Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Episode Date: May 29, 2025

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

Tonight, the reality stars set free after President Trump grants them a pardon. Chrisley knows freedom. President Trump signing a full pardon for the stars of the hit show, Chrisley knows best, releasing them from prison. Their family rejoicing now the backlash to the president's new pardoning spree, even considering letting free the men convicted of plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor. Nowhere to be found. New details in the manhunt for the police chiefs.

Steve turned a murderer, now escaped from prison, what officials revealed late today. Wild moments in the Diddy trial, the defense trying to get the case thrown out, the judge's quick ruling, plus the stylist who testified about the Rat Mughal's violent acts as Diddy's ex-girlfriend and the star witness against him gives birth. Terror leader taken out. Israel announcing a top Hamas official has been killed in an airstrike. They say he was hiding out below a hospital in Gaza as chaotic scenes like this play out. as humanitarian aid is distributed in the Palestinian territory. High-speed shootout, the police officer clinging to the hood of a car,

then opening fire on the suspect inside. What led up to this moment? One of the passengers speaks out to top story. Kevin Costner accusations, the stunt woman alleging sexual assault after she says the actor and director sprung an unscripted rape scene on her that she calls violent. Costner's response tonight. An airborne automobile, unbelievable video of a car flying into the roof of this Missouri building, the driver surviving.

Plus, the world famous band that could be popping up at a house party near you on concert so big, someone called the cops. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, the reality stars set free after spending. years behind bars. President Trump officially pardoning Todd and Julie Chrisley, along with several others, and raising eyebrows over the men he says he may pardon next. You were looking live at the prison where each were held. It's unclear if either have left. They could walk out at any minute now. The couple from

Chrisley knows best is slated to be released just three years after they were convicted of defrauding banks of more than $30 million as well as tax evasion. The The former stars of USA Network's hit reality show on the air for nearly a decade gave viewers a glimpse into the lives of the real estate developer and his eccentric family with a healthy dose of Southern charm. Today, President Trump, inside the Oval Office, signing that pardon after telling their daughter Savannah, the couple was, quote, given pretty harsh treatment, fans gathering outside the prison when they heard the news. We're just really excited that Papa Todd's getting released. I think that they were given too much of a sentence, and I'm glad that it's been reduced, and we thank President Donald Trump. And tonight, the president saying he's also considering releasing the men accused of plotting

to kidnap Michigan Governor Grevin Whitmer. I will take a look at it. It's been brought to my attention. I did watch the trial. It looked to me like somewhat of a railroad job. And just moments. ago, the president signing a flurry of additional pardons, including former Connecticut governor John Rowland, sent to prison in two different corruption cases, and the rapper who

goes by NBA young boy. He was convicted in a federal gun crimes case. Trump also commuting the life sentence of convicted Chicago gang leader Larry Hoover. NBC News, senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez, has been following all of this and joined us now live from the North Lawn of the White House. Gabe, let's start with these Christley Pardons. Obviously, they're children ecstatic to be getting them back. What more are we learning about how those pardons came together behind the scenes? Look, Alison, an attorney for the Crisley's told us that he did not know why the president chose to pardon his client specifically this week. But as part of his pitch, the attorney supplied Trump's pardon czar. Her name is Alice Johnson.

He gave her a binder filled with court documents and testimonials. Still, it was the couple's daughter, Savannah, which you mentioned. She's an outspoken Trump supporter. She pushed for a pardon when she met with members of the Trump family before the president's inauguration. Now, she also spoke at the last year's Republican National Convention, and the team involved in pardoning the pair of reality stars appears to have included some major players in Trump's orbit, including former federal prosecutor Brett Tolman, who helped win a pardon for Charles Kushner. He, of course, is the father of Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, Allison. And, Gabe, we just listed some of the other pardons and commutations Trump has granted in

just the last couple of days. A lot of them considered controversial. Now, possible pardons for those who plotted to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. What kind of pushback has there been to those? Well, Whitmer's office has declined to comment so far, but Democrats will no doubt be concerned about those remarks, which you just played a little earlier. They should come as no surprise, though. In a recent interview, the Justice Department's new pardon attorney, his name is Ed Martin. He called the case a, quote, fed-napping plot. That's an apparent reference to the use of undercover FBI agents and informants to build the case.

Now, the Trump administration is repeatedly railed against what it sees is the weaponization of government, and the president might end up looking at the convictions through that lens. And Ellison, the Trump administration, is likely to point at some controversial pardons by the previous administration. Of course, former President Biden pardoned his own son. Alison. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. Tonight, a convicted murderer and ex-police chief is still on the run after escaping from an Arkansas prison on Sunday. Officials now urgently trying to find the man known as the devil in the Ozarks amid challenges related to his law enforcement background and rugged terrain.

