NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Dec. 30)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, a federal appeals court denies President-elect Trump's request for a new trial in the E. Jean Carroll civil case. Trump plans to appeal that ruling. Our legal correspondent Arlene Richards explains why a three-judge panel said the jury's $5 million award will stand. Trump endorses House Speaker Mike Johnson to retain his gavel, but some conservative lawmakers aren't convinced he's the right person for the job. Luis Martinez on Capitol Hill. Severe storms swept across the South this weekend, bringing nearly 50 tornadoes and leaving a trail of devastating damage across multiple states. Christina Corona reports. President Biden announces a national day of mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. And Vice President Kamala Harris responds to the news of Carter's passing. South Korea's president orders an emergency safety inspection a day after the deadliest plane crash in the nation's history. Ariane Postar looks at this year's aviation accidents around the globe. Hundreds of suspected terrorists are detained by Israeli forces at a hospital in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Syria's new leader says it could take years before the country holds elections. Jason Perry has the details. This is MTV Evening News. Live from our global headquarters in New York City, here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. Columnist E. Jean Carroll, who sued President-elect Trump for sexual abuse and defamation, got another victory today. An appeals court declined to grant Trump a new trial. Our legal correspondent Arlene Richards has the details. A New York federal appeals court on Monday refused to grant President-elect Trump a new trial. Trump's attorneys appealed a $5 million jury verdict that found Trump liable for sexually abusing magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll and then defaming her. His legal team had argued that the trial judge made a number of errors in its rulings. But the three-judge panel ruled that the claimed errors didn't substantially affect Trump's rights. Carroll first sued Trump in 2019, but the case was delayed due to his presidency. She filed a second action against Trump in 2022 after the state of New York passed the Adult Survivors Act. The act granted sexually abused adults a one-year window to sue their abusers. Carroll claimed Trump raped her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the 1990s and then defamed her when he denied the claim in 2022. After a nine-day trial, the jury decided that Trump did not rape Carroll, but that he did sexually abuse her. Trump's attorneys claimed the trial judge erroneously allowed two witnesses to testify that Trump sexually assaulted them, and also allowed a 2005 Access Hollywood recording in which Trump discussed groping women. But the appeals panel found that the law permits evidence of past abuses. Therefore, they ruled that the trial judge did not make a mistake. Trump spokesperson Stephen Chung in a statement said they will appeal the ruling. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Trump has endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson to retain his gavel in the incoming Congress. Despite Trump's support, Johnson faces an uphill re-election battle. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on this story. With less than four days until the swearing-in of the new Congress and the election of a new Speaker of the House, President-elect Donald Trump threw his weight behind Mike Johnson on a Truth Social post. President-elect Donald Trump said that Speaker Johnson instantly reposted Trump's endorsement, saying Together we will quickly deliver on your America First agenda and usher in the new golden age of America. But Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who will have a 220-seat majority on January 3rd, faces opposition from his right flank. Thirty-eight Republicans voted against President Trump and Speaker Johnson's proposal to fund government through fiscal year 2025, and 34 of them voted against the final continuing resolution that was approved by Congress. The fact is that these folks are playing with fire, and if they think they're somehow going to get a more conservative Speaker, they're kidding themselves. Despite Congressman Mike Lawler's warnings, Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, posted on social media earlier this Monday, saying that On January 3rd, 2025, I won't be voting for Mike Johnson. I hope my colleagues will join me because history will not give America another do-over. Speaker Mike Johnson no longer counts with the support of House Democrats to counter his opposition from conservatives. Unfortunately, Speaker Johnson really has no free will of his own. He is totally dependent on others. He's got the gavel, that's right, at the Capitol, but the real power is with those who have the big hammer over him. And with Trump's bluster and Elon Musk's billions, sometimes it's difficult to tell who's the chief and who's the sidekick. Even as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson retains his gavel, his job will become harder after January 3rd, when Congresswoman Elise Stefanik and Congressman Mike Walz are expected to leave the House of Representatives to join the Trump administration, reducing the House Republican majority in the lower chamber of Congress. