Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, September 23, 2024

Episode Date: September 24, 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.

Breaking tonight, Israel's new war, the IDF intensifying its airstrikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Bombs striking Beirut and parts of southern Lebanon, leaving hundreds dead and more than 1,000 injured. Video showing buildings reduced to rubble and roads packed with people trying to flee to safety. Israel's Iron Dome intercepting Hezbollah rockets, the announcement from the Pentagon about sending more troops over to the Middle East, are Matt Bradley and Richard Engel on the front lines. Also tonight the new hurricane threat. Florida on high alert as a storm system in the Caribbean is expected to intensify into a major hurricane before making landfall. The National Weather Service issuing a hurricane watch and tropical storm warnings. Meteorologist Bill Karen standing by with where the storm could hit and when.

State of the race, new polls offering a glimpse into how voters feel with just six weeks until the presidential election. Former President Trump gaining a lead in two battleground states he lost back in 2020. While Vice President Harris is up to five points in a national poll, the areas both candidates need to improve on in order to win over voters. Trump's new immigration target, now a Pennsylvania town, caught in the political spotlight over its influx of Haitian migrants. The Menendez Brothers versus Hollywood. The new Netflix hit series based off the infamous siblings who murdered their parents in 1989. The show facing backlash over inaccuracies, even suggesting the brothers had an intimate, relationship with each other and why Kim Kardashian is getting involved in the case.

And rainforest inferno, historic wildfires ripping across South America, destroying millions of acres and upending lives. Apocalyptic scenes fueled by climate change drought and deforestation, Brazil's president pleading with world leaders to help tackle the growing crisis. Plus, the lacrosse players here at home at a top university hospitalized after a team workout. Did an exercise routine by an alumnus who graduated from the Navy SEAL training program leave the athletes with a life-threatening condition? Top story starts right now. And good evening on a busy Monday news night. Tonight Israel scaling up its attacks on

Hezbollah launching a barrage of strikes in Lebanon. The assault marking the deadliest day for the country in nearly two decades. This is a... Israel declares a nationwide state of emergency as fighting escalates. Take a look at this new video from Lebanon showing plumes of smoke rising above buildings after bombs were dropped on southern Lebanon. The country's health ministry saying nearly 500 people were killed today, including 90 women and children and more than 1,600 left injured. The IDF saying it carried out a targeted strike in Beirut, sending people running for cover. And we're getting new video of some of the aftermath. You see it here, strikes blowing buildings apart near the Lebanon-Israeli border.

Roads in the south, packed with thousands, as families rushed to evacuate the region. At this hour, Israel says it is continuing its assault on Lebanon after striking more than 1,300 targets, which top officials say includes weapons stored inside homes run by Hezbollah. In Israel, video shows the Iron Dome intercepting dozens of the rockets, but not all were deflected. Yesterday, air raid sirens blared in Haifa, Israel's third largest city as a rocket hit a building in the suburbs. You see the damage here. As tensions rise in the Middle East, the Pentagon's press secretary making this announcement, quote, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in that region.

We have a lot to get to this evening, but we want to start with NBC chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, who's in Israel tonight. Israel is expanding its war in Lebanon, and the target is Hezbollah. The Iranian-backed militia has been carrying out attacks against northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas after October 7th. But Hezbollah has tens of thousands of rockets, drones, and missiles, and Israel has begun to take them out in the hundreds. Israel saying many weapons are stored inside homes, warning civilians to evacuate.

I have a message for the people of Lebanon. Israel's war is not with you. It's with Hezbollah. To defend our people against Hezbollah strikes, we must take out those weapons. Lebanon's health ministry said around 500 people were killed by Israeli strikes today, including children. NBC's Matt Bradley is there. This hospital is already taking injuries. There's been waiting for this for a better part of a year.

Now they're expecting hundreds of trauma cases from all over the country. Israel is far better prepared. Today, the director of Israel's biggest hospital in Haifa showed me how every patient is being moved to a fortified hospital underground. You're using it for real for the first time. It's unfortunate. This is not a healing environment. On the other hand, this allows us to continue to give medical care.

Hezbollah suffered a major blow last week when thousands of its members pagers and walkie-talkies exploded. has hinted at it, but not claimed responsibility. Nonetheless, the group is still able to fire. A Hezbollah rocket hit these homes, causing extensive damage, and now Israel is bracing for an escalation, ordering all schools across northern Israel closed and declaring this entire area a no-fly zone. A new front has opened tonight between Israel and Hezbollah. It may be very difficult to close.

And Tom, don't forget, amid all of this, Israel is still. still at war in Gaza and has been for the last year, and now this dramatic expansion in Lebanon. It is putting the United States on edge. The Pentagon sending a small number of reinforcements to the region, quote, out of an abundance of caution. Tom. Okay, Richard Engle leading us off for more on the escalating violence in the Middle East. I'm joined now by Matt Bradley, who's live tonight for us from Beirut for Top Story. Matt, we saw you there in Richard's piece, the situation at that hospital in Beirut. Tell us more about what you're seeing on the ground there. And what everyday people in Lebanon and Beirut saying right now.

