NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Aug. 21)

City evening news. Our top story tonight. The Supreme Court allows President Trump to proceed with construction of a new White House ballroom. President Trump moving to bring down beef prices as the White House takes its economic message on the road. And tonight, the president heads to South Carolina, jumping into a heated Senate runoff. And the Trump administration promising the toughest sanctions in history against Iran. But China could be the biggest target in Washington's Jack Bradley reports. On National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, President Trump says fentanyl deaths have plunged 22%. This after securing the border and targeting cartels. David Lamb brings us more on that. And Robert F. Kennedy Jr. launches the first ever autism missing person alert system. Jason Blair has those details. In California, Darth Vader attends a city meeting using the dark side of the force to take a stand on a controversial issue. 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. I am excited about that Darth Vader story. But first, the Supreme Court today allowing President Trump to continue construction on the White House ballroom for now. Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocking a lower court order that would have halted the construction starting today. President Trump responding saying, quote, We are grateful for the decision of the US Supreme Court. The military slash ballroom complex being built on the hallowed grounds of the White House, which is so vital for national security, will be the greatest of its kind. This comes as the president reveals details of how the project is expanding far beyond a ballroom. He says the military identified a rare opportunity to build new national security infrastructure beneath the White House, extending five stories underground. Here's President Trump before departure from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Nobody was spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the ballroom, and it's all from people like me and great companies that are putting it up. It's going to be close to $400 million, and it's all paid for by patriots and patriotic companies, big companies. I'll name the companies probably over the next couple of weeks, but I want to ask if they mind. And really, most of them have said you could use my name gladly. So that's all money, no taxpayer money for the ballroom at all. The Trump administration hitting the road today with President Trump traveling to South Carolina. This comes ahead of the state's Republican Senate runoff on Tuesday. Vice President J.D. Vance heading home to Ohio to speak on the president's economic agenda. NDTV's White House correspondent Mario Tu has the latest. President Trump already putting out some midterm messaging to voters this morning, announcing on Truth Social that he's just struck a deal to lower the prices of ground beef. Posting to Truth Social, he says, quote, as we work to rebuild the herd and help our ranchers for the next 90 days, the United States will allow up to 300,000 metric tons of product for ground beef to be imported with no out of quota tariff. We have a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices. The deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our great American beef herd to grow again. We want to get the beef prices down. So we'll get them down a little bit. And that's what people want. That's what the voters want. And that's what I want. The ranchers are great. They're my people. I love the ranchers. They've done a fantastic job. But they admit that we need a little help and in order to get the prices down. And Vice President J.D. Vance, as you mentioned, is in Middletown, Ohio today, highlighting the Trump administration's America First economic agenda and successes in bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. Now, Middletown is also the vice president's hometown. And today, he's speaking from a steel factory where his late grandfather used to work. Take a listen. But Papaw was a welder in this place for 40 years. And today, his grandson stands here as the vice president of these United States. It's an amazing thing. My dad worked at a machine tool factory. I remember the day that my dad told me that his job was going away and that my whole family was going to have to leave Ohio because there was no place to go to work. And the reason that happened is because of American policymakers. We can basically export American manufacturing. And they voted for policies that made that happen. But today is a new day. It truly is. It's a new day because of the America First agenda. And on the president's schedule tonight, he's going to head to Myrtle Beach to campaign with Senator Darlene Graham, who's set to face off against Congressman Ralph Norman for that South Carolina Senate seat. Back to you. Trump administration officials are meeting with Canadian trade negotiators for a third day today. They're in a bid to finalize a trade deal before President Trump's tariffs kick in at midnight. U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer is meeting with Canadian Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc. The two sides met for three hours yesterday with LeBlanc saying they were very close now to a trade deal, but he adds more work needs to be done. President Trump says he will impose a new 50% tariff on about $20 billion worth of Canadian goods at midnight tomorrow if the two sides don't reach a deal. This comes after he delayed the start of the tariffs for three days to allow for trade negotiations. And ICE announces the arrest of five suspected child predators in Omaha, Nebraska. Homeland Security investigations carried out last week's operation. Among the five arrested and charged, three had prior convictions for sex crimes against children. According to ICE, HSI's Omaha task force obtained 21 federal convictions for child sex trafficking since 2021. The arrests are the latest efforts by the Trump administration to combat crimes against children. The White House says more than 5,000 child predators and human traffickers have been arrested since President Trump took office in January of 2025. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says it received more than 113,000 reports of potential child sex trafficking last year, a more than 300% increase from 2024. And a popular election forecaster, Cook Political Report, has shifted Senate races in red states into toss-up territory. Control of the Senate as a whole is a toss-up, but many analysts predict that socialist wins in battleground primaries are now hurting Democrats' chances. In today's Melina Wisecup reports. Iowa and Texas are two reliably red states. With this election cycle, their U.S. Senate seats are in battleground territory. The Cook Political Report has moved the Senate race between Democrat James Tallarico and Republican Ken Paxton into the toss-up column, its most competitive category. Paxton ousted four-term Republican incumbent John Cornyn in the primary, another new toss-up in Iowa. GOP Congresswoman Ashley Henson will face Democrat Josh Turek, a state representative who's running on a bipartisan record and vowed to work with President Trump. Josh will work with anyone to clean up corruption and secure the border, including President Trump. A spokesperson for the GOP Senate campaign arm responded to the ratings, describing the Democrat candidates as out-of-touch socialist sympathizers, predicting the GOP still has a good chance of staying in power. Democrats will need a net gain of four seats to take control of the upper chamber, while the party out of power historically wins during the midterms. Analysts predict the battlefield will be tougher for Democrats with socialist-backed candidates on the ballot, especially in battleground states like Michigan. But yeah, in order to win in a lot of these swing states and purple states, you do need to moderate, which is the socialists, the progressives, and all these folks that are not really Democrats. They're going to just try to burn down the House. Cook Political Report editor Jessica Taylor writes that Republicans still hold an advantage on this year's map and that Democrats still need almost every key race to break their way. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. By winning power in a handful of deep blue districts, the Democratic Socialists of America can use those wins to pull the broader Democratic Party leftward. Tonight on Capitol Report with Steve Lance, a deep dive into the socialist playbook with author James Lindsay. Don't miss that at 7 p.m. Eastern. And a first of its kind national framework for autism-specific missing person alerts is under development now. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his department is building the protocols and the guidance. He's pointing to a successful local program in Minnesota as a model that could be expanded nationwide. NTD's Jason Blair reports. In 2025 alone, at least 98 children and young adults with autism were recovered deceased after wandering or eloping. A new federal initiative is launching to create a national framework for an autism-specific missing and endangered person alert system. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the effort builds on existing public alert systems and will be used for qualifying autism-related incidents. Our goal is an autism-specific alert capability that gets critical information to authorities and the public quickly and helps bring missing persons home safely. When autistic individuals who require higher levels of support wander, the greatest risk to their safety is drowning. In 2025, 88 percent of those recovered deceased had drowned. As an autism mom, I'm all too familiar with that terrifying feeling when your child is missing or simply just out of sight for even a moment. Kennedy highlighted a program in Rochester, Minnesota that has a 100 percent success rate in safely locating high-risk autistic individuals who had wandered off. We came here to learn from one of the most successful programs in the nation and it's something that we want to promote nationally. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also released a new toolkit for states on applied behavior analysis, one of the treatment options available for autism covered by Medicaid. Officials say it is designed to improve quality, ensure the therapy is used appropriately, and to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. And the Health Resources and Services Administration is expanding training to help doctors avoid diagnostic overshadowing, which is when an autism diagnosis causes them to overlook other medical conditions. Some of the most common co-occurring conditions with autism include dyspraxia, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal problems, ADHD, anxiety disorder, and obesity. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, Entity News. The Marine Corps is bringing back veterans who were discharged for refusing the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate under President Biden. Corps now has a pathway set up for thousands of Marines to return to service. Our team personally contacted 100% of the 3,748 eligible veteran Marines, ensuring every Marine understood the process and had a clear opportunity to return. Most importantly, since the executive order was signed, we've welcomed 53 Marines back into the Marine Corps, restoring experienced warfighters to our ranks and strengthening the readiness of our force. The Marine Corps says all eligible veterans can apply through its COVID-19 reinstatement program. The program follows an executive order signed by President Trump in January of last year. It directs the reinstatement of service members discharged under the military's COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The process will include reviews of military records and benefits before a Marine returns to active or reserve service. Marines returning after a break in service will receive orientation, training, and other support as they transition back into their units. A surprising turn in Washington. President Trump sitting down with the man who once helped put him in a Manhattan courtroom, his former personal attorney Michael Cohen. Entity's Daniel Monahan has the story, including new speculation over whether Cohen could be in line for a presidential pardon. It's a reunion few saw coming. President Trump appearing on the radio show of Michael Cohen, his former personal attorney, who later became a star witness against him. But they weaponized you. They weaponized a lot of people. And I respect the fact that you recanted everything you said. And that's a big, that's a big thing that you did. It's a very big thing. The interview that aired last night at 6 p.m. on New York 770 WABC is just part one of the conversation. President Trump telling Cohen he showed, quote, great courage, the kind the president said most people don't have. The president adding that he guarantees Cohen's family greatly respects what he did. It was Cohen's first