Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, March 8, 2024

Episode Date: March 9, 2024

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, President Biden's fiery state of the union address kicking the 2024 election into high gear. Biden's commanding an energetic speech in effort to reassure Americans he's ready for a second term. Biden hammering former President Trump referring to him only as my predecessor. The president going off script and on the offensive sparring with Republicans, the heated moment he took on Marjorie Taylor Green over the border crisis. And our Peter Alexander, going one-on-one today with Vice President Kamala Harris, pressing her on the possibility of the president meeting Trump on the debate stage. Also, tonight, deadly air drop, a parachute carrying desperately needed aid to Gaza, failing to open, video showing supplies plummeting to the ground.

Gaza's health ministry says aid crushed and killed several people in the war-torn area. The tragedy highlighting the urgency for other methods to deliver supplies. The new details on President Biden's plan to build a port as the humanitarian crisis grows. Mass stabbing horror. A 19-year-old student accused of stabbing and killing a family he lived with. The only survivor, the father, wounded in the attack, now grappling with the loss of his entire family, including a newborn. What we know about a motive and how the rampage in Ottawa, Canada, is shaking the region. Tornado danger. This monster twister caught on camera as dangerous storms charge across the south, nearly 30 million on alert for life-threatening flooding,

torrential rain and hail. Bill Cairns is standing by to time it all out. Plus, guerrilla scare, a terrifying situation as the silver bat gorilla charges zookeepers trapped in the animal's enclosure, what the zoo says went wrong and how both were able to escape unscathed. And buzzer-beater battle. A referees call costing a New Jersey high school basketball team a shot at the state championship, the team taking their fight to a judge, hoping a winner will be determined in a court instead of on one. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, President Biden basking in the glow of a powerful state of the union address, now the launch, the launch pad, rather, of his

re-election campaign. A defiant Biden coming right out of the gate, blasting former President Trump, referring to him only as, quote, my predecessor, the president taking Trump to task for the January 6th insurrection, saying you cannot love your country only when you win. President Biden spending much of his speech talking about abortion rights, the economy, immigration, and the Israel-Hamas war. Throughout his address, Biden welcomed opportunities to spar with Republicans, including the stunning moment he took on Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green from the lectern over an alleged murder by an undocumented immigrant. The president's address receiving high marks in a CNN poll today, showing 65% of Americans watching this speech had a positive response.

But that number lagging behind ratings for Biden's previous addresses and coming amid historically low approval ratings for this president. Biden today shifting into campaign mode, visiting key battleground states, hoping the momentum from last night's address propels him towards a second term. Our Peter Alexander spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris today. about the speech and whether it won over voters concerned about Biden's age. Tonight, after a critical speech where President Biden took repeated swipes at his likely Republican opponent, Donald Trump. Now my predecessor, a former Republican president tells Putin, quote, do whatever the hell you want. I think it's outrageous.

And sparred with Republicans in the room. You're saying, lo, look at the facts. I know. I know you know how to read. Vice President Kamala Harris tonight insists the president put to rest voter concerns. The 81-year-old is too old for another term. Did he answer those questions last night? He was absolutely on fire, and he answered any question that anyone might have.

We also asked about Republican criticism of her readiness for the job. Listen, as it relates to me, I'm ready, if necessary, but it's not going to be necessary. The president vowing to protect abortion rights. When reproductive freedom was on the ballot, we won in 2022 and 2020, and we'll win again in 2024. And slamming Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan border security bill at the urging of Mr. Trump. Republicans say President Biden could solve the crisis on his own by executive order. The former president told the leadership of the Republican Party in Congress, don't put it on the floor for a vote because he has been very very, very unapologetic and clear. He'd prefer to run on a problem instead of fix a problem.

Given the Republicans aren't going to fix those problems with Democrats, why not do it by executive order? The American people deserve leadership that's about fixing problems. And that's why he's going to lose in November. We have a lot of work to be done, but let us not negate the role and responsibility of leaders in Congress. One of the most dramatic moments, Republican Marjorie Taylor Green, challenging the president. president to say the name of Lakin Riley, a Georgia nursing student. Police say was murdered by a Venezuelan migrant who crossed into the U.S. illegally. Not really. I. The president then picking up a button, Green gave him. Lincoln, Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That's right. But how many of the people?

thousands of people being killed by legal to her parents I say my heart goes out to you having lost children myself I understand after Mr. Trump this week challenged president Biden to debate any time anywhere any place the president today would not commit to one it depends on his behavior we pressed the vice president I haven't talked to the president yet about that but I'll tell you something on the one hand you've got Joe Biden someone who is competent who is principled And on the other side of that split screen, you've got the former president who glorifies dictators and has said he'll be a dictator on day one. Will you commit to do a debate? Peter, we just got through the state of the union.

