Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 11, 2025

Episode Date: April 12, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, the latest in a string of deadly aviation disasters. This time, a small plane crashing into a highway after that fatal helicopter accident in New York. The fiery explosion in Boca Raton, Florida, just off I-95. The three people on board killed, a passenger in a car injured. The video just in of the plane before impact. Helicopter crash investigation. New details on the chopper that went down in the Hudson River. The chilling last photo of the family before their fatal flight and the new videos of a rotor flying off before it plunged.

Plus, the Delta planes diverted to Alabama. All passengers forced to sleep overnight on the planes on the tarmac. We hear from those trapped on board. Order to be deported. The ruling from a judge late today, Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia student detained, is to be deported. His lawyer joins Top Story Live, how they plan to fight the order. China strikes back, hitting the U.S. with more tariffs in response and big questions tonight about the future of super cheap online stores like Timu and Sheen.

Will they survive? And Coachella Carmageddon, the 12-hour traffic jams to get into the music festival. What went wrong? Plus, the Grey's Anatomy Star revealing the debilitating disease he's now fighting. Story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom. We begin tonight with the latest in a string of deadly aviation disasters. This one happened in Boca Raton, Florida, not far from Fort Lauderdale.

This was what it looked like, just moments after the small plane crashed, a horrific scene of fire and smoke along a busy highway. In the aftermath, you can see how close the crash was to the. the road itself. Plain parts scattered. Three people were killed, a car on fire. We now know that one person on the ground was injured. This comes just the day after that horrific helicopter crash in the Hudson River here in New York. We're learning more about that investigation, but also about those on board who lost their lives. This is the picture of the family of five visiting from Spain in the moments before boarding. And here they are on the chopper moments later. New video showing one of the rotors spinning off and then the helicopter crashing in the cold water below.

Aviation experts cautioned that commercial air travel is extremely safe with fatal accidents, especially rare. But as today's crash made clear, smaller private planes come with more risk. NBC's Marissa Para starts us off tonight from Boca Raton, Florida. The tragic final moments of a doomed Cessna plane captured on video in both. Roca Raton, Florida. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Clues of smoke and plane parts scattered across streets and train tracks.

Are you okay? A car engulfed in flames in the hazy aftermath of a plane crash. It was just a big explosion, smoke. Flight school student Jared Scarpado witnessed the plane's final moments. Were you afraid that there was going to be a crash imminent? 100%. 100%. I said out loud, you know, he's too low.

And, you know, what's going through my mind is, you know, once he goes out of sight, He goes out of sight. That's just really it. It's devastating. According to the FAA, the small twin engine, Cessna 310, took off at 1012 from Boca Raton, headed for Tallahassee, crashing less than 10 minutes later, killing all three on board. The flight path shows the Cessna appearing to make repeated circles. A source with knowledge of the situation says the pilot reported an issue with the rudder. How could that lead to what we saw happen? If the rudder were displaced to the left and the pilot was not able, able to bring it back to neutral, it's going to want to make the nose of the airplane continually go left. Pablo Tiffour tells our affiliate, WTVJ, how he narrowly avoided falling plane debris from his car below. The next thing I know it's on top, right in front of me, and exploded, the impact were in front of my car, and we crashed and try to steer out of the way, but it was pretty much unavoidable. The NTSB now on the scene investigating what went wrong. Tonight, the lone survivor on the ground hurt but grateful to be alive.

Got out of the car that was on fire through the flames and made it to safety. And Marissa Parra joins us now from Boca Raton. Marissa, we heard from the NTSB just moments ago. What more are we learning? Well, Alison, we know that this type of plane is not required to have so-called black boxes. But investigators say they are parsing through the debris looking for any type of electronics left over called avionics that could tell them any type of data that is clues as to what went wrong. They're going to continue to work through the night, parsing through the debris left over.

But this happened on a busy section of street, as well as railroad tracks here in Boca Raton. So those sections will be closed behind me through the night as investigators continue to look into what exactly happened here, Ellison. Marissa Parr, reporting at the scene in Florida. Thank you. Now to that other tragedy in the air, 24 hours after a sightseeing helicopter, crashed into the Hudson River, killing all six people on board. NTSB investigators are on the scene and probing for clues.

And tonight, we are learning more about the family from Spain with three young children who lost their lives. NBC's Sam Brock has this report. A day after a sightseeing chop crashed into the Hudson, new video shows one of the rotors spiraling into the river, seemingly supporting eyewitness accounts that pieces of the aircraft came off mid-air. I'm pretty sure the helicopter already hit the water and the blade was just starting to come down. The tail was a couple of feet back. The NTSP says most of the helicopter has been recovered, but NYPD divers are still searching for key components. Those include the main rotor, the main transmission, the roof structure, and the tail structure.

