NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (April 11)

Our top story tonight, U.S. forces begin clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian regime's key leverage point. As high-stakes talks with Iran get underway, meanwhile, President Trump with a warning to Beijing. In New York City, police say a man wielding a knife in a subway station stabbed three people before officers fatally shot him. What we know of the incident. The Artemis 2 crew returns to Earth with a textbook splashdown after a successful 10-day journey around the moon. A former Nassau astronaut on the significance and challenges of the mission. And in the NBA, Denver's Nikola Jokic is about to conclude a season the likes of which have never been seen. But will it be enough to win MVP? NTV's Dave Martin joins us to discuss. This is NTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Arlene Richards. U.S. and Iranian officials meeting in Pakistan today. The U.S. sending a delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance, along with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Their meeting face-to-face with Iranian regime leaders to discuss a path to peace. The high-stakes talks with Pakistan as mediator coming days after the U.S. and Iran struck a two-week ceasefire deal. It's also the first direct U.S.-Iranian meeting in more than a decade. President Trump saying moments ago that no matter the result, the U.S. wins. Maybe they make a deal, maybe they don't. From the standpoint of America, we win. One of the things that's happening is that boats are sailing up and heading out to our country. Big, beautiful tankers, and we're loading them up with oil and gas and everything else. It's a pretty beautiful thing to see. President Trump earlier saying the Iranian regime has no cards in the talks, and the president also responding to reports that China is preparing to ship weapons to Iran. Well, if China does that, China's going to have big problems, okay? U.S. forces today beginning the process of clearing out mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The procedure involves a pair of U.S. Navy-guided warships armed with anti-aircraft missiles and in search of sea mines previously planted by Iran's IRGC. The commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper, says this will establish a new and safe passage to encourage the free flow of commerce. The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil passes, but it's been effectively closed since the start of the conflict. President Trump saying on True Social today that Iran's only remaining military power is the threat that sea mines pose to ships in the area. The president adding that they're clearing out the Strait as a favor to countries all over the world. From a daring rescue of a downed U.S. airman in Iran to a fragile ceasefire taking hold, plus stunning new images from the moon. And today's Daniel Monahan has your White House Week in review. In a daring mission, the U.S. military rescued a second U.S. pilot from Iran after an American fighter jet was shot down. The stranded airman is believed to have climbed an Iranian mountain ridge 7,000 feet above sea level at one point. He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, The CIA also carried out a deception campaign to misdirect Iranian forces trying to track down the airman. Meanwhile, Iran had offered a bounty of over $65,000 to anyone who found him alive. President Trump agreeing to a two-week double-sided ceasefire with Iran, saying the U.S. has met all military objectives. The president calling Iran's plan a workable basis and promising a golden age of the Middle East. Iran begged for this ceasefire, and we all know it. The president later saying Iran was doing a poor job on one of the key agreed-upon points, keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. The president's been very clear. The deal is a ceasefire, a negotiation, that's what we give, and what they give is the Straits are going to be reopened. Vice President J.D. Vance is leading negotiations with Iran and Pakistan this weekend. President Trump publicly challenging NATO on Iran, saying the alliance wasn't there when the U.S. needed them. NATO Secretary Mark Rutte visiting the White House this week amid detentions. Let me be absolutely clear, he is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security announced Border Patrol's 11th consecutive month of zero releases at the southern border. And in more border news, the Trump administration welcomed Angel families to D.C. to mark the one-year reopening of the Voice Office, which supports victims of illegal immigrant crime. I am here to speak about my only son, Ronald da Silva. Ronald was 29 years old when he was murdered. He had this smile that would light up a room. I miss her voice. I miss her laugh. The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office was shuttered by the Biden administration. And this week saw the very first conviction under the Take It Down Act, landmark legislation that First Lady Melania Trump played an instrumental role in getting passed. That protects victims from non-consensual, AI-generated, sexually explicit images. The case involved an Ohio man who pleaded guilty to cyber-stalking and producing obscene images of child sexual abuse. The Artemis 2 mission made history this week, the first flyby images of the moon captured by the Artemis 2 astronauts, revealing regions no human has ever seen before, including a rare in-space solar eclipse. I haven't even begun to process what we've been through. We've still got two more days. And riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well. The Trump administration taking new action on education policy. It's canceling prior Title IX agreements tied to gender identity rules in schools. Title IX guarantees that women and girls cannot be denied equal athletic opportunities based on their sex. I was forced to compete against a biological male on my middle school track team. I had to compete against two biological males throughout all four years of high school. And the White House issuing new guidance to speed up environmental reviews for infrastructure projects. Officials say expanded use of categorical exclusions will cut red tape, lower costs, and help projects move forward faster while maintaining environmental standards. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. Congress returns to Washington next week with a partial government shutdown dragging on and a ceasefire in Iran amid heightened tensions. Lawmakers now face pressure to fund agencies, pass key legislation, and question military leaders. NTD's Chris Bobb reports. When lawmakers return Tuesday, the backdrop is far different than when they left. A partial government shutdown is now 55 days in, and a weeks-long U.S. conflict with Iran has only just cooled under a ceasefire. That war and what comes next will be top of mind. Now many of the top military leaders responsible for defense and readiness are heading to Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, top commanders from across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force will testify on military readiness as defense officials brief lawmakers on missile defense systems tested during the Iran conflict. There's also growing concern about global competition beyond the battlefield. A House panel will also examine China's efforts to gain an edge in artificial intelligence. At the same time, lawmakers are juggling major domestic priorities. In the Senate, debate is expected to resume on the Save America Act. Utah Senator Mike Lee announcing on X Friday. Early next week, we'll be taking up the Save America Act again. We need to stay on it until it passes. Spread the word. And in the House, funding for the Department of Homeland Security remains unresolved, a central piece of the ongoing shutdown fight that includes border enforcement, immigration services, and disaster response. Meanwhile, committees are launching into a packed slate of hearings. Oversight will examine fraud in federal programs. Budget hearings in both chambers will focus on the president's 2027 proposal. And Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify twice, once before Ways and Means and once before Appropriations. Senator Lindsey Graham and John Barrasso met with President Trump on Friday. In a statement following the meeting, President Trump said reconciliation is on track and funding for the Department of Homeland Security is moving forward. He also said the bill should be completed no later than June 1st and placed on his desk for signature. Chris Bobb, NTD News. Subway stabbings in New York City. The New York City Police Department reporting today that officers shot a suspect after three people were stabbed at Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. Police say the suspect called himself Lucifer. The man, armed with a knife, had just stabbed multiple people on the subway platform. As the detectives moved toward the 456 platform, they encountered one of the victims coming up the stairs, confirming the attack. According to New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tish, the violence broke out around 9.40 this morning. She said the suspect, 44-year-old Anthony Griffin, was carrying a large knife described as a machete and was behaving erratically. Officers ordered him at least 20 times to drop the weapon. But Tish said the suspect approached the officers with the knife extended. Police shot the man and he later died from his injuries. Tish said the incident was captured on police body cameras, including Griffin repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer. Coming up, more than 50 years after Apollo, NASA's Artemis II returns after a successful flyby around the moon. Veteran astronaut Dr. Bonnie Dunbar joins us with details on the mission and what it means for America's future in space. Shenyun Creations, the streaming platform from Shenyun, featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music, masterclasses, behind-the-scenes, comedy, and more. Explore ShenyunCreations.com It's finally here, our second annual mega sale. This sale only comes around once a year, so take advantage of the best offers ever while you can. For example, save 50% on our Giza Dream bed sheets, as low as $29.98. And for the first time ever on TV, MyPillow mattresses and MyPillow mattress toppers, as low as $99.98. And you save 50% on our LuxePure six-piece towel sets, regular $69.98, now only $39.98. And our best-selling standard, MyPillows, regular $49.98, on sale for $17.98. Wait on it, mega sale, only $14.98. So go to MyPillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use this promo code to take advantage of our second annual mega sale. But wait, there's more. To make the mega sale even more special, when you order right now, your order's gonna ship absolutely free. Remember how it started? Our back and forth. Victory. Fumble. Repeat. It always came back. You probably don't remember what you told me, but I heard every word. You might not see it coming. It's prediabetes, and it captures one in three adults. But you can escape. Take the one-minute prediabetes risk test