Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Episode Date: February 13, 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.

Breaking tonight an apparent tornado touching down moments ago as extreme weather charges across the country. Severe storms unleashing a twister in Mississippi and the threat is far from over. The tornado risk stretching across the south, including New Orleans now, as round two of this winter blast impacts 70 million Americans. We're timing it out. Also breaking tonight, a federal judge just ruling President Trump's sweeping plan to persuade federal workers to resign can move forward. So what happens next? We'll explain, and it comes as the president signals a potential end to the war in Ukraine. The president speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy to restart negotiations.

The new video just in, the military jet nosediving into the San Diego Bay, everyone on board surviving that terrifying crash. Senator Mitch McConnell sparking renewed health concerns after falling and appearing in a wheelchair. latest medical episode prompting the question, how old is too old to serve. An unexpected inflation spike after food and energy prices jump. The cost of eggs skyrocketing as families struggle to make ends meet. The half court shot controversy a UMass student denied a $10,000 prize after appearing to make the basket later snubbed over a technicality, how the internet rallied behind him to help get him the money. And celebrating 50 years of SNL, the

all-star roster of comedy legends breaking out their iconic sketches for the anniversary special. We sit down with S&L alum Alex Moffat, known for his impressions and characters, including President Biden, Eric Trump, and oh yeah, the guy who just bought a bow. Plus, the latest twist in the investigation into former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. His lawyer's now saying the case is being dropped. Top story starts right now. Good evening. We have breaking news tonight as we come on the air. Severe storms sweeping across the south, spawning an apparent tornado in Mississippi. Hey, it hit the ground. It hit the ground out here. It's tearing up stuff right now.

You could see and hear it right there. This new video from Columbia, Mississippi, you see that clearly defined funnel, a stark difference from the blue skies surrounding it. And take a look at a different vantage point, one driver capturing the scary sight from his car. No word at this point if anyone is injured or if any homes or businesses have been impacted. Those incredibly strong winds whipping trees and setting debris flying. Another video from a field in the same area showing that monster funnel cloud. Look at that thing. At this hour, nearly six million across the south under a tornado watch as severe weather threatens the region. It's all associated with this massive winter storm system, blasting millions with the Midwest with the several inches of snow.

NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins us right now. What's the latest, walk our viewers through what we're seeing there on the radar? Yeah, active tornado warnings, and now it's dark, too. So we have a nighttime tornado threat. We have a chance for even some isolated, strong tornadoes over the next three to four hours. We're targeting Alabama in Mississippi, maybe an isolated one in areas of Louisiana. We have two active tornado warnings. The watches go until 10 p.m. for areas of Alabama, Mississippi.

New Orleans, your watch will expire at 8 o'clock local time. This is the really strong lines. This is Interstate 20 through Mississippi. This is 59, heading down through Hatton. Hattiesburg. This line is where we're seeing numerous storms with rotation right now. We have a new active tornado warning, and this is radar indicated, so it's just showing up on Doppler that it's spinning. We don't know if there's a tornado or not, but the sirens are going off in Collins, and it looks like in Collins, that storm will roll over you at about 644.

And the other areas of threat will push from Hattiesburg to Montgomery as we go throughout the next three to four hours, and that threat will continue with isolated strong tornadoes. So far, We've only seen that one that was reported there, Tom, and Columbia. They're calling that a preliminary tornado. It did look like it briefly did touch down. Bill, I want to stay parked here just for a second before we move on to that next bit of weather. These are at population centers in the state of Mississippi. We're not talking about sort of, you know, very rural areas sometimes where these tornadoes passed through in the Midwest.

Yes, and, you know, when we're talking about areas from Meridian, the Jackson, the Hattiesburg, and then once we get past Mobile up to Montgomery here, there's numerous interstates and highways through these areas. And we also, since this is the nighttime, we get very concerned these nocturnal tornadoes in any other areas like mobile home parks. It's going to be very important for people, Tom, to stay alert and awake and make sure that they have their alerts on their phones even through the overnight. That's what's happening in the southeast. Talk to us about what's happening out west there with California dealing with heavy rains and possibly flooding. Yeah, we're fearful at this time tomorrow we're going to be talking about not just like mud and debris flows, but we'll add the word toxic in front of that because of all the burn scars. and everything that's in those burn areas, that's where we're worried about.

So the storm is just now beginning. The heart of it is tomorrow afternoon, and then this time tomorrow for the West Coast. We have 32 million. It's not just the burn scar areas. All the way from San Francisco down to San Diego, we have a chance for flash flooding. This storm is going to be a slow mover.

The mountainous areas could easily get six, and they're even saying as much as 10 inches of rain. Tom, that would cause problems even without burn scars. Now that we have these huge burn scar areas, there is L.A. right on 8 p.m. tomorrow. And the highlight is going to be, you know, the mountainous areas, especially, you know, right where we had the Altadena, the Eaton Fire, heading over to Palisades, North the Malibu area here. These areas are in this, what we call moderate risk.