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. Multiple tornadoes struck several southern states on Saturday, resulting in at least four fatalities. NTD's Christina Corona has warned the aftermath. At least 45 tornado-related damage reports were recorded across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, according to the National Weather Service. Severe thunderstorms on Saturday resulted in over 200 storm reports, including an EF-3 tornado in Porter Heights, Texas, with winds reaching at least 136 miles per hour. Another EF-3 tornado struck Chambers County, Texas, causing EF-2 level damage. In Houston, five tornadoes touched down, including an EF-2 in Brazoria County that claimed the life of a 48-year-old woman and damaged over 40 homes and buildings. Mississippi also reported two fatalities, an 18-year-old killed by a fallen tree and another person fatally injured in Lowndes County. In North Carolina, a 70-year-old man lost his life when a tree fell on his truck during the storm. The powerful storm caused widespread destruction, damaging hundreds of homes and buildings. Crews were still assessing the extent of the damage on Monday. Over 60,000 power outages were reported Saturday, and by Sunday evening, more than 10,000 flights were delayed and nearly 500 canceled. Christina Corona, NTD News. President Biden declares January 9th a National Day of Mourning for former President Jimmy Carter. All federal executive departments will be closed, and the White House flag will be flown at half-mast. NTD correspondent Jason Blair reports. I believe with all my heart that America must always stand for these basic human rights at home and abroad. That is both our history and our destiny. With the news of former President Jimmy Carter's passing, President Biden released a declaration making January 9th a National Day of Mourning for the 39th president. Biden ordered all federal government executive departments and agencies to close on that day. The White House American flag will be flown at half-mast, and the stock market will also be closed. The president remembers Carter as a man of character. What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend as well, even though they never met him. And that's because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words but by his deeds. Vice President Kamala Harris says in a statement that, quote, our world is a better place because of President Carter. She says President Jimmy Carter was guided by a deep and aiding faith in God, in America, and in humanity. And President Biden announces he's sending the remaining funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative package to Ukraine, a total of just under $2.5 billion. In a statement, he says he's committed to providing vigorous support to Ukraine for the remainder of his term. Biden says that since Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in 2022, it has been a top priority of his to, quote, provide Ukraine with the support it needs to prevail. In the announcement, the president says the aid will provide Ukraine with both an immediate influx of capabilities that it continues to use to great effect on the battlefield and longer-term supplies of air defense, artillery, and other critical weapons systems. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, Entity News. People in South Korea are still in shock after a plane crash killed nearly 200 people yesterday. It's the latest of many tragic incidents this year. Entity's international correspondent, Ariane Posdar, has an update on the South Korea crash and a look back at this year's aviation accidents. And a warning, this report contains footage some viewers may find disturbing. The deadliest plane crash in South Korea's history shocked the nation on Sunday. All 175 passengers and four crew members are reported dead. A Boeing airplane belly-landed and skidded off the runway at Muan International Airport. South Korea's acting president, Choi Sang-mok, on Monday, ordering an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation. He previously expressed his regret over the loss of life. I offer my deepest condolences to those who tragically lost their lives. I also feel deeply sorry and want to comfort the families who are left behind. Bird strikes and weather conditions have been cited as possible factors in the crash. The control tower advised the pilot with the phrase, caution bird activity. The pilot reported an emergency declaration and go-around due to a bird strike. The pilot later declared mayday. Investigations are now underway as many questions still remain open. Sunday's incident is the latest of many tragic crashes this year. Just last week, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed after entering Russian airspace, killing 38 people on board. Azerbaijan's president says he's sure Russian air defense mistakenly shot the plane down. In January, a Japan Airlines plane collided with a smaller Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. All 379 people aboard the Airbus escaped the burning plane. Unfortunately, five of six crew on the smaller plane died. And other notable incidents this year include an August flight in Brazil, when a small plane suddenly fell from the sky, killing all 62 people on board. A domestic flight in