Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, June 2, 2025

Episode Date: June 3, 2025

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 attacker who allegedly targeted a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado with a makeshift flamethrower charged today as we learn more about the victims. New video of the horrific attack, smoke rising up over the rally, people fleeing, others grabbing water and rushing into help, investigators revealing new details about the attacker. How long he planned it and what his ultimate intentions were. Plus the number of victims rising to 12, one of them, a Holocaust. survivor. The brutal cross-examination in the Sean Diddy Combs trial, the defense going after a victim of his alleged abuse, and the surprising comments from the other rat mogul now behind bars

speaking out about that case. Unprecedented drone attack, new videos of Ukrainian drones torching Russian warplanes inside of Russia, a mission 18 months in the making, and our NBC News exclusive reporting how Russia is using cheap hobby drones to target civilians. This woman hit while on her bike, seen here, speaks out to top story. Running for their lives, heart-pounding videos of tourists in Sicily, scrambling to safety after Mount Etna erupted. The cost of denial, our new series on America's battles with insurance companies, how a young man died because he couldn't afford his asthma inhaler,

what you should do if your price is suddenly spike. Fair play? The trans athlete who dominated track and field championships in California, and the new rule that other competitors can, also be declared the winner. And bear at the beach, the unexpected sunbather on the Florida coast, splashing in the water, racing through the sand, and get this, ending up inside of a condo. Plus, Broadway blow up why hundreds of actors united against a stage legend and why Patty Lepone finally apologized. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. Tonight the June. Jewish community on edge after that horrifying attack at a rally in Colorado for Israeli hostages. Officials revealing new details about the ambush. The suspect wielding a makeshift flamethrower, police saying he intentionally set people on fire. Disturbing videos showing the moment fireballs are thrown. The suspect catching himself on fire, ripping off his own shirt. You see him here, people quickly scrambling to help the injured. Any doctor here?

Please green water. There's a girl on fire over there. You can see, you can hear that chaotic aftermath as people race to get water and anything to help those suffering from burns. Officers rushing in with guns drawn to detain the suspect. Video from afar showing the smoke billowing above the outdoor mall. Right now, the number of victims increasing to a dozen, including, get this, a Holocaust survivor.

And this chilling close-up of the suspect, you see him right there, right there holding two devices. He reportedly shouted, free Palestine as he hurled Molotov cocktails at the crowd. Here's what we know about the man allegedly behind the attack. The FBI saying Mohamed Sabri Solomon is an Egyptian national who sought asylum in the U.S. He reportedly planned the attack for a year and now faces more than 40 state charges, including attempted murder and a federal hate crime. Video shows police descending on the suspect's home, searching his property for more clues. At this hour, we're looking at this hour. We're looking at learning more about his background and new questions emerging over his immigration status.

We have a lot to get to this evening on this story. Let's start with NBC's Morgan Chesky in Boulder, Colorado. Tonight, this new video appears to show the moment a man unleashed a fiery attack on a peaceful pro-Israel rally. The man hurling Molotov cocktails and using a makes-a-flamethrower to set multiple people on fire, now facing hate crime and attempted murder charges. To see the fire under their legs in trying to pull friends out of the fire. This is what's stuck in my head. Officials say at least 12 people were injured in the targeted act of violence on Sunday in Boulder.

He's right there. He's throwing Molotov cocktails right there. Witnesses say they heard the man shout, free Palestine. Tonight officials releasing chilling new details on how they say 45-year-old Egyptian National Mohammed Solomon plotted the attack. Mr. Solomon stated that he had been planning this attack for a year. And he acted because he hated what he called the Zionist group. According to an affidavit, Solomon told investigators he posed as a gardener to get as close as possible to the group. He said that he had previously tried to purchase a firearm, but resorted to the Molotov cocktails when he could not purchase a gun because he was not illegal.

citizen. Officials say he threw two Molotov cocktails, but it stashed 16 more. He said he wanted them all to die. He had no regrets, and he would go back and do it again. They said he wore a backpack sprayer, which he filled with gasoline, spraying gas on himself. He said because he had planned on dying. The Department of Homeland Security says he overstated tourist visa and had applied for asylum. President Trump posting, this is yet another example of why we must keep our border secure. The 12 victims range in age from 52 to 88 years old, one a Holocaust survivor, now fighting to recover from severe burns. She knows what it was like to be a child as a refugee and goes around telling stories not just to fight anti-Semitism, but to stop the

hatred of other people who are also looking for a better future in this community. Tessky joins us now live from Boulder, Colorado. Morgan, people are going to be listening to this story in your report, wondering why there aren't terror charges yet. This looked like terror, it sounds like terror, those victims likely felt terror. Do we know if more charges are coming? Yeah, Tom, investigators have said that this investigation is just truly beginning, and that is despite hate crime charges and state charges already being filed.

