Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, May 26, 2025

Episode Date: May 27, 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 terrifying scenes in the United Kingdom when a car plows into a parade. Horror on the streets of Liverpool, a car smashing into pedestrians as nearly a million celebrate a soccer championship. Dozens injured the moment police and parade goers ripped the driver out of the car. Was it a terror attack? Exclusive video of the moment in Italian tourists held captive and tortured by a crypto tycoon in New York, freaks free and runs to a police officer, an accomplice of the so-called crypto king,

now expected to turn himself in. Putin's brutal new assault on Ukraine, the biggest aerial attack of the war yet. President Trump blasting the Russian leader as, quote, absolutely crazy, how the Kremlin fired back, remembering the fallen. President Trump's speech at Arlington National Cemetery today,

and the small town that came out in force to pay tribute to a soldier who died in World War II. finally returning home. Another prison break in the South, a disgraced police chief in for murder, seen in photos sneaking out dressed like a cop, as more alleged accomplices are arrested in the manhunt for those New Orleans fugitives. Why are so many prisoners able to get out? The push seen round the world.

Video of President Emmanuel Macron getting shoved in the face by his wife, sparking global headlines. What they say that push was really about. and a hero's welcome. The man who quit his job to sail to Hawaii with his cat has made landfall, the huge arrival ceremony and where they're heading next. Plus, the summer travel deals available right now. The discount experts say have not been seen in years.

Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, a terrifying situation in the United Kingdom as a driver barrels into a parade mowing down pedestrians. At the time, fans lining the streets of Liverpool celebrating the Premier League victory, and we must warn you, the video is disturbing. Shock and horror unfolding as a black car rams into crowds of soccer fans, more than two dozen left injured. Video showing the chaotic aftermath as the car comes to a stop, angry crowd striking the car, punching out windows, and making their way into the driver's seat.

We do not know if the driver was inside the car at this time. This is all happening in the northwest of England, in Liverpool, the parade route lining Water Street in the heart of that city. The incident unfolding just as the parade was coming to an end. Officials say nearly a million people gathered to celebrate before the event took a disturbing turn. At this hour, we're getting new details about the man now in police custody, as officials work to determine how this could have happened.

NBC's Molly Hunter starts off our coverage with the breaking details. Tonight, tens of thousands of people lining the streets of Liverpool for a parade to celebrate their home teams win when a black van veered into crowds of pedestrians. We didn't see how quick it was come. We just jumped out the way. It was literally like seconds. We felt the swoosh of the car go past and it was mil meters, centimeters away. Oh my God. After 6 p.m., chaotic scenes playing out. The van then coming to a stop and crowds surrounding the vehicle. We believe this to be an isolated incident.

The incident is not being treated as terrorism. Police saying tonight they've arrested a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area. Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision. It was meant to be a joyous day, celebrating Liverpool football. football club's trophy win. The club saying in a statement, we will continue to offer our full support to the emergency services. UK Prime Minister Kier Starrmer calling the scenes appalling, thanking emergency services for their swift response to this shocking incident. And Molly Hunter joins us now from London, England. Molly authorities are saying multiple

people were hurt, several even trapped under a car. What more can you tell us? Yeah, Alison, we're learning from emergency services that when they arrived on the scene shortly after 6 p.m. this evening in Liverpool, four people were actually trapped underneath that vehicle, including one child. They also say they treated 20 people on the scene with minor injuries. 27 people were taken to the hospital. Two of those people had serious injuries, including one child. But they also said, Alison, that certain people with injuries self-presented at hospitals so that may not be a complete number. Ellison. Holly Hunter, thank you.

We have exclusive brand new video tonight of the moment in Italian tourists broke free after allegedly having been held hostage and tortured by an American crypto tycoon. The video shows the moments he made it to a police officer and ultimately to safety. We're also learning new details about the weeks he was allegedly held inside a pricey New York City townhouse. NBC New York's Mark Santia has the details and the shocking video. For the first time, we're seeing the dramatic. end to a harrowing ordeal, and escape from a six-story townhouse turned alleged torture chamber in Soho. Surveillance video shows the moment a disheveled man, barefoot and bleeding, approaches an NYPD traffic officer, pleading for help. The man, an Italian tourist,

wore only shorts, a polo shirt, and clutched a fanny pack in his hand. Police quickly converged on a townhouse arresting John Wolts, a prominent name in the crypto world. According to law enforcement sources. Waltz and a business associate are accused of imprisoning and torturing their third business partner, a 28-year-old Italian citizen who had just arrived in New York earlier this month. Investigators say the two men took his passport and electronic devices, then demanded the password to his Bitcoin account. When he refused, police say they beat him with a pistol, held a gun to his head, used a chainsaw on his leg, urinated on him, tied his wrist, drugged him, shocked him with live wires and even dangled him off the building. When the victim finally

escaped, he ran to a nearby officer, covered in cuts and bruises. Sources say officers were covered a gun inside the lavish townhouse, which they described as a, quote, high-end frat house, complete with an elevator, stripper poles in the basement, and expensive liquor scattered throughout the building. Off camera, neighbors told us they often heard loud parties, but had no idea the home allegedly hid such horrors. Law enforcement sources say the third businessman. A suspect in this case is expected to turn himself into police this week. Ellison?

