Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, May 1, 2025

Episode Date: May 2, 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, chaos at a major American airport. Flights turned around mid-air, and the new warning, it's only going to get worse. Gridlock at Newark Airport, with hundreds of flights delayed or canceled, arriving flights coming in more than five hours late, the dire warning from one air traffic controller there. Plus, the Southwest flight turned around because a passenger cell phone caught fire. The island community locked down in South Carolina, residents sheltering in place as police searched for a hit-and-run suspect believed to be armed and dangerous. White House

shake-up. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz moved aside. His new role tonight was his handling of that war cabinet chat grew to blame. Deadly flooding in Oklahoma, one victim swept away in the floodwaters. The deputy trying to rescue him needed to be rescued himself. 31 million now at risk. Manhunt in L.A. for these men accused of assaulting a shop owner who is transgender multiple times over multiple dates, the victim speaks out to top story. Luigi the musical, the controversial news show putting the health care CEO's killer's story to music and tickets are already sold out. Stop making sense. The bipartisan bill just introduced in the Senate to end the production of the penny. Will Congress finally make change? Plus, John Elway speaks out what the football great is saying after his friend and agent died in a golf car accident with Elway reportedly at the wheel.

Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, the travel meltdown at one of the nation's busiest airports. Is this a hint of what's to come with summer travel just around the corner? Right now, hundreds of flights into an. out of Newark delayed. Passengers left waiting for hours due to what the hub says is a combination of problems from staffing shortages to equipment issues and wind conditions. And United Airlines just revealing it had to divert more than 20 flights this morning to area airports. But it's not

just Newark. At this hour, Chicago O'Hare and Dallas Fort Worth also seeing some significant backups. Dallas still dealing with the aftermath of severe weather. And we're just learning about an incident aboard a Southwest flight, a passenger's phone igniting just before takeoff at El Paso International yesterday morning. The plane was forced to return to the gate. We're told crews were able to put out the flames and everyone is safe. And with the summer travel season kicking off in just a few weeks, tonight a new warning from the Secretary of Transportation who says we are starting to see, quote, cracks in the system that uses decades-old technology. NBC's Tom Costello starts off our coverage tonight. Tom, how is the situation at Newark right now?

Yeah, at this hour, FAA reports a ground delay, still in effect, at Newark, and the arrivals, arrivals delayed by at least five hours in some cases, and it's more due to equipment problems and staffing shortages with one veteran controller telling NBC News, don't fly into Newark, avoid Newark at all costs. At one of America's busiest airports, gridlock, 24 hours of ground stops and delays, at Newark International, a critical hub for United. Arriving flights delayed five to 12 hours. All we know that this is an ATC FAA issue.

This red-eye flight from San Francisco to Newark turned around mid-flight. On the west coast, passengers waiting in long lines. Yeah, this is rough. The FAA blames the chaos on equipment issues, runway construction at Newark, and staffing issues at Philadelphia, Tracon, which guides aircraft in and. out of the airport. What I think you're seeing is you're starting to see cracks in the system. American 237. Still short some 3,000 controllers nationwide. The DOT today unveiled plans to staff up within three to four years, including recruiting more military controllers, bonuses for academy

grants and veteran controllers who don't leave before mandatory retirement at 56. One newer controller tells NBC News they lost radars on Monday, radials on Wednesday, and things need to change. It's not a safe situation for the flying public. The FAA and the ATC union insist, air travel is safe. I think this is a pivotal moment of seeing what the stresses and pressures of this career path are. Stress and strain with summer travel weeks away. And Tom Costello back with us now in our D.C. newsroom. Tom, we are also learning the Department of Transportation is going to, as you touched on there, unveil plans to upgrade air traffic control. Do we know what those plans are going to look like? Well, already you've got the House, has already, Republicans in the

House have already laid out a $15 billion plan to dramatically upgrade the nation's air traffic control infrastructure, buildings, technology, all of the above. This is a bipartisan issue. You've got Democrats and Republicans in full agreement on the need to overhaul ATC nationwide. It will take years, but this really follows the mid-air crash here in Washington. Everybody in the city is all on board, but it's going to take time and a lot of money. NBC's Tom Costello, thank you. You bet. In South Carolina tonight, police apprehending a suspect who they say drove his car into children outside of preschool on Sullivan's Island, a man accused of hitting three people before fleeing the scene on foot. Police locking down that island of about 1,800 people for

hours, setting up checkpoints and searching with dogs. Police say the suspect was eventually found on a boat. NBC's Aaron Gilcrest now with a breaking update on the case. Tonight, a South Carolina Beach Town on lockdown. Police launching a man hunt, including a house-by-house search for this man, Justin Colin Adams, accused of a hit and run. He was last seen armed with a knife. He's considered armed and dangerous.

