Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, August 16, 2024

Episode Date: August 17, 2024

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, bracing for Ernesto, the Category 2 hurricane closing in on Bermuda. The storm packing torrential rains and destructive winds, life-threatening flash floods set to lash the British territory. We hear from an American couple escaping the island just in time. In Puerto Rico, hundreds of thousands still in the dark. And the serious rip current threat along the East Coast this weekend, we're timing it all out. Also tonight, the Harris Economic Plan, Vice President Kamala Harris rolling out her agenda to lower costs for Americans. But can her proposals really work? And the moment caught on camera. The co-author of the fringe right-wing group Project 2025 saying former President Trump is privately aligned with

them, this as Trump distances himself from their controversial blueprint to return him to power. Neighbor's shooting verdict, the Florida woman learning her fate after shooting and killing a black mother of four, the quick jury deliberations and the powerful reaction from the victim's family tonight. India's escalating protests, thousands marching through the streets after the rape and murder of a doctor. Outrage over the brutal assault prompting hospitals to go on strike. Demonstrators demanding justice accusing police officers of mishandling the case. Monsoon nightmare, dramatic video as floodwaters crash through a Utah home, intense floods bursting through a window forcing a family to run away. The powerful storm leaving communities inundated. Plus, traffic

cam photo booth, a new website turning snapshots on the streets of New York City into selfies. The project putting a twist on city surveillance. We take to the streets to test out the creative photo op for ourselves. And the woman under arrest for plotting to extort Elvis Presley's family, her alleged scheme to sell the iconic Graceland Mansion. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Valerie Castro in for time. Khamyamas. Tonight, Hurricane Ernesto bearing down on Bermuda. The category two hurricane is the strongest storm to slam the island in nearly two years. As the outer bands begin to approach rough waves and gray skies surround Bermuda, residents spent the day boarding up, preparing for

a dangerous storm surge and life-threatening flooding. Travelers rushing to catch final flights before the airport shuts down. Ahead, we hear from one couple lucky enough to make it out in time. And right now, Puerto Rico still picking up the pieces after Ernesto hit just days ago. The island's vulnerable power grid struggling to keep up in the wake of the storm. At this hour, more than 200,000 customers remain in the dark that accounts for roughly 15% of the island. Here's a look at the hurricane's path as it closes in on Bermuda. Though the storm is far from the U.S. mainland, its impacts will be felt along east coast beaches. Beachgoers from Maine down to Florida on alert for dangerous rip currents and rough seas throughout the weekend.

NBC's Guadvenegas is in Bermuda as conditions rapidly deteriorate. Bermuda bracing for impact. The small island territory in the middle of the Atlantic shutting down businesses and its airport tonight as Hurricane Ernesto now a Category 2 storm approaches. Government officials warning residents and tourists. This is not a storm to be taken lightly. We are about to endure at least 36 hours of hurricane and tropical storm for its winds. Crew ships escaping the island before the storm and airlines running final flights before a shutdown. Larry and Barbara Gordon from Philadelphia are on what could be the last flight out tonight.

So we're lucky that we're getting out of town before all the hell breaks loose, I guess. Others with no choice but to ride it out. What else have you done today to prepare for? the storm bolted up windows um relative's houses back in the u s ernesto likely to trigger life-threatening rip currents along the east coast officials reminding beachgoers not to fight the current and swim parallel to shore hoping for the best possible outcome as ernesto heads toward bermuda all right and now let's turn to angie lastman for more on bermuda's Angie, what's the latest on the track?

Yeah, so Valerie, the system is inching closer and closer to Bermuda. They're already starting to see some of those impacts, and conditions are going to continue to deteriorate into the overnight hours and into early tomorrow morning. Right now, winds at 100 miles per hour. Category 2, of course, 125 miles to the south-southwest of

Bermuda, but those tropical storm force winds, they extend 275 miles from the center of the system. The hurricane force winds, not yet arriving just yet. That'll happen into the overnight hours and into early tomorrow morning as the eye comes either very near or over the island of Bermuda. So we'll deal with those 100 plus mile per hour winds for folks there for the start of their Saturday.

We'll also see potentially dangerous storm surge and that coastal flooding. When it comes to the rainfall, we saw what happened in Puerto Rico with the ample amounts of rainfall. We're expecting anywhere from 5 to 7 inches of rain for the more widespread amount, but we could see localized spots up to 10 inches. This means that the flash flooding will be considerable and dangerous throughout the day on Saturday, likely lasting into early Sunday, even as that system pulls away. That's the kind of timeline for this here as we get into the later parts of the weekend. We'll start to see the system pull away.

Bermuda, of course, will not be dealing with the impacts anymore, but we could potentially be looking at some minor impacts for Atlantic Canada here as we get into the early parts of our next work week as that system continues to weaken. It is well off the coast of the United States, though, still impacting folks up and down the east coast, really from Rhode Island down to Florida. That's where you'll see those red flag warnings. With a system this size, it is quite massive. We know that those large swells that can be generated from this are going to be problematic.

