Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, October 7, 2025

Episode Date: October 8, 2025

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

Tonight, Nashville's air traffic control tower going dark as airport delays pile up. And now the FAA is warning more cities could be next. The agency blaming a staffing crunch as the government shutdown impacts airports nationwide. The slowdowns at major airports as air traffic controllers work without pay. One control tower unmanned for hours, what is happening? Also breaking tonight, dangerous flash floods leaving parts of the south underwater. Cars and trucks submerged. Plus, we're tracking tropical storm Jerry gaining strength in the Atlantic and a powerful late-week storm that could slam the East Coast. A medical chopper spiraling out of

control slamming down onto a busy freeway. More than a dozen people jumping into action, lifting the helicopter to save a person pinned in that wreckage. Marking two years since the October 7th attacks is the end of war in Gaza within reach, where negotiations stand tonight. Plus, we speak with a former hostage whose brother is still held captive. Rental car scare. Police officers drawing guns on innocent customers after false reports of rental car thefts, what we know about the terrifying trend. LeBron's fake out, the basketball icon spinning up a frenzy over a possible retirement announcement. The stunt, leaving fans fuming. And the dramatic rip current rescue. A woman and her two children swept up in the ocean first responders racing to pull them

to safety. Plus, the new gold rush, gold surging to record highs, but is it a key indicator of economic trouble ahead? We'll explain. Top story starts right now. And good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, the very real impact of the government shutdown spreading through airports across the country. As we come on the air, Nashville International and Chicago O'Hare both experiencing delays as a result of an air traffic controller shortage. The two join a growing list that includes Dallas and Houston. It comes after that stunning moment in Burbank overnight. The airport's control tower going dark for roughly six hours because they did not have enough controllers to staff it. Officials warning tonight, this could be

just the beginning. Delays also possible in Albuquerque, Boston, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia. Air traffic controllers are said to have one of the most stressful jobs in the world, even in the best of times. But soon they could be forced to do it all without pay if the government remained shut down. Now reports, more and more of them are calling out sick. And for those government workers who have been furloughed in ominous warning from the White House, President Trump suggesting today they may not get back pay when the government opens, despite a law requiring it. NBC's Tom Costello is in Washington for us tonight and leads us off.

Tonight, Nashville and Chicago are the late-breaking airports dealing with delays due to a shortage of controllers. The FAA warning that Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, and Boston could also be affected. All fuel and concern that what happened in Burbank could soon spread. Everything in the tower is closed. You have to call the 800 line. With no controllers in the tower, pilots had to call San Diego controllers as delays quickly grew. I wouldn't want to come to work if I'm not getting paid either, truthfully. Controller shortages have also caused delays at Newark, Denver, and Phoenix.

Controllers are expected to work without pay for now, even as they're already working mandatory overtime to make up for too few controllers. The FAA union suggests stress may be a contributing factor. They've got houses, mortgages, car payments. They have to put food on the table. They're concerned they may not get a paycheck, right? So far, controllers have not missed a paycheck. One controller tells NBC News the sick calls will start coming in because some controllers have to work a second job to bring money in.

Does the union have any plans at all to organize some sort of a sickout across the entire union? Absolutely not. We are going to show up to work again to serve the American people. We don't control the government opening or the government shutting down. and we sure don't control the government ending it. While controllers are not furloughed, the president today suggested government workers who are may not receive back pay. For the most part, we're going to take care of our people. There are some people that really don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way.

But a 2019 law requires that anybody in a government worker furloughed receives back pay. Separately, it is illegal for air traffic controllers to go on strike. So we're going to be watching very closely. If they start missing paychecks, might the sick calls increase and therefore might the delays also increase as well. Alison, back to you. Tom Costello, thank you. At our other major headline, dangerous flash floods in the south, parts of the Louisville area submerged first responders rescuing drivers left stranded as the waters there quickly rose. NBC News meteorologist Bill Cairns has more.

Life-threatening flash floods in Louisville, Kentucky, as more than four inches of rain fell this morning, making the nickname River City all too real for many. Some drivers splashing through drenched roads, despite alerts to avoid unnecessary travel. Look at this, Oak Street. The rain overwhelming drainage systems, this manhole cover bubbling from the water pressure. Water is rushing out of the ground. The mayor's office saying about a dozen calls came into 911. one for help involving cars like this one, submerged and stranded. The mayor urging caution. If you're driving, turn around and don't drown if you see standing water. A jackknife truck

temporarily closing down northbound lanes on I-65 as suburban backyards were left completely underwater. Holy crap. The view outside this business showing how high the water came up on a truck, cars and vans in the parking lot. A plane at Bowman Airfield skidded off the run crashed through a fence and on to the neighboring golf course. The four people on board luckily reported to be okay. The deluge in Louisville today, part of a cold front now moving northeast towards the I-95 corridor. And Bill Cairns joins us now for more. I mean, Bill, talk to us about what happened in Kentucky.

