Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Episode Date: March 20, 2024

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

Tonight, the Supreme Court's bombshell ruling clearing the way for Texas to enforce a controversial immigration law. The decision allowing police to arrest migrants suspected of illegally crossing the border, a crushing blow to the Biden administration who argued immigration enforcement is a federal issue. The critical words from one justice saying the ruling will soak chaos at the southern border. Also, tonight, Trump faces outrage. The former president, saying Jewish people who support Democrats, hate Israel, and their own religion. The remarks drawing sharp condemnation as his campaign press secretaries doubles down on his comments. This, as voters in five states cast their primary ballots, we check in on the state of the presidential race. Jailhouse threat, the Michigan father convicted in a deadly school shooting committed by his son,

threatening the prosecutor in the case, what he said on the phone to, his sister and what the judge did in response. Bolsonaro indicted Brazil's police recommending criminal charges against former president Jaire Bolsonaro. The embattled far-right leader is accused of forging COVID vaccination data ahead of his 22 visit to the United States. The mounting legal troubles he's facing paralyzed while in custody. Alarming security video shows the moment a man is knocked unconscious after being driven in the back of a police fan. where he was shackled, but not buckled in. An officer then dragging him out by his feet.

The man suing, alleging rough driving left him paralyzed and forced to amputate both of his legs. How police are responding to the troubling accusations. Plus, a church inferno flames engulfing a historic church in St. Louis, Missouri, and it's not the first time. What we're learning about that blaze. And in their coach's corner, a high school basketball team went into their seven

straight championship down a pivotal team member. Their beloved coach suffering a heart attack and left hospitalized after the semifinal. How their personal loss motivated them to bring home an incredibly big win. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, the Supreme Court clearing the way for a controversial immigration law to take effect in Texas. The 6-3 ruling from the conservative majority allows local police to arrest and deport migrants who will illegally cross the border. The move rejects an appeal from the Biden administration arguing that the federal government has sole authority on enacting immigration laws, not states. The decision drawing widespread condemnation from groups like the ACLU who wrote in part, quote, the law's implementation would lead to racial profiling, separate families, and harm black and brown

communities across the state. The ruling comes as immigration remains top of mind for many Americans. A Gallup poll finding the issue is the most important problem facing the U.S. amid a surge in illegal border crossings. This, as voters in five states cast their ballots in primary elections today. The latest on the state of the election just ahead. But first, we start with NBC's Gabe Gutierrez on that bombshell ruling. Tonight, a seismic shift at the southern border. The U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a controversial Texas law can take effect, allowing local and state police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing into Texas illegally

and state judges to deport them. What will this law mean for federal border patrol agents? I think this is going to be a huge benefit to border security. Anytime you apply a consequence to a violation of law, you see the number of illegal border crossers drop exponentially. The Supreme Court did not rule on whether the law, known as SB4, is constitutional, instead leaving that up to lower courts. But the six conservative justices did decide the Supreme Court should not stop the law from taking effect. The three liberal justices dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing, the court gives a green light to a law that

will upend the longstanding federal state balance of power and so chaos. The ruling is a major blow to the Biden administration, which has argued immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. But Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, say they're taking action because the White House has not stopped a record number of migrants from crossing into the U.S. When did he put up this wire? Texas had already placed razor wire and buoys along the border to deter migrants from crossing illegally, moves challenged in court by the Biden administration. The governor telling us earlier this month that SB4 did follow the Constitution.

The Constitution does. It gives authority to states to be able to act when the federal government refuses to act. Civil rights groups worry the law will lead to racial profiling. Today, the White House said we fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court's order. SB4 will not only make communities in Texas less safe, it will also burden law enforcement. It's just another example of what we have seen from the governor of Texas, Governor Abbott, attempting to policeize what's happening at the border. And NBC's senior White House correspondent, Gabe Gutierrez, joins us now from the North Lawn. So, Gabe, what happens from here? Do arrest begin?

Hi, there, Allison. Well, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety tells me that there is no official start date yet for enforcement of SB4. State officials are still discussing the details. And meanwhile, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments on the law in about two weeks, Ellison. And, Gabe, did the Supreme Court give any specific reasons as to why they are allowing this law to take effect? Well, Alison, it has to do with the issue of constitutionality. As we mentioned in the report, the Supreme Court is essentially saying that it needs to take a back seat until a lower court issues a formal ruling on that question, whether this law is unconstitutional, the lower courts haven't done that yet, so that the Supreme Court is waiting until a law. lower court does in fact do that. Meanwhile, though, the significance of this, as we said, is that the Supreme Court now deciding, while those legal battles play out, is allowing this