The crash outcome, fatal for a family of five from Spain. When you look at those pictures and how excited they are to be here in New York, I'm certain nobody in their wildest dreams thought that would be kind of the last minutes of their lives. Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fullop says Augustine Escobar, high-level Siemens executive, was here on a work trip and that his wife was celebrating her 40th birthday with their three kids. We've also learned the pilot has been identified as 36-year-old Sean Johnson. One Instagram post from a friend saying, I met Sean when he was a new tech in the SEAL teams saying he stood out immediately for his vibrance and humility.

The Bell 206 helicopter took off from the lower Manhattan heliport just before 3 p.m., traveling north along the Hudson River up to the GW bridge, and then turned south in flight for just 15 minutes before the rotor blades appeared to detach from the aircraft, sending the chomper crashing into the water. The owner of New York helicopter tour saying in an interview with the telegraph that he was devastated, adding the pilot had just called in about refueling and was only minutes away. Their owner declined NBC News's request for comment. The companies had a couple of incidents in New York City that have prompted NTSB investigations, including a 2013 incident where a chopper lost power and had to land on the Hudson. This particular company had a couple of serious incidents in the last several years. Do you think that will be relevant to your investigation? We always look at safety history.

That's a standard part of all of our investigations. And Sam Brock joins us now from Jersey City, New Jersey. Jersey. Sam, where do things stand in terms of priorities for the investigation? Yeah, Alison, great question. NTSB investigators made it very clear. Priority number one right now is perishable evidence. You can see around me the conditions they're up against right now. They can go back at any point and look at safety logs, look at maintenance records, but trying to find the transmission in those rotors out there, wherever they may be, is a key priority. Allison is also worth noting that today would have been the ninth birthday of one of the children

on board that helicopter. Back to you. Sam Brock reporting, thank you. China is hitting back today, slapping huge tariffs on American goods as the trade war with the U.S. reaches a new level. And it's already having an impact on consumers and small businesses here. NBC News, senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez has more from Houston. Tonight, more whiplash on Wall Street.

The Dow closing up more than 600 points, making up over half its losses from Thursday. The stock surge coming even after China slapped new tariffs on the U.S. overnight, raising the tax on American goods to 125 percent and retaliation for the White House boosting tariffs on imports from China to 145 percent. Five-nine. The country's leader Xi Jinping saying there are no winners in a tariff war. Despite that, the White House insists China will join other countries negotiating new trade deals with the U.S.

Taking on China is in the terms of trade. and tariffs is something that both Democrats and Republicans alike have spoken about for decades. President Trump is finally doing it. President Trump's supporters say his tariffs will revive American manufacturing. It's a little short-term pain for some long-term gain. I think our new administration has our best interest at heart, and I think that we needed a change. But in this warehouse outside Houston, do you think this business will be able to survive? I don't know.

Ting Geng's family has operated a restaurant interior design business for 25 years, importing furniture and other materials from China. Her client's orders have grinded to a halt. These lanterns, for example, typically cost about $60. Now, about $200. How much of it would you pass along to your customer? At this point, it's just hard to even decide the percentage right now because percentage is changing almost daily basis. Ting says she cannot get many of her materials in the U.S. because no company makes them.

What would your message be to President Trump? Changes like this magnet to speed is just hard for us to be able to cope. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from Houston. Gabe, what more is China saying tonight about retaliatory tariffs? Well, China is saying that if President Trump escalate things further, it won't retaliate. with new terrors because it feels that American goods are already unmarketable. The White House says that it's actively negotiating trade deals with about 15 countries, but so far, no talks with China are scheduled.

Alison. Gabe Gutierrez in Houston, Texas. Thank you. And a critical hearing tonight for the Menendez brothers, a judge today weighing whether to move forward with the resentencing effort for Lyle and Eric Menendez. 35 years after they killed their parents inside their Beverly Hills mansion. Our Liz Kreutz was inside the courtroom and has the latest. Tonight, more than three decades since they were sentenced to life without parole for the 1989 murders of their parents, Eric and Lyle Menendez, appearing in court virtually for the

first time in years for a critical hearing to determine the future of their resentencing efforts. With no cameras in the courtroom, the brothers in blue jumpsuits listening intently and at times whispering to each other. As attorneys sparred over whether a judge should withdraw the previous district attorney's recommendation that the brothers be resentenced. I feel fine, thank you. At the hearing today, several of the Menendez family members who support the brothers, along with actor Cooper Koch, who portrayed Eric in the popular Netflix series Monsters, which helped propel their story back into the spotlight. I hate what we did. I wish it never happened. Today's at times contentious hearing lasting far longer than expected, with the DA's office.

questioning the brother's credibility and lack of remorse and repeatedly reminding the judge of the gruesome nature of the murders, which they described as willful, deliberate, and premeditated, even showing an image of the bloody crime scene. The brother's attorney blasting the prosecution. Not only inappropriate, it's generally sanctionable conduct. Did you expect you to go on this long this morning? No. The brothers argue they acted in self-defense after years of abuse at the hands of their father, Jose. His sister, Terry, Eric and Lyle's aunt, who's battling kids. cancer and wants them released speaking out to ABC. 35 years is a long time.