And that's where we're expecting the possibility of three to six inches of rain. You know, there likely would be more evacuations for the same people that had to evacuate from these fires about a month ago. All right, Bill, I know we're going to be watching those tornadoes in the southeast all night. So you'll stand by for us. We appreciate that. Also breaking tonight, a federal judge in Massachusetts clearing the way for President Trump's federal buyout plan to proceed. Labor unions representing government workers filing suits saying the Trump administration did not have the legal authority to offer the deal. The buyout program offered federal workers pay through September if they voluntarily resign.

NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalus joins us tonight. Danny, we thank you for being here on such an important moment right now with the administration. What does this mean for the more than 60,000 employees? employees that had already agreed to resign by the original deadline on February 6th. It means that for the moment, the challenge to this buyout program is no longer a challenge. And that's because the court has determined that the challengers, unions, do not have what's called Article 3 standing. The standing question is the question of what business is it of the plaintiffs anyway? For example, you and I are not federal employees. We may have strong concerns about the buyout program,

but we don't have standing because we have no concrete stake in the outcome. That's essentially what the court is concluding. Even though it says these are unions and their members may be federal employees, simply because they may have to divert resources to answering questions that these federal employees may have about the buyout doesn't mean that they're directly affected enough that they can be plaintiffs in a lawsuit to challenge the buyout itself. You know, the unions had urged workers not to take this deal saying there was no guarantee. workers would receive the eight months of pay.

So what's next for the plan legally? I think the challenges will continue, and you're right. Those concerns are valid. Some of the concerns are spending. The appropriations period currently ends in mid-March. So it's difficult to say that the federal government can make a promise to pay people for essentially not working beyond that date if they don't have the appropriations. The legal challenges will likely continue.

There will be likely appeals. We're still in the stay period of these cases. In other words, courts right now are just pausing actions by the administration until the cases can be briefed and until the status quo is preserved so that there could be an argument later on. So that's really where we are in this stage. I would say the challenges are not yet over, although they have begun. Is this a victory, though, for the Trump administration, at least in this part of the journey to sort of reform the government the way the president wants to do it?

Yes, this is definitely a victory, because whenever court dismisses a case for standing, they're saying that the plaintiffs in this case, the unions challenging this action, can't even be in court to begin with. They're not even allowed to come to court with their claims. And while they could appeal this issue, the reality is that this is a big win on this issue for the Trump administration, at least as to these kinds of plaintiffs. Now, some creative plaintiffs out there, maybe some other federal employees, someone comes up with a creative reason why they have an interest in the outcome that they can sue on, then they're in the game

just as much as anyone else. But for these particular plaintiffs, meaning the unions who represent some 800,000 federal employees, their interest in the outcome of this buyout is not concrete enough to give them Article III standing. In other words, they don't have enough of an interest to be able to sue in this situation. Danny Savalas, we thank you for being here for our viewers to explain all of this. Next to the latest on President Trump's phone call with Russian and Vladimir Putin. Trump's seeking to end the war with Ukraine as soon as possible, planning for more in-person meetings with Putin in the future. This coming as another U.S. prisoner is released this time from Belarus. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez has the details.

Tonight, fast-moving diplomacy is signaling a potential breakthrough in the war in Ukraine. After calls with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, President Trump now saying peace negotiations will start immediately. President Putin wants peace, and President Zelensky wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed. After nearly three years, the war is still raging, with Russia launching a new deadly drone and missile attack on Kiev. But today's developments mark a seismic shift for the U.S., from prioritizing weapon shipments to Ukraine during the Biden administration to now actively negotiating an end to the war. The Kremlin, even inviting Trump to Moscow.

We expect that he'll come here and I'll go there and we're going to meet also probably in Saudi Arabia the first time we'll meet. The president in the Oval Office swearing in his newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, but even before negotiations begin, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegsef, cautioning that Ukraine will likely have to give up the territory that Russia seized when it invaded Crimea in 2014. Returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. The president was asked, did Hexseth take Ukraine's territorial integrity off the table? No, I haven't done that. I'm back in Ukraine. I'm back in Ukraine. Don't say that. The president saying NATO membership, a key Ukraine demand, was not practical, and he was pressed on whether he views Ukraine as an equal member in the peace process. It's an interesting question. I think.

They have to make peace. It all comes amid a flurry of prisoner releases. Today, three detainees released by Russia's close ally, Belarus, including an unnamed U.S. citizen. Overnight, a dramatic homecoming for American school teacher Mark Fogle. I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now. Who literally kissed the ground after the Trump administration secured his release from Russia, where the U.S. says he'd been wrongfully detained for three and a half years. I'm not a hero in this at all.

And President Trump is a hero. A U.S. official telling NBC News convicted money launderer Alexander Vinnick is being sent back to Russia in exchange for Fogel's release. All right, Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House. So Gabe, Trump, it seems, in those comments there in the Oval Office, is drawing a strong contrast with former President Biden here, taking a softer, more diplomatic approach to dealing with Russia and pushing to end the war. Where does this leave Ukraine and President Zelensky? Oh, yeah, Tom, look, he seems to be giving Russia the benefit of the doubt in some cases. You just heard him respond to that question of whether he considered Ukraine an equal partner in this peace process.

