Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, October 11, 2024

Episode Date: October 12, 2024

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

Tonight frustration mounting as communities across Florida still real from Milton's deadly and destructive hit. Entire neighborhoods underwater as rescue teams searched day and night for survivors. The death toll rising to at least 17 people while millions remain without power. Anger now boiling over as some residents still have not been able to return to their homes. They're desperate pleased to see what is left of their properties. Also tonight, gold mine rescue. New video showing the moment a dozen people were evacuated from a mine in Colorado after the elevator seemingly malfunctioned.

Authorities confirming the one fatality was the group's tour guide. The late details coming in about how it all happened, we speak with the sheriff now leading the investigation. Swing state surge, Vice President Kamala Harris making yet another push in crucial swing states while bringing in former President Barack Obama to try and shore up support among black voters. But will it be enough, as polls show Trump cutting into the Democrats' advantage with that key voting block?

Trump and Putin's COVID deal. New details reveal former President Donald Trump agreed to send Vladimir Putin COVID test machines at the start of the pandemic when supplies were scarce, how the Trump campaign and the Kremlin are responding. Funeral Homes mistake. A New York family outraged after finding out their mother's body was sent to the wrong country. How TikTok helped solve the casket mix up.

Wooping cough outbreak, infections across the country reaching the highest levels in more than a decade, what you need to know to protect yourself and your family. And prized moment, the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to a Japanese group of atomic bomb survivors. Their emotional and powerful message to the entire world. Plus, an update tonight on that dog stranded in Tampa as Hurricane Milton approached his new name and new home. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Hurricane Milton's punch leaving devastation, despair, and anger across Florida.

New drone video of Minnesota Key showing near total destruction on the barrier island. Most residents have not been able to get. home to assess the damage because of safety concerns from impassable roads to downed live electrical lines. The Tampa area is still recovering from the one-in-one-one-year rainfall event after close to 19 inches of rain drenched the city in just 24 hours. This is the flooded Alephia River. It is still rising and it's expected to continue rising for several days.

Water rescues continue across the state with first responders scouring flooded neighborhoods for stranded residents. are still bringing families, kids, and the elderly, including this 91-year-old woman to safety. And this is another look at those hard-hit communities on the eastern side of the state, left in shambles after the unprecedented tornado outbreak. The scale of Milton's destruction on full display from coast to coast, we began with NBC News correspondent Sam Brock in Punta Gorda, Florida. With floodwaters rising to dangerous levels.

Come over here, sir. Tonight, urgent rescues near Tampa. Sheriff's deputies carrying this 91-year-old woman to safety after her home was surrounded by water. This looks like a boat ramp. This is an entrance into a neighborhood. There's cars underwater. Some homes are completely underwater.

All you see is the apex of the house. Among those rescue, 135 disabled elderly residents who'd evacuated to this area, while on the opposite coast in Port Orange. It looked like we were in the middle of the lake. Like there was water in every direction, as far as you could see. Officials say hundreds of people have been rescued since Hurricane Milton roared ashore Wednesday night. The death toll from the storm has now risen to at least 17. More than 2 million homes in businesses remain without power.

Even gas is still hard to find with long lines at stations that have it. And some of the hardest hit communities are inaccessible. This little stretch of land, there's a bay right here. On the other side, you can see Manasota Key. There is incredibly extensive damage that residents just want to get over and see what shape their property is in. It's the one thing they can't do right now. With feet of sand and debris and crews trying to restore electricity, Charlotte County officials tell us it's not safe for anyone to be there right now. It's numbing.

It's been numb for the last two weeks. Peter Higerman and Rod Neibird both live on the key with their families and rent properties to vacationers. This is everything I have in the world. So to lose all that, I lose my retirement. I lose my business. I lose my income. I lose my house. So. Your entire life savings is wrapped up in those homes. Yes. Yes. So many lives upended. Is that not even your refrigerator in the water over your shoulder? To be honest with you, most of this is not ours. Like Charlotte Sal, whose restaurant landing, has been hit by hurricanes three times in five years. She says she's committed to recovering and reopening again. We just keep going. We've been through three of these and a pandemic. We just keep coming back.

And Sam Brock joins us now. Sam, talk to us about what you were hearing from people, like some of those we heard in your piece. We talked about people not being able to get back to Minnesota Key in part because it's just a safety issue to get there. But how frustrating is that for people who just. want to go see what happened. To give you some insight into that, Allison, the two gentlemen that I was interviewing inside

of that truck, they were waiting since sunrise today, just hoping they would get a glimpse of their properties. They said that, you know, everything they're getting right now, primarily, is coming from Facebook. And I watched one of them take me and escort me over to the law enforcement officer, the deputy there, to see if I might have the poll to get him onto the island, whatever it takes. Obviously, I did not. But there is a reason why they will not allow residents on there. And it's because right now, crews are trying to restore electricity.

