Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, December 1, 2023

Episode Date: December 2, 2023

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, George Santos no longer in Congress after a year of lies and investigations. The New York congressman walking out of the Capitol as the House overwhelmingly voted to expel him. Santos' first year in office marred by revelations that he fabricated parts of his resume and his personal life. A scathing house ethics investigation also finding he used campaign funds to pay for his expensive lifestyle, including Botox and personal trips. But his problems, not over yet. He still faces a 23-count federal indictment on wire fraud

and money laundering. We have a live report coming from the Capitol. Also tonight, the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas shattered. Israel resuming air strikes on Gaza, leaving hundreds of Palestinians dead, that according to the Palestinian health ministry. Hamas firing rockets back towards Israeli cities, many of them, though, intercepted by the Iron Dome. Israel, saying Hamas violated the truce by refusing to release more hostages. So what does this mean for those still in captivity in Gaza? And is there any hope another ceasefire could begin? Tensions over the war remaining high in the U.S., one of three Palestinian-American college students

who were shot last weekend in Vermont speaking out to NBC News, saying the group was targeted just for speaking Arabic. His message to America tonight. DeSantis v. Newsom, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis facing off in a primetime debate marketed as red states versus blue states. The two sparring over everything from the 2024 election, abortion and immigration, and the drama, not just on stage, our new reporting tonight on the 10th situation that unfolded during a commercial break involving Newsom's wife. Plus, teachers on only fans. Some educators struggling to pay their bills due to low salaries, now turning to the online platform where people are.

People can post sexual content for money, but they're risking their careers for the extra pay. Two former teachers speaking out about why they use the platform and what happened when their district found their accounts. And if you've been Christmas tree shopping, you may have noticed a lack of trees or a very large price tag. We take a look at what's driving Christmas tree shortages that could leave many struggling to spruce up their home this holiday season. Top story. It starts right now. Good evening. There will be a new battle for a house seat in New York. George Santos is time in Congress coming to an end after less than a year. The New York congressman walking out of the Capitol before the vote to expel him was even finished, saying, quote,

it's over before leaving in an SUV surrounded by reporters and cameras. 311 of his former colleagues voting to give him the boot on the third try. He's now the sixth lawmaker expelled from the House of Representatives, but three of them date back to the Civil War era. His former office store, look at this, now just reads Office of the Third Congressional District of New York. New York's governor, Kathy Holkel, promising a speedy special election to fill his seat. So let's get right to Ryan Nobles, who's been following this story from the beginning. Tonight, the George Santos saga is over. Within hours of his house colleagues voting to make him just the sixth member in history expelled from office.

Crews were changing the locks on his Washington office doors. The normally vocal Republican, who rarely shied away from the cameras, brushed by them as he left the Capitol for the last time. Congressman, what do you say to your constituents? Excuse me. You guys got to get out of my way. 311 members voted to remove Santos, 105 of them Republicans, going against party leadership.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and the other top three members of the GOP conference voted to let him stay. There were concerns about their narrow majority and the precedent now set. I didn't make the vote to expel. And this starts us on a bad path, in my opinion. But even right before the vote,

new allegations against Santos were coming in. GOP Congressman Max Miller wrote a letter to his colleagues accusing Santos of illegally charging thousands of dollars to his and his mother's credit cards. Miller writing, we have spent tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees in the resulting follow-up. It adds to the list of accusations against Santos,

including a House ethics report that said he used campaign funds to buy designer clothes, casino trips, and on the website only fans. Prior to his election to Congress, a disabled veteran accused Santos of stealing money from a donor drive to raise money for his sick service dog. A federal indictment claimed he defrauded donors and laundered campaign money.

Santos has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, but the constant controversy surrounding him proved to be too much for most members. He stole from his donors. He lied about his whole biography, and there has to be accountability. We got to have a higher standard. Back in Santos' district on Long Island,

most of his now former constituents are ready to move on. I think he should have been gone a long time ago. He got what he deserved. He got what he asked for. It's as simple as that he tried to push the envelope, and he went right out the window. New York's governor posting today that within 10 days, she'll set the date of the special election to replace Santos. All right with that, Ryan joins us now live outside Capitol Hill.

Ryan, let's start right there where you left off. Any idea when this election would take place, this special election? Well, by law, Tom, Kathy Hokel, the governor of New York, has to set a date within the next 10 days, and that date will have to be within the next 70 to 90 days. So probably within the next three months, we'll see some sort of a special election. They do like to give both parties the opportunity to field candidates and run a campaign.

