NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 15)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, the U.S. ramping up pressure on Iran, hitting the regime with multiple waves of strikes today, and President Trump touting billions of new investments in the U.S. defense industrial base, mariotzu at the White House. President Trump's pick to lead the Justice Department defended his record before a divided Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats questioned his independence, while Republicans defended his qualifications. Journalists Nick Shirley and James O'Keefe testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on how to stop widespread fraud before it happens. Jason Blair reports. Treasury Department has announced new sanctions on a network supplying Iran with weapons. Iran now warns it could use the Houthi terrorist group to expand attacks on shipping. Jason Perry with the details. And federal authorities say they uncovered a sophisticated cross-border drug tunnel stretching from Tijuana all the way to San Diego County. Investigators say months of surveillance led to four arrests and the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine. Christina Corona reports. And at the World Cup, Argentina storms back from a late deficit to stun England with a two-to-one win. Lionel Messi and company now one win away from a second straight title. Dave Martin joins us with commentary. 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. The U.S. hitting Iran with fresh strikes and a renewed naval blockade. And at Pennsylvania's Defense and Innovation Summit, President Trump announcing $10 billion in new investments to supercharge the nation's defense industrial base. We now go live to NPD's White House correspondent, Mari Otu. She is at the North Lawn of the White House. Mari, good evening. What is the latest? Hey, Cary, good evening to you. Yeah, Central Command hitting Iran today with multiple waves of strikes. This is actually the first time since back in February with the beginning of Operation Epic Fury that we saw some of the strikes this morning in broad daylight there. And this is now the fifth consecutive day of strikes after President Trump decided to go back in after Iran violated the ceasefire agreement by hitting commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Also today, the U.S. naval blockade is on day two of its reinstatement. It was reinstated yesterday. It's already turned away three ships that were attempting to violate that blockade. Now President Trump says these strikes will only stop when he has had enough of them. The regime reacting to these strikes this way today. Take a look. We received a call just as I was coming here. They want to meet. They always want to meet. President Trump, though, saying every time a deal is made, Iran breaks it. He's calling the regime's leadership lying, violent, malicious and taking Iran down the path of total destruction as he threatens to hit their power plants and bridges next week if a deal isn't made. They don't like what we're doing and they do want to settle. We'll find out whether or not we settle with them or we just finish it off. The country is booming and we'll have Iran defeated soon. They'll be defeated very soon. And then I guess it'll be even better. The president making those remarks at the Defense and Innovation Summit in Pennsylvania, which is bringing together key leaders in defense and major global investors, such as the CEOs of JP Morgan, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, to highlight national security and identify investment opportunities. President Trump announcing nearly $10 billion of new investments in the state's defense industrial base, which will create more than 4000 jobs. As an example, you could say the Patriot, which is so heavily sought, or the Tomahawk. So we want to have it not where you have to wait a year to get something or a year and a half or two years. We want to have it where you wait a week or maybe less. And we're going to have that very soon. So we've got a different department, a different moment. And thank God we have a different president who rebuilt the military once. He's doing it again and is willing to make a historic investment, one point five trillion dollar investment in the War Department to ensure that we outcompete without question every other nation on planet Earth. And Kerry, tomorrow night, President Trump is set to address the nation in a primetime address at 9 p.m., many reports now saying that some of the remarks will include the 2020 election interference, especially by China. There, President Trump does say the speech will address, quote, free and fair elections, but is holding back more details, teasing the news doesn't get bigger and that he wants to save it for Thursday night at nine. Back to you. A lot to look forward to tomorrow evening. Thank you, Mari. Next, the Treasury Department has announced sanctions against an underground network that has been helping the Iranian regime obtain weapons. This comes as Iran is threatening to use the Houthi terrorist group to expand their attacks on commercial shipping entities. Jason Perry has the details. The United States continues to increase its efforts to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. And on Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced another round of sanctions connected to the Iranian regime. