Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, May 15, 2025

Episode Date: May 16, 2025

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

Tonight, the tornadoes touching down right now as life-threatening storms fire up across the Midwest. Twisters tearing across Wisconsin, ripping through fields, photos capturing the funnel clouds as they form 60 million Americans at risk. And an outdoor Beyonce concert in the storm's path delayed tonight. We're tracking it all. Flying blind, a dangerous air traffic control blackout at a new airport. The 90 seconds in Denver when pilots had no calms with the tower. The star witnessed in the Sean Dedy Combs trial cross-examined by the defense. The explicit text messages read for the jury and why she says allegations of cheating led to violence. But the big question tonight are prosecutors proving their case.

The new criminal investigation into Motown legend Smokey Robinson after former employees sued him, alleging rape where the police probe stands. Was there a different killer? The new move by the alleged Idaho killer's lawyers claiming someone else was the murderer, but who? Plus, the decision today on whether the trial will be live streamed when it begins this August. Dangerous journey, the new route for human smugglers

through one of the wealthiest zip codes in America. Our exclusive footage of operations being busted as our correspondent joins police on the water and armed in an Uber, the moment a driver pulls a gun on a passenger after she refused to get out, Uber's response tonight. Plus, the first ever footage of chimpanzees in the wild performing first aid on themselves and others. We have that amazing video. Top story starts right now. And good evening. I'm Tom Yamas.

It's so great to be back with you here in New York. We begin tonight with that breaking news across the Midwest. A dangerous storm system unleashing multiple reported tornadoes as severe weather threatens tens of millions of Americans. Take a look at this. This is the new video just in. It shows that towering dark gray funnel cloud after a touchdown in New Richmond, Wisconsin,

just outside of Minneapolis. From this angle, you can see the twister rising up behind homes as it rips across fields in the western part of the state. Look at the size of that. And this tornado here is not a tornado here is not not the only one seen across the Midwest. At least five others reported in Wisconsin and nearby Minnesota. Residents in both of those states now bracing for the possibility of even more destructive

weather tonight. These dark clouds in Minneapolis, the backdrop, as tornado sirens warn residents to find shelter now. And this is just the beginning, another round of severe weather slated for tomorrow. You see it on the move there with nearly 70 million in the threat zone. Bill Cairns, you know he's standing by for us tonight to time all of it out, but we won't We want to begin with Maggie Vespah, who's live for us tonight in Chicago, where a lot's happening right now. So Maggie, we're seeing these dangerous tornadoes ripping across the Midwest, and we know there's things happening right there where you are. Yeah, Tom, we're right in the storm's path.

We are right now under a tornado watch until 10 o'clock local time, so for the next several hours. But, I mean, just to pull those videos back up, you can see how intense the system is that's frankly headed our way. As you said, close to half a dozen reported twisters, really across Minnesota and the parts of Wisconsin. kind of centered around Minneapolis, thousands actually in the Twin Cities in the Minneapolis area without power tonight as this thunderstorm with all these reported twisters. We call them reported just because we have to wait until the National Weather Service goes out to survey the damage and confirms them. But obviously it looks pretty clear that these are massive, potentially destructive funnel clouds touching down across the region. Those started happening really kind

of mid-afternoon, like 2.30, 3 o'clock local time. Our climate team was banking on that, saying this is the bull's eye where this system is really going to hit and we're starting to see these videos and these images come through Tom and again this is exactly what's headed our way as we speak frankly here in Chicago and Maggie you know Chicago obviously one of the big cities of this country the airport so important there talked to me about delays and then we know there's a Beyonce concert and in the last hour or so something happened yeah we'll start with Beyonce that's a huge headline obviously the Beehive absolutely stunned tonight just finding out in the last hour we're bringing this here on top story first

that her cowboy Carter show tonight at the open air soldier field has now been postponed by two hours their first show here in Chicago it's the beginning of her Chicago leg she was supposed to take the stage at seven o'clock so in about an hour she's now going to take the stage at nine o'clock at the earliest I want to read you the statement that the soldier field sent out to her fans saying beehive quote beehive due to weather in the area the Carter show, their words will absolutely not begin before 9 p.m. tonight. They told us in a statement earlier, Tom, that their role is, quote, to keep all our guests safe and secure, saying they had a severe weather plan. They were ready to implement it, but they hadn't told us exactly what this

was. So we're getting our first glimpse at it as this plays out in real time. Also, you mentioned the airports O'Hare issuing a temporary ground stop in the last hour or so to all incoming flights. Obviously, the Midwest is used to severe weather, so it kind of takes a lot for these major airports here in these states to issue those ground stops. O'Hare just playing it safe as this system rolls through. Okay, Maggie Vesper for us. Maggie, thanks for leading us off. I want to get right over to Bill. He's tracking all these severe storms tonight.

