Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, November 16, 2023

Episode Date: November 17, 2023

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, hospital warfare in Gaza, Israeli forces raiding the Gaza Strip's main hospital for a second straight day, accusing Hamas of running a terror operation from inside. New video shared by the IDF showing what they say is the entrance to a Hamas tunnel just outside the doors of Al-Chifa Hospital and an arsenal of weapons they claim were found inside. The IDF also says an Israeli hostage abducted on October 7th was found dead in a building next to the medical compound. But Israel also facing global outrage over the raid. Patients reportedly trapped inside

and the hospital racing to evacuate the most vulnerable, including newborns and incubators. Doctors across the strips struggling to treat the ill and wounded with a lack of clean water supplies and power. TikTok radicals? In the wake of the Israel Hamas war, a letter written by Osama bin Laden 20 years ago, going viral on TikTok,

with some even appearing, to sympathize with the al-Qaeda leader. The letter that was written the year after 9-11 attempted to justify the terror attacks that killed 3,000 Americans, the swift action by TikTok, and the response from the White House. Also breaking tonight the guilty verdict for Caitlin Armstrong.

She's the Texas woman convicted of killing a pro-cyclist in a fit of jealous rage, then using the victim's passport to flee the country while trying to change her appearance to evade capture. We have a live report from outside the courthouse. Santos splurge, a skating ethics report accusing Republican congressman George Santos of using campaign funds to pay for his rent, designer goods, and even his alleged only fan's account. Now, he says he will not run for re-election, but some in the House are trying to get him out now. Plus, the billion-dollar bust in New York City storage units found packed with fake designer handbags in what's believed to be the largest seizure.

of counterfeit goods in U.S. history. So, can you spot the fakes? And Thanksgiving this year coming with a site of savings. The drop in prices you can expect to see whether you're traveling for the holiday, getting a head start on shopping, or even hosting the big meal. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. We begin again tonight with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital. the center of it all. It's the largest medical complex in Gaza, and it's located in the northern part of the strip, as you can see here. It's treated thousands of patients, but Israel says that there is evidence Hamas is operating out of it. Now, video released by the IDF shows what they say is the entrance to a Hamas tunnel outside the hospital doors. NBC News can't verify exactly what this is or who's been in there, but we can verify the location. In another clip given to us,

to us by the Israelis. An IDF spokesman is shown what they say is weapons like an AK-47 along with ammo found in or near medical equipment, including MRI machines. The IDF also revealing they found the body of Yehoutite Vice near the hospital. The 65-year-old mother was taken hostage on October 7th at Kibbutzbury, her husband killed by terrorists that same day. But there is concern patients are now trapped inside and that doctors are struggling to treat them amid fighting and a lack of critical resources. This is expected to exasperate a public health crisis as disease in Gaza spreads with no clean water. Outrage over the situation in Gaza causing a major clash here at home. Protesters calling for a ceasefire facing off with police

outside the DNC headquarters in Washington. We'll have much more on that in a few minutes, but we begin tonight with Raf Sanchez, who is on the ground in Israel again. This Israel says is the proof it's been searching. for. Releasing video today of what it claims is a Hamas tunnel shaft on the grounds of Al-Shefa, Gaza's largest hospital. NBC News cannot independently verify that claim, but we can confirm this opening is located near the hospital. This is what Hamas is trying to hide from you. The announcement came after Israel faced a day of intense international condemnation for

raiding the hospital, where staff are struggling to keep premature babies alive without power for their incubators, and civilian bodies are being buried in mass graves. There is an AK-47. Both Israel in the U.S. say Hamas operates a command center below Al-Sheifa. But the raid at first turned up only sparse signs of militants. Israel says there'll be more evidence to come. The Israeli military also says it found the body of Yehudit Weiss, a mother of five, taken hostage on October 7th.

Her husband, Schmuel, was murdered during the terror attack. Israel releasing no details on the cause of death, but says her body was found in a building adjacent to the hospital. All week, we've been calling doctors there by phone. But tonight, phone and internet service is down across the strip, as telecoms companies say they have no fuel left amid Israel's siege. Our team sending this footage of wounded Palestinian children just before the blackout.

And overnight, NBC's Peter Alexander, pressing President Biden. On the hostages, though, you said we're coming for you. What do you mean to the American hostages when you said, hang tight, we're coming for you? What I meant was I'm doing everything in my power to get you out. Five and six times a day I'm working on

how I can be helpful in getting the hostages released. And tonight fears the violence in Gaza will spread. Hamas claiming responsibility for this shooting attack near Jerusalem that left in his. Israeli soldier dead. Israel says three gunmen were also killed. With that NBC foreign correspondent, Ralph Sanchez, joins us now live from Tel Aviv. Raf, Israel also saying they're closing in on Hamas leaders?

