Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, May 12, 2025

Episode Date: May 13, 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 powerful moments in American hostage was released and reunited with his family. The image is just in tonight. Aidan Alexander racing into his mother's arms, their emotional embrace, nearly 600 days in the making. The 21-year-old, the last living American held by Hamas, how the U.S. negotiated directly with the terror group for his release. Stock markets surging after the U.S. and China dropped their highest tariffs, against each other for now. What it means for the prices of everything from toys to clothing and the new plan

to lower drug prices in the US. Will it work? Flying free. President Trump defending his decision to accept a brand new Air Force One from Qatar. Tonight, the new security concerns how could the US know the 400-ton plane is not bugged? Explosive testimony in the first day of the Diddy trial.

The jury shown parts of this infamous video, Did he allegedly beating his girlfriend, the major admission his defense team made in their opening statements. DoorDash shooting caught on camera. A delivery driver lost asking for directions when the homeowner suddenly opens fire. What the video appears to show and the charges that homeowner now faces. Face to face with Pope Leo are Lester Holt with the meeting of a lifetime, what the Pope told him about coming back to America. Lester joins Top Story with more on that incredible moment.

And Air Waves Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan, coming out of retirement and into the broadcast booth, how he was coaxed back into the spotlight. Plus another round of brutal delays at Newark Airport today. When will it get back on track? Top Story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. We start tonight with the incredible reunion overseas, the last living American hostage, freed from Hamas captivity. Right now, Idan Alexander is finally back in his mother's arms after being held since the October 7th attacks. This is the moment they saw each other for the first time in 19 months.

His emotional return coming after direct negotiations between the Trump administration and Hamas. Video showing him being handed over to the IDF. Moments later, his mother receiving the call she'd been desperately waiting for. Oh my God, Edan? Edan? Cheers erupting in Israel's hostage square at the news. And those celebrations stretched all the way back to New Jersey. where Edan lived for most of his life.

In a moment, you will hear from two of Edan's friends, their reaction to the moment he was freed and what they hoped to tell him. And questions tonight over what this deal means for the other hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, and if this could lead to a broader agreement that ends the war. We have a whole lot to get to this evening,

so we're going to begin with NBC's Hologarani in Tel Aviv. After 584 days in Hamas captivity, the emotional homecoming. Idan Alexander's mom hugging him, telling him she loves him. Idan, the last known living American hostage, tonight embracing his family. While back in Tenafly, New Jersey, his hometown, cheering at a watch party for the release of the dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. Until now that he was released on the screen, I didn't believe it would be true. The deal between the Trump administration and Hamas that led to his freedom largely

bypassed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas is still holding at least 20 living hostages. The father of one of them says only one man can get his son out. Only hope is in President Trump. We have no trust in our government. The president saying today, other hostages could be next. We hope that we're going to have other hostages released to. Lester has been speaking with the families of American hostages for months,

here with Edan's sister last September. My best friend that I was growing up with has just been, like, gone from my life, I'm sorry. No, that's okay. It's been very difficult. She was here tonight as he finally came home. Allison, with Hamas still holding hostages and the situation in Gaza getting worse, the focus now turns to a potential ceasefire. President Trump is traveling to Qatar, which has close relations with Hamas, with many hoping

Alexander's release could lead to a breakthrough in talks. Ellison. Aligarani, thank you. We're joined now by two good friends of Adon, Alexander, Ben Esser, and Michael Leshner. Thank you both so much for joining us here on Top Story. I want to start with some of the images that we just showed of Edan coming back, leaving captivity, 584 days in captivity.

Walk us through what it felt like for you to see this moment for the first time. I mean, it's just a surreal experience. Seeing your best friend, literally a brother. I love him so much, and I'm just so happy that he's back. And it's honestly just incredible to see the reaction from his family, and I can't wait to give him the biggest hug in the world. It's going to feel 10 times better to see him in person and be able to finally embrace him and physically see him.

So I'm just, I can't wait for that moment. And the energy that his mom and dad have shown and his family overall, Adi, Mika, Roy, all of them have just been so resilient throughout this whole process so that's all we can do and pray for them and pray for his recovery to be quick and swift so what was it like for you Ben I mean as amazing as it was for me I think the best moment I saw was the video because his family have been such fighters through all this his mom his dad his sister brothers it's it's so heartwarming

to like finally see that moment for them because I'll tell you there's definitely moments throughout this entire ordeal where, at least internally, you stop and you think, is he really alive? What's going on? But I'll tell you that his family never once publicly wavered from that image of he's alive and he's coming back. And so, I mean, I tell you, as much joy as I was in, when we heard the news, the Red Cross had him,