Transformers are blowing. There's heavy machinery in every direction. And on top of that, there's been widespread looting all over the area. Those are factors that, of course, the county, Charlotte County, has to take in place. But the residents, they understand that. But the residents right now, all they want to know is just what kind of situation am I looking at. And they can't even get that much, Allison. All right.

Sam Brock on the ground. Excellent reporting. Thank you. We appreciate you and your team being there. Thank you. And for so many in Florida, the unexpected. expected threat from this storm was actually that deadly tornado outbreak, particularly in cities like Fort Pierce on the east coast of the state. NBC Stephanie Gosk is there.

Tonight in the Spanish Lakes retirement community, they are still searching through shredded mobile homes looking for victims. We're yelling out looking for signs of life. We have dogs out there sniffing. The residents here were braced for Hurricane Milton. What they got were tornadoes. Authorities are keeping the public out while they're searching, but from this vantage point, you can see over the canal and into the neighborhood. That's a home on top of another home. And damage like that extends all the way down that street. Six of the 17 people killed by Hurricane Milton lived in Spanish Lakes, and there is concern that number may go up. Among those who died, 66-year-old Debbie Kennedy. I asked questions for hours. I tried to get people to go over there and look for.

Her daughter, Brandy, eventually getting the devastating news. Nobody expected that type of event to happen, especially hours before the storm was even due to hit. When the tornadoes ripped through Fort Pierce, the eye of Hurricane Milton hadn't even made landfall. According to a county spokesperson, in the span of just a couple of hours, 911 received nearly 1,000 calls. It pulled it out, flew away. Logan and Kylie Barbary hid in the bathroom with their two babies and their dogs, while the outdoor patio was entirely ripped off. It is the most terrifying experience I've ever had in my life.

And you have your babies there? Yeah. And so to have them survive, it's just like, and us survive, like, that's all I need. Heartbroken now, she says, for the loss of life and the destruction in her hometown. These things do get ripped from you, and you aren't expecting that, you know. In this hurricane, the most lethal punch came nowhere near landfall, and they didn't see it coming. Stephanie Gosk joins us now from Fort Pierce, Florida. I mean, Stephanie, we heard it in your piece, just so much shock from residents seeing the damage, knowing what happened. A tornado of this

size, I mean, you have covered a lot of natural disasters in the past. Have you ever seen damage like this? Well, it's incredible, the damage. But what's even more remarkable is put yourself in their shoes on Wednesday. They're told that a hurricane's coming through that by the time it reaches them here in Fort Pierce. It's probably going to be a category one. So they're from Florida. They're getting ready for a category one storm. It hasn't even made landfall. And suddenly there's a tornado. And then an hour after that, there's another tornado. And they are hiding in their bathrooms. And it is so deadly that a mobile home community is ripped to shreds. And people are killed. You know, six people killed. And they're looking for more victims as we speak right now.

There is incredible amount of shock in this area, and Floridians are tough. You know, they weather storms, but people here are walking around wondering, what just happened to us? And you can understand why, Alison. Stephanie Gosk in Fort Pierce, Florida. Thank you. We're going to turn now to the tragedy at a tourist gold mine in Colorado that left a tour operator dead and a dozen people trapped for hours. Authorities now investigating why an elevator that takes people deep into. to the mine malfunctioned. NBC news correspondent Liz Kreutz has more. New details tonight about the dramatic rescue at a tourist gold mine in Colorado.

Officials identifying the victim as 46-year-old Patrick Weir, a tour guide at the mine, and a well-known member of the tight-knit historic mining community. Even for those who don't know him personally, it's just the nature of our communities that this is very difficult for everyone. authorities say weir was about 500 feet down the elevator shaft with a group of tourists when it appeared the door may have malfunctioned his cause of death still under investigation what happened to patrick that caused his death i do know that there was a lot of internal injuries and things that occurred it was pretty tragic first responders lifting the other riders in the

elevator including two children to safety while another dozen tourists already in the mine remained trapped a thousand feet down for hours. Do you know much about how they passed the time for nearly seven hours? Well, I'll tell you, they have a guide that was at the bottom with them. That seemed to be a very good talker, keeping them in high spirits. The family run gold mine, a popular tourist destination that's been offering tours for roughly 60 years. The county sheriff saying the family's knowledge was invaluable in the rescue. That owner actually rode with the inspectors to make sure this elevators.

could go down safely. There was a lot of pressure on that family. And without their help, we may not have been able to get people up out of there. And Liz Kreutz joins us now from Cripple Creek, Colorado. Liz, how recently do we know were these mines actually inspected by local authorities? Yeah, Allison, it's a great question, and we don't know. We've reached out to the mine. They have not responded. Officials here say they also don't know. But the sheriff has made a point to say that he believes this really was a tragic accident here at the mine. It is now closed. You can see some folks have brought flowers. The officials here have made a point of talking about the historical and the economical significance of this mind to the community, and they say they are hopeful it will eventually reopen. Alison. Liz Kreutz, thank you. And Teller County Sheriff, Jason Mike Sell, joins us now with more. Sheriff, we appreciate your time tonight. Let's just kind of pick up where Liz's reporting left off. We did hear a bit of your press conference in her report. It has now been almost 24 hours since you brought those 23 people to safety. Do you have a better sense right now of how this happened in the first place?

