U.S. Escalates Strikes on Iran — Israel-Lebanon Agreement Text Revealed — NTD Evening News (June 27)

[0:01] Our top story tonight, the U.S. State Department revealing the details of an agreement [0:05] brokering a new framework between Israel and Lebanon aimed at ending decades of conflict. [0:11] We look at what the agreement calls for and the response from the Hezbollah terrorist group. [0:17] Continuing in the Middle East, Iran launching new attacks, the latest developments in and [0:22] around the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump calls communism the greatest threat facing [0:27] the country. An award-winning journalist says Americans should be paying attention. [0:33] At the World Cup, we're down to the final days of the group stage as teams compete for the last [0:38] spots in the next round. NTD's Dave Martin joins us with all the latest. And the World Cup is also [0:45] bringing fans together across New York City. We find out whether that energy translates into [0:51] customers for small businesses. This is NTD Evening Live from our global headquarters in [1:08] New York City. Thank you for joining us tonight. I'm Arlene Richards. The State Department releasing [1:16] the text of a U.S. brokered agreement. It outlines a path for Israel and Lebanon toward ending decades [1:22] of conflict. The deal calls for the disarming of the Hezbollah terrorist group and a phased withdrawal [1:28] of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. Under the plan signed yesterday, Lebanon's military would [1:35] gradually take control of areas across the country and disarm Hezbollah and other non-state [1:41] armed groups. As those actions are verified, Israeli troops would gradually withdraw from Lebanese [1:47] territory. The agreement also calls for direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon to [1:53] establish a lasting peace. Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group, is rejecting the deal. In a televised [2:00] address, the group's leader said Israel must completely withdraw from Lebanese territory and end [2:06] all military operations. Tensions are climbing once again in the Middle East, Iran launching drone [2:13] attacks against Bahrain today, while a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a [2:19] projectile. The vessel sustained damage to its bridge, but no injuries were reported. Iran has not claimed [2:28] responsibility for the attack on the ship. These latest attacks come after Iran said it targeted U.S. [2:34] positions in retaliation for American strikes yesterday. Those strikes were launched after Iran attacked [2:41] a cargo ship earlier this week. President Trump accusing Iran yesterday of violating the ceasefire, [2:48] calling the country's actions foolish. The threat level in the Strait of Hormuz has now been raised to [2:54] substantial. That's according to the Joint Maritime Information Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Navy. [3:03] From Supreme Court victories on immigration to tensions with Iran and NATO, plus the kickoff to [3:09] America's 250th birthday celebration. NTD's Daniel Monaghan has your White House Week in review. [3:16] DANIEL MONAGHAN, The Supreme Court hands President Trump two major immigration victories, [3:21] including a ruling that allows the administration to turn back migrants before they enter the United [3:26] States, preventing them from applying for asylum. The court also allowing the administration to move [3:31] forward with ending temporary protections for some Haitian and Syrian migrants. [3:36] The Biden administration flew over vast numbers, it's hard to know the exact number, [3:41] but there are probably more than a million illegal immigrants from Haiti. That's not counting the [3:45] border crossings into the United States. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting with foreign ministers [3:51] from the Six Nation Gulf Cooperation Council. Rubio downplaying Iran's hardliners making threats, [3:57] for example, about the Strait of Hormuz. [4:00] If, on the other hand, this rhetoric is backed up by actual ships being threatened and ships are not [4:05] moving, that's a violation of the agreement, and we're going to have a problem with it. [4:08] NATO Chief Mark Rutte in Washington this week, meeting with President Trump ahead of a July NATO summit. [4:14] I really want to make clear how important it is, what you are doing on Iran. [4:18] Tensions between NATO and the U.S. have been high, [4:21] after some members refused the U.S. use of their bases during the Iran conflict. [4:26] We were disappointed with the U.K. We were disappointed with Germany and France. [4:30] We're disappointed with most of them. Spain is a horror show. Spain is terrible. [4:35] Two powerful earthquakes in Venezuela devastate areas in and around the capital city, Caracas, [4:43] the U.S. sending help. [4:45] That's their most immediate need right now, is search-and-rescue efforts, [4:48] to have a bunch of collapsed buildings. [4:50] President Trump orders an investigation into oil companies over gas prices. [4:55] We should be, in my opinion, at $2.25 right now at the pump, and we're higher than that. [5:03] MILES O' The Department of Justice announcing a $6.5 billion health care fraud crackdown, [5:09] with over 450 people charged. [5:11] Our precious taxpayer dollars that are supposed to service our seniors and our kids [5:16] were being stolen outright by individuals who thought they could get away with it. [5:20] MILES O' And President Trump kicks off celebrations for the 250th anniversary of American independence, [5:27] headlining the opening of the Great American State Fair on the National Mall. [5:32] In 1776, our founding fathers met in Philadelphia and changed the world forever and ever, [5:39] with a thing called the Declaration of Independence. [5:44] MILES O' The 16-day fair runs from June 25th to July 10th, [5:49] and will showcase exhibits from all U.S. states and territories. [5:53] On the political front, all three candidates, backed by New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, [5:58] won their House primary races, boosting progressive and democratic socialist candidates. [6:03] MILES O' Well, they're going radical left. They're going, [6:05] really, you