Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, September 13, 2024

Episode Date: September 14, 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, Trump lashes out the former president amplifying his baseless claims about migrants. In an hour's long news conference, former President Trump vowing large deportations, including in Springfield, Ohio, a city now caught in the crosshairs of the immigration battle after Trump echoed those baseless claims about Haitian immigrants at the debate. The bomb threats at elementary schools and towards city officials following his comments. and what new polls show since Vice President Harris and former President Trump stepped off the debate stage. Extreme weather danger, despair and destruction out west as wildfires consume neighborhoods. We hear from a first responder who helped a woman escape as the flames moved in.

The surprising new tool in the firefight crews using snowmakers to help save a ski resort. And across the country, the tropical threat looming in the Atlantic, meteorologist Bill Karen standing by to time it out. Boeing workers on strike after rejecting a new contract with the plane maker. Tens of thousands walking off the job as they fight for increased pay. The walkout, yet another setback for the company facing several federal investigations over its aircrafts. Tonight, we speak with a worker on the picket line. Date rape plot, a Pennsylvania man accused of drugging and raping several women he met on a dating website, the disturbing allegations and the search for other potential victims.

the narrow bread takedown. Terrifying moments as a customer erupts into a violent outburst, attacking staff and other patrons. A worker jumping into action wielding a breadpan to break up the chaos. Court ordered apology. Pop-Icon Justin Timberlake taking responsibility after his drunk driving arrest. The punishment he now faces after agreeing to a plea deal and what he said just moments after walking out of the court. And meet the adorable baby hippo quickly becoming an internet sensation. The two-month-old animals sighs and feisty attitude chomping at the hearts of millions online. The visitors lining up just to catch a glimpse of the pygmy hippo at a Thailand zoo. Plus, Russia's special interest in the U.S. election, how the country is monitoring the presidential

race and Putin's new warning for the U.S. Top story starts right now. And Barber in for Tom Yamis. With just 52 days to go until the presidential election, former President Trump taking his fight against Vice President Kamala Harris to her own state. The former president speaking at his golf club near Los Angeles, among a number of topics, Trump insisted that he won Tuesday's presidential debate while blasting Harris on immigration. The Republican nominee refusing to let up on rhetoric about Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, which he falsely claims were eating pets. For the second day in a row, city is dealing with numerous bomb threats, those threats forcing elementary and middle

school students to evacuate their buildings just weeks into the new school year. All of this coming on the heels of that heated showdown between Vice President Harris and former President Trump. New post-debate polling shows Harris extending her lead up five points against her opponent, all within the margin of error. And Pope Francis is now weighing in on the state of the race. The Pope criticizing both candidates saying the two are, quote, against life with their policies on abortion and immigration. He's urging Catholics to choose who they think is, quote, the lesser evil. We have a lot to get to this evening. NBC's Garrett Haake starts off our coverage. Tonight, former President Trump doubling down to reporters on his vow he won't participate

in a third debate, despite his earlier commitment to do three. Ninety-four percent of the Republicans said I did phenomenally in the debate. We pressed him late today. And after one debate, you say you're done. No, no, not one debate, too. One debate with Connell. Excuse me. against Crooked Joe Biden. I had a debate. They say I won by 19 or 21 points or something. Wait a minute. I ran against, then all of a sudden they put her in. We had a debate. I obviously did very well. And Trump was asked about far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Lumer, who traveled on his plane to the debate. Her racist posts about Harris and questioning of 9-11 as an inside job, leading other Republican allies to urge him to disavow her.

I have concerns about her rhetoric and her hateful tone. That doesn't represent MAGA as a whole. She's been a supporter of mine. She speaks very positively of the campaign. Laura has to say what she wants. She's a free spirit. Harris last night attacking Trump's debate performance. It was the same old show.

Same old tired playbook we've heard for years. It's time to turn the page. While Trump in Harris's home state, going after her record on immigration. A president has a duty to keep you safe. Kamala will turn America into a poor, violent third world refugee camp. We have a border that's the worst of any border ever in the world. And vowing deportations from the Ohio town where he falsely claimed Haitian migrants were abusing animals.

We will do large deportations from Springfield, Ohio, large deportations. And Garrett joins us now from California. So we have some big-name Republicans who are supporters of former President Trump. You mentioned Representative Marjorie Taylor Green and Senator Tillis, saying that Trump's socializing with Laura Lumer and perpetuating conspiracy theories will hurt him in this election. When you talk to your sources within the campaign and the party at large, how concerned are they about this? Yeah, I mean, look, Republicans have learned a long time the damage that Lumer could potentially do to their reputation. She is sort of like a democratic caricature of the worst things you could think a Republican could believe or be willing to say out loud. She's willing to say all those things out loud.

