NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Sept. 2)

NTD
11.9K followers
192 Video Views·Sep 2, 2026
Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, a record-breaking summer travel season.
Travel company execs at the White House celebrating the historic tourism,
along with new investments in U.S. manufacturing, they say is bolstering the economy.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Venezuela, as U.S. oil companies sign new deals.
Chevron says it plans to invest more than $7 billion in the country.
Jason Perry has the details.
And a handful of House Democrats joining Republicans in condemning socialism.
And in Massachusetts, several Democratic incumbents face primary challengers.
On the left, we have the latest.
The U.S. continues working with Nepal in the flood response.
Data shows Nepal doing much more to rescue possible survivors
than its neighbor, China, which is trying to hide the extent of the catastrophe.
Arian Pasdar has the numbers.
And Tiger Woods avoids jail time in his impaired driving case,
but he won't be getting behind the wheel anytime soon.
This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City.
Here's Kerry Dunst.
Good evening. Thank you for joining us tonight.
President Trump meeting with top travel execs at the White House today.
They're celebrating a historic travel season this summer.
We now go live to NTD's Jack Bradley.
He is at the White House.
Jack, what are the travel executives saying?
Well, they're giving thanks to President Trump for
hosting all of these events that bolstered local economies and small businesses.
These are representatives from major corporations like Hilton,
Marriott, IHG, the U.S. Travel Association, and many more all in the Oval Office,
saying that the U.S. is seeing a new boom in investments and domestic manufacturing.
President Trump attributing those to the growth in the economy to his tariff policies.
Take a look.
This summer, as you heard, and as you stated,
was the best summer we've ever had in the history of our business.
Bar none, the most favorable regulatory policy that we've seen,
probably in a generation, the most favorable tax policy
that we've seen in modern times, an investment cycle
that is simply breathtaking, both AI, but of course the infrastructure,
but also reshoring infrastructure that is going on around the world.
U.S. tourism hit an all-time high this summer with events like the FIFA World Cup,
the Grand Prix, the UFC 250 here at the White House,
and several other events across the country, all celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
And Jack, the U.S. forces trading fire with Iran late last night as the war heating back up.
So what's the latest with the war in Iran?
Right, so late last night and early into the morning,
Iran launching retaliatory strikes on U.S. forces in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
And now it comes after the U.S. launched a series of strikes on Iran yesterday.
President Trump calling on the Iranian people afterwards,
asking them when they will rise up and fight against the Iranian regime.
The president saying that as the regime gets weaker,
it's only a matter of time until they're unable to kill enough protesters.
Take a look.
The regime is getting weaker and weaker by the day.
And at some point, they're not going to be able to shoot so easily
because I think the people aren't going to take it.
And I'm not affected by the election.
Number one, I'm not running.
But my party's running and I'm going to help my party.
But I think my party respects the fact that we're not allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
President Trump says that the recent strikes on Iran destroyed their radar systems that they
were trying to rebuild and more.
And despite the fighting, the U.S. has control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the president,
with oil tankers making a safe passage through the strait with the protection of the U.S. Navy.
The president has said that any retaliation from Iran would be met with more strikes from the U.S.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says that Iran is doing this whole lashing out because
they're panicking with an economy that's heading toward complete failure.
After meeting with G20 leaders out in North Carolina, Besson said that many of them told
them that they're helping the U.S. with intelligence to further dry out Iran's economy.
Take a look.
Many of our allies came forward and said we will do whatever is necessary
because they understand that Iran is in an economic death throes and they have
offered to do whatever they could, whether it is intelligence, economic intelligence.
And U.S. Central Command continues to strictly enforce a blockade against
Iran, making sure that no vessels come in or out of that territory.
All right, thanks for that update, Jack.
Next, Energy Secretary Chris Wright is in Venezuela today as oil executives sign
deals with the country. American oil company Chevron says it plans to invest $7 billion
and more than double its output over the next five years.
And today's Jason Perry has the latest.
We are trying to work at what I call Trump speed.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright in Venezuela on Wednesday with oil executives for the
signing of new investment deals in the country.
I believe the deals that are signed today, tens of billions of dollars of investment,
ultimately many thousands of jobs. These are critical in starting this ball rolling
of peace, opportunity and prosperity for everyone in Venezuela.
One of the companies at the signing is Chevron,
which plans to invest $7 billion
and more than double its oil output in Venezuela over the next five years.
Under the new agreements with Venezuela, Chevron will gain access to additional oil fields
containing some of the world's largest deposits of extra heavy crude oil.
Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez,
saying the new energy investments will lead to more jobs, hospitals, schools and broader prosperity.
I have spoken about the benefits for Venezuela, but I hope that for your countries,
for Italy, for the United States, for Europe, for the world, the energy formula being expressed
in these agreements also means contributing to international energy balance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Brian Kilmeade show
commenting on the new energy deals with Venezuela.
