Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 4, 2025

Episode Date: April 5, 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 major market meltdown, even worse than yesterday's, as the president's tariffs sent investors panicking. A brutal day on Wall Street, markets plunging nearly 10% in just two days. The Dow's biggest two-day drop ever, as China hits back with its own tariffs and consumers feel more impacts. This video game console now delayed, and the criticism as President Trump golfed today while the markets tumbled. Widespread destruction. The tornado outbreak leveling entire neighborhoods in Tennessee. Home after home pounded into rubble.

And now the flooding. This main street in Kentucky underwater, where the storms head next. Set him free. A judge weighs in on the Maryland man who the government admits they mistakenly deported to El Salvador to a prison there, ordering him return to the U.S. But will the government bring him back? His wife speaks out. Comedian charged.

International star Russell Brand, accused of sexual assault and rape. He is firing back tonight. Finally, freed. The American couple held in a Mexican prison over a timeshare dispute. Now out what they're revealing about their time behind bars. Baseball star break-in, the Dodger whose house was ransacked near this break-in of an NFL Hall of Famer. And TikTok lives to score.

another day. Tomorrow's deadline postponed how China is holding up the deal. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight escalating fears of a recession. Stocks taking a nosedive for a second straight day as President Trump's trade war sparks a mass sell-off. Here's a look at the markets at close. The Dow Jones down five and a half The S&P 500 plummeting nearly 6%. The NASDAQ also tumbling nearly 6%. Trillions of dollars completely wiped out. Over the past two days alone, the Dow dropping more than 9,000, that is just over 9%.

China striking back with reciprocal tariffs slapping 34% on all U.S. goods. Right now, the European Union is considering measures on U.S. tech and Canada's Prime Minister announcing his country would match a 25% U.S. auto tariffs. All of this just adding to the chaos on Wall Street. And now major companies are reacting. Klarna and Stubhub are delaying plans to go public, and Nintendo is halting pre-orders on its highly anticipated switch-to console. A big question tonight, how long until consumers see prices jump?

Our experts standing by, and we began with NBC's senior business correspondent, Christine Romans. On Wall Street today, a second day of dramatic losses and high anxiety over Donald Trump's global trade war. The president today golfing at his club in Florida and his only public comments on the economy via social media. Posting, my policies will never change, that he had a very productive call with Vietnam about a possible deal and pressuring Fed Chair Jerome Powell saying cut interest rates Jerome and stop playing politics. Powell speaking with journalists at a conference in Virginia.

We've taken a step back and we're watching to see what the policies turn out to be and the ways in which they will affect the economy. Recession forecasts growing. J.P. Morgan now expecting the economy to contract under the weight of the tariffs and that a recession will drive unemployment up to 5.3%. David Kelly is the bank's chief global strategist. Tariffs push up prices. They cut employment. They slow economic growth. They reduce productivity. They cut corporate profits. Top Democrats today ripping into the president.

This week, Donald Trump made one of the dumbest decisions he's ever made as president. And that's saying a lot. Today's Wall Street plunge triggered by China's tit for tat, announcing 34% tariffs on all American goods imported after President Trump imposed that same figure on China. This retaliation from China, where does that leave the soybean farmer? We're in that twilight zone right now. We don't know. Last year, the U.S. exported $143.5 billion worth of goods to China. Topping the list, the kind of soybeans, fifth-generation farmer Glenn Newcomer, grows in Ohio. My portfolio is the commodity or the grain that's sitting in the grain bins here.

My commodity is going down in value, no different than what the stock market is doing. So when I look at my current assets, they're going down, and hopefully it will turn around. Concerns about a growing risk of recession, overshadowing today's report showing the U.S. economy added 228,000 jobs in March. And Christine Romans joins us now alongside NBC News White House correspondent Yamish Alcindor. Christine, yesterday felt bad. Today feels even worse. Are we in the middle of a full-fledged panic for investors? Look, it was the worst two days for the Dow ever in terms of points, 1,500 points back-to-back. That's bad.

And you had some $5 trillion in market value just wiped away in a couple of days. So clearly the mood is very, very sour here. And I'll just say ending the week, you didn't find it was still just heavy selling at the closing bell. So clearly, the markets condemning the president's trade agenda. Yamiche, as Christine mentioned in her report that we showed there, the president spent today golfing and also posting messages online like this one, saying that only the week will fail. What is the White House's plan here? Is it just to power through the ups and downs right now, or all the downs, rather, and hope the markets rebound?

