Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Episode Date: February 29, 2024

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

Breaking news, the Supreme Court in a stunning decision announcing they will take up former President Trump's immunity defense in his federal election interference case. The decision adding a new hurdle to his legal battle, putting the case on hold for months. The high court set to consider if a former president is immune from being prosecuted for acts performed while in office. We're breaking down the potential repercussions. Also tonight, a massive wildfire in Texas. is burning out of control. The flames engulfing homes and businesses forcing thousands to evacuate. We speak live tonight with one couple

who fled from their home and now their business is surrounded by fire. It all comes as the U.S. deals with wild weather, tornadoes tearing through the Midwest, storms moving across the East Coast as we come on the air. Fertility fight. Alabama Supreme Court ruling on in vitro fertilization,

leaving many in limbo. The court claiming embryos are children, and now doctors and patients are confused on what they can and can't do. One woman takes us through her personal journey as she navigates uncharted waters in the hopes of having a child. Crisis in Gaza, growing dire, aid workers taking desperate measures, airdropping food and supplies as deliveries by land become impossible. Thousands scrambling to see to retrieve what they can, fights breaking out as organizations warn the region is on the brink. of famine, where things stand as the humanitarian crisis spirals, surviving a chopper crash,

a helicopter spinning out of control and crashing on a roof in Medellin, Colombia. Everyone on board somehow surviving. We hear from a couple who captured the entire thing on their cell phones as the chopper went down in real time. Plus, classroom sword fight? A startling situation as a teacher brings in real swords and direct students to back. battle it out. One student now suing the teacher and the school after she suffered a massive cut. How could this have happened? And a bombshell documentary on former talk show host Wendy Williams,

the raw and jaw-dropping moments, leaving viewers unnerved. The Lifetime series facing criticism over its unfiltered footage. Williams's former publicist featured in the documentary speaking exclusively to NBC News, why she's slamming the series, calling it exploitative. Top story. It starts right now. Good evening. We start with that breaking news tonight. Former President Trump heading to the Supreme Court once again. The High Court agreed to take on Trump's case where he and his legal team argue he's immune from prosecution in the federal election interference case because he was president at the time. The case which charges Trump with plotting to overturn the 2020

election is now on hold until the justice's way in. I want to get right to NBC News Senior Legal Correspondent, Laura Jarrett, she joins us now here in studio with the very latest. And, Laura, one thing we at least know for sure is that this case is not going to trial anytime soon. Trial potentially on hold indefinitely, Tom. When this case goes to trial, if ever, if it does, now going to be pushed back significantly on the calendar, a move that likely only helps the former president who is still campaigning to gain the Republican nomination. Tonight, the U.S. Supreme Court deciding to weigh in on a critical issue, that could make or break the special counsel's case against former President Trump,

agreeing to decide whether Mr. Trump must be shielded from prosecution by claiming presidential immunity for the acts he took leading up to January 6th. Those acts, the basis for the criminal election interference case, he's now facing in federal court. The move further delaying any trial in the case likely for months, and if Mr. Trump wins, the charges would be dismissed. Arguments now set for the week of April 22nd, an appeals court had ruled against him, saying former President Trump has become citizen Trump with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But Mr. Trump hoped the Supreme Court would put that on pause, saying he was being wrongly prosecuted for official acts that happened while he was still in office.

If you have a president that doesn't have immunity, he's never going to be free to do anything because the opposing party will always indict him as soon as he'll, leaves the White House. The high court already set to decide another legal battle for the Republican frontrunner, hearing arguments last month over Colorado's move to ban him from the ballot. The justices sounding skeptical of Colorado's ability to disqualify him there with a ruling expected any time. Laura, back with us now. So, Laura, we talk about the calendar, right? I know in your report, you said it could be months. Trump could wrap up this nomination at the end of March. We know the Republican National Convention is in July and the election in November. When could this case go to trial if it does?

The justices have already delayed this even more by saying they're not even going to hear it until late April. That means they might not even issue a decision until late June. So you can understand why the special counsel was pressing them back in December to take it up right away. And you wonder, why didn't they take it up then if they were going to take it up now? Clearly, it's an issue that they think is of an next legal significance that they need to weigh in, as he has argued his immunity, not only in this case, Tom, but in other cases as well. So it's clearly something significant enough that they felt the need to put their own stamp on it. Even if they decide early April, how quickly, if it does go to trial, how quickly could it even go to trial?

It would still take months? It would still take months because he gets the benefit of the case essentially being on pause since early December now. So that's what, three months, he would get that tacked on to whatever they decided, even if it happened again in late April. We wouldn't see it until summer. I also know you have some new reporting on the civil fraud trial here in New York. There's been some major developments. Yes. In that case, of course, Mr. Trump is trying to appeal that massive judgment for more than $450 million.

The problem for him is one of money. And he said in a court filing tonight through his lawyers, he might be forced to sell his properties in order to pay that judgment. Because in order to appeal, he's got to put up the money or get a bond. And it's a query what lenders are going to give him that money. Laura, Jared, on that breaking news tonight for us, Laura, we appreciate that. We also have more breaking news. Tonight, wildfires burning out of control across the Texas Panhandle. Governor Greg Abbott issuing a disaster declaration as the second biggest fire in state history rages on.

