Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, March 20, 2025

Episode Date: March 21, 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, President Trump signing an order to dismantle the Department of Education, but the fight is just beginning. The protests across the country outraged parents, teachers, and students marching on state capitals and out of schools, while others celebrate the move. But Congress still has its say what it means for everything from school lunches to student loans. The frightening mix up at Orlando's airport, a southwest plane almost taking off on the taxiway instead of the runway. How disaster was averted. Plus, the new report out, what caused this Delta plane to end up upside down? Man hunt for Tesla vandals. The attorney general charges three people for allegedly destroying Tesla cars across the country,

calling it domestic terrorism. The charges they now face. Idaho murder suspect selfie. The chilling photo allegedly taken hours after the murders. What prosecutors now say about when their suspect bought the knife, the father of one of the victims joins us live. Arrested for disc track, the high school student charged for making threats on a fellow student after publishing a song trashing him. The very serious charges he now faces. On the run, the horse racing down a highway in New Orleans, how he got free and how they

caught him. Betting on the future, the million dollar bet. Can AI beat one of the country's best sports better in a March Madness Challenge? Why the human gambler stormed out of our interview. Have a nice day, buddy. And the new warning about bridges across the country. Are they safe? Top story starts right now. in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, President Trump following through with his promise to shut down the Department of Education. Trump signing an executive order late today to dismantle the department after slashing the workforce in half just last week. The White House emphasizing the order will, quote, greatly minimize the department, but critical functions would remain. And we should note,

officially closing the agency would require an act of Congress. The move sparking outrage across the country. Hundreds of parents and teachers protesting in Colorado. A numerous poll showing the decision is widely unpopular, with 63 percent of Americans opposed to shutting down the department. Our Morgan Chesky is on the ground covering the protest, but at first we want to get right to NBC's Garrett Haake, who leads us off tonight from Washington. President Trump tonight looking to keep a campaign promise. I will sign an executive order to begin eliminating the federal department of education once and for all. At a White House event with school children and Republican governors.

The Democrats know it's right, and I hope they're going to be voting for it because ultimately it may come before them. That's because this order may have little practical impact. Only Congress can abolish an executive agency, a move Democrats oppose. And the White House said today, core department responsibilities like managing student loans and Pell grants and supporting special education will be preserved. Beyond these core necessities, my administration will take all lawful steps to shut down. The department, we're going to shut it down.

But the American Federation of Teachers Union firing back, CU in court. The Trump administration cut the department's workforce in half last week, including terminating some 1,300 career employees. Katina Stapleton was fired after 20 years working as a research analyst. I wanted to change things for students, and I'm sad that that just went away without really in consideration. Education is already largely a state and local responsibility. Just 8% of funding comes from the feds.

Some state education officials are applauding President Trump's move to shift more power away from Washington. Frank Edelbleu heads New Hampshire's Department of Education. What we're essentially doing is optimizing the funds for the students, the parents, and the teachers by allowing these processes to get closer to where they are being used. The White House pointing to low test scores as a reason to shake things up. The latest national report card showing 40% of fourth graders don't meet basic benchmarks for reading, despite increases in federal funding.

If you're a parent out there with your kid in a public school, will you notice changes in your child's education immediately because of this? I don't think anything happens immediately. I'd like to snap my fingers and have education reformed throughout the country, but it's going to take a bit. And Garrett Hake joins us now from the White House. So, Garrett, they are trying to abolish the department, and yet they are also saying key functions will be preserved. So ultimately, who's going to do those, quote-unquote, key functions? Yeah, Alison, it's a good question. And it's part of the reasons I think this order may not be all that it is being promoted as.

The White House argues that some of these core functions could be shifted to other agencies. You could have the small business agency or the Treasury Department handle student loans, for example. But that would also require an act of Congress, just like shutting down the department altogether would. And Democrats are not going to allow for that under any circumstances, especially in this political moment. I think what you have here is the White House bumping up against the limits of what they can do on executive authority alone, trying to claim victory and moving on. Ellison? Senior White House correspondent Garrett Haake. Thank you. Across the country, there were protests and pushback from governors and teachers and parents.

over the decision to shut down the agency. There were also people cheering the move. NBC's Morgan Chesky reports from the protest in Denver. Across the country this week, protesters speaking out against efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. Down, down, down with Tabor. One of the largest protest in Denver, where amid the federal shakeup, Colorado educators called on lawmakers to increase school funding in the face of state

budget cuts. And on the steps of the state capital, the signs really do say it all. My third graders make better choices than our government. That certainly encapsulates the attitude of so many of the educators that converged on this site today, facing not only a budget shortfall in their own state, as lawmakers try to figure out how to make up $1.2 billion, but also the fact that thousands of miles away in Washington, President Trump could very well decide the fate of the Department of Education. We will lose out on services. We will lose out on state. We will lose out on state. Our buildings will be underfunded and our kids will not get what they need. The Federal Department of Education responsible for student loans, civil rights complaints,