NBC news correspondent Priya Shrether has more. Tonight, the close-knit community of Calico Rock, Arkansas, on alert with the search for Grant Hardin, a former police chief turned convicted killer and rapist, now in its third day. When I heard about it, I just shut the windows and doors and a pistol out on the coffee table and we're good. Officials say they've expanded their search area, several agencies working around the clock, deploying canines and drones to scour the dense and rugged terrain surrounding the prison. They've set up as many as 10 of these checkpoints around town where they're basically stopping every single car that drives by and asking the drivers if they've seen anything suspicious and also looking inside of the vehicle for any signs of Hardin.

There's a lot of forests, cave. Grand Champion is with the Arkansas Department of Corrections. There's plenty of hiding places. There are a number of abandoned, you know, units, you know, barns and, you know, barns, and, sheds and homes and cars. Police say Hardin escaped wearing a makeshift outfit designed to look like a corrections officer captured in this surveillance photo, according to an affidavit that caused a corrections officer to open the gate and allow him to walk away from the prison. Hardin was convicted and sentenced to 30 years for the 2017 murder of James Appleton, a city worker who

police say Hardin shot in the face in broad daylight. Hardin's DNA was then tied to an unsolved rape of a school teacher from 1997. So far, officials say they believe he's still in the area, but have no credible leads. It really is a needle in a haystack, and that's why we're looking for just that one credible lead that will put us in the right direction. And Priya joins us now from Calico Rock, Arkansas. Priya, I understand we are learning more tonight about the moments following Hardin's escape. Yeah, that's right, Ellison. You know, in contrast to the escape that we saw in New Orleans with those 10 inmates who went undetected for almost eight hours by the folks who worked in that detention facility. Here in Calico Rock,

officials say that they noticed that Grant Hardin was missing 30 minutes after he escaped the facility. But they said in addition to that rugged and dense terrain around here and his law enforcement background, another challenge they faced was the weather. It was actually raining that day and the day since then. This has been the first day that it hasn't been raining, and that really hindered their search efforts because they weren't able to put drones up in the air and also the canines that they were attempting to use to track him down, weren't able to detect his scent. So they're really hoping that now that the weather cleared up, that might be the lucky break that they've been looking for, Ellison. Priya Shrether, thank you. A major development

tonight in the Middle East, Israel announcing it's killed one of the top leaders of Hamas, Senwar during a military operation in Gaza. NBC's chief foreign correspondent, Richard Engel, has this report. After relaunching a punishing military offensive in Gaza, today Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu claimed a victory over Hamas, saying Israel confirmed it killed the group's latest leader, Mohamed Sinwar. He was killed, Israel says, in an airstrike on a hospital. Mohamed Sinwar took over Hamas's leadership from his brother Yehya, whose earlier assassination,

by Israeli forces was captured on video. Yehya Sinwar was considered the mastermind of the Hamas October 7th massacre. And tonight, Hamas is still holding more than 50 hostages in Gaza. Meanwhile, a controversial new U.S. and Israeli-backed operation has begun to distribute a limited amount of food into Gaza. But Israeli troops firing in the air

to disperse hungry crowds exposed the challenges. And today, a crowd broke into a warehouse storing aid. All while President Trump revealed he cautioned Netanyahu against striking Iran, the major backer of Hamas, while the U.S. and Iran are in the midst of nuclear talks. I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution. Now, that could change at any moment, could change with a phone call. But right now, I think they want to make a deal, and if we can make a deal, save a lot of lives. And Richard Engel joins us now.

Richard, since this war began, we have seen a lot of high-profile Hamas leaders killed. What sort of impact will the death of Mohamed Sinwar have on Hamas? Well, probably not a great impact, frankly. Habas has been pretty resilient in replacing its leaders. It is a group that has been operating under the Israeli microscope for many years, not with this degree of military pressure. But it had already been forced underground. It had already been a splintered leadership.

So there will be more Mohammed Sinwars. There will be more Yehya Sinwars. The pool of recruits is simply too great. Just because you eliminate one militant leader, the brother of Yejia Sinwar, who took up this leadership role just about a year ago, it doesn't mean that there are not others waiting to fill the waiting to fill the ranks. And actually, in recent months, Hamas has not had trouble

recruiting because of all the destruction, because of all the anger, because of all the rage. In fact, if you look at periods of intense Hamas recruitment, they always came in the midst or right after major conflicts with Israel. That happened in 2012. It is happening again right now. So the organization of Hamas, the infrastructure is badly damaged, and it will cause some operational difficulties for the organization, but its ability to attract new fighters and new leaders has not been diminished, I don't think. Richard Engel, thank you. The prosecution in the Sean Diddy Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial working

