Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Episode Date: April 23, 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.

tonight top story in vatican city on the verge of history once again as cardinals and world leaders begin to gather for the historic funeral of pope francis and prepare to welcome a new head of the catholic church striking images the pope in his casket in a chapel at his former residence friends and family paying their respects we have new details on the funeral service and the american who is now in charge plus the secret of con The enclave said to begin, locked inside the Sistine Chapel will be 135 Cardinals, one of whom will be the next Pope. We have new reporting on the possible frontrunners. Elon Musk stepping back from Doge after Tesla's earnings plummeted, his announcement late today that he'll spend less time in government. The verdict just in in the Lori Valo-Debel case convicted of killing her two children, now accused of killing her fourth husband. Shannon Sharp recordings released, the woman accusing the football Hall of Famer of sexual assault releasing a recording. Her lawyer's claim is Sharp threatening her, his response tonight. Terrifying close call, the manhole explosion, barely missing this woman and two children.

And man-vers machine, the humanoid robots racing in the Beijing half marathon, some toppling over. Our correspondent is there, so who won? Plus, from here at the Vatican, the gelato shop that served Pope Francis for years, what's the secret to their heavenly recipe? A special edition of Top Story starts right now. And good evening. Welcome to a special edition of Top Story coming to you tonight from the Vatican as Cardinals gather to solidify plans to lay Pope Francis to rest and choose a new leader for the church. Right behind me here is St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square, one of the most sacred and holiest sights in the world. In just a few hours, the Pope's body will be transferred there

to lie in state as worshippers come to pay their respects. The Vatican releasing the first images of the Pope since his death. His body displayed for private viewings inside the chapel where he lived during his papacy. At this hour, we're learning new details about Pope Francis's funeral, which will be held in St. Peter's Square, tens of thousands of. are expected to attend, including several notable world leaders, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, along with Prince William, President Emmanuel Macron, and President Vladimir Zelensky, among others. Pope Francis breaking with tradition, deciding his final resting place will be at the Basilica of Santa Maria Majori. He's the first Pope in more than a century,

not buried in St. Peter's Basilica, in the Vatican. We hear from an expert tonight on the profound meaning behind this decision. And right now, millions around the world entering a period of mourning, several countries devoting several days to honor the Pope. But tonight, new questions about who will be his successor. Pope Francis appointed four-fifths of the Cardinals who will soon cast their vote in the upcoming conclave. Who will they decide on? And what does that mean for the future of the church? We have a lot to get to this evening, starting with the plans to lay Pope Francis to rest. Tonight, the century's old tradition of honoring the life of a pontiff and choosing a new one is underway. Cardinals from around the world gathering at the Vatican, where daily meetings began today.

In the coming weeks, 135 cardinals under the age of 80 will decide the future of the church, including Cardinal Rolanda's MacRikas. Do you want the Pope to modernize the church, or do you want a Pope that is conservative? I want the pope who follows gospel. It's a question many Catholics are now weighing. You have to search for him to continue what yet started. As they honor the legacy of Pope Francis, known for his humility and commitment to lifting up the most vulnerable from his native Argentina to St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. us, as Catholics, this is a death in the family. And here in Rome, pray for him, pray for the next

Pope. The Vatican today releasing the first images of the Cyprus coffin chosen by Pope Francis. They show the pontiff lying in the chapel where he worshipped most mornings. Wearing red vestments, a rosary is wrapped around his hands, the Swiss guards protecting him. And we're learning new details about how he will be remembered in the coming days. Early tomorrow, morning, his body will be moved in a procession to St. Peter's Basilica. From Wednesday to Friday, members of the public will pay their respects as his body lies in state. His coffin won't be elevated, but rather, placed facing the pews, reflecting Pope Francis's desire to be remembered as a shepherd and disciple, not for his powerful position. His funeral is

planned for Saturday morning, with several world leaders expected to attend, including President in Trump, President Zelensky, and the Prince of Wales. Pope Francis is going to be buried here? Yes, he's going to be buried here at Santa Maria Majori, the oldest church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Western world. Art historian Elizabeth Lev says his final resting place holds special meaning. What he's asked for is something very simple. Yes, he's asked for a very simple burial spot.

So it's not a big chapel, it's not a big monument. But what Pope Francis wants is a very small space right next to. to this icon of the Madonna Salas Papuli Romani. So there's a little alcove, a little space, which is right next to the chapel, where that icon was, where he has prayed so many times. According to tradition, he will be buried with a small bag of coins,

minted during his papacy, to aid in future identification. The fisherman's ring he wore, now broken, a ritual signifying his death. It will be buried with him. And his tomb will have just one word. Francisco. Yet another reflection of the humble nature of Pope Francis. I'm joined now by Ann Thompson, who covers the Vatican for NBC. And so great to see you. So many Cardinals have been coming here.

