Trump’s 4th Indictment, What’s His Next Move?; FBI Tipped Off Biden Team: Whistleblower | NTD 2023-08-15 16:33

What's happening in the world, coming up on NTD News. First, our top stories. The most broad charges yet brought forth against former President Trump, what he's charged with and what he plans to do next to counter this. Trump team's request to discuss classified documents in a secure facility was declined. Prosecutors said there's no special treatment. We have more updates on that and on Trump's New York hush money case. A Democrat congressman says most Americans want President Biden to skip re-election. He says there are other Democrats who should step in for a presidential run. Bone-chilling exposure of China's organ harvesting industry. A doctor speaking under his real name explains a shocking first-hand experience. We have an exclusive report. Welcome to NTD News Today, I'm Chris Beers, our top news. Former President Trump now facing nearly 100 charges in total after his fourth indictment in Georgia late last night. What's his next move going to be? NTD's Melina Wisecup is at the Fulton County Courthouse for us this afternoon. Melina, the speed of this indictment came as a surprise, and it's also the most complicated one yet. Tell us more. Yeah, Chris, it was totally a shock, the speed in which this case came, these indictments came. We were all expecting this to unfold today, but actually it was moved up a day. It came out late last night. And this is a broad case. It wasn't just targeting Trump. This is why it's so broad and complex, because Trump's not the only one facing charges here. There are 18 other defendants in this case, many of whom are Trump's closest allies, some of which were on the front lines here in Georgia when they were probing the so-called election fraud back in January of 2021. Figures like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, for example, are also facing charges in this lawsuit, and they're being charged as being involved in a criminal enterprise. Here's how the DA explained the charges last night, along with a Trump response earlier today. Every individual charged in the indictment is charged with one count of violating Georgia's racketeer-influenced and corrupt organizations act through participation in a criminal enterprise. They know they can't beat me in a fair fight at the ballot box, so they're weaponizing the legal system to try and defeat me. And you know what? This is the greatest political movement of all time. It's called Make America Great Again. There's never been a movement like it, and they're not gonna let it happen. As we mentioned, there are a total of 19 defendants, including former President Trump, a total of 41 charges. Thirteen of those charges are directed at former President Trump. If we could just show on the screen here what charges he's facing in this case, but also the other three indictments that he's also facing. So if we could just pull that up on the screen. So with the total of all four of these indictments together, there's a total of 91 charges. That's nearly 100 charges that former President Trump is right now currently facing. Of course, this being the most recent. Now I want to point out some similarities between this Georgia case and the DC case led by the DOJ with regards to the election, the 2020 election, that case there. So there are some similarities. That is, there are conspiracy charges, and these will be particularly hard to prove because you do need to have hard records of communications, which this court does have. This prosecutor does have those hard records of communications, she says, to prove this. But you also have to prove another element, and that is you have to prove that there's a criminal intent, and that's what they're conspiring to do. So there's two elements here. Attorneys, lawmakers and attorneys tell me this will be very difficult to prove, but of course they're going to forge ahead and try their best. Now I want to point out one thing that did happen yesterday, and that was the fact that the court actually posted these charges to their website before the grand jury even voted. This was while the grand jury was hearing witnesses still testify, and that was briefly put up. These same exact charges that are now actually out in the open were briefly posted on the Georgia court website and then taken down. Later, the court says that this was a fictitious document, although this has garnered some backlash, especially from Trump's attorneys who call this a disrespect for the grand jury system, Chris. What's next in this case, Melina? Yeah, so how Trump is responding now, his lawyers will try to move this case to federal court, which he previously did try to do when this case was being overseen by a different judge. But that judge has since been changed, so it's possible that this new judge could rule a different way here. All defendants, including former President Trump, have until August 25th, that is next Friday, to come here to surrender and enter a plea deal or enter a plea decision. And Trump, what's next for him? Monday, he plans to hold a press conference in New Jersey where he'll unveil his reports of election fraud. Chris, back to you. Thank you, Melina. Some updates on two of Trump's other cases. A request by Trump's lawyers for a secure information facility at Mar-a-Lago was declined. Trump and his team wanted to use the facility to discuss classified evidence. Prosecutors with special counsel Jack Smith turned down the request, arguing that the move amounts to special treatment that