HHS To End Gender Transition Funding for Kids; Inflation Falls 2.7% | NTD News Today (Dec. 18)

and welcome to NTD News today. Here are today's top stories. US inflation slows in November with the consumer price index rising 2.7% from a year ago and with core inflation also cooling. Trump media has agreed to an all stock merger with nuclear fusion firm TAE Technologies. What to know about the $6 billion deal. President Trump highlights economic wins in a prime time address. teases sweeping housing reform and announces a new special bonus for US troops. Key takeaways ahead. US government now admitting responsibility for a deadly crash near Washington DC that killed 67 people. Lawmakers now taking action to tighten air safety rules. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albani proposes more severe penalties for hate speech. The proposed legislative changes follow Sunday's deadly terror attack in Bondai Beach. This is NTD News Today live from our global headquarters in New York City. >> And some breaking news just coming in. Several people are dead after a small private jet crashed shortly after takeoff in Statesville, North Carolina. The crash just happened this a this morning after 10:15. The information comes from Iridel County Chief Deputy Bill Hamby who spoke with CNN. Although the exact number of fatalities has not been confirmed, the Federal Aviation Administration says a Cessna C550 crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating. We will continue to keep you updated on the latest developments. And Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is rolling out new rules against gender transition procedures for minors. It includes cutting off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that provide such procedures to children. The health secretary says a recent HHS report found that these procedures impose medical dangers and lasting harm on children. This morning I signed a declaration sex rejecting procedures are neither safe nor effective treatment for children with gender dysphoria. These procedures fail to meet professionally recognized standards of care. Medical professionals or entities providing sex rejecting procedures to children are out of compliance with these standards of healthcare. This declaration is a clear directive to providers to follow the science and the overwhelming body of evidence that these procedures hurt not help children. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is proposing two new rules. The first rule prohibits hospitals that take part in Medicare and Medicaid from performing gender transition procedures on minors. The second rule prohibits federal Medicaid dollars from funding such procedures. The FDA is also issuing warnings letters to manufacturers of breast binders. The HHS says violators will pay a heavy price. Kennedy says the medical industry has rad in millions of dollars by convincing children that such procedures are the only way to achieve happiness. He promises that the HHS will protect children by following the evidence and gold standard science. In a similar move yesterday, the House passed a bill that would criminalize transgender procedures for minors, including puberty brockers and surgeries. The Protect Children's Innocence Act was sponsored by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green and passed the House with a 216 to 211 vote. If the bill becomes law, those who violate it could face fines for up to 10 years in prison or both. The bill states that exemptions may apply to individuals who medically require the procedures. US inflation slowed more than expected in November. That's according to a report released today after being delayed by the federal government shutdown. The Labor Department says the consumer price index rose 2.7% from a year earlier. That's down from 3% in September and the lowest level since midsummer. Economists had expected inflation to remain unchanged. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also cooled, falling to 2.6% year-over-year. That's its slowest pace since early 2021. Energy prices, however, climbing more than 4% driven by higher fuel oil costs. Inflation remains above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, complicating decisions over interest rates. The Fed last week cut rates for a third time this year, though officials signaled fewer cuts ahead. >> And so, you know, we're making progress. the American people are making progress, but in some places the hole that's been dug is a really deep hole and it's going to take a while to get out. And so at what point does it become the Trump economy? Well, it's a Trump economy now. Our policies are changing people's lives. Uh but when are we going to be able to point to numbers and say that we fixed the problem? We we filled the hole that Biden dug. You know, that'll depend on what things. So, for example, we're we're way past success on eggs, but there are other things that are going to take longer. destination last night highlighting his administration's economic priorities and announcing a surprise holiday bonus for US service members. Entities Daniel Monahan has the key takeaways. >> 11 months ago, >> in a prime time address, President Trump pointed to what he described as major accomplishments since returning to office while previewing his agenda for the year ahead. >> I inherited a mess and I'm fixing it. When I took office, inflation was the worst in 48 years, and some would say in the history of our country. >> The president displayed charts comparing price increases during the administration of President Biden with