FDA Recalls Eyedrops, Oyster; Former Meth Lab Home on Sale for $1.55M | NTD Tonight – Nov. 1

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to NTD Tonight. I'm David Zhang. Here's a preview of some of today's top stories. Evacuating Gaza, some Americans today finally allowed to leave. Plus, what Israel is saying about the latest airstrikes, and Iran's recent threat to Israel. More details released. The main gunman suffered mental health issues leading up to the fatal shooting. The sheriff's office say his family and army unit reached out months prior. A luxury California home selling for only $1.55 million. The catch? It has an inactive meth lab and contamination. Some Americans today finally allowed to leave Gaza, and another attack in a refugee camp targeting Hamas leaders. NTD's Aryan Pasdar has an update on the Israel-Hamas war. Over 300 foreign passport holders left Gaza through the Rafah crossing into Egypt on Wednesday. Some injured Palestinians were also allowed to leave. A U.S. passport holder describes what it was like inside Gaza. My name is Dr. Fathim Hassan. I came in Gaza, Palestine here, since three months ago for a visit. After that, the war goes up. We spend here three months without any minimum parameter for the life. No water, no food, no shelter, nothing, nothing. The U.S. State Department on Wednesday said it can't give any number on how many Americans left Gaza so far. The department said in total 400 American citizens are in Gaza trying to leave. A reporter asked if Hamas is getting anything from the U.S. for letting its citizens go. The United States is not in a position and has not provided any concessions at all to Hamas. Egypt, Israel and Hamas brokered a deal saying 7,500 foreign passport holders would be allowed to leave Gaza within the next two weeks. And the U.S. State Department previously said the reason they can't just all leave right now is because Hamas doesn't let them leave. Also on Wednesday, another attack hit the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. An Israeli army spokesperson said there was a very senior Hamas commander in that area. Israel's military also commented on a previous strike on the camp, which killed a Hamas commander, saying the fact that the attack destroyed tunnels under the camp proves that Hamas is using civilians in the camp as human shields. Hamas is responding to the attacks, threatening to seriously hurt Israeli hostages. The Palestinian Hamas leader says Israel would pay with the life of their hostages, and that the hostages will be exposed to destruction and death. The Iranian regime on Wednesday also threatening Israel, indicating it may expand the conflict. If the genocide and war crimes against civilians are not stopped immediately, then we are very close to the point in the Middle East where a decisive and significant decision will be made. Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Wednesday said Israel would continue until the Hamas terrorist organization is defeated. Arien Pasdar, NTD News. President Biden thanked partners in the Middle East for opening the Rafah crossing today. The British government also confirmed a group of U.K. nationals were among those allowed out of Gaza. Five French citizens and a handful of Italian citizens have also been confirmed. Meanwhile, the U.N. Human Rights Office says that the Israeli strikes on Jabalia refugee camp might be considered a war crime, given the heavy civilian toll. Now let's take a look at other top national headlines today. The House Oversight Committee is presenting evidence that President Biden received the $40,000 from his family business. He released the bank records of the transactions between the Biden family and its Chinese business associates. Chairman James Comer explained how the money ended up at Joe Biden's bank account in September 2017. Not only did he lie about his son Hunter making money in China, but it also turns out that $40,000 in laundered China money landed in Joe Biden's bank account in the form of a personal check. First, Northern International Capital, a Chinese company associated with CEFC, wired $5 million to Hudson West III, a joint venture established by Hunter Biden and a CEFC associate. Then Hudson West III sent $400,000 to an entity owned and controlled by Hunter Biden. Next, Hunter Biden wired $150,000 to Lionhawk Group, a company owned by James and Sarah Biden. Sarah Biden then withdrew $50,000 in cash from Lionhawk Group. Later the same day, she deposited it into her and James Biden's personal checking account. A few days later, Sarah Biden cut a check to Joe Biden for $40,000. The memo line of the check said loan repayment. Comer added that even if the $40,000 check was a loan repayment from President's brother, James Biden, it still shows how Joe Biden benefited from his family cashing in on his name with money from China. The committee previously made public a $200,000 check also from James Biden to Joe Biden. It was dated 2018 and was also labeled as a loan repayment. The new allegation could push forward Biden's impeachment inquiry. The Iranian regime is set to become chair of a UN human rights forum on Thursday. This sparked outreach among human rights organizations around the globe. The Iranian regime was appointed to host the social forum of the Human Rights Council back in May. Iran's appointment to chair the forum can still be overturned. Meanwhile, Craig Mookabur, the director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, resigns and accuses Israel of genocide. He sent a letter to the UN's High Commissioner in Geneva calling Israel a racist settler colonial project and accusing it of apartheid. Amid all this, Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna has introduced a bill to defund the United Nations Human Rights Council unless it