And I'm just so excited about what we accomplished last night and our president. And Peter Alexander joins us now live in studio. Peter, as you noted in your report, the former president, current Republican leader of the party, if you will, mentioned a lot in. Biden's state of the union address, even though it wasn't exactly by name. Trump himself watching this closely, I think commenting on truth social as it went, what has his reaction been to this? Well, you're exactly right. President Biden, not mentioning his name, but referring to his predecessor 13 times in that address last night. The former president was reacting in real time on his social media platform describing the president as being angry and crazy. Today, he said

that he was senile. Republicans, though, they've also been very critical of this speech. They said that it was hyper-partisan. Those words from Speaker Mike Johnson, the top Republican in the House also described it as divisive in a lot of ways, Alison, this is sort of the starting gun this week for the 2024 general election campaign. President Biden already on the road in Philadelphia tonight. He's going to have an aggressive travel schedule this month. I'm told, hitting five swing states in the next seven days. So that moment with Marjorie Taylor Green, where she was calling at him, telling him yelling to say the name of this nursing student, Lakin Riley, who was murdered in Georgia, and the president got her first

name wrong, calling her Lincoln Riley. What has the reaction to that moment within the Trump team and Democrats been? Because that is something that you never want to get a victim's name wrong, right? We do those stories on air all the time, too. That is a horrible thing to accidentally do, even if it was inadvertent. What's the reaction there? Well, we heard from the vice president on this. She said that there was a lot of back and forth in that moment that the president was trying to demonstrate empathy to the family of Lake and Riley, of course, the Georgia nursing student who was killed. Police say it was at the hands of a Venezuelan migrant who crossed into the United States illegally. But we are hearing from Lake and Riley's own mother, Alison Phillips, who on

social media said to others, she said that it was, quote, pathetic that the president didn't know her daughter's name. All right. Peter Alexander, thank you. We appreciate it. For more on Biden's State of the Union address and a look ahead to the general election campaign. I'm joined now by our political pros of the night. Michael Starr Hopkins, Democratic strategists and the president of Northern Star Strategies, and Mark Lodder,

former Strategic Communications Director on the Trump 2020 campaign. Thank you both for being here. We really appreciate it. So, Mark, let's start with you. Democrats, as Peter was just reporting, they are praising Biden's speech as a massive victory for him.

He laid out contrast between himself and Trump and then focused more specifically on his own record. You had Senator Katie Britt giving the Republican rebuttal, according to a report in the Daily Beast, some Trump team operatives are describing that rebuttal speech as, quote, one of our biggest disasters. Break everything down for us from last night.

What did you see? Well, I saw the president come out right out of the gate of the speech and not address the number one or number two issue on the minds of the American people, being the economy, skyrocketing inflation or the crisis at the southern border. He led with Ukraine and sending billions of dollars to Ukraine, but not talking about securing our border, building a wall and preventing what we saw happen with Lake and Riley and so many other examples of immigrants who have come here and committed crimes, sexually assaulted young women. And so I thought it was out of touch. And I thought it was an angry speech. There was a lot of yelling.

And I don't think that's the way you're going to attract many uncommitted voters. Michael, same question for you. did you see last night? I saw a president that's ready for the 2024 election. The election officially started last night, and President Biden took it directly to Republicans. For the last three years, Republicans have said that President Biden was too frail, that he was senile, that he couldn't perform his duties. Well, he showed up last night and made the case, and not just reached out to the American public,

but really talked about principles. It's awkward to hear Republicans talk about the president being too mean or too high. hyper-partisan, when in Trump's last state of the union, he gave Rush Limbaugh the Medal of Honor. It's laughable, and I think the American public sees it. Mark, Biden blasted Trump and congressional Republicans for blocking that bipartisan border bill, accurately pointing out that the Senate bill was written with conservatives. It would be the most significant immigration reform in a generation if it was actually passed. Trump does not want it, right, fearing that it'll be a political win for Biden,

and he put pressure on Republicans to not move forward with it. that. Could that strategy backfire? I mean, securing the southern border rate is a major part of Trump's political brand, but he is blocking a possible fix to the current crisis. Is that a political liability for him? Well, first off, that's actually not true. The Speaker of the House called that bill dead on arrival long before the president got involved, where I worked during my day job at the America First Policy Institute. We rejected that proposal weeks before the president came out, but the president's not wrong because it doesn't actually fix the border problem. It actually makes it worse by allowing 5,000 legal immigrants in per day until it actually shuts

the border down. It legalizes catch and release. What we need is HR2, which the House of Representatives passed eight months ago and now has bipartisan support. As you see, John Federman coming out and saying, the Senate needs to take up this bill, that would actually reinstate the Trump policies that worked to support. the border. Michael, we saw the Biden campaign release a statement this week telling supporters of Nikki Haley, Trump doesn't want you, but there's a place for you in my campaign.