That means that the coastal erosion will likely be something that folks deal with up and down the East Coast, as well as the rip current risk. That is going to be something that folks that are planning on making it a beach weekend or a voting weekend will have to be mindful of through Sunday and even into early next week, Valerie. All right, a lot to keep in mind. Angie Lassman, thank you. Now to the other major story we're following tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris announcing her economic plans for the first time since she entered the 2024 race, rolling out. her agenda today as her opponent, former President Trump, faces backlash for new comments about honoring veterans. Gabe Gutierrez is in Raleigh, North Carolina with the details. Tonight, Vice President Harris is rolling out her economic agenda, acknowledging most Americans are dissatisfied with the cost of living.

Because look, the bills add up. For many families, there's not much left at the end of the month. But seeing her proposals will provide relief. Donald Trump fights for billionaires and large corporations. We, I will fight to give money back to working and middle class Americans. Including an expanded child tax credit, up to $6,000 for families with newborns, and up to $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers. Crystal Harden calls that proposal a game changer for her two daughters.

That is going to tremendously affect my family because two homes will be purchased right away. And tonight, Harris is also calling for a controversial proposal to fight inflation, a federal ban on what her campaign calls price gouging in the food industry. Most businesses are creating jobs, contributing to our economy, and playing by the rules. But some are not. But Harris is providing few details on our plans, which one nonpartisan group says will add $1.7 trillion to the deficit. And both Republican and Democratic economists have argued against government,

Trump, comparing the policy to Venezuela's socialist leader, Nicholas Maduro. We call it the Maduro plan like something straight out of Venezuela or the Soviet Union. This announcement is an admission that her economic policies have totally failed. Inflation recently dropped to 2.9 percent, but prices are up nearly 20 percent compared to four years ago. This is how the sausage is made. Fred von Cannon blames Biden and Harris, telling us inflation has doubled the price of brisket and his barbecue restaurant here.

Our food costs here are incredibly high. The everyday things that people feel are still, you know, way high. While tonight, the Harris campaign is blasting the former president for suggesting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which honors civilians, is better than the Congressional Medal of Honor, which is given to service members. It's actually much better because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor that soldiers, they're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many

times by bullets or they're dead. Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from Raleigh, North Carolina. And Gabe, now J.D. Vance is coming to Trump's defense about those comments you just had at the end of your story about the Medal of Honor. Yeah, that's right, Valor. Senator J.D. Vance, a veteran himself is defending former President Trump and saying that he wasn't denigrating anyone and just praising the person who was receiving the Medal of Freedom.

But the Harris campaign says it's an insult to all Medal of Honor recipients, VAL. Gave, there's some other news about former President Trump. There's a new video that's emerged showing the co-author of the right-wing fringe group Project 2025 caught on a hidden camera with a journalist from the Center for Climate Reporting talking about their relationship with Trump. Talk to us about this video. Yeah, Valerie, this is a British journalism nonprofit that poses relatives of a wealthy donor, which is a practice which is more common in British journalism. And this video was published yesterday by the nonprofit, again, by a person directly involved with Project 25. Take a listen to some of that video. I expect you to hear ten more times from the rally.

The president, you know, distancing himself from the left's boogging me at Project 2025. And you're not worried about that? No, not worried about it. Okay. He's been at our organization. He's raised money for organization. He's blessed it from the, you know, I remember walking into our last day and office. our last day in office and told him what I was going to do. So he's very supportive of what we do.

Now, Valerie, the person in that video is Russell Vought. He is one of the authors of Project 2025, which, as you mentioned, is a blueprint for a potential second Trump term. Now, former President Trump has distanced himself publicly from Project 2025, but in that video, Vought goes on to say that he believes that former President Trump is just saying that publicly, for politics. Now, we did reach out to the Trump campaign and have not heard back. Valerie? All right, Gabe, thank you. For more on the economy and how it's shaping this election, I want to bring in Robert Reich. He's the Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University

of California, Berkeley. He served as the Secretary of Labor for President Bill Clinton and was a member of President Barack Obama's Economic Transition Advisory Board. Robert, thanks for joining us tonight here on Top Story. Kamala Harris just laid out her economic plan for the first time. What do you make of it and how do you anticipate voters might respond? Well, Valerie, it's very impossible to tell how voters are going to respond, but I think it's a very important plan because what Kamala Harris is doing, building upon the very important work that was done by Joe Biden, is to attack the source, one of the most important sources of high prices, and that is monopoly power. A lot of big corporations in America have had record profits because they don't compete very hard. They're very, very few competitors, and therefore they don't have to reduce their prices.

And who ends up holding the bag, who ends up paying high prices? Well, obviously, consumers. Of course, her opponent, former President Donald Trump, has been focusing more on the economy, really going in on the Biden-Harris administration. Just yesterday, he said this in his press conference. Take a listen, and then we'll talk about it. Now Kamala is reportedly proposing communist price controls. She wants price controls.

