Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, September 4, 2023

Episode Date: September 5, 2023

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, breaking news, a mass exodus now underway from the Burning Man Festival as more than 60,000 people who have been trapped for days begin to leave. Cars, trucks, and RVs lined up for miles after a driving ban was lifted from the grounds in the Nevada desert. Heavy rains closing roads in and out of the festival this weekend, leaving attendees stuck with whatever food and water they brought. But some festivalgoers are staying. One of them joins Top Story Live with more on the conditions she's facing. and why she's choosing to hunker down. Also, the search intensifying for a convicted killer near Philadelphia, a doorbell camera capturing the escaped inmate

within a two-mile radius of the prison that he broke out of last week. Officials say they've received reports of several other sightings, the chilling warnings from authorities that he may be hiding out in the homes of people away for the holiday weekend. Overseas chaos breaking out in Israel, hundreds of Eritrean government supporters and opponents clashing in the streets of Tel Aviv, including about 50 police officers. More than 100 people hurt Israel's prime minister now threatening mass deportations.

Store owners fight back. New video shows workers try to fend off a robber who was using pepper spray and smashing display cases at a Los Angeles jewelry store. It comes just two days after another smash-and-grab robbery in that city. The special task force now launched to investigate these crimes. Plus, video capturing the moment an elephant charged at a bus full of passengers in India breaking the front windshield, how those on board managed to get away from a potentially deadly situation.

And finding Paul McCartney's lost guitar, three Beatles fans coming together to find a Hoffner base used by the Fab Four frontman while the band skyrocketed the fame in the 1960s. The resources they're using to get back that instrument. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yammis. Tonight, breaking news. A driving band just lifted from the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert where tens of thousands of people have been stranded for days. Lines of cars, trucks, and RVs leaving Black Rock City after traffic was allowed back on the main road late today. Organizers urging people to stay on hard-packed roads saying while roads are driving. There are still muddy conditions. Two to three months of rain fell in less than 24 hours this weekend, drenching the festival grounds, trapping an estimated 70,000 people in thick mud

and forcing roads in and out to close. Attendees told to shelter in place and conserve food, water, and fuel. Some festival goers trekking for miles on foot to try and get out, including DJ Diplow and comedian Chris Rock, who were reportedly picked up by a fan after walking, six miles. Organizers say at least 64,000 people were still inside the grounds when the roads reopened this afternoon. They are now urging people to wait to leave until tomorrow to ease some of the congestion. One festival goer joins Top Story Live. She is still at Burning Man and

staying for the main event tonight. She'll tell us what she's seeing on the ground there in just a few moments. But first, we begin with NBC's Liz Croix, who's in Black Rock City tonight. Tonight with thousands urgently waiting to leave, signs the exodus at Burning Man has begun. We're making it out. After days stuck in this mud-soaked desert, the weather drying up. Festival goers, known as burners, finally getting the go-ahead to get out. All right, you made it out. I know it. I'm so grateful. The traffic backing up by early morning. The rush visible for miles. Around camp, there's still pockets of mud like this, wet and sticky. It's what officials are worried about as burners begin their exodus. The chaos began Friday, an unusual summer storm, turning the annual desert camp out into a muddy mess.

More than 70,000 trapped, some hiking miles to get out. The local sheriff probing the death of one person during the rain event. The cause still under investigation, but organizers say it was not storm related. People are going to need to be patient. Following calls to shelter in place and conserve supplies, Burning Man CEO telling attendees who've been stranded for days to remain calm. We've made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation. It's a tradition going back nearly 40 years,

the counterculture festival in the remote Nevada desert celebrating art, music, and community. It's one for the ages, that's for sure. With the line to leave taking hours, some finding it hard to get out. There was a taxi. He said he can take us to Reno by the meter and it's going to be $500 or more. At the Reno airport, others still stunned. I was scared. The harrowing conditions. You can smell like it's a burning rubber and mud.

Putting even the most self-reliant to the test. And Liz joins us now from Black Rock City, Nevada. Liz, we know there have been waves of heavy traffic as the roads reopened today. But officials, they are still encouraging people to work. wait and try to leave tomorrow, right? Ellison, that's right. It has been a slow crawl for the thousands of people who are trying to get out today. You can see behind us here, this line.