It's a whole branch of my family erased. The ones that are gone and the ones that are still paying for it. Well, Ellison, late breaking right now, the judge has just stopped the proceedings and made a ruling. He said that he is going to move forward with this resentencing hearing next week. This is a huge victory for Eric and Lyle Menendez. Their attorneys, their family members have just come out here and addressed reporters. They have said that this is a great day, that they are grateful to the judge for making this decision. So what this means is that we will look towards next week, Thursday and Friday, for these key resentencing hearings.

A big step forward for their potential freedom, Allison. Liz Kreutz, thank you. We appreciate it. Overseas now to a community in mourning. A Palestinian-American boy, just 14 years old, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after allegedly throwing stones. at passing cars. Our Matt Bradley traveled to his home in the West Bank, known as Little America, where his family disputes the story and where tens of thousands of other Palestinian Americans say the Trump administration has abandoned them. To his family, Amarabi was an innocent American boy out with his friends near his town in the West Bank. But to the Israeli soldiers who shot him dead Sunday evening, he was a terrorist, the Israeli army said in a statement, who they eliminated.

The IDF released this video, they said, showed three people throwing rocks at passing cars, though Amr's family said they don't recognize him from this grainy footage. His father, still in disbelief. How many bullets actually hit your son? The one I count is 11. And in this West Bank town where he lived, outrage as they carried his body through the streets, turning into deep sadness for the child they lost.

Locals refer to the town of Tomosaya as Little America. It's the ancestral homeland to where tens of thousands of Palestinian Americans have returned. Amr comes from New Jersey. His family moved here more than a decade ago and still live part-time in the States. His family remember Amr as an entrepreneurial young man, so anxious to enter the world of business, he was already starting his own company. He was just a kid full of joy. He was a kid full of joy, and he just wanted to be, you know, want to be a kid, and it was

taking short from him. But the anger in the hours after his death... Now directed at the U.S. government, which is pushing to free American Israeli hostages still in Gaza, but hasn't done more to stand up for its people here. Right there, right there. One of the town's leaders took me to the scene of the shooting. We have a U.S. citizen, a child, who was murdered in cold blood. The day after Amr was killed, the State Department acknowledged the death of a U.S. citizen

in the West Bank and offered its condolences to the family. At that same day, Israel's Prime Minister met President Trump in the White House, where the President spoke about the American efforts to free the remaining hostages in Gaza, some of whom are American citizens. Right now we have a problem with hostages. We're trying to get the hostages out. The family was troubled that Trump didn't mention Amr. They kill us like we're animals.

They shoot us like animals. The American government, they're not doing anything about it. And Trump isn't even saying one single word. But it's not just the army. The people of Tormosayas say they also face threats from nearby Israeli settlers who live next door. They regularly attack the village, vandalizing cars and homes. This house belongs to Amr's father, and like a lot of other houses in the area, settlers

attacked it and burned it down last summer. This video, he says, shows the moments the attackers descended on his home. Last year, the U.S. government slapped sanctions on some settlers for their role in the violence, but the Trump administration lifted them in January. Now folks here say they feel completely alone. We are helpless. We are helpless. The American government has turned a deaf ear on us.

And Matt Bradley joins us now with more. Matt, this is excellent reporting. You mentioned in your piece that the president of the United States hasn't weighed in on Amir's death, but other politicians in the United States have, correct? That's right. And actually, the Palestinian-American community in Amher's home state of New Jersey have been very vocal about this topic. And actually, the governor of New Jersey and both senators have said that they want answers from the Israeli government.

They want an inquiry. They want to know why this young man was shot dead. Alison. Matt Bradley reporting, thank you. Much more ahead tonight. The Columbia student detained now ordered to be deported. His lawyer joins top story. What's their strategy now?

Plus, nowhere to go. Hundreds of travelers stuck on Delta jets on the tarmac overnight. what passengers are saying about the ordeal. And Coachella Chaos, festival goers, caught in 10-plus hours of traffic. So is it all a bump in the road or part of a bigger problem? We're back now with the unexpected overnight stay in Montgomery, Alabama for hundreds of passengers on two Delta flights from Mexico. They were forced to spend the night inside their planes on the tarmac. after getting diverted due to severe weather,

with no custom staff around to let them inside the airport. NBC's Aaron Gilcrest has this one. A four-hour journey turning into an all-night-long drama. It was the longest day ever. Lorraine Fushi, just one of nearly 300 Delta passengers, forced to stay aboard two grounded planes for more than six hours overnight in Montgomery, Alabama. What was it like?

