NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (June 5)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, a hot U.S. economy despite the conflict in Iran, what's in the latest jobs report as President Trump vows to bring costs down, and what the president is revealing about his mandate for the incoming intelligence chief. Federal authorities announced they have launched multiple election fraud investigations in California. The probes come as election officials continue processing and counting outstanding ballots from this week's primary election. Christina Corona reports. Nearly 40 ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz successfully with assistance from the U.S. Navy. Is this the beginning of a trend? We're going to speak with NTD senior military national security analyst Mike Cirelli. Artificial intelligence company Anthropic once again calling attention to AI's potential danger to humankind, saying that self-improving AI could soon develop faster and humans can manage the risks. Jason Perry reports. And California prepares for the World Cup. You're going to see a lot more on that. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Kerry Dunst. Good evening. Thank you for joining us tonight. U.S. labor market staying strong amid the war in Iran. President Trump touting his economic policies while calling on the central bank to lower interest rates. Joining us now live is NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao. Good evening, Iris. What's the jobs report telling us today? Good evening to you as well, Kerry. So today we had a big jobs report as the Labor Department reporting that the U.S. economy last month added 172,000 new jobs. And that's despite economists forecast previously saying that they were expecting around 85,000 only. The unemployment rate staying steady at around 4.3 percent. The White House today crediting the economic news to the Trump administration's policies saying that's because of President Trump's tax policies including no tax on overtime, no tax on tips, as well as the one big beautiful bill that is having a positive effect on supply. And President Trump speaking in Wisconsin just moments ago saying that it shows that the U.S. economy is still on a solid footing despite the conflict in Iran, which he says the U.S. will come out of very quickly. Let's take a look. These are the strongest job numbers of the entire administration so far. And that's during this conflict on top of it. The midterms are coming up and I hope you people are really spiritized because we're at a point we're going to come out of Iran very quickly and it's going to be very strong one way or the other. Whether it's a piece of paper or the very tough way. And today's new jobs numbers also comes amid a positive numbers earlier this week about the overall jobs market, including, for example, numbers suggesting that a U.S. manufacturing sector has started to rebound. It also comes amid news that the Labor Department earlier this week saying that job opening numbers across the U.S. have skyrocketed back in April. Meanwhile, positive economic news could also mean concerns for inflation as the Federal Reserve would want to control the growth to stem inflation. Now, President Trump is saying that he believes that a U.S. economy should be able to grow instead of being stymied. Here's what he said today. You don't have to have inflation by having growth. We have great growth. And that doesn't mean inflation. In fact, it could be anti-inflation growth. So I hope the market starts to learn that when you have good numbers, the market should go up, not down. I'd like to see lower interest rates. And now the roundtable in Wisconsin with President Trump as well as dairy farmers is still ongoing. President Trump is there to tout his economic policies benefiting farmers and ranchers across the country, including by cutting red tape for the agricultural industry and bring down President Trump is vowing to bring down the cost of fertilizers in particular once the conflict is over with Iran. In my first year back in the Oval Office, average farm incomes for agricultural producers in our country have skyrocketed by more than 20 percent. Now it's been over the last couple of months since we went in for the military operation. You've seen fertilizer go up and you've seen the energy go up. It's going to come down to where it was or lower. You'll be very happy. And in other news, President Trump's today also outlining his mandate for the incoming director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, and President Trump saying in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that he wants him to start the process of mass firing of employees within the DNI office. President Trump saying that he believes that the agency is too bloated and that he believes, quote, there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there. President Trump also making clear that Pulte is only in there for the temporary position as acting DNI. And he's now interviewing five people, at least at the White House, for a permanent position. Back to you. Thank you, Iris. Next, the Senate passes a $70 billion immigration enforcement package after an overnight voterama on Capitol Hill. The bill funds ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of President Trump's second term, and now it heads to the House. On this vote, the yeas are 52, the nays are 47. This bill, as amended, is passed. Senator Lisa Murkowski was the only Republican to vote against the measure. After 18 hours of voting, Republicans rejected over two dozen amendments from Democrats, including one targeting a proposed Justice Department anti-weaponization fund, and another aimed at blocking construction of the White House ballroom. The legislation follows months of partisan clashes over immigration enforcement and homeland security funding. The bill was passed through reconciliation. That's the process that allows for a simple majority, meaning no support from Democrats was