Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 21, 2023

Episode Date: April 22, 2023

The Supreme Court allows abortion pill mifepristone to remain widely available in the U.S. as courts continue to review the case, the GOP 2024 field stands divided on the issue of abortion, an American is among at least 400 people killed during the recent fighting in Sudan, an arrest made in a 20-year-old cold case in New York, and the latest on China's oppression of Uyghur Muslims.

Tonight's breaking news, the Supreme Court has preserved women's access to a key abortion drug. The Justice is rejecting a lower court's decision that would have taken the pill off the market. It's currently used in more than half of all U.S. abortions and can be sent by male, which has been critical after the High Court overturned Roe v. Wade less than a year ago. What we're just learning about the ruling and what it means for millions of women. Also, a dangerous storm system moving east after bringing tornadoes, Large hail and flooding to the central US. A state of emergency expanded in Oklahoma after a deadly EF3 tornado

with winds of up to 155 miles per hour, ripped through the state. Fifteen million people along the east coast now in the storm's path. Crisis in Sudan, an American among the hundreds killed as two warring generals battle for control of the country. The capital city turned into a war zone and thousands of U.S. citizens are caught in the crossfire, A 72-hour ceasefire in place now, but will it hold? Deadly Highway Inferno, a tanker trunk, trunk overturning on a Connecticut highway and bursting into flames. The heat so intense, it melted the guardrails, the tragic update tonight from the police.

Plus, the shocking video showing a 14-year-old wrestler sucker punching his opponent after a match, the punishment he is now facing, and Lab-grown chicken. Big Tech, now using the cells from... chickens to cultivate meat in a lab. No farmland or coops required. It's supposed to be better for the environment. But how does it taste? Our Maya Eglan put it to the test. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Keir Simmons, in for Tom Yamas. We begin with that breaking news. The Supreme Court will allow a key abortion drug to remain widely available in the U.S. The justice is blocking a decision by a federal judge in Texas

that would have taken the pill off the market. The pill has FDA approval for more than two decades. It is part of a two-drug regiment that's used in half of all U.S. abortions. This decision means it can still be delivered by mail. It's critical as many women turn to the male option following the Supreme Court decision last June to overturn Roe v. Wade, which lifted federal protections of abortion

and now leaves the decision up to the states. In less than a year since that, ruling abortions have been banned in 13 states, including some with no exceptions for rape or incest. Georgia and Florida, banning the procedure at six weeks before many women know they're pregnant. Florida's governor, Ronda Santos, just signing that bill last week. And three other states have 15, 18 or 20-week bans. Tonight's decision could also have impacts beyond the U.S., so let's get right to Kimberly Muchison. She's a dean and law professor at Rogers Law School.

focusing on reproductive rights and bioethics. Tell me first, what do you make of this decision? What do you think it means? I mean, I think essentially what it means is that this court is not ready to make a radical decision about the power of the FDA, which is what would have happened if they had upheld the orders from down below. So they're giving us time to actually have a trial to see what's going on on the merits and then decide where to go from there.

This is a conservative court. Is it a surprise to you? It's not a surprise to me. I mean, you know, Alito and Thomas, of course, had their own issues about the stay. But I think ultimately, folks on this court want to be making decisions that make sense based on the Constitution and based on the way that our court system has worked for a very long time. And this is in keeping with that. It would have been quite extraordinary, frankly, for them to allow a decision to stand

that would have taken this drug off of the market. There were a few ways the Supreme Court could have ruled tonight, but there was a lot of confusion about what would come next, how to implement it if they did roll back access. When could we hear from the Fifth Circuit? So the Fifth Circuit is going to be hearing the appeal in the next couple of weeks, and we'll see what comes out of that. What came out of the Fifth Circuit, what was actually appealed up to the Fourth Circuit,

what was actually appealed up to the Supreme Court was also, frankly, problematic. I mean, they were rolling back the approval. They weren't going to take it off the market completely, but they were going to roll back a lot of the changes that had been made in the approval of Mifapristone since 2000, including the ability to be able to send it through the mail. So it's a very, very big deal what the Supreme Court did here today, and it means a lot for women in this country who are seeking abortion care. DeMarchison, talk about the wider implications this ruling could have on the FDA,

especially given that the agency first approved the drug more than 20 years ago. So, you know, one of the things that's really striking, you know, the Supreme Court made its decision in Dobbs and basically said, we want to get out of the business of abortion. And here we are, less than a year later, already with this court making abortion decisions. And in this context, what's really sort of frightening is what does it mean if the courts decide that they can just overrule decisions that are made by administrative agencies, right? The FDA is full of people who are scientists and who are doctors and who are doing this work every day.

