NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Sept. 21)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. This week is the United Nations General Assembly here in New York with over 70 heads of state expected to speak. And President Trump lands here in New York for high-level talks with leaders on the sidelines at the UN, plus a Greenland security deal, what to watch for. And President Trump meets New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani behind closed doors during his visit. What we know about their conversation was Bob on site. Russia launching attack drones throughout Ukraine just hours after Kiev hit an oil refinery in Moscow. Ukraine says over 45 percent of Russia's oil refining capacity has now been disabled. Jason Perry with the update. And California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with Paramount and 11 other states. The deal clears a major hurdle for the Warner Brothers' Discovery merger. Christina Corona has more. And could frequent flight delays now be a thing of the past? The Department of Transportation unveils a new air traffic planning system. It says it's the first of its kind. Jason Blair with that one. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Cary Dunst. Good evening. Thank you for joining us tonight. President Trump is here in New York today for a packed diplomatic schedule surrounding the U.N. General Assembly and his meeting with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping later this week. Joining us now is NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley. Jack, what are the president's priorities as he heads into all of these meetings? Sure. It's certainly a packed week, Cary. President Trump's meeting with several European leaders, Japan's president, Ukrainian President Zelensky, who he says he believes that that meeting with President Trump could be significant for efforts to end the war with Russia. The president's also expected to meet with Gulf nation leaders on the sidelines of the U.N. That says the president's weighing his next move on Iran, whether to restart a military offensive, continue its economic pressure, or attempt another deal. He also says that he's open to meeting with Iran's leadership at the U.N., but right now there's no such meeting scheduled. Now, last year, when the president spoke at the U.N. General Assembly, he criticized the U.N., arguing that the organization failed to help resolve major conflicts while saying his administration had achieved what they couldn't. And that includes peace deals between Armenia, Azerbaijan, India and Pakistan, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just to name a few. And President Trump at last year's meeting faced several unusual mishaps. You know, that escalator stopped working just as the president and the first lady were about to use it. And the president's teleprompter wasn't working for the beginning part of his speech, where he later said that his teleprompter operator was denied entry into the control room at the U.N. Now, later in the week, President Trump set to meet with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Senior U.S. officials told reporters on Friday that China remains the dominant supplier of fentanyl precursor chemicals used by drug cartels in Mexico. A senior U.S. official said this, quote, We do need them to do more on the fentanyl front. It does not appear that China has elevated this issue, where China is the overwhelming predominant supplier of precursor chemicals to cartels in Mexico and remains so. The White House also says that China's flow of rare earths into the U.S. and global economy has also not met expectations despite their trade agreements. The official says, quote, We've already negotiated for the proper flow of rare earths into our and really the global economy. And that China's performance in that respect has not been up to par of what we would expect. So that's what's paving the way into meetings between President Trump and Xi expected later this week. Gary. Oh, so much happening this week. Now, Jack, there's also this new security agreement involving the U.S., Greenland and Denmark and also several media outlets are now refusing to cover the president's remarks at the U.N. What can you tell us about all that? Right. So first off, that new security agreement is expected to be signed tomorrow. The administration says that the agreement would strengthen security in Greenland and prevent adversaries like China and Russia from establishing a military presence there. President Trump's repeatedly described Greenland as a strategically important area for U.S. national security. And this is all coming while CNN, MSNOW and Politico are suing the administration after President Trump banned them from the White House. They say that they can sit. President Trump says that they consistently report fake news. Those outlets are suing to regain access, saying it's an infringement on their First Amendment rights. They said in this joint statement here, quote, The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting. Several television networks are declining full coverage of President Trump in protest of this, standing side by side with those three networks. Those that are protesting include the five outlets that rotate, providing full coverage of the president's remarks. And that's Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC and formerly CNN. Now the president's responding to all this into the lawsuit, saying on Truth Social, quote, We'll go for appeal because fake news people and publications that only write negatively and who violate our national security by writing false and defamatory stories with unknown sources shouldn't be allowed access to the most important office anywhere in the world. The president later clarifying his stance in New York. Take a look. These outlets have an obligation to be fair. And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them. They're very bad for the country, very bad for national security. So I have that obligation. So at the U.N., these media outlets won't be carrying the feet of the president's remarks, but several other outlets, including ours, will be streaming it in their absence. Gary. Indeed, we will. Thank you so much, Jack. And next, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant met with his Chinese counterpart in New York City yesterday. The meeting comes ahead of President Trump's summit with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping. That's happening on Thursday. Lawmakers are asking the president to target China's predatory trade practices, as well as the unchecked industry, as well as human rights abuses. And to these, Fiona G reports. In an ex post on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant writes he is continuing discussions on U.S.