We've been seeing them walk through St. Peter's Square. Talk to us about what's happening sort of behind the scenes. And it's interesting. Some of these Cardinals have never met. Yeah. And so this is a getting-to-know-you period for the Cardinals. They're going to meet every day. They met today to talk about the funeral of Pope Francis. They will meet tomorrow afternoon. And then the real serious discussions about the direction of the church, the future of the church, and what they want to see will take place after the funeral. And those are the discussions where they lay out their visions for the church, listen to each other. And that starts to give the shape to who the next pope should be.

You know, behind us, there has been so much planning for this moment. Some of these traditions are hundreds of years old, including who's in charge right now, right? Because there is no pope, but there is a man in charge, and he happens to be an Irish American. I know, and he's the Camerlengo, and that is the administrator of the Vatican between this time when we're between popes. His name is Kevin Farrell. He is a cardinal. He was born in Dublin. He came to the United States where he spent much of his priesthood.

He worked in Washington. He was Bishop of Dallas. And then Pope Francis brought him over to be director of the Department of the Laity. But he handpicked him for this moment because he believed in Kevin Farrell. he wanted that steady hand when the church was in mourning. So, you know, there was a very popular movie conclave that came out just last year. So some people, it was fictionalized, but there was a lot of it that dealt in reality. The Cardinals are coming here.

They are human. They know the rules. Is there campaigning going on behind the scenes? Are there whispers who's going to be the next pope? There are lots of whispers, but it's really bad form to campaign because there's a saying that's anybody who goes into a conclave, a Pope comes out a cardinal. And I think you could see that in the movie. But a consensus will start to form.

And in fact, Pope Francis, in his autobiography, talked about during these congregations, these meetings that they have, he gave a speech. It was a three-minute speech. He said those three minutes changed his life. There you go. I heard another good one on the plane over here. If somebody was wondering if they're being American Pope and the saying goes, the Americans have everything, why give him the papacy? I think that's very true. And always great to have you and great to have you here in the Valley.

It's good to have you here. Yeah, great to be here. We're going to have much more from here at the Vatican coming up later in the broadcast, including an inside look at the frontrunners to be the next Pope. But for now, it's Alison Barber in New York with the rest of the day's news. Tom, thank you. We want to get right to that major developing headline here at home. Elon Musk says his work with the Trump administration is winding down.

The tech billionaire saying this in a call with Tesla investors, quote, starting probably next month, May, my time obligation to Doge will drive. significantly. Here's a portion of that announcement. I think I'll continue to spend, you know, a day or two per week on government matters, or as long as the president would like me to do so, and as long as it is useful. But starting next month, I'll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla. NBC's business and data correspondent Brian Chung,

joins us now with the latest. Okay, Brian, this announcement, it comes as Tesla's earnings have really plummeted. The company reported a 20% drop in car sales in Q1, quarter one of this year. Net income, they say, fell by 71%. What more can you tell us about this decision Musk has put out there to sort of wind down and step back a bit? Yeah, well, I mean, first off, the earnings were not good at all. Obviously, this is the first earnings report that we've seen from Tesla since Elon Musk had gone off to take on these. enhanced government responsibilities, namely at Doge and the Department of Government Efficiency. But I think that what's really important here is that as we hear from Elon Musk, he's saying, look, I know that these earnings, you know, he didn't really acknowledge that the earnings were bad per se, but he's saying that he's going to step away from some of those

government responsibilities. He didn't say that he'll be leaving entirely. He did clarify that maybe for a day or two a week. He might be working on some government-related affairs. It's unclear exactly what he means by that. But he did say that he would be significantly stepping back from his responsibilities with Doge come next month. This had been suggested by the president before, but I think this is the first time that we've heard it directly from Elon Musk himself. But, of course, there is the question of, can he bring back attention to a company that is in dire need of his attention?

You can see the numbers right in front of you when it comes to the earnings performance. It was not looking that good. And in fact, they did cite tariff policies as a reason for some of the concern here. They said that it adversely impacts them. And they also pointed to the changing political sentiment. you do wonder about if that's going to impact demand for Tesla's going forward. A lot to watch there. Brian Chung, thank you. We appreciate it. We have new details tonight about those highly sensitive war plans.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared in two separate group texts. The Secretary denying any wrongdoing as he now faces mounting pressure from Congress, including now one Republican. NBC's Peter Alexander has the latest from the White House. Tonight, NBC News has learned shortly before U.S. fighter jets took off to launch airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last month. The head of U.S. Central Command, Army General Eric Carilla, used a secure government system to send Defense Secretary Pete Hegeseth, his superior.

Specific details about the imminent operation, according to three U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the exchanges. Minutes later, the sources say Hegeseth used his personal phone to send some of that information to at least two group chats on the messaging app signal, one with Hegzseth's wife, his brother, and his personal attorney. The material included when those fighter jets would take off and when they would hit their targets. Details that in the wrong hands could put the American pilots in danger. Hegsef today denied sharing any classified information on Signal.

