Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 30, 2026

Episode Date: January 31, 2026

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, the biggest Epstein file drop, yet millions of documents just released, including never-before-seen videos. Our teams combing through it all. In them, emails of Elon Musk discussing plans to visit Jeffrey Epstein's island. And why was a document mentioning Epstein, former President Clinton and President Trump temporarily pulled down by the DOJ? Also tonight, former CNN anchor Don Lemon arrested for charges connected to a protest at a Minnesota church service. What he just said as he walked out of court, and right now massive walkouts and marches from coast to coast over the president's immigration crackdown. New states of emergency as a powerful Northeaster takes aim, dozens rescued after a ski lift

malfunction, a man screaming for help trapped in frigid waters, the urgent search right now for missing fishermen in Massachusetts. Bill Carrance tracking it all. Remembering comedic genius Catherine O'Hara for iconic on-screen moments from Home Alone to Schitts Creek to Beetlejuice and countless others, the tributes pouring in. Skier Lindsey Vaughn's Olympic comeback in jeopardy after a terrifying downhill crash, why she's saying it's not over yet. New video of a passenger tackling a man who breached TSA, what we know about the takedown.

And inside the premiere of Melania Trump's documentary, our Chloe Malas gets a firsthand look and presses the First Lady on what she's going to do with the millions she made from the film. Plus Cuba on the brink, President Trump's new pressure campaign. So what's his end game? Top story starts right now. And good evening. It is the biggest drop of Epstein documents so far. 2,000 videos, 180,000 images, and a staggering 3 plus million pages.

The final batch of files related to the late sex offender released by the DOJ. Some of today's documents referencing powerful figures, including Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and President Trump. Past emails with Musk seeming to coordinate a trip to Epstein's infamous island asking when the wildest party will be, though it's unclear if Musk ever made that trip. And look at this. It's not a technical error. This entire seven-page file is completely redacted. There are questions about one document posted by the DOJ, then taken down, that included a summary of accusations against former President Clinton and President Trump. Those accusations are not verified, and the FBI determined some of the tips had no credibility. The public figures mentioned are not implicated in any wrongdoing, but they are raising new questions and renewing pressures on the White House, which has faced bipartisan criticism related to the handling of the Epstein case. At this hour, our NBC team is still pouring through the millions of pages, but Ryan Noble starts us off tonight with what we've learned so far.

Tonight, the Department of Justice releasing their final batch of files connected to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Today we are producing more than 3 million pages, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. New emails from 2012 and 2013 show billionaire Elon Musk and Epstein coordinating a possible visit to the financier's infamous island. Musk asks when the wildest party will be. In another exchange, Epstein telling Musk there is always space for you and says he will send a heli for him. It's not clear if Musk ever visited the island. Musk's name has popped up in prior releases, including from the House Oversight Committee's release from the Epstein estate. He did not respond to NBC News's request for comment, but previously called Epstein a cretan and said he never advised him.

Musk told Vanity Fair that Epstein tried repeatedly to get him to his island, but he declined. Emails also show Trump Cabinet Secretary Howard Lutnik coordinating a visit in the Caribbean in 2012. It's not clear if the meetings happened. Lutnik claimed to have cut ties with Epstein in 2005. My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again. But the emails show drink and lunch meetings being arranged between the two well into 2012. A Commerce Secretary spokesperson said in a statement, quote, Secretary Lutnik has had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein in the presence of his wife

and has never been accused of wrongdoing. The drop also includes a spreadsheet summary of complaints made to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center. It contained allegations against former President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton. There's no indication the FBI turned up evidence supporting the tips. And a note on the file read some of these individuals are reporting secondhand information and determined some of the tips were not credible. The DOJ later temporarily pulled the file without explanation. Both former presidents have denied any wrongdoing.

Ryan joins us now live from Washington. Ryan, how are Epstein survivors reacting to the new release? Well, they're not happy, at least at this point, Tom. A group of survivors are accusing the DOJ of not doing enough to protect their personal information while withholding information about Epstein's alleged crimes. They want to hear more from Attorney General Pam Bondi. She's going to appear before Congress in a hearing coming up in February. Tom.

All right, Ryan Noble is leading us off tonight here on Top Story, Ryan, thank you. Also breaking tonight, former CNN anchor Don Lemon, released from jail after he was arrested late last night over a protest at a church near Minneapolis earlier this month. Lemon speaking just moments ago, here's some of what he said. Last night, the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I've been doing for the last 30 years, and that is covering the news. The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for me and for the last. countless of other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be

silence. I look forward to my day in court. Liz Kreutz has this report from that scene tonight. Tonight, former CNN anchor turned independent journalist Don Lemon out of custody, but facing federal civil rights charges after covering an anti-ice protest inside a church near Minneapolis. Appearing in Los Angeles federal court today, Lemon charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and for violating a federal law that prohibits people from interfering with the right to attend religious services. A move, Lemon's attorney calls an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment. I'm just here to chronicle and to get some answers. The charges stemming from Lemon's coverage of this protest during a Sunday morning church service earlier this month,

where demonstrators say a pastor also worked as an ICE field director. This shows you just how divided America is. When you look at the protesters here and then you look at the people there are praying. In Lemon's live stream from inside, you can see him interviewing congregants and a pastor who asked him to leave. We're here to worship Jesus because that's the hope of these cities. That's the hope of the world is Jesus Christ. I want to be very respectful. Please don't push me. I have to take care of my church and my family.

