Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, September 22, 2023

Episode Date: September 23, 2023

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 we're following several major stories as we come on the air here at the border authorities struggling to keep up with the surge of migrants plus that bombshell news about senator bob menendez and the calls for him to resign from within his own party the new jersey democrat indicted on federal bribery and corruption charges accused of taking cash gold cars and other expensive gifts in exchange for helping the egyptian government and three businessmen Tonight, the Democratic governor of New Jersey calling on Menendez to resign immediately, saying the allegations against him are deeply disturbing, what we're hearing from the senator tonight. Also, the growing crisis here in Eagle Pass, Texas, our cameras capturing the seemingly endless stream of migrants pouring across the border, some of them riding on top of train cars, trying to get into the U.S. any way they can. Tonight, why the asylum seekers we've met tell us a glitchy app has prevented them from any way. entering this country legally. Tropical storm takes aim. Millions on alert tonight as a powerful system gained strength in the Atlantic. Residents urged to prepare for heavy rains, life-threatening floods, and even tornadoes from the Carolinas up through New England. Bill Karen standing by with the latest track. Escalating strike, United Auto Workers now picketing from coast to coast,

striking at Big Three plants across 20 states. Where negotiations stand tonight and how soon this work stoppage could start to affect supply. And what President Biden said late today about visiting those picket lines. Plus, the dramatic 911 call from the pilot who ejected from that F-35 and landed in a backyard, what he and the homeowner told a baffled emergency dispatcher, you'll hear it all here. And a shocking discovery inside of a New York City daycare where a one-year-old died from suspected fentanyl exposure, the NYPD finding a trapdoor in the fourth. floor, the bags of drugs that were stashed inside. A special edition of Top Story starts right now.

And good evening. We are live once again tonight from Eagle Pass, Texas, the epicenter of the latest border crush where thousands of migrants are crossing into the country every day. We will have much more from that crisis in a moment, but we begin first with that bombshell and dive in one of the nation's top senators. New Jersey Democrat Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine, federally charged, accused of participating in a sweeping bribery scheme, the couple allegedly accepting lavish gifts, including piles of casks, which officials of which federal authorities found stuffed in a safe and closets and in the senator's clothing. In exchange, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee allegedly granting favors to the Egyptian government

and for three businessmen in New Jersey. Tonight, forceful calls. from within Menendez's own party for the senator to resign. Democratic Governor Phil Murphy calling for him to step down immediately, describing his alleged actions as deeply disturbing, saying the charges against him compromise his ability to represent the people of New Jersey. But Menendez tonight saying he will not resign, saying he's only being charged because he is Latino. NBC's Chief Justice contributor, Jonathan Deans, leads us off with more. A stunning corruption indictment tonight against Senator Bob Menendez.

Prosecutors laying out what they say was a wide-ranging bribery scheme by the New Jersey Democrat, saying he and his wife accepted gold bars, piles of cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, all in an illegal effort to help three businessmen and Egyptian officials. The senator and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes. In exchange for Senator Menendez using his power and influence to protect and to enrich those businessmen's, and to benefit the government of Egypt. One of those businessmen, Fred Davies, is an admitted fraudster who allegedly paid Menendez and his wife with these gold bars.

After getting the gold, the indictment says Menendez went online to search. How much is one kilo of gold worth? These three kilograms together are worth approximately $150,000. During a search of Menendez's home, prosecutors say they found $480,000 in Canada. including these envelopes stuffed into one of his suits, more hidden in a safe and in closets. According to the indictment, Senator Menendez also abused his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Menendez allegedly provided sensitive, non-public, U.S. government information to Egyptian officials. Senator Menendez

and his wife both deny wrongdoing, saying forces behind the scenes are trying to silence him with false claims. There has been an active smear campaign of anonymous sources. The excesses of these prosecutors is apparent. They have misrepresented the normal work of a congressional office. Attacked my wife for the longstanding friendships she had before she and I even met. While many Democrats are remaining silent, tonight New Jersey's governor saying the allegations are deeply disturbing and calling on Menendez to immediately resign. Senator Menendez has stepped down as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, but has said he will stay in office as he fights the charges. All the defendants expected to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Defense lawyers say they will plead not guilty and fight the corruption charges. Tom? Jonathan, Deans, leading us off tonight. Jonathan, we appreciate your reporting. For more on the legal fallout for Senator Menendez, I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst, Angela Senadela. Angela, thank you for being here tonight on Friday. How strong is Is the case laid out in this indictment against Senator Menendez? Tom, this case is very strong. There's the depth of detail. There's the breadth of charges.

But really, it comes down to me the chronology of the timing, the precision of the timing. And that's because the hardest part of these corruption cases comes down to proving quid pro quo. Were the services exactly exchanged for the payment that was received? And here we saw so much of that timing. We saw closed-door dealings, meetings between the senator and his wife, the middle. middleman with no staff involved. Then the next day, he's sending a message saying, I approve this arms deal. We saw similar situations with his wife, as alleged, receiving payments right after deals go through. So the timing and also that these are

three different bribery areas. This isn't just about Egypt. This is against three different co-defendants, two getting involved in criminal deals trying to get them dismissed or removed. And then the third with Egypt. So this is sprawling. It's a big deal. I don't see a lot of holes in the prosecutions. Angela, explain why prosecutors zeroed in on some of the evidence you mentioned here. Listen, some people, they do buy gold bars. Some people like to hide cash inside of their clothes or around their homes. People buy Mercedes-Benz.