They say Adams struck three people. including two children with a car outside the Sunrise Presbyterian Church Preschool on Sullivan's Island. One child treated at the scene the other victims rushed to the hospital. Police say the suspect took off on foot. The manhunt unfolding just before one in the afternoon. Police dropping a drag net on the town, putting helicopters and drones in the air, teams of officers knocking on doors. The effort drawing crowds of onlookers and bringing traffic on the island to a crawl.

In addition to doing the searches of the homes, We're also searching every vehicle that is leaving the island looking for the suspect. Investigators still trying to determine whether the crash was an accident or deliberate, and delivering this warning. I do want to say to the residents, please be wary. Please stay inside your house. If you see somebody, do not approach them. And Aaron joins us now from Atlanta. Aaron, what more can you tell us about the conditions of the people hit? Well, Allison, our understanding is that the other child who was hit has been released from the hospital. Police say that the adult who was hit in this incident is in stable condition.

They say that she will be fine. As you noted there, this is something that is unusual for such a small town in South Carolina. And so police, as you noted, again, dropped this really large drag net on that area with multiple agencies coming in to help. The helicopter from the Charleston County Sheriff's Office participating in. as well, they were able to spot this suspect in a boat there, not far from the scene where this hit and run happened. He is now with investigators being questioned and charges are pending, Ellison.

Aaron Gilcrest, thank you. We are also following a major shake-up at the White House. President Trump removing his national security advisor, Mike Waltz, Trump saying he'll nominate Waltz for UN ambassador instead. The change coming weeks after Waltz added a reporter to that now infamous signal group chat. NBC News, senior White House correspondent Garrett Haig has the late details. Tonight, just 102 days into his second term, President Trump, with his first senior staff shakeup, removing national security advisor Mike Walts, announcing he's nominating Walts to become

ambassador to the United Nations instead. Posting, Mike Walts has worked hard to put our nation's interests first. I know he will do the same in his new role. The president tapping Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pick up Waltz's duties on an interoperable. rim basis. He did not stop to answer questions late tonight. Mr. President, why now? Waltz was on Fox News this morning, praising President Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine moments before reports he was expected to be pushed out of his White House role. Only President Trump could have brought both sides together. We were here. We are moving closer and closer. The decision to reassign Waltz, part of the ongoing fallout after an

embarrassing mishap, when Waltz mistakenly added a reporter to a group change. on the encrypted app signal, where sensitive plans about strikes against the Houthis were discussed. Waltz later took responsibility for the episode. It's embarrassing, yes. We're going to get to the bottom of it. Was there a mistake, absolutely? We're going to improve it. We're going to fix it. President Trump publicly supported him. That man is a very good man right there that you criticize so strongly. He's a very good man, and he will continue to do a good job.

The president at the time telling me in a phone interview, he thought waltz had, quote, learned a lesson. But waltz remained on shaky ground. When asked about waltz again last week, the president saying only, quote, waltz is fine. I mean, he's here. During his first term, President Trump cycled through four national security advisors. Tonight, Democrats are calling for defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who was also on the signal chat, to be removed. The national security advisor is out. He's the first person to leave.

He will certainly not be the last. Tonight, Vice President Vance was asked about the former Green Beret and Florida Congressman. I like Mike. I think he's a great guy. He's got the trust of both me and the president. But we also thought that he'd make a better U.N. ambassador. Garrett joins us now from the White House. Garrett, you mentioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio is taking over for the time being as National Security Advisor.

But he already has a number of other jobs. in this administration, right? Yeah, and Allison, our reporting is that he might have this interim title for quite some time, perhaps even months. But by my count, this is the fourth job Marco Rubio has in this administration. He's the interim NSA. He is, of course, the Secretary of State. He's also the acting director of USAID, the administration that distributes Ford Aid, and the acting archivist of the United States. Now, neither of those last two roles have a ton of work attached to them. But it does illustrate the point that the president actually made in the Rose Garden today, which is the person he calls upon

when something has to get done is Marker Rubio. It's probably part of the reason. He was confirmed 99 votes to zero in the Senate. He has a big portfolio. He has a lot of trust of the White House and on Capitol Hill. And now, going forward for the foreseeable future, he has a ton on his plate, Ellison. NBC's Garrett Hake at the White House. Thank you. We are tracking dangerous storms on the move tonight. More than 30 million Americans bracing for severe from Texas to New York. But first, NBC's Adrian brought us with the flooding that turned deadly. Days of torrential rainfall and severe storms across the south, turning deadly. Authorities say raging floodwaters killed at least two people in Oklahoma on Wednesday.

