Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, May 29, 2023

Episode Date: May 30, 2023

Authorities ending search and rescue efforts after a deadly building collapse in Davenport, Iowa, some members of Congress in both parties speak out against the debt ceiling deal struck between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, at least 16 people are dead after Memorial Day weekend shootings across America, new surveillance video shows a shootout between a bus driver and a passenger in Charlotte, Turkish President Erdogan wins a historic re-election bid, and how the children of fallen servicesmembers come together to support each other, grieve and honor their loved ones.

Tonight, confusion and anger after an apartment building collapse in Iowa. Part of a residential building in Davenport crumbling while tenants were inside. Several survivors pulled from the rubble and city officials say rescue efforts are over. The city now planning to demolish the building tomorrow morning, but some family members say their loved ones are still missing. Officials also acknowledging tenants have been complaining about the building safety for years. One former resident joins Top Story, what she says management told her when she showed them photos. of cracks and water damage. Deal or no deal, President Biden saying he and now Speaker Kevin McCarthy have finally signed off on a debt ceiling bill to avoid catastrophic default. But some lawmakers

signaling their support for the deal is still in flux. Can McCarthy rally enough votes or will it be back to the drawing board? Holiday travel rush, millions of Americans taking to the skies and hitting the roads this Memorial Day weekend. The number of air travelers soaring to pre-pandemic levels, the majority of flights going off without a hitch. or clear skies ahead for the summer travel season. Plus, the shocking surveillance video showing the shootout between a bus driver and a passenger on a moving bus in North Carolina, what police say led up to the shooting and how those men are doing now.

Cruise ship nightmare, a cruise ship off the coast of South Carolina, relentlessly battered by a storm for 12 hours, passengers describing the hurricane force winds and 17-foot waves by some are now blaming the captain for the turbulent trip. And honoring the fall in this memorial day a look. Inside a camp that helps the grieving families of fallen service members, how the camp pays tribute to their loved ones with a special ceremony. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis.

We begin with the partial building collapse in Davenport, Iowa Sunday night. Authority saying eight people were rescued and 12 more escaped on their own in the immediate aftermath. K-9 search units worked overnight but had no confirmed hits for. survivors. This morning, officials announcing this is now a recovery mission. One family tells NBC news they called 52-year-old Lisa Brooks right after the collapse, but the call cut off, and they have not heard from her since. The rest of the 84-unit building now set to be demolished Tuesday morning with city officials saying it's too unstable for residents to return. We spoke with one former resident who says she repeatedly complained about unsafe conditions in that building.

We'll have that interview in just a few minutes, but we begin with NBC Shack. Brewster, who leads us off tonight from Davenport, Iowa. The frickin' building just collapsed. Tonight, family members of Lisa Brooks are desperate for answers after a partial building collapse in Davenport, Iowa. I told her I love her and that was all. That was the last time I talked to her. Antoine Rabbit Smith Sr. says they still can't reach his aunt who he says lived in the

building. I just want some kind of information, like tell me something, anything. Like if you have found her and she's in a morgue somewhere, tell me something. Instead of just sitting here playing the waiting game. Parts of the historic 84-unit apartment building crashing down Sunday evening, fire crews rescuing eight people from the rubble, escorting a dozen others safely out of the building. There was a lot of screams, a lot of cries, a lot of people saying help. I'm hoping and praying that the screams that I heard when the building came down was not people inside of it. One person trapped for hours now in the hospital as officials worry about what's left.

The building is structurally unsound. It's posing a risk to responders. We are actively working for the best course of action for the building. The mayor says crews spent hours searching the wreckage overnight and have now stopped looking for survivors. Rescue is over. And now it's about recovery. Recovery and what are we doing with the building? And as of now, there's no one under there that you know about. That we know about.

How concerned are you that that may change? There's always a concern. What's next? Lisa Brooks family has called local. hospitals and police and insist their loved one is still unaccounted for. She's not anywhere, nowhere to be found. The cause of the collapse is under investigation, but officials acknowledge residents have been filing complaints about the building for years.

They say they're still working to contact every resident. Any type of complaint is investigated, checked out, and inspected, and we did that a lot with this one. And Shaq Brewster joins us now from Davenport. Shaq, the residents of this building have already dealt with so much. What happens next for them? What resources are available? Well, Alison, tonight city officials are first saying that this building is going to come down. Demolition is set to begin tomorrow morning. The condition of this building so bad that no one is

going to be allowed to come in to retrieve any items. We know that those residents who have been displaced are being assisted by the Red Cross in some instances getting housing support. Meanwhile, on the ground, I'll tell you, can questions continue to mount over how this happened in the first place? NBC News reached out to the apparent owner of the building. He has not replied to any of our requests for comment as the investigation into what caused this is just beginning, Alison. All right, Shaq Brewster, thank you for that. As Shaq mentioned at the end of his piece, residents have been filing complaints over this building for years. So we want to bring in Aria Monet.

