Assaults Against Law Enforcement Officers Increase; Jewish Students Sue USC, UCLA – May 15

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to NTD Tonight. I'm David Zhang. Here are some of today's top stories. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to debate. More details on the decision from the early showdown. The names of fallen officers reverberate throughout the nation this week. Officers' legacies are remembered as we hear the challenges law enforcement have been facing. UCLA and USC are facing lawsuits by Jewish students and faculty members. This follows the campus protests from earlier this month. First up, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both accepted tonight's invitation to debate on June 27th, a historically early showdown that will set the tone for the final months of the 2024 campaign. Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn't shown up for debate. Now he's acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. I'll even do it twice. So let's pick the dates, Donald. I hear you're free on Wednesdays. Previously, Trump gave Biden an open invitation to debate anytime, anywhere. And today, Biden rose to the challenge by releasing a heavily edited video on X. Moments later, Trump accepted the proposed debate times on Truth Social by saying, Both presidential candidates have agreed to a June 27th debate hosted by CNN. They also accepted ABC's invitation for a second debate on September 10th. This means both candidates will forego the fall debates arranged by the Nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. They have traditionally overseen debates in every U.S. presidential election cycle since 1988. CNN says the first debate will be held at its Atlanta studios without an audience. Additional details will be announced at a later date. The Biden campaign did decline an offer for a third debate in October hosted by Fox. Meanwhile, independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is accusing both Biden and Trump of colluding to keep him off the debate stage. The Biden campaign insists on a one-on-one debate with Trump, with no third party allowed. Prosecutors in former President Trump's so-called hush money trial say they will not call any more witnesses. They say former Trump attorney Michael Cohen will be their last. Prosecutors earlier indicated that they might call another witness, a book publisher, but they told the judge there was no longer a need to do that. This means the prosecution's case is nearing an end, and the defense will soon get a chance to make theirs. Cohen faced a cross-examination yesterday. Trump's team tried to frame him as out to get Trump. Cohen admitted that the New York D.A.'s office told him to stop talking about the case on media outlets, and yet he didn't stop. He also said he made about 3.4 million dollars from his two books, Disloyal and Revenge. Yet he said it's not fair to say he's motivated by fame or publicity. Trump's lawyer took Cohen through a long list of insults he levied at Trump. He drew jurors' attention to a social media post in which Cohen wore a t-shirt depicting Trump behind bars. Cohen said he hopes Trump is convicted and admitted to talking about that on social media. Trump lawyers say their cross-examination of Cohen will take up most of the day tomorrow. They also indicated they plan to call an expert witness. Updates on the deadly bus collision in northern Florida killing at least eight and critically injuring eight others. The driver of the pickup truck involved in the crash has been arrested. Police say Brian Howard has been charged with eight counts of manslaughter while driving under the influence. 37 bus passengers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The bus was carrying farm workers headed to pick melons at Cannon Farms, about an hour from Gainesville. After being side swiped by the pickup truck and leaving the roadway, he crashed through a fence and overturned. Cannon Farms posted on Facebook that it would be closed on Tuesday out of respect to the losses and injuries in the accidents. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in a life-threatening condition after he was shot today in what has been called a politically motivated assassination. It happened while Fico was leaving a government meeting. The government shot 59-year-old Fico five times, leaving the prime minister in critical condition and still undergoing surgery hours later. The perpetrator is in custody. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba said in an interview with BBC he believes Fico will survive but is heavily injured. Fico, an ally of Russia, was elected prime minister in October after running a campaign that criticized the western support for Ukraine. The defense interior minister of Slovakia blamed the rising hate speech and the vision for the political atmosphere that they said led to the assassination attempt. FBI reported a rise in assaults against law enforcement officers. 2023 marked the highest in 10 years. This week, agencies around the country hold memorials for peace officers. Here's NTD's David Lamb with more. Douglas B. Miller, end of watch, June 9th, 1986. This is the annual peace officers memorial ceremony at the sheriff's office headquarters in Santa Clara County, California. 