Mamdani Sworn in as NYC Mayor; Dozens Killed in Swiss Ski Resort Fire | NTD News Today (Jan. 1)

Welcome to NTD News Today. Here are today's top stories. In Switzerland, dozens are dead and about 100 people injured after a fire tore through a New Year's Eve party at a ski resort bar. We hear from officials with the latest. Zoran Mamani is sworn in as mayor of New York City. The Democratic Socialist took the oath at a historic decommissioned subway station in Manhattan. From Times Square to the streets of London, Madrid, and Rio, millions around the world ring in 2026 with spectacle and tradition. How the world welcomed the new year as the US marks a historic milestone. President Trump ringing in the new year at Marav Lago and sharing his new year resolution for 2026. and Russia and Ukraine accusing each other of striking civilian targets today on this New Year's Day. The Kremlin claiming that Keev killed 24 civilians. [Music] This is NTD News Today, live from our global headquarters in New York City. New York City officially has a new mayor today. Zoran Mandani is soon to be inaugurated as the first Democratic socialist to hold the office. Supporters say his victory reflects frustration with the status quo while critics question how his agenda will work in practice. Our own Chris Bob is at city hall with more. Chris, good to see you there. Looks like plenty happening already. Walk us through the ceremony. Who else is expected to attend today? Good afternoon, Stefania. Nice to be on with you. You're lucky you're inside. We're out here. It's about 25 degrees. We have a large lineup uh around me. Uh I saw Attorney General Leticia James. She just took the riser. Um she was uh yesterday at the squaring in of Zor Mamdani right at uh midnight in the old uh city hall subway station. and she's going to be here today as well as Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and uh New York Representative Alexandria Accassiocortez. They're going to take the stage in about an hour or so and uh swear in our new uh mayor, Zora Mandani, the first Democratic socialist to be elected as a New York City mayor, the 111th mayor. >> Yeah, sure is a historic day. and all those people out there to uh witness it despite that chilly breeze I see blowing across as well. Chris, what are New Yorkers saying about Zoran Mandani's policies as he prepares to take office? >> So Zoran Mamani ran on the affordability agenda. That's what he called it. And now his slogan is a new era. So, some of the promises he made, we're going to see what he kicks off with today to see what he's going to be able to keep. But, uh, child care, universal child care, fast and free buses. Um, these promises are are definitely going to be featured in his speech today. Uh, we spoke with a few uh New Yorkers on our way here. Many people are extremely excited uh to attend the inauguration. Uh but there are some reservations about whether or not he's going to be able to deliver uh some of these these uh policies that he's put forward. Um there there's concern that he might uh raise taxes on certain groups. We're seeing something called uh the Mandani effect where uh business leaders in New York City are talking about moving to um areas with lower taxation outside of New York City, whether that be going to New Jersey or whether that be going down south uh to Florida. >> All right. And let's let's hear from some of those people you spoke with. Do you have some sound bites for us? >> We should. Yeah, let's roll them. Okay. >> I think with a progressive agenda like his, I'm excited to see what he's able to uh, you know, bring to fulfillment, really tackling affordable housing. I think tackling the affordability crisis in general and trying to make this city more affordable so that it's enjoyed by New Yorkers and not just by people that are coming in for the weekend. I'm cautiously optimistic. Um, you know, obviously he doesn't have a lot of experience, but um, if you surround yourself with the right people, you can figure out how to govern even if you don't have the experience. >> I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. I'm optimist. >> I like the free bus rides. I hope the free bus rides take into effect. >> I think free buses are a good idea. I hope they I hope they can find the money to finance that. Well, I'd love to see the rent freeze because I uh rent has gone up, as you know, quite a bit here in New York. I think like the city funded uh grocery stores are I don't know. I don't think it's going to work out. The idea of doing a state or I mean the city owned supermarkets is a kind of interesting idea. I'm not sure how practical it is, but uh it it would be nice to see him try it and see what happens. I've been living here 40 years now and I don't think I've ever seen a mayor actually solve a really entrenched problem. they they can make a little bit of difference with on the margins of it, but I I wouldn't expect him to to be able to do any more than anybody else has done that way. >> So, you heard uh right there a little bit of push back on the city-owned grocery