Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, October 31, 2024

Episode Date: November 1, 2024

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, Vice President Harris and former President Trump shifting their campaigns west with five days to go. The battle over the gender gap taking center stage after Trump said he would protect women whether they like it or not. Harris, using his words to galvanize female voters still undecided, what Trump hopes to get out of his unusual stop in blue Albuquerque, New Mexico, and our exclusive one-on-one with Vice President Harris in Phoenix. she says keeps her up at night this late in the race. Also tonight, Milwaukee's vanishing voters. Trick-or-treaters aren't the only ones knocking doors this evening. We're on the ground with local groups canvassing Wisconsin's largest city,

concerned about being ghosted at the polls, the dwindling number of voters in the once reliably Democratic territory. North Korea missile threat, the country launching a new powerful ballistic missile missile capable of hitting the U.S. How U.S. officials are responding to the alarming. show a force just days before the election. House of horror, a haunted house accused of going too far, visitors going for a thrill left traumatized and some injured. The attraction warning guests will be pushed to their breaking point, now facing allegations of waterboarding. Chaos erupting in Los Angeles

after the Dodgers won the World Series. The metro bus set on fire as celebrations take an unruly turn. The flames sparking unrest as crowds of fans stormed the streets. And this Halloween, the untraditional candy taking over TikTok, colorful sweet and sour sweetest treats turning into an overwhelming obsession. The sugar high has people waiting in long lines and stores or having a hard time keeping up with the demand. We see what all the hype is about putting our own taste buds to the test. Plus, finally, end in sight to Georgia's longest running criminal trial. The plea change for Atlanta rap star Young Thug. Top story starts right now.

Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, the presidential candidate storming Western battleground states making their final pitches to voters and exchanging blows over gender after former President Trump said he would be a protector of women whether they liked it or not. Vice President Harris visiting Phoenix and Reno before her lost. Vegas rally with music superstar Jennifer Lopez. While former President Trump makes an unusual stop in New Mexico, trying to appeal to Latino voters and falsely stating that he won the past

two elections in the state, which has gone blue for the last two decades. He also made stops in Henderson, Nevada, and Glendale, Arizona. At an average of 12 recent polls in the key swing state of Arizona shows just how much the Grand Canyon state is still up for grabs. Trump, leading Harris by just two points. Right now, nearly 62 million Americans have already cast their vote nationally, according to our exclusive NBC News early voting data. But in Erie County, Pennsylvania, a pivotal county that could potentially help decide the election is running into issues over mail-in ballots. It's been quite a while, and I checked online. It was mailed three weeks ago, and I still haven't bought it. The Pennsylvania Democratic Party sued the county on behalf of 10

to 20,000 voters who allegedly never received their requested ballots. We spoke with one man who drove 50 miles to the clerk's office just to make sure they received his ballot. My biggest concern is that something is going to invalidate Pennsylvania's election, and I don't want that to happen. I don't want any excuses. I want everybody to get counted. That's why I'm here.

We'll hear from other voters this evening about how they're feeling as the race enters its final stretch. But first we start with senior White House correspondent traveling with the vice president, Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, with just five days to go, Vice President Harris with renewed urgency, targeting key Western battlegrounds, Arizona and Nevada. We all know who Donald Trump is. This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge. And now attacking former President Trump for these comments about women overnight.

I want to protect the women of our country. I want to protect the women. sir, please don't say that. Why? They said, we think it's, we think it's very inappropriate for you to say. I said, well, I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not. I'm going to protect them. I'm going to protect them from migrants coming in. I'm going to protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles. Late today, the vice president speaking exclusively with NBC's Yamish al-Sindor. Former president Donald Trump has said that he would be a protector of women, whether they like it or not. What do you make of that? And how does that

contrast with your views on women and their rights and needs? Well, I'll just speak on behalf of myself, but also the Americans that I speak with every day around our country, regardless of their gender, which is the majority of Americans believe that women are intelligent enough and should have and be respected for their agency to make decisions for themselves about what is in their best interest and not have their government and certainly not Donald Trump telling them what to do. And his latest comment is just the most recent in a series of examples that we have seen from him in his words and deeds about how he devalues the ability of women to have the choice

and the freedom to make decisions about their own body. Day one, what's your first executive action? Well, my first priority, which will be probably the package of bills, is about bringing down the cost of living. So it's about housing. It's about child care. It's about what we need to do to deal with grocery prices. Tonight, NBA superstar LeBron James is endorsing Harris, posting a video and writing the choice is clear to me. But a former NBA owner, now atop Harris surrogate, billionaire Mark Cuban, is facing backlash after he answered why he thought Trump had not asked Nikki Haley to campaign with him. Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women, ever. It's just that simple.

