Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 1, 2026

Episode Date: May 2, 2026

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

Breaking news tonight, Spirit Airlines on the verge of collapse. The budget carrier could shut down in a matter of hours. Will passengers be stranded this weekend? The airline could halt operations as early as tomorrow morning after a government bailout fell apart, rising fuel prices contributing to its collapse. What happens if you've booked a Spirit flight this weekend or this summer? Also breaking the U.S. pulling thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany after that country's leader blasted President Trump. Trump, could this be the beginning of a major strategic shift? And extreme winds slamming South Texas flash floods, leaving drivers stranded, torrential rain submerging roads, and the threats far from over were tracking it all. Did Jeffrey Epstein write a suicide note? You'll hear directly from a former cellmate who says he found it, and why hasn't it been released? Cyclist confrontation, video capturing a driver appearing to ram a group of

of cyclists, the charges he now faces. Frightening close call, a South Carolina man speaking out about his terrifying encounter with a shark. The moment, the animal chomped down and how he escaped. A pickup truck caught on camera plunging off a cliff, how that driver miraculously walked away. Plus, this week's Great American, you'll hear from the man who reinvented America's favorite pastime. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Liz Corey. It's in for Tom. Tonight, Spirit Airlines on the verge of collapse are new reporting tonight. The budget carrier could stop all operations in just a few hours. Passengers could end up stranded. In industry, source, tells NBC News the airline could shut down as soon as tomorrow, but that the situation is fluid. That same source says there are a lot of discussions happening at the moment. President Trump floating the idea of a government bailout, saying his administration, gave Spirit a, quote, final proposal. We know that Spirit has already asked for a $500 million

bailout, a move that would involve the government owning up to 90% of the airline. Spirit has been struggling financially for years, a burden only deepened by the soaring cost of jet fuel prices due to the war with Iran. Drivers are also feeling the pain of that surge as well. gas prices jumping nine cents per gallon today. That is the biggest one-day increase since the war began. Our Brian Chung is tracking all of this, and he leads us off tonight. It may soon be the end for Spirit Airlines, which could shut down as soon as Saturday without a last-minute intervention, according to an industry source familiar with the situation. Your first thoughts were this is crazy. That source saying conversations are ongoing for the troubled airline. As President

Trump says the government handed the company. a final proposal. We're looking at Spirit and we can help them. We will, but we have to come first. We're first. It's America first. The company had asked the government for a $500 million lifeline, a deal that could have resulted in the U.S. eventually owning as much as 90% of the airline.

A proposal met by skepticism by some rank-and-file Republicans. Spirit Airlines declining to comment, but a spokesperson saying Spirit is operating as usual. Rival budget airline frontiers saying it will help customers as United, said, it's ready to support customers and employees impacted if Spirit shuts down. American Airlines announced their capping prices for main cabin fares on routes that Spirit flies. And what should travelers do if they're holding a Spirit Airlines ticket right now? If you're holding a Spirit Airlines ticket and the company does go out of business, call your credit card and see if you can get your money back for your tickets.

If you have a ticket for this weekend and you're potentially looking at being stranded at the airport, have a backup plan. The Trouble Airline had filed for bankruptcy twice in the last. two years and had been grappling with soaring jet fuel costs coming from the war with Iran. As the price of the pump also jumped nine cents today, the biggest one-day increase since early March. Oh my goodness, gas prices are ridiculous. Listen, gas prices makes you want to walk.

At $4.39 on average, a gallon of regular now costs 47 percent more than it did when the war began. Now, Brian Chuggins us from LaGuardia Airport in New York, where spirit flights are still taking off right now. Brian, if you're someone, though, that has an upcoming ticket, would you recommend getting travel insurance? Would that help? Yeah, Liz, I think that's a natural question, but you have to keep up mind. Travel insurance doesn't often cover the liquidation of an airline. That's why, as you heard, experts advised that you contact your credit card company in the worst case scenario that Spirit Airlines does go under, and you have a ticket. That's going to be a real headache for people that might be one leg into a round trip ticket.

they might get stuck at their destinations. I should point out that travelers that we spoke with here at LaGuardia seem caught off guard by the news, but you also have one employee that was telling me they hadn't heard anything from the airline. Liz? Interesting, Brian. All right. Thanks so much for that. We're also following breaking news from the Pentagon tonight, officials announcing plans to pull out thousands of U.S. troops from Germany as President Trump's feud with European countries over the Iran war escalates. Here's Courtney Kuby.

Tonight, amid the president's growing clash with Europe over the war with Iran, the Pentagon set to pull thousands of U.S. troops out of Germany. A spokesperson announcing the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany, this decision follows a thorough review of the department's force posture in Europe. Pentagon officials telling NBC news it includes one brigade combat team but won't impact massive medical support bases like Launschule. There are approximately 38,000 U.S. troops in Germany the most in Europe, and and the reductions will bring U.S. forces down to 2022 levels before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It comes after President Trump's public rift with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Earlier this week, the president saying the U.S. was, quote, studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany. After Merz said the Iranian regime had humiliated the U.S. during negotiations and that America has no strategy. But after President Trump's threat to remove U.S. troops, Merz quickly backtracked. Iran must come to the negotiating table. It must no longer hold the entire region and ultimately the whole world hostage.