what he described as declines since his second term began in January. Under the Biden administration, marked by the CO 19 pandemic, food inflation surged on average nearly 24% with grocery staples climbing at similar rates or even higher, such as eggs 238%, coffee 53%, sugar 48%, ground beef 40%, and butter 35%. While food inflation has slowed sharply this year, persistently high food prices continue to impact household budgets. The president also sharply criticized Biden era policies on immigration, crime, and social issues. >> They flooded your cities and towns with illegal aliens. They decimated your hard-earned savings. They indoctrinated your children with hate for America. Released really, I mean, they just released a level of violent felons that we had never seen to pray on innocent. and said all net creation of jobs was going to foreign migrants in the year before his election. >> Since I took office, 100% of all net job creation has gone to Americanborn citizens. >> The president also highlighted his work on prescription drugs. >> I negotiated directly with the drug companies and foreign nations which were taking advantage of our country for many decades. Your drug costs will be plummeting downward, and I use the threat of tariffs to get foreign countries, who would never have done it, to pay the cost of this giant dollar reduction." >> Trump then teased what he called the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history. >> A major factor in driving up housing costs was the colossal border invasion. The last administration and their allies in Congress brought in millions and millions of migrants and gave them taxpayer funded housing while your rent and housing costs skyrocketed. Over 60% of growth in the rental market came from foreign migrants. Trump said the annual cost of a typical new mortgage rose by $15,000 under Democratic leadership, but has fallen by $3,000 since he took office. He also said he plans to announce a new Federal Reserve chair who supports lower interest rates. Since the CO 19 pandemic, housing costs nationwide have surged. Median home prices are up 55% and rents more than 35%. According to the National Association of Realators, a housing shortage is the top driver of affordability problems with an estimated 4.7 million home shortfall nationwide. President Trump also announced a special bonus for more than 1 million US service members. >> Warrior dividend in honor of our nation's founding in 1776. We are sending every soldier 1,776. Trump says the country made a lot more money than anybody thought because of tariffs. In other news, President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hexath attended a ceremony yesterday to honor US personnel killed in Syria over the weekend by a suspected ISIS attacker. Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be present for what the Air Force calls the dignified transfer of the bodies from overseas back into the United States in the presence of their families. Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmira. The attacker targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. Trump called the incident terrible, vowed retaliation, and referred to the three that were slain as great patriots. Three US soldiers were also wounded in the attack. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. And President Trump is set to sign a massive defense bill today. The Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to advance the bill, setting policy for the Pentagon. The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA is a compromise between separate measures passed earlier this year in the House and the Senate. It authorizes a record $91 billion in annual military spending with a 4% pay raise for the troops. It also authorizes reforms to the system for acquiring military equipment and includes efforts to boost competitiveness with US arch rivals China and Russia. The Senate backed the bill by 77 to 20 with strong support from both parties. Two of the no votes were from Republican Senators Mike Lee and Ran Paul. The House passed the bill last week by 312 to 112, also with broad bipartisan support. And the president is set to sign an executive order today reclassifying marijuana. This would loosen restrictions on the drug. The order reclassifies marijuana from a schedule one drug to a schedule three drug. Schedule 3 drugs are those that have a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Among them are Tylenol with codin, ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone. Meanwhile, schedule one drugs are those with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse such as heroin. The president has said reclassifying marijuana would open the door to more research. Trump's order still needs approval from the Drug Enforcement Administration, though. The Biden administration also sought to reclassified marijuana as a less dangerous drug, but failed. And Warner Brothers Discovery's board of directors is advising shareholders to reject Paramount's bid and support the offer from Netflix instead. Our next guest weighs in. Welcome back. I'm Paul Grainy. Trump Media is making a major move into the energy sector. The parent company of Truth Social, Trump Media and Technology Group, announced it will merge with TAE Technologies. The all stock deal is valued at more than $6 billion, creating one of the first publicly traded fusion energy companies. Executives say the merger aims to support America's growing demand for electricity driven by artificial intelligence and data centers. Under the agreement, shareholders from