Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, July 5, 2023

Episode Date: July 6, 2023

Secret service agents discover a bag of cocaine in the West Wing of the White House. Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post writer who spent more than a year in an Iranian prison, speaks with Tom about conditions in captivity amid news that an American journalist detained in Russia may be part of an upcoming prisoner swap. Two sheriffs deputies in Los Angeles are under investigation after video emerges of them throwing a woman to the ground. San Francisco is hit by a string of car robberies. And South Carolina battles with New Hampshire to be the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary.

Tonight mounting questions after cocaine was discovered inside the West Wing. Secret service agents finding the small bag in a cubby in a highly traveled area of the White House. Lab test confirming that powder was in fact cocaine. Forensic specialists now checking that bag for fingerprints and pouring over surveillance video to figure out who the drugs belong to. Tonight we'll talk to a former secret service agent about where the investigation goes from here and how this could have happened. Also breaking tonight video showing Russian fighter jets harassing U.S. drones over Syria. The Russians dropping parachute flares in front of the aircrafts, forcing them to divert the reaction coming in tonight from the military. Developing at this hour a bus crashing into a ravine in Mexico, killing more than 20 people.

The image is just coming in. Back here at home, officers under investigation disturbing video showing a Los Angeles deputy, throwing a woman to the ground, Pulling her by her neck as she tried to record officers detaining the man she was with? What police are now saying about what happened in that lead up to the violent encounter? Daytime danger thieves in San Francisco, smashing car windows, stealing personal belongings from at least two families in broad daylight in a popular tourist area. A separate group of teams accused of attacking multiple women and people with strollers. What we're hearing from authorities about these string of attacks. Plus, moments of terror in Texas surveillance videos showing crowds running for cover as a shooting erupted at a festival in Fort Worth.

At least three people killed, an urgent search for the suspects now underway. And meta versus Twitter, Mark Zuckerberg launching a new app tonight called Threads. The app's interface almost identical to Elon Musk's Twitter. What this battle of the billionaires could mean for the future of social media and the early reviews already coming in, Top Story. It starts right now. And good evening. We begin Top Story tonight with that stunning discovery inside the White House. Secret Service agents conducting a routine sweep, finding a small bag of white powder in a cubby inside of the West Wing lobby. You can see it there on this map. The White House Press Secretary describing that area as a highly traveled part of the building.

lab tests late today confirming that substance they found was indeed cocaine. So now the question, who brought that drug into the White House and will cameras or fingerprints lead investigators to the person responsible? In a moment, we'll be joined by a former Secret Service special agent for her insight on how investigators will get to the bottom of this. But first, NBC News Senior White House correspondent, Kelly O'Donnell, leads us off. Tonight, a Secret Service investigation is focused just steps beyond. those iconic West Wing doors to find out who had access to this secure area and left behind an illegal drug in a small plastic baggy. Test results back today confirm it was cocaine, officials say. Found Sunday night in a common area where staff and visitors store personal belongings like

cell phones before stepping closer to the heart of the president's office space. The president thinks it's very important to get to the bottom of the This sources familiar with the investigation say the baggie is still at the lab to determine if fingerprints or DNA can be detected and to do a full chemical analysis of the contents. Investigators are also reviewing video surveillance and visitor logs. When people visit the West Wing, there is an air, there is the area of the West Wing where it is highly traveled. And that is what happens. People come through this particular area. It's highly traveled. The West Wing lobby is often included in private tours, led by White House employees. Officials say those tours were done Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the baggie was found. The Biden family was at Camp David. Let the Secret Service do their job. It's under their purview.

Officials point out that all White House visitors are screened to detect weapons or dangerous chemicals that could be used to harm others. Okay, NBC News Senior White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell joins us now live. So, Kelly, you've been to that area before where the cocaine was found. Describe what it's like to walk through that West Wing lobby. Well, as a reporter, I would have the occasion to go there if I have an appointment with a senior official or if there's a meeting of some kind. Typically, that is not an open press area. But visitors who have appointments for official business, visitors who might have a private tour

because they know someone in the administration, would have access to that, as well as staff, lots of people work on the campus here. And you know it because it's the two doors where often there's a marine guarding that. You go through that lobby. And in a common space there is where it's a vestibule, if you will, where personal items can be stored. Beyond that, by just a few steps, are some of the most secret and secure areas of the president's working office space, from the oval office to the cabinet room and so on. So there are a lot of people who move through. There are some tours. They tend to not be public tours, but prime. conducted by people who have a friend or a family member who works somewhere in the administration. So, Kelly, talk to us about a timeline here, right? I mean, I got to think it is a holiday. Maybe there's not as many people coming in going from the White House, but at the same time, because it's a holiday, could this investigation take a little longer? Well, the investigation is being handled by the Secret Service and because they're law enforcement, they're staffed all the time. The holiday weekend may have brought out more tours because these

tours that are private happen in off hours. And so officials tell me they expect the investigation could take a couple of weeks going through the visitor logs, looking at all the video, and waiting for the chemical analysis to come back from the lab. So there's more work to do. They also cautioned they may not get to a final answer because the bag was so small it might not have been seen on video. And if there isn't forensic evidence like a fingerprint or DNA, they might not be able to find the individual. Tom? All right. Kelly O'Donnell, we thank you for all of that. question swirling about who brought cocaine into the White House and whether the Secret Service will be able to track them down. I want to bring in Evie Pomparis. She's a former Secret Service special agent.

