NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Dec 02)

Welcome to NTD News. Our top story tonight, the Pentagon doubles down on its strikes in the Caribbean. More Secretary Pixet saying the US has only just begun and a generous donation this giving Tuesday from the Dell family. Marotu at the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin sends a stark warning to Europe just moments before meeting with a US delegation. Arian Pazdar has what Putin says about a possible war between Russia and European nations. The Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard members in DC pleads not guilty on his first virtual court appearance. Tennessee's seventh congressional district, which includes part of Nashville, votes today to elect its new representative. The race has drawn national Democratic figures to Tennessee in attempt to flip the traditional red seat blue. Luis Martinez brings us the update. Americans across the Northeast brace for the first widespread winter storm. More on the travel disruptions in the region. 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 Trump hosting his ninth cabinet meeting of his second term amid questions about a deadly strike against a drug carrying boat from Venezuela. The war secretary defending the Pentagon strikes in the Caribbean and saying they've only just begun. This as the Dells pledge over $6 billion dollar to fund accounts for American children. We now go live to entities Washington correspondent Mariosu at the north lawn of the White House. Mari, good evening. >> Tiff, good evening. Uh yes, President Trump's last cabinet meeting today came amid uh scrutiny over a boat strike that happened in the Caribbean Sea exactly three months ago today on September 2nd. Uh the Pentagon struck a boat in the Caribbean, leaving two men alive and then they ordered a second strike which then killed both of those men. Some lawmakers have said that Secretary of War Pete Hegsath committed a committed a war crime by ordering that second strike. But Hegathth, however, denies that. Um he denies ordering the strike, saying that he wasn't there and that it was rather Admiral Frank Bradley who had ordered it. Hexath also defends Bradley for that choice, adding that the Pentagon will quote always have the backs of its commanders. Take a look. >> I have empowered them to make that call. Now the first couple of strikes, as you would as any leader would want, you want to own that responsibility. Couple of hours later, I learned that that commander had made the which he had the complete authority to do. And by the way, Admiral Bradley made the correct decision to ultimately sink the boat and eliminate the threat. This is called the fog of war. This is what you and the press don't understand. You sit in your aironditioned offices or up on Capitol Hill and you nitpick and you plant fake stories in the Washington POST ABOUT KILL EVERYBODY phrases on anonymous sources not based in anything, not based in any truth at all. President Trump also doubles down on the effectiveness of these boat strikes, saying that they save hundreds of thousands of American lives. He also vows that land strikes on cartels are about to begin, quote, "very soon, and that those land strikes wouldn't just be limited to Venezuela, but rather any country uh that's bringing illicit drugs into the US." And War Secretary Pete Hexath says that the Pentagon's strikes have only just begun. Watch. As I've said, and I'll say again, we've only just begun striking narco boats and putting narot terrorists uh at the bottom of the ocean because they've been poisoning the American people. We're defeating narot terrorists and we're standing. >> You may say one thing that drugs coming in through the sea by sea are down 91%. And I don't know who the 9% is. >> I'm not sure either, sir, cuz >> but down 91% by sea. We've had a bit of a pause because it's hard to find boats to strike right now, which is the entire point, right? Deterrence has to matter, not arrest and hand over and then do it again. The rinse and repeat approach of previous administrations. >> This comes as the US has increased pressure on Venezuela with a US military buildup in Venezuela and as President Trump confirms that he spoke with Venezuelan President Nicholas Madura over the phone on the weekend. although he did not say what exactly they discussed. And last week, the administration also formally designated Maduro and allies of his government as members of a foreign terrorist organization. Tiff, certainly a lot of questions about those strikes were raised during that over two-hour long cabinet meeting this afternoon. Mari, what can you tell us about President Trump's second public event today? >> Sure, Tiff. So, that was an announcement um held in the Roosevelt room with tech billionaire Michael Dell and his wife Susan. And on this Giving Tuesday, the Dells are pledging over six uh billion dollars to provide more than 25 million American children with an incentive to claim investment accounts that were created as part of President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Uh, the Dell's gift builds on the Trump Accounts program where the Treasury Department deposits $1,000 into investment accounts for American children that are born between 2025 and 2028. The Dell's gift will fund $250 deposits to each qualified child 10 years and under. And the Dells believe it's the largest single private commitment made to US children. Take a look. >> This is truly one of the most generous acts in the history of our country. I mean, you just don't you don't hear about things like that. And we got to let people know he doesn't want and she doesn't care about that. But I do. I think when somebody does that, you got to let them know about it. As I mentioned, this gift is being made possible by the largest tax cuts