Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 19, 2023

Episode Date: October 20, 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, top story in the war zone, as Israel's military signals a ground invasion in Gaza may be imminent. President Biden speaking from the Oval Office for the second time in his presidency, making the case for a massive aid package to democracies under attack. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza intensifying, rescuers scrambling to sift through rubble after a missile hits a home with dozens inside. First responders finding a child unconscious, then carrying a child unconscious, then carrying. to safety. Hospitals treating the wounded in the dark, the only light from cell phones. And now Israel's defense minister telling troops they will soon see Gaza, quote, from the inside. This, as stalled aid to Gaza, is still stuck in Egypt as thousands wait for a way out. A region on edge, a U.S. warship intercepting drones and missiles fired from Yemen, potentially at Israel. After

Another attack from Lebanon into Israel sparks fears of a larger war. Massive protest crowding streets throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Rioters even burning down a synagogue in Tunisia. The State Department's warning to Americans overseas. Back in the United States sounding the alarm, law enforcement across the country on high alert, top intelligence agencies warning of increased threats of terrorist attacks and hate crimes. A Jewish woman punched in the face in New York, another man pointing a gun. at a pro-Palestinian protest in Pennsylvania. How much police can protect places of worship?

Decision deadlock reports of screaming matches behind closed doors as Republicans reject an exit ramp. The caucus shooting down plans to empower the temporary speaker who says he might resign if pushed too far. We have a live report from Capitol Hill. Plus, American journalists detained Russia arresting a second reporter confiscating her passports for months. All of it happening as she traveled to Brooklyn.

for a family emergency. What we know about the potential prison time she faces. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom on this special edition of Top Story. We are live once again tonight from Tel Aviv, where Israel remains poised to launch a ground invasion into Gaza at any moment. President Biden moments ago addressing the American people making the case that the U.S. must stand beside Israel. In Israel, we must make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today and always. The security package I'm sending to Congress and asking Congress to do

is an unprecedented commitment to Israel's security that will sharpen Israel's qualitative military edge, which we've committed to, the qualitative military edge. We're going to make sure Iron Dome continues to guard the skies, over Israel. The relative calm in the skies as President Biden was on the ground shattered within hours of his departure. Gaza steadily bombarded with Israeli rockets over the last 24 hours, devastating scenes on the ground, rescue teams racing to dig children out from under the rubble after a missile slammed into a refugee camp in northern Gaza. The death toll inside Gaza,

now rising to more than 3,700. Now more signs that the Palestinian people could soon be caught up in a full-scale ground war. The Israeli Prime Minister meeting with soldiers telling them they will win the war against Hamas with full force in the wake of that brutal terror attack on Israeli soil. And the ominous message from his defense minister telling troops that they will soon see Gaza from the inside.

And tonight, that critical aid, including food and fuel, still stuck on the other side of the Egyptian border, despite a deal negotiated by Biden to let those supplies in. But so far, there has been no movement. NBC's chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engle, leads us off tonight from Jerusalem. There are new signs Israel's long-anticipated ground operation into Gaza could be coming. Israel's defense minister telling troops they would soon see Gaza from the inside. And the United States is making sure Israel is ready for it, sending a new shipment of armored vehicles.

For now, Israel is only attacking Gaza from afar. against Hamas for its massive terror attack that killed 1,400 Israelis. This is not merely our battle, it's the battle of the entire civilized world. A ground invasion could spark a wider war across the Middle East and draw in the United States. It's already happening. With Hezbollah intensifying attacks on Israeli forces from Lebanon, Syrian militias yesterday targeting American troops in Iraq and Syria. And late today, the Pentagon saying the U.S.S.

Karni shot down three cruise missiles and drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, potentially headed toward Israel. All the militias on the attack now have one thing in common. They're backed by Iran. In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis for the 2.3 million people is growing. Israeli airstrikes have flattened entire neighborhoods. With so many injured, Gaza's hospitals are inundated and running out of fuel and bandages, facing power outages, some operations are done using the light of cell phones.

In southern Gaza, multiple witnesses and survivors tell us an Israeli strike in Han Yunus hit a three-story home where dozens of Palestinians were taking shelter. The wounded, more than 50, were taken to a nearby hospital, including many children. A girl is carried in motionless, but she's alive and given air. A boy screams for his daddy. A girl cries for her mom. These pictures were taken by our crew in Gaza today. They're not propaganda from Hamas or anyone else.

This man told us the strike killed his wife, children, sister-in-law, and her children. They said the South was safe, he says. Anger in the Muslim world is building against Israel and the United States. The U.S. State Department issuing a worldwide travel alert to Americans advising U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. And Richard Engel joins us now from Jerusalem. Richard, I want to start by asking you about what we heard from the defense minister, where he told troops that they will soon see Gaza from the inside.

