Hong Kong Media Tycoon Prosecuted; Family Vlogger Guilty of Child Abuse | NTD Tonight – Dec. 18

Good evening, everyone. Welcome to NTD tonight. I'm David Zhang. Here is a preview of some of today's top stories former president Trump lashing out at President Biden's immigration policy causing the Biden campaign to compare him to Hitler a YouTube vlogger pleads guilty to child abuse charges. Does she show regrets more on her ongoing court case? An outspoken critic of Chinese Communist Party went on trial in Hong Kong The 76 year old has been behind bars for over two and a half years First up in Reno thousands cheered the former president Trump's a stance on Immigration he warned that the hidden threats are infiltrating America Entities Arlene Richards has more details Is pledging to bring the u.s. Back not one thing has gotten better under crooked Joe Biden in Nevada Sunday Trump lashed out at President Biden's immigration policies You're also much much safer when President Trump was in the White House Drugs criminals gang members and terrorists are pouring into our country at record levels We've never seen anything like it They're taking over our cities the former president cited troubling situations involving illegal immigrants Just days ago We learned that an illegal alien wanted for murder in Mexico secretly violated our border and was discovered in Las Vegas They believe he's killed two people The focus on immigration comes as the Biden administration works with Congress to negotiate a border security deal Shifting to a tougher border policy could gain Biden more moderate and independent votes in the general election Trump told a record-breaking crowd in Reno that there are hints of a hidden threat Infiltrating America, you know, they're coming in 27,000 Chinese men age 20 to 24 25 No women no older people No younger people About 20 to 24 25 years old the perfect age for an army Trump emphasized his intention to clamp down on illegal immigration Despite facing criticism for some of his remarks like telling a New Hampshire audience that illegal immigration was quote poisoning the blood of our country The Biden campaign said in a statement that Trump was sounding like Adolf Hitler who advocated for pure German bloodlines But Trump's advocates say the phrase shouldn't be taken literally since 2016 Trump has been reciting a song about a woman who rescues a poisonous snake Take me in Oh tender woman. Take me in for heaven's sake Take me in Oh tender woman cried the vicious snake The snake bites the woman after she rescues him Trump presents the poem as a cautionary tale about harboring illegal immigrants He told the Reno audience It's a metaphor of what's going on at your border and it's a metaphor as to what will happen in Reno in Nevada and all over the place Arlene Richards NTD news Now, let's take a look at other national headlines The Vatican said on Monday in a landmark ruling approved by Pope Francis that Roman Catholic Priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples as long as they are not a part of regular church rituals or liturgies a document from the Vatican's doctrinal office, which effectively reversed a Declaration the same body had issued in 2021 said such blessings would not legitimize Irregular situations but be a sign that God welcomes all it should in no way be Confused with the sacrament of a heterosexual marriage a added it said priests should decide on a case-by-case basis and should not prevent or Prohibit the church's closeness to people in every situation in which they might seek God's help through a simple blessing the document marks the latest gesture of outreach to LGBTQ Catholics from the papacy But the Roman Catholic Church maintains the position that marriage is a lifelong sacrament between a man a woman over to the war between Israel and Hamas Israel forces battling Hamas said they had uncovered an Unusually large concrete and iron girded tunnel at the Gaza Israel border Designed to transport carloads of militant fighters the military showed the reporters the exit point of the tunnel located just a hundred meters south of the checkpoint at Erez the Erez crossing is one of the sites Hamas overran on October 7th killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 240 others hostage Hagari said it was the biggest tunnel Israeli forces have found near the border without Specifying whether it was used by Hamas for the October 7th attack the tunnel shown by Hagari has shafts plunging vertically downward that he said Suggested it was part of a wider network a car plowed into a parked SUV That was guarding president Biden's motorcade last night Police in Delaware said the driver had been charged with the driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and inattentive driving the accident Happened in Wilmington where the president and first lady Joe Biden were leaving Biden's campaign headquarters Both were harmed footage shows the president walking out of the campaign headquarters and Being confronted by a reporter the reporter asked the president of why he is losing to Trump in the polls To which he responded you're reading the wrong polls Immediately after that a collision can be heard nearby The president was escorted into another vehicle by security staff as other agents quickly Confronted the driver who crashed into the motorcade Agents cornered the cart and pulled weapons on the driver who held his hands up According to a witness the Biden's returned safely to their home in Wilmington following the incidents about the 58 million Americans are under flood watches from North Carolina to Maine a Storm system is marching along the eastern coast bringing heavy rain and a strong winds It's battering the Northeast causing power outages of bridge closures and flooded