NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (Oct. 16)

Press Secretary Katie Zachariah is stepping down. President Trump says he offered Zachariah the option to reconsider the job, calling the media criticism of her unfair. And what is the cost of socialism? The White House says it is $400,000 per family in tax hikes within 10 years. The administration urging Americans to understand the real consequences of the DSA's ideology. And a father of two helped stop a deadly school shooting in Oregon. His daughters attend the very school where the attack happened. Authorities giving the latest updates. David Lamb with more. In Minnesota, U.S. Senate candidates have their first and only debate. Welfare fraud and ICE operations in the spotlight. We also have a debate recap in Maine and Alaska. And Tesla debuts its new flying car. Demonstrations include driving upside down and launching over multiple vehicles while flipping sideways. Jason Perry has that report. This is NTD Evening News, live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Kerry Dunst. Good evening, and thank you for joining us tonight, this Friday evening. White House Press Secretary Katie Zakaria, she is leaving her position. President Trump says she's been treated very badly in the media following her first press conference. NTD's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley now joins us. Jack, what is the latest? Hey, Kerry. Well, the White House has officially confirmed that White House Press Secretary Katie Zakaria has left her position after starting on the job just on Monday. This comes right after President Trump said that she has been treated unfairly by the media, saying he offered her the option to reconsider the position. Take a look. Katie's been treated very badly by the media, very, very badly, very unfairly, I think. I said to her, honestly, if I were you, I'd reconsider. You think about it. Maybe it's not for her, but I said, you want to be happy in life. Now, Zakaria has not yet publicly responded since this announcement, but she has faced criticism over previously using the title of lawyer while not passing the bar exam. She later clarified that while she's an attorney that graduated Pepperdine Law School, she's not a lawyer. She never used that title, and she did work in the legal field and didn't need to take the bar again to fulfill those roles. She was also criticized following her first press conference at of the White House on Tuesday. That lasted less than 15 minutes, of which she said that she had little time to prepare. Take a look. What I feel is I really stepped up and to the plate to do the press conference, Sean, with very little prep time. I received briefing materials in the morning. In that time, I could have just given a brief intro and said, I'm only here to introduce myself. You know, instead of taking questions, probably should have stepped aside. Meanwhile, President Trump just finishing up speaking in Dalton, Georgia this afternoon into the evening here for another packed midterm campaign rally, highlighting his administration's successes like securing Greenland, Venezuela, securing trillions in new investments and the high stock market. Now, the president says that he's also going to Texas again for a third time and Michigan to rally for those high profile Senate races. Those along with the other races We'll determine which party maintains control of Congress and may serve to advance or limit his power and his agenda. Back to you, Kerry. All right. Thank you, Jack. Promises made, promises kept in his new book, The Golden Age. Todd Starnes looks at President Trump's campaign promises and what he's delivered on in his second term. Todd Starnes joins us tonight on Capitol Report at 7 p.m. Eastern. And the White House warns against the dangers both social and economic of socialism. This, of course, as we've been seeing a wave of socialist and communist ideology over the course of the midterm race, the administration and lawmakers reminding Americans to be wary of these narratives. Here's NTD's Fiona Gee. A statement from the White House on Thursday highlights the repercussions Americans would see within the next decade if they were to vote for socialist policies such as Medicare for All, open borders, and mass amnesty. According to the White House, those policies need funding, which would come from, quote, massive tax hikes. The Council of Economic Advisers reports that each American household would lose around $400,000 in a 10-year span due to those increased taxes. It says those taxes would slash wages by nearly 30 percent. Lawmakers urge Americans to understand this cost. Because what does the government produce? They produce nothing. They take money from you to give to somebody else. They will reach into your pockets with both hands. And you know what they're going to call it? I'm helping you out. Yeah, you're helping me out with my own money And it's not just an issue of money. The White House statement reminds Americans that socialist and communist regimes have killed some 100 million people over the past century around the world, including through engineered famines, mass executions, and slave labor camps. We know that nothing in life is free. It comes at a cost. And in my opinion, if you want all this free stuff, it comes at a cost. And you know what that cost is? It's freedom. The White House statement puts things bluntly. Quote, it's not a socialist revolution. It's misery, starvation, and death. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Fiona Gee, NTD News. In Oregon, we're learning more about the deadly elementary school shooting. Authorities say a father pursued the shooter onto campus and shot him before the police arrived. NTD's David Lam reports. A community in central Oregon is mourning. An elementary school shooting left three children and a teacher dead. The suspect is identified as 16-year-old Ricken J. John II. He previously attended Silver Row Elementary, and we believe he traveled to the school on foot. The suspect crossed the street, threw his weapon over the fence, and climbed the fence onto the school property. The driver of a red Toyota pickup And verbally confront the suspect. Police say the 16-year-old resident forced his way into Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, shooting through locked doors on Thursday around 1 p.m. Officers at the scene located five people who had succumbed to their injuries, including the suspect. The deceased at the scene include three children, ages 5, 8, and 11. A seven-year-old student and another teacher were taken to the hospital with critical injuries. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and locals are praising an armed community member who engaged the shooter. The incident happened in a matter of minutes. I think it's miraculous that someone was there before law enforcement even arrived to stop further tragedy from happening. And I'm feeling very, very grateful for him being there. An officer reported that a suspect had been shot. By a community member who had seen the suspect enter the school and pursued him into the school and engaged him. Within three minutes, officers arrived and found the suspect dead. And our first reaction is always to make sure and check our family's locations. And thankfully, all of our family members were safe in the neighborhood. So we know a lot of people around here were raised here. Officials say Silver Rail serves kindergarten through fifth grade and has about 450 students and 40 staff members. The FBI is assisting with the investigation. David Lamb, NTD News. Our deepest condolences are with the entire Bend community. The Trump administration reports that crime is down in Memphis 34% after a year of the Memphis Safe Task Force. This includes notable drops in violent crime, robberies, and vehicle thefts. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has the latest from the Justice Department. The task force has made more arrests for murders. Attorney General Todd Blanche announces crime in Memphis is at a 25-year low following the start of the Memphis Safe Task Force in September 2025. And it's worth talking about, in 2024, Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita. Blanche says overall crime is down 34%, murders are down 33%, sexual assaults are down 25%, motor vehicle thefts are down 54%, robberies 40%, And aggravated assaults are down 24%. And he says the operation isn't ending now. We're not here saying that we're packing up and going home. To the contrary. We're saying that we have invested in this city and we're not cashing out our investment. Crime is down. And it is down significantly. Officials say over 13,000 arrests were made since the task force started. Of these arrests, almost 1,500 of those are known gang members. U.S. Marshals reports that 196 missing children have been recovered the past year since the task force started. Every child matters. Our message to missing children and their families is that we will never stop looking for you. And Tennessee Highway Patrol says troopers made 140,000 traffic stops so far during the operation. The felony arrests that have come with that, the guns seized, the drugs taken off the streets, the wanted people. Officials say they're focused on sustaining the results and using the task force as a model for other cities. Jason Blair, NTD News. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk debuts Tesla's new flying car, the Roadster. Demonstrations include driving upside down and launching over multiple vehicles while flipping sideways. TV's Jason Perry has the details. We need an audience to prove that it's not AI or CGI. Elon Musk on Thursday debuting Tesla's new flying car, the Roadster, at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas. In the first demonstration, the car drives up this steep ramp until eventually stopping upside down at the top and then drives back down the ramp. Now, you might say, like, how often do you want to stick upside down in a car? There you are. Not that often, but the downforce of the car means you can corner incredibly well. Like you can corner like it looks like you're breaking physics because the car sticks to the