no other criminal defendant would receive. The judge overseeing this case issued a protective order last week, limiting what the former president and his legal team can say publicly about evidence. Over to New York, the judge overseeing Trump's hush money case has declined to step aside from the proceedings. Trump's legal team previously asked Justice Juan Marcon to recuse himself, citing a conflict of interest, both politically and financially. Marcon rejected arguments from Trump's legal team. The criminal case is the first of the four Trump is facing. To learn more about Trump's mounting legal problems, I spoke with Paul Kaminar, lead counsel at the National Legal Policy Center. Paul Kamenar, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Paul, what's this fourth indictment of Donald Trump about? Basically they're trying to charge Trump and 18 other defendants of stealing the election in Georgia, or trying to steal it, going after the electors and setting up so-called false electors and it's one that is unprecedented. Basically they're charging these defendants with petitioning the state officials for a redress of grievances, which was totally protected by the First Amendment. I don't see how they can be convicted of that constitutional right they have. And what would you say is most notable about this indictment? Most notable is the breadth of it, 19 defendants. There's no way you can have 19 defendants and their attorneys all in one courtroom. They're going to have to have it in a coliseum. It's also noted for the 161 acts of the RICO violation. If you look at them, a lot of them are that Trump asked the state election officials to look into possible fraud. That's totally protected. There are 41 counts. They've got everybody in there. And I just don't see this case being tried at least for another year or so after the election. Now, like you touched on, this case is being filed as a RICO case. Explain for us what that means. Yeah, RICO, R-I-C-O, is the abbreviation for Racketeer Influence and Corruption Organization, meaning she's saying that Trump and his allies are basically acting like a criminal enterprise, like some drug gang or mafia. And under Georgia law, it's a lot easier to use that law than it is the federal RICO statute. And again, there's a lot of constitutional issues here, not to mention that this case should be removed to a federal court because of the allegations that Trump was acting while he was president and executing his duties. Now, what does the prosecution have to prove to win this case? They have to prove each one of those counts that there was corrupt and illegal intent for each of these defendants to try to steal the Georgia election. They're going to have to get 12 jurors to agree to that. And they have to go count by count. And I just don't see how this prosecutor can do that with this kind of a massive charge being brought. And this prosecutor, as we know, has a political axe to grind. She was out to get Trump. She also was admonished by the court for having a fundraiser for one of the opponents of one of the defendants that she's prosecuted. I mean, this thing stinks to high heavens. Paul, how does this indictment compare to the other three indictments of Donald Trump right now? Well, that's a good question. The other three indictments, one in New York deals with Stormy Daniels, has nothing to do with this. The one in Florida, the Mar-a-Lago deal with classified documents that has nothing to do with this case. The only one that may be similar and is similar is the one they indicted last week, charging Trump only Trump and also six unindicted conspirators with stealing the election at the federal level in terms of getting Pence to have the electors count be sent back to the states. So it's related in that way. The Georgia one is more focused on the state electors only. The one in D.C. court here focuses on the overall election. Paul Kamenar, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Anytime. Coming up, a court rules that Harvard University cannot recoup millions of dollars in legal fees. That's after it unsuccessfully tried to defend its race-based admissions policy. A Texas lawsuit against Planned Parenthood is set to begin. The state is looking to recoup Medicaid money and impose fines. And new movie Sound of Freedom beat out Disney's Indiana Jones, becoming biggest surprise of the year at the box office. More in just a moment here on NTD News Today. Hey, I told you enough of that. But look, this is different. It's gone gene world. you more family-friendly. One single person is sometimes all it takes to change the course of history. With courage and great effort, our ancestors built the pillars we stand on today, leaving us a legacy of art, music, and wisdom. At the heart of almost every culture is our relation and connection with the divine. Today, their profound contemplations, beliefs, and great sacrifices have at times become misunderstood and even ridiculed. With the help of academic experts, we'll shine a new light on some of the most influential and courageous characters in history. The miracles that surround them. painting that has true beauty. I imagine it's like a doll. The artist holds the key to open the door. bring people to a pure world war. people are more compassionate. I am Li Ching-Yung, the founder of Kwai Shan Fang. In Taiwan, we have the world's largest cypress forest. My father especially loves the forest scent emitted by the cypress forest. To bring the forest's fragrance to my father and family, I founded Kwai Shan Fang. We aim