Obviously, it will have some short-term benefits,
but it also ensures that the United States, not China, not Russia, not Iran,
will have a position, a position that with regards to the largest oil producer in our hemisphere
as a hedge against a future conflict or crisis that maybe is unforeseen right now,
but could threaten our energy security long term.
And the day before, a White House official said the deal with Venezuela would secure oil fields
that were under the influence of Chinese and Russian companies and align them with the United
States and America's long-term interests. Jason Perry, NTD News.
An aircraft carrying Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen
had to make an emergency landing today. This comes after the plane suffered an engine failure.
Secretary Mullen was traveling from Georgia to Washington, D.C. on a Coast Guard plane.
The C-37A jet lost its right engine mid-flight and was diverted to Ronald Reagan National
Airport in Virginia. It landed safely and all 14 people on board were safe.
Mullen praises the pilots on X stating, quote,
the United States Coast Guard pilots made the single engine landing feel routine,
no panic, just straight professionalism.
And an update on the Massachusetts primary races.
Several congressional incumbents were facing challengers on the left
and today's congressional correspondent Melina Weiskopf has the takeaways.
Massachusetts voters were faced with a generational question whether to keep a progressive longtime
Senator Ed Markey, who is currently 80 years old, in power or replace him with a younger
candidate seen as more centrist. Ultimately, voters chose Senator Markey to keep his position.
He won with 64 percent of the vote to Congressman Seth Moulton's 35 percent.
Markey has long advocated for progressive values and had been endorsed by key socialist figures
like Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,
while Moulton mainly campaigned on generational change.
It's all about not just sending a Democrat to the Senate, it's sending a progressive
Democrat to the Senate. Challenging the establishment and calling for a new generation
of leadership isn't easy, but it is necessary. We started conversations that needed to happen.
Senator Markey will face Republican nominee John Deaton in November. Further down the ballot,
I was watching three congressional races. One was who would fill Congressman Seth Moulton's seat.
Voters ultimately chose former Biden aide Dan Coe for the nomination.
Two other Democrat incumbents in Massachusetts were faced with challenges from socialist
candidates, but both of those incumbents were able to hold on to their seats.
Then you also have the governor's race teed up for the November ballot. You have Democrat
Maura Healey facing off with Republican nominee Michael Minogue. Also yesterday in the House,
a resolution to condemn socialism passed with mainly Republican support. There were eight
Democrats who joined on the resolution condemning socialism and some prominent DSA policy positions
like abolishing prisons and allowing non-citizens to vote. There were also some other Democrats who
said they reject socialism, but they didn't agree with the fact that Republicans added the Save
Act onto the resolution. Remember, the Save America Act is a top policy priority for the
Trump administration. It would tighten voting requirements by requiring proof of citizenship
to register to vote and voter ID at the polls. Congressman Andy Barr told me yesterday that the
fact that there were some Democrats hesitant to vote for this shows that the party is on shaky
grounds. I think it just goes to show that this is a moment for moral clarity and for those
Democrats who are quibbling about language about whether or not the resolution condemning socialism
is the right resolution just goes to show politically how they are on shaky ground.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis of New York using floor time ahead of the vote to expose
the connections between socialism and communism. Socialism is communism light. Socialism is the
first step to communism. And if anybody doubts what I'm saying, just listen to Vladimir Lenin,
the first leader of the Soviet Union, who proclaimed the goal of socialism is communism.
And it begins with promises of free programs, government controlled prices.
Republicans have been campaigning on this issue throughout the election season,
and the eight Democrats that voted with Republicans to condemn socialism
are in toss-up districts. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, Antietam News.
And the House yesterday passed a resolution to denounce socialism with eight Democrats
joining Republicans in voting in favor. But how are everyday Americans feeling about this
resolution and the rise of socialist ideologies in our elections? And today,
Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people.
The House just voted on a resolution basically denouncing socialism. We see a couple of
Democrats joining on that resolution as well. What's your reaction to that?
What you see in, you know, countries where communism is completely taken over, I just
wouldn't want so-called socialist ideology to lead to that because those countries, and you talk to
people in those countries, you hear stories, and it's just not a place I'd ever like to see America
getting to. I don't think the ones that are supporting socialism really understand what
it's about, or even communism for that matter. When has socialism worked out in the history
of naming a country that was successful with socialism? Can you name one?
I think all you have to do is look at history. It's never succeeded anywhere.
I don't know why they think it would succeed here. It's going to drag down the rich and not
bring the poor up to the standard of living that they're expecting.
Now we're seeing a lot of these socialist ideologies taking shape
in our elections. What do you make of this trend?
I think it'll fade in 10 to 15 years, let's hope so, but I feel like it's a product of
our university and our college system. Here they've been spoiled little brats their whole
life and they feel like they got to do something about it, so it's a fun fad. I think they get off
on it. I think it's bad for the country. I think
it's dangerous. I think a lot of people have been indoctrinated. They don't really understand what
it means. You hear this term democratic socialism. It's a fake term. There is no such thing as
democratic socialism. Some of our foundational principles, individualism, liberty, those things
are at risk when Marxists are in control. I think people are fed up and they're willing to
believe whatever they need to. They don't look at history. I think there aren't a lot of people
that are very well educated about China and Russia, North Vietnam, places that failed.