Respond a little bit to some of what Mark was saying, the idea of Biden's speech last night being hyper-partisan. Why didn't he make a direct appeal to those Haley voters? Do you think any way that that was some sort of political fumble? No, I think the president was making a speech to all Americans. This wasn't just a speech to Democrats. It was making a case for principles, which is something that we've lost in this country in the wake of Donald Trump and his presidency. I wrote a column this week for the Hill where I talked about the fact that Nikki Haley should appeal to Americans by becoming a right-in candidate as a protest against Donald Trump. She uniquely understands the threat that Donald Trump is to this country. And so I think that

Nikki Haley and her supporters would find a very great coalition at home with the Biden campaign. Mark, what should the Trump campaign be trying to target or focus on in the days and weeks ahead after a speech like this? I think it's very simple. You need to focus in on Joe Biden's record. It's one thing he did not have in 2020. He was basically a hypothetical president. He's a real president now with a real record. Two-thirds of the American people think were on the wrong track. Two-thirds of the American people think we're on the wrong track. Two-thirds of the American people oppose his policies on the economy, on immigration, on crime, on just about every major issue facing the voters. So if you remind people that we had more money in our pockets, prices were lower, you were safer at home, our border was secure, and the world wasn't at war, you win this race hands down. Michael, yeah, last question to you.

You can respond to that. I was going to ask you the same question, what should the Biden campaign be focusing on in the days and weeks to come? And that idea of a debate, any advice for the Biden campaign on whether or not he should do it? Look, this is a question of, are you better off now than you were four years ago? Four years ago, we were in the middle of COVID. The country was shut down. The economy was in a spiral. Now 15 million new jobs.

We have a cap on the price of insulin. The economy is roaring back. And we're now fighting for women to have the right to choose. We are better off than we were now. And Republicans want to take us back. And you can show that through abortion. All right, Michael Starr Hopkins. Mark Lauder, thank you both. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.

And heading into that general election, Donald Trump still marred by a myriad of courtroom controversies. His latest legal woe, a $91 million bond. Trump posting the bond and filing a notice to appeal in the E. E.G. Carroll case. The bond necessary to prevent Carol's attorney from trying to seize Trump's assets while he appeals a New York jury's $83 $83 million. defamation verdict. A lot of numbers there, a lot of cases, but luckily we have NBC legal analyst Angela Sinadella with us in studio now to talk about all of that in Trump's looming legal battles. Okay, so let's start with the bond there because it is, it's a lot of numbers and it's just a lot of money and hard to keep track of why post this, if you're going to do this, blah, blah, blah, blah. Break it down for us. I mean, how long could the appeals possibly last here?

So the appeals process will definitely take months, not unheard of. to take over a year. But look, as much as his team might claim that this verdict will be overturned on appeal, it is a long shot, Ellison. Appeals always are. And look, this was a defamation trial, which means that the jury really decided this based on the credibility. Their determination of whether or not E. Jean Carroll was lying and any other witness on the stand. Those types of issues are not even considered on appeal, not whether or not she was lying or how credible she was. So I don't see a real easy appeal, an issue that could be won here. Okay, but he could just run, I guess, run the clock out as long as he wants, right?

But he's paying for that with his legal team. Is that sort of the theory as to when would the appeals possibly stop? Can you just keep going and going? Oh, no, the appeals process will take months. The appellate court will hear it. It's just slow. It's just slow. So they have to file briefs and they have to oral arguments, et cetera.

Got it. Okay, good. Okay, so let's turn now to his civil fraud case. This is in the New York appeals court. judge denying Trump's request to post a $100 million bond instead of what his attorneys call an impossible $464 million penalty. They say he won't be able to put up the full amount without selling off some of his properties. This decision it was against Trump as well as his sons and his company. In that case, what is next? Okay, so he got this rush hearing in front of one appellate

judge who decided that he had to put up the full amount. $100 million was not enough. Now, his next step is to asked for the five panel of judges, all of them to also hear his case. But if they deny his request on March 25th or before then, he has to put up over $500 million. But in this case, even though I just said appeals are obviously very hard to win, I think he has a little bit more of a chance. And that's because the judge here really applied the law in ways that has never been applied before, which means there's more openings for appeal. It's never been applied before against a person versus a company and also a case where there are no victims. Interesting. Okay, so this last one to touch on is the U.S. District Judge

that is planning to hear arguments on two of Donald Trump's motions as it relates to the classified documents case against him. That is in Florida, but it's being led by Special Counsel Jack Smith. Special Counsel Jack Smith urging that judge to reject Trump's sweeping claims of presidential immunity, his office writing this in a legal filing, that, quote, his claim that obviously presidential records, highly sensitive government documents bearing classification marks that were presented to Trump during his term in office can be transformed into personal records by the alchemy of removing them from the White House is false. Smith essentially saying Trump's claim here and with the Supreme Court would mean presidents

would not be held legally responsible for basically anything that they did or would do post. How strong of a rebuttal is that? And what do you expect the judicial response to be here? So, Jack Smith's argument there is very strong. And this is all in the context of a motion to dismiss. So defendants always will bring a motion to dismiss. But in a case like this, it's almost very unlikely that it will survive or that it will actually be dismissed. Prosecutors don't bring cases which they believe will not survive these motions.

So in this case, I think that that argument is very strong and that we will see this case move forward. But his biggest enemy, Jack Smith, in this case, is time because they first wanted a May trial, then a July. The judge there said July is still too early. So that takes us closer and closer to the election. If this trial does not happen and Trump assumes office again, he can make it all go away. How long could the motion to dismiss be in limbo, I guess? Like, would we get a decision on that pretty quickly? Yeah, we'll get that decision pretty quickly.

