Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 20, 2023

Episode Date: January 21, 2023

The employee in an Indiana Walmart now being hailed a hero after a gunman broke into their breakroom, the standoff between U.S. and Germany over sending tanks to Ukraine, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley hinting at a run for president in 2024, the new feature Instagram just launched encouraging teens to step away from their phones, and a look back at the 25 years since Bill Clinton's scandal involving Monica Lewinsky that shocked the world.

Tonight, the dramatic takedown inside of an Indiana Walmart and the employee being hailed a hero. Body cam footage showing officers rushing inside the store going aisle by aisle, searching for that gunman. Police say the shooter charged into an employee break room, ordering everyone to line up against the wall before opening fire. A manager able to escape and call 911, police shooting and killing the suspect. What we're now learning about his connection to that store. The tank standoff, the U.S. and Germany, locked in a stalemate over the decision to send tanks to Ukraine. Germany's saying they won't send the aid until America agrees to do the same. The U.S. instead applying financial pressure, the new sanctions just

leveled against a private security group in Russia. Ready to run? The latest name emerging in the race for 2024, former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, strongly hinting at a run. But is she ready to take on her former boss, President Trump, what she's saying about a possible bid for the White House. In Illinois, two paramedics charged with murder after strapping a man face down on a stretcher, how they pleaded today in court. Getting off the gram, the new feature just launched on the social media app that encourages teams to step away from their phones will show you how it works and what you need to know. Plus, baby on board officers running to rescue a baby that had been kidnapped and left in a hot car. The moment they pulled that 11 months,

month old to safety. And 25 years ago this week, the story that shocked the world and ended with the presidential impeachment. We'll take a look back at the Clinton Lewinsky scandal and how it forever changed the way American politics was covered. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We begin top story tonight with the terrifying scene inside of an Indiana Walmart, a gunman charging into a break room and shooting at employees. A manager able to escape and call 911. A heroic action police are saying likely saved so many lives. Body camera footage here it is shows the moment law enforcement responded to that call running inside of the Evansville store.

The officers going aisle by aisle with weapons drawn hunting for that gunman. The shooter firing on police as they closed in on him. Officers then shooting and killing that man. He's now been identified as 25-year-old Ronald Ray Mosley, a former employee of that Walmart who was fired in 2022. The incident eerily similar to another shooting in November at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia, you may remember. Six people killed by an overnight manager who walked into the break room again and opened fire. Tonight, police say this incident in Evansville could have been far worse, if not for the quick thinking of both the employees and the officers

inside. NBC's Jesse Kirsch leads us off tonight. Tonight, Indiana police releasing body camera The footage, which they say shows the frantic search for a gunman inside in Evansville, Walmart, after he shot an employee in the face before turning his handgun on officers. Walmart was a small car to be by an active shooter. Investigators say around 10 p.m. last night, Ronald Ray Mosley II fired at police in and outside the Evansville store where he once worked. Drop it! Drop it! Drop it! Before police shot and killed the 25-year-old. NBC News spoke with a woman who says her niece, Amber Cook, is the victim.

who police say was walking and talking after being shot. She is still being treated and is in stable condition. However, she will be affected by the shooting for the rest of her life. Police say just before 10 p.m., about a dozen employees gathered in the break room when Mosley showed up with a handgun. That's when police say Heather Moore bolted from the room, calling 911, then returning to help cook as the suspect fled. Heather Moore is an absolute hero.

She helps get the victim up, gets her out of the room, takes her into another room, locks the door, turns off the lights, and hid behind some computer equipment. What do you want to say to the employee who made that 911 call so quickly? Thank you. You definitely have a co-worker that's life you saved for doing that. Her instincts were absolutely heroic, and we can't thank her enough. Authorities believe mostly targeted former colleagues. Police say the suspect worked at this Walmart in 2022 when he assaulted four fellow employees

before the company fired him. hours before last night shooting, prosecutors say he was in mental health court for that very case. Investigators found a suicide note in his home after the shootout. All right, Jesse Curse joins us tonight. Jesse, what do we know about the gun used in this shooting? As you point out, the suspect had a type of criminal history? Yeah, Tom, it's what we know and what we don't know, frankly, at this hour. The Evansville Police Chief tells me he doesn't know how Mosley got the gun allegedly used in this supposed attack. But the police chief also says that even with Mosley's prior plea deal,

he would have been able to legally purchase the gun that was used, a nine-millimeter handgun, according to authorities. And Jesse, I mean, you know, you reported he had been fired. Do police think that's the motive he came back as a sort of revenge killing? Well, all they're saying at this point broadly is that they believe this was a targeted attack. But the police chief did tell me, Tom, that according to an employee, an employee told authorities, apparently, that the two people who the suspect singled out, both the female victim who was shot in the face and a male victim, according to authorities, the two people that were singled out, apparently are part of a group of people that the suspect would play video games with, in addition to being

co-workers with, or at least, you know, there's that nexus of connection there, and they're trying to figure out how well these people all knew each other, Tom. But again, tonight, authorities are calling this a targeted attack. Jesse Kirsch, who leads us off tonight here on a Friday. Jesse, thank you. We want to head overseas now to another big story. A new rift in the Alliance supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Tonight is split between the U.S. and Germany over sending tanks there.