It seems like it got so bad so quickly. How did that happen? And are there other areas on alert tonight? Yeah, Alison, you can say it's simply because it feels like summer. humidity is like summer, so it shouldn't be a shock to anyone, even though we're now in the second week of October, that we had summer-like downpours and flash flooding. All that heavy rain has moved out of Kentucky. It's now over West Virginia, so we do the possibility of some isolated flooding concerns there. But the remainder of this evening, this is going to be beneficial rain.

We all know how dry it has been. It seems like forever now in areas of the northeast, the mid-Atlantic, we're getting a much needed, you know, not a lot, but at least a soaking of rain as it goes through later tonight. So I don't expect any more photos or videos like you've seen there, especially in the Louisville area. That's all said and done. Okay, Bill, let's turn now to the tropics because we have tropical storm Jerry gaining strength in the Atlantic. What's the latest track? Yes, this is our 10th name storm in the season. This is our J-storm Jerry, and it's about three days away from any islands. You can see it's starting to look a little more impressive. This will likely become a category to hurricane

in a couple days. And the question is, how close will it get to the islands here? You know, Puerto Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands. Right now, you're not in that cone of uncertainty. And I wish I could say, you look safe. It's going to be close, but you're going to be safe. But a few, just a few of our computer models are still very close to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Majority of them are not. So this is the outlier solution. I'd like these lines to kind of move away, Allison, and then I can say we're safe. Okay. So you are also watching a late week storm that could actually hit the East Coast, right? What's going on there? Yeah, and this isn't a tropical system. This is going to be an early season noreaster that we're going to be dealing with. And it does appear that it's going to start Friday on the Carolina coast. It's Friday night to Saturday. It gets to be a stronger storm. We're going to get those strong northeast winds. That's why they call them a nor'easter. Heavy rain on the coast.

The high tide cycles, we're going to have a lot of beach erosion problems. And the European model really keeps everything about Jersey Shore southwards. Our American models, a little bit of disagreement, kind of a similar track going up the coast, but much higher impacts in areas of southern New England, New York City, and Long Island by the time we get to Sunday into Monday. So we still have some things to figure out. But the bottom line is, Alison, for anyone with plans on the East Coast this upcoming holiday weekend, pay attention to the forecast. A high-impact event is possible. We will be following you and all your social media very closely.

Bill Cairns, thank you. We appreciate it. And out west now, the race there to rescue a medical crew after their helicopter crashed onto a northern California highway. Bystanders rushing in to lift the chopper off one of the victims. And first responders saying their help saved that trapped passengers' life. NBC's Dana Griffin has the stunning. video the moment before impact this medical helicopter comes crashing down Monday night on a busy Sacramento highway the pilot nurse and paramedic ejected from the aircraft officials say

I have three victims still conscious one victim pinned underneath we held it for several minutes so the the first responder could get the person out video Shows a heroic effort as several bystanders jump into help. And how are they able to get the helicopter off this woman? Speaking to that, Captain, he said it took every ounce of effort from about 15 people to push that helicopter. Luckily, the pilot managed to avoid hitting any drivers and there was no fire. Some Airbus EC-130 models have crash-resistant fuel tanks designed to prevent fires. This situation could have been so much worse.

officials say all three victims are expected to survive. And in this heart-stopping moment, gratitude for the bystanders turned heroes. Wow. And Dana Griffin joins me down now. I mean, Dana, seeing that video, it's horrific. It's also one that you look at and you think, wow, it feels like this could have been so much worse. Is it surprising to people you've spoken to that that helicopter didn't just burst into flames on impact? absolutely everyone is just surprised that no one else was hurt including the drivers and the people on board survived and one reason for that ellison we just confirmed with the parent company of the reach air bus of the reach air medical service they tell us that this specific helicopter did in fact have that crash resistant fuel tank and so that's

designed to prevent fuel leaks so that the chopper doesn't go up in flames and that may have also spared lives here And also the fire captain tells me that if this aircraft were to catch fire, it would have been a major challenge trying to get air or to get water to that scene. Because unlike, you know, neighborhoods, highways don't have, they don't have the fire hydrants. So they would have had to shuttle water and there was already backed up traffic. That's why they couldn't get that heavy equipment in to lift the helicopter. So you have those 15 bystanders rushing in to try to lift the helicopter. So considering this to be a pretty jarring, tragic incident, it was everything that could have gone right in the situation really did.

