Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, December 23, 2022

Episode Date: December 24, 2022

More than 200 million Americans under alert during the deadly winter storm, the cold pushing families indoors — stoking fears of a post-holiday surge in respiratory illnesses, Paris on edge after three people were shot and killed outside a Kurdish cultural center, verdict reached in the high-profile court case involving Megan Thee Stallion and the rapper accused of shooting her in the foot, and the major change reportedly coming to Netflix in the new year.

Tonight, the deadly winter storm, more than 200 million Americans under alert. Treacherous conditions on the roads from the Midwest through the northeast, at least one person killed in a massive pile up in Ohio. Conditions in Buffalo bracing for one of the worst blizzards in decades. Flooding up and down the East Coast, power knocked out to more than a million customers, just as the bitter chill sets in. And thousands of flights already canceled. We'll have full coverage from across the storm zone.

The cold pushing families indoors, stoking fears of a post-holiday surge in respiratory illnesses. COVID hospitalizations are already climbing, plus new data just released by the CDC. Are flu cases finally peaking? Paris on edge. After three people were shot and killed at a Kurdish community center, anger spilled out onto the streets. What those protesters are asking for, as we're learning more about a problem. possible motive. Also, breaking late tonight, the verdict just reached in the high-profile court case involving Megan V. Stallion and the rapper accused of shooting her in the foot,

what the jury decided. The new video just released, an only fan's model accused of murdering her boyfriend grilled by police in Florida the moment she breaks down after police told her that he had died and why she's claiming she was acting in self-defense. Plus, the deadly crash caught on camera in California. A single-engine plane slamming into the beach in Santa Monica. What we are learning about the former mayor on board who was killed. And password protected, the major change reportedly coming to Netflix in the new year. Why it might be time to pay up for your own subscription. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Jake Ward in for Tom Yamas. Tonight, a staggering 200,000.

million Americans under winter weather alert says this massive holiday storm we've been following all week turns deadly hundreds of accidents reported from coast to coast and more than 5,000 flights delayed virtually no corner of this country is left unscathed in Ohio low visibility triggered this massive pile-up on interstate 90 at least one fatality was reported in Michigan a tractor trailer mangled police urging drivers to stay off the roads if they can Residents in Buffalo facing one of the worst blizzards in decades. A travel ban in effect, and you can see why, this suburb of eastern Buffalo looking more like the Arctic.

Heavy rains and wind, whipping up massive waves along the New England coast, the Oceanside community of Winthrop, Massachusetts, inundated with the surge. And in the south, strong gusts, downing trees, and cutting power lines, this Atlanta home impaled by a branch, the homeowner, just one of more than a million customers without power across the country tonight. That, of course, a huge concern as we head into the bitter cold overnight hours. NBC national correspondent Gabe Gutierrez is in New York where temperatures are falling fast. Gabe? Hi there, Jake. Good evening.

We've been seeing a dramatic drop in temperatures here in New York's Long Island. Even without snow, the wind has been picking up here, and temperature has had been dropping here by 20 to 30 degrees in just the last few hours. Bone-chilling wind chills are expected to continue here throughout the weekend. tonight the brutal arctic blast is racing east battering buffalo with a historic blizzard this is an epic statewide hazard there's no other way to describe this treacherous white-out conditions prompting a travel ban throughout the area winds whipping to 69 miles per hour here's reason enough to stay inside there's cars about 35 40 feet away you can barely see them in ohio rescue crews are now scrambling to help drivers caught in a massive pile up. It's going to be at least two or three miles before the crashes. We're looking probably up to seven cars or more. While at least three people have been killed in Kentucky, where it got as cold as eight below.

The last second shopping is not worth it if it would cost you your life. More than 200 million people are now under some type of winter weather alert. Overnight, the storm turned into what's known as a bomb cyclone, a fast developing weather system that rapidly intensifies, causing this transformer in Missouri to a new. explode. The polar plunge now extending across much of the country in western Michigan today multiple crashes. NBC's shack Brewster is there. In addition to this pounding lake effect snow are these whipping winds that just make the conditions here brutal. Across the road there's an entire building and look you can barely even see it. Throughout the U.S., more than a million

customers are without power as frigid temperatures sweep across the south. Trees toppled from Atlanta to North Carolina. While in Texas, Authorities are watching the power grid to make sure it can handle the increased demand. This shelter in Fort Worth opening to help the homeless try to stay warm. From Maine to Massachusetts to New York, the northeast slammed with coastal flooding. Drivers rescued this morning from stalled vehicles. We moved from Brooklyn, less than a month ago. This is a crazy welcome.

Gabe, it is clearly bad enough in Freepwood, New York, where you are. You mentioned there this winter storm turned down. deadly in several other states. Do we have any more reporting on the cause of those fatalities? Well, Jake, we just heard from Ohio authorities. He said more than four people have died on the roads there. Also, we've heard of a homeless man in Houston falling into a fire pit while he was trying to keep warm and he died. So more than a dozen fatalities throughout the country because of this winter storm. And those numbers are still rising, Jack. Gabe Gutierrez, in the cold for us tonight. Thank you, Gabe.

heading now to the Midwest, where that Arctic area is driving temperatures to brutal lows, well below zero. Parts of the region are slammed with up to 16 inches of snow as this monstrous winter storm moves east. NBC's news, Shaq Brewster is in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where they are measuring snowfall by the foot. Shaq, my friend, I cannot believe you are standing in this for us. Tell us what it's like. What are conditions like where you are at this hour? Well, it's cold and it's brutal. That's just the oddest truth here in Benton Harbor.