Well, Aton, as you know, I've been covering Lebanon and Beirut ever since the beginning of this crisis last October 7th when Hezbollah first started firing over the border into Israel. And in this city, everything has seemed relatively fine almost all year up until now. Now, it isn't exactly the kind of violence and the just incredible amount of death and destruction that we've been seeing in southern Lebanon, where I also have been somewhat for the past couple of months. But instead, it's more of a brace situation. You know, Lebanese people, they're so used to violence. They're so used to bombardments from Israelis and civil war from back in the 80s and 70s. But now there really is a palpable fear. And the sense, just like

at that hospital I was reporting from in Richard Engel's story, that the worst is yet to come. And that's why hospitals, institutions are bracing for the worst. And they're also bracing for that huge influx of displaced people from southern Lebanon. coming in and flooding this city and points north of here in northern Lebanon, that's another big issue here, because this country has been suffering now for five years of a financial crisis. They feel like they can't afford to take care of these people like they might have done in the past. It really is both a political problem, a war, a combat problem,

as well as an economic problem that's facing everybody here. Yeah, I want to dig it a little deeper on that refugee crisis that is starting this happening, any time war breaks out. Where do those refugees go? And are there places for them to stay? Are their shelters? Are they living in their cars? We saw those traffic jams in Peter's report, I should say, in Richard's report. Yeah, well, we're seeing them actually. We think we've seen a couple check-in to the hotel here where we are in Beirut just today. We're hearing that there have been schools where there being housed. Churches, places of worship are housing people, you know, across faiths. Like I was saying just a moment ago, this is a country that, tragically, is very used to war. And while they don't have the resources necessarily to help people like they would like to,

there are a lot of people here who are opening their homes or opening their institutions to help these people who are displaced. So, again, they don't have the capability to help as much as they'd like, but they're doing the best they can. All right, Matt Bradley, for us. Matt, you and your team, please stay safe there in Beirut. We're going to turn to some breaking news out of the U.S. right now because we are tracking some action in the tropics. This may take a lot of people by surprise, right? They didn't know this potential hurricane was popping up, but a lot has happened over the past few days. I want to get right over to Bill Carrance to walk us through what exactly is happening and what we're watching. Bill, take it away. Yeah, Tom, it's pretty wild that in 72 hours from now, we can go

from no storm, because right now it's just a potential storm, to a major hurricane making landfill. And it should be happening this time on Thursday. So everyone, of course, wants to know where is it going to go, what communities and towns are going to be the most devastated, and that's what we're going to try to figure out in the next couple days. So the way this is going to work is tomorrow becomes a tropical storm, then Wednesday a hurricane, likely Thursday a major hurricane, and that means we'll probably get watches going out tomorrow, and then by tomorrow evening we'll probably start getting evacuation orders in place. So that's how quickly this is going to start materializing. The latest from the Hurricane Center, they do have it there Wednesday afternoon as a hurricane

entering the Gulf, extremely warm water, conditions look favorable for this to explode, rapid intensification going up to a category three. The cone of uncertainty goes somewhere from in between Pensacola and Panama City. There's all through the Big Bend region down the Cedar Key and just outside of Tampa. This is going to be a big storm, not just intense, but big in size. So even far from the center, we are going to have effects up and down the west coast of Florida with storm surge problems, heavy rain, and the possibility of tornadoes, no matter what. And we still haven't ruled out the fact that this easily could shift towards the west coast of Florida. So it's way too early to know who has to evacuate or anything like that yet.

All of our computer models are pointing up towards the Big Bend area of Florida, and that would mean that the worst wind impacts would be inland in areas like Perry and Tallahassee. It's a swampy area, so the storm surge wouldn't be as problematic there. But as the storm heads northwards, it drags that water up the West Coast. And what's interesting is that a lot of our computer models are an excellent agreement. This is our American model up to the Big Bend. The European computer model does the same thing. And all of them have that similar timing with that landfall,

this time on Thursday, kind of after the dinner hour, and then it will move inland and weaken rapidly. Of course, with any landfalling system, you're going to have a ton of rain. We'll have problems with rainfall in the mountains, especially the Southern Appalachians, Georgia, upstate South Carolina, mountains of North Carolina, too, Tom. So we're going to have a major hurricane-making landfall. If this forecast just shifts 50 to 60 miles closer to Tampa and the west coast of Florida, we're talking about possibility of just a major, major disaster in this country, and that's what we'll be watching.

We'll update that in the next couple of days. Bill, before you go, some people may be asking, how can this thing go from nothing to a category three in about two to three days? Is it moving very fast, or is it just the temperature of that water? It's mostly the temperature of the water. I mean, it is record warm. We've never measured the water this warm in the Gulf of Mexico.

That is energy, that is fuel. And, of course, a couple of those degrees of warmth is because of climate change, too. And that's why this has the potential to explode into a very strong, dangerous store. We hope it doesn't, Tom. We hope we're wrong, but all of our computer models are saying, watch out wherever this hits, has a chance to be a catastrophic storm. All right, Bill, Karen's first bill, I know we're going to be tracking it throughout the week.