Evie, you just heard Kelly there and all of her reporting. Do you think the Secret Service will get to the bottom of this? They're going to do everything that they can. It is a highly trafficked area. You do have the tours going on. And what she's saying is correct. Staff can bring in certain guests, friends, family, to do private tours. And so they're going to have to look through all the video logs, they're going to, especially since they don't know the exact time that this happened. And we did have a lot of tours happening over the holiday weekend. Those are going to look at staff who passed through. They're going to have to also look at the checkpoints on the exterior part of the White

House where people pass through the magnetometers and get checked for weapons to see who passed through. So there's a lot of cameras and a lot of footage that they have to sift through to see if they can find who did it. And again, they will look at the packet itself, which from what I know from a source close to the investigation, it's a very small packet, like a personal packet of somebody's cocaine, so to speak. So they're going to check that. They're going to check it for DNA. They're going to check it for prints. And so they're going to do everything that they can to figure out who exactly this was. You know, Evie, I've had the chance to be at the White House more than a few times.

And there are cameras that you notice right away as you're entering, but those cameras tend to disappear. the further you get into the White House, or they're hidden. You know, I don't really know. How would you describe the amount of cameras at the White House and the area that is in question right now, is it a high surveillance area? A really good question, and because we're on national television, a lot of people who mean harm to the White House

and the people there, I really don't want to say something like that. But your assumption to say that as we get more into the interior of the White House, there would be less cameras, probably a very correct thing to say because it's a sensitive area. You don't want conversations being recorded, movements being recorded. You know, anytime you tape something, you always risk, right, something getting hacked or leaked into. But they really should look at the personnel. And, you know, it doesn't have to be a guest of staff. It could also be a staff member that perhaps has happened to. Maybe something slipped out of somebody's pocket. So they really should

look at this, you know, really strictly. And if they are able to figure out who did this, They should absolutely, there should be consequences to this individual. Evie, I know you're not a lawyer, you're not a lawyer, but there's obviously some crimes that have been committed here. Are there additional crimes if you were to bring something like cocaine into the White House because it's the White House? It's a federal building? You know, that's a really great question. And so because nothing like this has happened before that we know of, it is a misdemeanor for the amount that we know that it would be a misdemeanor in Washington, D.C. think that if they are able to look at who did this, they will probably try to charge this

person as much as possible. But that is a great question and will remain to be seen. U.S. Secret Service will likely be the agency to be the one doing the charge. Real quick, do you think it is the Secret Service? Do you think we'll get the public will get to the bottom of if they figure out who, in fact, is responsible? Do you think that will be made public? I think they will make it public, and they should make it public. Now, whether we're going to get an answer, I don't know. And that's one of the things they're really trying to work hard. The packet was found by a uniform division officer was actually doing sweeps of the area. That's something that they typically do. And he was the one who found it and called it

in. And then the U.S. Secret Service sent the packet to the FBI to do an analysis to verify what it was because initially they didn't know what that substance was. When it came back that it was cocaine, then all these things went into effect. If they don't figure out who it is, if they're not able to reveal this, I do think we'll see some changes. One very likely internal drug testing within the staff. I think that's something that would happen so they can check their people a bit more frequently and perhaps maybe some other protocol that they couldn't put in place to track this. Here's the thing. When you go through the checkpoints, it's for weapons, it's for guns, it's for, you know, if it's drugs, it's going to be a large amount. You're not really

to find this amount of cocaine, you really have to strip search almost somebody to find it. It's a very difficult thing. And from what we know, this is the first time this has ever happened. I will tell you all the years I was at the White House, never had an incident like this. Okay. Even Pomparas, we always appreciate your analysis here on Top Story. We're also following breaking news from southern Mexico tonight where dozens of people are feared dead in a bus crash. The images are coming in there absolutely horrific. This scene shows the top of the scene, I should say, shows the top of the bus completely ripped off.

Officials say the bus lost control, causing it to roll over and then plunge nearly 60 feet into a ravine. This happened about 150 miles southeast of Mexico City in the state of Oaxa. Officials there say there are reports of at least 27 people killed and more than 20 hurt. No word yet it would cause that driver to lose control. Also breaking tonight a hostile act by Russia towards U.S. military aircraft in the skies over Syria. The Russian migs playing dangerous games with U.S. drones as you're about to see, this has President Vladimir Putin publicly appearing for the first time since mercenary leader Yevegni Bregosian, short-lived mutiny.