Bill, is Chicago in the threat zone tonight? You think that concert will go on? I think they made a smart move by delaying it because by a timing of it, it looks like most of the storms should be gone by 9 o'clock in Chicago. Now, what hits before that will ultimately depend on, you know, if people can get there safely. So we have numerous active tornado watches.

six tornado warnings. We've already had at least half a dozen tornadoes. Most of them have been the one be showed you earlier in the show. Narrow, fast moving. We haven't had any big, large tornadoes yet, but it is still possible. Let's zoom in here. This is Wisconsin. This is where all the most active storms are. Sheboygan here, Milwaukee here, and the storms are really exploding near Milwaukee here. And you notice these are all active tornado warnings. A lot of people here just off the lakeshore seeking shelter as these storms come through. So Chicago, you're still good and clear for about the next hour, hour and a half. You can see where the storms are now just beginning to form out towards your west.

These will be rolling through as we go, it looks like, between about 7 and 9 p.m. So here's the radar. This is at 6 p.m. local time here. And then as we fast forward this to Chicago, notice the storms kick through. They're all done by about 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time. That's why they're delaying the concert tonight. Everyone can be safe. Once the storms kick through, you're clear for the night, ever going to have a good night.

It'll be a late night, but a good night. And then these storms will move into area. of Michigan overnight. Tomorrow we do this again, and it's actually a larger risk area than what we're dealing with now. Tomorrow, this bullseye in here, this is a moderate risk of severe storms, possibly even a tornado outbreak, right along the Ohio River. So south of St. Louisville's included in this, Cincinnati, Lexington, Indianapolis. This area was hit hard by Tom by flooding, if you remember about a month ago. Now there's going to be a big tornado threat and severe weather threat tomorrow. All right, Bill Cairns. We thank you for that. Now to another.

other air traffic control outage, this time in Denver, the third busiest airport in North America, also a hub for both United and Southwest. Air traffic controllers, they're experiencing a 90-second communications blackout. NBC News, senior aviation correspondent Tom Costello joins us now with the latest. Tom, I want you to walk our viewers through this. I know this is your hometown airport. We know the Trump administration is blaming technology at times for these outages. Explain what happened because 90 seconds can sound like a long time to viewers. Well, absolutely. This happened at Denver Center, which controls high altitude flights in and around Denver International. As you mentioned, one of the nation's busiest airports that happened on Monday, 150 p.m. Mountain Time. The FAA says controllers lost several radio channels that allow them to communicate with pilots. Now, the outage lasted for 90 seconds and controller switched to a backup frequency. While controllers never lost radar and planes remain separated, it follows these outages. which as we've talked about at Newark airspace that have contributed to hours-long delays there at Newark.

And it's yet another indication of how the country's aging air traffic control system that the Trump administration wants to replace over the next four years, how bad this really is, apparently, in many parts of the country. And Tom, you know, you've been an incredibly busy correspondent. Usually always are, but especially this year, because we've had so many things happen with aviation, right? We've had horrific accidents, both with airplanes and helicopters. now you have these outages. I'm curious. It's summertime's coming. It's going to be a busy travel season. Are people getting a little scared to fly? Anecdotally, you hear people are nervous about flying, but the numbers don't bear it out in terms of, you know, to our knowledge, we don't have mass cancellations of reservations. It appears people are still booking flights. They still want to get away. Both the American Airlines CEO and the Delta Airlines CEO have said in the last few days to NBC News that their bookings are pretty solid, actually. For Americans who want to travel, the summer. All right, Tom Costello for us on that breaking news. Tom, we thank you for that.

We want to turn out to our other major headline that we've been following all week. Cassie Ventura taking the stand for the first day of cross-examination in the Sean Diddy Combs case. Ventura testifying Combs physically coer into those, quote, freak-offs, but the defense suggesting jealousy and drug use caused Combs aggression are Chloe Malas covering it all from the courthouse tonight. Cassie Ventura back on the witness stand today. This time, face. tracing cross-examination from Sean Combs' lawyers. His defense team fighting back against testimony that Ventura was forced to participate in drug-fueled sexual encounters known as freak-offs.

Combs' team submitting often explicit text messages and emails sent between the former couple into evidence. In one Ventura writing to Combs in 2009, after they have been dating for two years, I'm always ready to freak off. In another, that same year, she writes, when we used to freak off when we were so in love, There were no questions asked. It felt right. When asked by Combs's lawyer about a text from 2017, where she said she loved freakoffs, Ventura said they were just words at that point. There's a chance that one or more of the jurors might hear this evidence that she came back time and time again to Combs,

that she participated in these freakoffs. And some of the jurors may conclude that this was more of a choice than it was coercion. The defense team also asking about the couple's infidelity on both sides, seeming to paint the relationship as deeply troubled but consensual. Cassie said Combs kicked her in the back after finding out she cheated on him with rapper Kid Cuddy, also admitting that she was jealous of a relationship Combs was having with another woman. She also spoke about the couple's extensive drug use and revealed Combs overdosed on painkillers in 2012. She said drug dependence influenced some of the rapper's mood swings. and also spoke again about her own drug addiction.