1994. When anyone puts on a uniform, they're doing it to protect and serve the community. So we want to remember all of those officers, all of those deputies, all those law enforcement brothers and sisters who have fallen and really think about the contributions they've made to our community. There's been six men from the sheriff's office that have paid the ultimate price and this is just an opportunity to honor them, their memory, and their families as well. Similarly, across the nation, multiple agencies from different cities came together. Peace officers are also known as law enforcement officers. According to the FBI on Tuesday, the rate of assaults on American law enforcement reached a 10-year high in 2023, with more than 79,000 officer attacks reported. Agencies reported 466 assaults with firearms in 2023, which is the highest level in a decade, FBI officials said. That's up from less than 200 officers assaulted and injured by guns in 2014. It's just a challenging time to be a deputy sheriff or a police officer in the United States and in California, but we've got really great qualified individuals that are still signing up to do the service. We train our deputy sheriffs to be as safe as they can, to de-escalate, to gain cooperation. We're having trouble recruiting people who want to put on that uniform, but we want to tell them too, this is an opportunity for you to serve your community. For many people, it's a calling and so we want to do everything we can as the sheriff's administration to make sure we're protecting those who protect everyone else. This solemn tradition has a long history. Back in 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day, as well as National Police Week, to honor those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. And as we've seen today, the men and women in uniform still hold this tradition. Reporting in Santa Clara, California, David Lam, NTD News. Two Southern California universities are facing lawsuits this week from Jewish students and faculty who claim that administrators failed to protect them during recent pro-Palestinian protests. NTD's Christina Corona has more on the story. A Jewish student filed a lawsuit against UCLA officials on May 13th in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging civil rights violations, negligence, assault and battery, and breach of contract. The lawsuit, filed by Los Angeles attorney Michael Resnick, seeks a court order to prevent the creation and sponsorship of a dangerous condition on campus. The class action lawsuit claims that UCLA's Jewish students and faculty members seek to be safe and free from campus terrorism and anti-Semitism, as well as from other harms, including assault and battery. The student's lawsuit claims that the university enabled the protest and monitored it closely, resulting in Jewish students and faculty being fearful for their lives and safety. According to the court filing, they were unable to enter the town square or other campus areas without facing verbal or physical assault from the protesters. The student also alleges that faculty members offered extra credit and better grades to those who participated in the protests, with the university's knowledge and consent. Mr. Resnick planned to file a similar lawsuit against USC on Tuesday, on behalf of a Jewish tenured professor who wants to remain anonymous. The lawsuit seeked monetary damages, but Resnick emphasized that the primary goal is to stop anti-Semitism. The April 24 pro-Palestinian protest at USC was put to an end by campus police and outside law enforcement. After nearly 100 protesters were arrested, USC canceled its main graduation ceremony. However, smaller ceremonies proceeded on May 10th. According to Mr. Resnick, other students and faculty at UCLA or USC can join the lawsuits. Christina Corona, NTD News. Well, take a short break now everybody, but here's a look at what we have for you when we come back. Anti-Israel protesters gathered near Google headquarters. They tried to disrupt Google's annual conference. WNBA rookie Kaitlyn Clark saw a rocky debut on the court, but slowly found her confidence. More from last night's game. Instacart and Uber Eats are teaming up to offer restaurant delivery. Well, take a look at what the partnership will bring. Those stories and more coming up on NTD Tonight. Welcome back to NTD Tonight. I'm your host, David Zhang. Protesters gathered outside Google's annual conference, blocking an entrance to Emper Theater, where thousands had gathered to hear the company's latest artificial intelligence plans. NTD's Christina Corona tells us more on the story. Over a dozen demonstrators chained themselves together at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, near Google headquarters where the conference was held. The protesters were focused on Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion deal providing AI technology to the Israeli government. They allege it's being used in the Gaza conflict, a claim Google denies. We demand that Google drop the Project Nimbus contract and immediately stop doing all business with Israeli military. We call on the people of conscience in the tech industry to divest from Google. One former Google employee said, Google knows that the Israeli military, for example, is using Google's tools for facial recognition and to help detain and torture and kill people in Gaza. And we need to take responsibility for that. Various protesters held up signs and chanted outside of the conference. Demonstrators called on people to oppose any institution, business, elected official, or individual who contributes in any way to the occupation of the Palestinian people. They're using facial recognition technology that is used by Israel, most notably in the West Bank, to surveil Palestinians on a daily basis at checkpoints. However, a Google spokesperson released a statement in April regarding Project Nimbus. This work is not directed at highly sensitive, classified, or military workloads relevant to weapons or intelligence services. The demonstration didn't seem to affect the conference's attendance or the enthusiasm of the crowd inside the venue. Google unveiled a revamped search engine favoring AI-generated responses over website links at their conference, promising faster access to information but potentially disrupting internet traffic revenue. Last month, other Google employees held protests across three of the company's corporate offices, resulting in the termination of over two dozen workers. Cristina Corona, NTD News. There is controversy over how the new Las Vegas stadium will be funded. Lawmakers approved the taxpayer funding, but others say the stadium should not be paid by the public. One group proposes to let voters decide. Let's take a look. The Nevada Supreme Court on Monday struck down a proposed ballot initiative that would allow voters to decide whether to repeal the public