Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 9, 2025

Episode Date: May 10, 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 new American Pope, Leo the 14th, holding his first mass, as we hear new details about what happened inside the conclave to get him elected. The striking scene, the Pope leading his first mass, partially in English. The new images of his first hours as Pope, as the American Cardinals who helped get him elected, reveal how he came out on top at the conclave. Plus, our new reporting on his life in the U.S., including this World Series game. A frightening new outage at Newark Airport, radar screens going black overnight, the 90-second outage putting flights at risk, the audio of what air traffic controllers said the moment they came back on. The mayor of a major American city arrested while protesting at an ICE detention center.

Plus, the chaotic scenes during an arrest of a woman in Massachusetts, the community confronting the officers. Exclusive bombshell details on the Idaho murder case. what was found on Brian Coburger's phone, how he followed news of the murder and how he may have dressed up like Ted Bundy. Keith Morrison reports. The flirty text messages from Karen Reed read out loud in court suggesting she kissed another man, how it could impact her trial for the murder of her boyfriend. Brazen robberies across America's supply chain, stealing a billion dollars in goods a year before they get to you. The new technology thieves are using and how it's

raising the price you pay. And move over pop culture, it's time for Pope culture. The Leo the 14th means taking over the internet. Plus, the risk assessment for the Menendez brothers just completed what it reveals about their potential for violence if released. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, newly elected Pope Leo the 14th, capping off his first full day as pontiff. And at this hour, we are learning more about his path to the papacy. Pope Leo presiding over his first Mass as the leader of the Catholic Church, delivering the homily, parts of which he even recited in English. It comes as we get new reaction from his brothers and what it was like when they found out he was chosen.

I was in a period of disbelief. And then as he came out to talk, then we knew this was real. And I guess a sense of tremendous pride came over me, but then also how's he going to handle this? And last night, Pope Leo, making a surprise appearance in the Vatican Palace, greeting some of the faithful, shaking hands, posing for pictures, and offering a blessing. At this hour, we're learning more about his past, what led him to this very moment and what it all means for the path of the church moving forward. Plus, tonight we peel the curtain behind the conclave back. Our new reporting on the unexpected decision to select Pope Leo, formally, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. We have a lot to get to this evening, starting with NBC's Lester Holt at the Vatican. Pope Leo the 14th presiding over his first mass as pontiff today in the Sistine Chapel, beginning with a few words in English.

And I know I can rely on each and every one of you to. walk with me as we continue as a church. Today there's been a slow pulling back of the curtain about the conclave and the days leading up to it, specifically the mealtime breaks and coffee breaks where critical discussions took place. Cardinal Blaise Supich, the Archbishop of Chicago, told me in those conversations the Cardinals zeroed in on the qualities they were looking for. The Chicago native and Villanova grad who'd worked for years as a missionary in Peru emerged.

They wanted people who were multilingual, who lived on more than one continent, who had pastoral missionary experience, as he did. So he seemed to check all the boxes. And then the votes came in, and they just seemed to move in the direction to elect him. He knows Pope Leo well. We hear people slip into calling him Bob, obviously very familiar. But talk to us about what kind of person he is. He's an individual who is just very real. What you see is what you get.

He's authentic. He cares about people. And it's been said he doesn't pick a fight, but he won't run from it either. But there's one thing the Cardinals say wasn't a big factor. I don't think the fact that Cardinal Prevost was from the United States had much weight. Cardinal Joseph Tobin reflected on the weight of the moment for his friend of 30 years. After one of the ballots, I walked back and I took a look. at Bob and because his name had been floating around and he had his head in his hands

and I and I was praying for him because I couldn't imagine what happens to a human being when you're facing something like that and then when he accepted it it was like he was made for it and Pope Leo's first night as Pontiff was a busy one greeting the faithful signing autographs offering a blessing. Amen. Today, the Vatican releasing the official document announcing his election. Pope Leo's older brother, Lewis, says it's all pretty surreal.

It's just mind-blowing that my brother was elected pope. We used to tease him about being Pope when he was six years old. In Pope Leo's hometown today, Let us pray for Pope Leo the 14th. A special mass honoring the new leader of the Catholic Church. What are you hearing from back home? Lots of things. The culture of Chicago in the Midwest produced a pope. That's terrific. I think it's something that people are going to take pride in being from Chicago.

I see it's a little choked up there. It's such as deep. Very deep. Yeah. And Lester Holt joins us now from the Vatican. So many emotions there. Lester, I know you were in the room when that group of American cardinals were speaking to the press. about the conclave. What else did they reveal that stood out to you? Well, one of the cardinals acknowledged that there was some of an issue of the number of electors, cardinal electors who were in the room, and he pointed out how important it was, it underscored the importance of those congregations where they met before the actual conclave. There was also some discussion about Pope Francis and whether the mission there was to have him as a role model or a copy, they opted for him to be a role model.

