Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, October 18, 2024

Episode Date: October 19, 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 one-on-one with Vice President Harris as both candidates storm battleground Michigan. Harris escalating her attacks on her opponent as she faces mounting questions on the widening gender gap. Former President Trump firing back and for the first time acknowledging his own weakness when it comes to female voters. Both hoping their blitz through Michigan will be the much-needed push to win over the blue wall state and the latest polling on which way key demographic groups are leaning. Also tonight is the death of the leader of Hamas a turning point in the war in Gaza. The new drone video showing the moment Israeli tanks struck Yaya Sinwar, not knowing they took out their number one target, President Biden saying his death is an opportunity to end the war as Hamas signals it's far from over. The renewed concerns for the hostages as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to spiral.

A former Olympic snowboarder on the run wanted for running a massive drug traffic. trafficking operation, and murder. The fugitive, one of more than a dozen indicted in the alleged criminal enterprise, dramatic video as a music executive tied to the case, is arrested at his Miami mansion, and the mountains of cocaine, cash, and firearms seized by authorities. Island-wide power outage, a major power grid meltdown, plunging Cuba into darkness, paralyzing the entire island. Schools shut down, traffic lights are out, and all non-essential workers told to stay home,

the government declaring an energy emergency, our team on the ground in Havana. Voyeur at sea disturbing allegations against Royal Caribbean after hitting cameras were discovered in the bathrooms of passengers, the employee hiding under guest beds, the lawsuit the cruise line now faces. And an incredible story of survival, a teen kayaker stranded at sea clinging onto his kayak for 12 hours after he got separated from his high school paddling team, the dramatic video as the Coast Guard spots him. drifting in the ocean. Plus, the urgent search underway after an American was reportedly

kidnapped in the Philippines. Top story starts right now. And good evening, happy Friday night to you. Tonight, it is all eyes on Michigan, as both presidential candidates, court voters in the battleground state, with just 18 days to go until the election. Tonight, NBC is going one-on-one with Vice President Harris. Are Peter Alexander questioning Harris about some of the biggest obstacles facing her campaign, including the gender gap and distancing herself from President Biden. What she said tonight about that question. Both Harris and former President Trump hosting dueling events in the Blue Wall State, even campaigning in the same county just hours apart. A new Wall Street Journal poll shows an incredibly

tight race in Michigan, Harris leading Trump by two points within the margin of error. Harris and Trump devoting a lot of time to Michigan, a key state which will help decide this election. Tonight, former President Trump is holding a rally in Detroit, a city he criticized just a week ago while he was speaking there. Take a listen. Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president. You're going to have a mess on your hands. We'll have to see what he says tonight. Detroit is the first city in Michigan to kick off early voting tomorrow. We spoke with Republican voters in the state about if they will vote early and what they think about the process. Here's what they had to say. And why did you choose to vote?

early this time around. Because we wanted to make it too big to rig. We wanted to vote early and make sure our vote was banked and make sure that we could turn out more votes for Donald J. Trump. I just don't trust the votes coming in early. I'm going to vote in person on election day. Because I don't trust the system. Okay, we're following the latest developments on the state of the race. NBC White House correspondent Peter Alexander starts off our coverage tonight. We spoke to Vice President Harris moments after her Grand Rapids rally here in Battleground, Michigan. Good afternoon, Michigan. Where she's sharp and her criticism of former President Trump.

He who has called for the, quote, termination of the Constitution of the United States of America. At the convention, you cast yourself as a joyful warrior, but in recent rallies you've increasingly attacked former president. Trump is an unstable and unhinged. Is that an effective closing? Is that an effective closing arguments? I think that one is not to the exclusion of the other. I have a great deal of optimism, as do the people who are here, about the future of our country. That is not in conflict with also being clear-eyed about the danger that Donald Trump poses,

based on the language that he has used and his admiration for dictators, his inability to really focus. ability to really focus on the needs of the American people, in particular working people. These things are not in conflict. They all exist at the same time. The critics who say the joy is gone, you respond. Oh, I'm having a great time. And we pressed her about the widening gender gap. The latest NBC News poll shows Harris leads Trump among women by 14 points. But Trump has a 16 point advantage with men. Just today, the Harris campaign expanding its advertising on websites that draw largely male

audiences, like the sports betting site draft kings. the vice president downplaying the divide. Why do you think there is a disconnect for you with men right now? Well, let me tell you, you can look at this audience, and you can see that there are people of every background and gender who are showing up by the thousands. And I think it is because they know I intend to be a president for all Americans. And that is how I'm campaigning to earn the vote of every American,

not only about their gender, but about their geographic location, and unburdened by who they may have voted for in the past. Just to be clear, though, men still say by a 16% margin they're supporting Donald Trump right now. Why do you think that is? It's not the experience that I'm having to be honest with you. Harris has been reluctant to distance herself from President Biden, today casting it as a matter of loyalty. President Biden said this week that every president has to cut their own path. What is one policy that you would have done differently over these last three and a half years than President Biden?