I'll tell you, I've been talking to some locals as they've been coming out. And one person told me, look, they're used to the snow. This is an area they are regularly, they regularly get lake effects snow. So they know how to deal with the snow. They even know how to deal with those low temperatures that we're facing here. What makes this storm so unique is the idea that there's so much wind. The wind that's blowing me around here from time to time. What happens is the wind whips up the snow.

already on the ground and that's where you lose all visibility and that's what we've been seeing over the course of the day earlier today just up the road there was a nine tractor trailer pile up that police had to respond to they got on Twitter and they were pleading with residents to stay off the roads until four o'clock five o'clock p.m. because of the dangerous conditions and because they said they had so many accidents that they needed to clear up these folks know how to deal with snow they're going to be dealing with snow well until the weekend they know how to with cold temperatures, but when you combine all of those factors, that's why there's the blizzard warning, and that is why the conditions are so dangerous here.

Shaq Brewster going above and beyond for us. Thank you, Shaq. All that snow is, of course, also crippling air travel. Airports facing white-out conditions, ice storms, and freezing winds. The airport in Buffalo completely shut down. More than 13,000 flight cancellations or delays nationwide. And tonight, thousands of travelers are stranded, across the country. NBC's Maggie Vespa reports from Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Twas the week before Christmas and America's travel rush was on until a monster winter storm brought things to a crawl. These are the faces of a holiday travel nightmare. Just arrived at the airport and got first notification of a delay. DC-based filmmaker Rob Schor's trip to see his girlfriend's

family in Chicago threw him into the thick of the chaos. People in front of me and behind me We're both concerned that they were going to miss their flights. Coast to coast, damaging winds and a brutal Arctic chill, halting flights by the thousands. Today, airports paralyzed with ground stops from Seattle to Charlotte, Milwaukee to Memphis. In Michigan, the Grand Rapids Airport, a total whiteout. Seattle's ice storm prompting Alaska Airlines to cancel more than 300 flights. For Southwest, more than 900 cancellations and 1,800-plus delays. Julian Roberson's flight to Chicago was canceled.

He took a bus from Milwaukee, hoping. to get to Miami. I just didn't know how big was. I thought it was going to be like the Midwest, but it's, I mean, I guess it's expecting a lot of this country. Now, less than 48 hours before Christmas, home for the holidays looking doubtful for many. Customer service lines at O'Hare seem to stretch for hours as baggage handlers brave frozen runways. In Nashville, the baggage system itself froze, creating a backlog. And here in Chicago, the terminal train system froze, too. Passengers are now taking buses. Gabby Kapanka's flight from Allentown to to Nashville was delayed four hours stuck on the tarmac for two and a half. A 45-minute drive

turned into a four-hour slog. It took us until like about 2 a.m. to get home. With the holiday on the horizon, America's travel plans look frozen. But for one family, relief. We're so glad to have our homes. We miss our kids. We're just glad to have her home safe. Maggie Vesman joins us now from O'Hare International Airport. So Maggie, I see the place is packed with people trying to join their friends and family for the holidays, are they running out of options at this hour? I mean, Jake, unfortunately, they definitely are, but one kind of last-minute long shot is to head to fly.fAA.gov. Again, that's fly.flaa.org. That's where the FAA lists every single airport and its status. You can find one nearby that's open and try to book a last-minute flight.

Jake. Maggie Bestmo on top of the travel situation for us. Thank you, Maggie. For more on the forecast, NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins us now. Bill, you've been watching this. We're now in the thick of this storm for most of America. What is the latest on what it's going to do next? So we're at the peak of intensity of this storm. And that's good, right? You're like, all right, so that's the worst of it.

The problem with this storm is that it's kind of stuck right now. Usually storms will move and, you know, they hit you, and then they kind of go away. This storm is going to sit here and spin over just north of western New York for a good portion of the day tomorrow, finally begin to move out on Christmas Day. So that means we have at least one more day of these wicked whipping winds and that are going to also bring low wind chills with them. The heaviest snows are going to be off the lakes. We're not really going to watch too much precipitation anywhere else.

So, you know, areas that don't have snow on the ground right now, odds are you're not going to have snow on the ground come Christmas morning. So here's the snow forecast additionally, and most of it is going to be around the Buffalo area, especially, Jake. That's the area that have, you know, obvious, huge concerns with the high winds. We're also going to see the problems there, low visibility at times, and the winds could gust up to 50, 60 miles per hour all the way through tomorrow. So, Bill, if the storm is stuck, as you say, as we head into the Christmas holiday, what are your biggest concerns for tonight and this weekend? Even though temperatures are going to moderate, these windshield values are still dangerous in many cases, especially as we go throughout tomorrow morning.

