Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, June 17, 2024

Episode Date: June 18, 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, Summer Inferno, a sweltering heat wave, sending temperatures soaring and fueling wildfires in California. Life-threatening heat, putting millions on alert, temperatures could shatter more than 100 daily records. Out west of fast-moving wildfire charging north of L.A., engulfing structures and cars. We hear where the dangerous situation stands from those on the front lines, plus the National Hurricane Center tracking the first system of the season. new tropical storm watch for parts of Texas. Al Roker tonight standing by to timeout when it will impact land. Also, ready to rumble President Biden's new ad blitz going after Trump's legal woes, calling him a convicted criminal. As former President Trump tries to peel away Biden's advantage with black voters, the new polling on that key demographic putting

the Biden campaign on notice. Israel's tactical confusion, the IDF scheduling a pause in fighting to bring humanitarian aid into Gaza. The move sparking controversy and confusion, even taking Prime Minister Netanyahu by surprise, the latest blow to the war effort as Israel's war cabinet unravels. An alleged murderer on the loose, the multi-state manhunt for an inmate on the run,

how he was able to escape and the violent crimes he's wanted for, the U.S. Marshal speaking with top story, increasing the reward for information, leading to his capture. A surgeon general calling for a judge, a tobacco-like warning label for social media, his stark message over the mental health risks, the apps post to children and teens, plus 25 years of the Sopranos. I sit down with the cast

as they reflect on what made the show so great and why it stands the test of time, their emotional bond and the crushing loss of the man at the center of it all actor Jim Gandalfini. And another American tourist discovered dead in Greece the latest in a string of recent incidents where tourists have gone missing in the country. Top story starts right now. And good evening. Tonight, a dangerous heat wave stretching from the Midwest to New England is threatening millions of Americans. And out west, hot temperatures and gusty winds are also fueling California's first major wildfire of the year. Let's break down the numbers, right? More than 150 million people will experience temperatures in the 90s. 9 million are expected

to hit triple digits, and 72 million people will experience extreme heat this week. A strong heat dome of pressure is causing temperatures to skyrocket. Take a look at this. Cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, New York, and Boston could shatter records. Back out west, the heat and strong winds are stoking a fast-moving wildfire just north of L.A. Flames completely engulfing the structure and scorching several cars near the Five Freeway. Firefighters on the front line. working to get a handle on the massive fire

after it exploded in size over the weekend. The fire burning nearly 10,000 acres within just 12 hours, triggering evacuation orders. Separately, we are also tracking the first serious tropical threat of the hurricane season. You see it right there. The National Hurricane Center issuing a tropical storm watch

for parts of Texas, heavy rain, coastal flooding, strong-ripped currents, all expected along the coast in Louisiana and Texas. Some of that tropical moisture already impacting parts of Louisiana, Drivers struggling with a little bit of floodwater there just outside of New Orleans. Outroker standing by tonight with the timing, but first, NBC's Maggie Vespa starts off our coverage tonight.

From raging fires out west to record shattering highs back east. As soon as we stepped outside, we're cooking. Tonight, an early and extreme heat wave, the first of 2024, already broiling tens of millions coast to coast. High pressure creating a stubborn heat dome, sending temps soaring up to 25 degrees above average. threatening to shatter more than 100 daily records this week. A record falling in Chicago already, with the city hitting 97 late today. It's most definitely hot. Pittsburgh could see its first ever 100-degree day in June,

humidity making it feel like triple digits in Detroit. It's pretty intense. New York's mayor warning people to take it seriously. We want to be clear, this is extremely hot for June. And New Yorker should not underestimate the heat. In Louisiana, sudden heavy rain kicking off days of forecasted flooding down south. Make sure you got our back. Meanwhile, out west, the combination of searing temps and 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts overnight fueling a growing disaster

with more than a dozen wildfires burning across California. One firefighter injured fighting flames near Sonoma. At more than 15,000 acres, officials say the post-fire north of L.A. is threatening dozens of homes already devouring. an auto shop. NBC's Steve Patterson is there. And this is what's left in the wake of these wind-driven flames on a path of bone-dry brush, incinerating this fleet of cars, his crews now working around the clock trying to get more containment on this fire. Tonight, 12 million Americans remain under red flag warnings as this early summer blast sears most of the country.

Okay, Maggie Vespa joins us tonight from a sweltering Detroit. So Maggie, the timing of this heat wave makes it all the more dangerous. Explain that to our viewers. Yeah, Tom, exactly. People have been asking like it's hot in summer. You know, what's the news in that? Well, essentially, experts say, as we've been saying, this heat wave, these temperatures are coming on earlier in the season than normal before many Americans have had time to really adjust to the changing heat, which they can do in years past when it's been more gradual. And what that means is, experts say they'll be experiencing the impacts of this heat all the more and should take more precaution. Tom. Maggie Vespa, leading us off tonight.

here on Top Story. For more on this dangerous seat, I want to bring in Al Roker. Al, there's a lot of red on your map tonight. What cities are you watching over the next few days? Well, Tom, we are looking at Davenport, Iowa, Fort Wayne. We're looking at Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston. Seventy-one million people impacted on this, and we'll probably see those numbers grow as we move into tomorrow. Plus, we've got a fire weather threat from central into the Southern California and parts of the Rockies because of the dry conditions and these hot temperatures. But this week, high temperatures, 90 or above, 264 million of us, from California to the northeast, all the way down to Florida and the Gulf Coast. And take a look at these temperatures.