I mean, to be very candid with you, even including Mike Pence, Vice presidents are not critical in their presidents. I think that really actually, in terms of the tradition of it, and also just going forward, it does not make for a productive and important relationship. He's now giving you that green light with his comments that you can carve your own path. So now that you have this ability to say that to be on your own? Well, no, going forward, there is no question. And I bring my own experiences and my own life experiences.

Is there a policy that stands out to you in particular either? Sure. I mean, my approach to what we need to do around Medicare covering home health care, born out of my experience of taking care of my mother. My priority on housing, one because I know what it means, affordable housing and the ability to buy a home, but also I know that for so many young people who I speak with around our country, the American dream is just really out of reach.

So my policy, about $25,000 down payment assistance to help them get their foot in the door, the work that I have been doing and will bring to the presidency around emphasizing small businesses as being part of the real backbone of America's economy, Peter Alexander joins us tonight from Grand Rapids. Peter, we saw there in your report, you pressing her trying to understand how she's going to distance herself from President Biden, something she said in the Fox News interview.

Did you get a sense of what she meant by that? It's a good question, Tom, and I think she tries to explain it as best she can, indicating that this is really an issue of a tradition where vice presidents don't criticize the president who they're serving right now. But it's notable because just a matter of days ago, Joe Biden came out and public. said that, you know, each president gets to set out their own course, effectively giving her a green light to differentiate herself with him as necessary. I tried to give her the opportunity on multiple occasions there to say if there was any policy difference, anything policy-wise over the course of the last three and a half years where she would have done something

different from him. And again, she declined to do that instead, instead indicating some of the policy positions she may focus on going forward. It is a challenge for the campaign, certainly though right now, Tom, because the Biden-Harris administration, which is in power right now in office right now, recognizes that the numbers show that the vast majority of Americans believe that the country at this time is headed in the wrong direction, Tom. Okay, Peter Alexander, one-on-one with the vice president. Peter, we thank you for that for more on the Harris campaigns push on the ground in Michigan. I want to bring in someone who knows Michigan voters well. Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens. She represents the state's 11th district, including areas

north of Detroit in Oakland County. She's also a surrogate for the Harris Walls campaign and joins us now from the event. Thank you so much, Congresswoman, for being here. I kind of want to start where Peter left off there. Why do you think Vice President Harris told Fox News she's going to be a different president? She's going to have a different administration than Joe Biden, but then couldn't draw the difference when Peter asked for the same question. Well, let me tell you, I'm here in Waterford, Michigan right now with a packed audience. This is a community I flipped when I first. first ran for Congress and this is a community that's going to vote for the 47th president of the United States and that is Kamala Harris. I firmly believe that she is an incredible

leader and a strong leader. She did a great job as our vice president to Joe Biden, who's delivered over and over again for Michigan. She certainly shares the special relationship that he does with our state and she's going to carry forward on the manufacturing economy, but also who she is. She gets to be her own unique president and say that. And she's so grateful for the opportunity to have served, not only as vice president, but as a U.S. senator, standing up for women's rights and standing up for what Michiganders care about, which is our middle class. She's about to come in here, and she's going to show us exactly what she's going to do, and that's when. But Congresswoman, you know elections are about change, right? It's how you

want your election. So what do you tell voters? How is she different? from Joe Biden. What is the change factor there? Well, Joe Biden's not on the ballot, but a twice impeached multiple times convicted felon is. And someone who wants to take our country backwards, someone who's still litigating battles of the past, saying that he's going to jail his political opponents, wreaking havoc, putting fear into the hearts of voters. I can't tell you in Michigan how palpable this is, how people feel that democracy is on the lines. I understand you want to litigate and go into every little story and talking point that's being written. But right now, it is Kamala Harris v. Donald Trump.

Everything is on the line, and we are going to stand up alongside unions, alongside educators, alongside hardworking families, and elect this incredible woman as our president. It's happening for Michigan. I'm not litigating. There's no talking points here. It was a simple question, but it's okay. Let's move on. I want to talk big picture for Democrats in the state of Michigan, which you know.

know well. Michigan was a solid Obama state, right? But then Trump was able to flip that state in 2016 with a very close victory. And then Biden's win here in 2020, it was also pretty close, right? A little bit better than Trump did in 2016, though. So with the latest Wall Street Journal poll, well within the margin of error, how do you prevent another Trump win here? What are you hoping happens as far as voter turnouts in different pockets of the state? I'll give you this. There's a lot of passion around this election. There's a lot of very organized Democrats. People in communities like the one that I'm standing in right now, Waterford, that has an organized democratic operation, Birmingham Bloomfield Hills, which used to be

red communities that have now been going blue. And our Democrats haven't been putting their feet up for the last couple of years. They've been organizing in the off years. They've been obviously organized as we've headed into this election. And people aren't taking anything for granted. It's a lot of work. We're exhausted with three presidential elections of Donald Trump on the top of the ticket, but we're not going back. We're going to get out every vote. I was with a group of union women, and they were going into neighborhoods in ways that we have never seen in downtown Detroit. We've got 40% of absentee ballots returned in Detroit right now, the highest in the state. People are racing to cast their votes for Kamala Harris. So we're digging deep. We know the other side is

working, but there's one thing to do, and that's come out on the other side of this, victorious. Congresswoman, before you go, you represent also Oakland County, and in Oakland County from 2016 to 2020, President Biden is able to run up the score by about 100,000 votes. I mean, really did much better than any of those other counties around Detroit there. How do you make sure that you can deliver that for Kamala Harris in two weeks? Well, we've certainly got to make sure that people know that Kamala Harris is going to deliver for our economy. Oakland County is the heart of Automation Alley, a rich supply chain of automotive companies, not just the original equipment manufacturers, but the suppliers, small businesses who are selling all over the country, all over the world.