Putin telling a form of Asian leaders, Russia is more united than ever, while Bregosian has not been seen publicly since the mutiny was abandoned. I want to bring an NBC chief international correspondent, Keir Simmons, who's in Belarus. Tonight, Keir, I do want to start with that new video. We're getting in from our team over at the Pentagon, clearly Russian military aircraft, trying to play some dangerous games with our drones over in Syria. Yeah, this is the Pentagon. specifically Sencom complaining about this event earlier today saying that these

three Q9 drones were messed with if you like by Russian fighter jets saying those jet jets dropped parachute flares and one plane even engaged its afterburners in front of these three drones they call it unprofessional and unsafe behavior in this statement we haven't had a statement from the Russian government, but people watching the video may think it speaks for itself, Tom. And then Kier, also about the situation there in Belarus. You're on the ground reporting for us tonight. What do we know of the Wagner group and their quote-unquote either former leader or current leader? It's unclear at this point what's happening there.

Yeah, we don't know very much, honestly. It's almost two weeks since that Russian rebellion, if you like, led by Yvgeny Pogosin and his Wagner group fighters. Where are they? We don't honestly know. Begotian has made two audio statements since that happened. We're told that he's in exile here in Belarus, but his plane has criss-crossed across Belarus and Russia. It's about 62 miles from here where satellite imagery, Tom, suggests there might be a Wagner camp being created. That hasn't been confirmed by NBC news. So, I mean, there are many, many question marks about what this.

this deal was and how it's going to play out. And question marks, too, about the way that President Putin handled this. We have seen him again and again, as you mentioned, speaking to international leaders and even taking flowers from an eight-year-old girl, a clear effort to present power and also his image as a man of the people. And then, Kier, before you go, the Kremlin is saying that they have been in touch with the U.S. regarding a prisoner exchange for Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich. Gerskovich arrested by Russian authorities in March on bogus charges. What more do we know about the reasons behind those recent comments? Yeah, it's very interesting, Tom, this. You know, we've heard from the spokesman for the

Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, saying that there have been contacts, saying that this needs to be done in silence. We've now seen the U.S. ambassador able to visit Evan Gerskovich twice. now, more recently for the second time. And interestingly, we've also seen the Russian ambassador visit a Russian man held in the U.S. calls of Vladimir de Naev. And now he is held there on cyber charges. Could there be a connection here? What we think, normal practice, or at least the way these things are played out, is that Gorskovich's trial will need to be fit to finish before anything happens. But maybe there are talk. Kier Simmons from Belarus tonight, Kira and you and your team, please stay safe over there. And like Kier just mentioned, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, has been detained in Russia for more than three months. Our next guest, Washington Post Global Opinions writer Jason Resayan, spent 544 days in an Iranian prison after being convicted of espionage in a closed-door trial and was released in a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Iran in January of 2016. Jason, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. You know, you have to take everything out of Russia with a grain of salt, right?

But how do you interpret this latest move from Russia to publicly speak about a possible prisoner exchange? Well, it's interesting, right, Tom? You know, first they say we're willing to do an exchange. We're discussing it, but it has to be done in silence. Well, of course, it's going to be done in silence. Of course, it's not going to be done out in public view. But I think that, as you and I both know, after following these kinds of stories over the last few, years, this is how they end up. This is a play that Russia, Iran, China, other authoritarian states

do to try and elicit some kind of concession from the United States in the Russian case, usually in the form of a prisoner swap. So I think that there probably are discussions going on. As I cautioned folks, when Evan was first arrested three months ago, these things take time. And negotiations may very well already be underway. They may have been underway. They may have been underway since the very earliest days of his detention. But as we saw it in my case and many others since, those negotiations can go on for months. So, Jason, when you were locked up in Iran, you mentioned to me in the beginning, you know, you had no access to any type of information. And then later on, you had access, some access to state-run TV. What does news

of a potential exchange or news of your imprisonment and then a possible, you know, negotiation with the U.S.? What does that do when you're there behind bars, you know, getting information about yourself, but you can't do anything? I have to think it is, it is in some way also torturous. It's a form of torment, but at the same time, any time that you know that your name is being talked about publicly, whether it's out in the United States, out in the free world, or even within the state that's holding you, it means that you're still relevant. You're still in play. and you haven't been forgotten, that people are haggling over your fate. And while that's very precarious situation to be in, I can tell you that it's better than being forgotten.

Do you think a prisoner swap is the only option to get Evan returned home? You know, in the current construct, Tom, the reality is there aren't real deterrence that the U.S. and our allies have in place. And countries like Russia and Iran and China are really taking invalienable. advantage of that. So at the moment, I think the only way to get Americans free who are wrongfully detained, and as we know, there's 40 plus right now being held by governments around the world is through a negotiated settlement, through a negotiated release, whether that's the lifting of sanctions, return of a frozen asset, or a prisoner swap. It seems like that's the likely outcome here. Jason, we had the opportunity to sit on a panel last week at the Aspen Ideas Festival

with Ambassador Roger Carstons, who, of course, as you know, is the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs. And for our viewers at home who don't know what that means, essentially, this is the man that works for the White House to get hostages back who are in foreign, rogue nations. He helped get Brittany Griner out. It's his sole job. He was there, appointed by President Trump,

held over by President Biden. And I asked him during our conversation in Aspen, how the current events in Russia may impact any negotiations of a prisoner exchange. At the time, I was talking about what happened with the Wagner group, but we just saw, with the Pentagon releasing video, there's even more tension between the Russia and the U.S. when it comes to some airplay in the skies over Syria. Here's what the ambassador told me last week.

