Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Episode Date: April 1, 2026

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

Breaking tonight, golfing legend Tiger Woods breaking his silence after that DUI arrest, what he just revealed. The stunning statement, Wood saying he's stepping away to seek treatment after the new detail surrounding his arrest emerged, including police saying the golfer was sweating profusely with dilated eyes, the pills they say he had in his pocket. Also breaking the major shift from the president just moments ago that the U.S. will leave Iran very soon, the new timeline he just announced. His new push to get allies to open the Strait of Hormuz, plus gas prices soaring across America, topping $4 a gallon for the first time in years, how high will they go? Kidnapped in broad daylight the moment an American journalist was abducted in Iraq, caught on camera, what we're learning about the kidnappers' possible ties to Iran. The major setback for President Trump in his new White House ballroom, a judge ruling construction

needs to be stopped, despite the East Wing already being demolished. Countdown to America's return to the moon, the astronauts making their final preps are Tom Costello inside the capsule simulator before the engines fire up tomorrow night. Caught on camera how a woman handcuffed in the back of a cop car pulled off this unbelievable escape and went on the run for days. And the catch of a lifetime, a father and son duo catching this monstrous swordfish. You won't believe how long it took them to reel it in or how much it weighs. Plus an update on the viral protein barbler.

accused of lying about its calories, while the lawsuit was just dropped. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We come on the air with breaking news tonight. Tiger Woods breaking his silence after last week's roll over crash and DUI arrest. The golfing legend arrested and charged on Friday in Florida

after police say he crashed his car and appeared lethargic with bloodshot eyes on the scene. Our Jesse Kirsch is following the late details tonight and joins us now live from Stewart, Florida. So Jesse, we're hearing from Woods for the first time. Yeah, Tom, this comes after days of silence. We have repeatedly reached out to his team for comment and have not gotten one. And then within the last 30 minutes, Tiger Woods posting on X. And I'm going to read part of this. He says, quote, I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today. I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health.

This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery. And this comes on the same day that his attorney pled guilty on Woods's behalf in a court filing. And this is also coming hours after some pretty concerning revelations, or I should say allegations, came from an affidavit that was released by authorities. And that details what investigators say they found on Woods' person and how he was behaving in the aftermath of that crash last Friday, which again left him charged with driving under. the influence. Yeah, he pleaded not guilty. Just to make that quick correction, I'm sure you're just going a little fast there. What do we learn from the police report? Thanks for catching that if I

misspoke there. Pleaded not guilty. His attorney pleading not guilty on his behalf in that court filing. Obviously, a lot of moving parts coming together here late tonight. So this filing is an affidavit written up by the sheriff's deputy, who was the arresting officer last Friday. And that Deputy says that when Tiger Woods was searched, that investigators found two hydrocodone pills in his pocket. And again, that is according to this newly released affidavit, and that is an opioid that is used to treat severe pain. This document also goes into some details about the alleged way that Woods was behaving, talking, walking around after the crash on Friday afternoon. According to this affidavit, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. His pupils extremely dilated.

His movements are described as lethargic and slow. There's also what has been referred to as a DUI packet, more documents released by authorities. So together these documents painting a concerning picture from Friday afternoon, also describing Tiger Woods' speech as being thick-tonged according to these documents. Woods apparently had the hiccups, according to investigators, and was sweating profusely, even while he was seated in a vehicle with cool air flowing. I want to remind everybody that the sheriff's office has said that, Woods passed a breathalyzer test. According to the affidavit, he says that he did not consume

alcohol, but he was asked about if he consumed any prescription medication. And according to the affidavit, quote, he stated, I take a few. He goes on to say there for high blood pressure, cholesterol. He also says, according to this document, he takes ibuprofen and vikidin. And he did say, according to this affidavit, that he took his prescription medication earlier in the morning on the day of this crash. But he also made a point of saying he did not take any illegal substances. And the sheriff's deputy in that affidavit also describes, despite pointing out things that might seem concerning to people, the sheriff's deputy says that Woods was also talkative throughout this process. So, you know, some conflicting information potentially, certainly a lot of

details coming out of this. And the question is, will this be able to be proved in court? We are told there is footage from body cams, from a body cam, from a car cam, and from a DUI room cam. All of that footage will need to be reviewed for redactions, but we do expect that footage to be released soon, Tom. And again, Tiger Woods has pleaded not guilty in that filing today. Okay, Jesse Kirsch, we thank you for that. We want to turn out to our other breaking news. We're following. President Trump announcing a new timeline in the war with Iran telling reporters that the war will end, quote, very soon, even without a deal,

to open the straight of her moves. comments coming as the U.S. continues to pummel Iran. The president posting this video to Truth Shoal showing a massive explosion in Iran after a U.S. strike. And take a look at these images, a Kuwaiti oil tank, are apparently attacked by Iran with a hole blasted through its haul. Strikes like that, sending gas prices above $4 an average, breaking that barrier for the first time in more than four years. But even as gas prices surge, Wall Street's seen an end of the war on the horizon, which sent market skyrocketing today. MBC's Garrett Hake has fallen at all. He has more. Tonight, the massive explosions seen in Iran as the U.S. strikes an ammunition depot, which the Pentagon says is just the latest sign of U.S. dominance in the war, with 11,000 Iranian regime targets hit in the last four weeks. The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it. And late tonight, the president suggesting he'll end U.S. air strikes soon. We'll be leaving very soon, I think, within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer to do the job, but we want to knock out every single thing there. While praising Iranian regime officials with whom he says the U.S. is now negotiating. We've had regime change. We're dealing with people that are much more rational.