know, you talk about the democrat socialists you took, really, it's really communist. [6:11] MILES O' And President Trump hosts a dinner for a group of farmers in the White House Rose Garden, [6:17] after signing an agriculture-related executive order to accelerate agricultural innovation. [6:23] MILES O' So, tonight, we have a very special group of people. [6:27] It's called farmers and ranchers and the people that I love. [6:30] MILES O' I love you all. [6:32] MILES O' And after initially passing a symbolic resolution limiting President Trump's authority [6:38] in Iran, senators voted against a similar measure after meeting with the president. [6:42] Daniel Monaghan, NTD News. [6:44] MILES O' Breaking now, U.S. Central Command says American forces carried out additional strikes [6:51] against multiple targets in Iran today at the direction of President Trump. [6:56] CENTCOM says the strikes came after Iran launched a drone attack that hit a commercial tanker near the [7:02] Strait of Hormuz, despite being given an opportunity to honor the cease-fire agreement. [7:07] MILES O' The U.S. military struck a range of Iranian military sites and capabilities. [7:13] CENTCOM says commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues. [7:17] And President Trump is nominating a new leader for immigration and customs enforcement. [7:24] In a true social post today, the president announcing Lance Schroer as his pick. [7:29] Schroer is a former Oklahoma state trooper and U.S. Marine with nearly three decades of law [7:36] enforcement experience. [7:37] President Trump saying he'll help carry out the administration's push [7:41] to increase deportations of illegal immigrants with criminal records. [7:46] President Trump also calling on the Senate to confirm Schroer immediately. [7:50] Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen saying in a statement [7:54] that he's confident in Schroer's leadership, adding that President Trump made a great pick. [7:59] House Republicans say Democrats are headed for an internal battle after Democratic Socialist [8:05] candidate scored high-profile primary wins this week. Now, a group of moderate Democrats is publicly [8:12] pushing back, saying the party needs to promote a centrist message. And today's Chris Bobb has more. [8:18] CHRIS BOBB, We have better candidates than the Democrats do. They are on the verge of an open [8:22] civil war because the establishment Democrats are being pushed out by the Marxists. They're having a lot [8:28] of disarray on their side, and that will play to our advantage in the midterms. [8:31] House Republicans are seizing on this week's Democratic primaries, arguing victories by [8:36] Democrat Socialist-backed candidates in New York reveal a party moving further left. [8:41] But the backlash isn't just coming from Republicans. 13 Democratic House members and candidates are now [8:47] backing a new Promise to America initiative, pledging support for capitalism, fiscal discipline, [8:53] border security, and what they call mainstream Democratic values. New York Congressman Tom [8:58] Swazi, one of the effort's leaders, posted on X, quote, [9:01] We disagree with MAGA. We disagree with socialism. We believe the vast majority of Americans want [9:06] common-sense mainstream leadership, not political extremism. Swazi telling Fox News today. [9:12] You know, there are certain things that I believe in that are not being reflected in the current [9:18] environment, especially with some of these races on Tuesday. And as we said in our pledge, [9:22] you know, we're for capitalism, not socialism. We're for safety, not lawlessness. We're proud of [9:27] America, not ashamed of America. And we need to be promoting those things. [9:30] The effort comes as Democrats continue debating the party's direction, [9:34] following last year's election losses and this week's primary results. [9:38] Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin, appearing on Stephen A. Smith's radio show, Straight Shooter, [9:43] said voters are demanding change, but argued that doesn't necessarily mean embracing the party's left wing. [9:49] Democrats got shellacked in 2024. The Democrats had a million priorities. [9:54] They tried to make everybody happy. When you prioritize nothing, no one knows what you stand for. [10:00] I'm very different than the folks who got elected last night in New York City. [10:05] What works in Manhattan doesn't always work in a place like Michigan. [10:09] The new centrist coalition says its goal is to offer an alternative to democratic socialism [10:14] as Democrats debate what message gives them the best chance of winning back voters [10:18] in the midterm elections. Chris Bobb, NTD News. [10:22] Coming up, President Trump sounds the alarm on communism amid a rise in democratic socialist [10:27] candidates. NTD's interview with Alex Newman breaks it down. President Trump on Friday [10:41] condemning communism in response to the election wins of democratic socialist candidates [10:47] in New York's congressional primaries. In an interview with NTD's Carrie Dunst, [10:51] award-winning journalist and author Alex Newman unpacked the president's message. [10:56] I'd like to play a clip from President Trump's speech today and get your reaction. [11:01] I'd like to play a clip from President Trump's speech today and get your reaction. [11:01] I'd like to play a clip from President Trump's speech today and get your reaction. [11:11] Communism is very easy to sell. It destroys everything but it's very easy. I'd be, I'll be honest, [11:14] I think I'd be the greatest communist in history. I'd give free rent. Ladies and gentlemen, [11:20] from now on, you don't have to pay any rent. From now on, anybody wants a house, [11:25] don't worry about it. Just pick the house you want. Everybody gets free food. Everything is free from this [11:31] point forward. Everyone's going to vote for me. The problem is after two or three years, the country [11:38] is a disaster area. It's a lighthearted moment in response to something that is somewhat [11:46] dangerous. So I'd love to get your reaction to the president's putting that into context. [11:52] Yeah, I mean, despite the humor, these are some of the most serious and forceful remarks [11:56] we've had about communism from the