Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Episode Date: August 16, 2023

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, former President Donald Trump criminally charged for a fourth time. Trump and 18 of his allies accused of conspiring to overturn the election in Georgia as part of a, quote, criminal enterprise, dead set on handing Trump a victory in the state. Trump personally facing 13 charges, including pressuring public officials to violate their oath and conspiracy to commit forgery, how soon he's expected to turn himself in, and what all of this means for three other legal battles he's facing as he runs for president yet again. Demanding answers one week since those devastating fires tore through Maui. Rescue teams still painstakingly combing through the burn site,

bracing to find as many as 20 bodies per day. The cause of the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii's history still under investigation. The new video, a Lahaina resident saying he heard and saw a power line snap and ignite the brush. what the CEO of the electric company said when we pressed her to explain why they didn't turn off the grid as Wins picked up that day. Plus, what we're learning tonight

about some of the first victims to be identified in the ruins. Teen Terror plot, police raiding the home of a 17-year-old from Philadelphia who was accused of purchasing tactical gear and bomb-making materials, including chemicals and a remote detonator device, who he was communicating online with

that led investigators to believe he was a, quote, grave danger and the charges he's now facing. Plus, a terrifying scene at Germany's largest amusement park, a diving platform collapsing in the middle of a performance, what we're hearing about injuries on the ground, and stranded at sea a two-hour surfing trip

for four friends turning into a nightmare 38 hours in the open ocean, the all-out effort to track them down and the moment they finally got back to shore. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We are coming to you live once again tonight from Maui, an island, desperate for answers as residents here grappled with the tragedy that unfolded so quickly. We will have much more on the painstaking recovery efforts still underway in a moment. But first, we want to get right to that bombshell news on former President Donald Trump. Late last night, Trump indicted for a fourth time in this case for his alleged efforts to overturn election results in Georgia, a critical,

swing state that he lost by less than 12,000 votes. Cameras following every step inside the Fulton County courthouse as the grand jury's decision was handed over to the judge. That stack of papers laying out the 13 new charges against former President Trump, including racketeering and conspiring to commit forgery. This, the most sweeping indictment he has faced yet, 19 people charged in total. You can see them all here on your screen, all of them, allies of former President Trump. All of them charged for their role in what the DA is calling a criminal enterprise. Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows, notably among the accused, the motion he filed late

today to have the case move to federal court. And Trump now facing a total of 91 charges in these four separate cases, legal battles he must face as his 2024 presidential campaign kicks into high gear. Trump and the 18 others now have until Friday of next week to turn themselves in at the Fulton County Courthouse. And that is where NBC's Blaine Alexander is reporting from tonight and leads us off. With his status as a Georgia defendant sealed, tonight former President Trump is on defense, slamming what he calls another partisan prosecution against him.

He is now facing his fourth criminal indictment in nearly five months, a sweeping set of charges announced in a late-night news conference by Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. The indictment brings felony charges against Donald. John Trump. She alleges Mr. Trump and 18 others unlawfully conspired in a criminal enterprise to try and overturn President Biden's narrow win in Georgia. Rather than abide by Georgia's legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia's presidential election result. Cameras tracked nearly every step as the was brought to a judge and unsealed.

Inside, 13 charges for Mr. Trump, including pressuring public officials to violate their oath, conspiracy to commit forgery, and making false statements. The indictment references this phone call with Georgia's Republican Secretary of State, Brad Raffinsberger, where Trump pressured the official to change the election outcome. I just want to find 11,780 votes. which is one more that we have, because we won the state. In a statement today, Raffensberger did not mention Trump by name, but wrote,

the most basic principles of a strong democracy are accountability and respect for the Constitution and rule of law. You either have it or you don't. The indictment also alleges Trump allies recruited individuals to convene and cast fake electoral college votes to disrupt and delay the Biden win. The DA is using the state's anti-racketeer. hearing law, which is modeled on RICO statutes to charge all 19 defendants, including Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, who helped pioneer the use of RICO laws to prosecute the mafia in New York. Giuliani is also charged with repeating false statements about the election to Georgia lawmakers. Tonight, he's calling the indictment the next chapter in a book of lies targeting Mr. Trump

and his allies. Another high-profile defendant, former White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, also charged with trying to pressure officials. Tonight, he's filing to move the case to federal court. The Trump campaign is blasting the indictment, calling it the latest coordinated strike by a biased prosecutor in an overwhelmingly Democrat jurisdiction, something Willis strongly denies. I make decisions in this office based on the facts and the law. The law is completely nonpartisan. Blaine Alexander joins us live from Georgia. tonight. Blaine, you've been the eyes and ears for NBC News in Georgia leading up to this

indictment. Talk to us more about this judge and the timeline, what we're expecting. Well, last night in her press conference, Tom, Afani Willis said that she hopes to bring this to trial within about six months. Now, a number of legal experts that I've spoken with today say that's just simply not likely, especially when you consider the fact that there are already some challenges. Considered Mark Meadows, for instance, wanting to move this up to federal court, We suspect that we will see others try and follow suit. So that's going to further delay this timeline. What we do know is going to happen in the coming days, though,

she's given them a deadline of Friday, August 25th, next Friday at noon to come down and surrender. That's certainly something we're going to be watching for in the days to come. Tom. And Blaine, as we talk about the optics of this case out of Georgia, there is some major differences than what's happening in federal court. Obviously, the cameras in court in Georgia, but also we're hearing there could be possibly a month.

