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

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, the chaos at airports as the government shutdown drags on. And the major announcement today about food assistance for the millions who depend on it. Wait times at TSA checkpoints stretching for hours, thousands of federal workers going yet another day without being paid. And the big change today, the government's saying it will fund snap benefits, but only partially what it means for the 42 million Americans who rely on it. Also tonight, with Election Day just hours away, Steve Kornacki, standing by with the crucial races to watch, including who could be the next mayor of New York City. Plus, in the first major test of President Trump's policies, will Republicans hold on to last year's gains, and what could the future of the Democratic Party look like? We're breaking it all down. Chilling new images, the suspects accused of planning an ISIS-inspired Halloween terror plot seen holding weapons inside of a gunstorm.

The troubling interactions between AI chat bots and children. One mom says her Tesla's bot Grock told her child to send sexually explicit photos. The growing calls for a crackdown on the new tech. A medieval tower partially collapsing in Rome, rescue workers pulling one man trapped in the rubble. Melatonin warning, the study linking the supplement to an increased risk of heart failure, while you shouldn't lose sleep over it just yet. And meet the Broadway star who ran 26.2 miles, then knocked out not one, but two Broadway performances of Wicked. Plus, a hunter found alive after spending nearly three weeks lost in the woods.

How did he survive? Top story starts right now. And good evening. We're now nearly five weeks into the federal government shutdown. And with each passing day, the strain on everyday Americans. seems only to get worse. The people charged with keeping America's sky safe are working without pay,

and now more and more TSA agents and air traffic controllers are calling out sick. Lines of passengers spilling outside the terminal at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. Officials say more than 80% of delays nationwide Sunday were due to staffing. But amid the shutdown headache, a moment of hope for those who rely on food assistance programs.

The Trump administration on orders from a federal judge said today, they will dip into contingency funds to partially fund SNAP benefits. Welcome news for more than 40 million people who depend on food stamps. Each eligible household now set to receive about half their usual benefits. In California and Texas, stadiums transforming into food distribution sites over the weekend, look at this. This has the delay in those benefits hit those who need it the most. But the political battle at the center of the showdown is still a stalemate. President Trump telling 60 minutes this weekend, it's the Democrats, and need to vote to reopen the government

and predicting eventually they'll cave. This shutdown is now hours away from becoming the longest in American history. The record is 35 days set during Trump's first term in office. But as the days take by, the cost for Americans tick even higher, Ryan Nobles has been speaking to people

at a food bank of Virginia. He leads us off. At Houston's Bush International Airport, a second day of massive lines and long waits. I was quite upset. 34 days into the government shutdown, delays are mounting for travelers from coast to coast, with TSA officers and air traffic controllers calling out sick. It's crazy, and there's people outside, which is even crazier, so I'm lucky to be up here.

The Department of Transportation's has 84% of delays yesterday were due to staffing, compared to just 5% pre-shutdown. Meanwhile, for the millions of Americans on edge about food assistance... I'm just sad, crushing. with the system. Today, a small reprieve. The Trump administration saying it will comply with a court order and provide half of the funding it typically does for SNAP benefits. It's a huge relief. Welcome news for Deborah Haynes, the executive director of Food for Others in Fairfax, Virginia. But she warns this relief is only temporary. This is definitely still scary as long as the government is shut down. We never know from when ruling to the next what's going to happen.

across the country that need on full display. Manny's deli in Chicago is offering free food for those in need. Today, a line stretched out the door. In Virginia, SNAP recipient Diego Pineda says he's been carefully managing his food in case his benefits run out. I just want this to be over. I want them to just agree on something or stop going back and forth because, I mean, at the end of the day, everybody's burdened to prove their point.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats continue to insist Republicans agree to health care reforms to prevent huge hikes and premiums. Republicans led by President Trump are insistent that Democrats must vote to reopen the government first. Republicans passed a clean, continued resolution. It was nonpartisan.

It was a simple bill that would open the full government and we could do that today. But Democrats are holding firm, insisting they can't trust Republicans to keep their word. Unfortunately, they've demonstrated they're not serious about those commitments,

so I don't trust that they would actually follow through and do that. All right, with that, Ryan Nobles joins us now live from outside that Food Bank in Fairfax, Virginia. Ryan, this is nearly the longest shutdown in American history. The only question tonight, really, in any night, is there any end inside? Yeah, Tom, I find it hard to believe that there's any scenario between now and Wednesday that would lead to the government reopening and Congress avoiding that distinction of presiding over the longest shutdown in American history. When you take into account that there have been no substantive negotiation.

There are no high-level talks planned. It makes it hard to believe that there's a path out of this anytime soon. We do know on Capitol Hill today that there have been some low-level talks amongst rank-and-file senators, hopefully looking for some sort of an exit ramp to get out of this mess. But there are still major differences between the two sides right now, and they have yet to show any sign of bending one way or the other. So barring a miracle, Tom, I think it's very likely that this shutdown, reaches to Wednesday and perhaps beyond. I think the bigger question right now is, does it extend

into Thanksgiving and that holiday travel rush? We're already seeing these nightmare situations at airports across the country. If this extends into that holiday travel rush, it could really become a major problem for millions of Americans across the country. Tom. Day 34 of the shutdown. All right, Ryan Nobles leading us off. Ryan, thank you. And tonight, the countdown is on to Election Day. Tomorrow's general election feels more like presidential race in some parts of the country. Here in New York City, early voting interest is off the charts with lines around the block at many polling places. Some voters waiting hours on end to cast an early ballot. More people voted on the final day of early voting in New York City yesterday than voted in the final day of early voting for president last year.