ground so hard. So acceleration cornering it's it's going to crush every track record that has ever existed. And in the next demonstration the vehicle continues driving off the ramp and then with jet thrusters it flips right side up and lands back on the ground. The stunts were performed autonomously without a driver inside. Another demonstration of the Roadster's capabilities includes launching over multiple vehicles while flipping sideways before landing back on the ground. The Roadster uses an advanced ultra-high pressure air tank and the car can recharge its own air tank. Musk says the Roadster uses SpaceX rocket technology along with Tesla's technology. In another demonstration, the Roadster went from zero to 60 miles per hour in 0.81 seconds. It's like the Newton's formula F equals ma as a equals f over m. So as you increase force and decrease mass, you get more acceleration. So the production car will actually do better than that. So we'll just ride the limit of don't detach the retina of the human in the car. The car's top speed is over 230 miles per hour. The Roadster is set to hit production lines in 2028. Jason Perry, NTD News. We are living in the age of the Jetsons. Coming up in Minnesota, a U.S. Senate candidate have their first and only debate, welfare fraud and ICE operations in the spotlight. We also have a debate recap from Maine and from Alaska. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Kerry Dunst. In Minnesota, U.S. Senate candidates are having their first and their only debate. Democrat Peggy Flanagan and Republican candidate Michelle Tafoya appear on NPR News. Do you have any ownership over the fraud that occurred over the last two terms of this administration? The governor's been very clear that the buck stops with him. He was the one who had oversight here. I've led on issues like paid family and medical leave, nation-leading child tax credit, making sure that kids get breakfast and lunch at school. Those are the things and those are the areas where I took the lead. They didn't get lunch from feeding your future. Listen. Is there a fraud double standard? Listen. I am going to Washington to be an equal opportunity pain in the ass to any corrupt career politician. I don't care which side of the aisle they're on or what office they hold. I note that my opponent here has mentioned Donald Trump's name. I don't know how many times I've lost count. Peggy. Donald Trump isn't on the ballot. You and I are on the ballot, and only one of us let $9 billion walk out the door to fraud. To suggest that she somehow is going to be a fraud czar all of a sudden? Talk about changing tax when it becomes politically expedient. My goodness, she was second in charge in this state, and she's just going to point her finger at Governor Tim Walz when she demanded it be the Walz-Flanagan administration, when she demanded to be in the room where everything happened. But suddenly, she has nothing. Nothing to do with this? My goodness. Again, sell it to someone else. Flanagan is the current lieutenant governor, and DeFoya is a political newcomer and former NFL reporter with a recent endorsement from President Trump. Apart from fraud, the two candidates discussed foreign wars, public safety, immigration policy, Medicare, alignment with President Trump, and AI, among other issues. They zoomed in on Operation Metro Surge when thousands of federal agents went into Minnesota last winter for immigration enforcement. So ICE should absolutely be ripped apart, and it should be replaced by a system that absolutely has secure borders, that is grounded in public safety for everyone, dignity, due process, humanity, and a pathway to citizenship for folks who have been here who are law-abiding. America should be a nation of immigration and also a nation of law and order. Those two things go hand in hand. The loss of Renee Goode and Alex Preti is devastating. I did not like the way that ICE rollout was handled by Kristi Noem, and she was appropriately fired. We also had a massive failure in leadership from Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who would not allow local law enforcement to help protect the protesters, help protect the immigrants, help protect the law enforcement, or help protect the general public NPR News politics editor Brian Basked moderated the one hour long debate and there were no audience members or voter questions. Polls show Flanagan and DeFoya in one of the closest races in Minnesota. They are vying for the open seat of retiring Democratic Senator Tina Smith. Early voting is already underway in the state. And Senate candidates in pivotal toss-up races sparring in the final public debates. A protester briefly interrupting in Maine while in Alaska, energy costs and candidate character filled the hour. And today's Melina Weisskopf has the recap. Maine Senator Susan Collins and Senate Democrat nominee sparring for the final time on energy, foreign policy, and campaign finance. Rejecting corporate PAC money. I think the Democrats are still too close to that. I don't accept corporate PACs. I don't accept corporate money. Two