Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, March 28, 2025

Episode Date: March 29, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, the devastating earthquake in Southeast Asia, more than 100 killed with the death toll expected to skyrocket. Terrifying videos out of Thailand, entire high rises collapsing, workers running for their lives, buildings shaking so hard, rooftop pools turn into waterfalls. The race against time to find those trapped under the rubble as survivors speak out to top story. Carolina's burning. Firefighters trying everything to stop those out-of-control wildfires, what they're doing in South Carolina that they've never done before. Plus, the massive flooding in Texas. Cars submerged, rescues happening right now, and it just turned deadly. Getting Greenland. Vice President J.D. Vance on the ground in the Arctic country visiting U.S. troops. What he said that has residents worried. Our correspondent is there.

Stop market plunge, the major drop on Wall Street, fueled not only by those new tariffs, but new warning signs on rising inflation. Fight for freedom. The lawyer for that Tufts grad student detained by Homeland Security joins Top Story. What the student felt in the moment she was swarmed and arrested. He's trying to kill me. The chilling screams from a woman as her doctor husband allegedly tried to murder her in Hawaii. New details on syringes he allegedly had.

had on him. And stabbing spree takedown, the Good Samaritan who stopped the knife-wielding attacker, how he took him down. Plus, the first state in the country to ban fluoride in drinking water. Will your state be next? Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight rescue workers desperately racing to find survivors after a powerful earth. earthquake rocks Southeast Asia. At this hour, officials are warning the death toll is expected to rise dramatically. Shocking video as the massive quake sent this skyscraper in Bangkok tumbling in a matter of seconds. People forced to run for their lives. Take a listen as a Buddhist

monastery begins to shake. You can hear people wailing there as the centuries old religious structure collapsed in Myanmar. New video showing a group of monks watching in shock as a building quickly crumbles. And as the tremors shook the region, groups of people seen huddling in the street trying to find a safe place to wait out the aftershocks. Right now, dozens are feared trapped beneath the rubble after building after building is completely destroyed. Plus a horrifying look inside Mandalay International Airport. Travelers running after parts of the ceiling came crashing down. The epicenter of the deadly earthquake is located in Myanmar, but it could be felt as far away as Bangkok, Thailand. It was a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake. You can see just how high that is

on the Richter scale, which of course measures the quake's intensity. NBC international correspondent Janice Mackie Freyer has more on the race to pull people out alive. Tonight, moments of terror as the earth shook. Crumbling buildings reduced to dust and rubble. Sending people fleeing for their lives. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake striking the heart of Myanmar and felt as far away as Bangkok, Thailand, where this building's swimming pool turned into a waterfall

spilling onto the street. At the top of this building, this woman from Atlanta... I'm scared to... right now. Fearing for her life. Inside Myanmar, a state of emergency and the death toll expected to rise. As survivors rushed the injured to hospitals, people digging through the rubble with their bare hands. The damage catastrophic.

To roads, bridges and homes. Families seeking refuge at Mandalay's airport terrified that more aftershocks would hit. The full scale of the earthquake is still unclear, though experts, fears economic loss in the billions of dollars. In Bangkok, emergency workers are getting help from Thailand's army. After a 33-story building under construction collapsed in a cloud of dust, trapping dozens of workers in the debris, Sky News correspondent Cordelia Lynch is there. Well, here you can see the scale of the problem up close, just how much rubble they have to clear

and they're using heavy machinery to do it. The nearby Sira Raj Hospital was forced to evacuate patients. Chavani Diyal is an American medical student working there. A lot of chaos, uncertainty, and fear. Patients are being treated under a highway overpass, with temperatures hitting 100 degrees Fahrenheit. I was concerned that even though I was outside, that the whole, you know, 10-story-plus building might collapse

and that I might still be crushed by it. The rescue operation continues. into the night. This woman waiting for her niece, who's 23 years old and missing. She's the hope of her parents, she said. I never thought something like this could happen. A desperate mission here and the chance of finding survivors fading. And Janice joins us now from Beijing. Janice, in the areas that were hit the hardest, do people have enough help on the ground or are officials looking for more international assistance? Well, listen, Myanmar was cut off by the U.S. and other Western countries after the military seized power in a coup.

That was about four years ago. But even before that, there were sanctions that have left Myanmar isolated as it continues to grapple with a civil war. That the military junta appealed for international help and promised cooperation to anyone who offered it is a sign that they expect a high death toll from this disaster. Now, China is likely to step up with some sort of assistance, perhaps other countries in the region. The U.N. says it will give $5 million. The problem is getting what's needed to the people who need it. The logistical challenges here are immense, and time is crucial.