One of the victims swept off a roadway, according to the Pottawatomie Sheriff's Office. A deputy trying to save him also swept away needed to be rescued. The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety also saying an 86-year-old was swept away in her vehicle. Some residents forced to evacuate as the floodwaters rose. Powerful thunderstorms in hail, pummeling neighboring Texas. Some parts completely overrun by floodwaters. More than 30 million Americans now under the threat of severe weather. From the Texas Panhandle to Pennsylvania, where at least four people are dead after severe storms left a trail of

destruction, according to police. The call volume last night was extraordinary during this storm, almost unprecedented. On Wednesday, Governor Josh Shapiro declared a state of emergency for the county surrounding Pittsburgh. That area seeing heavy rains and wind gusts hitting nearly 90 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Setting power lines ablaze and leaving tens of thousands of people without power. Adrian Broad us, NBC News.

And those storms are not over yet. So let's get right to NBC News, Boston meteorologist, Taven Wooten, with the very latest. Tevin, so many people still in the dark there, and now more dangerous weather is actually making its way east. Absolutely, Ellison. And that's a great point. A lot of folks are trying to clean up from severe weather,

not just today, but also in days past. And they're doing it with the threat of severe weather ongoing right now. We do have a zone across Pennsylvania and Ohio still causing dangerous storms and gusty winds across. Central PA, but then back down towards the west and southwest, more storms are developing right now. A lot of those storms, again, because of the severe weather threat, are also spawning some tornado warnings, about 45 minutes to an hour ago. Now they're down to severe thunderstorm warning. So still gusty winds, 60 to maybe even 70 miles an hour.

And just to the north of Austin near Colleen, we actually have flash flood warnings. That's another concern because these storms are very efficient rainfall producers. They have a lot of moisture to work with out of the northern Gulf of Mexico. So again, today and into tomorrow, it's right around Arkansas, Oklahoma, through the Red River region, where we're tracking 60 to maybe even 70-mile-in-hour wind gusts. And the threat of hailstones, by the way, this is something that we could not discount. These are not small pea to perhaps diamond size. These are more the size of a golf ball to perhaps a lime. And look at this. This is a large swath across central and southern portions of Oklahoma and then through central Texas all the way down across Del Rio and Rock Springs, too. And in and around Austin and Bryant-Denning Stadium, too, there in Bryan, Texas.

Now, tomorrow the zone will actually work its way eastbound with gusty winds and also very heavy rainfall through Ohio, through Pennsylvania. Yet again, a lot of these cities and towns and states that we've been looking at for Monday and Tuesday severe weather threat earlier in the week. They're going to end the work week on the same note with wet weather and very, very strong storms through Saturday and through Sunday, too. And into next week, this is one thing for the east. eastern seaboard that we really have to watch out for. It is very possible that some of

these storms actually produce multiple rounds of rainfall. There's an area of high pressure out over the Atlantic that does not budge in the coming days. So we'll see repeated storms flowing in from the south towards the north and northeast. So tracking that throughout the weekend, tomorrow a gustly line of storms ahead and along this cold front through Memphis and perhaps Bill Street, Middle Tennessee, and even into Knoxville, too. Then this starts to advance towards the east. We'll see it work its way across the Appalachians through the DMV into Saturday. And then into Sunday, we're also tracking the threat of storms across the northeast into Boston, which has really not had a dry weekend yet all spring. And it doesn't seem like Mother Nature is

going to allow that, unfortunately, to happen this weekend as well with more showers into Sunday. So there's that area of high pressure, that moisture riding along the eastern seaboard will increase the rainfall rate. So some of these storms could put down an inch or perhaps an inch and a half of rainfall in a short amount of time. So that too could also lead to a flash flood threat with this slow moving area of low pressure. It's not just slow moving, though. It has nowhere to go. This is a blocking area of high pressure that keeps this across the mainland and across the northeast. Unfortunately, again, it's not just this area of low pressure, Ellison. There are more storms waiting in the wings and will start to flow towards the north and east. So it's very likely

we get another three, four, maybe even five inches of rain in the next six to seven days. Oof, Kevin Wooten. Thank you. We appreciate it. A shocking moment caught on camera at a major league baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs. During the seventh inning, a fan falling 21 feet from the stands onto the field tonight with the team and the players are saying about that incident. NBC Sam Brock reports. For Andrew McCutcheon. On a routine hit, a terrible turn at Pittsburgh's PNC Park after a fan just identified by family as 20-year-old Kevin Mark. fell 21 feet from the stands last night, lying motionless for several minutes.

