Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Episode Date: June 27, 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.

Tonight, the countdown is on as President Biden and former President Trump prepare to come face-to-face on that debate stage. Both candidates entering their final hours ahead of the historic showdown, Trump and Biden with vastly different strategies. We're getting a look inside and outside of that debate hall, the final preparations underway and the rules to keep things from spiraling out of control. We hear from voters tonight about their expectations and who has the most to lose after the 9th. 90-minute face-off. Also tonight, Supreme Court slip. The High Court accidentally posting a document related to a pending abortion case and then quickly taking it down. The draft appearing to signal that the court will allow emergency abortions in Idaho. The new details about the unusual mishap. Towns underwater, parts of the Midwest, reeling from catastrophic flooding, the dramatic video of a

house swallowed by rushing waters, and the spot where our own reporter was sitting just 24 hours ago, wiped away as severe storms race towards the east coast, areas from Washington to Boston on alert, and the relentless heat sending several people to the hospital during a graduation ceremony. Plus, presidential palace stormed the failed coup attempt in Bolivia, troops and armored tanks pouring into the streets of the Capitol, the president warning his own general leading the revolt to stand down the chaos unfolding inside the country. New potential charges in the wake of actor Matthew Perry's death, could the person or group who supplied him with ketamine be held responsible what police are revealing tonight? Look at this, a rare white buffalo, the unusual

birth of a white calf being honored by indigenous tribes. We hear from the photographer who captured the animal which has never been spotted until now. Plus, is man in finance the song of summer? One girl's joke of a jingle on TikTok turning into an overnight sensation, how her video drew more than 50 million views, even getting remixed by DJ David Getta, and Amazon reaching a new milestone, the company hitting $2 trillion for the first time ever. Top story starts right now. And good evening. When it comes to that big debate, we are in the final stretch as millions of Americans are set to watch the two candidates vying to become president.

make their case to the American people. President Biden and former President Trump using their last few hours ahead of the debate to prepare in really vastly different ways. President Biden hunkering down at Camp David in mock debate prep, while Trump is taking a more casual approach, mixing private policy sessions with campaign appearances, and though the two have come face-to-face before, the country is in a much different place than it was just four years ago, with new problems facing everyday Americans. So the question is, will voters watch. Top story asking several people tonight about what they think ahead of the debate. This is like watching a rerun of a bad television series that you know how it ends. Well, in this

case, I think Biden will, I think he will win in terms of the debate. I think that the very interesting thing about this debate is that we've seen them both as presidents. So they all and have their own records, not just talk. And this new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showing Trump bleeding Biden by five points in Georgia. Will this debate further tighten the race? The polls consistently show that the race is incredibly close. New video of outside that debate stage as CNN releases their set of rules, including microphones muted except when it is a candidate's turn to speak. No live audience. And one of the biggest notes is that the network will not fact check in real time, adding it's not the moderator's role to participate in the debate.

They are there to facilitate it. We have a lot to get to tonight, but we want to start tonight with NBC's Gabe Gutierrez, live in Atlanta. Tonight, the stage is set. President Biden at Camp David, out of the public eye for nearly a week, huddling with advisors and holding mock debates. Former President Trump back at Marlago doing more informal prep, today calling into a campaign event with black businessmen. Inflation is a disaster.

It's killing the black community, and it's killing the country. Tomorrow's faceoff will be there first since heated clashes in 2020. The question is radical left. Will you shut up, man? Hoping to avoid chaotic crosstalk, the 90-minute debate will feature muted mics when the other candidates talking. There will be no live studio audience. Mr. Trump expected to focus on the economy and the border, while President Biden will likely zero in on abortion rights and threats to democracy. Today touting the endorsement of former GOP congressmen and frequent Trump critic, Adam Kinzinger.

This is about defending the greatest country in the world. Mr. Trump and his allies accusing President. and Biden without evidence of planning to use performance-enhancing drugs or even just caffeine. Will it be on some sort of energy drinks or something, okay? The Biden campaign says the former president is desperate and resorting to obviously false lies. For both candidates, tomorrow is a crucial test to appeal to skeptical voters who dislike both options. So-called double haters are now a quarter of the electorate. Yeah, I would say I'm a double hater until proven otherwise. Natalia McIntyre and

Roshan Harris run a community center in Detroit. Who did he vote for in 2020? I voted for Biden. Do you regret that? In some ways I do. He says he might vote third party. She's undecided. I might stay home.

College student Charlie Rooney is hoping President Biden addresses the war in Gaza. I'm deeply disappointed that we've ended with the two candidates that we have. All right, Gabe joins us live tonight from Atlanta. Gabe, let's dig a little deeper here. Tell us more about how President Biden is preparing and what that prep at Camp David looked like. Well, hey there, Tom. Well, President Biden has been at Camp David

for near the week now, as we mentioned. And according to people familiar with the process, he is taking part in those mock debates. He didn't for the beginning part of the week, but now he is taking part of those debates. And the setting gives him a better opportunity to focus than if he were at the White House. his age, say. But this is very intensive preparation. And his campaign really views this as a way

to have a contrast, or to show a contrast to viewers between President Biden and former President Trump, now that so many people are expected to tune in, Tom. Yeah, and then, Gabe, what do you think that President Trump, like his strategy, what are you hearing the main things he's going to attack President Biden on? I mean, we know for sure it's going to be immigration. It'll probably start with that. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's right. And look, for the past couple of months, President Trump in his campaign have really been hitting the Biden campaign over immigration. But we also expect them to really hit Biden over the economy and inflation. These are lines of attacks that we really expect to see, inflation and immigration.