So I ask this, you actually would also leave this building. Lemon repeatedly identifies himself as a journalist. I'm just chronically. I'm not with the group. I'm a journalist. They're activists. But the DOJ is grouping Lemon, who's been critical of the Trump administration and another independent journalist who was also arrested with the protest organizers.

Federal authorities arresting Lemon even after a judge had initially ruled there was insufficient evidence to do so. Make no mistake. Under President Trump's leadership and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely. And if I haven't been clear already, if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you. Journalism rights groups blasting Lemmon's arrest. His attorney saying Don has been a journalist for 30 years and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. Liz, Croyd joins us tonight live from Los Angeles. Liz, what more did we hear from Lemon and also from the judge?

Yeah, hey Tom. So Don Lemon walked out of this federal court building here hand in hand with his husband. He came and addressed reporters. A little bit of that. I know you played. There were also supporters of his here. They were chanting, protect. First Amendment rights, protect the freedom of the press. He thanked people for their support. He said, I spent my entire career covering the news. I'm not going to stop now. The next court hearing has been scheduled for Minnesota in just over a week from now on February 9th. And the judge, while he was released without having to pay any kind of financial bond or bail, there was a couple restrictions placed on him. He has to get approval from the court if he wants to travel internationally. And he also cannot talk to any witnesses, any victims. He also cannot talk to any

co-defendants unless he's in the presence of counsel. Tom. Liz, Chris, with a lot of new details here. Liz, we thank you to break down the Don Lemon arrest. I want to bring in our panel tonight. Oliver Darcy is a journalist and founder of status, a newsletter covering media, politics and tech. Rob Bluie, president and executive editor of the Daily Signal, a conservative news and commentary site, and NBC News Legal Analyst, Misty Maris. I thank you all for being here today. Misty, I'm going to start with you. Let's start with the charges here. What exactly are the crimes that the DOJ is saying, So there's two charges here. One is the deprivation of civil rights. And this relates to

interfering with religious expression. And there has to be a conspiracy element there. You see other co-conspirators charged in this indictment. The other is what's called the FACE Act. Now, this is an act that was established in the 90s. It was to prevent intimidation when it came to treatment at abortion clinics. But also, Tom, includes religious institutions. So it prohibits coercion, intimidation, and interference with religious expression as well. So those are the two charges that are at issue here. I'm going to ask you this as an independent lawyer looking at the case and looking at the video. Did Don Lemon commit those crimes? Well, there's a distinction here, Tom, because when you're talking about protests, there's not, there's limits to where somebody can protest. Going into a private institution, into a church, it has to be reasonable in time and space. So there could be an issue for those protesters.

When it comes to Don Lemon, he is an additional defense of being in the media, of being a journalist. Protected by the First Amendment. Correct. So it will hinge on whether or not he is seen from a legal perspective as a co-conspirator, protester, or whether or not he is being protected as a journalist. So that's going to be the central legal issue. I want to bring in Oliver for this discussion. I do want to say Oliver, work with Don Lemon over at CNN. I want to establish that as well.

Oliver, you've seen the videos, right? Don says that he's a journalist many times throughout the protest at the church and at the protest throughout the day. Let's just take a list real quick. I'm not part of the group. I'm just here photographing. I'm a journalist. So we're here just chronicling and reporting. We're not part of the activist, but we're here just reporting

on them. I'm not going to get in the middle of it because I'm not here as an activist. I'm here as a journalist. So I'm just going to be as respectful as possible. I'm not here to intimidate anybody. I'm just here to chronicle and to get some answers. I'm just chronicling.

I'm not with the group. Whose team are you on? Come on, man. This is on limit. Oliver, you've seen the videos there. What is your take on what's happened here? You know, Don clearly establishing himself as a journalist saying that he's not part of the group. He's also part of new media, right? And not that the rules are different, but it is sort of a new factor in all this. Explain to me what you're seeing in the video. Yeah, I think we should be very clear about what's happening here. This is an escalation of Donald Trump's attacks on the press.

It started with Donald Trump diminishing the press as fake. It escalated to him calling the press the enemy the people. It escalated even further to him filing absurd and meritless lawsuits against news organizations as president. And now you're seeing him, you know, a couple weeks ago, the federal government raided a Washington Post reporter. And now you're seeing him deploy federal agents to arrest a critic in Don Lemon after two courts basically said that there is insufficient evidence to do so. And what is happening here is this, This is part of a larger effort by Donald Trump to weaponize the federal government to go after perceived critics, whether it's journalists, whether it's universities, or whether it's law firms. And I think we should be very clear about that abuse of power that he's exercising right now as commander in chief.