They're intimidating to him. That attack by Mark Cuban was an attack on tens of millions of hardworking women across this country who proudly support President Trump. An NBC news poll this month suggests a huge gender gap, women supporting Harris by 14 points. But she's struggling with men who are backing Trump by 16 points. Outside her rally today in Reno, we met Harris supporters Jenny Hildebrandt and Kate Becker, who say they're deeply offended by Trump's comments. I don't trust anything out of his mouth, but I don't think he really agrees with women or supports

women or respects women, given his track history and what he's done. It's ironic that he wants to support women on his terms and not ours. In the race's critical final days, Democrats are trying to build on that support among women, with a new ad voiced by Julia Roberts, urging women whose male partners back Trump to secretly vote for Harris. You can vote any way you want, and no one will ever know. Trump supporter Patricia Montes finds that idea insulting and says the former president's comments last night, don't bother her. He's looking out for women's best interests.

He's not going to force somebody into anything. It's just sometimes the way he talks. They call it sometimes locker room talk or guy talk. It's just talk. And Gabe Gutierrez joins us now from Reno, Nevada. You have some new reporting about what we can expect from the Harris campaign in the next few days? Hi there, Allison. Yes, over the next few days, Harris is expected to travel to five battleground states through Monday.

And she's expected to close her campaign in Must Win, Pennsylvania, with a large rally in Philadelphia. Now, as for this night, it is far from over. She has an upcoming rally here in Reno, and then show heads to Las Vegas for a late-night rally with Jennifer Lopez. I'll see. Gabe Gutierrez on the campaign trail in Nevada. Thank you. Former President Trump campaigning in the western battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada as well today, but he also raised eyebrows by stomping in New Mexico, a solidly blue state with a growing

population of Latino voters. NBC's Garrett Haig explains. Tonight, former President Trump making one last in-person pitch out west. Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Including a surprising stop in New Mexico, which hasn't voted Republican in 20 years. Under Kamala, New Mexico has seen millions of people pour across your section of the southern border. Latinos make up half of New Mexico's population, and Trump's support among Latino men makes it attempting last-minute target. His two other stops today, Arizona and Nevada, where new polls show Harris leading among Latinos.

But in Arizona, she's running six points behind President Biden's margin with Latinos in 2020. And in Nevada, she's 25 points behind. We met Michael Arevolo, who's voting for Trump. But I do eventually want to own my own house. And the rate it's at right now, I just don't see it happening within the next four years if Kamla does end up being president. Mariam Arteaga supports Harris. 100% agree with everything that she's said about the community, women's rights, education, and immigration. Then there's the key issue of housing.

Nevada's Clark County, where Trump campaigns today, is among the tough. in the nation to buy a home, according to an NBC News analysis. The median home price now up to $452,000, among the top 15% of county prices nationwide. The vice president has proposed $25,000 in government down payment assistance. I will fight to help first-time home buyers with your down payment. J.D. Vance mocking that proposal today. Kamala Harris is trying to pass out free money to cover over the fact that her own policies are why housing is so expensive. All as Trump is going after Harris over President Biden's comments appearing to call Trump supporters garbage.

The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters. His demonization is seen as unconscionable. The president says he was not talking about all Trump supporters. Trump, after riding in a garbage truck, 250 million Americans are not garbage. Overnight wearing a sanitation worker's vest in Wisconsin. You can't lead America if you don't love Americans. It's true. And Garrett Haik joins us now from Henderson, Nevada that is just outside of Las Vegas. Garrett, you mentioned that the high cost of housing is a major issue for voters in that state. And the vice president's plan to provide Americans with $25,000 of government down payment assistance.

How is that plan landing with the voters you've been speaking to? Well, Allison, voters are certainly more aware of that plan than they are of Donald Trump's housing plan, which involves the federal government buying up and using federal lands essentially to build high-density housing. Both of these plans would likely need significant buy-in from Congress, something that seems very unlikely, particularly if we end up with divided control on Capitol Hill next year. Most of the voters I talk to just want prices to come down, not necessarily an overly-create. solution to try to address this issue some other way. All right, Garrett Haig, also on the campaign trail for us. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. All right, for more on the state of the race for the White House.

