Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, March 3, 2025

Episode Date: March 4, 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's stock market shock. The market's tumbling after President Trump doubles down on his tariff promise. The Dow and S&P 500 posting some of the biggest losses in months after Trump said Canada and Mexico will be hit with tariffs at midnight tonight. The announcement sending shock waves through the economy. So what does this mean for what you pay for everything from groceries to cars? Also tonight, state of emergency. More than 150 fires breaking out across the southern U.S. forcing many to flee their homes, fire crews from the Carolinas to Georgia, battling to control the flames. Plus, the potentially dangerous storm system set to sweep across the eastern half of the country. Millions at risk will time it all out. Trump threatened Zelensky, President Trump not backing down after that explosive meeting in the White House. The fragile hope for a peace deal

now in limbo. So what has the reaction been like inside Russia? Our team on the ground in Moscow with the latest. The Pope's health setback. The Vatican saying Pope Francis suffered two more respiratory episodes and is now back on a breathing machine with Ash Wednesday celebrations less than two days away. Melania's new mission, the first lady meeting with members of Congress today in her first solo public appearance this year, her new efforts to fight online abuse and what's known as revenge porn. And search for a toddler, a two-year-old boy vanishing without a trace in Oregon, the major effort to bring him home. Plus, the high school basketball star

back in the game after battling cancer. Tonight, we go one-on-one with this inspiring team on and off the court. Top story starts right now. Good evening. Tonight was not the night to check out your 401K. The market's taking a serious hit after President Trump confirmed

he's following through with the tariff plans. The president revealing in the U.S. will impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico going into effect at midnight, abandoning any hope for a last-minute deal to prevent a trade war. The move leading all three stock market indices to tumble. Check this out. The Dow Jones falling a staggering 649 points. The S&P 500 dropping more than 100 points, marking its worst day since December of last year. And the NASDAQ falling nearly 500 points. The president said the tariffs are in part punishment for the those countries not stopping the flow of illegal fentanyl into the U.S.

But investors fear they could negatively impact the U.S. economy and make everyday items like groceries, electronics, cars, more expensive for Americans. To break this all down, I want to bring in White House correspondent Von Hilliard and senior business correspondent Christine Romans, who's in Detroit for us tonight, where the auto industry is bracing for a hit from these tariffs. So, Christine, I'm going to start with you, right? The stock market likes to predict the future, right? Usually they have these things baked in.

The president campaigned on this. He said this was going to happen, and yet the market seemed, I don't know if the word is surprised, but a bit shocked that he was going through with this. Did the street think he was maybe going to push that deadline a little further down the year? You know, he has pushed that deadline before. And if you think about all of the threats and all of the bluster from the president about tariffs, until now there had really only been 10% extra tariffs on China. And today, today, the president saying, nope, it's the end of the road for Canada and Mexico and then slapping another 10% on China.

So it's real, it's here, and all of these companies from U.S. automakers to chipmakers to other companies are looking around and saying the risk of a trade war with the retaliation, the circular firing squad that is a trade war around the world, that is more likely. So, Vaughn, you know, prices are still very expensive. The market obviously has been up and down. On the campaign trail, President Trump did promise this. He said it from his first day in office. Do we know why he's choosing right now to stick with this deadline? I think in a lot of ways here, Tom, you just said it. The commitment that he made on the campaign trail is in so many ways reverberating and echoing

the actions that he took during his first administration. If you go back to 2018, he implemented tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China. And when you look at the stock market in 2018, the SMP 500, the Dowry, Jones, they tumbled 6% and 5% respectively in 2018. That was the biggest losses dating back to 2008. And yet, at the time, as farmers, for example, their commodity prices were falling, he made a message that this is a patriotic effort. At the time, the argument was to get better trade deals with Mexico and Canada and China.

And that was the reason to put the U.S. economy in such a vulnerable position. And by and large, I talked to a lot of producers and manufacturers, and they were on his side. And we have heard on the campaign trail over the last year when folks were presented with the idea that President Trump in 2025 could very well go forward with tariffs that could financially immediately hurt them again. Why go forward with that? Why back that again? They said that they wanted a better deal for the U.S. consumer and producer, but also they wanted to see illegal immigration addressed. And that is where you could expect tomorrow night in his speech to the judge. joint a session of Congress for him to make that case again. So, Christine, you're down in Detroit. The auto industry may be the most impacted by these tariffs. Tesla, Ford, GM, all down in

anticipation. When could consumers start to see this impact? How will it impact the industry? How will consumers feel this? You know, they'll feel it in higher prices. I mean, that is the conventional wisdom. That is the overwhelming forecast and assessment. I mean, you've got Kelly Blue Book saying anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 added to the price of a new car. A.E.G, that's Anderson Economic Group, they're saying $4,000 to $12,000 extra for a price of a new car. And here's why. Components, for example, here, this is an American auto parts manufacturer. They make 205 million auto parts where I'm standing every single year. But 30% of the stuff they bring in comes from Canada that's stamped then with other U.S.

