NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 19)

I'm Entertainers Galore, joining the pre-game closing ceremony on the field at the New York-New Jersey Stadium. Blending culture, myth, natural beauty, and biodiversity, a well-known mountain in Greek mythology, is vying for a place on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. This is MTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. The United States military launching more strikes on Iran just days after two troops were tragically killed in Jordan. On the other hand, Iran continuing attacks on Gulf countries in the Middle East. NTD's Jason Perry has the latest. The United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, announcing another night of strikes against Iran. These strikes coming after two U.S. service members were tragically killed in Jordan on Friday. I think we can expect to see a lot more conflict and a lot more combat going on from this point. Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General Mark Kimmett sharing his thoughts on the recent U.S. casualties. This is the first time we've had American troops killed since March. That, in many ways, is a red line to the administration and to President Trump. But I think there will also be a little more severe retribution attacks for the killing of American troops. CENTCOM reported striking Iranian defense facilities, maritime capabilities, and missile and drone storage sites. U.S. forces also targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that launched attacks against U.S. service members in Jordan. Meanwhile, an attack drone seen hitting the Kurdish area in northern Iraq, as Iran has targeted that area as well. CENTCOM on Sunday reported that another U.S. troop was tragically killed in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian attack drone. And sirens sounded in Kuwait City the day before, as Kuwait said its air defense systems had intercepted and downed Iranian missiles launched at the Gulf state. Kuwait's prime minister was seen visiting injured people at a hospital on Sunday following the Iranian attacks. The retired general giving some analysis on how the U.S.-Iran war has evolved over time. This battle is a different battle that we started on February 28th. February 28th was a continuation of the fight against their nuclear program, their ballistic missile program, their proxies. Now we've somewhat narrowed it down to the area around the Strait of Hormuz. And that seems to be the narrow focus that this war is going to continue to concentrate on for quite some time. This comes as Iraq's prime minister met with Qatar's emir on Sunday, as they both stressed the importance of implementing the ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran. Iraq and Qatar both have economies that depend on the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Severe weather is impacting parts of the country from flooding in the northeast to dangerous storms in the south. The developing system in the Gulf of Mexico is also being monitored as millions remain at risk from more rain, wind and flooding. In the tri-state area, the focus is cleanup after powerful storms brought flash flooding and damaging winds over the weekend. Streets and parts of New York City turned into rivers. Drivers were rescued from flooded roads, and thousands remained without power. The storms also caused major travel disruptions, with more than a thousand flights canceled as airlines worked to recover from delays. Moving south, the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas are bracing for another round of severe weather. More than 40 million people are at risk, with damaging winds and flooding as the main concerns. And over in Texas, the state is recovering after another round of catastrophic flooding. Two people were killed, and more than 300 people were rescued by boat and helicopter following days of heavy rain. Officials say residents were better prepared this time with improved alerts and emergency planning following deadly floods last year. Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a developing area of low pressure near Florida. It has an 80% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone within the next 48 hours. Joining us now to discuss the conflict in the Middle East is Marty Yusufiani, former senior strategic counsel to the Crown Prince of Iran and currently the director of the Iran Freedom Project at the Middle East Forum. Marty, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Iran officially withdrew on Friday from the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the United States last month. Does that effectively close the door to a peaceful resolution to this conflict? Well, it's an on-again, off-again approach, as we have seen, with both sides posturing. This is certainly uncharted territory, which I can best describe as punitive containment. A very dangerous window, with each side flexing its muscle, short of full-scale war, a grinding war of attrition, which has the potential, the dangerous potential, of flaring up to full scale at any time. Yeah, and we saw that kind of war of attrition, so to speak, this sort of dragged-out conflict between Israel and Hamas. And, you know, Iran is significantly, dramatically more powerful than Hamas was at that time. So, you know, God forbid that kind of thing from happening. But so Saturday marks the eighth straight night of U.S. attacks on Iran. Notably, Israel is not participating in, nor have they been