Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Episode Date: August 24, 2023

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

Tonight, a stunning development out of Russia, the man who led a failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin, possibly killed in a plane crash. Video showing a jet falling out of the sky between Moscow and St. Petersburg exploding on the ground, everyone on board killed. Russian state media reporting that infamous Russian mercenary, Yvgeny Progoshin, the leader of the Wagner group, was a passenger on that plane. But questions tonight about whether he was actually on board and what we know at this hour. Back here at home, America's mayor arrested. Rudy Giuliani sent surrendering to authorities at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, where he's charged with trying to overturn the 2020 election. His co-defendant, former President Trump, preparing to turn himself in tomorrow night in prime time. We'll have a full report from the courthouse.

Ready to rumble, Republican hopefuls duking it out in Wisconsin at the first GOP presidential debate, Trump, the clear frontrunner, skipping the stage, entire instead sitting down for an interview with fired Fox anchor Tucker Carlson. So can another candidate rise to the occasion and emerge with a breakout moment? We've got full team coverage in Milwaukee tonight. Hawaii's hidden toll as the grim search for the missing enters a new phase in Maui. Tonight the story of the children left to make sense of this unthinkable disaster. The group's now stepping in to help kids grapple with grief and trauma. Plus an armed standoff rocking a quiet Pittsburgh neighborhood.

schools put on lockdown after that suspect fired more than a hundred rounds at police what triggered this terrifying shootout and kidnapped at birth the shocking story of a virginia man who was taken from a Chilean hospital as a baby sold into adoption his mother was told he died after birth the bittersweet reunion decades in the making that he says left him breathless and why there could be thousands of other stories just like his top story starts right now And good evening. We want to get right to that breaking news tonight. A shocking series of events out of Russia. The details you're about to hear may sound like something out of a spy movie, but they are in fact frightening real. And it's often the case with Moscow. Official details have been slow to leak out. But here's what we know right now. Video taken in a Russian town between Moscow and St. Petersburg showing the terrifying moments of private jet. You see it there seemed to fall out of the sky. This is the fiery wreck and left on the ground. Russian aviation officials tonight say all 10 people on board were killed.

And in a chilling development, they are saying that on that plane was the Vigeni Progosian, the leader of the Wagner group, mercenaries who fought alongside Russian soldiers in the Ukraine war. This video supposedly shot in Africa earlier this week the last time we have seen him on camera. Progoshin, the same man who just months ago launched a military march towards Moscow, perhaps the greatest internal threat Russian president, Vladimir Putin has ever faced, or at least in decades, before he suddenly changed course, ultimately fleeing the country. Putin, a former KGB agent who has been accused of poisoning and murdering adversaries in the past, initially called Progogian a traitor, but later agreed to meet with him face-to-face. But tonight, signs that all may not have been forgiven as the man who led that mutiny appears to be dead.

NBC's chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, who has reported on the Wagner Group for years, leads us off tonight. It seems Russian President Vladimir Putin may have gotten his revenge. This video posted online showing a corporate jet plummeting from the sky and slamming into a field outside Moscow. The plane's registration number matches an aircraft linked to Yvgeny Prigozhen and Russian aviation authorities say Prigosin, a man Putin blasted as a traitor, was listed as a passenger on the aircraft,

which disappeared from flight radar. President Biden saying he was not surprised, but cannot confirm Progosian's death. It's not much that happened to the pressure of two months, but I don't know enough to know that it's fine. The crash is highly suspicious. The aircraft suddenly dropped like a stone, a possible indication it was shot down, or that a bomb exploded on board. The timing is suspicious, too. Coming two months to the day after Progossian, the leader of the mercenary Wagner group, launched a mutiny against the Kremlin. leading a column of his fighters to Moscow and threatening Putin's grip on power. Making matters worse for Putin, Progozhen was shown, surrounded by cheering Russians. Progozhen had been driven by rage. Before the mutiny, he accused Russia's top generals

of denying his mercenaries' ammunition they needed to fight in Ukraine. He said the generals were jealous of Wagner's military successes. Pregozhen was last seen just days ago, apparently in Africa. Wagner has a base in the poor Central African Republic, and as we reported, props up the government in exchange for diamonds and gold. After the uprising, Putin pardoned Pregozhen, offering him a deal to live in exile in Belarus. But many suspected it was not a genuine offer,

and that Putin was waiting for the right time to settle the score. Richard Engle joins us tonight from Lisbon. So, Richard, you know, every Russia expert that is talking about this breaking news is saying this was expected. But Putin recently has appeared more in public, meeting with children, shaking hands. I mean, almost acting like a typical politician. What is this incident, if it is a coordinated killing of progosh and suggests about how he wants to be perceived, at least in Russia? So this was a – the mutiny. Let's start with the mutiny, because everything began with –

with the mutiny, was a huge embarrassment for Putin. And then after the mutiny ended, with Progogian leaving voluntarily, he stopped his march toward Moscow. He wasn't turned around by Russian troops. He had this vague deal with Vladimir Putin in which he'd go off and live in exile and potentially continue his Africa operations. And people were skeptical about this. How could he get pardoned?