And he then hesitated and then essentially dodged the question. President Trump also saying that Ukraine has agreed to give minerals and oil and gas in exchange for aid, again, a very different approach than the Biden administration. And the next step is that on Friday in Germany, Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to meet with Zelensky. As for Trump himself, he has not committed to visiting Ukraine, but he said he'd think about it, Tom. All right, Gabe Gutierrez for us, Gabe, we thank you. For more in President Trump and his administration signaling an effort to end the war in Ukraine. NBC's Raf Sanchez joins us tonight from Brussels.

Raf, where you are, Secretary Hexeth made those comments about how saying it's unrealistic to believe Ukraine will return to its pre-war borders. Do you think Ukraine is ready to strike a deal if they don't get back the land they lost to Russia? So, Tom, I think there is an understanding in Ukraine that taking back all the lands they've lost to Russia since the start of the war would be a tall order. Remember, we're talking about not just the territory they've lost since the full-scale invasion back in February 2022, but also areas that they lost back in 2014. That would include Crimea, which Ukraine has consistently struggled to take back. But the Ukrainians do not, Tom, want to make concessions before these negotiations have even begun. So I would be very surprised if President Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials were prepared to say publicly that they would concede land to Russia. Might they make those concessions in private, behind closed doors in those negotiations?

It's possible. It is also worth saying, Tom, this is a major shift in U.S. policy. The Biden administration's position on this was that it is up to Ukraine to set its own military objectives and the role of the United States and NATO is to put them in the strongest possible position going into these negotiations. The Trump administration position is there's no time left and they want these negotiations to start immediately. Do the people of Ukraine want to deal now? Would they be okay not getting that land back either? So, Tom, I've been to Ukraine many times.

since February 2022. Ukraine is obviously a big country. There's a diversity of opinions. I can tell you there is an exhaustion with this war, an exhaustion with the casualties, an exhaustion with the daily air raids, an exhaustion with the military conscription. That said, I don't think the Ukrainians want to deal at any cost. And they are very worried right now about being bounced into an agreement by the Trump administration. And I'll give you just one example. One of the major concerns the Ukrainians have is that they would go into these negotiations. They would make concessions, painful concessions, in order to get a peace deal. Putin would go away one year, two years, three years, and then come back and invade once again. And so what they want are security guarantees

to make sure that that won't happen. One way of guaranteeing Ukraine's security would be if it became a member of NATO. And today, Pete Hegseth, saying here in Brussels, that that is a non-starter of the United States will not countenance Ukraine joining NATO as part of this peace deal. And then, Raf, why would Putin want to stop a war when he has used this politically? What can President Trump offer him that would make him seek out a deal? Yeah, Tom, it's a really good question, and it is one that has vexed some of the best minds in the U.S. government. There are costs to this war to Putin.

It is obviously taken a lot longer than he thought it would. There are significant Russian casualties. some 850,000 Russian troops have either been killed or wounded since the start of the war has really worked the Russian economy. But I think the other side of this question is what kind of pressure would President Trump be prepared to put on Putin to make sure he does come to the negotiating table? Secretary Heggseth talked this morning about enforcing energy sanctions more stringently to put pressure on the Russian economy.

What we don't know from the Trump administration is if Putin, refuses to negotiate or refuses to negotiate in good faith, is the U.S. prepared to send more weapons to Ukraine in order to put pressure on the battlefield? Tom. All right, Ralph Sanchez for us, Raf, we thank you for that. We're going to bring it back here at home in Congress. Growing concerns over Senator Mitch McConnell, the former majority leader now in a wheelchair

after falling twice in recent weeks. The 82-year-old's health reigniting the debate over when it's time for lawmakers to step aside. NBC News Chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles has this one. Any comment? I'm told to get. New concerns tonight for the health of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell. How are you feeling, Lina McConnell? In video shot by CNN, the 82-year-old former Senate majority leader in a wheelchair, lifted up by an aide into a waiting car outside the Capitol complex Monday night after two falls there just last week. His team said the wheelchair was just a precaution. Those falls, the latest in a growing list of concerning health moments. McConnell had a series of apparent freezes before the cameras in recent years.

And a string of... Starting with a 19-second pause during this July, 2023 press conference. If it's consistent and he's not able to actually communicate and make his points, then I don't see him, I think he should step aside. McConnell is serving his seventh term in the Senate, first elected to the upper chamber back in 1984. And while he stepped down. And while he stepped down from Republican leadership last year, one of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter.

He has still not announced whether he will run for an eighth term next year. But McConnell is just one of several lawmakers whose age is raising questions about how old is too old to serve. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now a backbencher, still represents her San Francisco district at age. They're both more than 40 years older than their median constituents, and they're not alone. 86-year-old Congresswoman Maxine Waters is a full 50 years older than the median resident in her southern L.A. district. And Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the oldest senator still serving at 91, has almost 52 years on the median Hawkeye Stater. Unfortunately, I think that the motivation to stay in office in advanced age, past the retirement age, where we see most people working is to maintain power and all the benefits that come with it.