There's one surprise I've had in this business in three and a half years of doing this job. It's that the opposing side is always willing to talk to us, almost no matter how much tension. And there have been times when we've been at loggerheads with Russia, and yet we've still been able to garner a release of Trevor Reed and Brittany Greiner. We've been at loggerheads with the Venezuelans, and yet in a nine-month period, we brought back nine Americans. So my thought is, though, even though the Wagner group might introduce some chaos and ambiguity into the system, I think we're still going to find a way to have this conversation and bring Evan home. So, Jason, you know, you have that unique perspective.

You were in prison, but you're also a journalist. And obviously, Ambassador Carson's can't tell us everything. How do you think these sort of these situations in Russia play out and affect Evans' case? I mean, obviously, there was some political instability for a moment there in Russia, and now we saw this tension in the skies over Syria. You think this affects Evans' case, or can the two be unconnected? I think that they are connected, but at the same time, they can be solved separately. People like Ambassador Carstens and his Russian counterpart are professionals.

They do this kind of work for a living. And part of their task is to be able to isolate issues and challenges and work on them, one at a time. I think one of the things that Evan has going for him that I didn't have going for me was continued direct diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Russia. U.S. never had those with Iran in the last 40-plus years. The tough thing in Evan's circumstances is that when I was being held by Iran, the U.S. was trying to come to some kind of agreement with Iran. Now we find ourselves supporting the opposite side in an armed conflict, and that certainly doesn't help. But as Ambassador Karsten's indicated, and as the spokesperson for the Russian

foreign ministry indicated today, talks continue to happen over a range of issues. Just because we are at war or they are at war with an ally of ours doesn't necessarily mean we aren't having conversations. And hopefully, in evidence case, that will bear some fruit very soon in the form of Israelis. We hope you were right. Jason resigned from the Washington Post. Always a pleasure to talk to you, my friend. Back here at home, we do want to move on now to that record-breaking heat happening all over the country. July 4th, the hottest day ever recorded on planet Earth.

Scientists sounding the alarm on this new phase for our planet as cities across the U.S. hit new highs today. Embassy's Emily Aketa has more. Tonight, a crippling heat presses on, fueling fires in the western U.S., and baking residents in northern California in triple-digit temperatures for an eighth day in a rush. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Water, staying hydrated. Tampa, El Paso, and Portland, all threatening

record highs today and a staggering 109 degrees in Tucson. We stepped out of the apartment and we were late 30 minutes to feel it. That sweltering heat isn't unique to the U.S. New highs set in Canada and Peru this week, and Beijing reported nine straight days of temperatures topping 95 degrees. All teeing up July 4th to have the hottest global average temperature, 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit since record keeping began, according to preliminary data. Climate scientists blame a dangerous combination of human-caused climate change and the onset of El Nino, a natural warming of the Central Pacific Ocean, typically occurring every two to seven years, that rises into the atmosphere and generally makes the planet hotter.

It's almost certain that next year will be the globally warmest year on record. Gavin Schmidt is a climatologist with NASA. We're pushing our ecosystems and our climate in. to a different place than it's been for the entirety of human civilization. And that is alarming. And while nearly 30 million Americans are facing heat alerts, tonight, others are cleaning up from a deluge of wind, hail, and rain that continues to dampen the holiday week.

Denver already surpassing its annual rain total. And the Twin Cities getting nature's version of a fireworks display. Millions in the Midwest now bracing for another bow of severe weather, continuing in unrelenting start to summer. All right, Emily, Akeda, joins us now live from Weehawk in New Jersey. And Emily, we see those clear skies behind you, right? The beautiful skyline there of New York City. We know there were staffing issues, but there was also a lot of weather issues with travel during the holiday week. Has that mess been cleared up now?

Well, I'll say this, Tom, good to be with you. It's not quite the travel chaos we witnessed over. the weekend but we're still seeing pretty significant disruptions more than 5,000 flight delays already today more than 400 canceled just as many of July 4th's record number of travelers begin to take to the skies and roadways to head home from the holiday tom all right emily it is good to see those clear skies and not that smog or smoke coming from canada we thank you for all your reporting as emily mentioned 16 million people from colorado to wisconsin are at risk for potentially dangerous storms i want to get right over to meteorologist bill karen's bill so

much going on with the weather. Let's talk about the cities that you're watching that are very hot. Yeah, we're watching the Midwest and also areas coming out of the Iraqis. We've already seen a couple tornado warnings here south of Pueblo, pretty rural areas. Thankfully, haven't heard of any damage or anything like that. But that's on a severe thunderstorm watch until 11 a.m. And then how about the Chicago area? We've been in and out of storms all day. Now the main squall line is knocking on the door. Delays at O'Hare Airport are ranging right around four hours. There's a ground stop. Flights are not allowed to take off from other airports to go to O'Hare. So Chicago, if you want to circle the misery map for the worst airport by far

in the country, it is in the Chicago area. So tomorrow we will once again deal with strong storms in the same areas, not so much Chicago, but heading into areas from Wyoming, the Denver area again, and into portions of Kansas, maybe even a few tornadoes. And Bill, we know with all those that severe weather, 30 million Americans still under heat alerts as well, from what I'm being told. And then we saw the hottest day ever recorded on Earth. Talk to me how we got to that point and how long we've been recording these temperatures? 1940 is when this all started. So it goes about 83 years of data.