It's tough news for Ukraine, which relies on Western military aid. Richard Engel explains for us. If Russian President Vladimir Putin can't have Ukraine, he seems content to obliterate it, hoping one day the nation will submit. The daily horrors made today's news from Germany even more bitter. A new crack in the alliance supporting Ukraine, with German and U.S. officials unable to resolve a dispute over sending battle tanks there. Germany resisting, but saying its hesitance is not because the Pentagon won't send American tanks either.

Although U.S. officials today insist Germany's hesitance is not because the Pentagon won't send American tanks either. The U.S. is sending $2.5 billion in more ammunition and weapons, including Bradley's and striker fighting vehicles. But if tanks are, for now, a step too far, the administration is happy to pile on financial pressure. The Department of Treasury will be designating Wagner as a significant transnational criminal organization. Today, sanctioning members of a Russian private security firm, the Wagner Group.

It recruits prisoners for frontline duty in Ukraine and is proving more of it. effective than the regular Russian army. Wagner is led by Yvgeny Pragozen, Putin's old confidante, and one-time chef, who now doesn't shy away from showing up on the battlefield. Richard Engle joins us now from London. Richard, we heard there in your report, Ukraine is so dependent on foreign weapons. We actually had a representative from Ukraine come to top story last week to talk about trying to get America to send over tanks. Explain to our viewers why these tanks from Germany and possibly one day from the U.S. are so important for the battle there. It's all about mobility, Tom. For the last several months, the two sides, Russia and Ukraine,

have kind of settled into an artillery war, in a war that very much resembles World War I, World War II, fixed positions, a lot of damage with the two sides firing what are effectively cannons at each other. And U.S. officials who are working with the Ukrainians advising them, offering friendly consultations, think that over time, the Ukraine could lose that war because if you're in artillery war with a bigger army, a bigger adversary that has more men and more artillery than you do, that over time you're going to lose no matter how brave your fighters are and how skilled you are using that artillery. So they want to increase Ukraine's mobility, fighting vehicles, Bradley's, so they can maneuver, so they can change up the dynamics of the battlefield. And do what the Ukrainians have proven to be very good at, which is adapting on the fly, hit-and-run type of maneuvers and keeping themselves moving instead of in a fixed, real bloody battle that over time U.S. officials think do not favor the Ukrainian side. And, Richard, before you go in briefly, if you can, I know there are new concerns about a Russian spy ship off the coast of Hawaii? It's not as uncommon as you think. Russian ships and other country ships often cruise by the United States trying to collect intelligence. This, according to the Pentagon, is a Russian spy ship. The Pentagon believes it is actively collecting or trying to collect intelligence.

but it is remaining in international waters and so far is not behaving in any threatening or unprofessional way. But it's out there and the Pentagon is tracking it through the Coast Guard. Okay, Richard Engel for us tonight. Richard, appreciate that. Back here at home now to an investigation into a deadly plane crash just outside of New York City. The small plane going down shortly after taking off from JFK Airport

killing both men on board. NBC's Christian Doggan has the chilling moment they realized something was wrong. The crash touched on. a massive search in the woods just north of New York City. Flight control had lost touch with the single-engine plane, less than two miles from an emergency landing at Westchester County Airport. 1-9 mic-tangle, understand you're losing oil pressure? Yes, we are losing oil pressure.

This is an emergency. The plane had taken off from JFK Airport about a half hour earlier. Pilot Baruch-Tob was bringing his friend Ben Chaffetz home to Ohio from a funeral in New York. The situation dire, as the plane lost out of it. You have engine power right now? Are you able to maintain altitude? No, the engine is over at the record. Mayday, may they, may they, may there, may there. One-nine, Mike Tangle, you want to correct back to the left now for the runway at your 10 o'clock, radar contact loss. Neither man survived. Chaffetz was a mechanic who owned a repair shop and had a wife and kids.

At 527, he texted, I love you and the kids. We lost engines. The plane went down one minute later. I don't think any of us want to contemplate what it would be like to know that you're a lot. life was about to end and you were going to speak to the people that you love the most and try to say something to them to summarize the life that you've had together. Rabbi Eli Skorski was a good friend of the men. Ben Hayfitz was always doing for other people with a kind, gracious attitude. He took people into his home to live there, people who didn't have good situations. very gracious, good, kind people.