How could Putin allow someone to get away with this? to challenge him, embarrass him, really humiliate him, and many thought, okay, he's just, Putin is just biding his time. He's allowing Progoshin to live despite this uprising because he wanted to have enough time to figure out who else was involved, other co-conspirators in the mutiny, and he wanted to figure out the Africa operations, because you don't want to kill the guy who's running this very valuable network for himself and for Russia until you understand how that network operates and can continue to keep it going. And then now, as you say, with that caution, if this is what it seems to be that this was a hit against progosin, which could

have only come from the highest levels of the Russian government, that the time was right to settle the scores, that he had done enough to purge the military and root out the co-conspirators and figured out the Africa operations, and then Progosion was no longer useful. Richard, I know you've reported extensively on Progosion, on the Wagner Group, and I know you've looked at this video and all the social media videos that have come out since then. What stands out to you about this crash? Well, there's nothing, everything about this crash is suspicious. The timing, two months to the day since the uprising.

The way that the aircraft went down, that 30 minutes into the flight at about 28,000 feet, suddenly the aircraft plummets to the ground in an uncontrolled manner, suggesting that it was either blown up or because of a bomb on board or shot down from the ground by a missile. It didn't fall naturally. It didn't glide. It didn't look like an engine was on fire. It was just in a catastrophic free fall, like a stone falling from the sky. And because it had only taken off from Moscow half an hour before it crashed, it was full of fuel. And then once it hit the ground, burst into flames, an unsurvivable crash, and a crash that is very suspicious from every point of view. Richard Engle, leading us off tonight, Richard, we appreciate your reporting.

For more on the shocking development and what it means, I'm joined now by retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Devre. He's the former Supreme Allied commander of NATO and a current vice chair of global affairs at the Carlisle Group. Admiral, thank you so much for joining us again tonight. So I want to ask you first. I know you've seen the video, and Richard sort of alluded to the fact. We don't know if it was a missile strike or a bomb. You obviously know a lot about weapons. Is there anything that you noticed in that video?

I would suspect it was a bomb and it was timed to go off roughly when it did. And let's face it, this is the most unsupport. ending to the saga of you have Jenny Progossian, we can imagine. It kind of reads like the final pages of a John LeCarray spy novel, but anybody who has paid any attention to Vladimir Putin knew this was going to happen. I think I told Chuck Todd a couple of months ago on Meet the Press that Progoshin is essentially a dead man walk, and it's going to be two or three months, he'll take him out. I think what's two points to be made here to sort of say, well, what does it all mean? Number one, this is good news for the Ukrainians, good news for the West, because

Pergosian was talented. His fighters were the best of the Russian armed forces. Taking him off the chessboard takes a piece that Putin in a better day for Putin would have been able to use, but he no longer could. So score one for the Ukrainians and the West. And number two, the interesting thing is, okay, who takes over the Wagner group? We don't know yet. I'd look at somebody like Victor Boot, the mercenary that was traded for Brittany Greiner a couple of months ago, has the talents, has the international connection. Someone will step up and lead this group.

It's too valuable for Putin to simply let it disappear. Admiral, what does this do for Vladimir Putin? I mean, on the international stage, as you mentioned, this was very much expected. Does this disrupt anything in Russia? Does this affect him any way in his home country? I think it strengthens him simply because there was a moment of kind of shakiness. You could hear it in Putin's voice as those troops were literally marching toward Moscow. And by the way, interesting point here, we are also hearing about the final. the final disgrace of the commander of the Russian air forces, Suryovkin, who disappeared about a month ago. I think Progoshin was waiting for the Russian Air Force, never showed up. Point being, it was a moment where Putin's weaknesses were revealed, Tom. And as it turns out, he overcame that moment.

He met that moment, if you will. Now he's killed the man who brought it forward. I think, unfortunately, it strengthens Putin's hand inside. Russia. Admiral, briefly, if you can, it is somewhat strange. You talk about this man being a talented military leader. He led the Wagner group. He knew Putin very well. Why would he get on an airplane? Why would he even go back to Russia? It almost doesn't make sense. I think that human nature likes to believe that it has gotten by the worst. And I think progosian, obviously incorrectly, felt he had gotten by a real immediate punishment. You also

have to feel some level of sympathy for the nine people who stepped onto that airplane with him, talk about collateral damage. I would guess Progosian thought he was in the clear. Putin deceived him as he does so often. That was the end for Yevgeny Progoshin. Admiral, we always appreciate your analysis here on Top Story. We thank you for your time. Next, we head back here at home. The major headline we're following. Rudy Giuliani, turning himself into authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, where he's accused of pushing false election interference claims in an effort to keep former President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Giuliani, once considered America's mayor,

made his mark as a leader who was tough on crime, bringing down mob kingpins in New York City, and rising to the occasion after 9-11. But tonight, a very different image. Look at this. This is a mugshot taken as Giuliani was booked at the Fulton County Jail late today, before he was let out on a 150,000. bond. Juliani himself

taking note of the shocking arc of his career. He took down the mafia that made New York City the safest city in America. I get photographed, isn't that nice? A mugshot for the man who probably put the worst criminals

of the 20th century in jail. Now, Trump, his co-defendant preparing to make that same surrender tomorrow, NBC's Blaine Alexander, following it all for us from Fulton County tonight. Rudy, any regret? Moments after being booked and released from the Fulton County Jail, tonight Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, turned Georgia defendant, remained defiant. If they can do this to me, they can do this to you.