They need to be able to be competitive. And when J.D. Vance comes to Oakland County and says that investments that we've made in clean energy, innovations of the future are table scraps and he would cancel it. That's not only canceling automotive jobs, that's canceling building trades jobs. Kamala Harris is going to give us the consistency and the clarity of leadership we deserve. That's all people want is they want certainty, particularly here in automotive land in Michigan. She's doing that, and that's going to make all the difference in Oakland County. She will win by over 100,000 votes. Congresswoman Haley Stevens, we thank you for joining top story tonight all right former president trump also campaigning in michigan today

highlighting the state's critical role in this election garrid hake is covering the trump campaign he's got this report tonight tonight the all-out battle for critical michigan drawing both candidates to the great late state vice president harris questioning former president trump's fitness for the job now he is ducking debates and canceling interviews if you are exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world. Trump firing back, saying Harris wasn't there in person for last night's Al Smith Catholic charity event, a traditional campaign stop like he was.

She held a rally instead. What event did I cancel? I haven't canceled. She didn't even show up for the Catholics last night at the hotel, who was insulting. I've gone 48 days now without arrest, and I've got that loser who doesn't have the energy of a rabbit. While Trump earlier, acknowledging his opposition to federal abortion rights is hurting him with women voters.

You have one issue, you have the issue of abortion. Without abortion, the women love me. Falsely claiming most support the repeal of Roe v. Wade. I've taken this issue out of the federal government and put it back to the states where they're voting. Meanwhile, both campaigns continue to battle for black men, a critical voting block here. Polls show the vast majority back Harris. But former President Obama has warned she's not getting enough support.

Ramon Jackson voted for Obama. Now he backs Trump. I like the tears that he said on, or moving products or moving production to different country that create jobs. Reverend Horace Sheffield III is supporting Harris. Having a candidate like this with her credentials and everything she's done has just made me even more enthusiastic. Okay, Garrett Hakey joins us tonight from the campaign trail. So Garrett, an interesting stat, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, they've all voted together

going back to 1988, right? Are you noticing any trends there as you travel those three states? They're obviously very individual, very unique, and the dynamics are different, but they're unified usually when they vote, at least recently. Are you seeing any trends as you're traveling the campaign trail? What I notice, I think I notice it most in Michigan, but I see sort of echoes in it in all three states

is at least part of the Trump strategy is working. I do think they are having some impact winning over more minority voters, Latino voters, black male voters, that's working. But they are bleeding in the suburbs, and that's going to be the thing that I just don't think we're really going to know until election day. How many of these suburban women really do bail on Donald Trump? That's why you see him in Oakland County today. That's why Kamala Harris was there. There is definitely a realignment happening.

And I don't know how big or how small it's going to be, but I really much get the feeling of that tradeoff happening. You know, sort of every one or two blue collar, voters of color, who sort of drive. Rift towards Trump. There's a white suburban woman who says enough. And I don't know who's going to win on the math on that when all the votes are counted, but I see it in all three states. Great observation, Garrett. We thank you for that. Stay safe out there on the campaign trail. For more on the Trump campaign's Race to Election Day, Republican strategist, Matt Gorman, joins us tonight from Washington. Matt, great to see you as always. So I want to start with former President Trump here, right? Is the gas running low in the tank? He was Mr. Energy. He was

a million interviews, and now there was some reporting out of Politico, but the Trump campaign denied it, that he canceled interviews because he was, quote, exhausted. Is he getting exhausted? Is he tired? And a reminder, that's exactly what you guys were criticizing President Biden about. I think more than anything else, what you're seeing is the Trump campaign realizing momentum is going their way and being a little bit more conservative in putting him out so that way they're not holding the lead, so to speak. And I think that's more than anything else. Give me, so our viewers can maybe cut through the spin. Give me some empirical data why you think momentum is going your way.

I think when you see the trends linking and shrinking in some of the states, and also, for example, Tammy Baldwin and Bob Casey now putting Trump in their ads, talking about working positively with him both in the future and what they've done in the past, when they're running very competitive Senate races in those blue wall states you mentioned as Democrats, tells me that not just we're seeing it, but the other side seeing it as well. And look, for months, the Harris campaign had a strategy they were going to try and hold that lead, too. And this media blitz, kind of the trolling around the health, tells me they see something in the numbers, too, that they needed to act upon. You know, you're seeing some record numbers in states like Georgia, North Carolina, when it comes to early voting.