Remembering the two men, not for how they died, but how they lived, with generosity and love. Kristen Dahlgren, NBC News. We thank Kristen for that very sad story. We want to turn now to power and politics in the road to 2024 already underway. So far, President Trump, the only Republican to officially declare his bit for the White House. But his former U.N. Secretary, Nikki Haley, seemed to tease her own plans on Foxx. News. Take a listen. When you're looking at a run for president, you look at two things. You first look at, does the current situation push for new leadership? The second question

is, am I that person that could be that new leader? Yes, we need to go in a new direction. And can I be that leader? Yes, I think I can be that leader. Haley, the latest GOP hopeful seemingly gearing up for a White House run, but can she stand out in what's sure to be a crowded field? Or maybe not? I want to bring in our panel, NBC News, analyst Brendan Buck. He served as a counselor to former House Speaker Paul Ryan and former speaker John Boehner's press secretary before that and NBC News Senior Political Editor Mark Murray. Guys, thank you both for joining us on a Friday night. So Brendan, I'm going to start with you. Haley wasn't in the spotlight as often as some other Trump officials for her

U.N. ambassador position. What are you hearing, at least, in GOP circles? Are people excited about the potential for a Nikki Haley run? We know she was also governor of South Carolina, of course. Yeah, I mean, Nikki Haley was once seen as a rising star in the party. I think the challenge is that at that time, it was a little bit of a different party than it is today. Nikki Haley is what you would consider sort of a traditional Republican, the three-legged stool, social conservative, economic conservative, strong on national security. Party's a little different now. It's more populist on economic issues, much more isolationist on foreign policy issues. So, you know, she's an interesting character who I think there will be some people.

excited about. But she's got a long way to go. If you look at any polling, she's in single digits. I think the thing that you have to wonder is, if she does get in, does that mean it's open season? And the other question for her, of course, is do you go around Trump or straight through Donald Trump? That's probably going to be the toughest thing for her. I think you have to be pretty comfortable with the idea that you've got to take some swings at the former president and understand he's going to swing back. And I imagine that those are the kind of things that she is debating whether or not she thinks she can actually topple that person who is known for engaging in a good fight. Yeah, Mark, you know, Brendan brings up a lot of good points.

There really isn't a Nikki Haley buzz out there, at least on in GOP circles that we've seen reported or really talked about. She stopped short of announcement. As we know, there are very specific FEC rules about election filings and launching a campaign. We are getting close to a time where people are going to have to start announcing. In your opinion, why do you think people are waiting so long, number one. And number two, who do you think still really is going to throw their name in the ring? Yeah, Tom, we have actually a long ways to go. And while in past cycles, like in 2020, we saw someone like Elizabeth Warren get in early on the Democratic side. In 2008, we saw the John Edwards and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in or about to be in

at this stage of the cycle. But I think that this Republican race will at least start to mature by the time we get to the spring. We'll have more candidates and official announcements. It still is very early. And as far as who could actually get in, I'm expecting a wide open field, to be honest with you. Before the Republican's midterm disappointment, I think there was a really strong possibility that Donald Trump and maybe only a couple of people would end up running. But after the Republican's disappointment, there probably is the expectation that this could be a wide open field. And what also stands out to me is that Nikki Haley might not be the only Republican who worked for Donald Trump who would end up running. You'd end up having someone

like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who could run, as well as former Vice President Mike Pence. And what those candidates sees and potential candidates show me is that there is the expectation that Donald Trump could end up being very weak. But of course, as we've often seen, people underestimate Donald Trump at their own peril. And what also stands out to me is that Donald Trump, the former president, will be a Nikki Haley's state of South Carolina. in next week. But Mark, don't you think people are just sort of sitting around waiting to see if DeSantis gets in? Everyone knows they're going to have to take on Trump. And here's the problem. As soon as you announce, Trump comes after you. So don't you think some Republicans are playing

the waiting game? Yeah. And there is the expectation that if you really want to be able to defeat Donald Trump, that shortening the game probably benefits you. But you're also exactly right that Ron DeSantis is actually waiting out there. And while, you know, we're talking about Nikki Haley. We're talking about other former Donald Trump in the invitation that he being the biggest rival to the former president. But then again, it becomes a math game. If it's a one-on-one race, which I don't think is going to be the case, or is it absolutely wide open? And then it's

Donald Trump versus everyone else, which looks a whole lot like 2016. Brendan, I want to go to you now. Desantis, obviously, getting a lot of immediate attention. Everything he does is generating. headlines at this point. I want to go to something that apparently happened in the state of Florida this week. DeSantis still sort of leaning into the culture wars, if you will, and blocking an African-American history course from Florida schools. Now, Florida schools in part the administration there in Florida saying, quote, as presented the content of this course, is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value. Now, we can kind of go back and forth about

this so-called AP class, whatever it was. But clearly, DeSantis, has a plan here, correct? Yeah, Ron DeSantis has differentiated himself, not really through policy, but rather through fighting a culture war. And I think you have to look at it in that way. It's not about this class. It's about culture.

