Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 16, 2025

Episode Date: May 17, 2025

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

Tonight, the all-out manhunt after 10 prisoners escaped from jail, as officials in New Orleans warn, they're considered armed and dangerous. It could be the biggest prison break in modern American history. The men now on the run, the photos of the hole they allegedly dug out behind a prison toilet and the taunting message they left behind, claiming it was all too easy. One man captured in the French quarter and late today word they may have had help on the inside. Violent weather outbreak. Tornadoes touching down near St. Louis as dangerous storms rip through the city. Rooftops there completely torn off. Giant trees totally uprooted.

This car smashed. The fire in Jacksonville shutting down the city's airport, no flights in or out for most of the day. Plus an air traffic controller for Newark Airport speaking out why he blames. long hours for a close call while he was working and why he claims the job is killing him. Intense cross-examination. Sean Diddy Combs' defense team trying to poke holes in the story of his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, her response under tough questioning. Ultimate Punishment. The American basketball player arrested in Indonesia for allegedly carrying in drugs, now facing life in prison in a country that often gives the death penalty for similar offenses.

Mr. Beast Under Fire, one of the biggest YouTube stars in the world, caught up in controversy after he filmed this at a Mexican pyramid, why Mexico's government wants him to pay up. Plus, miracle survival, the woman who endured three weeks lost in the snowy mountains, now telling how she made it out and how her background in archery might have saved her life. And high-flying games, why Los Angeles is ordering up flying taxis for the Olympics. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamas. We begin tonight with the multi-agency manhunt underway in Louisiana after 10 inmates, all of them considered armed and dangerous, escaped from New Orleans jail this morning in what could be the largest prison break in modern U.S. history. Police say these are the 10 men who escaped from the Orleans Parish jail,

all charged with a variety of violent felonies, at least four of them. accused of some degree of murder. They were discovered missing during a routine headcount around 8.30 a.m. One of them has been apprehended, but the other nine still at large video showing the moment of that inmate's arrest, police detaining him in the city's tourist center, the French Quarter, after a brief chase on foot, past businesses and also tourists on the sidewalks. Here's a look at just how close that jail is to the bustling streets of New Orleans' French Quarter and just blocks away from Caesar's Superdome. So the question is, how did they do it? These photos show the hole in the wall of a cell that police say they were able to crawl through in the early morning

hours, leaving taunting messages on their way out. The sheriff's office also revealing tonight they may have had help from the inside and have just suspended three staff members. And this is the new surveillance video just released by the sheriff's office showing the exact moments those 10 inmates broke free. and local police ramping up their search tonight as the city of New Orleans goes into tonight on edge. We want to get right to NBC's Priya Shrether, who leads us off with the very latest. Tonight, an urgent manhunt ramping up for nine inmates considered by authorities as armed and dangerous, still on the run, escaping from a jail two miles from New Orleans' popular

French quarter. Five charged, one convicted of murder most awaiting trial on serious felony counts. There is no way people can get out of this facility. without there being some type of lapse in security. The sheriff revealing that Orleans Parish Justice Center was placed on a lockdown at 10.30 p.m. 10 inmates were able to exit their cells because of defective locks breaking through a door at 1223 a.m. They then exited the jail at 101 a.m. through a hole in the wall behind a toilet seen in these photos. One photo showing writing that appears to say, too easy. Authority saying the inmates used toilet,

to remove some of the bolts. Based on video surveillance, they were seeing exiting a door on the docks where we normally bring in supplies, scaling a wall and running across the interstate. Seven and a half hours later, sheriff's deputies discovered the inmates missing at a routine morning headcount, according to the sheriff. Tonight, the sheriff's saying short staffing in the jail and inoperable security cameras contributed to their escape. We have indication that These detainees received assistance in their escape from individuals inside of our department. So far, just one inmate Kendall Miles is now back in custody. The sheriff's office saying deputies found him hiding beneath a car in a hotel parking garage in the French quarter.

Now the sheriff's department facing scrutiny about how this could have happened. There were supervisors on duty. There were lower lover folks on duty and they all had a job to do. The state attorney general calling for a full investigation. writing on acts, quote, someone clearly dropped the ball and there's no excuse for this. Authorities also scouring the public for any information and also offering this warning. If there is anyone who is harboring or helping these escapees, you will be charged. And we are currently listening to a press conference from the New Orleans Paris Sheriff's Office.