And an American crisis response team is working to rescue hundreds of people that are stuck in
tunnels after that flood in Nepal. Now data shows that Nepal is doing much more to rescue
possible survivors than its neighbor, China. NDD's international correspondent, Arian Pasdar,
has the latest. New video on Wednesday shows a helicopter landing on a narrow strip of flat
ground in between mountains in Nepal. The pilot is dropping off members from a team called Crisis
Response International, which is based in South Carolina. Get on a helicopter and go to the hydro
tunnels where they believe there's still life. And so we have high technology listening equipment
to listen for sounds of life. If the team members believe to hear sounds of life, some of them will
go in to check if there really are still people waiting to be rescued. Sometimes extra equipment
is needed to rescue survivors. So far there's been a team go to the entrance of the tunnel
and begin back in and they realized that they needed to be roped off and such so they wanted
people to go back in further. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal posting these pictures saying the U.S.
on Wednesday delivered 5,000 victim recovery supply items, 500 first aid kits and more.
Over 600 people remain stranded in destroyed hydropower stations that have become the focus
of rescue efforts. Some experts previously suggested that China's hydropower projects in
the region are causing natural disasters. Possibly also the flood last week which hit Nepal as well
as neighboring China. Numbers show that Nepal is doing much more to rescue possible survivors
than the Chinese Communist Party. That's despite the fact that Nepal has much fewer resources.
Its GDP is only around 2% of China's GDP. After the flood Nepal dispatched 20,000 troops and
police for disaster relief while the CCP sent only 2,100, ten times fewer. Within four days
Nepal rescued over 8,000 survivors by hand digging. The CCP rescued none and Nepal so far
recovered over a thousand bodies of the deceased while the CCP allegedly only found seven.
Aryan Pasdar, NTD News. USS Abraham Lincoln is now in port. The aircraft carrier arriving in
Thailand today after more than eight months at sea. The Lincoln has roughly 5,000 crew members
on board and it's been supporting the Iran war and it set a modern day record for consecutive
days at sea during combat. The carrier left San Diego last November and is set to return
to California later this year. And President Trump is nominating Hung Kao to permanently
serve as the Secretary of the Navy. The president writing on Truth Social quote,
we need patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps and I can think of no one better
than him to make sure our great Navy and Marine Corps remain the fiercest and best force the world
has ever seen. Kao is a retired Navy captain and has been serving as acting Navy secretary
since April. He replaced John Phelan who left the position earlier. Now the nomination does require
Senate confirmation. And up ahead 150 million driver's licenses were breached and sold online.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth's license was reportedly offered for $100 on the dark web.
David Lamb with more.
I trolled 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. Big things are happening at Mathis Home. Get Labor
Day deals and save on the latest dining rooms. Whatever you're looking for, we have all the
styles you love at unbeatable prices. Plus now you can take five years to pay with easy monthly
payments to get the room of your dreams without having to wait. This dining set is a bestseller
and comes with four comfy side chairs. With our low prices and brand new 60-month financing,
you can take it home today for a payment of just $30 a month.
Save now with Labor Day deals at your furniture superstore. Mathis Home.
An important message for Americans ages 50 to 85.
Have you seen that life insurance thing I got in the mail? From Colonial Pen? Yeah, that's it.
It's over there. The recycle bin. I sent for this. You're buying life insurance now? Have you
been to the grocery store lately? The last thing we need is another bill. That's exactly why we need
life insurance. If something happens to either of us, those bills won't go away. Life insurance
can help pay them. Funeral costs too. Take a look at this. It costs pennies a day. That's right.
Rates for Colonial Pen life insurance start at $9.95 a month. That's 35 cents a day. And this
is one bill you know will never go up. A lifetime rate lock guarantees it. Your rate is guaranteed
and so is your acceptance. That makes applying quick and easy. There are no medical questions,
no physical exams. Since you can't be turned down, we don't ask about your health. And this
is lifetime coverage. It never expires. Just pay your bill and it's yours to keep for as long as
you'd like. This is the application. There's nothing to it. No health questions. What's this?
Free beneficiary planner. When we fill it out, all our important information and final wishes
will be in one place. Your kids will appreciate that. Call for more information and your free
gift today. Read how easy it is to get life insurance from Colonial Pen. Even if you have
pre-existing conditions or fixed income, it's easy and risk-free. Every policy we issue comes with a
30-day money-back guarantee. Call now to learn more. You have nothing to lose. Call 1-800-293-7575
for free information and a free beneficiary planner. That's 1-800-293-7575. There's no
risk or obligation. 1-800-293-7575. Call now. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst.
The jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial was dismissed for the day after they failed to reach
a verdict following five consecutive days of deliberations. The case moving closer to a
possible mistrial. Clancy's defense attorney speaks on the possibility of having to try the
case again. But if you have to retry this, do you think that your client is emotionally prepared to
do it again? No. You don't think she is? Would you do anything different in the second trial
if you have a second trial? I don't know. Clancy admits to strangling her three young children in
2023. But her defense argues that she cannot be held criminally responsible, saying postpartum
psychosis drove her to kill the children. Prosecutors argue Clancy knew what she was
doing and deliberately carried out the killings. After jurors reported another deadlock today,
Judge William Sullivan gave them what's known as a dynamite charge. That's a final instruction
urging them to reconsider their positions, try to reach a unanimous verdict. However,
the jury has now deliberated for five days or nearly 30 hours. They will be back tomorrow
morning if they still cannot reach a verdict. The judge could declare a mistrial, leaving
prosecutors to decide whether to try Clancy again. And the surgeon general's office warns about
rising harmful screen use among children. Elementary aged kids use anywhere from three
and a half to five hours a day. Now the Department of Health and Human Services releases a new
children's book that says the real magic is imagination, not the tablet. NDD correspondent
Jason Blair has more. Our message is simple. American children need less screen time and more
real life. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the surgeon general's office warn about harmful
screen use among children and how the problem is getting increasingly worse. This is the first
generation of young people in America who are not growing up living just with their screens.
They're living through their screens. Statistics from the surgeon general's office gives average
screen use time among youth, including two hours for children two to four years old and eight and
a half hours for teens 13 to 18. Rates of anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, obesity, cyber
bullying and social isolation have risen. DHHS also unveiled a new book called the magic tablet
available for download from the surgeon general's website. The magic tablet takes the ideas behind
the liberal life where a little girl finds out that the tablet is not really where the magic is.
The magic lies within her and her own imagination and creativity. Kennedy also urges big tech to do
more to protect kids online. No company should profit from keeping a child compulsively engaged
on screen as well as praising schools that have adopted restrictions on phones. We hear the
stories about what the impact is that as soon as cell phones are banned,
the test scores go up, the disciplinary problems go down, psychiatric referrals go down. Kennedy
says kids need less screen time and more real life, including time outdoors, play and connection
with family and friends. When we lose touch with nature, we lose a part of our capacity to sense
the divine, to understand who God is and therefore what our own potential is as human beings. HHS also
held panels with voices from medicine, research, education, government, advocacy and tech on kids
and screens and what to do next. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News.
And thanks to Jason for that important report. Next, a massive identity breach. More than 150
million driver's licenses were reportedly being sold online. Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs
says he found his ID and War Secretary Pete Hegseth's all on the dark web. NTD's David Lamb
reports. An identity theft service called Nexus was offering more than 150 million scanned driver's
licenses online, but that service apparently disappeared on the dark web on Tuesday,
according to cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs. The FBI's New Orleans field office is
investigating the source of the scanned documents. It appears to have been breached from IDscan.net,
a widely used verification company in Louisiana. The IDs could have come from a car rental counter,
dispensary checkout or hotel front desk. According to Krebs, a digital version of
War Secretary Pete Hegseth's driver's license was being sold for $100. Nexus launched on the dark
web this week. Krebs was told his own driver's license was advertised as a free sample on Russian
cybercrime forum exploit. Nexus claimed to have licenses from people in the U.S. and Canada, as
well as IDs, medical cards and travel documents. IDscan.net says it is investigating the matter.
The FBI's New Orleans field office tells NTD in a statement, the FBI can confirm that it is looking
into the incident. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, we declined to comment further.
David Lam, NTD News. Next, Uber has announced staffing layoffs. In an email to employees,
the ride-share company said Wednesday it plans to slash 10 percent of its workforce, which amounts
to roughly 3,300 roles. Uber said it's part of restructuring to consolidate management as well
as cut costs. Uber will also merge teams and gather more employees and hubs like New York
and San Francisco. And coming up, Australia and the U.S. announcing nearly $600 million in funding
for the Pacific island nations. Where does the battle for influence over these key islands stand?
And the 24-foot sculpture known as Blue, now removed from the grounds of the Kennedy Center,
it's the latest move to redesign Washington's public spaces by direction of President Trump.
During high school, I hung with the wrong crowd and I never graduated. I helped Santiago in many
different ways, like all fathers do, because he always wanted to go to college. I felt a
little embarrassed to come back to school, but eventually once I came here, I knew that it's
for a bigger goal. He was very dedicated, hardworking. He connected with his teachers,
he connected with other students. That was one of the key reasons why he was able to keep forging
ahead. It was amazing to see him graduate. This was one thing that meant so much to him, and of
course it meant so much to us too. With the help of my father and having my son, that was all the
motivation that I needed. That support is everything. Find free adult education classes
near you at finishyourdiploma.org. 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.
Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun.
The father, the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox.
That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have.
If you love them enough to crawl into a play place to get them to come down,
then surely you'll check nhtsa.gov slash the right seat to make sure they're in the right car seat.
What I thought was a complete life was nowhere near complete, but it is now.