We have heard language like that from Israeli military leaders for quite a while now, but this seemed a little stronger than what we have heard in recent days. Is there any indication as to when a ground invasion could begin? No, we don't know exactly, and I don't think they're going to broadcast it with that kind of specificity. But once you mobilize these troops and you put them by their vehicles and you deploy them to the front, you can't keep them there forever. You either have to send them home or you have to do the operation. You can't leave them out in desert conditions or under trees or in dugouts. for weeks and weeks.

So I think he was down there to tell them it's coming. It's coming soon. Stay with us. Don't lose focus. But I don't know if that means it's immediately imminent. But it is certainly a sign that things are heading in that direction. Richard, President Biden told reporters who were traveling with him on Air Force One yesterday, back to the United States, that he thought humanitarian aid could cross into Gaza via the Rafa crossing,

either Thursday, today, or Friday. So far, we haven't seen that humanitarian aid move in. What should people be looking for? Is it actually going to get to the people who need it? We're hearing that it is going to go in tomorrow. And the Egyptian news agency, a state news agency, reports that it will go in tomorrow. So I think we will see. I would expect that it will go in tomorrow.

But how much of a difference is going to make is a different question. We're talking about 20 trucks. There are 2.3 million people in Gaza. So, yes, it will be of some relief, but it's not going to change the situation profoundly. And also, people in Gaza are telling me what they need most. They need everything. But one of the things that they need most is fuel, because without fuel, you can't run generators, you can't charge equipment, you can't charge your phones,

you can't communicate with the outside world. And this convoy of aid that is expected to go in tomorrow, does not include fuel. Richard, what else are you hearing from people inside of Gaza tonight? The images in your piece, they are so striking the pain and just the fear among them. What are they telling you? They're terrified. They haven't seen air strikes of this intensity before.

They are seeing them all over in the north and in the south. That strike today in Han Yunus was one of just three. that our reporter, our crew in Gaza went and reported on, all of them, he said, on residential homes. The one that you just showed right now, we asked the Israeli military for comment if they had any information about it. So far, we have not heard back from them. They said they are checking. But when we talk to people in Gaza, they say that because of the shortages, because of the constant and attacks, because of the constant drones overhead that buzz and create a sense of intimidation, they aren't able to move. And when they do move to a place that they believe is safer,

sometimes they're attacked there. So there is this, it's been said time and time again. They say that there is no safe place in Gaza. And when you speak to people in Gaza, you do, you do get that impression. They don't feel there's anywhere they can go that is safe. Richard Engel in Jerusalem. Thank you. Now to Israel's northern border, the country repeatedly trading missiles with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants. Earlier this week, Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, warning Israel it may take, quote, preemptive action in the event of a ground invasion into Gaza. While yesterday, violent protests erupting outside of the U.S. embassy in Beirut following the Gaza hospital blast. Joining us now to break down the escalating tensions to the north is NBC News, foreign correspondent Matt Brack.

Sadly, he's entire Lebanon. Matt, an IDF spokesperson claims that Hamas operatives inside of Lebanon actually launched rockets towards the northern part of Israel with the approval and knowledge of Hezbollah. What have you seen? Are groups other than Hezbollah firing rockets at Israel from Lebanon right now? Yeah, listen, I mean, that's not even that unusual because we actually heard that from Al-Qasam, which is the militant wing of Hamas themselves. They announced this with pride.

And they've been operating here along the border with Israel behind me. That's the border there right over that ridge. Not only them, but also Palestinian and Islamic Jihad, which is also, like Hamas, a Gaza-based group. Remember, they're the ones that Israel blamed for that errant missile that landed on that hospital. A version of events, of course, which Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza dispute. So there are other militant groups other than Hamas, or excuse me, other than Hezbollah, which operate around here. but Hezbollah is by far the most dominant force. And actually, it was last week

that we saw that there were some Palestinian Islamic jihad militants, and this was from the Israelis, who crossed over into the border. Two of them were killed, and we've seen other infiltrations, which is using the Israelis term, as they move over the border. We've seen this moving back and forth

with Hezbollah aiding and abetting other groups who operate out of here. But again, the dominant force here is Hezbollah, and every other group that operates here, operates like the IDF said, with the knowledge and consent of Hezbollah. This is something that Hezbollah wants to create this wider footprint to show

that there are other militant groups who are operating in the area. Matt, today the U.S. State Department told Americans they should make plans to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. As you were talking to people, they're particularly civilians. Do they tell you that they feel like this war

is absolutely going to be spreading, and we're going to see a more aggressive assault from the north that this will go beyond Israel and Gaza. Well, most of the civilians that we've been speaking to have been at Hezbollah rallies, Hezbollah events, Hezbollah funerals. And, you know, these are people who are undoubtedly in favor of Hezbollah, so they don't expect that the war will expand.