Giuliani says he will plead not guilty to the charges of allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, indicted alongside 18 others, including former President Donald Trump. I talked to the president today. I wish him well. I have every confidence in him. It's the latest in a chaotic day of negotiations and surrenders. Giuliani's attorneys and other defense lawyers meeting with Fulton County DA Fannie Willis's team to hammer out the terms of surrender. Sir, can you tell us anything about your conversations in the DA's office today? Giuliani, later seen leaving a bail bond agency, is now one of at least nine co-defendants to turn themselves in.

His bond is set at $150,000. Most others now have bond agreements in place. All of it setting the stage for the former president to be booked at the Fulton County Jail. Today, he wrote on social media, I will proudly be arrested tomorrow afternoon in Georgia. All of it comes amid a new development on a different legal front. According to a new court filing, a key witness in the classified documents case recanted his previous false testimony, leading to those additional charges for Mr. Trump and two others. The change came after a change in legal counsel from an attorney paid by Trump.

political action committee to a public defender. Blaine, Alexander, joins Top Story tonight. Blaine, it's been so jarring to see that mugshot of former New York City Mayor, Rudy Giuliani. What more are we learning about Donald Trump's expected surrender tomorrow night? And again, reminder viewers, are we going to see a mugshot like that? Well, Tom, we are learning more about the timing of when that surrender will take place. According to a source familiar with the former president's plans, he will travel to Atlanta tomorrow afternoon and plan to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail sometime tomorrow night.

Now, the question of whether or not we'll see a mugshot is still a question, something that we will certainly find out very soon. But we do know that much of the area around the jail is going to be locked down for a good part of the day with nobody allowed in or out. Tom. Okay, Blaine, thank you for that. As we mentioned, former President Trump will surrender tomorrow in Georgia, but tonight he will skip the first presidential primary debate. Instead, sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson. Here's a preview of that pre-recorded conversation. Why aren't you at the Fox News debate tonight in Milwaukee? Well, you know, a lot of people have been asking me that.

When you say there are people on stage, you shouldn't be running for president, who do you mean? Whatever happened to Mike Pence? He's out there attacking you. What is that? Do you think Epstein killed himself sincerely? Do you think we're moving towards civil war? Tucker and Trump apparently covering a lot of ground there. Meanwhile, in Milwaukee, eight of Trump's GOP opponents are preparing to take the debate stage tonight. And while the frontrunner may be absent from the stage. He is expected to be very much present in the minds of his competitors. NBC's Garrett Hayek has more for us tonight.

Tonight, the biggest moment yet in the 2024 campaign kicking off without the Republican frontrunner. Former President Trump skipping tonight's first GOP debate. Should we not do the debate? But it's a critical moment for the eight top polling Republican candidates who will be there, including Trump's top rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. I think that with Donald Trump not being there, I don't think it's any secret that I'm going to be probably the guy that people are going to come after him. And the rising but still relatively unknown entrepreneur Vivek Ramoswamy. What does a wind look like on that stage?

It's a good night. A good night is people introducing myself to the people of this country and people who, maybe, just maybe, some people are actually able to pronounce my name here. The former president planning to release a pre-recorded interview to counter program the debate. His allies defending his decision not to attend. Why should he not be here making his case on this stage? He doesn't need to make his case. He's already done it, and he did it for four years in the White House. And the American people know it.

All right, and for more from Milwaukee, Garrett joins us tonight with NBC's Dasha Burns. Guys, thank you so much, two of our main campaign reporters. Garrett, like you mentioned, former President Trump had a pre-recorded interview with Tucker Carlson. We showed a little snippet of their tease tonight to counter-program this debate. Do we expect him to sort of live tweet on truth, social, thinks he's hearing in the debate, or do we think he's going to skip it all together? Tom, I think that's almost certain. Former president is not going to be able to just turn his back on this event.

Now, whether he amplifies it in real time by posting on social media or lets his allies do the work for him, you could be sure he's going to try to take every opportunity, as his campaign has done all day, to both elevate Ronda Santis and try to knock him back down. I think they see this as a key opportunity to go after him, and he's going to find a way to do that, as are his allies here around the debate center in Milwaukee. You know, Dasha, it is still very early, even though we've been covering this campaign for months now. It feels like the DeSantis campaign has come out and said they expect him to be the main target on the debate stage. Some people say this could be a make-or-break moment for the Florida governor. What's this camp saying tonight?