Learn about adopting a teen at adoptuskids.org.
Welcome back to NTV Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. A 580 million dollar investment to battle China's
influence in the Pacific. The U.S. and Australia today announcing the funding together.
NTV's Tiffany Meyer has more. Even though the U.S. contribution is smaller at 150 million dollars,
it still signals that Washington places importance on the Pacific region.
That's notable given the administration has shut down USAID, the government agency responsible for
distributing foreign aid, citing wasteful spending. Here's Australia's Prime Minister
making the announcement at the Pacific Islands Forum. Pacific leaders have asked for Australia
to do more and we will do more. Today I announced that Australia will contribute 600 million dollar
package. That includes a range of measures, enhanced aerial surveillance, more training
for regional police. The Pacific Police Initiative is playing a really important role.
Although small, the Pacific Island nations are key to U.S.-China competition in the region.
For Beijing, those islands are essential to restricting U.S. military power in the Indo-Pacific
and isolating Taiwan militarily. To that end, the Chinese regime has been expanding its influence,
becoming a key trade and investment partner for nearly every Pacific Island country.
Beijing has a security agreement with the Solomon Islands. Chinese Navy ships have
also called up ports in Vanuatu. And Beijing has a comprehensive strategic partnership with the
Cook Islands. And joining us to discuss the investment into the Pacific Islands is Andrew
Harding. He's a policy analyst for national security at the Heritage Foundation. Thank you
for joining us this evening Andrew. Now the administration shut down USAID, but they're
still supporting these nations as we see now. So what is the new approach to Pacific investment?
Well good evening, thanks for having me. I think the Trump administration has been very clear
that the United States is firmly engaged in the Pacific, but it is a little different from the
prior administration. President Trump, Secretary Rubio in particular, he's been a rock star on this
issue, has been Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, has emphasized the administration's
trade over aid approach, in which the administration is emphasizing shared interests between the United
States and Pacific Island countries, looking at maritime security, economic investment,
private sector engagement. These are the types of activities that are very crucial for American
national security and prosperity, but also for the region. So by having a strong U.S. presence
at the Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting, and as you mentioned, the hundreds of dollars,
millions of dollars that have been announced, these are excellent examples of America being
engaged in the region and meeting the needs of the region. And you mentioned it is trade over
aid and its engagement on both fronts. So how much of all of those efforts are about shrinking
China's influence in the region? It's certainly on the mind of the administration. Of course,
it is very clear, and as Tiffany laid out very well, the People's Republic of China has been
very much engaged in the Pacific Islands. They've been doing this for many years.
And as you listed out with Solomon Islands, with Vanuatu, with Cook Islands, as well as others,
the Chinese have very much wanted to become more integrated into the Pacific Islands. They're
willing to use economic levers, economic packages, in order to gain security concessions, political
access. What the United States is doing is first meeting the needs of the region, that is shared
interests of the United States, in order to prove that it should be the partner of choice.
What that means is that the United States is respecting the sovereignty of Pacific Island
countries and meeting them where they're at. That looks at providing support, countering illegal
and unregulated phishing. That means providing telecommunication services, data center support,
as well as digital connectivity, undersea cables, as well as ensuring that the region is able to
address economic concerns. And as Secretary Landau made clear at the PIF just yesterday, in fact,
providing $60 million in support to combat an energy crisis and costs. So this is really
important for the region, ensuring that America is able to be a reliable, trustworthy partner.
Now, this particular summit hosted by the president of Palau,
he actually told the Epoch Times he's been personally bullied at similar regional forums
by Chinese diplomats for holding dialogue with Taiwan. Is that unusual for a leader of a country
to be bullied by a rank and file Chinese diplomat? Or is the president
openly talking about it? What's unusual in this particular instance?
I think the latter part is really important here, which China is very happy to
emanate countries that aren't falling in its line. In fact, the Chinese ambassador representative to
the Pacific has indicated that there will be consequences for countries that would not work
on China's interests and take China's position. The Pacific Island Forum, as you mentioned,
has threatened President Whips. But what President Whips, and he's been spectacular at this,
in which he has been standing up for Palau's sovereignty, making clear that Palau cherishes
its formal relationship with Taiwan, and that's not going to change under his leadership. It's
showing that when it comes to respecting Pacific Island sovereignty, China is nowhere to be found.
If anything, they're looking to crack down and hurt Pacific sovereignty if it means that they
can push Taiwan out of the region. So hats off to President Whips. I'm glad the United States
is a strong delegation there to support the president as well as broader regional interests.
Now, there are over 25,000 islands spread across so many miles of ocean. I think it's estimated at
about 3 million square miles. It can be a bit hard to appreciate the size and the scale of these
various nations. Can you give some context on their greatest challenges in the areas of
opportunities for these Pacific Island nations? A core challenge for this region is because of
its geography, it is certainly very expensive to get around, but it means that there's a lot of
money that comes to the cost of living, but there's limited economic opportunities. Because
these countries are very small, geographically diverse across, as you mentioned, all these
islands, they primarily focus on industries of tourism, fishing, the ability for people to come
and visit frequently, and they're looking more intensely at digital connectivity, the undersea
cables that can stretch across continents. This is also things that China is trying to weaponize.