And if they worked, I'd go along with it, too, but they don't work. All right. What are your responses to the president's comments there, former President Trump? Well, there is a huge difference between price controls, which she doesn't want. There's nobody in the administration, the Biden-Harris administration that has ever talked about price controls. There's a big difference between that and actually making the market competitive. In fact, this is the opposite of price controls.

When big corporations have the kind of power they have over prices, they control prices. When you have more competition, when you get rid of monopolies, you actually force companies to do what capitalism is supposed to force them to do, and that is compete. Let's take a look at some polling. A recent Fox poll shows Trump is still leading Harris on the attorney. economy with 52 percent of voters picking Trump as better on the economy while 46 percent picked Harris. And in a recent CNBC poll, 40 percent of voters said a Trump victory would make them better off financially versus 21 percent who said a Harris victory would help them more. So some would say President Biden has done well with the economy. What is the problem with the Democrats' messaging

that this perception exists and is Harris' new plan enough to change things? Well, let's be very, very clear. Three years ago, we had rampant inflation. Now, that inflation came because of supply-side shocks. It came because suddenly the pandemic was over and people had a lot of money to spend. It came because the government, including the Trump administration, had spent a lot of money to get the economy going and keep people going during the pandemic. So there are a lot of causes for that inflation, but it happened mostly on Biden's watch and people blamed him. Now inflation is coming down. But, and here's the big problem, although inflation is coming down, prices, particularly in food and fuel and rents, are not coming down. Inflation is going down, but the prices are staying there. And this is why it's so important to attack the sources of that price power that is big corporations. And do you think the Harris campaign has enough fuel there to make a change in those polls, to see those changes? Well, I think so. I mean, what the Biden-Harris administration did, has done, is to give the

antitrust division of the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Those are the two agencies that have the power to bust up monopolies. Give them the power to do so and support them. And this is the first administration. The Biden administration is the first in roughly 50 years that has been very, very firm on anti-monopoly trust-busting. Now, I think the Harris administration is going to be even harder on those big monopolies. That's the indication now. She is talking about doing that with food and groceries. Four firms control about 70 percent of the entire grocery market.

They can easily coordinate, and they are coordinating their prices. That's why grocery prices are not coming down. All right, Robert Wright, we appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. Thanks, Valerie. And a programming note starting this Monday, you can watch special coverage of the Democratic National Convention here on NBC News Now starting at 4 p.m. Moving now to the latest on the investigation into Matthew Perry's death. Tonight, new details emerging about the five people charged in connection to the actor's accidental overdose last year. This is prosecutors say Perry's ketamine addiction had spiraled out of control.

Chloe Malas has that report. Friend star Matthew Perry had an out-of-control ketamine addiction, according to federal prosecutors, injecting the drug six to eight times a day in the week before his accidental overdose. This says new details emerge on the five people charged in connection with his death. They saw him as a payday, and they saw it as an opportunity for them to make a lot of money. Including Dr. Salvador Placencia, who prosecutors say told a patient, Perry was too far gone and spiraling in his addiction. But they say still sold the star ketamine. through Perry's live-in assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa.

Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing a death. Ketamine is a drug used in general anesthesia and prescribed in low doses as treatment for depression. It's also used as a well-known party drug. Iwamasa says he injected Perry the day he died at 8.30 a.m. and again at 1245 p.m. Just 40 minutes later, the document says Perry told the defendant, shoot me up with a big one, referring to another shot of ketamine. Iwamasa later found Perry unresponsive, face down in the pool, according to investigators. Dr. Placencia charged Perry at least $55,000 for vials of ketamine in the month before he died, according to prosecutors.

Court documents allege Placencia, who pleaded not guilty, taught Perry's assistant how to administer the drug to the actor. Placencia's attorney denies the claim. He wasn't giving extra doses for a layman to administer. The so-called ketamine queen, Jasvine Sengha, was always. also supplier of ketamine to Perry and an alleged drug trafficker for many others, according to prosecutors. Matthew Perry's death was last fall, and then we did a search warrant earlier this year, and she was still running a drug emporium. Chloe Malas joins us now from Los Angeles. Chloe has the so-called ketamine queen entered a plea yet? Yes, she has. So she is pleading not guilty. There are

others, though, who have taken a plea deal, including Kenneth Iwamasa, Matthew Perry's live-in assistant, but he could still face up to 15 years behind bars. I just want to take a moment to talk about the ketamine queen for a moment because some people are saying, you know, could she potentially take a plea deal? But we don't even know if there could potentially be one on the table with federal investigators. And, you know, as part of this indictment,

this sweeping 18-count indictment in there, they also allege that in 2019 that Sengha sold ketamine that killed a young man. And she's also being charged in connection with that crime as well. And according to the Justice Department, when they actually searched her residence, they found 79 vials of ketamine,

1.4 kilograms of pills containing methamphetamine, psilocybin mushrooms, cocaine, prescription drugs. And remember, in that press conference that they did this week, federal investigators, they said that she was running a drug emporium even after Matthew Perry was found dead. And so, you know, they feel very confident

that obviously she is guilty, Obviously, she's pleading not guilty. Her attorney, Mark Garagos, is one of her attorneys. Mark Garagos has come out and said that this is a tragedy, but not a crime. But obviously, investigators, they don't feel the same way. All right, Chloe Malas, thank you for that. And for more on the questions surrounding ketamine use and the dangers involved, I want to bring in Dr. Ricardo Palmerola, who specializes in urology.

