, he's fought every step of the way, but he's doing, in my opinion, doing a great job against all odds. I think I know the history pretty well. I'm not an expert on the constitution or anything, but there are so many restrictions on that. Whoever may be listening or watching, I just encourage them to look up themselves. If not, wait three or four years. What do you make of the messaging here, no kings? I think it's important. I think America was birthed out of wanting to get away from a single ruler. We want to live in a democracy, and it feels like every day we're seeing something new come up where it's chipping away at that. I'm a fan. I'm going to be there in Nashville. I was just thinking about what sign I want to make. I think the war on education, on teachers right now, is a big problem for me. I'm an educator. His administration has cut almost every special education job in the federal office, which is going to affect a lot of students and a lot of families. Are you seeing the ramifications of that yourself? Not right now, but I do think we are at a time where American nationalist movement is dividing our country. What do you make of this message here, no kings? I don't really understand it. I don't look at him as a king by any means. He's a leader of our country. He's fighting for us, and he's freeing hostages as we speak. I feel like his heart is with the country, and I feel like we've lost that a little bit. I just want to add that as well. I'd say he unites us, and he's a good leader. And we love his gear. President Trump has been saying that every step of the way, every time when he does something, there's always legal pushback. He's fought every step of the way by these courts, by these judges who are not elected by the people, but appointed by somebody else. That's an indication that he's not a king. What do you tell us on that? I think he's right. He has gotten a lot of pushback, but I think that's for a reason. I think he's trying to put more of a value on a certain person's life over another, and I think that that's wrong. And what do you say to people who think that President Trump is trying to become a king? What are your thoughts? Well, I would just encourage them again to look at the Constitution for themselves, and recite it to themselves, and look at the restrictions of the 21st Amendment, the 20th Amendment. We all have that instinct to be the drum major, but maybe it's this time where we just want to take that humble step back and say we're not. The Department of Transportation is holding back $41 million from California. Federal officials say the state was not ensuring that truck drivers pass English proficiency tests. And DDS' David Lam reports. The Trump administration is withholding $40.6 million in transportation funding from California. The Transportation Department said on Wednesday an investigation found that California failed to comply with the federal English-language proficiency requirements for truck drivers. California, Washington, and New Mexico were given until September 26th to comply with the new rules. But California officials say they are in compliance and do require proficiency tests for commercial drivers. The governor's spokesperson added that state license holders had a fatal crash rate nearly 40 percent lower than the national average. But Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on X, the Golden State thinks it's okay to ignore English-language requirements for truckers. You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of American lives. This comes after issues came up this year with truck drivers who have limited English-language skills. In a video widely circulated on X, an Indian national was accused in August of causing an accident that killed three people in Florida after allegedly making an illegal U-turn with a truck. Harjinder Singh had obtained a commercial driver's license in 2024 from California, despite being in the country illegally. Officials said he did not pass English or road tests. Duffy says California is the only U.S. state that refuses to ensure truck drivers can read road signs and communicate with law enforcement. On September 29th, California's Department of Transportation issued an emergency ruling that prohibits the state from issuing or renewing limited-term legal commercial driver's licenses to non-citizens. David Lam, NTD News, California. California is set to become the first state to offer affordable insulin through a state-backed program. Governor Gavin Newsom says the program will directly lower costs for patients. NTD's Christina Corona tells us more. California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday that beginning next year, residents with diabetes can buy state-branded insulin at sharply lower prices. Starting January 1st, 2026, Californians will be able to buy five packs of insulin pins for a maximum of $55 per pack or $11 per pen. An agreement between Civica Rx, a non-profit generic drug maker, and Biocon Biologics allows Californians to buy an interchangeable insulin glargine pen under the CalRx brand at affordable prices. This again is part of a new initiative to fundamentally lower health care costs. Newsom says the