NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Nov. 25)

Welcome to NTV Evening News. Our top story tonight, a federal judge today has granted special counsel Jack Smith's request to dismiss his election interference case against President-elect Trump. Smith cited Justice Department policy as the reason. NTV's Arlene Richards and Iris Tao bring us the details. And get ready to gobble up this news, President Biden pardons the National Thanksgiving turkeys at the White House. NTV's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley brings us more. Mixed reactions on the Hill over Trump's cabinet nominees and appointees. House Democrats voicing opposition to certain picks, suggesting that Congress's power of the purse is under threat. Meanwhile, some Senate Democrats are expressing openness to Trump's elections. Fighting continues in Lebanon. A powerful strike hit Beirut today. Leaders from around the world are working to close a ceasefire deal. But the U.S. says about not having reached a truce yet. This is NTV Evening News. Live from our global headquarters in New York City, here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. President Biden pardons two turkeys, a time-honored tradition just in time for Thanksgiving. NTV's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has the story from the White House. President Biden pardoned two lucky turkeys on the White House South Lawn in honor of the Thanksgiving tradition. It marks the start of the holiday season here at the White House. The turkeys, Peach and Blossom, weighing over 40 pounds, were each happy to live out the rest of their days not as someone's dinner. The timing was almost too perfect. As soon as Biden pardoned them, Peach let out a loud gobble. Based on your temperament and commitment to being productive members of society, I hereby pardon Peach and Blossom. Around 2,000 people gathered to watch the event. Biden was joined by National Turkey Federation chairman John Zimmerman, who raised over four million turkeys in Minnesota over the years, including Peach and Blossom. Now they're named after the Delaware state flower, the peach blossom, which Biden said symbolizes resilience. He also said that these turkeys live by the mottos, keep calm and gobble on and no foul play, just Minnesota nice. The president also said that Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and reflection. May we use this moment, take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most, our families. My dad used to have an expression, families, the beginning, the middle and the end, our friends and our neighbors. And the fact that we blessed to live in America, the greatest country on earth. And that's not hyperbole. We are. This White House Thanksgiving tradition goes back to President Harry Truman when he was presented with the turkey. It became what it is today after George H.W. Bush pardoned some turkeys before the holiday. Just hours after the turkey pardoning, first lady Jill Biden was joined by military families to welcome the White House Christmas tree. The tree is a 20 foot Frazier fir from North Carolina. It will showcase the resilience of communities across North Carolina hit hard by Hurricane Helene. The Christmas tree will stand at the White House's Blue Room. White House staff had to remove the room's chandelier to accommodate the tree's full height. In the evening, President Biden and the first lady celebrate a friend's giving in Staten Island, New York with members of the Coast Guard and their family to honor their sacrifice and service to the country. Reporting from the White House, Jack Bradley, NTD News. With just weeks left in office, President Biden is racing to complete several spending projects. They involve billions in spending on energy, transport, education and more. Here's more on that story. With President-elect Trump vowing to revoke any unspent funds, the Biden administration is racing against the clock to push through a number of grants. In a news conference last week, Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters the administration wants to invest in better transportation and improving supply chains. He announced plans to use more than three billion dollars on projects for U.S. ports, improving road safety, supporting manufacturing and improving rail service. The Biden administration plans to issue a number of grants for environmental protections, including three billion dollars to help local water utilities comply with a nationwide deadline to remove all lead piping. The EPA also announced plans to impose a federal fee on oil and gas companies that release dangerous methane fumes above a certain threshold. And the Energy Department is looking to push through a half billion dollar loan to Michigan-based SK Siltron for the manufacture of silicon carbide wafers used in electric vehicles. The Biden administration is also looking to get a federal rule through that would allow the Education Department to cancel student loans for those with financial hardships. It's one of the few debt forgiveness plans the courts have not halted or reversed. Military aid to Ukraine is also part of the last minute spending plans. The Pentagon said they'll work to use all allocated funds before Trump takes office. This includes over seven billion dollars in weapons from Pentagon stockpiles and another 2.2 billion dollars for future contracts to produce weapons. Democrats in the