I look at war plans every single day. What was shared over Signal then and now, however you characterize it, was informal, unclassified coordinations for media coordination. and other things. That's what I've said from the beginning. When asked President Trump again this week said he remains confident in Heggseth. Oh, Donald. Why do you even ask a question like that?

Still, a prominent Republican lawmaker has now joined top Democrats condemning Heg Seth's actions. Republican Congressman Don Bacon, a retired Air Force general, telling NBC news, if true, it is unacceptable. And I wouldn't tolerate it if I was responsible.

And NBC's Chief White House correspondent, Peter Alexander, joins us. now from the North Law. And Peter, we are also learning that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he has plans now, new plans, to reorganize the State Department. Yeah, Alison, that's right. This is a major shake-up. Secretary Rubio said that he wants to streamline what he calls a bloated bureaucracy. That could slash hundreds of positions, 132 offices at the State Department. Rubio said this is an effort to make the department more aligned with President Trump's America First Agenda.

Alison. Peter Alexander. Thank you. More breaking news tonight. A verdict has been reached in the trial against Lori Valo Daybell, the so-called doomsday mom, who was representing herself. She was found guilty of conspiring with her brother to kill her former husband. The jury delivering their decision just moments ago. She is already serving a life sentence in Idaho without the possibility of parole for the murders

of her two children and her husband's previous wife. NBC's Camila Bernal is covering. it for us. Camila, this trial has drawn so much attention and has had so many twist and turns. Walk us through the case and ultimately what the jury decided tonight. Yeah, so the jury decided actually in less than three hours, Ellison, and they decided that she is guilty of conspiring to kill her fourth husband, Charles. And so this case is interesting and would possibly give her another life sentence in addition to the three that she's already serving for killing her two children and her current husband's wife, Tammy, in Idaho.

This one in Arizona was different because she not only represented herself, but she also did not put forth any witnesses or any evidence. Many were expecting her to testify. She chose not to testify. And instead, the prosecution put forth a very strong case where they argued that she killed. killed her fourth husband, Charles, for two reasons. The prosecution is saying she did it because she wanted a new husband. She wanted to marry Chad. And two, she wanted to keep the lifestyle. She wanted the money. And she knew that her fourth husband had a life insurance policy that

could benefit her. She didn't know at the time that her husband had actually changed the life insurance policy. So she did not get the money. And so it was a strong case where a lot of the witnesses that were put on the stand were also questioned, of course, by Lori. But during this time, there were many objections, not just during the questioning of the witnesses, but also even during the closing arguments, the judge sustaining a lot of those objections. Lori, of course, saying this was all self-defense. The jury did not agree with her clearly and found her guilty another time of another killing that prosecutors say was justified as her religious, as her saying that these people were dark, and that's why she committed these crimes.

NBC's Camilla Bernal, thank you. The Trump administration has announced plans to crack down on student loan borrowers. In just a few weeks, nearly 5 million Americans who have defaulted on their student loans will be forced to pay up or have the payments taken out of their pensions, tax refunds, or even their paychecks. NBC's Ryan Chandler has this report. Tonight, millions of Americans falling behind on their student loans, bracing for their wallets to take a hit. The government can and will collect defaulted federal student loan debt by

withholding money from borrowers, tax refunds, federal pensions, and even their wages. The Department of Education announcing Monday, it will start collecting on defaulted student loans on May 5th for the first time since the pandemic. There have been no repayments since March of 2020. It is not fair that other people are having to assume this burden that other taxpayers are paying for these loans. According to the Department of Education, almost 43 million borrowers owe more than $1.6 trillion in student loans. Of those, 62 percent are not currently paying them back. That can be due to several reasons. Some of those borrowers are in forbearance or deferment, meaning their loans are on pause.

They could be in a six-month grace period or still in school, or they fall into a final category, delinquency or default. Five million borrowers are in default, meaning they haven't made a payment in more. than nine months and another four million are in late stage delinquency, meaning they haven't paid in three to six months and could soon default. The White House says their bill is coming due. We must get our fiscal house in order and restore common sense to our country. If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back. It's very simple. President Trump will not kick the can down the road anymore. Borrowers who remain in default may also eventually have their wages garnished, meaning employers will automatically withhold part of their paycheck to pay off the student loans.

What's your best advice to college graduates who have defaulted on their loans and know they now need to start paying again on May 5th? Well, the first thing you should do is talk to your loan servicer or the collection agency that has contacted you to explore your options. Look into loan rehabilitation, which will restore your loans to a current status and avoid all the negative consequences of defaulting on your student loans. Even college grads who aren't in defaults are feeling overwhelmed. I felt like a weight was just sitting on my chest. Florida nurse Samaya Camillo has over $90,000 in student loan debt, about half of that from federal loans. She says her generation is split on how to handle their debt, but so much of their future depends on paying it. I've definitely gotten a lot of comments.