to provide you with the most natural cypress forest essence. Welcome back. An FBI whistleblower's transcript testimony regarding an investigation into Hunter Biden was released yesterday. The House Oversight Committee interviewed the former FBI supervisor last month. He was responsible for opening the Bureau's investigation into the President's son and remains anonymous. The whistleblower testified that the 2020 transition team of then President-elect Biden was tipped off about a planned FBI interview with his son, Hunter Biden, and that the interview never took place as a result. That corroborates allegations made by a former IRS investigator-turned-whistleblower, Gary Shapley. The whistleblower said he understood why FBI headquarters had to inform the Secret Service headquarters, but not Biden's transition team. Hunter Biden's legal criminal defense attorney wants off the case. In his request to withdraw, Christopher Clark told the federal judge he could now be called as a witness in future proceedings, since the plea agreement will likely be contested. Last week, federal prosecutors said they reached an impasse on the plea deal related to tax offenses and a gun possession charge. A retired Harvard Law professor is questioning the legality of U.S. Attorney David Weiss's special counsel status in Hunter Biden's case. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss to lead the investigation last week. Attorney Alan Dershowitz told Fox Business that it's illegal. Here's Dershowitz yesterday. The regulation provides clearly that special counsel have to come from outside the government, for good reason. What's so special about a special counsel is that he doesn't have to answer to the president administration. He's independent. A number of congressional Republicans are calling for Weiss to recuse himself. The Justice Department has not addressed the controversy. A Democratic congressman says Biden should step aside in 2024. He'd like to see more Democratic challengers step up and run for president. He says the public wants more options. Joe Biden right now is down seven points in the four swing states that will decide the next election. He has historically low approval numbers, Chuck. There are about 55% of Democrats would like to see an alternative. I can keep going down the list. No, I, Phillips says he'd like to see Democratic governors from swing states run in the upcoming presidential election. He says Biden left an extraordinary legacy, but that now it's time to pass the torch. Challengers Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mary Ann Williams have already declared their intention to run, but they're not on the list of those Phillips believes have a chance. There has been speculation Phillips is interested in the seat himself, but he's not committed to run. As of Monday, President Biden's approval rating average set at 41.1% approval versus 54.2% disapproval, with little change over last month. The US Navy is now the third military service without a Senate confirmed chief of staff. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mike Gilday, retired on Monday. This marks the first time in history three military branches have no Senate approved leader. The spate of unconfirmed nominations was driven by Senator Tommy Tuberville. Blocked around 300 nominations, Tuberville is protesting federal funds being used to cover travel costs for service members getting abortions. Tuberville maintains it's a violation of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds for abortion. Usually nominations are approved in large batches by unanimous consent. Now each nomination must be voted on individually, which slows down the process, especially with Congress on break until September 12th. President Biden had already nominated a replacement to lead the Navy. Admiral Lisa Franchetti currently leads in an acting capacity. Harvard must pay $15 million of legal fees in the race-based admissions fight. A judge has ruled that the university's secondary insurance provider has no obligation to cover the cost. The debt is from the school's failed attempt to defend its use of racial preference in admissions. Harvard bought an excess insurance policy with Zurich American Insurance for millions of dollars in legal fees. Harvard was supposed to formally notify Zurich within 90 days of passing the $25 million cap in order for the secondary policy to kick in. 90-day window closed in January 2016, but Zurich didn't receive a written notice from Harvard until May 2017. Harvard sued Zurich and claimed the company knew about the pending lawsuit because of extensive media coverage, but the court says Harvard's failure to give notice according to the policy's terms and conditions forfeits any right to coverage. A lawsuit in Texas aims to recoup at least $17 million from Planned Parenthood. A hearing in the lawsuit is set for today. The case is not focused on abortion itself. Texas has already declared abortion illegal. Planned Parenthood claims that the case is another effort by Republicans to further weaken the organization. From the state's perspective, the state was attempting to remove Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program. The state is finally succeeding in 2021, but leading up to that, Planned Parenthood was still receiving funding. The state is looking to recoup the money given during that time. Texas filed its legal claim under the Federal False Claims Act. Every alleged improper payment would be accompanied by a fine. Planned Parenthood said this could mean it has to pay over $1 billion. A Wisconsin couple previously charged in connection to the Antifa-linked Kenosha, Wisconsin riots in 2020 has now been sentenced for a robbery two years later. The couple is also known for shooting a warning shot at Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse was 17 years old when he shot three people at one of the riots, but was cleared of all charges on self-defense claims. In this new case, Joshua Ziminski was out on bail for his involvement in the riots when he and his wife went on a crime spree, resulting in seven felony charges. A victim identified the couple as two of three people who attempted to rob him. Kelly Ziminski said that they were trying to get $200 the man owed her, and that he sexually assaulted her. She denies anyone had a weapon, but both pleaded guilty to burglary and robbery with threat of force charges. Joshua Ziminski was sentenced to three years in prison, and his spouse, Kelly Ziminski, faces a 20-month sentence. Additional charges were dropped in exchange for a plea deal. Joshua Ziminski will also see all earlier charges related to the 2020 riots dismissed. A box office win for Sound of Freedom, the new movie outperformed the latest Indiana Jones movie over the weekend. The movie, based on the true story of a former Homeland Security agent, is about the crime of child trafficking. With a budget less than $15 million, it beat out major Hollywood studio films like Mission Impossible. Walt Disney shelved the film in 2018, and then Angel Studios obtained the distribution rights. It opened in U.S. cinemas on July 4th, and was deemed the greatest surprise of the domestic box office this year. When we return, a decade-long case settled. Banking group UBS is to pay more than $1 billion in fines for its role in the 2008 financial crisis. And when are Americans going to see some relief? Talk to an expert for some money-saving tips. We'll have the details soon when we return. I'm a bandit We've got this new record coming out called The Country Truth. Comes out August 18th. It's the truth being spoken from the perspective of a country guy watching all this unfold. Have a great time in Nashville. I'm off to the feds. Okay. NTD's Capitol Report. It's about getting answers. Cutting through the fog of politics. It's about your questions and our chances to ask. We're speaking to those in power to find out what does this mean for the people. We're here so you're in the know. Good morning, I'm Evelyn Lee. And I'm Kevin Hogan. the stories that need to be told, the voices that need to be heard, the truth that you need to see. Get unbiased and in-depth news. Don't miss a beat. I'm Stefania Cox at MTV. We're here for you. Welcome back everyone. Wall Street firm UBS has to pay $1.4 billion for selling mortgage-backed securities that blew up during the 2008 recession. This resolves the final case over the role of Wall Street firms in the 2008 financial crisis. The DOJ filed a civil action against UBS in 2018 alleging the bank defrauded investors and knowingly misled buyers of residential mortgage-backed securities in 2006 and 2007. UBS described the agreement as a settlement of a legacy matter. Other Wall Street firms including Barclay, Deutsche Bank, and Goldman Sachs were previously hit with even larger fines. In total, prosecutors say they fined companies more than $36 billion for conduct that fueled the 2008 financial crisis. If you're planning to travel this Labor Day weekend, you might want to factor in rising gas prices. The cost of regular is above $4 a gallon in 11 states, according to AAA. Others are nearing that threshold, and the national average is $3.86. It's the highest it's been in about 10 months, and it's up 3 cents from last week. Oil prices are up because Russia and Saudi Arabia have been cutting the global supply, and policies in the US limit regional oil development and transport. What are some potential factors that could push up gas prices even further? Or could the costs fall by Labor Day weekend? And how can you save on gas? NGD Business' Don Ma speaks with an analyst from GasBuddy. And now here with me is Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. So Patrick, national average $3.86 right now. Washington State at $5 a gallon. I'm wondering, is there still headroom for prices to rise, or have we peaked now? Well, there certainly is the possibility that we could continue to go even higher than this. We are coming into the peak of hurricane season, which really starts in mid to late August and lasts for about three to four weeks. So if we see any major hurricane, especially one that enters the Gulf of Mexico, that's where half of the nation's total refining capacity is. And if a hurricane should threaten that infrastructure, we certainly could see the national average going up beyond the $4 a gallon mark. But that's a big what if. I think if we avoid a major hurricane, we should see prices taper off, especially now that gasoline demand is starting to fall as schools reopen nationwide. Going into the Labor Day weekend, how are prices going to look like? I think that gas prices will likely inch a little bit lower by Labor Day. Probably not much. The national average may be between $3.75 to $3.85 a gallon. So not a huge departure from where we are today. But it's going to be abnormal, that is, for gas prices that are higher closing the summer driving season this year compared to the normal year, which features typically gas prices declining going into the closing innings of summer. In your opinion, what has been the biggest factor influencing prices