struck by Iran. How else do these recent strikes compare to those we saw earlier this year? Well, I think it's an approach of imposing strategic pain from both sides, minimizing escalation of regional engagement and bringing in of Israel. On one front, we have Iran, which has a limited set of cards in hand. One is its perceived capacity to influence the energy markets through the Strait of Hormuz. Now, keep in mind, there is a limited window in how much yield that kind of a threat offers, because we see alternative routes. We see that the energy, world energy markets have not really reacted as one expected dramatically. But the danger that Iran wants to impose here is that the pain will be much higher, especially targeting U.S. assets throughout the region, as well as the various Gulf countries. On the other hand, we have the U.S., which has its superior military position there, its ability to cordon off and shut down anything and everything going into the ports in Iran. And of course, we see that there is pretty much a no-fly zone imposed across Iran, and the U.S. has been able to execute upon will. But the whole point here is, how long can this be dragged out without the other side blinking? Yeah, and the U.S. seems to be focusing the current attacks, at least in part, on Iranian infrastructure. How might these strikes on that infrastructure impact the Iranian interior, and what could that lead to within the dynamics of the regime there? Well, yeah, that goes back again to our earlier conversation in terms of it being all about pain imposition. Now, the United States, in its approach, has already telegraphed that it will escalate with every strike, with every turn, every response. It will escalate the pain. The pain is going to be getting harder and harder. So once the military targets have been all completed, one can imagine, and in fact, the U.S. has indicated that it will go after strategic infrastructure, which poses a big problem. Because if at the end of the day, it's about keeping and winning the hearts and minds of the Iranian people, that is where the regime counts that that will be lost. So if electricity, if desalinization, if water infrastructure, if bridges, if roads, if railroads, if things like that are taken out, hospitals and so forth, because of lack of electricity and power, that is when we will see a nervousness coming in terms of the sentiments of the Iranian public, which at this point, we need to make sure is maintained. And you say we need to make sure the sentiments of the Iranian public are maintained. Can you expand on that? I'm assuming you're referring to... Well, meaning if all along it's been a known fact that generally speaking, the Iranian population of 92 million are largely pro-West, progressive, well-educated. They demand to be part of the world. They demand a better life. They demand better economics, and they have been largely anti-regime. The last thing we want is for a punitive, catastrophic series of strikes on heavy-duty infrastructure to affect that sentiment. That's what I'm talking about. We want to make sure that the Iranian people, which are ultimately, ultimately the front line and the final battle that the Iranian regime is really fearing, we want to make sure that they squarely stand against the regime and on the side of hopefully bringing regime change. OK, now let's talk about Energy Secretary Chris Wright. In an interview with ABC on Sunday, he's addressing the fighting. He says the president's mission is essential for peace in the Middle East and peace in the world, and that it's to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons and to degrade their ability to terrorize their neighbors and the world and global commerce. Can this mission be done without the overthrow of the Iranian regime, Marty? Well, just on the face of it, what this conflict has actually proven to the world is why the world cannot trust the Iranian regime. Not at its word. Look at the MOU violations. Not with a nuclear arms program, which has been cat and mouse playing it all these years. And certainly not with the long-range ballistic missile capability that it has demonstrated. The Iranian regime has proven to the world it cannot be trusted. And thus, the policy of ensuring that this regime, its nature is going to change once and for all, I believe is the right approach. Now, at the same time, what the past two wars have taught us is that certain things cannot be expected. For example, the two rounds of war have proven regimes won't change through bombs. They have proven that decapitation, in the case of Iran, three rounds of decapitation produced, in fact, more militancy from the next tiers of younger officers that came up. And it also proved that war ultimately dampens all political momentum. Let's not forget the entire demonstration, street demonstrations, and the people of Iran coming out to the streets originally was all because of the economic collapse of the regime. Its corruption, its inability to deliver to its people, that was the impetus of why millions poured out into the streets. But when bombs started falling, that momentum was dampened, and we now need to go back to the drawing tables. But yes, ultimately, the world needs to and has come to the recognition that this regime cannot stand. It will not change its behavior. And thus, it's important to be able to invest in the Iranian people and their national quest. 