So on our map here, the windshield warnings are shown in this color here. So that's still as areas from Bismarck to St. Louis, from Ohio through Pennsylvania, Atlanta, northward. those are the areas where we consider the windshield to be dangerous. So right now the windshield values, you know, when you start talking negative 10, Nashville, negative 20, Louisville, this is still extremely cold, especially for some of these areas here in Kentucky and Tennessee that don't see wind chills like that often, even Atlanta at negative 1. Tomorrow morning when we wake up, the frigid air will reach all the way through the eastern seaboard. So we'll have negative numbers.

New York is supposed to be down the negative 8 when you wake up. Raleigh, negative 4, Charleston at 0, and even Central Florida is under a windchill advisory. We just don't get many days in the 20s. central Florida and then by Christmas morning even Miami should be somewhere in the low 40s but not as brutal not quite as dangerous Jake I've had bad news all week long for everyone let me give you a little piece of good news here's the forecast for next weekend new year's eve and new year's day we are looking warmer than average from coast to coast a January thaw for the new year Bill Karen's doing the noble work of trying to keep us all out of trouble thank you so much bill

now tonight new flu numbers are out from the CDC and while the number of flu cases remains high across the country, there may be encouraging signs ahead that the spreading of the flu is slowing down. This, as health officials are concerned, the holidays could cause another spike. NBC San Brock has more. The country's bitter battle with the flu. The worst in at least a decade is showing signs of improvement. Today's CDC reports citing seasonal influenza activity remains high but is declining in most

areas. Still, the gains are fragile, especially with the holidays. upon us. Are we out of the woods yet, or do you think America should still be pretty cautious at this point? You know, we're not out of the woods. The upcoming holiday season may provide opportunities for even more spread of these viruses, and they could tick right up once again. RSV cases have essentially plateaued, but COVID cases, deaths and hospitalizations are all on the rise. And now, many are taking extra steps to protect their loved ones. We haven't been going out that much. lately just to try to stay safer.

That's why doctors say getting the flu vaccine now is key. It can offer full protection in 10 to 14 days. It's not too late to get vaccinated, but don't linger. The rush of flu cases against a backdrop of empty store shelves for basic medication. We don't have Tylenol or motoring for kids. It is concerning because many people, parents, kids, they can walk out of pharmacies without the medicines. Sam Brock joins us now from Coral Gables, Florida.

Sam, you mentioned those empty shelves. People need that medication. What sense of a timeline do we have for when we think they could see it back in stock? Right now, Jacob, it's really anecdotal. You know, one place I went to, one pharmacy told me their supplier gave them a timeline of about two or three weeks to get children's Tylenol, which is that golden ticket right now that so many families are looking for. But it does vary. Here where I am in Coral Gables, this pharmacy has not been provided a timeline at all. this with a backdrop right now, Jacob, of extra Tamiflu being released from the federal

government. A lot of details of that still have to be hashed out. But nothing has been mentioned so far about getting more Tylenol or Advilf, especially for children, back out into the market. Jacob? Sam Brockford's in Coral Gables, Florida. Thank you, Sam. And we have breaking news out of Los Angeles tonight. A verdict was just reached in the Tory Lane's trial. The rapper accused of shooting Megan the stallion in the foot. The shooting and trial, of course, drew a lot of attention online with rumors and misinformation that Megan herself called torturous. Naila Charles has been following this case closely for us and joins us now. Naila, what are we learning?

Jacob, in L.A. Superior Court jury just found Tory Lane's guilty on all three felony charges. He was facing, including carrying a loaded unregistered firearm in a vehicle, assault with a semi-automatic handgun, and discharging a firearm with gross negligence. This chapter now closed for Megan the stallion, whose attorney is saying, quote, the jury got it right. I am thankful there's justice for Meg. This comes on the second day of deliberations and after a tumultuous two years since the shooting and a trial full of surprises. The Canadian hip-hop star, known for his hit single Say It, was charged with the 2020 shooting of the Grammy-winning rapper, known for her sensual lyrics in bold style. On the stand, Megan said Torrey Lane shot her after telling her

to dance. Megan, facing intense scrutiny on social media and from hip-hop bloggers questioning her account. Then giving dramatic testimony this week about the harassment she suffered around the case, telling the court, I don't want to live. I wish he had just shot and killed me if I had to go through this torture. The trial full of surprises. One unexpected turn when Megan's former best friend Kelsey Harris testified, recanting her interview with investigators about the incident in which she identified Torrey Lanes as the shooter,

saying parts of the recorded interview weren't accurate, according to the Associated Press. Jury began deliberations Thursday. In the afternoon, they sent a note to the judge asking for a better definition of the word willfully and on purpose. Naila Charles is still with us here. Naila, of course, you mentioned a guilty verdict came in. I want to know, what is the reaction to this verdict? Well, Jacob, just minutes, or excuse me, Jacob, actually it looks like from the AP reporting there, that it's actually very emotional. I spoke to Torrey Lane's attorney last night, and he says him and his client were expecting that Tori Lanes be acquitted on all charges, so it must be a shock. We haven't been able to reach that attorney this evening, but a Los Angeles DA put out a statement highlighting the bravery of Megan the Stallion, saying, in part, you showed incredible courage and vulnerability with your testimony, despite repeated and grotesque attacks that you did not deserve. You face unjust and

despicable scrutiny that no woman should ever face. And you have been an inspiration to others across L.A. County and the nation. But there was also some reaction, like I mentioned, inside the courtroom right after the verdict, the AP again reporting from that scene that Laines's father began shouting after the jury left the courtroom, saying that this wicked system stands judged before God Almighty. He also pointed to the two prosecutors and called them evil, wicked people. Because of that, He's removed him from the courtroom. Jacob? Nala, Charles, with the end to an emotional trial, Nala, thank you.