People telling me to file bankruptcy, just don't pay them or, oh, I don't pay them. And I responded to a lot of them saying that I don't agree with that, and that's definitely something I will never do. A lot of what you need in life requires a credit score and a good one at that. Ryan joins us now with more. Ryan, what should people expect to see on May 5th once those mandatory collections actually kick in? So if you are in default, the Department of Education says they're going to refer you to a federal debt collector called the Treasury Offset Program. that could immediately impact your credit score, and then later this summer, they say they're actually going to start cutting into paychecks. These are involuntary payments, things like those wage garnishments.

If you have a social security check, that could be reduced. If you're waiting on a federal tax refund, that could just get absorbed back to the Treasury. Before all of that happens, though, the department says that over the next two weeks, they're going to be reaching out to those graduates who have defaulted and telling them this is happening, giving them a heads up, urging them to enroll with a debt resolution group or set up some kind of payment plan so that they can get their financial picture in the best possible shape before that May 5th deadline, Allison. Ryan Chandler, thank you. We'll be back in just a moment with the Shannon Sharp recordings,

the threats he allegedly made to a woman now suing him for sexual assault, how he's responding tonight. Back on trial, the woman accused of killing her police officer husband now back in a courtroom. Will she take the stand? And the great running of the robots. Can these humanoid robots finish a half marathon? We'll take you to the race of the future. We're back with the murder retrial of Karen Reid kicked off today.

She is accused of striking and killing her police officer boyfriend with her car back in 2022. Today's trial comes nearly a year after a judge originally declared, a mistrial with jurors unable to reach a verdict. NBC's Laura Jarrett is following this one. There was no collision. She's the victim of a botched and biased and corrupted investigation. Karen Reid's defense team attempting to strike at the heart of the state's case today in her trial for the alleged murder of her former boyfriend, a Boston police officer, a case that has captured global attention. I'm declaring a mistrial in this case. Reed, back in court, day for opening statements in her retrial after a jury deadlocked last year.

It's been like living in purgatory. Prosecutors once again charging her with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident, accusing Reed of ramming her SUV into John O'Keefe after a night of heavy drinking, causing him to hit his head and die in the snow. We are not going to try to prove that Karen Reed tried to kill John O'Keefe. We're not going to try to prove that she intended or wanted him dead. What will please be. We are not going to good for you is she engaged in an intentional act, driving back at him at that speed in the store. But Reed has maintained her innocence.

Her lawyers telling the jury today, O'Keefe was killed at a fellow officer's home, and their client was framed. John did not have a single injury consistent with being hit by a car. No broken bones, no fractures. John O'Keefe was injured someplace warmer, and he was moved. That alone is reasonable doubt. No one else has been charged in his death, but the case has turned into a cultural sensation.

I am just obsessed with this case. While back in court reads comments and interviews since the last trial. Didn't I say could I have him or was it told to me that I said I hid up? May complicate her defense at this one. And Laura Jarrett joins us now on set. I mean, this is a case a lot of people watched closely last time. A lot of people may remember Karen Reid opted last time not to take the stand. Do we expect her and her legal team to make that decision this time around?

It's a really risky gamble, Ellison. And the tricky part is now she's gone on the record in multiple interviews since that trial was declared a mistrial, since that jury hung. And all of those statements we already see today them being used against her. And so if the jury's having questions about her affect or why she said certain things and she doesn't take the stand, do you want to leave them with that question mark? But if she does take the stand, that cross-examination is going to be brutal. And so that's why her lawyers are sort of in a trick box here. Jared, Laura Jarrett, thank you. We are back in a moment with more from here in New York and from Tom Yamis, reporting from Rome.

Tom. Ellison, thank you. When we return from the Vatican, the preparations for the secret of conclave set to begin here. And our new reporting on who the possible frontrunners are when a special edition of Top Story returns. We are back now with our special edition of Top Story, live from the Vatican. You can see St. Peter's Basilica live up behind us. Cardinals from around the world starting to gather here tonight ahead of the secretive that is set to begin in a few weeks.

The church's top leaders now forced to grapple with the all-important question, who will succeed, Pope Francis? NBC's Molly Hunter joins me now to help us answer that question with a look at some of the front-runners. Molly, what do we know about all these Cardinals? So the Cardinals have two choices, either a choice. choose a more liberal voice that will continue Francis' legacy or a more conservative voice. And there are leading contenders on both sides. Take a look. Cardinals are descending on Vatican City from across the globe, pushing past the world's media

who have also descended to their first meeting. Of the 135 cardinals under the age of 80, eligible to vote in the conclave, the vast majority 108, were appointed by Francis, including more than 20 from places that had never had a cardinal before. This is going to be a very open process, it seems to me, in which two things are most important. One, does this man communicate a vibrant, energizing faith, and secondly, can he govern? As the Catholic Church grows in Asia, Cardinal Luis Tagli from the Philippines is a frontrunner to be the first Asian Pope, Referred to as the Pope Francis of Asia with a heavy focus on social justice and caring for the poor, but at 67 years old, he's on the young side.

