Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, February 26, 2024

Episode Date: February 27, 2024

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

Tonight, the campus murder now fueling even more outrage over the Biden administration's handling of the southern border. A 22-year-old nursing student killed while jogging at the University of Georgia in what police called a random attack. The suspect of Venezuelan National who immigration officials say entered the country illegally in 2022. Georgia politicians, including the state's governor, blaming the victim's death on Biden's border policies. one going as far to say her blood is on Biden's hands. And it comes as immigration is at the forefront of the upcoming presidential election. Both President Biden and former President Trump planned to visit the border this week on the same day.

Biden and Trump also gearing up for tomorrow's Michigan primary. Trump fresh off a major victory in South Carolina, defeating Nikki Haley in her home state. Haley vowing to stay in the race despite major donors pulling funding. And President Biden also has an uphill battle in Michigan, a state with a large Arab-American population. Many Democrats reportedly planning to vote uncommitted over Biden's handling of the war in Gaza. Hijacked in Paradise, a retired couple from Virginia presumed dead after officials believed they were thrown off their yachts. Their yacht by three prisoners who escaped custody in Grenada. Their heartbroken sons now trying to figure out how this happened while holding out hope.

TikTok school shame students in Puerto Rico taking a social media to share horrifying conditions inside of schools. Bathrooms destroyed, desks broken, and campus is flooded. The high school senior who started the trend speaking a top story, why she's pleading with politicians to act now. Plus the $1 billion donation to a medical school in the Bronx, the record-setting gift that will allow students to get their medical degrees tuition-free. and all hailed the new king of Florida. Mullets, inflatable alligators, and fake police chases, just some of the things that made up the first ever Florida man games, the team that won the wild competition,

earning them bragging rights and likely a few free beers. Our man in Florida, Sam Brock, put his skills to the test. So could he hang? Top story starts right now. And good evening. Today, tonight a college campus, mourning one of their own, but her death now at the center of the widened debate over immigration in this country. The body of 22-year-old nursing student and sorority member Lake and Riley was found on Thursday

after she went missing while on a jog at the University of Georgia in Athens. One day later, a suspect arrested and charged for her murder. Here's what we've learned about him. Immigration officials say he's a Venezuelan National who was arrested while entering the U.S. illegally near El Paso in 2022. He was arrested again last year in New York City for endangering a child. He was released both times and has continued living in the U.S., which has sparked outrage from Republicans. Georgia Congressman Mike Collins, who represents Athens, releasing a skating statement, writing in part,

the blood of Lake and Riley is on the hands of Joe Biden, Alejandro Majorcas, and the government of Athens-Clark County. According to exit polls, immigration was the top issue for. for Republican voters in this week in South Carolina, Republican primary. But it's not just the GOP. Take a look at this. A new Monmouth University poll showing 84% of Americans say illegal immigration is a serious problem. A record high response for that poll. In dueling announcements today, President Biden and former President Trump say they plan to travel

to the southern border this Thursday, both trying to win over voters as the race for 2024 heats up. But tonight in Athens, the focus is on Lakin. She was, classmates and friends gathering to honor her memory. That's where Marissa Pahr is and leads us off tonight. Thank you all so much for being here today. Emotions on high tonight as students at the University of Georgia remember 22-year-old Lakin Riley. Laken showed devotion throughout every avenue of her life. Murdered on campus last Thursday while she was outrunning.

Tributes pouring in. One friend writing, you exuded kindness and acceptance to anyone you met. The suspect charged, 26-year-old Jose. Antonio Ibarra. Police say they didn't know each other. I think this was a crime of opportunity. Immigration officials say Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen, was previously arrested when he illegally entered the U.S. in 2022. A year later, he was arrested in New York City for endangering a child under 17. He was released both times. Lakin's death is a direct result of failed policies on the federal level and an unwillingness by this White House to secure the southern border. Riley's death

A political firestorm, State House Speaker John Burns indicating that the Georgia House this week will take steps on illegal immigration and look at, quote, ways to strengthen the security of our state. Outrage growing on social media over Riley's murder from female runners across the country. I shouldn't have to worry about getting killed on my run. And women on UGA campus afraid to walk alone, some carrying pepper spray for the first time. I also had my pocket knife in my backpack. Did you have your pocket knife in your backpack this time last? week? No. From anxiety to anguish, emotions on full display. Campus is really heavy right now. We're all heartbroken. A community grieving the loss of a life and their sense of safety.

Marissa Parra joins us now live tonight from Athens, Georgia. So Marissa, we have a suspect behind bars. Walk us through what we know happens next. And then I'm also curious, I know this is still so fresh for all those college students, but are you also hearing about this concern and this issue of immigration from those college students as we're hearing from lawmakers? It's a great question. And it's something I asked myself as I was talking to people over the last couple of days because you heard the very loud comments from lawmakers and we talked about that. And when I brought that up to students, I'll tell you a couple of things.

Some of them agreed. Some of them did not. In fact, you know, Latino students associations had spoken out and said that that kind of rhetoric is very harmful to the Latino and Hispanic communities. However, I think the overwhelming majority of people we spoke to on campus here really felt it was a distraction. They didn't want to talk about it. They felt like it was being politically hijacked, and they wanted to really keep the focus on Laken. And so in terms of what's next, I want to add, Tom.