They have emergency crews in right center field right now. Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson, one of the players down on one knee. Never been a part of something like that, and I just hope to never be a part of something like that again. Pittsburgh Public Safety says that man remains in critical condition at the hospital, with the incident being treated as accidental in nature. Pirates player Andrew McCutcheon reacting today. We all came in here together as a team after the game and said a prayer for him. The now viral video taken by Bobby Ketter, who attended the game with his dad.

Most people didn't really see what was going on. When it was a couple minutes before I really realized that I had the video, and then next thing you know, people are pounding and pile around me and watching it over my shoulder. How would you describe the collective reaction of fans once they realized what was happening? It was eerie silence. You saw the players taking the knee. Another fan who witnessed it trying to provide context. It doesn't look like anything too crazy happened, except he jumped up, flipped over the railing.

The pirates saying today in a statement, it was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced. We are devastated. MLB, not immediately commenting. McCutcheon, very upset, emotional right now. On a rare and shocking circumstance. And Sam Brock joins us now on sets. Sam, this, unfortunately, it's not the first time that we've seen a fan fall like this at a game. That's right. It's exceedingly rare. I would say most of the time that it happens, it's because someone is lunging over at Ellison to try to catch a foul ball or something he's being thrown into the stands.

That did not apply in this case. Going back over the last decade, decade and a half, there have been a couple of fatalities. One of them, a firefighter that brought a six-year-old son in Texas to the game. The Rangers, he went to get a foul ball, fell over 20 feet and died. They actually ended up in Texas. The Rangers, raising the guardrail height. as a result of that, which might spawn the idea, okay, if that's happened before, would Major League Baseball look at doing something more uniform? We reached out to MLB, as we mentioned, they have not really given any insight into that. But there is a precedent to this, which is that over the course of like 10 years from the early 2010s to almost 2020, there was like 800 plus reports of foul balls injuring fans at games. And what MLB did was they expanded their nets, the netting, so that it was really more protective for people, depending on where they were sitting. So the league has shown it is

responsive and can be to safety issues. The question becomes, was this a systemic issue or is it anomalous and they don't feel like they need to do anything? I will say lastly, the guy that we interviewed who took the video, this viral video, says he's actually sat before in the seats in that section where this happened. And he said they're perfect high right now. They're high enough where you can still see the action, but you're protected. If ballpark start tweaking around with that formula, it comes at the expense of people being able to see the game. But then again, And if it's a liability, that's obviously a major problem. Yeah, a lot of questions and things to sort out here.

Sam Brock, thank you. Thanks, awesome. We're back in a moment with John Elway breaking his silence after his friend and agent died in a golf cart accident. And we now know Elway was at the wheel. Plus, the citywide search in Los Angeles for the men accused of assaulting a transgender shop owner multiple times over multiple days for plea for help. And the race to save the seals, how these rescuers go all out to protect these were

Green Mammals. For the first time, we're hearing from NFL legend John Elway since his longtime friend and business partner died after falling from a golf cart. Police in California say they're investigating and we are getting new reporting that Elway himself was behind the wheel of that golf cart. NBC's Liz Croix is following this one. Tonight, legendary quarterback John Elway, morning the day. death of his longtime friend and agent Jeff Spurbeck, who died after falling off a golf cart at a

private residential community near Palm Springs. Officials have not said who was driving or what may have caused the accident, but a source familiar with the details of the incident confirming to NBC's Denver affiliate KUSA that Elway was the driver. According to authorities, the accident happened around 650 Saturday evening at the Madison Club, a luxury golf community. After falling off the golf cart, 62-year-old Spurbeck was transported to a local trauma center in critical condition where he died three days later. In a new statement, Elway says he is absolutely devastated and heartbroken by the passing of my close friend, business partner, and agent. He did not comment on his reported involvement. Elway, who won two Super Bowls with the Broncos,

worked with Spurbeck for decades. I'm Jeff Spurbeck. I'm one of the founding partners of seven sellers. The two, even becoming business partners opening up a winery together. This was John friends, very close friend, if not best friend, it is devastating to him. Spurbeck's family saying in a statement, they are grieving this unimaginable loss as a family alongside our dearest friends, the Elways, and the many other clients, Jeff, called friends. And Liz, Liz, Groyd joins us now from Los Angeles. Liz, do we know the kind of injury Spurbeck sustained here? And that police commented yet on the investigation that's underway.