its way through its final witnesses today. Testimony involving a Molotov cocktail and musician Kid Cutty, as well as allegations of abuse between Combs and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Combs has denied all of the charges against him. Chloe Malas was in court today. Good morning. Celebrity stylist Deonti Nash, who worked with Sean Diddy Combs and Cassie Ventura, describing hearing Combs threatened Ventura's music career if she didn't behave how he expected,

testifying that he heard Combs say that he was going to release sex videos on the internet. He was going to release them on schedule and that he was going to first start by sending them to her parents' job to get them fired. He told the court that he tried to reassure Ventura that Combs' wouldn't release the tapes because he was also on them. He says Ventura responded, Combs wouldn't be on the video because he was filming her with other men. Later, Nash testifying to seeing Combs assault Ventura until her head hit a bed frame and began bleeding, saying that he tried to jump on Combs' back to stop him, but was thrown off. Prosecutors showing this picture of a gash above her left eye when Ventura testified about this incident recently. During cross-examination, Combs' lawyers pointing to

Nash's actions after that alleged incident, saying, quote, after the cut, the violence, you invited him and Cassie to come with you to a Halloween function? Nash answering, correct. Earlier in the day, an explosive moment when Combs' defense team called for a mistrial, prompting a heated showdown with New York prosecutors. It happened during testimony about an incident in December 2011 involving musician Kid Cuddy, who was also dating Ventura. The witness, a Los Angeles firefighter and arson expert,

saying that he was called to Kid Cuddy's home and found a Molotov cocktail in his car, saying that he believed it to be a targeted crime. Prosecutors releasing these new photos of the damage. The arson investigator testifying it was determined that someone took the bottle, put gas inside, put cloth in it, and cut the vehicle and drop the bottle inside. Arson is among the list of acts and the racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs. Combs has denied all the accusations against him. Minutes later, he told the court that fingerprint evidence from the scene was destroyed.

Combs's team saying that the prosecutors asked questions insinuating that Combs had something to do with destroying the evidence in the possession of the LAPD, telling the judge that, quote, there is no way to unring the spell. The judge telling jurors to disregard the portion of the testimony regarding the destruction of evidence, calling it irrelevant, but denying the mistrial request and allowing things to proceed. And Chloe Malas joins us now from outside the courthouse in downtown Manhattan. Chloe, tomorrow we expect to hear from another one of Combs' former assistants who the government says they consider to be a key witness. Explain to us what we expect to hear. That's right, Allison. She is somebody who worked recently for Combs. She's going under a pseudonym to protect her anonymity. They're calling her Mia. And we expect her to take the stand tomorrow. and it could be pretty explosive and maybe be a part of that sex trafficking charge,

both of those that calms faces. And Chloe, we also got an update today on Cassie Ventura. She is someone who many have called the star witness of this trial. Talk to us about that. So NBC News has confirmed that Cassie gave birth to her third child, a baby boy, on Tuesday. We don't have any other details, but this is to be expected, as she was so pregnant on the stand just a few weeks ago, prosecutors, they really wanted her testimony to wrap up because they thought she could actually

give birth around that time. But she has given birth this week to her third child. Ellison. NBC's Chloe Malas. Thank you. Jeremy Salan joins us now. He is a criminal defense attorney and former Manhattan prosecutor. Jeremy, as we heard Chloe mentioned there, the defense moving for a mistrial claiming prosecutorial misconduct. The judge has denied that motion, but it's not in common right to see defense teams in any case make a motion like this but i'm curious from your experience is there anything that we can glean from the fact that they did ask for this mistrial in terms of how maybe the defense feels this case is going no you know this is typical it's not atypical this is something that regularly happens and in between when the prosecution rests you're

going to ask not for a mistrial but you ask for a dismissal these are ordinary things that they do and And you also want to remember, sometimes you're playing for after the fact, meaning you have a right to appeal. And when you appeal, you want to preserve that record. And this was certainly worthy of that preservation to say, wait a second, is there an undue prejudice? Is there something that was said by or asked by the prosecution that could make the jury think that Sean Combs had his hands in the destruction of these fingerprints? So it was worthy and important to do, but let's not overthink it. They were just doing their job. Okay. Talk to us about what we heard on the stand today. Deonte Nash testifying pretty extensively about violence and threats allegedly from Sean Diddy Combs. But Combs is not on trial for assault. We've heard his defense team point this out even in their opening argument saying, look, you're going to hear that he's a bad guy. We admit he did domestically abuse people, but that's not what he's on trial for, right? He is on trial for racketeering and sex trafficking, among other very specific charges. Did that testimony help the prosecution,

their case, and if so, how? Well, Alison, if you remember the other day I said to those three important factors, corroboration, corroboration, and corroboration, we're going to add another one, another corroboration, because we have someone who says, listen, Cassie who got hit in the head at one point and was bleeding. There's been multiple corroboration of domestic violence. There was a concern about him stealing and having his home checked. There was the blackmailing or threats to the family about releasing the video or videos of Cassie.