Rob, your take on what you've seen in the video. Well, what Oliver forgot to mention there was that this was a grand jury's decision. So ultimately, as Don Lemon even acknowledged, let's see how this plays out in the court of law. Tom, I would say let's stop calling it a protest. It was an invasion of a church service. Those people have the right to worship Jesus Christ, which they were doing. And Don Lemon was part of the group premeditated outside of that protest. You didn't play the video, but Don Lemon was meeting with some of the organizers and the activists

and had advanced knowledge of this. He was not wearing any sort of press badge. And by the way, Don Lemon was hardly the only person in that church who had a camera out and was documenting the event. So what makes Don Levin any different from anybody else who could call themselves part of the media? Actually, Rob, we do have that video. Let's play that clip you're talking about right now. This is an operation that is a secret that they invited folks out. I can't tell you what is going to happen, but you're going to watch it live unfold here on the Don Lemon show. Rob, that's the image you're talking about. Oliver, I want to go back to you. Listen, journalists get tipped off on things all the time. Law enforcement leaked things to the media. Protesters leak things to the media. Protesters leak things.

the media. The question here is did Don Lemon cross a line? That's the question here, Oliver. Yeah, you know, I'm not a lawyer, Tom, so I'll leave it to the lawyers to hash that out. I can tell you that this administration doesn't seem to care much about the law. If they did, they wouldn't have pardoned, you know, the president would have pardoned all the January 6th protesters who were, you know, quite literally invading the U.S. Capitol and disrupting the transfer of power. And this is obviously a selective targeting. I mean, I don't even think Rob would deny that Don Lemon has gotten under Trump's skin. He's wanted to go after him for a while.

This is pretty obviously him targeting Don Lemon as a critic here. And, you know, you can even go with the Face Act. You know, the Face Act, I believe this president has pardoned people who were convicted of violating that law. So it seems that the administration is wielding the law in a different way. against critics, and I think that's pretty clear. I want to get back to Don, but Oliver, I do want to ask you, because you're sort of in this unique position to answer this question.

Everyone has a phone now in their hands, right? And everyone can launch a podcast, they can launch a blog, they can be on Instagram, on TikTok. They can be a journalist, right? There are citizen journalists. Is there a line drawn on who's a journalist and who's not a journalist? Do you think of this day and age?

I think it's very tough. I do think it's very tough in this day and age, because like you said, everyone has a phone, everyone can document something, and the term journalist is pretty broad. I think in Don Lemon's sense, though, given that he has had, you know, a 30-plus year career, he was a top anchor at CNN. I think it would be very difficult to say that he is not a journalist. I think you could, you know, if the federal government were to make the argument against, say, you know, some average Joe who took out his phone and posted to Twitter, I think that might, you know, you might still be able to classify them as a journalist, but it would be a tougher argument to make probably in court.

Given that Don Lemon is a very established name, an established journalist, I think it's pretty clear he was acting as a journalist. That type of defense on that point, Misty, talk to me about that. We do know that Don Lemon is a journalist. He has a show. It's on YouTube. He has subscribers. He's been in the media for decades. Will the First Amendment protect him here?

Yeah, that's going to be the argument. And part of that is going to be what the prosecution would have to establish, which is an intent element, that the intent was to engage in an activity that would prohibit freedom of expression. So we're going to be looking at his mindset, which is going to speak to what's his purpose? Well, as it journalistic? This is an issue of public interest. And I think, you know, listen, he's representing. by Abby Lowell, that's a high-profile lawyer. I think what you're going to see next is a request for a preliminary hearing. So remember, an indictment, that's a prosecutorial process, a preliminary

hearing. You go before a judge. It's like a mini trial where probable cause needs to be established, knowing that the prosecutors had already gone to two judges before and had been denied probable cause for a warrant, then went to a grand jury. I think strategically, you'll likely say a lot of these arguments play out pretty early in the process. Rob, I do want to go back to you because you've brought up a great point in the beginning of all this, and this can't be sort of lost in this conversation. I have two questions for you. The second one you can answer later, which is there's so much going on in this country right now. Does the DOJ want to focus on resources on prosecuting Don Lemon? That's the second question. But the initial question I do want to ask,

people do have a right to worship. There should be a safe place in this country where you can go and you can worship whomever your God is. And these people clearly were there for a church service and it was disrupted. And that can't be lost in this conversation either. No, that's a great point, Tom. Thank you for bringing that up. And we know from the 40 or so people who came in and invaded that church that children felt terrorized. There was a woman who broke her arm. The pastor apparently repeatedly asked Don Lemon and the individuals who were there to leave, and they didn't. Don Lemon at one point, I think, was even blocking the door and preventing people from exiting the church. And so I think there's a whole number of factors that the DOJ and others will have to look at, obviously, as they pursue this. And to go back to another point that Oliver made, I agree that Don Lemon probably doesn't have many fans at the Department of Justice or within the Trump administration, but I'd also point out that this is not something that a Republican or a Democrat necessarily would do. It was during the Biden administration when the Daily Signal had its press credentials revoked by the White

House. And so, you know, this is something that I don't think you can pinpoint just because it's Donald Trump. Do you think it's worth it with everything going on in the country and the world that the DOJ is going after Don Lemon and another independent journalist who were out there? that day? Well, one thing you consistently see with this administration is the fact that they want to hold people accountable, and I think that they feel that too many times in the past, individuals like Don Lemon did not have that level of accountability. So I think they're trying to set an example here. Oliver, you don't think this is the end. You think there continues to be investigations, grand jury, indictments possibly in the future for journalists?

Unfortunately, I think we're seeing the beginning of this administration going after journalists. I think they're only going to be more emboldened. This is only one year of Donald Trump's administration. We have three more years left. And I'm a little baffled by what Rob is saying. He's complaining about the Daily Signals, press credentials being taken away, which I'm not sure what happened there,

but I agree they should be able to cover any administration. But it seems to be cheering on Don Lemon being arrested. That doesn't really seem to add up, you know, and be consistent there. We didn't invade a church. We didn't disrupt the service. I mean, we were simply there in the White House Press Breast.

in the briefing room trying to cover the president. I think it's two completely different situations. We're going to have to leave it there. Rob, Oliver, missed you. So great to have you. We could spend the whole hour on this. We have other news. It's been a very busy news day.