In 2023, California Senator Dian Feinstein defying calls to retire before the end of her term. After several health scares and a moment where she appeared to be out of it during a committee vote. Yeah, just say aye. Okay, just. I. Feinstein, then the oldest member in either chamber of Congress, died in office at 90 years old. In years past, powerful lawmakers have made a habit of stepping aside before Father Time did it for them. Iconic House Speaker Tip O'Neill retired from Congress at just 73. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at 77.

And John Boehner, the last pre-Trump Republican speaker, left Congress at just 65 years old. There has always been a median age of at least 50 in Congress, but this is the oldest we have seen in some time. What we have is in the highest echelons power in Congress, the oldest members of Congress. And that is something that was not always true. The Pew Research Center found that nearly four and five Americans want age limits on D.C. officials and almost 90% want congressional term limits. So I think there needs to be a limit. Somewhere, say 12 years, and that could be a combination of the House and the Senate both. Ryan Nobles joins us tonight from Capitol Hill.

So, Ryan, let's start where your piece leaves off and the possibility of putting either age or term limits on lawmakers. How would that work? Well, it would be extraordinarily difficult, Tom. It would require the Constitution to be amended. Right now, Article 5 has no provision whatsoever for term limits or age limits, so that would be a very difficult thing to do. Of course, there is a term limit that already exists, and that's the voting booth.

Ultimately, this is a choice that voters have to make in each individual district with each individual member. They have the power to vote out anyone who they think maybe pass their prime and should leave office. But at this stage, voters just haven't seemed to be too plugged in on this as an issue that's at the forefront. And it's interesting, right, because we talk about Congress in your story here and the issues with age and maybe term limits. This was also an issue on the campaign trail with former President Biden and some critics of current president. Trump will also say they should look into it. Yeah, you could make the argument, Tom. It's what drove President Biden out of the race.

And one of the reasons that Democratic leaders believed that it was time to bring someone in who was from a different generation, who had more youth and more vigor into the race. Of course, it turned out to be not enough. And voters still chose Donald Trump, who is older than Kamala Harris, to be the next president of the United States. There is certainly a generational shift happening here. And the other thing that is interesting about this when you look at it. at the polling is that if you ask just generally, do you think that members of Congress, the president are too old? People tend to say yes. But then when you break that down to the

individual person and they say, what about this guy? What about this person who represents you? They tend to have a different opinion. So this isn't something where there's a blanket answer to it. It's really something that voters judge on a case-by-case basis, Tom. All right, Ryan Nobles for us tonight. Ryan, we thank you for that story. Now to the escalating showdown over President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and his new vow tonight to abolish the Department of Education. Kelly O'Donnell has this one. The debate over Doge, a flashpoint in President Trump's overhaul of government.

The spigot is getting ready to be turned off. Today, Democrats held up for scrutiny, Elon Musk, the billionaire head of the Department of Government Efficiency. It's a demolition plan that's going to run through our government. The divide is clear. Democrats call out an unaccountable overreach. Donald Trump and Elon Musk are recklessly and illegally dismantling the federal government, shuddering federal agencies, firing federal workers,

while Republicans praise Musk's methods to slash spending. Now that Doge is taking real action, Democrats are choosing to defend the bureaucracy and status quo instead of standing up for the American people. At today's White House briefing, press secretary Caroline, Leavitt showed what she called receipts for spending identified and terminated by Doge, including diversity and inclusion programs, a $4 million training contract at Job Corps, and a $2.3 million contract for diversity training at the Air Force Officer School. But Leavitt argued, without evidence, the spending she cited is not simply a policy dispute,

but suggested fraud, which is a crime. I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent, they are wasteful, and they are an abuse of the American taxpayer's dollar. New tonight, a separate move to halt taxpayer spending for migrants. The Department of Homeland Security announced that Secretary Kristy Noem clawed back $59 million that had been paid to provide hotel housing for migrants in New York City. The city says it is exploring litigation to get the money back. Kelly O'Donnell joins us from the White House. Now, Kelly, the Senate today voting to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as President Trump's Director of National Intelligence. What can you tell us about that?

Well, her nomination, her path to being sworn in today here at the White House, certainly was controversial. But in the end, only one Republican, Mitch McConnell, voted against Tulsi Gabbard. And now she will head the 18 agencies that deal with intelligence across the federal government as the director of national intelligence. Some of the criticism from Democrats had been focused on her past comments that seemed favorable to Russia and Syria's Assad, her support for Edward Snowden, who had released secrets, and then fled to Russia. And so there were questions about her temperament, her views, and her willingness to really support the intelligence communities. But that is her job tonight as the Director of National Intelligence. And, Kelly, this is a strange one, right? Tonight, the president ramped up his demand for cuts at another agency, the Department of Education.