Senate are also moving to approve judicial appointments. The Senate Judiciary Committee last week confirmed April Perry as a U.S. District Court judge. So far, the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved more than a dozen pending judicial nominees. Another eight nominations are awaiting committee votes, while six are waiting for hearing dates. District Judge Tanya Chutkin today granted Special Counsel Jack Smith's request to dismiss his election interference case against President-elect Trump. Smith cited Justice Department policy as the reason. Our legal correspondent Arlene Richards has more. After a lengthy consultation with Justice Department officials, Special Counsel Jack Smith requested that his case against President-elect Trump be dismissed. Judge Tanya Chutkin on Monday quickly granted the request. The case, filed in D.C. court last year, accuses Trump of attempting to interfere with the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Smith said in a six-page filing on Monday that he still believes Trump committed the multiple felonies that he was charged with. But Department policy and the Constitution prohibit the prosecution of a sitting president. In the filing, Smith states, based on the Department's interpretation of the Constitution, the government moves for dismissal without prejudice of the superseding indictment under federal rule of criminal procedure 48A. A dismissal without prejudice doesn't permanently end the case, which means Smith or some other Justice Department official could refile charges at a later date. The judge's dismissal without prejudice means that she is not determining Trump's guilt or innocence. Trump's communications director said in a statement, today's decision by the DOJ ends the unconstitutional federal cases against President Trump and is a major victory for the rule of law. Meanwhile, Manhattan's top federal prosecutor, Damian Williams, announced his resignation effective December 13th. Williams became the first black U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York when President Biden was elected. He called his resignation bittersweet. During his tenure, Williams focused on public corruption. He secured the conviction of former New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez on charges of fraud and acting as a foreign agent. In September, Williams brought bribery charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Trump nominated veteran corporate lawyer Jay Clayton to lead the New York office. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Special Counsel Jack Smith today also abandoning his appeal in the classified documents case against Trump. Trump cheering himself for persevering through legal woes, which are now going away. Joining us now in studio is NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao. Good evening, Iris. Thank you so much for being here. First, let's dive into the election interference case that's now being dismissed. Doesn't mean it's finished. What's next here? Sure. So, Judge Tanya Chukin, who oversees this case, in her opinion, granting dismissal of this case today, actually knows that, quote, immunity afforded to a sitting president is temporary, expiring when they leave office. And that's her saying that while this is dismissed for now, it's possible that it can be brought again after Trump finishes his second term at the White House. While we don't know if that's going to happen until maybe a few years later, one thing we do know for now is that Jack Smith could likely remain the spotlight. Some Republican lawmakers have been calling on the DOJ to preserve the records in Jack Smith's investigation into Trump, citing a need for accountability and transparency, especially into something that they say the investigation should not have happened from the beginning. And also, Trump has also suggested himself that Jack Smith could be under investigation under his new Justice Department. Remember that on the campaign trail, Trump has repeatedly vowed to fire Jack Smith once he gets into office. Although now we have heard reports that Jack Smith might be resigning before Inauguration Day. That's the case, and there's no need to fire him. But another thing that we do know right now is that Trump will no longer potentially need to pardon himself when he takes office, as some legal experts have said before, which looked like that was possible if the case wasn't dismissed before Inauguration. But now that need is being eliminated. But still, Smith is technically still required to file a confidential report to Attorney General Merrick Garland to explain his prosecution decisions throughout this whole investigation. Jack Smith did not mention that report during his motion today, and we also don't know if AG Garland would actually make that public as he did with previous reports, for example, filed by Robert Herr as well as John Durham. So a lot of questions are actually still remaining. And Iris, in addition to the election interference case, there was also a significant development in the classified documents case. What is the latest in that? So today, just basically minutes after moving to dismiss the election interference case, Special Counsel Jack Smith is actually also abandoning his own appeal against Trump in the classified documents case, which was also fired by the special counsel's office with the DOJ. And that comes after Judge Eileen