Tomorrow, we're looking at records possible. Grand Rapids at 93, Cleveland, 94, Hartford, 94. Bangor, Maine, 90 degrees. Charleston, 95. And over the next few days, heading into the latter part of the week, Manchester, triple digits. It's New York City low to mid-90s, Pittsburgh, mid-90s, Cincinnati, the same thing. And the heat indexes, Tom, will actually be well into the triple digits. All right, while we're tracking the heat throughout the country, I also know we're watching a tropical disturbance in the Gulf.

Get us up today on that. All right, so here's the deal. Because we've had really, really warm water temperatures in the Gulf and the southeast and Atlantic, we already have potential tropical cyclone 1, 380 miles southeast of La Pesca, Mexico, 40-mile-per-hour winds moving northwest at 7. So here's, we've actually got a track on this thing now. By Wednesday night into Thursday morning, it makes landfall in Mexico. But look at the rainfall. Because of all the rainfall, we're looking at with this system, we've got a moderate flood risk from Corpus Christie all the way to Lake Charles. We're going to be watching this flash flooding possible.

Why? Because we're talking about upwards of 7 to 10 inches of rain from Brownsville all the way to Houston. And if that's not enough, we've got some severe weather popping tonight. Nine million people tonight into tomorrow from Baker's Rapid City, Watertown, Duluth, and Minneapolis, with strong tornadoes possible. Large hail and Tom, we're looking at wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour. All right, we're going to have to keep an eye on all that extreme weather. Al, we appreciate that. Now to power and politics with less than five months to go until the presidential election, President Biden now honing in on former President Trump's felony conviction as the likely GOP candidate attempts to court black voters as well. Here's NBC's Haley Jackson with the details.

Former President Trump huddling at Mar-a-Lago today with House Speaker Mike Johnson assigned Mr. Trump's cementing support inside his party even as he looks beyond it. In Michigan, trying to peel off the backing of more black voters from President Biden campaigning at a Detroit church. He's been the worst president for black people. Mr. Trump, blasting President Biden for his role as a senator crafting a controversial crime bill, critics say contributed to mass incarceration. A line of attack he used in his unsuccessful race against President Biden in 2020. He wrote the 1994 crime bill that you talk about so much. I guess everybody here knows about that, especially if you happen to be black. A warning sign for President Biden, new polling showing he's struggling to reach the massive margins he's.

he had with black voters in battlegrounds, Michigan and Pennsylvania last election, now down to around 55 percent support from that traditionally Democratic constituency, compared to 15 percent or less for former President Trump in those states. The Biden campaign criticizing Mr. Trump, saying he has a record of denigrating black Americans. And today, in a new ad, signaling a plan to attack the former president's felony conviction. This election is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for you. your family. The sharp attacks echoed at a glitzy L.A. fundraiser Saturday, as the president warned what could happen to the Supreme Court if Mr. Trump wins again. Well, I think it is one of the

scariest parts. Look, the Supreme Court has never been as out of Kilder as it is today. All right. We want to thank our friend Hallie Jackson for that. For more on the race to the White House, I want to bring in our political pros tonight. Michael Star Hopkins, he's a Democratic strategist and president of Northern Star Strategies, and Lance Trover. He's a Republican. He's a Republican Republican strategist and former campaign spokesperson for presidential candidate Doug Bergam, who is, of course, running for the GOP nomination. We thank you both for joining Top Story tonight. So let's start with the poll that Hallie mentioned in her piece. It shows Biden winning 92% of black voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan. That's 2020. But this year, Biden is only

polling favorably among black voters at around 55%. Let's take a look at that. And then we also want to show something else, right? This is how close the matchups were. were in 2020 in both those states in Pennsylvania and also in Michigan. It shows, you know, we're talking about just percentages here. In the case of Pennsylvania, you know, even less than a percentage point in some regards in some counties. So Michael, I guess my question to you is this, how big of a problem is this for President Biden right now?