They are digging into evidence that they've already recovered, specifically a journal and a phone that they've, found at Solomon's home in Colorado Springs when FBI agents executed a search warrant there. Those two items, Tom, are very interesting to investigators because they say that Solomon left those behind intentionally for his family and then drove here to Boulder to pull off the attack saying that whenever he said goodbye to his wife and his five children, he truly believed that he would not survive the attack that he planned on these very grounds right behind me. A horrific attack.

All right, Morgan Chesky, leading us off here in Top Story. Morgan, we thank you. Now to the chaos breaking out on the streets of San Diego. Have you seen this video? ICE agents raiding a popular restaurant there during Happy Hour last week, detaining multiple employees and sparking a tense standoff with locals and protesters outside. Our Liz Croyd is in San Diego with the latest. Shame, shame, shame, shame.

Tonight, viral video showing the chaos. You just stand back. Protesters confronting ICE agents after a surprise raid on a popular Italian restaurant in San Diego. Agents setting off what appeared to be flashbang grenades to disperse crowds around their vehicle. This witness asked not to be identified, fearing retribution. This isn't freedom. This is fascism. DHS saying the devices allowed agents to leave as safely as possible and that officers were executing search warrants for violations of hiring and harboring illegal aliens, arresting four subjects illegally in the U.S.

It comes as NBC News has learned top Trump aide Stephen Miller held a meeting screaming at ICE officials to arrest more undocumented immigrants, according to two sources who spoke with attendees. Miller setting a new quota of 3,000 arrests per day to include more than just migrants with criminal records. President Trump says he's keeping his campaign pledge to reverse Biden's border policies. They were pouring into our country by the millions, but we're moving a man. In Massachusetts, ICE officials announcing the arrest of nearly 1,500 undocumented immigrants last month, including some convicted of murder and child rape. These are not immigrants. They are criminals. But there were protests after an 18-year-old high school junior was arrested on his way to volleyball practice.

DHS says they never intended to apprehend him, but discovered he was in the U.S. illegally while looking for his father. Liz Kreutz joins us tonight from San Diego, from that restaurant. So, Liz, what else are you hearing more about what happened at that restaurant, that raid in San Diego, and a lot of businesses across the country are now dealing with this new reality? Yeah, I think this is just a reminder that there's more of this potentially to come, and that's what some of the ICE officials said, well, they were addressing the situation in Massachusetts, saying you should expect ICE officials to be in your community 24-7 here at the restaurant. They're dealing with the aftermath here, but there's this huge outpouring of support with people, as you can see, dropping flowers, a science here saying, we support you.

The restaurant owner declined our request for an interview, but has released statements saying that that raid was nothing short of traumatic, Tom. All right, Liz, Liz, for us with that video and the story from San Diego, Liz, we thank you. The Sean Diddy Combs criminal trial now in its fourth week. Today, the defense cross-examining a key witness, a former personal assistant to Combs, who testified he subjected her to years of emotional and and sexual abuse. Chloe Malas tonight speaking with Diddy's former roommate on camera and what she and other journalists noticed about a juror inside the courtroom.

Here's Chloe. Tonight, Sean Diddy Combs' former personal assistant telling the jury she never shared with anyone that Combs sexually assaulted her until June 2024. Testifying under the pseudonym Mia to protect her identity, she said it took her two months after her first meetings with prosecutors to share the allegations.

When asked why during cross-examination, by Combs' defense attorney Brian Steele, Mia said, because I was terrified and brainwashed. Steele today also presenting to the jury's several complimentary messages between Mia and the music mogul, including some from years after she was laid off. In one from July 2022, Mia texted Combs about his Netflix documentary, writing in part,

Hey, saw our doc on Netflix top 10. Congrats, miss you. Combs writing, love, love, love. To which Mia responds, and I love, love, love you. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Today outside court, I spoke with Rich Parker, a college friend of Combs. The character of the person that I know is someone that was jovial, love music. More support for Combs coming from an unlikely source.

One of his longtime rivals, record label founder Shug Knight, who is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for manslaughter. Knight telling CNN. If he do tell his truth, he really would walk. Chloe Malas joins us tonight from outside that courthouse in downtown Manhattan. Chloe, you were there in the courtroom today and watching the jury. I know you and other journalists noticed something. Talk to me about what you guys noticed. Yeah, I mean, when you're in the courtroom, Tom, you're so close to Diddy

and you can really watch these witnesses. But my eyes today were really on the jurors. And there was one in particular that did not have a poker face. You know, in the movies, you see the jurors and they look just like so straight face. Well, she was kind of laughing and smiling and rolling her eyes. I mean, it was quite shocking to watch. And I also noticed this on Friday. So it's going to be interesting to see how this case progresses.

But remember, prosecutors, they still have about this week and next week. And then Combs' legal team, they get to put on their case. And this whole thing is going to wrap up around the 4th of July. Tom. All right, Chloe Malas for us. Chloe, we thank you for your insight there. For more on today's testimony, NBC News Legal Analyst, Danny Savalas, joins us tonight here on top story.