But what is it about those three pieces of evidence that really stood out to you? Well, it's that they didn't buy them themselves. So I'm not certain why they didn't realize these gold bars didn't have serial numbers on them that could be traced back to their. criminal, this middleman. So she alleged when she went to try to sell two of these gold bars that these were just a gift from her wife. Similarly, the cash we saw. The cash had DNA on there of this middleman and of his driver. And also the car, the car wasn't paid by herself. The car was again paid by a middleman. So these are exchanges. These aren't just purchases or things

you find around a home. You know, Angela, you just mentioned that sort of key piece of evidence for me. but I'm not a lawyer, but it was that DNA. I want to put this up on the screen for our viewers here because I want to explain it to them. From the indictment, it reads over $480,000 in cash, much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe

was discovered in the home, along with over $70,000 in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box. Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints and or the DNA of Davies, one of the businessmen charged with bribe Menendez or his driver. Angela, that seems pretty incredible. Is this standard investigative procedure to try to pull DNA off things like gold bars and cash and envelopes?

It's so thorough, and they're really building a serious case here. I mean, this cash, you're right. People can keep cash in their home. But when you link it directly to Davies, you link it to a criminal in whose prosecution this man tried to get involved in, that is just damning. And also beyond the physical evidence that you showed, there's also a trove of digital evidence. You see text messages, emails, encrypted communications between largely his wife, but also with him as well and these Egyptian officials, these middlemen. So all of it is being tied together.

The prosecution is being extremely thorough here. Okay, Angela, finally, you have spouses being tried, federally indicted together. What usually happens in this case because you've got to think there's a possibility one could flip on the other? So I am certain that the investigators were trying to manipulate that. Because for him, there's just a small level of plausible deniability, given that most of the payments really went to her. So the payments went to her bank account.

The car was purchased in her name. All those text messages are from her complaining about things like I wasn't paid for this, or where's my money? Oh, it's Christmas now in January when she gets the money. So she almost has the worst evidence against her. But who do prosecutors really want? Do they want her or do they want him? So I am certain the investigators approached her and said, you know, if you cooperate with us,

it is possible that you could be free. But, you know, you never know how these spouses work. How strong is their marriage? This will be the test, Tom. All right, Angela Senadella for us tonight here on Top Story. Angela, thank you for that. We now turn to the growing crisis here in Eagle Pass, Texas, where there is no let up in the number of migrants illegally crossing the southern border.

Many packing freight trains as officials tell NBC News, most are now being released. into the U.S. I spoke with some of those migrants today. From early this morning through the afternoon, migrants still pouring into Eagle Pass, Texas. This group right here just crossed the Rio Grande. How time? Viajando. They say they've been traveling for a month and three days. Packing freight trains, riding anywhere they can.

This week, they've come by the tens of thousands. This man saying he's serious. This man saying he's too weak to continue. He needs water, part of a surge of migrants that took border towns and homeland security by surprise. In just the last 24 hours, there were 8,200 illegal crossings over the southern border, 2,600 in Eagle Pass alone. How many of you guys rode the train? Everybody rode the train.

The train was full. A train that's how I'm en masse. The 1,000 people, the trains were full, they tell me. Enrique Barrios was one of them. He tells me you had to hold on tight, because if you fall, you die. You heard rumors that they were letting you in from here. You heard rumors that you're going to get to enter by here. He says word spread that people were crossing through Eagle Pass.

Most of the migrants we've encountered in this wave are Venezuelan men. You felt there's no future in Venezuela. No, no future in Venezuela. In Venezuela, the truth, no, there's all emigramed, and for that I emigre. I have two children, and I want to give a good stability economic, so, me understand.

This man tells me he tried following the new rules using the Biden administration's app, CBP1, to apply for asylum, but the app crashed. So the CBP1 app, you tried to use it, it didn't work. We all, we try to use it, we did all register, but all,

After two or three months, it started to arrojaroj, errors that not that's put a visit. This, as NBC News has learned most migrants who have crossed illegally since those new rules were put into effect in May have been processed,

then released into the U.S., not deported. The Border Patrol Union says just in September, more than 100,000 migrants have been released into the U.S. The Biden administration sending 800 military personnel to help process,

new arrivals, but local leaders say they need a different type of assistance. That doesn't help. They need to surge immigration judges, and people need to get their cases hurt in days, not years. And this weekend, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, will meet with Honduras's president on the border in McAllen, Texas to discuss, quote, reducing irregular migration and highlight lawful pathways as an alternative to smugglers so far this week, just this week, at least 40,000 migrants have crossed illegally. For a closer look at some of the numbers and what we're seeing here at the border, I want to bring in NBC News Homeland Security reporter, Julia Ainslie.

