NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 25)

Our top story tonight, a new candidate steps into one of the country's most closely watched Senate races. In Maine, Democrat Troy Jackson wins the nomination after Graham Plattner's withdrawal. He now faces incumbent Susan Collins in November. Our panel reacts. A corruption probe in Hawaii leads to criminal charges against the state's lieutenant governor. More on the charges and the response from Hawaii's governor. President Trump delivers a speech at the rerun of the White House Correspondents Dinner. Our panel breaks down what the president and the correspondents had to say. Cancer affects millions of people, but what's behind the disease? A health expert explains why viruses are getting more attention from researchers. And a record-breaking dinosaur fossil is reigniting a debate over who should own these prehistoric relics, museums, or private collectors. This is MTV Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Paul Graney. Maine Democrats have chosen their new candidate in a key Senate race. Former State Senate President Troy Jackson winning the nomination at a special convention today. He'll take on Republican incumbent Susan Collins in November. Democrats view the race as a must-win if they're to retake the Senate. Today, this becomes a general election campaign. And today, we begin the work of defeating Susan Collins in November. We will welcome Democrats, Independents, Republicans who believe that working people, working people, finally deserve a fair deal. Even when we don't agree on every issue. Because this movement is not from the left. It is not from the right. It's from the bottom. And we are rising! Jackson steps into the race after Democratic nominee Graham Platner withdrew that was following sexual assault allegations that he denies. Before entering politics, Jackson worked as a logger in northern Maine. And that makes Democrats hope his working-class background will resonate with voters, especially in Maine's second congressional district. The district has backed President Trump in every presidential election since 2016 and has a large logging industry. The Republican National Committee is criticizing how Jackson became the nominee, though, calling it a coronation since voters who chose Platner did not directly vote on his replacement after he withdrew. And now turning now to Hawaii, where Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke is facing criminal charges in a state corruption investigation. Today, a grand jury indicted Luke, a Democrat, along with four others on charges including bribery and campaign finance violations. Now, the case centers on lobbyist and businessman Toby Soledum. He represented the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii, which held state contracts for COVID-19 testing sites. Prosecutors allege he offered Luke $35,000 and later gave two $5,000 campaign contributions. The prosecutors also alleged Soledum was trying to influence Luke's next run for lieutenant governor, quoting him as telling another state representative, all I got to do is give her more money now. Luke acknowledges receiving the two $5,000 checks, but says the money did not influence her actions. After the indictment, Hawaii Governor Josh Green called on Luke to resign so the state can move forward. And for military strikes in Iran to a landmark Saudi deal, plus a visit from Lebanon's president, been another busy week for the Trump administration. NPD's Daniel Monahan has your White House week in review. The U.S. carrying out multiple nights of strikes against Iran this week. I saw Arachi, their foreign minister, the other day say something about their policies, an eye for an eye. The president's policy is a head for an eye. Secretary of State Marco Rubio making the comments while in the Philippines at the ASEAN Conference of Southeast Asian Nations. Rubio also meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines to discuss the war in Ukraine. And President Trump honoring four U.S. service members killed in the conflict with Iran during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. A new nuclear partnership in the Middle East. The United States and Saudi Arabia signing a landmark nuclear cooperation agreement. When countries decide they want to pursue a peaceful civil nuclear program, we prefer them do it with us. President Trump later saying Saudi Arabia has to normalize relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords as part of the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacting, saying Saudi normalization would be a historic leap forward for peace. And President Trump meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun this week. I think that Lebanon has been a very mistreated country for a long period of time. It's an amazing group of people, professors, doctors, lawyers. Thank you. I've been looking forward to this visit for a long time. Meeting such a great president like yourself. That's a very nice thing. See, he knows how to get to me. The Trump administration pausing over $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota because of suspected fraud. If those states want that money, they need to provide documentation that these payments are legitimate. CNN reporting that President Trump's approval rating among his party is higher than any other president this century. He is still a very popular man, historically popular when it comes to his own party, liking and approving of the job that he's doing. I am here to announce my candidacy. The president using that popularity while campaigning for Republican candidates in Georgia this week. It's squalor, it's poverty, it's death, it's destruction. And that's why we declare again today that the United States