stores. The original policy proposal by Zoro Mandani is one in every burrow of New York City. Uh again, some concerns about whether or not he's going to be able to make that a reality, but there is a lot of hope, a new era, uh a new mayor. Back to you, Staff. >> All right. Thanks so much for your report, Chris, and I'm sure we will be monitoring people's reactions as uh the mayorship sets out and continues this year and further on. Thank you, Chris. Bob, a New Year's celebration turned into a tragedy. Authorities say dozens are dead and about 100 injured after a fire in Switzerland. The country's federal pre president visited the site earlier today. [Music] >> I came here on behalf of our country out of respect for the families. Our thoughts are with the families who are in anguish. Some still do not know whether their children have died and we will do everything we can to ensure that everything proceeds as quickly and as effectively as possible. The president added that he'd like to thank all foreign governments that are showing solidarity. The Swiss leader also highlighted the importance of caring for the wounded and identifying the victims. It's not clear yet exactly how many people died as investigations are still underway. Here's more on the New Year's Day tragedy. Police cordons and forensic tents shielded a bar where dozens of people were killed in a fire early on Thursday in the Swiss ski resort of Cran Montana. Officials say a fire broke out at 1:30 a.m. in a bar called Le Constellation in the resort in southwestern Switzerland. The cause remains unclear, but authorities said it appeared to be an accident. The head of security for the Valet Canton said some of the victims are from other countries with a helpline opened for relatives. I cannot hide it from you. We are shaken by what happened last night. The Canton's head of police, Federic Gizler, said. He said around 100 people were seriously injured with many being treated for burns. People in the town were visibly shaken and worried for loved ones. I know someone who might have been among the victims, and I can't reach her. I'm very worried. I'm going to try to contact other people who know this woman to see if she is still alive. A no-fly zone was imposed over Crown, Montana, and authorities said 10 helicopters and 40 ambulances had been deployed initially. Authorities said they were trying to get the bodies of the victims to their families. >> And our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and the families of that tragic event. Moving now to the New Year's celebrations around the world. From Times Square to the streets of London, Madrid, Rio, millions rang in 2026 with spectacle, tradition, and reflection. Here's a look at how the world welcomed in the new year with the US marking a historic milestone. New York City rang in 2026 with a fame Time Square ball drop. Crowds bundled up against the chilly temperatures as the ball covered in more than 5,000 crystals descended down a pole. [Applause] >> The revelers were treated to a surprise as the ball was reit, white, and blue before rising again to mark the start of the United States 250th year. It was a significant moment for many among the thousands who were there to witness it. >> Oh, I think it's awesome. We both serve the country, so it's special to us as veterans. So, it's cool to be here. >> Well, our our country is strong, and it's it's amazing that we've been here for 250 years, and we're hopeful to be for another 250 years going forward. >> Happy to be American. Proud to be here. Proud to welcome people from all over the world. Across the Atlantic 5 hours earlier, London mayor Sadi Khan welcomed in 2026 along thousands of merry makers by the river Tempames. Khan said the city had been working on the celebration for months with more than 12,000 fireworks as well as lights and animation. Spectators watched as the iconic London Eye took center stage. [Applause] [Music] Yeah, for me it's is one of my dream to look at the celebration in this um because of the building and the the fair work together. So it's really excited we just do did here and yes I just achieved one of my dream. I'm so excited of that. [Music] >> And in Madrid, Spain, a unique tradition to ring in the new year. As the clock struck 12 on the Rio Kasa de Coros, the headquarters of Madrid's regional government, revelers ate one grape for every chime of the bell. Compare that to the more than 2 million partygoers who gather at Rio de Janeiro's famed Copa Cabana Beach. An estimated 15,000 people squeezed into the square. >> It's amazing. It's the first time I came. It's beautiful. I can't describe it. It's very emotional. Rio's New Year's Eve celebration has been officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the biggest New Year's Eve celebration in the world. >> And over in DC, the Washington Monument is putting on a light show as part of a celebration for America's upcoming 250th birthday. Here's a look. >> As the nation prepares to enter 2026, the Washington Monument in DC took on a different look to honor the 250th