They say that they don't want war, and even the speakers that we've been hearing, senior leaders in Hezbollah say they dread the prospect of war. of war, but they will engage in a war if Israel, and they put it on Israel, drags them into it. They will join their brothers in the Gaza Strip, as they say. And every one of them that we've spoken to says, this is a decision that Hezbollah and the Lebanese people will make, just as they insist that it was Hamas that made that decision to invade Israel back on October 7th.

They say, and they're denying something that we hear clearly all the time, both from the media and from others, that this is a decision that's coming from Iran. This is something that's constantly denied. They say that these actors, these operatives, these militant groups, have full autonomy, and they don't need a decision from Tehran, but they say that it is Israel's reactions, Israel's behavior in the Gaza Strip, which we could see in the coming days or weeks, that will determine how Hezbollah and the rest of the region performs and behaves. Ellison?

Matt Bradley, entire Lebanon. Thank you. For a more in-depth look at the military strategy here in the Middle East, let's bring in NBC News military analyst and retired four-star general, Barry McCaffrey, and Asha Castleberry Hernandez, a Middle East policy expert, and former senior advisor for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, who also served in the U.S. Army Reserves. General, let's start with you here. Israel's defense minister meeting with IDF troops today, telling them they will soon see Gaza from the inside. From the moment, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who declared war. Israeli military officials have repeatedly talked about an imminent ground assault

in northern Gaza. We have seen massive troop build up on the Israel-Gaza border, but so far no signs of that ground assault actually taking place in any main sense of the word, right? There's been some small raids into Gaza, but other than that, no sort of large-scale ground assault. Why do you think it hasn't started yet? Well, I think part of the reason is this is a reserve formation, and 360,000 troops, they came on active duty. They're getting ready to go to war. The very complex attack to go into an urban area of a million or so people and conduct operations, they'll have to come in from multiple directions.

They'll come in at night, hopefully in bad weather. So a lot of it is getting ready to attack. I think the other reason is that they're trying to get some of the population. and apparently a half million have now moved in the southern part of Gaza, will it be relatively safer from the main thrust of the attack? And then finally, I think they're trying to gauge what they can get out of all this. You know, can they get their 200 hostages back through some deal? Would that avert an attack possibly?

But I think at the end of the day, look, we're within seven days of the Israelis going in with an airground camp. It will target Hamas military and political leadership and infrastructure. It will be an immensely destructive, bloody exercise in which civilian populations will be caught up in it. You know, Asha, a couple of days ago at a fairly late-night briefing, a spokesperson with the IDF was talking about how they have discussed their plans in Gaza, saying, look, we have publicized what we plan to. do next, far more than most countries would, and we're doing that because we want to save civilian lives. But the truth is there are not many places for civilians to find safety in Gaza. The Rafa border crossing is not open right now for Palestinians or foreign nationals who want to leave. What do you make of all of this and exactly what do you make of where

things are right now? Well, I must say that, you know, this is not easy. There are ongoing discussions with regards to hostage affairs. And it is quite complicated. We are reaching out to our golf partners as far as trying to address this issue like Qatar. And we also had to look into the, you know, uplifting the six million that the freeze or billion that was free, that we had to lift up with regards to Iran through Qatar. So we're doing a lot of back channeling or covert channels to reach out. And unfortunately, as far as the temple, of that compared to when the IDF wants to initiate this ground offensive is unparalleled. And I think, but at the end of the day, the precursor is to make sure that the hostage affairs mission is completed

prior to that ground offensive. That is so imperative, so key, and also ensuring that local civilians or local Gazans are being, you know, being able to get support. for humanitarian assistance, and they're moved out of the way in terms of the ground offensive. But, again, this is a tough, and it's a tough operational environment. Asha, how difficult would it be to get humanitarian aid into Gaza? We think it's going to happen as early as tomorrow if a ground offensive has already started. There's a possibility, but again, it's a fragile, very wild operational environment. as long as the United States is constantly engaged with the Egyptians to ensure that the humanitarian assistance arrive, they have access to the humanitarian assistance, there might