But probably by springtime, there'll be someone sitting in that seat in the third congressional district. All right, and Ryan, I want to go back to something else you had in your story there about Congressman Max Miller. I hadn't heard about this. What is the story there with his credit card

and his mother's credit card allegedly being used by Santos? Yeah, Tom, it's pretty incredible that even at this 11th hour, there were still new allegations about George Santos coming out. And Max Miller alluded to this during the debate over his, Santos' expulsion yesterday, but then felt he needed to clarify it. So he sent this letter to his colleague saying that it was his impression that the Santos campaign was basically grifting off him and his mother's credit card accounts, taking money that was beyond the FEC allowable donations and without their authorization, a serious charge. said that he'd incurred thousands of dollars in legal fees trying to get the money back. I feel like all these allegations, if they are true, it's going to turn into the Netflix miniseries about George Santos. More important matters now, how does this affect the balance of power? Well, this is very significant, Tom. Republicans now only have a three-seat majority,

but it's a bigger problem for them than just this short-term issue of the third congressional district. There's also the possibility that two other members, including the former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may leave his seat. If that happens, they'll only have a one-seat majority, Tom. All right, Ryan Nobles, we appreciate all your reporting over this last year on this topic. We move overseas now to the new attacks in the Israeli Hamas war. Both sides blaming each other for the collapse of the ceasefire that allowed more than 100 hostages to go free. And the new report, did Israel know about Hamas's terror plans for more than a year? NBC's chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, has the late details. The war in Gaza is back in full force, with Hamas firing rockets tonight into Israel, and the Israeli military carrying out at least 200 strikes, many in southern Gaza,

where the Hamas-run health ministry says around 200 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds wounded, including Ibrahim Abu al-Alanin, who cries for his dad as he's carried to an ambulance. Israel says Hamas brought this down upon Gaza by breaking a seven-day truce when it refused to release more hostages and fired rockets. The U.S. also blaming Hamas for the end of the ceasefire. It came to an end because of Hamas. Hamas reneged on commitments it made. In fact, even before the pause came to an end, it committed an atrocious terrorist attack in Jerusalem. Hamas claims it offered to release older male hostages instead of the women Israel was asking.

for. But Israel seems to be in no mood to accept edicts from Hamas. In Tel Aviv, the relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages gathered to light candles. Weep, sing, and pray. On Wednesday, Hamas released Jardin Roman in the sweatshirt, reunited with her husband and three-year-old daughter. But her sister-in-law, Carmel, remains a hostage. The Hamel's brother today told us he'd hoped she'd be out soon too, as Hamas rockets were intercepted above us. These reunions are making everyone in Israel, and I think around the world to feel the hope, feel the strength. I think it's the interception, but I'm not sure. I think right there.

Yeah, but the bombing is the deception. No, there's the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome, that's the interception. But could Hamas's October 7th massacre that started this war have been prevented? The New York Times says it reviewed a 40-page document outlining Hamas's attack plan that Israel obtained a year ago, detailing how Hamas would use a barrage of rockets, drones, and gunmen and power gliders. But Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational. NBC News has not seen nor independently confirmed the document.

An IDF spokesperson telling us, after the war, the IDF will conduct an in-depth investigation. Richard Engel joins us again tonight. Richard, Secretary Blinken has spoken out about this new round of fighting, blaming Hamas for the broken truce. But I know tonight both sides are pointing the finger. So ultimately, Hamas is to blame. Hamas took hostages and is still holding hostages. So at a very basic level, Hamas is responding. for those hostages, but this is still a negotiated process.

They were in a ceasefire agreement, and according to Hamas, Hamas said it was willing to release hostages, that it was willing to release a group of men. It was willing to hand over some bodies of hostages. It says were killed by people who were killed by Israeli air strikes. And Israel says that it wanted a group of women, and Hamas wouldn't hand them over. hand them over. So they are both blaming each other, but they are not arguing necessarily

over the concept that there must be more exchanges, that the hostages must be freed, and that Israel is willing to release some Palestinian prisoners. But the talks broke down over who gets to decide which hostages go out. Israel wanted a group of women. Hamas said No, Israel said that it is not Hamas that gets to decide, and we've arrived at this point where the military campaign has resumed again, and it's unclear how long it's going to last because we've been told just a short while ago that those critical talks in Doha for now are also suspended, also having a tactical pause. So this could be Israel trying to take advantage of this opportunity to hit some military targets and to prove to Hamas.

that it doesn't get to dictate terms here. Richard, if we can briefly, I want to go back to something that you reported about the New York Times and their story out today that alleges Israel knew about the potential terror attack a year ago, but never thought Hamas could pull it off. You know, since this war has started since that terror attack, October 7th, Israelis have been asking themselves, you know, how did this happen? Is this news making waves over where you are? It is certainly being registered here.

There is an effort by the government and by the military not to show dirty laundry. They don't want to expose what went wrong here. They know there was an intelligence failure. They know it was a catastrophic intelligence failure. Not just in failing to anticipate the attack and failing to see the signs, but also in the failure to react. That's something that is being missed here. that there were 3,000 attackers, according to Israel's count, from Hamas, who came over into this part of southern Israel, where I am right now.