Wow. It was so amazing to see those people stepping into help. NBC's Dana Griffin in Los Angeles. Thank you. Next tonight to the heated hearing on Capitol Hill. Attorney General Pam Bondi grilled by Senate Democrats over the Epstein case, the James Comey indictment and a whole lot more. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell following it all for us. Attorney General Pam Bondi, combative in today's hearing. Don't call me a liar. Frequently clashing with Senate Democrats. Don't you ever challenge my integrity. A key issue, whether political independence or political interference guides decisions at the

Department of Justice. I am not going to discuss any internal conversations with the White House with you. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin pressed on the legal rationale for deploying National Guard in American cities. What's the secret? Why do you want to keep this secret to American people don't know the rationale behind the deployment of National Guard troops in my state? They're working to protect you. I wish you love Chicago as much as you hate President Trump. On display, a poster-sized version of President Trump's social media message imploring Bondi to investigate his perceived enemies. Five days later, former FBI director James Comey was indicted.

Bondi defended the process. So you are unwilling to tell this committee about conversations with the White House. James Comey was indicted by one of the most liberal grand juries in the United States. Bondi rebuffed questions about the Jeffrey Epstein case and whether any photos of President Trump, who knew Epstein, are in government files. You're grilling me on President Trump and some photograph with Epstein. Republicans urge Bondi to investigate why the FBI, during the Biden era, obtained phone records of several GOP senators as part of a January 6th probe. And separately, the Attorney General pledged to make a public report on left-wing political violence. Ellison?

Kelly O'Donnell, thank you. Now to the new numbers from the southern border, illegal crossings plummeting to record lows during the second Trump administration, falling to the lowest level in 55 years. But across the border in Mexico, some asylum seekers now fearful saying they have nowhere else to go. NBC's Julia Ainsley has the new reporting. Tonight, new numbers showing the dramatic change at the border. We've got the most controlled border we've ever had in the history and in my lifetime in the border patrol. In Eagle Pass, Texas, during the Biden administration, more than 2,000 migrants crossed into the U.S. in a single day.

But now, under President Trump's policies, officers encounter. just 20 migrants a day here. Tonight, DHS touting the lowest number of illegal border crossings since 1970. And Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks tells us they'll expand the one mile of defensive buoys on the Rio Grande. We've got about 500 miles identified

across the entire Texas border where we're going to place these in the river. Is this the new wall? It's defense in depth. We were here two years ago where migrants used to carry children on their backs to get across this river and cut through this bar

wire to get to the United States. They would see hundreds, even thousands a day in this very spot. But today, it's silent. North in Del Rio, border residents telling us they're thrilled crossings are down. We're in our community back, normal. Border security, a major factor in two majority Latino districts. Eagle Pass in Del Rio, voting red last November. Business owner Leo Martinez is a Democrat who voted for Trump, saying his once eight-hour commute to his factories across the border, now takes 20 minutes. Now, if you look at the border, it's super quiet. So whatever the current administration done, it's working.

His daughter voted for Trump too. Do you think what happened here with the surge led more people to vote for Trump? Yes, 100 percent. But across the border, President Trump's policy blocking asylum claims also having an impact. Johanna Romero, with her six-month-old son, saying she's desperate waiting in Mexico since December saying she's fleeing death threats from her baby's father. I was really afraid it was a very strong threat, she said. And Ellison, those policies that we talked about that ban asylum seekers from crossing the southern border are being challenged in court. In fact, they're due

to go before an appellate court in November. I talked to some of the lawyers who are challenging the Trump administration. They called the policy extreme and say that it does not allow people who might have the right to claim asylum in the United States to even get a basic screening. At the same time, Mike Banks said that he says the policy has been effective and that he will not stop until he is operational control of the border, meaning no one gets across undetected, and if they do get across, they're processed, and then returned back to their home countries. Ellison?

Julia Ainslie, thank you. Still ahead on top story, the shocking new photo from TMZ Sports appearing to show Mark Sanchez, just moments after that stabbing incident, the latest on the investigation. And marking two years since Hamas's deadly October 7th attack, where pivotal peace talks now stand. Plus, I'll speak with a former hostage who survived the unimaginable, now pleading for his brother's release. And a warning for anyone getting behind the wheel of a rental car. Why some drivers are being held at gunpoint over mix-ups with the cars, we'll explain. Back now with an update on former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez.