Of course, all eyes are on the next court appearance for Ibarra. He was denied bond on Saturday. But those final goodbyes, we know that campus vigil held today. We know that final funeral and visitation for Laken Riley will be on Friday, and that will be in Woodstock, Georgia, her hometown. Tom. Marie, Marissa, thank you. Sticking with immigration now in California, resources running dry amid the ongoing migrant crisis.

Over the weekend, Customs and Border Patrol were seen dropping off hundreds of migrants at a local bus stop after a migrant welcome center closed its doors because they say funding ran out. They literally ran out of money. NBC News is Elwyn Lopez. Has the details. Tonight, another major U.S. City, San Diego,

buckling as it grapples with a growing number of migrants. Border Patrol dropping off hundreds of people at local bus stops from as far away as China and as close as Mexico. Colombia. I'm from Senegal. I'm from Chad. Volunteers were told to expect more than 350 street releases in the metro area on Friday alone. I wanted to see what was happening down here. I know that they're going to be increasing the number of migrant drop-offs to about 1,000 a day. And that concerns us, especially considering. the county has closed their program to house them. The county had been funding a welcome center for migrants since October. It offered a safe place to charge phones, eat, and use the bathroom before many continued their travels.

But late last week, that funding dried up, putting the burden on a patchwork of remaining non-profits. Many of those relying on the non-profits help fling political chaos and crime. In a state of Ecuador, at a moment in a conflict armed internal, bandillas are they want to

in a statement to NBC, Customs and Border Patrol said in part that, quote, this situation is the latest example of the pressing need for Congress to provide additional resources

and take legislative action to fix our outdated immigration laws. Earlier this month, a political standoff in D.C. left no solution on the table.

A bipartisan deal fell through. House Republicans unwilling to free up funds without sweeping changes to immigration policies. Republicans simply cannot vote for the bill in good conscience. And that is why I declared it dead on arrival. And it looks like right now it may be in some jeopardy. California Governor Gavin Newsom blasting the ordeal, stating in part that, quote, when it comes to border security, Republicans in Congress have done nothing but create chaos and sabotage any attempts at progress.

From October to January, Border Patrol released more than half a million people with orders to appear in immigration court. The dwindling funds mean less temporary shelters for them to go to while they wait to see a judge. And Tom, that welcome center opened its doors just last fall. It was even touted as an example for other cities to follow, but $6 million in several months later, it is now gone, the center saying that its resources were stretched to the limit. and now other nonprofits are jumping in to help all of those migrants

from all over the world get to where they're going, but some of them say that the most treacherous part of the journey is now over. Tom? Okay, Elwyn, thank you for that. To politics now in the countdown to the Michigan primary.

President Biden facing a challenge in that primary from a non-existent opponent will explain. And this comes as President Trump's decisive victory over Nikki Haley grabbed headlines in the South Carolina primary

over the weekend. Gabe Gutierrez is in Detroit tonight. cover it all for us, including a big interview with the governor. Tonight, former President Trump facing another potential legal battle. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg asking for a gag order banning Mr. Trump from commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, or jurors to protect the integrity of the upcoming trial where he's accused of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star. The Republican frontrunner has slammed the case as a political effort by a Democratic DA

to derail his presidential campaign. All of it as Nikki Haley ramps up her attacks on Mr. Trump. Donald Trump is now turning the Republican Party into his own playpen. Haley in Michigan today, after a landslide defeat in her home state, South Carolina. And now a key conservative group created by the billionaire Koch brothers says it will stop donating to the Haley campaign, writing we don't believe any outside group can make a material difference to widen her path to victory. The former president, now having won the first four contests by wide margins, is looking ahead to the general election. We're going to look at Joe Biden, and we're going to look him right in the eye.

He's destroying our country, and we're going to say, Joe, you're fired. Tomorrow's primary here in Michigan is high stanks, not just for Haley, but for President Biden, who's facing fierce backlash over the Israel-Hamas war. Free, free Palestine. Voters from Michigan's huge Arab-American population have demanded the president's support a ceasefire. Some now plan to vote uncommitted in protest. My direct message to President Biden is that you cannot continue to use my American tax dollars to aid in a bet in an ongoing genocide of my people.

Late today, President Biden said he hopes for a deal to release the hostages held by Hamas soon. My hope is by next Monday we'll have a ceasefire. Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a national co-chair of Biden's campaign. What if uncommitted has a strong showing in this primary? I think there will be a sizable number of votes for uncommitted. I think that it is every person's right to make their statement about what's important to them. Whitmer now under pressure to deliver the state for President Biden, and she brushes off voter concerns about his age, saying the president could serve until he's 86.

He's got an incredible amount of accomplishments done, and I have every confidence in his ability to serve. out a full second term. Should alarm bells be going off for the Biden campaign in Michigan? Well, I think Michigan's the kind of state you can never take for granted. What do you say to those people within the Democratic Party who would like a candidate, a younger candidate such as yourself, to replace President Biden? I would say the train's out of the station. Get on board.

All right, Democrats need to get on board there. Gabe Gutierrez joins us now live from Detroit tonight. Gabe, I understand you also have some new reporting on a border visit for President Biden later this week. Yeah, that's right, Tom. Late today, President Biden said that border trip had been in the works for a while, but that he, quote, didn't know his good friend was apparently going. Now, two senior administration officials tell NBC News that the timing of this trip is meant to amplify its political message one week before the state of the union.