Ventura's cross-examination comes after two days of emotional testimony in which she said Combs subjected her to years of physical and psychological abuse. Testifying that Combs blackmailed her with recordings from sexual encounters to silence her and keep her in the relationship. Combs has pleaded not guilty and says the freak-offs were consensual. All right, Chloe joins us live outside the courthouse. So Chloe, a lot has been going back and forth about what has happened with this cross-examination? Has it gone too far at times? Will we see Cassie Ventura again?

We are going to see her on the stand again tomorrow, but like you just said, the judge and the prosecutors, they only want to give Combs' defense team five hours to finish their cross-examination. And Mark Agnifalo, he's one of the lead attorneys for Combs. He's like, this is outrageous. We need more time, just as much time as the prosecutors had to bring forth their side of the story. And what they're all saying, the prosecutors and the judge, is that Cassie, who's eight months pregnant, that actually she could give birth as early as this weekend. And obviously, this has been incredibly stressful for her, and they want to try to get her off the stand as quick as possible. All right, Chloe Malas for us. Chloe, we thank you for that. For more on today's cross-examination, joining me now are two good friends to Top Story.

NBC News Legal Analyst, Danny Savalos, and former Manhattan prosecutor, Catherine Christian, we thank you both for being here. Guys, you know how we do this sometimes. I'm going to split you guys up. Danny, I'm going to have you take defense. Catherine, if you can start with the prosecution. And as somebody who worked in the Manhattan prosecutor's office, I do want to ask you, how do you think your former colleagues are doing on this case? Well, these are not.

This is the federal Southern District Court. Oh, it's federal. I'm sorry. Correct, correct. But I spent many years doing it. They used to call it domestic violence cases. Now it's called intimate partner violence cases. And nothing is shocking to me about this testimony.

It's also not shocking to me that the defense would be consent because we have a video of him kicking this. woman down the hallway. So they are doing, they meaning the U.S. attorneys are doing a very good job. They did a good job in their opening. What they have to stress, and they'll bring this around in summation, is she was 19 years old. So defense attorneys, when they have a 19-year-old client, talk about the brain is not developed. You can't really hold him responsible for these bad acts. You can't hold a 19-year-old who's with a 37-year-old for 11 years where he had an opportunity to groom her, and I'm giving the summation, to groom her, and intimate partner violence,

and they're going to have an expert testify to this, it talks about coercion and trauma, and that you want to, as the victim, please the person who is victimizing you. Danny, for the defense, there have been some reporting that Diddy, Sean Diddy Combs, has entered the courtroom. He seems maybe to be a little bit more relaxed. He's talking to people in the audience at times. I do want to ask you, have you seen a smoking gun yet for the federal charges here? No, it's hard to say because in federal cases, as Catherine knows, there's so much smoking gun. They have a dozen smoking guns. They don't bring a case unless they're sure they're going to win it. And that's why they have a 95 plus percent conviction

rate. So everything Catherine said is right, that there is so much understood now, and among the jurors, I imagine, some of them realized that someone Cassie's age at 19 might have been under the Svengali sway of combs who coerced her and pressured her. But there's also the possibility that some of those jurors are seeing some of these text messages where she says, I'm into the freak-offs, where she breaks up, let's do one. They break up. They get back together. She cheats on him. She continues to engage combs even after they are apart. Yes, it's possible some people will say, well, she is a victim of domestic violence, that's why she kept coming back. But we have to be realistic. There is at least

maybe one or two jurors who could possibly say, why is she doing that? And more than that, they look at this lifestyle and it's possible they may say, I can't even comprehend what's going on here. It's alien to me. I find the whole thing not credible. So, Catherine, you have a victim here of domestic abuse. You have a woman here who is pregnant, who is not used to testifying this, talking about these intimate graphic moments. Are the prosecutors being precise in their questioning, do you think they are being tactical in how they're building their case? I think they are. And actually, as an aside, cosmetically, I think he now has white hair and a white beard. So it even that...

She's talking about Diddy. A Diddy. I still call him Puff Daddy. I'm that old. So the jurors are looking at basically the age difference is striking with this young woman, she's 38, but still, you can see the age difference, but they are. And I think the defense of he's only committed domestic violence. The sex trafficking charge, part of the element is the threats of force, fraud, and coercion. So are they going to say he was only violent to this girlfriend that day, but he wasn't really violent to these other people? So I think the jury can see this is a violent man, not just against his girlfriend.

He has it in him to do violence. So it would not be shocking for witnesses to say that I was threatened. that I had a gun put to my head, et cetera. Danny, is this the star witness for the prosecution, or do you think there's going to be bigger witnesses, more important witnesses? She is the flashiest witness, and in that sense, she is the star witness, and the proof is in the pudding. That's why they put her at the front of their case.