public conversation with the president in eight years since their relationship blew up in spectacular fashion. Cohen once testified against the president, a star witness for Manhattan prosecutors. That testimony helped convict President Trump of falsifying business records back in 2024. Cohen mentioning the relationship with President Trump on Substack, writing, eight years of silence, hundreds of thousands of headlines, 15 years of history fractured in an instant, and somehow against almost every expectation, here we are. Cohen says the backlash has been brutal since he announced that President Trump would appear on his radio show. He calls his inbox a, quote, digital battlefield, flooded, he says, with anger and some of the most vicious messages he's ever seen. Cohen has his own legal history. In 2018, he was sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations, tax evasion, bank fraud, and lying to Congress. He completed his sentence in November of 2021. Speaking to Politico this week, Cohen answered a question about whether he would seek a presidential pardon. We'll see, he said in response. Will I make that request down the road? I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. As for the Georgia, Washington, and Florida, a, quote, political witch hunt. Judge Juan Merchant ultimately gave Trump an unconditional discharge in January of 2025, no jail time, no fine, about two months after his election win. It's a dramatic turnaround from 2018, when Trump strongly criticized Cohen online, warning people not to hire him as a lawyer. Beyond the reconciliation, Trump used the interview to weigh in on other headlines, standing firm on his handling of the Iran conflict, praising the economy, and predicting a hypothetical rematch. If I were running today, I think I'd win by 25 points. I think we'd win by a lot. The economy has never been stronger. We're doing numbers that nobody's ever seen before. Part two of the Trump-Cohen interview airs Sunday. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. Next, the dangerous precedent in Hong Kong. The court has convicted two former pro-democracy leaders of inciting others to overthrow China's communist leadership. The charges were for organizing the city's Tiananmen Square vigils, held in memory of the pro-democracy protesters killed in the 1989 massacre in Beijing. Lee Chok-yan and Chow Hong-tung led the now disbanded Hong Kong alliance. The group drew tens of thousands for years to annual candlelight vigils in Hong Kong, marking the 1989 massacre. They face up to 10 years in prison. The verdict is drawing swift international condemnation. Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a shameful act of political persecution. She added that China's repression will not silence the conscience of Hong Kong. The U.S. Congressional Executive Commission on China also condemned the ruling, and families of the two convicted Hong Kongers speaking after the verdict. Take a look. It's not a surprise, but I'm really very angry. I think it's unfair because the judges didn't take into account the opinion and details presented by our lawyers. I hope the environment would be more healthy. I hope that any plants can grow whatever color they are. That's it. Thank you, everyone. For decades, Hong Kong's annual candlelight vigil was the only large-scale public commemoration of the Tiananmen massacre. The crackdown remains a political taboo on the mainland, where authorities tightly censor discussion of the events and prohibit public commemorations. Coming up, rare tornadoes, flash flooding, and powerful winds batter parts of the Northeast. Crews rescue dozens of people from flooded vehicles as communities assess the damage. Christina Corona reports. And on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, President Trump says fentanyl deaths have plunged 22 percent. This after securing the border and targeting cartels. David Lam has more. Summer should be full of moments like these. But when school doors close, millions of kids lose more than access to the meals they counted on. They lose energy and confidence. Usually in the summer times, it's a challenge. They're home all day, so you need more food in the house, more snacks in the house, more than normally when they're in school. Sometimes I just wonder, like, man, are we going to make it through this week? Families across America and right where you live are facing a summer hunger crisis, stretching every dollar in meal. But costs keep climbing. Call or go online now to helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, to put healthy meals within reach for local families. And your first gift can double in impact. Having access to a good meal during the summer gives me more energy. Feeding America is the only nationwide network with over 250 local food banks, food pantries, and meal programs delivering food where kids already gather. But we can't be there without neighbors like you. It's like a weight off my shoulders. Without them, my kids wouldn't be fed. Your gift today will provide more than food. You'll help fuel growth and potential because summer should help kids move forward, not hold them back. Your body gets tired and you need the proper stuff to help you get through that. Please call or go online now. Give $19 a month and your first gift can double in impact. We'll send you this free canvas bag as a reminder of the food and hope you're delivering. Them having good meals that are nutritious to help them to concentrate gives me hope for them to have a good day. It feels really good knowing that my kids have the food that they need. It really puts me at ease and it helps out. Give now to help local families put food on the table and nourish a stronger future. Call or go online to helpfeedingamerica.org and your first gift can double in impact. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. They're just young people, hungry, homeless, and vulnerable. Covenant House is helping young adults facing homelessness. We're providing safe shelter to thousands, but the need is overwhelming. Please call or go online now. With your gift of $19 a month, we'll send you this blanket as a reminder of the comfort your gift provides a young person tonight. You'll provide safe shelter, hot meals, and medical care. Call the number on your screen or go online to safeplacestosleep.org. Welcome back to Entity Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. A powerful storm system brought dangerous weather to several states across the Northeast Thursday. From Long Island to Delaware, communities were hit with flooding, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Entity's Christina Corona has more. Heavy rain and powerful winds swept across parts of the Northeast Thursday, leaving behind flooding, damage, and dangerous travel conditions. On Long Island, a waterspout moved ashore near Atlantic Beach, becoming a tornado. The strong winds damaged the Sun and Surf Beach Club, tearing apart structures and sending debris across the shoreline. Nassau County officials declared a state of emergency as flooding created major problems along the South Shore. Emergency crews also checked the damaged beach area to make sure no one was trapped. Flooding also forced the closure of part of the Long Island Expressway in Queens, where drivers were left stranded as water covered the roadway. In Jersey City, flash flooding trapped dozens of people in their vehicles. Officials say first responders rescued 69 people using inflatable boats to reach some drivers. And in Dover, Delaware, a tornado caused significant damage, knocking down trees and power lines and leaving roads flooded. The storm also ripped roofs off schools and hotels in the area. Then like a really loud clash from the roof fell down and we started running towards the bathroom because I mean it shook the whole room and it damaged our car completely. More than a thousand customers lost electricity at one point, though most service was restored within hours. So far, officials have reported no serious injuries. There was a lot of damage, but I'm just I'm grateful that everyone was physically not harmed too bad by it because it was a very scary situation. Honestly, I think it was one of the scariest situations I've ever been in. The National Weather Service is continuing to assess the damage and confirm details about the tornadoes. Christina Corona, NTD News. President Trump says fentanyl related deaths are much lower now since the U.S. took measures into its own hands. His administration releases the numbers and touted border security efforts. NTD's David Lam reports. August 21st is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and the White House says fentanyl related deaths went down by 22 percent in 2025. They say it's thanks to border security and the campaign against drug cartels and arrests of convicted fentanyl traffickers. President Trump tells Fox News the numbers are more effective on the waters by ocean. Ninety seven point two percent. Ninety seven percent. Now you've seen the pictures of the boats and it's all horrible. But when you think that each time you knock out a boat, you're President Trump says the vessels carry massive amounts of fentanyl, the deadly opioid, almost 50 times stronger than morphine. People in cities such as San Francisco have suffered from drugs that flooded through the states. U.S. intelligence says Mexico, China and India are major players in the fentanyl supply chain coming to the U.S. As the Trump administration continues cracking down on deadly drugs, they say total drug overdose deaths fell 14 percent in 2025. David Lam, NTD News. Thanks to David for that report. Next, the story I've been waiting for. The force is strong with this one. In California, Darth Vader attended a city meeting using the dark side to take a stand on a controversial issue. Here's what happened. And our final speaker is Darth Vader. An imposing and infamous figure showed up at a public safety meeting in San Diego, California, bent on addressing a controversial issue with a heavy hand and some heavy breathing. This council has done well. I am pleased. A citizen dressed as Darth Vader spoke out during the public comment portion of a public safety committee meeting, theatrically praising the increased usage of flock cameras, a license plate tracking technology that has drawn recent criticism. The emperor is a fan of flock and we must continue utilizing flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the rebel scum. While seemingly supportive, Vader's speech was also clearly steeped in satire, drawing chuckles from onlookers. I need this so I can stalk my ex-girlfriend. In the end, Vader dropped the Jedi mind tricks and kept his speech with a very clear flock cam criticism. And how will the people trust this city council when this city council continues to vote for surveillance technology that imprisons them? Uh-huh. Well, if that isn't the Sith Lord calling the kettle black, take it away. Well done. We've had Lauren Fix from CarCoach reports on on that very issue several times. Coming up next, though, U.S. business activity hits a 52-month high in August. We speak with an economist and finance professor about the momentum. When I arrived in the U.S. at 19, I struggled to find job opportunities without a high school diploma. My name is Ariel and my entire life changed when I took a chance and I got my high school diploma at age 22. Everything I have, my education, my career, my marriage, I owe to the Adult Literacy Center and my teachers. They were with me every step of the way, helping with my English and math, making sure I pushed through all the challenges. Your achievement has set an example for so many students, most importantly, your daughter. Education was the key that allowed all my opportunities. When you graduate, they graduate. Visit finishyourdiploma.org to find free and supportive adult education centers near you. For decades, I've taught you everything I know how to safely build a fire and how to... But I can only teach wildfire prevention. Only you can prevent wildfires. If you need to do something to feel okay to drive, you're not okay to drive. Don't drive buzzed. Adopting you was the best decision in our life and I'm so proud. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. U.S. business activity hits a 52-month high in August. Now joining us for analysis is Michael Bussler. He's an economist, public policy analyst, and professor of finance at Stockton University. Thanks for joining this evening, Michael. Good to see you. Manufacturing and the services sector both saw gains driven by the services component. Can you break that down for us? What's actually happening on the ground there? Yeah, this is very good news. It's going to lead to some high GDP growth numbers. You may recall in the beginning of the year, I said I thought GDP could hit 4% growth by the end of the year. And I still think it might. This ran things, kind of messed things up a little bit. But I still think it might. Most of my colleagues are looking for an over 3% growth rate here in the third quarter. So this is really good. The service sector is really growing and they're able to do that without adding very much employment. So from the people they have, they're starting, they're getting much more growth. The reason is they're making these investments in AI and it's making the workers more productive. So they can get more output without bringing on any more workers. That's good from a cost standpoint. Eventually, you'll reach kind of a capacity and they'll have to bring on workers. But in the short term here, manufacturing is growing. Service sector rather is growing. Manufacturing is really on the verge of some big growth. Again, the Iran conflict messes up some of the supply chain and that's somewhat limiting their growth. But they are still growing. And again, that bodes very well. The rest of the economy, services are about 75%. Manufacturing is about 10%. The rest of its construction, which is also doing well. We're building all these factories and things around the country. That's doing well. Agricultural sector is doing well. So we could some real good growth numbers for GDP for the third quarter. We'll find out, I think, in October. Yeah. And in that one answer, you hit on a few of the areas that I wanted to go deeper in. AI, manufacturing versus service, and the trend overall, and GDP on that trend that you had predicted 4%, hopefully. But the Iran war, of course, mixed in as well. So breaking that down, manufacturing growth was the weakest since March due to the Iran war and the tariffs, according to this report that we're referencing. But growth is still growth, so are you optimistic about the trend on the manufacturing side? Yes, I certainly am. Most of the stagnation in manufacturing was caused by supply chain disruptions. A lot of stuff is made in the Middle East, not just oil. Other stuff and the whole supply chain is thrown out of whack here while this Iran war is going on. When this gets over, and I really hope it gets over soon, we can talk about the philosophy the president's using, but when this gets over and things normalize, I think manufacturing sector will really grow. Remember also, I said in the beginning of the year, part of the bill that passed last July, investments can be written off in one year instead of depreciating over 10, 15, 25 years. That's causing an investment boom. Now, much of that investment is going into AI to make those service workers more productive, but a lot of it's going into manufacturing and building these data centers and building factories. Toyota, I think, is moving their factory from Mexico to Texas. So all that bodes very well for the future because this will add good jobs and continue to have good output for American workers. Yeah, and I can see how those tax opportunities create long-term incentives, but they take a while to start showing their dividends because it takes a while to turn up a manufacturing plant or what have you. But you did mention earlier AI affecting the economy. Can you dig into that one? Yeah, so AI is a plus and a minus. I wrote a column about this. On the minus side, it will replace a lot of jobs that are easily replaceable. Things like data entry and even truck drivers have to be a little nervous. These driverless trucks are coming. So it'll hurt there. However, for the people that are working, it makes them so much more productive. I know personally, when I have to write something, I sort of scribble something down, put it into AI and say, how's it look? It comes out. I rewrite it. It saves me half the time I would spend. So the AI on the positive side makes workers more productive. That means workers are more valuable. That generally leads to higher wages. And if they're producing more of the same worker, the labor costs go down. That puts downward pressure on prices. So in the long run, I see very positive things for AI. And then in the medical care industry, some of the things it's already doing is great, but there'll be much more. It will have a negative impact on some jobs in the short term, however. Yeah. And as the adage goes, and you point out, you're not going to lose your job to AI. You're going to lose your job to someone who knows how to use AI properly. But I want to talk a little bit more about the data. In this data or other data signals that you watch, what evidence, if any, are you seeing of successful reshoring of industries that had left over the last 30 to 50 years? Yeah. So a lot of these companies are coming back a number of reasons. In the bill passed in 2017, the average corporate tax rate in the US back in 2017 was 35%. As a result of that, a lot of corporations decided to take their operations overseas, Ireland, I think it's only 15%. So they moved around to some of these countries. So in that bill in 2017, they lowered the corporate tax rate to 21%. That started to bring some of this back. And then, of course, with all of the tariffs and the investment commitments Trump has been able to secure, companies say, hey, look, I can't pay a 25% tariff and I have a huge market in the US. I'm going to have to build a plant there. So these companies are coming over here, building a plant. And again, that will lead to more growth in the future. If this Iran war would get over, I would be extremely optimistic about the economy. Well, on all of the other things you shared, there's a lot of room for optimism here on a Friday afternoon going into a summer weekend. Cheers to you, Michael Bussler. Thanks for joining. Thank you. Have a nice weekend. Next, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant says the US will impose the toughest sanctions in history on Iran, but China could feel much of the economic pressure. NDD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. The Trump administration is preparing to unleash its toughest economic pressure yet on Iran and any country helping the regime. That's as China maintains its close relationship with Iran as its biggest oil customer. If you insist on doing business with them, then the US Treasury and the US government, they will put its full might and force toward enforcing against you. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant says the details will come on Monday, telling China to get with the program. The Chinese get 50 percent, 5-0, of their energy from the Gulf. So it would do them a big service to get with the program. But China's refusing, saying sanctions are not the solution. President Trump calling the coming campaign an economic D-Day, warning any country providing Tehran with any type of lifeline will face tremendous economic consequences. The real lever is eliminating the people who are enabling them in the first place, and no one, no one does that more than China. China buys roughly 90 percent of Iran's exported oil, providing tens of billions of dollars annually in exchange. All of that supports Iran's military. And China sends the oil to its so-called teapot refineries, which Washington has been targeting for months. The Treasury has now sanctioned five of these Chinese teapot refineries as economic pressure may be more effective than bombs. The Iranians are more afraid of Secretary Besant than they are of Secretary Hegseth right now. When they're coming to the table, to our negotiators, they are talking about cash, cash, cash, because they'll absorb the bombings. They don't care about their military. And it goes beyond oil. In June, the Treasury sanctioned nine entities based in China for helping Iran obtain weapons. And last month, China was reportedly expected to send Iran a shipment of up to 400 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Washington's new economic consequences could mean targeting Chinese companies, banks and businesses that keep Iran's military alive. Jack Bradley, NTD News, Washington. The Trump administration is aiming to supercharge America's space launch industry by boosting the amount of U.S. rocket launches. The White House said an updated national space transportation policy aims to support more than 1,000 rocket launches and spacecraft re-entries per year by the year 2030. The policy calls for more locations for rockets to launch from and for spacecraft to land. In addition, it wants to get more commercial involvement in efforts to reach the moon and eventually Mars. And Ukraine's former defense minister is mounting the biggest internal challenge yet to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mikhailo Fedorov, once a close ally and a driving force behind Ukraine's drone warfare, now demanding elections despite the ongoing war. Here's a closer look at the man confronting his former political mentor. The man who, more than any, drove the development of drone technology to defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion... ...has now targeted Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky directly. Former defense minister Mikhailo Fedorov, a longtime ally to Zelensky and popular figure among young Ukrainians, dropped a political bombshell this week in demanding wartime elections in his country. It's the biggest internal challenge to Zelensky since Russia attacked the country four and a half years ago. Fedorov became the youngest minister in Ukraine's history when Zelensky appointed him at the age of 28 to his first cabinet in 2019. Zelensky, who had been a popular comedian and TV host, brought Fedorov on to run a social media campaign that helped propel him to a landslide victory that year. As minister of digital transformation, Fedorov targeted the legacy of Soviet bureaucracy with an app that allowed Ukrainians to access a range of government services from a smartphone. When Russian tanks poured over the borders in Ukraine in 2022, Fedorov soon saw places he knew well scarred by war. He was born in Vasilivka, a town now occupied by Russia and southern Ukraine. And he grew up in the nearby city of Zaporizhia, which is now pounded daily by Russian bombs and drones. In the face of Russia's ground and air assault, Fedorov made a public appeal to SpaceX owner Elon Musk to switch on his Starlink satellite internet service for the country's defense. Musk promptly did. Ukraine's military now uses tens of thousands of Starlinks, with commanders describing it as the lifeblood of their battlefield communications. And early in the war, Fedorov advocated building, quote, an army of drones, becoming an early champion of a technology that would come to dominate the battlefield. As war raged, Ukraine's defense ministry was beset by corruption and mismanagement scandals. When Fedorov was appointed defense minister in January 2026, he pledged a data-driven overhaul of the vast department. He laid out a vision of a path to victory that involved inflicting 50,000 monthly casualties on Russia, neutering its aerial attacks and crippling its economy. But he did not deliver on promised proposals to reform the process of conscripting troops into the roughly million-person armed forces. And he clashed with military chief Oleksandr Sirsky, who favored a more infantry-driven style of fighting that critics said led to high troop losses. Fedorov was abruptly dismissed in July amid a broader government reshuffle. His firing prompted thousands of protesters to stream into the streets of Kyiv and other cities, demanding he be reappointed, and Sirsky dismissed. Zelensky subsequently replaced Sirsky, but did not bring Fedorov back. This week, Fedorov said it was time for the Ukrainian people to choose their leaders. We are facing a systemic government crisis, he said. The old system lives by its own rules too often. And coming up next in tennis, one day after Carlos Alcaraz says he's back, now his chief rival pulls out. Dave Martin joins us with the latest on the U.S. Open. Today's seniors are enjoying life more than ever before, and part of that comes from the independence of driving. However, car insurance for older drivers becomes more expensive the older we get. Just because I'm a senior, and maybe you are too, do we really have to pay outrageously high insurance rates? Well, the answer is no, we don't. When was the last time you checked to make sure you're paying the lowest available rate? Well, maybe it's time to give your car insurance a tune-up, just to make sure your rates are running properly. You change your oil, you change your tires, well, maybe it's time to change your car's insurance company. Are you paying too much for your auto insurance? If so, you're just throwing your money away. So the only way to really know if you're paying too much is to call the number on your screen. 1-800-952-5196, 1-800-952-5196. You'll speak with a licensed insurance agent. They may have an insurance plan that could lower your yearly premiums by hundreds of dollars. Seniors can save money on their car insurance. So call right now and find out just how much money you might be able to save. Come on, call now. You may be able to save a lot of money, maybe hundreds of dollars a year. Just call the number on your screen and speak with a licensed insurance agent. Yes, it is possible for seniors to save on car insurance. You could lower your premiums by hundreds of dollars a year. As a responsible driver, you always check your gauges, right? And you check for other cars and pedestrians. You check your oil and you check your mirrors. Well, now is the time to check on your auto insurance rates. You need to make sure that you're not paying more than you need to. Call the number on your screen right now. 1-800-952-5196, 1-800-952-5196. 