NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 4)

Welcome to NTD Evening News, our top story tonight, President Trump threatening Iran will be blown off the face of the earth if they attack U.S. ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. That's as the U.S. downs seven small Iranian vessels in the Strait on the first day of Project Freedom, Mariotsu at the White House. Supreme Court upholds a federal rule on prescriptions for the abortion pill. The ruling allows the drug to be sent by mail, for now. And a class action lawsuit accuses a Chinese car company of spying on drivers and passengers in Israel. The lawsuit alleges that the cars collect sensitive information and then secretly send that data back to China. Jason Perry with the details. And a cruise ship with a suspected Hantavirus outbreak refused permission to dock. Some 150 passengers trapped near the coast of West Africa after three people die on board. And after being canceled by hoax bomb threats traced back to China, Shen Yun is now back. How this U.S. company was forced off a Canadian stage and how they're returning. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Kerry Dunst. President Trump with a harsh warning for Iran if they attack any American ships, helping transit stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. That's as that effort called Project Freedom launched earlier today, with the U.S. military already celebrating some of its early successes. We now go live to NTD's White House correspondent Mari Otsu at the North Lawn tonight. Mari, good evening. Hey, Kerry. Good evening to you. That's right. And President Trump today is vowing that Iran will be, quote, blown off the face of this earth if they attack any American vessels that are helping a transit stranded vessels through the Hormuz Strait. And that's also as the U.S. is maintaining its blockade on Iranian ports in the Hormuz Strait, with CENTCOM saying it's now turned away 50 vessels. And this is also as the president continues to renew his vow that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Take a look. Can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. They have no radar. They have no nothing. They have no leaders, actually. President Trump saying the U.S. has shot down seven small Iranian boats that were firing missiles at ships being protected during the operation, writing Iran has taken some shots at unrelated nations with respect to the ship movement, Project Freedom, including a South Korean cargo ship, then urging South Korea to join Project Freedom, saying perhaps it's time for South Korea to come and join the mission, making good on his Sunday announcement of Project Freedom, which says if in any way this humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully. The cruise missiles were going after both U.S. Navy ships, but mostly after commercial shipping. We defended both ourselves and consistent with our commitment, we defended all the commercial ships. We've had drone launches against commercial ships, all of which were defended against consistent with our commitment. And then the small boats were all going against commercial ships and all were sunk by Apaches and Seahawk helicopters. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announcing early signs of success for Project Freedom, saying two U.S.-flagged merchant ships were successfully transited out of the Strait of Hormuz by a pair of American destroyers. This comes as CENTCOM is refuting Iranian state media claims that the IRGC hit a U.S. warship, saying no U.S. Navy ships have been struck. U.S. forces are supporting Project Freedom and enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports. And as that U.S. blockade on Iranian ports has been in effect for three weeks now, its goal, as we've heard from the Treasury Department, is economic fury on the regime. But even as the blockade works toward economic destruction inside Iran, for years the Chinese regime has kept Tehran afloat, buying the vast majority of its oil in defiance of sanctions while supplying critical dual-use parts that have strengthened Tehran's military, all points that set the backdrop for President Trump's expected Beijing trip in 10 days. Again, all I'll say is Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China has been buying 90% of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of terrorism. But more importantly, Iran, the threat of attacks from Iran, has closed the Strait. We are reopening it. So I would urge the Chinese to join us in supporting this international operation. There are things moving through the U.N. that China and Russia have blocked. And Kerry, in President Trump's public appearance in the East Room today, he welcomed small business owners to the White House, highlighting how his tax cut has helped these American small business owners. But Kerry, also this afternoon, there was a shooting just a couple blocks away from the White House. Secret Service now reporting that a bystander was struck when an armed suspect opened fire on 15th and Independence, which is a couple blocks below the South Lawn here. The suspect was shot by Secret Service and is now hospitalized, while the bystander is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Back to you. Thanks for that update, Mari. In Iran, just-launched strikes targeting the UAE today. Officials say the attack hit the Fujairah oil export zone. According to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations, a cargo ship was spotted on fire off the coast of the UAE as it warns of Iranian attacks. Fujairah media office confirmed the occurrence of a fire that was caused by a drone that was launched from Iran. The office says security teams responded immediately and they are still working to control the situation. There was no immediate comment from Iran. In a social media post, the UAE Ministry of Defense reported detecting four Iranian cruise missiles successfully intercepting three over territorial waters, while that fourth did fall into the sea. This appears to be the first reported Iranian missile attack on the UAE since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire took effect last month. We'll be keeping you updated as that situation develops. And the State Department is urging Americans in the UAE to follow orders from local authorities and be prepared to take shelter if instructed. It says it's monitoring the situation and the U.S. travel advisory for the UAE remains at level three, reconsider travel. And the United Arab Emirates says it's in talks with the U.S. over a potential currency swap line. The country's trade minister says the discussions place the UAE among a small, elite group of countries the U.S. is considering for such arrangements. Currency swap lines allow central banks to access each other's currencies directly and that reduces costs and exchange rate risks in cross-border transactions. The Federal Reserve currently maintains permanent swap lines with five major central banks, including those in Europe, Japan and Canada. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said last month several Gulf and Asian allies had requested similar arrangements. And a magistrate judge today calling for answers as to why the D.C. Department of Corrections put Cole Allen, the man accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump, in a 24-hour safe cell without access to his attorney. Entity's Arlene Richards brings us more. The Trump administration moving ahead with their case against Cole Allen, the man charged with attempting to assassinate President Trump, at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Despite a judge on Monday insisting on holding a hearing over a matter that both sides agreed was resolved. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro telling CNN on Sunday that Allen definitely shot at law enforcement. We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant's Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer. But on Monday, a magistrate judge apologizing to Allen over his living conditions in a D.C. jail. The judge, Magistrate Zia Faruqi, denying a request by both sides to cancel the hearing and expressing concern over how Allen was being treated. He ordered that a spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Corrections attend the hearing. Before the hearing, Allen was released from a safe cell, which is described as being padded with no windows and used for inmates on suicide watch. Defense attorneys said in motion papers that he was placed on suicide watch despite a medical assessment showing he didn't need it. But the government argued that Allen himself told FBI agents on the night of the assassination attempt that he didn't expect to survive after the incident, and that's why he was placed on the watch. The Department of Corrections said they wanted to make sure that Allen survived. But according to the judge, the lockup violated Allen's constitutional rights because he was not able to meet with his legal team, Faruqi ultimately ordering the Department of Corrections to report by Tuesday morning on where Allen will be held for the duration of the case. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro telling CNN on Sunday she's planning to bring the case before a grand jury on Friday. This was a premeditated violent act calculated to take down the president and anyone who was in the line of fire. And telling Fox News on Saturday there would be many more charges added to this case. We're trying to get a real digital footprint of this individual, and what we have learned so far is that everything that we have garnered up to this point is that he was calculating, he was determined, he was premeditated in his intent to commit violence. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Next, the Supreme Court has upheld a federal rule allowing the abortion pill to be prescribed through telemedicine and sent by mail. The ruling temporarily lifts an appellate court decision limiting access to the drug nationwide. The Supreme Court's administrative stay gives the justices more time to review emergency requests by two manufacturers of Mifepristone. The Food and Drug Administration eased access to the drug back in 2023. In 2024, the high court rejected a challenge by anti-abortion groups and doctors to roll back the FDA regulations. The case follows the court's 2022 decision overturning the Roe v. Wade precedent that had legalized abortion nationwide. Since then, several states have effectively banned or limited access to abortion. And the Justice Department is going to announce a settlement with the meatpacking industry later this week. Here's Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche today providing updates on his department's antitrust probe into meatpackers. We prioritized investigating potential antitrust violations in U.S. cattle and beef markets. In the beef industry, the big four processors control over 85 percent of the beef processing market. Two of the big four are primarily foreign-owned. Multiple plant closures across the country, the current market structure, and high concentration in the industry indicate anti-competitive activity. It will be historic and directly affect the prices of proteins like chicken, pork, and turkey. The antitrust probe comes after President Trump asked the department to investigate the prices of beef. Blanche says that since then, his department has reviewed over 3 million documents and contacted hundreds of industry participants, including ranchers, cattlemen, producers, and processors. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins notes two of the top four meatpackers are Brazilian-owned. She says this makes them a threat not just to U.S. cattle producers, but also to America itself. The DOJ says it will use every tool available to help reduce food prices and ensure a fair playing field in the agricultural industry. Next, a new class-action lawsuit filed in Israel accuses a Chinese car manufacturer of violating privacy laws. The lawsuit alleges Chinese car company BYD secretly collects video and audio, as well as location data, and then it transfers that data to China. NTD's Jason Perry brings us more on that. Are Chinese electric vehicles safe to drive? A class-action lawsuit filed in Israel on Sunday accuses Chinese car company BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle maker, of spying on drivers and passengers without their consent. According to Israeli media, the lawsuit alleges that BYD then secretly sent that information back to China. Some of the information the electric vehicles are accused of collecting include, but are nor limited to, images from the vehicle's cameras, precise location data, call data, biometric data, and startup and shutdown times. The lawsuit argues that purchasers of the BYD Chinese electric vehicle did not have informed consent about the information the car would collect before they purchased it, and