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned targets involved in an international network helping to get weapons for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Details of the sanctions include two individuals in Russia and one in Italy accused of assisting Iran to get weapons. The sanctions also target a company based in Nigeria called Vanguard Tactical Supply Limited, which served as an intermediary in helping Iran get weapons. The fresh round of sanctions comes after Iran's attacks on vessels in the Hormuz Strait. However, Iran has warned that if U.S. strikes continue, Iran could expand attacks on commercial shipping to the coast of Yemen through its proxy, the Houthi terrorist group. The Houthis are located near another strategic waterway for global trade, the Bob al-Mandeb in the Red Sea. Petros Katinas, research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, explains. But to interfere with it, Tehran would have to rely mainly on Houthis who control much of Yemen's Red Sea coastline. And the Houthis have already demonstrated that they can use anti-ship missiles, drones and other weapons to make commercial navigation dangerous. He said the Houthis don't need to attack every ship. They just have to complete a limited number of successful attacks. And that would cause insurance costs for commercial vessels to skyrocket, causing ships to avoid the Red Sea altogether and take a much longer route around the southern tip of South Africa. Katinas added that the Houthis would only need to access some cheap drones to disrupt the strategic waterway, which is used to transport more than just oil or natural gas. Other cargoes from Asia, such as containers, food as well, fertilizers, coal and everything else that can be loaded onto the ship and shipped or sailed to the Europe or other part of the world that needs to pass this trade, it might be affected. He added that as negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continue, it's impossible to predict what will happen in the future. Jason Perry, NTV News. President Trump's nominee to become attorney general spent nearly five hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch faced questions from both Republicans and Democrats on everything from his relationship with the president to abortion policy and the Justice Department's future. And it is Chris Bobb reports. In recent years, we watched the Justice Department turned against many of you and a former president, and it damaged the public's faith in justice. We are fixing that. At his confirmation hearing, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch defended the Trump administration's record at the Justice Department, pointing to less violent crime, major fentanyl seizures and more arrests of child predators. Meanwhile, Democrats focused on Blanch's previous role as President Trump's personal attorney, arguing it raises questions about his independence. This nation deserves an attorney general who loves the Constitution more than any single president. An attorney general focused on keeping America safe and combating corruption, not satisfying the president's personal grievances. Senator John Kennedy offered a different perspective. Here's the exchange. Have you ever seen a president of the United States appoint an enemy to be attorney general? I have not. Usually they appoint their qualified friends, don't they? Yes. Has he ever asked you to do anything illegal? No. Would you do it if he asked you? Absolutely not. Attention then turned to two closely watched Judiciary Committee Republicans whose votes will help determine whether Blanch's nomination advances. Texas Senator John Cornyn, who recently lost his Republican primary after President Trump backed his challenger, and retiring North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis both pressed Blanch. Cornyn questioned a Justice Department settlement involving President Trump's tax records. The President of the United States, who is a plaintiff in this lawsuit, has not agreed in writing to delete the weaponization fund. It is a moot issue, meaning there is no weaponization fund. The weaponization fund is dead. It's not moving forward. But I've talked extensively with you and other colleagues about potentially codifying so there's no weaponization fund, which is certainly something that could be done. And I would very much are OK with that. Senator Tillis pressed Blanch on the events of January 6th. January 6th. I have searched heaven and earth and I haven't found anything except a passing comment at a C-SPAN conference. So can you tell me definitively that you think that any Capitol police officer who was harmed on January the 6th was a victim of a heinous crime at the hands of the person who did it? Yes, and should have been prosecuted and was. Supporters of the nomination also argued that Blanch's years of public service have been overshadowed by his work for President Trump. He spent nearly a decade in what is recognized as one of the best prosecuting offices in the country. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted drug traffickers and violent criminals. In fact, this career dedicated to justice and the rule of law started even before that. He started at the Department of Justice as a paralegal. The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote next on whether to advance Blanch's nomination to the full Senate, where Republicans are expected to have the votes needed for confirmation. Chris Bobb, NTD News. Thanks to Chris for that report. Next, the House GOP has a new plan to ensure election integrity and bypass the filibuster. Meanwhile, the Democratic Socialist Party is funding 20 new offices around the country. What does all this mean for the fate of elections? Hear from Representative Mike Kennedy tonight on Capitol Report with Steve Lance at 7 p.m. Eastern. And following a string of major criminal fraud cases in federal programs, Senate lawmakers hear from investigative journalists and watchdogs on how to stop billions in taxpayer fraud before it happens. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has the takeaways. When a fraudster commits fraud, he or she steals from all of us. The Senate Homeland Security Committee is looking to tackle widespread fraud being exposed across the country. Chairman Rand Paul compares the federal government to private businesses that verify payments up front. Washington pays first and asks questions later if it asks them at all. No private business would survive this way. A bank confirms an account exists before wiring the money. A credit card company flags suspicious changes in seconds. Paul highlighted major criminal cases in Minnesota. Prosecutors have now charged 15 people in Minnesota with schemes involving more than $90 million. One autism services scheme alone, $46.6 million. The Justice Department calls it the largest Medicaid autism fraud case in its history. Independent journalist Nick Shirley, whose investigations helped expose those Minnesota cases, tells the committee the problem is nationwide. Now the highest government-funded daycare in Minnesota has pleaded guilty