Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Episode Date: October 30, 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, the death toll rising as Hurricane Melissa carves a path of destruction in the Caribbean, aerial showing the scope of the catastrophic storm, homes ripped apart, and communities completely cut off. A woman waiting through shoulder high waters. Most of Jamaica plunged into darkness. The airport in Montego Bay destroyed. How will thousands of tourists trap get home? Our team is on the ground with a firsthand look at the widespread devastation. We hear from a father who sheltered in a shower with his infant son as the Cat 5 storm plowed through. Also breaking tonight the verdict just in, the former Illinois deputy convicted in the fatal shooting of Sonia Massey who called 911 asking for help, the time he could face behind bars. Brazil's deadly drug busts more than 100 people killed the largest police operation against organized crime in the country's history, the concerns for civilians caught in the crossfire. The stunning new details about the suspects in the Louvre heist,

They're a partial confession and how they got hold of that ladder truck that helped them get away with the jewels. First responders rushing into a burning senior center breaking down doors to save people trapped inside. The new lawsuit against Drake, the rapper accused of promoting an online casino that could be operating illegally and misleading his young fans, we'll explain. And monkeying around the wild scene inside a Halloween store, a pet monkey on the loose surprising shoppers, how it all came to an end. Plus, the high-stakes meeting between President Trump and China's President Xi just hours away, everything from the global economy to TikTok on the line. Top story starts right now. Hey, good evening tonight.

The death toll is rising in Jamaica in the wake of Melissa, the most powerful hurricane to ever hit the island nation. The scope of the destruction coming into focus tonight, houses completely submerged, roofs ripped from homes, and streets turn into money room. Most of the country, still in the dark after widespread power outages. And take a look at this airport in Montego Bay torn to shreds. The ceiling caving in as water rushes through.

So how will thousands of tourists trapped on the island make it home? Officers combing through the damage at the Black River Police Station, one of the hardest hit parts of the island. Officials say flooded roads like these make search and rescue missions nearly impossible. And hotels in the area also taking a hit, trees littered across resort grounds, lobbies in complete disarray. But Melissa's wrath, not stopping in Jamaica, barreling into Cuba overnight, video shows a woman waiting through shoulder-deep water and floodwaters rushing through the streets of Santiago. This is the damage there this morning, residents searching through the rubble and scooping water out of their flooded homes with buckets.

While the worst of Melissa's fury may be over, the now Category 1 storm is just beginning to exit the Bahamas. Army urologist Bill Cairns is standing by to track it all. And we begin once again tonight in hard-hit Jamaica with NBC's George release. Tonight, the first look at Melissa's catastrophic trail of destruction through Jamaica. It was horrible, horrific, terrifying, the worst day of my entire life. Home surrounded by water, roofs ripped off, street after street littered with debris. You are full, everything gone, everything gone. Officials say at least five bodies were found today, one, an infant.

We set out from Kingston this morning to get us close to the town where Melissa made landfall as we could. This is what some of the highways look like heading into Western Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa. Jamaica police using chainsaws to clear some of the heaviest debris off the highways. As we got closer to ground zero, it got even worse. I'm here in the town of Santa Cruz. One of the hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, part of the roadway here covered in mud, bringing traffic to a standstill in some parts. Residents taking it upon themselves to help with the cleanup. Chadley Brown describing how he got to safety. Water inside. We appear so you have a swim, Yeah, good to swim.

Yeah. But as we got on the road again, a sudden stop. This right here, the end of the road. We were trying to make it to Black River, but you can see this power line here, one of many obstructions in the roadway. You can see traffic as far as the eye can see. We can go no further.

The Monster Category 5 storm plunged 77% of the island into the dark, making communication with the hardest hit areas difficult, including Black River. This video was taken inside the police station there as Melissa Hain. hit. The hallways inundated with water. Today, workers pushed ambulances of Black Rivers blocked in muddy roads. And take a look at the eerie scene inside the Montego Bay Airport, water pouring

through the roof. So many Americans who traveled there for vacation now stuck. It's devastating, and I honestly thought I was going to die. At the Catalonia Hotel, the ceiling is shredded. The restaurant torn apart. David Watkins is stranded with his wife and two young sons in Montego Bay. Right now, we're just in survival mode, trying to find a way out. Tom just spoke with hotel owner, Houston Moncure, who sheltered in a bathtub with his wife and infant son. That had to be incredibly scary as a new father. I didn't know what it was going to be like for him. My wife and I just did our best to stay calm.