Mugshot and even a bond? What I'm told is that nothing is off the table. Now, that being said, there are certainly some different circumstances that are going to weigh in. Chief among them, the Secret Service, they will certainly have a big voice in how all of this plays out. But when I've spoken with the sheriff and I've spoken with other people who are involved in these discussions, they say that, yes, a mugshot, fingerprint, and even the question of where they would surrender, whether it be the courthouse or the Fulton County Jail, all of those are things that are being discussed, Tom. All right, Blaine Alexander, leading us off tonight here on Top Story.

Blaine, we appreciate all your reporting. For more analysis on the legal implications of this latest indictment of former President Trump and 18 other defendants, I want to bring in Christy Greenberg. She's a former Southern District of New York Criminal Division Deputy Chief. Christy, thanks so much for joining us here on Top Story. I hope you've had a chance to look at the indictment. Can you first explain how complicated of a case this is to prosecute? Because as Blaine pointed out there, it doesn't say.

stop in Georgia. It actually goes to various other states as well, and yet it's being tried in a state court. Well, when you have a case that involves this many defendants, it's really important that you can track the evidence for each one and ensure that there is the proper evidence that you're meeting your burden as a prosecutor with respect to each person. And so if you look at this indictment, all of the defendants are charged in the RICO charge, but then each of them has an additional substantive charge at least with respect to each one. And so that is complicated. There is clearly a lot of evidence here, a lot of witnesses. As you mentioned, this is a multi-state investigation. So this is certainly complex, but she has been, Fannie Willis has been

working on this investigation for two and a half years. This is a 98-page, very detailed speaking indictment where she lays out a timeline and the means and method of the conspiracy, and it seems like she clearly has a handle on the evidence. You know, Christy, I'm glad you brought out the timeline there, because I want to read you a little bit from the lead graph of a New York Times story that's posted on their website right now. It reads in part that Fani Willis began investigating former President Donald Trump 21 months before Jack Smith was appointed special counsel, but they both secured indictment. covering much of the same ground in one, two-week span, essentially making the point that

how did this happen? If she started 21 months before Jack Smith did, why do both indictments come down at the same time? And if you're a Republican, you're going to be asking yourself, this seems very close to the Republican debate and the primary calendar. Well, Fannie Willis also charged Donald Trump and 18 other individuals. Jack Smith charged one person. So again, as you pointed out, that there's a lot of, there's a lot of, there's a difference in just the evidence and the burden that needs to be met when you have that many defendants in a case. It just becomes a lot more complicated. But also, again, these investigations take time. There are a lot of witnesses that she was addressing, and a lot of

witnesses who did not want to testify and, you know, challenged each subpoena they got to go into the grand jury. So she had a lot of obstacles, continued to bring those witnesses to court to, you know, force their testimony in her investigation, and that led to some delays as well. She also had, I think, when earlier this year, she had indicated she was, charges were imminent, a number of individuals who received target letters indicating that they could be charged with a crime, appear to have cooperated with her investigation, and that also, I think, led to an additional added time to her timeline to prosecute. Christy, I should say, former Governor Chris Christie, a former prosecutor, who's obviously running for president as well on the Republican side, has been critical of Trump, but he also said that this prosecution is too similar to the federal case on election interference. Does he have a point?

Well, I think there is a real state interest here in being able to pursue violations of state law. There are some violations that occur that are charged in this indictment that appear nowhere in the federal indictments, such as the breach of voting machines in Coffey County, such as intimidation and harassment of election workers in Georgia, a pressure campaign on particular state workers in the state of Georgia. But taking a step back from the difference in the charges, there's also what the implications are. Should Donald Trump or any Republican get the presidency in 2024, they could not, there's no pardon available to them for this Georgia case. So for that reason, it's incredibly important for having these charges actually being seen through to a trial and to a sentence to have them pursued at the same. state level where they would be, you know, above any kind of political wrangling that may occur

depending on who gets the presidency. Yeah, it could set some real historical precedent. This is not the first case that DA Willis has used the RICO Act to charge defendants. But just to give our viewers some perspective here, right, on the timeline, another case that she's currently prosecuting, a high-profile RICO case was supposed to start in January and is currently eight months into jury selection. So one of the concerns here when it comes to that timeline in this case? Well, D.A. Willis said last night during her press conference that she anticipates bringing this case to trial within six months. That seems very ambitious, given what appears to be a lot of evidence, a lot of witnesses,

a lot of documents, and 19 defendants. That's just a very, very quick timeline. I think this will take much longer than that, though, you know, as you point in, out having that many months for jury selection, that does seem unusual as well. So maybe we'll meet somewhere in the middle. Christy Greenberg, we appreciate all your analysis here on Top Story, with former President Trump indicted yet again, allies and adversaries alike are weighing in. His rival's still treading carefully as the former president remains the leading GOP contender by far, with many voters staying by his side. NBC's Garrett Hake has been covered all for us.