Tom, that's right. Israel says it attacked and damaged two underground sites where senior Hamas military and political figures were hiding, but still no sign of their number one target, Hamas leader Yaha Sinwar. Tom. All right, Ralph Sanchez for us, Raf, thank you. And here in the U.S. tensions related to the war continue to rise. Some protests growing violent, Jewish and Muslim college students expressing fear for their safety on campus. And today, an arrest in the death of a Jewish protester near Los Angeles. NBC's Julia Ainsley has the latest. It was a shocking moment at a California protest last month. A Jewish man, Paul Kessler, lying on the ground, knocked down during what witnesses say was a physical altercation with a pro-Palest. Palestinian protester. Kessler later died. And tonight, police arresting Luey al-Naji, a computer science professor for involuntary manslaughter. And overnight, violence in Washington, pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashing with Capitol Police outside Democratic Party headquarters. Officials say officers

suffered minor injuries, including from being pepper sprayed and punched. Palestine is here in grow. All of it, as tensions are boiling over on college campuses, too. At Cooper Union, Jewish students huddling in a library as protesters pound on the door. This week, the FBI director warning anti-Semitism in the U.S. is soaring since the Hamas terror attacks. The biggest chunk of the threats that have been reported into us by a good margin are threats to the Jewish community. At the University of Connecticut, Jewish students tell us they have seen anti-Semitic flyers, which administrators took down. Jewish student groups now training students for extra security. What do you think people should know about what it's like to be a Jewish college student in America right now?

It's scary. You know, it's very hard. Yana Tardukovsky is a junior. I hide my star of David just because, you know, I feel more secure that way. While members of pro-Palestinian groups at Yukon are also worried, Lena Maroof, a recent graduate, says she received this threatening voicemail. You're supporting baby killers, people who raped grandmas. I can't wait to see you dead.

How did you feel? It makes you wonder what else are they capable of doing if they're going out of their way to get your number? UConn administrators say the school unequivocally condemns Islamophobia just as it condemns anti-Semitism and is investigating. The Muslim Student Association is calling on Yukon's administrators to send a campus-wide email to acknowledge the voicemail and threatening emails Muslim students have received. We really want the university to first acknowledge that these events are happening in the first place to the greater UConn community. Now Siza, the nation's critical infrastructure agency is offering experts to campuses to put stronger security plans in place. We have seen an uptick in requests for our support.

Do you run enough people to do this work? Well, the demand is always going to outstrip the supply here. Yeshiva University among those colleges reaching out. This is a scary time for Jews. certainly on college campuses. Julia joins us tonight from Washington. Julia, I know you have some new reporting on a meeting between Connecticut governors and federal officials.

That's right. The Connecticut governor just convened a meeting late this afternoon with 40 campuses and having their security officers come and meet with officials at the state level as well as people from DOJ and the FBI who can talk about what's going on on college campuses and give them more resources if they see a security threat or want to report.

hate crimes. This is all part of an effort we're seeing across the country as colleges try to beef up security without overstepping the line and infringing upon students' free speech, Tom. Okay, Julia, thank you. In the wake of this war, a trend on TikTok that we found alarming, and maybe you do too. Users are sharing a two-decade-old letter written by Osama bin Laden that tried to justify the terror attacks on 9-11. Tick-tokers at points sympathizing with the letter and calling attention to portions of it that criticized the U.S. support of Israel, the same letter that contains anti-Semitic statements and jihadist propaganda. NBC's Rahima Ellis on what the social media app is doing to curve that trend.

Tonight, TikTok pulling content off its platform, after videos promoting Osama bin Laden's letter to America, started gaining momentum. This morning, I read letter to America. The letter written in 2002, one year after 9-11, by the al-Qaeda leader, justifying one of the worst terrorist attacks in the U.S. that left nearly 3,000 dead. I just read a letter to America. Go read it. Users at times reading the letter, while others noting how the letter resonated with them.

In particular, portions criticizing U.S. support for Israel, accusing Americans of financing oppression of the Palestinians. Do y'all know that the tax dollars are given to Israel to help them kill all the people in Palestine? The videos adding to an already contentious and heated debate online over the Israel Hamas conflict. I literally read it last night. Everything he said was valid. This man didn't care about us. All it took was reading one paragraph in a letter that mentions Palestine.

A video montage of these TikToks, some which garnered millions of views, getting the attention of the social media platform. Today, publishing a statement on X, formerly known as a. his Twitter, writing that the content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism. We are proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how it got on to our platform. The Guardian that originally published a transcript of the letter in 2002 has now pulled the text from their site, saying the letter has, quote, been widely shared on social media

without the full context. I can't believe I have to say this, but you all need to stop shilling for Osama bin Laden's letter to America. U.S. lawmakers now using these videos as reason to renew calls to ban the Chinese own app. And tonight that concern reaching the White House, releasing a statement on the alarming trend, saying in part, quote, there is never a justification for spreading the repugnant, evil, and anti-Semitic lies that the leader of al-Qaeda issued just after committing the worst terrorist. attack in American history. No one should ever insult 2,97 American families still mourning loved ones by associating themselves with the vile words of Osama bin Laden.