of America will never be a communist country. And New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani this week saying his administration was weighing options to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an international criminal court warrant. The Trump administration pushing back, saying the court has no authority in the U.S. And we have lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC that are talking about charging members of the U.S. military, maybe even the president or a future president, with crimes. It's not going to happen. Mamdani later acknowledging the city lacks the power to arrest the Israeli leader, but calling on the federal government to do so. President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino on Sunday presenting the 2026 World Cup trophy to Spain. Spain scoring an extra time to clinch a 1-0 victory over Argentina and win its second World Cup title, the first coming in South Africa in 2010. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. And new developments at the Smithsonian. President Trump has issued an executive order directing warning signs to be placed outside the National Museum of American History. The signs will be placed around the museum, warning visitors about certain exhibits and directing them to a website with more information. In the executive order, President Trump says that Smithsonian leadership has shifted away from presenting American history as a shared national story and instead promote social justice and ideological viewpoints. The order directs the Smithsonian to review exhibits under an earlier executive order named, quote, restoring truth and sanity to American history. The move follows a July 4th White House report and a recent House Oversight Committee hearing on how the museum presents American history. Smithsonian leaders say their displays reflect the complexity of the nation's past. In a busy week on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers hit high gear before the August recess, Republicans inching that bit closer to approving a third party-line bill, including elements of the Save America Act and a massive rally at the Lincoln Memorial calling for spiritual freedom in China. And today's Melina Wisecup has the week's recap from Washington, D.C. House Republicans this week approving a blueprint for the third party-line bill, a $95 billion reconciliation package. The plan would fund defense and intelligence operations, provide aid to farmers and encourage states to adopt parts of the Save America Act. It's Republicans' best shot to get as much of the Save America Act into law as possible. President Trump now pressuring Senate Leader John Thune to get it approved before lawmakers leave Washington. Everybody call John Thune at the Senate. He's the leader of the Republican Party and tell him to get this stuff approved. Leader Thune insists there's not enough support to pass Save America in the Senate and says he won't immediately take up the party-line bill unless funding negotiations with the Democrats fall through. Secretary of War Pete Hexeth on Capitol Hill this week once again urging senators to take up a funding supplemental. This is a new request based on new realities of a world we face, stepping up to meet that moment. Democrats in the House and Senate have rejected defense funding, taking issue with the Iran war. So we're gonna continue as we've done once again forcefully on the floor today to make clear that this Trump-Republican war in Iran needs to come to an end. What will be the impact on our troops if additional funding is not provided? It's connected to the real world realities of this budget cycle. There is training right now and training in the future that would have to be curtailed if we do not get our budget needs met and met urgently. A documentary screening on Capitol Hill this week exposed China's human rights abuses and infiltration on American soil. They're using our own freedoms against us and that's why we have to tell the story and to educate the American people because the ones they know, there can be stronger pushback. The film Unbroken features the intimidation tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party including a bomb threat slash tires and lawfare to target the artists of Shen Yun. We're gonna bring back to life the culture that you've worked for 75 years to destroy. And we're gonna undo all of it by showing actually, hey, here's actual traditional Chinese culture. And guess what? It's not that different from traditional culture anywhere else in the world. And we just undo all this work of the Communist Party plus we're showing what they're doing to people in China. So of course they're afraid of it. Spiritual practitioners of the discipline Falun Gong poured into the nation's Capitol this week rallying to protest the Chinese Communist Party's 27 year long persecution of the meditation practice. This is something which is very close to my heart and it has changed me as a person and has made me a better person. A practice which follows truthfulness, compassion, tolerance can only be pure. For while I do not share your religious beliefs, I do respect that you held onto them despite torture and persecution and that you refuse to conform to the dictates of an evil ideology. Former basketball player Ennis Kendra Freed and telling the crowd why it was worth it to be blacklisted by the NBA for speaking out. Bigger than myself, bigger than basketball and bigger than NBA. Because while we are comfortably playing basketball in this country, on the other side of the world, people are losing their loved ones, losing their lives and losing their homes. So living in China, we're not allowed to have independent thinking. We were taught to obey the authority. I felt I was living without soul. Alyssa's mother is being illegally detained for the fifth time for her faith. She's working now to petition lawmakers to take action to address the persecution. Congressman Pat Ryan shared about his work on the Falun Gong Protection Act, which has passed the House and is working its way through the Senate. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. Coming up, our panel weighs in on Maine's new Democratic Senate candidate as Republicans call his nomination a coronation. Plus we break down President Trump's speech at last night's redo of the White House Correspondents' Dinner after the break. I trod on my glasses yesterday and I had to pay up front for a new pair that I can't even pick up for another 10 days. So I looked for another way and I found Select Specs. I ordered online. 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Parents trust it. Obviously. Explore GJW Plus Kids Series and Gone Young Campus courses led by expert educators. This is spectacular. Children will learn values like respect, responsibility, and knowledge in language, science, and more. Wow. All while having fun. Perfect. Subscribe today at GJW Plus Kids where learning meets fun. Welcome back. I'm Paul Graney. The Democrats have chosen a replacement for Graham Plattner in Maine. Plattner ended his bid for the Senate following controversies, including allegations of sexual assault, which he denies. Now, Troy Jackson will face Republican Susan Collins in November's election. It's a big race, which could potentially decide the balance of power in the Senate. With us now to discuss is Brian Leib, political strategist and CEO of Henry Public Relations, and Theron Bond, Democratic strategist. Good evening to both of you. We're glad you're here with us. This has been a controversial nomination process. We'll put the Graham Plattner saga aside, but Troy Jackson's nomination process today was unconventional. The Democratic Party of Maine said, Theron, what did you make of it? Unfortunately, it's reminded me of the trauma Democrats experienced in 2024 on the race to the White House. I get that things happen. I think Graham Plattner should have exited the race way sooner than he did now, but here we are and we have Troy Jackson. I'm deeply concerned about what high level Democrats are doing and how they're going about their decision making. What they're doing in Maine is just another reflection of that. There are a lot of things in Troy Jackson's history that are cause for concern within the Democratic Party. Are there people within the Republican Party that have some of the same issues? Sure. The Democrats just don't do as good of a job as smoothing over things with members of our party in order to make people feel better about supporting them. I think we're going to see just how well that fares are not in Maine this year. Brian, what'd you make of today's process? Well, before I talk about today's process, I understand that we want to potentially move on from Plattner, but we can't. For years, Democrats have branded Republicans like me as extremists, as fascists, but in Maine, these primary voters, they were practically foaming at the mouth to elevate someone like Graham Plattner to the U.S. Senate. I mean, this was a guy with the Nazi tattoo, history of very misleading and bad rhetoric, and of course, ultimately sexual assault allegations. With regards to what happened today, this weekend, Maine Democrats didn't hold a new election. Party insiders replaced one disgraced nominee with another nominee who's very much in line with Bernie Sanders' wing of the Democratic Party. So yeah, honestly, I'm sorry. This is not democracy. He was installed by the Democratic Party machine in Maine. And ultimately, I think when it comes into the general election, I think Susan Collins is very popular and she's probably going to win. Theron, I want to get your thoughts on Troy Jackson as a candidate in just a minute. I know you touched on it, but you brought up something the Democrats drew a lot of heat during the last presidential campaign when the convention was held to find Joe Biden's replacement as you brought up. Republicans are also framing what's happened in Maine today as the party forcing through whatever candidates it wants to run. Is this going to discourage Democratic voters or is this something they can just get on board with? Absolutely. I think one of the most vastly different things between Democrats and Republicans on the surface is that the Republicans, no matter how crazy their candidate is, how outlandish, how abrasive, whatever all the negative terminologies are that you can use to describe a Republican if you don't care for them, whatever it is, they back their person. Regardless of what it is, they are going to back their person. They are going to make sure that their party supports the person. They are going to be on one accord. The reason there's a lot of distrust within the Democratic Party is because senior leadership continues to just shove who they want down the constituents' throats, down the votes of folks in their base who may not be in line with the way they want the party to go, but the actual direction that they're going. Here's the thing, they're painting Troy Jackson now as somebody who's very progressive, very much a Bernie bro. But if we look at the history of Troy Jackson's party affiliation, he initially ran as a Republican when he first started his campaign journey. And then later he ran as an independent. And then much later in 2004, he decided that he wanted to be a Democrat. And the problem that Democrats are going to have is say, wait a minute, make up your mind. What type of candidate do you actually want running on our party ticket? Because if we are unsure as Democrats, then