to know where you stand and prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Be your own hero. On smartphones everywhere at doihaveprediabetes.org. The Artemis II astronauts have returned to Earth. This was the scene in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego early Friday evening. Splashdown for the Orion spacecraft came officially at 5.07 p.m. Pacific time to return the four astronauts to Earth and cap a trip a little over nine days, only a couple of minutes prior. At about 25,000 feet, Orion's first series of parachutes deployed. Other sets of chutes followed soon after to slow the craft down to around 20 miles an hour before it hit the water. The spacecraft hit a speed of more than 24,000 miles an hour in its re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Mission Control called the spacecraft's return textbook. It ends the historic Artemis II mission, which sent the astronauts in a flyby around the moon in the first crewed moon mission since the 1970s. And joining us now to break down the significance of this historic space mission is former NASA astronaut Dr. Bonnie Dunbar. Dr. Dunbar is a five-time space shuttle flyer with more than 50 days in space. She's also currently a professor of aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University. Welcome, Dr. Dunbar. Thank you for joining us tonight. Well, thank you. My pleasure. The Orion spacecraft had what was described as a textbook splashdown yesterday after its 10-day mission. So as a veteran of five space shuttle flights yourself, what was your reaction when you watched the Artemis II crew's safe return? I thought the whole mission was excellent. From launch, and I was at the launch, that was quite spectacular, to the mission, to the accomplishment of the engineering and scientific objectives of the trip, as well as the whole re-entry. So I'm very pleased. Now, this mission was truly historic, and the first time in more than 50 years that humans have traveled beyond what they call low Earth orbit to the moon since Apollo 17. So it's also set a new record for the farthest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth. Now, with your background and experience, what would you say are the greatest accomplishments of Artemis II? Well, I think the greatest accomplishments are actually the engineering on a new vehicle, the orbit and the photography they were able to take to support our human missions to the South Pole. And it can't be understated. Maybe the destination may seem the same, the moon, but it's never easy. And we're laying the foundation for return with more humans and the establishment of a human base in the future around the South Pole. You know, if you look at the history of exploration, and I look at my grandfather who grew up in Dundee, Scotland, and as a teenager he was watching them build a ship called Discovery that took Captain Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole, which was the first scientific mission just to the shelf, not even to the pole, a little over 100 years ago. And now we have many nations with research bases there. And we're sort of at that new age of exploration. We need the moon not only to understand about the Earth, but as a stepping stone further out. So I was very pleased. I look forward to the repeat of some of the missions we had during Apollo to test out more hardware. For example, Artemis III next year will allow us to go to low Earth orbit again to test out some docking and mission parameters that will be required for the human mission. Now you talked earlier about the excitement around this mission. As outsiders, we may not fully appreciate the enormous difficulties involved in the preparation and execution of something like this. So could you walk us through some of the challenges that NASA and the crew may have faced? Well, from an engineering point of view, it's a heavy lift rocket again. We actually repurposed some of the components from the space shuttle, both engines and solid rocket boosters, to put it together. The thermal protection system was an ablative system, which we have not used since Apollo. It gradually burns off at high temperatures to protect the crew. And on the shuttle, we had reusable thermal protection ceramic tiles that could be reused over and over again at a lower temperature. So we're back at the high temperatures, high velocities and g-levels getting back and forth from the Earth. Life support systems, they have to work in a microgravity environment, a weightless environment, which is never easy. And, of course, all the trajectory planning. And this was what's called a free return back to Earth, so that the orbit took it into a position that it could actually intersect with the Earth without a lot of orbital maneuvers. So all of that played together. It's just a real tribute to engineering, science, the physics of it, the mission management of it, and, of course, a really pretty remarkable crew. Now, you mentioned Apollo 17 earlier. And so in your opinion, why has it taken more than 50 or five decades for the United States to return humans to the vicinity of the Moon? Well, that's always both a—it wasn't the engineer's decision. We canceled Apollo 18. There was a crew actually assigned and ready to go. Of course, Apollo 17 had our first planetary geologist on it, Dr. Harrison Smith. And that was a very valuable trip. But as I recall, and I was in college at the time this was all happening and then just graduated in engineering, the people were so used to us going to the Moon that they were actually complaining that downlink photos from the Moon were interfering