NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 24)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump mulling major escalation in Iran while reiterating his vow that Tehran will never have a nuclear weapon. And what to expect from the President's speech at the rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner tonight. Coming up, Jack Smith denied that his team obtained the content of lawmakers' text messages. Now a congressional referral is asking the Justice Department to investigate his testimony. And questions are growing after nearly 150,000 California mail-in ballots went uncounted in the June primary, plus Attorney General Rob Bonta facing criticism of a revised ballot language for a voter ID measure, Christina Corona reports. In Manhattan, police are continuing to investigate potential hate crimes in connection with two separate incidents Thursday on a Jewish man and an Asian man, New York officials responding. Ford Motor Company accused of supporting the growth of Chinese automakers, Congressman John Moulinard, chairman of the select committee on the CCP, calling for stricter limits, even bans on Chinese tech. And the massive cyclospora outbreak is spreading to new states across the U.S. with thousands of cases now reported, the growing concerns as health officials investigate. 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. President Trump celebrating a historic milestone for civilian nuclear energy in the Oval today while renewing his vow that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. We're now joined live by MTV's White House Correspondent Mari Otsu. She's in Washington. Mari, good evening. What is the latest from the president on Iran? Hey, Cary, good evening to you. That's right. At that Oval Office announcement today, President Trump really doubled down on his vow that he said over and over throughout this entire conflict and for years prior, really, that Tehran will never have a nuclear weapon. And this is this renewed threat is coming as the president warns of a potential massive attack on Iran. And as the central command has been striking Iranian targets for almost two weeks now, Central Command last night announcing that it had concluded its 13th consecutive night of strikes against the regime after Iran violated that ceasefire agreement by firing at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Now, here's the president today. Let's take a listen. But we are talking to them right now. Look, there are two ways. I consider that the smarter way, but the other is probably the easier way doing what we're doing. And we can take that to a much higher level if we want to. You know, we're prepared to do that. As you know, we're locked and loaded. We're locked and loaded and ready to go. I'm not, you know, despite what everyone says about the election, I'm not in a hurry. I'm not in a hurry. We have to do it right. Elections take care of themselves. Meanwhile, President Trump today also rejecting the claim that his administration likes to quote subpoena journalists. This is coming after the Department of Justice yesterday withdrew subpoenas for three New York Times reporters after criticism from a federal judge. The Justice Department had initially issued these three subpoenas on July 10th after the New York Times published a report on alleged security concerns about the new Air Force One. That's that new big plane used by the president, which was donated by the Qatari government. And here's the president today. Take a listen. We're not after journalists, we're after leakers. We're after people that are cowards, people that are unpatriotic, people that are treasonous in many cases. But when a Republican does it, when in particular Trump does it, everybody makes a big deal. Not all in all cases, but when you have somebody doing a national security leak or a leak of great importance and you have somebody inside the walls of, let's say, the White House leaking. I think that's a national security concern. Meanwhile, President Trump today is also condemning the European Union for what he calls imposing massive fines on major American tech companies. He lists those companies out, such as Apple, Meta, Amazon and Google. The president is calling this practice illegal, discriminatory and a form of robbing US firms and taxpayers. That was a rollover from practices during the previous administration. He's also announcing that his administration will immediately launch a Section 301 investigation into these actions and potentially even impose substantial tariffs on the European Union in response to this. Carrie. Anne-Marie, tonight President Trump's attending the rescheduled White House Correspondents Dinner. I know you were at the last one. What can we expect tonight? Yeah, Carrie, so people are already starting to go there right now. It's very close to us here. It's at the Waldorf Astoria and it's happening just three months after the last one was cut short after that assassination attempt on President Trump. Now this one is very much scaled down. The prior one, which was at the Washington Hilton, held about 3,000 guests. This one will only hold 700 and there will be major new security measures in place. For example, every guest in attendance who will be on a list has to have their own personalized QR code. And now the press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, previewing his speech earlier today, says that it will be a combination of, quote, unifying, yet vicious and, quote, serious, yet hilarious, all at the same time, but assuring us that it will be entertaining and asking every American to tune in. Back to you. Thank you, Mari. Next, the U.S. military