Alison. Janice Mackie Freyer, thank you. And joining us now live from Bangkok is Frazier Morton. He's a Scottish tourist who is visiting Thailand. He was in a shopping mall when the quake struck. Frazier, thank you so much for speaking with us tonight. Let me just start by saying, I'm glad to see you are physically safe. Do you feel safe right now?

How concerned are you about the possibility of aftershocks? Yeah, thank you so much. I think now, given that there's been quite a few hours that have passed, most people feel pretty safe. Yeah, I personally feel at the time, obviously, it was quite a shock, but now, yeah, given it's the now the next morning, yeah, I'm feeling in a much better position than I did a few hours ago. Walk us through the initial moments for you. You were in a mall shopping for camera equipment, and that is when you started feeling the ground start to shake. what was it like um well i've been in a few earthquakes in my life and um immediately um as soon as the the shopping mall began to you know the whole mall began to shake and um my first reaction was

this is thailand this there shouldn't be an earthquake and then the next second it was okay this is a a pretty big deal um and immediately people running and screaming and trying just to get out as quickly as possible. But as you can, I'm sure you can understand when you're in a shopping mall with thousands of people, trying to get out is noisy tax. So, yeah, try to run out at the shopping mall. And as soon as everyone got outside, you look up, but you're in Bangkok. And so you're just surrounded by skyscrapers.

And so there's really nowhere to run in that situation. Do you expect to be able to leave the country soon? Do you want to get out soon and head home? So I couldn't get out yesterday. My flight was canceled, like I'm sure, so many other people. So I have found a hotel, and I'm trying to stay and get out sometime today. But in terms of communication about infrastructure and the airport being reopened, yeah, I'm not entirely sure what the situation is. What do you want people watching this, people around the world?

who are seeing these images to understand about the situation there on the ground? Well, I think, you know, Bangkok residents are pretty resilient people. It's obviously been a huge shock. Countries like Indonesia and Japan in this part of the world are so used to earthquakes, but Thailand, you know, they're just not really used to earthquakes here. So I think it has been a huge shock, but also a huge amount of respect for the people here in the way that they've dealt with it so far. But when something is surprising as this happens, it really is just trying to deal with the situation as best as you can. Frazier Morton, we are so glad that you are physically safe.

Thank you for taking some time to speak with us and share some of your experiences there. We appreciate it. You're welcome. To help us understand more about this powerful earthquake, let's get right to NBC, Boston, meteorologist, Tevin Wooten. Tevin, walk us through how far this earthquake actually reached. Allison, this earthquake was a 7.7 magnitude quake, but it was about 6 to 6.2 miles deep. That's actually quite shallow.

And unfortunately, this isn't a densely populated area. Mandalay is in Myanmar, but Bangkok Thailand is about 600 miles to the north and west. And that too also had significant impacts. And the aftershock of this, by the way, just 10 minutes after the primary quake was a 6.7 magnitude and also close in proximity as well by 50 miles to the south and east. Allison? So 10 minutes for that 6.7 magnitude aftershock, looking ahead, how much longer should people there be bracing for the possibility of more aftershocks? Yeah, you know, that's a great question. I wish I could say days, but this is a possibly weeks to months-long process. each day that passes by the threat of an aftershock decreases by half.

So that's certainly some good news. But this could be something where you still get a string of six to maybe even magnitude seven quakes in the immediate days after. Allison. Tevin Wooten, thank you. Back here in the U.S., those wildfires raging across North and South Carolina now burning through nearly 30,000 acres of land. Firefighters in Pickens County, South Carolina,

battling what officials are calling the country's most threatening fire and most worrying to local officials, this is just the beginning of wildfire season. NBC's Marissa Para is on the ground for us tonight. Fires raging across the Carolinas tonight. The Table Rock Complex fire in South Carolina, now the highest priority fire in the country. Over 10,000 acres scorched, but containment at 0%. It's a beautiful place. Unfortunately, it's on fire right now.

Crews taking aggressive measures, a tanker dropping fire retardant for the first time in the state. history the region under red flag warnings homes at constant risk of new flare-ups we've faced some really difficult conditions but we are making progress the Inferno took several properties from Andrew Reed is like a war fireballs it would just the flames would just jump roughly a dozen homes here lost but countless others have been spared this pinpoint water drop the reason Mike Marsteller's home still stands today basically the water drop And God's hand saved it because it was imminent, as you can tell.

