NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (June 19)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump demanding restraint from Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu amid new attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. And as the 60-day window for a final deal between the U.S. and Iran has begun, the president urging all parties to keep their commitment to peace. Mario Tsu in Switzerland, where the U.S.-Iran talks have now been delayed. Cuba plans to implement the largest economic policy reform since 1959. Arian Pasdar has what the nation's president says about maintaining socialism in Cuba despite the reform. Newly declassified records released by Tulsi Gabbard are renewing debate over the origins of COVID-19 and Dr. Anthony Fauci's role in research linked to a lab leak in China. New documentary highlights years of Chinese Communist Party efforts to target Shen Yun performing arts. Federal cases in Southern California reveal how far that pressure reached. SpaceX making moves and as the company seeks ambitious expansion, there could be a potential bond offering. David Lamb hears from experts about SpaceX's $2.5 trillion valuation. And soccer fans packed the original Farmer's Market in Los Angeles Friday to cheer on Team USA as it faced Australia in the World Cup. Christina Corona takes us inside one of the city's biggest watch parties. This is MTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City, here's Cary Dunst. Good evening, thank you for joining us tonight. As the U.S. brokers a new ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, President Trump in a new interview is urging restraint from Prime Minister Netanyahu. We now go live to MTV's White House correspondent Mari Otsu. She is in Geneva. Mari, good evening. What are we expecting from the president this weekend? Hey, Cary, good evening to you. Well, just about an hour ago, a Marine One touchdown in Camp David in Maryland where President Trump is expected to spend his weekend in policy meetings there. Now, the last time President Trump was in Camp David, he actually ordered Operation Midnight Hammer about a year ago, which took out most of Iran's nuclear facilities. And this is coming just after President Trump signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. and Iran at the Palace of Versailles, which started that 60-day window for the two countries to come to a final deal. Now, the U.S. has negotiated today another ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. But Israeli officials say that while they do plan to honor that agreement, if Hezbollah attacks them, they will shoot back. This is coming after about a day of flare-ups between Israel and Hezbollah, as the IDF says that four of its soldiers were struck and killed by Hezbollah strikes. And in return, they returned fire there, including striking hundreds of targets inside of Hezbollah. Now, President Trump, in a new interview, is urging Israel to show restraint. Take a look. If it weren't for Donald Trump, Israel would have been eviscerated. The president saying his relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu is good, but. But we have to keep him a little bit sane. Are you going to be able to control Israel from attacking Lebanon? Yeah, I will be. I mean, they have a lot of respect for me. And they do, as I say. The demand for restraint coming, as President Trump says, without Operation Midnight Hammer, Israel would not exist today. And the vice president with this message for those in Netanyahu's cabinet criticizing the Iran deal. Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful Meanwhile, President Trump refuting claims that he signed the deal out of a position of weakness, saying we didn't meet out of desperation. Iran did. They are finished. We'll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not 10 cents. Listen to people that say, oh, he could have been tougher. The entire military is good. He's also highlighting Iran's weakened state post Operation Epic Fury and contrasting his deal with the Obama era JCPOA, saying the war has diminished Iran. It doesn't any longer have an Air Force, a Navy, anti-aircraft equipment, radar or practically anything else. And yet the Democrats say that Iran is better off now than it was four months ago. And to those urging him to be tougher, the president says that road would only lead to economic collapse. The only way I can get tougher is if I go in there for another two or three weeks and continue to bomb the hell out of them. But what does that get us? The strength of our moves will not be open. We wouldn't have oil for months as long as you're dropping bombs. So this is the kind of thing that could cause a worldwide depression. Now Vice President J.D. Vance was supposed to be with us in Switzerland today for further talks with the Iranians, but that trip was delayed. A White House spokesperson telling us the logistics of these negotiations have never been as simple or predictable. We look forward to beginning technical talks as soon as possible. The White House, meanwhile, urging Americans to have some faith and trust during this 60 day period. I think dealing with a fractured Iranian system where communication isn't great is just sometimes something that we don't fully appreciate or we don't fully understand is have a little faith in the president's ability, given that he's got us this far to take us the final step. And Kerry, President Trump today also unveiling the new Air Force One. That's a $400 million luxury jet gifted by Qatar. It's painted red, white and blue with the words of the United States of America on it. It also has an advanced communication system and protective mechanisms. The communication system is including Starlink, and this is coming just after White House staff said goodbye to the other Air Force One that was used for the past 35 years. It actually flew its final flight with President Trump back from France, where he attended the G7 and signed that MOU in Versailles there. That plane had flown over six million miles, had been to 96 countries and over 200 international trips, and it was on its last legs. Now, this one is larger and faster, with President Trump touting that it reflects America's national strength and security. And he teases that it's going to participate in a July 4th flyover like, quote, no flyover ever before to celebrate America's 250th birthday. Back to you. Thank you, Mari. Much happening