I thank you all for your time and your analysis tonight. We'll continue covering the story. We want to turn out of the people and flooding the streets and the cities across the country. Crowds protesting ISIS presence of Minneapolis. As the president now says he will not be pulling back officers. Maggie Vespa has the latest. Huge protests from Texas.

to California, New York, make some noise, to Minnesota. We are easily talking thousands of people. This part of downtown is shut down. This outrage isn't going anywhere. In North Carolina, students pouring out of school, thousands rallying at Brown University, all demanding ICE leave Minneapolis. How furious is Minneapolis at this point? It's unspeakable.

Like, it's just everything is tense. Hopes of de-escalation seemingly dashed overnight when President Trump answered questions about plans to draw down officers, announced hours earlier by his administration. We'll do whatever we can to keep our country safe. So, yeah, pulling back? No, no, not at all. This as the Department of Homeland Security confirms the FBI is now opening a civil rights investigation into the Border Patrol shooting of Alex Prattie. The president calling Prattie an agitator and perhaps insurrection. Meanwhile, the mother of Liam Ramos, the Minneapolis 5-year-old, detained by ICE, is speaking out after DHS said she refused to take custody of her son.

Telling Telemundo, when officers brought Liam home, she was inside with another child and afraid if she opened the door, officers would arrest her leaving the other child alone, saying it seemed, quote, as if they wanted me to run out desperately for my son so they could arrest me as well. Maggie Vespa joins us tonight from a very chilly Minneapolis. Once again, Maggie, DHS says that five-year-old has now been seen by a doctor. Yeah, Tom, that's right. This is an update from the agency saying a pediatrician examined a little five-year-old Liam and found, in their words, no medical concerns. And that was a point of interest for a lot of people because remember, Texas Congressman Castro visited Liam and his dad in that Texas facility where they're being held

and said the boy was, according to his dad, depressed, not eating well, and kept asking to go home. So the agency today issuing that update, Tom. Maggie Vespa for us, Maggie, we thank you. A huge illegal win tonight for Luigi Mangione, a judge deciding that the accused CEO killer will not face the death penalty. NBC's Laura Jarrett has those details.

Tonight, the death penalty now off the table for Luigi Mangione. We're all very relieved. A judge in Manhattan today dismissing two of the four counts against the 27-year-old, who's pled not guilty to stalking and killing United Health Care Seeds. Brian Thompson in 2024. The judge acknowledging that this is violent criminal conduct under any common sense understanding, but ultimately finding prosecutors legal arguments for why the death penalty should apply unfounded under federal law. Today's decision, a major blow to the

Justice Department, as the Attorney General has invoked Mangione's case in a push to revive the death penalty under President Trump. If there was ever a death case, this is one. At the same time, the judge handing prosecutors a major win, refusing to toss out key evidence authorities discovered in Mangione's backpack when he was arrested, including a gun, silencer, and a notebook with his writings. His defense had argued none of that evidence should be allowed at trial, since authorities failed to get a warrant before searching the bag at a McDonald's in Pennsylvania. But the judge disagreed, concluding police were justified in conducting that search. We look forward to fighting this case. This is the case inches closer to trial with support for Mangione still pouring in as he's racked up $1.4 million in donations for his legal defense fund.

And a bizarre episode this week when authorities say a Minnesota man tried to spring Mangione from jail, posing as an FBI agent. That man now behind bars himself housed at the very same detention center as Mangione. Laura Jared joins us now live in studio. So, Laura, going back to that first point in the story, the big headline here, why aren't they getting the death penalty? So the judge explained in his decision. Part of the issue is the legal hook that prosecutors were using in order to make him death eligible. It wasn't just a murder charge. It was murder during and in relation to a different federal crime.

What was that federal crime? According to prosecutors, it was stalking. And stalking did not count as enough death eligible, at least according to this judge. Now, they can appeal this, Tom. The story may not be over here. But if they do, it would delay the trial date, something DOJ may not want to do. Okay. Laura Jarrett, breaking it down for us.

Laura, we thank you for that. Hollywood in morning tonight after beloved comedy legend, Catherine O'Hara passed away at the age of 71. She was known for so many incredible roles from Home Alone to Beetle Juice to the Nightmare Before Christmas. Tributes are pouring in from across the industry, including from her on-screen son, McCauley Calkin. Ann Thompson takes a look at the legacy left behind. Catherine O'Hara left Macaulay Culkin home alone and became a star, living every parent's nightmare on the big screen and telling NBC news about the impact of the role. The child came up to me like a little eight-year-old in a ball. Are you Kevin's mom?

I said, well, yeah, why did you leave him? Sorry, it was in the script. Today's audience with No O'Hara from the Apple TV hit show, The Studio. dare you show your face at my door. Or her unforgettable turn as former soap opera star Moira Rose in Schitts Creek. Honestly, can no one find nude photos of me on the internet? Ernie O'Hara and Emmy, four decades after her first. As a writer on the Canadian comedy sketch show, SCTV, where she also performed.