anniversary of America's founding. Glowing with images, the obelisk turns into a canvas through a large-scale projection, displaying the trajectory of our nation's development, both past and present. >> I wish we have more people here watching this. This is amazing. They put up some great work. Just seeing a projection that high, that's amazing. >> The show was presented by Freedom 250, a nonpartisan group launched by President Trump. It features five chapters of America's development. discovery, the Revolutionary War, Westward expansion, the industrial revolution, and modern day and the future of our nation. >> And they have George Washington and Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, all of our founding fathers up there that we're so proud of. And I think it's just so exciting to have somebody in the White House that loves America, that wants to celebrate America. And I think we're behind him. >> Spectators reflecting on the paths America has traveled. >> We came from squalor little nation. uh coming uh we were settlers and now we're here pioneering greatest country in the world. So I think it's it's amazing. >> From a world perspective, it's pretty young, but for here is pretty cool and pretty exciting. To be this young, to be this powerful, and to be such a world influence is pretty awesome. >> The New Year's Eve production on the Washington Monument is just a prelude to what's coming in 2026. The Trump administration is leading multiple events throughout the year to celebrate America's founding. >> I think it's bringing back a sense of national pride. You know, we went through a couple decades where people were ashamed and they wanted to be sad. Now we're at this point where we want to be prideful about America and what it stands for, what it's done, what we're going to do. So, it's 250 years of celebration, but it's like 250 years looking forward what comes next for our country. >> The installation is set to last from December 31st to January 5th and will be free and open to the public at the National Mall. >> President Trump, meanwhile, welcome to the new year at Mara Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. He shared one of his new year resolutions with reporters. >> Mr. President, do you have a New Year's resolution? >> Peace. Peace on earth. Peace on earth. You can come in if you'd like. >> Trump also vowed last night to get to the bottom of an alleged welfare fraud scandal in Minnesota. and he presided over a charity auction bringing in more than $2.5 million for a painting of Jesus. Several administration officials also joined the celebration including Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Gnome and US Attorney for DC Janine Piro. In a statement on Truth Social yesterday, President Trump said he will be withdrawing National Guard troops from multiple cities in the US who are there to to improve security. Trump said the National Guard will be removed from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland. He added that crime has been quote greatly reduced by having these great patriots in those cities. But he left the door open to sending federal forces in a much different and stronger form if crime begins to soar again. The president also criticized local leaders who have opposed his deployment of troops to the cities. Trump's policy change came after a US Supreme Court decision which ruled that he could not deploy National Guard troops to protect federal immigration agents. And the president is delaying a planned tariff hike on imported furniture and cabinets, keeping current duties in place while trade talks continue. The delay comes under a proclamation tied to national security concerns over foreign wood product imports. The tariff increase originally set for January of this year is now pushed back one more year. Meanwhile, the current 25% tariff will remain in effect. The White House says predatory foreign government subsidies on imported lumber and predatory trade practices undermine the competitiveness of the US wood products industry. Changing tack now. Good news for pasta lovers. Italy says the US has sharply lowered proposed tariffs on several Italian pasta makers following a review. Back in October, the Trump administration said that 13 Italian pasta companies would face an extra 92% duty on top of the regular 15% rate on most EU imports from January 2026. They accused two producers in particular of selling pasta at unfairly low prices. After re review, the Department of Commerce cut the tariffs for pasta producer La Moly Sana to 2.26% and Garo Follow's tariffs were set at 13.8%. The remaining producers were not named individually and they face a tariff of 9.09%. The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "The move signals that the US recognizes Italian company's constructive willingness to cooperate." The full conclusions of the US review are expected on March 11th. The US market is worth almost $800 million to Italian pasta makers. Next, Venezuela is the focus of some recent US government actions. the Trump administration yesterday imposing