in Switzerland this past week. Next, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Lebanon's president today amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. State Department spokesperson saying Rubio reaffirmed U.S. support for a fully sovereign Lebanese state. The spokesperson said Rubio highlighted Lebanon's bilateral negotiations with Israel as the only path to reconstruction, economic recovery and ending the hostilities. According to the State Department, the next round of negotiations is scheduled for June 23rd through June 25th in Washington, D.C. In a statement, the department said Rubio reiterated the need to disarm Hezbollah and reestablish government control in all of Lebanon. The discussion between Rubio and the Lebanese president comes after scheduled talks between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland were called off amid fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. And as talks with Iran stall, why is the IRGC fighting so hard for Hezbollah's survival? And what can the U.S. do about Iran's technique to slow roll discussions at the 11th hour? Tune in for analysis tonight on Capitol Report at 7 p.m. Eastern. Cuba agrees to implement the largest policy reform since 1959. The Communist Party voting to approve major changes and move closer toward capitalism, but apparently without wanting to let go of socialism. NTV's Latin America correspondent, Arjen Pasdar, has the story. Cuba's National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approving almost 200 economic reforms that would increase private enterprise. The package would address various inefficiencies caused by multiple factors. The planned changes come as basic services in Cuba keep failing. Just on Monday, Cuba's grid operator said that the national electric grid completely collapsed, leaving around 10 million people without power. Cuba's demise started after the end of the Soviet Union, which ended subsidies upon which the socialist model had long depended. Subsidized public services in education, healthcare, and transportation thus deteriorated significantly. Despite that, Cuba's communist policies didn't allow for the economy to grow. This graph by GeoRank, which is based on data by the World Bank, shows the difference in GDP growth between the U.S. and Cuba from 1970 until today. The country now plans to make radical changes, such as allowing the creation of private banks, which has only been state-controlled until now. Allowing private real estate development. State-owned businesses could be restructured into private commercial ventures, issuing shares and equity stakes. Private companies would be permitted to hire more than 100 employees for the first time, and entrepreneurs could own multiple companies. But Cuba's president making clear he's not seeking to let go of socialism. What we are defending here, above all, is the question of how to continue the process of building socialism. Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday, explaining Cuba's plight and the reason for U.S. interest in Cuba. It is a system that hasn't worked. They can't make any money. Their economy is frankly probably in worse shape than the Iranian economy. It's 90 miles from our shore, so every time that there's a crisis, you end up having desperate refugees or desperate, you know, people who can't feed their families trying to flood into our country. Now, the vice president added that the administration is in talks with the Cuban government and that if Cuba makes positive changes, then the relation between the U.S. and Cuba will also improve. Ariane Pastor, NTD News. Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard releasing a new batch of declassified records yesterday related to the origins of COVID-19. Gabbard saying the documents reveal previously undisclosed details about Dr. Anthony Fauci's role in funding research by the Wuhan Institute of Virology and its connection to the COVID pandemic. NTD's Arlene Richards reports. Today, on my final day as Director of National Intelligence. Former National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard closing out her last day on the job Thursday by releasing documents tied to Dr. Anthony Fauci's alleged role in a Chinese lab's research linked to COVID. I'm releasing never before seen communications and documents that expose exactly how Fauci worked with politicized career leadership in the intelligence community to suppress the truth about his actions. She says documents show that he withheld information about the COVID virus's lab leak origins and his role in directing U.S. funding for the research. Before the COVID pandemic, Dr. Fauci as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases provided millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain of function research on bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Gain of function research refers to experiments that genetically alter an organism to enhance its biological functions. The research at the Wuhan lab, Gabbard said, is now widely regarded as the source of the unintentional lab leak of the virus that led to the pandemic. According to Gabbard, the documents show Fauci participated in discussions surrounding intelligence reviews of COVID-19 origins, remained in contact with intelligence officials during key stages of those reviews, and oversaw funding that supported coronavirus research involving bat viruses in Wuhan. Now these documents expose Fauci's direct role in influencing and manipulating I.C. assessments on COVID-19. Since May 2021, Dr. Fauci has repeatedly denied approving funding for gain of function research during various congressional hearings. Dr. Fauci, do you still support funding of the NIH funding of the lab in Wuhan? Senator Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely and completely incorrect that the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research in the Wuhan Institute. Fauci headed the NIAID from 1984 until he stepped down in December 2022. In early 2020, he became a household name when he began delivering interviews to media outlets about the COVID-19 pandemic. The document released was part of Gabbard's declassification review, which included testimony from intelligence whistleblowers who allegedly faced retaliation after challenging Fauci's COVID origin conclusions. Arlene Richards, NTD News. A new documentary about Shen Yun Performing Arts is drawing audiences around the world. The