Danny, let's pick up where Chloe left off there. What can we infer from that juror's reactions? You really never can make a decision based on a juror's appearance in the courtroom. Sometimes if they're smiling or even nodding or going along, you may find out at the end of the case that was the juror that was totally against your case or that you had pegged as being one way and they went another way. So there's really not much to read on that. Even in a case of sexual assault and sexual trafficking and a RICO case, racketeering, I should say, I mean, If I was the prosecution, I might be a little concerned, but I know you're the professional. No, you're exactly right. And reading juror's behavior is an exercise in astrology.

It's really impossible to know. Attorneys will tell you, including me, that they've had experiences where they feel like they've got a connection with a juror. They're smiling at them or nodding. And then they find out at the end of the case, they hated the lawyer, hated the case, and voted against them. So it's really hard to say whether or not that kind of conduct is indicative of anything other than possible. possibly something that could get the juror tossed if they're really disruptive. So this happened during the cross-examination of the person going by the name Mia, a former assistant to Diddy.

And I bring this up because the defense was pretty tough on Mia there. What can we draw from that? I mean, I guess the big question is, if he was such a terrible person, if he sexually assaulted you, why did you stay with him? Why did you send him those loving texts? Yeah. First, it's one of the hardest things to do to cross-examine victims, not only of sexual violence, but victims in general.

But defense attorneys have to have to do it, especially in a case where the defense's theory of the case is that the witness is making up the story. You have to attack the credibility and by asking why did you keep coming back, which is a theme for this defense. Many of these witnesses have come and testified that Diddy was this horrible person, abusive, violent, and in almost every instance, there's been evidence that they came back to Dee or wanted to come back to him. We've talked about the prosecution trying to connect the dots here in the case. the charges with these witnesses. Now today we saw the defense connecting the dots when it came to Mia and Cassie, essentially trying to undermine what Cassie was saying as well because Mia was saying, yeah, he supported her dreams, he was helping her on tour and all that. Does that hurt one of the star witnesses for the prosecution? It does, but is it fatal to her testimony? Maybe

not. I mean, it really, it's all part of the idea that these witnesses are all fabricating and it's just not believable what they're testifying to because if this person, did he was so horrible, none of these people would have come back. They wouldn't have continued to work for him. They wouldn't have continued to date him. But, of course, the government's theory is that he had them in his sway. I know this is not the basketball finals. I know there's not four quarters to this. But right now, as a legal expert, who is on top here? The government, number one, it's their case. But number two, they've already adduced, in my view, enough evidence, at least to some of the charges. For example, the Man Act. It's one of the

charges we don't talk about as much. But all that requires is interstate travel and prostitution. Have they elicited enough testimony to get to a conviction on that charge alone? I believe they have. The question is whether or not that evidence is credible. And if it's not, then there won't be a conviction. But have they made out enough for a conviction so far? Yes, as to at least some of the charges. Danny, C for us tonight. Danny, always great to have you here. We thank you. Overseas now to Ukraine's major drone attack on Russia. The attacks, thousands of miles away from the front lines carried out with small commercial-style drones. This is a new A new report exclusively obtained by NBC News details Russia's use of similar drones to target civilians.

NBC's Ellison Barber with this one. Follow in it all for us. This is the POV of a Ukrainian drone, closing in on Russian military aircrafts and torching them. In Ukraine's most daring attack yet of the war, some 117 drones destroyed 41 warplanes worth billions of dollars. It's the latest in what has become a brutal war. from above. Each side launching drones at the other. This past weekend, Russia sent nearly 500 drones into Ukraine in one of its largest aerial attacks of the war. But those large-scale assaults from Russia are sometimes followed by other more small-scale attacks that allegedly targets civilians. Do you believe the Russian soldiers operating that drone knew you were a civilian

when they targeted you. Yes, they knew I was a civilian, 23-year-old Anastasia told us. This is her on the streets of Hirsan in Ukraine as a drone moves in. The footage posted by a Russian military blogger and verified by NBC News, Anastasia says she felt something bounce off her thigh and then the explosion on the asphalt. Seriously injured and covered in blood, she kept biking and took cover under a bridge. Blood was coming from my neck, she says. As she screamed for help, she lost consciousness.

In a report exclusively obtained by NBC News, human rights watch says Anastasia's case is one of at least 45 deliberate drone attacks they've documented on civilians and civilian objects carried out by Russian forces between June and December of 2024. Do you think this is a new era of warfare? Lucas Ville is an associate director at Human Rights Watch. It's the first time really in the history of warfare that a warring party can carry out attacks with such deadly precision specifically to target civilians. This rendering from Human Rights Watch shows just how easily munitions can be strapped to a

hobby drone, turning it into a deadly weapon. A significant problem and significant challenge. Robert Lee is a senior fellow at the foreign. Policy Research Institute, and one of his specialties is drones on the battlefield. You've got an RPG munition on the bottom. You have the blue thing on top is a battery pack. You duct tape it onto the unit. You change the initiator a little bit.