She is a former resident of the building who moved out just eight days ago. Ari, I want to start with what you experienced. You have photos of visible cracks and apparent water damage. Tell us more about what you experienced and saw while you were living in this building for, if I'm not mistaken, about seven months. So it originally wasn't as bad when we first moved in. The first major thing was the bathtub. tub. It started clogging, not draining. We didn't know what was wrong. We reported it. It took about a week for them to even come and fix it. And after a week, they had sent a couple of guys up there. They ended up drilling a hole into the piping to drain it into the unit below us. And then they refilled that hole with like a putty cement. And we were out of a bathroom for like a week and a half due to that. After they cleared us to be able to use our bathroom again, it was fine for about a month. And then it

It went right back to doing the same thing, just draining very slowly. And to get them to come and fix it, we tried many, many, many, many times. It got to the point where we just gave up, honestly. And after the bathtub, the first next thing we noticed was the back wall of the building was bowing, like entirely bowing out. It took about a month, I want to say, before they even decided to start fixing that. Wow. Was there any point when you were living there, R.A.L. Or you thought this is just not a safe environment for us to be here.

I mean, seeing a wall bowing, that is a big structural concern. Yeah. After that, when they started the construction, that was the bigger concern, because we were right above that construction about a unit or a unit or two above or a level of floor or two above. And they started tearing out that wall, brick by brick, and replacing it. And that's when the crack in my kitchen appeared. So I was thinking that from them tearing that wall out, I'm guessing it just weakened the rest of what was above.

And the crack progressed within days. It didn't take weeks. It didn't take a month. It progressed in days. It started off as barely visible to completely visible about a good half a centimeter wide and completely visible to the outside as well. You repeatedly flagged these concerns to property management there and showed us one of those emails prior to this interview. I'm going to read a little bit of it. You sent this earlier this month on May 4th, asking to break the lease, writing in part, quote,

despite numerous requests to address these issues, they have not been resolved. I am concerned about the safety of other residents in the building. A representative from Village Property Management then wrote back to you saying, quote, there are no structural deficiencies within the building. Did management at any point address your concerns? No, that was the only email I received. She said, I was good to break my lease, and she wanted me to sign a hold that, quote, unquote, protected both of us, but I believe it was more to protect her. How did you feel when you saw what happened to this apartment building, especially knowing that you had repeatedly tried to raise the alarm to the buildings management, saying something like this could potentially happen?

I mean, you use the terms in your email. I am concerned about the safety of other residents in the building when you saw this tragedy. Did you think it was avoidable? I mean, what went through your head? Yeah, I believe it was 100% avoidable. I think if they were honest with the tenants on how bad the construction, like, was of the building, I think a lot of the injuries, a lot of the deaths, anything could have been avoided. All it took was, like, evacuating a couple units, and that was about it.

But I was scared, honestly. I really was before we left. I was scared. I was having nightmares nonstop repeatedly. and my mom was really the one who pressured me to get out of there. I was planning on staying honestly till the end of the month, of this month, the 30th. So if I would have stayed, I would have been in that entire unit that collapsed, but I left eight days prior.

Ariya, Monet, we're glad you're safe, and our thoughts are with everyone in Davenport. Thank you. The other major headline tonight, President Biden and congressional negotiators reaching a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The president and Speaker Kevin McCarthy now selling the agreement to their parties, but now members of Congress on both sides of the aisle say they have problems with the deal. Kelly O'Donnell is at the White House tonight with the latest. Tonight, a new test for President Biden and Speaker McCarthy.

After the hard work of reaching a bipartisan deal to prevent a fault, can they get it passed through Congress? The president is cautiously optimistic. Well, I feel very good about it. I spoke to a number of the members. I spoke to McConnell. I spoke to a whole bunch of people. And it feels good. Today, the House Speaker back on the Hill preparing for Wednesday's vote on the two-year bipartisan agreement made this weekend.

The plan suspends the nation's borrowing limit until early 2025, avoiding a catastrophic default. And on the budget, non-defense federal spending holds flat next year with a 1% increase in 2025. For months, Democrats had refused to discuss spending cuts tied to a debt limit increase. So many Republicans say curbing any spending is a win. This was a carefully negotiated deal that balanced interests of people who some people want to spend a lot more money and some people want to spend even less. This is a really good deal. But frustration is smoldering in both parties. Many Democrats don't support the deal's expanded work requirements for some recipients of federal food assistance.

Veterans and the homeless are exempted. We are being held hostage. That is a very real word for where we are right now. There are things I would never vote for under normal circumstances. While some conservatives say the deal still spends too much money, a point echoed by GOP presidential candidate, Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, today. Our country was careening towards bankruptcy, and after this deal, our country will still be careening towards bankruptcy.