Meanwhile, in Haiti, Melissa's devastating impact coming into focus, the death toll there now 23. And Hurricane Melissa is still barreling through the Caribbean, making a second landfall in Cuba early this morning as a category three. Causing dangerous flash floods and. reducing homes to rubble. It was hell all night, this man says. It will take a long time to recover. Tom, the airports in Ocho Rios and Kingston will reopen for commercial flights tomorrow. As for the airport in Montego Bay, well, parts of it were badly damaged, so it's still unclear

when commercial flights will take off from there. Tom. George Solis tonight from Jamaica for us. Let's get right to NBC News Meteorologist Bill Carrance. Bill, let's start with where the storm is now. The Caribbean finally in the clear, sort of. Yeah, almost. couple hours in the Bahamas, but Cuba got hit hard this morning, took a lot of the power

away from Melissa down to a category one. And now the storm is heading up here over the central portions and southern portions of the Bahamas. It's right in between Clarenstown now heading for Cockburn Town this evening. And notice the bright white, the flare up here. It's actually trying to intensify again. So likely going up to a category two, I doubt it will get to major hurricane status. But even as it approaches Bermuda, it's still going to be a pretty powerful storm. Notice all the rain and everything gone by about 2 to 3 a.m. So for Bermuda, about 6 p.m. to about midnight tomorrow's when the storm is going to be at its closest approach to you. It does not look like you're going to hit by the hurricane winds. That's in the red here.

But these tropical storm forest winds will be over the island. And we will see a very large wind field with this storm. So it'll be tropical storm force conditions for a long period of time. And then the final stop is going to be up here in Newfoundland. And St. John's actually could get hit there also. Yeah. And then, Bill, as this storm sort of leaving such a path of devastation, communities will be forever changed. Give me your top lines so far in Hurricane Melissa. Yeah, I think we're about to see it. We've seen some of those Black River pictures,

but there's a couple small towns that I've had my eye on that should have gone through the worst of the eye, areas from New Hope southwards as we go down through White House and into Crawford. So this is areas right around White House. Now, White House is going to be one of the worst hit areas that there is. You can see some of the before and afters. You just try to pick a roof here, you know, any structure,

and then you come over to the after image, And it's kind of hard to tell. There's a little maroon here that was this one that was over here. Some of these small communities that have been hit so hard, Tom, we haven't heard the stories out of them yet. We don't know how many residents are still there. Even some of the storm chasers that, you know, we're now 30 hours after landfall. We haven't even heard back from them yet. We don't even know what their fate is or how they're doing.

So communications are very difficult in these very remote, hardest hit areas. So I don't want to put a bow on what the legacy is yet. I don't know if we've seen the worst. Yeah. All right, Bill Cairns. We'll stay covering and reporting it. We thank you. I do want to bring in Preston and Kylie Reeves,

newlyweds from Texas, who are now trapped at a hotel in Montego Bay while on their honey room. Preston and Kylie, we thank you for joining us tonight. I know the past 24 hours have been a nightmare for you and so many people on the island. Talk to us about what you've experienced while sheltering at your hotel.

Well, first of all, Sandals has done a very good job of keeping everyone safe here. We had very good protection. and shelter. It was very scary at times, but luckily we made it through it, and everyone has had some good positive vibes starting early this morning. We all got together and started helping pick up and clean up and make piles on the beach. And, you know, everyone's in good spirits now.

And now it's just time to think about the people of Jamaica and helping them. Yeah. What was the toughest part last night? I mean, to be honest, we were so fortunate. It's so hard to see what happened outside of this resort because the toughest part for us was just sitting in the bathroom waiting the storm out playing card games. Yeah, the unknown of it.

Yeah. And you said the hotel's done a good job. You guys have enough water and food to get by for the next couple days or a week, depending on the time? yes so the resort has been providing us with box meals um actually during the hurricane they brought us food so they have been so worried about all of us and so we just want to keep pushing that you know they need our help they it's devastating how much damage is here talk to me about what you've seen outside it's

Okay, we seem to have lost the connection. As soon as we get back up with Preston and Kylie, we will bring them back here on top story. We're going to move on now because we're also following breaking news in the Sonia Massey case, the woman who shot and killed when law enforcement responded to her home. Sean Grayson, a former Illinois sheriff's deputy, you may remember, was found guilty of second-degree murder after the jury deliberated for 11 hours. NBC's Maggie Vespa was there for that verdict. Tonight in Illinois, former sheriff's deputy, Sean Grayson,

guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting of 36-year-old Sonia Massey. It's guilty? Second-degree. The verdict carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, but Massey's family and other supporters had been hoping for a conviction on first-degree murder. I'm fueled by race. age right now. If you get an officer that says he's going to shoot you in the face and then he shoot you in the face and you only get second degree murder. Grayson's stoic as the verdict was read.

The jury ultimately finding Grayson shot Massey in her kitchen last year and that his claim of needing to use deadly force was unreasonable. This after Grayson testified, he perceived Massey's behavior as a threat. The Springfield mother of two had called 911 about a possible Prowler picking up a pot of boiling water and saying, No, you and I know. Prosecutors arguing Grayson could have left Massey's home after she ducked behind her counter and apologizing. Tonight, Massey's father, angry, but hopeful, Grayson will receive the maximum sentence. Because he showed no remorse. He was so cocky throughout this whole trial.