That's right. That is the plan. A White House official is just telling me they believe the economy will be, quote, fine, and that President Trump is not concerned. He's not at all worried that golfing and being in Florida is at all a bad split screen when you have the markets doing what they're doing and plummeting as the dad was doing today. The president really believes what he's doing is right and that he's fulfilling a campaign promise, Ellison. Christine, you outlined the fears growing of a recession. Is there anything that could turn things around? Well, the president says the Fed should be cutting interest rates, and that's a real tough position for the Federal Reserve to be in. They need to wait to see just what these policies

are going to do to the economy. The big worry from economists is that you could get into a situation with stagflation, an economy that is not growing in inflation that is. If the Fed cuts rates, that could fuel inflation. So they're in a really tough spot here. Amish, we have seen a few Republicans break with President Trump on this. Not a lot. But is there a sense in Washington that more Republicans on Capitol Hill might start defecting, if you will, and speak out against these tariffs? It's really going to depend on how bad things are. We have seen now a rare thing, which is some Republicans publicly pushing back and even introducing resolutions in Congress to try to wrestle back some of the power when it comes to tariffs. But really,

President Trump remains popular among Republicans. And as a result, lawmakers don't want to cross him. But let's remember, these lawmakers are worried about the 2026 midterms where President Trump, of course, as of now, isn't running for re-election. Though, of course, he has talked about possibly running for a third term, which would violate the U.S. Constitution. But more on that later, Alison. Yomish Alcindor reporting at the White House. Christine Romans reporting here in New York. Thank you both. And the effects of these tariffs go far beyond the stock market. Small businesses and consumers and communities big and small are already feeling the impacts. Tonight we teamed up with some of our local stations and affiliates across the country to show you that impact firsthand.

Across America, Trump's tariffs touching almost everything. I just worry and I want it all to be over with. From Isle 3 of a San Jose supermarket. I have two boys. They're constantly hungry. My wife already has actually started to sort of penny pinch, not buy, overbuy. To products used at River Market Restaurant in Kansas City. Probably a tariff on this packaging right here. So now you've got almost like a double tariff, so to speak.

Outside of Birmingham, Alabama. This particular gown would run around 35 to 3,800. Our NBC affiliate there spent the day at a bridal boutique. Here's WVTM anchor, Lisa Crane. Some of the companies and designers who actually design these beautiful gowns actually have them manufactured or sewn together in Asian countries like China or Myanmar. So far, we've only had one of our designers that has reached out to us and implemented an increase with the tariffs. According to them, it should have been a 20 percent, but they only went up 10. percent, which we're grateful for.

She says some designers already raised their prices on their latest collections, anticipating the tariffs. If you have a gown that would normally retail for $4,000, that could increase anywhere from $500 to $700 or $800. Also bracing for impact, Jungle Jim's international market in Cincinnati, reporter Rachel Weillan from WLWT is there. A few businesses. will fill the effects of these tariffs like jungle gyms.

However, employees here say they're still optimistic. Our plan so far has been how do we squeeze our margins enough to make sure that all the customers feel safe to come shop and eat here, right? Now, Mark says customers might start to feel the effects more in about one to two years when they have to replace products like these canned chilies from India. And tariffs could drive up prices across industries. Julia LeBlanc from our NBC station in Connecticut explains how you could soon see less of a deal at car dealerships. While there are cars that are assembled here in the U.S., most of them are imported from foreign countries or all of the parts are also foreign.

This is an engine in one of our vehicles, and that absolutely would be subject to tariff. Jeff Ayosa says there are 260 new car dealerships here in our state employing about 14,000 people. AOSA says these tariffs will have an effect on inventory, and customers can expect to see the impact of that in about 60 to 90 days. And with prices going up, dealerships may have to downsize. It's going to be shared pain. And what is the disbursement of that? We don't know. And tariffs having an indirect impact as well.

It hurts my heart, honestly. Like on tulip tourism in Washington State's Skagit Valley. Eric Wilkinson from King Five News reports. The month of April is like Christmas for the people of Skagit County. Typically around 600,000 people from across the globe come to visit the tulip fields. But this year, it may be up to the locals to keep these fields full. The annual tulip festival brings about $83 million to the region. It's restaurants, hotels, and much more.

But since talk of Trump's tariffs, there has been a border backlash against America. Crossings from British Columbia to the U.S. have dropped by 43 percent. And tulip farmers fear that will extend through the spring festival. perhaps beyond. Part of being a scadgetonian is the ability to continue to survive and to continue to come back year after year. A hope that locals will see the valley through this season until a better one arrives. Remind Americans what Americans do best and that is we show up in times that are good and in times that are more of a struggle. And in addition to the stations and reporters you heard from there, we want to thank KNT in the Bay Area and KSHB in Kansas

city for their help with that story. Now to the rising death toll after a string of severe storms tore through the Midwest and South, at least eight people are now dead and many communities tonight dealing with dangerous flooding. Our Kathy Park is on the ground in Selmer, Tennessee with the very latest. The storm weary south back in the bullseye again tonight, relentless rain pushing rivers to the brink. Millions from Arkansas to Ohio on high alert for potentially record-breaking flood.

heavy downpours already flooding neighborhoods. Parts of Nashville, underwater. In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, rising waters reaching dangerous new levels. Our Shaq Brewster is there. Residents here tell me they've never seen anything like this before. The river overtaking what's normally a park, flooding some of those cars and rushing into businesses.