film highlights years of pressure and interference from the Chinese Communist Party. The latest screening in Los Angeles comes as federal prosecutors continue uncovering CCP influence operations in Southern California. And it is Jack Bradley has the details. A new documentary on Shen Yun Performing Arts screening in Los Angeles, the latest stop on its global tour, Unbroken, the untold story of Shen Yun highlights the New York based company's endurance to revive traditional Chinese culture as the Chinese Communist Party works to censor them. Shen Yun is among the leaders in classical Chinese dance. But to do that at the same time while the Chinese regime is trying to destroy you and malign you and silence you is all the more difficult. Near the screening, federal cases reveal just how deep that pressure runs. Arcadia lies just outside Los Angeles in L.A. County. The former mayor of Arcadia pleaded guilty last month to acting as an illegal agent of the CCP. Eileen Wong admitted to spreading pro-CCP propaganda through her news website, posting articles provided by Chinese officials. She did so with her then fiance and campaign treasurer, Mike Sun. Sun was sentenced to four years in prison in February for acting as an illegal agent of the CCP. Connected to both is John Chen, who, according to court documents, served as Sun's right hand man and was in direct contact with Wong when she was in office. In 2023, Chen tried to bribe an IRS agent to revoke Shen Yun's tax exempt status. For that, he received a 20 month prison sentence. The Chinese Communist Party has an influence on what we see and hear here in America, and that's kind of scary. People who do speak for us to step out are facing threats to their families, their friends and their homes. The documentary Unbroken highlights two decades of such interference from the CCP, from slashed tour bus tires, defamation to hundreds of hoax bomb and death threats. The film is now on streaming services like Apple TV, Amazon and, of course, NTD Plus, bringing to life the courage and perseverance Shen Yun upholds amid the Chinese Communist Party's efforts to censor them. Jack Bradley, NTD News. And America's 250th anniversary is nearly here, a historic marker in our nation's remarkable history. NTD will bring you special coverage of the Freedom 250 Salute to America celebration taking place in the nation's capital this 4th of July. It'll be packed with tributes to the country, the people and the trailblazers who helped define our national identity, bringing America's legacy to life on stage. Plus, fireworks show that Freedom 250 says will be the biggest in history. Our coverage starts at 7 p.m. Eastern. See you then. And up ahead, a federal appeals court making a groundbreaking decision regarding social media use by minors in Ohio. The court's ruling gives parents in the state more control over their children's access to social media. Jason Perry has the details. And SpaceX making some serious moves. And as the company seeks ambitious expansion, there could be a bond offering in the works. David Lamb, here's some experts about SpaceX's $2.5 trillion valuation. And soccer fans packed the original Farmer's Market in L.A. today to cheer on Team USA as it faced Australia in the World Cup. Christina Corona takes us inside the city's biggest watch party. Give your bedroom a fresh new look. Check out the Summer Edit at Mathis Home to see the hottest deals and newest arrivals to save you time and money. Our bedroom selection has never been better. This upholstered bed is brand new and exclusive to Mathis Home. It's just one of many great options at just $5.99. We know we have the best selection and we can't wait to show you what's in stock with fast delivery, absolutely free. Come see for yourself. Shop the Summer Edit at your furniture superstore, Mathis Home. This land, our America, built on hard work, determination and grit. Sometimes the days run long, but hope, it never runs out. Even when the food does for America's veterans, working parents, even kids. Because in every corner of every town, even yours, millions of hardworking neighbors are facing a hunger crisis, many for the very first time. In this land of plenty, affording food shouldn't require second jobs and third shifts or choosing between your groceries and bills. Today, you can help change that. Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, less than 63 cents a day to help every neighbor get the food they urgently need. Because taking care of each other is what makes America strong. We're Feeding America, not just a name, but an action. Working with over 250 local food banks like the ones in your community and demand is soaring. You go to the grocery store, you spend $100 and $100 is a new $20 bill. Even with two full time jobs, it's hard to make ends meet. These are tough times, but when we stand together, we become the very best of a strong America. Please call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org. Just $19 a month can feed a family today and your first gift can double in impact. Plus, we'll send you this free canvas bag as a reminder of the hope you're delivering. When it comes down to it, it's about taking care of your family first and the loved ones that you need to provide for. Because you're not just giving food, you're nourishing what's next for neighbors across the nation. You're Feeding America. Call or go online today to helpfeedingamerica.org and your gift can double in impact. Experience pure natural energy with Puritan Black Ginseng. Order now at Puritan.com. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. An individual on the FBI's most wanted list has been captured. Justice Department announcing his arrest on X. Herbert Leon Kimball pleaded guilty in 2019 to his involvement in a large scale $1.2 billion health care fraud conspiracy. In 2024, a federal arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear for his scheduled sentencing hearing. According to the DOJ, Kimball fled to the Philippines before he could be apprehended. Wasn't immediately clear where or how he was captured. In announcing Kimball's capture, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, quote, fleeing the U.S. does not mean you can flee justice. And the Atlantic's first tropical storm of the season creating dangerous conditions in the southeastern U.S. Tropical Storm Arthur ravaging Louisiana and Mississippi, tearing through buildings and flooding homes as rescue crews respond. Video shows four pigs being swept away in a torrent of murky water. Fortunately, the Louisiana owner rescued them by boat. In other areas, the situation had more serious consequences. The storm flooded at least 200 homes about 70 miles northwest of the state capital Baton Rouge. A state representative says, quote, even by this region's standards, that's catastrophic rain. According to the governor of Mississippi, a road crew worker was killed while helping with storm cleanup operations. The weather system, fortunately, has since weakened significantly. In a federal appeals court issuing a groundbreaking decision regarding social media use by minors in the state of Ohio, the court's ruling gives parents in the state more control over their children's access to social media. And it is Jason Perry has more on that. A federal appeals court on Thursday ruling that Ohio can enforce a law requiring social media companies to obtain parental consent before allowing children under 16 to access their platforms. The law, known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act, has had some legal battles since it was first passed by Ohio's state legislature in 2023. The law took effect in January 2024. However, Netchoice, a trade group representing TikTok, Meta and other major tech companies, later filed a lawsuit and one saying that the law was unconstitutional. That's when a U.S. district judge in April 2025 ruled in favor of Netchoice and permanently blocked Ohio from enforcing the Social Media Parental Notification Act. Then on Thursday, in a two to one decision, a panel of the six U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court ruling, finding that Ohio's law does not violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson praised the appeals court's decision, calling it, quote, a win for Ohio families. The court agreed that parents, not social media companies, should get a say in what kids see online. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight. Netchoice expressed disappointment in the ruling, saying the court's decision threatens online privacy and violates the First Amendment. Netchoice adding that they're currently reviewing their options on how to best move forward. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates on Thursday barring children under 15 from using personal social media accounts, becoming the first Arab country to set such a restriction. A mother in Dubai sharing her reaction. I'm very happy, actually, because kids does not read anymore. They're always when their friends come over, they all go on the Internet, on social media, TikTok. They play games with even with each other in the same room. So they better get out, play like we used to do. Also this week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK would ban children under 16 from using social media platforms such as X, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. That ban follows a national survey in the UK in which the British government said that nine out of 10 parents support implementing a social media ban for children under 16. Jason Perry, NCD News. Both chambers of Congress returned to Washington next week with a very packed agenda. Lawmakers are expected to debate the Trump administration's Iran agreement, the future of FISA surveillance authority and President Trump's push to advance the Save America Act. And today's Chris Bobb has a look at what's ahead. Lawmakers in the House are expected to debate the Trump administration's memorandum of understanding with Iran when they return to Washington next week. In the Senate, the discussion is already underway. Senator Lindsey Graham posting on X Friday, quote, completely agree with President Trump's analysis that Iran's capability to generate another October 7th or continue to be the largest state sponsor of terrorism on the planet has been massively degraded. And adding, quote, Mr. President, continue to try to find a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions. The experience, the judgment, the competence, all the things that you want in that position. And so I'm hopeful the Democrats will cooperate and enable us to to get him into this position and get him confirmed there quickly. Senate Majority Leader John Thune this week expressing confidence in President Trump's nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton. Clayton's confirmation vote was delayed, setting up a battle when lawmakers returned to Washington next week. The fight comes amid the departure of former DNI Tulsi Gabbard, whose final day in office was Friday. Another major fight is shaping up over FISA surveillance authorities. Senate Democrats are blaming Republicans for delays in reviewing the surveillance law. It's on our Republican colleagues to work with us to find a capable director, not a not someone who's a menace. And second, then to work with us on renewing FISA. Despite Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's call for action, only one Senate Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, voted for a short term FISA extension. Trump told lawmakers this week that he doesn't want a FISA deal without the Save America Act. Senator Rick Scott posted on X Friday that Republicans have both the votes and the tools to move the Save America Act forward. Senator Mike Lee posting that a recent Senate vote on a voter ID amendment received 50 votes, which would carry the proposal if passed through reconciliation. In the House, Republican Congressman Tom Keene, Jr. of New Jersey, is expected to return June 30th after a three month absence tied to an undisclosed medical condition. A spokesperson says Keene plans to speak publicly about his condition upon returning. Chris Bobb, NTD News. And Waymo is pulling almost 4000 of its robo taxis off the road. The recall comes after Waymo identified at least 13 instances in which its vehicles drove into highway sections that had been closed for construction. NTD's Sean Marshall has more on the recall. Waymo is recalling nearly 3,900 robo taxis in the United States. The company owned by Alphabet says there is a software issue that could cause the vehicles to enter a closed freeway construction zone and continue driving. It is the second recall by Waymo in just over a month. The self-driving software in Waymo auto taxis is not always able to recognize construction zones and ramp closures. Officials say there were several instances in San Francisco