Well, just in case the love spirit wants to show you love's present. Part of a powerhouse troop including John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Martin Short, her springboard to movie stardom. I would rather talk about Beetlejuice. The nightmare before Christmas. And mockumentaries, including A Mighty Wind and Best in Show. Love's a Terrier. The 71-year-old died at her Los Angeles home after a brief illness. McCauley Culkin, speaking for many, posting,

Mama, I thought we had time. I wanted more. Ann Thompson, NBC News. Still ahead on top story, the powerful Northeaster moving in right now. Bill Cairns is tracking that storm and the new cold blast. Stay with us. We're back now with the powerful North Easter beginning to close in as a new Arctic blast takes hold. Right now, an urgent search is underway in Massachusetts for fishermen

after their boat sunk off the coast of Gloucester. At least one person was found. dead. Drivers in Chicago battling dangerous snowy roads. Look at that. And in Connecticut, first responders rescuing a man from icy waters. Take a listen. Officers and bystanders there pulling him onto the dock before he was rushed to a hospital. In New Hampshire, the fire department rescuing 60 skiers stranded on a broken ski lift. Let's get right over to meteorologist Bill Carrans. Bill, Walk us through the timing of this snowstorm and the Arctic blast coming with it. Yeah, so this is a major snow event, even historic in some areas of the south.

And then behind it, we get this really dangerous cold. It's like the same recipe as last time. But the difference is that this is expected to be all snow. We're not going to deal with that nasty freezing rain and sleet like the last storm. So as far as the snow, it's already starting to break out. You see it on the maps here. Winterstorm warning stretched from Atlanta all the way to southern Virginia. If we get the predicted snow amounts in, say, Charlotte, which is about a half a foot,

But this would be the biggest snowstorm in 21 years. So yes, this is kind of like a once-in-a-generation event for some areas, especially like Myrtle Beach could get a half a foot of snow. Wilmington could get up to 10 inches. That would be their biggest snowstorm ever if that happens. And with it is the winds are going to whip all that fluffy snow around. Snowdrifts could be two to three feet in some places. Other areas will have no snow at all. And the wind chills, the cleanup. This is Sunday morning. Raleigh, Zero. Wilmington, zero. Even if it wasn't for the snowstorm, this would be a story all by itself. So extreme cold in an area that does. doesn't typically get snow. So the cleanup is going to take days in some cases, just with a limited number of plows. And then record low as possible to Florida. We've been talking about this, Tom, 35 degrees. It looks like Sunday morning in Miami, the wind chill in Fort Pierce 12, 19 in West Palm. So we got problems not only with the iguanas, the orange crops, the citrus, all into the areas of the strawberry fields. This is a big story. Yeah, and all those snowbirds, hoping it was warm, but now got a lot of snow on the way. We thank you for that, Bill. When we come back, the stunning moment. A man is tackled to the ground. Inside an airport, look at this. We'll tell you what

happened. That's next. Now at Top Stories News Feed, we start with President Trump named Kevin Warsh as his pick to chair the Fed Reserve. Warsh is a former Fed official who's becoming increasingly critical of the central bank. If confirmed by the Senate, Worse would succeed Jerome Powell, whose tenure ends in May. Powell has notably resisted White House pressure to lower interest rates. And an urgent warning from the UN Secretary saying the organization, get this, is at risk of imminent financial collapse. The Secretary General says it's due to member states not paying their fees, adding that the U.N. could run out of money by July.

It comes after the U.S. dramatically reduced financial support and withdrew from several agencies entirely. And skiing legend Lindsey Vaughn crashed in her final downhill race today, putting her Olympic comeback in jeopardy. You can see the moment the 41-year-old Olympian crashed seconds into her run. She limped into a medical tent before being airlifted to a hospital. Posting on Instagram that her Olympic dream is not over and that if there's one thing she knows how to do, it's a comeback. It comes exactly one week before the Winter Olympics.

Newly released video showing a passenger tackling a man after he breached a TSA checkpoint at Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson International Airport. Surveillance footage shows the suspect pushing past TSA employees and knocking people to the ground. That's when this passenger picks him up and body slams him to the floor. A report from the Atlanta Police Department says the suspect told them he was. under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Now to the Americas and an update tonight in the escalating situation with Cuba. As we told you last night, President Trump

threatening to impose tariffs on any nations that sell oil to Cuba, a country that tonight is already on the brink. The situation on the ground, they're growing more dire by the day with rolling blackouts, gas shortages, outbreaks of mosquito-borne illnesses, and people living in extreme poverty.

And many their fear it will only get worse. Cuba's foreign minister condemning the moves by the U.S. calling it a, quote, brutal act of aggression against Cuba and its people. But a maximum pressure campaign on Cuba is exactly what some lawmakers here in the U.S. are calling for, arguing cutting off Cuba economically and politically is what is needed to push out the current regime. One of those lawmakers is Florida Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who joins Top Story tonight. Representative Diaz-Bal-R, we thank you for your time. You've been reacting to this news from the president, calling it a crucial step.

Why do you feel this is such an important move? right now? Well, this is a state sponsor of terrorism. It is a government in Cuba that has been a thorn on the side of our national security interests for decades. And I'm just glad that this president is just not willing to look the other way, and he's actually confronting this terrorist regime 90 miles away. And so the way to do so is maximum pressure.

That's the only thing that has ever worked, and so I'm actually very grateful that this president is protecting our national security interests, and also, by the way, while doing so, helping the people hopefully regain their freedom in Cuba. Play this out for me and for our viewers. What do you think happens, right? The United States starts to choke Cuba even more economically, cutting off the oil.