law to go into effect, Ellis. Gabe Gutierrez at the White House, thank you. Turning now to our other big headline tonight, former President Trump coming under fire for comments he made about Jewish-American, saying those who vote for Democrats hate their religion. NBC News, senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Haig, has this right. report. Tonight, former President Trump casting his primary ballot in Florida. Doubling down on remarks, Democrats are slamming as anti-Semitic. The Democrats have been very, very opposed to Jewish

people. That's true. And to Israel, all you have to do is look at Senator Schumer. What he did with Israel is a disgrace. After top Senate Democrat, Chuck Schumer blasted Mr. Trump earlier today. The former president's comments were utterly disgusting. And a textbook example of the kind of anti-Semitism facing Jews, pushing the dangerous anti-Semitism trope of dual loyalty. The firestorm began overnight when Mr. Trump was asked about Schumer's recent rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who Schumer said should be replaced in new elections. Why do the Democrats hate Bibby Netanyahu? I actually think they hate Israel.

Mr. Trump saying Democrats are being swayed by protests over President Biden's policy on Gaza. I'm amazed at how many people are in those marches. And guys like Schumer see that, and to him it's votes. I think it's votes more than anything else. Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion. They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves, because Israel will be destroyed. The remarks quickly condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, whose CEO called them defamatory and patently false. The Biden campaign saying, quote,

the only person who should be ashamed here is Donald Trump. The former president touts his pro-Israel record, including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and helping the country forge peace deals with some of its Arab neighbors. President Biden has criticized Israel's actions in its war against Hamas, including the impact on civilians, something Mr. Trump has largely avoided, while offering few substantive policy differences. Well, I think you have to finish it up and do it quickly and get back to the world of peace. And Garrett joins us now from Washington, D.C. So, Garrett, what's the congressional

Republican reaction to these comments Trump made about Jewish Americans? Well, Ellison, it feels a lot like 2017, where congressional Republicans are largely saying they're unfamiliar with the comments, or if they have seen them, they're putting just the tiniest amount of distance between themselves and Donald Trump, basically saying, I wouldn't have said it that way, but that it's not appropriate for either him or Senator Schumer to get involved in Israeli politics. That's as far as any Republican that I've seen has gone in condemning Donald Trump's comments. And we have to ask you also about Donald Trump's legal issues. Right now, there's the latest in this issue as it relates to Bond in his New York civil fraud trial. Where do things stand there? Yeah, that's right. We're still

waiting to see what the judge is going to do with this emergency stay request. Donald Trump and his lawyers have argued there's no way for them to come up with the $464 million in bond they would need by Monday's deadline. And today, Trump was asked about that while he was voting down in Florida and again linked the legal and the political. His argument was that somehow this judge in New York wants to make sure that his campaign is too cash poor to be competitive this fall. Obviously, this is not campaign money we're talking about, Ellison. This would be Donald Trump's personal money from his personal assets. But it tells you how he thinks about the legal and the all linked together as we turn to this fall campaign.

Garrett Hake, thank you. For more on Trump's controversial comments about Jewish Americans and the 2024 presidential race, big picture. Let's bring in Megan Hayes, a former special assistant to President Biden and director of message planning for the White House, and Mark Lodder, former Strategic Communications Director on the Trump 2020 campaign. Mark, I want to start with you first, since we were just discussing this with Garrett Hake. what do you make of those recent comments about Jewish Americans that were made by President Trump?

Is that sort of rhetoric concerning to Republicans as they head into a very competitive presidential race? Well, I think the president speaks bluntly. He always has, and I think he always will. And what he is saying is that if you are someone who is close and passionate and feels strongly for Israel, don't stick with Joe Biden and the Democrats, because what we have seen over and over and over again is that, might say one thing behind a podium and stab BB Netanyahu and Israel in the back on the backside. And so he's asking folks, as you look at all of the other problems we face in our country and our world under Joe Biden, why is it that Joe Biden is saying that we should be giving billions of dollars to keep the war going in Ukraine, but we should have a ceasefire

and we're not standing by our closest ally in Israel? But let's talk specifically about the language that former President Trump used, because he didn't say it quite how you said it. And I think back to the last election cycle, a campaign you were working on when then-Candidant Biden made a comment in an interview with the Breakfast Club, with Charlemagne the God, where he talked about black voters. And he said, if you are black and you are voting, something to be effective. If you are black and you are considering voting for Donald Trump, then you aren't that black. And he was condemned by your campaign at the time, saying that was dehumanizing, that was painting a group of people with a broad swath and that it was