Title I funding for low-income schools and students with disabilities is now all facing an uncertain future. Special education teacher Stephen Fairfield worries losing the federal department would add to the penny-pinching already being felt by educators statewide. It's a two-front war, basically, for the rights of students and educators. Most importantly, the kids that we serve need every dollar that they can get. Randy Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers Union, also sounding the alarm, saying on CNN, what are we saying to parents? What are we saying to the public? And that's part of the reason why six out of ten people in America, independents, Republicans, Democrats say, don't do this.

But not all educators think there's cause for concern just yet. The superintendent of low public schools appearing on a local radio show in Massachusetts. A lot of it is like conjecture and like what's going to mean, how much are we going to lose and so on and so forth. It's not based on actual fact, much of it, you know, because we simply don't know at this state. Governors largely split across party lines. I'm very concerned that the Department of Education head, a pro wrestling mogul, is now acting like a schooly yard bully and picking on the most vulnerable. What in the world is a bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., doing for kids in Oklahoma or Texas or

Florida or Tennessee? It's not. It's the states that are educated and hiring the teachers. But while federal and local officials debate next steps, public school teachers are left to wonder what's next for their classrooms. I think the scariest part is that we don't know. That uncertainty is terrifying, and it's drawing away from what really matters here, which is the education of our youth and our future Americans. And Morgan Chesky joins us now from Denver. Morgan, what has the Colorado governor said about these protests?

And what does the president's order mean for other states? Yeah, Alison, certainly a lot of uncertainty. We did hear from Governor Jared Polis, who says that this state budget, as it faces this $1.2 billion shortfall, it's still being drawn up. He is assuring educators they'll get necessary dollars,

although there is some sort of disbelief in that, at least from the educators that we met here today at the Capitol. In the meantime, 49 other states outside of Colorado will now try to figure out what their future looks like should the Department of Education fade away following the President's executive order. We did hear, however, from President Trump that identified key parts of the Department of Education. Pell grants, funding for students with special needs. He says that those elements are safe. They won't be part of the Department of Education, but they'll be reassigned.

to other departments in the future. Alison. Morgan Chesky, thank you. Now to the latest in a string of worrisome commercial airline incidents. Tonight, a frightening mix up at Orlando's airport, this time involving a southwest flight. The incident coming as we're learning more about that crash landing on Toronto's runway last month that left a delta plane upside down. NBC's Emily Akeda is following it all and joins us here on set.

Emily, let's start with the situation in Orlando. What do we know about that? We'll talk about a major mix-up. Authorities say that a Southwest plane that was headed from Orlando to Albany started its takeoff role actually on the taxiway instead of the runway. The two parallel one another. Southwest says that fortunately the plane was able to come safely to a stop and that no one was injured.

Meanwhile, we are getting the first report today from information and focusing on that fiery crash landing in Toronto last month. Yo, I was just on this plane. A month after a Delta plane, flipped over on a snowy Toronto runway. Canadian authorities today releasing new details on the harrowing moments on board the regional jet. Now moved into a nearby airplane hanger for investigation. The preliminary report says less than three seconds before touching down, an alert sounded indicating a high rate of descent to the pilots, 1100 feet per minute.

Just how hard did the plane hit the ground? This was probably at least twice of what the normal. rate of descent would be. So all of that force was concentrated in one area, which was far above what that component was designed for. The plane came down hard at a steep angle on the right main landing gear, which partially broke and retracted. The right wing detached, releasing a cloud of jet fuel, which caused that fire as the plane rolled over and skidded down the runway. Drop it. Come on. The crash left passengers like Pete Kukov hanging upside down in their seats, suspended by their safety belts.

I remember just hanging there and me and the lady next to me. We got out pretty quick. Remarkably, all 80 people on board survived. Delta says it remains fully engaged in the ongoing investigation into the cause of the terrifying crash landing. Emily, so this is just a preliminary report. what are they going to be zeroing in on moving ahead? A number of things they're going to be looking at, including the landing gear and the wing structure, asking questions like, should this type of equipment be able to withstand even more force?

