Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 2, 2025

Episode Date: October 3, 2025

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, breaking news just in, the new apology from Sean Diddy Combs on the eve of his sentencing. The disgraced music mogul saying he's sorry for his actions and pleading for mercy in a letter to the federal judge who will announce his fate tomorrow. Also tonight, the deadly stabbing attack at a British synagogue. Two people killed, multiple others injured, when a man rammed his car into a crowd before going on a stabbing rampage in Manchester. The attack coming as Jews head to synagogues for the Umpkipur holiday. now declaring it a terrorist attack. Government shut down deadlock. Many federal workers fearing they won't be having jobs to return to as top leaders on both sides of the aisle duke it out on Capitol Hill. Plus my one-on-one with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, you'll hear it tonight.

The White House saying the United States is officially in an armed conflict with drug cartels. What does it mean and what comes next? Trouble on the tarmac, two jets colliding at one of the country's busiest airports, a wing slamming into a cockpit window, what caused this crash? Flotilla intercepted. Israeli forces blocking aid headed for Gaza, detaining hundreds of activists, including Greta Tunberg, as Israeli warns all Palestinians to leave Gaza City. Bad Bunny backlash, the MAGA movement's growing fury over the global sensation set to headline the Super Bowl, while the Trump administration says ICE agents will be at the game. Plus, it's showtime for the world's favorite show girl. Everything you need to know about Taylor Swift's 12th album dropping

at midnight. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We are coming in the air tonight with breaking news. Sean Diddy Combs writing to a federal judge pleading for mercy just one day before sentencing. He writes in part, I want to apologize and say how sincerely sorry I am for all of the hurt and pain that I have caused others by my conduct. Going on to say, I have to admit my downfall was rooted in my selfishness. In the letter, Did he apologize to two of the women who accused him of abuse, including Cassie Ventura, who he assaulted? Now, prosecutors are asking for an 11-year prison sentence for Combs after he was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. NBC senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett joins us now live in studio.

So, Laura, you have the four-page letter there. He's asking basically to come out now to get home to his family. Tom, it's a pretty remarkable letter, just four pages, but it's chock full of a lot of rich detail. He's describing a spiritual reset in his word, saying he's now sober, saying he's even putting on business-related classes for his fellow eminents, saying the violence has gone down in his unit since he's been participating in this. Also describing, frankly, that no amount of money, power or fame can save him now, saying that he's not only sorry to the two women that the prosecutors accused him of abusing, but that he addresses the Cassie video, probably one of the most damaged pieces of evidence in the entire trial. He says that it plays over in his head daily.

I literally lost my mind. Remember, this is the first we're hearing from him in his own words in this statement, but he'll have an opportunity to address the court tomorrow there during the sentencing known as an allocution. And it's interesting in this letter he talks about that he started a course in prison where he's gotten different gang members together, different prisoners from different backgrounds to sort of cooperate and learn from him. Which is important. That's not just like puffery. He needs that to show the judge that he's been a model citizen,

that he hasn't engaged in any violence since he's been behind bars, because that, if he had, it could hurt him coming back. Will this work? It's the day before. Will this work? I think it's going to be important for him to show remorse there in person. It's one thing to put pen to paper. It's another thing to actually have to face the court,

face everybody there in the courtroom. We'll see what the judge does. Remember, prosecutors are asking for a lot more time here, We're asking for 11 years, even though he was acquitted of the two most serious charges. All right. We know the sentencing is tomorrow morning. You'll be covering it for us for Laura. We thank you.

We're also following breaking news overseas a devastating terror attack on a synagogue in the UK on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. Two people are dead after the suspect rammed his car into worshippers and then stabbed multiple people. NBC's Ralph Sanchez is at the scene tonight with the late details. A scene of terror at a synagogue. Police confronting the attacker. They've shot him, but he's still alive. And they fear he has a bomb. That he's got a bomb on his jacket, man.

When he tries to get up, officers open fire. The violence shattering the reflective calm of Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day. A vile individual committed a terrorist attack that attacked Jews because they are Jews. Police say two men from Manchester's Jewish community were killed, three others seriously injured. And tonight saying they believe the attacker was Jihad al-Shami, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. This is as close as police will let us go, but they say the attacker arrived at the synagogue at the end of this street at around 9.31 a.m., first ramming his car into worshippers and then jumping out, attacking them with a bladed weapon. I heard bang, bang, and then we heard the helicopter, we heard the siren.

Locals say it was mainly children and elderly people inside the synagogue during the attack. Police praising the community, including the rabbi, for blocking the doors and keeping the killer out, deploying a robot to search his body for bombs, finding none. He was wearing about his body a vest which had the appearance of an explosive device. King Charles saying he is deeply shocked and saddened, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community. Josh Simons is a member of parliament and part of that community. Everybody in this community will be holding their children tonight that little bit closer. And how is this community feeling tonight?