You know, right now that investigation is still ongoing. We don't have a clear reason why I expect to know more. I just spoke with the governor's office a short time ago in regards to those issues. So my hope is that we'll have a clear and concise answer soon, but right now we still don't have any other determining factors. What are some of the pieces that you're looking at right now to try and figure out what happened? I think right now we're looking at the door and then the damage to the elevator and just how all those things occurred. If that was the contributing factor to what happened or if there was something else that caused that to occur. And you and your team aided in this rescue, walk us through that process.

What went right from your point of view? And if you know, what went wrong? Is there anything that could have been done differently? You know, I think for every first responder that was there, that was the team. There was fire departments and ambulance crews, engineers, the family that owns the mine. You know, all of those folks that were a contributing factor to getting everybody safe from down below, I think it went as well as could be expected, actually better than expected, due to the amount of time it took to get them out or the short time. You know, there's so many things at play with this.

You don't know the condition of the shaft or anything else without having engineers go down and look at it and really coming up with an idea of what all the risk factors were. So with all of the first responders and organizations that were there, coming up with multiple plans on how to make sure everybody was safe and getting them to the surface, you know, it made a big difference for everyone to have all of those pieces of information all the time. I have heard people refer to this as a tragic accident. The word accident has come up a lot in the last overnight hours into this morning. Is that still the belief as you're investigating this, that this was an accident and not the result of negligence or something more sinister? Yeah, we believe it was a tragic accident, and it was. Now, depending on how the investigation goes, that'll define what else occurred within the

mechanisms. From what we have right now, we truly believe this was an accident. And even if it was a malfunction, heavy machinery has accidents. So right now, that's kind of what we believe and where we understand it. When you mentioned the family that owns the mine, some of the other people in management or any of them being interviewed, discussed, have you uncovered any sort of history or issues in the past with this mine, the Molly Kathleen Gold Mine in particular, and management there in terms of past complaints about worker safeties or irregularities on the standard sort of maintenance that is required to operate an attraction like this? Well, we know these attractions are actually inspected by the state quite often. We know that mine safety has reviews with them. We know that

several thousand people a year go down this shaft as a tourist attraction. So it's, we really haven't identified that there had been any safety issues in the past, at least within my term as sheriff, and I've been in this county for about 30 years. So we haven't seen anything in that timeframe. Okay. And I understand that you are saying that right now there's nothing you have seen to indicate this was anything other than an accident, but is there a possibility or a door still open that we could see someone potentially held accountable in terms of criminal charges as it relates to the death and the trauma, really, that so many of these visitors went through. You know, I can tell you this. That family has been in existence running this tourist attraction

for close to 60 years. It's a family-run business. They are the ones that actually helped us get everyone out. They have so much pride in this attraction. We don't believe that there's any criminal wrongdoing in this. We didn't see that there was any maintenance issues. We do know that it had been inspected by the state. I'm sure there's going to be issues once an investigation goes on about the mechanism of how it happened, what happened with it. I don't believe that we're going to find anything that identifies that there was a sinister motive or that anything occurred that had been a mishap and not being handled correctly on. on the equipment.

What is your message, Sheriff, before we let you go to your community tonight and to people around the world who are watching this and maybe reconsidering their own vacation plans? And what do you want people to know about this incident moving forward? You know, I think everyone goes on vacation or people take vacations. And, you know, we believe when we go somewhere that it's that nothing can happen because we're on those vacations, we're taking those trips. But things can't happen. But what I will say is this, is that what I observed throughout this whole incident is it didn't matter, political agendas or who people were, the first responders and the people that owned the mind came together in a state that's divided on each side of the aisle.

Everyone came together to work hard to make sure these people got to safety. And I see that as a win for our nation and our state and our local community. So for me, that's one of the most heartwarming things I've seen throughout this is just how much everyone came together to work together. The work was amazing, and we are so glad that you and others there on the ground were able to help get 23 people to safety and home to their families. We hope we can talk to you again as you continue investigating how this happened. Sheriff Mike Sell, thank you so much. We appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. Have a great night.

Now to the latest on the presidential race. hitting the trail today in a key swing state. One day after former President Obama made an urgent appeal to one of the most critical voting blocks this year, Black voters. NBC's senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez has the details. Tonight, with just 25 days to go, the Harris campaign with an all-out push for critical swing voters, the vice president in Battleground Arizona. This is a fight that is not against something as much as it is a fight that is for something. After former President Obama campaigned for Harris for the first time in

must-win Pennsylvania, arguing he was responsible for the strong economy during the Trump years. Yeah, it was pretty good because it was my economy. And in a striking admission, Obama, one of Harris's most high-profile backers, acknowledged her campaign, has an enthusiasm problem among black voters. We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was wrong. I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. Obama speaking bluntly about his concerns why some black men may not be supporting Harris. Part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren't feeling the idea of having a woman

as president. By far, Harris still leads former president's president. Trump among young black men. She is somebody who is going to fight for freedom, and I really like her message of turning the page. It's honestly, I'm tired of the things that Donald Trump says and what he stands for. But polls suggest Trump has cut into Democrats' advantage since 2020, and that could be crucial in tight battlegrounds like Pennsylvania.