sanctions on four firms operating in Venezuela's oil sector. NTD's Daniel Monahan has more on the move, which also designated four additional oil tankers as blocked property. >> The US accuses the ships of being part of a shadow fleet serving President Nicholas Maduro's government. The Treasury Department says Maduro's regime increasingly depends on the shadow fleet to evade sanctions and raise cash for its narot terrorist operations. Treasury Secretary Scott Besson said, "President Trump has been clear. We will not allow the illegitimate Maduro regime to profit from exporting oil while it floods the United States with deadly drugs." The Treasury Department says it will continue to implement President Trump's campaign of pressure on Maduro's regime. US forces have seized two oil tankers off Venezuela's coast and are pursuing another. The government has also conducted a series of deadly strikes and alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. Yesterday, Joint Task Force Southern Spear killed five people in a lethal strike on two vessels it says were operated by designated terrorist organizations. The move was carried out at the direction of war secretary Pete Hegth. The government says the vessels were traveling along known narot trafficking routes and engaged in narot trafficking. Such strikes on alleged drug boats have killed at least 110 people since early September. Republican Senator Rand Paul has criticized the Trump administration for blowing up boats of what he described as unarmed people suspected of being drug dealers. President Trump announced earlier this month a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country. He also demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from US oil companies years ago. The actions are part of the Trump administration's monthsl long pressure campaign on Maduro, who is widely viewed as a dictator presiding over an authoritarian regime marked by rigged elections, systemic corruption, and widespread human rights abuses. Under Maduro, Venezuela has plunged into economic collapse and repression. According to the United Nations and Human Rights Watch, more than 20,000 people have been subjected to extrajudicial killings during Maduro's rule. Daniel Monahan, NTD News. Thank you, Daniel. And coming up, we talk with a philosopher capitalist about the biggest policy moves of President Trump's first year that could impact you in 2026. And in his 2025 annual report, Chief Justice John Roberts urges Americans to keep faith in the Constitution. More details on his year and message after this. [Music] Welcome back. President Trump has made restoring faith a cornerstone of his second term. From establishing a White House faith office to taking action to protect persecuted Christians abroad, NTD's Washington correspondent Mario Otsu takes a closer look. >> My life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again. >> 6 months after an assassin's bullet almost took his life, President Trump returned to the White House with a bold mission to restore faith to the heart of American life. He created a White House faith office and religious liberty commission to safeguard religious freedom. >> My mom realized that this man had actually altered their original plan to stop me from wearing a mask that said Jesus loves me. The skull was violating my rights. >> And on the same day as the National Prayer Breakfast, he signed an order to counter what he called anti-Christian bias. >> Let's bring God back into our lives. >> The president opened his first cabinet meeting in prayer. >> The blessed is a nation whose God is the Lord. Father, thank you for giving us this opportunity to restore faith in this country and be a blessing to the people of America >> and launched the America Praise initiative urging weekly prayer. >> So as we chart our course toward the next 250 years, let us rededicate ourselves to one nation under God. >> That vision of bringing God back into American life found one of its fiercest advocates and conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And let's just say thank you God for giving us Donald Trump and giving our country back. Ladies and gentlemen, you're about to witness history. The 45th and 47th president of the United States, >> who President Trump credits with helping secure his return to the White House by getting the youth vote. When Kirk was tragically assassinated in September, President Trump called his murder an attack on our entire nation. September 10th, 2025, our greatest evangelist for American liberty became immortal. He's a martyr now for American freedom, >> awarding him the Medal of Freedom. >> He was assassinated in the prime of his life for boldly speaking the truth, for living his faith, and relentlessly fighting for a better and stronger America. He loved this country. Meanwhile, President Trump extended his vow overseas to protect religious liberty worldwide. On Christmas Day, he ordered air strikes against ISIS in Nigeria for their brutal attacks on Christians, an issue that rapper Nicki Minaj had highlighted just