ICC Seeks Warrants Against Sinwar, Netanyahu; California Held GOP Convention – May 20

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to NTD Tonight. I'm David Zhang. Here are some of today's top stories. The Iranian regime's cabinet met for the first time following the death of President Ibrahim Raisi. More on the current situation. The California GOP held its spring convention over the weekend. RNC co-chair Lara Trump highlighted one big focus heading to the November elections. A university in Washington is being asked to stop their cloud brightening experiments. The city is reviewing the health and environmental impacts. First up, the Iranian regime's cabinet is meeting for the first time after the death of President Ibrahim Raisi, an Iranian foreign minister, in a helicopter crash yesterday. This is a serious incident for all of us. It is sad and upsetting, but in the interests of the country and our people, we won't have any disruption. The country will continue moving forward under this leadership. Everyone should continue on with their roles despite this incident. In no way will this tragic incident interfere with the government and running of our country. Footage from the site of the helicopter crash shows the debris and bodies being carried away. Iran has not announced the cause of the crash. The regime's Muslim neighbors as well as China, Russia and the European Union offered condolences. Meanwhile, Iranian dissidents living abroad celebrated at local Iranian embassies. The Biden administration says it's monitoring the situation closely. A senior administration said it doesn't seem to be evidence of foul play. Iran's first vice president will take over as interim president. The regime has 50 days to organize the election of a new president. Former President Trump's criminal trial resumed today. His former lawyer Michael Cohen underwent his third day of cross-examination by defense attorneys. Here's Trump before court this morning. For political purposes, I'm not allowed to have anything to do with politics because I'm sitting in a very freezing cold courtroom for the last four weeks. It's very unfair. They have no case. They have no crime. Michael Cohen, the last witness prosecutors called, testified for more than 17 hours over four days, the longest of any prosecution witness. Both the direct and cross-examination of Cohen lasted about eight hours. During cross-examination today, the defense hammered the credibility of Cohen. Cohen admitted that he stole thousands of dollars from the Trump Organization by overstating how much he paid a tech company that provided the services for the Trump Organization. On Friday, prosecutors confirmed they rested their case and would call no more witnesses after calling a total of 20 witnesses, including Stormy Daniels. The defense has tried to keep prosecutors' guess about whether Trump would take the witness stand. Before the start of trial, Trump said he was willing to testify because he had done nothing wrong. But halfway through the trial, Trump suggested that he would not be allowed to testify due to his gag order. That prompted the judge to clarify in court that Trump had the absolute right to testify if he wishes. The International Criminal Court, or ICC, is seeking arrest warrants for both Hamas leaders Yair Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The charges are war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7th attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. My office charges Netanyahu and Gallant as co-perpetrators and as superiors in the commission of these alleged crimes. Intentionally causing death, starvation, injury and suffering to the civilian population, including so very many women and children, are criminal means to achieve military and political goals. My office also submits today that there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages taken from Israel, taken from their homes, taken from their communities, have been kept in inhumane conditions and that some have been subjected to horrendous sexual violence, including rape, while being held in captivity. Khan said that ICC has a variety of evidence to support the application for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders, including authenticated video footage and photographs from the attacks, as well as evidence from eyewitnesses and survivors. The warrants against the Israeli politicians mark the first time the ICC has targeted the top leader of a close ally of the United States. U.S. Department of State denounced the ICC, saying it has no jurisdiction over Israel. There should be no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. None. Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans. Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC. However, the ICC claims to have jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, after Palestinian leaders formally agreed to be bound by the court's founding principles in 2015. The California GOP finished up their three-day spring convention in Burningham on Sunday. One big focus was election integrity. Another common theme was uniting the party and connecting with the voters, regardless of party preference, to fix key issues in the state and nation. NTD's Jason Blair has more. The border, inflation, public safety and homelessness were some of the common issues people highlighted at the convention over the weekend. RNC co-chair Laura Trump addressed one area of concern during a dinner banquet on Saturday. Well, it is our number one focus at the RNC right now, election integrity. We have two jobs at the RNC, get out the vote and protect the ballot. She said the RNC wants to make sure the votes that come in for Trump in November are protected and votes cast by people who aren't legally allowed to vote aren't counted. At the RNC, if you come to our offices, the bulk of the staff you will see in our building is focused solely on election integrity. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem also spoke on Saturday during a lunch banquet. You've got people in your life that maybe you go to church with or in your family that you stop talking to because everybody's so offended by each other. I'm going to ask you to start having conversations with them again. We clearly need to win the hearts and minds of the American people, and we only do that by loving them and by having conversations. Many attendees echoed that they're starting to see more people find that they align with the party's values. And the reason for that is because people are being adversely impacted across this nation, regardless of party affiliation. You go into a store, you go to the gas station, you see what's going on in the border right now. We have to come together as all the problems that we're experiencing, they affect all of us. California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones said that the Democrats have been in charge too long. Republicans are coming together this weekend to communicate to Californian voters across the board, Republicans, Democrats, no party preference, people that haven't even registered yet, go register to vote in November because Republicans are carrying the message that we have the principles, we have the values, and we have the commitment to fix California. This California GOP convention was one of two held every year and is the last one before the upcoming elections in November. Jason Blair, NTD News. In Northern California, a city has instructed a university to stop its experiment on cloud brightening. The experiments are on pause as the city reviews it. The California City of Alameda is ordering the University of Washington to stop a cloud brightening experiment on top of the USS Hornet Museum. City staff say they violated the city's lease with the USS Hornet. According to the university's website, cloud brightening is when sea salt particles from the ocean are sprayed from ships into areas of low-lying clouds. The particles would stay locally in the atmosphere for a few days. The purpose is to brighten clouds over parts of the ocean in order to reduce warmer temperatures. You know, science learns by experimenting, so there's always going to be a benefit. Whether we're going to be able to use it to change our environment, that's impossible. I mean, there's so much sky that would have to be covered with clouds, and it would cost so much money just in gas to have the planes flying around seeding clouds. The smaller the particles that are sprayed, the higher the reflectivity and the brighter the clouds appear. The city says it is working with biological and hazardous materials consultants to evaluate the health and environmental safety of the experiment, specifically the sprayed particles inhaled in aerosol form by humans and animals or landing on the ground and bay. So they basically had stated until we can do some in-scientific lab testing to determine whether this stuff is going to be harmful or not, that we shouldn't be doing it. The city will share the findings with the city council in June. So far, the experiment presents no threat. In an email statement to NTD, the University of Washington said the program is not designed to alter clouds, local weather, or climate. The studies are meant to see how clouds respond to particles, also called aerosols, in the atmosphere and how this influences climate, including both the effects of pollution aerosols and the potential for brightening marine clouds to reduce climate warming. The university says they are happy to support the city's review and that it has been a highly constructive process so far. The city has confirmed that the university and USS Hornet has complied with the order to stop spraying. We'll take a short break now, everybody, but here's a look at what we have for you when we come back. A new study finds respiratory issues among Maui wildfire survivors. Researchers say the majority have not seen a doctor for health checkups. Xander Shelfilly wins the first major title at the PGA Championship and the U.S. men's soccer team reveals this year's lineup. One special cat is being given an honorary degree by a U.S. university. Find out what the furry feline specialized in. Those stories and more coming up on NTD Tonight. Welcome back to NTD Tonight. I'm your host, David Zhang. A new Hawaii study shows that almost 75% of Maui wildfire survey participants have respiratory issues. After the deadly Maui wildfire last year, the researchers found that many wildfire victims have not seen a doctor. A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year's deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing or poor respiratory health. Almost half showed signs of compromised lung infection. The data, gathered from nearly 680 people in January and February, comes from what researchers hope will be a long-term study of wildfire survivors lasting at least a decade. Researchers released early results from that research on May 15. They eventually hope to enroll 2,000 people in their study to generate what they call a snapshot of the estimated 10,000 people affected by the fires. According to Dr. Alika Maunakea, one of the researchers and a professor at the university's John A. Burns School of Medicine, those who reported higher exposure to the wildfire tended to have more symptoms. He said many study participants hadn't seen a doctor because clinics had burned down or because they prioritized getting housing, jobs and food after the disaster. He urged those exposed to the wildfires to get checked. Two-thirds of study participants lived in Lahaina at the time of the fires. About half of the participants reported daily or weekly exposure to smoke, ash or debris. The August 8th blaze killed at least 101 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in more than a century. It burned thousands of buildings, displaced 12,000 residents and destroyed the historic town on Maui. EV giant Tesla just let go an entire team after Elon Musk fired his charging chief and team. The firings are part of the layoff trend. Elon Musk allegedly fired charging chief Rebecca Tannucci and her entire 500-member team. Four former charging network staffers told Reuters Tannucci had cut between 15 and 20 percent of staffers as part of much wider layoffs. They believed Musk would affirm plans for a massive charging network expansion. During a meeting with Tannucci, Musk was allegedly not pleased with her presentation and wanted more layoffs. When she protested, saying deeper cuts would undermine charging business fundamentals, he responded by firing her and her entire team. The departures have upended a network widely viewed as a signature Tesla achievement and a key driver of its EV sales. Federal statistics show that Tesla superchargers account for more than 60 percent of U.S. high-speed