Mark Santia, thank you. Turning overseas now to the brutal assault by Russia on Ukraine. Its biggest coordinated aerial assault on that country since the beginning of the war. It comes as President Trump has ramped up pressure on both sides to reach a peace deal. But this latest round of attacks prompting one of the strongest reactions yet from Mr. Trump. NBC international correspondent,

Ralph Sanchez, has this report. Tonight, hopes of a ceasefire in Ukraine are fading fast. After days of deadly Russian air strikes, President Trump declaring, Vladimir Putin has gone absolutely crazy. Update, I'm not happy with what Putin's doing. He's killing a lot of people.

And I don't know what the hell happened to Putin. We're in the middle of talking. and he's shooting rockets into Kiev in other cities. I don't like it at all. In response, the Kremlin suggesting Trump may be suffering an emotional overload. It's a major shift from last week when Trump said he had an excellent two-hour phone call with Putin and claimed peace talks would begin immediately. Instead, Russia unleashing what Ukraine says are some of the largest attacks of the entire war,

firing more than 700 missiles and drones and killing at least 18 civilians. including several children, according to Ukrainian officials. Let the world wake up and see how long can they bomb children, this woman asks. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urging the U.S. to impose further sanctions on Russia, saying America's silence and the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin. And no sign the president's angry words about Putin will be followed by action. He isn't committing to any new sanctions on Russia. Alison.

Ralph Sanchez, thank you. President Trump spent part of this Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery, paying tribute to those who have died in service to this country. The president also found time for another round of attacks on Harvard University. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell is at the White House with more. As the nation remembers, a solemn tradition, President Trump honoring the supreme sacrifice that arrests at Arlington National Cemetery. In a ceremony steeped in patriotism, the president spoke of courage across history, as well

as the bravery of fallen soldiers whose families were there today. All of America shares in your grief, and more importantly, we share in your pride and your wonderful son. The president who often invokes partisan politics briefly caught himself in this setting. Not for today to discuss, but the republic that is now doing so very well. We're doing so very well right now, considering the circumstances. But he had already woven in criticism of former President Biden. That was a hard four years we went through.

Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked. Away from the solemnity of this day. the president reignited his fire on social media, aimed at a frequent target, Harvard University. In a new threat, the president writes, I'm considering taking $3 billion of grant money away and giving it to trade schools all across our land. However, some of that funding is authorized for medical and scientific research, not done at trade schools. In another post tied to immigration, the president demanded, the foreign student list from Harvard as a means for his administration to limit entry of students, he called radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all.

Harvard says it has complied with the administration's request for information. The university's president has described the actions as retaliation for a refusal to surrender our academic independence. And Kelly O'Donnell joins us now from the White House. Kelly, on the terrorist front, how close is the U.S. at this moment to a deal with the EU? Well, the president has ramped up his trade war and then sort of pulled it back when it comes to the EU. He had a phone call on Sunday with the president of the EU and expressed frustrations that negotiations were not moving along. He has said he would impose a 50% tariff on European goods beginning June 1st.

He's now giving some additional time, pushing that off until July 9th. And in the interim, he's expecting there will be negotiations, giving that some breathing room and some time. And today, the top trade negotiator for the EU posted that he has spoken with the Commerce Secretary and the U.S. trade rep and called those constructive conversations. Ellison? NBC's Kelly O'Donnell. Thank you. Also, on this Memorial Day, the threat of severe weather impacting roughly 12 million people from New Mexico to Alabama, with tornado watches in effect for parts of Texas. The storms come as millions of people make the journey home after a busy holiday. weekend here's nbc's ryan chanler with more tonight severe weather already moving in this

holiday weekend tornadoes touching down in new mexico and hailstorms and heavy winds hitting texas in oklahoma torrential rain caused massive flash flooding as severe weather collides with this memorial day travel rush triple a projecting 45 million americans hit the road in skies this weekend it's a bit stressful you know you just want to just get on the line you're get checked in and just go. Thunderstorms over Colorado leading the FAA to issue a ground stop in Denver. Dallas Fort Worth Airport also in the bullseye of strong storms, adding more stress to these hectic scenes.