Julia, thanks so much for joining us tonight here live on top story. So I mentioned Secretary Majorcas, he'll be down on the border tomorrow with the President of Honduras. What is your understanding about how this meeting sort of came about, and what are they hoping to accomplish? Well, we know that this has been a long partnership, the President of Honduras, and at least with the United States with the Biden administration, it's been a close partnership. What they're trying to do is get countries like Honduras to encourage people to apply for lawful pathways within their countries and to do more to interdict migrants that are crossing through Honduras from countries like Venezuela on their way to the United States. But I think that

there's a big point of criticism that Secretary Mayorkas will get tomorrow. And that's a location of this meeting. Tom, you're an Eagle Pass for a reason. That is the epicenter of this search. They're going to McAllen, Texas. Even though the numbers in McAllen and the whole Rio Grande Valley area are high right now. It's an area that has a lot of resources, a lot of border patrol agents, and a lot of shelters who can take in those migrants, unlike the small communities around Eagle Pass and the Del Rio part of Texas. So he's basically going to a quieter area of the border to stand up and make these statements. And I think he'll get some pushback for that. It's a great point, Julie. I know you've been digging into all the stats and

all the numbers, and those are so important. We shouldn't just think about them as, as, you know, figures of thousands of migrants. I mean, there are real trends here. What have you found as you poured through those numbers? Well, you know, it's really staggering. You're right, 40,000 just this week. Another thing is I have to just point out that these numbers, these are numbers I have to get, and we all have to get by talking to people who will give this to us on background. They're not even supposed to be handing this out. The only publicly available information DHS has provided goes back to July, Tom. And of course, this is something we want to be able to cover in depth. So I'll just caveat that the main thing that stands out to me is how still the majority of migrants who come are released with a notice to appear in court.

They're not sent back across the border through a process called expedited removal. That was the big threat that this administration had at the end of Title 42 in mid-May when those COVID-19 restrictions were expiring. They wanted to send a message that it will still be very hard to cross the border, even with those restrictions lifted. You have to meet a number of criteria to even apply for asylum here. But the problem, I'm told, is that they don't have enough asylum officers to go down and adjudicate that and decide who could qualify and who doesn't. So when they get overwhelmed like this, they start releasing more and more migrants. And the numbers so far are bearing that out. And I want to hone in on that point, Julia, because that's a major point here.

That's the problem the Border Patrol Union had as well. So essentially, all these migrants are coming over. There are new rules in effect. But most of them are just being released into the U.S., and that's why we're seeing the scenes in New York, Chicago, other cities all across America. Yeah, and I have to point out that they do a screening at first to figure out if someone might be on the terrorism watch list or have a criminal history. So CBP will often tell us the people who are being released should be safe in these communities based on the screening that they've done. But yes, the majority are released, and it sends a message to someone back home who's considering whether or not they should make this journey if it's worth it. But because of these asylum restrictions and because of how hard it is to actually prove a case in immigration courts, the majority of these people are released with court dates, but they will not.

never actually be granted full asylum. So you're increasing the population of people in this country who are living here without a legal right to be here and to get work. And that could increase the underground economies and also lead to a lot of exploitation of these people, Tom. Julia Anzley with a lot of important reporting tonight here on Top Story. Julia, we thank you. We're going to have much more from the border in a moment and later in the show, but we want to move on now. The tropical storm Ophelia forming off the coast of North Carolina. That system is set to bring dangerous rip currents, coastal flooding and heavy rainfall to the region, and hit the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Let's get right to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens, who's tracking

that for us tonight. Good evening, Bill. Good evening to you, Tom. And Ophelia was going from an inconvenience to a now all of a sudden problematic storm that may leave a little more damage than even in areas of eastern North Carolina were expecting. It rapidly intensified today. It went from about 50-mile-hour winds to 70 this afternoon. And so now it's moving to the northwest at 13. We'll bring this onshore. We're starting to see some strong winds. It's close to becoming a hurricane. It's not far away. And if it does so, it would be in the next about five hours before it makes landfall. And then after it makes landfall, it was slowly weakened during the weekend, all the way up here towards Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. But it's eastern North Carolina that I'm most concerned with

for property and lives and businesses, and that's especially in those areas that are near the sounds. But first, we have the tropical storm warnings from Ocean City all the way down to Charleston. We've now got hurricane watches up here from Atlantic Beach, Ocococke Island, Cedar Point here, all the way back down to Jacksonville. That's where Onslow is located in Oslo County. Now, as far as the high water goes, two to four feet, the Chesapeake Bay is going to have problems, especially on the Hampton Roads area, Virginia. They have a lot of water issues with just, you know, regular storms, let alone a storm that sits here for a day or two. And then southward in North Carolina, the biggest issues will be in the Album, Mar Pamico Sound. We could get a four to six foot storm surge, and it may happen right at high tide at 3 p.m. this evening,

so, excuse me, 3 a.m. this evening, and then 3 p.m. tomorrow will be the next high tide, Tom. So we got all sorts of issues. This wasn't supposed to be a storm. A lot of people were going to remember. But I have a funny feeling in eastern North Carolina when we see some of the damage tomorrow. It's going to surprise a lot of people. It fits the pattern we've seen all summer, right, Bill. The weather has kept us guessing. I do want to ask you for travelers tomorrow, traveling throughout the east. East Coast. I mean, are they going to be delayed? Are there going to be massive delays? Do you see stoppages? Are the winds that strong? The winds will only be that strong like Virginia Beach,

the Norfolk area, possibly towards Richmond. I think D.C. to New York, you'll have more ground delays because of the rainfall. The max winds in D.C. in New York, in the mid-30s, the airport shouldn't be too bad because of that. But obviously, Tom, you get that ripple effect. So it'll be slow and an ugly Saturday for traveling all of I-95 from Boston all the way down into the Carolinas. Okay, Bill Cairns, I know you and your team are going to stay on top of it throughout the weekend. We thank you for that. Next tonight, a just-released 9-1-1 call is stunning.