Do we really want a judge in Amarillo, Texas, to be able to tell the FDA, you don't know what you're doing? DeMuchin, thank you very much for joining us. And our senior legal correspondent, Laura Jarrett, joins us now. She's been following the developments of the case. Laura, what struck you about this court decision? The divided court here, I mean, it's a court that is a conservative majority, and yet you only see two dissenting opinions from Justice Thomas and Justice Alito, which is an interesting development. I think there had been some question about how the Supreme Court would treat this decision, given that it's the same Supreme Court that struck down over 50 years of precedent with Roe v. Wade, and tonight you see them upholding what the Biden administration wanted, giving them the stay that they wanted on that controversial. decision out of Texas just two weeks ago, which had rolled back access to this widely used

pill by five million American women. And obviously, it is a victory for not only the Biden administration, but also the pill manufacturer, which had said it would have had to essentially go out of business, cease production, rip all of the pills off the market, if, in fact, the Supreme Court had not stepped in. Laura, walk us through what happens next. So now the case will go back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. I know it's a lot of ping ponging, a lot of back and forth. It might seem confusing. Why was it at the Supreme Court if it's only going to go back? That's because of how it came up. It was an emergency appeal. The Justice Department said, this is so critical. Supreme Court, you need to hear it right now. But it wasn't a

decision about the merits. It was just a decision about whether they should pause that lower court ruling because it had such big implications. The case will now go back to the Fifth Circuit. That Court of Appeals will hear it. They're set to hear it on May 17th, which will be an expedited hearing. If, in fact, that court says no, Biden administration, the pill should come off the market, then we will be right here again, here in the not-too-distant future. How long away do we know? Well, they're set to take it up on May 17th, and I would imagine they'll rule pretty quickly.

All right. NBC News, senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett, we thank you. You turn now to the politics of abortion as the 2024 presidential race heats up. The GOP field struggling to tackle the question of federal abortion restrictions, As Democrats look to make abortion rights a critical issue in next year's election. Yamish Al-Sindor has more. Tonight, turmoil growing in the GOP over abortion. The party's presidential hopefuls divided on whether the federal government should be involved in the issue. Former President Donald Trump delivered the Supreme Court majority that overturned Roe v. Wade.

But now new comment by the GOP frontrunners campaign are drawing criticism. A Trump spokesperson telling the Washington Post, he believes states should decide the issue of abortion. Anti-abortion rights group Susan v. Anthony Pro-Life America blasting Trump in a statement, calling his position, quote, morally indefensible. Trump's chief rival, Florida Governor Rhonda Santas, signing a six-week abortion ban into law last week. But staying quiet about it as he tours the country. We need consensus on this. Abortion positions now splintering the GOP field.

I don't apologize for it. We should at least decide when is it okay. I would literally sign the most conservative pro-life legislation. Rank and file Republicans are growing concerned that some hardline stances on abortion may cost them votes. Which we know we lost seats in November. Why would you, if you're a potential presidential candidate, take such an extreme position that most Americans do not support?

When you look at the percentage of Americans that want abortion to be illegal altogether full stop, no exceptions. That is a very, very, very small minority. The Republican party has a problem in abortion. NBC news polls show a majority of Americans support the protections that were afforded in Roe and oppose further restrictions on the procedure. In last year's midterms, Democrats seizing on the issue, avoiding a red wave in the House and actually growing their narrow majority in the Senate. We have an activation of Democrats, liberals, people who are approach choice, who may in the past, you know, they were supportive of abortion, but in the past might have not been driven to the polls exclusively on that issue. And in ballot measures, abortion

rights were virtually undefeated. In six different states throughout the 2022 cycle, from deep blue Vermont to Ruby Red Kansas, voters upheld abortion protections. Republicans now grappling with an issue that has galvanized their voters for decades, but could endanger their general election chances. And Yamish Al-Sindor joins us now from Washington, D.C. Yamish, I want to go back to that anti-abortion rights group, Susan B. Anthony, pro-life America, calling the Trump campaign's abortion comments morally indefensible. How is the Trump camp responding to that tonight? Well, the Trump campaign, through its spokesperson, Stephen Chung, is doubling down on the position of the former president and reiterating the Trump believes that states should be the decision

makers on abortion. Chung said, quote, our focus here should be on saving. lives and avoiding the radical left's traps not on dividing the pro-life community. Now, this group, Susan B. Anthony, Pro-Life America, says it will oppose any presidential candidate who refuses to embrace, at minimum, a 15-week national abortion ban. So this is certainly going to be a disagreement that will impact the 2024 campaign. And you mean, as you mentioned in your piece, abortion is going to be a critical issue in the 2024 presidential race. And it's not just presidential candidates weighing in.

What are we hearing from both sides tonight? That's right. Just today, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham renewed calls for passing a bill. He reintroduced last September that would ban abortions nationally after 15 weeks except in cases of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. He wrote in a statement, quote, I hope the Republican Party can muster the courage to oppose late-term abortion like we have done in the past. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, Vice President Kamala Harris has been the vocal face of the Biden administration's push against abortion restrictions and against efforts to limit access. to this abortion pill. Today, in an interview with Telemundo, Harris said, quote, one does not have to abandon their faith or their deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling a woman what to do with her body, with her body. Kier?

Yemich Al-Sindor, we thank you. Next to the severe storms striking across the country, deadly weather ripping through the plains and the Midwest this week. That EF3 tornado in Cole, Oklahoma, carving an 11-mile path of destruction through the region. Now 15 million, still at risk, as the threat of damaging winds, gusts, and hail moves east. Priscilla Thompson has the latest. Oh, oh, oh, that's a twister tearing through Tyler, Texas. Unrelenting rain in Austin, causing dangerous flash flooding and harrowing water rescues. That water came up to here, and you were just, like, trying to crawl out the window.

