Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, November 11, 2024

Episode Date: November 12, 2024

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, breaking news, a Spirit Airlines flight hit by gunfire as it was attempting to land in Haiti. Chaos erupting on board as bullets fly through the cabin. A flight attendant grazed and left injured. The plane from Fort Lauderdale forced to divert to the Dominican Republic, how the terrifying scene unfolded and the action other airlines are now taking. Also tonight, President-elect Trump selecting his team, the new wave of appointees for top positions, including head of the EPA, U.N. Ambassador. and the new borders are. The close allies and immigration hardliners, Trump is adding to his roster and what it means for his policy at the southern border.

And will the FBI get a new leader? The close aid, Trump is reportedly considering. On Capitol Hill, a number of House races still uncalled, but the GOP is in a position to hold their majority. We're breaking down where the balance of power stands and the heated race for Senate Majority Leader. The Republicans vined for the top spot, why Senator Rick Scott may have the power.

Scott? They have the inside track. Crypto boom, Bitcoin and cryptocurrency riding the red wave soaring to record highs. Returns are up nearly 30% from last week alone. How long could this surge last? And how has Trump's win changed conventional markets as well, we'll explain. Burning up the coast in California, firefighters working to gain an upper hand as multiple fires rage on. The dire situation out east as wildfires turn deadly. The New York City skyline consumed by smoke.

drought and wind-fueled infernos are taking a massive financial toll on the country. The verdict is in Richard Allen found guilty for killing two Indiana teens in 2017, the chilling phone call confession, and the video taken before the girls disappeared, leading jurors to a decision the time he now faces behind bars. Cuba hit by a major earthquake, the magnitude 6.8 quake rattling the island nation already reeling from a hurricane and relentless power outages. Millions left on edge as the country struggles to recover from yet another disaster. Plus, the shocking discovery in Australia, wildlife experts left puzzled after an emperor penguin swam on shore thousands of miles from its native Antarctica.

Top story. Starts right now. All right, good evening. We will get to the latest developments as President Trump continues to fill out his cabinet. But first, we want to start with that breaking news. Airlines plane hit by gunfire just as it was preparing to land in Porter Prince. Video showing the cabin pierced with bullets. You see them right there. The jet riddled with holes. We know at least one flight attendant was grazed and left injured. The terrifying incident happening on a flight which took off from Fort Lauderdale. Once the plane was struck, it was then diverted to the Dominican Republic. The incident sparking other airlines to take

action, suspending services to Haiti. The FAA also issuing a warning about traveling to that country. Marissa Parra joins us now from Miami International Airport, one of those airports that is now going to be affected because it has so many flights to Haiti. Marissa, what more do we know about the incident? Hey, Tom, good to be with you. So as you mentioned, that flight took off this morning from here at Fort Lauderdale Airport. And we know that this incident happened sometime in the afternoon local time. Roughly 50 passengers and crew members were then diverted to the Dominican Republic and Spirit Airlines putting out this statement you're about to see on your screen confirming, confirming, quote, evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire, adding in that same

statement, quote, the safety of our guests and team members is our top priority. And I want to take you back to that video you were just looking at, because you pointed that out, Tom, those are bullet holes in the side of the passenger cabin. Spirit says one flight attendant was injured, but Tom, we know that that flight attendant is getting treatment, but we know also this could have been much worse, if not fatal, Tom. Yeah, and talk to our viewers and explain, you know, sort of the unrest in Haiti, how this ties in. And has the White House or the State Department said anything tonight? All valid questions.

And I'll start first with the state of airline services, because we know the airport and Port of Prince is temporarily shut down. We know services have also been suspended between Spirit American and JetBlue Airlines. Those services have been suspended to and from Haiti temporarily, pending evaluation. And we do know as well that Spirit said in their release that they would be arranging for a different aircraft to pick up those passengers and bring them here to Fort Lauderdale. We know that that's supposed to happen sometime tonight. And in terms of what we're hearing, we heard from the U.S. Embassy in Port of Prince. I want to take you to their statement. They said, quote, that they are aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port of Prince, which may include armed violence and disruption to roads, ports, and airports.

So, Tom, you talked about this, and we've talked about this. I think on our own programming here on Top Story, there have been years of instability that has been at a boiling point really since 2021 when the prime minister was assassinated. Former Prime Minister Ariel Nguer resigned earlier this year, and you and I talked about the hopes of Haitians that democracy would be restored, and since then there has been gang rule. There's been essentially what can only be described as a vacuum of power, people fighting to control. We know there was an interim prime minister who was fired yesterday, and today, a new interim prime minister sworn in.

So all of this happening as there is this massive unrest and just not only scary but really disappointing for a lot of the Haitians I've spoken to who have talked about their hopes for a democracy. And obviously this is just a disappointing and scary situation for them, Tom. Okay, Marissa Parra on that breaking news. Marissa, we thank you. We want to turn now to our other major headline. President-elect Trump ramping up his transition, making some key picks for his second administration.

And we have breaking news at this hour. Trump just selecting Florida Representative Mike Walts to serve as his national security advisor. Trump also choosing New York Republican congressman woman, Elise Tophonic, to serve as ambassador to the U.N. He's expected to name Stephen Miller, a staunch hardliner on immigration, as his deputy chief of staff for policy.

