Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, August 14, 2023

Episode Date: August 15, 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, top story is live once again from Hawaii as anguish and anger boil over. The Maui wildfires now the deadliest in modern American history. New video showing the terrifying moments, residents were surrounded on all sides. As questions mount over why, residents were not warned earlier. Tonight will go hour by hour step by step to see where the evacuations went so horribly wrong. And the harrowing firsthand accounts from firefighters who described battling in Armageddon-like scene as their own homes went up in flames, and they ran out of water. Plus, our interview with the Chief of Police late today about the efforts to recover those

still buried amid the wreckage. Also tonight, all eyes are on Georgia, where a grand jury is weighing possible criminal charges against former President Trump for alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Will Trump be indicted for an unprecedented fourth time? The signs tonight that the end of the investigation is imminent. Troubling scenes in Kansas, police raiding the office of a local newspaper, seizing reporters' computers and cell phones, one of the owners of the paper collapsing and dying the next day, why a growing number of voices are slamming the operation as a violation of freedom of the press.

Blindsided, stunning allegations from the NFL star whose life inspired the Oscar-winning movie, The Blindside, while he's now claiming that the couple who took him in, about adopting him, then tricked him into entering a conservatorship so that they could profit. Plus, seconds to spare, two pilots ejecting from a jet in mid-air just moments before it came crashing down, stunning onlookers at an air show in Michigan. What we're just learning tonight about the cause of that crash. And the remarkable rescue off the coast of North Carolina, how the Coast Guard tracked down four stranded divers in the dead of night and the emotional moment they arrived back on land.

Top story starts right now. And good evening. We are live once again tonight on the ground in Maui. Right now we are in the Kula neighborhood, and you can see just behind me another section of this island ravaged by wildfires. Just west of us is where the site of the deadliest wildfire in modern American history has happened. The death toll tonight standing at an incomprehensible 96 lives lost. That number almost certain to climb as it has every day since we've been here in Hawaii. But tonight, this community's grief pierced with angers, questions over how this tragedy unfolded, continue to mount. New video showing the terrifying moments.

Residents in Lahaina found themselves surrounded on all sides by flames. The people you see here, like so many others, realizing the danger that they were facing once it was almost too late. Beneath this charred wreckage tonight, likely so many more who could not get out in time. Authorities saying they have only gone through about 20% of the burn sites, cadaver dogs now on the scene. Firefighters we spoke to today describing impossible conditions as they tried to put out the blazes, fire hydrants with barely any water pressure, some running completely dry. Moments ago, we asked the chief of police about these seemingly failures all across the island and a lack of resources. His response, when it's man versus nature, nature will always win.

We will have much more from that interview straight ahead. But first, the residents who lost everything and the answers and the loved ones they are so desperate to find. No, no, no. Ooh, dang, it's hard. Tonight, the deadliest wildfire in our nation's history is under investigation, and the questions are mounting. The horror in Lahaina spread through streets, incinerated cars, and forced people to flee into the ocean. No, no, no, no, no, no, not like this. Anger growing because so many were forced to make life or death.

decisions with no warning. No, we have to leave. It's tragic. It probably all could have been avoided or most of it could have been avoided. A brush fire near Lahaina was first reported early Tuesday morning and some evacuations were ordered. But Maui officials thought they had it under control, announcing 100% containment around 9 a.m. Possibly giving residents a false sense of security.

Only hours later, county officials said the fires flared back up, fueled by strong winds, burning the town in an out-of-control blaze that barreled toward the ocean. Here's what we do know. Emergency sirens were not activated, according to Hawaii emergency officials. And firefighters called to the scene, said some of the fire hydrants had low or even no water pressure. You ran out of water with the nation's most deadliest wildfire? Yeah. Yeah.

It was very disheartening. Ina Kohler and Johnny Verona are firefighters from Lahaina, that we're. were there when the wildfire exploded. I was Armageddon. It looked like Armageddon. It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my life. And you were seeing people just running for their lives? People running for their lives, people being carried out, people being rescued,

people getting stock. Power lines were already down before the fire. So that was a huge thing. Besides the lack of water, they also say firefighting teams were stretched thin as crews were fighting another raging wildfire on a different part of the island. Holy cow, anybody coming this way is going to, it's going to be a while. They, too, lost everything. You could just hear so fast that this is on fire, this is on fire, this is a fire.

It's like, how is this spreading so fast? As the fires burned, the people of Lahaina were surrounded. This video shows people jumping into their condo's pool to escape the flames. We just kept huddling in different corners, getting away from flying debris, getting away from flames. The fact that we weren't incinerated is a miracle. The gut-wrenching search through the charred remains of Lahaina has only just begun. More than 1,000 residents are still unaccounted for as recovery crews with cadaver dogs go block by block, home by home. It is extremely hazardous.