Lester Holt, reporting from the Vatican. Thank you. And as we learn more details about the new pontiff, some of his political views also coming to light. Past social media post-end speeches revealing how he might steer the Catholic Church. NBC's Molly Hunter has this report. When Pope Leo the 14th spoke of reaching out to the world in his first mass as pontiff, It came as no surprise to father Tony Banks. He's going to try to bring into dialogue, different viewpoints on different things. The fellow Augustinian describes issues that his friend, the first American Pope, cares deeply

about, like migrants, issues that may put him on a collision course with President Trump. Why can't these people who are in these afflicted countries actually share in the riches of the countries? And go in search of federal lives? In February, an ex-account for former Cardinal Prevosted an article titled, J.D. Vance is wrong. Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others. And back in 2018, the account shared a Cardinal's criticism of the family separation policy under President Trump. Even still, the president and vice president congratulating and praising the new Pope. To have the Pope from the United States of America, that's a great honor.

Back in 2012, he criticized popular culture for promoting sympathy for beliefs and practices that are at odds with the gospel, referring in part to the homosexual lifestyle. He stands very much with the marginalized to those who have been on the periphery of church. There is no reason for that exclusion. According to voter registration records, the new pope voted in Republican primaries in Illinois in 2012, 2014, and 2016. Well, he want to build bridges to Donald Trump, I suppose, but he would want to build bridges with the leader of every nation. Molly Hunter joins us now also from the Vatican. Molly, do we know if or when Pope Leo will meet with world leaders?

Alison, we don't, but we did get a hint today from U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan. The U.S. Cardinals held a press conference earlier today, and he said very soon in the next 10 days, Pope Leo will start taking meetings with world leaders for what he called substantive discussions. He didn't say anything, no date about President Trump, but he did say, of course, down the line President Trump would be included, though. Two other dates, though, Alison, in the near future, I wanted to bring your attention to. Next Sunday, May 18th, will be Pope Leo's inaugural mass,

and his first public audience will be May 21st. NBC's Molly Hunter, thank you. Newark Airport is dealing with hours-long delays today after air traffic controllers yet again lost radar early this point. morning. It comes as the Trump administration is pushing a multi-billion dollar plan to overhaul the air traffic control system nationwide. Tom Costello has the audio of mounting frustration among controllers seconds after the blackout. It happened at 355 a.m. The FAA says for 90 seconds, newer controllers lost several radar scopes. One controller checking in with a FedEx pilot.

Our scope shift went black again. If you care about this, contact airline and try to get some pressure for them to fix this stuff. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tells NBC's Kristen Welker, unstable data lines and software glitches are to blame. The system is old, right? This is a system that's at 25 at best, sometimes 50 years old. We have to fix this because what you see in Newark is going to happen in other places across the country.

It has to be fixed. Duffy says old data lines send radio and radar feeds from Newark up to Long Island, New York, then down to Philadelphia, where controllers manage New York. Airspace. One current veteran controller tells NBC News they've lost radios and radars many times since last August. While air traffic at 4 a.m. is mostly limited to cargo planes and some charter flights. Any hour of the day is dangerous if you lose radar. All new hardware, all new software is going to be built into this brand new air traffic control system. On Thursday, Duffy detailed plans to completely rebuild America's air traffic control system. New towers,

radios, radars, and radar centers amid a push to hire more controllers. But it will cost billions of dollars and take three to four years. Are we looking at a really difficult summer because of all these ATC challenges? If our controllers can't control a really busy airspace, we're going to bring in less airplanes. And that can cause delays. That can cause cancellations. And Tom Costello is with us now from Washington. Tom, you said the larger air traffic control infrastructure improvements will take years and a whole. whole lot of money. But what happens in the short term? Can these communication issues at Newark be fixed sooner? So Secretary Duffy tells me he thinks the data line from New York to the controllers

in Philadelphia should improve within a few days, hopefully over the weekend, and hopefully that will improve the radar signal for controllers. But by the way, some of the equipment they're using is so old. Duffy says the only way to buy replacement parts is on eBay, Ellison. Tom Costello reporting. Thank you. We're back in a moment with what was on the alleged killer's phone in the Idaho murders case, including photos of himself possibly dressed as a notorious serial killer. Plus, the government assessment of the Menendez brothers. Is it safe to release them? And we're going to take you inside Russia as President Putin shows off his military and his allies. Welcome back. We are following several developing headlines on immigration tonight. The mayor of Newark, New Jersey, arrested outside of an ICE detention facility that he has protested. Plus, video of the dramatic arrest of a teenager in Massachusetts.