And there's also the big question mark here right now, Tom, is how much foreign policy will come into this debate? Because some of the voters we've been speaking with, especially in Battleground, Michigan, which you saw on the piece, that's something that they want to hear about. They want to hear what President Biden has to say about his handling over the Israel and it should be interesting to see our former President Trump response to that. Gabe Gutierrez leading us off tonight, Gabe, we thank you for that. For more on what we can expect from possibly the most consequential night of the 2024 election,

I want to bring in NBC News Chief Political Analyst, Chuck Todd. Chuck, thanks for joining Top Story. Always great to have you here. It's a pleasure. I want to talk to you about first the format, okay? The mics will be clipped. There will be no studio audience. Do you think we're going to get the full 90 minutes of this debate, or do you think we could end up with

the situation like in 2020 when Chris Wallace, moderated what simply got out of control? Well, if you look at it, you know, the last presidential debate that our colleague Kristen Welker moderated did have some mic cutting off, and if you, you know, that did sort of reign in the debate itself, right? And it was less out of control, like the one that didn't have any kind of guardrail at all with Chris Wallace. And, you know, I think this is a double edge sword, this insistence that the Biden campaign had about having cut off mics and sort of putting, creating an environment that was in the best interest of Biden, but in many ways

could not present the version of Trump that ironically, I think the Biden campaign is counting on the public seeing compared to their guy. And I think the real risk of this format, just from a strategic sense for the Biden campaign, Tom, is the fact that it may allowed Trump to look more presidential because they insisted on rules that sort of created a tamer Trump. So CNN has also acknowledged they won't be real-time fact-checking. I know you said in the past this may not be a terrible idea. CNN has said that they're going to put real-time fact-checking on their website and discuss it post-debate. Talk to me about why you think this might be a good idea. Well, look, I just think when you start fact-checking, in some ways you can come across

is the third candidate on stage or the third or fourth candidate on stage. And there's a, it can turn into a debate between the moderator. And there's, I just think there's a fine line there. And suddenly you've disrupted the flow of back and forth. At the end of the day, if one of the candidates misstates a fact, it's on the other candidate to do the fact checking first. I mean, I sort of look at it as I'm curious to see, does the other candidate aware of the missed fact check before the moderator gets involved at all?

Again, I go back. This is a debate between these two gentlemen, the moderator. I like that word facilitator. You're there to facilitate the discussion. Make sure that all hope. Make sure that you're filling in the blank if there's some holes in, hey, oh, you didn't touch that part of the Israel Hamas War. How come you didn't do that or things like that. But if you get into the fact-checking business, you can quickly look like a third participant, meaning a third debater on stage. And I don't think you're doing the viewers of service. It's a great point. I do want to get some Chuck Todd hot takes here, right? What is a good night for President Biden? And that Donald Trump loses his cool. I think that ultimately, for each of them, Tom, a good night as if the other one looks like the caricature, right? Either unhinged or sleepy Joe. Okay, well, then that was my second question. What's a good night for former President Trump? Yeah, I think it's all about Biden looking like he showed his age. The story doesn't end here with this debate, right? We have a second one scheduled for September. If this debate goes sideways, does that put that debate in jeopardy, do you think?

Well, it depends on who's winning or losing at the time of the debate. Tom, I actually, and I wrote this for my column this week, you know, I think the fact is right now both campaigns have a lot more to lose with this debate than gain. I wouldn't have said that even six weeks ago. I think there was a time. Biden really needed to shake up this race and needed this debate when he had it. But I think right now both campaigns oddly feel pretty good about where they stand. Biden feels like he's recovered a bit. Maybe the conviction took a point or two off of Trump.

Trump, meanwhile, has caught up financially. He feels pretty good. I have a feeling they're both going to be on their best behavior because they're, again, I think much more to lose for both of them than game. So we've covered this campaign and this election from the get-go, right? And I understand there's a lot of Americans out there who are very unhappy with the choices they have. But I do have to tell you, for the first time since covering this campaign and this election, I'm hearing from people that aren't in our business who have not talked to me at all about the election,

who are excited about this debate or at least curious, right? And this is just anecdotal. This is in my circles. But it's something that I've noticed as different because they weren't talking about anything else about the election or the candidates, and yet they seem to want to be wanting to tune into this. Are you finding the same, and do you think this is going to be a big moment for this campaign in this election? Look, I do think that there's a lot of interest, curiosity, and look, this is why this is breaking through. We talked about we live in a very fragmented society on media, and, you know, I really believe 40% of the country only knows a caricature of the other candidate.