They put powerful evidence at the beginning, they put powerful evidence at the end. That's why they played the tape of the hallway beating, and that's why Cassie is testifying. But is she the most critical witness for the elements the government needs to show? Yes, she established some of the... But as to others, let me give you an example. The Mann Act, one of the crimes he's charged with, requires transportation plus prostitution.

To get to those elements, pretty much all you need is an escort to come in and say, I'm an escort, I accepted money for sex, and I came here from New Jersey. I'm just giving an example. Then you have all those elements in a much less flashy way than having Cassie Ventura, who you could call a star witness. But when it comes to the elements that the government needs, they'll get those elsewhere to. So that's my question to you, Catherine. Danny put it very simple.

Have we seen Cassie say that? Have they proven that yet? She is, as I said, she probably is lead off also because she is eight months pregnant. It was, she's that video. She shows this is a violent man. And you think they'll get there eventually. Yeah, they need to. They need to have people say, you know, humans were transported across state lines for this purpose, engaging in commercial sex acts.

So we're just cutting started here. Catherine, Danny, always great to see you both. Thank you for being here. We want to turn to some other breaking news. were following, you may have heard Motown legend, Smoky Robinson, now being criminally investigated, criminally investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for allegations of sexual assault. This coming one week after Robinson was sued by four former housekeepers who alleged she repeatedly abused them for years. NBC's Dana Griffin joins us tonight from L.A. with the latest data. This just took a very, very big turn for Smokey Robinson and his wife.

What do we know about this investigation? Absolutely. Very, very disturbing as well, Tom. So these disturbing allegations were first brought to light last week when those four former housekeepers filed a lawsuit, alleging that for years, Smokey Robinson either raped or sexually assaulted them while in his home here in Los Angeles County. All of them claimed that he would either call them to his bedroom or in an area of the home where cameras were not present, usually when the wife was not home, and they talk about how that's how he would force himself upon them. Now, one employee says that Robinson sexually assaulted her 23 times over a six-year period. Another says that she was assaulted 20 times during the 12 years that she worked for the Motown legend. Now, according to the suit, three of the women did not report this to police, citing fears that this could impact their immigration status.

The lawsuit also accuses the 85-year-old's wife, Francis Robinson, of, quote, perpetuating a hostile work environment. They go on to say by not taking the action to stop these, quote, deviant, this deviant misconduct. Now, the women say they were all forced to resign. They are now seeking $50 million in damages. We reached out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. They tell us that the investigation is in its early stages, and they have no further comment. Have we heard from Smokey Robinson, his wife, about these new criminal allegations or the criminal investigation, we should say? Absolutely.

We have through their attorney. So this attorney goes on to say that he feels confident Mr. Robinson will did nothing wrong. And in a statement, he goes on to say that we are aware that a police report has now been filed by the plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit. It is clear to us what is happening here. Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a $50 million lawsuit. This means only that the police are now required to investigate. We welcome that investigation. So essentially in the statement, the lawyer is saying, this is just a money grab. the allegations were made, the police department has to investigate.

So obviously, we'll see what happens over the next weeks and months if charges are formally brought or if not. So obviously, a very disturbing case that's alleged. And obviously, everyone wants to know what happened. Right. Tom. All right, Janet Griffin, we thank you for that. We're back in a moment with the stunning new defense from Brian Coburger's legal team. The surprise motion from the Idaho murder suspect's lawyers arguing that someone else,

killed those four college students. Plus, the NBC News exclusive Florida police taking us inside a human smuggling operation, why traffickers, get this, are now turning to luxury yachts. We're going to explain. And armed Uber driver, the passenger facing down the barrel of a gun. What led to this moment. We're back with a major development in the Idaho College murders case. Lawyers for Brian Coburger, the man charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students,

doubling down on the theory that a different suspect is responsible for the killings. NBC's Camilla Bernal has the details and how the judge responded to that claim. As Brian Coburger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students, appeared in court today, his defense team doubling down on a theory that mysterious alternate perpetrators, not Coburger allegedly killed Kaylee Gonzalez, Madison Mogan, Ethan Chapin, and Zanakar Nodal in their off-campus home in 2022. Judge Stephen Hippler immediately sealing the filing and asking the defense for more evidence as it's considered. It seemed to me much of what you had put in there was fairly potentially fairly objectionable in terms of admissibility. How viable is the alternate perpetrator theory? Well, an alternate.

perpetrator theory can certainly be viable if it's based on evidence, but it can't just be an argument or a speculation. And I think that's what Judge Hippler is drilling down upon. The judge will hold another hearing in June to decide whether the alleged alternate perpetrator theory can be brought into the trial. Provide me with whatever actual evidence you have that supports those allegations rather than just allegations. The judge also telling the court that the trial will be live streamed

but agreeing that when the victim's surviving roommates testify, they will not appear on camera. Coburger has maintained his innocence but the judge already ruling to allow evidence into the trial that may complicate his defense. That evidence, including data from Coburger's Amazon account, that shows he purchased a K-bar knife and leather sheath, like the sheath found at the murder scene, which investigators say had DNA that matches Coburgers. The judge also allowing a witness description of an intruder with bushy eyebrows to come into play in the trial.

