Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Episode Date: May 9, 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, violent storms charging across the U.S. putting millions at risk. Massive twisters carving a path of destruction. In Michigan, a tornado ripping apart a FedEx facility, an overturned house pinning down a couple. Rescue crews urgently working to free them. A doorbell cam capturing a twister snapping trees from their roots. Right now, life-threatening storms stretching from Dallas to Charlotte. Also tonight, demonstrations versus diplomas. What would be weeks of celebrating the 2024 class marred by protest over the Israel Hamas War?

Officers storming George Washington University arresting dozens, images of zip ties and pepper spray, instead of caps and gowns. And the new poll showing the vast majority of college students never even participated in protests. So tonight, we asked the question, why did so many college leaders give in? and give up. Marjorie Taylor Green booed on the House floor as she moves to our Speaker Johnson, but her efforts quickly hitting a wall as the House votes overwhelmingly to save the Speaker. We'll just put an end to her threats. An NBC News exclusive of Virginia man arrested in Turks and Caicos speaking out for the first time. His emotional message after being arrested and thrown in jail because two

bullets were found in his luggage. His concerns as he and several other Americans face up to 12 years in prison there. Rough landing of Boeing plane landing nose first, the landing gear failing to open, the dramatic moments as the pilot climbs out of the window of the cockpit. Plus Gen Z's credit crisis, younger Americans racking up more debt than the generations before them, why social media may play a part. And working with Mickey Mouse, remote workers setting up shop in Disney World, working at the parks and riding the rides when they have downtime, but our employers feeling the magic. Top story starts right now.

Good evening. As we come on the air, dangerous storms are on the move with millions of Americans right in the path. New video just in of a fast-moving violent twister in Clarksville, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville. This relentless severe weather outbreak refusing to let up, A doorbell camp capturing the moment. A massive tornado barreled through central Michigan, ripping trees out of the ground. A different angle of that same twister, the terrifying images looking more like a hurricane. This storm leaving widespread destruction in its wake, aerial footage showing the damage in Kalamazoo County. One area hit particularly hard.

And right now, 52 million Americans from Texas to the Carolinas are in the threat zone. We're just eight days in May, and we've already seen more than 100 tornadoes. since the month began. NBC's Maggie Vespa starts us off tonight. A vicious cycle of violet spring weather strikes again. Large tornado right here. Tonight in storm battered Tennessee, one person is dead after authorities say a tree fell on a car north of Knoxville. And this warehouse evacuated after its roof caved in. In southern Michigan, fierce winds overnight ripping a massive chunk out of this FedEx facility,

revealing multiple stories of fallen metal and wires. FedEx writing, we are grateful there were no serious injuries. In all Tuesday, close to 30 reported tornadoes tour across eight states, making for more than 60 twisters this week. In Portage, Michigan, neighborhoods are shredded. Close to a dozen people hospitalized. This house flipped completely upside down with a couple in their 60s inside. Your cousin was effectively buried a lot.

Under this house, yeah. And it was over an hour before they could get her out with just her arm sticking out. Sisters Kathy and Anne say firefighters dug their cousin out unharmed. Her husband, who was thrown into the yard, suffered a broken neck. The family back today to save photos. Is it hitting you right now? Yeah. Oh, yeah.

It's been hitting us all morning. All morning? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was scary. It was scary what they went through. I'm, you know, I cry for them because it's trauma, what they went through. With all the right support, they're going to be okay.

The same sort of devastation that's played out all week. Among the flashpoints, a deadly EF4 decimating parts of Oklahoma Monday. Meanwhile, Texas now at risk for more damaging winds and hail days after torrential floods ravaged the state. Amid our climate crisis, the behavior of these severe systems is shifting. With supercell storms that spawn twisters becoming stronger and so-called tornado alley trending east, toward more populated areas in Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Ohio River Valley. Back in southern Michigan, it feels like I'm at a funeral. Dawn Nico's home is among the latest destroyed.

I cried all day yesterday. It's like the end times, all the destruction. All right, Maggie Vespa joins us tonight live from Portage, Michigan. Maggie, we see you're outside that FedEx facility there. Pretty incredible with the damage you've seen, and yet there were no serious interest. injuries. Yeah, exactly. No serious injuries and no reported death, which has a lot of people here really shocked, especially when you see scenes like that. Actually, Michigan's governor today addressing that, saying in that respect, people here feel very lucky, but also adding, quote, the devastation

is real, which again is so apparent when you see damage like that. Yeah, Maggie, we thank you for that. We want to get to some breaking news right now. I want to get right over to Bill Cairns. Bill, you just told me you're tracking some tornadoes that are touching down right now in Tennessee. We're under a tornado emergency just south of Nashville, and that means a tornado is on the ground. It is large and about as dangerous as it gets. So let me give you the overview first, and we'll go in closer and look at that one.

