Trump Calls Off Tariffs to Europe, Says Greenland Framework Reached | NTD Evening News (Jan. 21)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, the framework for a deal on Greenland has been reached. President Trump made the announcement after his first day in Davos and highlights from the president's historic address to the World Economic Forum, Mariotsu, on the ground in Switzerland. President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Switzerland tomorrow. Arian Pasdar has the latest on the US peace efforts. Syrian security forces surge into Kurdish areas, taking over an abandoned detainee camp. This comes as the US says its partnership with the Kurds in Syria has largely expired. Jason Perry reports. Chinese technology tied to the CCP embedded in America's infrastructure, from traffic systems to ports. Lawmakers warn the risks go far beyond data collection. Jack Bradley has what Congress says must happen next. And a new ICE operation launches in Maine. The Department of Homeland Security releases photos of their first arrests. Jason Blair has the details. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City, here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Kevin Hogan and for Tiffany Meyer, President Trump calling off tariff threats on Europe over Greenland as he announces the framework for a deal on the island has been reached. And in a bold address to the World Economic Forum, the president outlines his vision for Western nations. He clarifies America's role in international security and calls on leaders to defend their shared destiny. NTD's Washington correspondent Mari Otsu brings us key highlights of his speech from Davos. What I'm asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection. It's a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades. President Trump, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, says he's formed the ultimate long-term deal on Greenland, framing the island's acquisition as an urgent issue of national security. Greenland is a vast, almost entirely uninhabited and undeveloped territory, sitting undefended in a key strategic location between the United States, Russia and China, that will make it impossible for the bad guys to do anything against the perceived good ones. While he says he won't use force to take the island, he blasts Denmark for insufficient military spending on Greenland and extols the singular strength of the U.S. military. He recounts Operation Absolute Resolve, the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, saying the Venezuelan regime encountered weapons they'd never heard of. Everything was discombobulated. They said, what the hell is going on? Those defensive systems were made by Russia and by China, so they're going to go back to the drawing boards. And his argument goes beyond the armed forces. President Trump says America is the only country with the power to stand up to sophisticated forms of subversion and restore the integrity of free nations. Calling the West's shared culture a precious inheritance, he blasts Europe for its immigration and energy policies, which he says led to vulnerability to hostile foreign adversaries and smaller militaries. I realized in that conversation that the United States is keeping the whole world afloat. Without us, it's not Switzerland anymore. Without us, it's not any of the countries that are represented here. Without us, most of the countries don't even work. They're destroying themselves. These beautiful, beautiful places. We want strong allies, not seriously weakened ones. And President Trump urging world leaders here in Davos to seize the special time period we're in to restore and defend cherished national liberties before it's too late. The White House calling his address a vision of transatlantic strength, while the president emphasizes that the time is now to build a viable future. We have to defend that culture and rediscover the spirit that lifted the West from the depths of the Dark Ages to the pinnacle of human achievement. We live in a incredible changing period. We have to take advantage of the time that we're in. Meanwhile, President Trump announcing that people will soon be prosecuted for their role in the 2020 elections, while arguing that a country needs fair media, strong borders, and free elections to keep its liberties. Reporting from Davos, Mario Tsu, NTV News. President Trump called on Congress to act on his economic policies during his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Our Washington correspondent, Luis Martinez, has lawmakers' reactions. Lawmakers reacted on party lines to President Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, with Democrats asking the president to come to Capitol Hill if he wants them to enact his economic agenda. Have you had any reaction to President Trump's comments in Davos today? He asked Congress to codify his economic agenda. Well, he should bring it to the United States citizens first. He doesn't have to announce it in Davos. So we stand right here in Washington, ready, able to meet with him. We have a host of items that we'd like to deal with. First of all, not threatening our NATO allies is a major concern for us. So if he wants to engage with us on real terms about what national security and foreign policy looks like, I am here to engage with him. But so long as he's continuing to threaten and intimidate our allies, there's not much we can do. How's Republicans back President Trump by saying that economic security is national security? Our economic security is our national security. Trump realizes that most of the things he's done since he's been in