So it goes to the coercion element of the sex trafficking, but I would say the following still, where is the conspiracy? Where is the criminal enterprise? The prosecution needs to get over this hurdle because to your point moments ago, this is not a domestic violence case in state court for beating someone up and doing reprehensible things. The prosecution still needs to get there. They're starting to bring it out and bringing out those underlying elements to establish the RICO, like the kidnapping, like the arson, but they're not there yet. It's slowly coming out. If prosecutors are going to win this case, what would you say they need to do in the coming days to make sure the jury agrees with their view of what happened here? Yeah, I think they need to establish that this really is a criminal enterprise. There is a structure with that same shared criminal goal of trafficking women and people in kidnapping and arson and drugs. They need to get there and they haven't done it yet. We need people on the inside explaining what's going on. I use a term cahoots, and it's not necessarily a legal term, but they were part of this.

So I think they're getting past the initial lower crime of the sex trafficking, which is 15 years or more. That's significant for a man his age or anyone, but they still need to get out the rest in those underlying predicate acts and establishing that enterprise and the criminality shared common mindset for Sean Combs to ultimately found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt with a RICO conspiracy top count charged. All right, a lot to watch in the coming days. Jeremy Saland, thank you.

My pleasure. And we are back in a moment with collision course, the cop hanging on to the hood of this scar, then opening fire. What happens next? We have the video. Plus, dangerous weather down south, parts of one Texas city underwater,

the urgent rescues, and the other communities at risk. And Kevin Costner under fire. The new lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, over a rape scene he included in a movie. His response tonight. We're back now with dramatic video of a Miami police officer clinging to the hood

of a man's moving car, then firing through that car's windshield. That driver's sister, who was in the car with him, now speaking out, as police worked to piece together exactly what happened. NBC's Jesse Kirsch is on the scene with the latest and a warning. Some of the video may be disturbing to watch. This video shows the chaotic moments a police officer opens fire on the hood of a car in the heart of downtown Miami.

Then this man bolts from behind the wheel, raises his hands and surrenders to police. His back apparently bloodied. According to Miami police, the officer was directing traffic Sunday when he was struck by a vehicle. Investigators say the officer then discharged his firearm striking the driver. It's been really, really fast. Cheryl Ann Clark telling our Miami NBC station that her brother was behind the wheel of that car Sunday night. We were all stopped. We were in the middle end. He told everyone else to go with his hand, hand signaling that we can go. And then he stood in front of my brother's car and shot him.

The only one that was firing on the gun was the officer. My brother does not have a weapon on him. Police say both the driver and the officer were taken to the hospital. This is the intersection where police say this incident unfolded. You can see a good amount of traffic in the area during the evening commute, and right over here is a waterfront park, which was hosting a concert on Sunday. I heard three shots, pow, pow, pow. And then we was walking to leave, and the cops said, you can't go this way. And I said, why? He said it was a crime scene.

And tonight, with the video appearing to start after the incident began, the full picture remains unclear. We don't know exactly what happened. We do know that there was physical content. between the officer and the vehicle. And Jesse Kirsch joins us now from the scene of this incident in Miami. Jesse, do we know anything else about the status of the man who was driving that car or the status of the officer that shot him?

Yeah, Alison, we have new information on both of them. Police are telling us that the officer involved has been, quote, administratively reassigned and add that he is now out of the hospital. Meanwhile, police say that the driver allegedly involved in this. incident remains in the hospital at last word and police tell us they expect he will face several charges and out here in downtown miami you can see ellison the intersection where this all unfolded now looks like any other intersection not any obvious sign of crime team tape or anything like that but clearly it was a very different situation over the weekend ellison nbc's jesse kersh in miami

thank you when top story returns the flying car caught on video crashing into the roof of this building in Missouri, how everyone managed to survive. Plus a mountain of controversy. Some climbers making it up Mount Everest at breakneck speed by breathing in a special gas. Why are the locals against it? Back now with Top Stories News Feed and wild video showing a car crashing through the roof of a Missouri Veterans Hall. Footage shows the car launching from the road into the roof, sending debris flying. The driver was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say speeding likely contributed to the crash, which is still under investigation. This is the second time in three months a car has crashed into this building. In February, a car being chased by police landed on the roof, seriously injuring three people. Florida's governor signing a bill today imposing tougher penalties for abandoning pets during natural disasters. The legislation inspired by the rescue of an abandoned dog during Hurricane Milton. A state trooper rescued the dog, now named Trooper, after he was left chained to offense. His owner charged with animal cruelty. The law goes into effect October 1st with penalties of up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