announcing more strikes against Iran in an effort to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This coming after the Iran-backed Houthis report striking two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. And today's Jason Perry has the latest. An explosion seen hitting Iran on Thursday night. U.S. forces announcing another night of strikes on the regime. The United States Central Command, or CENTCOM, saying they struck Iranian military targets for the 13th night in a row in an effort to further diminish the regime's threat to commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. In the latest round of strikes, CENTCOM targeted Iranian military command centers, drone storage facilities, communication networks and coastal surveillance sites. An Iranian general says the U.S. used weapons it had been saving for World War III. Every piece of weaponry, every technology, every capability that had not been used even once in any war was deployed in the war against the Islamic Republic. And in the meantime, Iran continuing to launch attacks at other countries in the Middle East. On Friday, the Kuwaiti army reported on X that its air defenses were confronting attacks by hostile Iranian drones. Bahrain also reported on X that Iran was launching attacks against civilians in the Gulf country. And Jordan's state-run media reported the country's military shot down seven Iranian missiles and six Iranian drones. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group recently struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, extending the Middle East conflict to a second major shipping waterway. Saudi state-run media released footage on Thursday of armed men said to be in the strategic waterway known as the Bob al-Mandeb Strait. It links the southern end of the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. A former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia says that some ships were still passing through the waterway, but it's still possible for the Houthis to close it. You don't need rockets and drones to close a waterway. You just need the threats that dissuade insurance companies and the captains of these ships from even trying to pass through. And that's where they are right now. President Trump recently said that he's going to hold Iran responsible for any future attacks carried out by the Houthis. Jason Perry, NCD News. Nearly 150,000 California mail-in ballots were rejected in June's primary election, with most thrown out because they didn't meet the state's deadline requirements. Meanwhile, Attorney General Rob Bonta facing criticism over the ballot language for a voter ID measure. NTD's Christina Corona has more on that. Nearly 150,000 California mail-in ballots were rejected in the June primary, an increase from the last two statewide primaries. More than 93,000 were disqualified because they missed the state's postmark deadline. California allows mail ballots to arrive up to seven days after Election Day, as long as they're postmarked by Election Day. Election experts say many of the rejected ballots appear to have received postmarks after Election Day, making them ineligible to be counted. Some point to recent U.S. Postal Service processing changes that may have delayed postmarks, while others say a last-minute surge of voters in the governor's race may have also played a role. More than 44,000 additional ballots were rejected because signatures didn't match voter records, while thousands more were missing signatures altogether. Election experts say the increase is raising new questions about why more mail ballots are being rejected. Meanwhile, another election issue is sparking debate ahead of November. California Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing criticism after his office changed the title of Proposition 39, a ballot measure that would require voters to show government-issued identification before voting and verify U.S. citizenship when registering. The original title described the measure as, "...establishes additional voter identification and citizenship verification requirements." The final ballot title now reads, "...prohibits citizens from voting unless they present government-issued identification." Republican lawmakers, including Representative James Gallagher and Independent Representative Kevin Kiley, argue the revised wording is politically charged and could influence how voters view the measure before they even read it. However, Bonta's office denies the criticism, saying changes between the circulating title and the final ballot title are routine. All nine of them had changes, all nine. So it's very common. We are, as always, fulfilling our duties to set forth the chief points and purposes and to do so in a way that's fair, accurate, informative, descriptive. And we achieve that here. California voters will vote on Prop 39 this November. Christina Corona, NTD News. A win for Republicans in the nationwide redistricting battle. A panel of three federal judges is allowing Tennessee to use a new congressional map. The map would carve up the state's sole Democrat-controlled district. It's a Black-majority district in Memphis. This would essentially allow Republicans to control all nine of Tennessee's congressional districts and give them a one-seat advantage in the November midterms. Republicans say the redistricting was motivated only by partisan politics. All opponents argue it was motivated partly by racial discrimination. A three-judge panel declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts. They write that challengers to the new map lack any direct evidence of racial motivation. This means the new map will be in use in the