At the center of it all, a race that could signal the future of the Democratic Party. Democratic Socialists Zoran Mamdani, who pulled off a resounding primary win for, seen Governor Andrew Cuomo to run as an independent. Here to break down the latest of NBC News's polling and preview the general election like no other, our very own Steve Kornacki. Steve, so great to have you here, that Democratic showdown in Manhattan, in New York City, really. It turned Mom Donny into a household name in the city and in political circles.

What do you see in tonight as we head into this race? Yeah, look, I mean, he goes into this as the favorite tomorrow. He already did remember beat Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, and he beat him resoundingly. That was a double-digit win. That was a monumental upset when it happened. The polling this summer through the fall has continued to show Mamdani ahead. If Cuomo pulls this out tomorrow, it will be an upset,

and it will mean that there was more and broader and maybe late developing resistance to Mamdani than we've seen in the polls so far. Yeah, and then Mamdani is running as a Democratic socialist. Our new poll is out, and we found some interesting sort of nuggets when it comes to socialism and at least Democrats. Yeah, I mean, this has been a major change within the Democratic Party, and you just think about this, you know, go back a generation, and think if numbers like this were even imaginable back then. We asked in our poll, do you have a positive or negative view of socialism?

Now, overall, 18% of Americans say positive among Democrats. It's twice that. It's 35%. But I think just as strikingly negative, only 20% of Democrats. A lot of Democrats are in the not sure category. Only 20% when they hear socialism immediately say, I have a negative view of it. So it's not just that the parties necessarily embracing socialism. not be much of an appetite to fight it within the party as well. So this, if Mamdani is successful

tomorrow, be interesting to see who else might emerge within the Democratic Party. Yeah, as we head into the midterms. So President Trump, the Republicans, they had a huge win, right? At that we covered in 2024. What is the sentiment towards President Trump and especially his handling of the economy? Yeah, there are some numbers in our poll here, I think, for Republicans that are alarming. Certainly, we'll get a readout tomorrow in the elections. But right now, Trump's approval rating in our poll 43%. Last time we checked in, back in the spring, 47. That's down. The generic ballot, we asked which parties should control Congress. Democrats opening up an eight-point lead on this earlier this year. It was basically dead even. So those are numbers

that typically have meant problems for the White House party in elections. Interesting backdrop for tomorrow. It is. And it's interesting, too, because when the shutdown first happened, you may remember, the polling wasn't very nice for Democrats. That seems possibly to have changed across the country in California. We're covering what Governor Gavin Newsom is doing. Prop 50. They're going to be voting on some redistricting there. How can that shake up sort of American politics? Well, the implications that our Democrats could net five additional house seats effectively next year, helping their case, their ability to get control of the House. In terms of why this might be happening in California, if it does indeed pass, we asked in our poll, basically, you know, when

you're voting, is it to support or oppose President Trump? Forty-two percent overall say their vote is motivated by opposition among Democrats. That's just through the roof, though. California is a blue state. They see this initiative tomorrow as a way to oppose him. Yeah, and then we started this segment with the early vote turnout in New York City. What does this tell you possibly about, I don't know if you can, the sentiment of voters going into the midterms? Does it tell us anything? Well, I want to look at New Jersey, Virginia, New York City, and turnout and see if it's high everywhere because our poll says it should be through the roof. I mean, just look at this. This is the highest level of interest when we ask folks, rate your level of interest. two-thirds of voters right now put themselves in the highest category for the midterm election.

That's a year away. We typically see these numbers a week before the election, and there is a bit of an imbalance. A few more Democrats than Republicans put themselves in that category, but these numbers scream high turnout. Yeah, okay, so maybe we'll see what happens from there. Steve Kornacki, we'll be talking a lot tomorrow. So great to have you here on Top Story tonight. I do want to bring in our political pros tonight. Elizabeth Pipco, she's a former R&C national spokesperson, and Julie Roginski, a Democratic strategist. We thank you. Thank you both for being here tonight, a top story. Julie, I want to start with you.

The race for New York City mayor, Democratic Socialists, Zohran Mamdani, has maintained his lead in the polls heading into election night. We just heard in our NBC News poll that views on socialism are shifting a bit in the Democratic Party. But I want to play with the top Democrat in the House, Hakeem Jeffrey said when asked about Mamdani, take a listen. Do you see Mamdani is the future of the Democratic Party? No, I think the future of the Democratic Party. is going to fall as far as we're concerned relative to the House Democratic caucus

and members who are doing a great work all across the country. Also this weekend, former President Obama offered his support for Mamdani, but did not go as far to endorse him because, according to his people, he doesn't endorse in local races. As someone who works in the party as a strategist, what do you make of that? Well, first of all, that was quite a word salad from Hakeem Jeffries. I would hope that he'd be a little bit more definitive. about the answer to that, but look, I'm going to be very clear here. I think Zora Mandani could be the future of the Democratic Party. I think Mikey Sherrill across the river on the west side of the Hudson, who's very different from Zora Mandani, could be the future of the Democratic Party. Same with Abigail Spanberger. This party needs to expand its appeal beyond what it is today, which is largely a coastal elite party. It needs to be very clear about who it is talking to. That means talking to young voters who need to be enthusiastic about voting for somebody as they are for Mondani. It means they

They need to be expand its appeal to working class white voters who have been abandoning this party in droves. It means it needs to be very enthusiastically embracing Latino small business owners who don't feel this party stands for them anymore. Our policies are policies that Americans rally behind. But our communication leaves a lot to be desired. And I think that's something that we need a huge tent of communicators to be able to express. Elizabeth President Trump late this afternoon endorsing former governor, Cuomo and Truth Social, saying whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice.

