The US and Iran are engaged in high-stakes diplomatic negotiations regarding a potential ceasefire deal, with President Trump outlining specific demands including Iran never obtaining nuclear weapons, reopening the Strait of Hormuz without tolls, terminating underwater mines, and relinquishing its enriched uranium stockpile. The negotiations are complicated by differing views on the future control of the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran and Oman planning for shared control, a scenario President Trump finds unacceptable. Oil markets are closely watching these developments, with Brent crude at $91/barrel and WTI crude at $87/barrel, as the potential reopening of the Strait could significantly impact global energy prices and supply chains.
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Inside the high-stakes situation room meeting: US-IranAdded:
The National News Desk. Locally covered, nationally connected. Deal or no deal.
The weight of a war hangs on the president's shoulders tonight. Inside the highstakes situation room meeting and whether a final call has been made.
Plus, >> we all need to do everything we can to cool things down. Now >> protest police and now a new push for peace, the enhanced protections at a New Jersey ICE facility after days of violence. And >> for three successive months, they kept getting more data uh analysis showing more sudden death and and more adverse events. They completely ignored it. They >> the quest for co answers continues. The new questions, controversies, and renewed push for transparency. that >> huge explosion. Uh the largest I can recall at Kennedy Space Center. It's a terrible record to be setting. We've got a lot to learn about what went wrong here.
>> A fiery setback for Blue Origin. The investigation after a rocket explosion during takeoff. Then later >> tell they were shaken up visually. Uh and then you can see a sense of of joy as well once their feet hit the ground.
Dangling 100 feet in the air. The field trip gone wrong after a Texas roller coaster stops midair. Live from the nation's capital. This is the National News Desk, America's news. Now, good Friday evening. Thank you for joining us. I'm DD Gaton and it appears President Trump is weighing his options tonight on whether to move forward on a ceasefire deal with Iran. We start with team coverage. Achra Elnar joins us with the new warnings from oil executives as anxieties grow over the straight of Hormuz. But first, let's go to Ryan Smith at the live desk. And there was that president 2-hour long meeting today. Ryan, what have we learned since?
>> Well, DD, we do know tonight the president met today with those top advisers. We're talking military officials and top national security officials as well in the situation room today. All to discuss that potential ceasefire deal. meeting reportedly ending hours ago. But yet tonight, still no official announcement from the White House on the president's decision.
Though in a post here on True Social, Trump writing, Iran has to agree in never obtaining a nuclear weapon to reopen the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls, terminate underwater mines throughout the Strait of Hormuz, and relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile. He's also here announcing the end of the US blockade effective immediately. Now, it is still unclear at this hour tonight if Iran has agreed to those terms. However, a top Iranian official reportedly telling a Russian news outlet today that leaders in Tyrron, well, they have no intention of transferring its stockpile of enriched uranium abroad. News of a potential ceasefire sending oil prices dropping today. Take a look here. Brent crude oil ending today at $91 a barrel. for the US-based WTI crude that ended at $87 a barrel.
>> And as Ryan just mentioned, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports has been lifted. President Trump announcing that today. He made that call before reaching an agreement reportedly with Iran, which Trump says must include the reopening of the Straight of Hormuz. National correspondent Acha Elnar reports from Washington.
>> The US and Iran working toward common ground. I'm playing it out and we're going to see and that's what I do. I negotiate. They negotiate. They're very good negotiators. They're crafty.
>> Crude oil prices and in turn gasoline prices have fallen in recent days.
Markets betting the US and Iran will reach a deal that reopens the straight of Hormuz.
>> Out of these negotiations currently happening, all that really matters is how quickly will the straight reopen.
Its monthsl long closure cuts off trade for a fifth of the world's oil, pushing up the cost of gas, diesel, fertilizer, and more. The national average gas price Friday sitting at $4.39, down 17 cents from the wartime high of $4.56.
>> If there's not a definitive deal, probably by early next week, I think oil markets could swing the other way rather wildly.
>> Vice President Vance says he thinks Iran also wants to see the Straight of Hormuz open. We want them to open the streets of Hormuz. There are a couple of issues on uh the nuclear uh stuff, the the highly enriched stockpile and also the question enrichment.
>> The US and Iran seem to have very different views on what an open straight looks like. Iran and Oman are planning for a future in which they share control of the straight, a scenario President Trump finds unacceptable.
>> Nobody's going to control it. It's international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or we'll have to blow them up.
>> Oil executives issuing new warnings about what's coming if the straight isn't immediately opened.
>> We're approaching unheard of inventory levels. I mean really really low levels.
You can debate whether that's going to hit the those really low levels in two weeks or three weeks, but once you get to that point then you'll see price shoot up. Exxon Mobile's CEO says once the straight opens, it could take months for shipping traffic to ramp back up to pre-war levels. First and foremost, companies have to determine if all the naval lines are cleared so it's safe enough for their crews to cross in Washington. I'm Atra Elmar for the National News Desk, America's News Now.
>> And that leads us to our question of the day. Are gas prices affecting your summer travel plans? To cast your vote, head to our website, the nationales.com.
Former Attorney General Pan Bondi testified before House lawmakers today, investigating Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse cases. During the interview, Bondi defended the DOJ's release of documents tied to the investigation while distancing herself personally from some of that responsibility.
>> She refused to answer any questions about President Trump. In fact, she said that she would not speak or or respond to any questions that had anything to do with President Trump.
>> Democrats claim Bonnie also refused to answer certain questions because she agreed to appear before the committee voluntarily. Though Bonnie also blamed then deputy attorney general Todd Blanch, now the acting attorney general, for the handling of the files, which she called an enormously complicated and laborintensive process. Bondi was ousted from her job as attorney general in early April. Louisiana lawmakers today passed a new congressional map that eliminates one of the state's two majority black house districts, which should help Republicans pick up a seat in November. Approval of the map came a month after the Supreme Court threw out the state's current map as an illegal racial gerrymander. Louisiana Democrats tried to turn the argument around on Republicans in today's session, saying they were squeezing more black voters into a district. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the new map into law. to New Jersey tonight. In those tense clashes between protesters and ICE agents here outside of Delaney Hall in New York, New Jersey, federal agents have now agreed to leave that parking lot there outside the immigration detention center and now allow state law enforcement to move in, take control, and oversee those protests. The governor today also announcing a new protest specific zone.
We all need to do everything we can to cool things down. Now, I will not give ICE the pretext to expand operations in our state. For that reason, New Jersey law enforcement is today establishing a peaceful, protected protest zone in the area right outside Delaney Hall.
>> DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen responding to the national news desk tonight, calling this all a win for law and order. states here. After days of governors refusing to allow state police to assist ICE law enforcement against violent anti-ICE riers, she is now allowing the New Jersey state police to cooperate with us. Thank you, Governor.
>> An ICE agent charged with assault in the shooting of a Venezuelan man during an immigration crackdown is now in custody.
ICE agent Christian Castro was taken into custody in Texas this morning.
Federal authorities had initially said the shooting happened because Julio Cesar Sosa Celis and another man were beating an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. Video released by Minneapolis contradicting that claim.
He's facing four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
The former superintendent of Iowa's largest school district, who also happened to be an illegal immigrant, will spend the next two years in prison.
Ian Roberts was arrested last year by ICE officers who said they also found an illegallyowned gun in his car. He pleaded guilty in January to falsely claiming to be a US citizen and gun charges. Prosecutors said Roberts lied about his employment authorization for almost his entire two decade career in education, submitting a counterfeit social security card. He'll likely be deported to his native country, Guyana, when his sentence is over. New details.
The Trump Kennedy Center says it plans to appeal a judge's ruling that the performing arts venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. The judge said the cent's board violated the law by adding the president's name and all signage from the center with Trump's name must be removed within two weeks.
He also blocked the center from closing for major renovations. As a result, Trump now says he has no interest in continuing with the venue's facelift.
The Pentagon is releasing a new wave of declassified UFO files, including military videos, pilot encounters, and even audio from NASA astronauts. Let's go to Morgan Stevens with the fact check team. It is undeniable that the footage has been fascinating. Many people have an opinion, or maybe I should say a theory on them. Uh, what stands out?
>> Yeah. Well, let's start at the beginning. The latest uh release includes more than 50 videos. That's quite a bit. Uh, audio recordings. We have documents also investigated by the Pentagon's All Domain Anomaly Resolution Office or ARO. Some of the most talked about materials include videos of strange objects flying, a mysterious object shot down over Lake Hiron in 2023 and a firstirhand account from a US intelligence offer who described seeing orange orbs swarming around a military helicopter. The officer said the crew was quote virtually speechless. And you're going to find people that see that and they are convinced that they know what is going on. But we do want to point out that when it comes to extraterrestrial life and contact authorities, they are just not saying anything definitive. Yeah, exactly. So, the government they're they're saying the objects aren't necessarily unidentified or they are unidentified, sorry, but they're not necessarily alien. That's a that's a big important key point. In fact, some of the most famous UFO vi videos have later been explained as optical illusions, balloons, or camera effects. The Pentagon itself notes many of these files lack a verified chain of custody, meaning full investigators can't fully confirm where some of the footage came from or whether it was altered. And NASA has already explained some of what an astronaut thought was mysterious lights as ice particles or frozen condensation reflecting sunlight.