TSA says they screened over 3 million people Friday, the third busiest day of all time. What did you think when you walked up to this long line here? I thought it was a lie. It is not a lie. I've never seen it wrapped around stairs past the toilets and all the way down. Across the country, thousands of flights delayed. On Saturday, a flight from Tokyo to Houston was diverted to Seattle after a passenger tried to open the exit doors mid-flight.

In a statement, FBI Seattle says the individual was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation after the flight landed. But most travelers are on the roads. More than 39 million drove this weekend, with gas at its lowest Memorial Day price in four years. And Ryan Chandler joins us now. from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Ryan, where do air travel delays and cancellation stand now? Well, Ellison, right now,

Flight Aware is reporting more than 900 flights across the country are delayed, including most of the flights currently trying to take off from Dallas and Denver, where that ground stop was issued here in Dallas. More than 200 flights are currently on the ground as these travelers are trying to get home at what is now becoming a late evening

at the tail end of this Memorial Day weekend. The question now, will these delays and more weather coming later push these frustrations farther into the week? Alison? NBC's Ryan Chandler. Thank you. Let's get right to NBC meteorologist Michelle Grossman for the forecast. Michelle, severe storms could impact travelers as we close out this holiday weekend, right? What are you seeing? Hi there, Allison.

Yeah, we're looking at some severe weather right now throughout portions of the south, as Ryan kind of alluded to. We're looking at lightning, hearing that thunder. we have all sorts of watches and warnings throughout the south. And this extends into the southeast as well. So taking a look at radar, you can see some very heavy rain falling. That's where you're seeing those brighter colors, the reds, the oranges, the yellows. Also looking at the chance for those storms. So we have severe thunderstorm storm watches, severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado watches, and even some tornado warning. Very busy tonight. And it's not just the south. We're looking to the Rockies, too, seeing some lightning there. And we're going to continue to watch this on this Memorial Day. And no doubt adding to those delays on the road. and also in the air. So 11 million people impacted by severe weather. As we go throughout the rest of this evening, we're talking anywhere from hail tennis ball size, even softball size in some cases. Winds gusting over 65 miles per hour. That causes damage all on its own. Heavy, heavy downpours. And yes, we are looking at the chance for more tornadoes as we go throughout this evening. Remember, nighttime or nocturnal tornadoes are double as deadly. So something to really be aware of as you go off to bed tonight. Where you see the yellow and also the orange.

those are the likeliest spots for seeing any of those storms. It's not just tonight. We're talking tomorrow, too. So if you're headed home tomorrow, we're looking at 9 million people still at risk for severe weather, across the south, across the Gulf Coast states, into the southeast, where you see that yellow ones again, those are the likelyest spots. So places like Macon, Georgia, Pensacola, but then we're also talking about Texas once again. So we could see rounds of storms producing flash flooding.

We're looking in excessive rainfall tonight. That is one of the biggest concerns as well. That's going to extend into tomorrow. morning as well. Alison. Michelle Grossman. Thank you. We are back in a moment with the brazen prison break in Arkansas. The former police chief convicted of murder dressing up like law enforcement to sneak out. Now the manhunt to catch him. Plus, was it a love tap or something more? The First Lady of France caught on camera shoving the president what the first couple says was really going on. And the daring rescue in California after hikers got lost in the world.

Woods. We'll show you the video. Welcome back. There has been a recent surge in prison breaks. Louisiana police are still looking for five of the ten inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail last week. Another Louisiana prisoner escaped from a separate facility a few days later. He has since been caught. And now yet another man has escaped from a prison this time in Arkansas, an ex-cop who apparently just walked out wearing what appears to be a homemade police uniform. NBC's Priscilla Thompson has this one. Police in Arkansas on the hunt for this man, Grant Hardin, a convicted murderer and rapist. Seen here, the Department of Correction says,

escaping from a prison in Calico Rock Sunday through a Sally Port wearing a DOC-style uniform, pulling a dolly. He saw an opportunity and he took it. The DOC says, is investigating how Hardin got those materials and if he had help. All it takes is being able to find a way to get out of this area and he can be anywhere on the state. Investigators warn Hardin, a former Arkansas police chief now serving a 30-year sentence is considered extremely dangerous. Whenever there's an inmate that escape, especially someone who carries a term like he does,

there's always that thought of, you know, they really have nothing to lose. This, the latest in a string of prison breaks. Orleans, police are still searching for four fugitives after one more was captured today. NOPD releasing new video showing teams executing a warrant in tactical gear with rifles as the net of alleged accomplices grows. At least 12 people have now been arrested in charge with assisting in the escape or helping the inmates once out per court records and local reports. Tonight, authorities in both states turning to the public to help bring these men back to justice. And officials in Arkansas tell us that no reward is being offered there right now,

though they are still asking the public to come forward. Meanwhile, in Louisiana, you have a $20,000 reward being offered for any information that would lead to arrest in that case. Officials hoping that that will incentivize people to come forward and share what they know. Ellison. Priscilla Thompson, thank you. Retired FBI agent Rob DeMico joins us now to talk more about these prison escapes. Rob, a massive escape in New Orleans, a separate one at another facility in that same state, and now we have this one in Arkansas.