47 years of wanting to rid itself of the Islamist regime of Iran. Yeah, and the whole world is watching to see if that will indeed happen at this moment in history. Marty Yousefiani, director of the Iran Freedom Project at the Middle East Forum, thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Next, the World Cup final is now in the books, and Spain is the world champion after defeating Argentina 1-0. Argentina played extra time, one man down, after Enzo Fernandez was sent off in stoppage time following his second yellow card. Spain controlled the game throughout, managing 10 shots on goal in regulation, compared with none for Argentina. Ahead of the match, Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem. She was surrounded by police and service members as President Trump, First Lady, and the King of Spain looked on. The president of Argentina, however, sang he chose not to attend the game out of superstition. Then, a trio of singers that included Robbie Williams, Nicole Scherzinger, and Laura Passini sang the 2026 FIFA anthem, Desire, surrounded by national flags and marchers carrying FIFA flags. The World Cup trophy was held up before the game, first emerging from a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk. Actor Tom Cruise gave an opening speech on the uniting force of soccer. Both teams entered the field of what has been known during the World Cup as New York-New Jersey Stadium, otherwise known as MetLife Stadium and the home to the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets. Spanish brass then performed the Spanish national anthem on brass instruments, before Argentine singer Maria Becerra sang the Argentinian national anthem in an Argentine flag dress. From military action against Iran to newly declassified intelligence on China's election interference, plus a White House focus on countering left-wing extremism, it was another busy week in Washington. NTD's Daniel Monaghan has your White House Week in Review. President Trump declassifying intelligence he says shows Chinese interference in U.S. elections. Starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history. The president says the Senate should pass the Save America Act to strengthen election security. How easy is that to do unless you want to cheat? Tensioned with Iran ramping up this week, American fighter jets, drones and naval forces launching multiple strike operations against the Islamic Republic, hitting missile and drone facilities, naval assets and coastal defense systems. The Islamic Republic of Iran is not happy right now. It should have been done 47 years ago. U.S. forces resuming a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and striking an oil tanker with Hellfire missiles after it ignored repeated warnings while attempting to sail toward Iran's Karg Island. 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. President Trump discussing the conflict while hosting the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit at the U.S. Army War College. Joining him was Secretary of War Pete Hickseth, who praised the president's leadership at this critical juncture. But we're in a step-change moment. AI and frontier models, autonomy, quantum space, hypersonics, you name it. If you're ahead now and you get ahead of the game, you're going to be way ahead. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosting a conference focused on the threat of left-wing political violence. For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot. A blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left. Rubio also addressing the false promises of communism. The world it envisions for all of us is small, flat, gray, leveled of all exception, drained of all that is good and noble in the human soul. President Trump hosting Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House, praising the Iraqi leader's relationship with Washington. He's a young man. He's young and he's handsome, which I don't like. I'm not happy about that. Trump saying the United States will be doing a lot of deals with Iraq. We're going to create a lot of jobs for both countries and we're going to be taking out a lot of oil. And a sudden loss for Washington. Senator Lindsey Graham passing away late on Saturday. He was a fantastic man. He was actually a great politician. He got along with almost everybody. And when he didn't get along, they knew it. He was tough. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointing Graham's sister to finish his Senate term, which ends in January. President Trump will be at the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina tomorrow. His attendance will cap what has been the most watched, most secure, and most successful World Cup in American history. And finally, Taiwan semiconductor announced $100 billion Arizona expansion, bringing its total U.S. investment to $265 billion, among the largest manufacturing commitments in U.S. history. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. If you recently bought shredded iceberg lettuce, you may want to check your fridge. Taylor Farms is recalling products shipped to 27 states over possible cyclospora contamination. The recall comes as federal health officials investigate thousands of illnesses linked to the parasite. We see cyclospora outbreaks every summer. This is a much, much bigger outbreak than what we're used to seeing. This infection, generally speaking, is not terribly severe for healthy people, but for people with compromised immune systems, it can cause a risk for more severe disease. Taylor Farms says consumers should throw away the recalled lettuce and not eat it. The company has also suspended shipments of iceberg lettuce from central Mexico while it works with federal health officials. Some fast food chains, including Taco Bell and Jack in the Box, have already removed effective lettuce products after being notified of the recall. Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause weeks of watery diarrhea, cramping, bloating and dehydration. You do not want that. Health officials say thousands of cases are under investigation across the country with a major outbreak centered in the Midwest. If you have Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce at home, visit taylorfarms.com slash recall to see whether your product is impacted. Coming up, we hear from practitioners and spectators as they mark the 27th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong with a march through New York City's Chinatown. And how do you feel about mandatory cameras installed in your rear view mirror watching you as you drive? Our guest is not so keen on the new European Union law that she warns could be coming to the United States next. Stay tuned. Imagine a coffee expertly fermented with a 50 enzyme complex to enhance flavor and remove bitterness. Small batch roasted to a decadent result in a brew that is gentle on digestion, low acid, and up to 90% less caffeine than regular coffee. America's first enzyme fermented coffee today. Hi, I'm Jane Seymour, and I spent years on TV playing a doctor. But I learned about the heartbreaking reality of heart disease and stroke when they touched my own life. My father nearly died before having a quadruple bypass and valve replacement that saved him. And my mom, who was my inspiration, suffered a stroke that took away her speech, her ability to move, and ultimately her life. To see someone so vibrant, so positive, who'd survived so much in life be debilitated by a stroke, it was devastating, and also a wake-up call. And that's why I'm so passionate about supporting the American Heart Association. They're doing more every day to stop needless deaths. But they simply can't do their life-saving work without you. So please, call now or go to helpheart.org, and for only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, your donation will go to work to do amazing things, like fund the next medical breakthrough, get the next person trained in CPR, and the next hospital certified in high-quality cardiovascular care. I hope that you'll open your heart right now and join me. Please, call now or go to helpheart.org, give $19 a month, and we'll send you this special T-shirt that you can proudly wear to show that you're part of a community of monthly donors who are helping save lives. A healthy heart is the spirit of life. It makes it possible to do the things that you love, to spend time with your friends and family and fulfill your life's dreams. But so many won't have that chance. Heart disease is America's number one killer, and the number one killer of women. And that's why I'll do whatever I can to make sure others don't die from heart disease before their time. So please, join me. Please call or go online to helpheart.org, become a monthly donor, and for a limited time only, your first month's gift will be next. If you need to do something to feel okay to drive, you're not okay to drive. Don't drive buzzed. Welcome back. Smoke air quality alerts are still in effect across much of the U.S. as wildfire smoke from Canada makes its way south. As of this afternoon, Minneapolis, Minnesota, was still at the top of the list of the world's most air polluted cities. Forecasters say a second wave of smoke could dive down into the Great Lakes region today, and a third will drift into the Midwest Tuesday. The smoke could also dip down into the south on Wednesday and Thursday. For a breakdown on what that means for us, why the smoke can travel so far, and how to stay safe in the haze, here's NTD's science contributor Shelby Malanson. A thick gray haze has descended upon much of the northern United States. But you might be wondering, how can fires 1,000 miles away hit us so hard? And what can we do to guard against it? The most problematic fires are spread all across northwestern Ontario. But not only is the smoke from them choking Canadian cities like Toronto, it's traveled a long way from home. 500 miles to Minneapolis, 700 miles to Detroit, and 1,100 miles to New York City. That long-distance travel happens for a few reasons. The first is something scientists call thermal lofting, and it works just like the chimney in your house. As the fires burn, the extreme heat rises quickly into the air, lifting smoke, ash, and microscopic particles up into the atmosphere along with it. This matter ends up 30,000 to 40,000 feet up into the troposphere, the part of our atmosphere that most commercial aircraft cruise in. Once that smoke and ash arrive there, they get picked up by fast-moving air currents called jet streams. And at that altitude, air is much thinner than it is on the ground, which means that there's less friction to slow down the smoke and ash. Meaning, all that pollution can quickly fly right over mountains and bodies of water without falling out of the air or getting filtered out. If that's how smoke travels, a special kind of weather phenomenon is how it stays put. High-pressure systems in the atmosphere, called heat domes, trap hot air and prevent it from dispersing. They're the same thing that cause sweltering heat waves that can last for days or even