A question now, will Obama have an impact? I feel like blacks have been used for their vote for years. Quint Dickey voted for Obama twice. Since then, he switched to Trump over Harris. She hasn't answered anything about any of our policies, any of them. So there's no clear line of what her policies are. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from the White House. Gabe, you spoke extensively in your piece about former President Obama's appeal to black voters.

Is the vice president planning to make that appeal directly as well? Yes, Elsa. And a senior campaign official says the campaign wants to have candid conversations with black men across battleground states. So on Tuesday, the vice president is now scheduled to hold a town hall in Detroit with popular radio host Charlemagne the God, with millions of listeners. And she's expected to announce new economic policies to benefit black Americans, Ellis. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Former President Trump also on the campaign trail today escalating his rhetoric on immigration at a speech

Colorado. Trump falsely claiming cities like Aurora have been, quote, conquered by gangs of illegal migrants, promising to rescue them if elected. NBC's Garrett Haake has the response from local law enforcement. Tonight, former President Trump casting Aurora Colorado as a cautionary tale. I will rescue Aurora in every town that has been invaded and conquered. Trump falsely claiming Venezuelan gangs have overrun the city, highlighting viral videos of armed men in apartment complexes and vowing mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, starting with convicted criminals, assisted by local police. We will begin the task of finding and deporting every single illegal alien gang member

from our country. We'll get them out. But Aurora's police chief tells us crime is down. He says there is an issue with migrant gangs here, but the city is not overrun, as Trump says. Do you recognize that Aurora? You know what, right now, that is not the situation that we have. But what we do have is a new group that have come into the city of Aurora. They have caused, without question, major concerns.

He wants federal help to deal with migrants, not responsibility, for deporting them. You don't have any or very little federal assistance. I think it's really a disaster. A recent poll shows 59 percent of likely voters support mass deportation of undocumented migrants. Trump's former acting ICE director argues it's necessary after over 10 million migrants crossed the border since the Biden-Harris administration began. If we continue to let people come to the border, break the law, and then release them in the United States, then this cycle will never end.

But immigration advocates say mass deportations endanger families. Families will be forced to leave their children here in order for them to have, you know, a good, a good life, to remain in safety. And Vice President Harris has blasted Trump's deportation plan. I will put my record up against anyone in terms of the work I have always done and will always do to ensure we have a secure border. Tonight, the Harris campaign accusing Trump of, quote, trying to fan the flames of division with debunked lies. Ellison. Garrett Haik, thank you.

For more on just how close this race will be, let's take a deeper look at the polling. A new Wall Street Journal poll out today shows a tight race in seven major battleground states, all of them, within the more. of error. Here to break down that poll and offer his insight is Wall Street Journal, Washington Bureau editor Aaron Zittner. He joins us now from D.C. Aaron, thank you so much for taking the time tonight. Let's look at the big picture here of this Wall Street Journal poll. With Trump leading on some of the big issues from the economy to the border, why hasn't that translated to a significant lead in the polling for former President Trump? Well, that is one of the remarkable things in this poll. is Trump leads on the issues that people say are most important, and yet he doesn't have

a big lead in these states. And in fact, he's trailing in four of the seven, all within the margin of error. And that's — we have to believe that there are people who don't like the Trump proposition, who just don't like the persona, who don't like his aggressive style. When you see him go to a place like Aurora and talk about illegal immigration and what some would say hyperbolic terms and inflated rhetoric, there's a voter arbitrage there that brings some voters in, but it also repels others. And in this poll, one thing we asked is, do you see either of these candidates as too extreme? And by far, Trump is the candidate who's

seen as too extreme. Talk to us about undecided voters here, because a lot of people have seen the big headlines, right, that polls are close, undecided voters could play a big role in the outcome, but there is some nuance in terms of the way those voters might break. What are you seeing? Well, you know, when we say this race is close, I mean, that's an understatement. There are very few defectors across these seven states in our poll. In other words, she's holding 94% of Democrats. Trump is holding 94% of Republicans, and independents are split right down the middle. He's ahead by one point in independence. People, People in these states have heard all these ads, all this rhetoric, and they've been pushed

into their partisan corners. That leaves a mere 6 percent in our survey of people who are undecided. These people are relatively to overgeneralize, maybe unengaged. They're not affiliated with either party, their political independence. And they tell us they like Trump's job performance as president, but they don't like him personally. They like Kamala Harris more as a general proposition. They're cross-pressured, and the rest of the election is going to be fought over, in large part, whether these people vote and who they vote for. Interesting, and when you look at some of the data that you have on those undecided voters, is there a possibility that turnout could be the issue that some of them will say we can't decide, and also we don't feel enthusiastic, so never mind we'll sit this out?

