Trump seeks nuclear deal with Iran to end war: 'there's never a deadline' - The Hill | NEWSNATION

0:00 Hello, good evening.

0:00 Thanks for being with us tonight.

0:02 I'm Blake Burman.

0:03 So, breaking tonight, a new nuclear deal.

0:06 Maybe the US and Iran discussing a one-page

0:09 memo to end the war and restart nuclear talks.

0:12 The commander-in-chief saying any potential deal

0:16 must include his ultimate red line.

0:19 We want to keep all of you alive.

0:21 Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

0:23 And they won't.

0:24 And they've agreed to that among other things.

0:28 So, is the one pager a case of less is

0:31 more or is a whole lot more fine print needed?

0:36 Also at this hour, filling up to help you fly.

0:40 We are now learning what it's costing your airline to take flight.

0:45 When will that trickle down to your ticket prices?

0:48 Chris Cenounu, Airlines for America, answering that question for us tonight.

0:53 Also this evening, a scathing rebuke.

0:56 The nation's top cop blasting Arizona police for what

0:58 he describes as mishandling the Nancy Guthrie investigation.

1:03 Our Brian Enton joins us live in a bit

1:06 as new theories emerge around the missing mom's disappearance.

1:10 Plus, I guess you could call this one stars and strikes.

1:16 President Trump unveiling new details on the UFC Octagon coming to the South

1:21 Lawn as part of a knockout celebration for America's 250th birthday.

1:26 We'll take you inside the White House for that ringside announcement.

1:32 But first tonight, the one sheeter with endless questions.

1:36 The US and Iran focusing on a one-page memo that could potentially end the war,

1:41 open the straight of Hormuz, and restart nuclear negotiations.

1:45 The process would reportedly address

1:47 Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief,

1:50 but according to reports, disagreements over uranium uh uranium enrichment.

1:57 But the commander-in-chief says it's only a matter

2:00 of time before Tyrron signs on the dotted line.

2:04 So, they're out of business.

2:06 And we'll see whether or not they are agreeing.

2:10 And if they don't agree, they'll end up agreeing shortly thereafter.

2:15 On the corner of Wall and Broad today,

2:16 signs of diplomacy sending stocks surging green across the screen there.

2:21 Uh both the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 rocketing to all-time highs.

2:26 Oil prices as well falling sharply.

2:29 However, tensions still remain with what's

2:33 currently a fragile ceasefire tonight.

2:35 in the water.

2:36 The US military enforcing a hard line,

2:38 opening fire on an Iranian flagged vessel trying to break the American blockade.

2:44 Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery,

2:46 Ambassador Mark Wallace with me in moments.

2:48 But first, over to the White House, our Kelly Meyer live with the very latest.

2:53 Kelly?

2:56 Yeah, Blake.

2:56 Like you said, some movement here on the US Iran talks.

2:59 A source familiar telling me the US

3:00 and Iran are nearing an agreement on a one-page

3:03 memorandum to end the war and a framework for talks on the nuclear program.

3:08 Now, there was some reporting that the US was expecting a response

3:11 from Iran within the next 48 hours on some of these proposals.

3:15 President Trump saying in the oval today that there's never a deadline.

3:18 Quote, "It will happen." Listen to this.

3:22 Now, we have to get what we have to get.

3:24 If we don't do that, we'll have to go a big step further.

3:28 But with that being said, uh they want to make a deal.

3:32 We've had very good talks over the last 24

3:34 hours and it's very possible that we'll make a deal.

3:40 Iran's foreign minister in Beijing today.

3:42 China reportedly calling for a comprehensive ceasefire.

3:46 Iran saying China believes Iran's international standing had risen

3:50 and that a quote new era of cooperation lie ahead.

3:53 Iran is reportedly reviewing the US proposal,

3:56 but there are still questions around Iran's nuclear program

4:00 and the path to reopening the straight of Hermoose.

4:03 Blake,

4:04 Kelly Meyer live for us tonight over at 1600.

4:06 Kelly, thank you.

4:07 So, as a deal with Iran is attempted to be brokered.

4:10 One of the questions remaining tonight,

4:12 what is Iran's nuclear capability at the moment

4:15 and how bad it's been damaged for years to come?

4:18 According to multiple reports, the proposed month-long process would address

4:22 Iran's nuclear program and sanctions relief,

4:24 but major disagreements remain over uranium enrichment limits,

4:30 inspections, and sequencing.

4:32 President Trump today saying roughly 80% of Iran's missiles have

4:36 been wiped out as the Secretary of State laid out

4:39 from the White House briefing room Tuesday what the administration believes

4:42 Iran was planning to do with their missile and nuclear capabilities.

4:47 Their missiles are mostly decimated.

4:49 They have some they have probably 18 19% but uh

4:53 not a lot by comparison to what they had.

4:56 Their plan was they were going

4:56 to build this conventional shield where they would

4:58 have so many thousands of missiles and drones

5:00 and rockets that they couldn't be attacked.

5:02 And behind that conventional shield that they were trying to build,

5:05 they would then break out and do

5:06 whatever they wanted with their nuclear program.

5:08 They no longer have that conventional shield.

5:11 Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery back with us tonight.

5:13 2 is Ambassador Mark Wallace, CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran.

5:19 Admiral, Ambassador, thank you both for being with us.