Thailand, which crashed in August, killing nine people. And a crash in Canada in January, which killed six people. A northwestern airplane crashed in Canada's remote northwest territories. Ariane Pasdar, NTD News. Israeli forces report detaining hundreds of suspected terrorists at a hospital in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Syria's new leader said it could take years before the country has an election. NTD's Jason Perry has the Middle East update. Israeli forces released video on Monday of Hamas terrorists operating near the Indonesian hospital in the Gaza Strip. The terrorists seen in the video are reportedly planting an explosive device just 50 yards from the hospital. And after they buried it, another man hooked up the wires to detonate it. Israeli forces said they completed operations there last week and conducted more operations at another hospital in the Gaza Strip, the Kemal Adwan Hospital in Jabalia. Israeli forces said on Sunday that they surrounded the hospital and began evacuating civilians, as they had intelligence that hundreds of terrorists were in the area. Israel said that some of the terrorists tried to pretend they were patients. But after conducting hundreds of field interrogations, Israeli forces reported detaining over 240 terrorists for further investigation. Israel expects them to provide more information to assist in their ongoing war efforts against Hamas. And after that operation, Israel reported finding and killing more terrorists in the same area overnight. Israeli defense officials have said they will continue to keep the pressure on Hamas to release the remaining approximately 100 hostages. The Israeli Ministry of Health released a report on Saturday saying the hostages were subjected to torture, including sexual and psychological abuse, starvation, burns and medical neglect. The report is set to be submitted to the United Nations this week. I am asking all citizens of Israel, even if it is difficult, to go in and read the report. Go through the difficult evidence and raise the urgent cry with us for a comprehensive deal that will bring everyone back and end the war. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to operate in the buffer zone near Syria, and also launch more airstrikes in the country, hitting a weapons storage facility in Syria on Sunday, which killed 11 people, according to a British-based war monitoring group. This comes as the new Syria forces on Monday launched a campaign against militia who are loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad. The new forces said they arrested five militia leaders in the raid. And as the new security forces try to maintain security in the country, Syria's new rebel leader, a former al-Qaida affiliate, said on Sunday that it could take up to four years before they could hold elections. Jason Perry, NTV News. Coming up, leaders in the U.S. and around the world pay tribute to former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at 100. Many reflect on his deep faith and firmly held values. What is the legacy that Carter left behind? A presidential historian joins us to assess the 39th president's impact on the country. And former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expressing concern over the New York City congestion pricing that will take effect this coming Sunday. Chris Spears reports when we come back. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Tributes to former President Jimmy Carter poured in after he died yesterday at the age of 100. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden called him an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian. Here's more. President Biden broke from his family vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands to remember Jimmy Carter. Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend. Hi, Jimmy Carter. Biden remembered Carter's character and his values, saying he lifted people up and changed lives. We may never see his light again. We'd all do well to try and be a little more like Jimmy Carter. Biden's successor, President-elect Trump, also paid tribute to the deceased leader. In a social media post, Trump said, quote, The challenges Jimmy faced as president came at a pivotal time for our country, and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Carter's story was one of humble beginnings and a testament to the opportunities available in America. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Carter personified the meaning of leadership. Meanwhile, his successor, incoming Majority Leader John Thune, said Carter was a dedicated public servant and a man of faith. Tributes to Carter came in from around the world. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Carter's presidency will be remembered for the historic Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Carter's legacy one of compassion, kindness, empathy and hard work. Carter also had a strong connection to Latin America, where he helped mediate conflicts. The president of Honduras said on social media, Carter was known for his policy of non-military intervention and respect for sovereignty. Venezuela's foreign minister said Carter was a man committed to peace and dialogue, and he had friendships with Presidents Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro. Carter's state funeral will be held in Washington on January 9th. President Biden has declared it as a national day of mourning. Joining us now to analyze Carter's legacy is Jane Hampton Cook, presidential historian and author of War of Lies. Jane, thank you so much for joining us. Great to see you again. Now, Jimmy Carter was often referred to as the everyman president. Talk to us about the legacy he's leaving behind and the impact he had. So he definitely was the everyman presidency. He portrayed this aw shucks retail politics image, and he proved that in America with hard work and determination, that you didn't have to come from wealth or an elite family to become president, that you could be a farmer from Plains, Georgia. And that's what he exemplified. And even in the inauguration, he and his wife and daughter walked part of the path of the inauguration parade. That was to send a message of I'm with you. And even Rosalind chose not to buy a new dress. She used one she'd already worn before for the inaugural balls. And that was to say, hey, we know Americans are hurting. We're going to be through. And so that's really the to me, the nucleus of his legacy is that everyman persona. Now, in terms of foreign policy, he's celebrated as a peacemaker with the Camp David Accords and the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that followed. There were also controversies like furthering diplomatic relations with China, giving away control of the Panama Canal, which has been making headlines again. What would you say were the highest and lowest points of his presidency? I think his highest point is his ability to broker peace between Egypt and Israel. He won a Nobel Peace Prize for largely that accomplishment in 2002. And he it was the Camp David Accords from 1978. And he that is there's no doubt that that was his greatest accomplishment. I would say his his greatest challenge and the lowest point was the Iran hostage crisis. Americans were kidnapped from the American embassy in Iran. They were held for four hundred and forty four days. There was a failed, disastrous attempt to rescue them that resulted in the loss of life from our military. And then even though he was negotiating, the hostages were not released until Ronald Reagan was president. And that was an insult that the Iranians threw at President Carter. But so those were the two, I think, the highs and the low points of his presidency. Now, critics often see his presidency as unsuccessful due to the issues he oversaw, such as high inflation, unemployment and that hostage crisis in Iran, you just mentioned. Now, some argue he was dealt a hard hand of cards. Others say history has been too soft on him. What do you make of this debate? How do you view his time as president? Well, you know, I certainly do think that those challenges that America faced in the 1970s, the energy crisis, the unemployment crisis, inflation, we've had those problems come and go. And, you know, right now we're dealing with high energy prices and the solution for that is energy independence. And that we've been talking about that since Carter. And that that's, I think, part of the, you know, the back and forth that you have over his presidency are those issues were just really big and difficult to solve. And he may not have had the political framework or the policy that were going to work to solve those problems. But, you know, I think people have come to really respect him for what he did after he was president. He kept serving. He engaged in tremendous public service with Habitat for Humanity. He, you know, built houses and sometimes people that were building with him didn't even realize he was on the construction site. You know, he was really picking up that hammer and hitting those nails. And he also founded the Carter Center and he, in many ways, was a freelance ambassador that presidents used and maybe not always authorized, but he would he would insert himself into conflicts. He moved to Cuba in 2002. He dealt with North Korea as a post president. And I think those things people really praise him for that. Yeah, maybe he wasn't dealt the greatest hand while he was president, but he certainly lived a life of success. And I think, you know, he was the first U.S. president born in a hospital and he's the only U.S. president to reach the age of 100. And I think those really built in his legacy. I want to expand on that because Carter is sometimes viewed as having been more successful in his post presidency. Expand on that for us, why you think that is and how do you think most Americans will remember the 39th president of the United States? You know, I think whenever you have a one term president, especially if the next person that follows you is elected with, you know, overwhelmingly elected and that if that president has a lot of success, which Reagan certainly did, that you get compared. So a lot of times a president gets compared to who came before him and who came after him. And I think I think he just lives in the shadow, lived in the shadow of Ronald Reagan's successful presidency. But I do think that people respected that he was a man of faith. He was a Baptist Sunday school teacher. He continued to teach well into his 80s and 90s. So his faith was important. I think most people considered him a decent human, a decent man who loved his country, who adored his wife. They had a very successful marriage. So they look if