NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (March 14)

Our top story tonight, President Trump threatens more strikes on what he calls Iran's crown jewel. The president saying he spared the Karg Islands oil infrastructure, but would reconsider strikes should Iran interfere with ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Insights with David Blackman, energy policy analyst and advisor. President Trump also saying on Truth Social today that some other countries would help the U.S. protect the Strait of Hormuz. As the Iranian regime tries to weaponize the flow of energy, a congressman proposes a bill to de-risk Taiwan's energy sources. Retired U.S. Marine Colonel Grant Newsham on what this could mean for the U.S. and China. And a historic moment between the United States and Venezuela, the U.S. consulate raising the American flag in the capital city of Caracas. This is MTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Arlene Richards. Our top story, President Trump saying the U.S. has obliterated every military target on Iran's Karg Island, referring to it as the country's crown jewel. In his announcement yesterday, the president saying they've spared the island's oil infrastructure, while adding though he would reconsider that should Iran interfere with ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Karg Island sits roughly 16 miles off the coast of Iran. The eight square mile island is where roughly 90% of the oil it exports is pumped into super tankers, with most of it heading to China. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham praising President Trump's actions today, saying if Iran loses the ability to operate its oil infrastructure from the island, it will help shorten the war by annihilating Iran's economy. And in a true social post today, the president saying countries impacted by Iran's efforts to close the Strait of Hormuz will be sending in warships in a joint effort with the U.S. to keep the Strait open. The president didn't identify which governments are participating, but called on countries most affected by the closure like China, France, Japan and South Korea to join the effort. He cautioned that despite the successes of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, Iran's military may still have the capability to attack incoming ships, but said airstrikes are continuing to target Iran's naval capabilities and sites along the coastline. Earlier this week, the president called the U.S. the largest oil producer in the world, signaling that America is well protected despite the disruptions in the Middle East. Today marks a historic moment between the United States and Venezuela. For the first time in exactly seven years, the U.S. consulate raising the American flag in the capital city of Caracas. The U.S. embassy in Venezuela posting the announcement on X today saying, quote, a new era has begun for relations between the United States and Venezuela. We're staying with Venezuela. The U.S. captured former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in January, much to the celebrations of the country's citizens. From new developments in the Iran war to actions on energy and trade, plus celebrations at the White House for Women's History Month, where President Trump received a heartfelt medal. And it is Daniel Monahan with your White House Week in Review. President Trump says the Iranian regime is now severely hobbled as the Iran war continued this week. It doesn't mean we're going to end it immediately, but they are. They've got no Navy. They've got no Air Force. They've got no anti-air traffic, anything. They have no systems of control. The mullahs are desperate and scrambling. Like the terrorist cowards they are, they fire missiles from schools and hospitals. Iran responding with attacks on ships in the Gulf and neighboring countries. President Trump announcing the release of 172 million barrels We'll fill up our reserves. You know, if you remember, I filled them up. President Trump was in Ohio and Kentucky this week. Jobs, factories and new investments are pouring in as they do. We have added 70,000 new construction jobs. What Mr. Trump has taught me is courage. You know, we never back down from a fight, even if they're much bigger than you. A bartender telling President Trump what his historic tax cut means for her. This year, due to our president's no taxes, on tips and overtime policy, I got more year-end taxes back than I ever have, which has helped me get that much closer to my American dream. Do you have a doctor in the house, please? Doctor? Dr. Oz jumping into action after a woman suffered a medical episode during the president's speech in Kentucky. President Trump issued a proclamation marking U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. I think we are all seeing right now the threat this clerical regime poses to the region and to the world. They are trying to hold the world hostage. They are attacking their neighbors. President Trump called for protection for members of Iran's national women's soccer team. The president warning that players could face serious danger if they return to Iran after remaining silent during the national anthem at the Women's Asian Cup in Australia. Seven who requested asylum were allowed to stay in the country. President Trump was joined by the first lady as he signed a proclamation for Women's History Month. Well, we're here to celebrate Women's History Month today. We also are celebrating National Working Moms Day. U.S. Olympic bobsledder Callie Humphreys awarding the president with her Olympic Odra Vikos medal. So we only get one, but I want to recognize the support and the impact you've had on women's sports throughout the Olympic movement, specifically standing up to keep biological women in women's sports, to keep the field of play safe and allow for fair competition. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene in its effort to end temporary protected status for more than 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. And the Trump administration opened investigations into dozens of countries accused of failing to address forced labor. A separate probe targets unfair manufacturing processes. The investigations could result in new tariffs. Daniel Monahan, NTV News. Coming up, the president saying he'll consider more strikes on Karg Island should Iran interfere with ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Insights with David Blackman, energy policy analyst and advisor, when we return on NTD. Make sure you see it. Returns to David Koch Theater, March 25th through April 12th. Shenyun.com Hi, my name is Brady. When I was born, my parents thought everything was OK. My mom and dad were so excited to take me home. I still get goosebumps telling the story. Several days in, his skin started to become very cold and clammy. 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President Trump is threatening to go after critical energy infrastructure in Iran if the regime continues to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz. Here with insight on the president's strikes on the small but critical Karg Island, an Iranian oil hub, is David Blackman, energy policy analyst and advisor. He's also a senior contributor to Forbes. David, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Now, President Trump called the Karg Island Iran's crown jewel. How critical are its oil facilities to Iran's economy? Extremely so. It's 90% of Iran's crude exports go out of Karg Island. It's the main export terminal for that country and has been for many years now. So if they were to lose control of Karg Island, it would, you know, pretty much collapse the Iranian economy. A huge portion of the government's income is derived from crude oil sales. So it would be pretty hard to see how Iran's government could survive without control of that island. OK, so you talk about them surviving without control. But a notable point here is that a U.S.-based company called Amoco built the initial facilities on the island and operated them even before the Iranian regime seized them. So, David, this sounds similar to what happened in Venezuela. What do you think about this? Yes, you know, it's a complex history that goes back a long, long time. BP really was the first international oil company to get in to Persia at the time. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company is what BP is now. And that relationship goes back more than a century. But Amoco did come in in the late 1950s in a partnership with the government of Iran when it was still under Shah Reza Pahlavi's government and established the first terminal there at Karg Island and operated it until 1979, I think, when the Islamic Revolution took place and seized the island and all other international assets inside the country. So, yes, the U.S. company did partner with the government, what was that, 60-some-odd years ago and had a long history there before everything was seized. And then, like with Venezuela, the biggest beneficiary from these facilities is China. So when did this partnership begin, and how much of a boon has this been for both Iran and China? Well, it's been a pretty strong relationship, particularly when the United States government began imposing sanctions on Iran for its behavior, and that goes back well over a decade now. Russia had a relationship with Iran initially, but China came in and began importing crude from Iran 10, 12 years ago. And even through the really heavy sanction period that the United States and other countries have had on Iranian crude, China has continued to import pretty large volumes. More than half of Iran's export volumes go to either China or India prior to February 28. And, of course, now China is having to scramble to try to find sources to replace that crude, or at least much of it, while this conflict is going on. Now, there is some debate about whether the U.S. should seize the island facilities, and besides giving the U.S. leverage, this could bring in money to recover lost assets. Now, President Trump hasn't suggested this possibility, but what are your thoughts on a potential takeover? Well, if it could be executed, that would be a tremendous benefit to the security of the region, to have a country that, you know, is not a major sponsor of terrorism and wants to be a member of the community of nations in control of that export terminal would be a major benefit. The problem, of course, that the White House is dealing with is, if you do that, what kind of casualties are the American armed services going to suffer? And, of course, you always want to minimize that in a conflict like this. So Iran is still capable of defending that