The historic fourth indictment of Donald Trump tonight shaking up the 2024 campaign. The Republican frontrunner slamming the charges as another witch hunt by a Democratic DA and vowing to release what he calls a conclusive report on Monday, proving his disproven claims of election fraud in Georgia. Trump allies blasting the growing set of charges he's facing. This should be decided at the ballot box, not in a bunch of liberal jurisdictions trying to put the man in jail. The Georgia case also criticized by Trump rivals. We see the legal system being weaponized against political opponents.

That is un-American and unacceptable. Even a fierce Trump critic. I'm uncomfortable with what I read last night. I think that this contact is essentially covered by the federal indictment. But while previous indictments have been a boost for the Republican frontrunner, the Georgia case could be more politically damaging, with televised court proceedings likely to drag on through all of 2024 in a critical. battleground state where the popular Republican governor and Trump critic Brian Kemp is a potential

witness against him. Kemp posting today, the 2020 election in Georgia was not stolen. Our elections in Georgia are secure, accessible, and fair. The Georgia indictment adding to a legal minefield during the heat of the campaign. Trump's arraignment likely happening near the first GOP debate. Then there's that looming federal election interference case. Prosecutors want to start just before the Iowa caucus in January, plus a March 25th trial over hush money payments in Manhattan and a May 20th trial in Florida on the classified documents case. Tonight, voters in Georgia reacting to the new charges. I firmly believe, from my standpoint, that he's guilty.

The Democrats are scared to death, and they'll do anything they can keep a Republican, much less Donald Trump, get in office. Mr. Trump is still undecided about whether to attend the first Republican debate next week Two sources tell me his senior leadership team is opposed. The RNC wants him there. If he does go, it would be the first opportunity for his rivals to confront him face-to-face about these indictments. Tom? Garrett Hake covering it all for us. Garrett, we appreciate it. Some voters clearly divided over the former president of place in the Republican Party. But will this latest indictment have any effect on his front-runner status? Mark Lauder joins us now.

He was the director of strategic communications for the Trump 2020 campaign. Mark, as we've said, this indictment is different, both from the type of charges and the sheer scale, the number of defendants involved here. Take us inside the Trump world right now and how people close to the former president are reacting to this. Well, I think right now you obviously see the initial reaction, the witch hunt, the continuation of this persecution of the former president. And then there's so many easy things to point to in this, in this indictment. And the fact that three of the conspiratorial acts were tweets of the president then to. telling people to go watch government bodies on cable news. I mean, those things are just like, how is that criminal?

Or even the discussion of whether you have bad legal advice or losing legal advice, is that suddenly criminal. So there's a lot of things that they're going to poke holes into, but none of this is going to change his standing. I mean, as each of these indictments has piled up, he's gotten more popular and more popular. What about the president asking the Georgia Secretary of State to find more votes? I can easily see, you know, if you're having that discussion, because you've got to have to get into his mind. Did he believe he actually won Georgia or did he not? And asking to say, I need 11,780 votes was not saying go find them, go manufacture them if he thought there was generally fraud, whether there was or not.

But it was, again, his state of mind, if he thought there was fraud, saying, I need 11,780 votes out of 5 million. It's not a very big number. They're out there somewhere. Obviously, it proved otherwise, but in his mind at the time, I can see how you can explain that. Yeah, Mark, well, a jury will ultimately decide whether that's the case or the president was obviously guilty of a conspiracy, and we're going to have to wait for that. You think the president continues to gain in popularity, or at some point, do all these indictments catch up to him? No, I think, and I've even seen some anecdotal comments, in various quarters, basically saying that even people who weren't necessarily fond of him running again

are sick and tired of seeing all this and they're standing behind him, I think it's solidifying more support than it is driving people away. You know, let's talk about the calendar here, and some of the trial dates are still up in the air, but the E. Gene Carroll defamation trial is set for January 15th, the same day as the Iowa caucuses. Will a lack of traditional campaigning catch up to him in any of the states, or is he just so popular because he has 100% name recognition with GOP voters? It's not going to matter if he's shaking hands or actually in these states campaigning. Yeah, if this was any other candidate, I think that would be a problem. But because he does have that universal name ID, and to be honest with you, people don't need to question where he is on the policies.