each company will own roughly 50% of the combined firm. Trump Media CEO Devon Nunees and TAE CEO Michael Binderbower are expected to serve as the co-chief executives. The newly formed company plans to begin construction on the world's first utility scale fusion power plant as early as 2026 with additional facilities planned. And Warner Brothers Discovery's board of directors is advising shareholders to reject Paramount Sky Dance's hostile takeover bit is telling them to support Netflix's Netflix's offer instead. With us now is Mike Leon, host of the Can We Please Talk podcast. Mike, great to see you as always. Good morning. This deal turning into somewhat of a saga. We see the board now saying that Paramount's offer is inferior to the Netflix offer despite the fact that its price per share is a little higher. How significant is the outcome of this deal for Americans generally? >> Yeah, it's a great question, Paul. It's good to see you as always. Uh, you know, obviously I was a former Warner Media employee for over a decade plus, so I have a little bit of a vested interest in in this. I have a pension that's coming to me when I'm 53. So, we'll see about all of that and how this all plays out. But in terms of what Americans should know about this, look, I've said this before on this network, the Netflix deal makes the most sense for Warner, especially if they want to spin off the television networks, the CNN's, Discoveries, TNTs into their new formed company, which would be Discovery Global. So you would still have that separation of all of these channels that are under one conglomerate and Netflix would have the controlling interest and the largest stake in the streaming service HBO Max and obviously the the studios part of this. Paramount wants the whole kitten kaboodleoodle. And that is where Samuel Dpiazo who who I've met a couple times that's the chairman of the board has mentioned that this deal is bad because Paramount would now control the way information is streamed across all channels CNN, CBS News. So it would affect the way Americans get consumption of news because it's coming from one lens and not multiple lenses. But either way you slice it all like both deals are the reasons why antitrust laws were created. you shouldn't have uh this consolidation of media. The Netflix deal is bad for directors and the writer guilds have already mentioned that this would you know take away some more options in the marketplace for them to be able to pitch projects. So both deals have their own detractions for lack of a better term but I think the Netflix deal makes the most sense and it's why the Samuel de Piaza is pointing the the board and all the shareholders towards that deal. >> So Mike, lot to unpack there. Very interesting stuff. Let's uh put the merits of each of the deals aside for a moment and let's touch on the antitrust like you brought up. They say that any merger here, some say at least will create a behemoth. It's too big has too big of an influence on the market. Uh this is how you see it as well. Putting aside your pension. >> Yeah. No, it's exact. First off, it's exactly how. So, look, look, when Warner and uh when I worked at Warner in 2019, I left in 21 going into 22 and we were during the AT&T merger, right? At the time time Warner has sold the AT&T and then AT&T ended up selling to Discovery and that merger that happened there. So, I've been through this as an employee there. I've spoken to employees off the record over there. Now, I know everyone's a little bit nervous, but this is what antitrust laws were put into place, right? You can't have Pepsi buying Coke because of the market share and the penetration that they would have in the marketplace. So either way you slice either deal, the deal is is bad for Americans because it's a consolidation of media. The Paramount deal why it's a little bit worse. Obviously there's the political undertones and the Ellison relationship with Trump. There's obviously some money that would be coming in from the cutteries and Jared Kushner's formation of a group that I don't want that to be part of American influence in media. And I don't think anybody does, but that is another undertone and another layer to this, Paul. But either way you slice it, there would be less competition on the marketplace, and that is why you're seeing so many people against both the Netflix deal and the Paramount deal. >> Well, well, let's talk about the Paramount deal. You you brought up a couple of interesting points. We know that Sky Dance bought Paramount recently. That was a major deal for the Ellison family. They're also tipped to to own Tik Tok's American operations if that deal ever goes through. Obviously now uh they want to buy Warner Brothers. What do you make of their shopping spree, especially given that it's in the media space? >> Well, I mean, if you control the information, you control the way people can think potentially, right? Because you're controlling the the the stream of conscience that people will have and where they turn for news sources. And that that's why you want more. I mean, look, I worked for the Free and Equal Elections Foundations. We want more people on the debate stage so people can see more candidates, more voices, more choices. This is exactly uh playing out with respect to media. You want more people that have a controlling interest in media, not less. Because when you have less than the stream of information that trickles down all the way from the top, from the top to executive producers to segment producers that are producing this segment to voices like me that appear on