>> All right, Morgan, thank you. And coming up in a few moments, Morgan will be back to discuss why scientists still say the search for alien life may be happening in space.
>> Fiery explosion sending Blue Origin back to the drawing board. Next up, the farreaching impacts of last night's catastrophe. And now, the potential setback for NASA's entire moonbased timeline.
>> And taking a live look over Austin, Texas from our station KI, part of our network of 4,000 local journalists.
Nearly 300 arrests made and 80 children rescued in a joint child exploitation crackdown between the FBI and Texas authorities. The operation took place between March and April. It targeted those who exploit children through digital applications like social media and online platforms. You're watching the National News Desk, America's news now.
Well, this was quite the sight here last night out of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The investigation continuing into what caused that Blue Origin rocket here to explode. This all unfolding right on the launch pad there during an engine firing test. And officials say now it could take months, even years of investigations before the booster can return to flight. That setback now casting uncertainty tonight around NASA and its plans to establish a lunar outpost. Just three days ago, Blue Origin won a major contract to transport robotic landers to the moon for NASA later this year. Now, last night's fiery explosion there, it's now expected to delay those missions in addition to the upcoming Artemis 3 mission, highly anticipated there, which was designed to test Blue Origin's lunar lander ahead of the planned moon landing in about two years time. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman saying in a post here about this quote, "Spaceflight is unforgiving and developing new heavy lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult." So far tonight, the space agency has not directly commented on any potential setbacks to the mission schedule. New questions continue to emerge tonight about whether or not the American public will ever get a full understanding of the truth surrounding the CO 19 vaccines, possible safety risk, and the creation of the virus itself. The National News Desk Jeff Harris joins us. So, we know, Jeff, that multiple lawmakers, they've been spearheading efforts on this to expose the truth. Break down what we're learning tonight. So, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson is among those leading the charge here, accusing the FDA and Biden administration of orchestrating a deliberate cover up to hide critical CO 19 vaccine safety risks from the American public. Characterizing the federal pandemic policies as the quote most egregious government scandal of my lifetime. Demanding transparency, Johnson not holding back in his efforts to uncover the truth surrounding CO 19.
Hundreds of thousands of people that experienced adverse events, the tens of thousands that died on veyory reported on veers associated with that vaccine.
These people ought to have a cause action against those government officials.
>> Alleging officials actively sideline warnings to push universal vaccination.
Johnson recently making public internal records, claiming that the FDA was explicitly warned its standard data mining algorithm would hide safety signals, citing a former senior FDA safety expert who used an alternative method to uncover dozens of unadressed safety signs. 26 days later they had a new algorithm that showed that there were 49 cases of extreme masking using the old system and 25 safety signals covering things like sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction and Bell's palsy, different types of strokes.
>> Meanwhile, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has been leading extensive investigations into the origins of CO 19 while also pursuing former NIAD director Dr. Anthony Fouchy, accusing him of lying under oath about US funded gain of function research. Do you still support funding of the NIH funding of the lab in Wuhan?
>> The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research.
>> Earlier this month, Paul also holding a hearing titled whistleblower testimony on the COVID coverup, calling the pandemic one of the most consequential events of our lifetime. And to this day, the American people have never received a full accounting of where it came from, what our government knew, and why they had to fight their own government to find out.
>> The hearing featuring a senior operations officer with the CIA, who said the lab leak hypothesis was a prevailing conclusion among internal analysts, alleging CIA managers altered the official 2023 assessment. Following the CIA's COVID relook that culminated in 2023, the CIA retaliated against analysts supporting the lab leak hypothesis.
>> House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comr also telling the National News Desk this week he doesn't think the American public really has a full grasp of the CO origins.
>> I think that we all know that what we were being told about COVID and gain of function research by Dr. Fouchy at the time wasn't truthful.
>> Now, critics including Dr. Fouchy himself have called the allegations of a COVID coverup politically motivated, orchestrated by lawmakers. Meanwhile, Johnson is scheduled to lead a hearing on COVID coming up next week with the permanent subcommittee on investigations. Reporting for the National News Desk, I'm Jeff Harris.
>> The 18 American cruise ship passengers exposed to haunt virus can go home starting on Monday. But there's a caveat. The states they live in are required to post a police officer or public health worker outside their homes 24 hours a day for three weeks. That's how much time is left on their six-w week quarantine periods. So far, only New York has said it won't do that.
Right now, all the passengers are in quarantine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
>> Well, it's going to be all hands on deck for World Cup security. Next up here at the live desk, the FBI's new public safety measures put in place ahead of one of the biggest sporting events in US history.
Soccer fans, can you believe it? The FIFA World Cup now just two weeks away.
Hey, as we show you a live look tonight, over three of the 11 US host cities, including Miami, Florida, Atlanta, and New York City. More than three million people now expected to visit the US for that tournament. Now, this week, federal authorities rolling out new public safety plans nationwide here. They highlight increased police presence around the clock, drone monitoring, and special teams out on patrol for antihuman trafficking operations. FBI director Cash Patel telling Fox News just this week that the AY's biggest concerns right now include cyber threats, drones, and the potential of a lone wolf attack. Officials say coordination from the local all the way up through the federal level is months in the making.
This collaborative time exists because we all understand something fundamental, which is that you cannot coordinate in a crisis if you have not built the relationships and the systems before the crisis occurs.
And federal authorities there adding today enhanced security measures will stay active and in place throughout that 39day tournament, of course, to protect players and fans. They also hear a warning of a zero tolerance policy for anyone caught attempting to disrupt the game or put harm to others.
>> Fidelity reports retirement balances are down in the first quarter of 2026. The average 401k balance went down 4% to 141,000 in the first part of this year.
And the average individual retirement account balance also went down 4%.
Officials say the drop was because of the Iran war, but with recent market highs, we are headed in a better direction. Tomato prices in the US have grown over the past year, and experts say the increase is driven in part by higher gas prices and shipping costs due to the war in Iran. The latest consumer price index shows tomato prices are up about 40% over a year ago, surpassing increases seen for coffee, beef, roast, and seafood. But experts predict prices should drop later in the year when domestically grown tomatoes are harvested.
>> Years after a massive, massive data breach which impacted millions of users, the company formerly known as 23 and me still facing widespread backlash here.
The new accusations in a lawsuit out of California just filed. That in 90 live look right here tonight over Oakland, California, just outside of Silicon Valley, where the state of California now suing the company formerly known as 23 andMe, claiming that DNA testing firm failed to protect sensitive user data. Now, the company known as Chrome Holdings now filed for bankruptcy last year after a 2023 data breach leaked the genetic genetic data of 7 million users nationwide. That lawsuit now alleging that the company failed to act when hackers got access to their systems, then misled the public about the severity of that breach. The lawsuit here claims the genetic data of more than 1 million customers was then sold on the dark web. 23 and me agreed to a 30 million dollar settlement in a class action lawsuit at the time tied to the breach back in 2024. California also suing the bankruptcy court handling 23 andme's case. All in an effort they say to block the sale of California's genetic information. Chrome Holding tonight not immediately responding to that lawsuit. CVS Health is restoring Eli Liy's weight loss drug Zepbound coverage starting in October. The pharmacy benefit manager dropped Zepbound last year and had listed WGOI as its preferred option. Carmark also begins covering the oral obesity drug Foundio on June 1st. Company officials say the change follows customer feedback and efforts to expand affordable access to weight loss treatments. Southwest will no longer charge plus-sized passengers for an extra seat. If the extra seat isn't booked in advance and there is no available seat, the airline says they will accommodate the customer with a later flight. Earlier this year, Southwest required passengers who needed an extra seat to pay for that space. The new change took effect late last week.
Coming up on the National News Desk, weighing a peace deal. What President Trump is saying about a final determination on Iran. Plus, a roller coaster malfunction leaves riders stranded 100 ft off the ground. the daring rescue and it was all caught on camera. And later, a team of divers raced to save villagers trapped for days in a louse cave. New video shows the first person to return to the surface.
>> Plus, a Purple Heart veteran mocked by Graham Platner now sharing his reaction to the main Senate candidate refusing to apologize. His thoughts on the resurfaced post now going viral.
>> You're watching the National News Desk, America's news now.
The National News Desk, locally covered, nationally connected.
>> It's going to be difficult because, you know, freedom of speech is protected.