The building manager telling me the water inside is still rising. Oh, wow. And it'll be the same, like I said, all this at minimum is happening all down here right now. And tragedy in the storm zone. A nine-year-old boy was swept away and killed by rushing waters on his way to the school bus. At least eight deaths and 23 injuries being blamed on the violent weather that began Wednesday. Several rounds of violent storms including tornadoes, large hail and destructive winds pounding the same region day after day. We are expecting this extreme weather event to continue.

Tennessee dealing with dual disasters, twisters, and floods. And here in Selmer, Tennessee, this community reduced to a tragic debris field. Violent Peterson and her roommate were inside their home when the tornado touched down. All I could think to do was cover her up and ask God to protect us. They survived, but the trauma runs deep. I can't go through that again. A storm right out of a storybook without. book without the happy ending. And Kathy Park joins us now from Selmer, Tennessee. Kathy, a new wave

of storms expected tonight. How are people there preparing and just take us through some of the damage and destruction we're seeing behind you? Yeah, Ellison, unfortunately, they're bracing for another blow. And as you can see, they're dealing with the existing disaster. And a likely EF3 tornado came through here Wednesday night into Thursday and left this massive debris field. Just take a look. The debris stretches for miles, homes, leveled, trees toppled, and you have just everything, belongings, cars just scattered all around here. And I do want to point something out. I'm actually standing in what used to be a home. The family, they told me they actually survived by going right here into the basement. Incredibly, everyone got out alive. And Allison officials today,

Tonight, they're saying stay on guard because these storms are on their way. Alison. Kathy Park, thank you and stay safe. For more on the severe weather, I want to turn to the forecast with NBC meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill, talk to us about what you're seeing there. Allison, we're in the beginnings of what appears to be another tornado outbreak. Probably won't be as bad as the one we had, you know, four days ago, when we have now 40-some tornadoes.

But all it takes is one to hit a community, and then it's a horrific tragedy. So we have numerous tornado warnings. We've got one, two out there. Currently, tornado watches go from Paducah to Nashville to Memphis to Little Rock, the same exact areas we've been talking about the last three days. So we've got storms tonight. We've got storms tomorrow. Then finally by Sunday, the weather pattern changes, and we can begin our recovery. But we have to get there first. And you notice this right here. This is our tornado warning. We've had a reported tornado with it, no damage, no injuries or anything like that. But we're going to wait in practice to see where it goes. It looks like it's going to be close to Douglasville here shortly. Again, as of now, this is radar indicated. Further to the north, we're going up. We're watching a storm approaching Poplar Bluff, Missouri. You can see this kind of hook in here. Our computer indicates a little rotation. So this could be a close call.

Tornado sirens are going off in Popular Bluff, Missouri. Get to your safe rooms now as that storm races through. So we have the tornado threat, and then as we go throughout tonight and tomorrow, it has just rained day after day. And so everywhere you see the maroon here, we have flash flood warnings. I mean, they're just popping up all over the place. Even St. Louis is under one. right now. West Plains, Missouri is under a flash flood warning. And as these storms do move towards

Memphis and Little Rock, we're going to see them spreading. An additional five to 10 inches of rain. It's already rained five to 10 inches. This is going to end up being like 10 to 20 inches of rain. This is the additional rainfall that we expect. And tomorrow during the day, we expect rivers to really start to jump, Alison. Everywhere in purple you see here, that's major flooding. And that means water should be entering homes and businesses in so many spots this weekend. All right. Bill Cairns, thank you. Still ahead tonight, the international comedian charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault, how Russell Brand is defending himself, freed from a Mexican prison. The American couple finally home after a dispute over a timeshare got them locked up.

And the CEO of the company that makes best-selling toys like the Bratstalls joins Top Story Live, how his company is dealing with the tariffs and why he says he will have to raise prices. Actor and comedian Russell Brand facing new accusations tonight. Prosecutors in Britain charging him with rape and sexual assault against four women. NBC's Molly Hunter is following it all for us from London and has Brand's defiant response. Tonight, British prosecutors have charged English comedian and actor Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault. In a statement, London's Met Police said the charges in... include one allegation of rape, one allegation of indecent assault, one of oral rape, and

two more accounts of sexual assault. Brand quickly fired back on social media denying the accusations. I've never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. Police said the five alleged incidents involved four women and happened between 1999 and 2005 in the UK. Brand admitted he was promiscuous back then. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. The comedian got his start performing risque standout. Oh, hello, it's us, now.