inappropriate and he ultimately apologized. Did President Trump use the correct language to have this discussion on whether or not one party or the other is good for Jewish Americans, or could this and should this have been done differently? Well, no, again, the president speaks very bluntly. I think he has a way of cutting through. But did you, were you okay with President Biden speaking bluntly when the Trump campaign condemned it in the last election cycle? And the Biden and the Biden campaign is is condemning this? I mean, that's what politics is about. But I think when you are a voter out there when you are somebody who really feels strongly about Israel or feel strongly about any of the other issues that are facing this country. Donald Trump speaks in a way

that connects directly to the issue. And there really is no choice here. If you want someone that stands with Israel, is firm in its alliance and it's standing with Israel, not calling for elections in Israel, not meddling in their politics. It's not Joe Biden and the Democrats. It's Donald Trump. Megan, let's bring you in here. What do you make of this back and forth and specifically the rhetoric that we heard from former President Donald Trump? Look, there's no justification for his speech. It's hateful. It's anti-Semitic. It shows discontent in a community, but that's what Donald Trump does. That's what we were used to seeing. So it's not surprising that that's what's happening. These comments, Megan, they were immediately condemned by the White

House, as Mark pointed out there. But you look at the issues of around President Biden as it relates to the war between Israel and Hamas. And there is a lot of pressure for President Biden from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party related to his handling of the war. If I'm not mistaken on his way to the State of the Union address, he had to actually take a different route because people who were calling for a ceasefire were protesting and blocking the road as he made his way or one of the routes where he would have used to make his way to the Capitol. Do you think President Biden should be managing this conflict and should he be communicating differently with particularly those young voters in the Democratic

Party who are looking at that situation and saying, hey, there's still at least five American citizens held hostage inside of Gaza. Over 30,000 Palestinians, the majority believed to be women and children have been killed since this started, and we're five-plus months in. Do you think he should be addressing that issue differently? Yeah, absolutely. There's a humanitarian crisis going on in Gaza that needs to be addressed more aggressively, I would argue, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Donald Trump was sowing discontent with a group of people and being anti-Semitic. That is completely different than questioning people of Israel's political beliefs. That's not questioning someone's

religion. All right, Mark, let's talk about the primary that is taking place today, specifically I want to ask you about one of the down-ballot races, that Senate race in Ohio. I think we have some full screens we can show you, but you have this Trump-backed candidate, Bernie Moreno, on the ballot, And then state Senator Matt Dolan, who has the endorsement of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as well as Frank LaRose. Is this a race between the establishment and the Trump wing of the Republican Party, if you will? I don't think so. A lot of these races at the state level are decided on state issues. Obviously, you've got a statewide elected candidate on the ballot.

You have someone who's also well known in the legislature on the ballot. So I think it represents various aspects of the Republican Party. And the key is whomever comes out on top, we need to take the battle to Sherrod Brown because that could be one of the states that decides control of the Senate. And so primaries can be messy, family affairs, but after the fact, I have no doubt we'll get behind our candidate regardless and really take the battle to Sherrod Brown for his support for policies that are just not in line with what Ohio is thinking. Megan, in this Ohio Senate race, a Chuck Schumer affiliated PAC has given a lot of money,

millions of dollars for ads for the Trump-backed candidate Moreno, who we were just talking about, Bernie Marino. What do you think of that strategy, of Democrats sort of funding campaigns, of candidates who are closely tied to former President Donald Trump, thinking that ultimately they will be easier to beat in a general election? Do you think that is going to be an effective strategy? Yeah, I mean, look, I think that people are going to come down to choice in November of who's taking away freedoms, and I think Donald Trump is taking away, and his candidates and his backed party are taking away a lot of freedoms from people, especially women, and they are going to turn out in November, just like they did in the midterms. So I think, yes, it would

be more beneficial to run against a candidate that's going to stand for, be more closely aligned with former President Trump than a more moderate establishment candidate. All right. We will be watching as the polls close and those numbers tick in. Megan Hayes, Mark Lodder. Thank you both. We appreciate your time and insights. Thank you. Turning now to the officer sentencing in Mississippi. Two former Rankin County deputies sentenced to 20 years in prison after they and four other officers self-proclaimed as the goon squad committed violent and racist acts of torture against two black men. The case reopening calls for new investigations into the department. NBC News correspondent Antonia Hilton has this report.

Tonight, two former Mississippi deputies sentenced to federal prison for torturing two black men last year. One sentence for 20 years, the other for 17 and a half. Both members of a self-proclaimed six-person goon squad, known in the area for their use of excessive force and aggressive tactics. This is a message to all racist police officers in every department in Mississippi and throughout the United States of America. that beware that justice will be coming your way. According to court documents Hunter Elwood, Jeffrey Middleton, and four other officers broke into a home without a warrant. They shouted racial slurs, physically and sexually assaulted their victims, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Parker, and planted fake evidence on them. All six entered guilty pleas in August.