And I mean this, a mirror image of each other in about 40%, right? So, you know, this is going to be a potentially healthy moment for the country to sort of maybe there'll be some things that are demystified both in the blue, world and in the red world, if you will. So yes, I do think that that's real, but that's why I think both campaigns have more to lose. You know, I think the double haters are coming in here going, okay, I've got to figure out which one of these guys is the one. And if they come in looking like that first debate you did from the, from last cycle, then all of a sudden they get Kennedy curious. All right. Chuck Todd, we appreciate you. Thanks for coming on top story tonight. You can join us tomorrow night for coverage of President Biden and former President Trump's presidential

debate hosted by CNN. I'll have a special coverage and analysis beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now, and the debate starts at 9 p.m. And as we've mentioned, one issue expected to be a heated topic at tomorrow's debate is immigration. Tonight, the murder of a 12-year-old girl in Houston has become the latest flashpoint. Authorities charging two Venezuelan migrants who were detained at the border and then released with capital murder. NBC's Guadvenegas has the latest on that investigation. Tonight, chilling new detail. in the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. Two Venezuelan migrants,

22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, and 26-year-old Franklin Peña, charged with capital murder after authorities found the body of Jocelyn strangled. These monsters took that opportunity from her, from our family of watching her. According to a motion filed by prosecutors, the men spent at least two hours with a minor,

tied her and dumped her body under her, bridge where neighbors found her hours later. Prosecutors sharing details, they say, came from the phone of one of the suspects and his own admission. At his arrest, he had a bite mark on his arm and scratch marks on his arm. He did say that he did tie her up in that he suggested that they throw her into the bayou to get rid of any DNA. Pena said that he just kissed her and then helped throw her in the bayou, but that Martinez-Rangel did everything else. According to our Houston affiliate, one of Jocelyn's family members shouting murder and I hope they kill your children in Spanish at Martinez-Rangel as he left a bail hearing on Tuesday. An attorney for Peña

telling NBC Houston earlier this week, he is very remorseful for the situation that he finds himself in. Attorneys for Martinez-Rangel have not responded to NBC's request for comment. According to a nice spokesperson, Martinez and Peña were apprehended by Border Patrol after entering the country illegally earlier this year. Both were released with notices to appear to continue their legal process with immigration, but it isn't clear when they arrived in Houston. The case now becoming a political flashpoint. These monsters should never have been in our country, and if I were president, they would not have been in our country with a strong border. A Biden campaign spokesperson responding to attacks levied by Trump on social media, writing in part. Donald Trump is making

Americans less safe by blocking the border deal. The White House sending condolences to the family, writing in part in a statement, anyone found guilty of this type of heinous and shocking crime should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Jocelyn's grandfather calling for change as the family mourns her death. It shouldn't have happened. And how do we stop it? is by asking our leaders to change the system. Immigration needs to get redone. All right, Guad, joins us live tonight from Atlanta. Guad, are these suspects still being detained,

and what punishment could they face have found guilty? Tom, the suspects are being held under a $10 million bond, and under the current charges, prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty, but according to the district attorney, this is an ongoing investigation, and if any evidence or the pending, results of a DNA test kit show that the victim was sexually assaulted or kidnapped, that would change everything. And the prosecutors would then be able to seek the death penalty. Tom?

Gwad vanegas first tonight, Gwad, we thank you. We want to turn out of the Supreme Court's slip-up we told you about earlier. Officials there acknowledging a document related to the Idaho abortion case was inadvertently posted online. The contents suggesting the court could rule in favor of permitting emergency abortions in Idaho. It's the second time in two years. This has happened with a major Supreme Court decision on abortion. NBC's Laura Jared has more on today's misstep. Tonight, a mistake of epic proportions rocking the U.S. Supreme Court. A closely watched decision on abortion set to come down any day now, mistakenly and briefly posted to the court's website this morning, indicating the High Court is likely on the verge of

allowing emergency abortions in Idaho. The document obtained by Bloomberg Law before it was quickly removed from the website. The court's spokeswoman explaining the court's publications unit inadvertently and briefly uploaded a document to the court's website, adding that the court's official opinion will be issued in due course. NBC News has not verified whether the document is the final version of the opinion or a draft, but the media's rare advanced access in this case, hearkening back to an unprecedented leak in another abortion case, just two years ago in Dobbs when Politico published the draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The current battle over Idaho's law, which criminalizes nearly all abortions except to save

a mother's life. The Biden administration sued the state, arguing that abortion ban directly conflicts with a federal law requiring hospitals that receive federal funding provide abortions to women facing health emergencies, even if not on the brink of death. That conflict doctors say puts them in a dangerous bind. It's a really heavy burden to carry to have the five years of potential incarceration to take care of your patients. The document posted today and later published by Bloomberg in full includes an unsigned opinion from the court punting on the ultimate dispute for now, sending it back to the lower court, which means women in Idaho will be able to obtain emergency abortions while the lawsuit continues to play out. But it also highlights

deep divisions on the high court. The justices trading barbs in the document. Justice Jackson saying today's decision is not a victory for pregnant patients in Idaho. While this court doodles in the country waits, pregnant people experiencing emergency medical conditions remain in a precarious position. While Justice Alito calls the court's decision baffling, saying the court has simply lost the will to decide the easy but emotional and highly politicized question that the case presents. All right, Laura Jarrett joins us now in studio.