Um, but profiting off killing somebody is not. An Ohio family pushes Dom and DaVon's law to block convicted violent criminals from making money off of social media posts. We speak with Christine Russo, whose brother was killed in a car crash featured in a popular new Netflix documentary, The Crash. Plus, >> I've made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear.
>> A long-standing tradition broken as New York City's mayor bows out of the Israel Day parade. the backlash Zoron Mdani is getting for his controversial decision.
Then more auto loan borrowers are seeing higher and longer payments. The number of Americans now paying more than $1,000 a month. Live from the nation's capital.
This is the National News Desk, America's news now. Thank you for joining us. I'm DD Gatton. Deal or no deal? To hit pause. After the president's meeting in the situation room today on the Iran conflict, it is still unclear if the president has come to a conclusion on a ceasefire extension. Let's go to Ryan Smith at the live desk. So, what do we know right now, Ryan?
>> Dy, that tentative ceasefire agreement hours later after that meeting still in limbo here tonight. President Trump of course meeting with his top adviserss just today to reportedly make a final determination. He stated on the potential deal, but the president has yet to officially make the call. Now, the White House only issuing this statement here. Quote, "The situation room meeting has concluded and lasted approximately 2 hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines.
Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.
Also in a truth social post, Trump once again laying out his demands for any potential deal. He also announced an end to the US naval blockade across Iranian ports. Now, despite ongoing negotiations tonight, the US is really ramping up its economic pressures on Thran. Just today, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besson saying that the US has now seized about 1 billion dollars worth of Iranian cryptocurrency.
The Treasury Department also announcing new sanctions tonight on Iranian oil and its trade. Officials say they are targeting the financial lifelines of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard and Iran's overview of military apparatus.
>> Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting with Pakistan's foreign minister in Washington amid Iran ceasefire talks.
The meeting is expected to cover the latest Iran war negotiations and Pakistan's role as mediator. Iran and the US reportedly reached an initial agreement to extend the April ceasefire and reopen the straight of Hormus gradually. The deal hasn't been approved by President Trump or Thran. New York City's Israel Day parade has long been a bipartisan tradition, but this year it's becoming a flash point in a broader debate inside the Democratic Party over Israel, Gaza, and concerns about rising anti-semitism. And that's because Democratic Socialist Mayor Zora Mamdani announced he will not attend, breaking with a long-standing tradition observed by New York mayors for decades. Senator Chris Van Holland of Maryland recently argued Democrats have been too quick to support Israel's government, calling for a reassessment of the USIsrael relationship amid the war in Gaza. The Democratic Party though is grappling with how swiftly criticizing Israel has teetered into anti-semitism.
>> Need to bring about long-term peace and security for Palestinians and for Israelis. And that turning that into not an anti-Netanyahu, but an anti-American Jewish message is dangerous. Meanwhile, Jewish leaders in New York say the city's Israel Day parade has never been about supporting the Israeli government, but rather celebrating Jewish identity and the historic ties between New York and Israel. Today, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of acting as an illegal foreign agent promoting Chinese propaganda. Prosecutors say Eileen Wang worked alongside a convicted Chinese agent to operate a website posing as a local Chinese American news outlet publishing content supplied by Chinese officials. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6th. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
>> Live to Washington DC tonight where a federal judge delivered a major blow here to the Trump administration's billion dollar anti-weaponization fund.
Critics and including Republicans have called it a slush fund for the president's allies who have claimed they were targeted by the federal government.
Now the DOJ is in control of that pot nearly 1.8 billion dollar which came out of a settlement agreement between President Trump and the IRS. A January 6th prosecutor later sued to block the fund just last week. Well, now the administration is not allowed to use the fund while the legal motions play out.
And according to the judge's order issued today, that includes transferring money to the fund, the consideration of any claims submitted to that DOJ fund, and the dispersement of any of that money. Now, in a statement tonight, the Justice Department slamming that ruling, stating, quote, "We will not allow the policy preferences of judges to interfere with our efforts to provide restitution to victims of lawfare."
>> The Pentagon announced a $9.7 billion deal with Dell. The 5-year agreement would save the agency more than $422 million a year. That's according to the Department of War. But some government ethics watchd dogs say President Trump might be financially gaining from the deal. They say government disclosure forms show the president's portfolio acquired Dell Technologies stock valued up to $5 million. Former Attorney General Pam Bonnie testifying before House in lawmakers investigating Jeffrey Epstein sexual abuse cases. the interview behind closed doors, but several Epstein survivors in attendance.
>> I think she knows way more than what we think, and I think it's time for her to come out and just be honest about everything that she knows and stop protecting the people that she's protecting.
>> Lawmakers questioning of bonding will largely center on the Trump administration's release of the Epstein files and whether the Justice Department followed the congressional mandate. The files were released after the law's deadline and they included personal information of several potential victims. They also redacted information about potential co-conspirators.
>> The government has failed the survivors.
There's no question about that. And that dates back five presidential administrations. We are taking this investigation seriously.
>> And Bonnie was ousted from her job as attorney general back in early April.
She was defiant in previous public testimony about the Epstein files. A Purple Heart veteran who was mocked online by Graham Platner is now sharing his reaction after the main Democratic Senate candidate refused to apologize.
US Army veteran Teddy Daniels saying Platner owes his children an apology.
The National News desk Jeff Harris joins us. The controversy of course stems from those resurfaced online comments.
Platner made them years ago. Break down the controversy today. So, in a now deleted Reddit post dating all the way back to 2019, which has since been recataloged by the main monitor, Platner reacting to a viral helmet camera video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters. in the post which was made under the name P Hustle an account that Platner has acknowledged owning. He writes that Daniels quote didn't deserve to live while claiming that poor marksmanship by the Taliban was the only reason that he survived. Separately, Platner also targeting American sniper Chris Kyle, suggesting he killed civilians to inflate his numbers. Now, Platner, who is a US Marine Corps veteran, has refused to apologize here previously, leaning into his struggle with PTSD as a reason why he made the posts.
>> He's trying to use PTSD as a crutch, as an excuse to avoid accountability, and that's just wrong. You know, the first step of being a man is taking responsibility and accountability for your actions and your words. Now, Daniels was responding to this video right here taken earlier this week where Platner can be seen heading to a vehicle, dodging the question when asked whether or not he regrets making the post.
>> I did four tours of the infantry. Uh, any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive.
>> Do you think you owe them an apology?
>> I do. I uh >> Do you know how many of my friends have purple hearts? Do you know how many of my friends got wounded?
>> I'm sure a lot. Yeah, a lot of them.
Thank you.
>> Now, when it comes to polling, Platner currently leads the Democratic field with the state's primary scheduled for next month. He also leads incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins by just under eight percentage points. That's according to Rio Clear Plits.
>> Students stranded. Next up here at the live desk, a Texas roller coaster seen here leaves those riders stuck for hours 100 ft above the ground. The rescue in 90 seconds. Before we head to break, California passed a bill that would ban kids under 16 from using social media addictive features like notifications, endless scrolling, autoplay. It would require platforms with the so-called features to verify the age of the user and delete accounts who are under 16. If they don't comply, they could face financial civil penalties. You're watching the National News Desk, America's news now.
Legal settlements have been reached by the families of the workers killed in the 2024 Baltimore Bridge collapse. The deal resolving claims against the cargo ship owners and operators. Six people died when the cargo ship suffered power outages and slammed into the key bridge.
Terms of the financial settlements were not disclosed. A civil trial to determine liability for remaining claims is scheduled to begin on Monday. Three climbers have died after falling from North America's highest peak. A fourth person is in critical condition after falling off during a climb on Mount McKenley in Alaska. Rangers were notified early yesterday morning. The climbers were part of a seven member team and the other members called for help. Bad weather hindered yesterday's rescue efforts.
>> Well, check this out. Quite the unexpected, frightening ride for eight Houston students on a school field trip nonetheless, who are left here dangling more than 100 ft off the ground. That roller coaster malfunctioning, leaving those kids hanging for hours.
You >> could tell they were shaken up visually.
Uh, and then you can see a sense of of joy as well once their feet hit the ground.
I bet. Officials say the ride called Iron Shark suddenly stopped as it climbed at the very top there. This is one of the tallest rides found at that amusement park in Galveastston, Texas.
Now, the rescue here taking four anxiety induced hours here. Students had to be individually placed in a safety harness before they could be safely brought down. Firefighters then had their own equipment issues for themselves. They had to switch to a ladder system after the lift that they were using had a mechanical problem. As for the Iron Shark, that right in question, the partner now says it will be thoroughly inspected moving forward before, of course, it could return to service. An investigation now underway tonight.
>> Can't get over 4 hours. Trending now, uh, The Crash, a popular Netflix documentary. It has brought worldwide attention to an Ohio tragedy. Dominic Russo and DaVon Flanigan were killed after Russo's girlfriend intentionally crashed into a building. She is serving two concurrent terms of 15 years to life and will be eligible for parole in 2037.