Here's what it looks like. Thousands order to evacuate. It's the inferno, burns homes and businesses to the ground. Heartbreaking images of cattle. Look at them here with nowhere to go. The region home to ranchers and farmers now threatened as the flames close in all around them. Terrifying scenes as firefighters rushing down a highway are surrounded by fire. police just north of Amarillo caught in the crosshairs of the blaze. Take a listen. Let's pull out. We've got too many spots.

Right behind you. We're up behind you. I shot down 136. Shut it down. Head back. We're just going to have to regroup. We can't stop it. Head back.

We're just going to have to regroup. This is where many of the fires are currently burning out of control. Most of them raging in the northwest part of the Lone Star State. This is the panhandle. And this is what it looks like on the ground in some part.

It's devastating images of widespread destruction as neighborhoods are left unrecognizable. Ahead we speak to a couple whose business is threatened by the blaze. They say they have no idea if their own home is still standing. The fire rages as the country deals with more wild weather, strong tornadoes ripping through the Midwest overnight. And right now, millions from coast to coast are at risk for more storms. Bill Cairns, he's standing by for us tonight. He'll be here in a moment, but first we want to get to NBC's Guadvinas, who's in the middle of that devastation in Texas. Tonight, the series of exploding wildfires tearing across northern Texas, leaving a path of destruction.

Massive walls of fire incinerating homes, cars, and businesses, and overwhelming first responders. Go out, everybody, call out. Flames surround roads as residents flee to safety. The smokehouse creek fire, the largest of at least five fires in the panhandle, now stretching more than 120 miles. With high winds behind it, I mean, these fires are just moving quicker than anybody can kind of get around at this point. The unfolding catastrophe fueled by strong winds, unseasonably high temperatures and dry grass, forcing cattle in Hutchinson County to run from the flames. Officials telling residents in the town of Fridge to prepare themselves as as many as 100 homes may be completely lost. At this angle coming toward us.

Alta Hudson watched as flames destroyed homes in his neighbor. There was a lot of smoke and a whole lot of heat. It was so hot that it, man, it was hard to breathe. Tonight, the governor issuing disaster declarations for 60 counties, urging residents to take all precautions to keep loved ones safe. So far, more than 150,000 acres, an area larger than the size of Rhode Island, already up in smoke, an unfolding disaster impacting lives at historic rates. Guad Vanegas joins us now live from Frick, Texas.

Guad, we can see some of that devastation just behind you. Do we know at this hour how much of the fire is actually contained? Well, Tom, the last update from Texas State Fire Authorities was about 3%. You can imagine how difficult this is. This is a fire that stretches over 100 miles long. Containing it just takes a lot of manpower, machinery, and a lot of work to get there. We see fires like these in California. all the time. And that containment comes at a very slow pace with all of the resources in a place like California, as we've seen in the past, here in Texas, they don't get fires like this a lot. So it's going to take a lot of work for them to get that under control. What I can say today, it isn't as windy as it was before. That can help the conditions for the firefighters as they keep working against this fire that is still burning. We can still see it down in the distance with some of the smoke where the fire is still burning, Tom.

Guad, and that damage, is it all around you? Is it sort of 360 degrees? It is. So most of the damage of this fire, the largest one, is going to be in fields, right? A lot of trees, you have crops, you have areas with no structures. But then there are communities like here in Fridge, Texas, where this entire neighborhood behind me burned down. We're at the entrance of the neighborhood, just of the neighborhood on the edge. We still have a lot more homes down in this direction that also burned down, Tom.

Guad vanegas on the scene for a squad. We appreciate all your reporting. For more on this, I want to bring in a couple who has been personally impacted by these devastating wildfires. Sam and Christi, Sierra Matero, join us now from the Canadian Texas. It's a small town in the panhandle that has been hit by these fires. Sam and Christy, we thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. I know we have some video that you guys took that shows the flames in and around I think your motel, which is called the Canadian Motel. Walk us through what we're seeing here in those videos and what you experienced. Thanks, Tom.

Last night, when we got home, we actually got trapped in town. We were never able to evacuate. We got home, there were still fires burning literally across the street from us. That fire that you're looking at is still smoldering now, 24 hours later. There's still smoke coming out of that grass. They just let it burn out, essentially. And the crazy part, I know in your story is that you see your business being threatened by flames. You're not sure about your own home.

You're also housing people that had to evacuate? We have a few people here who have had to leave their homes or we have some folks here that their water or electricity is out so they can't go home because after 80 degree temperatures it suddenly dropped to blow. freezing last night and is going to be below freezing again tonight so it went the exact opposite direction so people can't go home without water and electricity in those kind of conditions. Christy, have you ever experienced anything like this? Oh no, no, I'm from Colorado. We don't really have anything natural disasters there. So I was absolutely terrified. It was, it was hard to breathe with smoke was just thick.