Frightened, scared, hurt. There's been a surge of anti-Semitic violence in both Europe and the U.S. since the start of the Gaza war, including this firebombing attack in Colorado in June, which killed an 82-year-old woman. And tonight, synagogues across the U.S. on high alert. alert. After Yom Kippur, the day of atonement turned into another day of tragedy. And as the rain falls there in Manchester, the investigation is ongoing. Raff joins us live. Raft police say they've arrested at least three people in connection to the attack? That's right, Tom. Two men in their 30s, one woman in her 60s all arrested here in the Manchester area

on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. We may learn more of. of what they are suspected of having done in the next coming days when they actually appear in front of a judge when we get some charge sheets here. But I did speak to another member of parliament. He represents this area earlier tonight, and he said authorities are still investigating whether the attacker killed just at the synagogue

at the end of this road was a so-called lone wolf attacker or whether he was part of some kind of larger organization. Tom. Raff Sanchez for us, Rafwey, thank you. Okay, there's another developing story we're following out of Washington. tonight. President Trump saying the U.S. is at war with drug cartels. That coming in a new notification from the Trump administration to Congress. I want to bring in Courtney QB, NBC News

senior correspondent covering national security in the Pentagon. So Courtney, talk to our viewers about your new reporting on all of this. So NBC News obtained this confidential memo that the Trump administration sent to Congress that essentially is a legal justification for these recent U.S. military strikes on drug boats. But the language is what is causing a lot of waves today. The Trump administration declaring these drug cartels as designated terrorist organizations and arguing that actions that they take could be seen as a direct attack against the United States. And so for that reason, they are saying that the U.S. is now in an armed conflict, or essentially at war, with these drug cartels. Now, the Pentagon has already deployed

thousands of troops, boats, aircraft to the region for these continuing U.S. military operations. This legal justification, though, is being met with questions and some criticism on both sides of the aisle here in Washington, D.C. While the White House is saying that the president was acting well within his legal justification, according to the law of armed conflict, the senior senator on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Democrat Jack Reed, argued that the Trump administration still has not presented enough legal justification for this continuing against military action. And he said in a statement today that every American should be alarmed that their president has decided he can wage wars against anyone he called an enemy. At this point, there is still continuing questions about whether this continuing U.S. military action down there is, in fact, legal. Tom. Okay, Courtney, Courtney, QB on that developing news. Courtney, we thank you.

Also in Washington, of course, no off-ramp in sight to the federal government shutdown. Now in day two, President Trump's saying his administration is preparing to lay off federal workers. This says we hear from two key players on both sides about what comes next. NBC's Ryan Nobles has this report. Tonight, only two days in, the impacts of the partial federal government shutdown starting to grow, including tourists turned away from Philadelphia's iconic Liberty Bell. I'm only here for one day, so I would mean to know who knows how long going to last. No new votes in the Senate on this holiday after Democrats earlier blocked a Republican funding bill

that would reopen the government. Welcome everybody to day two of the Democrats. shut down. Tonight, key Democrat, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, responding. We're fighting to make sure that people's health care premiums can remain low as possible. Pushing back on GOP demands. And so when they say, then let's just get the government back open and negotiate for seven weeks. Why don't you buy that argument? Because they don't. We've seen this happen over and over again. And every time this administration says something, they go back on their We have to just end this right now.

Tonight, Tom, speaking to Senate Republican leader John Thune. When are you going to get in a room with Senator Chuck Schumer and the Democrats and sort this out? Well, I mean, I think that, I don't know, there's a lot to sort out, Tom. I think right now it's a pretty straightforward proposition. You know, we've got a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate that's been passed by the House of Representatives that the President is prepared to sign to open up the government. They want to talk about other issues. Those other issues were more than, I'm more than happy to have that conversation.

But I don't think you can keep this hostage. As soon as they release the hostage, then we can talk about those other issues. All as President Trump plans to meet with Budget Director Russ vote today over potential firings of federal workers. Look, it's likely going to be in the thousands. While thousands of federal workers like Jenna Horton have been furloughed. Horton told us she can only check her government email to see if she's been laid off. We can sign on to find out if we got fired or we can sign on to complete retirement paperwork. All right. With that, Ryan Nobles joins us once again from Capitol Hill. The Senate did not have any votes today. When could there be progress on any of the shutdown, Ryan?

Yeah, Tom, as I'm sure you saw and felt in your interview with Senator Thune, it very much feels like we're in a staring contest here on Capitol Hill. There were no votes today. There will be a vote tomorrow, but it's not expected to pass. They've decided not to be here over the weekend, so this shutdown will move into next week. And at this point, there's no real sign of progress. Republicans are not in the mood to deal. They believe they have an offer on the table that it would at least allow, negotiations to continue for that next seven-week period.

Democrats want them to answer their demands right now. They don't want to wait, Tom. All right. Ryan Nobles for us, Ryan. We thank you for all of that. As Ryan mentioned earlier today, I had the chance to speak with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, about the status of the shutdown and what can be done to end it. Majority Leader Thune, thank you so much for being here. I understand you want to get this shutdown over with.

When are you going to get in a room with Senator Chuck Schumer and the Democrats and sort this out? Well, I mean, I think that, I don't know, there's a lot to sort out, Tom. I think right now it's a pretty straightforward proposition. You know, we've got a bill sitting at the desk in the Senate that's been passed by the House of Representatives that the President is prepared to sign to open up the government. And it's 24 pages long. It's very straightforward. No partisan riders, no policy writers, no gimmicks.