in American history, which are Republican majorities passed earlier this year. >> And a wild from wild card from President Trump's cabinet meeting today. Uh the president is announcing that he has plans to rebuild Dulles International Airport uh in Northern Virginia. The president says that it was quote incorrectly designed, but that he and his team have plans to make it spectacular. Tiff, back to you. All right, Mari, thanks for those updates. Does President Trump have legal grounds to strike narco terrorists at sea? How could America's history of striking pirates factor in? Former federal prosecutor Jim Trusty will break it down tonight on Capital Report. Tune in for his analysis at 700 p.m. Eastern time. Russian President Vladimir Putin sending a stark message to Europe today, warning that Russia is ready for war if that's what European nations are seeking. This as a US delegation is in Moscow meeting with the Russian president. NTD's international correspondent Arian Pastar has more. >> We are not involved in the war monetarily anymore. Biden gave away $350 billion like it was candy. That's a massive. President Trump touting his administration's handling of support for Ukraine. Instead of donating weapons directly to Kief, Washington now sells them to NATO, which then sends them to Ukraine. Trump's comments came as special envoy Steve Witkov and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. Among other things, they were expected to discuss a 28point peace plan put forward by the US. But Trump said he had no updates on the meeting so far. >> Do you have any update for Mr. Wickoff or Mr. Kushner? >> No. On that because I've been spending too much time with you. I mean, we're spending a lot of time in here. So pleased to see you. >> Tuesday's meeting comes as Trump continues his push to bring an end to the fighting in Ukraine. The talks also take place just two days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida. The Trump administration highlights its willingness to talk with both sides of the conflict to end the fighting. Before Tuesday's meeting, Putin commented on Europe's part in the ongoing peace process, sending a stark warning. According to the Russian president, European nations are angered they're not part of the process. He added, "Uur European nations are not trying to end the fighting and they purposely make demands which Russia won't accept. We are not planning to fight Europe. I have said this a 100 times. But if Europe suddenly decides to wage war against us and starts it, we are ready right now. There can be no doubt about that." Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinski saying he's expecting swift reports from the US envoy in Moscow later on Tuesday. That's to know whether talks can move forward or not. >> If I feel feel that we can count on real specific dialogue, not just words with some result we will meet. Zilinski says if Russia indicates it still wants to find a middle ground, then Ukrainian officials may meet with the US delegation very soon. Arian Pastar, NTD News. >> The man accused of shooting two National Guard members in Washington DC has pleaded not guilty. Rakmanala Lakenal appeared virtually in court from a hospital bed. He is accused of shooting two National Guard troops last week near the White House. Sarah Beckramm died from her injuries and Andrew Wolf remains in critical condition. Lockenwall has been charged with murder and assault with intent to kill. He pleaded not guilty to all counts. The judge has ordered Lockinwall to be held without bond before his trial, which is scheduled for January 14th. Murder suspect Luigi Mangioni arrived in court today wearing a dark blue suit for day two of evidentiary hearings. A Pennsylvania officer who was sent to identify the suspected shooter at a local McDonald's testified about his immediate reaction to seeing Manion. NTD's Arlene Richards has more. >> An Alt Tuna, Pennsylvania police officer took the stand on Tuesday in day two of evidentiary hearings in the case against suspected murderer Luigi Manion. The officer, Joseph Deweiler, recounted the moments before he and other officers arrested Manion in a local McDonald's. Body cam footage of the exchange played on several screens in the courtroom. It showed the roughly 20 minutes between officers approaching Manion at the restaurant, then arresting and searching him. During the exchange, Manion gave police a fake New Jersey ID. He later admitted he had lied and disclosed his real name. Officers had asked other questions, including whether he'd been in New York recently, and why are you nervous? Manion's team of attorneys are asking the court to block the prosecution from showing potential jurors items authorities reportedly seized from his backpack. They argue the officers didn't have a warrant. The objects include a 9mm handgun that prosecutors say matches the one used in the killing and a notebook in which they say Manion described his intent to quote whack a health insurance executive. The defense is also seeking to toss out statements Manion allegedly made, saying the statements should be suppressed because officers started asking questions before telling him he had a right to remain silent. Without a warrant, prosecutors must show there was an emergency situation that required the search. It's not clear what reasons prosecutors will propose for allowing the disputed evidence, but during their questioning of the witnesses so far, it appears they are attempting to establish officers believe that Mangioni was a threat. The prosecution is expected to call up to two dozen witnesses this week. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Tennessee held a special election for the seventh congressional district today. The race drew national attention as both parties test their messaging campaigns ahead of the midterm elections. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has more on the story. >> The Democrats are spending millions of dollars here. They're bringing in all their heavy hitters because they think they can flip this seat from red to blue. That is not going to happen. Matt Vaneps is the candidate the best to represent Tennessee and and Nashville in Washington DC. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson campaigned with Republican candidate Matt Vaneps ahead of today's special election. Vaneps is a West Point graduate and a combat veteran from both Iraq and Afghanistan war. Baneps ran on an America first platform. >> He's fantastic and go get him and get out tomorrow morning. Get out and vote and let's make it a sweeping victory. The whole world is watching Tennessee right now and they're watching your district. The whole world. It's a big vote. It's going to show something and it's got to show that the Republican party is stronger than it's ever been. We have a bigger, stronger party than we've ever had. >> This is about America first. As the speaker said, the margins um in in Congress are so are so narrow and this is about the direction we want to move our country and we want to move it in the America first direction. That's what we're going to do. Democratic candidate Afton Ben, who serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives since 2023, had former Vice President Camel Harris and Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Caso Cortez, Jasmine Crockett, and Democratic Congressman Eric Swallwell campaign with her in recent weeks. >> Um, I've been very grateful for the national support in this race. Tennessee is often a state that is overlooked and disinvested in. Um and to see national surrogates and national supporters um providing uh monetary support and and jumping in, it really means a lot to all of us. We welcome it all. >> Democratic candidate Afton Ben supports expanded healthcare access and ran on an affordability platform, but is under fire for comments that resurfaced that she made on the city that she hopes to represent. >> I hate the city. I hate the bachelorettees. I hate the pedal taverns. I hate country music. I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently. an it city to the rest of the country, but I hate it. >> She has also come under fire for comments she made in reference to motherhood. >> My therapist always asks me to to transcribe my dreams when they happen. And the recurring dream I've had is standing up in a cafeteria full of women and saying, "I don't want children. I want power." According to recent polls, Republican candidate Matt Van Eps is expected to win Tennessee special election to fill the seat that Republican Congressman Mark Green left open when he retired earlier this year. Reporting from Washington DC, Luis Eluardo Martinez, NTD News. >> The first widespread storm of the winter season is moving into the Northeast. People in parts of the Midwest are already shoveling several inches of snow and dealing with dangerous turned to deadly road conditions. Marbel Gonzalez reports on the potential of record-breaking low temperatures later this week. If you don't need to be out, don't. This message from the Ohio Department of Transportation on Facebook as crews work to clear snow covered roads on Tuesday. The third winter storm in a week dumped several inches of snow across parts of the Midwest and slowed travel to a crawl. In Missouri on Monday, road conditions turned hazardous with reports of hundreds of crashes and stranded drivers. One driver in St. Louis pleading people to drive cautiously. >> Just get in line. Today is not the day. Just get in line cuz you're going to squeeze in. You're going to hit something. You're going to slide. Hit another car. It's just not worth it. >> A 21-year-old driver died when their car overturned Monday evening northwest of Jefferson City in a storm related incident. According to State Highway Patrol, Tuesday morning, crews deiced planes in Rochester, New York. The storm is set to strengthen rapidly into a bomb cyclone and slam the Northeast later this week. >> We've got this term, a bomb cyclone. It's just a rapidly intensifying low pressure system that often happens off the east coast and uh it can be destructive at times. >> Actual air temperatures are forecast to plunge into double digits below zero as far south as Iowa and Nebraska come Thursday morning. Yet some staying safe at home see the snow as an opportunity. One man sculpts it into art in Wisconsin. >> Everyone is my favorite one that I make. This is my favorite now. >> I'm Mary Bell Gonzalez reporting. Coming up, retailer Costco sues the Trump administration over its tariffs. How the lawsuit is related to a current Supreme Court case. Education in the spotlight. Lawmakers are debating several bills today meant to stop foreign influence in education. Molina Weissup has the key takeaways for us. The former president of Honduras released from prison in the US. President Trump pardoned him saying his conviction was unfair. Stay tuned for that and more when we come back. Welcome back. I'm Judy Meyer. Costco, the third largest retailer in the United States, is suing the Trump administration over tariffs. Costco filed with the US Court of International Trade on Friday, saying the legal move is needed in order to secure a full refund in the event the Supreme Court rules the administration overstepped when it imposed sweeping duties on US trading partners. Supreme Court justices heard arguments in the tariffs case last month, but they have not said when a ruling will be made. If the Supreme Court agrees with the federal court that the tariffs are illegal, the Trump administration could have to make amends. It isn't clear how or whether already paid duties would be refunded. A