Turning overseas now to developing news out of France. A shooting in a bustling neighborhood of Paris Friday left three people dead and three others wounded. According to French authorities, it took place in a largely Kurdish community and protesters are now taking to the streets before the holiday weekend. Kier Simmons reports. Tonight, emotions spilling out onto the streets of a Kurdish neighborhood in Paris.

Protestants clashing with police after a shooting outside a Kurdish cultural center left three dead and three others wounded, French prosecutors say. Authorities revealing a 69-year-old male suspect was wounded and is in custody, adding, while his full motivations are not known yet that the attack could be racially motivated.

A Parisian, we would have to be able to stop it, to know if it's especially on the Cure, but if any element, it may have to be able to the service of U.S.A. A Paris prosecutor revealing the suspect, a French national, was known to authorities in connection with a saber attack on a migrant camp last year, but is not known to have ties to extremist groups. Neighbors and residents rattled by today's shooting. For the Kurdish community in France, demands for justice growing louder, a crowd interrupting a press conference with chance of Erdogan terrorist and Turkish state assassin.

Turkey's president has recently escalated attacks in an ongoing conflict against Kurdish forces in Syria. The French interior minister on the ground in Paris, really the French interior minister on the ground in Paris, really By ensuring the public, additional police forces will be deployed to Kurdish community centers and Turkish diplomatic locations. It's a shocking. Residents in this part of Paris now on edge during what is normally a festive time of year. Kier Simmons, NBC News. Kier Simmons for us in Paris.

We take you now to Capitol Hill, where the January 6th Committee released their long-awaited report on the insurrection, blaming Donald Trump directly for the attack on the Capitol. The former president now lashing out on social media. Here's NBC News, Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. Tonight, the January 6th Select Committee dropping their final report and making it clear they believe former President Trump should never hold office again. Had it not been for the encouragement of Donald Trump, it would have never occurred. The report drives home the committee's belief that Mr. Trump was principally responsible for the January

6th attack. It outlines 11 recommendations. Among them, reform of the Insurrection Act that would prevent the former president from serving again in public office. The report gives examples of Mr. Trump and his top aides engaging in at least 200 apparent acts of public or private outreach, pressure or condemnation. Evidence Democratic committee member Jamie Raskin says shows January 6th was no accident. What do you hope their biggest takeaway is? The first thing everybody should know, is that there was nothing remotely spontaneous about this. This was not like a big rally that got out of hand. Mr. Trump has blasted the committee, which is composed of seven Democrats and two Republicans,

all fierce critics of the former president, as, quote, highly partisan and a witch hunt, and blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not properly protecting the Capitol ahead of January 6th. The report does cite security and intelligence failures, but fails to unpack them in any degree of specificity. Democratic committee member Adam Schiff said reforms in that area are necessary. The failure to assimilate that intelligence, the failure to act upon it, we set out in our conclusion left that capital unprepared for the violence that ensued. Ryan Nobles joins us now from Capitol Hill.

Ryan, the committee finally released their report, but as I understand it, they plan to publish even more evidence. Is that right? Yeah, that's right, Jacob. Their plan is to release every transcript of the thousands of interviews that they have done over the course of this investigation. Now, some of the interviews will not be released because of security concerns, but even tonight, releasing another batch with some big names, including Kaylee McEnany and the former Attorney General William Barr. The committee committed to transparency, and they need to be quick. This all has to be wrapped up before the end of the year, because once Republicans take control of the House of Representatives, it's likely that this information will no longer be as free.

flowing. Jacob. Ryan Nobles for us on Capitol Hill. Thank you, Ryan. Still ahead tonight, the deadly plane crash in California. A Cessna crash landing near the Santa Monica Pier, then flipping over in the sand, the former city official who was on board. Plus, the massive home explosion caught on camera in Pennsylvania. What authorities say triggered that blast. And the only fans model under interrogation, a social media star accused of murdering her boyfriend. But she told police about the deadly encounter in a newly released video. Stay with us. Top Story is just getting started. We're back now with new video in The Chilling Story of an only fans model accused of stabbing her boyfriend to death in Miami back in April. The footage shows the moment the suspect, an influencer, with millions of followers, breaks down after being told her partner is dead.