and then he was in Israel. Like, to see him with his family, that was the moment, I think. Have you been able to speak to any of his immediate family members? How do you think they are doing now? So we've spoken with one of our friends who is in Israel right now and he got to see Idon. He's also in our direct friend group where all the boys back home in New Jersey. So he gave us a little bit of insight on, you know, how his family is doing and they're

super excited to see him. He's already cracking jokes, just like good old days, so he's the Adon that we love and we know and we can't wait to see him again and it's just going to be an incredible experience and overall, we're just hopeful that, you know, he's going to have a swift recovery. We've been talking, and hopefully the medical proceedings all go according to, you know, plan, and the psychiatric kind of evaluation should also go according to plan, and then he should be back in the United States in a few days, God willing. Talk to me about what he looked like to you compared to the Idan you knew,

because, as I said, he has been through 584 days of captivity, the horrors of October 7th. Does he look physically different than he did when you saw him last? Well, I mean, we'll say from those who are with him in Israel that they are cautiously optimistic about the way he looks and sounds. And to Michael's point, you know, one of our best friends who's there with him says the first thing he did was make a joke about one of the other guys in the group. So, you know, that tells you, he's at least like himself. And there's obviously a sense, right, that this is such a, for lack of better,

just insane thing to go through. And so to some degree, there obviously there needs to be some time and adjustment at the minimum. But to me, he looks like generally himself. He's a little bit paler, maybe a little bit thinner. But, you know, if you said to me that that's what someone's going to look like after 580 days in a tunnel, I would say that, you know, that's a pretty good, it's a pretty good way to look. How did you guys keep hope throughout all of this, hope that he would come home. Honestly, his family did a great job. They reflected and they projected this incredible image of being this, you know, incredible family that's super resilient, super strong. And that energy radiates. When you have that positivity, that shows and that, you know, permeates throughout the

entire, you know, ecosystem of Idaan's friends and family. And, you know, as I was mentioning before, you know, Yael Adi, Mika Roy, all of his family, the extended family, they always were just cheering and hopeful and they said, guys, I have a great feeling and Eidon's going to come home. And now is the day, today's the day. It's literally for us a national holiday, like, we're going to remember this every day and every year and think about, you know, May 12th as this day that Eidan came home. So it's just an incredible experience and honestly surreal overall. And we did see that video of you celebrating your group.

of friends celebrating in Idon's hometown in New Jersey very quickly before we go. What is the first thing when he's ready that you as friends will hopefully do together? Well, hopefully we'll see Don. We'll go for a drive on 9W and we will go to All You Can Eat Sushi like we used to. Or we'll go to Brownstone Pancake Factory and have the Cali pancake wrap specifically. Perfect. Michael Ben, thank you both for being here. We really appreciate it.

Thank you so much. Our other major headline tonight, President Trump announcing a trade agreement with China after a prolonged standoff, temporarily lowering tariffs between the two countries by more than 100% each, while a full deal is worked out. The move sending the stock market soaring today. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez is following it all from the White House. Tonight, President Trump is touting a dramatic de-escalation of his trade war, calling it a total reset with China. after negotiations this weekend. China was being hurt very badly.

They were closing up factories, and they were very happy to be able to do something with us. I'll speak to President and she may be at the end of the week. For 90 days, while trade talks continue, the U.S. has agreed to lower its 145% tariff on Chinese goods to 30% while China will go from a 125% tax on American products to 10. The thaw in relations, even if temporary, sent stock soaring. The Dow up more than 1100 points today. All of it as President Trump

departs for his first major international trip of this term to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Also today, the president signing a sweeping executive order that he says will slash prescription drug costs for Americans by at least 50 percent, setting a 30-day deadline for drug makers to voluntarily lower the cost. Otherwise, the government will develop a new rule that ties the price the U.S. pays for medications that the lower prices drug companies charge in other countries. So we're no longer paying 10 times more than another country. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from the White House. Gabe, how are pharmaceutical companies reacting to this drug prices order from President Trump?

Well, Alson, the pharmaceutical industry says it would lead to less treatments and cures for Americans. It's also argued that President Trump's first attempt to do this in his first term would have given foreign governments the upper hand in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S. And, Alison, it is not entirely clear how all of this will be enforced. We do expect legal challenges. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. There's a lot in these new announcements that will impact you and your wallet.