-China economic and trade relationships to, quote, This is in line with many of the Trump administration's actions that we've seen over the past two years in combating malicious Chinese influence on the world stage. Besant tells CNBC's Squawk Box today that U.S. officials are still having ongoing talks regarding tariffs and the trade deficit with China. They've been having extensive discussions before. And are there items that are non-critical to both sides that we would like to take down to most favored nation tariff levels? So on the U.S. side, it would mean selling more agriculture, selling more energy. And on the medical devices. U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer answering a question on Bloomberg Today on whether the U.S. is ready to extend the temporary tariff truce with China, which is set to expire on November 10th. We will continue to have discussions about that. Our sense is we aren't going to have the extension today. But again, we still have some time before that happens. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the United States trade deficit with China in 2025 fell to below $202.7 billion. That's the lowest it's been in two decades. In a letter to President Trump last Friday, Representative John Molinar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, also urges the president to continue strengthening guardrails against Chinese intellectual property theft, specifically in terms of AI technology. The letter also highlights another concern, namely the CCP's hostage diplomacy. A recent bipartisan resolution calls for the release of all unlawfully detained U.S. citizens in China, with Chairman Molinar saying, Persecuted groups including Uyghurs, Christians and Falun Gong practitioners are all calling for religious freedom to be part of the talks between President Trump and Xi. They say that human rights is an issue that is just as important as AI development or the economy. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Fiona Ji, NTD News. Thank you to Fiona for that. Next, President Trump and New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani meeting at Gracie Mansion today. The president is in New York, of course, for the U.N. General Assembly. And despite their political differences, the two are pointing to areas where City Hall and the White House could actually work together, including a housing project in Queens. We now go live to NTD's political correspondent, Chris Bobb from Gracie Mansion in New York City. Good evening, Chris. What's the latest? Good evening, Kerry. So, yeah, just as you mentioned, President Trump and Mayor Zoran Mamdani speaking together at Gracie Mansion. It wasn't just a ceremonial meeting. We actually got some things that the president and the mayor can work on, namely affordability and housing. Let's take a listen to what they had to say. I appreciate the conversation the president and I have had on the subject of how we can make it easier to afford life in this great city that we call our home. It's a special place, a very special, a beautiful place when you go inside. And I've seen it with numerous different mayors and I said some great ones and some not so great ones. So hopefully you're going to be a great one. So coming out of this meeting, you hear Sunnyside Yards being a potential project that the federal government, as well as the mayor's office, could cooperate on. Mayor Mamdani says that if federal approval is granted, they could employ 30,000 people and provide 20,000 housing units. The challenge of the project is related to federal permitting and federal money as well. The Mamdani administration has previously asked the president for millions of dollars in grants as well as those approvals to get the project started. We heard a number of other interesting things, but first, a little bit on that project. You're going to need a lot of federal approvals and probably some federal money to do it. They've been talking about developing that for 50 years, so maybe they have a shot at doing it. Today, we've agreed to set up a new level of that conversation between our housing and operations team at City Hall and the White House team, because what we're speaking about is 12,000 homes, 30,000 jobs. So there's no commitment from President Trump that he is going to provide either the permitting or the funding for this project in Queens. However, he mentioned a couple of times that Mayor Mamdani has potential to be a great mayor. He was even impressed by that by one of the reporters here at The Gaggle after they both spoke. He says that he's rooting for New York and he wants to help make New York affordable. Back to you, Kerry. All right. Thanks, Chris. What an image of the two amicably discussing things next to each other. Appreciate the report. And next, the Federal Aviation Administration has halted flights into several major airports on the East Coast, the FAA blaming a damaged communications cable in New Jersey. Ground stops have been issued for JFK International, LaGuardia, Philadelphia International, Newark and Teterboro. FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said that a construction crew had accidentally cut a backup fiber line in New Jersey. According to flight tracking site FlightAware, more than 200 flights at Newark had been delayed while more than 400 were delayed at Philadelphia International. JFK is seeing over 180 delays with over 230 delays at LaGuardia. The issue has also forced a number of flights to divert to other airports. And off the back of that report, the FAA debuts a new air traffic planning system. It's aimed at reducing flight delays and cancellations. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says it's the first of its kind in the world. NDD correspondent Jason Blair has more. You are about to see the most advanced air traffic management system, not just in America, but the most advanced in the whole world. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy showcases a new air traffic planning system at Department of Transportation headquarters. America was the first in flight. We're the ones that helped the world set up air traffic control. And we are again leading the world in new technology to bring more efficiency and a better experience to the American people. The system is designed to decrease flight delays and cancellations by giving managers earlier reads on weather and schedules. This is our effort to give you a better system, better tools, and better efficiency as we move forward. Duffy says the system is using artificial intelligence as a predictive tool, but it won't be controlling the airspace. But it's always going to be a human that manages the airspace in America. So this tool won't manage the airspace, but it gives us better information, better data. The move is part of a larger push to modernize the nation's air traffic control system. We are executing on the most ambitious modernization project of our time and delivering it in record time. Secretary Duffy says there will be a slow rollout. The system is live now at Washington, D.C. area airports, including Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore, Washington. He says travelers should start noticing improvements by next summer. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. And coming up, tragic news at the fire at Yosemite National Park. Two crew members are killed when their helicopter crashes during a firefighting operation. David Lamb has more. In California, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with Paramount and 11 other states. The deal now clears a major legal hurdle for the Warner Brothers Discovery merger. Christina Corona has more. Now you don't have to wait for the bedroom of your dreams. At Mathis Home, our low prices and new five year promotional financing make it easy to get the looks you want when you want it. And with fast, free delivery. Here's a new arrival. This plush upholstered queen bed is just $10.99 in a soft pillowy fabric with rich wood accents. With our new 60 month financing, you can relax in it tonight for just $28 a month. Check out our huge in stock selection and now get five years to pay at your furniture superstore, Mathis Home. Imagine you're a little kid with a really big illness. You're in the hospital a lot and it can hurt and be scary, but a wish can make all the difference. Because when you grant a wish, kids fighting critical illnesses feel stronger. They can smile and laugh and they can even feel better sooner. A wish is more than just a nice thing to do, that you are going to help their care. You're going to help them get better. The impact a wish has on a child and their family is pretty endless. But every 20 minutes, another child learns they have a critical illness. You can grant them a life changing wish. Call or go online to grantwishes.org. Your first monthly gift this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month will have five times the impact. Thousands of kids need the healing power of a wish. But for every wish we grant, two more kids are waiting. My wish is to go to outer space. My wish was to be a unicorn. We found lots of kids in our own hospital that didn't get the wish experience. I think about that every day and I wish we could go back to those kids and give that to them. But I can't do it without donations. I can't do it without the ability and the funding to provide a wish. Call or go online to grantwishes.org. Give $20 a month and we'll send you this free t-shirt as a thank you for helping wish kids. And 98% of doctors say a wish can help. You can improve the quality of their life. You can transform their health care by giving, by donating. You're going to change a life forever. Will you help? Call or go online to grantwishes.org. And your first monthly gift will have five times the impact this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. If you love them enough to drive an hour to cheer them on as they get beat 11-0 in the rain, then surely you'll check nhtsa.gov slash the right seat to make sure they're correctly buckled in the back seat. Welcome back to NTD Evening News, I'm Cary Dunst. Tragic news in California. Two crew members are killed when their helicopter crashed during a firefighting operation. They were suppressing a fire at Yosemite National Park, which is 15% contained. NTD's David Lamb has more. Officials on Monday say two crew members have died after their helicopter crashed while fighting a fire at Yosemite National Park. The members were with aviation company Fly Precision, using water to suppress the dome fire from above. According to the FAA, a Eurocopter crashed around 2.55pm Sunday during firefighter operations. Fly Precision says, quote, we ask for privacy and compassion for their families and our team as we grieve this tremendous loss. Please keep their families, loved ones, and our entire team in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. The dome fire started last Tuesday, burning more than 3,000 acres. It's currently 15% contained and has slowed recently. The state firefighting agency, Cal Fire, says the fire is reaching areas previously burned by other fires, leaving less fuel for the fire. But winds are still carrying embers ahead of the main part of the fire. David Lamb, NTD News. And California Attorney General Rob Bonta and 11 other states have reached a settlement with Paramount over its planned merger with Warner Brothers Discovery. The new agreement includes new commitments for domestic production and protection for workers. NTD's Christina Corona has the details. California and 11 other states have reached a settlement with Paramount, clearing a major legal hurdle to its merger with Warner Brothers Discovery. But California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the settlement does not mean the states support the merger. The settlement is not a vote of support for this merger. It is not a blessing of the broader merger. The agreement comes as Paramount has faced questions over moving operations out of California. An L.A. County analysis found the merger could put roughly 4,500 direct film and TV jobs at risk over three years. Under the settlement, Paramount must spend at least $300 million more each year on U.S. production. With today's settlement, Paramount is required to move production back to the United States by spending, as a floor, at least $300 million more each year in domestic production, in jobs and economic activity and productions right here in this country. That's at least $1.5 billion over five years. Paramount must also release 30 movies a year for two years, then 32 a year for three years. Each year, at least four