Well, the campaign is saying that they are ready for those arrows to come flying, that he's prepared to, take those attacks head on. But look, he's going to be standing on the stage next to kind of an unlikely partner there in the middle. He's going to be standing next to Vivekramuswami, and their two storylines could not be more different. Governor DeSantis came into this race with perhaps the most name ID second only to Donald Trump. But Veak Ramoswamy came in virtually unknown and has had really a lot of momentum in the last several weeks. And so those two next to one another will be a really interesting dynamic, as they will likely take the most incoming from the others. Now, for Team DeSantis, so there are a couple of ways to look at this.

Number one, yes, Trump's presence is going to be felt. On the other hand, DeSantis is going to be the frontrunner on that stage. So they are seeing this as sort of an opportunity to show what a non-Trump frontrunner looks like. And overall, for all of these candidates, what a non-Trump political event and potentially a post-Trump political future could look like for voters? Garrett, what role do we expect Governor Chris Christie to play on the stage tonight? He has We pointed out here, one of the best debaters, if not maybe the best debater on that stage. He has terrible, terrible approval ratings coming out of Iowa right now.

What do we think he's going to do? Yeah, Christie's campaign has made it pretty clear. The Chris Christie we see on stage tonight is going to look a lot like the man we've seen in interviews and on the campaign trail over these last several months, basically trying to tell it like it is as his tagline. He's going to try to be an honest broker and an attack dog against Donald Trump. You know, Tom, I went back recently and rewatch the first. debate from the 2016 cycle, in which Chris Christie was in a similar position on the edge of the

stage, a low-pulling candidate. He was struggling then to figure out how to get a handle on Donald Trump, but he is objectively quite skilled at this format, a multi-candidate debate. And I think you're going to see him as almost like a human bumper car going after several of these other candidates on stage tonight trying to take a point or two off other folks. But your point's a good one, whether he can make that damage he does to other candidates accrue to his benefit or if it just hurts the other candidates, remains a huge open question in this race. Yeah, it's sort of a strange role he may be playing tonight. Dasha, there are a lot of candidates you could categorize as Trump-like, right?

People like Senator Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, how do they pick their moments tonight and stand out? Well, Tom, I think some candidates would wholly reject that description, and some might actually embrace it depending on who you talk to, right? But this is the challenge that they have, and I've seen them struggle with us, frankly, on the campaign trail. As I've watched these candidates try to find some contrast with the former president while trying really hard not to alienate that base of his that is so passionate. And that's a really tough line to walk. And they're now going to have to do that head on on

the biggest stage they've had yet. So I know that everyone has been preparing for this. And that's what I'm really going to be watching for us. How did they create the contrast? And to what extent do they take on Trump directly? And to what extent do they try to bring his base in? Gareth, what does your gut tell you? Does this whole debate become about former President Trump, or will there be some mentions of President Biden, inflation, Ukraine? Oh, look, I think there'll be mentions of all those things. But the reality is, on policy, these candidates are all very similar. I mean, there might be degrees of difference in their policy on something like the border or on inflation. But they can't create contrast with one another on those things.

The area where they can create the most contrast, I think, is as Dasha was pointing out, how do they address Donald Trump? Do they go at him? Do they go around him? Do they try to make the case to voters who are just tired of all the things that he brings to the party that prevent them from moving forward or moving in a different direction? That's where I think the biggest room for contrast is whether it allows them to kind of reel him back in and make this into a real race. I'm not so sure. But I think that's the best opportunity for these folks to separate from one another. Finally, Dasha, we know some of the candidates enjoy a game of hoops.

Do we know what the verdict is on Governor Bergam? Is he going to make the debate stage? Yeah, Tom, who knew that one of the lesser-known candidates, Governor Bergam, would take up so many headlines today. He injured himself playing a game of basketball. He was taken to the emergency room, release. He's been talking to doctors all day. And finally, we know he will be on that debate stage. He tweeted a photo of himself on crutches doing a walkthrough of the stage, saying, I'm in an emotional day for him.

Certainly, he talked to our Ali Vitale at one point, getting almost teary-eyed at the prospect of not being on that stage. He really worked hard to get his spot here, and he will, in fact, get on that stage. Might be in some pain, though, Tom. There was a rumor that Garrett Hake had stuffed him when he tried to take it to the hole, but that was shot down. Garrett and Dasha, guys, thanks so much. We're looking forward to this debate. We appreciate it. For full analysis after tonight's debate, tune in for a Meet the Press special hosted by Chuck Todd.

That's right here on NBC News Now at Eighty. 11 p.m. Eastern. We do now want to turn to the weather in the latest on tropical storm Franklin. The storm inundating Colombia with heavy rain, streets turning into rivers, the city of Cartagena deluge with flooding. Look at that. The storm now over the Dominican Republic bringing more flooding rainfall and gusty winds. I want to get right over to NBC news meteorologist Bill Carrans and Bill. The big question I want to know, we're thinking about those countries tonight, but any news on the track?