and U.S. steel, and those, that integration from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, that is what the U.S. auto industry is. So that's why it is just so vulnerable here to these higher prices that have to be either absorbed or passed along. And one thing I'd like to say is remember USMCA, when President Trump in his first, his first administration, he ditched NAFTA and he designed a new trade deal. It is under those rules that the U.S. auto industry is operating. And now we're throwing out those rules and instead punishing these two neighbors and allies. So there's a lot of consternation about how good the U.S. is, you know, at its word for writing new trade deals and just how deep, deep the pain will go

for how many countries and how many American companies. Christine, Roman, it's so great to have you down there in Detroit. Vaughan Hilliard, always a pleasure. We thank you guys leading us off tonight here. We now want to turn to the state of emergency in the Carolinas, wildfires sweeping across the drought-stricken states, fueled by shifting winds in dry conditions. Firefighters struggling to gain the upper hand over the flames as residents were forced to evacuate. NBC's Emily Aketa has the latest from Myrtle Beach tonight. Tonight, first responders in the Carolinas fighting for the upper hand as a rash of wildfires sweeps across this drought-stricken landscape, now obscured by heavy smoke.

Helicopters dumping water from above while crews on the ground raced to douse hotspots. Fire can go from just creeping along the ground to way up over your head and just a matter of a few minutes. Spreading near Myrtle Beach, this is the biggest fire South Carolina has seen in at least five years. And among more than 175 blazes that burned across the state this weekend, according to the governor, declaring a state of emergency. Fire's jumping this way right now. First responders going door to door to evacuate hundreds of panicked residents. Maybe. Now allowed to return.

What should we be looking at here? Offense. Valerie Ma are realizing just how close the flames came to her home. What's going through your mind? I'm devastated, but I'm happy also that, you know, the Lord has saved my house and the firefighters have saved my house. The weekend's wind gusts approaching 30 miles an hour also powered several hundred fires in Georgia and North Carolina. Dozens of homes evacuated in Tri-on just several months after

the region was rocked by Helene's devastating flooding. That debris now fueling the flames. Meantime, a new threat moving into the Southern Plains where 11 million people are under fire alerts. Back in South Carolina, firefighters gaining ground after a weekend of close calls. No structures lost. Very thankful for that. Okay, with that, Emily. It kind of joins us now live from Myrtle Beach tonight. Emily, give us a sense of the conditions right now where you are. And then Myrtle Beach is such a big destination for travelers and families with spring break around the corner. Are there worries how this could affect that money-making season? So, Tom, the winds have died down. So good news for the firefight there, but their concern moving forward is just how dry the conditions remain and the smoke that lingers in the area.

It's why you'll see these fire sprinklers continuing to go at all hours. There's also been a number of water drops from helicopters throughout the day, dropping some 60,000 gallons in just an 18-hour span. Officials say that remarkably no buildings have been totally destroyed here in Myrtle Beach, but they want to prevent any further damage like you'll see to this home behind me, the siding of this home just melting off because that is just how close the flames have come. Now, in terms of the upcoming tourist season and spring break, visit Myrtle Beach, underscoring to me tonight that there is no reason that travelers should alter their plans at this point, that attractions, hotels, and businesses, they remain open. And good news for folks who are planning to come here, because the fire, at least the largest one here that you're seeing, caused this kind of damage behind me.

It is 30% contained, according to fire officials at last check, torching some 1,600 acres. and there is rain, Tom, on the way. That is great news as we hear those sprinklers soaking everything there behind you. Emily Akediphras in the fire zone. For more of these dangerous wildfires, NBC news meteorologist Bill Karens joins us tonight. Bill, what's the latest on the conditions there? We heard a bit of good news from Emily. Yeah, today was a good day for the firefighting effort.

I didn't see any hotspots that maintained. The water drops were working, the winds were light, so that's good. They're continuing to be light. So the fire threat, you shouldn't see any new headlines for any new areas or fires. or houses going and getting consumed. So it still said 30%, but that was this morning. We're waiting for the new updated number. And the best of all is that we got some soaking heavy rain.

This is 1 o'clock Wednesday, Tom. So any fires that are out there will be completely out by the time we get to Wednesday afternoon. And then also, I know you're tracking another winter storm in a winter that really has been relentless for us. Yeah, this storm's going to make a lot of headlines over the next two days. We've already got pile-ups from a Habib,

a big dust storm that's moved out of Arizona into New Mexico and out here in areas of West Texas. This storm tonight will spark some severe thunderstorms. Isolated tornadoes are possible in its middle of the night, nocturnal stuff. Oklahoma City to Durant to Dallas, Fort Worth. You're all in that tornado threat zone. Then tomorrow we take these storms from the morning hours and they're going to be strong all day long. This area, this enhanced risk is southern Arkansas, northern Louisiana, just north of New Orleans.

And we have a chance of even strong tornadoes as we go throughout the day tomorrow afternoon, especially in areas of Mississippi. Then on Wednesday, this whole line of storms makes it. way to the east coast, it will put out those fires, but it will bring a wind damage threat to the mid-Atlantic. And then on top of all of this, this huge windstorm, the other issue is going to be the fire threat, Tom. We're going to see 70 mile per hour winds in Texas. They have extreme drought. That's a bad combination when we have all that dead vegetation from the winter. Yeah, it's a reminder of what we saw and experience there in Los Angeles.