All of it is President Trump has recently slammed NATO allies. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO. Hundreds of protecting them. And we would have always been there for them. But now based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we? And Courtney Kuby joins us now from Washington. So Courtney, you have new reporting on the timing of all of this? Yeah, that's right, Liz.

So now a Pentagon official tells us that this is effective immediately. But a spokesperson at the Pentagon said that this is really going to be carried out over the next six to 12 months. But as for the timing of this, Pentagon officials who we spoke with late today were very specific about why this decision was made right now. And that is because they argue Europe was not there for America after America started the war in Iran and asked for help. And they are saying this simply cannot be a one-way street. That according to Pentagon officials late tonight. Liz? Courtney, all right. Thanks for that. Turning now to back here at home, a dangerous wind and flood threat that is unfolding in Texas. This comes after a multi-day severe weather outbreak, left a trail

of destruction across the country. Meteorologist Angie Lastman has the latest. A flash flood warning today in San Antonio. The National Weather Service saying more than 30 roads were flooded in the area. Authorities reporting at least one person did. died in the floodwaters near downtown, that in some places rose as high as three feet deep. A few hours to the east in Comfort, Texas. Incredible winds and sideways rain. The severe weather tearing the siding right off this building.

A tree uprooted from the ground and landing on this house. And in Houston, this car flipping over on the slick roads. The young man inside, lucky to make it out. Drivers across the state facing dangerous conditions, and a stark reminder when necessary to turn around if water is on the road. All right, Angie Lassman joins us now from New York. Angie, the threat isn't over yet, so walk us through the timing for the rest of the night. Yeah, that's right, Liz.

We've still got this ongoing kind of heavy rain centered across parts of the south. You can see stretching from Texas all the way to Georgia. We're going to see things kind of wind down for places like Texas here in the short term as we get into the overnight hours. But for now, there's more of these kind of repeated rounds of we're already saturated, ground. So the flood alerts are still up from eastern Texas into Louisiana. As we look ahead to the overnight hours and into tomorrow, most of this heavy rain centers across parts of the southeast. Now, on the upside, this is beneficial rain for this area who is basically all in a drought, at least a moderate drought across the southeast. But we still are going to see the potential for

some of these kind of gusty storms to pop up into the afternoon hour. So if you live anywhere from southern Georgia down to Daytona Beach, including Jacksonville to Panama City, we have the potential to see some of these stronger storms, including wind gusts, as well as that damaging hail. The good news is tomorrow that tornado risk is on the low end, but we're still going to pick up some additional rain across this region, Liz, up to an inch in some of the highest spots. Back over to you. Okay, Angie, thank you for that. To the latest now in the Jeffrey Epstein case, a new reporting on a suicide note that convicted sex offender may have left behind. Tonight, you're going to hear from the cellmate who says he found it. Here's Stephanie Gosk. New tonight, did accuse sex

trafficker Jeffrey Epstein write a suicide note before attempting to take his own life. The New York Times reporting that a note may exist and is being held under seal by a federal judge. Epstein allegedly writing, it's time to say goodbye. According to this man, convicted murderer Nicholas Tartaglione, a former NYPD officer who shared a cell with Epstein in 2019. Tartaglione said something similar in a podcast last year. Jeffrey Epstein wrote a suicide note. He said, says he discovered the note after Epstein's apparent suicide attempt weeks before his actual death. It was in my book. Yeah, when I got back into the cell, I opened my book to read, and there it was. Tertaglione, adding, it said something like FBI, you know, looked into me for months and found nothing.

NBC News has not seen the note, and the Times says it has not either. In a statement, the DOJ says it is hard to comment on a note it has not seen, adding, the department underwent an exhaustive effort. to collect all records. Epstein's death, which the medical examiner's office declared a suicide, has been the subject of intense scrutiny, with many speculating without proof that Epstein was murdered. A suicide note could potentially dispel the conspiracies. The New York Times is asking the federal court to unseal the alleged suicide note, which is caught up in Tartaglione's legal proceeding. The Times arguing he talked about that note in the podcast, and public interest in Epstein is immense. Liz? All right, Steph, thank you. Turning now to a terrifying bank robbery in Kentucky where a suspect

shot and killed two people. Police identifying the 18-year-old alleged gunman from his social media posts after a late-night manhunt. Maggie Vespa has more. These are the social media posts and pictures that the FBI says cracked the case of a deadly Kentucky bank robbery turned statewide manhunt. According to this criminal complaint, it came down to investigators matching the robbers white sneakers. and gray pants to the ones worn here by, they say, 18-year-old Braylin Weaver. Authorities writing around 2 p.m. Thursday, Weaver walked into this U.S. Bank in Berea, south of Lexington, and immediately shot and killed a male victim, then a teller.