The area is flat. They came in vehicles. They came in paragliders. They were in uniforms. They were armed. Yet they were able to go on this murderous rampage for hours before there was any kind of response. Eight hours in some places, 14, in some cases the Israeli force.

didn't come to the rescue until the next day. This is not a large country. It takes about an hour and a half to drive from Tel Aviv to down here. So many Israelis are furious about the lack of a coordinated response, an effective response, the intelligence that was clearly missed. But they don't want to show weakness. They don't want to show cracks at this moment. But when you speak to Israelis, they are absolutely.

absolutely livid, and that is, I think, one of the main reasons why Prime Minister Netanyahu's approval ratings are so low. Richard Engel for us tonight from Israel. Richard, thank you for that. Violence against Palestinian Americans on the rise since the war began. And last weekend's shooting of three Palestinian-American college students in Burlington, Vermont, leaving the victims and their families shaken. One of the students sitting down with NBC Zinclai, Essemwa, to talk about what he experienced

on that traumatic night. Did you ever think anything like this could happen on American soil? I certainly hope not. I have heard of other Palestinians being beat up, stabbed, or humiliated. But I certainly didn't expect to be shot. But that's what happened Saturday when Kinan Abdul-Hammeid went for a walk with two childhood friends, also of Palestinian descent. Two of the three wore traditional Arab scarves.

Kinaan says, They were talking about homework in English and Arabic when they saw the alleged gunman. As soon as he saw us, he ran down the steps, pulled out a pistol, and started shooting. I jumped the fence, and I believe that's when he shot me. And I hid behind the backyard of a random house, and I was shaking, and I genuinely believed both my friends were dead. Tonight, both his friends are still in the hospital. How do you all discuss the potential that it may have made you a target, either speaking in Arabic,

or wearing the scarf. Oh, yeah, of course. I mean, when we all met in the hospital, we were like, why do you think it happened? Like, oh, yeah, probably because we're speaking Arabic. What is your message to Americans tonight? It's really important to see Palestinians as a diverse population like any other race or ethnicity or just a people like any other.

Zinclai joins us now in studio. So Zinclai, after your interview, I had a chance to speak with Kanaan on the phone. And I was surprised because it didn't sound like he was angry, even though this horrific crime had happened to him and his friends, but I do know that he doesn't want America and the world to forget what's happened here. Yeah, Tom, that's 100% right. I specifically asked him, how are you doing? And his response was, I haven't been thinking about me.

I've been thinking about my community. He's very attuned to the fact that so much violence has been targeting the Arab and Muslim communities. But, of course, he was also talking about his friends. Two of them remain hospitalized. The hospital actually told me today that they are now in stable condition. However, one of them may lose the ability to walk completely. And so I think it's striking that there is no anger, right? But he wants people to remember his community.

And his mom pointed out, you know, she called them nerds. She said, these are just 20-year-old guys who came here for college. And when I asked him what they were speaking about before that shooting, he said, we were just talking about homework. It's homework. Homework. It's just, it's so sad. Yeah. to this. This did not happen in a vacuum. The attacks on Arab and Muslims are on the rise in this

country. That's 100% right. This is not an anomaly. The Council for American Islamic Relations has been tracking this stuff. And they found that compared to this time last year, there's been a 260 percent. 216 percent uptick in Islamophobia and anti-Arab incidents. And when you break those numbers down, here's what it looks like, right? It looks like hate crimes. It looks like employment harassment. It looks like bullying in schools. This is how it's manifesting. We've covered a lot of this on news now, on your show. But it's also having some tangible political effects, right? We've heard from Arab Americans saying they don't feel like the Biden administration is representing them anymore,

even though they backed him in 2020. Now, the Biden administration just last month announced the first of its kind task force and strategy to counter Islamophobia. Some experts you'll hear from tonight in the special say, that's not enough. Others say it's a good start. But clearly, a lot of nuance in this conversation, Tom. Zinclai, S.MW, so great to have you on Top Story tonight, and you can hear much more of the interview in an NBC News Now special hosted by Zinclai. Fear and Faith, Palestinians in America airs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, right here on News Now. All right, now to power and politics and the latest

on that marquee debate last night between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and California Governor Gavin Newsom, the two men trading blows on the economy, crime, immigration, and the 2024 race. Dasha Burns with all the highlights and the new reporting on the drama that happened behind the scenes. Tonight, fallout from a highly unusual debate. Well, this is an app where they plot the human feces that are found on the streets of San Francisco. Two governors, only one of them, a candidate for president. California Democrat Gavin Newsom and Florida Republican Ron DeSantis facing off in prime time. He's very good at spinning these tails.

good at being slick and slippery. He'll tell a blizzard of lies to be able to try to mask the failures. There's one thing in closing that we have in common is neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024. The debate moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity billed as a battle between red and blue states. Both men clashing on the 2024 race with DeSantis accusing Newsom of running for the White House unofficially while also attacking President Biden. Yes, it's a danger to the country. He has no business running for president. And, you know, Gavin Newsom agrees with that. He won't say that. That's why he's running his shadow campaign. I will take Joe Biden at 100 versus Ron DeSantis any day of the week at any age. I know Nikki Haley's campaign is asking, when are you going to drop out and at least give Nikki Haley a shot to take down Donald Trump in this nomination? The governor's pressed on the issue of abortion. DeSantis declining to say if he'd sign a national six-week ban as he's done in Florida. The position that we have from the modern left, including in California, is that they will take your tax dollars and they will fund abortion all the way to the moment of birth.