That community tried to rush in and stop it. And the tough student who was arrested by plain-closed officers back in March is heading home. NBC's Ryan Chandler, covering it all. Tonight, a tense standoff at an ICE detention facility in New Jersey. Get your hand on your phone. The mayor of Newark, Ross Baraka, arrested by federal police, a spokesperson confirms. Don't touch you! Get off of them! While on a congressional visit to the recently reopened prison, the mayor says the facility

does not have proper permits from the city. According to witnesses, the argument broke out when federal officials blocked Bacara's entry. The interim U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey writing on X that Baraka committed trespass. and ignored multiple warnings from homeland security investigations to remove himself from the ICE detention center in a statement new jersey governor phil murphy writing i am outraged by the unjust arrest i am calling for his immediate release by federal law enforcement his arrest comes on the same day as a high profile release after 45 days in ice detention tuff's phd student remesa oz turk released on bail thank you so much for all the support on

I am a little bit tired, so I will take some rest, but I really appreciate you're being here. This startling security footage captured the moment plainclothes federal agents surrounded Ozturk near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts on March 25th. The Trump administration revoking her student visa, accusing her of supporting a terrorist organization. We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree not to become a social activist that tears up our university campuses. Last year, Ozturk co-wrote an op-ed in the tough student paper, criticizing the school's response to the war in Gaza.

Tonight, a federal judge accusing the Trump administration of producing little evidence for her detention, saying Ozturk raised very substantial claims of due process and First Amendment violations. Stop, ma'am, stop. Thursday in Worcester, dramatic scenes as officers apprehend a teenager. I get her arm. Community members swarming police trying to stop the arrest. arrest. As the girl's face is shoved into the ground and she's cuffed over loud protests from onlookers. I'm not obstructing. I'm not accepting what you should be doing. Police say the daughter

who they do not identify held a newborn baby in front of the ice vehicle where her mother, who's from Brazil was being detained and later chased and kicked the vehicle. She's charged with reckless endangerment of a disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. And Ryan Chandler joins us now from Dallas. Ryan, tensions appearing to boil over on immigration in so many places this week. What are we hearing from the Trump administration tonight? Well, Alison, the White House is defiant, doubling down on their mass deportation policy. Stephen Miller, as senior White House advisor, said today, he called the decision to release Ramesa Osterk.

judicial coup, even said the White House is actively considering suspending habeas corpus. That would mean ending the right of a person to challenge their detention. Alison, tonight we can also report that Ozturk has officially been released from that ICE detention facility. She didn't say much, but she did say in brief remarks to the press there. She said, thank you so much. I'm a little bit tired, so I will take some time to rest. Allison. Ryan Chandler, thank you.

We are just hours away from the first talks between the United States and China, where the two economic powerhouses will try to negotiate a new trade deal. And today, President Trump signaled a major shift, suggesting his 145 percent tariffs could be lowered. The president posting on true social, quote, 80 percent tariff on China seems right up to Treasury Secretary Scott Besson, who will be one of the negotiators this weekend. So is a trade deal possible with China? NBC News Business and Data correspondent Brian Chung is here to walk up. goes through it. Brian, let's start with the talks this weekend. What do we expect to happen? And at this point, is it wishful thinking if people are expecting to see some sort of comprehensive deal at the end of it? Look, I mean, your guess is as good as mine over the outcome of what's

going to happen this weekend. But the fact that there are conversations happening between the United States and the Chinese in Switzerland does prove to optimism. And I think that it's underscored by the fact that the president is already on truth social, saying that there's at least some path to lowering the rates of tariffs right now. Again, 145. percent. The president himself has admitted is effectively, you know, like to an embargo. There's just not really trade going. And this is kind of anecdotally lining up with companies that I've talked to that have said, we're just not going to order anything from China. We're going to cancel orders because at 145 percent, we don't even have the option to pass it

onto the consumer. They're going to bulk at those higher prices. So for that reason, maybe one outcome out of this will be lowering those trade rates, although 80 percent is still pretty restrictive. And I think it's important to point out that even the president suggests that he doesn't expect a full and comprehensive trade deal out of these announcements, but we'll take whatever steps we can out of it. Yeah, I mean, that was going to be my next question, given that essentially, in a lot of ways, trade is halted. People aren't buying things from China in the way that they did before. Dropping from 145 to 80, is that actually going to move the needle for your sources that you have been speaking to who say, hey, we're not buying right now because we can't pass that all

on to the consumer. Yeah, well, look, I mean, if we rewind to even before the rates went all the way up to 145 percent, we were at one point only tariffing Chinese goods coming into this country. at 20%. There was a 10% round put into effect in February, another 10% put in a month later in the beginning of March. And many producers I was talking to were saying, look, we can handle that. We can handle 20%. We can absorb maybe 10% of that and then pass the other 10% onto the customer and the higher cost. 145%. That is just completely out of the question. I think 80% is closer to 145 than it is to 20. So for that reason, I think 80% would still be restrictive for a lot of companies. I remember talking to one Tonka truck maker that was saying 145%, you might as well just make it

2,000 percent because at that point, we're not going to order anything. We're going to cancel orders. So 80 percent will still be a negotiating tool. Again, does 80 get closer than to 60, then to 40, then to 20? Then you're talking into more realistic ranges that businesses can work with. All right. NBC's Brian Chung. Thank you. None of the gripping new details from Dateline's investigation into the murders of four college students at the University of Idaho, providing the most comprehensive look to date into the actions of accused killer Brian Koberger after the grizzly murders. Keith Morrison.