It begs the question for a lot of people, what is going on? Why in the South? Do you see any sort of patterns here? I think one, it's the media that gets out and it gives other people that are thinking about it, the idea or they're going to go through it. We see it with a whole bunch of different events like school shootings and things that they happen in series like this. But I think the biggest thing is probably funding, and it goes along different routes. One funding to fix things.

We saw the one in New Orleans that they had broken items that they try to get fixed. I think part of it is the amount of correctional officers that are on there in the training that they get. And they don't have the funds to do it. They don't pay that well. And then I think the other thing is buying equipment. You could put simple AI, not even complex AI, on these camera systems so that when something happens out of of the norm. You can even put facial recognition into them, and you have all your prisoners there that you can shoot their videos of their face and their sides so that it can go into the

AI system so it can identify people that are on cameras. So I think it's a series of them, but I think it all goes to funding and lack of it. Is there any sort of standard operating procedure, if you will, that goes into effect to recapture an inmate and escaped inmate, or is that something that varies department to department state by state? I think it varies, and I think it varies on the terrain, so to speak. We saw a couple, a couple of years ago up in the northeast that was very rural, and that's a whole different aspect to search in the woods for someone. This one is all built up area or mostly built up area, but you're going back to where they feel comfortable. I still think a lot of them probably are in New Orleans.

That's where their support base is. But some of them are trying to get out. They're trying to get out of that immediate area, and they're going to go to where they have support there. And that's where the federal side and the investigation comes in, where you start looking at who they visited in prison, who called them, who wrote them, all these other things that go into figuring out where they are. And then the marshals, the FBI, and all the other federal agencies can send leads out into Texas and other states like that, doing surveillance. They're going to be surveilling family members that live outside the area to see if they can detect something that's not right with the family. member who may be hiding them. You mentioned that funding is likely an issue.

That's certainly something that we have heard the sheriff in New Orleans at that big breakout site as an issue saying locks needed to be updated and things like that. City council member we spoke to also said that they hadn't received request that he was aware of for additional funding. Funding takes time. If that is a primary issue here, is there anything else that can be done or needs to be done in the immediate future to try and stop this from continuing to happen? Well, you know, the funding on the doors was just one part of it.

You still had them to be able to get help from the outside, shutting the water off when they pulled the toilet and the sink out of the wall. People being complacent, the gentleman or lady going on to leave to get food, not enough correctional officers, so it wasn't just one thing. And that prison actually isn't that old. When I first read it, I thought it was going to be one of these very old prisons, and it's not that old. So this means that they haven't been, you know, maintaining it. And I don't know if that's lack of funds or if the building contract wasn't great and they put in lower

quality things. But I think the states and the counties and everyone has to really look at this and say, what is the answer? There's always a balance between people and technology. And that's where AI can come in. You can lessen the amount of people watching cameras when the cameras know what to look for and then bring it to that person's attention. And I want to bring it just the one, I bring it to two. So there's a, you know, a dual fail error in there. So two people would be looking at the same thing. Rob D'Amico, thank you so much. We appreciate your time and insights. Thank you. Up next on Top Story, the American allegedly plotting to firebomb a branch of the U.S. Embassy in Israel. We have new details on his thwarted plot and the brave new world

of AI, the Google program that can create videos like these within minutes. How will you know if anything is real ever again. We're back now with Top Stories news feed. An investigation is underway after a fuel tanker and bus collided on Interstate 595 in Florida this weekend. Video showing heavy flames and black smoke at the scene near Fort Lauderdale. The Florida Highway Patrol has not shared the number of people on the bus or in that tanker. Officials saying the accident left one person in the hospital. And Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has erupted again.

Video shows the big island volcano shooting high fountains of lava, reportedly as high as the Eiffel Tower. Experts say this eruption began early Sunday morning. Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes. Its lava flow can last for as long as eight days. So far, there are no threats to the public. However, some volcanic smog may trigger respiratory symptoms. WNBA star Caitlin Clark out at least two weeks following a quad injury. The Indiana fever announcing Clark is experiencing a left quad strain.

