SNAP Will Be Partially Funded; All Eyes on Elections in NYC, NJ, VA | NTD News Today (Nov. 3)

Welcome to NTD News Today. Here are today's top stories. Tuesday is the first major election day during President Trump's second term. What to watch for this week in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. It's day 34 of the government shutdown and the Trump administration faces a deadline on SNAP benefits. The transportation secretary also warning about a potential scenario that could impact your travels. President Trump says he won't attend Supreme Court arguments this week on whether his tariff policies are legal. And the president's comments on global flash points, including Nigeria and Ukraine. Trump says the US will control up to half the global chip market within two years, keeping its AI edge over China. More from his interview on 60 Minutes. Breaking just now. The Trump administration said today that it will partially fund SNAP a pair of judges rulings last week required the administration to keep the food aid program running. It's not clear how much beneficiaries will receive or how quickly they'll get the benefits. The Department of Agriculture announced last month that payments would pause starting November 1st because there's no funding amid the shutdown. But last Friday, judges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts ruled separately that the administration must continue to pay for SNAP using contingency funds. They both gave the administration leeway on whether to fund the program partially or in full for November. 42 million Americans rely on SNAP and the program costs about $8 billion per month nationally. The USDA has a $5 billion contingency fund. Now, switching gears to air safety. Transportation Secretary Shawn Duffy spoke on CNBC today regarding air traffic controller shortages. >> Is there more risk in the system when you have a shutdown? Absolutely, there's more risk. But if we thought that it was unsafe, we we again, we'll shut the whole airspace down. We won't let people travel. Um we're not there at this point. It's just significant delays. According to FAA data, this past weekend marked the worst for air traffic control staffing shortages since the shutdown began. Their absences have led to tens of thousands of delays at some of the busiest used airports. The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 transportation security administration officers to work without pay. Duffy said he has no plans to fire air traffic controllers who are calling in sick. He said the FAA was already short of 3,500 air traffic controllers even before the shutdown. Airlines have repeatedly urged Congress to pass a continuing resolution and had the shutdown. In hospitals and doctor's offices across the US, singers and musicians are helping patients. The performances come amid several recent studies suggesting that listening to music can help alleviate pain. NTD's Andrew Thomas has more. when you are fearless. >> In the recovery unit of UC San Diego Health, nurse Rod Salisai helps patients manage their pain after surgery. Along with medications, he performs music ranging from folk songs to favorites like somewhere over the rainbow. He says music and pain medication work side by side. Once they uh got some pain medication, they started to relax. And then when you you you instill some music in between, then it's actually it's a different it's a different uh level of comfort that they experience. >> Salasai says he sees music's impact on heart rate, blood pressure, and sometimes requests for fewer painkillers. Patient Richard Hang says the music helped him focus on recovery instead of pain. I was expecting a typical nurse that just comes in and do his or her job and that's it. And um Rod came in here with a whole different attitude and atmosphere. >> Your dreams must never die. >> Salesai says he has performed for about 2,000 patients over the last 16 years. I want to encourage them through music and give them hope that regardless of what's going on through the hospital stay and and and onwards would be manageable. [Music] Dutch researchers have found that music can draw attention away from pain. A study on 548 participants found tunes of all genres helped. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. Turning now to the New York mayoral race. Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Leewa continues his campaign blitz. Let's go live to ENTD's David Lamb in New York City. >> And if I see you here now, David, give us an update. How's it going? >> So, I'm here on Staten Island. Hey. Yeah. Hey, Steph. So, I'm here on Staten Island and we just saw Curtis Leewa moments ago. He's making his way down this street u to campaign with uh Republic uh he was to campaign with an activist Scott Labido and city council candidate John Shia on the northshore of Staten Island in New York. So on his way he was speaking to constituents or people in the area to to just continue his campaign blitz one day before the election. Um so he's supposed to speak here in a little bit. Uh we'll give you updates on that. But so his campaign message is one of restoring and focusing on public security. Earlier today, he was paying tribute to a fire victim that died uh on the subway last year. And so uh her name was Deina Kawam. Uh and that happened on the Fra. But so with Curtis Leewa, people are saying that his campaign is saying that whatever the poll results are, they're waiting for actually on the election day because uh what the polls apparently what they say is the polls lie, your vote decides and later today he will be in Queens to end his campaign rally for this election blitz. >> Gosh, great to hear that update and noted about Sabrina Kawwan. She was lit on fire on a subway and burned to death there. So much going on and many pressing issues for New Yorkers. Thank you, David. In Michigan, authorities have identified two