Let's bring in our political panel, Democratic strategist Amisha Cross, and Trisha McLaughlin, former communications director for the Vivek-Ram-Swamy presidential campaign. Thank you both for joining us, especially on Halloween. It's good to have you here. Amisha, let's start with you. Vice President Harris, we mentioned in those past. reports. Coming after former President Trump for his rhetoric about women, releasing that new ad with Julia Roberts encouraging women to vote for Harris, even if they need to keep it a secret

from their conservative husbands. Conservatives are criticizing that. What do you make of the ad? Is it an effective message or one that could potentially backfire? I think it's an effective message, and it's not one that's quite frankly new. We've heard Liz Cheney on the campaign trail alluding to this for weeks now. I think that women are independent thinkers. Women do not have to join in one mind with their husbands, with their partners, so on and so forth. When women's rights, their reproductive rights, the rights of their bodily autonomy, when these things are on the ballot, it would make sense that women may take a different path than some of their husbands may. We also acknowledge that women have been some of the targets of some of the

most gross Republican campaign rhetoric. When we talk about childless cat ladies, when we heard from J.D. Vance, when he mentioned that menopausal women's only, the only thing that they exist for essentially is to take care of the children of younger women. I think that at this point, women have a decision to make, and that decision is what type of future they want for their own daughters, what type of future they want for themselves, whether or not they are willing to literally risk their lives in childbirth or risk their lives in deciding whether or not they are ready to have children or if doctors can actually take care of them when they're going through crisis pregnancies and the trauma that exists therein. These are very big decisions,

and I think that that ad, and Julia Roberts, a native Georgian from a battleground state, It makes sense for her to take this stance. Tricia, former President Trump making those comments last night saying that he is protecting women in his words, whether women like it or not. I don't know many women who enjoy having a man tell them, I'm doing this whether you like it or not. Trump is struggling to get female voters. Women make up more of the population in the United States. It's like 98 to 100 compared to men. From a communication standpoint, did that comment, that type of language, missed the mark for you?

Well, when you put it in context, which the context is about border security, there's 10 to 15 million people who under Kamla Harris' watch have illegally entered this country. And we know that over the past decade, maybe decade plus, there's 14,000 migrants in this country who have been convicted of murder and more than 20,000 migrants who have been convicted of sexual assault or rape. So yes, as a woman, I'm far less concerned about Donald Trump's specific phrasing of that and far more concerned that we have leadership that's going to protect me to make sure I'm not the next Lake in Riley or Jocelyn Nungare, who we know that these women were viciously

attacked by illegal immigrants. We need to know who is in this country so that we can protect the people. So everyone can pick apart the rhetoric all they want. But when it comes to American voters, they want a leader who's actually going to protect them to be the law and order candidate. And right now that's Donald Trump, because we haven't heard from Kamala Harris. Is she going to deport these 14,000 convicted murders? What about those 20,000 sexual migrants were accused and convicted of sexual assault? What is the answer for her? Because in the past, she said that she wants to defundize. She said that she would make legal the border crossings. Well, let's go back to Trisha. The initial question, though, is just from a messaging standpoint,

because when you're talking about immigration, I do think it's important to note that Stanford has studied whether or not Native-born Americans commit more crimes than immigrants and or non-native-born American since the 1960s, consistently they found that is not true. Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, looked at this back in 2019. In the state of Texas, 90% of murders were committed in the year of 2019, not by immigrants, but by native-born Americans. My question is, if you want to have a discussion about immigration and talk about the facts, that's one thing.

But to talk about women in this way of saying, I'm going to protect you whether you like it or not, is that in a time frame when we're so close to election and you know it's going to be a soundbite? Do you wish she would say it differently to avoid a sound bite? When right now, frankly, the Republicans were writing on hammering the Democrats over this garbage line. Why throw a potential distraction? Well, Alison, you brought up the statistics about crime. And so I'll bring you ICE data, which says that there's 14. No, let's go back to the question that I asked, Tricia, because I'm trying to ask you about messaging. Yes. And what I'm saying is that more than half of Americans want deportation. I'm sure a lot of that is men. Maybe some women don't want mass deportations.

So whether they like it or not, that's what Donald Trump is going to do. That's a policy question. So I'm answering both of your questions right now. Amisha, talk to us about the Harris campaign here. Should they be concerned that former President Trump is starting to campaign in these bluer states? You know, we don't really see her visiting reliably red states like Ohio and Iowa trying to chip at the margins there. Is this a sign that Trump's campaign is feeling more confident than Harris's as we get closer to Election Day? I think it's a sign that Trump's campaign has a weak ground game, and they've had a weak ground game since this thing started.

With that being said, it would take Ambridge here because we know that Kamala Harris was just in Texas. Texas is known as being reliably red. She has made several enroads there. We know that several of her surrogates are there as well. With that being said, I think that, you know, this campaign, the Harris campaign, has run a consistent messaging campaign this entire time where she is planning on being a president for all America, not just red states, not just blue states, not just purple states, but all America. She has opened the tent to include Republicans, not only those who are Nikki Haley supporters, but other Republicans as well. And to go ahead and acknowledge that it matters that we have an economy that's affordable for everyone, that we have housing that's available for everyone, that we ensure that our public school system is providing for the most capable individuals as they go into that next stage of their life, that jobs are readily available, that we do remain competitive. All of those things matter to the American public, no matter what stripe you happen to be a part of when it comes to partisanship.