There are structures that are partially scanning that engineers have to clear first to make sure it's safe for the search and rescue teams to go into, make sure it's safe for the dogs to go into. Four members of Tauffa Samisani's family were killed by the first. fires. I lost my uncle, Tony and his wife and his daughter. He and his wife attended church just a few miles outside the burn zone as they start to process all they've lost. You just have to look to the Lord. You just trust in him. He has a purpose for us. So much hurt across Maui tonight. With the investigation into the fires underway, many are turning to the recovery across the island where the needs are many, and there's concerns about toxic fumes and debris. Miguel Almagir reports with rare access from inside Lahaina.

As the smoke rises and the sorrow sets in, tonight this charred, desolate moonscape is the only hope and home many have left. It's close. Nobody can go in. But the main highway into Lahaina is shut down, and the main highway into Lahaina is shut down. The perilous cliffside back road is the sole way in. The route they're trying to make us take is a dangerous route, even on a good day. For so many residents, the road to recovery has hit a maze of blockades. Nearly a week after the fires, most still can't survey the damage to see what's been lost or spare. The randomness of this wildfire is evident in this neighborhood.

There are homes and apartments that are still standing, but just across the street here, total destruction. For those that want to return and rebuild, that process is going to take years. We get no information. And to be honest, this is a level of incompetence I've not witnessed before here. As frustration mounts, so do concerns over a toxic wasteland. Amid the grim search for bodies, authorities fear cancer-causing chemicals like asbestos and benzene are floating in the air. and have melted into the ground. I don't know if it's ever going to be livable again. I don't know if we're going to...

I mean, what's all this is like? It's still smoldering. It's toxic and hazardous. Even boiled water in the surrounding area is unsafe to drink. How comfortable are you having your family live here now? I'm not comfortable. With large crowds and seemingly endless lines waiting for essential services just outside the burn zone, Lahaina is a tale of two cities.

Single file, guys, single file. There are the thousands who still need help, and the many who are still looking for loved ones. As the death toll rises, authorities have found many victims in residential neighborhoods, but they still need to go to office and commercial buildings. That process is going to take days. As the heartbreak stretches as far as the devastation. Haina is gone. It doesn't exist anymore as far as the old town is concerned.

takes a toll on you emotionally, mentally, and then, of course, physically. Tonight there is deepening worry about what is gone and what's been left behind, an island paradise and a still unfolding disaster. Tom, residents who live outside of the burn zone are being allowed to come back home, but for those who live in the heart of Lahaina, including the community behind me, they're not allowed to return. That's where FEMA's working tonight. Miguel Almaguerre for us tonight from here in Maui, Miguel, we appreciate your reporting. For more on the aftermath of these horrific wildfires and the ongoing search efforts, I'm now joined by Maui County, Chief of Police, John Pellettier. Chief, thank you so much

for joining us. I know this is an incredibly busy time for you and your department. When we spoke over the weekend, you told me about 3% of Lahaina had been searched. Can you update the viewers across America on your progress so far? Yeah, Tom, I appreciate the time. And, you know, Aloha, and we've got incredible people within the Maui Police Department, as well as our other agencies that are working tirelessly to do everything they can to help the community. The search on Saturday was approximately 3%. Today we're a little over 20. We're making sure that we're going back and double checking some of the areas that we had done in the first few days because now we've got 20. canines that are helping with the search as well as drones and other personnel that are experts in this field and they're doing tremendous efforts to make sure that we are respectful that we're quick in our response because we want to make sure that

we're doing this the right way and we know that like I said on Saturday we need patience, we need prayers, and we need perseverance, and we need the community to understand that we are doing everything we can as quickly as possible. Chief, you mentioned your teams trying to find human remains, walking amongst human remains, and an entire community destroyed. Is there any type of training that can prepare you for what your men and women are going through every day, now in Lahaina? So I'll tell you this. The department has the best training possible.

Law enforcement over the last 25 years has had incredible training. We try to learn from the lessons such as 9-11, such as Katrina, and these other horrific incidents. I don't think anybody is prepared to have this type of situation. And let's realize this. when folks are shifting through burnt debris and dust is on you, it's not just dust on you, it's our dead. And I don't think anybody really is used to that when they go home and they take off their uniform. And it's really sombering to think about that.

And it means more than you realize, and this community is hurt a lot. And so we're going to do everything to make sure that we do this right by the community. And there's no reason to think otherwise. And so I know that there's a lot of questions, and we're going to get them answered as quickly as we can. We're going to do everything as quickly as we can, but we're going to absolutely do it right. Chief, you know, I had a chance to speak to some firefighters from Lahaina, and they painted a very grim picture. They also talked to me about the lack of water, how the firefighting crews were stretched thin because there was another wildfire in Kula 30 minutes away. People are trying to understand what happened there in Lahaina, and you mentioned the questions, and I know we will get answers in the future.