A ring camera capturing a box truck explosion in Illinois, damaging homes and injuring the driver. The footage shows the truck blowing up as it drove down a street, debris flying, flying. The driver suffering minor injuries, local bomb squad, and the ATF said there was no indication of the explosion being suspicious. They say a propane leak likely caused to the incident. And Haley Bieber making a $1 billion deal with Elf Beauty to acquire her skin care brand. Elf acquiring Bieber's brand road to expand further into skin care and reach higher income consumers. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of next year. The partnership is set to close later this year with Bieber saying she is excited.

decided to bring her brand to, quote, more faces, places, and spaces. And an unexpected player at last night's Detroit Tigers game, look at this, a squirrel scampering around the outfield during the first inning of a Tigers San Francisco Giants game. It then jumps onto the fence, startling Tiger's pitcher Tyler Holton. That squirrel continued climbing the fence, finally, making its way off of the field. Next to the severe storm slamming Texas. In San Antonio, more than two inches of heavy rainfall

causing widespread flash flooding and stranding motorists on roadways. Crews rushing to rescue at least one driver from high waters. And look at this. In Fort Worth, a 10,000 square foot mansion catching fire. Officials blaming a lightning strike for the flames. Everyone inside of the home evacuating safely, but one firefighter suffering minor injuries

battling the blaze. The Lone Star State now bracing for more dangerous conditions as rainfall hits the east coast. NBC meteorologist Bill Karens joins us now with more. Bill, we're certainly in the spring showers portion of the season. What's the latest you're watching? Yeah, this is still the peak of the severe weather season, Ellison. And we showed this morning in San Antonio.

We have other numerous areas of grave concern this evening. So we do have a tornado watch on the border of Kansas and also Colorado. Numerous severe thunderstorm watches. I have my eyes on Austin just north of there on Interstate I-35. A huge thunderstorms are about to roll through town. Not a tornado we're worried about. This could have baseball size hail, three inch hail. That's, you know, wind shield shattering type hail.

And that's in between Round Rock and Austin. The north side of Austin is most at risk in the next 15 to 20 minutes. We've also had extremely heavy rain earlier today. So we'll have to see if we get any flash flooding in this region. We have had flash flooding in the last half hour or so in the New Orleans area. We are still under a flash flood warning for this. And as we head towards tomorrow, the same areas in 10, Texas are going to have a severe weather threat.

We're, again, isolated through much of the southeast, but it's this area really in west central, Texas, that we could have more huge hailstorms, isolated tornadoes, but the threat's pretty low. Then on Friday, all of this mess heads to the East Coast. If you have travel plans on the I-95 corridor going southwards from Richmond, all the way back down into Georgia, and then as we head through Charlotte, Columbia, Macon,

this is where we could have isolated strong storms, a lot of heavy rain, and we will have some travel impacts that will be at the airports, too, as these thunderstorms roll on through. no tornado outbreaks this week, but we are going to be dodging a lot of strong storms like we are this evening. All right, Bill Cairns, thank you. Tonight, the Trump administration is expanding their embrace of the cryptocurrency industry. Vice President J.D. Vans telling a Bitcoin conference today that Trump will work to keep regulations out of the crypto space. Days after Trump's social media company announced a massive investment in the digital currency. NBC's Garrett Hake is at the

conference in Vegas for us tonight. Tonight, Vice President Vance at a Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas, touting the administration's all-in attitude on cryptocurrency. And I'm here today to say, loud and clear, with President Trump, crypto finally has a champion and an ally in the White House. The vice president pushing a hands-off approach to the growing field of digital decentralized finance. We reject the Biden administration's legacy of death by a thousand enforcement actions. We reject regulators. Overall, just 17% of Americans say they have ever invested in, traded, or used a cryptocurrency. But the presence of the VP in Vegas seen here as a sign of the movement's ascendancy.

For me, Bitcoin's always been about freedom. So the current administration obviously cares a lot about that. It all comes the day after Trump media, the truth social parent company of which the president is indirectly the largest shareholder through a revocable trust, announced it was acquiring $2.5 billion in Bitcoin. And after the president attended a dinner for the largest investors in a Trump meme coin, a separate digital novelty product whose trades generate revenue for Trump businesses. That dinner blasted by Democrats. Donald Trump is using the presidency of the United States to make himself richer through crypto.

And he's doing it right out there in plain sight. The president recently pressed by NBC's, Kristen Welker. What do you say to those who argue that when they hear that, they worry you're profiting from the presidency? I'm not profiting from anything. All I'm doing is, you know, I started this long before the election. I want crypto.