So we've had nine tornadoes already on our way towards another tornado outbreak. 173 wind hail and tornado reports already. And we're just getting into the heart of it this evening. And one of the most impressive reports of so was out of Missouri, four and a half inch hail. That equates to grapefruits. They said cars were destroyed, holes in your roof type hail in areas of Missouri. So when we get those pictures in, we'll show you them, and that'll be

incredible. As far as the watches go, 11 different states' portions of them have tornado watches, from Texas to Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky, and even a little sliver here of northern Georgia and Alabama. So this is the storm that we have the tornado emergency for. It looks like it's struck, hit in or near Columbia, Tennessee. Then across Interstate 65. You can see the icon here. That means a confirmed tornado, and this is where it's located. Notice Nashville safely to the north. So the people in Eagleville to Unionville, you need to be in your storm shelters, you need to be underground, you need to have a lot of walls in between you. There's a story out of Oklahoma, that EF4, that a family survived with mattresses on top of them in their bathtub.

When you have a strong tornado like this, that's what it takes sometimes to survive because your house structure is just going to implode. So as far as these threat goes, they're calling it catastrophic with this one. And a bare wallow, a little small rural community here, that's about to go right through the middle of that tornado. So our prayers for them. Further to the north, we do have another tornado warning. Little hook right in here near Cassidy the Old Springs. This is, notice Hendersonville, so Nashville. The reason this looks funny like this, that's this radar dome, actually, that gives us all this information. So it's really close to the radar. And so we'll continue to track that one. Other threats, life-threatening flash flooding

is ongoing now. Anywhere you see the maroon, including Nashville, life-threatening flash flood warning. It is pouring, it's been pouring days on end. And now when you get these thunderstorms training over the same spots. A very dangerous evening, especially after the sun goes down. If anyone gets caught driving through flooded roadways, and we could easily expect two to three inches. And Tom, this isn't over yet. Tomorrow night, we're going to do this all over again. 61 million people at risk tomorrow from Texas all the way to Georgia and up the east coast to Washington, D.C. Hopefully not as many tornadoes. But we'll keep you post. If I get any new information about that tornado emergency, I'll bring you to you to you. Yeah, we're going to want you to stand

by for us. And as you mentioned, it's going to be a violent night. Okay, Bill Cairns for us. next tonight to those disruptions on college campuses across the country as graduation season gets off to a rocky start with commencements on some campuses and arrests on others. NBC's Liz Croix has that tonight. Across college campuses nationwide, another tense day as more universities crack down on pro-Palestinian protests ahead of graduations. At George Washington University, police using pepper spray overnight to disperse a crowd of demonstrators there. At UMS, Amherst, roughly 130 people arrested after refusing to leave

their encampment, while student protesters continue to barricade themselves into a building at the Rhode Island School of Design. These new clashes coming as a House committee led by Republicans grilled K-12 administrators on Capitol Hill today, accusing some elementary and high schools of letting anti-Semitism run rampant in their classrooms. What are you doing to keep students safe? And how can we stop this? New York City Schools Gould's Chancellor, David Banks, pushing back on the line of questioning. If we really care about solving for anti-Semitism, and I believe this deeply, it's not about having gotcha moments, it's about teaching.

You have to raise the consciousness of young people. They're pushing forward now. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway at UCLA into the violence that broke out after counter-protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment last week. According to law enforcement sources who spoke to the Los Angeles Times, police are using photo recognition technology, similar to what was used after the January 6 attacks on the Capitol to identify the counter protesters. At nearby University of Southern California, a police chopper circled overhead as graduation celebrations got underway. The school canceled its main commencement ceremony due to safety concerns.

I think for administrators, myself included this a lot of tension of how do you make sure that we pulled this off, with a minimal disruption. Pedro Nugera is the dean of USC's Rossier School of Education, but 40 years ago, he was a student at UC Berkeley, leading the campus protests against South African apartheid, with demands for divestment like pro-Palestinian students are making now. What's your message to the student protesters now? My message is educate, educate others, engage in dialogue.

I know it's hard, but don't just talk to the people you agree with already. All right, Liz joins us tonight from Los Angeles. So Liz, talk to us about what security is like on campus right now. Yeah, well, Tom, it's pretty robust here, especially for a graduation season. You don't typically see this police choppers flying overhead here on campus checkpoints just to get into the campus. Students are lining up to get inside. They have to scan their ID badges. They have to have their bags checked at times.

To go to the graduation ceremonies, there's restrictions on bags. You have to have see-through bags. So we're definitely saying ramped up security with the university trying to limit who can get inside and what they can bring inside. And at the same time, we should say, Tom, that in just an hour from now, a large pro-Israel counter-protests is scheduled for here outside the perimeter of USC. The organizers saying potentially 5,000 people could be coming to this rally, Tom. So, Liz, that's, I think, the operative phrase there, right, outside of the campus. It's not going to enter the campus? Well, I mean, that would be the idea right now, given the fact that there is so much robust security and these certain checkpoints, nobody can get in or out.

And so if you want the public to come and join, it would be on the outskirts. We, the media, we're on the outside right now. We have not been able to get into the USC campus for over a week now, Tom. All right, Liz, Chris, with some new reporting there tonight. Liz, we appreciate that. Next tonight, it's time for Top Stories Spotlight. We wanted to talk more about the chaos happening. at colleges and universities across the country, related to protests on campus and the impact

it's having on students, faculty, and leadership, or lack of leadership. Let's bring in the former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. He's author of the book City of Intellect, the Uses and Abuses of the University. Nicholas Dirks, we thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. Great to be here with you. Nicholas, I want to start with a survey that's out. Axios had this up on their side. I want to show it to you and to our viewers as well.