Things are dire in Cuba. I'm going to ask you about that in a moment. But does this lead to regime change? Things are dire in Cuba for the Cuban people. It's been dire for many, many years. And that's, again, that's due to this terrorist regime. that is not only corrupt, but it's also incompetent. And so, but yet the elite is still doing relatively well.

And maximum pressure will hopefully get the elite to realize that the only future is to get rid of the dinosaur, that is Raul Castro, and to have a process towards election. By the way, that's also what U.S. law statute states, which is the sanctions go away as soon as there is a transition. That is the goal. It's good for our national security. It's good for the region, and it's absolutely great for the Cuban people for there to be a change on the island.

Congressman, walk us through it, though. What do you think happens here? I mean, make it as simple as possible, right? You're cutting off the oil, cutting off the supply of needed resources. Then what happens? Does the Cuban government suddenly surrender? They wave the white flag. Do the people revolt? What do you think is going to happen there? Yeah, you know, I look at Cuba right now is like Jurassic Park. It's the head is a dinosaur. that's over 90 years old, who, again, is still in power because of terror. But the elite around him have to realize that there's no future with this regime, that the only future is a transition towards democracy. And hopefully what will happen is, do I think that Raul Castro is going to change? No. But hopefully the people around him realize that hanging on to this dinosaur,

as if they were living on Jurassic Park, is no longer feasible. There's no other future, and therefore, hopefully, they will start pushing for a change, for a real change, which will help our national security. It will be stabilizing for the region, and will also be very helpful to the Cuban people. Some journalists on the ground in Cuba have been gathering reaction from residents there to this executive order. Some calling it, quote, abusive and saying it will cause a lot of harm to the people and the economy. You also represent many Cuban Americans, some who still have family in Cuba, people they want to help. There's going to be a cap now on how much money they can send back in.

you know the situation there better than anyone, right? There's this mosquito-borne epidemic because they don't pick up the garbage there. People are ill. They can't leave their homes. No gas, no food, no electricity. I mean, it is beyond Jurassic Park. There was at least before the dinosaurs took over. There were some resources in Jurassic Park. There's not even that in Cuba anymore.

So my question to you is, how do you balance both without thinking about just the humanitarian needs on the island? Yeah, look, it's horrible. But the people have been struggling and suffering way, before this executive order. The reason that the suffering is going on is because of this regime that is abusive to atone people and also totally inept. And so here's the question.

Do we continue to help fund or allow for that regime to continue to be funded with credits and oil from other countries? Or do we say enough is enough? Every other president has been willing to look the other way. And some presidents, a US president, have actually tried to help that regime, appease that regime. It is time to apply.

maximum pressure. And, you know, this was the same argument that was used against the sanctions in South Africa. Oh, it's going to hurt the people if you sanctioned South Africa. No, you have to help the people by doing everything possible to allow and to

facilitate a change of regime. In this case, it's also an anti-American terrorist state that welcomes Hezbollah, Iran, China, and every other terrorist group around the country just 90 miles away from United States. It's about time we have a president that says enough, we're not going to tolerate

maximum pressure has to be applied. Before we go, do you see a Venezuelan model here in the sense of what the president is thinking and his cabinet in the sense that are there military strikes? Is there working with some Cuban officials like they are right now with Delci Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president who's now in charge of Venezuela? I mean, walk me through someone, what do you think happens there? Cuba doesn't have the oil, Cuba doesn't have the drug running problem that Venezuela had. So I'm just wondering, what is the U.S.'s next move? President Trump likes to have every option on the table as he should, as he needs to. But what we're facing in Cuba is, in essence, a failed state that is barely hanging on.

It's never been weaker than it is today. And so are there, you know, how is that transition? Are there folks around Raul Castro that say, look, there's no possible future. It's time to move on, and they take the steps necessary. Is it a mass uprising from the Cuban people, and they say, enough is enough? This is not tolerable. How that transition takes place, again, we've seen throughout the world different aspects and different transitions in Eastern Europe, in Spain, in Portugal, when they had long-standing dictatorships.

There are different ways. But what has to happen for a transition is solidarity with the people. not with the regime. And that's why I'm so frankly glad that this president is doing just that. Maximum pressure on the regime to give hope and to give a chance for a true transition from this nightmare that has been a nightmare for us, for our national security interests, for the region, and clearly a nightmare for the Cuban people. Representative Mario Diaz-Bullart, we thank you so much for your time. I'm sure we're going to talk a lot in the days ahead. When we come back tonight here, the Melania documentary is out. So how is

Our own Chloe Malas was inside the screening at the premiere and spoke to the president and the First Lady on the black carpet. Yes, it was a black carpet. It wasn't a red carpet. We'll explain all of that. It's coming up next. We're back now with a rare glimpse into the First Lady's Life, the Amazon produced film Melania, 20 days to history, hitting theaters across the country today. And our very own Chloe Malas was at the premiere last night in Washington. Chloe, you were one of the few people who have actually seen this film. So how was it? And talk to me about some of the things that you did. when you were there? I mean, first of all, it was a fascinating glimpse into seeing what is her life like, not only here in New York City, at her penthouse, just a few blocks away from Rockefeller's Center, where we are right now, to life at Maralago. I mean, she really takes you behind the scenes

of what life was like leading up to the inauguration. There is a lot of fashion, okay? So she's meeting with stylists, fashion designers. She talks about growing up as a model early on, and obviously that was really what she was doing before she married Donna. Trump and then she had a jewelry line for QVC. She had her own beauty line at one point. But she also... The hat was a big thing at the inauguration. The hat was a big thing, and you see a lot of her getting the hat just right.