weeks. But when you throw wildfire smoke into that mix, a few things happen. Not only do the domes keep the smoke hovering over one area, as the surrounding air cools down, it sinks. And all that ash and pollution gets dumped right on your head. And because of the location and direction of air currents, plus geography and weather patterns, major U.S. cities like Detroit and New York City often bear the brunt of these effects. Not to mention, big cities means more people getting exposed. Okay, that's how it travels. But then, how exactly does wildfire smoke cause such severe air quality problems in these cities? Inside that smoke is a toxic blend of matter. The biggest threat is what's called PM2.5, or particulate matter 2.5. This describes the ash particles that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller, which is small enough to bypass your body's normal defenses that keep unwanted substances out. On top of that, there's also a whole lot of carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that takes up space in the air and reduces the amount of oxygen that your body gets as you breathe. Not to mention the organic compounds in wildfire smoke can also combine with surface-level pollution, creating toxic ozone and other contaminants. Smoke and soot allow less sunlight to reach the ground, so temperatures in these regions might start to cool down, just like with heavy cloud cover. Excess smoke can also cause dry thunderstorms and also cut down or delay rainfall, well, upping the chances of heavy rain and even hail downstream from the smoke. Wildfire smoke can also make you sick, often causing coughing, difficulty breathing, and irritated sinuses, plus stinging eyes and a scratchy throat. Some people might also get headaches, feel dizzy, or unusually fatigued, or notice that their heart rates increase. Those with asthma, heart disease, or who are pregnant may be at increased risk of these things. This is all mostly because of those PM2.5 particles we mentioned earlier that are irritating your lungs, eyes, and sinuses and getting into your bloodstream. The best way to minimize all of these ill effects is to minimize your exposure to them. That means staying indoors, keeping windows and doors closed, and if possible, run an air purifier. And also, if you have central air in your home, you can set it to recirculate the air inside instead of pulling smoky air from outside in. If you do have to go outside, don't overexert yourself. And if you choose to wear a mask, be aware that simple surgical or fabric masks won't filter out smoke particles completely, but N95 masks will. And for real-time updates on air quality and safety, you can check out airnow.gov for information on conditions in your area. Stay safe, and until next time, I'm Shelby Malanson, NTD science contributor and host of Codex Legendaria, where we explore mysteries, marvels of science, and culture. Back to you in the studio. Tomorrow marks 27 years since the Chinese Communist Party launched its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Every year, practitioners commemorate the anniversary with a parade through New York's Chinatown. NTD's Niku Bani has that story. Right here you can see practitioners marching through the streets of New York City's Chinatown, displaying banners saying truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, marking 27 years since the Chinese Communist Party started its persecution of the practice. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a Chinese spiritual practice that combines five gentle exercises with teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. On July 20, 1999, after its popularity skyrocketed in China, the Chinese Communist Party launched a brutal persecution with the goal of eradicating the practice. The persecution continues to this day. Now practitioners outside of China commemorate this anniversary, hoping their message in the free world can raise awareness of the atrocities happening in China. The principles of the practice, truth, compassion, tolerance, it matters to everyone in the whole world. So the fact that that's being persecuted really affects the whole world. In China, something like persecution happened there. They don't know that. We want to let them know. Telling people what's happening, especially from the Chinatown, it helps them to spread words back into China without having censorship going on. Word of mouth is the most powerful way to spread what's happening. Spectators stopped to watch the parade, with many expressing support for the group's message. I think it's really hurtful to humanity and Chinese culture to suppress all these different groups. And I think it's really important to have events like this to keep the culture alive and spread awareness. I love that this is happening and people are standing up for what they believe. The commemoration will conclude with a march and rally through the nation's capital this Thursday. Nikubani, NTD News, New York. Next, let's go to London, where a parade featuring a European marching band commemorates the start of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Here's more from NTD's Jane Worrell. A parade and marching band shining a light on 27 years of persecution in China with the peaceful meditation practice Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong. This is a beautiful practice. They shouldn't be killed just because of their faith in China. It's horrific. It's a human rights crisis that we're trying to raise