It reveals the new details about the minutes after that pilot ejected from that F-35 plane. You may remember we covered this breaking news story earlier this week. The plane, the jet had just suddenly disappeared. The pilot made it out alive. Wait till you hear this call. MEC's Blaine Alexander with that call and the story. The $100 million military fighter jet tour unmanned through the South Carolina sky. Tonight, for the first time, we're hearing from its pilot in a 911 call moments after he parachuted to safety.

We have a military jet crash. I'm the pilot. We need to get rescue rolling. The 47-year-old pilot was flying an F-35 Sunday, but had to eject, landing in the backyard of a North Charleston home, where a stunned homeowner called 911. I guess we got a pilot at our house, and he says he got ejected. He ejected from the plane, so we just see if we could get some ambulance, please. I'm sorry, what happened? We got a pilot in the house, and I guess he landed in my backyard. The pilot describes his harrowing escape, saying, incredibly, his only injury is back pain. How far did he fall?

I was at 2,000 feet. And what caused the fall? An aircraft failure. He urgently tells the dispatcher, the plighter. is likely going down. I'm not sure where the airplane is. It would have crashed landed somewhere. I ejected.

I understand, sir. It was ultimately found some 80 miles away after crashing into a field. Officials have not said what went wrong, but just this week, the government accountability office released a report on the F-35 program, saying the fleet's mission capable rate was about 55 percent, consistently failing to meet performance goals. It comes after this stunning crash land. last December in Texas, where an F-35 pilot had to eject on the runway. An officials say the investigation into this latest crash will take several months.

Tom. Blaine, that is one wild phone call. We thank you for that. Now to the ongoing United Auto Workers' Strike, the union announcing today they're expanding their efforts to 20 states across the country as President Biden plans to travel to Michigan next week. Here's NBC's Jesse Hirsch. Tonight, the United Auto Workers' historic strike now stretching coast to coast.

Reinforcements are coming. The union says it's made real progress, but just with Ford. So it's following through on its threat, telling General Motors and Stalantis workers to strike at all-parts distribution centers in 20 states, from New York to North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, and California. Stalantis and GM in particular are going to need some serious pushing. Among those walking off the job today, Eric Shorter, he says he was all. also part of a 40-day strike against GM in 2019, with his family feeling that financial strain.

Are you ready to go 40 days again? Yes, sir, absolutely. Absolutely. Why? Because we deserve a fair, reasonable wage. But that fight for higher pay could soon hit Americans far from the picket line. This will be days that we will feel the impact, and that consumers will feel the impact. Scott Cunas helps run more than 40 Midwest dealerships. He says they've stocked up on high-demand parts like breakpads but warns others, like new engines, could be harder to find with parts distribution centers on strike. If the union really wanted to put more pressure directly on the companies, was this the best next step for the union? This tactic seems to put more pressure on the dealers and consumers than the company.

In a statement, General Motors accusing union leadership of manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas. Stalantis, writing, we question whether the union's leadership has ever had an interest in reaching an agreement in a timely manner. But the union says it's closer to a deal with Ford, highlighting the company's offers on issues including cost of living adjustments and the right to strike over plant closures. Tonight Ford says there's more work to do. And tonight President Biden saying he will join one of these UAW picket lines on Tuesday in Michigan. That will be just hours before former President Donald Trump's expected speech in this state to union workers. All of that playing out as the potential consequences of the

strike are growing. Tom? Jesse Kirsch for us tonight, Jesse, we appreciate your reporting, and now we want to bring it back here to Eagle Pass, Texas, and continue our border coverage tonight. Communities all across the border have been asking the body administration for help as tens of thousands of migrants make their way over the border, especially here in Eagle Pass, a town of only 28,000. Joining us live now is the Sheriff here in Eagle Pass and of this county, Sheriff Tom Schmerber. Sheriff, thanks so much for joining us. You're from this community. You told me, over the phone. You had never seen anything like this. Talk to me about what this week

looked like for you and your men and women. Incredible. I never thought I would see an Eagle Pass. You know, all kinds of immigrants coming through here, a lot of countries, and just like they're not afraid. They were just walking in line, crossing the river, walking in line, and being processed by the officers' immigration and troopers. The migrants I spoke to yesterday said one of the reasons why they came over here is that they heard they could cross through Biedras Negra, which is the Mexican town just across the Rio Grande here. Are you worried that the word is out about Eagle Pass and you may get more waves coming through here? Yeah, we're going to get more waves. I am worried. But it is true, you know, the Coahuila is one of the safest states in Mexico.

