Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, March 7, 2025

Episode Date: March 8, 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, breaking news as we come on the air. Officials revealing the causes of death for beloved movie star Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy. The New Mexico Medical Examiner's office revealing today Gene Hackman died of heart disease and Alzheimer's at his Santa Fe home. Officials now saying his wife likely died a week earlier from the Hunter virus, a rare respiratory disease spread by rodents. Tonight, the Santa Fe Sheriff joins us live with the latest on the investigation. investigation. Also breaking tonight, executed by firing squad. The South Carolina death row inmate killed by a volley of bullets at his own request. It's the first execution by firing squad in the United States in 15 years. The new details just coming in. Plus, what went wrong? Another

SpaceX rocket exploding after takeoff, raining debris on Florida and the Caribbean. The FAA now ordering an investigation. What Elon Musk said today about the failed. mission. Kidnapping caught on camera. Video appearing to show a suspect abducting a woman in Oakland forcing her into a car. Police now asking the public to help them find her. On Russia's front line, Arkeir Simmons on the ground in Kursk, where Ukrainian forces have seized territory. The people there are so used to war, they're ignoring air raid sirens. What those residents told us about Putin's war and the possibility of peace. Butterfly catastrophe. The new warning that butterfly populations are plunging in the U.S.

Why scientists believe it's happening. And the soldiers now accused of stealing classified information from the U.S. Army and selling it. The charges they're facing. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom. We're coming on the air tonight with breaking news. New details about the grim fate of beloved actor, Gene Hackman. Tonight, authorities revealing the causes of death for Hackman and his wife, Betsy,

both were found dead in their Santa Fe home. The New Mexico medical examiner's office saying Hackman died from heart disease with complications from an advanced case of Alzheimer's. But officials say his wife died of hauntavirus pulmonary syndrome. It's an illness caused by the hanta virus itself, a rare but dangerous pathogen that can trigger several serious conditions. It's transmitted by rodents and does not pass between humans, but the strain of the virus in the southwestern U.S. has a mortality rate between 38 and 50%. Officials also clarifying details about the timing of their passings. Investigators believe Betsy died first around February 11th the last time she was seen alive. Gene's pacemaker was registering activity for another week before an abnormal rhythm on February 18th, when officials believed.

He died. Their bodies were not discovered for more than a week after that when authorities were called to their home, February 26th. The new revelations ending days of speculation surrounding the demise of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. NBC's Liz Croix has been following this story since the news of the death's first broke, and she leads our coverage tonight from Santa Fe. Tonight authorities announcing legendary actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease, complicated by advanced Alzheimer's. The 95-year-old alone for several days after his wife Betsy Arakawa died first in their Santa Fe home. I can tell you that he was in an advanced state of Alzheimer's, and it's quite possible that he was not aware that she was deceased. The medical investigator saying an autopsy

shows 65-year-old Arakawa died of hanta virus, an infection spread by contact with rodent droppings that can be deadly in roughly 40 percent of cases as fluid builds up in the lungs. A person can die very quickly without medical treatment. Officials laying out a timeline saying the last known siting and communication from Arakawa was February 11th when she was running errands, picking up groceries and dog food before returning home and was not heard from since. Numerous emails were unopened on her computer on February 11th. There was no additional outgoing communication from her or known activity after. February 11th. Police believe Hackman was likely in the home

for days with his pacemaker showing his last activity a week after his wife's death. Do you believe given his Alzheimer's status that Mr. Hackman was able to live on his own and survive for those seven days? I'm not aware of what his normal daily functioning capability

was. He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease and I think ultimately that is what resulted in in his death. What about starvation? There was no food in his stomach,

which means he had not eaten recently, but he had also no evidence of dehydration. The couple's dog Zena that died in her crate is undergoing a necropsy, but officials say it's possible she did starve. Tonight, after their death sparked nationwide intrigue, answers to a tragic ending for the Hollywood icon and his wife of more than three decades.

And Liz joins us now from San Francisco. Santa Fe, New Mexico. This is a tragic story all around, but ultimately, is the case closed since it seems like police know what happened here, or are they still going to continue this investigation? Hale, let's say that they're not yet closing this case. They're still trying to track down some additional threads. Most notably, they just want to gain access to some of the cell phone records that they took from the home, the phones they took from the home, to try to figure out who they maybe last had communication with. Right now, officials say that Betsy Arakawa's last known communication was an email that she sent her massage therapist the morning of February 11th. They say that there's no indication that Gene Hackman tried to contact anybody in the days after she died, which may not be surprising, sadly, given his advanced Alzheimer's, Ellison. Liz Kreutz, thank you.