after the sale was final. If the user did not consent, then certain functions of the car would not work, which were among the reasons for purchasing the car in the first place. The lawsuit also alleges that not all drivers were even given the chance to consent to the collection of certain personal information, nor were they notified that their information would be sent outside of Israel to China. The sensitive information that BYD is accused of collecting could help the Chinese Communist Party pinpoint where Israeli military leaders live and what sensitive locations they visit, and could also record video and audio of nearby conversations. The vehicle importer, Shlomo Motors, is also included in the lawsuit. More than 50,000 BYD electric vehicles have been sold in Israel, and the lawsuit is asking for over $100 million in damages. Now in America, Chinese cars aren't illegal, but there's a ban on Chinese hardware and software that could possibly collect information on drivers. And since 2024, Chinese electric vehicles have faced a 100% tariff when imported to America, and an additional 25% tariff since March that was included on all imported vehicles and auto parts. Jason Perry, NTD News. Coming up, a major endorsement is shaking up the Los Angeles mayoral race, and one candidate is also drawing attention with a viral campaign video, as many voters remain undecided. Cristina Corona reports. In the lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI, the company president testifies for the first time in the case. David Lamb brings us more. And a cruise ship with a suspected hantavirus outbreak is refused permission to dock. Some 150 passengers trapped near the coast of West Africa after three people on board die. See it at least once in your life. Shen He. Get tickets now. Introducing the QuestWise Soothing Herbal Eye Patches. It comes with 30 pairs and can be used to help combat tired and strained eyes. 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Welcome back to NTT Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. A new Supreme Court decision is now driving changes in congressional maps across several states, lawmakers moving quickly to redraw district lines ahead of the midterms, with Florida already approving a new map. NTT's congressional correspondent Chris Bobb reports on what's unfolding and the potential impact in Washington. Everybody's freaking out over the redistricting. Everybody just needs to tap their brakes just a little bit. That reaction from Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett over the weekend, as states begin responding to Supreme Court's ruling, Louisiana's congressional map drawn to create a second majority black district was unconstitutional. The majority writing that compliance with the Voting Rights Act, quote, could not justify the state's use of race-based redistricting in this case. The ruling narrows how race can be used when drawing district lines. Florida acting quickly, Governor Ron DeSantis signing legislation for a new congressional map, posting on ExMonday, quote, signed, sealed, and delivered. In a legal memo to lawmakers, his office explaining the reasoning behind the move, writing, quote, the use of race in redistricting should never happen. And, quote, any decision taken because of race triggers the strictest of constitutional scrutiny. The new map could also carry significant political implications. Florida's current congressional map gives Republicans a 20 to 8 edge in the state's delegation. The newly drawn districts could expand that advantage, with changes potentially affecting seats now held by Democrat representatives Kathy Castor, Jared Moskowitz, Darren Soto, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Reactions coming from both sides of the aisle. Florida Congresswoman Kat Kamek posting on Ex this weekend in reference to the measure, quote, grateful for the steadfast leadership of our at-gov Ron DeSantis. Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz posting on ExMonday calling the maps, quote, illegal, and, quote, partisan. Meanwhile, other states are taking action. In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey issued a proclamation on Friday calling a special session Monday focused on redistricting and potential new elections tied to changes in district lines. And in Tennessee, Congressman Tim Burchett expressing confidence in the process. I got a lot of faith in our legislature. Let them do their job on this redistricting, and then we'll get back to work. Mid-decade redistricting efforts are currently underway across over a dozen U.S. states, potentially affecting multiple congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Chris Bobb, NTD News. Next, a Supreme Court ruling last week limiting the use of race-based redistricting in a challenge to Louisiana's congressional map. Should race be considered a factor when drawing these district boundaries? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. Should race be considered a factor when it comes to drawing congressional maps? I don't believe so. I don't think race should have a factor. It all depends where people end up living anyway, so why should we change districts just for that? I would say no because I feel like we all could learn from each other, we all could use each other. So just being closer, being inclusive, I think just having different diversity, different groups around each other, it helps us all. It would certainly be nice if race didn't need to be a factor when it comes to redistricting, but I really believe that we are living at a time when it does need to be taken into account to have some fairness in elections. With this being your background and everything, race doesn't matter about anything. It doesn't show your intellect. It doesn't show anything. It's just who you are. You can't choose what color you're born. You just do what you can and be the person you want to be and everything should go right. If we vote as humans and we work together, it doesn't matter where one person comes from or where another person comes from. In that process, we should all be Americans. The other side of the aisle is saying that minorities aren't getting the same voter representation. What do you say to that? I believe everybody's getting the same. Overall, I don't think that plays a part anymore as widely as many people think it does. If there's racism in the country, then how did Barack Obama win two terms? How did Kamala Harris become VP? That