So to walk us through what all of it means, let's go right to NBC's business and data correspondent, Brian Chung, he is here with me at the big board. So, Brian, this trade deal with China, a huge development. Some people might have felt optimistic heading into the weekend, but a lot of people didn't expect to see this. Put it in perspective for us. Where were we? Where are we now? Yeah, let's talk about the roller coaster experience that has been this tariff war. If we talk about pre-Trump, there were no blanket tariffs imposed by the Biden administration, but across industries as calculated by the Peterson Institute, you can see that actually in some cases,

tariffs were about 20%. Now, of course, the president did aggressively ratchet that up to 145% on China. And by the way, here are the rates that the tariffs that China was imposing on the United States. they slapped 125%. So effective this morning, now those rates are now much lower. 30% that the U.S. is imposing on goods coming in from China, China lowering their tariffs on U.S. goods to 10%. So this is a much, much lower. It's taken the temperature down on these talks, which should hopefully set the stage for an agreement, a deal at some point down the line. So obviously this is a massive drop, but it is not a total elimination, which is what some people wanted to see. In terms of everyday

Americans, will we still feel it when we go to buy things that we need or want at the store? Yeah. Well, first off, it's worth noting that it's only a 90-day pause. So what happens after that we don't know, although the president has suggested we won't go back to 145%. But look, at a 30% tariff rate, there are still some real implications here. When you talk about electronics and toys, the estimate that 80% of toys come from China into the United States, electronics are a big deal as well. Although I want to point out, there was an exemption put on electronics from the Trump administration, but the threat of tariffs is still out there, as there could be a Commerce Department review of whether or not we need to tariff that as well.

Clothing is another big one, a lot of sweaters, a lot of shoes come from China. So again, 30%, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce even said today, Ellison, that they still worry because 30% is still substantially higher than it was prior to this administration taking out. Okay, so talk to us about this executive order from President Trump aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs. We heard Gabe explaining it there. Yeah. Could that really have an impact on how?

will we purchase and what we pay for prescription drugs here? Well, there's some real questions over whether or not there's an enforcement mechanism, as Gabe just alluded to a few seconds ago. But look, when it comes to the prices themselves, it is a big deal, and it's been the thorn American side, and actually a bipartisan issue. Take a look at the prices as estimated by the Senate Health Committee in terms of Ozempic and Wagovi, popular weight loss, GLP-1 drugs. OZempik, it's over 16 times.

It's staggering the price per month compared to Germany, where they pay $59. dollars. Wagovi, over $1,000 per month, that is 10 times more expensive than what they pay in Germany. And insulin, even outside of the GLP1 drugs, a major deal per capita is estimated by HHS. It's over six times more expensive. Again, the issue here is that the Trump administration wants to tell these drug makers, whatever you charge in other countries is what you have to charge us. But the EEO doesn't really state what the consequences would be if they don't. It's kind of a good fate, hey, you should do this. If not, there will be some rulemaking. But again, unclear about what that means.

Okay, and so in terms of this idea that the president has flouted, that he could cut out the middleman and let people directly buy what they need from pharmaceutical manufacturers, could that actually work? Could this idea of cutting the middleman out be a real thing when it comes to what you pay for descriptions? Middleman was exactly the term that the president used when he was talking about this. When he refers to the middleman, he's likely talking about this, exactly in the middle of the supply chain that we've kind of put out here.

Again, if you as a patient are ordering something from a drug man, You've got to pick it up at the pharmacy. So who negotiates the prices on the part of the pharmacy? It's these what they call PBMs, pharmacy benefit managers. And basically what they do is they say, hey, Eli Lilly or GSK, hey, if we want those drugs, here's the price that we're going to pay for it because we're able to distribute it across the country. They're the ones that help determine what the prices are. The president's saying, why are we doing that in the first place?

Why can't the patient just go and buy directly from the drug manufacturers? So again, the executive order does outline that they want HHS. to detail some sort of most favored nation price purchasing program. But again, what that looks like, we have no idea. And whether or not there's a mechanism to actually make this happen remains unclear. All right. A lot of questions still to be answered there. Brian Chung, thank you, as always.

We appreciate it. President Trump is facing new criticism tonight over the announcement that he plans to accept a jumbo luxury jet from Qatar to use as the new Air Force One. Experts warned the gift could leave the president vulnerable to spying, while Democrats are calling it unethical and possibly unconstitutional. NBC News, White House correspondent Yomish Alcindor has this report.

Tonight, as President Trump against his three-day visit to the Middle East, he says he's preparing to accept a super luxury jumbo jet from the royal family of Qatar to use as the new Air Force won. I think it's a great gesture from Qatar. I appreciate it very much. I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person, say, no, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane. The Boeing 7478 is estimated to cost some $400 million.

The president's plans to accept it, sparking widespread criticism. Former intel officials telling NBC News such a gift could pose massive spying risks, citing gifts from foreign governments that have been bugged with listening devices in the past. I think it's an unbelievably risky scenario to have a president fly. in an aircraft that wasn't hand-built by a company in the U.S. overseeing by the Secret Service or other government agencies. At a news conference Monday, President Trump justifying his decision by criticizing Boeing's delays in delivering a new Air Force One.