It looks along here. It is even longer back there, stretching all the way from miles to Black Rock City. In fact, people here have told us it took them six hours to get from Black Rock City, the heart of Burning Man, right here to the exit. And so, oh, they're saying, yelling out here, five hours to go two miles. Even though officials have asked people if they can to wait to leave for tomorrow to try to prevent gridlock and prevent congestion, people certainly probably ready to take a shower or a bath or just wipe off that mud or urgently trying to get out, Alison. Yeah, I can only imagine, Liz, for those people who are waiting, either by choice or just necessity for whatever reason, what will tonight be like? Yeah, you know, it is still going to be the big grand finale tonight, but that's because rain,

last night postponed what's usually the big symbolic end to this festival, the burning of the man. And because of that rain, they did say they're going to do it tonight. So there are people who are staying. At the end of the day, that seems to be the ethos of burning man. Just go with the flow. It's an experience. The show must go on, Ellison. They will certainly have a lot of stories to tell when they make it out of there. Liz Croyd's in Nevada. Thank you. And for more from Nevada and the latest on the ground there, let's bring in Angie Peacock. She is a first-time festival go, we're two Burning Man who is still in Black Rock City tonight. Angie, thank you for joining us. As we said, it is her first time attending Burning Man. All of this has to be a little

more than you bargained for. What has your experience been like? And most importantly, how are you doing right now? I mean, I think I signed up for it. It's fine. I've actually enjoyed every moment. And in fact, I would say it's cool because it added two extra days to Burning Man. So it's not all lost. You know, it's been a cool experience regardless. So take us back to this weekend. When do you and the other festival goers start to realize like, whoa, this is not just a bit of a sprinkle. This is a lot of rain. Well, I think throughout the week, we were having such a great time, but definitely lack of sleep was starting to catch up with us. So when it started to rain, like an opportunity just like, okay, let's go take a nap. And it'll blow over. It's not a big

deal. However, it continues. So when we woke up on Sunday morning and we walked out of our tents, We were kind of shocked at the amount of rain and slush. I mean, I just, I didn't see it coming. None of us have been in a desert like this. You know, they said this the first time it's ever rain like this, ever. So I don't, but it was fine. We all rolled with it. We kept our spirits high and we caught up on our sleep.

It was all good. So what is next for you? We've heard officials talk about trying to have people leave in waves. There's going to be the big event tonight, which you obviously will get to see. Do you feel like organizers have had a good plan in terms of dealing with this and helping people who want to get out, get out? I think every year, there's always, that's what I've heard is every year,

there's always a hard, it's a hard wait to get out of the game. So it's cool because I think people are starting to stagger. So like some are leaving now, some are going to wait, some are going to wait till tomorrow, some are going to wait and help the camps break down even more. So I think it will be staggered.

We all expect a long wait. It's fine. A lot of us turn our engines off and sort of save fuel and, you know, not help all the gas, you know, going, but we're just doing our best to take it easy. Don't rush. And home is going nowhere. You know, in New York, we always joke that it takes a little while for you to get the New Yorker

label. They call people who go to Burning Man burners. Do you feel like you've kind of earned that title after this summer after this time? I think I earned the burn. Yes, I did. Will you be back next year? Yeah, oh, absolutely. And I, and actually, I maybe in some ways this was better because it wasn't as hot. So, I mean, it's all pros and cons. You know, it's fine. I like it. And at a certain point, I just embraced it. It just is what it is. You're going to be dirty. It's fine. It's a good attitude to take. Angie Peacock, thank you so much for joining us. And we hope the rest of your stay is memorable. Thank you. Thank you so much. Also on this Labor Day, the rush to get home, tens of millions of Americans on the road and in the air

as we cap off a record summer travel season. And as Kathy Park reports, this holiday has seen it share of tragedy on the highway. Serious traffic accidents adding to log jams on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. In Connecticut, a tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline rolled over and went up in flames Sunday night, shutting down the interstate for hours. While in the suburbs of Atlanta, tragedy early this morning, when three cars wrecked on I-85, police say one vehicle went over a wall and dropped from roughly 50 feet. Five people were found deceased. the scene and three additional were transported to area hospitals in stable conditions.

These scenes playing out with millions on the move, in the air and on the roads. It can be stressful at times. Bumper to bumper traffic slowing down the post-holiday rush home, from the beaches in Maryland to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. The Khazers from Detroit say they're looking at least eight hours of drive time. Just something you have to deal with when you plan on going on vacation. What's today looking like so far? Long.

I'm just trying to sleep in the car. Get home and start school tomorrow. We're prepared. We got the music ready. They're fueling up with food, so we'll be good. The airports packed as well with more than 2 million traveling each day around the holiday weekend. At 11% increase over last year. Traveling has been so much more exhausting than I used to be.

And Kathy Pard joins us now from Kodak, Tennessee. Kathy, what about those people who are trying to squeeze out an extra day? of the weekend and plan to travel home tomorrow. Yeah, Alison, if you are planning to travel home tomorrow, keep in mind millions of Americans are heading back to work in school. So the roads will definitely be busy between 7 and 9 a.m. Also keep in mind with remote work hybrid being an option as well. A lot of families are actually planning on traveling home later on the week as well.

Alison. Kathy Park in Tennessee, thank you. And whether you're one of the millions on the move for spending this Labor Day at home, it has been a dangerously hot holiday weekend for so many. Heat alerts remain in effect for $35 million, with more than 80 record high temperatures expected across the country. So let's get right to NBC News meteorologist Michelle Grossman. Michelle, will we get relief from this unseasonable warmth anytime soon? Hi, Alison. Well, it kind of depends on where you are in the Northeast and in Atlantic, the Upper Midwest.