of those films must be independent films to provide more variety of perspectives, more storytelling. And at least 20 of those must be blockbusters. The company will also commit $47.5 million over five years for training and career development for workers displaced by the merger. And the settlement creates an independent editorial board for CBS News and CNN. It must establish a news editorial independence board to support CBS News' and CNN's continued editorial independence. Paramount and Warner Bros. must also negotiate cable packages separately. The settlement clears a major legal hurdle, but the merger still requires final court approval. And North Carolina is shaping up to be one of the toughest battlegrounds in the nation. Republicans are vying to hold on to a seat left open by retiring Senator Tom Tillis, and Denise Molina-Weiskopf has more. The U.S. Senate's balance of power in focus today as Vice President J.D. Vance travels to battleground North Carolina, where former RNC Chairman Michael Watley is in a tight race against former Governor Roy Cooper. Watley on Sunday pitching himself as the strongest candidate to combat crime. He let thousands upon thousands of violent, hardened criminals out onto North Carolina streets. Rapists and murderers and pedophiles that he put out on the street and they went on a crime wave. Cooper honing in on an economic message, traveling across the state on his Make Stuff Cost Less tour. There are so many people who are in the middle class who are barely hanging on, and just for too many North Carolina families, there's too much muck at the end of the money. North Carolina could be a make it or break it race for Republicans to hold control of the Senate. That's why Vice President J.D. Vance is visiting the state today to campaign for Watley, just days after the president stumped in the battleground state. And remember if the Republicans win the House and Senate, I will issue what we will all call from now on the Trump dividend to every adult in America will get $5,000 and you'll get it. The seat currently held by retiring Republican Tom Tillis is one that Republicans can't afford to lose. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control of the upper chamber, with the most likely avenue to doing so starting in North Carolina. Cook Political Report rates the race as lean Democrat. Then there are seven toss up races nationwide, including Iowa, Maine, Texas, Ohio, and others. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weisskopf, NTV News. And coming up, President Trump will be meeting with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday. What's on the top of his list? We're going to speak with a global security expert. And President Trump says his planned arch near Arlington Cemetery would also house drones and snipers. The new military role comes as the project faces legal challenges. You see certain things get reincarnated in your children. My daughter is very much inspired by my wife's artistic pursuits. So my daughter started making necklaces. She makes what we call affirmation fashion. I tell her every day that you're black is beautiful. You're black is beautiful. And if there's anything better than being beautiful, it's being smart. And if there's anything better than being smart, it's being kind. And reaffirming that every day is our method of making sure her chin never drops. My dad wasn't around. And I remember riding a bike and falling off and cutting myself. And me never would just want to get back on it. People ask, how your children learn how to ride a bike, and you did. I didn't teach them. I just created an environment where they taught themselves, and all I had to do was be there. We come from a long line of farmers, and there's a sense of pride in being part of these multigenerational businesses. But there's also a significant amount of pressure. My senior year of high school, my dad made the decision that this world no longer needed him in it. I don't know if he was overwhelmed by the bills and checks that weren't going to be coming in because of the strawberries dying off, but it breaks my heart that my dad made a permanent decision for a temporary issue. Don't feel like you have to go through it alone. Farmers have to take care of their physical and their mental health, because what's a farm without a farmer? The mornings, that's my time. Watching the sun come up, I can have a cup of coffee and exercise if I want to. It helps me start the day with a sense of gratitude. Every day is a new opportunity. Don't forget to check in on yourself. Love your mind. When I never graduated from high school, I realized I wanted to go back to school because I didn't want to work these back-breaking jobs the rest of my life. With the help of my father and having my son, that was all the motivation that I needed to come back to school. I felt accomplished. It made me feel that I could take on whatever challenges life throws at you. Find free adult education classes near you at finishyourdiploma.org. What I thought was a complete life was nowhere near complete, but it is now. Learn about adopting a teen at adoptyouwithkids.org. The impact of a meal goes well beyond feeding our bodies, because when people are fed, futures are nourished. And with your help, together we can end hunger. Join the movement at feedingamerica.org slash actnow. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. President Trump is welcoming Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday amidst all this busy diplomatic meetings happening at the UN General Session in New York. Joining us now is Michael Lucci. He's founder and CEO of State Armor. That's an organization that helps states enact solutions to global security threats, especially those posed by the Chinese regime. Michael, there is a packed agenda for this Trump-Xi meeting. What do you think should be at the top of that agenda? What I think should be at the top of the agenda is for the United States to keep this relationship cool as we separate from the Chinese Communist Party. If you look at what President Trump is doing going into this meeting, first, he just inked a tremendous deal with Greenland and Denmark, which gives the United States military permanent basing rights there. It allows us to deny access to China and Russia to Greenland altogether, economic or military. And second, he'll address the United Nations on America's operations in Iran. If you look across President Trump's actions, he's securing global choke