to daycare fraud and the largest autism bust in American history has been exposed. If we as Americans do not stand up to protect our country, we will lose our country. Journalist James O'Keefe describes undercover work that contributed to a federal prosecution. We recorded a woman named Brown handing over cash as payment in exchange for a homeless person to register to vote in a federal election. Now that is a federal crime. Ranking member Gary Peters describes bipartisan legislation he helped pass to stop conflicts of interest with pharmaceutical companies. After learning that a company was being paid with tax dollars to advise the government on oversight of the pharmaceutical industry while simultaneously being paid by pharma companies to help market their drugs. Shirley urged lawmakers to take stronger action while Senator Joni Ernst highlighted a new package of anti-fraud bills she hopes can move to the Senate floor soon. Reporting on Capitol Hill, Jason Blair, NTD News. The Department of Agriculture is touting its progress in fighting fraud in SNAP benefits. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says her department has found billions in just a year and a half. Rollins tells NewsNation that her department will soon have discovered $10 billion in SNAP benefits fraud and has already made a thousand arrests. SNAP is a federally funded program of the USDA but administered by the individual states. Rollins notes that every Republican governor has worked with the USDA to crack down on fraud but only two Democratic governors have done so. Twenty Democratic states are suing the USDA for tying work requirements to SNAP eligibility. The Agricultural Secretary says she is focused on targeting those who really need the SNAP program and says the USDA is making a lot of progress in that regard. And President Trump endorses MyPillow founder Mike Lindell to be the next Minnesota governor. With the President posting his endorsement on Truth Social, President Trump calling Lindell the quote pillow man, praising him as quote one of America's greatest and most hardworking patriots. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is not running for re-election amid allegations of widespread fraud in the state. He said the campaign would pull his focus away from confronting the problem. Federal investigations into the state's handling of federally supported child care programs are ongoing. Longtime Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar is the leading Democratic candidate for governor. There are currently 26 Republican governors and 24 Democratic governors across the country. 36 gubernatorial elections will take place this November during the midterms. And the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party is examining how American taxpayer funded research is helping China's military. Today lawmakers questioning top officials from federal agencies overseeing billions in research funding. NDD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. China's theft and diversion of American technology and research is not theoretical. It is documented through criminal prosecutions, intelligence assessments, congressional investigations, and the Chinese government's own public strategies. House lawmakers are pressing federal agencies on why American taxpayers are funding research that benefits China's military. I have zero tolerance for the CCP stealing what American scientists build. And so do the career officials in front of us. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party brought in top officials from agencies that oversee billions of dollars in federal research grants, questioning if they're doing enough to stop the Chinese regime from accessing U.S. funded research. Our investigation into the Department of Energy identified roughly 4,350 publications involving Chinese entities. The department has a longstanding layered approach to ensure that we have a managed environment to mitigate risks posed by these types of collaborations, types of interactions. The National Science Foundation says more changes are on the way. Beginning next year, they will ban foreign funding to companies on the U.S. restricted entity list. Institutions will be responsible for ensuring funds are not used to support prohibited collaborations and for maintaining appropriate oversight. But until then, those agencies will continue working with groups accused of espionage and human rights abuses. These are already on entity lists that the federal government has designated to be dangerous for the United States. Why wouldn't you have a policy on that? We are currently reviewing the NSF policy, right? It was just announced last week. This is something that we're definitely discussing, particularly after seeing NSF's policy come out. The Pentagon has already taken action on this, blacklisting several Chinese-linked firms. The committee chair, Congressman John Molinar, says that any China-based entity poses a threat due to China's 2017 national security law, which requires its citizens to hand over sensitive information on demand. Now lawmakers are expected to consider additional legislation to tighten those safeguards in the coming months. For NTD News, Washington, I'm Jack Bradley. Coming up, federal authorities are giving the public a look inside a cross-border drug tunnel hidden beneath a California warehouse. Christina Korner reports on how officials say it was built to move narcotics underground. And how are digital news publishers reacting to a new Google pilot program that features AI-powered article summaries? David Lamb speaks with an expert for Insight. And scammers are using video calls on Apple's FaceTime to gain trust and empty bank accounts. Sean Marshall has tips on keeping your personal data safe. Whispered across generations, a hidden secret unveils the essence of longevity and vitality, a timeless legend regarding energy and wonder. Rooted in ancient health wisdom, we proudly introduce Puritang Black Ginseng, a 100% natural organic energy drink made from premium 6-year-old Korean ginseng. It takes 2,260 days and nights from seed to growth, undergoing a meticulous 9-step process of steaming and drying. 