Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, May 25, 2023

Episode Date: May 26, 2023

Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis trade shots just one day after the Florida governor’s bungled Twitter campaign launch, mounting questions about the investigation into Hunter Biden after an IRS whistleblower says a high-profile probe was "slow-walked", two Lululemon employees say they were fired after calling the police on shoplifters, shocking new details in the case of a mother who allegedly killed her husband and then wrote a children’s book about grief, and the pod of orcas caught on camera attacking a sailboat off the coast of Morocco.

Tonight, the Republican Rumble is on. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis doing damage control after that glitchy Twitter launch got his presidential campaign off to a rocky start. The new attacks he's leveling at his rival, former President Trump, claiming Trump, quote, destroyed millions of lives, plus the controversial videos and memes Trump is posting on social media. Also tonight, an explosive new interview with a whistleblower sounding the alarm about the Hunter Biden investigation, why he's accusing the Department of Justice of interfering in the

probe and are reporting the charges federal prosecutors have considered filing against the president's youngest son. Robbed and fired two Lulu Lemon employees say they were let go after masked burglars came in and stole tables full of merchandise. Those workers say they were terminated for calling 911, while they're now calling on the athletic wear company to change policies. Poison, money, and murder. New details emerging about a children's book author accused of killing her husband, the victim, falling ill on several occasions before his death, including once even on Valentine's Day and even on a trip to Greece, plus the change made to his life insurance policy just months before he died. Pott of killers, the terrifying

attacks at sea, groups of orcas ramming into sailboats and yachts, even sinking three boats off the coast of Portugal. So are they doing it on purpose, what we're hearing from the experts? Plus, the longest January 6th sentence yet handed down late today, the man now going to prison for 18 years. And zoo rescue, the only zoo in Puerto Rico, shutting down, leaving hundreds of animals to fend for themselves, our team traveling to the island to see firsthand the efforts to relocate the smallest of the small and the biggest of the big back to the mainland. Top story starts right now. And good evening.

Ron DeSantis has only been in the 2024 race for 24 hours, but already things are starting to heat up. The Florida governor and former president Donald Trump ramping up their rhetoric as their lines of attack come into clearer focus. Trump mocking last night's rocky launch on Twitter spaces, posting this fake screen recording showing Desanth, in a chat room with Musk, the devil, and even Hitler. A shocking video to be pushed by a former president,

but a sign of the no-holds-barred approach both men seem to be adopting. DeSantis spinning the attacks as a sign that Trump is taking him seriously as a competitor, fighting back by lobbying his own insults, claiming in a radio interview that Trump, quote, destroyed millions of lives with his COVID policies. The pandemic, a period that really launched DeSantis into the national spot, light, likely to be a point that comes up often in his campaign.

The question, of course, that remains, how is all of this going to play with Republican voters? Gabe Gutierrez leads us off tonight. It's only day two, and tonight, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, already doing damage control after his campaign's rocky rollout. It did break the Twitter space, and so we're really excited with the enthusiasm. The glitchy, audio-only campaign launch on Twitter spaces with billionaire CEO Elon Musk, was delayed by nearly a half hour as the live stream crashed repeatedly. There's so many people. It's unfortunate. I would like to have never seen this poem.

DeSantis's campaign was able to put out its first ad. I'm Ron DeSantis, and I'm running for president to lead our great American comeback. But critics like Republican frontrunner, former President Trump, slammed the launch as a disaster. Rob DeSanctimonious and his poll numbers are dropping like Iraq. Is he a fool who has no idea what the hell he's doing? DeSantis responding today. He understands that I've got a good chance to beat him because he doesn't criticize anybody else now.

It's only me. They wouldn't do that if they didn't think that I had a chance. Tonight, the DeSantis team announcing a new campaign swing through Iowa, New Hampshire, in South Carolina next week, and for the first time, drawing a stronger contrast between DeSantis and the former president. I think he did great for three years, but when he turned the country over to Fauci in March of 2020, that destroyed millions. of people's lives. DeSantis supporters argued the launch's technical problems were just a snag, not a big setback. Because of the glitches in hindsight, should he have stuck with a more traditional

announcement? I don't think so. I think it's who Governor DeSantis is. Look, he's a bold leader that's willing to try new things. All right, Gabe Gutieris joins us again now live from Miami, Florida. Gabe, what are we learning about DeSantis and the campaign brief he had with major donors there in Miami after last night's sort of flubbed Twitter rollout. What more are we hearing? Well, Tom, Governor DeSantis and his wife, Casey, are actually here in Miami right now at an upscale hotel meeting with donors and fundraisers as we speak.

And yes, earlier today, the campaign team briefed donors on the strategy forward. You heard that campaign swing next week to those early primary states, and that will be a huge focus of this campaign moving. moving forward, especially focused on Iowa and New Hampshire, and looking at small in-person meetings, in living rooms with voters, as opposed to those mega rallies that Donald Trump is, of course, famous for. But we have spoken with one Republican operative here in Florida who says that last night's Twitter event became both a punchline and a cautionary tale, Tom. Gabe, you know, candidates often like to say how much money they've raised.