A new photo from TMZ Sports appears to show Sanchez being wheeled away on a gurney after that violent altercation in Indianapolis over the weekend. Sanchez is now facing a felony charge after police say he attacked a 69-year-old delivery driver. For the latest on the investigation, I want to bring in NBC's Stephanie Gosks. So, Stephanie, have we heard anything from Mark Sanchez? Do we know where he is at this point? Alison, we don't, and we've heard very little. We only have one statement from his family, and that was a statement that was released yesterday that said he was recovering from serious injuries and still getting medical treatment,

and that he was focused on that recovery as this legal process went forward. We know that there is a hearing date set for November 5th, and that was pushed down the road because originally this case was going to be a misdemeanor case. And then prosecutors came out on Monday and said they were elevating that charge to felony battery among the other misdemeanor charges. And that meant that it went to an entirely different court, a felony court, a more serious proceeding. And with that one charge, he faces between one and six years in prison, Allison. And Stephanie, we have some new details about the lawsuit that was filed by the delivery driver.

Yes, that's right. Perry Toll filed a lawsuit not just against Mark Sanchez, but against the Fox Corporation as well. He says that he was permanently damaged as a result of this alter case. And we learned some interesting details in that lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, he was here doing his job late on Friday night. He worked for a company that processes and recycles cooking oil. He had backed up into a loading dock at the hotel. and that he was confronted, according to the lawsuit by Mark Sanchez, who said he didn't have any right to be there. The interaction escalated at one point, according to police and this lawsuit. Sanchez actually got into the vehicle, tried to prevent Toll from making a phone call. Then there was a scuffle. Eventually, Toll told the police that he felt that his life was in danger. He pulled out pepper spray and a knife, and that, according to the affidavit, resulted in the injuries that we saw. You know, standing on this street corner, we have video of Mark Sanchez coming down here and going down to a pub that is right down the street, and you can see him bloodied, stumbling.

And according to the police affidavit, a bartender saw him. And that was when they called the police and they got him some help. Stephanie Gosk, thank you. Turning now to terrifying moments caught on police body camera, cops pulling over the driver of a rental car believing the car was stolen. Officers pointing their guns at the driver before realizing she was innocent. It is just one of hundreds of similar incidents that have happened around the country. Chris Glorioso from our NBC New York station has more.

So it is confirmed stolen, though. You are watching police body cam video from this summer. In June, Ohio sheriff's deputies found themselves pursuing what they thought was a stolen rental car. The plate is confirmed stolen, but it's a rental car thing. After running the New York plate, they pulled the driver over, and with adrenaline flowing, they drew their guns. You can see this one here and this one here. Driver! Shut the car off and step out!

The confrontation, nothing short of frightening, but within seconds, cops realized there was a mistake. This driver was no criminal, and this vehicle was not stolen. You're so scared. You're okay. It's okay. We're going to figure it out. The driver in this video, who is also a friend of a news, for producer asked we conceal her identity because she used a corporate discount to rent the car from Avis and wants to keep her employer out of the story. But she wanted viewers to see this video because it turns out mistaken reports of stolen rental cars are more common

than you might think. So unfortunately, this isn't like a uncommon thing with rental companies. To me, that seemed unbelievable. Sometimes they forget to call the law enforcement agency that entered it stolen. That's a pretty common thing. Something needs to change so that they do not have police pulling people over for no reason. Court records reviewed by the I-team show hundreds of customers have sued rental car companies after being humiliated, handcuffed, arrested at gunpoint, arrested in front of their kids, or spending days in jail, all because their rental cars had been falsely classified as stolen. Rental Giant Hertz settled a lawsuit in 2022, paying $168 million to more than 300 customers who said they were falsely accused of theft.

At the time, Hertz's CEO said the resolution put customers first. Face away from me! The driver you see in this video sued Avis, after police drew weapons on him thinking this rental car was stolen. Avis declined to respond to our questions about the incident and declined to say how many of its customers overall have filed similar suits. Get down on your knees. It is a nationwide issue 100%. Attorney Daniel Whitney Jr. represents this driver. He says Avis ultimately resolved the lawsuit, but he believes there is an industry-wide problem with lots of rental car companies failing to carefully monitor their own fleets and being too quick to report vehicles stolen when they're really just misplaced on a lot or turned in late.

What you've got is inventories of thousands of vehicles going state to state, multiple states, and they arrive somewhere, they need to get processed and they need to get turned back out. I get the sense that the priority is more so processing things quickly than processing them carefully. Avis also did not answer questions about this New York rental car pulled over in Ohio. But police records show someone did remove the car from a nationwide database of stolen vehicles eight months before it was pulled over. The weird part is the plates come back stolen. He was just the car comes back stolen. It remains unclear why the license plate triggered cops to initiate a dangerous traffic stop.