I mean, he puts it right out there for you almost every day. So they know who he is. They know what he's fighting for. And so I think in a way, he can actually use this as a strengthening mechanism to say, I'm fighting to defend myself on behalf of you. And a lot of people are going to go to the polls going, and I'm going to have your back by voting for you in this caucus or in this primary. Mark, why do you think Republican voters want to stick with former President Trump?

By all accounts, he did not accept the results of the 2020 election, though his vice president and those around him were telling him that he had lost the election. Why do you think Republican voters still want to want someone to lead them to be the commander in chief, you know, to have his finger on the button, if you will, if he can't accept reality? Well, I think for most part, it's because he's going to actually fight for the issues that matter to them. I mean, right now, they want to deal with the high gas prices and energy prices created by Joe Biden, the sky-high inflation, the open southern border, and they see no greater champion for those issues and things that matter to real Americans than Donald Trump.

That's why all of the other candidates are running on his platform, on his policies, but they don't see them as the champion, the fighter, that they see in Donald Trump. Do you think voters at some point, as we get closer to voting, and I know we're citing a lot of national polls, I know he's doing well in state polls in New Hampshire and Iowa, but do you think there's eventually going to be a lane for someone like a governor desantis. We even see Chris Christie getting some momentum in New Hampshire. Obviously, it's still very, very behind the former president. But do you see a lane possibly opening up as we get closer to January? I really don't right now. In fact, DeSantis is, I mean, his polls are plummeting right now

in the national averages. Chris Christie in New Hampshire, I mean, that's not surprising just because he was the governor of Massachusetts right next, or I'm sorry, the governor of New Jersey, you know, in the very same area. So that's kind of to be a good. expected, but really the only person gaining in the polls right now, other than Donald Trump, is Vivek Ramoswami, who's actually running a very similar campaign, outsider businessman, knows how to get things done, that kind of a angle, rather than just another government person who's come up through the ranks and wants to be president. Yeah, even he, though, as conceded, he won't be able to pardon him if he somehow wins the presidency,

and the president is convicted down in Georgia. Mark Lara, we always appreciate your analysis and your time here on Top Story, so thank you for that. Our other major headline and the reason why we are here in Maui, where anger is growing tonight over officials handling of the wildfires that have devastated this island and left nearly

100 people dead. New images, here they are, showing that first horrific night when flames ripped through buildings as residents raced to escape the raging inferno. One of those residents, Tasha Anderson, who was nine months pregnant, describing to us today, the harrowing moment she and her fiance fled their home to escape the flames.

Search teams and cadaver dogs now carrying out the solemn task of going house to house, building to building, finding, and trying to identify those lost in the fires. At least 99 people have already been confirmed dead, but officials say they expect that number to rise by as many as 20 people a day. One resident telling us she has lost hope that those still missing will never be seen alive again. And for the devastated community left behind, grief is turning to rage. Residents irate with officials for failing to warn them about the fires before it was too late. I pressed the head of Hawaiian Electric about why power wasn't cut off when the winds intensified and the wildfire exploded out of control. The people of Hawaii tonight still

desperate for those answers. Tonight, one week into the Maui disaster and cadaver dogs are still searching for victims as they sift through the ashes, officials expecting up to 20 new victims per day. A bomb went off. It's the end of all of it. It's gone. Locals who lost everything still in a daze, trying to connect with loved ones and scrambling to find a place to live. I just didn't want to leave, like, where we had built the nursery,

where we're going to bring our baby home to. Lahaina residents, Tasha Anderson, and Kevin Campbell are expecting their first child any day now. The fire took the fishing boat they worked on and their home. including the hand-painted nursery their neighbors crafted for them. Sometimes it seems like unbearable. It seems like I won't be able to do it, but just trying to stay strong. Shane True says he watched a down power line ignite dry brush just outside of his home in the area where the fire was first reported Tuesday morning.

You see the sparking and you see flames. You see the sparking, flame start almost immediately after from the dry grass. So you think the Lahaina wildfire started with that snap? of a power line? Possibly. Fricking power line just went down. Why do you want people to know about this? Just to know, maybe get some closure of them, always everybody wondering, like, was it intentional?

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. But tonight, at least three lawsuits have been filed against Hawaiian Electric, alleging turning off the power lines would have saved lives. Why didn't she shut off the power when the wind started to pick up? We're still looking at all the information, and we haven't actually had. actually had a chance to do all of that at this time.

With all the respect, it's been six days, though, so almost six days. And we've been putting everything we've got to helping our communities right now. Also, Maui firefighters stretched thin, fighting multiple blazes that deadly day, say they had little water pressure to fight the fire and were quickly overmatched by the flames. Hydrins aren't working. That's no different than cops being in a gunfight without bullet. Today, President Biden announcing $700 payments to every displaced household for immediate needs. Every asset they need will be there for them. And besides the grief and misery, locals now reporting a new threat, outsiders trying to cash in on their land.