NBC's dateline, exclusively obtaining surveillance video of a car circling the block where the murders occurred in Idaho in 2022, saying prosecutors will argue the driver was Brian Koberger. At the time, Kohlberger was a graduate student in criminology at nearby Washington State University. Dateline also reporting that data from his phone obtained by law enforcement includes searches about serial killer Ted Bundy and for pornography with the words forced, passed out, drugged, and sleeping. Now, the trial set to begin in August and Koberger, facing the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. Camilla Bernal joins us now.

Camille, you had a lot of new updates there for our viewers. And I know you have one more. The details on how the jury will be selected? Yeah, Tom, so jury selection begins on July 30th. And the judge saying he wants to seat 20 people. That's the 12 jurors and eight alternates. During the trial, the judge saying people can go. It's going to be on a first come, first serve basis.

And during the deliberation phase, the jurors will be sequestered. The judge saying, if Brian Coburger is convicted of murder, then they will go right into sentencing, and the jury will decide whether they want life in prison or death. Tom. Camila Bernal for us here on Top Story. Camilla, thank you. When Top Story returns tonight, the biggest retailer in America, warning their everyday low prices might not be low for much longer. Walmart now telling customers they may need to start charging more in the wake of President Trump's tariffs when those increases will kick. And we'll take you inside the fight to shut down new human smuggling operations in one of Florida's

most exclusive cities, we'll explain. Welcome back. We begin top stories with our news feed and a Wisconsin judge pleading not guilty to obstructing federal agents attempting to detain an undocumented immigrant. You may remember the story. Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan is accused of falsely telling agents that they needed a warrant to make the arrest in April. A federal grand jury indictment claims that Dugan directed the undocumented immigrant to a separate door to sidestep agents. She was arrested by the FBI late last month.

A possible hazmat situation in Connecticut forcing hundreds to go through a decontamination process. Officials saying they received a report of a suspicious package arriving at a medical technology company in New Canaan. Two people were taken to a nearby hospital out of precaution, while 300 others underwent testing. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is investigating that. A terrifying close call in Miami as part of an abandoned building suddenly collapsed onto a busy road. Surveillance video showing the building's overhang crashing down, narrowly missing a passing car. Another vehicle forced to swerve out of the way. Fire rescue teams say no one was hurt.

No word yet on what caused the collapse, but the buildings had been previously cited for safety violations. And Harvard, discovering that a copy of the Magna Carta that it purchased for less than $30 is actually worth millions. The copy displayed at the university's law school is actually a rare version from 1,300 issued by Britain's King Edward I. Researchers previously thought that there were only six copies from that collection until two researchers overlaid scans with the other six copies to find that exact match. Okay, in Washington today, the Supreme Court hearing arguments on one of President Trump's campaign promises. A pledge to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants at issue today just how sweeping federal judge's orders can be that temporarily blocked his order. Laura Jarrett has been following the hearing and has a reaction from the

justices. The high stakes clash between the White House and the federal courts. Down down with deportation. Reaching the Supreme Court today. Presidents want to get things done. The Trump administration hoping to convince the justices that a single federal judge in a single state has no authority to block an executive order for the entire country. President Trump facing nearly 40, so-called nationwide injunctions on a host of issues so far in his second term, particularly on immigration. Including today's case about lower courts blocking President Trump's executive order, stripping birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants. The court's conservative majority today seeming open to the administration's arguments

on the dangers of judicial overreach. There are 680 district court judges, and they are dedicated and they are scholarly, and I'm not impuging their motives in any way, but you know, sometimes they're wrong. But some liberal members of the court grilling the administration on what happens if judges cannot block an executive order they believe is illegal on a nationwide basis. Let's just assume you're dead wrong. Does every single person that is affected by this EO have to bring their own suit? Democratic state officials backing today's suit arguing a patchwork of citizenship would emerge if the administration wins here, with rights varying from state to state. Still, there has been bipartisan criticism of judges abusing nationwide injunctions, incentivizing

so-called judge shopping for sympathetic courts. We are being hit hard by judges that I think they're trying to take away the power of the presidency. And with that, Laura Jarrett joins us on set. So, Laura, I want to split up the two issues you hear. So first, with birthright citizenship, can we get a sense of where this is going? The trouble whiz, today, I did not hear five votes in any direction. I couldn't hear five justices saying, we don't think you should allow these nationwide injunctions anymore, which would be a sea change.

Because right now, Tom, if a judge is a judicially appointed judge and legitimately there, they can do a nationwide injunction on anything at any time. And so it would be a complete remaking of what the current legal system looks like if the justices go along with what the Trump administration wants. And I'm looking back at your script here on the other issue of executive orders. I think it was Justice Kagan, right, that said, so now is every plaintiff going to have to basically file suit if this happens? Can a judge not stop some of these? What is your sense of what's going to happen there? Yeah, the unworkability of that.