Those administration officials say they want to remind Americans that they argue it was Republicans who derailed that bipartisan border bill. As for the timing of the trip, also with former President Trump, one of the officials said, quote, we welcome that split screen. Tom? Yeah, it's going to be quite a split screen at the border this week. Okay, Gabe, we thank you for your reporting and your great interview there with the governor. For more on the president's battle to win over Michigan Democrats and the latest on the Republican primary campaign. I want to bring in our panel tonight, David Plough, former Obama campaign manager and NBC News political analyst, Republican strategist Krisha Lenzo, and Georgia Hermini, a Michigan,

politics reporter with the nonprofit news outlet, Bridge, Michigan. I thank you all for being here. Jordan, you are the hometown hero reporting from Michigan, so I'm going to start with you. I want to look back at the last two presidential elections in Michigan and show this to our viewers. In 2016, former President Trump beat Hillary Clinton there by less than 1 percent, only about 11,000 votes. Four years later, Biden flipped that state, beating Trump by three points, roughly 150,000 votes. And let's keep in mind, in the midterm elections just two years ago, Democrats took control of both houses of the Michigan State Legislature for the first time since the 80s and the Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer comfortably won re-election.

But this is where a Biden-Trump rematch in Michigan stands now. Trump winning by four points. So, Jordan, this setup essentially is to ask you, what's happening for Democrats right now, namely President Biden? Well, first of all, thank you for having me on. President Biden is basically facing an uphill battle against nobody come tomorrow in Michigan. being, as you mentioned earlier, the uncommitted vote effort. There is a coalition of individuals known as the Listen to Michigan campaign who are hoping to send a message to President Biden that by not backing him, and he's ostensibly going to be considered the winner even before

any votes are tallied, but by not backing him, they'll be able to say, look, we have a sizable showing. We can withhold these votes come November, and that you should be concerned and listen to us as individuals who may not be supportive of you until you support publicly an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the ongoing Israel Hamas war. Now, what's really going to be the thing to watch come tomorrow is how much of that turnout we can actually expect to see. Now, you mentioned past elections. The effort to vote uncommitted actually has had a sizable showing in Michigan in the past. 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama wasn't on our ballots. So individuals did vote on committed. And almost about 500,000 votes went on committed

for then candidate Obama, so to speak, and really detailing, hey, Michigan was not in favor of the candidates on the ballot at that time. Now, this listen to Michigan campaign, they're looking at hopefully netting anywhere from 10 to 20,000. But as recently as the last election, we've already seen those kinds of numbers and they total in at less than 2% of the vote. So if this coalition is sincere in hoping to send a message to the president. They're going to need to have a rather large turnout tomorrow. David, do you think this is this uncommitted thing that may happen tomorrow? Is this a petty protest or is this something that Democrats and President Biden need to be worried about? Well, I don't think it's a petty protest. I think people ought to exercise,

you know, their right to express their opinions. I think the question is looking forward to November, how many of those uncommitted people stay on the sideline. And I would, it's important underline. 150,000 votes is a lot of votes. So Biden won that by. It's a big jump from one election next. Right. So, and even the polls that show Trump 45, 41, it's always important to remind your viewers that that's not 100%. Right. So Trump's number right now is less than he got in 20. That being said, Michigan of the Sixth Corps battleground states, I think a year ago, you would have said, is probably the most likely for Biden to win. And right now I think there's some risk there. So it's going to take all the effort that he has, Kamala Harris has that campaign has,

this back together. They'll also learn a lot tomorrow. How big is that vote and where did it come from? And the work then to get those people back on, you know, the Biden train, as Greta Wittmer said. Well, you mentioned Greta and Wimmer. We saw her there in Gabe's piece, saying that Democrats do have a real problem in Michigan. She was admitting that. I want to put up a stat for our viewers here. This is on Arab American voters, Muslim voters as well. One analysis showed that more than 145,000 Muslim Americans voted in the 2020 election. We showed you that Biden won the state in 2020 by only about 150,000 votes. We're talking about how tight the margins are.

Does President Biden have to really worry about his policies with Gaza, with Israel, what's happening with Palestinians? Well, first, he's got to do what he thinks is right policy-wise. I know that seems quaint, but that's the most important thing, whether you agree with it or not. From the politics, sure, any time a state's going to come down to, again, Michigan was not as close as the other states last time. But, yeah, I mean, 145,000 voters is a lot. And what they're going to have to do is turn this into a question, of course, of whatever you feel about what's going on and how my administration handled it, compare that to Trump.

But again, what's important here, the electoral college is like a super complicated chess match. And I think they probably felt better about Michigan than the other five battleground states. Right. Not anymore. So now you've got six that are a coin flip. So you're going to worry about everything in those states. Yeah, Chris, I wanted to ask you. So we talk about Michigan here.