Yeah, we got, sorry, we got turned back. The video you're watching now, we got turned back. That was us trying to get out the south way and literally a wall of flames just and smoke blocked our way. We had to turn around and that happened the same thing, trying to get out the north way and a different way out the south way. we literally were trapped and surrounded by by flames there's about 200 people I think trapped here in town we couldn't get out you know that couldn't evacuate in time we just

had to wait it out christie is this firefighter yeah christie has this been a terrifying experience if this is new to you yes um it was it was absolutely terrifying I um I didn't know what to do I was worried about my dogs um and it was just getting really hard to breathe. So I, yeah, I panicked a little bit. Wildfires are incredibly destructive. We know they're incredibly scary. I've covered a lot of them. President Biden will be in your state tomorrow. Is there any type of aid your community needs right now? Are there any type of supplies you guys need right now? I mean, I would say food generators, it's going to take us a lot to build back what we lost.

so I mean really any type of help is needed and you know we're here at canadian inn and we have rooms for you know displaced people if they need are you able to are you able to do you have running water there are you able to feed people yes okay all right sam and christie we thank you so much for for joining our coverage and we hope they get it they get containment on those fires because I know it's only 3% as Guad had reported. As the fires burn in Texas, I want to get right to NBC meteorologist, Bill. Cairns, Bill, I heard from Guad, there may be some hope in the forecast for Texas. Yeah, today the fire didn't rapidly spread.

It was just kind of, you know, still burning, but it wasn't spreading rapidly. Yesterday, it spread 50 miles. I mean, that's incredible. That's how windy and how dry it is. And it's mostly just because everything that was growing died off in the winter, and that's the burn. We don't have even drought. The area that burned was in between the Amarillo and Woodward, Oklahoma. but this right where my hand is is where the huge fire is.

And there's no drought in this area. They do need rain, though, obviously, to help the firefighters with the effort. Here's the rainfall forecast over the next seven days, and not what you want to see. So in other words, conditions are still prime in the next seven days. If we get any more big windstorms, we could see rapid fire growth and rapid fire spread once again, and that will be the big concern. Taking to other weather concerns, we had about 11 to 12 tornadoes reported last night and early this morning. What's left of that storm system is heading through the east.

East Coast. We do have some severe thunderstorms that just exited Columbia, South Carolina for Orangeburg. Also, we're watching that line, squall line will soon be heading through the New York City and Philadelphia area, too. Not severe, but gusty winds and brief periods of heavy rain. And the temperature swings are just wild across the country. So right now, 24 hours ago, it was 42 degrees warmer in St. Louis. But look what's already happening back in Denver in Billings. You're 26 degrees warmer. And so we're going through these temperature, crazy swings. And the next huge weather story will be an historic storm. It's out here in the Gulf of Alaska, a cold Arctic air mask. This is all heading for the West. Blizzard warnings are already up in the

mountains. And Tom, we do think someone will get 10 feet of snow in the next couple days. 10 feet of snow. High celebrations, yeah. It has been a wild, wild winter for the West Coast. Okay, Bill, we appreciate that. Now to some major news at a Capitol Hill we're following, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, announcing today he's stepping down as the Republican leader in November. The shake-up coming after the 82-year-old has been faced with growing questions about his health, as well as an increasingly divided GOP. NBC's senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Haake has the details. Tonight, in a stunning shift for Republicans, the most consequential and controversial Senate leader in modern history announcing he's stepping down. It's time for the next generation of leadership.

Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell says he'll give up his leadership position in November, after an unprecedented. in 18 years atop the GOP and retire at the end of his term in 2027, at times emotional. I love the Senate. It's in my life. It comes after the 82-year-old recently suffered two freezing episodes in public, where he was unable to speak. And he's also faced growing criticism from fellow Republicans, who, unlike McConnell, have embraced Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. McConnell served with seven presidents, becoming a frequent foil for Barack Obama, whose appointment of Merrick Garland for a Supreme Court seat, he single-handedly blocked, clearing the way for Trump

to appoint Neil Gorsuch, part of a conservative reshaping of the courts, which became his proudest achievement. Later, falling out with Mr. Trump over January 6th, but voting to acquit in his impeachment trial. President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the event of the day. The former president has taunted McConnell as a broken-down hack politician. I don't know that I can work with him. And mocked his wife, a Trump administration

cabinet secretary, as crazy and with racist language. President Biden paying tribute to McConnell today. All right, Garrett Haig joins us tonight live from Capitol Hill. Garrett, what's your sense tonight? How much of this was about his age? And we should also point out his family

recently suffered a terrible personal tragedy losing his sister-in-law. And how much of this is about the current climate of the Republican Party with Donald Trump right now, the soul of the GOP? I'm glad you mentioned that accident, Tom, because I do think that might have been the precipitating factor here of this decision. I think for McConnell it's all about effectiveness. He wrote about this in his book. I see it covering him every day. I think he wanted to stay here as long as he could be effective. And the combination of the challenges he's faced coming back from that concussion last year with those freezing incidents that I reported on. And also his weakening

grip on the party or the degree to which the party is turning away from the kind of post-Ragan standard GOP that he was all a part of contributed to that. The death of his sister-in-law in Texas, I think, was the moment where he sat back and thought about what his legacy would be and how he wanted to spend the remaining years available to him. All of those things contributing together to today's decision. And, Garrett, before you go, do you think the country will be surprised, or at least Republicans will be surprised, who ultimately takes his position? I think it's entirely possible, Tom. It's probably the single most high-stakes election with the smallest number of voters present, right? This will be a vote that happens behind closed doors

just among Senate Republicans, sometime after the new class of Senate Republicans is elected in November. It could go any one of a number of ways. The top candidates are, you'll get used to hearing this, the three Johns, three senior leaders in the party who've been jacking for this position for some time behind closed doors, will now be doing it much more in the open over the coming months. Garrett, hey, for us, Garrett, we appreciate all your reporting. We want to turn now to power in politics. With less than a week to Super Tuesday, all eyes are on the issues.