The two victims survived, but the torture that night culminated with Elward shooting Jenkins in the mouth. This guard never go away. Jenkins is still in pain, but today he feels safer with Elwood off the street. I feel somewhat safe. Like a sudden coming out. For many in Mississippi, the case is reminiscent of a frightening racist past. Goom squad, your day has come. Today in court, Elwood addressed the men directly, saying I am so sorry for what I did.

I forgive that part, but he still did. The other four officers will be sentenced later this week. Meanwhile, the local district attorney is now reviewing cases involving the goon squad. But that process can take months or even years. And Antonia Hilton joins us now on set. Antonia, I mean, there are so many words that can be used to describe this disgusting, foul, appalling, and none of them seem to be enough to explain what happened here. When we're talking about a group that has an official name, the goon squad,

they'd been law enforcement officers for quite a while. is this an isolated incident or is this something that people think was possibly a systemic issue here and there may be more victims out there? I spoke to some community members today who absolutely think this is just the tip of the iceberg and they have the very same question. How can you have the nickname the Goon Squad, which apparently was in reference to the fact that they were known for using excessive force, for kind of flouting the rules and the laws? So how do you operate like that and work under an entire system and hierarchy? and you don't have anyone else who's involved in this. No one's called you out before. And so we're starting to hear already

from other community members who say they've had interactions with these officers. But now the DA is going to be looking back at all these cases and potentially having to unravel a lot of other convictions and assumptions that the state had made. And so this is likely going to be a story that actually is a story about months and years.

And not just about this week when we actually see the officers get sentenced and go behind bars. What about the sheriff? in this county? Have people called for him to step down? Is there going to be some sort of larger federal investigation into the way this entire department was operating here? The sheriff will be an interesting piece of the next phase of this story, because community members, particularly black community members, are calling on the sheriff to take responsibility and to resign. He has

not done that, at least as of now. And so we'll see if that public pressure campaign changes things, or if they're really going to make this about just the six officers at the center of this case. But so often when you cover these stories, right, I was on the ground for Tyree Nichols. You were there, too. You know, there is all of the fanfare and the concern about the original officers at the center of the case. But then there's always a community saying, hey, they're probably a symptom of a broader disease. Can we get people to pay closer attention to that? And it's not always the case that people are listened to.

Antonio Hilton, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Next to the ongoing migrant crisis in Chicago, the city beginning to enforce the controversial policy of evicting migrants from city shelters after 60 days. It's a response to the thousands of migrants overwhelming Chicago's shelter system. Many of them bust north by the Republican governor of Texas. NBC News correspondent Valerie Castro has more. Tonight's Chicago pushing out migrants, evicting them from city-run shelters. The controversial policy enforcing a 60-day limit and effort to manage their growing numbers, rolling out after months of delays. But how they're being pushed out is leaving many confused and frustrated.

One migrant telling NBC News he was told about his eviction the day before, saying administrators first gave him a deadline of 2 p.m. Monday, but shortly after changed it to 12.30 p.m. Outside this shelter on Sunday, migrants waited unsure of what's next for them. It's a lot of not good answers and people out there are being left in the street. Some local officials and advocates saying it's unthinkable to push these people out in the cold and that many do not have work authorization yet because of a 150-day waiting period after applying for asylum. We think that if folks aren't able to get work authorization, they don't have rental assistance, they're most likely ending up homeless. The mayor defending the policy in a statement saying the city has limited resources to meet the scale of arrivals.

and is constantly evaluating options. They can return to the landing zone and request a shelter placement. If there's a placement available, they'll be able to do that. Some may choose to move on. According to the city, more than 37,000 migrants have been bused to Chicago since 2022. When Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, began sending them. As of last week, the city says it's successfully relocated nearly 20,000 people and is in the process of relocating about 4,000 more.

That still leaves thousands of migrants like Lisbeth Velazquez in the city shelter system. She says she fled Venezuela due to political persecution seven months ago. She piquant the contract of the travel. The state of 20s. When we spoke to Velasquez back in February, she was set to be evicted by April 1st. It's preoccupant because it's a lot of the district police, in the case. She now tells us her deadline. has been moved to May 1st. The city says it's granting extensions on an individual basis,

including in cases where migrants are enrolled in public benefit programs, need medical care, or have children. In the meantime, migrants like Velazquez are living with uncertainty. And Valerie Castro joins us now. Valerie, there are also reports of a measles outbreak at a migrant shelter in Chicago. What can you tell us? Well, it certainly complicates things, right? The city says at least 10 cases of the measles have been traced to one shelter in the city. So the mayor says his goal now is to ensure that migrants can get vaccinated when they get there before they enter the shelter system, especially if they plan on staying long-term. Valerie Castro, thank you. We turn now to the forecast in spring, off to a freezing start

for parts of the country. The southeast suffering through a cold snap, millions battling below average temperatures, and the winter also not over yet for the upper Midwest and New England. snow falling across the region with up to a foot possible in some areas. NBC news meteorologist Bill Karens joins me now. Bill, I made the ultimate mistake of getting too excited about a little bit of warm weather yesterday, and then I didn't take a coat to work. I was freezing when I went home. What do we need to know about the next 24 hours?