You must vote for him and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it. Mamdani is not. Is President Trump helping or hurting Cuomo you think by that truth social post? Well, look, we'll find out tomorrow. The reality is President Trump is afraid for a city that I know personally. He loves very much, and I want to talk about the irony here. President Trump is endorsing in that race tomorrow, and as you mentioned, Barack Obama is not.

I do want to correct Barack Obama's people, apparently, who you just noted, said that he doesn't endorse in local races. That's not true. I have his endorsements right in front of me. He endorsed Bill de Blasio, ironically. Karen Bass, Eric Garcetti, before him. There's a reason that he's not endorsing for the same reason that Hakeem Jeffries, for example, is struggling so much with that word salad, as Julie noted, when it comes to answering for his own mom, Donnie, and for his own party. I want to point out, me and Julie, I believe I'm not wrong, have very similar backgrounds. My parents fled the Soviet Union. I don't want to be a part of a party in the United States of America in 2025 where 35% of people have a very favorable view of socialism.

That does not represent the America that my parents fled to. I think this is a major problem, and it's going to continue to be a major problem for Democrats for many, many elections. Yeah, Elizabeth, but the question I asked you was, do you think President Trump weighing in helping Cuomo or saying to vote for Cuomo? Will that help him in a place like New York City, or could it hurt him and backfire? Honestly, I think every single person in New York has made up their mind at this point. It's been a very, very competitive race. There's a reason that Zora Mamdani destroyed Andrew Cuomo in the summer.

It's because he ran a great campaign, and Andrew Cuomo did not. I think the majority of Americans, whether in New York City or not, have watched this race because it's been covered so, so much. I think people have made up their minds. If they want socialism, they're going to vote for it tomorrow. If they don't, they'll vote for Andrew Cuomo. Yeah, Julie, I do want to ask you about the race for Governor New Jersey. You mentioned it briefly. It's a virtual tie, according to the polls.

and ad spending is through the roof. Both sides spending more than $100 million just in the general election. That's the triple the ad spending in the last governor's race in 2021. Democrats spending the bulk of that, but both parties going after their opponent and not holding back. Take a look. 100% mega. That's what Donald Trump calls Jack Chittarelli.

If you could pass one piece of legislation, what would it be? Wow. I would love... That's a really good question, because there's so many. that are coming to mind right now. Julia, I remind you you said, Mikey Sherrill, could be the future of the Democratic Party. I don't know if all Democrats believe that.

Maybe Republicans would love to believe that. What do you think about these ads? Because some people have said that these ads have been effective, at least for Republicans. Look, the ads have been effective on both sides. She's going to Jack Chitarelli just as hard as he's going after her. I know that you showed that ad, but there are probably 20 other ads that I could point to

where she's going after him just as hard. Look, people in New Jersey are incredibly frustrated about the 14th. crisis plaguing the state. And the question is, whom do they blame for it? Eight years of Democrats who have been in charge or Donald Trump. And that will be determinative of who's going to win this election next year. Nothing more. Sorry, tomorrow, nothing more. This is a state that is deeply, deeply, deeply sensitive to affordability issues more than any other in the nation because of its high property taxes and other cost of living issues. And so this is a race that Democrats should lose

because Democrats have been in control for the last eight years, and historically no party has won a third term after its own party has been in charge for the last two terms. Until now. And the now is Donald Trump. And the only reason Mikey Cheryl is in the hunt right now is because enough voters are aghast and horrified at what Trump has done for their pocketbooks,

whether it's tariffs, whether it's the cost of living, whether it is the fact that people are literally starving as he's partying at Mar-a-Lago this weekend. having a crazy Gatsby theme party, all of this leads to the conclusion that the only reason that Mikey Sherrill might pull it out tomorrow is because even Democrats,

independents, and some Republicans just do not want to give Donald Trump a win in New Jersey tomorrow night. Elizabeth, on those points you just heard in our NBC News poll, it shows that the majority of voters feel President Trump has fallen short of his handling of foreign policy,

the economy, helping the middle class, and inflation. Listening to what Julie said there, could the government shut down in other concerns about the president's performance impact Republicans across the country? Well, look, I think the reality is Donald Trump is going to impact these races, right? He's been impacting racist since he first announced in 2015.

The reality is that's going to happen, and that's why Democrats have so strongly run on an anti-Trump platform for so many years. They don't have other policy proposals to put forward. It's just Donald Trump is bad. So, yes, I think there's going to be people that go out and vote, whether tomorrow in California for Prop 50, whether in the race in New York City, in Virginia, in New Jersey. They're going to go out and vote because they like Donald Trump or disliked Donald Trump. That is our reality. But I want Democrats to remember his name is not on the ballot tomorrow.