NBC's Jesse Kirsch has more. Tonight, we're seeing the first moments of the interrogation after what authorities say was a deadly stabbing. My apologies for being absolutely covered in blood. The release comes more than eight months after this OnlyFans model allegedly murdered her boyfriend in their Miami apartment. We have to inform me that Christian did not make it. Unfortunately, the doctors did what they could. Christian is dead. NBC South Florida obtaining the video through a records request with local.

officials in this part of the four-hour video Courtney Clenny is told her boyfriend Christian Toby Obamselli is dead Christian died can I please have a hug am I allowed to do that in here clennie who has two million Instagram followers describes an altercation I'm not thinking like choking me like you know whatever but I mean you had my like neck like I but this happened twice before where I couldn't breathe and I was on the floor I could not She also admits she picked up a knife in a fatal sequence her lawyer says was self-defense.

I grabbed a knife and I said don't come anywhere closer to me. I had absolutely no intention of using it. I'm on the phone and he's coming at me like he's going to grab either the phone or like the knife or something. And so I was just like I was like don't come any closer. It's coming at me and I drew it. Authorities say shortly after the April 3 stabbing, Clennie called 911 herself. You're going to die. I can't see my arm. 3101. I can't feel my arm.

Ma'am. But my boyfriend has died. You can't stop. Ma'am. Prosecutors charged the model with second-degree murder, pointing to video from just a few months earlier, which they say appears to show Klenny attacking Obenselli in the elevator of their building. A lawyer representing Obam-Seli's family says Clenny had a history of being the aggressor in the couple's relationship. His family pushing for a more thorough investigation before her arrest. Toby was raised with a, raised by a very strong family with strong morals, strong values.

This was somehow warranted. It's unthinkable. But Clennie's attorney says she's the victim of domestic violence. She had to defend herself that night. She was in a fight for her life. I want a restraining order against Christian and Wimzele. Body camera video from a separate incident in the days before the state. stabbing, released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, shows Clennie telling police she's scared.

Now I'm here to the lobby area. Her boyfriend comes charging towards her, and we actually try to get in the middle of it. The officers ended up escorting her back to the apartment and said they couldn't do more since he lived there and wasn't trespassing. The relationship and Obamselli's life coming to an end soon after. Jesse Kirschi joins us now. So Jesse, what comes next for Yeah, so Jake. Clenney earlier this month was denied bond by a judge as she awaits trial. And I reached out to the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office earlier for an update on that timeline. And they said at this point, no trial date has been set. So her future clearly is uncertain. Jake. Jesse Kirsch for us. Thank you, Jesse. When we come back, a fire that could delay some holiday

shipments. A UPS truck went up in flames in California. Well, the company is saying about damage done to the packages inside. Stay with us. Back now with Top Story's news feed, and we begin with the emergency evacuations at a UPS center in California at the peak of the holiday delivery rush. A box truck catching fire inside the Kearney-Masuk location early this morning. Dozens of UPS workers seen standing outside as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. The fire triggering the building's sprinkler system, UPS says at least 150 packages were destroyed. Officials in Santa Monica confirming the city's former mayor was killed in a small plane crash. Video showing the moment the single engine Cessna's crash landed and then flipped over

just south of the Santa Monica pier. Former mayor Rex Minter and an unnamed pilot were on board at the time. Both were rushed to the hospital. Minter, who served as mayor in the 1960s, was pronounced dead. The cost of the crash is under investigation. Dramatic video out of central Pennsylvania showing the moment a gas explosion destroyed a home. A neighbor's ring camera captured the massive blast. You can see the debris shooting into the sky. The home was entirely destroyed. The officials say a contractor working on the home hit a gas line,

but firefighters were luckily able to evacuate everyone inside just moments before that blast. And remember the missing five-month-old twin that was abducted in his mother's car? Well, he's been found in Ohio. Caseone Thomas recovered alive and safe in Indianapolis last night. He moved there from Ohio just hours after alleged kidnapper Nala Jackson was arrested and taken into custody. Jackson has been charged with two felony counts of kidnapping for allegedly stealing a car with twins, Kayson and Kair on the back sea. Kayson has since been found healthy, and thank goodness he was reunited with his family just in time for the holidays. Turning overseas to Africa now, we have new images from NASA that showed just how brutal the effects of climate change have been for millions in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia.

now facing their fifth straight year of drought. Here again is NBC's chief international correspondent Kier Simmons, who's doing double duty for us tonight. Tonight, these striking images from NASA show just how dry the rainy seasons were this year in the Horn of Africa, the fifth year of drought. Bone dry conditions causing a hunger crisis. And this is the result that we showed you last month,

families in northern Kenya searching through sand for little pieces of gold just to eat. Did you find any gold this week? No gold this week. But tonight, a glimmer of hope. UNICEF says viewers' generosity after our reports led to half a million dollars in donations. UNICEF's Michael Nine Heist was on the trip with us. He says the need now is greater than ever.

Coming close to a billion dollars that is needed to really address the needs of children and families there in the midst of this terrible drought. But he says his faith in American gentlemen. generosity is renewed this holiday season. People are moved, and they always have been. The American people are incredibly generous. Tonight, UNICEF says 20 million children now face drought conditions in East Africa. That's almost doubled in five months. An escalating crisis, even as Americans, keep giving.