He felt like he was cocky. Oh, yeah, yeah, until today. Until today. Until he was convicted. Yeah, yeah. That knocked the smirk off. Maggie joins us from outside the courthouse. Maggie, we could hear it there from the Massey family, furious they didn't get that first-degree murder conviction from the jury. And this was the result of a late move by the defense, right? Yeah, it was a late strategy, Tom. Basically right before closing arguments, Sean Grayson's team introducing that lesser option of second-degree murder as opposed to the first-degree murder charges. Prosecutors had been pursuing the entire time. His defense

team wouldn't elaborate on the record about why they introduced that. But our legal analysts tell us it was likely because they were afraid he was going to be convicted of first-degree murder, which carries a possible life sentence in that scenario. So they gave the jury this lesser option in case any of them were on the fence and a little uncomfortable with sending someone to prison potentially for the rest of his life. For what it's worth tonight, Grayson's attorneys and his family declining to comment on the verdict. He's set to be sentenced on this second-degree murder charge in January. Tom. All right. Maggie Vespa for us, Maggie, we thank you.

Now to the newly released body cam video showing the frantic scene after a six-year-old student shot their teacher. The video released as part of a civil trial in which the teacher alleges a school administrator didn't do enough to stop the shooting. And tonight, for the first time, we're getting a look at the gun that child used. NBC Stephanie Gosk has more. Law enforcement urgently raced into Richneck Elementary, one armed with a long gun after reports of a shooting in early 2023. These videos released publicly today for the first time as part of a civil trial in Virginia, capturing the frantic scene after a six-year-old fired

a single shot at his first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner. The nine-millimeter handgun left on the floor of the schoolroom, just feet from the children's desks. First responders treated Zwerner's injuries in the school's front office before racing her to the hospital. In the ambulance, Zwerner asking EMTs to distract her. In testimony, a surgeon described just how close she came to losing her life that day. The bullet, which is still lodged inside her, sliced through her hand and into her chest. We went past the heart and just barely missed it. Body cam footage from a sheriff's deputy recorded the tense moments among staff the day of the shooting.

As soon as he shot it, I was walking down the hole and I heard. I went right in. Abby was in, the teacher was bloody. The $40 million civil case accuses assistant principal Ebony Parker sitting at her desk in these images of ignoring multiple warnings a student had a gun. When you look at that in totality, it's almost shocking the lack of action there. The defense argues hindsight is 2020 and Parker was just following protocol, including deciding not to search the student until his mother arrived. They say there was collective responsibility for what happened in the school that day. Tom? All right.

Stephanie, Goss for us, Stephanie. Thank you. We're also following developments from President Trump's whirlwind trip to Asia as he prepares for a high-stake summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping now just hours away. The White House saying everything is on the table from a deal on TikTok to Taiwan to the tense trade war between the two countries. Joining us now from South Korea is NBC News Senior White House correspondent Garrett Hake and NBC News international correspondent Janice McAfriar.

Great to have you guys both in the show tonight. Garrett, I want to start with you. What has President Trump been saying could come of this meeting as he makes his way around Asia? Tom, he's been nothing but optimistic since the framework was announced over the weekend, talking about the possibility of tariffs being lowered on Chinese goods if they work with the U.S. on stopping fentanyl trafficking. He's floated the prospect that the Chinese might be willing to buy less Russian oil, which he thinks is something that could help him end the war in Ukraine.

And he's been buoyed, I think, by some of the announcements, some of the action by the Chinese on agricultural purchases and other sort of all of branch moves in the last couple of days. Everything going into this summit today has been positive, including, at least up until today, the direction of the market. So all systems are go for this meeting set to get started at a few hours. Yeah, and then Janus, NBC News has learned from four sources with knowledge of the discussions that the White House and AIDS are worried about

what President Trump might say about Taiwan. Walk our viewers through the stakes here and why they're so concerned. Well, Taiwan is one of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China relations. It's a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its territory, and it mentions in every political speech and event that unification is a reality that it's going to happen and they'll use force if necessary. When Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August of 2022, it set off a firestorm of retaliation. There were drills around the military drills around the island and Beijing cut off every possible talk that it was having with the United States. So it's why there is some concern among officials around President Trump about the sort of language that might be used

in discussions with Chinese officials and Xi Jinping, that President Trump might be convinced to say the U.S. opposes Taiwan independence, which is different from and more politically charged than the current U.S. position, which is that the U.S. does not support Taiwan independence. And it may sound the same to some people, but they are drastically different in their interpretation, especially from China's perspective. Garrett, do we think TikTok comes up in these meetings? Does it rise to that significance and what happens and what is President Trump possibly asking for?