office, he's done without firing a shot. And he understands that better than anybody making the deal. And when China's controlling 60 to 80 percent of mining and like 90 percent of processing for mining, we have a real problem here. And so if our allies aren't going to do anything about it, then I'm glad Trump is. House Republican appropriator Congressman Andy Harris believes that the House and the Senate will be able to pass appropriation bills to fund government through fiscal year 2026 within the next two weeks. There's a good chance that they do pass the Senate, the House this week and the Senate next week. I don't think we're going to need a continuing resolution, but that's always up to the Democrats. The lawmakers are also preparing to depose special counsel Jack Smith for his investigations into President Donald Trump. He spied on his campaign, then it was Mueller, then it was impeachment one, impeachment two, Alvin Bragg, Fonny Willis, Jack Smith, Raiders, I mean on and on it goes. So Jack Smith is sort of the culmination of that whole effort to stop President Trump from leaving the White House. The House of Representatives will also soon hear testimony from Ghislaine Maxwell on the Epstein files, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and next week also Senator Marco Rubio. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. What could be in the Greenland framework if, as President Trump says, it provides everything the U.S. wants, plus the president calling out world leaders by name in his Davos address? Hear from Lieutenant Colonel Hal Kempfer tonight on Capitol Report with Steve Lance at 7 p.m. Eastern time. As Greenland remains a topic of conversation in Davos, what do everyday Americans make of a possible U.S. acquisition of the strategic territory? NTD's Sam Wong was out in the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. What do you think about the prospect of U.S. potentially acquiring Greenland? I think it's interesting, but nobody, you know, nobody else has thought about it before. I think probably for our national security it would be helpful. I don't know if I would see it become part of the United States, but I do think he has a, you know, a decision to make about how we're going to utilize Greenland. He's trying to force upon the people of Denmark and Greenland his rules. They don't want to be a part of the United States. I don't blame them. They got good medical health care. We have a crazy health care system that's out of control. I really don't have a problem with it because I feel, maybe I'm wrong, but I just feel it's for national security. And that was always one of the main reasons that I voted for Trump since the first time that he was in to take office. President Trump has been talking about sort of the strategic importance of Greenland, right? Given China and Russia's presence in that region, do you think the president has a point? Oh yeah, very much so. The North Pole is certainly an area of concern of all the, you know, with all the Russians and the Chinese. It's things to think about that we had never thought about. Certainly if it is something that would be in our national interest, security wise, I think he's going about it the wrong way. I think we're upsetting our allies that really is going to protect us. I think it's been a security issue for the past 40, 50 years. So the other presidents just weren't willing to take that initiative. We already have with NATO a pact that the U.S. can put seven more bases on Greenland. And what happens as soon as he does this? Then we're kicked out of Europe, and all of the bases that we have in Europe are gone, and those are the ones that are closest. At the end of the day, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Iranians, they want us to go down. That's their main objective. That's why they created all this, trying to create all this instability inside of our own country. The people from other countries don't want us to have peace, and that's the reason why we have to defend our country like we did many hundreds of years ago. President Trump is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. At the same time, the U.S. is also meeting with the Russian side as Washington continues efforts to bring peace to Europe. NTD's international correspondent Ariane Pasdar has the latest developments. I think Russia wants to make a deal. I think Ukraine wants to make a deal, and we're going to try getting a deal done. President Trump addressing the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday. A meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled for Thursday. At the same time, the U.S. also continues working with Russia. Trump says one of the most difficult parts of the peace process is to find middle ground between the two sides. What happens is oftentimes we'll have a deal with Russia, Russia's set, and President Zelensky will not do it. You saw that when he was in the Oval Office, I was not happy. And then we'll have President Zelensky wants to make a deal, and Putin doesn't want to make the deal. Special Envoy Steve Whitcock also at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, a day before a scheduled meeting with Russian President Volodymyr Putin. Whitcock commented on the upcoming talks. We plan to discuss peace in Ukraine and Russia. And how do you think it will go? I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that all meetings will go well on that subject. We need a peace. Whitcock added that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will join him in the meeting with Putin. Like Trump, Whitcock says he's planning to also meet