days earlier during a surprise appearance at Amfest. While they're in church, people are being kidnapped, people are being killed, brutalized, all because of their religion. And that should spark outrage in the great America. I have the utmost respect and admiration for our president. But he's given so many people hope that there's a chance to beat the bad guys. And as we welcome the new year, the White House's presidential Christmas message reads, "We pray for an outpouring of God's abiding love, divine mercy, and everlasting peace upon our country and the entire world." Reporting by Mario, NTD News. As we set out on a new year, plenty of policy changes in the last year will be in effect. How might they affect you? Joining us to look at your financial plans amid shifts in federal policies and global dynamics is Rod D. Martin, the founder and CEO of Martin Capital. Rod, happy new year to you. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> Happy New Year to you, too. >> Yeah. Let's get started with what's looks to be a big year ahead. Congress made several big moves in 2025 that could impact people's wallets. What would you say is the biggest change that an average middle class family needs to understand and why? Well, the biggest changes that will affect people at home in their pocketbooks, of course, are the tax cuts and the regulatory cuts. And the latter doesn't make as much sense to people. They don't really know how all that works. That's okay. If you require things of businesses that cost them money, that gets passed along to the consumer. So when Donald Trump comes through this year along with Congress in part and repeals 22 regulations for every one new one, it's actually an extraordinary burden being lifted off the economy. Couple that with the tax cuts and it is the biggest tax cut bill ever passed in American history and you end up with real change for regular Americans. and and the most interesting is on things like social security benefits, taxes on tips, taxes on overtime that are all going away. That's real change for the people who need it most. And it'll also generate a tremendous amount of new business activity that increases the number of jobs and increases the pay that they make. >> Yeah, great points you made there. covering quite a large span as almost everybody will feel it in some way or other. Is there anyone that you think really isn't going to be touched by these changes? >> I really don't think so. I I mean this is really broadbased. This will this will help everyone from the tall to the small. And and the taxes on tips thing is the best example that directly helps working teenagers trying to save for college or help take care of their family. And you know, social security recipients who already paid taxes on that money. They shouldn't be paying taxes on it again, which is just horrifying. And Donald Trump has fixed that. So, we're really, really pleased with where this is going, but we're especially pleased with this in tandem with the 1718 trillion dollar in new investment that Trump has recruited from foreign countries into the United States. That's really going to take off this year. That's going to be a really big deal by the middle of the year, say June or July. I think it'll affect the midterms. It certainly should, but that's not really the goal. The goal is to make America great again. And you do that by rebuilding American manufacturing, bringing technology back home, doing things to bring good jobs to working Americans. >> And right there, retirees, students, others just starting out. So many different people here, uh, as we've been saying. But let's take a look at job prospects, the impacts there, maybe energy bills, small businesses, other ways that people might feel the impact. >> Well, energy is going to be fantastic, and it already is. In most states, your your gasoline prices are down a lot. Heating oil prices are down a lot. That's only going to increase. And it is true that there may be a little disruption from dealing with the shadow fleet, but not so much in America. We're the world's largest natural gas producer. We're we are now the world's largest oil producer. We're effectively self-sufficient in these things even if we choose to buy some foreign oil. So, we have an opportunity to really bring down prices. And it affects everybody. It's not just the gasoline in your car. The truck that brings you your Amazon deliveries has to buy that stuff, too. And it runs up the price of everything. So, as we dramatically increase the amount of offshore drilling, as you see this fourth fracking revolution that is unfolding in West Texas, thanks to the engineers at Exxon Mobile, as you see all these things develop and the infrastructure to transport it as well, you're going to see ripple effects through the entire economy that make cost of living significantly better within 6 to9 months. And what specific markers would you be looking for? Just the cost of everyday prices or or is there more that you would be keeping your eye on? >> Well, again, new jobs is a big deal. But another