So, Laura, my first question is there's people in Idaho, obviously, following this. Did that cause confusion in that state at all, this leak and then the sort of retraction, if you will? Well, doctors might be facing something of a whiplash because up until just today, they were not allowed to provide abortions unless it was to save a mother's life. Now they can provide abortions if it's to save somebody's health. Their health is at risk, say an infection, something like that. But this case is going to continue to work its way down in the lower courts. and there's another case in Texas on this same issue that's going to come in front of the Supreme Court soon.

And do we know when we think the official opinion will then be posted again and released by the Supreme Court? I would have thought it. They would have done it by close of business today given what happened, but we could see it as soon as tomorrow at 10 a.m. when the justices retake the bench and release more opinions.

Okay, Laura Jarefus, Laura, thanks for being here. We want to turn now to some breaking news out of Bolivia. The general commander of the Army attempting a military coup in the nation's capital, Bolivian TV showing the moment armed vehicles rammed into the gates of the presidential palace. You see it right there. As Bolivian military forces took over the Capitol Central Square

armed with weapons and shields, the president denouncing the, quote, irregular mobilization and urging the public to organize against it, many following his calls to stand firm, lighting fires in the street and putting up barricades against military personnel. I'm joined tonight by NBC's David Noriega, who's following this for us to help us understand what's unfolding there. David, give us the latest on the situation. So, Tom, about 5.30 Eastern is when the Bolivian press started reporting that General Suniga, the commander of the military, had left to the central plaza in La Paz and pulled back his troops.

This happened after a very dramatic moment in which General Suniga faced off with the president who went outside of the presidential palace to sort of confront him in person and subsequently pulled back. It's pretty clear that General Suniga was kind of out on a limb with this. He did not have the support of key politicians who are members of the Bolivian right wing that was responsible for a security. successful coup five years ago. The real question now is how much of the armed forces were behind him. In the videos, you can see most of these troops, a lot of these troops are military police, which suggests it might not have been a large enough percentage of the armed forces to continue posing a threat. But that's going to be the big question facing the government there right now. And then this obviously didn't happen out of nowhere, right? We've been covering the situations in Bolivia for a while now,

but how did we get to this point? So there's currently a pretty severe economic crisis, and the ruling socialist party is also a torn by divisions and kind of paralyzed by these divisions. The president that was deposed in 2019 was a member of that socialist party, Evo Morales. He's sort of an icon of the Latin American left, and he's back on the sea now. He's vying for power trying to gain the presidency again next year. That has made the current president, Luis Arse, once an ally, into now his adversary. So the economic conditions, the political instability, you know, coups in Bolivia are of a very,

very real thing. That's why this did not necessarily come as a surprise, but certainly a shock to many people today, it's also definitely assigned to the ruling party that they need to kind of get the house in order if they don't want to see more of this in the near future. All right, David, we thank you for reporting on that breaking news. Still ahead tonight, the close call.

New video showing a crowbar flying into a windshield in a North Carolina highway. Imagine if you were driving this car. Look at it. It barely missed a driver where police say that tool came from. Plus, the growing dam emergency in Minnesota, our team on the ground as homes

crumble into rushing floodwaters and more severe weather is on the way. We're tracking it all. And welcome to the $2 trillion dollar club, the major milestone for Amazon, four years in the making. Stay with us. All right, we're back now with the severe weather pounding parts of the Midwest. Tonight, nearly three million people under flood warnings. The catastrophic storms already causing unprecedented amounts of damage throughout the region. Our age of And Adrienne Broadus is in Minnesota as more intense weather is on the way. Minute by minute, the landscape here crumbling.

This Minnesota home swallowed by rushing floodwaters. So were the playground and the bench where we spoke with the owners of that house just yesterday. Now all washed away. The dramatic changes in this community visible from above. gathering today to take in the destruction. This is like a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Adrian, that's a dramatic backdrop. And the spot I was standing in 24 hours ago also gone today.

Across the Midwest, many landscapes have been forever changed and infrastructure destroyed. In South Dakota, residents forced to evacuate during this week's flood are still waiting to return to unrecognizable neighborhoods. It was insane. It sounded like a war zone out there. In Sioux City, Iowa, neighborhoods still look. like lakes. Still, while Mother Nature is at her worst, communities in crisis finding the best in each other. I hope we get better, and I hope people will chip in and help this place. The watercrest in some areas already exceeding levels not seen in nearly three decades,

even as the region braces for more heavy rain, threatening already swollen rivers to rise again. Back to you. Adrian brought us with those devastating images for more of this extreme whether I want to turn out to NBC meteorologist Bill, Karen's bill, a reminder of how strong those floods can be sometimes. Yeah, the power of water is always just incredible. We see it when we get hurricanes, landfall, rivers like this. So now we're watching severe storms. We have a lot of areas at risk. We're now seeing thunderstorms along the mass pike, but this gets our attention. Severe thunderstorm warnings now heading from Pennsylvania into New Jersey and on their way towards the New York City area. And about two hours from right now,

this has wind damage potential and lightning with it, maybe some small. HAL. Tornado risk is very, very small in the northeast, but these should cause problems at all the New York City airports in about 90 to about 120 minutes from now. Then tomorrow we track a new storm system that's now in the Pacific Northwest, severe storms heading into the northern plains. This is important because this is the next storm system in heavy rain heading for the flood zone areas from Iowa all the way up into southern Minnesota, maybe even isolated severe storms. It does look like the possibility, Tom, of some heavy downpours over those flooded rivers and streams.