be some sort of way of, you know, being to have better access, but looking at this operational environment, it is extremely difficult, and there will be some challenges moving along. General, let's talk a little bit about the protest and tensions that we have seen bubbling up across the Arab world, the massive amount of outrage after the explosion at that hospital in Gaza City, and then this new NBC reporting that a U.S. Navy warship intercepted missiles and drones that were launched from Yemen. How extensive could this war become? Well, I think the central concern of the Biden administration, Secretary Tony Blinken, the Secretary of State and Secretary Lloyd Austin and defense, is to try and prevent the war from

widening. That means hold in checkmate Iran, who funds, trains, and to some extent does give directions to both Hezbollah with 100,000 fighters and Hamas with 30,000 fighters, try and get them to not open a two-front war, try and keep the Syrian army out of the situation, and try and move the Egyptians who are fearful of letting a million or so Palestinians. to Egypt, try and get the Egyptians to robustly affect the humanitarian situation. But, you know, all this is complex. There's going to be a giant battle. The IDF could take Gaza City possibly in 48 hours and not create a disaster.

That's what happened in Baghdad, and we went in with one army division and one Marine division. Or it could be a multi-week fight to dominate the surface, to fighting in the high-rise structures and to go underground with a couple of hundred miles of tunnels. So we don't know what's going to happen, but it's likely to be a bloody mess. And in my judgment, Hizbollah will enter the fight in some way. All right, retired General Barry McAfrey and Asha Castleberry Hernandez. Thank you both. We appreciate your time and analysis. Now to another major headline. We are following back.

in the U.S. The ongoing saga on Capitol Hill to elect a new House Speaker after two failed attempts to win the job, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan pushing for a third round of voting. The conference remaining deeply divided over where to go from here with the House unable to vote on any bills in the interim. Now, the interim speaker, he's threatening to quit. Ryan Nobles joins us now from Capitol Hill. Ryan, this was first reported on NBC that the interim speaker, Patrick McHenry, may quit. What can you tell us about that? Yeah. What he's threatening the rest of the conference, essentially, Ellison, is that he is not going to be put himself in a position that he feels violates the Constitution. And there was some talk earlier today that perhaps the Congress would move to empower Patrick McHenry to allow legislation to come to the floor, despite the fact that he was never elected Speaker of the House. And McKenry made it clear to those that were pushing for this type of effort for him to be in this space that he was not interested in and that he was not interested. he was only there for the express purpose of electing a new long-term Speaker of the House

and that he wasn't going to be involved in any sort of temporary plan that would just get them over the hump to the next Speaker of the House. Just yet another example of the roadblock after roadblock that the House of Representatives is running into as they try and replace Kevin McCarthy after he was dumped by his conference, now just a little more than two weeks ago. Ryan, where does Jim Jordan's effort stand to try and hold a third vote? Does he think he can actually get the votes, or is this a situation where there's no one else who could get close to what he has, so might as well give it another go? It's a great question, Allison, and we don't really know the specific answer to it.

We know that tonight that Jim Jordan did meet with a group of those holdouts trying to convince them to switch their votes, and the holdouts that left that room appeared unmoved. They made it clear to us that there is nothing Jim Jordan can do to win over their votes. And the way they put it, that Jim Jordan needs to understand that he is not going to be the next speaker of the House. Jordan, for his part, has refused to step away from his candidacy. He chose not to try and enforce a vote tonight, but instead the earliest the next vote could happen would be 10 o'clock tomorrow morning Eastern time. But, Alison, there are no signs that he's making any progress with this group that seems firmly opposed. to him becoming the next speaker. Remember, he can only afford to lose four Republican votes.

There were 22 Republicans that voted for him, voted against him, I should say, in the last round of voting. And some Republicans believe that number will only grow if another vote comes to the floor. Alison. All right, Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill. Thank you. We appreciate it. Next to the breaking news out of Russia tonight. U.S. journalist Al-S. Kermasheva has been detained in the western city of Kazan. Kermasheba, who holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Russia, traveled to Kazan in May for a family emergency, and that's when authorities reportedly confiscated her passports before her return flight home. According to her employer, Radio Free Europe, Kermasheva was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, a charge that carries a

five-year jail sentence. For more on the case, I want to bring in NBC News Chief International Correspondent, Kier Simmons, who joins us now from London. Kier, the state, Department says they have been watching this case for months. What changed from when she arrived in Russia to now and the announcement of these charges? It seems like something people would have heard about before now. Why just now? Well, I think we can believe the State Department that they didn't want to bring publicity to it because they were hoping that she would just be able to fly home at some point. She's somebody who works for Radio Free Europe. She's also, by the way, a mother of two. But she's been accused of obviously.