president. And he's absolutely right. I mean, the communist [12:01] party selling material has always basically been, we're going to give you free stuff. [12:05] You can take stuff from your neighbor. And so I think what Trump is doing here is, [12:09] he's trying to sound the alarm about a very real issue, which is the infiltration of communism [12:14] within the Democratic Party. It's nice that he's trying to do it with a little bit of humor, [12:18] but I think the seriousness of what he's saying needs to be taken seriously by the American people, [12:22] and certainly by rank and file Democrats, who a lot of them don't even recognize their party anymore. [12:27] Now, Alex, according to a Gallup poll, about 40% of Americans have a positive view of socialism. [12:33] I want to explore with you why that is. And if you could remind our audience, [12:37] what is the relationship between the socialism that people might think of from the Nordics and communism? [12:43] Well, what they have in Scandinavia, and I used to live in Scandinavia, is really [12:48] much closer to free markets than it is to communism. I think it's very inaccurate to call [12:52] the Scandinavian kind of welfare model socialism. In some ways, the Scandinavian countries actually [12:58] have more freedom in terms of the economy than the United States does. And that's even on the [13:04] Index of Economic Freedom from the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. [13:07] So the idea that Scandinavia is practicing socialism is not true. They did move in that direction, [13:13] and it was such a disaster. They very quickly reversed course by the time the 1990s started coming [13:18] around. And those reforms have been very, very helpful for them. In fact, they became prosperous [13:23] as a result of markets and free market economics. Socialism is really just an interim step on the [13:29] road to alleged utopia that communism is supposed to bring. It is really the government ownership, [13:36] what they call the collective ownership of the means of production. And so socialism is really just a [13:41] step toward communism. And when you talk about democratic socialists of America, they are socialists. Yes, [13:47] they may like to use democracy. They may like to use the electoral process to bring that about. [13:52] But it's ultimately all leading to the same destination. And I think the reason we have [13:57] more and more Americans moving in that direction, and this is especially true among young people, [14:01] is because this is what they're learning in the school system. This is what's being pumped out through [14:05] the entertainment system. And they don't even hide it. The democratic socialists, a few years ago, [14:10] talked about how democratic socialists should become teachers so they can indoctrinate the next [14:14] generation. And if you look at the people who built this system, I've covered this very extensively, [14:18] these are people who really did share the collectivist worldview, the idea that socialism [14:23] was superior to freedom. So very, very dangerous. And this is a threat that, [14:26] as the president pointed out, we need to be taken very seriously. [14:29] And earlier this morning on Truth Social, the president said, [14:34] the communists are finally making their move. I've been waiting and preparing for this for a long [14:40] time. And then he goes on to say, the game is on. Enjoy watching, President Donald J. Trump. [14:45] So it sounds like the president has a plan. What do you expect from him? [14:48] Well, the president has been aware of this for a long time. If you go back to 2017, when he first took [14:54] office, Rich Higgins on the National Security Council wrote an extraordinary memo where he talked about an [14:59] alliance between communists, Islamists, globalists, jihadists, working to destroy the United States [15:04] of America, not just as a nation, but even as an ideal. And so this has been on Trump's radar for [15:09] a long time. Of course, he's following what's going on in Cuba. He's seen what's going on in Venezuela. [15:14] And he recognizes that this is actually a national security threat to the United States, [15:18] when you talk about the subversion, when you talk about the sleeper cells that we have across this [15:22] country. And so I expect that the president and his team have been taking this threat very seriously, [15:27] where crimes have been committed. And certainly there have been many crimes committed [15:32] to get us this far. I hope we'll see prosecutions from the Department of Justice. But [15:36] this is a major threat, and it's not going to be fixed, I don't think, with any simple policies. [15:41] This is a long-term issue. The other side has been playing the long game. And I expect that [15:45] the president and his administration understand that. [15:48] When you speak of subversion and crimes that have been committed, can you give a few examples? [15:53] MARK SHIELDS, U.S.: Well, many have been busted and publicly thrown in prison for this. One of the [15:59] really obvious ones that comes to my mind is Alger Hiss. This is a guy who was a senior official at the [16:03] U.S. State Department. He actually was one of the leading figures in the creation of the United [16:08] Nations, supposedly representing the United States of America. He was the chairman of the conference that [16:13] wrote the U.N. charter. Later, he became the first secretary general of the United Nations. And then he was [16:17] prosecuted and thrown into federal prison because he was working as an agent of Joseph Stalin. Of course, [16:23] he was far from alone. You had many others, like Harry Dexter White at the Treasury Department, [16:27] who was involved in this, and many, many others. The Venona documents that the NSA intercepted, [16:32] once they were decrypted, revealed hundreds of Soviet agents and communist agents at every [16:37] level of government. And so we have had this espionage problem for a long time. We have had [16:40] agents of influence operating in this country without registering on behalf of a foreign power [16:45] for many, many years. So these are all very serious crimes that have been committed against the United States. [16:50] And then I want to move to the Democrat Party. 