Now, Megan Tomlinson, founder of Silver Lining of Hope, is working with Dominic's sister Christine, pushing to update the Son of Sam law, which prevents convicted criminals from profiting financially from the publicity surrounding their crimes to fit the digital age. Thank you both of you for being here with us. Christine, let's just start with you. You have a petition on change.org right now. It has over 100,000 signatures. What has the response been like from Ohio lawmakers on on simply just getting Dom and DaVon's law passed? It sounds like there has been a lot of interest.
>> Yeah. Well, we just um I just put it out this week uh with the help of Megan and like you said, over 100,000 signatures already. I've had one um she's in the House of Representatives. Um Rep.
Humphre, she has reached out um and I'm meeting with her here in a couple of weeks. um in the next couple of weeks to discuss further.
>> And Megan, you founded your organization Silver Lining of Hope after your mother was killed. Tell us a little bit more about your organization and how working with Christine on Dom and Dave's Law, again to your point, Christine, to prevent the profiting, you know, off of tragedy on social media crowdsourcing.
Um, how how that might be different from anything else that you've done before, Megan?
Yeah. So, my mom ended up being killed and no charges were filed and I ended up having to do all of the investigating and all of the work to ensure that there was an arrest made in her case. Um, which is fine. I don't mind advocating for my mom, but after doing that, I realized how many families don't have someone like me out there, you know? And I do feel like if I wouldn't have done what I did, that wouldn't have been possible ever. So I want to be that person for other families and also victims. Uh so working with, you know, Dom's family has been really eyeopening, I think, because it really just goes to show how many people support this.
>> Before I let you both go, um Christine, you know, there have been millions of eyes on this documentary. final thought on what you want viewers to know and your message to others who may be navigating a similar challenge.
>> Um, I really want people to know um that there is a grieving family behind Dominic and DaVon's um behind the movie.
There's two grieving families and um this has been really really hard. It's been really tough. It's been really really bad. um really bad after the Netflix movie came out. Um we are not dealing with it very well. Um and now with social media and people in the public um you know with their their words there, you know, nasty comments online, but also people have been trying to um there's 500 or something requests for my brother's autopsy report right now. People are coming to the cemetery and not leaving us alone. Um, so I'm I'm asking the public to support the petition and you know the foundations and things, but um we would really like this like the attention on this to die down um because we can't some family members we just we can't handle it >> and focus on the advocacy and uh we we surely hope that from this tragedy it will lead to help of so many families navigating what you both have been through. Megan Tomlinson and Christine Russo, thank you for joining us on the National News Desk.
>> Thank you. Thanks for having us.
>> Thank you.
Well, tonight some new numbers show the growing percentage of loans setting drivers back big time with sizable monthly payments. Experian Automotive here reviewing more than 5 million open auto loans and leases. Check it out here. 19% nearly 1ifth of all new vehicle loans carry a monthly payment of a,000 bucks or more. And the majority, listen to this, aren't even luxury vehicles. Most are popular pickup trucks. Say the Ford F-150, the Chevy Silverado, and the Ram 1500. Now, what a difference a few years makes on this.
CNBC reporting here. Just five years ago, auto loans with monthly payments of over $1,000 accounted for just 5% of the market share. Certainly not nearly 20%.
The global chip shortage hit in 2021, upending the entire global auto market.
And about a year later, by 2022, automakers started to then prioritize the production of those higherend models.
>> New information now. The Federal Aviation Administration says the air traffic controller system is safe but inefficient. The agency telling CBS News there are still some reliability risk as the system is running off of 1970s and 1980s computing power with floppy discs still in use. The FAA adding more than 300 facilities are running off compact computers which again work but are not efficient.
More UFO files are being released by the Pentagon and online speculation is exploding. Let's go to Morgan Stevens with the fact check team. So, I know that the release of the files that's happening on a rolling basis, so obviously the intrigue is endless.
>> Oh, yeah, it is. And part of it is really a mystery. Uh the files include grainy material military footage, pilot testimony, and audio from Apollo astronauts describing strange lights in space. One video appears to show multiple objects moving in and out of water near a submarine in August 2022.
Another shows a Coast Guard sensor tracker. It's tracking an unknown object near an aircraft, as you can kind of see here, over the southeastern US. And the internet has run wild with theories about alien visitors.
>> But many scientists, they are still urging caution here.
>> Yeah, of course. I mean, most scientists say that the best chance is really through scientific research and space research in particular, not declassified UFO videos. Telescopes like the James Web Space Telescope, which images of the universe, you can see right here, are analyzing distant galaxies for actual signs of life. NASA missions are also studying Mars and other worlds that may have conditions capable of supporting life. So, the scientific search for aliens is very real, but it looks a lot more like data, chemistry, and space telescopes than Hollywood's version of flying saucers.
>> All right, Morgan, thank you. And for more on the fact check team topic, as you know, there is a lot here, including links to their sources, scan the QR code or visit the national.com.
>> Next up, that daring and delicate operation underway. A new inside look at the grueling efforts here in Laos to rescue four more men trapped in a flooded cave for more than one week.
All right, now back out to Laos and that dangerous and delicate operation here to rescue those villagers who have now been trapped in the flooded cave for more than one week's time. A dramatic scene here unfolding where a multinational team extracted the first victim here, sparking widespread celebrations there and of course hope. We see him here. He emerges muddy and understandably so very exhausted. Listen.
>> Okay.
>> All right. Translated it says on to the next one. That rescuer said what an amazing spirit they have. Takes a lot.
The villagers entered the cave on May 19th on the hunt for gold deposits. But a torrential downpour moved in. Then it sparked flash flooding there and the complex rescue operation involving water, low oxygen levels, and of course narrow, very narrow passageways. Four known survivors are still back in that cave at this hour tonight. Two people who are thought to have entered the cave earlier than that group of five. Well, tonight they remain missing.
>> Ahead in our next hour here, protecting the pitch, the World Cup countdown, and the massive security scramble with just weeks to go. Plus, from possible vaccine safety risks to the origins, multiple lawmakers on Capitol Hill demanding more information on CO 19, the calls for the truth and allegations that are ramping up.
>> Those stories and much more coming up.
But first, here's a look at America's news and weather where you live.
>> I'm meteorologist Charlie Lreie with Look at the Northeast. We have heat and humidity building for our Tuesday. Most of the northeast will top out in the 90s with elevated humidity. We'll start to introduce some showers and thunderstorms as well. This is 8:00 in the morning.
Notice a nice clear sky. And our best part of the day will be early in the day. This is about 2:00 in the afternoon. There could be a few scattered showers and storms. Some may become strong to severe with damaging wind the primary threat. More strong to severe storms are possible on Wednesday.
>> I'm meteorologist Jasmine Lomax with a look at the Mid-Atlantic region. A cold front will drop through overnight, not leading to much rain. Showers will be closer to the center of that low pressure system. The rest of us wake up to sunshine and cool temperatures. Cool throughout the day, but with plenty of sunshine for a nice forecast for your Saturday. Looking good as well into Sunday. Temperatures will drop to the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Then by the afternoon, highs will reach the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
I'm meteorologist Charlotte Carl. We are expecting some showers and storms across Georgia, Alabama, even northern Florida.
As the system takes shape, we are going to see a relatively unsettled pattern continuing across most of the southeast south of I40 through your Saturday afternoon. We are going to see the most ample rainfall totals along the Atlantic coastline, but pretty much scattered to isolated showers everywhere else. A frontal boundary starts to make its way into the Florida Peninsula by Sunday.
I'm meteorologist Jennifer Herbert.
We've got a stalled front that's bringing some rainfall from North Dakota down to Kansas. Notice those temperatures overnight in the 60s. A little cooler around the Great Lakes where we're seeing those lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. That rain becomes a little bit more widespread, works its way into portions of the Midwest tomorrow. Some heat getting pumped in as well. Notice those highs in Witchah close to 90 degrees.
>> I'm meteorologist Chris U. look at our forecast across the region and get you set for the upcoming weekend. We've had a couple of showers and storms to round out the week. Now, Saturday overall, pretty nice day. There will be the chance for some showers, storms, a few in Oklahoma, especially around Little Rock, 85 Saturday afternoon. Pretty quiet across Texas overall. Here's a look at Sunday's forecast wrapping up the weekend. A few showers and storms eastern part of the region. Also could see a few storms in West Texas.
>> Hi everybody. Here's a look at the forecast for the western United States.
Now, that area of low pressure that caused so many thunderstorms in the northwest is going to begin to push off to the northeast. And eventually, we're going to get a few showers behind that, but not a lot of activity like we've seen in the last 24 hours or so. Let's see what's going on temperature- wise.