Voters care about the most and what last night's election results in Michigan mean for the rest of the primary season. I want to bring in my friend NBC News chief political analyst, Chuck Todd. Chuck, let's get right into Michigan and what happened last night, right? Over 100,000 uncommitted votes against Joe Biden picking up two delegates. And this article in the New York Times titled, What does the Uncommitted Vote? in Michigan mean for 2024. In it, they write, there's another reason it should be taken seriously. Major foreign policy conflicts have often reshaped the electoral map, especially among

immigrant communities whose identities have remained tied to their home countries. Even today, Cuban Republicans, Cuban Americans, I should say, tend to vote Republican, as many fled the communist Castro regime and supported the anti-communist Republican Party. There's a plausible case that the Elion Gonzalez controversy in Florida was sufficient to decide. the 2000 election. Now, we can debate whether that's true or not, Chuck, but in a race that is so close in a state that's going to be so important, like Michigan, should the Biden campaign be worried about this? Sure. I mean, I think you have to be worried about every constituency group and at the margins. But I think, you know, I think there were some folks that fear this

would be a bigger issue that thought, you know, when you think about the amount of support that the protest side was getting from people like Bernie Sanders, Beto O'Rourke, those are two of the primary opponents, even Bernie Sanders' political arm or a group he found it. Yeah, but Chuck, I mean, Chuck, they also had, they had about $200,000.

Yeah, they had $200,000, they put it together in a few weeks, I mean, okay. And they had an entire media, you know, a couple of media organizations that were certainly giving them free reign, and I look at it, and they, you know, it didn't break, 15 percent. So I think it's a, I think they contain their issue. I think they, that what we found out in Michigan is that this is in a very, obviously a hugely important issue to Palestinian Americans and many Arab Americans in this community in Michigan. But I don't think the question was always, is this going to be something that's greater than that. I think what we learned last night is no, it is not greater than that. Now, does it matter? Of course it matters. When you're decided, I mean, to take the I Leon Gonzalez, I, I, I, I

I've always shared that when you're 537 votes is what Florida was decided on. So guess what? Everything mattered. And if you're talking 10,000 votes, then yes, this is going to matter, which has been the point that the Palestinian Americans in Michigan were making. It's like, hey, we may not be in huge numbers, right? 13% to me isn't a huge statement, but it's a huge statement if it is a margin of 10,000 votes. On the Republican side, let's take a look at that. Trump did win big, which was expected, but despite his win, right? Nikki Haley got almost 300,000 votes.

We'll put this up for our viewers here. He lost Michigan to Biden in 2020 by 150,000 votes, as we know, and only won in 2016 by even less votes than that, right? What kind of warning is this, though, for Republicans? You know, I actually think Nikki Haley got harmed a little bit by the Democratic, Michigan Democratic Party's efforts to get more Democrats to support Joe Biden, right? Because you could have gone to either side.

I think that's why she underperformed her New Hampshire number, because in theory, Michigan was the same very fertile ground, the rules of who could vote in which primary, either side. Anyway, just an aside there very quick, Tom. But look, I think it's, they've got to be concerned. And I think right now, Nikki Haley, through Super Tuesday, is providing a blueprint to the Biden campaign on who are the voters? You should target in the general election. Because once you make one anti-Trump vote, it becomes a lot easier to vote against him a second time.

This leads to my next question, right? You wrote an article for NBCNews.com. It's up on our website right now about how the third-party window may have closed. Tell me if I'm crazy here. But if I'm Nikki Haley, right, and I can raise money, and maybe I can tap back into that Coke money, maybe, right?

People keep telling me they aren't happy with Trump or Biden. Why wouldn't she pursue the presidency as a third-party candidate? I mean, she could possibly have a chance. She's a minority. She's a woman. She seems to, I know she has very strong Republican views but some people also see her as a sort of moderate on other issues. I mean, if she could raise the money, why wouldn't she run?