big deal that has to be remembered from this past year is Donald Trump shut off the flow of illegal aliens. Absolutely shut down the border, which is remarkable. And no, the world didn't end. And no, you didn't need a new comprehensive immigration bill to make it happen. You just needed to enforce the law. So everything the Biden team told us about that was just a lie. Okay. What does that do? Well, already we have 2 and a half million illegal immigrants who have left the country. About half a million of them involuntarily, about 2 million through self-deportation. And what that does is it frees up housing. It brings down the price of housing. And it also transfers jobs to Americans who need them at a crucial time. So, so in every direction, we're seeing real progress. And some of that is coming through increased defense spending and increased border enforcement spending. ICE now has a larger budget than the entire Russian military. We're we're almost hitting a trillion dollars in defense spending. that's going to increase as we start protecting Americans instead of everybody else in the world. Not that we're pulling back from the world. That's not that's not really true. But as we deploy Golden Dome, which will effectively render nuclear weapons obsolete, as we start spending all this money here to develop weapon systems that defend our allies like Taiwan, like Japan, like Israel, like Great Britain, as we do that, again, great new American jobs at all levels from bluecollar to the seauite. A rich picture you're painting here. So many varied parts, but it's all looking pretty good, I've got to say. Thank you so much for your time and your perspective here today, Rod Martin from Martin Capital. Great to speak with you. And once again, happy new year. >> Happy New Year to you, too. >> And Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is urging Americans to keep faith in the Constitution. Roberts released his annual end ofear report yesterday. He focused on Declaration of Independence and how the founding fathers set up the judiciary to be independent from the other branches. He wrote, "The arrangement has served the country well." Roberts also quoted former President Calvin Culage about how Americans could find solace that the nation's founding documents would remain steady. Roberts wrote, "True then, true now." His comments did not reference any recent or currently pending Supreme Court cases. Coming up, Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of striking civilian targets today on New Year's Day. The Kremlin claiming that Keev killed 24 civilians. And some tech news. The US grants Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company an annual license to import US chipmaking equipment to its plant in China. [Music] [Music] I'm Stephania Cox and this is World Watch. Russia and Ukraine are accusing each other of striking civilian targets. Today on New Year's Day, the Kremlin claims that Keev killed 24 civilians in an attack on Ukraine's southern Kerone region. A Russian installed governor in Kone first made the accusation saying three Ukrainian drones struck the site of new New Year's celebrations there. The governor's office released pictures, but only one dead body is visible. Ukraine's military hasn't commented on the accusations yet. Meanwhile, Ukraine accuses Russia of attacking energy infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight. According to Keev, Moscow launched over 200 attack drones. Ukrainian officials say Russia also attacked the Odessa region overnight. And Taiwan said today the island is determined to defend its sovereignty and boost its defense in the face of China's increasing expansion. The comments by President Linka came just 2 days after China launched war drills named Justice Mission 2025. The communist regime fired dozens of rockets toward Taiwan and deployed a large number of warships and aircraft near the island. The show of force drew concern from Western allies, including the European Commission and Britain. Here's Taiwan's president. For Taiwan, the most important thing is, as stated in the art of war by SununSu, rely not on the likelihood of the enemies not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him. We must make the worst assumptions and also make the best preparations. Therefore, the coming year 2026 is a very critical year for Taiwan. And some tech news. The US has granted an annual license allowing Taiwanese semiconductor giant TSMC to import US chipm equipment to its plant in China. TSMC said the approval will ensure uninterrupted factory operations and product deliveries. South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SKH Heinix have also received similar licenses. The companies previously relied on exemptions from US export controls aimed at limiting China's access to advanced technology. Those exemptions expired at the end of December, requiring new licenses for 2026. And Bulgaria is the 21st country to adopt the euro. Celebrations erupted in Sophia with fireworks and crowds cheering outside the central bank building today to