I think is what she was trying to tease out. And again, this is just not how the system works, right? It wouldn't be workable to have to have that. That's why we have class actions so you can sort of pool resources and make things more efficient. The courts would be tied up for months on in if that's how this worked.

I think what we're going to see is some sort of splitting the baby here. It's just going to be the doubles in the details of what that looks like. Okay. Laura, Jera first. Laura, great to see you tonight. Yeah, anytime.

All right, in Money Talks tonight, Walmart, the nation's largest retailer out with a blunt warning that they are going to have to raise prices as President Trump's tariffs take full effect. Those increases set to start in the coming weeks. Here's Christine Romans. It's a brand built on everyday low prices, but Walmart says some of those prices are about to rise. The president's trade war hitting the nation's largest retailer. The level of tariffs that have been proposed is pretty challenging, and certainly our concern

is that consumers are going to feel some of that. Feeling that, Walmart says, in a matter of weeks. Some prices are already higher. Walmart raised prices on bananas, one of its most frequently purchased items, from 50 cents a pound to 54 cents a pound. Companies trying to keep up with six weeks of shifting trade policies. We reached a breakthrough agreement with China. Days ago, the Trump administration and China struck a deal, both sides agreeing to dramatically lower tariffs for 90 days, but the tariff on Chinese goods coming into the U.S. is still 30%. Walmart says that's low enough. We're very appreciative of the progress that the administration has made to get them

down to this level, but I would say that it's still too high for consumers. We'd like to see them come down more. Walmart, not alone in warning of higher prices, Black and Decker, Hasbro, Mattel, and Procter & Gamble have said they will raise prices too. Gene Soroka is the executive of the Port of L.A. What about the risk that there could be skimpy store shelves at some point? We're at a real critical time when it comes to purchasing. May typically is the month where the majority of the purchase orders go in for the year-end Christmas and holiday season goods. If we don't get those in now at the right price points, we may see fewer items to select from, probably at higher prices.

For companies big and small, higher prices at the ports could show up in the price you pay soon. Christine Romans, NBC News, New York. Now to an NBC News exclusive as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration, smugglers appear to be changing their playbook, specifically when it comes to getting Chinese nationals into the U.S. Never before seen footage shared with NBC News shows an inside look at smuggling operations in Florida, raising national security concerns

and rattling residents in a neighborhood that might surprise you. Jesse Kirsch has this one. This is Coral Gables, Florida, a city just outside Miami dotted with multi-million dollar homes and luxury yachts. It's home to one of America's most exclusive zip codes. And now it's one of the latest targets for human smugglers. Police say these are Chinese nationals being smuggled into the U.S. through Coral Gables. Send me a supervisor.

This police body camera footage shared exclusively with NBC News shows two separate January incidents. Hey, we got the same thing going on. Both times, law enforcement stopped the alleged smugglers and detained the migrants. ground. But this surveillance footage from almost a month earlier shows close to 20 people getting into this U-Haul, which police confirm was never caught. It's literally a straight shot. Coral Gables police chief, Edward Hudak, says smuggling is not new here. We just dusted off our playbook from the 80s and 90s when the smugglers were bringing in narcotics. But this is a human cargo now. So why Coral Gables? The same things make.

Making this such an attractive place to live also make it pretty appealing for human smuggling. Take a look around me. Lots of trees, lots of privacy, and not a lot of people. The open water leads right into this channel. And if you make it undetected onto land, there's a main road allowing migrants to vanish into the country. Please everybody take a seat. Everybody sit down. Chief Hudak says it was actually residents who tipped police off to the suspicious activity. Despite his department working with agencies including Border Patrol and the the U.S. Coast Guard. Even with all that coordination, it is still possible for a boat to slip through.

Oh, absolutely. There was ingenious ways to get narcotics into this country, and there's ingenious ways to get human beings into this country. And this route more desirable now that the Trump administration has cracked down on crossings at the southwest border. These human smugglers are being more creative. They see one route dropping off in the southwest border, and they're trying maritime more frequently. In this audio message obtained exclusively by NBC News, a man identifying himself as a smuggler tells a prospective customer there are two viable boat routes. From Mexico to the Los Angeles area or from the Bahamas to the Miami area.

The Bahamas particularly appealing because Chinese nationals can visit that country without a visa. The smuggler says he can take someone to the U.S. for $35,000. But even if you make it past law enforcement, there are more risks. They're trying to jump off the boat at improvised docks. They can fall in the water. This area does have crocodiles. There are crocodiles. I saw one here two days ago.