argument just doesn't hold water anymore. When President Trump was elected, he was elected by the majority also of people who wanted to see, really, racism disappear. Sometimes it does seem like the representation isn't right, even if it is there, and then sometimes it does seem like it's not there at all. But I also think it goes both ways. People have to do more, have to get out more, go to more municipal things, see what the community is going on, what they have involved, and just basically get enriched in the community more. As a minority myself, I don't feel that's the case. I think if minorities want to get a voice, they need to go ahead and rally that and to work around it. And so I don't think where you live is a matter of what your voice should mean. It should be personally the ethnic groups themselves that should stand up and encourage themselves to get involved politically. Next, a cruise ship with a suspected deadly Hantavirus outbreak has been refused permission to dock in Africa. Some 150 passengers are trapped on the ship after three died and others developed symptoms. The luxury cruiser now in the waters off the West African island nation of Cape Verde. A U.S. travel blogger is among those passengers. I am currently on board the MV Havius, and what's happening right now is very real for all of us here. Passengers trapped aboard a cruise ship off the coast of West Africa faced growing fear and uncertainty Monday as medics worked to evacuate people showing symptoms of the deadly Hantavirus. After a suspected outbreak that has killed three people, Jake Rosmarin, a U.S. travel blogger, is among 150 people stuck aboard the MV Havius. There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home. Hantavirus, a disease typically carried by rodents, does not transfer easily between humans. The World Health Organization said the risk to the wider public was low. Still, authorities in the island nation of Cape Verde said they were not allowing the Dutch-flagged ship to dock as a public health precaution. The ship's operator, Oceanwide Expeditions, said it was and looking into whether passengers could be screened and disembarked on the islands of Las Palmas and Tenerife. Authorities said the deceased included a Dutch couple and a German national. Others fell ill, including a British citizen who left the vessel earlier and was being treated in South Africa. The Hantavirus left southern Argentina in March, according to company documentation, traveling past mainland Antarctica, the Falklands, South Georgia, Nightingale Island, Tristan, St. Helena, and Ascension, before reaching Cape Verdean waters on May 3rd. Hantavirus, which can cause fatal respiratory illness, is spread when droppings and urine of rodents become airborne. There are no specific drugs to treat Hantavirus, so treatment focuses on supportive care, including putting patients on ventilators in severe cases. Hantavirus usually begins with flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and fever, one to eight weeks after exposure. California's top insurance regulator says the state is seeking millions of dollars in penalties from State Farm. An investigation found the insurance company violated state law while handling claims from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara launched the probe last summer. The investigation began after survivors alleged that State Farm was delaying and mishandling claims regarding damage to their homes and possible contamination from smoke. According to the insurance department's official claims tracker, State Farm policyholders filed over 11,000 residential claims related to the L.A. fires. That's nearly one-third of more than 38,000 claims that were filed across all insurers. The Palisades and Eaton fires lasted for weeks before they were fully contained. The fires killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. And former Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing her endorsement in the Los Angeles mayoral race as ballots begin going out to voters in California. The contest still wide open, with a significant portion of voters yet to make their decision. NTD's Christina Corona brings us more. Ballots are already going out to voters across Los Angeles, and now former Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she's backing Mayor Karen Bass in the race for re-election. Harris praised Bass's leadership Monday, citing declines in homelessness and crime and giving the mayor her full support. Harris said in a statement, Mayor Karen Bass is the leader Los Angeles needs right now. She has done what so many said couldn't be done. Harris goes on to say, She has my full support for re-election. The endorsement comes as a recent UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll shows Bass leading with about 25% support. City Council member Nithya Raman follows with roughly 17%, and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt at around 14%. And a quarter of voters remain undecided. The race is also drawing major support from Hollywood. Bass is backed by director J.J. Abrams and actor Samuel L. Jackson, while Pratt has support from former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeannie Buss and singer Catherine McPhee. Raman's supporters include actress and writer Mindy Kaling. Pratt is also gaining attention online, releasing a viral campaign video criticizing local leaders and calling for more accountability. The Los Angeles mayoral election is set for June 2nd. Christina Corona, NTD News. The U.S. Geological Survey has found over 2.5 million tons of lithium in the Appalachian region. According to the agency, that's enough to replace over 300 years of imports. The discovery comes as the U.S. works to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals. A new USGS scientific paper published in Natural Resources Research shows most of that lithium concentrated in the Carolinas with other deposits in Maine as well as New Hampshire. According to the agency, it's enough to power 130 million electric vehicles, 180 billion laptops, and 500 billion cell phones. Coming up, the U.S. has destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted cruise missiles as well as drones launched by Iran following President Trump's announcement of Project Freedom to help reopen shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. We'll speak with a foreign policy analyst for expert analysis. And after being canceled by hoax bomb threats traced back to