And again, North Carolina had issues with Hurricane Helene as well. I wonder if Republicans are at all concerned about that because, you know, the conventional wisdom usually is those early votes don't help out Republicans. I think you've seen a couple different things, right? You certainly see the Republicans talking about banking their vote as you saw in the package there and really making sure that people vote early. I think so it's hard to say that nowadays, but also those African-American men, Latino men, some of the minorities that we're targeting, they're what we call low propensity voters. What that really means is they don't vote at every single election, say local elections. They might vote once every four years or twice every four years. So the fact we're seeing higher turnout tells me we're sweeping some of those voters in there as well. So if we're targeting them, that's good news for us.

Matt, I do want to ask you, we have some new NBC news reporting about Nikki Haley. Two sources familiar with the planning confirmed that the former primary challenger is in talks to join former President Trump on the campaign trail. Talk to us about will this have any effect on the race? I think it could, depending on where she goes, right? You talk to the gender gap is so huge. If Trump can cut down those numbers, that 14-point deficit among women to say 12, that has outsized impact in a lot of different states. So Nikki Haley can certainly be helpful with that,

and I think it's also very notable that Trump has really adopted a lot of Nikki Haley's answers on, say, abortion. In that debate against Kamala Harris, if you would close your eyes, His answer to abortion was very similar to the answer of abortion that Nikki Haley gave in one of the primary debates that you guys hosted here back last November. So messaging is important, but I think that could really be helpful with women voters. Matt, Gorman for us tonight. Matt, always a pleasure to talk to you on Top Story. We do want to head overseas now to the conflict in the Middle East one day after the confirmation of the death of Yaya Sinwar, the Hamas leader and architect of the October 7 attacks in Israel.

Many world leaders now hoping this could mark a potential turning point in the war. But Am I saying not so fast that it will not return any hostages in Gaza before Israel withdraws from the region. Aaron McLaughlin tonight in Tel Aviv with this update. Tonight, new details about the Israeli operation that killed a mastermind of the October 7th terror attack. The Israeli military released this footage, claiming to show the moment a tank open fire ending the life of Yahya Sinwar. The culmination of an hour's long battle on Wednesday, in which the IDF says grenades were thrown from Sinwar's direction. at Israeli soldiers. One soldier was seriously wounded and concluded with the leader of Hamas, cornered, wounded, and alone. President Biden in Germany today, hoping the moment marks a turning

point. You think there's a road to peace there. It's going to be harder. It'll be difficult. Hamas has yet to name a successor. Israeli terrorism and intelligence expert Yoram Schweitzer believes Sinwar's brother Mohammed, seen in this video released by the Israeli military, will carry on with his brutality. Unless we find his brother and kill him too, I think we will encounter the same policy. So you don't think this is going to change Hamas's course? Not in Gaza, not immediately. Hopefully he won't take revenge from the hostages, but we'll have to see. Is that a concern that he could? It's a concern. Tonight, there's also concern for 400,000 Palestinians trapped in northern Gaza. This week, the U.S. gave Israel 30 days to improve the humanitarian situation.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations warning that a policy of starvation would not be acceptable. Secretary Blinken arrives in the region next week. He hopes to convince the Israeli Prime Minister to stop the war in Gaza and begin serious considerations about what comes next. Tom. Okay, Aaron, thank you for that. Still ahead tonight, the ex-Olympian term drug lord? The FBI searching for a man accused of running a drug trafficking ring and orchestrating several murders, his alleged co-conspirators, including a music executive, arrested at his Miami Mansion.

Plus, an American reportedly kidnapped in the Philippines. The alarming reports of a Vermont man shot and then taken away in a speedboat, what we're learning. And former Chicago Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler, arrested the charges he's facing. Stay with us. Welcome back. There is a murder trial underway today in Delaware. Delphi, Indiana for the man accused of brutally killing two teenage girls seven years ago. The jury hearing emotional testimony from a family member about the day the missing girls were found.

Maggie Vespa is there for us tonight. In Delphi, Indiana, a high-profile double murder trial is underway over the 2017 stabbing deaths of 13-year-old Abby Williams and 14-year-old Libby German, best friends who were in volleyball and band together. Prosecutors in today's opening statements saying 52-year-old Richard Allen, used power and fear to kill the teens. The state, arguing witnesses spotted the local husband and father on a walking trail. Investigators saying Libby recorded this encounter with a man that day. Prosecutors allege it was Allen who forced the girls down a hill at gunpoint, stabbed them,

and left Libby completely naked, covered in blood, her throat slit. Allens pleaded not guilty. His attorneys saying he's innocent. and refuting prosecutors claims that a bullet found at the scene matches his pistol, arguing tests were inconclusive. The girls' families arriving to court this morning with Libby's grandmother tearfully testifying about the day the missing girls were found, saying, I saw the coroner's truck driving by, and that's when I knew they weren't alive. Maggie, this case is obviously so high profile in Delphi in that tiny town. It sounds like it's been really chaotic there. Walk our views through what's been happening. Yeah, Tom, it's been overwhelming for this town. Keep in mind, this is a community of less than 3,000 people in this case. This nationally high-profile case has been hanging over them for the better part of a decade. I want to bring back that video that we showed at the top. There it is. The top of the piece. Look at that line outside the courthouse. There were several dozen, easily close to 100 people. We got here right in early this morning before dawn. They just wanted seats inside the courtroom. They wanted to see the beginning of this trial, the culmination of nearly a decade of mystery. And it's just really kind of permeated.