Tom Homan, who served in Trump's first administration, will return to the White House as borders are, and the president-elect tapping former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA. Meantime, Republicans are on the brink of taking control of the House, still a number of races yet to be called, but it's trending in the direction of the GOP, the party easily taking control of the Senate, and now the fight is on for who will become Senate Majority Leader. These are the candidates, take a look, hoping to take the powerful position. Tonight will explain why Florida Senator Rick Scott may have the inside advantage. And what does Trump's return to the White House mean for FBI director Christopher Ray, the new reporting tonight on a particular?

potential leadership change there. And cryptocurrency, smashing record since Trump won the White House. What's driving this surge and how long could it last? But first, we want to get to NBC's Garrett Hake as Trump fills out his cabinet. Tonight, President elect Trump making his first cabinet pick, tapping top ally, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefonic, as his ambassador to the United Nations. And also announcing he'll name former Republican Congressman Lee Zeldin as EPA administrator. We have the opportunity to roll back regulations that are forcing businesses to be able to struggle. Environmental groups criticizing the pick. And late tonight, naming Florida Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor.

And also tonight, NBC News has learned Donald Trump is expected to name Florida Senator Marco Rubio to serve as his secretary of state, according to three sources familiar with the decision, who add that no decision is final until Trump himself announces it. It comes as the scope of Trump's victory last week grows. NBC News now projecting Hillwin, Arizona, meaning Trump swept all seven battleground states and leads Vice President Harris in the popular vote as counting continues. Today, the vice president appearing with President Biden at a Veterans Day event, their first joint appearance since her defeat. While Trump has begun filling out his White House staff,

he's expected to name longtime advisor Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy and announced Tom Homan, a former acting director of ICE, will report to him as Borders are. Both men played key roles in the hardline immigration policies of Trump's first term, including the controversial separations of thousands of migrant children from their families in 2018. Homan was recently asked if there's a way to carry out deportations without separating families. Of course, there's. Families can be deported together. The first migrants likely to be targeted for deportation include convicted criminals, those with final deportation orders already, and people considered potential national security

threats, including Chinese men of military age living illegally in the U.S., multiple sources involved in the planning tell NBC News. The Trump campaign not commenting. Meanwhile, NBC News has learned new details about the growing influence of billionaire Trump supporter Elon Musk. Two sources say he's been a regular presence at Mar-a-Lago since Election Day. Musk described as an informal advisor and friend with no specific portfolio in the transition or administration yet. All right, Garrett Hake joins us from Washington with a lot of headlines tonight, Garrett. So as we talk about the transition and the new cabinet, walk our viewers through some of the main players here. Who is Howard Lutnik? And why is he such an important person, at least

right now in the Trump orbit? Well, Howard Lutnik is a hedge fund billionaire and a close friend of Donald Trump's who now, along with Linda McMahon, the wife of the former CEO of the wrestling company, WWE, are the head of the Trump transition. They are essentially the gatekeepers of who's going to be in the next Trump administration. They have been working for months now to prepare a menu of options for Donald Trump on every cabinet position, high-level White House position, essentially all the key personnel decisions he's going to be making when he comes into the Oval Office, or ideally far before then. So they've been vetting folks kind of on the front end, and now that Trump is getting engaged, they're trying to shepherd through these picks.

two of these cabinet picks so far, lower-level posts. A lot of the hard work still continues for the big national security positions, for the Treasury Secretary, for kind of these other frontline cabinet positions, if you will. But they are the two key power players right now in Donald Trump's year as he's starting to make these decisions. And, Garrett, the president elect is wasting no time, as you've been reporting. He'll be in D.C. this week as well, meeting with President Biden? Yeah, that's right. He'll be in the Oval Office on Wednesday morning. I think some people may remember this visit the last time Donald Trump was President-elect when he came to meet with President Obama. What was supposed to be a 20- or 30-minute meeting ended up going an hour and a half.

At that point, Trump kind of needed a crash course on world affairs. He got one from President Obama. It's not clear what the content of this meeting will be, although I expect we'll hear a more conciliatory tone from Donald Trump, at least in the moments after. That's what we got after that last meeting. That's what he's been trying to strike in his limited public statement. so far since election night, but the eyes of the whole country, I think, will be watching that meeting as Donald Trump returns to his once and future office Wednesday morning. Okay, Garrett Hake, with a lot of new reporting out there, and we do have more reporting that both the FBI and the Trump transition team are planning for President-elect Trump to replace FBI director Christopher Ray. Trump appointed Ray back in 2017, but has since criticized

his leadership of the Bureau as the DOJ has investigated Trump over the last few years. Trump is also reportedly considering replacing him with Cash Patel, who served as a Defense Department official during Trump's first term, and has promised to go after Trump's political opponents, including journalists. For more on this, I want to bring in NBC News Justice and Intelligence correspondent Ken Delanian. Ken, so great to have you tonight on the show. First off, talk to us about the relationship between President-elect Trump and current FBI director Christopher Ray. It's a mixed bag, Tom, I would say. As you mentioned, Trump hired Christopher Ray. Christopher Ray is a Republican, a lifelong Republican.

and he's done his best to try to stay out of Donald Trump's crosshairs, both during the Trump administration and after. But Trump has criticized him by name on occasion, but yet not so vigorously as he had, say, people like Jack Smith or Merrick Garland. But Trump has gone after the FBI, particularly once the investigations picked up and the Mar-Lago raid. Trump has had nothing good to say about the FBI during Ray's tenure. Although I've been told that privately, occasionally Trump has said nice things about

Christopher Ray, but it looks like the bottom line is there's so much momentum to get a new leader at the FBI under Donald Trump that Ray may not survive. All right, so let's go to the next step here. Who is Cash Patel, and how did he get into Trump's orbit? Cash Patel is like the living personification of MAGA conspiracy theories about the national security state. He believes that there are criminals inside the FBI and the CIA, and he said this, who should be prosecuted, who have been punishing Donald Trump and his friends.