In particular, one of the moves that China's made before the PIF was indicating to Chinese
citizens putting a travel warning and advisory against going to Palau, claiming that there's
been all these crimes and an increase in threats that Chinese citizens shouldn't go to. That's
something China's done before in an attempt to weaponize Palau and other countries here.
So this region is geographically diverse, but it's also what makes it so important here.
Because of its diversity, it's important that the United States is engaged. We look at ways
to promote the private sector and find ways for our security in order to defend the islands that
we're obligated to defend and have alliances with. But that also supports our ability to have
our military in the Pacific, protect American lives, as well as ensure our allies and partners
feel secure. And as we kind of take a step back and look at the broader region, what do you hope
from the Trump administration, as well as key allies, in terms of support for the Pacific
Islands? The first thing is continuing to show up. I think the administration's been excellent
at this. And again, Deputy Secretary Landau, in particular, this is his third trip to the
after Palau. He's visiting the Federated States of Micronesia, the Solomon Islands,
and the Kiribati. So to bring him up to nine countries, ascends his time in office here.
That's an excellent example of senior political leadership caring about the region. It shows
that the Trump administration cares. The second thing, then, is delivering. It's one thing to
make promises. And that's good. We need to make sure we're showing how we're going to be involved
in putting money where our mouth is. But we also then need to act. So when we make these strong
announcements, it's very important that we're making commitments that we'll follow through on.
That requires the Department of State to work closely with Congress to make sure
any commitments are funded, but also work in the interagency process to proactively address
problems that may come up and ensure that the United States is there. So as long as the Trump
administration continues to do that, I'm very confident that despite some different policy
issues, whether it's on foreign assistance or climate policy, broadly speaking, the
administration's doing excellent work advancing shared security and economic interests in the
region. All right. Well, a ton going on in the Pacific. Thank you so much for breaking it down,
Andrew Harding. Thank you. Next, the G20 takes aim at China's trade practices,
and Beijing refuses to back the group's joint statement on global economic imbalances.
Treasury Secretary Scott Besson made economic growth and fair trade the central focus during
a two-day summit in North Carolina. He zeroed in on China's massive export surplus. Here's more on
that. The G20 finance minister's meeting ends without China signing onto the group's joint
statement on global economic imbalances. Disagreement comes as the Trump administration
pushes for action against China's non-market economic policies. It is clear that the country
with the world's largest and unsustainable current account surplus, People's Republic of China,
was the dissenter. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson says the 19 other members back language
addressing countries that rely heavily on exports. The statement specifically calls on countries with
persistent trade surpluses to remove non-market practices that constrain domestic consumption.
Besson singling out China. We believe that non-market-based economies pushing out a
never-ending stream of cheap exports is not sustainable. I think that the fact that 19
countries did want to address this shows the sheer enormity of the problem and that we agree.
China's export push is putting pressure on economies around the world, including the U.S.
and Europe. The G20 statement also addresses global debt, calling for faster and more
predictable restructuring for countries struggling with debt sustainability.
Next, Apple has changed the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America on its Apple Maps service.
The update appearing yesterday for users in the U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum
says President Trump contacted Apple directly about this change.
Now, the move follows an executive order from President Trump that renamed the body of water.
It came amid collapsed trade talks with Canada and new tariffs on both sides. President Trump
has accused Canada of ripping the U.S. off for a long time on trade, and he says that Canada
doesn't, quote, pay for anything, but wants to be treated like a state, though it's not a state.
Users in Canada still see Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, New York Governor Kathy Hochul,
she has refused to adopt the new name on state maps. Apple used the same country-based labeling
after the Gulf of Mexico was renamed the Gulf of America.
And the U.S. Mint is beginning sales of a new $1 coin. It features President Trump.
The gold-colored coins go on sale at 12 p.m. Eastern today. Prices range from about $1.55
to $2.44 per coin. Now, the coins were first announced in July. The front features a
rendering of the president's face with the inscriptions Liberty, In God We Trust, and 1776
to 2026. And on the reverse features the presidential seal and the number 250,
which marks the nation's 250th anniversary. The coins are legal tender, but the Mint is
marketing them as collectibles. They contain no actual gold, though. The coins are mostly
copper with zinc, manganese, and nickel. Meanwhile, the Mint is also randomly including
250,000 special edition coins with a July 4th mark. And NTD's eighth international
piano competition starts today with a round of preliminaries. NTD's Niku Bani brings us
the highlights from day one and the inspiration classical music brings to the contestants.
Music fills the stage as NTD's eighth international piano competition officially kicks off. The
competition is dedicated to preserving the legacy of classical music, and today that begins with
the first round of preliminaries. Contestants in this round must perform one piece by J.S. Bach
and one Romantic-era etude. For many, styles like these are the foundation of their artistry.
