Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, June 5, 2025

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

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

Tonight, the knock-down, drag-out war of words today between President Trump and Elon Musk. The gloves are off. President Trump blasting his former confidant, saying he told Musk to leave the White House saying he went crazy and now threatening to pull government contracts for SpaceX and Tesla, Tesla stock plunging. The tech titan firing back warning Trump is tanking the economy and the unsubstantiated claim he made about the president's connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The judge threatening Diddy in his trial today, warning him not to make faces at the jury or he'll be kicked out of his own trial, the reaction from inside the courtroom. Luigi Mangione's plot revealed new details from the prosecution about his methodical planning and why he chose to kill the health care CEO instead of even bigger acts of violence. Disaster in paradise, the boat packed with tourists in Bali suddenly sinking 90 people scrambling to safety, an American rescued speaks out on top story. Families outraged the Afghan refugee who once helped U.S. troops gunned down over a parking space in Texas. New video of the moments leading up to the killing.

The police know who did it. So why hasn't he been arrested? Vacation warning the travel alert from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico not to use dating apps in that country or risk being kidnapped. And our new series, The Cost of Denial, what happened when our correspondent trying to call the doctors listed in-network by a major health insurer? Turns out, many don't exist. And the new warning for women on weight-loss drugs, like OZemphic, why it may make their birth control not work. Top story starts right now.

Good evening. Tonight, President Trump and Elon Musk's broken bromances boiling over. Their feud exploding online after Musk criticized the president's budget bill. At this hour, the tirade of social media posts, including Trump's threat, to pull Musk's government contracts is sending Tesla stock plummeting. It's a dramatic turn from the once very close relationship between two of the world's most powerful men. The battle playing out on social media and at some points, getting personal.

The president posting the truth social, quote, Elon was wearing thin. I asked him to leave. I took away his EV mandate that forced everyone to buy electric cars that nobody else wanted and he just went crazy. Then Musk posting on X, quote, time to drop the really big bomb at real Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT.

And later, President Trump posting, quote, I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. Right now, close Trump ally, Steve Bannon, says he is advising the president to start investigation into Elon Musk's immigration status and history of drug abuse. Tesla taking a major hit. Look at this. This is the stock, tumbling 14 percent, their biggest hit ever. Musk, the world's richest man, losing nearly $27 billion, and that's just in a day.

The world watching their relationship implode in real time. NBC's Garrett Hake, starts our coverage off tonight. Tonight, the stunning public breakup. Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if it worked well anymore. I was surprised. Just days after that lavish Oval Office send-off. It's not a fantastic job.

I expect to remain a friend and an advisor. President Trump and his once top ally, Elon Musk, now in a nasty public feud. I'm very disappointed in Elon. I've helped Elon a lot. All starting this morning when the president was asked about the former Doge leader's criticism of his so-called big, beautiful bill, which extends the Trump-2017 tax cuts and eliminates taxes on tips and overtime. Musk slamming it, saying it spends too much. Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here. The president who recently showed off his Tesla at the White House, saying Musk's opposition began because the bill eliminates electric vehicle tax credits, which hurts Musk's business.

He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem, and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate. Musk responding in real time on X. False. This bill was never shown to me even once. Moments later, writing, whatever, keep the EVs. Solar incentive cuts in the bill, but ditch the mountain of disgusting pork. I pressed Trump about Musk's criticism. And this is the guy you put in charge of cutting spending.

Should people not take him seriously about spending now? Are you saying this is all sour grapes? No, no. He worked hard, and he did a good job. And I'll be honest, I think he misses the place. People leave my administration, and they love us. And then at some point, they miss it so badly. And some of them embrace it. them actually become hostile. I don't know what it is. It's sort of Trump derangement syndrome.

Put the signs up. Put the hat on. Let's go. All of it, a sudden shift for Musk who enthusiastically campaigned for Trump. President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. Today, the president suggesting he would have won in 2024 without the support of the world's richest man. I think I would have won, Susie would say I would have won Pennsylvania easily anyway. Minutes later, Musk firing back, writing, without me, Trump would have lost the election. Such ingratitude. And this afternoon, the war of words escalating even further, President Trump posting, Elon was wearing thin. I asked him to leave. I took away his EV mandate, and he just went crazy. And that the easiest way to save money in our budget, billions and billions of dollars, is to terminate Elon's governmental subsidies and contracts.

Musk, then writing, time to drop the really big bomb. Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they've not been made public. Musk offered no evidence to back up his accusation, and nothing made public has implicated Trump, who's denied any involvement in Epstein's criminal behavior. The president late today posting, I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the greatest bills ever presented to Congress. Meanwhile, as all of this unfolded, Tesla stock plummeted, losing over 14% of its value. All right, with that, Garrett Hake joins us tonight from the White House. and because of all the business to this, NBC News Senior Business Correspondent.