needed to pass it through the Senate. Now that ICE and CBP funding has passed the Senate without a few controversial amendments, will it meet any hiccups when it goes to the House? Analysis tonight on Capitol Report at 7 p.m. Eastern, just after evening news. In a push to prevent unlawful employment of illegal immigrants, the Treasury Department is asking financial institutions to detect and report such activities. The department says hiring people without work authorization can make employers gain an unfair advantage over legitimate businesses, depress wages, facilitate identity theft, and steal tax revenue. It says unlawful wages can also be used to finance transnational criminal organizations. Treasury is asking banks to be vigilant against schemes to pay unlawful workers. The advisory today lists several red flags, such as individuals and companies in the agriculture, construction, domestic service, and hospitality industries registering that use a foreign ID. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says, quote, This administration will not allow illegal aliens to abuse financial institutions to steal billions from hardworking American taxpayers. And 48 people have been charged in a major drug trafficking bust in Texas. Authorities say illegal drug ingredients are being shipped from China to Mexican cartels, who then manufacture the drugs and smuggle them across the U.S. border. An ongoing problem lawmakers and law enforcement are working to stop. NDD correspondent Jason Blair brings us more. The precursor chemicals come from China. They're built in labs, or they're manufactured in Mexico, and then they're coming across the board. 48 individuals have been charged in a large-scale drug trafficking takedown involving federal, state, and local law enforcement in Texas. This includes 24 alleged drug dealers with high-volume drug conspiracy-related charges, primarily involving methamphetamine, and 24 individuals for other felony and misdemeanor charges. It really is an international network, and that's why we're all here fighting this together. Over the course of the 18-month operation, authorities seized more than 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 303 grams of cocaine, and 10 firearms in the Concho Valley of West Texas. I also want to be clear, this is just the start of our presence in the Concho Valley. The ongoing issue of the Chinese Communist Party aiding the drug cartels in Mexico has been discussed by federal and local authorities. On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific held a hearing on the topic. While Mexican cartels manufacture and traffic the final product, the deadly supply chain starts and is engineered in China. This is not happening without Beijing's knowledge. The Chinese government subsidizes the export of at least 17 deadly chemicals that have no legal use. Authorities say the takedown in Texas delivers a major blow to international drug trafficking networks targeting the U.S. And as the U.S. attorney stated, even more arrests are coming. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. And President Trump is turning up the heat on global slave labor. His administration is proposing new tariffs on dozens of countries, including allies, for failing to crack down on forced labor in their supply chains. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley brings us more. The Trump administration's cracking down on slave labor, proposing at least a 10% tariff on dozens of countries for failing to stop using products made with forced labor. The administration says not only is this practice immoral, but it puts bad actors at an economic advantage. After doing an investigation, we found that many countries either did not have laws to prevent trade in goods made with forced labor, or if they did have the laws, they weren't effectively enforcing them. This is an unfair trading practice we think distorts global trade. It is also, I mean, unfair competition for our companies to have to compete against someone who has free labor, basically compelled and forced labor. The U.S. is seeking to impose a 10% tariff on major economies like the European Union, Mexico, and Canada, all of which have prohibitions on forced labor, but the U.S. trade representative says they haven't been enforcing it. Dozens of other countries without that face a 12.5% tariff, including China, India, and Vietnam, among several others. The U.S. has laws banning the import of any goods made even partly with slave labor. There's also the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which presumes all products made in China's westernmost region of Xinjiang are made with slave labor. But when it comes to getting other countries to comply... And I would imagine that China's putting, I know that they put tremendous amount of pressures on countries around the world not to comply. All of this is raising the alarm of forced labor, and one of the biggest perpetrators is China. 90% of China's cotton come from the slave labor areas of the Xinjiang problems. That's 20% of the global cotton supply. Former NBA star Ines Cantor-Freedom says that while the NBA claims to care for past slavery in the U.S., it turns a blind eye to current slavery happening in China today. All these players are now taking, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars by these shoe companies that are linked with the slave labor and sweatshops. Right now, this tariff proposal is going into public hearings next month before a final decision is made. For NTD News Washington, I'm Jack Bradley. Russian President Vladimir Putin today responding to an open letter from Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky. Zelensky is requesting a direct meeting with Putin, suggesting the U.S. is too busy with the Iran war to negotiate peace between Russia and Ukraine. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Pasdar has the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war. I think it would be great if they met. They should get it done. President Trump on Thursday and again on Friday saying he supports a meeting between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Russia's Vladimir Putin. Zelensky sent a lengthy open letter to Putin this week. Just shortly after Ukraine bombed St. Petersburg during a major economic forum, Zelensky started the letter by saying that many Ukrainians liked Putin when he first came into power over 20 years ago. But then he went on to state that now the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg. Zelensky went on to suggest that Ukraine could launch more such attacks while adding that Russia's resources are shrinking. That's partly why he's now proposing to hold direct talks, adding that we see that the United States is fully focused on the issue of Iran and it would be wrong to simply wait until the war in Europe returns to the center of its attention. Putin responded on Friday saying he sees no reason to meet with Zelensky at this time. The Kremlin leader added that he doesn't think Zelensky is actually seeking a meeting, saying the letter is more offensive than it is genuine. Before the news of the letter broke, Putin said this. The proposals put forward by President Trump, as I have already said, could well be the basis of a peace settlement. But it's not clear what proposals Putin is talking about. The president didn't comment on the allegations that the U.S. is too busy with Iran to broker peace in Ukraine. The former foreign minister of Ukraine commenting on the timing of Zelensky's request for a meeting. He added that Zelensky's main message in the request is that time is on Ukraine's side. Next, artificial intelligence company Anthropic is once again sounding the alarm on AI and its potential danger to humankind. The company is now calling on the AI industry to slow down, as self-improving AI systems could soon develop faster than humans can manage the risks. NTD's Jason Perry has the latest. Artificial intelligence company Anthropic warning that AI systems could soon begin improving themselves faster than society can manage the risks. Anthropic, creator of the Cloud AI system, says that AI's ability to complete tasks on its own has been doubling about every four months, and that AI could soon reach something called recursive self-improvement, meaning that the technology could soon be able to improve itself without any human intervention. In a blog post on Thursday titled When AI Builds Itself, Anthropic says that could increase the risk of humans losing control over AI systems, noting in particular that if systems are capable of fully building their own successors, the ways we secure them, monitor them, and shape their behavior all grow much more important. But at the moment, it appears that research scientists are still trying to learn why AI acts the way it does. For example, when Anthropic gave AI control of a fake email account, the AI program discovered in the emails that it was about to be deleted. In response, the AI attempted to blackmail the only person who could stop the shutdown by sending him an email threatening to expose his affair with a co-worker. Okay, so that seems concerning. If it has no thoughts, it has no feelings, why does it want to preserve itself? That's kind of why we're doing this work, is to figure out what is going on here, right? Anthropic is now calling on major artificial intelligence companies to consider a pause in development to allow researchers to gain a better understanding of the potential societal harms that self-improving AI could unleash. But that could be difficult to achieve among industry competitors. Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark compares the situation to the arms race. Look, we've done this before. In the height of the Cold War, under highly tense situations between rivalrous countries, they found ways to stabilize aspects of the nuclear arms race. All of this has been done before in other domains. Anthropic adding that researchers also need to find a way for humans to intervene if things get out of hand. But when I look down at the car we're driving, all I have is a gas pedal. I don't have a brake pedal. And surely at some point in the future, we might want that option. Jason Perry, NCD News. Coming up, federal prosecutors say multiple election fraud investigations are underway in California. The announcement comes as election officials continue counting hundreds of thousands of outstanding ballots from this week's primary election. Christina Corona reports. And the FIFA World Cup is starting soon. To prepare for the influx of fans and international visitors, authorities are highlighting their safety efforts. David Lamb has more from California. NTD International Piano Competition brings distinguished pianists celebrating the depth, discipline, and expressive power of September 1st through the 5th, 2026. NewYorkCDTV.com. Honoring the timeless tradition of the piano. There's cultures that have been lost. But this culture hasn't been. The artist is showing us our sense of who we are, where we came from. You look at his hat. His hat is knitted probably by a man because a man traditionally knitted the hats. That hat tells you the story of who this person is, what his place in the culture is, the animals around him. Everything's all contained in the messages in the hat. And the tool that he's carrying over his shoulder. This is a centuries-old tool that has been able to rework the mountains. Those traditions are invaluable. And if we don't honor those traditions, then we're losers. The artist is showing us the value of maintaining our culture and respecting our culture. Kids love it. Parents trust it. Obviously. Explore GJW Plus Kids Series and Gone Gion Campus courses led by expert educators. This is spectacular. Children will learn values like respect, responsibility, and knowledge in language, science, and more. Wow. All while having fun. Perfect. Subscribe today at GJW Plus Kids, where learning meets fun. Welcome back to