We'll see some relief. It's going to take a little bit longer in the Northeast. upper Midwest, we'll see it by Wednesday, but the south central states were still baking there. We've baked all summer long, and we're still feeling that heat on the unofficial last day of summer. So taking a look at the heat alerts are stretching from the upper Midwest into the northeast, and then in the south central states in Oklahoma, also in Texas, 35 million Americans under a heat alert. But the heat stretches well past that as we're looking at temperatures soaring once again into the 90s near 100 degrees. And yes, we could break more than 80 records tomorrow. Ninety-seven tomorrow in Waterloo, 92 in Grand Rapids. Look at the northeast in

Atlantic, D.C. 99 degrees. As so many kids had back to school, some don't have air conditioning. The record there is 97, Raleigh, 97-92 in New York City. Same story as we had throughout Wednesday. We're looking at that temperatures still soaring to near 100 degrees. In Baltimore, the record there is 98. We're looking at Fayetteville 98 degrees. You factor in the humidity, though, it's going to feel like over 105 in some spots. And in the south central states, it's going to feel like over 1.15. So here is the relief for some. It's closer to average as we get towards the weekend. Still really warm on Thursday with temperatures in the upper 80s in Boston. But by Saturday, it's going to feel nice. The low 80s, same story in New York City, low 80s on Saturday.

That's after 91 on Thursday. We're looking at Baltimore, 95 on Thursday, and then into the low 80s on Saturday. Alison. Michelle, I know you are also closely tracking the tropics for any developments there. What are you seeing in that area? Yeah, the tropics are hot too. We're like near peak season. That comes on September 10th. So we're looking at an area of low pressure. Developed today. It's getting better organized and it's going into a development zone that is really conducive for intensification. So this is called right now Invest 95L. It's just sort of a marker that the NHC watches this tropical area of low pressure. So it's going to move into this conducive environment. We do expect it to get a name over the next two days or at least the next seven days. most likely will become lay. It's expected to become a tropical depression or a tropical storm in the next two days. A 90% chance. That's really high in the next seven days we expect it at a 100%. So this most definitely will become our next storm system. What it will become, we're not sure, but it does

look like it could become a hurricane. So it's going to move into the Caribbean, it's going to impact portions of the Caribbean later on this week. And we're going to see it really develop. And then as we end towards the, we go towards the beginning of next weekend, we're looking at the Caribbean being impacted. And it could certainly impact the U.S. as we go throughout time here. But this is something we're going to watch in the next few days. Alison, Michelle Grossman. Thank you. Next tonight in Pennsylvania, a community remains on edge as the manhunt for an escaped prisoner with a violent past is in its fifth day. Officials confirming multiple sightings indicating he is likely still in the area. NBC's George Solis is there tonight with the latest on this

massive manhunt. Tonight, two days after this doorbell camera video showed escaped in May Danielo Cavalcante on the run, police announced additional sightings within a two-mile radius outside the Pennsylvania Chester County Prison, where the convicted killer escaped from Thursday morning. We have secured that area and continue to actively search it. While there are a number of challenges, we are confident that if he is in there, we will find him. Pennsylvania State Police are now taking the lead role in the search. I intend to stress him. I want to push him hard. He'll make mistakes. He'll show himself. Local resident Ryan Drummond says he saw Cavalcante in his house on Friday.

What I decided to do was flicker the light switch five times just to let him know that I knew that he was downstairs. And then he flicked the light back. That was the terrifying moment where I looked at my wife and I said he's in the house, call 911. We stole some of the produce. We had snap peas, peaches and apples. The five foot Cavalcante was convicted last month and sentenced to life in prison for the 2021 brutal stab. of his ex-girlfriend. Authorities say he's also wanted for a 2017 homicide in his native Brazil. U.S. Marshals are also helping in the search.

And this is a heavily, heavily wooded area. It's very, very thick back there. There's a lot of hiding spots. Police are playing audio recordings from choppers and patrol cars of Cavalcante's mother speaking in Portuguese, pleading for her son to turn himself in as communities just outside the search zone are on edge. People don't know what to expect. You're on high alert. I'm not sure if our kids will be back in school tomorrow if they don't catch this guy by tomorrow. Today, state police reminded residents, Cavalcante is extremely dangerous. He does not want to be caught. He has very little to lose at this point.