Well, because I think it really is a long shot, she'd have to change a lot of positions because, frankly, to actually put together a campaign that's viable, she's got to figure out how to win 35 to 40 percent of the overall vote, right? She has to change too many positions to sort of do that. I think she's making another bet, Tom, which, says it's the same bet Ted Cruz made eight years ago, and he obviously lost it because he didn't think Trump was going to win. But the bet I think she's making is, hey, I think this should be the direction of the Republican Party. He thinks it should be that direction. Okay, we've chosen

that direction. And if he loses, then she can say, I'm the leader now of this. In fact, with Mitch McConnell's, I mean, in many ways, Nikki Haley now is the leader of the sort of old guard of the Republican Right. Okay. Well, yeah, no, it's an interesting point. And a lot of times, as we've said before here, the person who comes in second place eventually does become the nominee on the GOP side. I want to talk about immigration. We have the former president and the current president heading over to Texas to the border. We have these gallop numbers as well that show immigration as the top issue. And a new Monmouth poll asked Republicans and Democrats about immigration and how big of a concern it is. Ninety-one percent of Republicans' polls say it is a very serious problem. And 41 percent of Democrats also think it's a serious problem. I know they're both going to be there on the border. Is there enough time for President Joe Biden to win back this argument? And could immigration be the key issue of the 2024 election? Look, I think, as we saw last week with the IVF decision in Alabama, I don't know how anything trumps abortion come the fall,

at least with the actual swing boat. Chuck, let me ask you about that, though. Let me ask you about that. And the reason I... Yeah. Well, because when you look at polls, for our viewers, when they look at polls in the top issues, abortion is never there. And let me explain why.

But when you ask, we ask a very specific question, is there one issue that you're willing to vote on that matters to you more, that you'll only vote on that issue regardless of anything else? And you know what comes out on top when you ask the question that way? It's abortion. So the point is it's not necessarily that it's the top issue overall. Is it the top issue among the undecided voters? And the thing with immigration, immigration, immigration, when you see it polling as the number one issue, you just pointed out, 90% of Republicans say

it's a serious problem, but they're not swing voters. And so this is where I think that Biden has to worry about. Where he's got to worry about it is if the immigration issue morphs into a public safety issue. A crime issue, if you will. Correct. You have the incident down at the University of Georgia. We've seen some incidents in New York City. You know, if this is becoming a, if it's something that is actually happening, rather than sort of cherry pick exploited type events, right?

But if this is something that feels like, hey, this is more than just political rhetoric, then yes, I think it can have an impact on that suburban voter through the prism of public safety. But as an immigration only issue, I just don't think it's going to move too many swing voters. Chuck Todd for us tonight.

I think if you care about it, you've already know. You already know how you're voting. Always appreciate our conversations, my friend. Still ahead tonight. An update on the manhunt for a murder suspect in New Orleans, where authorities tracked down the suspect after he escaped in a deputy's car. This video is wild. Plus, terrifying moments on board a helicopter in Colombia. You're not going to believe this story. The urgent effort to get everyone to safety after it crashed into a neighborhood. Most of that caught on camera. And a sword fight with real swords breaking out in a high school chemistry class. And yes, again, those are real weapons.

The new lawsuit alleging it was all the teacher's idea. What is going on? That left one student severely injured, this sort of role-playing game and lesson. We're going to figure out what happened here. Stay with us. Top story just getting started. We're back with an incredible rescue story out of Medellin, Colombia. A helicopter crashing in the middle of a neighborhood moments after takeoff.

A couple inside the chopper capturing the moment of impact onlookers. watching as the chopper, you see it dangling off the side of a building before rescuers pulled out all of the passengers alive. NBC's Valerie Castro spoke with one of the survivors. It's shocking video showing the heart-stopping moment. A helicopter spirals out of control and crashes seconds after taking off from a building's rooftop in the heart of Medellín, Colombia. The flight offered as part of the city. of a dining experience by a local restaurant crashing into a building, leaving the helicopter lodged between the structure and a cell phone tower.

On board, five passengers and the pilot, all of them surviving. First responders pleading with the passengers not to move as they desperately work to pull them out from the teetering chopper. Francisco Salas was inside. The Texas native lives in Colombia and managed to take his cell phone, recording what he thought was his final goodbye. Dad, I just got in a helicopter crash. I'm stuck in a building, and I'm really high up. I love you. And I just want to say thank you so much for taking me under your wing, Dad. I love you. I just thought, okay, this is how I died. This is how I die. This is how I die. Next to him was his

girlfriend, Luiso Osodio. The couple says they were on board with the intention of recording content for their social media channels. But just seconds after takeoff, things took a horrific turn. I was waiting for the impact, and the impact came, and we were still alive, and you could hear the engine turning off, but the rotor still going, and it was just, it was a shock. Salas says the pilot immediately jumped out before local residents and the Medellin Fire Department rushed to the scene, using several cranes to remove the helicopter from the site. God's going to save us. I know it. I know God's going to save us. For almost three hours, Salas says he did his best to keep himself and the others calm. but we're perfectly wedged here. You guys cannot move, and we've got to wait for help.

And then maybe like 90 seconds later, somebody came. I really just felt that if I didn't keep the positive energy, that negative energy, I don't know, maybe it causes people to freak out and someone does something that risks us all. Miraculously, only one person was rushed to the hospital and treated for a leg fracture and lacerations. Local authorities suspending all helicopter flights

as they investigate the reason for the crash. I'm very blessed to have lived a life so far. Aside from getting on a helicopter ever again, I wouldn't change anything about my life. Maybe just tell people how much I feel about them and what they mean to me. That survivor Francisco says he is thankful to be alive, but he says he does blame the business Hanger 45 for negligence. And Tom, he says he does plan to sue the company. That video is wild. Okay, Valerie, thank you for that.