Christine Romans is also here on set. Gary, I'm going to start with you. You were there in that moment. You witnessed everything in the Oval Office. Take our viewers there, right? Talk to us about what happened, how this sort of exploded in public view. Yeah, Tom, there was kind of a slow burn to it. The president seemed committed at first to basically saying that all of Musk's complaints

about the bill were just about the EV mandate. But then as he started to expand, suggesting to me that Musk has Trump derangement syndrome since leaving the Oval Office, that he could have won without Musk. Musk does what he famously often does, which is essentially live post on X. His response to Trump, as this escalated throughout the course of the day, things got more and more personal. It's not at all clear that Trump knew that was happening while we were in the Oval Office together. But by the end of the day, he had ratcheted things up as well, targeting Musk's business and interests. All of it culminated with this Jeffrey Epstein

post, which the White House responded to late today, saying that this is essentially Elon trying to change the subject here. They're calling it an unfortunate episode. source with knowledge saying if Musk really felt this way about Trump being somehow connected to Epstein, why did he work so closely with him over the last year and a half or so? Christine, we want to bring you in here now is the biggest drop for Elon Musk, single-day drop in stock, almost 15%. He is a businessman. He does have to answer to shareholders. Where do you think this goes from here? And it's remarkable because shareholders, some shareholders had really been pushing for him to separate himself from government and just really focus on his company. And he does that. He says he's stepping away. And then he still has

this really big, bad day. You know, I did the math, and if you look at the common shares he owns 410 million shares of Tesla, he's lost more than $60 billion since Donald Trump was inaugurated, and he spent something like $250 million in the election. So he has really personally invested with big losses, and those losses today really mounted as this spat unfolded in real time in public. Does the stock drop because of the spat or because Trump threatened to pull the contracts? Both. The spat shows, frankly, that Elon Musk's head is not 100% in the Tesla game right now. He's still doing what so many big shareholders didn't want him to do, which is to be tangling or working with the president. They want him to focus on his businesses. And then you had that threat from the president saying, well, hey, we could just cut the deficit pretty quick if we got rid of these contracts. Think about SpaceX. Twenty-five percent of its revenue last year were government contracts, DOD, NASA. And Tesla has been the beneficiary of lots and lots of EV rebates and incentives. So it's really, I will say, though, that government needs Tesla and mostly SpaceX and Musk needs the government. Garrett, this is a little bit of analysis, but I think you're going to answer the question here.

You know, Trump is obviously, President Trump's not shying away from this fight. But in the last 24 hours, if you think, if you take this part out of it, he also made a lot of news, whether it be saying he's going to travel to China, talking more about his conversation with Vladimir Putin, the travel ban, the autopen investigation, saying he has no evidence about an auto. PEN conspiracy there. Do you think he was trying to distract from this feud with Elon Musk and it just got out of control? I think there's always an element of that, Tom. I mean, this is a president who thinks of himself as something of a programmer of television news in particular, that he likes to sort of dictate what he's going to see on his own TV screens. I don't think he has liked the

coverage of his major domestic policy bill being attacked by his biggest former rival. That's part of the reason you've seen all these other rollouts over the last day and a half or so. and the way that he even talked about the China visit today, for example, which is pretty standard practice for conversations between leaders of foreign countries for that to become a bigger story. Suggest this was not what Donald Trump wanted to be talking about to end the day, but I think it's also both men's worst angels, if you will, got the better of them today between Trump and Musk and this feud escalated to the point where this was really all anyone at the White House was talking about by close of business today. You know, a lot of people were saying, Christine, that Elon Musk was moving away from government, moving out of the White House, because they wanted him to focus on his company. He wanted to focus on his company. At least that's what he said. What happens now?

I know. That's the big question. Do they let this lie here, and this is over, and now this simmering, just simmers, it doesn't flare up again? Unclear here, but shareholders want Elon Musk to focus on Tesla. The stock is down, something like 29% this year. He's got big challenges ahead with probably the pulling of EV. incentives if the president gets his way with a big beautiful bill, as they're calling it. So the shareholders want Tesla back in the hands of Elon Musk, and they do not want him

messing around. This was just very unfortunate for Tesla. And there's always the makeup, you know, there could be the coming together back in the Oval Office. It's like a reality show almost, right? Garrett, hey, great reporting. As always, great questions today. We appreciate that. Christine, great to have you here. We want to turn now to an explosive moment at the Sean Diddy Combs trial, the judge threatening to kick the music mogul out of the courtroom after he apparently made facial expressions at jurors. Also today, graphic testimony from an ex-girlfriend who says she dated Combs from 2021 to 2024. Here's Stephanie Gosk. Lavish trips, cash, and a lot of drugs. That's how the woman testifying with the pseudonym Jane says her relationship began with hip-hop tycoon Sean

Diddy Combs. But Jane says after she fell head over heels for Combs, he started having other men join them, escorts, according to Jane. What percentage of the time after that did you have sex with another man, prosecutors asked. 90 percent, the single mother told the jury. Did you want to do that? She answered no. Jane said she wanted an old-fashioned relationship, but agreed to what Combs called debauchery or hotel nights to keep him happy. She told the court the nights took place in hotel suites with red lights, music, lotions, and an excessive use of baby oil everywhere. The last up to 30 hours, according to her testimony, and always with drugs, including ecstasy and ketamine. During their relationship, which started in 2021 and ended when the music mogul was arrested,