They were asking about the issues related on campus. Among those issues, most important, only 13% of those respondents said the conflict in the Middle East was the most important issue. And when asked if they had participated in protests, only 8%, 8% 8 said they had participated in either pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian protest. So, Nicholas, my question to you is, why did the leadership of these esteemed universities, the Ivy Leagues, these great universities out there? West, why did they cave in to not only the minority, the smallest of the minorities, 8% of the student leadership, and now they're canceling graduation ceremonies? Well, you know, minorities are always a factor when they are loud. And these protesters have been extremely visible for a long time and very audible. And they have certainly made their concerns known to the entire university community. So it is It may be a small number of students, or it may be even a small number of faculty relative to the whole. But it's been a major fact across every college campus across the nation, really, since October.

But in your former school, you guys were able to have protests and you're able to have a graduation. Why couldn't these other universities figure it out? Well, you know, Berkeley has so many protests. I mean, I had protests outside my house for truly every week. it was kind of open season. It actually is well practiced in protest. And we often had commencements that had to have that kind of security we just heard about at USC. But this has not been the case as much in private universities. And even though Columbia has a storied history of, you know, student protest and an occupation of Hamilton Hall, 1968, it still has been relatively quiet

over the last few years when Berkeley has often been pretty noisy. I've been surprised because in moments like this, leaders need to lead. And we've seen several of these top educators, again, at the most esteemed universities all across the country. They couldn't answer the questions on anti-Semitism in Congress, many of them, and they couldn't handle these situations on their campuses. Do you think it's because they're not trained for this, or do you think this is something that, I don't know, they didn't discuss it up with their other faculty? Well, first, answering questions on Capitol Hill when you're being interrogated. in the ways in which the university presidents have been over the course of at least those two hearings

that we all heard about recently. Not easy. You're basically being asked questions to catch you and to get you and to make you say something that can then be a soundbite that will be used against you. Fair, but on the issue of genocide, I mean, that was a pretty, there were some questions that shouldn't have been stumbles, you know?

I agree. But you know, when President Chafeeke from Columbia went just a couple of weeks ago, she answered that very clearly, and she still got hammered. got hammered by, you know, by the Congress people there who ultimately called for her resignation too. Yeah. But, I mean, and then handling this on campus. Is it a lack of preparation training? I mean, I brought up your school because you said you had experience with this. You knew how to do it. But again, leaders, they need to lead in moments like this. So it's easier said than done. Right. And when you're leading a campus.

I mean, yeah. No, no. I wrote my book about that. But the fact is that when you have a campaign. campus where free speech is not only allowed, but actually encouraged, and you're telling students that they're supposed to speak out about issues and care deeply about the kinds of things that are going on in the world and the like. When they speak, you can't simply say, okay, we've heard you, now go back to your classroom or go back to your dormitory. It turns out it's actually very difficult to draw certain kinds of lines when you have the kind of story commitments to free speech that started at Berkeley in 1964.

I get it's difficult, but I have to think that it's much more difficult. When you think about the philosophy of why we educate our students, it's to make them better citizens. And I would think that is much more difficult than trying to balance protests and graduations. That's why I'm so confused. I would think the role of a chancellor of a president is way more complicated. There's so much more responsibility as far as making the country better than dealing with a protest and a graduation. I'm just trying to understand why they couldn't figure this out, you know? Look, I hear you, I hear you, and I know that from the outside, you would think, you know,

why can't the universities just sort this out and, you know, get on with it? Because, of course, graduation ceremonies are incredibly important, and they're important for almost all the students. Well, and also there were hiccups, right? It wasn't just like it was one night. It was like the protest started, and the protest started into encampments, and then they didn't let the police into the encampments, and then they did let the police on the encampments, and then things got too dangerous, and then now there's no graduation.

And these poor students and these parents who have paid so much money, or they've taken student loans out. They didn't get their graduation during COVID, and now they don't even get a graduation on campus after spending all that money and working so hard and having such a great experience in college. Don't you feel like some of them were just robbed of this experience?

Again, according to that poll, for 8% of the student body, that to me was just shocking. Well, first of all, I do sympathize with parents who are in this kind of situation. I sympathize with the students who are graduating. I had a son who graduated from Columbia, actually, in 2021, and we had to wait a year to go to his graduation.

So, you know, I've been there, and I really understand the pain of this for so many others. That being said, I think there will be lots of graduation ceremonies taking place. There will be security protocols of the kind that we just heard about from USC, where they've canceled the big graduation, but they'll still have a graduation event. And many students, particularly in large universities, go to their own college graduation or their own professional school or whatever it might be. And I think those will go on. and they'll go on unimpeded. Historically, college campuses have been great incubators, right?