And so whether those words come from her or come from Donald Trump when he has seen traveling around with her, it is incredibly toxic, not just a Donald Trump's brand, to Republican brand writ large. That's why you're seeing the Tillis's and the Grams and the Marjorie Taylor Greens of the world speak out. They're not just trying to protect Donald Trump. They're trying to protect Republicans elsewhere, too. effective is another question. Late today, Trump said he disagrees with some of Lumer's statements, but I think it's pretty clear, Allison, and she's not going away anytime soon. And Garrett, former President Trump has changed his mind again on the question of another debate. What are you hearing from voters? Do they think the former president should participate in another debate?

This is a tricky one, Ellison, because Donald Trump himself has been all over the place. His official line is that he doesn't want a debate again because he thinks he has been so dominant. But everything he has done suggests he knows that's not true. Now he's saying he's saying he's he might debate again if he's in the mood. I think the most committed Trump supporters are going to go with whatever Donald Trump says. But I think sort of more run-of-the-mill Republican voters, and some of these folks who I think are still on the fence

would like to see him give it another go. My conversations with Trump supporters, friends in my own life, people I know who support Trump, feel like he did not accomplish what he set out to do in disqualifying Kamala Harris. They know this is going to be a close race. They think perhaps he might be better off trying to do that on the debate stage rather than in rallies

and in events like this where he's a little bit less focused. Ellison. Garrett Hake, thank you. And turning now to the city that has become the center of a major political story. In Springfield, Ohio, there is growing concern over a second consecutive day of bomb threats after the unfounded claims about Haitian migrants made by former President Trump and his running mate. The threats causing multiple schools and government buildings to evacuate again today. Let's bring in NBC News, Washington correspondent Yamish Alcindor, who just got

back from Springfield and has been extensively reporting on this story. Yamish, what is the latest? It's really been a heartbreaking situation in Springfield, Ohio, and it seems to just be getting worse in terms of the tension and the fear that people are feeling there. So we have now seen today multiple bomb threats and a number of schools closing down. I can tell you that there are residents there that are keeping their kids home from school because they're just worried about the atmosphere that's happening now because of this conspiracy theory and this lie about Haitian immigrants putting Springfield in the middle of this now national spotlight in this debate on immigration. So definitely a lot of worry there and there are real world consequences from what

we understand. Local officials don't know if these threats are connected with the lies about Haitian immigrants, but they are having the FBI investigate. So they're trying to get to the bottom of what's going on there, Ellison. And Amish, President Biden did address this rhetoric today. I want to place some of what he had to say. And then we'll talk right after. Community that's under attack on our country right now. Simply wrong. There's no place in America. This has to stop what he's doing. That's to stop. This has to stop. Yamish. Is there any indication former President Trump and Senator Vance will stop with these lies, these baseless claims? Do they care about the impact or is this

something they just see as politically beneficial? Well, there's definitely no indication that former President Trump or Senator J.D. Vance are going to be stopping these lies about Haitian immigrants. Today, we saw former President Trump in a press conference in California doubling down on these accusations, these false accusations. And then he was also saying that these Haitian immigrants are bringing diseases, that these Haitian immigrants are really wreaking havoc on this place. I can tell you, as someone who was in Springfield, Ohio, that that's not the case when it comes to sort of what officials on the ground are telling us. We know that the city of Springfield, that they advertise new manufacturing jobs and affordability.

So they invited these Haitian immigrants in this not an invasion. These is Haitian immigrants really taking up the city up on their offer to come there. And they were welcoming to them. It's also important to note that city officials say that they do not want to see this sort of hate, the mayor of Springfield, Ohio saying that he wants to see people really embracing Haitian immigrants. And he also said that if former President Trump came there, which is what he's saying he might do, likely that that would be very difficult, and he sounded like he was saying that he wouldn't want to meet with him. J.D. Vance is also posting on social media these same baseless allegations,

so we're not seeing anything to show that Republicans are pulling back on this. At the same time, we are seeing a really robust response from Republicans in Ohio who are saying, again, that there's no evidence that these claims are at all verifiable, that they're all true. Republicans are saying that that's not the case. Ellison? Yamish Alcindor. Thank you. And a programming note for you, Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance will be on Meet the Press on Sunday with moderator Kristen Welker. This year's presidential election also being watched closely around the world, including in Russia. NBC News analyzing hours of Russian TV coverage of this week's debate to see what message state media delivered to the public.

All this says Russian President Vladimir Putin issues a stern warning to the U.S. about arming Ukraine. Correspondent Keir Simmons has this story. President Putin with a now familiar warning to the West, saying in a television interview, if Washington approves Ukraine's use of long-range weapons, it will be at war with Moscow. But in the new year, the Russian leader will contend with a new U.S. president, and who it is matters deeply to the Kremlin. That is a war that's dying to be settled. I will get it settled before I even become.