with the Ukrainian side while still in Switzerland. Meanwhile, in Ukraine, civilians are trying to survive the coldest winter of the with temperatures plunging to zero degrees Fahrenheit. There is no electricity at all for 18 to 19 hours a day. When there's no electricity, there's no heat. It means the apartment freezes. Kiev says Moscow has intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent months. Ukrainians are resorting to extraordinary measures to survive the cold, collecting snow for water, sleeping in gloves, coats and hats, heating bricks to heat the apartment, and even erecting tents indoors. Russia denies attacking civilians, saying its attacks are designed to weaken Ukraine's military. And as the fighting in Ukraine continues, Russia tests its military power in Asia. Russia's defense ministry says nuclear-capable strategic bombers conducted a scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. According to the ministry, the flight lasted more than 11 hours. Arian Pasdar, NTD News. In the Middle East, Syrian government forces continue to make significant gains against Kurdish forces in the country. This comes as the United States says its partnership with Kurdish forces in Syria has largely expired. NTD's Jason Perry has the details. Military vehicles belonging to Syrian security forces were seen entering a detention camp in the northeastern part of the country on Wednesday. For years, al-Huq camp was overseen by U.S.-backed Kurdish forces, also known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF. But the SDF abandoned the camp, which houses thousands of people linked to the ISIS terrorist group. The Syrian government says it will now be taking over the camp. Regarding our procedures, we're evaluating the needs, then providing the first aid for the most affected ones, and as quickly as possible. We are now coordinating with a delegation from the Syrian Ministry of Health, which is on its way. Kurdish forces have controlled parts of northeastern Syria for years, including other detention camps. But recently, Syrian forces have been making significant gains against the Kurds. Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, has been attempting to bring all parts of the country under a centralized authority. Syria and the Kurdish forces have been in talks to reach an agreement for the Kurdish forces to join Syria's government forces. And the U.S. has also urged the Kurdish forces to join the Syrian forces. However, an agreement has not been reached, and Kurdish forces remain deployed in other parts of Syria for possible confrontation with Syria's security forces, as the two sides have been fighting for about two weeks now. The Kurdish forces in Syria had previously helped the U.S. fight ISIS in Syria, but the United States recently said its partnership with the Kurdish forces in Syria has, quote, largely expired, with Syria's government expected to play a role in fighting ISIS. In the meantime, the U.S. military has begun transferring ISIS detainees to Iraq, and said up to 7,000 ISIS detainees could be transferred to Iraq-controlled facilities. And in another development, in Iran, state-run media issued the first official death toll from the country's recent protests. A news anchor said that over 3,000 people were killed in the protests. However, Iran International said at least 12,000 people had been killed in the demonstrations, and Iranian officials have still not offered any timeline for internet service to resume in the country. Jason Perry, NTD News. The Chinese Communist Party's reach into U.S. critical infrastructure is under the microscope. Lawmakers warn Beijing is collecting Americans' data and could disrupt transportation systems nationwide. NTD's Washington correspondent, Jack Bradley, has more. The U.S. intelligence community assesses with high confidence that these actors are embedding, quote, sleeper software within our infrastructure to be activated at will. The Chinese Communist Party is collecting Americans' data through, and has the ability to cause major outages in, transportation infrastructure. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight probed these threats from China on Wednesday. That means foreign entities may have visibility into American facilities, American operations, and American vulnerabilities. Our adversaries may have the capability to conduct espionage or even cause outages in transportation infrastructure. If Beijing has full information on our society, that's how it can target all of its attacks. If China decides it's time, they can shut off our systems, they can interfere with our systems, they can destabilize our society. The Department of Homeland Security last February said there are tens of thousands of Chinese-made cameras connected to the internet in the U.S., and that these cameras lack basic security settings and can communicate with their manufacturers in China. These communication devices could be used to collect individuals' transportation data, could be used to hack into government systems, and could even be used to cause outages in major American cities. Back in September 2024, the House Select Committee on the CCP released a report detailing how a Chinese state-owned entity supplies nearly 80% of the cranes at U.S. ports. And the government has found communication devices embedded on these cranes that could be used to track port activity and enable cyber espionage. In the case of these devices, what we're talking about is an ability to both monitor and control and disrupt the infrastructure should it be in China's interest to do so. What we need to do is replace the electronics, rip and replace the electronics. The panelists recommend that Congress work to phase out Chinese-made parts in critical infrastructure with laws that bar federal funds from going to companies that utilize them. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Jack Bradley, NTD News. A new ICE operation in Maine is underway. The Department of Homeland Security says it's targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal immigrants across the state. NTD's correspondent Jason Blair has more. In many cases they're murderers, they're drug lords. All ICE wants to do is get them out of our country. Operation Catch of the Day has been launched in Maine by ICE, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The department says, like other operations, the focus is on catching criminal illegal immigrants across the northeastern state. The effort officially started on Tuesday. Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin says, on the first day of operations, we arrested illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, false imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child. Maine Governor Janet Mills commented earlier this month when speculation of the ICE operation first came out. To the federal government, I say this, if your plan is to come here to be provocative and to undermine the civil rights of Maine residents, do not be confused. Those tactics are not welcome here. And the Department of Justice is investigating whether Minnesota officials impeded or obstructed immigration enforcement in the state. What we've seen that's a bit different here is the organization, that coupled with a very poor response from the mayor and the governor, make that a difficult operating environment. Several state officials have been served grand jury subpoenas, including Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Attorney General Keith Ellison. The subpoenas are part of an investigation announced by the DOJ on Friday and target records and will not require personal testimony. Governor Walz responded, calling the investigation a, quote, partisan distraction. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responded by saying when the federal government weaponizes its power to intimidate local leaders for doing their jobs, every American should be concerned. This should be deeply concerning, not just for Minneapolis, but for anybody out there. With ongoing civil unrest and aggressive protests happening in Minnesota against President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act on January 15th. There have also been reports of troops being mobilized for possible deployment in the state. Trump told NewsNation on Tuesday that he's holding off on using the Insurrection Act for now. I don't think we need it at this point, and hopefully we won't need it. But I would not have any problem with invoking it if we needed it. Also in Minnesota, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals paused a lower court's order restricting the use of force by immigration enforcement agents on protesters while a lawsuit plays out in the state. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. Coming up, the Supreme Court is reviewing President Trump's firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The case has major implications for executive power and central bank independence. Arlene Richards breaks it down for us. Independent journalist Nick Shirley testified on Capitol Hill today as the House Judiciary Committee probes fraud in Minnesota. Melina Weiskopf has the number of tax dollars officials say were likely stolen. And a major winter storm is taking shape. It's expected to bring some of the season's coldest air to date, as many communities are already getting hit with severe winter weather. We'll have that and more for you after the break. Welcome back. The Supreme Court today seems inclined to keep Lisa Cook on the Federal Reserve Board while her case against the president's removal order proceeds. NTD's Arlene Richards reports on the arguments before the court and some of the justices' questions. The Trump administration says the president has the authority to fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board for cause. Lower courts so far have blocked President Trump's efforts to fire board member Lisa Cook. So President Trump asked the Supreme Court to allow him to remove Cook from office while her case proceeds against him. Cook's attorney argued that she wasn't given due process, meaning she is entitled to notice and a hearing before removal. The majority of justices were skeptical that Trump provided due process. Do I understand you, General, going back to Justice Gorsuch's first question, to continue to maintain that in fact there is no requirement for notice and opportunity for a hearing, is that right? Absolutely, yes. And why is that? Trump fired Cook based on allegations that she falsified mortgage documents to take advantage of lower interest rates. The justices were equally concerned about whether Trump's reason for firing Cook fit within the law's definition of just cause. Ms. Cook's lawyer represents that the paper submitted to the bank disclosed the fact that this was a vacation home, so they may not have experienced deceit. If they didn't experience deceit, then you're left with gross negligence, and the question becomes, is it grossly negligent to make a mistake on a mortgage application? And I don't know that gross negligence has ever risen to the level of a mistake. Cook's attorney also faced a number of questions about why she needed a hearing. I'm not sure I understand exactly what you want a hearing for. If