All right, we'll be monitoring it all. We thank you for that, Bill. A potential peace deal now as we turn to news from overseas for Ukraine is still up in the air tonight, following that combative office meeting between President Trump and Zelensky. Much of Europe now back in the Ukrainian leader, as President Trump says Zelensky needs to be, quote, more appreciative of America, of American aid, I should say. Here's NBC's Gabe Gutierrez from the White House. Tonight, two U.S. officials tell NBC News the Trump administration is pausing U.S. military aid to Ukraine, a seismic policy shift towards a U.S. ally and a win for Russia. White House official telling NBC News, the president has been clear that he is focused on peace.

We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. More than three years into Russia's war on Ukraine, President Trump says potential peace talks are not dead, but the next move is up to Ukraine's President Zelensky. I just think he should be more appreciative because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin. President Trump today firing back after Zelensky said overnight a peace deal was still very, very far away. He said he thinks the war's going to go on for a long time, and he better not be right about that. Negotiations with Ukraine on a deal to share the country's mineral wealth as payback for USA. Seed as a first step in the broader peace process collapsed following Friday's diplomatic disaster in the Oval Office. You're gambling with World War III.

Top administration officials saying Zelensky needs to express more regret for Friday's explosive confrontation. Time is not on his side. Time is not on the side of just forever continuing this conflict. The American people's patience is not unlimited. Their wallets are not unlimited. Zelensky this weekend getting support at an emergency meeting of European leaders. His tension with the White House now prompting concern about the future of NATO and Trump's relationship with Russian President Putin. A U.S. official tells NBC News that in late February, before Friday's Oval Office showdown, defense secretary Pete Hegstad, that ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down on offensive cyber operations against Russia. President Trump posting, we should spend less time worrying about Putin and more time worrying about illegal immigration and crime. Today, pressed about the Kremlin's statement, Trump arguing he's been tough on Russia. His focus now is getting up to negotiate.

It takes two to tango, and you're going to have to make a deal with Russia, and you're going to have to make a deal with Ukraine. I gave Russia nothing except grief. brief. I gave them nothing. I gave them sanctions. And they say how close I am to Russia. Let me tell you, we have to make a deal because there are a lot of people being killed that shouldn't be killed. Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News, the White House. With the view from the U.S. in Europe, but we're going to take you to Russia now. Arir Simmons and Timar and Moscow tonight, where Vladimir Putin is feeling emboldened. And the Russian public is watching how all of this

plays out very closely. According to Vladimir Putin's people, today's event, are a vindication. The West is fragmenting, the Kremlin spokesman declared today, just as President Putin long said it would. Telling an interviewer this weekend, U.S. foreign policy goals are now more aligned with Moscow. The confrontation between President Trump and President Zelenskyy playing on TV here all weekend. Translated into Russian. Some reports describing the meeting

as a public execution, and a train wreck. One reason for the optimism here in Russia, President Putin has long called for President Zelensky to resign. Thank you very much. That call now echoed by President Trump himself. And if somebody doesn't want to make a deal, I think that person won't be around very long. Russia is feeling emboldened,

now doubling down on its demands as part of peace negotiations, including a reversal of NATO expansion. its foreign ministry spokeswoman said, asking for a commitment that NATO won't operate in Ukraine or Eastern Europe. You don't have the cards right now. Moscow trying to exacerbate what is already a diplomatic crisis between America and Europe. Russia's foreign minister suggesting that while the U.S. wants an end to the conflict, Europe insists on war. And its former president and prime minister, Dmitri Medvedev, asserting Russia could, get normalization with the U.S., effectively an end to sanctions without an end to the war.

Tonight, Russia believes it is winning. Ironically, that makes President Trump's hoped for ceasefire harder to achieve. Keir Simmons joins us tonight from Moscow. Kier, I want to go back to a bit there in your report where you talk about how Russia is doubling down on what they're asking for, what it will take for them to come to the negotiating table. Explain to our viewers what they want out of all of this. Well, you know, Tom, in many ways, Russia's demands have simply not changed. Even going back to 2014, when President Putin annexed Crimea, you'll remember that he was insisting that NATO should not be close to Russia's borders. That is the same kind of demand, as I mentioned in my report there, that we're hearing from Russian officials, even in the past few days.

But in another sense, Russia's demands have changed because, as I mentioned, it does seem as if Russian officials here now think that they might be able to get the U.S. to agree to lessen sanctions, even remove them, to go towards normalization, perhaps even if it to begin to trade with Russia again, even if there is not a deal over Ukraine. If that did happen, if it did, that would be stunning. And then, Kira, I do want to ask you, you mentioned how Putin has felt. with what happened in the Oval Office last week, but it's been three years of war. What does the public in Russia say about this conflict? Well, from the Russians that I've spoken to over the years and in recent months, Tom, and also from the limited polling that we know about in Russia, the Russian people are tired of the war.