Look, neither party should have a monopoly on the black vote. And here, what you're saying is Democrats making a concerted effort to recruit African-American voters recruit African-American politicians and really earn the vote. And what you're seeing from Republicans is Donald Trump come in and not just insult black voters, but really mock the struggles that we've gone through. You know, President Biden talked about the Supreme Court. Well, when you have potentially two to three justices up in the next term, when you have Clarence Thomas talk about rolling back protections under the Civil Rights Act and desegregation,

that's something that's really going to bring African-American voters out. And that's something that you're going to see. I appreciate you giving us the solution. I'm asking you about the problem. How did the Democrats get here, according to this polling? Well, you know, I think that it came from a lot of misinformation and disinformation from Republicans. I think you're seeing a lot of African-American men be really disenchanted with the system in general. You're seeing African-American women outpace African-American men in terms of the job rate,

in terms of the money that they bring home from work. And so that's where I think you're seeing the frustration among African-American men. but they're certainly not going to the Trump campaign. Really, the struggle right now for Democrats is whether they come out to support President Biden or whether they stay home. You broke it down by sex. When you dig a little deeper into the numbers,

where the Democrats are really hurting, at least in these most recent polls, is with black voters under the age of 50. Why do you think that is? You know, I think there's a lot of African-American voters who are younger, who came of age during Barack Obama or came of age during Donald Trump

and really don't remember what it was like pre- Barack Obama, don't know what it was like prior to the chaos of Donald Trump. And so as you see new voters come into the fold, we've got to remind them just how bad it was under President Trump, just how ludicrous the statements he made about supporting people in Charlottesville, how African-American cities are wastelands, things that are just, not just unpopular, but really racist and racially toned. Lance, your reaction to that. The cost of living increases going on in this country, up 20 percent over three years with Joe Biden, is not disinformation.

You talk to anybody out there, black, white, Hispanic, you name it, whatever age. They're all dealing with this cost of living problem. The border problem is not disinformation. It is leading to fentanyl pouring into our country. It is leading to crime in our cities. This isn't disinformation. These are the issues that every single American are dealing with right now, and it all has begun under Joe Biden. And so it's no wonder you're seeing these numbers.

I mean, look, Virginia is now competitive. We've seen numbers on that. Nevada, Trump is winning in areas. And look, I know it's Iowa, but we saw a 20-point delta in Iowa. And what does that mean? Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other states, better watch out. If I'm the Biden campaign, I'm not loving what I'm seeing. I'd say they're different states, the ones that you just grouped together there.

I get they're all Midwest states. I think they're all a little bit different. But I get your point. I do want to run a little bit more of that new Biden campaign attack ad that we saw in Hallie's piece and get your take on the flip side. play it. In the courtroom, we see Donald Trump for who he is. He's been convicted of 34 felonies found liable for sexual assault, and he committed financial fraud. Meanwhile, Joe Biden's been working, lowering health care costs, and making big corporations pay their fair share. This election

is between a convicted criminal who's only out for himself and a president who's fighting for your family. So Michael, the initial reporting that came out after the conviction was that I guess it's been mixed, but there was some reporting that the Biden campaign was going to stay away from this and we're going to go, you know, all in on this. And yet it's been a couple weeks maybe and now this ad comes out and the strategy is clear. You think this is smart? Yeah, it's time to call a spade of spade. Donald Trump is a criminal. He's a 34-time convicted felon. And that's something that Democrats need to talk about. Because at the end of the day, the Trump administration, would like to repeal ACA, which helps black people.

The Biden administration put a cap on how much insulin could be charged, which helps African-American communities. There's a clear record when it comes to the Biden campaign versus the Trump campaign. And at the end of the day, the Trump campaign is not a friend of the African-American community.

That's why you didn't see any black people in that crowd at that church. You know, Lance, looking at that ad, I was just thinking, how is this going to come up in the debate? That's next Thursday. And if they opened that door, if President Biden opens that door, you got to assume that former President Trump is going to attack Hunter Biden.

But if you take a moment and you think about that strategy, the more time they talk about who's a bigger criminal, Donald Trump or Hunter Biden. It's less time you're talking about immigration. It's less time you're talking about the economy. So is this actually a smart play on the Biden team's role on their side? Well, look, again, you noted this. They said they were not going to bring up the conviction. And let's remember the reason they're running this ad now, it kind of reeks of desperation because they've tried. everything else. The Biden campaign spent over $100 million in the course of the spring. And what have we seen? We've seen African-American voters turning against them. We have seen states like Virginia become competitive. We see Trump leading in states like Nevada. So to me, this reeks of a little

bit of desperation and trying to say that, well, you know, everything's been good under me. That's just not the mindset of voters right now. I mean, Donald Trump is out there saying, hey, things are a mess. The border is a mess. The economy's a mess. I'm here to fix it. And that's clearly what is resonating with voters today. Michael, what do you think about it? You think it's smart that they're going after the conviction this early and right now? Absolutely. Look, Donald Trump tried to convince Americans that black voters would support him

because somehow there's a correlation between Donald Trump being a convict and crime among black voters. What we have here is proof that Donald Trump not only doesn't understand black voters, but doesn't care to. The only black people that he can put in front of the camera to support him are people like Byron Donald who think Jim Crow was a good thing. Michael, what do you think President Biden's strategy is going to be going into this debate on Thursday? I think he's going to make a case to the American public of why we're better off now than we

were four years ago when there were a million Americans dead because of COVID, and we were in a free fall in terms of unemployment. And then, you know, I have to ask you, Lance, I mean, do you think that heading into this debate, right, that former President Trump has made a mistake by putting the bar so low, Republicans have gone after Biden's health. They've gone after his age. But by doing so, right, they've lowered the bar on his debate performance. And if he has a good debate, does he blow Trump out of the water and do his poll numbers go up? I think this debate is going to come down to the issues like you were saying. This is going to be, I think what Donald Trump is going to say is, look, we talked

about looking at the past. To go forward, we need to look at the past when I was president. We didn't have inflation that was over 20 percent. We didn't have a border that was completely out of control. I think those are the things you're probably going to hear him talking about next week. Lance, Michael, great having you on Top Story. I've really appreciated this conversation. We do want to head overseas out of the latest on the Israel-Hamas war. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today dissolving his war cabinet after a prominent member resigned. The move comes just days after Israel's military announced a tactical pause to allow more aid into Gaza as the UN warns of catastrophic famine.