But here at home, the national average for a gallon of gas has crossed over $4 a gallon for the first time in four years. It's pretty crazy and it's every gas station, you know, and it's like there's no cheap gas anywhere, really, I feel like. The president tonight insisting those prices will come down when the war ends. We're $4, yeah, and we have a country that's not going to be throwing a nuclear weapon at us in six months. All I have to do is leave Iran and we'll be doing that very soon and they'll become tumbling down. Those stocks today surge, the Dow soaring more than 1,100 points with President Trump suggesting U.S. airstrikes will end soon, and then it won't depend on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. What happens to the strait, we're not going to have anything to do with, because these

countries, China, China will go up and they'll fuel up their beautiful ships and they'll leave and they'll take care of themselves. There's no reason for us to do it. Still, the American military buildup in the region continues with the George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier group leaving port in Virginia today, bound for the Middle East. With potential U.S. ground troops, still on the table. We're not going to foreclose any option. Our adversary right now thinks there are 15 different ways we could come at them with boots on the ground. And guess what? There are. With that, Garrett Higg joins us tonight live from the White House. Garrett, President Trump is suggesting the war will end in two weeks, but you have some new reporting tonight that Gulf countries

are still urging him to keep going? Yeah, Tom, it's a complicated neighborhood. And some of our Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, have urged the Trump administration to keep up the strikes on Iran until they can be certain that the regime won't still be able to threaten them or anyone else in the region with drones or ballistic missiles. One senior Gulf official telling NBC News, their message to the White House was, finish the job. There's also the matter of Israel who's been conducting their own bombing campaign against Iran in coordination with the United States, while also fighting an increasingly aggressive war, essentially, of their own in southern Lebanon. There's just no guarantee that President Trump choosing to stop strikes in Iran means this war in the region will come to a close.

All right, Garrett Hakefors, Garrett, we appreciate that. I want to bring in our expert panel on the political and economic impacts. The war in Iran is having here at home. Matt Gorman, NBC News political analyst and Republican strategists, Ashley Etienne, former communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris, good friend at Top Story. And Patrick Dahan, ahead of petroleum analysis for gas buddy. Patrick, I'm going to start the panel with you because of sort of this breaking news we're following. It sounds like, and we don't know because Pete Hugg says one thing, the president says something else, but it sounds like the president is sort of trying to wind down this war. Wall Street seems to believe him.

The markets went crazy today. The biggest day they've had since May. But the gas prices also are above $4. If the reporting or maybe the forecasting is right and the president is trying to wind down this war, how long will it take for gas prices to see that and come down? all depend on the straight-of-Hormuz. Yeah, Tom, while the market clearly wants some optimism after weeks of this situation continuing to drag on, it's holding on to any hope that it can find.

But the real tale is going to be what happens with the Strait of Hormuz. If the U.S. exits, will there be a resumption of oil flowing through the strait? That's the biggest question that could affect Americans and what they're paying at the pump. If the Strait of Hormuz is left unaddressed, expect that Iran will continue to exploit its newfound power in the strait, and it likely will continue to. to lead to chaos, but as the president says, that may force other countries to potentially react. Having said that, leaving the straight in the situation it is now, could continue to push gasoline

and diesel prices into even higher territory than we see today. That's worst-case scenario, best-case scenario, and I know I'm being optimistic here, but you never know what could happen in the world. If it is reopened, how long will Americans back here feel the prices come down? When will they feel the prices come down? Well, Tom, in a most idealistic time frame, if something, say, happens tomorrow where the straight is all the way we reopen, ships are starting to traverse and transit through the straight, oil would likely plummet potentially 10% or beyond in the first few days. That could lead to relief at the pump that starts in a matter of three to five days. So we could start to see the down drafts begin relatively soon, but it could take three to four weeks for the decreases to be fully passed along.

All right, Patrick, we appreciate that. that, Matt, I know you're not an expert in diplomatic relations or military strategy, maybe Minecraft, I'm not sure. I do want to ask you, though, you are an expert in messaging. What is the president's message? Because it is sort of all over the place when you listen to Pete Hexette today. And maybe they're trying to confuse the enemy, but along the way they may be confusing Americans. Is the president sort of writing a check now, or at least giving a promise to the American people, that he's going to come out of Iran soon? He literally said that tonight. Yeah, it reminds me of that line when Pete, they use him dealing with title.