For more on this investigation, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adon Mendoza joins us now. Sheriff Mendoza, thank you so much for your time this evening. We heard from you there in Liz's piece, but just to be clear, your understanding of this case is that Betsy Hackman died from Hunter Virus pulmonary syndrome, before her husband, Gene Hackman, died, who had advanced Alzheimer's. And the medical examiner is saying he died of heart disease, right? That's my understanding by the statement given by the pathologist today, yes. Talk to me about the timeline. I mean, you went through it in the press conference this afternoon

in pretty meticulous detail, particularly every move she made seemingly on February 11th. At one point you mentioned midday, she stopped by CVS. Do we know if that was a stop she made related to feeling sick because of the hanta virus and maybe just wasn't aware that she had an illness that was so serious? We do know at this time that she did stop by CVS. It's unknown for exactly what reason or she conferred with the pharmacist there. But we know that she was on surveillance. She had just recently come from a nearby grocery store on CVS,

but we're unaware exactly the reason why she was there. And what could your investigators see when they were reviewing some of the surveillance footage throughout that day? Did she appear to be physically okay? I think you mentioned she may have been wearing some sort of mask. Walk us through what they saw. So, yeah, they saw her on surveillance, and obviously she is walking around. She was pushing a cart from the grocery store and was carrying a grocery bag when she visited CVS. and also visited a pet food store.

She was wearing a mask, and it's unknown for exactly what reason. You know, that is kind of common even today. But, you know, it didn't appear like she was having any trouble or she was feeling ill, or there was no indication that my detectives relayed to me that she was, that anything looked off or odd in her dealings that day. And based on what you know right now, do you believe Jean Hackman was aware

that his wife had passed away for that week he was at home after she had seemingly passed, or do you think he was unable to comprehend for some reason what happened? That's hard to determine to get in one's frame of mind or what they knew at the time. But, you know, I do know that based on the locations that they were discovered, that it was a large residence. And there were some obstacles in the residence that may not have been able to be navigated by Mr. Hackman, and so I'm not sure that he knew at the time that his wife had passed away. You've also mentioned that you and your investigators are still waiting for some cell phone

data. I know you recovered two cell phones from the house as well as some sort of journal booklet. What sort of information are you hoping to get, particularly from those cell phones that you don't already know? Well, I think a lot of the information and a lot of the pieces of the puzzle were put together today. A lot of the big questions were answered, but we will not close this case until we do a thorough investigation, which means we want to get into the cell phones. And with the help of New Mexico State Police, we're in the process of doing that. And again, we're going to look at any phone calls that were made, text messages, photographs, activity on the phone itself. And I would be surprised if it shows anything different than what we already know.

and that was the last activity from Mrs. Arakawa on February 11th. And I know your team has been in touch with the family, Betsy and Jean's family throughout all of this. The medical examiner mentioned today that she and her office had spoken with the family about the autopsy results prior to making them public. How is the family doing and handling all of this?

Well, you know, I'm sure it's very saddening for us. and it's a tragic event and you know our hearts go out to the hackman and Erakawa family and you know we did reach out to the family and notify them of the information prior to releasing it out of respect and we wish them well and our prayers are with them during this time all right Santa Fe County Sheriff Adon Mendoza thank you so much for your time tonight we really appreciate it thank you now I want to bring in NBC News medical analyst, Dr. Vin Gupta, for more on the Hanta virus. Dr. Gupta, thank you so much for joining us. You know, for a lot of us, this is a virus a term. We had never heard prior to today.

We're being told this is something that is spread by rodents, that it doesn't spread human to human. Talk to us about this virus. What is it and where and how could someone contract it? Yeah, Ellison, just the name, I think, evokes a lot of fear. And it is, when, when, And we see it, and where we see it, which is in the southwestern part of the United States, it can cause very severe human illness. And so what is it? This is a virus that spread through the urine and excrement of rodents. And what typically you will get exposed to it in barns, cabins, garages in that part of the

United States. So states west of the Mississippi, New Mexico, Arizona, southern part of California, parts of Texas. That's the geography. And that's the so-called deer mice is what typically is the most common carrier of this virus. And so that's the epidemiology of it. What we've seen is that it has a very high mortality rate when humans are exposed, so about 40%. And it can cause very, I'm a pulmonologist, it causes very severe pulmonary complications like pneumonia.

That's really ultimately what ends up causing such a high mortality rate is the pulmonary complications. In some cases, kidney injury as well, but that's generally the life course of this. And often, unfortunately, Ellison, people get infected, say on a Monday, but they won't develop symptoms until, say, Friday, Saturday, and at that point, things happen pretty quickly. You know, in big cities like New York, others, people take public transportation, and it is not uncommon to see a lot of rodents when you're in the subway, particularly here in New York. Is that something or a place where people should be aware of this and worried about possibly contracting it this way, or is it really isolated primarily to the southwest United States?