They're telling us that three of their employees have been placed on suspension as a result of this ongoing investigation. Nine of those inmates remain at large right now. The New Orleans police chief is also telling us that any of the victims of these men's alleged crimes are being offered protection. Ellison? Brea Shrether, thank you. For more on this massive prison break, we're joined by New Orleans City Councilmember Eugene Green. Councilmember Green, thank you for taking the time to join us tonight. I want to start with this video that we just received of the escape. Take a look at this. with us. And if you can, talk to us about what you see here. What is your reaction as you see

all of these inmates just running in this massive group leaving a prison where they are supposed to be secure for incredibly violent crimes? I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you. And what I see there is some very dangerous inmates who are not thinking clearly, who are leaving a prison facility, going out into our community, actually putting themselves and their family members because some of them are going to contact family members in greater danger. If anyone is watching who knows where these inmates are, I encourage them to have them to come right back to the sheriff's office to the All These Justice Center to be reincorcerated

because they're just putting themselves in danger and also our community in danger. If anyone is hurt because of their actions, let me tell you, the consequences will be so severe that they will regret that they didn't simply walk back in after that silly-looking escape that happened. last this morning. Councilmember watching this and seeing how it seems like they were able to just get out and just jog and go. No immediate resistance there. It is hard to believe this could happen

in 2025 in New Orleans. This is a jail that is overseen and run by the sheriff there. Do you think the sheriff should resign? I'm going to reserve judgment with regards to that matter. I mean, she's taking matters into her own hands, as NBC has reported, that at least three staff members have been suspended. I'm going to wait and determine what the evidence shows relative to what should have been done. Certainly, there are significant lapses in security to make this even possible. But in terms of the specifics relative to the sheriff, I will wait and see. Because on a job like this, to be very honest with you, there's somebody who participated likely on the inside or the outside. They felt too

comfortable leaving that facility. But anyone who's helped them, has got to know that you will suffer severe consequences also, that you will be charged and that you are putting your... As a council member, when you hear these reports as a council member of claims from the sheriff that they were short staffing, and some reports I've seen or say they were 60% short on staffing that day. It's different points, as we heard Priya reporting there, saying there were inoperable security cameras, also saying they're defective locks. And at one point, I've seen interviews where the sheriff said that it would cost something like $5 million to bring the locks up to current standards. How did this jail get in this position to begin with?

Who is in charge for overseeing that they have the money, that they have the staff, all of this to carry out their day-to-day tasks? Is it City Council? Yeah, sure. Ultimately, the City Council provides money according to specific requests that are made. The money has to be made available, of course. But at the end of the day, with regards to the locks and the others, I'll look at what those requests are. But the City Council did not turn down. opportunities to fund to make sure that the security measures that were needed were in place. There has been talk of the jail being built in a way that wasn't sensitive to potential incidents such as this and also security inside. We've heard those. We've been very open to receiving

suggestions and to making monies available to make those things happen. I'm not so sure that that is what happened on this morning to allow 10 people to cut through a wall and to just run. I don't know. I don't see the locks that they picked. I don't see that that happened that way. At the end of the day, we want to make it as safe as possible. But what I see is some very dangerous individuals who don't care about themselves and don't care about the community. And your message to them tonight is what, turn themselves in? Oh, absolutely. They should turn themselves in because they're in danger. They're in danger in the community. They're also a danger to members of the community. But honestly, those who they have affected through their terrible crimes are going to be protected. themselves tonight, and they're going to be ready if you should come and try to do something

to them. There is enhanced security in our city right now. No one is going to allow you to continue to roam through our city right now and to be a threat to our citizens, our residents, and our visitors. Turn yourselves in, because at the end of the day, you're not going to get away permanently, and all you're doing right now is endangering yourself and endangering the community. In addition to your family members, some of them are going to be caught at family residences, and that's just terrible that you would do that to your family members. Councilmember Green, thank you for taking the time to join us and for answering our questions. We really appreciate it.

I appreciate you all giving me the opportunity to tell you what I feel about what is going on in our city. I want the nation to know that New Orleans is going to leave no stone unturned and bringing those who are escaped right now back into custody. We are going to work cooperatively across law enforcement communities to get this done. But I appreciate the opportunity for you that you have given me to talk about this. situation. Councilman, Green, thank you. We are also following some breaking news out of Missouri tonight. In the past few minutes, the mayor of St. Louis, saying at least four people are dead

following a severe storm. This all comes after reports of a tornado touching down inside the city. NBC's Maggie Vespa has those late details. Hey, man, it's a tornado, man. We're in the tornado. Oh, my! Tonight, a new round of explosive storms. with Missouri in the bullseye hail pummeling the area around St. Louis and late today at least one suspected tornado tearing through the heart of the city wrecking homes damaging a church and downing trees rescue crews trying to save a man trapped in the basement of a collapsed building staff huddling in the basement of city hall elsewhere the twister leaving utter devastation

Everything started fire, and the roof just fell in, the lights, the ceiling, all that stuff just fell down. This tap room in St. Louis torn to pieces. People inside telling our St. Louis affiliate KSDK, they barely escaped with their lives. This man says someone at the last minute told him to move out of harm's way. If he wouldn't have told us to move, we would still be sitting there. We'd have been probably dead. Meanwhile, this apparent tornado crossing a highway in Kentucky and flash flooding, weeping across the northeast. With wild weather wreaking havoc at airports across the country, temporarily delaying or grounding flights in New York, D.C., even Minneapolis. All of it adding to a chaotic week. Over night in Michigan, sparks flying along power lines as violent storms