I want in China, that strategic ambiguity. When you're ambiguous to your enemies like Iran, you're also, though, ambiguous to your more domestic audience, whether voters or like the MAGA world or even just independent voters. I think that's the challenge. And that's what you're seeing a little bit more on the right than you saw maybe two weeks ago. And look, let's be honest, right? For the first year or so, the Trump presidency, those gas prices were a tangible success. That's why it's so jarring that they're so high now.

And I think that's the issue here. The volatility, it's still early. don't get me wrong. And there's time for, as Patrick talks about, that volatility to kick in over three to five days or even just a month. But I think, too, they need to be cognizant of how they wind down this war or find ways to escalate without shutting off the Australian-Hurnees and Thailand. Can you make sense of what they're saying? Do you have any idea of what they're saying? Of the timeline? I think they're trying, honestly. I think they're trying to pressure Iran into cutting a deal. I think that they're trying to use leverage. We've seen this so many times of the second

Trump term is apply pressure, extract leverage. If you can't find that leverage pivot to something else. The problem is it's a volatile global energy market. It's an irrational actor in Iran. So you're not always in with the same set of circumstances that you were, say, for Mexico and Canada with tariffs. Yeah, Ashley, Democrats are largely in the dark here just because Congress is being left in the dark. You need to support the troops. You don't want to seem un-American that you aren't supporting our service members who are fighting this war in Iran. But how did Democrats sort of take what's happening here and explain it to the American people, at least into the lead up to the midterms?

I mean, I think it's quite simple. I think it is that the president has no plan. And I think what Democrats should be doing is really leveraging the American public's memory of what happened in Iraq, really framing this up as a potential Iraq 2.0, where we're going in and wasting billions of dollars, sacrificing the lives of American soldiers for an unjustified war. I think it's really just that simple. And then also, too, I think the president makes the case for us.

There is no vision. There is no plan. There is no exit strategy right now. He's clearly flailing right now. And again, you can even turn to the conflicting messages we're getting from the Secretary of State and from the Secretary of Defense here, or I should say of war. There is no clear objective here. There is no clear plan, but it's clear that the president is, his back is against the wall

and he's boxed in. Again, we're going this alone, very much, very different than Iraq. and we're wasting and weakening our allies, allies ships across the world here while also sparking a energy crisis, global energy crisis. So I think this whole thing has become a mess. The president is making the case for Democrats.

And again, I think we just need to remind the American people that this could be their Iraq 2.0. Matt, do Americans understand why we're at war? Have Republicans communicated the strategy successfully? I know the Secretary of State has been out there doing a lot of interviews this week, and the president has been out there as well trying to explain this. But do you think Americans understand why we're at war with Iran? Yeah, I think that's the challenge, right?

If you asked me a month ago, many of the folks that were skeptical of essentially the war, the operation in Iran, who was mostly folks that had some kind of anti-Israel tinged to it, right? It was Marjorie Taylor Green, Tucker Carlson. I think we've seen the last two or so weeks. There's more skepticism among the rank and file, even Derek Van Norton, who is no, you know, foe of the president up in Wisconsin, a House member, has unequivocally stated zero ground troops. But look, this will come to a head eventually because there's going to be about $200 billion war appropriation going through Congress. It's going to have to if they want these

operations to continue. So that's when the rubber's going to meet the road for folks in Congress to say yea or nay. Ashley, we know that Democratic Senator Cory Booker said this weekend that the party, his party, the Democratic Party, has failed this moment and has called for new leadership. Do you agree with that? Have Democrats not met this moment? Well, I do agree with the challenge that he laid out is that we do have to advance a proactive, affirmative vision. I've talked to both the heads of the caucuses on both the Senate and the House side and just most recently with the DNC about this issue, that they need to launch a proactive agenda just to contrast our vision with what the president's offering the American people. But here's really my concern with all due respect to Cory Booker.

He actually is in leadership on the Senate side. He's in charge of the Democrats' messaging on the Senate side. So much of this feels like positioning, but it also raises questions about his credibility. It's not enough to be in leadership and criticize leadership. You actually have to show and demonstrate some leadership and try to solve the problem that you're actually critiquing. And that's when I'm not seeing from him. And I think, again, you know, many people see sort of right through what the senators actually saying here and see this more about his positioning. versus actually the failures of the Democratic Party, which, again, he's in charge of.

Patrick, before we go, I want to circle back to you. Do gas prices keep going up in the meantime? Yeah, Tom, unless there's some sort of resolution that reopens the straight, that is the risk here, is that, yes, oil and gasoline prices likely to go up in the interim until there is clarity, something that we haven't seen a whole lot of. And until that clarity reopens the straight of Hormuz, yes, gas prices continue to track higher. We could see $4.50.5 isn't impossible for gasoline. And diesel, meanwhile, could set new all-time records.