and Phoenix where the robo taxis drove into zones that were closed, posing a potential crash hazard. Waymo robo taxi service is yet to be available in New York. The company has formed a political action committee called Upward NY in hopes of gaining approval to operate in the state. But the proposals for auto taxis in New York are being met with fierce opposition. Pushback is coming from labor unions and advocates that include the Independent Drivers Guild, which represents drivers on apps such as Uber and Lyft. According to a recent Times Union article, a spokesperson for Waymo says the company has identified an area of improvement regarding performance around freeway construction zones. Sean Marshall, NTD News. Coming up, oil has begun to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, while tensions remain high as Israel and Iran proxy Hezbollah have traded strikes. We discuss with Middle East affairs analyst David Wormser on what comes next. During high school, I hung with the wrong crowd and I never graduated. I helped Santiago in many different ways, like all fathers do, because he always wanted to go to college. I felt a little embarrassed to come back to school, but eventually, once I came here, I knew that it's for a bigger goal. He was very dedicated, hardworking, he connected with his teachers, he connected with other students. That was one of the key reasons why he was able to keep forging ahead. It was amazing to see him graduate. This was one thing that meant so much to him. And of course, it meant so much to us, too. With the help of my father and having my son, that was all the motivation that I needed. That support is everything. Find free adult education classes near you at finishyourdiploma.org. My 15-year-old son, Ethan, and I had a fun and relaxing morning. We returned home and Ethan walked to his best friend's house an hour later. I heard the ambulance scream by the street, carrying my beautiful boy. Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun. He had zero chance of survival. The father, the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox. How do you feel? That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have. David, would you give any advice? First thing you do is not keep your ammunition with your weapons and that your weapons need to be locked at all times. 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. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. A very eventful week with the president at the G7 in France and culminating in Versailles, where he signed the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding. Since then, oil has begun to flow through the Strait of Hormuz, while tensions remain high with Iran proxy Hezbollah and Israel trading strikes this week, but now agreeing to a ceasefire. Joining us to discuss it all is David Wormser. He's a Middle East affairs analyst with the Center for Security Policy. David, let's jump right in to the latest out of southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah have been locked in and trading strikes. Four Israelis died. They were ambushed. Israel, of course, aggressively reciprocated after that. But at the political level, a U.S. official confirming a ceasefire between the proxy and Israel. So I want to get your observations on what's actually happening on the ground in southern Lebanon right now. Sure, it was it was pretty eventful over the last 48 hours, there were a lot of attacks on Israeli soldiers that resulted in four Israeli soldiers killed and then another two later on in the day, which was a very, very dangerous day for the Israelis. They don't usually lose that many soldiers a day. But what it really speaks to is the fact that there really was no ceasefire at the time, even though there was supposed to be. So after such a violent day of fighting, the Iranian threats came into the play because they had said originally that they would respond to any strikes Israel would do in return on Beirut. But the problem is that afterwards, in the last week, they've been threatening to hit Israel for any strikes anywhere in Lebanon. In other words, if the fighting continues in southern Lebanon, they would send missiles from Iran onto Israel, which, of course, would completely collapse the ceasefire we have between between ourselves and the Iranians over the Straits of Hormuz. So it was really a very dangerous last 48 hours. And I think at the end of it, the United States and the Israelis, at least, agreed that there was going to be a full ceasefire again in Lebanon, although this would already be the fifth since the fighting stopped two months ago. It's not clear whether the Iranians have said yes. And if they do, it would be somewhat problematic for the Israelis and the Americans and the Iranians. Specifically, the Iranians will come out of it looking as if they had threatened Israel for fighting in Lebanon and then didn't respond as they promised to. But for the Israelis and Americans, it's problematic because at the end of the day, the Iranians are saying that the very presence of Israel in southern Lebanon is a violation of the ceasefire and that therefore Israel would have to withdraw from Lebanon in order to be considered not violating the ceasefire. So we're really only deferring this for a few days, weeks, hours, not quite clear how long. But all the groundwork has been laid to resume the fighting again by Iran. Yeah. And it's very hard for people who sit far away in the U.S. or in Europe to understand that the entire size of Israel is only as big as New Jersey. And they've had this terror proxy on their border for decades. Yet despite that, the Trump administration is requesting more restraint from Israel to give the peace plan an opportunity to succeed so that the whole thing doesn't implode. So I want to get your thoughts on Israel being able to show potentially more restraint and the ability to maybe do similarly to what was happening in the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, where the U.S. would take out Iranian drones, but they wouldn't, you know, completely escalate. And they would they would say that the ceasefire was still in place. What options does Israel have in the circumstances in a very difficult situation they are in? Sure, the Israelis see this conflict more binary than we do. They they see this as a regime that is totally determined to engage in a apocalyptic war against the West as a whole, starting with Israel's