Americans look at the character of Jimmy Carter and they they like what they see and they like what they saw. It's just he didn't have the most successful presidency. Jane Hampton Cook, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. A Chinese sponsored hack targeting the Treasury Department's workstations, the department reported the event to lawmakers today, calling it a major incident. In a letter reviewed by CNN, a Treasury official said a threat actor had accessed certain Treasury workstations and unclassified documents. That message came from a third party software provider. On December 8th, the hacker had used a stolen key to remotely gain access. The breach has been attributed to a Chinese state sponsored actor. CNN reports that the compromised service has been taken offline and that officials are working with law enforcement and CISA. It's not clear exactly how many workstations were infiltrated. The extent of the damage is also unclear. Now to a New York City issue that's been making national headlines. Commuters heading into Manhattan next week should prepare to pay a nine dollar fee if entering the grid south of Central Park. That's because New York Governor Kathy Hochul's first in the nation congestion pricing law goes into effect on Sunday. It charges commuters a once daily fee for automobile travel in the city during peak hours. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the creator of this controversial law, is expressing skepticism toward it now. NTD's Chris Spears has the story. A spokesperson for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that Cuomo isn't exactly opposed to the congestion pricing. He's more concerned about the timing. New York City is still dealing with the repercussions of COVID-19 economically. And also 2024 saw 10 murders in the subway system, which is the most in 25 years. And essentially, there's a lot of concerns about safety in the subway. So if people are forced to use the subways because of the congestion pricing, that could create some issues. He's really asking for some kind of study to be conducted in advance of this before it goes into effect, because it's really it's the first time that this would be put into place anywhere in the United States. The money is going to be used to fund improvements to the New York City transit system basically. Oh, like the subways and stuff. OK, well, I would like to see it first because I haven't seen any of the improvements and I haven't come to the city my entire life. And the subways look the same as they did when I was five coming into the city as they do at 25. I think it's fair. I mean, the congestion here has gotten a little bit ridiculous in the last two years. I've been here. I don't think raising prices is the way is the way to go, especially for commuters because they don't have a choice but to come into the city. I don't know. That's just really wild to me. I can't believe that. How do you think it'll impact pedestrians like yourself? I think that means that the subways are going to be a lot more congested. Right. New York's new congestion pricing law will charge automobiles a nine dollar once daily fee for entering New York City south of Central Park. Proponents of the first in the nation policy say it will reduce auto traffic and emissions, making the city more pedestrian friendly. Those opposed argue it will deter tourists and businesses and put financial pressure on commuters. Someone commuting to the Big Apple five days a week, 50 weeks a year could pay over twenty two hundred dollars annually. I think there should be a balance between the cost and benefits. So so less crowd, which is a good thing. At the same time, they are increasing the price, which is the bad thing. So that's a good and bad. So hopefully they can do so some of the researchers and they can come up with the good price and also the benefits. This congestion pricing fee will go into effect on Sunday. There are exemptions for low income New Yorkers. You can get a 50 percent reduction if you have a disability that prevents you from using the transit system. You or your caretaker could get a full exemption, but you have to apply by Sunday. Chris Spears, NTD News. Coming up, the H1B visa battle continues with Steve Bannon criticizing Elon Musk after Musk hurled profanity at an H1B opponent. But the immigration program is controversial. Three migrants die while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to Britain by boat. This, as Britain's running total of small boat migrants tops 150,000 since records began. Malcolm Hudson brings us more from London for the break. Welcome back. If you're just joining us now, here are some today's top headlines. President-elect Trump endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson as he prepares for what is expected to be another contentious speakership race this week. Trump said on social media that Johnson will do the right thing. A federal appeals court upheld Trump's verdict in one of the E. Jean Carroll cases. Trump has to pay the columnist five million dollars for defamation and sexual abuse. President Biden said the U.S. will send nearly two point five billion dollars more in military aid to Ukraine. The package includes one point two five billion in presidential drawdown authority as the administration works quickly to send all the money it has available. Former President