Well, look, that's absolutely right. The only choice in this race isn't between Trump and Harris. It's to vote or not to vote. And when you see Donald Trump go to Aurora and talk about a legal immigration, my guess is he's aiming more at the people who are trying to decide whether to vote or not vote, and they're people who, if they vote, will vote for him, then he is trying to persuade undecided voters to come to him. A lot of what's going on the campaign is about generating turnout among people who we call low propensity voters who may or may not vote for whom voting isn't a habit. And who don't think about politics all that much until Election Day. All right. Wall Street Journal, Washington Bureau, editor Aaron Zentner, thank you so much for your time and insights tonight. Really interesting polling. We appreciate you joining Top Story. Good to be with you.

Still ahead tonight, funeral home mix up. The body of a woman is supposed to go to Ecuador, but instead it wound up at the wrong funeral in Guatemala. What went wrong in how her devastated family found out over TikTok? plus the hot air balloon colliding with a radio tower during New Mexico's famous hot air balloon festival, what we know about those on board. And we have an update on that dog who is found tied up to a fence as Hurricane Milton approached Tampa. His fitting new name as he recovers safely in Tallahassee. Stay with us. We're back now with an error that has caused tremendous pain and confusion for one New York. family. A funeral home accused of sending the body of their loved one to the wrong country.

A mistake the family says they only found out about after seeing it on TikTok. NBC, New York reporter Peasy Chang has this story. I was devastated. I couldn't believe that this could be such a big confusion. I started to cry, and it was incredibly upset. A family, already grieving the death of their 96-year-old mother, received an even greater shock while they were preparing to travel to Ecuador for her funeral. Someone sent them this TikTok. It was a story about a family in Guatemala that received the wrong body at their son's funeral.

It was their mother, Carmen Maldonado. And I feel bad. I feel I started crying because why the funeral home lied to us? The family had paid the Rivera funeral home in Queens to fly Carmen's body to Ecuador for burial. Instead, her casket was flown to Guatemala. Her son Manuel flew there to bring her home. And they're trying to bury my mom in Guatemala. And I was begging the people there.

We had to deal with the health department, police, a lot of, a lot of big, big process to export body to different countries. When they asked the funeral home about the mix-up, they claimed they denied it. Now the family is suing the funeral home and the company that owns it. but they tried to cover it up. And there is no excuse for that. And if the family did not see this on TikTok and confront them, the funeral home never would have told them. A lawyer for the funeral home group says they have no comment.

And the attorney on this specific case says he has at least 10 other lawsuits against this funeral home group. On Long Island, I'm Paisie Chang. Ellison. Paisy Chang, thank you. Coming up, the response from the Kremlin to reports that former President Trump sent COVID test to Vladimir Putin in the early days of the pandemic when Americans were struggling to get tested and what they say Russia sent back in return. That is next. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we began with the deadly toxic chemical leak outside of here. Houston. Authorities say hydrogen sulfide began leaking from a manufacturing plant in Deer Park.

At least two workers died and 35 people were treated for exposure. The cities of Deer Park and Pasadena were under shelter and place orders, but those have since been lifted after air monitoring reports found no pollutants. A hot air balloon crashing into a radio tower during Albuquerque's famed festival. Video shows that radio tower knocked onto the ground. The balloon was able to keep flying and landed in a field shortly after. No one was hurt. Earlier this week, another festival balloon bumped into a power line knocking out power for nearly 13,000 customers. And a health alert, whooping cough is spreading in the U.S. at the highest rate in a decade. Health officials say more than 16,000 cases have already been reported four times as many

compared to this time last year. Experts say children and teens who are not vaccinated are driving the outbreak. Health officials say they are worried the reported numbers underestimate the true spread of the infection, especially as we enter the fall and winter months. And an update tonight, a dog rescued during Hurricane Milton has a new name and a new home for now. As we reported on Wednesday, the terrier was found tied up to a fence near Tampa as the storm approached and flooding began. He has since been named Trooper in honor of his own survival and the officer who saved him. Trooper is safe under the care of the Humane Society in Tallahassee and is now waiting to find his forever home. Now to Top Story's Global Watch, former President Trump coming under fire this week after a new book alleges he sent COVID test to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the beginning of the pandemic.

The Kremlin confirming that report saying it was commonplace for countries to swap aid at the time. But now Trump's relationship with Putin is under renewed scrutiny as election day nears. NBC's chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, has this report. Early in the pandemic, as people isolated and ICU's filled with patients from Washington to Moscow, a connection that even today is making news. Then President Donald Trump agreed to send Russian President Vladimir Putin COVID test machines, the Kremlin told NBC News and other news organizations this week. Its spokesman, saying in part, in the beginning, all the countries tried to swap some aid.