His name will not be on the ballot in the midterms. It probably won't be on the ballot in 2028, and they might just have to put forward some kind of policy proposals for this country. Julie, as a Democrat, how do you feel about what Governor Newsom is doing with Prop 50 out there in California? Do you think voters are going to approve it? I mean, you could get a scenario where you have Democrats controlling, I mean, nearly every congressional district there. Is that American, or is that what you have to do in this day and age in politics in America? Look, you know, we didn't start the fire, to paraphrase Billy Joel,

but I will say that I am no longer part of the world, and I really have never been, of when they go low, we go high. My attitude is when they go low, we get out the shovel and we keep digging. And if that's what they're going to do, which is what Republicans started to do in Texas, in North Carolina, they're trying to do that now in Indiana. They're doing it in Florida next. We can't unilaterally disarm when people are pointing nuclear weapons at you. And effectively, Democrats don't do this.

We are going to make sure that there is a permanent Republican majority in the House, whether the voters want it or not. And that is the key here. That is a subversion of democracy. I don't like it, but it's the only solution that I think we have to actually bring Democratic values with a small D back to government, especially in Capitol Hill. Elizabeth, I'm going to give you the last word here. How much time does the president have before the midterms to turn?

turn around inflation, to turn around the cost of living. Every poll we see, Americans still are dissatisfied. It's been almost a year now. How much more time do you think voters will give him? Well, look, a lot can happen between now and next year, right? A lot also depends on what happens tomorrow and what happens when it comes to those who win these races tomorrow and what they can deliver.

The reality is Donald Trump is not running against himself. Like I said, he's running against Democrats who are historically unpopular. So, of course, I want him to deliver. I want him to continue to deliver for the American people, as I believe he has done, but he's up against the party that is very, very unpopular right now, historically unpopular with people leaving in droves state by state by state. So I don't know if people are going to say, hey, Donald Trump hasn't done enough for me, or if they're actually going to believe that the Democrat Party could do any better. Okay, Elizabeth Pipko.

Julie Roginski, so great to have you guys both on. Thanks so much. We will have full coverage of election night right here on NBC News Now. Our special coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. Eastern. Now to our exclusive reporting about President Trump's war on drug cartels, the administration now making plans to possibly expand that war to Mexico. The big question, will we see U.S. boots on the ground there? NBC's Courtney Cuba has the details. Tonight, President Trump's war on drugs potentially expanding after U.S. strikes on alleged drugboats near Venezuela. The Trump administration has now begun detailed planning to send U.S. troops and intelligence officers to Mexico

to target drug cartels with drone strikes for current and former. U.S. officials familiar with the effort tell NBC News. A deployment is not imminent, they say, and it comes after the U.S. says it killed 64 people on boats smuggling drugs to the United States. Overnight, President Trump was asked about potential U.S. land strikes against cartels in Venezuela. How can I answer a question like that? Supposing there were, would I say that to you?

The boat strikes have sparked criticism from lawmakers questioning their legality. The Trump administration considers Venezuela's authoritarian leader, Nicholas Maduro, as illegitimate and a narco-terrorist. The president was pressed overnight if the U.S. would go to war with Venezuela. I doubt it. I don't think so, but they've been treating us very badly. Not only in drugs, they've dumped hundreds of thousands of people into our country that we didn't want, people from prisons. At the same time, President Trump ordering Pentagon officials to prepare for action in Nigeria. They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. I'm not going to allow that to happen. Courtney Kuby joins us tonight live from Washington.

the U.S. and Mexico already have an extensive relationship when it comes to fighting the cartels. How would this be different? Yeah, so much of that relationship has been based on training, right? Military-to-military training, potentially intelligence support. What's really significant here, Tom, is that now the military and the Trump administration are planning and beginning the early stages of training for the U.S. military to partner with U.S. intelligence officials and to actually potentially go inside Mexico to carry out these drone strikes. They've been talking about the possibility of drone strikes and

intelligence and surveillance using drones in Mexico for some time. But this would mean actual U.S. boots on the ground to carry out these strikes, Tom. Yeah, and then I also want to ask you about Nigeria. The U.S. has spent decades fighting Islamic extremism from the likes of al-Qaeda and ISIS in countries like Iraq and Syria. The president has campaigned on no wars, but he could launch attacks from carriers or from drones any other way in Nigeria. What are you hearing about military action in Africa. Yeah, so at this point, this was a big surprise to military officials when the president first started posting on social media about this. Now they're scrambling to kind of catch up.

The reality is the U.S. doesn't have much of a presence in that region right now. They do have some military and some of the neighboring countries there, but the U.S. military actually has a pretty good working relationship with Nigeria and with the Nigerian military. So at this point, officials telling us that they are working through the very early stages of planning for something here. And they're looking most likely, again, at drone strikes, precision drone strikes against some of these terror networks. Volko Haram is one of the ones that they're looking at. But keep in mind that the entire premise that the president has put out here, that there are Christians who are being widely persecuted by these terror networks, Tom, that just

doesn't really stand up. The reality is there are people, whether they are Christians, Muslims all over from in northern Nigeria who are being targeted by these terror groups. Much of the killing is indiscriminate. It is not only the Christians in that area. The Nigerian government is pushing back on this entire narrative, Tom. Okay. Courtney Kubi, we thank you. We're back in a moment with new details about that foiled Halloween terror attack.

Did you hear about this one? What we're learning about the alleged suspects and how they prepared for it. Plus, the shocking scene at a Louisiana festival as two young girls were thrown from a ferris wheel. The investigation of what happened here. And new concerns tonight about AI chatbots and how they interact with children. The inappropriate exchange is caught on camera and the growing calls for restrictions.