island, has apparently pretty heavy military installations designed to do that. And so it could be a pretty dangerous mission, and I think the White House is trying to think of alternatives before trying to mount that in order to keep casualties down to a minimum. And meanwhile, while they're considering their alternatives, we're seeing oil prices rise. Now, President Trump and world leaders are kind of working together to temper concerns. So here's what the president was talking about, disruptions on the Strait of Hormuz. Let's watch. With all of that, it affects other countries much more than it does the United States. It doesn't really affect us. We have so much oil. We have tremendous oil and gas, much more than we need. We have Venezuela now as our new partner, great partner. And just to note, David, AAA says U.S. gas prices are currently similar to the spring of 2024. So what are your thoughts on that? Yes, I think we've gained 60 cents or so in the price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States. And, of course, most Americans drive gas-powered cars, so it's hitting everyone's pocketbooks, and you hope that doesn't go on for too long. But the president is right in that our country is pretty secure energy-wise, just in terms of we produce most of the oil we need for our own uses here and import almost all of the rest of it from countries in the Western Hemisphere, friendly countries. So we're not in any danger, like China is experiencing right now, of having gas lines, shortages of gasoline and things like that happening in our country. But other countries that are heavily relied on Middle East are vulnerable to that right now. So we do enjoy that degree of energy security. But oil price, you know, you're at $100 crude oil, and I don't think all of that increase in crude prices has worked its way into gasoline prices yet. I suspect we're going to see gas prices continue to rise fairly substantially, even if the oil price stays where it is. Well, and speaking of energy security for the U.S., the president announced a new refinery that will be built in Texas. So do you see what's happening overseas as an example of how energy independence is actually really key for securing the U.S. economy? It really is, and that Brownsville, Texas, refinery would, if it is completed, and, you know, it's in the early stages right now, so it's a long way to go. But if it is completed, it would be able to process 164,000 barrels of oil every day. That would be a huge benefit. It would be the first major greenfield oil refinery opened in the United States since 1981. It's been a long time since anyone achieved that. And I think the United States would be well served to build a number of additional refineries. And one thing I hope comes out of this, what we're seeing now happening in the Persian Gulf, the other thing that needs to happen is for the countries in the Persian Gulf to invest in major new pipeline infrastructure to provide alternative means of getting their oil out of the Persian Gulf region, then continue to have the risk of being held hostage with the closing of the Strait of Hormuz. It's just that choke point has existed for a long time, and we've had all these disruptions over the years. And it's really time to look at alternatives like the East-West pipeline that exists in Saudi Arabia right now. You know, David, I think probably all these countries, as well as President Trump, are thinking of these alternatives, and we'll have to see how that all plays out. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. And coming up, as the Iranian regime tries to weaponize the flow of energy, a congressman proposes a bill to de-risk Taiwan's energy sources. Retired U.S. Marine Colonel Grant Newsham on what this could mean for the U.S. and China. Looking for a healthy and smooth-tasting brew? Drop by Day's Coffee Roasters today and explore our wide selection of specialty-grade, small-batch roasted coffee. Home to North America's first enzyme-fermented coffee, we source a wide selection of specialty-grade coffee beans from around the world, and our baristas are ready to craft your customized brew. Visit Day's Coffee at 28 North Street, Middletown, New York. Come experience a brew like no other. For the first time ever, we're bringing you MyPillow mattresses and mattress toppers for as low as $99.98. Remember, sleep's all about temperature and pressure points. Whatever sleep needs you have, we have the right technology for you. Like our MyPillow mattress topper, our queen size has over 10,000 individual comfort supports to help relieve your pressure points. And how about our 3-inch Hybrid Plus mattress topper? 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The biggest reward I get from being a dad is watching my kids accomplish a goal, watching them light up. Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face. So I make my kids a priority. Whether it's hitting a baseball, a dance rehearsal, you name it, I'm there. They're going to remember that they grew up loved. Be brave. Be there every day. And allow your kids to know that it's okay to struggle. That even dad doesn't know the answer sometimes, but we're going to figure it out together. As the Iranian regime tries to weaponize the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, a congressman is proposing a bill to strengthen energy trade between the U.S. and Taiwan, specifically with LNG or liquefied natural gas. The self-governing island relies heavily on imported fuel with its state-owned energy company, saying about a third of its oil and LNG came from the Middle East last year. And joining us now is Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine colonel, senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy and author of When China Attacks. Thank you so much for joining us. We're glad to be here. Now, Grant, Republic representative Pat Harrigan says energy is leverage and that threats like choke points on the Strait of Hormuz underscore that energy vulnerability is a national security risk. So what is your reaction to this bill? Well, he's absolutely right about this. We all talk a lot about submarines, anti-ship missiles, aircraft, et cetera, when it comes to defending Taiwan. And the reality is that Taiwan is immensely vulnerable in terms of its energy supplies. In fact, it's to the point where it would not last very long if they were cut. For example, it's got something like 11 days' worth of reserves for liquid natural gas. And think about that. We rely so heavily on Taiwan for semiconductors. You cut that, cut the energy supplies, and you don't have semiconductors. Once that happens, you will have really a recession bigger than Dallas or a really big one. Now, in a hypothetical attack on Taiwan or leading up to it, how could China exploit a dependence on energy from the Middle East for Taiwan? Well, all you have to do really is talk about a blockade, talk about cutting a sort of free flow of commerce and energy and other supplies to Taiwan. And then you start sailing your navy around just close enough to cause some concerns. At that point, shipping companies start to get very worried. Insurance rates go up. And you've roiled the markets. You've roiled Taiwan. And that's really all you have to do without firing a shot. You just have to really hit the confidence that people have in a secure, steady flow of energy into Taiwan. So speaking of flow of energy, Taiwan has been making an effort to diversify and buy more American energy. And it's reported that about 90 percent of Japan's crude oil comes from the Middle East. So how big of a risk is this for their national security as well as U.S. interests? Well, you really can't overstate it. The Japanese know that, as you just said, about 90 percent at least of their energy comes from the Middle East, a very dicey, vulnerable area. And cut that. And Japan really has no really good alternatives. Like a lot of places, it's spent too long thinking that it would always have the flow of energy from the Persian Gulf, from the Middle East, instead of diversify. Fortunately, the United States has a ton of oil and liquid natural gas. But everybody's late getting off the dependency that got on the Middle East. Well, you know, Trump has his eye on this, and he's pushing for more energy trade through his deals, including with Japan and Taiwan. So will expanding production in the U.S. be key if the U.S. plans to protect its interests in the Pacific? Definitely. You want to have your allies not just dependent on you, but it strengthens the relationship when they know that they can count on you to provide them the wherewithal they need for a modern industrial economy. And fortunately, because of the efforts that have been made in the United States over the last 20 years, we have got a lot of energy. Really, if you've been alive a long time, you know that for most of the time we were dependent on what came out of the Persian Gulf. And that handcuffed our political maneuvering. It made us economically vulnerable. And that expression, drill, baby, drill, is one that has really paid off and put us in a position where we have some control over this particular geopolitical fight that we're having with the Chinese. So there's an alternative to the Middle East. And fortunately, the United States provides that, not alone, but we do play a big role in it. Now, President Trump has been making some posts on True Social recently about this situation. And I want to get your thoughts on his message today. He's speaking about sending warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. He said on True Social, hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea and U.K. and others that are affected by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area. And that's a quote from his post. So how do you think China will respond to this? Well, it puts China in a difficult position, because if they get in on the game to escort tankers through the Persian Gulf, well, they've come down on the side of the United States. And China, of course, is very close to Iran, has been its main supporter. It's kept that regime alive. So they wouldn't be very happy on either side having to step in with the Americans basically to fight off Iranian attacks, Iranian aggression. But if China doesn't do it, at that point, well, China looks like a real outlier, almost like a rogue nation that thinks that it can on its own deal with the Iranians and settle the trades in Chinese currency. And at that point, China can't really straddle the fence and act like it's just a disinterested or neutral party. But it comes down against the free world, the civilized world as