nights ago at our debate, you said that the very next morning you would provide your FEC report. You did not. You've also said that you would take no money. From billionaires. That's not accurate. Their stances on energy and Iran magnified compared to the three previous debates. Fifteen minutes into the debate, a protester interrupted, shouting about data centers and climate change. I'm sorry, somebody's interrupting. We'll have our security deal with that. Air conditioning centers are destroying our climate. They are poisoning our water. So this is obviously one of Troy's supporters. Shut up. I didn't, I didn't, I don't even know that kid. In Alaska, former Democrat Congresswoman Mary Peltola and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan shared views on energy costs. And of course we all desperately want more... More... Gas and oil production in Alaska, gas and oil will always be part of our energy portfolio. My opponent, when she was in Congress, actually voted against producing more Alaskan energy. Energy costs are going to come down when we produce more American energy. I have a strong record of doing that. Both having experience in Congress targeted each other's record and characters. 25 staffers quit on Mary Peltola. Because she abused them physically and emotionally. I do not think that this election is about me on my worst day. And I found so many of these allegations concerning and outright fabrications or mass exaggerations of the truth. What corporate greed and corruption have taken over D.C. And Dan Sullivan has taken their side every step of the way. He's voted for this price hiking war in Iran 14 times. He's voted to cut. Um, how ACA tax credits. I actually... bucked my party and voted to extend the premium tax credits on Obamacare twice. Mary Peltola, when she was in Congress, never voted at all to extend premium tax credits. But she did vote to make sure wealthy individuals got a $7,000 credit to buy an EV. Polls show Peltola and Sullivan neck and neck in a toss-up race that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Melina Weisskopf, NTD News. And as socialist ideology is taking center stage in some mid-term races, were everyday Americans assessing the way socialism is being marketed to the public. NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from the people. How do you look at the way socialism is being marketed to the American people nowadays? Too many people like the idea of it. I say move to a socialist country, see how you like it there, you'll probably come back here. The government would tell you, okay, this is your job, this is what you make. You couldn't go out and become an astronaut, you couldn't become the president. You wouldn't have those choices. I think it's being pushed towards us. We're not learning enough about what put us where we are now, and then to see the things where we're headed. I think it's being marketed towards young people. Okay. They're easily influenced, I feel. Seems like not a lot of people know actually what it is. You know what I mean? Like, taken from the people that are doing the work and distributing it to everyone, no matter what they were doing or not doing. We were built on principles that last forever on end. I think that all of our men and women fought for this, and that we shouldn't change it whatsoever. Do you think the Republicans and the moderate Democrats are doing enough to educate people about the dangers of socialism? No. We can always do more. You know, do better. Unfortunately, it seems like there's people that want a free ride, you know. If you just tell them enough's going to be free, you have to work for what you want. They're selling an idea of, you know, all the inclusiveness and all of those things. They're selling the idea of it, but they're not teaching them what it means. Like, what does it mean to be a socialist country? No, I don't think so. We enjoy the freedoms here because of the capitalist country we are. And if it was a communist country... You wouldn't have those freedoms anymore. Coming up, Tesla's flying car debut captures the attention of the world. What's the significance of the joint Tesla and SpaceX achievement? We have the analysis. Welcome back to NTD Evening News. I'm Cary Dunst. President Trump and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky keep clashing over their attitudes towards Russia. Zelensky continues criticizing the president for temporarily lifting the sanctions on Russian diesel. Commander-in-Chief, meanwhile, he's suggesting Zelensky leaves him no other choice. NTD's international correspondent, Ariane Pazdar, has the latest. Putin will listen to America if America really turns up there. The European Council is holding a summit with leaders from across the European Union. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also joining, asking European nations to increase sanctions on Russia while criticizing a recent diesel deal between Washington and Moscow. And now we can see how cash will start flowing. ...flowing back into Russia through the diesel deal. President Trump agreed to temporarily lift sanctions on around 2 million barrels of Russian diesel. He previously said the influx of Russian diesel will bring down global energy prices. The commander-in-chief now tells Newsmax that Zelensky caused the high energy prices. Zelensky... The comments from both leaders marked the latest development in an intensifying dispute between the two. President Trump now repeating his calls for Ukrainians to vote for a new president. I think that, frankly, Zelensky has been there a long time. I think you need an election because there's nobody that's telling me that the people of Ukraine are satisfied having missiles hitting their apartment building. The president says Ukraine needs a leader who's willing to make a deal and end the war. President Trump also clarifying that the US government didn't slow down Ukraine's drones, which are connected to a military version Wasn't Elon Musk who decided to temporarily pause Starlink access for the Ukrainian military? of Elon Musk's Starlink. Well, I don't know if it was anybody, because it wasn't me, and I don't think it was Elon. And from what I understand, it's the same as it's always been. Earlier this week, Ukraine complained that the drones were not as fast as they usually are, claiming either Musk or the U.S. military slowed them down. Arjen Pastar, NTD News. News. And CENTCOM provided an update today on the U.S. military's ongoing operations against Iran. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper detailing efforts to maintain shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Over the last seven days alone, about 400 merchant ships have sailed through the Strait. U.S. forces have also assisted Gulf partners in shipping over 100 million barrels of crude oil during the same period. Adding to the more than 1.3 billion barrels of crude, we have helped regional allies ship through the strait in recent months. None of this would be possible without the bravery, dedication, and professionalism of America's men and women in uniform who continue to do tremendous work each and every day. I couldn't be prouder of their efforts and I know the American people sharing that same pride. Cooper added that CENTCOM had dealt severe blows to Iran's oil exports, digital financing and payrolls for its security forces. As part of the effort, Cooper said the U.S. has prevented Iran from exporting at least $25 billion worth of crude oil. The CENTCOM commander adding that the U.S. has frozen nearly $350 million in digital cryptocurrency assets. According to Cooper, that funding that the Iranian regime would have used to finance proxy militias, criminal networks, and attacks against Americans. And now joining us to discuss the significance of the joint Tesla-SpaceX achievement is Tim Doscher, Executive Director at Unleash Prosperity Now. Tim, thanks for joining us this evening. Before we get into the economic and potentially the military competition implications, let's just take a moment to look at the achievement. I mean, it is really cool. What do you think of it? Kerry, well, first of all, I'm so glad you've started this way because yesterday when I saw this video, I was so glad my jaw was dropping, not because of some crappy reality television show or some politics here in D.C., but by sheer American innovation just leading the world in plain view. This is such a cool thing to see, and it's driving the world the way America should. It's like something out of a movie and it's it's happening. It's just the b-roll we were just playing I mean, it's it's hard to believe that that isn't you know Computer graphics like you'd see when you go to the the movie theater. All right So let let us get into the economics of this Musk. He's South African. He's doing this here in America Yeah, I Why does he choose America of all the places he could live in the world in your view? think Because if you look around at all the major cities, if you look around at the countries, there is no regulatory climate where this could be possible. that's No chance. There is no human capital where this could be possible. a good There is no energy. There is no data center. There is no anything that could serve the platform point. that requires incredible technology like this. And so I see this as, what Trump sees this as, is America being the forefront and leader of technology and innovation throughout the world. And that's why he's here. And he would tell you that too. Yeah. And when you think about the direction of America and you think about the coastal cities and and that sort of, you know, the middle of the country where you have Illinois, this innovation could have happened in California. It probably should have happened in California. Yet it happened in Texas. So maybe you could comment on that a bit. You're just teeing me up here because you're right. I mean, the big population centers in this country are rejecting this technology. I mean, you're not going to find driverless cars in major population centers, many of them anyway. Anyway. You're just not going to find them because of the regulatory burden, because of people who