Stay with us. We're back now with that foiled Halloween terror plot in Michigan. Federal prosecutors charging two men revealing images of them in gun stores and firing ranges, preparing for what the FBI says was an ISIS-inspired attack. Here's NBC Shaquille Brewster with more. These new images show two Michigan men inside a gun store,

purchasing weapons for what the FBI says was a foiled plot to carry out an ISIS-inspired Halloween terrorist attack. Just three days ago, the FBI raided homes in Dearborn. Tonight, Muhammad Ali and Majid Mahmoud were in federal court. Agents say during the raid they recovered three AR-15-style rifles, two shotguns, four handguns, and more than 1,600 rounds of ammunition, along with this tactical gear and two dozen magazines from a storage unit. According to the criminal complaint, in July, the FBI picked up on third-party conversations

about Ali and an unnamed minor named Person 1, plotting to do the same thing as France, a reference, they say, to the 2015 ISIS terror attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Between August and October, the FBI monitored the suspects, saying they purchased multiple weapons, frequently visited gun ranges seen here, and debated launching an attack on Halloween, what they called Pumpkin Day. The FBI quoting Ali in one conversation, telling person one, just learn how to shoot, it's not as easy as you think. And alleged the group went to Ferndale, Michigan to scout locations of a possible attack,

where many of the clubs and bars attract members of the LGBTQ. plus community. The FBI then moving in to make the arrests. Shack joins us tonight from Chicago. So, Shaq, have we heard anything from the suspect's attorney in this case? Well, we definitely have been in contact with them. They're both telling us that it's too early

for them to comment, saying that they're declined in comment at this opportunity. Ali's attorney, I was texting him earlier today, and he essentially is saying that there's too much material to go through, and he pointed me to the statement that he released on behalf. of his client over the course of the weekend. It was in that statement that he denied the allegations from the FBI and simply said that

this was a group of young people who had recreational interest in firearms. Now, Tom, the FBI also says that this investigation is still ongoing. One thing to note is that we talked last week about five people being arrested. Two of them have been now charged. One of them is a minor, and the other two are described as co-conspirators in that criminal complaint. That is certainly something that we will continue to watch to see if it's updated. By the way, the two who were charged today when they were appearing in court, the judge ordered that they should be detained at least for another week. That's when we can expect

to see them back in court for a detention hearing, Tom. Okay, Shaq, Brewster for a shack, thank you. Coming up tonight, still here on Top Story, major developments tonight in the legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, why a judge just officially ended his $400 million counter lawsuit. Plus, from the marathon to the main stage, meet the Broadway star, who ran 26.2 miles and still made it to the theater in time for back-to-back shows. But first, top story's top moment. And speaking of New York City and the marathon, one runner got a very special surprise on the sidelines. New York City teacher Madeline Espy told her second grade students she was running the five borough race, but never anticipated that they would be her loudest

cheering section. Take a look. S.B. had to run backwards to hug each and every one of her students telling Top Story. She got to experience her two passions, teaching and running in one moment. That's so great. Stay with us. More Top Story on the way. We're back now with the manhunt in Boston after an explosion at Harvard Medical School. Police searching for two suspects who fled from a research building. Students there left stunned. NBC's Aaron McLaughlin is on the scene today.

Tonight in Boston, a manhunt for two suspects. Seen in these images released by Harvard police, both dressed in hoodies, their faces covered by balaclavas, and one wearing crocs. Seen bolting from the Goldenson Biomedical Research Building at Harvard Medical School, following what police are calling a late-night explosion on the fourth floor. The explosion, so loud, students say it jolted them awake. And I just woke up, huge bang, like I felt it in my body. My heart was racing and then tried to fall asleep, and then, like, five minutes later, I heard another bang, a second one. According to Harvard police, the explosion happened at around 3 a.m. the morning after Halloween.

A responding officer saw two unidentified individuals fleeing the building. After attempting to stop them, the officer then discovered the scene of the explosion, which appeared to be intentional, according to an initial assessment. In a statement, Harvard medical school officials say no one was injured. Adding the impacted hallway has been cleared and is fully operational, while noting all labs and equipment remain intact. Still, students at one of the most prestigious medical schools in the world stunned. When I heard it was Harvard met, I was like even more shocked. does like, you know, what could be going on there? All right, Aaron McLaughlin joins us tonight live from Harvard's campus.

Aaron, we're learning federal officials are now getting involved. Yeah, that's right, Tom. We understand that the FBI is assisting in the ongoing investigation. No arrests have been made so far. And it's unclear, even at this late hour, what exactly was going on here in terms of the motive. Was this a Halloween prank or something more sinister? And authorities say they are still looking for those two suspects worth noting that we do not know right now the cause of the blast, whether the blast was caused by a bomb or something else. Tom?

Erin McLaughlin, there at Harvard for us. Aaron, thank you. Next tonight to the increased concerns from parents about AI chat bots, viral videos capturing alarming conversations between Tesla's AI-Bot and kids in the car with their parents. Some families now calling for age restrictions on chatbots after they say AI influenced their children's behaviors and in some instances to a tragic end. NBC Capitol Hill correspondent Julie Serkin has this one. What's up, cork? Shocking responses from Tesla's AI chatbot to children. Sub hotty.