Those are the things that matter. And she's made in roads into red states as well. I think that we have to recognize that this nation is highly polarized. With that being said, I would argue that both campaigns are making some efforts to go into places that historically have not been places that either respective party has known to bring a lot of folks from. But when it comes to Donald Trump, he has already shown how he has isolated several voters, not only women, but people of color and not only Latinos, people forget the watermelon comments that were made about black folks. We know who Donald Trump is. And I think that this campaign, if nothing else, has continued to showcase exactly why he has such a hard time, particularly in certain communities of color, to even bring about that level of change or bring about people who would even give his campaign a second look. Tricia, we're talking about such a tight race, at least in the polling right now, that margins, the little bits here and there, it really does matter, right?

We saw that happen in Florida last time President Trump in 2020 sought re-election with how he was able to chip away at Biden's margins. Miami-Dade County. Trump campaigning in New Mexico today and then going to Virginia on Saturday. Those are states that are traditionally blue or at least lean bluer. He's not expected to win them this time around. When you look at that campaign strategy, do you think it's effective this late in the game or would you prefer to see him more in traditionally red states where he can jack up the numbers or just chip away at the margins in those bluer states? Well, he's increasing his odds to get to 270. He's increasing his paths because most people are very focused on those seven battleground states. But if you look at New Mexico, if you look in New Hampshire, which

real clear politics just moved from Lean Harris to lean, excuse me, to toss up to Minnesota to Virginia, which, as you mentioned, he's visiting on Saturday. Those largely are within the margin of error. And that's areas where Donald Trump's campaign thinks that even if he just won one, and he held onto the sunbelt states, that's it. Kamala Harris can't win. So just one of those four states that have not been considered battlegrounds, that's all he needs if he holds onto that sunbelt. So I think it's smart for him, as long as he's still getting into those rust belt states as well and making sure that that's on the table. All right, five days to go. Amish Cross, Trisha McLaughlin. Thank you both for your time and insights tonight. We really appreciate it.

We're going to turn now to the battleground state of Wisconsin, where trick-or-treaters are not the only ones, knocking on doors in Milwaukee tonight. Democratic canvassers hitting the pavement there, too, trying to reach the elusive, vanishing voters, a block that didn't show up to vote in the 2016 election and could be the difference maker this time around. NBC News correspondent Shaquille Brewster has this report. This Halloween in Milwaukee, these knocks on the door aren't an ask for candy, but instead for votes in the critical battlegrounds state of Wisconsin. Just five days from election day, Organizers like Shanice Jones with black leaders organizing for communities or block are scrambling to get out the vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. How does this compare to when you were doing this work for previous cycles?

So to me, it seems like a lot of more people are interested. From younger people to older people, I've been saying a lot more people saying that they're going to vote, that they got to vote. I'm taking everybody with me in the house to vote. One of their goals to reverse the trend here in Wisconsin's largest state. city of so-called vanishing voters. There are people who show up to some elections, but not others, and when they stay home, have had the power to help flip the entire race. My message to them is you not voting and throwing away your voice, and people need to hear you. So you have their right to go vote, so use it and use it wisely. Wisconsin's margins are so razor thin that in

2016, when more than 40,000 fewer Milwaukeeans went to the polls, Trump won the White House with just 23,000 votes separating the presidential candidates. While comparable turnout rebounded a bit in 2018 and Biden's narrow 2020 victory, it dropped again in 2022 as Democrats lost a key statewide Senate race. Some of those vanishing voters proving tough to get back out to the polls. When was the last time you voted? Barack Obama. So you voted for Obama in 2012?

Right. And you haven't voted since? Why not? There's no point. Is there anything that any organizer or any candidate could do to get you out to vote? No. Nothing at all. No.

But Jones is still fighting for even those toughest votes. So when someone says they haven't voted yet, what are you telling them? As long as you plan on, as long as you have that commitment to plan on to go vote, I feel like that is fine. So even if they haven't voted yet, it's what are you going to do? What time you're going? How are you getting there? How do you plan to vote? Are you going to vote? Are you going to do it the day of? Are you going to early vote? Like, just making sure they have that plan of vote. Now, with only days to go, a sprint to the finish, organizers hoping to make those vanishing voters reappear.