It's only 20 cents a gallon away from doing that today. Okay. Patrick, Ashley, Matt, we thank you so much for your time tonight. We're following more breaking news, including a major setback for President Trump. A federal judge ruling construction on that multi-million dollar ballroom at the White House must stop. Remember these scenes from October, the East Wing demolished to make way for the project? Well, the president's vision for the space, including ornate ceilings and golden chandeliers with a massive military bunker below. But today, a judge ruling construction cannot, well, construction can continue, but for the next two weeks, you're going to have to figure out what happens. Are Kelly O'Donnell's falling in all? It has more.

A new stop work order from a federal court on President Trump's passion project, the White House ballroom. That order halts construction unless Congress approves the plans. The administration quickly appealed. The president clearly frustrated. Basically, he's saying I need congressional approval. And he's so wrong. Judge Richard Leon had granted the request of a preservation group with a pointed message for the builder-in-chief.

The president of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of first families. He is not, however, the owner. The ballroom is never far from the president's mind. publicly balancing his wartime duties and construction management. I'm so busy that I don't have time to do this, but I'm fighting wars and other things. But this is very important. His vision, gigantic, with seating capacity for up to 1,000 guests.

The cost swelling to $400 million, privately funded, he says. Buried below... The military is building a big complex under the ballroom. This new legal fight spurred by that October surprise. The destruction of the East Wing and its century of history. Reckage without the typical oversight. The federal judge writes the president went too far. No statute comes close to giving the president the authority he claims to have.

All right, Kelly joins us now from the White House. And Kelly, walk our viewers through this. Construction didn't stop at the White House, but explain what's happening with the ruling. Well, we were watching based on a... crane, which continue to move as it has typically. Now, in the judge's order, he acknowledged that stopping construction on a big site like this suddenly could leave some safety hazards for work that's not complete, things of that nature. So giving the administration two weeks to tighten up whatever they have here that might fall under that category. You can imagine when you start a project,

holes are being dug, things are being kind of pushed around. Could that be a safety hazard? Well, The president seized on that in the Oval Office, and he said, safety, it's all about safety. We're adding bulletproof glass. We're adding all kinds of safety features, so therefore we can go forward. Now, the judge in his order had also talked about the fact that the government had argued that this is about national security. The judge said he received specific documents. He does not buy that argument that the building of this is not about national security. There's that military bunker you referenced. He also said leaving a hole on the east side of the White House is a problem of the president's own making. So the National Trust for the Historic Preservation, they are the ones who brought this suit.

They are saying that the typical sort of planning level approvals did not happen here and that Congress needs to be involved. Because the administration is going to appeal this, has already done so quickly they filed that appeal. exactly the rhythm. But the urgency, Tom, as you understand, as the president's been in office a little more than a year now, he wants to see this ballroom done so that he can use it while he's still in office. A construction project of this magnitude can often take years. So he feels an urgency. Certainly there are others who believe if it goes too fast and it is too big and it is not carefully thought out that that is not a legacy for the country. Tom? All right, Kelly O'Donnell, we thank you for that. We want to turn back to the Mideast where an American journalist was kidnapped by

a pro-Iran militia in Iraq. Her alarming abduction all cut on video. NBC's Ralph Sanchez has this report. Tonight, this video showing the moment American journalist Shelley Kittleson is kidnapped in Baghdad by suspected Iranian-backed militants. Iraq's Interior Ministry tells us

this silver car pulled up as Kittleson was waiting on the side of the road. Two men bundle her into the backseat, and seconds later, it drives off. Authorities say, Security forces chase the kidnapper's vehicle, which crashed and was badly damaged. But some of the men escaped with Kittleson. One suspect arrested. The State Department says they have ties to Ketab Hezbollah, a militia,

supported by Iran. Efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the kidnapped journalist, Iraq's government says. Kittleson has extensive experience reporting in the Middle East. You need to develop that gut feeling and you need to follow it. monitor website, which she writes for, saying, we call for her safe and immediate release. Ketabazbullah has a long history of kidnappings, holding Princeton researcher Elizabeth Zerkov for 903 days before the Trump administration negotiated her release last year. And Ralph joins us tonight live from Doha.

Raf, you have new reporting from the State Department about threats against this American journalist? Yeah, Tom, the State Department aware of threats to this journalist while she was in Iraq, and the State Department says they warned her about those threats. They say the FBI is now involved in the case trying to secure her release, and the travel advice for Americans is, one, don't go to Iraq at all, but two, if you are there, leave the country immediately. And the source of this concern, Tom, is those Iranian-backed militia groups. The early weeks of the war, we saw them repeatedly targeting the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad with drones and with rockets. There seems to be something

of a truce right now. It's been a little bit of time since the embassy was last targeted. But Tom, Iraq is kind of unique in the Middle East in that it is the one country where you have significant numbers of American troops on the ground and at the same time very large numbers of militants directly backed and armed by Iran. Tom. Okay, Raf, we thank you for that report. We're back at a moment with the countdown to blast off NASA gearing up to fly farther from the earth than ever before. We'll hear from a former astronaut about what it could mean for future to the moon. Plus, Defense Secretary Pete Higgseth just weighing in after two Apache helicopters flew by Kid Rock's house, what he's saying about those pilots involved. And the wild end to this police pursued how deputies managed to stop a suspect who made off with a stolen Bud Light beer truck. Stay with us.