Why didn't you answer this question? Why didn't you support a national ban if it lands on your desk? I'll answer it for Ron DeSantis. He can't answer it. He will sign that extreme six-weeks national ban. The American people should know that. And on immigration, Newsom attacking DeSantis for those migrant flights he organized to Martha's Vineyard and California.

I met with those migrants. that you lied to under false pretense. That kind of gamesmanship using human beings as ponds, I think, is disqualifying. California is a sanctuary state. They thumb their nose at federal immigration law, and this has real consequences. As the debate came to an end, both governors and Hannity, deciding they wanted to keep going past the agreed upon 90 minutes. Let's just do an extended hour. I'm happy to do it. I guess a debate on the fly will continue on the other side. But after the break, all right, welcome back to Hannity, a red state, blue state debate.

By mutual agreement, both candidates had other commitments, and they realized afterwards they couldn't stay longer. And tonight, new reporting revealing the chaos off screen that led to the surprise twist. Four sources with the DeSantis campaign and one unaffiliated source on the ground telling NBC News, Governor Newsom's wife walked onto the set to stop the debate from going longer, reportedly saying, we're done. A Newsom staffer denying. that claim, saying the stoppage was mutual. On stage, candidates sparring about residents leaving Florida for California and vice versa, who spoke to voters on both sides of that migration. Julie Gephart's moved from California to Florida. In eighth grade, my daughter had a kid

who daily would yell at her across campus telling her that she was stupid for her conservative beliefs. Thalson Marmillian left Florida for California. I'm a gay man. If you're a gay person, You want to live around people who are not inspired by someone who is damaging your community with his rhetoric. And with that, Dasha Burns joins us tonight from the campaign trail in Atlanta. Dasha, I want to get back to that new reporting you had from behind the scenes. Do we know why Governor Newsom's wife was so upset with the debate that she wanted it to end? So we don't know exactly why she decided to put a stop to the debate going longer. But we do know from our sources in the room, both from the DeSantis campaign and also from Newsom's aides, that there was a lot of drama behind the scenes, a lot of accusations flying around rule breaking.

The Newsom team was accusing the DeSantis campaign of breaking the rules by DeSantis talking to his wife, Casey, and his staff throughout the debate. They also claimed that Fox News had a teleprompter that was angled toward DeSantis so that he could see. the questions that Sean Hannity was about to ask. Now, Fox News denies both of those accusations, but it just gives you the flavor of the tension that was happening off-screen that viewers couldn't see, Tom. A lot of juicy allegations there. All right. Dasha, I know the reaction to this debate has been broken down partisan lines, but is it perceived that there was a winner or a loser last night? Well, look like a lot of these things, it is a bit of a roar-shark test, right? If you think you that you, if you like Newsom, you think he won. If you like DeSantis,

you think he won. But I will say that it gave Newsom a chance to present himself as the future of the left, the future of the Democratic Party, while also putting to bed those rumors that he's running a sort of shadow campaign throughout the debate. He continued to emphasize the record of Joe Biden, that he is going to be the nominee, that he's going to do a great job and beat former President Trump. But for DeSantis, he got 90 minutes without his other rivals looming over his shoulder. So both got an advantage there. And then, Dasha, finally, in Republican circles, I've heard that some people are saying that they thought Governor DeSantis was more comfortable, he was more aggressive. He did a better job debating Governor Newsom that he's done in the primary debates, which are the ones that really matter.

Well, look, this is something that the Sanchez campaign has been looking forward to. He told me in his own spin room of his own creation last night that this is an opportunity for him where he has felt like former President Trump has gotten the vast majority of media attention. So this was 90 minutes where he was not fighting with Republicans. Instead, he was taking on someone from the left. We're taking on the, quote, radical left is something that he has been talking about over and over on the campaign trail. It's something he has made a staple of his message. and he got to do that and use Newsom as sort of a proxy for Biden and show voters what it would potentially look like

if someone other than Trump were the nominee and were to take on a Democrat, Tom. Dasha Burns from the campaign trail for us, Dasha, thank you. Still ahead. New details in the prison stabbing of Derek Chauvin. The former Minneapolis police officer who murdered George Floyd stabbed 22 times by another inmate. The details just coming in about his attacker. Plus, two teachers in Missouri struggling to pay their bills, turning to only fans for extra income.

However, they're now out of a job after their districts and parents found out why some educators feel the extra money is worth the risk. And more people falling ill from a type of cantaloupe link to a deadly salmonella outbreak. What consumers need to know. Stay with us. Alarming health news and Ohio County reporting an outbreak of pneumonia among children, including mycoplasma pneumonia cases, the illness driving recent pediatric outbreaks in Denmark and China. The Warren County Health District, that's the one there in Ohio, saying it had 145 cases since August, and an unusually high number, the average patient just eight years old. So for more on this outbreak and what can be done to keep kids healthy, this winter, Dr. Susanna Hill joins me now.