And George joins us now from Chester County, Pennsylvania. George, listening to that man in your report talking about thinking he spotted Cavalcante, flicking the lights, and then him flicking them back. That is just something out of a horror movie. When you talk to people in that community, do they have any hope that he will be captured soon and talk to us about the reward here. It's a few thousand dollars, right? Yeah, that's right, Allison. To the first part of that question, a lot of homeowners remain tense. They're coming back from the holiday weekend. They are wondering if they're going to be able to

go back to work, send their kids back to school. And yes, that reward is still out there for any information that leads to his capture. And again, police responding to a lot of tips, which is why you see a lot of that activity behind me. Authorities also saying if they spot Cabalcante, and he's not actively surrendering. They've been authorized to use deadly force. Allison. All right. George Solis in Pennsylvania. Thank you. Heading overseas now in the military shakeup in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky replacing defense minister Oleski-resnikov in the biggest shift, the country's biggest

leadership shakeup, rather, since the full-scale war with Russia began, 18 months ago. This says Ukrainian forces make a major gain in their counteroffensive, appearing to breach one of Russia's main defensive lines in the south. For more on these developments, and what they mean for this ongoing war, I want to bring in NBC News, military analyst, and retired U.S. Army Colonel Jack Jacobs. Colonel Jacobs, thank you for joining us tonight. Let's start with just this big military change

because a lot of people either know the name of this Minister of Defense, Renek-Resnikov, or they at least have seen him because he's been such a public figure throughout this full-scale invasion. This resignation, according to President Zelensky, is aimed at establishing new approaches for the war, but it also comes amidst amounting allegations of financial irregularities within the Ministry of Defense.

So what do you make of this and the timing of it? Well, he's been the minister for more than two years, but there have been suggestions from Zelensky's allies here in the West that all was not well with disappearing money and disappearing munitions. There's a long history and tradition of corruption in that part of the world. Zelensky finally took the hint. We in the West have been giving him information about the corruption for quite some time. The person who was selected to replace him, by the way, there's no suggestion that Reznikov was behind it all, but it was all on his watch.

And it's important that the place stay as clean as possible, especially because there's a great deal of money being expended and material that needs to be used against the Russians. The guy who's replacing him, Umaroff, has been the people's deputy for some time, is very close to Zelensky. It's very well thought of, particularly by the legislature. There is a great likelihood that things will, while not entirely be cleaned up, will certainly be cleaner than they were before, Ellison. Are you surprised that that's who's being suggested and is likely to approve by the parliament as Reznikov's replacement? I mean, he's not someone who has a lot of military experience. No, well, he has very little, if any, military experience, but that's not the job of the Minister of Defense, unlike it is in Western countries. His job is to make sure that the

military establishment is properly funded, and he is a liaison to Ukraine's allies. He's also well thought of in Turkey, and Turkey is working very hard to get the Green Deal reestablished. So So that's another reason why Umarov was selected. The likelihood is that there's a great deal of support for Zelensky and therefore Umberov will be approved quite easily, Alison. What do you think U.S. officials watching this make of all of the changes? I mean, you mentioned how Western allies have been wanting Zelensky to do more to root out with issues that the country has experienced as it relates to corruption. Is this something U.S. and Western allies are likely to look at and say, okay, this is proof to us that you are making changes, or do they look at it and say,

wait, this is in the middle of a counteroffensive. Why now? Well, Umarov is not going to be heavily involved in either the tactics of the strategy of the war, particularly in the South, because he's going to be pretty much a liaison. Don't forget that one of the reasons Zelensky's gotten rid of Resnikov is because of information fed to Zelensky by the West, he knows that we're going to be keeping an eye and Umaroff as well, and that he, Zelensky, is going to have to do a much better job of keeping an eye on both the material and the money that's being used by Ukraine against the Russians. So he knows that we're watching, and it's unlikely that there'll be the same

level of corruption as there was before, Ellison. And before you go, I do want to ask you about the news of the counteroffensive, Ukrainian forces breaking through Russia's first defensive line in the south. Do you think we might be seeing a turning point in this counteroffensive? Well, the Ukrainians have been working very hard to find a weak point in the lines, but don't forget that the Russians have had a long time to establish defenses in depth, including lots and lots of minefields. We've been concerned about the slowness, the slow pace of the offensive.

We were concerned about the distribution of Ukrainian forces along the 600-mile front, and it didn't look like they were concentrating their efforts in any one particular place, which they needed to do. Now that it looks like they've broken through in at least one spot down in the south, we know that the strategy is to separate Crimea, the land bridge between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine. they will, the Ukrainians are liable of poor in a large number of troops now in advance of any further offensive action that might take place, but they have, they do have a lot of minefields to go through. And when they concentrate, when the Ukrainians concentrate their forces to make a push like this, as happens in any kind of offensive, it means that their forces are concentrated and they become easy targets for Russian artillery and missiles. It remains to be seen how long it's going to take for the Ukrainians to take advantage of this push. But there's no doubt about the fact that this is where the focus is to break the land bridge between Crimea on the one hand and the rest of the Ukraine on the other, Ellison. Colonel Jack Jacobs, thank you for breaking all of that down. We appreciate it. Staying overseas now to the migrant clashes turning violent in Israel, asylum seekers from the African country of Eritrea, clashing with pro-government supporters in television.