focus on education for lawmakers today. Lawmakers debate several bills meant to stop foreign influence in education. entities Molina Wiscup has more about this effort to protect young minds. There are several bills on the House floor today pretty much addressing the same issue with regards to foreign influence and education, but lawmakers are trying to leave no stone unturned. Collectively, these bills make it illegal for K through2 schools to accept funds or enter into contracts with the Chinese Communist Party or other foreign adversaries. Schools will actually lose federal funding if they do keep this foreign financial support. There's also an effort in these bills to empower parents to police schools on the issue. Under the bills, parents can request detailed information about foreign influence in education and if certain teachers have gotten paid by foreign adversaries. Lawmakers, of course, are mainly concerned about influence coming from the Chinese Communist Party. The chairman of the education committee said the biggest concern that he has is the possibility of the regime weakening the US military from within through indoctrination. Listen, >> a recent report by Defending Education found that many Confucious classrooms are located near US military bases, which indicate the CCP may be targeting military children for indoctrination. It requires teachers to sign contracts pledging not to, and I quote, damage the national interest of China end quote. The chairman says the Chinese regime offers free perks to teachers and students through exchanges, etc. But those perks come at the cost of forcing teachers to allow the Chinese government to dictate how they teach students about the regime. Which means that students ultimately wouldn't be learning the truth about the country with the worst human rights record in modern history. Now, those who were opposed said these bills aren't needed because they say the problem doesn't exist. The reality is that each of these bills is a solution in search of a problem and would ultimately impose unnecessary burdens on our already overstretched K12 schools. And after but the Republican chairman said in recent years there's been evidence of at least 500 schools where the CCP has infiltrated the classroom. Now this comes as recent polling consistently shows that Jinz has a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. A KOUGV poll from March this year found that 62% of 18 to 29year-old Americans have a favorable view of communism. Many are starting to realize that the truth about communism isn't being taught properly to young students. In Florida, the new curriculum to mandate the teaching of the horrors of communism will start next year. Reporting from Washington DC, Molina Weissup, NTD News. >> Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was released from a US prison yesterday. His wife said on social media he was released after President Trump pardoned him. He was serving a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking and firearms charges. President Trump has said Hernandez's trial was a setup. He said he was called a drug dealer because he was the president of the country. Hernandez governed from 2014 to 2022 and was arrested shortly after leaving office. The release came days after a presidential election in Honduras. Trump has backed conservative national party candidate Nashri esfura who is from the same party as Hernandez. The party forged a close partnership with the US under Hernandez. As for and his nearest challenger are very close in vote counting. Coming up, hiring at ICE hits a milestone and President Trump confirms that a federal crime crackdown in New Orleans will start this month. Jason Blair reports. And possible terror funding from the American heartland. The Treasury is probing allegations that Minnesota tax dollars were stolen and funneled to a Somali terror group. An attorney specializing in counterterrorism joins us to discuss after the break. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. According to Homeland Security Secretary Christy Gnome, ICE will have its 10,000th new hire on duty this month. President Trump says that his administration will soon focus on enforcement operations in New Orleans with the Louisiana Governor confirming that National Guard troops will be in the state this month. NTD correspondent Jason Blair reports. >> DHS Secretary Christy Gnome says that ICE now has 10,000 new workers. She made the announcement during a cabinet meeting at the White House. >> We're going to have hire our 10,000th ICE officer will be on the job within 10 days. The DHS has continued an aggressive campaign to hire more personnel, especially for ICE. Gnome says that the department has received hundreds of thousands of new applications. This is while the Trump administration is on track to shatter the record for deportations within a year. >> 2 million people have gone home already. Uh the people that were here illegally, you've removed from our country and sent home. And we're going to send more home for the holidays, too. And make sure that they get to be with their families in their countries. Yes. >> Nome also said on Monday that during a meeting with President Trump, she recommended a full travel ban on certain countries, saying that the US is overwhelmed by what she described as foreign invaders. Attorney General Pam Bondi says that 500 people have been charged for assaulting federal officers. This is while the DHS has frequently stated that agents face a 1,000% increase in assaults from last year. And also during the cabinet meeting, President Trump confirms that a crime crackdown in New Orleans will begin in the near future. >> The governor called me. He'd like to have us go there. Governor Landry, great guy, great governor. He's asked for help in New Orleans and we're