13 Democrats have come forward and launched [16:55] a pro-capitalism initiative called Promise to America. Their intent is to fight the socialist [17:01] leanings within their own party. Let's listen to Congressman Mike Swazi on Fox earlier today. [17:05] You know, there are certain things that I believe in that are not being reflected in the current [17:11] environment, especially with some of these races on Tuesday. And as we said in our pledge, [17:17] you know, we're for capitalism, not socialism. We're for safety, not lawlessness. We're proud [17:21] of America, not ashamed of America. [17:23] Your thoughts to what's happening inside of the Democratic Party? [17:26] Yeah. And he's one of many who have spoken out. Senator Fetterman recently was talking [17:31] about some of the communist crazies, as he called them, who have infiltrated the party as well. [17:35] So this is a struggle that's going to be going on for a long time. We've seen similar struggles. [17:39] There was an effort to purge all of the pro-life Democrats some years ago, [17:43] the so-called blue dog Democrats. And the pro-life Democrats ended up on the losing side of that battle. [17:47] They have essentially been purged from the party. The platform now fully embraces abortion. [17:51] I expect we might see something very similar here with the push to stop socialism within the party. [17:57] There are a lot of socialist forces within the Democrat Party, even some that don't openly [18:01] identify that way. But if you look at who are the most popular with the grassroots in some of the [18:06] Democratic Party primaries, you've got people like Mamdani. You've got people like Bernie Sanders. [18:11] You have people who openly identify as socialists. So this is a battle that's going to go on for some [18:16] time. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. But I don't think that it's by any means guaranteed [18:20] that the pro-market, pro-freedom forces are going to end up triumphant. [18:26] And finally, as we start to finish up, our nation's 250th anniversary, of course, is next week. [18:30] We've come so far as a country and we have a long history of countering the spread of communism globally. [18:35] So how important do you think it is at this moment to reflect on this issue? [18:41] It's one of the most important issues that we could be reflecting on. [18:44] The United States has an incredible tradition of liberty, an incredible tradition of constitutional [18:49] Republican government. We've embraced the concept of God-given rights, which is, of course, [18:54] completely antithetical to the socialist worldview. But as the president pointed out in those remarks, [18:59] this is an existential threat to the foundations of the United States. So I think on this 250th birthday [19:05] of the United States and our independence, we ought to all be reflecting on the various threats [19:09] to that independence, the blessings that have come from that independence. And that should motivate [19:14] us to redouble our efforts, to preserve freedom, to push back tyrannical ideologies, socialism, [19:19] communism, Islamism, whatever the case may be, and really stand up for the incredible heritage of [19:24] liberty that we've had in this country. [19:26] Well, Alex Newman, thank you so much for joining us this evening. [19:29] Thanks for having me. [19:30] AMNA NAWAZ, America's 250th anniversary is almost here. [19:36] A historic marker in our nation's storied history, [19:39] NTD will bring you special coverage of the Freedom 250 salute to America's celebration [19:45] taking place in the nation's capital this Fourth of July. It'll be packed with tributes to the [19:51] country, the people, and the trailblazers who helped define our national identity, [19:56] bringing America's legacy to life on stage, plus a fireworks show that Freedom 250 says will be the [20:03] biggest in history. Our coverage starts at 7 p.m. Eastern. We'll see you then. [20:10] And coming up at the World Cup, we're down to the final day of the group stage as teams compete [20:15] for the last spots in the next round. NTD's Dave Martin joins us with all the latest. [20:21] And also in the World Cup, fans are filling the streets of New York City, [20:25] but our local businesses seeing the payoff. [20:51] For your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. [20:55] Dave, good to see you as always. [20:56] Good to see you, Arlene. [20:57] How are things so far today? [20:59] You know, I can't complain. You know, I really like this weather outside. It's not too bad today. [21:04] I think that that rain we had this morning kind of cooled things down right now. It's not too bad [21:09] in the studio. Sometimes the studio kind of heats up, you know, when it's warm out. I think we've got [21:14] a little fan on me or something here, though, so I feel pretty good right now. Thank you. [21:18] All right, good. So let's get on to the sports news, which is what you're here for. [21:21] So we're going to start with the World Cup because that's the most exciting sports going on right now. [21:26] It's the final day of the group stage round. Where do things stand? [21:29] Yeah, we've got six games going on today, including two right now in Group L. [21:34] That's Croatia versus Ghana. Croatia leads that one 1-0 in the second half. [21:39] And then we also have England and Panama. That game tight at zero in the second half. [21:44] Now, Panama has already been eliminated, but England and Ghana can advance the next round to the win. [21:50] Croatia as well, but they might need a little bit of help there. [21:53] And then tonight at 730, we've got the four teams in Group K will face up at the same time. [21:58] That'll be Congo versus Uzbekistan. That'll be played down in Atlanta. [22:01] And then we've got a bigger one, Portugal versus Colombia. That's going to be played down in Miami. [22:06] Now, the Portugal-Colombia match would be a good one. [22:09] Colombia first right now in the group with six points. [22:12] Portugal right behind with four. So Portugal needs to win this game to win the group. [22:16] If they lose or tie, Colombia gets first place. [22:18] So we'll see what Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal can pull off. [22:22] Then at 10 