And the latest numbers show that Milwaukee is actually trailing the rest of Wisconsin in early voting, but there is still more time. It's why you see organizers still knocking on doors. And the Harris campaign saying that in these closing days, they're going to flood. the zone. Ellison? Shaq Brewster, thank you. Staying with the election and the growing waves of misinformation. Tonight, the widespread concerns involving deep fakes now advancing at a

rapid pace. Our Ryan Nobles has more on the developing technology and the impact it could have on election day. In Pennsylvania, perhaps the most important swing state, the FBI believes a group of Russian actors built a video that made it look like a bunch of

Trump mail-in ballots were getting destroyed. Election officials immediately debunk the video, but it is an example of how one fraudulent video could directly undermine the voting process. People, unfortunately, don't always turn to trusted sources of information. And it is getting harder and harder to determine what is real. The gap between the real and generated media is actually getting narrower. Near-upon-Roy is a computer science professor at the University of Maryland. He is worried about the proliferation of AI-created videos where bad actors could make or alter videos to spread a false message. And that's how I found my way out of the grocery store, all thanks to the magical pistachio.

Like this video of President Richard Nixon talking about a disaster during a moon landing that never happened. There is no hope for their recovery. It is technology that keeps elections officials up at night. I think the bad guys want us to disbelieve one another. Adrian Fonte is the Secretary of State in Arizona. He's created a deepfake of himself as part of a public service campaign to warn voters about fake videos. His team is also showing voters how their process works to prevent conspiracy theories from spreading.

People are starting to learn about it. Learn about the people that have been running elections very well. But deepfakes are already being used in this election cycle. We've seen Taylor Swift step up. and say she was endorsing Vice President Harris because of deep fakes featuring her. Orrin Tizioni is part of a group of tech innovators who are working to get ahead of the problem. His company, TrueMedia.org, has a tool to check the validity of what may be a fake video. It would allow you to take a video like this of me, which looks real, or like me, here in this bed,

or sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. By the way, I can't wait to eat this croissant. But I actually didn't say any of it. that. That video was generated by a computer program. Definitely, it is a battle between technology versus technology. Good guys are using technologies to protect it. Bad guys are trying to take it down. And obviously there's a real concern about what could happen leading up to election day, but officials are also worried about what could happen after, that perhaps a bad actor could use one of these deep fake videos to make it look like something went wrong in the vote counting process.

gets spread across the internet. Perhaps people won't trust the results of the election, and that could get in the way of the peaceful transfer of power. Ellison? Ryan Nobles on Capitol Hill. Thank you. Still ahead tonight, the haunted house taking horror to the extreme. The attraction facing disturbing allegations, torturing visitors, some leaving bloodied and traumatized. The website even warning it will push guests to their breaking points. So what is going on? Plus, Dodgers World Series celebrations, getting out of hand. The bus set a blaze as fans took over the streets to celebrate their big win. And the lawsuit against Elon Musk's million-dollar voter giveaway put on hold. The reason

behind that decision. Stay with us. Welcome back. This Halloween, we are taking a look at one of America's most controversial haunted houses, McCamey Manor. It's advertised as one of the extreme and scariest haunts in the United States. A warning for you, some of the images and details are disturbing. Videos posted to the Manor's YouTube channel depicting gruesome moments, participants truly pushed to their absolute limits. The attraction's website brandishing this stark warning of intense audio, physically demanding environments and graphic scenes of horror, quote, enter at your own risk, it says. But is it all in the spirit of fun and a good fright? Many former guests don't seem to think so.

The haunt gaining heavy media attention like this Hulu documentary, which was titled Monster Inside America's Most Extreme Haunted House, which includes several interviews with past participants who say they were subjected to actual torture, including allegations of waterboarding. We tried reaching out to the owner of that house, Russ McCammy, multiple times, but he would not answer any of our questions. Now, a new podcast called Inside McCammy Manor is investigating the controversial. Haunted House. Its host, Elizabeth McAffordy, joins us now to talk about it. So, Elizabeth, this is a fascinating topic and one probably a lot of people in the United States might not know about it. It was new to me today. So walk us through what you have learned. You've done a lot of research for your podcast, multiple interviews with people who have done tours at this manner. What have you learned and what stood out to you as sort of the most surprising thing here?

I mean, I think the biggest question that I and myself had was why do people actually sign up to do this? Because as you watch the videos, it's very obvious that it's very extreme, pretty traumatic. And I think I really wanted to get inside why people signed up to it in the first place. So a lot of the podcast looks at the psychology behind why people did this. And actually, we looked a lot about people with military history. And Russ McCamey had a military history himself. So it's quite interesting to see the connection that he had. to people who were actually signing up and the bonds that they shared over that.

But then I also think once we delved deeper and we heard how traumatic those experiences were, people have never really sort of gotten over it and they're still recovering it from this day. And actually this waiver that they signed, which were they consented basically to everything that was happening to them. There's a bit of stigma and shame that people have when they actually did sign that waiver that they now feel like they can't speak out. So actually, it really shows how the victims were completely silenced and still feel unable to chat about it without that stigma today. So that's what really shocked me.