The previous record was when we went back to 2016 in August. So that's typically we peak about the end of July, maybe the beginning of August. So we still have a ways to go. I think we're going to break this record numerous times, maybe a dozen or two dozen times, between now and when we finally hit that peak. And again, this is for the whole planet. I know in June we weren't that warm in the lower 48. but that's such a small piece of the puzzle when you consider the whole globe.

And that's the record right there. The previous record, again, was three weeks from now, Tom. So we're going to be talking more about this coming up. El Nino is going to break a lot of records across this globe. It's been three years since we've had an El Nino. Okay. Bill Carrens for us, Bill. We appreciate all of that. Next tonight to Los Angeles County, two sheriff's deputies under investigation after a woman was forcibly thrown to the ground.

Witness and body-worn cameras capturing the encounter. Steve Patterson has the report and a warning. the video is difficult to watch. In newly released body camera video from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, two deputies are responding to a report of a robbery at a grocery store in Lancaster, California. What's going on? He got the camera, bro. He comes up.

I mean, audio, so shit, right? Just going to pat you down, but you take off. I don't have nothing. Okay, there was weapons. The sheriff's department says their deputies approached a man and woman who matched a description given by store security. No, I'm not under arrest for what? You're not under arrest. You're not under arrest.

For what? Listen. What have I done? After detaining the man. My arm is up, man. One deputy confronts the woman filming with her cell phone. No, you can't touch me. You can't touch me.

Get down on the ground. Get on the ground. Stop. I don't get stuck. Stop. The man now in handcuffs, plead with the other. their deputy.

He put him in a wife. She got cancer, man. All right, dude. The deputy then seemed putting his knee on the woman's neck. Get your neck off my. I can't breathe. They were in a fight at the window. I can't breathe.

It's no fine. You two me down to the ground. Stop manhandling me. I didn't do nothing. In his statement, the sheriff's department says they've opened an investigation into the incident. Adding, quote, while the department does not make statements related to ongoing investigations, Sheriff Luna has made it clear that he. He expects department personnel to treat all members of the public with dignity and respect,

and that personnel who do not uphold our training standards will be held accountable. Would you want somebody to slam your female relative on the ground? In the parking lot that day, Lisa Michelle Garrett, who recorded this angle of the incident showing the woman thrown to the ground. I was just blown away. That's why the phone dropped. I'm like, what? Oh, no. Uh-uh. We rode away from the incident. I was crying because it's very emotional. Shopping with Leisha, her partner, Emile. If they did what they said that they did,

it still doesn't justify that officer coming over to the lady and taking his arm to her neck and slamming her down on the ground. And Steve Patterson joins us tonight from Los Angeles. many questions about so many aspects of this video and this case. I know you've been listening in on a late press conference that's been happening. Give us any type of update because there's a lot of questions tonight here. Yeah, that press conference wrapping up just moments ago, it was with Sheriff Luna. We did learn a little bit more, but those details still filtering in here. First of all, the nature of this investigation, now an internal investigation, meaning

the sheriff not releasing any names of any of the deputies involved or the suspected perpetrators In this case, secondly, the nature of the call that came in was for actually assault of a loss prevention employee inside the store, which leads us to our third point that both the male and the female in the video that you just saw were arrested. The male arrested for being involved in resisting a police officer and petty theft. The female arrested for suspicion of assaulting an officer and battery of one of those employees inside. The sheriff says he hopes to wrap this investigation up in about 40 to 45. days time, but learning a lot about this. Yeah, and a lot of people now watching this case as well because of that video. Okay, Steve Patterson

with a major update. Steve, we appreciate that. Still ahead tonight, the alligator attack, a South Carolina woman killed by a gator while out walking her dog. The popular vacation spot where this happened will tell you. Plus, new surveillance video showing moments of terror in Texas. You see it there as gunshots

rang out at a festival, an urgent manhunt tonight. And the so-called Twitter killer launching tonight will show you how Now, Meta's new Threads app works and what it means for the future of social media right after this break. Top story, just getting started on this Wednesday night. On this. Okay, we're back now with the Battle of the Billionaires.

Metas Mark Zuckerberg launching a direct competitor to Twitter tonight. It's called Threads. The new app coming after Elon Musk's missteps at Twitter appear to be driving its decline. Musk also vowing to take his rivalry with the Facebook. founder a step further by fighting him in a, quote, cage match. NBC's Aaron McLaughlin has the latest. The latest battle between billionaires, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk is on. Tonight, Instagram and parent company Meta launched a new app called Threads, a tax-based

offering, taking direct aim at Musk's Twitter, and that platform's roughly 360 million users. Earlier today, Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg's apparent initial post saying, let's do this. visible to a select few given early access to threads. So kind of looks like this right now. It looks like a mashup of like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Content creator Drexley, who makes money as an influencer on Instagram, selected today for a sneak peek. And he's already posted 10 times.