They like to show off their war chest to show that they are viable candidates. we know about how much money Governor DeSantis has raised since he launched? Well, today, an official with the DeSantis campaign says that they were able to raise $1 million within one hour of that glitchy launch yesterday. However, I did speak with an official from the Super PAC, never backed down, that is backing DeSantis today. And this spokesperson didn't have any update to share, so they're not talking about that right now. But when I spoke with them earlier in the week, they said that they planned to spend upwards of two or two hundred million dollars for this campaign, 2,600 field operatives plan to be hired by Labor

Day. So they appear to have a whole lot of money at this point. The question will be, will it turn into actual voters. And of course, there have been many candidates before, have raised a lot of money. Well, it's very important, but have not done so well. Just ask Michael Bloomberg back in 2020, Tom. It's a good point. All right, Gabe Gutier is leading us off here on top story. Gabe, we appreciate all of that. The Republican primary race is officially on and it's starting with a lot of fire. For more of what this means for the race for the White House, I want to bring in tonight, Hogan Gidley,

he's the former White House deputy press secretary during the Trump administration, and Kerry Sheffield, part of the conservative, independent women's voice. She's a senior fellow there. We thank you both for joining Top Story tonight. Hogan, I'm going to start with you. This announcement was highly anticipated.

He went on Fox News later that night, and I want to talk about something he said. Let's take a listen. Turn our military to focus on commitment, focusing on the core values and the core mission. That would be something that I could take care of on day one. There'll be a new sheriff in town as commander and chief. And I think you'll see recruiting start to get back to where it needs to be because people don't want to join a woke military. And I think it's been really, really problematic.

Hogan, what do you think about this? He's going to focus a lot of his campaign sort of on taking on what's happening across America. He wants to talk about sort of his battles with the woke movement. Is this going to attract Republican voters, in your opinion? Well, a couple of things. First of all, you don't want to be using the words damage control and rollout in the same sentence. You want these things to be scripted from top to bottom with few or little, no mistakes. And from the outset, he had a lot of mistakes, not just with the glitch on Twitter, of course, but this was billed as something that was going to be nonscripted, that was going to be, you know, organic.

It wasn't. Elon Musk flipped it over to Ron DeSantis. He read from a script. The people who asked questions weren't. random people on Twitter. They were supporters or potential vice presidential picks for him or donors. So the whole thing on its face seemed a little weird. Now, I'd want it scripted because I've done enough of these. You want it to be pretty tight. The problem is it wasn't billed that way. It was built as organic. So he follows that up with this Fox News interview, as you just pointed out.

And I think the culture wars are going to be a major issue in this upcoming presidential debate in this presidential race. The right did not pick this fight, but I think they're fully engaged at this point. You heard Ron DeSantis talking about wokeism in the military. You've heard Donald Trump talk about this as well. And I would imagine most people in the field are going to be focused on trying to take back some of the ground we ceded over the last several years in those cultural war battles. Carrie, you know, a lot of the mainstream media that has the coverage on Desantis has been about sort of this hiccup right in this rollout. A lot of over the past few months has been over his stumbles with donors and things he said, including about Ukraine, calling it a

territorial dispute, but I want to read you something from an op-ed and political today. Okay, this is from Rich Lowry. And this is a portion. He's talking about DeSantis here. And he says, about DeSantis, it simply happened by chance to win a contested primary and extremely hard-fought general election in 2018. He became a popular governor, handled COVID in an independent-minded way, that as far as Republicans are concerned, has been completely vindicated, forged a smashing re-election victory, generated massive national buzz and successfully wound an impressive array of GOP donors and passed a historic conservative legislation.

So, Carrie, my question to you is that it seems like a lot of people covering DeSantis have forgotten what he's done over the last year. Will Republican voters remember that? Well, of course, the lifespan of memory in politics is notoriously short. Look, I personally, in my organization, we don't endorse candidates, so we just want the most conservative candidate who's going to get the policy in the White House. So whether it's President Trump or Ron DeSantis, may the best person win the primary. That's our perspective. I think there are a number of openings where iron can sharpen iron both between Trump and DeSantis. As it relates to DeSantis, absolutely, he was an incredibly strong.

The fact that he outright won women, he outright won Latinos in his reelection campaign, and he's overseen a deficit, you know, over 100,000 deficit of Democrat registrations. Now, the advantage has swung over hundreds of thousands, I believe, maybe three or 400,000 registration advantage for Republicans in Florida, which was previously swing state. That's pretty incredible. And so I think I agree with Rich Lowry in that respect. I do think there are some openings, as he had said in his remarks, that he could say, you know, ask a lot of questions of President Trump.

Why did you allow Anthony Fauci to shut down the country? Why didn't you do more to open it up? Also, as it relates to abortion, currently, you know, President Trump seems to be backing away from some of the abortion policies that he, And as a pro-life woman myself, I fully embrace. And I think that President Trump should be more full-throated in support of those policies. I'd like to see that in the primary. Yeah, Carrie, but the former president, I just interrupt you,

the former president may also be reading the tea leaves of the rest of the country and seeing what's happened across the country. The Republican losses during the midterms, state after state voters overturning when strict abortion measures come in. The former president could be seeing that and saying, listen, if Republicans want to win a general election, we may have to sort of move to where the country is. on this. Hogan, I want to go over to you. The frontrunner, of course, is the former president.