There have even been calls on the right to get rid of the department altogether. This as his nominee to be the Secretary of Education, Lyndon McMahon, a very close ally, is going through that process, correct? President Trump has been talking about the Department of Education for a while. And what was notable today is he said he wants it closed immediately. He even lashed out at the employees and the work they do there as a con job. His gripe, if you will, as he says, that there are too many of those workers who don't show up to work. They work from home. That's hard to get a handle on exactly how many, and work from home policies do exist.

He also talked about the spending per pupil in America is so high, and yet test results and outcomes in the classroom are not as strong as other countries. So he doesn't think the money is being used effectively, and he thinks that should all go back to the states. Most funding for schools do occur at the state and local level, and it's really the Department of Education at the federal level that really helps states that have poor communities, low-income communities, helping with disabled students, and so forth. So there's been a mission at the federal level, even though most of education is handled locally. Tom? Okay, Kelly, we thank you for that. Next night to nationwide, price increases impacting your wallet. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting inflation rising to 3% nationwide. The markets reacting, the Dow and the S&P falling, as NASDAQ made small gains. Shelter and food, the biggest contributors to the rise in inflation.

Look at that right there. Specifically, the cost of eggs due to the bird flu outbreak, prompting the record prices and shortages that were seen at grocery stores across the country. And as Aaron McLaughlin explains, for American farmers and consumers, there is no relief in sight. And Wagon Wheel Farm in upstate New York, farmer Jason Tau knows his eggs are expensive. I never thought I'd see the day where a dozen eggs cost more than a bail of hay. The $5.5 he charged for a dozen back in May became $7 in October, and now it's $8 a dozen.

Cow says he has no choice but to pass along the cost of protecting his flock of 500 chickens. Across the country, more than 21 million chickens died due to bird flu since December. Just weeks ago, it was found on a chicken farm, a county away from wagon wheel. And so, Tao is ramping up security. Sanitizing footwear, sporting gloves, and installing roofs over his coops. We're always watching for it. So far, so good. So far so good. There's the goal to protect his farm from wild birds, known carriers of the virus. There's any wild birds that land on top. They're not going to cross-contaminate with any droppings down into the chicken runs. He spent thousands on biosecurity. The cost passed along to his consumers.

Tau says the main price pusher for his eggs, replacing older hens that no longer lay profitably. Those costs have skyrocketed. And for Americans struggling with inflation fatigue, the doubling of egg prices is an added shock. I don't get it and I can't afford it. So I eat a lot less and pay a little more. And that's when people can even find eggs. Retailers Trader Joe's in Costco now limiting how many eggs are coming.

customer can buy. Meanwhile, back at Wagon Wheel Farm, do you worry you're going to have to charge even more if this keeps going? That's already on the horizon. Tonight at chicken farms across the U.S., they're scrambling to keep the bird flu at bay, while bracing for the cost of eggs to climb even higher. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News, Goshen, New York. Okay, still ahead tonight, the stunning rescue after a military plane crash. Video capturing the moment the fighter jet plunges into the line. water. What the pilots did moments before impact that likely saved their lives. Plus, the new turn in the investigation into former WWECEO Vince McMahon, his lawyer saying the criminal probe

has been dropped what we're learning. And the surprise show from a rock and roll icon, the very lucky crowd, getting a private show from Sir Paul himself. That's next. We're back now with an update on Vince. Thanks, McMahon, the former W.W.E. CEO facing allegations of sex trafficking and abuse. Tonight, McMahon's lawyers saying federal prosecutors are dropping a criminal probe that centered around illegal bookkeeping used to cover up hush money payments made to two employees who made allegations of sexual misconduct at the company. McMahon and the WWE were the subject of an explosive Netflix docu-series last year that outlined several claims of misconduct over the years. McMahon had first participated in the series but stopped amid the allegation. For more on tonight's development, NBC News, Justice and Intelligence correspondent Ken Delaney joins us tonight.

So, Ken, can you walk us through exactly what the investigation centered around, and what do we know about it being dropped? Sure, Tom. What we know about it being dropped, as you said, comes from Vince McMahon's lawyer who said in a statement that he had been in consistent touch with prosecutors, and he understands, quote, with no ambiguity that the investigation has definitively concluded and will not result in charges. Now, the New York Post reported today on an appeals court ruling that did not name McMahon, but pretty clearly was referring to this investigation, and it said that a grand jury had considered whether McMahon broke the law by hiding allegations of sexual misconduct made by two female former employees. Those are people he ended up paying $10.5 million in settlements to. As you said, the issue here they were investigating was not the question of whether he committed sexual offenses, but whether he violated criminal laws in allegedly covering up the payments to these women. His lawyers, of course, deny any wrongdoing, and now it appears that criminal probe is dropped on. And then, Ken, I mentioned the sex trafficking lawsuit against McMahon filed last year by a woman named Janelle Grant. She's also accusing him of sexual coercion in exchange for a job. That suit is civil, not criminal. Does this case now that seems to be getting dropped, according to McBan's lawyers, have any effect on that civil case?