Police stepping in, deploying tear gas and stun grenades. In the aftermath of the violence, Israel's prime minister now calling for those migrants to be deported. NBC's Matt Bradley has more. Violent clashes in Tel Aviv, putting the country's immigration policies front and center. After hundreds of asylum seekers from the African country of Eritrea confronted pro-Eritrean government groups. Israeli police stepped in deploying tear gas, stun grenades, and even live rounds into the crowd after officers said they felt their lives were in danger. The confrontations come as Eritrea's totalitarian government marks 30 years in power.

Why did we run from our country? said this protester. Because this dictator. It's a government many demonstrators in Israel say they were forced to flee. Feel sad because I saw a lot of people have been injured. The Israeli National Emergency Service reports over 100 people were injured in the clashes. including 30 police officers. Prime Minister Netanyahu says the protesters crossed a line. His national security minister visited the scene and suggested that those who took part

should be placed in detention until they're deported. Immigration has been a divisive issue in Israel for generations. But it's taken on new urgency as Netanyahu seeks to push through his judicial overhaul plan. The nation's high court has previously blocked laws targeting Eritrean asylum seekers. Now Netanyahu is sticking to his long-standing rhetoric, calling those who protested over the weekend illegal infiltrators. And Allison, Prime Minister Netanyahu, convened a special ministerial team yesterday to try to come up with a plan to deport some of these aerotrains. And we don't know what this plan is going to look like, but Netanyahu is backed by one of the most conservative cabinets in Israeli history, many of whom are very opposed to immigration. So you better believe that human rights groups and Netanyahu's own domestic.

opposition is going to be taking a very, very close look at whatever plan this cabinet comes up with. Now, if the plan includes deporting some people who can show that they face persecution in their country of origin, well, then it could be against international law. Ellison? Matt Bradley, thank you. Sell ahead tonight, store owners fight back, a suspect smashing display cases at a Los Angeles jewelry store, how the employee stepped in to get him out of the store, empty-handed. Plus, mayhem at Electric Zoom Music Festival in New York City.

Fans rushing gates after being told the event was at capacity. And the first day of the three-day festival canceled hours before it was set to begin. How organizers are trying to make it right. And the four-legged heavy metal fan, the story behind this dog

who attended a Metallica concert, on her own, stay with us. Back now with another music festival meltdown right here in New York City. The Electric Zoo Festival shutting its doors early last night following a weekend of chaos. Fans seen rushing the gate to enter the oversold event after waiting in line for hours. The confusion coming after the first day was canceled entirely because the main stage was not fully assembled. Valerie Castro has the details. Go, go, go, go!

Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Music Festival Mayhem in New York City over the holiday weekend. Concert-goers seen storming the entrances to the Electric Zoo Electronic Music Festival on Sunday after an announcement that the venue had

reached capacity earlier than anticipated and no other ticket holders would be admitted. Let us say! Oversold. We don't understand how you can oversell tickets. The three-de-old. day event had issues from day one. Friday show was abruptly canceled just hours before the start.

One hour before I was actually just getting ready for to come and I got the news. Festival organizers issuing a statement on social media citing global supply chain disruptions as the reason behind the delay in completing construction of the main stage. You probably knew about this way in advance like probably either yesterday or the day before and you wait three hours before the event's supposed to start. Seems a little bit ridiculous. Saturday, the doors opening two hours later than originally scheduled. And on Sunday, festival organizers shutting down access around 6.30 that evening. There were people that I met that flew in from Dallas, Texas. Some people actually came in from Canada. I need some people who came in from Europe.

The NYPD arriving to survey the scene using a drone to ensure the crowds inside the gates were safe. We had some concern because when additional people rushed into the concert, we wanted to make sure that people weren't overcrowded on top of each other. We wanted to make sure the partygoers weren't overwhelmed. By the end of the night, those who did manage to enjoy the show spent the rest of the evening just trying to leave, posting videos to social media of a slow-moving jam-packed crowd trying to get off Randall's Island where the event was held. Poor management, like they, this could be avoided. They've done this for so many years. The festival announcing refunds would be issued for affected guests,

but some say they won't be repeat customers in the future. We're not coming back if they do have it. Like, we're not going to do this festival again. Like, it's not worth it. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. So Valerie, who is eligible for refunds here? And what have the organizers said? So organizers have been posting a lot of information on social media.

They said anyone who had tickets for that Friday night show that was completely canceled, they are eligible for a refund. Anyone who showed up on Sunday and were turned away once they shut down the entrance for that day, they are also eligible for a refund. But, Alison, there are other people who said they waited for hours at Will Call just trying to get their tickets. One woman said she waited for five hours, couldn't leave to get water or go to a bathroom. She also wants a refund.

So we reached out to the organizers today to see if they had any other information, but they have not gone back to us. Valerie Castro, thank you. And now to Los Angeles, where jewelry stores have been the recent target of smash-and-grab robberies. Over the weekend, a suspect pepper-sprayed employees before attempting to rob the store. The store employees fed up and taking matters into their own hands. NBC's Noah Pransky has this story. Shouting, captured from inside an attempted robbery in Los Angeles.