Since January's incidents, Coral Gables police say they've ramped up water patrols. What are you guys looking for when you're out here? Anything that's out of the ordinary people who may appear like they're fishing, but it may be lookouts. So we just have to keep an eye out for everything. Bad actors also seem to be adapting. The smuggler sent this video of a yacht, claiming that's how he's transporting migrants to the U.S. now. Writing in Mandarin, small boats will get in trouble.

The big boat won't draw as much attention. There's somebody in the van right there. Police bracing for what smugglers may try next. Where's it going to go next? It's like water. Water is going to go wherever it can go. Jesse Kirsch, fresh off that exclusive, joins us now from Miami. So, Jesse, I covered immigration.

in South Florida covered smuggling operations as well. Usually it's Haitian Americans, it's Cubans, it's people from Latin America as well. I got to think with Chinese nationals, this has to be raising some eyebrows because these people have come from the other side of the world to get into America through South Florida. Exactly, Tom. It's not the typical migrant group that we see coming into the country in this area, specifically in the South Florida region. And of course, The U.S. and China have a very delicate relationship on multiple fronts. And so the police chief and Coral Gables told us this is something that has raised some eyebrows, brought up some new questions for authorities as they continue investigating here. But we have also reached out to the federal authorities, have not heard back from them on this front yet.

And one of the experts we spoke to pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a turning point for a lot of people in China potentially encouraging them to come to this country, seeing how that nation handled the pandemic, Tom. All right, Jesse Kirch for us. Jesse, great story there with you and your team. We're going to be back in a moment with the armed standoff inside an Uber, a driver pulling a gun on a passenger, how Uber is responding.

Plus, the amazing scientific discovery, what chimpanzees were filmed doing in the wild that's never been seen before. Stay with us. We are back now with dramatic video out of Miami of an Uber driver pulling out a gun on her passengers as she yells at them to get out of her car. NBC's Aaron Gilchrist has the video and the response from Uber tonight.

Get out on my vehicle. Shocking moments in the backseat of this Uber just outside Miami, Florida. She doesn't want to get out of my vehicle. The driver, apparently on speakerphone with 911, yelling at two passengers to leave her car. Get out on my vehicle right now. She got them crazy eyes. Get out! The driver pointing a gun at passenger Chrissy Celeste, an up-and-coming.

Miami rapper and a second female passenger. You're going to go viral. Before driving off, the rear door still open. The video posted by Celeste on social media does not show what took place in the moments leading up to the confrontation. It unfolded around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night, according to a lawyer for both passengers. There was a simple enough dispute that could have been resolved through conversation rather than having a gun pointed at you.

DeMingez did not provide further details on the nature of the dispute. In a statement to NBC News, Celeste saying, we did nothing to provoke her. An Uber spokesperson telling NBC News, this is extremely concerning. The safety of the Uber community is a top priority, and we removed the driver's access to the platform. Dominguez says the passengers are in therapy now, still shaken by this experience and some reactions online. My clients have been receiving a ton of hate on social media, and it has increased their emotional trauma. And I'm just hopeful that at the end, we can secure some justice for them and hopefully some real change. Hollywood, Florida police say they are investigating the incident but have no additional information about the driver who has not been publicly identified.

And while the police department is looking into this, the attorney we spoke to for the passengers says they believe they know who the driver of that Uber is. At this point, though, they have not filed any complaint, any lawsuit against Uber or the driver. driver, they're still looking into it, though. Tom? Aaron, Grokruz for us. Aaron, I thank you for that. To Top Story's Global Watch now, we start with Israel conducting some of the deadliest airstrikes in Gaza after a ceasefire collapsed nearly two months ago. Health authorities in Gaza say at least 114 people were killed after a series of bombardments. Israeli forces say the strikes targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters.

This comes as Israel intensifies and expands its ground offensive in Gaza. Israeli officials say 58 hostages are still inside of Gaza, although less than half are believed to still be alive. And the Cannes Film Festival announcing it has banned a French actor from the red carpet over sexual assault allegations. Actor Theo Navarro Mucci, who has a supporting role in the film Dossier 137, was accused by three former partners of rape and psychological violence. Festival leadership says an ongoing case against him led to their decision.

This marks the first ban of an actor for sexual misconduct and comes the same week as French actor Girard de Padu's criminal conviction for sexual assault. And in Argentina, a massive chunk of a famous glacier collapsing in the water, sparking renewed concerns over the climate. Take a look at this. The new video shows a 230-foot shelf, wow, of ice breaking off and crumbling into the ocean. The site has attracted visitors to the region for years. But local tour guides and scientists say they're alarmed by the size of the chival. Chunks falling and believe that climate change is accelerating glacial melt. Okay, staying in the Americas where in Mexico, a horrific killing was captured on a TikTok live stream.