Doctor, thanks for being with us tonight. In your practice, you're seeing a growing number of cases of people abusing ketamine. you tell us about that? And what is most concerning? Thank you for having me on tonight, Valerie. So the biggest concern with ketamine use that I see as a urologist is ketamine cystitis. And just like other conditions in the bladder, we don't talk enough about them. So just like we don't associate bladder cancer, for example, with smoking, same goes with ketamine. And so what I see in my practice is ketamine cystitis, which basically is the result of long-term use

and sometimes short-term, heavy use of ketamine, which turns a normal bladder into essentially an end-stage bladder. And what I mean by that is a bladder that is low in capacity. So it literally shrivels up the bladder to the point that the patient can't even tolerate 100 milliliters of urine in their bladder that sends them to the bathroom. It gives you a pain, blood in the urine. It can even reflux urine back up to your kidneys

and cause kidney damage requiring dialysis in the future. So fortunately, it's not very common, but we are seeing a lot of young patients, unfortunately, in the order of 20 to 30 years old, that are suffering from this condition. And probably the most worrisome thing I see with this is that these patients are being introduced to the drug as a benign kind of no-harm drug, and it really is a hard drug in the wrong hands. So I think it's something we should be talking about, not just from the overdoses, but also from chronic use and heavy use, which we do see here in South Florida, and I used to see in New York City as well. And are you seeing a growing number of these cases? How big of a problem is this? So fortunately, it's not a very common problem, but we do see quite a bit in urologic practice.

And unfortunately, a lot of these patients are just not being recognized either because they're not present. to the physicians. In the UK study, which the UK has seen a lot more ketamine than we have in the past, only about 15% of patients will present to a physician, and about 3% will actually go to a specialist in order to help deal with their urinary issues, not to mention other issues that can come along with ketamine abuse. So although it's a very good drug for the right reasons like anesthesia in combat medicine, as well as for psychiatric purposes. When it's left in the wrong hands and it's also used for partying, it can really turn into a really dangerous situation for young patients that have many years to live.

So it really can be life-changing in many ways, not just from the drug, but also from the consequences that really never go away once they set in. Dr. Prosecutors have alleged Matthew Perry was regularly getting six to eight ketamine injections a day before his death, what are the risks of injecting this without medical supervision and if it's obtained illegally? It's very dangerous. So it's not just how many times he was using per day, but I'm not sure if we're privy to the facts of how much dosing he's been getting. And without supervision of his vital signs, for example, it's just a setup for a complication. So,

So usually patients that are using it for therapeutic purposes are monitored closely. Their vital signs are monitored. They have a physician or a nurse with them just to monitor their vital signs as well as their condition so that these kinds of problems don't happen. I mean, you can imagine this is an anesthetic. It should be used in a controlled fashion. So when it's done recreationally or in an uncontrolled setting, it's just asking for problems in the immediate setting, not to mention the chronic ones that we just mentioned.

And I know you mentioned that the therapeutic use, we know Perry had been undergoing supervised ketamine infusion therapy to treat depression and anxiety. Walk us through what that means. So especially since the 2000s, we've seen an explosion in literature with regard to ketamine to use for depression. That's really the biggest indication that it's used for. And in a controlled setting, it's actually a fantastic drug. It works right away, whereas traditional antidepressants,

take several weeks to work. But it really does have to be monitored very closely, especially since the patients can have pretty significant cardiovascular consequences when they're now being monitored. It's been used for other indications like PTSD and OCD. So it has the potential to be a great drug, but just like many drugs that we use in medicine, if they have the potential for abuse. Once they're popularized in medicine, they can find their way into the community, and unfortunately, in this case, into an unmonitored situation that resulted in an unfortunate death. Doctor, do you think these high-profile charges involving the death of a celebrity will

actually discourage people from abusing this drug? That would be the most positive outcome from all of this. However, just like many drugs of abuse. It really comes down to the individual's choice, whether to use them recreationally or not. I felt compelled to talk about this because the patients that I'm seeing are introduced to this drug by friends or acquaintances, and it's really labeled as a harmless drug. There's no hangover effect, and they really can, you know, use the drug and it wears off rather quickly. And for light users, it might not be as bad as some of the other hard drugs, but as we're finding with other drugs on the street, it could be blended in with other substances.