She's an assistant professor and pediatric surgeon at Columbia University. Doctor, thanks so much for joining us on Friday night. We were just talking before we started here. You said usually this time of year you see cases go up. What about what we're seeing there in Ohio and in Denmark and China? Is this raising alarms with doctors like yourself? Yeah, Tom, I think the bottom line here is there's no need really for alarm. I think we're seeing, for sure, increased cases and an uptick, but this can be seasonal variation.

The CDC is looking into all of these outbreaks that are happening. They're seeing the normal, regular viruses and bacteria that typically cause infection. There's nothing new or unusual that's causing these diseases. So really, it's something that we expect every season, every few seasons, just a convergence of viruses and an increased number of cases. You know, and we never want to alarm people, but explain to me why you're not concerned about what's happening in China with these pediatric cases. just because, you know, we're so close to what happened during the pandemic. Yeah. Well, if you look back to what happened here when we lifted our pandemic restrictions, we saw a significant sudden increase of pediatric illness, all kinds of viruses that weren't

necessarily new or different, but they were the viruses that normally circulate that kids were getting all at once. I think the same thing is happening in China right now. They seem to be typical viruses, typical bacteria, just a whole lot of kids. getting sick at the same time. What are some tips parents can do or do you have for them right now? Yeah. Well, certainly if your kid is having chest pain when they cough, if they have a fever that won't come down with Tylenol, if they're having trouble breathing and you're getting worried about that, definitely seek medical attention. Go see a doctor. Otherwise, it's a really good time to remind your kids about those things that can protect them that we commonly want kids to remember,

like hand washing. If your kid is susceptible to complications from illness, maybe where I'm mask in certain environments. If your kid is sick, keep them out of school so the other kids don't get sick. All of those things that we need to remind our kids of every winter season, now's the time. Also, I just want everybody to consider talking to their pediatrician about vaccines. The three highest viruses we have right now, all have shots that can help protect your kids, COVID, flu, and RSV. That's good to know. Finally, I think I've seen a change since when I was growing up, we were growing up to now that there seems to be a children's version medicine for every adult type of medicine we have. And so I've noticed there's now a lot of PM

for kids, Tylenol, PM for children. Should those be used when kids are getting sick and have coughs? So there are pediatric versions of Tylenol that's really very safe. There are certain pediatric over-the-counter medicines. Things that aren't labeled as safe for kids, talk to your pediatrician before giving them anything labeled for adults over-the-counter. Doctor, thank you so much for coming. We really do appreciate that. Next tonight, we're taking a big turn, teachers going to new lengths to make ends meet on low salaries, some even starting OnlyFans accounts, posting sexual content online to make money on the side. But now two Missouri teachers leaving their jobs after their school districts were alerted to their accounts. Stephen

Romo has this bizarre story. They were teachers by day and OnlyFans stars by night. Now two educators at St. Clair High School near St. Louis, Missouri are out of the classroom after their district discovered their accounts. I got a note tack to my door saying that they knew my secret. It was written by students. And so I knew I was in trouble. Megan Gaither, who taught English and coached the cheerleading team, is one of those two teachers who started an OnlyFans to afford her student loan payments. OnlyFans, the website says, lets creators monetize their private content. It's become known as a lucrative platform that allows creators to make money from subscribers by posting sexual content. You know, I was hiding my face. I didn't use my real name. I can do both. I can be a really

good teacher. And then I can go home at night and make extra money. Then Brianna Coppidge, Gaither's colleague who also has an only fans, got caught. That's when I got fearful. And so I deleted my only fans. I deleted my Twitter and anything that I used for only fans purposes. Coppage eventually resigned telling Fox News she now makes up to a million. on the platform. Gather was placed on leave after her account was discovered, but she says the district cited professionalism and student communication and not her only fans. While the platform may be an unconventional solution, about a third of new teachers take on second jobs to make ends meet. And it's not just during the summer. 18% need to have a second job during the school year, according to the Pew Research Center. Over the past maybe five or so years, we've seen a lot of activity. strikes, union activity, things like that surrounding teacher pay. It's a sign I think that, you know, for a lot of teachers, it's just not keeping up with what they need. It's not just teachers in Missouri. Courtney Telia was a teacher in Arizona. I got my first student loan

repayment and they wanted 50% of my income. Now she works full time on OnlyFans. I am the happiest I've ever been. I'm the healthiest I've ever been. All right, Stephen Romo joins us now. Stephen, a lot here to talk about. But let's start first. Some people may be watching this, and we're not judging anyone here, but did these teachers say that they needed the money so bad that they went to OnlyFans? Because some people may wonder, would there be other jobs they possibly could do? Yeah, of course, people are pointing out other jobs they could have. But the teachers interviewed for the story were saying that they are just facing so many time restrictions. Teaching is not a nine to five job. They have to grade papers. They have to get ready for the next day. They have

families in some cases. Exactly. They just say they don't have enough time. Yeah. And then finally, Will these women, do you think, ever be able to become teachers again? Do they have any interest to teach again? Yeah, that's a good question. One of the women we spoke to, Megan, was saying that she does want to use her teaching degree. She doesn't want that to be in vain. But whether they'll get hired or not by a school district, that is a good question. Of course, the country is facing many teacher shortages, so never say never.