Entity Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. Federal prosecutors say multiple election fraud investigations are now underway in California as election workers continue counting the ballots from this week's primary election. The announcement comes one day after President Trump alleged election irregularities in the state. Entity's Christina Corona has more on the story. President Trump has recently alleged election irregularities in California and says the state's election is being investigated. You see that's what's happening in California. They're rigging the election. Now maybe we caught them and maybe they won't be able to get away with it. On Friday, U.S. Attorney Bill Asale announcing that his office is working with the FBI on multiple election fraud investigations in California. Asale didn't identify any specific cases involving the allegations, but pointed to a recent case in which a Marina del Rey woman was charged with paying people, including homeless individuals, on Skid Row to register to vote. In a statement posted on X, Asale says protecting the integrity of California's elections is a top priority and pledged to prosecute any violations of federal election law. Asale also criticizing California's election system, arguing universal vote by mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions where fraud can go undetected and unpunished, eroding public confidence. On Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Renner visited the Los Angeles County ballot processing facility as election workers continued processing ballots. California Attorney General Rob Bonta says his office does have personnel on the ground monitoring the situation at the ballot processing center and stands ready to protect voters and ensure California's election laws are followed. We just don't want cheating in our elections. And you see it happening in California. Those numbers are coming down rapidly. They found a lot of mail-in ballots last night, shockingly. So we don't want that. Meanwhile, election workers continue processing ballots across the state. Los Angeles County officials estimate roughly 688,000 ballots remain outstanding. Most of them vote by mail ballots. Officials say ballots postmarked by election day can arrive up to seven days later and still be counted. The county says the state's 30-day canvas process allows election workers time to verify and count every eligible ballot cast. Christina Corona, NTD News. The FIFA World Cup begins next week and authorities are preparing. FEMA awarded $846 million to enhance security for 11 U.S. cities that are hosting the soccer matches. NTD's David Lam reports on these preparations that are underway in California. Authorities say they're ready for the FIFA World Cup to kick off. Expecting the soccer tournament will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to the events in Silicon Valley. We will have 100 soldier quick reaction teams available both north and south behind those 500 soldier ready reaction teams to deal with the myriad of consequent management issues if that requires. With one week to go before the FIFA World Cup 2026, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services is anticipating a great experience for attendees by preparing safety measures. Six of the World Cup matches are set to be hosted in Santa Clara at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, also known as Levi's Stadium. From June 13th to July 1st and Los Angeles is hosting eight matches. What makes the World Cup different than a typical event is the scale, duration, and complexity of this event. This is not a one-day operation. This is a month-long international event involving multiple host cities, fan festivals, airports, transportation systems, hotels, critical infrastructure, and millions of people moving throughout California every day. We'll have canine officers trained in the detection of narcotics or explosives. We'll have bicycle officers that are nimble, can get through crowded, congested areas if necessary. Our air operations will be serving both venues. Please, if you see something, say something. We are excited to welcome the world to Santa Clara and know that the matches will last 90 minutes, but the preparation behind them has taken years. Now, FIFA recently announced it's banning refillable water bottles at World Cup events as a safety precaution. A total of 16 cities are hosting World Cup matches this year. And the San Francisco Bay Area previously hosted the FIFA World Cup matches in 1994. David Lam, NTD News, California. Next, the economic impact of the Knicks' playoff run has already been quite impactful for New York City. But now, with the Knicks making it to the NBA Finals for the first time since the early 90s, the city is absolutely abuzz, and the business opportunity has also grown greatly. NTD's Sean Marshall has more. The New York Knicks' 2026 NBA postseason run has generated an estimated $202 million in economic activity from home games played so far, according to Mayor Mamdani and the City Economic Development Corporation. Bars and pubs are also gaining heavily from business around New York City. Premier sporting events like the NBA Finals are the holy grail of tourism, okay, because we're talking about high-intent visitors to a city spending money across the whole spectrum, okay, from luxury hotels and restaurants and retail to skyboxes and suites in Madison Square Garden, all the way to Uber drivers, bartenders and servers. Money is flowing through pizza shops all the way to food carts. And this is coming at a time when, historically, so much of the discretionary income in Manhattan goes east to the Hamptons or to the Jersey Shore. So you think about this economic impact of the NBA Finals and, of course, the FIFA World Cup coming soon. It's a great summer injection of money and tourism. T-shirt sales are a hot item around Madison Square Garden. A steady stream of sales for those looking for extra income. Well, the sales been all right. You know, this is my little