But then after that, every piece of evidence has to be examined by the judge. And in classified documents cases, these are exceedingly rare. Judges don't have a lot of history or experience with this. They have to look at every piece of evidence and decide what can Trump's team see, what can the other team see, what should be admitted. So that's why this pretrial process should be very long. All right, Angela Snedella, thank you so much. We appreciate it. We turn now to the forecast and the tornado danger in the heartland.

A severe tornado warning storm that is tracking across southern Kansas, the massive wall class. You see that there is looming over the city of Coffeyville, those storms still threatening the Midwest and southeast tonight. So let's get right over to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens, who joins us now. So, Bill, what exactly are you monitoring? Where do things stand in terms of the latest track? Yeah, the tornado watch still issues for the rest of this evening, but I'm more concerned with flash flooding and what's going to happen during the overnight hours.

But we'll start with the tornado threat. That goes until 9 o'clock. We have our tornado watch still from Mobile to Biloxi up here right along the border of Mississippi in Alabama. We haven't had any official confirmed tornadoes yet. We had at least one or two tornado warnings earlier. Flash flooding has been a problem all day long in Mississippi. Hattiesburg, you're under a flash flood warning. You had some really strong thunderstorms earlier. And now all of this rain is going to head through areas of Alabama. And then it's going to head to Georgia tonight and a little bit of South Carolina. Atlanta, you are under this flash flood

watch. Also, heaviest rainfall total took to be from Atlanta southwards all the way down towards Albany, Georgia. Atlanta, maybe two inches. Columbus could get an additional almost four inches of rain. That's why we think significant flash flooding is going to happen right through the overnight hours. And then tomorrow, this whole mess is in the mid-Atlantic additional severe storms in the southeast. All our friends in the Carolinas, especially down through Georgia, that's where you could deal with storms. Then Sunday, we blow that storm out of here. So this is the area of risk of severe storms tomorrow. It's mostly a slight risk, damaging wind, maybe some small hail with these storms. Again, Georgia, Carolina's north Florida. And then that rain as it moves in Saturday

night. Be prepared for that around New York City to Philadelphia under a flood watch in Philly. And then our friends up in Maine, New Hampshire also. Rainfall totals, another one to two inches. And this is on top of the one to two inches. We just got a day ago. So everything's very soggy out there. And the high elevations, Ellison, a snowstorm. Everything's been melting so rapidly. Everyone's like, all right, winter's over. But most of the mountainous areas are going to get six to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow and windy conditions. Could have some power outage problems, too. So, yeah, kind of a nasty early spring storm. All right, Bill Cairns, thank you. We appreciate it.

Next tonight, the latest out of the Middle East. Five people were killed after a parachute with humanitarian aid failed to open as it fell in Gaza. This, according to medical officials, there. NBC News, as Richard Engle has the latest. This is what an aid drop into Gaza is supposed to look like. As today, a Jordanian military cargo plane dropped pallets of food near Gaza City. They fall slowly. But this also happens.

today. As the pallets are dropped by another aircraft, one of the parachutes on the right of the screen fails to open. The package comes apart in mid-air, the pieces falling down with heavy thuds. The other pallets also drop very quickly. Palestinian medical officials and witnesses say five people were crushed to death. To establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean. Last night, President Biden announced the U.S. military will build a peer to improve and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid. NBC News has learned it could take up to 60 days for it to be fully operational. But Washington also supplies Israel with weapons. Instead of telling us they will

build a port to help us, stop giving the weapons they used to kill us, this man said. We were on an aid drop yesterday as a Jordanian military C-130 flew over northern Gaza. They've just given the signal that they're ready to drop. The pallets carried ten of thousands of meals. Our crew filmed as hungry people went searching for food. As they searched, they approached Israeli troops because that's where the food aid was. Not long after, an explosion can be heard. And an injured man is taken from the area.

The Israeli military says its troops have opened fire on those who appear to pose a threat. Gazans face an impossible dilemma. nothing and go hungry and possibly starve, or search for food at the risk of being shot or hit by raining pallets. Alison. Richard Engel, thank you. Still ahead tonight, massacre in Ottawa, six people, including an infant, stabbed to death inside of their home, the suspect, a teenager on a student visa who was living inside the family's

home. Plus, another airport mishap involving a united flight, a plane skidding off the runway in Houston, what we know about the 160 passengers on board. And from the basketball court to a courtroom, a high school basketball team thinking they won a playoff game with a buzzer beater, but the last-minute basket was taken away by the refs. Now they're asking a judge to reverse the call. Stay with us. We're back now with a disturbing story out of Canada. The city of Ottawa reeling tonight, after a 19-year-old assailant went on a mass-stabbing spree, killing six people in their home.

Four of them, children, the youngest victim, just two and a half months old. NBC news correspondent, George Solis, has the heartbreaking details in the latest on the police investigation. Tonight, a devastated community in Ottawa, Canada, is mourning after what police are calling the worst mass killing in the city's history. Six people, including a newborn, brutally murdered. Authories say a mother, her four children, and a family friend were stabbed to death in their home late Wednesday night. The victims ranging in age from 40 to just two and a half months old. This was a senseless act of violence perpetrated on purely innocent people.