Kelly O'Donnell joins us now from the White House. Kelly, you mentioned in your piece that members of both parties are unhappy with the deal. With some Democrats upset about the expanded work requirements for food assistance, how concerned is the White House about getting their own members to vote for this? Well, there is concern, and there are parts of the deal that are not appealing to members of both parties. And for Democrats, there is concern about the work requirements. There's also concern expressed about a specific provision that deals with a natural gas pipeline, That's something that Joe Manchin, Democrat of West Virginia, wants for his state.

But other Democrats say that is going the wrong direction on fossil fuels. They don't like the permitting process. They don't like that provision. The president today told us that he believes that there will be support, but he's also not certain yet about the progressive caucus. He says he has a good relationship with those members, but he's not counting votes too soon and isn't trying to oversell it. But he will be making phone calls and will be trying to persuade people that this is a fair

and reasonable compromise. And, Kelly, this is Washington, D.C., so I know things can change at a moment's notice, but walk us through the next steps, what we expect to happen now. How will the vote schedule play out from here? Well, there are some procedural steps. Tomorrow will be a critical way for the House

to organize itself with the vote expected on Wednesday. That will be a big test to see what level of support there is for this package. And then the Senate gets to have its say. And there's a range of timetable for that. But what matters is June 5th. That is the revised debt ceiling deadline date. And so that really gives Congress just a week to get this done to get it to the president.

So there are challenges ahead, both persuading people and with the timeline. Ellison. Kelly O'Donnell at the White House, thank you. Staying with politics, we turn now to the race for the White House. Florida Governor Ronda Sanchez will be in Iowa tomorrow for his first campaign rally since he announced his run. but it comes as he's losing ground to former President Donald Trump in the polls. Donald Trump has a fairly commanding lead. So for more on this, I want to bring in Eugene Scott, senior political reporter at Axios.

Eugene, thank you so much for joining us. Let's jump right into some of the polls here. DeSantis is about to ramp things up on the campaign trail, but the polls really are not in his favor right now. In a Quinnipiac poll taken before his Twitter campaign launch, more than half of Republican voters surveyed said they would vote for former president Trump, if the election was held right now. How important is this trip to Iowa for DeSantis?

Can he turn things around? It's incredibly important. We know that Iowa really is a place where individuals seeking the White House on both sides of the aisle have breakout opportunities to connect with the basis of their respective parties to communicate what it is that they think they will be able to do to improve America. And that's one of the things he is hoping to address tomorrow at his rally in West Des Moines. that, you know, he wants voters to hear and respond to that could move him up into a closer range, within closer range, with the former president.

Trump has focused a lot of his inner party political attacks on DeSantis, but the Florida governor has started to sort of fight back on that front, saying Trump is not as conservative as he should be, pointing out issues like abortion rights. How do you think that message will play with Republicans in the state of Iowa? You know, that was a common attack against Trump in 2016. You know, he has a history in the past of not being a Republican, and there were people seeking the White House who have a deeper history of being closer to the base who were saying that this individual was not conservative enough, and therefore he should not win the nomination.

But ultimately, that was not effective, and he did. I think one thing DeSantis has to be mindful of is, although he wants to win the nomination, also has to win swing voters. We know that most voters in a lot of these states are independence, and so Trump not being as aligned with the most conservative part of the party worked for him in the past, and it could work for him again. And Eugene, DeSantis and Trump are not the only Republicans who have thrown their hat in this political ring. The field for Republicans has grown quite a bit of late. You have South Carolina Senator Tim Scott launching his bid and starting to hit the campaign trail, former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, among others.

do you think a bigger GOP field will help or hurt former President Donald Trump? Usually you think more choices, that's great for voters. But what does it mean politically? Well, we know in 2016 it benefited him, right? The electorate was very divided. The GOP electorate was very divided, and Trump ultimately walked away with the nomination without necessarily, you know, a huge majority of the vote early on.

And so he's probably hoping more individuals come in that make it much more difficult for, you know, someone like DeSantis to come out as a one-on-one opponent for him. And it's looking like that. It's very possible. I think a lot of eyes right now are on Chris Christie, former New Jersey governor, and Krista Nunu, former governor of New Hampshire. And so this field could, in fact, get bigger. All right. Eugene Scott, senior politics reporter at Axios.

Thank you so much. We appreciate your time. Now to a series of shootings that left more than a dozen people dead. this weekend from Pennsylvania to New Mexico. They are a stark reminder of ongoing gun violence across this country. And if history is a guide, it could escalate as we head into the warmer months of the summer. Valerie Castro has more. Tonight, gun violence and bloodshed, a stain on the unofficial start to summer. At least 16 people killed in shootings across the country this Memorial Day weekend, including three at a motorcycle rally in Red River, New Mexico. Five others injured

when police say the event turned into a shootout between rival biker gangs. All eight individuals have been identified as outlaw motorcycle gang. 30-year-old Jacob David Castillo charged with an open count of murder, according to state police. In Massachusetts, chaos Sunday night, two shootings on Revere Beach, just an hour apart. Boston police attributing the violence to two massive fights that escalated. You're in all of a sudden there were three shots, and a bunch of guys started running. And then some cops was running, chasing them. And then all hell broke loose after that.