It's a nonpartisan clean, we call it, continuing resolution to keep the government funded. And to enable us, then, to have the time to do the rest of the end. annual appropriations process, which is something that both sides, Republicans and Democrat senators, have wanted to have happened for a long time. So it's really that, it's that simple of a decision right now. I don't know that there's a lot to negotiate. They want to talk about other issues. Those other issues, we're more than, I'm more than happy to have that conversation. But I don't think you can keep this hostage. As soon as they release the hostage, then we can talk about those other issues. I get it, Senator, but are you on the phone? Are you reaching out to Senator?

Is he calling you or is it a stalemate and there's no communication? Well, I mean, we have conversations and I'm assuming we'll have more. We're going to be back in tomorrow. We'll have another opportunity to vote to end the shutdown tomorrow. And I would suspect that we'll probably cross paths on the floor. We're both on the floor quite often. Our offices are not far apart. So if he wants to chat, he knows where to find me.

But I think at this point right now, the issue set is pretty straightforward. I don't know that, you know, negotiation is going to accomplish a lot. This is a seven-week funding resolution just to keep the government funded so we can continue doing the appropriations work that we started earlier this year. Your colleague in the House Speaker Johnson is at the White House, from what we understand right now, speaking with President Trump. Do you have any understanding of this has to do with the shutdown? Well, my assumption is any meeting right now probably has something to do with that. I think there are other issues, obviously, too, that whenever I go down to the White House and meet with the President,

there's usually multiple issues that get covered. But my assumption is, yes, they're probably having some conversation about that. You know, my view on that is, and of course the House has already acted, the President's anxious to sign the bill. It's really a function now for the United States Senate, and it really comes down to a handful of Senate Democrats. We had three that have voted with us now, the last couple of times. We need five more, and we can get the government open again.

Senator Thune, we've seen a number of federal government websites, post-political messages, messages blaming Democrats for the shutdown, which has never been done before. Is that an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars? I don't, you know, look, I'm not, I think what, you know, government agencies ought to be doing is the job and the work, and that's what I try to stay focused on. There is a blame game that goes on every time there's a government shutdown. I don't think that's constructive. I don't think it's about who wins and who loses. I think the people that lose in this or the American people and probably most specifically federal workers.

So I'm all about getting it back open again. I think shutdowns are nobody wins, and I think, honestly, for the most part, they're stupid. We really shouldn't be shutting the government down, and it shouldn't be taken hostage to do other policy things that are totally unrelated to funding the government. Speaking of that, we have heard from the OMB Chief Russell vote. That layoff notices could go out today or tomorrow. The president has threatened many of these could be permanent. Does the president have that authority?

Well, I don't know that the, I think the president and his team probably have the authority to manage the government. That's what, you know, that's what they're tasked with doing. That's the office that he saw it. But can President Trump permanently lay off federal workers? Well, my assumption is, again, with respect, there are probably laws that govern some of these positions. But if you shut the government down and they have to make decisions about how to move money around, how to reallocate resources, what to prioritize in terms of departments and agencies and individual employees in different places. That's what this does, which is why this is avoidable. All you have to do is vote

to reopen the government, and then these questions that you're asking me become irrelevant. And so it's really that straightforward. Let's talk about some of the sticking points here, right? Democrats have stated that one of the reasons that, I should say, I'm sorry, Republicans have that one of the reasons Democrats don't want to get on board is because they want to give health care to undocumented immigrants. Democrats say this is a lie. One of the ways some of your parties say those undocumented immigrants have been getting health care is through the emergency room where doctors have an obligation to treat people. Do you want doctors to start checking immigration papers before they were under life-saving care? I think doctors and hospitals, as part of their Hippocratic

oath, probably treat whoever comes into the emergency room. But I think the broader issue here, Tom, is that a lot of people who came into the country illegally under the Biden administration were given a status they're here they are here illegally in this country they're non-citizens and they were benefiting from the ACA from Medicaid from Medicare and there were some states that took they really really pretty much played a game uh in how they created their Medicaid system so they could take full advantage of federal funding and then use that funding to cover illegals it's been done And that's one of the reasons we tried to shut that door with the bill that we passed last summer. And what the Democrat bill does is it goes in and repeals all those provisions in the law.

So, you know, people are, they're not wrong to say that there are people who are non-citizens in this country, who got into this country illegally, that would be covered by free health care if, in fact, the Democrat proposal were to become law. Because it repeals everything we did last summer, and that was to shut down some of those. programs and some of the ways it had been abused. And state of California is probably the perfect example. I think the total number there of spending is somewhere in the $30 billion plus range that California has used to take advantage of certain sort of loopholes, if you will, to be able to cover illegal immigrants.

Senator, you know, in this interview, you've made it clear that you do not want to shut down. You want to get the government working and people getting paid. Some people, critics have said this is actually not about the House or the Senate or Republicans or Democrats, this is actually about a power grab. This is about the White House wanting more power. So how comfortable are you when President Trump targets blue states during this showdown, blocking funds for things like infrastructure projects in New York that have already been appropriated by your Congress? I mean, are you okay with this?