throughout the community. And because of that, Tom, the judge has been really working hard, working overtime to keep a tight lid on this case. She's brought in a jury from about a hundred miles away. They're sequester. They can't have any outside contact, watch any media coverage, and they have a long road ahead. This is about a month-long trial with a combined 170 witnesses expected. So just getting underway. Okay, Maggie Vespur first. Maggie, we thank you for that. Now to that urgent manhunt I was telling you about earlier, former Olympian turn-a-ledged drug lord. Authorities say he and another man ran a sprawling drug smuggling network across four countries that had helped from one of Mexico's most notorious cartels. More than a dozen people indicted, including a music executive, taken down in dramatic fashion just outside Miami.

NBC's Guadvanegas has a story. A raid in an exclusive South Florida neighborhood. Where authorities arrested music executive Nayim Jorge Bonilla. Bonilla, allegedly just one member of a wide-ranging drug trafficking ring that prosecutors say became one of the largest suppliers of cocaine into the United States and Canada, and was led by Ryan James Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, turn alleged drug lord and now fugitive. This group was ruthless and violent. They would use contract killers to assassinate anyone who they saw as an obstacle to their operation. wedding and his alleged accomplice Andrew Clark accused of a quote avalanche of violent crime even ordering murders to settle drug deaths including a couple in Canada who prosecutors say was shot in front of their daughter all of these victims were intentionally shot execution style that their loved ones could see them murdered the details shared in the indictment reminiscent of those seen with Mexican cartels who federal officials say even provided protection for weddings operations This organization was connected to cartels, specifically the Sinaloa cartel, which offered them protection in Mexico to carry out their operations.

Those operations, prosecutors say, sending drugs from Colombia through Mexico through a main transportation hub in Los Angeles, and from there to the East Coast and to Canada. Authorities have seized more than a ton of cocaine, three firearms, and dozens of rounds of ammunition, and at least $3 million in cash and cryptocurrency. known by many as the dictator, was arrested by Mexican authorities earlier this month. Attorneys for Clark could not immediately be reached for comment, and Bonilla's lawyer telling NBC News they are not commenting at this time. Meanwhile, wedding, whose aliases include El Jaffe and Public Enemy, still on the run and considered armed and dangerous by the FBI. Guad vanegas joins us tonight from L.A.

So Guad, have authorities made any progress in tracking this former Olympian down? Tom, we don't know that. We know that there is a reward, $50,000 for any information that could lead to his arrest. Now, it's interesting that they said that they were working with the Sinaloa cartel. We know that his accomplice, Clark, was arrested in Mexico. They said that Mexican authorities assisted with that arrest. And they also say they believe Wedding was living in Mexico with the man who they say was the second in command while they controlled all of this operation. so it would make sense to think that part of this investigation or the search for him would be taking place in Mexico

as well as the U.S., Tom. All right, Guadvanegas first Guadal, wild story. We thank you for that. When we come back, crisis in Cuba after a major power grid failure, the island-wide blackout, leaving 10 million people without electricity, a reporter on the ground in Havana

with where the dire situation stands. Okay, we are back now with Top Story's News Feed, and we start with an update on the police beating of a black man who was deaf and had cerebral palsy in Arizona. Maricopa County's top prosecutor has dropped all charges against 34-year-old Tyron McAlpin. Graphic video we first showed you earlier this week shows officers hitting him and using a taser after he did not hear their commands. He was originally charged with resisting arrest. An American man has reportedly been kidnapped in the Philippines. The man has been identified as 26-year-old Elliot Eastman from Vermont. Philippine police say they are investigating reports Eastman was shot in the leg before being

dragged into a speedboat that fled south. State Department is monitoring the situation. Former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was arrested on DUI and gun charges. Police took Cutler into custody after a minor car crash in Franklin, Tennessee. According to an arrest affidavit, he allegedly smelled of alcohol and was slurring his words. say a rifle and a loaded handgun were found in the car. Cutler was released on $5,000 bail. He tried reaching this, we tried reaching the representative for comment, but have not heard back from anyone on his team.

And Royal Caribbean sued by some of its former passengers after hidden cameras were placed in their rooms. According to the suit, a former employee put cameras in guest bathrooms, and he also hid under the bed and recorded guests with his cell phone. The passengers now alleging the cruise line could have been. done more to protect guest privacy, Arvin Miedasol, who you just saw there, the employee was fired by the company and is currently serving 30 years in federal prison. Okay, now to the Americas and the ongoing energy emergency in Cuba. The country's power grid completely failing, plunging Cuba

into darkness and impacting its more than 10 million residents. The country, still waiting for the electrical grid to be restored as the situation becomes more and more dire for the Cuban people. I want to get right over to Ed Augustine, who's on the ground for us in Havana tonight, with the latest on how extensive the outage is and how it's affecting the residents. This massive energy crisis that Cubans have gotten used to affects people massively. I mean, just think the reality of living without electricity. You go to your fridge, it's warm. The food's going to go off more quickly because there's no electricity to keep it cold.