Now, he came to the four as a Republican staffer on the House Intelligence Committee trying to do battle against the Mueller investigation early in Donald Trump's term, and then Trump hired him. He became a DOD employee and intelligence employee. At one point towards the end of the Trump administration, Donald Trump tried to make him the deputy CIA director, and that was so objectionable to the then-CIA director, Gina Haspel, that she threatened to walk. She threatened to resign if that happened, and Donald Trump backed down. But Cash Patel has been, sort of full MAGA out there, promising retribution against people inside the FBI, the DOJ, and the CIA. And it makes a lot of career employees and public servants very, very nervous the idea that he could be atop any of these. Yeah, so listen, you know, the president elected obviously was an outsider during his first run. He likes to hire outsiders. You sort of answered this, but I want to ask you directly, does Cash Patel have the background to lead the FBI? And if he's appointed, how will the Bureau react? Well, look, by traditional standards, of course not.

And don't take my word for it, Bill Barr, the former Attorney General Donald Trump appointee, said as much when he was being considered Mr. Patel was for other jobs. But we're in a new world now where, you know, all kinds of people with very little experience are going to be elevated to some of these jobs. There would be fear, trepidation, revulsion in the FBI or the CIA if Kash Patel was placed at the top of those agencies. There might be resignations. But at the same time, you know, these are seasoned public servants.

They're going to put their head down and do their job and follow lawful orders. And they understand as well as the rest of us that the president gets to hire the people who wants to hire. Now, of course, these jobs are subject to Senate confirmation. So senators will have a say. There'll be background checks. There'll be financial disclosures. But at the end of the day, Donald Trump gets to hire who he wants to hire. Okay, Ken Delaney, we thank you for that, all that analysis and reporting.

President-elect Trump's picks on who to share key immigration policy. policy reflect the hardline position he campaigned on. For more on that, I want to bring in Nick Mirroff. He's a Washington Post reporter covering immigration enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security. Nick, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. So one of the top policies that President-elect Trump campaigned on was mass deportation. Now we have Tom Homan in the role of Borders Tsar and Stephen Miller as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. What does their leadership mean for the execution of Trump's campaign promises? Well, if you're going to attempt a mass deportation plan like the one Trump has promised. Tom Homan is the guy that you would want

to carry it out. He's a veteran of immigration and customs enforcement. He started his career as a Border Patrol agent, and he knows how ICE operates, he knows the law, and he knows both the possibilities and the limitations that the agency, at least, is going to face if it goes down this path. And then you've done extensive reporting for years on immigration and the border. How How realistic are the promises of mass deportation and detention options? Well, I mean, they're certainly going to attempt something. Can they deport millions of people? Ten million people, the kinds of wild numbers that were thrown out on the campaign trail?

No. But if they mobilize the ICE workforce, if they enlist other agencies, and this is where a border czar role comes in, because if that person, in this case Tom Homan, is in the White House and can work with other federal agencies, the Department of Justice, even the Department of Defense, and try to mobilize some of those resources, you can certainly increase the number of people deported from the United States. Is it going to satisfy President Trump? Is it going to satisfy the kinds of promises that he's made and the expectations that he's created? Probably not. But it's certainly going to be disruptive in American communities and

across this country. Yeah, you know, we can't predict the future, Nick, but would you be surprised if you saw sort of a raid happen at, say, a hotel that houses migrants here in New York City. Would that surprise you? No, that would not surprise me at this point. In fact, I think their interpretation, this administration, the incoming administration's interpretation of some of the margins that Trump was able to run up at, you know, and the improvements that he made and vote tallies in New York are some, you know, sort of tacit endorsement to him for actually taking action against some of these sites.

That is going to be really messy in a place like New York City where there will be a lot of opposition to it. And then do you see any executive orders coming back soon that affect immigration? There's already been some reporting that on day one they want to bring back some executive orders. Yeah, we have a story that just published tonight about Trump's plan and which Homan has essentially endorsed to bring back the remain in Mexico policy that required asylum seekers to go back to Mexico and wait outside U.S. territory while their cases were processed. That was a controversial policy that Biden ended as soon as he took office, and Trump has promised, you know, to bring that back. At the same time, some of the asylum restrictions that Biden has put in place over the past year as the Democrats were trying to get control of the border issue. Some of those new policies in some ways are more restrictive than policies that Trump had like remained in Mexico. So Trump is going to inherit a border where illegal cross.