Well, again, Tom, let's come back to the basic premise. This is avoidable. Keep the government open. We don't have to have the government shut down. We fund it a straightforward way. Very simple. Nonpartisan, clean funding resolution to keep the government open. The Democrats are playing with fire by doing this. Yes, the Trump administration, Russell, vote at OMB, I'm sure they're going to make decisions when it comes about how they allocate resources, where they prioritize spending in their management of a government shutdown that's going to be based on where they think their political priorities lie.

I think that's a natural assumption to make. And it's the reason, frankly, that back in April, I think Democrats voted to keep the government open because they didn't want to give the president and his team that much authority. It's very simple. You avoid this by just voting to keep the government open, and we'll have an opportunity to do that tomorrow. And finally, on that point, you do have Democrats like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who have been very outspoken about holding the line on this shutdown. Do you think people like her are forcing Senator Schumer's hand?

Sure they are. I mean, he's under a tremendous amount of pressure. the far-left activist base in his party is what's driving this, and they want to fight with the president. This is politics. They're trying to make it about something else, but the truth of the matter is their base desperately wants them to pick a fight with President Trump, and they've chosen this. They pick this hostage. I don't think it's a smart one, and I think it undermines what they're trying to accomplish in the long run, but it's a fight they picked, and Senator Schumer has deployed this tactic. The Senate Democrats have followed him, at least up until now, but I think that we still have a chance for them to come to their senses and do it, I think,

is the right thing. And it is to keep the government open. And then let's talk about how we address some of these issues that they want to address. Senator Thune, we thank you for your time tonight. Thanks, Tom. Good to be with you. All right. We're going to head to Russia now. Vladimir Putin had a wide-ranging news conference where he took questions and talked about the war in Ukraine. And a new warning to Europe. His comment. of course, coming as President Trump weighs in sending long-range tomahawk missiles to NATO to help Ukraine launch strikes deep into Russian territory. NBC's chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, reports.

Tonight's Russian President Vladimir Putin accusing Europe of threatening Russia and stability, saying Russia's response to threats, to put it mildly, will be very convincing. And warning President Trump, as the U.S. considers selling tomahawk missiles able to strike Moscow to NATO, which is expected to then give them to Ukraine. Saying we will shoot them down, but calling it a brand new stage of escalation with the U.S., all while Ukraine's President Zelensky meeting European leaders pushing for long-range capability. And we spoke about a long-range missile, long-range weapon, I mean this, we spoke about it.

It's significant. And despite escalating drone incursions across. Europe, closing airports. Putin denying this ship was linked to Russia. It's just been seized by France as a suspected drone launch station. Putin praising President Trump, weeks after they met in Alaska, as someone who truly listens, while teasing Trump for playing golf with world leaders, saying Donald says he's a good golfer, well, that's good, but not good enough. Putin denying his economy is weakening, despite lines at some gas stations, even Even as Ukraine targets oil installations aiming at Russia's economic supply lines.

Let them get their land back. Yep. So we'll see how it all works out. And after President Trump's major shift last week, saying Ukraine could reclaim all its original territory. It could be that Russia is a paper tiger. I don't know what they are. Putin tonight responding, quote, A paper tiger, what then of NATO itself?

Okay, Keir, the white. Now looking to increase the kind of intelligence in sharing with Ukraine about targets in Russia? That's right, Tom. There's the question of the kind of technology, the kind of armaments that the U.S. supplies to Ukraine through Europe. And then there is the crucial question of U.S. intelligence because U.S. intelligence enables Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia that it wouldn't be able to. Now, three sources with knowledge of the matter tonight. Tell NBC News, that President Trump has agreed to allow that intelligence to be shared so that Ukraine can hit, for example, gas and oil installations inside Russia.

That's the first time that will have happened under President Trump. You'll remember, Tom, that it was a great concern under President Biden, that it would cause a reaction by President Putin, that President Putin would say what he said tonight, which is that the US and NATO was getting involved in the war and would have to expect. appraisals. So a big shift, another indication of a change, a pivot by President Trump, Tom. All right, Keir Simmons for us tonight. Kier, always great to see you. When Top Story returns,

he's one of the biggest stars on the planet. And now he's set to headline the Super Bowl halftime show. But now why some in the MAGA world are targeting Bad Bunny. In New Jersey, two teen girls, best friends killed after a vehicle ran them over. Now another teen is arrested and charged with their murders. And our social media apps designed to make you angry? some creators say TikTok and other popular apps are deliberately stoking rage and division. We'll take a deeper dive just ahead. We are back now with the growing political firestorm over this year's Super Bowl halftime show. President Trump's supporters already opening a new front in the culture wars over Bad Bunny's expected performance.

Now administration officials suggesting ICE agents will be deployed at the stadium. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. He's one of the biggest pop stars in the world, with the most streams on Spotify for three straight years. But tonight, Bad Bunny is facing mounting MAGA backlash. It's so shameful that they've decided to pick somebody who just seems to hate America so much. Bad Bunny was just selected to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show, but he's been an outspoken critic of President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, recently revealing why he opted not to tour the continental U.S. saying, quote,

ICE could be outside my concert. Now, President Trump's Homeland Security Advisor, Corey Lewandowski, is suggesting there will be immigration agents at the Super Bowl. Will ICE have enforcement at the Super Bowl for the Bad Bunny, Super Bowl halftime show? Benny, there is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally, not the Super Bowl and nowhere else. We will find you. A DHS spokesperson tells NBC News, ICE always supports the highest security events. The 31-year-old, who's a U.S. citizen, recently wrapped up a sold-out residency in his native Puerto Rico, as he told Tom this summer. This was much more than just a concert.