But as of right now, these schools don't seem to be going along with it very well. And some of these people on OnlyFans are making a significant amount of money. Yeah, they're reporting. I've seen reports from Business Insider. saying she made $6 million in this, so there seems to be a lot of money right there. A lot of cash there. Okay. Stephen Roman for us, Stephen, thank you for that.

When we come back and update on the effort to ban TikTok, Montana, trying to become the first state to block the popular app starting next month. Well, the ruling just handed down by a federal court that could put that in jeopardy. We'll explain. All right, back now with Top Stories News News. feed, we begin with an update in the stabbing of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvan inside an Arizona federal prison. Prosecutors say an inmate has been charged with attempted murder for stabbing Chauvin 22 times after planning the attack for a month. According to court documents, the inmate told prosecutors he would have killed Chauvin had no one stepped in.

Authorities say Chauvin was seriously hurt in the attack. He's serving a 22 and a half year sentence for the murder of George Floyd back in 2020. A consumer alert tonight in just the past week, 18 more people have been sickened in an ongoing salmonella outbreak linked to cantaloupe. Health officials first issuing a warning after several brands of cantaloupe were recalled last month. That recall now includes pre-cut cantaloup sold at stores including Trader Joe's, Kroger, Aldi and Sprout Farmers Market, among the others. According to the CDC, the products have been connected to two deaths

and 117 illnesses so far. And Montana's first-in-the-nation TikTok ban temporarily blocked, a federal judge ruling the ban unconstitutional, infringing on the rights of users and oversteps state power. The law was passed back in April and was set to take effect on January 1st, supporters of the ban citing privacy concerns with the Chinese-owned app, the Montana Attorney General's office vowing to continue to defend the law. Okay, next tonight, tributes from around the world,

and the country pouring in after the death of Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to become a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Laura Jarrett looks back at O'Connor's groundbreaking career and her legacy. Remember tonight as a pioneer, tributes for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, including Chief Justice John Roberts, saying she blazed a historic trail as our nation's first female justice. She met that challenge with undaunted determination. indisputable ability, and engaging candor. It's thrilling in a way to be the first to do something,

the first woman to ever serve on the court, but it's dreadful if you're the last. The daughter of a cattle rancher. O'Connor grew up in Arizona, a Republican lawmaker and a judge before being nominated to the Supreme Court in 1981 after President Reagan's campaign pledged to nominate a woman. I was concerned. about whether I could do the job well enough to deserve saying yes.

Confirmed unanimously by the Senate, she served on the court for 24 years, holding a pivotal swing vote. It really was the O'Connor Court for more than a decade because she often cast the deciding vote on the most contentious cases. Sometimes she sided with conservatives, as she did in 2000, settling the presidential election in Bush v. Gore. Other times she was with the liberals, writing the landmark decisions. on using race and college admissions, one that was largely gutted just last term. The very part of this country is a quality of opportunity and respect for all individuals. As a moderate, she searched for consensus on a bitterly divided court, particularly on abortion rights, joining a decision reaffirming Roe v. Wade in 1992, while later upholding state restrictions

on abortion. The first woman on the court, also the first mother. She had three boys with her husband, John, whom she left the court to care for in 2006 when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Later, she too was diagnosed with the disease. She also battled cancer, reflecting at one point on what that fight taught her. I think I learned from it to appreciate and treasure each day because you don't know how many you'll be given. So make those that you have count. Sandra Day O'Connor was 93. Laura Jarrett, NBC News.

Now at Top Story's Global Watch and a look at the top headlines around the world. We begin with a helicopter crashing onto the middle of a highway in Madrid, Spain. The aircraft which held two passengers hitting one car on its way down, dozens of emergency officers work and secure that area as the mangled helicopter lays on its side in the middle of traffic. Both passengers on board and a driver of the car were injured. This cause of the crash is still under investigation. A violent brawl breaking out between Polish soccer fans and police at a match in England.

Look at the cell phone video. Shows people throwing flares at officers who were preventing them from entering the stadium. The unrest starting after the number of tickets allocated for the away team was reduced to a thousand at the Europa Conference League game between Birmingham's Aston Villa and Legia, Warsaw. Authorities arresting 46 people and reporting four officers were injured. An Italian authorities discovering a forgotten Boticelli painting after more than 50 years. Officials recovering the lost artwork in poor condition at a Naples family home on Wednesday. Here it is.

It dates back to the 15th century. Experts say it could be worth, get this, 100 million euros. Sandra Boticelli is famed for his other paintings, including the Birth of Venus, which you just saw there, and Primavera. Coming up next, if you haven't gotten your Christmas tree, just yet. You may want to run out this weekend, maybe even right now. Tree farms and lots across the country are facing a shortage that's pushing up prices sky high. The tips you need to know right now if you're looking to score the perfect tree. Stay with us. We're back now with a great look at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. All lit up and the countdown to Christmas is on. But as families

are heading out to get their trees, many finding sky high prices and few options to choose from. Mora Barrett spent the day with the Christmas tree seller to see firsthand what's behind this holiday shortage. This was our eight to nine foot area over here, and they're all empty. For 35 years, Ivy Speck has been spreading Christmas cheer, shipping in Christmas trees from a farm in North Carolina and selling them to the people of Chicago. Those are all trees. But this year, the tall trees her customers love didn't show up. We ordered a couple thousand, and this year we were short. Shorted probably 500 of those. Nine to 10 footers don't even exist anymore. Eight to nines are where we got shorted. We never got any nine to tens. Couldn't even order them this year.