5:22 Um, Admiral, let me start with you because I thought

5:23 it was uh revealing that the president said today basically

5:26 80% of their missile capacity is is gone and after

5:30 the secretary of state laid that out for us yesterday,

5:34 what do you believe Iran's capabilities are tonight given the fact

5:38 that there's maybe there's this one sheeter going back and forth?

5:44 Well, thank you for having me and I agree with Secretary Rubio

5:46 that we've removed their shield um so to speak that they can build behind,

5:51 but they still have a capability to impose cost

5:54 on their neighbors whether it's with long range missiles or drones.

5:58 Uh they can still impact their Arab neighbors who

6:01 are our partners or Israel uh who's also our ally.

6:05 So they still have a capability capacity to impose cost.

6:07 I'm surprised that our negotiations haven't dealt

6:10 with their long range uh ballistic missile capability over time.

6:15 That was always a complaint that the Trump

6:16 administration previously had with the JCPOA,

6:20 the Obama administration agreement.

6:23 Is this a case, Ambassador, of less is more or um a one-sh?

6:33 Well, first of all, thank you for having me on.

6:34 It's an honor to be on with both of you and of course the admiral.

6:37 Look, I think there's been a bit of confusion about

6:40 the simplistic deal versus the complex deal of President Obama's JCPOA.

6:45 I think you have two levels of these negotiations.

6:47 Really, the political level of really the overarching principles that guide

6:51 a nuclear deal and then the technical aspects that would fulfill that deal.

6:56 Look, if you agree to a some form of enrichment,

6:59 the technical aspects of a nuclear agreement are

7:02 very arcane and the inspections are very intensive.

7:05 If there's no enrichment, those technical aspects are far more limited.

7:09 Uh, and really it's the political overlay

7:12 that must lead to any if any technical discussions.

7:16 And I think so basically you're saying to get to the to get

7:18 to the fine print that's that's the devil's in the details, I guess.

7:23 Correct.

7:23 I mean during the negotiations of the JCPOA,

7:26 Secretary Kerry Kerry early on said that Iran

7:30 could have an enrichment program that spawned

7:33 a very technical negotiations of what the constraints

7:37 and size and proportions of that enrichment program were.

7:40 And that was highly technical with energy nuclear experts

7:43 and otherwise a political deal of saying no enrichment,

7:46 no funding of proxies, uh no barriers to the straight of Hormuz.

7:50 I'm giving you the rainbows in unicorn.

7:52 Okay.

7:53 uh proposal would be quite simple and could be accomplished in a deal.

7:57 But look, Iran is trying to buy time here and to allow their economy to survive.

8:02 They're are in survival mode.

8:04 That regime is in its death rows.

8:06 The question is when it dies.

8:08 So, so as you describe it as when the regime dies and trying to buy time,

8:14 um Admiral, here was the president today.

8:16 It was the very last question he was asked,

8:18 but it was about the possibility of a deadline.

8:21 Here he was.

8:26 Never a deadline.

8:29 It'll happen, but never never a deadline, he says.

8:34 What do you make of those comments and and sort of what

8:36 it means for us here in the upcoming weeks, maybe months?

8:42 Well, President Trump's had lots of deadlines,

8:44 but I actually agree with him in his in his um intent there.

8:48 Look, we're in the position, the strength, the strong position here.

8:51 Our blockade is preventing them from getting 15 to 17 billion dollars a month.

8:56 90 to 95% of their their uh exports are blocked

9:00 by our navy and our in our military's uh blockade.

9:04 And in fact, we've gone down and seized a few

9:06 of the ships that went through prior to the blockade,

9:08 taking $250 million off the table each time we do it.

9:11 If we keep this up, we will eventually break their economy.

9:15 They do not have another asset and they'll do long-term damage to the fields.

9:19 I know it's an arcane topic about fracking and how you reopen these fields,

9:23 but in shutting them down, they'll do damage.

9:25 So, they are the ones in the weaker position.

9:27 The president's right, no deadline.

9:30 Um, real quick on the on the issue

9:32 of possibly will Iran get some of its funds back.

9:35 Here's what the president said um a couple weeks ago.

9:39 No money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form.

9:43 Iran will be and and you know how we're going to get the dust, right?

9:48 Iran, we were going to take it anyway,

9:51 but taking it taking it that way is slightly more dangerous.

9:56 Real quick, Admiral and Ambassador.

9:58 Admiral, I'll start with you.

9:59 If we unfreeze their funds, does that count as exchange money exchanging hands?

10:04 Yeah, I'd rather just It does.

10:06 And I think I would rather rel do sanctions relief,

10:09 which is which he did not dismiss.

10:12 Ambassador, look, time is on our side.

10:15 I think the president with all the partisan sniping back and forth,

10:18 you have to give credit to the president.

10:20 He has shifted the delay tactic onto the Iranians.

10:24 The longer this goes, the more pain on the Iranians.

10:28 And I think whatever the deal would be,

10:30 I would have no problem transferring monies to a free and open

10:34 Iran with a great Iranian people that were integrated into the global economy.

10:38 But regrettably, two to three million of the IRGC control

10:41 those 87 other million people uh and have them under oppression.

10:47 Admiral Montgomery, Ambassador Wallace, always nice to see you both.

10:50 Uh thanks for the perspective tonight on a story that is moving.

10:54 Appreciate it.