If this doesn't get solved, it's going to happen to somebody else. And something else terrible could happen. Driver! Shut the bar up and step out. One attorney told me he's had clients detained or even jailed, not just because the rental car was falsely classified as stolen, but because police have had trouble contacting a customer service representative at the company to verify the authorized driver.

That's why one piece of advice is to make sure you keep that rental contract in the vehicle That way you can present it to police if you are pulled over to prove you have every right to drive that car. Ellison. Chris, Glorioso, thank you. Still ahead on top story, the dramatic rescue caught on camera. A mother and her two children swept out to see how police used new technology to save them. Plus, the dog in Florida now being hailed a hero leading deputies to an 86-year-old woman who got hurt and couldn't make it back home. That video coming up next, but first, Top Story's top moment.

27-year-old T.J. was running his first marathon right outside of Chicago when he got to mile 18 and started to lose steam. His dad decided to jump right in to support his son. Take a look at this. Look at that. Dad might not be able to keep up. Hey, you did high rock. You did high rocks. You can do anything. Dad was keeping up all right.

You see here a younger picture of T.J. running with his dad. Now they have a memory. The whole family says they will not forget. Stay with us. More news on the way. Back now in marking two years since the October 7th terrorist. attack that took the lives of more than 1,000 people and changed the course of history in the

Middle East. Thousands in Israel remembering the lives lost and praying for the hostages still being held. Today's somber vigils coming at a pivotal time for negotiations as both sides pushed to end a brutal war that has left more than 60,000 Palestinians dead. Our Richard Ingle is in the region with the latest. Across Israel today, remembrances and memorials. Marking two years since Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel, murdering more than 1,200 people, and kidnapping 251. More than 370 Israelis were killed at the Nova Music Festival alone. Gal Gilboa Dilal was at the party with his brother Guy when Hamas swooped down and opened fire.

The brothers were separated. Guy was taken into Gaza and is among the 20 hostages believed to be still alive. Every day is a new process of losing your hope and getting them up again. Tonight, Israelis are gathering in front of Prime Minister Netanyahu's residents. They are here to remember the Hamas massacre two years ago, to be together in solidarity with the hostages, and to support the negotiations that could finally end this war. In Gaza, there's overwhelming support among civilians for a peace deal.

This was Gaza two years ago, and this is what it looks like today. Medical officials say more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed. In Egypt, indirect negotiations continued today over President Trump's peace plan. We want a release of the hostages immediately. But there are significant differences tonight on key issues, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the future of Hamas and its weapons. Richard Engel, thank you. Joining us now is Ayer Horn. He is a former Israeli hostage.

He was in captivity for nearly 500 days. His brother, Aitan, is still being held hostage by Hamas. Both were taken from near Oz Kibbutz two years ago today. Ayer, thank you so much for taking the time to join us today. I am so sorry for everything you have been through everything you and your family are still going through. So take me back to that time when you were in captivity, 500 days almost. How did you maintain hope? Well, you know, it's really hard, but hope is the last thing you lost, because you think

about your family, your loving ones, and you just keep on going. automatic mode. I see your shirt and I know, I think almost every video and photo I've seen of you since you've been released, you have been wearing a shirt with your brother's name. You talk about him all the time at one point saying, everyone asks me, what I need, and what I need is my brother back. Do you know his status right now? Have you been able to get any updates?

No. No, we don't know nothing since I left the Gaza Strip. in February. I hope he's alive. And it's really sad, but it's not just a shirt. Right now, right now it's like my uniform. I wear this shirt every time, every day, every minute. So it even became part of my skin. It's not just a shirt.

Eitan just turned 39. I'm sure you are, it's really hard, I imagine, to not be able to celebrate it with him, to not know how he's doing more than I can possibly imagine. If you could speak to him, what would you say? And for viewers who are seeing his face, hearing his name, what do you want them to know about your brother and the situation he's in right now?

Well, first of all, He doesn't have a skin disease, and he's right now suffering, I know. He needs medications and the special soup, soap. He needs to wash himself. Down the tunnels, you don't get showers daily. So it's very difficult, but I hope he's still alive. And I hope he's still strong, no, just physically, strong mentally. And we hope also that this nightmare got to be.

get to the end. Are you hopeful, right near Yair? Right now, Yair, that your brother will soon be home and that these negotiations will actually work? Yes, yes, yes. That's the only thing that I have, hope and believe and keep on going. That's what we have. That's what we'd have, and keep on advocate until this nightmare will end.

It's not just a time. There are another 47 hostages. It's been two years. It's just crazy. It's really crazy. Two years. As leaders from the United States, Israel and around the world meet, what is your message to them as a survivor and also as a family member of someone still in captivity?