Yeah, Alison, well, there have been reports that Spurbeck hit his head. and authorities have said that he had serious injuries when officials arrived to help. He was, as we mentioned, taken to the hospital in critical condition. As for law enforcement, there released few details at this point, but the Riverside County Sheriff's Office has said that they are committed to conducting a thorough investigation into his death and that they will take appropriate action based on the outcome there. Alison. Liz Kreutz, thank you.

When we return in just a moment, fast food funk, the warning signs from McDonald's about the state of the economy, why Americans are cutting back. Plus, making change to change, will the penny finally go away? The new bipartisan push in Congress to end it forever. And we're back with Top Stories News Feed, Illinois State Police giving new details today about the driver who crashed into an after-school program on Monday, killing four students. They say a toxicology report for the driver, 44-year-old Marianne Acres is negative. Investigators are looking into evidence of a possible medical emergency prior to the crash.

The four girls killed range in age from 7 to 18. No charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing. And body camera footage showing the moment a Maryland police officer stopped the woman from allegedly trying to drive through a closed 10K race route. Officers say they became weary of the woman's behavior Sunday morning. Just as hundreds gathered for the race, about an hour from Washington, D.C., when she made her move toward the runners, a sergeant acted fast pulling his car in front of her black jeep and hitting his brakes. The moment the car came to a halt caught on camera, according to court documents, she refused to open her door,

so an officer shattered her window to take her into custody. She's facing charges of first-degree assault and disorderly conduct. It's unclear if she has an attorney or has interprivile. And in California, new video showing some more quick action from a deputy there. Police in Patterson, that's about an hour and a half from San Jose, say an iPhone crash detection alert came in on April 20th. They say a driver had gone through a stop sign, then the car crashed in a field and caught on fire. A deputy putting out the fire and pulling the man from the car, the driver showing signs of alcohol impairment and taken to the hospital. The California Highway Patrol is now investigating the incident.

And Luigi Mangione, the suspect accused of shooting and killing the CEO of United Healthcare, will soon be the focus of a new musical. It's called Luigi The Musical, and the hour-long comedy plans to imagine his backstory with real-life cellmates, Sam Bankman Freed and Sean Diddy Combs, by his side. The musical is set to hit the stage in San Francisco on June 13th. Those are already sold out, but according to the website, more performances are already being scheduled. And tonight, Corporate America is speaking out about President Trump's tariff policies, with companies across industries saying the levies are raising their cost

and lowering demand. The major warning tonight from Apple saying their expenses could rise hundreds of millions. NBC News, senior business correspondent Christine Romans has this one. With dire warnings over President Trump's tariffs, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today practically begging the White House for tariff relief for small businesses. Telling the administration, even if it only takes weeks or months to reach agreements, many small businesses will suffer irreparable harm. These tariffs are just adding uncertainty and complexity at a time when these small businesses just don't have the cash flow to cover it.

The Chambers CEO says she's speaking up for Main Street companies that don't have the lobbyists and lawyers like big public names. Businesses like Bonnie Bray Flowers in Denver. Got our roses from Ecuador. Facing Mother's Day and graduation with new costs, never anticipated. Everything that is imported from another country, you know, adding anywhere from 10 to 20 percent on every one of our invoices. Big companies, too, with big tariff price tags. GM warning investors of current tariff exposure of $4 to $5 billion. Hershey says

tariffs will cost it up to $20 million this quarter. Stanley Blackendekker says it's already raised prices because of tariffs and will raise them again next month. Consumers, meanwhile, growing more cautious. Sales at McDonald's in the U.S. fell 3.6 percent, the biggest drop since the pandemic. Airlines also seeing passengers pull back. Southwest CEO Bob Jordan. The demand is way down. Now, a lot of that is, I think, the consumer reaction to the tariffs. The administration's message tonight, stay calm. We didn't get here overnight. We're not going to fix this overnight, but I do think uncertainty will go away. markets closed higher for the day and after the bell on an earnings call Apple CEO Tim Cook publicly addressed the trade war assuming the current global tariff rates policies and applications do not change for the balance of the quarter and no new tariffs are added we estimate the impact to add 900 million dollars to our costs Christine Romans joins us now in studio and Christine despite a lot of companies a lot of CEOs having conversations