So down here in South Florida, as well as in Latin America, there's some mixes like Tucci, which is a combination of ketamine with cocaine and possibly opiates. So, you know, kids are really not being informed very well amongst peers. So it really is an important conversation to have with youngsters. I mean, kids as young as 15 are using this. So it really is an important on a national scale. Dr. Ricardo-Polmoral, we appreciate your time. Thank you. Moving overseas now, Ukraine's surprise invasion into Russia gaining ground as Moscow's military struggles to respond.

This is many in Ukraine hope it is a turning point. NBC's Aaron McLaughlin has more. Tonight, new video shows the moment Ukrainian soldiers crossed the Russian border. In the video released by the Ukrainian military, you see the Russian border checkpoint in ruins. Russian soldiers waving white flags. Another video shows a Ukrainian soldier driving through the bombed out Russian countryside unchallenged, then celebrating driving back a Russian tank. It's the largest attack on Russia since World War II. The goal to draw Russian forces away from Ukraine's Donbass region, where the Ukrainians have been steadily losing their own ground. A key advisor to President Zelensky telling NBC News,

he believes Russia will start redeploying their troops step by step, but on the front lines inside Ukraine. This Ukrainian drone operator, who asked we withhold his identity for security reasons, tells us that while the incursion into Russia has improved Ukrainian morale, all soldiers see that we can do something. There's no sign of a Russian redeployment. Ukrainian forces are still outmanned and outgunned, and Russia has constant reinforcements. So they're just throwing men at this situation. Like Soviet Union in Second World War.

Ukrainian military officials say the front line here in Ukraine remains a concern and a top priority. Valerie? Erin, thank you. Still ahead tonight, judgment day for the Florida woman who fatally shot her neighbor, a jury finding her guilty of manslaughter for killing a black mother of four. The emotional reaction from the victim's family outside the courthouse tonight. Plus monsoon nightmare wild video shows floodwaters blasting through a home as intense storms unleashed torrential rains in Utah and the scheme to steal Graceland, a woman arrested for plotting to extort Elvis Presley's family, how she did it, and the charges she's now facing will explain. Back now with the late development and a trial we've been watching closely, a Florida jury finding Susan Lawrence,

guilty of manslaughter for shooting her neighbor, A.J. Owens, through her own front door last year during a dispute. NBC's Kathy Park was at the courthouse today and spoke to the Owens family moments after the verdict was read. Can you please hand the verdict to the bailiff, please? After less than three hours of deliberation. All right. The Florida jury convicted Susan Lawrence of manslaughter. More than a year after she shot and killed her neighbor, Ajika, A.J. Owens, through a front door. Lawrence, appearing, as a verdict was read. The defendant is guilty of manslaughter.

The week-long trial put a spotlight on the ongoing feud between the two neighbors and how it reached a boiling point last June. After a dispute over Owens' children, Owens confronted Lawrence at her apartment, banging and cursing through the door. Jurors watched Lawrence tell detectives her side of the story, captured on video shortly after the shooting. I thought she was just going to break down the door. Okay.

So, I mean, I just, my heart was pounding, and I was like, she's really going to kill me. Prosecutors argued there was no evidence Owens was trying to break through and posed no imminent danger and therefore firing a gun was not justified. It's not a crime to bang on somebody's door. It's not a crime to yell. Attorneys for Lauren said she had a right to defend herself at the time, leaning into this animated simulation of what may have played out. If someone who is on the outside of your door that is banging and pounding so hard wants to get in that house and they do, it is too late and Susan Lawrence had no idea what Adjick Owens had on her. Investigators say Owens was not armed.

Lawrence did not take the stand, but she wrote a note to AJ's children last year, read aloud by a detective. I'm so, so sorry for your loss. I never meant to kill your mother. I was terrified. Your mom was going to kill me. I shot out of fear. Family and friends of AJ Owens appeared in court each day and broke down in tears after hearing the verdict and outside the courtroom a moment of reflection after a painful journey toward justice if you had an opportunity to say something to Susan right now what would you tell her no words for Susan Lawrence her mom asking the community to keep AJ's children in their prayers I find some peace with that verdict I feel that

Although my daughter is gone forever, the children's mom is gone forever, but we've achieved some justice for Ajika. My heart is a little lighter, and we're now on the path of true healing. Lawrence will now remain in the Marion County Jail without bond. Her sentencing is scheduled for a later date. She could be looking at up to 30 years in prison. Valerie? All right, Kathy, thank you. Coming up, the terrifying big rig crash on a California highway,

dramatic dash cam video capturing the moment a truck collides with a median what that truck was carrying that spilled all over the freeway. And protests escalating in India, demonstrators outraged after a doctor was raped and murdered. The hospitals closing their doors to demand justice. We're back now with Top Story's News Feed, and we begin with the foiled scheme to steal Elvis Presley's Graceland home. Lisa Janine Finley arrested this morning for allegedly forging loan documents claiming the Presley family owed a fake company millions of dollars. Finley tried to foreclose on Graceland to collect on the fake debt.