48 hours after the middle of the night stabbing desk at 1122 King Road, Ryan Koberger was on Amazon shopping for a K-bar knife and sheath. The same brand of sheath investigators had found in the bed of one of the victims left behind, they believe, by the killer. That and the rest of what we're reporting

comes from records in the possession of law enforcement and from multiple sources with direct knowledge of the case. That same week, the week after the killings, Coburger began viewing or saving on his phone, photos, videos, and news updates about the murders. He did that at least 60 times. He was collecting everything, all the reporting about the incident. It's very common.

He's been watching all these things. A month after the murders on December 15th, Coburger watched a video that included this quote, Something is wrong with me. I can't be who I need to be. Something is wrong with me. Will it last for eternity? He doesn't fit in to society.

In late December, six weeks after the murders of Maddie Mogan, Kaylee Gonsalves, Zanekernodl, and Ethan Chaffin, record show Coburger, a criminology student, was again on his phone playing a clip from a YouTube program called Ted Bundy, the essence of a psychopath. Within 24 hours of that, two selfies. Kohlberger dressed the same way Bundy is pictured on that program. And finally, two days later on Thursday, December 29th, Brian Koberer, pulled up a song on his phone by Brittany Spears, the title, Criminal. Tactical teams arrested Koeberger less than two hours later. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Keith Morrison, NBC News, Los Angeles. To break down all of the possible evidence revealed in this case, I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalos. Danny, if I can, I'm so interested in some of the details from Keith. Keith's report and these exclusive nuggets that Dateline has gotten. I want to try to break them into kind of two categories of evidence that appears to be circumstantial, but also I think might be hard to explain, and then circumstantial that maybe a defense team could explain based on the fact that he was a criminology student. Let's start with that detail that Keith had. 48 hours after the

murders, Coburger was on Amazon searching for a K-bar knife and sheath, the same brand of a sheath that police say they found at the crime scene. I'll also remind viewers, police also say they found Koberger's evidence on the sheath that was behind at the crime scene. Circumstantial that he was Googling it, but that seems like that paired with the DNA is going to be hard for the defense to push back on, right? Yeah, first, I'm calling for a moratorium on everyone who somehow thinks circumstantial evidence is not reliable evidence. It's actually often much more powerful than direct evidence.

Direct evidence is an eyewitness saying, I saw that guy shoot the sheriff. But eyewitness testimony is lousy. Our brains are way more feeble than we think they are. So circumstantial evidence is fantastic evidence, and this is just another in the pile of evidence against him that is going to be very damning. That search for a K-bar knife, I mean, even though they never found the knife,

if you have the DNA there and it comes into evidence and he was searching to purchase something like that, then that's the kind of circumstantial evidence. And for the jury, they might as well conclude that he had a knife, and it was that knife. So also circumstantial, but talk to me about some of the details where they say he had at least 60 times. He had different photos, videos, new updates related to the case the week after the killing,

saved on his phone. A few weeks later, they say he watched a YouTube clip about Ted Bundy, 24 hours after watching it. There were two selfies of him allegedly dressed similar to how Ted Bundy appeared in that YouTube program. Is that something that the defense can say circumstantial? And also, by the way, he was studying criminology. It makes complete sense. Let's not even have this in court. or is this going to matter?

Yeah, you're thinking like a defense attorney. I mean, look, on the one hand, I get that this looks really damning. But on the other hand, does that mean that none of us should be watching Ted Bundy videos because, God forbid, there's a murder in our area? I mean, think about it. Many people probably watch that Ted Bundy video. So that alone shouldn't be evidence that everybody who watches Ted Bundy videos is going to go out and try and commit some perfect serial killer murder.

So, you know, I see it both ways. In terms of, if you want to rank the evidence, the Amazon searches, obviously the DNA on the K-bar sheet, that's some of the more powerful stuff. The Internet searches, I put in the category of incredibly damning, but really explainable and really, in a way, it shouldn't be the kind of evidence that is the nail in the coffin, so to speak, for a criminal defendant, because it's the kind of thing any of us might be searching. And if you're out there thinking I would never search Ted Bundy, I get it. But I would. I find that stuff interesting. I'm a criminal defense attorney. From the outside, it seems like there is so much hard evidence. DNA, the, seemingly a car he owned that looks like the car he owned was videoed near the house. All of these different little nuggets, in addition to the really strong circumstantial evidence, it seems like the defense is backed into a pretty tough corner here. How would you get out of it? I mean, do you look at your client and say, dude, maybe plea deal, or do you move ahead and try to hang this on someone else and say,

There was some DNA found at the scene that has been attributed to an unknown male. It was that guy. Even though we have no reason to explain why Coburger's DNA would have been in the house, he says he's never been to. When you're in this tight of a corner, sometimes a plea deal isn't even an option. What are you going to get? I mean, maybe they'll take the death penalty off the table, and the client probably just wants to roll the dice.