They'll also be examining the landing technique and pilot training. The chair today of the Transportation Safety Board in Canada says it is rare that in accidents like this, it is just one thing to blame as that cause is still under investigation also. Emily Aketa, thank you. Attorney General Pam Bondi today saying they've caught three people. people she says are responsible for vandalizing Tesla as in separate incidents across the country. She's vowing to hunt down more, calling the attacks domestic terrorism. Here's Liz Croix with more. Tonight, Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing federal charges against three people nationwide accused of using

Molotov cocktails to set fire to test the cars and charging stations. We have charged multiple people. Get ready. More coming. Investigators saying these images show one of the suspects in Salem Morgan, carrying an AR-15-style rifle while throwing an ignited device into a showroom. The Tesla Center saying it led to about $500,000 in damages. Two others in Colorado and South Carolina also charged. Bondi writing, Let this be a warning. If you join this wave of domestic terrorism against Tesla properties,

the Department of Justice will put you behind bars. The attacks part of a growing movement to target Tesla as a form of protest against the company's CEO, Elon Musk, and his wide-reaching role in the Trump administration. This week, Tesla's at a service center in Las Vegas also vandalized and a website surface targeting individual Tesla owners, showing some names, personal contact information and addresses for Tesla drivers, putting some owners on edge. If I had known Elon was going to turn into what he kind of turned into, I don't know that I would have bought this car necessarily, but even so people have good reasons to buy electric cars and attack. attacking people just because they own a Tesla doesn't seem like a good way to protest. It's unclear who's behind the website, which appears to be taken down, must calling those behind the attacks bad people.

They want to hurt Tesla because we're stopping this terrible waste and corruption. This all comes amid a difficult time for Tesla. Just today, the company recalling nearly all of its cyber trucks over an exterior panel that can detach and increase the risk of a crash. Tesla's stock now down 50% since its high in December. Meanwhile, as the White House rallies behind the company, Trump Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik urging Americans to buy its stock, which some experts say is a potential violation of government ethics.

Buy Tesla. It's unbelievable that this guy's stock is this cheap. It'll never be this cheap again. And Liz Kreutz joins us now from Los Angeles. Liz, do we know the types of charges these suspects now face? Yeah, Alison, I mean, the three suspects are facing serious federal charges and they range from a lawful possession of a firearm to malicious destruction of property to arson. And if they're convicted, they each face up to 20 years in prison, Allison. Liz Croyd's, thank you.

Up next, the selfie prosecutors say the suspect in those Idaho murders took just hours after the murders. And the new push from the defense to forbid families from wearing certain t-shirts during the trial. One of the victim's fathers responds to that live on top story. Plus, the new warning that a volcano in Alaska is about to erupt, what residents are being told. And look at this, a horse racing down a highway in New Orleans, how they rounded him up. We're back now with the chilling new details in the murder case of the Ford University of Idaho students. Newly released court documents revealed previously unseen evidence that the prosecution plans to use at trial against Brian Coburger. That includes this selfie of Coburger, allegedly

taken just six hours after the murders happened at the off-campus home. Prosecutors say it shows bushy eyebrows, which a surviving roommate claimed the suspect had. They also say they have proof of a K-bar knife and sheath purchased on Amazon eight months prior to the murders, and a map that the prosecution says, shows a vehicle that matches Coburger's Hyundai Alantra near the scene. New documents from the defense, too, including plans to break down how they say Coburger's autism diagnosis impacts his behaviors. It has been two and a half years since Madison Mogan, Zana Cronodal, Ethan Chapin, and Kaylee Gonzalez were murdered. And joining us now is Kaylee's father, Steve Gonzalez. Steve, thank you so much for joining Top Story. And I also

want to say, I'm so sorry that you have to join us and that we have to speak like this. I know you were doing this to speak for your daughter, but I am so sorry this is a situation you find yourself in at all. I want to start with just asking you about that selfie that everyone has now seen. What went through your head? What did it feel like when you saw that selfie of Brian Koberger allegedly taken hours after your daughter and her housemates were murdered? It was a trophy. He made himself a trophy. He made himself a trophy. He He felt like at that point he had just returned from the crime scene. There was no one there.

And he believed very confident that's with the thumbs up. He's going to look back at that, remember what he got away with. And, you know, it's a challenge to Idaho to let everybody know that, you know, he thought he could kill people in our state, get away with it. He was far smarter than everyone else around him. And, you know, he studied it. You know, he's trying to be a Ph.D. in it. So I think it was a challenge to Idaho, and I think Idaho will definitely step up, and he's going to regret that photo.