We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One. You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. Boeing did not return NBC's request for comment. The company produced the current Air Force One. It is a highly customized Boeing 740s, 747-200B model that can refuel itself mid-air, is protected against electromagnetic pulses, has advanced secure communication equipment, and military defense systems. The plane from Qatar would need to be retrofitted with the same features. But as built, some models come equipped with spacious lounges, a master bedroom, and a private

office. Democrats slamming President Trump's willingness to accept a gift of this magnitude and saying it would first need congressional approval, according to the emoluments clause of the Constitution. He is putting America's national security at risk to enrich himself. You cannot think of another president who has been so brazen, so selfish, and so destructive of the norms of what America is about. An even longtime Trump ally, Laura Lumer, blasting the move, is a stain on the administration

and saying she is disappointed. President Trump saying the new plane would be a gift to the Department of Defense and that he would not use it after his term ends. It would go directly to the library after I leave office. I wouldn't be using it, no. The White House press secretary also saying that any gift accepted would be in full compliance with the law. And a White House official telling NBC news that the gift will not be presented nor accepted this week while the president is in Qatar. A Qatari spokesperson also saying the plan is still under review and that no decision has been made.

And Yomish Alcindor joins us now. Amish, do we have any sense of how much it could cost to get this gifted plane up to par with Air Force One? high security standards? It's a good question, but we don't know how much it will cost. But Boeing has a $3.9 billion contract to make two new Air Force ones. That's about $2 billion a piece, so it will likely cost a lot more to get this Katari plane up to code. And the two Air Force one planes that we have right now have been in use since 1991 and 1990. But we should note that they were manufactured in 1986.

So that's just sigh of 40 years, Alison. NBC's Yamish Alcindor reporting from the White House. And we are back in a moment with the courtroom drama on day one of the Diddy trial, the major admission from the defense team and the testimony from a male escort. Plus, the chilling video of a homeowner apparently shooting at a DoorDash driver who was just asking for directions, what that video appears to show. And face-to-face with the Pope, Lester Holt's meeting with Leo the 14th, what he says about being the first American Pope.

Lester Holt joins Top Story for more on that surprising encounter. The sex trafficking trial for Sean Diddy Combs started today in a New York City courtroom. Our Chloe Malas was there as the prosecution's first witnesses took the stand, and a warning. Some of the images and details are disturbing. Music mogul and business icon Sean Diddy Combs in front of a judge and jury today, facing five criminal counts in a bombshell sex crime. crimes and racketeering trial expected to last for two months. He's engaged. He's ready to go. He's ready to put on his defense.

In opening statements, prosecutors laid out a 20-year pattern of alleged abuse, accusing Combs of running a criminal enterprise, including sex trafficking and kidnapping. Prosecutors say that he forced his alleged victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties called freak-offs. At the center of their case, star witness Cassie Ventura, Combs' former girlfriend who first accused him of abuse in an explosive 2023 civil suit, which was quickly settled without Combs admitting wrongdoing. A version of this 2016 security video obtained by CNN showing Combs brutally beating Ventura in a hotel hallway played for jurors today. The prosecution's first witness, a former hotel guard who was on shift and responded after the assault.

He says Ventura appeared scared, had a quote purple eye and said she wanted to leave. Defense attorneys acknowledged he's bad temper in their opening statement, saying, quote, sometimes he is so angry and jealous that he gets out of control. But they said domestic violence is not sex trafficking and love of baby oil is not a federal crime. They described the alleged victims as, quote, capable, strong adult women and said that they're after money. Who has the bigger hill to climb here? Certainly the defense has the bigger hill to climb. We are going to be seeing videos, not just of beatings of. victim, but of these sexual acts.

Jurors heard explicit testimony from a male escort called by prosecutors who says on multiple occasions Ventura paid him to have sex with her in front of Combs and says he witnessed Combs assault Ventura. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. A 12-person jury made up of eight men and four women will soon decide the fate of one of the most powerful men in music. And Chloe Malas joins us now from outside that courthouse in New York. Chloe, was Cassie in court today? And when can we expect her to take the stand?

Hey there, Ellison. So Cassie Ventura was not in court, but just moments ago, I actually saw her husband, Alex Fine, surrounded by reporters as he made his way out of the courthouse and into an awaiting black SUV. I also saw Cassie's attorney Douglas Wigdor leaving the courthouse today. and he has been a staple in the courtroom and all of the pretrial hearings leading up to this moment. We could see Cassie Ventura take the stand as early as tomorrow. She's a key witness for the government, and her testimony could last days.