We've been asking you about it nearly every day. We've been out here for the last couple of weeks now. Where is it heading and which areas of the country should really be concerned? It's still extremely hot, but the number of people in the watches and warnings has been dropping. We're now at about 39 million. Still extremely warm from Oklahoma City towards Dallas and a few spots in the southeast. Even at this hour, many areas I feel like they're above 100. Corpus Christi, that's gross.

109. Dallas feels like 108. Today we hit 100 degrees in Atlanta. First time we've done that in about eight years in June. And so tomorrow, very hot, once again, all these areas. And it's just that time of year. We're not going to see this ending as we head through the weekend. Dallas, 100 to 101, Atlanta, approaching 100 right through the weekend. The southern half of the country, Tom, is going to end up with one of the hottest Junes they've ever seen.

All right, Bill Karens for us, Bill. We always thank you. Still ahead tonight, the new developments following the death of actor Matthew Perry, the potential charges for those tied to giving the beloved actor, the drugs that contributed to his death. Stay with us. All right, back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin with an update on the suspect in the Highland Park mass shooting. Robert Krimo backing out of a plea deal in a surprise move today.

He was expected to plead guilty to 55 counts and agree to a sentence of natural life in prison. He will now go to trial in February of 2025 on more than 100 charges. He's accused of killing 7 and injuring dozens more at 22 4th. July parade in a Chicago suburb. New details tonight in the death of Friends star Matthew Perry. A source familiar with the investigation confirming to NBC News that several people could be charged for supplying Perry with ketamine before his death. A medical examiner revealing the acute effects of ketamine contributed to the 54-year-old's

death after he was found unresponsive inside a hot tub in October. And a driver is lucky to be alive after a close call on a North Carolina highway. Take a look at this dash cam footage capturing a crowbar smashing through a driver's windshield after falling off a car ahead. The point ending up just inches from the driver. Thankfully, she was able to pull over. No one was hurt. State troopers taking fingerprints in an attempt to find that crowbar's owner. And Amazon's market cap reaching $2 trillion for the first time. You heard me right, trillion. Today, the company shares closed up 3.9% to $193.61 for a single share. and the shares of Amazon have surged 27.5% so far this year.

Amazon is now the fifth U.S. company to be worth $2 trillion or more, including Apple and Microsoft. Okay, now to power in politics and a historic primary right here in New York, Congressman Jamal Bowman, an outspoken member of the so-called squad, and a vocal opponent of the war in Gaza, ousted from power by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, the highest spending primary in history, becoming a proxy battle for Democrats over the party's stance, and the war in Gaza. Alie Vitale spoke to voters about the contentious race. Tonight, the fallout from an historic Democratic primary in New York. Westchester County Executive George Latimer knocking progressive firebrand Jamal Bowman

out of the House. Tonight is our page, and we say that we believe the inclusion of everyone. Latimer bested Bowman by double digits in New York's 16th congressional district, which includes part of the Bronx and the suburbs. outside New York City. Bowman is the first ousted member of the progressive lawmakers who call themselves the squad and just the third incumbent to lose their seat this cycle. The congressman defiant in defeat at one point lashing out during his concession speech after he felt his concentration was broken. It's coming. Why are you messing up? Why are you mess it up?

Damn, I'm in the zone up here. It was a bruising primary fight. He's nowhere to be. Go ahead. Get out of here, man. You're nowhere to be found. One that showcased Democratic divides dating back to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in 2016. The two former rivals endorsed on opposite sides of this race. Jamal's victory will be significant. New York's 16th broke records. The most expensive House primary in history.

$25 million spent on ads, much of it from groups tied to A-PAC, a pro-Israel group at odds with Bowman's calls for a ceasefire and anti-Israeli stance. Is that the central issue in this race as you see it, though? It is because he was recruited by A-PAC to run against me because I called for a permanent ceasefire very early on. Voters here motivated by a mix of local and national issues. What brought you out to vote? I thought this was a very important race to just make my vote matter, especially for Westchester County. As well as the general tone of the candidates, which got colorful at times.

I just feel like Bowman is just a little too aggressive. All the curse and profanity, all the exonists, it's not needed because you're a man that's representing everyone. But a bitter Democratic divide over Gaza on full display in an area with a significant number of Jewish voters. He's been a really strong advocate for the Palestinian people. Latimer wants to bring Israel and the Hamas to the table and come with a long-term solution. I feel like that's much better. Those democratic divides evident on election night. We should be outraged.