We showed that former President Trump was able to win by an incredibly narrow margin. Some people blame that on voter turnout in Detroit. I mean, you could probably blame it on a lot of things. But I do want to talk about how does he capitalize on that in this election with Biden having some trouble in that state? I think he capitalizes it based on the messaging. Biden has consistently followed the polls with his policies. And this is now what we're seeing with his latest statement with respect to a ceasefire. And he's basically, he's in a difficult situation because he's alienated at the far left of his party who are saying that they are.

opposed to what's occurring in the Middle East with respect to Israel, but he's also alienated people who view Israel as our main ally in the Middle East. So the way that Trump can really capitalize, I would say, is to be firm in his messaging where he stands and also to create a clear path. I think Joe Biden also is losing minorities. The black community is, there's been a huge decline in terms of their support of Joe Biden. At one point, it was over 90 percent now. I believe the polls, it's below 50%. And people are feeling alienated, inflation. I mean, the latest immigration issues, the policies and being clear on the messaging is really how Trump can win in Michigan. The economic issues are actually a little bit better in Michigan than the rest of the

country, slightly better. But she brings up a good point. You know, polling is soft with black Americans, Hispanic Americans, young Americans. Does the president have enough time to turn that around? Well, listen, at the end of the day, we may be a surprise by a lot in this election. You know, Donald Trump's not going to get 40, 50 percent of the African American vote. It may be less, and so that's a concern. So again, you have no margin for her in battleground states. Luckily for Joe Biden, he's running against a deeply unpopular incumbent who shows no ability or interest or desire to reach out to the moderate voter in Michigan or anywhere else. So Biden's lucky that Trump's his opponent.

But yeah, there's no question that when you look at going from, you know, 90% to 85% in the African-American community, a little slippage in a Latino community, those add up. Now, I do think Biden can do better in Michigan and in every battleground state with suburban voters they did last time, which is a huge strength. But yeah, listen, this is a coin flip election right now. So I'm sure both candidates and both camps, well, I don't know about Trump, but I'm sure his campaign is taking everything seriously. Because this could be closer than the last one, and that came down to, you know, 70,000 votes in a handful of states. Speaking of taking everything seriously on the Republican side, Jordan, the Michigan primary for Republicans is a little strange, right? And we don't have to explain it all to our voters, but some delegates will be awarded tomorrow in the primary, where former President Trump is favored to win. And then after they're going to have dueling state conventions and then some delegates may be awarded from one but not the other, it's incredibly confusing.

What are you watching for, at least when it comes to the Republicans in tomorrow's primary? Well, with respect to the candidates themselves, we're looking at closely the places that Trump lost in 2020. Now, if you remember, there was a sort of overarching theme that the suburbs had cost Trump a re-election victory in Michigan. I believe in 2016, he only won by about 10,000 votes. 2020, he lost by about 154,000 plus. Now, looking at those areas, you're looking at Kent County, you're looking at Oakland County.

Those are places that Haley was in this week. She was in Troy on Sunday, rallying voters, and she was in Grand Rapids today, also speaking with voters at a hotel downtown. It's clear that she's trying to seize in on these areas that the president underperformed in from 2016 to 2020. So that's pretty much what we're keeping our eye on right now is, you know, the kind of showing that Haley has. I know that when I spoke with Voters Sunday, who were at her Troy event, they were saying that they were tired of the former president. They were tired of his grandiose ways of sort of referring to events or things that happen. And they're looking for a change. Is that likely to happen?

Probably not. It's more or less certain that Trump is going to go on to win the Michigan Republican primary and that Biden's going to take the Michigan Democratic primary. But by how much he slips, could be an interesting litmus for how well Biden could perform come November. Yeah, and it feels like Nikki Haley is going to stay into this through Super 2. I do want to talk about what happened in South Carolina, Christian, with you, because, you know, the former president had a decisive victory in Nikki Haley's home state, but we also got some key voter data from how Republicans are thinking about this race. I want to put it up for

our viewers now. And if you look at some of the key demographics in Trump's corner, it's very obvious why, right? He wins voters who identify as very conservative and Republican, non-college grads and white evangelicals, in other words, the entire Republican base. So the ideology breakdown is even more stark. Trump wins very conservative voters, 84 to 16. Haley only wins the moderates and the liberal. So this has been the story of the primary season. And you get those very conservatives, those Republicans that come out and vote during the primaries. What do you think happens?

And as a Republican, are you happy Nikki Haley still in this race, or do you wish that you would drop out? I think from a strategic perspective, I think it's wise that President Trump did not support the RNC's decision to nominate him. He said that actually Nikki Haley should. Well, the reporting is a little mixed on that because at first it was that he was behind the plan. Right. Well, I mean, I think over. After all, he's letting her continue in the Democrat process, the Democratic process, and really... But he's also gotten rid of the R&C chair.

Well, I wouldn't say he got rid of her. I would say she, you know... She decided to step aside. She decided to step aside. I mean, that's politics. I think the way the Republican primary has played out is far different from the way the Democrat primary has played out, where basically, I would say, the Democrats have appointed or anointed Joe Biden as their leader.

They haven't put up any opposition, despite the massive decline in his mental and what we've been seeing on the world stage with his many blunders, not to mention crisis at our borders, which is getting worse by the day. So going back to your question with South Carolina, was it a surprise as to what we saw in the results? No, it's not a surprise. Nikki Haley does not have any path to victory other than hoping that election interference with respect to the court cases and many of these fake indictments, as I would put them, come to fruition. I think that really she's in it for herself, and from a Republican perspective, it's really selfish.