Steve, I want to also ask you about one of the requests the defense is making to the judge asking that they do not allow spectators to wear t-shirts with pictures of the victims on them or anything like words in the memory of. How does that make you feel? It's Patty. I don't worry about it, though. My daughter's, you know, justice and getting this conviction is much more important than wearing a shirt. I've never worn a shirt in court. They'll never be able to ever show that I ever did.

So, you know, when you got somebody facing, you know, death row, you probably should focus more on, you know, the case and the evidence rather than who's going to be in there witnessing it. The defense has also claimed that they're going to present alternate perpetrators. Do you believe there is anyone else involved in the murder of your daughter and her housemates? No, not at all. There's surveillance all around there. You're going to clearly see who was coming into the place and exactly when they were leaving and what that vehicle looked like when it took that corner.

Yeah, this case is solid. It's super solid. and, you know, we look forward to it. They're just trying to delay it, but, you know, it's time to pay the Piper. We're all going to see what the, you know, state has, and I'm very confident in what they have. How is your family holding up and handling all of this? I mean, last week we heard the 911 call partially released. We've seen this selfie now. What is it like for you and your family to keep having these items, these bits of information, come out?

It is hard. It's very hard. You kind of just prepare your family, tell them to stay away from the TV, stay away from, you know, parts of the Internet. So, but it's nice to get this information out. It's good to see the facts. I mean, it's weird to wait two and a half years to know, like, some of the final things that, you know, your child has been through. We're still waiting on even, like, laptops and things that, you know,

so we can see, you know, her playlist and things that she was working on. It's tough. It's tough to go through this, but I just think of all the officers and, you know, the FBI agents and all the hard work that they put into this. So, you know, I can wait and, you know, we can get this out. We can figure it out. As we move closer to seeing Brian Koberger actually face a jury and answer to these charges, what for you and your family is the thing you hope people focus on the most when that coverage really gets in full swing? What is it you hope? people don't forget about what y'all have experienced or about your daughter. I think if people can concentrate on how much victims they were, how these people were just going through their everyday life, trying to be educated, try to be like the best type of human being that you could possibly be, and even having all the way from like their meals that they shared together till their Uber ride, they weren't drinking and driving, they weren't doing anything

bad and come home and to go to your bed and to have some stranger that does he's not even a part of our state you know he's not even he just didn't even belong here you know and and have that person sneak into your home and kill you in your bed if there wasn't ever a moment for people to rally together and say it's time to take this to the full closure and have a message that's out there so we can kind of point to to say you know we put our foot down down right here. And, you know, when we have these school shooters and people that do these mass murders, maybe we have to start, you know, putting our foot down and taking it to the darkest part, you know, all the way until we finalize these people. And then maybe we can we can stop having

these so often. Have you been able to speak to any of the other families, Ethan's family, Xenas or Maddie's? Yeah, I've spoken to all the families, some more than others. But, yeah, I mean, Karen will call, she'll call us in the middle of the night, you know. So we know if you're struggling and you're having a hard day that you picked up that phone and you spend some time talking to, you know, talking to somebody. And I love talking about Maddie all the time. So it's no, it's pretty easy for us to do. Are you and the other families confident right now that prosecutors have what they need to get a conviction here?

Yeah, yeah. They broke that down early on, and they basically outlined a couple different scenarios. And one of those was, you know, hopefully this person comes out and says that he was framed. That was ideal because that basically just means there's so much evidence that he just can't combat it. You know, we didn't think we'd get as lucky as no alibi. We thought he'd think it out. And, you know, he is a smart guy. I figured he'd have some better way to explain what he was doing that night.

I mean, I could think of a lot of better ways he could have done it. Really tricky stuff, but he didn't. And luckily, the case is going to be, you know, it's going to be handled, and we'll get the eventual. Never get our kids back. I take that over any of this, but, you know, this is the best that we can make of the situation that we're in. Steve Gunball, Gonzalez, thank you so much for joining us. And I promise you we will remember Ethan, Kaylee, Zana, and Maddie as we move forward covering whatever happens next with this trial.

We appreciate your time tonight. Thank you. And we'll be right back. Now to top stories, news feed, two ICE detainees breaking out of a detention center near Denver during a power outage. Authorities say the two men escaped the facility in Aurora when a power outage left a back door open. They were last accounted for Tuesday afternoon. Ice jailers alerted local police five hours after the disappearance. Police are still searching for the runaway detainees from Mexico and Venezuela.