The wild weather, not just in the Carolinas, at least three dead in Texas as the Rio Grande Valley saw 15 inches of rain in 36 hours. Streets swamped in standing water and the McCallin Medical Center flooded. The rain drenched in Texas desperately needed in the Carolinas, but hope isn't drying up. Where do you start that process of rebuilding? Waking up. and then just saying what is the highest and best use of my life for that day. Mirzapara, NBC News, Flat Rock, North Carolina. Vice President J.D. Vance touching down in Greenland today, leading a U.S. delegation and a visit to a U.S. Space Force base.

Vance doubling down on President Trump's message for U.S. control over the Danish territory. But people across the island are pushing back. NBC's Molly Hunter is there following all of it. Today, in the remote northwest of Greenland, Jady Vance became the first American vice president to visit the world's biggest and least populated island, arriving with his wife, Usha. They flew directly to the BGIF space base to chat with U.S. military personnel. During Vance's three-hour visit here, back in Washington, President Trump reiterated his desire to take over the Danish territory. We need Greenland, very importantly, for international security.

We have to have Greenland. It's not a question of, do you think we can do without it? We can't. But Vance says they want to convince Greenlanders to join the U.S. We do not think that military force is ever going to be necessary. We think we're going to be able to cut a deal, Donald Trump style. As China and Russia ramp up their Arctic influence, Vance took direct aim at NATO-Alli, Denmark. Our friends in Denmark have not done their job in keeping this area safe.

But the message from Greenlanders, they're not interested in this kind of deal with their long-time U.S. ally. We joined two young women watching Vance's remarks from a cafe. It's so disheartening. If you could meet the vice president today, what would you say? We are not an object, we are people. Patrick Abramson has lived here his whole life. Nobody that the Trump administration has talking about.

about Greenlandic people. How did you used to kill at America? Always close. Always close. Always close. For now, it's a different story. And Molly Hunter joins us now from the capital city of Nuke. Molly, the vice president's visit came just hours before Greenland established a new government.

What more do we know about that? Alison, that's one of the biggest reasons that Greenlandic officials and Greenlanders really push back against that original trip from the second lady. They have a lot going on right. now. And for the last couple of weeks, they've been coalition building. But there is a new government. Parties did form a coalition. And the new prime minister actually spoke today. So, Alison, while we were covering, of course, the vice president's trip, all the other local press were covering this big event. And the prime minister called for unity. He said it is very

important that we put aside our disagreements and differences because only in this way will we be able to cope with the heavy pressure we are exposed to from the outside. So really, calling for unity among all the parties. And certainly that is the message we got from Greenlanders today. Allison. Molly Hunter in Greenland. Thank you. Now to the big sell-off on Wall Street today. The Dow down 700 points with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ also down. This coming five days until new reciprocal tariffs go into effect. NBC News Business and Data Correspondent Brian Chung is here. Brian, break down these numbers for us. What's the main factor behind this latest drop? Yeah, Alison, the Wall Street action today seemed to be a reaction to that inflation report that we got this morning, showing that

prices in America, at least as measured by this key number called the core inflation rose by 2.8%. So that means that prices rose by 2.8% between February of this year and February of last year when you strip out some of those more volatile components like whatever vegetables or oil prices are trading at. Now, that was higher than what economists had expected. They were expecting 2.7%, which means that inflation might be heating up a little bit faster than economists had been hoping. Compound on top of that, these concerns that this February report doesn't even factor in some of these tariffs, which we've been talking about, which will largely be inflationary, because if those importers have to pay 25% more for, let's say, a steel beam or an aluminum sheet

of foil, then they're going to have to pass that onto the consumer as well. We also got a consumer sentiment number from the University of Michigan showing the third consecutive month of declining consumer feeling over how the economy is going. It does kind of feel like this teetering point over the economy as these tariff headlines continue to weigh. Brian Chung. Thank you. When we return, the judge's ruling late today in the case of the tough student detained by Homeland Security. Her lawyer joins Top Story. How is that student doing? Chilling new details in the case against a doctor accused of trying to kill his wife in Hawaii, what witnesses said they saw him doing to her. Plus, remember that disastrous fire festival? While it's back for round two, why the organizers had to make a last-minute change. We're getting more information about a story we brought you earlier this week. The Maui doctor accused of trying to push his own wife off a hiking trail, now charged with attempted murder.