She's putting her country last. David, do Democrats want Nikki Haley to stay in this race? I asked that because California Governor Gavin Newsom said yesterday on Meet the Press that she was the greatest Biden surrogate. Do Dems want her to stay in this race to hurt Trump? Well, it's helpful. I mean, I think Trump has finally moved on. He should have given the speech she gave in South Carolina, New Hampshire, and said the primary is over. He was sort of small and petty as he's wont to be. But sure, every time there's a state and 40% of Republicans vote against Trump,

now, the vast majority of those voters who are voting for Haley will come home to Trump. But it gives the Biden campaign information about who they can target. So it's helpful from that standpoint. It's a very rich data set is the way I would put it. David, Krisha, Jordan, in Michigan, we thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. We do want to turn to some other breaking news tonight, the war in Gaza. We just mentioned President Biden saying he has reason to believe there will be a fire. By next week, this is the death toll in the conflict also rising, now nearing a staggering

30,000 people killed. Negotiators outlining a framework for a hostage release deal, but no word yet on if Hamas will agree. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Watch reporting Israel failed to comply with an order by the United Nations top court to provide urgently needed aid to stop people, to help people in the Gaza Strip. For more on the war in Gaza and what comes next, I'm joined tonight by Ralph Sanchez from Tel Aviv. Ralph first, tell us about this potential. deal. We know historically Israel has done these lopsided prisoner swaps in the past, but

this one would be different. Explain. Yeah, Tom, you're absolutely right about lopsided agreements in the past. Back in 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to a deal to free more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for a single Israeli soldier held by Hamas in Gaza, but he is under real

pressure from the far right of his government not to agree to a similar agreement this time. Hamas is saying, if Israel wants its hostages back, it is going to have to release men convicted of murder, convicted of terrorism. There are some signs Israel may agree to that, but probably not in large numbers. One possibility here to soften the blow for Israel's government is that some of these men convicted of terrorism may go not back to Gaza, not to the occupied West Bank, but potentially into exile in Qatar or another country. countries in the Middle East. And that's the key part of this deal that really makes it

different, right? We're talking about men who are serving long sentences in Israel, accused of terrorism, but could this potentially lead to a ceasefire? So we heard from Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor, that the U.S., Israel, Qatar, and Egypt over the weekend in Paris at meetings that included the CIA director agreed to the broad framework of a deal, and that would include a ceasefire for several weeks. That would allow more time for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza. It would allow time for hostages to be released, beginning with Israeli women and children. And the U.S. has made it really clear, Tom, they want this deal in place before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is in just two weeks' time. Okay, also talk to us about a potential evacuation

plan in Rafa, where many Palestinians, as we've reported since the start of this war, have fled to. Yeah, so the White House has been really clear. It opposes any Israeli military assault on Rafah without a credible plan to move those some 1.4 million Palestinian civilians out of the city. And so we've been asking the Israeli government over and over again, do you have that plan to Israeli officials now tell NBC News that they will allow Palestinian civilians from Rafah to go into neighboring cities like Han Yunus, other areas in southern Gaza, but they will not. allow them to return to the north of the strip or to Gaza City. Jake Sullivan said the U.S. has not yet seen Israel's plan of attack for Rafa. And so we don't know at this stage whether that plan would meet that benchmark set by the Biden administration. And then finally, Raf, we've seen these compelling pictures coming out of Gaza of aid drops, but the drops not

necessarily making it onto dry land falling into the ocean. What do we know about that? Yeah, these are really striking pictures, Tom. This is aid dropped by the Jordanian military along the Gaza coastline. They flew from south to north. And as you said, a lot of these parachutes carrying these big cartons of aid ending up in the water and just extraordinary pictures of people swimming out to them, going out to them in small boats. It shows you how badly needed this aided, especially in northern Gaza, where the UN says there are signs of famine breaking out.

The U.N. says less than half the amount of aid that got into Gaza in January has made it in February, and barely anything is making it into northern Gaza because of blockades by the Israeli military, but also just the collapse of the security situation up there. We've seen enormous crowds surging around the few trucks that are getting in, and it shows you why people feel so desperate for food, medicine basics, that they are swimming out to see to try to recover the Jordanian aid. Yeah, those pictures coming from the Mediterranean. Okay, Ralph Sanchez for us tonight.

Rafi, thank you for that. Next tonight, back here at home, a federal judge in California ordering the former FBI informant charged with providing false claims to the FBI about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter to remain in custody until trial. Alexander Smyranov was re-arrested after federal prosecutors warned the judge that Smyranov would be a flight risk

because of his access to Russian intelligence and millions of dollars. I want to bring in NBC News Justice and Intelligence correspondent, Ken DeLaine. Ken, first, remind our viewers of what Smyranoff is being accused of. Sure, Tom. Well, first of all, they should know that Smyranoff has been a confidential FBI informant since as far back as 2010. And until very recently, prosecutors were calling him a trusted source. Something changed. It's not exactly clear why. But he's been charged with lying to the FBI about a central allegation against President Biden and his son Hunter, which is that they were paid $5 million.