with this new thing called TV serials. Congress also got used to, I think, the missions. And then only looked at it as a destination, been there, done that. So funding was pulled. And if you look at the funding at that time, it was about 4.4 percent of the federal budget, not very much. And we're now actually at less than 1 percent. I think it's less than .05 right now. But the investment really goes into our science and technology. We wouldn't have computers today had we not gone to the Moon, quite frankly, and a lot of the new materials that we use. So we invest in this new technology. It takes us to a destination, but it then feeds back into our economy and our well-being. You talked earlier about what the crew saw and some of the stunning images of the Earth and the Moon and what we've learned. But do you expect any of these findings to significantly change what we currently know? Oh, absolutely. New knowledge always does. And what we're learning from the far side of the Moon is a pristine environment of what the Earth may have seen. We don't know the entire history of meteorite impacts and so forth on the Earth because we have oceans and plate tectonics. And the Moon vacuum, no wind, is a recorder of about 4.5 billion years of history. Now, the other thing we're going to learn from that is the geology and the chemistry of the Moon. It was formed actually, I would believe, from an impact with the Earth, so it has very much the same minerals. And from that, we can start looking at the mining of water ice at the bottom of very deep craters that would supply a habitat or a station, for example, but also minerals such as helium-3 that might be a future fuel for fusion, other minerals that might be actually processed in place. We call that in-situ resource utilization, ISRU, where we'd actually start processing minerals there, just like you might mine a different place on the Earth for processing. So that's why it's developing into a lunar economy. A number of companies are very interested in the South Pole in particular, as well as other countries. This concept of the South Pole allows us to have more light all year round. It's not the typical lunar cycle of two weeks of light and two weeks of dark. The South Pole rims of some of those craters we'll see about 97% light all the time, so you can use solar energy. We're also looking at fission energy. At the bottom of these very deep craters, the sun never reaches them, and we've detected water ice there. So that's why there's an interest in mining the water ice, not only for drinking or habitation, but also the possibility of breaking it down into some propulsion fuels as well, hydrogen and oxygen. We've talked a lot about the significance of this exploration, and we've talked about science and how other countries are interested in this, but would you say this successful return toward the moon holds for the United States today, especially in the context of the renewed space race and competition from other nations? Oh, there's definitely a space race going on right now. China has talked about putting people on the moon by 2030, and actually when I visited Beijing in 2014 and was at their mission control center, they had murals on the wall showing Chinese astronauts on the moon walking to a Chinese flag. So it's an economic and a geopolitical race for the future, and definitely the pressure's on. And, of course, there are other nations that have launched to the moon as well. Japan, with robotic satellites, even India has set up a probe there. There's a lot of interest for both the science point of view and as well as the exploration development point of view. Well, I think we're all looking forward to the Artemis III and the Artemis IV. I understand that's when they're going to actually land on the moon. Dr. Bonnie Dunbar, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Coming up in NBA, Denver's Nikola Jokic is about to conclude a season the likes of which have never been seen, but will it be enough to win MVP? Entity's Dave Martin joins us to discuss. And what do skin rashes, joint pain, and digestive issues have in common? A functional medicine doctor explains how to listen when your body is sending signals. 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Be strong. Take care of your mom. I love you guys. Seeing all the kids hug him goodbye and hoping that they were going to be able to hug him again. I love you. But I did make it thanks to the work of the American Heart Association. So that's why I'm asking you to join me. Please call now or go to healthheart.org. For only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, you can help get the next person trained in CPR, get the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care, as well as fund the next medical breakthrough like these heart valves that helped save my life. When you give $19 a month with your credit card, we'll send you this special t-shirt to show you're a part of our community of monthly donors. I'm most grateful that I get to have a husband that I get to grow old with, and a husband that gets to be there for his children. I believe without the American Heart Association, I would not be here today. If this can happen to me, it can happen to you. It can happen to anybody. Your donation can literally help save a life. Please call the number on your screen or go to healthheart.org now to become a monthly donor. Have you heard what's happening at Mathis Home? Our spring-style event is going on now with hundreds of options for your new dining room. This 52-inch table is a great deal. It's just $4.99 in your choice of finishes. Mix and match chairs to complete the look that's just right for you. You can also get it with a marble top or in a larger size for extra seating. We have your style in stock now with fast free delivery. Get your new dining room and save at your furniture superstore, Mathis Home. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, it's always good to see you. Good to see you, Arlene. And how are you on this Saturday evening? You know, I'm doing well. I really like that the sun is out today. It feels like a true spring day in New York. We don't get too many of those, you know, this time of year. It seems like winter just kind of comes right into spring. Yeah, well, we hope it'll last a little longer this time. I hope so, too. Yeah, so let's get to some sports. Speaking of spring, we've got some baseball, hockey, we've got some basketball news, but I want to start with golf today. We have a round three of the Masters event. Defending champion Roy McIlroy. Did I say that right? Roy McIlroy. McIlroy. Ah, I messed that one up. You didn't tell me earlier. You know, I should have gone over that one. You should have gone over that. Roy McIlroy. You know, there's no A in there. It just goes right to the C. They make it tougher. It looks like two L's there. Anyway, he's picked up right where he left off last year, so tell me about that. Yeah, he had a six-shot lead entering today, round three. That's the biggest lead ever after two rounds. Now, he left the first round, but yesterday, on the 12th or on the 12th hole out of 18, right, he's pretty much tied with the rest of the leaders. He then gets six birdies out of his next seven holes to take a huge lead, so he's got a six-shot lead heading into today. Let's listen to what he said then yesterday after that amazing round. You know, I talked last year about how I really won the tournament in a 14-hole stretch, the second night on Friday and the first five holes on Saturday. Yeah, I knew I had some chances coming in when I was standing on the 12th tee, but I didn't think I'd birdie six of the last seven. But it just shows what you can do around here, even if you might hit it in the trees. You know, I just want to go out and play two good rounds again. Obviously, this golf course has certain characteristics that, you know, guys can get on runs, guys can make eagles, you hear roars all over the golf course. So, you know, I think the next two days, for me, it's just about really focusing on myself. And, you know, it's hard to avoid those big leaderboards out there, but I know that I've got a lead, so I don't need to keep checking it all the time. So for me, just really focusing on myself and standing on my own little world out there is the best thing. So he had that record after two rounds, six-shot lead. This afternoon, it has completely changed. This is in the last hour. Cam Young has already caught him for a little bit. He passed him. Cam Young shot a 7-under 65 today. Meanwhile, McIlroy's day still in progress. Through 14 holes, he's at a plus-one. So Cam Young has essentially gained eight shots on him today. They are right now tied for the lead at minus-11-under. Meanwhile, Scotty Shefflin, number-one-ranked player in the world, also shot a 7-under this afternoon. He's now four shots behind. So tomorrow is the final round. This thing is clearly not over. It looked like it might be over after two rounds. Third round, it looks like it's anybody's game. It really shows how golf, these events, can change very quickly. It's actually getting exciting. They say the Masters Tournament is often mentioned as a tradition unlike any other. So what makes this such a special event? I think a lot of events try to build themselves as special or unique. The Masters, to me, is one of the only ones that can really actually claim that. To me, the biggest thing is probably it's a fan-friendly event. Most sporting events, they put out a bidding war for the TV rights. Everywhere goes to the highest bidder. Masters more, they are more looking for someone who will let them kind of dictate the terms. So they've dictated terms to CBS for 70 years now. They only allow CBS to do four minutes of commercials per hour. I mean, that is pretty much unheard of in any kind of TV show, let alone sports. Now, meanwhile, if you want to attend the game, get tickets, attend it in person, you can enter a lottery. If you actually win, prices are extremely reasonable. It's $100 a day for the practice rounds, and it's $140 a day for these tournament days. Now, I say they're reasonable because if you auction this off, like, you know, online, they go in for the thousands of dollars. So if the Masters wanted to, they could really sell these things for thousands of dollars. Plus, if you look at their concession stand there, normally you get gouged at sporting events' concession stands. The concession stands of the Masters, I mean, the prices look like they're out of the Great Depression era. $1.50 to $3 for a sandwich, $2 for a bottled drink, it's $6 for an alcoholic beverage. I mean, you get the feeling they want real golf fans there, not just the wealthy ones. Meanwhile, there's also a zero cell phone policy on the grounds there, and they have zero tolerance for that, really. No running on the course. And for the players, you know, they have very cool traditions. You know, the winner gets the green jacket. He then picks the menu for the next year's Dinner of Champions, which has all the champions of the past, all very unique traditions. So also, if you win it, you never have to qualify for the event again. You're automatically