Good to go to me. Later, jumping the Atlantic. Moving to L.A. and briefly married to pop star Katie Perry back in 2010. But in recent years, he's largely been out of the mainstream Hollywood mix. He's built a YouTube channel following of 6.8 million. From the people who bought you COVID vaccines, cancer vaccines. Oh, no, we're all going to die. And at times, amplifying conspiracy theories, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his statement today, he said he's ready to defend himself in court next month. And, of course, I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. Prosecutors have set the court date for May 2nd. Molly Hunter, NBC News, London. An update now on a story we've been reporting on for the past week. couple imprisoned for a month in Mexico over a timeshare dispute, now finally back home. NBC's Maggie Vespa spoke with the family, and she has their story.

This is the moment Paul and Christia Keo walked free from a notorious Mexican prison after being held for a month over a timeshare dispute. The Michigan grandparents, escorted by their congressmen, flying straight home into the arms of their family. what was it like hugging your kids that first time? It was amazing. Like, I was so happy to see them. I never thought that I was going to be able to see them again.

So in my, no, I didn't. In my mind, I thought, you're going to die in prison. I was going to die there. They say they had no idea they were being investigated for fraud when they flew to Cancun for vacation last month. That investigation was over nearly $117,000 worth of, charges tied to their membership contract with timeshare company palace elite resorts which paul a u.s navy veteran successfully disputed with their credit card companies in 2022 the couple argued

palace failed to provide the goods and services but a lawyer for palace argued the disputed charges amounted to fraud the couple detained while the case progressed i wanted to die because it was so just disgusting i spoke with the akeos daughter last week. We need help. Soon after, help came. Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett traveled to Cancun to demand their release. I said I'm here for one reason to get Paul and Christy back home and I'm not leaving without them. He said the case had also caught the eye of President Trump. I want to thank, you know, our government for stepping in because we wouldn't be here. Tonight, Palace says under an agreement they reached with the Akeos, a sum of money will be donated to charity, adding

each party regrets that this incident occurred. Prosecutors say all charges against the Akeos have been dropped. We're just grateful to be home. Yeah. You're just grateful to be home. Yeah. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Lansing, Michigan. We're back in a moment with our one-on-one interview with the wife of the Maryland man

mistakenly deported to an El Salvador prison and the ruling today that may get him back home. And playtime is over. The toy company CEO behind Dolls Leg. Brats now grappling with tariffs. His message to President Trump when he joins Top Story live. We're back with Top Story's news feed. Sean Diddy Combs hit with new charges in his third superseding indictment. Combs now charged with two additional counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all of the allegations against him. Combs remains behind bars in a Manhattan jail before his trial next month. And a 24-year bull rider from Wyoming

is dead after being injured at an event in Texas. Dylan Grant was bucked off and then stepped on by a bull according to the professional rodeo Cowboys Association. It happened last night at a country youth fair, a county youth fair rather, about an hour from Houston. Grant had just debuted on the pro circuit last year. He was a state champion before going on to compete at the University of Wyoming. And new details about that deadly stabbing at a track meet in Texas. According to the arrest warrant, 17-year-old Carmelo Anthony told police that Austin Metcalf, also 17 years old, grabbed him and told him to move. That's when Anthony pulled out a knife and stabbed Metcalf, telling police it was in self-defense. Anthony was charged with murder and is held on a $1 million

bond. He could face between five to 99 years in jail if convicted. And the Washington home of L.A. Dodgers pitcher Blake Schnell broken in two. This surveillance image shows two people at Snell's home. No one was there at the time. Police say they found a broken window after arriving at the scene and that it could not be determined if anything was stolen. It happened during the same week as a break-in at the home of former Seattle Seahawks cornerback, Richard Sherman. Police say their homes are about an hour apart, but that there is not enough information to draw a connection. Carry on to our next story where President Trump has made the decision to extend his federal government overhaul to the NSA now, firing two top officials at the intelligence agency,

although the White House still has not said why. It comes after Trump fired a string of other national security advisors following a meeting with a far-right conspiracy theorist. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez is traveling with the president tonight in West Palm Beach. Tonight, the two top officials at the NSA, the National Security Agency, Air Force General Timothy Hock, and his deputy, Wendy Noble, are out, according to a defense official and three sources with knowledge of the matter. Hawk had just testified on Capitol Hill last week. We put out an advisory on how to use this signal app. The White House won't say why the officials were fired, but overnight, far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Lumer apparently took credit, posting they have been disloyal to President Trump and thanking the president for being. receptive to the vetting materials provided to you. Lumer met with the president earlier this

week in the Oval Office. She makes recommendations of things and people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations. He denies she played a role in other recent firings of national security staffers. We're going to let go of people, people that we don't like, or people that we don't think you do the job, or people that may have loyalties to somebody else. Lumer has a history of racist posts on social media and once described herself as a proud Islamophobe. She's drawn controversy for reposting a video incorrectly saying the 9-11 terrorist attacks were an inside job and amplifying the false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating pets last year in Ohio.