You're not alone. There's different levels of spring snow. There's the, oh, that looks pretty with the tulips and the flowers. And then there's the tulips are buried. We're going to have snow on the ground through Easter. And that's going to be the case in the Midwest and the northern plane. So this is kind of nuisance snow. This is kind of the warm-up act coming through New York State and Pennsylvania. This is going to cause minor problems, some slippery roads at the higher

elevations, and especially central New York, driving from Binghamton to Syracuse along 88 and also the New York State's freeway. But the main event is going to take place in the Midwest and into the northern plains. So here's the number to remember. So this is Minneapolis. So far, this entire winter, they've had 14 inches of snow. Now, typically in a winter, they have about 51. Last year, third snowiest ever at 90 inches. Last year, they were buried in snow. So this year, everyone's like, where is the snow? Like, this is ridiculous.

It's coming. Three storms in the next seven days, and our computer models that blend all our forecast together is predicting somewhere in the range of one to two feet, all of most of South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, northern half of Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and, yeah, possibly up to 20 inches of snow in Minneapolis over the next seven days,

but you've only had 14 inches all winter. So let's time out the first storm. This is going to be coming down three. Montana as we go throughout tomorrow night. Mostly going to be a snow event in the Dakotas as we go through Thursday. Thursday night snows hard in Minneapolis, Chicago northwards, and then this entire mess will make it to the east coast with a big rainstorm as we hit through Friday and Saturday.

It does look like Northern Wing will get snow out of that. But my apologies, everyone in the Northern Plains in the Midwest, you knew it was too good to be true. Bill Cairns, we all forgive you always. Thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. Still ahead tonight, the shootout in a Little Rock neighborhood. Gunfire exchanged between a suspect and ATF agents at a home in Little Rock.

What agents were doing at that home of a major airport executive before the standoff took place. Plus, the new lawsuit against a police department in Florida, a man now alleging a ride in a police van left him paralyzed and in need of a double amputation. And a massive blaze ripping through a landmark church in St. Louis for the third time. time in just two years. The investigation now underway. Stay with us. We're back now with new details about the alleged threats made by James Crumbly. You'll remember he is the father of Oxford, Michigan school shooter, Ethan Crumbly, who killed four students in the 2021 school shooting. We're now learning those threats were allegedly about the prosecutor herself leading up to the father's involuntary manslaughter trial. NBC news correspondent Adrian brought us

has the details. Tonight, a twist from the James Crumbly trial finally revealed. Your Honor, my client is not willing to agree to the order. That judge's order limiting Crumbley's jailhouse communication. He's the father of the Oxford school shooter, Ethan. Now, sources close to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office telling NBC News that Crumbley used a threatening language directed toward prosecutor Karen McDonald. Crumbly allegedly told his sister and recorded jailhouse phone calls, his goal in life was to destroy Karen McDonald. Plus, McDonald was going to hell soon. She better be scared and she was done. The sources wouldn't say how many calls, but say they date back to 2022. Both lawyers spoke to us before we knew the details of the threats.

He made a lot of threats. I've decided that I'm not going to give him any more of my attention. And I don't think anybody should. So talking more about his threats just gives him more attention. There's a disagreement about what was said and the nature of that stuff. James and his wife, Jennifer, the first parents convicted of involuntary manslaughter in a mass school shooting carried out by their child could spend up to 15 years in prison. But parents of the four children killed want to hold school officials accountable. And that means changing the Michigan law, protecting guns. government employees from liability.

If a school system wants to do their best, they're never going to do it because if they do something wrong, they're going to be able to hide behind governmental immunity. Parents have filed civil suits against the school officials who didn't check Ethan's backpack. The civil cases are caught up in appeals. Accountability is not just a word that we've been thrown around loosely. I mean, it's what we're looking. It's what we want. It's absolutely necessary. Now they're calling for more, including a.

state investigation into the shooting where teachers are required to participate and legislation requiring an investigation after future school shootings ultimately what we're driving for is to bring out the whole truth we can't help our children but we can help the rest of the country adrian brought us joins us now from chicago adrian you have some new reporting on what the michigan attorney general is saying about this case right Yes, Alison, her office releasing a statement today, saying in part twice she has tried to conduct an independent investigation. In a statement, she says, in both instances, her offer to conduct that investigation

was, quote, soundly rejected by the school board. Meanwhile, as we mentioned, those civil cases are still making their way through the Court of Appeals. Allison. Adrienne brought us amazing reporting. Thank you. Next to a disturbing story out of Florida, a man now suing the St. Petersburg police after a ride in a police van that his attorney says left him paralyzed and in need of a double amputation. NBC news correspondent Stephen Romo has the details and a warning. This footage may be difficult to watch.