And, you know, he's replicating, I think, probably what you saw relatively successfully with Glenn Yon in Virginia, taking on education and, you know, the so-called woke left. That sells right now in Republican circles. And he generates, Ron DeSantis generates the right kind of enemies, and he knows that. And so he generates these headlines that get everybody all stirred up, and it only creates

a bit of a halo for him on the right. So I imagine this is probably the kind of stuff that we have in store. It's not going to be a real debate about issues. It's going to be about culture. Mark, real quick, because this is short. There were some good reporting earlier this week from Jonathan Martin, I think, a political about DeSantis hosting a big fundraiser for Zanagan. and treating donors there. People who had donated, I think it was around $25,000 to the

re-election campaign. He flew in food from New York City from Carbone, great Italian food. Him and his wife, Glantanen. Basically, the story was about him getting better at retail politics. This is what you're hearing as well? Yeah, you end up having to still charm voters, Tom. And while Brennan's exactly right that the culture war is such a big recipe, deep down, when it comes to those early states that we'd end up seeing in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina on the Republican side, it still does come down to retail politics. And, of course, beyond the culture war, beyond the retail politics, you're probably going to

end up hearing Ron DeSantis talk about his 19-point percentage win that he was able to have in Florida in last year's gubernatorial election. Okay, Mark Murray, Brendan Buck. Thanks so much for joining Top Story on this Friday. We do want to stay in politics, though, in the widening scandal involving New York Congressman George Santos. Sources telling NBC News the Republican who has voice support for anti-LGBQ legislation performed as a drag queen in Brazil. Now, Santos is fighting back against those allegations and others.

Garrett Hake has been following this story from the beginning and has this new reporting. Under investigation and under fire for a growing sea of scandals. New York Congressman George Santos now taking to Twitter to defend himself and to deny reports he performed in drag in Brazil in the late 2000s. The Brazilian sources tell NBC news that this is Santos, then using the drag named Kitara, seen here being interviewed at a gay pride parade in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro in 2007. Santos, now the first openly gay House Republican, tweeting that any claims he was a drag queen or performed in drag are a quote, media obsession and categorically false. Santos also pushing back against reporting that he walked away with $3,000 raised on a go-fundme to

to pay for surgery for a disabled veteran's service dog, Sapphire. That veteran, Richard Osthoff, telling NBC news that Santos Charity, Friends of Pets United, set up the donation website. But when it came time for the surgery, Ostoff says Santos refused to hand over the money. Ostoff was forced to put Sapphire down instead. It's disgusting. It's horrible. He should be ashamed of himself, but he doesn't have shame.

He does. He's a psychopath. Santos calling reports he would let a dog die, quote, shocking and insane, adding, these distractions won't stop me. But Santos faces at least five different investigations, some by law enforcement, that might. Any criminal indictment or action by the House Ethics Committee could force Santos off his newly assigned committees. And if Santos stays in Congress long enough to face voters again next year, Democrats say they won't be fooled again by his falsehoods. The election of a complete charlatan like George Santos, who's almost a caricature unto himself,

should be a shock and a jolt to the system. It should be a wake-up call for the Democratic Party in New York State. One of those sources in Brazil who recognized and identified Santos was a Brazilian drag queen named Yula Rashard, who described him as having an outsized sense of grandeur and said that he, quote, lied all the time. She told NBC that she was surprised when she learned he'd been elected to Congress. Tom?

All right, Garrett Haig. A lot of reporting there. Still ahead tonight, paramedics charged with murder. the two EMS workers accused of killing a man, they were called in to help, their plea in court today, and the lawsuit just filed by the victim's family. Plus, the new video showing officers racing to save a baby locked in a stolen car in the Florida heat, how they managed to save this child's life. And the new feature just launched on Instagram that parents of teenagers will want to hear about could it improve their mental health. Stay with us. Top story just getting started on this Friday. All right, we're back down with an update on a story we first told you about last week.

Two Illinois paramedics appearing in court on murder charges. They're accused of killing a man after strapping him face down on a stretcher. His family now suing them and the ambulance company. Shaq Brewster has this one. Tonight, two paramedics charged with the first-degree murder of Earl Moore Jr. pleading not guilty in an Illinois court. State investigators say Peter Caddy. and Peggy Finley strapped more face down on a stretcher during a hospital transport, causing

his death. Body camera video from December shows Springfield police officers responding to a call, apparently involving people inside of a home with firearms. There's no one here with guns. He's hallucinating. He's having alcohol withdrawal. But after arriving, officers realized the caller needed medical assistance and requested an ambulance. You want that water?

Arrivings arrived about 15 minutes later. Set up, my man. What are you stupid? Refusing to offer more medical assistance, according to the police. We ain't carrying him. They are seriously not the move for this dumb bitch. Officers help more through the home. We get you some help, bud.

Lifting him on to the stretcher where Cadigan is then seen placing him face down. Prosecutors say the two paramedics then tightly strapped him in. Moore, just 35 years old, died about an hour later. His death ruled a homicide. He caused a death as compressional and positional asphyxia. Attorneys for both defendants deny any wrongdoing. Finley's attorney telling NBC News her response that night can't in any way be considered a criminal act. Moore's family disagrees.