Well, actually, it allowed the civil case to go forward. The Justice Department, Tom, had a stay on that civil case, as it often does when there is a pending criminal investigation. In December, that stay was lifted, which was another sign that the DOJ investigation was going away. And the plaintiff filed an amended complaint in the last couple of weeks, making new allegations. As you said, she's claiming that she was offered as a sexual object to other employees of the Wrestling Federation. Vince McMahon denies those allegations fully, but that lawsuit is going forward, Tom. All right, Ken, we thank you for that. When we returned, the measles outbreak, hitting a town in Texas, the staggering number of infections,

and why officials believe the case, all of them could be connected. We are back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we start with pilots being rescued after that military fighter jet. crashed off the coast of San Diego. This new video, if you look at it closely, it shows the U.S. Navy plane plunging right into the San Diego Bay. Luckily, the pilots safely ejected moments before impact and were quickly rescued by a nearby fishing boat. Both pilots were taken to the hospital, but are expected to be okay. That is great news. A measles outbreak hitting a small western Texas county with at least two dozen cases.

Health officials in Gaines County say 20 children and two adults have been sickened. Nine of them hospitalized. All 22 were unvaccinated. Officials say some cases appear to be connected to private religious schools. The county bordering New Mexico has the highest number of vaccine exemptions in the state, which can be granted for religious or health reasons. And some wild surveillance footage captured an attempted robbery at a Florida smoke shop. Video showing two people trying to break in by ramming their car into the store. They were unable to enter and took off.

The shop owner says this marks the second time in two. weeks that someone tried to break into his business. Rock legend Paul McCartney surprising New Yorkers with an impromptu show. McCartney announcing the performance just hours before going on stage at the Bowery Ballroom. A lucky 550 fans were able to snag tickets. McCartney played for 90 minutes opening with the Beatles classic A Hard Day's Night. He announced another surprise show at the same venue for tonight. Looks like Sir Paul wants to get playing. Okay, coming up to half-shot court controversy. Did you half-court shot controversy? A student at UMass appearing to win a halftime contest worth 10 grand,

but he was told he would not be getting the money over a technicality, how the internet rallied behind him to get him that prize and what he plans to do with it. Now, at Top Story's Global Watch in Rio de Janeiro, a massive fire breaking out at factory, producing costumes for the city's carnival celebrations. Video shows firefighters using ladders to rescue trap workers from the top floor of the building as flames engulfed the lower levels. Brazilian officials say at least 20 people were hurt.

Some of them hospitalized in serious condition. Authorities are still investigating the cause of this fire. And China conducting military patrols and training missions around Taiwan today. A Chinese state TV broadcast shows naval ships and fighter jets in the region. The deployment comes after two U.S. Navy ships travel through the Taiwan Strait, this week, China condemning the move, saying it increased security risks. And Vietnam's capital, Hanoi, topping a list of the most polluted cities in the world. The rankings from Air Quality Monitoring Service IQ Air released as a thick smog blanket

of the city today, nearly obscuring the skyline. The levels of particulate matter there today more than 22 times World Health Organization standards for healthy air. Experts say emissions from cars and motorbikes as well as widespread construction are major drivers of the haze you see there. Okay, back here at home to the misstep that almost cost a basketball fan $10,000. The college student doing the seemingly impossible, sinking a half-court shot to win prize money, or so he thought. NBC Stephen Romo explains. It was the halftime contest that sparked a $10,000 dispute. No, are you ready?

UMass senior, Noah Lee, says he was plucked out of the crowd at a women's basketball game last Wednesday and challenged to make four increasingly difficult baskets in 30 seconds for a chance to win big. On your mark, get set. Go! Noah, sinking the first layup, no problem. Then a free throw, getting a little more interest from the crowd. Halfway there. Next, a three-pointer. Now, fans, getting excited. And then I had to take like one big dribble, take a breath, and just figured, hey, let's, let's have fun. The crowd going wild. Holy sq. He was about to take home the 10 grand, or so he thought.

Noah soon learning the company behind the contest, odds on promotions, had a strict rule that his foot could not touch the half-court line. The UMass athletics had seen kind of the replay of the video and had mentioned to me that, hey, it's going to be close. The next day, the school telling him the company would not pay out the reward. UMass was gracious enough to kind of offer me some consultatory gifts as well, some seats in the front row, a gift card to the Mullen Center, and also some UMass swag. Many fans outraged at the news. Like, where in the rules are they ever telling him your foot has to be behind the line for the half court? He was on half court. I would suggest paying NOAA.

Odds-on promotions did not immediately respond to NBC News's request for comment. The company's managing director told the Washington Post, it was, quote, not our decision, not to give him money, and that the school never filed a claim. But in a statement, UMass Athletics said, quote, after their review of the four camera angles we provided, odds-on promotions, determined the half-court shot was disqualified. Now, to make the situation right, the school. deciding to pay NOAA the $10,000 anyway. Noah planning to spend that money in true college student fashion. I'm going to be using the money first to kind of pay off my student loans, kind of finish out those before I kind of enter a full-time job.