funding for a new MLB stadium in Las Vegas. Last year, lawmakers approved the funding. Putting the question on the ballot this year would have been the most effective route to repeal key parts of the bill for the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas. The Nevada State Education Association, a statewide teachers' union, has long opposed public funding for the stadium. It backs a political action committee called Schools Over Stadiums, which has been trying to stop putting tax dollars into building the stadium. In a statement to NTD, the Nevada State Education Association said, We are disappointed Nevada voters will not have their say in 2024. With this guidance, Schools Over Stadiums plans to refile our petition next year and win in 2026. Nevada voters deserve the opportunity to decide where their money goes. The stadium financing debate in Nevada mirrors those happening nationwide over whether public funds should be used to help finance sports stadiums. A's representatives and some Nevada tourism officials have said the public funding could help boost the economy in Las Vegas. But more and more critics say the cost to build it may be more than its benefits. MLB owners have unanimously approved the A's move to Las Vegas. The new ballpark is set to open in 2028. And now turning to sports, the highly anticipated WNBA debut of Katelyn Clark got off to a rocky start last night, but the rookie was slowly able to find her confidence. NTD's Carlos Reyes has more on the story. The Katelyn Clark era in the WNBA has officially begun, though it started off a bit rocky. The Indiana Fever rookie faced a tough introduction going scoreless for nearly 15 minutes and their season opener against the Connecticut Sun. Despite the slow start, Clark found a rhythm Clark admitted the game was physically challenging and acknowledged she had much to learn. It was physical, and obviously it wasn't the best start, she reflected. However, she remained optimistic, understanding that this was just the first step in her professional career. Clark's initial struggles included missing her first four shots and picking up early fouls. Her first points came from a steal and a coast-to-coast layup, a moment that seemed to unlock her confidence. By halftime, she had seven points and she continued to battle, adding 13 more in the second half. Yet turnovers were a significant issue, with Clark responsible for 10 of Indiana's 25 turnovers, many of which were unforced errors. Despite the loss, Clark's debut generated immense excitement. The game was a sellout, with fans eager to see the highly anticipated rookie. Clark's presence has already made a significant impact, with her jerseys flying off the shelves and causing WNBA teams to move games to larger arenas to accommodate the demand. Clark's next opportunity to shine will come Thursday when the Fever hosts the New York Liberty in her home debut. Carlos Reyes, NTD News. Instacart and Uber Eats are teaming up to offer restaurant delivery, expanding customers' options to order food through apps. NTD's Cristina Corona has more details on the story. In the coming weeks, Instacart will introduce a new restaurant delivery feature with the backend powered by Uber. Instacart announced a new tab on its app that will enable customers to select from nearby restaurants, view menus, place orders, and track deliveries in real time. Uber will provide the listing of restaurants, oversee the transaction with its software, and have Uber Eats couriers pick up and deliver the food. The entire process will be integrated within the Instacart's app or website. Instacart Plus members will not be charged delivery fees for Uber Eats restaurant orders over $35. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said, this new strategic partnership with Instacart will drive more business for restaurants and create more earning opportunities for couriers. According to Bloomberg, Instacart CEO Fiji Simo said that Uber will pay Instacart an affiliate fee for each order the company forwards to it. The partnership comes amid a competitive environment for food and grocery delivery, as major players like Amazon, Walmart, Target, and DoorDash compete for market dominance. Cristina Corona, NTD News. Minnesota is the latest state to change the design of its flag. The new one was raised at the Capitol over the weekend for the first time. Minnesota's new state flag was hoisted above the Capitol grounds on Saturday for the first time. The design echoes its motto of being the North Star State. It replaced an old flag that some say brought up memories of conquest and displacement for Native Americans. Adopted in December, the new flag includes a dark blue shape resembling Minnesota on the left with a white, eight-pointed North Star on it. On the right is a light blue field that, to those involved in the selection process, symbolizes the abundant waters that helped define the land of 10,000 lakes. The state also adopted a new seal, featuring a loon amid wild rice, to replace the image of a Native American riding off into the sunset while a white settler plows his field with a rifle at the ready. The design was a key feature of the old flag, hence the pressure for changing both. The outgoing flags on the Capitol grounds were retired in a pre-dawn ceremony before the new flags were raised at sunrise. Several other states also have been redesigning flags. The Utah Legislature last winter approved a design featuring a beehive, a symbol of prosperity, and the hard-working Mormon pioneers. Mississippi chose a new flag with a magnolia to replace a Confederate-themed flag. Other states considering simplifying their flags include Michigan, Illinois, and Maine. Stay tuned for China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer coming up next. U.S.-China decoupling speeding up on the biotech front. A new bill is moving one step forward in the House. How does Beijing's ambition to collect American DNA play in? More on China In Focus with Tiffany Meyer at 9.30 p.m. Eastern. And 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 Zhang. Have a wonderful evening.