Newly released court documents describing the moments leading up to that alleged attack. NBC's Marquis Francis has the latest. Tonight, chilling new details in the investigation into a Maui doctor. accused of trying to kill his wife at a popular tourist destination. 46-year-old anesthesiologist Gerhard Koenig appearing in court Thursday, charged with attempted murder after allegedly trying to push his wife all of a cliff and striking her in the head multiple times with a rock. Police say the attack happened around 10 a.m. on Monday when the couple was visiting the

pulley lookout just outside Honolulu. According to court documents, the struggle started when 36-year-old Ariel Konig refused to take a selfie with her husband near the edge of the lookout. She told police he then struck her ten times in the head with a rock, grabbed her hair, and smashed her face in the ground, before grabbing two syringes and trying to use them on her, according to the documents. Police say witnesses heard Ariel cry for help and say he's trying to kill me. He's hitting me in the head with a rock. Honolulu police say they arrested Konek later that day after a brief chase on foot. We reached out to his lawyer but have not heard back. Ariel remains hospitalized with multiple injuries to the head and face.

According to Honolulu PD. Never, never in a million years would I think that this would happen. Housekeeper in front of the Koneg family, Christina Ferguson, shocked by the news. It's hard to fathom. It's hard to grasp the severity of this tragic incident. I wouldn't think that this would be something that he would ever do. Marquis Francis joins us now. Marquise, we've just learned that Koneg has been indicted by a grand jury.

What more can you tell us? Yeah, Alison, I mean, the Oahu grand jury said this indictment reflects, quote, the serious nature of the crime that is alleged in this case. And according to the grand jury bench warrant, Koenig in this case, he's been ordered not to come within 500 feet of his wife, who we now know Ariel, filed a restraining order against him yesterday. And previously, the judge had a $5 million bailout, and now he no longer has bail. the police investigation continues, including into the cause. Ellison? Marquis Francis, thank you. New questions swirling around Fire Festival, take two.

The original 2017 Music Festival, a widely publicized disaster, landed organizer Billy McFarlane behind bars for fraud. Now, with just two months to go, still no major artists have been announced, and the location has suddenly changed. NBC's Savannah Sellers has this report. Tonight, with the clock ticking down, a major last-minute change for Fire Fest 2. Playa Del Carmen is insanely beautiful. Creator Billy McFarlane says his sequel to the doomed 2017 music festival will move from Mexico's Isla Mujeres to nearby Playa del Carmen,

echoing the first fire fiasco when organizers were forced to change locations four months before the start of the festival. No one can get in the rooms. No one can get their bags. We've been here for hours. Putting attendees who were promised a luxury immersive music festival experience in emergency relief tents eating cheese sandwiches. That festival landed McFarlane in prison for fraud. Now he says he's learned his lesson. For me, Fire Festival 2 is about a second chance to do right by the people around me and against all odds to fulfill my promises and to turn these nightmares into dreams. Despite the recent venue change, the marketing message remains Fire Fest 2 is real. on t-shirts, hoodies, and bucket hats.

So I have one asked for you guys if you can please stop reporting that fire or two isn't happening so I can try to ask for travel permission. That would be really appreciated. But the big question, who will perform when it all starts on May 30th? So we're going to have artists across electronic hip-hop, pop, and rock. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. You might have an MMA champion, teach you techniques in the morning. We pressed him on bookings in an interview last month.

You say we might have, are any of these for sure halves? Are they booked? So I think what makes fire so cool is that we are selling the experience of fire. I want to be one of the first festivals that can sell out with no artists. And still at a press event on Thursday, no acts announced. Former NFL star Antonio Brown says he has been booked, but it's unclear what he will perform. Tickets range in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million. An experience McFarland says includes yacht accommodations, will allow guests to, quote, live like the gods.

Is it a risk to buy a ticket to Fire Festival, too? I think it's always a risk. You're taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival. Until it's experienced, there is a risk component to it. Our thanks to Savannah Sellers for that report. When we come back, fighting back, the lawyer for that detained Tufts University student joins top story,

their plan to fight deportation. Plus, look at this, how a good Samaritan took down a knife-wielding attacker. All of it caught on camera. Stay with us. We're back with Top Stories News Feed. Singer and rapper Sean Kingston has been convicted in a wire fraud case. After about three and a half hours of deliberations, a jury in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, finding Kingston and his mother guilty. on all charges. The pair were on trial for allegedly running a $1 million scheme involving luxury

goods. They'll both be sentenced in July and now face up to 20 years behind bars. An update on that measles outbreak out west. The number of cases in Western Texas now surging to 400. Data showing 73 cases have been reported in just the last three days. Fueled by that Texas outbreak and NBC news analysis of data shows there have been 523 measles cases. recorded in the United States in the first three months of 2025. That is one of the highest rates this country has ever seen. And President Trump has commuted the criminal fraud sentence of Aussie media founder Charles Carlos Watson.