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Currently, I teach in a public school in upstate New York. And I'm also a Danjing World Campus channel creator. I've been fortunate to use Danjing World Teachers Premium Channel for the past three years, and it's been shaping my curriculum and teaching, both in the classroom setting and in our home school. If children can learn to support each other from a very young age and encourage each other and help, it'll only strengthen the future of our society. You can just assure yourself everything on Danjing Campus, on Danjing World, it will be safe, it will be clean. It will spark many positive changes in our students. Danjing Campus equips educators worldwide with powerful Teachers Premium Channels and high-quality learning resources to help children learn and grow safely online. When you support one teacher, Danjing World matches your support to help another. Support Danjing Campus. Scan to learn more. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. Heavy rains continue to drench South Texas, while the Midwest and the Northeast are under heat threat from dangerous smoke as wildfires in Canada and Minnesota rage on. Heavy rain in much of southern Texas prompted warnings to evacuate flooded areas. Downpours from slow-moving storms caused washed-out roads and farmland and led to dozens of high-water rescues across the region. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in the northwestern part of San Antonio. The deluge is forecast to continue through Thursday evening. There are no reports of deaths or injuries from the tornado or the flooding. Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota could expose millions of people in the Midwest and Northeast U.S. to dangerous air pollution. Winds are carrying the smoke southeast from more than 100 wildfires currently burning in Canada. Minnesota and New York received warnings on Wednesday about the smoke. High temperatures and severe drought has provided the perfect conditions for wildfires. About four dozen large fires are currently burning across 15 states from Minnesota and North Carolina to Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and California. A months-long federal investigation has led to the dismantling of a sophisticated cross-border drug tunnel that was connecting Tijuana, Mexico, to Otey Mesa, California. Authorities say the operation stopped more than 2,200 pounds of suspected cocaine from entering the U.S. And it is Christina Corona reports. Federal investigators say they've dismantled a sophisticated drug smuggling tunnel connecting Tijuana, Mexico, to the Bifurles Warehouse in Otey Mesa, California after a months-long investigation. Authorities say agents surveilled the warehouse for nearly six months before stopping multiple vehicles on May 29, seizing well over a ton of suspected cocaine worth an estimated $45 million and arresting four suspects. These are the tools that they're using to break in and out of stuff. This is what they actually use to actually poke and kind of carve their way through these little areas. This is almost like a cemented sandstone, so it's pretty solid. Officials say the tunnel was hidden beneath a storage room floor and stretched nearly 1,933 feet, reaching depths of 55 feet. It was equipped with reinforced walls, electricity, ventilation, and an electronic rail system. This is where their vent system starts and we just tapped into it with Uline and we ran our own air, so it supplied clean air throughout the whole entire tunnel. And so what you see here with these 90 degree turns is them trying to correct themselves to get back to be able to get to the location that they want to come up from. Federal prosecutors charged Gregorio Hernandez Lopez, 29, of San Diego, Jose Jimenez, 32, of San Diego, Brandon Escalante Sandoval, 26, of Mexico, and Antonio Cortez, 18, of Mexico. Hernandez Lopez also faces charges related to using the cross-border tunnel, while all four are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Officials say this is the 99th cross-border tunnel discovered in Southern California since 1993 and the 28th they consider sophisticated. Christina Corona, NTD News. The FDA is working to identify the source of a large multi-state outbreak of a foodborne illness. It's now investigating multiple produce items. Health officials say more than 1,600 confirmed cases of cyclosporosis have been reported across 34 states since May. There have been no deaths reported from the outbreak, but more than 140 people have been hospitalized. The CDC says more than 5,000 additional suspected cases are still under investigation. Symptoms usually start two days to two weeks after infection. The primary symptom is diarrhea. Other symptoms can include loss of appetite, cramping, and fatigue. The CDC is urging doctors to specifically test patients with prolonged gastrointestinal illness. Officials say the outbreak may involve multiple clusters with evidence pointing to a common source in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. Investigators have not identified a specific contaminated food, although lettuce and salad greens are the main suspects. And what does the future hold for the news industry as more people read AI-powered news summaries? NTD's David Lam asks an expert. Some news publishers are concerned about being asked to join Google's new pilot program for AI-powered article overviews. According to a report in The Information, content would be shared in Google News and Gemini AI, giving Google broad rights on how to use the content. Matthew Gilbert, a senior lecturer of marketing, shares his thoughts on the current landscape of news summaries. I think there's definitely been a shift in how people look for information and also how they look to consume information. You do get links to the actual articles, but before any of that, you're getting a summary. And what's interesting is I think a lot of people, if they already see what they already need, they're not going to even click through beyond that. Currently, the Google News Showcase platform pays publishers to create and curate online news content through a licensing program. But publishers fear that if they opt out of the new pilot, they may risk losing the fee they currently receive when Google shares their articles. Gilbert also notes that there's a risk to articles