90 in Vegas, 70 for LA, 72 for San Diego, uh 50 in Jackson, Wyoming, and we're only going to go to the low 60s in Seattle, but we're going to warm things up over the next couple days in the Northwest. That's the scene from out here.
The National News Desk, locally covered, nationally connected. Deal or no deal.
The weight of a war hangs on the president's shoulders tonight inside the highstakes situation room meeting and whether a final call has been made.
Plus, >> we all need to do everything we can to cool things down. Now, >> protests, police, and now a new push for peace. The enhanced protections at a New Jersey ICE facility after days of violence. And >> for three successive months, they kept getting more data uh analysis showing more sudden death and and more adverse events. They completely ignored it. They >> the quest for co answers continues. the new questions, controversies, and renewed push for transparency. Then >> huge explosion, uh, the largest I can recall at Kennedy Space Center. It's a terrible record to be setting. We've got a lot to learn about what went wrong here.
>> A fiery setback for Blue Origin. The investigation after a rocket explosion during takeoff, then later.
>> Tell they were shaking up visually. Uh, and then you can see a sense of of joy as well once their feet hit the ground.
>> 100 ft in the air dangling. The field trip gone wrong after a Texas roller coaster stops midair. Live from the nation's capital. This is the national news desk. America's news now. Thank you for joining us on your Friday. I'm DD Gatton and it appears President Trump is weighing his options tonight on whether to move forward on a ceasefire deal with Iran. We start with team coverage. Ara El Nashar joins us with the new warnings from oil executives as anxieties grow over the straight of Hormuse. But first, let's go to Ryan Smith at the live desk.
And Ryan, there was that 2hour meeting today. Uh what have we learned since?
>> Well, DD, we do know tonight the president meeting with his top military and national security advisers there at the White House in the situation room today. All of course to discuss a potential ceasefire deal. Now, that meeting reportedly ending hours ago already. But as of tonight, still no official announcement from the White House on a firm decision. Though in this post on True Social, Trump says Iran has to agree to never obtain a nuclear weapon to reopen the street of Hormuz with no fees or tolls, terminate underwater mines throughout the strait, and relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile. Now, we also announced here the end to the US blockade effective immediately. Though tonight, still not exactly clear if Iran has agreed to those terms. However, top Iranian officials now reportedly telling a Russian media outlet that Tyrron has no intentions of transferring that stockpile of enriched uranium abroad.
News of a potential ceasefire sending oil prices prices dropping today. Take a look. Brent crude oil currently sitting around $91 a barrel for WTI crude.
That's the USbased barometer there. That is $87 a barrel.
>> And as Ryan just mentioned, the US naval blockade on Iranian ports has been lifted. President Trump announcing that today. This as gas and oil prices continue to drop amid news of a potential ceasefire extension. National correspondent Atra Alishar reports from Washington.
The US and Iran working toward common ground.
>> I'm playing it out and we're going to see and that's what I do. I negotiate.
They negotiate. They're very good negotiators. They're crafty.
>> Crude oil prices and in turn gasoline prices have fallen in recent days.
Markets betting the US and Iran will reach a deal that reopens the straight of Hormuz.
>> Out of these negotiations currently happening, all that really matters is how quickly will the straight reopen.
Its monthsl long closure cuts off trade for a fifth of the world's oil, pushing up the cost of gas, diesel, fertilizer, and more. The national average gas price Friday sitting at $4.39, down 17 from the wartime high of $4.56.
>> If there's not a definitive deal, probably by early next week, I think oil markets could swing the other way rather wildly.
>> Vice President Vance says he thinks Iran also wants to see the Straight of Hormuz open. We want them to open the streets of Hormuz. There are a couple of issues on uh the nuclear uh stuff, the the highlyenriched stockpile and also the question enrichment.
>> The US and Iran seem to have very different views on what an open straight looks like. Iran and Oman are planning for a future in which they share control of the straight, a scenario President Trump finds unacceptable.
>> Nobody's going to control. It's international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else. will have to blow them up.
>> Oil executives issuing new warnings about what's coming if the straight isn't immediately opened.
>> We're approaching unheard of inventory levels. I mean, really, really low levels. You can debate whether that's going to hit the those really low levels in two weeks or 3 weeks. But once you get to that point, then you'll see price shoot up. Exon Mobile's CEO says once the straight opens, it could take months for shipping traffic to ramp back up to pre-war levels. First and foremost, companies have to determine if all the naval lines are cleared so it's safe enough for their crews to cross in Washington. I'm Atra Elmishar for the National News Desk, America's News. Now, >> that leads us to our question of the day. Are gas prices affecting your summer travel plans? To cast your vote, head to our website, the nationales.com.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before House lawmakers today, investigating Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse cases. During the interview, Bondi defended the DOJ's release of documents tied to the investigation while distancing herself personally from some of that responsibility.
>> She refused to answer any questions about President Trump. In fact, she said that she would not speak or or respond to any questions that had anything to do with President Trump.
>> Democrats claim Bonnie also refused to answer certain questions because she agreed to appear before the committee voluntarily. Though Bondie also blamed then Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch, now the acting attorney general, for the handling of the files, which she called an enormously complicated and laborintensive process. Bondie was ousted from her job as attorney general in early April. Louisiana lawmakers today passed a new congressional map that eliminates one of the state's two majority black house districts, which should help Republicans pick up a seat in November. Approval of the map came a month after the Supreme Court threw out the state's current map as an illegal racial gerrymander. Louisiana Democrats tried to turn the argument around on Republicans in today's session, saying they were squeezing more black voters into a district. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry is expected to sign the new map into law.
>> New Jersey tonight in those tense clashes between protesters and ICE agents here outside of Delaney Hall in New York. Federal agents have now agreed to leave that parking lot outside of the immigration detention center and allow state law enforcement to move in, take control, and oversee the protesting. The governor today also announcing she's setting out a new protest zone.
>> We all need to do everything we can to cool things down. Now, I will not give ICE the pretext to expand operations in our state. For that reason, New Jersey law enforcement is today establishing a peaceful, protected protest zone in the area right outside Delaney Hall.
>> Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen responding to the National News Desk today on this, calling it a win for Law and Order. quote, "After days of Governor Cheryl refusing to allow state police to assist ICE law enforcement against violent anti-ICE riers, she is now allowing the New Jersey state police to cooperate with us. Thank you, Governor."
>> An ICE agent charged with assault in the shooting of a Venezuelan man during an immigration crackdown is now in custody.
ICE agent Christian Castro was taken into custody in Texas this morning.
Federal authorities had initially said the shooting happened because Julio Cesar Sosa Celis and another man were beating an officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel. Video released by Minneapolis contradicting that claim.
He's facing four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
The former superintendent of Iowa's largest school district, who also happened to be an illegal immigrant, will spend the next two years in prison.
Ian Roberts was arrested last year by ICE officers who said they also found an illegally owned gun in his car. He pleaded guilty in January to falsely claiming to be a US citizen and gun charges. Prosecutors said Roberts lied about his employment authorization for almost his entire two decade career in education, submitting a counterfeit social security card. He'll likely be deported to his native country, Guyana, when his sentence is over. New details now. The Trump Kennedy Center says it plans to appeal a judge's ruling that the performing arts venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. The judge said the center's board violated the law by adding the president's name and all the signage from the center with Trump's name must be removed within two weeks. He also blocked the center from closing for major renovations. And as a result, Trump now says he has no interest in continuing with the venue's facelift.
The Pentagon is releasing a new wave of declassified UFO files, including military videos, pilot encounters, and even audio from NASA astronauts. Let's go to Morgan Stevens with the fact check team. It is undeniable that the footage has been fascinating. Many people have an opinion, or maybe I should say a theory on them. Uh what stands out?
>> Yeah. Well, let's start at the beginning. The latest uh release includes more than 50 videos. That's quite a bit. Uh audio recordings. of documents also investigated by the Pentagon's all domain anomaly resolution office or a ARO. Some of the most talked about materials include videos of strange objects flying a mysterious object shot down over Lake Hiron in 2023 and a firstirhand account from a US intelligence officer who described seeing orange orbs swarming around a military helicopter. The officer said the crew was quote virtually speechless.
And you're going to find people that see that and they are convinced that they know what is going on. But we do want to point out that when it comes to extraterrestrial life and contact authorities, they are just not saying anything definitive.
>> Yeah, exactly. So the government they're they're saying the objects aren't necessarily unidentified or they are unidentified, sorry, but they're not necessarily alien. That's a that's a big important key point. In fact, some of the most famous UFO vi videos have later been explained as optical illusions, balloons, or camera effects. The Pentagon itself notes many of these files lack a verified chain of custody, meaning full investigators can't fully confirm where some of the footage came from or whether it was altered. And NASA has already explained some of what an astronaut thought was mysterious lights as ice particles or frozen condensation reflecting sunlight.