The state just over this border, right? Just over this border here. They don't want to go downriver because we have the cartels in the radar. Artel violence, yes. You go upriver. It's a smaller city. So here it's just, basically. and do you have the train coming through here? The information I have is there's no trains in Acuna, like over here. So that's why they're coming on a train this way. Yeah, I got that. And, you know, the Secretary of DHS, Secretary Mayorkas,

is going to go to McAllen, Texas, with the President of Honduras. Does it bother you that they're not coming here to Eagle Pass? It does, because we've been here. This problem's been here for two years now, and it's getting worse. And I haven't seen a higher official, like the Vice President, whoever it is, coming here to Eagle Pass. I know the vice president went to that pass a long time ago, but never hear this. This is where we belong.

What more do you need here? Because yesterday I had Representative Gonzalez on my air saying that Eagle Pass had not received any federal dollars. The Biden administration disputed that. Are you receiving federal help? Nothing. The only help we are getting is the state, the governor. He helped us with, of course, a grant money.

Yeah. And with that money, we hire a few more deputies and equipment that we needed. And we have the second grant this month, another second grant, more money, so we can get more equipment and troops, troopers. But the federal government, nothing from them, not even sending some of those agents that are working up north and Canada, send them over here in this area here. So they can have our agents, border agents, they know the river, they let them work the river, and they can process over there. Any trouble with migrants who have crossed over? We know many of them have been processed and released. A lot of them have been transported, we know.

But are you seeing any issues here in Equal Pass? We know your community is small. Yeah, my constituents are worried because the strangers walking around in the community. You know, we have people coming from other countries. We don't know what the intent is. But so far, no reports of violence or anything, anybody getting hurt. No, we had a homicide about four days ago. And it happened in a house where they put aliens in that area.

A stash home? A stash home. Yeah. And they killed the U.S. citizen. he was 40 years old but he was from Houston so we gather that he was going to come here to pick up some people something went wrong there

we do have the suspect in jail investigating so that's another problem you know it had to do with immigrants okay sheriff we appreciate your time we hope you get some help here on the border thank you very much all right still ahead tonight an update on the missing Indiana inmate the murder suspect

released by mistake because of a clerical error why local authorities are now bringing in the feds plus the shocking discovery in a New York City daycare where a child died from fentanyl exposure, what police found under a trapdoor in the floor. And we'll have much more from here at the border in Eagle Pass and what migrants are saying about their frustrations as they try to work with that CBP1 app

that was developed by the Biden administration. We'll bring you all the details as we're just getting started on this Friday night. And we're back now with that new discovery in the child overdose death at a Bronx daycare Investigators returning to the daycare and uncovering a trap door filled with drugs, NBC's Valerie Castro, has the troubling details. Tonight, new evidence revealed in the horrifying daycare drug death. Authorities executing a search warrant and discovering a trap door, revealing a stash of narcotics in the floor hidden in the play area of the one-bedroom apartment, according to the NYPD.

The daycare fronting as an apparent drug den. When law enforcement officers searched the daycare, they found a large quantity of. fentanyl and machinery used to press and package narcotics for distribution and in particular they found a brick of fentanyl about one kilogram in weight right on top of children's play mats in the daycare's closet one-year-old nicholas dominici dying at a hospital after police say the daycare operator gray mendes couldn't wake him after a nap and called 911 his father reeling from the tragedy The family says they'd wait a little bit of a lot because nobody's

that's expected months for a spot to open up at the daycare. The little boy spending barely a week there. It's something that one no, no, no, no's a place where they're going to care a kid, one never expects that they're going to be a murderary, not he's a place to look at the police arresting Mendez and her husband's cousin, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who was renting a room at the,

apartment charging the pair with numerous crimes including murder and possession of a controlled substance. Brito's attorney has not responded to a request for comment. Mendez has pleaded not guilty. Her attorney telling NBC News, my client had no knowledge that drugs were there. She's the one that called the police. She called 911 and 311. Authorities now searching for her husband after they say he allegedly removed evidence from the scene before emergency responders arrived. All of that happened And while the children, the babies were suffering from the effects of fentanyl poisoning and in desperate need of help. The criminal complaint also stating investigators say Mendez deleted more than 20,000 messages

between she and her husband from an encrypted messaging app on her phone, including messages sent the day of the incident. Mendez opening the daycare in January of this year, the facility even passing a surprise city inspection earlier this month. One of the things my child care inspectors are not trained to do is look for fentanyl, but maybe we need to start. City officials emphasizing the danger of the drug. That little corner you see here is enough to kill an adult. And seriousness of the crime.

This poison is extremely deadly, that if you traffic in it, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Valerie Castro joins us now from our top story studios in New York. So, Valerie, one of the big mysteries from this case was what happened to the daycare operator's husband. Do they know where that man is yet? Tom, authorities aren't releasing a whole lot of information about him. They have not even publicly named him at this time, but they say their investigation is ongoing. And in our story, you heard the mayor describe how just a small amount of fentanyl can kill an adult. Police say in this case, at least a kilo of fentanyl was discovered in the daycare.

That's enough to potentially kill half a million people, according to the DEA. Tom. A kilo of fentanyl. All right, Valerie Castro for us tonight. Valerie, we thank you for your reporting. And when we come back here, we'll have more on the crisis from the border. Tens of thousands of migrants coming each day and the frustration they're feeling over the government app why they say it just doesn't work. That's next.