A source telling CNBC Watson's sentence was commuted right before he was due to begin serving a nearly 10-year sentence in the state of California. Watson was convicted last July for trying to defraud investors and lenders by lying about the failed media. companies of finances. And the Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado after more than 40 years in Park City, Utah. The independent festival will make one final appearance in Utah next January before moving to the centennial state in 27. Organizers say Sundance will be able to expand and grow in Boulder, thanks to its small town charm and vibrant arts scene. According to a

market research firm, the festival generated more than $130 million for the state of Utah last year. And we have breaking news tonight in the case of Ramisa Ozturk, the Tufts University grad student detained by immigration authorities earlier this week. Her arrest caught on camera on a sidewalk in Massachusetts. Plain-closed DHS officers taking her into custody while she was on her way to break a Ramadan fast before sending her to a detention facility in Louisiana, where she is now. The Secretary of State announced this week her visa has been revoked, but just moments ago a federal judge in Massachusetts ordering she cannot be deported until the court makes a decision about her deportation case. And joining us now is Jesse Rossman, legal director

for the ACLU of Massachusetts. She has recently joined Oz Turk's legal team and has spoken with her since her detainment by authorities. Jesse, thank you so much for joining Top Story Tonight. I mean, we understand your client is currently being held at a detention facility in the state of Louisiana. Talk to us about as much as you can, about the conversations you've had with her recently. How is she doing? How does she say the conditions are there in Louisiana? Members of our legal team were able to speak with her today, and she's scared. Her future is uncertain. She is someone who cares deeply about her education and is very concerned about being able to finish her doctoral degree. But I'd say at the same time, she's also really concerned

about what this means for other students, because she knows that if this is happening to her, it can happen to anyone. I think the last thing she's really raised up that is important for folks to know is she's also incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support, both here in her home state of Massachusetts, but also throughout the country, where we have seen people speaking up, standing up, and saying that what's happened is wrong. And we saw today the court in Massachusetts issuing its ruling, essentially saying she cannot be deported until jurisdiction is more clearly determined. Walk us through your initial reaction to that court ruling.

Do you feel like you and your team are in a good position to address this legally moving forward, or what do you want to see happen next? Yes, I mean, look, this was a really important next step. Early this morning, the legal team filed an amended petition with the court, and we're ultimately asking the court to send Ramesia back to Massachusetts immediately and to release her from custody. And just about an hour or so ago, we received a court ruling where the court has issued an order, ensuring that she cannot be removed from the U.S. until there's a further court order, and also ordering the government to respond to our amended petition by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

And as I said, this is a really critical next step. And her legal team, we're all going to continue fighting so that we can bring her back home. Let's go back to that video of her being taken into custody. On the streets, sort of a suburban setting, you see these plain-clothes officers walk up to her. It sounds like from what we've been able to hear on the video, she at some point is asking, like, what is happening? say we're police, but I'm curious from your perspective and with your legal team, is that snippet of the video that the public has seen, the totality of how she was detained, has she told

you or the rest of the legal team, anything different that she remembers happening in those initial moments of being taken into custody? I mean, I think the images from that video are startling and clear. You know, she was coming home. She was about to be breaking her. with her friends. And she wasn't able to do so because a man in a hooded shirt, plain clothes approached her. She was quickly encircled by many other officers who soon pulled up masks to cover their faces. Her bag was removed. She was handcuffed. And she was marched to an unmarked car. And for over 20 hours from that standpoint, her family, her friends, and even her legal

counsel didn't know where she was. And this can happen on the streets of Somerville. It can happen anywhere in this country, and that is unacceptable. We need to say that this is wrong and can't happen here. I want to ask you about what we have heard from DHS thus far, because a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security has told NBC news that Oss Turk was detained because she, quote, engaged in activities in support of Hamas, further saying that glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is ground for visa issuance to be terminated. I want to ask you a series of questions related to that context for you to respond to. Has your client ever provided any sort of material support to Hamas? Look, it is abundantly clear that by all accounts, it appears as though the sole basis for

Ramesia's detention and arrest and targeting was a single op-ed that she co-authored with three other students in her student newspaper, The Tufts Daily, approximately a year ago. This is designed to be targeting her speech, to chill her speech, to punish her for her speech, and also to chill the speech of anyone else who's watching. That violates her First Amendment rights. So that would be that March 2024 op-ed where she'd argued that the university should engage with a student-led push to divest from the state of Israel.