points and securing global supply chains to prepare for a potential conflict with China so that we don't have to go through something that horrendous. And so what he should do is what he has been doing, is keeping this relationship cool as we separate supply chains, as we prepare the globe for a potential conflict. And can you go a level deeper on the significance of this deal with Greenland? So in 1951, the United States and Denmark made a deal as it relates to projection of military power on Greenland. What was missing from that deal is the possibility that Denmark might allow Greenland to go independent. Which is actually at play right now. So if Greenland would ever declare independence from Denmark, the United States would no longer have a security deal there. So that's brand new that we made permanent security deal that includes whether it's Greenland or Denmark or both of them. And furthermore, what's brand new is that we deny China and Russia any economic rights into Greenland. We can veto anything they want to do there. And there's a permanent denial, whether or not we veto it, of China and Russia having military bases there. So this is wrapping around President Trump's security of the Western Hemisphere, of all the passages to approach the United States and North America. He's securing our supply chains. He's securing our geography so that the Chinese Communist Party is not able to threaten us. On the other hand, we, of course, project power all across the globe, including in the Western Pacific, very near to China's shores. Yeah, certainly we've seen that effort in the South with what's being called the Don Rho doctrine. And now you're explaining how it's going to go all the way up north and into the Arctic. Let's talk a little bit now about Chinese cars, though. They have been gaining in Europe. The doors open now in Canada ahead of this meeting. Some lawmakers and auto groups, they're calling on President Trump to keep a U.S. ban in place, including for local production. I want to get your thoughts on Chinese cars and potential risks that they might carry. I think that's exactly right. I think that we should keep a ban on Chinese cars within the United States. And we should furthermore encourage our allies to eliminate Chinese cars from their streets, from their supply chains, especially in Canada, where those cars might cross into the United States. So recently, just in the last few days, research came out of a group in Norway which studied Chinese EVs for two and a half years. And they found that 90 percent of the communications of these rolling computers, which is basically what they are, 90 percent of the communications of these EVs were back to Communist China, even though China says that's not what they do in Europe, even though that's actually illegal in Europe. So they studied this platform, which is the Chinese cars, basically a spy platform. And it was sending tremendous amounts of data back to servers in China. They don't know what the data was because it's encrypted. But I think that I think we can understand that we don't want these cars rolling around our streets. President Biden, now President Trump, have held strong on that. We need to continue holding strong on that. And we need to furthermore encourage our allies to get these spy vehicles off their streets as well. Yeah, it's fascinating that report you cite that despite the legislation and the promises, those cars were communicating back to Communist China. And that actually is a really good segue into this next question about the way that the Chinese Communist Party seeks influence in our country through meddling toward pro-Beijing messaging. They do it through lobbying. They do it with their influence in various industries like media or academia. We've also reported on transnational repression here in the U.S. with ties back to the CCP. So what more can governments do, particularly our own government, to crack down on this foreign influence and this repression that comes from it? Absolutely. So the first thing that governments in America need to understand is that whether you're local, state or federal, you have a responsibility to resist the Chinese Communist Party. I'll give you a couple examples. Tulsa, Oklahoma, has a sister city agreement with Beihai, China. Why should everybody know about Beihai, China? That's where they are locking up pastors for exercising their religious freedoms in China. So of course, China doesn't recognize religious freedom. They actually try to destroy religious freedom. But you have a very Christian state, Oklahoma and community Tulsa, that is tied up in a sister city relationship with Communist China. That should be ended. At the state level, states need to really enact laws on what you describe transnational repression to really define what that crime is and to punish it so tremendously that these goons and these agents of the Chinese Communist Party just don't want to mess with those types of criminal charges. And of course, at the federal level, there's a lot to do to clean up the Foreign Agent Registration Act at the federal level, which is only capturing a couple dozen of the CCP's agents within the United States. And furthermore, laws on transnational repression, the CIRA Act, which is proposed in Congress right now to separate our universities from China's military. Again, they're military. These are all really important messages and policies to enact at the local, at the state and at the federal level. And Michael, to piggyback off that last point you made about transnational repression, how does AI play into that and what should we be positioning for in dealing with China and in negotiating with them this week? Well, AI, artificial intelligence, is a very important tool technology for us to develop and it is for the Chinese Communist Party as well. And what we're finding is, unfortunately, they are using our AI tools to perpetuate transnational oppression. So they run campaigns online. They've always run campaigns online to attack those people that they don't like, particularly members of the Chinese diaspora living in America and expressing their free speech in America. But now they're able to weaponize the tools of artificial intelligence on American social media platforms. So we've seen Twitter or X has broken up one of these campaigns, Anthropic and OpenAI have pointed to these campaigns being run through their artificial intelligence tools. So any lever that the Chinese Communist Party can