roadways more than 300,000 people in the region are already without electricity the same storm drenched the southeast over the weekend a Popular YouTube the logger appeared in court to face child abuse charges Following her arrest in August and to this Christina Corona has more on the update Ruby Frank the former family vlogger from eight passengers on YouTube pleaded guilty to four charges of second-degree Aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children She entered separate guilty pleas Monday for the first three charges and on the fourth one She said with profound regret and sorrow for my family and children guilty Judge John Jay Walton approved the plea deal setting the sentencing for February 20th Walton said there won't be any argument about whether prison is the appropriate sentence and there's an agreement about the four counts for running Consecutive the Utah mother of six along with her husband and business partner Jody Hildebrandt were taken into custody after their 12 year old son escaped through a window and sought help from a neighbor who then alerted the police the child had duct tape on his wrists and ankles and informed investigators that Jody Placed ropes on his wrist and ankles and used cayenne pepper and honey to treat the wounds Frankie's attorneys released a statement Asserting her cooperation with prosecutors and placing blame on Hildebrandt stating it is our firm belief that miss Frankie is a devoted mother who unfortunately was led astray The YouTube channel which generated over 2 million subscribers has been removed Christina Corona and TD News The now spoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party went on trial today The 76 year old businessman has been in prison for over 1,000 days and his son caused the trial a sham Entities David Lam has the story Media tycoon Jimmy Lai went on trial on Monday in a landmark case in Hong Kong There are widespread calls for his release including from his son who calls the trial Unjustified it's a trial with three government appointed judges No jury the security minister recently boasted of a hundred percent conviction rate So an absolute champ lie founded the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily He's accused of collusion with foreign forces under a draconian national security law that the CCP imposed Lie the most high-profile figure to be charged under this law is one of many Hongkongers who have lost their freedoms in recent years for involvement in the anti CCP pro-democracy protest movement of 2019 and 2020 on Monday lies lawyer argued that the sedition charge against lie on December 28th 2021 was made after the six-month statutory timeframe after his newspaper printed its last edition according to Hong Kong outlet RTHK Apple Daily was forced to shut down in June 2021 after authorities raided its headquarters and arrested executives Lie was sentenced to 13 months in prison for inciting others to participate in a band 2020 vigil commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre He was also sentenced to over five years for breaching a lease contract US and UK governments called for his release calling for freedom of the press and condemning the Prosecution of the media owner lie was also nominated for the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize And I always go back and forth right like what I rather my father was with me instead of standing up for the freedom others And my conclusion is I I'm Tremendously inspired by it by him and and I'm very proud that he's my dad It takes a lot of what he's doing takes a lot of courage lies trial was open to the public and is expected to last 80 days David Lam NTD news We'll take a short break now everybody, but here is a look at what we have for you when we come back Visitors are planning to go to Maui may need to cancel plants Hawaii's governor is asking property owners to offer their places up to fire refugees for the long term a Couple has been arrested in connection with the death of a 23 year old Among the suspects is a Stockton NBA player Animal Kingdom welcomes a new baby elephant See why they are calling the new birth extra special those stories and more coming up on NTD tonight Welcome back to NTD tonight I'm your host David Zhang Four months after the fire in Maui locals are still struggling to find places to stay after their homes burned down Now Hawaii's governor is asking people who normally rent out to tourists to instead rent long-term to fire refugees entities I think Aang has more Hawaii governor Josh Green on Friday said he wants 3,000 condos and homes that are normally rented to Maui tourists Converted to long-term housing for displaced wildfire survivors who are now living in hotels The August 8th wildfire wiped out historic Lahaina and left a majority of residents Nowhere else to go given the extreme housing shortage on Maui. It's just not okay That we don't have housing for our local people and so I will propose a moratorium on Short-term rentals through emergency rules I'm sure we will face litigation but I will do it if we don't get 3,000 units for our people who have been living in hotels He aims for these measures to provide interim housing by mid-january for two years While more housing is built on Maui the lack of stable housing has been a source of stress for Lahaina Residents some of whom had to switch hotel rooms multiple times since the fire an incentive The Maui County Council is considering is property tax relief For a period of time, I believe it starts at 18 months They won't have to pay any property taxes and that could help people to the tune of thousands of dollars per month Be able to afford to convert over to long-term rentals Green said they will offer fair market value offers to the people that are