What did it mean to you? Everything. This is a dream come true. It would not be the first time a Super Bowl performance sparked political controversy. In 2020, Jennifer Lopez featured kids in K.A. seen as a protest of the Trump administration's immigration policies. Two years later, M&M took a knee. Okay, with that, Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House.

Gabe, have we heard from really anybody on this besides the Department of Homeland Security? Well, Tom, it's very interesting. All of the major players in this controversy are apparently weighing their words very carefully. We reached out to the NFL, no comment from the league, no comment from the halftime shows producers. producers. And notably, Tom, President Trump himself has not weighed in on the controversy. Yeah, we'll see where it goes from here. Gabe, great reporting as always. Still ahead tonight in the fine broadcast, the scary scene on the tarmac. Two planes colliding while taxing at an airport here in New York. The investigation tonight into what went wrong will show you some

of the damage. Plus, feeling the squeeze a new report shows more Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. What's causing it and what you can do to help plan for retirement? That's coming up. But first, top story's top moment. In a trip, one Texas family will never forget. Dad Christopher grew up a Yankee fan and had shared that love with his kids, so he and his wife, Crystal, decided to surprise the family with a trip to New York to see the Yankees take on the Red Sox in game two of the Wild Card series. Here's the moment dad surprised eight-year-old Caleb with the news. Papa? Yeah. You want to ditch school and go to a Yankee game?

Yeah. Let's go to the airport. Why? Let's go to the Yankee game. What? You want to go to the Yankee game. Yes. Okay, come on.

Let's go. Get your Nintendo. Oh, you ready? Let's go. You're the best, Dad. Oh, I love that. And look at that right there. Mom, Dad, Caleb, and Sister Chloe all made the trip,

and they got to see the Yankees win. What a trip. What a dad. Go, Dad. All right, stay with us. More news on the way. We are back now with two teenage girls killed in a hit-and-run in New Jersey. A suspect in the case is now charged with their murders,

and the families of the victims calling the attack intentional. NBC's Aaron McLaughlin has the details. Tonight in Cranford, New Jersey, a community reeling. They were some of the best people I've ever met. After a 17-year-old boy was charged with two counts of first-degree murder. brutal hit and run killing of two teenage girls, best friends, identified by their families as Maria, Neotis, and Isabella Salas. According to the county prosecutor, the suspect, who has not been named because he's a minor, allegedly struck the girls with his black Jeep

while they'd been out riding an e-bike Monday evening. I came running out of the house, and I heard people screaming, and I immediately called 911. of them didn't make it at the scene. It was really hard to see. According to eyewitnesses, the suspect drove off. He was charged two days later. Two law enforcement sources told NBC news the incident may have stemmed from a possible breakup or argument. The girls' families released a scathing statement calling the suspect a coward of a man who'd been plotting this attack against Maria for months, adding he is not insane, he is competent and meditated. It's not fair. It's not fear to the parents.

It's not fair to the kids. Justice needs to be done. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News. Terrible story, and it was a scary scene last time on the tarmac at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Two planes colliding on the runway in a bizarre crash that left both planes severely damaged. The investigation now taking off as authorities try to piece together what exactly happened. Sam Brock has this one. Confusion and chaos unfolding on LaGuardia's tarmac. Their right-wing clips our nose and the conference.

After two Delta regional jets collided just before 10 p.m. Wednesday in one of the nation's busiest airports. Flight 5155 taxiing for takeoff and headed for Roanoke when Delta says its wing struck the fuselage of Flight 5047, arriving from Charlotte and moving toward its gate. The impact, leaving the nose and windscreen of one plane smashed and a portion of the wing on the other sheared off. Many passengers shocked. As we're taxing, the pilot slams on the brakes. and look out the window and see another plane coming the other way. Tonight, the FAA and NTSB are both investigating this unsettling scene. The FAA saying air traffic control instructed Flight 5155 to hold short and yield to the other aircraft.

This is the worst I've seen with a slow speed taxi collision. Typically, when you see these taxiway incursions, airplanes are taxing right next to each other and is wing tip to wingtip damage. In this case, you had one airplane that was kind of turning in in front of the other airplane. Delta Airlines says there was one minor injury to a flight attendant, but none of the 85 passengers involved were harmed. The airline pledging to work with all relevant authorities to review what occurred as safety of our customers and people comes before all else. A full NTSB report could take a year or longer. And Tom, aviation experts say there's not a lot of evidence here to suggest the issue was a technological one.

has an advanced surface movement system that allows the ATC and pilots to track exactly where aircraft and vehicles are at all times. In fact, in this case, one of the pilots even read back instructions to yield to the other plane, and yet still there was that collision. So the focus of this very likely could turn on a communication breakdown between ATC, the flight crew, or perhaps a combination of both. Tom. Scary accident, though. All right, Sam, we thank you. Federal regulators approving a second generic version of MIFF press tone. It's one of two medications used in most abortions in the U.S. The pill is typically used with another one to help end pregnancies, I should say.