But I think part of what's happened there, too, is just on Tuesday, did just everything possibly go wrong that could have in that community? How about this? And some of the fire-specific things, I'll defer that. to the to the fire department but let me say this if it's man versus nature nature's always one nature has always one whether it's a tsunami whether it's a hurricane whether it's a fire it's always one and we can sit here and we've over time we put hurricane clamps on buildings we've we've have codes because of earth earthquakes but none of those things are preventable.

We can try to predict, we can try to overcome, but none of them are. And we were battling a fire on two fronts. And if you have a two-front war, as history has shown, usually you're not too successful in that battle. Our firefighters were as successful as they can based on the circumstances that they had.

But I, again, I'll defer to that. But again, if it's predictable, it's preventable. And this was not predictable. And man, mankind has got to realize that nature cannot be defeated. Nature is a force unlike we've ever seen, and we have to respect it. Chief, speaking of Mother Nature, we know there's another storm possibly headed this way. How does that impact what you're doing, and are you worried about that storm at all? Of course, it's hurricane season, and I'm not going to sit here and be cavalier and tell you we're not worried about it.

We're worried about everything. We're worried about making sure that we can do things as quickly, efficiently as possible, as safely as possible. And we will be, and we'll take the measure should they arise. You know, we're going to do everything to make sure our personnel are safe or people are safe or community safe. And if that's the hand we're dealt, that's the hand we're dealt, but guess what? we're going to play it right. We're going to play it right. Maui's Chief of Police, who has been working around the clock ever since that wildfire. For more on the devastating impact of these fires, I'm joined now by Tiade Lawrence.

She was born and raised in Lahaina and has been working tirelessly over the past few days to raise money and resources for those who lost their homes. I wanted to bring her on the broadcast tonight because I want to give our viewers across America a sense of what people are dealing with on this island. And as we were approaching you, you have three different families living under your roof. There is a crowd, or I should say, a pile of supplies that is blocking your front door of all the donations you've gotten. And then when we approached you, you were on the phone and you had just gotten some bad news. And this is every day for you now.

Talk to us about that phone call. Yeah, I'm helping my auntie find a mortuary to deal with my cousin's body. Unfortunately, he passed away last night in the hospital. And you were getting this type of sort of... rapid fire of bad news every single day, correct? We're living our worst nightmare. And, you know, your families have come in. You were born and raised in Lahaina, and you guys have lost everything.

And yet, everyone is living together. I saw, I don't know how, I saw people smiling at your house. What's the sentiment right now going on within your family? I mean, all we can do is just be there and love each other and just bring peace and unity and compassion. And, you know, we're enjoying each other's time through this difficult time. When you heard I had interviewed the chief of police, you had some very strong questions that you wanted me to ask him. What is concerning you and your family members right now? Access to West Maui.

Right now they're directing traffic to Kahakulua, which is on the other way to go around the island, but it's a very, very dangerous road. I personally don't feel comfortable driving that road, and I don't feel it's in the best interest of our Lahaina residents. Essentially, they're making things harder for the people who are grieving and who have lost everything. Yes, and there's just a lot of people. that don't belong going out to Lahaina right now, that maybe have ill intentions, but we just need to protect our access for Westmore residents. When you hear that there were no sirens,

when you hear that school was out because it just hadn't started, so there are lots of children home while parents were away, when you hear that there was no power, when you hear that the firefighters didn't have water, when you hear that there weren't enough firefighters because they were fighting this wildfire in Kula, what goes through your head? I mean, how could all these things go wrong at the same time?

I can't even fathom why everything went the way it did. Where was the sirens? They went off on August 1st when they do their monthly check, but where was the sirens on the day of? That's the question that needs to be had. People were finding out through Instagram, and then people were going out and trying to get people out of their homes. But everything happened so fast.

And, you know, my 81-year-old grand-uncle, my kupuna, barely got out in time. And, you know, I think more stories are going to come out of what happened. missing from from your friends and family we have several friends that are still missing you know we find found out that a neighbor passed away my classmate Joshua Belos is his family members are still missing I mean we're just trying to find members that were gone but you know at this point it's safe to say that they're gone it's just because every day that goes by we're almost a week now since this happened last Tuesday you're essentially losing hope I am

losing hope it's been what six days now and we haven't found them and I mean everybody was running for their lives and what was unfortunate is there was a fire that started earlier so they were already closing off roads to allow emergency access vehicles to kind of deal with their first fire and so when people heard about the fire and how much worse they was getting people were trying to go home and get their kids but their traffic was backed up because they had already essentially shut off the roads for emergency so you know there's a lot of things that kind of went went wrong but I do believe that our Maui fire

department is doing a phenomenal job they have worked tirelessly and many of them that were battling the fire lost their home we had 17 Maui County firefighters that lost their home in West Maui yeah we just heard from Ina Cole there who had the same thing happened to her she lost her home when she was fighting the fire I want to ask you because I couldn't believe this realtors, people in the real estate industry, are calling your family and your friends who have lost everything to buy their plots of land? It is disgusting. We have real estate investors and speculators going around, calling our victims, offering to give them cash and buy their property.