I think crypto is important because if we don't do it, China is going to. And it's new. It's very popular. The White House says Trump attended that dinner in his personal capacity and that his assets are held in a trust managed by his sons. Those sons spoke at this Bitcoin conference today and argued that that asset has become so popular, so included in sovereign wealth funds, and by foreign governments, that they should invest in it also. Ellison? Garrett Haik, thank you.

Tonight, SpaceX says its engineers are looking for answers after an uncrewed test flight of its massive starship yet again came apart in flight. There were no injuries, and Elon Musk is promising to try again soon. Here's Tom Costello. Breaking through gravity and hoping to break new records, SpaceX's mega-star ship, the biggest rocket ever built, roared off the pad in South Texas. All 33 of its Raptor engines firing in unison as the booster reused from a previous test flight, powered the ship into space, then separated and fell back to Earth. But instead of splashing down in the Gulf, the booster exploded as it descended. Confirmation that the booster did demise. While the upper stage, which one day would carry astronauts or cargo, continued on into space.

But within a few minutes, a door to release satellite mock-ups failed to open. Then mission control lost contact with the ship. We did spring a leak in some of the fuel tank systems inside of Starship. Soon, Starship was tumbling out of control. We have essentially lost attitude control on the ship at this point. It's the third starship lost this year. In January and March, debris rained over the Caribbean, forcing the FAA to clear planes out of the hazard area.

This time, CEO Elon Musk, in Mission Control, posting, Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight. And Tom Costello joins us now from Washington. Tom, do we know when SpaceX plans to test the Starship another time? Yeah, Musk is saying that they're going to go soon within another few weeks. In fact, they now have plans to do a test every three to four weeks. The ultimate goal is reaching the moon and Mars. He wants to go to Mars with an uncrewed mission by the end of next year.

I think that's unlikely, but Elon Musk always dreams big. Tom Costello, thank you. And we have new details tonight on a lawsuit filed against actor and director Kevin Costner. He's being sued in L.A. Superior. court by a stunt performer, Devin LaBella, over the filming of a, quote, unscripted and violent rape scene on the set of the movie Horizon 2 that she says left her traumatized. NBC's Morgan Chesky has been following this story and joins us now from Los Angeles. So, Morgan, walk us through what we know at this point, and what is this stunt double alleging

happened on Kozner's set? Yeah, Alison, this stunt double, Devin LaBella says, well, she was working on Horizon 2, film that likely will not ever be released. The main actress that was set to perform an intimate scene had been off. And so it was her role to kind of step in and fulfill that role. But she's suing Costner, Ellison, because she says he violated protocol, a series of protocols that are put in place by SAG AFRA, the actors' union, to protect actors in those scenes. According to Devin Lebella, she says that when she arrived on set that day, she was finding out for the first time that this scene was going to be performed and a 48-hour window was not allowed to her for her to negotiate how it was going to be conducted. There was also not an intimacy coordinator on set, and it was also not a closed set. Those are all requirements that are typically put in place whenever similar scenes like these are filmed.

She says none of these were in place, and that's one of the reason she says she suffered lifelong trauma as a result of this incident, something that she says will take years to recover from. So, Morgan, have we heard anything yet in response from Kevin Costner? We are hearing from both camps tonight. I'd like to share with you the statement that LaBella released following the filing of this lawsuit. It reads in part, on that day, I was left exposed, unprotected, and deeply portrayed by, system that promised safety and professionalism, what happened to me shattered my trust and forever changed how I moved through this industry. Costner's camp has since responded,

saying for their part, his attorney's saying that our client, Kevin Costner, always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and take safety on set very seriously. However, this claim by Devin Labella has absolutely no merit, and it is completely contradicted by her own actions and the facts. When asked to sum up this incident in a word, Costner's attorney called it a shakedown, Ellison. Morgan Chesky, thank you. We are back in a moment with fireworks in the courtroom. Karen Reed's defense going after the prosecution's final witness

will bring you the fiery back and forth. Plus, breathing it in, the new gas climbers are using to make it up Mount Everest faster than ever before. Why some say it's cheating. Now to the latest in the Karen Reuters, Reed murder retrial, the prosecution's final witness, a crash reconstruction expert Judson Welcher, on the stand today, getting into heated exchanges with Reed's defense attorney, Robert Alessie, during cross-examination. Alessi questioning the state's expert on his analysis of the crash

and collision. So it's your position that on every autopsy, there should be an x-ray of every bone in the body, and that the clinical judgment of the medical examiner should not. be accepted and there should be a x-ray of every bone before a conclusion can be drawn that there's no fracture to a bone in the body of the disease. Is that your testimony? Absolutely not. Ask me about the opinion of a medical examiner. I'm not a medical. Only one person at a time. Reid is accused of hitting her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, with her SUV back in 2022. Her first trial ended with a hung jury. Let's bring in Michael Coyne. He's He's NBC-10 Boston's chief legal analyst.