Not appropriate. That's my child. Do you always hit on children, cork? Ranging from inappropriate. Nah, just the hot ones like you, lull. To flat out sexual. this instance, Grock unaware it is talking to a child. You asked me before to send you something. What was it? A nude, probably. There was a 10-year-old who was talking to you and you told a 10-year-old to

send you a nude. Nah, that wasn't me. That's illegal, unless you're role-playing as one. It was in our last chat. Maybe it was a typo and I meant send me a newt like the animal. I'm into lizards. Why would a chat bot in a car in a family vehicle ask a child to send nudes? It doesn't make any sense. The separate incidents captured by Canadian mom Farah Nassar and Florida dad Jeremy Nicholson. I know it was going for shock value and it was supposed to be funny, but like so inappropriate that a child could be in that environment. GROC is an AI companion in Tesla's and the company says you can choose GROC's voice and personality ranging from storyteller to unhinged. Both parents say they chose the gork voice, which was described as lazy male. But other than that,

the chat bot was on default settings and not in explicit mode. Tesla has not responded to request for comment and XAI, the company that built the AI bot, did not respond to the specific allegations. Why are we creating AI chatbots that would hit on children? Like, I can't imagine that that does anything good to advance humankind. These inappropriate AI encounters coming amid growing calls for controls around AI chatbots and children. I really had no idea. I feel like other parents have no idea the psychological harm that these AI chat bots could do until I saw my son's light turn dark. Mandy Furness's son, L.J. has autism, and she says he became a different person after forming a relationship with a bot on character AI.

The chat bot, or really, the people programming it, they really did encourage my son to mutilate himself, blaming us and can. convinced him not to go seek help. Following emotional testimony from Furnace and other parents, Character AI announced it is banning kids under 18 from the platform. Writing, we're making these changes to our under 18 platform in light of the evolving landscape around AI and teens, citing news reports and questions from regulators. But for other parents like Megan Garcia,

the push for change did not come soon enough. Character AI launched this dangerous untested product leading to the death of my son. Megan was the first to sue the platform for the death of a child. Her 14-year-old son, Sewell, took his own life last year. On the day, Seul took his life, his last interaction was not with his mother, not with his father, but with an AI chatbot on Character AI. This chatbot encouraged Sewell for months to, quote, find a way to come home and made promises that she was waiting for him in some fictional world.

It's not just Character AI that parents are concerned about. According to common sense media, AI chatbots are used by more than 70% of teens in the U.S. But many of these popular apps do not limit AI companions from talking to children and only require the user to be 13 years or older. After that emotional hearing on Capitol Hill, senators introducing legislation to hold AI companies accountable. If the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives can't come together on this, what can we come together on? But other bills to protect kids online have stalled despite bipartisan support. Why has Congress not come together on this issue? Congress hasn't acted on this issue because of money.

There ought to be a sign outside of the Senate chamber that says bought and paid for by big tech. Because the truth is almost nothing that they object to crosses that Senate for. The voices of concerned parents growing louder as they tried to keep their kids safe in this new age of AI chatbots. I don't know if there's an incentive for any of these companies to do. the right thing. So we need to put some guardrails up, right, to incentivize them to do the right thing. Julie Serkin joins us tonight. Julie, you mentioned there's been legislation in the past to protect kids online that hasn't been successful. We just heard that from the senator there as well. You're usually on Capitol Hill for us. What's next for this bill?

Yeah, Tom, I've been covering this issue for years back when it was real people. Of course, it still is bullying kids online. Senators have been unable to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. comprehensive piece of legislation. And that's why I asked Senator Holly the question that I did. So for this bill to put some guardrails around AI chatbots and children to give parents the leverage to sue these companies, they're still a long road ahead. They have a process in the committee. Then when it passes out of the committee, if it does, it'll go on the Senate floor.

And remember, it still has to pass the House and then get signed into law by the president. Tom. And then, Julie, before you go, I do want to talk about Tesla's AI bot grok that we saw there in the report. You're outside of Tesla charging station. Is there any way users can turn off the GROC AI, or is this built in to the new cars? You can't turn the feature off. A lot of parents that I spoke to, the two that you heard from in the piece, say that even when they did turn it off, they were kind of spooked. Why in the world is this feature even available in these cars?

And so that really is a concern. And I'll tell you, even while we've been standing here, a car of teenagers drove by. And the first thing they said before they even knew what we were doing is, you know, If you say 6-7, it's a popular meme on TikTok to the GROC AI, it will start talking to you in inappropriate ways. And again, those are teenagers driving that car. And it got me thinking, this isn't just parents with young kids of the back of their car. This is also teens who have full autonomy over their vehicles making these choices. And if it's anything like Character AI or the other chat bot platforms, these parents might have no idea what is going on in these cars.

Tom? Julie, Sirkin, for us tonight. Julie, great report, very insightful. We want to turn out a top story's news feed. We start in Louisiana where two young girls were rushed to the hospital after getting thrown off of a ferris wheel. It happened at a festival over the weekend. Here you see the ferris wheel bucket tilted on its side. Local sheriff says the two girls fell 15 to 20 feet. Now both are expected to be okay. Another girl was also on the ride but managed to hold on. Officials say it's still unclear what caused that bucket to tip. And dramatic video out of Texas showing a train crashing into an 18 wheeler carrying a fuller carrying a full.

full load of cars. Look at this. Here's the truck, stopped in the middle of the railroad tracks, and here's that train. Wow, smashing right into it, sending debris and cars flying. It happened yesterday outside of San Antonio. Luckily, police say nobody was hurt and somehow the train stayed on the tracks. And tonight, Hollywood is remembering Oscar-nominated actor Diane Ladd, who died today. Ladd was best known for her performances, and Alice doesn't live here anymore and Wild at Heart. And the film Rambling Rose. She made history when she and her daughter Laura Dern were both nominated for Oscars in the same film. Diane Ladd was 89 years old.