And sometimes we don't get to pick our facts on the defense. And sometimes you go to trial with some really lousy facts, and the outcome may never be in doubt. All right. A lot for people to see tonight in Keith Morrison's dateline. His new episode will be The Terrible Night on King Road. It airs tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern and 8 p.m. Central Time. And when Top Story returns, the so-called flirty text from Karen Reed to another man read out loud today in court.

The defense arguing that man could actually be the real killer. And the criminals costing American companies a billion dollars a year, our investigation into the new technology the thieves are using. back now with top stories news feed an evaluation into eric and lyell menendez finding the brothers pose a moderate risk of committing violence if released from prison the assessment which ranks inmate levels their risk levels as low moderate or high was conducted by psychologists the judge is determining how to incorporate this into their resentencing hearing set for next tuesday and Wednesday. Their brothers are serving a life sentence for the killings of their parents in 1989. They admit they killed them, but claim it was in self-defense after years of abuse

at the hands of their father. A new update today in Sean Diddy Combs' federal sex trafficking trial. Combs' attorney telling a judge the hip-hop mogul committed domestic violence in his relationship with one of the accusers expected to testify. He says the defense will take the position that there was, quote, mutual violence between the parties. That accuser, known as victim one, has not been publicly identified. However, the allegations do mirror those of Diddy's ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. Final jury selection is set for Monday. And UNC Chapel Hill is pushing back on claims they banned head football coach Bill Belichick's girlfriend from its athletic facilities.

The university saying Jordan Hudson is welcome and will continue to manage all activities related to Belichick's personal brand outside of Carolina football and the university. That statement coming after a podcast host reported Hudson was banned from UNC. 24-year-old Hudson and 73-year-old Belichick have been the target of controversy since a viral interview with CBS about two weeks ago. 21 and up. That is the new rule at a McDonald's in Virginia. The McDonald's on Franconia Road says no one under the age of 21 is allowed to dine inside the restaurant, and customers are now required to show IDs to get inside. Workers there say they implemented the new rule because young people were getting into fights and disturbing their other customers. Like, we sitting down eating, y'all smoking, y'all drinking, y'all cussing, come on, yo.

Dult's over 21 are now being asked to ring the doorbell to get inside. The drive-through and mobile ordering is still available, though, to all ages. We want to turn back to our coverage of Pope Leo the 14th. While he's the first American-born Pope in history, Catholics in Peru are also celebrating and embracing the new leader after he spent more than two decades there working as a missionary, priest, and a bishop. Our Stephanie Gosk traveled to the South American country and has this report on his impact and legacy. Not long after Leo the 14th, the Chicago-born Pope appeared on the Vatican balcony. Church bells rang in Lima, Peru, the president proudly declaring,

The Pope is Peruvian. God loves Peru. For Catholics in Peru, Leo the 14th is their first Pope, too. Social media lit up with memes. The Pope in the National Soccer jersey. eating Cevice, drinking the Inca Cola. What is the feeling in this city today? It's like a party. I think the people is very excited.

Robert Prevost spent more than two decades working in this South American country, first as a missionary, then a priest, and ultimately a bishop in the city of Chiclayo. This is terrific. I'm at a restaurant right across from the cathedral, and they are serving up the Pope's favorite lunch, Cabrito Chicleano, which is. goat with rice and beans. Among Bishop Prevost's most beloved causes, helping immigrants. We visit a shelter he helped build with Professor Juan Carlos Reigno, who tells me when Bishop Prevost saw people in need, he wanted to help them. Gabriela Murillo has been here for three

years and met the future pope. I asked her if she had a message for him. She says, I'm grateful for everything he has done for us, for Venezuelans. Prevost tenure in Peru did not escape controversy. He was accused of mishandling an investigation into reports of pre-sexual abuse. Allegations the diocese has denied. But here at Giaclio, today is about celebration, and the people here say both things can be true. Pope Leo the 14th is the first U.S. Pope, and he is also the first Peruvian Pope. Perhaps that's what the Cardinals were thinking. Ellison? Stephanie Gosk in Peru, thank you. Now to Russia's show of strength at the country's annual Victory Day celebrations.

Putin's parade showcasing the international support for the Kremlin with high-profile world leaders in attendance this year, including the presidents of China and Brazil. This, as the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine, warns of a potentially significant air attack over the next few days. NBC's Kier Simmons reports from inside Russia. Russian President Putin and China's President Xi appearing side by side, sending an uncompromising message to the U.S. from Moscow today. At a Russian parade marking victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War, just as China

prepares for tariff talks with the Trump administration, and Russia refuses to agree to President Trump's 30-day ceasefire proposal in Ukraine. President Xi says he and President Putin are friends of steel. President Trump says Putin wants peace. This could be Putin's answer. The parade included fighters from the front line. And for the first time, drones used to target Ukraine after Vice President Vance this week accused the Kremlin of not going far enough towards a peace deal.