the extent most of what we had seen so far. We understand her friends have told people publicly that she'd never been involved really in any sort of significant protest on campus. But just to sort of put a fine point on it, to your knowledge, has she ever advocated for any one who was associated with Hamas or advocated for Hamas specifically in any way? No, I mean, everything that we are seeing, and I think the best indication of this, you could even look at Secretary Rubio's statements yesterday when he was asked point-blank by a reporter on the record about Ramesia's case. They referenced the op-ed. They asked about the basis for the government's behavior towards her. And Secretary Rubio didn't reference

anything about Ramesia except for that solitary op-ed. This is clearly designed to punish her speech and target her speech in a way that violates the First Amendment and her constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment to do process. Okay. So just to be clear, to your knowledge, can you say just definitively yes or no, whether or not she has advocated for Hamas in any sort of fashion since having a student visa and being in the United States? There's absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever. Okay. According to U.S. law, and we can put some of this up on screen for viewers to see as well, an alien whose presence or activities in the U.S., the Secretary of State has reasonable ground

to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States is deportable. It seems like the law when it comes to visas and whether or not what grounds need to be met in order for them to be revoked. It seems like it's pretty subjective and the bar is low and it seems fairly broad. Is that a fair reading of the law here? I mean, do U.S. authorities really have this much of a leash, if you will, to terminate visas? I mean, I think we need to look at the behavior that we're talking about here where Ramesia was targeted, arrested, detained, and sent over a thousand miles away to be held in Louisiana. And there's absolutely no basis for that detention. There have been no charges that was brought

against Ramesia. There's no allegation that she's a flight risk. There's no allegation that she's a danger to anyone. Her detention has no legal basis, and it violates her rights. What is the next step for you and your team after that Tuesday, which I think is April 1st, 5 p.m. deadline for the court order for the government to respond. What are your next steps legally from there? We're going to be doing everything that we can to ensure that we can bring Ramesia back to our community here in Somerville and to get her released from custody. We'll, of course, review the government's papers as soon as they are filed, but we're going to keep fighting to bring her home and to get her released. All right. Jesse Rossman with the ACLU of Massachusetts.

Thank you so much. We appreciate your time. Thank you. Moving overseas now to Top Story's Global Watch, starting with the Israeli air strike in Lebanon. The IDF says it targeted a Hezbollah drone facility near Beirut after warning residents there to evacuate. That strike said to be in retaliation for a rocket attack in northern Israel. A rocket-attacked Hezbollah has denied carrying out. This is Israel's first strike on Beirut since a November ceasefire deal, but the IDF has continued strikes in southern Lebanon. In Australia, a pilot critically injured in a plane crash during an air show in Victoria.

New video shows the small plane in the middle of a demonstration when the pilot loses control and smashes into the ground. That pilot later airlifted from the scene in critical condition. No one on the ground was hurt. The cause of the crash is under investigation. And pop star Dua Lipa winning a second copyright infringement lawsuit. The lawsuit brought by a pair of disco songwriters alleging that her hit single levitating plagiarized the melody of two of their songs, a judge ruling that the songs only had loose similarities, including common musical elements used by artists ranging from Mozart to the Bee Gees. Lawyers for the duo say they plan to appeal.

In Amsterdam, one man receiving a medal for bravery after his actions during yesterday's violent stabbing attack. It all happened in broad daylight, five people injured, including two Americans. The city's mayor says the suspect was running away when he was wrestled to the ground by a Good Samaritan. NBC's Raf Sanchez has this one. He's being called a hero who seeks no glory. After a man went on a stabbing spree in Amsterdam yesterday, wounding five people, including two Americans. There are multiple people stabbed. This unidentified good Samaritan jumped in, disarming the attacker on a crowded street and holding him down until police arrived. Today, Amsterdam's mayor describing him as a very modest British man who doesn't want the spotlight,

but says she pinned a medal on him for his actions. Four of the victims are still in the hospital, including the Americans, a 67-year-old woman and a 69-year-old man. Police say they're in stable condition. Investigators tonight revealing the suspect used multiple knives during the attack. But his motive is still unclear and under investigation. What is clear, police say, this could have been much worse if it wasn't for the swift actions of one man. Raf Sanchez, NBC News. Just ahead, could your state be next to ban fluoride? Utah taking the extraordinary step despite opposition from dentists.

So what are the risks? We'll explain. Back now with Top Story's health check, tonight opponents of fluoride taking a victory lap after Utah became the first state to ban the mineral from public water sources. Fluoride has been shown to help prevent tooth decay, but critics like RFK Jr. argue people should be able to decide for themselves whether or not to ingest it. NBC's George Solis explains. Tonight, Utah taking aside in the renewed debate over fluoride and drinking water. On Thursday, Governor Spencer Cox inking a law that bans adding the mineral to public water sources starting in May.