going to go there in a couple of weeks. >> Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry says that he had a conversation with Trump and in about two weeks, National Guard troops will be in New Orleans as well as some other cities to combat crime. Landry says that the troops will stay in the state through Marty Gro. Reporting in Washington DC, Jason Blair, NTD News. >> The Trump administration is moving to withhold SNAP benefits from states unless they provide information on recipients. Agriculture Secretary Broo Rollins says fraud is taking place in the federal food assistance program. Rollins had more to say during a cabinet meeting today. when we found 186,000 dead people or dead people's social security numbers being used, 500,000 people receiving benefits more than twice. We had a couple of people receiving benefits in six states. In February of this year, we asked for all the states for the first time to turn over their data to the federal government to let the USDA partner with them to root out this fraud. Democratic states have sued to block the requirement. About 42 million lowerincome Americans receive SNAP benefits. The program costs taxpayers about $8 billion a month. Before the end of the recent government shutdown, the administration said it could not fund the program for November. Benefits resumed once the government reopened. The Treasury Department is investigating claims that Minnesota taxpayer dollars were stolen through fraudulent nonprofits and funneled to a terrorist group in Somalia. Entities Daniel Monahan has more. >> Treasury Secretary Scott Vessant announced the inquiry yesterday on X. He says the department is investigating allegations that motans tax dollars may have been diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab under what he called the feckless mismanagement of the Biden administration and Governor Tim Waltz. The investigation comes amid concerns over welfare fraud in the state, especially relating to Somali communities. So far, 86 people have been charged in what prosecutors describe as a rampant and widespread fraud scheme. 78 of those charged, 91% are Somali. The Department of Justice at a Minnesota nonprofit called Feeding Our Future and its affiliates stole more than $240 million in federal funds. It says the organization recruited people to open more than $250 nutrition program sites throughout Minnesota. >> A nonprofit and its affiliates with these Somali migrants claimed to have fed tens of thousands of American children during the pandemic. They were reimbursed for those meals during the by taxpayers. However, federal prosecutors found that almost all of those meals were never even delivered to hungry children. >> The DOJ says the locations fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to thousands of children a day within just days or weeks of being formed. >> In fact, those organizations leaders spent the money on houses, luxury cars, and real estate in Turkey and Kenya. Another scheme involved hundreds of organizations reimbursed for services which were supposed to help people at risk of homelessness. >> Once again, those services were never provided. >> White House press secretary Caroline Levit says the fraud and abuse occurred under Democrat leadership in a Democratun state >> where these refugees, these migrants are coming to the United States. They are abusing our system. They are draining our resources. >> Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz last week said he would work with the administration to root out fraud. speaking on a local news outlet. >> Do not paint an entire group of people with that same brush demonizing them, putting them at risk when there is no proof to do that. But if you want to help us and you want to go after the criminals and you want to make sure there's no connection or find out where the money went, um we welcome that. We'll work with you on that. >> Minnesota is home to the nation's largest Somali population at about 87,000. Last month, President Trump announced he was terminating temporary deportation protections for Somali living in Minnesota, saying Somali gangs are terrorizing people in the state. The move accelerates the end of a program that began in 1991. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. >> And with us now to discuss what's happening in Minnesota is Gerard Fit. He's an attorney specializing in counterterrorism. He's also senior counsel at the Lawfair Project. Gerard, as always, thank you so much for joining us. Now, let's get right to the terrorism allegation. It is your area of expertise. It's shocking to think that American taxpayer dollars could be aiding terrorist groups. Who are al-Shabaab, and do you believe Minnesotan money could be funding them? >> It's certainly possible that it's it's funding al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab is an Islamist terrorist group in Somalia. It sprang up in the early 2000s in response to what was a civil war and uh occupation by neighboring Ethiopia that started in 1991 and has continued to this day. That country is is a very dangerous spot where there's still an ongoing conflict. This is very much like other terrorist organizations, Islamist based. It's an affiliate of al-Qaeda and it has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks around the world. It has connections with Minnesota since 2007. Somali Americans have traveled to Somalia and joined al-Shabaab, trained with them and committed terrorist attacks on their behalf as well as on behalf of al-Qaeda. So that link has been there for a while. Uh and this is a proper investigation now by the government to see just how deep these ties run. >> Now the fraud that is allegedly funding this group goes back at least as far as the pandemic and the scale is incredible. Some estimates put it at over $1 