We're back now with the countdown to blast off. Tonight, NASA says it is still on track to send four astronauts on a historic mission around the moon. That rocket set to launch in less than 24 hours from the Kennedy Space Senator. in Florida, center in Florida. Our Tom Costello is there. Standing on LaunchPan 39B, Artemis, is tonight poised for liftoff, the crew in quarantine with their families. Commander Reid Weissman posting this photo with his daughters. NASA chief Jared Isaacman says they represent a new generation. What does it mean in the terms of America's place and space history? It means we're about to make our return to the moon and this time to stay.

Artemis 2 is the opening act. The next 24 hours will be critical for launch. At 7.34 a.m. ground teams will begin fueling the rocket. At 9.45 a.m., the crew already on mission time will wake up, eat breakfast, and suit up. At 2 p.m., they'll head to the pad. At 6.24 p.m., they begin a 10-day mission to the moon. So to achieve this, NASA has built one of the largest and most powerful rockets ever. This is called SLS, the space launch system.

It stands a massive 322 feet tall. That's taller than the Statue of Liberty. It's huge. And it features these four engines at its base, along with those two booster rockets right there. This combined force provides the lifts needed for 7 million pounds getting off the ground and into space. That's the equivalent of 700 elephants. At the very top of the rocket, that's the Orion Space capsule. I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again.

Mission managers insist astronaut's safety is the highest priority. The key to this is understanding the risk, doing everything you possibly can to drive it to zero, and then at some point you're going to accept that risk because you're not going to be able to explore the world's beyond ours without taking some risk. All right, and Tom joins us now along with former astronaut Hoot Gibson. He's flown on five space shuttle missions and led for them. We thank you both for being here. Tom, since you were just speaking, I'm going to actually start off with you. It's been more than five decades since we landed on the moon, right?

So explain to our viewers, why does NASA think it's so important to try again and why now? Well, and importantly, Congress thinks it's important. And the American public think it's important to go back to the moon, right? So this is a test flight with humans on board. The previous Artemis won. nobody was on board. Now we have humans on board, and then they want to land humans actually on the moon in 2028. They want to build a lunar base, create a permanent settlement there for scientists, and eventually they want to go on to Mars. But to get to Mars, you can't just get there straight from Earth because of the Earth's gravitational pull.

You need to go to a base, like the moon, and go from there. And oh, by the way, we got a new space race, right? It's not Russia anymore. It's China. And they too want a moon. base by 2030, Tom. And then, who tell our viewers here, you've been out there in space. You obviously are somebody who believes in this program. Is it worth it to spend all this money, billions of dollars, right? Decades in training, sending humans up there, Americans, risking their lives to eventually go to Mars.

What is the ultimate benefit, you think, for the United States? We humans are meant to explore, and this is one of the greatest exploration. that we could possibly ever do. We have been to the moon many years ago, but it was just a very brief stay. Now we want to establish a bit of a colony on the moon and learn how to operate and learn what the shortcomings are

and what the pitfalls will be before we commit to sending humans all the way to Mars. And so this launch with four astronauts on board is a really important stepping stone towards getting to Mars and getting to a moon base. When they open up that hotel on the moon, I want you to tape the welcome video because you have the voice and the passion for this.

Tom, you got a chance to spend time in that space capsule. Explain to our viewers, it feels very small for 10 days. Yeah, yeah. And to be clear, the simulator, but you're right. Yeah, the simulator. This is the Orion capsule right here. and the Orion capsule is on top of the Artemis stack. So eventually, once they're in space, the Orion capsule comes off,

and then it flies towards the moon. You may remember Apollo, right, three astronauts on Apollo. Orion is bigger, about 33% bigger. Four astronauts will be inside Orion. They have to test out a lot of new. Everything here is new. Everything, right? So they have to test out everything from the propulsion systems

to the docking systems, to the water treatment systems. They have a brand new toilet. Listen, you got to make sure that's working before you spend 10 days going to the moon and coming back. They want to test out. They have new medical tests to understand the effects of space on humans. They have new space suits that they have to test out. There's just a long, long list that they have to go through. All of it, setting the stage should eventually put people on the moon itself, I should say.

I know you were in the space shuttle, but talk to me about sort of the training for the space. capsule and how you get ready for that 16 and a half feet in diameter. You're going to be with three other humans for 10 days. How do you get mentally ready for that? By spending time in the simulator and getting to know each other very well, which they will, as close as they are together. Now, the Orion capsule is pretty roomy when you look at capsules that we have seen in the past. The Apollo, three-person capsule. I flew the simulation. in Russia of the Soyuz, and that's a really tight three-person capsule. But Artemis program and the Orion spacecraft uses a significantly larger capsule,

and in weightlessness, it's a little bit easier to get around because you don't all have to share the floor. You can fly wherever you need to go. It's a good point. We found that out in the space shuttle program. You know, you get concerned sometimes. I was on crews of seven and eight people, and on the ground, it's kind of unwieldy, but once you get weightless, it really becomes a whole lot easier. That's a great point. Briefly, does the simulator, how much is the simulator a good sort of scrimmage, if you will, for the real thing? It is absolutely excellent.