Or will the church stage an Italian comeback of sorts after three successive outsiders in recent decades? Italian Cardinal Pietro Perilene is 70. He's an experienced Vatican official with serious name recognition. He served as Francis's Secretary of State, but he lacks pastoral experience. Italian, Cardinal Pierre Batista Pizza Bala is also on the short list. At 60, he's lived for the last three decades in the Middle East, currently serving as the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem.

An Italian comeback? I think right now, Molly, nationality means nothing in this. Would be very foolish to think of them as a united bloc. Or will the cardinals determine the church requires a conservative voice rolling back Francis's progressive agenda. Cardinal Peter Erdo at 72 is a leading conservative from Hungary, supported among the European Cardinals, and is close to Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban. But it will all come down to the voting. The conclave gets underway 15 to 20 days after Francis's death, the Cardinals sealed off inside the Sistine Chapel until a new Pope is chosen.

And Molly joins us once again. So, Molly, we saw some of the frontrunners there, And we were talking with Anne about this earlier in the broadcast. I mean, they're not really supposed to campaign the Cardinals, but Cardinals are humans. They're political, as you mentioned before. Will there be a lot of talking and maybe campaigning? There absolutely will be. And most of it will be out of the public eyes.

So what happens is these general congregations. These are the formal big meetings open to all the Cardinals. What also happens, though, Tom, is the informal chats, the wine, the pizza, the taking a walk through the Vatican, and those kinds of conversations. That's where business really gets done. What's different this year is that most of the 135 cardinals don't know each other. So much of the next two weeks is going to be kind of a getting-to-know-you process before the real business starts.

And it's been so important how you've pointed out in your reporting that most of the Cardinals have been appointed by Pope Francis when we think about the direction of the Catholic Church in the future after his death. I do want to ask you, we can't really predict this, but do we have any idea how long the conclave may go? I know history's been somewhat of a gauge. It hasn't been so long, but there have been instances where it's been very very important. Very long. Very long. And I've got some numbers for you. So the longest in recent history was in 1922. It was Pius, the 11th, five days, 14 ballots. But in more recent history, both Francis and Benedict the 16th, it happened in two days. Now, Francis, as you mentioned, has appointed 80% of the electors. And I asked our senior Vatican analyst, George Weigel, does that mean they all vote as a block? Is that kind of a lock? As he stacked the decks? And George was really specific. It doesn't necessarily mean they're all going to vote together because they don't know each other. So one of the reasons the conclave may be extended, maybe a little bit longer, is because it's going to take them some time to work out each other, but then also work out what kind of leader they might each be. And even Vatican watchers admit they don't even know who gets the white smoke by the end of the day.

Usually the people they think will end up not winning. Okay, thank you so much, Molly. Always great to talk to you. And we'll have much more from here at the Vatican later in the broadcasting, including the fact that even the Pope has his guilty pleasures. We'll take you to the man who made Pope Francis's favorite gelato. But for now, Back to Alison Barber in New York with some of the other news today. Thanks, Tom. We're going to begin with Top Story's news feed, a wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey, prompting mandatory evacuations.

The Jones wildfire erupted this morning in a central Jersey shore town, sending huge plumes of smoke into the air. New Jersey's Forest Fire Service deploying aircrafts dropping hundreds of gallons of water. At least 1,200 acres have burned with 0% containment. Police shutting down roadways near the fire, the cause itself is under investigation. Scary video capturing a manhole explosion, narrowly missing a woman with children in upstate New York. It happened Sunday on a sidewalk in Poughkeepsie. That's about 80 miles from New York City. Surveillance footage showing that explosion just moments after the woman and children walked by.

Luckily, no one was injured. Firefighters say multiple manholes on the block had blown and high levels of carbon monoxide were detected. Right now, there is an ongoing search for a Princeton University student who went missing over the weekend. year old Lauren Blackburn was last seen on Saturday in the area of the Firestone Library on Princeton's New Jersey campus. There's now increased police presence on campus and today crews were seen searching a nearby lake. Police are saying a missing person's phone pinged in the area of the lake, but it's not clear if that phone belonged to Blackburn. Anyone with any information is encouraged and asked to call police. An update on a story we've been following on top story,

