Massive Tesla Recall for Warning Lights; Southwest to Carry Naloxone on Planes – Feb. 2

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to NTD Tonight. I'm David Lam, sitting in for David Zhang. Here's a preview of some of today's top stories. The remains of three fallen U.S. soldiers now back on American soil. President Biden participating in a dignified transfer as the U.S. vows to retaliate against attacks backed by Iran. Fulton County D.A. Fawnie Willis admits to an affair with her top prosecutor, but she says it has nothing to do with the case against former President Trump. Over two million Tesla cars in the U.S. need a software update. More on what federal safety regulators are saying and which models are affected. Today, President Biden took part in the dignified transfer of the remains of three U.S. troops killed in Jordan. The deaths were the first U.S. fatalities blamed on Iran-backed militia groups who for months have been attacking U.S. forces in the region. NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao has a story. So the U.S. Central Command has confirmed that around 4 p.m. Eastern Time this afternoon, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes against some 85 targets in both Iraq and Syria. And these targets include storage facilities for rockets and missiles as well as intel and command centers all used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and its affiliated militant groups. And the day's strikes were in retaliation to a Sunday drone attack in Jordan that killed at least three American service members and injured at least 40. President Biden in a statement today said, our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing. The United States does not seek conflict in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. But let all those who might seek to do us harm know this. If you harm an American, we will respond. And Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin saying this yesterday. This is a dangerous moment in the Middle East. We will continue to work to avoid a wider conflict in the region. And also today, President Biden joined grieving families as they watched the return of the remains of fallen U.S. soldiers to American soil. The ceremony lasted for about 15 minutes, all in silent, but spoke volumes about the sacrifices these American soldiers made. The fallen troops include Sergeant William Rivers, 46, who joined the Army Reserve in 2011, and also Specialist Kennedy Sanders, 24, who worked at a pharmacy and coached children's soccer and basketball, as well as Specialist Breonna Muffitt, who worked at a home care provider to cook and clean for people with disabilities. And here are the parents of Breonna Muffitt and Kennedy Sanders remembering their children. Watch. She was always there for, like, everybody. Yes, she was. She loved her friends. She loved her family. Even though her time was short on earth, she lived her life to the fullest, and she enjoyed her life. President Biden called each of the families earlier this week and also asked them about him attending the ceremony today. And we know that the last time President Biden participated in a dignified transfer was back in 2021, when 13 American service members were killed in the Afghanistan withdrawal. Meanwhile, today's airstrikes marked a significant escalation in detentions in the Middle East, but it is notable that all these target strikes today were outside of Iran. Back to you. Now, let's take a look at other top headlines. Fulton County D.A. Fonny Willis admits she had a romantic relationship with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to work the case against former President Trump. But she denies any conflict of interest that would justify removing her or her office from prosecuting Trump and 14 others. Wade also admitted having developed a relationship with Willis after the time when he was hired by Willis, he said in his affidavit. According to court documents, Michael Roman, one of the co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, alleged that Wade, who has no racketeer influence and corrupt Organizations Act and felony prosecution experience, billed taxpayers $605,000 at a rate of $250 an hour since his hiring. Roman further alleged that Willis personally and financially benefited from her lover's padded taxpayer-funded salary by taking lavish vacations together to Napa Valley, Florida and the Caribbean together on his dime. In a court filing Friday, Willis told the Superior Court that while the allegations against her are salacious, they have no merit. She went on to say that Special Prosecutor Wade's personal family life is completely irrelevant to the case. Meanwhile, Willis has been subpoenaed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan to produce documents related to the use and spending of federal funds. The trial date for the Georgia case against the former president has not yet been set, and currently it's unclear whether Willis and her team, including the special prosecutor, will be recused or removed from the case. Presidential candidate Nikki Haley's handling of China. Fellow South Carolina Republicans are now criticizing the former governor for her stance on the communist country. ABC 15 was at a Thursday press conference where Congressman Russell Fry spoke on the issue. Nikki Haley thinks that China is a great friend and gave them land in South Carolina, almost 200 acres. Donald Trump took on the Chinese from since day one, and honestly, he was the first person to call out China for what they are. Fry was joined by Congresswoman Nancy Mace and two state lawmakers, all speaking in support of Trump. Mace accused the former governor of rolling out the red carpet for communist China, referring to Haley's efforts to attract Chinese businesses to South Carolina. Haley, meanwhile, told Fox News that she doesn't have to win her home state to keep her campaign going. Success means being competitive, closing the gap, making sure that we continue to go forward as we go into Super Tuesday. It's just about keeping that momentum going. You know, we we got 20 percent in Iowa, we got 43 percent in New Hampshire. Let's bring it a little bit closer so that we can get closer into him and make it more competitive going into Super Tuesday. That's what we want to do. South Carolina's Republican primaries will be held in about three weeks, and Super Tuesday, the day that the most states hold their primaries, is just 10 days after that. A U.S. appeals court has blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on Chinese citizens owning homes or land in the state. The court said that Florida's ban violates a federal law governing real estate purchases by foreign nationals. Lawmakers in several Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property. China's foreign ministry said last year that such laws violate the rules of market economy and international trade rules. Florida's law prohibits individuals who are domiciled in China and are not U.S. citizens or green card holders from purchasing buildings or land in the state. It also bars most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning property near military installations and infrastructure, such as power plants and airports. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said when he signed the law last May that it would help protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Southwest is the latest commercial flight to carry opioid overdose medication. This comes after a push from lawmakers last year who say having them in flight could save lives. Southwest announced it will be carrying the overdose reversal drug naloxone in its emergency medical kits. Naloxone, or Narcan, is used as a nasal spray or injection and does not affect someone who doesn't have opioids in their system. NTD reached out to Southwest for a comment but did not hear back by airtime. In May 2023, three lawmakers from Colorado, Maryland and Texas introduced legislation to require opioid overdose medication to be carried on all airplanes. The bill came days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 109,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022. Over 83,000 involved opioids. In a statement on February 1st, Colorado Representative Brittany Pedersen said, one thing we can do to save lives during this opioid crisis is ensure that naloxone or similar overdose reversal drugs are available in as many places as possible, which should include commercial aircraft. United, Alaska, Delta, American and others also carry opioid overdose medication on board. In case you own a Tesla, nearly all of them in the U.S. have a recall issued. Warning lights on the instrument panels have been cited as being too small by regulators. Luckily, the fix can be done by an online software update. NTD's Jason Blair has the details. Nearly 2.2 million Tesla vehicles will need a software update to fix the size of some instrument panel warning lights. This accounts for nearly all Teslas in the U.S., so if you own one made from 2012 to 2024, there's a good chance you'll be notified about it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTS, says they found the problem on January 8th. Owners will be notified by a letter starting March 8th. The NHTS stated the font size for the brake park and anti-lock brake warning lights are too small for federal safety standards. They say it could make critical safety information hard to read and increase the risk of a crash. Tesla says there have been three warranty claims possibly related to the recall, but no reports of any injuries or crashes. Tesla was the top electric vehicle seller in the U.S. and the world last year. According to data by Jado Dynamics during the first quarter of 2023, the Model Y was the first EV to become the world's best-selling car. Jason Blair, 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. Graffiti on the 27th floor of a Southern California building. Police have arrested the suspects, but local city leaders want more prevention. South Carolina lawmakers are proposing free gun training, but the bill comes with a twist. Find out why people are calling the idea a compromise. Shen Yun Performing Arts returns to the heart of Silicon Valley by popular demand. More on why audiences have such high praise for the classical Chinese dance group. Those stories and more coming up on NTD Tonight. Welcome back to NTD Tonight. I'm your host, David Lam. Arrests made after an abandoned Los Angeles high-rise vandalized. City officials are now seeking solutions. NTD's Stephanie Sakal has more. Two suspects were arrested for vandalizing an abandoned high-rise in downtown Los Angeles, prompting city officials to consider addressing the vacant building. The three-tower complex near Crypto.com Arena in LA Life has multiple floors covered in graffiti. The arrests followed a report of trespassing and spray painting, with two suspects detained and later released. On another occasion, officers responded to a report of vandalism at an unfinished luxury skyscraper in the Oceanwide Plaza development, leading to a citation for failing to yield after suspects spray painted the 30th floor. Advocates emphasize the safety risk and eyesore caused by the graffiti. Construction on the building stopped in 2020 due to a lack of funds. Councilman Kevin DeLeon plans to propose action during a city council meeting to address the defaced skyscraper, which has been on the market for over a year. Stephanie Sakal, NTD News. South Carolina's Senate approved a bill granting free gun training and enabling legal gun owners to carry weapons publicly. NTD's Christina Corona has more on the story. After two weeks of debate, the bill H-3594 became a compromise, easing concerns from Republicans and addressing worries from law enforcement leaders about open carrying without the required concealed weapons permit. The bill was approved in a 28-15 vote Thursday, with one opposing Republican and one supporting Democratic Senator. After the vote, Senator Shane Martin, who's been leading the effort in the Senate for 12 years, said that law-abiding citizen is now able to exercise their constitutional rights under the law without having to go to the government for permission. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey is using a combination of incentives and penalties to encourage compliance with the new regulations. Massey's approach makes the required eight-hour concealed weapons permit, or CWP, training classes free. The state law enforcement division has to offer the course at least twice a month in every county, increasing frequency based on demand. It also reduced the age requirement for a CWP to 18, previously 21. However, some members oppose the age reduction. If this bill passes, guns in the hands of 18-year-olds, where is the responsibility? How is this not reckless? If we are putting guns in the hands of 18-year-olds in South Carolina with no license required, no training required, how will they know how to handle that gun responsibly? Gun owners lacking a CWP who commit a gun-related crime would face a harsher penalty compared to permit holders. There are millions of gun owners in the United States right now, and none of them are going out and committing crimes. None of them are doing anything illegal. They are lawful citizens that have the right to bear arms. The proposal now returns to the House to see if they will agree to the Senate's changes. Christina Corona, NTD News. Shen Yun Performing Arts returns to the heart of Silicon Valley for one more sold-out performance by popular demand. A councilman says everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime. NTD's David Zhang was there to capture the audience's reactions at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. I'm delighted. I think it is an example of such wonderful training, such beauty, and of course tradition and history in the legends of China, which are very interesting to me. But the culture, which most Americans don't get to see, I've heard about all my life, and I'm glad to be exposed to it more now. This is tremendous. This is leading the way in helping people to understand traditional Chinese culture the way it used to look like. I think it's a great use of technology to smoothly transition from a movie scene onto a live stage. And I think it's very well done. And I think everyone should come and experience San Juan at least once in their lifetime. And I love the back screen. That is incredible. Whoever designed that, and the fact that they dive and fly into the screen is amazing. I mean, it's like total, total magic. I really believe God is there. Shen Yun's mission is to revive 5,000 years of divinely inspired culture, which unfortunately has been suppressed under China's Communist Party. I think the message is very clear. I don't think anyone in the world wants to be oppressed. We want to have the freedom of choice, to speech, and to do whatever we want in the world that is best. And we should live in a very compassionate, kind, and caring world. And I think democracy, in the end, will win. And I hope that all the people who are being oppressed in the world and under communism, hopefully they can be free. There's a difference between Chinese culture, the Chinese people, and the CCP. Two are not one and the same. So I hope that people can learn to understand that. For me, this is just a beginning of a fulfillment of understanding more about the wonderful culture of China. The origins of man, that man came from the heavens and has been given a mission, and that hope can overcome evil and fear. I think those are wonderful messages. I think everybody should have the experience. I'm going to tell my friends. Don't miss it. Make sure you see it. I never thought I was ever going to see anything like this. And it's incredible. NTD News, San Jose, California. Shen Yun Performing Arts currently has eight companies touring around the world simultaneously. Hundreds of upcoming performances are scheduled across North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit ShenYun.com. Now we turn our attention to the NFL, where the Seattle Seahawks announced the hiring of former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald as their new head coach. Let's speak with NTD's Carlos Reyes for more details on the story. Carlos, what can you tell us about this decision? Well, David, it's a seismic shift for the Seahawks. Mike McDonald, at just 36 years old, is now the NFL's youngest head coach. But he's not just a fresh face, and I want to make that clear. His impressive defensive track record as a Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator, leading them to the top in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in 2023, made this an easy hire for Seattle. Other than his coaching skills, what personal qualities or philosophies is McDonald bringing to the table? In my opinion, there's no doubt that McDonald's commitment and passion for the game have left a lasting impression so far. Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen, a pro bowler, may I add, didn't hold back in a recent interview, calling him the best candidate out there. When it comes to McDonald, it's not just about X's and O's people. His all-around approach, caring deeply about players and the organization, is a trait that resonates well. And, of course, the age difference is quite notable. The Seahawks are transitioning from Pete Carroll, the NFL's oldest head coach, to the youngest, McDonald. How do you think this shift will impact the team? Well, David, you brought that up, and it's honestly, it sticks out. But in my opinion, it's more than just the shift in age. It's a generational transition. McDonald's youthful energy and innovative defensive strategies bring a fresh perspective. The Seahawks are betting on his vibrancy and determination to guide the team into a new era, aiming to bring back a championship back to Seattle. It's not just about McDonald, though. The coaching staff is crucial. So what's the first order of business for the new head coach? Absolutely, David. You talked about it. And assembling a top-notch coaching staff is pivotal for any team, in my opinion. With some of Carroll's assistants already moving on, McDonald has a substantial task ahead. The success of the Seahawks will heavily rely on the team that he puts together, a team that can execute his vision on both sides of the ball. And let's not forget the quarterback situation. Geno Smith's future with the Seahawks is uncertain. What's the team's dilemma here? Absolutely, David. I was hoping you'd talk about it sooner or later. The quarterback position is always a focal point. The Seahawks face the decision of whether or not to commit to Geno Smith's $12.7 million base salary for the next season by February 16th, and that deadline is coming fast. It adds another layer of complexity for McDonald as he begins to shape the team according to his vision and needs to make critical decisions on the roster moving forward. Well, exciting times for the Seahawks fans. Carlos, thank you for breaking down this important development in the NFL for us. No problem, David. It's always my pleasure. Stay tuned for China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer coming up next. In China news, cancer risks hidden in counterfeit Dior and Chanel products from China shipped to South Korea. Carcinogenic heavy metals in these goods have been hitting over 900 times the safety limit. More details coming tonight at 9.30 on NTD's China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer. That's all we've got for you tonight. We'd like you to join us again on NTD Tonight every weekday at 9 p.m. I'm David Lam setting in for David Zhang. Have a wonderful weekend.