Every time I went to space, I felt like I had been there 100 times before because the simulation is so good. These were the simulators that we had for space shuttle. Things have evolved since then, and the simulations now are even better. The visual scenes are more realistic, and so everything that we do now is a quantum step ahead of where we were with the space shuttle. This crew will be thoroughly prepared and thoroughly trained. It sounds so exciting. Tom, before we go, you're a resident historian. Were there questions unanswered about the moon that we hope to learn in this mission? is my first question to you, and then 10 days. Can you walk our viewers through those 10 days?

Well, think about, you know, when we left the moon in 1972, we did not even know at that point that there was frozen water ice at the South Pole. We now know that, and we think that we can, we, you know, NASA thinks that they can tap that water ice, not only for a lunar base, but then for fuel to go on to Mars. So that is just one of many elements about the moon that we have learned since we were last there. for what's going to happen over the next 24 hours. As I mentioned, launching the window starts 6.24 p.m. Wednesday, and then we are going to see them for the next 24 hours orbiting the Earth in the Orion capsule. They're going to be going 17,000 miles per hour. And then they're going to

really accelerate. 24,000 miles per hour headed right for the moon. That's a four-day trip. A huge circle eight around the moon. They're not orbiting. They're going to around the moon in a big circle and then they're going to be heading back. So total trip time, 10 days before they splash down in the Pacific. 600,000 miles round trip. And one last point, Hout was talking about the size, if you will, of the Orion capsule. It's about the size of two minivans. However, you got four people shoulder to shoulder, and Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian mission specialist, is about six foot two. And he jokes, Canada got a little more than this fair share of space. on Orion because he's a big guy. He's a tall guy. So they're all going to have to do a little bit of, I think,

arm wrestling just to be able to gain some access to certain parts of the Orion capsule. Yeah, I appreciated Hoot's optimism about how roomy that capsule was. Too many vans for people. It's going to be tight. Guys, thank you so much, Tom. And, of course, thank you for your service. Join us for special coverage of Artemis's launch starting tomorrow at 4 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now. Still ahead tonight, the dramatic cop car escape, a woman in handcuffs managing to wriggle her way out of that car window, how she was eventually caught, and the wild moments at sea of windsurf for colliding with the whale. What happened next? But first, top story's top moment in the catch of a lifetime for this father and son. They were on a fishing trip in Florida as a graduation gift when they hooked a monster swordfish.

Take a look. One, two, three. One, two, three. Two, three, pull. All right, watch out. He's going to fall. Watch out. He's going to fall.

Oh, my God. The captain says it took them five grueling hours to reel in the 480-pound fish. What a catch. The family took some of the meat home, but donated the rest of it to the community. As you know or may not know, swordfish is one of the best fish to eat in the sea. Stay with us. More top story on the way. We are back now with a multi-day severe weather threat underway, putting

millions on alert, storm stretching from Illinois to New York, packing damaging winds, intense hail and the risk for tornadoes. Some areas already feeling the impacts, video capturing heavy hail pounding parts of western New York. I want to bring in NBC Connecticut meteorologist, Ryan Hanrahan. Ryan, thanks for being here for us. Walk us through the timing on this one. Yeah, so the storms are sort of already underway across portions of upstate New York, all the way back into the Great Lakes. There's one cluster of thunderstorms here in your Albany, down through Binghamton, New York, and farther west. Just some really, really. Masty weather moving through portions of Ohio.

In fact, Cleveland earlier had a wind gust of 71 miles per hour as these storms moved on through. And we're not done yet. So for tomorrow, it looks like the threat is going to shift a little bit farther south. So some gusty thunderstorms across the mid-Atlantic. But I think the bigger severe weather threat is going to be back across the central plains, including a risk for tornadoes from Kansas down through Oklahoma and Texas. Now, by Thursday, it all comes to the east a little bit. So that severe weather threat is going to be through the main.

Midwest, Chicago included in that, but north of the front, it would be cold enough that will be dealing with snow and mixed precipitation, even some ice from the UP of Michigan, back west into Minnesota and North Dakota. By the end of the week, things begin to calm down at least a little bit for the Midwest, but a chance for some showers along the East Coast and more storms likely in the Central Plains. And on the southern side of this front, it is going to be exceptionally warm. We're talking about temperatures 20, 25 degrees above normal with record high temperatures across portions of the Mid-Atlantic back through Ohio River Valley. Tomorrow in Philadelphia, 82, 83 in Atlanta, and 85 in Paducah, Kentucky. So spring is most definitely here, Tom. All right, Ryan, good to hear it, man. Appreciate it. Not a top story's news feed and an update on the military helicopters seen flying near Kid Rocks home in Nashville over the weekend. Earlier today, we learned that the pilots that flew those helicopters were suspended. But just moments ago, Defense Secretary Pete Higg-Seth announced he's the suspension. He's the suspension. had been lifted. Writing in a post on X, no punishment, no investigation. The incident went viral