Ohio and Wisconsin not spared by the violence. Columbus police say seven were injured after a shooting during a party in the southeast area of the city. Three killed and nine injured in weekend shootings across Milwaukee, according to police. Mass shootings across the country defined by the gun violence archive as four or more people. injured or killed, reaching 257 incidents so far, just 150 days into the year. In Chicago, newly elected Mayor Brandon Johnson, hoping to get in front of any issues, announced public safety measures ahead of the weekend. Our public safety agencies have plans in place for the weekend and summer months to ensure

that everyone can enjoy our city in peace. But just one day later, Telemundo Chicago cameras captured. shooting shots fired between beachgoers at the city's North Avenue Beach on opening day. We looked up and we couldn't even grab all of our stuff before we went and hid behind the lifeguard stand. When it happened in the first minute, it was definitely just like adrenaline, like instant runaway and it was scary. North Avenue Beach is now closed. I need everybody to exit the sand and the water. Chicago police say at least 37 people were injured across the city and eight killed, including 35-year-old William Hare. He was my older brother and also my best friend.

He was caring about everybody he met, very friendly, very talkative, and a great listener. Investigators say hair was found shot in the chest on the sidewalk in the Lakeview neighborhood. The car pulled up. Two people came out. There were two gun shots, one from each person. They did not ask for money. They did not ask for anything. They shot at him for no reason. one bullet struck him in the chest and his best friend tried to save his life and he died. The holiday

meant as a time to reflect on those who served now forever marked as a time of tragedy for some families. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. Valerie, you've been monitoring the shootings that happened this weekend, but even in the last few hours more have happened. What are you seeing? Alison, the numbers continue to go up and now include

cities like Houston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. At last check, according to the gun violence archive, just today, more than 30 people have been injured by gunfire and at least 14 have been killed. All right, Valerie, thank you. The holiday weekend also marks the start of the summer travel season. Millions of Americans hitting the roads and taking to the skies and numbers not seen since before the pandemic, but it's leading to traffic jams and busy airport lines as many people try and get home. Emily Aketa has the details. The summer travel season is taking off amid the third busiest Memorial Day weekend on record. It's good to see that towns are busy again and, you know, business is booming.

Tonight, millions of travelers are now returning home from Memorial Day festivities, clogging roadways from gridlock in New York to a pile up between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Along New Jersey's Garden State Parkway, travel times nearly doubled. The Google app is inching like more and more minutes every time. Long lines also snaking through major airports. Between Thursday and Sunday, TSA screened nearly 10 million passengers. Friday recording the highest turnout since pre-pandemic levels. So look, this is a big stress test of the system.

We're seeing huge, huge demand. While there were brief ground delays and stops at several major airports today because of weather, less than 1% of flights were canceled over the weekend, according to officials. A vastly different picture from last summer's airport Armageddon. Yeah, I thought it would be a lot busier. so it wasn't bad in the airports. And welcomed relief for frequent flyers. We were hesitant about traveling on Memorial Day, but we gave it a shot just to see.

We didn't travel last year, but you always hear stories. Thankfully, it's good. While the cost of a domestic ticket this weekend is cheaper from last year, Hopper says surging demand will drive up prices over July 4th and Labor Day and expect to pay even more to go abroad this summer. flights to Europe costing 32% more than 2022. Do you feel like you're going to do a lot more summer travel this season compared to previous year, last couple years? Oh, absolutely. Emily, Aketa joins us now from along the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey.

Emily, what are you seeing there? When do we expect to see traffic ease? Well, Alison, I'll tell you this. Some major roadways like the Garden State Parkway here have yet to even reach peak traffic levels with a lot of beachgoers planning to leave later tonight. AAA says that traffic could even linger into tomorrow. So if you can, try to avoid hitting the road between 4 and 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Fortunately, drivers, they may be able to find some relief at the gas pump.

The national average for a gallon of gas down more than a dollar compared to this time last year. Ellison? All right, Emily, thanks for that. Heading overseas now to the war in Ukraine and Russia's rare daytime missile attack on the capital Kiv that sent thousands running for cover into the city subway stations. is there with the latest. Today, in Ukraine's capital, children screaming, terrified running through the streets. Just before 1 p.m., sirens blaring, people scrambling for cover in the middle of the workday

as 11 Russian missiles targeted Kiev. In the last 48 hours alone, three massive waves of Russian attacks. Overnight, more than 60 cruise missiles and drones fired across the country. Ukraine's Air Force says they shot down nearly everything, the debris from a down missile today landing in this busy Keeve Road. This city is already coming back to life, but earlier today during that rare daytime attack, city officials say 41,000 people sheltered in the subway. But we haven't seen scenes like this for months.