Jimmy Carter's state funeral is scheduled for January 9th after he passed away at the age of 100. President Biden will deliver a eulogy at the Washington National Cathedral. He also declared January 9th a national day of mourning. Steve Bannon expressing strong criticism of Elon Musk after Musk's profane ex post supporting the controversial H-1B visa program. It's causing a divisive risk rift in President-elect Trump's coalition. We get some expert takes. President-elect Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon had some harsh words for Elon Musk. This after Musk made profanity laced comments against an opponent of the H-1B visa program. Musk said the H-1B was how he himself got into the U.S. and that he would, quote, go to war on this issue, the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend. H-1B visas let high skilled foreigners into the U.S. in fields like tech and engineering. It's temporary, lasting up to six years. There really is no need for the visa. It's just used now as a cheap labor program, a white collar cheap labor program. Mark Krikorian is the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies. He says the U.S. should get rid of the program, saying visas for high skilled workers already exist and that the H-1B is subject to abuse. The Disney Corporation a number of years ago replaced its entire I.T. staff with H-1Bs and that the American workers that were all being fired had to train their own replacements. Krikorian believes the program could be reformed to bring in more high skilled workers and fewer low skilled workers. But Krikorian says he prefers getting rid of it. I don't want any more government regulation over my business or any other corporation. Business consultant Eric Brown supports H-1B. He says firms sometimes need specialized talent. H-1B visas help supply that talent. Don't hamstring a company to hire someone just because of, you know, just because they're American. Trump recently told the New York Post, quote, I'm a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program. The incoming president did not give details on policy. At least three migrants died while attempting to cross from northern France to Britain by boat early yesterday. Both French and British governments blame human smugglers for the deaths. It comes as the total number of immigrants arriving in Britain by small boat surpasses 150,000 since record keeping began. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more on this from London. French authorities said three migrants died while attempting to cross the English Channel from France to Britain. The British government said it was a tragedy that more lives been lost during the Christmas period. The prefect of Pas-de-Calais, Jacques Bilan, said an overcrowded boat may have contributed to the tragedy. Around 50 people tried to board it. A British government spokesperson blamed human smuggling gangs for the deaths. The government has sought to tackle the criminal gangs to dismantle their illegal immigration business model and stop the boats. Here, a warehouse of small boats and outboard motors used by the migrants crossing the Channel. Member of Parliament Mike Tapp said proposed counter-terror powers for border security enforcement will make the difference. This would allow the government to tackle, investigate and prosecute migrant smugglers in the same way as terrorists. Sunday's tragedy takes the deaths total this year to at least 53 and comes during a spike in Channel crossing attempts as 2024 draws to a close. Officials have noted a significant increase in attempted crossings over the past few days. According to official data, nearly 37,000 migrants have made the journey so far this year and a running total of over 150,000 since records began in 2018. Migrants favor the UK for reasons of language, family ties or perceived easier access to asylum, work, housing and social benefits such as money. The British government has sought closer collaboration with overseas partners to smash the gangs, signing agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia and Kosovo in November. These deals build on existing agreements with Albania to increase intelligence sharing and intercept the gangs transporting people. Britain also agreed to a new deal with Germany in December to curb illegal immigration. It aims to break the business model of the gangs and reduce the influx of illegal immigrants into Germany, the UK and the whole of Europe. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News, London. Coming up in the NBA, it's the King's birthday as LeBron James turns 40. Dave Martin joins us to discuss his latest milestone. And as the clock takes toward a new year, we hear from people on some of their biggest accomplishments in 2024, as well as their expectations for 2025 after the break. Welcome back, I'm Tiffany Meyer. Shen Yun Performing Arts gave performances in Austin, Texas over the weekend, showcasing traditional Chinese dance and music. NTD is a media sponsor for Shen Yun. Texas State Senator Donna Campbell was there. Let's hear what she had to say about the show. Shen Yun Performing Arts performed on December 28th at the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas. Texas State Senator Donna Campbell was there to watch the performance and presented the artist with a certificate commending their mission. It's