Now you have a guided weapon that operates at significantly greater distances. And this can be operated at a very tactical level and a very cheap level way. A majority of the attacks tracked by human rights watch used commercial drones manufactured by Chinese companies like DJI. So this is a DJI drone. This one right here cost about 900 bucks, just a little bit under $1,000. I have the manual on my phone right now,

and my producer, who is a licensed drone operator, is gonna help me learn how to use it. So to start it, bring the two down like this. It's been about 30 minutes, and I think I have the basics. And we have lived off. DJI says it does have policies that explicitly prohibit the use of their drones in combat. Other companies say they added geofencing restrictions. Technology built into the drones to prevent them from being used in Russia or Ukraine.

As one person put it to me, you give me one of these drones, you give me five minutes, and I can hack the geo-fens. According to Human Rights Watch, there is no verifiable evidence of Ukrainian forces. using them to target civilians. Civilians in Ukraine, however, say commercial drones are causing indescribable trauma. Anastasia describes her attack as an animalistic one. She says she felt like she was being hunted by Russian forces. And with that, Ellison Barber joins us live in studio. Ellison, we're talking about drones, like you said, you can get at Walmart, Amazon,

children can operate them. So beyond war, what else can we expect from these drones? I mean, they're stunningly easy to use. That's what I realized when I tried it. And what the experts have told us is that they have already started to see this used by militant groups as well as criminal organizations. They say they've tracked the cartels starting to use them in Latin America. They're concerned that can expand moving forward. Now, Russia, they did not respond to our direct request for comments asking about their use of these commercial drones

and the alleged targeting of civilians in Hurson. But in the past, they have adamantly denied that they ever target any civilians. Alison, Barbara, with that big exclusive tonight. Ellison, we thank you for that. We're back just in 60 seconds with the new rules of high school sports, how one state is allowing trans athletes to compete, but now there's more than one first place winner. We're going to explain all of it, plus the bombshell text messages from the former chief investigator of the Karen Reed case, what the jury heard out loud in court today. And flipping to the finish line, the high school hurdler, who did whatever it took to win the race. Stay with us.

We are back now with the latest in that ongoing debate when it comes to transgender athletes competing in high school sports. A new rule in California says that for every medal a trans athlete wins, another may be awarded to a, quote, biological female. That rule seen in action for the first time just this past weekend when a transgender athlete took first place in two track and field events. NBC's David Noriego with this one. These podiums at the high school track and field state championships in California, unlike any in the state's history, not only because the first place winner for both high jump and triple jump, A.B. Hernandez, is transgender. But because she is sharing that top spot with competitors she technically outperformed.

For A.B. Hernandez! It's the result of a first-of-its-kind rule change from the California Interscholastic Federation, CIF, which allows, quote, biological female athletes to compete and potentially earn the same medal that a trans athlete wins. The CIF has not specified how it defines biological female. Hernandez shared the top spot in triple jump with an athlete who trailed her by just over half a meter, and in high jump, with two athletes who matched her 5'7 best, but each had a failed attempt.

I'm nervous right now, you know, state finals back here again. Ahead of the competition, the 16-year-old Hernandez commented. on the pressure and criticism that comes with competing as a trans girl. I'm just so secure in who I am, and I just know that no one's going to break me. Y'all tried, but I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere. Hernandez's mother celebrating her win on Instagram, writing in a statement, quote, watching you rise above months of being targeted, misunderstood, and judged, not by peers, but by adults who should have known better, has left me in awe of your strength.

The CIA announced the new policy ahead of the competition, anticipating Hernandez's participation, which has drawn protests in the state and beyond. I'm here to save my daughters as future. The CIA saying in a statement, it, quote, values all of our student athletes and will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete

while complying with California law. Earlier this week, President Trump warned in a post on truth social that he would pull federal funding from California if Hernandez competed in the state finals. The war on women's sports is over. Referencing this executive order he signed in February, which stipulates the federal government will, quote, rescind all funds from educational programs

that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities. The Department of Justice this week also announcing it would investigate the CIF and Hernandez's school district to determine if they violated federal sex discrimination laws. California Governor Gavin Newsom previously called transathlete participation in sports unfair. I revere sports, and so the issue of fairness is completely legit. His office today releasing a statement that says, in part, quote, CIF's pilot is a reasonable, respectful way to navigate a complex issue without compromising competitive fairness. Adding that the number of active transgender athletes in the state is estimated to be

in the single digits. All right, David Noriega joins us live from L.A. David, are we hearing from the other athletes who competed alongside Hernandez? Well, Tom, all of the tension around this competition seems to have been outside of the competition itself, as you saw from those photos. Hernandez and her fellow competitors were all in a good mood and seemed to be pretty happy to be sharing that top spot. In fact, one of those competitors did speak to the San Francisco Chronicle after the meet and described Hernandez as a superstar and a rock star. Now, that is not always the case in competitions where trans girls perform. This actually just happened shortly after a similar competition in Washington State in Spokane, where a trans athlete won at a state meet and then was

partially criticized by her competitors. Now, we should wait to see what kind of response we get from trans rights groups, LGBT groups, and others to this new rule by the CIAF. But for now, at least when it comes to the students themselves, the competitors themselves, which many people would argue are the most important people here, it seems like this is working pretty well, Tom. All right, at least in this case it is. Okay, David, we appreciate.