The husband and father of the victims was also injured in the attack but survived, now recovering at a local hospital where he's in serious but stable condition. The investigation has found that an edged weapon was used to cover. cause the deaths and injuries. To be clear, this was a mass killing, not a mass shooting. The suspect, February O Desusa, a 19-year-old Sri Lankan National, living in Canada on a student visa, arrested shortly after police arrived on scene. Dezoisa, who made a brief court appearance on Thursday, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Police say the family was new to Canada, originally from Sri Lanka, and believe the 40-year-old

victim and the suspect were living in the home at the time of the attack. Police telling Canada CTV news, the landlord was not aware they were living there. The rare mass killing, shocking, the city of Ottawa, which has a population of one million and only saw 14 murders in 2023 and 15 in 2022. Ottawa's mayor Mark Sutcliffe calling it one of the most shocking incidents of violence in our city's history. Now, as police continue to search for a motive, the suspect is due back in court next week. Meanwhile, a vigil, a vigil. for the victims is planned for this weekend. Alison.

George Solis, thank you. When we come back, trapped with a silverback gorilla, shocking new video shows an eight charging at two zookeepers in Texas as visitors watched. The staffers forced to hide inside the enclosure what the zoo says happened. That's next. We're back with Top Story's news feed and another mishap involving a United Airlines flight. New video shows the Boeing 737 max 8 after it ran off of the runway at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.

Officials say the plane's left landing gear rolled off the tarmac. 166 people were on board at the time, but luckily no one was hurt. It comes just one day after the wheel fell off of another United flight during takeoff in San Francisco. A scary situation caught on camera at a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Take a look at this. Video circulating on social media shows a silverback gorilla charging at two zookeepers inside its enclosure while visitors watched in horror. One of the staffers hiding behind a door. Luckily, they were able to get out unharmed.

In a statement, the Fort Worth Zoo says the staffers mistakenly entered the enclosure while the gorilla was still inside. And George Santos announcing he's running for Congress against. just three months after he was expelled. Santos, who was also facing federal charges, made the announcement as he attended the State of the Union address in Washington. He's not running for his old seat, and instead we'll try to unseat a Republican in another district. In December, he was expelled from office in a landslide vote

and is currently facing 23 felony counts. Next to a heartbreaker on the basketball court, now playing out in a county superior court. A high school team in New Jersey thought they had punched their ticket to the state championship with a buzzer beater, only to have that victory taken away minutes later by the referees. Their effort now having that call reversed before the clock runs out, they're going to court for it. NBC news correspondent Stephen Romo reports. It was a rebound just in the nick of time. And a putback that sealed the Manusquan high school

basketball team's trip to the New Jersey State Championship game, or so they thought. But then, The referees convened, waving the basket off, handing that victory to the Camden High School Panthers. The pivot shocking. This video clearly showing the ball leaving the Warriors' players' hands before the clock hit zero. But the reversal standing, sending Camden instead of Manisquan to the Group 2 state finals scheduled for Saturday. Manisquan's Board of Education taking the issue to a different kind of court, calling it an absolute travesty. Esquan asking the Ocean County Superior Court judge to postpone the championship game until it can be resolved. For some unknown reason, after everyone was leaving the court, one of the referees changed the mind of the referee that made the initial decision.

We just need to make that wrong right. But getting anyone to help with that has been easier said than done. Even after the second ref reportedly wrote to the New Jersey State Interschalactic Athletic Association to admit his call. was wrong, the organization refusing to roll it back. In a statement, the association saying the rules are clear. Once game officials leave the visual confines of the playing court, the game is concluded and the score is official. The results could not then and cannot now be changed. The judge offering little additional help, ruling that the dispute is outside the court's jurisdiction. This case never should have been brought to the Chancery Division of the Superior Court.

This is high school basketball. There's the rules of regulations. You have to learn to live with the decisions of a referee. I mean, it's all part of sports. In a last-ditch attempt for relief, Manusquan's lawyers asking the state's education commissioner to step in. But that request was denied as well. Now Manusquan appealing the judge's decision. But the clock rapidly ticking as the championship game they say they deserve to play in is still scheduled for tomorrow.

And Stephen Romo joins us now in. in studios. In that video seems to pretty clearly show a game-winning shot. What is the plan for this team moving forward to try and resolve this? Yeah, as we saw, they really went through so many different options, trying to think outside the box to find a resolution to this. Now they're really just waiting to see if that appeal for that judge's decision can actually go through. But time ticking down. Noon tomorrow is when that game is supposed to happen, the one that they would like to be in. Right now, the boys team actually saying, put all your support behind the girls team, go out and support them. They play.