Senior advisor to President Zelensky, Mikhailo Podoliak, tells me we've entered a new phase of this war. The goal, take back land, Russia occupies. Has the counteroffensive begun? The counteroffensive has already started, he says, we're in the preparation phase, readying the battlefield, hitting Russia's supply lines,

and destroying Russia's ability to defend. Now, Alison, these last three days have really been an unprecedented level of attacks. Now, Ukrainian officials say tonight that Russia is looking to test and identify and then exhaust really their air defenses. I asked Pajoliac whether this level of air defenses was sustainable. He said, yes, it was sustainable because he had assurances from Western allies

that they would continue to supply Kiev with what it needs to stay safe. Alison. All right. Thank you, Molly, for an in-depth look at the latest on the war in Ukraine. We're joined now by Lieutenant Colonel Danny Davis, a senior fellow at defense priorities. Lieutenant Colonel, thank you so much for joining us. I want to talk a little bit about what we heard in that interview Molly had talking about the counteroffensive.

I left Ukraine 10 days ago after spending. a month there. And there's been so much back and forth over this counteroffensive where you've had high-ranking officials say it's starting. We're doing preps. It's not quite starting yet. Then President Zelensky at one point saying we're waiting for more weapons before we formally start this counteroffensive because some things like tanks, they've been coming in waves and we need to wait. Where are things right now when it comes to this counteroffensive? And what we heard in Molly's piece there, what does that tell you about Ukraine's path forward? Well, especially when you compare to what the national security advisor Danilov told the BBC earlier today, he said they are ready.

And he said it could come any day, one or two days. He said he's not going to tell them when. But by all evidence seems to suggest that they are ready to go and probably within a few days they're going to launch off into something. The big question is going to be, what are they going to attempt to do, where are they going to strike, and what are their objectives going to be? This whole issue with the Bakhmut battle that had raged for all these months and just recently wrapped up really may have a residual cost to Ukraine because they had to spend so much reserves that they had planned to be in part of this offensive. Now they'll have fewer troops, even if they have most of the weapons that the West has given them, their striking power won't be quite as much. So Zelensky has a high-stakes gamble that he's going on here because if this doesn't work,

They doesn't have any more striking power behind this. So if he succeeds, that he's going to get a lot more support, I think, from the West. But it's just uncertain how this is going to work out. And it's a lot of high tension in Kiev right now. What do you think success would look like for Western allies? If the concern from Ukraine's point of view is if we're not successful in taking back a lot of territory here, we might not get the weapons supply that we've gotten from Western allies. What do you think Western allies, like the United States, will consider a successful counteroffensive?

Yeah, I think they're going to have to have, at least a moderate amount of territory retaken that Russia is trying to hold. And that could be, you know, a city like the size of Avdivka or perhaps the size and possibly even Bakrude to try to retake that, but something that's fairly significant, even though everyone knows they don't have the capacity of this one offensive to drive Russia out of Ukraine. That's not even possible. But they do have to have some degree of success. And it's really difficult to say what that is, but if they tried to launch this, for example, when they tried to flank Bachmood about 10 days ago, they tried to cut it off and go deep into the flanks,

but did not take even one city on either side, and it stalled out. That they can't afford again, because if that does happen, I think there really will be a lot of pressure among Europe to say, hey, this is not going to work, you're going to have to make a negotiated settlement, and then I think that the weapons are going to start drying up. So there's a lot at stake. Yeah. To another headline out of the region while we have you, Lieutenant Colonel, Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko, he's a close ally of President Vladimir Putin. He's promised nuclear weapons to any nation that joins Russia and Belarus. Lukashenko's comments coming just days after he confirmed the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to his country.

How much stock do you put in this latest announcement is it calls for concern or is this just rhetoric from Lukashenko? Any time you're having a lot of loose rhetoric with nuclear weapons, you have to be concerned. And I think that we all should be paying attention to this and not just dismiss it. But the truth is that even though those nuclear weapons are on now Belarusian soil, they're still fully under control of Moscow. So it's not like anyone's going to get nuclear weapons. So in that regard, you know, Lukashenko has a history of making some rather odd statements in his history. and this seems like it's kind of in that category.

But the fact that nuclear weapons are now closer to the Ukrainian territory is a concern because that release authority still resides with Vladimir Putin, and that is no joke. All right, Lieutenant Colonel Danny Davis, thank you so much. We appreciate your insight. Thank you very much. Still ahead tonight, the shootout on a moving bus. Surveillance video capturing the moment a bus driver opened fire towards an armed suspect.

What authorities are saying happened just before the gunfire erupted. Plus, the cruise ship and its passengers battered by rough seas during a 12-hour journey through the eye of a storm, why passengers are now calling out the cruise company. And Bear Rescue, how authorities in Nevada freed a large bear trapped inside an SUV while keeping a safe distance. Stay with us. Back now with the bus shootout caught on camera. A newly released surveillance video catching the tense moments. A Charlotte bus driver shot at a passenger who pulled a gun on him.