NBC International correspondent Matt Bradley reports from the Brewer Crossing where that pauses in effect. This could be the relief starving Ghazans have been waiting for. Hundreds of trucks loaded with food aid, taking advantage of what the Israeli military is calling a tactical pause. For 11 hours each day, starting Saturday, Israel has pledged to stop fighting on a roadway leading from the Karam Shalom crossing deeper into Gaza. This new initiative, which began on Saturday, allows the international organizations to move on the route without having to first coordinate.

This gives them greater flexibility, and we hope to see it. increase the amount of aid making its way to the humanitarian zone. Aid workers have been in dire need of protection. The United Nations said today the Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place for them in the world. At least 250 have been killed there in eight months of war. This tactical pause is supposed to help this much-needed food aid get into the Gaza Strip. But on the Israeli side, the announcement caused confusion and controversy. Right-wing politicians blasted the decision.

Security Minister Itimar Ben-Gavir said, whoever made it is a fool who should not. no longer be in his job. The IDF has been struggling to explain. This is what we call tactical pause. It made a little confusion in the Israeli media. They saw that we're doing a ceasefire, we're not doing a ceasefire. An Israeli official said that when Benjamin Netanyahu heard about the pauses this morning, he called them unacceptable.

The UN warned last week that parts of Gaza face famine-like conditions. Nowadays, a management is a common case that came to the hospital every day. are bearing the brunt. The U.N. said yesterday that 32 people had died of starvation, nearly all of them under age five. This mother says her baby's son is desperate for milk. In many cases, hunger is an added ailment, piled on top of other diseases and wounds of war. Razan Mohaisen is only five years old. She's afflicted with a serious rash in addition to severe malnutrition and a protein deficiency. But amidst the tragedies in Gaza, the U.S. is struggling

to quiet a second front. Amos Hochstein, a senior U.S. diplomat, met with Israeli leaders today to try to prevent a full-on war between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in southern Lebanon. A war there could envelop the entire region, spreading civilian suffering far beyond Israel's borders. And Tom, even as that war continues, the governance of the war seems to be changing very fast. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to fold or disband the so-called war cabinet that had been making day-to-day decisions about how the war is conducted. Instead, he's going to be relying on a kitchen cabinet, more of like a consultative body, to take their place. Now, this was all very expected, ever since Benny

Gantz, about a week ago, decided to resign in protest. But Benny Gantz was known as a relative moderate in a sea of conservatives. So now it looks like the only person, the only people that Benjamin Netanyahu is going to be facing when he governs this war. are the far-right ministers that he appointed. Tom? Matt Bradley, with that major update tonight from Israel. Matt, we appreciate it. Staying overseas to Ukraine now.

Additional U.S. weapons now in the hands of Ukrainian troops, but the help comes as Russia ramps up its war efforts, including the use of so-called glide bombs that Ukraine says are nearly impossible to stop. Our Richard Engel is there on the ground, and a warning to our viewers, some of the images you're about to see are disturbing. Abrams tanks today defend Ukraine's eastern front line near the Russian border.

Resupplies of American weapons are flowing again, and Ukrainian troops tell us they're arriving just in the nick of time. Resupplies of American weapons, including these tanks, are now finally after long delays, making their way to the front lines. And it's making a difference. Ukrainian troops have already been able to slow down a major Russian. offensive. Ukraine is flush at the moment. $60 billion in aid from Congress, $50 billion more from interest on frozen Russian funds. And at a conference on peace in Switzerland over the weekend, the United States was among 80 nations pledging support for Ukraine's territorial integrity.

But a tank commander here tells us he's worried about pressure on Ukraine to make a deal with Russia. Everyone in the West should understand that once we see that we see. succeed more territories to Russia, it will not stop. And Ukrainians have a more immediate problem, a Russian technological innovation, so-called glide bombs. This shopping center was hit by just two glide bombs, and the impact was devastating. Russia has vast quantities of old-fashioned-style bombs, and by attaching wings and a basic

guidance system to them, Russia has not only managed to extend their range, but turned them into precision weapons that Ukraine has been struggling to deal with. Surveillance video captured the moment of the attack. Officials say 19 Ukrainians were killed, including two children. President Zelensky says Russia is now firing 3,000 glide bombs a month. Commanders tell us they don't have an effective way to stop them. Seeking more weapons for his war here in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin tomorrow travels to North Korea, which has been providing Russia with large quantities of artillery shells.