around this, the White House still says these tariffs are going to plan, right? Yeah, and they point to companies who say, even though tariffs are costing them money, they're still going to keep investing in the United States. For example, Mercedes, going to add a vehicle production line in Alabama. At a plant it has in Alabama, so that could mean more jobs and more production in the U.S. And Kimberly Clark makes toilet paper and tissues. It says it's going to invest $2 billion in the U.S., and that would be in Warren, Ohio, which would create about 900 jobs.

So it's strategic investments like that that the White House. White House likes to point out. NBC's Christine Romans. Thank you. Not a power and politics tonight. Former Vice President Kamala Harris making a return to the spotlight, addressing a gala in San Francisco in her first major speech since conceding the election in November. Harris blasting Trump's first 100 days in office and warning a constitutional crisis could be on the horizon. Instead of an administration working to advance America's highest ideas, we are witnessing the wholesale abandonment of those ideals. Her speech comes as speculation grows about what her next steps in politics could be,

a run for California governor or even the White House again. Joining us now is John Allen, a senior national politics reporter here at NBC News. He is also the co-author of the new book, Fight Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House. Jonathan, thank you so much for being with us tonight. Let's start with the possibility of Harris, maybe, running for California governor. Gavin Newsom, the incumbent, is term limited. So it is going to be an open seat next year. Did Harris give any insider indication last night in terms of whether or not she might step in and say, okay, I'm going to run for this?

Yeah, this was not a moment for her to announce a gubernatorial candidacy. That field is filling in fast. You've got Javier Becerra, the former HHS secretary, Katie Porter, Congresswoman from California, some others who have jumped into that race. I think if Harris were to do it, you probably wouldn't hear about that for at least another few months from her. So last night, a speech in California, but not any clues as to whether she's running. Let me ask you about possibly an even bigger office yet again. Let's talk about presidency, the field to lead the Democratic presidential ticket, in 2028 is wide open right now. And in this recent poll we have from the economist in

UGov, Harris is still top of mind for a lot of Democratic voters who put her ahead of other favorites like the current California governor Gavin Newsom, as well as some other rising Democratic stars like Pete Buttigieg. Based on your reporting, is Harris likely to try to take another swing at the White House come 2008? Yeah, there's a real chance that she might do that. I've talked to sources who say that it's certainly among the options for her and one that she's very carefully considering. You'd have to if you were her. You get into that race and you know, you see that polling, but in addition to that, not just the name recognition, she's got a huge national fundraising list. There are any number of Democratic voters that were pleased with the way that

she ran her campaign. I think in order to win the primary and win the general election, she'd have to come back at this with a real plan for what kind of change she would deliver for America in 29. But I would be surprised if she doesn't get very deep thought to that. And I think it's probably more likely than a gubernatorial run. And Jonathan, before we let you go, Maryland Governor Westmore, he's someone that has been seen by some as this young interesting politician who could potentially rise to the occasion and lead the Democratic Party in a big way moving forward. But he says, as of today, that he is not going to consider or run for the White House in the coming years. What are your sources telling you about why he made that decision?

In 2006, Barack Obama went on Meet the Press and said that he would not run for president or vice president in 2008. And then by 2007, he changed his tune and he jumped into the race. I would not necessarily take Maryland Governor Westmore saying that he's not running for president, which, by the way, is an active tense as him closing the door on the possibility of deciding to do that later. I think what that does is it takes heat off of him and make sure that he doesn't peak too early. Surely he could decide not to run, but I wouldn't count him out just because he said he's not running now. Fascinating stuff. John Allen, thank you. Thank you.

In Los Angeles, a manhunt underway for three suspects wanted for brutally attacking a 61-year-old transgender woman. Police say the men visited the woman at the store she owns multiple times, dragging her out of the door of her shop, sexually assaulting her, attacking her, and pepper-spraying her. The victim now speaking out. Tonight, police in Los Angeles searching for not one, but three suspects in an alleged hate crime and sexual assault. It started about a month ago on April 8th in L.A.'s West Lake neighborhood. I asked, do you need something else? And I start walking around to be close to him and say, can I help you? And he said, he started floating to me. And I say, no, I am sorry. I'm not interested in any anything. like that.