Mainly in the southwest part of the United States, mainly because that type of rodent is more common in the southwestern part of the United States. To be clear, rodents of all stripes are not good for human health. They carry all other sorts of illnesses. And so if you're in the subway in New York City, good to make sure that we're doing everything we can to avoid any unintentional contact, a thing. Obviously, nobody wants to make intentional contact. But for things that you can do at home, if you're living in the southwestern part of the United States, make sure open food on, say, floors is minimized that you're cleaning up, anything that might attract rodents. Holes in garages often is the point of entry for rodents in this part of the

country, make sure that those are plugged. That's really key here. And then, especially since we're talking about it. And if you're medically high risk, if you develop flu-like symptoms, it's important more than ever before, Allison, to get tested. Because if it's not flu, it might, if it's not COVID, it could be something that we're not thinking of as commonly. And it's important to present to care because supportive care here in the setting of a hospital, if needed, it can save your life. I want to ask you before we let you go, Dr. Gupta, about Gene Hackman and the fact that he was in the home for so long with his wife deceased. and was either unable to call for health or help or unaware of what had happened.

He did have severe Alzheimer's. Talk to us about how that manifest, how disorienting it would be if you were to lose your primary caregiver in that state. Well, you know, I think it sounds like, you know, we're understanding more just minutes to minute, but it seems like he was unable to perform his own activities of daily living all of a sudden. So in that case, in the setting of Alzheimer's dementia, it is incredibly, disorienting and he's not able to care for himself. And so when you put that on top of the fact that he had atrial fibrillation, it's a rhythm that can cause your heart to beat very fast, things can spiral very quickly. And I think that's exactly what happened.

Dr. Van Gupta, thank you so much for helping us to understand a little more about the hanta virus and things we can do to try and stay safe. We appreciate it. Thank you. Now to some late breaking news out of South Carolina, a man convicted of double murder executed by the state tonight. As we reported last night, 67-year-old Brad Sigmund choosing to die by firing squad, a method that had not been used in the United States in 15 years. Witnesses to the execution say the shots rang out just after 605 Eastern.

Sigmund was pronounced dead at 608 p.m. A lawyer for Sigmund who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend's parents with a baseball bat in 2001 says he chose death by firing squad because he believed it would be less painful than the alternatives, electrocution or lethal injection. I want to bring in NBC Zinclai, S.MWA, who has been following this case and joins us here on set. Zinclae, I mean, this was the fourth execution by firing squad in the United States in the last 50 years. Walk us through what happened tonight and what we know in terms of the details of how it all went down. Yeah, Alison, as you said, Brad Sigmund, South Carolina death row inmate was declared dead at 6.08 p.m.

In that room, witnesses who were present say the curtain opened at 601. They were offered ear protection. And when they saw him, Sigmund was strapped to the execution share. He was in a black jumpsuit, black shoes, that color matters because typically the color is a bit lighter, perhaps signaling changes to that execution process. It appeared there was a harness over Sigmund that his feet were shackled. Three Department of Corrections volunteers were about 15 feet away. and they fired in unison at 6.05.

Witnesses say everyone flinched when that happened. Sigmund said to have tensed up when he was shot. His chest rose, and then less than a minute after those shots were fired, a doctor came in at 608, as you said, pronouncing him dead. Before those shots rang out, however, his attorney, Bo King did read his final statement. In part in it, he said, I want my closing statement. to be one of love and a calling to my fellow Christians to help the United States end the death penalty.

Ellison, notably outside of that room, there were protests around 30 protesters gathered ringing a bell before those shots ultimately rang out. And as you said, this was the first execution by firing squad in 15 years. But many said of all the options that are out there, lethal injection, electrocution, this is the fastest. And some say most humane relative

to what the death penalty offers here. Yeah, walk us through a little more of that debate because I have heard some people say, I'm stunned, this still exists, this is archaic, why are we doing this? And then I've heard critics of the death penalty say, well, this is the least inhumane option. What is that debate?

Yeah, Alison, it's true. And a lot of states now are turning to alternatives to lethal injection. The reasons are multifold. Lethal injections often result in longer executions. In the past, taking up to 20 minutes by comparison, right, the execution of Sigmund from 605 to 608, that's around three minutes. Also, the drugs are difficult to come by. A lot of companies don't want their medicines affiliated with killing, rather healing.

And so we've seen a lot of states like South Carolina, where Brad Sigmund was ultimately executed, introducing so-called secrecy laws, which essentially shield the suppliers, making it a bit easier to get those lethal injection drugs. Notably, a lot of different states are introducing different methods, both this firing squad, but also nitrogen gas. We know Louisiana later this month will execute a death row inmate by nitrogen gas, and that follows Alabama, which did it for the first time just last year. But it really signals a lot of change coming to the death penalty as states consider how they want to execute, Ellison. And this particular execution seeming to spark a debate within our society about the death penalty itself. And Clay S. Maw, thank you so much. Now to that SpaceX mega rocket explosion above South Florida.