Richard Engel for us tonight, still ahead the murder suspect on the run, an inmate escaping custody at a Mississippi courthouse. After surveillance images captured him leaving out of shackles and in street clothes, how authorities believe he slipped away from officers and why they think he has crossed state lines. Plus, cases of flesh-eating bacteria surging to record levels in Japan, health officials say, it can kill a person in just 48 hours, what we know so far. And new border policy? The announcement expected from the Biden administration that could possibly prevent half a million migrants in the U.S.

from being deported. Stay with us. We're back now with a manhunt for an escaped inmate wanted for multiple violent crimes, including murder. He managed to somehow slip away from authorities at the courthouse in Mississippi, get out of his shackles and seemingly walk out the front door. Guad Venegas has the latest on the search now spanning across state lines.

Tonight, an urgent multi-state manhunt for a murder suspect. On Friday, authorities say 30-year-old Joshua Zimmerman escaped from a courthouse in Hernando, Mississippi, about 26 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. This individual is very violent. He's conniving. He will do anything he can't. to try to allude. According to officials, Zimmerman was transported from jail to the courtroom

with a group of other inmates, but he disappeared as he was in line to enter. In the process of walking up the stairs, Zimmerman basically just cut from the line and went through and unlocked door in the stairwell. Surveillance images released from the DeSoto Sheriff's Office show Zimmerman emerge out of shackles and in street clothes. The district attorney telling us his office is now wondering what happened behind that door. There's a lot of questions about, you know, how does that happen? You know, how do you get out of the shackles? How do you change clothes and then just walk out of the building? Authorities telling us they believe a stranger unknowingly helped him cross state lines into Tennessee. We believe that someone, a good Samaritan, gave him a ride

from Hernando to Memphis. As of right now, we still believe he's in the Memphis area. At the time of his escape, Zimmerman was facing attempted murder and armed robbery charges in Mississippi, but fled before entering a plea. U.S. Marshals say he was also wanted in the state of Texas for a murder in Houston. He obviously has the capability to travel and, you know, we want everybody to be on the lookout. Authorities are warning he should be considered armed and dangerous, and they are offering a $10,000 reward for any information that may lead to his arrest. All right, Guad vanegas joins us tonight from the Telemundo Center of Miami. You know, Well, you listen to that report and you just asked yourself, how could this happen, right?

He gets out of the shackles, the door is unlocked. He has closed there. What else did the district attorney tell you about the way this man was able to escape? Tom, the district attorney has a lot of questions, the same questions we have. Now, here's the key thing. He himself has not been able to see those security videos. It's the sheriff's office that has the videos. When we spoke, he told me that he was able to get that screenshot, the image from someone. Then he verified that in the district attorney was able to see it. But he hasn't been able to see those videos. And also that building, security for that building, is controlled by the sheriff's office.

So it's going to be their investigation that will reveal some of those details. Now, the sheriff's office, Tom, did share more information, details that we have shared here, and the photos of what the suspect looks like with a beard and without a beard because they believe he could have shaven that facial hair to change his appearance. So they want people to keep that in mind, Tom. And he looks pretty different without the beard. All right, Gua, we thank you for that. When we come back, did you hear about the new social media warning that could be coming, the U.S. Surgeon General, saying social media sites should have a warning label on them,

similar to those on cigarettes, cigarette boxes, why he says the apps pose an emergency health risk to kids and teens? All right, back now with Top Stories News Feed, we start with the horrific house fire in Georgia that left six people dead, including three kids. Aerial footage showing firefighters trying to put out those flames which officials say engulfed over 50% of the home. This happened about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. Officials say 11 people were inside the home at the time. The victims range in age from 6 to 70 years old. No word yet on what caused that fire. Pega Dongstar, Don Omar, announcing

he has cancer, the Puerto Rican rapper and Grammy Award winner posting a photo of a hospital bracelet with the caption, Today I do, but tomorrow I won't have cancer. The 46-year-old did not release any more details about his diagnosis. He's currently on tour and so far has not canceled or postponed any dates. And the Biden administration planning to announce a policy protecting the undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens. Four sources on Capitol Hill telling NBC News that the new executive action would shield around 500,000 people from deportation. The sources say in the program would also make it easier for some undocumented spouses to obtain work permits. The action is expected to be challenged in court.

Okay, now to the latest concerns surrounding social media, the U.S. Surgeon General sounding the alarm about the mental health risk for children using these apps, even saying that the social platform should come with warning labels like tobacco. Here's Tom Costello with more. The stark warning from the nation's top doctor accelerates a national push to limit kids' access to social media. In the New York Times, the Surgeon General writes, the mental health crisis among young people is an emergency, and social media has emerged as an important contributor. On today, Dr. Murthy said adolescents average five hours per day on social media. When adolescents spend more than three hours a day on social media, we're seeing an association with a doubling of risk of anxiety and depression symptoms.