We want to turn out of politics and big headlines there as well. The 2024 presidential race tonight, new polling revealing where Vice President Harris and former President Trump stand with only six weeks to the election. This has Trump is campaigning today in Battleground, Pennsylvania. NBC's Garrett Haake has the latest from the trail. With just six weeks until Election Day, former President Trump in critical Pennsylvania, as he's showing new signs of strength in three other crucial battlegrounds. Polls tonight revealing Trump leads Vice President Harris in North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona,

all within the margin of error. But nationally, it's Harris with the edge, according to our NBC News poll. The vice president's five-point lead within the margin of error, powered by a huge jump in her personal favorability, up 16 points from July. The biggest such boost in NBC News polling since George W. Bush's surge after 9-11. Still, Trump leads Harris by eight points on handling what voters said was their most important issue, inflation and rising costs. If you cast your vote for Kamala Harris, you're voting for four more years of brutal job losses,

higher taxes, surging prices. Trump today visiting a grocery store in Pennsylvania. You talk to the people right here that are paying 30, 40, 50 percent more for their groceries, which I think I can say is right. Am I right? Yes. It's a disgrace. Inflation recently dropped to two and a half percent, though prices have risen nearly 20 percent since President Biden and Harris took office four years ago. Harris planning an economic speech later this week.

I believe in what we can create in terms of opportunity for the American people. I've named it an opportunity economy. And pressuring Trump to debate her a second time, which he is now refusing to do. The voters of America deserve to hear the conversations that I think we should be having on substance, on issues, on policies. What's your plan? What's my plan? All right, Garrett Hick joins us live tonight from Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, to be precise, on the campaign trail. So Garrett, former President Trump has repeatedly said he will not do another debate, that it's too late since early voting has started. Is there any reason to believe that could change his mind, that he could change his mind?

I think it's certainly possible he could, Tom. First of all, Trump did a debate about that late in 2016, and only one day earlier than that in 2020. Now, granted, every cycle we see more and more people voting early, but those tend to be the people with their minds made up. I think if we get closer to that late October date, and Donald Trump is still trailing in some of these national polls or perhaps in the critical battleground states,

he might recalculate and decide it's better to have one more highly watched face off with Kamala. Harris than to just trail with little ability to change the narrative otherwise. Tom. Garrett Haig from the campaign trail for us tonight. Garrett, we thank you for that. To dig a little deeper into the poll numbers with just more than six weeks to go until election day, let's bring in NBC News National Political Correspondent, Steve Kornacki. Steve, let's start with this new NBC News poll that Garrett was just talking about there. We're seeing a lot of movement towards Harris when you get into the demographics of this poll.

Explain that to our viewers. Yeah, there's a couple things that are going on here just beneath these headlines. numbers, Tom, again, 49-44 Harris overall. One is a gender gap. We talk about gender gaps all the time, it seems, in politics, but this is on another level what you're seeing here. Look, among men, Trump with the advantage. It's a 12-point advantage, 52 to 40 for him over Harris. Look what's happening among women in our poll, though. It's not just that Harris is leading. She is crushing Trump in our poll among women. 58, 37, a 21-point margin there. 21 for Harris here, 12 for Trump there. That's a 33-point gender gap. If anything like that actually ends up happening

in the election, that would be off the charts as far as modern gender gaps go in presidential elections. Also, we can break this down by race. A couple interesting things to see here. First, the black vote. This was an area of some concern for Democrats when Joe Biden was in the race. His numbers with black voters were, relatively speaking, low for a Democrat. Harris has brought those numbers up closer to being where Democrats want to see them. among black voters. Interesting here. You look at Hispanic voters, a 19 point advantage for Harris there. That's actually not much of a change, really any of a change from our polling when Joe Biden was the candidate. This would at this point reflect further progress for Trump actually among

Hispanic voters. Remember, he picked up some Hispanic support in 2020. This would be a further step forward for him, even though he'd still be losing it by 19 points. And then you just look overall here. There are some attributes we asked, which candidate would. would be better on. Trump does have two key issue advantages here. The border, immigration, a lot of voters say it's their top issue by a 21 point margin. Voters saying Trump rather than Harris better on that. The economy, economy inflation combined, that's a huge issue for a lot of voters. Trump, again, with the advantage there. You see some other characteristics, though, where Harris has taken an advantage over Trump. Again, these were places like having the necessary mental and

physical health. This was a place where Trump had a massive advantage over Joe Biden. And that is turned around since Harris got in this. And then, Steve, you know, we were also talking about those battleground polls from the New York Times-Sienna College survey, where Harris actually trails Trump, but within the margin of error. What are you seeing here that's interesting? Yeah, take a look at these. They looked at Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, and you can see the results here with Trump ahead in all three of those. And we just show you this national poll with Harris ahead by five points. So one thing to keep in mind is, you know, polls are going to sort of jump around, move around a little bit.

there's always going to be a little bit of statistical noise. So keep that in mind. But one thing is look at the demographic nature of these states, Arizona in particular, but Georgia and North Carolina as well. Remember what we were showing you on that breakdown a minute ago? The progress Trump has made with Hispanic voters, even relative to 2020. Well, Arizona, with a very large Hispanic population, Georgia, you know, 10% Hispanic. So you're talking about the battleground states in this sunbelt region.