Well, we had pretzels over and over again. a while I did take a nap. It wasn't comfortable. The airline says severe thunderstorms forced two international flights, one from Mexico City, the other from Cabo San Lucas, both heading to Atlanta's International Airport, to divert to Montgomery's much smaller regional airport. Delta says that airport didn't have customs staff to process international passengers, so everyone had to stay put until the airport worked out a plan with federal officials. It was so frustrating, so uncomfortable, And because we were in international flight, they could not open, I believe, their cart for additional beverages and snacks or offer meals. Early this morning, arrangements made to deplane under law enforcement supervision, passengers say.

They also tell us they had to walk from the aircraft to the terminal because the airport's gates couldn't accommodate large jet liners. One passenger, Lauren Forbes, says once they got inside, they were put into a small zone within the terminal, only allowed to use more. monitored restrooms. The Montgomery Regional Airport didn't immediately respond to NBC News request for comment. Delta apologizing in a statement saying in part, we fell short and that they are reaching out to each customer with a full refund. I'm feeling like I'm ready to maybe sleep for 12 hours straight. Many passengers we spoke with just starting to get home tonight. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Atlanta. Now to Coachella's Carmageddon, concert goers driving into the campgrounds at the music festival stuck in line for up to 12 hours without access to water

or bathrooms and worried about missing the acts they spent hundreds of dollars to see. NBC's Camila Bernal has more. In case anybody is wondering how car camping is going at Coachella. Chaos at Coachella as the journey to the iconic music festival's campgrounds turned into a parking lot. Coachella, what the hell are you doing? We have been stuck in line for nearly 10 hours. Many taking to social media to document hours long traffic jams and no bathrooms. There's no porta potty, so if you need to use a restroom, grab some food, whatever it is, do that first.

This is crazy. I'll keep you guys updated on how long it takes us to get inside. This as tens of thousands continue to flock to Indio, California ahead of the festival's first weekend. Welcome to Coachella, ladies and gentlemen, where you can get in in probably five hours if you're a car camping. Thursday's delays, even for campers who arrived early. We showed up here for camping at three in the morning and got in line. It's almost 1 p.m. right now. We still haven't even gone through security. We have been in this line since about 5.30 in the morning, and we haven't moved.

Friday's headliner Lady Gaga and those that already waited to you. get in, now warning others that if they're camping and don't leave early, they may miss it altogether. So this is your sign to either not do Coachella car camping or get here sooner. Don't do it or come early because this is actually insane. This is insane. So I guess we'll see when we get in there. Festival organizers did not respond to our request for comment, but some guests reminded of another festival gone badly wrong. We're starting to think this is a fire festival. I don't know. The frustration in California also reminiscent of the mess and gridlock at Burning Man back in 2023.

So what's your plan to get out? At hitchhike, I don't know. For that festival, it was rain and mud that trapped thousands in the desert. This weekend, the concern is the heat. It's 100 degrees outside. People's cars are overheating. They're running out of gas. Camila Bernal joins us now.

from LA. Camilla, I understand the lines have actually really died down today, but they have to do this all again next weekend, right? What steps are officials taking to avoid a repeat? Well, Alison, we still haven't heard from organizers, so we don't know what went wrong and if they're going to fix it or not. So if you're going next Thursday, you better be patient, you better be prepared to maybe wait a few hours. Among the performers next week, Travis Scott at Cherin, Charlie X-E-X. People are paying at least $600, sometimes thousands of dollars. They definitely don't want to be waiting five or ten hours, Ellison. No kidding. Camila Bernal, thank you so much. We appreciate it. We are back in a moment with the deportation order late today. A judge ruling the

Columbia student detained must be removed from the country. His lawyer joins Top Story Live, their plan to fight it. Plus, Eric Dane's fight, the heartthrob known as Dr. Mcsteenie on Gray's anatomy, now opening up about the debilitating disease he's fighting. Back now with Top Stories news feed. Cleanup is underway in southwest Indiana after an apparent tornado touchdown. Video shows block after block of destruction, about an hour and a half from Bloomington. A preliminary report by the National Weather Service says winds reached up to 105 miles per hour. Officials say multiple homes are damaged, but there are no reported injuries. The lawyer for a former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO says his client has dementia and is not fit

to stand trial on sex trafficking charges. A letter filed in federal court by Michael Jeffrey's attorney claims the 80-year-old needs around-the-clock care. Prosecutors and Jeffrey's team are advocating for him to be moved into custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons so he can be further assessed. That may allow the case to continue at some point. The former CEO was arrested in October and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. He has been free on a $10 million bond. And at least former Gray's Anatomy star Eric Dane revealing he has been diagnosed with ALS. The 52-year-old actor says he will continue working. That includes returning to the hit show euphoria. ALS impacts nerve cells in the brain and spine, controlling voluntary

muscle movements and impacting walking and talking. There's no cure for the disease. In a statement, Dane wrote this, quote, I'm grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this chapter. And at least three men are facing charges after riding into a Louisiana Walmart on horseback. Watch as the group trots through the store, saddles and all. One of them has his cell phone out appearing to be filming the whole stunt. Police have charged them with multiple misdemeanors, including disturbing the peace. Local reports. courts, say a minor also turned himself in for being part of that group. Now to the crucial ruling in the deportation case for Columbia University grad student