at 2 o'clock tomorrow, so they're trying to throw that support. But right now, they're really just hoping something comes through. Stephen Romo, thank you. Now to Top Story's Global Watch, a new U.N. report finding Iran responsible for the, quote, physical violence that killed 22-year-old Masha Amini. Back in 2020, Amini was arrested by Iran's morality police for allegedly not wearing a hijab. Her death, while in custody, sparked widespread protest and international condemnation. The U.N. also calling Iran's response to her. the protest, quote, unnecessary and disproportionate with at least 500 people dead and more than 22,000 detained. The former president of Honduras has been convicted of drug trafficking

here in the United States, a jury finding Juan Orlando Hernandez guilty today after a two-week trial. In closing arguments, prosecutors saying he, quote, paved a cocaine superhighway to the U.S. from Central America. He's the first former head of state to be convicted of drug charges in the United States in more than three decades. The 55-year-old now faces 40 years in prison. And a special partnership celebrating female hockey players this international women's day. Beer company, Molson, unveiling these new jerseys for the professional women's hockey league. The players' names will appear at the bottom of the jersey instead of the top, which is often blocked by their hair. The company says it's a way to provide more recognition for the players.

The jerseys making their debut tonight at the Toronto versus Montreal game. Now, to a rare look at the inner workings of China's often secretive government. Our Janice Mackey Freyer got access to the biggest political event of the year, the National People's Congress in Beijing. Though largely ceremonial, the legislative sessions, provide insight into the Communist Party's plans for the upcoming year. Here's Janice with that report. So this is Tiananmen Square.

You've got the forbidden city just beyond the buses, and on the western side is the great hall of the people. Now, this is all the top tourist attraction here in Beijing, but normally a foreign journalist like me isn't allowed to set foot here without special permission or during a big political event, like what's been happening this week with the National People's Congress. We've got the accreditation. Let's go inside. It's called the Two Sessions, or Liang Wei. Thousands of delegates come from across China to get the Communist Party's blueprint for the year.

But the meetings are closely watched around the world for clues or signals about where, where China might be heading, especially now with the economy losing steam. And it's the biggest meeting in China. What is the important issue for you? Women's right. Security for these meetings is tight. This is the first part of the security check. A barcode on my passes scanned.

Every vehicle is inspected inside and out by police and sniffer dogs. Going into the Great Hall, there's facial recognition and airport's not. security. Through the door and beyond the curtain is where Xi Jinping and top Communist Party officials deliver what they call work reports. It's an assortment of plans and targets for the coming year. Let's be honest, there are no surprises that come out of these political events, which are predetermined and largely ceremonial, but for the outside world, for policymakers, business

leaders, investors, they do offer a glimpse into what the Communist Party is thinking. In the famous auditorium, palm pageantry and symbolism, from the big red star on the ceiling to the officials on parade. Even the tea service involves choreography. What happens down there and where people sit can reveal a lot about power dynamics within the party. This year, we noticed a lot more space on either side of Xi Jinping compared to other people on the stage and compared to where his chair was positioned in past years, putting him very much on his own. zone at center stage. Yao Ming, the former NBA star, got his own row. At seven foot six, it seems he needed the leg room. One of the bigger headlines is what won't happen. They announced

earlier this week they're scrapping the annual Premier's news conference. And it was a shock because it's one of the few opportunities that journalists have to put questions to one of the highest ranking officials, though the events are highly choreographed. But also for people across China to hear the country's number two speaking openly about the state's affairs. The decision isn't going over very well, but a lot of the comments have been censored on social media because it takes an already opaque political system and makes it more of a black box and ends a decades-old tradition. We still needed a PCR test before attending. But unlike past years, there were few masks around and far more diplomats. China wants to send a message

that it's back to normal, that it's open to the world with one man more than ever in charge. Janice Mackey Freyer in Beijing there. Thank you. Coming up, representation at the Oscars, seven AAPI films up for awards this year, including Best Picture. Black, Latino, and indigenous stars could also win big on Sunday. Our Richard Louis speaks to the president of the Academy about how important diversity is in film. Back now with a look at this Sunday's 2024 Academy Awards, as Asian-American films are having more than just a moment at the Oscars. For the third time in four years, a film with Asian-American representation is up for Best Picture. In total, seven are up for Oscar gold.

Our Richard Louis has a look at some of those films trying to make Hollywood history. Film has a new flare this season, feeling forever a foreigner. Cannot mix. An Asian male love interest. I think I just missed him. Did he miss you? Don't be no more chore. Not in English?

That's all right. I think you're my friend. I guess you could say movies smell different this award season. This is Oscar night. It's the third time in four years an Asian American film is up for the night's top prize. That's just something Korean say to seduce them mine. In 2024, seven AAPI films are Hollywood darlings for a lot. Oscar. I just am so proud that for our community and for all underrepresented communities and for our

goal to be more global, there is real evidence that that is happening. The president of the academy has invested in films since Joy Luck Club and beyond. It's unprecedented. In every year of the past six years, people have said, oh, this is a moment. Our stories shouldn't be moments. This is what our storytelling is now. Sean Wong's tribute to his grandmother's 9-9 Wipo, one of this year's nominees. People have really

started to just lean into the fact that there really is a universe of content. If you are willing to engage with languages other than English. But Jeff Yang, author of the Golden Screen, the movies that made Asian America, says there's still a major worry. If we don't succeed with

everything, if we don't knock it out of the park, then we won't be allowed back in the room. Last year felt like the start of everything. Everything, every one. There's still work to be done. There's confidence that we are moving in the right direction. Authenticity is really ringing true with audiences. The Oscars really reflect that this year and their nominees.