Yeah, the long-term track has not changed a lot from yesterday. That's the only a little tease I'll give you. We've got to wait a couple of minutes here. So Franklin is located, as we said, just what was the Dominican Republic. And by the way, there's two other areas that we could maybe see something develop, but that's far out in the Atlantic. No harm to anyone call those fish storms. So all eyes will be on Franklin over the next 24 to 48 hours to see that that track does inch a little closer to the East Coast

or maybe even the Canadian Maritimes. But as of now, we're still worried about the heavy rainfall. The winds are weak. The mountains tore it apart, but we still could get an additional five inches, and they've already had in some cases five to ten inches. And by the way, Puerto Rico, only about an isolated inch. So here's the forecast from the National Hurricane Center. The first thing you'll notice is they do intensify this thing.

There's good chances will be our first major hurricane at some point of its life cycle. But by Saturday and Sunday, it's moving north-northeastward somewhere near Bermuda. And notice the east coast, there's the outer banks, there's Florida. So it's far enough off the coast that you'd only see rip-current threats and large waves at this point. And so Bermuda is obviously the biggest area of concern. And then we'll use our forecast lines to show where it heads after that. And Tom, nothing is on the East Coast. But our friends in the Canadian Maritines may have some issues with that.

And I'll give you a little teaser. There could be something developing in the Gulf of Mexico early next week at the exact same time. I'm much more concerned. Let's see how that plays out. Okay, Bill Cairns just booked himself on Top Story for tomorrow. Bill, we appreciate all that. Boy, before you go, I think we're also talking about heat, too. Yeah, I'll just show you quickly.

I mean, we know there's about 100 million people that are under the heat alerts. But I got to show you, it still feels at this hour right now like 115 in Chicago. I mean, we can't forget what's happening in the middle of the country. It's been brutal, and it stays that way. Okay, Bill Kerrins for us, Bill. We always appreciate everything you do. Still ahead tonight, a troubling story out of Kentucky. This one is so hard to believe.

But we have the video, body cam footage showing police racing to save a woman who was shackled to the floor of a home, the frantic efforts to free her and get her out of that house of horrors. Plus, a dramatic standoff between police and an armed suspect in Pittsburgh. schools put on lockdown as he fired more than a hundred rounds at officers. We'll tell you what happened here. And a seven-year-old attacked by a bear in his own backyard in the suburbs, the incredibly unlikely location where this went down and how that child is doing tonight. Stay with us.

We are back now with a disturbing story out of Kentucky. And we do want to warn you about every aspect of the story. Police rescuing a woman who was chained and trained. trapped inside of a home. The victim's a strange boyfriend later arrested on kidnapping and assault charges. Again, we want to warn you, some of these images are very hard to see. A horrific scene caught on police body camera at a home in Louisville, Kentucky. Officer is finding a woman chained to the floor. Police frantically using a hatchet they found nearby to break the chain so they could free her.

The Louisville Metro Police Department saying, neighbors called 911 after hearing a woman screaming from the second floor, where you can see the broken out window. Officers then realizing all entry points of the house were barricaded shut. Bystanders helping the officers locate a ladder to reach the woman. When they get inside, they see the victim chained to the floor with the master lock around her neck. An officer asks if she knows where the key is located. She responds, The victim speaking to Fox Affiliate, WDRB, saying she had visited the home of her estranged boyfriend who held her captive for five hours before she managed to break a window to get help. As soon as he locked that lock, I knew it was over.

This is my only time. If I don't get free now, I'm not going to be dead. Police records identifying the suspect as 36-year-old Moses Cell, who now faces kidnapping, endangerment. and domestic violence charges. We have not been able to reach his lawyer for comment. Meanwhile, Kentucky police thanking those neighbors for speaking up and potentially saving a life. Kathy Park joins us tonight. Kathy, this is just an awful story.

Do we know how that woman is doing? And what more do we know about the suspect? Well, Tom, as you can imagine, the woman is still pretty shaken up. And there are reports from the community that the community is actually rallying around her and collecting donations. on her behalf. Meanwhile, as far as a suspect goes, he's currently in custody. His bond was set for $100,000, and his next court appearance is set for August 28th, which is this coming Monday. Tom?

Okay, Kathy Park. Kathy, thank you for your reporting. When we come back, the sidewalk shoving plea. You may remember this one. The New York woman who threw a beloved grandmother to the ground and then left causing her death, now appearing in court, how she pled to one count of manslaughter and what's happening to her. That's next. All right, we are back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin with a terrifying standoff that unfolded late today in a Pittsburgh neighborhood. A suspect armed with a long gun unleashing hundreds of rounds at police over the course of six hours as they tried to serve an eviction notice. The man even shooting at police drones in the sky.