billion. Now dozens have already been charged in connection with part of it. How would you describe it to anyone who is just learning about it now? >> Well, I think it's it's very concerning to see how foreign terrorist organizations get money from within the United States, either through fraud at the expense of US taxpayers or by money laundering operations involving small businesses and enterprises which usually also get federal assistance or taxpayer assistance in some sort. So, this is a massive scheme that involves moving money offshore from the United States to fund terrorist activities. These allegations have not yet been proven with regard to the fraud happening in Minnesota, but given past history and some of the connections involved, it's certainly a possibility, which is why a strong possibility, which is why this is being investigated. >> And Gerard, 91% of those charged so far are Somali. President Trump recently called Minnesota a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity and said he would end temporary protected status for Somali. Now, there are 87,000 Somali people in Minnesota if they refuse to leave once their temporary protected status ends. Are we likely to see ICE conducting mass deportations? >> It's possible, but the number of people in America, Somalians in American, who are subject to temporary protective status is actually under a thousand. uh while most of them probably do live in Minnesota, that is the hub, it's not the the full 81,000. That refers to the larger population uh of Somalians, many of whom have received green cards and other status over many years of living here and many of whom have immigrated lawfully uh through a visa process. So the number affected by the end of the TPS program is not that big compared to the population. But this is all very significant especially in light of the attack in Washington DC where we did see foreign national an Afghan who was not properly vetted commit an act of terror against American service members. So this concern with Somali members of the community is is very timely given those events. >> And to your point given that most of the people involved are naturalized US citizens or USO what options does the government have here? Could we see dnaturalizations or prison terms? Dennaturalization is certainly possible. That's something that the government is exploring in certain cases, including people connected to Hamas and other terrorist organizations. That is something that is expressly allowed by law, by federal law. But that is something that would be going through the court system. These people would have due process ability to be heard and challenge this. So that is certainly a process. For American citizens, there is nothing that can be done. If they are involved with terrorist organizations or committed committing crime, then they will be charged and they will have to be uh convicted or found innocent in a courtroom. >> Now, in the legal realm, the leaders of organizations under investigation actually went on the offense suing the state for racial discrimination and one with Governor Tim Walls giving a nonprofit executive an award for outstanding refugee. Given that, how do you see this administration navigating the legal realm here? What are you watching for in next steps? >> This is something that we're seeing not just in connection with Minnesota and Somali but with other minority groups as well that whenever the government wants to engage in action that is enimical to their interests such as engaging in deportations or limiting visas, there's the claim of racism or uh civil rights violations. As a civil rights lawyer, I am sensitive to these claims. However, we have to remember that there is always due process, that these people are afforded a hearing and an opportunity to be heard when they are accused of something. So, I think that the government is looking at legitimate national security interests and noting that given the proportion of terrorism in these parts of the world, in places like Somalia and Afghanistan, uh that this is not something that is being done by the federal government with a racist intent or with an intent to discriminate, but rather an accurate reflection of the state of world affairs. So in putting it bluntly, this is a national security exercise by the government and not one in discrimination. >> And Jerard, taking a step back here, there's also a political angle given how big a voting block the Somali are in Minnesota. You have Minnesota's governor Tim Walsh finding himself blasted on all sides for essentially allowing the alleged fraud to continue. Now, he said in a post on X today, "We welcome support in investigating and prosecuting crime, but pulling a PR stunt and in indiscriminately targeting immigrants is not a real solution to a problem." What do you make of the political angle here? >> Well, the political angle is very interesting because we do have notable members of the Somali community who are involved in government and have been elected whether it's to Congress or to the state legislature. So there is always the political aspect of this, but ultimately we have to set the politics aside and look at the law and make sure that the law is enforced. And it was motans who suffered. Minnesota citizens who have nothing to do with Somalia and have no ties to immigration status that suffer when there is massive fraud on a scale of $250 million to over a billion dollars as may have been the case. So we need to follow the investigation. We need to allow the government the opportunity to prosecute those involved and ultimately keep politics out of this even though that's very difficult because of the large base in the Minnesota population of the electorate that is supportive of the Somalian population. >> Gerard Fidia, as always, thank you so much for joining us. >> Always a pleasure. Thank you. >> Britain's chancellor faces calls to resign over accusations she misled the public to justify raising taxes. The UK's budget watchdog said leaks ahead of the budget gave people an incorrect impression about the nation's finances. The prime minister said the government did not mislead voters. NTD's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more. Britain's budget forecaster said it warned the Treasury over leaking quote misconceptions about a black hole in the public finances. Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces mounting calls for her to quit over accusations she misled the public to raise taxes. Office for Budget Responsibility or OBR analyst David Miles on Tuesday said there was a lot of uncertainty in the leadup to the autumn budget. >> That was almost inevitable. Um but it may well have been exacerbated by leaks which you know some days seem to be suggesting one thing and the next day something different. And I don't think I don't think that can have helped. >> The run-up to the budget has been dominated by talk that Reeves needed to fill a fiscal black hole due to a large deficit in the budget, which she used to justify $34 billion in tax rises last week. The OBR had forecast lower productivity, which Reeves mentioned, but it also said there would be higher tax receipts, something Reeves didn't say. Overall, the OBR forecast a $5.5 billion surplus, not a deficit. >> And some of these misconceptions, as I've described them, were appearing in the press. Um, and we made it clear that they were not not helpful. >> The OBR accidentally released its economic forecast 45 minutes before Reeves delivered her budget. The leak was said to be the worst failure in its history and prompted OBR chairman Richard Hughes to resign on Monday. Conservative Party leader Kevin Badenok accused Reeves of using Hughes as a scapegoat for her own actions. Real decisions were made while she was trying to uh uh give her budget good PR. So I don't think that talking about the OBR is where we should be. That is a distraction. There is only one person in the dock right now and that is Rachel Reeves, the chancellor. Badino has called on Reeves to resign, saying Reeves misled the public and the markets. British Prime Minister Kharma on Monday defended Reeves and said there was no misleading. >> Look, there was no misleading um and I simply don't accept and I was receiving the numbers that being told that the OBR productivity review means you've got 16 billion pounds less um than you would otherwise have had um shows that you've got an easy starting point. Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage called on the government's ethics advisor to investigate if Reeves had broken ministerial rules. And the Conservative Party has asked the Financial Conduct Authority to investigate the Chancellor for possible market manipulation on the basis that Reeves allegedly misled traders by painting a false picture of the country's fiscal position. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News, UK. Coming up in tennis is Serena Williams making a comeback. Dave Martin joins us with some news. And it's Giving Tuesday and thousands are giving back through food, time, and donations. NTD's Christina Corona takes us inside the LA Regional Food Bank where volunteers are helping those in need. More on that when we return. And now for your sports news. We're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, plenty going on right now, but let's start in golf for once as the Hero World challenges this week in the Bahamas. Now, this is a tournament hosted by Tiger Woods. Will he be playing in it? >> No. He said he's still recovering from that back surgery, but he was back on October 10 to replace a lower disc in his back. Now, he says he's really not able to do much at this time. He has been given the okay to do more work in the gym to strengthen it, but he says he still has to let the disc set according to him. Now, that surgery was the seventh major back procedure he's had done over the years. It's really slowed down his incredible his once incredible winning pace. You know, he had won 14 majors by 2008 when he was just 32 years old. He's won just one in the 17 years since. That was a 2019 Masters. But that car accident then two years later in 2021 really has slowed him down to a halt. Plus, he didn't play on the PGA Tour last year after rupturing his Achilles in March. So, he's really had a rough time with injuries. Now, he did play in the TGL indoor golf season last year before that Achilles injury. This year's play actually starts in late December. Wood says he will not be ready to play at that time. He actually turns 50 on December 30. Believe that, too. >> A happy birthday uh very early. Uh shifting gears to college football though, Miami's playoff ranking has been a subject of debate, mostly because they have a win over Notre Dame, which is ranked ahead of them. Do you see the committee changing their opinion? >> I mean, I I really don't think so. I mean, Miami was 12th in last week's playoff rankings. Notre Dame was actually ninth. Uh so there's a gap between them those two teams to begin with. Now both have that 10-2 record. Now Miami though had an impressive 38-7 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday but it would have to do something really dramatic I would say to move up especially with those two in between. Plus Notre Dame they neither neither of those three teams ahead of them lost on Saturday. Now, Miami's really only shot is that the two teams between them in Notre Dame, that's BYU and Alabama, get blown out in their respective conference championship games this Saturday. Even at that, it's questionable though what the committee would do cuz both those teams are playing top five