It is disgusting. It's a land grab, and I know that our Lahaina community, we are resilient and we will do whatever it takes to protect Lahaina. And that's one of the big concerns as they search for the missing and the dead is that Lahaina doesn't lose its spirit, right? That that people from the outside don't come and rebuild and turn it into a tourist mecca. We've already been displaced enough, and, you know, we plan to have a seat at the table in rebuilding Lahaina and ensuring that the rich cultural history of Lahaina is protected and that the multi-generational families get to come back home. What is your hope in the near future, at least, that what happens? What are the answers you're hoping to get over the next few days?

Government needs to step up and provide funding to these families immediately. We need to find them homes. We need to find rental assistance. We need to make sure that their property taxes are paid, their mortgages are paid, that they're not forced into foreclosure because of this devastating fire that happened. Diare, Lawrence, you were born and raised in Lahaina. Thank you so much for sharing what you and your family have been going through. I know it's a very tough time.

So we appreciate you taking this time out to talk to our viewers. Again, Lahaina is not for sale. Keep Lahaina lands in Lahaina hands. Mahalo. Tejari, Lawrence, for us. Tejari, we appreciate that. The other major headline we are following tonight, the possible fourth indictment of former President Trump, which could come at any moment, this time in Georgia. A grand jury in Fulton County hearing witness testimony today over alleged interference in the 2020 election there. NBC's Blaine Alexander has the latest.

At the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, tonight heavy security outside amid movement inside. With Fulton County DA, Fannie Willis calling witnesses to appear. year before a grand jury as she presents her case against former President Trump and his allies. Just afternoon, Reuters reported the Fulton County Court's website published a document indicating numerous charges against Mr. Trump. That document was immediately taken down. In a statement, the court says a fictitious document was circulated online. The DA's office said at the time, no charges have been filed. Willis has spent more than two years investigating the former president's alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, including his phone call

to Georgia's Republican Secretary of State. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have, because we won the state. Then there's Mr. Trump's alleged pressure on other state officials and statements made by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani before a panel of Georgia lawmakers. espousing false claims of a rigged election. Tonight, Giuliani, who has been notified he's a target, is speaking to NBC News. I didn't do anything wrong. Over the weekend, a potential fourth indictment did not slow the Republican frontrunner's stride in Iowa.

When asked about a potential plea deal in Georgia, we did nothing wrong. We don't ever take a senior. Yes, sir. We don't take plea deal. The former president has argued that Willis, a Democrat, is pursued. a partisan investigation. Today, writing, I did not tamper with the election. She only wants to get Trump. Blaine Alexander joins us now. Blaine, this case could be unlike any other because we could actually see the former president in court. That's absolutely right, Tom,

live on cameras. You know, that's certainly not something we've seen in the previous three indictments. But Georgia law is such that essentially cameras are allowed in the courtroom. Ultimately, up to a judge's discretion, but it's very rare when that request is actually denied. So it is indeed very likely that if there is an indictment and an arraignment, even if we get all the way to the trial, that could play out live on camera, Tom. Yeah, and Blinn, I understand we may have some new reporting on an update and a timeline on things for tonight, and also that the DA has moved up some witness testimony for the grand jury. Absolutely, Tom. So I've been talking with a source with direct knowledge of these proceedings.

understand that currently the grand jury is hearing from witness number seven out of 10. But the source cautions that the DA's office is very much trying to wrap up this entire process tonight. And the grand jury could very well vote before hearing from all 10 witnesses. So yes, one of our clearest indications is that two witnesses who were slated for tomorrow got a call this afternoon to come in and testify. So a very clear sign that the DA is speeding up the timeline here, Tom. Okay, Blent, we appreciate all your reporting in that update with another indictment looming for the former president.

How could a case in Fulton County impact his other legal troubles and what kind of penalties could he be facing? NBC News legal analyst Danny Sabalas joins us now. Danny, I always love to have you on nights like this because you can sort of take us behind those closed doors. I know you have no idea what the grand jury is doing at this moment or what they're thinking. But as far as the timeline and the number of witnesses are going through, what do you think is going to shake out over the next few hours and into tomorrow morning? Grand juries are supposed to be secret, but arguably we've known more about this grand jury than any grand jury in history, including watching witnesses walk in. So even with that knowledge, it's really hard to forecast when and what we may see from this grand jury. The lateness that they are working suggests to me that you have a prosecutor who is wanting to wrap things up, push everyone, make everyone work late.

probably the jury members are on board, too. They'd rather get this done sooner than later. You often have that kind of cooperation, so to speak, in a grand jury room when people just want to move things along. They may be having a dialogue with the prosecutor. But in terms of whether it's tonight, tomorrow, or even beyond tomorrow, we really can't possibly forecast it because those are the exact inner workings of the grand jury that are kept secret.