knocked out power for hundreds of thousands. Oh my God. Yesterday's tornado outbreak spawning at least 11 reported twisters across the Midwest. Homes and buildings today left torn to shreds. It's just a mess i don't know what i want to do at this farm near milwaukee we go we got one we got dozens helping to move this herd of cows away from the damage as cleanup gets underway and more storms fire up tonight and maggie vespah joins us now from chicago maggie what more do we know about new reports of both deaths and injuries yeah ellison you mentioned the four deaths just confirmed by St. Louis's mayor at the top. On top of that, a spokesperson for St. Louis Children's Hospital tells us 10 kids have now been admitted one of those kids is in critical

condition and their families, Ellison, are just starting to arrive. NBC's Maggie Vespa, thank you. Now to a massive fire at Jacksonville International Airport, the fire there causing a major disturbance shutting down the airport this afternoon and causing over a dozen flight cancellations and delays. Officials say about 50 cars were damaged after a multi-vehicle fire broke out in one of the airport's parking garages. First Coast news is Riley Phillips joins us now live from Jacksonville. Riley, talk to us about what you were seeing there on the ground. Where do things stand at this hour? Yes, well, the good news is the airport is now open and open around 5 this evening, so people are able to get to their flights.

but I'm actually standing right outside of the right across the street from the parking garage where this happened. I want to zoom in though so you can see some of the damage. There are some of the cars that are burnt. You can see really all that's left is the metal frame of the car. And then you can also see this beam that has fallen. If here it's fallen from the floor above, that's part of the partial collapse that crews have been talking about. And then it just looks like burnt cars throughout the rest of that this row right here. And you can see the smoke damage as well. But we are, I was. I was. able to just confirm that the fire is now totally out. Crews, fire crews are still on scene, though, to make sure that the fire does not restart. But we do know the fire is totally out. And there was an issue earlier trying to get the fire out because it was a little too dangerous for fire crews to be inside the parking garage. So they had to wait and they needed to get inside the car and under the hood to put that fire out. But again, we were able to confirm it's out. People are now able to go inside the terminal, catch their flights. Traffic is flowing here again. But is still just a very scary situation here in Jacksonville. Back to you. WTLV's Riley Phillips

reporting from the ground there in Jacksonville. Thank you. Cassie Ventura back on the stand today for her second day of cross-examination in the Sean Diddy Combs' sex trafficking trial. Combs' legal team trying to paint Ventura as a loving partner to Combs who willingly participated in their drug-fueled sexual encounters. Our Chloe Malas was inside the courtroom and has the latest. In her final day on the stand, Cassie Ventura spoke a again about the day Combs brutally beat her in a hotel hallway in 2016. Ventura, who is potentially days away from giving birth, testifying that Combs was blackout at the time of the assault from drugs and alcohol. At one point reading a text she sent him after the violent attack,

I am not a ragdoll, I am someone's child. Following 20 hours of testimony this week, her attorney Douglas Wigdor speaking outside the courthouse, reading a statement from Ventura. I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear. Today's cross-examination focusing heavily on Ventura's allegation that Combs raped her in 2018 after they had ended their relationship, which he denies. The defense showing text messages between the former couple the day after the alleged rape, including one in which Ventura sent a heart emoji to Combs. Combs's team also trying to poke holes in Ventura's timeline. That is not the gotcha moment that defense attorneys think it is. I mean, at the end of the day, witnesses are not great on specific dates, particularly when they go back years ago.

The defense also pointing to a text exchange between Ventura and Combs from 2012, in which she wrote, I don't want to freak off for the last time. I want it to be the first time for the rest of our lives. At times today, the defense appeared to struggle to maintain momentum, facing frequent objections by prosecutors and regularly stopping Ventura's questioning to whisper together. Combs appeared to be actively involved, passing his lawyer's notes. In a striking exchange with Combs's lawyers, Ventura's saying, despite it all, I don't hate him. I have love for the past and what it was. And Chloe Malas joins us now from outside of the courthouse. Chloe, Cassie wrapped up her testimony today.

Who else do we expect to take the stand? So we already saw someone from Homeland Security testify and John Richard, and that's notable because she's a celebrity. She was in the band Danity Kane, and she testified that she witnessed Combs be allegedly violent with Ventura over the course of their relationship. We could see her back next week, but there's a lot of controversy brewing around her because she has a civil suit pending with Combs that she filed last year. And I just want to remind everyone that Combs denies all of the allegations against him. Ellison? Chloe Malas, thank you. For more on the final.

final day of Cassie Ventura's testimony. We're joined now by Christy Greenberg. She's a former prosecutor for the Southern District of New York. She was also in the courthouse today. The Southern District of New York, that is where this trial is taking place. Take us through what you saw on the stand today with Cassie Venturo. Has she been a successful witness for the prosecution to prove these crimes that Diddy is accused of? So I think with respect to one count of transportation of women and sex workers across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, seems like a slam dunk for the prosecution. Defense doesn't even really put up a defense to that. As to sex trafficking, you have to show that he used force or coercion in order

to induce her to engage in these freak-offs. And today in court, she said, yes, I was afraid for my safety. That's one reason I did it. Yes, I was afraid about my career, but I was also making sure that he, to keep him happy so that he wouldn't leave me and go elsewhere. That's not sex trafficking, and I think that will create reasonable doubt for the jury. So even if she said, I loved him and I wanted to make him happy, and also I felt I was under force and I was being coercion. There's specific evidence of those others. That one statement has the potential you're saying to negate the other evidence, possibly? I think it's more than I wanted to keep him happy.