I think it's likely, too, Tom. I mean, this is a deal that's pretty close to the finish line. Everything has been put in place to transfer TikTok to U.S. buyers, U.S. operators, except for a Chinese sign-off. The Wall Street Journal had some pretty good reporting on this week or so ago in which they suggested that this is the kind of thing that is important for President Trump domestically. The president loves TikTok.

He feels like it was something that contributed to his win. And it's not especially important to the Chinese. So if you're Xi Jinping and you're trying to negotiate something you care more about, this is an easy win to give to President Trump in a trade, if you will, for an issue that might be thornier for the Americans. So, yes, I think it's likely this comes up in part because it's one of those things that could be considered a deliverable and easy win for the White House. Yeah, and then Janice, Trump and Xi have had a back-and-forth relationship.

The president has been critical at times, we know, over the last few months. But he says they've been speaking a lot recently. What is the state of their relationship? Do we even know? Well, President Trump has often expressed a feeling that he has a good relationship with Xi Jinping. There have been ups and downs in political relations, but he says they are friendly. He's even expressed admiration for the military parade. that she staged last month in Beijing.

Still, it's highly unlikely that their meeting is going to yield a big trade deal. What's more likely to happen is that there's going to be a scaling back of tariffs and restrictions on things like advanced chips and rare earths, a sort of escalation, de-escalation, the kind of pattern that we've seen in the U.S.-China relationship all year. It is the sort of transactional diplomacy that Beijing is known for. And it also speaks to the leadership style of President Trump. And these two men will be seeing a lot of each other over the next year. There is a state visit by President Trump planned in China for early next year as well,

an invitation to Xi Jinping to travel to the United States. So the sense is if the groundwork for a trade deal is being laid here, It will be at those summits, those two state visits that are being planned, that the ultimate trade deal will be unveiled. Tom. Okay. Janice Mackie Freyer, Garrett Hayk, great to talk to both you. We're back in a moment with the sprawling crime rate in Brazil. Authorities going after a suspected drug gang in what's being called the deadliest police operation in the country's history. And Drake now being sued over his promotion of an online gambling site, the new allegations tonight.

And the wild scene inside a Halloween store after this monkey guy. loose and started swinging from the ceiling. What happened? Ahead on Top Story. Now to those Dary and rescues caught on camera, first responders in Michigan rushing to save dozens of seniors as a fire engulfed their assisted living facility, Morgan Chesky has their heroic rescues. Tonight, new video capturing the rush to save lives inside a Michigan-assisted living center as fast-moving flames began tearing their way through. This body cam footage from Southgate Police shows officers racing door-to-door during the overnight rescue.

As many residents slept completely unaware of the flames fire crews battled outside. Dolden's on fire, man. We didn't know how many people we would need to take out. But officers Simby and Garcia did know time was precious. You guys ready? As the fire spread towards the very stairwells, they delicately carried residents down, some in wheelchairs. Pick your feet up. You're going for a ride.

Can you feel the heat, the smoke? You could definitely feel the smoke. We're inhaling a lot of that. There was so much smoke I couldn't even see through. So we had to actually get a fire department up there with their masks to get people out. By the time officers got all 87 residents to safety, the flames took over, leaving catastrophic damage. And tonight, no known cause for the fire. If you don't get out of that building when you do, what happens? I am deceased.

Survivor Mike Tashi has lived with quadriplegia for decades. Tonight, the retired football coach, grateful to the heroes who save lives. Thank you. From the bottom of everybody's hearts that live there, thanks. Morgan Chesky, NBC News. Next night, to the lawsuit filed against Drake, accusing him of glamorizing online games. and using his influence to promote the practice to teenagers. NBC's Chloe Malas explains.

Tonight, rapper Drake is getting a call. The five-time Grammy winner sued over his partnership with online gaming platform steak. I had an incredible night last night playing roulette on stake. A Missouri man filing the class action lawsuit seeking the recovery of gambling losses and accusing Drake of glamorizing the platform to millions of impressionable fans, including teenagers. Get back. Yeah! Stake.U.S. is marketed as an online social casino that does not permit real gambling.

But the plaintiff claims that Steak is operating and unlicensed in illegal online casino. You have stake.com, which is actual online gambling, which would be illegal in Missouri. And so the complaint alleges that the end run around those laws is the creation of a number. website, stake.us, which they show in the complaint, is very similar to stake.com. And stake.us is the place where they sell these coins that they say have no value, but they also bundle it with chips or coins or something that has actual currency that can be redeemed for money. And that is the dual currency model that is alleged to really be skirting state gambling laws. Should I try a $200,000

buy? Drake, along with the streamer Aidan Ross. 20X? Hold on a second, bro. Sharing their wins on social media. Oh my God! Oh, my God! The plaintiff going on to accuse Drake and Ross, also named as a defendant of accepting millions of dollars per year to promote the platform under fraudulent pretences. I knew that one. I knew that one. Ross responding in a live stream. It's f***ing bullshit. Claiming to gamble on the platform when in reality,

doing so without using their own money. They're all for you. Thank you, brother. No problem. If the plaintiff saw Drake with all of this money and believed that he too would make all this money by online gambling or playing these games of chance, then that is another situation where a jury might say you should have known better. We reached out to Stakes, Ross, and Drake, but did not hear back. All right, Chloe Malas joins us now in studio.