condemns the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The Stand with Israel Act has received bipartisan support. More detail about the Cornell University junior Patrick Dye. He was arrested on a federal complaint Tuesday for allegedly calling for the deaths of Jewish people online and threatening to shoot up the on-campus dining hall. The New York attorney's office says Dye wrote in an online post threatening to stab and slit the throat of any Jewish males he sees on campus. The post also allegedly made references to raping Jewish women and beheading Jewish babies. Dye's mother told media that he suffers from severe depression and was on the brink of suicide before his arrest. Dye made his initial appearance before a federal judge in Syracuse later today. If convicted, he could face a maximum term of five years in prison and other penalties. For detailed coverage of these stories, please visit NTD.com. The shooter in Maine who killed 18 people and wounded 13 others have been well known to law enforcement for months. His family had contacted the sheriff's department about concerns over his mental health. Five months before Robert Card shot dead 18 people at a bar and bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, his family contacted the local sheriff's office in May to say they were concerned about his deteriorating mental health and that he had access to at least 10 guns. A second report came through in September when Card's family reserve unit in the nearby city of Saco emailed the Sagada Hawk County Sheriff's Office requesting a wellness check on Card. According to an incident report released by the sheriff's office, the reserve unit said the 40-year-old sergeant had reported hearing voices that tormented him with accusations of pedophilia and that he had threatened to shoot up the Saco Drill Center and other places. The sheriff's office circulated a missing person notice among Maine law enforcement offices with Card's physical description and a warning he should be considered armed and dangerous. After conferring with the Army Reserve Unit and Card's brother, the sheriff's office made no further attempts to contact Card. His unit commander told the deputy that Card no longer had any weapons from the reserve unit. The alert was canceled on October 18th, just one week before Card opened fire. 18 people were left dead and more than a dozen others were injured in the shooting spree. Two days after his rampage, Card was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot at a recycling center where he used to work. Now to California, a home listed for $1.55 million apparently with an inactive meth lab and contamination. NTV's David Lam reports. This $1.55 million house is up for sale in San Jose, California, but you can see that it's all fenced up because there's a big caveat. The realtor listing says the Silicon Valley home comes with an inactive meth lab and has not been clear of meth smoke contamination. Costs to remediate it will be transferred to the buyer. The six-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom, and 2,700-square-foot home has been listed on Redfin for over two weeks. According to the Office for Victims of Crime, normal cleaning will not remove methamphetamine drug chemicals, which can cause cancer and damage to organs through constant exposure. The home was previously owned by Peter Karasev, who was arrested earlier this year and charged for allegedly possessing explosives and blowing up electrical transformers in San Jose. In March, FBI and law enforcement investigated the two-story home and evacuated residents at the time. Karasev lived with his wife and children. The realtor's site says there's no access to the property before being cleared by county health guidelines. One of the neighbors told me that she might have heard people trespassing into the backyard and into the house in the past couple of weeks. Now, she hopes the next owner would clean up the house and even for the neighborhood to help maintain the front area. In San Jose, California, David Lam, NTD News. We'll take a short break now, everybody, but here's a look at what we have for you when we come back. Orange juice prices on the rise. We'll have more on what's causing the price spike. What do eye drops and oysters have in common? They're both facing a recall from the FDA. More on the details coming up. A California college faculty union is threatening to strike. We'll take a look at what the union members are demanding. Those stories and more when we come back on NTD Tonight. Welcome back to NTD Tonight. I'm your host, David Zhang. The price of orange juice reached its highest level since futures trading began in New York in 1966. NTD's Christina Corona has more on the juicy update. Orange juice is the latest item to succumb to higher prices at the grocery store, with futures of this staple reaching an all-time high this week. The price of orange juice futures rose to $3.83 per pound due to adverse weather conditions and hurricanes causing a significant drop in Florida's orange crop production, reaching its lowest levels in nearly eight decades. According to CNBC, orange juice futures prices have surged by 13% this month and a staggering 78% year to date. This increase can be attributed to last year's severe weather events and hurricanes in Florida, which is the primary orange juice producer in the United States. A freeze at the end of the previous year also negatively impacted the Florida orange juice industry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, forecasted in July that Florida's orange production for the year would be approximately 15.9 million boxes, a 70% reduction from the 2020 through 2021 season. The market for frozen orange juice concentrate has also experienced a substantial price hike, rising by 270% since 