>> All right, Morgan, thank you. And coming up in a few moments, Morgan will be back to discuss why scientists still say the search for alien life may be happening in space.
>> Blue Origin back to the drawing board after this fiery explosion last night.
Tonight, the far-reaching impacts of the catastrophe and the potential new setback ahead for NASA's entire moonbased timeline. And taking a live look over Austin, Texas from our station KI, part of our network of 4,000 local journalists. Nearly 300 arrests made and 80 children rescued in a joint child exploitation crackdown between the FBI and Texas authorities. The operation took place between March and April. It targeted those who exploit children, though digital applications such as social media and online platforms.
You're watching the National News Desk, America's news now.
Quite the sight out of Florida last night. The investigation continues into what exactly caused that Blue Origin rocket here to just explode right on the launch pad during an engine firing test at Cape Canaveral. Officials now say it could be months, if not years of investigations before the booster can return to flight. That setback now casting large uncertainty tonight around NASA and its plans to establish a lunar outpost just three days ago. In fact, Blue Origin won a major contract to transport robotic landers to the moon for NASA later this year. Last night's explosion is now expected to delay those missions in addition to the highly coveted here upcoming Artemis 3 mission which was designed to test Blue Origin's lunar lander ahead of a planned moon landing two years from now. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stating here tonight he spoke directly with members of the Blue Origin team just today to get a better understanding of the challenges ahead, adding in part, quote, "NASA is committed to helping the Blue team recover, continue to advance their lunar lander, and get New Glenn, that rocket, back to launching as soon as safely possible." New questions continue to emerge about whether or not the American flag, the American public, I should say, will ever get a full understanding of the truth surrounding the CO 19 vaccines, possible safety risks, and the creation of the virus itself. The National News Desk, Jeff Harris joins us. We know, Jeff, that multiple lawmakers have been spearheading efforts to expose the truth. Break down what we're learning tonight. So, Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson is among those leading the charge here, accusing the FDA and Biden administration of orchestrating a deliberate cover up to hide critical CO 19 vaccine safety risks from the American public. Characterizing the federal pandemic policies as the quote most egregious government scandal of my lifetime. Demanding transparency, Johnson not holding back in his efforts to uncover the truth surrounding CO 19.
Hundreds of thousands of people that experienced adverse events, the tens of thousands that died on veyory, reported on veers associated with that vaccine.
These people ought to have a cause action against those government officials.
>> Alleging officials actively sideline warnings to push universal vaccination.
Johnson recently making public internal records, claiming that the FDA was explicitly warned its standard data mining algorithm would hide safety signals, citing a former senior FDA safety expert who used an alternative method to uncover dozens of unadressed safety signs. 26 days later, they had a new algorithm that showed that there were 49 cases of extreme masking using the old system and 25 safety signals covering things like sudden cardiac death, pulmonary infarction, Bell's palsy, different types of strokes.
>> Meanwhile, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has been leading extensive investigations into the origins of CO 19 while also pursuing former NIAD director Dr. Anthony Fouchy, accusing him of lying under oath about US funded gain of function research. Do you still support funding of the NIH funding of the lab in Wuhan?
>> The NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain of function research.
>> Earlier this month, Paul also holding a hearing titled whistleblower testimony on the COVID coverup, calling the pandemic one of the most consequential events of our lifetime. And to this day, the American people have never received a full accounting of where it came from, what our government knew, and why they had to fight their own government to find out.
>> The hearing featuring a senior operations officer with the CIA, who said the lab leak hypothesis was a prevailing conclusion among internal analysts, alleging CIA managers altered the official 2023 assessment. Following the CIA's COVID reook that culminated in 2023, the CIA retaliated against analysts supporting the lab leak hypothesis.
>> House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comr also telling the National News Desk this week he doesn't think the American public really has a full grasp of the CO origins.
>> I think that we all know that what we were being told about COVID and gain of function research by Dr. Fouchy at the time wasn't truthful.
>> Now, critics including Dr. Fouchy have called the allegations of a COVID cover up politically motivated, orchestrated by lawmakers. Meanwhile, Johnson is scheduled to lead a hearing on COVID next week with the permanent subcommittee on investigations.
Reporting for the National News Desk, I'm Jeff Harris.
>> The 18 American cruise ship passengers exposed to HANA virus can go home starting on Monday. But there's a caveat. The states they live in are required to post a police officer or public health worker outside their homes 24 hours a day for three weeks. That's how much time is left on their six week quarantine periods. So far, only New York has said it won't do that. Right now, all the passengers are in quarantine at University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The National News says team of reporters bringing the headlines from coast to coast. We are taking the pulse of America and we start with the trans athlete debate in California schools as the state track and field championships are set to begin.
With the CIF state track and field championships just weeks away, the conversation off the track is once again focused on who should be allowed to compete on it. At the center of the debate is AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete set to compete in the girls division at this year's state championships. Last year, the CIF implemented the pilot entry program to expand participation opportunities for cisgender female athletes while still allowing transgender athletes to compete.
>> I think what the pilot entry program really exposes is that CIF admits and acknowledges that this isn't fair.
California law allows transgender students to participate in school sports consistent with their gender identity.
This is about adults who are in the governing bodies of these, whether that's CIF, whether that's Democrats in Sacramento and the state legislature, whether that's Governor Nuome, who are failing our kids by not doing their jobs as adults to take care of these issues.
Rather than focusing on the accomplishments of these student athletes, we have a distraction.
Wait, is everyone here voting for Spencer Pratt?
>> Earlier this month, videos supporting Republican Spencer Pratt's Los Angeles mayoral campaign went viral online. The videos portraying current mayor Karen Bass as a fantasy style villain and show Los Angeles and chaotic firefilled scenes created using artificial intelligence.
>> If you like the last four years, you're going to love the next four. While these videos are not official campaign ads, some candidates are using AI and campaign material they do directly endorse, including state board of equalization candidate Ivonne U.
>> Lies like Trump lied about being a cop.
>> These are the latest examples of AI entering yet another part of American politics.
>> S H O L.
>> The written word is a powerful tool, but sometimes you don't realize it until it turns against you. It was really a shocking thing shocking thing like to see like a whole high school misspelling the word school. It's kind of it's kind of a bad look.
>> You can imagine the confusion among the Johnston Senior High School class of 2026 as the initial excitement of their long-awaited yearbooks arriving quickly gave way to typo terror. It >> was one little thing. Everything's perfect and just one thing's messed up.
>> But other students didn't seem all that surprised. They've seen this rodeo before.
>> I was not really surprised at all actually.
>> And why is that? It's just something that I I feel like something would happen like like that at the school.
>> It's going to be all hands on deck when it comes to World Cup US security. Next up here at the live desk, the FBI's new public safety measures just announced all ahead of one of the biggest sporting events to ever hit the United States.
Soccer fans, can you believe it? Just two weeks away now from the FIFA World Cup. A live look right now tonight. Over three of the 11 US host cities, Miami, Florida, Atlanta, and New York City.
More than three million people now expected to visit the US for that tournament. Now, just this week, federal authorities rolling out new public safety plans nationwide. They highlight an increased police presence nationwide, especially around those cities. Around the clock drone monitoring as well as specialized teams out on the ground to patrol at airports to combat human trafficking. FBI director Cash Patel telling Fox News just this week that the AY's biggest concerns right now include cyber threats, drones, and the potential for a lone wolf attack. Officials say coordination from the bottom to the top, local, state, and federal authorities, it's all months in the making. This collaborative time exists because we all understand something fundamental, which is that you cannot coordinate in a crisis if you have not built the relationships and the systems before the crisis occurs.
Now, the FBI adds here enhanced security measures. Those will stay in place and active throughout the 39-day tournament to protect players and fans. They also warn here of a zero tolerance policy for anyone caught attempting to disrupt the game, the activities, or put harm onto others.
>> The Crash, a popular Netflix documentary, has brought worldwide attention to an Ohio tragedy. Dominic Russo and DaVon Flanigan were killed after Russo's girlfriend intentionally crashed into a building. She is serving two concurrent terms of 15 years to life and will be eligible for parole in 2037.
Now, Megan Tomlinson, founder of Silver Lining of Hope, is working with Dominic's sister Christine, pushing to update the Son of Sam law, which prevents convicted criminals from profiting financially from the publicity surrounding their crimes to fit the digital age.
Thank you both of you for being here with us. Uh Christine, let's just start with you. You have a petition on change.org right now. It has over 100,000 signatures. What has the response been like from Ohio lawmakers on on simply just getting Dom and DaVon's law passed? It sounds like there has been a lot of interest.
>> Yeah. Well, we just um I just put it out this week uh with the help of Megan and like you said, over 100,000 signatures already. I've had one um she's in the House of Representatives. Um, Rep.
Humphre, she has reached out um and I'm meeting with her here in a couple of weeks um in the next couple of weeks to discuss further.