August 6th primary elections. Tennessee redrew its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling against illegal racial gerrymandering. It is among eight Republican-controlled states to do so since last year. And four men in Minnesota have pleaded guilty to Medicaid fraud. The Justice Department says they defrauded the state's Housing Stabilization Services, or the HSS, program of $2.2 million. The DOJ says the four men set up a company called Brilliant Minds Services, LLC, in the Twin Cities area and registered it as a Medicaid program provider. According to court documents, they submitted thousands of HSS claims to Medicaid between 2022 and 2025 for services that were never provided or significantly inflated. They also used AI to fabricate their records. The defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. They each face up to 20 years in prison. The HHS program helps people with disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders find and maintain housing. The DOJ says, quote, these defendants corruptly exploited vulnerable people and a vulnerable program to enrich themselves. Next, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is asking the Justice Department to investigate former special counsel Jack Smith. Jordan says Smith possibly made false statements to Congress. And it is Chris Bobb reports. Did the toll records that you requested from the senators, did they include the content of the phone calls? No. The records that you requested, the toll records from the members of Congress include the content of text messages? No. That December testimony is now at the center of a possible Justice Department investigation. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan referred Jack Smith to the DOJ Wednesday, alleging that the former special counsel may have knowingly made false statements to Congress. The referral says, quote, the responses provided by Mr. Smith gave the impression that neither Mr. Smith nor his team had access to the content of members privileged text messages. We now know this to be false. Jordan points to records released by the department on July 14th. They show Smith's team received 54 spreadsheets containing messages from Trump White House phones, including communications involving 44 Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The letter says a prosecutor on Smith's investigative team reviewed the messages and forwarded their contents to colleagues without first sending them through a filter team. Those teams are supposed to screen material that may be legally or constitutionally protected. In an interview with Fox News Thursday, Jordan said Smith failed to tell Congress the full story. You've got to tell the whole truth. You can't give partial answers. You can't mislead in any way. And he definitely misled us because he said he didn't get content when in fact they did for 44 members of the United States Congress. The letter argues that Smith's failure to mention messages obtained from the National Archives amounts to, quote, strong evidence that he made materially false statements. House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin responded in a Wednesday press release, calling the referral, quote, baseless and vindictive. Raskin argues that Smith was asked whether subpoenas for lawmakers' toll records included the contents of their messages, not whether presidential records obtained from the National Archives contained communications with lawmakers. He says Republicans were faulting Smith for, quote, not reading the minds of congressional investigators. Senator Rick Scott posted on ex-Thursday, quote, hold Jack Smith accountable. Senator Josh Hawley added in an ex-post Friday, there needs to be prosecution. Smith's attorneys deny he misled Congress, saying his testimony was truthful. Jordan's referral is not itself a criminal charge. Chris Bobb, NTD News. Coming up, President Trump implementing new tariffs on 60 countries, citing forced labor in supply chains. We'll speak with a researcher from the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center for analysis. MyPillow's second annual mega sale is finally here. 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President Trump imposed new tariffs ranging from 10 to 12 and a half percent on 60 economies going into effect shortly after midnight over alleged forced labor violations. Joining us to discuss is Alan Jang. He's a research assistant at the Heritage Foundation's Asian Study Center. Thanks for joining us this evening, Alan. The White House citing an investigation that they conducted. What is your understanding of the violations that they're citing? Well, good evening, Cary. And you're absolutely right. The White House just released the report, Section 301 Investigations, looking at forced labor concerns. And first and foremost, obviously, forced labor, there is an ethical component to it in which the Chinese government is accused of committing a number of possible forced labor violations, including wage theft, unsanitary conditions, and generally unsafe work conditions. But even beyond that, there's also an important concern to the United States, which is that these severely undercut American businesses that are trying to compete fairly against these unfair trade practices. So in the broad scheme of things, I think the president is trying to level the playing field. Now, Alan, since the 90s and admission into the World Trade Organization, China has often been called the factory of the world. But some analysts say it failed to live up to the WTO commitments and those necessary to be entered in the first place. Can you walk us through what some of the instances of