While TikTok has taken down bin Laden's letter to America, that may not end the controversy or stop social media users from accessing other platforms to share the letter. Tom? Rahma, Alas Fras. Rahima, thank you for that for more legal analysis and what this means for the and other social media platforms. I want to bring in NBC's legal analyst, Angela Senadela. She joins us now live on set.

Angela, we wanted to have you on this because you have a huge following on TikTok, more than a million followers. When you saw this trend take off, what did you think? Well, it's horrifying, obviously. It's not something I agree with. But TikTok primarily, it's social. It's not educational. It's not news.

It's almost like a giant game of telephone. That's what it is. And then, you know, there's Republicans and also Democrats. as well, lawmakers in Congress, who are convinced the Chinese are using this app to sort of influence culture in America. The algorithms in China are different than the algorithms here. Do you think this is something that spread and there were sort of nefarious intentions for it, or do you think it just spread by accident because that's the way TikTok works? So I don't think so.

I think there's a big difference between Chinese and American TikTok, and that's because in China, free speech itself is restricted. So that's why there are so many more restrictions. In the U.S., as much as TikTok and these social media apps want to restrict and push and choose what content to have on the app, they're also restricted by the First Amendment by free speech. Like, when you think about Section 230, that's the law that makes every user responsible for their user-generated content. The platform itself is shielded. People seem to think it's in order to protect Big Tech and protect the platforms. But in reality, it's to prevent Big Tech from becoming the regulator of free speech. So that's why I think this turned into a giant game of telephone.

Why does this spread and why do you hear this happening on TikTok and not on Instagram? Well, I think TikTok is just faster. Everything is amplified. I mean, I think it's like a rumor in a high school. All the kids are on TikTok. And if you hear rumor, that's why it spreads. And then, but do you think the algorithm, I want you to explain this to me, and our viewers, is it pushing this because more people kept clicking on it?

I mean, why did it become so widespread, I guess, is what I'm asking. Yes, that's exactly it. I really can't say that it's different from other platforms because all the other platforms are trying to copy TikTok's algorithm. So if anything, they're all doing the exact same thing right now. But when people engaging with this letter, someone posts it and people start engaging and liking it? I mean, how does it work? That's exactly right. So it's engagement and it's also watch time.

So the percentage of the video that is watched by the users on their algorithm, then will blow it up further. So first, TikTok will send a video to a few hundred people. And if those people watch that video all the way through or keep rewatching it, then it will continue to amplify. But that's always why it tends to be shocking content like this that people watch all the way through. So then the counter argument, right? Because, like, say this was a news article,

there would be context, there would be what happened on 9-11, there would be stuff about Osama bin Laden. I mean, you know, it would take you two or three minutes to read. It wouldn't be just a quick hit like TikTok gives you. Does TikTok then kick back the counter arguments to the Osama bin Laden letter? No, they don't at all. So they don't feel they have responsibility. to educate the viewer at all whatsoever.

So they never try to provide balanced content. So if I like a post that is, for example, pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel, I will continue to be fed that content over and over. It depends on what you engage with, what you like, what you comment on. So that tends to be by people who have one perspective just go down that road far deeper once they start. So, and I know, I feel like this almost like the Katie Kirk segment about the internet, but there is a large group of Americans that are solely getting their information from TikTok,

and it is being pushed out unprofessionally, unregulated, and without context. How dangerous is that? I think it's very dangerous. I also think that's why right now there's these class actions. There are regulators who are trying to stop that. But I think people should be getting their news from you, not being to talk. I appreciate that. Angela, Senadella, thank you so much.

We hope more people listen to you. Angel, we appreciate that. All right, switching gears now to amazing. A major allegation against music mogul, Sean Diddy Combs. The Grammy winner now accused of sex trafficking and sexual assault by his former girlfriend in a lawsuit filed in federal court here in New York. Chloe, walk us through this because this was pretty shocking when the headlines came out. Tom, I also, I'm going to go point by point in this lawsuit that we have just combed through.

So, Sean Diddy Combs is also accused in this lawsuit of blowing up a man's car, allegedly, after learning that a man was romantically interested in Cassie at the time. The suit also states that he allegedly forced Cassie into having sex with male sex workers while he watched. It also alleges that he encouraged her to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and abused drugs while forcing her to get illegal prescription medications for him. And also another series of disturbing allegations, Tom, is that he allegedly raped her and physically abused her over the course. of their relationship, including punching, beating, kicking, and stomping on her.