come back every year. So it's quite an event unlike any other. I will say that. And a good deal on the lunch, $1.50. I know. I'm hungry just thinking about this, you know. We should go there for lunch. So let's talk about the NBA. We've got three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. You got that one right. I got that one right. Could be in line for a fourth MVP award. What sets this season apart? Well, he's about to be the first player to lead the league in both assists per game and rebounds per game. Plus, his scoring is very good, too, with 28 points a game. That's eighth in the league. You know, part of the reason no one's ever done this before is generally it's guards, the shorter players, who lead the league in assists. Usually you have the offense going through him. And then the post players, which Jokic is, usually lead the league in rebounds because you're usually playing a right around the rim. But Jokic is such a great passer. He's a big guy. He's a seven-footer. It's funny to see that guy running the break, you know, with the ball. It's amazing. But they run their offense through him. Now, meanwhile, this season, the regular season ends tomorrow. Jokic, though, actually has to play to actually be eligible to win an MVP this season. They have a minimum you have to play 65 at least of the 82 games. He's played 64 at this point. If he does, I think his main competition, of course, is going to be Shea Gilgis-Alexander, who won it last year. Last year they finished 1-2 SGA over Jokic. I think Jokic edges him out this year. Obviously, he would have to play tomorrow. But we won't actually find out until May. Until May. But the regular season ends, though, tomorrow. So the playoffs start. So could your prediction change before May? No, because once the regular season ends, that's when they do the voting. So the votes are sent in. They don't announce it until sometime. But I'm saying, would your prediction change, you think, before then? Well, I don't think so. Probably not? Probably not. You can hold me to that. All right, we'll hold you to that. Okay. So now we're going to move to baseball news. We had quite a day yesterday. A pair of players getting multi-home runs. Yeah. Dodgers' Max Muncy hit three home runs last night in a win over Texas. Meanwhile, San Diego's Gavin Sheets hit two home runs in a Padres win over Colorado. Now, what sets their night apart, though? Both players also hit walk-off home runs as part of their multi-home games. It was just the fourth time in Major League history we had more than one player hit a walk-off home run as part of a multi-home run game. I mean, it's not a very well-known event. You'd have two in the same night. But it was a crazy night. Now, today, all 30 teams are in action. We have a few games already complete. Let's look at some scores here. Number one, the Phillies beat the Marlins here 4-3 today. Kyle Sorber and Bryce Harper hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning for Philadelphia. Elsewhere, the Tigers beat the Marlins 6-1. Lincoln Riley hit a three-run home run in the third for his first of the season. Casey Mize got the win for the Droid. Let's look at some more scores here. In Toronto, the Jays fall to the Twins 7-4. Minnesota getting all seven of their runs in the big third inning. And in Chicago, the Pirates beat the Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings. The game ended with the Cubs having the bases loaded. But Seiya Suzuki fouled out to end the game for the Cubs. He did that three times fast. As far as my dad, I would say three times fast. You got me there. I know, right? He always beat me with that one. I got one question. What's a walk-off home run? A walk-off home run means it wins the game. Because baseball isn't played with a timer. Someone has to be ahead at the end of an inning. So a walk-off, essentially, if you get a home run to end the game, you just kind of walk around the bases. Meanwhile, the other team is leaving. They enjoy themselves. Normally, if you walk around the bases while the other team is sitting there, they're not too happy. So they don't usually walk around the bases. So they call it a walk-off because they just kind of come and walk in. It's a big celebration at home to play. That's pretty cool. Yeah, it's pretty cool. All right, Dave. Well, thanks so much for the update. Yeah, thank you, Arlene. All right. Everyday symptoms, skin rashes, joint pain, digestive issues may seem isolated, but what if they're all connected? In this episode of Vital Signs, Dr. Jeffrey Bland, often called the father of functional medicine, sat down with host Brendan Falun to explain how these symptoms may be signals from the body all tracing back to one central system. Here's a preview. Dr. Bland, fantastic to have you on Vital Signs. Well, thank you, Brenda. What a pleasure. Thanks so much. I remember, to put it, to give an anecdotal introduction to this, a few years back I started to get this rash on my foot, and my mother actually was visiting. She gave me some steroid cream for that. I think this is probably like people will go to their doctor. They have these kinds of problems, and they'll get something, a Band-Aid solution to it. But it's actually changing my diet that has, I don't have that problem anymore, and it was like cutting sugar and being more careful about what I eat. To put it to you, what do you see? What's the evidence in your mind that connects these kind of common maladies like gut problems, skin problems, joint pain to chronic health issues? Yeah, I think it's really interesting, isn't it, when we start to