suspects in a foiled terror attack planned for Halloween. The FBI said they were inspired by the ISIS terror organization. The two men are Maha Mahmad Ali and Majed Mahmood, both US citizens under 21 years old from Dearborn, Michigan. They're accused of planning a shooting in a Detroit suburb on Halloween. They've since been arrested and charged. Authorities searched their homes and found multiple firearms, tactical gear, and over 1,600 rounds of ammunition. Officials also released surveillance footage of the two men practicing at a shooting range last month. According to a court document, the suspects plan to carry out an attack similar to the 2015 ISIS terror attack in Paris that killed 137 people. And tomorrow is the first major election day during President Trump's second term. Heated races in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City will test the popularity of Republicans and the ideology of Democratic socialism. NTD's Molina Weissup tells us more. >> In New York, Democrats have chosen Democratic Socialist Zoron Mdani to face former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who's running as an independent. >> I will not be the mayor that we have today who went on national television and opened the door to civil immigration enforcement. I will be the mayor that stands up for our sanctuary city policies that stands up. >> Uh New Yorkers are concerned. Uh you have this democratic socialist. What does it mean to have New York uh being run by a uh a person who favors socialist economic policies, public safety is a very big issue. I want to add police. Uh he has been very anti NYPD. Uh and then you have >> the race will test the popularity of socialist ideology among Democratic voters. Democrats were hesitant to endorse Manny and House Democrat leader Hakeim Jeff refused to acknowledge Mani as the future of the party. >> Do you see M Donnie as the future of the Democratic party? >> No. I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall as far as we're concerned relative to the House Democratic Caucus and members uh who are doing a great work all across the country as it relates to our >> the two New York Democrats are challenged by Republican Curtis Leewa, leader of the Guardian Angels, who built his campaign on law and order. >> You cannot allow people not to pay the fair. Zoran Mandami is fantasy, which when reality hits, he's not going to be able to do it. And by the way, it's the state that has to do that, not the mayor in the city of New York. >> Across the river in New Jersey, voters will elect a new governor to replace the Democratic incumbent whose term is limited. A close race shaping up between Democrat Mikey Cheryl and Republican Jack Cidelli. >> My opponent's not from New Jersey. She hasn't even been here all that long. And what little time she's been here, she's been six years in Congress and somehow someway tripled her net worth. >> How about we elect the Jersey guy? >> I have a different kind of background, uh, military service. I'm a mom of four kids. I'm focused on driving down cost. I have a plan to take this as the emergency it is, the crisis that >> and a term limited Republican governor is set to be replaced in Virginia. The state's current Republican Lieutenant Governor, Winom Earl Sears, is facing former Congressman Abigail Spanberger. But but the takeaway for me is that politics is in everything. For her, in her name, for the rest of us, in everything. In the schools our kids attend, in the educational opportunities that exist, in the health care that we do or don't have, in the prescriptions we can or can't afford, that she's going to tax you more. Believe her. That's what her party does. Always the Democrats will tax you more. We don't have to look. >> Polling shows the Democrat leading by a wide margin several days before the general election. Virginia has a history of electing the party opposite to the sitting president. Reporting from Washington DC, Molina Weissup, NTD News. Make sure you tune in tomorrow, November 4th, at 7 PM to get the latest election results with live analysis from our data reporters and on the ground teams, NTD Lance and Tiffany Meyer will bring you our live special coverage of all the biggest races from New York's mayoral election to the gubanatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. That's tomorrow, November 4th, starting at 700 p.m. Eastern, only here on NTEd. Don't miss it. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Wednesday on whether President Trump overstepped federal law with many of his tariffs. Trump warned it would be a disaster for the United States if the justices don't reverse lower court rulings that found he went too far when putting his tariffs in place. But the president said he won't go to the Supreme Court to hear arguments in person. Here's the president. >> I think it's one of the biggest decisions in the history of the Supreme Court. uh other countries use tariffs against us if we weren't able to openly and freely use tariffs against them. I'll give you an example, China. Uh that was going to be a disaster for the world. And I was able to settle it very quickly, very easily because I was able to use tariffs. It's total national security. So I don't want to call a lot of attention to me. It's not about me. It's about our country. I'll be going to Miami. going to make a speech in front of a large group of people in Miami and said, "I want it to go so badly. I just don't want to do anything to deflect the importance of that decision." >> The Justice Department argues the trade penalties are part of the president's power over foreign affairs, an area where the courts should not second guessess the president. But earlier this year, two lower courts found that Trump did not have power under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to set tariffs. Yet, some judges on the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the