When, unfortunately, some so-called Democrats are aligning themselves with radical, racist, right-wing Republicans. We should be outraged about that. Past actions made Bowman more vulnerable to a well-known local challenger. He opposed key Democratic initiatives on infrastructure and the debt ceiling and made for TV moments going after Republicans spurred questions about his seriousness. They're countless! Plus this now infamous moment, Bowman pulled a fire alarm to stall a high state. votes last September. He first said it was an accident, only to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for falsely triggering the alarm. The fire alarm incident was inexplicable. Now Bowman's primary defeat

raising difficult questions for Democrats on the war and the political pitfalls it might bring come November. It's much deeper than just about Gaza and Israel. He voted against some other things that would have unified the Democratic Party. And I think in a primary, the base was not appreciative of that. Ali Vitale joins us tonight from Washington after spending a few days here on the ground, actually covering that district and that race. So, Ali, what do we know about Bowman's plans after this loss? Is there a chance he runs in a third party in the general?

That would cause problems in the general, especially because this is a district that is blue, but once you start splitting that Democratic vote, I think that could get people very nervous, Tom. The reason that nervousness might exist, though, is because just last night when I was last with the congressman, he was asked, would you consider a run with another party? For example, the working families party, he did not say no. Instead, at that point, he said, we're just going to win. Of course, that didn't happen. And now it sort of leaves an open question. Could he go that route, or will he just end his political bid for this district now? And then, Allie,

I'm curious, how did the vote break down in this primary, right? Because as we mentioned, you have the Bronx, but then you also have the suburbs of New York City. Exactly. And this district before redistricting was way more Bronx than it was West Chesa. County. Now it's the Bronx is a sliver and Westchester County is the bulk of this district. So when you look at the vote breakdown, Bowman did really well in the Bronx. He blew it out. He got over 80 percent of the vote. But that's not where the bulk of the votes were in this district. Instead, it was really a two to one split for Latimer when you got into Westchester County. And I'll just tell you, anecdotally, I grew up in this area. I know a lot of the

profile of candidates who have represented it before. And in my conversations with voters, it was clear. Many of them felt that Bowman was no longer aligned with that. And then finally, Allie, what, if anything, could Democrats pull from this race for the general election? Were there lessons to be learned? There are lessons. I'm not sure anyone's learned them yet, Tom. But the three that I'm looking at are the conversations that we're seeing bubbling already on Capitol Hill. The first is the ways that progressives are going to now deal with Democratic leadership. There was some griping behind the scenes about Democrats feeling their leadership, Hakeem Jeffries, and others,

didn't necessarily do enough for Bowman. Of course, leadership would forcefully push back on that and say, look, we respected the election results last time. We're respecting them now. This is what voters want. We just want to take back the majority. The second thing I'm thinking of is just the role of outside money. We've heard a lot about that from progressives, from Democrats writ large. Do they make a push on that, especially just given the amount of money APEC put into this? And then, of course, you've got another primary that's going to go kind of along these lines in Missouri with Congresswoman Cory Bush. APEC could be looking to put money

into that race as well. That's really the next electoral test I'm going to be looking at to see if there's any lessons learned ahead of November when all of them will be put to the test at the same time. All right, Ali Vitale, always great to have you on. We do want to head overseas now to Russia and the detainment of Wall Street Journal reporter

Evan Gerscovich. The trial beginning today, more than a year after he was arrested on espion on charges, which the U.S. categorically denies, and the Wall Street Journal calls completely bogus. Andrea Mitchell has the details. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich on trial today a thousand miles from Moscow, now in a cell with other prisoners. Locked in a glass box, appearing thin, his head shaven,

managing a thin smile, even nodding and waving to the cameras. Imprisoned for more than a year on a false espionage charge which the U.S. vehemently denies. Russian prosecutors claiming Evan was acting on orders from the CIA to spy on a tank factory. He faces 20 years in prison if convicted. Amr Latour, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, saying it's part of a methodical Russian attack on a free press. His head was shaven not by choice. That, I think, all fits this Russian narrative of making him look like a prisoner, making him look like someone who committed a crime. Evan's parents in March were hopeful. We are keeping ourselves optimistic.

That's the best way we can cope with it. Pesimus will kill all the hope. The Biden administration tried to swap Evan and another American, former Marine Paul Wheelan, already jailed for five years, for a Russian hitman in a Berlin prison. Those plans falling short. Now those familiar say the U.S. is scouring other countries for jailed Russian spies who could be offered in a trade.

Donald Trump claiming he could cut a deal with Russia if he's elected. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, and I don't believe he'll do it for anyone else. There's no evidence Trump could get Putin to release Evan. The State Department saying everyone should want wrongfully detained Americans release now, not in November. Tom. All right, we thank Andrea Mitchell for that one.