a toddler rescued by a dog in the Arizona wilderness reunited with his four-legged hero. Beaufort, the dog and two-year-old Bowden, back together for the first time since their big adventure. On April 14th, Bowden wandered away from his home. Search crews looked for him for 16 hours. Then Beaufort, the dog, discovered Bowden sleeping under a tree and led him back to his owner's ranch. Buford being rewarded for his good deed, receiving treats and toys sent from around the globe. And now he's also an honorary member of the county search and rest. rescue team. Now to an update on the sexual assault allegations against NFL legend Shannon Sharp that

we told you about last night. Sharp taking to social media blasting his accuser and her attorney as they released new audio, allegedly showing him threatening her. NBC's Jesse Kirsch spoke with one of Sharp's lawyers moments ago and has this report. This is a shakedown. Facing rape and sexual assault accusations, tonight Shannon Sharp is not backing down. I'm going to be open, transparent, and defend myself because this isn't right. Today, the former NFL star turned podcaster posting this video statement in response to a Nevada civil lawsuit filed by a woman who says her consensual relationship with Sharp eventually led to multiple assaults.

The lawsuit also accuses Sharp of secretly recording their sexual encounters without her consent. The plaintiff, listed as Jane Doe, is represented by attorney Tony Busby, who has represented accusers in several high-profile sexual assault cases and who Sharp called out by name. Tony Busby targets black men and I believe he's going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and play into every stereotype you could possibly imagine. That video should actually be 10 minutes or so. Hey Tony, instead of releasing your edit, put the whole video out. I don't have it or I would myself. Also new today, Jane Doe's attorney releasing an audio clip, alleging it shows Sharp threatening the plaintiff.

I'm not going to hang up on you. Here's what it is. The plaintiff says, don't manipulate me. Then Sharp allegedly responds. I don't know that mercy. If you said that one more time, I'm going to choke the shit out of you when I see you. NBC News has not independently verified the audio's authenticity. It's also not clear if this excerpt was part of a longer conversation.

We asked Shannon Sharp's attorney about the recording late today. He is acknowledging this is a recording of him, but that it's being taken out of context. My lawyers are telling, the legal team is telling me that we can't authenticate it if he said that and he's not denying it. This is his statement that he did not mean it. It was in the heat of the moment in the middle of an argument. Sharp's attorney, Lanny Davis, also says the Hall of Famer offered his accuser at least $10 million in mediation before the lawsuit was file. Shannon Sharp's willingness to pay is not an admission of anything that he did wrong. It was a willingness to pay for the protection of his family and himself.

Despite the graphic public allegations, Sharp was talking sports on ESPN this morning. This is an absolute must win. LeBron James is going to have to be the LeBron James that we know him to be. The sports network declining to comment on the lawsuit as Shannon Sharp offered this promise today. And I'm going to be out there telling you whatever I need to say, just like I way to do. Jesse Kirsch joins us now from Miami. Jesse, Sharp is planning now to take legal action on his own, correct? That's right, Ellison. Sharp's attorney says his client's accuser is making, quote, a maliciously false claim, and Sharpe's attorney is promising a lawsuit to, quote, hold her accountable. I also asked Sharpe's attorney if the former football star would proceed

with legal action if the accuser were to drop her lawsuit. And Sharpe's attorney says, He says he does not know what Sharp would do in that scenario, but says his recommendation would be to move forward with legal action. Ellison. Jesse Kirsch, thank you. The executive producer of CBS News's 60 Minutes, calling it quits today, resigning from the long-running Sunday news program, saying that he has lost his journalistic independence. His departure comes in the middle of President Donald Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and 60 Minutes. NBC's Chloe Malas joins us now. Chloe, what more do we know about this shakeup?

This is huge news, Ellison. I mean, this literally shook the media news world today. I mean, Bill Owens has been with 60 Minutes for over two decades. And his statement says that he had a baby and one on the way in the midst of when he first started his career. And he's been at CBS for about 30 years. And we just to put it into perspective, I mean, 60 Minutes, it's an iconic show. And they've only had three EPs and Bill, obviously, the third. So it's going to be difficult to fill that spot.

In the meantime, they do have a woman named Tanya Simon. Her father was a war correspondent on the show as the interim executive producer. But this comes amid President Donald Trump suing CBS for $20 billion because he claims that 60 Minutes falsely edited an interview with Kamala Harris ahead of the presidential election. And so, you know, 60 Minutes has refused to apologize, standing by this saying that they did nothing wrong. And you have Owens saying in his statement today, because we don't know exactly why he's resigning, but he says over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I always have run it. What does that mean? Sherry Redstone, who's in the midst of trying to merge Paramount and CBS together with Skydance. I mean, this is a massive billion-dollar deal that is undergoing scrutiny by the FCC right now with a Trump appointee who has been very vocal against CBC. CBS's DEI practices and, you know, really, really looking at this.

And we know that things have been delayed amid President Trump's lawsuit, which they have just agreed to move into mediation. But this is messy. And to have this longtime EP step down, what does that say about this venerable news magazine program? Who's going to lead it into the future? And what exactly does this mean when he says that he couldn't do his job the way that he wanted to do it?