So, Danny, you know, you always tell our viewers, you remind our viewers and me, to be honest, that when the federal government brings a case against a defendant, they usually win the case 90% of the time. What do we know about Georgia and the history of cases being brought against defendants there, and this DA in particular? I can address that without even addressing whether or not the Georgia or the Fulton County DA is good at being a DA. What I'm about to tell you is nothing to do with whether she's good at her job or not. But just to give you an example, Fannie Willis has another case involved. Racketeering currently pending in Fulton County. That case has taken, and I can't believe I'm going

to say this, around eight months to seat a jury. This is something that would never, ever, ever happen in federal court. Maybe it has once or twice, I'm not aware. But the point is this. State courts have less resources. They have many, many more cases. Their dockets are clogged. Your best chance as a criminal defendant is in state court. And that is nothing. to do with how good the DAs or the police officers are. It has to do with the fact that they're overwhelmed and they may not have the resources that the federal government can bring to bear against the defendant. So your chances are always better in state court, no matter what. Given the choice, a criminal defense attorney like me would almost always rather be in state court

than in federal court. Danny, you know, this case involves the 2020 election. How much crossover will there be with the other cases, and will they operate completely independent? Completely independent. Although, I should add that in the D.C. indictment, you see, and I believe it maybe page 7, somewhere around there, maybe 11, there's an entire section marked Georgia. And you see a lot of allegations that you're going to have some overlap, I expect, with whatever this grand jury eventually returns in terms of an indictment. I mean, there's always the possibility that there will be no true bill, that there is no indictment. That is. is a possibility. I mean, we have to recognize that because this is a grand jury, supposedly,

of our peers, as citizens hearing the evidence, they may decline to return a true bill. They may decline to indict. It's always possible. Although, it's pretty unlikely, I think, in this case. I think we're going to see an indictment. So overlap, the federal and the state authorities will not work together. They may share information, but even then I suspect they're probably not sharing as much information as we may think. Everyone's going to do their own thing. Courts are going to schedule at their own leisure when they can get the case in. And that includes the federal district courts. Those two courts have no obligation to work out a schedule between each other. They go to trial when that judge is ready to go to trial.

And then, Danny, can we read the tea leaves here at all? I know they're sort of burning through witnesses kind of fast. But in this case, they're also looking from the reporting that we have. they could possibly be charging a dozen other defendants in this case. What does that tell us for the former president and his defense? Yeah, I believe that if there is an indictment in Georgia, you will see a lot of co-defendants. I believe that the reason that you see one defendant in the D.C. case involving election interference is it represents the special counsel's desire to streamline that case and bring it to trial as soon as possible. That's a major strategic decision. I rather expect the more common charging choice would be to charge everyone that you think has criminal responsibility.

And obviously, special counsel believes those other people had criminal responsibility because they're unindicted co-conspirators. That means that someone thinks they have criminal culpability. They just didn't name them in the indictment. So my prediction is that if there is an indictment in Georgia, you will see a number of defendants. Whether or not that's Trump remains to be seen. Danny Savalos for us tonight here on Top Story. Danny, we really appreciate all your analysis, as always. And we will have much more on the devastation right here in Maui later in our broadcast.

But for now, I want to toss it over to Gabe Gutierrez, who is anchoring from our Top Story Studios in New York for the other major headlines. And Gabe, congrats to you on your new post as our newest White House correspondent. Tom, thank you so much. It's an honor and a privilege your report from the White House for NBC News. I really appreciate that. And thank you to you and your team for the incredible reporting on the ground there in Hawaii. Now, still ahead on top story, blindsided. His rise from poverty to the NFL became an Oscar-winning film.

Now, Michael Orr says the heartwarming relationship at the center of it was a lie. How he claims the family he thought adopted him was making millions off of his name. And panic-filled moments as a plane explodes at an air show, what we know about the accident, and how the pilot and people inside survived. Plus, the rush to rescue four divers stranded at sea, how they were spotted in an intense race against the clock. Stay with us. Back now with a major update in the case we've been following here on Top Story.

Two Nigerian men are in U.S. custody tonight after they were extradited in connection to an alleged sex story. scheme that led to the death of a Michigan team. NBC's justice correspondent, Ken Delanyan, has the latest. Tonight, two Nigerians in U.S. custody, appearing in federal court today. Authorities say they ran a sextortion scheme that targeted 100 people, including Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school athlete bound for college, who shot himself to death last year. Jordan's mother living any parent's worst nightmare.