are stuck on regulation over innovation. However, you are seeing places like Austin, Texas lead on technology like this because they have the ability to do it. And so I think it's one of those things, Kerry, where you really need to focus on those red states versus blue states. And why do you think Elon left California and went to Texas? It's because of exactly what I'm talking about here. Yeah. And then when you take a global view, is there any risk that in the next decades that innovation may go to other places like communist China, where they're very eager to get their hands on this type of tech? Well, yeah. I mean, of course, innovation could go to China because China has central planning and whatever you need when you need it, they can say, we're going to give it to you. But the problem is, is when you go there, they're going to steal all of your intellectual property and then they're going to repurpose it for their own. And they're not going to lead the world. They're just going to lead it to lead themselves. And that's the thing. That's the reason why we have to continue to empower. You know, states and localities who are willing to allow this technology to build so they can overcome the places that are not as receiving to this kind of technology. And what type of investments, what type of leadership do we need to make sure that the next generation of Musks that may grow up in America or maybe they grow up in South Africa are doing this type of work here in America? I just think we need fearless leadership from the states and the localities, low taxes, low regulation. And then we also need to be real about the fact that this has the potential, especially autonomous vehicles. They have the potential, Kerry, to save lives. I mean, Waymo just did a study that they said out of the quarter million autonomous miles that have been driven in this country, they estimate that 30,000 lives were saved, Hey, you know, given how many miles were driven by people. And so if we are going to be all in on this, let's be real about the fact that we are saving lives and we are promoting safety here, but also innovation, technology, and moving forward. And you certainly point to some of the upside of having more automation where there's potentially a lot of human error, such as car accidents. There are many people who are railing against data centers. They're looking for AI regulations. And there are some potentially dystopian, disastrous potential outcomes if we don't get it right. So how do you have your cake and eat it too when it comes to things like these autonomous systems? Well, look, tech companies have done a horrible job of selling the fact that we need to have data centers. The phone that I'm using right now to broadcast to everybody right now is supported by a data center. It's not just AI. When you take pictures on your phone, it's saved in a cloud, which is, of course, supported by a data center. And it's so much more than that. And so what we need to be doing is we just need to be making sure that we are building data centers where people actually want them, where people are receiving them, not going to war with city councils that may be more heavily on regulatory and tax and all that policy. So I think that that's kind of the angle that we need to have here in order to support this technology. If we don't, then yeah, we will cede it to China or other countries. And just real quick, parting shot on AI and SI, how do you have that technology with all of its good applications while mitigating the risks that people who are railing against it, even from the makers of the tech itself, how do you have your cake and eat it too on that particular subject? It's amazing the makers of technology are against the technology. I'm still trying to figure this out right now. But what I will say is this, just remember the auto industry. I'm a son of Detroit, Michigan. And if you look back at the auto industry history, there were so many deaths at the beginning of the auto industry. Steering wheels were breaking off and people were getting into accidents and they were impaling people. It was a horrible thing. But that was improved over time And we started to see those accidents go down, Kerry. And we saw the auto industry become the leader in technology and innovation. We need to make sure that we are staying on top of this stuff, but at the same time, not killing it. All right. Well, Tim Doshier, thank you so much for joining. Appreciate it. Thanks, Kerry. See ya. And staying with the auto industry, General Motors is set to launch an advanced version of its driver assist technology. Now, this new hands-free feature, it allows drivers to take their eyes off the road. NTS Andrew Thomas has more on that. Hundreds of volunteers take this Cadillac Lyric for a spin at General Motors Global Technical Center in suburban Detroit. The electric vehicle is a real-world model, but the drivers aren't actually on the road. Instead, they're inside a simulator. The 360-degree immersive environment measures eye movement, heart rate, and other reactions against driving tests. The