Trump: ‘Record-Setting’ Tax Refunds; Homan: Possible Drawdown in MN | NTD Evening News (Jan. 29)

Welcome to NTD Evening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump hosting his first cabinet meeting of 2026. He's issuing a harsh warning for Iran while announcing his next plans for Venezuela. Mario Tsu at the White House. Reporters are Tom Homan announces progress with immigration enforcement cooperation with Minnesota after speaking with state and local leaders. Jason Blair has the latest. Senators block a government funding bill paving the way for a partial government shutdown. Democrats say they'll oppose the bill unless changes are made to funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ice and CBP. Luis Martinez reports. President Trump and his special envoy praised the first trilateral meeting with which includes both Russia and Ukraine. Ariane Pazdar has what Trump says about the progress made so far. A powerful coastal storm is set to slam the southeast this weekend, bringing heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding. Residents are urged to prepare now. Cristina Corona brings us the weather update. 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. President Trump hosting his first cabinet meeting of 2026. In his wide-ranging comments, he's threatening Iran and announcing his next plans for Venezuela. NTD's Washington correspondent Mario Tzu brings us the details from the White House. Our military is very, very strong. You may want to say something about the large fleet of ships that's heading over to the Middle East. President Trump warning that the fleet headed toward Iran is larger than the one that was sent to Venezuela, urging Iran to make a nuclear deal. We're having to rebuild how our enemies perceive us. And when President Trump said we're not getting a nuclear Iran, you won't have a nuclear bomb, he meant it. This coming as President Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iran continues to kill anti-regime protesters. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth saying that rebuilding the perception of America means reestablishing deterrence and empowering the military. This as he touts Operation Absolute Resolve. No other military in the world could have executed the most sophisticated, powerful raid, not just in American history, I would say in world history. This coming as President Trump instructs Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to open the airspace over Venezuela by the end of the day today. The president says he's informed Venezuela's interim president about the move and that Americans and Venezuelans alike will be safe traveling there. On the economic front, President Trump says he'll announce the new Fed chair next week. The Fed kept the rate steady Wednesday at its first meeting of 2026, a move the president continues to criticize. That's as the White House touts the largest tax refund season in US history, which President Trump attributes to his tariff strategy. We've been given great national security because of tariffs. And we've also been given unprecedented income because of tariffs. I hope we're going to be successful with the Supreme Court case because we're waiting. And, you know, the people that are fighting us on that case, by the way, are China centric. These are people that are in China, but they're also outside of the United States. Meanwhile, President Trump tonight is attending the premiere of the first lady's documentary entitled Melania at the Trump Kennedy Center. The film features an inside glimpse into the 20 days leading up to the 2025 inauguration of President Trump. The first lady teased the documentary earlier this week, saying that one of the film's aims is for audiences to see the more private moments between herself and her husband. Reporting from the White House, Mario Tsu, NTD News. Special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Steve Whitkoff, praised the progress in the peace negotiations. The US recently held the first trilateral meeting with officials from both Moscow and Kiev. NTD's international correspondent, I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kiev and the various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that. President Trump on Thursday saying civilians in Ukraine are suffering from extreme cold, sometimes made worse due to Russian attacks. Russian strikes on energy infrastructure leave many Ukrainians without heating in their apartments, with temperatures dropping to zero degrees Fahrenheit. As the fighting continues, the US keeps working on a peace deal between the two sides. Over the weekend, US officials met with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts simultaneously for the first time. We think we made a lot of progress. The talks will continue in about a week, but lots of good things happening between the counterparties. Special envoy Steve Whitkoff added that the different sides discussed a land deal on how to divide occupied territory, a security protocol agreement for security guarantees after the fighting ends, and a prosperity agreement which aims to rebuild Ukraine after the war. The next meeting between the three parties is scheduled for next week Sunday. The Kremlin on Thursday said the talks might last for two days if needed. And this coming Sunday, Russia is scheduled to meet with Ukraine directly, without US involvement. The Kremlin on Thursday declined to say what the topics of discussions