They didn't poll Nevada, but Nevada would be in this category, too. They're more diverse. They have larger Hispanic populations. I think the Times-C-Napole also had Trump doing a little bit better with black voters than our poll did. But that sort of thing, if Trump is making progress with Hispanic voters, if he's making any progress with black voters, it's going to appear more in states like Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, that are more diverse than in places like, say, Wisconsin and Michigan

that are whiter states. So, Steve, you know, something that you pointed out, and I'll, I'll, call it the Kornacki context, is that when you sort of get an average of all those polls right before Election Day, 527 and real clear politics, and then what actually happened on election day, there's always a difference, right? And it seems to be that, and we sort of know this, that Trump voters are underpolled, if you will. Put those numbers up and tell me why it's important that we remember this. Yeah, that has certainly been the story in 2016 and 2020, and it's the question heading into this. Are we setting ourselves up here for another situation

where polls are off. And you're looking here, this is 2020. These were the core battleground states that we talk about now in those two averages you mentioned versus what the result is. And I think there's, I know there's a lot of numbers on the screen right here, but I'll draw your attention to two in particular where the misses were pronounced. Look at Wisconsin. Biden in one average by eight and a half points. Biden in another average by nearly seven. The final result, just a fraction of a point Biden ended up winning Wisconsin by Michigan, again, Biden, by eight in one average, by four in the other, ends up being, you know, 2.8 there in Michigan. It's Michigan, Wisconsin, a little bit Pennsylvania. Those are the states where we've seen in 20 and in 16, the biggest misses, because that type of Trump voter you're describing, Tom, who was underaccounted back then, tends to be white, blue-collar voters who turned out for Trump in much bigger numbers than the polls were suggesting they would.

Has that issue been fixed in polling or does it persist? We won't find out until election night. Huge variable, though. Yeah, yeah, and I should mention 538, not 527. But speaking of numbers like that, let's talk about what could happen in Nebraska, right? If this comes down to a situation where the electoral college is essentially split and we go to Nebraska and it's still split, what's happening there right now? Because I know the Trump campaign and Republicans are trying to push that they sort of recount their electoral votes to be winner-take-all. Explain that to our voters, to our viewers, because this is really important.

Yeah, so take a look at this. This is our Road to 270 map, and in gray are all the battleground states we were just talking about there. Notice Nebraska with this striped pattern, and that's because they give out two electoral votes to whoever wins the statewide vote. And then there's three congressional districts in Nebraska, and the winner of each congressional district gets a single electoral college vote. Well, we think of Nebraska as a red state, but there's one district there around Omaha. that actually Joe Biden carried in 2020. Joe Biden got an electoral vote from Nebraska, and the expectation has been that Kamala Harris

might be well positioned to retain that electoral vote. So that's one electoral vote for Democrats in an otherwise red state. And if that law changes, the Democrats lose that electoral vote. And then there becomes scenarios here where that single electoral vote could make all the difference for them. So those are the stakes there in Nebraska,

but Democrats caught a very big break today because the governor there said, look, if they're going to change this law in time for the election, they need a special legislative session to do it. He was only going to do the special session if he was guaranteed, if he had a guarantee that this would pass a key Republican state senator in Nebraska indicating today he is against this, and that very well may deny the governor that kind of guarantee he was looking for to call that special session and do it. And Steve, it speaks to how close this election could be that if we're talking about local politics in Nebraska affecting the entire

Coral College. It just shows that we have a race on our hands. Steve, always great to have you here on Top Story. Hey, thanks a lot, Tom. All right, for more on what these poll numbers mean for the presidential race and the high-stakes VP debate next week. I want to bring in our panel tonight. Neveen Nyack, former director of opinion research for the Hillary Clinton campaign and current director for the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Hogan Gidley, former White House Deputy Press Secretarian Consultant for Speaker Mike Johnson, and NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns reporting from Pennsylvania tonight.

Great panel tonight. I'm excited about this. Navita, I'm going to start with you. The battleground polls in North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona show Trump in the lead. And we know based on past polling, that not all Trump voters will say they are voting for him when polled. So he could be up by even more. What do you think this means for Harris? I mean, I actually think this is a really good place for her to be.

And remember, she only got into this race two months ago. And, you know, if I'm Donald Trump, I'm feeling anxious that a state like North Carolina isn't already put away. That's a state that Donald Trump needs to win. He cannot win the presidency if he loses North Carolina. We're 43 days out, and that is a neck and neck. Some polls have actually had her up. So I think that's a really good place for her to be,

and I think the national picture is even more encouraging for the vice president. Hogan, let's talk about North Carolina, right? I was speaking with the North Carolina governor during the DNC. He felt confident that he can deliver North Carolina for Democrats this year. You have this problem with the Republican candidate for governor in the state, the scandal with the CNN report that they broke. Is this going to hurt Trump in the long run in North Carolina? Look, I think anytime there's a difficult story like the one you're seeing in North Carolina, it absolutely affects the top of the ticket. But the fact is, regardless of what's going on there right now, Donald Trump still maintains a lead.