it's a certificate of honor for the performance, for the mission to put China before communism. And I support that strongly. Any legislation that we can put forward, I would do that. In America, we take our freedoms for granted. And unless you've had them taken away, you can't appreciate how valuable they are. The Chinese people can appreciate how important their freedoms are because they're taken away. Shen Yun's mission is to revive 5000 years of traditional Chinese culture from before communism. They have been touring worldwide since 2006 to help restore that culture. It was amazing. It's the first time I've seen the performance. I did see the advertisements and everything and thought that it was going to be spectacular. But I was overwhelmed by how good it really was when I got here. My partner, she is a dancer and she could not stop watching and saying how incredible it was and pointing out all the great things that the dancers are doing. The storyline was very entertaining and it was overall spectacular. I think the choreography is wonderful. The talent is spectacular. The mission is good. The message is clear that the presentation of the Chinese culture clearly shows through. I didn't know that it was so spiritual and there's a lot of similarities between the Western cultures and obviously the Chinese culture in a spiritual sense. And I'm seeing that really for the first time. Oh, it's beautiful. I mean, the colors, the the energy, the precision. But it's just it's just wonderful to watch. Shirin performs with a live orchestra that features both classical Chinese and Western instruments. This was just really fantastic. The blend of both the traditional Chinese and the Western instruments was really spectacular. And I enjoyed how they explained what was going on with them, as well as the soloists. Shirin will be traveling to San Antonio, Texas, for performances on December 30th and Dallas, Texas, on January 3rd. NTD News, Austin, Texas. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, a lot going on today, but let's start in the NFL. As yesterday, Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley became the ninth player in league history, just surpassed 2000 yards in a season. Now, how close is he to breaking the record? Yeah, he's 101 yards away. He's at 2005. The record is 2105 by Eric Dickerson back in 1984. Now, it should be pointed out that when Dickerson did it, it was during a 16 game NFL season. The NFL changed to 17 games a couple of years ago. But the question is actually going to be first, whether he even gets a chance to break the record. Now, his team, the Eagles, they've already clinched a playoff spot. There's only one more week left in the regular season. Plenty of time. Coaches will actually rest their players here in preparation for the playoffs if they have like nothing to play for, you know. Now, the Eagles, they've already won their division. They've already wrapped up at least in the number two seed in the NFC. There is a slight chance that you get the one seed, which give them a first round buy. It's not very likely. So there's a good chance they won't have anything to gain in these playoff standings actually by playing next week. But head coach Nick Ceriani said he has not decided for sure. We'll have to wait and find out. Well, looking at NBA news, today is LeBron James 40th birthday, which means the next time he takes the court, he'll be the first player in league history to play in his teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. Yeah, that's going to be tomorrow night against his old team, actually, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who actually the best record in the league now at 27 and four. But this milestone is really another example of how great he's been for so long. I mean, he's already the all time leader in points scored and minutes played, among other things. But only the great ones are able to keep playing at this age. Michael Jordan retired a couple of months after he turned 40. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who James passed for the scoring title, played until he was 42 amazingly. John Stockton played to 41. I mean, there's some more there, but it's a very exclusive company. Now, James's overall numbers are down a little bit this year, but still his nine assists per game. That's fourth best in the league. He's averaging 23 and a half points per game. That's like second in the Lakers. I mean, this is probably the best numbers anyone has put up entering age 40. Incidentally, it's also Tiger Woods's birthday today. He is 49. So big day for sports. Indeed, while shifting gears to college basketball, six former Florida State basketball players are suing Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton, alleging that he didn't make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name and image likeness compensation. Yeah, this kind of this case really gives it gives us a look into what college sports is kind of turned into right now. According to the lawsuit, Hamilton promising the money from his, quote, business partners. The lawsuit also says the players actually walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott their big game against Duke. This is in February. They ended up playing after Hamilton guaranteed them they'd be paid. But according to the lawsuit, they were not. Now, none of these