would be. Thus, the details will be finalized before the meeting and the modalities will be finalized by Sunday. Everything will be done to ensure the possibility of continuing the dialogue. The spokesman also declined to confirm whether Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire on energy infrastructure. The European Union on Thursday saying Russia is making use of the winter, trying to gain advantage on the battlefield. Russia is failing to win on the battlefield, so it tries to weaponize winter. Now, energy is the new front line. In order to weaken Russia's strength, the EU on Thursday added Russia to its anti-money laundering blacklist, aiming to slow down and increase the cost of transactions with Russian banks. Ariane Pasdar, NTD News. Secretary of War Pete Hegg says the US military is prepared to do what President Trump expects when it comes to Iran. This comes after the Iranian regime's deadly response to protesters. As Iran International now reports that over 36,000 people have been killed. NTD's Jason Perry has the update. Residents in Iran are still dealing with an internet blackout. Cut internet services in the country amid a deadly response to anti-government protesters. An online teacher in Iran said she tried to contact her family when the phone lines were open. I was able to call for about a minute, and the operator let me call and tell them that my family and I were alive. And when I was telling them, I was upset because why should people have such conversations in this day and age and say, for example, I'm alive? How sad can everything be? According to Iran International, the Iranian regime killed at least 36,000 protesters during the demonstrations across 400 cities in the country. President Trump previously warned that if Iran killed peaceful protesters, the United States would, quote, come to their rescue. During the president's cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Secretary of War gave multiple examples to show that Trump means what he says. Same thing with Iran right now, ensuring that they have all the options to make a deal. They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department. After Iran's deadly response to the demonstrators, the U.S. military announced the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and other warships to the Middle East. Iran has also been reaching out to other Middle Eastern countries over the threat of possible U.S. military strikes. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have indicated that they won't allow their airspace to be used for any attack against Iran. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the president of the United Arab Emirates over the situation. Of course, we are all closely monitoring the current developments in the Iranian situation. I would like to discuss all these issues with you not only in such an extended meeting, but also in a private setting. Russian state-run media says Russia is willing to evacuate its personnel from an Iranian nuclear power plant if necessary. Meanwhile, the European Union has now formally designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, as a terrorist organization over its deadly response to protesters. The United States designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization during President Trump's first term in 2019. Jason Perry, NTD News. Senators blocked a government-funding minibus bill paving the way for a second government shutdown. Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has the details. All Democrats and seven Republican senators voted to block a minibus package of six appropriation bills to fund government through fiscal year 2026. Democrats have already signaled that they're willing to vote for five out of the six bills in the minibus, but we want to see changes to the bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. What the nation witnessed on Saturday in the streets of Minneapolis was a moral abomination. Federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretty, an American citizen, in broad daylight. Any changes to the minibus package would send the bills back to the House of Representatives. The House Republicans have already signaled that they're not willing to make any drastic changes to the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security that had already cleared the House over two weeks ago with the support of seven Democrats. Dramatic change is needed with the Department of Homeland Security before any appropriations bill related to ICE or CBP proceeds. There are people that could do a better job than this. Number one, if you're going to protest, you have a right to protest in this country. You don't have a right to impede law enforcement efforts. That's number one. Number two, the mayor and the governor should actually be responsible and say, you do have a right to protest, but don't impede active investigation, law enforcement investigations. The rhetoric needs to stop. This is not helpful to the American people, whether it is, you know, calling I.C.E. Gestapo or calling American citizens domestic terrorists. People do have a right to protest. Law enforcement also has a right to do their job without being impeded. Lawmakers are considering a short-term continuing resolution to fund the Department of Homeland Security while negotiations continue to avoid a long government shutdown. Well, we're trending in the right direction, but you know, I don't think we're quite there yet. Have you talked to the Yes. And what have they said when it's passed to their work? I think there are discussions going on between the Senate Democrats and the White House and those, you know, hopefully that'll land soon. But right now, I think it's still a bit of a work in progress. Government funding expires Friday at midnight and the House of Representatives does not come back into session until next week. If the Senate does not pass the appropriation bills as they stand, there will be a partial government shutdown. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. Minnesota will now allow jails to notify ICE when an illegal immigrant is being released, according to Borders Are Tom Homan. Homan says if discussions keep going well with state leaders, then the amount of federal agents in the state could start decreasing. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has more. When we have these agreements, it takes less law enforcement agents to do the job. White House Borders Are Tom Homan says that Minnesota jails will now be allowed to notify ICE when criminal illegal immigrants are being released so that ICE can come to the jail to make an arrest. Homan says that Minnesota state prisons have already been complying with this. More agents in the jail means less agents in the street. Homan says that when ICE agents can't make an arrest at a jail, they have to go out in the street. Now we got to arrest somebody on his turf who has access to who knows what weapons. Now we got to send a whole team out. Then because of the hateful rhetoric and the attacks on ICE officers, now we got to send a security team behind the arresting. I know that causes stress in the community. Some people have argued that when local police work with ICE, it could discourage illegal immigrants who are victims of crimes to come to local police for help. Homan addresses this issue and says that it's not a problem. All we want is to talk to the person that local and state law enforcement authorities locked in a jail cell. Following Homan's press conference, Minnesota Governor Tim Walls posts it's time for the federal government to draw down their forces and let us get back to allowing freedom, opportunity and security for everyone. While speaking at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry reiterated his intent to end the current ICE operation in his area called Operation Metro Search. Never in a million years did I think that we would be in this place where troops and federal agents by the thousands have been deployed on a great American city. The White House has emphasized that states and cities that cooperate more with ICE are largely safer. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE and we've seen historic turnaround in safety in cities that have chosen to cooperate with ICE that are not just led by Republicans but also look right here in Washington, D.C. Tom Homan was sent to Minnesota by President Trump on Monday to speak with state and local leaders amidst protests, social unrest and tough working conditions for immigration authorities. Homan also made it clear that the administration is not backing down on its mission of immigration enforcement and that he'll stay in Minnesota until the problem is solved. Jason Blair, NTD News. Just days after a major winter storm blanketed the east coast, another powerful system is forming. Winter storm Gianna could bring heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding across the southeast. NTD's Christina Corona tells us more. New winter storm Gianna is expected to develop off the east coast this weekend and could strengthen into a bomb cyclone. The National Weather Service says Gianna will bring heavy snow, strong winds and coastal flooding from the Carolinas to New England. Over 20 million people are under winter storm watches including residents of Charlotte, Raleigh, North Folk and Atlanta. Snow and strong winds are expected Friday night into Saturday in Georgia, the Carolinas and southern Virginia. Blizzard conditions with gusts up to 60 miles per hour are possible in coastal southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. While central and eastern North Carolina and southern Virginia could see 6 to 12 inches of snow. Travel could become dangerous with power outages and road closures possible and coastal flooding is a concern during high tide. Snow will start Friday into Saturday across the southeast, peak Sunday and move away by Monday. Authorities urge residents to prepare by clearing gutters, stocking up on supplies and protecting pipes and pets. The warning comes as states are still recovering from last week's storm which has killed at least 80 people. Hundreds of National Guard troops in Mississippi and Tennessee have been mobilized to help residents stranded by icy conditions while power outages still affect tens of thousands. Christina Corona, NTD News. Coming up, the FBI searched a Fulton County elections office outside Atlanta and come submit an ongoing scrutiny of Fulton County's handling of the 2020 presidential election. Arlene Richards has what we know so far. The DOJ joins a lawsuit against a California medical school. The plaintiffs argue that the university uses race when making admissions decisions. David Lamb has the details when we come back. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. UCLA's medical school is facing a lawsuit that claims the university discriminates on the basis of race. Now the Department of Justice is joining the lawsuit and it is David Lamb has more. The Department of Justice is joining a lawsuit claiming race is used as a factor in admissions at UCLA's medical school. On Wednesday, the DOJ said they're siding with a group of plaintiffs, including students for fair admissions. The lawsuit is based on a Supreme Court ruling from 2023 which prohibits schools from using race as a factor in acceptance. The plaintiffs won a historic decision against Harvard and the University of North Carolina on the same grounds. UCLA had said that race and ethnicity data were for statistical purposes only and they are not used for admission. Filed in May 2025, the lawsuit claims the university's medical school uses racial preferences to balance its classes to quote look like America. Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, Harmeet Dhillon, said the department will not tolerate such conduct and welcomes the court's role in ensuring justice. The UCLA spokesperson said on Wednesday that it did not comment on pending litigation and that the medical school was committed to fair processes in all programs and activities including admissions. David Lamb, NTD News, California. In Fulton County, the FBI searched the elections office there on Wednesday. It's suspected to involve voting records from the 2020 election requested last year by the Justice Department. NTD's Arlene Richards has the details. The FBI executed a search warrant Wednesday at a Fulton County elections office near Atlanta. While the bureau's Atlanta field office didn't provide details on the search, it comes about six weeks after the Justice Department sued the county over its failure to provide voting records from the 2020 election. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the search warrant on Thursday. The FBI presented this information to a judge in Georgia where they determined, the judge, that there was a finding for probable cause following the constitutional precepts that are necessary to safeguard an investigation. Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections is always and will continue to maintain fair, transparent, and accurate elections and we will continue to do the work of the electorate here in Fulton County. President Trump has long maintained that there were improprieties in tabulating Georgia's 2020 election results and requested a recount. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at that time that Fulton County had cut corners during the second recount. Counties in Georgia had a deadline to complete the recount but Raffensperger said his office had tired of what he called Fulton County's dysfunction. On Wednesday, agents collected voting information from 2020 including boxes of ballots, voter rolls, and possibly tabulator tapes. The lawsuit claims that the custodian of records refused the Justice Department's request to turn over the records. Meanwhile, Patel says the search is part of their ongoing investigation. They, as far as we know, were removing certain boxes from the election center here. We don't know what they were going to do with the boxes. We don't know where they're taking the boxes. You saw trucks. You saw material being removed and what the FBI will do is now analyze that information and we will take the next investigatory steps with our Department of Justice partners. It was a rigged election. Everybody now knows that they found out. People will soon be prosecuted for what they did. Patel said the search warrant would eventually be unsealed so that the American public can read it. Arlene Richards, NTD News. What do the material seized from the Fulton County Election Office tell us about what federal investigators believe took place and what they're trying to prove? Tonight on Capitol Report, hear from analyst Seth Keschel at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Coming up, reporters are Tom Homan reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota but staying in the state till the end. Homeland Security analyst Kyle Schradler joins us to unpack the latest developments in Minnesota and fake bomb and death threats. And now a chilling warning that the UK Prime Minister will be shot if he allows Shen Yun to perform. Why the Chinese Communist Party is targeting a U.S.-based dance company. Jack Bradley with that report when we come back. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Joining us now to discuss the situation in Minnesota, we have Kyle Schradler, Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy. He's also the editor of the book Unmasking Antifa, Five Perspectives on a Growing Threat. Kyle, thank you so much for joining us. Good to have you back with us. Now, White House reporters are Tom Homan saying today he's ordered the eventual drawdown of federal law enforcement in Minnesota, adding that's contingent on cooperation from local officials. How soon could we see that drawdown if the cooperation plays out? Well, I wouldn't get ahead of myself and I wouldn't expect there to be much agreement between Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Frey and federal government here. The resistance to enforcing federal immigration law in Minneapolis is fierce. And they know that these protesters will turn on them if they appear to be making an agreement with the Trump administration. I think, you know, I certainly understand Homan's position. They are looking to accomplish their mission while