The victims identified as 42-year-old Brian Switzer and 35-year-old Brianna Edwards. Prosecutors say Weaver then checked multiple drawers and drove off. We want people to be vigilant. You know, it's going to start getting dark here soon. Keep your doors locked. Six hours later, per the complaint, Weaver posted again. This time an image of an alien holding cash. The FBI ultimately spotting him driving roughly an hour south of the scene. After a chase, with speeds reaching 130 miles per hour, authorities say Weaver crashed, ran,

and was finally arrested around 3 a.m. All right, and Maggie Vespa joins us now. So Maggie, Weaver is facing multiple federal charges, one of which carries the possibility of the death penalty. And now we're also hearing even more charges could be in the works. Yeah, Liz, exactly. From the state level, they're planning to pursue their own set of charges, including multiple counts of murder tied to those two deaths.

That would be in addition to these federal charges, which right now include two counts of causing death with a firearm. On the federal level, those prosecutors have to prove both of those deaths were murder. If and when they do, that could carry the possibility of the death penalty. so a little bit of legal ease there. It's worth noting Weaver is due in federal court, his first appearance on Monday, and right now his attorneys not responding

to our request for comment. Liz. All right, Maggie, thank you. When we come back, the terrifying encounter at sea, a paddle border speaking out after getting bit by a shark, why he says the attack could have been even worse. And our investigation after these devastating wildfires, why did one FEMA official get his claims paid

before so many others who lost? much more. And a scary moment caught on camera, a driver slamming into a group of bikers. The charges he's facing and what happened next. Stay with us. And we're back now with a terrifying story for anyone who loves being in the water, a paddleboarder in Florida speaking with our Orlando affiliate, WESH, after a calm morning turned dangerous and resulted in a shark bite. Dana Griffin reports. A frightening close call off Florida's coast. When a South Carolina man got a little too close to Mother Nature. I cannot believe I just got bit by a shark.

Brian Miller says what started off as a calm morning paddleboarding took a sharp turn when he felt a sudden tug on his left foot. It felt mostly like, you know, you're in a deep pool and your friend is messing with you and like grabs the bottom of your foot firmly gives it a little tug. Except it was no friend or even a wave, but an ocean predator. I wasn't like in severe pain, like screaming in pain. it was more like, no way, I just got bit by a shark. Friends, he was visiting, quickly took him to the hospital for treatment.

The bite, leaving several distinct marks. Miller says he's lucky it wasn't worse. Luckily, he didn't, like, crush any of the bones or take any of the bones or all the bones were intact. Experts say incidents like this are rare, and when they do occur, some research suggests they're often cases of mistaking humans for prey, especially in near-shore conditions. Just last week, a shark sighting off the coast of Southern California forced closures along Huntington Beach and halted a surf competition for the day. And a thrilling surprise caught on camera.

A shark appears to follow this downwind paddler off the coast of Santa Barbara. Oh my God, it's going for you! Run! Run! Later telling NBC News, they weren't afraid, considering they were in the shark's habitat. As for Brian, a close call like this isn't enough to scare him out of the water. Once healed, he plans to get back on his paddleboard. I don't think it's going to hold me back.

I'm confident that I'll be able to be right back out there. Even after the bite, the ocean hasn't lost its hold on him. Wow, okay, he might not think so, but to me, that looks like a pretty scary incident. Very scary. Yeah, Dana Griffin joins us now. And Dana, experts are saying that climate change has actually had an impact on how many shark attacks we're seeing. Yeah. And so they can't pinpoint to every single encounter, but they say that the warmer waters are sending the sharks farther north and that it does impact the shark habitat, their prey availability, and also their migration pattern.

So that's probably why we're seeing more of these encounters closer to shore. But if we take a look at the actual numbers of these bites, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, they say we're actually at the average level of shark bites, 65 for 2025. and that's after that sharp decline in bites at 47 the year prior. But for the 10-year average, we're actually just sitting below that. We should be at 72. So all that to say that it's still safe to go into the water. We are not their intended prey. I know these situations are very scary to see, but we're in a pretty good place.

All right, good. Yeah, and shark attacks are still very rare, but certainly scary. We're glad he's okay. Dana, thank you. All right. Now to another scary scene in Cherokee County, Georgia, a driver, hitting a group of cyclists, throwing some of them from their bikes. Here are some of those chaotic moments.

Oh, yeah, you can see they're falling off. At least two people were injured. The driver then fleeing the scene. NBC's Aaron Gilchrist has been following this one for us. So Aaron, okay, police were able to track down that driver. He has now been charged. Yeah, you're right. He has been.