10:55 By the way, it took 20 months when you talk about the JCPOA,

10:58 that's otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal in the Obama administration,

11:02 and it was implemented 3 months after that.

11:06 just to take you back a trip down memory lane.

11:09 All right, still to come tonight, turbulence ahead,

11:11 new signs your summer plans may never take off.

11:15 Maybe, I don't know,

11:16 as airlines in America and beyond begin cancelling flights at a record clip.

11:21 President and CEO of Airlines for America, Chris Cenounu.

11:27 Other side of the break.

11:29 My ticket price is going up.

11:32 All right, we'll get we'll get to it.

11:33 We'll see what means.

11:34 Plus, a high-profile lawmaker implicated in a corruption probe.

11:38 Why the feds raided her home and the pot shop next door.

11:49 Tonight, new signs your summer travel plans um might be

11:53 a little bit more expensive when you decide to take off.

11:56 US Airlines cutting thousands of routes this summer to address

11:59 rising fuel costs due to the war with Iran.

12:02 United, for example, cutting 21,000 flights, Delta about 7,000, American 6,000.

12:08 Of course, we saw the collapse of Spirit Airlines in the recent days as well,

12:11 due in part to rising fuel costs.

12:14 Really, that was the the end, the last bit of it for them.

12:17 Abroad, the Mirror tonight,

12:19 outlets abroad as well reporting major airlines can 13,000 flights in Europe,

12:25 more than a hundred from Heathrow, that's London's international airport.

12:28 All this, of course,

12:29 as airlines spent a whopping $5 billion in March on jet fuel.

12:34 We learned of that today.

12:35 That's up 56% from what they spent in February.

12:40 Joining us now, Chris Cenounu, president and CEO of Airlines for America,

12:44 a busy man um with us.

12:46 It has been a little busy.

12:47 Yeah, you've been a little busy.

12:48 It's been fun.

12:49 Let's break it down airlines into individual and individuals as well.

12:52 What's going on right now with the airlines?

12:55 We saw today basically five billion in fuel costs last month.

12:59 Prices are up about 31% in jet fuel costs for these airlines.

13:03 Uh well, a couple things.

13:05 The jet the cost of jet fuel itself has doubled, right?

13:08 So, and what the airlines I think have been doing over

13:10 the last two months is what are all the things they can do?

13:13 So, they're trying to avoid passing that cost on to the customer.

13:16 So, for example, they did increase their baggage fees because

13:18 that's optional whether you want to do that or not.

13:21 um they are are looking at cutting back

13:22 on as you noted on some of the flights that are

13:25 just that are very fuel heavy right or that don't

13:28 you know that they basically take losses on.

13:30 So they're just trying to get the their systems

13:31 as tight as they can hopefully uh with the the these few short months to get

13:36 out of this get the straight of hormuse open.

13:38 Unfortunately, with when you look at the fact

13:40 that the price of fuel has doubled, it's not oil, right?

13:43 It's called the crack spread.

13:44 It's the price to actually produce jet fuel.

13:46 That doubles, that's about 30% of the cost to keep an airplane in the air.

13:50 So that's, as you noted, billions of dollars.

13:52 They will eat most of that cost.

13:54 The airlines themselves will lose 12 billion this year because they're

13:58 trying to avoid passing most of it off to the customer, but there will be price

14:01 increases.

14:02 You you know this and I I just want to show it.

14:04 Let me show it real quick.

14:04 So, this was a flight.

14:06 Uh McKenzie and company did this.

14:07 This is a flight from London to New York.

14:11 And what you'll notice here, these are all the different costs, right?

14:15 Airport costs, leasing costs, but the main chunk here is fuel

14:19 on this flight that cost basically 150 grand to operate.

14:23 50,000 of it was fuel.

14:25 So, as you note,

14:26 they are going to eat some of the cost, but they're not eating all of that.

14:29 And so when it trickles down eventually, some of its air for this summer.

14:38 So what we've seen the last two months is prices have gone up about 20%.

14:42 Um and so will that if if there's no resolution I ran,

14:45 will it continue to go up?

14:45 It could go up a bit.

14:46 Yeah, sure.

14:47 So the average domestic ticket was about $300 two months ago

14:50 or I should say this time last year it's about 360 right now.

14:54 So it's not the end of the world, but it is more expensive.

14:57 Um, we're still the good news is this.

14:59 We're still seeing people buy in, right?

15:01 They're using their rewards and their loyalty programs.

15:03 They're cashing in.

15:04 They're redeeming all their points on their credit cards.

15:06 And those those programs are awesome.

15:07 Is that a good thing or a bad thing that they're being forced to do?

15:09 Well, I don't know if they're being for they're just taking advantage.

15:11 They're saying, "Okay, well, think while things are expensive,

15:13 I'll take advantage and cash in my points and and that sort of thing." But we

15:16 are seeing people still booking to come for FIFA uh for the World Cup this year,

15:20 which is interesting.

15:21 The real uh crisis, if you will, on fuel is in Europe.

15:25 So the problem really stems from if you go over to Europe,

15:28 will there be supply issu in in supply available to come back?

15:32 Um a lot of our cargo carriers, Atlas,

15:35 U UPS, FedEx, they hop around Europe a lot.

15:38 So the supply chain problem over there is harder for our cargo guys.

15:41 So we have to kind of look at it from both

15:43 a geopolitical and uh geohysical uh issue in terms of supply and cost.