NBC's Chloe Malas, thank you. When Top Story returns new details about the new Pope, one of his brothers joins us live, what he's noticed about his sibling since he became Pope and Lester Holtz standing by, what he learned from Pope Leo when he talked. with him today. Plus, sticking the landing, the teenage driver who accidentally drove a Jeep off a pier, but somehow didn't crash into the water. We are back now with Top Stories News Feed. A ground delay is currently in effect at Newark, New Jersey's airport, as staffing shortages and equipment issues continue to mount.

That delay expected to end in just over an hour. Departures have been set back on average by 101 minutes with a maximum delay of six hours. More than 80 flights have already been canceled. Take a listen to this audio of an incoming pilot reassuring an air traffic controller about their recent issues. And Newark Casino, we're all rooting for you for better equipment and more stuff. Hey man, we appreciate it. Thanks. That audio was recorded Sunday as flights headed to Newark Airport were stopped for about. about 45 minutes due to radar outages. A criminal investigation is underway in New Jersey after officials say they found evidence suggesting a deadly house fire this weekend was not an accident.

Home surveillance video shows the moment the home burst into flames on Sunday. Two bodies were pulled from the wreckage, according to police. Neighbors say it sounded like an explosion, but police are describing it as an intense house fire. Canadian rapper Tori Lanes is in the hospital tonight after being stabbed in a California prison. Prison officials say another inmate stabbed lanes inside the facility, which is just north of Santa Barbara. That's where he is serving a 10-year sentence for shooting rapper Meg the stallion back in 2020. An investigation into the stabbing is ongoing. And cameras capturing the shocking moment, police say a jeep nearly plunged into the water.

Video showing it catapulting over the pier on New York's Long Island. Somehow it landed face up on a floating dock. It all happened on Sunday. Police say the driver sustained minor injuries. The car was lifted off that dock and towed away this afternoon. We are back at the Vatican tonight where earlier today, Pope Leo the 14th addressed journalists from around the world less than one week after becoming the first American pope. NBC nightly news anchor Lester Holt having an unexpected encounter and conversation with Pope Leo following that address.

Lester has this report for us. It was an unexpected moment at a speech to invited international media members, Pope Leo, concluding his remarks and then walking to the front rows, where we had a brief off-mike chat. I asked him about the significance of an American Pope. You tell me, he said, before sharing an anecdote about an individual returning to the church because there was now an American Pope. Good morning, and thank you for this wonderful reception.

They say when they clap at the beginning, it doesn't matter much. If you're still awake at the end and you still want to applaud, thank you very much. Today's event itself was not a news conference, rather a timely message to the news media itself. The Pope's speaking of the need to safeguard what he called the gift of free speech and of the press, Remarks that drew a warm response from the invited journalists. The Pope delivering a really stirring defense of the free press, and you talked about those who have been locked up and incarcerated because of their reporting. Poblio has quickly embraced the role of moral authority.

Just yesterday calling for a lasting peace in Ukraine, an end to violence and a release of hostages in Gaza. His brother John, watching the Pope's first Sunday blessing as pontiff with us yesterday from a nearby rooftop. He says his brother is determined. It does seem like he was made for this moment. He knows what he's going to do. He knows what he's going to say. Others who know him say expect Pope Leo to hold his ground when he finds it necessary. Will he be afraid or bound by the risk of failure or criticism? My experience of Now, Pope Leo, is that he's not afraid to make decisions that may be unpopular.

Decisions when he really believes that this is the right decision to make, it's very easy for him to make that decision. Now, four days into his papacy, Pope Leo seemed at ease today, even signing the baseball of one attendee. What did he say? He said, white socks are cubs, and I said white socks. Playfully dawning a well-wisher's colorful sash and blessing babies. But there was a lot of business ahead.

In our brief moment together, I asked him whether he has plans or return to the U.S. anytime soon. His answer, not yet. And Lester joins us now from the Vatican. Lester, you were able to have that off-mite conversation, as you described it, with the new Pope. What was that moment like for you, professionally as a journalist or even personally? Well, as a journalist, nothing quite like it. I've interviewed a fair number of world leaders and extremely important people, but there is something about being in the presence of the Pope and all that represents.

Also, having seen this individual emerge from the conclave process just a few days ago, so it was a unique moment. I was so appreciative that he took the time because I kept pushing a little bit, trying to get a few more questions in to get a sense of where he's at. But he took it in good stride, and I think good humor. did anything else strike you about that meeting today or just what we have heard from him now publicly you know what strikes me about him is his calmness and I remember making the same comment that the evening he appeared on the balcony here behind us and you know all that was

happening and there was a serenity and I certainly picked up on that in person this sense of calm and you know I spoke to his brother the other day who really kind of cements what I said he's not just calm, but he's really deliberate, and if he's going to do something, he's going to do it. NBC's Lester Holt. Thank you. Of course. And Lester spoke to one of the Pope's brothers. We are fortunate to be joined by another one. Lou Prevost, the Pope's older brother, joins Top Story Tonight.