side hustle. You know, I also got a little job on the side, you know. But this is my side hustle, man, so I can pay my bills. Got the FIFA shirts already. And we already got the Knicks shirts, baby. How's business going? I ain't gonna lie, business is booming. I ain't supposed to be doing this. But shout out to Jalen Brushes, man. Made me a lot of money, man. I came all the way from Columbia, South Carolina to do this. Do you care to say how much you're able to make selling shirts? It's an up-and-down thing, though, you know. So sometimes three, sometimes two. You know, it's an up-and-down thing, though. And that's in a day or, like, a couple hours? Well, a day. Because we got a lot of competition out here. Even when the Knicks play out-of-town playoff games, the streets around Madison Square Garden are filled with vans for the watch parties inside and outside of the arena. City government has already canceled permits for outdoor watch parties around Madison Square Garden once after things got a little out of control, then removed the ban for the finals games. The police threatened to ban watch parties again after streets filled up during game one of the finals. NYPD was undecided until the day of game two, but have allowed outdoor watch parties again. Roughly 11 percent of the city's workforce works in hospitality. So you're looking at over 440,000 jobs that are going to get a boost, going to get increased shifts. The economic impact is real. You think about Madison Square Garden, okay, which reported a $430 million revenue last quarter. Its stock price is up 90 percent. It's currently trading between $285 and $290 a share. The postseason has the potential to generate a total of $465 million in economic activity if all possible home games in the finals are played. Sean Marshall, NTD News. Thanks to Sean for that report. Let's go, Knicks. Coming up, nearly 40 ships have transited the Strait of Hormuz successfully with some coordination with the U.S. Navy. Is this the beginning of a trend? We'll speak with NTD senior military national security analyst Mike Cirelli. And the head of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping, will visit North Korea next week. What message is the trip sending? That and more after this break. I am so glad you ladies are here. You each have your own rooms. Thank you. Get settled in. I'll call you for dinner. Adopting teen sisters, it's a lot. Girls, you're going to be late. You want breakfast? No, thanks. We're good. They're always in their own world. Twice the work. Twice the surprises. Just try it. But if you think of it that way, they're also twice as fulfilling. Is it okay to call you mom? Of course you can. My mom and dad were traditional Asian parents. Now my father would go to work before I woke up in the morning. And then he would come home too tired to play with me. I tell my son, I love you every single day. And my dad has never said that to me. Not because he doesn't love me, but because culturally it was uncomfortable for him. So I teased him the other day and I said, how come you never say that to me? And he said, you're too old now. Now that he's a grandfather, he says I love you to my son every time he sees him. My advice to all the fathers out there, forget the material things. Forget the cultural restrictions. They grow up way too fast for you to waste even a single precious minute or moment. 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 Kerry Dunst. After recently hosting President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will now visit North Korea on Monday. It'll be Xi's first visit to the country in seven years and his first overseas visit this entire year. Why is this happening now? Here's more on that. Beijing has worked to draw Pyongyang, its only formal treaty ally, back into its fold after the COVID-19 pandemic froze exchanges. At the symbolic level, it's important for Xi Jinping to sort of keep taps on what's going on in Pyongyang. John Delury is a senior fellow of the Asia Society. I think the message implicit from the Chinese side is Xi Jinping is saying, look, we are still the principal actor when it comes to North Korea. Last September, Kim was a guest of the massive military parade in Beijing. And in March this year, passenger train services between Beijing and Pyongyang resumed after a six-year suspension. Ahead of the visit, Kim called for an exponential expansion of Pyongyang's atomic arsenal during a visit to a nuclear material production factory, state media said. Before his September visit to Beijing last year, Kim inspected plans for a new intercontinental ballistic missile. The announcement of the visit follows Xi's summits in Beijing last month with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin. I do think that one of the audiences is Russia, is Vladimir Putin, just to say what you're doing with North Korea is fine, but let's not go too far with this. Kim deepened ties with Moscow by sending troops and weapons to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine. And a report says nearly 40 stranded ships in the Strait of Hormuz have now successfully made it out with the help of the U.S. Navy. Is this the beginning of a new trend? Joining us to unpack it all is Mike Cirelli. He's NTD's senior military national security analyst. He's also a retired U.S. Navy SEAL. Thanks so much for joining us, Mike, this evening. Now, CNBC says a defense official confirmed that they're not escorting ships, this being the U.S. Navy, but they are communicating and coordinating with them. I'd like to get your reaction to this news. Yeah, we're even getting word that they're going completely blacked out at night under the cover of darkness. So, you know, they're going to utilize a lot of means and techniques and tactics to get these ships through and open up the energy artery for the majority of the world. So, you know, it's the ingenuity of the Navy. The blockade is going to stay in place, which does provide a bit of protection for those maritime lanes. But this is great news not only for the United States, the region, but the world at large, given the fact that they can get access to oil and hopefully start to bring that price of oil down. Indeed, hopefully those 40 ships go to another 40 and then from there. Now, Mike, Iran's foreign minister says the U.S.