Surgeon General Murthy wants congressional approval to add a warning label on social media, much like, like the warning on cigarettes. Research suggests texts, posts, and online bullying can undermine kids' self-confidence, especially body image, with some taking their own lives. Many of them say that they can't get off it, because the platforms are often designed to maximize how much time our kids are spending on them.

You have blood on your hands. In January, top social media CEOs faced bipartisan fury. CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologized to victims' families insisting, meant of Facebook is working to reduce social media's harmful effects. To make sure that no one has to go through the types of things that your families have to set this up. The Surgeon General recommends phone-free zones at school and at home during meals, bedtime, and social gatherings. And kids should have no access to social media until they're out of middle school.

I think we're going to find out just how addictive this stuff is. I have an unhealthy relationship with these things. I can admit that. And so to let my kids into it, they're not ready. Jacqueline Brosting says her kids can wait until they're 16. 10-year-old David says he's in no rush for a phone. People are always staring at them in like restaurants and like literally everywhere they go. And like that makes me feel like bad.

And I don't like that. Meanwhile, New York is set to become the first day to prohibit social media companies from using algorithms to target children. While the L.A. Unified School District could soon join others, in banning cell phones during the school day. Back to you. All right, we thank Tom Costello for that. Next up, Global Watch and a check of what else is happening around the world.

We start with a tourist who has been found dead in Greece. The body of an American man was discovered on a remote beach, on a small island west of Corfu. He was last seen on Tuesday at a cafe. Multiple tourists have been found dead in Greece in recent weeks amid a heat wave. Another American, a retired L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy, we told you about on Friday, is here? still missing. Okay, cases of a highly dangerous and deadly bacteria infection are surging in

Japan. Japan's health ministry is reporting a record 977 cases of the syndrome which experts say can kill a person in 48 hours. It also has a 30% mortality rate. The capital city of Tokyo appears to be a hotspot. Officials say the condition is caused by the strep A bacteria, but they are still investigating why there's a jump in cases. And Haiti removing its national police chief amid ongoing gang violence in the country. Haiti's new government ousting the chief saying he was not doing enough to protect officers from gang attacks, a local nonprofit showing 120 officers have been killed under his leadership. According to a UN report, the heavily underfunded department has 4,000 officers for a population

of more than 11 million. All right, coming up next on Top Story, our spotlight interview about the voting block that could decide the next election, why veteran political consultant Mike Madrid is dubbing the Latino century, this century, and why he says more and more Latinos are moving to the right. But what both Democrats and Republicans are still getting wrong

trying to mobilize that base. The interview right after this break. We are back now with our spotlight series and a look at the changing landscape of Latino voters in this country as the 2024 presidential election rapidly approaches. That's the focus of Mike Madrid's book, the Latino century, how America's largest minority is transforming democracy.

It's out next week on June 25th, and he joins Top Story Tonight. Mike, thanks so much for being here. You've consulted political candidates, mostly on the GOP side, but also some Democrats, on Latino voters. You were once part of the Lincoln Project. In your book, you say the Latino electorate is relating less to the Democratic Party and more to the GOP, even going so far as to label them the new Reagan Democrats. Why? Mainly because of this large demographic shift that is happening between the college-educated and non-college-educated voter. Latinos are rapidly filling the ranks of those that work with their hands, hard hat-wearing

blue-collar workers, people that are, you know, working in the energy patch, working in the agricultural space, swinging hammers on construction sites, and increasingly they're voting like their peers, their non-Hispanic white peers. And so it shouldn't come as a surprise to us as both coalitions and the parties are changing that Latinos are voting far more as economic and pocketbook-issue voters than they were as racial or ethnic voters in the past. And you decided to write the book, you say, because you thought both Republicans and Democrats were getting Latino voters wrong.

How? Well, the main reason is because Democrats tend to focus more on those racial and ethnic issues, specifically the immigration issue. Republicans, for their part, tends to dismiss it entirely, saying things like if you just drop the hyphen and not focus on being anything but American, quote-unquote, American, then you can kind of join us and be a part of what we're doing here. The reality is Latinos are a blend of both of those. There is a racial sensitivity to some of the challenges facing this country, but they're also

overwhelmingly driven by these economic pocketbook issues, and both parties, have sought to polarize their electorates to such an extent that Latinos are really in the middle. Latino voters are the moderate voters in both parties. And the party that's able to capture the hearts, minds, and votes of an aspirational, multi-ethnic working class will be the party, the dominant party of the next generation.

And for the moment, both parties are struggling to kind of come to terms with that. I think black voters, I think Hispanic voters, are going to be the deciding factor come 2024. I want to put some stats up on the screen. for our viewers, so they can kind of see what I'm talking about here. First, the Latino voters make up about 25% of eligible voters in Arizona, 22% in Nevada, and then single digits in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Based on what you've seen, Republicans are oftentimes winning the Latino vote lately. They've done kind of very well, or at least, increasing on their percentages. Why do you think that's happening? Do you think it has to do with economic policies strictly? It has, the largest amount of this is absolutely economics, and the word that nobody is using here is affordability. The Democrats and the Biden campaign will talk about binomics and the success of the S&P 500 or how the Dow 30 is doing. The reality is one in five Hispanic men work in the housing industry or related field. These are voters that have been flummoxed and hit hard by the economic impacts of a tree.

of the tripling of interest rates and the devaluation of our currency by about 20%. It's quantifiably true to say that four or five years ago, these voters were financially better off, and they're looking for an alternative where somebody can actually speak to the pain that they feel, and that's not what they're hearing right now. I want to show some other polling that's happened more recently in battleground states. You have Biden leading Trump 45% to Trump's 42%, a close margin. Back in 2020, though, that gap was much wider. Biden winning Hispanic voters by 21% in the election.