Tonight, disturbing video shows the moment a man sustained paralyzing injuries while being transported by police in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to a new federal lawsuit. I knew that something bad happened. Really, really bad. Hiberto Sanchez Mayans' attorney says after an unfounded trespassing arrest last June, Sanchez Mayan was loaded into a police van with no seatbelts before being thrown violently due to rough driving. Body camera video provided by police capturing the moments leading up to that fateful ride. In it, Sanchez Mayan is confronted by a St. Petersburg officer while sleeping in a vacant. A lot.

Do you see this sign right here? You see, can you even? No, no, I didn't see it. What's that say? You're going to take the ride today. Well? I've decided that you're going to actually go to jail today. Sanchez Mayans' attorney, Tom Scolaro, saying the police appeared to want to teach him a lesson.

And you can see in the video, this poor man, absolutely no resistance. All he wanted to do is just be left alone to take his ticket. But no, they wanted to teach him a lesson. Keeps coming in contact. Doesn't change his ways. What can we do? The video shows Sanchez Mayan's arms being bound with a chain around his torso before he's loaded into that transport van without a seatbelt, according to the lawsuit. The officer, we believe, deliberately stopped short, which threw Mr. Sanchez Mayan into the bulkhead, where his head struck it in a very perverse angle, fracturing his neck, breaking his spine.

Surveillance video from inside the van also provided by. police, then shows Sanchez Mayan appearing to be unconscious while he's pulled out by his feet. Ultimately, leaving him paralyzed with both legs amputated, according to the complaint. The department responding in a statement saying in part, quote, the St. Petersburg Police Department denies the claims and trusts in the judicial process. Now Sanchez Mayan and his family trying to cope with a life that has been drastically changed. The amount of pain, the amount of injury, the amount of disability that he goes through on a daily basis is incomprehensible to me. And I've been doing this work for 25 years.

And Stephen Romo joins us now in studio. Stephen, when it comes to the injuries that this man sustained and the federal lawsuit, what is he ultimately hoping comes out of it? Is it firings? Is it civil lawsuit payments? Yeah, it's a good question. spoke to his attorney, and he says he does want money to help pay for these extensive medical bills, but he says he also wants accountability to keep this from happening to someone else. And by the way, I wanted to mention, according to the St. Petersburg Police Department,

both of the officers who were mentioned in this lawsuit, they are both on the job right now. Another reason they say they do want that accountability, Alison. Stephen Romo, thank you. Coming up on top story, Brazil's former president indicted. Gair Bolsonaro criminally charged accused of falsifying vaccine records for himself and his inner circle during the pandemic. But this is just one of several legal battles he's facing. We'll explain. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with the shootout between federal agents and an airport executive at a home in Little Rock, Arkansas. Authorities say ATF agents were attempting to serve a warrant at a home when a person

inside opened fire on those officers. They fired back hitting the suspect. He has since been identified as the head of Clinton National Airport and is in custody at the hospital. One of the agents was shot but is expected to be okay. Right now there's no word on what the original warrant was for. A massive fire at a historic church in St. Louis, Missouri. You can see the flames engulfing the landmark church, sending columns of thick smoke into the air. The church has caught fire three times in the last two years. The building, formerly St. Augustine Catholic Church, was built in 1896. So far, no injuries reported and no word on a cause. And a judge has denied a request from social media companies to dismiss a lawsuit linking them to the Buffalo

supermarket shooting. Lawsuits brought on by family members of the victims accused six social media platforms, including meta and YouTube, of promoting extremist content that contributed to the radicalization of the shooter. He pleaded guilty to murder and terrorism charges in February after killing 10 black people at a supermarket in 2022. And billionaire philanthropist McKenzie Scott is donating $640 million to hundreds of nonprofit organizations nationwide. The ex-wife of Jeff Bezos and co-founder of Amazon announced that her organization yield giving will be awarding 361 small non-profits more than double her original pledge of 250 million. The organization opened applications for donations last May and say they received more than 6,000 applications.

Turning now to the latest from Cuba, where tensions between the island country and the U.S. are growing. As we reported last night, hundreds took to the streets in protest against the nation's deepening economic crisis. demanding food and power. Cuban president Miguel Diazcanal in an exclusive interview with NBC News blaming the United States for fueling the demonstrations. Take a listen.