failing to register as a foreign agent, which is an accusation that could carry a five-year jail sentence, one journalism group tonight describing it as spurious. Why now? Well, there are going to be many who are going to say that Russia is looking to hold U.S. citizens and even U.S. journalists, and that this is just another example. You remember, of course, that she's the second U.S. journalist held now by Russia after the Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich was held in March. And meanwhile, Paul Whelan and at least two other Americans are in Russian jails. So, right now, honestly, it's a good question. We don't know. It does appear as if the accusations against her are really to do with her doing her job as a journalist. The suggestion

is reported in Russia that she was looking for military information. The problem is, of course, that journalists look for that. So whether or not there's anything nefarious about that, I guess it depends on your perspective, clearly the Russians think there was, or at least a saying they think there was. And all of this, Alison, comes in the week that President Putin met with President Xi in China, again denounced President Biden on the world stage, just as President Biden was dealing with the crisis in the Middle East. I remind that Russia remains one of President Biden's now many foreign policy challenges. And, Kier, you mentioned another journalist, Evan Gershkovich, that he was the second, he was the journalist that has been detained in Russia since March.

He works for the Wall Street Journal. He's been arrested in charge on espionage charges. Can you give us an update on what's the latest with his case? Well, we're waiting for his trial. He's been appearing in court on a number of occasions trying to overturn, appeal against his pretrial detention. That hasn't been successful. The truth about the Russian justice system, if you like,

is that you very rarely end up in predile detention, go to court and end up acquitted. So it's very likely that he will be convicted. We don't know, we'll see. And then after that, the assumption is, and there has been some reporting that there have been some conversations, the assumption is that the Russians will be looking for some kind of an exchange. One of the challenges is actually searching around for who,

what Russian national is being held by the US that the Russians might want to exchange somebody for. There are Russians being held in Europe, but of course that means they're being held in a different jurisdiction by a different country. So it is very, very difficult at this point for Evan Gershkovich, for all of these US citizens who are being held in Russia,

it does appear, we don't know what's going on behind the walls of the Kremlin, but it does appear that Russia is slowly gathering a group that, if you like, to use as bargaining chips. Here, Simmons, in London. Thank you. Still ahead tonight, a look back at this war's impact back in the United States.

Federal agencies are now sounding the alarm over a rise in threats and attacks against Jewish and Muslim communities, how cities from coast to coast are stepping up their security. Plus, another headline we're following back at home. A Marine found dead inside a barrack at Camp Lejeune, another Marine now in custody. Stay with us. Back now with a special edition of Top Story live from Tel Aviv. As the war here could enter a new phase at really any moment, tensions back in the United States are reaching a boiling point. U.S. officials now on high alert as reports of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate crimes continue to rise.

NBC news correspondent Stephen Romo has the latest. Tonight, as the Israel Hamas war continues to escalate, top U.S. agencies are sounding the alarm about hate here at home. As the FBI has noted, we are seeing an increase in reported threats against faith communities, particularly Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions. A new report from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security detailing that recent events have sharpened the focus of potential attacks on targeted individual. and institutions perceived as symbolic or tied to the conflict. Cities across the country now stepping up security efforts in the wake of these threats. California Governor Gavin Newsom authorizing $10 million in funding for increased police presence at places of worship, including synagogues and mosques.

With daily demonstrations flooding the streets of New York, the NYPD deploying all officers in full uniform until further notice. Despite an increase in law enforcement, the fear of these threats becoming reality in New York City police releasing these photos of a man who they say punched a woman in the face at a subway station, allegedly telling her it was, quote, because she was Jewish. And in Cincinnati, the Jewish Community Relations Council says at least 10 anti-Semitic incidents were reported at schools in the city in just one week, including bullying of Jewish students and harassment. Since the massacre of Israeli civilians and others on October 7th, we've seen a 51% increase in anti-Semitic incidents around the country in comparison to the same time frame the previous year. It just shows that what happens in the Middle East manifests itself here in the United States and frankly around the world. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, a man has been arrested after police say he approached a group of pro-Palestals. Palestinian demonstrators yelled racial slurs and pointed a gun at them.

And in San Diego, police are investigating a possible hate crime at the Islamic Center after flyers and blue cloth were displayed near the mosque. We as, you know, Muslim Americans, we have the right like every other people who belong to any faith congregation. We have the right to come and pray safely. Anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate speech have also been on the rise online. According to the global project against hate and extremism, the social media platform for Chan and unregulated messaging forum often used by hate groups and white supremacists saw a 479% increase in the use of explicit anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim slurs since the war began. When you see spikes in violent, hateful rhetoric and any of the online platforms, but especially those fringe platforms that extremists often obvious. operate in. It's a huge red flag. The rise in verbal and physical threats coming after a six-year-old Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death in Illinois. Prosecutors say his landlord targeted him

for being Muslim. You want war? It's overseas. It's not our war. It's not the United States war. We're gathering here to say we need to save our kids. I'm not just saying about Palestinians. I'm saying about our own kids. Torn apart by another hate-fueled attack. Stephen Romo joins us now from New York. Stephen, you mentioned in your report there this new report from the FBI. Does that report list any specific threats? Yeah, Alison, that's the thing about this report.