mark this historic moment. A countdown was displayed displayed on the Bulgarian central bank's facade, followed by images of new Bulgarian Euro coins and the European Union flag. Bulgaria joined the Euro zone despite opposition from half its electorate. Now only a handful of countries in the 27 member European Union have yet to adopt the currency. And Finnish police seized a ship sailing from Russia yesterday. It's suspected of damaging an undersea telecom cable. Here's what we've learned so far. >> Finnish police have seized a cargo ship suspected of sabotaging an undersea telecom cable between Helsinki and Estonia. Authorities say the vessel named Fitberg was sailing from Russia to Israel when it was intercepted in the Gulf of Finland. All 14 crew members who hail from Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan are now in custody. Investigators believe the ship dragged its anchor, possibly cutting a cable owned by Finnish telecom firm Alisa. A second cable operated by Swedish firm also went down the same day. The incident comes amid growing concerns in Europe over hybrid threats, tactics like cyber attacks, and infrastructure sabotage since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. NATO has increased its presence in the Baltic Sea, where eight member states remain on high alert. Estonia's president says he hopes the damage wasn't deliberate. While the EU said it was monitoring the situation closely. Coming up in the college football playoffs, the defending champions are out as Miami pulls off the upset. NTD's Dave Martin joins us to discuss. Meanwhile, cities around Europe celebrate New Year's Day with annual events from a run in central Berlin to a dive into the Atlantic Ocean. We've got that for you and more up ahead. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Welcome back. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, there is some pretty heavy news about Anthony Joshua, which we'll be getting to. But first, let's start with the college football playoffs. Last night, Miami upset defending champions champion Ohio State and um all that took place at the Cotton Bowl. What did you make of it? >> Yeah, great performance there by Emmy, especially in the first half there. They dominated early on, led 14- nothing at halftime. Ohio State though did make a game of it in the second half. Uh they scored two quick quick touchdowns, pulled the win, hitting 1714 there in the third quarter or I'm sorry early in the fourth quarter. But their vaunted defense was not able to get stop Miami late. Hurricanes scored a touchdown with about a minute left. Put them up 24-14. Sealed it with an interception and that was it. So Kane's won 2414. Now that 24 points, not a lot, but that is the most Ohio State has given up this season. Their defense was really that good. That loss though follows a very familiar powder. Teams with a first round buy in these playoffs like Ohio State. Well, last year all four teams had a first round buy lost in the second round. So now we're seeing this year Ohio State the first round buy, loses in the second round. So we'll have to see how the rest of the second round goes today. >> But do you think games on New Year's Eve or other epic days where energy is surely higher in the stadium? Does that impact games like in your opinion? >> You know, I I think the the thing that impacts it more is how much time they had off. like Ohio State hadn't played in what, three weeks at that point. Meanwhile, the team that they were playing, uh, Miami, they just played like a week and a half ago. So, you you kind of lose that rhythm. I think that's part of it. >> Okay. Interesting. Okay. So, we're speaking about the second round. It's continuing today with a triple header. Tell us more about that. >> Yeah. First game here, Oregon versus Texas Tech. That one just started. Oregon with an early three nothing lead there. Now the H sorry not the Hoosers. The Ducks meanwhile they have a very good offense. The Texas Tech has got a very vaunted defensive front. I think this is going to be a very interesting match up. This is at the Orange Bowl. So this is the first game of the day. Then at 400 p.m. the Rose Bowl. We've got Indiana versus Alabama. Hooers are the top seed. They're the only unbeaten team left. They are a seven-point favorite over the Crimson Tide. I never thought I'd say those royally never did. It was amazing season by Indiana. Then tonight at 8:00 PM, the third game, the Sugar Bowl. Miss versus Georgia. Both teams are 12-1. They did meet earlier this season. Georgia won that one 43-35. The winner of that game will play Miami as you can see on our board here. Miami with the win yesterday. Georgia miss tonight at 8:00 p.m. as >> I mentioned here, Alabama Indiana in the other quarterfinal. Texas Tech versus Oregon going on right now. So that's where we are at in these playoffs. >> Okay. Plenty going on and and to keep an eye on. Um but we did shadow the the tragedy with uh Anthony Joshua. Uh okay. So looking now at the boxing scene, he is of course a heavyweight contender, but he's been