Going back to the Baroque, classical, and even Romantic, like they're like the foundations upon
which things are built. So I think it's just really interesting to just go back in time,
rebuild all of the classical music from its history, and just to enjoy and admire,
for lack of a better word, the work of these composers and what they can teach us.
That connection to the past comes at a time when much of the world is moving in the opposite
direction, toward faster, shorter, and more immediate forms of entertainment.
I found that nowadays like everyone is like pursuing like very fast and very excited,
or short, like everyone do get the short on YouTube. So this classical music, you have to
really cool you down and then really dig into every single phrases or notes. I think which will
uplift my soul or my feeling every time I play the classical music.
And slowing down can reveal something that transcends time,
emotions that audiences today can still recognize in music written centuries ago.
This music has such relevance. I find such joy and grief and sorrow that these composers
experienced a long time ago, but I still can relate to that music and I think so many people
in the audience can too. So I think it's that relevance and that timelessness about classical
music that's so appealing. The preliminary rounds will continue until Thursday, and right on this
stage is where they will announce who will make it to the semi-finals. We will bring you the
results then. Nikubani, NTD News, New York. Thank you. Thank you, Niku, for that report.
And next, the 24-foot sculpture, which is known as Blue, now removed from the grounds of the
Kennedy Center. It's the latest move to redesign Washington's public spaces by the direction of
President Trump. Crews hauled the aluminum block sculpture by crane from a grassy area where
it has stood since 2019. Designed by artist Joel Shapiro, Blue resembles a soaring stick figure
with arms outstretched and one leg kicked up into the air. Now, the Kennedy Center confirmed
in a statement that the statue would be removed and said artwork de-installations were common
practice. And coming up in golf, Tiger Woods avoids jail time in his impaired driving case, but
he won't be getting behind the wheel anytime soon. Dave Martin joins us with the details.
You are not. There's never been a moment. You were forgotten. You are not holding.
On streets across America, homeless young people are cold, abused, in danger. Covenant House is
helping young people with nowhere else to turn. Please call or go online now with your gift of $19
a month. You'll help provide hot meals, safe shelter, medical care, and love. Call or go
online now. We'll send you this comforting blanket as a reminder of the difference you're making in
a young person's life. Call or go online now to safeplacetosleep.org. Say goodbye to harsh, bitter
coffee, and hello to a delicious, smooth brew. With specialty quality beans expertly roasted
in-house, you'll taste the difference with every sip. Fermented with a blend of 50 enzymes,
Day's Coffee delivers a rich brew like no other. Made with the highest grade specialty beans
available, you're sure to taste the difference. Meet your morning with Day's Enzyme Fermented
Coffee. I think building kindness in children from a very young age is foundational to their
growth, to building their character, to allow them to share with each other in a classroom
and in a space that is safe like a Ganjinguo 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. Spark 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. Here's sports news. We're
joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Thanks for joining, Dave. Looks like we've got football, we've got
some basketball, of course, but let's start with golf, Tiger Woods, probably something that
everybody wants to move on from, but how did all this end up for Tiger? Yeah, that suspicion of DUI
finally, I guess you could say, solved today or maybe ended today in a plea agreement here. Now,
when Woods will actually start playing next, we don't actually know for sure. He hasn't said.
Most likely, he'll play in that end of the year event, the Hero World Challenge that he hosts. He
only plays about six events a year anymore. That event, though, isn't until December. Now, as for
this case, Woods pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving and refusal to submit
to a lawful test. Now, as part of the agreement, his driver's license will be suspended for five
years. Now, a no contest plea is not admission of guilt, but means the accused will accept the
court's punishment. Now, Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI and refusal to submit to a lawful
test back on March 27. After his FUV hit a trailer that was being towed by a truck, he initially
pleaded not guilty to the charges. Now, for the accident, Woods said he was looking down at his
cell phone and changing the radio station when the accident happened. Officers noted that Woods
was sweating profusely and noted his movement was lethargic and slow while being interviewed.
Now, he did take a breathalyzer test, which showed no alcohol, but refused a urinalysis or blood
test for drugs, according to police. So, five years driver's license suspended. I think he
can afford to have a higher limousine driver to take him around, for sure. I mean, I like
driving, so that is, you know, that's too bad. I wouldn't want that anyway, but, you know, we'll
see. I gotta say, though, the police saying that he was sweating profusely, I would certainly think
when they interview people, other people are also sweating profusely. I probably would be sweating
profusely if I was being interviewed by the police, but maybe this must have been, you know,
a lot of sweating. That must be it. That's my guess. All right, we'll go with that. You know,
just like with yesterday's story with Tony Romo, obviously a private moment. We wish him well.