after Kid Rock posted videos online, showing him clapping and saluting the Apache helicopters. And a wild chase in Indiana coming to a dramatic end. Look at this body cam video shows a deputy parking his patrol SUV in the road and throwing out rumble strips. And you can see a suspect accused of stealing a bud light truck plowing right into the patrol car and crashing into a field. Deputies surround him and force him out of the cab. He's been charged with attempted murder. And a class action lawsuit filed against David protein bars just got dismissed. We told you about the case earlier this month that alleged that the popular bars have about 400% more fat and 80% more calories than advertised. It's unclear why the plaintiff's voluntary dropped the lawsuit, but a David spokesman says they're focused on their customers and remain confident in the accuracy of their nutrition labeling.

Okay, big collision out on the water in California. You got to see this one. Video captured a windsurfer. Look at this speeding right through the San Francisco Bay. and right into a whale that surfaces in his path, almost like a giant speed bump. The band flies off the board and his sail collapses into the water

as the whale disappears into the bay. Crazy. Okay, we head to Michigan in a stunning viral video of one woman's Houdini-like escape from a cop car in handcuffs. Here's Maggie Vespah. Caught on camera, one woman's jaw-dropping escape from the back of a Michigan police cruiser.

Watch her wriggle through that window, hands cuffed behind her back. Man, oh, my fuck, God, this is live. She briefly pauses, then out comes one leg. They don't even see. With both legs out, she takes off running. Look, look, look, look. Y'all seen it live.

This is live. The escapee gone. The camera pans over, showing officers gathered around that white truck, seemingly none the wiser. They didn't see this, bro. An officer approaches, appearing to notice the camera, then looks in that open window. He circles the SUV, the suspect, nowhere to be found. How ridiculous is this video to you? Well, it happens all the time, really.

People escape police custody all the time. NBC News law enforcement analyst Jim Kavanaugh. Normally you would leave the windows up in the patrol car. And, of course, the doors don't open from the inside. The officer might have just been trying to give her some fresh air and wasn't quite expecting that level of acrobatics. Prosecutors IDing the woman as 38-year-old Kendra Aeney arrested Saturday afternoon moments before this video was taken on a parole violation. After her escape, court records show Aeney was on the lamb for three days. Muskegan Heights Police saying at one point she broke into a nearby home before fleeing again.

Officers ultimately finding Aeney in a separate abandoned house Tuesday. morning, all the while video of her Houdini-style escape going viral. I'm sure that thing is going to have a life of its own on the internet, and it's going to be in every police academy from now until the end of time. All right, and with that, Maggie Vespah joins Top Story. So Maggie, obviously the woman's quite athletic. She's also in a lot more trouble. I assume what's next in this case?

Yeah, so Tom, what's next is her arraignment tomorrow for charges tied to that breaking and entering, specifically that we talked about. We expect at that point she'll be assigned a lawyer. Prosecutors clarified they still haven't charged her tied to the escape itself, but they add the investigation into that is ongoing, so more charges could come. And obviously, we anticipate that video will play a key role. Tom. All right, Maggie Vesper for us, Maggie, we thank you for that. We want to turn out of the Supreme Court handing down a monumental decision today ahead of a potentially blockbuster hearing tomorrow. Today, in a blow to LGBTQ rights, the justice is rejected COLAARATED COLAO's ban on conversion therapy for kids questioning their sexuality or gender identity.

Senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett joins us now with more. Laura, 20 other states have similar bans, walk our viewers through the decision and sort of the wider impact. Yeah, those bans in other states, Tom, may actually be in question now. There's sort of a question mark of whether their legality can go forward. In this case, Colorado tried to ban conversion therapy, essentially saying, we think it's dangerous. The medical community has called this into dispute. court today saying not so fast in an eight to one decision, interestingly, saying anytime the government tries to regulate speech based on the someone's viewpoint, it raises First Amendment alarm

bells here. And because this particular therapist is saying, I'm not even engaged in conversion therapy. I'm not trying to convert anybody. I'm just trying to help people who want my help. The justice has said, this is purely about her speech. It's not about her content. She wasn't like trying to give anyone medication or engage in any sort of physical therapy. It was purely talk therapy and it's for that reason that they said this is not going to fly. And Laura, you know, this is very much on the front lines of the cultural wars. Not all of our viewers may be up to speed on conversion therapy. What exactly is it? And I know it can be very wide-reaching and very broad. Yeah. And its most extreme, it involves actually therapy trying to talk someone out of being gay.