state-backed insulin program is different from past efforts because it actually lowers prices for patients rather than just shifting costs around. The CalRx program was created following Newsom's 2019 executive order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs and increasing price transparency. We are taking out the middlemen and we are fundamentally reducing the cost to individuals, ultimately extending that to taxpayers themselves. The CalRx insulin glargine pens can be used in place of Lantis, a daily insulin, which costs pharmacies over $92, though consumer prices vary by insurance. California pharmacies will be able to buy the state-branded insulin for $45 each. You don't need a new prescription. You just simply transition to this biosimilar insulin that now is being provided under this first-in-the-nation branding, CalRx. Right now in California, insulin prices vary widely. Newsom said the lowest average price is around $89 while some cost as much as $411. Eight million Americans and more than a million Californians depend on insulin every day. For them, insulin is a life-saving medicine, not a choice, not a luxury, and it's not something they can cut back on when finances are tight. The launch comes during the state's ongoing effort to lower prescription drug prices and improve medication access statewide. Christina Corona, NTD News. The race for New York City mayor is entering its final stretch with just a few weeks to go before Election Day. Democratic Socialist and frontrunner Zora Mamdani, former governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Leewell will face off tonight in their first televised debate. The candidates are expected to clash over key issues including crime, housing, and the future of Rikers Island. Cuomo is pushing to rebuild the jail complex while Mamdani wants to close it and a plan Cuomo calls reckless and a blueprint for chaos. Meanwhile, outgoing Mayor Eric Adams is staying on the sidelines, declining to endorse anyone for now, but vowing to, quote, keep socialism out of New York City. Coming up, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet again, this time in Hungary. A foreign policy and national security analyst joins us to unpack today's phone call between the two leaders. And Britain publishes evidence tied to a now-collapsed Chinese spying case. The documents detail malign Chinese activity but did not clearly state that China poses a threat to UK national security. Welcome Hudson has details on that when we come back. I am so glad you ladies are here. You each have your own rooms. Thank you. Get settled in. I'll call you for dinner. Adopting teen sisters? It's a lot. Girls, you're gonna be late. You want breakfast? No, thanks. We're good. They're always in their own world. Twice the work. Twice the surprises. Just try it. But if you think of it that way, they're also twice as fulfilling. I think you should ask her yourself. Is it okay to call you 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. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. During President Trump's two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the recent peace deal in the Middle East came up and Trump said he believes that will help in negotiating the end of the Russia-Ukraine war. Both sides said the call was productive and have planned a meeting in Hungary. Trump also discussed potential trade with Russia once the war ends. To unpack the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations, we have Armin Kurdian, foreign policy and national security analyst and retired U.S. Navy captain. Armin, thank you so much for joining us. First, what do you make of this call and how will it fit into the meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky tomorrow? Hi, Tiffany. Putin sees that the U.S. was considering Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, so he's going to try to call to defuse the situation. Oh, yes, we're going to work towards and, frankly, try to sell Donald Trump another bill of goods. I'm hopeful that he won't fall for it this time. I really don't have any expectations of anything to come out of the call between Trump and Putin. I mean, I applaud him for making a sincere effort, but Putin is going to continue to try to extend this war as long as he possibly can. So, I make more of the same out of this. I know Trump is not happy with Putin because he does not like being made a fool of on the world stage. Putin would have to do something very, very tangible and specific in an exceptionally short time frame or even ahead of this meeting with him in Hungary for Trump to really give him credence. And as for the main topics tomorrow, you did mention the Tomahawk missiles and also potentially air defense is going to come up to pressure Russia. Now, in your view, what would be the turning point in this war? Long-range missiles, permission for Ukraine to fire into Russia, or economic pressure? What would that look like? It has to really be a combination of both. Now, Tomahawk missiles are very useful against ground targets. They are also equipped with GPS anti-jam systems, very highly advanced navigation systems that can follow a nap of the earth and attack their