And Chloe, you know, I know this isn't the only legal filing coming out about Drake. today you're following another major headline. Yeah, so earlier today, Drake's legal team filed something, Tom, called a notice of appeal. And this has to do with his ongoing battle against Universal Music Group. As you may remember, in January, he filed a defamation lawsuit against the music label stemming from his ongoing very public battle with his rap rival, Kendrick Lamar, who put out a disc track against Drake in 2024 called Not Like Us. And Drake has long claimed that Universal music group knowingly promoted that song that had a lot of false and defamatory lyrics in them. But a judge earlier this month tossed out that lawsuit, said that this was not going to be

easy to prove that she did not agree with his claims. But this is a clear flag in the ground here that Drake is saying I'm not backing down. I'm going to appeal this decision, but it could take a long time. All right, Chloe Malas following a lot of Drake news tonight. He's in the news. What are going to do? He's in the news. All right, Chloe, thanks. Coming up on top story, the dramatic rescue in San Fran after a dog fell off an Oceanside cliff. Look at that. How they got this dog to safety. But first, top story's top moment and a magical surprise for two Lord of the Rings super fans on their wedding day.

The couple getting married on the movie set in the Shire when the star of the films, Elijah Wood made a surprise appearance. Look at this. Oh, my God. Wood, who played Froto, will be reuniting with the rest of his Lord of the Rings castmates on an 11 city U.S. tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fellowship of the Ring premiere. Pretty cool. Stay with us.

More news on the way. the monster storm that's left a trail of destruction in the Caribbean. Right now, people in Jamaica surveying the immense damage. Earlier, I spoke with Houston, Moncure, a longtime resident of bluefields on the west side of Jamaica. He was sheltering in a bathtub with his wife and young son in the hotel. They owned what Hurricane Melissa made landfall. You can see what it looked like before

and what it looks like now with the roof blown off and debris everywhere. Here's our conversation. Houston, we thank you for joining us tonight. I see you have the camera on your. hand there. You mentioned to me you're using a Starlink. That's how we're able to communicate. Walk me through what happened to your property and what you remember and what you heard. I don't even know how to explain it. You know, we weren't supposed to get a direct hit. None of the models showed it. And so when our internet actually went out as the storm was hitting,

we just thought it would be a few hours and then things would go back to normal. but it just deteriorated and got worse and worse and worse. I have weathered several hurricanes in the location that I was in, and I had no, none of those prepared me for what we had. You know, normally a hurricane is very loud. This, we were several rooms deep in to where we were hiding in a shower. with my 20-month-old son, and, you know, you open your mouth and the pressure differential just sucks your breath out of your lungs. You just sound like you have a freight train running

over you. It's, I don't think I'm ever going to do this again. I think I'm going to evacuate for all future storms. What exactly happened? Especially with my phone. Yeah, what exactly happened to your hotel? Um, so we've got six villas. Um, Of the six villas, four are missing roofs entirely to have massive damage to the roofs. When you look at, and these were the properties that are structurally sound, I don't know how much up the hill you can see, but that's the local community. And a lot of what's up there when you look up, this was never visible before the storm. But you'll see that the trees are, what's still standing is just trunks. and it's piles of wood.

When, you know, we came out this morning, there were people who were telling me that they were pushing themselves out of their board house and uncovering themselves with lumber. That's wild. Have you heard about anything else in your area as far as Hurricane Melissa is concerned? I mean, is there access to other communities or are you sort of landlocked right now? There is no access. We're right on the sea. There's no access to anything.

I sent you guys pictures of what the main road looks like. Trees are down everywhere. Phone poles are down. The local police came asking if I knew anything. I gave them access to my Starlink as well so that they could get in touch with their headquarters. I'm pretty much sitting on the only supply of water and food for this community. Obviously, we're going to hand out what we need to hand out.

I see people showing up behind you. What are they doing? Right there? They're clearing my driveway so I can get my pickup truck out and over to my office next door. I need five minutes, guys. I do want to ask you, you mentioned that moment with your son last night and your wife. I mean, take me back to that. I mean, that had to be incredibly scary as a new father.