awareness about. At a seminar in Parliament, British lawmakers recently put the focus on the Chinese regime's large-scale forced organ harvesting trade in China, where people's organs are extracted and sold for profit. The China Tribunal found in 2019 the main victim group are practitioners of Falun Gong and there's amounting evidence that the crime has expanded to target Uyghur Muslims. Because they can't speak for themselves, we're here to be their voice and help raise awareness. What the Chinese Communist Party is doing to Falun Gong in China is genocide. They're eradicating millions of Falun Gong practitioners just because of their faith. This shouldn't be allowed in today's world. I can practice it freely because I live in Europe and it's my choice. Freedom of belief, freedom of religion. And people in China, they can't do that. So for me, it's kind of like, use the voice that I have to speak out, but do it in a kind of, in a different way, in a creative way. You know, bring people joy through music. A marching band fills the streets with music here in London. Many of the marching band members are Chinese and all of them are practitioners of the Buddhist school practice Falun Dafa. Musicians from across Europe came here to perform. Some faced persecution in China for their faith. They frequently come to search our home without a warrant. I said, we are all good people, so why do they keep constantly searching our home? Once I was detained in Mentogo, Beijing. I'm not sure if it was a detention center or some other place, but we endured a lot of suffering there. Passers-by were moved by the music and by the effort to stop the ongoing persecution, including through petitions calling for an end to forced organ harvesting in China. I noticed this beautiful band here and the Falun Dafa, the Falun Gong signage. Something I'd heard about many, many years ago, maybe 27 years ago, and was horrified at what I understood was occurring to the very spiritual people. This is wonderful to see and very sad at the same time that we're here. I know it doesn't have anything to do with my life, but it has something to do with their life. And that's what matters the most for me. And I really want to change other lives too for better, for positive. So that's why I signed today and that's why I'm really happy now. I did a good thing today. A poignant message behind the music, with many here hoping that one day people in China will again have the chance to freely practice their faith. Jane Worrell, NTD News. When we come back, mandatory cameras installed in your rearview mirror, watching you as you drive. The new European Union law is designed to curb distracted driving. Automotive expert Lauren Fix shares her concerns about this law with us. And a well-known mountain in Greek mythology is vying for a place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Find out what it has to offer in just a moment, right here on NTD Evening News. I was a quarterback at Hardaway High School. College first-round draft pick. On and off the field, we were taught to not show any signs of weakness. During the football season, I would stop eating. But I didn't know I was depressed. I thought that something was wrong with me. For 20-plus years, it was physical, physical, physical. We didn't have any education behind what mental health was. I started to learn it starts here first. If this is together, I'll be better as a father, as a man, and as a husband. Put the importance on your mental health. I'm not scared to talk about it anymore. The first tool is therapy. The second one is positive self-talk. Then journaling. Putting your thoughts on paper. We have to redefine what being a strong man is. And heal. Love. You're mine. You've done the hard part. You quit smoking. Now do the easy part and get scanned for lung cancer. If you smoked, you may still be at risk. But early detection could save your life. Talk to your doctor and learn more at SavedByTheScan.org. 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. What'd you get? Twice the work. Twice the surprises. Just try it. But if you think of it that way, they're also twice as fulfilling. You should ask her yourself. Is it okay to call you mom? Of course you can. Imagine a car that watches you while you drive. Well, that is exactly what all new cars in Europe will do as of earlier this month, when the European Union mandated cameras be installed in rearview mirrors. The measure is part of what they're calling the Advanced Driver Distraction Warning System, a rollout designed to reduce crashes caused by distraction and drowsiness. Joining us now to discuss is automotive expert from Car Coach Reports, Lauren Fix. Lauren, it's always good to see you. Is this the best way to protect road warriors from drowsy drivers? Well, Chris, you and I both know this. There's way more to this. That means every car sold after July 7th in the EU must have a camera facing at the driver. Now, this is a concern, not just for privacy, but think about it. It's not just the driver, because it's always a wide-angle camera. You're going to get the passenger, people in the second and the third row, your dog, your kids. Everyone in the car is going to have that camera on their face. That information is supposedly staying in the car, but we all know how this goes. Those cameras and that information gets uploaded and will end up in the hands of insurance companies, government officials, and other people that wish to purchase that information. We have that same