Scientists urging residents in south central Alaska to prepare for the possible eruption of Mount Spurs volcano. Alaska's volcano observatory saying the likelihood of the volcano erupting has increased, warning residents of the risks of ashfall, especially for aviation. Luckily, not very many people live close to the mountain, but tourists and nearby towns are advised to take precautions. The volcano previously erupted in 1953 and 1992. Some horsing around captured on camera in New Orleans. New video shows a horse galloping down a busy highway as cars passed by. The horse was later found in a parking garage,

police bringing him to the department's mounted unit stables, where he was treated for minor cuts and scrapes before being reunited with its owner. No word on how the animal initially got loose. And in the world of sports, the Boston Celtics sold for a record-setting 6.1 billion dollars. Celtic superfan and private equity firm co-founder William Chisholm will own the team if the sale is approved by the NBA's board of governors. That price tag would be the most ever paid for a North American sports team. The previous record holders, the Washington commanders, were sold for just above $6 billion in 2023. Next to that severe weather ushering in

spring. A reported 10 tornadoes touching down across the Midwest in EF1 tornado and Gary, Indiana, ripping the roofs off of homes and businesses, wildfires burning in multiple states, while a patchwork of snowstorms, rockslides, and dust storms make for a dangerous start to the season. Maggie Vespa reports. From raging fires to violent twisters. Oh, my God! Tonight's spring, off to a ferocious start. Cleanup is underway in the Midwest after a reported 10 tornadoes overnight.

ripped apart homes, schools, and businesses. Officials confirm an EF-1 hit this Gary Indiana neighborhood, adding one woman was hospitalized. Larry Hickerson watched the twister lift power poles out of the ground. You saw the roofs of each home lifted up, and then it was a rain of debris, just complete rain of debris, car parts, AC units, there were shingles. All you could do was pray, which I did multiple times.

Multiple times. Multiple times. Meanwhile, wildfires burn in multiple states. In Florida now topping 24,000 acres, temporarily closing U.S. 1, the highway in and out of the Keys, flames fueled by low humidity and a red flag warning. Wow. Severe winds, a common thread nationwide, driving crippling snowstorms and widespread power outages from Nebraska to Michigan and dust storms in Texas now blamed for a fatal crash

this week. Farther west, Oregon's governor declaring a state of emergency after heavy rains triggered widespread flooding and in California this rock slide blocking a road to Yosemite National Park. A wild weather roundup sparing no corner of the U.S. And Maggie Vespa joins us now from Gary Indiana. Maggie, I mean, we can see the cleanup effort starting underway or getting underway behind you there. We also have some new reporting tonight on just how bad this year has already been when it comes to severe weather. What can you tell us? Yeah, Alison, definitely our climate team flagging that we've already had. They counted 257 reported tornadoes this year alone. So just 2025 to date, 257. That's well above the average, they say, of 175. So we are off to a

violent start. Staggering numbers for anyone, but especially people who are watching this work go on in their neighborhoods. You can see these power crews. They've set up this power pole, which was ripped down. They've replaced that. They're putting the lines back up. And then you can see the homes under here. These are the ones that were torn apart here in Gary by that EF1 tornado. So really here, people just well aware of how real these things can get. And the cleanup, as you can see, Alison, just beginning. Maggie Vespa in Indiana, thank you. Now to the latest on the key bridge disaster in Baltimore. Nearly a year after that deadly collapse, the NTSB now saying dozens more of bridges around this country may also be at risk. NBC's Tom Costello has the list.

Nearly one year after a Singapore flagged container ship crashed into a support pier, bringing down Baltimore's key bridge. The NTSB today said for decades, Maryland authorities failed to assess the bridge's vulnerability to a collision, despite contributing to the national guidelines that called for the assessments. Had they done that, the collapse could have been prevented. Today, the NTSB warned many more bridges that ocean-going ships. routinely pass under could also be at risk, naming 68 bridges that need urgent risk assessments, including some of America's most iconic, the Golden Gate and Coronado Bridges in California, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida, the Huey P. Long, Crescent City and Hale Boggs Bridges in Louisiana, the Bay and Chesapeake bridges in Maryland, the Verrazano, Brooklyn, and G.W. bridges in New York,

and many more, including in Ohio, Texas, and Massachusetts. We are telling bridge owners is that they need to know the risk and determine what actions they need to take to ensure safety. Bridges built after 1994 must have vessel collision mitigations like protection islands around bridge supports. Tonight, the Maryland Transportation Authority has not responded to NBC's request for comment. Maryland Governor Westmore says the new key bridge will be far more robust. We are going to make sure that we are going to get this bridge. built on time and on budget, and it is going to make sure that it leads up to all industry standards on safety. With so many bridges at risk, now a national urgent push to protect them