dollars each in bribes by executives of Burisma, that Ukrainian energy company that had Hunter Biden on its board. That allegation was never very credible, but it was seized on by Republicans. Now it's been exposed by this indictment as a total fabrication. But even worse than that is what prosecutors are now saying about Mr. Smirnoff's ties to Russian intelligence. They're saying that he has been repeating misinformation given to him by Russian officials as recently as September, and they're calling that a threat to American democracy, and it's one of the reasons they said he should remain behind bars, Tom. So, Ken, does this have any impact on Hunter's current legal troubles with the Department of Justice? Hunter Biden's lawyers would argue that it does

because they are saying that it taints the entire prosecution, but the facts don't necessarily support that. Hunter Biden is accused of evading taxes, and he's been charged with a felony gun count for lying on a form. The conduct in those cases is undisputed. The issue really is his intent, has no visibility on that. And then, you know, but for the Republicans, it does hurt their case, right? Explain that. Yeah, even though this bribery charge was widely considered to be not credible, and prosecutors who investigated it said they never corroborated it, Republicans had seized on it. They tried to get the FBI form that described what Mr. Smirnoff had told the Bureau.

And they seized on this as a piece of evidence in the impeachment inquiry against President Biden. Now they've had to remove it from all their websites and their documents describing the misconduct that they say Mr. Biden has committed. Nonetheless, they're continuing to go forward with that. And then, Ken, before you go, I also know you have some reporting about some developments in the Manhattan DA's case against former President Trump in the hush money case and a gag order that's been requested? That's right. The district attorney Alvin Bragg has asked the judge to impose a limited gag order on Mr. Trump that prohibits him from, discussing or trying to intimidate witnesses or parties in the case, it tracks almost exactly the language that the federal appeals court approved

and upheld as constitutional in the Washington, D.C. case. Nonetheless, Mr. Trump is saying he's going to challenge it. He's calling it election interference. That criminal trial, Tom, is set to start on March 25th. Right around the corner. Okay, Ken Delaney, we thank you for all your reporting tonight. Still ahead, hijacked in paradise. A couple from Virginia presumed dead after officials say it appears they were

thrown off their yacht while sailing near Grenada. Their two sons now desperate to figure out how this happened. Plus, the urgent search for a murder suspect near New Orleans who police say should be considered armed and dangerous, how officials say he managed to escape a medical transport. And the record-setting donation just announced that could change the lives of future medical students here in New York City. Stay with us.

We're back now with a terrifying story. In the Caribbean, an American couple disappeared after authorities say escaped prisoners hijacked their yacht. Now the couple's sons are speaking out and seeking answers. NBC's List Croix has more. Tonight, terror in the Caribbean. Authorities say a retired couple from Virginia who went missing while sailing off the coast of Grenada are believed to be dead after their yacht was allegedly hijacked by escaped prisoners from the island. Information suggests while traveling between Grenada and St. Vincent, they dispose of the occupants. Kathy Brandl and Ralph Hendry, who for a decade have lived on their boat simplicity, were last heard from the same day these three men escape from their holding cell. Grenada police say there's evidence the prisoners may have attacked the couple and thrown them overboard. Attack where they live is just, it's unimaginable.

The couple's sons, Nick and Brian, are now in. the Caribbean, desperate to find out what happened to their parents. Shock, despair, fear, sadness, hope, love, all of those emotions are going through our head. The disappearance, also a shock to the sailing community and raising questions about safety on the Caribbean seas. It seems like a bad Hollywood movie. Have you ever heard of anything like this happening? Never. Rob Mahar is the couple's longtime friend and emergency contact. It's hard to think of their last moments, with the idea that they might have been thrown overboard alive. It's difficult to conceive for a friend.

Tonight, the three suspects are now back in custody, but with Kathy and Ralph still missing and presumed dead, there are more questions than answers about this senseless attack. Liz Kreutz, NBC News. All right, when we come back, students taking a TikTok to shine a light on major problems at their school. The video show bathrooms without running water, flooded campus, and classrooms and disrepair. This is in Puerto Rico.

Coming up, you'll hear the student who started this trend on TikTok what she deals with every day and what the American government is doing to fix it or not. All right, we're back now with Top Stories News Feed and we start with the urgent manhunt

underway for a murder suspect in Louisiana. Police say inmate Leon Ruffin was being transported from a hospital just outside of New Orleans back to a jail when he pepper sprayed the deputy who was driving and then stole her vehicle. According to officials, Ruffin was in custody on second degree murder charges and should be considered armed and dangerous. The sheriff of Jefferson Parrish says he does not know where Ruffin got the pepper spray from because the deputy still had hers. She was not seriously hurt. Okay, AT&T says it will be giving a $5 credit. You heard me right,

five bucks to customers affected by last week's nationwide outage. As we reported on Thursday, tens of thousands of customers were unable to use their phones for hours and could only dial 911. AT&T says the issue resulted from a technical error was not a cyber attack. Affected customers will see their credit on their next statement. And a record-setting donation made to a medical school here in New York City. Dr. Ruth Gottzman announcing that she will be donating $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx and said the gift must be used to cover tuition for all students. Gotsman is a former professor of the school and spent 55 years as the chair of the board.