It was I was afraid he would find somebody else and I didn't want him to leave me. I was afraid he was going to leave. And that suggests to me that she was then making an active choice to stay in the relationship. Now, again, she is a domestic violence victim. The defense has conceded that. She's saying she has lied. She's been very credible. But if you take what she said at face value, I think it really raises an issue of whether she was a willing participant. Because she is, or Diddy is, rather, facing such specific federal charges here. Let's talk about what happens next,

though, because Chloe mentioned that Don Richards is going to take the stand next. That is a singer. She has accused Diddy of misconduct during the time that she worked with him, claims that his lawyer have denied. But from the prosecution standpoint, what's going to be the goal when they have her take the stand? So one of the things that it is anticipated she will testify about is the fact that she witnessed Colmes beating Cassie Ventura. So that will be important corroboration to bolster Cassie Ventura's testimony that he was violent with her. I think that's one of the main goals of them bringing her on and to show he was violent towards other people, including this witness. As we move forward in this trial, what is the thing that you,

given your legal and courtroom experience that you are going to watch for moving forward to, and what should we watch for, to maybe get a sense of whether or not this jury is going to side with the prosecution or the defense when they get this case? Well, so I think I'm going to be looking for the second victim that's been charged in the indictment. She's gone by Jane. That's how she was referred to in the opening. We will see if she has, you know, what her story is, whether or not she can very clear

say I was being forced and coerced to engage in these sex acts. If she can say that, then that count could be a success for the prosecution, and that count would carry a 15-year mandatory minimum. Christy Greenberg, thank you. We are back in a moment with the Supreme Court decision against the White House, saying they cannot use an 18th century wartime law to deport migrants. Plus, the American basketball player arrested in Indonesia for carrying drugs. The extreme punishment he now faces. interview with an active air traffic controller, what he blames for a close call while he was working at Newark Airport.

And we are back now with YouTube's biggest content creator, Mr. Beast, at the center of a growing controversy tonight in Mexico, after the government there granted him permission to film inside ancient Mayan ruins. The YouTuber using the published video to promote his, or at least one of his, products and what the Mexican government is now calling a violation of their agreement. NBC's Kathy Park explains. We just got dropped off on this 2,000-year-old ancient temple. Tonight, Mexican authorities suing, a company, they say, helped YouTube megastar Mr. Beast,

produced this now viral video. Why is this not in a museum? Why is a YouTuber holding this? Get this away from me. Titled, I explored 2,000-year-old ancient temples. The video is racked up over 60 million views in less than a week. This is the door to the inside of this massive Mayan temple. Authorities say the video taken inside the nation's ancient pyramids violated the terms of government permissions.

We're going to visit this bad boy. In the video, Mr. Beast, whose real name is James Donaldson explores ancient Mayan cities in southeastern Mexico. Can I take one home? Well, I do go to jail. I would go to jail? Yes, sir. At one point, the influencer who has 395 million subscribers on YouTube surprised at the level of I can't believe the government's letting us do this.

And in another moment, advertising his snack product. The only Mayan approved snack on the planet. In the video's caption, the internet celebrity thanks Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History for allowing him to film. But the agency who filed the suit saying in his statement that he gave the firm representing Mr. Beast, full circle media, permission to film at the sites, but not monetize a video, and that they are now demanding compensation for damages. adding, the INAH condemns those who for commercial gain and private profit dare to distort the value of archaeological sites, which are a legacy of our indigenous cultures and the pride of our nation.

Full Circle media did not respond to NBC News's requests for comment. A statement released on Mr. Beast's behalf by a source close to him, saying in part, this video was meant to highlight these treasured Mayan sites in Mexico. No advertisement material was shown at any archaeological sites overseen by INAH. So it's unfortunate that this has turned into a political issue. On Wednesday, Mexico's president, Claudia Scheinbaum, saying her administration will look into the conditions under which the YouTuber was granted access and what sanctions might apply if any permit was violated. And Kathy, Park joins us now. So Kathy, Mexico's president in your piece saying that they will look into the conditions under which Mr. Beast was granted access. That seems to imply access to these ruins.

is a highly selective and formal process. Is that true? Yeah, Ellison, it is quite a process, and it requires interested parties to go through INAH, the agency in Mexico that safeguards a country's cultural heritage. So whether you are filming or for research by law, you're required to apply for permit and requests are not easily granted. And while we don't know the full details of the permits that were issued for Mr. Beast, we saw throughout the video that he posted onto YouTube that INAH personnel, Mexican, officials were with him the entire time. Kathy Park, thank you.