And any other White House, you wouldn't allow a crazy person like this 100 feet close to the White House. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from West Palm Beach, Florida. Gabe, we know National Security Advisor Mike Walt was in that meeting with Laura Lumer, defending the staffer she was attacking. Has he or anyone else from the national security community responded to these firings publicly? Well, Allison, the National Security Council has declining to comment. And today, a Pentagon spokesperson thanked former NSA Director Hawk for his decades of service to the nation.

As for that Oval Office meeting earlier this week, according to a source familiar with the meeting, Lumer did press Trump to fire members of the national security staff, and Waltz defended them. In an interview Thursday, Vice President Vance, they acknowledged the firings and said they could be good people, but that they weren't helping the president's agenda. Ellison? Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. A major update tonight in a story we've been following closely. A federal judge ordering the swift return of a Maryland man who the Trump administration admitted in court documents was mistakenly taken to a mega prison in El Salvador. NBC's Gary Grumbach spoke to his wife about the error and how it's turned her family's life upside down.

Tonight, a glimmer of hope for one Maryland family after a federal judge ordered the U.S. government to return a man that was sent to El Salvador because of what the Trump administration called an administrative error. I want to say thank you to everyone that has helped us, that has supported us, inviting this, and we will continue. continue fighting for Kilmar for my husband. The judge giving the U.S. government until this Monday at 1159 p.m. to bring Kilmar-Abrego Garcia home. This is the America legally did. Dozens of immigration advocates outside the Maryland courthouse today in support of Obrego Garcia, a protected legal resident with a work permit.

His case getting national attention. After it was revealed, he was brought to a maximum security prison in El Salvador on March 15th. Even though he had a court-ordered pause on his deportation to El Salvador. I knew immediately it wasn't a traffic stop. In an interview with NBC News, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez-Sura, said her husband was driving with their five-year-old son on March 12th when he was pulled over. They told me that I had to be there to pick on my son because he was being arrested. He was then sent to Texas, and in what court filings have called an administrative error, ended up on a plane heading to El Salvador. Alongside hundreds of Venezuelans sent to one of the country's notorious megaprisons.

Court documents show Abrigo Garcia entered the U.S. illegally in 2011. In immigration proceedings in 2019, a government informant identified him as a member of MS-13, something his family and attorneys deny. Is he a member of MS-13? No. So they're incorrect in saying that? They're wrong. But the Trump administration doubling down on the... their decision to deport Abrigo Garcia.

This is not exactly father of the year here. This is a person that we don't think should be in our country. His wife firing back. He's wrong. My husband is the best father. The Trump administration claiming in court filings they lacked the power to return Abrago Garcia to the U.S. The attorney arguing on behalf of the administration today said in court he didn't have

an answer as to why. Plaintiff's counsel taking note. Plenty of tweets, plenty of White House press conferences, but no actual steps with the government of El Salvador to take it right, no actual steps to bring him back, and no actual steps to even communicate or provide documents to the lawyer who they sent into court to defend their actions. Obrigo Garcia's wife left to explain what happened to their three young children. They're confused. They don't understand why he disappeared. And they'll make calls

to him and send messages that are not getting read. And Gary joins us now from D.C. Gary, what is the Trump administration saying about the judge's order? Yeah, well, they're already appealing the judge's order today to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Department of Homeland Security is out with a statement saying in part, quote, whether he is in El Salvador or a detention facility in the U.S., he will be locked up and off America's streets. Now, it's important to note here, what the judge's ruling did today was order him brought back to the United States. Whether or not he remains detained, well, it's not up to this judge to decide.

Alison. Gary Grumbach, thank you. Turning back to President Trump's widespread tariff plans, which could impact nearly every product on the market, and not even the toy aisle is safe from rising prices. 80% of all toys sold in the U.S. are made in China. That's according to the Toy Association. Some experts say the prices of toys could jump 50% after yesterday's tariffs hit two of the biggest manufacturers, China and Vietnam.