They're both brilliant at what they do and like to see Tiger back on the course and not in the
news for other reasons. I would like to see Tiger playing, too. Absolutely. All right, well, let's
move on, then, to, we got some off-the-field stuff. We're off the court, in this case,
the L.A. Clippers, the NBA's less famous franchise, but they do have two. L.A. is less famous. They're
looking to gain advantage, apparently, because the NBA has now sanctioned them for a salary cap
violation, and maybe it might be helpful just for our audience to explain what the salary cap is
and what the Clippers have been, you know, fined for doing. Now, this is salary cap circumvention
of rules. You know, every team has a certain salary cap that they can't go over. Even players
have a salary limit. Now, there are, you can go over the team salary cap, and you can't really
go over the player one, but let me get into it, all right? Let me just say what they said here,
right? Now, this is in regards to their signing all-star forward Kawhi Leonard back in 2022. Now,
in a statement, the NBA said, after a month-long investigation, quote, found a pattern of
misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior
offender of the salary cap circumvention rules, end quote. Now, the investigation was done by an
outside law firm. They found the Clippers broke rules by, quote, initiating off-court income
opportunities between Mr. Leonard and four companies doing business with the team, end quote.
Now, the punishments are very significant here. The Clippers are going to forfeit
five first-round draft picks. That starts in 2029 through 2033. They pay a $30 million fine.
Owner Steve Ballmer has been suspended from all team and league activities for a year. Plus,
a couple of more executives got suspended, and Kawhi Leonard must pay the league $700,000.
So, basically, it sounded like the investigation found that Clippers enticed Leonard to sign with
them as a free agent by facilitating endorsement agreements with companies and inducing the
companies to do so by offering them business. So, it's similar, I guess, to being accused of
paying money under the table. That's kind of how it is. I mean, is his agent not going to find him
these deals? I mean, that seems like a very stiff penalty, and what a talent Kawhi Leonard is, too.
Yeah, you know, it's been a long time since anyone had this, this applied to them. I think
the Minnesota Timberwolves, maybe like 20 years ago, 25 years ago, when they signed,
was it Kevin Garnett? I think, I don't think Garnett was found to have broken any rules,
but I think the Clippers somehow did. They lost five first-round draft picks, very significant
So, this had been, there had been certainly a lot of leaks about how this investigation was going.
So, if you had been following them, you knew it didn't look great anyway. You know, of course,
it was all, it was all reportedly, reports said. But now it comes out, this is a big one. So,
Clippers, yeah, that's some tough, tough loss for them, I'll say that.
All right, well, moving on from that bad news, in a little bit of good news for a player,
we go to college football. A judge has cleared the way for Missouri defensive tackle
Sterling Webb. He gets a fifth year of eligibility. Explain that one.
Yeah, just a day before Missouri's opening game here against Arkansas Pineville. That'll be
tomorrow night. Missouri gets a starter back on defense for a fifth season of eligibility. Now,
Webb started his career at New Mexico State back in 2022, played two years for them,
played the last two years for Missouri. Webb, one of nearly 400 athletes to suit the NCAA for a
fifth season of eligibility. Now, previously, you were allowed to play four seasons in five
years unless you got a special medical register. But the NCAA has announced that beginning next
season, athletes can play five seasons in five years. Now, that's prompted some, I don't know,
30 lawsuits around the country with players looking, who've exhausted their eligibility
last year under the old rules, looking to get a fifth season of play anyway. It looks like
a number of them are going to be successful. So, Kerry, this is actually different from the
lawsuits that we've been talking about, about former players, former players who've signed
NFL contracts looking to come back, maybe under after creations. This is different, actually,
from those looking to come back and play, like there were a couple we mentioned for LSU last
week. That one hasn't been completely resolved, it doesn't look like. It looks like the NCAA is
still trying to keep them out and the SEC is still trying to keep them out. So, there's a lot going
on here off the field. I mean, they're not even in training camps. They pretty much have started
the college season and now all of a sudden it's like a potential floodgate of players who were
amazing but just maybe couldn't make the high bar of the NFL. A lot of teams are probably like, hey,
we could inject some of that talent here at the 11th. I have a feeling any fan of a team that's
possibly getting one of these players is going to be for these rules, you know, their opponents,
maybe not, maybe not, you know. I mean, I was thinking maybe the one of those group of five
conferences would say, you know what, bring us your players that you think are, that the NCAA is
saying are not eligible but the courts saying are eligible. I'm a little surprised none of them
came out and said it or maybe nobody heard it. I don't know. It sounds like those two LSU players,
though, are going to be able to do it. This is a different case, of course, but the judges said,
yes, you see, you cannot punish any teams who are going to take these players. So, it's kind of a
crazy thing going on right now. Hopefully, we get some rules, you know, put in place soon with that
sports app. All right, well, keep us alerted as this one evolves. I will definitely do that,
Kerry. Hopefully, you understand it, all right, because it's very confusing. I'm processing,
I'm processing. And that is all the time we have for today's evening news. Thanks for joining us.
You can always visit us at ntd.com for around the clock original coverage or even better,
use our NTD app. Thanks for joining. He's Dave Martin. I'm Kerry Dunst. Be true, kind, and hold
the line.