People was getting out of their car swimming, so it was pretty bad. As golf ball size hail, pummeled parts of Oklahoma and. Illinois. Oh, my God. Thousands throughout Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas remain without power. The governor in Oklahoma declaring a state of emergency after an EF3 tornado ripped through several counties, killing three. Many there now grappling with the path of death and destruction left behind. I think I'm still in shock.

Raleena Vestal is still shaken after riding out the storm in a bunker in her backyard. This door is probably a good 50, 60 pounds, and it ripped the hinges off. When she emerged, there was nothing left. She's now unsure of what comes next. How are you feeling about the future? I'm scared. We're trying to find temporary housing or even a hotel that we can afford month to month. I'm not sure.

In the midst of that uncertainty, her fiance's boss coming over with his family to help Linda Hand. We don't have a whole lot to give. All we have is hands, and so that's what we're doing, we're taking care of our family. How much do those little things mean in this moment? Well, it's keeping a smile on my face and I feel like I have hope. Hope amid so much despair in a community still reeling from disaster. And Priscilla Thompson joins us now from a storm shelter in Cole, Oklahoma.

Priscilla, that's an extraordinary place where you're standing right there. How prepared were residents you spoke to for these tornadoes? Yeah, well, the woman that you heard from heard those. sirens going off and immediately ran down here and sheltered. They weren't even able to close the door of the storm shelter before pieces of their roof began flying in on top of them. But luckily they were able to survive. We know that some people survived in their homes, sheltering. But experts say that as soon as you know that a tornado is coming, it's important to have a plan so that you have time to get to safety before the tornado barrels down.

Kier. Priscilla, those pictures behind you that just says everything. Priscilla Thompson, thank you. And Bill Kerrins joins me now in the studio. Bill, where are the storms heading this weekend? Well, Keir, they're going to head all the way to the East Coast.

Saturday is really the riskiest day. Sunday is more just a rainy day up in areas of New England. We still have a few storms to watch the rest of this evening. I don't think we're going to get many reports of tornadoes, maybe some large hail out of this and some wind gust problems in Mississippi, especially in Ohio. But that'll be about it. Tomorrow is a much larger threat area, about 15 million people included large population centers like Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, the Raleigh Area, Myrtle Beach, all the way down to beautiful Charleston.

We're going to watch isolated tornadoes. We're hoping for nothing like what we saw in Oklahoma. But wind damage, power outages, and some large isolated hail is possible as we go throughout tomorrow afternoon and evenings. Let me kind of give you the timing on that. So we're going to watch these storms tonight in areas in Mississippi. They should weaken after midnight. Then we'll see these storms firing back up during the day tomorrow. So you get a nice first half of your Saturday, fine for the beach or heading for any of the sporting events. But when you get to the late afternoon in the evening, that's when the storm's going to roll through the Mid-Atlantic region. DC, it looks like around 6 o'clock, Raleigh, probably 4 to 5 o'clock. Notice New York City doesn't really start to rain and pour until about 9 p.m. tomorrow. And then the storm will be up in areas of New England with some heavy rain from Boston and areas of New Hampshire.

Not severe weather, but just kind of downpour is kind of an ugly Sunday end to your weekend. So your Saturday forecast, the rest of the country looks just fine. It's really the Mid-Atlantic we'll have the problems with, still kind of chilly and not the most pleasant in areas of the Northern Plains. And finally, on Sunday, we see the rain in the New England area. We recover from our storms nicely on Sunday in the Mid-Atlantic, but we'll see some of that rainfall returning to the southern plains. Here, this is our severe weather season. We do expect this about every other day, and it looks like Saturday is our next day of risk. We have been warm. Bill Kerrins, thank you.

Now to the conflict in Africa's third largest country. The State Department says an American is now among those killed in Saddam. as fighting between military factions rages on. There's growing concern about thousands of other Americans in that country. Courtney Kuby has the latest. Tonight, thousands of Americans among those caught in the crossfire in Sudan. A fragile 72-hour ceasefire not ending the wave of violence, the State Department announcing an American was among the at least 400 people killed

as two warring generals fight for control of the country. Sudan's international airport shut down. many residents without running water or enough food. The Pentagon now sending troops to the U.S. military base Camp Lemigny and Djibouti to be ready to evacuate Americans. We've deployed some forces into theater, and we haven't been called on to do anything yet. But the Biden administration is leaning towards an evacuation

of the roughly 70 U.S. government personnel there, according to two sources familiar with the planning. While insisting a mission to rescue the rest of the 16,000 Americans in Sudan is still too dangerous. Tonight, American Lakshmi Parthasarathy among those stranded. There's no plane that can safely land. So at the moment, I'm just kind of taking it day by day, hour by hour. Hour by hour, extraordinary. And Courtney Kuby joins us now from the Pentagon.