destruction to begin with. So for them, it's really either the Iranian regime survives or Israel as a nation survives. If the Iranian regime survives, it's a new it's a nuclearized Iran. Eventually they can delay the day until it gets there. But the Iranians will be relentless. And eventually, as we see with other weapons, we'll use any means they can, including nuclear weapons, if they could obtain them against Israel. So and the other option is, of course, to get rid of the Iranian regime, in which case the problem goes away. So the Israelis really don't see any interest in dealing with the Iranians, except for regime destabilizing constant applications, whether it's subversive warfare continued, choking Iran with economic means and occasional kinetic strikes. And then finally, on Lebanon, the Israelis simply, after October 7th, do not want any hostile force right up against their border poised to do another October 7th. So for them, they need to push that organization northward so that they don't have that ability to do it. Hezbollah still is able and does send drones into northern Israel, and it's depopulated the towns and cities of northern Israel as a result, which are in range. So the Israelis really don't have that big an option or interest in preserving the ceasefire rather than winning. But on the other hand, the Israelis are American allies and they understand the problems that the United States faces in terms of choked economic activity of the globe's economy. They know the world economy could collapse unless oil starts flowing through the Straits of Hormuz pretty quickly. And they don't want to be blamed for that, even though they don't have much to do with that. But they don't want to be blamed for that. And they certainly don't want the United States and the world economy hurt by that. So they're willing to restrain themselves quite a bit on that. They're less willing to restrain themselves on the northern border issue in Lebanon with Hezbollah, because that really could cost them suddenly a thousand lives in one day if once again an organization's on their border. But nonetheless, they do understand the sensitivity America has to the linkage that Iran's drawn with the Hezbollah situation. So they are restraining themselves in their response to Hezbollah. But at the end of the day, there are really hard red lines they won't allow to be crossed. And the Iranians are determined to cross those red lines, knowing that there will be an Israeli response, knowing that that will drive tensions between America and Israel, and really questioning whether they're committed to the ceasefire altogether to begin with. Yeah, the Iranians certainly shrewd players when it comes to this evolving game that is being played. I do want to move to the deal that was supposed to be culminated with a final face to face meeting between Vice President J.D. Vance and the for the first time not working through proxies, but actually sitting around a table and culminating in this memorandum of understanding. Of course, it's already been signed, but this would have been symbolic in that the U.S. and Iran would have been meeting face to face. It was postponed. What do you think's happening here? Is it completely related to the Israel-Lebanon front or are there other elements that are not in place yet, in your view? No, I think the Israel-Lebanon front is a symptom of the health of the ceasefire rather than the cause of its health, namely the cause of its problems or the cause of its resolving it, the cause of its positive movement. I think what we're really seeing is the test of what the key question is. Is Iran really intent on calling this war off at this point and is willing to work within the strict constrictions that the United States believes that it has Iran committed to regarding its nuclear weapons program? Or is Iran basically taking the money and running? Namely, is it just doing the upfront stuff in order to get some funds released or more strategically also using it to cause major tension between the United States and Israel? It's two key enemies who are very closely allied with each other. So for them strategically, they certainly want to divide up those two. So the real question is, are they serious about the ceasefire or are they using it strategically momentarily and have no real intention of following through, coming through to a final agreement, which is really all the substantive stuff that we want. It's been pushed down, down road. So if they walk away from it halfway through, we don't really get much of what we want out of it. So the real question is, how serious are they and how much are they just using it to get some money and then move on and go back to war with us? And the real answer to that probably is through Lebanon. Namely, they know that Lebanon is either it'll calm down and allow the memorandum of understanding to move into negotiations and to a final discussions on on the real sticking point issues like the nuclear issue, or they will use Lebanon in order to derail the agreement in a way that will be blamed on Israel. And at the moment, it looks like the latter that they're doing. And they're not really serious about the nuclear agreement, but the sorry, the memorandum of understanding. But we'll see in the next few days and weeks what exactly and how they're going to do and how far they're going to go. But I would look very much to this Lebanon situation, not as a side issue or a complicating issue, but as the litmus test or as the real structure or vehicle through which the Iranians will either use the agreement in a nefarious way or are genuinely committed to the agreement in a positive way. Well, it would be great if they could hold Iran accountable for Hezbollah's actions, but that will have to come out in the details over the next days and weeks. A lot to look out for there. Tensions are certainly running high. David Wormser, thanks for your analysis. Thank you. And new satellite images have captured two potential signals intelligence facilities in Cuba that could have links to China. The Center for Strategic and International Studies posting the photos on X, the images were captured by spatial intelligence company Vantor showing two sites under development. In 2024, the CSIS said it had identified four sites with equipment that could be used to collect signals, which are intelligence, including a number with potential links to China. This week, the policy research