What grade do you give it so far? I mean, everything has been running pretty smoothly. So I would give it like a. The growing rivalry between Zuckerberg and Musk might even get physical. The two trading barbs about a potential cage match. But is there a battle for microbloggers that is the prize fight of the moment? This fight is about so many things. This is about users.

It's about money. It's about ideology. It is about power. Zuckerberg potentially sensing Twitter's vulnerability after a string of what some see as Musk's social media mishaps. Just days ago imposing limits on how many posts Twitter users can read per day. Musk's controversial comments also pushing users and advertisers away. I'll say what I want to say. And if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.

And with threads appearing to allow users to log in with their Instagram handle, leveraging that platform's more than 2 billion users, it has the potential to be a knockout. I say game set Matt Zuckerberg. We're just now learning more about some of threads new features, Drex, that early user that we spoke to, says that he's noticed that thread posts both text and video can actually be longer than what Twitter allows. He also said that he's enjoying the ability to integrate his Instagram account with threads. And experts say that's potentially a key differentiator being able to tap into that user base in the billions. Tom. All right, Aaron, we thank you for that. The war of words

between two of the world's top tech billionaires escalating as meta launches its direct threat to Twitter, but will Threads deal a direct blow to the Byrd app? Joining us now is CNBC contributor Alex Cantrowitz. He writes the big technology newsletter and has interviewed countless tech industry insiders, including Mark Zuckerberg. And Alex, as much as we like looking at you, we want to look at Threads now. One of our producers has signed up for it already, able to patch it through. And this is what Threads looks like.

This is live right now. So, Alex, I'm looking at this. It sort of looks to me like a version of Instagram, but a lot like Twitter, right? So walk me through this. Is it any different from Twitter? Yeah, I would actually reverse the order. I would say it looks a lot like Twitter, but a little bit like Instagram. And you go through the feed, and it really has that Twitter feel. It's text mostly. You see influencers there. You see journalists there. It's up to the minute. It's very different than the algorithm-driven Instagram feed that has lots of photos and lots of videos. And from our producer who mentioned this to us, it's seamless, right? You have an Instagram account. You have your followers. You have the people you follow.

you can switch right over to threads, and now you have what used to feel like Twitter is, and now a new Twitter experience. And that's the beauty of threads, right? Because the thing that was the most difficult to do on Twitter was set up your follow graph. And you already build in your friends and family and your interests on Instagram. So you sign up, you pour all that over, you even port your bio over. You know what's interesting, too, I would argue people on Instagram don't always have the same type of following or amount of followers on Twitter.

So many, I don't know which one is bigger. I mean, I assume Twitter's been around longer than Instagram. But people's sort of social networks on Instagram, I would think, is more current than Twitter. Yeah, Instagram is multiple times the size. So think about this. What's going to happen is META is going to send a push notification to all Instagram users, maybe not the ones in Europe, but in the U.S. for sure. And be like, hey, why don't you try our new app? They're going to be over there. They're going to want something different than Twitter. A lot of people want something different, and then all of a sudden that feed is going to feel vibrant.

But we were talking earlier about this. Does the world need this? I mean, Twitter was sort of dying. TikTok is the number one app in the world right now. So is there a market for this? Is there a market for threads? I think there's definitely a market for it, but I don't think it's huge. I mean, you have meta. More than 3 billion people in the world are using your products. So why

are you doing this? I don't think we really need another Twitter. I mean, you're right. Twitter has struggled. Their IPO, by the way, they said they want to reach a billion people. They struggled to get 200 million a day on there. Right? So they're one-fifth of the expectations. Many years on Elon hasn't made it better. So I don't think we need this. And I think it can dissolve

then we'll lose interest. And there's a lot of competitors right now for Twitter. Give me some of the names that are out there with, like, the social media platforms that are trying to be like Twitter or take it over. Yeah, the main ones that you have are blue sky and Mastodon, but also you have homepages that are starting to compete for the news energy that you used to find in Twitter. Things like Drudge Report, for instance, are making a comeback. And what I do, I email people, and that's making a comeback. And I think, yeah, there are plenty of competitors, but. So real quick, before you go, is this a move by Mark Zuckerberg to essentially dunk on Elon Musk or, or, put them in sort of that chokehold

to put them out if they end up due wrestling? I think part of it is product, right? You have all friends and family content on Facebook. This is a way to get public content inside the platform somewhere else. But I think you're right. I think this doesn't happen if Zuckerberg and Musk aren't at each other's next. We'll see if Elon taps out. I don't know

about that. All right, Alex, thank you so much for being on Top Story tonight. When we come back, an update on a member of the exonerated Central Park 5, one of the men wrongfully convicted of attacking a New York City Jogger in the 80s, who has since been cleared of all wrongdoing starting a new chapter. The political race he just won will explain.