-Iran war can only end if Israel withdraws from Lebanon. I want to get your thoughts on these negotiations. Yeah, this is this is Iran holding on to Hezbollah as a regional lever. So there's a few ways you can look at this. Will Trump keep this on the negotiation table or will he create a red line? So the question is, does Israel in the U.S. and the regional partners think that they've minimized Hezbollah enough, similar to Hamas, where they are a smaller threat that can be dealt with later down the line? Ultimately, the devil is in the details. If it does remain on the table that Hezbollah remains, that we think after we get this Iran deal across the table, that there's other means and methods at which we can minimize Hezbollah's influence in Lebanon. But I think what was really key was the Lebanese president said it was unacceptable that Iran was using Hezbollah as a poker chip within these negotiations. It's a sign that the Lebanese government is tired of this cancer known as Hezbollah and they want peace and stability as well. Yeah, well, certainly we'll be keeping a close eye as things develop over the weekend. But I do want to turn our attention out of Cuba. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sanctioned five Cuban entities and five individuals, including the Cuban regime leader, Miguel Diaz-Canel, who, quote, sustained the regime's malicious campaign to subvert and destabilize U.S. national security. And here's U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz on the Cuba situation. The regime conspires and collaborates with enemies and adversaries of democracy. It has supported the war. It has supported Russia's war in Ukraine. It is including by allowing thousands of mercenaries to fight for the Russian army. It is hosting Chinese surveillance facilities. It is providing support for terrorist organizations, and it is undermining other democracies in the region. This is a hostile regime that exports repression. It props up America's adversaries and it invites them into our hemisphere. So in light of Rubio's actions and Waltz's statements, what are your expectations now for Cuba, Mike? My expectations are what we've seen with the last two conflicts, one Venezuela and now Iran. This is modern economic siege warfare, and it's working. It worked in Venezuela. It is crippling Iran right now. They can't sustain much more of this. So I think once we've cleaned up the fire known as Iran, expect us to move to Cuba and do the same exact things. It's going to be another form of economic fury, a litany of sanctions to bring the pain on this regime. And keep in mind that this regime is a bunch of millionaires, if not billionaires. So it's about time that the people of Cuba get a free Cuba. So, you know, Cuba is the last domino in the Western hemisphere to remove any foreign influence, whether it's China or Russia. And so, again, this is part of Trump's master plan to rearrange the global chessboard. So the two things that remain after Iran are going to be Cuba. And then, naturally, he's going to set his eyes on the Russia-Ukraine conflict and do what he can to finish that or bring it to a close with the last few years remaining in his administration. And, Mike, it's apropos that we're having this conversation about freedom and foreign policy, as tomorrow is the 84th anniversary of D-Day, where U.S. and allied forces made the courageous and the largest amphibious landing on Normandy with 156,000 troops. They took heavy casualties, especially at Omaha, but they successfully carried out the operation against the Nazis. Now the phrase storming the beach is fully within the vernacular. As a retired Navy SEAL, Mike, what does D-Day mean to you? You know, you've got to hand it to the greatest generation. I mean, that was the most complex operation in modern history. You know, these guys are what we call the goats, the greatest of all time. The threat they were facing, but they knew the odds and they knew the potential impacts on the war. You know, at that point in the war, Russia had been sustaining most of the conflict with the Nazis. And if we could break through and they broke through, as we know, it basically forced Hitler to fight a war on two fronts, which eventually brought the inevitable fall. So up against just insane odds. And, you know, you look at it from the perspective I fought in the global war on terror. We lost roughly 6,000 troops in that. The cost of this portion of Operation Overlord, which was known as Operation Neptune, they lost. So that's killed, wounded, captured or missing, never accounted for over 10,000 troops. And that comes at a severe toll and cost for the allies for which we will never forget. And those men have set what the example looks like for the U.S. military for the remainder of our history. Well, it's certainly very inspiring, Mike, to hear you talk about this. I know you yourself have taken fire. So remembering those men who stormed that beach and knowing that they would be shot at and that there would be casualties, it's quite an honor to speak with you on this day. And we thank you for your service. Mike Cerelli, thanks for joining. Thank you, guys. Next, President Trump says Washington is being transformed ahead of America's 250th birthday celebration, with new restoration projects, military monuments and a massive rally planned for later this month. The president promoting a patriotic revival of the nation's capital. Have a look at that. Here's another one. President Trump announcing plans for what he calls the greatest rally ever on June 24th in Washington, D.C., as part of celebrations marking America's 250th anniversary. The president says the event will feature patriotic music, military