When Top Story returns, the impossible position for one mother, her pregnant daughter, brain dead. But the hospital insisting she must be kept alive until her baby is born, that emotional interview, and how to survive being lost in the mountains, the woman who made it through three weeks in the snow and wind, revealing how she splinted her own leg and made it out alive. Top Stories News Feed begins tonight with a New Jersey transit strike that could impact 350,000 commuters. Members of a New Jersey Railroad Engineers Union walked off of the job at midnight over a pay dispute, halting the nation's third largest transit system. Workers demanding a fair contract claiming they are the lowest paid rail engineers of any major passenger railroad in the United States.

New Jersey Governor Murphy says that he is ready to restart negotiations as soon as the union comes back to the table. Fire destroying a historic Louisiana mansion that had been used as a plantation house when it was built back in 1859. That fire began yesterday afternoon when staff members found smoke and then flames in the museum on the second floor. It reignited last night, causing the roof to collapse. That mansion was being used as a resort and an event venue. The owner says the building is now a total loss. And in a first for the Olympics, the 2028 summer games, they will be in Los Angeles and apparently will feature air taxis. Archer Aviation says they plan on using electric air taxis to transport fans and VIPs to venues.

Planes can carry up to four passengers from a takeoff area to a landing hub near venues in 10 to 20 minutes. Organizers say this will help with the goal of a, quote, car-free Olympics. So far, Archer has not disclosed how. much an air taxi ride will cost. And the WNBA kicking off its regular season with a new team and players to watch. Tonight, the Dallas Wings and number one draft pick and Yukon champ, Paige Beckers, taking on the Minnesota Lynx. The league also debuting its first new team since 2008, the Golden State Valkyries. It is led by the first Asian American coach in the WNBA, Natalie in the case, and tomorrow defending, defending rather WNBA champions, the

New York Liberty. They start their season here at home against the Las Vegas Aces. The Supreme Court tonight handing down a major setback in the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. The High Court ruling in favor of Venezuelan migrants who argued that they must be given appropriate time to challenge their deportations. The president's team had deported them under an 18th century wartime law called the Aliens Enemies Act. NBC's senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from the North Lawn. Gabe, the Supreme Court has yet to decide on the full legality of the Alien Enemies Act, right? But will this prevent such sudden deportations, at least for now?

Yes, Alison. The 7-2 decision continues to pause on deportations using the Alien Enemies Act, which is that obscure 18th century law that the Trump administration was using to deport alleged gang members. Now, the justices in this latest unsigned decision faulted the administration for giving the detainees just 24 hours. to launch any legal challenges. Now, according to the ruling, and I'm reading here, under these circumstances, notice roughly 24 hours before removal devoid of any information of how to exercise due process rights

to contest that removal surely does not pass muster. Now, that's again, from the ruling. The ACLU now is praising the decision, saying this means no more individuals can be hurried away to a brutal prison, perhaps incommunicado, for the rest of their lives. of their lives. This is still developing, Allison. We just heard about this ruling a short time ago. And Gabe, so far, and I understand there could be more reaction coming, but have we heard anything

yet from the White House or White House officials? Well, we heard actually from the president directly, not exactly a surprise. He's returning from that four-day Middle East trip, but this is something that he has been very quick to weigh on. Notable, though, because previously he had slammed lower courts for their decision and kind of laid off. the Supreme Court. Here, he is going after the Supreme Court. He just posted on social media, quote, the Supreme Court has just ruled that the worst murderers, drug dealers, gang members, and even those who are mentally insane who come into our country illegally, are not allowed to be forced out without going through a long, protracted, and expensive legal process. He's essentially arguing,

Alison, that the Supreme Court is not allowing his administration to do what it was elected to do. And he also called it a bad and dangerous day for America. Certainly, Alison, this is just the latest in what is becoming an ongoing clash between the Trump administration and the court system. This time, it is going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court else. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Now, to a rare and fascinating interview with one of the men at the center of the ongoing crisis at Newark Airport. An air traffic controller for Newark's airspace speaking out for the first time about the conditions working. and how in his view, long hours and failing equipment are putting flyers in danger.

Jonathan Stewart is an air traffic controller who was working on May 4th when two aircrafts had a terrifying close call, all of it on his watch. He tells the Wall Street Journal he had been working for three hours straight and typically tries not to do more than two hours because that's when he says mental acuity starts to diminish. And in my situation, I was getting tired. I was having to utilize a combination of radar and non-radar rules that I basically just made up on the fly to separate aircraft in such a way that I could be prepared for losing radar. That increased to my workload, which led to me having a close call, so a nose-to-no situation.

He says the emotional fallout of that incident forced him to take trauma leave. Then you go straight into survival mode to separate those aircraft and make sure they go ahead. And then when that's over, then it really hits you. Then it hits you. I almost had a really bad error. I could have done something terrible. Mr. Stewart spoke to Wall Street Journal reporter Andrew Tangle and Andrew joins Top Story. Now, Andrew, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us tonight.