She made the historic donation in the name of her late husband who was a Wall Street financier and reportedly a protege of Warren Buffett is believed to be the largest donation made to a medical school. Next tonight, imagine going to school without working bathrooms and broken classroom desks. For several students in Puerto Rico, this is the daily norm, and they're turning to TikTok to expose the conditions. NBC Stephen Romo has a closer look at how these schools got to this low point. Their Tic Tacs show bathroom sinks draining straight to the floor, no toilet paper or soap, and stall doors dangling from their hinges. High school students in Puerto Rico using social media and some humor to highlight a serious problem, dilapidated conditions at some of their schools. Often using the phrase jovenes uniformecompleto, poking fun at being told to wear their full student uniforms, while their campuses are in.

some cases, quite literally, falling apart. Alicia Torres, a senior at Luis F. Crespo High School in the coastal town of Camus, started the trend this month. Telling NBC News, it's not just her school, it's a systemic problem that's been happening for years. More videos followed other students showing the rundown conditions from their own schools, using humor to demonstrate the issues, like pretending to wash their hands in brink. broken sinks.

Alicia says the bathrooms at her school were often locked or in such bad shape. Her classmates had to leave or wait until they went home to use the bathroom. So how did things end up this way? Miguel Rivera, with the Puerto Rico Teachers Federation, says it's been years in the making. The deterioration due to lack of maintenance was aggravated by the recent hurricanes and earthquakes. But he also questions how far. funding is being used, saying there have been cases where companies have been hired to repair the schools and the job never gets completed. The Education Department is the island's largest agency

with a budget of about $2.4 billion and an additional $4.6 billion in federal funds. NBC News reached out to the Puerto Rico Department of Education as well as all schools shown in these videos and we've not yet heard back. I'd like to come in TikTok of schools that are ready. That's Puerto Rico's education secretary Yanida Raises Vega addressing the TikTok controversy

in a radio interview saying the work is being done but not all schools have been addressed and telling Telemundo the rough situation was worsened by recent hurricanes and the pandemic. The infrastructure had suffered While politicians and leaders debate who's to blame,

these students say they'll continue with their TikTok activism. The future of Puerto Rico needs some better conditions schooler. Stephen Romo joins us now on set. So Stephen, ultimately, who's at fault here, right? No child in America should go to schools like this. Can the Department of Education do something? That's such an important point.

These are American children. So many people forget that about Puerto Rico. We actually just got a response from the U.S. Department of Education saying that maintenance for these schools, that is a local, that is an issue for Puerto Rico itself. But they say they are working with the island to try to decentralize the education system. So running that by the union representative, we spoke to in the piece, they say they believe that means more charter schools. In 2018, they opened their first charter schools. They're going that direction, something the teachers union is not for right now. They say that they don't think that's the solution. They say that is more privatization going on in Puerto Rico, which they think contributes to more problems. What is clear right now, there is plenty of blame to go around. There's also $4.6 billion in unused stimulus money from the COVID aid package that has to be used by September. So there is... You have unused money and you have kids that don't even have running water in schools. Right. A lot of outrage over that fact alone, Tom.

Stephen Rommel for us. Stephen, thank you for that. Now at Top Stories Global Watch and a check of what else is happening around the world. We start in Haiti where officials say a teacher and six members of a religious congregation were kidnapped there. It happened outside of a school in Port-au-Prince. No word yet on who's responsible, but officials have blamed the recent spike in abductions on gangs in the region. Just last month, six nuns and two others were kidnapped while traveling on a bus in the capital. They were eventually released.

Okay, we head to Brazil now where tens of thousands of people rallied in support of former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, over the weekend. This video is showing massive crowds taking over Sao Paulo's main avenue. The far-right politician called for the demonstration amid allegations he took part in a coup plot to stay in power after he lost Brazil's 2022 election. Bolsonaro denied the accusations at the rally. He's currently barred from running for office until 2030. And a collection of hockey cards found in a Canada basement just sold for the equivalent of $3.7 million U.S. dollars. The case contains 16 unopened boxes of more than...

7,600 Opeche hockey cards from 1979 inside. The auction house saying those boxes could have as many as 20 rare Wayne Gretzky rookie cards. According to the auction house, an individual Gretzky card can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but one rookie card sold for a record 3.7 three years ago, so the buyer of this latest lot could soon rake in a lot of cash. All right, coming up, comedian Amy Schumer revealing an illness. She only discovered it after viewers noticed a change in her appearance,

What she had to say and how she's doing, that's next. We are back now with the comedian opening up about a personal health diagnosis. Amy Schumer revealing she has Cushing syndrome after viewers noticed her face looked a little different during recent television appearances. As NBC's Ellison Barber explains, the comedian has never shied away from putting her personal health challenges in the spotlight. Please welcome Amy Schumer! As Amy Schumer made the rounds on television, promoting the latest series of her new show, Life and Beth, a few weeks ago. Oh, you look great, bud.

Welcome back, Amy Schumer. Fans noticed something a little bit different about the comic's face. Schumer calling out her critics with an Instagram post, acknowledging her face, quote, is puffier than normal right now. Adding, there are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now, but I'm okay. Now the famed comic is opening up about a new diagnosis, telling the news not noise letter that she has Cushing syndrome. It's a rare syndrome that happens when the body has too much cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, for a long period of time. One of the most characteristic findings is the roundness of the face. It actually has a name. It's called a moon face. Schumer says the harsh comments online helped her realize something was wrong.