You want to sleep. It's the Caribbean. It's hot. You can't put the fan on to keep the mosquitoes at bay. And if you've got air conditioning, well, that doesn't work because there's no electricity. The list just goes on and on and on, and it wears people down. And these power cuts, they're not short, right? This has been going on for not only months, years. Here in the capital, we're fairly privileged. But where I live, like most people that live in the capital, I have to go without power

two or three times a week for four hours at a time. In the provinces, it's far, far worse. So things are already difficult, but last night at 11 o'clock, the Prime Minister announced things were going to get even more difficult because the country can't now afford enough petrol. So schools are closed, lots of workplaces are closed. The economy, as the Prime Minister himself described, for the rest of the week, will be paralysed. And today, just straight out of the blue, the main power plant that the country relies on to get the electricity that's still there to the nation. in the context of these new emergency measures, conced out, it broke down, and right now,

as far as we know, the majority of the country is still without electricity, although the state is reporting that some parts of the country are gradually getting electricity back. So people are just at their wits end. People think, I can't do this anymore. I mean, how long is this gonna go on for?

And they see a government that's not coming up with the goods. It's talking about solutions, but right now people are living in blackouts. In terms of why this is happening, The analysts I speak to give me two reasons. First, U.S. sanctions. Now, I know for many people that's a cliche. The government often uses it as an excuse, but they are real, and they've never been stronger.

The Trump administration enacted what they described as maximum pressure sanctions, and the aim of those sanctions was to increase sanctions on what they describe as the regime. They make it more difficult for the country to buy petroleum in the international market. Oil tankers were sanctioned by the Trump administration. And the economists I speak to, independent economists say that even to this day, those measures that the Biden administration has decided to keep in place cost the Cuban state billions of dollars. Now, that's less money. It could be argued for police and the repressive apparatus of state, but it's also less money to buy petrol and repair decrepit power plants. The other massive reason, of course, is the Cuban economy. Pretty much everyone in this island is cognizant, including the Cuban government, that the economy doesn't work.

And they've promised for a long time, years and decades, to reform it, to make it more productive. That has not happened. It's less productive today than it was, certainly when I arrived in Cuba over a decade ago. And the result of that is the country hardly produces. It exports very little. It also has very little foreign currency inflows. And so for Cubans, it's a perfect storm between U.S. economic warfare that's been ratcheted up on the one hand and a government that is unable to run an efficient economy.

and Cubans are living with the result. Blackout. Back to you, Tom. A big thanks to Ed Augusta and his team for figuring out a way to broadcast even though there is no power right now on the island of Cuba. We will be thinking about all those people

who are suffering in that country. Coming up, an incredible story of survival. A teenager stranded off the coast of Hawaii clinging to his over-returned kayak for 12 hours. The off-duty lifeguard who joined the massive search and ended up saving the teen's life the moment he was pulled to safety.

That's next. We're back now with an incredible story of survival. Rescue workers in Hawaii, saving the life of a teen lost at sea, the hours-long surge taking place in the dead of night. Maya Eagling picks up the story. Tonight, the harrowing moments a 17-year-old was rescued at sea after spending nearly 12 hours stranded off the coast of Honolulu. The chilling incident unfolding Wednesday evening

when officials say strong current separated Cahiawai from his high school paddling group causing his kayak to capsize in the waters with wind gusts close to 30 miles an hour emergency officials immediately launching a massive search in addition to our ground search we also had three boats two air assets and our drone team in addition to hfd we had the united states coast guard with one fixed wing aircraft one helicopter and one boat and airport rescue and firefighting with one boat for more than 11 and a half hours rescue rescue teams refusing to give up, eventually spotting Kauai at around 4 o'clock the following morning, treading water, clinging onto his kayak. Off-duty lifeguard Nolan Keolena pulling the team to safety. I think he was in total shock because he wasn't emotional at all. And I was actually crying my gutts off

because he was okay. And I wasn't praying. He's like, I'm okay. I'm fine. Keolena joining the search efforts as a good Samaritan after receiving a text from his wife saying they knew the team. I got a text from, actually from my wife, saying that it's one of our friends' kids. So I was like, oh, I got to go. I'm the type of person that I want to go and be at every call. And I know last night I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't go out there. It was such a pleasure to be able to call his mom and she's crying on the phone and say, hey, you know, we're going. We found him and he's okay.

Kawhi then transported to the hospital, suffering from injuries, including hypothermia. The Coast Guard saying he was in serious but stable condition. The teen's family releasing a statement of gratitude saying in part, quote, a very special mahalo to Good Samaritans, friends and family, especially lifeguard and waterman Nolan Keolena, who went out on his own to search for Cahia all night, never giving up using his instincts and knowledge of the ocean. A happy ending for a resilient teen and a community. determined to save him. Maya Eagland, NBC News.

All right, we thank Maya for that story. When we come back and look at what you can binge watch and listen to this weekend. The hit series shrinking back for its second season and a new version of the beloved show, The Office, plus new music from Rose and Bruno Mars. Chris Witherspoon, you know him as a spoon. He's coming up right here on Top Story. Bingeworthy is next. back now with Bingeworthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And tonight we're joined by our good friend NBC News Entertainment contributor Chris Witherspoon, known as The Spoon. Spoon's so good to see you. It's been a while. Yes. It's been a couple months.