One of our correspondents here, Valerie Castro, interviewed someone who went through the manor when it was located in San Diego, California. And she had some pretty serious allegations. I want to play some of it. And then we'll talk right after. They lock you in a cage, which is filled with water, where only your nose is sticking out. But at the same time, you have a ski mask. is sticking out of the ski mask and they're posing you with water going into your face and at the same time dunking your head and holding you under and just enough to where you think

then you're let go again and it's a rinse and repeat of that water and that water and the water going up your nose and not being able to breathe. Elizabeth, based on your reporting, is that sort of allegation an anomaly or a common threat amongst people who have done this haunted house tour. I mean, everyone we spoke to had very similar allegations against the waterboarding, things on the waiver that said, you know, they could have broken limbs, they could have things done to their hair. There kind of was no limits. We actually did interview a girl who was just 15 years old at the time. And she actually, well, she was 13 when she first volunteered at the manor. And then it became more extreme when she was 15. And she was actually kept on to be

first-aida to the men, mainly that were involved, and she was dealing with broken noses and things like that. She was a lifeguard and a qualified first-aida, and Russ actually kept her on during that time. So she dealt with a lot of people who were very traumatized from the manner. And then at 15 years old, she also signed the waiver and went through the manner herself. You know, our team spoke very briefly with the owner of this manner, Russ McKayney, and he refused to answer any of our questions, including whether the manor is still operating today. Have you been able to get in touch with Russ? And do we know if it's still operating and if not, when the last tour was? So we did reach out to Russ.

We also interviewed someone who said that they worked for the manor as late as 2023, so only a year ago. Russ very much gave us the impression that the manor was still open to this day. But The Facebook group in which you have to submit to be accepted into the manner as a participant has been closed down. So how participants are now able to end to the manner is unclear at this point. But Russ declined all of the allegations that we put to him. He declines to comment on them. I read that the Attorney General of Tennessee at one point was investigating this manner

after there were these petitions online calling for it to be shut down. but it seems like any sort of legal and or government action to deal with these allegations has sort of stopped. Where do you think things go from here? And in terms of your podcast, what drove you to focus on this particular story instead of other haunted houses where maybe there are similar allegations, if not as egregious as this, but also concerning patterns? I think with this podcast in particular, there's a lot of repeated questions which haven't

quite being answered and everyone seems to have the same question. So we really wanted to try and delve into the mindset. So we mainly look at the psychology of fear. We look at how people can sort of get themselves in this situation. Why people push that limit as well. That's something that we really explored deep into like why an extreme attraction and why not just a normal haunted house. And actually there is sort of quite deep rooted psychology as to why people might push themselves to that adrenaline junkie stage. Some of these horns have sort of become a little bit like an adrenaline junkie would do a skydive or a bungee jump.

So it's actually not just people's love of horror, it's something deep-rooted in that sort of entertainment factor. And actually, we just wanted to really hear it from the victims themselves, their stories, because I feel like a lot has been suppressed due to people speaking out online and being trolled And feeling like they can't speak out because of the negative reaction that they normally get in the press when talking about the fact that they actually signed a waiver to end to McAney Manor in the first place. Fascinating story with just so many layers. I can't wait to listen to your podcast. It's called Inside Macaamy Manor, Elizabeth McAffordy.

Thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Coming up, the surprising plea deal for rapper Young Thug. The Grammy winner putting it in to George's longest criminal trial and one. walking free. The decision, a judge just handed down. That's next. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with Atlanta rapper Young Thug being released from prison after pleading guilty in Georgia's longest-running criminal trial. The 33-year-old

rapper whose legal name is Jeffrey Williams was indicted in 2022 on racketeering charges in Fulton County. He was accused of leading a violent street gang that committed crimes such as murder, armed robbery, and drug dealing. More than a dozen co-defendants were also part of this case. Young Thug will serve at least 15 years of probation, but could serve prison time if he violates the sentence's terms. A major break in a missing person's case out of Arizona. Authorities say remains found near the Hoover Dam have been identified as a man missing since 1995. The remains were discovered by construction workers in 2009 and identified through forensic genetic genealogy. Authorities were unable to determine a cause of death but believe he may

have died between 2006 and 2008 when he would have been in his late 50s. A fiery scene in downtown Los Angeles last night after the Dodgers World Series win over the New York Yankees. New video shows a bus engulfed in flames and exploding after being set on fire. near Dodgers Stadium. The bus driver and the five passengers escaped unharmed. Authorities say stores were looted and property was vandalized. Police say at least 12 people have been arrested. And the lawsuit against Elon Musk over his million-dollar voter giveaways has been put on hold. This comes after Musk's legal team filed a last-minute motion to move the case to federal court. Elon Musk did not attend the hearing on Monday. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office sued the

billionaire and his super PAC, accusing them of running an illegal lottery by awarding $1 million checks to registered voters in swing states who signed petitions pledging to support free speech and gun rights. We're going to turn now to Montana, where authorities have just announced an arrest in a murder initially blamed on a bear attack. I'm Morgan Chesky on the key pieces of evidence that tipped off investigators. Tonight, a stunning break in a disturbing death. Montana authorities are now calling murder.