renting out their properties to short-term rentals The governor said FEMA sent letters to 13,000 short-term rental operators across Maui Informing them the agency would offer to pay them the same rent they earned during the previous year for their units is expensive Yes, it is. Is it necessary? Well in the short term it is also necessary because leaving people in hotels and as of yesterday It was 6,297 people still in hotels. It's extremely expensive and it's difficult to live that way for much longer Green said it is currently costing 350 to 500 dollars a day to house one family in a hotel room once food and services are included According to green there are currently between 12,000 to 14,000 units legally rented on a short-term basis on Maui Including illegal ones. He estimated there could be nearly 25,000 California was soon allowed low-riding cruising a new law is set to take effect in January Lifting a decades-long ban and TDSS Stephanie Sikal reports beginning January 1st 2024 California will lift the decades-long ban on lowrider cruising Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 436 in October removing restrictions by reciting local authorities power to create rules on lowrider cruising Back in 1988 the state passed a prior law that allowed local governments to impose anti-cruising ordinances and stop vehicles with specific tire sizes or lowered heights Assemblymember David Alvarez the bill's author thanked Newsom for preserving the cultural significance of cruising Many critics relate lowriding with dangerous activities But some owners like Paul Sandoval are trying to overcome misconceptions He shared a story of his wife who initially associated lowriding with safety concerns and gang affiliation Sandoval tells NTD to change her perspective He invited her to an event where families showcased their lowriders fostering meaningful connections The experience shifted her views and she began to appreciate the familial and cultural aspects of lowriding Sandoval is optimistic that as more people experience the positive aspects of the lowrider community Stereotypes, particularly the association with gangs will continue to fade. The resolution recognizes cruising's cultural importance especially in Chicano communities where it originated post-World War two Supporters of the 1988 law claimed it boosted public safety while critics argued It was outdated racially based and targeted Latinos Stephanie Sikal NTD News California a Couple has been arrested in connection with the death of a 23 year old who went missing in Las Vegas earlier this month NTD's Christina Corona has more on the update the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Marina Rogers was reported missing by two individuals on Thursday, December 7th around 332 p.m. Rogers had a planned meeting on December 5th with 15-year-old friend Sakari Harnden who brought her boyfriend 27 year old Stockton Kings NBA G League player Chance Comanche law enforcement suspected foul play and gathered evidence Leading to the arrest of Harnden and Comanche for their involvement in Rogers disappearance Harnden was arrested for kidnapping while Comanche arrested in Sacramento faces pending extradition on kidnapping charges Human remains identified as Rogers were found in Henderson leading to upgraded charges of open murder The Stockton Kings released Comanche from the NBA G League He has a court date in California on December 19th and is currently ineligible for bail Christina Corona NTD News California regulators have voted to extend the state's only nuclear plant operation through 2030 after a long debate over whether or not to close it down Leaders realized the state would still need to depend on this power supply as it transitions to other renewable energy sources California energy regulators voted December 14th to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open for another five years Despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to extend the shutdown date for the state's last functioning nuclear power facility Through 2030 the plant was previously set to close in 2025 Separately the Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission will consider whether to extend the plants operating licenses The twin reactors located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco began operating in the mid 1980s They supply up to 9% of the state's electricity on any given day The decision to keep it open marks the latest development in a long fight over the operation and safety of the plant Which sits on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean? Governor Gavin Newsom who once was a leading voice to close the plant said last year that Diablo Canyon's power is needed beyond 2025 to ward off possible blackouts as California transitions to solar and other renewable energy sources For the first time in seven years an elephant calf was born at Disney's Animal Kingdom The baby girl was born last week and weighs 218 pounds Entities Jason Blair has more Meet Cora the newest elephant at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Bay Lake, Florida The proud first time mom Nadira was pregnant for 22 months before giving birth on Wednesday The park says the birth is extra special because Nadira was also born at Animal Kingdom This makes baby Cora the first second generation elephant born at the park Nadira and Cora are African elephants the largest land mammals on earth the International Union for Conservation of Nature Lists them as critically endangered the calf and mother will continue bonding for several days before joining the rest of the herd Jason Blair entity news That's all we've got for you tonight, we would like you to join us again on NTD tonight every weekday at 9 p.m I'm David Zhang. Have a wonderful evening