Area schools in a daycare were put on lockdown. Police say that suspect was found dead after an exchange of gunfire with police. No other injuries were reported. A New York woman pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the deadly shooting, I'm sorry, shoving of an 87-year-old woman in Manhattan last year. Lauren Pazienza will be sentenced to eight years in state prison with five years of supervision. Prosecutors saying Pazienza shoved the victim to the ground in an unprovoked attack before walking away. The victim, a beloved Broadway vocal coach, was taken to the hospital and died about a week later.

And a rare bear attack outside of New York City, injuring a seven-year-old boy, Officials say the boy was playing in his backyard in Westchester County just 40 miles north of Manhattan when the animal attacked. Police racing to the scene where they were ultimately forced to kill the bear, the animal now being tested for rabies. That boy is expected to be okay. All right, that's good news. We want to continue our coverage now in the first GOP primary debate of this election season. Eight candidates taking the stage in Milwaukee, trying to distinguish themselves in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump, who opted not to join them on stage tonight.

tonight. For more on how tonight's debate could impact the 2024 race. We're joined now by Mark Lodder, the Director of Strategic Communications for the Trump 2020 campaign, Sarah Matthews, Deputy White House Press Secretary during the Trump administration, and former Republican Congressman Carlos Cuebello, who is in Milwaukee live for us tonight. We thank you all for being here on Top Story. Mark, I do want to start with you. Given former President Trump's decision to skips tonight debate, do you think he will attend any of the primary debates, or do you think he's going to stick to this strategy throughout the primaries? It wouldn't surprise me if he debates at some point.

I think once the field starts to narrow down, and it gets to maybe down two, three, four candidates. I think you'll see him up there. He loves to debate, but I think doing it with this, where most of the people there have very little chance of becoming the nominee, it's better for him to step aside and let them try to make their case. Carlos, is eight people too many on this debate stage? Should the RNC have narrowed the field by now, or is it still too early? No, Tom. This is the first debate. We're still about five months from the first primary. So this really does seem like the right number. I mean, you don't want to appear to be excluding too many people. And of course, some people in the R&C think that it's better for the party to have fewer people on stage, give that one candidate the opportunity to go up against Donald Trump. A lot of people think that that could have blocked Trump back in 2016. So there are interests in the R&C that want to limit this field. But certainly, I think,

it would be too early to start limiting the field too much. I think it's good for both parties, in this case a Republican Party, where there's an open position to get as many voices out there as possible. I think that's what makes sense right now. Sarah, as you know, Iowa's first up on the calendar for the GOP, I want to read you something that Rich Lowry wrote over the weekend in the New York Post. It was about the Iowa caucus. Here's what he writes. He says, Iowa can break late.

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, who won in Iowa in 2012, didn't really start moving until late December. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who won four years earlier, started his upward march around November. If someone's going to replicate this kind of climb, the big upward move may still be months away. So it looks like it's laid out there, no doubt, and it has for some time, but it's definitely not over.

Sarah, how would you respond to that? And I do want to remind our viewers, former President Trump did not win Iowa in 2016. Do you think there's still a path for someone else? Like you mentioned, Trump did not win Iowa. in 2016, he lost it to Ted Cruz. And so while it looks like right now, he's far and away, the frontrunner, I do think there could be a path, but for that to happen, the field needs to narrow down.

And right now, the vote is just too split there. I think that a Ron DeSantis or a Tim Scott could definitely play well in Iowa, but when they're competing with all these other folks for that vote, that is anyone other than Trump, I think that they're going to have a hard time in surpassing him. You know, Mark, I want to ask you about former Vice President Mike Pence. You work so closely with him. You know him very well. You were his press secretary when he was vice president.

I got to ask you, and I don't mean to be glib here, but what is he doing? He's having such a tough time right now, right? We look at the Iowa favorability ratings, you can see right here, 53% unfavorable, right? Let's look at his poll numbers in Iowa now, right? Because he's not doing Garrett. The real clear politics national average has him at just 4%. In Iowa, he's had him. at 3.8% in Iowa, and then you go to New Hampshire, and I think he's doing even worse there

in New Hampshire as well. We don't have the average up there, but I think he's in the single digits as well. Does Pence not see the writing on the wall here? Well, I would think that he's going to have to at some point here soon. You know, Iowa is a state that if you're Mike Pence, you have to perform well in. You're a former Midwest governor, you're evangelical Christian, you come from an agricultural state, and if you can't connect with the voters in Iowa, then I'm... I don't see how you're going to connect with the voters anywhere. The problem facing Mike Pence, and a lot of the other candidates, though, on a larger scale,

is that the electorate wants a fighter right now. They want someone who will fight for their issues, their causes. They're not looking for the poll-tested, polished politician. And so that's why you see Vivek Ramoswami moving up in so many polls. And then obviously Donald Trump's lead. So a lot of these traditional Republican politicians are really just not connect. with the voters. You know, Sarah, I want to ask you, you worked with former President Trump.