The FDA's approval comes after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the FDA would look into the drug safety. And a New Jersey transit bus bursting in the flames after blowing a tire on the turnpike. Look at this. It happened during the early morning commute causing major traffic delays. The bus was heading for Manhattan with 50 people on board, but luckily, everyone made it out safely and nobody was hurt. And dramatic new body cam capturing the moment police in California saved a choking baby. But we want to warn you the footage might be difficult for some to watch. I'm sure it is.

Officials say they responded after getting a 911 call. Here you can see them jumping into action and performing CPR. They eventually got the baby breathing again before rushing them to a hospital. Doctors believe the baby started choking and went into cardiac arrest. We are told they are recovering and expected to be okay. That's great news. And Caitlin Clark speaking out publicly for the first time after. Minnesota-Link star, Nefisa Collier slammed the leaders of the WNBA.

You remember yesterday, we brought this to you. First of all, I have a lot of, I have great respect for the fee, and I think she might have made a lot of very valid points. As we reported last night, Collier criticized league executives for finding players and coaches who complain about officiating in other issues. The WNBA Commissioner released a statement saying she respects Collier, but is, quote, disinhearted by her comments. All right, we are turning out of Money Talks tonight, the growing number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck.

A new report from Goldman Sachs finding 42% of younger Americans think Gen X to Gen Z report having no spare savings to put away for retirement after covering their basic living expenses. And that's a number that's only grown over the last 30 years. Take a look at this in 1997, only 31 of U.S. adults reported living paycheck to paycheck. Here to break it down for us, you know, our good friend, Brian Chung. with the government shutdown upon us and even more Americans expected to have their paychecks, deferred or even maybe facing firing altogether, just adds to the anxiety. So what did you dig up in these stats and explain it to our viewers? Yeah, well, basically, everyone except for boomers is not feeling that really great about their financial prospects.

When you take a look at the survey numbers, again, from Goldman Sachs, I kind of break all of this down. You can see that 41% of boomers say that, well, their financial situation is considerably better. But, I mean, Tom, take a look at all these other numbers from Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, all about 20% percentage points lower on that front. And it maps directly to a higher percentage of people among those younger people that are living paycheck to paycheck. Again, almost 40% for Gen Z and over 40% for millennials. So what is it? What's driving this? Is it lower wages? Is it inflation out of control since the pandemic? Yeah, well, it's definitely that in terms of the most cited reasons for why they say they're having to live paycheck to paycheck. Again, the question here, what's impacting

your ability to save for retirement? You can see that among the top reasons here at 81 and 87% effectively are financial hardship and too many monthly expenses. That's where inflation would play a role. If it's getting more expensive for your daily grocery bucket, well, that's going to be a big big picture. But one other important thing I want to point out here is that if you take a look at these two bars right here, credit card debt and student and other loans accounting for 77 and 74%. That is the next highest. It's people also carrying that debt burden that's giving them a little bit that malaise around. Is this some of the stuff out of the pandemic, credit and forget it, sort of yolo spending, avocado toast living, or not really? I think when it comes to avocado toast, that might be something for millennials. But again, because this also stretches the Gen X and Gen Z, I think the bigger story here isn't necessarily the debt story. I think it is inflation, which is a post-pendemic story. It's so tough. So when you look at these numbers, it's pretty bleak.

Are there any strategies young people watching Top Story should think about going forward? Yeah, but look, one particular thing, especially since we're talking about debt, is tackling that first, paying it down. There are two ways you can do it. There's the avalanche method where basically you take the highest amount of debt. in terms of how high those interest rates are, you pay those down first so that you're not saddled with those 15-20% bills, or you could do what they call a snowball approach, which is where you take the smallest dollar amounts, pay those off so you can just keep better track

of the debt that you're paying off. And then also there's the 50, 30-20 rule when you're talking about your post-tax income, 50% on the things you need to buy like groceries, 30% on the things you want to buy, like the occasional avocado toast or latte, and then 20% goes towards savings or paying down your debt. That is one strategy. Financial Advisors tell us to approach here. When we talk about this segment here, we're also talking about they're not even saving in 401k programs. They're not saving at all for retirement. Well, yeah, I mean, because some of them are just trying to make sure they can meet the bare minimum for your daily expenses. For those that can afford to save, though, prioritizing those high-yield savings accounts

and then also putting money into your retirement accounts to think about that long-term future, that's always good financial advice. Hope to build that sort of nest egg to kind of take advantage of those high-yield savings accounts. Exactly. But paying down debt, I think, has to be the first thing. All right, Brian Chung, so great to have you. Thanks for explaining that to us. We want to go to another issue facing Americans, division and polarization. Experts say social media is making the divide worse,

and companies could actually be profiting from the division. Arcade Snow has this opening report. Is it just me, or does it feel like the TikTok algorithm is just, like, calibrated for, like, rage bait? If it feels like your feed is designed to make you mad, you're not alone. Some creators say the apps seem built to. to reward outrage. Nothing has made as much sense to me as rage baiting.