Well, I think worry is madness. And after two years, it's really time to end this madness, end this nightmare. And maybe we try to start to try to reheal ourselves, our country, all the society, but it's not just the Israel or Palestine. It's all the world. We need to stop the world. We need peace. We need to coexist. Yeah, Your Horn, thank you for your time tonight.

I am so sorry for all that you have endured, and I hope so soon we can talk to you when your brother is back home. you and safe. Thank you for sharing your story, your family's story with us tonight. We really appreciate it. Thank you for having me. Not at Top Stories News Feed, and we start with the price of gold surpassing $4,000 for the first time ever. The precious minerals futures trading at a record high as the U.S. government shutdown continues. Gold has continued to rise as the U.S. dollar weakens and inflation persists. Historically uncertain economic times have caused the cost of gold to rise as investors seek a safe place to secure their money.

National Guard troops have arrived in the Chicago area as Illinois seeks to block their deployment. Soldiers were seen at a military base 50 miles outside the city. Lawyers for the Trump administration reported that troops from Texas were headed north on Monday and that they were, quote, to be in position Tuesday or Wednesday. It comes as a federal judge urged the administration to pause the deployment ahead of a hearing over a lawsuit. filed by the state of Illinois. And new tonight, ex-NFL star Herschel Walker was just confirmed as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.

Walker had a short stint in politics running as a Republican in the 2022 U.S. Senate race in Georgia, losing narrowly to Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. He was nominated for the position in December by President Trump. Walker fills an ambassadorship that has been vacant for more than a decade. And in Florida, an incredible moment caught on camera. A hero dog leading police to an 86-year-old woman who was reported missing while out with the pub. He ran up to my car, and I said, bring me to your mommy, and he ran back here. He come up to your car.

Oh, sweetheart. A woman's husband called, husband rather, called police after she did not come back from her walk with Eeyore. That's the dog for over an hour. Eeyore leading the sheriff's deputy from her car to the woman who was lying injured, but conscious on a sidewalk. And on the Jersey shore, a dramatic rescue caught on camera, a mother and her two children swept away by a rip current. Body camera and drone video showing the race to save them and the new technology that made

a big difference. NBC's Valerie Castro has this report. A terrifying scene unfolding off the Jersey shore. 9-1-1, where's your emergency? Someone's drowning in the ocean right between the ocean music pier and the jetty. They're screaming help. I got a visual on four. One more going in.

First responders, scrambling to save a mother and her two children, swept away by a rip current Sunday afternoon. Please get help out. They're coming. They're coming. Police body cam and drone footage capturing the adrenaline-filled rescue. It only takes a second for the current to take you right out. The drone, not only giving a bird's eye view, but dropping a flotation device into the water. And I towed them in kind of on an angle.

because you don't want to go directly against the current. With the beach unguarded this time of the year, every second counted. Multiple crews hitting the water to rescue the Pennsylvania family, pulling them back to shore. I know. Everyone's accounted for. They're making their way out of the water. The heart-pounding rescue in Ocean City coming just months after another dramatic drone save, this one on a Florida beach. Oh, my God. A fisherman using his personal drone to drop a flotation device to a teen trapped in a rip current.

She survived. A powerful reminder that drones are quickly becoming tools of life-saving technology on the water. Back in Ocean City, police saying the mother and kids were treated at a hospital and are expected to be okay. She was super appreciative. Out of breath. Out of breath, but tonight out of danger. And Valerie Castro joins us now on set. I mean, Valerie, you touched on it, but drones really have become this vital rescue tool. How else are they being used?

Well, they've become a way to quickly assess really any emergency situation. and thermal drones have been used in several documented cases to find children missing in densely wooded areas. They have a heat-seeking option that they can use. And they've also been used to even find people that have been swept away by avalanche. Really numerous applications. NBC's Valerie Castro, thank you.

Turning overseas now to Top Story's Global Watch, and we begin in Madrid, where part of a five-story building collapsed today. Authorities say at least three construction workers are hurt and four others are missing. You can see the outside of the building, wrapped in green tarp. It stayed intact as the upper floors caved in, a cloud of dust enveloping nearby streets. No word yet on what caused the collapse. And officials in Ecuador saying

five people were detained after an attack on President Daniel Noba's car. Excuse me there. You can see crowds of protesters hurling rocks at his car. Some of them shattering windows. A top minister saying that the vehicle also had signs of bullet damage. The president apparently was not hurt. This comes amid a wave of protest across the country over the government ending a subsidy on diesel fuel. And police in London saying they've broken up a criminal gang that could be responsible for about 40% of all phone thefts in the city. Surveillance video showing some of those thieves using e-bikes to make a fast getaway. The gang is suspected of smuggling 40,000 phones to China where they can be sold for up to $5,000. According to police, nearly 50 people have been arrested in the last two weeks.