hopefully turning down the temperature a little bit. But that's not entirely up to them. Unfortunately, that's going to be largely up to the agitators in the streets. And they see no reason at this point to back down. The rhetoric that I see from social media accounts in this space, you know, some of these are hardcore anarchist accounts, revolutionary leftists, and they think they are winning. The language that they use is that this is a win for them, that they are winning in Minneapolis. And so I think that's going to be very concerning for the Trump administration. It's going to be a challenge. So the trick will be, can Homan carry out his mission successfully while turning down the rhetoric and the temperature? And right now, there is a lot of attention on this clip from the news movement appearing to show Alex Preddy days before his death. Let's actually play that now. This is a moment the news movement filmed on January 13th in Minneapolis, showing a man who appears to be Alex Preddy interacting with federal immigration agents 11 days before Border Patrol shot and killed him. Our footage was analyzed by the BBC, whose facial recognition technology confirmed his identity to a 97 percent degree of accuracy. And your thoughts on what you just saw there? Well, I think what you're clearly seeing is a very deliberate attempt to provoke law enforcement in order to get the kind of response that they, in fact, get in that clip. And then later on, we learn, unfortunately, he attempts to do that again and gets another reaction. Now, we're going to figure out exactly whether that was a good shoot from federal law enforcement as that investigation proceeds. But this is the danger. You have agitators who are well trained at provoking law enforcement, provoking individuals, and they're trying to get these types of video clips out there so that they can push their message through propaganda, try to achieve a political win. And we often underestimate just how challenging it is to deal with these professional, very professional agitators. I've talked to law enforcement officers who will tell you, you know, I have never been called the kinds of things that these people called me. I have never been provoked in this way in, you know, 15, 20 years as a law enforcement officer. And we see that time and time again. And watching from the outside, from a shaky handheld camera, it's very easy for us to say what we think we would have done in the law enforcement circumstances. But the reality is that these are very, very challenging circumstances. Now, Tom Holman actually worked under the Obama administration overseeing its 432,000 deportations in 2013. That was the highest since records were kept. His deportations under Trump 1.0 never topped 350,000. And Obama even awarded Holman the presidential rank award in 2015. What do you think changed since then that now we're seeing such widespread anti-ICE demonstrations in that rhetoric? Well, I think it really has largely to do with the growing power of the revolutionary left in the United States. This is post-George Floyd. It is post-October 7th encampment protests where the revolutionary left grew a great deal of strength. They challenged the Biden administration during the primaries. They, you know, put a great deal of pressure on the Democratic Party during that process. They are feeling their oats. They feel like now is the time to challenge the United States government. Whether it's Democrat or Republican, they really don't care. What they are interested in is conflict with the United States government. I think we're seeing elements of that here. Unfortunately, they've been very successful at duping a large number of people into thinking that this is actually about immigration enforcement. And as you rightly point out, this was not an issue for Barack Obama. It was not an issue for President Joe Biden, which really suggests to us that it's really not about immigration at all. On Capitol Hill, Democrats are demanding an overhaul of immigration enforcement as a partial government funding shutdown is looming. Reports say it involves limiting arrest warrants, a ban on masks for federal agents and requiring body cameras. Are you concerned about the changes being proposed here? Yeah, I mean, I think that has to be a nonstarter for the Trump administration and his Republican allies in Congress. They're just never going to go for it. And it's frankly problematic that you have members of the Democratic Party and senior leadership buying into this notion of treating ICE law enforcement officers like they're some kind of secret police, when the reality is that they're only wearing masks so that they themselves are not doxed and that their family and their children are not harassed, as is taking place all throughout the country when you have leaks of officers who are working for ICE being harassed. You have the percentage of attacks on ICE officers going through the roof now. So they're very legitimate security concerns, and that's all being swept aside by some of the rhetoric here. Well, Kyle Scheidler, as always, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Fake bomb and death threats and now an email warning that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be shot if Shin Yun performs in Britain. Authorities say these messages are part of the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing campaign to intimidate and silence the US-based performing arts company. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based classical Chinese dance company, is facing a renewed wave of fake bomb and death threats, widely seen as intimidation tactics linked to Beijing's efforts to suppress the group. Importantly, no actual attacks have ever occurred, and no Shen Yun performance has ever been canceled because of these threats. The messages often sent to venues scheduled to host Shen Yun performances around the world follow a similar pattern. Authorities have consistently confirmed the threats are hoaxes designed to frighten organizers and audiences rather than carry out real violence. There have been zero incidents of harm, and every performance has gone as planned. Just last week, Shen Yun received an email written in Chinese stating, if you insist on having Shen Yun perform, you will experience a surprise terrorist attack. I'm not joking. Another message sent last month escalated the rhetoric, threatening that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would be shot if Shen Yun performances were not canceled. While extreme, these messages fit squarely into what experts describe as Beijing's broader campaign to sabotage and silence Shen Yun. What's really at play goes way beyond the Falun Gong diaspora of the community. It goes way beyond this one company, Shen Yun. This is a national security issue of, I would say, the gravest kind. Founded in 2006 by practitioners of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, Shen Yun seeks to revive China's 5,000 years of traditional culture rooted in Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian values. That mission directly challenges the Chinese Communist Party's ideology, which has long sought to replace traditional belief systems with party loyalty. Since Shen Yun's founding, the CCP has used a wide range of tactics to interfere with the company's work. Chinese embassies and consulates have pressured officials and presenters abroad to block performances. Performers' family members in China have been harassed, detained, or imprisoned. In the United States, Shen Yun tour buses have been deliberately sabotaged, tires slashed, in ways designed not to deflate immediately, but to fail dangerously at high speeds. This is an example from last year, but this actually started in 2010. If you look at this cut, it doesn't look like much. It's a circular cut. But if you actually open it up, you see it's several inches deep, and it's cut in such a way that the tire would not deflate immediately, but would explode at high speeds on the highway. In November 2024, a Chinese national living in California was sentenced for attempting to bribe an IRS agent to revoke Shen Yun's tax-exempt status, another effort tied to Beijing's campaign. Leaked documents from China's Ministry of State Security also reveals a coordinated disinformation effort aimed at weaponizing social media and U.S. media outlets to discredit Shen Yun. We have multiple sources, including a well-known professor in Australia, several sources within the Ministry of Public Security that say this came from Xi Jinping himself, who acknowledged that all the efforts they've been undertaking over the last 25 years to silence Falun Gong and Shen Yun have failed, and they needed to get very serious about eliminating Falun Gong globally. Their words, not mine. Despite years of intimidation and harassment, Shen Yun continues to expand, operating eight touring companies worldwide and performing to sold-out audiences, as it brings traditional Chinese culture to the global stage. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. Coming up in the NFL, with just over a week before the Super Bowl, the Patriots are dealing with an injury to the team's top player. Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we return. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, we have NFL, some soccer news, but let's start in tennis, actually, as the men's semifinals of the Australian Open are on tonight. What do the matchups look like? Tiff, they look very entertaining, at least to me. You know, the top four-ranked players in the men's side all made it into the semifinals, which is really the final four. Now, naturally, they've made it so that the top two players can't meet until the finals, but both those players have very difficult semifinal matches ahead, either tonight or tomorrow morning. Now, first, for number one-ranked Carlos Alcarez, he'll be taking on third-ranked Alexander Zverev. Zverev has historically played him very tough. These two have met 12 times. They have split their 12 matches, six wins apiece. Meanwhile, neither player has ever won this event. Now, that match starts at 10.30 Eastern time tonight. Then in the second semifinal, second-ranked Yannick Sinner faces number four-ranked Novak Djokovic. Now, Sinner is one of the rare, rare players who pretty much owned Djokovic of recent. He beat him five straight times. Three of those were at the semifinals of a Grand Slam event, which is where they are right now. That match is scheduled for early tomorrow morning at 3.30 a.m. Eastern time. Now, last night on the women's side, Irina Sabalenka and Alina Rybakina both won their semifinal matches, so those two will meet in the finals on Saturday. Now, Sabalenka has made it to the finals to be a fourth straight finals appearance at the Australian Open. She's won two of the three previous. The first was against Rybakina in the finals in 2023, so we have a