My TikToks with the most views are all about, like, controversial topics or things that got people talking. People love the rage bait. They love to argue. It's just how this app works. It's what this app drives off. Each social media app has unique algorithms that calculate what to show you next based on whether you like, comment, or share a post.

The downside, at the end of the day, everything just goes to the most terrible types of things that human nature will be attracted to. explosions. We're going to look at train crashes. We're going to look at whatever grabs our attention and gets that dopamine hit instantly. In a 2018 internal presentation at Facebook, the company, now known as Meta, warned, our algorithms exploit the human brain's attraction to divisiveness. Entrepreneur, podcast host, and Professor Scott Galloway is a lead commentator in the tech space. What the algorithms figured out is there's something better than sex, and that's rage. A study published this year found X's algorithm appeared to be

boost posts that were more emotional and partisan, especially hostile content about people you disagree with. Enragement equals engagement, equals more ads, equals more shareholder value. On a shareholder call this summer, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg touted the company's ability to hold your attention. AI is significantly improving our ability to show people content that they're going to find interesting and useful. It has led to a 5% increase in time spent on Facebook and 6% on Instagram just this quarter. But interesting. interesting and useful can sometimes lead users to dark places. You think these companies are intentionally pushing rage at us?

I think it's errors of omission, not commission. They have ignored what is obvious here, and that is the more time you spend online, the more likely you are to engage in misogynistic, nationalistic, or kind of violent content. So they know this, they've known it for a long time. Basically, the whistleblowers at META all said the same thing, that they purposely ignored. the data. In 2021, former Facebook product manager Francis Howgan testified at a house hearing that Facebook prioritized profits over tackling problematic content. The result is a system that amplifies division, extremism, and polarization. Meta, the parent company for Facebook

and Instagram, has long denied that, and they point to 2023 studies showing their apps do not cause polarization. I believe that the division we see today is primarily the result of a political and media environment that drives Americans apart. Regardless of the cause, the divide is deeply felt. A 2024 post-election survey found 81% of Democrats viewed Republicans as a serious threat to the country, while 69% of Republicans said the same about Democrats. If America were a horror movie, the call is coming from inside of the House. People are convinced that Russians pouring over the border in Ukraine or income inequality or climate change isn't a threat. It's their neighbor. They're

doesn't share their political views. Meta and TikTok declined to comment on the record for this piece, but meta users can go into their settings and adjust how much sensitive content they want to see. X told us they are shifting their own algorithm to be fully AI controlled by November. Elon Musk posted that you'll be able to ask their AI chatbot Grok to tweak your algorithm if you don't like what you're seeing. Back to you. Kate Snow, we thank you. Still ahead on top story, mass protests sweeping across France.

Tens of thousands taking to the streets, shutting down the Eiffel Tower, police in riot gear, what those protesters are demanding. And Israeli forces intercepting an aid flotilla headed for Gaza, detaining hundreds of activists, including Kratunberg. The latest on their status has Israel orders all remaining Palestinians to leave Gaza City or else. Stay with us. We are back now with the showdown between the Israeli military and hundreds of aid workers from around the world.

The IDF intercepting a flotilla of small boats bound for Gaza, their mission to breach Israel's long-standing naval blockade of the Palestinian territory. Video shows soldiers boarding the ships and huddled passengers putting their hands up. Sweden's Greta Toonberg among the activists detained. A pre-recorded statement from her release today, take a listen. This video, I have been abducted and taken against my will by Israeli forces. Our humanitarian mission was nonviolent and abiding by international law. Please tell my government to demand my and the other's immediate release.

Demonstrations now erupting around the world in support of the flotilla. I want to bring in Richard Engel, who's been following this one for us tonight here on top story. Richard, what more do we know about the interception at sea there, this interdiction at sea? And were passengers taken? And what have we heard from Israel? So, first of all, what we've heard from Israel, the Israeli foreign ministry put out a statement, congratulating the service members who were involved in this interception, saying that they worked on a holiday, today is Yom Kippur, to stop what it described as a terror flotilla.

It said that hundreds of activists have been detained and handed over to Israel's equivalent of ice and that they will be deported back to their home countries. There were 40 ships, 40 vessels that were stopped. One, however, appears to have gotten away. One was relatively far away from the pack of the other vessels, and it was not boarded. It was not stopped, but it is still being monitored. The activists say that they were not breaking the law, that they were carrying humanitarian supplies, a relatively symbolic amount of food, medicine, humanitarian goods to bring to the people of Gaza. And they say what is really illegal is Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

So this was not a successful mission, but it has created quite a controversy. As you mentioned, there have been protests in several European cities. And tomorrow in Rome and in other Italian cities, there are plans for a general strike. And then also, you know, this comes as Israel's devastating offensive continues in Gaza City. Palestinians there are getting a grave warning from the Israeli military. Tell our viewers what you've learned. So the Israeli military has now surrounded Gaza. It has already been destroying several of the tall apartment buildings in Gaza.