The entire situation has been awful. There's so many emotions involved with grief. I have had some difficult moments, but at the end of the day, we were able to get some answers as to what happened to Jordan, and a lot of families don't get that. After the FBI tracked the suspects down, the Biden administration convinced the Nigerian government to extradite them. It's absolutely incredible what the Department of Justice and our FBI did to, to track down these individuals, arrest them, and then to get them here.

22-year-old Samuel Ogashi and his 20-year-old brother Samson Ogashi, both of Lagos, are charged in a four-count indictment. The elder Ogashi is facing a mandatory minimum 30 years in prison, the younger at least five years. And make no mistake, charges of this type brought against subjects outside the United States are rare. Securing extradition of these subjects is even more rare. The indictment says the men posed as a young woman on Instagram, striking up an online relationship with Demet, even as they gathered information about his school, friends, and family. After tricking him into sharing explicit photos, they threatened to blast those photos out

to friends and relatives unless he sent them money. The accused, using the name Danny Roberts, writing, I have screenshots of all your followers and tags, can send these nudes to everyone and also send your nudes to your family and friends until it goes viral. All you've got to do is cooperate with me, and I won't expose you. Are you going to cooperate with me? Just pay me right now, and I won't expose you. DeMay asks, how much?

The suspects reply, $1,000. DeMay sending $300, not enough to satisfy his tormentors, according to the indictment. They add, goodbye, enjoy your miserable life. DeMay, replying, I'm killing myself right now because of you. The suspects, good, do that fast, or I'll make you do it. I swear to God. Prosecutors say there is more to come. This isn't the only case.

There are a number of other similar extortion cases that the Nigerian government is cooperating with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI on in terms of investigating it and trying to secure justice. Jordan's mother wants parents to talk frankly to their kids about the risks of sharing explicit images. Families need to sit down and talk about extortion. This happened to a senior.

It can happen to your kids. If they have access to the internet and social media, they can be a target of this. Have open conversations. Let your children know that if this does happen to them, even if they proceed with things, go to an adult because it happens so quickly that, you know, you just don't even see it coming. And Ken D.C. and joins us now from D.C. So, Ken, how big a problem is this nationwide? And what advice are authorities giving to parents? Gabe, FBI officials say there are thousands of cases of extortion a year, and it's gotten so bad, they issued a public safety threat about it.

And authorities say it's really important for parents to talk with their kids about the risks of sharing explicit photos. And if they are targeted, the FBI says save all the messages and report it immediately. And the larger message to teens is that, look, as horrible as it feels, if explicit pictures of you are shared, you are not alone, and there is life after pictures. Dave. Candelanian, thank you. Now to the stunning development from former NFL star Michael Orr. His story captured hearts in the movie The Blind Side, which detailed how a wealthy family took him in and helped launch his football career.

But now he's claiming that family used him for their own benefit and never actually adopted him at all. Kaylee Hartung has the latest. Never had one before. What a room to yourself? I bet. The 2009 film The Blind Side captured hearts on the big screen, telling the story of future NFL star Michael Orr's adoption by a wealthy Memphis family. But tonight in a new lawsuit, Orr claims it was all a lie. The Tuwey family exploited him for their own benefit, and now he wants to sever all legal ties.

Orr alleges the Tewis have falsely and publicly represented themselves as the adoptive parents of Michael, but never legally adopted him. Instead, Orr says, the couple tricked him in 2004, less than three months after he turned 18, into signing a document that made Sean and Leantooie his conservators, giving them full legal control over any of his contracts, but no familial relationship. It's a lie, or says, he discovered to his chagrin and embarrassment just six months ago. Well, a conservatorship is very different from an adoption. A conservatorship does not create a family relationship. It creates a legal responsibility.

With that power, the petition alleges the Tewy's negotiated the movie deal for the blindside in 2006. Orr claims the family made millions in royalties, while Orr says he received no payment whatsoever. The Tewis have not responded to comment, but in their 2010 book, in a heartbeat, they said of the money made from the movie, we divided it five ways. Sean Tewy Jr. said in an interview today, the family was not surprised by the lawsuit. There was things back in 2020, 2012, that they were like, you know, if you guys give me this, much than I want to go public for things. Michael Orr is now 37 years old and retired after playing eight seasons in the NFL and winning a Super Bowl.