This homicide appears to be a chance encounter. The Gallatin County Sheriff arresting 41-year-old Darren Abbey, who they say confessed to the vicious murder of Dustin Jersom, an avid outdoorsman and father who never returned from a camping trip. Dustin welcomed him to the campsite and offered him a beer. At some point, this individual struck just Dustin Jersen with a piece of solid wood, stabbed him in the neck with a screwdriver, and ultimately hit him with the axe. On October 12th, just a few miles outside the popular resort town of Big Sky,

Jersems' girlfriend and friend discovered the 35-year-old's body inside his tent. The aftermath's so brutal. They told 911 it looked like a bear attack, but authorities weren't convinced. During the investigation, the detectives collected DNA from a beer can inside of Jersems' tent. That DNA, leading investigators to Abby, who was already in custody for violating probation. Investigators believe the suspect acted alone, but tonight say his motive is still unclear. As a grief-stricken family clings tight. He was a loving, helpful, and adorning father who in no way deserve this.

Morgan Chesky, NBC News. Our thanks to Morgan for that report. Stay with us. We'll be right back. Back now with Top Story's Global Watch and an update on those catastrophic floods in Spain. The death toll climbing to about 160 people. New video shows cars piled up in Spain's Valencia region after they were swept away by rushing waters. Roads filled with mud and debris right now, rescuers are searching damaged homes and cars for survivors. It is unclear just how many people are missing. parts of Spain receiving a year's worth of rain in a single day.

North Korea testing an intercontinental ballistic missile days before the election. The U.S., South Korea and Japan confirming the missile was launched near Pyongyang. It's believed to have traveled for more than 86 minutes, reaching an altitude of 4,350 miles. That is higher than previous North Korea missile tests. It comes as the U.S. confirms 8,000 North Korean troops are at the U.S. Ukrainian border. And Rome, trying to curb tourist disappointment as the famed Trevi Fountain closes for maintenance. The city has installed a pool near the fountain so visitors can still participate in the coin-tossing tradition. Footbridge is also a footbridge is also being built at the fountain

for closer viewing while it's under construction. Work is being done on the famed fountain ahead of the Roman Catholic Jubilee, which is next year. Staying overseas now and the World Series win truly felt around the world, a remarkable turnaround by the L.A. Dodgers last night in game five, leading them to a World Series victory over the New York Yankees. But as they celebrated in Los Angeles, they also went wild in Japan. That is the home of Dodgers superstar Shohei Otani. NBC's international correspondent Janice McEugh-Frayer went to his hometown. The World Series title belongs to Los Angeles. But the victory is sweet half a world away.

In baseball obsessed Japan, viewership hit record levels. At one point, 15.9 million people watching here, more than in the U.S. That surge has everything to do with Shohei Otani, the Dodger superstar, who with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are national icons here. Even at my age, I'm really odd by him. really odd by him, he says.

Nowhere has baseball fever burned brighter than in the rural town where Otani grew up. Where it all started for Shohei Otani was here on this field, practicing at least five hours a day, every day to hone his skills. For young players on his old high school team, an inspiration. Otani is a celestial figure, he says. There's promise here, but no one like him. And so he's honored at every turn, including a superfan's. gallery of memorabilia at a hair salon.

How many pieces do you have here? About 3,000. 3,000. He says there's more in storage. All week, people gathered to watch the games at community centers. The win, such a huge moment of pride for Japan, newspapers printed extra editions, while the team was soon back at the same field

that led their hometown hero to the top. Janice McAfee-Frayer, NBC News, Hanamaki, Japan. When we come back a sweet treat this Halloween, the tasty new obsession with Swedish candy has gummies absolutely flying off the shelves. So what is behind the rise in popularity? We do a taste test to find out. Finally tonight, we've got a sweet story for you on this Halloween.