that feature deep investigative content. There's a real big risk that what you're producing gets lost in the shuffle or doesn't even get seen at all because if all that it's looking for is the sort of top-level, shorthand takeaway, that deeper investigation, that more important information is not going to get read. Google says that for years, it has produced 24 billion monthly visits to news websites. Chances are their content will still probably, in some way or another, still be getting fed into the AI system whether or not they even are aware of it or not. One solution for a publisher is to really focus on more directly engaging their audience, whether it's through subscriptions or through newsletters, email lists. This comes at a time when there's debate about AI training and publisher rights. David Lam, NTD News. Next, scammers have been making video calls on Apple's FaceTime app, attempting to trick people into revealing their bank account credentials. These phishing scams try to get into people's comfort zones by using a human face. NTD's Sean Marshall has more on that. Phishing scammers are finding easier ways to trick people out of their personal information using FaceTime, Apple's native app for video calls. Seeing a human face makes it easier to trust the fraud attempt taking place. Scammers fraudulently posing as a representative of a trusted company or entity to get people to release bank account details over the phone. In these instances, individuals should usually reach out to a tech or cyber law attorney before they think that they have to. So before all of their bank accounts have been emptied, if something seems fishy, if someone's getting an email or a text from a phone number or even if there's email or text spoofing involved where it says that it's from Apple support but there's something off about it. One way fraudsters are taking advantage is by attacking during the time in between smartphone security updates, gaining access to smartphone users by exploiting vulnerabilities before users install new updates. Sometimes these companies might use their own legitimate platforms on a computer for example to discuss and talk through with you whatever issue they're trying to resolve where you can screen share but it's all through verified channels. I have never myself yet ever seen a legitimate company use a tool such as FaceTime. Even if you already make contact with someone who seems legitimate they never escalate to FaceTime so that should automatically be a red flag for people to avoid. Apple released a statement about security awareness in June warning users that social engineering targeted attacks rely on impersonation, deception and manipulation to gain access to personal data and that these attacks often use sophisticated tactics to persuade users to hand over personal details such as sign in credentials security codes and financial information. Sean Marshall in TD News. Coming up This afternoon the U.S. launches another wave of strikes against Iran We're going to speak to the Middle East historian Jacob Olladart about the current situation and the Iranian regime's ability to continue to project power and the U.S. Coast Guard has deployed forces near China as Washington seeks to counter Beijing's maritime pressure in the region. Boxes everywhere and this is going to be Adi's room. I think you're really going to like it. I hope so. First night here but Amy seems cool. I got this. Remember how it started? Our back and forth Victory It always came back You probably don't remember what you told me. Hi, I'm Ryan Blaney a third generation race car driver and we dedicate a lot of our time to going as fast as possible. My grandpa Lou is the reason why my dad and I started racing and I'm really proud to follow in his tracks but when my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's it was a very unexpected bump in the road for us I've learned a lot on this journey with my grandpa Lou and the memories of my grandpa will always be with me and in our family we're used to getting involved and I encourage you to do the same especially when it comes to caring for your loved ones but I think about Alzheimer's and the impact it had on my family I recognize that losing a race isn't such a bad day after all It's important to notice if older family members are acting differently experiencing problems with their memory or having trouble with routine tasks Talking about Alzheimer's can be really tough but if you notice something have a conversation with your loved one Encourage them to see a doctor or offer to go with them Early detection of Alzheimer's can give your family time to explore support services make a plan for the future and access available treatments If you or your family are noticing changes it could be Alzheimer's Talk about seeing a doctor together Welcome back to NTD Evening News I'm Cary Dunst Joining us to discuss the latest out of the Middle East is historian Jacob Olidart He's also the Chief Research Officer and Director of American Security at the America First Policy Institute Jacob, thanks for joining this evening It is now the fifth day in a row of strikes on Iran What's your assessment of their effectiveness? It's good to be with you, Cary Thank you for having me Look, we are now in this new period Of course, the MOU, the context matters We provided Iran with first of all, the opportunity, the burden to demonstrate their seriousness about negotiations They have failed and have reverted back to their five-decade tactic of stalling and violating the ceasefire by firing But then the second also is a moment of building coalitions at NATO and elsewhere working with our partners in the region and beyond And right now, time is on the U.S. aside to completely finish the job not only in terms of degrading Iran's ability to directly threaten the American people which has been significantly achieved in Operation Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, but also to eliminate the risk and threat within the Strait of Hormuz that has prevented the safe passage of commercial shipping for these five decades How do you view Iran's ability to continue to project power in the Strait of Hormuz? While it may not be entirely meaningful, it is enough to cause a lot of chaos How long