I've been traveling. I've been around. I've been around. I think the last time we talked, it was warm, but now it's a little cool and we got the jacket on. And we're ready to go. We're ready. We're ready. We're ready. Let's talk about this show, which is sort of close to my heart in a weird way because I'm from Florida. Okay. And so all the jokes about Florida man have now been made it to a pseudo real fictional series. Let's play a clip so you guys kind of understand, then we'll talk about it in the back end. The Sunshine Law and the State of Florida

really perpetuates that Florida man stereotype. That's you, man. Stories get wilder and wilder. More often than not, they're not true. But in Florida, they're all true. You guys want to drink? Waters, like there's vodka. I love that line.

So there's a lot going on here. It's on Max. Talk about what this is. I mean, this is, like, all the rip from the headline stories. Like you said, a Florida man is like a joke in the newsrooms most days. That people are crazy in Florida. Yeah. So you have all these great stars like Randall Park and Affairs Ego Wodom from SNL. They're reenacting these stories that actually are based on things that happen. And you also have the real-life folks from the news that are kind of breaking it down to interviews. And the crazy part is that you think these stories cannot be true, but they are true. Yeah.

The thing I don't like is that people hate on Florida. Florida's awesome. Florida's so delightful. I love Florida. Everyone says a good time in Florida. But just don't watch the news. Just don't watch the news. Just don't watch the news.

Something will come up that will freak you out. Next up, shrinking. This is a really popular one on Apple TV. Up for another season. Jason Siegel, Harrison Ford. Let's look at that one. It's not your patient's job to heal you. Push my husband off a cliff.

I'm a psycho with good hair. I like the good hair part. Look who's selfish. This team is back. I can't stop thinking he's going to go back to the way he was after mom died. If you don't truly deal with your past, it's going to come back for you. And then, boom. So Chris, give me the vibe check here, because I hear from some people, producers that have

seen this, like I watched a couple of episodes. You told me you've kind of come and gone. It's got nomination, so clearly, like, there's a good show there. What is your take? And you got Harrison Ford, who's like the icon. He's now on scripted TV. But it's basically, in case you missed it, you guys, this guy who he's a therapist and his wife passes away unexpectedly. And so he begins, like, just ripping the Band-Aid off and telling the truth to all his clients.

This season, you have a new sort of client, Heidi Gardner from SNL. She's hilarious. But also, it's just like the chemistry between Jason and Harrison Ford. You can't go wrong with the two of them. And it got a lot of award nominations. I think this season's going to be hot. And they just announced season three is happening. They announced that Compton.

And look, if you're someone like me who's never seen it, it's still time to sample. Let an app be totally behind. You know, Australia had a huge summer. You remember with break dancing, Reagan, like, just everyone no one could stop talking about her. Amazing. Well, anyways, this has nothing to do with that, but it just has to do with Australia.

It's a pivot. The office in Australia, this is not a joke. This is actually a really, a real show now. It's on Prime Video. Let's watch it. We'll talk about it on the other end. As of today, we are all back in the office full time. What?

That's not good news. I'm promoting you to Productivity Manager. Yes, sir. Do I want to support the vision of my branch manager at all costs? Is this the dark web? No, it's not the dark web. He said, Lizzie? Okay.

Okay, I'm not going to hate on this. I watched the British version of the office, which is incredible. Yeah, which is amazing. The office in the USA was awesome. This, to me, feels a little odd. It's a little odd, but the template works. Keep in mind, the OG office in 2020 was the most watched show in the world, like it's a billion minutes for watch. This is a woman named Hannah, who's in

Australia. She's a manager, and her team is about to get forced to go work remotely, and she fights back to save working in the office. It's quirky, it's odd, it's irreverness, all the things the office is, but it's in Australia. And they're bringing, by the way, y'all, they're bringing the office back to Peacock. They're working on a group right now. But here's my problem, because when I watch this, and look, guys, this could be a great show. I haven't seen it yet. It could be an amazing show. It could be like Ray Gunn. It could be out of this world. But I will say this, When I'm watching it, my brain is telling me, oh, this is supposed to be Dwight, that's supposed to.

And it's kind of like, wait, is this, and I find it hard just to follow. And I feel like keep in mind, a lot of young audiences are binging, have been binging the office. So this is really for a new generation of folks. It might not be as glued to what it was like we are. I feel the office and Parks and Rec created a whole sort of culture

of the way people react to things and the way people work. Like that one camera comedy, they kind of wrote the deadpan, the mockumentary, that's a great blueprint. And the original, the UK version, Ricky Jervais, was... I got to watch that. That's genius. We're going to move over to a thriller.

This one is called Women of the Hour. It's about a woman that crosses paths with a serial killer on an episode of a dating show. This may sound familiar. We'll tell you why. I've been on this show since 1968. The one thing I've learned is, no matter what words they used,

the question beneath the question. remains the same. What's the question? Which one of you will hurt me? So some people may remember the dating game killer, dating show killer, which one was it? Terrible serial killer, but he was on a dating game and he actually on television. A mess. Sick dude.