For more on how the toy industry is very. reacting. I want to bring in Isaac Larian. He's the founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment. That is the world's largest privately owned toy company known for brands like Bratz Dolls and Little Tykes. Isaac, thank you so much for joining Top Story this evening. Talk to me about what these tariffs mean for your company. How big of an impact will this have on you and your employees? Thank you for having me. When you put tariff on toys, you are taxing, you're not taxing the corporations. You're taxing childhood joy. And this to me is wrong. President Trump got it right the first time in his administration when he had zero tariff on toys. And I hope he does the same thing again. Gabe. I really, you know, we make, we have the largest toy manufacturing USA in Hudson, Ohio.

And I've been doing this for 46 years. We make cozy coop, the number one selling car in America. We make turdard sandbox, all joys that people remember. And I'm sure Barron, Trump played with the cozy coop, and so has Mr. Trump's grandchildren. And I'm telling you, there's no way that you can make a brass doll. There's no way you can make a brass doll in the USA. I am not aware that during the past 100 years, any doll has ever been made in USA because it's tedious work,

it needs a lot of different skill sets. And frankly, we don't have the labors to do it. If we could make it in Hudson, Ohio, we would. It's not possible. So I asked Mr. Trump and Mr. Ludwig not to be the Grinch who stole Christmas. Leave the kids and leave the toys alone for tariffs, please. What are you expecting to happen in the coming weeks and months as it relates to the cost? I mean, are higher costs something that you and your company will be able to work around,

or should consumers expect to see higher toy prices? There is Allison. We have merchandise sitting at the L.A. Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Those toys are going to cost 54% more to import in the United States. There is no way that MGA or any other toy company can absorb that. We work on very thin margins. So what's going to happen is that we have to raise prices anywhere between 35. to 50% to stay in business. And the other thing that people should realize, the Toy Association and MGA got 20 countries, including Japan, China, Vietnam, to reciprocate and have zero tariff on toys. And we were shipping cozy coop and made in America toys

to China, to Japan, to Vietnam, to Vietnam, to Korea. Now we can't because the price is going to be higher 34 by 34%. So it's a double whamming. And frankly, if this continues, we have to lay off people and cut back on our factory in Ohio rather than expanding it, which Mr. Trump wants. So you believe you will have to lay off American workers as a result of these tariffs. How many about? Absolutely. I think we have, we really, things have been moving so fast that, you know, the tariffs started at 10%, then they went to 20%, then they went to 20%, then they went to 20% from 34%. So we have not, it's impossible for any business, including MGA, to plan against that. So now we're waiting for things to settle down next week in order to figure out what do we have to do with that. the company. President.

I hope by then, go ahead, I hope by then the administration will do what they did during the first administration. Leave the kids alone, let them have joy, let Christmas toys be under the Christmas tree this holiday, and let the adults fight the trade wars. So from your perspective, Isaac, as we're wrapping up here, there is no other option other than raising prices, as you said, possibly 50% on toys that your company makes unless these tariffs go away. The president has said there's going to be pain in the beginning, but there will be gain long term, just deal with the bumps in the beginning. You say that that won't

be the case at all. Not in toys. And I love President Trump. I really think that he loves America, but I think putting tariffs on toys is misplaced. It is not good for the business is not good for imagination. It's not good for kids. Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment. Thank you so much for your time tonight and joining us here on Top Story. Thank you, Alison. Thank you for having me. Heading overseas with Top Story's Global Watch, fire officials say two wildfires in the UK were started by people, but it's unclear if it was intentional arson. Video shows flames engulfing in area and pool. That's about two hours south of London. This is home to some endangered birds and reptiles. Both fires were put out within 24 hours after burning more than 100 acres of land.

And in South Korea, a court there upholding the impeachment of President Yun Suk Yul, Yun officially removed from power after his failed attempt to impose martial law, thrust the country into political turmoil last December. The court's decision means that elections to replace Yun must be held within 60 days. The country will continue to operate without a head of state as it navigates steep U.S. tariffs and enhanced military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. And NASA doubling their odds that, an asteroid initially expected to hit Earth will hit the moon. That asteroid, which is about the

size of a 10-story building, now 3.8% likely to hit the moon in 2032. Not to worry, though, astronomers note that even if the asteroid were to make impact, it would not be enough to change the moon's orbit. When Top Story returns new details on the fate of TikTok, we have behind the scenes reporting on just how close the White House was to a sale, and until China blew up that deal. Stay with us. We're following new details tonight on TikTok. The deadline to sell the app to a U.S. company was just hours away, but President Trump offering another lifeline to the China-based owner, Bite Dance,

extending the deadline by 75 days. That's another 75 days. Trump's saying on truth social, quote, My administration is working very hard on a deal to state TikTok, and we have made tremendous progress. But, he added, the deal requires more work to ensure. ensure all necessary approvals are signed. And now NBC News has some new reporting that there actually was a deal that the president

was ready to sign that would have spun off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new American-based company. It would be owned and operated by American investors with bite dance maintaining a minority stake, but Trump's sweeping tariffs through a wrench in the plan. Joining us now to discuss what happens next is Bloomberg anchor Caroline Hyde. Caroline, thank you so much for joining us. I mean, you have been following the TikTok drama closely. Break down what all of this means for TikTok and its users.