The suspect, spraying a worker with what appears to be pepper spray, then once inside, smashes the glass and tries to grab the gun. goods, but the entire store fights back, taking matters into their own hands. My dad and my brother started hitting him, and then he brings out the pepper spray, and then he starts spraying everyone. The man seen running away without any jewelry. Almonte police still searching for the unidentified suspect. Just days earlier, though, a similar incident at a different Los Angeles area jewelry store.

Thieves, pepper spraying the owner before smashing jewelry cases and getting away with more than a half million dollars in merchandise. They pepper to spray me on my eyes and my mouth. Typical smash and grab. Yes, they had hammers, smashed the display cases, took what they could, and then ran out the door. Retail theft over the past few months here has grown so rampant. Los Angeles created a new special robbery task force. No Angelino should feel like it is not safe to go shopping in Los Angeles.

But some local business owners say they don't feel safe working in Los Angeles either. We're angry and we're. We're also worried about, because when he left, he told my brother, he told that he was going to kill all of us, you know? Not to mention just how to pick up the broken pieces. I feel confused. I feel I don't know what I should do tomorrow to come to the store for what, because most of the jewelry is gone. Noah Pransky, NBC News. When we come back, Cliff Rescue, a truck driver trapped in the wreckage of a crash for five days after plunging 100.

feet. How first responders found him and brought him to safety. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we began with the death of Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of Smash Mouth. The band's manager confirming Harwell died from acute liver failure, adding he had, quote, many health issues. Harwell co-founded Smash Mouth and was the original voice of the band, selling more than 10 million albums with hits like All Star and Walking on the Sun. He retired two years ago. Harwell was just 56 years old. A daring rescue saved a person trapped at the bottom of a hundred foot cliff for five days. Dron video showing first responders using a rope system to get the person out of the ravine. That person was injured from the crash

and had been stuck for five days. After that rescue, the person was flown to a local hospital and there is currently no word on their condition. Harley Davidson is recalling more than 65,000 bikes because of faulty screws. A report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration saying the screws on the rear shock adjuster could break, leading it to hit the tire and then possibly cause a crash. The recall affecting soft tail motorcycles manufactured between June 2017 and August of this year. And a heavy metal fan getting a lot of attention in a Metallica concert this week, A social media post by the band shows a dog named Storm sitting in a seat during their concert at SoFi Stadium.

According to the post, the dog left her home by herself and snuck into the concert. The dog was reunited with her family the following day, while Storm apparently really enjoyed the show. The band is reminding fans, pets are not allowed at concerts. Turning now to the growing controversy over the use of drone surveillance by police departments nationwide, as NYPD launches their own fleet to monitor large outdoor gatherings throughout the city. Emily Aketa has more on the backlash the police are getting. As Labor Day celebrations blanket the country, in New York City, there's another layer of police eyes now in the sky. The NYPD is launching drones to respond to priority and non-priority calls around the Caribbean-inspired Juvei and West Indian American Day festivities,

which in previous years have been marred by shootings. Call Estates there's a large crowd, large party in the backyards. We're going to be utilizing our assets to go up, to go check on the party. But what police have called an asset, critics are concerned, could become Big Brother. What we don't want to see is this bleeding out to sort of routine patrols by drones, routine hovering over our homes and over our communities. On the ground in Brooklyn, opinions are split. It's a safety precaution.

I'm all for safety. There's really no privacy at all. I think it's taking it to the next level. New York City has increasingly leaned on drones this year, which have scanned shorelines for sharks and helped size the crowd of a giveaway gone awry last month. The NYPDM Mayor Eric Adams defended drones as more efficient, especially for noise complaints and in crowded streets. They're going to utilize drones from a safe distance up, not down, flying in someone's backyard

to see what they have on the grill. According to the ACLU, more than 1,400 police departments now utilize the 10,000. technology, like in Santa Monica, where drone footage helps convict a brutal attacker. As a growing debate over the advancing tech takes flight. For perspective, NYPD numbers showed the Department of News drones 34 times last year. Well, in just the first half of this year, that use has already more than triple. Back to you. Emily Aketa, thank you.

Moving to Texas now, where a tight-knit college community is mourning the loss of football player West Smith. Smith was fatally shot over the weekend. and what police are calling a senseless murder. NBC, Shaquille Brewster has more on what Wes's family is saying tonight. Tonight, the family of West Smith speaking out after the Texas Christian University student was killed. It's hard to get your heart around it, to get your head around it, so it's certainly been shocking. Police say Smith was killed outside of Fort Worth Bar Friday after being approached, apparently randomly by suspect Matthew Purdy. This was just something that was senseless.

and it shouldn't have happened. According to the arrest warrant, Purdy admitted to shooting Smith three times in the stomach, shoulder, and back of the head after he fell. The suspect telling police he wanted to make sure he was dead. Investigators say Purdy also hit a witness

with his gun and told officers he would have shot others if he had not run out of ammunition. Purdy, who was out on probation for aggravated robbery, according to police, is now charged with murder. He's in custody where he belongs. Smith was a double major in finance and strategic marketing, a walk-on for TCU football his freshman year, and a student who led Bible studies for his fraternity, his family says.