And these are, you know, really serious allegations that we are all learning about tonight. Clearly. And, and Chloe, when you mentioned Cassie, that was the girlfriend. I think the man you mentioned who had his car blown up, his kid Cuddy, he is not denying those allegations at all. He's saying that happened. But we know Diddy's legal team is responding and denying everything in this lawsuit. Can you talk to us about what they're saying? Yes. So Diddy's lawyer said in a statement, NBC news in part that his client vehemently denies these allegations. He goes on to call them baseless and outrageous.

And they allege that she has been demanding $30 million and was threatening to write a book about their relationship. And when she couldn't get that money, that that was the impetus for her filing this lawsuit. So again, a lot to unpack here. I have also been reaching out to Cassie to see if we can get further comment from her. also further comment from Sean Diddy Combs? This is going to play out in the courts, but, Chloe, since you cover entertainment for us, has Diddy ever been accused of anything like this? Because I think for a lot of people when they heard this news, you know, it was a shocker because he had not been accused in the past of behavior like this.

You know, Tom, this is coming as a shock because he really has had a squeaky clean image. You know, we've just recently seen him promoting his album on late night TV, talking about his relationships. with his daughters. You know, there have been various types of allegations, but nothing to this level over the years. And so it'll be interesting to see how this unfolds. And we know, you know, in past history, sometimes when there are allegations against high-profile individuals, you might see others come forward with similar allegations. So that has not happened yet. But we are staying on top of this. And this is a developing story. Or the lawsuit could be tossed. We're going to have to wait and see.

Chloe, we thank you for bringing us that news tonight. We also have some more breaking news tonight in the case against the man who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer. David DePappi convicted by a federal jury of attempted kidnapping and assault charges. He's now facing life in federal prison. Steve Patterson has the late details. What's going on, man? Tonight, a guilty verdict for the man accused of breaking into the home of Nancy Pelosi and assaulting her husband with a hammer. What is going on in?

After just eight hours of deliberation. the jury unanimously found it, David DePapp, guilty on both federal charges. What this guilty verdict on all counts sends as a clear message that regardless of what your beliefs are, what you cannot do is physically attack a member of Congress or their immediate family. During the trial, prosecutors painted DePap as a man warped by conspiracy theories like QAnon and Pizagate. His public defender agreed, but argued he was not guilty because the attack was wholly unrelated to Nancy Pelosi's official duties. When 83-year-old Paul Pelosi took the stand,

he recounted the horror of last October's home invasion, saying after the attack, he remembers waking up in a pool of blood. In a shocking move, the defense countered by calling DePap to the stand, arguing he's a man so radicalized by disinformation. DePap says the Pelosi helm was just one stop on a long hit list, and attacking Pelosi was a desperate act as police arrived, adding Paul was never a target. But tonight, the federal jury disagreed, and DePap, who is a Canadian citizen, faces up to 50 years behind bars.

All right, Steve Patterson, joins us now live from San Francisco. Steve DePap now convicted in federal court, but he's also facing a slew of state charges? It is, Tom, and these are much more straightforward charges, attempted murder, burglary, elder abuse. Proceedings for that trial expected as early as the end of the month, Tom. Okay, Steve Patterson for us tonight. We appreciate that. New details in an investigation into Congressman George Santos. A new report by the House Ethics Committee accusing Santos of using campaign funds for designer clothes, a vacation in the Hamptons, Botox treatments, among other things.

NBC's Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles has more on the congressman's future. Tonight, in battle representative George Santos' days in Congress may be numbered. Well, he should be expelled. What he has done is violate the public trust to engage in election fraud. This, after the bipartisan House Ethics Committee released a blistering report, outlining a long list of allegations against the New York Congressman. The level of misconduct here, criminal conduct, is off the charts. I've never seen anything like this. Among the new revelations that Santos used campaign funds to pay for his personal rent, to take out cash from an ATM at a casino, to spend lavishly at designer stores for cosmetic treatments like Botox and on the website only fans, which is not. known for its adult content. Santos already faces a lengthy criminal indictment. The Ethics

Committee referred their findings to the DOJ, which could add to his list of charges. As he left Washington, Santos was defiant. I think I said this very clear to you. I will take whatever it comes my way, the way it comes. I have no concerns. Today, he announced he would not seek re-election, but bowed to stay in his seat, quote, up until I am allowed. But that may not be for long. As a flood of members who once had Santos deserved due process, before any talk of expulsion, are now ready to kick him out. The Ethics Committee found that he did not cooperate with the investigation, and I think he's been given the fair due process now.

And for his fellow New York Republicans, that vote cannot come soon enough. The Ethics Report is not really going to change your mind on George Santos. George Santos is a fraud. He should not be a member of Congress. All right, NBC Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles joins us now. Ryan, let's pick up where your piece left up there. Is there any plans from Santos's colleagues to expel him? Yeah, and it could happen pretty quickly, Tom.