problem here with blocked cameras on the exterior of the cars. This is the next dystopian step, which is the inside of the car monitoring people. And if you think it's just Europe, we've already passed the Kill Switch Bill, which we cannot seem to undo here in the U.S., which will be doing the exact same thing. And expand on that, what are we seeing on that front here in the U.S.? In the U.S., under the 2021 infrastructure bill, which was Section 24220, if you want to look it up, Joe Biden signed the bill. It was supposed to be for infrastructure, building roads and bridges and airports and all that, but also buried, of course, deep into the bill, which no one ever seems to read, is not just the blocked cameras or the cameras that are doing more than collecting your license plate information, but it's also the Kill Switch Bill. Now, this was supposed to go into place in 2026, but the technology does not exist for what they asked for. What they asked for was under the guise of drunk driving, much along the same thing as you're hearing in Europe with drowsy driving. You're supposed to put your finger on the start stop button. It's supposed to detect whether you have alcohol or some substance in your system and not let you drive. However, there are already 37 different devices that work today for people that are habitual drunk drivers who have had issues who probably shouldn't be on the road anyhow. But this would be on new cars. So, basically, you would be guilty till proven innocent. And this is a problem because it not just listens in your car. It monitors your eyes, which cars do today, and they also listen in your car, but it would also determine whether you're a safe driver. And if you're not, it won't let you start the vehicle. Now, when it first came out, Thomas Massey read it on the House floor. Even AOC voted against it. But most of the Democrats and a lot of the Republicans approved it. And now there's funding of over $450 million going to different groups to educate you as a consumer that this technology is coming. Now, as of 2027, we do not have this technology. However, there are multiple patents, which I'm creating a list of different car brands and what they're doing because they have to create their own software and technology. Biometric data, such as Ford's patent, or gate walking, which is what General Motors has as you walk to the vehicle, it will determine whether you are under the influence. Now, maybe you had a heavy leg day at the gym and you're limping or you tripped into a pothole or something as you walk back to your car and you're limping. It's going to assume that you're under the influence of something and not let you drive your own car. And it always happens in a bad time when you need to be somewhere. And there are a million scenarios. People are very upset about this kill switch law. It has been read a second time on the House floor with more people involved in trying to defund it. But right now, that's going to be a challenge. The House would have to pass it. It would then go to the Senate and the president would have to sign it in order to remove it from the budget. And it's interesting because it all seems like it's at the service of safety, security, protecting people, which is always a good thing. We always want to save lives, protect lives. But at what cost? True. And that is the problem. They used Mothers Against Drunk Driving to get the lobbyists to put money behind it to tell certain politicians, hey, vote for this. We want to make sure this goes through. We'll put it in. And, of course, they get funding toward their reelection campaign and they can tell everyone they made the road safer. But as you and I know, there's way more to this, much like the flock cameras that have been posted on every single street corner. There's over 6,000 cities that already have cameras that monitor every single thing about your car. You say it's a license plate reader? That is not the information it's getting. It's the color of your car, the bumper sticker you have. Do you have a cargo container on the roof? Do you have a bike rack? Everything about the car. Is there damage? Who's in the car? So there's multiple cameras at every single intersection. There's also multiple cameras on FedEx trucks. And I just found out, and I'll be doing a story on this this week, that 40,000 school buses also are using those cameras so that you don't pass a school bus when it's stopped and children are getting off to be tracking every single license plate. We also know that garbage trucks in certain cities are also now going to be using this camera system to collect data. And if you think flock is the worst, there's one that's worse. It's Leonardo, and it uses a product called Signal Trace, and it will be picking up all your Bluetooth signals. All of this is data collected and used so they can determine everything about you. And while, as a matter of fact, this week, they're going to be voting on a bill to eliminate Chinese products here in the U.S., but that's all tied into this because China may not be able to get it. But don't worry, our government, our independent marketing companies, the police department, your insurance company, they'll have full access to all of your information. That's why we have to be careful about thinking about, oh, it's okay, I have a camera in my face. I don't do anything wrong. I don't care about these license plate readers. That doesn't impact me. Kill switch, I don't drink. It's not a problem. You put this all