He wanted to be an encouragement to other people. He wanted to be a friend to other people. People just naturally gravitated toward him as a leader and a person that made them feel better about themselves. Tonight, without a known motive of family and community has left heartbroken and confused. The family says services for West Smith will take place September 15th and 16th. They're calling it a celebration of his life. Meanwhile, the first court appearance for Purdy, who's suspected of killing him, has not yet been set. He is still being held on a $500,000 bond. Ellison? Shaq Brewster, thank you.

Now to power and politics and primary season kicking off today. The race for 2024, President Biden going on the attack against former President Trump at a Labor Day event in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Well, Mr. Trump's GOP rivals look to steal his spotlight in another key battleground state. Ardasha Burns is there. Tonight, the unofficial end of summer kicking off the unofficial start of primary season. And President Biden zeroing in on Republican frontrunner former President Trump. The great real estate builder, the last guy here, he didn't build a damn thing. But a troubling sign for the president, a new poll showing more voters 51 percent,

believe Mr. Trump has a record of accomplishments versus President Biden, 41%. Meanwhile, Republican candidates in New Hampshire, trying to make a dent in former President Trump's lead. That same poll showing he's up 46 points over his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy frequently praises Mr. Trump. When you're using sort of the Trump playbook and you're embracing Trump so much, Why would voters vote for you when the original is in the race and way up? Well, that's a media framing that's just a false characterization of the fact that the truth is I do share 90-plus percent of policies in common with them. And that much is something I respect about it.

But we're going to take the agenda to the next level because I can actually reunite this country. Teacher Tom Jackson is interested in Ramoswami, but hasn't yet made up his mind. What do you think it's ultimately going to take for a candidate to win your vote? Well, I think I'm going to want to see how they would do in the general election. Listen, one thing to watch, though, is there is a difference at the state level compared to the national level, both in terms of the polls and what we're hearing from voters. For example, here today in New Hampshire, the voters that we talked to were really thrilled to see the candidates who were here on the ground. They really feel like that engagement is so important for them. And they were a little bit disappointed, some of the folks we talked to, that they haven't seen former President Trump campaigning here.

Some are considering voting for him, but are also looking at some of these other options. And they like that they're able to kick the tires and ask people like Vivek Rameswami and Mike Pence and others who are here today, ask them questions directly. And they feel like they're missing that opportunity when it comes to former President Trump. Alison. Sasha Burns in New Hampshire. Thank you. Now the top story's global watch. we begin with the deadly flooding in Spain. New video showing water cascading down windows and into a subway car in Madrid. Days of record-breaking rain in the country's central region has caused

roads to close and train lines to be shut down. At least two people have died with two more still missing. An update tonight on the coup in the central African country of Gabon. The military leader who led the coup less than a week ago sworn in as interim president today, General Bryce Nagima, saying he will return power to civilians by holding transparent elections during his inaugurational speech. Nagima did not say when the elections will be held. And shocking new video shows an elephant smashing into a bus in southern India. Video captured the moment the elephant charges into the bus on an interstate highway, breaking through the windshield, forcing passengers to exit the bus and just run for safety. There were no reports of injuries, but the collision did cause

heavy traffic disruptions. And coming up, new video emerging from those devastating Maui wildfires, a driver caught on camera trying to stop flames from reaching a total stranger's house. Our team in Maui speaking to the man in the video about the moment he jumped into action and put his own life at risk to help. We're back now with the latest on those devastating wildfires in Maui. New video shows a man fleeing the fires with his wife when he jumps out of his car, to save a stranger's house.

Sam Brock spoke with that couple as they begin the long process of rebuilding. All right. I want you to record everything when we're leaving. Right from those first heart-stopping moments, Jessica and Stephen Pickering knew their time was precious, leaving Lahaina with flames on their heels. Oh, my God.

And a wall of smoke in the rear-view mirror. We tried to get out of the neighborhood, but were blocked by cars. Along the way, they spot a flash of fire in the bushes. Oh, my God. It's right there. in the bushes. What? The fire.

Oh. Bushes. Stephen leaps from the car to put out the flames, threatening a complete stranger's house. Stephen, we're going to get stuck. Come on! Were you thinking at all, this is crazy, and it could cost us our lives? Yes. But what did his actions actually end up doing?