Lou, thank you so much for joining us. I mean, your brother has been Pope for less than a week. We have seen him publicly out, meeting people and saying Mass. What has it been like for you? to watch your brother do all of this and to become the Pope? For me, it's been a zoo here. I mean, it's been nonstop since the announcement came out Thursday here that he was elected Pope.

And you can imagine the press rush here. My brother John, he managed to escape from Chicago and get to Rome. I was going to go with him, but I was under the weather, so I couldn't fly out Friday, and I just thought, well, I'll just stay home and watch the stuff on TV. But it's been just mind-blowing. Mind, it's just, I don't know, I can't put it into words.

It's just an awesome thing that my little brother is now the Pope of the Catholic Church. It's just hard to put into words. I know it's been, what, four days now, and the excitement, really hasn't leveled off. I'm hoping it does soon because I really need to get some sleep. But you go to bed at night and all it runs through your mind is robs the Pope. Rob's the Pope. I got to go to sleep.

But Rob's the Pope. And it's just the excitement when he was named and when he made his first appearance Thursday coming up to the balcony at the Vatican there. to announce, you know, speak to the crowd in the Vatican Square. When I saw his forehead and it, yep, that's Rob. That's his forehead. There he comes and his face. And it kind of brought tears to my eyes and, you know, happy.

Like, oh, my God, my little brother is the Pope, an impossible dream. And it's just been a whirlwind since when that happened. When I saw his face, the last 60 years, 67. of years kind of flashed by like they say what happens when you die your whole life flashes before you i flashed back to when he was a baby and a young child and growing up and what we saw and what we thought and it was like it was yesterday it all came flooding back um growing up with him with my two brothers and watching them and and watching rob watch his uh his uh his gift, his spirituality, even back then, grow into what he has become today. We kind of always felt

and it was, there were people that said, even as far back to the second grade, Robert, you're going to be Pope someday the way, just something about him. And we all, you know, we used to laugh. ha ha, yeah, good luck, right? And here it is, 2025, and he's the Pope now. And like I say, when I go back in time and think to all the times, I used to tease him about that, make fun of them for a plain priest. And here it is, he's Pope. And so I got to live with that, adjust to the fact that he's the Pope.

of the Roman Catholic Church. And maybe it all makes a little sense now. I know growing up, I have heard rather, that your mom was very, very invested in the Catholic Church and faith was incredibly important to her. Do you think that time, the way that you all grew up, that that really played a big role in leading Pope Leo to where he is now?

It certainly didn't hurt, but even before he became aware of, like, the faith, the religion when he was a young just learning about the religion going you know hadn't even started school and just going to church on Sundays to mass and we would always as a family after dinner pray the rosary and when you're a little kid especially a young child you don't really understand what are we doing what does it mean why are we doing it but he had already had something about him he did it he prayed with us like normal

and as time went on he like I say he liked to play priest and whatnot and my parents were both very supportive but there was no pressure like ooh goody you're going to be a priest and then they tried to keep coaxing him a lot no it was all on his own

our parents didn't force any of us you know to go a specific way in life it was you do what you feel is, you know, you're calling your life. And he had the calling from a very, very early age. And he knew what he wanted to do. When he got out of grade school, past eighth grade, he went straight into the seminary. And a lot of guys went to the seminary for high school. And when they get to the point where it's graduation time and you have to start making a real commitment, you know, initial vows and whatnot, they bail because that's not really the life I

I really wanted. But it was for him. He didn't hesitate. Yeah. He just went right straight through and carried on. Let me ask you, because I'd heard that he played wordle and also maybe words with friends. Have you been able to speak with him since all of this happened? And for the game nerds out there, myself included, is he still wordling every day?

As far as I know, because. Because you guys have talked to him more than I have, as a matter of fact. I've tried to contact. It's hard for me to get a hold of him, obviously, because he's really busy. Yeah. And my brother John's there, and I've been trying to use his phone to talk to our brother, Rob, the Pope, because I think his phone has been, like, locked down, taken away, whatever. I don't know.

But so I talked to Jay. But when I did get to talk to my brother, Rob, the new Pope, he said, I don't know how we're going to be able to communicate right now. And I said, well, how about, you know, words with friends or wordle? And it was like, yeah, that might work. We may have to. I used to play that with them all the time. And I back.