On the other hand, many of them are not close to the war. Here in Moscow, we're hours and hours away from Ukraine. and that conflict there. And what the Russians say, what many Russians say mostly is that they would like to see a ceasefire, but only on Russia's terms. They do not want to see Russia lose. And I suppose in that sense, that really surmises why it is going to be so difficult to get to a deal. Kier Simmons and his team reporting from inside Russia tonight. We thank you for that. There are also new developments tonight. on Pope Francis's health battle. The Vatican saying the Pope has suffered two more respiratory

episodes today and was put back on a ventilator after two procedures. The 88-year-old pontiff has spent more than two weeks in the hospital while battling double pneumonia. For more on all of this, I want to get right to Anne Thompson. She joins us tonight from the Vatican. So, Anne, you've been on the ground there for days, right? What's your sense of the Pope's condition in light of today's news? Well, this is definitely a setback, Tom. I mean, he had two episodes this afternoon of acute respiratory failure, that's when you lose your ability very rapidly to breathe. And Vatican sources say that happened because there was a buildup of mucus in his lungs. And that happens when you are dealing with pneumonia. And as you said,

Pope Francis has been fighting double pneumonia for over a week now. They did put him back on that non-invasive breathing machine. Basically, it's a mask that goes over his nose. and mouth and pumps oxygen directly into his nose and mouth to help him. On the plus side of the ledger, and believe it or not, there is some good news here. His blood tests say that there's no new infection and he does not have a fever. So that's on the plus side. All that said, his prognosis still remains guarded tonight. And then with that, Anne, Ash Wednesday, as you know, it's this week. Has the Vatican announced who will take the Pope's place? have. It's a cardinal here in Rome named Angelo D. Donatus. He is in charge of the Vatican

tribunal that deals with excommunication and serious sins. And so he will lead the procession up Aventine Hill to the Basilica of Santa Sabina. And he will say that mass. Traditionally, those are all things that the Pope does on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. But this year, Pope Francis, cannot do it. Tom. All right, Ann Thompson at the Vasteland. for us, and we thank you for that. Next, moments ago, SpaceX scrubbing the launch of its Starship Mega Rocket, roughly six weeks after the rocket's upper stage blew up over the Atlantic Ocean during the last test. That explosion in January, just eight minutes into the flight. You may remember these images, sending debris streaking through the sky, dust and small pieces of the spacecraft

raining down over Turks and Caicos. Luckily, no one was hurt. SpaceX said it made, quote, several hardware and operational changes to the upper stage. The FAA clearing starship to return to flight while it continues investigating the incident. But SpaceX today holding the flight after computers detected issues prior to launch. For more on today's scrub launch, I'm joined tonight by NBC senior aviation correspondent Tom Costello. So Tom, what more do we know about why this launch was held? Well, they got all the way down to T-minus 40 seconds and they went into a controller hold because there was something with the booster they didn't like. And they kept working it and they kept working it. They held, they held. And at the

bottom line is, as they were dealing with these super cool temperatures on the propellants, which, by the way, they can't hold forever, they decided, you know what, we're not liking what we see here. They're not being really explicit about what specifically in the booster they weren't happy with, but they decided, okay, let's call it a day. We'll try again potentially tomorrow. That is, as you know, the biggest rocket ever. It is 400 feet tall, and it is designed to ultimately carry humans to the moon and to Mars. Now, that's not going to happen anytime soon. They need to get through these tests.

This is the eighth test flight of Starship. And as you know, in January, as you just mentioned, one of them broke up over the Atlantic Ocean. So every single time they go through these tests, they refine the spaceship even more, refine the booster even more. They come up with more aerodynamic systems that they want to try to tweak, if you will. and avionics are also a part of that. They thought they were ready for today, something propped up, and they'll try again maybe tomorrow, and the world will be watching, Tom.

So I'm going to ask you something. I'm going to put you on the spot here. This is kind of a random question, but you are T-minus Costello, so I'm sure you're going to be able to answer it. So it might be planned for tomorrow. There's also a major address to Congress by one President Trump. You think by any chance that would have any kind of effect on what happens tomorrow? Do you think it's going to be completely independent? and if it's ready to go tomorrow, it will go.

You know, that's a very good question because, in theory, if it were to blow up again, and nobody wants that, you know, might that be kind of a bad scene as the president delivers the state of the union? And I don't know if Elon Musk is going to be at the state of the union. That's a very good question. I simply don't know the answer to that, Tom. I think we have to wait and see. But I will say that there's a bigger, broader question here, which is about the role of Elon Musk,

who owns SpaceX in this government, which is now going in and cutting, of course, parts of the government, including the FAA, which oversees and approves SpaceX rockets, and including NASA, which also, of course, is involved in a regulatory role with SpaceX and partners with SpaceX. And by the way, the new incoming administrator for NASA, Jared Isaacman, is a very close SpaceX associate. He's a very close SpaceX associate. already gone up on two rockets, and he's supposed to command Starship. So there are a lot of questions here about the roles that Elon Musk is playing and whether there's a conflict of interest. If it goes up tomorrow, it's going to be a busy newsday. Tom, we thank you for being here for us. Still ahead tonight. Late breaking news on J.C., the music mogul, suing the woman