However, a Tennessee judge threw out the case. The 53-year-old from Missouri now charged with aggravated identity theft and mail fraud. 10 service members injured in a helicopter training accident near Reno, Nevada. Authorities saying a hard landing in a helicopter resulted in minor injuries for the service members who are stationed at Naval Air Station Fallon. Two Black Hawk helicopters brought the victims to a hospital. The incident still under investigation, according to Navy officials. Flood waters bursting into a Utah home following massive rainstorms.

Dramatic video shows the floodwaters rushing through a window with the family in the house. Thankfully, the homeowner posting that her family is okay. Earlier this week, a monsoon over Salt Lake City slammed the region with heavy rain and hail. A new video shows a terrifying crash on an L.A. highway, a dash camera capturing the moment. A big rig slammed into the highway median. The pole of a traffic sign splitting the truck's trailer in half, sending boxes of raisins into oncoming traffic. Police say the semi had a flat tire that caused the driver to lose control. Only the driver reporting minor injuries.

Next, we move overseas tonight to the protests rocking India. Outrage pouring out onto the streets for a second straight week as thousands protest the brutal murder and rape of a 31-year-old junior doctor. The nation's largest association of doctors calling for a strike tomorrow that will shut down all non-emergency services for 24 hours. NBC foreign correspondent Josh Letterman reports. Tonight, India's doctors are saying no more. Preparing to shut down hospitals for 24 hours over the alleged rape and murder of a junior doctor that's put a spotlight on women's rights in the world's most populous country.

It is such a heinous crime that all of the India should be ashamed. This is just one victim, but all of us know that there are so many victims like her who go unnamed, whose story we never hear. The protests now in their second week are growing in size, cropping up in cities across the country, from Mumbai to New Delhi and in Kolkata. where the murder took place last week. Authorities say a 31-year-old doctor in training was on the overnight shift at a government hospital and took a nap in a lecture hall.

Her body later discovered covered in blood and an autopsy confirming she was raped. Authorities arresting a volunteer police officer who worked at the hospital. But medics and women's rights activists say it's not enough. If a woman is unsafe at her workplace, where will she be safe? This protester says. The demonstrations have largely been peaceful, aside from some damage at the hospital where the murder took place. Police say dozens were arrested for vandalism and hundreds more for other violations.

But this movement is about more than one murder. There has been a complete lack of law and order in this state. This is not the first case of penis rape. People are just completely fed up with the administration's lack of proper response. to hold those accountable. Even after the gang rape of a young woman in Delhi on a moving bus back in 2012, four men were convicted of that rape and sentenced to death and a juvenile served time in prison. Official statistics showed there were more than 31,000 rapes reported in India in 2022,

a 20% jump from the year before, and a conviction rate of less than 30%. It is a deep repatriarchal society. Someone who identifies as a scholar of gender studies, this is something that is very very, something that is very deep rooted in our culture, even now. I think what happens is because of this sort of attitude that are delays in justice. This week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, as a society, we must think seriously about the atrocities against our country's mothers, sisters, and daughters. Attrocities prompting a national reckoning in India tonight, women and doctors insisting enough is enough. That national strike will start tomorrow and last

24 hours, the Indian Medical Association says all hospitals, public and private, will shut down with the exception of emergency services, grinding the medical system to a halt in the nation of more than 1.4 billion people. Valerie? Josh Letterman, thank you. Now to Top Stories, Global Watch. Sedan's humanitarian crisis hitting a catastrophic breaking point. The International Organization for Migration now saying more than 10.7 million people fled their homes, creating the world's large. displacement crisis. The African nation spiraling amid heightened tensions between the military and a notorious paramilitary group, devastating floods, further worsening the conflict that has

already killed thousands. Several passengers injured in a bus crash caught on camera in Peru. The video shows the bus losing control at a high speed, swerving across lanes before smashing into multiple cars stopped at a traffic light in Lima. At least 10 people were hurt and treated at a local hospital. Local officials say the bus possibly ran out of break fluid. And a massive water main break sending water shooting into the sky over Montreal, a wall of water spewing 65 feet into the air, ankle deep water rushing through the streets and flooding basements. The city issuing a boil water advisory for eastern Montreal. The cause of the break is under investigation. Coming up next, the new website that can help you turn a crosswalk

into a catwalk. It's called Traffic Cam Photo Booth, and it uses hundreds of cameras across New York City to help you snap the perfect selfie. We'll talk to the creator about how it works and how he's hoping to raise awareness about the surveillance happening all around us. Back now with the new photo trend going viral, a Brooklyn-based artist tapping into New York City's vast network of traffic cameras, taking the selfie to new heights, and raising awareness about the technology all around us at intersections across New York City there's a new way to take a selfie hiding in plain sight yeah you got me wall streets charging bull radio city music hall even central park all under the eyes of cameras available live on traffic camphoto booth

dot com that's crazy brooklyn based artist mori coleman built the website using publicly available camera streams from the city's department of transportation this This traffic camera is one of 900 that exists all around New York City. Obviously, these cameras are for cars. They're not made for people, but people still get caught up in their lenses. He gave us some tips and tricks to get the most out of the site. These cameras update every two seconds, so you want to pose for three seconds. So one, two, three, and then tap.