President. Putin's agenda is not just about Ukraine. Not surprisingly, the U.S. election is getting lots of attention on Russian state media. NBC watched hours of coverage of this week's debate. One segment was devoted entirely to Taylor Swift's endorsement of Vice President Harris, another spent five minutes looking at post-debate memes. But some may be surprised that some commentators told their Russian audience that Kamala Harris had won. Former President Trump was undisciplined and overconfident, said this host, who has been

indicted by the U.S. for allegedly violating sanctions, a claim a Russian government spokesperson has denied. The Kremlin says it is not taking sides, and Russian state media is reflecting that government line. But on the streets of Moscow today, our team found a very different view. Most ordinary Muscovites told us they think Trump will be better for Russia. Though one woman called Trump unpleasant and said she is rooting for a female president, Russian's opinion of the U.S. elections are most of all influenced by the war in Ukraine. Trump is our guy. He promised to put an end to the war sooner, this woman says.

The U.S. data analytics company, Filter Labs, studies Russian sources. state media as well as social media and channels used by many Russians like Telegram. Russians in general are closely following our elections and they know far more about Donald Trump and the volume of discourse on Trump in Russian media and social media dwarfs that of Harris. They sought through thousands of posts using AI as well as Russia experts. Their findings echo what Russians have told us. One thing that we saw particularly over the last few weeks was this surge of support for J.D. Vance in Russia because of the perception seems rightly so that he is going to be more critical towards the U.S. support of Ukraine. Another view expressed by Russians and the Russian government alike is that it doesn't matter who wins.

America's next president will be working to solve the problems of their own country. says one, though even that view fits with Russian government talking points. This week, its foreign ministry spokeswoman compared America to the Titanic. Does it matter who won the debate? She asked, they're 15 minutes from the iceberg. That is what the Kremlin hopes for. Its continuing focus on American politics suggests it knows it may be disappointed. And Kier Simmons joins us now. Kier, this is just, I'm. eye-opening, important reporting. The Biden administration today accused Russian

state TV of waging, quote, covert information warfare around the world, and they announced more sanctions. What can you tell us about that? Well, yes, that's right. Once again, the Biden administration accusing the Russian network, R.T, of really being an arm of Russian intelligence. It's already indicted to RT workers, to RT producers, accusing them of funneling $10 million towards an internet operation in the U.S., with the aim, it appears, of trying to influence American voters before the election. I guess, Ellison, what makes it surprising what we've seen inside Russia in that context is that some of the reporting inside Russia is fairly straightforward, simply saying,

what is happening in the election. Except, as I said in that report there, when it comes to Ukraine, at that point, the opinions shift very, very hard towards any U.S. politician who is prepared to even give a glimmer, if you like, that they might be soft on Ukraine, if you want to call it that. And as I said, in the piece, that does reflect the views of the Russian people, certainly what we know from polling about what the Russians think. what ordinary Russians think, is that while they would like the war in Ukraine to be over, they do not want to see Russia defeated in Ukraine.

Keir Simmons, thank you. Now to weather and over to California, firefighters continuing to battle those massive wildfires burning through tens of thousands of acres. The three fires leaving homes and cars completely charred as some residents return to nothing but devastation. NBC's Dana Griffin in the fire zone again tonight. A change in weather revealing a new landscape. More than 100,000 Southern California acres scorched. Hi guys. Hello, hello. Hey. Evacuies are returning home. So glad. I mean, glad for everyone up top and down here for the whole community.

Some finding nothing left. Right here was our workshop and shed just to see my neighbor's houses and what good people they are. This is now an air attack. Helicopters scooping up water taking it deep into the wilderness where the fires are most. burning. Earlier this week, as flames closed in on the mountain high ski resort, snowmakers went full blast, saving most of the resort. And we now know the hero behind this heart-stopping moment. A barefoot woman rescued just in time by Calpire Battalion Chief Mike Martinez. What did she say to you when you finally scooped her up? She, like I said, she was, she was in a lot of pain, screaming and yelling, just wanted help. He drove her to an ambulance. There have luckily been no deaths associated with these fires and you likely prevented

one yourself. How does that sit with you? Well, hearing it that way, I mean, it feels pretty darn good that I was able to to help somebody. But like I said before, I mean, this is our job. This is what we do. And I wouldn't change my job from the world. And here, a firefighter picking up an American flag, dusting it off and putting it back in its place. As the firefight continues, moments of humanity and hope. And Dana Griffin joins us now from Green Valley Lake, California there in San Bernardino County. Dana, just so amazing to hear those stories of heroism. Talk to us about where things stand with these three fires right now.