He is asking the court to end the conservatorship and prohibit the Tewis from using his name and likeness and pay him a spare share. Gabe. Kaylee, thank you. When we come back, the headline making raid at a Kansas newspaper, why the publisher claims he's being unfairly targeted and the questions being raised about First Amendment violations. Plus, the wild moments as a mob robbed a high-end department store in L.A. And the manhunt for those suspects tonight. That's next. Back now with Top Stories News Feed,

and we begin with the dramatic plane crash at an air show just outside of Detroit. Video shows the harrowing moment a pilot and crew member eject from a Soviet-era plane. the jet then veers off and plummets into a parking lot. Both people on board landed in a lake and are expected to be okay. The FAA tonight says the crash was likely caused by engine issues, but the incident is still under investigation. An urgent manhunt in Los Angeles tonight after dozens of people looted a department store. Video posted to social media shows a masked mob ransacking at the Panga Nordstrom

inside a mall at 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon. basically in broad daylight. Investigators say the suspect stole $60 to $100,000 worth of luxury items. The group is also accused of using bear spray on security guards who confronted them. Police say they're following several leads. And a Montana judge sided with a young environmental activist group in a first-of-its-kind trial. The judge ruling the state violated the plaintiff's, quote, right to a clean and healthful environment by approving energy problems.

without considering their impact on the climate. The 16 plaintiffs are all Montana residents ranging in age from 5 to 22 years old. The state's legislature must now determine how to apply the ruling. Heading to Kansas now, where a police raid of a small-town newspaper is drawing nationwide criticism amid concerns about freedom of the press. NBC Stephanie Gosk has the details. Police in Marion, Kansas, seized hard drives, cell phones, and phones, and documents from the local paper's offices.

Friday's raid captured by surveillance cameras. Eric Meyer, the publisher and owner of the Marion County record, says his paper was unfairly targeted. Police chief saw an opportunity to let's really stick it to this newspaper, which has not been entirely supportive of him. The search also included Meyer's home. He believes the stress of it contributed

to the death of his 98-year-old mother Joan, who co-owns the paper. She became so upset about this that she wouldn't eat that day. She wouldn't sleep that night. Meyer says it all stems from allegations made by a local restaurant owner who told the city council the paper illegally obtained her driving record, which included a DUI. Last week, we received a tip from a source

about some driving violations of a business person in town. We checked out those tips. According to the search warrant, the newspaper is accused of identity theft and computer crimes. Meyer denies the allegations and says the paper decided not to run the story. How unusual is a police raid like the one that we see here in Marion? It's extremely rare. NBC News and other media organizations are calling what happened in Marion a violation of the First Amendment. Under federal law, journalists work is protected against search and seizure with few exceptions.

You use subpoena power to corroborate allegations. You don't execute search warrants. There weren't any subpoenas here. That's right. The Marion Police Chief is defending the rate, writing in a statement, the judicial system that is being questioned will be vindicated. The federal government was so concerned about protecting journalists' right to gather information that had passed something called the Privacy Protection Act in 1980 that made it unlawful for law enforcement to search journalists and gather information from their reporting unless they were in the process of committing a crime. Gabe? Stephanie Goss, thank you.

turning now to an incredible rescue off the coast of North Carolina. The U.S. Coast Guard pulling four divers from the ocean where they had been stranded. Sam Brock has the amazing moment they reunited with their family back on shore. Dramatic new images tonight released by the U.S. Coast Guard show a tiny raft bobbing in an endless choppy sea. On that raft, four divers who were missing for more than 15 hours. Once the sunset, then everything changed. The temperatures drop on the surface of the water, the winds picked up. Ben Wiggins and three others huddling together with their vests inflated, saw helicopters

in the late afternoon, but they weren't spotted by rescuers until almost 1 a.m. It was, thank you, God, because we were all calling out loud, God, please help us. I said to myself, we need you now, we need you now. Coast Guard chompers dropping flares in a raft, then a naval warship, which happened to be nearby, dispatching a team to bring them home. How small is a target that you're looking for? So I'm almost looking up for a watermelon in the ocean. But by morning's light, it was hugs and answered prayers.

We had the families waiting at the top of the dock, and it was just, it was a special moment. The improbable out-to-sea saga, starting with a recreational dive at 9 a.m. led by Wiggins, who has decades of specialized Navy diving experience, he says he noticed the strong current right away. When they emerged about 45 minutes later, the divers could reach one another, but their boat was almost 300 yards away. When your families saw you all for the first time, what was that moment like? No worse. I mean, I've just broke down. It's a miracle. The sight of loved ones, creating a sense of relief deeper than any ocean. One of the divers, Daniel Williams, had two sons under the age of 10 who were on the boat that got separated from the group,

which means they had to head back to shore, not knowing if they would ever see their father again. Now, another miraculous turned to all of this. The C-130 plane that spotted the group did so on its last pass of the night. The next plane coming in would not have arrived for hours. It's the very latest, Gabe. Let me send it back to you. Sam Brock, thank you.

What an incredible story. Coming up next, Top Stories Global Watch, a prison raided in Ecuador, the connection to the shocking assassination of a presidential candidate. Stay with us. We're back now with a tragic story out of Ukraine. Two young women, both budding musicians, using their musical talents to raise money for the troops. But hours after one of their concerts ended, the pair was killed by a Russian airstrike.