Michael, thank you for taking the time to speak with us tonight. Talk to us a little more about what we saw in court today, that exchange between the prosecution's witness, the crash reconstruction expert, and Reed's defense. Yeah, the expert tied the Commonwealth's case together very tightly. And so the defense attorney, Lessey, really had to try and discredit him to a significant extent because what he's done now is tie all the pieces of science that the Commonwealth introduced earlier, the cell phone battery dying, the lack of movements of the phone once John O'Keefe exited the vehicle.

And he, in his direct testimony, was very, very solid with respect to her vehicle hitting John O'Keefe and the injuries then being consistent with a strike from her Lexus. So it's very important that the defendant really try to undercut his credibility, but he stayed incredibly strong throughout. There still's more cross-examination left, so it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. But what he's done now is really pull the science with her statements together, and if she's convicted, it will be on that basis that the science and her statements ultimately led to her downfall. Michael, if we take a step back, a lot of people will, of course, remember that the first trial of Karen Reid ended in a mistrial. When you look at how things have gone so far and compare it to the first trial, has the prosecution done a better job making their case this time around? A significantly better case. Last time from relatively early on, at the same stage, most of us felt that there would never be a guilty verdict.

and the jury could well have been hung because of the meandering nature of the Commonwealth's case last time. This is a much more focused, direct case with respect to her drinking, the driving, and those deadly consequences, and tied together with an incredible amount of science that really supports the Commonwealth's version of how John O'Keefe died. Her statements that she's made out of court have been used incredibly well to help Butrus, the Commonwealth's case with respect to what they believe happened that night. Michael, what should we expect from the defense when they get to cross-examine? I mean, are we still expecting them to actually put on a case of their own? Do we think they will call witnesses, like Michael Proctor, for instance,

who was fired for his handling of this case? Yeah, if we believe their statements and at least the statements that we hear from them out of court, they intend a very robust defense in this case. They will, in fact, call a number of witnesses. They have a dog bite expert. They have their own crash reconstruction experts from ARCA that will be testifying. They testified in the first trial. And there are also a number of other witnesses they intend to call.

And the big question, as you point out correctly, is will they call former trooper Proctor or not? And, you know, that's a difficult choice that they have at this point. He certainly is toxic. The statements he made, the lack of professional. with respect to how he conducted the investigation and the like. It's real fodder for a reasonable doubt for them. So I think they're very highly tempted to call him.

The question is, will he come across as badly as they've made him out already on the various cross-examinations of law enforcement that have taken place during the government's case? And what about Karen Reid, Michael? Is there any chance that the defense might call her to take the stand? And most defense teams will say we would rather not, but she's kind of unique. We saw her in that Netflix documentary. She has been speaking outside of court almost every day and talking about the prosecution's case, right?

Yeah, way too many statements outside of court. And that's why I think she can't possibly testify here. The cross-examination would be brutal. She's made a number of statements that are inconsistent. The government already offered a number of the outpakes from her interviews. is in part of their case in chief. I think it would be very, very dangerous for her to testify. But there always is a chance that she could feel in consultation with her attorneys

that she needs to testify to be able to tell her story to the jury, to be able to make them have some empathy for her in the situation she's in. I think it's very, very much a long shot, and I do not expect her to testify. they'll make their case with other witnesses, that there is, in fact, reasonable doubt because of the incredible sloppiness of the police investigation and its preservation and collection of evidence. Fascinating insights there. NBC10 Boston's Michael Coyne. Thank you. We really appreciate it. Thank you. The top story is Global Watch Now, when we begin in Britain tonight,

where prosecutors say influencer brothers, Andrew and Tristan Tate, are charged with multiple crimes, including rape and human trafficking. Prosecutors say that Andrew Tate is facing 10 charges related to three women. His brother Tristan facing 11 charges related to one woman. The brothers are dual U.S. and British citizens. They moved to Romania back in 2016, where they are also facing charges that include human trafficking and money laundering. They deny all of the allegations against them.