We're back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with a deadly alligator attack at a popular vacation destination in South Carolina. Authorities say a 69-year-old woman was walking her dog on Hilton Head Island when she was attacked by a nine-foot gator near a golf course lagoon. Police say the animal appeared to go.

guard the woman's body, delaying their recovery efforts that Gator has since been put down. Texas police are asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects behind a deadly shooting. New surveillance video showing the moment gunfire rang out at a community festival in Fort Worth, Texas. Terrified bystanders, you see them running to take cover as several men fired randomly into the crowd. At least three people killed, eight others wounded. Police say they are investigating whether the shooting was gang related. One of the exonerated Central Park Five has won his New York City Council race. With nearly 64% of the vote, Yusef Salam won the Democratic primary for the seat in Harlem. Salam was one of five black and Latino men who was

wrongly accused, convicted and imprisoned as a teenager for the rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park in the 1980s. All the men were exonerated through DNA evidence after spending several years in prison. And popular weight loss brand, Jenny Craig, is coming back with the help of a former rival. Wellful Inc., which also owns Nutrisis. system. Acquiring the rights to Jenny Craig's intellectual property. The brand's big comeback will be completely virtual with customers getting online, coaching, and meals delivered directly to their homes. Jenny Craig filed for bankruptcy in May after four decades in personal wellness. Okay, now to the latest in that deadly shooting spree in Philadelphia.

Authorities revealing the gunmen now charged with murder, possessed multiple firearms, and was highly agitated in the days leading up to the attack. George Solis tonight is in Philly with the details and the late breaking news about what we're learning about the suspect. Tonight, new details emerging as accused shooter, 40-year-old Kim Brady Carragher, appeared in a Philadelphia court, facing multiple charges for the July 3rd rampage that police say killed five, including 15-year-old DeWan Brown. His grandmother, Odessa Brown, heartbroken, saying her grandson was killed while trying to help another gunshot victim. It's going through your mind. It's horrible.

Just to know that my baby's going for no reason. Two children were also injured when, according to police, the shooter fired more than 50 rounds aimlessly, including at a jeep, inside a mom and her three young children. Her twin boys in the back seat, one of them suffered injury from the glass, and the other suffered gunshot wounds to his leg, and her 10-year-old daughter. who is not struck, thankfully.

The shooter was heavily armed with an AR-15-style rifle and handgun, wearing a ski mask and bulletproof vest, according to investigators. Authorities say some who live with Carriger say the shooter frequently wore of bulletproof vest. And now authorities saying the shell casings were covered at the scene, match shell casings found at the home, along with a handgun, ammunition, and a will. I believe they thought he was getting more and more agitated as the days were passing. and their way of dealing with it was just to avoid it and not interfere with him. According to the city's office of the controller, in Philadelphia, there have been 190 fatal shootings this year.

Philly Mayor Jim Kenney calling for gun reform at a news conference today that was planned before Monday's mass shooting. Make no mistake, the root of the problem is the proliferation of guns in our city and in our country. Guns are the common denominator in every single shooting. Another victim was 31-year-old Joseph Wama Jr. His family emotional today as they remembered their loved one. He was gorgeous inside and out. I'm going to miss that beautiful smile. I really am.

And with that, George Solis joins us tonight from Philly. George, I know you have some new reporting on the alleged gunman. Yeah, that's right, Tom. I'm just getting some new information. And police say the suspect was mentally ill and made several social media posts about guns, according to a senior law enforcement official, the suspect has not entered a plea and remains being held without bail tonight.

Tom? Okay, George, so least for us. George, we appreciate it. Coming up, the daylight danger, a thief stealing from cars at an iconic San Francisco Park in front of a crowd of onlookers. And just two miles away, mass robbers see on surveillance video terrorizing a mother

going to pick up her child. Our tourist and caregivers being targeted, we'll explain. We're back now with an alarming series of crimes in the San Francisco area. Young men smashing car windows in broad daylight stealing from unsuspecting tourists. And in one neighborhood, mothers and caregivers think they're being targeted by a group of teen robbers. So what's going on in San Francisco? NBC's Valerie Castro has the details on these disturbing attacks. The iconic San Francisco Park famously seen in the opening credits of Full House,

Now the scene of a brazen crime. Shocking video shows a thief breaking into cars in broad daylight, leaving behind shattered car windows as eyewitnesses watch in disbelief and fear. All of us around, I could see people across everywhere, and I didn't do anything because I'm the kind that would go and do something. But at that point, I don't know if they have a gun. The victims, tourists, visiting on vacation over the 4th of July. shopping for just a few minutes to snap a quick photo from Alamo Square. They don't understand the impact. Like my child seat is on the side of the car that they broke the window. And now my son is going to have to sit there and we have to worry about getting out every single little bit of glass.