organization posted images of one of the sites captured last month, showing an inner and outer circle of antennas, a total of 32 at the facility. A second image from March showed a possible second site in early development. Cuba, of course, just 90 miles from Florida, making it an ideal location for intelligence collection by U.S. adversaries, specifically China, Russia and potentially others. And staying with that, a concerning discovery. Top Democrats in the country have received over one million dollars in donations from major Chinese companies. The discovery comes from filings from Open Secrets. It's a campaign finance website. They show Democrats took in at least one point one million dollars from Alibaba, BYD and Baidu between 2020 and 2024. Notable recipients include former President Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Democratic National Committee, state Democratic parties and Democratic super PACs also received the money. Filings show the donors were mostly company executives, top level lawyers and lobbyists. The Pentagon has recently listed Alibaba, BYD and Baidu as Chinese military companies. This means they assist the Chinese regime's military through its military civil fusion strategy. And SpaceX has been making some serious moves after its IPO. Bloomberg reports that the company is seeking additional funding for its ambitious expansion following the IPO success. And today's David Lam speaks with experts about SpaceX's valuation. According to Bloomberg, bankers with SpaceX are preparing to meet with investors as early as next week to discuss a bond offering worth at least 20 billion dollars as SpaceX seeks additional funding for its capital intensive growth plans. We saw it peak briefly right after its IPO and surpass Amazon. But since then, it's it's experienced quite a bit of volatility. So I think we're dealing with an Elon led company. It's kind of similar to Tesla. The company will need tens of billions of dollars for data centers, computing hardware and power infrastructure. The offering could be the first time SpaceX has issued investment grade bonds. This comes as SpaceX holds a valuation of around two point five trillion dollars. Some experts tell entities some of the value is based on what the company promises. The Starlink aspect, I think that sort of changes the dynamic with SpaceX considerably. That's where that's where it really diverges, I think, from a normal business and normal business fundamentals. So that's where I think the analogy with with more of a utility company might be more prescient with regards to SpaceX than with Amazon. There's a couple of dimensions to why SpaceX is so valuable. AK Pradeep says there are three factors. First, space exploration tech. Second, Gen AI tech that feeds from X, formerly known as Twitter. And the last factor is what I call the Elon factor. There are so many people who talk, very few people who get things done. This man gets things done. What Elon has cleverly done, every company, however big it is, he positions it as a startup. Right. SpaceX looks like a startup, a successful startup. For investors, John Deal says businesses should find a way to provide services or products to generate profit. Maintain a certain degree of skepticism. Don't forget market fundamentals. And don't believe that, you know, don't believe any hype that suggests that market fundamentals are going to change just because technology is advancing. Musk is, you know, a pioneer now in another market. And I use the term market loosely because, again, space is not yet a proven market. We're assuming that you and I are going to be doing an interview there in 10 years from space. The big risk for an investor is Elon's health. That's as simple as that. So long as the man is good for another 10 years, the valuations will be astronomical. David Lam, NTD News. And Team USA supporters gathered across Southern California Friday to watch the World Cup matchup against Australia, which just concluded a few hours ago. At the original Farmers Market, fans filled the L.A. Fan Zone to cheer the home team and take in the World Cup atmosphere. Cristina Corona has more on that. Team USA is already taking on Australia in Friday's World Cup match. And today we're at the original Farmers Market in Los Angeles, where hundreds of fans have gathered for a massive watch party. The L.A. Fan Zone is featuring a 30 foot giant LED screen, soccer themed activities for all ages and food from over 40 eateries and specialty shops. Many fans say the L.A. Fan Zone captures what makes the World Cup special, bringing people together. It's been amazing so far. I love that most of you here so far. It's the point like it's the soccer is kind of growing in this country. I love to see everyone kind of being one together. Everyone here is just amazing. You know, it doesn't get better than this. Across Los Angeles County, World Cup Fan Zones are bringing fans together to watch matches, enjoy food and drinks and celebrate the game. Fans from different backgrounds are backing different teams, but they're united by the excitement of the tournament. Korea so far so far. So hopefully they advance more than I expected. The Haratunian brothers grew up playing soccer together, but each has a different prediction for who will lift the trophy. Like rooting for Brazil or France. France is looking pretty good. England, they're going to bring it home this year. You know, since 1966 is the year. Yeah, I don't listen to this one. Listen, it's either going to be Portugal or France. And, you know, well, Messi scores three. Ronaldo is going to score four. It's a given. But when it comes to Friday's match, many fans are putting their support behind the home team. Let's go USA. USA for sure. I love this country. I love America. Now, be a fan of USA. Some even offered score predictions. I think it's going to be a US win. I'm thinking 3-1. I think the Aussies are going to pull one out, but we'll see. I got 4-1 USA. The crowd is engaged and it's full of energy here at the Originals Farmers Market in Los Angeles, with fans hoping Team USA brings home the win. Reporting from Los Angeles, Christina Corona, NTD News. And staying with sports news, we're now joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, of course, there's some baseball and golf news, being that it's summertime. But you and I were working hard earlier as we watched the U.S. win 2-0. I'm going to call that work, you know, sitting at my