this segment, you don't want that. And that's why I think the Ellison deal and the Paramount deal, I think, is why the board is shifting away and trying to say, "Look, the Netflix deal truly does something that we don't do, right? It enhances what we don't do on the studio lot perspective. Netflix wants that influence to be able to have their own studio. I've been to the Netflix studios over there in the offices. They don't have the capabilities that Warner has from an infrastructure perspective. HBO Max has a streaming service. Combining that library with Netflix, it makes sense. Paramount wants it all and wants to control every single aspect of it. And that's why they're saying that it doesn't make any sense. In addition to, like we talked about, Paul, the political influences of the Ellison family donating to the Trump campaign, Kushner and the and the cutteries and with respect to how much money would come from that portion of it that would be controlled. That's why uh the shareholders are are trying to be steered towards the Netflix deal. >> It's an interesting one. Mike, before we let you go, um you said you're I don't know if you're a shareholder. You're definitely a stakeholder um in this particular deal. Let's put aside the antitrust, etc. We see obviously Warner Brothers CEO telling people reject the Paramount deal. Go with the Netflix deal from either yourself or from the people you're speaking with. Do you expect the the shareholders to to listen to the CEO? He's a a CEO. He's a chairman of the board as well, I believe. Um, do you expect them to to heed his warnings and and advice and reject Paramount's hostile bid? >> Well, I I hope so. And and again, I I I'm look at it from a different lens because remember, I worked there for a decade plus, I understand the streaming space and what Netflix offers with respect to how many subscribers they have. So, if you look at the long-term business model of Netflix versus Paramount Plus, which doesn't have that much of a marketplace and share. So, if I if I'm a shareholder, like you said, I'm a stakeholder, not a shareholder, but if I was a shareholder, h, you know, which one's going to be the longest return on investment for me on a long term? It's Netflix. I mean, it's it's not even close. But like you said, $108 billion versus 73 or maybe 73 to 80 million billion dollar range. That's tough for people to leave $28 billion on the table and not think about the immediate. And so I hope that people realize everything that I'm saying in totality from a shareholder perspective and say, "Look, the Netflix deal actually does make the most sense. Discovery Global can spin off and be its own media conglomerate and have the channels under there and we still have long-term, you know, profitability with respect to the studios and the political undertones and all that is not met in all of this and giving the Ellison family more control of American media and television." >> It's an interesting one. Mike Leon, appreciate it. Thank you, sir. Take care. Thank you. And >> the US government is now admitting responsibility in a deadly midair collision near Washington DC just earlier this year. Lawmakers are now tightening aviation safety rules in response. Here's more. In January this year, an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army Blackhawk helicopter near Washington Reagan National Airport. The collision killed all 67 people on board both aircraft. The crash was the deadliest aviation disaster on US soil in more than 20 years. In a court filing responding to the first lawsuit from victim's families, the government's lawyer said the United States breached its duty of care to plaintiffs. The filing says an air traffic controller violated visual separation procedures and army helicopter pilots failed to properly see and avoid the jet. Investigators say the Blackhawk was flying higher than allowed and pilots may not have realized how high they were due to altimeter failure. The government also acknowledged it knew about dozens of near misses in the same airspace before the crash. The crash has renewed scrutiny on aviation safety in the nation's capital. Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed the Rotor Act to strengthen helicopter safety requirements. The measure tightens the rules for military aircraft, requiring them to transmit precise location information to avert future collisions. The legislation also takes out a controversial section in the National Defense Authorization Act. It's a provision that would have expanded a loophole for military helicopters to fly in DC without broadcasting their location. >> The Rotor Act now has the explicit backing of the White House. We still have a few small outstanding issues, but I'm optimistic that we're going to get this done and signed into law as soon as next month. >> The crash also exposed weaknesses in the nation's aging air traffic control system. The DCA tragedy and the government shutdown were defining moments for the FAA this year. They exposed vulnerabilities, but they also drove action. The FAA plans to spend billions modernizing radar and communications by 2028. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to release its final report on the crash in January. And Brian Walsh was sentenced today for the murder of his wife, who disappeared nearly 3 years ago. Wallace was convicted Monday of firstdegree murder. >> Mr. Walsh, you will live with the guilt and burden of Anna Walsh's death for the rest of your life. As to count one, the jury having convicted you of murder in the first degree, I sentence you to life in prison without the possibility of parole. >> Anna Walsh was last seen early January 1st, 2023 after a New Year's Eve dinner at the couple's home. Walsh pleaded guilty in November after he admitted to dismembering his wife's body and disposing of it in a dumpster. He claimed he had panicked after finding her deceased in bed. Prosecutors offered several motives for the murder, including an affair between Anna Walsh and another man. Walsh was also sentenced to 19 to 25 years for witness intimidation and two to three years for improper disposal of a body. Those sentences will run consecutively to his life sentence. And Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanesei is pushing for more severe penalties for hate speech. The Prime Minister's proposed legislative changes following Sunday's deadly terror attack in Bondai Beach. Entities Andrew Thomas has the details. >> Two shooters killed 15 people on Sunday, targeting Jews celebrating Hanukkah at Bondai Beach. 17 people are still being treated in hospitals. On Thursday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanesey's proposed enhanced hate speech laws following the deadly rampage. >> Firstly, the Attorney General and Minister for Home Affairs will develop a package of legislative reforms to crack down on those who spread hate, division, and radicalization. >> Albanese laid out specific changes. He said Australia's National Security Committee had signed off on the following proposals. >> Agreed. Changes will include one aggravated hate speech offense for preachers and leaders who promote violence. Secondly, increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence. Thirdly, making hate an aggravating factor in sentencing crimes for online threats and harassment. A fourth reform would establish a list of organizations whose leaders promote violence or racial hatred. A fifth proposal would make serious vilification based on race and/or advocating racial supremacy a federal crime. Albanese said the Minister for Home Affairs would have the authority to cancel or reject visas. >> It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge. Much more. A special envoy to combat anti-semitism, Jillian Seagull, has delivered a report that sets out further steps we can take. Hundreds of mourners have gathered in Sydney to begin funerals for the victims. Health authorities said that one patient remained in critical condition. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. And still to come, Ukrainian peace negotiators are heading to the United States. President Vimir Zolinsky says talks are planned for tomorrow and Saturday. What the Kremlin is saying. And the US has announced a huge arms sale worth around 11 billion to Taiwan. It's the biggest ever US weapons package for the island after the break. >> Don't miss our special coverage of Turning Point's biggest event of the year, America Fest 2025. >> This is the greatest nation on earth. >> Thousands of students expected to attend the 4-day event, joined by some of the most influential voices in the conservative movement. All to honor Charlie Kirk and the principles he stood for. Watch our special coverage of the convention and our on the ground editions of NTD Evening News with Tiffany Meyer at 6:00 p.m. Eastern and Capital Report with Steve Lance at 7. Turning Point USA, America Fest 2025 this Thursday through Sunday on NTD. I'm Paul Grainy. This is World Watch. Ukrainian peace negotiators are on route to the United States. President Zalinski said today they plan to meet with the US negotiating team on Friday and Saturday. When you ask about the latest version of the peace plan, I do not know what the latest version of the peace plan of the Russian Federation. There is a plan that the United States has discussed with us and is discussing with the Russians. Zillinsky says there are no final aligned peace proposals for now. He re reiterated his plea to partners to strengthen Ukraine in case Russia refuses to stop the war. And the Kremlin said today that Russia was preparing for contacts with the United States. It aims to get details about US talks with European powers and Ukraine on a possible peace settlement to end the Ukraine conflict. And European leaders today weighing a decision on whether to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Ukraine says it fears suffering a foreign aid shortfall of over $50 billion in 2026. President Zalinski says Keev is facing significant cuts to drone production. He says Ukraine will have fewer drones than Russia if it doesn't receive a loan secured by Russian assets by next spring. Almost 90% of Russia's $200 billion are stored in Belgium. But the country's prime minister is an opponent of the current proposal to lend Russia's assets to Ukraine. And the United States carried out another strike yesterday on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing four people. The military says the vessel was operating along a known narot trafficking route. The military identified the four men killed as narco terrorists. The strike is the latest in a series of strikes the US has carried out on alleged drug boats, all part of President Trump's campaign to stop drug trafficking into the United States. Now, some lawmakers are calling for these strikes to require congressional approval. But yesterday, the House rejected a resolution that would have done just that. The House also rejected a similar resolution that would have required Trump to seek congressional approval to carry out strikes on Venezuela. It comes as tensions with the Latin American country continue to escalate with the US blocking