15:48 So yes, unfortunately the consumers are going to have a little more hit on them,

15:52 but the airlines are are eating, you know,

15:53 the vast majority of this of this uptake.

15:55 How would it come down?

15:58 Consumers are eating some of this, but at what point does that stop?

16:01 Uh, it it's it'll start to come down when the straight opens,

16:04 but it it it comes up fast and it

16:06 goes down slowly because it's a supply chain issue.

16:08 So you have to get your supply chains, your your fuels, you know,

16:11 they actually have to get the fuel from the oil fields to the refinery

16:15 to the to the um you know to the actual airports and whatnot.

16:19 So similar to what you'll see in in autos,

16:21 although the the price problem isn't as bad with automobiles,

16:24 you'll see it I we call it kind of sticky.

16:26 My guess is late summer, early fall, you'll see the prices more back to normal.

16:30 There's probably some folks screaming at the TV.

16:31 Just ask them.

16:32 Um if I have to book a a ticket this summer, when do you do it?

16:35 Right now.

16:36 Yeah.

16:36 Book if you're booking.

16:37 Look, if you're booking a ticket, you should book 60 to 90 days out.

16:39 You should book in the same time frame to get the best price.

16:42 It's always about 60 to 90 days, but yeah,

16:44 definitely book now and don't be afraid to book.

16:46 And and what happens if your route gets cut, right?

16:48 Like you just said, they're pulling back on big on routes

16:51 that have a lot of um fuel or fewer passengers.

16:54 They're they're not necessarily cutting their routes.

16:56 If they have, for example, if they have uh five planes doing that route a day,

16:59 maybe they go down to three and they'll ask you

17:01 to basically move your time in in the time of day.

17:05 Yeah.

17:04 Move your time in the time of day.

17:05 All right.

17:06 which is which is which can be tough, but it's either that or start throwing all

17:09 these these cost um enhancements onto the consumer.

17:13 That's exactly what they're trying to avoid.

17:14 Let me let me leave you with this.

17:15 We obviously saw the big news with Spirit

17:17 Airlines uh in the last handful of days.

17:20 Um there was another story involving United and American.

17:25 Yes.

17:25 and the CEO of uh United, Scott Kirby, who said the other day,

17:30 quote, "While our pursuit of talks with American have ended,

17:32 our mission to build the greatest airline

17:34 in the history of aviation at United is well underway.

17:37 Our pursuit of talks with United have ended." Do those airlines ever merge?

17:44 Probably not.

17:44 No, probably not.

17:45 No, I mean, you you'd be looking at they would take basically 40% of the market.

17:49 It would be that would be a monster monopoly for the market.

17:52 And I think folks understood that.

17:53 So, I think Scott, you know, Scott is an amazing operator at United Airlines.

17:57 He does a great job.

17:58 He thinks really big.

17:59 He kind of threw the idea out there.

18:01 Not really probably not going to something

18:02 that would fly with um with Department of Justice

18:05 and those that have to kind of monitor

18:06 all that the monop monopolistic aspects of it, but you know, he thinks big.

18:09 God bless him.

18:10 United's a great airline as is American, as is Delta, as is Southwest.

18:13 Well, you represent them, so you got to say Alaska and Jet Blue.

18:16 Don't forget those guys, too.

18:17 Thank you, sir.

18:18 Airlines for America.

18:19 Appreciate it.

18:19 By the way, uh based on the average price of a roundtrip flight in the US,

18:22 the cost for a family of four, trust me, I deal with this.

18:26 It's expensive to fly, $1,480, uh which is up $140 bucks before the war.

18:32 264 compared to last year.

18:36 All right, breaking news out of LA at this hour.

18:38 We are now learning of a massive drug bust happening right now.

18:42 300 DEA agents.

18:44 This is a live look um from our NextStar

18:47 station KTLA in Los Angeles above the scene there.

18:51 Um the CDC director we are also learning Dr.

18:55 Meett Oz is on the scene.

18:56 What's going on in LA other side of the break as we sort this one out.

19:00 Plus an inside look at the cross country efforts

19:02 to stop cartels from dumping drugs into the country.

19:05 News Nation one-on-one with the acting attorney general.

19:10 In the past, they might have felt protected where they lived,

19:13 that they could um avoid arrest, avoid prosecution, and avoid extradition.

19:17 I don't think they feel that anymore.

19:22 All right, bottom of the hour, top story tonight,

19:24 uh as we take a live look in Los Angeles.

19:27 This comes from our NextStar affiliate uh KTLA,

19:30 which is reporting tonight that federal and local agents uh seizing drugs,

19:34 including 19 kilos of fentinel, arresting 18 people, 200 DEA agents,

19:40 more than 100 LA uh PD involved in the raid.

19:45 As you see there, the CMS director, Memed Oz on site as we listen live.

19:49 Issues that we're facing.

19:51 I use morphine as a doctor.

19:53 I'm a heart surgeon.

19:53 Morphine is actually a drug we use sometimes to put people to sleep

19:56 at heart surgery because it's actually more gentle for the heart and it's fast.

20:01 It knocks you out like that.

20:03 In fact, fentinyl is used in the operating

20:05 room sometimes because before you know it, you can't breathe anymore,

20:08 but thankfully we're there to put a breathing tube down.

20:11 The thought of 190,000 doses of lethal fentinyl chills me.

20:17 It should scare you as well.

