NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (June 12)

Welcome to NTD Evening News, our top story tonight. The U.S. restores roughly half of the oil flow that was stranded before reaching the Strait of Hormuz. The administration planning to reopen the waterway with or without Iranian support. And the White House reveals new details of a pending Iran deal, what's on the table and what Tehran must give up. The FBI executes a search at the office of a voting rights organization in Ohio over allegations of fraud. More than 100 FBI agents also raided the homes of employees of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. And bright red orbs and a potato-shaped craft, those are some of the latest stars in the new UFO files released by the Pentagon. Jason Blair has the takeaways. SpaceX stock goes public on the NASDAQ, making Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Jason Perry has the details. And Team USA is kicking off its World Cup tournament against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Thousands of fans from across the globe are gathering at the FIFA Fan Festival to celebrate the world's biggest sporting event. Christina Corona reports. 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. The FBI is probing voter fraud in the state of Ohio. More than 100 FBI agents raided the homes of employees of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, that's a voting rights organization, as well as its Cleveland office. FBI agents showed up at current and former staff members' homes throughout the state. An organization board member said agents seized electronic devices, including phones, and had a warrant to search the office. He said they also asked questions about voter fraud. Board member and strategic advisor for the organization, Prentice Haney, denied that the organization is involved in voter fraud. And federal authorities are investigating vandalism on one of the nation's most iconic public spaces. A large 8647 message was found etched into the grass on the National Mall in D.C. yesterday. These webcam and aerial images from EarthCam show the numbers appearing as dead grass on a stretch of lawn near the World War II memorial. The Department of the Interior called the markings, quote, deranged vandalism and considers it a threat against the president. 86 is a common restaurant industry phrase to mean remove or get rid of something, while 47, of course, refers to President Donald Trump, currently sitting as the 47th president. The Department of Justice have interpreted the prevalence of the phrase as potential U.S. Park Police is now handling the investigation. The incident occurred amid preparations for major events celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary of independence. And the Trump administration says it's closing in on a major agreement with Iran, which could be signed within days. And it is Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has the details. A senior Trump administration official tells us that the U.S.-Iran deal is very close, but not quite at the finish line yet. The details include dismantling Iran's nuclear program, including the nuclear weapons sites, and also destroying the remaining nuclear material on site, transferring that out. Reopening the Strait of Hormuz and the blockaded shipping routes that have been driving up global oil prices, long-term regional peace, Iran ending the funding of violence and its terrorist proxies in the region like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and long-term enforceable inspections to ensure that Iran is complying. What Iran gets out of this is relief from long-standing economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure. And Iran would also reintegrate into the world economy. Now the relief would not be immediate, but rewarded incrementally as Iran meets its obligations. The senior White House official stressed that the deal is not based around trust, nor around The official also cautioning reporters to treat Iranian hardliner statements and state media reports with skepticism, saying most Iranian officials want the deal, but are messaging differently to domestic audiences for political cover. This comes after President Trump's post on Truth Social, saying that Iranian state media is releasing false statements about the details of the agreement, calling it fake news and having nothing to do with the terms that were agreed to in writing. Even Iran's own foreign minister says not to listen to Iranian media, and that a deal is near, saying the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has never been closer, pending its finalization, the media should refrain from entering speculation about its content. Pakistan's prime minister, a mediator in the negotiations, also writing peace has never been this close as it is now. We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, we probably have a signing maybe in Europe. That's as President Trump and a U.S. delegation is going to France next week for the G7 summit. All of this is pointing to why White House officials are saying that they're becoming increasingly optimistic that a deal will be signed in the coming days. For NTD News, Washington, I'm Jack Bradley. And President Trump sharing a post of the Iranian foreign minister saying a quote memorandum of understanding has never been closer. What's in that deal and could anything derail it before it's signed? Tune in to Capitol Report at 7 p.m. Eastern time for analysis. Next, the U.S. will reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the administration will do so with or without Iranian support. Wright was speaking at the Bloomberg Energy Security Executive briefing in Houston. He says the U.S. has restored the daily oil and fuel shipments through the Strait to seven