It is extremely rare for air traffic controllers to speak out publicly like this. This is an extraordinary piece of reporting. Talk to us about how it came to be and why he chose to speak out. Thank you. We were grateful that he wanted to come forward and talk to us. We heard that he wanted to speak out. And so we decided to set up the interview and talk with him. And it really helps us help the public personalize the situation and show who are the human beings and the people behind air traffic control because most people don't even know what this type of air traffic controller does or that they even exist.

Yeah, I mean, an incredibly vital role that so many of us know is stressful. We know it's hard and we know a lot goes into it, but that's sort of where the knowledge stops for so many of us. I want to play a little more of some of the conversation that you had with him, because at one point you asked him about equipment failures. This is what he had to say. Does the concern about the reliability of the equipment you're using add to that stress? For me, it did. And then you also asked him about the long hours. Here's a little bit of that.

To work 60 hours a week, you give up nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays, everything else. Your mental health and your physical health take a toll, it's not good. I mean, the job at that point, you know, could be killing you. Put that into context for us because you're speaking to one person who has this job, but he's telling you that this is not just his own concerns, not his own feelings, that most of his colleagues, he says, are also going through and having these feelings as well, right? Right. Right. Now, across the country, air traffic control facilities are generally speaking short-staffed, and so it's common for controllers to work 10-hour days, six days a week, and that's a strain.

This particular facility is an extreme example of the broader staffing situation in the U.S. It's a really complex corner of airspace. It requires highly skilled controllers. There's just a lot of different type of planes coming into the Newark area from a lot of different directions, and they've got to be on their game. Let me play before we let you go. One more clip from your interview for viewers. This was when you asked Mr. Stewart what he likes about the job. listen. So you ask why do I like it because it's effing fun, man. I mean, it's an adrenaline

rush, and you have to, you play God because you cannot fail. You cannot make a mistake. You know, for a lot of people, as they have watched what has been happening at Newark, even if they understand the complexities there and also know there's this aspect of construction still taking place, these different variables. You described it a minute ago as an extreme example, but a lot of people are worried maybe this is just the tip of the iceberg. When you think about this interview and its totality, what was your takeaway after talking to him and for viewers at home who have been really nervous during this time, what do you think they can really learn from listening to the totality of this interview?

I think that liars can know that there are people like Stewart who are under pressure behind the scenes to get them to where they need to go safely. And whether or not it's safe to fly or safe for them to fly to a certain area, I'm not able to make that determination. And he didn't get into that really in the particular interview. He expressed safety concerns previously, but he said that the FAA, in his view, was taking steps in the right direction. Wall Street Journal's Andrew Tangle, excellent reporting.

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us this evening. We appreciate it. Thanks for having me. To Georgia now, where a mother says she is being forced to keep her pregnant but brain-dead daughter alive because of that state's restrictive abortion laws. NBC's senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett has the emotional interview with that mother. It started with headaches. April Newkirk says her 30-year-old daughter, Adriana Smith, was press.

with her second child when something started to go terribly wrong. They did a CT scan and she had blood clots all in her head. Speaking to NBC affiliate WXIA, Newkirk says soon after that, Adriana was declared brain dead by Emery doctors. That was back in February, but she's still in the hospital, Newkirk says, on life support. The doctors haven't withdrawn because that would mean the unborn fetus Adriana still carries would also die, a potential violation of Georgia's strict abortion law. It's torture for me. I come here and I see my daughter breathing about a ventilator, but she's not there.

The law bans most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy, with narrow exceptions. Emery says it doesn't comment on patient cases, but the hospital uses, quote, individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia's abortion laws. It's all raising fresh questions about the reach of the law. Republican State Senator Marty Harbin says he still supports it. We have already determined that she does not have life, but yet the baby does have life. The current plan, Newkirk says, is to keep Adriana alive until doctors can deliver the baby safely via C-section. For now, her mother waits.

I'm not saying that we would have chose to terminate her pregnancy. What I'm saying is we should have had a choice. Laura Jarrett, NBC News. And Laura Jarrett joins us now on set. So, Laura, do we know if this is for sure what the law requires, or could Emery just be overreacting or being extra cautious here? Yeah, I think it actually depends on the hospital's risk tolerance, right? Because if you think about it, the hospital would be risking their medical license, would be risking a lengthy investigation if the state decided they actually wanted to try to come after them for this. On the other hand, it's clear that the mother wouldn't object if the ventilator was pulled. And so I think you often see the doctors on these situations airing on the side of caution because the risks to them is so great if they violate the law. NBC's Laura Jarrett, thank you.

Now to the remarkable firsthand account from a woman who survived more than three weeks in the wilderness after she fell down a cliff in the mountains of California, the 27-year-old battling a blizzard trekking through rugged terrain all while injured. NBC's Camilla Bernal has this one. After surviving three weeks in the brutal wilderness, Tiffany Slayton telling the world how she did it. How did I avoid death? I'm pretty good at foraging. Slayton, who is from Georgia, had planned to spend three days in California Sierra Mountains. But an accident sent her dangerously off course.