He's been posting all day, videos, memes. I want to show you, want to get your reaction on the back end. When the Ron DeSanctimonious facts come out, you will see that he's better than most Democrat governors, but very average at best compared to Republican governors who have done a fantastic job. How about the fact that he had the third most deaths of any state having to do with the China virus or COVID? So I got to say this. I mean, I covered former President Trump in 2016. I've never seen him go after somebody so aggressively like he's going after Governor DeSantis. And I understand what he's trying to do here, right? He's trying to sort of kill DeSantis before he takes off. That being said, right? I mean, he's firing a lot right now, Hogan. Is he sort of wasting all his ammo right now before we even get to Iowa? Now, look, if you're unknown in politics, the way you want to become known should be on your own terms. And what Donald Trump has done largely before Ron DeSantis got in this race was try and pigeonhole him in certain areas

and try and make the reputation that Donald Trump wants Ron DeSantis to have and not allow Ron DeSantis to build any momentum. And that's clearly worked to some degree because Donald Trump has extended his lead in a lot of these early primary states and nationally, up above 50 percent. and many of the polls, 40 to 39% of a lead over Ron DeSantis, that's important and that's something you want to do. So when he puts these videos out, it's just a continuation of that thought process to try and knock Ron DeSantis down a peg. But Hogan, when you look at those national polls and you do the matchup, you know, Governor DeSantis is actually doing better than President Trump against Biden. You know, it might be only a few percentage points here and there, but that is happening, to be completely fair. Well, it depends on the poll. A lot of polls have

Trump up over Biden as well. The fact is the American people are sick and tired, quite frankly, of a president who's implemented policies that have kicked them in the teeth for the last several years. You're paying more for gas and for groceries. The border's wide open crimes up. There's world fires burning all over this planet with wars that shouldn't be happening. And Joe Biden is in the White House right now. So there's a fertile ground for any nominee to go after Joe Biden here. I think Donald Trump will focus some of that ire toward Ronda Santis and the rest of the field as this battle takes shape. But it will be ultimately a fight against Joe Biden's failed policies

versus the America First policies that have been successful for all Americans, regardless of race, religion, color, or creed. That being said, former president did not have a great track record in the midterms. I will remind you of that. Kerry, I want to go over to you real quick. You know, Trump is not the only candidate

going after DeSantis. Nikki Haley released a video shortly before DeSantis' campaign went live on Twitter. Let's listen to that. It was totally different. Whatever I want, he wants. You're fired.

You're fired. Then Mr. Trump said, you're fired. I love that part. Make America great again. Make America great again. Mickey Haley essentially saying here that Ron DeSantis is an echo of former President Trump, right? But it's interesting because you have these candidates sort of, and she's not the only one. I mean, Senator Tim Scott, when I sat down with him, he took a shot at Governor DeSantis as well.

It seems like they're going after Governor DeSantis, even though former president is, in the lead spot right now. Well, I think part of that is exactly what Hogan said, which it really comes down to policy, and it really comes down to the America First policy, and the America First policies that were sort of, you know, really brought to the forbear under President Trump. And so the other candidates are kind of speaking that same policy agenda in their own language. So I think that's part of why you see Ron DeSantis, you know, echoing a lot in that respect. But at the same time, the policies are timeless.

The policies didn't start with Trump. They won't end with President Trump. He just had an incredibly unique way to connect with the voters directly. And that's what these other candidates have to prove themselves as well. I do want to respond to what you said, though, on abortion. I think Governor Kemp in Georgia showed there is a path forward for a Republican who supports pro-life policies. Remember, in Georgia, prior to the midterm elections last year, they passed a six-week election ban. That's six weeks that Stacey Abrams tried to pummel him with, and yet she lost by, I believe, eight or nine points.

So there's absolutely a path forward to be robustly pro-life. I hope that President Trump embraces that. I hope that Ron DeSantis embraces that. I know in Florida they just passed that. I strongly support it. And I think there's a lot of ways to show that we can be pro-woman and pro-baby. Let's make sure we improve our adoption. But there's also multiple examples, including what happened in the midterms, including what happened in Kansas, that sort of refutes that point.

I do want to get back to this. I just don't want to focus on abortion. Carrie, my question to you, if the former president doesn't show up for the Fox News debate in August? Would that bother you as a voter? I'd like to see him on stage. I really would. And I think a lot of primary voters would as well. I understand why, from his perspective, he has sort of the aura of incumbency. But I think that it would be prove him well if I was advising him on the common space to show up on stage. Carrie Sheffield. Okay, go for it. Last word, because we've got to move on. Just real quick. Everyone's vying for that other spot of where Donald Trump's policies

without his personality. So it makes sense everyone's going to attack Rhonda Santis from from those lower-tier candidates because you can't climb the ladder all at once. You have to go for the lowest rung first, and right now the person closest to them is Ron DeSantis. If they can knock him down a peg, then chances are they'll go after Trump, more mono and mono. It's a good point. Hogan Gidley, Kerry Sheffield, we thank you for joining Top Story tonight. We want to turn to another big story we're following the federal investigation into the president's son, Hunter Biden, on possible tax crimes. An IRS agent blowing the whistle on what he calls political interference, that whistleblower is now speaking. Speaking out, NBC's Ken Delaney has this one.