That bus driver now fired from his job. We want to warn you. The footage you're about to watch is graphic. Shocking new video shows the dramatic shootout between a North Carolina bus driver and a passenger, leaving the driver out of a job and the passenger facing multiple felony charges. Officials from the Charlotte Area Transit System, or cats, releasing the video and saying the shootout occurred earlier this month after the passenger, Omari Tobias asked the driver to make an unscheduled stop. When the driver, David Fullard, refused. Tobias can be heard talking back. That's when Tobias is seen pulling a gun, and Fullard reveals his own.

shots are exchanged as the bus drives off the road both individuals sustained life-threatening injuries however they are both now stable and expected to make full recoveries two other passengers on the bus managed to escape the shootout without any injuries by running to the back of the bus according to cats and now the driver has been fired after working for the bus system for nearly two decades possession of a firearm or other weapon is prohibited by the company's workplace violence policy while on duty or on company property. We don't want anyone possessing weapons on our vehicles. Drivers have been calling for heightened safety protocols within the system for many years now.

Fullard's attorney telling NBC News the driver felt the need to arm himself following other violent incidents involving bus drivers in the area. Your whole, you're all of a bus driver, including the death of a bus driver named Ethan Rivera. during a road rage incident last year. The suspect in that case arrested. This has been an open call to the CAT system to make the necessary adjustments so that we don't continue to have these issues over and over again. In a press conference, Katz officials acknowledging that their transit system is not immune to violent incidents, but they say 99% of trips happen without a problem and that the budget

for security will increase by 50% starting in July. What we are doing provides safety for the passengers and for the riders. I think that this random violence or senseless violence is pervasive throughout the community. The passenger, Tobias, is now in custody with a quarter million dollar bond, facing three separate charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injuries. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful. As for the driver, Fullard, he has not been charged. and his attorney says he doesn't expect any to be brought against him.

He says they will fight to make sure Fullard gets any benefits he's entitled to after his firing. The key is that we hope for a good result from Mr. Fullard, but we also hope for changes within the system that will provide protection to these drivers. Now to the terrifying moments for passengers on a carnival cruise ship this weekend. The boat sailing through a dangerous storm off the coast of South Carolina battered by hurricane force winds for nearly 12 hours. Steve Patterson spoke to one of the passengers now back on dry land and furious about what happened. Tonight, a swirling storm of outrage in the fallout of a nightmare voyage.

You're hitting some hella waves. Panicked passengers, seasick, scared, and hunkering through hurricane force winds as the hall of the carnival sunshine took a 12-hour severe storm beating. I have never been so scared. Passengers on board say most of the five-day round-trip Bahama journey was a breeze until Friday afternoon as the ship headed back to port in South Carolina. Passenger Sharon Tutrode says it felt like the captain cruised directly into the eye of a major developing storm. There's no way around this one. We went directly into that storm and sailed through it. And starting at 7 p.m., the sea turned violent.

It sounded like the ship split in two. We were flying blind with our lives in someone else's hands. According to weather data, the ship observed 80-mile-in-hour wind gusts and the threat of 17-foot swells. Tritrone says the worst part? Almost no communication from the captain or crew through nearly a dozen terrifying hours. The ship finally docking in Charleston Saturday night, some nine hours after it was scheduled. All we wanted was, hey, it's going to be okay. I know it's rough, and we didn't get any of that.

Carnival, saying in his statement, we appreciate the patient. In the patience and understanding of all of our guests, Carnival Sunshine, is now sailing on its next cruise. I think they just wanted to get back the port and get the next people loaded. Back on dry land, a tempest of anger just starting to churn. Steve Patterson, NBC News. When we come back, dangerous drive-through. The moment in SUV plowed through a 7-Eleven with customers inside what police say happened. Stay with us. That's next.

Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with the urgent search for a Tennessee woman who went missing while on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend. Authorities say Nikki Alcazar Cunningham was last seen in New Mexico more than three weeks ago. Her family telling authorities they believe she is in danger due to a history of domestic violence. Her 2013 Jeep Wrangler was last spotted in Flagstaff, Arizona. No word on the whereabouts of her boyfriend. A wild crash at a Connecticut 7-Eleven was caught on camera.

New surveillance video shows the moment a red SUV crashes through the front of a store and into shelves in Waterbury. At least one customer was hurt but is expected to be okay. Police say the driver was in a parking space in front of the store when they accidentally hit the gas pedal and went through the glass. State Farm has announced that they will no longer insure new homes in California. The auto and home insurance company pointing to disasters, such as wildfires and the growing costs to rebuild as a key reason for their decision.