Still ahead. On top story, Mount Etna erupts jaw-dropping video as the volcano unleashes a massive plume of smoke. Tourists sent running for their lives, just how unusual is this? We'll explain. And easing the pressure on Newark Airport, the runway finally reopening, could it mean smoother air travel after turbulent few months? Stay with us. All right, we are back down with Top Story's News Feed, Newark Airport, reopening a runway today, 13 days ahead of schedule.

Its closure had contributed to the week of delays and chaos we've all been reporting on. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy making the announcement today, the 11,000-foot-long airstrip had been undergoing planned work after showing significant signs of wear. It had been deemed safe and ready for use by the FAA. Duffy also announcing the airport as repairing critical technology and training new personnel to combat the delays and cancellations. And the future of fortune-telling is looking bright in Pennsylvania, a state lawmaker proposing a new bill that would repeal an 1861 ban on the practice. He says the law is outdated and threatens the livelihood of card readers and other spiritual workers under the current law.

Predicting the future using cards, palms, or other methods is considered a third degree misdemeanor. Wow. Okay, who knew? And new video of a black bear cooling off in Naples, Florida. Look at this. You see the 300-pound male bear swimming around in the Gulf before it comes out of the water, strolls past some bee. beachgoers and into a nearby condo. Yes, he went into the condo. Florida fish and wildlife say it entered a construction area

and workers were able to contain the bear until they arrived. Experts say spring is when bears are more active as they search for food, water, or a mate. That bear will be assessed by veterinarians before being relocated to a more suitable area. Eyes to the sky, the northern lights predicted to be visible across the northeast and Midwest tonight. This time lapse video taken early Sunday morning.

Look how beautiful this is. This is Wyoming when northern lights were visible there. Tonight, millions advised to be on the lookout again before conditions start to weaken. Experts say use a camera or smartphone to capture the best view. This week's latest storm is not expected to reach the historic levels of last May's Aurora show. So beautiful. And a spectacular finish for one Oregon track star. Look at this.

The video shows Brooklyn Anderson clearing hurdles during a track and field championship in Eugene, blowing away the competition, the high school junior taking a clear lead win. The last hurdle, she clips and trips before somersaulting through the finish line, though. Thankfully, Brooklyn was OK and credits her quick thinking and her gymnastics background. She was also way in the lead, the move and her speed earning her first place. All right. Next to dangerous new storm system marching east, the severe weather threat stretching from Texas to Wisconsin. Tomorrow, 17 million people at risk for tornadoes damaging wind and large hail.

And take a look at the smoke streaming into the U.S. from the wildfires in Canada. how far that goes. Air quality alerts now in effect across several states. That thick smoke stretching from Minnesota down into Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and South Carolina. Wow. Those conditions set to expand into Wednesday. Let's get right to NBC News meteorologist Bill Cairns, who joins me now live in studio. We're going to start right there with those fires, Bill. Yeah, just millions of people reporting the sunset, just that red glowing horizon. It's very unusual, and that's all because of the wildfire smoke. We do have those air quality alerts. For the most part, A lot of the smoke has been above the ground, so we haven't been breathing it in and you haven't been able to smell it as much.

But that's going to change a little bit in a few areas. And this is the current smoke, by the way, all the way down to Charleston, South Carolina, even North Florida. As we go into tomorrow, though, the thickest plume of smoke will be drifting over the Ohio Valley. And by tomorrow night between Washington, D.C., Philly, New York, when you watch that sunset, you'll see that red glow, that unusual sunset. And that's because of the smoke that's going to be in the air. We're also tracking the severe weather threat out there. And we are watching this mostly in the plains this evening, Tom. That's where we're seeing the strongest storms, isolated hail, and also some damaging winds are the biggest threat.