million barrels. Before the war, some 20 million barrels flowed through the waterway on a daily basis. Several million barrels could be diverted to alternative ports outside the Persian Gulf while some 14 million barrels were trapped. Wright said this means the U.S. has now restored about half of the oil flow that was stranded. The energy secretary says the U.S. will restore the flow by itself and adds that he also wants to see the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, quote, completely full. Following the news and the prospect of a peace deal, international oil futures dropped by over 5 percent. And meanwhile, the U.S. has become the world's largest oil exporter, the U.S. taking the top spots as war with Iran disrupts oil exports from the Middle East while Russian exports dip amid full-scale war in Ukraine. And according to energy market and cargo tracking company Vortexa, American exports rose about 10.5 million barrels per day in May. High output and the release of strategic reserves made the U.S. the world's biggest exporter for now the third month in a row. According to Reuters data, Russia exported 7 million barrels a day last month. Vortexa data showed Saudi exports at 5.9 million barrels per day. Last year, the U.S. exported 6.6 million barrels per day while Saudi Arabia exported about 8.1. Russian exports stood then at about 5.8 million per day. And more UFO files have been disclosed from the Pentagon. This release has 70 files, including about half a dozen videos. Some of them contain reports from the FBI citing the witnesses as highly credible. NAD's correspondent Jason Blair has more on that. The Pentagon releases a handful of new videos in the latest volume of UFO files. These cases are all from the U.S. spanning from 2021 to 2025. In this first video, two red objects can be seen. The files say witnesses initially only saw one object, but then a second identical one appeared. One of the witnesses described it as a brilliant red sphere about one meter in diameter. The center of the red sphere appeared to be a white plasma sun about the size of a basketball. This next video also shows two red objects. The file says they generally maintained stationary positions throughout the appearance. Another video shows two bright lights. The file says the light source initially appeared as one single intense luminous object before resolving into multiple lights exhibiting erratic rotational motion. These last two videos are digital recreations based on reported incidents near sensitive national security sites in the U.S., according to the files. In both, several orbs are shown in a tight horizontal formation in the sky. These videos are from the third UFO files released from the Department of War. The Pentagon says that new materials will be released every few weeks. And on Tuesday, experts in UFO research spoke outside the U.S. Capitol alongside members of Congress. The group included James Fox, a UFO investigator and documentary filmmaker. He tells NTD that government transparency about UFOs has developed a lot during the past nine years. People complain they don't feel it's happening fast enough, but it's happening. I mean, look at what just happened today. We had a bipartisan group of people assemble here. All this media show up, and we're talking about aliens. Some of the other files in the third release contained written descriptions along with artistic interpretations, such as this one described as potato-shaped with fish-like scales and a white opalescent color. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. And new evidence of past U.S. government funding never seen before. Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard releasing evidence of more than 120 biolabs in over 30 countries. This release follows President Trump's executive order ending federal funding for gain-of-function research around the world. Until now, evidence regarding the full existence and funding of these laboratories had been knowingly withheld from you, the American people. Many of these U.S. government-funded biolabs are currently or have previously engaged in research using hazardous and highly contagious pathogens, and in some cases included dangerous gain-of-function research with very little visibility or oversight. Gabbard pointed to facilities in Ukraine, saying they could be at risk of compromise due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. According to Gabbard, the intelligence community has previously warned that a U.S.-funded biolab in Ukraine likely housed dangerous pathogens. Declassified material regarding facilities in Ukraine can be found on the ODNI's website. Gabbard said her office will continue working to identify biolabs, the pathogens that they contain and the research being conducted there. And Congress is leaving Washington without extending FISA surveillance authority, which expires tonight. Even as lawmakers warn about foreign threats at home and abroad. Meanwhile, senators are preparing to consider President Trump's nominee to lead the intelligence community. NTD's Chris Bobb brings us more. We're hosting the World Cup. We got 250th anniversary celebrations going on around this country. This is a time of risk for the American people. That warning from Senate Majority Leader John Thune Thursday, as Congress leaves town without passing an extension of FISA Section 702, allowing authorization for the surveillance program to expire at midnight Friday. The authority is widely considered one of the intelligence community's most important tools for collecting information on foreign threats. Critics say that it can also expose private data on American citizens without a warrant. While congressional authorization expires, the program does not immediately go dark. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has already approved certifications allowing existing collection activities to continue throughout March of next year. Senator Mike Lee, who voted against the extension, posted on X today, quote, Despite apocalyptic warnings from a deep state that wants unfettered domestic spying, FISA won't cease protecting America even for years after it expires. We have time to agree on a warrant requirement to defend the privacy of American citizens and get FISA reauthorized. President Trump's new nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee next Wednesday for his confirmation hearing. North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis, who had raised concerns about Bill Polti serving as Acting Director of National Intelligence, posted on X that Clayton is, quote, an outstanding choice, and said he looks forward to working with colleagues to ensure his swift confirmation. Virginia Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, also struck a notably positive tone toward the nominee, Warner writing in a statement, quote, I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant. But Warner also called for assurances that Bill Polti will not serve as Acting Director during any transition. Chris Bobb, NTD News. A cybercrime group based in China is accused of using artificial intelligence to scam Americans. In a federal lawsuit filed today, Google claims the operation is using its Gemini AI to mass-produce fake corporate and government websites. Officials say the group, known as Outsider Enterprise, blasted fraudulent text messages to cell phones and stole millions of dollars from victims by impersonating trusted brands. In addition to filing the lawsuit, Google is now coordinating with the FBI and major wireless carriers to shut the network down. The tech giant is also pushing for new federal legislation to fight scams. And Elon Musk, already the world's richest man, has now become its first trillionaire. That's as SpaceX stock made its debut on the Nasdaq. Today in the largest initial public offering in history, NTD's Jason Perry brings us more on that. Bells ringing on Friday morning as SpaceX makes its Wall Street debut. The rocket, satellite, and artificial intelligence juggernaut went public on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. It was the largest initial public offering, or IPO, in history. SpaceX stock was initially priced at $135 a share, and trading opened shortly before noon at $150 a share. It closed at right around $161, almost a 20% increase on its first day. Elon Musk said it was hard to believe that a little company that started in a warehouse in El Segundo is now going public in the largest IPO ever. If it's not a new company that enters space, we will never be a truly space-faring civilization. And that's what SpaceX is all about, is to take the fiction out of science fiction. Investors are betting that Musk will one day establish a permanent colony on Mars. We want to be able to take anyone who wants to go to the moon, anyone who wants to go to Mars, or anywhere in the solar system, and maybe beyond the solar system at some point, we want to be able to take you there. Investors are also betting that he'll set up data centers in space. In an interview with Campus Insights, an aerospace engineering professor at Penn State University saying this about SpaceX's potential data centers in space. Pretty much modern life. I mean, every time you do a search, every time you use an AI tool, every time you store your digital pictures, every time you make a phone call, every time, I mean, all of these things require data centers. That's just part of modern life. We tend to think of this thing called the cloud as if it's just some nebulous thing. And he said the advantages of data centers in space is that the sun is always shining and can provide constant power. Also noting that the data centers won't take up any land on Earth or end up in anyone's quote backyard. Prior to SpaceX going public, Elon Musk's net worth, according to Forbes, was $981 billion. And based on his combined stakes in SpaceX and Tesla Motors, Musk is now the world's first trillionaire with $1.2 trillion. That's more money than the total GDP of Poland. One Polish resident saying, quote, I'm driving a Tesla, so I'm a little bit involved. Jason Perry, NTD News. And coming up, should generative AI have a place in the classroom? More than half of the New York City Council is calling for a pause on the technology's use in grade schools, citing concerns over student data privacy. And fraudsters are stealing your taxpayer dollars on a mass scale. The Trump administration's anti-fraud task force has already taken bold action. We break down how much they're working to save you and where they're looking. Persilin is considered a medicinal herb and is used to help lower cholesterol, improve vascular functions and prevent diabetes. Perillisines can nourish the lungs and spleen. It is used to treat asthma and improve pulmonary functions. Prairie Tongue Green Vegetable Omega-3 is made from persilin and perillisines from Hwangmae Mountain in South Korea. It contains over 90 percent of omega-3, 6, 7 and 9, the highest concentration possible without chemical additives. The soft gel is made of natural seaweed. It is 100 percent organic and vegan. Both adults and children can take it with peace of mind. 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The streaming platform from Shen Yun featuring world class dance, past programs and all original music, masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy and more. Explore ShenYunCreations.com. For decades I've taught you everything I know, but only you can prevent wildfires. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. Energy Secretary Chris Wright touring the Port of Houston today to discuss U.S. energy dominance, job growth as well as exports at the booming Port of Houston. NTD was there and asked Secretary Wright how the U.S. operation in Venezuela is benefiting America. Here's the Secretary. Since the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, Venezuelan oil exports have more than doubled. 1.2 million barrels a day of Venezuelan exports last month and they are well rising beyond that. This is President Trump with unconventional diplomacy. No boots on the ground for more than a couple hours and we have a country going the wrong direction for 25 years that now is moving the right direction economically, politically, socially. We want to see greater wealth for the Venezuelan people. We're seeing massive investment by American businesses down there and a large amount of that Venezuelan oil is floating into United States refineries. The Energy Secretary says the U.S. is aggressively replacing lost Iranian oil exports. He says America is exporting enough to replace more than half of the Iranian oil that's been taken off the market, while Iran is exporting zero oil. Wright notes that in May, the U.S. exported 5.4 million barrels per day of crude, more than Russia or Saudi Arabia, meaning the U.S. has, quote, stepped up to fill the global supply gap created by the Iran conflict. The Energy Secretary says the action taken by President Trump in Iran will lead to lower energy prices in the future once the Iran situation is resolved. Looking ahead, Wright says that America is poised for strong future growth with major increases expected in the Gulf of America and Alaska by reversing restrictions from the previous administration. And the Trump administration's anti-fraud task force is getting results and gaining popularity. A poll by Gray House says 61 percent of respondents from all parties support their work. Here's NTD's data reporter Kevin Hogan with the details. At the direction of President Trump and Vice President Vance and his task force, they've been busy uncovering, preventing and prosecuting fraud to ensure that hardworking Americans' money goes where it was intended to go and not lining the pockets of thieves that have found a way to siphon off a shocking amount of national treasure. One way they do that is by following the money, to use FBI Director Kash Patel's words for it. So what have they done so far? In just about three months, the task force says it has uncovered or prevented about $33 billion of fraud. This ranges from areas like pandemic relief through the Small Business Administration loans to Medicaid fraud, fraudulent contracts, hospice fraud and others. That's the amount of fraud that they're taking action on. Keep in mind that this is just an early total. So let's zoom out a bit. What's the scale of the fraud that this country is actually grappling with right now? That's what you see here. This is a lot of fraud and it could take many forms. It's just hard to estimate just how much. But the Government Accountability Office looked into it. They came up with a low end and a high end estimate. The low end is about $233 billion. So that's the low end. The high end is about $521 billion. So taking somewhat of an average of that, we see that every year the federal government loses about $377 billion to fraud. Now, that's according to data from 2018 to 2022. Keep in mind, that includes the pandemic, thus the range, because pandemic fraud can be very widespread and elusive. So how does that $377 billion compare to the progress the task force has made to date? So here's the $377 billion that the government loses on average every year to fraud. And here's the $33 billion that the task force is taking action on. So there's the comparison. It might look like a drop in the bucket, but that's about 9% equivalent to the total amount that the government loses every year to fraud. Like I said, it might look small, but they're making what they find to be progress. Definitely. Remember, they've only been on the job for about three months now. So how much is $33 billion really? Well, that's enough money to buy about 35 B2 spirit bombers. These are stealth bombers. So with the fraud money that they're taking action on, the United States could almost triple their fleet of these B2 bombers. Remember, these bombers take out ISIS, other terrorists, nuclear facilities owned by regimes that hate America, right? So anyway, let's break this down a little further. Where is the task force targeting the fraud? So the largest category is what the administration deemed to be fraudulent or delinquent loans from the pandemic era given out by the small business administration. That's in green. Okay. They've referred over 560,000 of these delinquent or fraudulent loans for aggressive collection. That's about two thirds of the fraud that they've acted on. That's up to $22 billion in fraud. Now I say up to because they suspect these are fraud, but some, hey, they're possibly just legitimate businesses that are struggling to pay the money back, but they suspect most is fraud. Now the next largest category is government contracts, right? So that's about 19%. That's $6 billion in fraud that they found or are uncovering here, and they're launching a sweeping investigation into it. Other areas like health, hospice, Medicaid fraud, right? You add that up, that's about 12% of where they're looking. Here are the costs and rewards for fighting fraud. HHS's office of inspector general oversees these Medicaid fraud control units, and for every tax dollar spent on the anti-fraud teams, they're able to recoup over $4.50 of the stolen money. Okay. Look at that right there. Now in 2025, their fraud recovery totaled about $2 billion. So they're definitely making a good return on their investment there, right? And in other divisions, they have an