A lot of questions there. NBC's Chloe Malas. Thank you. In California's Silicon Valley, the city of San Jose may be turning to a controversial new plan to address its homeless crisis. Democratic Mayor Matt Mahan has proposed arresting homeless people if they refuse city-provided shelter three times in 18 months. The City Council has given its initial approval and is set to take a final vote on the issue in June. Supporters of this idea are calling it a necessary step. Others say it criminalizes homelessness. Joining us now is San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. Mayor, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us this evening. Let's dive right in because according to an insider monkey report, your city has the fourth highest homeless population in the United States. A 2023 point in time count done by the city found more than 6,250 people are considered unhoused with nearly 4,500 of them living outdoors. Walk me through your plan, your proposal, and Tell us why you believe it is the solution.

Well, that's right, Allison. It isn't just San Jose. California as a whole has become ground zero for the homelessness crisis. We are 11% of the nation's population, nearly half of our homeless population. I'm proud that San Jose is building more new safe shelter than any other city, at least on the West Coast, if not beyond. But we have to also hold people responsible for coming indoors when we build safe shelter. dignified shelter. Far too often we encounter folks who largely due to addiction or mental illness are unwilling or unable to say yes to the help that we're providing. So while we have to

hold ourselves responsible for building shelter, people also have a responsibility for coming indoors when it's being provided. How many shelter options are currently available? What do they look like? Any prerequisites for people to access those? Well, this year we're adding more than 1,000 new shelter options. Most of them are individual rooms with a door that locks, in many cases, a private bathroom. We're not talking about cots and big warehouses, cramming people together. This is dignified, transitional and interim housing, often converting old motels or using prefabricated modular units and tiny homes on government-owned land. And most people who are homeless gratefully accept these options and use that as a jumping off point to

turn their lives around. But we also run into a portion of the population that repeatedly refuses to come indoors. And usually there's a pattern. Usually it has to do with an underlying substance abuse issue. And so my proposal is that if someone's repeatedly refusing individual interim housing, we should use the justice system to get them into a drug court and give a judge the ability to mandate treatment. You look at a couple different cities from Los Angeles to Seattle to San Francisco, where in the past, they have tried, in effect, criminalizing what some would say homelessness, right, of saying if you don't seek shelter at some point, a sit-and-ly ordinance, you can't sleep in public, we're going to take you elsewhere. And in most of those

cases, those policies haven't actually been effective in the long run in reducing homelessness. Houston, Texas is somewhere where recently a lot of people have pointed to that and said, okay, they were very successful and effective with their program. And part of why the city says they were successful, is they were placing people in long-term housing without any sort of preconditions, such as sobriety or participating in treatment plans. Is that something that people would have to do in order to access this housing option for your city? Well, Alison, to your point, I'm trying to take a middle path here in San Jose. We have neighboring cities that are outright banning camping without adding any new shelter. They are, in effect, criminalizing.

the state of being homeless. What I'm saying, which is akin to what Houston has done, is that as a city, and I think this is true for every city and county in California, we have a responsibility for building safe, dignified shelter, and interim housing, treatment options, and when they are available, we need to hold people accountable for coming indoors. It is not humane to allow people to choose to camp. So we would not be enforcing this responsibility to shelter or if you're not being offered a safe, viable option. But we have to recognize the facts, which is in California, we have 5,000 people a year die of overdoses on our streets.

That's not humane or progressive. What happens if someone does turn down shelter after three times and they are arrested? Are they going to be taken to jail? Are they going to be taken somewhere else? What are the next steps? Well, currently nothing happens, and we allow people to languish on our streets.

too often die. Under this proposal, we would charge for trespassing and use it as an opportunity to petition to get the person into a behavioral health court. Our county has very robust drug and mental health courts and long-running, very successful programs, but they only work when there's accountability for engaging in treatment. I've talked to members of the recovery community who have said that there is no recovery without accountability. In fact, some have said that it was that brief interaction with the criminal justice system that actually spurred them to get the help that they need. So that's the hope here. The goal is to hold people accountable for coming indoors and ideally engaging with treatment if that's a barrier to coming indoors.