Cannon, who oversees that case, earlier this year actually already effectively tried to dismiss the case on the grounds that Jack Smith was not lawfully appointed. But Smith, of course, not knowing back then that Trump will become the president again, tried to appeal that decision and get this case back. And today, of course, we know that Smith is dropping his appeal in that case as well, meaning the DOJ is moving to basically put away both his cases against Trump. So a lot happening apparently in the coming days as well, as we wait for the judge in that case to respond. And Iris, lastly, how is President-elect Trump himself reacting to all these latest developments? Sure. So we do know that his team responded first and later Trump himself responded on True Social, reiterating that this case should, quote, never have been brought and adding that over $100 million of taxpayer dollars has been wasted. He added that it was a political hijacking and a low point in the history of our country that such a thing could have happened. And yet I persevered against all odds and won. And his, of course, Vice President-elect now J.D. Vance also responding, highlighting the significance of the legal world that Trump has been in, saying that if Trump had lost an election, he may very, very well have spent the rest of his life in prison. Adding that it's time to ensure what happened to Trump never happens in this country again. But we have also heard reactions from some Democratic lawmakers in Congress who have actually criticized Trump's strategy in delaying these court cases and ultimately leading to partially leading to today's result. And of course, they're also saying that no one should be above the law and voicing their opposition to the outcome today. All right, Iris, thank you for those updates. Of course. Senators are tasked with confirming President-elect Trump's cabinet picks, and a number of Democrats are expressing openness to some of Trump's nominees. NTD's Malina Weisskopf reports. Several of Trump's cabinet picks come from Capitol Hill. Having a closer relationship with other lawmakers, some Democrats are now expressing optimism about a few of them. Congresswoman Lori Chavez-Dremer is now tapped to serve as Trump's labor secretary. This pick has garnered positive reaction from a top-ranking Democrat, Senator Patty Murray. The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee said that she's, quote, glad to see that the former congresswoman supports pro-union legislation. As for Senator Marco Rubio, who's picked to serve as the secretary of state, several Democrats are expressing positivity about his abilities. So we have a friendship. We've served together. I look forward to talking to him to see what he's going to do and what his policies will be. I think Marco Rubio is enormously well qualified for the job for which he's been nominated. I still want to ask questions. I'm not going to completely prejudge even him. Senator John Fetterman has been the most vocal Democrat in support of some of Trump's picks, telling reporters he doesn't know why an open dialogue gets controversial. And there's some that might be able to enthusiastically vote, yes, and like my Senator Rubio or Stephanie, or actually, there's that fantastic Labor nominee as well, too. And I don't understand why it's controversial to say, hey, we're going to engage in that conversation. Senators will hear from Trump's Cabinet picks early next January. A simple majority is needed to approve them, which Republicans will then hold. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Wisecup, NTD News. Meanwhile, House Democrats have expressed their opposition to President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees and now Cabinet appointees, non-Cabinet appointees. Democrats are suggesting that Congress's power over government spending may now be under threat. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on this story. Democrats have rejected calls for massive government spending cuts by President-elect Donald Trump and have expressed concerns over the new Department of Government efficiency to be headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. House Democrats do not want to see cuts to social programs despite agreeing with the need to reduce overall government spending. They find areas of truly wasteful spending across the government, they would get support. But if they start to recommend cuts in Social Security or Medicare or Title I education funding, they'll face strong resistance. House Democrats have been highly critical of the nominations of Howard Lutnick for Commerce Secretary and of Scott Besant for Secretary of the Treasury. 80 plus percent of his nominees fall into one of several categories. Either they are people that he is appointing to destroy and dismantle agencies, or they are cronies or political donors, or they are people, they are loyalists, they are people that are being appointed to weaponize government agencies. House Democrats have also continued to call for a more rigorous vetting process for Trump's nominees, and particularly for Tulsi Gabbard, who was tapped to be Trump's Director for National Intelligence. She blamed Ukraine for the invasion of Russia. So it just makes no sense. She has actually used Russian talking points. She went over to Assad and seemed to sympathize with him, an individual who was gassing his own people. House Democrats have even insisted on the release of the House Ethics Report on former Congressman Matt Gaetz, despite him stepping down as the You know, if Marco Rubio gets selected for the cabinet, that Senate seat could come open. Mr. Gaetz could be appointed to that, potentially. I've heard he's thinking about running for governor of Florida. There are also other positions in the Trump administration that he could be appointed to. So it might make sense to release the information. So whatever he chooses to do, the public has that information. Government funding expires on December 20th, and President-elect Trump's nominations will surely play a role in the funding battle. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. Fighting between Russia and Ukraine continues as both sides report being attacked in overnight strikes. A Russian missile attack on Kharkiv injured at least 23 people overnight, and also damaged over 40 buildings. That's according to the regional governor and national police. They say Russia fired over a hundred drones, with Ukraine shooting down almost half of them. Meanwhile, footage from Russia's Kursk region shows explosions lighting up a street. The governor of Kursk reports that Russia destroyed seven incoming Ukrainian missiles and drones. He did not provide further details. Moscow says in total over 20 Ukrainian drones were destroyed across Russian territory overnight. Are we getting closer to a ceasefire in the Middle East? U.S. officials continue saying a deal might be in sight. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Pazdar has the Israel update. And a warning. The following report contains footage some viewers may find disturbing. A massive explosion shook Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday. That's as Israel struck military targets in the area. The Israeli army issued a warning on X before launching the strike. A Lebanese resident suggests he's waiting for the fighting to end. In Lebanon, we are used to enduring a lot. And this is a war after all, so we have to bear it to the end. And the White House and the State Department say an end might be in sight. We have made significant progress, but we're not done yet. Nothing is final until everything is final. A reporter highlighted the fact that officials have been saying they're close to reaching a deal for almost a year now. I can tell you we are painfully aware because this has been an incredibly frustrating process. Oftentimes the very last stages of an agreement are the most difficult because the hardest issues are left to the end. And an end might be in sight. Israel's ambassador to the U.N. gave an update on the situation on Monday. So we are moving forward on this front, as I said many times. You know, our goal was very clear, which is to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River. We haven't finalized it, but we are moving forward. He added that the Israeli cabinet is set to meet on Tuesday to talk about the situation in Lebanon. Some reports, which have not been confirmed, say lawmakers will also talk about closing a ceasefire deal. Israel's foreign minister says such a deal must make sure Iran-backed Hezbollah won't be able to gain strength in the future. Two main points. The first is preventing Hezbollah from moving southward beyond the Litani River. And the second is preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding its force and rearming in all of Lebanon. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Italy, meanwhile, for a G7 summit. He's scheduled to meet with Arab counterparts to advance ceasefire deals in Lebanon and Gaza. Blinken is also holding such talks with G7 counterparts. Arianne Pastar, NTD News. What does President-elect Trump's former Deputy National Security Advisor have to say about the latest ceasefire developments? Tune in at 7 p.m. Eastern time to NTD's Capital Report with Steve Lance to find out. Widespread flooding in Britain after Storm Burt battered the country, leading to the deaths of four people. Hundreds of homes were left underwater, roads returned into rivers, and winds of more than 80 miles an hour were recorded across parts of the UK. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more for us. Britain flooded after Storm Burt battered towns and countrysides. A severe flood warning, meaning there is danger to life, was issued for Billing Aquadrome Holiday Park in Northamptonshire in central England. Drone footage shows the extent of the flooding. Waters surging through the town. People wading through water to escape, holding carrier bags containing their belongings. Here, an elderly woman is evacuated by firefighters. More than 200 flood warnings and flood alerts were put in place across England and Wales. Hundreds of homes were left underwater, roads were turned into rivers, and winds of more than 80 miles an hour were recorded across parts of the UK. Four people were killed, among them a dog walker in North Wales and a man who died when a tree hit his car in southern England. British Environment Secretary Steve Reid said the government was allocating more money this winter to upgrade flood defences faster. We've already set up a floods resilience task force. That's a new operation that tries to make sure that there's better coordination between the centre of government and local government and the agencies on the front line that need to be providing additional support to homes and