get, even if those levers are ours, our technologies, they will use it to promote and perpetuate transnational oppression against people in the United States who just say things that the Chinese Communist Party does not like. We need to understand it's a fundamental attack on American sovereignty when they do it. What it is, is the CCP committing crimes here on our soil to destroy our constitutional rights. Well, there's a lot at stake this Thursday and a lot to look out for in terms of security. Michael Lucci, thank you so much for joining. Thank you. And tensions remain high in the Middle East, the U.S. warning any Americans in Iran that U.S. virtual embassy in Iran urging people to avoid traveling there for any reason. The embassy saying there's currently a complex security environment that could escalate. Flight cancellations and airspace closures could also occur across the Middle East. A warning posted on Saturday urges Americans to check their airlines for information on flight departures. Meanwhile, Iran today vowing to respond to any new U.S. offensive. Iran says it would introduce new weapons with new capabilities that would shock the world. And Treasury Secretary Scott Besant is threatening sanctions against companies that provide services to Iranian airlines. Besant spoke to CNBC after holding talks with Chinese Vice Premier Hila Fang yesterday. The Treasury Secretary telling companies, quote, you cannot provide them with fuel, you cannot provide them with landing services, you cannot sell them tickets or you will be knocked out of the dollar system. Besant's threat comes after the U.S. announced sanctions on 27 Iranian airlines earlier this month. According to the Treasury, Iran's commercial airlines have long supported the Iranian regime, allowing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to transport weapons and military personnel. Besant told CNBC that Iranian airlines will be shut out of global air travel by Wednesday. And oil producers in the Middle East are finding new ways to keep crude flowing. As the Iran war drags on, more oil is now making its way out of the Gulf, helping ease supply concerns and pushing crude prices lower. One key workaround is a growing network of ship-to-ship transfers. Tankers load crude at ports inside the Persian Gulf, then they pass through the Strait of Then they transfer the oil to larger vessels in waters off Oman. The larger tankers then carry the crude to buyers around the world, while the shuttle tankers then head back through the Strait to pick up another load. Now, this system allows the same vessels to make repeated shorter trips through the most dangerous part of the route. And according to analytics firm Kepler, crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz are running at about six and a half million barrels per day. This month, that's their highest sustained level since the June ceasefire. Now, these ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman are expected to reach roughly two and a half million barrels per day, and that's equivalent to about 40% of the current Hormuz crude flows. And Russian forces launching a wave of attack drones at Ukraine just hours after Kiev launched a swarm of drones on the Moscow region. Ukraine now says that over 45% of Russia's oil refining capacity has been disabled. And TV's Jason Perry has more on that. A building in Ukraine burning in flames on Sunday evening. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on social media says Russia struck 10 regions of Ukraine. A representative of Ukraine's state emergency service saying this after the attack. Five people were injured. Five others were rescued and 14 were evacuated. Psychologists from the state emergency service provided assistance to 16 local residents. The attack comes just hours after Ukraine launched a swarm of drones at the Moscow region on Russia's parliamentary election day. The pro-Putin party won a record number of seats in the election. A political scientist comparing it to an authoritarian election. During authoritarian elections, the people vote not for any program or party, they vote to support the powers that be and to confirm any decisions that have been made or any future decisions that will be made without consulting them. Ukraine reports striking a Russian oil refinery during Sunday's attack. Ukraine's general staff says on Telegram following the strike on the Moscow oil refinery that over 45 percent of Russia's designed oil refining capacity has been disabled. President Trump posting on Truth Social saying quote, Russia has unfortunately lost control of its diesel oil industry due to its war with Ukraine. A large number of their diesel refineries have been blown up and are at least temporarily out of commission. President Trump also calling for an end to the war, saying that 25,000 people are being killed each month. Last week, the president signed the Lindsey Graham sanctions bill into law, which directs him to impose up to 100 percent tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas. The Kremlin on Monday saying that the new sanctions bill would not help US-Russia relations or advance a peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine. Jason Perry, NTD News. President Trump says his planned 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery will now also serve as a military facility. He says the complex will store and deploy large numbers of drones with snipers positioned on the roof and the plaza. President saying the change comes at the strong request of the US military for the purposes of national security. The arch was announced last year as part of President Trump's effort to beautify Washington as well as mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. The proposed structure would stand on an island at Memorial Circle near the west end of Arlington Memorial Bridge. But the project is facing legal challenges. A group of veterans and a historian filing a lawsuit arguing construction requires new congressional authorization. And over to Europe now, where a colorful parade delighted the people of Prague in the Czech Republic. NTD's Daniel Monaghan has the highlights of the event, which featured a spiritual practice and drew attention to an ongoing persecution. The triumphant songs of the European Tiango marching band resound through the picturesque city of Prague as they march down the cobblestone roads from Prague Castle. The band and parade later proceeding across the historic Charles Bridge