I didn't know what it was going to be like for him. But he didn't seem scared the whole way through. And I think my wife and I just did our best to stay calm and make it so that he felt like everything was okay. But honestly, the aftermath is now worse because, you know, there's pieces of, I don't know if you mind if I move around. There's pieces of roof like everywhere, and that's from the house next door. And, you know, there's stuff that's sharp, and so, you know, I'm hoping that within the next day or so they'll get the road cleared enough that I can get them out. And I'll stay here. And, you know, as more and more people will turn up, we'll do what we can for them.

But so much of this community is just completely decimated and destroyed. We're broadcast and streamed all over the country. What's the one thing you need right now, you think, from America? How can the U.S. help you? I think the best thing that we can get is funds to help these people clean up and rebuild. The resorts, Instagram, the number one, the first pin post will give people links to our to our charity, the Bluefields Villas Foundation. 100% of that will not go to be rebuilding the resort.

100% will go to the people in the community, the team members for their personal residences. I've already talked to Tankweld, which is one of the largest distributors of construction material. They were instrumental in the recovery of Hurricane Barrel for Treasure Beach, which is not far from here last year. And I've already heard that they're going to support us and helping us get as quickly as possible what we need so that all these people can get a roof over their head again. All right. We thank you so much for talking to us tonight. I know you're going through a lot. Houston Moncure. We thank you again for your time.

My pleasure. Thanks so much. Just one of the many families struggling tonight in Jamaica. All right, we go to now our news feed and we just got word about another U.S. military strike on a boat carrying suspected drug traffickers in the Eastern Pacific. Defense Secretary Pete Hankseth posting this video. You see it right here on social media. He says four people were on the vessel and that all of them died, though he didn't provide any evidence of who was on board. The Federal Reserve slashing its benchmark interest rate for the second time this year. The Fed announced a quarter percent cut as it looks to boost economic growth and hiring even as inflation remains high. The central bank is set to meet again next month, but Chair Jerome Powell warns another rate cut, not guaranteed. And the daring,

a high scent that Louvre has captivated the world, but here in New York, police are trying to solve their own jewelry theft. They say three burglars, get this, dressed as construction workers. Sound familiar? Broken to a home this month, stealing a safe and jewelry worth more than $3.2 million? Here they are in their neon vest headed towards the house, and they flew in their getaway car there. Police are still searching for those thieves. Okay, the search is on for NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal's custom range rover after it was stolen in Georgia. Investigators believe it was taken from a business and brought to the Atlanta area sometime last week. The SUV is reportedly worth around $180,000. Officials say they've identified

several persons of interest. The shop that customized the vehicle is offering a 10 grand reward for any information that could help find it. And a heroin rescue in San Francisco when a dog fell off a cliff. Freaky rescue started on the edge of this seaside cliff, a drone spotting the stranded dog. You can see him there, trapped with nowhere to climb. A San Francisco police drone operator who happened to be in the area heard the distress call, put up the eye in the sky and started searching, spotting the dog and pinpointing the location for authorities. Firefighters repelling down the cliff to reach him, attaching a harness on him the only way to rescue him off that ledge. The firefighter, grab him. grabbing the dog named Zeke, slowly. The two make their way back up until finally. They reached the top. Zeke somehow not heard, reuniting with his owner.

Zeke and his owner are back together. Now to that urgent search underway in rural Mississippi for research monkeys, research monkeys, that escaped from an overturned transport truck and a different monkey running loose in a Halloween store in Texas. Trust me, these stories are wild. Kathy Park, following it all. He's on the prowl there. Tonight, an urgent search to find three lab monkeys still on the loose.

We got 21 monkey that was on this trail. The primates escaped Tuesday afternoon when a truck carrying them crashed on the interstate in Jasper County, Mississippi. These monkeys could be dangerous. Police issuing a chilling warning to the community after the driver said they were Tulane University research monkeys and might be infected with highly infectious diseases. We've got law enforcement with guns here. But Tulane later clarifying, saying while they provide monkeys for research, the primates in question belonged to another entity and are not infectious.

Authorities say most of the escape monkeys were put down as a search for the missing. Meanwhile, a different wild escape in Texas. This time, a pet monkey spooking customers at a Halloween store. My daughter looked up and she said, what in the world? And she's like, is that a real monkey? The animals seen swinging, crawling, and darting around, turning the store into a jungle gym, ultimately caught not with a banana, but with a cookie. Monkeys out of their element as their escapes go viral.