are at their lowest point in four years, including lower than when Trump left office. Nick Miroff, we appreciate you for being here tonight. I know we're going to talk a lot in the weeks and months ahead. I do now want to turn out of the fight for Congress at this hour, nearly a week after election night. More than a dozen House races remain uncalled. With control of the lower house still hanging in the balance, it comes as the three contenders to be the new GOP leader in the Senate are ramping up. For more on all of this, I want to bring in NBC News Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. Ryan thanks so much for being here. you know, before we set out and talk about what we plan to talk about, there, of course,

is breaking news tonight. I want to ask you about Florida Congressman Mike Waltz. He's actually been on our show, top story quite a bit, being named Trump's National Security Advisor. What are his broad foreign policy views, and what does this appointment tell you about the next Trump administration? Well, they very much mirror the kind of foreign policy that Donald Trump has been talking about on the campaign trail. He is a Ukraine skeptic. He even though has offered up the possibility and the suggestion that he does feel concerned about Putin's reach within Europe. He's been also raising questions about whether or not the United States should just offer up Ukraine a blank check when it comes to their national security. He is also

someone who's raised a lot of skeptical questions about NATO and the role that NATO plays in Europe and suggested that perhaps some of the NATO countries are not doing their fair share to defend that part of the world. Now, Walls has a very appropriate biography for someone to play the role of national security advisor. He's been a national security leader in the House of Representatives on the Homeland Security Committee and others. He also is a former Green Beret, so he's been on the front lines on some of these most important national security issues, but he is no doubt someone who is aligned with Trump's worldview. He may not be, though, a mega conspiracy theorist, if you will, as we've seen some names that have been floated for the administration.

Walls is a serious, serious policymaker, and will play an important role now in the Trump administration. Okay, let's get back to our original conversation now. The congressional balance of power, and we'll start in the House. Control of the chamber is still up in the air, but Republicans have an edge at the moment. What are the races you're keeping an eye on that could determine which party takes over? Well, your initial question actually plays into this, Tom, because the margins are going to be extremely. tight in the House of Representatives. Right now, Republicans look as though they're poised to take back control or to retain control of the House, I should say. There are two or 17

races that NBC News has yet to call. Democrats would have to win 13 of them in order to retain the majority. And to give you an example of some of the seats we're looking at. In Alaska, that is an at-large seat currently held by a Democrat, Mary Peltola. Right now, Nick Bejik has the lead in that race. This is a ranked choice voting state. So that complicates it, but right now, the Republican is poised to win it. Let's take a look at some of the seats that were watching in California, for instance. This is a race that Republicans currently hold. Mike Garcia, the incumbent there, but George Whitesides is a Democratic challenger.

He's leading in this race. That's a potential flip. And let's look at one more, and this is a seat also in California that the Democrats currently hold. The incumbent there is Josh Harder. Kevin Lincoln, though, is challenging him. is a seat that could flip back the other way. So basically, kind of the message when you look at these three seats, Tom, is that of those existing 17 seats that we've yet to call, they're probably going to break pretty evenly because Republicans currently have more seats in the bank, it means

that they'll likely have a very slim majority. But getting back to your question about Mike Wals, if he leaves Congress, that seat remains vacant and has to be vacant until a special election takes place. The same with Elise DeFonik, who is leaving to become the UN ambassador. Okay, let's transition now to the Senate, and there's a lot to talk about here, right? With control of the upper chamber called for Republicans, the GOP delegation must now choose its new leader. So let's take a look. Three senators have announced they are running for the top job. John Thune of South Dakota, currently the number two Republican in the Senate.

John Cornyn of Texas, an effective Republican fundraiser and legislator who has been criticized by some on the right for his bipartisan work on gun safety. And Rick Scott, who just won a second term representing Trump's home state now of Florida. seen as the most ideologically aligned with Trump of the three. Now, the race sparking a flood of endorsements, Trump world figureheads like Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, all backing Scott tonight, okay? Susie Wiles, Trump's campaign manager turned chief of staff, also has a longstanding relationship with Scott, helping him get elected Florida's governor in 2010. And then you have Senator Thune, who has a few other Republican senators in his corner as well,

including Trump ally Steve Daines and Mark Wayne Mullen, Senator John. Josh Hawley of Missouri has now thrown his support, though, behind John Cornyn. So Trump has not issued an endorsement just yet, but he has demanded that the next leader allow him to make recess appointments by passing congressional approval for some new members of his administration. So all three frontrunners have signaled that they'd be open to that. Senate Republicans will hold their leadership election on Wednesday choosing the next head of their delegation by secret ballot.

President-elect Trump does not have a vote, but if he does make an endorsement, secret ballots may help some Republicans feel more comfortable voting against their new commander-in-chief. But, Ryan, we know how that goes, especially lately in Republican politics. What more can you tell us about these three men? And does your gut tell you that any three of these have the edge? I think it's a race between Cornyn and Thune, which may be a little perplexing, given the fact that there's so much internet chatter about Rick Scott right now. And that is because it is a secret ballot. So these Republican members have the right to vote from whoever they want without any kind of serious public consequence. And while Scott is currently doing everything he can to coalesce

support behind the MAGA wing of the party, I do think that the vast majority of the Republican conference believe that Cornyn or Thune have the kind of leadership experience necessary to take over the Republican conference. Listen, under any circumstance, if Donald Trump comes out and publicly endorses any of these three men or even someone we're not talking about, that person will likely be the Senate Majority Leader. At this point, Trump has shown a willingness not to do that. It seems as though he wants these guys to make that decision for themselves, and we'll see what happens when those leadership elections take place later this week. All right, Cornyn-N-Othune, Ryan Nobles. We'll see if you're right coming up later this week. Always great having you. We want to turn now to the economy the skyrocketing cryptocurrency prices since former President Trump was declared winner of the election.

Trump has been an outspoken crypto supporter in recent months, promising to lower regulations in the U.S. when he takes office. Now, major indices showing Bitcoin, look at this, hitting 88,000 today, up from just 68,000 less than a week ago. This marks the highest point in the cryptocurrency's history. For more on Bitcoin and its new heights, I want to bring in NBC's Business and Data Correspondent, Brian Chung. So, Brian, talk to us a little bit more why there's this correlation between President elect Trump and crypto.