Years of research have found adding fluoride to drinking water reduces tooth decay up to 25%. That practice began in 1945, known as fluoridation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included it as one of its 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century

because it literally changed the face of America. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dental Association, both support its use. Fluoridated water is medicated water. But the movement to ban fluoride has gained popularity across the country with proposed legislation in Florida, Kentucky, Montana, and Tennessee. It was the only chemical we add to our water that's intended to treat the consumer and not the water itself.

The fluoride Action Network says more than 1,500 communities have stopped adding fluoride to their systems at the local level since 2010. I would say I just feel like it should be a choice. each person. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert of Kennedy Jr., among the most vocal of critics, posting on X late last year that the incoming administration would advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. I think fluoride is a poison. The secretary associating fluoridation with illnesses like bone cancer, the CDC says scientists have not found enough evidence to support a link. One JAMA pediatric study published earlier this year did

define an association between higher fluoride exposure and lower IQ scores in children, but the American Dental Association says the data is flawed. Three quarters of the studies that were included were by the author's own admission, very low quality studies at very high risk of bias, none of which were from fluoridated areas. Miami area dentist, Raul Gonzalez, says he's noticed some issues in some patients who are avoiding fluoride. I'm seeing a lot of new patients with my five doctors here, that we've seen a lot of cavities coming back. because there's a lot of propaganda saying that fluoride is really bad.

Dr. Gonzalez says becoming hyper-focused on fluoride can draw attention from other important risk factors for whole body health. Most important thing is good dental hygiene, brush, flush, the water pick. Second, eliminate the sodas and the drink that have bubbles. Now you add to that sugar and you add to that colorants, now you have cavities, digestive issues, and the probability of cancer-producing or cancer-transforming cells. And George Salis joins us now from our Miami Bureau. George, as you were speaking with dentists, did any of them mention a circumstance where fluoride could be dangerous? Yeah, Alison, it's important to note.

According to the CDC, the real only documented negative effects of too much fluoride would be a discoloration of the enamel that covering around your teeth and small holes. But even in countries where there is high levels of fluoride, it far exceeds anything that we see here in the United States. And as you heard from the dentist there in our report, Dr. Gonzalez there, look, anything in excess is not good for you. He says what we see here with our moderate levels of fluoride in our water shouldn't be harmful. But, of course, the best thing to do is to obviously check with your dentist, check with your doctors about any concerns you may have about fluoride. Allison? George Salis in Miami, thank you. When we come back, a look at what you can stream this weekend.

Seth Rogan stars in the comedy series The Studio, plus a new movie with Nicole Kidman and new music by Lucy Dachis and Hocher. We are back now with Bingeworthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. Let's bring in Jason Carter. He's an entertainment journalist and host of Jason Unleashed. Jason, thanks so much for being here with us. First of all, let's start. with this new series Apple TV Plus, Seth Rogan starring in it. It's called The Studio. And essentially, it's a comedy about a newly appointed head of a movie studio. Let's take a look. Prestige films and box office hits. Those are not mutually exclusive. We can do both and we will do both. Matt, I get it. You want to make great art and make a billion dollars doing it. Well, guess what? That never happens. And you're going to screw everything I'm trying to make it happen. It was up to me. We'd be focusing on making the next Rosemary's Baby or Annie Hall or some great film that wasn't directed by a pervert.

Turns out Pervers make great movies. I have heard some people in L.A., Jason, are kind of freaking out because they say very accurate. What do you make of this? It's extremely accurate. This is a fantastic new series on Apple TV Plus. Ten episodes will be released throughout the course of its run. Two episodes are streaming now. Seth Rogan is fantastic in this, and this is so L.A. It hurts. But what's even better about this, not even a rom-com, this comedy, is that the guest stars just keep coming in. You have Greta Lee, Martin Scorsese, Anthony Mackey, Catherine O'Hara, Catherine Hahn.

And this is a Seth Rogan that we've never seen before. He's comical. He has a lot of comedy. He's very jovial, very buoyant, but he's also very soft and very mature in this. I love everything about this. And it's supremely L.A., and I'm here for all of it. I mean, when you have Catherine O'Hara and Catherine Hahn, it just feels like it's a win out of the gate. I love that, Perry.

Okay, so the next one, right? I mean, really. All right, so the next one we have is Netflix. It's a rom-com, and it is about one girl's quest to finish a list of goals that she made as a teenager after she rediscovered or rediscovered the list after the death of her mother. This one is called The Life List. Take a look. Hey, Bean. Last week, I was getting my affairs in order.