It doesn't mention any specific plots or anything like that. The warnings are much more general because the climate is so heated. And there are many potential targets that are seen as connected to the conflict, whether they actually are or not, things like mosques and synagogues. Interestingly, the report says the biggest threats come from lone actors, the so-called lone wolves that we talk about, who may be inspired by this conflict. Ellison?

All right. Stephen Romo in New York, thank you. Staying at home, the conflict in the Middle East, sparking fierce debates about free speech across university campuses. Students now facing personal and professional backlash as they pick their respective sides. NBC's Jake Ward reports from Berkeley, California. Palestine will be free. Opposing rallies at Columbia, a die-in at Harvard.

The latest protests are part of a long tradition of free speech on campus. But some law students are now finding their words can affect their future. Law firm Winston and Straw announced they rescinded a job offer to a top NYU law student this month after blaming Israel for the violence on October 7th. And law firm Davis Pope pulled three more offered to Harvard students for signing a similar statement. Now, a tenured professor has written an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal entitled, Do Not Hire My Anti-Semitic Students. Free speech does not mean there's no consequences for free speech.

Stephen Solomon says he considers any justification of the Hamas attacks to be anti-Semitic hate speech. This is a professional setting. These are people who are to be trained as lawyers. They should not be going out as lawyers if they're advocating the murder and justifying the murder of innocent people. One Berkeley student group mentioned in the op-ed characterized the October 7th attacks as resistance to apartheid. In a statement to NBC News, the group calls the article a smear that wrongly conflates activism with anti-Semitism. Some students unaffiliated with the group say they are concerned about the op-edged's precedent. I think regardless of which side you support, I don't know that professor should be encouraging it to dissuade you from potential employment.

Kenneth Stern runs Bard College's Center for the Study of Hate. When you start drawing lines of saying what speech is permitted and what speech isn't, that's a horrible thing in society in general. Tonight, a debate over free speech, and whether a student's public stance on a controversial topic should cripple a career before it even begins. I know in Sicily. Ellison, Professor Solomon says that several law firms have reached out to him to applaud what he wrote in the Wall Street Journal and to say that they will be acting on his recommendations. Meanwhile, a UC Berkeley law professor came to me anonymously to say that she found hypocrisy in his position, that as a tenured faculty member, he is enjoying academic freedom, that he is barring these students, who she says are comparatively powerless from exercising.

Ellison? Jake Ward in California, thank you. When we come back, a stunning reversal in the Georgia election probe, one of Trump's co-defendants pleading guilty, admitting she tried to interfere in. the election and agreeing to share what she knows about Trump's involvement. What that means for the charges Trump is facing. That's next. Next tonight, former President Trump's one-time lawyer, Sidney Powell, pleading guilty today to charges stemming from efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia. Powell, once an outspoken ally, now set to be a key witness for the prosecution.

Laura Jarrett has more on the stunning turn. Tonight, once an attorney, then a co-defendant, now a cooperator. How do you plead to the six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with the forms of election duties? Guilty. Sydney Powell, one of 19, charged alongside the former president in a sprawling conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, pleading guilty to six reduced charges in court today, just as jury selection for her trial was set to begin. tomorrow. Do you agree that there is a sufficient factual basis, that there are enough facts that

support this plea of guilty? A remarkable about face for one of Mr. Trump's fiercest defenders. I'm going to release the crackin. Often pushing baseless conspiracy theories the last election was stolen. President Trump won by a landslide. We are going to prove it. Instead, she's now admitted to helping organize the breach of sensitive voting equipment in a rural elections office, agreeing as part of the new plea deal with prosecutors to write an apology letter to the people of Georgia, hand over documents to investigators, and come clean about all that she knows about her former client as Mr. Trump continues to fight the charges against him. Here to testify truthfully against any and all co-defendants in this matter or any upcoming

proceedings. Powell's testimony likely an asset for the Fulton County DA, who's now managed to secure two guilty pleas so far. And tonight, Mr. Trump's criminal defense attorney in Georgia is dismissing the idea that this plea from Powell is somehow problematic to him, saying it actually helps his defense strategy, though it's unclear how. Meantime, one of the other co-defendants in this criminal case, Ken Trezboro, is still expected to go to trial on Monday. Alison, back to you. Laura Jarrett, thank you. For more on this, we want to bring in Friend of Top Story and NBC News legal analysts, Angela Senadella.