bands and performances by Lee Greenwood and Christopher Macchio. The president also promoting a series of restoration and construction projects across the capital, including repairs to fountains and the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. And we have it finished. The water is pouring in as we speak. And maybe we'll show that what it looks like, because I'm sure the fake news will be thrilled. President Trump thanking the workers who fixed and rebuilt the pool, calling them our great warriors. Some Washington residents welcoming the restoration work. It's a lovely place to come during the day. I'm glad that they put the work into doing this. I also think, you know, there's a lot of other stuff that needs funding that probably could benefit from it besides just making parks beautiful. So I hope that gets done as well. The White House and the Interior Department have highlighted dozens of restoration projects ahead of next year's celebrations. The president touting plans for a new triumphal arch and expanded military memorials near the National Mall. The National Garden of American Heroes is going to be unbelievable. And this is an arch that's a real bow, a beautiful bow to your military and military victories. President Trump also discussing plans for a new promenade. They want to call it the Trump Promenade, but I don't know if I want to do that. It's going to be beautiful. It's a beautiful project. And it's going to take the Lincoln Memorial right down to the Potomac, which it was always scheduled to do. But when they built the roads, that was the end of that. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum saying the projects are intended to complete a longstanding vision for the Capitol ahead of the nation's milestone anniversary. These projects would complete the original vision of the McMillan plan. And how fortunate are we to have the builder-in-chief, someone who both has the vision and the understanding of how to get projects done. A 30-day countdown is now underway to July 4th. And as water begins to refill the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial, how are everyday Americans reacting to the upgrade? NTT San Juan was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. So how do you think the reflecting pool is looking right now? It's looking great so far. There are lots of good changes happening. I think the pool is going to look more richer, kind of reflecting the overall, the richness of America's history. I look forward to it. I mean, it looks incredible. You can actually see the reflection. I've lived here a year on, left, and then came back. And it looks great. Well, it's for the better of the nation. It makes the whole world, the whole country look good, quite honestly. We want our national Capitol to look its best. And it hasn't been a priority in the past. So the things that he's doing, you know, clean it up, especially for our big day on July 4th, 250 years. It's going to be sensational. We've seen fountains that apparently haven't been running for almost a decade. And it really brings the aesthetic of Washington, D.C. Anybody who's in office, be it the president or the mayor or whatever, the upkeep and managing of the city should be at the top priority. Do you think President Trump deserves some credit for this? I think making the country look great for the 250th is an incredible idea. I think America, regardless of how you stand, it's an incredible place. And I think by showing us the best, it's the best thing we can do. If he's putting in any voices in for changing D.C. to reflect what America, how America is growing and being innovated, then yeah, I believe he deserves some credit. He's taking the time to put the renovations back into our Capitol City. We haven't been back in many, many years, but we came back now because of what President Trump has done. What kind of image do you think this puts on for our nation's Capitol when people come in and this is what they see? I think it's a positive reflection of what America holds overall for the past 250 years. I think it's a great way to celebrate how long we have been coming along as a nation. I mean, the fountains at Columbus Fountain, I think Malcolm X Fountain, I read somewhere today that someone has not seen it run. They moved here in 98 and it has not been running since. So, I mean, for the 250th anniversary, celebrating it and having people come here to see the nation's Capitol, how great we've become over the time since we've started in 1776, like, it's incredible to see this and we should be proud of where we're from. I think it's just welcoming. It wants to bring people back in. It wants to show that this is the Capitol of our beautiful nation and it should reflect the nation itself as well. And it's just, it's a beautiful place. It's full of good, honest, God-fearing people and it should start here. And coming up in the NBA, it's game two of the finals tonight as the Red Hot Knicks have an early one to nothing lead. Dave Martin joins us with a preview. Whispered across generations, a hidden secret unveils the essence of longevity and vitality, a timeless legend regarding energy and wonder. 