Tonight, there are mounting questions about the Hunter Biden investigation. An IRS agent turned whistleblower who worked on the case, speaking out for the first time. In an interview with CBS News, Gary Shapley says there was political interference. There was multiple steps that were slow walked at the direction of the Department of Justice. Had you ever encountered that before? I have not, no. deviations from the normal process, and each and every time it seemed to always benefit the subject. While Shappley did not give specifics, he isn't the only one expressing misgivings.

Two senior law enforcement officials tell NBC News there's growing frustration inside the FBI because investigators finished the bulk of their work on the case about a year ago. According to two sources familiar with the matter, federal prosecutors have considered charging Hunter Biden with three tax crimes, including two misdemeanor counts for failure to file taxes and a felony count of tax evasion related to a business expense. There also could be a charge related to a gun purchase. Shapley told CBS he decided to blow the whistle after a tense meeting with federal prosecutors. I don't want to do any of this.

I took an oath of office and when I saw the egregiousness of some of these things, it no longer became a choice for me. It's not something that I want to do. It's something that I feel like I have to do. General Merrick Garland has said the investigation is being run by the U.S. attorney in Delaware, an appointee of former President Trump. DOJ officials tell NBC News there has been no interference. In past interviews, Hunter Biden has said there was no wrongdoing. I'm being as honest with you as I possibly can.

All I know is that not one investigative body, not one serious journalist has ever accused, has ever come to the conclusion that I did anything wrong or that my father did anything wrong. Former President Trump, who is facing a hush money trial that could see him in court in the middle of his campaign, has repeatedly said that Biden is getting preferential treatment. Hunter Biden is a criminal and nothing happened to him. Nothing happened. President Biden continues to stand by his son. Well, my son's done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in it. And it impacts my Presidency by making me feel proud of him.

Ken Delanyan joins us now from Washington, D.C. Look, can people are going to be watching that interview that CBS did with the IRS whistleblower? And they're going to be asking themselves, we've been at this three years. You've reported, I believe, that the FBI wrapped up their investigation a year ago. You cover these departments for us. Is this normal? Is this abnormal? Sometimes complex investigations take a long time, Tom, particularly tax cases. But what's weird about this is that the investigation appears to be over. So the delay appears to be among prosecutors. Now, it's a prosecutor appointed by Donald Trump. This whistleblower is claiming there's political interference. We haven't seen the evidence on that. But that just raises a lot of questions.

And I think at some point, the Justice Department's going to have to make a decision here, and they're going to have to explain it. Unfortunately, half the country is going to doubt whichever way this comes out. Ken, you know, it's really interesting because we've had all these investigations, not just the Hunter-Biden investigation. We also have the investigation over the classified documents as well, right, with both the president and the former president. And we're getting more and more into the campaign season. And I'm just wondering if the Justice Department, I know they may not be considering this, maybe they are, but my question to you is if it's playing a role, I mean, as we get closer

to where people start voting, people start looking at these candidates, isn't it going to get more and more dangers for the Department of Justice because it's going to seem like they're possibly playing politics? Of course, Tom, you're absolutely right. But it appears to be unavoidable at this point, because if, For example, Donald Trump is indicted by the special counsel. It's going to take a year. Federal cases take a long time to get to trial.

So that puts you into the election season almost no matter what happens. And that's assuming Donald Trump doesn't do everything you can to drag it out. And so politics is going to infringe on all this stuff. The people of the DOJ know that. They're just going to try to do the best they can to keep their head down, follow the facts in the law, and they know that their decisions are going to be questioned, Tom. Okay, Ken Delaney, a lot of great reporting and analysis for us here on Top Story. that. Now to the debt default warning out of Washington. Negotiators on Capitol Hill seeking a compromise solution to raise the debt ceiling.

But tonight, the first signs of anxiousness among credit rating agencies, this says the deadline approaches before the country's checking accounts could run out of money. Peter Alexander reports. Tonight, just a week from a potential default and another firm warning from the president. And it's time for Congress to act now. Amping up the urgency a new alarm bell overnight with a top credit rating. agency warning it might downgrade America's AAA credit rating, citing increased political partisanship that's hindering reaching a deal and the deterioration in governance. It all comes down to President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, their team still negotiating. And they're

making progress. I'm the total optimist. We will get this done. The standoff remains overspending House Republicans demanding significant cuts, while the White House wants to protect funding for social programs. Tonight, key conservative Republicans who have the power to derail any deal are urging McCarthy to hold out until Democrats slash more spending. NBC's Allie Vitale with Republican

Chip Roy. Don't take an off ramp that's five exits too early. A deal for the sake of a deal is no good. Democrats worry the president may be giving away too much to get a deal. Progressive primalage Ayupol telling NBC News, I think the backlash will be significant

if somehow we were to get bullied into a bad deal. The stakes are high as early as June 1st, the Treasury Department could start missing payments, which could trigger a Wall Street meltdown with 401Ks losing value. Then a potential hike in interest rates, making mortgages and credit card bills more expensive. And within weeks, it could spark a recession and massive job losses. The American people deserve to know that the Social Security payments will be there. The Veterans Hospital will remain open, and the economic progress will be made, and we're going to continue to make it.