He wasn't anywhere close to leading in two of these three battleground states you're mentioning when Joe Biden was against him back in 2020. The fact he's ahead now shows he really does kind of exude a lot of confidence, but also some political prowess here in these states where he lost last time. If those three states are in the column for Donald Trump, it's obvious. Pennsylvania decides the whole thing. And if he could somehow pull that off, then we're talking about another Trump presidency. Hogan, explain something to me. Because you came on the show a lot in the weeks past before that first debate between Vice President Harris and Donald Trump saying, you know, pointing out that Vice President Harris, hadn't done any interviews, she wasn't doing town halls, she wasn't, there was no, it was unclear

if there was going to be a debate, there is a debate, she wants another debate, and now Donald Trump doesn't want a debate. Don't you think debates are good for democracy? I think debates are great for democracy, but when it's obviously stacked three to one against you, you have to think about it as a candidate. It would be political, you know, malpractice for me to tell Donald Trump, sure, why don't you go back out there again? You've already done two, by the way. He did one on CNN, a network that is clearly anti-Donald Trump, ABC, the same thing. And now Kamala Harris wants another one. I would argue, though, if Kamala Harris had made the case that she thought she had made,

if she'd really stuck the landing, she wouldn't be asking for another debate. I understand this is a lot of political theater. It still comes back to the issues that matter most to the American people. We're going to debate numbers and debates, whether we have them or not, but the people in this country are going to decide the election based on the policy prescriptions by both of these candidates. And while a debate stage is a very good place to make that case, it's very difficult. for Donald Trump to wrap his head around the fact that he's already done too, both in hostile

networks, both in hostile territory. Why wouldn't she come out and do one on maybe a friendly network to him? She's never going to do that. So I don't think it's fruitful for him to pursue another debate. Dasha, we heard Hogan talk about Pennsylvania there. You're live there tonight for us at that Trump event. Talk to us about what you're hearing from voters there. And what is the Trump campaign operation looking like right now in Pennsylvania? Well, look, Tom, I've spent a lot of time in this state. And I've spent a lot of time in this state. And I really think from the feeling that I get on the ground here, that this is going to be a turnout and enthusiasm election. Look, when I was talking to voters earlier this year, when it was Trump

versus Biden, people were tuning out. People wanted to pretend this election wasn't happening, frankly. They were not happy. They were not excited. A lot of them didn't want to show up. That has changed now for two reasons, both because of Harris and because of some of the things that have happened to former President Trump. I will say that after the first assassination attempt, and now there's been a second one, I really did get a sense from the base if there was extra enthusiasm, people that maybe would come to a Trump rally, but not necessarily to the ballot box, because Trump does well with low propensity voters, but they don't always necessarily show up. That's why you can't rely on them, right? Those people were a lot more motivated to

get their ballots in, maybe even get them in early or absentee. And then Harris jumping in has completely changed the game for the Democratic base. I mean, people that were really concerned, or, again, like, simply didn't want to engage are now super engaged. People are volunteering. People are excited. And so now there are very few people left, Tom, and I think the polling bears this out, who are truly undecided. It's a tiny, tiny slice that, yes, may have a serious impact, but I think the bigger battle is going to be who's going to get the bigger slots of their base, of their voters to the polls. Neveen, let's transition over to the vice presidential debate.

How do we know about Governor Tim Walz as a debater? I mean, I think in his governor, gubernatorial races, he's really himself. And, you know, the American people got introduced to him at the convention. And the reviews were raving. You know, he comes across as so authentic. He doesn't feel like a politician. I think people really feel the coach, the teacher, someone who's very relatable. And I think that's been the opposite with J.D. Vance.

He just looks so uncomfortable in his skin. And I think beyond that, I think the other thing that's really compelling about Governor Walls that comes across in debates is how much he cares. That, you know, he's not someone who's been in politics his whole life. He got into politics because his students pushed him to throw his hat in the ring and make a difference. And you can see that that's really the kind of person he is. And it comes across in these small settings. Doveen, do you think he can show his teeth, though? I mean, I get the Midwest nice, right?

the awshucks, the joy, as they like to say, in that campaign. But will he be able to stack up against J.D. Vance when Senator Vance goes after him? Listen, I think the big difference is, as J.D. Vance said, is he's willing to lie and make something up if it helps him make a point. I think you'll see a really different approach. And we've seen actually how cutting Governor Walls is. He's been an incredibly effective surrogate at reminding the American people that the kinds of things that J.D. Vance and Donald Trump are talking about monitoring pregnancies, that they are just not only odd and weird, but they're really dangerous. And I think that strategy and that approach, even though he comes

across as still a joyful warrior, is still very effective. Hogan, I'll let you get the last word in here on all that. Yeah, no one's talking about monitoring pregnancies. That's ridiculous. But let's talk about the Minnesota nice, Tim Walts. I'm sure a lot of people in Midwest would love to learn the fact that Governor Walts wants taxpayers to give free health care to illegal aliens or free college tuition to illegal aliens or made sure to mandate tampons in boys' bathrooms in high school. He is completely out of touch with the mainstream in this country. But Kamala Harris saw something in Tim Walts, and that is everything she would like to do from her radical perspective, every box she would like checked. Tim Walts actually did those things in Minnesota. So it makes sense

that together, they're making up the most radical ticket in this country's history. And while we're a ways off from the vice presidential debate, and I really don't even want to talk about that yet, we're already to this point because we've got to start previewing these two men going up against each other. And I guarantee you, there will be some sharp elbows thrown by both men in that debate trying to make the point for the folks at the top of the ticket. Neveen, Hogan, Dasha, we appreciate all of you guys tonight here on Top Story. Still ahead tonight, the Menendez Brothers versus Hollywood. Netflix's new true crime series sparking controversy over its portrayal of the siblings and the 1989 murder of their parents.