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. My new glasses just arrived this morning and I can pay over the next few weeks. This is the way to buy glasses. See now, pay later with Select Specs. Next day delivery and deferred payment options only at selectspecs.com. Hurry in and shop at this home today to get Labor Day deals on all the latest bedrooms. We make it easy with the best selection and lowest prices. And now you don't have to wait. Take five years to pay with easy monthly payments and get the room of your dreams now. Check out this comfortable upholstered bed from Ashley. It includes a footboard bench with extra storage. With our new 60-month financing, you can relax in it tonight for just $23 a month. Save on your new bedroom today with Labor Day deals at your furniture superstore, Mathis Home. And now for your sports news, we're joined by MTV's Dave Martin. Dave, we got some NCAA and some NFL news, but why don't we start with tennis? We were surprised that Alcarez was able to play, and now what happened? We were all happy about Alcarez coming back. We would finally get Alcarez versus Sinner potentially in the U.S. Open. But now number one-ranked Ionic Sinner has pulled out with a knee injury. Yes, he has not played since last month at the Wimbledon finals, where he beat Alexander Vera there for the championship. Now, fortunately for him, he's got such a huge lead in the rankings. He'll still be number one after Wimbledon, no matter who wins this event. But it means, of course, we don't get to see Alcarez versus Sinner in the finals. Like we had last year, three straight times those two met in the finals. French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open was the first time ever the same two players met at the Grand Slam finals three straight times. Those two have really dominated the men's division ever since really the big three kind of went out. They've combined to win now 10 of the last 11 Grand Slam events. Sinner has a really incredible record this year of 44-3. He's won six of the nine tournaments he's entered. Meanwhile, the U.S. Open will start a week from this Sunday. So that'll be on August 30th. I know you're a big fan of the tennis thing. I am too. So this is a bit of a downer. But I think there's still enough good action for this year's U.S. Open. Yeah, more than anything, you just want to see the best get to play their best in the biggest tournament. Very New York-centric view of the world. Sorry, Melbourne, Paris, Rolling Arrows, Wimbledon. But yeah, it's the last big tournament of the season as well. It's the last big. So at least we have Alcaraz back. You know, Alcaraz is kind of saving the day here. But coming off some painful injuries. So we don't know that he's... We haven't seen a lot of him this season. So we don't know what we're getting, right? The door could be open, maybe. Just maybe in the men's. We'll see an American emerge again. We thought definitely the door was open in the French Open. If you remember that, Alcaraz missed that one. Sinner got upset in the second round. It clearly looked like the heat had completely got to him. He was up 2-0. And then he was just... You remember the picture? He's like this or something like that in the third set. He didn't make it. So that time, third-ranked Alexander Zverev came in for his first Grand Slam title. So the door was open then. It was opened a little in Wimbledon. But Sinner closed that one when he won that one. The door is open a bit right now. But I think Alcaraz, Zverev in the men's is everyone's choice at this point. And I can remember the days of Michael Chang and Andre Agassi. Of course, Pete Sampras. In the big three, of course. And we had Currier, who looked like... And Roddick looked like... Right before Federer, Roddick looked like he was the future. Roddick was the number one right before Federer. He had that small window there, too. And then the big three took over everything for, what, 15 years there. The kids need a new Pete Sampras. They need someone to emerge. All right, let's move on now, though, to college sports. There's been some legal battle going on to determine if some players are eligible. The rules are kind of changing and a little bit gray. What's happening? Yeah, a whole big legal battle is going on right now. Now, this is an eligibility battle for next season. These are players who started their 2022 in college and have played four consecutive seasons. In other words, players who normally already exhausted their eligibility. Now, previously, a judge had allowed for these athletes to come back for a fifth season this year, just recently. But today, an appeals court granted a stay that reverses that decision, so they don't get a fifth year. But it should be noted that this doesn't reverse other individual lawsuits where athletes have been given an extra year. You got all that? No, I got none of that. Those individual suits still go. But this one would have allowed every player to get a fifth year there. Now, the NCAA, they're changing their eligibility rules to allow players five seasons in five years. Previously, it was four seasons of play. But you had that whole red shirt thing. So it was sort of like it was loosey-goosey, you know? If you get the four seasons plus a red shirt, it really doesn't count as a season. I mean, yeah, if you're the number one recruit in the country, you're playing. But for everybody else, you know, having that year to mature on the bench, you know, it's basically five years. Maybe get your master's degree, hang out in a college town. Not a bad deal. So you like that, I guess. I'm all for the red shirt. I'm all for the red shirt, too. But now, you know, they can red shirt. Well, they didn't. Does that give you six years now, or does the red shirt rule go away? There's no red shirt now. OK, it's just five and done. It's five years for five seasons. Play or don't play, you get five. So basically, if this didn't go through, we would have had just a huge influx into the transfer portal at the last second. This would have been a mad, mad rush here. So in some ways, if you don't want chaos, this is a good thing. I'll say that. Yeah, and you can have some 30-year-old college players. They're all going to be master's and