here at the pump in the U.S.? Well, a lot of what we've seen with gas prices suddenly rising has been really two major issues that have arisen. First and foremost, Saudi Arabia cutting oil production, which it announced in June. Starting in July, it has now extended those cuts into both August and September. That's been pushing up the price of oil, as is Russia now joining in on those production cuts. In addition, the heat wave that the United States saw several weeks ago caused unexpected outages at some of those large refineries down in Texas and Louisiana. That contributed to the big surge in gas prices as well. Long term wise, perhaps maybe next year, where do you see oil prices trending? Well, I think there certainly could be more upward pressure going into 2024, especially if the economy continues to improve. If the Federal Reserve starts to taper off of interest rates, that could start to contribute to rising BP. At the same time, that could also contribute to an American consumer who starts to consume more fossil fuels, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. And the big wild card is Will OPEC, which has projected or planned on production cuts in 2024. Stick with those production cuts. It's going to be a very delicate balancing act, but I do think that 2024 may see higher oil prices than what we saw this year. I see. So I'm here in New York, $3.90 a gallon. Do you have any money saving tips or even gas saving tips? Well, I mean, as you mentioned, gas prices are now starting to go above the year ago levels in about 13 different states. I always would urge motorists to shop around before filling their tank. For any last minute Labor Day travel as well, motorists that cross state lines would be well advised to make sure they're filling up on the right side of those state lines where prices can vary by 20 to 50 cents a gallon. All right. Thank you so much today, Patrick. Pleasure speaking with you. My pleasure. Thanks for having me. California's largest gas company will pay $175,000 in penalties for misleading consumers. California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the firm made many unqualified marketing claims in 2019 saying that natural gas is renewable. Bonta says the vast majority of natural gas, including a majority of the gas distributed by SoCal Gas, is not renewable, but is derived from fossil fuels. A SoCal Gas spokesperson said the utility is pleased to have cooperatively resolved the matter. Bonta said he is happy for the utility company's cooperation, but that truth in marketing matters and it's required under state law. A final judgment in the case is expected on October 19th. Do you drive a Toyota truck? The company just put out its largest recall this year, covering 168,000 vehicles in the US. It applies to certain 2022 and 2023 Tundra and Tundra Hybrid trucks. The vehicles have a plastic fuel tube which could rub against a brake line and develop a fuel leak. Toyota says such a leak could possibly cause a fire in the presence of an ignition source. The Japanese carmaker will replace the tube for free and is preparing to make the replacement parts available. For now, Toyota dealers are installing a protective buffer and a clamp on the fuel tube. The company will notify owners of affected vehicles by early October. You can also go to Toyota.com slash recall and enter your vehicle identification number or license plate information to see if your car is part of the recall. Clean up downtown San Francisco. That's the message from a business leader in the city. The owner of a popular department store, Gump's, took out an ad in the city's paper to write an open letter. He points to what he called a profound erosion of conditions in the city. He cited scenes of people selling drugs on the sidewalk and defacing public spaces while many workers stay home. John Chachas saved Gump's from bankruptcy and revived the brand. Now he's said customers tell him they are unwilling to shop in-store. He called on the mayor and the governor asking them to remove homeless camps. He says he hopes the city can once again be, quote, one of America's shining beacons of urban society. And if you have any news tips or feedback for the show, please feel free to email us at news.today at ntd.com. When we come back, bone-chilling exposure of China's organ harvesting industry. A doctor speaking under his real name explains a shocking first-hand experience. We have an exclusive report. Japan marks the 78th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Leaders reaffirm the country's commitment to peace. And a celebration in India as the country marked its 77th Independence Day. More shortly here on NTD News Today. Stay tuned to get two rolls of Alien Tape free! You wouldn't stick your mother-in-law on the wall, but you could with Alien Tape! It just sticks! Just peel and stick to make anything stay in place quick! Brick, papers, marble, tile, plastic, even leather! Nothing works better than Alien Tape! You wouldn't stick your fishbowl on a moving car, but you could with Alien Tape! The secret is nano-stick technology that grabs and locks on to secure one side of the surface to the other! Alien Tape secures in seconds, then twist, pull, and rinse to reuse! Call or go online to get your first roll of Alien Tape for just $19.99, plus shipping and processing! But to make this deal really stick, we'll give you two more rolls absolutely free! You get three rolls of Alien Tape for one low price! Order now! To order, call 1-800-490-1364 or go to tryalientape.com. So call 1-800-490-1364 or order