Jane says he supported her, paying her rent and wiring her tens of thousands of dollars. Combs pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. In court today, a dramatic moment played out after the jury was excused for lunch, the judge turning to the defense team and saying, I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury. The judge said Combs was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury during the cross-examination of a witness. The judge saying if it happens again, he would consider removing Combs from the courtroom altogether. Stephanie Goss joins us tonight from outside that courthouse in downtown Manhattan. What a day in court. How long do we expect Jane to be

on the stand? Well, Tom, she's only really just started her testimony. It could be days. She hasn't even gotten to the participation in these freak-off parties that Combs would hold. And prosecutors say that she was coerced into participating in those parties through drugs and lies and even threats, Tom. All right. Stephanie Gosper, Stephanie, we thank you. Kristen Feden joins me now. She's an NBC News legal analyst and former sex crimes prosecutor known for prosecuting Bill Cosby. We thank you for joining Top Story tonight. And Stephanie's piece of the judge threatening to kick combs out of court for allegedly flashing facial expressions at the jurors. How serious is that? I mean, this seems pretty serious for someone to be removed from their own trial.

Yeah, this is significant. Very significant. And it's interesting because what it tells us really is two main things. One, that the judge is making sure that the jury is not going to be swayed by any undue influence. So when you think about nodding, yes, it seems subtle. at the end of the day, that can be seen as very manipulative. It can be seen as very coercive. And in a trial like this, it can also be seen as intimidating as well. So not only is it really an interesting thing to see that the judge is really protecting the jury, but it's also a consistent reminder, particularly given the high profile status of Diddy, that this is not a performance. This is a trial. This is a courtroom. And the only evidence, the only thing that the jury should decide is anything on the witness stand. And they should not be making their decision based on any manipulation, caution, or any intimidation.

Jane's testimony today began to outline her relationship with Combs. We just heard that from Stephanie there, specifically how she felt obligated to perform those, quote, hotel nights because Combs was paying her rent and giving her money. Is the prosecution starting to paint a clearer picture of the sex trafficking charges here? Is this where they're trying to connect those dots? I think absolutely. And it's interesting because they're doing it in a very methodical way, as I see it. They obviously started with Cassie. and then they went to some insiders. They went to some friends.

And now they're going with Jane. And this is really interesting because, again, not only does it strengthen the sex trafficking charge, right? It shows that she was recruited, she was maintained for a commercial sex activity. She's already testified to that. But it also shows a lot of corroboration.

It shows that the prosecution is truly, really strengthening their case to show that this was all, not just an isolated events. This was not something where the defense can argue that this was consensual, isolated event with Cassie. And yes, he may have done a horrible thing with the surveillance footage that the jury saw. But it's a pattern. It's a pattern of abuse. It's a pattern of

control. And it's a pattern of fear. And that all will tie in not only to the sex trafficking charge, but to the RICO charge as well. Yeah. Earlier in the day, the defense was aggressive in their cross-examination of another witness saying there was conflicting evidence about the date of when she said Combs held her over a 17-story balcony. Was that a major win for the defense or not really? I would say not really. And here's why. Because again, what happens is when you cross-examine someone and you talk about their motives, that can be very challenging for the jury, right? And it can obviously cause them to pause when looking at the credibility of that witness. But again, you can't look at a witness in isolation. When we look at that witness, we look at the witness as a

And when you look at everything, all of the evidence, all of the fear, all of the, all of the evidence talking about the weapons, the drugs, the violence, you see that the cross-examination, yes, effective, but it didn't neutralize that witness, and ultimately it didn't neutralize any of the other witnesses. It still was significant to tell the story and put the pieces of that puzzle together. Kristen, Fetton for us tonight here. Kristen, we thank you. Okay, next tonight, a major Supreme Court ruling on reverse discrimination in the workplace. The court ruling unanimously in favor of a woman who claims she was denied a job opportunity and later fired for being white and straight. This ruling could make it easier in some parts of the country for people in majority groups to bring forward reverse discrimination claims against their employer.

NBC's Laura Jarrett joins us now on set. Laura, people are going to be hearing this thinking this is a major issue, but you're saying it's not that easy. It's major because the court was 9-0, essentially saying lower courts are getting this wrong. holding people who are majority groups, people who are white, people who are straight to a higher burden, a higher standard than everybody else. And they've said that violates the Constitution. It's not fair. So more than just about this one woman's case in Ohio, it's setting a standard nationwide, Thomas. So the case will go back now down to the lower court, and this woman will have to prove up her case in court. It will go to trial, and she may lose on that. But at least the court is now saying basically to companies, you're on notice. You have to use the same standard for everyone. So will companies see this ruling, you know, see what the Supreme Court did?

You said it was unanimous and say, let me think twice before I promote someone, even though they deserve the job, whether they're black, Hispanic, gay. Will that affect those types of employers? I think that's the big question, is whether it's going to have a chilling effect on these employment decisions. In one respect, you should say it shouldn't change anything at all because the justices aren't making new law. They're just saying you're supposed to be following what we already set out here. But we know that in this environment, in particular, as employment decisions are being made around diversity, companies are looking at this carefully. All right, Laura Jerich, great to have you here in studio, Laura, thank you.