For progressive thinking, for movements, for social change that have affected the country. I mean, going back to the 60s, even before them, right? College campuses, and I don't say radical change in a bad way. I mean, radical change in a good way, started on college campuses. And yet here we are in 2024, and in some of these universities, you have Jewish students who say they don't feel safe. And I'm trying to understand how can college universities that sort of preach and teach and push forward progressive ideas at the same time have an

environment where Jewish students don't feel safe well you know this has been the big concern over the course of the whole year well before the encampments began to actually lead some college presidents to call in the police yeah and it's been a concern because some of the chance that protesters have been using have been interpreted by Jewish students has been direct harassment discriminatory language that is directed at them there's a lot of disagreement among the different parties on campus as to what those particular speech acts actually represent and mean, but there's no doubt that people self-report, often Jewish students will self-report

that they don't feel comfortable. And we have in universities over the last 10 years spent a lot time talking about the comfort of students. And we've talked about it in different kinds of contexts. And really, the question is, what is safe enough? And how comfortable can we actually guarantee a student to be under the kinds of conditions where free speech and political protest are part of the DNA of universities, too. We're supposed to learn on college campuses. I hope we've all learned something during this movement. What do you think we've learned?

Well, I think we've learned that protest wasn't going to disappear in the 1960s, that students are often out there at a very kind of impressionable and form in a moment in their lives, looking for causes that they can care deeply about, and they've found a cause that can at this point that they do care deeply about, and they're ready to go out and protest. Now, lots of other issues may be influencing and impacting the way in which these protests have actually developed, but I think, you know, the good story is, for a long time, we thought college students didn't care about the world. Now we think sometimes they care too much, but, you know, it is ultimately going to be

the responsibility of university leaders to ensure the university is a place where these are kinds of issues that can be debated. They can be talked about civilly. They can be engaged across these kinds of communities that often disagree violently with each other and find a way to really do what our primary mission is, educate. So, Nicholas, I know you have a book that's out for parents, students going to college, thinking about sending their kids to college. Why is your book so important for this moment right now? Well, I thought I had a hard time at Berkeley when I was Chancellor, we had riots on campus. I had a lot of issues that came up from issues around intercollegiate athletics to sexual harassment to, ultimately to questions of controversial speakers

on campus. So if anybody wants to know what the life of the university president is like, I can recommend my book. It's not going to tell you how to deal with your freshman choices around courses and, for that matter, whether or not you're going to confront protests when you get there in the fall. Nicholas Dirks, the books called City of Intellect, The Uses and Abuses of the University. We thank you for coming here and helping us understand what's going on on college campuses. Thank you, Tom. Yeah. Okay, we want to move overseas now to the war in Gaza tonight. President Biden pausing the shipment of some weapons to Israel. The move coming amid growing concerns of further devastation in Gaza as Israeli forces launch a grounded air

invasion in the border city of Rafa. All of this has delegations from Israel and Hamas, once again, resume talks in Egypt for a potential and hopefully a ceasefire situation. Here's NBC's Andrew Mitchell with more. Tonight in a stinging rebuke of a close American ally, President Biden halting a weapons shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel, just as Israeli troops are targeting Hamas in Rafah. They go into Rafah. They haven't gone on Rafi yet. If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah. Peering Israeli forces could drop 2,000-pound bombs on Rafa,

as it did targeting a suspected Hamas terrorist in the Jabalya refugee camp last fall, killing civilians. We have concerns about what that would mean for the civilian population there, when you look at the way Israel has conducted its operations in the past and what the impact on the civilian population has been. But the move angering many Republicans. I think it's a hugely irresponsible decision. There should never be any question about America's commitment, United States commitment to Israel.

An Israeli official telling NBC News there is deep frustration over the U.S. decision. And tonight, also a rift over humanitarian aid. With the Rafa border crossing now occupied by Israeli tanks, aid not getting through. The State Department calling that unacceptable. It comes despite Secretary of State Blinken's repeated urgings about aid to Gaza, as he told me in Israel last week.

And it's imperative that they get the food that they need, the water they need. And tonight, new reporting. CIA director William Burns is back at ceasefire talks in Cairo after meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. U.S. officials telling NBC News, Israel wants Rafa to be excluded from any ceasefire. And Israeli official denies it. Still, the State Department said today, an agreement that could halt the fighting and bring home the hostages is within reach. Tom? Okay, Andrea, we thank you for that. Now to Capitol Hill where Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Green unsuccessfully filed a motion to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson. The effort shattered an overwhelming vote on the House floor.

Just earlier today, her announcement met with booze from her GOP colleagues. You can hear them right there. This all comes as Green for weeks has threatened to trigger the vote over Johnson's decision to pass more funding for Ukraine. For more and all this, Ryan Nobles joins us from Washington, D.C. And Ryan, I don't want to sort of overstate this moment, but this is a moment. I would say, right? Speaker Johnson seeming to have the confidence of both parties? Yeah, Tom, you and I have had a lot of conversations like this over the 118th Congress where I tell you that this never happens, but I need to say it again tonight, this never happens. The idea that a Speaker of the House who is elected by a majority party ends up holding on to that job because he gets the help of the opposition is just something that never happens.