And police say the monkey in the Texas store was never a threat and wasn't hurt. Meanwhile, in the Mississippi incident, a team of Tulane Animal Care. experts were sent in to help with the incident. Tom? All right, Kathy Park for us, Kathy. Thank you. We're going to transition now to a serious story. An update on the dramatic helicopter crash earlier this month, the chopper. You may remember this story, falling from the sky and you're at busy California Beach, trapping under the wreckage, an 11-year-old boy. Tonight, his sister is speaking out exclusively to our NBC station in Los Angeles on his promising road to recovery. Reporter Hetty Chang has this one.

birthday was not supposed to happen at a hospital but big sister Madeline Ashwell says Friday when Oliver turned 12 there was plenty to celebrate and over this whole thing I've like I've been with his side like and he asked for me I'm like Oliver's like I'd do anything for Oliver I was there when he woke up and then all I could do was just I was just crying like tears of Oliver is one of five people hurt when a helicopter came crashing down in a parking lot near the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach the afternoon of October 11th. You can see him here pinned underneath the helicopter.

Madeline says her little brother needed surgeries for his collapsed lung and bleeding in his brain. Just waiting. It was waiting for a really long time. That was probably the hardest part. She says after many sleepless days and nights and many ups and downs, her family got the news they had prayed for. We got the good news that he's awake and he got moved. out of the ICU. He is able to talk to us and like a little whisper, I guess. He's still himself, it's just a little tired. Madeline says her sixth grade brother was at the beach that day,

spending time with relatives visiting from out of town. She says Oliver was walking back from the beach on a pedestrian bridge when that helicopter involved in the cars and copters event came spiraling down. Wrong place, wrong time. If Oliver was five feet ahead, it wouldn't have it. Madeline says she doesn't think Oliver remembers what happened. What we've told him is that he's just an accident and he's, what he says to me is like, how did this happen?

He's like, why did a helicopter land on me? She says Oliver has not seen the videos from that day. And right now the family is focused on his full recovery. Anybody that knows Oliver, that he's a fighter. Madeline wants to thank the people from all over the world who have sent donations and well, wishes. There's so much love for Oliver, and it's like, I just can't believe it. It just makes me so happy that people care about him and have been praying for him, and all those prayers have really worked. Doctors told Oliver's family, his next step is his release from the hospital.

When that's going to happen, they don't know. The family says they're just taking one day at a time. Reporting in Orange County, California, I'm Hetty Chang. Tom. Hetty Chang, with that exclusive tonight, Hetty, we thank you. Still ahead. update on that stunning heist at the Louvre, two suspects partially confessing to the crime, crime, but will it help investigators track down the stolen jewels? Plus, the remarkable fine at a beach in Australia, messages in a bottle washed ashore from two World War I soldiers on their way to battle. Their notes next.

And we're now just 100 days out for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. We got an inside look at how Italy is preparing as we count down to that opening ceremony. We can't wait. We're back now with new developments in that high-profile daytime jewelry heist at the Louvre. French officials charging two men in custody, saying they partially admitted to playing a role in the robbery. NBC's Ralph Sanchez, he joins us tonight again from Paris. Ralph, what are we learning about the suspects in custody and their involvement in the heist? So, Tom, prosecutors for the first time tonight are confirming the two men they have in custody

are the two that they say actually broke into the museum. gallery smashed and grabbed out those $100 million worth of jewels and then escaped back down on that ladder truck. We didn't know up until this point whether they were the two who went in the museum or the two who stayed on the street with the truck. Prosecutors say they are bringing charges of theft as part of an organized gang and conspiracy, so they could be facing 15 years in prison for that. Prosecutors have not named the suspects, but they are giving us more details about their biographies. The first suspect is a 34-year-old Algerian citizen. He's unemployed. He does have some previous convictions for theft and driving offenses.

And Tom, he's the one who was arrested at the Paris airport with a one-way ticket back to Algeria. Prosecutors say he was trying to flee the country. The second suspect is 39 years old, a French citizen. He has more serious convictions for theft. Prosecutor saying at one point he rammed a car into an ATM to try to get the cash out of the wall. And he actually was on bail at the time of the Louvre heist. We also learned from authorities tonight that they allegedly stole that ladder truck eight days before robbing the museum. They called the owner of the truck, said they needed to use it to move an apartment. And then when he arrived, they tied him up and they drove off with that vehicle. And then, Raf, any word on the jewels? The big question to officials in France

believe they can still find them. No, prosecutors are trying to sound a hopeful note here. They previously said that chopping up the jewels would vastly reduce their monetary value. Tonight, they are warning anybody who buys any part of these stolen items will be prosecuted for handling stolen goods. And it was kind of interesting, Tom, the prosecutor is speaking directly to the thieves, saying there is still time to hand these stolen treasures in, implying that there would be leniency if they did so. But at this point, Tom, you still have at least. two suspects on the run and no sign of those treasures. Tom. Ralph Sanchez from Paris tonight for us, Raf, we thank you. Now at Top Stories Global Watch

and we start with a dramatic rescue in India after a woman slipped while boarding a moving train. You can see the woman stepping onto the train car before losing her footing and falling into the crack between the platform. Luckily, the police officer was nearby grabbing the woman and pulling her to safety. And the war in Sudan now taking a dramatic turn, paramilitary forces captured the entire region of Darfur. It was the last major stronghold of the rival Sudanese army. The move is raising fears that the country might split again, similar to when South Sudan broke away following years of civil war.