How contained are they? Yeah, so let's start with the line fire. That is the closest to where we are now. It's about 21% contained, and that may still seem like a small number, but it's actually really good compared to being with the, the smaller numbers with, say, the airport fire, which is only 3% contained, and also the bridge fire, only 7% contained. That one burning more than 52,000 acres. So when we talk about containment, it's essentially trying to get the fire contained in a zone so that it essentially

burns itself out. And firefighters are focused on that, especially heading into the weekend, because they don't want the fire to spread farther into new communities, which could force emergency evacuations. But for right now, these fires are burning in the wilderness, and firefighters hope they stay there. Ellison? Dana, you and your team have been there bringing us this story all week, taking risks yourself. Thank you so much. We appreciate you and your reporting. For more on those raging wildfires and severe weather throughout the country, let's turn to the forecast with NBC's meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill, is there any sign of relief for people impacted by those wildfires out west? Ellison, it has been a good day. We haven't seen fire.

runs, the winds are down, the temperatures are in the 70s, you know, these are the big three fires surrounding Los Angeles. The issue is the air quality, because the winds, when they're not blowing much, the air gets very stagnant. Just the smoke particles just kind of sit there. And the air quality is actually blowing. The worst of it, it's blowing away from L.A., but it's heading towards Barstow and Victorville. We've got some air quality in here that's considered hazardous. In other words, you don't want to be out in it no matter what. Doesn't even matter if you have underlying health problems. So as far as the west goes, you know, this isn't the only fires in Southern California. Look at Oregon and Idaho right now. In all in the West, we have 68

uncontained fires. And that's burned over two and a half million acres, Ellison. So that continues. And Bill, how are things looking down south in the aftermath of Hurricane Francine? Yeah, still a lot of tropical moisture, still some downpours that's just kind of sit here, especially over Alabama. That's where flood watches are still up in Birmingham to Montgomery. And we have numerous flash flood warnings. So there's still a lot of tropical air out there. And the thing to watch this weekend from my friends in the Carolinas is now a 40, percent chance something tries to develop just off the coast. This would not be a big, huge hurricane or anything like that. But it is possible in this development zone. We will get

ourselves maybe a subtropical storm or a tropical storm by the time we get to Sunday and into Monday. So that'll be the next kind of story we watch. Very unenjoyable beach weather and even summer weather, for that matter, anywhere in the southeast coast this weekend. All right, Bill Karen, it's a busy week for you. Thank you. We appreciate it. Now of the massive strike at Boeing, more than 30,000 workers in the Pacific Northwest or walk in the Northwest, rather, walking off of the job. They're demanding better pay and benefits as the aviation giant struggles to recover from high-profile accidents, lawsuits, and investigations. NBC News senior correspondent Tom Costello has this report. For an iconic American company, after a late-night vote tally, 2024 went from bad to worse.

More than 33,000 workers walking off. the job, assembly line production in the Northwest, expected to slow to a standstill. The 737, the 767, and triple seven, all affected, with nearly 95% of union members voting to reject Boeing's latest offer. They haven't been an increase in the wages since 2016, and the cost of living here is skyrocketed. It's just the latest body blow to America's aviation giant. Boeing stock down 35% this year. January's door plug blowout and federal investigations, found a breakdown in Boeing's quality control. Top execs, including CEO Dave Calhoun, out.

In July, the company pleaded guilty to a federal charge tied to two fatal max crashes overseas. Boeing's offer a 25% pay hike over four years, but without yearly bonuses. In 2014, workers lost their pensions. Now, the union wants a 40% pay hike. This strike is the first one in 16 years at Boeing, and it couldn't come at a worse time.

After agreeing to his own $39 million pay package, news CEO Kelly Ortberg urged union members to take Boeing's offer. But the union said no. This is about respect. This is about addressing the past. And this is about fighting for our future. The strike comes as Boeing space is also losing money. NASA did not trust Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to bring two astronauts home from the space station.

So Starliner left the station without them last week. Astronaut Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore will come home next February on a SpaceX ship. Today, they talked about it from space. Let down? Absolutely not. Never entered my mind. 90% of our training is preparing for the unexpected. And sometimes the actual unexpected goes beyond what you even think that could happen. As for how this could all impact you as a traveling flyer, if airlines don't get the planes they order, they can't fly the schedules they promise. The 787, by the way, made in South Carolina. It's not affected by the strike. Boeing says it is anxious to return to the negotiating table. Ellison.

Tom Costello, thank you. For more on the first day of this strike, let's bring in Mike Corsetti, a Boeing quality inspector and IAM union steward. He joins us now from the picket line in Everett, Washington. Mike, thank you so much for taking the time to join Top Story tonight. We really appreciate it. Talk to us about what is happening behind you and around you. What is the energy like on the picket line? We're real confident that Boeing will see what we see, that we are not being treated fairly. Mike, one of the most pressing issues on the table is wages, right? Boeing offering a 9% overall increase over the course of the contract. Why do you believe that's inadequate? Well, it would

be a start to get us closer to where we should be. The reality is we've been stagnant on our wages for over 10 years now. We have employees and members that have been maxed out, have reached their maximum wage, and still having to live in their cars in order to work here, which is not something that should have to happen. What do you think that raise number needs to be at? We need to go up at least 40%. You have said there are also concerns on the shop floor with workers being asked to rush products out of the door to avoid overtime pay with recent safety concerns surrounding Boeing aircrafts that seems like it could be a recipe for a disaster to say the least, right? Talk to us more about that. What is happening there and what needs to

change? Well, we've all heard the whistleblowers and people still feel the same way that, hey, we need to make sure our quality is done first and above all, as opposed to just pushing it out the door. build a product that we're proud of again. I understand there are also some issues in terms of health care. Workers on strikes have said current benefits don't cover enough. How is that impacting you? Well, for example, we've had members whose dentist have told them, well, we no longer take your insurance because it does not pay enough.