Yeah. Okay, we head overseas now to the war in the Middle East and a tragic homecoming for one Israeli-American couple. Their bodies finally home now after they were killed during Hamas' October 7th attack. All this has the desperate need for aid in Gaza grows more critical by the day. Matt Bradley reports tonight from Tel Aviv. Tonight, a bittersweet homecoming for this Israeli-American couple. Their bodies finally returned home to Israel after Israeli security forces were

recovered them from southern Gaza. The Israeli military said Judy Weinstein-Hagai and her husband, Gaddi-Hagai, were murdered in the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7th after their kibbutz came under attack. Weinstein, speaking in Hebrew, said, my husband, I think he's dead, and I was hit in the face. These may have been among Judy's last words. Begging rescuers for help shortly after they ventured out on their morning walk that day, captured in this security video. Their daughter posting on Instagram today, my beautiful parents have been freed.

Their neighbor, Jonathan Dekel-Chen, whose son is a former hostage, knew them for over 30 years. They were, you know, sort of a couple of lovebirds. Finally, finally, after more than 600 days, they can have peace. But in Gaza, the war continues, along with aching hunger. As a controversial Israeli-American-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributes aid there once again. After a day and a half pause following two deadly shootings, most recently on Tuesday, when Israeli forces fired into a crowd, killing at least 27 people, according to health officials there, and injuring more than 160 others. An Israeli government

spokesperson said soldiers fired at people who had deviated from the prescribed route while approaching an aid point. Our piece of bread is soaked in blood, said this boy, whose mother was among the dead, just so my mother could get us aid. And Tom, that U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has attracted tons of controversy for its funding, for its founding, and for its methods in the Gaza Strip. But the group said today that in little over a week, it's managed to distribute nearly 8.5 million meals. Tom? Matt Bradley for us tonight. We want to stay overseas now with the war in Ukraine.

And the new image is just released of Ukraine's surprise drone attack last week. Ukraine's president says this operation is what modern war really looks like. NBC's chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, has this. look at the cutting-edge AI tech that is shaping the next generation of military drones. Tonight, President Trump revealing what he told Vladimir Putin on the phone. I gave that analogy to Putin yesterday. Comparing the war to a fight among kids. Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy.

They hate each other and they don't want to be pulled. Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart. President Trump saying Putin told him he was going to. retaliate against Ukraine for its covert drone attack on Russian bombers. Trump saying he asked Putin not to strike Ukraine. I don't like it. I said, don't do it. You shouldn't do it.

You should stop it. New images of that drone attack show two valuable Russian spy planes targeted and possibly damaged. The drone bounces off the plane's radar while Russian bombers are on fire. Ukraine says its drones put pressure on Putin to compromise. This is the big one. And tonight, NBC news with rare access to Turkish drone manufacturer Baikal that supplies Ukraine. We act on principle. They say drones are changing war, strengthening the underdog.

It has given nations an edge that they would never have had. Unlike the small drones used in Sunday's operation, Baikar's drones are at the top end of the market. They've just tested a drone in the Black Sea that can launch from a can launch from a carrier. Their TB2 drone helped Ukraine resist Russia in the early stages of the war. Would you say this drone saved Ukraine? Well, it's helped. It gave a lot of hope. And now they are equipping drones and aircraft with another 21st century disruptor, AI. There's technology in this hangar so advanced they've asked us not to film it, like unmanned fighter jets.

Combined with AI, it's an arms race that is just beginning. It took centuries. The company chairman tells me AI will turn warfare into three-dimensional chess. If you can program air combat, just like a chess game, the machine is going to be far superior. But he says his company will not allow artificial intelligence to decide when to shoot. After all, could AI truly understand the meaning of taking a human life? The human should be responsible. The operator should always be in charge of the firing decisions.

All right, Keir Simmons joins us now. Kier, these new technologies are changing war. We see that from your report. And the staggering human cost remains, right? We touched on this yesterday a bit, right? That new report out there, that there's been a million Russians either killed or wounded in this war. I know you have some new reporting on that. Yeah, that's right, Tom, I know that.

Number really struck you this week. I think it's going to really stun many of our viewers. This is from the Washington-based Centre of Strategic and International Studies. To break down that one million number, they say as many as 250,000 Russians are dead. They call it a sign of Putin's blatant disregard for his soldiers. They say Ukraine has sustained nearly 400,000 military casualties with between 60,000 and 100,000 deaths. To put that in context, Tom, no Soviet or Russian war since World War's war. two has even come close to Ukraine in terms of the fatality rate. As you say, Tom, war is changing, but the price of war, it doesn't seem to be.

Keir Simmons again for us, Keir, thank you. We're back in 60 seconds with a disturbing diary entries from Luigi Mangione. What he may have been thinking before allegedly gunning down a health care CEO. Then detainees at a South Florida facility spelling out an SOS plea with their own bodies, their powerful aerial image and why the families of these. Cuban migrants say they're calling for help. And bizarre marijuana mix up, strangers showing up at all hours looking for weed, but this isn't a cannabis store.