Jake? Keir Simmons, thank you again. Now, to Top Story's Global Watch and a new provocation from North Korea, the latest in an unprecedented number of missile strikes this year. The country fired two ballistic missiles into the sea Friday evening, both South Korea and Japan condemning the move, saying North Korea is violating United Nations resolutions. The launch has come just days after North Korea was accused of shipping ammunition to Russian forces in Ukraine.

And in Morocco, an explosion at a propane gas store under investigation. New video shows the moment the flames burst into a massive fireball, the fire shooting into the sky. Nearby residents were forced to evacuate at least five tank trucks were destroyed, but no casualties have been reported. Investigators are working to determine the cause of that explosion. Coming up, a major change in the pipeline at Netflix. The company is reportedly planning to crack down on password sharing. What you need to know to keep the stream going.

That's next. I do not have time for this. I do not have time for you. That seems to be how Netflix now feels. That iconic moment from the popular series, Inventing Anna, now feeling an awful lot like the platform's new approach to those who share passwords. In a major change for Netflix, the streaming giant is expected to crack down on password sharing early next year. But with over 100 million viewers currently using borrowed passwords,

implementing this change is going to be something of a challenge. Business Insiders, Reid Alexander, joins us now for more on this. Reid, thanks for being here. How did we get here? I mean, for a company, right, didn't they once tweet Love is sharing a password? This feels like quite a shift. That's right, Jake. It's great to be here with you.

And your question is spot on. This is a real reversal, of course, for Netflix, which in the past has almost subtly encouraged people to kind of trade passwords amongst each other. Well, you know, listen, nothing changes if nothing changes. And this year, things did change for Netflix. For the past several years, we have seen continual almost uninterrupted subscriber growth at And of course, how do these streamers measure success? It's based on subscriber growth. So when business was booming and business was good, there was no issue.

And the company sort of tacitly looked the other way on this. Certainly Netflix executives knew this was an issue for the past several years, but didn't really act on it. This year, however, following COVID, people are back out in the world. They are pursuing real-life entertainment. And we have seen a drop in Netflix subscriber growth. We've also seen the stock tumble by about 50% amid these economic conditions. And listen, publicly traded companies, their primary constituency they're responsible to are their shareholders.

So now Netflix is trying various mechanisms to boost that share price and to rein in on this habit. And as you rightly point out, they are going to be adopting some stringent measures on password sharing to try and rein in on the problem in the year ahead. Now, I don't mean to ask this in such a way that it makes it seem like anyone like me might be. be trying to get around this, but at this point, do we know anything about how this change might be rolled out? How will they crack down? Yeah, very good question. Netflix has been somewhat close to the vest about what their antidotes that they're sort of cooking up will look like, but there have been some signals based on some pilot testing that the company has done this

year in certain Latin American regionalities in countries. And what we know is that Netflix seems to be offering consumers that are, you know, according to what the company thinks, based on their location data, borrowing passwords or using a password that they're not paying for a couple of options. One option is, okay, well, listen, we'll let you continue to use the password, and you're not the primary subscriber, but the primary subscriber is going to have to pay a few extra bucks a month, and either, you know, the borrower has to sort of talk them into that, or the primary subscriber has to say, yeah, you know, that's fine, or the primary subscriber says,

hey, time to get your own subscription. Another thing the company is doing is saying, look, if you want to keep using this password, not paying for. And you don't want to pay. We're really going to drive you crazy by asking you to enter in a code every time you want to stream the service that's only sent to the person paying. So now I've got to call up that person and say, hey, did they send you a code? I have 15 minutes to enter it. The goal is to make this a rather odious process to finally incentivize the person who isn't paying for the password to relent and say, listen, I'm finally going to give in and do that. And one thing the company has done this year is to offer its cheapest membership

yet with ads, which is $6.99 per month that rolled out last month, with the idea being, listen, you know, if you are not used to paying for your own subscription, maybe you'll consider doing it if it's as low as roughly $7 a month. Reid, Alexander, from Business Insider, with some big changes at Netflix. Reid, thank you for being with us. Now, whether you have been sharing or hoarding your password, you're going to need something to watch this weekend. Well, how about Knives Out, the sequel, with its Blockbuster cast, or Tom Cruise as Maverick and Top Gun,

and we'll tell you where you can watch your holiday favorites. Bingeworthy is next. We're back now with Bingeworthy, a preview of what we think you should watch and listen to this weekend. And we are joined in studio by entertainment journalists and friend of the program, Shagoon Oolabud. Shagoon, thank you for being here. It's great to see you. Let's get started here with movies. We want to talk, first of all, about this new one on Netflix that is, of course, getting a lot of buzz.

Glass Onion, a Knives Out Mystery. murder mystery that has an all-star cast. Let's take a little look at that. I've invited you all to my island. Hi! Because tonight, a murder will be committed. My murder. What's your dead? Will we still be able to talk to you?

Yeah, I'm not playing dead the whole weekend, dude. This is truly delightful. Across the island, I've hidden clues. You will have to closely observe each other. If anyone can name the killer, that person wins our game. Any questions? You know, just the... The star wattage of this gathering is really crazy.