Mahmoud Khalil. A Louisiana judge backing the Trump administration's request to remove the pro-Palestinian activist agreeing that his beliefs threatened national security. And in Maryland, a court there asking the administration for answers after a man was wrongly deported to El Salvador. NBC's Laura Jarrett is covering it all. Tonight, lawyers from Mahmoud Khalil vowing to fight his possible deportation. An immigration judge today finding the Trump administration can remove the Columbia grad student using a rarely invoked provision of immigration law. Halil, a leading pro-Palestinian activist on campus, held for the last month in a Louisiana

detention facility after his arrest in New York. The 30-year-old suggesting at today's hearing, he hasn't gotten a fair shake, saying, this is exactly why the Trump administration sent me to this court 1,000 miles away from my family. The justification for Halil's deportation outlined in this State Department memo, citing his alleged participation in anti-Semitic protests and disruptive activities. This, with tensions growing between the administration and the courts, a federal judge today appearing troubled by the Justice Department's refusal to provide any details on the whereabouts of Kilmar Abrago Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador last month.

This is not about getting information. This is about getting Kilmer back. The Trump administration initially calling Ibrego Garcia's removal an administrative error given a court order expressly prohibited deportation to El Salvador. Yet the father of three was put on one of the highly publicized flights to El Salvador and is now believed to be housed in an infamous prison. The case now reaching the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices agreeing the government must facilitate his release, but cautioning some deference must be owed to the executive branch on foreign affairs. The ultimate outcome, far from certain, as the courts grapple with the president's mass deportation campaign.

And Laura Jarrett joins us now in studio. Let's start with where you left off on Garcia, When the court is saying you need to help facilitate his return, what does that actually look like? What next steps are we expecting to see? Well, the Justice Department hasn't even said that they think they can get him back yet. They're saying we need more time to process the Supreme Court's ruling, try to unpack this a little bit. But really, it's interesting. The judge is saying, I want to hear from you daily. I want daily status updates on what your efforts are looking like and what you're actually doing, which I think underscores the urgency here.

When it comes to the case of Mahmoud Khalil, what options does he have moving forward? Yeah. So remember what happened today was in front of an immigration judge. That's sort of one bucket. He also can go the federal court route, which is what we're typically talking about when we're talking about challenging these deportations. He still has that avenue available for him. And just today, a judge in New Jersey said he wants to hear more about this case. And so he's still going to be able to challenge his deportation through that means, Alison. Thank you. We're joined now by one of Mahmoud Khalil's lawyers, Diyala Shamas. She is the senior staff attorney. at the Center for Constitutional Rights and attended Khalil's hearing virtually today. Dialla, thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. We understand your client does intend to file an appeal. Walk us through the next steps for you and your client.

Thank you for having me. Yeah, so today in court, it was very clear that our client is not going to get a fair hearing. Today was not a fair hearing. It was in many ways the epitome of lack of due process. as Mahmoud himself said in a beautiful, you know, statement at the end of the hearing, where he affirmed that he did not have due process. Clearly, and I read, clearly what we witnessed today.

Neither of these principles were present today or in this whole process. This is exactly why the Trump administration has sent me to this court a thousand miles away from my family. I just hope that the urgency that you deemed fit for me are afforded to the hundreds of others who have been here without a hearing for months. The fight is not over. Mahmoud and the entire legal team will continue to fight this. Now, there are some next steps in the immigration court. There's some relief that's available to him. But we are also looking to federal court, where we believe we should be—the court

should be hearing Mahmood's constitutional claims. Remember that the reason Mahmoud was picked up whisked away at night from his now nine months pregnant wife is because of his speech. It's because of its advocacy. And in the Department of State's own two-page determination, as they confirm, it's because of his beliefs. It's his beliefs of support for Palestinian freedom, support for Palestinian rights, his protesting, the Israeli genocide in Gaza, Israel's military assault in Gaza. are serious constitutional questions that should trouble all of us.