even higher ROI. So that's what you see here. HHS office of inspector general overall was able to recoup over $12 billion through their office, right? And that's $1 taxpayer spent, and that's over $12.50 recovered to the public. Now in 2025, their recoveries totaled over about $6 billion. Pardon me, that's $6 billion that they've been able to get back. Now, what we've shown you up until now are some of the top line numbers, but let's just zoom in to some of the really audacious individual cases of fraud, right? So back in April, a California man pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $270 million Medicaid fraud scheme. This man and his co-schemers exploited Medi-Cal billing for unnecessary, expensive prescription drugs that were never given to the people who needed them. They ended up scamming the program out of $178 million. So that's what they actually got the program to pay out. The scheme was $270 million. And now according to media reports, it's not uncommon for these kinds of scammers to live in these clay shingled rooftop manners, driving expensive cars. All the while, the integrity of the whole healthcare program is threatened. It's egregious cases like these that explain why the administration is really going after healthcare fraud. And now speaking of which, let's head over to Los Angeles. Many red flags of fraud here. For example, Fox News reported, and they went there, that one address in the Van Nuys neighborhood in Los Angeles, there were 100 fake hospice or home healthcare agencies, but there were no doctors, nurses, or administrators in sight. And the fraud that's being uncovered goes much deeper. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Director, Dr. Mehmet Oz, says that just in LA County alone, $3.5 billion of fraud is being committed. And here's the most eye-popping number. Dr. Oz says that 18% of all hospice billing in the whole country is coming from LA County. Think about that for a second. There are just under 10 million people in LA County. It's the most populous. That's about 3% of the population. Okay? 3%. But yet it comprises 18% of the hospice billing. That unusual concentration of hospice billing is exactly what makes investigators ask, whether the system's being gamed at scale. Okay? So we just zoomed in on some shocking specifics. What does this all mean for you? Right? That's what we want to look at. So fraud in the federal government costs each American household about $2,800 per household per year. That's according to the Government Accountability Office, using data from 2018 to 2022. And that's their middle estimate. The realistic high-end estimate could be just under $4,000. Okay? So that's, I mean, because like I said, we said $500 billion at the start. So that's just under $4,000 that it could be costing you every year, your household. And the amount acted on so far by the White House Task Force equals about $250 that they're working to save each household. So that's a good thing. Now, long story short, fraud costs you. And the administration is working to make sure that your taxpayer dollars go where they're supposed to go. More than half of the New York City Council wants to put a pause on generative artificial intelligence use in grade schools. Student data privacy was cited as a key concern in a letter that they sent to the city's mayor. And Eddie Sean Marshall has more. Twenty-nine members of New York City Council are saying that student data privacy is a key concern in a letter recently sent to Mayor Zoran Abdani. The council's letter found that New York City public school policy does not fully align with national standards, and the state policies did not cover certain fundamental areas related to data privacy and security. There are various legal risks that they face, many of which pertain to data privacy laws. What data is collected, how it's stored, how safely secure that data is, what the data is retained and used for these are potentially very sensitive educational records. Some might even be health-related records as well. You're not really sure exactly what's being collected if that is not spoken about up front. The council letter states that a New York state comptroller audit shows that NYCDOE's current privacy policies and processes are riddled with numerous technical failings. This has led to more than 100 student data breaches in recent years, and inordate delays in notifying families past the legal deadline. A number of legal concerns may exist in this early stage of generative artificial intelligence use in grade schools. Then there's also going to be some risks with regards to parents potentially trying to sue with negligence claims if the school has not properly vetted or come to terms with providing clarity on how these AI tools are used, what they collect, and if they're not really complying with the data privacy laws as well, that could be a concern. In addition to student data privacy concerns, the council member's letter said the department's AI guidance does not include ways to mitigate the risks of AI for students, such as negative impacts to students' cognitive development, creativity, mental health, and the environment. Sean Marshall, NTD News. Coming up in a historic upcoming weekend in sports, there will be action in the FIFA World Cup soccer, the NHL and NBA Finals, and UFC matches at the White House in honor of President Trump's birthday. We'll discuss the impact of sports on culture, past and present, with Jeffrey Bloodworth, professor of American political history. Stay with us for that. I don't remember how it started. Our back and forth, victory, fumble, repeat. It always came back. You probably don't remember what you told me, but I heard every word. Nice. Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun. The father, the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox. That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have. Even the mighty might not see it coming. It's prediabetes, and it captures one in three adults. But you can escape. Take the one-minute prediabetes risk test at doihaveprediabetes.org. Be your own hero. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. In a historic weekend in sports, FIFA World Cup soccer action is happening across the country for the first time in 32 years. The president is hosting UFC matches at the White House for the first time. And both the NHL hockey and NBA basketball champions could be crowned this weekend. Joining us to discuss the moment is Jeffrey Bloodworth. He's a professor of American political history at Gannon University. Great to see you, Jeffrey. Thanks for joining. When you look back at American history, what role has sports played in shaping the culture in your view? Well, sports are a metaphor, and presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan have always used sports as a way to connect with average voters, portray themselves as, you know, the average American, but also to kind of showcase the power of American culture. I mean, this is, especially the World Cup, this is diplomacy. America is on the world stage. A billion and a half people are going to be watching the World Cup. This is a commercial for America. Yeah, and let's dig a little deeper into the soccer, because this is one of the few areas in which American men get humbled. But of course, our women are the most accomplished in the sport with four World Cup champion wins. What's the significance of having the world's most popular sport hosted here in America and the final in the New York metro area? Well, I mean, there's the financial impact, tens of millions of dollars being spent. But beyond the financial impact, you know, America is the center of the entertainment world during the World Cup. A billion and a half people watch the World Cup. I've been overseas during the World Cup, and it's very different where soccer is the number one sport. And people, they their whole lives are kind of overturned as they kind of change their clocks so that they can, you know, tune in and watch the World Cup happen. This is we live in very kind of tense times. There's war, inflation, violence across the world. And, you know, it's it's very nice to have sports as a wonderful diversion and not only just to be a diversion, but it's happening in the United States of America. And so, you know, this this is it's a wonderful moment for people to to remember why the world is great and America is at the center of it. Yeah. And when we zoom into New York City, what happens in New York tends to proliferate out to the rest of the country when it comes to culture. And New York City is basketball obsessed with streetball being synonymous with the urban jungle that is here. But the city has been shut out of an NBA championship for over 50 years now. Even the president has come to watch the finals when they were at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. Ratings for this NBA finals with New York in the in in the in the final against the Spurs, it's harkening back to the pre-Internet, pre-streaming age when Magic Bird and Jordan reigned supreme. The NYPD has literally had to direct human foot traffic because the streets have been so flooded with people every time there's a game, whether it's home or away. So what do you make of this basketball fever that is gripping the city? I love basketball and people forget that New York City is a basketball city more than New York Yankees or the Jets and the Giants. It's the New York Knicks. And not only are Knicks finally good, I mean, they were good in the 90s, not great. You have to go back to the early 70s with those wonderful Bill Bradley teams. This is a team that is very much a reflection of a gritty, blue-collar New York. I mean, it is impossible not to like, to love these New York Knicks. They fall behind as they did the other night by 29 points. They're gritty. They're mentally tough. No lead is safe. And so the Knicks are finally on the precipice of an NBA championship for the first time since the early 70s. And they're not just good. I mean, this is not the New York Yankees where they have the highest payroll in baseball. This is a team that's been cobbled together with misfits and outcasts. And it's a team that very much reflects kind of the gritty, blue-collar nature of New York City. I mean, I love the NBA and it's great to see the NBA dominate at least a little bit the sports calendar. As you said, like it has not done since the 1980s and 90s. Yeah, it is clearly a moment and we'll see if Saturday is the end of this series or if the Spurs can hold on and force it to a game six and potentially seven. Let's move on now to something that's, you know, I can't even believe we're actually talking about it. The UFC is going to be on the White House lawn for President Trump's 80th birthday. And of course, in conjunction with all of the action in D.C. around America 250. But he's a unique individual, President Trump, in that, like those presidents of the past that you mentioned, he's really leaned into sports at a time when political correctness has pretty much assaulted most masculinity as toxic. But now military recruiting numbers are through the roof. I had Mike Leon on earlier. He's a Democrat, but he also happens to work in boxing. And he said that the Democratic Party should take a page out of his book and also lean into combat sports as it reaches a certain part of the electorate. So I'd love to get your thoughts on all this. Look, UFC is super popular, especially with young men. As a college professor, I was on campus in 2024. I can tell you Donald Trump had had convinced a lot of young people