built between 1357 and 1402. The parade organized by practitioners of the Chinese meditation practice Falun Gong winds its way through the ancient streets of Old Town and makes its way to Wroclawski Square. Colorful lions soon meander through the city. A dragon also twists and turns as the parade continues. The waist drummers share a greeting. Banners spotlighting the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners arrive in the square. When it was first brought to the public in China, so many people were practicing that everybody knew if they weren't doing it themselves, they knew it was something good. So the CCP had to try and change people's minds, which they have done to an extent with propaganda. So 100 million people that practiced it there are being persecuted by the communist regime at the moment. It was forbidden in 1999 and since then the people are persecuted, put in labor camps, jail and so on and we want to let more people know about it. The European Parliament has repeatedly condemned China's state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience, especially targeting Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs. And last year the U.S. House passed the Falun Gong Protection Act to sanction individuals involved in forced organ harvesting. Parade participants say they march to share the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance, and to draw attention to the persecution in China. The parade is here to tell people of the city and the tourists that Falun Dafa is good and we want to let them know about the persecution in China. Before the parade starts, Falun Gong practitioners sit in meditation. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, consists of five gentle exercises and character cultivation following the above-mentioned principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Parade participants discuss the benefits the practice has given them. So Falun Dafa has really helped me get away from that and realize that you cannot change the world by trying to change other people. The only thing you can change is yourself. Falun Dafa is very, very powerful and it's very good for me in my life and also changed my life. I feel a lot of wisdom coming from this practice, from the teachings especially. It brings a lot of harmony into your daily life when I really can adapt to these principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Before I practiced Falun Dafa, my life was chaos, drugs. The parade wrapping up at Old Town Square, the most significant square in Prague, founded in the 12th century. Through music, meditation and banners, practitioners say they hope more Europeans will learn about Falun Dafa and what its followers face in China. Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. And coming up in the NFL, one of the league's all-time greats comes out of retirement tonight as the Rams host the Giants. Dave Martin joins us with the details. I've devoted my life to combining cutting edge science with ancient biblical wisdom and I believe healing leaves tea is the Bible's best kept health secret. In Revelation 22, the Bible reveals the tree of life with 12 different fruits and it tells us the leaves are for the healing of the nations. So I put scripture to the test and discovered the most potent combination of 12 fruit tree leaves. Amazingly, science confirms what scripture declares. These leaves are rich in powerful nutrients that support digestion and immunity, maintain healthy inflammation and help boost natural energy levels, which is why I created healing leaves tea. No more handfuls of capsules or scoops of bitter powders. Just a powerful, organic and caffeine-free tea made from sacred plants. Simple, convenient and delicious, hot or cold. As a doctor, I am so excited about sharing healing leaves with my family as well as all of my patients. You have your cup of coffee, I have my cup of healing leaves. Nothing easier than a daily glass of healing leaves iced tea and I feel great. My wife and I started drinking it the same day and we drink it every day. I know it supports my health and immunity and that's really important at my age. It's given me a cup full of hope every single day. Thousands are already making healing leaves part of their daily wellness routine and now you can too. Discover this biblical health secret today. Call the number on your screen for this exclusive TV deal and save 30% on your preferred customer order with free shipping and risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. As a bonus, we'll include the Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils, a $16.99 value free. Discover this biblical health secret. Call for this exclusive TV offer to learn more right now. My Pillow's second annual mega sale is finally here. Get our patented premium My Pillow's that adjusts to your exact individual needs to give you the best sleep of your life. When I got My Pillow, I'm asleep almost immediately. I stay asleep at night and I wake up more well-rested in the morning. Now for the lowest price ever, King's $19.98, Queen's only $18.98 and Gee's A Dream bed sheets, the best sheets in history for as low as $29.98. Luxe Pure six-piece towel sets, towels that actually dry you, what a concept, now only $39.98 and are made in the USA, mattresses and mattress toppers as low as $99.98. So go to MyPillow.com or call the number on your screen. Use your promo code to take advantage of our second annual mega sale. But that's not all. Order right now and we'll ship your order absolutely free. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, a lot of football to get into, but why don't we start in baseball? The playoffs are starting next week. Yeah, we've got 12 playoff spots and six have already been decided. We've got the Rays, Brewers, Dodgers, Yankees, Braves and yesterday the Boston Red Sox joined them as teams that clinched a playoff spot. Now all three National League division races have been decided. None of the AL1s, though, have been, but the AL East is at least close to it. Now the Rays, meanwhile, lead the Yankees by six games with seven to play. If the Yankees are going to make a run, they're going to have to do it this week. The teams begin a four-game set starting tomorrow in the Bronx with a doubleheader. Now, meanwhile, the first place Cleveland Guardians with the Chicago White Sox by one game in the AL Central. Whoever finishes second in this race, well, they'll likely get the final wild card spot. And in the AL West, the Rangers lead the Astros by a game as well there. Now moving to the National League, the three divisions have all been decided. The Cubs, meanwhile, the Cubs, Padres and Affiliates all have sizable leads in the wild card race. None have clinched a spot, but it should be very soon. Tonight, only three games scheduled, none involving likely playoff teams. I don't know, baseball is just kind of ceding to Monday Night Football at this point, but they're not putting any kind of competition on Monday night tonight. Well, there you go. That's the power of the almighty football. Let's jump into football, but let's start with not Monday nights, but Saturday and sometimes Friday nights in college football. It's the second weekend now where the game of the week lived up to the hype where the underdog home field team, first it was Texas fending off Ohio State, now Ole Miss does it. We've been talking about that showdown because Lane Kipping returned to Ole Miss. Every day last week we talked about it. And it really lived up to it. It lived up to the hype, and now what's the rankings? Yeah, so Ole Miss jumps to number four after beating LSU 32-24 on Saturday night. They're the LSU main wild card from 7th to 10th. Texas, of course, remains number one in the top five. We've got Texas at number one, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and then defending champion Indiana at number five. Six through ten, we've got Miami, Ohio State. We've got Alabama number eight, which had that come-from-behind win over Kentucky. BYU then is ninth, and LSU fell to tenth. Now the biggest mover was Texas A&M, which actually dropped 14 spots from ninth to 23rd after the home loss to Kentucky. This weekend we've got a big one. Six games where both teams are ranked. We've got Texas versus Tennessee, Ole Miss versus Florida, Iowa against Michigan, Texas A&M versus LSU, Oregon at USC, and Missouri at Mississippi State. Plus we've got unranked Oklahoma faces Georgia and Penn State faces unranked Wisconsin. Those are all on big Saturday this weekend coming up. I know you're a big Penn State fan going against Wisconsin. Are they going to white-out this weekend? I think it's not until USC. That's the first ranked opponent that I think they'll face. I think only one of two that they'll face all year. But, you know, as you're going through that, I can't just help but think about how every week in the SEC is just another major showdown. LSU just took on Ole Miss, and now they have to go up against Texas A&M. There's no break in the schedule, especially if you're one of those unfortunate unranked teams in the conference. You're probably facing a ranked team every week. I think there's ten SEC teams ranked in the top 25, nine or ten, something like that. So it's a power conference for sure. Good luck to anyone trying to win that conference. I'll tell you, I'm a proud Penn State fan, but I can imagine what it would be like having grown up going to these SEC games. It's just at another level. The Big Ten is exactly easy now. Now that Indiana's become a powerhouse, obviously Ohio State. Well, Michigan's dropped down a bit, I guess, since Harbaugh left. Penn State looks like they should move right back up, actually, after last year. So not an easy division there, too. All right, well, we'll have to see what happens. A lot leads into these playoffs. It's just a different game than it used to be. The wisdom that you could only lose once, that kind of goes out the window now. Well, you know, it used to be only two teams made the playoffs. The BCS, it was a two-team playoff, and actually before that, there was no playoff. It was just a bunch of bowl games, and then we all just waited for someone to decide who was number one at the end of the season. I thought that was the most confusing way. January 1st, remember, all the bowl games take place January 1st, and then we're just going to decide number one. We wait for that the next day. It was kind of crazy. So I like the playoffs, even though we have some, you know, two or three losses. And what happens on Saturdays will eventually inform what happens on Sundays. Why don't we move to the NFL? A lot happened over the weekend. I squeaked by for the second week in a row. I'm 2-0 now in fantasy. But a big game tonight, the New York Giants, always captures my attention. And an Ole Miss quarterback, Jackson Dart. Yeah, first of all, we're not going to mention my fantasy football team until I actually have something to brag about. But, yeah, tonight, return of Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who retired two and a half years ago. Maybe the best ever play at his position. Ten years in the league, he made ten Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro first team, eight times, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, plus a Super Bowl after the 2021 season. Now, he retired after the 2023 season, still at the top of his game, but now at age 35, it would seem it could be an uphill battle to still be that great. Plus, the catalyst for his return, that was to play alongside newly-carred defensive end Miles Garrett, who's won two Defensive Player of the Year awards. Garrett, though, will not be playing tonight. He's on injured reserve after having surgery. Might be back by October. Obviously, if you have both Garrett and Donald on the same side of the line, you can't double-team both of them. So, it should be very interesting once he returns. Meanwhile, this is for the Giants. This is game two of the John Harbaugh era tonight. Game's going to be in L.A. starting at 8.15 Eastern time, and of course, we'll be on ESPN and ABC. Now, I do have the Rams' defense tonight on my team. They would have to have one heck of a game for me to actually somehow get a win out of this. How many pick six would you need to pull it out? Well, you know, my team only has 29 points in total, and we're trailing by 40. So, you would essentially have to do – the defense would have to do better than the rest of my team combined by a ways to actually win tonight. Maybe five pick sixes, something like that. Well, if it was against any other team, I would root for you. But being that I am from New Jersey and I'm a Giants fan, Dave, you're on your own, man. All right. Well, thank you anyway, Cary. Appreciate the update. That is all for today's evening news. But for around-the-clock coverage, you can always visit us at ntd.com. For Dave Martin, I'm Cary Dunst. Be true, kind, hold the line. Have a great night.