But then after that, with what's left, would love to kind of have a really fun last spring break while in college with my friends. Glad Noah got that money. Spring break sounds like fun. When we come back celebrating 50 years of Saturday Night Live, iconic show marks five decades on air. I sit down with former cast member Alex Moffitt, who you may remember for playing Joe Biden, what he revealed about the audition process, his favorite moments, and what the future of the show could look like. That's next.

For the weather in New York has been unseasonably warm. Here to give us some late summer dating advice is a guy who just bought a boat. Hey! Hey! Welcome back. Hey, Joe Joe. L.L. Cool, Jost, C.J.1. Relax, bro. It's just a nickname. A little rib for their pleasure. Very tight to be back. Thank you. Yeah. No, it's great to have you.

Do you have any, like, dating advice? Tots. First step, fellas, you're going to want to rock equality fraggum. Okay? We're talking Cologne, Jost. You got your abracroms, your T. Hill figs, your Axe-Bosprah. Anything that'll turn her nose into a... Yes. And that was a bit from season 43 from Saturday Night Live.

And here we are celebrating 50 years of the iconic show. And one of the stars of that clip and SNL is Alex Moffitt. He was on the show for six years. He's known for playing everyone from the guy who just bought a boat to Joe Biden and, of course, Eric Trump. He joins Top Story Tonight in studio. Alex, thanks so much for being here. What a treat. 50 years.

Is it too much? I was on the show for all 50. Is it too much? Is it too much? Are we doing too much? We're doing too much. Yeah. Let's end it right now.

Shoulda quit while they were ahead. I'm just kidding. Yeah, it's the, it's an institution. Best show of all time, 50. 50. Why not go for 100? We should try. Who are you most excited to see again on that stage?

Is there anybody that was sort of iconic for you growing up? Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney, just performing? Yeah. Coming into 30 Rock, also they have some screen out in the square. out in the square that is showing, like, clips and stuff. And it showed that, like, Chris Farley show when he had Paul McCartney on.

Oh, yeah. Just like, remember when you were a Beatle? And yeah, Paul, I know, is friends with Mr. Michaels, so I'm sure he'll be there, and I'm a Beatles fan, so why not? That'll be awesome. You know, Peacock has this great documentary celebrating SNL in all the years. And one of the great first episodes is about the audition process.

I checked ye old Wikipedia, and you know everything is true in Wikipedia. Everything. It says you auditioned a few times. Is that true? Yeah. I mean, what was that like? Because it had to be like, oh, my God, this is my dream, and then having to come back and trying to get better. What was that like?

Well, I started auditioning with the first cast. I would have been, you know, with John Belushi. So you tried hard. I tried for 41 years before I finally made it. Yeah, I had to, I think 2013, I auditioned and she. Chicago and then got to do like a follow-up audition. 2014, I sent in a tape, which I never heard a peep about. 2015, I auditioned in LA, and then 2016, I auditioned a couple more times, and that was

when it finally, I finally broke them. And it was nerve-wracking every time. It's like the most pressure-packed situation I think you can have as like a comedian or actor or whatever, especially for somebody who like, that's the only job I ever wanted. So if I blew that, I was just going to be, you know, teaching speed reading in a depressing office park near L.A.X. For the rest of my life. When you got the call, what was that like? Magical.

Yeah. Truly. Yeah. Life-changing, magical. I can remember where I was. I was in the gross hotel block from here that they put young comedians who don't have a choice up in. When you said gross, I thought that was the name of the hotel. No, it was literally a gross hotel.

Okay. And as I was checking out, and I got a call from a New York number I didn't recognize, and I was like, this could be something. And I picked it up, and I heard a Lauren's assistant at the time said, hi, have Lauren for you? And I was like, here we go. And then he got on the phone, and we had a nice chat. He didn't so much offer me the job as much.

It's not so much an offer. I think they assume you're going to take it. It's not like, so what do you think? Do you want to do this? You know, sort of like, we'll see you Monday. So one of the best calls I've ever gotten. That's incredible. When you were on the show, people talk about the stress, about the enjoyment, about the thrill.

I mean, what did you take away from the years there? I mean, how stressful is it? I mean, was it fun or was it so stressful? It's all of it. It's all of it. There's, I mean, from doing live TV, sketch comedy with, like, that cast from 11.30 p.m. to 1 a.m. on a Saturday night is about as much fun as you. you can possibly have legally. It is, so it's the best.

I mean, yeah, there's some stress. Every job has stress. You got to kind of reprove yourself every week, yada, yada. All the legends are true, but it's the best job in the world. Yeah, yeah. Talk to me about Joe Biden. You picked it up from Jim Carrey, right? Which was kind of like got some kind of weird reviews.

You came on. You came on. You got some three reviews about the show. about the show or but you did you did you did but in awesome i mean how what was that like if you blinked you missed it but yeah i did him on the show for a couple times uh yeah filling in you know taken over from jim carrie kind of cool big shoes to fill uh but yeah i i gave it my take and then i think america and the and the bosses at s n l said swipe left we're giving it to somebody else and I said, hey, you know, this was fun.