But this sort of incorporates some of that. Tell us more. Yeah, I mean, this is Anna Kendrick's directorial debut, so it's pretty huge for it. It is a movie. It is on Netflix. It's about this woman who's an actress in the 70s in Hollywood. Trying to break through. She goes on this dating game show, and one of the folks that she's matched, which is a serial killer. So it kind of also appeals back the layer of the mentality of serial killers back in the 70s.

It was a phenomenon. There were a lot of copycats. And you kind of see how romance and stardom meets this scary concept. All right. We'll have to check that one out. It definitely sounds and looks scary. Last up for our videos and for our movies and our TV shows, this is Mr. McMahon on Netflix. I've been binging this one. Here's a clip.

When it comes to Vince, a lot of that as a character, he's going to show you what he wants you to see. The lines of reality are very blurred in our business. The individual loses all sense of who they really are. So professional wrestling is such a big part of American culture, whether you grew up in the 70s, 80s, 90s,

The aughts, early odds. It's huge. So many stars. Hulk Hogan Rock and so much controversy. And this guy, Vince McMahon, is behind it all. And what's interesting is that they shot a lot of this before he got in trouble, because right now he's in big trouble. Yeah, they began filming it in 2019, and they had to stop in 2022 when he got in trouble. And he kind of pulled back from doing interviews.

But to your point, you have all these big-name stars who he helped make, like Hulk Hogan, the Rock. They all show up. I mean, they're all here. They show up. But it really shows how he had this dream of taking this idea of this idea of. this idea of the WWE, and he made it a billion-dollar business. And he was the brains, and everyone gives him credit for that. I mean, obviously, a ruthless businessman as well.

What's also good about this, and you know this, Spoon, what makes these docu-series, they have the principles. Oh, yeah. They have all the characters. They have the stories. Nobody is holding back. His whole family's in it. Yeah.

But they mention the top of it. He's now in legal trouble. He's getting sued. And I mean, all kinds of times. He said it's not, like, actual. There's some things that they kind of took liberties with, but it's messy. To me, it's good. And he's crazy.

Like, I feel like he's the perfect character. It's the same folks that made the Tiger King. There's moments where he has that kind of larger-than-life persona that almost feels scripted, but it's not. But for the decades that he was on top, he was always at the forefront. He was sort of one step ahead of a lot of people. Oh, yeah. Whether it came to cable or promotions or even.

But even people like Bob Costas, I didn't know this. They were part of the WWF, and you learn all this from watching. They were printing money at a certain point. Yeah, they were. There was a lot of money there. Okay. Did you ever think about going into wrestling or no? No, but I used to watch this good, you know?

Big time. I can act too. I can act too. You could have done it. We're going to turn to music. Okay. New music, Rose from the girl group, Black Pink and Bruno Mars. Check this out.

Sleep tomorrow, but tonight go crazy. All you gotta do is just meet me ever. Ah, put it. Ah, ha, ha, ha, ta, ha, ta, just leave me at my heart. Okay, Chris, you love this song, so tell me about it. I learned a new word. Ah, patai, patte. It's Korean.

apartment. It's Bruno Morris. He's in his K-pop era officially. I mean, K-pop is huge. And this woman, Rose, she was in the group Blackpink. So this is her first single. And they have a huge follow. Oh, my God. She's putting out a 12-track album in December. This is the first single. And it's just huge. I mean, K-pop is breaking all kinds of records. Oh, yeah. He has a whole moment. He also says, ah, pat-e-e-pat-e-a. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go. Yeah. It's like a kind of like a romantic pop, like, up-tempo song. And cold play. They had that that co-lab with, who was it? Remember? Somebody, anybody?

It's not like you're like on live TV or anything. No, no big of it. Anybody. The biggest K-pop band in the entire world. But anyways, that was really good. It'll come to us at some point. I'm not a huge K-pop person. There we go.

There we go. We've got BTS. Thank you. Yes, yes. Come on. I should know this. Anyways. I know Apata I pat-I-Pat-E. Finally, last one.

This is a new one. This is a banger. You heard it first here on Bingeworthy. This is who? I don't know. It's the song. Cinderella. It's Remmy Wolf. Check it out. So I'm new to Remmy Wolf. I don't know a whole lot about her, but I really like her music. And this video is amazing. There's a lot going on.

It'll have you watching and listening and trying to figure out what you're exactly looking at. Also, Remy, she's a true artist. She's so unique, and she's coloring with all the colors of the rainbow. Fearless. But she was also an American Idol alum. She was on that show in 2014. This is her first or second single from her second album. Simon Cowles, like, probably like, you ain't got nothing.

And look at her now. I mean, come on. She's running around the park. I mean, she's on Top Story. Yeah. And she's like, what is that, Leotard, whatever it is. Everything is all the things. Chris Withers, it is always a pleasure to have you on.

Thank you for being here. Good to see you. Same. Yeah, it's a pleasure. And we thank you, as always, for watching Top Story. Have a great weekend. And stay right there. More news on the way.