your argument is inadvertence, it doesn't seem to me that there's much you can say factually other than that. You can't say, well, this is why we did it, and this is okay, and all that. It's just an inadvertent mistake. Now, there obviously are a lot of legal questions to be addressed, but again, those are questions for the court, a court, and not the basis for a factual hearing. Despite the number of questions posed to both sides, it appeared the justices were leaning toward allowing Cook to remain in office, at least temporarily, until her case against Trump is ultimately decided. Arlene Richards, NTD News. Happening on Capitol Hill today, the House Oversight Committee votes to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress. That's after they refused to appear and testify in a probe on Jeffrey Epstein. Today was a big day for accountability. I'm very proud of the work the Oversight Committee has done thus far on the Epstein investigation. I'm very happy that we had a bipartisan vote today to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress, and this shows that no one's above the law, and I'm just real proud of the committee and look forward to hopefully getting the Epstein documents in very quickly and trying to get answers for the American people. The vote to hold former President Bill Clinton in contempt was 34 to 8, while the vote for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was 28 to 15. The committee first subpoenaed the Clintons to testify in its probe into sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein back in July of last year. Both failed to show up earlier this month. After initially signaling they would cooperate, the contempt charges will head to the full House floor for a vote. Committee Chairman James Comer said today he hopes the Justice Department can release all of the Epstein files quickly. The Clintons were not accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, but Bill Clinton was seen in multiple photographs with the sex trafficker. The House Oversight Committee also subpoenaed Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in jail, to appear for a deposition on February 9th. Also on Capitol Hill, independent journalist Nick Shirley, a former fraud investigator, and other witnesses testified on the massive fraud scheme in Minnesota. The witnesses said warning signs were in the air long before the federal government crackdown. Officials say about $9 billion in tax money was likely stolen. And today's Melina Wisecup has the story. House lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee further exposing the billion-dollar fraud scheme in Minnesota. These fraudulent actions have robbed taxpayer funds intended to feed children, support individuals with autism, provide housing for low-income and disabled Americans, and deliver health care to Medicaid recipients. Independent journalist Nick Shirley made an appearance, reflecting on his findings after traveling around to expose the daycare fraud. Since my reporting, the HHS department froze over $185 million. And to this day, not a single business has been able to prove proof of legitimacy. It looked like it was a number of facilities like in the same building. Yes. So in one building, there was, I believe, three daycares and there was no children. And they were all receiving CCAP funding for separate daycares. There's one daycare we went to that one day it was closed by the government. And then that same day was reopened underneath another name. And they both received CCAP funding. After federal prosecutors found $9 billion tax dollars were potentially found to have been stolen by fraudsters, the Trump administration froze funding for social service programs. One witness who directly felt the impacts reflected that everyone, including legitimate child care services, suffer due to what she called the state government's lack of action. I built Holland for 20 years. Families built their lives around the care that we provide. All of that is risk of destruction today. Not by fraud, but by clumsy government response that failed to distinguish between criminals and caregivers. Governor Walz has insisted that his office has spent years cracking down on fraudsters. But one former fraud investigator said he faced pushback from state officials when he tried to look deeper into the warning signs early on. You tell the truth, they call you racist. Exactly what happened here. So they ignore your recommendations. They call you racist. But it even got worse than that. You can imagine. They started investigating you. Is that right? Yes. We were interviewed by an outside firm for a report given to the Office of Legislative Auditor. The judiciary hearing comes as a separate committee is investigating alleged Medicaid fraud in Minnesota. On Tuesday, lawmakers requested documents and information from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and the temporary commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Human Services. In a letter to state officials, lawmakers claim fraud is rampant in the state and that many of Minnesota's Medicaid programs were designed in such a way that made them vulnerable to fraud. The chairman warned that Medicaid funds will be withheld if the state doesn't comply with federal Medicaid requirements. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weiskopf, NTD News. A major winter storm is taking shape, expected to bring the season's coldest air to date. It comes as many communities are already getting lashed by severe winter weather. Here's the report. Wish it would stop. I think we're pushing 20 inches, 21, 22 inches. Residents in upstate New York digging out after a lake effect snowstorm dumped more than 20 inches amid brutal winter weather. We're going to get it for 24 hours straight for sure. That lake effect snow causing whiteout conditions. Authorities responding to multiple crashes on Interstate 90 involving roughly 60 vehicles over a six mile stretch of highway. Officials said there were multiple jackknife tractor trailers as well as passenger vehicles that were struck. Authorities had to divert traffic and shut down all westbound lanes of the interstate. The brutal winter weather is set to get worse for many with the most extreme winter storm so far this season forecast to slam the eastern half of the U.S. with damaging ice and heavy snow. The storm, fueled by a blast of Arctic air, is set to hit the Midwest and Plains Thursday into Friday, then spread into the south and east this weekend. Communities in the storm's path are bracing for snow, sleet and freezing rain. A dangerous wintry mix that could stretch more than a thousand miles from Oklahoma and northern Texas to North Carolina and Virginia by Saturday night. Salt shipping is very important. We were starting to get low from all we've had and there's so many different places that's using salt right now, especially up north. It's getting kind of hard to get. Coming up, protecting freedom of belief has been a central focus in President Trump's second term. Ambassador Sam Brownback, co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and a former U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, joins us to break down what Trump has done on this front since his return to office and where we go from here when we return. Good to have you back with us. We're continuing with religious liberty in the U.S. and the world as the first year of President Trump's second term has come to a close. Just a few months after his inauguration, the president created the Religious Liberty Commission to report on and preserve Americans' freedom of belief. And just last month, he restricted the visas of Nigerian militiamen perpetrating violence against Christians in their country. Here to break down what Trump has done and where we go from here is Ambassador Sam Brownback, the co-chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit and a former U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom. Ambassador Brownback, we appreciate your time. The freedom of religion is so fundamental to our nation and many across the globe, but we're living in a time when this essential value is under serious threat. In such a critical moment, how would you say the president has done on both advancing and protecting religious freedom? Well, thanks for having me on. And I would say he's done fantastic. He has made it a central issue. Before, it was just kind of a sidebar, you know, a boutique issue, if you would. A core human right is what it's becoming under the Trump presidency, and it's both domestic and international. And he's addressing it in all these venues, and he's being aggressive about it. It's a central issue on dealing with Nigeria right now. And I look for the president to continue this press forward on this central human right. The interesting thing about religious freedom, if you get it right in a nation, if you set that cornerstone well, you can build your other human rights around it. You can build freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. If you can get this one, that's very hard to do if you can get it right. Ambassador Brownback, I follow what you're saying. And President Trump was recently asked about both his work and God. Let's listen to that now. Last year, you told me that you believe that the reason you won the election is because God put you in this place so that you could save the world. Looking back one year, do you feel like God is proud of the effort that you've played? I do. Actually, I think God is very proud of the job I've done. And that includes for religion. You know, we're protecting a lot of people that are being killed, Christians and Jewish people. And lots of people are being protected by me that wouldn't be protected by another type of president. Ambassador, how important is the role of the U.S. president when it comes to defending and protecting people of faith? It's critical. There is no other country in the world that will stand up for religious freedom unless the United States does it. There are other countries that will mention it. They'll talk about it. They'll be concerned about it. And particularly a country, say like Israel, is very concerned about it, particularly for their own people. But it's only the United States that will stand up and fight for this in a global context. And it's a core issue to us. It's about our founding beliefs as a nation, that we believe that religious freedom is central to an open and free society. And that right has to be protected by the government. So this is a critical role for the president of the United States to serve in. Well, I hear what you're saying. Now, there are two aspects, the president's own actions and those he selected for his cabinet. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for example, is working to ensure the Senate passes bills to end forced organ harvesting in China. Ambassador, you've done a lot to shed light on this black market industry that's targeted adherence of the persecuted spiritual group Falun Gong. Your thoughts on the team President Trump has put together to combat this threat and others? That's an excellent team. Secretary of State Rubio is fabulous on this topic. He has co-chaired in the past the Religious Freedom Summit that's coming up February 2nd and 3rd. Pete Hegseth is somebody that's very interested in protecting religion as well. The Secretary of Defense, he's got people all around him that are very interested in this topic. So he's brought the right people on. And then by raising the profile of these issues, like this concept of forced organ harvesting, which is even hard to believe is a topic. But for people to bring that forward and say, here, this is happening in communist China now. It continues to happen. We've called them on it. It is a barbaric act that's taking place. It has to stop. And you can't just simply say this is a disfavored religious group, the Falun Gong or the Uyghurs, or for that matter, Christian populations. You can't just say this is a disfavored group and harvest their organs. This is just completely wrong and is not a civilized society that conducts something like that. Yes, Ambassador. It's Pei Mingcheng, one of the only, the only known survivor of China's forced organ harvesting that you just saw on your screen. Just horrendous that they're doing this to the Falun Gong who are moral exemplars. They live by truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance according to their texts. It's said to be a canary in the coal mine. If the CCP is willing to do that to them, where do they stop? Now, in Nigeria, authorities confirmed that 160 Christians were kidnapped while they were worshiping on Sunday. This after authorities initially denied the attack. Your thoughts on this tragedy and what more needs to be done? Well, I think the president has really made this a major issue. He himself designated Nigeria a country of particular concern. That had been taken off by the prior administration when we had designated Nigeria as such in the prior Trump administration. And now he's taking it further and he's saying, you've got to protect your Christians and your Muslims, your moderate Muslim community as well. So the president has made Nigeria really step up and address this topic. It is probably the most deadly place in the world to be a Christian is in Nigeria. That has to change if that country is going to prosper and if that region of Africa is going to prosper. I think the president is right to really target this central issue in dealing with Nigeria. And we've got to change and see a change of structures in Nigeria so that longer term, the Christians, the moderate Muslims are protected and they're allowed their space to practice their faith by the government, the government of Nigeria protecting them. And ambassador, we have just less than a minute left, but we've covered a lot of ground here. Any advice you may have for Americans and others as we make our way through another year in what really is a spiritual battle? Pray, I really, and I hope they also get involved. If you know people that have been persecuted to bring that forward, to bring it forward in public venues and private venues to the media. I hope people will bring this topic forward. If the United States doesn't speak out on it, nobody else will. We've got to be the ones leading on this topic. Thank you so much for your input on this important topic. Ambassador Sam Brownback, we appreciate it. My pleasure. And coming up, Hollywood productions have been leaving California for other states and are even going overseas. Now Los Angeles leaders are rolling out new policies and building a major studio to bring film and TV jobs back to the city. Christina Corona reports. And in the NFL, a coach fired over a debacle call by an official Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we return. Good to have you back with us. After years of film productions leaving California for other states and countries, Los Angeles leaders are hoping to make it easier and cheaper to film in the city. Entity's Christina Corona tells us more from a new studio in Los Angeles. Film and television production in Los Angeles has declined over the years with many projects now moving out of state or overseas due to rising costs and competition. Now city officials are breaking ground on a studio production campus, an effort they say will bring filming jobs back to Los Angeles. East End Studios broke ground on a new film and television production campus in the Arts District. The project includes five sound stages ranging from 14,000 to 35,000 square feet, along with office and production space. Mayor Karen Bass says the development is already creating jobs. East End Studios already created 1,500 construction jobs and will spur 750 permanent new jobs. This comes just one week after Mayor Bass announced changes aimed at making filmmaking easier and cheaper in L.A., including faster permit approvals and lowering film fees. However, many productions have moved to other states like Georgia, New Mexico, and New York or even overseas to countries such as Canada, the U.K. and Australia. Filming activity in California dropped 20 percent last year and production spending fell 22 percent according to The Hollywood Reporter. California could be losing more than $1 billion in film and TV production spending even after Governor Gavin Newsom rolled out record tax incentives to keep Hollywood in state. That even before the governor signed the tax credit, productions were beginning to come back and we've had 10 or 15 television shows return to Los Angeles. So I am a full believer that by Q3, Los Angeles is back in the game, our studios are full and we're, you know, producing content for the rest of the world. City leaders say investments like this are meant to signal that Los Angeles is still open for business. Reporting from downtown L.A., Christina