Courtney, if this descends further, how far will U.S. citizens need to go to get out? Well, remember, the U.S. military is trained for this very occasion. So to go into a potentially what they would call a contested environment, what we would call a hostile environment or a war zone, and help Americans get out to safety. We've seen it in many cases. Of course, you remember just about nine years ago, 2014, the U.S. brought more than 150 Americans out of Libya amidst massive fighting in Tripoli and around that area. So the military has several different groups that would be possible for this.

There's a Marine Corps regiment or a Marine Corps group. They're essentially a special purpose marine air ground task force. What that means to civilians like us here is they have their inherent aircraft with them. They are specifically trained to go into contested areas and bring Americans out. There's also the 80-second airborne. Of course, you'll remember that during the massive evacuation from Kabul in 2021, the 82nd Airborne was sent in to both secure the area and to help with the evacuation efforts. And if, in fact, the environment continues to be as dangerous as it would as it seems to be right now, we could see some special operations forces moving in.

So at this point, we know that the administration is saying that the 16,000 or so Americans who are there need to keep sheltering in place, need to watch out for their own safety. It's too dangerous to bring them all out. But we are now told, according to several people familiar with the planning, that they are leaning towards an evacuation effort to bring the several dozen Americans who are signed the embassy and cartoon to help evacuate them from that dangerous situation care. And that's such a crucial update, Courtney, for families worrying about loved ones. Courtney Kubi, thank you so much for that.

Back here at home, prosecutors in New Mexico today say they've officially closed their case against Alec Baldwin in the deadly Rust shooting, with new revelations leading to the stunning reversal, but a crew member is still charged. Here's Miguel Almaguerre. Tonight, seen here for the first time, Alec Baldwin is back on the set of as he was officially cleared of criminal charges today. I was a shot in the gun, yeah. The stunning legal about face comes 18 months to the day after the death of cinematographer

Helena Hutchins, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells NBC News. New prosecutors recently learned the Colt 45 handled by Baldwin had been modified with a new trigger, making it possible to misfire, as the actor who's maintained his innocence said before. Now I let go with the hammer or the gun, and the gun goes off. Before stepping away from the case, you believe Alec Baldwin pulled the trigger. Yes. The former special prosecutor and DA told us they had evidence to convict.

But new case attorneys writing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation. Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints. It defies belief that the state is only now learning about how this firearm operates when they are the only people who have had access to it exclusively for over a year and a half. While prosecutors maintain the move does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability, experts don't believe charges may be refiled, as the DA's office warns. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film's armorer, who plans to plead not guilty, still faces involuntary manslaughter charges. The case against Gutierrez-Reed is still viable because of,

her title, her role. With production resuming on the new set of rust, NBC News has learned, director Joel Sousa, who was also shot, gave a moving speech to the cast and crew of 200. Tonight, Baldwin is also back on the set, hoping to finish shooting the Western that started his legal drama. Miguel Almaguer, NBC News. All right, still ahead tonight. Saw Loser, a wrestling match between two 14-year-olds, supposed to have ended with a hand-shed. but instead ended with a sucker punch. The citation just handed down to that young athlete. Plus, the shocking moment, a car crashed through a packed restaurant patio in Ohio.

What police say happened. And five NFL players suspended for allegedly placing bets. So were any games compromised the statement from the league? Stay with us. Top story is just getting started. And we're back now with New York Police, an arrest in a 20-year-old cold case of a woman murdered in New York. Her ex-boyfriend now charged with second-degree murder after investigators say he had strong

motives for killing her. But tonight, he's still maintaining his innocence. Stephen Romo has that report. Tonight, an arrest in a cold case two decades old. Megan McDonald found dead in 2003 in an Orange County, New York field. Her family speaking out after waiting years for movement in this case. For 20 years, we have looked forward to a time where we can celebrate Megan's life and honor her memory without wondering who ended her life and where that monster is. The accused, a man named Edward Hawley, who police say was McDonald's former boyfriend.

Megan and Ed Holly had previously dated and they had broken up a few days prior to the homicide. And we believe this crime was intimate partner violence. Police say Holly was already in custody for violating probation connected to a in October 2021 narcotics arrest. The 42-year-old was pushed in a wheelchair as he was arrested and vigorously denied the accusations. They're prey to me like some freaking monkey here, but it's all good. What do you want to say to Megan's family? That I didn't do it. I love Megan. Megan was a great love of great friend. The fateful night was a mystery featured on NBC's date line. In March of 2003, detectives say McDonald had finished a waitressing shift and withdrew money

from a nearby bank before making her way to a friend's house where they reportedly hung out and watched the TV show Friends. McDonald leaving around midnight and failing to show up for work the next day at a local mall. Megan's family's worst nightmare became a reality when her lifeless beaten body was discovered, abandoned on a dirt road in the town of Walk Hill. The official cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to her head. Police telling Dateline there was more than 700 pieces of evidence in this decade's long investigation. And while there wasn't a brand new break, indicating DNA evidence may play a role in this arrest. Ed Halley's DNA was linked to a crime scene. And because it's pending criminal matter, I'm not going to go into any

further details regarding the DNA evidence in this case. Regardless, McDonald's family says the arrest has given them a bit more peace as they look back now on two full decades of time with McDonald's stolen from them. We are here for our sweet Megan. Today, the police have given us the gift of the beginning of the end. And we love Megan. And Stephen Romo joins us now in the studio. Stephen, the arrest was certainly made easier since the suspect was already in custody.