who accused him of rape and her attorneys, what we're learning tonight. Plus another scare in the sky, severe turbulence on a united flight, forcing an emergency landing in Texas and sending multiple people to the hospital. Stay with us. Top story just getting started on this Monday night. We're back with some breaking news. Jay Z just filing a lawsuit against the woman who accused him of rape and her lawyers, including Tony Busby. You may remember that unidentified woman filed a lawsuit against Jay Z and Sean Diddy Combs, alleging she was raped by the pair in 2001 when she was just 13 years old. But a report by NBC News showed inconsistencies in her account. She later withdrew the that suit and acknowledge those inconsistencies along with her lawyers. For more on this lawsuit,

I want to bring in NBC News Legal Analyst, Danny, great to have you here. Walk us through this filing, and is this woman and her lawyer now in big trouble? So here's the thing. I file complaints all the time. And on some level, you are relying on the client to tell you what happened. And in some ways, there are things you just can't verify before you file the complaint. And typically, in most jurisdictions, the client signs a verification at the end of the complaint. Verifference, They went through every single paragraph, except for the legal language, the facts they all verify are true. Now, that being said, that verification doesn't completely insulate a lawyer who files a lawsuit. We do have a responsibility to do a little due diligence.

And, for example, you'll see in the complaint, Jay-Z's complaint, he outlined several what they allege are easily verifiable facts that would have shown that the allegations by Ms. Doe were in. maybe a little bit questionable. So in a case like this, Jay-Z may be able to establish that the complaint was filed without really a good basis. But believe me, when I tell you that that verification for most lawyers, we live and die by it. We rely on the clients to give us the facts. But if other facts are staring us in the face, showing us that the client is not trustworthy, we do have a duty to investigate. And Jay-Z said he was going to go after this lawyer because he said the allegations were false. If Jay-Z is right and he wins, what happens to this lawyer, what could happen to him?

Here's the thing. Jay-Z is not suing because this is something that's going to make him money. The reason you don't see a lot of lawsuits like this is that they don't usually make a lot of money. When people falsely sue other people, they're usually people without deep pockets. And even Busby and attorney may have some somewhat deep pockets. Jay-Z is really, in a way, throwing good money after bad. He's doing this for another reason. He's doing this for principle.

Make no mistake about it. His attorneys, I would bet, and I don't know, Jayzey's attorneys, he's paying them fees. They're not taking a cut of any recovery. I imagine that Jayzie's probably paying them hourly fees, and Jayzie probably, and again, I don't know. I'm just conjecturing here. But Jayzy probably views this as more about making a point and less about actually getting money from money. But what's the repercussion? Loses legal license.

What's going to happen if I say Jayz wins? What happens? Like, is there any reason to this? Any complaint? What happens at the end? It's a straight-up civil complaint for malicious prosecution and other reasons. related claims, alleging that the complaint was brought against him knowing, allegedly, that the facts alleged there were false. It doesn't have anything to do with his license to practice

law. There may be collateral proceedings. It could be that the bar will see this and maybe investigate, but a civil complaint really doesn't have anything to do with discipline for an attorney. Danny Savalas, we thank you for taking us to law school. We always appreciate that. When we come back, the desperate search for a missing toddler, the child vanishing from outside of his home, the massive effort underway by law enforcement to bring him home to safety. Stay with us. All right, back now with Top Stories News Feed. We start with the massive search underway for a missing two-year-old in Western Oregon. Authorities say the toddler, Dame Paulson, vanished on Saturday. This is what he looks like while playing in the front yard of his family's home near the Silitz River. Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have so far.

Search nearly 300 miles. They're using drones, human trailing canines, boats and dive teams. Almost 150 local volunteers have also started to help and try to find this little boy. Five people have been hospitalized after a united flight was hit with severe turbulence. The flight operated by SkyWest was flying from Springfield, Missouri to Houston when the small jet was hit with severe turbulence and forced to make an emergency landing in Waco. The airline saying all injuries were minor and another plane was sent to take passengers to their destination. And former Florida Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Belard died today at the age of 70.

His family, including our own Jose Diaz-Balard, confirming his death after a battle with cancer. Lincoln, who was born in Cuba, served in both Florida's House of Representatives and the State Senate. Before he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1993, he was a fierce opponent of Fidel Castro and spent much of his career fighting for Cuban democracy. His life's work advocating for Hispanic Americans will continue through the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, which he co-founded in 2003, our thoughts and prayers will be with the Diaz-Balart family. Okay. Now to Washington, we're a judge today denied a motion by TikTok

to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the D.C. Attorney General. Prosecutors say the company intentionally gets children addicted to the app and lies to families about how it protects kids and profits off the sexual exploitation of minors. Joining us now is the man that brought this lawsuit, Brian Schwab. He's the Attorney General of D.C. Attorney General Schwab, we thank you for joining Top Story tonight. I want to start first. Why did you want to bring this lawsuit? Well, unfortunately, TikTok is preying upon young people, particularly teenagers.