I think that both of the Department of the States as the United, as the government of the United, as their embassas, are in herensists prepotenters and are a great disresio for the people and the revolution in Cuba. And we don't have to rending the accounts to the government of the United

to any one of their members, for more on this one-on-one with the country's president, NBC's Ed Augustine, joins us now from Havana. Ed, thank you for joining us again tonight. Break this down for viewers. What is the context here? Why was this interview so rare? Well, Miguel Diascanel has been the president of Cuba for six years now, and he's not a man that gives many interviews.

He's spoken before to Venezuela. state television. He's spoken before to Russian state television, but you'll notice that these are close Cuban allies. And this morning at a trade fair, the Cuban president was attending, NBC asked him two questions. That might not seem like a big deal in another country, but this is Cuba. And in fact, his answers today meant that for the first time ever as president, Miguel D.S. Canel, has given a one-on-one interview to a U.S. television network. And you sort of set the stage for us yesterday, talking about sort of the context around why Cuban officials would be pointing the finger at the United States.

And in this interview with NBC News, President Diazcanal, pointing the finger again at the U.S. saying that they are fueling the economic crisis and that U.S. sanctions have been, you know, sort of leading up to all of this for decades and that they ultimately are what's to blame here. When you talk to people, is that the sense you get from the Cuban population? Do most people there believe the sanctions the United States has put on Cuba that it is largely to blame for the lack of food and power there? In an article for NBC Latino today, a State Department official recognized that the sanctions on Cuba do have a, quote, impact on the economic crisis that Cubans are facing. And it's really not hard to see that they do play into the food shortages.

So, for example, the Trump administration started jacking up the sanctions, years ago, they described a new layer of sanctions as maximum pressure sanctions. And the stated aim was to reduce the hard currency coming into Cuban state coffers. And obviously at a time when food prices are rocketing, that means less money available to import food. Economist estimate that the current sanctions, most of which have been kept in place by the administration, today take billions of dollars out of Cuban state coffers. In terms of what people say when you ask them, it really depends for you speak to. Things are tense here. It's very, very politicised.

If you speak to government supporters, they'll tend to emphasize and tend to believe, I think, that the blockade, as the government would have it, is the major reason for, for example, food shortages. And they'll argue that, although even amongst those people who tend to be a little bit older, there is a growing recognition and acceptance that economic mismanagement is also a fundamental cause of the crisis. If you speak to people who are against the government, and there's many, particularly young people, they're not having any of it. They will say that typically that either the sanctions don't exist, or if they do exist, it's something that the Cuban government hypes up, bigs up, to use as an excuse to not face up to their own shortcomings.

Ed Augustine in Havana, Cuba. Thank you so much. We appreciate it. When we come back, the major bank glitch in Ethiopia, customers able to take out more money than what was in their bank account, causing millions of dollars to get withdrawn. The potential criminal prosecution, those who don't return the funds, could face. case. Back now with the Americas and the stunning indictment of Brazil's former president Jaire Bolsonaro. The embattled far-right leader charged with falsifying records, allegedly saying he and his teenage daughter took the COVID vaccine when in reality they did not. And as NBC

news correspondent David Noriega explains, it is not the only legal battle he's facing. Brazil's polarizing former president, Jaiy Bolsonaro, indicted on criminal charges. Federal authorities accusing Bolsonaro and 16 others of entering false information into a public health database to obtain COVID-19 vaccine certificates for himself, his 12-year-old daughter, and close allies, allegedly without ever taking a single dose. During the pandemic, Bolsonaro openly rallied against the vaccine, despite the Latin American country at one point having the highest daily COVID death rate. Police accused him of tampering with health records when he traveled to the U.S. in 2022, while vaccinations were still required

for entry into the U.S. Bolsonaro has previously denied those allegations. This is big, especially given the demonstration of support that Bolsonaro has from the population. This is the first demonstration that he has of the possibility of going to jail later on. This isn't the only investigation he's facing. Newly released court documents show former top Brazilian military leaders testified that Bolsonaro presented them with a plan for a coup following his election loss in 2022. But it failed because he didn't have their support. Speaking at a rally this weekend, Bolsonaro slamming the investigation, but saying he does not fear a trial.

No, I don't have no matter of any other judges and examples. Bolsonaro was elected in 2019, modeling his own right-wing populist image on one of his closest friends on the international stage, former President Trump. He has done a very outstanding job. Ran one of the incredible campaigns. Somebody said it a little bit reminded people of our campaign, which I'm honored by. Bolsonaro lost his 2022 re-election bid to the country's former president, leftist Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. We saw literally a massive manifestation in support of Bolsonaro.