I just couldn't keep up with them. And they always beat me. And I was like, well, I tried to keep playing. But between work and everything else, it's just I couldn't keep up. And I kept timing out. but I may have to pick up on that again and start improving my vocabulary. It sounds like a good plan in my book.

Let me ask you before we let you go. We wanted to do a fun little lightning round to get to know your brother a little better, especially after there was so much debate, whether he was a Sox fan or a Cubs fan. We got that cleared up. It's the Sox. But let me ask you, do we know,

would he go Chicago-style dog or deep-dish pizza? Oh. Chicago-style, you know, I go with a Chicago-style hot dog over the deep fish. Okay, cat person or a dog person? Oh, dog. Coke or Pepsi? Coke. Coke.

And does he call it soda or pop or like we say in the southeast, we just call any of it Coke? Um, it's going to be a lot of Coke, but he may also say soda because he's had a lot of European influence of it, you know. That's fair. And then when you were kids, thinking back to childhood, was there a favorite TV show that your family watched when you, your brother John, your brother Rob, who we now know as Pope Leo, were younger?

Watched as kids or watched as a family? Like a favorite kid show or? Yeah, any of those. Favorite kid show? Favorite sitcom? Did you ever have a TV night? Oh, gosh. Gee, that's a tough one because I'm trying to remember those old shows.

I know I Love Lucy was a favorite. That was a favorite of Johns, too. He still watches that, you know, today. We'll take it. I love Lucy cannot be beat. That's a good one in our book. Lou, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. I know it's been an emotional and overwhelming time for you and your entire family,

but we really appreciate you joining Top Story tonight. Thank you. They're welcome. Thank you. We'll be right back in just a moment with the shooting that was caught on camera, a door dash driver at the wrong home, how it almost turned deadly. And his earnest hitting the airwaves, the return of Michael Jordan, the role that pulled him out of retirement.

Stay right there. It's been nearly 10 years since four Americans were kidnapped and killed by ISIS militants in Syria. Their bodies never recovered, their faiths never totally known. Now, a team of former FBI agents is on the ground. They're searching for answers as to what really happened to them. Or Richard Engel is there with exclusive access to their operation. The investigators set out from the Syrian city of Aleppo on a mission years in the making to find and recover the remains of American hostages executed by ISIS. After a nearly two-hour drive, the team arrives at a hill

on the edge of the village of Dabek and gets to work. This is the intersection. This and that is this intersection right here. They're searching the hilltop for American aid workers and journalists Kala Mueller, Stephen Sotloff, James Foley, and Peter Kasich. For the first time, they're looking on the spot where investigators suspect ISIS buried one and perhaps all of their foreign hostages. There is a very specific reason why this hill, this area was so important.

important to ISIS. This is Dhabik. And in Islamic tradition, according to Islamic prophecies, this is Armageddon. This is where the apocalypse takes place. This is where the beginning of the end of the world starts. It's supposed to be the scene of a final battle between Muslim armies and the armies of Rome, the armies of the crusaders, and that the armies of Islam will be victorious and usher in not only the end of days, but a new glory. beginning for mankind. The investigation is led by the Sufahn Group, a private company mostly staffed by former FBI and counterterrorism officers.

They're working pro bono on behalf of the hostage families in coordination with, but independently from the U.S. government. This mission is really one of the most important missions anybody can do. We're doing this for the families. We really want to make sure that the families have proper closure, have their loved ones. laying rest next to them. There is no better mission in the world than this mission. ISIS no longer controls this area, but there are still sleeper cells around, so security

laid on by the new Syrian government is tight. The entire expedition was paid for by the government of Qatar, which sent a full search and rescue team, along with pathologists and crime scene investigators. Qatar describes it as a humanitarian mission. After bulldozing a berm, they make a grim discovery, remains where they expected to find them, on the exact spot where an ISIS executioner made a gruesome video that showed the partial remains of the American hostage, Peter Kessig. It's too early to Dell, if it is Peter, another westerner or a local.

The good news is we did find someone, and that's going to bring closure to somebody. It doesn't matter who that person is. It could be serious, could be western or could be Iraqi. Someone who's going to have closure because of what we found. But it's too early. They keep searching for four days under the scorching sun, and they keep making fines. The investigators are finding even more than they expected. They are currently searching in three locations at the same time.

And in each one, they're finding human remains. This appears to have been an ISIS dumping ground for its victims, and we know that they were victims because they were just thrown into shallow graves and quickly covered up. They ultimately locate at least a dozen victims. DNA analysis is now underway. Only once it's complete will the hostage families know if their loved ones have been recovered after more than a decade. Richard Engel, NBC News, Dhabik, Syria.