online at tryalientape.com. a pretty normal mom life. Everything was pretty good. It was a very happy life. We just had a new baby, and then all of a sudden within a day or two, she's on life support and fighting for her life. And I knew something was pretty wrong. A little less than a week after I came home, I couldn't breathe. That's when we decided to go to the hospital. I was given the diagnosis that I had peripartum cardiomyopathy, which is basically a pregnancy-induced heart failure. They told me my only chance was a heart transplant. And the American Heart Association helped make that possible. Their research helped save me. This could not happen without monthly donations from friends like you. Your sustained support helps fund life-saving research that leads to medical breakthroughs, like those that gave Jen a second chance at life. Heart disease is the number one killer in America, and we urgently need your help to save lives. Go to helpheart.org or call now to become a monthly donor today. Your donation of only $19 a month, just 63 cents a day, will make a difference through prevention, early detection, treatments, and cures that help save lives. I am very thankful for the American Heart Association. I'm grateful for just every day that I get with my children. Please go to helpheart.org or call now with your donation of just $19 a month. Join our community of monthly donors, and you'll get this limited edition t-shirt you could wear to show you're helping save lives. One simple act today can save your life or the life of a loved one. So please, call or go to helpheart.org now to help save lives. Thanks for staying with us, everyone. If you're just joining us now, here are some of today's top headlines. Former President Trump faces nearly 100 charges in total after his fourth indictment in Georgia. Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis said Trump must surrender by August 25th in Georgia. Paul Kamenar, lead counsel at the National Legal and Policy Center called Trump's latest indictment unprecedented. He said the defendants were charged with petitioning the state officials for redress of grievances, which is a legal right under the First Amendment. A Democratic congressman says Biden should skip 2024 re-election. He says the public wants more options and that it's time for the president to pass the torch. A former resident doctor at one of China's largest military hospitals recounts how he witnessed a man's kidneys and eyes carved out for transplant while he was still alive. Now he's shedding light on China's horrifying forced organ harvesting industry. And just a warning, some viewers may find the following content disturbing. I was ordered to take one of his eyeballs by the soldier on the other side. And the nurse handed me a hemostat. I really couldn't stand it. And I said, I can't do it. I can't. The horror Zheng witnessed took place in 1994 inside a van guarded by armed soldiers then staffed with five surgeons and nurses. He thought they were on a secret military mission near a prison around China's Northeastern Dalian city. But what followed has stayed with him for decades. I looked at him. He was looking right at me. This man at my feet during the operation, he was really looking at me. His eyes were moving. Zheng says the man was no more than 18 years old, carried into the van by four soldiers, his limbs tightly bound by ropes. A doctor first sliced open the man's stomach, and two others extracted a kidney each. The man's legs twitched, his throat moved, but no sound came out. Then a doctor instructed Zheng to step on the man's legs and don't let him move. As I pressed down, his still warm body made me think he was alive. A surgeon took a scalpel and made a large incision directly under the xiphoid into the umbilical cord. When the abdomen opened, the intestines came out. And I was really terrified. Another surgeon pushed the intestines aside and retrieved a kidney. Then another got the second kidney. The head nurse swiftly placed both kidneys in a temperature-controlled box. But little did he know, what happened in that van in 1994 would soon become an industrialized killing apparatus in China, set up to extract organs from prisoners of conscience and sell them on demand. Within two decades, the mass-scale, state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting ballooned into a billion-dollar industry. If you want to know more about this doctor and live organ harvesting in China, you can watch the full interview on NTD's China In Focus or visit our website at NTD.com. China's economy on the verge of collapse, according to an expert. Gregory Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association, thinks the forecast is worse than most realize. I spoke with him about the state of the world's second-largest economy. Gregory Copley, thank you for joining us again. Good to be with you. Gregory, experts have said China is heading for a decade or more of economic stagnation. How do you view the country's economic outlook? I think it's more than just a decade of economic stagnation. We're seeing a reversion to the Maoist policies of population control, which will include mass starvation. I think we're looking at a really economic collapse and what will accompany that is, of course, the possibility of the removal of the Communist Party of China, but certainly we're looking at economic collapse in many different forms. So some suggest that a bailout is needed to get the Chinese economy going again, but that China doesn't have the resources to make that happen. What