It's a family's home. The fake website that led customers straight to their front door. All right, we are back now with some stunning new details in the case against Luigi Mangione. Court documents revealing alleged handwritten diary entries made by Mangioni leading up to the murder of United Health Care CEO, Brian Thompson. Here's Sam Brock with the details. Tonight, the shock of last winter's midtown murder

of United Health Care CEO, Brian Thompson, gaining new context as state prosecutors unveil writings and a letter to the FBI. They say were composed by the man accused of killing him, Luigi Mangione. To save you a lengthy investigation, I wasn't working with anyone, he allegedly writes to the feds. I do apologize for any strife or trauma,

but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. In an entry dated a month and a half before the killing, according to the filing, Mangione allegedly writes, So say you want to rebel against the deadly greed-fueled health insurance cartel. Do you bomb the HQ? No. Bombs equal terrorism.

Instead, he writes that one should whack the CEO, adding, it's targeted, precise, and doesn't risk innocence. Most importantly, the point is self-evident. The point is made in the news headline. insurance CEO killed at annual Investors Conference. How much influence do you think these latest revelations will have on the outcome of this case? It's absolutely a win for the prosecution. They were handed something that will give an avenue that they will be able to pursue

to secure potentially a top count conviction for terrorism on that murder charge. In another motion earlier this week, the defense claiming that authorities have already prejudiced Mr. Mangione in the media more than virtually any. defendant in recent memory. No comment tonight from United Health Care and Mangione's legal team. Sam Brock, NBC News. All right, when Top Story returns tonight, a massive fire tearing through dozens of buses in Philadelphia. Look at this. Thick black smoke pouring into the sky. Some of the buses even seen melting into the ground and panic at sea at tourist ferry in Bali taking on water. Travelers scrambling to survive. What led to this disaster and what happened to the people on board?

Stay with us. We're back down with Top Stories News Feed and city buses in Philadelphia, going up in flames. You can see lots of flames and heavy black smoke. It happened early this morning in what officials call a bus graveyard where all out-of-service buses are stored. It's still not clear how that fire started. Video showing a daring rescue of construction workers after a scaffolding, collapse in Cleveland. Take a look. The scaffolding here fell as they were replacing bricks on a building. Firefighters rescuing the workers who were left dangling by their harnesses. One of them was

able to save himself by actually going through a window. Luckily, somehow, no one was injured. Another breaking at a jewelry store in Southern California's San Fernando Valley. In this case, thieves entered the store, you see them here, through a vacant building next door, crawling across the floor and getting into the store's two safes. The owner's brother telling our local NBC station that the burglars used a blow torch and it ripped an alarm from a wall. He says his brother lost everything. While officials have not confirmed any connection, other jewelry store owners in the area have reported being robbed in a very similar manner.

And one of the most hard-to-get accessories is going up for sale when the original Burkin bag hits the auction block next month. The bag made in 1984 is the original prototype made for French actress Jane Burkin, hosted by Sothebyes. The auction will take place July 10th as part of a Paris fashion icon sale. Before then, the bag will be displayed in New York starting tomorrow through June 10th. So far, there is no public estimate for how much the bag will sell, but it's probably going to be a lot of money. All right. And four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rogers is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent, according to multiple reports. The NFL network and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

reporting Rogers is planning to attend the Steelers minicamp next week. The 41-year-old gunslinger is the league's oldest active player and has played for the Green Bay Packers and most recently the New York Jets. Okay, in Miami, striking aerial images taken above the Chrome Detention Center, which is run by ICE. Now, take a look at this. You can see the men standing in lines. They're spelling out SOS, also using towels and shirts to form the words, Libre Cua, some kneeling or seating, hands clasped together as they appear to plea for help. NBC's George Solis joins us from just outside that detention. Center. And George, walk us through what happened there today and why these detainees are sending

this message. Yeah, Tom, and this right here is as close as we can get to the detention center. Officials really cracking down. It's worth noting these are Cuban detainees. One family telling NBC, Miami, they were possibly protesting being sent to a Texas facility and ultimately being deported. Now, it is worth noting that the Trump administration has revoked humanitarian parole protections for Cubans alongside Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans. Now, this is not the first time Chrome has been in the headlines. You might recall reports of lack of food, water, shelter, medical neglect and abuse amidst concerns of overcrowding here at the facility. And this year alone, there have been two deaths at Chrome, a Ukrainian man and a Honduran man, raising more

questions about the standards of care here. Now, Chrome, as you had mentioned, is run by ICE. And per their data, there is about 800 detainees or so. Now, this is a number that has fluctuated, but it still exceeds that max of 600 that is listed on records here. It's also worth noting that it is the oldest immigration facility in the U.S. Now, Tom, this is not the first time we've seen an SOS display like this. We saw one play out just last month in Texas, where detainees spelled out SOS at Blue Bonnet's Immigration Detention Center at a fear, reportedly, of being sent to that El Salvadorian prison.

All right. Tom? Yeah, George Solis first. We thank you. Next tonight to a case we've been following out of Texas. It's a strange story. An Afghan war hero and refugees shot and killed in a Houston parking lot. The man who pulled the trigger was released after talking to police. Tonight, his family, the victim's family, calling for justice as no arrest had been made. NBC's Priscilla Thompson has this one.