well. And at some point, the Americans just might make sure that Chinese tankers or Iranian tankers with Iranian oil in them going to China don't go through the Persian Gulf. There's no guarantee that those will go unscathed. So China just might find, if it tries to play that game, that it's not getting the oil from Iran. It's been fortunate to have successive U.S. administrations that have allowed Iranian oil to go to China. Really, despite U.N. resolutions and other legal restrictions on that. But the Trump administration just might cut that flow, and that would worry the Chinese an awful lot. They do depend on Middle Eastern oil. Now, so as you say, China depends a lot on Middle Eastern oil, so this is really impacting them. How do you think they are grappling with this war, and how do you think they're going to address it? Well, China doesn't really have any good alternatives at the moment, other than wait and see what happens and hope the Americans get stuck. And hope there's such economic turmoil around the world because of higher oil prices that the Americans have to back off, that President Trump has to declare victory. And they're also counting on domestic opposition in the United States to force President Trump's hand. But for now, that time hasn't arrived. But China has demonstrated that they don't have the ability to directly protect their overseas interests or their proxies, the countries which they say that they have comprehensive strategic partnerships when push comes to shove, and these countries get hammered by the Americans, the Israelis and others, that the Chinese show that they really can't do much. So they're sort of waiting and hoping for the best. And then, as they always do, they will look to come out of this with some benefit. But for now, they don't have very good options. Well, it'll be interesting to see when President Trump visits in the near future how that will all play out and what kind of deals maybe they'll make. Grant Newsham, thank you so much for joining us. Well, thank you for having me. Energy isn't the only area where China seeks an advantage. During a Senate hearing this week, military commanders facing questions about CCP-linked technology, China's presence in global ports and whether NATO allies are prepared to take a larger role in Europe's defense. And to these, Chris Bobb reports. North Korean troops and materiel, Iranian drone technology and Chinese economic support enable Moscow to sustain its war in Ukraine. On Capitol Hill Thursday, lawmakers questioning military leaders about vulnerabilities at home from the Chinese Communist Party, including how U.S. military equipment is tracked through wireless tags as it moves across the country and how prepared the U.S. is to take on China. One of the largest manufacturers of those tags and the technology is owned by a parent company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP could utilize these tracking technologies to monitor our military movements. What can we do about that? There are lots of other things that move in the commercial space, and that itself makes it very, very hard for folks to track our equipment. You know, with China, are we prepared with our current maritime industry to support a long-term conflict with a near-peer adversary? I'll tell you that if we were given the task to go today, we would all go. Senator Ted Budd pressing the head of U.S. Transportation Command on the risks posed by Chinese and Russian naval activity and commercial infrastructure overseas. What concerns does Transcom have regarding Chinese and Russian naval deployments and commercial investments in ports across the globe? When it comes to the Chinese fleet deployments, we go one step further to track their footprint infrastructure and what types of things that they put in place, mainly in seaports. So we keep a very close eye on their electronic systems, cranes. We work with port authorities to make sure that we know where those are, and then we operate in ways to circumvent that. With President Trump pushing NATO allies to spend 5% of GDP on defense, military officials updated the committee on improvements to the capabilities of allied forces, including the planned replacement of any technology made in China. If allies use part of this funding to rip and replace high-tech Chinese technology, how would that contribute to EUCOM's mission? Senator, we want Chinese technology out of anything related with the defense of the United States or Europe or across the alliance. And so we focus our efforts to help our allies identify where they have Chinese technology in their information networks, particularly their defense information networks. And then, you know, there's Chinese technology and ownership across much of the infrastructure that folks like General Reid would rely on to flow forces either across or into the continent. Do all of our NATO allies share our concern about Chinese technology? They absolutely understand the threat and the risk, and they take action. Hearing testimony confirmed that many European allies are already meeting or approaching 5% of GDP in defense spending, with plans to gradually build military capabilities through 2030. Military officials say this progress will allow NATO to assume a stronger leadership role in Europe's conventional defense, helping secure forces and infrastructure against threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Chris Bobb, NTD News. And we are now two weeks into Operation Epic Fury. What do everyday Americans make of President Trump's handling of the war in Iran? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. I'm very pleased with it. I really trust him and all of his advisors that they know what they're doing. I think the president is handling everything with resolve. He's being very tough. I think you have to be against an enemy like that. An enemy like that is about to destroy us from within. I feel like something needed to be done for all the stuff that they're doing, killing their own people. I mean, we would not do that here. We understand that the Ayatollah was a bad guy, and his regime is a terrible regime. I get that, but I just think we just kind of rushed into danger before we thought ahead about the ramifications of it. And I think one of the other ramifications is going to be boots on the ground. What we do know is you leave Iran to get a nuclear weapon, and they absolutely will use it, as they've sworn to do. And they talk about wiping Israel off the face of the earth and death to America. They've already stated their goals, right? I know people are concerned with the gas prices going up and the things that are happening in the Strait of Hormuz. But I think most people are glad to see Iran, the Ayatollah, no longer, and a lot of the things that the United States and Israel is doing. Do you have any message to the Iranian people right now who have been suffering under this brutal regime for decades? Well, I hope this is a start for them to have a little more freedom. I'd say reclaim the freedom you once had. Any time you can eliminate a terrorist organization, take them kind of off the map, if you will, you end up making not only our country safer, but the whole world safer. Once this regime falls and these people are able to speak more freely, you'll hear a lot more from the people inside of Iran. I mean, just like all those protesters, what, the 35,000 that were killed? 33,000 that were killed just, when was it, a couple, few weeks ago? So, by their own government? So, I think it's pretty clear. Yeah, I would say stand firm. You know, do what's right for your country. Just reflect on where you've come from and where you are right now with this regime. The Iranian people have been brave. And just they need to know that the American people are behind them and want only the best for them. And I think they realize that and they're rejoicing over getting rid of such an awful dictator. Coming up, the Italian government pays millions for a rare centuries-old painting by Caravaggio. And in Chicago, the city's annual St. Patrick's Day tradition brings thousands out to watch. This is an urgent appeal from Save the Children. For Tariq, Asha and Kaltoun, watching their siblings experience the pain of malnutrition is heartbreaking. They are among the millions of children at greatest risk in the global hunger emergency. We need your support right now to help save children's lives. Please call or go online to give just $10 a month, only 33 cents a day. You can help us provide food, essentials, life-saving medical care and help children who need it most. We need 1,000 new monthly donors this month to reach children around the world and right here at home. Please help children like Kaltoun so they don't have to watch their siblings suffer. Please call or go online now with your monthly gift of just $10, only 33 cents a day. You can help provide food, medicine, care and protection by calling or going online right now and giving just $10 a month. Your donation today can help secure additional grants, which can multiply the impact of your support up to 10 times. And when you call with your credit card, we will send you this Save the Children tote bag as a thank you for your support. Your small monthly donation of just $10 could be the reason a hungry child survives. Show them they're not alone. Please call or go online to give2save.org to help save lives. With Select Specs £6 Specs, you can get 10 pairs of prescription glasses for just £60. That includes frames, prescription lenses and delivery free to your door. And what makes this really special is each pair can have a different prescription. So it's glasses for everyone. Select Specs.com slash £6, 10 frames, all with prescription lenses and delivery for just £60. You don't get that on the high street. Right now, you can save an extra 5% with offer code CG5off. For decades, I've taught you everything I know how to safely build a fire. But I can only teach wildfire prevention. Only you can prevent wildfires. March is Women's History Month. At a White House celebration this week, several women sharing how the administration's policies have affected their lives directly. And First Lady Melania Trump expressing how crucial women are to shaping America's next generation. And today's Melina Weiskopf brings us the highlights. Honoring Women's History Month at a White House celebration, the First Lady has a message to women. Make time for yourself. Educate yourself daily and spread your passion. Be courageous and take risks. Advance your profession through inspiration. The First Lady encouraging women to be bold leaders while keeping children at the centre, acknowledging the