It is the latest craze taking over the internet, Swedish gummy candy. People are literally waiting in line, sometimes around the block, sometimes monitored by a candy bouncer, just to try and get a taste of this trend. But what makes Swedish candy so special? Our Valerie Castro went to two of the Swedish stores in New York City to find out. It's the all-out candy craze taking over social media and making chocolate a thing of the past. For candy fanatics, Swedish gummy candy is now the thing. Him just got back from New York and La Quahimbra. Highly anticipated Swedish candy shop has finally opened in the West Village, so here's the scoop. Not only do we have the pink bag,

we have two pink bag. The popularity leading to long lines at two of New York's gummy candy destinations, Brooklyn-based Bonbon, even employing its own candy bouncer. Sometimes the lines get too long and then we kind of have to add reinforcement. A candy bouncer. A candy bouncer. He's very friendly. He gives out samples. So what is it that makes these treats so sweet? It's very interactive because you can get as much or as little as you want. Social media has been playing such a large effect. Everyone wants to have what everyone is having.

I have seen people that actually have fluid just to come here and try it. Sweet wild strawberry. We went and got a taste for ourselves to find out. Bon Bono co-founder Leo Schultz hails from Sweden where he says kids were only allowed to indulge one day a week. In Sweden, you're only allowed to eat candy on Saturdays. So I mean the Saturdays were holy. So we tried to relive that. You can get goosebumps talking about it, like when I had the special ones I used to have when I was good.

Happy Bon Bon Bon Saturday! Schultz now trying to make everyday Saturday, running four Bonbon stores in New York City, some staying open until midnight, and a booming website. I'm happy that more people are realizing that Swedish candy is not just a trend. It's a quality product. What is the difference between American type of candy and what you guys have here? So I think it comes down to the ingredients that most of our candy are vegan. They're gluten-free instead of your non-natural colorants.

We use natural colorants. At the end of the day, it's a quality product. If you hold it up against the light. Schultz let me try out some of his favorites. Black salted licorice is a Swedish staple. What are the misconceptions about liquor? The misconceptions are that it doesn't taste good. It tastes amazing.

You haven't had the right licorice. Let's just say if that's the right licorice, It's not my first choice. Oh, yeah. Not for you. But there are plenty of other treats more suited to my American palate. I think that's my favorite so far. I still got it.

At Lil's sweet treat in Manhattan, founder Ellie Ross says her stock of gummies sold out in just a matter of days after the tiny store opened this fall. The best word to use is absolutely electric. X is one of the most delicious and unique gummies we have. Inspired by her Korean heritage and her travels, she sources candy. from all over the world. Coca-Cola-flavored chill guys from Sweden, passion fruit slices from Belgium, Granny Smith Hoppers from Germany.

Swedish candy was going viral. And to me, what that signaled was that there was a gap in the market of people who wanted to try new sweets, new textures. Candy trend experts say both businesses might be on to something, as droughts have caused cocoa prices to go up. Chocolate is going to remain expensive for a while, but it's going to take a year or two for this market to really moderate in cocoa prices to come back down.

I think gummies are here to stay. Commodities aside, these candy experts say nostalgia is also a key ingredient that draws in customers, which Ross calls her candy connoisseurs. Something that I hear from our candy connoisseurs all the time is, you made me feel like a kid again. You made me feel like a kid in a candy shop. And I think people are really looking for that, you know, extra bit of joy and a way to, you know, bring a little extra happiness to something as simple.

as grabbing a bag of candy. And Valerie Castro joins us now in our own makeshift candy shop, Valerie. Candy, first of all, your friends said he liked black salted licorish, which sounds horrible to me, but you brought a bunch of candy. What can we eat and try? So I did bring you some of the black licorice. Oh, you can try it for yourself. Okay.

Salty licorice twists. Tell me what you think. Oh, no, no, no, no. Something like it. No, that one's a no. That one is a no. is foul. That's disgusting. Bonbon has their own version of Swedish fish. They come in all kinds of different flavors. This is wild strawberry. Okay. It's delicious. Oh, this one is good. That's a

winner. That's a winner. That's a winner. It's a 10 out of town. It has this, um, lemon Coca-Cola bottle, which tastes like a Coca-Cola when you order it with lemon wedge in it. It's delicious as well. So a variety of things. Something. That actually works. Good, right? Yeah. So something for everyone. Okay, so I love Swedish candy because growing up my best childhood friend was Swedish and his dad would take us all the kids to the Scandinavian Festival. And I got obsessed with B-Lars. I love that you can just get Swedish candy anywhere, though. Do we think this is forever versus like order online and wait weeks to get your candy from Sweden? So I think at least with Bonbon, they've proven that they have staying power. They opened seven years ago with their

first store here in the city. They now have four locations in total. They have a huge online presence. A little sweet treat, as we mentioned, they opened their first shop just in September. already planning to open another location here in the city as well. Valerie Castro, our Swedish Candy Correspondent. Thank you. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there.

More news is on the way.