forced labor that we know about as it relates to China? Certainly. I think we saw back in 2020 and 2021, there was extensive independent reporting that came out that China was using a number of their minorities, notably the Uyghurs, as forced laborers within certain factories and paying them marginal wages. And a lot of these problems have been noticed by a variety of sources, so much so that the US Congress literally passed a law banning imports from certain factories. And because of that, certain American companies like Apple have demanded stronger labor commitments from their Chinese counterparts and from a lot of these factories that are operating in China. Now, Alan, when we take a step back, how does forced or exploitative labor in other countries then affect us at home and undermine American labor? Well, because it's simply unfair. A lot of these trade practices rely on cheap labor insofar as the product that they're manufacturing costs less. They can produce at scale, at speed, for far less, far cheaper than their American counterparts. And because of that, American businesses are being undermined left and right because of some of these businesses. And a lot of Chinese products are flowing into different markets, undercutting American prices, and generally making it hard for American businesses to sustain their operations. Yeah, and when you look at the US-China trade relationship and you look back from the Biden administration to now the Trump administration, how do you view the trajectory and what do you see as the upcoming buildup now to the second Trump-Xi summit this year that looks to be in the works for INDC coming up relatively soon? Well, I think the White House has been quite pragmatic in its approach to China, showing that it's willing to negotiate on certain fronts in which there's viable avenues for cooperation. But at the same time, I'm sure President Trump has made very clear that there has to be guardrails in terms of the US-China relationship, that insofar as China is willing to resort to unfair trade practices, that Washington is no longer going to tolerate them as it had under several presidents in the past. And so President Trump is willing to make a break with tradition and willing to take a stance for American industries. And when we look at these new tariffs that he's just put into place, there's significant pushback on them from our, you know, it's over 60 countries and those trading partners are pushing back. Do you expect that these tariffs will be challenged domestically in court or with retaliatory tariffs from those trading partners abroad? Well, I think a number of these countries that the United States has included in the recent round of investigations, a lot of what the president has proposed has come out in the reports and there is substantial evidence that underpin some of the conclusions that are being drawn. But I think in the long run, it won't cause large retaliatory efforts insofar as some of these tariffs demand stronger workplace conditions. And so there's a possibility that these companies, in certain countries as well, be removed from the list once their trade practices do improve. All right. Well, Alan Jang, thank you so much for joining us, sharing your analysis this evening. Thank you. Next, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party urging more caution against Chinese tech. Chairman John Muellner is calling out Ford Motor Company for supporting the Chinese auto industry, while also calling on Congress to ban Chinese robots. Here's more from NTD's Fiona Ji. This is not a situation where it's isolated situations. It's a strategic initiative on the part of the Chinese Communist Party. It's really to acquire technology innovation, and they'll do that legally or illegally. Technology and intellectual property are at the top of the agenda of the House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. A December 2025 congressional report found that over 4,300 academic papers published over a span of two years involved Chinese researchers. And U.S. federal funding was used in collaboration with state-owned Chinese organizations with links to the Chinese military. Trying to provide a baseline that protects our taxpayer dollars from going to fund projects that would benefit the military or human rights abusers or the surveillance society that the CCP is operating. Committee Chairman John Muellner is also calling out Ford Motor Company for its recent new partnership with Chinese automaker Geely. He says Ford is actively helping to increase the world's dependence on China. The Select Committee on the CCP says this is also in addition to an ongoing partnership that Ford has with another Chinese company that has links to forced labor and genocide. Along the same lines, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has passed the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026. This act bans Chinese cars and car software. Senator Alyssa Slotkin says this is a bipartisan issue. We're Democrat and Republican. We disagree on a lot of things, a lot of serious things. But on this issue, we are aligned. You can't be, you can't have a serious influence from the Chinese Communist Party in what you do in America. And those cars are driving surveillance collectors. Meanwhile, the House has passed the National Defense Authorization Act with a key provision from the Bipartisan Guard Act. Now, this would require the Pentagon to start investigating whether Chinese robots should be banned nationwide. These conversations are coming at a time where there is increased scrutiny and attention over how China is trying to expand its influence on global tech industries. These also align with President Trump's recent address, where he revealed the extent of Chinese meddling in the U.S. election system. And we're also seeing bipartisan cooperation on this topic in Congress as they try to limit the Chinese Communist Party's reach. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Fiona Ji, NTD News. Up ahead in Manhattan, the suspect in two stabbing cases charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. Police say the victims, a Jewish man and an Asian man, thankfully will survive. And 11 people are charged with alleged involvement in a failed human smuggling attempt. The federal indictment says seven illegal immigrants died after being transported in a locked shipping container. David Lamb has more on that. I debate all day. It's what I do. But there are some things that are undebatable, like your mental health, my own mental health. I was in a dark place when my brother passed away in a car accident. I've never been more devastated than the day I lost my mom. I was depressed, miserable in ways I never imagined. I reached out. My sisters came, my pastor, my therapist. They helped me get through it. I found that the more I spoke up, the healthier my mind became. The chaos that was in me began to subside. I was more focused, clear. When you love your mind, you go so much further. That's not up for debate. Find mental health resources at loveyourmindtoday.org. Our back and forth, victory, fumble, repeat. It always came back. You probably don't remember what you told me. Here you go. Thank you. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. An update now on the double stabbing that took place in Manhattan. The suspect in two separate stabbing attacks is charged with attempted murder as a hate crime. Entity's Arlene Richards has the latest. A day after two men were stabbed in separate attacks on Manhattan's Upper West Side, police are investigating whether the assaults were motivated by hate. The suspect is in custody and both victims are expected to survive. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tish said in a social media post on Thursday, the NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime. Police say the victims, an Asian man and a Jewish man, are expected to survive. The suspect, 51-year-old Raul Morales, is in custody and no other suspects are being sought. Police say there is no known connection between Morales and either victim or between the victims themselves. Tish said, according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled allahu akbar during both attacks. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani confirmed in a social media post on Thursday that police are investigating a hate crime. He added that the NYPD's initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. New York City Public Advocate Jumaine Williams said at a press conference on Friday that anti-Semitism is on the rise in Manhattan. Police are continuing to investigate Morales' motive. Arlene Richards, Entity News. 43 survivors rescued and 89 sex offenders arrested. The NYPD shares the latest from their human trafficking crackdown during the FIFA World Cup. The NYPD says their operations spanned all five boroughs before and during soccer's biggest tournament. The department notes that they worked behind the scenes in the crackdown. This involved surveilling World Cup watch parties and visiting previously convicted sex traffickers and sex offenders. In one instance, they rescued a minor from a hotel room and arrested the person who sex trafficked her. In all, seven of those rescued are minors. The police department encourages the general public to call the NYPD hotline if they see something that doesn't look right. And a grand jury has charged 11 people with involvement in a human smuggling operation in Texas. This comes after seven illegal immigrants were found dead in a shipping container. Entity's David Lam reports. A federal grand jury in Texas has charged 11 people in an alleged smuggling operation that left seven illegal immigrants dead inside a shipping container. According to the indictment, from at least April 2023 through May this year, the 11 defendants, ages 18 to 56, used cargo trains to smuggle illegal immigrants further into the U.S. after bringing them across the border from Mexico. The defendants were allegedly paid between $1,500 and $10,000 for each person. Prosecutors described one incident in this past May in which smugglers cut the lock off a shipping container on a train and put seven people into it, including a 14-year-old. The recorded outdoor temperature was around 90 degrees. The container had no ventilation or cooling system and was locked from the outside. It departed from Del Rio, Texas and headed toward San Antonio, around a 150-mile trip. After opening the container in San Antonio, the smugglers found one of the illegal immigrants deceased. They fled the scene, leaving the remaining people inside, at which point the train made a 300-mile trip to Laredo. A yard worker found the remaining six people deceased in Laredo. All 11 defendants are charged for alleged involvement in the smuggling operation. If convicted, each defendant would face maximum penalties of life in prison. David Lam, NTD News. The outbreak of cyclospora is now linked to four more states. There are now nine states with the related cases of the diarrhea illness tied to the microscopic parasite. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today. Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania are now part of the outbreak. Cases were already confirmed in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. Health departments in the nine states are reporting a combined more than 12,000 cases of cyclosporiasis thus far, and a majority of them are in Michigan. Federal and state health officials continue to investigate, with iceberg lettuce from central Mexico the suspected source of the outbreak. Taylor Farms involuntarily recalled it shredded lettuce, and that was shipped to 27 states. If all cases are confirmed to be linked, it would represent one of the largest U.S. foodborne illness outbreaks in three decades. And one of the biggest deals in Hollywood history is now on hold tonight. Paramount has agreed to pause its $110 billion takeover of Warner Brothers, and that's just days after a California judge temporarily blocked it. Under a deal reached Friday with California's attorney general and the Writers Guild, Paramount won't take any steps to combine their operations with Warner Brothers until a judge rules on the merger itself, or until June of 2027, whichever should come first. Now, a coalition of 12 states is suing to block the merger. They're arguing it would hand one company control of roughly a third of all movies and cable programming in the country, meaning higher prices and fewer choices for viewers. Paramount, meanwhile, calls the lawsuit, quote, wrong on both the facts and on the law. And President Trump is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Washington next week. Zelensky also planning to attend the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham. NTD's international correspondent Arian Pasdar brings us more on that. As the fighting between Russia and Ukraine rages on, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is planning another meeting with President Trump. Sources familiar with the plans confirmed them to NTD's sister media, the Epoch Times. Ukraine is seeking to arrange a partial ceasefire with Zelensky also plans to attend the funeral of late Senator Lindsey Graham while in the US. The two met in Ukraine just one day before Graham passed away. The late senator was a stark advocate of a plan to impose additional sanctions on Russia. At the same time, Ukraine keeps increasing the pressure on Russia, trying to force the Kremlin to end the fighting. Kiev is now moving from targeting Russia's energy sector to striking logistics hubs. New footage on Friday shows not one but two warehouses in St. Petersburg on fire. The buildings belong to Russia's largest online retailer called Wild Paris. The company says none of its staff has been hurt in the latest attack. Ukraine has been targeting its warehouses for multiple days now. According to Zelensky, Russian logistics supplies the occupying army with drone components navigation equipment and military gear. Russia denies that the company handles any military supplies. And Zelensky also posting these videos on Friday, showing the aftermath of attacks on a factory in Russia's Kirov region. The Ukrainian president says, quote, the factory supplies components for the occupier's aircraft and missile systems. According to Russian officials, at least six people died in the attacks on the factory. And in Ukraine, officials say 10 people are dead after a ballistic missile attack on a site where a defense industry event was being held. According to Zelensky, the event, quote, should definitely not have taken place there. Rescue operations are now underway after the strike on the event, which took place less than 20 miles from Kiev on Friday afternoon. On top of that, Zelensky says Russia is preparing for even larger attacks. We know from our intelligence services and our partners that the Russians have prepared missiles for another large scale strike against Ukraine. This strike could come today. The information we have indicates it may occur within the next 48 hours. Zelensky is calling on civilians to pay attention to air raid sirens and seek shelter if incoming missiles are detected. Arian Pasdar, NTD News. Venezuela is walking away from the International Criminal Court. Foreign Minister Felix Placencia says the country has formally notified the United Nations of its, quote, irrevocable decision to pull out. Baracus claims the court is biased, saying it unfairly targets nations in Africa and Latin America. Venezuela's exit becomes official in one year. And breaking news, the U.S. military says it has fired upon a merchant vessel that was trying to breach its blockade against Iranian ports. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins told NTD that U.S. forces disabled the tanker after the crew attempted to run the blockade at least four times. CENTCOM also says the crew was repeatedly warned, did not comply, and U.S. forces on the scene then disabled the ship after firing into its engine room. The Associated Press reports the ship is the MT Levine, and this happened in the Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM says the ship is no longer transiting to Iran. This is now the second commercial ship to be disabled since the U.S. military reimposed its blockade. And coming up, why is classical art still appreciated by so many after centuries? We hear from folks outside the National Gallery of Art in D.C. And the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever just sold at auction, but its $50 million price tag is leaving museums and scientists priced out. Do dinosaur fossils belong in museums or in private collections? NTD science contributor Shelby Malanson dives in. 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. It's like a weight off my shoulders. 