importance of shaping the next generation. The strength of America is closely tied to the role women play in shaping their children's character, education and morals. Several women from different walks of life gathered to share their stories, one of them a three-time Olympic gold medalist. U.S. Olympic bobsledder Kaylee Humphries awarded President Trump her Order of Ecos medal for his work in keeping women's sports for women. I want to recognize the support and the impact you've had on women's sports throughout the Olympic movement, specifically standing up to keep biological women in women's sports, to keep the field of play safe and allow for fair competition. President Trump acknowledging the women who shaped our nation over the past 250 years and vowing to prioritize women in his policymaking and children in his school choice initiatives. And that's done so that American moms can send their children to a school that shares their values and everything else. The Trump administration listens to women and moms, which is why we are doing more to help women struggling with infertility than any administration in history. OHS from North Carolina expressing gratitude for the new tax changes the president signed into law last year. I had to do a double take. I had to do my taxes twice to make sure this was real. I couldn't believe it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Another attendee, the wife of a Virginia farmer. Your support of American agriculture through your changes and updates of the estate tax relief for family farms has allowed families like mine the opportunity to ensure that my daughters can farm one day. The president also signed a proclamation to recognize and honor Women's History Month. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. And turning now to climate policies, meteorologist and author Brian Sussman contends that the climate change narrative is closely tied to communist ideology. He points to the origins of Earth Day, writings by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, criticizing industrialization and what he sees as a longstanding effort to use environmental fear to justify centralized control. In this interview, Sussman explains why he believes the debate over climate policy is ultimately a debate about freedom and governance. But what I find different from your approach is how you connect the climate change narrative with communism. Yes. And that's something that I haven't seen much of. So can you tell us, can you, let's start with that. Like, how do you, what was the connection? When you look at the first Earth Day in 1972, I believe, 70 or 72, it occurred on April 22nd. On that particular April 22nd, Vladimir Lenin would have been 100 years old. That's the very first Earth Day. And then when you look at the characters behind Earth Day, these were all fellow travelers. These were all people who were American citizens, but they were dyed-in-the-wool communists. For me, that's where it all starts. But at the end of the day, when you look back on Friedrich Engels, Vladimir, I should say, Karl Marx's writing partner. Yes. Friedrich Engels. This is in the 1800s. These people loathed capitalism. They loathed industrialism. They loathed people gaining wealth and enjoying their freedom. They loathed all of that. Friedrich Engels wrote a, quite frankly, brilliant piece in terms of his descriptive words, saying that someday, because of industrialization, there would be massive amounts of pollution, and that pollution would disallow the sun's rays from coming to the Earth, and the Earth would freeze into a ball of ice. That was all because of industrialization. So in the late 1800s, here's Karl Marx's writing partner, Friedrich Engels, talking about global cooling. They've been at this game for a long, long time, and that's why I write about it. So what's the connection now? How do you see the actual connection in observing the activities of the climate change? Well, there was a gentleman, John Locke was his name, in the 1600s. He was an English philosopher, and John Locke was the guy that America's founders looked at to come up with this idea of having a country based on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We can break that down in just a moment, and I will, but John Locke talked about the Earth in a brilliant paper called Concerning Human Understanding, and he said, the Earth has been given to mankind by a higher power, by God. The Earth has been given to mankind by God to support mankind and to provide mankind with happiness. Well, the communists don't want you to support yourself, they want to support you. They don't care about your happiness. In fact, they laugh at the idea of happiness. They want you to be their subjects. And so, forever, I think the most clever, deceptive plan that they have come up with has been to use the fear of global warming, the fear of global cooling, the fear of climate change, to bring us into a point of submission whereby they can control us. Thanks for explaining that in just a few words. I know there's probably books and manuals and entire things about it, but just to get your input on that, I think that's very valuable. Well, you know, it's also interesting because when you look at, and I don't apologize for talking about life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness so many times during this interview, because that's the foundation of freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But what did Karl Marx come up with? He came up with something completely different. He had the rule of opposites, the rule of negation. His point was that in terms of opposites, people just don't get along. Therefore, we need a heavy-handed government to keep them under control. He believed in things like that that would try to brainwash people to believe you'll never succeed, you'll never live without our control in your life. And so we want to expose all of that. And ESG is just another way for people to apply control onto the lives and businesses that have in many cases made this country great. I happen to agree with a lot of that because growing up in a communist country, that's pretty much exactly what it feels like, that everything is controlled and everything is done for you. And if it wasn't for the government to provide for you, you would be completely lost. And many people were when things changed. You didn't know what to turn, what to do. Now, tell us what motivates you to do what you're doing every day? What is that one factor that would say, you know, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing and I'm going to show people what's right? I get emotional when I talk about these issues. But I think of my own children and I think of my grandchildren because their generations are being outnumbered. We've got these education factories that really don't care about the next generation of chemists and the next generation of innovators and the next generation of business people with great ideas that could really improve the lives of many. They're not interested in that. They're interested in indoctrination. And something we talked about prior to coming on the air here, you know, it was Lenin who said, give me a child for eight years and I'll make them a Bolshevik forever. The Bolsheviks were the most radical wing of the Communist Party. Give me a child for eight years. That's all he needed, eight years. And what are we doing now? We send our kids to these public education systems and they don't just get them for eight years. They get them for 12 years. If you include kindergarten, that's 13 years. If you include preschool, that's 14. They get our kids for over a decade of brainwashing. And that's all the kids here. And the teacher could be wonderful. The teacher could be very nice. And the kids want to believe their teacher. And the kids want to get good grades, perhaps, to impress their parents. But they're learning absolute dreck. It's garbage. And this is what I fear about this country. Ryan, again, thank you so much. My pleasure. Thank you for having me. And we have breaking news now. The U.S. urging Americans to leave Iraq immediately. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warning that Iran-aligned terrorists were encouraging and carrying out attacks against U.S. citizens and people associated with the United States. The alert also urging Americans to stay away from the embassy in Baghdad due to the risk of missiles, drones, and rockets. Commercial flights are not flying out of the country because the airspace is closed. Iraq has been listed as a do-not-travel advisory by the State Department since March 2nd due to terrorism, armed conflict, and the U.S. government's limited ability to provide emergency services to local U.S. citizens. And in Italy, the government recently announcing a 30 million euro purchase for a rare Caravaggio painting. The amount, which is roughly $35 million, represents one of the largest sums they've ever paid for a single piece. After over a year of silent negotiations, the Italian government, through the Ministry of Culture, has bought a painting of Caravaggio, a piece that was attributed to him by the distinguished art historian Roberto Longhi named Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini. The portrait piece was painted around 1598. It depicts the nobleman Barberini, who would later become Pope Urban VIII. The piece was made famous in a 1963 article by Longhi. Caravaggio's Baroque style depicting the dramatic use of light was very influential around the turn of the 17th century. While he's one of the most studied artists of all time, his works are very hard to find. The new acquisition is part of Italy's project to strengthen their national cultural heritage. And in Chicago today, the city painting the River Green in preparation for St. Patrick's Day as part of their yearly tradition. A local plumber's union did the honor of dyeing the river as thousands locked on despite cold temperature. I've never seen this anywhere else. I've been to New York. I've been all around. Yeah, nobody does it like Chicago. The river here and the people making it, everybody coming out to see it, the whole city is just alive. This whole weekend is going to be so much fun. We come here pretty much every year, just have fun. It's a great atmosphere. The river is green. You've got the vibes going. It's just good times. Good times and we get to dress up. The river typically stays bright green for anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the weather. St. Patrick's Day is next Tuesday. And that's the news for this evening. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Arlene Richards. Good night.