20:20 That is a de a devastating dose.

20:22 Forget about the $10 million street value.

20:25 The thought of losing that many Americans to the Silo cartel and others who

20:29 just don't care about us should want you to declare war on this problem,

20:34 which is exactly what happened today

20:36 with these brave officers at the federal level,

20:38 at the at the city level, state level, at the local level.

20:41 It makes a difference and it sends a shot across the bow.

20:44 Now, I worked for Senator for uh uh Secretary Kennedy,

20:50 and Secretary Kennedy is very open about the fact

20:52 that when his father was murdered in this city in 1968,

20:56 he fell into a deep despair, and it took him into the spiraling downward

21:02 lack of control world of being a drug addict.

21:05 And he lived there for 14 years.

21:07 He's a stronger man today because he weathered that.

21:10 But he's not the only one who the administration has looked

21:12 the drug straight in the face and faced the damaging consequences.

21:15 Obviously, the vice president has told that story and others as well,

21:18 if not affecting themselves, people in their family that they love and care for.

21:22 This morning before we got here,

21:24 there was a silence in the the uh the the jeep that we drove over,

21:30 the Bearcat, because we learned that we were delayed for a few

21:33 minutes because somebody had died here in a back alley.

21:36 After we arrived, after many of you in the media arrived,

21:39 there was an overdose just down the street

21:41 with the eyesight that was thankfully reversed.

21:44 But I was in Kensington recently and witnessed someone go

21:46 down and when they were given a life-saving dose of fentinol,

21:49 they were angry that they had been brought back to life.

21:53 This, my friends, was a rescue mission.

21:57 As a doctor, I can say that with great confidence.

21:59 We saved lives out here today.

22:01 We've also sent a very clear message to Sacramento that you cannot play

22:05 with this anymore because you're playing with fire and you're not doing so well.

22:09 And so the kinds of things that I believe

22:11 we can address by by going into the visible

22:15 addiction that was faced on this street and the worsening

22:18 conditions for policies that just have not worked.

22:22 Reduction of harm is a failed approach in MacArthur Park.

22:25 Maybe somewhere else it may work, but here it doesn't.

22:28 In addiction, however, does work.

22:29 And when we're serious about it and enforcement like this is a starting point,

22:33 prevention is required and we are here

22:35 and I'll speak for the federal government here.

22:37 Medicaid will embrace these people.

22:40 We care about this people.

22:41 The beautiful program that you all pay tax dollars into will save these addicts.

22:46 But you can't have pushers across the street who are sitting up

22:51 shot in bodeas where they're allowed to distribute these drugs and not

22:55 far away the big distributors and the lower cartel across the border

22:59 are able to destroy the recovery pathway that otherwise would exist.

23:03 This is a cost to the system as well.

23:05 Medicaid is the single largest payer for substance use disorders.

23:08 We are here.

23:09 We will put that money in.

23:10 But the cost to society of allowing these addictive behaviors

23:13 to continue is a hundred billion dollars a year of lost productivity.

23:17 I'm going to say that again so it sinks in.

23:19 Hundred billion dollars a year of los lost productivity.

23:22 We believe the breakdown is evident.

23:25 We know what we think will work.

23:26 You saw evidence of it today.

23:28 And my hope is that we will take care of people.

23:31 As Hubert Humphrey declared,

23:32 those living at the dawn of life, those are our children.

23:35 We cover most of those children now through Medicaid and CHIP.

23:38 Those living at the twilight of life are seniors.

23:40 Medicare does that.

23:41 But today was about those living in the shadows.

23:44 And that haunting metaphor should affect you.

23:47 It affects me because I know we can do better for those folks.

23:50 Now, we have built a nationwide effort to try

23:53 to address some of the fraud we're seeing.

23:55 This is a good example.

23:56 When you don't take care of people that that we

23:58 should be caring for, and we're a great nation, we'll do that naturally.

24:01 That's revealing of fraudulent activities.

24:03 But I want to ask Kim Brandt to come.

24:05 She runs the program integrity unit at CMS.

24:09 Uh she's chief operating officer and we have been looking very careful

24:12 at the entire soup the nuts endeavor in California in particular in Los

24:17 Angeles ranging from hospices to personal care services and I'd like

24:21 to her to give you a short succinct update of where we are.

24:25 Kim

24:26 great thank you Dr.

24:27 Oz.

24:28 One of the biggest things that we've done.

24:29 All right.

24:29 So, we've been listening live there uh in Los

24:32 Angeles as the Trump administration represented there on the ground.

24:36 Dr.

24:36 Memed Oz spelling out this massive raid uh massive drug bust in Los Angeles,

24:43 200 DEA agents, 100 Los Angeles police officers involved.

24:48 We're learning tonight that this targeted

24:50 multiple people connected to the Sinaloa cartel.

24:53 And as part of this operation,

24:55 the federal government saying tonight that nearly 42 pounds of fentinel

25:01 seized in this drug bus there on the West Coast.

25:04 The live pictures there coming courtesy

25:06 of our next star station KTLA above the scene.

25:10 There are eyes in the skies tonight over this massive drug bust in California.

25:16 out now to Phoenix in our Ally Bradley as she sat down today with the acting

25:21 attorney general Todd Blanch to discuss how

25:24 the Justice Department is approaching potential lone wolf attacks,

25:28 cartels, and a whole lot more than that.