They tied him down like some kind of animal and killed him. My baby suffocated. A case now heading to trial, both paramedics facing up to 60 years in prison. And Tom Moore's family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Their attorney, Benjamin Crump, said what he saw in that video was barbaric and wants it to be addressed in both criminal and civil proceedings. Tom? Okay, Shaq, we thank you for that one.

We turned out of some big changes coming to Instagram, the popular app now rolling out new features that will help users manage how much time they spend scrolling and pick the content they see. Senior national correspondent Kate Snow takes a look at the new technology getting noticed by parents. For the millions of parents whose teens use Instagram all day and night, there's a new tool to help their kids take a break, quiet mode. What quiet mode allows you to do is pick times in the day or the week where you don't want to be bothered by Instagram. Anyone who sends a direct message to someone who's enabled quiet mode is notified that person is not available. And because teens have a fear of missing out, when they come out of quiet mode, they can see,

everything they missed. Instagram will also send any teen who's using the app for more than a few minutes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., a message encouraging them to put quiet mode on. The changes come after rising concerns about the impact of social media use on children and teens. Instagram's own internal research found one in three teenage girls who were experiencing body image issues said Instagram made them feel worse, though the company says a majority of teen users felt that Instagram either had no impact or made things better. Tonight, when my daughter gets home from school, I will be talking about quiet mode. Chris McKenna is a dad of four, and the founder of Internet Safety Group protect young eyes.

His take on the changes? So what I like about this is I'm always going to applaud anything that prompts teens to make better choices online. But at the end of the day, Kate, this is still a feature that has some dependencies. It depends on parents being involved to help their children make these choices. Instagram did some other things, too. They created ways to give users more control over what content is pushed toward them on Instagram. So now you can block certain words. You can say, I don't want to see videos or posts that have those words in the caption.

You can also select things that Instagram thinks you would like, and you can say, not interested. Like if you're a teen and you don't want to see videos about weight loss, for example, you can stop that flow coming at you, Tom. Okay, Kate, an important story. Thank you for that. Coming up next to the massive mobile security breach. hackers stealing personal information, including addresses, phone numbers, and even birthdays. The numbers of customers affected when we come back and where it happened. All right, we are back now with Top Stories News Feed.

Three active duty Marines have been arrested for allegedly storming the Capitol on January 6th. Officials say the three Marines work in intelligence and have been enlisted for more than four years. A federal affidavit shows the FBI. FBI learned of the men after one of them posted Instagram photos of themselves inside the Capitol. Two Florida officers have been awarded for rescuing a baby who was locked in a hot car. Recently released body cam footage shows the Tampa officers jumping over a fence and racing to the stolen car. They pulled the overheating 11-month-old out and immediately began applying cold compresses. Medical staff at the hospital said their quick action saved the child's

life. That baby has since made a full recovery. That's great news. And T-Mobile reporting a massive data breach. The wireless carrier says hackers stole personal data from 37 million customers. The stolen information includes addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth. Federal regulators say the breach took place in November, but it was not discovered until January. Okay. Now we want to take a look back at the political scandal that rocked the country 25 years ago this week. January of 1998, the American public first learned about an alleged affair between President Bill Clinton and a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky. The affair, the affair and subsequent cover-up leading to President Clinton's impeachment in the House,

charged with both perjury and obstruction of justice. He was acquitted, though, in the Senate. Our Andrea Mitchell, who covered that story when it first broke, takes us back to those first shocking days. On January 21st, the world woke up to the first political scandal that broke on the Internet. Under investigation now, allegations that President Clinton had an affair with a former White House intern and told her to lie about it. A little-known website called the Drudgeman.

report, claiming that Newsweek was sitting on a story about then-President Bill Clinton having an affair with a White House intern. In a matter of hours, Monica Lewinsky became a household name, as did Ingenet reporter Matt Drudge. Well, I go where the stink is, and I became very suspicious of this administration. All of it coming to light just four days after Clinton had given a sealed deposition denying the Lewinsky affair. In a sexual harassment lawsuit from an Arkansas woman, before he was.

he was president. A feeding frenzy converged on the Winski, with reporters searching through old videos to find moments where she had interacted with the president. He then, as you can see, pats are on the back. Clinton, with his wife by his side, was defiant. I did not have sexual relations with that woman. Independent counsel, Ken Starr, already investigating Clinton for an Arkansas land deal, had expanded his probe to include Clinton's alleged extramarital relationships.

We're moving as promptly as we can. Our job is to gather facts and to evaluate those facts and to get at the truth. With his presidency hanging in the balance, Hillary Clinton famously defended her husband on the Today Show, at the time not knowing the full truth. This is the great story here for anybody willing to find it and write about it, explain it, is this vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced for president. Months later, on August 17th, Clinton testified to a grand jury on closed circuit television. It would later be made public, including this hair-splitting

defense about whether or not he'd had sex with Lewinsky. It depends upon what the meaning of the word is. Yes. Five seconds. That night in a prime time address to the nation, the The president admitted the relationship. While my answers were legally accurate, I did not volunteer information. Indeed, I did have a relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate. Hillary Clinton remained by her husband's side, but tensions were clearly high with daughter Chelsea caught in the middle. Three weeks later, a bombshell from Starr's office released to the public. The 445-page report citing 11 alleged impeachable offenses.