Realtors, people in the real estate industry, are calling your family and your friends who have lost everything to buy their plots of land. It is disgusting. It's a land grab, and I know that our Lahaina community, We are resilient and we will do whatever it takes to protect Lahaina. Tiani Lawrence is one of the lucky ones. Her home is still standing. With true Ohana's spirit, she's hosting families displaced, including her Aunt Tamara Akinoa, whose Lahaina home of four generations was reduced to ash.

Is there still hope for the missing, or is that fading every single day? I personally don't have any hope left, that the missing, that any of them are going to be found alive. I don't. Failure. Complete and utter failure. Amid so much heartbreak, we're learning more on the victims. Like Franklin Trejos, who tried driving to safety, his remains were found draped protectively over Sam, the golden retriever he loved. Alabama native Carol Hartley was last seen in the backyard of her Lahaina home.

Her family says a search party found her remains over the weekend. The wildfires may now be contained, but as more of the dead are identified, they are still finding a way to torment this community. And for more on the devastating impact of these wildfires on Lahaina's local businesses, we're joined now by Ty Burnett. He's the owner of Interscuba Diving Maui Dive Company. And Ty, thanks so much for joining us. We've been wanting to talk to people from Lahaina on this broadcast to kind of get from them what they've been going through. We're now a week in. I know it hasn't gotten any easier. What's the toughest part on day seven now?

Well, first of all, knowing all the people that lost their lives out there, I'm one of the fortunate ones. The fire came right across the street from my house. I had to leave when the flames were getting hot for me on, you know, from across the street from my house. Toughest part is there's no support. There's a lot of looting going on. You know, it's interesting you say that you're the second person today to tell me that there's looting going on in Lahaina. Right. The chief of police has said repeatedly that's, those are rumors.

No, they're turning their backs to what's happening. The National Guard, I had to run into my complex to help another neighbor who said he was being looted. If we grabbed knives, we ran in there, and it was a false alarm. But he called the National Guard who was blocking our entrance to our neighborhood. And the National Guard weren't even armed. They're doing search of recovery. So I don't think they should put boots on the ground in a situation like this without armed National Guard. That's what they're there to do, guard, not be at the looters' whim.

I mean, the looters could be raping. They could be doing anything, but the guard wasn't prepared to help us. Ty, you lost your business. You do a scuba dive tours for people that come to Hawaii and want to see the beautiful reefs off the coast. What happens to your business and how do you sort of rebuild from that? We heard from President Biden. He's going to give $700 to people who have been displaced. Obviously, that's a drop in the bucket for someone, yeah, won't do anything.

That's not even. What are you hoping to do with your business? I know you want to rebuild your community first, but I've heard from a lot of people that they're worried about their livelihood. We just heard from that father-to-be that he lost his fishing boat. He's got, he can't fish anymore. So what do you want from the federal government when it comes to your business? Our mortgages are still having to be paid. We don't have a bit of a business and your business is wiped out from under you. Your employees are underneath you as well. We don't have a way to make our mortgages. My employees don't have a way to make their mortgages. I just got up the phone with my insurance company who's going to give me $26,000.

for relocation for housing, and after that, you're on your own. But my mortgage is still needs to be paid. This is not going to have tourism is not going to return to Lahaina for years and years to come. It's just too devastated. There's no, this is going to be a long, long uphill battle. You've gone, you've been able to go back. The media, in a lot of respects, has not been allowed sort of into the burn zone. They don't want people there.

They don't want people trampling over the remains of your former neighbors. What is it like to be there? It's horrific. It's just like you, I mean, I tell everybody all the time. You see it on TV, but once you're actually there and you're part of it, it's a whole different story. The tears is constantly coming. The families have lost a lot. You know, one thing I've learned from reporting this out over the week is so many things went wrong, right?

You had the high winds, you had no power, you had firefighters stretched thin, you had no water for firefighters, no sirens. So I want to ask you, I mean, was Lahaina a ticking time bomb? Absolutely. It was known. You drive through Lahaina before this happened. There are telephone poles just draped with wires. There are basically a wind sock ready to broke. They snapped in half. There's trees covering over the... Before this happened, you drive along, you see telephone poles going, wires going through all the trees and foliage. All they need is one tree to go down. We had the same thing happened back in 2018. I think it was with the hurricane. the whole same hill fire on the hillside on fire, but the winds weren't blowing strong and into the line-haina direction. So that was a near-miss. They knew this was a potential

hazard to happen. Prevention should have been the key. This should not have gone this far. Cement trucks were having to get water to the fire. Cement trucks. Where's the infrastructure for that much of a pop... I mean, there's the hotels that weren't affected. The thousands and thousands of those would have been affected. There would have been masks. It would have been like a nuclear bomb. Yeah. We spoke to someone who lived in Lahaina, who videot He says a power line coming down, igniting brush, right where the fire started in Lahaina. Is it your belief, too, that the power lines started this fire? Absolutely.