The backlash the show is facing, even from one of the brothers himself. And dangerous workout, the questions over what went wrong during a lacrosse exercise that left several college athletes hospitalized. Plus, Bulls on the loose video showing the moment Bulls charged through a gate and escape a rodeo in Massachusetts. We'll have much more on this busy Monday night. We're back now with the controversy swirling around Netflix's latest true crime series. A Ryan Murphy created drama depicting the events leading to the infamous Menendez brother's murder trial.

Monsters, the Lyle and Eric Menendez story. Now drawing criticism from viewers and one of the real men behind the crime. Our Ellis and Barbara has the details. Okay, you have to shoot first so that you don't back out. Tonight, the latest Netflix top charter reigniting controversy over the infamous Menendez. brother's murder case. I came home when I found them. The hit drama titled Monsters, the Lyle and Eric Menendez story is a fictionalized

portrayal of the very real and brutal 1989 murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills mansion. Their sons, Eric and Lyle, ultimately admitted to shooting them at point-blank range with shotguns. I will always protect you. But Eric is accusing the show's creators and Netflix of, quote, ruinous character portrayal. In a letter released by his wife, he condemned the show, saying it is full of blatant lies about him and his brother Lyle. It is sad for me to know that

Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truth several steps backwards, he wrote. It felt like a joke. It felt like a mockery. Some critics on social media also slamming the show's co-creator Ryan Murphy for implying the brothers had an intimate relationship. Eric Menendez saying, quote, how demoralizing is it to know that one man with power can undermine decades of progress in shedding light on childhood trauma? Neither Murphy nor Netflix has responded to NBC's request for comment.

During their highly publicized trial, prosecutors said Eric and Lyle were motivated by greed and that the brothers killed their parents because they thought they were going to be disinherited. Shortly after the killings, Lyle Menendez began to spend money. A lot of money. But Lyle, Eric, and their defense teams said it was an act of self-defense. He said that he didn't mean to hurt me.

That their father had sexually abused both of them for years, and their mother did nothing to stop it. He would guide me all my movements, and I would have oral sexual. After a mistrial, the brothers were convicted of first. degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Their allegations of abuse were largely deemed inadmissible in their second trial. But last year, Roy Rosello, a member of the iconic Puerto Rican boy band Menudo, publicly accused Jose Menendez of sexually abusing him in the Peacock documentary Menendez and Menudo boys betrayed.

Peacock is owned by NBC News's parent company, NBC Universal. That's the man here. That's rape me. This guy. That's the pedophile. Shortly after that documentary premiered, attorneys for Lyle and Eric Menendez filed a habeas petition in an effort to get a new trial. It is very difficult in a case like this for a habeas corpus petition to be granted.

There has to have been a clear violation of law. It also has to have been that the outcome would be totally different if in a case like this, the jury were presented with the evidence. An adding interest to the case, according to a source familiar with the situation, Kim Kardashian, the reality star-turned criminal justice advocate, spoke to a group of inmates at San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional facility, and both Eric and Lyle were there. Okay, we want to pick it up right there. Ellison Barber joins us now in Studio. So, Ellison, what else do we know about the current situation to kind of reopen their case, if you will? So right now it's still pending. The L.A. County's DA office told in B.C. news that they are investigating the claims that are in this new petition and that they will have some sort of informal response by September 26.

So we could hear something, but ultimately a judge is going to decide whether or not they think this evidence that the defense says they have new evidence warrants a new trial. And what the defense team is arguing is they're saying there's new evidence in terms of Roy Rocio, the former menudo boy band member, who he mentioned in the piece, his allegations against Jose Menendez. And then they also say they uncovered a letter that Eric Menendez had written to his cousin that was dated months before the murders, where he talked about what he said was abuse from his father and being afraid of his father. His defense team thinks that that should warrant a new trial because it's information they didn't have when this first was presented to a jury.

And the case, obviously, getting a lot of attention right now. Okay, Ellis and Barbara, we thank you for that. When we come back, if you drink lactate milk, you might want to check your fridge right now. The recall over the lactose-free milk due to possible exposure to almonds, the concern for people with nut allergies. Stay with us. All right, we are back now with Top Stories News Feed. We start with the urgent manhunt for the suspects behind a shooting in Alabama over the weekend. Four people were killed and 17 were wounded when multiple suspects. Open fire outside of a lounge in a popular area of Birmingham on Saturday night.