Next to an alarming story involving high school students and a dangerous sword fight. High schoolers seen sparring in a high school classroom, but those aren't props they're handling, but actual deadly weapons, according to allegations in a new lawsuit filed on behalf of one of the students who was severely injured. NBC Stephen Romo picks up a story from there. Tonight, shocking video showing Albuquerque High School students

sparring with real swords in the middle of chemistry class. It's in reekere, that's how you're supposed to use it like this. And this wasn't teens going rogue, according to a new lawsuit filed by one student who was injured. Their teacher Lovietta Mitchell announcing earlier on this day in June of 2022 that she had a surprise for the class, telling them to arrange their desks into a circle, handing one student a rapier-style sword and the other a katana,

according to the lawsuit, then instructing the students to fight as a two-minute timer counted down. But shortly after this video was taken, one student allegedly slicing another student's wrist with a katana-style sword, severing multiple nerves and tendons. Her surgeon says when he was in there doing the repair, that he could feel where the sword had actually indented in the bone. That student's family now suing the school district, the assistant principal, Anne Mitchell,

alleging as she bled in the classroom, the teacher did not seek immediate medical attention. Instead telling students, quote, I'm in trouble ordering them to delete any video recordings they had taken and then attempted to call the school's medical office. The response was not what you would expect. It took about 30 minutes before anyone called 911. An accident report written by the assistant principal saying the teacher brought a prop to school to show a lesson on metal and melding. But responding paramedics say the sword appeared to be real. Almost two years later, the lawsuit alleging the student is still struggling to perform normal tasks after surgery and extensive physical therapy.

She's lost a lot of mobility and strength and sensation in her right hand and in her thumb. I think those will be permanent effects. That teacher, Mrs. Mitchell, could not immediately be reached for comment, while Albuquerque public schools known locally as APS declining to comment. Now the student and her attorney seeking more information and damages. We want to know what APS actually did to investigate this and whether that report looks like it's trying to sweep this under the rub without a full investigation.

All right, Stephen Romo joins us live in studio. So, Stephen, I guess my first question is, what was the logic, right, with the teacher on this lesson, and where is she right now? Yeah, I've seen no evidence that logic was actually used in this whatsoever. But where she is, that question we can't answer. About two months after this, she was fired from, the school district. We do know that much, but the school district not saying why she was actually

let go. That, of course, adding to the confusion for these parents who still want to know how this was able to happen in that school in the first place. All right, Stephen, we appreciate that. When we come back, fertility fight. We introduce you to one woman in Alabama who's now trying to move her frozen embryos after a court ruling caused many fertility clinics in that state to pause IVF treatments, the struggle she's now facing to get her embryos into her possession. Welcome to Top Story, and we're back now with News Feed. We begin with the botched execution of one of the country's longest serving death row inmates. Convicted serial killer Thomas Eugene Kreech was set to die by lethal injection, but it was called off after officials say medical workers could not find an IV connection after eight tries.

Creech, who is convicted of at least five murders in three states, has been in prison for nearly 50 years. Multiple appeals have delayed his execution. The state now figuring out next steps as his death warrant has expired. All right. An update tonight, a murder suspect to escape custody in New Orleans has been found. New surveillance video shows 51-year-old Leon Ruffin, his attack on a deputy during a medical transport on Sunday,

and eventually driving off with the deputy's vehicle. Authorities say he was found at a hotel nearby. Ruffin, who was already arrested for second-degree murder charges, is now facing battery, aggravated escape, and vehicle theft charges. Comedian Rich Lewis has died at the age of 76. According to his publicist, the beloved stand-up comedian and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, died after suffering a heart attack at his L.A. home. The actor revealed in April that he was living with Parkinson's.

His wife thanked everyone for their love, friendship, and support. Okay, we turn now to Alabama and the anxiety and uncertainty many families in the state are facing. After a court ruling put in vitro fertilization in the state on pause at some clinics, many women now unsure how or when they can start their families. NBC's Ellison Barber spoke to one Alabama woman who has been documenting her journey. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, committee.

Inside of Alabama's state house today, a race to protect providers of in vitro fertilization. After Alabama Supreme Court decided frozen embryos can be considered children, opening up providers to possible legal liabilities. We have had to cancel embryo transfers for patients who are longing and praying for a child. Outside, over 200 supporters of IVF gathered to express their frustration with the court's ruling and the uncertainty and chaos that's followed. For most of them, it is deeply personal. According to Pew Research Center, 42% of adults, four in ten, have used fertility treatments or personally know someone who has. Alabamians like Caroline Vizi are suddenly spending most of their time trying to manage growing anxiety. Panic is an understatement.

For the last week, she's recorded video diaries to document the unexpected journey. I said to myself, I've got to get my embryos out of Alabama. She knew it would be a costly process and needed help to act quickly. So she set up a go-fund meet and started researching her options. I found a facility, a storage facility in Connecticut. But now we're on pause because my clinic doesn't have paperwork for me to sign yet. Then things got even more complicated. I just got an email from Reprotect saying they were sorry, but they have now paused shipping in and out of Alabama.