It's just wild video to see this, what played out on this road here, just north of Atlanta in Georgia. And we understand that police were able to go So just down the road there and find the driver of that Honda pilot, it was 72-year-old Jerry Wayne Ross, who also lives in that area. And he's been charged with six different counts at this point, aggravated assault, he's been charged with reckless driving, he's been charged with hit and run in this case. And if we back up a little bit into the details, you've got a group of riders here.

This is, I think, a riding club, 10 people on bikes on this road. And then all of a sudden this guy comes up behind him, leans on his horn. And then instead of passing around them, really just like sort of gets right next to them to the point where a couple of these bicyclists were hit. Two of them apparently hit and injured in this incident. That man was found at a neighbor's house down the road there. Deputies say that they arrested Mr. Ross. And that in talking to him, they say that he basically said, yeah, I was there and this happened. The bicyclists were in the road.

They were in the way. He basically, Liz, blamed them for the collision. blame them for the collision. Okay, well, how are the cyclists doing tonight? We know that two of them were injured here. Apparently, their injuries were minor. Paramedics came to the scene here and were able to check them out, and they seemed to be okay. We have seen, though, in some of the groups that have been posting about this incident,

the cycling groups, has said, you know what, people really need to know what the laws are. Drivers need to know what the laws are when it comes to cyclists. In Georgia, I think you're supposed to keep like a three-foot bubble. around where people are on these bicycles to give them a little more room. They can be on the road, especially on a road like this. And it's just, you know, everybody needs to be thinking about what the rules are and trying to keep everybody safe, Liz. Absolutely. Really scary video there.

All right, Aaron, thank you for that. Still to come on top story, fast-moving wildfires ripping through another popular tourist spot for Americans, thousands forced to evacuate the race to contain the flames. Plus, rescuing Timmy the whale, the all-out effort to get this stranded humpback back to safer seas. But first, top story's top moment and the graduation, decades in the making. 70-year-old Blanny Ward marking a major milestone this week, receiving her high school diploma, deciding to go back to school after she dropped out to take care of her sick mother.

Her celebration, dance capturing the hearts of many tonight. Look at her there. Oh, yes, she's one happy graduate tonight sharing with NBC News her message to inspire others. It's not hard. It's never too old and they could reach, they can do whatever they set their man to. And Ward is not done yet. She is now says that she has plans to pursue a certified nurse aid license. Congrats Flanny on this major accomplishment.

She's got some moves too. All right. with us. More Top Story on the way. Back now with Top Stories news feed and a major ruling just in tonight, restricting access to abortions, a federal appeals court blocking people from getting Miffa-Pristone by mail and through telehealth. Now, this is a pill that expands access to abortion care in the U.S. This decision reinstates a nationwide requirement that prescriptions can only be given out in-person at clinics. If appealed, it could set up a showdown before the Supreme Court. And stunning video capturing a muddy eruption at Yellowstone National Park.

Take a look at this, the so-called black diamond pool spewing water and steam into the air, blocking out the camera there. Scientists say it's probably the largest explosion there in years. And we have a big update on those famous big bear eagles out here in California. Those little chicks we've told you about, well, they now officially have names, Sandy and Luna. The naming contest racked up more than 63,000 submissions, but the winning picks chosen by a group of third graders. Sandy is a tribute to a longtime champion of the Big Bear Wilderness, Sandy Steers, who died earlier this year. All right, we're going to get to an investigation now from our NBC affiliate, K-O-B-4 in Albuquerque.

Federal officials accused of receiving payouts from a state fund meant for wildfire victims before the people they were put in place to help. Here's Ryan Laughlin. It was the biggest wildfire in New Mexico's history. A botch pile burn by the U.S. Forest Service became the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon fire of 2022, burning more than 340,000 acres and 900 structures. Everything gone. Just debris. Andrew Veehill lost everything.

His home burned, and today he says he's still waiting for money from the $5.5 billion dollars promised by then President Biden and Congress for FEMA to help people burned by the government. This FEMA program promised for us to be whole, but to me it seems they pushed us down in the hole. FEMA stood up a local claims office, in part to help with total loss claims like Veehills. But when money for less damaging smoke and ash claims started getting paid out, some with insider knowledge began speaking out. Why choose to be a whistleblower? There's mismanagement with the claims office. This source with knowledge of the inner workings of the office agreed to speak with us only if we hid their identity. We replaced the person's voice with someone else repeating what was said.

It's just gotten worse in regards to how they're distributing that money. The director of the FEMA office at the time, Jay Mitchell, a one-time Air Force colonel and the former head of the New Mexico Homeland and security and emergency management department. A New Mexico native, Mitchell has a house in the mountain oasis of Angel Fire, about a dozen miles from the Burns car. Internal documents we reviewed showed he and his wife put in personal claims, ultimately for over a half a million dollars for smoke and ash cleanup and business interruptions for his wife's real estate business.