Most Americans' trees come from Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington. But retailers like Ivy all across the country have faced a short supply the last several years. People definitely want to cut their own tree, but we just can't grow them fast enough. We opened them up for the first week. and then pretty much by the end that first weekend were closed. Why is there such a tight supply this year? The tight supply actually goes all the way back to 2008 in the recession. There was an oversupply of trees and growers were having a hard time selling them. And because of that, they didn't plant back as many trees. This tree is about seven feet tall and that takes about 15 years to grow. So it was likely planted right around the time of the 2008 recession.

Here, they sell for $200. That's double the national average of about $80 to $100 a tree. Sellers had to adjust for an increase in pricing due to inflation. Nearly 7 and 10 growers say it's costing them 10% more to sell their trees this year. They're a little bit more expensive, but with fuel costs and things like that, best to be expected. Trees in the past five years have went up, like doubled from the past. So, and we just have to bring that along over to the consumer. And with less trees to choose from, Ivy says customers looking for the perfect one aren't happy.

Very upset. Don't understand. They're walking out. It's even losing customers because you don't have enough trees. Exactly. A lot of customers. And we're upset about that. Even so, this year there's extra excitement for live trees over artificial, which are often cheaper.

The whole smell of the live tree in the house, it's unlike anything. else it's just christmas 20% of people surveyed are planning to buy a real christmas tree for the first time experts say it's largely millennials like me excited to decorate for the holiday totally get that as you can see with my tree already up or young families looking to start new traditions with any tree whether it's big or small Very Christmas. Thank you. See you.

And tonight, Maura joins us from Ivy's Christmas trees. Maura, we know that you've got to get out there this weekend. If you haven't already for the best selection, any other tips for shoppers? Well, Tom, in cities, some lots like these actually take online reservations ahead of times. You can guarantee the tree size that you're looking for. Or if you're one of those lucky Americans that lives near a national forest, you can actually get a permit for your actually get a permit for just $5 to go and cut down a tree on your own. So if you're looking for cost savings and an adventure, that's a good option, too.

And you just got to make sure there's no birds or squirrels in that tree once you chop it down. But that does sound like fun. Mora Berra. Thank you so much for that. And hopefully people are going to go out and get their trees. When we come back, a star-studded binge-worthy, Julia Roberts in a new psychological thriller on Netflix, plus Eddie Murphy stars in a new Christmas comedy and shares new holiday song already topping the charts. That's next.

Welcome back. It is Friday, which means it's time for bingeworthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And joining us tonight is TV host and pop culture expert, Andrew Freund. Andrew, thanks so much for coming back to bingeworthy. Thank you. I'm in from L.A. only for you, Tom. We appreciate that. We want to get started. We're going to talk about Netflix and a few new movies on that platform, that streaming service. The first is a fictional drama about a story 20 years after notorious romance scandal. It's called Mated. December it has an all-star cast let's take a look when they sent me the script I thought here is a woman with a lot more to her than I remember from the tabloid what would make a 36-year-old woman have an affair with the seventh grader first Andrew Natalie Portman and Julianne more amazing I love this combo Oscar powerhouses yeah but I was trying to understand is this

is it a dark comedy is it a drama is it a thriller What is it? It's kind of based off the Mary Kay Laterno story. So it's a take on that. And basically, Julianne Moore plays someone who had an affair with a younger man. Natalie Portman. When you say younger man, we're talking a teenager, right? 16-year-old. Okay. Yes. But in the film, it's Charles Melton. So, you know, he's older than that now. But in the film, Natalie Portman plays an actress portraying Julianne Moore. A lot of awards buzz coming out of this directed by Todd Haynes. Charles Melton just won the Gotham Award for Best Supporting Actor. It's very good, Tom. I watched it the other night. It's riveting. It's shocking. I don't want to give any of the twists and turns away. Highly recommend it.

Oh, you sold it. Okay, we're in. Next up, we have a psychological thriller. Also on Netflix, it's starring Julia Robertson. This one is called Leave the World Behind. Here's a clip. Something is happening, and I don't trust them. Everything I know I have told you.

I don't believe you. I would do anything to protect my family. What you do is your business. Ethan Hawk, Julia Roberts, I was asking you, and I was correct. So Julia Roberts had another thriller. I'm thinking Pelican Brief, it's a long time ago, but it's a very film. How is this one? All right, this is one of these films that you watch it,

and you can't stop thinking about it a few days after. It's written and directed by the man who did Mr. Robot. So it gets dark Tom, and it's very plausible. And it is basically kind of a doomsday type thriller. But I'm telling you, I could not stop thinking about this because you think about what would you do in this kind of situation. Could you survive? Are you a survival guy? I think I am.