According to the Washington Post, nearly 25,000 homes and other buildings in California have been destroyed by massive fires in the last five years. The change, which went into effect on Saturday, will not impact auto insurance. And police officers in Nevada attempting to rescue a bear trapped in an SUV. New video shows officers near Lake Tahoe tying a long rope around a car's handle and then tugging it open from a safe distance. A large brown bear then running out of the backseat away from the scene. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the car's interior was heavily damaged.

Turning now to an urgent warning about infant loungers. We've reported on risks linked to the popular products, but now in NBC News investigation reveals that far more deaths are linked to loungers than the government previously disclosed. Vicki Wynn has the latest on what parents need to know. It was a very special time for our family. Kate and Brandon Mowicz, welcome baby Piers. into their family in May of 2020.

He was just a little dream for us. Yeah, the first time I held him, I just gushed at him and felt the unconditional love. They didn't think twice about putting him to sleep in an infant lounger, a cushion pad or pillow for babies. Their five-year-old son, Jude, slept in the same one when he was a newborn. Everyone used them because they work.

They help babies sleep. When Pierce was 10 weeks old, he went to sleep in his docketot deluxe plus baby lounger. He didn't wake up. The autopsy revealed Pierce died accidentally from positional asphyxia. After Pierce passed, I looked up the product and it said, like, not for infant sleep, which we didn't know. Two years ago, after reports of eight infant deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled more than three million boppy newborn loungers. But in NBC News analysis, found at least 26 baby deaths linked to various brands of infant loungers between 2015 and 2023.

More than twice as many deaths cited by the CPSC in its recent warnings. Had we known, we would have never put him in it. NBC News asked Doca Todd about Pierce Movitz's death and others. The company says it is committed to safety, adding none of the reports have shown its products were the cause of those tragedies. Alex Hohen-Saric is the CPSC chair. There was some criticism that when CPSC initially reported the potential dangers, that you knew of more deaths than you made the public. aware of. How do you respond to that? So we have laws that restrict us, our ability to talk to the public about all the information

we know about products. So if I knew about a danger about product right now, I couldn't go and tell you about it without actually first going to the company itself and letting them know what we're going to say. That seems backwards. I agree. He says restrictions on issuing recalls and warnings about products delay how quickly the CPSC can get safety information to the the public. Industry representatives say infant loungers come with warnings and are safe if used as intended on the floor for babies who are awake and closely monitored. Should these products be taken off the market? Yes or no? So I can say this. I would never buy these products for myself or my family. I think it's dangerous. If someone has this in their home right now,

what should they do with it? If it was me, I would take that product and I would get rid of it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends babies sleep alone on their backs on a firm, flat mattress, in a crib or bassinet with no loose blankets, pillows, crib bumpers, or other soft items. We were all together as a family. The Movitz's started the Pierce Forever Foundation to help other families who've lost babies. If there's even an ounce of chance that these infant loungers can cause death or injuries, then people should know about it. They hope sharing their story will help protect other babies.

If we can help other families learn so they don't have to go through the nightmare we've lived through, that would be incredible. And an honor it appears. Vicki Wynn, NBC News, Detroit. Still ahead tonight, mystery in Venice. One of the city's famous canals, now a fluorescent green.

What investigators think could be causing it? We're back now with the results of Turkey's hotly contested runoff election. President Erdogan coming away victorious and taking on a third term, but the results leaving some worried about the country's future and uneasy about Erdogan's relationship with Russia. Matt Bradley is on the ground for us with that report. Last night, after 20 years in power, Turkish President Rejip Tayyip Erdogan won yet again. Fending off the most muscular challenge his long reign has ever faced.

But if this close contest was caused for humility, Erdogan answered with hubris. Moments after pledging to unite his divided nation, Erdogan lashed his defeated opponents, calling them terrorists and attacking their pro-LGB rhetoric. In our culture, family is sacred, he said, no one can interfere. We will strangle anyone who dares to touch it. Supporters of the president flooding the streets of Istanbul, those crowds sent running for cover when a celebratory firework misfired. Yesterday's victory gives Erdogan another five years to challenge American foreign policy in the Middle East and Europe, where he's long played east against West. Even as a NATO member, Erdogan has defended Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Erdogan gets up and blasts the United States and the West all the time. Does that play well here? Yeah, it plays well. It does. It does. Demonizing the West. Why? Demonizing the West.

I don't know, quite a significant percentage of citizens of Turkey. Believe that the West doesn't like Turkey. They don't help Turkey. Still Western leaders, including President Joe Biden, were quick to congratulate Erdogan last night, reflecting his indispensable role in global diplomacy. But at home, he now has years to further tighten his already substantial grip on Turkey's government and media. Policies his opponent, Kamal Kielich Dorolu, vowed. to reverse. Killich-Dorolu didn't contest last night's results, but called the vote unfair.