25:30 Uh Ally live with us tonight in Phoenix.

25:32 And and Ally, you sat down with the AG today on the issue of cartels,

25:38 and it's it's our leadin to you in part with what they did out there,

25:42 what they saw out there in LA dealing with the Sinaloa cartel.

25:47 Yeah, fitting, right?

25:48 The Cinoaoa cartel at the helm there in that raid in Los Angeles,

25:51 but you probably wouldn't have expected the acting attorney general

25:54 to be here at the border security expo in Phoenix.

25:57 But the DOJ is allin when it comes to combating the criminal cartels.

26:01 So, right now, the administration is actually

26:03 putting a lot of pressure on Mexico,

26:05 trying to go after the corruption that's tied to the cartels,

26:09 specifically any kind of lawmaker,

26:11 any kind of politician that might be in bed with the cartels,

26:13 they're going after them.

26:15 And the attorney general says that they're using

26:17 a whole of government approach to dismantle these criminal networks.

26:20 Take a listen.

26:22 The FBI has worked closely since the day that this happened

26:25 um with the local law enforcement and there's been reports of friction.

26:29 I I've seen those reports.

26:31 We are here to help.

26:33 Whoa.

26:33 Why are you guys running an Nancy Guthrie bite?

26:38 I'm sorry, guys.

26:38 That was the wrong soundbite.

26:39 We have We have other information about them going

26:42 after the criminal cartels saying the DOJ is involved.

26:44 The FBI is involved.

26:46 Obviously, you have DHS involved as well,

26:48 but they're going after these individuals and they're trying to make it

26:51 uh so that they are fearful of extradition to the United States,

26:54 saying they will have to come here and face, you know,

26:58 justice obviously and they might end up in one of these big cities,

27:01 not just safe in Mexico and kind of harbored by these Mexican officials.

27:05 So, they're cracking down on the cartels through Mexico right now,

27:09 but they're also going after these lone wolf actors.

27:12 are trying to find new ways to find these individuals that might have

27:16 nefarious intention that are planning to harm individuals but have no red flags.

27:20 A really tough task here.

27:22 So, take a listen to what he said about that.

27:27 There's certain folks that that we're tracking that we

27:30 know are potentially going to do something um

27:32 either a terrorist act or something um some

27:34 sort of mass shooting and and that's that's easy.

27:36 That's who we know.

27:37 That's that's our job.

27:38 But undercover, having the tools to actually

27:41 anticipate when somebody doesn't have red

27:43 flags is something law enforcement will will always um struggle to to to do.

27:52 Now, the other interesting moment kind of with Todd Blanch there, Blake,

27:56 was when he was talking about potentially having federal uh

27:59 immigration officials at the polling places for the 2026 midterms.

28:03 He says he's not necessarily supporting it or not supporting it,

28:06 but he doesn't understand why America wouldn't support it,

28:09 why it would be a complicated issue at all.

28:12 And so he says that's something that we may see and they may leverage Border

28:16 Patrol databases to figure out who might be

28:18 here in the country trying to vote illegally.

28:20 Blake, our Ally Bradley with the big interview uh this evening.

28:24 Ally out west tonight.

28:25 Thank you.

28:26 Uh, also this evening, our affiliate WAVY in Portsouth, Virginia,

28:31 reporting on an FBI raid at one of Virginia's most powerful state lawmakers.

28:36 This the scene there as FBI agents descended

28:38 on the offices of the Democratic State Senator Luis Lucas,

28:42 reportedly as part of a corruption probe.

28:44 The agents also searching a cannabis store

28:48 next door to her office that she co-owns.

28:51 WAVY reporter speaking with Lucas's daughter on that scene.

28:56 I don't know what the hell is going on.

28:57 We're trying to figure it out.

28:58 That's all I know.

28:59 Do does it have to do with the business here or the cannabis shop?

29:02 I don't I don't know.

29:03 Both of them have our Lucas name on it, so we don't know what's going on.

29:07 The investigation reportedly began during the Biden administration.

29:12 Well, a lack of communication and cooperation.

29:16 The sheriff that is leading the search for Nancy Guthrie pushes back on claims

29:21 from the top cop in this country

29:24 that his department left the FBI out of the loop.

29:35 Developing tonight, new uh developments I should

29:38 say in the search for Nancy Guthrie.

29:39 The FBI director Cash Patel accusing the Puma County Sheriff's Office

29:43 of leaving federal agents out of the loop in the early days.

29:49 The first 48 hours of anyone's disappearance are the most critical.

29:52 And here's how these cases works.

29:53 It is a state matter.

29:54 It's a state and local law enforcement matter.

29:56 What we, the FBI, do is say, "Hey, we're here to help.

29:59 What do you need?

29:59 What can we do?" And for 4 days, we were kept out of the investigation.

30:03 The sheriff though disputing those claims, saying in part,

30:06 "The FBI was promptly notified by both our department

30:09 and the Guthrie family." While the FBI director was not on scene,

30:13 coordination with the bureau began without delay.

30:16 Brian Anon, of course,

30:18 all over this story from the very beginning with us tonight.

30:20 So too, is former Secret Service special agent Charles Marino.

30:24 Uh Brian, there's a little bit of a dig there uh

30:26 from the sheriff and some not so subtlety from the FBI director.

30:30 And you were reporting on this.

30:32 Are there tensions?

30:33 Are there not tensions?