The starship's flight ending in flames, debris raining down, disrupting nearly 240 flights. It is the second rocket lost by the aerospace company this year alone. And the FAA is now ordering SpaceX to conduct a thorough investigation. NBC's Tom Costello has the latest. The question for investigators tonight, how could a massive SpaceX starship explode yet again in nearly the same place. Flaming debris falling from the sky. The raining debris visible from South Florida

and several Caribbean islands. There it is, boom. You can see we've lost several engines and we've lost attitude control of the vehicle. Thursday's event eerily similar to the January loss of another starship over the Caribbean. Now I'm just vectoring you away from the zone of the debris. This time, nearly 240 flights disrupted as the FAA diverted planes and ordered airport ground stops.

While the booster rocket landed perfectly back at the launch pad, SpaceX says Starship itself lost several engines before tumbling out of control, and any surviving debris would have fallen within the pre-planned debris response area. On X, CEO Elon Musk called it a minor setback. The biggest rocket ever built is going through robust, testing, igniting, then shutting down and reigniting engines that might one day carry astronauts. But what they're doing is they're trying to simulate what's going to happen when they get closer to the moon. The FAA says it will be involved in every step of the SpaceX-led mishap

investigation, even as Elon Musk has led job cutting efforts at the FAA. Tonight, the FAA says it must approve SpaceX's final report and any corrective action. A return to flight, it says, will only happen when if the FAA is. has convinced public safety is not jeopardized. Allison? Tom Costello, thank you. Next to the White House. Tonight, new details emerging about an explosive meeting involving Elon Musk and members

of President Trump's cabinet, the president denying the clash. NBC News senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez has more. Tonight, new drama over Doge. Two people familiar with the exchanges tell NBC News that a closed-door cabinet meeting yesterday got contentious with Secretary of State. Marco Rubio and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pushing back against billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. Some details have come out about your cabinet meeting with Elon Musk and some clashes potentially between Secretary Rubio and Secretary Duffy. No clash. I was there. You're just a troublemaker. And you're not supposed to be asking that question because we're talking about the World Cup.

Elon gets along great with Marco and they're both doing a fantastic job. But the two sources say Rubio and Duffy did push back on Musk, accusing him of firing their employees without any consideration for whether letting them go was a good idea in terms of maintaining quality and critical staff. Just yesterday, President Trump placed new limits on Musk's downsizing, saying cabinet secretaries will now be in charge, using a scalpel instead of a hatchet. I don't want to see a big cut where a lot of good people are cut. Musk recently huddled with congressional Republicans. We're making good progress. Many supporting his mission to slash the federal bureaucracy. My think Eon Musk is a rock star.

The tofu crowd is mad. But, you know, when you trim fat, pig squeal. That's just the way the world works. While tonight, the Trump administration is also responding to recent campus confrontations over Gaza, canceling about $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University over what it says is the school's continued inaction. in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students. Jewish student Eden Yadigar says she's feared for her safety.

I have been screamed out on campus. I have friends that have been physically assaulted on and around campus for being Jewish. A spokesperson for the university says it's committed to combating anti-Semitism and ensuring the safety of its students. Gabe joins us now from the White House. Gabe, you also have new reporting tonight about President Trump, reaching out to Iran about talks to restrict its nuclear program.

Yeah, that's right, Alison. President Trump now says that he sent a letter this week to Iran's supreme leader trying to strike a new agreement to restrain the country's nuclear program. It's a major pivot for the president who withdrew from a previous Iran nuclear deal during his first term. Ellison. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Next to breaking news out of the Southern District of New York. Two experienced Manhattan prosecutors who worked on the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams have been placed on administrative leave. The move coming from Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who you probably remember

defended President Trump in his New York criminal trial. Let's bring in NBC's National Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent, Tom Winter. I mean, Tom, these were high-ranking officials. Pretty surprising to a lot of people, but maybe not internally. Walk us through what happened here. Yeah, so our understanding is these two without being given a reason, and we haven't been told a reason, although they were on the Adams case. We know the prosecutors in that case were being looked at for refusing a Justice Department order to drop the charges against Adams.

They were under investigation, but they were led out today, rather, by federal law enforcement officials from their office. Celia Cohen, Andrew Roerbach, as you mentioned, two top-line prosecutors that are referred to. These are the prosecutors. They're actually in the court. They're actually working the cases. Roerback really well-known. He brought in was part of the team that was involved in the successful prosecution of Galane who is obviously Jeffrey Epstein's confid on and also helped lead the successful prosecution of Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX founder. So this is somebody who's been involved in some pretty big cases. And this Deputy AG, Todd Blantz, he was only confirmed yesterday, right? Do we have a sense of what next steps could be as it relates to this case from the Deputy AG? Well, the Deputy AG absolutely knows the Southern District of New York, absolutely knows this case.