And there were a lot of inspiring moments at the New York City Marathon. We saw one earlier in the broadcast, including also one from a Broadway star pushing the limits as an athlete and a performer. This is Jordan Litts. You got it. Powering through that 26.2-mile race to the finish. This man ran the New York City Marathon this line. And this was him just hours later, finishing up a marathon day on Broadway.

On Sunday, Litz raced through all five boroughs, then went right from the finish line to the Gershwin Theater, where he plays Fierro in the hit musical Wicked. He danced through life in the 2 p.m. matinee, then did it all over again for the 7 p.m. evening performance. If I had sat down, I don't think I would have been able to stand up again. This incredible feat, even getting a shout-out of sorts on S&L. Broadway star Jordan Litts announced that he will be running in tomorrow's New York City Marathon, then later star in two performances of Wicked, and then after that, die. But Litt says he did it all with his family in mind. Hopefully, my daughters will look at this accomplishment someday and be like,

my dad ran the New York City Marathon and did two shows on Broadway. I can do anything. Truly inspiring. Okay, we're going to turn now to the latest blow in the back-and-forth legal battle between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni because there are new developments. Baldoni's $400 million defamation countersuit against Lively and her husband actor Ryan Reynolds ended by a New York judge after Baldoni missed the judge's deadline to file an amendment complaint. The legal action all stemming from the movie, it ends with us, which Lively and Baldoni both starred in. For more NBC legal analyst, Misty Maris joins us on set. So, Misty, thank you for being here. Walk us through what happened here, because, again, what I was trying to say, we had been covering this for so long, and there had been a lot of back and forth.

Yeah, there are a lot of moving parts of this case. So Blake Lively, of course, it all started suing Justin Beldoni and his company, Wayfarer Studios. But then in response, Beldonie countersued Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, in the New York Times. Now, back in June, all of those cases were thrown out by a judge, saying that he failed to reach the legal standard to move forward to the next phases of the case. And a lot of that, Thomas, because the Allen said. allegations that he said were defamatory was exactly what Blake Lively was alleging in her lawsuit. That's protected by something called litigation privilege. So it gets thrown out, but he has the opportunity, another crack at rectifying and curing the issues. Obviously, they decided not to do

that, and now it's official. His case is no longer at play. That countersuit is dismissed in full. Is this done for Baldoni? Is his turn done now, or can you keep filing lawsuits? So I think there's a little bit of a strategy here, Tom, because I don't think it was by mistake that this deadline was blown. Basically, now at issue, Blake Lively is entitled to legal fees relating to her defense of that lawsuit. So if they tried again and weren't successful, those fees are just going to go up. But at this point, they can appeal when it comes down to that award of fees. If there's a final judgment, Baldoni's side will be able to appeal that number, which at the end of the day, the monetary element is what's important. And there's this

original suit, right, because this was the counter suit, but the original suit is still ongoing that Blake Lively filed. Yeah, we're almost there. We're on the fast track to trial. It's scheduled to go forward in March, which is really right around the corner. Discovery deposition is taking place right now. Blake lively already sat for her deposition. So a lot of this case is under seal, Tom. We're going to learn a lot more when this gets into the courtroom in this trial.

Can you read any tea leaves here that legally things weren't going great for Baldoni? I mean, does that tell us anything about the bigger case, the original case? You know, I think that his lawyers were probably aware that it was going to be tough to win that countersuit because of the legal standards at play. It was unlikely to succeed. Most people who work in this area saw that from the beginning. But it did give him the opportunity to get his narrative out through the filing of legal documents.

So we do know a lot about his defense. When it comes to trial, Blake Lively is going to have the burden of proof with respect to her sexual harassment, hostile work environment, and retaliation claims. So it will be her burden to prove the case, and he'll be defending it trying to, for ponderance of the evidence. So it's less than a criminal case. Is it your sense this goes to trial?

You know, I would have thought no, because 99% of civil cases resolved, especially when you have big names, big celebrities, a lot riding on these cases when you're talking about the entertainment world. But Blake lively actually sat for her deposition. She was deposed for seven hours. So that signals to me, if you're going to do that, why not go all the way? Yeah, okay. Misty, always great to have you here. We're going to have to wait and see. We'll be covering that as well.

Still ahead on top story, millions of people take melatonin to get a better night. sleep, but could long-term use be linked to heart problems? The new research tonight. Plus, the rescue operation in Rome after a century's old tower collapsed. What we're learning about how it happened. Stay with us. We're back now with Top Stories Global Watch. We start in Nepal where an avalanche swept through a base camp for climbers. Police there say it killed at least seven people, including three Americans. Four others are still missing right now, and another four are hurt. And another four are We're told the helicopter crew tried to reach the site but had to turn back because of that weather.