We think they're asking for too much. After the parade, Putin's close ally, the Belarusian president, telling NBC news, Putin doesn't owe anyone anything. More than 20 world leaders are here, Putin meeting with each one, including Brazil's president. Are you not concerned that standing in red square? next to President Putin, strengthens the Russian leader. Doesn't push him to bring peace. No, it won't because Brazil's position continued to be the same.

It has not changed. Brazil is critical. It's made a critique on Ukraine's occupation and that we have to find peace. And Keir Simmons joins us now from Moscow. Kier, with all these world leaders there and Russia seeming to have more of an upper hand in Ukraine negotiations, Did this year's celebration feel different than previous years? You know, Alison, Moscow has felt more militaristic in the years since President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Here today, certainly there was a kind of unity, if you like, many, many people wearing black and orange colors.

And all around this city, there have been flags. Many of the roads closed because of the VIPs, the diplomats who are here. So I think the answer to your question is yes. It does seem as if the views are hardening on both sides. The Trump administration increasingly threatening sanctions. I think there is frustration there. At Ellison tonight, one leader who isn't here, Kim Jong-un, threatening the West in support of President Putin. So while President Trump said that he would achieve a ceasefire and peace very quickly during his administration, we really do seem to be going in the opposite direction, Alison.

Keir Simmons, thank you. And back here in the U.S., it was another dramatic day in court in the Karen Reid retrial. She's accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, by hitting him with her SUV in 2022. Today, hundreds of flirtatious text messages between Reed and a different man were read out loud for the jury. NBC's Kathy Park has this one. Tonight, the Karen Reed retrial ramping up as Reed's private text messages with another man are read aloud in court. You're just my type. You think you can handle me?

The flirty exchanges were also part of Reed's first trial last year over the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. That other man, ATF Special Agent Brian Higgins testified last year about their relationship in Reed's first trial, which ended in a mistrial. The defendant kissed me. And how did she kiss you? Not like a friend. Lip to lip, is that fair to say? Yes. Now, state police taking the stand for cross-examination, one of the lead investigators in O'Keeffe's case reciting hundreds of messages between Reed and Higgins in the weeks leading up to his death. Reed's lawyers contending Higgins may have been O'Keefe's real killer. The prosecution and lawyers for Higgins have denied those claims. You suck. And you're double. Trouble. You're hot. Are you serious or messing with me? No, I'm serious. Feeling is

mutual. Is that bad? How long have you thought that? Reid, who is accused of fatally striking O'Keefe with her SUV in 2022, texting Higgins about her complicated relationship with O'Keefe. Aren't you afraid you might actually like me? I don't think that's a bad thing. Isn't at the point? Well, it would be complicated because you have a boyfriend. In a flurry of text, the two eventually admitting their attraction. None of us is married. True. So game on. Making plans to meet on numerous occasions. Do you like me? Yes, clearly. Come over to my house. And in a haunting conclusion to their communication, Reed sending one last message. Saturday, 1154 a.m. John died. Higgins, who was on the witness list for the defense, has never been charged in connection to the case.

Reed maintains her innocence. Kathy Park, NBC News. Up next on top story, stunning robberies caught on camera, how criminals are using advanced technology to steal billions from American companies. Plus, Pope goes the Internet. The hilarious ways social media is celebrating Leo the 14th Chicago Roots. Back now with the investigative, into how criminal gangs are robbing American companies of an estimated billion dollars a

year. The thieves hitting various parts of the supply chain and often using the very technology meant to protect the system to steal from it. CNBC's Courtney Reagan has this report part of her investigation, end of the road. America's supply chain under attack. Thieves brazenly breaking into a truck. A hooded criminal loading stolen items through a whole and a warehouse door. Flash mobs hitting trains. It's grand theft, cargo. CHP search wire, open the door.

Merchandise ending up in black market stores where stolen goods are sold after being hijacked. Inside, it looks like a retail store, except the racks are stocked with stolen Lulu Lemon and other apparel. Police say the suspect advertised the store on social media, and you could make an appointment to go there and shop. The product is supposed to go to stores. It never made it, and it's being sold online.

Here, suspects swipe half a million dollars worth of Mehta's rayband glasses and Oculus headsets from this Texas warehouse. Nike shoes are another favorite target. More than $300,000 worth of its Air Jordans found in this truck after being swiped from a train in California. Criminal networks here and abroad are exploiting technology meant to improve supply chain efficiency and using it to steal truckloads at a time. Armed with doctored invoices and an army of fraudsters ready to pick up the phone and impersonate the staff of legitimate companies, according to law enforcement. This needs to be taken seriously, seriously at the national level and regarded as one of many national security threats we're facing right now.

How serious is cargo theft right now? It's in an all-time high. We've never seen it this bad since we've been tracking data since 2009. In 2024, the company had 3,798 reported incidents, representing a 26% increase from 2023. Industry experts say losses are close to a billion dollars or more a year. Companies fighting back with technology to track trucks and sound the alarm to potential heists. What's happening in that room back there?