Alison, such a joy to be with you. How tantalizingly close this deal seemed to have been for the private sector. We understand, as you mentioned, that bite dance, we didn't know that before, but bite dance had actually been coming to the table with the U.S. government and private sector to sell a majority of the U.S. unit to those U.S. investors, whether they include Oracle and infrastructure provider, Blackstone, Andrewson and Horowitz, with about 50 percent. 30% likely to be held by the current U.S. investors in bite-darts, the parent company. That's the likes of General Atlantic or Susquehanna, and then less than 20% going to bite

darts. But no Chinese government approval. They were going to agree this on Wednesday, maybe untell it to the masses on Thursday, but then came those tariffs. Then came bite-dance realization that China was not going to be giving its approval. And for now, it is on ice. They have to go back to the drawing board. It will become part of the geopolitical football that it already is. So now that we know tariffs did play a big role in this, is that something China could use as a negotiating tool in the future to continue holding up this deal?

This is such a key question. Who has, well, the ultimate upper hand here? President Trump has long said he would use TikTok as part of the negotiations with China. But now China is so antagonized by what the U.S. is done in terms of tariffs and fired back with its own tariffs of an excess of 30% and indeed a renege on selling certain key rare earth minerals, they now potentially hold the upper hand by withdrawing the ability for TikTok to be sold to

those US investors. Now, remember, there's also nuance to all of this. Legally speaking, Trump wasn't allowed to give another extension of 75 days. And legally speaking, they're not allowed to keep the algorithm held by the Chinese. This is what this deal that we understand J.D. Vance for months has been trying to negotiate would entail that indeed China would overall oversee the algorithm but with some monitoring by Oracle. Is that enough? There are still other players in the mix, remember, other key private sectors want their hands on it. We've heard from Frank McCourt Jr., who's joined our show plenty, and I'm sure yours, who's come on and said he's still in the wrong name with Alexis

Ohanian and he still wants to buy it without the algorithm. There's other players throwing the hats in the ring. Amazon, Walmart, we understand, to certain reports. And of course, plenty of others. Jesse Tinsley is another person who's lying the asset overall. So plenty still to come. But it really is becoming part of the geopolitical context of it. China, we have long understood, is not wanted to let go of this asset. Taneo, for example, a key consultancy today is saying they're not going to want to let us go. Because for them, that would mean capitulation.

Really interesting stuff. Excellent reporting. Bloomberg anchor Caroline Hyde. Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. When we come back, a look at what's streaming this weekend. The new Action Horror TV series starring Kevin Bacon. Plus, a beloved reality show is back for season three,

and there's new music from Ed Shearren. We are back now with Ben Jorthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by Darren Karp. She is a pop culture expert, Bravo personality, and the host of the podcast, Shaken and Disturbed. Darren, so good to see you as always. Good to you.

We're going to start with a Kevin Bacon series. Okay. Are you ready for this? I'm ready. Amazon Prime. It's a series about a bounty hunter who was brought back from the dead by the devil. Stars Kevin Bacon. This is The Bondsman. Maybe it's not just about killing demons. Hub, you can get your family back together.

You're stuck in this so-called job for how long? The hell runs out of demons, seems like. You need to see this. There's a pattern. Then call the hot man. line. A 1,900 number charge in 10 bucks a minute. What do you expect? It's hell. I don't really know what's happening, but the pool scene is giving Jennifer's body. Okay, fair. This is kind of like a horror comedy. It's very interesting. So it's brought to us by Blumhouse,

famous for paranormal activity, you know, all these like really kind of low budge, but high art type of films. And this is brought to us by them. So you're expecting a little bit of scare in there, A little bit like what we do in the shadows, which is meant to be kind of scary, but ultimately very, very funny. This is that. So he's a bounty hammer who gets murdered, comes back from the devil,

and his deal with the devil in order to get a second chance at life is he has to kind of rein in these other demons that are being set loose in hell. He gets a second chance at life, a second chance at love, and also a country music career. Wow, wow.