China, Shen Yun is now back. How this U.S. company was forced off a Canadian stage and how they're returning. We come from a long line of farmers and there's a sense of pride in being part of these multi-generational businesses. But there's also a significant amount of pressure. My senior year of high school, my dad made the decision that this world no longer needed him in it. I don't know if he was overwhelmed by the bills and checks that weren't going to be coming in because of the strawberries dying off, but it breaks my heart that my dad made a permanent decision for a temporary issue. Don't feel like you have to go through it alone. Farmers have to take care of their physical and their mental health because what's a farm without a farmer? The mornings, that's my time. Watching the sun come up, I can have a cup of coffee and exercise if I want to. It helps me start the day with a sense of gratitude. Every day is a new opportunity. Don't forget to check in on yourself. Love, you're mine. Our back and forth. Victory. Fumble. It always came back. You probably don't remember what you told me. Hi, I'm Ryan Blaney, a third generation race car driver. And we dedicate a lot of our time to going as fast as possible. My grandpa Lou is the reason why my dad and I started racing and I'm really proud to follow in his tracks. But when my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it was a very unexpected bump in the road for us. I've learned a lot on this journey with my grandpa Lou and the memories of my grandpa will always be with me. And in our family, we're used to getting involved and I encourage you to do the same, especially when it comes to caring for your loved ones. When I think about Alzheimer's and the impact it had on my family, I recognize that losing a race isn't such a bad day after all. It's important to notice if older family members are acting differently, experiencing problems with their memory, or having trouble with routine tasks. Talking about Alzheimer's can be really tough. But if you notice something, have a conversation with your loved one. Encourage them to see a doctor or offer to go with them. Early detection of Alzheimer's can give your family time to explore support services, make a plan for the future, and access available treatments. If you or your family are noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer's. Talk about seeing a doctor together. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. The U.S. has now destroyed six Iranian small boats, intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by Tehran. The update comes after President Trump's announcement of Project Freedom to reopen shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran has threatened to target any foreign armed force and considers the Strait to be under its control. Joining us to discuss is foreign policy analyst Bart Markois. He's a former career diplomat as well as an energy department official. Bart, thank you for joining this evening. I want to get your initial reactions to day one of Project Freedom. Well, I think it's going quite well. The important part is we are starting to sink those small, they call it the mosquito fleet, those small boats. Those are the ones that can really wreak havoc on shipping. And we need to just take them out as soon as they, anything that comes out of a harbor needs to be shot down and sunk. Now, Bart, the U.S. has deployed quite a force in Project Freedom. In spite of that and the massive damage it's taken from the U.S., Iran's still threatening American forces after the project was announced. Where do you see the negotiations now at this point? You know, I've got to be honest with you. I don't really believe that the negotiations are in earnest. I don't think the Iranians are serious about negotiating. There is nobody, there's no central authority that has the weight to negotiate. The president is talking to a lot of different factions. And those factions, I believe, are kind of jostling each other and elbowing each other. Some want to see if they can gain some advantage in a post-Islamic Republic Iran. And others are eager to kill anybody who's seeking to gain advantage in a post-Islamic Republic Iran. I think the president is simply playing for time and letting the strangulation take hold. We've already reached the point where the Iranians are burning their oil at the wellheads. They don't have the capability to export the oil. And they're just trying to preserve their reservoirs right now. So they can't keep this up very long. They only have a few weeks of money. And once they can't pay their IRGC and besiege people, then it starts to crumble from the center outward. Barr, you brought up a really interesting point while you were giving that explanation. And as a diplomat, I'd really like to understand from your perspective, the president has routinely said he doesn't want to cause regime changes throughout the world, and he wants countries to take ownership of their own fate. But you are describing this concept that there are different factions and that the U.S. and the White House and the administration are having conversations. So in that process, do certain factions become potentially more favorable to the U.S., where there might be some opportunity to back a horse over another? Or how does that even work from a diplomatic perspective? Yeah, it's a very tricky game. And the funny thing is, President Trump is playing it completely openly and transparently. He's saying, I don't really want to have to change the regime. I want the regime to change its behavior. Give up your nuclear weapons. Give up your missiles. Stop trying to threaten your neighbors. And stop killing your own people. Stop massacring people. That's all I want. Now, if you, you know, Mr. Hussein Abdullahi, can do that, then I'll deal with you. But you, Iran, you have to determine who's in charge. And I have to have somebody to talk to that has the power to enforce whatever he agrees to. And so far, there isn't anyone. And I think Trump is waiting to see those factions start tearing each other apart and gaining primacy. And he will deal with whoever has primacy. He'll either deal with them to make a transaction, or he'll deal with them by killing them if they continue hostilities against us. It's a very simple, straightforward process. Yes, it is. But at the same time, what you're describing is sort of like a multilevel game of chess. And of course, that economic fury is the leverage