And this was something that Speaker Johnson basically worked very hard to. get to a place where this would be able to happen. And the main reason that he got to this place was because of his willingness to put that aid package on the floor that provided aid to Ukraine, Israel, and to the Indo-Pacific in Taiwan. This was something that Democrats believe was negotiated in good faith. It was a reason that they believe was worth allowing this to stop this from happening to prevent the chaos that we saw play out last fall. So Speaker Johnson's holding onto his job right now. He's holding on to it, yes, because Democrats came to

his rescue, but it's also worth noting, Tom, that an overwhelming number of Republicans also supported this. In fact, only 11 Republicans were in favor of moving forward with the motion to vacate. So this was a resounding victory for Johnson. It's embarrassing for Marjorie Taylor

Green, and many people on Capitol Hill are hoping this brings to an end, this constant cloud of concern, that the Speaker may lose his job. Yeah, and so I want to ask you about Marjorie Taylor Green, because there are elections coming up. This was embarrassing, as you described it,

and it shows maybe she doesn't have the juice she once maybe did. Does this affect her going forward? It probably does limit kind of the bullhorn that she has among many Republicans, at least in the House of Representatives. She's in a safe seat. There's no chance she'll lose her election in the fall, but her influences in the broader MAGA universe, if you will, the people that support President Trump,

the way that she raises money, the way that she travels around the country. This is a big loss. And one thing that President Trump and his supporters don't like our losses, and it was even the former president who came out today in a post as the vote was coming down, who told people to side with Speaker Johnson, not with Marjorie Taylor Green. That can't be good for her brand. And there's no doubt that she took a big risk here, and it just didn't work out. All right.

Ryan Noble's for us tonight. Ryan, we appreciate that. Still ahead tonight and update the murder of University of Georgia student, Lake and Riley. The suspect formerly indicted by a guy. grand jury after the 22-year-old's death earlier this year, the slew of charges he's now facing. Plus, the American tourist detained in Turks and Caicos speaking out after he was arrested for bullets found in his suitcase. While he says this nightmare is the result of a simple mistake as he remains unable to leave the island. And the former interpreter for baseball star

Shohei Otani said to plead guilty on bank fraud charges, the massive amount of money he's accused of stealing from Otani's bank account. Stay with us. We're back down with an NBC News exclusive, an American tourist detained on the island of Turks and Kekos, breaking his silence after his arrest for what he says was accidentally packing two bullets. He was one of four Americans detained on the island, all of whom could face prison time. NBC10 Boston's Consumer Investigative reporter Leslie Gaydos has a story. I can almost not wrap my head around it still, and I'm living in. it's hard to believe that it's happening, and it's definitely a nightmare. 31-year-old Tyler Wenrick has been on Grand Turk Island since his arrest, April 20th,

charged with possession of ammunition. Two 9-millimeter rounds were found in his bag as he tried to re-board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship after a beach excursion. You know, I've used that bag to go to the shooting range with friends and to carry my firearm in the past. You know, I checked it before I left, and it was just a complete oversight on me, TSA, and the port security, you know, three, three groups missed that ammunition. Wenrick, who posted bail pending a court hearing, says Royal Caribbean turned him over to Turks and Kekos authorities. We reached out to Royal Caribbean about the incident, but didn't hear back.

Yeah, I spent about three nights in the jail, and then I moved to the prison for about nine nights. It was extremely difficult. You know, the conditions were difficult, but the people were phenomenal, which helped. But it was still a very, it was a very hard situation to be in something that, you know, it's probably the hard. It's definitely the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. Wenrick, who's a paramedic, says it's difficult being away from his wife and one and a half-year-old son. They're not doing great. You know, my son's having trouble sleeping at night. He knows something's wrong. He's, you know, he's old enough to know that there's something wrong. And my wife is trying to do the best she can. You know, she's got a good support system.

But as you can imagine, we're a very close family and having your husband thousands of miles away with such uncertainty. He's living on the island with his father as the case moves through the courts. The situation has taken an emotional and financial toll. I mean, tens of thousands of dollars that we're facing and just, trying to survive here and legal fees. Brian Hagerich of Pennsylvania and Ryan Watson of Oklahoma both pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition after bullets were found in their bags when they tried to board flights home after vacations on the island earlier this year. Hageridge will be sentenced May 29th.

Watson will be in court next month. A fourth American, Michael Evans, was arrested in December on the same charge. He's in the U.S. on bail and has a June 18th sentencing. hearing. He pleaded guilty to possession of seven rounds. All of the men face a possible 12-year prison sentence under TCI's strict guns and ammunition law. But the judges can consider exceptional circumstances that would allow them to impose a lesser sentence. It's a frightening waiting game. Just trying to lean on my faith and pray and I'm thankful for the support system that we have. And I'm hoping for the best outcome for everybody. And it's a, it's an unimaginable situation that we're in, and we're all just trying to take it day by day to get through it.

All right, Leslie, joins us live tonight from Boston. Leslie, what can you tell us about how desperate Tyler's feeling? Does he have any hope for release? I mean, you hear him there in the interview, and it doesn't sound like he's incredibly positive, even though he's now out of prison. You know, he's scared. I think all of these guys are really scared. Imagine going on vacation and not being able to go home. They will be all watching very closely on May 29th.