But throughout the country yesterday, polling was orderly. This is just a presidential runoff election, so the voters just get one choice. Erdogan versus Kilich-Dorolu, continuity or change. But many Turks saw continuity as a vote for political stagnation, autocracy, and economic ruin. For young people I spoke to in Ankara, there's only one issue on the ballot, the economy. Specifically, sky-high inflation they blame on Erdogan's unorthodox monetary policies. What are young people like you looking for at this election? From what I hear from my friends, they don't like the job salaries, etc. And my friends think that they are not going to do well in Turkey,

and they are looking forward to go abroad to Europe and so on. But for many particularly conservative Muslims, Erdogan is tried and tested. He is the only hope for our country. So we know he's already over 20 years. He is a proven candidate. And Matt Bradley joins us now from Ankara, Turkey. Matt, you mentioned the economy as a big issue looming over Erdogan's campaign. But the other major crisis Turkey faced less than four months ago

was that catastrophic earthquake that killed 50,000 people. You were there reporting on the ground, saw a lot of the anger up close. Some people thought that might hurt Erdogan's chances at winning. here, but how did that play out? Was that a factor? Yeah, Alison, you know, I was there. The anger was palpable. It was real because folks were very angry that Erdogan had actually kind of sped through and offered amnesty to a lot of the flawed buildings that ended up collapsing during that catastrophic earthquake that you just mentioned. But the fact is, at the end of the day, this was still Erdogan's heartland in the

south and in the center of the country. So despite the tragedy, despite the incredible anger and discontent that was directed at this government, it still just didn't breach the political realities of this country. It didn't bend any of the just prevailing notions and ideologies that exist in the geography here. And you can see that in the United States, too. This is an urban, rural divide, and it's one that really dictates the policies in this country. That part of the country was always going to go for Erdogan, regardless of what happened. Ellison?

Matt Bradley, thank you. Now to Top Stories Global Watch, and we begin with the sentencing of the former president of El Salvador for his ties to gangs. A judge sentencing ex-president Maurizio Funez to 14 years in prison for negotiating with gangs during his administration and failing to perform his duties as president. Uganda, passing one of the harshest anti-LGBQ laws in the world, the bill which was signed today mandates the death penalty for, quote, aggravated homosexuals. which refers to people convicted multiple times or people who transmit diseases, including HIV. Homosexuality was already illegal in Uganda. President Biden has condemned the latest law.

And fluorescent green waters in Venice, the famed canal, the famed Grand Canal, has investigators completely stumped a mysterious green patch appearing in the Italian city's main canal on Sunday, starting near the Rialto Bridge and then spreading as the day went on. But no one has claimed responsibility here. Officials say they are still working with environmental officials to try and identify what could have possibly caused to this. And still ahead tonight a reminder of what Memorial Day is all about. Finally tonight on this Memorial Day, we are honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families, a group of children who lost loved ones while serving delivering a very special tribute.

Here's NBC's Aaron Gilchrist. Exactly the scene you'd hope to see at camp, kids, smiling and laughing, sharing these carefree moments. But just beneath the surface, they also share a unique pain. They all lost a loved one, most of them a parent, who served in the military. My dad was a major in the Air Force when he died, and at that time I was one and a half. My mom just always described them as, like, heroic and, like, courageous. It's been pretty hard.

What's been the hardest part? getting up out of bed and doing work because he's not there. This is the good grief camp. For nearly three decades, TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, has gathered the children of fallen service members and veterans near Washington on Memorial Day weekend to both honor their loved ones and to enjoy being kids. Today, they're tracing their hands and writing messages. Amaya writing to her Army Day. who died six years ago. Can you tell me about what you wrote?

I just said that I will always do it. These messages and the memories, part of the good that can come with grief. Each kid here is paired with a mentor who's a vet, active duty, or someone who's been through the camp. You're white or are you on blue or you are white? Staff Sergeant Tanner Haggerty is an Army chaplain and so far has volunteered a thousand hours with taps. The kids have taught me that it's okay to not have done. that it's okay to not be okay and it's okay to cry it's okay to hurt pain is natural there's no rulebook or lesson plan on grief it's a chance for our kids to be in a safe

space and talks through some incredibly difficult subjects you've heard people say kids are resilient here it's never been more true they've learned to lean on each other I feel like nobody's touching me and everybody I'm here how do you feel about coming here It is quite fun, makes me feel more comfortable but talking about it. Like, everybody has, like, lost a love one, so we're all, like, here for a reason. And even though it's, like, a sad reason, then I can still, like, make good of it. The traced hands are for a special tribute joined together by Air Force volunteers from Joint Base Andrews and delivered this Memorial Day as a wreath placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.

Staff Sergeant Haggerty had that honor, along with several of the kids. Love is living on through that wreath, and every person is gone, but they're not forgotten, and that's what that reef represents. Last year, we had nearly 9,000 new family members who came to TAPS seeking care, comfort, resources, and support. So for us, this is an opportunity to remind America this Memorial Day of the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. And the sacrifices of their children who've also given so much to their country. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there.