What's it like for you being back here right now? Actually, I don't like this area. For Abdullah Khan, the pain of returning to his brother's home in Houston, Texas, is almost too much to bear. When you came here, your brother's blood was still here. Yeah, and this crack, the bloods were here, and I asked the neighbor to get us a bucket and a brush, and I dumped water, and they were helping me with the cleaning the blood. His younger brother, 31-year-old Abdul Rahman Waziri,

a father of two who fought alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was gunned down in his apartment complex in April, Houston police say, after an argument over parking according to the statement given to police by the man who says he pulled the trigger more than a month later the waziri family attorney says that man is still free so police know who did this the police have the identity of the shooter and that person is not in prison he has not been arrested he has not been charged to my knowledge why you know that's the unfortunate circumstance here is that if you shoot and kill somebody and you report it and you report it and you claim self-defense, then now somehow there's a little bit of credibility given to your statement. Attorney Omar Kawaja says Waziri was unarmed. He provided surveillance video from the night of the shooting that appears to show Waziri's white Toyota Camry pull into the complex. So his car is now parked over there. You can see emergency flashers on because we believe he's just getting out temporarily to check his mail. Now you see the shooter's car pull up behind him. 30 seconds,

Later, a black Kia sedan arrives. That's Mr. Waziri walking. He turns around. He's talking to someone, right? That could be the shooter. There's pointing. There's pointing. There's gesturing. Mr. Waziri's walking back towards the mailbox. You see the shooter go back towards his vehicle. What happens next is not entirely clear. He comes back because something is happening over here with the car. And we believe that's when the shooter was vandalizing his car. And the family's attorney says that an altercation between the two men happened somewhere around here, at which point the alleged shooter returned to his car and retrieved a gun.

From what we heard from witness testimony, Mr. Waziri got the better end of that very brief altercation. Then he started going back to his car to leaf, and the shooter runs back to his vehicle, grabs a gun, opens fire on Mr. Waziri as he has his hands up saying, don't shoot me. While on the scene, police say they were approached by a man who identified himself as the shooter. But after consulting with the Harris County District Attorney's office, released him. The DA's office tells NBC News it's awaiting additional information from investigators before making a charging decision. For the U.S. Green Berets whom Waziri put his life on the line to protect, all of it is unconscionable. It makes me extremely upset. Ben

Hoffman served as a Green Beret for almost two decades, including six tours in Afghanistan. He and Waziri met in 2019 when Waziri was part of an elite unit of Afghans trained to detect hidden explosives. Waziri narrowly escaped during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal, his family says, getting out just hours before a suicide bomb exploded at the airport, killing roughly 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members. After everything he went through and everything he risked for him to be shot dead in front of his apartment over, it seems like some dumb argument and then for there to be, it seems like, very little response from the local authorities. It breaks my heart. The killing has sparked protests and calls for justice from Green Berets and

Waziri's family, who tonight are still desperate for answers. We need to see justice. You know, there's two young girls without their father. Every night they're asking their mother, when is our dad coming home? And she doesn't know what to say to them. They deserve justice. They deserve to know what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. All right, Priscilla Thompson joins us tonight from outside police headquarters in Houston. Priscilla, first question I want to ask you, have we, and when we presented this story, been able to get all the surveillance video, or do we think there's other evidence out there that police and the DA are looking at? So right now, we've only been able to get the surveillance video that was given to us by the family attorney. We did ask police if they could verify that video or if they are in possession of that video or have any additional video.

but we were not able to get an answer from them beyond that this investigation is still ongoing, and thus they aren't able to comment any further. And then it sounds like both sides are sort of blaming each other, the police and the DA. Is that why this case is stalled? Yeah, that is what seems to be the case. On one hand, you have the police saying that they released the suspected suspect on scene because they consulted with the district attorney. On the other hand, you have the district attorney saying that they're waiting for additional

information from the police before making a charge. decision. Meanwhile, this family is saying just trying to figure out what's going on. They say they're not getting information from any of the officials in this case about why this man is still out walking the streets freely. And as noted, we reached out to police to try to get that information as well. And we're told that this remains an ongoing investigation. And I should also note that we did reach out to the witnesses that the family attorney says have come forward and spoken with police. But we were not able to get in touch with those witnesses. Tom.

Priscilla Thompson for us tonight. Priscilla, thank you for that. It's our cost-of-denial series, a health care term you may not have heard of, but most likely encountered. It's called ghost networks. When someone calls providers listed on their insurance company's network only to find doctors that aren't actually available, our Vicki Wynn explains. Guy and Michelle Mazzola say they're battling a system that's failing their son. How many hours a week do you spend fighting for your son's care? I mean, depending on the week, 10, 15. hours a week appeal after appeal phone call after phone call little guy as they call

him has autism and needs multiple therapies we thought you know it's got to be covered under insurance it was going to be pivotal for his life like absolutely like different level of life he's going to have if he can get this care right now he'd do so good but as michel showed us trying to find that care near their connecticut home meant spending hours on the phone in frustration, wrong numbers, incorrect information, or wait lists of six months or more. I mean, this is crazy. We tried, too.