The two-week break means missing four games, including two at home. These will be the first regular season games. Clark will miss since the start of her professional career. And almost two weeks after talking to us here on Top Story, Oliver Widger and his cap Phoenix have completed their sailing trip from Oregon all the way to Hawaii. A celebration marking Widger and his cat's successful journey about less than a month after they set sail. Widger documented his voyage on Instagram and TikTok after quitting his job to mark this weekend's milestone. He posted a picture with the caption, Dear Corporate America, I won.

Widger is saying after making repairs and spending some time in Hawaii, he and his cat Phoenix planned to set sail to French Polynesia. And the Placer County Sheriff's Office in Northern California posting video of a helicopter rescue. Sheriff deputies say the two hikers were lost in the Tahoe National Forest. According to messages, they sent deputies, the hikers had run out of food and were lost on the trail. The duo had been advised to shelter in place overnight, were found, hoisted aboard the helicopter, and then flown back to safety. The sheriff's office saying both were tired and cold, but thankfully, in good condition. We head now to the Middle East, where at least 52 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, according to Palestinian health, officials. Israel says Hamas militants were their target. Today's offensive coming as Israeli

and U.S. authorities investigate a threat to the American embassy in Tel Aviv. NBC's Matt Bradley has the latest. Tonight, the Gaza Strip reeling from more deadly Israeli strikes. Hitting a school, housing displaced people. Israel's military says it was targeting militants operating from the school. The Palestinian health officials said dozens were killed. The scene mirroring the chaos and devastation of last week's strikes. Among the targets on Friday, the city of Khan Yunus, home to pediatrician Allah al-Najar.

She was at work when the bodies of seven of her ten children arrived at her hospital. Another two buried under the rubble. The nightmarish reality setting in for her niece. We just need to stop war. The Israeli army said the Han Yunus area is a dangerous war zone. Before we getting operations there, the IDF evacuated civilians from this area for their own safety. The claim regarding harm to uninvolved civilians is under review. Israel's renewed offensive coming amid new allegations of a plot to attack a U.S. Embassy office

in Tel Aviv. According to a Justice Department statement, 28-year-old Joseph Neumeir, a dual American-German citizen, allegedly wanted to firebomb the facility. He was arrested at JFK Airport Sunday after he was deported from Israel. Following an altercation last week when Israeli police said they found Maltov cocktails in his backpack. The Justice Department says earlier that day, Neumeir wrote on social media, join me as I burned down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Authorities also found earlier posts that contained threats to assassinate President Trump.

It comes after last week's deadly shooting outside a Jewish museum in Washington of a couple who worked at the Israeli embassy. On Sunday, one of the victims, 30-year-old Yeran Lashinsky, was buried in a small town outside Jerusalem where his family lives. Following that attack, President Trump sent his homeland security secretary Christy Noem to Israel, where she prayed at the Western Wall last night. I'm here to meet with the Prime Minister and visit with him about specific security concerns and what the United States can do to continue to support Israel and their security.

Are you going to be asking him about bringing more aid into the Gaza Strip? I'm going to be visiting with him quite a bit about several different topics, but also talking about the two lives that were lost in America. It's been a tragic situation, and our hearts go out to their families. Yeah, Alison, the head of a controversial American-backed international aid organization resigned suddenly, according to Reuters and other news agencies. Jake Wood, who had been the executive director of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, said he was stepping down because he said he could no longer adhere to the principles of independence,

and humanity required for such humanitarian work. Now, his organization had been getting some negative press attention lately because of its murky origins and because it had been implied by other aid organizations that it was complicit in Israeli plans for the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip. Alison. NBC's Matt Bradley. Thank you. Top Story's Global Watch begins in southern India tonight,

where there is a high alert in place after a container ship sank. The vessel was traveling between ports in India, carrying over 600 containers, 13 of which were unspecified hazardous cargo when it sank early yesterday. The vessel also holding diesel and furnace oil. Fishermen are being asked to not go near the side of the accident. India's defense ministry says all 24 crew members were rescued. Competitors in southwest England are leaving it all on the line in their quest for an eight-pound wheel of cheese. Here's how it works. Hundreds of people hurled themselves down a massive hill chasing the cheese.

First one to catch it wins. The official race was canceled over a decade ago for health and safety concerns, but that has not slowed people down. This year, participants said it was extra dangerous because the ground was dry and hard, causing some runners to get injured. And humanoid robots in China battled it out in the boxing ring this weekend. As part of a live-streamed event, the robots took part in demonstrations and competition, circling each other and taking punches.