the rest of the world will be unsure. And despite how many negative things we can say about Susan Collins voting record, the reality is that she's consistent. Even if it's consistently bad and consistently against things that are of Democratic value, she's consistent. And as soon as Democrats get consistent, get on one accord, do all the fighting behind closed doors and actually get candidates that people in the base can be proud to support long term, then we'll be better off. But until then, I can imagine that if I have a bitter taste in my mouth and I don't even live in Maine, I've never even been to Maine. But as somebody who follows local and national and international politics, this is something that people are saying about Democrats. They just can't get their sugar, honey, iced tea together. And until we do, we won't do well in the midterms. And this certainly won't play well going into 2028. Well, let's hear from Troy Jackson as acceptance speech today. He struck a populist tone. Here he is. So it really did teach me that working people, despite all of our challenges, are not powerless. You know, we're only made a few powerless when we stand alone. And that is what they try and do is divide us. Now, Theron, you brought up how Troy Jackson, he was formerly a Republican. And does he have the consistency, I suppose, to get the support from the Democratic backers in Maine? Susan Collins today, though, saying that Jackson's positions are clearly in line with socialism. Both of you guys know we've seen President Trump make similar characterizations recently, especially about the members of the Democratic Socialists of America. It's interesting, the DSA recently endorsed Jackson in another race. But when he was asked if he considers himself socialist or Democratic socialist, he said, I see myself as a Mainer and a working class person. I suppose, Brian, looking at his platform, will this socialist label that the Republicans seem to be preparing to place on Jackson influence voters? I mean, it's certainly, I think, not going to help the moderate wing of the Democratic Party in Maine come out and vote. That's for sure. I think the vast majority of Democrats, believe it or not, are really sick and tired of the DSA and of these socialist candidates that they know are ripping their party apart right now. Whether this individual says he supports the DSA or not, the fact that they would come out and endorse him certainly tells me that there's things within his platform that they support and want to get behind and see him potentially as a good candidate to support. So it's problematic for sure. And just to gently push back on what my panelists said about my party, the Republican Party, and how we all get together and support the most radical elements with respect to what you said, my party is the party that kicked Marjorie Taylor Greene out and Thomas Massey and Tucker Carlson, and I can go on and on and on. So we have not allowed for the fringe elements within the Republican Party to continue to grow the way, unfortunately, that we've seen happen on the Democratic side. So, but when it comes to this election in Maine, like I said, I think Susan Collins is well positioned here. I mean, she is the incumbent after all. Her approval ratings are pretty high. And I think all this last minute scuffle with replacing the candidate on the Democratic side is going to spell a loss for them and a win for Collins. The reason all those folks are getting pushed out of the party, though, I think is because they're not moving in lockstep anymore. Once upon a time they were, but the slight misstep that differs from what the Republican Party wants to do or more the MAGA end of the Republican Party wants to do, then they go, OK, we've got to, we've got to push them out. We've got to edge them out. So that's why a lot of those folks are either being forced out or asked to exit. The reality is on the Republican side, they want their folks to be consistent. On the Democratic side, they want their folks to be consistent. That's where there is common ground and that each party wants their folks to be consistent. But the Democrats are a lot less consistent than Republicans, unfortunately, and it's showing an election outcome. Theron, I want to move on to the White House Correspondents Dinner just a minute. One more question. What do you make of the Republican strategy of labeling Troy Jackson? Looks like that's what they will do. Both that strategy in Maine, plus, I suppose, the growing influence and the growing successes that the DSA, Democratic Socialists of America, have had recently. Well, they're labeling him based on where he is now, but both parties like to talk about track records and voting records and all the things a particular candidate or elected official has done in the past and up to now. And if we look at Troy Jackson's record, once upon a time, he was Republican. So people that may be more moderate may identify with him. Then he changed to independent. People that identify as independent now may be connecting with that. People that are progressive, I think, are going to be more the issue when it comes to Troy Jackson getting their support because that's newer for them and that's newer for residents of Maine. So if they believe that's who he is now, it will work out. But I think there will be a lot of people who play the comparison game and look at his past, compare it with his present, and wonder what changed his mind. And if they don't get the answer, then he may not get their vote. It's an interesting phenomenon because he seemed reluctant to distance himself from the DSA when he was asked about it. Guys, I want to move on. President Trump attended the White House Correspondents Dinner last night. Earlier this year, of