that is squeezing it and putting pressure on it. But I do want to ask about Iran taking an offensive that succeeded in hitting the UAE, which is possibly the U.S.'s closest ally. What's your assessment of the cause and effect of that action today? I have not seen a battle damage assessment. I saw that the UAE had firefighters there. They are a very efficient government, very efficient people, very well-educated people. They've been preparing for this since they signed the Abraham Accords. I've got to believe that they have contingency plans and spare parts and things ready to go. Hopefully, that facility will be shut down only for a matter of days until they get the fire out and replace whatever infrastructure was damaged. They have an enormous amount of money. And when you have that much money, you can make plans and you can have supplies on hand. And you mentioned economic fury. And I think that's a key. We talk a lot about the battle, the war, the explosions and firing at each other. But the real battle that's going on is the economic battle. It's not just that Trump is not allowing them to export their oil and sell it. It's that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant is systematically finding all of the assets that Iranian government entities and Iranian individuals have all around the world and shutting them down, freezing them, seizing them, preventing them from accessing their financial assets. And that is money that they have been counting on. And in the case of any kind of crisis like this, they thought that they had money squirreled away. And Scott Besant is finding it. I don't know how he's doing it, maybe AI or something, but he's finding it. And they didn't expect that. And Bart, before I let you go, I have about 30 seconds, but I do want to see how this affects President Trump's trip to Beijing in just about 10 days now. You know, it only strengthens his hand. He has systematically encircled Beijing. He has encircled China. And he's sending a very strong message to Xi Jinping that this is not the Chinese century. This is another American century. And China does not have the power that it thought it had. Well, 10 days away, so much to look out for. Bart Marquis, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your insights. Thank you. Next, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be visiting Italy this week from Wednesday through Friday. He's planning to meet both Italian and Vatican leaders in Rome. The State Department says Rubio will discuss the situation in the Middle East with the Vatican, along with shared interests in the Western Hemisphere. With Italy, he will focus on shared security interests and strategic alignment. The department adding that the meetings will advance bilateral relations and align on the global challenges. The meeting come as President Trump criticized Pope Leo for speaking out against the war in Iran. The president has also expressed unhappiness with Italy over its criticism of the war. He said last week that he may consider pulling out U.S. troops from the NATO ally. And the Trump family's crypto venture is suing one of its most prominent backers. World Liberty Financial today announcing a defamation lawsuit This, the latest in the escalation of a dispute between Sun and the crypto project. President Trump and his sons co-founded this project, but none of Trump's family members hold any positions in the company since President Trump's second term. World Liberty writes on X today that Sun launched a coordinated media smear campaign against the crypto venture and made what it calls false claims. It adds that Sun had done things he wasn't allowed to do with his tokens, including transferring them to crypto exchange Binance. Last month, Sun sued World Liberty Financial, saying the company had illegally frozen the tokens that he had bought. The entrepreneur reacting to the crypto venture's lawsuit against him today, saying, quote, Next, in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, the company's president gives his testimony in court. NTD's David Lam reports. The second week of the Musk v. Altman trial kicks off with a computer science expert testifying and then OpenAI president Greg Brockman at the federal courthouse in Oakland, California. During testimony, Brockman said he invested $0 for ownership interest, which is now worth about $30 billion. Musk attorney Steven Molo cited OpenAI's primary fiduciary duty was for humanity, and Brockman said they've always held themselves to what they're doing on being beneficial to humanity. But he said they haven't reached that point yet. The trial recently started last week after Musk first started the lawsuit in 2024, alleging that OpenAI's executives and Microsoft CEO defrauded Musk and betrayed OpenAI's nonprofit mission by changing to a for-profit company. The attorney fired tense questions at Brockman, seemingly in an effort to establish credibility and Musk's influence and worth at OpenAI. Now, during testimony, Brockman denies allegations of using nonprofit assets for the for-profit. Brockman said, quote, When asked about making $30 billion, Brockman said compensation was a secondary motivation for him. OpenAI received about $150 million in nonprofit donation, where Brockman did ask Sam Altman how to donate the money, but Brockman says he wasn't told when to do so yet. Brockman also discussed his background and said he or others never made commitments to Musk about OpenAI's corporate structure. Musk testified last week, seeking for OpenAI to revert back to a nonprofit. Now, Brockman is supposed to testify again on Tuesday with Siobhan Zillis to be next. David Lam, NTD News, California. Coming up in the NBA playoffs, Minnesota begins their second round playoff series tonight, but will they have the services of leading scorer Anthony Edwards? Dave Martin joins us with all the latest. And a rainbow circling a cloud formation. Footage taken in Indonesia captures a rare scene. Stay with us for that. I'm Jonathan Lawson. If you're 50 to 85, please listen closely. The lock I want to talk to you about isn't the one on your door. It's a rate lock for your life insurance that guarantees that once you're insured, your rate can never go up at any time for any reason. Many policies you see don't have one, but you can get a lifetime rate lock from Colonial Pen. This plan was designed for people on a fixed income with coverage options that start at $9.95 a month. That's less than 35 cents a day. Your rate is locked in for life. Coverage can never be canceled and your acceptance is guaranteed. You cannot be turned down because of your health. See for yourself. Call for an information kit and gift. Both are free with no obligation. Call 1-800-624-6556 for your free information and your free gift. That's 1-800-624-6556. 