Then what we can do is we can, you know, change something about what's going on. Again, stay in the crosswalk, tap again. You can see me here. Let's go back onto the sidewalk, so I don't stop this car from coming by. Make one more big pose, one, two, three, and tap, and boom. Traffic Camp photo booth quickly going viral since its launch last week. I think 60,000 visits to the website and over 40,000 photos have been taken. But some people worried about the potential for bad actors to take advantage of the city's

cameras. I think maybe someone can stalk you and see, like, really, like for real, like someone can just see or what you're doing and can be dangerous. I don't know. People can be crazy. Mori says he created the website to call attention to the impact of technology and surveillance on our everyday lives. And so people get really almost jarred

by the sheer amount of surveillance happening. And again, remember, this is a fraction of all the cameras around us. So just consider that huge amount of coverage multiplied by hundreds. Despite those concerns, other users finding creative ways to use the site. A lot of people will do it

to take group photos. I've seen some people start to use it as a way to take like night out on the town photos. Making these once unexpected photographs a little more intentional. And then all you need to do is just screenshot it and it's ready to share. One selfie at a time. When we come back and look at what to binge watch and listen to this weekend, Emily and Paris back on Netflix for season four. Plus Aquafina teams up with John Cena and the new dark comedy jackpot and the new duet from lady gaga and bruno mars will play it for you here stay with us we're back now with bingeworthy our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend i'm joined now by darren carp she's a pop culture expert and bravo personality darren thanks so much for being

with us thanks for having me let's get started with the long awaited return of emily and paris on netflix season four part one is out now let's take a look entire life for public consumption and now it's affecting my business. Who could imagine things would balloon the way the deal? Fix this. Alfie, we need to talk. Oh my God! Can we please just talk about what happened?

Just need some more time. Wine. Great time, eh? Truss! All right, so I started watching this last night, and I forgot everything that happened at the end of last season. There was a lot of drama to catch up on. Not only that, it's actually been quite a bit since season three happened, because it had to deal with the writer strike that was going on last year.

So actually, they're still in production. Only the first five episodes are out on Netflix right now with the last remaining. That's why it's part one. Last remaining of season four airing, I believe, September 12th. So we have a little bit of time in there, so you don't need to binge it necessarily all in one day to remember what happened. But yes, it does give you a nice little recap. Lily Collins is back just, you know, an American girl in Paris, kind of giving her American

take in this marketing firm that she's there. But the cast described this new season as heartbreaking, chaotic, and just, revenge. So that should tell you everything you need to know about season four. All the things and all the great fashion as well. Exactly. Of course. In Paris. Yes, of course. Okay, up next is a new series called Bad Monkey on Apple TV Plus. That's with Vince Vaughn,

who plays a former Miami police officer turned health inspector who gets himself involved in a secret investigation. Here's a clip. I'm suspended. I'm technically not even a detective anymore. They said I was consistently reckless, inappropriate clip. Why can't you just hide me on the desk

in here or something? Wouldn't even be doing any real work I'd just be checking the websites I like you want your job back I've got something that the sheriff wants you to drive to Miami the arm that's all they found no man the head's in the passenger seat if you're too grouchy to answer the question just say I'm too grouchy to answer the question you have to hit me with the head in the passenger seat all right so I feel like this is Vince Vaughn doing what Ed is fine does best kind of clueless getting in trouble you only like a little taste of the trailer to kind of understand that he's sort of perfectly cast for

this role but this actually comes this was originally ordered in 2020 And it comes from Bill Lawrence, who did Ted Lassau and Shrinking, which are two of my favorite shows. So you're going to get a little of that heartfelt, ooey-gooey, but mostly just humor-filled type of series. And again, this is sort of perfect for him. It's 10 episodes. Two of them are out right now, and then it's going to start releasing weekly. But it's funny. And, you know, he sort of plays this former Miami police officer gets into trouble.

Obviously, he's like this restaurant health inspector. And he gets tossed into this world of chaos and crime because a tourist finds him. a severed arm while fishing. Of course. That's all you need to... And Vince Vaughn, that's all you need to know. And there is a monkey, but I won't give it away. All right. Yes. Hence the name. Yes, correct. Okay. Up next, we have a movie

on Netflix about a regular construction worker who gets thrust into the world of super spies and secret agents. It has an all-star cast, including Mark Wahlberg and Hallie Berry. It's called The Union. Let's take a look. Hell of a wake-up call, huh, Mike? I'm Roxanne's boss. You drive. Somebody needs to tell me what the hell is going on.