But there were some issues with the prosecutors. Yeah, the Orange County DA was actually pretty unhappy with this. He said state police did not consult his office beforehand on the arrest, something that typically does happen for a case like this, a big case with a long history. State police have pushed back on that, though, and say they did communicate. Regardless, they're joining the family in celebrating this arrest. Holly is now charged with second-degree murder. He was arraigned and remains behind bars without bail.

But, of course, as we saw in that piece, he vigorously denies those allegations. More to come on that. Stephen Roman, thank you. Now we take a look at an incident out of Chicago. A key teen wrestler viciously sucker punched by his opponent immediately after a match when the boys should have been shaking hands. The family now speaking out, our Jesse Kirsch has the details. What should have been a regular display of sportsmanship

after a team wrestling match ending with this sucker punch, now drawing outrage in the Chicago suburbs and beyond. And tonight, police say the 14-year-old boy who threw that punch has been dealt a citation for assault. I went to go shake his hand, and he just went in for a sucker punch. Cooper Quarter speaking out to NBC Chicago says he, He was the teen attacked in Oak Park, Illinois on April 8th. My nose is bleeding everywhere, and my lips started swelling up.

His mother, Jillian Hill, clearly outraged in the video. I wasn't sure if he had been knocked out, if he had been concussed. When he removed his hands from his face, there was just so much blood. I was concerned at what type of injury we were looking at. In a joint statement from the village of Oak Park and its police department, officials say the victim had no prior relationship to the offender. sustained a bloody nose and declined additional medical response. According to the village of Oak Park, the suspect told police he struck his opponent

because he was angry that he had lost the match. The offender and family also relayed that they would cooperate with any future investigation. I slowly started to realize how lucky I was, but if it were somebody who was less lucky, they could have ended his whole career. The event's organizer saying in a statement, it strongly condemns such behavior, which conflicts with our mission of empowering youth, through wrestling. Officials say after reflection, the family of the victim indicated a desire to pursue criminal charges. The video is very disturbing for me to watch, but it didn't happen to

us. It's just as painful to watch it happen to your child. Quarter, a passionate 14-year-old wrestler now looking ahead. I want to do great things in the sport, and I think like I've devoted my life to the sport, and I really want to accomplish many great things. Officials say the teen received what's called a local ordinance citation for assault instead of facing criminal charges after officials and the families discussed the issue and decided that was the best way forward. Officials say the teen's possible punishments include a fine and community service and there is an adjudication hearing scheduled for next month. Keir? And we thank Jesse Kirsch for that report. When we come back, Highway Inferno, the fiery tanker truck crashed shutting down

a Connecticut highway. How much fuel was spilled and the tragic update on the driver? And we're back now with Top Stories News Feed and we begin with a deadly and fiery crash on a major bridge in Connecticut. Cell phone video capturing the massive fire and thick plumes of smoke on interstate Police say a fuel tanker truck rolled over and burst into flames, spilling 2,200 gallons of fuel onto the roadway. The heat of the fire, even melting some guardrails, the state's governor says. The truck driver has died. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. A shocking incident caught on camera at a taco restaurant in Ohio, new video showing the moment a car crashed through a fence and into a group of people eating outside. Several customers and the driver take into the hospital, but they are expected to be okay.

Police say the driver was backing out of a nearby parking lot when she hit a wall and overcorrected. And the NFL is suspending five players for allegedly violating the league's gambling policy. The suspension includes four players from the Detroit Lions and one from the Washington commanders. Three of the players are suspended indefinitely through at least the end of the 2023 season. A league review says there's no evidence. Any inside information was used and no games were compromised. Heading overseas now and to Norway, where we interviewed Chinese refugees who have fled the country after being placed in internment camps. They tell us they don't feel safe, as they described how far China's global reach now extends and why they could be returned.

Inside this building, in the heart of New York, U.S. authorities say China was operating a secret place. police station, harassing Chinese dissidents. This week, two men arrested. It's now shut down. We cannot and will not tolerate the Chinese government's persecution of pro-democracy activists. The U.S. says it's a global pattern, China's communist government going after those who oppose it. We've traveled to the edge of Europe, Norway, to meet refugees who fled China. Abdueli Ayyop says he was tortured and sexually abused by Chinese authorities. What is the torture? The torture mostly electric stick.

Your skin will be burned. He's part of a mostly Muslim ethnic minority called Uyghurs from northwest China. The U.S. and others say they're victims of genocide, which China denies. The U.S. State Department says more than a million U.S. Weakers were sent to what China calls re-education camps. China says they harbored separatist and terrorist thoughts. Abduelli says he and his family did nothing wrong. My sister sentenced 11 years and my brother sentenced 14 years. Abdueli's niece died in prison.