simulation is how GM and rival automakers are testing their advanced driver assistance systems. As General Motors moves into more automated driving scenarios and experiences and solutions around those, what we need to do is make sure that we understand all the different types of scenarios that customers may find themselves in and then understand how customers perceive those scenarios. Advanced driver assistance systems, known as ADAS, feature automatic emergency braking, blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, surround view cameras, and driver attention monitors. The autonomous technology allows a vehicle to respond to unexpected scenarios while on the road. That could mean avoiding a deer, an unplanned detour, or an active construction zone. The feature allows drivers to go hands-free at times, but the current technology still requires drivers to pay attention to what's in front of them. When we talk about eyes off technology at General Motors, what we're talking about is truly a technology that is so safe that it allows you to take your eyes off the road while it's active and do other things in the cabin. GM is testing the human driver's response as well as future versions of its advanced driver assistance systems. Data from the simulation, automated vehicles already on the roads, and artificial intelligence all play a part. GM Research and Development Senior Manager Maureen August says having participants play an app on a tablet is one way to test their attention. For us right now, we give people Candy Crush in the simulator because Because we've found it's very effective for getting people involved and wanting to get the highest score, so it's a great way for us to get you engaged and then have to pull you away from a task. Once fully developed, consumers will be able to subscribe for eyes-off capabilities. 2028 is kind of the timeline that there's a whole group of automakers that are all targeting for launching their eyes-off systems, including General Motors. Ford is also planning to launch an eyes-off system in that time frame. Thank you very much, Brian. Rivian, Lucid. Automakers hope these systems develop to the point where drivers can safely take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road. With a system like Super Cruise, today... They still have to be watching the road, so they can't be doing other things. But when they don't have to watch the road, now they've got time to do other things, like answer their emails while they're commuting to work. Uh, and And so that's where they see the real value proposition and the potential for consumers to pay that subscription fee. GM says its latest version of advanced driver assistance systems could be available by 2028. Until then, drivers will need to keep their eyes on the road. Andrew Thomas, NTD News. And there won't be any more Pepsi for the Colonel. KFC is switching sides. They're going to be serving Coca-Cola products at its U.S. locations starting in January. Colonel Sanders' restaurant chain has sold Pepsi soft drinks now for decades and was even owned by the brand in much of the 1980s and 90s. KFC has lost a lot of its luster over the years, slipping from the country's largest chicken chain all the way down to fifth place overall. But it still does have thousands of locations, and for Pepsi, losing that contract is a blow to its longtime rivalry with Coke. Pepsi has also been facing mounting pressure from Dr. Pepper and specialty beverage brands. And coming up in baseball's playoffs, the champs are out, the Brewers are into the World Series, but who will they play? Dave Martin joins us with the latest. For Sports News, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, the baseball playoffs are heating up. One team advances the Brewers to the World Series, and the reign of the Dodgers is over. So what do you make of it all? Yeah, it came to a crashing halt, I'll say that. So Brewers beat the Dodgers last night 6-4, complete their sweep of L.A. Dodgers reign as the champions, as you said, Kerry, is over. Could not manage a win versus the Brewers. The game actually started out with plenty of promise, though, for the Dodgers. Show me how Tommy came out of his Slump there with a three-run home run in the second inning, part of a four-run inning. But Brewers pitching really from then on. JoJo Romero, Aaron Ashby especially, shut the door from there on out. No runs after that second inning. Otani, meanwhile, struck out three times in his four at-bats. And the Brewers offense pieced together their way back with five runs over the next four innings. And then another one, insurance run in the ninth to close it out. Brewers first baseman Jake Bowers was named NLCS MVP after a home run and six RBIs in the series. So Milwaukee, which has not been to the World Series since 1982, advances to there. Who they play still up for grabs. We've got the Rays and Guardians over in the ALCS still battling it out. Game 4 tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Cleveland leads the series two games to one. Alright, that's heating up. Looking forward to following