Corona, NTD News. All right, and now for your sports news, we're joined by entities Dave Martin. Dave, we've got NFL and some college football news, but let's start in baseball. As the New York Yankees have reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with free agent all-star Cody Bellinger, how much money did he get? A hundred and sixty-two and a half million dollars. You're just kidding, though. That is according to multiple outlets. That comes to $32.5 million per season. Now, that seemed pretty high coming into this offseason. We've already seen Kyle Tucker get $60 million a year from the Yankees. Bo Bichette reportedly getting $42 million from the Mets. But keep in mind, both Tucker and Bichette are younger. Now, Bellinger isn't old, but he did turn 30 last summer. I think the fit is right here, though, on both sides. Now, the Yankees definitely benefit from Bellinger's position versatility. Last season, his only season with the Yanks, he started 59 games in left field, 48 games in right field, 38 games in center field, and even a few games at first base. It's very useful to a club, especially like the Yankees, whose outfield is somewhat in flux. I think Bellinger definitely benefited from playing half his games in Yankee stadium, where they have that short right porch. His home batting average and power numbers much better than they were on the road. So I think it was definitely a right fit for both him and the club. So it looks like the deal is done. Astronomical. All right, moving to some sports and politics news. Longtime NFL sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya, she's announced that she's running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. Yeah, Tafoya won four Emmys as a sports journalist. She's very well respected in her field. She was NBC's sideline reporter for their Sunday Night Football for a dozen years. Now, as a politician, she's hoping to win the Republican nomination for the Minnesota seat. Now, that seat was vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. Now, Tafoya put out a video on social media with some of her platforms. She said, quote, As Minnesota Senator, I will clean up the system fighting corruption, ending the fraud and enforcing more tax dollars. I will protect what's fair and safe, standing with our law enforcement officers, deporting dangerous criminals and keeping female sports for female athletes. Now, she's got her work cut out for her. The state has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 2002. Hey, crossing wires, babe. She might do well. Now, shifting gears to the NFL. Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula said today he did not fire head coach Sean McDermott over a bad call. I'm assuming he's referring to the overtime interception by Josh Allen. What'd you make of it? Yeah, I actually thought it was the right call. And I don't like saying that because that was definitely rude for Buffalo. But this call will forever be debated, though. And not just because it was so close. The call was so pivotal. If Buffalo's receiver, Brandon Cooks, catches it, they have the ball deep in Denver territory in overtime. All they have to do is kick a field goal with it. But from that distance is a chip shot. They win, and they advance. Instead, it was really through the interception. Denver gets the ball. They move down the field, hit a field goal. They won the game. But on that play in question, Cooks does catch the ball. I didn't think we had it secured when he hit the ground. Now, that's not an indictment on Cooks. It was really an acrobatic catch. But he had Buffalo's defensive back, J'Quan McMillan, really all over him. And when he hit the ground, all tangled up together, McMillan emerged with the ball. They gave him in the interception. Now, normally, if it's a tie of who has it, it does go to the offense. But they ruled it an interception. Now, for me, I was very surprised that they didn't stop and review the play. That, I don't understand. And in overtime, there's no coach's challenge. So Buffalo just had to live with it. Ah, Dave, the playoffs have been nuts this year. But now looking at college football news, Duke star quarterback Darion Mensah is in a legal battle with the university over transferring while still under contract. Where do things stand right now? Yeah, a judge has allowed him to enter the transfer portal. But he cannot enroll at another school or play for another football team until they rule on Duke's request for an injunction that will prevent him from leaving. Now, Mensah reportedly signed an NIL deal with Duke worth approximately $4 million for this upcoming season. That's according to ESPN. Now, this past season, he was very good for Duke. Led the ACC in passing archery with nearly 4,000. Also threw for 34 touchdowns against six interceptions. Led them to an ACC title. You can see why they want him. After the season, he announced on social media he'd be returning to Duke for this upcoming season. That was made on December 19th. But then last week on Friday, that was the last day the portal was open, he informed Duke he wanted to transfer or he wanted to enter the transfer portal. That's when Duke took legal action. Now, under the terms of his NIL deal, any disputes must be settled through arbitration. So they have an injunction scheduled for February 2nd. So we'll definitely be watching this case here. That's quite the recap. Thank you, Dave. Thank you, Kevin. And that's all for today's news. For around the clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com live or download our NTD app. Thank you for watching. I'm Kevin Hogan. Good night.