It stopped paying enough a long time ago. So they're having to find new dentists. Our vision is hardly covered at all. We have to fight to try and find somebody who takes us. And when we do find them, they say, okay, here's the paperwork. Now you fill it out and you send it in. You pay us the full amount. How long are you and everyone there with you prepared to stay on the picket line?

However long it takes. All right. Mike Corsetti. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time tonight. It's our pleasure. Still ahead tonight, date rape plot. The man accused of targeting women on a dating app then drugging and raping them.

The concern there may be more victims. Plus, breaking news in the death of Elijah McLean. The paramedic who was convicted of injecting the 23-year-old with ketamine just released from jail after a judge reduced his sentence. The late details now coming in. And Justin Timberlake pleading guilty to impaired driving as part of a deal in his drunk driving case. What the pop star said as he left the courthouse. Stay with us. Back now with Justin Timberlake striking a plea deal with prosecutors in connection to his DWI arrest in June.

The singer pleading guilty to a non-criminal traffic violation. Timberlake addressing the incident outside of the courthouse today saying he made a mistake and encouraging people not to drink and drive. Our entertainment correspondent, Chloe Malas, has more. I try to hold myself to a very high standard for myself. And this was not that. Tonight, the words of Justin Timberlake outside of court after being ordered to make a public statement as part of a plea deal in his DWI case. Even if you've had one drink, don't get behind the wheel of a car.

The pop star was pulled over in June after failing to stop at a stop sign in Long Island's affluent Sag Harbor neighborhood. As part of Timberlake's deal with prosecutors, he pled guilty to a DWAI, a non-criminal traffic charge of driving while impaired. Not his original charge of driving while intoxicated or DWI. There's so many alternatives. Call a friend. Take an Uber. There's many travel apps. Let's go take a taxi.

Now Timberlake facing the music. As part of the plea agreement, the Grammy winner's license will be suspended for 90 days. Pay a $760 fine and complete 25 to 40 hours of community service. Although Timberlake has maintained he only had one drink on the night of his arrest, he refused a breathalyzer test, and according to the police report, failed his field sobriety test. The arresting officer stating in his report that Timberlake's eyes were bloodshot and glassy and was unsteady afoot. Now Timberlake apologizing to the community he put in danger. You can all be more safe out there, and I'm going to do my part. And taking responsibility for his actions.

This is a mistake that I made, but I'm hoping that whoever's watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have. And Chloe Malas joins us now in studio. Chloe, is this something that will go on Justin Timberlake's record? So it's not. So this is essentially equivalent to just a traffic violation akin to a speeding ticket. So I was speaking to NBC's Danny Savalos earlier today. And he said that just in Timberlake, he's not exactly getting the celebrity treatment here, but the fact that he did not take a breathalyzer was helpful in getting this plea deal. So he's on tour right now as well. Is there any chance this

impacts him either in travel or just in fans saying, okay, we have an issue with you now? Well, his license is suspended for 90 days, so he'll have to take an Uber to the show or have somebody drive him. But in terms of his reputation, I mean, people love Justin Timberlake, and he seemed incredibly apologetic and contrite when he spoke outside of the courthouse today. And I think that at the end of the day, people just want, especially in Hollywood, for them to be just like us and to take accountability. And that is what he did do today, but also the court said, you have to do this or you don't get to do the plea deal. And a lot of people are talking about this, like, minor fine that he had to pay. Yes, he could afford to pay a lot more than that. But at the end of the day, it's just, it's by the book.

And that was exactly the fee that he or anybody else would have to pay for this particular violation. And, you know, yes, he's going to be back on tour at the end of this month in Newark on September 28th. And so far, all signs point to him continuing to go on tour. Chloe Malas, thank you. Now to a disturbing case out of Pennsylvania, a man from Bucks County arrested and charged for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting at least five women he met on an online dating site. Authorities say they found alcohol laced with methamphetamine during a search of his home. NBC News correspondent George Solis reports, and we do want to warn you the details in this story are disturbing.

Escorted by police in handcuffs. This is the man, Bucks County Pennsylvania authorities say that over the course of a year, drugged and raped at least five women he met online. The youngest victim just 17 years old. go in, meet women online, get them intoxicated and take advantage of them. Is that true? No, 40-year-old Andrew Gallo was taken into custody after he was charged by the Bucks County District Attorney accused of drugging at least six women as well as physically and violently assaulting them. Women authorities say he met on the online dating site, Sugar DaddyMeat.com as far back as June of last year. This defendant invited women to his home in Bristol Township, where he surreptitiously hid dangerous drugs in alcohol, provided that alcohol to his victims,

which rendered them so impaired that they were unable to consent to anything, let alone sexual acts. NBC News has reached out to the website for comment, but have not heard back. Authorities saying the company, while cooperative, has provided, quote, the bare minimum in assisting in the investigation. Buck's County investigators say during a search of Gallo's home, they not only found a bottle of alcohol laced with methamphetamine, but a woman they believe was in the midst of being victimized. This is a woman's worst nightmare. A young woman's worst nightmare. You know, sadly you have to take steps to protect yourself, whether you're out drinking in an establishment or certainly going to somebody's home.