targets. It has to be a particular coordinate, so buildings or parked aircraft or an oil facility, that kind of thing, and they can travel a very, very long distance into Russia. The drawback is the further they have to go, the greater of a chance that they might be spotted, that they could be detected on radar. Not easy to do, but could still be done. If they shoot them down, the technology could be compromised as well. I would venture to guess that if we do send Tomahawks over to Ukraine, we'd probably send them the oldest versions because missiles do have an expiration date, even though we've been using a lot of Tomahawk missiles as of late. As for air defense as well, Ukraine needs better air defenses against drones. Aircraft coming in, they're onesie-twosie coming and launching bombs, but when you have dozens, even hundreds of drones crossing over, you need different kinds of air defenses. You need jammers. You need other kinds of systems that can take out large swaths of drones all at the same time. Ukraine has said that simple guys out there with shotguns have been about as effective as surface-to-air missiles in taking these drones out. The call also mentioned Hungary as a potential place for another Trump-Putin meeting after the Alaska summit recently. Now, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban is posting saying Hungary is the island of peace and that preparations for the summit are underway. What role do you expect Orban to play in the negotiations? Well, Orban has been a, I would say, relative ally of the United States as of late, more so than Russia. So maybe if you want to dig for something, you can say that Putin is accepting to have a that is more aligned with the U.S. I mean, he did fly out to Alaska as well. I would venture to guess that Hungary is also going to be very concerned about Russia's deigns on Eastern Europe, near Poland. A lot of the incursions that have happened on a lot of the NATO countries on Russia's border, Denmark, the Baltics, this is all very, very serious. So he has something to gain as well from an end to this conflict. But I don't believe he's going to want to see the U.S. allow Russia to accept all of these gains because it would be deleterious to a lot of those Eastern European nations to see the U.S. just allowing Russia to keep a lot of that territory, wondering, well, if they come into Hungary, or they come into Poland, or they come into Latvia, is the U.S. going to allow the same kind of thing? Or is NATO not going to invoke, I believe, Article 5 in case of an invasion? And Putin in the call also thanked First Lady Melania Trump for her work advocating for children. That's after she announced last week that eight Ukrainian children were reunited with their families. Now her team engaged in behind-the-scenes work with Russian officials for months to make this happen. Is it rare to see a first lady engaged in diplomatic work like this? No, not at all. We've seen a lot of first ladies throughout history engage either on a local level or an international level on their own volition. They're not employees of the United States, but nevertheless, they are one of the two formal residents of the White House, if you will, in this case. So what she has done is truly amazing. We can't forget, however, that while she was able to secure the release of these eight kids, I don't know how many thousands more that Russia basically kidnapped and stole from the Ukraine, which is a story we kind of keep forgetting. We've been talking so much about the return of all these hostages that have been held in Gaza, while all these kids that were taken from Ukraine are still in Russia somewhere, and they're being held. And that in and of itself is quite a very serious crime. So she's got these eight kids home, and I was really hoping that I would see a lot more from the mainstream media about what Russia is doing with these kids, but I've hardly heard higher than I heard. I mean, to your point, I believe that is why Putin has that international arrest warrant out for him. It is the issue of the children. But Armin Kurdian, as always, thank you so much for joining us. Thanks, Tiffany. Have a good evening. Turning now to China, British Prime Minister Stalmer published a senior official's evidence relating to a now-collapsed Chinese spying case. He is seeking to show that the case did not collapse because of government manipulation. The documents detail malign Chinese activity, but did not clearly state that China poses a threat to UK national security. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more for us. Witness statements submitted by the British government in a now-collapsed spy case reveal details of the Chinese Communist Party's espionage operations in the UK. The statements were sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, before it decided it would not prosecute Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. The two men were accused of passing sensitive information from Parliament to the CCP. Both pleaded not guilty and have continued to deny all accusations. Deputy National Security Advisor Matt Collins wrote in a December 2023 statement that the the UK, including in the government, in industry and in research sectors. In a February 2024 document, Collins said China and the UK benefit from trade and investment, but added China also presents the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security. And in an August 2025 statement, he said Chinese intelligence services are highly capable and conduct large-scale spy operations to advance the interests of the Chinese state and harm the interests and security of the UK. Collins, however, emphasised that the UK government is committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China, quoting the Labour Party's stance that the UK will co-operate with, compete with and challenge China. The CPS decided the government's evidence did not prove that China was a national security threat to the UK at the time of the alleged offences. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the government should have provided evidence to the CPS that showed that China was a threat. There are examples that they could have pointed to about China hacking into Whitehall government systems. They did not provide any of that. And they were informed that the spy case was collapsing. They could have intervened to stop it. They didn't because they're too weak to stand up to China. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted that his government is not responsible for the trial collapsing and has instead sought to blame the previous Conservative government. MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum said he's frustrated by the collapse of the spy trial and said that Chinese state actors present a daily threat to the UK's national security. Every day in life. I've described that today. I've described it in previous years. That will continue to be true as a whole series of different vectors of national security activity that we deal with. He said security services had carried out an operation against a threat from China in the past week. He also highlighted attempts by China to carry out cyber espionage, clandestine technology transfers, efforts to interfere covertly in UK public life and the harassment and intimidation of opponents, including pro-democracy activists. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News. Coming up in the NFL, it's the league's icy hot bowl as a pair of 40-something quarterbacks square off tonight in Cincinnati. Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we come back. Food. It fuels our bodies, nourishes our spirits and brings us together because we all need nutritious food to thrive. Food gives me energy and it also helps me focus. But not everyone knows where their next meal is coming from. And one in seven people in America face hunger. It's tougher than ever for too many of us. But the simple truth is ending hunger is possible and it starts with you. Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, just 63 cents a day. To help families in your community facing hunger. Feeding America works from coast to coast with partner food banks, food pantries and meal programs. Your monthly gift delivers food where it's needed most, puts fresh food on the table and helps kids have healthy meals all year round, even when school is out. You can see the difference with the kids when they're full. Food is everything. Please call the number on your screen or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org. Give $19 a month. Your first gift can double in impact and we'll send you this free canvas grocery bag as a reminder of how you're helping to end hunger for good. When it comes down to it, it's about taking care of your family first and the loved ones that you need to provide for. Food donations help me tremendously and I'm very grateful for the food bank. I have hope. The simple truth is ending hunger in America is possible. You can help make it happen. The need is urgent. Call or go online now to helpfeedingamerica.org and your gift can double in impact. First time that I went to see him, a lot of stuff came into my mind because I wasn't prepared at all. I know the 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 gonna support him from wherever he wants to be. Whether you 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. And now for sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, plenty going on right now, but let's start in baseball. Last game to have the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers is already in progress. What is the latest in that one? Yeah, it's one to one right out in the second inning. Now, Shohei Ohtani already let off this game with a triple and he already scored there in the first inning for the Dodgers. Meanwhile, the Brewers then tied it up in the second inning. Of course, it's very early. Meanwhile, for the Brewers, they're already down 2-0 entering this game. They almost have to win this one to stay in this series. If they fall behind 3-0, only one team in the history of baseball's playoffs of 100-plus years has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, although it scores Boston over the Yankees back in the 2004 ALCS. So it's pretty much a must-win tonight for Milwaukee. Now, for the Dodgers, they've been winning, but without really Shohei Ohtani hitting, at least until tonight. They've really been there starting pitching. Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto especially have been very dominant. A combined 5-1 in these playoffs. It's really taken the heat off Ohtani. Now, he had two home runs in the first two games of the playoffs. Those were against the Cincinnati Reds in the wildcard round. Since then, though, against the Phillies and the Brewers, coming into tonight, I guess including tonight, he's down 3-for-26, and that triple was his first extra base since. Now, granted, there's only been six total games, and the Phillies and Brewers have very good pitching. They're also putting those left-handers against Ohtani, but he is the best hitter in the National League, so I'm expecting to see a little more out of him. Probably will be soon. It's gonna say a lot at stake. Later on tonight, though, Game 4 of the ALCS gets underway in Seattle, and Toronto got a big win last night, though. Yeah, Toronto had a huge win. 13-4 last night in Game 3. They had five home runs in the route. Vlad Guerrero Jr. went 4-for-4, two doubles, a home run, reached base all six times. That is the Vlad that we know. On the mound, Shane Bieber then was very good for Toronto. Six innings, allowed two runs, struck out eight, getting the win. Now, this much more resembled a team that really blew out the Yankees in the ALDS when they scored 34 runs in those four games. Still, though, they're trailing in this series two games to one. Now, meanwhile, tonight for Toronto, three-time Cy Young winger Max Scherzer is on the mound making his first postseason start for the Blue Jays. Seattle, meanwhile, will start Luis Castillo here. He'll be in Seattle tonight starting at 8.30 Eastern time. You got all that, too? You have plenty of time to get home to make that game. We've got other stuff going on tonight. All right, well, moving to college football news, though. The Indiana Hoosiers have announced a new eight-year contract with football coach Kurt Cignetti worth close to $100 million. How much do you think the firing of Penn State's James Franklin had to do with this deal? I mean, probably a fair amount. I mean, Cignetti, though, he was going to be a hot candidate this offseason anyway for any job, you know. He is 17-2 now in his second season at Indiana. They won a school record 11 games last year. He's on pace to exceed that this year. They're already up to a 6-0 start with a win against Oregon there. This is really their best two-year stretch in school history. Their current ranking is number three in the country. That's the best, the highest they've ever been. Now, the Hoosiers traditionally have been known as a basketball school. I think there were questions of whether they could ever win in football. Cignetti has certainly answered that as a yes. Now, this deal averages $11.5 million a year, making him the third highest paid coach in the country. Now, as far as Penn State's opening goes, the guy who looks like the obvious choice is Nebraska head coach Matt Rule. Now, Rule played at Penn State in the 90s, a linebacker under Joe Paterno, and he's very good as Penn State's athletic director, Pat Kraft. So, we'll have to see what Penn State or Matt Rule decides in the offseason. But anyway, it looks like Cignetti is out of their plans. A lot of money, but what is it after taxes? Yeah, exactly. You know, he's probably only got $50 or $60 million, so jokes on him pretty much, right? Shifting gears to the NFL, though, the Steelers and Bengals play tonight in a game that's been dubbed as the icy hot ball. Where did they come up with this nickname? Well, this came up during Aaron Rodgers' post-game interview there with the Steelers on Sunday while discussing his game against fellow 40-something-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco. I think Rodgers was 41, Flacco was 40. Now, one of his teammates nearby during the press conference, I think it was Connor Haywood, just started saying icy hot ball, referring to how old they are, talking about this, and everyone laughing. And the name has really stuck since then. Now, previously, Tom Brady and Drew Breeze were the only other pair to play against each other on quarterback while being 40 years old or more, so this is the second time here. Now, for Flacco, this is his second start with the Bengals this season after four for Cleveland. Rodgers, meanwhile, for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh's 4-1. Rodgers in the top 10, both pass rating and passing touchdowns. It looks like he will not have to contend with Bengals' all-pro defensive end Troy Hendrickson. ESPN is reporting he's out tonight with a hip injury. He was listed as questionable. The game starts at 8.15 Eastern time. It is on Amazon Prime. It'll be in Cincinnati. Steelers are 5.5-point favorites, so just an FYI for your fantasy football team, Tiff, because obviously we're in contention, so any little edge I can have to pass your team would be great. Well, let's find out on Monday. Well, Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Thank you, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. For on-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.