Yeah, and Tom, by the way, it was flirting with like $89,000 just a few hours ago. So, I mean, it's rocketing higher. And I think the big story when it comes to Bitcoin is just the crypto-friendly policy agenda that President Trump wants to enter the White House with. I mean, this is pretty remarkable when you consider just three years ago he did an interview where he said Bitcoin is a scam in his view. Now he's openly embracing crypto. And on the campaign trail, he even spoke at a Bitcoin conference.

So what does he want to do with Bitcoin? He wants to do a few things. First off, he wants to use the strategic reserve that the United States has of Bitcoin, which, by the way, that exists right now because certain agencies have seized Bitcoin from criminals that have used it for bad reasons. He says he wants to use that and hold on to it. He's not going to sell that fund. He also wants to enforce a looser regulatory agenda on this space compared to the current securities and exchange commission, which has been very aggressive against crypto.

And then the last thing here, he wants to support fossil fuel power. What does that have to do with crypto? Well, these crypto mines require a lot of energy. He says he wants to fuel that using an unleashing agenda on American oil. You know, viewers at home may be saying, you know, we were told Bitcoin was going to be the currency of the future. is it being used in more places? Because, I mean, I don't see it day-to-day in my life. And yet you see it rising and rising. People are still investing in it. Why? Yeah. Well, I mean, look, I think when it comes to the use of Bitcoin on an everyday basis,

I think your anecdote and your observations are right. It's not you can go down Fifth Avenue and go to any store and then use Bitcoin. I mean, yes, maybe there are more ATMs available. Maybe some coffee shops are taking it increasingly. But I think the one big difference is that institutional investing has come for Bitcoin. So you talk about companies like Black Rock, Fidelity. I mean, there are some companies that are big that are offering Bitcoin funds now that you or I could invest it if we have a portfolio. That wasn't the case. Is the bet that it will be the currency of the future? Is that the bet? I don't think it's a bet that it will be a currency of the future so much it is. It's a speculative asset that you can make a lot of money on.

And here's the perspective. They have no purpose. But it can make a lot of money. In finance, that's all that matters. Right. Before you go, do people think that we are approaching or we are at the top of the market right now? Well, look, you have some people that are looking at Bitcoin flirting with the 90,000 level. What's the next stop after that? 100,000. So I think that that's where we are. And again, the perspective here is really important. 12 hours ago, Tom, we read about $81,000. It's gone up by $8,000 in just half a day. This is remarkable. And what about the greater market in general? What do they think? Is the market has been red hot over the last week? Yeah, well, I mean, the markets are not moving because Bitcoin's moving, but we hit record highs on the

S&P 500 and the Dow. Actually, the S&P 500 breaking 6,000 and the Dow breaking 40,000. And what do people think? Do they think we're close to the top or no? They think it's still still growing. Look, I mean, if you zoom out over a long enough time horizon, the stock market usually tends to go up. So we'll see. Brian Chung, always great to have you. Thank you. Yep. As we continue on the Trump transition, the impact of a new Trump administration will be felt around the world. As wars rage in the Middle East and Europe, Arab and Islamic leaders from 80 countries meeting in Saudi Arabia in a show of support for Lebanon and Gaza. NBC chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, joins us tonight from Riyadh, where he is covering that summit.

Trump's invited Iran to this meeting and publicly called on Israel to stop its attacks in Gaza. I'll remind the viewers when Trump was first elected president, Saudi Arabia was his first international visit. So this meeting tonight puts him in a difficult position. Is he going to listen to Saudi Arabia or to Israel? Yeah, it's a great question. I mean, to put it another way, Tom, this is not the same world as President Trump, President

elect Trump inherited back in 2016. Another thing that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia said today is he called on the world to pressure Israel not to invade Iran's sovereignty. And he called Iran a sister nation. Assist a nation when you think of that there has been decades, decades of adversary between Iran and Saudi Arabia. So that's clearly changing. And that puts a different perspective on your question. Will President-elect Trump listen to Israel or Saudi Arabia? Both countries say they're his friend.

Both leaders, MBS and Bibi Netanyahu say they're his friend. But, of course, Prime Minister Netanyahu would like to confront Iran. It looks like Crown Prince bin Salman here in Saudi Arabia wants to do diplomacy with Iran. Yeah, let's transition, though. Here, there's not only a war in the Middle East as we were just talking about, But as you know, one in Europe as well, could we see any escalation in Ukraine ahead of the inauguration? And there's been mixed reports about President-elect Trump talking of Vladimir Putin? Yeah, and the Kremlin denying that that conversation took place.

And Russian officials telling me, too, privately, that they say, they insist that conversation didn't take place. So let's put that just to one side. What we do know is that we're told by the Ukrainians that there are tens of thousands of troops, both Russian and North Korean, building up along the front line with Kursk there, that area of Russia that Ukraine invaded. It looks like Russia wants to try and push the Ukrainians out of that space before a negotiation. Here's the point, and it's true here in the Middle East, and it's true there in Ukraine and Russia too. Before there is a peace deal, there is very often an escalation in a conflict.

It looks like that's what we might see in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. We might see that, too, here. And I'm told by Saudi officials they are very worried about an escalation like that. Everywhere, everybody knows that President Elect Trump has said he wants peace. He wants a peace deal. Countries may be looking to try to get what they want done before President-elect Trump arrives. Tom? Here, Simmons, for us covering that important conference here.