Sabrina de la Pena, who is transgender, was closing up after working all day at the store she's owned for 27 years. He throw me in the floor. He pushed me too, and I go in the floor, and start fighting a little bit, and he started touching me, and he started beating me in my head, my whole body. The 61-year-old got away from him and called police, but in the days after, she and police, say the suspect came back multiple times with other men, threatening to kill her while physically attacking her, pepper spraying her, and in one incident, throwing an unknown liquid at the victim

while another suspect attempted to tase her. Surveillance video provided to NBC News by De La Pena appears to show a struggle happening in the doorway before the suspect drags De La Pena onto the balcony and throws her to the ground, punching her repeatedly. De La Pena eventually picks up the skateboard they'd used to attack her as the two suspects retreat down the stairs. De La Pena says the primary attacker has come back to her store a total of four times since that very first night. He come back again on Sunday, 13, like 2.28 in the morning, but he don't find me. He's watching down my daughter how to come in.

A spokesperson for the LAPD telling NBC News this remains an active investigation and that they are asking the public to help identify the three suspects. He keeps asking me many times. Is I be sexually into with those guys? And I say many times, no. The detective on the case asked you that? Uh-huh. NBC News reached out to the LAPD and asked them to respond to those specific allegations, but they have not yet responded to our request. I know he doesn't care about me because I'm transgendered person.

As the days pass without arrest, De La Pena says her fears only grow. Now we're closing early because I scared he comes and killing me. I don't want to die. I got a little girl. No one is protecting me. We are human beings. You know, we are human. And the LAPD says they believe there may be other unidentified victims out there. Sabrina De La Pena told us she thinks someone in L.A. will recognize these three people,

and she is praying they'll come forward and tell police. Out of top stories, Global Watch in Jerusalem. Crews there are finally getting wildfires under control. The main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv is also back open, allowing people to return to their homes. The fires began yesterday and quickly spread. The cause is unclear, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says 18 people have been detained on suspicion of arson. A spokesman for the Israeli police say three people have been arrested. Officials are also banning anyone from lighting a fire in open spaces until May 7th.

London setting a record for the hottest start to May ever. Temperature is reached nearly 85 degrees in the city, marking the warmest day of the year. Citygoers seen flocking to parks at parks and busy streets, basking in the warmth. A high-pressure area blocked over the U.K., the unusually high temperatures there. And a grandmother in Germany finding a unique remedy for her back pain riding roller coasters. 85-year-old Ersel said she discovered at age 72 that riding the coasters relieved her years-long struggle with back pain. Ersel says she struggled with chronic pain since she was 40 and that roller coasters made it disappear. She says she has approval from her doctor and that there's a local fun fair that's let her ride up to 50 times each visit.

In Washington today, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle coming together on a topic many Americans actually seem to agree on. The penny's time has come and gone. With two new bills now going through Congress to do just that, is it finally time to say goodbye to the lowly penny? Our Capitol Hill correspondent Julie Serkin has this one. It's the coin. almost as old as America itself. The first one by some accounts designed by founding father Ben Franklin, although he likely never said that famous phrase, a penny saved is a penny earned. But after 238 years in circulation, that's a sentiment that no longer rings true.

I don't think I've used the coin penny or let alone any other type of coin in a few years at least. If I get a penny, I either, you know, keep it in my pocket or just throw it somewhere in my house. This week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is reviving a push to eliminate penny production at a time of rising inflation. Why do you think people want to get rid of pennies? Well, I'll tell you, it don't cost four pennies to make one penny. And that, if you want an example of waste, that's it. It's a move that's been floated by generations of politicians. From then President Obama.

Anytime we're spending more money on something that people don't actually use. To President Trump. The penny is gone. who in February ordered the Treasury to stop producing new pennies. In the context of bipartisanship and good stewardship, let's get this done. The first bill in Congress to eliminate the penny way back in 1989, prompting this NBC News report on its dismal reputation. When we put a few pennies on the sidewalk, no one bothered to pick them up.

Long gone are the days when a penny could buy a jawbreaker, two pennies could mail a first-class letter, and three pennies buy a new. newspaper. The pro-penny lobby, Americans for Common Sense, declined NBC News's request for an interview on this new legislation, but noted eliminating the penny alone will lead to over $200 million in annual losses on nickel production. That's because phasing out the penny means using more nickels, which cost almost 14 cents each to make. Do you think people will miss pennies at all? Well, there might be a little affection for all of us who grew up sorting them in jars and putting them a little 50-cent wrappers.