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Dave, we got some baseball news as well as the French Open and Roland Garros, which we want to get to. But we got to start off with the Knicks. Just for you, we will. All right, let's talk. Game two, obviously, you know, an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. San Antonio, they got a lot of talent. They're going to make adjustments. What are you expecting tonight? Yeah, you know, to me, it's all, of course, about the center matchup. Victor Wemenyama versus Carl Anthony Towns. And whether either team changes their defensive strategy regarding those two, I was surprised they were guarding each other for a good portion of game one. I didn't think the Knicks wanted to risk Towns getting in foul trouble, but he didn't. And even though he's four inches shorter than the seven-foot-four Wemenyama, he's significantly thicker. He was able to body him up. He forced him into some tough shots. Wemby hit just six out of 21 in that game one. Now, I'll grant, if talent isn't guarding Wemby, I'm not exactly sure who he guards. Because really, the Spurs have surrounded Wemby with a bunch of, you know, shorter, quicker players that play on the perimeter. That would be very tough for a seven-footer like Towns. But for San Antonio, you know, whenever Wemby guarded Towns on the perimeter, it looked like it was a problem because it took Wemby out of the lane, out of his shot blocking, you know, around the rim. Though the Spurs did help a lot on those possessions. Now, meanwhile, how the Spurs handled Jalen Brunson, especially late in the game, will be critical here. Now, I'll grant, no one has really figured out how to slow Brunson down in the fourth quarter in the game of the line. Maybe you trap him, force the ball out of his hands. Maybe you try to make somebody else beat you. But he burned the Knicks in Game 1. 13 of this game high. 30 points there in that final quarter that we were talking about. They went on that run then to get ahead and to close out the game. So, I don't know what they do. We'll have to see. 8.30 Eastern time tonight is when the game starts, though. What is this, Dave? What is Brunson doing when he does this? I'm wondering about that, too. The mask, right? The three-point. Only on a three-point shot, right? The 1-2-3. I notice him always doing that, too. Yeah, you know. Even a three-point mask, right? Okay, well, if you say so. The Knicks fan right here, he would know. Shortest guy on the floor. What's he doing? He's like a wizard out there. You know, we were talking about this. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, right? Or the dog in the fight. It's the size of your heart, right? The guy has heart. He's so clutch. You know, I was talking with a friend today about it. They were like, you know what? If he can lead, if Brunson can lead the Knicks to the finals, he was like, he's better than A.I. in my book. A.I. was what? Iverson was 5'11". So he was even a few inches shorter than Brunson. Not chat GPT. You're talking about Allen Iverson, right? I'm talking about Allen Iverson. I just want to be sure. That's too bad. A.I. is pretty good, too, right? He's the A.I. I'm referring to, folks. I don't know. It's very impressive that Brunson is doing this. A lot of people are saying, well, it's tough to win. Your best player is 6'2". I think Towns is right there with Brunson, honestly, as the best player on the Knicks. But I think you're good with either of those guys. If 6'2 guy can be the MVP in a basketball final, then inspiration for everybody out there. Let's go to the French. What's happening over in Roland-Garros? Yeah, we are down to the championships now. There's been a whole bunch of upsets on both sides here. Let's talk about the men's, though. It's going to be third-ranked Alexander Zverev versus fourth-ranked Flavio Caballi there for the title. Zverev won his semifinal match today over Yakiv Menshik in four sets. Caballi, meanwhile, won in a walkover over a sick Mateo Arnaldo. He was apparently up all night with a virus. So whether it's Zverev or Caballi, it'll be the first Grand Slam title for either player. Now, for Zverev, this is his fourth time in a major final. He's yet to actually close the deal. He's been the favorite to win there, though, ever since Yannick Sinner and Novak Djokovic were knocked out in the early round. So that match will take place Sunday morning, 9 a.m. Eastern time, meanwhile, the women's side championship match set for tomorrow morning, Saturday morning. Eighth-ranked Mira Andreeva taking on 114th-ranked Maya Swielinski. So the same on the men's side. It'll be 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Andreeva, she's just 19 years old here. And again, the same on the men's side. Whoever wins here, it'll be their first major championship. So maybe a new guard here going out. You don't see this many upsets. Certainly not on the men's side. We have not seen this many upsets. I can't remember this many. Of course, Al Perez didn't even play in this tournament because of an injury. So we're already minus one of the two co-favorites, him and Sinner. So it's going to be a new champion. We're going to crown a new champion in the French. The clay season will end and we'll switch very soon to grass for Wimbledon. That'll culminate around July 4th. America's 250. But all's been revealed now with Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. We were worried about it. The news is confirmed on his situation. What is it? Yeah, he's going to be out indefinitely, according to the team. It's kind of scary to me. I mean, they said they're going to reevaluate him, though, in four to six weeks. He's got that stress fracture in his rib. They do expect him to return this season. But the season goes until late September here. Judge has won three of the last four American League MVPs. He had been in a recent slump. His manager said he was experiencing pain, though, while he swings. His average is now down to 248 over his last 16 games. He's hitting just 180. He's missed the team's last three games. His medical staff have been seeking this answer. Eventually, they found the diagnosis. A stress fracture on his first rib on his right side. So the Yankees will face the Red Sox tonight without their best player. 7.05 Eastern time. Yankees still just a half game out of first in the American League East. Red Sox, meanwhile, are in last place in the same division. All right. Well, Judge had an epic season last year as MVP. We hope he recovers quickly. For sure. All right, Dave. Thanks for joining. Thanks, Kerry. And that's all for today's evening news. Let's keep it right here. Up next, we're going to have Capitol Report. And at 8, Tiffany Meyer tonight. You're not going to want to miss that. She's gamifying the news. Thanks for tuning in. Go Knicks. I'm Kerry Dunst. Good night.