that even though he was in his late 70s, he had his finger on the cultural vibe of America in a way that Democrats did not. And so a spectacle like the UFC match on the White House lawn on Sunday, not only does it harken back to Teddy Roosevelt, who had a boxing ring in the White House, it's again, I mean, Donald Trump. This is one of his specialties is, you know, not only just spectacle, but being part of the cultural conversation and kind of inserting himself into the mainstream of American culture. And he's going to be 80 years old. But what he's vibing with is a 20 something masculine sport. But you know, you've got to go where the votes are. And this is smart politics. It's smart cultural politics. I'm sure it'll be a fun time for an 80th birthday party. People want politics to be fun and not just some sort of existential struggle where people are saying the worst things about one another. And this is an example of making politics fun. It is an interesting moment. Indeed, we'll be watching Sunday's UFC match with great interest. We're catching the highlights. Jeffrey Bloodworth, thanks so much for joining. Always a lot of fun. Thanks. And the excitement running high in the nation's capital as the White House is gearing up for that UFC fight on the South Lawn. But how are every everyday Americans feeling about the event? Well, Anthony Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. talking with the people. What do you make of this upcoming UFC fight at the White House? I think it's one of the most greatest things we could ever do. It's going to be a lot of fun. Donald Trump's one of the most exciting, greatest presidents of all time. So it will be one in a lifetime. And I'm very thankful to be here. Oh, I think it's going to be amazing. It's going to be groundbreaking. Groundbreaking. There ain't never going to be another fight as good as this one. You know, I'm just really excited. I mean, as someone who trains every day and as someone that just loves the sport so much, to see it on such a huge scale like this, I mean, I just, I'm so excited to watch these fights. People think it's like not politically correct or whatever, but I think it's pretty cool. And I think lots of people think it's pretty cool and everybody's excited to watch it. You got a fighter you're rooting for? Yeah, so I would like Gaethje to win, you know, 250th anniversary, I'd like the American fighter to win. But we'll see what happens, man. Fights are very unpredictable. You never know what's going to happen. I'm rooting for Justin Gaethje all the way. Speaking of Americans, I like Michael Chandler, but again, I don't know. I'm rooting for him. I don't know if he'll win. I know it'll be entertaining. Bo Nickel. I used to wrestle in high school and he was a national champion for Penn State. I got Alex Pereira by round two knockout. O'Malley. Sean O'Malley. Oh, yeah. What's it like working with Alex Pereira? It's amazing because, you know, his mindset is incredible. To be a teammate and to spar that and to make sure I grow from that and just to witness as well, it's incredible. I expect a knockout from Alex Tsai, you know, getting that three belts is going to make history. It's already a historical event right here, but the fact that he's already became a champion in two-weight deficiency and now the third one, the heavyweight, is incredible. What do you guys make of the president's presence in this fight? Oh, my goodness. Well, he's at almost every fight, but again, being here at the White House, I think it's going to be so amazing. I'm just so excited for the fans, too. I know they're going to be screaming and yelling any time he comes up. I'm actually really excited because I follow his granddaughter, Kaia Trump, or Kai Trump, yeah. And I'm really excited. I hope she's here. I love it, man. You know, there's a lot of haters out there talking trash about this whole event, but, you know, I think it's a great thing. And if he enjoys the fights, I think there's nothing stopping him from coming out and watching these fights. So, I love it. Love it, man. Lead him by example. Give him back to America. Celebrate 250 years of freedom for the warriors out here and all American heroes and Americans overall. He's the most, greatest, most awesome president and most fun. Boat parades, car parades, UFC fights. We're going to be doing Indy 500 here. I'm going to be here for that for sure. I'm not missing that. It's a blessing in history. It's just, and being in Washington, D.C., it's awesome. And coming up, the World Cup is officially underway in Los Angeles as Team USA faces Paraguay. Thousands of fans are gathering at the FIFA Fan Festival, bringing together supporters from across the globe, and Christina Corona reports back to us. This is how I keep my joints happy. Omega XL is a powerful, natural supplement backed by 40 years of clinical research. Take control of your pain like Cynthia Bailey. My knees in particular started giving me pain issues all the way back to my modeling days from just running through airports, photo shoots. After taking Omega XL, I really started to notice how less stiff I was, especially my knees and my hip. Has Omega XL changed my life? Yes. I barely notice my joint pain anymore. Now I'm like literally sprinting through the airports. My secret is Omega XL. Pick up the phone and call now to get this exclusive TV offer. Buy one Omega XL, and we'll send you a second bottle absolutely free. You'll also get a free bottle of Vitamin XL D3. Buy one, get two free, a total value of over $115, all for just $49.95. 