But that kind of behavior is also nothing new for her. I think they're mad that I'm not thinner. You think? I think they're mad. I'm not prettier and that I still feel like I have a right to speak. Schumer has been public about her health journey in the past, including the 2020 Max Special expecting Amy about her difficult pregnancy and medical complications. Chris, that's going to take me to the ER because I couldn't keep anything down.

As to why she's sharing this personal medical story now. Schumer says the shaming and criticism of our ever-changing bodies is something I have dealt with and witnessed for a long time. I want so much for women to love themselves and be relentless when fighting for their own health in a system that usually doesn't believe them. While Cushing syndrome can take on many forms, Schumer giving fans some positive news, saying she has, quote, the kind of Cushing that will just work itself out, adding, I'm healthy, was the greatest news imaginable. I think the message here to women is if you're really not feeling well,

you keep on going until you get answers because it is very possible that there is an organic reason for the reason that you're feeling that way. And with that, Ellison Barber joins us right now on set. So, Ellison, you know, I know Cushing Syndrome is something that a lot of viewers, including myself, are not familiar with. We heard one of the symptoms there from Dr. Azar, that round moon face.

Are there any other symptoms people should look out for? Yeah, there are. So she says that is the biggest one in part because she says you will notice it because it's not just a little bit of weight gain in a face, but very much this rounded look that she says is best described as a moon-like face. But on top of that, it can also be a fatty lump between the shoulders and also pink or purple stretch marks across the skin. Some of those things, if it happens by itself, it could be nothing. But that's why she said look out for the moon face in particular. And either way, she said it's just a good reminder that if you notice something that doesn't feel right in your body, even if it's something that could be attributed to a. a weight gain, just this later point in life, something like that.

If you don't feel good, get a second opinion if your doctor's not hearing you, because you might be right that some of these little things can add up to a bigger issue, which is what happened in the case of Amy Schumer. No, and it's great. She's figuring this out, and she's actually helping people now figure this out as well. Okay, thank you so much for that, Alison. When we come back, we're going to switch gears. If you can't laugh at yourself, then you know how the saying goes.

So right after this break, as a native Floridian, I am honored to bring you coverage of the Florida Man Games. That's right, who in the Sunshine State best represents our culture from Loving Everything Swamp to How to Evade Police. All in good fun, of course. Stay with us. All right, finally tonight, you may be familiar with the funny and sometimes bizarre headlines involving one specific type of person, Florida Man. The Sunshine State held the inaugural Florida Man Games this weekend, featuring events including a mullet contest and evading arrest, obstacle course. Sam Brock was there and even had some fun with it. Surrounding a large field in St. Augustine, Florida, people wait to pile in by the hundreds.

Fight! Anticipation growing. For the first Florida man competition, that's one-part gladiators, one-part cops. Make it out of the back first. Oh, he's running. One part, mullet mania. Now, you might be asking, what is a lot? a Florida man, and why are we celebrating him?

When everybody talks about all the weirdness and the strangeness, but the reality is it's just people being themselves. Kind of living a little bit beyond the boundaries of the law? Like Redneck Olympics, Florida edition. Expect the unexpected. I'm sorry, you brought it iguana? He's a mascot. He's in a strong.

You brought a mascot that's in iguana. Or superficially hairy men. I love it for Florida man. Even jorts galore, and people dressed up as gorillas, but that doesn't explain why this mosaic of misfits find themselves competing. So we asked Pete Melfy, the radio host and podcaster, who founded the inaugural event. Nobody's ever done a Florida man festival before. So I thought, let's do something where people can enjoy themselves, laugh, live the day in the life of a Florida man, and, you know, not go to jail for it. That's the main thing.

Yeah, but hey, how great would that be if there were. was a headline that said Florida man arrested at the Florida man games. Police evasion actually was one of the featured events, which we got to simulate. First, you've got to get out of the police car. You run over here, get over the first fence, hopefully without falling. Get over the second fence. Take the alligator through the drive-through window. Come with me, knock over a cow. You have tires and then a pool with an iguana inside, all while not getting caught by police. This signature display of Florida Man Living kind of stole the show, all with the assist of the St. John's County Sheriff's Office, obviously not to be attempted in real life.

But the five-person teams flexed their powers in a host of different competitions from the weaponized pool noodle duel. To stealing a catalytic converter, then a bike, before completing an obstacle course of cones. What about the actual stealing of a bike and riding through cones on another bike? Have you done that before? One can't talk about it, you know. Food and beer, of course, play prominently, too. Though for some of the activities, it's the kind of thing you likely only do when you're drunk. But not in this case.

Be clear, I've had to ride out hurricanes before. I've never had to ride on a mechanical alligator until now. Things started fine enough. And then the Florida man ending found me. Adventure, glory, and bearded beauty. This day had a little bit of it all, with the biggest man at the games, Justin from St. Augustine, powering his team, Hanky Spanky, to victory. If you're not the living representation of Florida Man, I don't know who is. I've got my back boots on.

I've got my backup crocs in my truck. In all shapes and sizes, they came from around the state. Putting the world on notice, Florida Man is more than just a mystique. It's a lifestyle. Sam Brock. St. Augustine, Florida. I salute all my fellow Florida men out there, and I'm going to nominate Sam Brock

since he lives in Florida now to be a Florida man as well. It looks like he's got the skills from that story. We thank Sam for that, and we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis back in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.