And the Israeli military has said, unless Hamas accepts the deal that President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have put forward and accepts it by the end of the week, the war will intensify. And it is presumed that those troops who are now encircling Gaza City will drive into the center of Gaza. And already thousands of people have been fleeing from Gaza every day. every day. We have not from Gaza City every day. We have not heard officially any response from Hamas, but Hamas does appear to have some reservations and is giving mixed signals about whether

it will accept the deal or not. The deal would require Hamas to immediately free all of the hostages. It is holding lay down its weapons, destroy its tunnels, and leave power in Gaza and never return to power, handing over authority to some still-to-beyevests. We formed a committee of experts, an apolitical group of technocrats, and a board of directors with President Trump as chairman of that board. All right, Richard Engel for us tonight. Richard, we thank you for your reporting. Turning to Top Stories Global Watch now. We're going to start in France where massive crowds are striking over spending cuts and calling for higher taxes on the rich. Officials say nearly 200,000 protesters are marching in cities across the country.

Here you can see police in Ryakir in the streets of Paris. The demonstrations shutting down the Eiffel Tower and disrupting some trains. The nationwide union strikes are the latest in a series of protests that started last month. And people in Afghanistan are now regaining their internet and cell service after a blackout left the nation almost entirely cut off from the outside world. Taliban officials say the country is gradually getting back online. The outage was first reported on Monday and affected everything from banking to air travel. It is still unclear what caused the blackout. blackout, but it happened after the Taliban issued an internet ban in some areas last month

as part of a crackdown on immorality. And an update on a case out of Australia involving a woman convicted of murdering three relatives of her ex-husband with meals laced with poisonous mushrooms. Aaron Patterson was sentenced last month to a minimum of 33 years in prison, but now her lawyer says her plans to appeal the guilty verdict. Patterson maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming the poisonings were accidental. Okay, up next on Top Story here, counting down to the moment Swifties everywhere have been waiting for. The drop of Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl is nearly upon us.

We have everything you need to know and more ahead of the midnight drop, so don't go away. Finally tonight, it's the moment Swifties have been waiting for the release of Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl. It's just hours away. Scheduled to happen at the stroke of midnight, of course. Our own Emily Aketa has all the details and the Easter eggs. for the pop star's 12th studio album. When Taylor Swift was breaking records on her electrifying eras tour,

behind the scenes, she was also working on her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl with producers Max Martin and Shellback, first announced on the Kelsey Brothers podcast. We knew that we had to bring the best ideas we've ever had. Yeah. And I also know the pressure

I'm putting on this record by saying, saying that, but I don't care because I love it that much. And now those 12 highly anticipated tracks drop at midnight. One of those songs will incorporate George Michael's father figure. It's the most exciting thing ever. As fans, billboards, and a barrage of brands are dazzling in orange. It's giving no girl, not showgirl. While Swift has been dropping so-called Easter eggs,

hinting at what could hatch around the album release. Some of those clues hidden in this Swift-themed Spotify pop-up in New York City. Check out this photo with Sabrina Carpenter, who is, featured on the album and over here some of the lyrics from one of the new tracks. The line for the event wrapping around the block. It feels like a fever dream. I haven't slept in like three weeks, I feel like. Everything going on in my brain right now is like, Ah, Taylor Swift, oh, new lyrics.

Could this be another record-breaking era for Taylor Swift? 100%. I can see that happening already. Swift breaking her own Spotify record for most album pre-saves with the life of a showgirl. as the clock counts down to Showtime. Are you ready for it? All right, and with that, Emily, Aketa, joins us now in studio. Emily, you've got the time card of a showgirl here. Walk us through what this means for Swifty fans

and what it's announcing to the world. Yeah, so a whole life-size calendar here. And, of course, the biggest, most important time, is midnight tonight, the Life of a Showgirl album release. All the fans can start streaming those 12 tracks, which Travis Kelsey has described as 12 bangers. People also can start picking them up at midnight hard copies at certain target locations.

You go further into the afternoon. Vinyl, you got my attention there. Vinyl, right? I know you're going to add it to the collection. And then in the afternoon, then you go to some AMC locations. People can start seeing the official release party of a showgirl premiere.

So we're talking a music video, lyric video, some behind the scenes insights. And this is running all weekend, right? Like this movie? All weekend. So you know a lot of fans are going to be excited about that. This is her first late night appearance

and then going flash forward a little bit. But in the U.S., right? we're getting to NBC. See? Okay. Monday and Thursday. Very exciting. Jimney Fallon. Then a little bit later in the week, you've got Seth Myers. But here's the most important word on this entire thing. Tom. Stand by. What does standby mean? A lot of fans have their own theories. They're speculating. Could it mean a surprise appearance on SNL? Some more music. A merch drop, we don't know.

She is friends with Bad Bunny. They both talked about each other. Any other like Easter eggs in here? People have been looking at the numerology. People are looking at the holes, the stars, the numbers. You know it. But we haven't decoded it yet. Okay. Time will tell, Tom. All right. And where are you going to be during the Jimmy Fallon thing? Are you going to be hiding out somewhere? Yeah, security's probably got this place on lockdown. They're like, please watch out for this girl. We'll see, we'll see. All right, Emily Katta, thanks for breaking it down for us. We thank you for watching Top Story. I know where you'll be at midnight. I'm Tom Yamison, New York.

Stay right there. More news on the way.