emergency powers law allows the president to regulate imports during emergencies without specific limitations. The courts left the tariffs in place while the Supreme Court considers the issue. In a busy weekend for President Trump, addressing the government shutdown and weighing in on conflicts overseas, Trump spoke yesterday to reporters on Air Force One on a wide range of issues. Here are the details. President Trump is increasing pressure on Democrats to end the week's long government shutdown, blaming them for the Senate stalemate. As the shutdown continues, millions of Americans are starting to lose access to food assistance. When asked if he's directing his administration to move around funds so SNAP benefits can continue, Trump called on Democrats to, in his words, open up the country. >> It's a much easier situation than that. If they vote to open the country and open up immediately, we don't even have to think about that. >> The president doubled down in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that aired yesterday, saying he won't be extorted by Democrats seeking to extend Obamacare subsidies before reopening the government. Trump also took to social media once again urging the Senate to scrap the filibuster, a tactic used to delay or block votes by keeping the debate running as long as possible. Unless at least 60 senators vote to move forward, a filibuster can stall most bills. He said getting rid of it will allow Republicans to pass what he called all their common sense policies. However, Republican leaders have dismissed the proposal, arguing the 60 vote threshold is essential and has historically helped them block Democratic initiatives when they were in the minority. The president also made headlines over the weekend for comments suggesting possible US military action in Nigeria. He said the US could deploy troops to stop what he called the killing of large number of Christians. >> They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria and they have other countries very bad also. You know that that part of the world very bad. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen. Nigeria's government said on Sunday it would welcome US help in fighting Islamist insurgents as long as its territorial integrity is respected. Meanwhile, aboard Air Force One, Trump ruled out providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. It comes after weeks of speculation with Trump saying he was considering the option. On Sunday, though, he said such a move could escalate tensions with Russia. When asked if there was a final straw that would show Russia isn't willing to end the war, Trump said both sides may simply need to, in his words, fight it out. >> Joining us to discuss the latest since President Trump's announcement on combating the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is Jason Jones, the president and founder of the Vulnerable People Project. Good to have you with us today, Jason. Your organization operates in Nigeria and other countries around the world. What are you seeing of the persecution of Christians that the president has spoken of? >> Well, the president's correct. Nine out of 10 Christians in the world that will be murdered this year will be murdered in Nigeria. In fact, our organization, the Vulnerable People Project, provides security uh for vulnerable churches facing Islamist attacks. And just this past July, a young security guard, a 23-year-old man while attempting to defend three seminarians uh from a violent attack was was murdered. So we've lost our employees ourselves in the recent months in Nigeria. It's catastrophic. And the fact is the United States should weigh in on this. We are a nation of Christians and we are seeing record number of abuse of Christians in Sudan, in Nigeria, in in the West Bank, brutal settler attacks on vulnerable Christian communities in India, in Turkey, you know, Turkey a NATO member. So when the president makes a strong stand to defend vulnerable Christian minorities in Nigeria, we're hoping that these other countries get the memo and say that this open season on Christians is over. In China, we've seen over 10 bishops disappeared by the CCP. This is something that's unimaginable. The CCP is appointing bishops for the Catholic Church with the one hand and with their other hand, they're disappearing bishops that don't tow the line. So I think it's very important as a Christian, we are the most powerful Christians in the world, American Christians, and we should leverage our influence to defend not only our co-religionists of course, but other vulnerable ethnic and religious minorities as well. >> And what do Christians and other vulnerable religious believers specifically in Nigeria, what do they need right now? >> They need security and we should partner with the Nigerian government and we should respect their sovereignty. We don't want unintentional blowback. We saw with a lot of our military actions in the Middle East that that what started out with the best of intentions led to the ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq and Syria. We would hate for unintended consequences to be worse than we would hate for the cure to be worse than the disease. So, we should work with the government of Nigeria. Something we could simply do immediately is begin arming and training uh local police. Our organization provides security, but we're not even allowed to give them weapons. let alone um body armor. We're right now working very hard to get body armor to our our security teams, but they should be armed. They should have body armor. We need targeted sanctions and these sanctions should transcend Nigeria. There are a lot of a lot of money is flowing in to Boo Haram uh from around the world. And in fact, thanks to the Trump administration, we've discovered that the US State Department under the Biden administration was sending funds to Boo