ask what is our body trying to tell us about what is going on outside of us that then influences what's going on inside of us. Our body will give us signs, and those signs can come in many different ways. The skin is a really nice kind of indicator because it is the external interface between the outside world and the inside world. But withinside our body, we have similar kind of architecture with our gastrointestinal system because about 70% of our immune system is actually clustered around our gut. For a lot of people, they don't understand that. They don't understand that actually, like our skin on the outside, the gut on the inside is sensing information and then translating to the rest of the body in the form of signs and symptoms. It's more than just chronic irritable bowel syndrome. It's more than just gut pain. It's systemic problems as it relates to inflammation. So why is the gut such a principal controller of all these processes? Because the gut has to translate the information from what we eat into how it's going to allow that information to be received by the body. It wants to reject the things that are not good. It wants to hold on to the things that are good and allow them entree into our body like nutrients so that it can actually do the work of maintaining our physiology. So the gut immune system, 70% of that of our whole body immune system is translating then what the gut is being exposed to every day from what we eat and what we're exposed to. And I think this is a really important part of the story because a lot of people understand that their skin problems can be connected to their gut problems because the skin also has its own immune system. And that immune system is talking to the immune system of our gut. So the concepts of food allergy we know sometimes produces rashes and eczema. We know that food hypersensitivity to certain toxins, particularly involved with ultra-processed foods, produces an immune response that maybe starts in our gut but then translates to our skin. But it doesn't just stop there. It can have an effect on the immune system that's throughout our whole body. The brain has an immune system, the so-called microglia. So we can have headaches. We can have cognitive dysfunction. We can have foggy brain. Or it might go to our joints, and we can have chronic joint problems like arthralgia. Or it might go to our ability to process nutrients through our liver, which has its own immune system. All of these then might be involved with the information that we're getting from what we eat and what we're exposed to that's being translated through the symptoms of our body. So often we reject those symptoms, don't we? And we say, I just want to get rid of the symptoms. So what's the drug of choice? Do I take acetaminophen for my headache? Do I take anti-digestive medications for my gut? Do I take anti-inflammatories for my joints? Or do I really look at those as signs that my body's trying to tell me something that I need to modify so that I will treat the cause and not just the effect? And that's the basis of the whole functional medicine model that we pioneered back in 1990 that I'm proud to say now has several hundred thousand practitioners around the world that are now employing this functional medicine model in the assistance of their patients. Thank you for that very good illustration of what functional medicine is because I think a lot of people aren't that clear on what we're actually talking about when we talk about functional medicine. This idea that certain foods are indicating to the body what they should do with it and indicating to the immune system how it should respond, can you give an example of that, Dr. Bland? What's a very obvious example of a food or something in that food that will indicate something to the immune system? I think the most classic example that most people are probably familiar with is gluten. Gluten is a protein. It's found in grains. And for many people, gluten, which would be considered just a part of a normal food, is seen as a foreigner, as seen as not a friend. And what that does is that alerts the immune system of those people because our immune system is unique to each one of us, controlled by our own unique genetics and experience in life. And so in those individuals that have in their genetic architecture the expression of that particular molecule, gluten, in their gut as a foreigner, what it does is it responds, as our body should, to some perceived threat. And it produces an inflammatory response because that's the way the body defends itself against injury or against hostile invasion, is by enhancing inflammation. So with the case of a person who has gluten sensitivity, it not just produces localized problems in their intestinal tract, it's all called gluten enteropathy, but it also can produce systemic effects in terms of how it influences how we think, our energy, our overall sense of well-being. And so for many individuals, a gluten-moderate diet or even a gluten-free diet has been proven to be very, very helpful in getting their immune system to be on side, not thinking it's doing a battle. Now, when I think of gluten, I want to be very cautious that I don't throw the baby out with the bathwater because gluten in and of itself as part of whole grain foods would still be considered, for most people, a beneficial part of a healthy diet. To see that full interview and others on how to optimize health, go to ept.ms forward slash vital signs. Vital signs offers general health information not intended as medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult your doctor before undertaking a new health regimen. Coming up, a small bird causing a big stir in Manhattan's Bryant Park with crowds gathering for a wildlife sighting that's turning an ordinary park visit into something special. Nikubani brings us there. And Japan cancels a cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji, but some visitors are still showing up. Details on that next. Whispered across generations, a hidden secret unveils the essence of longevity and vitality, a timeless legend regarding energy and wonder. Rooted in ancient health wisdom, we proudly introduce pure Tang black ginseng, a 100% natural organic energy drink made from premium six-year-old Korean ginseng. It takes 2,260 days and nights from seed to growth, undergoing a meticulous nine-step process of steaming and drying. Black ginseng reaches its full potency, enriched with ginsenicide RG3 and enhanced absorption efficiency. No sugar, no caffeine, no artificial ingredients. 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A small bird is causing a big stir in midtown Manhattan. Crowds are gathering in Bryant Park for a wildlife sighting that's turning an ordinary park visit into something special. And Denise Nikubani has the story. Right here in the middle of Bryant Park, surrounded by skyscrapers and city noise, you wouldn't expect to find a rare migratory bird that usually sticks to quiet forests. However, that's exactly what's happening here. Behind me, we have a rare visit from the American Woodcock. It's small, camouflaged, and usually active at night, making it one of the hardest birds to spot in the wild. But every spring, a few of them touch down in Bryant Park to rest and refuel during migration, a special find for city bird watchers. The Woodcock is an incredible bird, and I can't believe it flew all this way and has landed here in New York City. And we can see it in Bryant Park. I just had to see it. It's so cute. Drawn by word of mouth and viral videos of its signature bobbing walk, visitors gather, hoping to catch a glimpse. It's a really unique bird. He's just hanging out, taking a little snooze. You see him ruffle his feathers every so often. They have long beaks, they're chubby, and it also does a little dance. It, like, bobs up and down, and I think that just charms everyone. That dance isn't just for show. It helps the bird hunt. Rocking its body, the Woodcock sends vibrations through the ground, finding worms below the surface. And it may look shy during the day, but at night, the Woodcock puts on a show with a quirky call to attract a mate, something like this. Me. Me. Me. Now, for the people gathered here, it's more than just a bird sighting. It's a really nice experience, right? Like, you come, you see it, there's dozens of other people around you. People will talk to each other. Like, if it catches a worm, everybody gets so excited. It's like a nice communal experience. I think it means that New Yorkers want still to have some connection to the natural world. Even though we're in a place with a lot of concrete and glass and other human beings, you could just step out into your local park and probably find something amazing. Now, don't worry if you missed the American Woodcock today. He should still stick around for a couple more days. And also, later this month, official birding tour season starts at Bryant Park. So make sure to catch those, too. Nikobani, Entity News, New York. And meanwhile, Japan has canceled a cherry blossom festival near Mount Fuji. Officials say overcrowding and badly behaved tourists are to blame. But some visitors are still showing up. Entity's Andrew Thomas has more. Cherry blossoms are in full bloom below Japan's iconic Mount Fuji. At one local park in Fujiyoshida, visitors line up to take in the world-famous views. Also going up, you have a beautiful view the entire time. A pathway where you have all of this cherry blossom that is incredible. It was worth the wait, I would say so. But for locals, the surge in tourism can mean traffic, litter, and sometimes bad behavior. This past February, officials in Fujiyoshida announced they were canceling this year's annual cherry blossom festival. The reason we decided to cancel the festival this year is because we receive a large number of visitors in this area where many residents live. It's been difficult to strike a balance in maintaining a safe and a comfortable living environment for them. So we deliberately chose not to hold a festival that would actively draw in visitors. Nevertheless, the area is still full of visitors. Local resident Hitoshi Mori says the problem is a mixed bag. You can't go out with your car. You can only go out shopping at the end of the day or early in the morning. So I can do groceries only once a week and stock up on food. So it's both good and annoying. Some residents just want some peace. But vendors like Kiyoka Funakubo appreciate the buzz. At one point, the streets here were empty. Shops were shuttered. But now various new shops have opened. People are starting to get active again. So I think it's nice to see the area coming back to life. Fujiyoshida began increasing its security presence earlier this month. The city is also limiting entry for tour buses and other vehicles into the scenic neighborhood. I think the matter of following etiquette applies everywhere, not just here. There are rules specific to the area. So I hope people will cooperate, follow them properly, and enjoy themselves. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. And that's the news for this evening. Thank you for tuning in. I'm Arlene Richards. Good night.