It was all for the China Media Group World Robot Competition. The robots, which were controlled by human operators, showed off their skills and ability to bounce back. New video from overseas tonight making headlines showing French President Emmanuel Macron appearing to be pushed in the face by the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, before it is embarking a plane in Vietnam. You can see the moment here. Let's watch.

Macron addressing the clip to reporters covering his Southeast Asia tour, saying that he was, quote, joking and teasing his wife. Let's bring in NBC News national correspondent, Yasmin Vasugian. Yasmin, what more are we hearing from President Macron? It was this really, Ellison, incredible moment, to say the least. You see this kind of red arm, as we saw in that video,

kind of peeking out and pushing the French president Emmanuel Macron in the face. And then, of course, that red arm emerged to be Brigitte Macron, his wife. And he is now saying in Hanoi, after he had landed in, in Vietnam for this visit. By the way, the first visit by a French president in over a decade, I should say, saying, in fact, they like to joke around with one another. And I'm paraphrasing here, of course, the things that he said, and that he doesn't understand why it's turning into this kind of geopolitical scandal. But of course, people are running with all of the conspiracy theories, this coming from the French president himself. But this is something that the French president, along with his wife,

like to do, especially before official visits, to kind of let loose a little bit and de-stress. before they disembark from the plane and take on the seriousness of the nature of their visit, for instance, to Hanoi. But certainly a lot of talk about why it happened and what happened aboard that plane as those doors opened, Ellison. Yeah, I mean, it's getting a lot of attention here in the U.S. But, Yasmin, how are people in France responding to this? Well, once again, Alison, if we think back to the time in which we found out about French President Emmanuel Macron's relationship with Brigitte Macron, her, of course, being 25 years or so, his senior. There was a lot of talk here stateside as to how that could actually happen,

considering she was also his teacher at one point as well. But the French reacting quite differently, saying this is really nothing to make a big deal about. And the same thing happening this time around. We're hearing, of course, officially from the president's camp, along with Others who essentially are saying this is something that they do. This is how they interact with one another to, again, decompress. They like to joke around with one another, and it's not really a big deal. But certainly making a lot of front pages here in the U.S. Ellison. Yasmin Vesugian, thank you.

The federal trial of Sean Diddy Combs heading into its third week tomorrow. About a dozen people taking the stand so far as prosecutors work to prove the music mogul is guilty of charges that include racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs has pleaded not guilty. Jeremy Salan joins us now. He's a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor. Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us this evening. So as the third week of the trial gets underway, the next witness expected to testify is another one of Combs's former personal assistants. Her name Capricorn Clark. That name has already come up during previous testimony. What do we expect to hear from her? You know, what they're all going to go down to is really three things.

That's corroboration, corroboration, and guess what corroboration. And what she's going to testify to is some of the things that she was told or some of the things that she saw. But it's not just corroborating Cassie that's important, maybe the injuries and the threats against her. But it's also, if you remember, Kid Cuddy even testified about her being taken against her will, supposedly, to his house when there was that break-in where things were rearranged. And then later on, we heard about other much more violent acts in terms of his car and things like that. And his dog being put tied up, or pardon me, put away elsewhere. So she corroborates because you can't just rely on Cassie and Cassie alone. You need more.

And she's going to be, hopefully, be someone they can really value. Let's talk a little bit about the testimony that we heard from Cassie Ventura, because, you know, as you noted, she's a name a lot of people know at this point, that is Sean Combs' ex-girlfriend. She was put on the stand by prosecutors pretty early. And ultimately what they are trying to do is use her testimony in part to prove that she was forced and coerced into participating in these, with these so-called freak-offs, but some legal analysts that we have spoken to, they have said that testimony alone is not necessarily enough to convict him on the specific charges he faces.

Do you agree thus far? And where do you think prosecutors need to go next if they are going to prove for an entire jury the charges that we see on our screens here? that Sean Diddy Combs is facing. Yeah, I think that's fair to say that there more needs to be done. This is not whether or not, you know, did he beat her and did these horrible assaults of type acts, which in and of themselves may be sort of misdemeanor or even felony crimes on the state level. The question is, is there that force, is that their coercion, is there that fraud for that sex trafficking?

I think that's an easier lift. But when you're thinking about the conspiracy for the RICO, what is this criminal enterprise? Certainly, it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive, meaning you can have a legitimate company in music and in clothing and an alcohol like he did. And you could have an illegitimate company or enterprise, which was trafficking and bringing in these people, these men and women, for the sexual parties, these freakoffs. But they're not there yet. And I don't know if it's as much as the defense poking holes in the story. I don't think the prosecution has laid it out yet. And I would say this.