from the kind of disaster that brought down Baltimore's key bridge. Tom Costello, thank you. Now, of the case of a graduate student at Georgetown University detained by immigration authorities Monday night, Mother Han Suri is a postdoctoral fellow at the school working at a center for Muslim Christian understanding. He traveled to the United States from India on a student visa. Tricia McLaughlin, the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, said on X that he had been, quote, actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media. She also said he has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, a senior advisor to Hamas. Just moments ago, a federal judge ruling the Trump administration cannot deport him

unless a court rules otherwise. He is being held in a detention facility in Louisiana, ahead of a deportation hearing that is currently scheduled for May. His lawyer, Hassan Ahmed, joins us now. Hassan, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us this evening. Let me just start by asking you about your client. When was the last time you were able to speak with him? And how is he doing? Thanks for having me.

I was able to speak with Dr. Khan Suri last night around 7 o'clock. He was at the Alexandria staging facility. It's just a really difficult situation for him. It's the month of Ramadan. He's fasting, but is not being given proper Ramadan accommodation, so he's fasting without the pre-dawn meal. I'll tell you this about him, just to give you an idea what kind of person he is.

The first person he asked about was his wife and then asked about his children. And the second question he had for me was about his students. And only then did he ask about himself in his own case. Could you tell us a little bit about his family, how old are his kids, and tell us what life has been like for him prior to this?

You know, it seems that it was an idyllic, you know, their academics, you know, working at a center for Muslim Christian understanding, and he's a renowned scholar in the area of conflict resolution, and he's got three young children, and it just seemed, this is the person under the charges on his immigration court hearing are that he is bad for the United States foreign policy. And I would just submit that if our government thinks that a scholar like this is bad for foreign policy, maybe the problems with the government, not with the scholar. Let's talk a little more about what the Department of Homeland Security is accusing your client of.

They are accusing him of spreading Hamas propaganda as well as anti-Semitism and having connections to a senior advisor to Hamas. How do you respond to those claims? I would say that this is still the United States of America, and we don't punish people, we don't whisk them away and send them a thousand miles away from their family based on what they may have said, what they may have posted on social media,

or who they are related to. Can I ask you, because I did see his father-in-law, Ahmed Yusuf, is a former advisor to Ishmaqqani, who was the Hamas leader that Israel assassinated last year in Iran. And he confirmed at the New York Times that he previously did have a role with Hamas, but saying that he'd left that position more than a decade ago and that he does not currently hold a senior position with the militant group at all. Do you know if your client even had any contact with his father-in-law?

As I understand it, his father-in-law is not in the United States. He lives inside of Gaza. That's my understanding as well. I'm only aware of one instance when my client had contact with his father-in-law, and that was to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. The federal law says that the Secretary of State can revoke visas and deport immigrants if they have reasonable ground to believe that an immigrant would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.

I believe this is the same sort of clause or provision in the immigration. and Nationality Act that was used to justify revoking the visa of the Columbia grad student, Mahmoud Khalil, which has caused a lot of controversy here in New York and beyond. Is that your understanding that that's what they're citing here? And in terms of just looking at that law from an outsider, a non-legal mind, it seems like a very broad provision within the law. And it seems like the U.S. has a lot of power here to revoke visas as they sort of see fit. How hard is it, in your experience, to get a revoked visa reversed?

And legally, how do you plan to fight this? So it is the exact same charge that was in the case of Mahmoud Khalil, Section 237, A4C, I of the Immigration Nationality Act. And looking at it and just reading it, it is a very broad provision of law and seemingly allows a single official to essentially order a person's deportation and not have to give a reason for it. It's for that reason that it's important that it be subjected to some sort of check, judicial check. You know, my initial thoughts when I heard about the case of Mahmoud Khalil and looking at the current status of the BIA case law on it is that Marco Rubio, as the Secretary

of State, could chat GPT some reason for why he thinks somebody is a bad idea for foreign policy or affects foreign policy negatively, and no court would have the ability to take a look at that and say, well, wait a second, show your math on that. We plan to hold the government's feet to the fire, and we're going to make them show their math. And on some of these specific accusations, let me just ask you directly, has your client ever made pro-chamas or anti-Semitic statements? We deny that. If your client could speak directly to the Trump administration tonight, what do you think you would want to say? Why did you take me away from my family?

I think that's the first thing that he would say. And the second thing he would say is, I'm literally, I came here to, I came here to teach young minds about conflict resolution. And for some reason, I find myself caged up like a common criminal. Hassan Ahmed, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us tonight. I'm sure we will be in touch and hopefully can speak to you again as this case progresses. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Heading overseas now to the latest in Gaza.