The document show Mitchell's claims stuck for months, suddenly moved quickly through the system to be paid while other fire victims. say they're still waiting for relief. And months later, New Mexico's U.S. senators sent him a letter raising concerns over so many New Mexicans still awaiting compensation. You felt it was wrong? Yes, it is wrong, and it's hurting people within the burn scar. We tried repeatedly to get answers from Mitchell.

When the claims office quit responding by phone and email, we went in person. Director Mitchell, I just want to make sure we're getting the information right. Your communication people have stopped communicating with us. The FEMA office refused to discuss the payments. Do you want to answer any questions? Two weeks after that confrontation, an internal email shows the director and another FEMA administrator with a similar six-figure payout were put on administrative leave without specifying why.

The email from a FEMA official in Washington noting, this step does not reflect a finding of wrongdoing. When asked, FEMA wouldn't elaborate, neither suspended official, responded to our renewed request for comment. Meanwhile, people whose lives went up in flames still wait for an explanation and the help they were promised. For NBC News, Ryan Loughlin, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Thanks to Ryan for that. We're going to take a turn now to stories of survival.

Former Hamas hostages speaking out describing chilling stories of abuse they say they faced at the hands of their captors. Some say they were threatened with death if they said anything. News, Matt Bradley reports. They were incredible reunions. Hostages held for two years by Hamas, finally back with their families. But for many, the nightmare isn't over. It's with me even now when I'm back home. It's with me all the time.

It's not just over there. In addition to isolation, torture, and starvation, several hostages have been speaking out about repeated sexual assault by Hamas, including including Guy Gilboa Dahl. Kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival during the October 7th terror attack, he says the assaults began soon after, including a year ago, after he'd been badly beaten and was forced to take a shower. I wanted to put my clothes on, and he didn't let me.

He threw me on a couch. Guy then says he was sexually assaulted by his Hamas captor. I don't know exactly how much time it was because my brain kind of disconnected. Then he took a gun on my head and he told me, if you ever tell anyone about it, I'll kill you. Guy's abuser was a constant presence controlling every aspect of his life. It's not only that I've been through the sexual assault. I could not talk about it. I just really thought if I would tell anyone about it, he will kill me. Other former Hamas hostages are beginning to speak publicly too about their very personal trauma.

Romi Gonen-Gon-N told Israel's Channel 12, she was repeatedly raped by multiple men. I was injured. I had no power. Afterward, I had to continue living with him in the house. In November 2023, she said a senior Hamas official offered to prioritize her in the next hostage release if she would stay silent about the abuse. You go through hell. And former hostage Aviva Siegel told the UN committee about two young women she said were raped. by their Hamas captors.

She walks in and she's pale and she's shaking. I just looked in her eyes and I saw immediately that something really bad happened. Aviva telling us she felt powerless, unable to protect them. What did you tell her? We just cried. You know, we just cried and we just hugged and cried and we were just so scared. She said she advised the younger girls to always carry menstrual products to the bathroom, hoping that would disgust their guards.

Elsewhere in Gaza, hostage Amit Sussna was trying the same trick. She spoke on the documentary, Screams before silence. I fooled him to think that the period is continuing. I did it for about a week until I could not lie anymore. Then the guard came into her shower armed. The gun was pointed out at me and it was half-fing. and breathing heavily, and he had a face like a monster, like a beast, like this. And then he forced me to commit a sexual act on him.

Those who survived their assaults in captivity say the choice felt like silence or death. There is a reason for trying to hide it, not just a cultural reason, but also because when you want to present yourself as freedom fighter, resistance, you can't use sexual violence. After October 7, Sharon Zagaghi Pinhas helped found the Dina Project, which compiled testimony from rape survivors in the hopes of one day prosecuting the perpetrators. Hamas has denied that its members sexually assaulted any of the hostages. Do you believe that the world is paying adequate attention to this?

No, I don't believe the world is paying adequate attention. A lot of return hostages talked about forced marriages, that they tried to force marry them, and talked about forced nudity and talked about shaving bodily hair, which are known forms of sexual violence as a weapon of war. This man who assaulted you, if you saw him now, what would you say? I don't think it's nice to say those things in television. Guy told us he still struggles to sleep through the night. Do you ever break up now?

Do you ever cry now? Yeah, of course. But I think that the most important thing is to overcome the difficulties. As long as I will overcome them, it's fine. It's fine to break up and cry. Yeah. Guy's captivity is finally over. But his long road toward healing has only just begun.

Matt Bradley, NBC News, Tel Aviv. And staying overseas with Top Stories Global Watch, starting in the UK, where the government just raised its now. threat level, upping it from substantial to severe. Warning an attack is highly likely. This comes just days after a man allegedly went on a stabbing spree wounding two Jewish men in London. Police have described it as an act of terrorism. Earlier today, the suspect was officially charged with attempted murder. He did not enter a plea. And wild video out of South Africa, capturing a truck flying off a cliff. Look at this. The vehicle nose diving into the road. Debris you can see scattered everywhere.