course, it was abruptly shut down after a gunman entered the venue. Here's a clip from last night. This is Association President Wei Jia Jiang. President Trump, you are joining us tonight for the second time in three months, and we don't take that lightly. Thank you. But it's an honor to do it. This is my first. I mean, I've been to it numerous times, but as president, I haven't been here. And I'm glad. And I said, they said, would you do it next year? I said, I will be back next year. Now, if you get really, really nasty, maybe not. I don't know. Brian, it was a pretty jovial atmosphere. Of course, the president and the media have always had a relatively testy relationship. The association president highlighted there the importance of the press and the First Amendment. Do you appreciate that they seem to be putting aside their differences for this particular event? I think the most important thing you just said there was for this particular event. Certainly, it was a night, you know, full of having some fun and, you know, with the drinks flowing. And then certainly, you know, President Trump's opportunity to roast the media. This is a tradition that dates back, you know, many, many, many, many decades. So I thought it was fun. You know, President Trump, you know, has a way of being able to laugh at himself and make some jokes. So, you know, I thought it was fun. Some people, you know, seem to think he went a little too far with some things. But this is who President Trump is. That's who he's always been. So I thought it was pretty fun to watch. Sharon, do you take anything away from the event? President Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner displayed himself as exactly who he has always been. He's always been upset with what he would say is fake news or progressive or liberal press. He made a number of references to calling women in the press nasty. He made jokes about his third term. And then he said, oh, but I'm just sarcastic. I don't think the American people want a president who's sarcastic about very serious matters of importance. I certainly don't take a violation of the Constitution to force a potential third term for him is anything to joke about. Was it a dinner? Has it been something that's happened annually? Yes. Did President Trump take it seriously? Probably not. And then he wants to rename it after him. I mean, can we have something in this country that the president allows to leave his ego at the door and not have to put his name on everything? Like, isn't him being president enough for himself and enough for his party without continuing to push things too far? I would have loved to hear how he's going to actually do things that better impact the lives of the American people. But that's not what we heard last night. Brian, I started with Theron, so I'll give you 30 seconds to wrap us up. I mean, last night was not about an Oval Office address talking about, you know, the State of the Union. Last night was designed to be lighthearted and for everyone to be making some fun with each other. So, you know, I take a different perspective. I thought it was pretty fun to watch and it tells us all that, you know, at the end of the day, we are still human beings, whether we're Democrats or Republicans, we're all still Americans and human beings. It was nice to see everyone cracking some jokes and getting along for once. All right. That's Brian Lye, political strategist and CEO of Henry Public Relations and Theron Bond, Democratic strategist. Thank you both so much. Thank you. And now still to come, could treating certain viruses help fight cancer? A health expert discusses emerging ideas about what may be driving the disease after the break. I debate all day. It's what I do. But there are some things that are debatable, 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, that's not up for debate. Find mental health resources at loveyourmindtoday.org. My name's Stacy. I'm 57 and I was adopted in 2020. We were adopted in 2019. And we were adopted in 2021. We had a house and it sounds crazy, but it wasn't a home. The one thing that Jake and Emma brought is it became a home. When I met Dakota, he had just turned 14. You weren't there for the first this and the first that. I missed the first words, but we got a lot of other firsts. Watching her say, oh my God, I cannot believe I got my license. And she's like, I passed. And I'm like, girl. See them grow. It is... They chose to love us. They didn't have to. They chose us. Them. You and you. Kids in the middle. What I thought was a complete life was nowhere near complete. But it is now. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. You can't imagine the reward. Visit adoptuskids.org. We said we'd never give into a meltdown. Babysit with a scream. We said we'd never let the toys take over. Never leave the house looking out of our sight. Cars get hot fast and kids can be at risk. Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock. Welcome back. I'm Paul Graney. The National Cancer Institute says roughly 2 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year in the United States. So what's behind the disease? Well, health experts say it can't be pinned down to one single reason alone. But in an interview on Vital Signs, neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blalock says that even certain viruses can cause cancer. That by combining antiviral treatment with cancer therapy could help to turn things around. Here's a preview of that episode. Dr. Blalock, wonderful to have you join us again. Thank you. I appreciate it. Last time, this was a mind-blowing concept, the idea that a virus could lead to cancer and make cancer more aggressive. I just want to get that explained in a nutshell again. And in the context of colon