Welcome back to Top Story. We now want to return to our coverage here at the border and the crisis that has been unfolded. Tens of thousands of migrants making their way into the Del Rio sector in just the last 24 hours. That's where we are here in Eagle Pass, Texas. So what's driving this latest wave? It's a question we've been asking migrants, and our reporters have been trying to figure out as well. Guadvanegas has been down here, part of our reporting team for NBC News. Well, the first question I want to ask you is that we both heard the same thing from some of these migrants.

They were very frustrated with the CBP1 app. They were trying to stay in Mexico. They were trying to follow the rules. They got frustrated with the app, and then they decided just to cross over illegally. Why is the app so frustrating for them? Well, the Bidens I've spoken to have actually shown me how they use the app, Tom. And some of them say it's buggy. It crashes and it's difficult to get through the process. But even if they get through the process, eventually they want to find an appointment. But it's virtually impossible to get that many appointments

for the number of migrants that are arriving. So even if we had the perfect app, where would you find that many appointments for the thousands that are attempting to come into the United States and go through the app? And to remind our viewers, that was the new rule implemented by the Biden administration essentially once Title 42 ended. People had to apply for asylum in another country before coming here, before asking for asylum here. They have to do it on the app, but at least one migrant told me the app only works about 40% of the time. Right. They say it freezes, but eventually the goal of the app is to get them an appointment. And with an appointment, they can then go to a port of entry and go through the process the way the government has designed

it. Legally. But it's just too difficult because of the large number. And too many people coming. Too many people coming. And so you were talking to migrants about their journey over here. We focus a lot on the trains because we've seen those incredible images, hundreds of migrants holding on to any part of the train they can to make it close to the border. But you're also hearing stories of people just walking, taking buses, getting here any way they can. That's correct. I asked the migrants as they're coming in today. Where did you come from?

Why did you come here today? Some said they took a bus. Others said they've been walking. Another group told me they did write the train as far as they could. So they come in different ways. I asked them, why did you arrive today? They said, because this is when I arrived. I've been making my way from Central America,

and I just happened to finally arrive today. So I think it was a matter of time until we saw this large group of migrants arrive the way we've seen it this week. Guad vanegas for us, squad, we appreciate all your reporting. For more of today's headlines, what's happening across the country and around the world,

I want to send it over to my friend, Keir Simmons, who's anchoring top story from our New York studios tonight. Keir, good evening. Hey, Tom, good evening. Thank you. Just terrific reporting from the border there. Good evening, everyone. Now to Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with an update in the manhunt for the murder suspect who was accidentally released from prison last week. Local authorities now saying they believe 28-year-old Kevin Mason left Indianapolis the night of his release and are handing the investigation over to federal law enforcement.

The Marion County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday, it kept the escape quiet for six days to have a tactical advantage. Mason was charged with homicide, parole violation and firearms possession. An incredibly close call on the side of a Detroit highway dash cam video, take a look at this, showing the moment an SUV crashed into the Michigan State police car while the officer was conducting a traffic stop. Authorities say the trooper, the two people involved in the stop and the driver of the SUV were taken to the hospital, but everyone is expected to be okay. Police believe the driver may have been impaired and requested a warrant. And Amazon Prime Video, the latest streaming service to add advertisements to its platform.

The company is saying it will start showing commercials in the US in early 2024 with other countries to follow. Customers who don't want ads will have to pay an additional $2.99. Amazon says the change is necessary to continue investing in its content. The move, of course, is part of an industry-wide shift as other streamers, including Netflix, and Disney Plus have introduced ad-supported plans. Next, we're learning more about that. Bus crash in the northwest of New York City, killing two people and injuring dozens of students

heading to band camp. Amelia Ketter has late details. Tonight, new details on the harrowing moments before a bus packed with band students when careening off the roadway. I heard the bus, like, just to, like, roll over the hill. And then, like, I heard him when starts to start,

screaming. Officials say the crash landed virtually everyone in the hospital. The kid neck kidney was covered in blood. Farmingdale High School's beloved band director, Gina Pelletary, died along with her close friend, 77-year-old Beatrice Ferrari. Her daughter says the retired teacher chaperone the trip for three decades. My mom's impact on so many people throughout her time as a teacher and just her time in the community was profound. And And the reason I'm talking tonight is to honor that. Among the seriously injured Natalie and Ashley Betts, their mom sharing Natalie found her sister Ashley and screamed for help to get her out from under the bus. The freshmen suffering a broken clavicle, jaw, ribs, and partially collapsed lung.

The now damaged bus moved to nearby police barracks in Orange County, New York as federal investigators zero in on a faulty front tire. When a steering tire blows, when you're traveling at a high rate of speed with a vehicle that is the mass of a bus, it can be difficult to steer. And investigators are asking the public to bring forward any video they might have of the crash, whether it be from a dash cam or a cell phone. The investigation continuing to ramp up, as we mentioned, the NTSB now on the ground at the crash site. And Kier, state police telling us that five students remain in critical connection. As a memorial that you can see behind me, crosses, balloons, flowers continues to grow outside of the school here in honor of those two lives lost. Keir? Just a terrible tragedy. Emily Aketa, thanks so much.