When I fell off of this cliff, I was unconscious for about two hours and did indeed have to split. one splint one of my legs and pop the other knee back into place. Relentless exposure to bright light from the harsh snowy terrain, damaging her eyes, forcing her to wear sunglasses even two days after her rescue. Based on what the doctors have told me, it may be repairable. Initially, she had supplies and some food. When that ran out, she relied on her skills to find more, eating mostly leaks and drinking snow melt. I'm a trained permaculturalist. That means I'm very good at foraging.

But at the end, after fighting nature for such a long time, I lost my tent, and I did eventually lose both sleeping bags, so I was outside with nothing but a lighter and a knife. Slayton, a pre-Olympian archer, walked for miles and days. In an archery session for two hours, we walked the equivalent of five miles and lift the equivalent of two tons. So my body type is not necessarily going to look like a boxers, but it is indeed in athletes. Finding a remote mountain resort, not a moment too soon. Without Vermilion resort, I would not be here because that was the 13th heavy snowstorm I had been in, and it was going to be the last one. If he hadn't come that day, they would have found my

body there. The owner of that resort, Christopher Gutierrez, leaves the cabin open for exactly this type of emergency, finding Slayton there just hours after she arrived. She pops out, didn't say a word, just ran up, and all she wanted was a hug. And a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was the best PB&J I've ever had. Her parents worried they would never see her again, now at her side as she recovers from the ordeal. glad to to see her, to know that she's alive. An extraordinary story. Camila Bernal joins us now from Los Angeles. I mean, Camila, it is remarkable to hear directly from Tiffany. What an extraordinary woman. What more did she say

about her recovery and where does she go from here? Well, she says, Alison, that she wants to go home with her parents for that recovery and said that, yes, she's eating and drinking, but she had some problems with digestion. She says it's going to be a long process where she'll likely have to see doctors. This actually also inspired her to want to be a doctor herself. And she did joke saying she does not want to be on a long vacation anytime soon, Alison. Camila Bernal, thank you. And we are back in just a moment with the American basketball player arrested what he is accused of doing in Indonesia that others have been sentenced to death for. In Indonesia, an American basketball player arrested, now facing the possibility of life behind bars.

Police say he tried to smuggle drugs into the country in offense that has ended in execution for others convicted of the same crime in that country. NBC's Adrian brought us as this report. Tonight, an American-born international basketball player facing the possibility of life in prison in Indonesia. This video emerging on social media appearing to show Jared Dwayne Shaw screaming for help as he is arrested just outside the capital of Jakarta. Police say he was arrested for trying to smuggle drugs into the country. An offense so severe in Indonesia, convicted smugglers are at times executed by firing squad. Indonesia has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug offenses. If you have above a certain amount in your possession that could automatically qualify,

you as eligible for the death penalty. Authorities say they raided his apartment after a tip from Indonesian customs about a suspicious package sent to Shaw from Thailand, where cannabis has been decriminalized. Police say they found 132 pieces of cannabis candies inside his home. During an interrogation, Shaw said he intended to share the candy with other players, according to police, who say Shaw is facing penalties ranging from six months to life. Shaw played basketball in college for Utah State before Stent in the NBA's Developmental G-League. He's played for several teams in the Indonesian Basketball League since 2022,

signing with the Tungaran Hawks last year. This will be the perfect opportunity to show that I can be a leader. The manager of the Hawks confirming after his arrest, Shaw was fired for breach of contract. Neither Shaw nor his family could be reached for comment. His arrest, a reminder of a different basketball star arrested overseas. WMBA star Brittany Griner was detained in Russia on drug charges for nearly 10 months after Russian authorities said they found cannabis oil in her luggage at the airport. I made an honest mistake.

The Biden administration declaring her wrongfully detained, negotiating a high-stakes prisoner swap for her release in 2020. As for Shaw, the State Department saying, quote, we are aware of reports of a U.S. citizen detained in Indonesia. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment. And Adrian brought us, joins us now. Adrian, you mentioned in your piece that some convicts in Indonesia do face the death penalty. What more do we know about that country's death row? You know what, Ellison, Indonesia has zero tolerance toward drug offenses.

and the most recent data shows at least 530 people are on death row right now in Indonesia for drug-related crimes. More than 90 of them, however, are from other countries. Alison. Adrienne brought us reporting. Thank you. And we are back in a moment with the new song from an artist who passed away six years ago, why it could be the song of the summer. We are back now with binge-worthy. are looking at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by Darren Carb.

She is, of course, a pop culture expert, Bravo personality, and host of the podcast, shaken and disturbed. Darren, so good to see you, as always. We're going to start with a little dabble in your podcasting spirit. Go a little crimey to start because there's a sci-fi series on Apple TV Plus about what happens when a security robot gains free will. This one is called MurderBot. I have been noticing some anomalies with the sec unit Uh-oh And when I plugged into its system The unit was already rogue

It calls itself murder bot It's a killing machine Murder bot You mean you stop calling it murder bot It's terrifying You know what I mean that's what it calls itself So I am just being respectful Do you think we can trust it?