Law enforcement officials say some of the victims reported the defendant choke them until they lost consciousness and then victims experienced hallucinations and psychosis as a result of the drugs in their system. Some reported being up for days. One said she was up for seven straight days unable to fall asleep. A number of them sought medical attention. Gala, who was arraigned on Wednesday and moved to the county's correctional facility was issued a $5 million bail. It's unclear if he's retained an attorney, but his next court date is scheduled for later this month where he will be able to enter a plea. And George Solis joins us now from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. George, you've been in touch with the district attorney there. Have they released

any more details here? Yeah, Allison, since Gallo's arrest, the DA's office saying they have received additional info, but no charges have been filed at this time. The DA's office here saying they're fairly certain that there are more victims and are encouraging any women that may have come into contact with him or maybe even have gone on a date with Gallo to come forward to help with this investigation. Alison. George Salis, thank you. When we come back to the shocking video of a brawl inside a Panera bread, a customer fighting patron. and staff during a violent outburst. The worker slamming a breadpan over the head of that customer to stop the fight.

The search tonight for the suspect. We're back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we began with a major update in the death of Elijah McLean. A Colorado judge has reduced the sentence for a former Aurora paramedic, Peter Chakuniac from five years in prison to four years probation. He is now released from prison. Chucuniac was convicted in December of criminally negligent homicide along with paramedic Jeremy Cooper for administering a fatal dose of ketamine to McLean in 2019 during a police

confrontation. A dramatic brawl caught on camera at a Panera bread in Glendale, Colorado. New video shows a Panera bread employee using a long bread pan to fend off an unruly customer whacking him several times as the suspect attacked. both staff and customers. The man left but returned later that same day, sparking a second altercation. One person suffered minor injuries.

Authorities are still searching for the suspect. And Major League Baseball Helmets will have ads next year. Starting next season, European workwear brand Strauss will have its logo featured prominently on both sides of teams' helmets during postseason and World Series games. The multimillion dollar deal also extends to all 120 minor. League Baseball affiliate teams. The logos will be in place until at least 2027. Sticking with sports now and major news about one of the NFL's rising stars after Miami

Dauphin's quarterback suffered another concussion. Many are wondering whether it is safe for him to keep playing. NBC's Jesse Kirsch has more. To a step up, he's going to run for the first down and takes a shot. Tonight, calls are growing for one of the NFL's biggest stars to consider, quitting the game for his health. It's not worth it. He's going to live long, and he's going to play football. Take care of your family. Last night, this head-on collision sent Miami Dolphins quarterback to Atunga Vailoa to the turf.

His arms positioned in what's known as the fencing response, often a sign of concussion. The hit also involved Buffalo Bill's safety, Damar Hamlet, who became a household name after his own on-field health scare. The Tonga-Bi-Loa is up. This marks at least three concussions for Tunga-Viloa in three seats. reasons. Oh, it's the back of his head hitting the turf. Sure is. On this scary play in 2022, Tungovilo's head slammed into the ground.

He stumbled, but eventually returned to the game. It was not diagnosed as a concussion. Four days later, this happened. And down he goes. A confirmed concussion, sparking questions about whether he should have been benched. After you get multiple injuries to a part of your body, it takes less and less injury, less and less force to cause problems later the 26 year old previously said he has considered retirement it would be hard for me to to walk away from from this game with with how old i am

last night dolphins head coach mike mcdaniel kissed his quarterback's head as the pair walked off the field i told him he's a the starting quarterback of his family and that to go in the locker room take a deep breath and i'll see you soon still no word from tongue of i Loa himself today. Meanwhile, the NFL says he has entered the concussion protocol, which changed because of his injuries. Back to you. Jesse Kirsch, thank you. Coming up, meet the latest internet star. She is a baby hippo. That's right, a zoo in Thailand now seeing a surge in visitors thanks to its newest edition. How she went viral online, even inspiring a clothing design and makeup tutorials. That story is next.

Back now with Top Story's Global Watch, starting with the latest on the crisis in Haiti. Two dozen Jamaican soldiers and police officers arriving in Haiti to help fight powerful gangs who have caused chaos in the country in recent years. Jamaica is the second country joining the UN Security Council mission led by Kenyan police. Senior military officials from Belize have also joined that effort. In Austria, a woman was found guilty of infecting her neighbor with COVID-19, which led to that woman's death. Prosecutors say the 54-year-old woman left her apartment while knowing she had the coronavirus back in 2021 and infected her neighbor who had cancer. A DNA report determining she was 100% the person who transmitted it.