We are living because of them. I am living because of them. A recent UN report documented intimidation, threats and reprisals against Uyghurs overseas and Uyghurs forcibly returned to China. Student Nourak was in Turkey when he got a threatening call, so he moved again. It's a kind of like a warning shot for me, that phone call. The anonymous phone call. Abdueli and his wife Mirigal fear speaking to us may come at a cost to their families back home. I love them so much, and I'm sorry if anything bad happened to them because of me.

You are waiting for them to die there. Tonight, the Chinese embassy in Washington tells NBC News their accusations are aimed at undermining China's unity. President Xi says every country is different. America just needs to understand that. We shouldn't accept dictatorship. We shouldn't accept sexual abuse. We shouldn't accept torture. And one watchdog group tells us it believes there are at least four other secret Chinese police stations in the U.S., including one in Los Angeles.

China says they are just volunteer groups helping Chinese nationals abroad. Here's a conversation I have with Laura Hath, who works for safeguard defenders, an NGO that seeks to protect basic civil and human rights in hostile environments in Asia. Take a listen. Something that we as an organization follow in particular, which are these so-called persuasion to return operations, when people are coerced to go back to China. And when we look at the sheer numbers

that the authorities in China are putting out there every single year, it gives you an inkling of how massive these campaigns are. Persuasion to return. What does that mean? It sounds very, very nice. It basically means, you know, use any means necessary to get people to return to China and face persecution. Laura Hath of safeguard defenders on China's global reach.

Turning now to Global Watch and a deadly mass shooting in South Africa, police say 10 family members were killed in an ambush at their home in Kuzolulu-Natal. A child is among the victims, according to police, at least two suspects have been arrested, and one was killed by officers. A fourth suspect escaped. No word yet on the motive. And the royal family sharing a photo of the late Queen Elizabeth

on what would have been her 97th birthday. The photo posted by the Prince and Princess of Wales shows the Queen surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The image was taken by Princess Kate at Balmoral Castle in Scotland last summer. The Queen died in September at aged 96. Her son, King Charles, will be formally crowned. early next month, and I will be there. Coming up, Big Tech, now growing chicken in a lab.

How it's done, and more importantly, as it tastes. We'll be right back. And we're back now with a report on where your next meal may come from. The meat on your plate for dinner tonight is likely from a farm, but more companies are designing ways to grow your dinner in a lab. NBC's Maya Eaglin went to one of those labs to show us how it's done and how it tastes. It's Big Tech's newest take on Big Ag. No farmland, no coops.

But these labs in Silicon Valley could be the future of meat. There are a lot of benefits of making meat in this way from 70% less emissions, 70% less water and land. But one of the biggest is you don't need to harm an animal. Josh Tetrick is the CEO of Eat Just. It's one of only two companies in the U.S. that's received clearance from the FDA for human consumption of lab-grown meat. The USDA still needs to approve it for sale. This is not vegan or vegetarian. The other company is upside foods, headed by cardiologist Uma Valletti.

Talk to me about the science here. How does it work? The science is fascinating, but it's fairly simple. We take cells from eggs or young animals or mature animals, and we identify the cells that are capable of going into fats, proteins, connect your tissue. Those cells are then prepped in a lab and pumped into stainless steel vessels. Inside this bioreactor tank, there are billions of chicken cells growing. It'll take about a month before they're ready to eat. Right now in the U.S., you can only eat cultivated chicken on company premises. Definitely has the chew factor of chicken. It shreds like chicken, too. They're soft

in texture. I have to say, it's very, very, very, very close. On average, Americans eat 100 pounds of chicken a year. But raising livestock comes at a cost, contributing 14.5% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN. The companies making lab cultivated meat say they can fix that, if they can bring down their costs. Currently, the only place in the world you can buy cultivated meat is in Singapore, where Eat Just sells its chicken at a financial loss. So if the motivation isn't profit here, why sell in Singapore? Selling in Singapore is a way of demonstrating that this and new approach to making meat is not science fiction, but it's here. It's reality. Experts say lab-grown chicken showing up on store shelves in the U.S. is likely still years away.

There's a ton of risk in doing this. There's a lot of uncertainty. But the other option is not to do anything, and that seems worse. Pushing for change, one bite at a time. And Maya joins us now on set. Maya, everybody wants to know, and you are the person who knows. Yes. What did it taste like? It tastes like chicken because it is chicken. The cultivated... It's chicken.

It's chicken. It's chicken cells that are grown into more chicken cells. Right, which, okay. But it shredded like chicken. There was a bit of a chew factor in one of them. A chew factor? Bit too chewy. Bit too chewy, one of them.

And the other one, to me, was a little soft. But here's the thing. They're already working on the next formula for this. Okay, cool. That's good. I'm glad they're improving, but I mean, how did it look? Was it appetizing? It looked like chicken.

It was delicious. I had a dumpling, I had chicken salad, and I had two fillets. Chicken wings, with the bone? No chicken wings, no bone, no blood, hopefully no diseases. Like, that's the goal, you know? They're not animals here. These are just the cells. Okay, that's an interesting question.

So animal or not animal? Conscious or not? I mean, it's not, right? So the cell can be taken from an egg. It can be taken from a live animal, and that animal will live the rest of its life, or it can be taken from, like, a filet. Okay.