>> And Megan, you founded your organization Silver Lining of Hope after your mother was killed. Tell us a little bit more about your organization and how working with Christine on Dom and Dave's law again to your point Christine to prevent the profiting you know off of tragedy on social media crowdsourcing um how how that might be different from anything else that you've done before Megan.
>> Yeah. So, my mom ended up being killed and no charges were filed and I ended up having to do all of the investigating and all of the work to ensure that there was an arrest made in her case. Um, which is fine. I don't mind advocating for my mom, but after doing that, I realized how many families don't have someone like me out there, you know? And I do feel like if I wouldn't have done what I did, that wouldn't have been possible ever. So I want to be that person for other families and also victims. Uh so working with you know Dom's family has been really eye opening I think because it really just goes to show how many people support this.
>> Before I let you both go um Christine, you know there have been millions of eyes on this documentary. Final thought on what you want viewers to know and your message to others who may be navigating a similar challenge.
Um, I really want people to know, um, that there is a grieving family behind Dominic and Dave's um, behind the movie.
There's two grieving families and, um, this has been really, really hard. It's been really tough. It's been really, really bad. Um, really bad after the Netflix movie came out. Um, we are not dealing with it very well. Um, and now with social media and people in the public, um, you know, with their their words, their, you know, nasty comments online, but also people have been trying to, um, there's 500 or something requests for my brother's autopsy report right now. People are coming to the cemetery and not leaving us alone. Um so I'm I'm asking the public to support the petition and you know the foundations and things but um we would really like this like the attention on this to die down um because we can't some family members we just we can't handle it >> and focus on the advocacy and uh we we surely hope that from this tragedy it will lead to help of so many families navigating what you both have been through. Megan Tomlinson and Christine Russo, thank you for joining us on the National News Desk.
>> Thank you. Thanks for having us.
>> Thank you.
live tonight here over Oakland, California tonight just across the bay from Silicon Valley where the state of California now suing the company formerly known as 23 andMe claiming that DNA testing firm failed to protect sensitive user data. Now, the company, now known as Chrome Holding, they filed for bankruptcy just last year after a 2023 data breach leaked the genetic data of 7 million of their users nationwide.
That lawsuit now alleges that the company failed to act when hackers got access to their systems, then misled the public about the severity of that breach. The lawsuit claims the genetic data of more than 1 million customers was sold on the dark web. 23 andme agreed to a $30 million settlement in a classaction lawsuit. Now, California also suing the bankruptcy court handling 23 andme's case, all in an effort, the state says to block the sale of Californians genetic information. Crome Holding tonight has not yet released any kind of statement on the lawsuit.
>> Fidelity reports retirement balances are down in the first quarter of 2026. The average 401k balance went down 4% to $141,000 in the first part of this year. The average individual retirement account balance also went down 4%. Officials say the drop was because of the Iran war.
But with recent market highs, we are headed in a better direction. For those of you leaving us tonight, thank you for watching. Have a great rest of your night and weekend. Coming up on the National News Desk, weighing a peace deal. What President Trump is saying about a final determination on Iran.
Plus, a roller coaster malfunction leaves riders stranded 100 ft off the ground. The daring rescue caught on camera. And later, a team of divers race to save villagers trapped for days in Laos cave. New video showing the first person to return to the surface. Plus, a Purple Heart veteran mocked by Graham Platner now sharing his reaction to the main Senate candidate refusing to apologize. His thoughts on the resurfaced post now going viral.
>> You're watching the National News Desk, America's News Now.
The National News Desk, locally covered, nationally connected.
>> Live from the nation's capital, this is the National News Desk, America's news.
Now, good evening. I'm Dee Gatton. And deal or no deal? to hit pause after the president's meeting in the situation room today on the Iran conflict. It is still unclear if the president has come to any conclusion on a ceasefire extension. Let's go to Ryan Smith at the live desk. What do you know right now, Ryan?
>> DD, that tentative ceasefire agreement still in limbo tonight. President Trump here meeting with his top military and national security advisers in the situation room right there today to reportedly make a quote final determination on the potential deal. But as of tonight, no official call made by Trump. The White House only issuing this statement afterwards, reading in part, quote, "The situation room meeting has concluded, it lasted approximately two hours. President Trump will only make a deal that is good for America and satisfies his red lines. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon." Now, in a truth social post as well today, Trump once again laying out his demands for any deal. He also announced an end to the US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Now, despite ongoing negotiations here, the US really ramping up the economic pressures on Tyrron. Just today, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett saying that the US has now seized about $1 billion worth of Iranian cryptocurrency.
Now, the Treasury Department also announcing new sanctions on Iran's oil trade today. Officials say they are now targeting the financial lifelines of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as well as Iran's broader military apparatus.
>> Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting with Pakistan's foreign minister in Washington amid Iran ceasefire talks.
The meeting is expected to cover the latest Iran war negotiations and Pakistan's role as mediator. Iran and the US reportedly reached an initial agreement to extend the April ceasefire and reopen the straight of Hormoose gradually. As you just heard, the deal hasn't been approved by President Trump or Tran. New York City's Israel Day parade has long been a bipartisan tradition, but this year it's becoming a flash point in a broader debate inside the Democratic Party over Israel, Gaza, and concerns about rising anti-semitism.
That's because Democratic Socialist Mayor Zoramani announced he will not attend, breaking with a long-standing tradition observed by New York mayors for decades. Senator Chris Van Holland of Maryland recently argued Democrats have been too quick to support Israel's government, calling for a reassessment of the USIsrael relationship amid the war in Gaza. The Democratic Party, though, is grappling with how swiftly criticizing Israel has teetered into anti-semitism.
>> Need to bring about long-term peace and security for Palestinians and for Israelis. and that turning that into not an anti-Netanyahu, but an anti-American Jewish message is dangerous.
>> Meanwhile, Jewish leaders in New York say the city's Israel Day parade has never been about supporting the Israeli government, but rather celebrating Jewish identity and the historic ties between New York and Israel. Today, the former mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of acting as an illegal foreign agent promoting Chinese propaganda.
Prosecutors say Eileen Wang worked alongside a convicted Chinese agent to operate a website posing as a local Chinese American news outlet publishing content supplied by Chinese officials.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6th. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
>> Live to Washington DC tonight where a federal judge delivering a pretty big blow here to the Trump administration's billion dollar anti-weaponization fund.
Now, critics, including Republicans, have called it a slush fund of sorts for the president's allies who claim they were targeted once by the federal government. The DOJ is now in control of nearly 1.8 billion dollars, which came from a settlement between the president and the IRS. A January 6th prosecutor, though, stepping forward just last week ensuing to block the use of that fund.
Now, the White House, the administration, is not allowed to use the fund while the legal motions play out. And according to that judge's order just issued today that includes transferring money to the fund, the consideration of any claims for that fund, and the dispersement of any of that money. In a statement, the Justice Department slamming that ruling, stating here, quote, "We will not allow the policy preferences of judges to interfere with our efforts to provide restitution to victims of lawfare."
>> The Pentagon announced a $9.7 billion deal with Dell. The five-year agreement would save the agency more than $422 million a year. That's according to the Department of War. But some government ethics watchdogs say President Trump might be financially gaining from the deal. They say government disclosure forms show the president's portfolio acquired Dell Technologies stock valued up to $5 million. Former Attorney General Pam Bonnie testifying before House lawmakers investigating Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse cases. The interview is behind closed doors, but several Epstein survivors are in attendance.
>> I think she knows way more than what we think, and I think it's time for her to come out and just be honest about everything that she knows and stop protecting the people that she's protecting.
>> Lawmakers questioning of Bondi will largely center on the Trump administration's release of the Epstein files and whether the Justice Department followed the congressional mandate. The files were released after the law's deadline and they included personal information of several potential victims. They also redacted information about potential co-conspirators.
>> The government has failed the survivors.
There's no question about that. And that dates back five presidential administrations. We are taking this investigation seriously.
>> Bonnie was ousted from her job as attorney general in early April. She was defiant in previous public testimony about the Epstein files. A Purple Heart veteran who is mocked online by Graham Platner is now sharing his reaction after the main Democratic Senate candidate refused to apologize. US Army veteran Teddy Daniels saying Platner owes his children an apology. The National News Desk Jeff Harris joins us.
This controversy stems from of course those resurfaced comments online Platner made years ago. Break down the details.
So, in a now deleted Reddit post from 2019, which has since been cataloged by the main monitor, Platiner reacting to a viral helmet camera video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters. In the post, which was made under the name P Hustle, an account Platner has acknowledged owning, he writes that Daniels, quote, didn't deserve to live while claiming that poor marksmanship by the Taliban was the only reason he survived. Now, separately, Platner also targeting American sniper Chris Kyle, suggesting he killed civilians to inflate his numbers. Platner, who is a US Marine Corps veteran, has refused to apologize, previously leaning into his struggle with PTSD as a reason why he made those posts.