So I guess the key question is, right? From everything you're seeing, are Latino voters gravitating towards Trump, or are they turning off Biden? That's a fantastic question, and let me say this. Republicans are winning an increasing share of the Latino vote despite their best efforts, not because of them. If you look at governors, Republican governors, like Ron DeSantis in Florida, Greg Abbott in Texas, Doug Deucey, the former Republican governor of Arizona, they all have one thing in common. They all did better at the same or better levels with Hispanic voters than Donald Trump. The same is true of Republican Congressional House candidates throughout the entire country.

All of that is very, very strong evidence that if Donald Trump were not in the way, Republicans would be doing even better with Hispanic voters. So it's not that Donald Trump is doing anything specific to appeal to these voters. It's that the underlying economic currents that are transforming the economy are driving Latinos in this direction. They're not getting any of the economic relief or policy solutions that they're looking for. That's why I wrote this book. There just are not enough Republicans to defect from Donald Trump left to offset. the defection of Latinos to Donald Trump and the Republican Party, and that's, you know,

unfortunately, square on Biden's campaign at this point in time. There's time to fix it, but time's running out here. Talk to our viewers, because a lot of Democrats, sometimes you hear them, especially during this election, the Biden-Harris re-election campaign will focus on the threat to democracy, right? That Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. Is that resonating with Latino voters? Because some of the conventional wisdom, sometimes you hear, when you hear these debates is that a lot of these people have left countries where there are dictators. They've seen dictators up close and they would never want that again. Are those arguments working for Latino voters? Because I know you're saying it's all about economics for them because maybe

they're so busy thinking about their paycheck. They're thinking about how expensive things are. They don't have time to think right now about the threats to democracy because they're worried about how they're going to pay the bills next week. You just articulated it perfectly. That's the way. working class, lower working class, lower middle class folks think is they've got, they're worried about paying the rent on Friday. They're worried about whether their kids are going to be able to join the soccer league next Saturday. They're not focused on these broader threats. That doesn't mean that that's a bad message incidentally. But it does mean that there has to be a concerted

effort to speak to Latinos where 30 years of polling have been telling us, screaming at us, where they're at, economics, job opportunities, affordability. Latinos, again, is the fastest-growing segment of the blue-collar workforce overwhelmingly work in industries that view the Democratic Party as an existential threat to their incomes. We're talking about the energy patch. We're talking about construction. We're talking about agriculture, manufacturing, mining, forestry. All of these industries view the Democratic Party as a threat to their ability to provide an income.

It doesn't have to be that way. can get back to their working-class routes and fight for these votes. In fact, I would argue they're going to have to if they win this election. There's not enough votes to be peeled off Republicans. They have to get moderate Latino votes back in the fold, and I think they're going to have to get it together pretty quickly. Why did you call your book The Latino Century? The main reason is because in eight short years,

America for the first time in her history, will be a non-white country, driven almost entirely by the growth in Latino voters, and it's Latinos this century that are bringing the same aspirational qualities that we called the American century last century. What I mean by that is there's a high level of trust and confidence in American institutions and in the American experiment itself with Latinos to renew and refresh and revalue a lot of what we have lost culturally as a country where we no longer believe in the American. in many ways, in democracy itself.

Latinos, average age as 30 years or younger, overwhelmingly have this belief in trust and confidence in it, and if we're going to survive, I believe we will. It will be largely in part because of the culture values and principles that Latino voters are bringing to the voting booth every election cycle. Mike Madrid, the book is called The Latino Century, how America's largest minority is transforming democracy again. It's out next week.

He's got it right there. Mike, we appreciate it. Thanks for being on Top Story tonight. When we come back, 25 years of The Sopranos, I sat down with the cast of the hit TV series as a new documentary prepares to take a look back at how that beloved show was made, what they told me about getting cast in a role

that changed their lives, how they film those unforgettable scenes, and why they think the show keeps bringing in new fans decades since it first aired. Stay with us. Finally, tonight, celebrating the 12th, 25th anniversary of one of TV's greatest series, The Sopranos. With the release of a new documentary right around the corner, I sat down with the cast

to talk about the show's lasting impact and remember the men behind some of the series' best characters. Take a look. 25 years ago, America met Tony Soprano. Listen, if you don't like that ram, I'll build you another one. A family man. Where to go, Meadow! A businessman. Who do you think you are?