Police saying they believe at least one person may have been targeted, but that several of the victims were innocent bystanders. Five of the victims are still in the hospital, police offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to those arrests. Okay, five players on the Tufts University of lacrosse team, still in the hospital after a workout session last Monday. Here's what happened. A spokesman for the university saying the 45-minute voluntary workout was led by a

graduate of a Navy SEAL training program. Twelve of the players that participated were diagnosed with a medical condition known as Rabdo, where damaged muscles release their contents into the bloodstream. Experts say it can lead to severe organ issues and even death, the university putting the team's practice on hold for now. Okay, eight bulls on the run in Massachusetts after escaping from a rodeo, video showing the bulls jumping a fence surrounding the mall where the rodeo was held. They fled towards nearby woods where they were seen trotting through residents.

residential neighborhoods in Adelboro. Police saying they corralled seven of the bulls with the help of the New England rodeo, the final bowl, still on the loose. Okay, lactate milk, as we mentioned in our T's recall due to a possible almond allergen. Lactate's parent company, HP Hood LLC, saying five types of dairy-free milk may contain trace amounts of almonds not listed on the label. Well, people with allergies, nut allergies run the risk of a reaction if they consume the products. Food and Drug Administration say no illnesses linked to the recall have been reported just yet.

Okay, time now for power in politics. And former President Trump's new attack on Haitian immigrants, Trump targeting the growing Haitian community in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. Weeks after spreading baseless conspiracy theories about Haitians eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. Yamish Alcindor is on the ground there in Charleroi tonight with a response from residents. Tonight, another city with a growing Haitian population on edge, after more inaccurate claims from former President Trump. Charleroi has experienced a 2,000 percent increase in the population of Haitian migrants under Kamala Harris.

The schools are scrambling to hire translators for the influx of students, and the town is virtually bankrupt. Here in Charleroy, Pennsylvania, just like in Springfield, Ohio, local Republicans say Haitians have been an asset to the community. The Haitian immigrants here have a very good reputation. The problem is that the federal government dumped these people in and aren't providing any resources. In recent years, many came legally to Charleroi to work at the local meat processing facility, like Pierre Richard Montpleasure.

Do you think that what former President Trump is saying is true that Haitians are having a negative impact here? No, no. When I came here, like four years ago, so the town was a ghost town. And now we've got a group of people that are working and paying tax. Mont Pleisier also works as an interpreter for the school system. Five years ago, 12 students were learning English as non-native speakers. This year, that number is 225.

We believe now diversity is our superpower. But Superintendent Ed Zellich says the state has provided additional funding. We're not struggling. Are there more things we would like to have? Absolutely. But I think any school district wouldn't be able to say that. Misty Cassidy disagrees. And there's just so many people and there's just not enough resources, there's not enough

jobs, there's not enough homes. She's glad Trump, who she supports, has been calling attention to Shawleroy and Springfield. People need to know that it's just not Springfield. This is coming to a town near you. What is coming to a town near you? Haitians or immigrants that have poured over the border within the last couple years. Why is that a bad thing given the fact that someone say the United States is a nation immigrants. They're not coming here to assimilate with us. They're coming here to take over,

it seems. But Montpleasure says Trump's comments are harmful. How worried are you that what happened in Springfield with the threats and the harassment that Haitian immigrants, that they might happen here? Yes, that's why they are afraid about it. That's why some of them want to leave the town. And with that, Yamish Alcindor joins us tonight from Charlotte. Pennsylvania. So Yamish, what are these Haitian immigrants that you've been talking to think about their role in the 2024 election? I know you were reporting at a Springfield as well on a similar story. Well, really, there's just a lot of heartbreak. Haitians immigrants here in Charlottoy, Pennsylvania are telling me a lot of what I heard from Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio,

two weeks ago when I went there. They're really heartbroken and hurt by the idea that they are being painted as people who aren't an asset to the societies and the communities that they join. They are telling me that they fled in security and violence in Haiti and came here just to get a better life. So they came here working in factories in Charleroi. They came here going to the churches, going to the schools. And they really just want to be part of the community here. And they said that they've really been welcomed over the last few years, much like the Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. But now they're all very worried about the fact that their lives might be put at risk. And some are even talking about leaving Charlottoy, leaving Springfield,

because they're worried that the baseless claims that former President Trump is spreading about that that's really going to put their lives in danger. And I also have to tell you, local Republican officials, both here in Pennsylvania and in Ohio, they are really defending Haitians and these immigrants here saying that they are people with good reputations who are not causing problems. They do say that more resources are needed, but they are not at all maligning these Haitian immigrants. All right, Yamish, we thank you for your reporting. Coming up, the record-breaking wildfires burning out of control on the Amazon.

People forced to evacuate and leave everything behind. break down how conditions there have become so dire. That's next. We are back now with the Americas and the dangerous wildfires raging across the Amazon. The blazes devouring the drought-ridden rainforests and blanketing communities in smoke as the entire continent of South America battles a record number of wildfires this year. NBC's Valerie Castro has more on how the fires got so bad. In northern Argentina, it's a race to see. safety as wildfires rage across the region and the continent defying borders.