I can't quite imagine how you could get all those people together and get a word and edgewise. What's your view about this movie? Have you seen it? What do you think about it? Yeah, so it's a must-see. If you liked the first Knives Out, if you like that kind of murder mystery, who done it, but with a twist, with humor and fun. Like you said, the All-Star cast, Edward Norton, Daniel Craig, the guy in the Speedo is David Batista. Like, it's got a lot of stars, a lot of fun, like, eye candy.

And then the scene and the setting, the scenery, is almost as fun as the actual actors and the fun they're having on screen. So it's on Netflix now. You can sit there with some popcorn, some eggnog, because as people can see from my sweater, it is, you know, ugly sweater. It is a holiday season. This is the perfect movie to just sit there, relax, and kind of just have fun with the family. It's very, very good. And again, top-build cast, you're going to get a top-build movie. All right.

Well, we're taking a very different direction here. Much more realism-based here. We're talking about a documentary here. The Volcano Rescue from Wakari is about this tragic story, right? A group of tourists who were trapped by a volcanic eruption off the coast of New Zealand in 2019. This one is also on Netflix. Here's a clip. You could feel the heat from the volcano.

From the description, it was a nice, easy hike. They didn't make it sound dangerous. I knew what could happen out there, but you don't believe it will happen. Run. I thought this is it. We're going to die on our honeymoon. I don't know if it says something bad about me that, you know, my holiday thing is to curl up and watch that kind of thing as opposed to the fun, you know, rom through the stars that is knives out.

What's your view about this one? Tell us about it. Okay, so Jay Money, this is a movie for the Christmas time because it embodies the Christmas spirit. This is the triumph and of humanity. This is people overcoming adversity.

This is all about what you should feel good during the Christmas time and the holiday season. Okay, first of all, let's just talk about the executive producers. Brian Grazier, Ron Howard, and Leonardo de Cabern. executive produced this. So again, star power and star wattage put into this to bring it to life. It is shot incredibly well. You will feel and sit at the edge of your seat, but it is the triumph of over tragedy that makes us such an interesting watch. You won't necessarily feel anything

towards these people. Like you said, it's off the coast of New Zealand, a place that not many people in our country have gone to, but as someone who's been to that part of the world, The people there are wonderful. They're warm. There's a spirit that permeates throughout this documentary of just compassion and just shock and horror. Like, we've got to save these people. And the way they all come together to rescue and to save lives, I feel embodies the holiday spirit. It's a good watch.

Like you said, it is a little bit different, but I feel that it embodies the holiday spirit, for sure. A universal theme in a very remote place. That's very cool. Now, we have a mini-series, of course, on our own platform, Peacock, the Best Man Final Chapters. It's a follow-up series to the romantic drama film franchise. Let's take a look at that. You need a change of scenery. So come with us to Quinn's wedding.

It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face. You need to find something you're passionate about. Redefine your purpose. I thought you found your purpose with that perfume commercial. Always. My playbook. Always in my playbook. I'm sorry. I don't know. I'd watch that.

This is, I don't know, a rom-com centered on that cast, I'm into that. I don't know. What's your feeling about this? Are you a rom-com guy? Can you do those? I am a rom-com guy, and I'm wondering if the people actually caught me powdering, like, drying my chin, because I was sweating through all the sexy that is in this. Hats off to Peacock for bringing this back. This is Malcolm D. Lee's original Best Man movie and Best Man Holiday turned into a series on Peacock. It's got Morris Chestnut.

It's got Taye Diggs, Terrence Howard, Nia Long, Sinai Lath. Like, it's got, again, another star-studied cast. And there was a rumor going around Hollywood that I was actually up for one of the roles in this. I mean, I started that rumor. Well, I started the rumor. So Malcolm, if you're listening, your next project, call me, because, you know, holler at your boy. fun. Like, I invite everyone to watch it. It is a series. You will sit there, you will laugh. And again, kudos to whoever edited it, where it says we need a change of scenery. And on the

opening scene, it's a half-naked Morris Chestnut. Like, it doesn't get any better than the way the trailer was cut. So I think people are going to have a fun time. The movies themselves were not only successful, but they were a joy to watch. I think you're going to enjoy watching this series a lot. I know I have, since it's coming. out. Well, even if the casting leaves something to be desired, there's something seems that it's still pretty appealing. So turning now to a movie that broke box office records and you can stream at home, Top Gun Maverick with, of course, Tom Cruise and Miles Teller. It can now be watched at home on Paramount Plus. Let's take a look at that.

Everyone here is the best there is. Who the hell are they going to get to teach us? Let me be perfectly blunt. You are not my first choice. You were here at the request of Admiral Kazansky, aka Iceman. He seems to think that you have something left to offer the Navy. What that is, I can't imagine. The thing that really jumped out of me when I saw this movie is, you know, I'm a guy in my 40s who can barely survive a merry-go-round,

that Tom Cruise is still pulling high G-turns on camera is crazy to me. Yeah, Tom Cruise is a different, he's a different breed. I would argue that Tom Cruise is the epitome of a movie star. He is not someone who's gone to television. Tom Cruise does big movies and Maverick. It is a big movie. I am so happy now that more people get to watch it at home because it is excellent. And I know it is weird for me to come on here and have nothing but good things to say about what we're talking about.