People want to watch just kind of like the Knicks and Pacers. It's scoring, scoring back and forth. But you're not really even beyond that first or second quarter. There's a lot more evidence to come. Right now they're not there. That doesn't mean they won't be. So so far, and I'll ask you to tell us this for both the defense and the prosecution, what has been the strongest piece of evidence or strongest moment in Cross for either side?

So I'll take for Cross from the defense first. I think they did some good hits in really trying to show that there might be an agenda here. Yes, we have Cassie, who is the pregnant woman. on the stand, but we've got to look at Cassie when she was in her 20s. Is this a money grab? Is there an agenda here? She came back voluntarily. No one forced the drugs in her system. She was engaging in these freakoffs and said at times she enjoyed them or wanted to participate in them. That's really powerful things. And the prosecution started off with the bang, but I'd say cautiously because when you're coming out so powerfully, you also don't want to make the jury sort of

conflate this horrible video that they saw with what ultimately is what they have to prove, and it's beyond that. So I think the prosecution is doing what they need to bring in all the ancillary players to show that there was this scheme to really control and traffic in these people. But there's so much more to come. I'm looking forward to it. That's crazy that that might sound in such a horrible situation. But I think they both have done a good job, but it's more has been, I think the prosecution has yet to fulfill their obligation to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. So if you're the defense at this point, how are you feeling and what do you plan to do when the case is turned over to you? Yeah, I'm feeling relatively good, but you can win a battle

and lose the war. And what I mean by that is even if they're successful on that potential life sentence on the back end of that RICO charge, they're still facing 15 years plus on sex trafficking and up to 10 years on the other charge. So he's not a young guy. So you may be feeling good about where it's going or doing your job. It hasn't been present by the prosecution. But I would still be making those holes and showing there's an agenda. There might be forced in some ways, but it's not forced in the concept of this criminal enterprise or in the trafficking.

These people came voluntarily. Jeremy Saland, thank you. We appreciate it. We're back at a moment with the summer travel bonanza. More Americans ditching the airports for the highways means cheaper airfare for you, what you need to know. Next. Plus, the powerful homecoming in California, a soldier missing in action in World War II, how he was finally located and how his hometown came out to honor him all of these decades later. We're back now with money talks and some major savings when it comes to summer travel.

With the unofficial start to the season underway, Americans are taking advantage of deals on airfare, while others look to save on travel with discount staying local. NBC News, business and data correspondent Brian Chung has more. As summer travel heats up, airfares are cooling down. This summer travel website Hopper says the average round-trip domestic ticket costs $265, the lowest since 2021. Is 2025 the best year for summer travel deals that you've seen? some while? Yeah, 2025 is definitely the best in the last several years. Brian Kelly is the points guy and says he's noticing the same with even hot itineraries like a July 4 trip trending down 10% compared to last year. Airlines and hotels are offering discounts like I've never seen. So if you've

been on the sidelines now might be the best time to book. The slump in prices, the airline's strategy for enticing travelers that are increasingly opting for the gas station over the airport this summer. Amid concerns over flying, and the budget burden of tariffs. A recent survey noted that about 70% of travelers this year are planning on road tripping, the highest since at least 2022. Drivers are getting a boost from cheaper gas, too, with AAA saying the average gallon of gas is down over 40 cents compared to a year ago.

Deborah Davis in Arkansas was hoping to lead the state this summer, but now says she's going to keep this year's vacations within a drive's distance. I don't like to go anywhere where I have to worry about, Well, if I spend this, you know, I may have this bill come up when I get home. Out of the next frontier in digital video, Google has just released V-O-3 in AI video generating generating tool that is different than anything we've seen before. The quality of the videos are hyper-realistic and not just in terms of movement, but in audio as well, generating sound effects, ambient noise, and apparently dialogue.

This ocean, it's a force, a wild, untamed. shamed might. And she commands your awe with every breaking light. Where were you on the night of the bubble bath? The Verges Allison Johnson joins us now with more. Allison, we're going to test this in real time, try to rather, with you. I am going to make sure I have my audio settings correct to say we want the highest quality experimental video. I'm going to give it a prompt firefighter rushing into a burning building, saving a baby, and trying to soothe the baby, talking to it, and telling us what happened.

Okay, I'm gonna hit Enter, and in the meantime, let's talk about your take on V-O-3. you wrote in your article for The Verge that V-O-3 is a, quote, Slopmonger's Dream. Tell us what you mean by that. Yeah, when I started testing it out, you know, the first thing I was checking for and I was most concerned about was, how could this be used for misinformation?