So pinch your pennies while you still can. I just feel like that's kind of an iconic thing to get rid of. Like, I still pick up heads-up pennies sometimes for good luck. Before they all finally go to heaven. There'll be pennies from heaven for you and me. And Julie Circon joins us now from Capitol Hill. Julie, what would this legislation look like in practice for consumers? If you go to buy something that ends in 99 cents, what would happen?

Well, you could say goodbye to 99 cents stores and say hello to dollar stores, because every transaction you would have to round up or down to the nearest five cents. Our neighbor to the north, Canada has already done this, but don't worry, even if this bill passes, you still have a year until, from when it's enacted, until you say goodbye to your pennies, which means if you have some pennies in your couch cushions, you can still use them. Alison. Julie Sirkin, on Capitol Hill, thank you. And we are back in a moment with the long delayed release of Alec Baldwin's movie Rust, how critics are reacting and what the director did with that fatal scene. And the race against time to rescue these seals before it's too late. We're

with the teams as they save one life at a time. Welcome back on this May Day, a traditional day of labor demonstrations, thousands turned out nationwide for protests, targeting President Trump in his sweeping cuts to the federal workforce. In West Virginia, Jacob Soberoff reports that coal miners could pay the price for those cuts as critical research in the black lung hangs in the balance. For decades, Scott Laney's team made health screenings as convenient as possible for coal miners in Appalachia who have limited access to health care facilities. We provide x-rays, pulmonary function tests. blood pressure screenings, occupational histories, to try to get a sense of what the health

of the mining workforce is. All through NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which focuses on work-related illnesses like Black Lung and Coal Miners, a disease that can cause difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, and lead to death. Is Black Lung today worse than ever? It's certainly worse than it's been in the last 30 or 40 years in Central Appalachia and among long-tenured coal miners, one in five miners who are working today right now have Black Long. Lainey and his team were trying to reverse that trend.

But a month ago, he and more than 800 other NIOSH employees were terminated as part of the Trump administration's Doge Cuts. And despite the administration signaling this week, their jobs would be reinstated. A memo obtained by NBC News says that reinstatement will only be a temporary arrangement, even as the Trump administration looks to expand coal mining. My concern is these new people who are going to be going into the mines now have less protection than their grandfathers and their great-grandfathers as a result of this. These current and retired Appalachia-based coal miners all relied on the program. As someone who's still working underground, are you worried about what that means for your health? Absolutely.

Without having the protection or the sampling and some of the stuff that NIOSH does, we're not going to be nearly as protective once we are now. They just started closing things up and not even looking what they're doing. This needs to be reinstated as quick as possible. Otherwise, the mines might survive, but not the miners. Right. Critical government health protections for coal miners, now anything but certain. Jacob Soberov, NBC News, Morgantown, West Virginia. And we are back in just a moment with the new seal team,

how they're storming the beaches to save the lives of these little seal pups. Next, we take you to the front lines of the race to save gray seals one puff at a time. And as these rescuers tell are Emily Aketa, it's a mission you too can play a part in. Nice pink gum, so that's great. The Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Team has never been busier. So far this season, we've had about 20 entangled seals at this location alone. So we follow program manager, Sarah Callan, to Block Island in New England for a closer look at the staggering surge in gray seals entangled in a mess of fishing gear and trash. Now Callan's

team racing to remove it, first containing this entangled seal pup so they can cut him free from the netting, an eventual death sentence. What relief to have this off of its neck. Yeah, absolutely. It's the same group that brought in this little guy stranded in city streets in Connecticut. Sadly, Chappie didn't make it with plastic found in his stomach. Research estimates billions of pounds of plastic enter the ocean every year. The amount of animals that are interacting with human-made products and debris within the first couple months of their life is a bit alarming. It directly relates to the state of the ocean.

It's our job to help share that message and educate people on the threats that these animals face. A fight mystic isn't giving up on. Bye. Bye. Helping seals like this swim towards a healthier horizon. You get to give an animal a second chance at life that they normally wouldn't have without our intervention.

So it's such a special moment. Emily Ikeda, NBC News. Awesome. Nice job. Block Island, Rhode Island. And thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison in for Tom Yamis. Stay there. More news is on the way. The air with breaking news.

We are live tonight from Hwara. Mexico reporting over the skies of Bajna here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives we've seen this almost unbelievable power struggle what does this mean for you prune it's the battle off the field that's inspired the world every night it's your news playlist top story with time yamas streaming week nights at seven on nbcc news now