And what we saw today in immigration court was a judge that did not want to hear any of that. She simply rubber-stamped this two-page determination saying that she didn't need to look beyond it, but a simple pro-forma determination by Secretary Rubio saying that Mahmoud Khalil's beliefs would compromise the compelling U.S. foreign policy interest is sufficient to find him removable. Do you believe that you will be able to get this removed or moved to federal court in a short period of time? I mean, how long would that take? And in terms of what you said as well as your client that you don't believe he is getting a fair hearing, do you believe he could get a fair hearing in a U.S. federal court? That's what we're fighting for. So there are two parallel

sets of proceedings here. We have been in federal court. And a New Jersey judge has already found that he does have jurisdiction to hear this case. And so we have several pending motions before the judge. Fundamentally, our goal is to get Mahmoud home to Noor before she gives birth later this month. And we're fighting really hard for that to happen. I mean, the irony here is that the immigration judge said that she is not going to hear any of these constitutional claims. She's not going to give him a full, you know, due process rights. It's not going to look. beyond this two-pages determination, and then the government is telling the federal court that you can't go to federal court, that you have to be an immigration court.

And so from all sides, essentially, what we're hearing is that the executive is going to go unchecked here, and that cannot be right. You cannot have an unchecked executive that simply says somebody's beliefs are a threat to U.S. foreign policy, and that makes them deportable. That makes us able to detain them in the middle of the night, whisk them away. Remember that Mahmoud is not alone. There are many others that have been now put in detention because of their beliefs. And so I do, I think it is incredibly important that we are before the federal court soon to hear these constitutional challenges, not just to what happened to Mahmoud individually, but at the end of the day, it implicates what we have shown to be a policy of the Trump administration.

administration to arrest, detain, transfer, non-citizens simply because of their advocacy for Palestinian rights... Well, let me ask you a little broadly here about visas, because you mentioned that this idea that he's being deported on the belief that he is a threat. When you look at laws as it relates to visas, student visas revoking those in particular, those, the revocation of those visas are governed by an incredibly broad framework. Your client, as I understand, had a green card That's not a student visa, but and green card rules, they are typically a little more specific, but they still do grant a lot of discretion to the U.S. government. I mean, one of the possibilities of revocation is simply being a security threat to the United States.

Is there a specific legal definition of what constitutes a security threat, or is this a situation where the government can essentially say that is to us and it's enough? It seems like legally the court would favor the U.S. government when it's a situation. comes to revoking visas? Is that a fair read of the U.S. law? Well, a couple of things. To be clear, the government has even said that Mahmoud Khalil implicates any security threat. Let's be clear, in their determination, they simply say that his beliefs compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest. That is a far cry from any allegation around security. And there is nothing in the allegations against him that raise

any kind of security threat. This is not a national security matter. This is simply about someone's political beliefs and wanting to exclude people for their beliefs. When is the last... Yeah. Sorry, go ahead. I was going to just... You're right that the government has started. It's what is ultimately a broader push to repress this favored beliefs, starting with those in support of Palestinian rights, has started this assault in the immigration system because it can assert more. authorities. It has, of course, some more discretion over visas and that sort of thing. Regardless of that discretion, non-citizens still have constitutional rights to free speech,

to a free association. The First Amendment is not limited to citizens. It includes non-citizens. When is the last time you've been able to speak directly with Mahmoud? How is he doing? We were able to speak with him after the hearing to debrief how that went. Listen, of course it was devastating, but I have to say that the poise, the dignity, the care with which he has continued to carry himself throughout this ordeal, including his statement in court today that signaled not only this dignified approach, but this care for others, that has really come something that as I've come to know him, I've only met him since he was put in detention. But it's clearly something that comes across so strongly. To me, that all comes from the knowledge that he is on the right side of history, that at the end of the day, he knows that he is standing on the right side of history, that those that are standing with him are on the right side of history.

And ultimately, what we're seeing is a Trump administration that is trying to silence. And I'm not going to say a minority, because this is actually a majority, Mahmoud Khalil, in participating in campus protests, advocating for an end to U.S. support for Israel's military assault on Gaza is actually a very widely held belief. Citizens and non-citizens alike have held that belief, have shared it, have taken to the streets to articulate it. All of those people are on the right side of history. Mahmoud knows that.

So this is an ordeal that he's going through. But the Trump administration's effort to make a lesson of him to use his case as a blueprint to erode all of our rights is only going to backfire. And we all draw strength and courage from watching how Mahmoud has carried himself over the course of the last month, over a month that he's been behind bars. Diyah Shahmas, we have to leave it there tonight. Thank you so much.