Back in this country, the chief. new video that reportedly shows an elected official in New York State shooting at a door-dash driver who police said got lost in his neighborhood and was just asking for directions. NBC, Shaquille Brewster has the details and a warning. This report contains disturbing audio and images of gun violence. Tonight, newly obtained surveillance video reportedly showing the moment an elected official in upstate New York shot a door-dash driver outside his home. The driver who has not been publicly named was attempting to deliver food to a house in Chester, New York, police say, when he became lost and unable to navigate using the app. They say he approached several homes asking for directions before arriving at the residence,

seen here at a nearby address just before the shooting in the video obtained by News 12. State police say he then went to the home of New York Highway Superintendent John Riley, who is also a federally licensed. firearms dealer. Another video obtained by News 12, reportedly showing the 48-year-old walking out of his house. The video appears to show Riley initially shooting into the side of his yard, yelling at the driver to leave as the door-dash driver turned on his ignition. Go!

Go! Moments later, firing toward the vehicle after the driver starts to reverse. shooting once more as the victim drove off. Police say one of the bullets struck the driver in the back, causing serious physical injuries. Riley tonight out on bail, but facing felony assault and criminal weapon possession charges, according to state police. Just shocked, disbelief, disgust. I just can't believe that that took place.

Chester Town Supervisor says the town board is holding a special meeting Tuesday morning to consider calling for Riley's resignation. We can't fire him. We can't unappoint him. You know, we can't put him on leave of any type. He's elected. Riley did not return our request for comment. A DoorDash spokesperson saying, quote, no one should ever fear for their safety just for trying to make deliveries in their neighborhood. We're devastated by the senseless act of violence and we're wishing the Dasher a full and speedy recovery. This situation is a representative of the town of Chester. You know, we are good people. you know, this is a complete outlier in terms of, you know, how we treat anybody from outside the community.

Riley does not yet have a new court date scheduled. Shaquille Brewster, NBC News. And we'll be back in a moment with on-air Jordan, the new role for NBA legend Michael Jordan. And we're back now with a major headline in sports. Michael Jordan arguably won a basketball's greatest joining NBC. sports coverage as a special contributor this fall. The six-time NBA champion breaking the news today as our parent company, NBC Universal,

unveiled its upcoming slate of programming. For more on Jordan's return, we're joined now by front office sports today, host Baker Machado. Baker, this is a big deal, in general, big deal here, especially. What do we know about Jordan's role? We don't know a lot, but easily, as you mentioned,

a big throwback to the 90s here that NBC now getting NBA coverage for the first time in 20s. 23 years and bringing back one of the stars from when NBC had NBA coverage being Michael Jordan. You mentioned it's a special contributor role. We don't know exactly what that entails. Is that going to be in the studio? Is that going to be out on the road? But we do know that NBC is going to have basketball telecasts on Monday and Tuesday and Sunday nights. So starting in 2026, we all know Sunday night football. Starting in 2026, NBC will start carrying Sunday night basketball, which is really

exciting. Other big Hall of Famers like Reggie Miller are going to be there. Mike Torrico is going to be doing the play-by-play. And of course, Michael Jordan can be part of that picture as well. I mean, look, we've seen some legendary basketball players, Charles Barkley, Shaq, a lot of people that have gone into the sports broadcasting world or at least dabbled in it. Do we know or have we heard people speculating why Jordan decided now was the time? We don't know. I mean, he did sell his stake in the Charlotte Hornets just in 2023. We also don't know what Michael Jordan's like as a TV commentator, but he obviously has so much basketball knowledge over all of his decades of playing in the league and also being in the front office

as well. So we don't also know what kind of personality Michael Jordan's going to be. You mentioned Charles Barkley. Is it going to be sort of this, you know, interesting personality that kind of like tells it how it is like Charles or is going to be a little bit more buttoned up? Nobody knows. And I think that's going to be the intrigue to why everybody wants to see what Michael's going to be like. Before we let you go, we said at the beginning that he is arguably Yes. One of the greatest basketball players. Is Michael Jordan the greatest basketball player? Of course. I mean, there's obviously the debate with him, LeBron, and so many others. I mean, if you grew up watching NBC's coverage of the NBA growing up, it is Michael Jordan. He is the greatest of all time. And I think that's why his coverage and his insight is going to be so great for so many viewers learning into the NBA. Also, we should note NBC's bringing back Round Ball Rock, which is arguably the greatest sports anthem of all time in their coverage as well. So this is going to be incredible for NBA fans. Next thing we know, Scottie Pippen's going to be out there.

Yes, bring them all back in Rodman and everybody. Love it. Baker Machado, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.