I think that he saved that area of the neighborhood. Oh! The Pickering said they barely survived without emergency sirens or even attacks to warn them. I haven't personally heard of a single notification that anybody received in all of my social network period. Out of how many people do you think that you've talked to? Hundreds. Hundreds. Maui County's response is under investigation, though officials have maintained that they warned residents through texts and police loudspeakers in neighborhoods, but they haven't specified where or when. Always better safe than sorry. Lies and safety over structure anytime. See Ray Beltran

spent more than 15 years with the Maui Emergency Management Agency as a senior safety official. I would have said full evacuation. In the morning? In the morning, knowing the winds are this high. They're super high. Prepare for the worst and then hope for less. The road to recovery looks long for Jessica and Stephen. One of their Maui diving shops went up in flames, along with about a million and a half dollars worth of inventory. Having to say that we have nothing.

hand out and ask for help is really humbling and hard. Still, there's a soulful silver lining across town in the Smith household where Drew Smith recognized something familiar on social media. I said, honey, come in here. Look at this. There's a guy saving the house. I said, oh, my God, it's our neighborhood. And then we started looking. We're like, this is our house. Smith says he's putting the pickerings in his will. As for Stephen and Jessica, they have their lives and their love. Oh, my God. It's right there in the bushes.

And a whole bunch of neighbors ready to help them out if they ever need a hand. Sam Brock, NBC News, Lahaina. Music world is still celebrating the life of Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday at the age of 76. Tonight, we're learning more about his surprise final performance, sharing the stage with his longtime guitarist one last time. Tom Yamas has that incredible moment. McNally was three songs into his set when a figure suddenly appeared on stage behind him. The Crasher, Jimmy Buffett, to the shock and delight of the crowd. The two old friends, McNally, lead guitarist in Buffett's choral reefers band.

Matt got a hold of me and said, hey, Jimmy just reached out and wants to come up and do a few songs. What do you think? I said, let's find a way to make it happen. Just wanted to get out of the house. Buffett was on Long Island when he decided to. to make the quick trip north to play with McNally at Rhode Island's Sunset Cove. That 45-minute surprise performance in July now believed to be Buffett's last. He was his genuine, sincere, humble.

Buffett died on Friday at the age of 76. Parenthoods have been dropping off flowers and beer at Sunset Cove in his honor. Just like Jimmy Bunnard. if it would have won. You know, there, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Jim, I love your life. Get your new part. Thank you.

Our thanks to Tom for that report. When we come back, the global search for Paul McCartney's lost guitar Three Beatles fans now trying to track down a bass guitar owned by McCartney as the band rose to fame, how they're now asking the general public for help to track it down. Finally tonight, the search for an iconic piece of music history, a 1961 bass once owned by Paul McCartney, now missing for more than 50 years. But a small group of music experts and former investigative journalists, they are on the case now. And they tell us, The tips are coming in by the hundreds.

It's the base that helped launch the Beatles into the rock and roll stratosphere, Paul McCartney's 1961, Hoffner violin bass. This is the base that powered Beatlemania. You know, it was the base that was there right at the very start. McCartney bought it when he was just 19 for 30 pounds. At the time, it was all he could afford. But it was more than enough to help build the Beatles into one. of the biggest bands of all time, producing the baseline for classics like she loves you,

twist and shout and love me do. What's it like with these fans outside, Paul? At first, it's murder because, you know, it looks as though they're going to tear you apart. Once you get the hang of it, you get used to it. And for more than half a century, it's been at the center of one of the greatest music mysteries. No one knew where it was. Its last scene in 1969, it clearly got stored probably at Saville Row, and then it disappears. Nick Wass worked at Hoffner for years as an electric guitar developer and marketing manager. In 2017, McCartney himself called to ask about his missing base. He said, hey, you know, you're from Hoffner.

Do you know where my lost base is? And I thought, well, you know, somebody ought to start looking for this, and it has to be me. Woss has teamed up with two former BBC producers and investigative journalists. Scott and Naomi Jones to try and find it. This weekend, the trio launched the lostbase.com, a website where people can submit tips to the investigation. We've seen literally hundreds and hundreds of emails come into the project at the lostbase.com. Woss says the guitar has distinctive features,

which could help identify McCartney's lost bass. It was the first ever violin bass made by Hofden that was left-handed. It was resprayed, so the color of this bass is not. like any other violin bass. No one knows exactly what the bass is worth. But a 1962 Gibbs and guitar that once belonged to McCartney's former bandmate fetched $2.4 million at auction in 2015. And that guitar was also lost for more than 50 years. Five years after that, this Martin D-18E used by Kurt Cobain on MTV Unplugged became the most expensive guitar ever sold. for a record, $6 million.

The lost base team says they've been told McCartney's guitar could be worth at least double that. But if they find it, it'll go to its rightful owner. Paul will keep it. He may exhibit it later, I don't know. But it's never going to be sold. So you can't buy it. So in a sense, the value is nothing.

Now a decades-old search, heating up once again, for a legendary piece of music history. I'd be even more thrilled to see Paul McCartney's face when we put it in his hand. Can you imagine this big grin that's going to be on his face when that happens? I think it's all worth it just to see that. Thanks so much for watching Top Story for Tom Yamis. I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there.

More news now is on the way.