30:33 All of it.

30:34 And here we are more than 100 days later and they're going back and forth.

30:40 Yeah, there there was definitely tension at least early on.

30:42 Blake, it's interesting.

30:43 He said that they were kept out for 4 days,

30:45 which would make sense because it was on the fifth

30:47 day when we saw the FBI teams come in and and finally set up their own crime

30:52 scene and do their own examination of the evidence.

30:55 Something else that struck me though that Cash Patel said though,

30:58 uh, Blake, is he said he had a plane,

31:00 an FBI plane on standby in Arizona ready to take the DNA

31:06 from the crime scene to Quantico early on, but that the sheriff basically said,

31:11 "Nope, we're not going to use your plane.

31:12 We're not using Quanico.

31:13 Uh, we want to use our own private DNA lab in Florida." So, Charles,

31:18 square this for me because I'm looking at a post

31:21 February 10th from the FBI director and he talk says, "Over the last eight days,

31:25 the FBI and Puma County Sheriff's Department have

31:27 been working closely with our private sector partners

31:29 to continue uh to recover rather any images

31:32 or video footage from Nancy Guthri's home." So,

31:34 they were touting sort of, you know,

31:36 cooperation and working together then and and then this tonight.

31:39 How do you square it?

31:40 Well, the FBI has field offices all

31:43 around the United States for this these purposes.

31:46 Exactly.

31:47 To maintain liaison on a daily basis with state and local law enforcement.

31:52 So, I'm kind of coming down on what director Patel is saying happened here.

31:58 Uh, this is not normal what we're seeing happen here.

32:01 And I think the sheriff excluded the FBI from coming into this investigation,

32:08 especially when it's highprofile.

32:10 Typically, you're always going to have the FBI coming in saying,

32:14 "What can we do to help you?" including the processing of evidence or you

32:19 would normally have the sheriff or police chief reaching out to the FBI saying,

32:23 "This is high-profile.

32:25 Can you come in and help us here get to the bottom of this?" So,

32:29 the fact that this didn't happen and the fact

32:31 that you had the sheriff committed to sending this evidence

32:35 to a lab processing center that they used instead

32:38 of Quantico really should be opening up some eyes here.

32:42 Our Alli Bradley uh Charles sat down with uh

32:45 the the new acting attorney general Todd Blanch today.

32:48 Here's what he said.

32:50 The FBI has worked closely since the day that this happened

32:53 um with the local law enforcement and there's been reports of friction.

32:57 I I've seen those reports.

32:59 We are here to help.

33:00 We are here to help.

33:01 He says, um, yeah, Brian, I saw you report earlier, you know,

33:05 still no suspects, no no main suspects.

33:08 And Charles, as we know, that's that's the case.

33:10 So, Charles, where does the st this case go from here tonight?

33:16 Well, we have to remember that egos have consequences.

33:19 And here I think we're seeing that the sheriff's poor decisions to not work

33:24 closely with the FBI is going to ultimately

33:28 be to the detriment of Nancy Guthrie.

33:30 And that's a shame when law enforcement loses sight of this.

33:34 So I have no doubts here that the FBI uh remained well-intentioned uh

33:40 to come in and provide all forms

33:43 of assistance to the local police department there.

33:46 Uh but unfortunately uh egos got in the way and I think

33:50 we're gonna we're gonna find out that that's exactly what the case was.

33:54 Brian, um you've got a big special on this coming up.

33:57 What's your new reporting?

34:00 Yeah, coming up tonight, CW uh 9:00.

34:03 Uh Blake, we we put together a panel of uh profilers,

34:08 criminal pro criminal profilers, many former FBI to say,

34:11 "Look, this is what we've uncovered.

34:12 This is what our sources are telling us.

34:14 Who do you think is behind this?

34:15 What do you think the motive is?

34:16 And most of them agree that it is likely someone uh who knew Nancy Guthrie.

34:21 Listen to this.

34:26 You think it's someone that she knows in some way or that knows her in some way?

34:31 Knows her in some way.

34:32 I don't think I I I wouldn't think that um Nancy Guthrie knew this person.

34:42 Yeah, it was interesting, Blake.

34:43 not necessarily like a family member or a close friend,

34:46 but someone who she'd come in contact with before.

34:48 And they really came up with a sort of specific profile,

34:50 which you'll see tonight uh in the special.

34:53 Brian, let me ask you before we run.

34:54 Um you were on this from the beginning.

34:58 Did you think that this is where we'd be,

35:01 that they would be at this point tonight?

35:05 Like you were on the ground there reporting

35:06 all the ins and outs and you still are.

35:08 And now that this is where it is tonight,

35:11 as you have this special on where things stand,

35:13 I I just sort of wonder as you sit back

35:16 and and look at where all this stands, how you view it.

35:22 Yeah.

35:22 No, I didn't think this is where we would be.

35:24 I thought when the doorbell picture came out of the guy,

35:27 it was going to be a matter of hours or days.

35:29 People, someone was going to recognize him, the eyes, the mouth, the gate.

35:33 I didn't think that now three months, Blake, three months later,

35:37 pushing it to four months, uh,

35:39 that they've still got nothing according to my sources.

35:43 Uh, Charles Marino, I know you'll be watching on the CW tonight,

35:46 9:00 as we all will.

35:47 Brian Anton with his special tonight.

35:48 Charles, thank you, sir.