1-800-624-6556. Call now. Hi, I'm Jane Seymour, and I spent years on TV playing a doctor. But I learned about the heartbreaking reality of heart disease and stroke when they touched my own life. My father nearly died before having a quadruple bypass and valve replacement that saved him. And my mom, who was my inspiration, suffered a stroke that took away her speech, her ability to move, and ultimately her life. To see someone so vibrant, so positive, who'd survived so much in life, be debilitated by a stroke, it was devastating. And also a wake-up call. And that's why I'm so passionate about supporting the American Heart Association. They're doing more every day to stop needless deaths. But they simply can't do their life-saving work without you. So please, call now or go to healthheart.org. And for only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, your donation will go to work to do amazing things. Like fund the next medical breakthrough. Get the next person trained in CPR. And the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care. I hope that you'll open your heart right now and join me. Please, call now or go to healthheart.org. Give $19 a month and we'll send you this special t-shirt that you can proudly wear to show that you're part of a community of monthly donors who are helping save lives. A healthy heart is the spirit of life. It makes it possible to do the things that you love. To spend time with your friends and family and fulfill your life's dreams. But so many won't have that chance. Heart disease is America's number one killer. And the number one killer of women. And that's why I'll do whatever I can to make sure others don't die from heart disease before their time. So please, join me. Please call or go online to healthheart.org. Become a monthly donor. And for a limited time only, your first month's gift will be matched. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTV's Dave Martin. Dave, great to see you. A lot of action over the weekend. And a lot of, you've got the NHL, baseball's rocking. But let's start, of course, with the NBA. What's the latest on the playoffs? Well, we've got tonight, we've got two games with the Minnesota Timberwolves playing, of course, against the San Antonio Spurs. But the big thing, of course, is how healthy is Minnesota right now? They've had those three injured guards. Of course, Dante DiVincenzo out for the rest of the playoffs with a torn Achilles. Then you've got Ayo Dosumu, who's out with that calf injury. Now, Dosumu, not as well known, but scored 43 points in Game 5 of their last playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. And then, of course, you've got the leading scorer, Anthony Edwards. Edwards, the four-time All-Star, hyper-extended his knee about nine days ago against Denver. But he will reportedly play tonight. He is officially listed as questionable, though. So big news there for Minnesota, should they get him back. So we've got Minnesota playing at the San Antonio Spurs tonight in Game 1. This game starts at 9.30 Eastern time. Then we've got the other game tonight. The Philadelphia 76ers play at the New York Knicks. 8 o'clock here, right next to our Madison Square Garden. Phil, of course, came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Boston, winning that Game 7 win on Saturday in Boston. That game starts at 8 p.m. Eastern. So we've got the Knicks versus the Sixers here at 8 p.m. Eastern. Then at 9.30, San Antonio hosts Minnesota. So we've got some really fun matchups here tonight. I know you'll be interested in at least one of those games tonight, Kerry. That should be a really fun one. Of course, Philadelphia and New York have played a lot of times in the playoffs. We've got some good individual matchups. Tyrese Maxey and Jalen Brunson, Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns. I think this should be fun. Yeah, Maxey and Brunson, sure to be interesting. And Dave, I'm a fan of all the good games. Of course you are. But I don't like to see these injuries affecting the outcomes of these games. Unfortunately, we have injuries affecting some baseball news as well. We've got Detroit, their two-time Cy Young winner, Tariq Scouble. What's happening with him? He's going to have elbow surgeries. They're moving loose bodies out of his elbow. That sounds like a pretty huge problem. Apparently, though, they haven't actually put a timetable on his return. Typically, this kind of surgery, arthroscopic surgery, takes about two to three months for him to come back from. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said, though, that it would be a very easy process and procedure. Easy for him to say, right? He's not the one having the surgery, right? Anyway, Scouble, though, is one of the last two Cy Young awards. If he's out for two to three months, that would certainly seem to take him out of the voting for this year. But Scouble last pitched on Wednesday against Atlanta. He went seven innings. He did, in the seventh inning, call out for the trainer and manager. He was experiencing, apparently, some discomfort in his elbow. Was able to go the rest of the way, but he said this experience or this injury really has been plaguing him all season long. Tigers, meanwhile, with an 18-17 record, but that is good enough for first place right now in the AL Central Division. They're playing Boston in a game that started just a few minutes ago. Well, with a six-month season, you can get them in and out of surgery, and maybe you have them for that home stretch into the playoffs. I think it looks like that. It looks like he'll come back, yeah, exactly, just for the stretch run here the last couple months of the season. The way the AL Central is positioned right now, there's not a lot of competition, I'll say, at the top. There's not the big names. The AL East or really the NL Central right now has been really hot as well. So I can see them being able to stay above without their ace, but, of course, you'd rather have him back. And, of course, Scoble, after winning those two Cy Youngs, he is not signed long-term. He's said to become a free agent after this year. He will be a well-sought-after