So this is supposed to be a speech language pathologist under pediatrics, so hopefully. And this is the current number listed. Making call after call with Michelle to network providers listed by her insurer, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. To Verizon Wireless, your call cannot be completed as dialed. out of six providers we called on the list only one said they could make an appointment in a month the other five either had non-working numbers or went like this is that person offering speech language therapy for pediatric patients no man we do not treat for pediatrics okay and has that been the case always or is that a new change it's been since the practice has been established follow-up calls made by nbc news found that out of 21 additional service providers listed 20 either didn't take patients' guys' age or had no availability for months. You want to watch something? No. It's such a common problem. There's a term for it, ghost networks, when insurance companies

show a robust list of available health care providers on paper, but not in practice. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield declined to be interviewed but told us it is working with the Mozilla family to address guys' needs and that its network meets access requirements outlined under state law. Because of the specialized services, Guy requires a number of the providers in the family's area are booked, and it can be challenging to get appointments immediately. It's incredibly frustrating. It's just there's basically no one here that can help. Now you do. Ghost networks exist nationwide. A recent study by the New York Attorney General's Office of 13 health plans found 86% of the listed in-network mental health providers staff

called were ghosts. If you put off getting care, your diagnosis is being delayed, and that's dangerous for the patient. The Mazzola's attorney, Steve Cohen, has filed two class action lawsuits over ghost networks, including one against Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, which moved to dismiss. We want the insurance companies to act responsibly, to get their act together, to have accurate lists. Go! Go! Guy is now two, and Michelle says he's shown. some signs of progress, now receiving the care he needs, mostly paid for by the Mazzolas with several out-of-network providers. Somebody's got to do something about it.

We're not going to stand for it, not for a guy. And with that, Vicki Wynne joins us now here on Top Stories. So Vicki, for our viewers at home, if they find themselves with the ghost network in front of them, what should they do? Yeah, Tom, the experts we spoke with say, first and foremost, take care of yourself. Get the care you need if you had to go to someone out of network, then filing. an appeal or file for an exemption with your insurance company. And lastly, make sure you report that ghost network to your state department of insurance so that they can investigate. And then just

a reminder of yours, who comes up with these lists when you get your insurance company? Who's providing you with those lists of doctors? It is the insurance company. They want to provide you with what looks like a really comprehensive list of doctors and providers. But the bottom line is those providers aren't always available to the tune of, you know, one out of 10 in some cases. We're legit. And so that's the frustration so many consumers are coming across. All right, Vicki, win, a lot of helpful information there. Vicki, we thank you for that. Now to the bizarre scam in Maryland involving a fake cannabis store. For weeks, dozens of strangers showing up at one couple's doorstep looking for weed,

but the homeowners insist they're not a dispensary. NBC Washington Consumer Investigative reporter, Susan Hogan, helps clear up the smoke. They say there's no place like home. But for Ed Beavers and his wife, their home became a hot spot for high expectations. Out of the blue in April, strangers just started showing up at all hours of the day. And night. The first one was just before midnight, and we had no idea, so it was very scary. Oh, there's a wheelchair.

Turns out these weren't lost delivery drivers. They were customers expecting to pick up gummies and other. cannabis goodies. That's because Google Maps showed Ed's home as a 24-7 marijuana dispensary. So after looking at it, we notified the police, notified Google, that it's all wrong and repeatedly filling out the forms on Google and nothing happens. So how did Ed's home address get mixed up with a pot shop? News 4 learned it was a scammer who set up a fake weed website. and listed Ed's home as the storefront. Buyers would pay online and show up to pick up their product

only to find Ed instead of edibles. The disgruntled customers, even leaving scathing reviews. What's your biggest concern? What are you afraid of? People showing up and trying to break in. Dues 4 contacted a person identifying himself as James, the dispensary manager, through the telegram app listed on the website.

He insisted the address. was correct, despite us informing him, it was a private residence. And when we asked for proof of his Maryland dispensary license, which is required by law, he sent us a screenshot of what appears to be a medical marijuana ID card along with this document supposedly from the Department of Defense United States of America requesting military leave. Yeah, we didn't understand it either. This is not a dispensary. As for Google's lack of response to what Ed says was repeated attempts to contact them to remove the fake listing. Once NBC4 responds contacted them, the site was removed from maps. Google telling us the

listing violated their policies. Ed says he's just glad the buzz is over. That's what we want to do is get it removed so that we can go back to a peaceful existence. Google's own website says fake or made of businesses are ineligible for Google Maps. So we asked the company, how was this scam website allowed? They didn't respond. Tom. Susan Hogan, great report there, NBC Washington. When Top Story returns, tourists in trouble, a ferry sinking off Bali's coast,

passengers screaming for life jackets and scrambling for their lives, we talked to Americans on board. Back now with Top Story's Global Watch and a check of what else is happening around the world. We're going to start with dramatic images out of Bali, a boat carrying 90 people capsizing after it was hit by a strong wave, according to local media. An American tourist there celebrating her birthday speaking to Top Story late today about her terrifying escape from the sinking vessel. NBC's Marissa Para has this one. As this boat, the police say was carrying 89 passengers and a crew capsized in Bali on Wednesday. I started panicking because everyone started screaming and that the water was coming in.

Tourists on the lowered level, including American Lauren Dague, desperate to get out. I just was like screw this and I didn't think I just smashed my foot through the window. broke the window and I was able to say that at least, I think, five or six other people. Bali police say a large wave hit the back of the boat, causing the ship to tilt to the left and lose balance. Everyone was panicking. There was babies, small children, old people, people like me, traveling by themselves. NBC has reached down to the boat company, but we haven't yet heard back. Local police say everyone was rescued with no fatalities. Lauren in Bali to celebrate her

24th birthday says she's nursing bruises and stitches, but she's grateful to be alive. I really did think I was going to die for a second, but I'm really glad that I'm pretty sure everybody's okay. Marisa Parra, NBC News. We thank Marisa Parra for that. Very compelling story there. We have more headlines from overseas tonight. A warning for U.S. citizens about using dating apps in parts of Mexico.