I'm the person who says how things go. That's who I think I am. And a ruthless gangster. You took it out, and you broke it. The cast of The Sopranos, along with creator David Chase, sat down with today at the Tribeca Film Festival to mark the 25th milestone with the premiere of a new documentary, Wise Guy, David Chase and the Sopranos. Why are we still talking about the Sopranos 25 years later?

Why? because the writing was incredible, because of streaming, it's all over the world. More people watch the Sopranos now than watched it when it was on originally. David, Tony was a ruthless killer, and yet America loved him. Why do you think that was? They're ruthless killers. They loved him because Jim had some magic in him, but you saw this damaged heart or something in that character.

Are you in the Mafia? The HBO show America couldn't get enough of ran for six seasons, 86 one-hour episodes, millions tuned in. Actor Steve Sharipa, a comedian at the time, remembers watching season one and then getting cast in the show. I was like an out-of-body experience. I said, I just watched these guys last week. Now I'm here in Jim's trailer,

studying lines with Dominic and Jim, and it was like, am I really here? How did I get here? And then they sent me to script, and there was all these fat jokes. Tony says, you're a cow's on with legs. Consider eating salads. And I'm going, I'm not that much fatter than Jim. Jamie Lynn Siegler and D'Amato thought they were auditioning

for something completely different, a show about opera. For the pilot, everyone said clean slate, here in a ponytail, you know, always look very basic. And when I got there, I was like, this is about Italian. And I didn't look the part at all. And from what I remember, they called me and they said, David likes you, but he doesn't think you're very Italian, but he would like you to just play this part as a hostess in the...

He's like, you're kind of Connecticut-like. And I was like Connecticut-like. I don't know. Jamie, I heard that after your audition, you asked David if you needed to sing. All the information I was given was a 16-year-old Italian-looking girl for a show called Sopranos. I come from a musical theater background, so I was stoked thinking it was going to be singing for television.

So I think I remember kind of looking around, noticing there's no accompanist or like, so should I sing a cappella? And I remember David telling me that was not necessary. So they pay us 40 times a month if we're stealing a stop. When casting the show, Chase was very clear on who he wanted. It was important for you, David, to cast Italian Americans, right? You thought that was important.

Why were you steadfast? when you talk to your casting directors about that. I wouldn't even hire Italian Americans from Chicago actors because they didn't have the right accent. And they didn't have the, you know, Mark Twain said something about, yeah, my wife curses, but she doesn't have the tune right. And that's what I felt about actors who were Italian-American but didn't come from this little area here,

just didn't bring true to me. That's where I grew up. Tonya there? Part of the success of the show was a perfect balance of drama and comedy. But there were a lot of characters who came and went, especially when they crossed Tony. Joe, I want to ask you about this one, where Tony killed you, that choking, that fight scene. What do you remember about shooting that scene and the actor?

I remember that if I had 20 more pounds on Tony, the show would have been called the Ciperettos. And one of the most memorable goodbyes, when Adriana cooperates with the. FBI, leading Tony to get rid of him. No, no, please. De Mateo saying the acting came natural because inside, she was so sad to leave the show. At that point, I had really made my peace with the fact that I was leaving. This is as you as a person, you're saying? Yes, I think that was, that one for me was not the hardest to portray on the camera.

The one that was really hard for me was when I confessed to him and he chokes me. That scene for me was the end of the show. So, David, I read you didn't want the audience, or at least you didn't write that the audience could see her being killed. I didn't want to see her. Explain that. Why did you make that choice? I didn't want it.

Were you just emotionally? I loved her, yeah, and I loved the character, and I just couldn't. It was the only person who ever got away with it without having blood in their head. I just didn't want to see it. The cast, who were together for years, still consider each other family. It's hard to remember a life for me before these people, because of all the stuff they had to go through to get, you know, people wanted to act for 10, 20, 30 years where for me I was 12 years old and I was like, yeah, I think isn't everyone on a great show with great actors and great writers and great directors and it felt like normal to me, you know. It was so collaborative and I felt very accepted and respected and appreciated.

Since the show first premiered, the cast has stayed in touch, but also has suffered tremendous loss. Tony Serico, who played Pauly Walnuts, died in 2022. He was a very loyal guy. Tony and Pauley are won, and they broke the mold when they made Tony Serrico. He was a wonderful guy. I believe he was largely responsible for the success of that show. And the shocking death of Jim Gandalfini, who played the Pins. patriarch on the show, but also a patriarch to the cast.

I felt protected by him and loved by him, and he really was one of kind, and I feel very lucky to have been guided by him for as long as I was. You know, as great an actor as he was, he was an even better guy. The cast still find moments of levity with each other, an old story. An inside joke, or a song from Dominic Canezy, who played Junior. Please don't talk about us when we go on or something like that. And for all of them, it's easy to understand and explain why the Sopranos are still part of our life 25 years later. Listening to all this, and you asking these questions, it's bringing back all these scenes with these amazing people, amazing actors.

and all of them, not stiff in the bunch. And it's just so heartfelt for me and so fun. I mean, it's making me laugh, and they were all so good. And if you've never seen The Sopranos, it is still streaming right now on Max. We thank you so much for watching Top Story Tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.