As I say, that's the kind of the Jason-born aspect of what we're. We do. We do use a lot of technology to provide the outcome we're looking for. At Overhaul, a supply chain security company, employees in Austin and Mexico City are tracking a truck that just left Texas headed to New York. The device is getting light at the same time that the shipment is no longer in motion. It's also stopped in a red zone, which is the first 200 miles after departing origin, which is historically one of the riskiest areas for a shipment to stop. Do you think it's going to get worse before it gets better?

I don't know. I hope it gets better, but when there's very little risk, but the reward is very high, the return on investment, it's almost 100%. Why would you stop? Lulu Lemon told us it's taking decisive action against cargo theft. Metup declined to comment, and Nike did not respond to repeated requests for our comment. Courtney, this is such a fascinating report. And there are even like terms I noticed that I heard him saying, like, they're in a red zone that I didn't know existed. You actually saw some of these alleged crimes happening in real time, right? Walk us through some of that. It's fascinating. So a lot of what's happening here is called strategic cargo theft, which means it's largely an impersonation. So you've got a group of organized criminals, bad guys, so to speak, a lot of times overseas, operating from 32 different countries of hotbeds that have been identified. And they're impersonating by fishing for credentials. So they've just gotten an employee to give them their login credentials and they just get into the system. And so they post a job for a trucker.

say they're posing as a legitimate broker. So a company that's known and they're posting jobs and legitimate truckers, hey, I want that job. I'll pick up that load. So these guys overseas are dictating legitimate truckers to pick up legitimate shipments of goods and drop them off at warehouses that have been compromised, potentially bad guy sort of warehouses. And then the cargo is stolen.

And then in some cases the payment is also stolen for doing that. So then the trucker never gets paid either. And the truckers are just these innocent by-scenters caught in the middle. Not always. Sometimes the truckers, too, are in on it. But in the cases that we saw, it was largely the impersonation of the brokers, the folks that connect the shippers and those truckers. And big picture, when we're talking about all of this money being lost, somebody has to pay for that, right? Who is it? Absolutely. So this all depends on how the contract is written and when that cargo is lost along the way in that supply chain. But we spoke with the shippers. So the shippers would be like Phillips Sonicare, for instance.

We spoke with the gentleman who works with the shipping of Sonicare toothbrushes, for instance. And he says he's experienced cargo theft. And when that load goes missing, it's on Phillips. They have insurance. But when they file a claim, that means the premium potentially goes up. They also have to replace that lost product, right? So that costs the money. So at the end of the day, who pays for it, you do.

I do. Anyone that's buying anything, it's embedded into the cost because the cost of business just went up. CNBC's Courtney Reagan. What a fascinating investigation. Thank you. We appreciate it. And for you at home, you can watch Courtney's full investigation if you go to CNBC.com backslash, end of the road. Since the election of the first American pope, we've seen plenty of shock, a lot of tears, and even more excitement, particularly on social media. The new head of the Catholic Church and his hometown city of Chicago now getting the mean treatment from replacing communion wafers with deep dish pizza to dyeing the Trevi Fountain Green.

People are welcoming Leo the 14th, one joke at a time. NBC's Ann Thompson explains. Holy smokes. Let's have a conclave. The conclave was a smash. Brand new season of the Pope game starts May 7th. And I'm not talking about the movie. We're in a conclave right now. Launching a new American star on social media and late night TV.

Pope S.A. Pope S.A. Pope Leo's Chicago roots, irresistible, even to journalists. The Chicago Sun-Times put on its front page, the Pope. Is that sacrilegious? Oh, no. No, I mean, in the same way that a Bears fan is going to get excited about their team, why shouldn't we American Catholics get excited about the Pope?

Online, sports and faith are joining forces. First call I make to God, Let's get the bears and act. Let's get the bears together. The New York Knicks have three Villanova stars. Their fans say Leo's Villanova diploma makes him one of theirs. Bronson, Bridges, Hart, Pope Leo. It's all a sign.

As for Leo's baseball loyalties. Oh, you thought we were insuffable before. The Pope is a White Sox fan. Anything that grabs somebody's attention and stops them from scrolling is an opportunity. is an opportunity for us to say there's something more here. Because where there's smoke, there's fire. Ann Thompson, NBC News, Rome. When we returned, Vince Vaughn, serving up food and feelings in his new movie,

the true story that inspired it. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by binge-worthy All-Star and entertainment journalist Brian Balthazar, the one, the only, Brian. Thank you so much for being here with us, as always. Let's start with Pokerface, because I watched this on Peacock Season 1, and then I was afraid it got canceled because I felt like it took forever. It did take forever. Season 2, though, it is here. Natasha Leone solving all sorts of crime mysteries, every episode.

Take a look. I got this thing I can tell when someone's lying. It's kind of a thing I do. So, who are you? I am Felicity Price. Nope, try again. I am. Both.