The person who's been calling the shots up until this point, Amel Bovi is somebody who worked with him on the defense team. You referenced that earlier. That's Todd Blanche's last kind of assignment. It was actually working for the now president of the United States. So where this case specifically goes from here, it's really in the hands of a judge with respect to Eric Adams. Today, an attorney that he brought in to look at this case and say, should I dismiss it? What are my options here? Should I conduct further inquiry? He said, look, based on all the facts, all the case precedent, the separation of powers issues here, and the idea of whether or not there's the Justice Department could hold charges over Mayor Eric Adams' head

in furtherance of some public policy, something tied with immigration. Look, it's just best if you dismiss this case in full, outright, can't bring the charges back. That's his recommendation of the judge where the judge ultimately decides. Well, that's something we'll find out in the coming days. Tom Winter, thank you.

When Top Story returns, two soldiers arrested charged with selling secrets to China. The photos prosecutors say catch them in the act. Plus, the outbreak of measles in the Southwest now expanding where it's spread to now. And is this the future of flying? Delta out with these new plans for passenger jets. When will they take to the skies? Back now with the arrests of two active duty army soldiers and one former soldier. The men accused of stealing U.S. military secrets and selling them to buyers in China and what the Attorney General is

calling a betrayal of the United States. NBC's Justice and Intelligence correspondent, Kandelan, has this report. Prosecutors say this photo shows a U.S. Army soldier betraying his country. The indictment says Army Sergeant Gian Zhao photographed sensitive military documents last fall while on the job at Joint Base McCord in Washington State. Zhao is charged with conspiracy to transmit national defense information, bribery, and theft.

His was one of a pair of cases disclosed last week. week that the government says spotlights the extent of Chinese efforts to steal American military secrets. The information that is at risk here is information that identifies the United States military's capabilities, plans and intentions, and could really put us at a severe disadvantage. Zhao is accused of conspiring to steal and sell nearly two dozen hard drives, some marked secret and top secret, to buyers in China. In the other case, prosecutors charged Army First Lieutenant Lee Tien with bribery and theft, accusing him of selling information about Army Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles to a former soldier.

Neither soldier was charged with espionage, suggesting the government may lack strong evidence they knew they were helping a foreign government. But Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the pair is, quote, accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America's defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China. Neither man has entered a plea. The cases were announced during a week when the Justice Department also charged a dozen Chinese nationals, including some the government says are members of Chinese intelligence services with engaging in a campaign of cyber spying.

Among the targets, FBI officials say, U.S. tech companies, defense contractors, and the U.S. Treasury Department. China denies engaging in illegal hacking. All this comes as the FBI, the primary agency tasked with protecting the United States from foreign espionage, is in turmoil amid a series of firings of top officials. Including the head of the New York field office, who spent much of his career hunting foreign spies and was cheered Thursday as he left the office for the last time. As for the soldiers in Washington State, the FBI says both men had security clearances and went through background checks. Now they are criminal defendants.

And Ken joins us now from DC. Ken, it is always shocking to hear about an army soldier offering to sell military secrets, especially because so many of us associate selling secrets with sort of this Cold War era spy situation, barring a few high-profile cases in recent decades. So take us through the history here. How common is this in modern times? More common than many people realize, Ellison, there have been dozens of these cases in recent years. You know, just last year, an Army intelligence analysts pleaded guilty to selling for $42,000 some sensitive documents to someone in Hong Kong. And also last year, a Navy officer who was sentenced to 27 months in prison

for providing secrets to a Chinese spy. You know, the FBI has said that they open a China-related counter-spy case every 12 hours in the United States. So China is relentlessly trying to steal American secrets, and they're trying to compromise Americans to do it, Ellison. Candelanian at the Department of Justice. Thank you so much. Moving now to the escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada.

Today, President Trump proposing brand-new tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy. The latest announcement coming amid the growing backlash as Canada fights back. NBC's Garrett Haik has this one. On the icy streets of Canada's largest city, a new attitude toward the U.S. You don't stop the back of your friend. I think it's disgraceful. We're very pro-Canadian. We don't want to be the 51st.

state. Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs. In the Oval Office this afternoon, President Trump floating new tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy products on top of the 25% levy imposed this week on most imports from Canada. And we may do it as early as today or we'll wait till Monday or Tuesday, but that's what we're going to do. We're going to charge the same thing. It's not fair. The confusion and costs chipping away at Canadians' innate politeness. This is going to screw us and it's going to Screw you guys. Pardon my words, but yeah, you guys are, all your prices are going to go up and all our prices go up. Canada has responded with escalating tariffs of its own on billions of dollars of American goods.