It peddles a product that is like digital nicotine. It is by design, an addictive algorithm, designed to keep young people glued to their screens for longer than is healthy, all in furtherance of ad revenue. And our lawsuit against TikTok basically alleges three things. It's selling a dangerous, addictive product to young people, leading to terrible mental health and physical harms. We know it leads to depression, anxiety, oftentimes eating disorders. We know it's keeping kids away from doing what they should be doing when they're growing up, like sleeping and studying.

And so it's a dangerous product. But second, it's peddled in a way that is misleading. It tells the public and parents that the product and the platform is safe, that dangerous content can be moderated away from the platform when in fact TikTok knows that there's a lot of dangerous content on it. And third, it's running an illegal, unlicensed money transmission business. It's TikTok Live and TikTok coin features are effectively allowing for real-time currency transmission that leads to dangerous behaviors and from which TikTok

Let's take a look at your lawsuit, because it uncovered, which has just been unsealed by the judge. I want to show this to our viewers with some of the findings. Internal TikTok data showing the social media company removes less than half of violent and graphic content, only a third of gory content, and 39% of harassment and bullying, despite a zero-tolerance policy towards harmful content. The internal data also showed TikTok fails to remove more than a third of post-normalizing pedophilia, a third of minor sexual solicitation, nearly 40% of minor sexual assault, and 100% of posts fetishizing minors. Okay, this is all pretty sick. What kind of consequences is TikTok potentially liable for here?

Well, our civil lawsuit seeks primarily to stop this conduct. It is hurting young people. It is putting them in harm's way. And so we're seeking injunctive relief to get the company to stop doing what it's doing. Of course, the company has huge profit reasons. and revenue reasons for continuing to do what it's doing. It generates billions of dollars in ad revenue. It generates billions of dollars in commissions

from its live, TikTok Live and TikTok coin features. So we are seeking to stop the conduct from occurring, and we are seeking restitution and damages to compensate people who have been harmed by TikTok's illegal and predatory behavior. So we reached out to TikTok, and this is what they said in response to the unsealing of the parts of the lawsuit.

They're saying in part this, that the lawsuit ignores the number of proactive measures that TikTok has voluntarily implemented to support community safety and well-being. Instead, the complaint cherry picks misleading quotes and outdated documents and presents them out of context, which distorts our commitment to the safety of our community. You know, Attorney General, there have been times

throughout our country's history where there is a new fad in the media, whether it be television, rock and roll, rap music, and people will say, it's the devil's work, it's so dangerous, and in reality, it's not. Why is this different for you? Well, first of all, we know from the data that has been developed over the years, it studies the adverse impacts, particularly on the adolescent mind, how damaging the TikTok algorithm is, and the scrolling and the endless time that it intentionally sucks young people into the screen and keeps them glued to the screens. The data, the social

science and psychology data tells us how harmful it is to kids. This is not an imaginary devil's work claim, but a claim supported by data and science. And of course, TikTok is going to deny that it's doing anything wrong, given the huge amount of money it generates from a platform that it's designed to be intentionally addictive. Attorney General, I think one of the biggest findings from that lawsuit that the kids in your area, D.C., are on this thing. Most of the time between 3 and 5 a.m., which was pretty surprising. Look at the peak times. Attorney General, we thank you for joining Top Story tonight. We hope to talk to you again. I appreciate you having me. Thank you. Next tonight to New Orleans and the dual concerns over

Mardi Gras. Authorities bolstering security throughout the city in the wake of the New Year's Eve Ramming attack that killed 14 people. But a new concern at this hour is the wind that could force officials to cancel the parades entirely. In neighboring Jefferson Parish, they're already calling off parades there due to the weather. has fallen at all for us tonight from New Orleans. So Jesse, how bad is the weather there and are people still looking to have a good time? Yeah, so right now, Tom, the skies are clear. We've had a little bit of a breeze today. And frankly, for the last few days, all weekend long, the weather has been fantastic. About as good as you could expect for any kind of parade event

in the 60s, the 70s, sunny most of the time. But we are looking at a potential of severe weather here in New Orleans tomorrow. that high winds, and that is what officials are watching closely. Effectively, if we go from a certain threshold of a high wind threat to a higher level, that would trigger a cancellation of parades, according to New Orleans police. And this is the looming question, as you alluded to, there is also this lingering concern over security here in the aftermath of that New Year's Day attack. We had an up-close look over the weekend at what officials are doing to help ensure that everyone here stays safe.

In New Orleans tonight, Mardi Gras is in full swing. And this year, the Big Easy's biggest party being protected like never before. What advantage does a vehicle like this give you in case of an emergency? Well, it's a lot smaller, a lot more renewable, big curves, jump on sidewalks. After a deadly New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street, the city now has more federal resources. Controls planned by air, water, and on foot. including with this Customs and Border Protection team along the major parade route. Is this a harder challenge compared to the Super Bowl to protect?

Yeah, I would say so. I would agree with that statement. After the Bourbon Street, Ballard system came under scrutiny. This week, law enforcement is trying to stop cars from getting anywhere near those barriers, with key intersections heavily fortified and patrolled. These roadblocks added. These are traditional routes that have been here for our honor. years to enhance the security, but we're not going to damage our culture. Our culture is why we are new all.