pitcher on the free agency market for sure. Yeah, a lot of dough for those guys who can throw the ball 100 miles per hour. A lot of dough. Unfortunately, though, you never want to hear elbow surgery and pitcher in the same sentence. So we'll be watching with great interest. You'll hear Tommy John in the same sentence as pitcher for two. Yeah, absolutely. All right, let's pivot over to the NHL. We've got playoffs happening there. What's the latest? Yeah, the NHL just barely ahead of the NBA right now. We just started the second round in the NHL playoffs. Yesterday you see the Avalanche beating the Wild yesterday 9-6, a very high-scoring game to take a 1-0 lead in that series. The game featured 14 different goal scores. That's the most in a playoff game since 1993. Shouldn't be a huge surprise, though. Colorado led the NHL with the best record in the regular season and also the most goals scored there. So they're up 1-0 in that series. Elsewhere, you'll see Montreal win a Game 7 at Tampa Bay, 2-1 to advance. They will play Buffalo here in the second round here in the Eastern Conference. Tonight we've got two games. Colorado hosts Philadelphia in Game 2 of their series. Hurricanes lead that series 1-0. The game starts at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Then at 9.30 it's Game 1 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Golden Knights of Las Vegas. The game starts at 9.30 Eastern time. It will take place in Vegas. So we've got plenty more NHL and NBA playoff games. That's going to be the theme for the next four to six weeks, Kerry. They're looking to hoist that Stanley Cup up, drink champagne, lots of work for in the NHL. We're going to have a new team coming out of the West anyway. We already had the Edmonton Royals lose in the first round. They had won the Western Conference each of the last two seasons. So no Conor McDavid making it again to the Stanley Cup finals. But yes, we've got that going on. And like I said, 8 p.m. Eastern time, just over an hour, you've got your big New York Knicks versus the Philadelphia 76ers. Now if you remember two years ago, the Knicks beat the Sixers in the playoffs. I think this is a bit of a new look Sixers team. You've got Max, he's kind of grown up now. You've got that young rookie Vijay Edgecumbe. The Knicks, meanwhile, I'm very curious to see their new offense that they kind of unveiled against Atlanta. How does it work against Philly? They basically turned Carl Anthony Townsend into a facilitator. Did you see that? He was getting double digits in assists. It was almost like watching Denver's Nikola Jokic there. I was surprised. They were going through him in the offense the last three games. They won the last three games in blowout fashion. It was pretty incredible there. So I'm curious to see what the Knicks do against the 76ers. This should be an entertaining series. I, too, of course, watching with great interest the Knickerbockers. Dave, always a pleasure. Thanks, man. Thank you. And next, a major development on foreign interference in artistic performances up in Canada. Shen Yun returning to Toronto after shows were canceled just last month over bomb threats, which the organizers blame on the Chinese Communist Party's systematic campaign to stop Shen Yun. NDD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more on that. Shen Yun Performing Arts is making a comeback in Toronto after a series of hoax bomb threats canceled their shows. Toronto's Four Seasons Center canceled six Shen Yun performances over a month ago, even after police deemed these threats unfounded. The fake threats that were spread in Toronto have been spread around the world, and all the shows have gone on. Toronto was an outlier. But the shows are back. Shen Yun returns to the Four Seasons Center June 26th through the 28th. The threats in Toronto were nearly identical to those in Vancouver just weeks earlier. Vancouver police traced the email to a Chinese phone number with the sender based in China. Organizers confirmed it was the exact same email address used against Toronto. After the Toronto cancellation, the sender sent bragging follow-ups calling the Chinese Communist Party his motherland and saying, quote, the Toronto Four Seasons incident was my most successful one. Yielding to such pressure only encourages more of it. We must not allow threats and intimidation to dictate how we live our lives. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party for their continued attack on our Canadian sovereignty. Shen Yun says this is part of a systematic campaign by the Chinese Communist Party to stop them from performing. The New York-based company has endured over 150 similar hoax, bomb, and death threats worldwide in just the past two years alone, with every single one ruled unfounded by local police. Founded in 2006, Shen Yun revives 5,000 years of China's traditional culture, the China before communism, through world-class dance and music. For the rescheduled performances in Toronto, security's being significantly ramped up. That means metal detectors, canine units, on-site police patrols, and a full professional security team. Everybody understands that these threats were just hoaxes and as part of a harassment and discrimination campaign internationally against Shen Yun. But having said that, just for the comfort and the peace of mind of all the patrons and supporters, we've all agreed, both the venue and Shen Yun, to implement some additional security measures. The organizers for Shen Yun say a foreign regime should not dictate what Canadians are allowed to see. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. And next, footage taken in Indonesia last week captured a rare scene in the sky. Video from West Java shows what appears to be a rainbow circling a cloud formation. The spectacle is known as an iridescent cloud according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The phenomena occurs when sunlight is diffracted through water droplets or ice crystals within clouds. In order to see the colorful display, a cloud must be thin and have enough water droplets or ice crystals of similar size. When that happens, the sun's rays hit just a few droplets at a time. According to the agency, semi-transparent clouds or clouds that are just forming offer the best chance for this iridescence. And that's all for tonight's news. But for around-the-clock coverage, visit us at NTD.com or even better, use our NTD app. Thank you for watching. I'm Cary Dunst. Good night.