There's a multitude. I went to take drone footage up there a few months, about a month ago, just for fun. The amount of power lines that are up in that area are horrendous. We're living, I mean, Lahaina is living on infrastructure from the 20s. It's not, there should have been a lot more upgrading. This wouldn't never happen. Before we go, viewers are watching this in the mainland all across America. What is Lahaina need right now?

They need the government to step in and get, we've got Oahu. Why aren't the planes making drops and helping the people to stop them from feeling like they're left out to fend for themselves? This is causing the looting. The looting wouldn't be going on if people are being taken care of. There's more community effort going on from people who are just taking their own trucks and trying to get over there to help people. Why aren't we getting help from the government? from the government. Ty, Burnett, I'm so sorry for all of your losses.

I know every day it gets harder and harder, but we appreciate you having the courage and the time to come out here and share with us. And like I said, I'm a lucky one here to talk. It brings tears every time you think about what's happened to the locals in line. The families, their generations have just been wiped off the mouth. I hope your community comes back.

I hope it comes back stronger, and I hope you get your business back. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Our thanks to Ty Burnett, and we're going to be back later in the show with much more from Hawaii. But for tonight's other news, we head over to Gotti Schwartz in Los Angeles. Gotti over to you.

Tom, such incredible firsthand reporting. Thanks so much. Still ahead tonight on Top Story Terror Arrest, the bomb building components, the FBI claims a Philadelphia teenager had in his possession, how the agency says they were tipped off. Plus, new police video of a couple now embroiled in a murder for higher investment. investigation, the harsh words they had for each other caught on a body cam just days before that wife was arrested. And the heart-stopping moments as two toddlers are thrown to safety from a burning home. Stay with us. And we are back now with the Philadelphia teen arrested by the FBI on terrorism charges.

Investigators say he bought bomb-making material and was in contact with an over-sexual. affiliate of al-Qaeda. Kindelan has the latest tonight from Washington. An FBI tactical team raiding a home in West Philadelphia, arresting a 17-year-old resident on terrorism charges. The young man who's under arrest

is, was an aspiring terrorist who was not merely thinking, but was doing things that are deeply disturbing and presented a grave danger to everyone. Jacqueline McGuire, who once investigated the 9-11 attacks and now heads the FBI's Philadelphia office said the suspect was sending and receiving terrorist propaganda and instructions, including guidance on how to build a bomb.

The individual appeared to be taking steps to travel overseas for the purpose of joining or supporting terrorist activity. Most concerning, however, was the evidence that he had access to firearms and had purchased items and materials commonly used in the construction of improvised explosive devices. Some of these purchases had just occurred in the last few weeks. McGuire said the FBI learned he had purchased tactical gear, wiring, chemicals, and remote detonator devices. These purchases quickly escalated this case in both threat and priority for our office. And this was now a situation where we believe public safety was at risk. So we quickly took appropriate steps to mitigate that risk. The suspect has been charged under state law.

is currently charged with the following offenses. Weapons of mass destruction, criminal conspiracy, arson, causing or risking catastrophe, attempt to commit criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, and reckless endangerment of another person. FBI officials say the teen had become radicalized online. This individual had communicated with Katabat Tavid Val Jihad, or KTJ, which was designated as a global terrorist group by the United States government in 2022 and is affiliated with al-Qaeda. Intelligence officials say the threat from international terrorism has greatly diminished in recent years.

But it hasn't gone away. I think it's fair to say that any terrorist group overseas still has its site on America, and it would be easiest to conduct that by radicalizing those already inside the country. Officials say the investigation is ongoing and the teen remains in custody. And Ken Delanyan joins us now from Washington, D.C. Ken, the DA's office is seeking to eventually charge that teen as an adult, right? What's the significance there? That's right, Gotti. Well, if a judge approves the trying of this teenager as an adult, it would mean much higher penalties, including a potentially lengthy prison sentence. We would also learn the identity of this person and the exact nature of the charges.

And if you're wondering why it's in state court, even though this is the FBI, it's because in the federal juvenile system, there is a preference for trying those cases in state court unless it's absolutely necessary to try it in federal court. Gotti. Candelanian, thanks so much. And turning now to an update in that shocking murder for hire plot, we've been following newly released body cam footage shows a verbal altercation between Lindsay and Robert Schiver at their Georgia home. Just days before she was arrested in the Bahamas for attempting to kill her husband.