that. Let's move to college football. You know, my freshman year at Penn State, we were undefeated and we were ranked number two behind Tom Osborne's Nebraska. And salty still, all these years later, I thought every year we would make it to, you know, an undefeated season. And it really hasn't happened since. But the point is, that was what led to the BCS instituting a two-team playoff. Essentially, yes. Then it went to four, and then it went to 12. It's going to stay at 12 for a little while, but, you know, there are over 100 college football teams. So how do they get the right formula here? Well, you know, that remains to be seen. Obviously, it's a mixture of money and pleasing the bowl games. I'll say that. But according to ESPN, Kerry, they are at least going to look like they might be expanding it. The college football playoff and their committee or their team is in discussions. To reportedly double the size of the playoffs, that's according to a report from ESPN, from 12 teams up to 24 teams. Now, under this proposal, the top eight teams would get a first round bye, followed by a second round home game. Meanwhile, those New Year's Six Bowls, that's the Fiesta, Rose, Sugar, Peach, Orange, and Cotton Bowl, would host the quarterfinals, semifinals, and national title game. In addition, though, the conference games, because this would really push the season even longer. Conference games would be axed as a part of this proposal. Now this report comes from ESPN. Carries some weight as ESPN has been the broadcast partner of the college football playoffs. Still though, no official word has actually come yet. And of course, More games, of course, means more money, TV money especially. So I would think it's a good bet you'll have. Yeah, you know, they used to play, like, right into Thanksgiving weekend, and then they had that lull into January, and you thought it was because they were actually students and they had to do their finals. But at the end of the day, you know, those championship games of the conferences, like, you really only have two conferences at this point, like mega conferences. So I think I'm in support of just expanding it and just getting... More teams the opportunity to make a run, you know? I think a lot of the power, the power-four teams will say that. I think they are definitely in favor of axing these conference games. Some of them look at it like there's really nothing to gain if you're the higher team and really already have some, already have pretty much a spot in the playoffs, clinched. So I don't think it's very popular with them. So I think this would axe it, probably. All right. Well, there's enough money to go around. I'm sure they can figure it out. Let's talk about college football. What's happening on Saturday and this weekend for college football? Yeah, we got a pair of top 10 matchups, of course. A whole lot of ranked teams are in action. Let's go over them here. One of the first match-ups of the day, probably the biggest, fifth-ranked Indiana hosts number four, Ohio State at noon Eastern time. This is a battle of the last two national champions. Both at 3-0 in the Big Ten as well, so a very pivotal game. Also at noon, 7th-ranked Texas looks to rebound, hosting Florida. 16th-ranked Mississippi State hosts Lane Kiffin, 22nd-ranked LSU squad. Virginia plays at No. 24, SMU, in an ACC battle. And 25th-ranked Northwestern is at Michigan State. Then at 3.30, several good SEC matchups here. No. 1-ranked Georgia, fresh off that win over Alabama, hosts Auburn. 14th-ranked Tennessee hosts the aforementioned Alabama Crimson Tide. 9th-ranked Ole Miss faces No. 13 Missouri. And in the Big 12, 12th-ranked Texas Tech hosts Arizona State. We've got more still in primetime. 3rd-ranked Miami hosts Florida State in an ACC rivalry game. At 7:30, a couple more good matchups here. BYU, No. 8 BYU hosts 2nd-ranked Notre Dame. 12th-ranked UCLA hosts Wisconsin. 18th-ranked Oklahoma State hosts No. 20 Houston. And another one in the SEC, 15th ranked Kentucky is at unranked Oklahoma, despite the Sooners beating Texas last week. So I don't know if you followed all that, Kerry. We've got a lot of games on tomorrow, all right? You know what I heard? I heard Indiana, Ohio State. Big 10 guy right here, of course. That's the big one, right? Ohio State has been the class for, you know, for decades. But out of nowhere, the worst to now the best, Cignetti. You know, I'm always a Penn State guy, but I got to say, I am just amazed by what he has done with that program. I think this is like the underrated story of the decade, if not the century, and really in sports. I mean, I don't think anyone thought Indiana would ever become a national power. I mean, you thought maybe one time they could get the right formula and win a national title, but they're clearly national power under Cignetti right now. That's amazing. Well, that is all the time we have for sports and for evening news, but for around-the-clock coverage, you can always visit us at NTD.com. For Dave Martin, I am Cary Dunst. Have a great weekend. Be true, kind, hold the line. We'll see you soon.