Could you, like, cook for yourself? Yeah. Could you, like, you know, start a fire? Start a fire. Take somebody out? Could you live without your phone? Yeah, I could live without my phone. No electronics.

Right. It's that kind of stuff. That doesn't sound kind of crazy, though. It sounds like camping. Well, just watching. You'll get scared. Okay. about musician John Batiste and his year of triumph and turmoil.

And it's a story many people maybe don't know. This one's called American Symphony. Here's a clip. So many good things happening. And the Grammy goes to John Batiste. And so many incredibly hard things. With this remission last years and then come back, we don't know. I honestly don't know how to hold such extremes.

I'm a John Batiste fan. He makes incredible music. I didn't know about this story. And I almost feel bad that I didn't know, but that he struggled through this with his wife. Yeah, so Suleika, his partner, her cancer had come back while he was writing a symphony. So, okay, the guy's on Stephen Colbert. He's winning tons of Grammys, and his partner is suffering from cancer. So this documentary is really a story about love.

It's a story about survival. It's a story about music, and it encapsulates everything that's going on in their lives. And I've also seen this, and you can't help but feel for these people and what they're going through, but also how they overcome things together, and they're still going through it. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful documentary. Andrew, these are a lot of great recommendations. I think I want to be binging all week. Please do.

We still have more. There is a Christmas comedy on Amazon Prime. It's called Candy Cain Lane. It stars Eddie Murphy. We talked about it earlier this week. Let's take a look at that clue. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. High stakes as neighbors compete for best decorated house on the block.

I think this is the house to beat. Wow. What's your own Christmas wish? So our viewers got a taste of this earlier in the week. Al Roker sat down with the stars and he got to talk to them. So it's about basically decorating your house, competition. Yeah, yeah. So it starts out.

Eddie Murphy loses his job. and, you know, this competition, you can win $100,000. So, of course, you know, he's married to Tracy Ellis Ross. They want $100,000, but they make a deal with the devil, but the devil is a mischievous little elf. Okay. So... There's a fantasy element.

Is it good for the kids? Can you watch it with the kids? Totally a family film on Amazon, Christmas decorations, lights. Okay. You know, the whole thing. Gotcha. And then we have something sort of out of left field, but people who love Selena Gomez apparently love this show.

She's out with a new season of her cooking show, just in time for the holidays. This one's called Selena and chef, home for the holidays. I'm spending the holidays with Food Network. You look like fun. You are rocking it. I got to impress some boys. Some of my favorite chefs cooking up their favorite holiday dishes right here in my kitchen together. That looks fantastic.

So Selena can sing, she can act, she's an amazing person all around, and can she can Did she cook? Sometimes she can cook. You know, I actually like this series because I, Tom, I cannot cook. Okay. I can't cook worth anything. And fun fact is when they were promoting this, they actually sent out a box to kind of cook, and they sent one of those mandolins, you know?

Have you ever used a mandolin? It, like, slices things. No. Don't use one because it'll slice your finger, and Selena Gomez is mandolin, slice my finger. Seriously? Yeah, oh gosh. Be careful. If anyone using a mandolin, be careful.

But what I like about this series is because people like me can't cook. like me can't cook. And Selena, she's learning how to cook. You kind of get easy steps. And, you know, she's making holiday foods. This whole, these four episodes are all about promoting the holidays. She's making mozzarella sticks. Who doesn't love a good mozzarella stick? That kind of a thing. Okay. Very cool. We want to move on now to Music and Share is out with the new Christmas song. And it's scoring number one on Billboard Songs chart for the seventh straight decade when it comes to dance music. Here's her song, DJ Play a Christmas song. So, I want to be dancing all night long.

It's cold outside, but it's warm in here. And that's the only thing I want this year. Come on. Come on. Come on, Tom. Inaction. How's a song, right? Okay, I can't get the song out of my head.

That's what I told Aaron the producer. I was like, we got to talk about this song. She sang, obviously, the other night out here. It's number one in the adult contemporary charts. Cher has had a number one song for the past six decades. Wow, that is incredible. She's 77 years old. She's still performing, still killing it.

I would say she's at the top of her game right now. I think I was being told seven decades. Is that what you guys are telling me? Seven? Well, maybe seven. Wow, we have a super fan who's one of our senior producers, Sarah, and so she knows. Sarah? Awesome.

Kudos. Finally, Dove Cameron. She is out with a new one. If you have kids, they definitely know who Dove is. This one's called Sand. So, on the end when we begin, you couldn't love the way I can. I tried to bargain with the stars for more than half your heart. So she's been putting out new music.

Yeah. This one, how are fans reacting? I mean, Dove is a huge social media star. Obviously, social media is driving everything these days. That song reminds me of Lana Del Rey a bit. It's got, like, kind of movie. beauty vibe. But, you know, she can do no wrong. And she's playing the piano, which I didn't know she could do that. It's amazing. Can you play the piano? I cannot, Andrew. But we know you can't cook

either, but you can do, you're a great host of entertainment talk. Andrew, thanks so much for coming on. We always appreciate your time. And we thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.