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All while having fun. Subscribe today at GJW Plus Kids, where learning meets fun. Welcome back to Entity Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. One of America's most respected history museums now being accused of using taxpayer money to promote a radical agenda. A top official of the Smithsonian National Museum facing questions from House lawmakers earlier this week. Is Mickey Mouse racist? Mickey Mouse is not racist. It's not racist. According to the Smithsonian Institution, one of your exhibits referenced Mickey Mouse is representing quote vestiges of longstanding traditions of blackface minstrelsy. The White House recently issued a report saying the Smithsonian Museum is emphasizing social justice advocacy instead of highlighting America's accomplishments. The report says the institution framed the pilgrims as colonizers and failed to dedicate major exhibits to the history of America's founding. Next, what has made classical art so inspiring to people over the centuries? Entity Sam Wong was outside the National Gallery of Art in D.C. to hear from the people. What's your favorite piece of artwork from the National Gallery of Art? I would say the Blue Rooster is very beautiful, as well as the Da Vinci painting that's here in the West Gallery. And again, it's just a very nice gallery. And it has everything from early ages to the present. I really like Gothic. I can't really name any specific paintings, but I just really like the style. I really like the Christianity that's being showcased. And they always have intricate little frames, and they always make them so cool. And you can tell that they were meant for cathedrals and to be really showcased. So I think those are fascinating. There's the Da Vinci piece. There's the Michelangelo piece, the Van Dyck, the Renaissance in Florence and Venice. All those works, you start to see them using camera-obscure techniques to where you're starting to see them actually paint the figure in a more realistic, three-dimensional way. Just mainly the masters, because I just feel that they can paint. Whereas a lot of the more modern artists, I don't feel it's the same standards, same quality, same detail. And people pretend that they know what it means, and it doesn't mean anything. What makes classical art so relevant after hundreds and perhaps thousands of years? Because it's so good, and because people can see the talent. It still means something, particularly some of the religious paintings, I think. The human experience, so that everyone from the child to old age can view the beautiful paintings and galleries and artifacts that are here. You've got a lot going on with people looking at their screens right now. They're not tapping into their own emotional IQ and their own emotional intelligence. Hopefully, it solicits some sort of feeling from them. It solicits some sort of emotion from them. For me, it's like, oh my gosh, this person was just like me, existed way back when, and showing me a piece of their history, a piece of their life that they probably saw like every day. And now I get to see it in their view, and I think that's really cool. And a world record-breaking auction sale is sparking a major debate. Should dinosaur fossils belong in museums or in private collections? For more on the sale of a skeleton belonging to the King of the Dinosaurs, here's Shelby Melanson, NTD's science contributor, as well as the host of Kodak's Legendarium. The King of the Dinosaurs has been stomping through headlines this summer, partially thanks to his expensive price tag, and an impassioned debate over where scientifically valuable fossils really belong, in museums or in private collections. Is Tyrannosaurus rex a high-priced collector's item or a priceless relic for scientific study? Let's break it down. The Tyrannosaurus rex fossil in question was found back in 2021 on a privately-owned ranch in Harding County, South Dakota, in an area called the Hell Creek Formation. It was discovered by a team of commercial paleontologists from a company called Theopoda Expeditions, led by Thomas Heidkamp. The skeleton took the better part of three years to fully excavate, and as is tradition with large fossils, it was soon given a name, Gus the T-Rex, named after late cattle rancher Gary Gus Licking, who owned the property where the fossil was found. Gus the T-Rex turned out to be one of the most complete T-Rex skeletons ever found. It includes 103 total bones, making it around 61% complete. Arguably even more rare, the skeleton was found with a pristine, perfectly intact skull, plus a highly rare set of bones called a gastralia, which make up the dinosaur's belly ribs. For reference, the world's most complete T-Rex ever found, named Sue and currently residing at Chicago's Field Museum, is 80% complete. So, Gus' discovery was no small matter for science. But the controversy began when the 38-foot-long giant went up for private auction and was sold to an anonymous buyer after a 10-minute bidding war this month for an eye-watering $50.1 million, topping the previous record for highest dinosaur price tag ever, set in 2024 by Apex the Stegosaurus. Commercial paleontology versus its academic counterpart has been on the rise for years, and purchases of scientifically valuable fossils are now sending more dinosaurs into private collections than they are to museums. According to a 2025 study, 61 T-Rex fossils were held in public trusts at the time, where 71 were privately owned. Commercial paleontologists argue that thanks to their deeper wallets and more extensive resources compared to museum budgets, they're able to find and unearth many, many fossils that would otherwise go undiscovered, especially in places where excavations are difficult. And there's no question that that's true. Commercial excavators dig up