But to get to play the SNL president, even for, you know, anytime at all, was a dream come true. It was great. And Eric Trump? Yes, also a dream come true. Since the time I was a little boy, I dreamt of playing Eric Trump. But it took off. I mean, people loved that character. Yeah.

Yeah, well, you know, we treated him like a toddler. And so Mikey Day and I got to just goof off anytime we were out there. And Mikey is, like, the ultimate, like, straight man, and his Don Jr. Crack me up so much. And so we had a blast every time. And his writing partner, Streeter, the three of us would, you know, just think of dumb bits for them, like, oh, maybe he's got a fidget spinner or some Legos this time. What's some other, what's another dumb toy you might give a four-year-old? When you were on the show, were you ever sort of amazed at some of the talent next to you that you were on stage with?

I mean, were you ever just, like, alone away? Who were the people that sort of blew you away that you were just kind of like, wow, this is, these are the funniest people on the planet? Kate McKinnon is a legend for a reason and is just like so genius. Beck Bennett used to make me laugh till I cried. The only time I ever broke was because of him. Talk to us about the sketch. Which sketch was that one? I think it only went to dress, but then they put the...

And I, and as I was breaking, I was like, well, at least this is dress, and I'll keep myself together on air. It was like Beck, Paul Rudd was hosting, and Beck and Rudd were these two dudes in, like, an office who, as like a going away present for somebody who was retiring, wrote a song, but it was like really almost like, like, craft worky, and they were just like very singing these dumb songs in a break room. And I was sitting at a table in the break room with 80. And the way that Beck and Paul Rudd were just dancing and so committed, I was truly weeping. I had tears. So then they put the one, since it was cut for time, they put the dress sketch online. So on YouTube somewhere, there's video of me just like weeping as Beck was like strutting around. It was great.

Lauren Michaels, he's been there from the beginning. I think there was a few seasons he wasn't. but who would you like to see take over if he eventually retires? Is there anybody that you worked with or in the space that you think could sort of carry that legacy? I'm looking at John Lovitz. Yeah, really? Wow. Yeah.

Seriously or joking? I'm kind of goofing. No, I don't know. I just love Lovitz, and I just wanted to bring him up because I adore him. I don't know. I know that this is a big thing that everyone talks about, like, who's going to take over for Lorne?

I can't picture it. I truly, I'm like, when I think of sitting in that meeting and Lauren going through the notes and, you know, giving, you know, or like bringing me under the bleachers to be like, are you going to be okay when I was a little manic one episode? I just think, like, I don't know who else could do that. He's kind of, it's his baby. So if it's his baby, then who else could raise it? Do you have, is there a post-traumatic? Oh, we're looking good. I don't know.

Like, is it like a fun disorder? Do you have good memories? Do you ever have like wake up like a fun disorder? Like like, do you have like post-traumatic, anything from Estinelli? Do you ever wake up like, oh, I got to write a signature, I got to have a bid, or I'm going to be funny? I have a table to read today. I wouldn't say there's any PTSD. I mean, truly, it was the only job I ever wanted from the time I was like this a zygote.

The size of this mug is what I was going to say. So the fact that I got to do it at all, I still kind of pinch myself. Again, yeah, it's stressful, but like, and then there is kind of a hangover after you leave the show. There's a hangover that lasts maybe a year. What's your best memory, as we look back on 50 years? For you personally, what was your, the one you look back on that you kind of go back to, like, oh, that was awesome? That's a good question. I have a lot.

I get paid to ask those, you know, every one and then. Every one out of the 50, I get paid. They should double it. You hear me? Or cut it. You hear me, Lauren? Eddie good ones? Well, this is kind of a vague thing, but like every week, my wife came to the show just about every week.

And so good or bad, whether I chunked it or had a good show, I'd go to my dressing room and she'd be there to hug me and kiss me and be like, you did your best. Or she never let on that I had, like, bombed or anything. She was just always supportive. So some of the memories of just, like, hanging with her and then going to the after party. Speaking of after parties, actually, the fun memory was when... Give it up. Let's go. Let's hear it. Chappelle, the first time he hosted in 2016, through his own after-after party,

that, like, was just... It was... Buster Rimes got up and did a set at like 4 in the morning. You had, like, Lenny Kravitz on drums. Chappelle got up and sang creep. It was... I heard, like, Madonna was there. We saw Naomi Campbell, and I remember just, and this was like a month into my time at S&L. So I was just like, yep, this will be every week from now on. And then it was the coolest part I've ever been to, buy a mile to this day.

I like, I do like how much skin I'm showing, but I'm just trying to make sure it's even for cutting comedian rock star. Alex, thanks for being here. Pleasure. And congrats on your success and your career, man. We'll keep watching. This Sunday, tune in for S&L 50, the anniversary special. Former and current cast members, along with celebrity guests, will join the three-hour event that airs on NBC and Peacock on Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern. We're also taking a look back at the early years of SNL with the special SNL-50 rewind that airs tomorrow night at 10.30 p.m. Eastern right here on news now.

We thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.