The U.S. Embassy and Consulate saying its citizens are being kidnapped by people. they meet on the apps in several cities, then large sums of money are being demanded from their families in exchange for their safe return. Travelers are advised to use caution when meeting up with strangers. We want to stay overseas now for tonight's health check and a new warning from the UK's Medicine Regulatory Agency. They're sounding the alarm that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wagovi may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills, causing some women to get unexpectedly pregnant. This is after some 40 reports of surprised pregnancies. Women have been taking to social media, sharing their experiences and so-called ozempic babies.

NBC medical analyst Dr. Natalie Azar joins me now. So this is something that's been reported about a year ago. I'll be honest, it surprised me because I know there was sort of this theory that it could affect women in pregnancies, but they're seeing it reverses contraception in women? Right. So if we think about how a medicine like this that is meant to result in weight loss and helping people with diabetes could somehow translate. into improve fertility. There's two main reasons, Tom. One is that the medicines result in weight loss. And we know that obesity is a risk factor for infertility, especially women, for example,

who have PCOS have difficulty getting pregnant. And if they start to lose weight, that suddenly changes your whole menstrual cycle. It encourages ovulation, and people can get pregnant that way. But the other thing has to do with the way the medicines work to help people lose weight. They do that by doing something called delaying gastric emptying, which means it slows down how quickly food is leaving your stomach. It essentially affects absorption. So if you're taking the birth control pill by mouth, a pill, you may not be absorbing the full amount, and it's not going to be working as well. And so as we know, that's one way you're going to get pregnant. But just to be clear, what they're alleging in this study and with these women, I think there's 40 of them have come forward

to say, is that they were taking contraception, they were taking the pill, some type of contraception. they got on these drugs like Ozzympic, and they got pregnant. That's right. And, you know, do we read package inserts enough? OZempig, Wagovi, the makers, Nova Nordisk, and Lily, who does Manjaro and Zepbound. It is clearly stated. They put it out there. They put it out there. And, you know, but it's good that the regulatory agency in the UK is sounding the alarm on this,

because it's maybe not something that every woman at home is. Not everyone reads fine print. Exactly. And the pill is easy to take. And if you're on it, you're not going to think about necessarily. necessarily adding a second form of contraception, but if you are not planning on getting pregnant and you're on this medication, you should be on a second form of contraception.

If you're taking Ozempik-Walgovi, but you do want to get pregnant, should you stop? 100%. The recommendation at this point is to do about a two-to-three-month washout. And the reason is that in animal studies, the medicines can increase the risk of birth defects as well as miscarriage. So if you are trying to get pregnant, you need to be off of it for about two months

before trying to conceive. And if you are on it and you get pregnant, the recommendation is to discontinue the medicine and speak to your doc. Okay. Dr. Natalie Azar, so great to have you. We appreciate it. Thanks for explaining that. Next on top story, a powerful story

you're going to want to see after a nationally ranked teenage tennis star was killed. His family not only kept his spirit alive but turned his commitment to helping others into a movement. That's next. Finally tonight, a story about hope after heartbreak, a high school senior killed by a high school senior

killed by a suspected drunk driver just weeks before graduation. Now, friends and family are sharing his memory and finding ways to help others in his honor. As the fires tore through the Pacific Palisades, I've never seen anything like this in my life. The Levy family rushed to their home to find it engulfed in flames. Everything they owned would burn to the ground. The family's 18-year-old son, Braun, jumping into action, starting a support group for classmates that lost their homes. He never felt sadness or bad for himself. He went into action, and that was living like Braun, action. You see, for Braun, giving was living, traveling to countries

in Africa and South America, with his family, working with kids who had barely enough to survive. Kids gravitated toward him, and he had a way of making everybody happy in any situation. Then just a month ago, Braun was walking home when an alleged drunk driver crashed running. into him, taking his young, beautiful soul from his family and friends. I don't know if you pray or if you talk to your son, but if you do, if there's anything you can share about what you tell him or what you want him to know. I talk to him all the time. I just tell him how much I love him.

And I tell him much I love him and I tell him much I love him and miss him. I love you forever, Braun. Somehow, the levees have carried on, urging loved ones to keep their son's memory alive by encouraging them to, quote, live like Braun, that mantra becoming a movement. He was probably the most loved 18-year-old in all of Los Angeles. Cooper Schwartz was Braun's tennis partner. They started competing as eight-year-olds. There was never a dull moment with that kid.

You knew you were going to get something. You knew you were going to get a random adventure. He was going to try to talk to a random person, instantly become friends with them. It's truly special. Since his passing, the Live Like Braun movement has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in just weeks, already creating scholarships and other opportunities for students who have lived a life of giving. Bron has such a full life and that he had such a big impact on so many people. It makes me feel like it wasn't a life totally not worth living.

living. Live like Braun. Thanks so much for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yammis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.