Those parade routes can be fairly open, lined with tens of thousands of people stretching for miles. If you put a wedge at every one of these corners instead of just these light parakeets. Could you do that? It would be a problem. As we have this parade going on, we have parades in other parts of the city, too. It wouldn't just be limited to this, and they're not enough assets to do that. These year's festivities also include tributes to the lives taken on New Year's Day.

A reminder of the tragedy in a city vowing to move forward. We will never forget our victims, but we are able, and we are a city with a history of being able to put on massively big parties and big events very safely. Curis joins us again from New Orleans. So Jesse, Marty Gra, as you know, is a big family event for Lowell. and more of a party event for tourists. What are both the locals and tourists sort of saying about security? Is it on their minds? Yeah, so Tom, right out of the gate, you can see behind me massive crowds.

There are easily thousands of people out here, and we are right along Canal Street, downtown, and as we were just talking about, these parade routes go on from miles. So I think that right there is clearly a vote of confidence that many people do feel comfortable enough to be out here. The police superintendent told me that their occupancy rate for hotels in this city this weekend, was 95% and she pointed to that as another sign. We've talked with some people, local and visitors out here this evening. I had a family who's visiting that said that they did have some hesitation or thought about the safety, but seeing everything that's out here, they feel good

about the situation out here. Similar sentiment from the locals that we spoke with. And Tom, going back to the weather threat, which is certainly top of mind for people. Right now, the two big parades tomorrow. Zulu and Rex are going on. However, The start times have been moved up. The first parade is starting at 6.30 in the morning, local time. The parade routes have been shortened, and they've also condensed the groups that are within their parades. So we're not going to be seeing bands, marching bands like we normally would, that kind of grouping, because they're trying to get things done quickly before the weather moves in, Tom.

And the question is at this point, if they will even be able to do that much before the storms come. Tom. Jesse Kerr's covering all things Martin Roth for us here at Top Story. Jesse, we thank you for that. We're head overseas now for Top Stories Global Watch and a check of what else is happening around the world. We start with at least two people, dead and several others hurt after another car ramming attack in Germany. Police say a car sped through a crowded city center in the West German city of Monheim. Police saying the suspect is a 40-year-old German man, and they do not believe the motive was political, at least not at this time.

It's just the latest deadly car ramming attack in Germany recently, including one in Munich last month. In India, 46 construction workers rescued after being buried alive in an avalanche. Officials say the avalanche swept up a construction camp. The workers surviving for days inside metal containers you see here, which they had been living in. Officials saying the containers had just enough oxygen to keep them alive. Eight people, though, died in the initial avalanche, which happened along India's Tibetan border. And another incredible rescue this time in Peru. Look at this video.

It shows the moment. First responders pulled an 18-month. old child from a 50-foot well. He fell in Friday morning, and it took until 2 a.m. Saturday to safely get him out. Rescuers were able to speak to him and provide food and water while they work to free him. He is recovering right now at the hospital. Simply incredible. Okay, when we come back, Melania Trump's new mission, her first solo event of the new term,

the new cause she's taking on tackling bullying and deep fakes will explain. That's next. We're back now with First Lady Melania Trump's first major solo public appearance since the start of her husband's second term. Mrs. Trump appearing at a roundtable with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to promote a bill enhancing protections for victims of deep fakes and revenge pornography. The appearance part of the First Lady's renewed B-Best anti-bullying initiative from the First Trump administration. Take a listen. It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls. grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes.

This toxic environment can be severely damaging. We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile, digital landscape. For more on Melania Trump's signature initiative and what she plans to do in her second term, I want to bring in Anita McBride. She's former chief of staff to former First Lady Laura Bush. She's also the director of the First Ladies Initiative at American University. Anita, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. We appreciate it.

You're also the author of this book, of course, remembering the First Ladies, The Legacies of America's History, Making Women. So I guess my first question to you is, what did you make of the First Lady making this her first appearance and coming out strong with a new initiative? Well, Tom, it's a direct connection. course, to the work that she tried to do in the first Trump administration. And you know yourself because you interviewed her about that and how she felt herself like

the most bullied person in the world because she could not get the attention that she felt was necessary to push these and promote these issues. So her presence now so early on in the beginning of the second term, her presence at that round table, and the extension, of course, of course, of of the work that she's been doing, the bipartisan support from the Senate, who's already passed this, I think it's important to have the Impromote tour

of the First Lady's office front and center today. Yeah, we'll talk about that moment that I had with her a little later in this interview. I do want to talk to you about the roundtable, right? Because it was very bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats there, thanking each other for the leadership. The whole time, really, really, one of the only political things that was said

came from the First Lady. Take a listen. I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Kolbuchar united to prioritize this fundamental matter. I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrats, leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely as adults, we can prioritize Americans' children ahead of partisan politics. Now, to be clear, even though most of the people at that table today were Republicans, the bill has strong bipartisan support. The Senate passed it unanimously. Were you surprised to hear something like that from the First Lady, or does she have a point?