And with that, Peter Alexander joins us tonight from the White House. Peter, so much hanging in the balance, but with this deadline approaching both the President and Congress are preparing to head out of town for the holiday? Yeah, Tom, that's right. The House is heading home. Republican leaders will call their members back if there's a deal, they say. And the White House says the President will be at Camp David and in Delaware this weekend, and that he can work from there. The negotiations last night lasted past midnight into the early morning hours today, and they've been negotiating throughout the day-to-day. But a Republican negotiator tonight, Tom, says there are still serious issues to work out.

Okay. Peter Alexander first, Peter, we appreciate that. We head overseas now to the Vatican. And Telemundo Julio Bacero's exclusive interview with Pope Francis. The 86-year-old pontiff touching on abortion, the war in Ukraine, and his recent health scare. NBC's Ann Thompson reports. Francis today showing the world his health is improving, almost two months after he was hospitalized for bronchitis. In an interview with our sister network, Telemundo, the 86-year-old pontiff thankful the doctors

caught the infection in the nick of time, saying had they waited even a few more hours, it would have been more serious. The Pope laughing, saying when people tell him he looks good, he knows that's a compliment you give old people. Today, the Pope meeting virtually with the young people around the world in a town hall. But on his mind, the unending war in Ukraine. Francis saying President Zelensky asked him to help return the Ukrainian children taken to Russia, but sidestepping the question of whether Russia should return Ukrainian territories,

saying it's a political problem. Francis reiterating his opposition, to abortion and asking the world to remember migrants leave their home countries by necessity, as his father did when he left Italy for Argentina. When asked what changes, he still hopes to make as Pope. France is joking that he needs to change, but says change is hard even for him. And as for the church, he says there is always more to do. It is insatiable.

Anne Thompson, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, poison plot. New details emerging about the Utah mother suspected of killing her husband and then writing a book about grief. The allegations she also poisoned him on Valentine's Day and on vacation as we learn more about the life insurance policy she took out. Plus, the longest sentence handed down for the Capitol riot, how long the leader of the extremist group, the Oathkeepers, will spend behind bars.

And video is showing a robbery inside of a Lulu Lemon store, but two former employees say they were fired. Forget this, calling 911 to report it. The reason they claimed their company gave them termination. Stay with us. Okay, we're back now with two women in Georgia saying they witnessed a robbery at their Lulu Lemon store and called the police. Then they say they were fired for violating the company's policy. leading to questions about what retail workers are supposed to do in shoplifting scenarios. NBC Stephen Rummel reports. No, no.

Seriously. Get out. Two Georgia women say they were fired from their jobs at Lulu Lemon after calling police to report this robbery, which one of them caught on camera. No. Jennifer Ferguson and Rachel Rogers describing to NBC affiliate 11 Alive Atlanta the horrifying moments. In terrifying moments, the merchandise at the Peachtree Corner Store was stolen. They swiped until they couldn't hold any more product and ran out the door. We didn't really feel very protected or, like, know what else to do it.

The women say they were fired from their jobs after they decided to call the police about the shoplifting. Something they say they were told is against company policy. So what are they supposed to do instead? You kind of clear a path for whatever they're going to do, and then after it's over, you scan a QR code. Rogers, who says she's worked at the company for five years, claims that the store has been dealing with thefts for months, recalling another incident. Someone, like, sent me a picture of the front entrance table, and I was like, oh my gosh, like we just sold all the product, like, good job. And they were like, no, like someone just came in and stole everything. But this was the first time she knows of someone at the store calling police, which local officials.

authorities confirm. The Fayette County Sheriff's Office says three men have been charged with theft by shoplifting and theft by receiving stolen property from that incident. And they're currently in the Fayette County Jail. Videos of brazen shoplifting have gone viral from stores across the country. And it's common practice for retailers to tell their employees not to intervene. 80% of retailers are experiencing violent incidents. Wanted to tell folks you should not be interfering or apprehending folks if you do not have training and while a punishment after calling the police for shoplifting might be head-scratching to some retail trade organizations say it might be more common than you think because some stores have relationships with law enforcement and don't want to waste resources on petty crime they don't want to you know waste their time on what may be an entry-level shoplifting issue when they could be doing something else because then they're not necessarily going to be as quick to respond the next time when they do need someone there. Ferguson and Rogers say their actions led to their termination for vague reasoning.