And that's why it has come under such scrutiny. But again, in at least this particular therapist's case, she's saying, I'm not trying to do anything that a patient doesn't already want to do. Gotcha. Tomorrow arguments also for another major hearing about birthright citizenship. What do we know about this one? Yeah, so this, of course, is part of the president's cracked down on immigration. He's tried to ban citizenship that's guaranteed under the 14th Amendment for anyone who's born here on U.S. soil. Every court that has looked at this below has said, nope, that violates the 14th Amendment, violates the Constitution. Supreme Court's going to have the final say. Okay, Laura Jarrett, good to see you here. We'll see you in the morning, too. Coming up tonight, our series, The Cost of Denial and One Widow's Fight to Change a Law to Honor Her Late Husband,

how the move could save countless lives. Plus, the Royal announcement when King Charles and Queen Camilla will make their first state visit to the U.S. since taking over the monarchy. That's next. We're back with our series, The Cost of Denial, where we investigate the challenges people face with insurance. And we have an update tonight on a story we brought you last summer and the widow who is fighting to change a law at her husband's honor. Our story tonight reported in partnership with KFF Health. Here's Aaron McLaughlin.

He loved sitting at the beach at sunset. That was his favorite time. Rebecca Tenant is mourning her late husband, Eric, and wants to make sure what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else. People should not have to beg to get help, especially for something that they are already paying for. You all right? Yeah, I'm good.

We first met the tenants in Bridgeport, Westford. Virginia almost a year ago. Eric in the midst of a battle with a form of bile duct cancer. For four agonizing months. What does time mean to you right now? It means everything. They'd been fighting repeated insurance denials from P-E-I-A, the insurer for state employees, hoping for a treatment that Eric's oncologists believed, while not a cure, could prolong his life. This seems like a never-ending battle. Never-ending. And yet you're still fighting. Still fighting. Yep. We're going to fight. That's one thing.

we're going to do. Ultimately, the approval came. But by then, Eric had run out of time. The tumor had overtaken his liver. He died last summer at home. With everybody around him, knowing that he was loved and cared about. Becky vowed to continue their fight and partnered with state lawmaker Laura Kimball, pushing for legislation that would allow West Virginia's P-E-I-A patients approved for one treatment to automatically qualify for an alternative treatment. of equal or lesser cost that their doctor recommends. Did you talk with Eric about this push for change? We talked about it.

He just told me not to be scared. We had 93 I's zero nays. 33A's zero nays. The legislation passed unanimously, but PIA attached a note. Estimating the bill would cost the state $13 million a year. A final decision falling to West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrissey, who today spoke with reporters at an event promoting state tourism. Do you intend on signing that bill that's on your desk right now,

or are you going to exercise your veto power? Well, I will say we're looking closely at the bill, and the first time I heard about this, I knew that we have to make a change. For Rebecca, just the effort, a tribute to her husband's memory. I think he'd be proud of you? Oh, yeah, I think he would. He would just probably be over the moon excited about it and happy.

knowing, you know, that we've gotten the support that we've gotten. So, yeah. And we have just learned that the governor has signed the bill, writing in a statement to NBC News. This is about common sense, compassion, and trusting patients and their doctors to make the best decisions for their care. Tom.

Turning overseas at Top Stories Global Watch, and we start in Cuba. We're a Russian oil tanker just docked today. It marks the first time in months that an oil ship has reached the island. The Trump administration allowed the tanker to arrive despite the ongoing U.S. energy blockade. Experts say the shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel enough to meet Cuba's daily demand for nine or 10 days. And Mexico's president is vowing to take action following the death of another Mexican national in U.S. immigration custody. The 51-year-old man died last week while he was held at the Adelanto Ice Processing Center in California.

Mexican officials say they plan to file a legal brief over allegations. of poor conditions at the facility, including inadequate medical care. In a statement to Reuters, a DHS spokesperson, pushed back on the claim, saying only a small number of detainees have died compared to the total population. In the last three months, 14 people have died in ICE custody. Okay, and King Charles is set to make an official state visit to the U.S. Buckingham Palace announcing the King and Queen, Queen Camilla, of course, will travel to Washington late next month to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American Independence.

But they're facing pressure from UK lawmakers to cancel the trip over President Trump's criticism of the British government for not supporting the war in Iran. We shall see what happens. Still tonight, an 11-year-old marking a major molester in his battle with cancer, how his school came together to celebrate with an emotional clapout. It's next. Finally, tonight, the heartwarming celebration for an 11-year-old boy who beat cancer. He spent years fighting for his life and is now cancer-free, so his classmates filled the halls

for an emotional surprise to mark that occasion. Cheers and high fives, filling the halls of Green Elementary in northern Ohio. That's Levi Bucksman walking through the middle, taking it all in after the fight of his young life. This 11-year-old has Down syndrome and just beat cancer. Diagnosed with leukemia in 2023, his mom says they spent more than 260 nights in the hospital. It was awful. It just felt like time stood still. But he never gave up. With his whole school behind him, he rang this bell, marking the end of his cancer treatment.

One of my biggest fears when we had Levi and got his Down syndrome diagnosis was that he wouldn't have friends, that kids would be cruel and he just wouldn't be seen. It warms my heart to see that the kids see him for who he is. This round of applause, a joyful little. celebration for someone so deserving. You're just happy to be a part of the party, huh? Me too, buddy. Way to go, Levi. All right, that does it for us.

Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.