>> He's trying to use PTSD as a crutch, as an excuse to avoid accountability, and that's just wrong. You know, the first step of being a man is taking responsibility and accountability for your actions and your words.
>> Now, Daniels was responding to this video right here taken earlier this week where Platner can be seen heading to a vehicle, dodging the question when asked whether or not he regrets making that post.
>> I did four tours of the infantry. Uh, any attempt to say that I disrespect veterans is slanderous and offensive.
>> Do you think you owe an apology?
>> I do. I uh >> Do you know how many of my friends have purple hearts? Do you know how many of my friends got wounded?
>> I'm sure a lot.
>> Yeah, a lot of them. I do.
>> Now, when it comes to polling, Platner currently leads the Democratic field with the state's primary scheduled for next month. He also leads incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins by just under eight percentage points. That's according to Real Clear Politics.
>> Coming up, a group of climbers attempt of North America's highest peak ends in tragedy. What led to the death of four people and another in critical condition.
>> Plus, students left stranded here. Next up here at the live desk, a Texas roller coaster malfunctions, leaving those riders stuck up here for hours, dangling 100 ft off the ground. That rescue in the next 90 seconds.
>> Before we had a break though, California passing a bill that would ban kids under 16 from using social media addictive features like notifications, endless scrolling, and autoplay. It would require platforms with the so-called features to verify the age of the user and delete accounts who are under 16. If they don't comply, they could face financial civil penalties. You're watching the National News Desk, America's news now.
Unexpected and frightening wild ride here for eight Houston students who are left dangling right here about 100 feet off the ground in the air. Roller coaster malfunction there leaving those kids hanging for hours.
tell they were shaken up visually. Uh, and then you can see a sense of of joy as well once their feet hit the ground.
>> What a relief. Look at that video. The kids were on a field trip that day and officials say the ride called Iron Shark suddenly stopped right there almost at the very top. This is one of the tallest rides at the Galveastston Amusement Park there in Texas. The rescue taking four long anxietyinduced hours. students had to be then individually placed in a safety harness all before they could be safely brought down. Firefighters also suffering some equipment trouble of their own. They had to switch from the ladder system to a lift after they had mechanical issues. And as for that ride, the Iron Shark, the park now says it will be thoroughly inspected, all before returning to service. That investigation underway tonight.
>> Makes your stomach turn just to think about how long they were there. Legal settlements have been reached by the families of the workers killed in the 2024 Baltimore bridge collapse. The deal resolving claims against the cargo ship owners and operators. Six people died when the cargo ship suffered power outages and slammed into the key bridge.
Terms of the financial settlements were not disclosed. A civil trial to determine liability for remaining claims is scheduled to begin on Monday.
Developing now, three climbers have died after falling from North America's highest peak. A fourth person is in critical condition after falling off during a climb on Mount McKinley in Alaska. Rangers were notified early yesterday morning. The climbers were part of a seven member team and the other members called for help. Bad weather hindered yesterday's rescue efforts.
>> The high cost of buying a new car. Next up right here at the live desk. Why?
$1,000 a month loan. Those are now becoming more and more common when you walk off the showroom floor.
Well, tonight, new car loans setting drivers back big time with sizable monthly payments. Experian Automotive here doing the review, finding looking over more than 5 million open auto loans and leases. Check it out. 19% nearly 1if of what they saw of new vehicle loans carry a monthly payment of a,000 bucks or more. And the majority aren't even for luxury vehicles. Most are for popular pickup trucks, say the F-150, Chevy Silverado, or a Ram 1500. Now, what a difference a few years makes here. CNBC reporting just 5 years ago, auto loans. With those $1,000 monthly payments, they accounted for just 5% of the market. The global chip shortage hit in 2021, really upending the entire global auto market. And just by a year later, 2022, automakers, well, they started to prioritize the production of those higherend models.
>> New information, the Federal Aviation Administration says the air traffic controller system is safe but inefficient. The agency telling CBS News there is still some reliability risk as the system is running off of 70s and 80s computing power with floppy discs still in use. The FAA adding more than 300 facilities are running off compact computers, which again work, but they're not efficient.
More UFO files are being released by the Pentagon and online speculation is exploding. Let's go to Morgan Stevens with the fact check team. So, I know that the release of the files that's happening on a rolling basis. So, obviously the intrigue is endless.
>> Oh, yeah, it is. And part of it is really a mystery. Uh, the files include grainy material military footage, pilot testimony, and audio from Apollo astronauts describing strange lights in space. One video appears to show multiple objects moving in and out of water near a submarine in August 2022.
Another shows a Coast Guard sensor tracker. It's tracking an unknown object near an aircraft, as you can kind of see here, over the southeastern US. And the internet has run wild with theories about alien visitors.
>> But many scientists, they are still urging caution here.
>> Yeah, of course. I mean, most scientists say that the best chance is really through scientific research and space research in particular, not declassified UFO videos. Telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope, which images of the universe you can see right here, are analyzing distant galaxies for actual signs of life. NASA missions are also studying Mars and other worlds that may have conditions capable of supporting life. So, the scientific search for aliens is very real, but it looks a lot more like data, chemistry, and space telescopes than Hollywood's version of flying saucers.
>> All right, Morgan, thank you. And for more on the fact check team topic, as you know, there is a lot here, including links to their sources, scan the QR code or visit the nationales.com.
Next up, we head to that daring and delicate rescue operation. The new gripping inside look here at the aroundthe-clock efforts in Laos to rescue four more men who have been trapped there in that flooded cave for more than one week.
Now to the dangerous rescue operation here, saving those villagers who have been trapped in a flooded cave here for more than one week. That dramatic scene playing out in LA today where a multinational team extracted the first villager there sparking celebration and hope. You see him here as he emerged both muddy and understandably so very exhausted. Listen.
>> Okay.
>> On to the next one. They say what an amazing spirit they all have. The villagers entered the cave back on May 19th on the hunt, they said, for gold deposits. But a torrential downpour moved in, sparking flash flooding there.
This complex rescue operation now involves water, low oxygen levels, and of course those narrow, narrow passageways. Four known survivors still in that cave tonight. Two people who were thought to have entered the cave earlier than that group of five. Well, tonight they are sadly still missing.
>> And that's going to do it for us tonight. The conversation will pick up tomorrow with our weekend edition. We hope you'll join us. But first, here's a look at America's news and weather now where you live. Good night. Have a great weekend.
>> I'm meteorologist Charlie Lreie with Look at the Northeast. We have heat and humidity building for our Tuesday. Most of the Northeast will top out in the 90s with elevated humidity. We'll start to introduce some showers and thunderstorms as well. This is 8:00 in the morning.
Notice a nice clear sky. And our best part of the day will be early in the day. This is about 2:00 in the afternoon. There could be a few scattered showers and storms. Some may become strong to severe with damaging wind the primary threat. More strong to severe storms are possible on Wednesday.
>> I'm meteorologist Jasmine Lomax with a look at the Mid-Atlantic region. A cold front will drop through overnight, not leading to much rain. Showers will be closer to the center of that low pressure system. The rest of us wake up to sunshine and cool temperatures. Cool throughout the day, but with plenty of sunshine for a nice forecast for your Saturday. Looking good as well into Sunday. Temperatures will drop to the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Then by the afternoon, highs will reach the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
I'm meteorologist Charlotte Carl. We are expecting some showers and storms across Georgia, Alabama, even northern Florida.
As the system takes shape, we are going to see a relatively unsettled pattern continuing across most of the southeast south of I40 through your Saturday afternoon. We are going to see the most ample rainfall totals along the Atlantic coastline, but pretty much scattered to isolated showers everywhere else. A frontal boundary starts to make its way into the Florida Peninsula by Sunday.
I'm meteorologist Jennifer Herbert.
We've got a stalled front that's bringing some rainfall from North Dakota down to Kansas. Notice those temperatures overnight in the 60s. A little cooler around the Great Lakes where we're seeing those lows in the upper 40s and low 50s. That rain becomes a little bit more widespread, works its way into portions of the Midwest tomorrow. Some heat getting pumped in as well. Notice those highs in Witchah close to 90°.
>> I'm meteorologist Chris U. Look at our forecast across the region and get you set for the upcoming weekend. We've had a couple of showers and storms to round out the week. Now, Saturday overall, pretty nice day. There will be the chance for some showers, storms, a few in Oklahoma, especially around Little Rock. 85 Saturday afternoon. Pretty quiet across Texas overall. Here's a look at Sunday's forecast. Wrapping up the weekend, a few showers and storms eastern part of the region. Also could see a few storms in West Texas.
>> Hi everybody. Here's a look at the forecast for the western United States.
Now, that area of low pressure that caused so many thunderstorms in the northwest is going to begin to push off to the northeast.
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