In this footage, you see her tell police that living with her husband was like hell on earth. Guadvanegas has the details from that video. So what's going on? Y'all are separated or what's the deal? Newly released police body cam video revealing the tensions in the marriage of the couple in the middle of a murder for higher investigation. This confrontation between Lindsay and Robert Chiber just days before she was arrested in the Bahamas for allegedly plotting his death. We have filed for divorce. Okay.

Living in the same house, it's hell on earth, as you can imagine. Officers arriving in their Thomasville, Georgia home after a 911 call from Lindsay, alleging her husband pushed her. Just got super aggressive, and that's when I called immediately, because he's been physical before, and I'm just not doing that. Well, Zazza, I do not push you for anything. He doesn't want me to go. You're saying he did.

He's saying he didn't. So I got, I can't, I can't sit here. It's a he said she said situation. The argument happening over travel plans. She's going to change her plans and now get on the airplane with me and the kids to go to Bahamas. I'm too, by the way. She's going to go her boyfriend. Elsewhere.

Robert refusing to allow her to join him and their three kids on a private jet. I told her about supporting that and you're not getting on the airplane. Days later, the Royal Bahamas police force are. arresting Lindsay, her lover and his childhood friend, charging them with murder conspiracy. Bahamas newspapers reporting that police found text messages about the murder plot while investigating an unrelated crime. I want to thank me. The 36-year-old former pageant queen documenting her seemingly picturesque life with her three young children on social media. But in April of this year, Robert filed for divorce, claiming Lindsay engaged in adulterous conduct and called their marriage a retrievable.

broken. Lindsay's attorney filing documents and responds, saying the affair was legally condoned by her husband during the separation in claiming he physically abused her. We reached out to both Scheiber's, but have not heard back. Shiver has since been released on bail, but forced to wear an ankle monitor, hand over travel documents, and remain in the Bahamas as the case unfolds. And Guad vanegas joins us now from Miami. Gwad, what else do we know about Lindsay Schiver at this moment other than she's being monitored by that ankle monitor. Well, Goddy, according to the court's clerk, she will remain under strict rules. So one of those is that she cannot come within a hundred feet of Robert Schreiber.

She cannot interact with the other two defendants. That's the alleged lover and his childhood friend. She also needs to check in with police three times a week, and she will have a daily curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as this process continues, Gotti. Such a bizarre story, Guad. Thanks so much. And when we come back here on top story, off the job, what prompted a Minnesota town's entire police department to resign. Plus, congressional confrontation, new details about an incident that led to Representative Ronnie Jackson being handcuffed. We'll be right back. And back now with Top Stories News Feed, we start tonight with an entire police department in southern Minnesota that has resigned.

The town of Goodhue will soon be without dedicated law enforcement due to issues over pay. Now, first, the police chief resigned, followed by the six other officers. The mayor of the town with a population of around 1,200, says she was blind. Sides. Leaders are working on a short-term solution with the officers only remaining on duty until August 24th. And a shocking scene in Texas, a U.S. congressman wrestled to the ground and handcuffed after trying to respond to a medical emergency. Police body cam video shows the officers tackle Dr. Ronnie Jackson at a rodeo near Amarillo last month. He'd been arguing with someone while trying to help a teenager who is having a seizure. The former White House physician is heard on the video

berating the officers. The spokesperson for Jackson said, quote, the congressman will not apologize for sparing no effort to help in a medical emergency. And a Texas woman has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for her role in the 2020 murder of a U.S. Army soldier. Cecily Aguilar admitted to helping dismember and dispose of Vanessa Gien's body at what was then known as Fort Hood. Guillen's death sparked military police policy reforms after it was revealed that she'd sexually harassed. Aguilar's boyfriend, soldier Aaron Robinson, was suspected in the murder. He died by suicide before he could be arrested. A new video of a dramatic rescue as a family's home tragically goes up in flames. Body cam footage from a Minnesota sheriff's deputy shows him

sprinting towards a house. He spots the family on the second floor. Then the parents throw him their two toddlers. Deputy Thomas Roble brought those children to safety. Both adults jump from that second floor. They were both hurt, but they are expected to be okay. And turning now to the latest in the case of that six-year-old Virginia student who shot his teacher. Today, the boy's mother pleading guilty to child neglect. NBC's Kathy Park is at the courthouse with more. Tonight, the legal fallout deepening for the mother of a Virginia boy who shot and seriously injured his first grade teacher. Deja Taylor pleaded guilty to felony child neglect, which could carry a prison sentence of up to five years.

feel responsible for what's happened? Oh, yeah. She feels, she feels very responsible. It feels very bad. Taylor already pleaded guilty in federal court in June to using marijuana while possessing a firearm. In the courtroom today, prosecutors shared new details about the moments after the six-year-old shot Abby's Warner at Richneck Elementary, saying he shouted, F you, I shot my teacher, before breaking free and punching a staff member in the face. And later saying he sold the gun from his mom because I needed to shoot my teacher. His teacher is still recovering from injuries to her hand and chest.