We also learned that she loves Michael Jackson. At one point, she's singing along to Billy Jeans. So she loves all things Michael Jackson. There's a lot of 80s pop that's played in this movie. She had a lot to do with post-production. She was involved in the editing process. She's a producer on this film. film and she also said that she specifically picked the playlist, the music for this film.

So you really get like a vibe as to what she's listening to on like Spotify or Apple Music. And then I will say she does talk a lot about losing her mother in 2024. She talks about the great, the profound grief that she had. And for anybody that might have speculation about her relationship with President Donald Trump, they are very affectionate in this film, a lot of handholding. They seem to be very much in love in the way it's portrayed in this documentary. And then I know you had a chance to speak both with the president and the First Lady. What did you learn?

You know, the main thing that I wanted to ask President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump was the fact that there's so much criticism that Amazon paid $40 million to acquire the rights to this film. And I asked Melania point blank, what are you going to do with this money? Take a listen. We have a bidding process. We approach other platforms. And Amazon was the best because they agreed to do theatrical releases as a film in theaters all around the world.

It's opening tomorrow all around the world. Are you going to give any of the money to any of the charities that you work with or any of those organizations? Yes, I already work with Fostering the Future and I already sponsor for scholarship, the students for scholarship. I already have many of them. And they're very successful. So, yeah, few details.

So I hope they would enjoy it. Well, I think they'd have to go and ask President Obama, who got paid a lot of money and hasn't done anything. So I think they'd probably have to go, because if you take a look at others, they've been paid a lot of money. But this is somebody, Maloney, who really produced. She's done a great thing. This is a very important piece of work.

So as you can see, Melania Trump did not really answer my question as to what is she going to do with all of this money? And a lot of people have a problem with it because they feel as though a sitting first lady should not be accepting money. But as you heard, President Trump, he has very strong opinions about that and made those comments about the Obama administration. So the documentary is out in theaters. How is it being received? So as of now, people are being very critical. So there are headlines that are pretty scathing right now. some asking, like, variety saying, why would Amazon spend $75 million in a movie this boring? You have the Atlantic saying the Melania Trump documentary is a disgrace.

You know, typically when you have a big streamer in a studio like Amazon coming out with a documentary, somebody as high profile as Melania Trump, they would have press screenings, they would release screeners in advance to members of the media, and they did not do that. A lot of people have asked, how did I get in to the screening last night? I will not reveal my secrets, but I am one of the first people that had a chance to see it. Yeah, I've interviewed Melania. I've sat down with her, and I realize she can also be polarizing. There's people that really are going to have a problem no matter what she does, and there's people that love her. I mean, she's beloved, especially to President Trump supporters.

The people that do like Melania, that do like the First Lady, are they going to learn stuff about her? They're going to really appreciate this film? I think that the MAGA fan base is going to love this film, and they're going to love all of the behind-the-scenes footage, whether or not, not Melania Trump is going to gain any new fans from this movie is really left to be seen. But when I asked Mrs. Trump what her thoughts are and who this movie is for, she said it's for everybody, teenagers and the like. I do want to show you. I brought back some little, like the little treats of the film. So this is also similar to what they had at the White House at their screening last weekend. So cookies that say Melania on it. And then inside here, popcorn.

Okay. Want to piece? I feel that was a big buildup for the popcorn. I feel like there should have been something more interesting in there. Like a snake that was going to pop out of here. So look, we're going to see how this movie does. We're going to see. I mean, the projections right now are about $5 million, which is pretty good for a documentary.

But it could even fare or better. And, you know, like her or not, I think that a lot of people are going to want to see what's in this film. Real quick, if people can't go to the theater, when do they see it on Amazon Prime? So it is going to be streaming at some point. There is not a date yet, but then there are going to be three episodes that are going to release on streaming with footage that did not make it. into the actual documentary. Everything you wanted to know about the Melania documentary, right there, Chloe Malas, all over, plus the free popcorn.

When we come back, it is time for binge-worthy. More popcorn. Richardson is back. We'll tell you all about season four, plus a doc about one of the most iconic Olympics moments of all time. Stay with us. Welcome back. It is Friday, which means it is time for binge-worthy.

Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And joining us tonight is Access Hollywood Entertainment Correspondent. Emily Orozco, Emily, welcome to bingeworthy. Thank you for having to have. I'm so excited to be here on a Friday. Yeah, we're excited for you, too. So we're going to start off with a new film on Prime Video. It's called The Wrecking Crew.

And you're saying for certain families, they may love this one, kind of an action, comedy kind of deal. Let's watch. Not stalking more shooting. So you two have been chasing murders and a minivan. Yeah, he blew up my other car. That's not what happens. It's not.

All right, Jason Mamoa, David Bautista. duo? How is it? This is really fun. It's action-packed. I don't know about you, but these days I have a hard time putting my phone when I'm watching things. Not with this, because the action is nonstop. It's about two brothers. They become estranged and their father passes, so they have to kind of get together. You know how that can happen in families. And they uncover a lot about their family they didn't know. So the fight scenes are gnarly. So this is not for your little kids. It's for kids that are a little bit older. But yeah, I think your teens will love it. Amazon Prime, you can watch it this weekend.