p.m., we've got two more games here. [22:24] We've got the final group stage matches. [22:26] Algeria faces Austria and Jordan faces Lionel Messi and Argentina. [22:32] But for those tuning in hoping to see Messi, he is not scheduled to start this game anyway. [22:38] Maybe he comes in a reserve. We'll have to actually see. [22:41] That's probably because Argentina, they've already qualified for the next round. [22:45] They're scheduled to play Cape Verde next Friday in Miami, no matter how this game goes. [22:51] Messi, meanwhile, leads everyone with five goals thus far. [22:55] He has obviously looked very good in his first two games. [22:58] Yes, he is. And how's the U.S. doing? [23:00] They don't have a game tonight, do they? [23:01] The U.S. does not have a game tonight. [23:04] The U.S. is going to play next Wednesday. [23:06] They made it to the next round. They won their first two matches. [23:10] So they kind of rested everybody for that match Thursday night. [23:13] Although they did get Christian Pulisic back. [23:16] So he played he played the final 30 minutes of the game. [23:19] So he played one third of the game. [23:20] I got to say he looked very good. [23:22] The team didn't didn't quite look the same. [23:24] I think nine of their 11 starters were different. [23:28] So I think since they had already clinched their spot in the next round, too, [23:32] they're going to play Thursday night against Bosnia Herzegovic again. [23:36] Hopefully I get that name. [23:38] Bosnia and something. [23:39] I wouldn't know. [23:39] I haven't messed up that name so many times over the past week. [23:44] They're going to play Wednesday night. [23:47] That's it. [23:47] I'm sorry. [23:48] Wednesday night against them. [23:50] So we'll have to see this. [23:52] They looked very good. [23:53] This is the first time they've won back-to-back games at the World Cup in 96 years. [23:58] Wow. [23:59] So and they did it. [24:00] They did it mostly without their best player. [24:02] Right. [24:03] So it looks like he's 100% and he's back. [24:06] Of course, the competition gets stiffer. [24:08] Once you get into this knockout stage, it gets stiffer. [24:11] I think they're still I think they're still expected to win this game. [24:15] So we'll see. [24:15] We'll see. [24:16] They're looking good, though. [24:17] I'll say that. [24:17] Okay. [24:17] Well, I'm looking forward to that one. [24:19] Now, let's shift gears to tennis. [24:21] We've got Wimbledon beginning on Monday. [24:23] Who are the title contenders? [24:25] Well, for the men, it's mainly number one ranked Yannick Sinner. [24:29] But you also have reigning French Open champion number three ranked Alexander Zverev. [24:34] And, of course, you still have 39-year-old Novak Djokovic, who has now dropped actually [24:39] to eighth in the rankings after his early exit at the French Open. [24:42] Sinner, though, the main favorite here. [24:44] Now, Zverev's French Open title that stopped a streak of nine straight grand slams [24:49] that was won either by Sinner or second ranked Carlos Alcaraz. [24:53] Sinner, though, lost in the second round. [24:55] He used clearly not himself in that match. [24:58] Meanwhile, Alcaraz, he missed the whole thing with a wrist injury. [25:01] And he's out for Wimbledon as well with the same issue. [25:04] Sinner, though, is a reigning Wimbledon champion. [25:06] Djokovic, though, has won this event seven times. [25:09] Now, at age 39, though, he would be the oldest ever to win a grand slam if he somehow pulled this off. [25:14] I think there's still a slight opening, though, with Alcaraz out. [25:18] Alcaraz did beat him in the finals here at Wimbledon three years ago. [25:22] Now, for the women's side, third ranked Iga Sviatek is the defending champion. [25:26] So, she's going to be certainly one of the favorites. [25:28] Meanwhile, number one ranked Irina Sabalenka, she's got four grand slam titles. [25:32] She's never won Wimbledon. [25:34] The further she's gotten here is the semifinals, which she's done three times. [25:38] Now, of course, we also have 44-year-old Serena Williams. [25:43] Now, she's won this event seven times, right? [25:47] None since 2016. [25:49] She just made her big comeback this month after almost four years in retirement. [25:54] She's played, what, two doubles matches so far. [25:56] So, her first singles match is going to be on Tuesday. [26:00] She's going to play 53rd ranked Maya joint. [26:03] So, I think we're all wondering what she has. [26:06] She looked good in the doubles matches. [26:07] Of course, you don't know how that's going to translate to a singles match. [26:11] Obviously, not playing that competition for four years. [26:14] Who knows? [26:15] But she didn't exactly, you know, the last time she played singles was 2022 US Open. [26:21] She lost in the first round there, but she still had the power then. [26:26] She looks like she slimmed down a little bit, too. [26:28] I miss you. [26:28] Okay. [26:29] Well, we'll see. [26:29] We'll see. [26:30] You never know. [26:30] It should be interesting. [26:31] All right. [26:31] So, we're going to look at baseball now. [26:33] We've got Milwaukee all-star pitcher Jacob Mizorowski noted for his high-velocity pitches. [26:39] Nearly made history last night with his fastball. [26:41] Yeah. [26:41] His third pitch of the game against the Cubs was clocked at 105.5 miles per hour. [26:47] That is tied for the third fastest pitch in recorded history. [26:51] Yeah. [26:52] Wow. [26:52] Only Aroldis Chapton, who's known for throwing hard, of course. [26:56] He hasn't thrown a pitch harder. [26:57] I think he threw nearly 106 a couple of times. [26:59] Now, it should be noted that the pitch tracking era didn't begin until 2008, [27:05] before they had the radar guns, but I guess it wasn't official until 2008. [27:09] Right. [27:10] In any case, for Mizorowski, it was part of really another dominant game. [27:13] Six innings, struck out eight, allowed just two hits and one run. [27:16] He's now nine and three, leads the league in earned run average, as well as strikeouts, [27:21] placing second and wins above a placement for pitchers. [27:23] Those are really the main statistics you look at for pitchers. [27:27] He's probably their early favorite for the National Cy Young