desk watching TV with you. That was work. What do you make of the game? Yeah, it was a good one, obviously. They won 2-0. They got that own goal, you know, 11 minutes into the match. Really, you could say it was a forced own goal, though. That put them up 1-0. That's actually the second straight game. The other team has kicked one in for them. But anyway, though, late in the first half, then Alex Freeman nodded the ball and kind of headed it in to make it 2-0. And that was all a scoring in this one. U.S. holds on to win 2-0. So they get the win despite playing without star Christian Pulisic, who's still out with that calf injury. And with the win, they've already clinched a spot in the knockout rounds. And this is the first time in world, first time anyway, since 1930, that they've gotten two straight wins in the World Cup and to think they've done it without Pulisic on the field for now, three-fourths of the action. Pretty incredible. This is also the first time they've clinched a spot in the next round with one group stage game still remaining. Now to win this group, they simply need at least a tie next week against Turkey. So that is one of four World Cup matches going on, that are already going on today, going on right now. Scotland is facing Morocco. Morocco is actually up 1-0 early in that one. It's up in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Then at 8.30, Brazil plays Haiti in Philadelphia. Only at 11 p.m. Eastern time, Paraguay plays Turkey out in Santa Clara, California. So yet another full day of World Cup action. And we have major golf action in play. One of the majors this week. I believe this time here in Long Island at Shinnecock. Am I right? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I like to say Shinnecock. I have trouble getting that one out sometimes, to be honest. We got Wyndham Clark has got the early lead. He's led up the first round. He still leads after two rounds here. Second round, he's almost done. Now he started the day in the lead after shooting a 6-under 64 yesterday, shot a 1-under 69 today. He's now 7-under for the tournament. That's actually the best two-round score at Shinnecock at the U.S. Open ever. So really a hot start for him. Now behind him is Xander Schauffele, one of several players tied for second at 3-under, so he's four shots behind there. Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson, who was the closest to Clark coming into the day, he shot a 4-under 66 yesterday. Today, though, a much different story for Johnson. He had a quadruple bogey on 15 as he shot a 7-over 77 for the day. He's now 3-over for the tournament. Elsewhere, number one ranked Scotty Scheffler shot a 2-over 72 yesterday. Today, though, 1-under, so he's now 1-under through 13 holes, actually, for today. So we have five holes left to see if he can move up the leaderboard there. Elsewhere, second ranked Scotty Scheffler came in with a 1-under score yesterday. He's at 1-over today through 15 holes. Now J.J. Spahn, who won this event last year at a really rough start yesterday, 7-over 77, has yet to make up any ground for it today. So you got that cut, you got the weekend cut, of course, to the top 60 players, plus ties out of 150 players at this event. So we'll see who makes it. It looks like Scheffler and McIlroy, even though they aren't scorching the earth right now, it looks like they'll at least make it into the third round. Prestigious event, a lot on the line there. Let's move to baseball. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal yesterday, he commented about potentially looking for a trade. Tigers fans can't like that. Two-time reigning Cy Young winner. What's going on? Yeah, well, basically he's talking about the chance. I don't know. That's how I interpret. He's talking about the chances of the Tigers trading. Because the Tigers, they're not winning right now. They've got a 30 and 44 record. They're in tied for last place in the AL Central. That's after making the playoffs last season. Skubal, meanwhile, he's set to become a free agent after this season. Now, it's no secret Detroit has not been able to sign him for an extension. So if they held on to him and don't make the playoffs and then he leaves in free agency, you know, all the Tigers get is a little bit of a draft pick compensation return. That's generally less than what you would get in a trade if you traded him. Even if just before the trade deadline, which would be August 3rd, which would only be like a two-month rental for the team. But I mean, Skubal, he's 29 years old. Like I said, he's a two-time reigning AL Cy Young winner. He's pitching tonight, too. He's playing the Chicago White Sox. A game actually just started a couple minutes ago. Now, Skubal, if you remember, missed about a month of the season, but just came back last week, looked decent in his first start. So this is his second start in his return. I'm sure the Tigers want to, if they're looking to trade him, they want to see, you know, they want other teams to see he's in top shape, if he is. So that's what we're looking at. He's a prize, whether he stays in Detroit or he goes somewhere else. He is a top prize for sure. That's for sure. All right, Dave, thanks for joining. Thank you, Kerry. And next we move to kind of a quirky World Cup story. The TSA has a message for international travelers flying home from the World Cup. You cannot take home bottles of ranch dressing in a carry-on. The popular condiment has captured the taste buds of international visitors to the U.S. In an Instagram post, TSA reminds airline passengers that all liquids more than 3.4 ounces, that's 3.4, they need to be packed in your checked-in luggage and not as a carry-on. So you can bring it home and eat it there, but you cannot slather your food in ranch dressing on the plane ride home. Ranch dressing is uniquely American as it was invented in Nebraska and it was perfected in California. World travelers coming over for the games are discovering the delight of its tangy flavor on all kinds of food from pizza to vegetables and, of course, wings. And there's that flavorable goodness in a TSA trash can. You wouldn't want that to happen. So put it in your checked-in bag if you're trying to get ranch dressing home. And that is all for today's news. But for around the clock original coverage, you can always visit us at NTD.com or even better, use our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Kerry Dunst. Have a great weekend.