cancer, which I know is one of the cancers that this can apply to, could you give an example of how this might actually play out where a virus can trigger cancer? Yeah, basically there's seven viruses that are recognized as causing cancer. You know, most people know about the Epstein-Barr virus and herpes virus and there's a couple others that you may not have heard of, but these definitely cause cancer. The cytomegalovirus, which is much more common in the population, in some countries, it's 100% of the population, does the same thing. And there's real consideration now that maybe it is an oncogenic virus. Now, as far as colon cancer, what the cytomegalovirus does is it very commonly can occupy many cells, all kinds of cells, pancreatic cell, lung cell, brain cell, and colon cell. So what we have is we've discovered that it's not a genetic disease. It seems to be a metabolic disease. Something's affecting the mitochondria in these cells. They don't produce enough energy. They switch to another type of energy production called Warburg effect. And we see that in all cancers. The virus can reproduce it exactly. And so a lot of the things the virus does, it's also seen in the formation of cancer. And these viruses produce all kinds of proteins, over 200 proteins, which can mimic all the changes we see in cancer cells. And that includes colon cancer. So if we look at colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer, they all have the cytomegalovirus involved. They all affect some of the cells. Well, what kept them saying that the cytomegalovirus was not causing cancer is it didn't infect all the cells. But now they've discovered whether detection was faulty, that actually more of the cells are infected, but they don't have to all be infected. The virus is making the cells that do infect secrete these proteins, and the proteins infect all the cells and change all the cells, the carcinogenic cells. Cancer mainly comes from stem cells, and it preferentially infects stem cells, changes them to cancer stem cells, and they're the origin of all cancer. In your estimation, how often is cytomegalovirus a factor in breast cancer or colon cancer? Well, virtually 100% of breast cancers have the cytomegalovirus in them. When you look at normal breasts, not that many, nowhere near that many, have the cytomegalovirus, and usually it's latent. That means asleep. When you look at prostate cancers, about 100% of them are infected with cytomegalovirus. Normal prostate does not have the cytomegalovirus in it. And we look at brain cancers like glioblastoma, which is most common, and medulloblastoma, which is the most common in children, they're all infected with cytomegalovirus. And we find out with breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate, and brain cancers, the malignancy of the cancer is directly proportional to the level of the cytomegaloviruses in the cancer. The more cytomegaloviruses, the more aggressive it is, and the harder it is to cure. This is quite mind-blowing, the idea that these cancers couldn't exist without this virus being present. And if the effect is so profound, and so many people in the population have cytomegalovirus, how come this is the first time I'm hearing about it? Well, it's extensive in the scientific literature. There's quite a bit written about it. The problem is the medical profession do not read these articles. They finish their residency or their internship, and that's their last exposure, basically. And they almost never read the research articles that are finding these things. And so a lot of this is completely unknown to practicing oncologists and physicians. And if they know anything about it, they know very little. But if you extensively examine this, you find that it is very common. And all these links point directly to the virus initiating the cancer itself. They just don't know it. I was struck by what you were saying just before about how the signaling proteins from the virus perform much the same functions as what a cancer will perform, like shutting down the immune system, stopping the cells performing apoptosis, this kind of suicide program, cell death, when the cell is becoming dysfunctional. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that. And I'm kind of prompted to wonder why would that be the case? Why would this virus have signaling proteins that mimic what cancer does? Why would that happen? Well, we don't know. That's the big mystery. How does cancer know to do this? How does it know to shut down the immunity and make it impervious to the immune? How does it know to shut down all the mechanisms in the cell that produce the cell death, programmed cell death, apoptosis? And how does it know to change the metabolism exactly to what cancer needs? And how does it know all of these different changes that occur? Well, the cytomegalovirus is considered a master manipulator of the cell. And if you know about viral infection in the cell, what the virus does is it hijacks all of these systems in the cell and either uses them to make more viruses or use them to make cancer cells. And what we're seeing in the case of the oncogenic virus, that is cancer-prone viruses, it is hijacking all the mechanisms in the cell to make the cell produce cancer cells. And so it's a hijacking pursuit. To see that full interview and others on how to optimize health, go to ept.ms forward slash VitalSigns. VitalSigns offers general health information not intended as medical diagnosis or advice. Please consult your doctor before undertaking a new health regimen. And coming up, Falun Gong practitioners in Ukraine gather in Kyiv to protest ongoing human rights abuses in China. Their peaceful message as war continues at home after the break. each other in a classroom and in a