do you think they can keep this up? Right. It's certainly diminished from what it had been But, you know, it's obviously a disinformation tactic It's meant to intimidate and it's meant really to drive home a propaganda point that they still have the capability to be a threat which, of course, we know is far from reality and certainly far less than it had been prior to the successful military operations in the United States Now I want to shift over to the defense investments that were announced by the President Is that needed in this conflict or is that more really about future-proofing our military? Well, I think it's a combination really and right now we're looking as we are eliminating the immediate threats to the American people we're also looking at the future of warfare and looking really at the last several years at the way conflicts have been waged and escalated and what the needs, projected needs might be as far as how adversaries might try to threaten the American people and so that requires ingenuity, agility and really a system a new outlook that is built for supporting and embracing not just the legacy systems but really the new entrants the new types of technologies that are out there So, yes, I think it's timely and it's strategic and it's very important On the heels of that investment are there any emerging AI or drone tech or other types of new technology that could make a difference particularly with Iran and defending the Strait of Hormuz and the shipping? Well, certainly one thing we're learning is that traditional ammunition will always be important but as you mentioned drone technology is increasingly apparently the way of warfare of many conflict areas that we see around the world and certainly it is something that the Iranian regime is relying on here, so yes, I think that's part of it part of it, as you alluded, as well as AI and the broader realm of emerging technology, the new areas of innovation that not only detect and intercept threats with high precision but really provide infrastructure for broader deterrence and defense measures So, yeah, I think those two areas are certainly particular areas of focus And at the beginning of this conversation you mentioned Iran's decade long stall tactics if it's deemed that Iran is just in a perpetual negotiation to buy time what options are available to either finish the job or cause some sort of a regime change? Well, on the former I'll just say that, look, we have again, right now the objective is a combination of military and economic pressure Negotiations are always an option there, and in fact military and economic pressure are a leverage point to make those conversations and negotiations more fruitful but at the same time we're dealing with a regime, as the president says, a changed regime, there is a lot of chaos within their upper ranks As far as the future of the regime I mean, there are many other variables there that has never been part of the US objective here, it's never been a stated objective but it's a scenario there is an element of fragility the regime has, but also a high degree of support as well inside of Iran, and so for many reasons obviously that is not the key objective but, you know that's important to emphasize here as well. We'll be watching the next few days with great interest as it seems like something could be coming to a head here Che Guevara, thank you so much for your analysis Thank you for having me And a new front is opening up in the Pacific U.S. Coast Guard moving ships closer to China as Washington works to push back against the country's growing maritime influence. Six fast response cutters that previously operated in the Middle East are now being deployed in Asia, including Singapore and the Philippines. And today's Tiffany Meyer has more The U.S. cutters are part of a new Coast Guard squadron designed for global deployments This marks the first time the smaller vessels are operating from Subic Bay, a strategic location near the South China Sea. The ships are expected to remain in the region through at least September, supporting U.S. Pacific operations Beijing has expanded its Coast Guard presence in disputed waters where its vessels have harassed ships from neighboring countries. Chinese vessels have confronted Philippine ships using water cannons and other aggressive tactics U.S. officials say the cutters can conduct patrols, law enforcement missions and maritime security operations with regional allies. The deployment comes as the U.S. Navy has shifted some resources to support operations in the Middle East but the Coast Guard faces its own challenges, including aging ships and the need for more resources A roughly $25 billion investment approved by Congress will help fund new Coast Guard ships and aircraft The move comes as Washington competes with Beijing for influence across the Pacific. And China is building a full-scale replica of a U.S. warship in the middle of a vast remote desert. Taiwanese analyst who first spotted what he calls Beijing's first-ever 3D mock-up of a U.S. destroyer says it could be linked to China's attempts to refine hypersonic missile targeting He also says it could also be a signal that China wants to remain combat-ready amid the simmering tension over Taiwan. Here are the details At first, it looks like any American warship at sea Then, you notice the sand More than a thousand miles from the nearest coastline, hundreds of miles from any major city deep inside the western Chinese desert What appears to be a full-scale mock-up of a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Look at it side-by-side with the USS Fitzgerald. The resemblance is striking Both are around 510 feet long. At the back, the helicopter flight deck, used to launch and recover naval helicopters Next are the vertical launch systems, cells used to fire guided munitions, like the Tomahawk cruise missile heavily used in the conflict with Iran This is the bridge and command area where navigation, communications, and combat operations are controlled At the front is the deck gun, used for surface targets, air threats, and shore bombardment Together, the details suggest a carefully built, full-scale replica of one of America's main guided missile destroyers, workhorses of the U.S. Navy fleet, more than 