businesses. He said the government has allocated $3 billion over the next two years to improve flood defences. A former mining community in South Wales suffered an apparent landslip during storm burst on Sunday. Many people were asked to leave their homes overnight after mud and water came up just below their windows. Residents say it has caused carnage, but are glad nobody was injured. Water provider Welsh Water issued a boil water notice to customers in 10 areas in South Wales. They advised that tap water may be contaminated because of the flooding and must be boiled until further notice. The disruption comes after storm Burt hit Britain late on Friday, bringing snow, rain and strong winds. The Met Office kept a warning for strong winds in place in northern Scotland on Monday and said the storm would clear from that part of the country early on Tuesday. About 350,000 homes in England lost power during the storm, though most have since been reconnected. Some areas saw more than five inches of rain in 24 hours on Sunday. Malcolm Hudson, NDD News. Coming up, the Menendez brothers will have to wait until 2025 for a decision on their future behind bars. A judge has postponed their re-sentencing hearing, citing the need for more time to review evidence and delaying any chance of a holiday release. The nation's airports and highways are expected to be jam-packed this week. Winter storms and a strike by service workers could cause snags for some travelers. That and more after the break. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. A California judge has postponed the much-anticipated re-sentencing hearing for the Menendez brothers, who are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for the 1989 murders of their parents. NDD's Christina Corona is at the courthouse with the latest update. We're here in the city of Van Nuys where Los Angeles judge Michael Jessick ruled that Eric and Lyle Menendez will not be released from prison this year, giving incoming LA County District Attorney Nathan Hockman time to review the case after he takes office on December 3rd. The judge has now set January 30th and 31st as the days for a plenary or fulsome hearing on the re-sentencing. He has also invoked what's called AB 600, so he has jurisdiction under that section as well, which is California law. We're hoping that by the end of that, or sometime sooner, that we will in fact get the brothers released. The brothers were set to appear virtually from prison, but technical issues only allowed their voices to be heard. Their attorney Mark Garagos presented new evidence earlier this year, including a letter that Eric wrote to his cousin describing the sexual abuse him and his brother received by the hands of his father, and an allegation from former Menudo member Roy Rosello, who claims Jose Menendez raped him when he was only 13 to 14 years old. Former District Attorney George Gascon recommended reducing the brothers' sentences to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. Their attorneys are also seeking to have their convictions reduced from first-degree murder to manslaughter. The re-sentencing hearing has been rescheduled for January 30th. Reporting from the city of Van Nuys, Christina Corona, NTD News. The nation's airports and highways will be jam-packed this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. A strike by service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport could cause snags at the North Carolina hub. NTD's Andrew Thomas has the latest on what travelers should expect. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports this Thanksgiving week. The agency projects 3 million people will pass through airport security on Sunday. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be the next busiest air travel days of Thanksgiving week. TSA Administrator David Pekoske said the agency will have enough screeners to keep general security wait times under 30 minutes. However, a staffing shortage of air traffic controllers could cause flight delays. A strike by service workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport could cause snags at the North Carolina hub as well. TSA has a list on its website of items that are banned or restricted. Liquids and similar substances with more than 3.4 ounces must be in a checked bag. Ice packs are allowed, but they must be frozen solid at screening checkpoints. According to transportation analytics company Enrix, drivers should avoid hitting the road Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Be prepared for travel disruptions this Thanksgiving. A winter storm is going to hit the eastern half of the United States. The midwestern and southern states could start to see rain and cold air as early as Wednesday. The storm will move into the east by Thanksgiving. Parts of the region could see snow. Many areas in the central and eastern U.S. will experience their coldest conditions so far this season over the weekend. Temperatures could drop as low as the 30s in Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago. NTD will have live special coverage of the annual Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Tune in on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern right here on NTD. We wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Coming up, special counsel Jack Smith dismisses two federal cases against President-elect Trump. A former federal prosecutor joins us to explore what happens next. And cabinet positions for both liberals and conservatives. What do people think about an ideologically diverse Trump administration? We'll hear from everyday Americans when we come back. Welcome back. If you're just joining us now, here's today's top headlines. President Biden pardoned two lucky turkeys in honor of a White House tradition. This year's national Thanksgiving turkeys, Peach and Blossom, came from Minnesota and are named after Delaware's state flower. The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. said a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah is close. Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The Menendez brothers made their first appearance in court in 28 years as they seek release from life in prison. A judge delayed his decision until January on whether to re-sentence the brothers for killing their parents 35 years ago. Special counsel Jack Smith filed motions to dismiss the January 6th election interference case and the classified documents case against President-elect Trump. Given Trump's election win, the judge in the election case approved the dismissal. A decision in the documents case was still pending. Joining us now to discuss Jack Smith's decision to dismiss the two cases against Trump is Zach Smith, former federal prosecutor and legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Zach, thank you so much for joining us. Good to see you again. Now that Judge Tania Chacon has granted special counsel Jack Smith's dismissal of the federal election case against Trump, speak to us about what this without prejudice means for the case. Yeah, thanks for having me on this evening. Look, what this means is whenever a case is dismissed without prejudice, it means that technically prosecutors could try to bring those same charges again. Now, we know that the federal Justice Department cannot indict a sitting president. So if the Justice Department were to try to bring these charges again, it would have to be after Donald Trump is out of office. And if the Justice Department tries to bring those charges, I think they would face a number of practical issues. They would likely face statute of limitations issues. I suspect by that point in time, there'd be new personnel in place throughout many departments in the United States Justice Department. And on top of that, Donald Trump could simply avoid that specter hanging over his head by simply pardoning himself once he is in office. So even though I think Jack Smith should have dismissed this case with prejudice, he chose to seek dismissal without prejudice, and that is what Judge Tania Chacon agreed to do. Now, the six-page filing was citing a DOJ policy from the 1970s that says a sitting president cannot be prosecuted or would violate the U.S. Constitution. But in terms of the classified documents case, speak to us about where you see that case going. Yeah, the classified documents case, the Mar-a-Lago case that came out the prosecution in Florida, that case was pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. You may recall that Judge Eileen Cananshi dismissed the charges in that case because of constitutional concerns around Jack Smith's appointment as special counsel. Jack Smith chose to appeal that case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. And so essentially what he has said is he said that he's going to dismiss the charges against Donald Trump. He's not going to pursue the appeal as it relates to Donald Trump, but he's going to continue with the appeal for Donald Trump's two co-defendants. Now, what that means after Donald Trump takes office in January, I'm not quite sure. I suspect that that case too will go away. How it will go away is what we don't know. It could be that the Justice Department will simply dismiss those charges against those co-defendants as well. It could be that Donald Trump will pardon those co-defendants. But even though Jack Smith has indicated that he continues to pursue the case against the two co-defendants along with Donald Trump, but not Trump himself, we do know that it's likely those charges will go away after Donald Trump is inaugurated in January as well. And zooming out a bit here, what about the other cases against Trump, especially the Manhattan Business Records case, which is not a federal case? Now, it has been indefinitely paused by New York Judge Mershawn, which some say could lead to a dismissal. Now, is this an end to that case against Trump or could it be a so-called zombie case? I suspect Alvin Bragg likely wants this to be a so-called zombie case. He wants it to hang over the head of Donald Trump and his administration like a sword of Damocles, ready to drop whenever it's politically convenient for Bragg or his political allies. That is not the purpose of our legal system. Our legal system should not be used for political purposes. And as I've talked about elsewhere, I suspect everyone recognizes that Alvin Bragg never would have brought this case if the defendant's name wasn't Donald Trump. And there are very real legal issues about whether some of the evidence that was introduced in trial can constitutionally be used against Donald Trump in light of the US Supreme Court's immunity ruling last term. So look, I think Judge Ron Mershawn should dismiss that Manhattan case against Donald Trump, at least for now. He's agreed to pause the sentencing. But at the end