Who even are you? You're one of my favorites. Maybe. I'm figuring out how to finally start enjoying this journey, you know? The guest stars, honey. It goes on and on and on. Right. So Cynthia Arrivo, John Malaney,

Jheli, Joel Osmond, Ria Perlman, John Cho, Aquafina, Richard. It goes on and on. The origin of the title is that she's great at. reading people and telling it they're lying. So the poker face thing. She is fantastic in it. And you start at the beginning, but you don't have to because every episode is self-contained.

There's some elements that carry from episode to episode, so it's better to watch it in order. But each one has a story with the beginning, middle, and end, and she solves a murder and each one is great. I love this. What I also is, like, very reminiscent to me of, like, the adult version of Mary Kate and Ashley when they were like, they solve any crime by dinner time? I did not. I did not say that.

I was feeling Colombo, maybe murder she went by. I mean, that's a more high-brow. The next movie that we have. This one is just in time for Mother's Day this weekend. It's a new movie on Netflix. It's called Nanas, and it stars Vince Vaughn, who is honoring his late mother by opening a restaurant run. You probably guessed it by Italian grandmothers. Here's a clip. I'm going through my mom. I know his recipes. And then I realized food is love. So I want to open an Italian restaurant. What are you crazy? Who are you going to get to come down and cook? Nona's.

other real-life Italian grandmothers. I am from Bologna. I spit on Bologna. Spit on Sicily, okay? It looks cute. Lorraine Braco. The list goes on. Let's see. Lorraine Bracco, Brenda Vicaro, Susan Sarandon,

and Joe Mangenllo is in there, too. It's based on the true story. In 2007, a guy lost his mother, and to honor her, brought all these Nona's in to launch a restaurant. He hadn't even done it before. What's interesting now is it has since expanded to be all sorts of cultures.

So he has a Japanese grandmother. He has all sorts of foods are at this restaurant now. And what a great story from the heart. And everyone knows grandmother's recipes are just the best. They're the best. Every time. Undisputed. Yes. It's like how they do it.

I don't know. But hopefully we all get there one day, I guess. All right. So the next one that we have. This is one that I am fascinated by. It's a doc. I got to see a screening of it a couple weeks ago. It's called My Robot Sophia.

It's a documentary about an inventor trying to create the world's most perfect AI and bring humanity to a humanoid robot. named Sophia. You can watch this one on Prime Video. Check it out. Reset. No, no, no, no, no, no. That is not, something's wrong. The most important thing is to finish the product. Show me the execution.

I'm telling you, I'm telling you that you need belief. We're going to have to break you to rebuild you. Oh wow, I sure hope not. or hope not. Reassessing all the questions that we all have in this conversation on AI. This one really does tee it up. Right. Interestingly, she's the first robot to be given citizenship status in Saudi Arabia,

which is odd, right? And we'll always know the robots when they're attractive. But they never have unattractive robots. We'll never know. If they make a robot that's unattractive, we'll never know. It'll blend right in because they never do. But this is compelling, right? And it's very current.

And it's only getting more and more developed. This almost looks crude because it was shot years ago. Yes, and that's one thing that they talked about the two directors of this, said they'd started filming this before the pandemic. At one point, in the dock, actually, the pandemic happens, and they're all stuck in a room in New York City. And the guy is being like, wow, I picked the worst time to be here. But they say when they were talking about the directors were at this screening,

they were like, so much of the technology has advanced since then. But what really stood out to me was that I was like, the questions that everyone has and that it raises are still the same. Yes, and he's been accused of faking these answers and producing So it's interesting to see how, I mean, the original version of her has been accused of like, oh, maybe he's just producing it from some back end. So it's interesting to see how it's developed. It's really, I'm like constantly fascinated by the world of AI because it scares me, but it's here. So I'm like, let me watch it all.

Should we do music? Let's do it. Let's do music. Miley Cyrus, she is out with a new emotional song. This one is called Mortiluse. Take a listen. I'm streaming like a favorite show tonight. Tonight.

I love Miley Cyrus. And a whole album coming out May 30th and a film coming out that's inspired by the music, a cinematic journey with the music. She's great. And the big question is will she tour, right? She hasn't toured in like a decade. She doesn't like to tour.

But this one maybe, do we know? Maybe. I think she has to. Okay, well, let's go to Marin Morris because she has a new album that is out today, including this song, Too Good. Take a listen. It's too good to leave, too bored to stay. That's how the people to love me behave.

It's too bad it's taking me this long to stay. Is it about wrestling? What is it about? This one is about, you know, whether a relationship is too good to leave, too bad to stay. But the interesting thing is this is a woman who at 17 was rejected from an American Idol Cattle Call audition. She never got in. And look what she's doing now.

I mean, she's doing great. Good for her. We love to see it. Brian Balthasar, thank you for being here. As always, we appreciate it. And thank you at home so much for watching Top Story. I'm Alyssa Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there.

More news is on the way. Thank you.