space that is safe, like a Ganjing World platform. I'm a New York State certified teacher. Currently, I teach in a public school in upstate New York. And I'm also a Ganjing World campus channel creator. I've been fortunate to use Ganjing 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 Ganjing campus, on Ganjing World, it will be safe, it will be clean. It's brought many positive changes in our students. Ganjing 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, Ganjing World matches your support to help another. Support Ganjing campus. Scan to learn more. Appliances breakdown, home systems fail, which means I show up at everyone's door because I'm inevitable. Unfortunately, something expensive is about to happen. Is it the heat, plumbing, electrical, wiring, garage door, oven? But we already have homeowner's insurance. Actually, home insurance is for the unexpected disasters. A home warranty is for the everyday wear and tear that will cause your home systems and appliances to fail. So give the people at First American a call. First American has had my back for years, saved me hundreds. Just one call and they send a pre-screened qualified contractor. Every home system and appliance fails. There's absolutely no avoiding it. But when the day comes, First American has your cover. Home breakdowns are inevitable, but the expense, that's optional. Call First American for a free quote that could save you thousands on inevitable home breakdowns. Call 800-423-1231 or visit FAHW.com. Everybody in my house knows how to ride a bike except me. People ask, how your children learn how to ride a bike? And you didn't. I didn't teach it. I just created an environment where they taught themselves and all I had to do was be there. Welcome back. I'm Paul Graney. A world record-breaking auction sale is sparking a major debate. Do dinosaur fossils belong in museums or private collections? For more on the sale of a skeleton belonging to the King of the Dinosaurs, here's Shelby Malanson, NTD science contributor and host of Codex 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 gastrelia, 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's 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 Malacaster 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. This week marked the 27th anniversary of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Falun Gong practitioners in Ukraine held an event to peacefully protest the Chinese Communist Party's repression. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, they gathered in Kyiv to peacefully meditate. Here's the story. In the center of Kyiv, calm music is playing once again, to which people are performing meditative exercises. Meanwhile, a few people are quietly holding portraits of their fellow practitioners who have died in China. The people of Kyiv who practice the spiritual and meditative discipline of Falun Dafa are calling for an end to the crimes against humanity being committed in China. As a Ukrainian, I am able to practice freely in my own country. I have also benefited enormously from the practice of Falun Dafa. Freedom is a gift from above, and if we have it, we cherish it and can help defend it, even in China. Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, is an ancient system of self-cultivation. It comprises five sets of gentle meditative exercises, as well as moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. The practice originated in China and was the most popular form of Qigong there in the 1990s. But in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party began persecuting Falun Dafa. Jiang Zemin, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party was terrified. He was jealous because the Communist Party had around 60 million members, while Falun Gong had more than 100 million kind and good people practicing it. And innocent people began to be repressed and were sent to concentration camps. On July 20th, millions of Chinese people suddenly found themselves, to their own surprise, labeled as enemies of the state. According to human rights activists, the Chinese Communist Party issued a directive to discredit their reputation, ruin them financially, and destroy them physically. What followed was a nationwide campaign against Falun Gong, beginning with widespread propaganda and defamation. It was followed by arbitrary arrests, torture, and deaths in prisons and labor camps. Human rights advocates estimate that hundreds of thousands of people may have been affected. Oxana's whole family practices Falun Dafa, her husband and two daughters. Oxana has been taking part in such activities calling for an end to the persecution in China for 21 years. She considers it a matter of conscience. In all normal countries, this faith is supported. Indeed, people are encouraged to practice it because it is based on good principles, truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. Every year we raise awareness, regardless of war, whatever the weather. As Falun Dafa practitioners, we simply have a duty to tell Ukrainians how people in China are treated simply for wanting to be healthy and kind. Meanwhile, in China, despite years of persecution, many continue to practice Falun Gong and refuse to renounce their moral principles. They also continue to peacefully protest the persecution. There are many examples in history of people being persecuted for their faith. Over time, this has led to the downfall of entire civilizations and empires. Today, history is repeating itself. Through this peaceful reminder, this peaceful protest, we want to show that the strength of the spirit and the power of faith can overcome evil and hatred. That's all for this evening. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Paul Greene. Good night.