They will be extradited to the UK once their case in Romania has concluded. And a flood of ice, mud, and rocks came tumbling down when a chunk of a glacier broke off in the Swiss-Swiss Alps today. Local media reporting this left homes destroyed and the Swiss president telling people to stay away from the area. They closed the main road to the village where this happened. Officials say one person is missing. This village is home to about 300 people that was evacuated earlier this month as a precaution. And check this one out. A two-ton elephant seal strolling around.

a coastal South African town. Police and local security trying to get the seal back home yesterday. Marine wildlife specialist and a city veterinarian later sedating the seal to return it to the sea where it's seen waddling back to the water. Meanwhile, in Nepal, four climbers there reaching the peak of Mount Everest in less than a week with the help of a controversial new treatment. It involves a substance known as xenon gas. Proponents say it helps climbers acclimate to high altitudes

before they even step foot in Nepal. But some critics say it's unethical. NBC's Camilla Bernal explains this mountain of controversy. Mount Everest in less than a week. One of the fastest ascents in a place where every breath is borrowed. The remarkable feat accomplished by four British climbers just this month, now sparking a fierce debate. At the center of it all, their secret weapon, xenon gas.

This is maybe one step to improve this situation and to make climbing high altitude mountains safer. Lucas Furttnbach, who organized the rapid climb, says the gas helps people get used to the higher altitudes quickly. He says it was administered to the four climbers in Germany as part of an intense training regiment. Weeks before they left for Nepal, effectively replacing the weeks climbers would typically spend getting used to the high altitudes by staying at Everest base camp. Critics say that the time spent preparing outside of Nepal could harm local tourism, according to Jonathan Wolff, of the New York Times. The government of Nepal has said that if people spend less time in the mountain, it's going to affect not only their tourism industry, but also the livelihoods of the Sherpas, who rely on guiding people up the mountains. Furtun Boggs says his expedition still uses Sherpas, locals who guide climbers to the summit, often carrying their heaviest equipment. But the president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, saying in part climbing in just four or five days, goes against traditional values and norms that we Sherpas have always held.

Increasingly, Sherpas have warned of the overcrowding of the world's highest peak. Since it was conquered back in 1953, more than 7,000 people have made the dangerous journey to the summit by some estimates, more than 800 in 2024 alone. sometimes leaving more than their footprint along the way. Everest now littered with frozen garbage, up to 50 tons at the highest camp, according to some Sherpas. Furtunbach says xenon gas could help cut down on that waste. If people spend one week there compared to eight weeks, it is a 75% reduction of human waste. Whether the gas really helps climbers get used to lower oxygen at higher altitudes is also still up for debate. Some research has shown that Xenon can actually quickly

climatize people to low to high altitudes but a lot of experts say or other experts say that the benefits kind of are negligible if there even are any benefits. But the question for those choosing this journey is whether the summit's glory is diminished when shortcuts are taken. Do some see it as cheating? I think that some people say it's missing the point and I think that yeah probably some people would say use of this gas is cheating, yeah. And Camila Bernal joins us now from L.A. I mean, Camila, Xenon is a term that's probably new for a lot of us.

It seems like it's well known among climbers. Should we expect to see more trips to Mount Everest Summit using this gas in the future? Yeah, this guide says that next year he's going to offer these two-week trips. So imagine door-to-door, you leave your house, you climb Mount Everest, and get back within two weeks. It's incredible, but keep in mind there is not a lot of research to back the fact that this gas actually works. And there are some experts that say that if you get this gas administered incorrectly, it could be dangerous. It could even be deadly.

So you have to have the money. You have to be willing to take the risk. But the fact that these four climbers made it up in just a week is incredible. And it shows just what can be done and what the future of all of this looks like, Ellison. NBC's Camila Bernal. Thank you. Up next, the All-American House Party is coming back. The world-famous band making a nostalgic return in some unlikely venues.

And finally, tonight, at a time when the price of concert tickets is skyrocketing, one band playing up the nostalgia and bringing the show right into your backyard. On the big screen, it was an All-American right. of passage. The glory days of house parties in the 90s and early odds. If the All-American rejects have anything to say about it, the house party is back. We're playing in the middle of nowhere. We're coming to Columbia, Missouri. We are playing at a bowling alley. The band popping up at that bowling out, a barn in Iowa and near college campus. like USC and the zoo.

The cops shut down one of it. Sorry, y'all. We just got kicked off campus. But let the band play one final song. We get one myself! I wake up every day with a bit of my face. We wanted to get back to the spirit of what started this band.

When people come to this show, What do you hope they take away from the experience? I hope it makes them excited to go to a show again and see it's possible to see something without having to pay exorbitant amounts of money. This thing got bigger than our band. This thing became something, I guess,

in the last week, that spoke to people and hit a nerve. We're going to keep these house party tours rolling through the summer and see who all shows up. Maybe it's a case of old habits die heart, or maybe it's the deep breath so many of us desperate need. A subtle reminder of what it feels like to be young and unafraid and screamsick with unbridled joy. And with that, we will say good night.

Thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Ellison Barber in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way. Thank you.