I think that's where a lot of our minds go to. But the more I played with it, the more, you know, there's guardrails. There are certain, it's hard to kind of outsmart it and get it to create something, maybe harmful. It's just better suited I found for kind of goofy or funny clips. And I think the sort of stuff we're starting to see a lot of on social media. And it just strikes me as something you could create sort of like the lowest common denominator content with as opposed to something that's going to.

trick a lot of people into thinking something disastrous has happened so my video is now at 32 percent 33 percent now we were just looking at some extraordinary videos i guess who would call it films it feels like i should be saying but ones that you did and produced you mentioned that you were concerned about the possibility of misinformation but there are guardrails in place explain to us what those guardrails are yeah i i try to a few obvious things sort of like know, president falls down while walking up some steps or a news anchor announcing the assassination of a political figure and it just won't do those things, which is good. And then the kind of the second tier stuff I tried where you're kind of prompting around

those things without saying the obvious thing that it might be filtering out. I really couldn't get it to do even something as silly as like a social media company CEO who wears T-shirts and a gold chain, you know, trying to suggest that it could make like Mark Zuckerberg dancing around with some money falling around him, wouldn't do that kind of thing. So where I really found it was good is with a more vague prompt, something a little more open-ended, the more. The more specific I was with it, you know, I found it didn't quite give me what I wanted. But it really opened my eyes when I put something in like two cartoon cats complaining that they can't catch any fish today. Okay, so my video is done. I'm going to expand this and hit play and see. Let me make sure my volume is up, see if it works.

You're okay now, I got you. It was very hot, but we're safe now. going to be okay. You're okay now. I got you. It was very hot, but we're safe now. You're going to be okay. I mean, for me watching this, I didn't tell it what to say. I just said that I wanted to see a firefighter rescuing the baby, calming it down, and then sort of, and then telling us what happened. It created this dialogue on its own. A lot of people will see this and say that looks like a real person, but these aren't real faces at all, right? Right. Yeah, it's all, generated by the AI and that was the surprising thing to me was just prompting it to create some dialogue and it would fill in the gaps with something that sounds super convincing that you know

the imagery the way the camera is kind of moving out here yeah um yeah all at first glance it just it looks kind of like the real deal yeah it really does before we let you go i got to ask you how far do you think this can go because google's VP of jemini uh talked about this and pretty I guess. Let me see exactly what they said there. He called it a new era of creation. Do you agree with that? Do you think in a couple months or a couple years we could see entirely generated AI feature films? The way they pitch it now is that it could be a tool for filmmakers. They showed us an example of that in their developer conference keynote just this past week. I think it is a different era. And for better or worse, And we're going to see a lot more of this stuff.

And I think the best we can all do is to kind of be ready to think more critically about what we see, you know, whether it's an image or a video, just to be ready to kind of have an extra filter of like, could this be AI generated? Certainly, it's going to probably change a lot of people's perspectives as they see more and more of these videos. The Verges, Allison Johnson, thank you so much for your time tonight. We appreciate it. Thank you. When we returned on top story, a hero's homecoming, the celebration for a fallen World War II soldier 80 years in the making. Finally, on this Memorial Day, a World War II bomber pilot laid to rest more than 80 years after his plane was shot down in the South Pacific. NBC's Aaron Gilcrest has this remarkable story.

These letters, for years, a family's only connection to the soldier they never knew. I remember when I was six or seven years old, mom told us that she had an older brother, but he died in the war. 21-year-old Lieutenant Thomas Kelly Jr. and the crew of the B-24 bomber named Heaven Can Wait shot down in March 1944 off the coast of what's now Papua New Guinea. The military searched for years after World War II. The crew later classified as missing in action. That all changed in 2013 when Scott Althouse, a cousin of Lieutenant Kelly, started collecting historical records and eyewitness accounts. The narrow goal was just, what can we learn about how he died and maybe where he died? Enter Project Recovery, a nonprofit that works around the globe to search for and recover America's MIAs for families needing closure.

We're going to do everything that we can to find out what happened to their loved ones and bring him home. In 2017, Project Recovery went to Papua New Guinea. Guinea with sonar, underwater robots, and archaeological tools. Two hundred and thirteen feet below the surface, heaven can wait emerged. All of us in the room knew exactly what it was and that we had found it. In 2023, the U.S. military launched a 37-day recovery mission, carefully excavating the record site, finding clues, relics, and most importantly, human remains. DNA testing so far has accounted for four of the missing crew members.

Today, a hometown said goodbye to one of those heroes. Army Air Force Bombardier's second lieutenant Thomas V. Kelly Jr., accounted for September 25th, 2024. 81 years after he died in battle, Tommy laid to rest next to his parents and sister. He's coming to where he should be. Found and finally at peace. Aaron Gilchrist, NBC News, Livermore, California. Our thanks to Aaron for that report, and thank you for spending some of your Memorial Day with us. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis.

Stay right there. More news is on the way. Thank you.