70 sailing in oceans around the world If conflict ever erupts over Taiwan, these destroyers would likely be among the first U.S. warships deployed Han Su analyzes China's military for Taiwan's top defense research institute Why would China go through all the effort and expense to build this? The Chinese try to prepare everything from A to Z The Chinese military has ballistic missiles that can attack from high angles and cruise missiles that can attack horizontally So they're trying to combine both and enhance their anti-access and area denial capability He says they're trying to improve the accuracy of China's newest hypersonic anti-ship missiles displayed at Beijing's military parade last year. The 3D replica is covered with antennas designed to simulate the radar signature of an American warship helping China detect, identify and perhaps target the real thing. It's located in Xinjiang, the same area where the People's Liberation Army built 2D flat mock-ups of U.S. aircraft carriers and destroyers several years ago Even putting them on tracks analysts say to move at the speed of actual ships. Have they ever built a 3D mock-up before? It's first time Open source intelligence analyst Joseph Wen first spotted the mock-up when it was still under construction about a month ago. I do think this is quite surprising The scale of the construction is really massive What message are they trying to send by building this? The message that they are sending is China is always preparing for war Under leader Xi Jinping China has poured billions into modernizing its military from aircraft carriers and nuclear weapons to artificial intelligence The PLA has also long trained using mock-ups of everything from U.S. military assets to Taiwan's presidential office. On China's tightly controlled social media, censors are allowing comments like these The U.S. military's premier escort warships, long regarded as a source of pride, have now become designated targets for Chinese missiles. They are nothing more than targets sitting in the desert waiting to be hit Ukraine says it expects to make U.S.-designed Patriot missiles by the end of the year. A number of European leaders are in Kiev today celebrating the anniversary of Ukraine's liberation from communist rule under the Soviet Union. NDD's international correspondent, Arjen Pasdar, has the latest. Ukraine on Wednesday celebrating 35 years since the end of communist rule Ukraine's statehood day was first introduced after the Russian invasion and also commemorates the process of Ukraine becoming a Christian nation over a thousand years ago European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is joining the leaders of former communist nations who are in Kiev to celebrate Ukraine's statehood day. The European Union stands with the brave people of Ukraine. In the recent weeks and months, Russia has intensified its air attacks on this beautiful capital here in Ukraine Because of the increase in Russian missile attacks, the U.S. recently allowed Ukraine to produce American- designed Patriot air defense systems For the first time, Ukraine is moving closer to the possibility of producing missiles for Patriot systems. I thank the President of the United States for this political decision Experts previously said it might take Ukraine 18 months to produce its own missiles Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky now gives a different timeline We expect by the end of 2026 we will have the technical capability to produce Patriot missiles by the Ukrainian team. American missiles produced by our own forces Meanwhile, Ukraine reports more civilian casualties on Wednesday. First responders are on the scene in the Odessa and the Sumy region. Officials say Russian assaults killed six civilians overnight. According to Ukraine, Moscow used missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs in the attacks At the same time, Ukraine releasing footage of more attacks on Russian energy Kiev reports striking another 20 vessels belonging to Moscow's so-called Shadow Fleet Russian tankers transporting oil and gas while attempting to avoid Western sanctions. A Ukrainian commander says the nation's forces struck over 130 Russian vessels in just one week from July 6th to the 15th He warns that Ukraine will intensify the campaign if Moscow chooses to continue the war Arian Pasdar, NTD News Coming up at the World Cup Argentina storms back from a late deficit to stun England today 2-1. Lionel Messi and company now one win away from a second straight title at FIFA Dave Martin joins us with commentary Say goodbye to bitter coffee and hello to a delicious smooth brew with specialty quality beans expertly roasted in-house You'll taste the difference with every sip Fermented with a blend of 50 enzymes Day's coffee delivers a rich brew like no other Made with the highest grade specialty beans available. You're sure to taste the difference Make your morning with Day's enzyme-fermented coffee You can talk to me if you're feeling sad Thanks for hearing me out, bro Whenever you need to talk I'm here, okay? Food. It fuels our bodies. Nourishes what's next and brings us together Because we all need nutritious food to thrive Food gives me energy and it also helps me focus But not everyone knows where their next meal is coming from And one in five children face hunger in America It's tougher than ever for too many of us But the simple truth is ending hunger is possible and it starts with you Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month just 63 cents a day to put healthy food within reach for families in your community Feeding America works from coast to coast with partner food banks food pantries and meal programs Your monthly gift delivers food to families all summer long, puts fresh food on the table, and helps kids have healthy meals even when school is out You can see the difference with the kids when they're full Food is everything Please call the number on your screen or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org Give $19 a month Your first gift can double in impact, and we'll send you this free canvas grocery bag as a reminder of how you're helping to end hunger for good 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 Without them, my kids wouldn't be fed, and