In fact, the chair of the House Ethics Committee that released that report said that he's planning to introduce a resolution to expel Santos. And he could do it as soon as tomorrow morning, which means that the House could potentially vote on it as soon as they get back from the Thanksgiving break. Now, the big caveat here, though, is that it requires two-thirds of the House in order for an expulsion vote to pass. But late tonight, the House Speaker Mike Johnson put out a statement through his spokesperson saying that he is instructing his members to vote their conscience, essentially, and not putting any roadblocks up to a possible expulsion of Santos, meaning that he could be gone before the new year, Tom. Yeah, there could be some major movement there. Okay, Ryan Nobles, with a lot of new reporting for us tonight. Ryan, thank you. Still ahead. Breaking news on the murder of a pro cyclist we've been following. A former yoga instructor accused of killing a woman who dated her ex-boyfriend. The verdict just handed. to down. Plus, an alarming warning out of Massachusetts, hundreds of patients potentially exposed to hepatitis and HIV, what health experts say you should know. And billion dollar bust the largest seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history happening right here in New York, what authorities

found, and the suspect's now under arrest. Stay with us. Top stories just getting started on this Thursday. We're back down with another major verdict tonight. This one in the case of Caitlin Armstrong, a Texas jury convicting her of killing pro-cyclist Mariah Mo Wilson after Wilson had dinner with Armstrong's boyfriend in May of last year. She then fled the country with the victim's passport. Armstrong now facing up to 99 years behind bars. I want to get right to Morgan Chesky, who joins us live tonight from Austin, Texas. So Morgan, the jury reaching this verdict after just two and a half hours, what did they hear

from both sides and closing arguments? Yeah, Tom, it was very interesting. The state started the closing argument. this morning and they said, hey, let's take you back to when we began. We were going to lay out a timeline for you of exactly what took place. They acknowledged the fact there were no eyewitnesses here, but they said they had a mountain of circumstantial evidence, starting with the fact that GPS inside Armstrong's Jeep shows her driving around the crime scene for at least an hour prior to the death of Anna Moriah Wilson. Then DNA was found on the bike belonging to Wilson, and they connected it to Caitlin Armstrong.

And it was that aspect of DNA that the defense pushed back against. I want you to hear from both sides. Take a listen. We have a tendency to mythologize DNA, right? From what we see on TV, from what we see in the movies, we have a tendency to mythologize it, to put it on a pedestal as meaning something that it doesn't.

DNA is an artifact, just plain and simple. She stood over her, after she shot her in the head twice, and put another bullet right in her heart. The state has met its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. I think we climbed past their mountain and climbed Mount Everest. Overwhelming. One of the last pieces of evidence prosecutors pointed to, Tom, the answer. ammunition that was purchased by Armstrong back earlier in the spring when she went to a gun range. They said she could have bought any ammunition in the world that was available. Instead,

the ammunition she purchased months before this murder just so happened to be the exact same bullets found at the scene. Tom? Morgan, we know that after the verdict, both sides waived opening statements in the sentencing portion of this case, right? So getting right into impact statements, multiple family members of Wilson's family speaking out today. I got to imagine there was a lot of emotion in that court. The emotions were incredibly raw. We heard from the family of Anna Moriah Wilson, first her brother taking to the stand,

saying that she helped him through an incredibly dark place, calling him every day to help him battle depression so they could find three things each day to be grateful for. We also heard from Mo Wilson's mother, who said that the joy she felt on welcoming her daughter into the world was the same level of intensity as the sadness she felt when her daughter was taken from it. Tom? Also sad. Okay. Morgan Chesky first. Morgan, we appreciate your reporting.

Next tonight to the billion-dollar discovery here in New York, now being described as the biggest counterfeit merchandise bust in U.S. history. Inside multiple storage lockers, authorities finding hundreds of thousands of fake designer bags, clothes and shoes. Two people are now under arrest, and NBC Stephen Romo has the details. Tonight, staggering images of a billion dollar bust, one that federal authorities are calling the largest seizure of counterfeit goods in U.S. history. Inside multiple storage units rated by Homeland Security and the NYPD cluttered shelves packed with nearly 220,000 knockoff purses, clothes, and accessories. It hurts people, and it's not innocent. The fake bags,

rip-offs of high-in brands, including Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gucci, and Mark Jacobs. This bag, a knockoff of a Christian Dior tote bag, sells for more than $3,000. NYPD's Commissioner Edward Caban, saying in a press release, quote, the trafficking of counterfeit goods is anything but a victimless crime because it harms legitimate businesses, governments, and consumers. It's a dangerous business. There's some dangerous people involved in it. And to go down there and buy these goods, it's not victim unless you can become victim.