Still warm, of course, off of the copier here. The details read by networks live on TV, in some cases with graphic detail. You should probably be understanding that some of this will be a little bit sensitive. I'll just read some of it to you. On December 19, the House voted to impeach President Clinton, becoming the first sitting president to be impeached in more than 100 years. Article 1 is adopted. When the trial moved to the Senate, the president was acquitted on both charges.

I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did. But with the nation deeply divided over the scandal, the Republicans lost seats in the 1998 midterms, bringing down House Speaker Newt Gingrich, seen as being overly aggressive in his persecution. suit of Clinton. In recent years, the scandal retold in several docu-series, some recasting it in light of the Me Too era. It's not as if it didn't register with me that he was the president. Obviously, it did. I think it meant more to me that someone who other people desired desired me. In an interview with A&E in 2018, Lewinsky detailed the day FBI agents first questioned her. I remember looking out the window and thinking that the only way to fix this was,

to kill myself, was to jump out the window. And I just, I felt terrible. I was scared and I just, I was mortified and afraid of what this was going to do to my family. That same year, Craig Melvin asked the former president if he ever apologized to Lewinsky. Do you feel like you hold her an apology? No, I do.

I do not, I have never talked to her. but I did say publicly on more than one occasion that I was sorry. Now, 25 years later, Monica Lewinsky writes in Vanity Fair that the blame the woman mindset has thankfully receded over time through social conditioning and that what was once known as the Lewinsky scandal is now known as the Clinton scandal. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Washington. We thank Andrea Mitchell for that report.

25 years after the Clinton impeachment, we're joined now by Tony Losey, She was a reporter for the Washington Post during the Clinton impeachment. In fact, she's on the byline for the first story reported by the post on this topic. She's now a professor of journalism at Washington and Lee University. Tony, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. I kind of want to go back to the beginning and jogged your memory a little bit and ask you sort of pretty bluntly, would the story have ever been published? Would this story have ever come out if Drudge doesn't come out with the story that Newsweek is sitting on a story about an affair

involving President Clinton? I think it would have because we were working it. We were working at that weekend before, and we were chasing it. We knew something was going on, and we were calling, making calls. I was monitoring the grand jury floor at the federal courthouse. We knew something was up the Friday before. Talk to me about the conversations within the newsroom, if you can, because back then there was almost this unspoken rule sometimes,

with the White House Press Corps and really political journalists in general that affairs, especially by the president, sometimes weren't covered. There were presidents in the past that had affairs, and it was never really reported. Was there ever any sort of newsroom battles about getting this story out? No, I don't recall anything like that. And the reason, Tom, was because the special counsel had gone to the three-judge panel at the federal courthouse and asked for an expansion of his mandate to investigate President Clinton for, you know, obstruction of justice and other charges. So this reached the level of a legal issue, not just an affair.

Looking back on the reporting there, it was sort of seen through the prism. If you think this is fair, it was sort of all seen through the prism of the president. Of course, he's the commander in chief. and that's why it was such a major story at the time. But in looking back, were there serious mistakes made in the way that Monica Lewinsky was covered and treated and seen? Absolutely. I do believe that.

And we didn't have the terminology. We didn't have the language back then to articulate what the Me Too movement brought up recently. And that is the power dynamic. You know, and when I, you know, Monica came to our campus a couple of years ago, and she and I talked. And I honestly believe that she really had her life destroyed because, you know, and Clinton didn't, Clinton didn't. Yeah, he took a lot of political heat, but Monica Lewinsky, you know, has not had her life back. I mean, she didn't, and we didn't have the language to say that, you know what, this was a woman, young woman, very young woman, you know, 21, 22 years old, and not much older than my students.

And that is what, you know, is different for me. And Tony, I mean, yeah, no, and I get it. It was a different time. And I also wonder, though, you're a woman who was covering this. And, yes, it wasn't a much different time. It wasn't the time of Madman, but it was still a different time in the newsroom. Was this ever brought up? I mean, were these conversations ever had or were sort of ignored or not even explored?

I think that there was just this frenzy, this political frenzy, that this was the President of the United States, and the sort of details that came out. You know, that just took on a life of its own. And there was just nothing that was going to stop that train. You know, a lot of people say this was a turning point in journalism, right? Especially in political journalism. I think that can be debated, especially with the story that you're telling tonight. But do you think political reporting got better or it got worse after the Monica Lewinsky affair and Bill Clinton?