Tomorrow we'll watch that threat going from Chicago all the way down through Dallas with numerous severe thunderstorms at this time. And then, Bill, while I have you here, I know we're also tracking that severe weather I mentioned earlier. And I also know that we're on alert tonight. Yeah, as far as the worst of it's going to go, I don't think we're going to deal with too many tornadoes over the next two days. So tomorrow with this line of storms, you know, most part are going to be damaging. We could get winds from 60 all the way up to 80 miles per hour out of this. And the areas of greatest concern is going to be in the slight risk, which will go all the way down, including Dallas-Fort Worth, the San Angelo area, back up to Kansas City. Late at night,

some of this will try to push towards Chicago, but during the daylight hours, we should be just fine there. So airport travel, definitely tomorrow, Tom, will be an issue. Good to know. And Bill, we want you to stand by because we're going to come back to you in just a moment because we're tracking another natural disaster. But this time in Italy, where heart-stopping video shows tourists running for their lives after Sicily's Mount Etna erupted, mile-high clouds of smoke and ash, filling the sky causing mass chaos and panic. NBC's Molly Hunter with the video and the story. At the top of Europe's most active volcano today, the terrifying rumbling sound of explosions sent this tour group scrambling. This is called Touching the Impossible, this

This Mount Etna tour guide says racing his group to safety were two steps away. Look at this. The mushroom cloud behind them ballooning above Sicily's highest peak. The column of smoke shooting more than 20,000 feet in the air, sending smoke, ash and rock for miles. Keith and Kristen Nesswinder from outside Philadelphia took a Mount Edna tour yesterday. today witnessed the massive eruption 30 miles away from Taramina. And as we were talking tonight, it began erupting again. Whoa, I can see it. It's going up behind. Yeah, it's gone. Yeah, it's gone right now. I mean, this morning was the most astounding thing I've ever seen in my life.

And the most powerful eruption this Italian island is seen in more than a decade. Molly Hunter, NBC News, London. All right, so Bill, let's get back to you. Explain this to us. Walk us through what we just saw there. This is Europe's most active volcano. But how rare was the level of activity we saw today? Because you saw those tourists there up on the mountain. We're so fortunate that this wasn't just an absolute tragedy. So let me explain here. So here's Italy and here's Sicily. Right here, this dot here, you can see where we're located there with Mount Etna.

Now, as we zoom into the peak of it, you can actually see, like, there's been over the decades, over the hundreds of years, many different eruptions. And you can see it here. What happened was the southeast crater actually collapsed. And that's when you can get something very extremely dangerous. I mean, almost more. See that explosion to the right there? This was sped up in a time lapse. But what we're talking about, this is a pyroclastic flow.

So this is extremely hot air and gas in rock, moves over 50 miles per hour, and it destroys everything in its path. The temperatures can go upwards of 1,300 degrees. I would rather be in like a tornado or like a tsunami or a huge hurricane than be in the way of that pyroclastic flow. Now, we were fortunate that it wasn't near any of the tourists. It didn't destroy any villages or anything like that. But as scary as it gets, as this flow was going downhill, down the mountain. And by the way, they tell you, if you ever see anything like that and you're like, these people, you're running the opposite direction, that should be pretty obvious.

And Tom, we are extremely fortunate about as scary as it gets when you talk about air that hot flowing. It's almost like what happened in Mount St. Helens, you know, back in the 80s. Yeah, Bill, before you go again, give me that flow phrase again. What's it called? Yeah, I'll get back to it here. Pyroclastic flow. That's the term for the extreme. extremely hot air that just rushes down the mountain.

And, yeah, temp's up to 1,300, and the USGS just says it destroys everything at its path. Quite the opposite of being in a flow state. Okay, Bill Cairns, we thank you for explaining the science to us. We want to turn now to a new series here on Top Story. It's called The Cost of Denial. It's a spotlight on the issues millions of Americans face when it comes to insurance coverage. Tonight we follow the story of a young man whose parents say he died because the price of medication he depended on suddenly soared.

Thompson is covering this one for us. Cole Schmidtnik only lives in his parents, Bill and Shannon's memories. This was Thanksgiving. Dead at 22 because of his asthma, something they say never should have happened. Cole went for a routine refill on his ad bear. And when he got to that pharmacy counter, he learned that it was going to cost him over $500. And like that was a shock to him. Cole had insurance through his Wisconsin employer.

What he didn't know, his parents say, is that Optum RX, the pharmacy benefit manager for his plan, changed its list of covered drugs. The preventative Advir-Discis inhaler he had used for years cost Cole no more than $66.86. Suddenly, its price tag over $539. Unable to afford it, Cole's parents say he would pay with his life. Did he tell you that he couldn't get his Advair replenished? No. No.

When we went to the ICU, we were baffled. We knew he had had an asthma attack, but we didn't understand. And his roommate said to us, he didn't have his ad vera. Five days after his pharmacy visit last year, Cole had a severe asthma attack that led to his death. How old would Cole be today? 24. 24. This is his birthday.

Today. Yes. As we speak. What do you think of on this day? For me, it's all the things that we should be doing, that he should be doing, right? He was just so young, and he had his whole life out of him, and it was just so preventable and so unnecessary.

Pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs are the middlemen that negotiate prices and coverage between the insurance companies, drug makers, and pharmacies, meant to bring down costs for patients. Cole's OptumRX PBMs stopped covering Adveridiscis at the start of 2024, offering what it says were several less expensive but therapeutically equivalent asthma medications. In a lawsuit filed against Optumrx and Walgreens, where Cole went for the refill, Cole's parents said their son did not get the required 30 days notice of the change. His doctor wasn't contacted and that the pharmacy never provided Cole with any more affordable workarounds. Cole's parents say he left with only an inhaler for emergencies.

It was empty at his house next to his bed. In a motion to dismiss the Schmidtnik's lawsuit, Optum RX expressed its deepest sympathies for Cole's death, but says federal law prohibits the case from being brought in state court. Optum also says three alternatives, each with a $5 copay, were available, and its system instructed Walgreens to contact Cole's doctor. about those options. Walgreens too offered its deepest condolences and cited privacy reasons for why it can't discuss specifics in the case. If decisions weren't made outside of his control, Cole could be here. When Bill and Shannon get overwhelmed, they look at their wrists. Now with the

same tattoo Cole had on his. It's just everyone's little reminder, you know, from Cole to just keep living and that we can still be happy. I keep trying to remind myself that like happiness and joy and grief can coexist. And Ann Thompson joins us now in studio, Anne, this is such a tough one. I think people at home are going to be asking, if he couldn't get this inhaler, why didn't he take the other ones? Because he didn't know about it, or at least that's what we believe. The PBM says that there were three other options, all with a $5 copay, that the pharmacy was made aware of the question is, did the pharmacy tell coal? And that's what we don't know. And then if people find themselves in a similar situation, when they're at the pharmacy with something as important as an inhaler,

what should they do? First of all, call your doctor, because your doctor can appeal the denial of, in this case, the inhaler. So you want to do that. If that fails, then you want to talk to your doctor and your pharmacist about what the other alternatives are, because usually there are alternatives. And if you're at the pharmacy, like Cole was, sometimes the pharmacist can fill that prescription on the spot for the alternative. Ann Thompson, with our first report there in our Cost of Denal series, Anne, we thank you for that. We're back in a moment with the explicit text messages read out loud in the Karen Reed trial, what the since-fired chief investigator wrote about the accused killer and why could actually help her case. And Diva on Defense,

What Broadway star, Patty Lepone, said that upset hundreds of her fellow actors and her apology tonight. Stay with us. We're back with Top Stories Global Watch, and we begin in Namibia. Tonight, where a man on safari with his wife and friends was killed by a lioness. Local media reporting it happened Saturday while camping near a river. They say he stepped out of his tent to use the bathroom when he was attacked. Other members of the group chased the animal away, but it was too late. The ministry, of tourism telling a local newspaper the lioness was found and put down yesterday. Right now, climate activist Greta Toonberg, is on a ship attempting to make its way from southern Italy to the Gaza Strip. The group saying they aim to deliver aid and bring international awareness to the humanitarian crisis there.

Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and a French member of the European Parliament are also part of this crew. The ship should reach its destination in seven days. And a man in Mumbai arrested for trying to smuggle dozens of rare reptiles into the the country. Here's what that looked like. Mumbai Customs posting photos of the confiscated creatures. His hall included 47 venomous

vipers, I should say, five turtles. And they say the man, an Indian citizen was returning from Thailand and had all of the reptiles hidden in his checked luggage. He has not commented on his arrest. Back in this country, a whirlwind day of testimony in the Karen Reid retrial. The defense calling multiple witnesses and

raising additional questions over what really happened. The night Reed's boyfriend died in 2022. But it was some of the explicit text messages from the former chief investigator on the case that may have the most impact. NBC Stephanie Gosk has the latest and a warning. Some of the images in this report are graphic. Day two of Karen Reid's defense, a veteran emergency room doctor from L.A. taking the stand. Those wounds were inflicted as the result of a dog attack.

They are John O'Keefe's wounds, Reed's boyfriend and Boston police officer who she is accused of killing in January 2022. Prosecutors say Reid hit him with an SUV on a snowy night after hours of drinking. But the defense is setting up a different theory. O'Keefe was attacked by a German shepherd and beaten up inside a home owned by another Boston police officer, according to the defense. These multiple groupings are patterns, and they are, in my opinion, were inflicted by the teeth and claws of a dog. O'Keefe's injuries and how he got them are at the heart of the case. Last week, an accident reconstructionist had this to say for the prosecution. The location and orientation of the laceration on John O'Keefe's right forearm and arm

are consistent with the geometry and orientation of the right taillight of the Reed 2021 Lexus LX-570. Reid pleaded not guilty to charges including second-degree murder. Her first trial ended in a hung jury. This is round two. Today, the courtroom revisiting bombshell testimony from the last trial. The text messages lead investigator Michael Proctor sent to his friends in the middle of the investigation. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan reading the text out loud to one of those friends during

cross-examination. She's a whack job and then uses the C word to describe. Is that accurate? That's accurate. He then says, yeah, she's a babe. Farrd Fall River accent, though. No a . Are those the words that he wrote?