Like Lily Gladstone, the first Native American nominated for Best Actress ever. A need you hear? I am right here. And Ava Longoria is flaming hot. Auevo, I've been ready. Honored with a rare White House screening and an Oscar nod. What is different this year? There's a real community.

Everybody wants a sense of belonging. Everybody wants to be seen. When you see the heart that goes behind these films, it gets people more invested in wanting to root for them. I want them to be in like Vogue's, like, 14 best dressed, like looks from the red carpet, Emily Blunt. Jessica Chastain, my grandma's. It's special.

And Richard Louis joins us now in studio. So Richard, talk to us about this trend, or what I think a lot of people hope is a trend of seeing more diverse filmmakers and films at the Oscars, especially after that big boiling point with the hashtag Oscars So White. Has it actually happened? And why is it finally kind of inching there?

Why? Voters. 10,000 of them that are members. that vote every single time we see the winner, they're making the choice. And as Janet Yang, the president of the academy, was telling me she was kind of surprised this year because in every single awards category, there was a selection not from the United States. And then also USC through an initiative did an evaluation of all the nominees this year. A third of them are women.

So the movie and the popcorn sort of saying, well, I think over time become movie and a buffet. Get ready. All right. I like that. Okay. Okay, so one of the experts that you interviewed said this, quote, if we don't knock it out of the park, then we won't be allowed back in the room. Talk to us a little more about that worry. Yeah, you know, when I heard that from Jeff Yang, I had to stop and think like you. And one of the points that came immediately to my mind was fear. Many filmmakers of color that I speak with will say, I'm struggling between two things. Do I bring all of myself to my creative work, or do I stay more mainstream?

And that struggle, therefore, yields a very uncomfortable situation, where if you do get critical acclamation, or you do get box office receipts, or you get something of a mixer in between, you will always wonder, if I'm not quite perfect, not quite right on, will I again be asked into that room? That's what he was saying. Wow. Richard Louis, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Stay with us because we will have more on the Oscars and tell you where you can screen the best picture nominees in Bingeworthy. Plus, the comedy just released starring Zach Efron and John Sina and new music by Ariana Grande. All that and more. Next. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend, especially ahead of the Oscars. We're joined today by Nigel Smith, senior news editor for Movies at People.

Thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. I am very excited to get your Oscar. predictions at the end, but we will start with just options for people to stream. There is a new movie out starring Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things Fame. Loved that show. She's a great actress. This is called Damsel, and it is streaming on Netflix. I will let people see if they can just figure out the premise from the clip, and then you can explain. We need this. Your people need you. I need you to listen to me. now. I don't trust them. They may be royalty, but that doesn't make them good people.

Your hand, child. Close your eyes. I've got you. Okay, so I watched it, and then I was like, not 100% sure what it is, that I read the plot, and then I was like, she sacrificed? What is this? And is it worth watching? I'm not sure you're the demographic audience. It's probably for people around Millie Bobby Brown's age. She's back on Netflix. She's, you know, Stranger Things Star, and she's started in a lot of movies. But this is a swash-buckling fantasy film in which she plays a damsel, the tidily damsel, who is flung from a castle to the dragon lair. And that is where she meets this dragon,

and then she has to climb her way back to the top to enact revenge on the evil queen, play by Robin Wright. Iconic, yeah. Yes, to enact a revenge and, you know, basically get her back. watching? Yeah, it's a lot of fun. It's got a lot of action. Millie Bobby Brown reportedly did her own stunts in interviews. She's been calling herself the female Tom Cruise. So this is her first real, you know, pitch as an action star. That is a real bold label to give your... It's a bold statement to make. But, you know, she acquits herself admirably. She does a lot of stunt

work. Yeah. And she really, really commits. So... I'm sure the insurers of that film loved every minute of that. Probably cost them a pretty penny. Okay, so this next one is also on Netflix, and it's a Guy Ritchie movie called The Gentleman, and I believe it stars Theo James. Theo James from the White Lotus, so he's back. He is back.

Let's watch a clip of that. Also comes a bit of a shock. And her in a house, title, as the new landlord, you will receive a significant amount of money. In return, let us carry out our activities.

Use like a dink in it. What do you think of this one? Well, if you're a Guy Ritchie fan, are you familiar with that filmmaker? He did locked stock and two smoking barrels back in the day. This movie called Snatch. I do know Snatch. I love Snatch.

And he also did a movie called The Gentleman in 2019. And this is an extension of that film. That film starred Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, a bunch of A-lister's. But this is not a sequel. This just occurs within the same universe. So this is Guy Ritchie's first big series. Yeah.

And so if you like his movies, you kind of know what you're getting into. It's very stylistic, very violent, very male-driven. And you know what you're getting with the guy Ritchie. Okay, but you don't have to see the original or that first one. You can go in with this. None of the same cast, same universe, not the same plot. he's said in interviews that, you know, just come into this series with an open mind and you'll enjoy it. All right. So this next one, Ricky Stenickey, something, stannicky, something close.