We're also following other international headlines on Top Story's Global Watch. We start with the deadly cable car collapse in Colombia. One of the cars with 10 passengers on board crashing down onto a car. a sidewalk and taxi in Mayday Ying. At least one person killed, but it's unclear if they were on the ground or inside the unit. Officials say the cable car crashed into another, causing it to fall. It's the first crash on the city's metro cable line. Okay, an update tonight, Kenya's president withdrawing that controversial tax plan after days of deadly protests. Protesters storming Kenya's parliament yesterday, you may remember we brought that to you, and setting it on fire as the bill

was passed. Officials say nearly two dozen people were killed during the week-long demonstrations. The president said he will now speak to younger residents and hear their concerns. OK, and now to the countdown to Paris. The 2024 Olympics are now just one month away, but amid the excitement, questions still linger. Will a key venue be ready? NBC's Keir Simmons is there and explains. Tonight's Paris ready for its close-up. The Eiffel Tower adorned with those famous rings, one of many iconic locations, now Olympic arenas. You can see now how the city of Paris is an Olympic venue. They've brought in the sand for the beach volleyball.

Behind the Eiffel Tower there, that's the Champions Plaza. The Place de la Concorde, where so often history has been made, will premiere breaking this summer. 8,000 at the wrestling and judo venue seated around an historic military statue. The triathlon and marathon swimming planned for the Sen, which officials acknowledge is still not clean enough. I spoke exclusively with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. Swimming in the Sen was your idea?

Yes, it was my idea. She says despite canceling a swim in the Sen this week, she remains confident. Because I want to swim in the river of Sen before the opening ceremony. Everyone's worried that it's not ready. Yes, it's ready. Yes, it's ready. Yeah. It's ready.

It's ready. Down on the river, an American, French family living on a houseboat will move to make way for an opening ceremony like no other. There's events right here, right here, just behind us. It's absolutely phenomenal. And the opening ceremonies on the river, I mean, there's nothing like it. They hope the world will see the Sen the way they do as magical. All right, Keir Simmons joins us tonight from Paris. So, Keir, I think we need a little bit more context for our viewers.

Explain what exactly is happening with the river and the mayor, because it sounds like they made a promise. They did, Tom, and as beautiful as Paris looks tonight with the sparkling Eiffel Tower, I've got to tell you, I've got to be honest, I've been looking at the send this week. I wouldn't swim in it. It's brown, the waters are moving fast. Now, what they say is, despite the...

scientific results, the high E. coli readings that as the summer really kicks in, it will reduce the water levels, it will change the water, they will be ready. And you heard the mayor there saying that she still plans to swim. She is determined that she will be able to do that. But in the end, what's caused it is a lot of rain in recent weeks, Tom. And that just floods the river and brings out the kind of stuff you don't want in that water. And there's nothing they can do about that. They spent $1.5 billion in the last 10 years. It has changed the cent, but every month is different. We're hoping next month is different from the way it is now. Yeah, we hope so too. Okay, you mentioned it. We see it there behind you. The Eiffel Tower is

just exploding with life right now. What is the atmosphere like in Paris, right? Are Parisians excited or are they feeling a little inconvenienced? You may not be able to hear, but there is where we are now, the Trocadadero, there's kind of a party atmosphere around us. Anyone who's been to Paris knows it's often like that here, but there is a really relaxed atmosphere. There are those who are complaining about so many places being closed down. I mean, it's a little like you're in New York, right? It's a little like if they were doing equestrian events in Central Park and beach volleyball in Times Square and maybe another event down. in Union Square, how would New Yorkers feel about that?

Parisians often express the same kinds of concerns, but that being said, I think once the opening ceremony gets going, the party atmosphere will kick in. I'm certain about that. This is clearly setting up to me a pretty spectacular Olympics. Well, that leads to my next question, Keir. You know, I know you've covered your fair share of Olympics. You've seen the entire process in major cities all over the world.

Is Paris prepared this year? Right. Paris is prepared, Tom. She really is. And one of the ways that she's prepared that's different is that these Olympics, as we've said a time and time again, are using the city. You know, the mayor told me that she went to Rio and she saw beach volleyball on Copacabana Beach, and she said, I love that. I want to go one better. I want to do beach volleyball under the Eiffel Tower. That's where she got the inspiration for all this. She believes she's changed. the way the Olympics are going to be held, reducing what it costs, making it more sustainable, into weaving it with cities. Can any other city do it? Like Paris can do it? I guess we'll find out in LA.

Keir Simmons for us from Paris. Getting ready for the Olympics. We are so excited. We appreciate that. And coming up, the remarkable sighting. We're going to show you a white bison, bringing indigenous tribes together for a sacred ceremony,

the beautiful moment captured, and what it all means. That's next. We are back down with the incredible story of a rare white bison born in Yellowstone National Park. The birth of this once-in-a-lifetime animal, sacred to the indigenous people living there, is believed to be a symbol of hope and prosperity. NBC Steve Patterson has this wonderful story. On the edge of Yellowstone National Park, a remarkable sighting. Bringing together indigenous tribes from across the west, the birth of our first.