How careful do some of these candidates have to be if they're campaigning really to be his running mate, right? They want to separate themselves from the PAC right now. But some of them, you have to think in the back of their minds. They may want to get tapped to be his running mate come next year. So how careful do they have to be in how they attack him tonight? I mean, Trump and his campaign have even said that they're going to be tuning into the debate tonight for him to pick his vice presidential nomination. along with him if he were to obviously become the Republican nominee.

So I think that, no doubt, that is going to be in the back of the mind of some of these folks who think that they have a chance to be Trump's VP. But then I think there are going to be these other folks on stage who have made very clear that they are not running to be Trump's VP, that they're running for the presidency. So I think, you know, Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, they obviously don't stand a chance necessarily. So I would look to them to probably not be as, you know, timid in their criticism of Trump. But you also want to keep in mind that you can't alienate Trump voters if you ultimately want to become the nominee. So it's a really difficult needle to thread for these folks

on stage tonight. Carlos, one quick question for you. I do want to look ahead. The next debate is about a month away, September 27th. The top story team tells me the qualifications get much more difficult candidates must have 50,000 unique donors, including 200 donors in at least 20 states and at least 3% in two national polls or one national poll and two early state polls. How much do you think the field narrows between now and then? I think you'll probably go from eight to five or six. And again, Tom, this is part of the R&C strategy to give a candidate the opportunity to be an alternative to Donald Trump to go up against Donald Trump one-on-one and see. if Republican voters will choose someone other than Donald Trump.

So you can expect the Republican National Committee to continue ramping up those requirements to narrow down this field as much as possible as we get closer to the primaries. Carlos, Sarah, Mark, we always appreciate all your analysis here on Top Story. We thank you tonight. We want to stay for the race for the White House, stay with it, and President Biden's push to run on Bidenomics.

But polls show most Americans believe the economy is actually getting worse. Peter Alexander went to Reno to speak with voters, there. It's midday at Reno's need to speed. Among those taking to the track, retiree and registered independent Bob Force. You were fast out there. Well, I've done it a few times. Force worked for the city for 20 years and still keeps a close eye on what Washington is doing. Are you satisfied with how the president's done his job? I think the president has worked as hard as he can to overcome a lot of obstacles. And I think some of his policies have been a very

good for the country. But Force, who lives off his pension, is concerned about the rising price of gas. Gas prices are high around here. I mean, we're in the 480s, you know, which is hard when you, on a fixed income. Nationwide, a recent poll finds just 36% of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the economy. The President now pitching what he touts his economic wins, branding them as Bidenomics. Folks, that's Bidenomics. But here in Nevada's Washoe County, the Swing County in one of the country's most evenly divided states, many voters we met are not seeing any improvement. We caught up with Republicans Kara and Ben Harris, raising five kids rushing to get them off to school. Bidenomics, they call it. Are you experiencing

those gains? I would say no. I think there's been a lot of hits, you know, with interest rates and it definitely affects especially larger families. And soaring interest rates, the highest they've been in more than 20 years have slammed the door shut on any talk of them moving into a bigger home. Houses have ticked up. The median home value in Reno's been going up rapidly over the last several years, and now you combine interest rates with that. Democrat Nicole Cooley, who opened this food truck just 18 months ago, also has her frustrations about binomics. You're not feeling that change. I'm not, no, I'm not. I'm not feeling it. I'm not seeing it.

I don't want to be negative, but those are just my facts. Her biggest challenge, the rising cost of ingredients, like her signature tri-tip. It cost me close to $7 a pound now. Yeah, and it was? And it was about $350 when I started. It's doubled. It's doubled, yes. It's tough.

It's really tough. Biden advisors argue there may be a lag before Americans feel the progress. The president cites highlighting $2.5 billion invested in infrastructure in Nevada alone. But here in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the president is facing an uphill climb, heading into a re-election year. Tom. Coming up on Top Story, we're back in Maui with the story you haven't heard. The children of Lahaina who survived. When so many across the country are starting school, they're facing a whole new set of challenges.

Are Steve Patterson with this intimate look at the families there and their new reality? Stay with us. Back now with a look at what else is happening around the world, this is Top Story. global watch, and we start with the historic feat by India today. Indian officials announced they have landed a spacecraft on the moon's south pole. This is video of it. And by landing there on that part of the moon, they become the first country to do so. The spacecraft will now run a series of experiments on the moon surface for the next two weeks. Back on Earth, a massive fire ripping through an office building in northeastern China. Video shows a pillar of flames and thick smoke

engulfing the 26-story building in the city of Tianjin. So far, no way. word on any deaths or injuries. The exact cause of this fire is still under investigation. And there's also news out of Mexico tonight involving a deadly bus crash and migrants. Local authorities saying a bus carrying Mexican and Venezuelan migrants collided with a trailer outside the city of Oaxaca, leaving 16 people dead and nearly 40 people hurt. Officials say at least 10 of those passengers had immigration appointments in the U.S. And we have an update tonight out of Maui and what's happening with the children of Lahaina. Neighboring communities are coming together to help the thousands of families impacted by the fires.