We appreciate that. Back here at home, we're also following. following. Another big headline, the growing toll for wildfires on both coasts, destroying almost 200 homes in Southern California, and burning through parts of New York and New Jersey this weekend. All of it made worse by a prolonged and costly drought. Emily Aketa on this one. Tonight, wildfires wreaking havoc coast to coast. Firefighters up against dangerous conditions in New York and New Jersey working to douse the Jennings Creek fire. You know, we're getting tired. We're getting tired. So don't create any new fires. This photo showing the last moments before 18-year-old volunteer firefighter Daryl Vasquez was killed by a fallen tree while fighting the fire, fueled by whipping winds and bone-dry conditions. Stephen Lee can smell smoke from his cranberry farm in Chatsworth, New Jersey, where there are more signs of the region's unrelenting drought.

So we shouldn't even be able to be standing here right now. No, we're standing well below a normal water level. A first for the five-generation farm that typically uses this reservoir to flood its colorful cranberry bogs every fall for harvesting. We had to run the pump 24-7 to do our harvest. That required roughly $800 a day of diesel fuel over a three-week period. So another $20,000 just for harvest water. Parts of southern New Jersey have seen less than a quarter inch of rain since, September. That's just 5% of its average precipitation and the garden state is not alone. More than half of the continental U.S. is experiencing moderate drought. Thousands of people evacuating near Reno Nevada today where billowing smoke can be seen for miles. While in southern California, nearly 200 homes have already been destroyed and officials are bracing for another round of Santa Ana winds. NBC's Dana Griffin is on the ground. It's like trying to put.

a blow torch out with a squirt gun. The global temperature now on track to set a record high for a second year in a row, leaving farmers like Lee fearing for the future of their businesses. It's concerned. We're all concerned that we need rain for a lot of reasons, not just to flood cranberry bugs. Burn scars like this are typically seen out of the west coast, but here in New Jersey, firefighters have responded to more than 530 wildfires since October. That's about 500 more than what's typical for this time of year. And to make matters worse, red flag warnings were just issued for parts of the Northeast tomorrow. Tom. Okay, Emily, we thank you for that. Still ahead tonight. The verdict in the Delphi murder trial is in. A jury finding Richard Allen

guilty of killing two teens while they were on a hike, the jail sentence he may now face. Plus the incredible rescue at sea, a catamaran on the verge of sinking called the Coast Guard for help. The Disney cruise ship that came to save their lives. We'll show you the video. And the emotional sit-down with Olympic gymnast Jordan Childs, what she is now saying about being stripped of her bronze medal at the Olympics. And where that medal is now, stay with us. Now, a major update in the Delphi double murder trial, the jury finding Richard Allen guilty of killing two teenage girls in the small Indiana city. This after a four-week trial involving

dozens of witnesses and video evidence. NBC's Maggie Vespa has the details. After more than seven years, a stunning verdict in the Delphi double murder trial, with a jury finding Richard Allen guilty in the 2017 slayings of 13-year-old Abby Williams and her 14-year-old best friend Libby German. Indiana prosecutors in closing arguments saying Alan slit their throats. He stole the youth and life away from Abby and Libby. Telling jurors the local husband, father and pharmacy tech is the so-called bridge guy, seen in video taken on Libby's cell phone the day the girls went missing and heard in this audio recording, as prosecutors said he forced them off a walking trail at gunpoint.

The prosecution arguing Allen left their bodies by a creek, Libby, naked, saying he left a cartridge from his gun at the scene, owned a Blackford focus captured on surveillance video nearby, and made multiple confessions behind. behind bars playing a recorded call of Alan telling his wife, I did it. Adding, I killed Abby and Libby. His wife pushing back, saying, no, you didn't. Amid a back and forth, Alan softening, saying maybe I did. I think I did. His wife later crying, saying, no, you didn't. They're screwing with you to get you to say things. The defense calling those false confessions, saying Alan was suffering from psychosis after being held in solitary confinement for 13 months. They argued

there's no DNA evidence tying Allen to the scene, said tests comparing that bullet to his gun were inconclusive and blasted the state's desperation after the murders went unsolved for five years. The jury not buying it, and tonight convicting a killer in a case that's consumed this tight-knit town. Do you think this case will stick with this town, is sticking with this town? Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. If not just because of the court case, it's just because the two little bro that died here and that's just often that will always be in our hearts yeah it's a permanent scar yeah all right maggie vespah joins us tonight from delphi indiana so maggie talk to us about the sentence alan could be facing and what we've heard from the girls families this was such a difficult

case i can't even imagine what those parents are going through it was tom definitely but actually we haven't heard from the families yet because as you know the families the attorneys everyone involved pretty much are still covered under that gag order this judge has been trying to keep a tight lid on this and she's keeping that in place until Allen's sentencing. Except for December 20th, he faces up to 130 years in prison. Now, that being said, our affiliate, WTHR, publishing this video earlier today in which they say you can see Alan's wife exiting the courthouse and saying two cameras, quote, this isn't over at all. As far as the girls' families, though, Tom, we were told earlier inside that courtroom as the verdict was being read, they were holding hands and they were crying. Meanwhile, Alan, we're told, sat emotionless.