NBC foreign correspondent Josh Letterman has their heartbreaking story. On the streets of eastern Ukraine, these two young women sang from their souls, the songs of a nation ripped apart by war. This is believed to be the last video of 19-year-old Christina Spitzina and 21-year-old Svetlana Semechina. Both killed hours later by a Russian airstrike in their hometown of Zapatia. The newest victims among thousands of civilian lives cut short during nearly a year and a half of war. The women met a decade ago in school, teaming up after war broke out to form the singer-songwriter

duo Similar Girl. Performing and raising money for Ukrainian troops defending their country from Russia's invasion. Christina's mother, Helena, says music meant everything to her. She started dancing at age five. That's why she had no fear of the stage. Svetlana took inspiration from English-speaking musicians like Queen, Metallica, and Nirvana, and from Asian pop bands. teaching herself Japanese in hopes she would one day see the world on tour. Svetlana's father, Yuri, says her biggest dream was that she and Christina would go to the United States to play music. If someone ever gave them the chance. I want to read to you the lyrics of one of Svetlana's songs.

She wrote, people have lost their houses, have found themselves in the alien lands. Some will get a bullet in the chest. some will blossom in the coffin. What do you think now when you hear those lyrics that your daughter wrote? He describes a daughter who saw and felt everything living near the front lines. He says some new kind of emotions woke up inside her, and she wanted to express it to tell the world with this song. Together, the women built a repertoire of more than 200 songs they performed across the country

until last week's rocket strikes. Alina and Yuri both rushing to the scene, finding Svetlana dead and Christina fighting for her life, dying shortly after. Two lives united in song and now in death. Buried next to each other, their songs ringing out from car stereos at the grave site. Svittlana's father says, see how they look at each other. Here's my dear Svetlana, and this is Christina. Don't shout victory or anything else, Christina's mom says. I just want this war to stop.

Let my daughter be the last one to die. Josh Letterman, NBC News. Now to Top Stories Global Watch, and we begin in Ecuador, where 4,000 soldiers executed a prison raid at dawn. Their target, Adolfo Macias, a feared gang leader, accused of making threats to candidate Fernando Villavicencio. days before his shocking assassination on the streets of Quito. Macias now being moved to a high-security prison.

Police also seizing weapons, ammunitions, and explosives in the rig. This comes as Villavicencio's party has announced his replacement, longtime friend and journalist Christian Surita, will take his spot on the ballot. Ecuador's election is set for August 20th. And in northern Italy, dramatic video capturing the moment a mudslide hit a town in the Alps cell phone video showing people running for cover as a burst of floodwaters violently broke through a bridge wall tearing down trees. Firefighters also reportedly rescuing six people stranded nearby in a camper van. Luckily, no injuries have been reported. And when we come

back, our coverage continues from Maui as the community just begins to understand the devastation how people are already coming together to rebuild. Tom joins us again from Hawaii next. Finally, tonight, we are back here in Maui, where we have been witnessing scenes just like this all over the island, but also seen firsthand the unbreakable spirit of the Hawaiian people. Despite their entire lives going up in flames, residents here telling us they're not going anywhere, determined to rebuild their historic home together. Tonight, as the utter devastation from the wildfires continues to reveal itself to the nation, so too does the determination of the Hawaiian people.

Lars Johnson has lost his home, but not as resolve. We're strong. We're strong people. We're going to be okay. That's what's important, is that we're all sticking together. The people who fled with just moments to grab what they could. We just packed up whenever we had, our dogs, and just took off to the Civic Center and we could hear explosions. Just boom, boom. Scary. Now coming to grips with how much help everyone.

needs. I saw lots of people at one memorial. You know, poor teen, they have no home, nowhere to go. There's children and elderly people. And I have friends who went in and they said there's a lot of bodies, children and elderly that need help. And in true Ohana spirit, that help is already there. What do you hope is done in Lahaina? Is it rebuilt? I mean, what are you guys going to do? We're going to build back our town. We're going to build back our town, absolutely. And The community has really come together here and feeling a lot of love and support and aloha. That sense of unity giving them the strength to rise from the rubble. We're leaving. Tell you the truth, La Haino town stands strong and we're not leaving. None of us are leaving.

We're going to rebuild our town and we're going to make it better. Why would I leave? This is my home. These are my people and this is where I need to be. The people of Hawaii will stop at nothing to bring the island they love back to life. And I'm so proud to live on Maui. People are going to make it. We're going to get through this. And if you want to help, you can donate to any of these three websites on your screen right now, or you can make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross by texting Hawaii to 90999.

We thank you so much for watching this special edition of Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis reporting from Maui. Stay right there. More news on the way. Thank you.