And that cell will continue to grow, but there's no organs, there's no bones, there's no blood. Right. So it's a different way of consuming meat, a more ethical way, some of these companies would say. And we're going to need some alternatives soon when our demand explodes with the population increase. Yeah, and recipe ideas already? Anything you can make with chicken, you can make with this chicken. So what's your favorite chicken dish?

Barbecue, I guess. Hot wings? Yeah. There's not going to be hot wings yet, right? I don't think there are hot wings yet. Maybe that's next. Maybe that's time. We need hot wings, man. I'm not going to be bought until we have hot wings.

Okay. All right. Maya, thank you so much. Thanks, sir. All right, when we come back, the British takeover of Bingeworthy, the new Netflix series about a diplomat turned ambassador

filmed in the UK, plus the new movie with Anna Da Amos and Chris Evans, based in London. And new music by Ed Shearer. That's next. And we're back now with the big British bingeworthy.

That's our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. But with a decidedly British twist, and we're joined now by television host and entertainment expert Andrew Freund. Andrew, our first series, it's on Amazon, it's Dead Ringer, which sounds familiar. Buckle up, Kier. Buckle up for Dead Ringer. Let me just tell you. Let's take a look. Are you okay? Oh, I'm brilliant.

Now I'll run from you. You want me to grow you a baby out of nothing. Bring it on. Let's do the research. Let's make anything happen. Are you God? How did you create life where it would not grow? That is not what we want to be doing, though. But it might be, but it's not. But it's not. So we said it was going to be a British binge-worthy. And there's Rachel Weiss. There she is. People will have, you know, the sharp-eyed will have spotted... Of course. The Britishness of our first...

She's very British. Tell us about it. All right. Now, Dead Ringers is... is based off David Kronenberg's 1988 film. It is a dark tale about two identical twins, gynecologists, who share everything from drugs to lovers, to their career, to their quest to put women's health to the medical forefront, but it gets dark and it gets very twisted.

Now, I'm talking very, very twisted. So it is not for the families. Twins, right? They're twins. I have twins. So I don't know if I'm going to want watch this. Well, I mean, I will say, I think it's Rachel Weiss's best role to date. And with the way that technology works now, the interactions between the two sisters, they're completely different characters, even though they're played by the same actor. Okay. Now, on Netflix, new show, the diplomat, I think it's called. Yes. And that's something I'm going to hopefully like a little bit.

You're very diplomatic to me. I feel like you could be a diplomat. It's probably the accent. The president is sending you to stop a war before it starts. Not butter or crump it. Welcome to London, Ambassador Wiler. Call me how. I'm the ambassador's wife. My husband was an ambassador for a long time. This will be an adjustment.

Welcome to London. There you go. Another British theme. There you go. Okay, tell us about it. So, Carrie Russell plays a newly minted U.S. ambassador. She happens to be married to a former ambassador. ambassador, and he doesn't take lightly that he's second fiddle.

But think of this show kind of as West Wing meets scandal. It's behind some of the same people that made the West Wing, and it is the number one show on Netflix right now. It rose to the top within 24 hours. It's a brand new show. Wow, number one. It's a brand new show, but people seem to be loving it. Of course, we know Carrie Russell from the Americans, but it's not as serious as the Americans.

So think of it as a more kind of splashy, shallow West Wing meets scandal. Meets Gray's Anatomy kind of show. Yeah. But, you know, if you like international intrigue, then it could be the show for you. Okay, so now think back to the days of COVID, merge that with Blind Date, watch Netflix, and you've got this next show. Let's take a look. Let's take a look. Eventually it was, oh, you're a match. Yes. We're just going to go on a date now. We clicked. Second date night. We're going to drink beers and throw axes. Cool.

And then it went from zero to 100 real quick. Third date? Costa Rica. Look at this. You all. Only little what's. What's the worst that could happen? It's at the early stages of the coronavirus. At the hotel, they were like, we're shutting down. You have to leave.

By the flights canceled. I guess we're stuck here. Right, Andrew, two issues with this. Yeah. Number one, it's not British. Number two, they start filming themselves on this trip, and it's like supposed to be reality, but actually there's, I don't know. Okay, so it's a documentary where, okay, now get this.

It turns out that one of the guy, so it's Matt and Kalani. Kilani, okay. They met on Hinge, okay? They had one date, it was great. They had two dates, it was great. Then the third date, Matt was like, let's go to Costa Rica. Well, that was March 17th, 2020. Right.

Cut to the pandemic. Matt happens to be a blogger. So he started just filming it on his own. Okay, just naturally kind of like coincidentally. You know, millennials these days? I don't know. Okay. So they were stuck in Costa.

for 70 days during the pandemic. Now, you're going to ask me, are they still together? Do you want to know if they're still together? No, wait. Don't do the spoiler thing. I won't do the spoiler thing. Don't spoil it for us. Okay. Well, I mean, I will if you want. I'm probably never going to watch it. He's not going to watch it. People watching are going to say, hey, so. Let's move on. Listen, okay, so another dating theme, but special agent kind of orientated. Okay, let's watch this one. See, you get it. It's a grand romantic gesture. It's amazing, mate. 5,000 miles to surprise a girl you've only met once,

especially if she's the one who ghosted you. No, no, she didn't ghost me. She just doesn't have an international calling plan. Oh, right. Can you walk, call? I watched this. It's fun. That's fun.