rare white bison so sacred to the people here it's thought to fulfill an ancient Lakota tried prophecy today the miraculous birth being commemorated with ceremony song and for the first time the reveal of a name walkongli returns sacred it's a blessing but it's a warning Lakota chief Avril looking horse says in tribal lore it's similar to the second coming and part of a personal lifelong journey this is a spiritual awakening. It's a fulfillment of our prophecy. It's our responsibility to take care of Mother Earth. This spiritual connection to the bison they share the land with runs deep, representing strength and abundance to indigenous cultures. Herds that once numbered in the millions

are now managed in Yellowstone at about 5,000 after being hunted to near extinction across the country. And here, there is no record of a white bison being spied. That is until now. It seemed unreal that I just was so lucky to be one of maybe a dozen people that got photographs of this thing. Photographer Jordan Creach captured these images of the white-haired calf the day it was born on June 4th. I know how important it is to the native culture to have been able to capture that. I'm happy I can share it. The elusive animal has not been seen since, but to the tribes gathered here, it doesn't matter if it's ever seen again.

What's important is its birth, serving both as a symbol of hope and prosperity. of hope and prosperity into a reminder of how we should all treat each other. It brings tears into my eyes every time I think about it because this shouldn't happen in our time and it did. This gift of life and the blessing of a new beginning. Steve Patterson, NBC News, Yellowstone National Park. We thank Steve for that and we're going to take a turn. Coming up, do you know about the man in finance on TikTok?

Well, then you're going to be excited for this next story. Our Valerie Castro sitting down with the girl who created it. She now has an agent and a hit song with David Getta. All from 17 seconds of a video she posted on TikTok and made from her couch. So is she still looking for a man in finance? That answer next. Finally tonight, from TikTok to stardom. There's a good chance you've heard the clip, Man in Finance.

Well, it's taken the world by storm. It's racked up tens of millions of views across TikTok, and it's now even part of a new David Getta song. Our NBC's Valerie Castro sat down with the creator to talk about her overnight success. I'm looking for a man in finance with trust fund. It's being hailed as the song of the summer. Finance, trust fund. Six-five blue eyes. New York creator, Megan Bonnie, posting the 17th second TikTok in April, and it went viral overnight.

instantly picked up by DJs. Spurring other viral moments like this flash dance in London. And NBC's Jimmy Fallon using it for a bit with Bridgerton Star and current Hollywood heartthrob, Luke Newton. I'm looking for a man in finance. It's now clocking in with over 50 million views on TikTok, getting the attention of celebrities like Paris Hilton. world-famous DJ David Getta, partnering with Bonnie, releasing an actual song with her clip.

Bonnie even joining him on stage for a show. Can you believe your life right now? Like, no. Literally no. The 27-year-old, known as Girl on Couch, on TikTok, wrote the lyrics right here on her couch. This is where the magic happens. In her New York studio apartment. I think I first thought of finance trust fund, and then I think I was trying to find things that rhymed somewhat.

And that's how I came up with 6-5 blue eyes. What do you think it is about that 17 seconds that people have just glommed onto? I think, like, the way that I sang it or said it or however I spoke it, it like made it easy for, I guess, musicians or producers to, like, hear a beat in the background and be able to make it their own. And even though the clip inspired this couple's dance at their wedding, Bonnie tells me she initially made it to poke fun at the high standard. set by some singles, including herself.

I was trying to make fun of single girls, who I'm a single girl as well, who complain about being single, but then, like, have all these needs that are impossible. Another thing that may surprise you, Bonnie is well aware she's no pop star. If I was a struggling artist in L.A. and I saw this, I'd be pissed because, like, this random girl posts from her couch, and now she is a record deal, and it seems a little unfair. But to be fair, it's really catchy. And even though the song has inspired some videos of women taking to the streets to look for a man, Bonnie says it's landed her a record and publishing deal, a talent agent and music manager,

giving her the ability to quit her day job in sales and focus on her dream career in comedy and television. It's amazing. They're just like giving me like the reassurance I needed. do what I've always wanted to do, which is be my own man in finance. Are you looking for a man in finance? No, I'm not. I'm looking for, like, someone with a dad bod who, like, understands my humor, lets me shine a little, and then, like, balances me out. Listen, if he's in finance, that's great.

All right, with that, Valerie joins us now on set. So Valerie, I guess my first question is, is she sort of a social media? influencer, a professional at this, because the video is pretty funny, and her other videos, clearly she has some talent. Yes, so this is not her first go around, and she clearly has a good sense of humor. She says she's been posting on TikTok for the last several

years. A few of her videos have gotten some attention, but she says nothing like this video after she posted it. So she has a talent manager and someone else was working with her on music. What's next for her? So the big thing was working with David Getta to put this together as a real song. He's a DJ who will be performing

all summer in Ibiza in Spain, which is one of the party capitals of the world. She says he's invited her to go here to one of the performances. She says one of her dreams is to also make an appearance on Saturday Night Live. You never know what could happen. Finally, have any guys in finance actually reached out to her? You could say that. She says that some self-proclaimed sugar daddies have slid into her DMs,

but she's kind of grossed out by that. And she says, look, I'm my own man in finance now anyway. All right, yeah, that's a good point. She's still looking. All right. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yammis in New York. Stay right there.

More news on the way. Thank you.