Haram. This is something un imaginable. And so we should have targeted sanctions uh work with the Nigerian government but especially encourage, train and support local policing uh in within the guard should come from within these communities. And then we should monitor that our actions don't have unintended consequences to the vulnerable communities that we have been moved through the brutal videos that are flooding. You know, all of our social media platforms are moving us that there should be action, but we should really be disciplined to make sure that our actions um don't in the long run injure the communities we want to defend. Now, on Sunday, the Nigerian president said, quote, "The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality." And he said he's willing to work with the US. What do you make of his response and also President Trump's assertion that he may send troops in if the government doesn't put more of an effort into addressing this persecution? Well, I think unfortunately the response for the president of Nigeria was disingenuous. I would say that historically speaking, uh that would be true, but um tragically we now see that political leaders in Nigeria are weaponizing religion to hold power. This is something that's obvious. you know, the Boo Haram um does not exist without government corruption and support from people with wealth and power within the Nigerian government. And this is where those targeted sanctions come in >> and where the weighing in with the might of the US military. It's it's important to know we're a 26 trillion economy. The the the budget of our intelligence community is equal to the GDP of the budget of Nigeria. um our the the budget of our defense department is about six I think four four times that of the GDP of the the government of Nigeria. We we should be very sophisticated and use the full weight of our economy of our intelligence community and when it comes to the use of the US military it should be targeted it should be strategic and it should be to the best of our ability with the cooperation of the government of Nigeria and it's tricky because there is corruption and there is support for these thugs and terrorists within the government of Nigeria and those folks need to be identified and at the very least targeted with sanctions. Jason. Now, as you may know, NTD's founders started this company, NTD, in response to a persecution of faith in China. They practiced fallen gong, a peaceful spiritual practice, which was and is still outlawed by the Chinese communist dictatorship there. What have you observed about the possible underlying reasons that governments and other groups persecute people of faith? >> That is really a great question. And when you look at the the persecution of fallen practitioners by the CCP, uh it it it is these falland practitioners are really reaching into the roots and traditions of their civilization. What how in the world can the CCP see this as a threat? Well, brutal thugs and dictators deny truth and any practice, any religious tradition that points to a truth above state power is perceived as a threat. And it is a threat because there is a truth above and beyond power and state power. And so in in Nigeria, what you're seeing is a harnessing of religion um to prop up the a corrupt exploitative government. And this is something that transcends this present regime. The real problem in Nigeria is you need an opportunity society. You need a rule of law. You need fairness. And and at the end of the day, only of those who point to a transcendent reference point can really reorder Nigerian society, but they need to root out corruption. They need to work for the common good. And when you have a culture of exploitation and a culture of brutality like you see in the CCP, um then the regimes are going to wage a war against anyone who shows a concern for the weak, the outcast, the abandoned. And that's why people of faith are so important. And this is why I'm so grateful to NTD. You are always reflexively on the side of the vulnerable. You always order yourself to those who have been abandoned and are suffering violence. And this is birthed in empathy and in truth. And I'm grateful for you. >> We're so grateful for you coming on and helping to share the truth that you know and you've seen out there on the ground. What's your message to people of faith around the world who may want to help with this or other religious freedom causes? Yeah. Well, you can always go to vulnerablepeopleopeople project.com and and get a a reporting from the field on the needs of the most vulnerable people in the world. And we at the vulnerable people project seek to serve them. And know those of us of faith who point to truth, love, compassion have to have fortitude for and endurance to stand with these people. Uh many of us watching the show are blessed. We live in countries with security and peace and we have opportunity, prosperity. Many people watching this show are in the midst of a great struggle and we all need to work together to leave our children and our grandchildren and our descendants a civilization of love. That's what inspires me. The destiny of the children of Nigeria, the destiny of the children of China and the destiny of of my children and grandchildren. It's a shared destiny. And so I can't just carve out a safe space in my little place in the world and think that my descendants will have peace. No. Either our descendants together will all have peace and prosperity and freedom or they will all be subjugated to abuse and tyranny. >> Jason Jones, the Vulnerable People Project. Thank you so much for your time today. Really appreciate it. >> Thank you for having me on. >> Now to the nuclear tests President Trump has ordered. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said yesterday that no nuclear explosions will take place during the testing. He was speaking on Fox News. A lot of our weapons are very old and President Trump's been has been adamant about we have to be at the forefront. We need to be ahead of our adversaries and we need to keep our weapons stockpile modern and upgraded. I think the tests we're talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are these are what we call non-critical explosions. So you're testing all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion. His remarks follow President Trump instructing the Department of War to start testing nuclear weapons on an equal basis with tests conducted by adversaries. The US last conducted a nuclear weapons test underground in 1992. The decision to resume testing comes amid high-profile weapons tests by nuclear armed US adversaries, including North Korea and Russia. North Korea announced that it carried out a test on its nuclear capable cruise missiles just hours ahead of Trump's visit to South Korea last week. And a federal judge has extended her order blocking President Trump from deploying National Guard troops into Portland. Judge Karine Immigrant ruled yesterday that claims of violence in Portland were exaggerated and that protests were largely contained. She found the administration likely violated the federal law and Oregon state sovereignty by invoking rebellion powers without justification. Elsewhere, National Guard troops helped police disperse a large Halloween crowd in Washington DC on Friday, where several teens were arrested. Authorities said the group disrupted traffic and some took part in fights and ignored police orders before officers moved in to restore order. In downtown Memphis, National Guard troops patrolled on Friday after President Trump ordered their deployment to support local police. Kimberly Clark is acquiring Tylenol maker Ken View in a deal worth 48.7 billion. The combined company will feature a portfolio of household products. Those brands include Listerine mouthwash, band-aid, Huggies, and Kleenex among others. Ken View has spent a relatively brief period as an independent company, a spin-off by Johnson and Johnson two years ago. Kimberly Clark chairman and CEO Mike Su will be chairman and chief executive officer of the combined company. Three members of Ken View's board will join Kimberly Clark's board at closing. The deal is expected to close in the second half of next year. The acquisition still needs approval from shareholders of both companies. Advanced chips, the China threat, and the new USChina trade deal. Those were among the key topics in President Trump's wide-ranging interview with CBS 60 Minutes, which aired last night. Entities Daniel Monahan has the key takeaways and comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, who's calling for the US to derisk from China. >> In an interview on 60 Minutes, President Trump commented on whether he would allow chipmaker Nvidia to sell their most advanced chips to China. We will let them deal with Nvidia, but not in terms of the most advanced. The most advanced, we will not let anybody have them other than the United States >> because then they would win the AI race. >> Well, they wouldn't win it necessarily, but they would certainly have uh an equal advantage. Right now, we're winning it because we're producing electricity like never before by allowing the companies to make their own electricity, which was my idea. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang last week expressed hope that his company will be able to sell its advanced Blackwell chips in China at some point. I >> I hope so. I hope so. But that's a decision for President Trump to make. >> Trump predicts the US will have 40 or 50% of the chip market within 2 years. >> The biggest companies are leaving Taiwan. They're coming into the United States because of tariffs. Trump provided perspective on China infiltrating parts of the American power grid, water systems, and buying American farmland. >> We're a threat to them, too. Many of the things that you say, we do to them. Look, this is a very competitive world, especially when it comes to China and the US. And uh we're always watching them and they're always watching us. In the meantime, I think we get along very well. And I think it's uh I think we can be bigger, better, and stronger by working with them as opposed to just uh knocking them out. >> In an interview with CNN, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the Chinese moves on rare earth restrictions are part of a plan they've been putting together for 2530 years. >> And the US has been asleep at the switch. And now this administration, we're going to go at warp speed over the next 1 2 years and we're going to get out from under the, you know, this sword that the Chinese have over us and they have it over the whole world. >> Besson says the US has rallied the allies. So, Western and Asian democracies and India are going to join the US in trying to form their own supply chains. >> We don't want to decouple from China, but we need to derisk. They've shown themselves to be an unreliable partner in many areas. >> And finally, the White House says China will stop investigations into US firms in the semiconductor supply chain and will begin issuing new export licenses for rare earths and other high-tech minerals. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. >> Daniel, thank you for that report. Also, in the 60 Minutes interview that aired yesterday, President Trump said that Chinese officials know the consequences of taking military action against Taiwan while he's in office. Trump's comments followed his meeting with Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping last week. Trump said the two did not discuss Taiwan during their meeting. You have said that Xiinping wouldn't dare move militarily on Taiwan while you're in office. But what if he does? Would you order US forces to defend Taiwan? >> You'll find out if it happens. And he understands the answer to that. I can't give away my secrets. I don't want to be one of these guys that tells you exactly what's going to happen if something happens. The other side knows. But uh I'm not somebody that tells you everything because you're asking me a question. But they understand what's going to happen. And uh he has openly said and his people have openly said at meetings, we would never do anything while President Trump is president because they know the consequences. [Music] I'm Stephania Cox and this is World Watch. War Secretary Pete Hegsath today visited the DMZ along the border with North Korea as part of a trip to South Korea. His visit to the site came ahead of talks expected to involve Washington's goal of reshaping the role of US troops in Korea. >> He said he was impressed to see South Korea and the US conducting a joint search operation along the military demarcation line. Before coming to the joint security area, he had thought the demarcation line was straight. But after seeing that it runs through valleys and forests, his thinking changed a lot. Hexath landed in the border area in a US Army helicopter. He then met the South Korean defense minister. The defense chiefs are scheduled to hold the annual security consultative med meeting tomorrow. That's the highest level forum at which the two countries chart the course of their military alliance. Washington is considering new roles for US forces in South Korea. Officials say the move would make the over 28,000 troops there more flexible, ready to respond beyond the peninsula as China expands its military reach. And President Trump says the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still quote very solid. The terrorist group returned the bodies of three more hostages over the weekend. Israel says they were soldiers killed in the October 7th Hamas terror attack, one of them an American Israeli citizen. Trump's latest comments come after Israel and Hamas exchanged attacks. But the president says the ceasefire is not fragile, adding that Hamas could be taken out anytime if Israel choose chose to do so. And 5 million of the more than 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust have now been identified. The World Holocaust Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem said the milestone is the result of seven decades of work. The center said some 1 million Jewish victims are still unknown and many will likely remain so forever. The center said its online database has helped countless families reunite with lost relatives and families to honor their loved ones. And an update on the stabbing attack on a train in England this week. UK police today charged a 32year-old man with attempted murder in the attack. The knife assault wounded 11 people. Anthony Williams, a British citizen, is charged with 10 counts of attempted murder. He faces the same charges over an earlier attack the same day. Police say they are not treating the train stabbings as an act of terror and are not looking for other suspects. Williams is due to appear in court today. The most seriously wounded victim is a member of the railway staff who tried to stop the attacker. Police called his actions nothing short of heroic. He's hospitalized in critical but stable condition. And a medieval tower in the heart of Rome partially collapsed today during renovations of the structure. The collapse severely injured one worker and trapped others. During the rescue attempt, another partial collapse sent up a cloud of debris and forced firefighters to briefly retreat. firefighter spokesperson added that another three workers were rescued and unharmed. Rome's mayor Roberto Gutari and the Italian culture minister Aleandro Guli were at the scene. The tower was built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his family. At least 20 people are dead after a powerful earthquake struck Afghanistan. Here's more about the tragedy this morning. >> At least 20 were killed and hundreds injured when a powerful 6.3 earthquake hit Afghanistan's north early Monday. It struck near Mazari Sharif, a city of around 523,000, famed for its shrines and historic sites. Authorities said the death toll was likely to rise from the quake, which the US Geological Survey said hit a depth of 17.4 miles. Afghans shoveled through the rubble of devastated homes. Survivor Muhammad Raheem had managed to pull others to safety. The earthquake started around 1:00 a.m. It shook so violently that we couldn't even open the door. We tried three times to unlock it, but the shaking was too strong to manage. It lasted for about 15 seconds. And when we finally got outside, there was so much dust in the air that we couldn't see anything. My mother was trapped under the wooden beams of the roof. And my brother was buried under the rubble. With the help of the villagers and young men from our village, thank God, we managed to rescue them. They're now in the hospital. on us. >> The health ministry said rescue teams had reached remote villages in the worst affected regions where more fatalities were likely to be discovered. The following graphic footage released by the Afghan Ministry of Defense showed military rescue teams digging through rubble and pulling the body of a young girl from the dirt. Reuters was not able to independently verify the location and date of the images. The quake also damaged the 15th century Blue Mosque, considered one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan, but the structure remained intact. The country is particularly vulnerable to quakes as it lies on two active faults that have the potential to rupture and cause extensive damage. And this disaster is the latest challenge for war torn Afghanistan's Taliban administration. It's already grappling with the aftermath of an August quake that killed thousands, as well as a sharp drop in foreign aid and mass deportations of Afghan refugees by neighboring countries.