I found this list. I know you were only 13 when you wrote it, but it is a map toward your best self. As a life motivator, this is kind of genius. Really? Go all out in a mosh pit. Play one-on-one with the New York Knicks. Aw.

Do stand-out comedy. Walk me through that. You're not funny! What do you think of this one, Jason? I think Sophia Carson is sensational. She plays Alex Rose in this. This is one of many Netflix movies with Sophia. starring. Also, Connie Britton plays her mom who dies, obviously, as you said earlier,

leaving her inheritance that she can only receive after she completes this list of things to do that she wrote down at the age of 13. Along the way, she meets people, she meets a new love interest, excuse me, and finds out so much about herself. This is the kind of movie that you snuggle in on a weekend with your dogs and really get into because you can identify with that. I mean, what's on your bucket list? For me, it was always skydiving. I did that. that. Thank you very much. There was no inheritance attached to it, though. But, I mean, we can relate. And Sophia Carson is phenomenal. It's so wonderful to see her career blossom from being this Disney star to this mogul now. She writes, she directs. And she's incredible. Love this.

Great, great, great, great streaming time for you on Netflix this weekend. All right. So the next one that we have, this is a movie on Prime. It stars Nicole Kidman. It is called Holland. And it's being described as a psychological thriller about a woman's picture-perfect life and a twisted secret she ultimately uncovers. Here's a clip. So I got some bad news, Nancy. We've got to go to Greenville, just a one night, though. Everything okay at home? Hey, hon, we're back. You know, it's important to me, Nancy, that you feel safe here.

part, because you get to make up a story and control everything. Well, I see Mr. Darcy in that. What do you make of this one? I make of this. Nicole Kidman is everywhere. I have this new affinity for Nicole Kidman, because, of course, we've come to love her and major motion picture. She's an Academy Award winner.

But to see her on these limited series and on streaming platforms now, this does my heart in. She plays Nancy Vandergrut alongside Matthew McFadden, who plays her husband, Fred. And along the way, we discovered that Fred is not who he seems. She has a former colleague played by Gail Garcia Bernal. His name is David in the series. And they uncover so much along the way. And then the story takes these really interesting turns.

And at the end of the series, no spoilers, you'll be shocked as to what they find out and how the town recovers from all that's uncovered. It's a great series. People are saying that it may be a miss for Nicole Kidman, but you have to watch and be the judge of it yourself. Okay. Nicole Kidman really is in everything right now. Totally.

By the way, I'm like, every time I turn streaming on, there's a new Nicole Kidman, and it's always a little creepy, but I'm here for it. Same. Okay, so let's do music, Jason, because Lucy, Dachas, and Hozier, they have a new song called Bullseye. Listen.

You're a bullseye, and ain't braving on the straight shots, you're a grand prize, it was young love, it was dumb love. I mean, talking about another person who is everywhere right now, Lucy Doc is having a huge moment. What do you make at the song? All the feels. All the feels. This is from her fourth album. Forever is a feeling. Obviously, Hozier is a legend in his own right.

And this is a song that's written from two perspectives. One from a woman breaking up with a lover and then the man breaking up with a woman. This is great. I mean, if you want a song or an album. in its totality, innocent entirety that will get you in your fields, and there are no skips. This new album from Lucy Dacus is fantastic. And she's one-third of the group, Boy Genius, Super Group, that also has incredible music, so check them out as well. Yeah, we love some Boy Genius on this show. Okay, Wallow is also out with new music. This song is called Hide It Away.

What is that a target in a way? I can fake it anyway. If the tears fall off my face, it's for good. If you notice, I hide from myself. What is that a target there? Are they going to target? Like, what's happening? What do you think, Jason?

I'm here for this as well. And this is giving me that, like, early 2000s, The Frey, Panic at the Disco, Colplay, S. But Dilla Manette, who's also a fantastic actress and his friends, do a great job of just giving you that, that angsty punk rock, that Gen Z is completely in love with. You should see the comments on this video that premiered today.

It's from their new EP Moore. People love them. Millions upon millions of followers, legions of fans, really love their music. And this is a fun time. Fun music, very nostalgic, very now. That is great. We love it. Jason Carter, thank you so much for being with us.

We really appreciate it. And one more thing everyone can add to their watch list this weekend. The only environmental news program in Spanish will begin streaming this weekend. You can watch Planet Terra, hosted by Telemundo anchor Vanessa Aouk, this Saturday at 11 a.m. Eastern. That's going to air on Telemundo's streaming channel, Noticias Telemundo Aura. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.

Thank you.