The fighting there has killed roughly 40,000 people and displaced more than 14 million. And messages in a bottle written more than 100 years ago washing up on a beach in Australia? Two Australian soldiers wrote the notes back in 1916, Just a few days into their journey to the battlefields of France during World War I. One of them writing, may the finder be as well as we are at present. A family says they found the bottle earlier this month and notified the soldier's living relatives.

Incredible. Okay, time now for the Americas and to Brazil, where armed forces in Rio carried out the deadliest crime raid in the nation's history. The governor calling the operation a success as he wages a brutal war against so-called narco-terrorists. But international rights groups expressing deep concern over extrajudicial killings. NBC's Ellison Barber reports. Gunfire, charred cars, bodies lining the streets after police carried out the deadliest police operation in Brazil's recent history. Over 2,000 armed forces flooding impoverished neighborhoods in northern Rio de Janeiro.

The governor saying they seized weapons, drugs, and arrested roughly 80 alleged gang members. At least 132 people killed, including four police officers, according to the government. Officials in Rio de Janeiro say this is a necessary, quote, war against so-called narco-terrorists. It is the beginning of a great era, says Governor Claudio Castro. But not everyone agrees. Tawabrito's son is among the dead. They haven't changed anything, she says. I just want to take my son out of here and bury him.

Here, there are a lot of people crying, but outside, there are a lot of people applauding what they did, which was a massacre. According to state officials, police were targeting Commando Vermelio, C.V.V. Or the Red Command, one of Brazil's oldest and second largest gang. Brazil has struggled with gang activity for decades. The U.S. State Department has a level two, exercise increased caution, travel advisory for Americans due to crime and kidnapping. Tuesday's operations seemingly carried out by Rio de Janeiro alone.

President Lula was shocked by the number of deaths in Rio de Janeiro, says Brazil's Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski. In my opinion, with the governor of Rio, when we're seeing him unleash this extraordinarily lethal attack, I actually think this is downstream of President Trump's strikes on alleged drugboats in the Caribbean and Pacific. So we've seen those strikes now claim 57 lives. No evidence publicly furnished so far. It's sending the message that other governments should shoot first and ask questions later.

Now, that's something that Brazil already has a tradition of doing. I mean, we're talking about a country where the police kill four to six thousand people every year. Alison, Barbara, joins us now in studio. So, Alison, what is the UN saying? They usually monitor incidents like this. Yeah, so the UN's human rights office says they are horrified by this. In a post on X, they wrote in part, quote, This deadly operation furthers the trend of extreme lethal consequences of police operations in Brazil's marginalized communities.

Rio de Janeiro is actually set to host a number of events related to the UN's climate summit. Cop 30, one of those events, it's set to begin on Monday, and organizers for that event, which includes Bloomberg philanthropies. They say they're expecting hundreds of governors, mayors, and subnational leaders to be in Rio starting Monday. Okay, Alison Barber, we thank you for that. When we come back, the countdown is on to the Winter Olympics. are Molly Hunter is in northern Italy with a preview of what to expect with just 100 days until the opening ceremony. Stay with us. Finally tonight, the countdown is on for the 2026 Winter Olympics with just 100 days to go. Our Molly Hunter is in Milan with an inside look at the venues and what to expect this winter.

Tonight, the excitement is growing. And here in the center of Milan, the countdown is on. And final preparations are ramping up. We got a behind the curtain look. Wow. Get the long track speed skating arena in Milan. The city is sharing hosting duties with the glamorous ski resort of Cortina, well known to Team USA stars Lindsay Vaughn and Michaela Schifrin. We're going to raise the national flag, the Olympic flag twice. We're doing the cauldron twice.

We also got a peek inside the construction of Milan's Olympic village. This is the Olympic Village here in Milan. 1,700 people will sleep here. 1,500 athletes and delegates. And this building right here, the most important. The restaurant is open 24-7. Can we expect some Italian classics, do we think? Who knows?

Who knows? Who knows? Let me see. There's got to be some pasta, I'm sure. I think so. Inside the dorms, no cardboard beds like some previous games. This is a first glimpse at one of the athletes' room. This is, of course, double occupancy. and here, mascot Tina is waiting on the bed.

The speed skaters, hockey players, and figure skaters, including Team USA's Alyssa Lou, will all stay here. I'm feeling really excited. You know, I have no concept of time, so really, like, 100 days, I don't know what that'll feel like. I'm just going to focus on my training and do what I usually do. By the time the games comes around, I know I'll be ready.

Ready alongside Olympians from around the world to go for gold. Molly Hunter, NBC News, Milan. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yammis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.