They have a no tolerance policy. They said because they have a zero tolerance policy. We tried calling the store and reaching out to Lulu Lemon's corporate offices and did not hear back. Both women now adjusting to their new lives after the April incident. That was my sole income. So I did have to like file for unemployment and use. all of my savings to pay for like my car payment it put us in a bit of a bind my husband is self-employed so we're trying to figure out insurance all right stephen roma joins us now in

studio uh stephen a lot of people are going to be confused by this right and again i want to make it very clear we reached out to lulu lemon several times but i mean it's not just petty theft right because if it was one shirt one pair of shorts even though it's lulu lemon we're talking about armfuls of shirts and those shirts are probably a hundred bucks 80 dollars each along with the pants that are $100 more. So we're talking about thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, and they're supposed to just let it happen? Yeah, Lulu Lemon, those clothes are not cheap.

These employees say that they were let go because they violated a company policy. And the company that actually sent us a letter, Rachel Rogers, one of the women in the story, sent us a letter saying they violated policy, but not specifying which policy they actually violated. It is confusing to a lot of people that attorney we spoke to for the retail trade organization says that some companies do have this policy to not even call the police to just be completely passive for employees' own safety

when it comes to shoplifting. Of course, not all companies agree with that. Some of them do want the police called in each situation. It leaves a lot of gray area, a lot of confusion. And why would the crooks stop stealing if they know that nothing's going to happen? Good question. Anyways. Okay.

Stephen Romo, we appreciate all of that. We want to turn out of the murder case out of Utah, a mother of three is accused of killing her husband, then writing a children's book about the grief the family was dealing with after his death. Now, new shocking information coming to light about what happened in the years leading up to the killing and it's shocking. Kathy Park walks us through what we know so far.

Tonight, new details emerging in a chilling timeline surrounding the case of the Utah mom charged with murdering her husband after writing and promoting a children's book about grief when he died. Just because he's not present here with us physically, that doesn't mean his presence isn't here with us. Corey Richens is accused of poisoning Eric Richens with five times a lethal dose of fentanyl. Prosecutors now alleging in court documents the trouble started eight years ago when Corey started purchasing life insurance policies on her husband and he had no idea. The two were also fighting over purchasing a massive new home. Court documents say in January of 2022, Corey managed to make herself the beneficiary on the life insurance policy for Eric's business.

Eric and his business partner were notified by the insurance company and, changed it back. It's always something that investigators will look at to see were there any recent changes in a life insurance policy and who is the beneficiary, who in this situation could have benefited from the victim's death. Then prosecutors say Corey contacted an acquaintance and asked for fentanyl. He indicated at least on one occasion that he felt like Corey was trying to kill him. An affidavit for a search warrant reveals family member's suspicions saying, quote, according to his sister, Eric and his wife went to Greece a few years ago. And after his wife gave him a drink, he became violently ill and called his sister, saying he believed his wife had tried to kill him.

Adding, quote, on Valentine's Day of 2022, his wife brought him a sandwich, which after one bite, Eric broke into hives and couldn't breathe. He used his son's EpiPen as well as Benadryl before passing out for several hours. A spokesperson for Eric's family saying he decided to stay in the marriage for the sake of his children. He was, by all accounts, just an amazing father and wanted to keep that unit together. Later that month is when Corey allegedly contacted her acquaintance again, asking for stronger fentanyl pills, according to court documents. And the day before Eric's death, prosecutors say she talked to a money lender to whom she owed at least $1.8 million. There are so many financial pieces of evidence here, which really point to motive. And while motive is not something that's required to be proven by the prosecution, it really,

helps in building the case and understanding how a spouse could possibly murder their own husband. After his death on March 4th, 2022, the new widow went on to write a children's story on grief, even dedicating the book to her late husband, appearing on an ABC affiliate a month before she was arrested. It completely took us all by shock. My kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced. last year. She's been charged with aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. We reached out to her attorney but have not heard back. She has not entered a plea. In another twist, the day after Eric's death, investigators say Corey reached a deal

on purchasing that new home. And in the following days, prosecutors say she had a locksmith drill into her husband safe, which contained six figures in cash and wrote a backdated check for the Pills. Kathy Park, NBC News. Okay, when we come back, a pod of killers. Video showing orca whales ramming into a sailboat off the coast of Morocco. Three other boats sunk by pods in that same area. What experts are saying about claims circulating online that those attacks by these orcas might be coordinated, we'll explain.

All right. back now with Top Stories News Feed and the nation honoring George Floyd today to mark three years since he was murdered. In Minneapolis, people leaving flowers, photos, and other tributes in George Floyd Square. That's the site where he died at the hands of police. Candlelight vigil also held there and cities across the country. A manhunt is underway for a passenger who attacked a Los Angeles bus driver. Authorities saying the two were arguing outside the bus when the suspect stabbed the driver multiple times before fleeing the scene. No word yet in suspect's whereabouts and police have not shared details on the cause of the argument.