When we come back, danger in the air, parts of the Philippines blanketed in toxic smoke that has sickened dozens of children. Where that smog is coming from, next. Back now with top. story's global watch. And we begin with an attack on Russian-occupied Crimea, video showing plumes of smoke rising from the Black Sea Fleet headquarters after Ukrainian missiles struck a main building. At least one service member reported missing. The Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed in 2014, has been a frequent target of attacks since the start of the war. And officials in the Philippines issuing an urgent health warning over volcanic smog, a volcano near Manila, spewing toxic gases,

blanketing the capital city in a cloud of smog, authorities forced to shut down local schools after at least 58 students reported difficulty breathing. Officials are urging people to stay indoors. Coming up next, what to binge watch and listen to this weekend. Kim Kardashian, starring in the latest season of American Horror Story, plus a new addition to the John Wick universe streaming on Peacock and a brand new song from Shakira.

That's next. We're back now with Bingeworthy. I'll look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And we're joined by USA Today's host of Entertain This, Ralphie Aversa. Ralphie, hey, how are you doing? I'm great. How are you? I'm very, very well.

So American horror story, the big question, I guess, is what's more scary? American horror story or Kim Kardashian's acting? Oh, wow. Look at that. Boom, here we go. Yeah, it comes out firing from the get going. That's going to light on X Twitter, whatever you're calling it these days. All right, no, actually.

No, you told me she's actually pretty good, right? She's actually getting some rave reviews. And I say actually because, you know, you would think Kim Kardashian, reality show stars, she can't really act. Can she? No, well, maybe she can. And a lot of American Horror Story fans are really into this season so far. Should we take a look? Yes.

Let's take a look. You are an A-list star now. Focus on the good. All this will be worth it. once we meet our perfect baby. I want that, too. What a pretty dream. That woman, I think she's following me.

You're on a ton of meds. You get a lot on your mind. Just that promo scared the life out of me. And I like to watch a show late, like 10 or 11 o'clock. I don't think I can watch this and then go to sleep. Are you into scary stuff? Yeah, probably not. You're in the scary stuff? No. I'm just not. I guess I'm not the guy that they're really aiming for here.

I'm not a bit. What, me? I'm not a big, scary person fan, but incredible castes you saw there as well. Emma Roberts, Cara Delavine, and this season... Charra Delavine's in there? Yes, she's in there as well. Showing out for the British? Yes, absolutely. I like this.

I like this. Yes, based on a novel, by the way, this is. And so I think that's one of the reasons why fans are really into this as well. American Horror Story, Delicate, is out now, or at least the first episode's out. All right, terrific. Now, we have a new show on Peacock. It's called The Continental, and it is the latest series in the John Wick universe. Take a look.

We may have a big mistake coming here. You're my brother, Frankie. We have to strike first. And I need all the help I can get. How are we supposed to believe a guy in an ass guy can pull this off? It's a cravat. We're going to take on the Continental. Every freak in that hotel will be after us.

Grafie, tell us about this one. Colin Waddell stars in it. He plays a younger version of Ian McShane's character, Winston Scott, from the John Wick series. And it's based on the Continental, the Hotel Four Assassins, that you see throughout those movies. Bell Gibson also in this one as well. Kiano Reeves is not. But if you're into John Wick, you're definitely going to be into this series. Of course, it's streaming on Peacock. So now we're going to go full British, right? The next series we have is the British comedy is called Sex Education. It's on Netflix. And you, you You know, I always say that the British are supposed to be polite and kind of well-behaved.

In fact, we're not. And I guess this show kind of illustrates that. Take a look. People are doing all these new things, and sometimes feel like I'm getting left behind. And I don't know that you're coming back. I want us to be friends. I want to know who you are. I want to hear your voice.

You have to believe that you deserve the things. You have to love yourself. Wait, this is the final season? Fourth and final. I just read here. Yeah, yeah, it is. I know, I know. It's getting some mixed reactions, the fact that it is the final season, but people certainly look at it.

People love this show. If you love this show, you love this show, right? Especially, yes, especially given what could happen this year as far as Otis and Eric. Obviously, they're in a new school. You have Mave, who's living her American dream abroad, but maybe Otis and Mave, something else will happen between them. We'll have to wait and see on this fourth and final season on Netflix. All righty. Now, changing gears a little bit, a docu-series on Apple TV, the supermodels.

So we've got Naomi Campbell, Cindy Corford, Linda Evangelista, Christy Tarlington. I like how you put the Brit first, by the way. I saw what you did. Yeah, well, you know, you've got to show out for your country. Let's have a look. What I loved about the girls, they were a group, and that was so fabulous. We were always together, and we made great photos together. You know, I just felt like to be together as a group.

It just was so fun. They were my sisters. You get this phone call, the George Michael wants to shoot us in his video. We made a decision, I will do it. I'm going to do it. Yes, okay, I'll do it. Everything changed. So these women that are so famous, I feel like we know so much.

about them do we learn anything new in this show that we didn't already know it's a four-part series on Apple TV plus and it's really I think it's certainly a look back and maybe a rehashing of things you know but also more of a broader picture historical look at the impact that they had on an entire industry and the fact that these four women you know they were I hate to compare them to Kim Kardashian nothing no offense to Kim again yeah but you know they were like an influencer an Instagram influencer before that was even a thing they were the the ground-break

for that. I love that idea when I was watching the promo, right? You know, they're kind of and, you know, I guess there are going to be folks watching who actually don't really know that much about them. Who didn't live through that era and so it's new to them. It's a new story to them. And certainly new details to it. They may not remember the

George Michael music video or, I mean, I would think maybe you remember the Cindy Crawford Pepsi campaign, but maybe not, but those are things you'll see as well. Right, right. Okay, the last thing on our watch list tonight is called Young Love. You can watch it on Max. Here's a clip. What is this all about? Modern Problems require modern solutions.