Today was the first day that I let myself crack, and I don't know what's going to happen in the days ahead. If your embryos have to stay in the state of Alabama, how do you think that plays out? If my embryos get stuck because of an Alabama Supreme Court decision, I don't know what is going to happen to me emotionally and mentally. I have dreamed of being a mom for a really long time. On Monday, Caroline got word from the transport company that they could proceed with moving her embryos out of state. But right now, she's still waiting on paperwork to be finalized with the clinic where her embryos are currently stored.

We reached out to the clinic, and a representative said, quote, we are allowing patients to transfer their embryos to facilities within the state and out of state. But there are policies and procedures. we must follow. Therefore, the process is not immediate. They may be concerned that if something happens in the transfer of the embryos from one place to another, that the facility could be liable. The Alabama Attorney General said on Friday he has no intention prosecuting IVF families

or providers, but operations at three IVF clinics in the state are still on pause. Why is it still worth it to you to have a family to be a mom? It's what I've always wanted. It makes me teary thinking about it possibly not being an option. Caroline is getting married in the fall. She still looks forward to the day someone calls her and her fiancé, moms. But she says it won't be in Alabama. Do you no longer feel like it is safe for your embryos to stay in the state, regardless of how this may progress or change at different court levels?

No, they will not stay in Alabama. Alabama under any of circumstance. Ellison Barber, NBC News. We thank Ellison for that. Coming up, the desperation in Gaza, thousands waiting on the beach for air drop food, people fighting each other and waiting into the water to get their hands on anything to eat. The promise today by the U.S. to try and get more aid into the Gaza Strip, stay with us. We are back now with the crisis intensifying in Gaza.

Thousands of displaced residents desperate for basic. supplies, Gazans wading into the sea, pulling airdrop supplies from the water as pressure grows to allow more aid into the war-torn region. Megan Fitzgerald reports. Tonight, desperation growing in Gaza as the enclave teeters on the brink of famine. New video shows fights breaking out and people beaten as thousands of Gazans tried to get their hands on food that was strapped to parachutes and dropped by the Jordanian army. Some using rafts to gather what landed into the water, others swimming out to grab what they can. On land, people walking miles through the bombed-out buildings and rubble, scouring for food

and waiting hours for anything they can find. This man says, I don't know what we're going to eat. This mother trying to feed a family of eight but can't find bread for her children. The situation so dire, parents are going to eat. are being forced to feed their children animal feed if they're even able to find it. This is what it's like in Gaza for millions of people clinging to life. Cages for animals turned into beds for children. This little boy says, we sleep in the chicken cages.

At night, the smell is nasty. The northern part of the strip almost completely strangled from aid. And as so many fear the looming Israeli ground invasion in Rafa, some went north to escape. only to return back because there's no food. We are dying, he says, not only because of the war, but because of the situation. Humanitarian aid agencies have been pleading for hundreds of aid trucks lined up on the Egyptian side of the border to cross in. Taking to Twitter, UNRWA's Commissioner General said humanitarian aid fell by 50 percent from

January to February, adding aid was supposed to increase, not decrease. U.S. State Department today saying they're working to get more aid into Gaza, independent of a hostage deal. We are also working on opening additional crossings to get humanitarian assistance in, in addition to Rafa and Karim Shalom, and hopefully in a way that would alleviate some of the distribution issues that we face. But many in Gaza are left wondering when that help will arrive, hoping it comes soon before it's too late.

Tom, Human Rights Watch says that Israel failed to comply with the International Court of Justice's order, which ordered Israel to provide urgently more aid to Gaza and to submit a report showing how they adhered to the court's orders. That deadline was Monday. Now, NBC News has reached out to the Israeli government asking for a comment on whether or not they submitted that report. And, Tom, we have not heard back yet. Okay, Megan Fitzgerald. We appreciate your reporting. We're also following another headline from the war between Israel and Hamas. in Top Story's Global Watch.

In a televised speech today, the leader of Amas called on Palestinians to march to the Al-Azka Mos in Jerusalem and flood the area at the start of Ramadan next month. It comes after Israel announced it would limit how many people could congregate near the holy site. The U.S. has urged Israel

to allow worshippers access to the mosque during Ramadan. Ghana's parliament has passed a sweeping anti-LGBQ bill. The bill makes identifying as LGBTQ plus illegal, punishable with up to five years in prison. Anyone found forming or funding LGBTQ plus advocacy groups could also face prison time. The bill has now been sent to Ghana's president who is expected to sign it into law.