Two people, 38-year-old Adama Soe and 48-year-old Abdullah Jala, are accused of running the black market business out of this storage facility this year from January to October. The unsealed indictments show they're each charged with trafficking and counterfeit goods, which can carry up to 10 years in prison. An attorney for so declined to comment NBC News has not yet heard back from Jala's attorney. counterfeiting experts say they hope consumers think twice before buying any knockoff merchandise because they can't be sure where the money is going or how the products are being produced you hope that they would think twice of where that money's going and also you know forced child leg so some of these goods are made in the most squalid conditions i've been there in china and they're made in these squalid conditions with uh sometimes little little children working there they're working 16 18 hours a day That's terrible. Stephen Romo joins us now. Steve, this was a massive bust, more than a billion dollars, according to police, but only two suspects? Yeah, that's the interesting part right now. The investigation, though, still ongoing. They've not named any more suspects or potential suspects, but the expert we talked to saying that it seems logical that with that amount of money moving that many goods, you'd have to have more than just two people in the mix here, so possibly more suspects to come. All right. Where'd you get that suit? Good question. I need to find out.

Yeah, I'm not going to... Not one on the street. Not from there. No. Okay. All right. Stephen Rumble for us, Stephen, we appreciate that. When we come back, the train crash in Chicago, commuter train slamming into rail equipment during the morning commute, sending dozens of passengers to the hospital, the investigation tonight into the cause. All right, back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin with a major transit crash in Chicago. According to fire officials, a passenger train collided with rail equipment. at a rail yard on the city's north side. At least 40 people hurt, including children. Two dozen of them are hospitalized. Officials say at least one person was trapped

and required a special rescue. So far, no word on what caused the crash, but it does not appear. Speed was a factor. An update tonight on Dexter Wade, the Mississippi man who was killed by an off-duty officer and buried in an unmarked grave. An independent pathologist finding a wallet

with Wade's state ID, listing his home address in the pocket of his jeans. after his body was exhumed earlier this week, according to family lawyers. Wade was struck by an off-duty Jackson police officer in March, but his family was not notified for another five months. A warning tonight for patients at a Massachusetts hospital. Salem Hospital says nearly 450 patients may have been exposed to hepatitis V, hepatitis C and HIV. The hospital says the potential exposures come from improper IV practices involving endoscopy patients over two years. Health experts say the risk of infection is, quote, extremely small, but letters have been sent to people who were potentially exposed.

The FDA issued a recall of another batch of eyedrops, the agency calling for 27 eyedrop products to be pulled off shelves after finding unsanitary conditions at Kill Itch Healthcare, India. Manufacturing facilities, the FDA says consumers can get severe eye infections that could lead to partial vision loss or blindness. drops were sold at CVS, Target, and Walmart with an expiration date between November 20, 20, 23, and September 2025. And the Oakland A's are officially moving to Sin City. The MLB unanimously approving the team's move to Las Vegas this afternoon. The A's will join the Raiders of the NFL and the Golden Knights of the NHL, who both moved to Vegas in the last five years. The decision comes after years of complaints about the Oakland Coliseum and failed negotiations for a new ballpark. Their new stadium is expected to open in 2028.

Next, we head to the Bay Area where President Biden is attending the APEC summit after a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The president meeting with Xi for the first time in more than a year and some major developments coming out of that sit-down, including steps to crack down on companies in China, producing the chemicals that make up fentanyl, and agreeing to resume military communications. But it is Biden's comments about Xi after that meeting that is also making headlines. Mr. President, after today, would you still refer to President Chief as a dictator? This is a term that we used

earlier this year. Well, look, he is. I mean, he's a dictator in the sense that he is a guy who runs a country that is a fine country that based on the former government totally different than ours. Join us now from the APEC Summit in San Francisco's chief China correspondent, Ling Ling Wei, a reporter for the journal, as I mentioned there. Ling Ling, so as I mentioned, the two world leaders were first face-to-face in a meeting.

It's her first one in more than a year. That comment about being a dictator, do you think that affected the meeting and what was established there? Or do you think that it will be forgotten? Sure. The dictator remark by President Biden really drew a rebuke from China's foreign ministry. Foreign ministry spokeswoman overnight called the remark. very irresponsible. But also, interestingly, the foreign ministry left out this reference to the dictator question, remarked question, out of their official transcript of the press briefing, you know,

is an indication that the Chinese also didn't want to make too big a fuss over this comment. You know, after all, the two leaders came together and sat down and met. In itself, the meeting was a success and really helped to stabilize the relationship somewhat. You know, President Xi Jinping comes to America, and I know China right now is going through some very tough economic times. Did he come here to make a deal? Well, he came here to show to the Chinese public that, you know, he also got this bilateral relationship, the most important bilateral relationship to China under control.