Angela, break this down for us. How big of a deal is this? How explosive is Sidney Powell as a witness against the former president? Ellison, this is massively explosive. I mean, we just cannot wrap around, like, how big of a deal this is. And it's because Sidney Powell was obviously one of the closest confidants to President Trump, who was literally in the room when it happened, in the room when all the discussions happened. She was there at the White House during key pivotal moments. But at the same time, in a big trial like this, when there are 19 co-defendants to begin with. It's most difficult for the prosecution to get the first witnesses to turn. Once they have one, it's much easier for them to get a second. Once they have

a second, it is that much easier to get third, fourth, fifth. If they get a quorum, if they get a large number of co-defendants pleading guilty in this case against the president, his word automatically becomes much weaker. So this is a turning point. It is pivotal, Ellison. Angela, we just heard Trump's attorney say he thinks this is favorable for their strategy. Do you buy that? Is that spin or is there a world where this actually could bolster the former president's legal strategy here? So, Ellison, I will say that with the former president, you never really know what the intention is with these words or what he means. But the only strategy I can think of is if he was trying to say that it was Powell who would advise him to do this. And so thus, they will turn into enemies.

credibility could possibly be weakened on the stand, and then it would really become a he versus she on the stand. So perhaps he's going to try to say he did all of this on the advice of Powell, so she has turned just to save her own future. Angela, I mean, you touched on this a little earlier. Powell is just one of 19 defendants in this case, right? But she's someone a lot of people probably recognize and remember because she was so very public, right? She was frequently at press conferences speaking. She made a lot of TV appearances and oftentimes she was saying things that at the time, and we now know for sure, that we're reckless and often untruthful, right? Do those moments that were so public, will that hurt her

credibility here? And does it matter if that's something the former president was also saying? Yeah, in many ways it definitely does hurt the credibility of any witness because a jury is made up of theoretically reasonable people. So if they see a witness on this, stand who has said crazy things publicly that they have also heard previously, that definitely affects her credibility. But also with any cooperating witnesses, there are credibility issues. She's not just an unbiased bystander. She was literally given her freedom in exchange for this information. So that's why it's not just her testimony that'll matter. It's really the aggregate. What happens? How many other people are going to fall like dominoes and join her? If it's just

her against 17 extra co-defendants, including Donald Trump, perhaps. your credibility will really be questioned. But if it turns into Sidney Powell and 5, 7, 10, 12 other co-defendants coming together, then Donald Trump's case is really, frankly, sunk. Very quickly, Angela, if you are a part of Trump's legal team and you're watching this, are you worried because such a high-profile name has already turned, that the other people will also start turning? Yes, I am absolutely worried because that's the entire point of this RICO statute, this RICO case. If you think of it in the context of, for example, a mob family. This is how RICO statutes became famously used. And that's because it was very difficult to get

mob bosses to be proven guilty when they weren't physically involved in a lot of the crimes. Their henchmen were. But RICO statutes are used to wrap everyone together and then start getting people to turn. That's the beauty. They get one, they turn two. They frankly got Scott Hall to turn and it appears that he had incriminating information about Sidney Powell directly. So then they go to Sidney Powell about the voting machines. They say, look, your credibility is being questioned. Maybe you want to take this deal and thus forth. These prosecutors are so skilled in this wave of domino. So if I were Trump, I would be frightened at this moment, frankly, Ellison. Angela Nadella, thank you. Coming up next, we have an update on a beloved teacher who went missing

while on vacation. The Indiana woman vanishing in Puerto Rico, where she was on a trip alone. The grim discovery just made by authorities. We're back live from Tel Aviv, and we want to turn to top stories in news feed, starting with the Marine arrested in connection to the death of a fellow Marine at a North Carolina military base. Camp Lejeune officials say the victim died in a barrack, but did not provide further details. Police say a suspect was apprehended and remains in custody. Neither Marine has been identified. The U.S. has restarted deportation flights to Venezuela after a four-year suspension.

The first plane carrying about 130 people was flown from a Texas border city back to Caracas on Wednesday. The Trump administration had suspended air transportation between the two countries back in 2019, saying conditions in Venezuela threatened the safety of passengers, aircraft and crew members, Another deportation flight is scheduled to leave this Saturday. UFC star Connor McGregor is no longer facing criminal charges related to an alleged sexual assault in Florida. The state's attorney's office announcing they will be closing the case due to insufficient evidence. McGregor was accused of violently forcing himself on a woman in a VIP bathroom during an NBA finals game in Miami earlier this year. He always denied the allegations.