The bus driver was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition. The founder of the extremist group Oathkeepers has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in connection with his role in the January 6 riots. Stuart Rhodes was convicted on seditious conspiracy charges related to his involvement back in November, a D.C. jury finding him guilty of leading a plot to prevent President Joe Biden from taking office. His sentence is the longest one handed down for the Capitol riot so far. And a consumer alert tonight, the CDC is investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to raw cookie dough. Officials saying the outbreak is tied to two types of cookie dough sold by the

Papa Murphy's pizza chain. The impacted flavors are chocolate chip and s'mores. 18 people have been sickened to hospitalized across six states. Okay, we want to turn out of a developing story out of Mississippi. We're outrages growing after an 11-year-old boy was shot by police. The child was the one who called 911 for help with his mother. He's now recovering, but the community is demanding answers. Miguel Almagair has this one. No peace. No justice, no peace.

Protesters who arrived at Indianola City Hall today had a clear message. Fire and charge the Mississippi officer who shot an 11-year-old boy after he called police for help. The BBK rolled and represent a message. He's blessed. I don't know how else. to describe it, how else to describe how he survived. Nicola Murray says her son Adairian was following the officer's orders when he was gunned down inside their home.

Saturday morning, Murray says she asked her son to call police over a domestic dispute as she argued with the father of one of her children. She says the officer arrived with his gun in hand, ordered everyone out of the home, and when Adairian came around a corner, he was shot in the chest. He asked me in the hospital, like, why they shot him. He was in good spirit, but every now of then, I look over at him and he'll just cry. With no comment from Indianola Police, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation says they are assessing this critical incident, but for now offers no further comment. As the officer remains on administrative leave, the Murray family says the shooting was captured on body cam and is demanding the video be released.

And he's justice, and so she's fighting on behalf of her son who didn't ask to be shot. Back home today, Adarian is lucky to be alive after his family says his call for help nearly killed him. Tom, the Murray family has hired an attorney, and they plan to sue the officer and the police department involved in the shooting. Tom. Time now for Top Stories Global Watch and the massive fire destroying a building in Sydney, Australia. New video shows the moment that seven-story building collapsed. Look at that, near the city's central train station. Officials say no one was inside the more than 100-year-old building at the time, thankfully.

But nearby apartment buildings, you can see were evacuated. No one was hurt, though. No word yet on what caused that massive fire. In London, a man has been arrested after crashing a car into the gates of the prime minister's home. Video shows the car smashed into the front gates of Downing Street. The prime minister was home at the time, but no one was hurt. Police say the suspect was held on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous. driving, but the incident is not being treated as terror-related.

And the powerful show of support for Real Madrid player Venetius Jr., who was the target of racial abuse. We told you about the story earlier this week, and now his teammates taking the field in his jersey, unfurling a banner with the opposing team that read, quote, racist out of soccer. During the 20th minute of the game, that's his number, 20. The fans also paid tribute with a minute of applause. The star player has been subject to constant racist attacks by fans. including offensive chance during a match in Valencia on Sunday.

Okay, now to the terrifying killer whale attack caught on camera. A pot of Orcas ramming and chomping at a sailboat off the coast of Barocco, and it's part of an alarming trend of Orcas attacking boats there, including at least three that have sunk. Ali Arruzia has a look at what could be the cause. Tonight, new images of a harrowing killer whale encounter at sea. A pot of Orcas battering this sailboat. boat off the coast of Morocco, chewing on the boat's rudder and smashing into its hull.

The boat skipper says one of the larger orcas is seen showing the smaller calves how to get at the boat's rudder, the orcas eventually letting the boat get away. What are you doing? That's why I wanted to go. But others? Not so lucky. At least three boats have been taken down by orcas in the last year in the waters of Spain and Portugal, which form the Iberian Peninsula.

as well as nearby Morocco. Normally, you wouldn't see this. So it's very unusual behavior and the fact that now it seems to be escalating. Researchers in the Marine Mammal Science Journal say there has been an unprecedented rise in orca interactions in the region since 2020 and that they believe the culprits are the same group of orcas.

What in hell are you? And if it sounds like a scene from a horror movie, it is. Conspiracy theories quickly spreading online suggesting the attacks are intentional, similar to the plot of the 1997 film, Orca, about a killer whale who goes after a fisherman, after a boat struck its mate. But experts say that's not the case. Whale and dolphin researcher Eric Hoyt telling us the apex predators are likely just being playful. The most plausible explanation is that it's some kind of curiosity. starting it and then play behavior, fooling around with a propeller, you know, seeing how it works. Hoyt also adding the whales may be adjusting to an environment that's new for them.

In lockdown, there were far fewer boats, and maybe that was a kind of a spur to get them a little bit more interested than they would be ordinarily with the amount of traffic that was going on. Thankfully, nobody's been killed in these cities. but experts are hoping to find a way to prevent these incidents while protecting the endangered creatures. Ali Arusi, NBC News. Okay, we hope they can get to the bottom of that. We thank Ali Aruzi for that story. And from Orcas in the Wild to zoo animals coming up,

the last zoo in Puerto Rico shut down and top story traveled to the island to get a firsthand look at what it took to move all those animals, including a beloved 1,400-pound elephant. Stay with us. We're back now with the Americas and a rare look into a historic and monumental move in Puerto Rico. For years, the island's only zoo has been closed to the public, yet its animals were left behind.