According to Palestinian officials, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 45 people overnight, including two pregnant women and their young children. For its part, Hamas said today it fired rockets into Israel the first time they've done so in months. All of this after that fragile ceasefire fell apart, and Israel resumed its ground and air offensive earlier this week, killing more than 400 people so far. Even before the renewed assault, Israel had stopped aid into Gaza. Our teams on the ground there witnessing over. overwhelming stories of hunger and dehydration all during the holy month of Ramadan.

NBC's international correspondent Matt Bradley has more. In the Gaza Strip tonight, a deadly repeat of recent history. As Israeli forces filed back into the enclave, assuming the same strategic positions two months after they left as part of a ceasefire that has been shattered. Palestinian health officials in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas, say more than 400 people have been killed since Israel scrapped the ceasefire Tuesday morning. Most of them, women and children. But Israel's renewed ground invasion heaps new suffering on a civilian population already afflicted

by starvation and thirst. Israel stopped aid into Gaza this month, they said, to keep Hamas from pilfering and profiting off the aid and to pressure the group to release dozens of remaining hostages. But the decision said prices soaring, just as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began. There's no life, safety, food, or water, says this man. none of the basics of life. This family lost loved ones and their home in an Israeli strike last year. Now they have nothing to shield them from the cold or the bombs.

It's a far cry from Ramadan celebrations of the past. These are the worst days of my life during this month of Ramadan, says this grieving grandmother. In northern Gaza, a sea of children, little hands, desperately stretched for a small portion of rice. deprived us of many things, vegetables, unavailable, rice, unavailable, everything is unavailable, says this man. This woman says she's sold much sought after gas, now 16 times its normal price, to feed her family.

But this other woman says she can't afford gas, so she, like so many here, cooks over an open flame. I can no longer see properly because of the smoke, she says, and I lost 60 pounds since the start of the war. and gas prices are constantly rising, no cash flow, no banks, no jobs, no end in sight. The Gaza government media office on Monday cited initial stages of famine across the enclave. The people at this bakery have been waiting since sunrise, but they're walking away empty-handed.

We'll starve, says this woman. In the end, people will eat each other. After being stalked by hunger and thirst, the people of Gaza are once again threatened with violent death. Matt Bradley, NBC News. Now to Top Story's Global Watch, starting with the latest on that opposition leader arrested in Turkey. Thousands of protesters gathering for a second night in Istanbul after the city's mayor was arrested. The mayor is one of President Erdogan's key rivals and was set to be named as a presidential candidate later this week. The government also arresting dozens of people

for what they call provocative social media posts. Journalists have also reportedly been detained. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwandan-backed in-23 rebels captured a key mining town, ignoring ceasefire calls. By taking control of Wali Kale, the rebels have seized a road that links four provinces in the country's east, cutting off access for the Congolese army. The move comes as the presidents of the DRC and Rwanda held ceasefire talks in Qatar. And Finland, once again, ranked the happiest country in the world on the annual World Happiness Report. It's Finland's eighth consecutive year in the top spot, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands, rounding up the top five. The U.S. ranked 24th, its lowest position ever on the list. The report ranks countries based on life evaluations by residents.

It also looks at factors ranging from GDP per capita to freedom. Still ahead tonight, a high school student arrested after making a disc track against another student. The charges he's now facing in what his parents are telling top story tonight. Plus, how an unruly fan and a single water bottle brought the first game of March Madness to a stop. Stay with us. That was a full bottle of water, too. That was very... We're back now with a serious charge out of the Atlanta area.

A high school student arrested for making terroristic threats towards another student in a disc track posted on social media. His parents defending that rap saying their son used it as an outlet to avoid physical violence. NBC's Marissa Para explains. In Georgia, a high school student arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after posting this disc track to social media. The rapper you hear there, 18-year-old Cortez Liles. His parents say the track addresses Lyle's former football teammate after the two got into a fight at practice last November.

They were opposing offense, defense on the line, and they end up getting into a scuffle. According to a police incident, reported. provided by Lyle's dad, Nichez, the teammate was charged with battery. The status of that battery charge is not clear. And both he and Liles were asked not to contact each other in the halls by a school administrator. Nchez says he encouraged his son to vent his frustrations through lyrics rather than retaliate. Did I take his... get a body bag or save his... I'm a scorpion. According to the police report, the second student's parent reported those lyrics as a threat. County Jail records show Liles was arrested on March 3rd and arrested on a $1,500 bond the next day.