The majority of the country elected Lula as president, but as I said, by a very thin margin of 2 million votes, which is very little compared to the Brazilian population who is voting. But much like Trump, Bolsonaro claimed the election was stolen. making baseless allegations of fraud and refusing to concede. And almost two years to the day after the January 6th insurrection in Washington, Bolsonaro supporters storming government buildings and smashing windows in protest. President Biden speaking out against the violence, calling it an assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power. But to this day, the outrage persists.

Rallies for Bolsonaro drawing tens of thousands of supporters across Brazil. I came here to honor Bolsonaro, the supporter says. He is our elected president. The other one was appointed. Bolsonaro has already been barred from running for office again until 2030, for casting doubts about the veracity of his country's elections. But tonight, for the first time, the controversial leader is facing indictment in his own country, as his legal troubles intensify.

And David Noriega joins us now from Los Angeles. So, David, if Bolsonaro is convicted on these charges, could he actually serve jail time? And what is the status of the other legal cases he's currently facing? Yeah, Alison, so on this case specifically, Bolsonaro faces anywhere from two to 12 years of jail time if he is convicted. And this is just one of numerous criminal investigations against him. A lot of world leaders over the years have been compared to Donald Trump. A lot of the time, those comparisons don't actually make that much sense. Bolsonaro is a situation where the parallels are actually.

remarkable, and this is one of them, just the number of criminal investigations against him, ranging from the sort of weird and frivolous. He was just recently, for example, accused of harassing a humpback whale off the coast of Sao Paulo State to the very serious, including various investigations into his role in attempting to instigate a coup after he lost re-election in 2022. Again, the parallels to Trump are remarkable. And as with Trump, we have to remember that it isn't just Bolsonaro the man and the political figure.

It is Bolsonaroismo, the political movement that he inspired. and led, and which even if Bolsonaro himself is off the political scene, will not go anywhere anytime soon. Alison. David Noriega, thank you. Turning now to Top Story's Global Watch and the ongoing battle over a ban on female genital mutilation in Gambia, activists rallying outside of the country's National Assembly as lawmakers in the West African country consider a possible reversal of the ban passed in 2015.

It would be the first country ever to lift a ban on the practice if the legislative passes a final boat. According to the World Health Organization, the procedure can lead to excessive bleeding shock and even death. Ethiopia's largest bank trying to recover millions of dollars after a technical glitch.

Customers of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia discovering they could take out more money than their total balance over the weekend. That glitch allowing more than $40 million to be withdrawn or transferred to other banks. The bank's president saying much of the cash was withdrawn by

students and that anyone who returns the money will not be prosecuted. Ethiopia's central bank says the mishap happened during system security checks. And United Nations researchers warning that climate change is speeding up. A new report from the World Meteorological Organization showing that major indicators of climate change shattered records in 2023. Researchers saying not only was last year the warmest on record, but greenhouse gas levels, ocean temperatures, and sea ice melt were all. Also, quote, off the charts.

Officials from around the world are set to meet in Copenhagen this week to discuss accelerating action on climate issues. When we come back, in their coach's corner, a high school basketball team went into their seven straight championship, but they were down a coach after he suffered a heart attack, how they managed to stay motivated to bring home an incredibly big win. Finally tonight, the high school basketball team with a years-long winning streak, now battling through a tough personal loss. Their coach suffering a medical emergency the night before the state championship game, his players and the community rallying around a new purpose, win for Coach Dan. In St. Louis, Missouri, a basketball dynasty so great. No current player knows what a loss feels like. It'll be fun to tell my kids, you know, you know, bragged to him a little bit. Incarnate Word Academy's 131 game winning streak, not just a state record, but the longest current run in the nation.

And I think we have so much more potential to be great. Behind it all, head coach Dan Raffas. He's guided the Red Knights to 12 state titles. I think they're used to the pressure. You know, when we walk into gyms, everyone. and it's a seat's losing. It's been that way for a long time. But for a team that's never felt a loss on the scoreboard, a loss of a different kind, this championship weekend.

Coach Dan rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack the night before the state title game. It's not the same without a roll of us. Sorry. We didn't know the last game. It's going to be our last game with him. So it's really rewarding, but it's not the same. The team and their whole community rallying around their beloved coach who remained in critical condition as the team tipped off.

We were more motivated than ever, especially going into this game. We have a lot to play for each other, coach, our whole program. The Red Knights leaving it all on the court for Coach Dan. We did it! And winning another state championship. What has never been more clear in the last 72 hours is that winning in the game of life is all about faith, family, and friends. A winning team learning to battle through adversity. Now praying their beloved coach can return.

This game, just being a senior and just knowing that we kept this street going, it's a great feeling. And we want to thank our St. Louis affiliate, KSDK, for their help with that story. Coach Dan's family says he is now in stable condition and has improved significantly, which we're all so glad to hear. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.