It seems like it's going through something It's murder-ish Yeah don't like the title fool you. Even though I do a true crime podcast, it isn't about murder. It is in a way. This is sort of a subservient robot who is trained to, like, you know, serve the humans and gains free will and has a problem with emotions, learns how to self-hack his own system so he can kind of get away with not doing all the tasks that he wants, but he tries to go undetected. And it turns out he just loves watching, like, binge watching TV, just like human beings. And all he wants to do is

just sit in his little robot uniform watching TV. So a lot of comedians. So a lot of comedians. moments, stars Alexander Scarsguard, 10 episodes, and it's a little genre bending. It's comedy, mixed with sci-fi. So if you're into that, check it out. Okay, Apple TV Plus is where you can stream this one. This next one is actually co-created by J.J. Abrams. It's called Duster. And it's set in the 1970s about an FBI agent and a getaway driver. This one is streaming on Max. Here's a clip. There she is, the rookie who thinks she can take down the Southwest Al Capone. You're pretty intense. What about the duster? Who's the driver?

Magic on wheels. Give him! I do love my job. Hold it right there. I need you to come with me. I mean, to start, I should correct myself. It's on HBO, Formally known as Max, formerly known as HBO Max, formerly known as Max, formerly known as Max, now HBO Max. Again, HBO Max, excuse me.

Whoever that marketing team is, they should be getting paid. But the show looks good. The show is good, and also J.J. Abrams, he's going to. bring it. Obviously, lost fame amongst others. And then he has Josh Holloway, who will forever be Sawyer to me, because I was a huge lost fan. I love Sawyer. But yes, it does take place in the 1970s, first black FBI agent who thinks she can bring down this crime syndicate. So hires this getaway driver to kind of bring down his own family. Got a lot of action-packed. And again, J.J. Abrams, who is great. Is it based on a true story? No, I don't believe that. I mean,

I'm sure loosely, in Trump, they talked to FBI agents, how this would happen. But not a specific one person. Yeah, I think it's too, it kind of devolves into being like stupid than a little terrifying. So I don't think it's based on a true story. Okay, but and TBD, whether or not his daughter, Gracie Abrams, will be a part of the soundtrack. Correct. I guess that's a new possibility. That's possible. Yeah, all the Grace Abrams fans. You never know. Okay, so this next one is actually a reality series on Hulu. It's back for season two. It's called The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. And it picks up right where they left off. Take a look. Where is everyone at? Whitney wants back in mom talk. Everything feels kind of fake about it. I'm trying to protect mom talk. I don't feel like

inviting the devil back in. I think everybody just needs to get the freaking stick out of their anyone that comes in at this point is cloud chasing. What the hell? Is that Miranda? Oh my God. Miranda is Taylor's ex-best friend. I'm going to set the record straight on the swinging scandal. Oopsies. It's going to get messy for sure. So I've seen fragments of this before, but the only question I have is are they still swinging? Okay, so this is the scandal. Season one, Thank you for knowing it. So this is a group of basically 20-something Mormon moms who started mom talk, basically famous for dancing.

They used to go viral. But then they got caught, or at least allegedly caught, in this huge swinging scandal, which obviously brought in the TV cameras, me, you. The only thing that you need to know, they drink dirty soda, but apparently you're still parts of Church of Latter-day Saints, even though you're not supposed to have caffeine. They're really breaking all the rules. Apparently, according to last season, there was only one of them into the swinging scandal.

But that's definitely going to keep you going. for season two. Absolutely check it out on Hulu. All right. This next one that we have is actually a show on Peacock. It's called Older, Hotter, Wiser, and it's a comedy scripted series from an influencer you might know. Serena Kerrigan, take a look. Another year older, check. Hotter, check. Wiser? We'll get back to that.

I've toured this show across the country, but this time it's different. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. What? Road trip. When are we getting in California? Approximately 47 hours, 21 minutes, 30 seconds, over a couple days. I don't know what it's, I don't know. Okay, okay, you don't get it.

Okay, Sabrina Kerrigan, influencer. This comes from Peacock's like Creator Accelerator program, so it takes basically young influencers to see what they can kind of make and give new stars a voice. I relate to it heavily just because I moved to Los Angeles, so I understand that trek across the country can be crazy. But yes, her and her boyfriend, they want to move to L.A., but the problem is getting there.

So it's essentially a fun road trip series. Got a lot of light comedic moments. Check it on on Peacock. That seems fun. Okay, so let's do music quickly before we let you go. Because Avici, who passed away about seven years ago, his music's still living on. This album, Avichie Forever, features some of the hitmakers classics,

as well as a never-released song. And let's play you some of that because it's called Let's Ride Away featuring El King. And right away, let's ride away. Let's ride away. I mean, it definitely brings up, like, my 20s for me. It's, right. It's Avichy. Now we're in our 30s.

We're past this. But yes, actually, this was originally written with Casey Musgraves, which is very interesting. So this isn't the original original version that Avichy had planned. Obviously, it's posthumous. But it's still a banger, and I love Elle on it. You're going to be listening to it all summer for sure. It's going to be in the Clubs. The Clurbs.

Great. Thank you. Darren Karp. Thanks for being here. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Alyssa in Barbara in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.