Somehow, the driver walks away, apparently not even hurt. Local officials say he was driving down a steep road when something gave way, causing the truck to then speed up and crash through a walk, a rock wall. Pretty amazing. In Italy, a fast-moving forest fire is forcing around 3,000 people to evacuate. Here you can see the flames that are ripping through hillsides in Tuscany. The fire broke out earlier this week. It has already scorched nearly 2,000 acres.

Crews are now fighting it from the ground and the air. Officials telling local media there that the fire was likely caused by people burning olive tree prunings that then got out of control. And off the coast of Norway, a story that's spouting quite the controversy. You may remember Timmy the whale. He is the young humpback whale that's been stranded in shallow waters off of Germany for nearly two months now. He's captured the hearts of Germans and really of the world as rescuers race against the clock to save him. After repeated attempts to get him out of the Baltic Sea failed, teams are now using a barge to transport him through the North Sea and hopefully back home to the Atlantic. So joining me now with a status update on this on Timmy and how all of this is going is NBC's Stephen Romo. All right, Stephen, we're all rooting for Timmy. This barge was really a last ditch effort to save the whale. Is it working? Where is he now?

How is it all going? Yeah, so many people are rooting for Timmy. Liz, but I'm going to give it to you straight. It's not quite the storybook ending I was hoping for just yet anyway. However, this attempt to move him, it does appear to be working. That barge has moved him through the narrow passageways of Denmark. They're going around the horn right now. They're almost to the North Sea after starting that trip on Tuesday.

This whole thing far from simple. Timmy has propeller injuries and he has a skin disease from being in water that was not salty enough. and for that same reason he hadn't eaten in weeks. Anonymous private donors have actually helped fund this ambitious move, and they hope once he's in his home waters, he can start healing. The fact that he has been able to survive the trip so far is a good sign, but he's been through an awful lot. They should reach the North Sea this weekend,

where he will hopefully then be released and be well on his way to healing. Well, we are all crossing fingers, and I have the live stream going here, which people all around the world are watching. But there's also this interesting, debate that's happening about whether humans should have even gotten involved in the first place. Yeah, it's so difficult. It's really a rock and a hard place situation. Well, of course, so many people want him to be saved. Other experts are pointing out that he may have been seeking out those

shallow waters. He was likely already sick and injured when he entered those waters to begin with. And some experts say that this trip alone could actually kill him. And after so many of those failed rescue attempts, there's a lot of anxiety around him. right now in his condition. But all that said, he is doing well right now. The fact that he's still alive, a lot of experts have a lot of hope in. And while that storybook ending is not here yet, a lot of people are crossing their fingers for this weekend and praying for a good recovery because that really would be like a children's book. And that is really what I'm keeping my glimmer of hope on there, Liz. Well, we are too. Stephen, thank you for that

update. Appreciate it. Coming up, our weekly series, Great Americans. Tonight, the baseball fanatic who's shaking up America's pastime with a unique twist on the game. Tom catches up with the man behind the phenomenon of the Savannah bananas. That's coming up next. And we're back now with our weekly series, Great Americans. As we get ready to celebrate 250 years of our country, we talk with those who have achieved so much and about their life and how they came to their success. Tonight, the man reimagining America's pastime. Jesse Cole, the founder of the Savannah Banana, set out to make baseball more fun for families and more affordable, too. And in the process, created a phenomenon. Tom spoke to him about how he made his American dream a reality. What do you love about America?

Opportunity. Eleven years ago, my wife and I were sleeping on an airbed. We had to sell our house. We were down to nothing. We just had this dream of creating something special. is banana pot. Jesse Cole did just that when he and his wife founded the Savannah bananas in 2016. Unbelievable! A risky move that put them nearly $2 million in debt, but it paid off. Banana Nation, it is time! The little team from Georgia became baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters and one of the hottest tickets in town.

Backflip! Baseball games full of stunts and choreographed over over the top dances. Mr. Anas, sir, what will your best be? Selling out some of America's biggest stadiums. Are you ready? With fans that just can't get enough. Known for his signature bright yellow suit and top hat,

Cole built a new sports phenomenon in America. With tens of millions of followers on social media and more than a billion views on YouTube. I played my whole life. I've played my whole life. What I realized watching the game is a little different. It's a little too long, too slow, too boring. And I was just like, it can be better.

The tallest athlete in the known universe. Banana ball is a fast-paced version of baseball. And still the line drive. Aimed at keeping the players and the fans on their toes. Yes! Caught on the second deck! What a snag by that youngster! In banana ball, the fan catches a foul ball, it's an out.