Provincial governments, too, are taking forceful steps to encourage consumers to buy Canadian. Ontario's government-run liquor stores sell nearly a billion dollars in American products every year, but right now you won't find any on their shelves. The government ordered them to stop selling American wines and liquor earlier this week. What is your message to Donald Trump specifically? Stop the chaos. Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, even threatened to cut off Canadian electricity sold across the border, which powers some one and a half million homes and businesses in New York, Minnesota, and Michigan. That's the last thing I want to do, but President Trump is trying to destroy our country. And Garrett joins us now from Toronto.

Garrett, the reason President Trump says he is implementing these tariffs is because of illegal fentanyl coming across the northern border. How are our officials there in Canada reacting? Well, Doug Ford, the premier here in Ontario, really dismissed that excuse here today when we interviewed him this morning. He said that there's only two-tenths of one percent. It's something like 43 pounds of fentanyl that came across the Canadian border into the United States last year. In the last month that they've been keeping track here in Canada, it was just a few ounces of fentanyl that made it across. The Canadians have thrown a ton of resources at their border. thousands of state police, additional aerial patrols, dogs, you name it.

They think they have nipped this issue in the bud from the Canadian side. And Ford pointed out that there are way more drugs, guns, and undocumented immigrants coming north from the United States into Canada than go the other way. He says that line from the White House just does not hold water here in Ontario. Garrett Haik, thank you. When we come back, we take you inside Russia to the front line of its war with Ukraine. The makeshift bunkers, some are using to say safe, as the war rages around them. Our team with rare access, that is next.

Back now with Top Stories News Feed, police in California urgently looking for a victim whose apparent kidnapping was caught on camera. Terrifying video released by police shows the moment a woman was grabbed off of a poor, punched and shoved into a car in broad daylight. The suspect's car was later determined to be stolen and found abandoned in East Oakland. Police have yet to locate the suspect or the victim. The deadly measles outbreak out west, growing again and surpassing more than 200 total cases. Officials now reporting more than 189 cases in Gaines County, Texas and 23 hospitalizations. At least 30 cases reported in neighboring Leah County in New Mexico.

Health officials say these numbers are likely in undercount, with many people not getting tested, as we've reported a possible second measles death now being investigated in New Mexico. And Delta Airlines is partnering with Jet Zero for what they call the future of air travel. The airlines unveiling this design for a sustainable aircraft, the company says it will be 50% more fuel efficient and quieter while having the same range and seat capacities as a mid-range international aircraft. This is part of Delta's effort to reach net zero emissions by 2025. The aircraft could take to the skies as early as 27. Heading overseas now to Russia's front line, NBC News, is the first U.S. network to visit the Russian border city of Kursk since Ukrainian forces

invaded it seven months ago. NBC's chief international correspondent Kier-Simmons spoke to residents and officials on the ground to bring us this report. Hours after Ukraine officials say a Russian missile struck a hotel killing four people, President Trump, with a new threat to Russian President Putin, posting Russia is absolutely pounding Ukraine and that he's strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a peace deal is reached. I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. It may be easier dealing with Russia, which is surprising because they have all the cards.

And they're bombing the hell out of them right now. And I put a statement in a very strong statement. Can't do that. Here in Russia, it does not seem like ending the war will be easy, where it's now become a fact of life. In the Russian city of Kursk, air raid sirens are ignored. NBC News, the first U.S. network to reach the region since Ukrainian forces invaded this Russian area last year.

Her response to President Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, The mayor of Kursk shows us a makeshift air raid shelter constructed eight months ago. I want people to return to their homes, even if some of them are destroyed, he says. A road bristling with Russian military takes us to the frontline town of Rilst, where the mayor shows us a concert hall. He says was struck by Ukraine, killing two people. President Trump has said that Russia is ready for peace. for peace. We hope for peace, he says, and normal existence.

In Kursk, Russian and North Korean troops are locked in a battle with Ukrainian forces. We have to liberate our territory, the mayor says, without question. He shows us a crater outside an elementary school. Do you think about the Ukrainian schools that have been targeted, the kids that have been killed in the past three years? That's a provocative question, he replies. In Russia, criticizing the war means jail, and no one we spoke to blamed President Putin. Everything rests on Zelensky, this man says.

Others believe President Trump can help. Trump is wonderful man. Tonight, President Putin says he is open to a ceasefire. But Russian officials say they expect concrete proposals. Well, what result does Russia want to achieve? I think that it's a normal situation when you are operating. between two big countries which have lots of common interests because that is the will of your citizens to establish comprehensive contact.