That will be the sentencing hearing for Brian Hagerich. That will likely set precedent in these cases, and they may have a better idea of what, you know, his outcome may be, that judge will be able to sentence him to anything from a fine and time served all the way up to that 12-year prison sentence. And Hagerich has been there since February. isn't moving quickly. It's taking a while. It's extremely expensive to live on that island. These guys aren't working, and it's taking a huge financial toll on their families, you know, on top of all the rest of it. And then, Leslie, there's also been a series, I want to make sure I get this right, bomb threats in Turks and Caicos? There has been a series of bomb threats there. Their police commissioner came out and said over the past

couple of weeks. They have had a series of bomb threats on both of the island's airports, some other buildings, and even against officials there. They had no devices that were found. They said it was a hoax, and they're looking for the perpetrators of that. This is not related to the Americans being held, but of course there are some posts on social media, some online forums where people are making claims linking this to these American tourists that prompted Ryan Watson and Brian Hagerich to release a statement about it, saying they had absolutely nothing to do with those bomb threats. They take the safety of the Turks and Caicos Islands and all of the people on them very seriously. So they definitely wanted to distance themselves from that.

You know, Leslie, I got to ask you something. I mean, I'm hearing this thing now, and this has been such a bad sort of PR campaign for Turks and Caicos, which relies so much on tourism, especially American tourism. How are they responding to all of this, including the blowback? You know, I have reached out to the Turks and Kekos Tourism Department. I have reached out to their police department. We have reached out to their government and have not heard back from anyone to any of our questions about anything. You know, you can imagine they do rely heavily on American tourism. It is the majority of the people who visit that island. It has to be on their minds. I did talk to a local reporter in Turks and Kekos today who said, you know,

absolutely people are talking about it. They're a bit divided on what they think should happen here, but they are all going to be watching as well on that May 29th hearing to see how this all plays out and what it's going to mean for them, you know, in regard to the tourism, if these guys get really long prison sentences. NBC10 Boston's Consumer Investigative reporter, Leslie Gaitos, Leslie, we thank you for all of your great reporting and that big exclusive tonight. Okay, when we come back, Gen Z in debt, a new Wall Street Journal report finding young Americans have more credit card debt than generations before them. So what's behind this and how can young people get back on track and does social media have something to do with this? Stay with us.

Okay, we're back now with top stories news. feed, we want to start with an update in the killing of University of Georgia student, Lake and Riley, a Georgia grand jury formally indicting the suspect Jose Iwatra on 10 charges, including three counts of murder. He was also charged with a peeping tom offense from an alleged crime before Riley's murder. Her death made national headlines when Ibarra, an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela, was accused of killing the 22-year-old nursing student while she was on a jog in February. Another update tonight, the former translator for baseball sensation, and Shohei Otani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud charges.

That according to federal prosecutors, the 39-year-old interpreter has been charged for transferring $17 million from the baseball star's account without him knowing to pay for illegal sports bets. He's also said to have falsified tax statements. He faces more than 30 years in prison. And a major move in the world of streaming, competitors, Disney and Warner Brothers actually coming together to launch a bundle that will include Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max. According to the statement, the rollout will begin this summer, but there is no specific launch date. So far, no price, but the companies say there will be an ad-free and ad-supported option. All right, we want to turn out of money talks and a concerning trend that's impacting the finances of younger Americans. A Wall Street Journal article caught our attention.

It was headline, Gen Z sinks deeper into debt, and details young Americans are starting out with more credit card debt than generations before them. And here's why that's important, because younger people with higher debt are more delinquent on credit card payments and need to rely on family for help if they lose their job, say economists and financial advisors. They also often delay life milestones, including home ownership and marriage, say the economists. For more on this and why it's happening, I want to bring in the author of that article. Oyen et ad doion, she's a personal finance reporter for the Wall Street Journal. So Oyan, thank you so much for joining us. For our viewers at home, Gen Z. It's if you're born 1997 or after.

Yeah, exactly. So, I mean, look, young people going into life, starting out with some credit card debt, that's not new. What's new with Gen Z? So what's new and interesting is that TransUnion did a survey and a report where they looked at data from people who were 22 to 24 last year in 2023. And then they compared that data to people who were the same age in 2013. And they were looking for average credit card balances. So you saw when you compared those two generations that Gen Z was carrying a higher balance. They were carrying almost $3,000 on average on their credit card compared to about $2,200 for those 10 years ago.

Do we know what's causing this? It could be a myriad of things. You know, right now we're in a really high inflationary period. And like you mentioned, you know, Gen Z always starts out with the most debt and the lowest wealth, right? You're graduating college, maybe you've got student debt, and maybe you're renting as opposed to. to owning a home. But, you know, that time during the pandemic, when we saw pauses in student loan payments or, you know, when we saw everything shut down, people were really saving money. So earlier today, we actually had a chance to speak with some Gen Zers about their debt.