And so when you think about like the greatest fan experience, There are more fans wearing gloves at our games than anywhere else in the world because they believe that they can actually impact the game. I'm sure along the way at some point somebody said how dare you tamper with America's pastime? Every day. Do you remember any of those instances? And what did you think? Oh yeah, every day. Baseball traditionalists hate what we do. They say it's a joke.

You know, this is a fad. They'll be gone soon. That fires me up. Cole approaches the league with a fans-first mentality, which includes keeping tickets affordable. I remember as a kid, my dad and I would go up, sit up in the bleachers, five-dollar seats, and we were able to go to so many games because it was so affordable. And I think now the live experience is such a coveted event for so many people. We've been told over and over again, you can charge so much more, you can make millions more. I do not care.

We're not trying to create short-term profits. We want to create long-term fans. I'm not focused on the next quarter. I'm focused on the next quarter century. What do you think every American wants? I think it's the moments, the memories, and the experiences. I look back to my childhood. I don't necessarily remember the gifts.

I remember going to Disney World with my parents. I remember going to Fenway Park. I remember the moments. And I think what it comes to families, it's those experiences with your kids, with your parents. That's what stands up for me. Based on the wait list for tickets, he's right. Paul reimagined America's pastime, proudly bringing the next generation of American families together at the ballpark.

I think what's great about America, it doesn't matter where you started, where you came from, what your background is. I think the impossible is actually possible in America when you go for it and you dream big. And I've been able to see that come to fruition over the last 11 years. And the crazy thing is, I believe we're just getting started. And that's only possible in America. What a great message and incredible story. All right, still ahead. Everything you can binge watch and listen to this weekend. A twist on the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, plus a new comedy horror series about a cursed New England town and some of the world's biggest pop stars out with new music, including Lady Gaga and Madonna. All that's coming up next. Okay, we're back now with Bingeworthy. Everything You Can Binge Watch and Listen to this weekend.

Tonight we're joined by Ralphie Aversa Senior Entertainment Correspondent for USA Today. Ralphie, thanks for joining us. You have your popcorn there. Let's start with what, yes, good, dig in. One of many shows we got to go through tonight because there's a lot of good stuff here. We're going to start with the classic novel, Lord of the Flies, streaming on Netflix, starting on Monday. Let's watch a clip.

Exactly where we are. What nonsense. Who's coming with? Okay, this looks really good. Obviously, a new twist on a classic. What can you tell us about it? Yeah, the novel came out in the 50s. And this adaptation was really interesting about this and unique.

is that this already aired in at least one part of the world across the pond on the BBC. It aired back in February to mostly positive reviews, and thus Netflix now picking up the rights to bring it here to the states, as you mentioned, before the clip. It premieres on Monday. Limited series, four episodes, about an hour each, so not too bad. And, again, critically acclaimed, the actor who plays Piggy in this, especially, very, very good. He's getting a lot of very good reviews.

But yeah, you know, these kids obviously, you know, how the story goes. The plane crashes, they're stranded on an island. They have to survive. They filmed it in Malaysia, most of it, by the way. Wow. Do they really keep to the book, or are they taking some liberties with the classic here? The main storylines are basically a part of it. But, you know, it's funny, I didn't get a screener on this one, and because it only

across the pond, I didn't really get to check it either. My guess is, my educated guess on this would be because of the mostly positive reviews, they probably kept it most of the book. Because I feel like right now, what we're seeing with the adaptations, when they stray too much, then they're getting some bad press on TikTok. And nobody wants, Liz. Nobody wants bad press on TikTok.

Nobody wants that, obviously. And also, people love this book and have a lot of strong feelings about it, so probably just best to keep to the book. Exactly, exactly. Yeah. All right, okay, let's get to our next one. This is a new comedy horror series on Apple TV Plus.

It's called Widows Bay, which follows a mayor of a cursed New England Island. Here's a clip. There is something about these seafaring towns. The superstitions, their tall tails.

I find it charming myself. Town doesn't have a checker past. Okay, so from the moment I saw this trailer and I saw that it's Matthew Reese as an Americans fan, I was very excited, so already I want to watch. Yeah, starring Mr. Reese, of course, Americans, Girls, as

well. The Massachusetts Tourism Board, not behind this one, that's for sure. Although it was filmed throughout various parts of Massachusetts, so I'm sure the film board there was very happy about that. But yeah, Matthew playing a very skeptical mayor of this New England town. Everybody's saying

it's haunted. Everybody's saying something weird's going on. He's not buying it. So what's going to happen? Well, we'll find out on this Apple TV Plus series. First two episodes streaming this weekend. We'll get a third on Wednesday. These ones are only about 30 to 40 minutes. Not too bad, Liz. Okay, that's good. It's kind of like shrinking. And it feels like it's kind of like horror

comedy. Is that fair to say? Yes, exactly. Exactly. Okay, cool. So moving on to the next one, which both of us are very excited about because this one has to do with our very own Ellison Barber, top story viewers know her well. Ellison has a new show. It's a true crime video podcast that's on Netflix called Allegedly. It premiered this week. Let's watch a clip. Allegedly is a podcast where we look at contemporary true crime cases, things that are active, that you've heard about, either there's been some sort of update or it's literally going on right now. And it's not just me. I bring along a friend or somebody directly connected to the case that really help us move the conversation forward.