Even authoritarian leaders like him have domestic politics to worry about. The economic slowdown you talked about really, you know, has exerted pressure on his leadership. You know, a lot of Chinese entrepreneurs, Chinese investors, you know, they still cling to hopes for a better relationship with the United States. And that would lead to continued capital flowing from America to China, you know, the kind of capital flows that have. helped, you know, drive China's growth for most of the past four decades. So that kind of pressure is there for him. You know, he needs to show that he's got this relationship. So if you think about the three sort of pressure points for the U.S. and China, right? You have China's relationship with Russia. You have the Taiwan factor and you have tension

in the South China Sea. Was any of that discussed and or, I don't want to say resolved because these problems likely will never be resolved. But was there any agreements on those three pressure points? Sure. You know, the three pressure points you mentioned just, you know, underscore how different the two countries, how far apart these two countries still remain, despite the relative successful summit. You know, in terms of Taiwan, the Chinese side has been, you know, really insisting that the U.S. side, you know, take concrete actions to show that the U.S. doesn't support

Taiwan independence. You know, one of the actions China has urged the United States to take is to stop arming Taiwan, stop arms sales to Taiwan. And, you know, obviously the United States, you know, has rejected a more, much stronger rejection in terms of Taiwan's independence. And at the same time, you know, they also said they will adhere to this one-China policy and won't support a formal declaration of independence by this self-governed island. You know, in terms of Russia's war in Ukraine, that's another difference, you know, the two-size have. China has persistently refused to condemn Russia throughout its invasion of Ukraine. And also, both sides have, you know, taken opposite views in terms of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

So we're, you know, they haven't resolved any differences in terms of fundamental issues, but, you know, talk is better than no talk. So the, what the summit did really, you know, helped restart the conversations between very high-level leaders, leaderships in both countries. Lingland Way from the Wall Street Journal, Lingland, we thank you for your analysis. Now to Top Stories Global Watch, we start in Haiti, where authorities are rescuing women, children, and even newborns from a hospital surrounded by armed gang members. National police bringing in three armored trucks to help evacuate 70 patients and 40 children, many of whom were on oxygen, from a Fontaine Hospital Center in Porter Prince. The hospital's director says a gang known as the Brooklyn gang was responsible for the siege,

also torched homes near the hospital. Gang violence has been on the rise since the assassination of Haiti's president in 2021. A deadly blaze destroying a coal company's office in China. Cell phone video showing bright flames roaring from within the four-story building. At least 26 people killed, dozens more injured. Local media reporting no coal was being mined at the scene and that the building mostly contained dormitories and office space. Authorities are still investigating the cost of that fire. And a Scottish ultra-marathon runner has been banned from the sport for cheating during a race. Yoza Zogheski will be unable to compete for one year after she accepted a ride in a friend's

car during the 50-mile race between Manchester and Liverpool in England. The athlete was stripped of her third place medals and trophies. She will also be unable to coach in any event that falls under UK athletics. Okay, coming up, a new reason to be thankful. The price of this year's Thanksgiving feast finally dropping after so many years. We'll tell you how much you'll save and how much cheaper it will be to get home as well. That's all coming up next. Welcome back.

Airports are bracing for a record travel season, and tonight's staffing shortages and technology issues are pushing an already stress system to the brink. New safety concerns have industry experts calling the challenges, quote, unsustainable. NBC's Emily Aketa has a report. Just as the holiday travel season is taking off, New signs that the nation's aviation system is facing mounting stress. The margins of safety are under a lot of pressure. Former FAA administrator Michael Huerta,

among the industry experts this week, identifying issues that must be urgently addressed in a 52-page report, calling for overhauling aging technology, securing more funding protected from government shutdowns, and ramping up ATC staffing amid historically high levels of overtime. Even the FAA's goal of high. wearing 1,800 controllers this year won't significantly move the needle. Puerta says staffing leads to a lot of overtime. A lot of overtime leads to a lot of fatigue.

And that's why it's important to get at this underlying structural issue. The panel was formed as part of the FAA's response to a flurry of serious close calls at airports, 23 in the past year. In a statement, the current FAA administrator said, we appreciate the team's time and expertise to help us pursue our goal of zero serious. close calls. Meanwhile at airports, a holiday rush already underway. The TSA expects to screen 30 million passengers over the next 12 days. And further fueling concerns, next week's stormy weather forecast that could wreak havoc

for millions in the eastern half of the country. You will have delays, especially in the middle of the country on Monday, Tuesday into Wednesday, all for the East Coast. As families hope to steer clear of a travel nightmare. And if you can, try to book a direct flight and one that leaves earlier in the day to avoid travel hiccups. And remember, you'll be in good company. The TSA is bracing for a record 2.9 million people to pass through their checkpoints on the Sunday after Thanksgiving alone. Tom.