35:50 We'll catch you again soon.

35:51 Brian, um, great job.

35:53 Great reporting.

35:53 We'll be watching tonight.

35:54 Thank you.

35:56 Thanks.

35:55 Thanks, Blake.

35:56 All right.

35:56 Still to come tonight, the search is on for two bald eagles.

36:02 That's right, that escaped their sanctuary at Dollywood.

36:06 A third found safe.

36:08 And up next, a look at what they're trying to do

36:11 in Tennessee tonight to try to find these bald eagles.

36:14 And if you find the bald eagle,

36:16 how do you go about like approaching the bald eagle and helping?

36:20 Or do you I don't know.

36:22 The great search for two wonders on the other side.

36:30 Well, the search is on in parts

36:32 of Tennessee tonight as the American Eagle Foundation

36:34 announcing the safe return of a missing bald

36:36 eagle from the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood.

36:40 That's in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

36:42 The eagle, whose name is Caesar, disappeared when a storm uh when a storm

36:46 damaged the sanctuary a couple weeks ago.

36:49 The sanctuary credited the local community with helping find the bald eagle.

36:53 and they've encouraged locals to keep their eyes

36:55 peeled because two of the missing friends, fellow bald eagles are still missing.

37:03 Rockland and Wesley are their names.

37:05 With me now is Lori Moore.

37:07 She is the CEO of the American Eagle Foundation,

37:10 which partnered with Dollywood about 35 years ago.

37:13 Lori, thanks for joining us.

37:15 You you care after 25 bald eagles,

37:18 as I understand it, but these two are missing.

37:21 Um, what's the search like?

37:24 How do you go about trying to track down some bald eagles?

37:29 Well, a lot of people have eyes in the skies right now.

37:32 So, uh, thanks to our local residents

37:35 and the visitors that come to the Great Smoky Mountains,

37:38 we have had hundreds of tips and leads that are

37:41 coming in that have spotted Rockland and Wesley so far.

37:45 So, and one of those leads did help us find Caesar.

37:49 As I understand it, the two are are injured, right?

37:52 And which is part of the reason why you're you're looking after them.

37:56 Um h what happens if you were to see them?

38:01 What should you even look for?

38:04 Um they are identifiable by a black band

38:08 or an orange band that are on their leg.

38:10 So it's hard to see.

38:11 Binoculars are helpful.

38:12 Uh zoom cameras on your phone are helpful as well,

38:16 but that's how they are identifiable to us.

38:18 uh they are registered with the US um fish and wildlife service to us

38:23 and so that's how they're identified but um the first thing would be do

38:28 not approach the eagle they are they are wild birds and we've had

38:33 a few people try to do that but um and also don't feed the birds

38:38 they um are on a very strict diet of of what they need to have

38:42 and that does not include a lot of human

38:45 food that that people would like to feed them so how'd you get seed are back.

38:48 How'd that happen?

38:50 It was from a tip and he was in a local farmer's

38:54 pasture and one of our aven care specialists who um they know how

38:59 to handle the birds was able to really play a bit

39:02 of a game of chase with him and then be able to secure him.

39:06 I think he wore Caesar down.

39:09 Talk to me, Lori, about just the the wonder and the mystique of of bald eagles.

39:14 I mean, obviously, we hope these two are found.

39:17 Um it was I'm I'm sure a frightening scene when that storm passed through

39:22 and and y'all tried to figure everything out and and start tracking them down.

39:26 Um but the bald eagle there there's about

39:28 315,000 of them in the country last check.

39:31 71,000 breeding pairs.

39:34 Um but what is it about this bird?

39:36 You get to be up close with them.

39:38 What what is it about it that captures?

39:41 They're so

39:42 they're so powerful and they're so majestic and um I think especially during

39:48 times where our country is is a bit divided to say the least.

39:53 Um the eagle stands as a symbol of of common ground

39:57 and it's something that we can all take pride in and uh

40:01 it represents unity and freedom and strength and I think

40:04 that's why people uh this story resonates with them so strongly.

40:08 H bald eagle added to the great seal back in 1782.

40:11 I did not know this until looking it up today.

40:13 It actually did not become the national bird until 2024,

40:17 just a couple years ago.

40:18 Congress passed a law.

40:19 The president uh signed it into law.

40:21 Um Lori Moore, all the best out there

40:24 in Tennessee tonight trying to track them down.

40:26 They're amazing birds.

40:26 Um we we hope you find them.

40:28 Thank you.

40:29 Of course.

40:30 Uh before we head out tonight, happens to be fight night heading to the White

40:34 House North Lawn or South Lawn, I guess.

40:37 President Trump announcing a highly anticipated UFC

40:40 fight this summer to celebrate America's 250th birthday, June 14th.

40:46 We're having a big fight.

40:49 It's never going to happen again.

40:51 Never happened before.

40:52 And it's all of the best fighters,

40:55 best four fighters standing right behind me and all champions.

41:00 And it's going to happen right in front of the White House.

41:03 Here's a picture.

41:04 I think a lot of people haven't seen this yet.

41:07 the president adding that it will be, as he put it, the greatest show on earth.

41:11 The date, June 14th, Flag Day, also happens to be the president's birthday.

41:17 Well, I thank you for watching us tonight.

41:18 I'm Blake Berman.

41:19 We'll see you tomorrow.

41:20 Here's Elizabeth.