other options do they have? Well, economic stimulus certainly is not working and they've attempted that over the past few months with great failure. So the only step now is population control and that is starting again with the announcement of a new strain of COVID so that people have to be quarantined, have to be confined to hospitals or their home. That's probably unlikely to work. The other problem is a possible distraction by Xi Jinping in the form of a war, which he's constantly called for against Taiwan and that may provide a diversion, if you like, from the internal problems and allow the government to impose sacrifices on the population. That, however, is unlikely to work too. The People's Liberation Army themselves have indicated that they would not support such an action. And how do the restraints the government there has placed on private business over the past three years factor into the overall state of the economy there? Well, the only resilience we've seen in the PRC economy has come from the private sector. The so-called Chinese economic miracle was not a miracle of the Communist Party of China or the government. It's been a response by the Chinese population who are naturally entrepreneurial and been very productive. That's all gone. The Xi administration has wiped that out since 2012 and particularly in the last couple of years. So there's no resilience in the economy whatsoever at this stage to respond to either the domestic requirements or to fulfill Xi Jinping's threat of war. That sort of feeds into my next question. You recently wrote about how China is gearing up for war without a wartime economy. Explain that for us a little bit more. Xi wants to use his bombast, his wolf warrior diplomacy, to appear strong on the home stage and to look strong on the regional and international stage. He's done this by calling for war on Taiwan so that Taiwan could be incorporated into the Communist Chinese framework. To have a war economy is critical if you're going to wage war. That means you have to be able to understand how you can command all of your resources of state in terms of minerals, production, industry, and the like, food production and being of critical importance so that you can conduct this war. And one of the things is that Xi Jinping has not ensured that this war economy is in place. In order to wage war, you have to marshal your economy. Xi Jinping has not done that, cannot do that. People's Liberation Army is aware of that, which is why they've been indicating that they would resist pressures to go to war. Gregory Copley, President of the International Strategic Studies Association. Thank you. Thank you. And now some headlines from around the world. Japan commemorated the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II. Prime Minister Kishida and Emperor Naruhito spoke at the event today. They reaffirmed the country's post-war commitment to peace. Officials laid flowers at a memorial commemorating those who died in the conflict. The South Korean president says an upcoming summit with the US and Japan is a milestone in trilateral relations. Leaders from all three countries will gather in Maryland this Friday, unveiling a series of joint initiatives on technology, education, and defense. The event comes amid North Korea's rising nuclear threats and mounting aggressiveness from Beijing. India is marking its 77th Independence Day today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a ceremonial parade in New Delhi. But violence continues to ravage the country's northeastern state of Manipur. At least 180 people have been killed since May, and tens of thousands have fled. Modi said peace was returning to the region, adding that authorities are working to resolve the conflict. China suddenly stopped releasing data on youth unemployment. That followed a record high in June, when the jobless rate among 16-24-year-olds topped 20%. Beijing's new move is fueling investor concerns. Some see it as another indication of an economic slowdown. Still to come, artists create surreal floral installations for a flower festival in Brussels. Or Zadorne, Belgium's capital, most historic landmark. A festival in Kyrgyzstan celebrates a fermented beverage made horse milk. The annual event is the place to be, learn how to brew it. Here on NTD News. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? Now you can, with SmileActives, the teeth whitening breakthrough that safely gets your teeth white and keeps them white every day, just by brushing your teeth. I never thought that whitening my teeth could be so easy. I just put the gel on the brush, the toothpaste on it, brush, and I can see my white teeth. Simply add SmileActives to any toothpaste and our patented PolyClean technology activates into a powerful microfoam that penetrates into the enamel surface to safely lift and remove stains. You need a simple way to whiten your teeth without strips, without trays, without going to the dentist. And it was about time that a product was developed that you would be able to do that with just brushing. And now SmileActives is even better with new Pro-Whitening Gel with 33% greater whitening power, clinically shown to whiten teeth faster, up to 8 shades. 