I think worse. I think worse. I mean, because the standards were lowered. You know, the bar was lowered. It was. And I think it's, it has gotten worse. But when you say the bar is lowered it in what's... sense. Do you not think that what happened was newsworthy? I do. I do. But I think that the focus

should have been, you know, could have been different in terms of, you know, the women, you know, and this is typical of what happens to women when there's a powerful man involved, and she takes the blame for what he did, you know. And the thing is, is that Monica was an intern. you know, when this happened. And that, that power dynamic, you know, it wasn't appreciated back then like I think it would be today. Finally, you know, you've, you've had 25 years to think about this. You're a professor now. What did you learn from covering that story? I think I learned that that there's more to it. I think that, you know, the politics, you know, in a place like Washington, D.C., politics is everything.

the industry you know the main industry and I think that that maybe if it happened again I hope it wouldn't be worse but I'm not optimistic that it that it wouldn't be worse today explain what do you mean worse the details that the details I think that that well there's there's the ability for more people to weigh in on Twitter you know on TikTok and I think that it would it might have been even far worse in terms of the way that the sort of details were magnified. I think that would have been far worse. Tony Losey, who was on the front lines of that reporting 25 years ago.

Tony, thank you. And coming up, the deadly soccer stampede overseas, fans trying to climb over the walls of the stadium in Iraq. What witnesses say caused the chaos. That's next. All right, welcome back. It is Friday, which means it's time for binge-worthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend, and we're joined now by NBC News Entertainment contributor and a friend to Top Story. Chris Witherspoon. Chris, welcome back to Top Story.

Hello, Tom. Happy weekend. Happy weekend, happy New Year. I don't think we've spoken since the new year. First up, we're going to talk about a new Netflix show. I was a huge fan of the original, that 70s show. Now it's that 90s show. I think we have a clip. Let's take a look. I have to make a shopping list. The kids are going to want snacks. Don't feed them, Kitty. That's how it started the first time.

I am going to get Fritos, Tostitos, Doritos, all the eatos. I am back, baby. Son of a b***. Red and Kitty look amazing. They haven't aged a day. Yes. How's the show? You know, it's really good.

It's 25 years after that 70s show. we're getting that 90s show. It's kind of cool as all the kids from that 70s show, they're grown up now. So they have their own kids. A lot of them Uber famous. They're Uber famous. And you actually have them coming back, Tofa Grace, World of Adorama, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Coon. So all these mega stars that were sort of, this was like their first big acting gig.

Now coming back to the show. It's pretty impressive. It's kind of awesome. Yeah. But how is the new cast? Are the kids funny or the joke's funny? You know, the chemistry is there. What's kind of cool is it's set in the summer of 95.

And I think it's hilarious. The nostalgia is packed in there. Yeah, no, I remember the summer in 1995. We didn't have technology, no smartphones, none of that. So it's kind of cool kind of rediving that again. Yeah, a big part of that show was weed smoking. Is that still, is it still like a right thing? They go there.

They go there. And it's Netflix, so they can kind of get a little bit more raunchy than network can. Yeah, the show, like, it was on Fox, but I think it's always stepped on the line. But now with Netflix, it can be a little different. Absolutely. Okay, speaking of reboots, another big one, and this one has really taken off Nightcourt. If you love the original back in 1984, a lot of people did. There's a complete new revival.

Let's take a look. My dad, Harry Stone, told me, see people for what's underneath. You're the judge. Now go. That's my code, baby. These walls could talk. They'd say, they're all guilty. To save time, can we do all the public urinations at once?

I just think, if you show a little compassion, you can put people on a better path. We had a nice talk. He's in a really good place. Okay, I'm being told that the judge is very famous, Melissa Roche, from Big Bang Theory, and, of course, John Lerichette from the original. So how is this because I know the debut episode took off bonkers numbers for NBC? Listen, I think it's hilarious and it's a lot of nostalgia. You think about how big this show was in the 80s. He ran for nine seasons on NBC, which was a pretty huge deal.

That's a long run, yeah. Now the judge, who was the original judge in the series, he's passed away his daughter. Her name is Abby, Abby Stone. She is running the night court in John Littorkechette, who was iconic in his role. He is back as the Manhattan prosecutor. And it's all the quirky odd characters that showed up in the old night court. And I think it's kind of cool to know this show is the best network premiere this year. That's great.

Kind of crazy. Nostalgia is huge right now. Yeah, there's another big show I want to talk about. I'm actually most excited about this one. It is called Back for a Third Season. I didn't know there's actually three seasons. This is the podcaster? You see, I learned stuff on this one.

Okay, Star Octavia Spencer. It's about a true crime podcaster who actually helps solve crimes. We have a clip of the third season. Just learning about it now. Maybe you are, too. Is there any circumstances? We're terrifying than when a child goes missing. It's a horrible situation.