It's her second pandemic-related conviction this year, a judge sentenced her to four months suspended imprisonment and an $800 fine. And the World Health Organization taking a major step to help fight Impox in Africa. The agency granting its first authorization for the use of the vaccine. UN agencies can buy the vaccine and help distribute it. However, vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic, says supplies are limited. The UN said a single dose of the shot could be used to stretch supplies for now. Turning now to Thailand and the adorable baby hippo taking over the internet. Fans from around the world following every nap, bath, and anxious scream thanks to the zoo's social media pages, the now social media icon even moving into fashion and a little bit of makeup.

And the zoo where she lives now welcoming a surge in visitors. At just two months old, this little baby hippo is already an internet giant. Her fans following and re-sharing every moment. From these panicked expressions to her new front teeth, Time magazine calling her an icon and a legend, proclaiming she is the moment. Meet Mu Deng, a baby pygmy hippo from Thailand, her name, which roughly translates to bouncy pig or pork patty was chosen by popular vote at the Kaukio Open Zoo. Since her rise to fame, attendance at the zoo has doubled on weekends.

Authorities telling the guardian they had to install CCTV cameras to guard her enclosure. After incidents like this, a guest disturbing a sleeping Moudang prompted backlash. Pygmy hippos are native to West Africa, and they're about half the size of a river hippo. It's estimated that fewer than 2,500 pygmy hippos remain in the wild. But despite Mudang's newfound fame, from pants to fan art, even a makeup tutorial from Sephora, this baby hippo is sticking to what she does best, a healthy mix of sleeping, screaming, and zooming around. When we come back, a look at what you can binge watch and listen to this weekend.

The star started a new movie hitting Netflix. Plus, you don't want to miss the ending of the hit show Chimp Crazy, and there's new music from the weekend. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. We're joined now by entertainment journalists and pop culture. expert Brian Balthasar. All right, Brian, a lot to get to. So we'll jump right in. The first thing that we have to talk about, Hulu has a new series out. It is called How to Die Alone.

I'm told it as a comedy series about a broke JFK airport employee who kind of decides to live her life after a near-death experience. Right? Let's watch a clip. Here's how I assume. I'm broke. My family thinks I'm a lost cause. My love life is a joke. And the punchline is, I work at an airport. I'm afraid to fly. You can't let fear keep taking off. Come on, let's go. Woman King. Woman King.

No, say it like you mean it. Woman King. That's a little bit louder. No, no, we'll go. I tried the emergency contact number we have for you on file. 21, 3.2. That's my phone number. Right, she's her own emergency contact, right?

Okay, this is Natasha Rothwell. You might remember her from Insecure or White Lotus. And she actually created this for herself. And it's actually kind of interesting to know her backstory when you talk to her about this, that actually her own kind of coming of age led to writing this and her coming of age. She has an accident, as you see, I don't know if you saw that she got thrown from one of those security cards. And that causes her to kind of reevaluate her life. She's never been in love in this story. And so a lot of things are going to have. This is a series and it's funny and it's

charming. And I think it's worth a watch on Hulu. She was so great in White Lotus. Yeah. I mean, she's phenomenal. Actually, underutilized in White Lotus. So this is where she really gets to shine. Okay, I love that. This next one that we have, it is actually on stars. And it's called three women. It's a series that follows the stories of three, quote-unquote, regular women. Take a look. These three women, more than I wanted to tell their stories, I wanted to hear them myself. They all had the audacity to believe that they deserved more. I want to tell the world of their story. So this is interesting. Three women, among them, one of them portrayed by Shailene Woodley's, one of the actresses. And they're all in toxic or destructive relationships. They take a stand and what happens next and how their life unfolds. Interchangeably happens in the course of this series.

It's an earnest show, a lot of inspirational moments and strength and self-love. Is this a limited series or is something that seems like it's going to be like a two-thirds? This has had a season one. But this is a different set of stories, season two. So it'll be interesting to see what happens because it's shifted around between. networks at one point. Okay. Where it is on stars now. This next one that we have, it is a movie and it's on Netflix. It's called Uglies. It's about a world where teens await mandatory cosmetic surgery to become pretty. It has an all-star cast, including Joey King and Chase Stokes. Let's take a look. For those of you turning 16 today, you've waited your entire lives for this moment. We'll be gone tomorrow. With one elegant procedure,

you'll be beautiful. Because everyone is accepted. No one is left behind. Will you promise me something? No matter how pretty they make you, just don't want them erase you. Promise. So a world where if you're not pretty enough,

you get plastic surgery. It's not L.A. It is actually a little bit Logan's runnish, because they're all kind of forced to become beautiful through surgery at the age of 16. and they revolts some of these people, and they kind of go to a whole other place. Lever and Cox, you can see there.