When we come back, LeBron James sending the sports world into a frenzy after teasing what he called the decision of old decisions why that big announcement is raising some eyebrows tonight. Plus, AI is not just transforming the way people do their jobs. It's also changing how some fight their legal battles. What you need to know before using AI as your lawyer. That's next. We're back now with the surprising new way some people are using AI.

They're turning to services like ChatGPT for legal advice instead of hiring a lawyer. Argahti Schwartz speaks to one woman who successfully won an appeal using AI, but experts and even the companies who make these tools are warning that the chat bots cannot replace the real thing. All over it. In Southern California, 72-year-old Lynn White was on her own after losing an eviction trial. Facing $70,000 in fines and back rent with no money for an appeals lawyer, she needed a miracle. This AI tool is beyond comprehension.

She found ChachyPT and used it to do the work that would have cost thousands from a trained lawyer. It was very helpful. It pointed me to the statutes. At what point did you stop using the lawyer and just start using AI? In post, I saw that I can handle this appeal on my own. AI was helping me drafts, the motions and the breeze. That's not to say the AI was perfect. She says sometimes a program created hallucinations, legal citations, to help her case that don't actually exist.

That's the thing with the large-unkards models. They are not tethered to the truth. Damien Charlottin is a legal researcher in Paris. His database of AI hallucinations shows hundreds have already made it into U.S. courts. Smith v. Johnson sounds like a case name. And for the AI, it's enough that it sounds like its case name regardless of whether it is an actual case.

Then Lynn showed us her hacks to avoid hallucinations, bidding AI engines like perplexity against ChatGPT. We're in ChatGPT right now. It uses this case as a citation, and then I would go over to perplexity. So you're using one AI to fact-check another AI? I am. In the terms of service for the AI program she uses,

it states they should not be used as substitutes for a qualified professional, But Lynn is a believer. If it wasn't for CHAT GPT, I would have given up. And in her case, that virtual legal assistant had a real Perry Mason moment. What was the outcome? The outcome was good for me, bad for the plaintiff. Do you think you could have done it without AI?

Absolutely not. Armed only with arguments shaped by AI, Lynn notching a win. The judgment against her overturned for now. Did it feel like David and Goliath? It does feel like David and Goliath. except AI is a slingshot. And Gotti Schwartz joins us now from Los Angeles. What a fascinating story, Gotti.

Some lawyers you've spoken to, though, they have said they're even, or they have at least considered using Chat GPT themselves, right? Oh, yeah. There's so many people in the legal profession are using this. We've spoken to state Supreme Court justices that are also using this to help sort through and analyze some of the cases. ChatGPT and AI, they have transferred. formed legal work from research to analyzing contracts to generating templates to even keeping

track of scheduling for files. Reuters study found AI tools currently being used by law professionals could save lawyers somewhere around 240 hours a year. But even among lawyers who use AI often, Reuters also says that 83% say that having AI give legal advice to clients would be inappropriate. Meanwhile, the AI being used continues to improve. every single day. When we were talking to Lynn, she said that from when she started using it in 2022, 2023 to now it has been exponential how quickly it is accelerated in terms of how it handles logic.

With most AI models, they pass simulated bar exams with flying colors. But those hallucinations, though, that you just heard her talking about, those continue to be quite the issue. Wow. Alist. Fascinating stuff. Gotti Schwartz. Thank you. Now to the NBA superstar whipping up a social media frenzy. Probably heard of it. Yesterday, LeBron James posting this short video on social media, teasing the decision of old decisions coming out today at noon.

That decision, a reference to his 2010 ESPN television special of the same name where LeBron announced live what team he would join in his first year of free agency. Take a look back. And this fall, man, this is very tough. And this fall I'm going to take my talent to solve it. beach and join the Miami Heat. That's special, drawing millions of views, but also backlash from fans. LeBron would later leave the heat to go back to the Cavs and then later the Lakers, which

he announced with a simple press release. As for the decision he teased yesterday, the 41-year-old, LeBron James, now taking his talents off the court. LeBron, fans want to know where you're taking your talents this year. What's your decision? In this fall, man, this is tough. In this fall, I'm going to be taking my talents to Hennessy, VSOP. Yeah, turns out the decision of all decisions was, in fact, a marketing stunt.