doctorate students by the time they're done playing semi-pro in college. All right, let's move to pro, though. What's happening with the NFL? The NFL, we got the preseason week two continuing tonight. We've got three games on first in a few minutes here, 7 p.m. Eastern time. The Jets will play at the Steelers. In case anyone is wondering, Aaron Rodgers is not scheduled to take any snaps tonight for the Jets. But this is his current team versus one of his now former teams. Then at 7.30 is Jaguars versus Panthers in Jacksonville. Finally, at 9 p.m. tonight, Packers will be at the Broncos. Tomorrow, then, is a big NFL day. It will be more like Sundays in the fall. Ten games in total starting at noontime Eastern when the Commanders face the Lions. We've got multiple games at 1 p.m., 4 p.m., and at 7 p.m. Finally, at 10 p.m., your Cowboys. You killed me. You put Daggers into my side. All right, fine. Giants fan right here, everyone. Not exactly a Cowboys fan. Then on Sunday, the Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks play the Tennessee Titans. This is, like I said, week two of the three-week NFL preseason. Then the regular season begins on September 9. So if you're not in a fantasy football league yet, wake up your commissioner, you know, whoever that is, and get them to start their season, huh? All right. Well, we got one more sports story coming up, Dave. I hope you'll stick around and watch it. NTD's Fiona G may be someone that you could take under your wing. My former NTD good morning partner, she's now in D.C. She sends us this story. So if you are visiting D.C. this weekend, chances are you're going to hear the roar of IndyCar engines as you walk by crowded, fenced-off streets. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix is this Sunday, and the heart of the nation's capital has been transformed into a 1.7-mile-long racetrack. The event expected to attract 140,000 people each day right there in the nation's capital. NTD's Fiona G is in D.C. with an early taste of what to expect. Well, would you look at that? We are one day closer to the Grand Prix, and drivers are getting in the zone. Because despite the excitement of the city, this is a race after all, and there is a trophy on the line. But for us drivers, 147 laps on a street course is not going to be an easy thing. So I'm trying to mentally prepare. It's the pressure from America for maybe an American to win and all. I like the trophy, though. I'd like to bring that one home. I made some really good progress, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's repeatable this week. It is a really cool event. I have to remind myself that I'm here for work. I'm not just walking around. I have to stop being a twerp. I think everybody wants to win this one. I think this is an event like the 500, but we only know it's happening once. Some of those drivers are ready to go full throttle from the start. As a driver, we always have the helmet and the visor, big clothes, and you kind of forget everything around. For us, it's going to be really just about doing the same things this whole year. If it's 147 laps, it's probably going to be full send for 148 until you get to the cool down. It's important like any other. The motivation is similar to anywhere else that you go. We want to win every event we go into. They're all difficult to win. Competition aside, though, there's a general sense of pride and gratitude to be celebrating America's 250th with this race. The city is welcoming us so well. It's such a great vibe around the race in DC, and it's a proud moment to be racing in front of the president and in front of so many important people of the country. The fact that I get to drive an IndyCar around the streets of DC, I think that's pretty cool. That's worth some celebration. I think 30 years from now, we'll look back and be like, that was awesome. Whether you are an American or you're not, most people that come and race an IndyCar, they end up loving the United States. We get to do a lot of cool things in this country, and this is right up there for me. So, who's going to cross that finish line first after 147 laps? Well, I guess we're just going to have to wait and see. Reporting from Washington, DC, Fiona Ji, NTD News. Clearly, Fiona is excited, as are we. Meanwhile, many race fans are already in the nation's capital for a historic experience. NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in DC to hear from the people. How pumped are you guys about the IndyCar race coming up this weekend? I am super pumped about the IndyCar race. But even more, I'm more pumped about the IROC race, the International Race of Champions. Now, that is going to be something special. This is technology. This is fun. They're going to have the greatest flyover, show our military. It's going to be a heck of a fun weekend. When we heard the car starting up today, went closer by our hotel, you could just, it kind of, it just gave them chills hearing the motors going and the car starting to go through the town. So yeah, very exciting. Chances of ever seeing it again or this happening again, probably slim and slim to none. You know, we're here from Tennessee. So we get to, you know, explore the capital area and take it all in. My prediction for the race for the IROC race is going to be the Rusty or Bobby Labonte, anybody but Gordon. And my prediction for the Indy race is going to be Stingray Rob in a big upset because it's America's 250th birthday celebration. So we need the all-American Chevy guy to win the race. Do you think this is like a good opportunity for people to come together and enjoy the race? Yeah. Race fans are always good. Yeah. Very patriotic. Bring people together. Yeah. I think people love to see this kind of stuff. I mean, people come here to have fun and put everything else aside and enjoy the race. People from all over the world. I mean, it's crazy how much we've seen with the diversity of everybody here. Just excited to see the racing. Absolutely. It's just, it's a wonderful thing. Look at all the people that are here. It's just good time, fun, a great way to come and see the capital. You only turn 250 once, right? Make it about embracing and celebrating and enjoying America for all of our diverse thoughts, interests, and different ways we love our country. All right. I hope you enjoy the race and the weekend. That is all for today's evening news. For around the clock coverage, you can visit us at Entity.com, or you can use our Entity app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Kerry Dunst. Have a great weekend.