Some of them have been posting about this on social media. Some of them have paid off that debt. Some are still struggling to pay their bills. Here's what they had to say. Yeah, I can't think of a single person that I know under the age of 30 that doesn't have student debt of some kind, if not additional debt, like car and credit cards? I just feel like the outside influences, like social media, friends and family, and not having the discipline in myself really just got me back to square one. So it really took a lot of growth and development in my 20s to get to where I am now. So I want to talk about that last person there because I just wonder in the post-pandemic world, right,

with social media taking off, the experiences, the put it on the gram, the 10s, TikTok, if younger generations are sort of almost living a YOLO lifestyle, right? And just saying, like, get me into first class, get me at the best hotel, get me the nicest car, because I can put it on social media and it can look like my life is great. Are you seeing that? Does the research show any of that? That's definitely a part of it. So many surveys have come out since the pandemic, looking specifically at Gen Z and seeing, you know, that influence that social media apps like TikTok and Instagram have on people wanting to go beyond their means to be able to,

afford, you know, a trip to Italy or a really nice dinner. Go big. Exactly. Go big or go home and post it on Instagram so all their friends can see. Yeah. You had something else really interesting in your report. I want to put it up for our viewers here. You point out how Generation Z they're getting their credit cards at a faster rate than other generations, right? And here's what you write. You say in 2021 credit companies loosen the qualifications for who could get credit cards and more people open new accounts. Gen Z members open new credit card lines at a fast. faster rate than other generations during the pandemic. So I got to ask you about this.

I mean, credit card companies are to blame here. Is it predatory? Because, I mean, it sounds like this generation is the generation of credit and forget it. Yeah, I mean, researchers found really interesting findings in that transunion data where, you know, this is a generation of people where their parents are putting them as authorized users on their credit cards way before they're even 18. And so by the time these kids graduate, they can open up credit card. accounts. I spoke to a student at Tulane who had a 745 credit score when she was 18. And so she

opened up a credit card and had a $2,000 limit. Yeah. And that could, in some cases, lead to problems. Did you come across any good tips? Anything we can give our viewers, parents or Gen Zers that are watching us that may have some debt? I speak with a lot of financial advisors for stories. And, you know, the tips range from the classic, which is always keep a hold of your budget, right? But then also specifically for Gen Z, something I reported on, or earlier last year was this idea of financial avoidance, right? When you've got all these bills racking up and you've got debt, you kind of have this tendency not to look at it.

And a lot of young people were just avoiding their bills and spending, spending, spending. And financial advisors say that's a huge no. You should always be checking your bills. You should always be checking the apps to see... That's good for anyone. Exactly. So these are rules of thumb that anyone can use and should use.

Oeon, out of doion. We thank you so much. We really appreciate it. Thank you. Okay. Time now for Top Stories Global Watch, a check of what else is happening around the world. We start with a FedEx cargo plane, forced to make an emergency landing in Istanbul. Check out this new video. It shows the belly of the Boeing 747 jet on the tarmac while being doused in foam after the plane loses its front landing gear. You'll see it at some point. The pilot's forced to climb out of the cockpit window

as well. They are okay. The plane was heading to Paris when its front landing gear failed to open. No one else was hurt. The incident is under investigation. And some potentially worrisome for spice lovers out there. Another syracia shortage could be on the way. The hot sauce producer, Huwifong food, says it will be halting production until after Labor Day. According to a letter obtained by the Washington Post,

hot on the saracha beat, the company says the latest crop of red jalapeno peppers are not the right shade to create the iconic bright red sauce. Experts believe a severe drought and water crisis in Mexico is to blame. Okay, when we come back, work from home, some love it, some hate it,

Some hate it? Well, some are taking it to the next level. Work from Disney World. We're not joking. A growing number of remote workers clocking in from Disney parks. They're taking a social media to share where they plug in, but also how they spend their downtime on rides or even meeting characters. We speak to a lawyer and someone in the tech field about why they're choosing to work from the happiest place on earth. But how do their employers feel? And are they actually getting the job done while spinning around with the Matt Hatter. That's next. We're back now with the trend taking off on social media, remote workers ditching their home offices and setting up shop at Disney parks. Stephen Romo speaks with two people

about mixing work and play. It's called the happiest place on earth, but now some remote workers are turning Disney World into their office. I'm a remote worker, and here's how I arrange my Disney world travel around my full-time job. The trend exploding on social media in the post-pandemic world, everyone from freelance journalists to lawyers, sharing where inside the park they can plug in and get to work while also mixing in some time to visit Cinderella's Castle. I'm able to shift my hours earlier so that I can hit the parks in the afternoon after I've wrapped up my work for the day. Matt Richardson has been working remotely from Disney for two years now. What's important to my employer is that I get my work done, and that's my first

no matter where I am in the world. He lives about a thousand miles away from Orlando, but realized he could still enjoy his favorite parks and create digital content while also maintaining a job at his tech company. I wanted to take a trip down to Disney as things were coming back. And I kept working. I just, I opened up my laptop. I kept the emails going and it made me realize that I don't necessarily have to be in my home in Ohio to get work done.