100% of users saw whiter teeth on food stains, coffee and wine stains, even on veneers, scrouns, and dentures. I eat the blueberries, I drink the coffee, and I know that SmileActives will keep my teeth white every day. If you could use something so easy like SmileActives to take yellow teeth to white teeth, why wouldn't you? Why spend hundreds of dollars for whitening treatments at the dentist when now you can whiten your teeth with new SmileActives Pro-Whitening Gel every time you brush your teeth? Call or go to SmileActives.com and for a limited time get new Pro-Whitening Gel for just $24.95. Order in the next 5 minutes and buy one, get one absolutely free for just $24.95. That's 2 for 1 and save 58%. We'll even include free shipping. Get your teeth whiter guaranteed or return it within 60 days for your money back. I smile every day now. The difference is literally night and day. So now I'm always smiling, always choosing because now my teeth are much whiter. This offer is not available in stores. So call or click now before the special buy one, get one free offer goes away. Anyone who's ever sold a home will tell you it's really hard and it's one of the biggest financial decisions you'll ever make. That's why who you work with matters. Together with HomeLight, we take care of every detail. Taiwan's endangered stout camphor trees are worth conserving. Alps Biotech is committed to nationwide restoration to maintain eco-balance. To help counter global warming, we're keen to act on carbon reduction and attain zero emissions. We're realizing ESG sustainability while building up carbon credits. Restoring stout camphor trees, promoting global sustainability. Alps Biotech. Welcome back. Brussels is in full bloom with flowers providing a bit of color to some of the city's most historic landmarks. Artists created surreal installations for the Belgian capital's flower festival. NTD's Andrew Thomas stops to smell the roses. These nine elephants never forget how to get to the UNESCO protected Grand Place. An eager team is carefully decorating them for flower time, a biennial festival that highlights Belgium's love of flowers. These elephants' imaginary footprints are made of dahlias. How do they come here? What do you expect? You don't expect to find elephants here in the city center of Brussels on the Grand Place. That's unbelievable. So that's a bit surrealistic, of course, and it's also with a small joke. Each floral installation also has a surrealist theme. In Brussels' city hall, tiny birds adorn a bride's headdress. Floral artist, Celine Vandenberg, shows how she makes her creations seem like they are floating. And then we worked with some dried flowers, but also the dandelions. So we wired them with a very, very thin wire. And so we wanted to create like a little bit of a fairy tale setting and also like a surrealistic thing. Even the mayor's office has been decked out with floral decor. Here, a chaotic flower arrangement holds messy stacks of unpaid bills and invoices together. First of all, we took some time collecting all of the paperwork. We started, of course, with the paperwork to build up the whole structure. So it's, you could say, a few weeks' work that goes into it. Floral artist, Laila Van Soumer, is creating a long garland for the banister of city hall's main staircase. It's an unusual job for her to tackle, but she's found the project exciting. It's another place. It's something you don't do every day. So it's something nice. And I got inspired by the paintings because of the colors. I also use the colors in my work. Flower time started on Friday, August 11th. The festival ends Tuesday. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. A drink made from fermented horse milk is popular in Kyrgyzstan. The beverage has been a staple of the Central Asian region since at least the 5th century, and it's an acquired taste. NTD's Andrew Thomas has more on the horse's brew. Hummus is a traditional nomadic drink made from mare's milk. This annual festival in Kyrgyzstan is the place to be to learn how to brew it. I came especially for this wonderful festival, which takes place in this beautiful, beautiful Chankarchak pasture. Even without a festival, I come here to drink mare's milk for health treatment and at the same time to breathe fresh air, relax. An array of large and small hummus companies showcased their products at the event. Some demonstrated ancient methods, like using traditional wooden milk barrels. We used to use such milk churns. They were made without a single nail, made by special masters, our fathers. Such a barrel was mainly used on pastures. Milk was poured here and stirred, turning it into hummus. An even more ancient type of container is made from animal hide. This churn is made of goat skin. It was convenient for the Kyrgyz to carry it along filled with hummus on a horse. They would put two milk churns on the horse at once. And for storage, a milk churn was made of cow skin. The churns were washed every four to five days and smoked on a pine tree. Hummus production is often a family business in Kyrgyzstan. This farm is home to more than 100 horses, including 60 dairy mares. The owner has switched to mechanical milking, a new method in the country. Most milking is still done by hand. The reason why we switched over to the intensive method is that the Kyrgyz milk one mare for only one month. Let's say they milk for two months, but it rains sometimes during these two months. So they lose mares for several days, and with such losses, pure milk is obtained during one month only. Activities at the event included national games, songs and dances. Thank you for tuning in today. I'm Chris Beers. you Thanks for watching us on YouTube. Did you know YouTube only keeps selected videos on its platform? So if you want to make sure you get the full picture, just subscribe to our newsletter. Go to newsletter.ntd.com and sign up. It's free.