together and you start realizing there's a bigger picture. It's about controlling every aspect of your life and giving what they call a digital fingerprint. This is very much like China. This is very much like all of the communist countries. And that's the direction we're going if we don't stop these black cameras. It sounds like some kind of dystopian, futuristic film we're talking about here. Are you seeing any kind of meaningful pushback against the trend towards surveillance and control in our cars and everywhere else? The more that you and I and all the different media outlets start to report on this, many people on social media reporting on this, we're starting to see people go to their local towns and say, hold on, wait a minute. We didn't vote for this. Who put this in? So what they do is they give money to the town, some little town, say, hey, we're going to give you X amount of federal dollars or state dollars. And, of course, you're going to go, sure, that sounds good to me. But what's really going on is that money puts in cameras so that politicians can tell you, please reelect me. I've made your town safer. But that's not really what's happening. So as people are starting to be aware of this, that they don't want these cameras, they're starting to push back. Pine Valley, New York, we're seeing Austin, Texas. But you have to be really careful. Because even Los Angeles said, OK, we're going to end our agreement with Flock, which is the biggest, most known name, because the CEO called people that report where those cameras are located terrorists. They said they were worse than Antifa. There's a site called Deflock, D-E-F-L-O-C-K.org. You can go there and find where all the cameras are located in your city. You can also, there's a website called Have I Been Flocked, F-L-O-C-K-E-D. You can put in your license plate and can see if someone's looked up your license plate. People are getting very upset about this. And I don't blame them. I feel the same way. So the pushback is you going to your town meetings and saying, hey, we didn't vote for this. You never even asked us. But you were happy to take the money. And when towns, especially smaller towns, hear about it, they immediately defund it. They end the relationship. And they can do that. And that's the interesting part of this. There are some people doing some things I don't recommend and I certainly don't condone, cutting down the cameras or destroying the cameras. I'm not saying that's a smart idea. But people are doing it and it's all over the Internet. All right. Very interesting. We'll definitely be following this and exposing it as you've talked about. Lauren Fix, automotive expert from Car Code Reports. Thank you. Thanks, Chris. Coming up, a well-known mountain in Greek mythology is vying for a place on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Find out what it has to offer in just a moment. With Select Specs £6 specs, you can get 10 pairs of prescription glasses for just £60. That includes frames, prescription lenses and delivery free to your door. And what makes this really special is each pair can have a different prescription. So it's glasses for everyone. Selectspecs.com slash £6. 10 frames, all with prescription lenses and delivery for just £60. You don't get that on the high street. 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And is on pace for the biggest live action opening of the year. The film is projected to earn between $120 million domestically this weekend. After bringing in $50 million on Friday. Including previews. If those numbers hold, it will become the biggest live action opening of 2026. And the biggest opening weekend of Matt Damon's career in a leading role. Fans are also seeking out the premium experience. IMAX and other large format theaters account for more than half of all ticket sales. With many showing already sold out or nearly full. Industry analysts expect those premium screens to stay packed for weeks. Next is the tallest Greek mountain. And the mythological home of 12 gods and legends from ancient Greece. Mount Olympus is in line with hopes to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site later this month. The ancient Greeks believed the throne of Zeus, king of the gods, stood here on the highest of its craggy, often mist-shrouded peaks. Now modern day Greeks hope their tallest mountain will become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Olympus is our life. It is the place where we grew up. It is the place we see every single day. At the same time, it is a place that carries a myth, history, biodiversity, breathtaking natural beauty, and immense cultural significance. The mountain rises over 9,500 feet from a base practically at sea level. The mythological home of the gods attract hikers and mountaineers from across the world. It also hosts a wealth of flora and fauna, including endemic species. It's my first time that I'm going up to Mount Olympus. I'm very happy. It's very beautiful. And it's the mountain of the gods. So I hope that it's now the time to be a monument for all the world. And it has to be in the UNESCO catalog. The broader region of Mount Olympus tried for a listing in 2014 but was rejected. This time, Greeks hope the mountain's culture and natural wonders will secure it a place. The World Heritage Committee meets in Busan, South Korea in late July. Thank you for watching NTD Evening News. For round-the-clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. I'm Chris Beers. Have a good night.