Well, I think, you know what, it was a gentle poke, but it was a poke nonetheless. In fact, you know, because it was a bipartisan bill that started in the Senate with Senator Klobuchar, who did also raise this with Mrs. Trump and seeking her support, so I'm sure. that it was an opportunity to say, let's get past any other political divide we may have. This is important. And kudos actually to Representative Rokana, who was there, and I believe one other Democratic member was there. It was important. And in fact, this is a district that he represents the industries that are directly impacted by this. As you mentioned, I had a chance to speak with Mrs. Trump back in 2018 about her Be Best initiative in Africa. Here's what she told me, the time what did you see personally that you thought you wanted to tackle this issue i could say i'm

the most bullied person on on the world you think you're the most bullied person in the world one of them if you really see what people saying about me that's why i you know my be best initiative is focusing on social media and online behavior we need to educate the children i need a lot of people C has done that right because of her husband and his behavior online, especially on social media. Although she had somewhat of a point with that because she does get dinged pretty hard on social media, especially during that time in the first administration, what do you think she's learned from that experience? And what is the legacy do you think of the Be Best Initiative? Well, I think the most important legacy will be what does she do with it now? She has a rare

opportunity to come back as first lady for the second time. And without the learning, curve and the time that it takes to get used to what this role actually is and what you can do with it, even the environment to live in, all that is behind her, and she could hit the ground running. The fact that this is done within the first month, I think that's really important. And tomorrow night, being a State of the Union address, I would expect to see that representatives of this issue, maybe some of the teenagers that were at that round table today, or one of the 23 groups that have called on the Congress to pass this,

may be in the box with her. So the learning curve is short this time, Tom, and it appears she's quite comfortable to be a spokesperson for what she cares about. It will be interesting to see who she invites tomorrow to this address, to the joint session of Congress. Anita, always a pleasure to speak with you. We thank you for joining Top Story tonight.

Coming up next, talk about a comeback, a high school senior, sinking bucket after bucket, breaking school records and leading a charge to the playoffs, while battling stage four cancer. Why he tells us he never even considered sitting out this season. Sam Brock has this story. That's next.

Finally tonight, the New Jersey High School basketball star who didn't let stage four cancer keep him off the court. Johnny Jackson smashing school scoring records while undergoing grueling chemotherapy. NBC Sam Brock caught up with a team now inspiring others fighting their own battles. On a Monday night, Johnny Jackson.

Ridgewood High School senior Johnny Jackson, aka Johnny Buckets, is doing what he always does, torch opponents to the tune of 31 points. What makes the barrage of threes and deft finishes around the hoop, all the more impressive, he was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin's lymphoma

just seven months ago. Playing through the chemotherapy treatments was extremely brutal. My body still was broken down. I still think it kind of is, broken down at 18 years old no one would have blamed jackson or any cancer patient for sitting out a season but as we quickly learned about this natural born hooper that was never in the cards i knew that from the start i was in the play why is that so important to you i mean it was so important

to me because it's just such a time of you know despair and you just feel like you're kind of just so beat down and basketball is kind of like my light in the darkness for his longtime coach mike troy he's averaging 23 this year he average 23 this year and he hasn't been healthy in two years His expectations were checked at first, but then he saw Johnny at the first practice of the season. He's taking chemo, and he comes out and he wins a sprint. That was a message to everybody, and everybody raised their game from that point on. Like message was received, and by me as well. Several weeks ago, Johnny completed his 12th and final chemotherapy treatment.

Cheered on by all his teammates, coaches, and family. Days later, the guard became the first. player in school history to surpass 2,000 points for his career. An unbridled joy for player, school, and this Northern New Jersey community. The support from the start has been incredible. The second I got diagnosed, T-shirts, fundrages, everything being made. The second I step onto the court for my first game of the year, I mean, people wearing shirts for me, cheering for me.

I don't think I could be here without them today. Support also flooding in from all over the sports world from former NBA player Matt Barnes. and understand that God give us toughest battles to his strongest soldier. To current global superstar, Steph Curry. And I just wish you well and keep fighting, man, and just know we're all rooting for you. Though Johnny's already discovering how his bravery and messaging is flowing out to others, too. Have you gotten a lot of outreach from kids who are also sick and are looking to you for inspiration? Yeah, I mean, it's been crazy.

Just going through my phone every day and receiving DMs. Actually, a kid at the game today, a former cancer survivor came and watched me play. He's only six years old. So I just seeing kids like that being inspired. By my story, it means a lot. On February 14th, Valentine's Day, Johnny rang the bell, signifying his cancer has been conquered. But the power of that moment was also another beat on his basketball journey. I was just happy that the weight was released off my shoulders, no tears.

I was just honestly, I had a game that day. I was more focused on the game, to be honest. Which feels like it's on brand with everything else that you just described. Exactly. That's true. Top Story, Sam Brock, Ridgewood, New Jersey. Johnny Buckets, we are rooting you on. We thank Sam for that story, and we thank you for watching Top Story tonight.

I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.