So I have a scar up here and I still have some bullet fragments up here. She spoke to Savannah Guthrie earlier this year. I remember him pointing the gun at me. I remember the look on his face. I remember the gun going off. Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against a school district. Her attorney writing in part, our focus remains on justice for Abby and holding the school system accountable for failing to act on warnings a boy had a gun.

Newport News Public School said in a statement that it cannot comment on legal actions. According to the family attorney, the boy still has regular contact with his mother, but he's currently in the custody of his great-grandfather. We've also learned that the child is in therapy and improving every day. Gotti? And coming up on top story, theme park panic. What we are learning about the accident that injured several performers in on-lookers in Germany. We'll be right back.

Now, back now with Top Stories Global Watch, and we're starting in Russia where dozens are dead after an explosion and a fire. Those flames rose from a car repair shop in the southern region of the country. The fire then spread to a gas station igniting that blast. The Russian Emergency Service says it took more than three hours to put that fire out, and at least three kids are among the 35 lives lost. Russia's health ministry says 115 people were. hurt. So far, no word on the cause. And there is a search for survivors after another deadly explosion. This one in the Dominican Republic, at least 11 people were killed there and dozens of others were injured. Now, in that blast yesterday at the San Cristobal Market, the country's president

says 11 people were still unaccounted for, and the explosion is thought to have occurred inside of a bakery there. A fire then spread to surrounding shops. And in Germany, a scary accident at the country's largest theme park. Video shows the moment a portable pool cracks, sending diving platforms attached to it, crashing down. Five performers and two visitors were hurt. This is the second accident at the park in three months. A large fire in June forced thousands of people to evacuate.

At staying overseas, we head to the coast of Indonesia and a miraculous rescue at sea. Four Australian tourists and two Indonesian crew members were rescued after their boat went missing for days. NBC's foreign correspondent, Megan Fitzgerald, has more. We got everyone. Tonight, a miracle at sea for a group of friends stranded in open water. For more than 38 hours, four Australians and two boat crew members clinging to surfboards off the coast of Indonesia. It was supposed to be a two-hour trip.

On Sunday afternoon, a group of 17 people set off from North Nias in two boats, headed for a surf resort on Penang Island. Trescherous weather caused the boats to lose contact, one making it to shore, the other disappearing in the storm. Setting off a frantic search and rescue mission by crews from both Australia and Indonesia. We just had to hang on to that hope, but then you think, God, what if they're unconscious or floating or, and they were gone a long time? And your hope starts to dwindle after a long time. 30-year-old Elliot Foote made the decision to paddle for help. He was rescued by fishermen over 20 miles away.

Not long after, rescue crews spotted his friends. It was a coordination between all parties involved to be able to bring them back safely, but mainly their own mates. Their own mates bonded together. The news making its way to Australia. We're lucky it's so lucky. It's good news for all of them. That's right.

The whole, everyone's been found. So that's the best news. Elliot's dad, learning his son was alive by a text message. Hey, Dad, Elliot, here I'm alive. Safe now. Love you. Chat later. Despite the happy ending for some, one Indonesian crew member still remains missing at sea.

Megan Fitzgerald, NBC News. And still ahead on Top Story, we're going to return with Tom in Hawaii. Firefighters racing into action while their own homes burned. And now the outpouring of support coming in for those frontline heroes. And finally tonight from back here in Maui, helping the helpers, first responders from across the country, sending in financial support and words of encouragement to the firefighters who have been working around the clock here on Maui. Tonight, many of those firefighters still in the front lines. As Maui firefighters continue to work around the clock to put out hotspots and flare-ups, support and recognition for their actions is pouring in. I want to thank everybody for the calls, the texts, the emails, just nonstop for the last few days, everybody wanting to help, and I cannot thank everybody enough.

That wave of support comes with the understanding of just how overwhelmed first responders felt that first deadly day. These split-second decisions now weighing on firefighters with deep ties to this community. I move back specifically to help the community, and I feel just like I wish we could have done more in everybody. feels that way. Many who put their lives on the line to save others now personally impacted. 17 of the 18 firefighters in Lahaina have lost their homes. While they're fighting fire and fighting for their own lives and fighting to protect people that they don't know putting their lives on the line in the back of their head, they know that their house have been destroyed and they're wondering about their loved ones.

Tonight the International Association of Firefighters is answering the call to support these first responders, providing both financial and emotional aid. There have been some horrific conditions that our members have experienced, and they're going to continue to experience with some of the body recovery that they continue to do. Sharing this message of pride with those still on the front lines. The overwhelmed firefighters, the IFF members out here in Maui, did an incredible job and saved so much in part of that community, and the whole world's watching, and we're so proud of our firefighters here we thank those firefighters for everything they're doing here

and we thank you for watching top story tonight i'm tom yamas and maui stay right there more news on the way