players are still in the roster this year. Two of them were seniors. They didn't have the eligibility left. The other four players transferred away. But this isn't the first time we've seen like an NIDL deal kind of go wrong. Starting quarterback for UNLV's football team, Matthew Sluka left the team after just three games a season, saying he was never paid the $100,000 he was promised. It was that former Florida quarterback signing Jaden Rashada. He sued the Gators head coach Billy Napier over a 13 million dollar NIL deal go wrong. Now, my guess it's really cases like these that have some coaches winning some federal legislation over all these NIL rules. And it's really not there. It's really more of a state thing. The NCAA has not really intervened. And so I think we're going to see this until we get some more federal regulations out there. Well, tonight in the NFL, the Lions, who are in contention for that aforementioned number one seed, play the 49ers. What do you say they need to do to get that? Yeah, well, it starts with the win tonight. I mean, right now, the Vikings have the number one record in the NFC at 14 and two. Detroit's half game behind at 13 and two. And you have Philadelphia still in the race at 13 and three, but they're a game behind. So Philly has the lowest chance of getting the top seed. Basically, for that to happen, the Lions have to lose tonight and then beat Minnesota while Philadelphia wins next week. Then they'd all end up with a 14 and three record. And then you've got a whole bunch of tiebreaker rules to go through. But Detroit wins tonight. Then we get a winner take all game next Sunday night as Detroit plays Minnesota with the winner getting the division title, the number one seed in the playoffs and a first round by that goes with it. The loser, meanwhile, falls only back to number five seed and has to open the playoffs on the road to a very big game next week. One of those rare times where the schedule grants us this very crucial end of season game. But tonight first is Detroit at San Francisco. And that's at 815 Eastern Time on ABC and ESPN. Davis, always thanks for joining us. Well, thank you, Tiff. And as we bid goodbye to twenty twenty four, what was your biggest accomplishment in the past year and what are you most excited for in twenty twenty five entities? Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. What was your biggest accomplishment in twenty twenty four? I would say just personal growth and worrying about myself and not worried about what others have to think about me. I'm probably practicing soccer and getting better at it. Did you win any tournament? Yeah, I got out. Congratulations. Thank you. Biggest accomplishment. Finished my second internship to graduate and twenty twenty five. I'm looking forward to graduating, overcoming fear and learning how to be just more faithful and and holding true to some of those things that I hold dear in my life. Biggest accomplishment would probably be I live in a house with 11 housemates and we've been getting along really well, getting this kid through high school. We're waiting for applications to come through. My second biggest accomplishment will be his accomplishment, getting him into college and hopefully a Mets World Series win. I was working in a research lab and I got promoted. So I would say that. Thank you. So I would say that that's definitely my biggest accomplishment. So what do you research? We do research on animal distribution in Chernobyl. I know they're here with her, first of all. I'm in sports management at Carolina. And so this year, I would say I did a good job at broadening my connections. So coming up in twenty twenty five, what are you most looking forward to? You know, I have some things in mind of like businesses and things like that and starting the projects and finishing the projects that I thought about and things like that. I'm hopefully doing an internship with the National Science Foundation. More sports, more tournaments, more Gaelic football, more soccer, more victories, too, right? Yeah. Definitely looking forward to graduating in twenty twenty five and then getting first job in industry, traveling, seeing the world. A potential publication. We'll see how that works out. But I would say that very I'm unsure if that'll happen, but that would be cool. Just doing more school stuff. I love school for the coming year would be seeing which organizations I land at for sports. I'm looking forward to him choosing a school, figuring out where he's going to go. Positive changes. I think we could all use some great change in the country. You know, as a family, we have a lot of fun events coming up. And so I think I can look at the temporary and enjoy, you know, whether it be marriages, things of that nature coming up. But I think for me, it's just looking forward for opportunities to to embrace the world around me and to connect with people and to help others feel the peace and joy that I feel within myself. And that's all for today's news around the clock coverage. Visit us at NTD dot com or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night. Dear NTD viewers, my name is Janice Trey. I'm the CEO of NTD. Just as a plant perseveres in the winter and blossoms, it spreads hope and renewal. May this new year add new beauty and light in your life. Many blessings and Happy New Year to you and yours.