teams, Georgia, Georgia, and Texas Tech. It is a little surprising though that Notre Dame is still ranked ahead of them though. I mean, you could say it's a case of who's lost, you know, more recently. The Fighting Irish lost their opener to Miami and then they lost to number three Texas Tech a week later. Both were very close by three points or less. Since then, they've won 10 straight games. Hurricane started off 5-0. Then they lost two out of three in midseason. Just like Notre Dame, those were very close singledigit losses, but they were to a pair of unranked teams. That was Louisville and SNU. They've now won four straight since that time. But even the AP agrees with those two rankings as well. So to answer your question to no, I don't think they will. Just I I thought it would be nice to explain there. >> I enjoy the long version. >> Plus the summary at the end. Looking at tennis news though, alltime great Serena Williams placed her name in international tennis drug testing pool, sparking rumors that she's set to unretire. Has she confirmed anything yet? >> Uh yes, she has confirmed that she's not coming back in a social media media post today saying quote, "OMG y'all, I'm not coming back. This wildfire is crazy." Now, she didn't address though why she filed the paperwork to re-enter the testing pool, which actually does make her a step closer to returning. Now, a player who has retired but later decides to come back, has to be available for testing for 6 months before allowed being allowed to return to competition. Now, if you remember when Williams retired, this is at the 2022 US Open, she didn't actually use the word retire. She actually said she's evolving away from tennis. Now, meanwhile, her older sister, this is 45-year-old Venus, returned this July after not playing on tour for more than a year, though she hadn't actually announced her retirement. Uh, so just go figure with that. Anyway, Serena though, 44 years old, so uh seemed a long shot anyway, but it was a fun tease for a little bit this afternoon. >> Definitely make the news. Moving to college basketball news though, there are 10 ranked teams in action tonight, including your 21st ranked Kansas Jay-Hawks. What is the status of their freshman sensation Darren Peterson though? >> Yeah, freshman sensation Darren Peterson, he is out for tonight with a hamstring strain. That's according to head head coach Bill Self today. Now Peterson has missed the last six games since that loss to North Carolina a few weeks ago since that time Bill Self has gone with a bigger lineup to adjust for that. Now tonight's game against fifth rated Yukon will be at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Game time starts at 900 p.m. there. Now, also tonight, we've got three big games in the SEC ACC challenge. Number 16 North Carolina versus 18th ranked Kentucky. 15th ranked Florida against number four Duke. And number 13 Tennessee is at Syracuse. Plus, we've got three Big 10 games already tonight. Iowa at number seven Michigan State. Number one Purdue at Rutgers. And 24th ranked USC is at Oregon. So, Tiff, you know, I was teasing you about this yesterday or to get you excited about tonight. And so here you go. All these college basketball games for you to watch, plus Kansas. I'm sorry Darren Peterson isn't playing. I know you're looking forward to that, but plenty of games for you to watch. All right. >> And for you to watch. >> Thank you. Exactly. >> Well, Davis always, thanks for joining us. >> Thank you, Tiff. >> People and organizations across the nation are stepping up to make a difference this Giving Tuesday. For many, that means helping families struggling with food insecurity. Entities Christina Corona reports from the LA Regional Food Bank, showing how volunteers and donations are making a real impact. This Giving Tuesday, we're here at the LA Regional Food Bank warehouse in the city of industry, where thousands of pounds of food is being sorted and distributed to help families in need. Volunteers and workers are working around the clock to support communities across LA County facing food insecurity. It is a very special opportunity going into the holidays to really invite engagement from our community to get involved to join the really vital fight against hunger. >> The LA Regional Food Bank operates out of a massive 256,000 square foot warehouse and serves more than 1 million people each month. >> The demand for food assistance in LA County is profound. There is one in five LA County residents that experiences food and nutrition insecurity. Volunteers assemble food kits packed with shelf stable items like cereal, pasta, peanut butter, and canned goods along with fresh fruits and vegetables. Enough to feed families of four to five for several days. >> They then get delivered to different agency partners across LA County as well as drive-thru distribution sites. More than 30,000 volunteers donate their time throughout the year, many for just a few hours at a time. >> We really can't do our work without those engaged community members and we're so thankful and our shifts are about 3 hours each and it's it's very impactful in that short amount of time what you can do for the community. >> In addition to volunteer services, donations are critical to keeping shelves stocked. I'd say that the most impactful way to support the food bank is to donate money. The food bank is very fortunate to have relationships and we're able to stretch that dollar further than if an individual like you and I were to go to a grocery store. >> To donate or volunteer, opportunities are available on the LA Regional Food Bank website. Reporting from the city of industry, Christina Corona, NTD News. And that's all for today's news. For roundtheclock coverage, visit us at ntd.com/live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.