Why do you got real marks on the back of your shirt? Oh, y'all never heard of George Foreman. What are you doing here? Well, last time I checked, I worked here. Oh, of course you do. Girl, give me a hug. I wish I had a calling. What's my legacy?

Can we have one existential crisis at a time, please? I'm a woman. I can multitask. So this is from the creator of the series, Hair, love. Yes, yeah. It's basically, it's the same characters. It's an extension of that animated short that, of course, won an Oscar in 2020.

So one of the fascinating things about that short, I don't know if you remember. They got that funny through Kickstarter, and then they end up winning an Oscar, and then they spin it off now into a book and a series on Max. Issa Ray, of course, reprises her role, her voice role, as well as Kit Cuddy. He's involved in this as well. So looking forward to following the millennial parents in Chicago as they go through the highs and lows of life. That's interesting. I guess it's going to be a question of whether, you know, when you're just getting

start and then you're on kickstarts or another kind of thing. Whether that is a better way to be creative or whether when you've got the support that they now have, whether you can keep it going. Well, you know, look, and we're going to go to music in a second, but we've seen this with music artists. They're able to go independent and they have more control over their work

and, yeah, you can be successful in that way as well. That is such a good segue. Because now we're going to talk about Shakira. Shakira, Shakira. And she has a new tune out. Let's take a listen. So this is going to go to

get to come in the Mercedes-Benz You have to reclutal So this is called Fueza Weirida. I'm going to be del barrio. Just a caro's caro la mentality So only my fault's a salario. So this is called Fueza Wehida. That's the band that she teamed up with.

Yes. band. Okay, great. There you go. The song is called Al Hafe, the boss in Spanish. Mexican music, according to Billboard, is really blowing up year over year. It's up almost 50% in consumption, meaning obviously a lot of people are listening to it. And Shakira, of course, she's still one of the hottest artists out, just received the Vanguard Award at the VMAs. I spoke with Wyclef Jean, who coined, of course, Shakira, Shakira. He called her a global phenomenon. I think that's one way to put it. He also called her Shecky. Doesn't call her Shakira. calls her Shacky.

Oh, okay. Is that an actual change? I guess that's a nickname. Okay. If you're close to Shakira, if either of us ever become friends of Shakira, we can call a Shackie or like we'll call her Shakira. I feel like I would call her Shakira. If I saw Shakira, I would call her Shakira.

Or I might not be able to speak. I don't know. I might lose the ability to speak. You never. No, I don't believe it. So Dojo Cat. Doja Cat. Yes.

Okay. So this is going to be interesting. So is it going to be, is it as good as say so? That's my favorite Dojo Cat. Oh, I mean, that's an incredible song. I mean, look, this album, Scarlet, that came out today, and we'll play one of the cuts off of it in a second. Yes.

Right. Is it the fourth album? Okay. Is it the fourth album? I don't know if it's the fourth album. Okay. But I do know that the album's really good. I was listening to it today.

I was walking around the city. Yeah. It's very explicit, though. Maybe we'll take a... Okay. Well, hopefully this part that we're going to play in right now is explicit. Let's take a lesson. I want to show you out.

I want to brag about it. I want to tie it now. I want to show you out. I want to show you out. I want to show you out. Yeah, yeah. I want to show you out. It is the fourth album.

Yes. And amazing video. I mean, there's just so much going on, right? Like dystopian, incredible. Yeah, no. As I mentioned, Paint the Town Red, not that song, but that was one of the first big singles off it. And then Agora Hills also, which she grew up in that.

suburb in Los Angeles and singing on that song about a romance that she wants to flaunt but has to keep private for some reason. I'm sure a lot of celebrities go through that. This album though is, it's explicit, but it's really, really good. I mean, it's incredible stuff. We'll see if it gets nominated for any Grammys. I got a feeling it's going to be in the running. So listen to it on headphones? I would, yeah. I mean, if you got kids around, yes, definitely on headphones. If you want to, you know, get your neighbors mad at you this weekend, maybe blasted on speakers. My girls, if I play a tune accidentally, of course, in the car, that's got any kind of explicit stuff.

And they tell me to it, they think, Dad, Dad, Dad, move on, move on, Dad. So, you know, they can be awkward with your parents, too. But maybe they just don't want to hear it anyways. But, yeah, I understand where they're coming from there. Ralphie, this was great. We didn't get to eat any popcorn. But we got through things really well.

I've learned the hard way that if you eat popcorn, we'll try to do this segment. Yeah, exactly. You're Mr. Chief of the National Correspondent. You should know that. Here, you could close the show. I'll eat the popcorn. All right.

Thanks so much for watching. story for Tom Yamas. I'm Keir Simmons in New York. I'm going to have a little bit of popcorn any moment now, but stay right there. More news now on the way. All right.