sanctioned oil tankers from going in and out of Venezuela. and a shakeup in the Catholic Church. Pope Leo has chosen the next leader of the Catholic Church in New York. The Pope appointed a relatively unknown cleric from Illinois, Bishop Ronald Hicks, to report Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Hicks will now lead the nation's second largest Catholic dascese. Dolan offered to resign in February after turning 75 as required by church law. Now cardinals offers ser often serve until the age of 80. the mandatory retirement age. But Hicks has several similarities to Paul Leo. They are both originally from South Chicago, but spent years as missionaries in Latin America. Leo was in Peru, while Hicks was in El Salvador. In November, Hicks endorsed the Catholic bishop's condemnation of President Trump's immigration crackdown. And Taiwan's defense ministry and presidential office today thanking the US for proceeding with an 11 billion dollar arm sale to Taiwan. It's the largest ever US weapons package for the island. It comes as Beijing ramps up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, which it views as its own territory. A position Taiwan rejects. Here's more. The deal covers eight items including high rocket systems which have been used extensively by Ukraine against Russian forces. Additional items include howitzes, anti-tank missiles, loitering drones and parts for other equipment. That's all according to Taiwan's defense ministry. It said the package now requires approval from US lawmakers though Taiwan has widespread cross party support. The Pentagon said the arm sales serve US national, economic, and security interests by supporting Taiwan's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a quote credible defensive capability. Pushed by the United States, Taiwan has been working to transform its armed forces. President Linta last month announced an extra $40 billion dollar in defense spending, saying there was no room for compromise on national security. Washington has formal diplomatic ties with Beijing, but maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan and is the island's most important arm supplier. The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. Though such arm sales are a persistent source of friction with China. And lawmakers are sounding the alarm after an investigation uncovers how the Chinese Communist Party is exploiting US tax dollars to fund its own military and tech advancements, including sensitive nuclear technology. Entities Molina Weissup reports. In the past two years, $6 billion worth of research and more than 4,000 papers published within the Department of Energy involved collaboration with Chinese researchers. Half of that research is fueling China's defense and industrial base. Some of the Chinese entities involved are among the leading universities for defense and nuclear weapons research. This is according to a newly released report by the Select Committee on the CCP. The report is not hypothetical, congressional investigators say, detailing hundreds of instances in which Chinese researchers received awards after their collaboration with US researchers led to breakthroughs. For example, collaboration with the US professor helped the CCP and its research into high yield explosives and Chinese nuclear weapons development. At the same time, lawmakers are pushing legislation to stop Americans from unknowingly propping up CCP entities that threaten US national security. Congressman Andy Bar and Senator John Cornin leading on the Fight China Act. >> We're codifying President Trump's America First investment policy with this legislation, which will stop the flow of capital and knowhow into these sensitive technologies that threaten our national security. The chairman of the China Committee described the situation as deeply alarming and called on the Department of Energy to stop the exploitation and protect hard-earned taxpayer dollars. To address this, lawmakers are calling for tighter rules like requiring the government to disclose research ties with China. The Department of Energy said it's reviewing the report and vows to ensure the integrity and security of DOE programs. Reporting from Washington DC, Molina Weissup, NTD News. >> And Shenyon Performing Arts 2026 World Tour kicks off in France with performances happening today as Shenune celebrates its 20th anniversary. And we're getting a first look at what's to come in a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. Amazon MGM Studios has dropped a trailer for Melania. The doc gives viewers a window into Mrs. Trump's life over a 20-day period as she returns to the White House for a second term with President Trump. Filming began last December and focuses on her transformation again from a personal to public figure into the inauguration. It also aims to provide a rare glimpse into the famously private wife of the president and the couple's relationship. The upcoming documentary release follows Melania Trump's multi-million dollar deal with Amazon MGM. She served as the executive producer of the project and had editorial control. Melania arrives in theaters on January 30th next year. Now it t the season in New York City and at the Starllet Lee building in Manhattan. The holidays are looking especially sweet. Gingerbread Lane has returned. A winter wonderland made entirely of cookies, candy, and frosting. And I make all these houses here in New York City, my house in Queens. And uh we actually have these exhibits all over the country. And I make every single one of these houses in the basement of my New York