And the European Union posthumously honoring Kurdish Iranian woman Masha Amini. Amini was honored with a prize given to individuals or groups who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms. The 22-year-old died after being arrested and detained for allegedly violating the country's strict hijab law. She died a few days after being taken into police custody, her death sparking outrage and a wave of anti-regime protest around the world. Now to a tragic discovery in Puerto Rico. Police finding the body of a woman face down in a river just days after a beloved teacher from Indiana, Amanda Webster, went missing while vacationing on the island. Authorities are now working to identify the body as Webster's loved ones brace for the worst possible news. NBC News correspondent Maggie Vespa has the late-breaking details.

Tonight, a Caribbean vacation turned devastating mystery. It's pretty earth-shattering. Authorities in Puerto Rico are working to confirm whether a body search crews found face down in the river in this rocky wooded area Saturday is that of missing Indiana teacher Amanda Webster. Forensic officials tonight telling NBC News a family member flew to Puerto Rico to give DNA. They've also pulled dental records and fingerprints. Puerto Rican police say the body is that of a white woman, but officials say it's so badly decomposed they wouldn't let Webster's family members see it. They're working to determine how the woman died. Meanwhile, Webster's loved ones tell our Indianapolis affiliate, WTHR, the 44-year-old art teacher was vacationing alone, sending videos like this one.

She was reported missing Wednesday of last week after police say she failed to check out of her Airbnb on time, leaving her bags and rental car. For days, friends clung to hope. She had told them she was going hiking there, and she never came back. I'm definitely upset, shaken. NBC News reached out to Webster's family. A man who answered the phone declined to comment. A lot of people are going to be feeling this loss. A community back home desperate for answers,

embracing for the worst. And while they wait for those answers, Webster's school district back in Indianapolis released a statement calling her an amazing teacher and a champion for every student. They add they're providing counseling and bereavement support for all students and staff. Ellison.

Maggie Vespah, thank you. When we come back, Survivor's Story, a woman who managed to escape the music festival massacre here in Israel, now making her voice heard in Washington. She spoke to Arduli Sirkin about how she survived that horrible day and what she wants U.S. lawmakers to know. That's next. Finally, tonight, a Survivor's Story, an American who survived the Hamas attack, is now sharing her story on Capitol Hill, telling us. lawmakers how she ran for her life and how she is now pleading for their support. NBC's Julie Sirkin has more. A survivor of the music festival rampage telling her harrowing story and pleading with lawmakers for support. For Israel to defend itself. For Israel to protect itself. For the support for our army to bring back all of the captives.

28-year-old Natalie Senandaji, a New Yorker born to Israeli and Iranian parents, will never forget the sheer horror of that day. I honestly feel very detached from all of it, and I think that is a trauma response. The fact that I feel so detached is what's giving me the strength to share my story, and for now I'm going to use that strength to share my story as much as I can. When the first rockets began, a local told her. her not to worry. It happens in that area. She thought the music would probably resume. Seconds later, she knew something was very wrong. Security directed thousands of festival goers

to get in their cars and get out. At this point, I thought to myself, we're going to be stuck in traffic for a while. It's going to take a while for us to get out. I went to the bathrooms by the exit of the festival, and a few days ago I saw a video surface of the Hamas terrorists going to those exact bathrooms. Moments after I was there. and just shooting at every stall trying to kill anyone who's hiding inside that's one of the moments where it hit me the hardest how close I was to death how close I was to not being here today it was a mix of luck and the grace of God she says but after running on foot to the nearest town four hours away she thought it was all over a white pickup truck was driving towards us and I remember just looking at all the kids around me sitting under this tree and then we kind of all looked at each other and realized we have nowhere to run to. If this is a terrorist, we just kind of all sat back down and accepted our fate. But it wasn't a terrorist. It was a complete stranger on a mission to save as many lives as he could. He picked us up. He drove us to

his town and as soon as he dropped us off, I didn't even have a chance to thank him. He turned right back around to save more kids. As the war rages in the Middle East after Hamas's shocking attack against Israel, Washington is preparing a funding package to the region, with President Biden vowing to back Israel's fight in Gaza. A lot of people have asked me if I feel safe now that I'm back in the States, and honestly, the answer is no. But outside of the humanitarian and military aid, Natalie is calling on government officials to do more to protect American Jews, many who fear for their safety. After an uptick in violence and threats against the community. Not only do I want lawmakers to send aid, but I want them to speak out

and make people understand that coming out into the streets and calling for the death of Jews is not okay. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Ellison Barber in Tel Aviv. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.