of the day, the best course of action would be for Judge Mershawn to simply dismiss that case as well. Zach Smith, former federal prosecutor and legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Thank you so much for joining us. Of course. Thanks for having me on. A second Trump administration is taking shape as the president-elect is finishing off his cabinet selections. From Tulsi Gabbard to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., what do Americans think about an ideologically diverse cabinet? Entity's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to find out. What do you think about the choices we have so far? I think Trump is doing a great job. I think he's picked the right people. I think it's about time we make some changes and turn our country what it was four years ago. I'm pretty happy with him. I do think that Matt Gaetz was probably a sacrificial lamb to maybe push some of the other ones across the finish line. Some of his picks, I think, were good. But some of his picks, I think, were to retaliate as opposed to educate and work successfully for the people. Based upon what I know about them so far, they are not individuals I would have placed in any of those positions. The first time he was elected, he was coerced by a lot of the people that was in office and around him. But now he was able to figure that out. First four years, he figured it out. Second four years, he planned it out. These next four years, he's going to execute. I feel like it's just a group of people who have contributed to his campaign who are getting cabinet positions. If you look at some of these picks, it's pretty, I would say, ideologically diverse. Some of these people, they lean left on certain issues. We also have RFK Jr., who was critical of the COVID vaccines. Then we have the new assertant general, who has a history of speaking in favor of the COVID vaccines. With all that said, where do you think Trump is going with this? I think that whatever Donald Trump decides to do, he's got my support. I'll just say that. Where Trump is going is something that I don't know. I don't know if anybody else knows. I don't know if Trump knows. He's going to lead us into a place where we don't really want to be. I think he's trying to strike a nice balance. I do think Dr. Nashua is a very good choice for surgeon general. I think RFK Jr., I think he's changed his position a little bit on some of the vaccines. I think he's pulled back a little bit off that. So I think it's going to be a fair balance. I think he's going to go more with the conservative opinions versus some of the more liberal views with these candidates. I'm not really sure. I'm a little uncertain. It's kind of scary to tell my son, who's growing up in this country, will democracy be preserved? I think that he's using a lot of his background in business, rather than being coerced by the different political agendas. I think he feels he needs to shake up various departments in the government. I think he feels this is the best way to do it. I think we need to give them a chance. Coming up in the NFL, a huge game by Saquon Barkley yesterday may have put him in the running for MVP. NTD's Dave Martin joins us to discuss. And America is growing less and less of its own food and relying more and more on imports. Farmers now under pressure. Details on that after the break. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. America is growing less and less of its own food. Fruit and vegetable production down significantly. The nation has become more reliant on imports. Here's the story. America is growing less and less of its own food. Fruit production down 36% in the past 20 years. Vegetable production down over 6%, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Why? Because these crops make less money. Fruit and vegetable farming is very difficult. Being in North Carolina with Hurricane Helene coming in and really kind of wiping out a lot of the western North Carolina, it's very challenging to rebuild something that was already almost broken. Zach Wyatt is the president of Carolina Farm Trust, a nonprofit that supports local farmers. He says many small farmers are getting out of fruits and vegetables altogether. They perish easily and are more labor intensive. Meanwhile, commodity crops like corn, wheat and soybeans are more profitable. They're cheaper, easier to produce, less perishable, can be mass grown and sell for more overseas. The government also subsidizes them. Wyatt says it's as if the system is incentivizing small farmers to go out of business, making America more reliant on Mexico. The more reliant that we are on importing food is the more that we're reliant on power. If we can't feed ourselves, I mean, I don't even know how to respond to that. Another factor is inflation, causing expenses to rise. Also, NAFTA, or the North American Free Trade Agreement, significantly altered the farming business in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It promoted trade but made it harder to compete with foreign imports. The USMCA, which replaced NAFTA, didn't directly address this. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTV's Dave Martin. Dave, a lot going on right now, but let's start in the NFL, where Saquon Barkley's game yesterday is still the talk of the league. 