NBC's Steve Patterson has this one. As the Maui fire ravaged Lahaina. Well, that was very close. Jessica Armitage knew she had to run. With no time to waste, she grabbed her two children and their pet dog, Muna. It was like somebody put gasoline in a straight line and laid it on fire. It went, whoosh. And the whole neighborhood lit up.

You hear all the electric planes just boom. As they drove out to safety, her children, 8-year-old Tanaya and 12-year-old Dakota, bearing witness to what will become the deadliest fire in modern American history. Officials say more than 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, and despite growing concern of children missing, the FBI says no minors are on the list. But for the kids who survived, what they saw, smelled, and felt that day still fresh on their minds. The whole line is gone. all people lost their homes some people lost their pets and their people are dying from this

how does it make you feel just sad this is what's left of their house an entire building brought down to ash i just feel like i want to go home but we don't have a home jessica says her two kids have been gripped by nightmares as a single mother she says her priority now is to help them navigate their grief. Organizations like Nakeki Olamalia lending a hand. They're a grief support group for children and teens working to support the thousands of families like Jessica's who suffered unimaginable losses. We're here to help them face their grief.

The big challenge is going to be to help the kids and then help the parents as well and then help them talk to each other. The organization providing reminders of normalcy from arts, including, crafts to video games. Beaches and skipper. Brief distractions to help the children be children. A lot of people think that kids just rebound without talking about death or grief. And we believe it's important for us to make space in our daily lives to honor and recognize

the loss that they've experienced. For the Armitage family, an opportunity to emotionally bounce back from yet another tragedy. Less than two years ago, their oldest sibling, Taven, was killed in a car. accident. Shortly after, Jessica lost her job. But earlier this year, the family was finally able to find their footing when they were approved for low-income housing in Lahaina. We were there for six months, and we had just bought all brand new stuff. It was awesome. We lost it all within six months. Since the fire, Jessica and her kids have been forced to relocate three different places in just three weeks. They said right away that they're going to have help for the families here

that were affected by the fires right away, and that didn't happen. How are you able to live right now? I'm, yeah, living off of donations from friends and strangers and family, and that's really been saving us. Today, the family is coming to terms with all of it. Their home is gone along with the hometown they've come to love. But Jessica and her children believe there is strength in knowing they have each other. They're what keep me going right now because what I've lost already, I don't know how I would do it without them. Steve Patterson, NBC News, Maui.

The entire island of Maui coming together to help the families of Lahaina. Okay, when we come back, an incredible reunion story you don't want to miss. A man kidnapped from his mother in Chile just a day after being born. This happening more than 40 years ago, sold into adoption. That mother, not even knowing her son was alive, how he managed to find his birth family, and the moment they were able to hug for the first time. You're watching Top Story. Finally tonight, a reunion story that transcends borders and time.

A man taken from his mother at birth in Chile and adopted here in the U.S. But thanks to advocates in a DNA test, he was able to meet her for the first time four decades later. NBC's Ellison Barber has this story. It's the flight to the family he never knew he had. Right now, I'm on a plane to Valdivia to meet my mama for. the first time. Jimmy Lippert Titan was born in Chile in 1981, but he was raised in Arlington, Virginia, by adoptive parents who were unaware of the practice of taking babies out of Chile during the country's military dictatorship. His birth mother says she was told her son was dead. She didn't

know about me because I was taken from her at birth. When she asked for my body, they told her that they had disposed of it. And so we've never held each other. We've never hugged. Jimmy always wondered about his birth family. So he decided to connect with the nonprofit Nos Pucamos who reunites families from Chile. All the illegal people who were trafficked away from Chile,

they didn't erase the name. So the name is there. And thanks to a DNA test learned what happened to him. When I got the results and it was crazy, like it took less than 42 days to kind of destroy 42 years of a lie. We're going to... Cheerie!

Jimmy traveling to his newly discovered homeland with his wife and two daughters. And not long after his arrival, this moment. His mother, getting to hug her son for the very first time. There's just moments where you're just taking inventory of 42 years lost, a lifetime lost.

His family in Chile filling 42 balloons, with messages marking each year Jimmy was away from them. Popping those balloons was simultaneously anguishing and empowering. I've had a wonderful life in America. My parents in America have loved me dearly. My mom and dad have cared for me, given me opportunities. education, love. I've had a wonderful life, but every single one of those balloons is a year of wrong. Jimmy's story just one of thousands across South America, according to groups like Nos Bucamos. The estimated numbers are 50,000, 50,000 children, 50,000 mothers, 50,000

families ripped apart. I look forward to a time where there's an accounting for all of those. Many of those stories still untold. Somebody you know who believes they were adopted from Chile, this might be their story. And unless you share it with them, unless they know to look, they might never learn it. Such an important story. We thank Ellison Barber for reporting on that one. But we also think Jimmy and his newfound family for sharing all those personal moments. That does it for us tonight here on Top Story.

But stay right there. There's more news on the way. Thank you.