It's so interesting to see how, like, how they make these people a little less pretty, because they're already all, they're all actors and actresses. We're the unattractive ones, so they give them a little, like, dark circle and, like, less highlights. But it's, it actually, I'm, I'm into this kind of thing, like apocalyptic, kind of weird dystopian worlds, a little bit of black mirror, a little bit of Logan's run,

and so I think it's kind of interesting. It's like people who need to look like their Snapchat. That's what I was going to ask. Is it black mirror-ish where it makes you think but freaks you out a little bit? Yeah, totally. Yeah. Okay, I'm up for that. All right, we're up for it. Okay, this next one that we have just in time for fashion week, I hear. It is on Hulu. It's called In Vogue the 90s. Basically, it's 90s fashion through the eyes of really big, famous Vogue editors. Take a look. In the 90s, everything was changing. It was a whirlwind, way too messy, a crazy, amazing, astonishing time.

The 90s turned the fashion industry upside down. Such magic in there. It's time for a different era of fashion, of sexuality, of identity, of freedom. Even more famous people than I thought talking about the 90s. I love it. I know. We have Linda Vangelistas, S.J.P., Nicole Kidman, Tom Ford, you know, obviously the head honcho of Vogue right there as well.

And this is really a very definitive decade for this magazine. And this is when the models were supermodels and stars. Now on this magazine you see mostly celebrities, but at that time, models were the celebrities. And we really haven't seen anything quite like that. And it was a big decade for design, fashion design, and actresses and models and sex and, you know, advertising. So this is a series, actually, so there are multiple parts. A lot of stuff actually went down. And when you start to see all the things that happen in the fashion world, it's really fascinating, actually.

All right, I will check that one out. So this is the last thing we have on our watch list. It's a series that we have mentioned before here on Ben Dorothy. But we wanted to mention it again because the final episode is out and the series is wild. This is chimp crazy. Tonka and I just found each other. It was meant to be. It was just natural.

And Tonka loved me as much as I love Tongka. It's like your love for God. People fall in love with these chimps and you can't tame wild things. Do you want these nuggets? Here's your soft. I'm just afraid that she might. get too caught up in this. It's the Dolly Parton of Chimps. That's what she calls herself.

I have to say this one gets me really worked up. Yeah. Because the treatment of this chimp, which, by the way, was taken from its mother very early on to put into show business, right? And so it's just, it's an incredibly upsetting story of this woman who really seems to believe that she's looking out for the best interests of this chimp. But what unfolds and how it ends, it's just incredibly upsetting. But there, But there is some action taken that will redeem your faith in humanity a little bit towards the end, but it's going to be very upsetting for people who love animals. Okay, yeah, I started it, and I made it through, I'll be honest, like one episode,

and then I kind of put a pin in it. Is it worth revisiting? Well, if this is, you have to be really sad. But at the same time, I think these stories need to be told because we need to know what's happening out there so that we can avoid these things and prevent these things from happening again. Awareness is always good. Okay, let's turn to what to listen to. Yes, let's do it. On a high note, The Weekend has a new song out.

It is called Dancing in the Flames. Here's some of that. That looks like a cold day of shooting. Yes. Well, interestingly, the entire video was shot on the new iPhone. The entire video, there was this. collaboration between the weekend and Apple to show off the 4K, the new resolution. I'm not trying to give them a commercial, but it's so interesting that they shot it all this way. And also,

you know, we haven't seen him a new album from him in a couple years. This new album, he hasn't really announced the date that the full album is coming out, but it is believed that it will be the last one that he goes by his moniker, The Weekend Inn, right? So, well, good question. He doesn't say. It's a weekend. He would never tell us. I think he wants to go by his name now, I think. Or maybe, you know, if you're going to be like, Diddy, you change it to something else. But I suspect he's going to go back to his actual original name, but this will be the third of the trifecta of albums that he's done. Incredibly talented, incredibly creative, and good buzz on this song, and more to come.

And did you like the music video itself? I did. I'm fascinated by that stuff. I love production, the fact that, you know, that we are all now capable, regardless of what kind of device you have, we are all capable of making really cool content. And I think that's kind of cool. Yeah, it is. It's good to get creative juices flowing for everybody.

Okay. The last thing that we have, Suki Waterhouse. She is out with a new song. She also has a new album out today, but this is a song on that album. It's called model, actress, whatever. Take a listen. whatever to any. For sure. It's like, we're all hyphenins. Right. It's something. Right. The name of the album I want to get right is memoir of a Sparkle Muffin. You know, write that down. But it's getting really good reviews. Really, really good reviews from music critics. There are 18 tracks on it. This is her second album. She's had a great summer. She opened one of the era tour at Wembley Stadium. She opened for Taylor Swift, the era's tour. So she's having a good moment right now. And the fact that it's getting this great response is good news for her. She also had a baby recently. Daisy Jones in the 6th, so she's having a great year. Good for her. We love a multitasker,

and it seems like she's crushing it. So that's great. Brian Balthasar, thank you for being here. We appreciate it as always. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison, Barbara in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.