Here for reaction, I want to bring in host of front office sports, Baker Machado. Baker, people are mad, right? Like, this was just an ad, but the timing here before the NBA season, that's really what they're mad about, right? It's so true. Let's look at it. Let me just show some ticket prices. really quick. Because like this, I want you to break this down further from you. Because ESPN, they broke down the impact from their take. They say before James's post, the least expensive ticket for the

Lakers' last home game this season was $82. After his teaser, when fans thought he was maybe retiring, those prices spiked. A single ticket starting then at $580 each. Is he going to be in like real trouble? I mean, I don't think he's going to be in really real trouble. But obviously watching that, the reaction was cringe. A lot of people said this was really not good for LeBron. James especially coming on what you said, the start of the NBA season, which will be his 23rd, which is an NBA record. And, of course, all eyes are going to be what does he do at the end of his last contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have said, look, we would love for him to retire a Laker, but really this next chapter and story is all up to LeBron, which is why all

of us were sort of duped in thinking maybe this big announcement that LeBron was going to announce was what his next chapter was going to be. Was he going to go to another team maybe after Lakers? Was he going to retire? Was there another business venture? And we were all sort of duped. The thing that makes this really sort of unsettling, I think, for people is this is an existing relationship he's had with Hennessy. He had a limited edition Hennessy bottle come out last year.

So this is not like this is a new collector's edition or anything else that's really special here. It's not even signed by LeBron. This is just a decision, a marketing employee for a new Hennessy that's available this year. Okay, so talk to me about LeBron's deals that he does have and how kind of someone of his stature navigates deals like this. He's got tons. Look, he has, Forbes has enlisted over a billion dollars in earnings his entire career. And by the way, he's only made about $500 million in basketball salary.

So almost 60% of his earnings have all come from all of these brands that you see right here. Nike being one of the biggest ones. He just signed a big thing with Amazon. We should also note, a lot of us thought if this wasn't going to be a Hennessy deal, maybe it could be for Prime Day because he did a Prime Deal, a Day deal at. last year's and it's prime day right now. So people thought, okay, maybe that's what this is all about. But there's also questions about what LeBron wants to do after he's done playing basketball. There's been a lot of talk maybe that he and maybe his manager Maverick Carter want to create

a giant international league with different players all over the league. So who knows? Maybe he wants to continue to do his production work that he does as well. But I think this really put a really bad taste in people's mouth heading into this final season. Again, this should be a celebration for LeBron. He's 23rd season. Nobody has ever played that many seasons in the NBA ever, not even his idol, Michael Jordan, who he wears 23 to remember.

I was going to be like, yeah, 23 is a pretty symbolic number here. So, yeah, so I think this left a lot of bad taste in a lot of people's mouth. But look, at the end of the day, it's LeBron. He's one of the greatest players in the entire world. And if anything, it adds more interest into what his decision will be at the end of the year, whatever that might be. What is your prediction? I think LeBron has said he has at least another year or two left.

in him. I think that is what he does, but I'm going to go on a wild take here. I'm going to say he doesn't finish with the Lakers. I think he actually gets traded back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, which you mentioned he's gone to before. Would Cleveland have been? Yes, of course. Cleveland would love to have it down. Okay. Put it down. This is Baker Machado's prediction. We'll have you back in a couple years. Baker Machado, thank you. Stay with us because still ahead on top story. The homecoming dates winning over the internet, the sweet sideline surprise for one cheerleader getting asked to dance by one of her oldest friends. Stay with us.

Finally tonight, a sweet story from one high school's homecoming. A football player is surprising a cheerleader to their freshman your homecoming dance. Our Tom Yamis on why this moment is bringing a smile to millions online. Freshman, Nevea Hall was so excited about homecoming, she had to run. Right into the arms of her date. Wesley Lowry, the two friends since the first grade. We're really close. Like, she says that I'm her boyfriend, and because we got so close, I just really want to keep the friendship.

So tell me how you got the idea to invite her to homecoming? Well, this would be her first time at, like, a homecoming function, and I just wanted to give her a night to remember. So after a game, Wesley, a wide receiver on the Cassville High School football. team carried a sign and surprised Devea who was with her cheerleading squad. Nevea, what did you think when Wesley asked you to homecoming? What did you think, dude? Were you happy? Yes. You excited?

Yes. Yes. Stephen, what did you think? Oh, I thought it was a very nice young man to do that. Anything that puts a tear in my daughter's eye out of happiness. It really means a lot to me. The videos going viral on social media. social media. One person posting, your mom raised a great guy. Wesley, what have you learned from

being friends with Nevea for so long? That Nevea is a very loving and caring person, and she'll do almost anything to keep a friendship. A lasting friendship, giving us all a reason to smile. And our thanks to Tom for that story, and thank you at home so much for watching. I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More news is on the way. Thank you.