It's called Ghosted. It's on Apple TV Plus. Chris Evans and Anna Da Amos. Yes. Tell us. First of all, they're terrible to look at. I thought you're going to say it was terrible. No, no, it's fun.

They're just non-attractive. Because you wouldn't want it on. No, they're just terrible to look at. No, they're like two of the hottest people on the planet. Okay, right. So if you want to... Oh, you're being ironic. I get it.

Get it? See, it's the distinction because I'm American. I'm British. There you. I'm British. There you. But think about this. Okay, you go on a date with someone.

They ghost you. It happens. Right. So Chris... A lot, as far as I can remember from my dating days. You know, I mean, you're preaching the choir over here. But, um, so they go on this, they go on this date. I was turning into a therapy session.

This is descending, is it? Yeah, okay. Keep going. I'm going to go. I'm going to go on a day, you know, Anna goes to him. He's like, well, I'm going to go surprise her. In London, cut to the, you know, British thing here. Right.

He goes to London. Oh, back to the British theme. Goes back to the UK. To surprise Anna, come to find out she's a CIA operative. Oh. And together, they go. and take on the world, and chaos and hijinks ensue, and this romantic comedy out today on Apple. Out today on Apple. Meanwhile, on Peacock, Mrs. Davis, it's about an ousted none, and her request

to destroy the thing responsible, which is artificial, and I'm confused already, as in Cigolo. Mrs. Davis is all-knowing and all-powerful. She not only knows you're coming for her, but she wants you to. Then I better get going. Wiley? What is that on your face? What's my stash? A lot's changed until I saw you. Meat?

The resistance. What are you resisting? Same thing you are. Yeah, of correct. Mrs. Davis? Don't give you a nine! No one calls Facebook, dog. Explain.

Okay. I'm going to try to explain, but you're going to think I'm insane. All right. Okay, Mrs. Davis is basically an hour. algorithm that controls the world. It's an AI. So obviously with ChatGPT, AI is from the forefront right now. Good current theme, yeah, I like it. So not everyone is cool with being controlled by AI.

Cut to a Catholic nun named Simone here. So you have the Catholic nun whose quest it is to save the planet from Mrs. Davis. There's also the search for the Holy Grail. So you mix all that up. It's by the same people that did Lost, the same people that did the Big Bang theory. So you're going to get some sci-fi elements, some horror. elements, some comedy. It's a very, very interesting series from Peacock. I think Peacock is making a lot of interesting choices right now, but they're taking chances, which I do appreciate. And Mrs. Davis

is a wild fun ride. Nothing about it, though, is British. Unlike Ed Shearing, you see what it is there? I see the segways here are just on top. It's so good, right? Get it on top, I said, top story. New song out, new track out. It's called Boat. Shall we listen? Let's listen. know the more that I love the less that I feel the times that I jumped never were real they say that all scars heal but I know maybe I won't but the waves won't break my boat If I waded through the seat like that, I would not look anything like that. It looks really cold.

It just looks freezing. Yeah. But the song is a metaphor for depression. Oh. So it's Ed's kind of, it's one of the new songs from his new album. Because he's got a whole bunch of new music out, right? His new album subtract is coming out May 5th.

Okay. And this is one of the first songs from the new album. Everyone's excited. You know, Ed is a prolific singer-songwriter, and I do appreciate that he writes all of his, you know, own songs. It's not everybody does. No, okay. And yeah, this is...

Well, he's British, you know. He was more. He was born in West Yorkshire. Yeah. I looked that up because of you. That's good. I don't know where that is. Do you know where that is?

I know where West Yorkshire is. Okay, because I have no clue. Well, I don't know, though. The bad Moona. I've never heard of the bad. What? You don't know, Moana? I know.

I thought you're just playing Moona nonstop. So the new track is called the one, I'm just reading this, one that got away. Let's have a listen. Now I'm the one that far away. The kiss you never taste it. Tell me that you hate it. that I'm no longer in your reach if I can't you say it

maybe you can change it but if you love What do you think? I like it and you know what it's about because I look this up Okay It is a vengeful song It's good to do research

You know I try It's Friday though You know I don't get it I would like a martin I'm getting a martini right after this But the song So first of all Muna is an American band

So I apologize they're not British Okay we're not finishing on the British theme It's fine We're celebrating America We're in New York City I love it. It's a vengeful song. It's basically a song about going after someone

who had the chance to get with you but didn't and they missed their shot. So then they have a death by a spike pasta sauce. And on that note, how many... On that note... Happy Friday. That Italian note. This has been so much fun, Andrew.

It's been so good, Keir. Thank you. Thank you for having you. Well, that's our British binge-worthy. Thanks so much for watching Top Story for Tom Yamis. I'm Keir Simmons in New York. All the Britishness will end now. Stay right there. More news on the way.