Tom. All right, Maggie Vespa for us. Maggie, thank you. Now, to a stunning rescue at sea, a family was saved from a sinking catamaran off the coast of Bermuda when a Disney cruise line ship sent out a lifeboat to retrieve them. How that family escaped uninjured. NBC's Jesse Kirsch with the video and this story. Tragedy avoided at sea, thanks to a Disney cruisliner turned rescue ship.

On Sunday, the Serenity, a 50-foot catamaranan. sprung a leak in its emergency hatch, more than 200 miles off the Bermuda coast. The captain telling NBC News, the four-person crew was barely keeping up with the water pouring in. Waves were 8 to 12 feet. The boat was rocking. I think they did the right thing that recognizing their capabilities and their limitations, and they call for help early before things got even worse. Coast Guard says the closest vessel was roughly 80 miles away, a 4,000. our journey by sea. That ship was the Disney Treasure, a brand new cruise liner, which the Coast Guard

says headed toward the Serenity and launched a lifeboat. The Catamaran's captain says everyone escaped uninjured. He and his wife, their daughter and a cousin all had to jump about two feet into that rescue craft. The Coast Guard says the Serenity's crew took important precautions. They were very prepared professional mariners, and they had all the right stuff to keep them saved. Tonight, the Serenity's fate is unclear, but the captain says we're pretty sure she's saying. While the Disney treasure still has not taken its official maiden voyage for paying customers, this weekend's journey might be more memorable than any pleasure crews. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News.

Okay, when we come back, the heart-stopping moments on an Arizona highway, a toddler, nearly walking into oncoming traffic. The stranger who came to save him and a major earthquake rattling, Cuba, the devastation on the ground just days after a powerful hurricane made landfall. That's next. Okay, we're back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin with the new details on a deadly shooting at Tuskegee University's homecoming. One 18-year-old was killed and 16 people injured when a gunman opened fire on the Alabama campus early Sunday morning.

The Alabama law enforcement agency says a 25-year-old was arrested. while fleeing the scene with a handgun and machine gun conversion device. Video from that night showing people hiding behind cars as gunshots rang out around them. Classes at the university were canceled today while officials continue to investigate. Troubling video showing a toddler walking to a busy intersection in Mesa, Arizona. Dash cam video shows two cars narrowly missing the two-year-old before a woman unrelated to the boy runs into the street and carries him to safety, thankfully. Officials say the boy was returned to his grandmother unharmed.

Child safety investigators are looking into this case. Regulators opening investigation to see if up to 1.4 million Honda and Accura vehicles are at risk of engine failure. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a connecting rod issue could potentially cause total engine failure. Honda recalled about 250,000 cars due to the same issue last year, but more than 170 complaints have since come in about cars not included in that first recall. Cars that are being investigated include the Honda Pilot and Odyssey and Accura MDX and TLX. An Olympic gymnast Jordan Childs opening up about being stripped of her bronze medal. Childs earned the bronze after challenging her score on the floor event in Paris, bumping her from fifth place to third, but the Olympic Committee would later rule she challenged that score too late and took it away, the medal that is. Charles speaking to today's hood a copy about that ruling and where the medal is.

It's definitely been a really hard year. And to know that this was the ending of something that I thought was going to be perfect, that 13.766 was given to me, that bronze medal was given to me in the right way. Where is the medal, by the way? I have the medal. Oh, well, okay. Then done and done. When asked if she will compete in the 2028 games in L.A.,

Charles said L.A. is in and out of my mind right now and that she's taking it day by day. Okay, we turn now to the Americas where in Cuba residents are reeling after a major earthquake shook the island this weekend. The latest disaster coming in the wake of a cascade of hurricanes and blackouts that have pushed the island nation to the edge. NBC's Ellison Barber reports on how residents there are coping going through all of this. Buildings in Cuba once again left in pieces from disaster. Bricks littering the ground, roofs caved in, chunks of walls missing. Hundreds of already vulnerable buildings, some with decades of decay, damaged, after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the island over the weekend.

This woman saying she's felt earthquakes here before, but nothing this strong. That quake and too powerful aftershocks originating just off of Cuba's southern coast. People saying they felt the earth shake in major cities, like Santiago de Cuba, and even outside of Cuba with additional reports of rumblings in Kingston, Jamaica. Cuba's national seismological service saying over 300 smaller aftershocks have rippled across Cuba since yesterday. Officials reporting at least three collapses, 200 partial collapses, and 12,000 people left without power. They maintained there were no fatalities. Very strong, This man says, we're not used to this.

The previous quakes weren't as strong as the two that we felt today. Cuba's leader urging people nearing the earthquake's epicenter to stay outside as damage is assessed, saying the area has been hit by landslides and power outages. The earthquake hitting an already vulnerable island. Hurricane Rafael battered Cuba just last Wednesday, only the latest in a string of storms to hit the island this year. Those storms pushing Cuba's already aging infrastructure to the brink. For months, Cubans have been dealing with the island's worst blackouts in years.

The government facing a deepening economic crisis and crippling oil supply that has them begging for oil from allies. Frustrated residents took to the streets in the days leading up to the quake, demanding the government do more to restore power and address the shortages of water, food, fuel. and medicine. The communist government accusing protesters of breaking the law, arresting an unknown number of people in three provinces for assault, public disorder, and vandalism. That, according to the island's top prosecutor. For now, the cleanup continues. The government says over 90% of the island's power has been restored, but many there wondering how much longer Cuba's decaying power lines and buildings can last. Ellison Barber, NBC News. For more international headlines, it's time for Top Stories Global Watch.