And Pope Francis taken to the hospital as he battles the flu. The 87-year-old was seen arriving at a hospital in central Rome after holding a papal audience. According to the Vatican, the pontiff went for some testing but returned home shortly after. The pope who had part of a lung removed when he was young, has suffered several health problems

in recent years. So far, there have been no changes to a schedule. Okay, when we come back, the controversy over a new documentary about Wendy Williams, a longtime confidant of Williams, who was featured in the docu series, speaking a top story why she believes producers exploited the beloved TV personality as she struggled with memory loss and substance abuse. Chloe Malas with the exclusive right after this. Back now with the mounting backlash over a new documentary on former talk show host Wendy Williams. The first two episodes dropping just after it was revealed, she was diagnosed with dementia. Now, many are criticizing producers for rolling cameras and airing that footage,

including a publicist that worked closely with Wendy for years and is even featured in the show. NBC News Entertainment correspondent Chloe Malas spoke exclusively with her about those concerns. Wendy Williams, the former daytime talk show host, known for her outspoken and sometimes controversial take on celebrity gossip. was pulled down so low now the focus of an explosive documentary that some fans are calling exploitative I have tears in a good way in a new lifetime docu-series where is Wendy Williams she has often seen confused and in one clip not recognizing her manager it's okay what do you think of us it's okay it's all right in another scene that same

manager confronts her over empty liquor bottles found in her apartment Did you drink this whole thing today? Yes, no. Now one of those people featured in the docu series is speaking out exclusively to NBC News and slamming the producers behind the project. I felt that she was being exploited. Sean Zanati began working with Wendy as her publicist in 2021. Wendy would be mortified. There's no way you can convince me that she would be okay with looking and seeing herself in that way.

Just one day before the documentary aired, Williams's management team announced that the star is currently in a treatment facility, diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontal temporal dementia. I will be awake. In an interview with Today.com, the filmmakers said they were not aware of Williams' diagnosis during production. But move forward with the project because we all felt this was a complex and sensitive story to tell. And we all felt a great responsibility to do it with dignity and sensitivity. But Sinati isn't buying that. The producers were asking questions throughout the entire time, and they would ask questions where she would somewhat seem confused, and I feel as though it was done to be intentional at that moment in time. Do you believe that the producers intentionally exploited Wendy Williams for this documentary?

I believe there was the intentions around this documentary for them was to make money. ratings. That was it. She said she even flagged those concerns to Williams's guardian Sabrina Morrissey during production. I did not agree with what was going on with this documentary. I made it very clear to the guardian. The production company was aware of that. Instead of them dealing with it with me, they decided to ignore me. Mark Ford, the executive producer of the docu-series, told today.com that Wendy was a partner, as well as her guardian, her manager, all our lawyers. Everybody signed off and was aware all the ways through what we were filming. But Zanadi

also feels that she was intentionally misrepresented after voicing her concerns with the project, including this scene. I can't do long because of my foot problem. Yeah. So I'm not wearing stuff like that. Although you saw that her, those horrific

components of what she did and the way that she treated me, there was great, beautiful moments that happened after that. NBC News has reached out to producers for further comment and to Williams's guardian, but if not heard back. Williams, who hosted the Wendy Williams show from 2008 to 2021 had been open about her struggles with addiction. Speculation around Williams's health began after she fainted live on the air in 2017. In 2019, she told viewers that she was living in a

sober house after seeking treatment for drug use. I've had a struggle with cocaine in my past. Months later, she revealed she was taking time off due to an autoimmune disorder called Graves disease. Graves disease squeezes the muscles behind your eyeballs, and so that's the reason for... In 2022, Sherry Shepard eventually took over Williams's time slot. It was during this time that Williams was placed under a financial guardianship after Wells Fargo claimed that she was incapacitated and was a victim of undue influence and financial exploitation. Claims Williams later pushed back against... Please go away.

Since then, Williams has remained largely out of the public eye. But Zanati says this is not how she would want fans to remember her. That should have never aired that documentary, the way that it was put together, or so they're calling it, should not have been put out that way. That is not the project that she signed up for. Sean Zanati tells NBC News she was not paid for this project, Tom. And Chloe, I know you've met Wendy Williams several times. You were on her show. You've interviewed her.

When you see this documentary, I mean, are you shocked by what's in front of you? Completely. I mean, we knew that Wendy Williams was struggling with addiction. She came out on her show and said that she was living in a sober living house. We also have known that she battles with Graves disease, this autoimmune disorder. But to see her in this state drinking, allegedly, all throughout the day, I mean, you see the empty bottles of alcohol. I can't sit here and say that, you know, what her state is with addiction. And also the fact that she has aphasia and frontal temporal dementia. I mean, I will say this, though. I was on that show about 14 times, right, over the course of six years. And you see that I even sat down with her on CNN, and it was this full circle moment. You know, she had met one of my children, one of my two boys. And there was a period of time in about 2018 where she didn't even remember my name. She didn't even know who I was. And that was sad. And that was troubling. And there were rumblings behind that show. I would talk to producers and writers. And the question was, what is wrong with Wendy? Right. And the title of this documentary is, where is she? But it was really,

for years, what's going on? And was it the addiction? Was it the aphasia and the frontal temporal dementia that she wasn't getting the proper help for? I am just so relieved to know, as so many are, and this woman, Sean Zanotti, too, that I interviewed, that she is finally in a treatment facility and that she's under a financial guardianship, because clearly she needs a lot of support. Yeah, and we hope she's getting that support and she gets better and she's getting all the treatment she needs. Chloe, thanks for being here. We appreciate all that new reporting. And thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamous in New York.

Stay right there. More news on the way.