Lyle's parents argue it's common sense that distracts. Like the ones traded between Drake and Patrick Lamar. Say, Drake, I hear you like I'm young. Certified lover boys certified pedophiles. Are not literal threats or accusations. It's kind of foundational to hip hop. We crack jokes on each other and, you know, some of those jokes can get. pretty mean. The school, police and prosecutors, not immediately returning NBC News's request for

comment. The second student could not be reached. It is not a defense to a crime of threats that you could have committed a worse crime of assault. The defense here is going to have to create a narrative about context, that under the context and these specific facts, there was no way that the victim or anyone else would have perceived that these statements were threats, that instead they were just music. And Marissa joins us now from Miami. Marissa, is there any hope this could be resolved outside of the court? Well, Alison, good to be with you tonight. The parents of Cortez Liles, who we heard from in this piece, those are the parents that we interviewed. They say that their son wants to go to the Air Force after he graduates high school. So this is exactly the reason they are

hoping that they can do exactly that. Ellison. Marissa Parra, thank you. When we come back, betting on the future. An AI company hoping to prove their technology can beat humans when it comes to picking a March Madness bracket. They're so sure they're putting $1 million on it. The heated interview when we asked who will prevail, man or machine. Finally tonight, March Madness has tipped. off. Sixteen games played today for the start of the men's first round, but this afternoon's Creighton versus Louisville game delayed after some unsportsman-like conduct from a fan. Oh, come on. Come on. Somebody threw a bottle of water on the floor. Unnecessary. That's going to be

a clean-up here. There's, come on, man. That was a full bottle of water, too. That was very dangerous. That water bottle thrown after a Louisville player was given a technical foul. No one was hurt, and Creighton would go on to win that game. That means for anyone who had Lowell, your bracket already busted. In fact, according to ESPN, less than 6% of perfect brackets remain after a major upset by McNeese over Clemson late today.

CBS estimating less than 3% remain on their site. But could AI have helped prevent that? That's the question one tech CEO is hoping to answer this tournament, and he's putting a million dollars on the line. His company's AI picks facing off against those of a sports betting pro. NBC's George Solis breaks down this bracket battle. There's almost one thing certain about March madness. Your bracket will be busted by the time the big dance is over. That one shining moment where it may seem things are going your way,

eventually dull by the reality. There's a one in 120.2 billion chance of a perfect bracket. So you're telling me there's a chance. Given that it's not a slam dunk. It was only a matter of time before AI was brought into the mix. While Chad GPT has been used for Bracketology before, this year, one group is looking to boost the stakes. Enter 4C predictions, who is putting their real money where their virtual mouth is, claiming their data will prevail in this annual basket brawlers contest, putting up $1 million

in a man versus AI machine challenge. Are you suggesting that with 4C we could be looking at potentially perfect brackets in the future? AI will eventually be able to do everything. It's not an if it's a win. CEO Alan Levy, however, admits a perfect bracket. Even in the next five to ten years would still be a mathematical anomaly. Nevertheless, he's banking on a dribble threat of his best AI programmers' picks against this guy. Sean Perry, one of the world's best-known sports gamblers that has won and wagered millions over the course of his.

10-year career. Why take this bet? Professional sports better, and I love making money. So I'm always looking for more action to bet on sports. How do the two stack up? Well, Sean Perry is going with the nation's top pick, the Duke Blue Devils, while AI is going with the eighth most pick champion, Houston. And like a true sporting event, the competition between the pair getting heated. You are saying that you're smarter than a trillion dollars worth of technology, that you're smarter than PhDs, that you're smarter than AI. Is that what you're saying? I want to understand what you're saying.

All I am saying is I am the best sports better in the world. And there's people that think that they're good, and I'm here to challenge anybody. I gave an open invite saying I want to bet anyone. I want to post $100 million. I want to understand what you're saying, okay, but I don't agree with you. I think you're emotional. I think you're irrational, right? And I think that $10 million is ridiculous on one outcome.

I think that AI is going to crush humans in everything. The only way this challenge is happening is if you pony up the $10 million per bet. If not, I wish you and your company the best, but you are not getting exposure for me. Okay. Despite the face-off, Alan says the $1 million bet is still on, but adds for him, this challenge is about more than money. Even if you go with your gut and you end up going with your gut, that's good, but at least get the best information that's available. Potentially, a new era for March Madness with bracket bets that are nothing. But net.

Fascinating stuff. Our thanks to George Solis for that report, and we will follow up with them on the bet there. All right. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way. Thank you.