Wonder Man on Disney Plus. I have some issues with this. We'll let you watch the trailer. I'll watch it, too, and then we'll talk about it on the other end. You can slate whenever you ready? Simon Williams. Freedom for Wonder Man. Mr. Kovac will meet you in the living room.

So you are here to meet on Kovac? Mm-hmm. Hello, everyone. Okay, so I'll be completely honest with you. When I saw, I just saw it flash up on the TV, and I was like, Wonder Man. I was like, oh my gosh, these movies have jumped the shark. I'm like, Wonder Woman.

Superman, Wonder Man, but that's not what this is about. This actually looks like a pretty good movie. This is really great because if you haven't been caught up on the last 20 years of Marvel, like I get intimidated by Marvel because I'm like, I don't know everything all the time. You can just jump in on this show. You don't need to know everything. And Yaya Abdoumatin second is so good. Like you saw him in the trailer. But this is like not only about superheroes. There's like something funny here. Like what's it about? So, okay. So it's a guy that has always dreamed of becoming Wonder Man and auditions to be Wonder Man. Okay. And so the story unfolds. I don't want to give too much way. He does have superpowers. Oh, he does?

I thought it was just a kind of a funny movie. I thought we got a break from the superheroes. I guess we don't. He does have superpowers. It's only fine. Yeah, you'll see. I called it a movie. It's a Marvel series, I should say, Disney Plus. Next up, Netflix. We love this one as we get ready for the Olympics, right? This is called Miracle the Boys of the 80s about that incredible hockey team. Let's take a look. As a country, we needed something to feel good about it. And we were in the midst of a cold war that was about as cold as it could get. They were the enemy. They were Darth Vader. You have prepared all your life for this moment. The Russians with her fur coats and the American cowboy.

We had been in big moments before, but nothing like this. I look up and it's like, oh, Rocky Ford meets Slapshot, meets Mighty Ducks. It has it all. So tell me about it. I feel like heading into Milan, this is just feel good, inspirational. We need that right now. So it's 1980 Olympics, Lakes Placid. These guys were the underdog in hockey. They were not supposed to win. They beat the Soviet Union. It was an amazing moment for our country.

And you can watch this back. You see old footage. But what you really get from this that we haven't seen is these guys' personal experiences. They share anecdotes they've never shared before. They get emotional. You talked to them, didn't you? I did. Oh, these guys were so great.

They were just, they told me how it shaped their families. 46 years later. They talk about how they're so glad their parents got to be there for that moment. and they got emotional talking to me. Yeah, they were at the White House as well, President Trump, big fan. Next up, season four of Bridgerton. I'm one of the few people on this planet that doesn't watch Bridgeton, so I'll let you toss to the clip.

Set this clip up. Okay, here we go. Let's check out this clip. You are perhaps the most intriguing person I've ever met. Find the cover of a mask. Anything can happen. We must find the owner of this glove. You sound as if you have been made a new man.

What if he's looking for you? He does not want to find me. He wants to find the lady of the silver gal, and she's not real. All right, so we have a Cinderella, as you were just telling me here. We've got a Cinderella kind of story at Bridgerton. What's going on? So we're back to the regency era. Fans have waited two years for this season.

This love story is centered around Luke Thompson's Benedict and Yaron Ha's Sophie. So Yaron Ha is new to the show. Luke is not. So Luke has been waiting for his moment in the spotlight, and every season focuses on one character's real love story. so this season will be theirs. The sexy scenes are just as steamy. If you are tuning in for that, you will not be let down.

I will see there are less sexy scenes, but still very boundary pushing. Okay. So not for the family. We got it. Not for the family. Next up, Peacock, right? You know what? Well, the mothership, just in time for the Super Bowl.

They have a bad bunny documentary. Let's take a look. He's just a product of his upbringing in Puerto Rico and how proud he is to be a Puerto Rican. I think that's kind of the central theme of all his music. especially in the last five years. He wants people to come see him in his homeland, and he makes a speech at Coachella when he says, And who wants to go to my house?

Who wants to know me? Bad Bunny, I'm such a huge fan. I love this last album. I will watch this as well. What will fans get from it? I'm so pumped for this because obviously the Super Bowl is coming, and I love Bad Bunny like yourself. So fans are going to learn a little bit more about him.

Not everyone knows his roots in Puerto Rico, believe it or not. The cameras go back there. They talk to close people that really know who he is. I know you've interviewed him before. I've interviewed him before. He's silly. He's actually very unsurious and a funny, lighthearted guy. And I think fans will

learn more of that in this. Yeah. Before we go, we always have new music here in Bingeworthy. We want to talk about Noah Khan's latest one. It's called The Great Divide. You may know him from Stick season. Let's take a listen. All right, so tell us about this. Emily, we have, like, what, a new album coming out? Is it just a single? An album is coming out in April. This is the single.

It's called The Great Divide. It's very emo. You know, Noah's shot to fame very quickly with season, and life changed rapidly for him, a unique experience not many have had. It separated him from friends and family. So he talks about in this song, feeling the great divide, feeling disconnected, having regrets about certain conversations wishing he could go back. So if you're at home tonight and you're feeling a little in your feelings, put this on and have a good cry. My daughters love him, so I'll make sure to tell him that he's got a new song. That's great. Emily, it's so great to meet you, so great to have you on the show.

You can always see Emily on Access Hollywood, so make sure to check her out. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight and every night, but stay right there. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. You've got more news on the way.