charging ports and the company has been the biggest winner so far of $5 billion in federal funding for new chargers. Despite the mass firings, Musk has since posted on social media promising to continue expanding the network. But three former charging team employees told Reuters they have been fielding calls from vendors, contractors and electric utilities, some of which had spent millions of dollars on equipment and infrastructure to help build out Tesla's network. NTD reached out to Tesla for a comment but did not hear back by airtime. A $3 million Powerball winning ticket was sold at a convenience store in Orange County. NTD's Christina Corona has more details on the winnings. A ticket matching all five numbers but missing the Powerball number was sold at Q Quick Mart on Magnolia Avenue in Anaheim. The winning ticket, worth $3.18 million, has yet to be claimed. The numbers drawn on Saturday were 19, 36, 37, 42, 59 and the Powerball was 19. No tickets in the U.S. matched all six numbers, raising the Powerball jackpot to an estimated $88 million for Monday's drawing. So far in 2024, there hasn't been a jackpot winner in California. However, in 2023, two billion-dollar winning tickets were sold, one at Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles and the other at Midway Market in Fraser Park. Christina Corona, NTD News. Turning our attention to sports, Xander Schauffele clinched his first major title at the PGA Championship. Meanwhile, the U.S. MNT squad for the Copa America Friendlies has been revealed. NTD's Carlos Reyes has more on these recent developments. Xander Schauffele has finally broken through winning his first major championship at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on Sunday. Known for his consistent play, Schauffele sealed his victory with a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, finishing at 21 under par, one stroke ahead of Bryson DeChambeau. This score set a new record for the lowest in major championship history. Starting the day tied with Colin Maracawa, Schauffele faced intense pressure to end his streak of near misses in major tournaments. He had finished in the top 20 in majors 20 times without a win, making this victory particularly sweet. Schauffele began the final round strong with a 27-foot birdie putt on the first hole, adding birdies on the 4th, 7th, and 9th holes to go out in 31. Despite a bogey on the 10th, he responded with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes to reach 20 under par. DeChambeau made a late charge, but Schauffele held steady. Facing the 18th hole, Schauffele knew he needed a birdie to win outright. Despite a difficult second shot from a fairway bunker, he landed his approach 34 feet from the hole and chipped to 6 feet, setting up the winning putt. As the U.S. men's national team gears up for the Copa America, head coach Greg Berhalter has unveiled a 27-player squad brimming with familiar faces and a few intriguing new additions for upcoming friendlies against Colombia and Brazil. Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, and Weston McKinney headline the roster, bringing their experience and flair to the forefront. Despite limited playing time at Bournemouth, Tyler Adams also makes the cut, signaling Berhalter's faith in his midfield dynamo. Fans will keep a keen eye on the striker situation, with all four contenders, Fowler Mbalugan, Ricardo Pepe, Josh Sargent, and Haji Wright, called in, leaving Berhalter with some tough decisions to make. At its core, Berhalter's squad features a blend of seasoned veterans and promising talents across all positions. A surprise inclusion is Timmy Tillman, who joins his younger brother Malik on the squad, adding a familial twist to the team's dynamics. Defensively, Shaq Moore returns to the fold, aiming to fill the void left by the injured Sergino Dest. As the U.S. men's national team prepares to take on Colombia on June 8th and Brazil on June 12th, Berhalter faces the task of trimming the squad to 23 players for the Copa America. The U.S. will kick off their tournament against Bolivia on June 23rd, followed by matches against Panama on June 27th and Uruguay on July 1st. Carlos Reyes, NTD News. A Vermont university has awarded a cat a beloved community member with an honorary degree ahead of their student graduation, even without having to take any classes from professors. NTD's Christina Corona has more on the story. Vermont State University's Castleton campus is recognizing a feline named Max, not for his mousing or napping, but for his friendliness. The popular tabby is an emotional support animal to students and faculty, and lives with his human family in a house near the main entrance to the campus. For about four years, Max has been socializing on campus, delighting students who eagerly pick him up, take selfies with him, and post about him on social media. He even joins tours with prospective students that start from a building across from his family's house. He just follows them on tour around campus. So all the kids that are coming for admissions tours are getting the benefit of the Max experience. The university shared in a Facebook post, Max the cat has been an affectionate member of the Castleton family for years. Now Max is being honored with a Doctor of Literature degree. I think the college contacted me because, you know, he's been up there a really long time, but it's the first Vermont State University graduation. So, like, we just thought it would be kind of cool to give him an honorary degree. And I was like, OK, go for it. Students affectionately referred to Dow as Max's mom, and alumni often ask about Max when they return to town. It's been kind of crazy. And but the students love him, the administration. I mean, he's been on the dean's desk and he's been on the director of graduate studies desk. He just goes in and makes himself at home. Max won't be attending the graduation, but his degree will be delivered to Dow. Christina Corona, NTD News. Stay tuned for China in Focus with Tiffany Meyer coming up next. China lashed out at Taiwan's new president, William Lai, after he urged Beijing to stop threatening the island as being sworn into office. How are other countries reacting to the new leader? And what else to look out for about this critical U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific? 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.