Because usually I'm like on the other side of a lot of stuff. But this was great. the cast with Miles Teller, playing the son of, you know, his former wingman. You know, just the cameo by Val Kilmer is so powerful when you read or if you read a little bit about what Val Kilmer is going through. This movie was excellent. I watched it. Start to finish, didn't get up, sat down the whole nine.

I watched it again at home. I invite everyone to see this. That was Jennifer Conley on screen. Again, stars everywhere. story line. Tom Cruise, I don't know what deal he made with a higher power, but he does not age. He's always running, which is always weird to see in his movies, because he runs like he's never run before. But this is great. This is absolutely great. The knees alone deserve an Oscar. Unbelievable. I agree with you. So let's let's switch to talk about a little music, right? We have a new album

out by Ab Soul. This one is called Herman. Let's take a little listen to that. I mean, I play Dodgeball with all the vanity How I share my light like charity How I kept the fear of God in humanity I'm making sacrifices for the family I ain't happy but I got to me I mean I like it But I don't know anything about him though

Tell me a little about who this is Okay, so So I am so happy that we get to talk about this on this platform Absol whose real name is Herbert And the name of the album is Herbert A while back Ice Cube Hip Hop icon movie star He was on a podcast

And he was talking about what hip hop is about, what rap music is about, about bragging, about, about boasting, but more importantly, about taking the listener through the neighborhood and the life of where the artist lives and comes from. And Absol, a California, California West Coast rapper, who has been through tragedy, trauma, losing, he's losing his eyesight due to a rare disease. This album, especially the title track, Herbert, is incredible because he's a lyricist, right? None of the mumble rap.

This guy is about lyrics, and he talks to you about his own pain, his attempted and failed attempted suicide. Like, rappers aren't usually bearing their soul like that. You know, Tupac did it. You know, Joe Button did it. You know, Jay-Z did it on the album that preceded Beyonce's Lemonade. But when an artist takes you through their pain and takes you to where they come from and why they're going through it, this is an incredible album from a wordsmith that people need

to listen to. I've never stared our audience wrong when it comes to music. When I tell you it's trash, it's trash. This is a treasure. Go get Absol, Herbert, listen to it, put it on repeat. I have it. It's on all your, anywhere you can get music, you can get this. It's definitely worth listening to. I love the returning to the realism we used to expect from hip-hop. That's fantastic. Absolutely. We have one more song here to help get you in a holiday mood. This is a very different vibe here. The Backstreet Boys are out with a new Christmas album. Here's one song off that album, Christmas in New York. I'm not a Backstreet Boys guy, but boy, the claymation is hilarious.

Anyway, did you, do you have any formative experiences with the Backstreet Boys? Was that your jam? I do. I do. I have actually worked with one of the Backstreet Boys, so forgive me when I say this. That is a steamy pile of, you know what? Throw that in the fireplace. Let's just throw that in the fireplace for the holidays.

First of all, the claymation looks realer than the Backstreet Boys. It's like, I thought when they go from claymation to real, I'm like, yeah, go back to the claimation, because that looks more real than the actual singers. This is not a Mariah Carey, this is not a Luther Vandros, this is not a Christmas out song or album that needs to be touched. So, yeah, you know what, sit on your couch with some eggnog and, like, fire up die hard. That's more Christmas than this. That seems fair to me.

All right. So finally tonight, we want to make sure that you at home know where to stream your favorite holiday movies. So on HBO Max here, we have, of course, a wide range of the classics. We've got Elf, Nash Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the Polar Express, Christmas Story, and The Grinch, starring Jim Carrey. Also, if you're into the, you know, watching Joe Pesci gets back in the face. On Disney Plus, you can watch Home Alone, one and two. You can get a Santa Claus, and I'm up at Christmas Carol. And on Apple TV Plus, you can watch the classic Charlie Brown Christmas, Spirited, and the 2018 animated version of The Grinch.

And finally, of course, you can watch both Love Actually on Peacock and on Stars. This is the one that I always go to bat for. One of my favorites, Die Hard. Yes. Anything you're going to be sort of cozying up with this weekend? What are your holiday classics? Well, I always feel that Die Hard is an underrated Christmas movie. People say it's not a Christmas movie.

It is to me. But, you know, again, not just because they're keeping the lights on, but kudos to Peacock, because Love Actually is a fantastic Christmas holiday movie. It is great. It is solid. It's fun. It was, you know, the Gary Marshall kind of all of these different stories colliding together. It's awesome.

I love Love Actually. It doesn't get enough credit. Love Actually and die hard. All the other ones, like, I'm not watching that. Like, I've seen Home Alone a thousand times. You know, like to be McCauley Colkin then, look at McCauley Colkin now. It's a tough thing, okay? I'd rather just watch the ones that age well.

Yeah, if we ever get the chance to put our families together for a little holiday viewing, I think we know. We'd be able to agree on what we're going to watch. So, Chaguna Otelow, thank you so much for being with us. Happy holidays. Really appreciate you. And thank you for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamas, I'm Jake Ward in San Francisco. Stay right there.

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