You said the title right. It's a tough one. It isn't really tough one. I want to say Stannicky, but it's Stenecky. Stenecky. Okay, so it is starring Zach Efron, John's seen on the idea as this Ricky character is like an imaginary friend they used to use to get out of trouble and they're still using it now. Apparently, it is going to show them getting caught in this lie, but it's Amazon Prime, let's watch. I want to know where the hell you guys were tonight. We called every hospital, and there was no record of a Ricky Stenickey. You know, all we did was tell one lie.

Hundreds and hundreds of times over many, many years. If the truth does come out, my marriage is over. What if we hire an actor to play Stenickey? Rock Card Rod, X-rated, rock and roll, impersonator. I do a whole act. Wal-to-wall top the bottom, juice chams. Thanks for coming out tonight, ladies and gentlemen, so horny to be here. What do you think?

Well, John Sina, I mean, he's funny. Yeah. He's a really funny actor. I loved him in Blockers, and he's really proven himself to be a really funny, comedic actor when he really, really commits. And he really commits this one. He plays a very strange imaginary friend character, and there's a lot more to this swindler as the movie progresses. But it comes from the mind of Peter Farrelly, and he's one of the Farrelly brothers who are behind those gross-out comedies from the 90s. Like, there's something about Mary and dumb and dumber.

He last won an Oscar for the movie Green Book, and this finds him back in kind of gross-out comedy turf. And it's a lot of fun. It's on Amazon. Definitely worth checking out. And Zach Ephron kind of plays The Everyman. So he doesn't get a lot of laughs in, but it's still a silly time. Okay, so you mentioned Oscars.

This next one is if you're wanting to stream something ahead of the ceremony on Sunday, Poor Things, which stars Emma Stone, is available on Hulu. I saw this in theaters. It is a really good film. Let's watch this. Tell me, where did she come from? I shall. Or it is a happy day.

I am Bella Baxter, and there is a world to enjoy, circumnavigate. It is the goal of all to progress, grow. A woman plotting her course to freedom. And a nutful. Thoughts. I love Emma Stone, and there's so much. If she wins on Sunday, this would mark her seat. second Oscar win, which is pretty remarkable, you know, given her age and the amount of movies

she's made. But she gives, I think, the performance of the last year as Bella Baxter, this woman who is implanted with a baby's brain. And so it's this coming of age, very strange film from the director of The Favorite and The Lobster. If you've seen that filmmaker's other works, you kind of know what you're getting into in terms of the tone. And it's very R-rated. Yes. It will make you think that's for sure. It is really good. Okay, so let's stick with Oscars for a minute and run through some of the list because there are other ones obviously available and they are in large part available somewhere probably for you to stream. So you can watch some of the best picture nominees that are already streaming things like Killers of the Flower Moon. That's on Apple TV plus Oppenheimer.

That is on our very own peacock. Poor things. As we mentioned, that's on Hulu. Past Lives. Also on Hulu, Barbie on Max, American Fiction on the Roku channel, the zone of interest on Apple TV, Prime video for an extra fee. The holdovers on Peacock, Anatomy of a Fall on Apple TV, and Maestro on Netflix. So, Nigel, that's a lot. That's a lot. And we figured to make it easier for you if we just read through it all. But what are your predictions for Oscar Sunday, which have watched for? I think the movie that's going to sweep the show is Oppenheimer. It's the film that's pretty much won all the precursor awards, Christopher Nolan's Adam Baum epic. It's the top grossing biopic of all time.

huge, huge hit last year in theaters, and now it's on Peacock, and people love this movie. People, fans of Nolan are super, super passionate. They go back and back again to see this three-hour opus. But Sillian Murphy, as Robert Oppenheimer, he is the frontrunner for best actor, and then also front-runner for Best Picture, Best Director, probably Best Adapted Screenplay. So it's got a lot of things going for it. But I think you're also looking at maybe Emma Stone or Lily. Gladstone, who is incredible

in Killers of the Flower Moon as the two front winners, for best actress. That's the race where we're not really sure exactly what's going on. It'll be a fun one to watch. Before we let you go, let's listen to a little bit of a new song that's out by Nona. Then Oriana Grande. we can't be friends you can't be friends so sad yeah that song's giving me some robin vibes yeah yeah right

it's got that beat but it's all sad and mournful um but this album she obviously you know never named him but she did recently divorce from dalton gomez and that's when she started writing this album so a lot of her very sleuthy fans think that that's what this album is is a breakup album essentially. And it starts with, you know, her talking about a breakup of sorts. And then it kind of ends the album in a more light tone. So, you know, it kind of finds her finding love. And as we know, she's now dating her Wicked co-star, Ethan Slater. So there's a lot of nuggets there for fans who are following her personal life. So you can watch the Oscars and then you can snoop on Ariana Grande and cry and have different versions on the whole album. Dance do whatever you want. Thank you for being here.

Can't wait to see the Oscars on Sunday. I know you and your team will be covering it closely. We appreciate it. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.