Those are the words. Proctor has since lost his job with the Massachusetts State Police. Did he tell you why? It was in connection to this case. I believe it was based on his text messages that were sent to us. And Stephanie joins us in studio. So Stephanie, when you look at this case and the viewers may be thinking this at home, you have the prosecution and the defense giving two way different stories.

So how are the jurors going to parse through all that? So they have to look at the credibility of the experts, right? So you have the expert on the prosecutor's side that says that these injuries on O'Keefe's arm look like the injuries from an SUV. And then you have the defense saying, actually, these are dog bites, right? I mean, two totally different things. They're going to have to look at the credibility of them. They're going to have to put it into the context, the overall context of the testimony.

But also think about the differing burdens on both side. has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that what they say happened happened. The defense just needs to inject doubt. That's their bar. It is a lot lower. Reasonable doubt. Okay. We'll stay covering this case, Stephanie. We thank you for that. Okay. And here in New York, legend Patty Lepone taking on perhaps her most surprising role to date as an apologizer, saying sorry to two of her fellow actresses after controversial comments she made led hundreds of other performers to sign an open letter calling for her to be banned from

the Tonys. NBC's Yasmin Vesuvian explains this Broadway beef. Nice to see you, Patty. Tonight, Broadway legend Patty Lepone doing something she says she's never done before in her career, apologizing. Patty, looking right here. The three-time Tony winner saying sorry on Instagram. For comments made in this New Yorker interview last week, she took aim at fellow actresses Keisha Lewis and Audra McDonald. You were in pain. That pain led you here. Regarding Lewis, who won a Tony for her supporting role in the hit Hell's Kitchen, Lepone is quoted as saying, Don't call yourself a vet, expletive.

Referencing this video, Lewis posted about Lepone's behavior on Broadway in 2024. I'd like to offer a couple of thoughtful questions for veterans such as yourself, and including myself. After Lepone reportedly asked for the sound design of Hell's Kitchen to be adjusted because it was, quote, too loud while she was performing in the roommate next door. Comments like these can be seen as racial microaggressions, which have a real impact on both artists and audiences. Lepone also taking issue with McDonald, who showed support for Lewis's 2024 video, telling the New Yorker, that's typical of Audra. She's not a friend.

McDonald became the most nominated performer in Broadway history this year while playing Mama Rose in the latest revival of Gypsy. A role of Pohn won a total. pony four in 2008. McDonald, responding to Lepone's comments about their relationship in an interview with CBS. That's something that you'd have to ask Patty about. You know, I haven't seen her in about 11 years. More than 600 members of the Broadway community signed an open letter calling for Lepone

to be uninvited from this year's Tony Awards, which reads in part, quote, this language is not only degrading and misogynistic, it is a blatant act of racialized disrespect. LePone is constantly infudes. She loves to speak her mind. In her apology, Lupone saying she is deeply sorry in that she regrets her flippant and emotional responses. Ending her apology by saying, quote, I made a mistake. I take full responsibility for it. And I am committed to making this right. Our entire theater community deserves better. Maybe the layer of racism being added to this particular controversy made her for the first time look back on what she said and disagree with herself.

And Tom, the drama between Lepone and McDonald, coming as McDonald won a drama desk award for outstanding lead performance in a musical in Gypsy last night, setting her up for a seventh Tony Award this coming weekend, possibly adding more fuel to the Mama Rose Fire. Back to you. We thank Yasmin for that, and when we come back, we'll take you inside the incredible rescue. And why the nurse being hailed, the hero says she was just doing her job. Stay with us. Finally tonight, one school nurse being called a hero for saving a man's life while on a hike.

The man falling 20 feet off a canyon in Utah now expected to make a full recovery because of a stranger. NBC's Rahima Ellis has that story. It was a frightful end to a day of hiking after a 64-year-old grandfather fell 20 feet down a Utah waterfall. I looked over and I didn't even know what I was looking at first. It took me a second to register that it was a body. But luckily for this hiker, Ashley Anderson, a school nurse, was also hiking with her two kids and her dogs and did what she was trained to do. I kind of think that I did what anyone would do. Honestly, I don't feel like I did anything like more heroic or more incredible.

She heard friends yell for help. Once on the scene, she realized they had to move the man from the cold water that was high. covering him. She quickly began first aid while getting help from other hikers. We need something to put on his head to help with the bleeding, and this guy rips off his shirt and throws it at me. So we put that on his head, and then several of us picked him up and moved him over to a dry area over on the rocks. Meanwhile, a rescue team hiked down and coordinated a helicopter into the narrow canyon, rescuers dropping down into a tight space before hoisting the conscious man to safety.

There had to have been angels or somebody helping him. That day, a miraculous rescue guided by a nurse and a group of guardian angels. Rahima Ellis, NBC News. Thanks so much for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. Thank you.