255 yards rushing against the Rams. Is he the front runner for MVP? Well, I think he's definitely one of them. He's at least in the conversation. I mean, those 255 yards yesterday, that was the ninth most in a game in NFL history, and he leads the league right now in that category for the season. In fact, he's on pace for more than 2100 yards, which would break an NFL record. Now, granted, they play 17 games now, and that record was in a 16-game season, but we're not there yet. Anyway, usually for MVP, you have to have a great season statistically, and your team has to be great. The Eagles right now, 9-2, they have the second-best record in the NFC, so both of those boxes are checked. Now, as for his competition, I mean, you probably have Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, maybe even Jared Goff in contention. Now, those three guys are all quarterbacks, and each of the last MVP winners have been quarterbacks, so you kind of have to buck history here a bit. Now, if I had to say right now, I would say Josh Allen is probably number one, and then second or third, it's either some combination of Lamar Jackson and then Saquon Barkley, but we still have like, you know, a third of the season to go to sort this out. Dave, it was an exciting weekend for college football as well. Several upsets in both the SEC and Big 12 conferences have shaken things up in the playoff race. Now, if you had to guess the 12 teams to make the playoffs right now, who would they be? I mean, whoever wins probably the SEC, Big 10, ACC, it looks like those three will have the top three seeds. Then, Boise State and whoever comes out of the Big 12 should be the fourth and fifth seeds as expected. I mean, those would be the five automatic bids as conference champions. Now, as for the seven then wildcard spots, I think at this point, three of those are going to go to the Big 10. I mean, you've got to figure either Oregon or Ohio State is going to win the conference. The loser of that game, along with Indiana, Penn State, I would say those three are still in, so there's three of them. Notre Dame and Independent, they should be the fourth as long as they beat USC this Saturday. Then for the other three, you have to start with the SEC. It looks like Georgia is going to play Texas for the title. The loser of that game should still be in, although, Grant, that would be Georgia's third loss. We'll have to see about that, but I also think two-loss Tennessee makes it. Then the ACC, Miami and SMU both only have one loss. If they meet for the conference title, I still think the loser of that still gets in, but it could possibly be a three-loss SEC team. We've got one more rake in the regular season, though, to sort this all out, too. Shifting gears to college volleyball, a recent lawsuit against several San Jose State officials and the conference they play in had sought to block an alleged transgender player from competing in the upcoming conference tournament. Now, you've covered this story. What's the latest here? The latest is that a judge will allow this alleged transgender athlete to play this week in the conference tournament. Not only that, but the six teams who had forfeited the games against San Jose State will have them count as losses. Now, they had hoped to get those overturned as well as part of this lawsuit. Now, the judge's reason was that granting injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo and the conference's policy for including transgender athletes had been in effect since 2022. Now, meanwhile, the plaintiffs, there were 10 of these plaintiffs across four different schools. That includes actually the captain for San Jose State's own team argued that their First Amendment rights and Title IX rights had been violated. Now, meanwhile, this alleged transgender player has been one of the best players in the conference. Meanwhile, San Jose State is guaranteed actually to play one of those teams that forfeited them in the second round of this tournament. So, we'll have to see, you know, what the team actually decides to do if they get that far. Now, tonight on Monday Night Football, it's brother against brother as Jim Harbaugh's Chargers face John Harbaugh's Ravens in Los Angeles. Now, it looks like this game could have playoff implications. Yeah, for sure. Chargers 7-3, Ravens 7-4. Right now, they're the line for like 5th and 6th in our conference, respectively. There's seven playoff spots. Now, that could change because Baltimore is only a game behind Pittsburgh for the division title. The Chargers are just two and a half behind Kansas City in the NFC West. This is the third time these Harbaugh coaches have faced each other in the NFL. John has won the previous two. The last one was Super Bowl XLVII, which was what, a dozen years ago almost. Jim then left the NFL for a couple years, then coached Michigan, where he won a national title. So, both coaches, very accomplished. Now, I mentioned earlier, Lamar Jackson is having an MVP-type season. He didn't have the greatest game last week against Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Chargers, though, they've won four straight games. Their quarterback, Justin Herbert, really been on fire here the last few weeks. Despite that, Baltimore is somehow two and a half point favorites on the road. I am taking the Chargers in this one. Well, Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Well, thank you, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. For round-the-clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.