Award. [27:30] It's a very competitive race. [27:31] You've got Christopher Sanchez of the Phillies, Paul Skeens of Pittsburgh. [27:35] Skeens is the reigning Cy Young champ, and even the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. [27:39] Now, this is about the only award Shohei Ohtani has not won, [27:43] but he's got his work cut out for him if he's going to do it, [27:45] because these are really, these four pitchers I've had really good, [27:49] you know, first half of the season. [27:50] We're only halfway through the baseball season. [27:53] He's got a little work to make up if he's going to do this, [27:55] but it's quite a competitive race for the National Cy Young Award. [27:59] I know he's going to try hard to win that one. [28:01] Well, we're going to stay with baseball. [28:02] We've got the league has proposed setting limits on free agents, [28:05] contracts to just five years. [28:08] I guess that's unusual. [28:09] That's in addition to a salary cap proposal as well. [28:12] So when would these changes possibly take place? [28:14] Well, not until after the season and not until everything is negotiated, [28:20] of course, with the players' union. [28:22] So essentially, these are, you know, proposals, almost dreams, [28:26] you could say at one, maybe. [28:28] The collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players [28:31] expires this off season. [28:32] So the negotiating has already begun. [28:34] From my perspective, the owners, I mean, they're doing this wisely. [28:39] This is a wise negotiation. [28:41] They're really asking for the moon during these negotiations, [28:43] assuming they're going to have to settle for some middle ground here. [28:47] Now, the players' union, they have long opposed a salary cap. [28:50] So maybe a contract length on these free agent contracts [28:53] seems a little more agreeable to them. [28:55] We'll have to see. [28:56] Back in 1994, though, it was really the last time [28:59] the owners proposed a salary cap. [29:01] The players' union eventually responded with a strike [29:03] that canceled the World Series. [29:06] The first time, first and only time that's ever happened. [29:08] This is serious. [29:09] Yeah. [29:09] So I don't think either side wants that this time around. [29:13] I mean, attendance went down after that. [29:15] There was a lot of bad blood from the fans, you could say, about that. [29:19] So I don't think either side wants that. [29:21] The owners, though, clearly want a better deal. [29:23] I mean, the NBA, you've got salary cap. [29:25] You've got limits on the length of contracts there. [29:28] NFL, you've got a very hard salary cap. [29:31] So maybe this is something that the baseball owners want to do. [29:34] We'll definitely be following this one closely. [29:36] Yeah. [29:36] I mean, it's not just a game, right? [29:37] It's a business and it's your job. [29:40] It is more than a game for sure. [29:42] There's billions of dollars at stake, right? [29:44] All right. [29:45] Well, thank you so much for the update, Dave. [29:47] Thank you, Arlene. [29:47] All right. [29:48] The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially become the most attended tournament in history, drawing [29:55] more than 3.6 million fans and counting. [29:58] New York City hopes to spread the World Cup's economic impact beyond the stadium. [30:03] And Denise Nicobani looks at whether local businesses are seeing a payoff. [30:08] Hosting the FIFA World Cup comes with an estimated $500 million price tag for the New York, New Jersey [30:16] region. [30:16] Officials hope part of that investment pays off by bringing more customers to neighborhood [30:21] businesses, encouraging them to host promotions and World Cup events. [30:26] Newovo York Pizza says it's seen customer traffic jump about 20 to 25 percent since the tournament kicked off. [30:33] We see a lot of tourists, a lot of traffic. [30:36] As you see that, like if you have a football TV on the store, so people coming inside. [30:41] Klong Restaurant is also gearing up for the tournament, hoping a few changes will bring in more business. [30:47] Usually we don't have TVs, but the World Cup make us getting one right now. [30:51] To help bring games closer to home and spread spending beyond the stadiums, [30:55] New York City is rolling out free neighborhood watch parties called Soccer Street, where fans [31:00] can catch performances, games and activities. [31:02] I'm here in Brooklyn, New York City, the first location for Soccer Street in New York City. [31:08] And while the fans here are coming for the matches and the performances, [31:11] local businesses around are hoping their score comes from the extra customers. [31:16] We're seeing that a lot of people are coming together. [31:18] So when they come in, they also want to spend some dollars in the neighborhood. [31:22] Hooked Fish Market says business is up 150 percent since the World Cup began, [31:27] fueled by locals celebrating at home. [31:30] Now it's hoping the city's free watch parties add even more customers. [31:34] I hope that we get swamped. [31:36] With more soccer streets and World Cup matches still ahead, [31:40] many business owners say they're waiting to see whether the tournament's [31:43] biggest economic boost is yet to come. [31:45] Niko Bonney, NTD News, New York. [31:49] There are an estimated 140,000 chemical signals in the food we eat. [31:54] Most of us have never heard of them. [31:56] But a growing body of research suggests they may be among the most powerful influences [32:01] on how our brains age. [32:03] In this preview of Vital Signs, internal medicine physician and researcher Dr. Austin Perlmutter [32:09] explains what this calls the dark matter of nutrition. [32:13] I know that diet is a particular focus of yours in terms of nutrition, in terms of brain health. [32:21] What would you point to as far as to encapsulate or really represent the relationship between [32:26] nutrition and brain health in influencing someone across the lifespan? [32:29] For sure. [32:31] So let's just kind of put this in the context of what's conventionally taught about nutrition [32:36] and brain health, and then a little bit more detail into what subspecialists might do. [32:40] So for me as an internal medicine