Whoa, fuck! First time in London, Mike? This first time out of the tri-state area. Two nights ago, a list containing the identities of every U.S. spy was stolen. And to get it back, we need someone who is not on that list. We need a nobody. I'm nobody I can trust. So would you guys like the FBI or something?

We work for the union. So I was watching the trailer, and it says that Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg were like high school sweethearts, which... Yes. I don't know if that's believable, but that's beside the point. Yes, it could be. We don't know. We can't confirm or deny. J.K. Simmons is also in this.

I think that alone just goes to kind of show what this movie is. It's out on Netflix. Listen, it's 50% on the tomato meter. I think that critics are kind of panning it. But in truth, it is the type of movie that you just kind of want to sit and enjoy fun thriller, fun action just with the family over the weekend. So we're not looking for kind of cinematic glory with this. Just something to be entertaining for about two hours.

and you're going to get that with this take it for what it is correct all right up next another movie this one is called jackpot on amazon prime video about something called a grand lottery and the lengths people will go to claim the jackpot here's a look oh my god what is going on baby you won the lottery now anyone with a losing ticket that kills you before sundown gets her money legally okay that's murder oh not in california it's just a chance at the big time Oh, hell no. Oh, hell yeah.

All right, I feel like you can't really go wrong with Aquafina. No, you can't, or John Cena, for that matter. But it's also brought by Paul Feig, who brought us Brights Me. So it's very campy, very funny. It's a little bit of squid game meets the purge in its idea that, you know, Aquafina wins the lottery, and then you have to kill her before sundown. But what I sort of love about this is it's introduced in the, like, not so, distant future of Los Angeles in 2030, so I don't know if they're predicting what our future

is going to be like that you could just apparently kill someone for the lottery, but it's very funny and it's cute. You never know what people will do for money. Absolutely. Lastly, on our watch list, we have one for people who were a fan of the series, Tiger King. This one is called Chimp Crazy on HBO Max about the wild, scandalous and dangerous world of owning chimpanzees as pets. A movie star chimp named Tonka and its disappearance. It all has the making. of a Hollywood plot, but no, this is real life. I keep getting to be the bad guy here, and I'm tired of it.

When you're in love, your brain is out of control. There's chemicals and hormones and things happening to you that makes you irrational. They're going to have to bring sheriff and everything that they can. I've never seen her that passion about anything in my life, ever. And that includes her outside. All right, I'm intrigued.

Is it traitors? Is it this? Alan Cumming? What's going on? No. No. Sort of my new favorite. I think this is going to be just as big as Tiger King. It's also brought to us by Eric Good, who was the filmmaker for Tiger King. So you're going to get a lot of exotic animals, a lot of like, do I like these people? But essentially, it is about owners who fall in love really with their chimps and care for them. And whether or not that is animal abuse or not. This is about Tanya Haddix, who describes herself as sort of the dolly parton of chimpanzees. Give that what she will. But she and Alan Cumming is in it because he acted with Tonka, the chimpanzee, that she happens to like have this human-like relationship with. And so we're really gonna kind of go deep in animals with their pets, but let alone sort of these exotic animals.

It's very well done. I think people are gonna walk away with some solid opinions about what they think about this, whether or not should be legal or not, but it's definitely an interesting watch considering the subject matter. People have very passionate opinions when it comes to animals.

Yes, they do. And she actually gets into a lawsuit with Pito, which is perhaps the most, you know, animal of animal organizations so it's interesting all right i will be watching that one uh turning down to music lady gaga and bruno mars out with a collaboration this one is called die with a smile if the party was over and our time of us was through i'm surprised this collab hasn't happened before me too i'm surprised this collab hasn't happened before me too i was thinking about it when i saw this video drop, which went super viral on TikTok, and everyone was obsessed with it,

not only the outfits, but we didn't show it there. Lady Gaga's just like puffing on a cigarette playing the piano the whole time. So she's kind of eluding this cool vibe while Bruno Mars croons on a guitar. So it's the set, it's actually a one-off from them. This isn't part of like a larger collaboration or album. This is just their one-off duet. And I think it was Entertainment Weekly that sort of described this as a spiritual sequel to Shallow. So you're going to, if you love Shallow, which who didn't love Shallow, then you are certainly going to like this song, and it's worth watching the video for sure. All right, sounds good. Lastly, Lisa and Rosalia out with a new song. It's called New Woman. Let's take a listen.

All right. I think I like this one. I was going to say, I almost have nothing bad to say about this song. I just really like the collaboration. I mean, Rosalia is phenomenal and sexy and fun and sort of really different and gives this really cool Latin flavor. And then we've got Lisa from Black Pink who made her separation from Black Pink. Very, very popular K-pop band. So this is just two iconic pop stars kind of coming together. Certainly for a summer jam that you're going to be listening to at the beach all weekend. Great variety for this weekend. Darren Karp, thank you for your time. Thanks for having me. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Valerie Castro in New York for talking. Tom Yamas, stay right there. More news now on the way.