And there's a whole system to it on Disney blogs. you can find the best places to whip out that laptop and peruse some spreadsheets before hopping on Space Mountain. There are a few spots at Disney World, which are great for remote working, like the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. And it's not just Disney World in Florida. California's Disneyland also getting in on the action. I come to the parks to do that work. I live pretty close to Disneyland, and I have a Magic Key, which is like the annual pass here. I'm able to go pretty frequently. And, you know, I'll spend. time during the day working as I need to. Caleb Graves is an attorney and makes the most of his daily downtime with some Disney distractions.

You can finish a meeting and then go watch some stormtroopers. Is that kind of what you get to do? Yeah, that's definitely an option. Hey, you're not authorized. But not everyone thinks you should be able to work from a galaxy far, far away. Dr. Stefan Meyer with Columbia Business School supports remote work, but says workers should be careful not to take advantage of their employers. You know, what is kind of accepted, what is okay, remote work,

what is just giving flexibility and what is like slippery slope into we're not just taking more days off and phoning it in on a ride. For Caleb and Matt, though, they're just hoping to add a little more magic to their workday. It's a feeling of comfort, a little bit of nostalgia, there's great music. It's just a really happy, fun environment to be in. All right, Stephen Romo joins us now in studio. So, Stephen, are their bosses okay that they're working from places like Disney World and Disneyland? Yeah, I actually ask them, do your employers even know that you're working from amusement parks?

They say their employers do know that they are and they don't have a problem with it as long as they're getting their work done, which they both say they are. Okay, and then, you know, Disney World, Disneyland, the parks, they're not necessarily cheap places to these. People do all their lunch meetings there. I mean, are they eating and working strictly at the parks? Yeah, I ask him about the cost. too. They say they do have these annual passes, which certainly offer discounts, and they don't eat every meal there because they're just sort of going to work and then going to meetings, off sites. They do a lot back and forth since they do have these passes. They also say that it brings

them a lot of joy, and this is what they want to spend their money on instead of maybe other vacations. They want to go to Disney. And if they're getting the work done, they say there shouldn't be a problem. Do the legal work, jump on Splash Mountain. It's a life, right? Right, yeah. We're not going to judge him. Don't judge them. All right. Stephen, thank you for being here when we come back 107 years old and still places to go. We'll introduce you to a World War II vet who has a lot of medals and even more jokes. The birthday party for him that was fit for a hero and the special trip he's now planning to France. Stay with us. All right, last night we brought to that touching story of a postal worker finding lost

letters from a World War II veteran. Tonight we have an incredible story of another World War II turning 107 years old, and the amazing journey he's about to embark on to the hollowed grounds of Normandy. Charles Benson from our affiliate, WTMJ, brings us this wonderful story. The population in Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin is 381. But there's no one here or in the state, like Reynolds Tompter. Here we go again. Ready or not? Reynolds is ready. He has been all his life. Happy birthday, youngster. Today is his 107th birthday.

It's been a lot of fun. Spend a few minutes with this Merchant Marine World War II veteran, and you'll want more. Gosh, good to see you, Dave. He's the persona of gratitude. I'm blessed. I got friends. I'm so thankful. With the personality of a late-night talk show host. I'm experiencing a new thing, and I've never been this old before. With jokes like that, why wouldn't you want to be?

Because I'm so damn old. At a packed knotty pine bar in northwest Wisconsin at 7.30 in the morning to celebrate another milestone for Reynolds. Oh, how nice. Wow. But Reynolds is about to have a wow moment, unlike any in his life. You know, I'm going to norm. I hear. From his home where he lives on his own and still drives, Reynolds talks about being invited

to the 80th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy. I'm lucky to have a chance to go there like I am having. But I never feel at all like I've earned it. And I haven't done anything more than any other GI. We sit at a small table surrounded by his merchant marine metals and a memory that would amaze anyone. I bet you can still fit in the uniform. No, I don't think so. He is believed to be the oldest living World War II merchant marine in the country.

As the ship's baker and backup gunner, he was on five Atlantic crossings with one mission, get the supplies to the troops. Amow tanks, cannons, whatever. was the area needed. You've been assigned a job and you better damwows pitch in and do it. He did his job, but after the war was over, Reynolds and Mariners were not given veteran status and access to benefits. It stung. When I got home again, there was no GI benefits of any kind. And that hurt. Decades later, that hurt would be healed when they finally receive full veteran status. Then, in 2022, Reynolds and Merchant Marines were given the Congressional Gold Medal for their service in World War II. We're really being recognized now.

Wherever he goes these days, people ask him about the upcoming trip to France. I haven't earned anything to go to France, but the only thing that did it is it looks so damn old. He is so old. there were two parties for him, and more one-liners. I've been drinking coffee for 105 years. Another good one that keeps him going. What's the secret to your longevity? Well, I'll have to say maybe a lot of luck.

Luck. I've always had a positive attitude. It has served him well. And when the time comes to honor him and the other World War II, two veterans in Normandy. Happy birthday. Reynolds will be ready.

All right, we thank Charles Benson from our affiliate, WTMJ, once again. And Reynolds, we can't wait to see you in Normandy. Thanks so much for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.