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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, and Los Angeles is welcoming fans from across the globe as Team USA takes on Paraguay in its first game. NTD's Christina Corona takes us inside the FIFA Fan Festival, where supporters are celebrating the world's biggest sporting event. Today is the day Team USA takes on Paraguay in its World Cup opener at Los Angeles Stadium. Fans from all over the world are pouring into Los Angeles, and while there are several watch parties across the county, we're at the FIFA Fan Festival, where 40,000 people are expected to fill this stadium, where they can enjoy the game, live entertainment, food, and several interactive stations. The four-day festival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is giving fans a place to celebrate the world's biggest sporting event. For $10, fans can watch matches on giant screens, enjoy performances by artists including Steve Aoki, take part in soccer challenges, take pictures with the LA Galaxy trophies, and explore interactive exhibits. Among the attractions is Archer Aviation's Midnight Aircraft, offering a look at the air taxi service planned for the 2028 Olympics, designed to carry four passengers and a pilot across parts of Los Angeles in just minutes. Very excited that it's in my hometown of Los Angeles. This is very exciting, different cultures coming together as one. For many, the event is about more than soccer. Oh, it's so exciting. It's my birthday today, and yeah, thank you. So we've been a big fan for a while, and you know, you never know when the World Cup might be back in our country, so it seems like a lifetime goal for both of us. Yep, it's a celebration we're never going to beat. The festival has drawn local fans and international visitors, all eager to be part of the World Cup atmosphere. I remember when I was really small, in 94, when the World Cup was here, and Sweden, my country, took bronze, third place, which is one of the best placements ever. And this time, for the first time in a long time, we qualified again to the World Cup. Whether cheering for Team USA or supporting countries from around the globe, fans say experiencing the World Cup in Los Angeles is unlike anything else. We watch American movies and listen to American music, like many places in the world, a lot in Sweden, so coming here and actually experiencing it is kind of like being in a movie. And throughout the day, one thing was impossible to miss, the energy inside the stadium. Oh my god, there's so many different people here, it's been so exciting. It's so great to root for all the teams, everybody's got their own jerseys, it's all so nice. And the energy's crazy, just walking into the stadium, there's been so many people just complimenting us and singing, dancing. It's so fun, dancing with the crowd, it's so fun, everybody's just interconnected right now. USA! USA! USA! Go USA! I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win! Team USA takes on Pettigrew at 6pm local time, and I'd say this is the second best place to be if you're not at the stadium. Fans are already having so much fun. Reporting from downtown Los Angeles, Christina Corona, NTD News. Looks like a lot of fun, thanks to Christina. Next, countless watch parties are taking place all over as Team USA prepares to play in its first match this evening in L.A. as we just saw. NTD's David Lam gets a preview of the energy from fans and businesses enjoying the festivities up a little bit from L.A. in Silicon Valley. The San Pedro Square Market was packed with attendees as more than 20,000 people RSVP'd for the World Cup Watch Party. Now many people are excited for the USA vs Paraguay game on Friday. Let's hear what some of the fans have to say. Of course USA, we're going to win 3-2, but Canada is going to win too. Canada, USA, and Argentina. I'm rooting for a couple of teams, sorry guys. I'm rooting for USA, Argentina, Canada, and Spain. Yeah. So her wish today is Canada is going to win. Local organizers and the San Jose Quakes team are inviting fans to their FanFest Fan Zone in Silicon Valley as the games kick off. I think Portugal or France. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar. I like Neymar too. Perseverance. He's driven with passion and commitment. I enjoy watching Malik Tillman. He's one of my favorite USA players right now. When he has the ball, he's always so positive with it. Very confident on the ball. Let's go USA. Yeah, I'm rooting for USA. So hopefully they win. If you're able to come to any watch party, I recommend it. Especially if you don't watch soccer. The atmosphere here, it's nothing like any other sport. I feel like this is a time when community comes in together, support one another, and just want to have a great time and good vibes. Now along with being around other soccer players and the community, the businesses were also thriving as well because of the crowds of people coming into the area. I'm grateful to be given the chance to come back to the same space. Yesterday I opened for a bit at the start of the World Cup and it was just insane. But it was nice to be surrounded by, you know, community. This space has always been about community. They're filled with creative small businesses. We work with the Downtown Association and the City of San Jose to do this pop-up program. And this is one of the two clusters that we have downtown. The economy is better for us. I mean, every people who comes here to the United States, to California, oh my god, they're doing a great job here. I mean, supporting the small businesses. So I love this one. I love seeing people around the world and they speak different languages. Sharing the same sentiment with the other fans. Go Team USA! In San Jose, California, David Lam, NTD News. That's all for today's evening news, but keep it right here. Capitol Report is up next and Tiffany Meyer tonight at 8 p.m. You're not going to want to miss that. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Cary Dunst. Have a great weekend.