We appreciate you taking the time to speak with us. Thank you for having you. Turning now to Top Story's Global Watch, a rescue operation is underway in South Korea after a subway tunnel collapsed. Officials say the tunnel, which is just outside of Seoul, was under construction when it collapsed. Two workers are believed to be trapped. Pictures show the highway above the site caved inward. Officials say workers were told to leave the area after reports the ventilation shaft was at risk of collapse. Right now, millions are being told to stay indoors in northern China ahead of a potential.

potentially historic wind event. Local media outlets warn that people weighing less than 110 pounds could be, quote, blown away gusts in the region, including Beijing and another area. They could reach as high as 93 miles an hour that is equal to a category one hurricane. Events have been canceled and some train services have been suspended. Meteorologists expect the winds to die down late Sunday. And in Germany, a German zoo is celebrating a major milestone for a very special primate. Fatu, a western lowland gorilla, ringing in her 68th birthday in style at the Berlin Zoo. She's the oldest living gorilla in captivity worldwide. Guerrillas can typically live for about 35 to 40 years in the wild. That number increases in captivity. Fatu is also the zoo's

oldest resident. Up next, attention online shoppers. Could cheap fashion be a trade war casualty? How the escalations between the U.S. and China could close a loophole leaving you holding the bag. We're back now with the soon-to-be rising cost of some fast fashion. E-commerce giants like Timo and Sheen, both based in China, have been able to ship goods here cheaply because of a tariff loophole. But that loophole will soon close, and consumers are likely to pay the cost. So will this send shoppers to more sustainable fashion brands? Kathy Park asked the experts.

I have a giant Sheen Hall for you guys. Tonight, the trade war between the U.S. U.S. and China look set to make fast fashion from popular China-based brands like Sheehan and Temu surge in price. I got a ton of stuff from Timu. Until this year, shipment's worth less than $800 known as de minimis packages have been exempt from tariffs when coming from China. This economic loophole is part of what enabled some e-commerce companies like Sheean and Temu to offer insanely cheap goods. There's 18 items in here for only $30. But on Wednesday, President Trump signing an executive order that will quadruple the previously announced tariffs on those

packages starting in May to 120% of the shipment value or a flat $100. And that increase could send some American customers away. According to data from marketing platform Omnisend, nearly 30% of customers will reduce or stop shopping at Xi and Ertemu if prices rise. How much more are we going to end up paying? Well, I mean, how much more are you willing to pay? Now we are on a pause from the so-called reciprocal tariffs, only a 10% tariff. The problem there, though, is you're still going to pay more because of the shipping, because the fact that these packages can no longer enter the U.S. with minimal customs costs. American clothing giant Forever 21 has blamed the existing loophole partly for its demise.

In a court filing last month saying it was materially and negatively impacted by Sheehan and Temu's use of the de minimis exemption, which undercut its business. De minimis really helped online companies compete more successfully against retail stores. And of course, that had an impact on those companies, operations on their employees, on their stock, perhaps even pushing some into bankruptcy. Temu, which gained massive popularity after running this ad during the Super Bowl, has previously denied that its growth is dependent upon de minimis. Sheehan valued around 30 billion dollars previously told CNBC that import compliance is a top priority. Sheehan's executive chair, Donald Tang, has also said he supports efforts to reform de minimis, saying it needs a complete makeover. This might be like the best haul I've ever got it from Sheen.

Some experts weighing in on how these tariffs could hit Americans, not just in their wallets, but their closets too. Do you think this is kind of the beginning of the end of fast fashion? You know, I don't. If you are seeing the price of everything going up, if that's still the most affordable option, it's still going to work for people. And Kathy Park joins us now with more. Kathy, so if fast fashion gets more expensive, where are those shoppers likely to turn to instead? Yeah, Alison, that's a great question. So with the way things are headed, some experts believe this could be a big wake-up call for consumers. So don't be surprised if more shoppers actually start turning to secondhand stores or those resale apps, since those items are already here in the U.S. and not subject to tariffs, but that could actually have a ripple effect as well.

If more people are buying secondhand, those prices could actually start creeping up as well. Alison, Kathy Park, thank you. When we come back, a look at what's streaming this weekend. Actor John Hamm stars in a new Apple TV Plus series. Plus, dive into the dystopian news season of Black Mirror and new music from Bonnie Vair. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by Ralphie Aversa. He is the host and producer of USA Today's Entertain This.

All right, Ralphie, a lot of really popular series coming back, some that surprised me, We're going to start with one that I know a lot of people have been dying to see. The Last of Us is on Max. They are back for season two. Here's a clip. This is where we live. What's that? The fence.

What's inside? People. What's outside? Monsters. Drama, drama, what do you think? Oh my goodness. All right, so this series, or this season, rather, is based on the second installment of the video game.

Right. But the second installment of the video game, so many things happen in it that the creator has already said, we can't fit it all into one season. So that's, I think, one of the reasons why this has already been renewed for season three, despite the fact that the season two premiere

isn't until Sunday on max. Yeah. A lot of people looking forward to it, and it's already receiving great reviews. Yes. Okay, so next up, Black Mirror, which if I'm, you can tell me after, but I feel like this kind of was gone for a longer gap than I initially expected. But it is back for season seven. There are some returning cast members and some new ones as well.

This is on Netflix. Take a look. Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to do. I just want something magical, timeless. Come with me. Well, it'll be cyborgs before long. Just remember that they're AIs. To them, this is real.