City Archie bunker style home. I don't go for perfection in each piece. I try to create a scene. If you look at each individual house in Gingerbread Lane, you can probably find 20 things wrong with it. But when you put them together, the sum of all the parts, we we go for a beautiful vista. And I think that's what people really like. The village features 755 gingerbread structures, all baked and decorated by former professional chef John Latchvich, who holds the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread village. This year, he made more than 3,000 houses for five exhibits in cities across the US. It's a full-time profession and a year-round endeavor. Shortly after the holiday season concludes, John starts the process all over again. And after more than 30 years, he's still finding ways to raise the bar. Next year, he's planning to build a couple three foot tall skyscrapers entirely out of festive treats. Gingerbread Lane is on display through January 11th, and on that day, visitors will be able to take home a gingerbread house for free. And Shenon Performing Arts is officially launching its 2026 global tour with Europe as its first stop. One of the company's groups arrived in Paris, France on Tuesday. And this year marks the 20th anniversary of Shenune's founding, making his opening performances in France especially noteworthy. Shenune's steadily growing popularity and consistently sold out shows over the years reflect the strong appreciation European audiences have for the company. Let's take a look at the report from France. On December 16th, artists from the Shin Yun International Company arrived at Paris's Charles de Gaul airport, where they were warmly welcomed by fans cheering, "Welcome Shin Yun." As this year marks Shen Yun's 20th anniversary, the artist expressed both excitement and anticipation. I feel uh very honored and as um very excited to be part of the first show of the 20th year and I'm just really really eager to show the audience uh all our hard work that we put in this year and to show what we have for this year. It feels honestly it does feel a little bit surreal because we spend half a year um polishing refining our performance especially um especially uh working with the other choreographers and uh the crew and the production. But as soon as that curtain opens up on the first show, it's like wow this is real. Like this is the beginning of a new journey, a new 2026 Shiny Show. Through classical Chinese dance and a unique blend of eastern and western music, Shiny Yune artists aim to share hope and traditional values with audiences worldwide. >> The main message I want we want to show to the audience is one of a hope and compassion. You know, it's like a right now we're living in a very dark times. You know, a lot of hard hard stuff happening. But then uh we want to show people that there's still hope in this world and maybe that hope is sharing >> uh feeling that traditional values like uh truthfulness, compassion, tolerance, uh courage, dignity still is still alive and relevant in the world today. >> I think when you see this show, you know, you really see that there's a lot of hope. It's very uplifting. Not only is it reviving traditional culture, but it's demonstrating that when you do, you know, good things there and follow, you know, an upright path, there are good outcomes to come from that, you know. So, it's something very uplifting. >> What we portray in with Shenun is a traditional Chinese culture, the real traditional Chinese culture, China before communism. And that is what the CCP is afraid of to have the world see to see what that how wonderful and how knowledgeable and great the Chinese people were without this totalitarian government repressing them. A lot of people I think they they really understand anything that the CCP is against is going to be good. It's going to be worth watching if they're willing to invest their time, energy, and money. this biggest government in the whole world right now. They're spending their time and effort to repress us. Then that means we are definitely doing something very, very correct. Over the years, Shin Yune has been warmly embraced by mainstream audiences in France with performances nearly always selling out. This year, box office results have once again reached new highs. According to the French presenter, performances in nine cities are already completely sold out. By the end of January next year, all 99 performances across 15 French cities are expected to sell out. Due to overwhelming demand, ticket sales for Shen Yun's 2027 season in 10 cities have already opened in advance. On December 18th, Shen Yun's 2026 global tour will officially begin in Amnivville, France, located in the heart of Europe before traveling to five continents around the world. >> And if you have any feedback on this show, maybe you have something you'd like to see us cover, you can send us an email at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you. We'll cover more news right after this break. >> Don't miss our special coverage of Turning Point's biggest event of the year, America Fest 2025. >> This is the greatest nation on earth. >> Thousands of students expected to attend the 4-day event, joined by some of the most influential voices in the conservative movement, all to honor Charlie Kirk and the principles he stood for. Watch our special coverage of the convention and our on the ground editions of NTD Evening News with Tiffany Meyer at 6 PM Eastern and Capital Report with Steve Lance at 7:00. Turning Point USA, America Fest 2025, this Thursday through Sunday on NTD.