Earlier this year, the U.S. government stepped in, officially shutting down the zoo and ordering all animals to be relocated to the mainland. It's a massive undertaking that involves several massive animals. Top stories sent George Siles to Puerto Rico to witness the big move up close. On Puerto Rico's far west exists a lost world. This was a Jurassic Park kind of thing, you know. Overgrown grass, decrepit buildings, and empty animal enclosures. Everything is rusted, rotted out. This is, rather was, the Dr. Juan A. Rivera Zoo, the island's only zoo.

But in the last decade, animal care and management suffering. Financial troubles in Puerto Rico made worse after multiple hurricanes decimated the island. The power doesn't work. The water comes off, you know what I mean. And you have animals that are living here in these conditions. Yeah, and they have to run on generators. There's no power here since the hurricane. Pat Craig is on a mission to save all these animals.

He runs the massive wild animal sanctuary in Colorado. This rescue calls for the relocation of more than 600 exotic animals. What you're saying is if you had said no, these animals all likely would have died. They all would have guaranteed. In 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria halting it all. The zoo closed to the public as complaints of animal mistreatment grew. So the Department of Justice called and said, you know, hey, it's finally reached this head where if we don't get them out now, there isn't going to be any animals left. Fast forward to March of this year when the DOJ and Puerto Rico's government came to an agreement, drop all probes into the zoo and relocate the animals to zoos and animal sanctuaries across the country.

A lot of people are upset about that because it seems that the people responsible for this aren't going to be held accountable. And I agree 100%. But in this case, as you said, the clock was ticking. So to tie this up in the courts, obviously wouldn't have benefited the animals. Negotiating brought it to a much quicker close. Prompting what Pat believes is the largest move of wildlife in modern U.S. history. Little by little, lions, bears, zebras, and lemurs were relocated to the mainland. Here you have hippos, pippo and Cindy.

That's the crate they're going to be boarded on in route to their new home. We were there as the team set out to relocate a rhino, two hippos and a donkey, but perhaps most revered, a 34-year-old 1,400-pound elephant named Mundi. Adding to the tension, ongoing criticism and violent threats against the relocation of the animals, specifically Mundi, who many consider the jewel of the zoo. We've had people sneaking in the property. We've had people that have posted online to have people come by the thousands of banged pots and pans to scare the animals. For more than an hour now, crews here have been trying to get this rhino out of its enclosure.

using heavy machinery to try and get the job done. With the clock ticking on a crucial must-make flight, the only animals still not in an enclosure is Mundi. The team is doing everything they can to wait her out. And then the news everyone had been waiting for all day. After many trials and tribulations, Mundi the elephant. Flanked by an army of police and federal agents, a caravan departed the zoo.

By sunrise, all the animals were boarded onto a chartered flight to Florida. Bittersweet moment for many who realize this may be the last time they see their beloved Monday on Puerto Rican soil. It was like she was more than just an elephant to some people here. Yeah, it was. There was people crying. It's part of something huge. It's part of part of history of what's happening here. And we thank George and his team for that story. When we come back, Megan Trainor opens up. The pop star sitting down with someone who may look a little familiar, my daughter Malena. The two talk. talking about trainer's songwriting process, how she started singing, and what's next for her, including a second child. The Nightly News Kids Edition, sneak peek coming right up.

I am your mother. You listen to me. Stop all the man's playing. No one's listening. Tell me who gave you the permission to speak. I am your mother. I am your mother. You listen to me. And that was the hit song Mother from superstar Megan Traynor. Besides topping the charts, Traynor is also expecting her second child. And for Nightly News Kids Edition, she sat down with my daughter, Malena Yamas, to talk about life, her songwriting process, and her advice to aspiring singers. Hello. Hello.

How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm very excited for this. I'm so excited for this. Thanks for having me on your very cool show. You're welcome. How old are you when you started making music?

I started making music when... How old are you? I'm 10. Oh, yeah. I was like your age. I was very young. My dad would perform at our church, and I would go up and sing with him a lot of times. And then I started writing my own songs, and he would have me perform them at church.

What is your process in writing a song? My process is different every time Sometimes I write in the shower Sometimes I write in my dreams Sometimes I write in the car But most days I will book a session With a producer and I'll go in around 11 a.m. And I'll go in with an idea

I'll say I have this idea made you look Here's like a chorus, what do you guys think And then we finish the song that day Do you have any advice to someone like me Who wants to be a singer or a songwriter? You want to be a singer? Yes, I do. Oh, my God, then do it.

Just do it. You got this. I started at a very young age, and I don't think I was that good until I was like 18, you know? But I had so many years of practice. Practice makes you better. So just do it and keep doing it over and over again. What is next for you? What is next for me?

There's a baby in me, and it's got to come out. So that's the very next thing I have to do. Okay. And then I'm going to rest and recover, and then hopefully I get to go on tour or something really fun like that. or write a whole new album. Great questions there by Malena. And you can catch much more of that interview with Megan Traynor this Saturday on Nightly News Kids Edition or on NBCNews.com. Check your local listings for the times.

Thanks so much for watching Top Story Tonight. I'm Tom Yamis here in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. Thank you.