2020 due to weather-related issues and diseases. Other exporters, such as Brazil and Mexico, also lowered their estimated yields for the year, citing crop difficulties from warmer weather. Christina Corona, NTD News, Los Angeles. Recalls from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA actively involved in addressing two significant safety concerns. NTD's Stephanie Sakal reports. The FDA has issued safety advisories on two major concerns. First, it has recalled 26 types of over-the-counter eye drops due to unsanitary manufacturing conditions. The agency says using these eye drops could potentially cause eye infections and vision loss. While no adverse health reports have been received, consumers are urged to discard these products. CVS, Rite Aid, and Target have removed them from shelves. Second, the FDA warns of contaminated oysters from future seafoods incorporated with salmonella and E. coli. Restaurants in six states – Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Virginia – are advised to dispose of them and consumers are strongly discouraged from eating them. Stephanie Sakal, NTD News. A college faculty union voted to strike if necessary to demand that the California State University system meet their needs. The union wants to address issues like low pay, large class sizes, and lack of mental health counseling access for students. The California Faculty Association, or CFA, announced that 95% of their members voted to authorize a strike if necessary. They are asking for more pay to be ahead of inflation, pay equity, manageable workloads, more mental health counseling for students, among others. The union represents 23 campuses across the state, consisting of about 29,000 instructional faculty, lecturers, librarians, counselors, and coaches. In the announcement, the CFA treasurer said, In an email statement to NTD, a spokesperson for CSU said, The vote is not unexpected and that it does not guarantee CFA members will go on strike. The CSU remains committed to the collective bargaining process and reaching a negotiated agreement with the CFA as we have done with five of our other employee unions in recent weeks. The union is now in the statutory process. The members plan to bring their demands to the CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach on November 7th. We have seen labor strikes from many industries, pilots and flight attendants, Hollywood, teachers union, and medical workers. Peter Pusateri, chief negotiator with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, speaks with The Epoch Times' Steve Ispas on the state of his labor unions. Peter Pusateri, welcome to our program. Thank you. A lot of our leaders and a lot of state policies are based on what labor unions do. Please tell us, especially with having only 17% of the employees being part of the union in California, how do labor unions become so powerful? In the union I have experience with, the power is the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. So we have 100,000 members that are in the movie industry business, the radio, television, broadcast business. They're in the utility business. They're in the construction business. And so there's a lot of power connected with the industry as much as the workers. And those workers elect the officials who elect the officials who elect the officials back to Washington, D.C. Peter, what are the unions heading today? The union workers in my world, the 800,000 of them, and I think the union workers everywhere, except the teachers. They're in their own world. But I think our union workers today are issue-oriented rather than party-oriented. They will, when in doubt, probably go party, but they're issue-oriented. It's going to be focused on the issues. Their children, the police officers, the crime, the drugs, the border. They're tired of this Republican, conservative, right-wing, left-wing, middle-wing. The spending, the ridiculous spending, the turning on television and seeing what these politicians are doing. And they're looking at politicians that are talking their language. Peter, thank you so much for being with us. My pleasure. It's been fun. Wrapping up the night, TBS is hosting a marathon of Friends episodes to honor Matthew Perry from Wednesday to Sunday. Perry was found deceased at his home in Los Angeles over the weekend. NTV's Jason Blair has more. To honor Matthew Perry's legacy in the iconic show Friends, TBS will air a marathon of episodes at varying times from Wednesday, November 1st, through Sunday, November 5th. Wednesday will feature 12 hours of Best of Chandler episodes from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Thursday will focus on Chandler and Joey's friendship with six hours of shows starting at 5.30 a.m. ET. On Friday, two hours of episodes showcasing Chandler and Monica's relationship. Then Saturday and Sunday will have Encore episodes starting at 5 a.m. ET. Perry, who was found deceased on Saturday, once said that when he passed, he wants to be remembered for more than just his role in Friends. In November 2022, he said as a guest on podcast Q with Tom Power, quote, In 2012, Perry turned his former Malibu home into a men's sober house for two years. His project was given an award by the White House in 2013. Close friend and fellow actor Hank Azaria posted a video on Instagram saying that Perry played a big role in his own sobriety. He was so caring and giving and wise and he totally helped me get sober. On Saturday, paramedics had found Perry already deceased in a hot tub at his L.A. home. The official cause of death has not been determined yet as toxicology reports are pending. Jason Blair, NTD News. That's all we've got for you tonight. We would like you to join us again on NTD Tonight every weekday at 9 p.m. I'm David Zhang. Have a wonderful evening.