it's like a weight off my shoulders I have hope The simple truth is ending hunger in America is possible. You can help make it happen. The need is urgent this summer Call or go online now to helpfeedingamerica.org and your gift can double in impact Now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, there's golf and cycling news, but of course we have to start with the World Cup. We watched that game together What'd you make of it? I mean, that was pretty incredible England led 1-0, really for a majority of the second half Argentina, really the last 30 minutes of the game, just got a number, a lot of pressure finally on the goal They finally got the tying goal in the 85th minute to tie it there A great goal by Enzo Fernandez with Lionel Messi assisting Then just four minutes later they head one in off another great pass from Messi, and that was it Argentina escapes with a 2-1 win today. The defending champions are now back in the World Cup finals It was somewhat similar to their great escape against Egypt two games ago in the round of 16. They scored three goals in that 15-minute span at the end of the game to escape a 2-0 win No referee or replay drama this time around though. England, meanwhile was somewhat criticized with their defense-heavy approach in the last 30 minutes there. In any case, the finals are now set for Sunday at 3 p.m. Argentina vs. Spain right over here in North Jersey England's goalkeeper was amazing but eventually he cracked Incredible saves. They were just constantly on defense though. They had so many opportunities and you had Messi there on the right side creating Eventually he got a couple in It seemed inevitable but he kept stopping so many that I don't know I thought maybe one of them cracked. It turned out he did We're learning a lot about the game of football. Not American football Apparently if you don't use the bathroom during the halftime or water break, you risk missing the one moment of action you've been waiting for That's what I learned He tried Let's move on. Let's talk about golf. We should have paused it for you I'm learning. I'll be much better at watching the final Let's talk about the British Open. It's the last of the season The last major of the season. Let's look at some of the favorites If you're talking about favorites, you start with number one ranked Scotty Scheffler He's the defending British Open champion Maybe he was caught looking ahead to this event last week because last week he missed his first weekend cut in nearly four years. That was at the Scottish Open. He has actually won a PGA event since January, which is somewhat of a drought for the standards he set. In any case, nobody has won back-to-back British Opens since 2009 Elsewhere, second ranked Rory McIlroy has to be mentioned. He last won this event back in 2014 He at least seems to love playing in these more windy conditions, these links courses. If he pulled off a win here, that would be his seventh major title. Only twelve players have gotten to the seven or more titles. And of course, how about Wyndham Clark? He won the U.S. Open last month. You remember him, Kerry, right? One of two events he's won here recently And finally, Mark Fitzpatrick The Englishman has won three PBGA events this year in addition to a couple of runner-up finishes Should he win, he'd be the first Englishman to win since Nick Faldo back in 1992 First round kicks off tomorrow Well, you know, it's very temporary Why are they ending with the majors right in the middle of the summer? Why don't they do tennis and go all the way into the Labor Day weekend? It used to go until September. You used to have the PGA Championship over in August But then everyone kind of felt like it was kind of out on an island there by its own So they put them all together and now you have them consecutive in March. April, May June and July. And then I guess you get back to the other PGA events for the season. September is a tough time to be competing on a Sunday for viewership as well. That's true I'm always struggling to watch the U.S. Open when the NFL kicks off and college football Yeah, you want to be away from football season That's for sure. Just generally stay away from American football, as we like to call it Alright, let's go back to friend of the show, Kenny Ellison He wants Tour de France. What do you got for him? We got plenty of Tour de France Alright Kenny, pay attention here Today was stage 11 out of 21 This is a 100-mile route into central France. The riders actually set a record today. Fastest average speed, 31.6 miles per hour Norwegian rider Soren Varengold was the fastest of these record-breaking riders though, attacking late for his first victory. Ironically he finished last among the 175 riders in the previous stage after a crash there. Meanwhile race leader Tadej Pogacar retained his yellow jersey, finishing near his closest rivals Now he's got a more than 3.5 minute lead overall at the halfway point of this Tour de France race. By the way, I'm sure I did not get his last name right. At one point I figured out how to say his last name I know his first name is Tadej, but the last name is a little tough, I'll say that. Starts with a P anyway. Not as easy as Holland from Norway. Erling Holland, that's an easy one, you know. I like that one. Yeah, yeah. Does he also look like Thor, that cyclist? Uh, no but the Soren Varengold, this guy has got to be the biggest cyclist. He must weigh 200 pounds. Wow. Pure muscle. You know, those cyclists generally want to be lighter, you know, because you're cycling yourself. So he's got a lot of muscle. Well, if cycling doesn't work out, maybe rugby or he could try his hand at American football, maybe. Maybe so. Alright, as we finish up, who do you like for the Tour de France, Dave? Who do I like? Who do you think? I'm going to go with my man, Tadej. He's leader halfway through the race, he's really the best cyclist in the world. I'm going to go with Tadej. Alright, take the safe bet, I like that. Dave, thanks for joining. Thank you. And that is all for today's evening news, but stick around, we've got Capital Report coming up at 7 and Tiffany Meyer tonight at 8. You can also always watch us at NTD.com or use our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Kerry Dunst, goodnight.