nearly two and a half times more T-Rex fossils than museum teams do. The issue that scientists take with the practice is, of those commercial discoveries, only 11% of them end up in public museums, mostly because academic institutes are getting priced out of buying them. Some of the most desirable T-Rex fossils out there are actually juvenile skeletons. One of them, named Chomper, sold back in 2023 for $20 million. But here's the problem. The early growth stages of T-Rex are very poorly understood by science, and a lot more research is needed to better understand the animal's life cycle. In order to do that research, scientists need long-term access to these fossils. But when they end up in private collections, scientists have no guarantee of being able to study them in the future. Here's why that matters. The greatest scientific value from a fossil often doesn't reveal itself right away. Oftentimes, it takes decades for researchers to develop more advanced technology and ask new questions that lead to new understandings of specimens that were unearthed years or even decades earlier. For example, iconic dinosaur fossils like Triceratops and Stegosaurus were first found over 100 years ago. But it wasn't until much later that x-ray and CT scan technology allowed scientists to look inside of them. That's when we got our first look at the brain cavities, inner ears, nerves, and even blood vessels of these animals, and learned about how they perceived their world while they were alive, and even how they kept their balance. Other findings, like trace amounts of matter left in dinosaur teeth and in eggshells, have helped us learn about what these animals ate, how hot or cold their bodies were, and even how they migrated. But according to the scientists, that information and future discoveries that we don't have the technology to unlock quite yet could remain sealed away inside private collections. Scientists also argue there is another problem. The bones themselves only tell some of the story. A lot of the discoveries we've made about dinosaurs not only come from the skeleton, but from where it was found and what was found next to it. Fossilized plants and animals found nearby, plus the rocks surrounding them, as well as the geography of where they came from, all provide vital details about these ancient ecosystems that the dinosaurs lived in. Christy Curry Rogers, DeWitt Wallace Professor of Biology and Geology at Malcaster College, described these fossils as, quote, finite, non-substitutable records of life's history on earth. But oftentimes, commercial excavation either doesn't record that information meticulously, or it gets lost through the course of private sales. In the United States, fossils found on public or federal land legally can't be dug up without special permits, and they're put in the public trust afterwards for museums and scientists to study. Fossils found on privately owned land can legally be kept, bought, or sold privately, though these laws can vary widely across different countries. Until next time, I'm Shelby Melanson, NTD science contributor and host of Codex Legendarium, where we explore mysteries, marvels of science and culture. Back to you in the studio. Thank you, Shelby. Next, NBA superstar LeBron James has revealed his intentions after leaving the LA Lakers in June. In a social media post on Friday, James announced he has signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. James says he thought that might have been his last season, but he says he wants to try to win another championship. LeBron joins the recently acquired Jalen Brown from Boston. 76ers haven't won a title in 43 years and should now boast one of the top starting fives next season. And sparks weren't the only thing flying when a flatbed truck struck a power line. It also uprooted an entire utility pole and sent it airborne. Here's what happened. Watch electrical wires go haywire when a truck snagged some power lines, ripping a utility pole clear out of the ground. It happened in Toms River, New Jersey. As mid-morning traffic was flowing freely, Ocean County sheriffs set a flatbed truck hauling a forklift, snagged an overhead line, sending wires and sparks flying and uprooting a utility pole, sending it spinning. Thankfully, no injuries were reported by the department, but utility crews did have to work to clear debris and restore power to affected customers. A Massachusetts traffic camera captured a scary moment in Boston. Video showed a rollover crash come flying into frame in the Williams Tunnel near Logan Airport. WCBB reports the vehicle collided with an SUV, causing it to turn over. The crash ended up blocking both lanes for over an hour. Officials said one person was taken to a hospital, but only as a precaution. Finally, in case you missed it, the traffic camera award of the week goes to Spider-Man. Yes, that Spider-Man. How many Spider-Men do you know? This one was caught on camera hopping out of a vehicle in Arkansas and helping a man in a street. Turns out the costumed hero was a local trampoline park employee, according to a Facebook post from the manager, who says he had just finished a superhero day event for toddlers at work when he saw the opportunity to do some more good. I just happened to be at the right spot whenever that man was trying to get across the road, and I just had to jump in there. Now this friendly neighborhood Spider-Samaritan is going viral on, wait for it, the World Wide Web. Well done, Spider-Man. And that is all for today's news, but for around the clock coverage, you can visit us at NTD.com or use our Entity app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Cary Dunst. Good night.