doctor, what I learned about diet and brain health would be [32:45] primarily involved in conditions of deficiency. [32:47] So for example, if a person is deficient in vitamin B1, which is thiamine, they can develop [32:52] a condition called beriberi, which is associated with brain issues. [32:56] If they're deficient in vitamin B12, that might predispose them to various neurological symptoms. [33:02] And so we think about, of course, you want to make sure a person is not deficient [33:06] in various nutrients. [33:08] For example, in alcoholism, there tends to be deficiency in various nutrients [33:12] that is associated with worse brain function. [33:15] We also think about beyond deficiency, ensuring that a person has adequate energy levels [33:20] to make sure their brain is functional. [33:22] So in the hospital, you want to make sure a person's blood sugar is at the right level [33:26] so they don't get hypo or hyperglycemic. [33:28] We know that a person's blood sugar, if it's very high or very low, that is associated with various brain [33:34] issues. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. [33:37] That has nothing to do with optimizing brain health. [33:39] And if you look at conditions like stroke, what we see is that a study that just came out [33:45] correlated consuming a Mediterranean diet with an 18% lower risk of stroke. [33:50] There's data suggesting that a variant of the Mediterranean diet called the MIND diet [33:55] is associated with an up to 53% lower rate of developing Alzheimer's disease. [33:59] There's data suggesting that consuming more of a Mediterranean pattern diet [34:03] may be associated with better mood. [34:05] And these data, these nutritional studies, both interventional and epidemiological, [34:10] suggest that the quality of what we consume has a direct role to play on our brain state. [34:17] There are lots of pathways we could talk about here. [34:19] Structural, that the food becomes the building blocks of our brain. [34:22] Functional, that food influences things like neurotransmitters and inflammation and neuroplasticity. [34:28] But when we're talking about how big of an effect food has on our brain health, [34:33] there is a massive gap between looking at various disease processes in a hospital type setting [34:40] and what is conventionally known about, well, we want to make sure that at least we're eating [34:43] a basically healthy diet for brain health. And what the data are telling us right now in terms of [34:48] here's what an optimal nutritional status looks like in order to not just decrease our risk of [34:53] developing brain diseases, but improve brain health on a given day so we can think clear, [34:58] so we can feel better, so we can interact with the world in a more positive way. [35:02] And I think there's been increasing focus on things like, well, the macronutrients, [35:07] how fats, carbohydrates, proteins affect health and in some ways affect the brain. [35:13] I guess more in terms of weight loss, there's been a lot of focus on calories, calories in, calories out. [35:18] And now I guess to switch away from that, there is more to just the calorie than the calorie itself. [35:22] Different calories will have different effects. What could be missing from this puzzle? [35:26] Let's just take a step back here and consider how we as humans have looked at food [35:32] from a medical perspective for the last little bit. And I mean, beyond even a medical perspective, [35:37] when we look at food in the last couple of centuries, especially the last century, we have [35:43] systematically gone through and assumed that we as humans know what is in food and that we can [35:49] somehow therefore fix this issue of making sure everyone gets the right nutrition. And so, you know, [35:55] we've only kind of known about vitamins for about a hundred or so years. These are not necessarily [36:00] well-established themes. Certainly we knew about various deficiencies, but to really add in the [36:05] understanding of vitamins and minerals, that's relatively recent. But if you look at how that's kind of [36:11] influenced how we look at food, how we recommend things around food, sure, we start with calories. [36:16] You need to have enough calories to survive. Unless you're on a prolonged fast, you want to be [36:22] consuming enough calories to keep you alive. Fine. But then you would say, well, if a person's healthy, [36:28] they're eating enough calories. If they're unhealthy, they're eating too little or too much. [36:31] Obviously that's a gross oversimplification of what's actually in food. Then you layer in the [36:36] macronutrients. And I think for many people, that's still where we get stuck. So there's fats, [36:40] there's carbs, and there's protein. Every few years we cycle through the macronutrients. So it's, [36:46] you really want to be low fat, or you want to be low carb, or at least at this moment in time, [36:50] it's, you want to eat tons of protein as though it's as straightforward as simply saying, if you [36:54] could change the scales of these three macronutrients, everyone's going to be healthy. [36:58] And obviously it's more complicated than that. And then the one layer additional to this that many [37:04] people have been focused on, I wouldn't say many, but more and more people have been focused on, [37:08] are the micronutrients. So vitamins and minerals, are you getting enough magnesium? Are you getting [37:13] enough of your B vitamins? And sure that matters too. But the problem is that's usually where we [37:18] draw the line and say, now we understand what's in food. And if you were to take a vegetable out of [37:25] the garden and analyze that vegetable, you wouldn't find that that vegetable is simply a couple of carbs [37:31] and a couple of vitamins and minerals. It is actually a composite of thousands and thousands [37:36] of different molecules that are found in nature. Not all of these are even just plant molecules. [37:41] It's also the microbes that live on those plants. It could also be things like microplastics and [37:46] pesticides that are on the food. Food is a much bigger universe of data in every bite that we take. [37:53] And so to just go back here for a second, the problem that happens when we assume as humans [37:57] that now we understand nutrition is that we wind up losing a lot of the important data that is found [38:04] in this massive range of various chemicals found in our food. And also it leads us to adding things [38:12] in that may be problematic. And that's really what we saw in the United States in this kind [38:16] of post-World War II setup where we were optimizing towards cheap calories. And we figured, well, [38:22] we can just enrich or add back in a couple of vitamins and minerals and that food will then be healthy. [38:27] To see that full interview and others on how to optimize health, go to ept.ms forward slash vital signs. [38:35] Vital signs offers general health information not intended as medical diagnosis or advice. [38:41] Please consult your doctor before undertaking a new health regimen. [38:44] Coming up, the Viking spirit has arrived at the World Cup. We explore the history behind Norway's famous warriors. [38:53] And America's 250th anniversary celebrations are underway in the nation's capital. We hear from the people [39:01] experiencing it firsthand. Norwegian soccer fans are celebrating their Viking heritage during this [39:15] summer's World Cup. While rowing and horned helmets are often associated with the Norse warriors, [39:21] experts say their actual history looks a little different. [39:24] A crowd of fans donning red jerseys and horned helmets row in unison in New York City's Times Square. [39:34] Norway is showing off its Viking history as its men's soccer team competes in its first World Cup in 28 [39:43] years. But Viking expert Peter Pence says fans are getting more creative than historical. [39:50] The short answer is they didn't have horned helmets at all. We do not actually know to what extent they [40:00] actually used helmets. We only got one single helmet from Viking Scandinavia. [40:07] Hyde Norgaard is an expert in ancient metal at Denmark's Mosgaard Museum. She says they were probably [40:15] used during ritual ceremony rather than combat. None of them wore ever horned helmets. And that's logical [40:22] because they were real warriors. And having a horned helmet on is not really helping you to to protect [40:29] your body. I mean it's more the opposite. Horned helmets have been discovered in Denmark, [40:34] but they predate the Viking Age by quite some time. These horned helmets existed and they existed as a [40:43] ritual aspect. Two thousand or one thousand years before Christ. That means two thousand years before [40:50] the Vikings. While Norwegian fans may be having a bit of fun with the helmets, [40:55] Pence says the rowing is a lot closer to the Vikings true history. Viking culture was basically a maritime [41:04] culture and rowing is very important. It's not only individual rowing but rowing together. As the nation [41:13] celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Great American State Fair in DC is attracting tourists [41:20] from all across the country. The event features exhibits from dozens of states and territories [41:25] showcasing the best of what America has to offer. NDD Sam Wong was out on the fairgrounds to hear from the [41:32] people. How does it feel to be celebrating America's 250th birthday here in DC at the Great American State [41:38] Fair? It's amazing. It's honestly the reason why I came here this summer was that I wanted to be [41:43] in the room where all of this is being celebrated after 250 amazing years of American history. It was just [41:48] pretty cool to be able to say that we got to come during the 250th anniversary, getting to visit all the [41:53] places and learn all about our history and it's just really cool. We're very very proud. We came up from [42:00] Florida to see it, my brother and I to enjoy it, and we're just celebrating our country. It's heartwarming to see [42:07] Americans come together and not fighting. Everybody's polite. Everybody's helpful. It's wonderful. We [42:14] traveled up from Florida to come here and seeing the states represented. We heard some cowboys from [42:20] the western United States out there talking about the cattle industry, great entertainment. It just [42:27] makes you feel proud to be an American. How does it feel to be out here being part of the Great American [42:32] State Fair? It's great. You know, representing the state of Utah is wonderful. Just letting visitors [42:37] know all the great offerings that we have here in Utah and encouraging people to come out and visit us. [42:42] Where are we right now? Grand Ole Opry. We are standing on the Grand Ole Opry stage, so this is an [42:46] awesome opportunity for people to get their picture taken with a great backdrop that we've got and you can [42:50] see these curtains kind of go together and then come across with different videos so that people can get [42:55] their picture taken with Elvis and Dolly Parton and then also our governor has a video as well. Look at that [43:00] Gibson Goldtop right there. So Gibson guitars are made in Tennessee and so this is just one that we wanted to [43:04] showcase to all of our music fans and kind of an honor to all of the music legends that we have here [43:09] in Tennessee. Reflecting upon the past 250 years, how proud are you being an American today? I am very [43:16] proud being an American and not somewhere in Europe. It feels amazing. We're actually free. That's why we [43:20] have Trump as our president because he is the best. America is a very good country. It's the only country [43:26] that can have freedom. I mean everybody, well, some people don't like it. Some people do. Some people are just [43:33] jealous. We have God on our side. We're actually direct descendants of the Mayflower. We're William Bradford. [43:39] So we were, my parents were very proud of their ancestry. My grandmother, our families came from [43:44] somewhere. So we're all, we're all immigrants and we are so proud to be here. What does it mean to be an [43:48] American? I think it means freedom. That's what we're founded on. Have the economic opportunity to progress from [43:55] nothing into everything and really we found it in that community of American exceptionalism. [44:01] And that's the news for this evening. Thank you for tuning in and we'll see you right back here [44:08] next Saturday evening. Good night.