Right. The city council has its final vote in June. We will be watching. Mayor Matt Mayhan of San Jose. Thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Thanks for having me. And we're back in a moment with the Machine Marathon. Can these robots be humans to the finish at a half marathon. Why so many couldn't even finish at all. Plus, we'll head back to the Vatican. Tom Yamis takes us to the gelato shop that served the Pope for years. We're back now with Top Story's Global Watch. At least 26 tourists are dead after a shooting at a

resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to local police. Police calling this a terror attack, saying militants fighting against Indian rule are to blame. However, there has been no claim of responsibility thus far, and police are still searching for the attackers. Officers say at least four gunmen shot at dozens of tourists. More than 30 others were injured. On social media, President Trump posted that the United States stands strong with India. Russian President Vladimir Putin indicating he is open to ceasefire talks with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Putin telling a Russian state TV reporter, quote, we need to sort this out maybe even bilaterally. A senior U.S. official telling NBC News this week was critically

important for a possible truce. Zelensky is expected to hold meetings with American and European officials in London. And special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, will return to Moscow to continue talks. And meet the 88-year-old man tearing it up at a skate park in northern Spain. He says he was always a fan of skateboarding, or snowboarding rather, but he said that sport became much too expensive. So So at the age of 70, he took up skateboarding. He says it is a way to exercise and change up his daily routine. For others, his age, who are interested in following his lead, he recommends you start slow. And a race to the future kicking off in Beijing, it's being billed as the world's first

humanoid robot half marathon featuring machine versus man racing to finish the 13.1 miles. So who won? NBC's Janice Mackey Freyer was at the finish line. In the race to develop robots that are smarter and faster, a test of sorts, pitting 12,000 runners beside 21 humanoids, along a 13-mile course billed as the world's first half-marathon starring machines. Unlike the human runners here, the robots have a choice. They can have their batteries changed or just lie down. While many of the human counterparts stopped to take selfies, the robots trailed from the outset. Some of them barely got started. One with propellers went out of control. Others fell apart.

Laying bare the challenges that still confront the industry here. That more than 20 robot companies participated shows that robot tech in China is pushing forward quickly, said the team leader for the winning humanoid. Tiengong finished in two hours, 40 minutes after three battery changes and one fall. We met Tiengong before the race. He's saying hello. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you too.

In a demonstration of what the company calls embodied intelligence that plants smarter AI into a more durable body, with legs that function like human limbs over varied terrain. Next generations can look more lifelike. more lifelike with silicone skin, hair, and facial expressions. What's your name? The idea for humanoids to do jobs, ranging from manufacturing and home repairs to companionship and caring for the elderly. For a lot of people, this might be freaky. How do you get humans to accept robots as a fact of life?

We want robots to feel more real, says Wei Jiahing, so people feel more comfortable. comfortable around them. There's been a huge push behind humanoid robots in China. Videos of them dancing, performing, or doing kung fu have gone viral on social media here. China's government and state media promoting the industry as the next big thing, like the campaign behind Chinese electric vehicles. In this race, designers were urged to get creative.

They screwed on sneakers and track suits or took off heads. or took off heads and fingers to minimize weight and overheating. The CEO says it's not about winning. It's about testing the batteries, which are the core technology here. Seeing them up close is way different than seeing them on TV, says this runner, of the only half marathon, where the also-rans got all the attention. At 74, these new things can open my eyes, she says.

Ultimately, only six of the 21 competing robots survived, proving perhaps that people haven't completely lost to technology quite yet. Janice McEugh-Frayer, NBC News, Beijing. When we come back, Tom Yamis reports from Rome. Call it DoorDash for the Vatican, the dessert shop that delivered to the Pope behind Vatican walls. Finally tonight, on this special edition of Top Story from here at the Vatican, Pope Francis made the Vatican and Rome, his home.

for 12 years and even though he spent much of his time behind those Vatican walls you see behind me like every good local here he knew where to find the best gelato near vatican city sits a tiny shop edera named for the ivy that grows on its walls and here the gelato is infallible what i said uh francesco yeah tom you know me how you doing for more than a hundred years, Francesco Cerevolo's family has made delicious desserts, including homemade gelato and award-winning cakes. And Pope Francis, who had a sweet tooth, kept them busy. We opened this shop in Rome with exactly day to the election of the Pope. Ordering everything, including custom-made desserts, some with photos, others with papal emblems. Every cake have a sign. It depends on the

period of the moment. And like the Vatican, this family also has its own secret. refusing to divulge any recipes. And you don't like to show how it's done? Ah, it's impossible. My father probably killed me. In this case, you have lemon. But he did let us come around the counter to sample his heavenly sweets, starting with two of Pope Francis's favorites,

lemon and mango gelato. Mango from Sicily. Yes. Like the texture. Oh, it tastes like a beautiful mango. Francesco says the Pope kept it. says the Pope kept his gelato like his life, simple, nothing too fancy. The Pope even asking Francesco to share his desserts with the poor.

The request? Not so humble. 300 mini cakes. It is normal for the Pope Francesco to ask for the homeless, to ask for the last people of the world. It's normal. The master gelato maker always took pride in what he left for the Pope, but each time they met, the Pope always left so much more for him. You have a new impression, but the same impression.

Quiet, joy, and serenity. A little gelato and a little wisdom. That's how we leave you tonight here from the Vatican. Thank you so much for watching this special edition of Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas. Stay right there. More news on the way.