Every parent's worst nightmare. But what if I told you? Another local teen went missing. Her name is Drea Spivey. Drea's disappearance has never been covered by a single news outlet. On Apple TV, Chris, you were just telling me it's amazing? It's really good. I mean, you have Oscar winner, Octavia Spencer.

plays this podcast host who is trying to solve these true crimes through her podcast, which is giving you very Nancy Drew moments. Mixed in with, like, just the phenomenal acting that she does. But it's in his third season that Willie is one of those first series that came to Apple TV and kind of got them off the ground with the originals. This season, she's trying to solve the murders of these missing black girls who have not been covered in the media. So there's a lot of parallels with Willie happens in media.

And we have Gabrielle Union, who's a part of this cast. Yeah, I saw that. who's phenomenal. Okay, if you're like some people out there, I don't know, maybe me. Can you jump in on season three? You should start at season one? You should start from the beginning. Just see you get a feel for this character, Poppy, who host the podcast. Octavia Spencer again, she can do no wrong on my book. All right, great. Let's move on. If you love tennis, you've probably already seen this in your Netflix shelf under suggestions. It's called Breakpoint. A lot of people are talking about this one. Shot beautifully.

A little bit of drama, because there's always drama in tennis. And one of the main characters here is a guy who's just Taking the Tennis World by Storm. Let's take a look. The hardest thing in sports is expectation. We've been blessed with an era of greatness. Roger, Rafa, Serena, Novak. Who will take their place? I want to be number one in the world.

All right, and a big character here is Nick Kierigos, who already had some trouble at the Australia Open, and a lot of people who were profiled here had trouble as well in Australia. Right? Absolutely. And this is really, they're following these young tennis stars. It's like Willie Gaga's song on the edge of glory. They're on the edge of becoming famous. It's really about who's going to replace Serena, who's going to replace Roger Federer. And there's billions of dollars behind this. So you're following them. And what I love about this series,

Tom, is that you're seeing not just what happens on the court, but the drama, the headspace that they are in before they get to the court. And to me, that is like the fly on the wall magic that I think folks are going to love. And I think with tennis, tennis, I think, gets massive ratings, but it's in waves. It's when there's heroes and villains on the court when there's these big characters, larger than life personalities. You think of McEnroe, you think of Agassi, things like that, through every generation, and there's a new generation out there. And I think this documentary sort of captures that group. It'll be good. I'm not a tennis buff, but I like when there's, I like when

there's like amazing athletes that have huge personalities in tennis because it's such a gentlemanly sport, if you will, or a polite, an elegant sport. This series makes me more of a fan. Just seeing the work ethic behind the scenes, I'm kind of like more interested in on time. No, no, that's great. watch list is the Traders. That is here on the Mothership Peacock. Of course, it stars 20 contestants, including some big-time reality show villains as they play the ultimate mystery game. Here's a look at that. Deep in the Scottish Highlands, there's a castle where the faithful reside. Their goal win a quarter of a million dollars. But hidden amongst them are three traitors. Exciting, isn't it?

Alan Cummings from Broadway, cabaret fame. He literally, and now he's a host of a reality show. So talk to me about this, this reality show. So 20 contestants, a mix of, like, some reality show famous folks from, like, Big Brother, Survivor, that have won these shows coming together with everyday Americans. And there's 20 of them, and they're trying to solve a murder mystery. So among the 23 are actually kind of like moles. Yeah, yeah. So it's like three of them are kind of sad.

sabotaging, they're doing all these challenges, but the purse for this is $250,000. Wow, okay. To your point, Alan Cumming, he just, like, he brings all the flavor. He's always funny. He's very funny. Yes. Next up, we have a girl super group, right, boy genius, being told a lot of famous pop, singer-songwriters. The phrase was, sad girl music, but it's great.

Let's take a listen. Baby You know how I get Oh, the wrong end I can feel Like Be calling Somebody

I'm not All right, so Chris give me your take I'm kind of here for sad girl music I mean this is an indie rock super group that came together They were all kind of like, you know, established on their own. It kind of like they would be the Spotify playlist you would come for

Sad Girl music. But this is a great track. It's called Emily. It's the first track off their full-length studio album coming out on March 31st. Okay, David Crosby just passed away. Supergroup. Yeah. Crosby stills Nash and sometimes young. We need more supergroups. I'd be like, supergroups are great. I love them. I mean, I can put there like three

in my head right now. Right. From super groups to super artists, kid Leroy. Yeah. Big, big artist. People love him, especially on TikTok. Here's some of his new music. I can't go back. It can't go back to the way it was. And this is the first single coming off his album that will be out later on this year.

But he put a song out like a year and a half ago with Justin Bieber that is still huge. Over 600 million views. So he already has this audience of young folks that are waiting for him. No, it's great. Great music, super popular. It doesn't look like typical hip-hop artist either, which is kind of cool. Yeah, yeah. He's got definitely a different look.

I feel like with the two sad girls, sad emo, we need something uplifting. But next time, we will next week. Next time, I might just perform for you guys. Give us something like up, up, it's going to pump us up and dance and maybe work out. All right. Chris Whittsman, thank you so much, man. Always a pleasure. Yeah. Thank you for watching Top Story all week.

I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.