Two families left with stolen belongings, including a laptop and both dealing with damaged rental cars. Just get valuable things that they see as valuable. They left our Starbucks bag. They left the wheelchair at least, but everything else they took. The smash and grabs, the latest in a series of crimes plaguing the city. Robberies in San Francisco up almost 12% since last year, according to the police crime dashboard. In Noe Valley, considered a family-friendly neighborhood dubbed Stroller Valley. A woman's screams captured by home surveillance camera after she told NBC Bay Area she was attacked on her way to pick up her child from daycare last month. The victim asking that her identity be concealed. Somebody came at me from behind and grabbed from my phone and I instinctively grabbed back, which I don't recommend, and he pushed me over forcefully to the ground.

Video showing a hooded person running from the scene to a waiting car. Massive fear to, does this guy have a weapon? Am I about to get seriously injured? Other women coming forward with similar stories. A San Francisco police captain saying at least 11 cases are under investigation and, group of juveniles are believed to be responsible, according to the local district supervisor's office. Residents believe the thieves are targeting moms and caretakers walking around the neighborhood, now anxious for police to make arrests. The district supervisor in Noe Valley tells us one minor was arrested in connection with one of those cases, but says police are searching for even more suspects involved. Tom, back to you. Okay, Valerie Castro for us, Valerie, thank you. Time now for Top Story's Global Watch. And Peru,

said to declare a state of emergency over volcanic activity. New video shows toxic gas and ash spewing from the Ubinas volcano near the country's border with Chile. Thousands of residents in the area have been told to keep a distance from the volcano's crater and keep all windows and doors closed. Masks and glasses are also being distributed to residents there. The U.S. Navy says it prevented Iran from seizing two oil tankers in international waters near Oman. U.S. Navy officials releasing this video, which they say, shows an Iranian Navy ship firing at an oil tanker that was bound for the U.S.

The U.S. says the round struck near the crew living area, but no one was hurt. U.S. officials say hours before members of the Iranian Navy also tried to board and seize another commercial oil tanker, Iran's Navy reportedly retreating both times after a U.S. Navy destroyer entered the area. And Brazilian football star or soccer here, Namar has been fined for building an artificial lake at his mansion in Rio de Janeiro. Environmental authorities announcing Namar was charged the equivalent of about, get this, $3.3 million U.S. dollars.

They say he violated environmental rules regarding the use and movement of freshwater, sources, rocks, and sand. Local officials also looking into potential charges. When we come back, the primary battle within the Democratic Party. New Hampshire versus South Carolina, have you heard about this? So who will go first? It's a fight that could turn ugly and hit President Biden with a political. loss. We'll explain all of it next. Back now with power and politics, President Biden and the National Democratic Party

making big changes to the primary map, giving South Carolina the first in the nation primary. But New Hampshire, which has hosted the nation's first Democratic primary for decades, isn't going quietly. Ali Vitale has the latest on the battle inside the party. Thank you, thank you, thank you, South Carolina. Tonight, President Biden at war with his own party over efforts to make South Carolina the first in the nation primary, shuffling the calendar for the first time in decades. All those you've been knocked down, counted out, left behind. This is your campaign.

The Palmetto State resurrecting Biden's lagging 2020 campaign. We've just won and we've won big because of you. Giving him his first primary win, launching. him on his road to the presidency. But Biden isn't just playing favorites. For years, Democrats have called to make the primary schedule more diverse. But now, they're caught between a granite state and a hard place. New Hampshire, not relinquishing its First in the Nation title, at least not without a fight. It's part of our DNA. We're going to go seven days before any other primary. The early state order has been pretty constant since the 1970s when Jimmy Carter

came out of nowhere to win the Iowa caucus. New Hampshire next with the first primary. It's even in the state's constitution. But a disastrous bungled Iowa caucus night in 2020, it's been three hours plus since they told us soon. I think at this point, the thing that would be most encouraging would be a plan. Intensified calls for change. Biden falling short in both Iowa and New Hampshire didn't help those states either. He actually left New Hampshire before votes were tallied in 2020. It ain't over, man. We're just getting started. Heading for the warmer reception of South Carolina. At Biden's urging, the DNC, greenlighting new primary calendar. South Carolina leading off, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada, then Georgia

and Michigan, two new additions to the early list. He's just setting up the field and signaling to the black vote that their vote is crucial to ensuring that he gets into office and the likelihood that the next successor in, let's say, 2028 will do the exact same thing. And voters of color who make up more than 50 percent of South Carolina Democratic voters now in a new primary spotlight. Black voters are the backbone of the Democratic Party, and it means that black voters get to have their voices heard first. The tension underscoring Biden's fading popularity with Democrats, with New Hampshire not giving up its fight, and Biden's preferred election calendar in jeopardy, the president may be heading for a primary embarrassment. Now, Tom, if Biden and the DNC get their way, putting South Carolina technically officially first, New Hampshire Democrats are likely to still go forward with their plans and get their voters to the polls first anyway. Assuming Biden stands with the DNC and their new calendar,

Biden won't be on the ballot in New Hampshire, which means he'd actually technically lose the first primary on his road to re-election. Tom? I'm not sure, but that sounds like that might be a first. All right, All right, Allie, we thank you for that. And we thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.