A 23-year-old influencer shot to death by an unidentified attacker while streaming to her followers. Local authorities now saying they're investigating the crime as a possible femicide, a type of gender-based violence. NBC News correspondent Marissa Para has this one. The murder of a Mexican beauty influencer has sent shockwaves. across the country. Today, I and I was doing a 23-year-old Valeria Marquez shot to death

during a TikTok live stream on Tuesday. Her followers watched her final moments live in this video. Hello. In the minutes before, as she recorded

from the beauty salon where she worked in Zapopan, Central Mexico, she mentions how someone had stopped by earlier, promising to bring an expensive gift. Later on,

clutching a pink stuffed animal, Marquez looks out of frame before saying they're coming. And a voice in the background asks for her by name. Hey, Marquez replies yes, then leans over to mute the sound on the live stream, horrifically shot to death in moments after we will not show. But after a person appears to pick up her phone, their face briefly showing on the live stream before the video ends. The identity of this person in their relationship to the crime hasn't been publicly identified. It would be the last video for Marquez, a rising online star in Mexico with nearly 200,000 followers between Instagram and TikTok.

Now Mexico's president, Claudia Shinebom, vowing justice. The prosecutor's office has not named a suspect, but said the killing is being investigated as a possible femicide, an intentional murder of a woman due to her gender. You said you were horrified by this, but were you surprised? I was horrified, and in one sense, I was not surprised. Paulina Garcia del Moral is an assistant professor who studies gender violence in Mexico and Latin America. It is quite common, even though it has been codified as a federal crime. The fact is that violence against women, including feminicides, is on the rise in Mexico.

There were 847 femicides reported last year by the government of Mexico that accounts for nearly one out of every four homicides with female victims. Fighting femicide was a big part of Shinebomb. recent presidential campaign in Mexico. And while the murder of Marquez is still being investigated, Garcia del Moral says famicide is a pervasive problem in Mexico that will take time to address. There has to be changed at the institutional level to recognize the institutional responsibility for creating conditions for women to be murdered with impunity. And if that can change, then yes, I believe there could be changed, but that's going to be really hard.

Marissa Parra joins us tonight from Miami. So Marissa, if you talk to human rights, groups, they'll point out that in places like Mexico, femicide happens because the punishments just aren't there for the men who are killing these women in cold blood. What more do we know about that? Well, it's interesting you bring that up because we know it varies state to state. And it's not just the punishment itself, Tom. We know that the punishment can vary anywhere between 50 to 60 years in places like Oaxaca, but then in a place like Michoacan, the punishment can be 20 to 50 years in prison.

But that's just the punishment itself, even the definition of fomachia. What meets the criteria for femicide vary state to state. But on top of that, the punishment does not find every person that is the perpetrator. There's various investigations that have to be done. They are very complex. Not every state has the resources to do that, Tom. And according to Amnesty International and organizations like that, 95 percent of femicide cases go unpunished, which, as we heard from the expert there, a big reason why this remains such a pervasive problem in this country of Mexico, Tom. Marissa Parra for us.

Marissa, we thank you for that. When Top Story returns, the ultimate field hospital, the first ever video of chimpanzees performing first aid on each other, while researchers are so amazed by the footage. Stay with us. Finally tonight, the incredible video of chimps in the wild seen for the first time administering first aid, not just to themselves, but to others.

NBC Steve Patterson has those images from deep in the forest of Uganda. Tonight, groundbreaking research, revealing endangered chimpanzees, engaging in what looks like a kind of forest first aid with chimps outside of their own social groups. Researchers in the Budango forest of Uganda watching as the chimps, which share almost 99% of their DNA with humans, cared for injuries, in some instances, chewing up leaves to apply wounds and others using their own saliva. Their techniques worked. Several least species are known to exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and other medical properties, and have been used by people.

So he's looking a leaf and then looking here. The most striking finding, the primates caring for the wounds of other chimps that they were not closely related to. That's a rare behavior. And, you know, it's interesting because it could come at a potential cost to the individual that's doing the behavior to help treat another individual. It's something that we think about a lot in human societies, but maybe not as much in animals. The study conducted in 2021 and published this week in the Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Journal, adding to growing research that suggests primates are practiced in first aid. A 2024 study out of Indonesia found orangutans used leaves and sap to make a paste and applied it to an injury, resulting in a speedy recovery.

These new images of the bodongo chimps adding decades of research, finding pro-social and cooperative tendencies among similar species. You definitely get the feeling that there is empathy within the group. You know, we see it in not just these types of self-medicating behaviors, but they will do things like adopt an individual that's lost their mother or help babysit an individual whose mother might be, you know, under the weather or injured at the time. Incredible video. Steve Patterson joins us tonight from L.A. So, Steve, what more did they learn? And how can this research help us and better understanding primates? You know, Tom, Dr. Stoewinsky in that piece is seeing these behaviors opens up a whole new trove of questions.

Like how do they acquire the behaviors? Or they being socially transmitted or did one just simply figure it out by luck? How does the relationship between the chimps affect what degree of help is offered? This study providing further evidence that these traits and maybe one more quality we share with our primate cousins. Yeah, fascinating. Steve, we thank you for bringing us that story. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York.

Stay right there. More news on the way.