But how quickly should we expect there to be a summit if there is one between President Trump and President Putin? How soon do you think that might happen? It depends on the both sides and the speed of the border. both sides. Is Russia in a hurry? We are not in a hurry, but we are ready. And Kier joins us now from Moscow. Kier, in the conversation at the end of your piece there with Russia's Director of Information and Press, I understand you also asked her about the possibility of French and British troops in Ukraine. What was her response to that? Disparaging, utterly disparaging. She laughed. She does this. And you never

can tell with Russian officials when they're trolling and when they are really being serious. But clearly the Russians want to send a message that they are not frightened of the Europeans and they are being threatening. They are suggesting that if the French and the British put troops in Ukraine, that could escalate to a wider war. Fascinating, isn't it? Because, of course, the Trump administration and Trump supporters say that Europe is barreling towards a wider war. And yet, some of the things that are happening now under President Trump, the Russians are saying, are indirectly leading towards that very outcome. Kear Simmons, thank you.

Coming up next, a bit of color could soon disappear from the world around us. Researchers warning that the butterfly population in the United States is rapidly declining. What they say is causing the dip and what can be done to stop it. Stay with us. We're back now with some news about butterflies that stings like a bee. A new study showing the overall population of butterflies is declining at what researchers are calling a catastrophic rate. NBC's Maya Eagland spoke to scientists about why it's happening and how to stop it. Tonight, an alarming news study is causing a flutter in the scientific world. world. America's butterflies are on the decline. The journal Science, finding that since 2000,

the insect's population has dropped 22%. It is catastrophic. I'm distressed. It really keeps me up at night. Co-author of that study, Nick Haddad says climate change, habitat loss, and insecticides are just some of the factors contributing to the dip. He also noted that while the species has been on a decline, the scope of this loss is staggering. The trend is so consistent and it's true over time and to chew over so many places, that was surprising. You can look at these and kind of learn the... At the American Museum of Natural History in New York, curator and invertebrate zoology chair, Jessica Ware,

has been watching this downfall in real time. We know that insect biodiversity has been decreasing, certainly since the Industrial Revolution, but it has really accelerated in the last several decades. How big of a problem do you think these declining populations and butterflies are? I think we should be really, really concerned. They're important food sources for lots of different animals, including other insects like dragonflies, but also mammals and birds.

It affects the plants that they're pollinating. So when we see declines like that, which are being reported, it should be a red flag, like a real loud warning bell saying something has to change. All of this, leaving the future of the over 700 species of U.S. butterflies in the wild up in the air, making exhibits like this one more important than ever. I do see some, but never as many as I used to see when I was a little girl. It's sad to think that if in my lifetime butterflies could be extinct. But there is some good news on the horizon.

The monarch butterfly population that migrates from the U.S. and Canada to Mexico in the winter is rebounding. Mexico's Commission for National Protected Areas revealing that the area the monarchs covered in their country doubled this year compared to last. A potential silver lining for the threatened migratory species. So what actions can be taken to help them bounce back? Experts say using less insecticides on our crops is an important step, but also note that on an individual level, planting butterfly-friendly plants like milkweed in your backyard has a huge impact. There is hope for butterflies to reverse course and recover again.

We just have to be able to make changes that get us off the current track that is downward. As everyone from scientists to home gardeners work to ensure these airborne beauties stay safe in our skies. My Eaklin, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, a look at what you can binge watch and listen to this weekend. The new series with Megan Markle getting a whole lot of buzz. We're back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by Will Injovo TV radio and podcast host all the way from the United Kingdom. Will, so glad to have you here.

So excited to talk about all of these things with you. We've already started, so let's jump in because the first one is a Netflix docu-series that takes a look, kind of a different look, at the story and the history behind the Manson murders. It is called Chaos the Manson murder. Let's watch. These people were on LSD. Manson was preaching all the time. Race wars, murder was okay. When a story did start to emerge, it was managed very carefully. It was managed and manipulated. that what we were told isn't going to happen.

I thought this was good. I was like, what are we going to know that's new? But this actually does touch on a lot of different... Yes. So this is actually delving into all the conspiracy theories, you know, around the coal. And one of the theories that's being looked into is, you know, was the government involved? Did the government influence anything that happened with the coal? Did the government influence maybe some of the murders that, you know, had taken place?

So there's definitely going to be more exclusive drops coming out from this documentary, I think a lot of people want to know about. And, of course, this is true crime at its absolute finest. And I just think everyone's obsessed of it. Like, and I know that a lot of people in the U.S., the UK, are excited to watch this. What is the take on true crime series in the UK versus the U.S.? Because it seems like we get a new one every week.

I'm obsessed, like I'm a religious dateline watcher. Really? I watch it because I'm like, I'm trying to figure out how I don't get killed. Like, you'll never catch me picking up a stranger, giving a ride. No, I've learned my lesson in the series. What's the fascination behind it in the UK? True crime in the UK is absolutely massive. Again, as you said, I just think that people want to know, like, what should I do?