Scary moments in the skies over Italy after a plane caught fire. The Hainan Airlines flight catching fire after a bird struck the engine shortly after the plane took off from Rome on its way to Shenzhen. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome, but no one was hurt. Okay, authorities in China cracking down on a trend among college students who gather in large crowds to go on late-night bike rides. The trend started in June when four friends in the Hanan province biked five hours to a nearby city for its famous soup dumplings. Now, tens of thousands have joined rides along the same route posting videos with the caption,

Youth has no price tag. The government, which experts say is weary of impromptu public displays like this, has now imposed a curfew and put traffic limits in place. Okay, and for the first time, an emperor penguin was discovered in Australia. The adult male was found on a popular tourist beach in the town of Denmark in the country's temperate southwest. Malnourished, the penguin was more than 2,000 miles north of the Antarctic coast where the penguins typically live. The penguin is currently being rehabilitated and sprayed with cold water as conservationists establish what to do next. Okay, coming up next, a wickedly colorful marketing blitz.

A wave of green and pink hitting the shelves you may have noticed. As the long-awaited wicked movie comes to theater. From Crocs to Cars, we take a look at the biggest brand deals, and the warning from Mattel tonight about a misprint on packaging that you'll want to keep away from your kids. We'll explain. Stay with us. We are back now with the highly anticipated musical movie Wicked that's painting the world pink and green. The marketing campaign taking over countless brands from Crocs to Stanleys to cars, but a recent misprint on a doll packaging slowing down the magical marketing plan. Antonio Hilton has more on the wonderful world of Oz.

Something has changed. The major movie event, decades in the making, is almost here. You're great. I am. The adaptation of the smash Broadway hit Wicked, starring vocal powerhouses Ariana Grande and Cynthia Arrivo, hitting theaters just in time for Thanksgiving. This take on what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in,

teased during the Super Bowl. I'm not afraid. Now a whirlwind of pink and green products hitting the shelves. There's no place like Target to shop everything we can. Turning targets red and white bull's eye into a green and pink frenzy. Wow, that's all they got. Even leading some fans to fight over limited edition Stanley Cups. They tried to grab something out of my child's here.

Other brands like Starbucks stirring up some magic with their Glinda Pink potion and Elphaba Cold Brew. Even Lexus is riding through the Emerald City, with Glinda and Elphabas' bespoke vehicles and a commercial collab. Just follow the room. And if you need new shoes to walk the yellow brick road, well, Crocs has you covered with wicked-themed clogs. It's perfect. But Mattel now warning parents about its Glinda and Elfaba Barbie dolls, a misprint on the box, directing customers to a pornographic site instead of the movie's homepage. I think my parents should be more aware. Someone's getting fired.

Mattel apologizing for the mistake, saying, we deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted incorrect website is not appropriate for children. The marketing machine behind Wicked hoping this recent misstep doesn't overshadow the film's all-out publicity blitz that has been taking over popular brands all over the world. The Wicked campaign is so. expansive. There's nowhere you could go on earth right now without thinking of Glinda and Elphaba and Oz. The Inescapable Wicked marketing campaign reminiscent of last summer's Barbie craze.

The world was pink for Barbie. And I think what Wicked is doing is turning the world pink and green. You look at my nails. They don't say Wicked on them, but they say Wicked on them. Just the color themselves are branding for the movies. Another possible box office boost, Wicked coming out the same weekend as the highly anticipated film Gladiate. Strength another! Universal NBC's parent company, hoping that could recreate the Barbenheimer effect, where two movies with different target audiences both draw huge crowds. This one already dubbed Glickett. I think Barbenheimer taught me to never say never. It was really unpredictable how those two movies would coexist when they came out. Each one lived up to what was experienced.

expected of them and beyond that, it's very possible that that happens again with Gladiator and Wicked. It could be yet another perfect storm, defying gravity at the box office. Antonio Hilton, NBC News. All right, we thank Antonio Hilton for that. And coming up, honoring our heroes. From the youngest children to those who served in our military decades ago, the special tributes taking place across the country on this veteran. Day. That's next. Finally tonight, on this Veterans Day, honoring our heroes, communities across the country

coming together in unique ways to salute those who served. NBC's Rahima Ellis has this look at events across the country. Tonight across the country, a salute to service. The response from the community, it's heartwarming. It really is. At Connecticut State Veteran Cemetery, volunteers placing 13,000 American flags, one for each gravestone. One of the youngest volunteers, just six years old, taking pride in his work. I don't really know what it felt like happy.

And in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, a retirement community going all out for their veterans, bringing in a high school band and even arranging for a flyover. I'm really grateful that I work at a place that does something like that. Had this done before, it's an awful lot that they care and they should care. A lot of lives given up. And at Michigan's Fort Custer National Cemetery, PFC Kenneth Blake, United States Army. A ceremony honoring seven service members who did not have surviving family members to arrange their burials.

burials. These seven veterans that we interned today are part of our family, and we don't let a family leave this world without being recognized and let them know the love that we had for them when they were with us on this earthly world. Retired Colonel Frank Walker among those in attendance. For reasons we may never fully understand, these veterans were separated from their families. He says his work now focuses on taking care of others. You know, we might celebrate Veterans Day on 11 November,

but in my world, every single day is Veterans Day. And a thanks to our stations in Connecticut, O'Clair, Wisconsin, and Kalamazoo, Michigan for their help on that story. And a big thank you to all of the veterans out there and all their families who have sacrificed so much. That does it for us tonight. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.