More good news on the way. It's not just travel and turkeys. Many holiday essentials are shaping up to be a bit cheaper as well. NBC senior consumer investigative reporter, Vicki Wynn, has this one. This year, something to be thankful for, a feast that won't break the bank. The American Farm Bureau estimates the typical Thanksgiving meal will cost 61-17 this year, a 4.5% decline from last year's record high price tag. That drop, thanks to easing inflation.

And the big bird at the center of it all is cheaper, too, down 5.6% this year. This year, we're in a kind of a recovery year. We were battling one of the largest outbreaks of high-path-eaving influenza, and then luckily that's subsided to some extent. Side dish staples like cranberries and cubed stuffing down too. It's a good thing. The big meal is affordable because you might find more folks at your dinner table. A lot more crowded.

Everyone's definitely coming back from COVID and making up for lost time. According to the travel app Hopper, Thanksgiving Airfare is down 14% this year, averaging just 268 a ticket. This year, airlines have added much more capacity. They're flying more flights. more seats, and at the same time, travelers are back to regular travel patterns. And once you get there, the rental car might not cost as much. The price for your holiday weekend wheels down 17%, averaging just $42 a day.

Right now, a lot of prices are incredibly low because rental car agencies aren't buying new fleets. For those hitting the roads, some welcome news at the pump. AAA reports the national average is down to $3.34 a gallon. We're probably anywhere from 30 to 60 cents less per gallon than where we were last year. And with overall inflation cooling, shoppers are seeing a slowdown in price increases and even some price drops ahead of Black Friday. The nation's largest retailer Walmart says it's cutting prices on apparel, home items, and toys. Small signs of relief heading into this holiday season. Vicki Wynn, NBC News.

When we come back, a group taking full advantage of those low gas prices, is for a trip down memory lane, a caravan of station wagons on an odyssey through the desert, and our Harry Smith was right there with them. We will explain what this amazing trip is all about. That's next. Finally tonight, an ode to the station wagon, the hallmark of so many American childhoods. This year, our Harry Smith took a ride with a group making their annual cross-country trek using the iconic vintage family car.

Now's an ideal time to get ready for your next trip. Once when families did not travel in Tahoe, or tellurides. In that age before, minivans and mandatory seatbelts, roomy enough to hold as many as four children. The true symbol of middle-class swagger and upward mobility was this. A new family-engineered station wagon. A vehicle that could transport suburban families, not just to ball fields, carpools, and school plays,

but to exotic locations, destinations of their dreams. New adventures to write about to the folks back home. Yevarily, even to Wally World. Had you been out west this past summer, you might have seen a few true classics on the road from Jackson Hole to the road. Detroit. For us, get on the road and you don't know what's going to happen. An annual odyssey of the American Automotive Trust. Car museums become irrelevant. Cars are meant to be driven. Keep them on the road. Every year, the trust chooses a different model car and a different

starting point for the journey, always ending in the Motor City, and as much as possible, staying off the interstate. We grew up with family road trips. We sit the What we have to do is station records, and it's a great adventure, and it's full of problems. You know, you break down. All of a sudden, Caprice just overheated. Trust chairman, David Madera. If we hadn't broken down, we wouldn't have met this young woman and learned what she wanted to do. What brought you into auto mechanics?

I honestly just thought it would be cool. It's probably been the best thing I've ever done. So the breakdown was wonderful. Trust members, perhaps the only people, who find breakdowns, a blessing. Kaylee diagnosed the fuel leak on this car, and she was so knowledgeable and so cheerful. She did a great job. If that doesn't fix it, hopefully it slows you down enough to get back to Detroit. We caught up with the trust at Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

And if memory serves, wasn't it a crazed Richard Dreyfus? In a station wagon, racing to meet the aliens here in close encounters of the third kind. We encountered neither aliens nor Dreyfus. You don't see this from an airplane seat, you know? Yeah. And we've got so many places in America like this that people never experience. They never get behind the wheel and just go. Riding in one of these cars is like being in a time machine.

The memories come flooding back, says trust member Diane Flees Schneider. a beauty. Are you ready? Especially a stationway. We could each choose a, you know, a place to sit. Sure. We argued who would sit in the way back. If you're sitting in the back row, you could wave at the people behind you. Oh, yeah. We did, oh yeah, we made all kinds of beautiful faces at him. Yeah. A joy indeed. Look at this bad boy. But the trust also serves to encourage young people to take a look under the hood. Fall in love with the past. Could you imagine your mom coming to pick you up in this thing?

In Sundance, Wyoming, the high school students were plenty curious and plenty knowledgeable. We don't have much in there. Had any of these cars needed work, they'd have been in capable hands. I love what we do at America's Automotive Trust because we're encouraging young people to get involved to learn how to repair these old vehicles. So when I'm dead and gone, you know, we carry that on to a next generation. Still remember our Buick station wagon. We thank Harry for that story.

We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.