The inferno's turning deadly in Peru, killing at least 15 people and scorching through more than 120,000 acres of rainforest. In Bolivia, families like this one forced to evacuate, leaving everything they know behind. Bolivian cattle ranchers desperately try to protect their herds, already losing several to the flames. And in Ecuador, it's pets that families don't want to leave behind. Panico, we don't know what to do. While in Brazil, fires burn across two massive areas, including the Amazon.

The continent seeing 346,000 wildfire hotspots this year, according to Brazil's space agency, the highest number on record. NASA imagery showing the vast scale of those fires blanketing the continent. Hotter and drier weather due to climate change experts say has made fire conditions more dangerous in recent years. How much have humans played a role in contributing to what you're seeing there in Brazil? both in causing global warming, all the deforestation and so forth that is leading to the ignitions of these fires, it has to start with a spark somewhere. Brazil currently experiencing a relentless drought, low water levels drying out habitats enough to beach and kill dolphins in the Amazon and create tinderbox conditions. Climate protesters demanding action and for corporations to be held responsible.

This protesters saying we saw over 500 hotspots linked to the burning of sugar cane to clear land for the farming industry here in Brazil. The burning only adding to emissions. Fires in Brazil releasing over 180 megatons of carbon on track to be the worst in 20 years. The Amazon is starting to go from being a sink, which means on average is taking carbon out of the system to a source. It's putting even more carbon into the system. That's really quite alarming. Brazil's president, Luis Inacio Lula de Silva, admitting the fires took many by surprise. 90% of the city, you know, calling on world leaders at the UN General Assembly this week

to tackle the massive-scale climate crisis that knows no borders. Okay, Valerie, Castro joins us now in studio. So Valerie, talk to us about the environmental impact of these fires. So an expert that we spoke to pointed us to what happened in Australia back in 2020, the so-called Black Summer. Wildfires then emitted nearly a billion tons of carbon dioxide. That's more than is emitted from transportation and energy, burning of fossil fuels in a given year in Australia. What is happening in South America right now is not nearly quite that bad, but these major events keep happening year after year, all contributing to global warming. All right, Valerie, Castro, for us tonight. Valerie, thank you for that.

We want to turn out of Top Story's Global Watch and the deadly flooding in central Japan. A powerful storm hit the the country's Noto region this weekend, about 186 miles from Tokyo. The storm bringing record rainfall and triggering landslides, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. At least seven people were killed. Part of that area is still damaged from a devastating earthquake that happened on New Year's Day. And opposition leaders in Tanzania taken into custody amid a protest crackdown. Police say they've arrested three opposition party leaders in the capital of Dodoma, who were planning a protest against alleged killings and abduction.

of government critics. Several supporters and three journalists covering the demonstration also detained. Earlier this month, police banning protests. The tension comes ahead of local elections in November and the general election next year. Okay, and remains of Ice Age mastodons discovered in central Peru for the first time.

Footage shows the excavation of three fossilized mastodons in the Peruvian Andes. The fossils are estimated to be between 11,000 and 12,000 years old. Mastodons were large mammals native to North America, closely related to elephants and woolly mammoths. They stood up to 10 feet tall and weighed as much as 12,000 pounds. Experts believe they migrated to South America due to climate changes. Okay, when we come back, the best photos of the day, a Seattle area grandma stranded at the top of a hiking trail after falling and getting hurt,

the service member who stepped up and literally carried her on his back. That's next. Finally tonight, a grandmother's guardian angels. After falling and breaking her leg while hiking alone in Washington State, one Seattle area grandmother says what happened next was like a miracle. Reporter Drew Mickelson from our NBC affiliate, King TV, has this one. It takes a hike, but you'll have a hard time finding a better view of Mount Rainier than High Rock Lookout. Once a year, I tried to go up there and bring some flowers to my mother.

The ashes of Ursula Bannister's mother Hilda are at the lookout. And Ursula made a solo trek up last month. Shortly after she took this picture. I stepped in the hole with this foot and I fell down. She broke her leg in three places. This one has two big screws in it and this one has nine screws in a plate. As tragic and traumatic as the hike was. It seemed like a miracle.

It was like angels had descended from the sky. Shortly after she fell, strangers rallied to help, setting her leg, calling nine When they informed me that it was going to be at least four or five hours out before they even got to the spot not including the hike up I was like well if I can carry her down then it'd be a lot quicker for her and get her out of the little bit of pain so U.S. Air Force airman, first class Troy May had been at the lookout with his fiance and a buddy. He ended up putting Ursula on his back, carrying her a mile and a half down to the parking lot where they drove her to the hospital. His actions were worthy of an Air Force achievement medal. There's many people that could have done it, but it just happened to be in the right time to do it that day.

They tried to keep me engaged so they wouldn't have to listen to me scream. Ursula thinks her angels, her heroes, prevented her from suffering worse injuries. Those little piggies are quite swollen. The broken leg means no hiking or skiing this winter. But for this 79-year-old, the injury has been inspiring. Really encouraged me about young people and middle-aged people and older people and how good at heart the American people are. And a big thank you to Drew and King TV for their help on that story.

And we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yomis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.