We sent artificial lung ventilators to the states. The Americans sent us several samples of those testing systems. At the time, there were very few of them. Many countries did this. The story was first reported in war, a new book by the veteran Washington reporter Bob Woodward, and immediately became part of the election. In the height of the pandemic. Vice President Kamala Harris discussing it during an interview with Radio

host Howard Stern. Everybody was scrambling to get these kits, the tests, the COVID test kits. You couldn't get them. Couldn't get them anywhere. Right. And this guy who was president of the United States is sending them to Russia to a murderous dictator for his personal use. The Kremlin denying unconfirmed reports from Woodward's book that former President Trump stayed in contact with Putin after he left office, saying, as for any calls which allegedly took place After Trump ceased to be the president, this is not true. This did not happen. Trump and his campaign have denied the reporting in Woodward's book as well.

In recent weeks, Trump has taken meetings with a number of world leaders, including the president of the UAE, the British prime minister and Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky, using that opportunity to tout his ties to Putin. So we have a very good relationship, and I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. It's an honor to be with you. The relationship between Trump and Putin has become the focus of global fascination. Summit between the two men, while Trump was president and the long press conferences together, left many world leaders stunned. Then as COVID struck, Russia's efforts to protect President Putin led to photo ops like this one. the leader sitting at the end of a long table, a form of social distancing from French president Emmanuel Macron. At times, Putin fully isolating and delivering solo video conferences.

His distance from his own advisors left him dependent on a smaller group, creating the conditions for his decision to fully invade Ukraine, Western intelligence officials say. When NBC News interviewed Putin before the invasion, after President Joe, Biden was in office, the Russian leader compared Trump and Biden. I believe that former U.S. President, Mr. Trump, is an extraordinary individual, talented individual. Otherwise, he would not have become a U.S. President. President Biden, of course, is radically different from Trump because President Biden is

a career man. He has spent virtually his entire adulthood in politics. In July, a U.S. intelligence official indicated that Russia prefers Trump to win. the presidential election. Now, the Trump administration's decision to send COVID tests is under the microscope. Was it understandable diplomacy or pandering to an autocrat? And Kier Simmons joins us now. Kier, we saw a clip from your interview with Putin back during the pandemic in your piece. So talk to us about the protocols they had in place at that time and the concerns he had surrounding COVID. Well, Alison, there's no question that the Kremlin was deeply concerned about COVID and President Putin.

I know that myself because before that interview, I had to quarantine for two weeks locked on my own in a hotel room, handed food by FSB officers, that's the former KGB in white overalls. And then when we went to the Kremlin for that interview, we had to go through a disinfectant system. in order to simply sit down and speak to the Russian president. We all saw the pictures, but it's easy to forget just how worried Russian officials were that President Putin might catch COVID. That, of course, is because he is so important to Russia. He is an autocrat.

Without him, many of those officials would be lost, frankly. And Keir, it's not unusual for leaders to remain in contact after their terms have passed, But in this case, the United States and Russia, they really have not been allies for quite some time, even if they say the pair say they haven't spoken recently. Is there a level of concern when you speak to sources about the relationship between Trump and Putin today? Well, look, there will be concerns, won't there? And it is something to do with who President Putin is for many people. Yeah, relationships between leaders after they've left office.

are famous. There was Thatcher and Reagan, Blair and Bush. But that feels different, doesn't it, to someone like President Putin? I think one of the issues here is that we simply don't know what was said in some of the meetings between President Trump, when he was president and President Putin, in Helsinki in 2017, and Osaka in 2019, when President Trump famously told reporters, it's none of your business. So for there to be conversations, if there's what there were. And we have to just say again that both President Trump and the Kremlin say that there have not been. But if there were, then there are going to be people who are going to say, well, what we're worried about here isn't necessarily the contact. Maybe that happens

all the time with all kinds of leaders. The question is what was said. Keir Simmons, thank you. When we come back, the new Nobel Peace Prize winners, Atomic Bomb survivors from Hiroshima, Hiroshima and Nagasaki receiving the award. for their efforts to abolish the use of nuclear weapons. Why, they hope this recognition sends a much-needed message to the world. We're back with the peacemakers awarded today. This year's Nobel Peace Prize going to a group of activists in Japan who survived the atomic bombings back in 1945.

They've spent their lives pushing for an end to nuclear weapons. NBC's Janice Mackie Freyer has their story and why their work is, work is as important as ever. Nearly 80 years after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some of its survivors are being honored for their work. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Peace Prize for 2024 to the Japanese organization, Nihon Hidankyu. The organization, a grassroots movement of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, survived.

earning the prize for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again. An area of complete devastation is all that can be seen. Many saw untold horrors when the bombs were dropped, killing an estimated 200,000 people emerging from the destruction of their cities to the devastating long-term physical effects of radiation exposure, as well as social stigma and survivors' guilt. One of those witnesses then, Toshoyuki Mamaki, is co-chair of the organization today. He broke down when the award was announced, saying, it can't be real. Across Japan, survivors are known as Habakushab, or people affected by bombs. For years, they were shunned and struggled.