Ready? I'm ready. I love Issa Ray, but am I crazy? Did I just miss season six, or did we have a gap? You are not crazy about a couple years. There's been a few gaps here as it's gone from Channel 4 to Netflix, and yeah, the last season aired in 2013, excuse me, 2023. Okay.

So, yeah, so two years. So that's a gap, that's a bit of a gap, absolutely. And you mentioned some of the cast stars, whether it's Issa Ray or Tracy Ellis Ross or Paul Giammati. I mean, you've got a lot of different names in the mix here for a show that hits a little too close to home sometimes. It gives me nightmares sometimes. I have a few episodes. I'm like, that really made me think. And then I'm like, I'm uncomfortable.

But, I mean, I guess that's good art makes you feel all the different things. And there's players to this show. Absolutely. I'm excited for that one. This next one is one that won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy. I will tell you, I immediately watched both of these episodes last night. Hacks is back. It is on Max.

This is season four. Take a look. Blackmail on day one? Not good. She's been doing this for 50 years. You're not going to beat her at her own game. Nobody beats Deborah. This is a big moment for you.

But you got to dance with the one that brought you. Woman of Mystery. When it inched close to Thursday, I was like checking the app. Be like, has it dropped yet at midnight? So as soon as it came out last night, I was like, boom, and boom. Watch both. What do you think? So looking forward to this season.

Can't wait to watch this week. And I spoke with Christopher McDonald at the SAG Awards earlier this year. He told me that this is the gift that keeps on giving. I don't think he was talking just about the paychecks. He talked about his relationship, his over 30-year relationship with Gene Smart. He's worked with her forever. Wow. And he really loves the way.

writing on this show as we all do one of the reasons why we love it so whether he's you know jean's boss or x or whatever else happens this season he's a big fan as well and so yeah we're all looking forward to hacks this weekend it's gonna be great okay so the next one is another I just I'm just outing myself for being like I didn't pay attention to things I'd seen a billboard for this the other week handmaids tale final season on Hulu personally I was like I don't realize that was still on pleasant surprise it is take a look how many bodies are throwing the fire when is enough enough when there's no one left to fight we're just two lunatics going into Gilead on a wing and a prayer they will never see us coming oh hell no let's it be the fruit

let the revolution begin I mean it's the last one ever after almost a decade right yeah really I mean you think about all of the seasons and Elizabeth Moss and all of the critical acclaim that she's received for this too and as far as a storyline, of course, she plays June, searching for that justice and that piece. Will she find it in Alaska who will join her? Who won't? We're going to find out. First couple episodes already out on Hulu. You know, I think the problem is that maybe I just delayed my Hulu subscription. You know, I'm a peacock fan, obviously. So maybe this is what's happening here. Like, think about just right now at this second, there is so much good TV out. How do you

keep up with all of it, even if it's your job? I mean, it's amazing. And I love that finally, particularly after the pandemic, when we got into this weird zone of where it was, like not a lot of things coming out that we're back on really good scripted shows. There's another one that I'm really excited to watch, too, and this one has John Hamm in it. It's on Apple TV, and it's kind of quirky. It is called Your Friends and Neighbors. It's about a burtler. Take a look.

Hey, you two. Can I just say I love that you had such a friendly divorce. Hi. Hi. You know, it's getting harder to pretend that nothing's going on. I just need to know how long I could float on what I got. Six months. Tots. I'd been thinking.

These houses have all this stuff no one would miss for a while, if ever. Bling ring. What is this? Is this John Ham's bling ring? John Hamm, hedge fund manager, loses his job. He's got to keep up that lifestyle somehow, so he resorts to crime. Maybe this is the route that Timothy Ratliff

of White Lotus will take now that he's in a bit of trouble here. We'll see what happens there on season four. Anyways, always a White Lotus reference. There's always a way. Olivia Mudd and this as well, and yeah, this is really good. Looking forward to seeing John on SNL this weekend too. Oh, yes, he is on SNL. That'll be great.

Okay, now we have some music because Bonnie Vair is out with a new album. This is one of the songs on it. It's called There's a Rhythm. Take a listen. You know, I've really no more shame. Nothing's really all remains. There's a rhythm. There's a rhythm.

You said he liked this one, yeah? Tell us. Oh, love this song. The album is Sable Fable. He's been working on some of these songs, Bonnie Vera, Justin, since 2019. I mean, think about that. It seems like five lifetimes ago. And a lot of this music was born out of his depression

and about a lot of different struggles that he's had. And you think about the fame that he's had, the different people he's worked with. Don't forget, he worked with Kanye West back in the day. Obviously, he's worked with Taylor Swift. So, yeah, a lot of things that he's working through on this album. through on this album. Great piece of art and great song right there. All right, Ralphie Aversa, thank you so much for being here and thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison

Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.