If that's not enough to make you binge. Does he sing? Sing is the operative word there? Sure. He moves his mouth. All eight episodes are out on Amazon Prime, so it's a true binge-worthy thing to do. You've got to check it out just for the humor. Okay. We love it. I can get on board with that. Next up, we have a movie that's actually directed by Kyle Mooney, who is on SNL. It's called Y2K. I believe it is streaming on Max. Take a look. We're experiencing major problems as a result of the Y2K breakdown. Bye-bye, human race. We're talking global computer apocalypse

Sorry guys I guess you're They made a video on everything That's crazy You don't know how this shit works Grab a bike, grab a board Grab whatever you can It's like beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

There you go That's their soundtrack What do you think? Is that singing? We don't know We don't know. We'll never know Okay, I'm of two minds of this It's been called ironically stupid which I too have to agree with. It's about two high school students

who kind of break into the cool kids party for the millennia. And, you know, you can see them kind of drinking there and having a good time. We can all relate to that. And they're celebrating sort of this hilarious thing about the computers taking over at Y2K.

We kind of remember this somewhat muted fear during 1999, and then their worst fears come true, and the computers do take over so they're trying to save everyone's lives at this party. Again, ironically stupid, but also as a as a square millennial who grew up during Y2K and knew what was going on, Tomogachi's AOL dial-up.

It's great for, like, the nostalgia of it. And Kahn Wooney's, like, one of the funniest guys. Did you watch it, though, and think, okay, but I could watch a party movie actually from the 90s and have... Yes. Okay, because that's kind of what it's giving me. I could have watched Can't Hardly Wade or Clueless, but I didn't. I watched Y2K. Just because you could always watch Can't Hardly Way.

And I will stick with Clueless. Okay, the next one that we have is a medical drama on Netflix. It's called Pulse. It is about the staff of a busy Miami Trauma Center. Take a look. Chief President Phillips has been suspended. Come on, the guys are saying, you have no idea what actually happened.

We'll need to appoint a replacement. I have chosen Danny Sims. Dr. Cruz, you can't promote me. It shouldn't be me. I'm sure you'll prove to us why it should be. Come on. It'll be great. As Hurricane Abby makes a turn towards Miami,

authorities have issued a shelter-in-place order. It's tremendous the confidence that you're putting in Sips. Wow, all sorts of layers there. Listen, I love a medical procedure. I'm heavy into the pit right now on Max. I have heard that's good. Obsessed with it. I am white knuckling the entire time because it's so stressful.

So this is sort of Netflix's response to that for their own medical procedure. Like you said, it takes place in Miami, sort of preparing for this impending storm. A little bit of life imitating art imitating life there going on. It's well acted. It's good. I can't tell how people are actually going to think about this just because they might be... The pit is so popular right now.

I'm very curious to see if people can handle kind of two emergency medical dramas because it is so intense. But Justina Machado is amazing and it takes place in Miami. So you get a little bit of like a vacation warmness to you. Do you? I mean, I just saw storm weather. Well, you did, but listen, they got time.

They get personal lives. It heats up in their personal lives. They got love. It doesn't just like Paisal in the hospital. Okay, excuse me. We love it. Okay, so the next we have is a lot of people love this show.

It's a heartwarming reality series. It's called Love on the Spectrum. It's back on Netflix for season three. Look. Someone who is able of a back-and-forth conversation. Polite, respectful, friendly. I mean, there's like 8 billion people in the world. Somebody's got to be the one for me.

Finding love can be hard for anyone. I'm just a little nervous. Always wonder would be like to kiss a girl. He's never going to get married. And for some people, it can feel like an impossible dream. I'll find my prints. I'll find my prints. I'm hoping for sparks.

People love this show. You can't not love it. In fact, I love it so much that sometimes I have to, like, wait to watch it because it, like, fills my heart with so much joy. I actually can't believe that, like... Oh, I know. You don't want to feel too joyous.

You're like, I need to bring it down. It kills my edge. Yes, so I have to really calm myself down. But it's a fabulous show about people falling in love, discovering themselves. It's really sweet. They have a beautiful outlook on life. It's tender. It's touching. I couldn't recommend it more.

Okay. We have a song, by the way. Okay. Before we go, can we do a little music? Yeah, we can. Ed Sheeran, he's back. Yeah. Well, did he leave? He was there. He's been around, and he is still around, and he's doing performances all over the United States, including here in 30 Rock with Jimmy Fallon. This is his new song that I'll let Darren name for you right after this. Show me how to move like the water In between the dancing lights

Be mine, be mine Azizan. What's it mean? Azizam means like my love or my dear in Farsi. I am marrying a beautiful Persian woman. So this song is going to be near and dear to my heart And I feel like it's going to be played at every Persian wedding abroad. This is a perfect Iranian wedding song.

Oh, is this your first dance song all of a sudden? Do we just find it? Absolutely not. It won't be. certainly be played at the party. It's sweet. I mean, I like that he blends the culture. You know, I think the Persians, from what I'm reading online, they're super happy that this is kind of happening and bringing this culture to America, to the world. It's not my favorite song, but I love that he blends it with Farsi, so I'll be listening to it. All right.

We'll take it. Darren Karp, thanks for being here as always, and thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Alison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way. You know,