What should I not do? How do I protect myself? But then I'm actually scared of it, by the way. Like, I don't like to dove into it too, too much. And that's just because I feel like if I sit down on what's true crime documentaries every single day, I won't leave my house. I'll be too paranoid. But, again, it's a massive, massive genre. And this one is going to be a hit.

And it seems like it'll spark a lot of questions and discussions about bigger things in society that maybe people still care about now, or just reflecting on the past and where things were. So I'm excited to watch this one. Critics are saying that, you know, this could be a doc that even, like, possibly, like, reopens up cases and stuff like that. Because there's so much exclusive information coming out of it, and they're delving into so many conspiracy theories

that haven't really been tapped into before. Yeah, and Errol Morris, who I think is behind this, is really interesting, and has done a lot of documentaries in the past kind of centered around the same thing of questioning CIA action, all of that. Okay, the next one we have is also on Netflix. This is a series. It's not scripted, but we don't call it a docu-series.

lifestyle lifestyle it's all about Megan Markle it's getting a lot of buzz a lot of polarizing opinions it's called with love Megan check it out what this is probably one of the most glamorous moments of my life it's mad I'm gonna share some little tips and tricks I see what color I gravitate to and everything goes from there and how you can incorporate these practices every day that's what you want You want that shape and texture. Come on. It's feel good.

Why are people moaning? Why are people complaining? First of all, this is a docu-series simply just about Megan Markle's life. She's inviting her celebrity friends around. Her mates, you know, they're doing all things lifestyle, cooking, and DIY. It's just normal life. It's an insight into her life, right? At the moment, we know Megan Markle as this royal.

She's, you know, in the public eye. She's a celebrity. But this is just showing her and somewhat humanizing her. Now, the critics online are saying, oh, gosh, is she just using this to, like, you know, revamp or rehabilitate her image? Is she just, you know, trying to get in America's good books. She's trying to get in the public's good books again to show people that she's a good person. I don't particularly think that there's anything wrong with what she's doing here. I think she's just showing people, hey, this is how I live my life.

And kudos to her. I will say, for me, I'm like, things you can incorporate in your daily life. I'm like, a thing I will never be incorporating is beekeeping. Also, not going to put flowers in my life. Ice Cube, but you do you, Megan. People are also really upset at the fact that she's not mentioned the royal family in this, because people are like, well, you know, the royal family essentially made you a star. The royal family made you famous and plate on the map.

People are online and like, well, how dare you not even mention them? Now you've got your Netflix series. Has the royal family said anything about it? Well, and that is the tea. Some may argue that, you know, the royal family never speak publicly about Megan. So why should she do the same? Interesting. Okay, a lot of people are going to definitely be watching that.

I think it's already been renewed for a second season, so a lot of time there. Okay, the next one, I stayed up late watching this because Peacots, the Traders' finale, baby, and the reunion, both are out. Check it out. Murder and treachery, secrets and lies. If you think you can trust somebody, think again. They'll all stop at nothing for the ultimate prize. This is crazy. This game is torture us.

Finally, people are taking me seriously. They were not taking Tom Sandoval seriously, I'm just to say, but I'm obsessed. Obsessed. Now, obviously, this is my favorite reality TV series at the moment. Like, I just thought the concept of the trait is. It's brilliant. Yes, and it was British first, and we stole it. Yes, but look, I think both versions, it just exposes, like, humans, like how good they can lie, like the deception. And the UK version, again, I think I told you this before off air, it's much more toned down, right? There's not as much confrontation, and if there was confrontation, the British one, people would start crying.

That's just how us Brits are. But I love this US series, and I thought this is my favorite U.S. series. There's just been so much drama. Everyone's going at it. Now, obviously, look, the finale and the reunion has aired, I just don't want to spoil too much tea. Like, I'm trying my best not to say, but it was a dramatic close to a wonderful series. I was actually some tea. I was actually at a finale screening party last night.

Some of the cast members were there. And let's just say that it was tense in the room. I couldn't even. But, you know, go and watch that finale. It's such a good show. And the reunion show, hosted by Andy as well. Brilliant. Amazing. Andy Cohen hosts that.

Alan Cummings, phenomenal TV host. I love, I mean, he should get an Oscar for the show. Oh, 100%. Personal opinion. Okay. We have time for one more song, so let's go to Dolly Parton, because she's released an emotional new song that's actually in memory of her husband, her late husband, Carl Dean, who passed away early.

this week at the age of 82. This song is called If You Hadn't Been There. Listen. when I listened, I'm like, this feels like a final love letter. That's kind of what it is. She's written that from the heart. And the turnaround from when the incident happens to the song being released tells you that that song has come straight from the heart.

So bless her. And yeah, give it a listen. Yeah, all right, definitely will. Will and Jovo, thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it. And thank you at home for watching Top Story for Tom Yamis. I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there.

More news is on the way. You know,