released from the hospital which was days after that fatal car crash in Nigeria. >> Yeah. Very tragedy. >> Very sad things. He was released yesterday afternoon. He had been there since that fatal accident on Monday. It took lives with two of his friends who were also part of his team. One one is a strength and conditioning coach. The other was his trainer. Now Joshua was in the back seat of the car when this happened. Now a spokesperson how this happened. spokesperson for the federal federal road safety corps there said their vehicles quote traveling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor lost control doing an overtaking maneuver and crashed into a stationary truck end quote. Now that truck was parked on this side of the road. A state police commissioner told ESPN that the accident happened because of a burst tire on Joshua's car which caused the driver to lose control. Now Joshua is Britishborn. His parents though are from Nigeria. He actually went to boarding school there when he was, I think, 11 years old. So, he was back there. Anyway, he was just in the United States two weeks ago. Uh, beat Jake Paul in a match in Miami. As we mentioned, he is the former twotime heavyweight champion. So, very, very sad situation there. >> Yeah, I'm sure he's getting good medical care and of course, we all are hoping for a speedy recovery >> for sure. >> Um, h thank you so much for your time today, Dave. >> Hey, you're welcome, sir. Happy New Year. >> Happy New Year to you. >> And um next up, a cyclist in Baltimore is turning lost hubcaps into unique pieces of art. He's found hundreds during his rides through the city, giving him plenty of materials for his large works, and NTD's Andrew Thomas has more on this unique artist. >> This large bust of Snoopy the dog is made entirely out of hubcaps. Cyclist Barnaby Wickham is the artist behind the work. He's collected more than 700 hubcaps over the last two years riding around Baltimore. >> Partway through the year, I was like, what are we going to do with all these things? Um, so that's when I started to think about, you know, maybe we could create some sort of sculpture. >> His unusual artwork has drawn the attention of his local community, so residents would give him a heads up when they saw a hubcap he could use for his pieces. So they would send me a a pin on on a map by text or sometimes they would send a photo with the street location. >> The hubcaps have also been an opportunity for Wickcham to see a side of Baltimore he wouldn't otherwise. This whole journey has really caused me to to uh to get out to a lot of places that I wouldn't necessarily get to because I get these tips and it's taking me to a place that I've never been before. >> As long as cars are losing hubcaps, Wickham should have plenty of material to work with. Andrew Thomas, NT News. And let's continue the new year with the Transportation Security Administration's cutest workers. The agency has unleashed its 2026 K9 calendar. The annual tradition features 13 of the TSA's more than 1,000 explosive detective dogs. One of them is the winner of last year's TSA cutest K9 contest. Stealer, you see him there, is a nearly three-year-old Labrador retriever who works at Pittsburgh International Airport. Keep an eye out for him if you're heading that way. The TSA does train about 300 dogs each year, and it's 16 weekl long training program, so there's quite a few to choose from. The canines are deployed at airports, rail stations, and ports. And here's the best thing about the calendar. It's a free download that you can find on tsa.gov. Be sure to do that. And cities around Europe are celebrating the new year with various events. Thousands of runners gathered in Berlin for the annual New Year's Day run there. The 53rd edition of the event pulled in some 4,400 runners. The run began at the landmark Brandenburgg Gate and had a circuit of 2.5 miles. For many people, it's about trading in a New Year's Day hangover for the effort and the spirit of their fitness resolutions. It's also a chance to shake off world worries and be in good company. There's no entry fee for the fun run, so you happen to be that that way next year or in another year. Take note, but this year's donations do go to a children's hospice. It is a charity after all. And in Rome, Italians plunged into the freezing waters of the river Tyber as they welcomed the new year. The traditional jump from Cavor Bridge has been celebrated on New Year's Day since 1946. The wintry temperatures did not discourage the three official divers. A crowd gathered on the banks to cheer them on. This year, three unscheduled participants joined the official divers in jumping off the bridge, too. That's all we have time for this hour, but if you have any feedback on the show or have something you'd like to see us cover, send us an email at news.tdayentd.com. We'd love to hear from you. We'll cover more news right after this break. [Music] I'm Kevin Hogan and on behalf of the NTD News Today team, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a joyous holiday season. [Music]