So today, for many, their recognition was overdue. This woman in Tokyo saying their survivors are delivering the message to the world. So as a Japanese person, I think this is truly wonderful. Adding, I only express my gratitude toward those who awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Survivors' Crusade for disarmament is seen as prescient these days, with growing anxiety over the threat that nuclear weapons could be used again. The United States, Russia and China, all rapidly modernized. rapidly modernizing their nuclear arsenals. Nuclear threats proliferating, with Russian President

Vladimir Putin repeatedly threatening to use them in Ukraine, and North Korea's Kim Jong-un raising the specter just this week. Israel widely believed to have nuclear weapons inching closer to potential all-out war with Iran, which has been working for years to develop its own bomb. Nihon Hadankyo was formed in 1956 and has spent decades sharing its experiences of the hardship that has come with being a living memorial of the atomic blasts. They're growing older now, yet say they are no less determined. We will appeal to the world as we always have done, he says. Please, abolish nuclear weapons while we are alive.

Janice McAfreyer, NBC News, Beijing. And we will be right back. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by Baker Machado. He is an entertainment journalist, TV personality, and host of the podcast, The Baker Show. All right, Baker, thank you so much for joining us. Good to see you. I'm excited to dive into this with you. This first one, if I'm not mistaken, stars Kate Blanchett. Who is an icon for so many reasons. This is a new series on Apple TV. It is a psycho thriller about a journalist who's passed. could kind of come back to haunt her and unend her life.

So let's take a look. They say the destiny knocks at the door. That is not true. Destiny doesn't knock on any door. It crashes in without permission and grabs you mercilessly by your soul. She needed to feel. She needed to suffer.

I'll be honest, seeing the trailer, I was like, I have no idea what it's about. But the fact that Kate Lanchett was in it, I was like, love it. But it actually doesn't give away too much, which is actually kind of good. So, disclaimer here on disclaimer. This, as you mentioned, starring the Oscar winner, Cape Lanchette. The Oscar-winning director, Afonzo Curran, who did Roma, also did this as well. Sasha Baron Cohen's in this, and this as well. And you kind of touched on this.

It basically is about a journalist. a journalist who's played by Kate Blanchett, and she gets in the mail this mysterious, anonymous book that's a story about a woman who lost her child to a guy that was drowning trying to save her child. And it turns out this is her story. Somebody's trying to blackmail her and is trying to expose her. So this is all the depths that she's trying to go through

to try to cover all this up. Cape Lanchette in many ways is actually playing a bad person in this, which is sort of weird for her. No. She plays all these amazing different ranges of characters. Never. Never. Karen will never do this.

So seven episodes of this is already available for you on Apple TV Plus. It's getting amazing reviews right now. Okay. So that seems like one worth checking out. This next one is like most people probably already know of it. And if you're in, you're in Outer Banks back on Netflix with a new series. Let's watch or a new season. Treasure hunting was in the past.

Sarah, how's whole glyph treatment? What we didn't know at the time? Under Cape, right here. Is there nothing ever stand still? That was the last of our savings. We have a $13,000 payment doing seven days. We are so screwed. So, here we are back in the Ging.

Come on, how long are we really going to stay out of trouble? So I've dabbled in Outer Banks. I've dabbled. Admittedly haven't seen season three. But what have you seen? Everybody's favorite treasure hunting teen soap is back, which is at the end of the day, all we care about. Interesting what Netflix has done here.

They've dropped the first five episodes. of season four, and you won't be getting the next five for the next month. Netflix is doing this that way they won't lose subscribers over the course of the next month or so, which is really smart for them. But basically, all of our favorite teams, the Pogs, they are trying to have a normal life this season. They've started a bait and tackle shop to try to start normal. But as we always see with this show, they get thrust back into adventure when it comes to

looking for treasure and stuff like that. People are actually liking this season so far. The AV Club's headline on this was this show is actually fun again. which is kind of snarky and good, but obviously people who love it so far, and this just dropped on Netflix this week. All right, and the story of it, obviously having just quite the moment

in Parks' personal life, I guess, but also just doing a lot of stuff. What is his name again? Chase Stokes. Chase Stokes, and he dates Kelsey Ballerine. Yes, he does. Good for you. I love her. Love her. Yes, she's great.

Okay, this next one we have is a movie, and it is starring Dylan O'Brien. It's sort of a mystery thriller called Cato Lake, and ultimately it's about what happens when an eight-year-old girl goes missing. What are you doing? Why you got to be such a scared guy? Mom, she calls her child?

How long has she been gone? We're going to search the whole lake. Anna! Either somebody's taking her, or she's hurt. It's on Max, and it's spooky. Yes. And it's M. Night Shyamalan attached this. So he produced this.