rematch here on the women's side. You think there's like psychological pressure like the Sinner-Djokovic matchup or rematch? You know, I think so. I mean, for, well, for Sinner and for Djokovic, I would think it's getting a little tougher for Djokovic at this point. I mean, he's facing guys 15 years younger than him, basically. I mean, Alcoraz is 16 years younger. I think Sinner is 14 years younger. Like I was telling you, he's the only player ranked in the top 25 who's over the age of 29, Djokovic, and he's 38. I mean, he is playing at a young man's game, and I mean, he's won it for a very long time, but the last two years, he has not won a Grand Slam, which is very unusual for Djokovic. Meanwhile, you could say that, yeah, Sinner and Alcoraz have kind of at least passed him the last two years, but I find it very interesting to see if Djokovic can, you know, reclaim that glory at least one more time. It's not like he's doing bad. He just hasn't been up to his normal standard of winning titles, so I will be setting my alarm for 3 30 a.m., that's for sure. I will see if he keeps the crown or passes it on. Moving to soccer news, though, U.S. soccer great Crystal Dunn announced her retirement today. Yeah, Dunn announced this on social media today. The 33-year-old said, quote, I'm ready to embrace the life that awaits me on the other side. I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom, end quote. Now, off the field, Dunn, who is 33, is married. She has a three-year-old son named Marcel. On the field, she was a very accomplished player for the U.S. women's national team. She helped them win the 2019 World Cup, and then in 2024, she was part of the Olympic gold-winning team. Before that, in college, she was a four-time All-American at North Carolina University, was the first player since Mia Hamm to win the ACC Player of the Year three times, and she led the Tar Heels to a national title as a junior. So we wish her a very happy retirement. All right, well, shifting gears to the NFL, the New England Patriots listed star quarterback Drake May as a limited participant on yesterday's practice report. What's going on there? Yeah, May apparently injured his right shoulder, which is his throwing shoulder, in Sunday's win over Denver. Now, it happened when he was tackled in a 13-year-old, 13-yard run in the third quarter. He stayed in the game, though, led the team to a big win. He had a very crucial run there down the stretch, with less than two minutes left. May said today, though, he threw at practice, and that his shoulder feels just fine. Now, obviously, any injury to a star player leading up to the Super Bowl is going to make headlines, and May is definitely a star. He's one of the five finalists for the NFL's MVP award. Most believe it's going to be between either him or Rams quarterback Matt Stafford. In any case, Patriots, meanwhile, are generally listed as an underdog in the Super Bowl. I've seen anywhere from three- to five-point underdogs to the Seattle Seahawks for the big game. There's a lot of hate on that team. You know, I don't think people want to see the Patriots win yet again, you know? They're suffering from success. It makes you feel bad about your own team, you know? It's bad enough for me being a Jets fan. You know, they have won. They haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1970 or something like that. Now, but being a Chiefs fan, too, I have had a good recently with the Chiefs, but no one has had it good as good as the Patriots. So I think you could say it's safe to say most people are rooting for the Seahawks. Unless they win, like, six in a row, then nobody's going to be rooting for them again, you know? We shall see. We shall see. But speaking of the big game, one of the highlights for those of us watching it on TV are the unique and often funny commercials. Do we have a sneak peek of any of them? We do. All right. I want to show you one. This is going to be by Instacart, and it looks like it's supposed to be, you know, a couple of 80s European disco stars. It's even formatted on TV that way. I'm sure you'll recognize at least one of the actors here. Let's go ahead and play that right now. Instacart lets you choose your bananas. Get them just how you like. Instacart lets you choose your bananas. From green to extra ripe. You don't believe what a time to be alive. So that looks like a pretty funny commercial there. Obviously, that was actor Ben Stiller recording Arnis. Recording Arnis, Benson Boone, directed by Spike Jones. That's the, by the way, if you missed it, that was for Instacart. They were dressed as a banana and something else there, I guess. So that's how you're supposed to recognize who it's actually for. You know, a lot of these commercials are really entertaining, but at the end of it, you're like, all right, what was that actually commercial for, you know? So you have to remember there was a quick shot of a couple of people. One was dressed as a banana. So that's Instacart. I thought it was funny. Yeah, like often the classics are Budweiser with the Clydesdale horses. Yes. Very American nostalgia. Yeah, you know, that always makes you feel good about it, you know? It's like maybe you want to go out and have some Budweiser or something like that. Well, lots to watch for there for sure, Davis Hollis. Thanks for joining us. Thank you, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. For on the clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.