All right. I know it's one episode per week. Is that right? Yes. So this is weekly, a Vodcast, if you will. Of course, we should mention produced as well by NBC News Studios. And yes, the beloved Ellison, we obviously love her so much here on Top Story and throughout NBC News and does such a great job. Also, shout out to Misty Maris, NBC News legal analyst as well, who is on this first episode as they kind of break down what happened in any new developments with Gabby Petito, of course, that heartbreaking case.

So that's streaming right now, that episode on Netflix, and we'll expect weekly ones as well. Yeah, we're watching Ellison in the war zones, but it turns out that. She also has a deep fondness for true crime. So excited to watch that. She looks in her elements for sure on that set. Totally. Yes, I know. You can see it.

You got to check out our Instagram for the trailer if you haven't seen it, everybody. All right, we're going to move on now next to the next one. This is another Netflix. This is a reboot of a 1980s movie. It's the thriller, Man on Fire. It's streaming now, I believe, on Netflix, about a burnt-out special agent at a crossroads in his life.

We'll watch a clip. He's not leaving. Until the people hunting the girl are dead. Are you going to kill him? Just talk to him. I know that this is hard, but we're going to put all of our emotions behind us. Okay, did I see that this is already like number one on Netflix already?

It seems to be doing really well. It is. Yakya Abdul-Matin, of course, the second starring in this one. We've seen various adaptations, including the one that's still, starred Denzel Washington in the early 2000s, that of course being a film. But this, yes, seven episodes, already streaming on Netflix, about an hour each,

and already well received also. Is it kind of like night agent-e? Yes, very much so, especially, you know, as Yaakya plays this former mercenary who's got PTSD and still trying to, you know, save people and work through all of that, the mental and the physical, absolutely.

Okay, we got one more to stream, and this is actually a movie. Wuthering Heights, it's finally now available on HBO Max. Let's watch a clip. Why did you leave me? Why did you betray your own house? So have you seen it? I actually haven't yet, so I'm very excited to now know it will be a streaming option. This will be on my to-do list for this weekend, because when it came out earlier this year, I was in the middle of award season, and so I was trying to catch up on that and do everything else. But obviously there was so much made of this. Liz, you kind of foreshadowed. You know, when you adapt one of these pieces of literature and you don't stick to it and you take some liberties, well, you might get a little blowback. And this one certainly did.

But of course, you got two megastars there with Jacob Allorty and Margot Robbie. A lot of people will be streaming it this weekend for sure. Yep, absolutely. Okay, we got to move on to music because there's actually some really good new songs out there this weekend to stream. Major Star Power Collabs. First one, Lady Gaga and Dochi. They are out with a new one for the big movie theater release of the Devil Wars Prada 2. This is Runway coming out, or here's the song, Runway.

Take a listen. Run, road, swimming, okay, okay. I mean, it's so good. What's not to, I mean, I love a good, and we'll feature one more here in a second. I just love a good pop song. I think pop music in general is in such a great place. Devil Wars Prada 2 out this weekend in theaters. It is getting rave reviews.

it wasn't. If nothing else, it gave us three new Lady Gaga songs on the soundtrack, including this one right here. So you know what? There's a win. I don't want to spoil anything, but if you are going to see it this weekend, you might not just hear Gaga. I'll leave it at that. Oh, just leaving it at that. Okay. That is a good tease. Hopefully we can get tickets, because that seems like it's going to be hard to come by. Okay, and our last one, another big duo, Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna teaming up, releasing a new song. And after their Coachella performance earlier or last month already. It's called Bring Your Love.

Like two iconic pop stars from different generations coming together. I mean, Madonna's been doing this since the 80s. I mean, we're talking for decades now for crying out loud. And she's got a new album. This is the second single off of it. Confessions on a dance floor too comes out this July. So you had to see her team up with Sabrina. Obviously, we got to see the two of them together.

I believe that's what we're watching here from Coachella. there you go. And you knew when Madonna came out with her and they did this song together that she'd have more up her sleeve and here you go. She's got the album, obviously, the rumored appearance on season two of the studio

as well on Apple TV Plus. A lot going on for Madonna, but of course her fans very excited about this new album and this song that's out now. I didn't know about the studio. Okay, that's a good tease. Thank you.

Lots to stream, lots to listen to. Ralphie, thank you so much for joining us. As always, enjoy the popcorn and have a great weekend. Liz, thank you as well. Finally. Finally, dig in. Dig in.

All right. Thanks so much. And thanks to all of you for watching us here on Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Liz Troyes here in Los Angeles. Stay right here. More news is on the way.