This is a film direct to streaming here. And as you mentioned, this tells the story of an eight-year-old girl who goes missing. But this family starts to uncover some other people who have gone missing and have died at this place called Caddo Lake, which is apparently a real place in between Texas and Louisiana. Are the Caddo Lake residents in rage? This is your next assignment. This is where they're sending you to go do. By the way, so if you love paranormal, sci-fi stuff, this is definitely up your alley. But interesting, because it's Ennichamelon, they didn't want any spoilers to get out.

So for reviewers, Max gave them the bare bones essentials before they got to see any of this. So that way any of this wouldn't be leaked out before. I love a good sneaky. That is great. Okay, the next one we have. This is also a movie, and it's called Lonely Planet. I'll let you just watch and we'll talk after. I'm Owen.

Catherine, are you having a great trip? It's fine, I guess. Do you like fiction or nonfiction? Neither. I'm just here with my girlfriend. She only reads Sports Illustrated. Why'd you fly thousands of miles? I'm finishing a book.

How's it going? Fine, I guess. It's giving eat, pray, love vibes, but in a newer version on Netflix, what is this? So move over Anne Hethway and Nicole Kidman. It's now Laura Dern's turn to have a thing with a younger guy right now. This one, by the way, with Liam Hemsworth, of all. of them. This is a good pick for her. So Laura Dern is a writer. She's having writers block as she's trying to write her next book and she goes to Morocco to write her next book. Interestingly,

Liam Hemsworth is dating a writer also, but spoiler alert, they're having issues with their relationship until he meets Laura Dern and then the sparks start flying all over the place. Now here's some sad news here. Reviews really bad on this one, like really bad, the rap. I'm going to read you direct quote from the rap. They say, quote, the story isn't so hot, but it was. least the leads are. By the way, judge for yourself, it's on Netflix. You can watch this right now. Anytime we mention Laura Dern, I feel like we need to have some like voice of God come out that is the New York Gay Men's Choir singing Laura Dern, Laura Dern. Do you remember that? Yes, she's the absolute greatest and just a range of different characters. She wanted to try something

new. This is sort of a romance thing for her. Look, this is good. I'm happy for her. All right, we are cheering her on. Yes. Okay, Netflix. This is a fan favorite series, Abbott Elementary. It is back for season four. It's not on Netflix. This one is streaming. on Hulu. Abbott Elementary. Take a look. One of my students has ringworm. Ringworm. Don't get back. Lock this floor by any means necessary.

I love you like a son, Jacob, but I will beat you down. Attention, kids. If you want to do crimes, now's the time. Cancel classes, burn Abbott down. We all have our quirks. Oh, I love this show so much. Yeah, I mean, everybody does. It's like the show I watch, besides like the Great British Baking Show to like, go to sleep every night, is this?

is this. So, of course, as you mentioned, the new season premiered this week on ABC. You can watch it over on Hulu. And we didn't even have to wait three minutes into the new season to find out if Janine and Gregory are dating because, in fact, they are. Now we've been waiting for so many years for this to be happening. And even better, later this year, they're going to actually have an Abbott Elementary. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode, which is going to be happening later, which is going to be amazing. The best news here for Abbott Elementary fans, we're going to have a full season this year of 22 episodes. Last

season was cut short because of the strike, so hooray for all of us to be able to watch all of us. You're brilliant writers on this show. It's just so funny. It's just so lighthearted. It gives you the office. It gives you all of those feels that you get from all those other shows that you love. I love it. Okay, Maggie Rogers has a song out. It's a surprise for fans, apparently,

but let's take a listen. But I will always remember you We were ditching in her living room This one is called In The Living Room And she was, I believe, in a living room. Spoiler alert, yes. So we were talking about how we love Kelsey Valerini. I also love Maggie Rogers.

She's so incredible. And we got a new breakup song for the fall, which is what we always wanted. So this single is coming, by the way, as she started her brand new tour that started this week in Austin. She has two dates coming up at Madison's Work Garden coming up here in the next few months. She actually said she wrote this song just a few months after her album that just came out in April.

So this is all brand new material, which is really exciting. And as you see, this song tears at your heartstrings. It's so beautiful. I saw her in concert like pre-pandemic and she puts on an amazing life show. So I'm sure that's going to be great. Can't wait for that. Okay, the last thing we have, a new music video from Jenny. She is from the K-pop group Black Pink.

This one is called Mantra. She just touched down in LA Pretty girls don't do drama unless we want it'll be depending on the day Pretty girls picking a defender No, I'm a defender, never let it catch no strength This that pretty girl mom That's a good like

It's in your worm. Brett Summer continuing. I'm loving Brett Pop continuing here. The music video and the song just released today as you see she's in LA Cars are exploding. Her dancing is really good. This is coming off her debut solo album that's coming out here really soon. So loving this song, I've listened to it

on repeat all day today. It really is really catchy. It's also two minutes and 10 seconds long. It is like the shortest song ever. Well, in the swiping world, that's what we need. Thank you for being here. Thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellis and Barbara in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.