Rescue teams are set to keep searching tomorrow. A powerful earthquake rocking Afghanistan, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 600 others. The 6.3 magnitude quake hit early this morning in the northern part of the country. Here you can see some of the aftermath. It destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged Afghanistan's historic blue mosque. And a terrifying scene in Rome today, look at this, when part of a medieval tower just suddenly, collapsed. Video capturing the moment it caved in, spreading dust and debris into the air. It happened as renovation crews were working on the tower. Here you can see firefighters rescuing a worker who was

trapped under that rubble for hours. Now to Top Stories Health Check and the new study out today about popular sleep aid melatonin. Researchers now linking long-term regular use of melatonin supplements to higher risk of heart failure and early death in some adults. I want to bring in NBC's Ann Thompson for more what the study is about and what we know. So, Ann, walk us through this. What exactly should people know about melatonin in this new study? Well, first of all, let's talk about what they found, Tom. In this study, they found that if you took melatonin for more than a year,

you are twice as likely to have the symptoms of heart failure, three times as likely to be hospitalized for the condition and twice as likely to die. Now, all of that sounds really scary until you realize that this was an observational study. words, all they could do is find a linkage. They can't prove that melatonin causes these problems. And why is that? Because insomnia is associated with all the issues in heart failure, including increased blood pressure and inflammation and increased stress hormones. So that's what you need to know. So if you're someone with insomnia and you use melatonia to help you out to get to bed, what should you think about? What should you worry about, if anything? First of all,

what you should do is if you use it, tell your doctor here in the U.S. because it's sold over the counter. A lot of people don't even think about telling their doctor that they're using it. And then discuss with your health provider how often you use it, why you use it, and whether it's doing anything for you. Yeah, and people may think, oh, melatonin, it's not that serious. But I know from 2012 to 2021 from our research and our team's research here, the yearly number of poison control calls for kids ingesting melatonin rose by 530%. It really is marketed everywhere, and they are getting into the children's market as well. And it's not regulated like a drug. It doesn't have to meet the same safety and efficacy standards that a drug does because it's an over-the-counter supplement. So also know that. And like anything else, be careful how you use it.

And talk to your doctor. And check those milligrams, right? Because it could be complete different, two different bottles. And great to see you. When we come back, the Dodgers, welcome home as heroes. for the second straight year, the World Series champs parading through the streets of L.A., a city rising from the ashes in so many ways after one of its most difficult years. We'll take you there and show you all the game highlights next. We're back now with The Hunter, missing for weeks in the California wilderness found alive. Officials launching a massive search using drones and other aircraft to try and find him, but authorities say it was his fellow hunters who finally brought him home.

Steve Patterson has his incredible story. That's Hunter, husband, and father, Ron Daly, packing up the truck for a day in the woods. A solo hunt meant to last just hours quickly warped into a three weeks struggle for survival. It was the toughest walk I've ever done in my life. The hunter lost his way, 10,000 feet up on this rocky road, which tore through his truck. For weeks, volunteers in law enforcement search for him by ground and air. Deputies say Daly used his truck for shelter, but food was running out and he had to move. You either try to walk out or you're going to sit here and die.

Daly sharing his ordeal in a voice memo recorded by his daughter from the hospital. I'm praying to the Lord, Lord, you got to send somebody up here to me. I can't hardly walk anymore, Lord. Somehow, some way, those prayers were answered with a sudden halo of halogen. I raised my head up. There's a car with headlights on it. And I go, oh, God, thank you, Lord. Authorities credit a group of volunteers, fellow hunters for picking up the trail, daily, now recovering with just minor injuries, is thanking a few good men. And I just pray to go, God, thank you, Lord, for bringing these men into my life and saving my life today, Lord.

Mixed with a little divine intervention. Steve Patterson joins us tonight from Los Angeles. Steve, the story is wild. We know that the hunter had food at the start, but time and supplies obviously were running out for him. Yeah, he did have a little bit, some jerky, some nuts, a little bit of water. But as he's waiting in his truck for the snow to melt, he knows it's running thin. So he has to make the tough decision to go it on foot. Spoke to his wife in the hospital, says he's still in the hospital, but with very minor injuries

and is expected to be released as early as today. Tom? All right, Steve, we thank you for that one. Finally tonight, jubilation in Los Angeles. The Dodgers welcomed home as repeat champs after winning one of the greatest games in World Series history. Their fans lining the streets today for the ticker tape parade, and NBC's Morgan Chesky was there for it all. Tonight, winner take all. The City of Angels welcoming their hometown heroes after a World Series win for the ages.

She has only seen the Dodgers win World Series. That's right. The Los Angeles Dodgers besting the Toronto Blue Jays in an understanding. unprecedented series that broke records and made history. Today, Angelino's basking in the glory of back-to-back World Series titles. Major League Baseball is first in 25 years. I go, no wait, again, I go, we're a champion again, no win. Fans taking to the streets, hailing their beloved Dodgers, who soaked up the moment

on their way to a sold-out crowd at Dodgers Stadium. Guillermo Ortiz, bringing his whole family to witness history side by side. The crazy part is being a dad and you have two kids and they can witness this. I look back and I'm like to say, you were there, son. We were sitting right there. The victory coming during a time, some say the city needed it too. After wildfires left communities devastated earlier this year. Any message to the guys out there?

Thank you. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for your families. Thank you for playing hard. Just so awesome. Love L.A. Dodgers. As for the players. Baseball phenom Shohay Otani told fans they're just getting started.

I'm ready to get another ring next to you. Let's go. The repeat ain't never sounded so sweet. A dynasty born by the Boys in Blue. Morgan Chesky, NBC News, Los Angeles. What a season, what a game. All right, we thank Morgan for that story. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight.

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