Thursday, October 8, 2026

0:00The wrongs we must right. The fight. The fights we must win. The future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.

0:29It's the holiday season at House of Burl, which means that if you're going to be a it's the perfect moment to review some key rules. Rule number five, more style means more celebration. Number four, buy gifts, but remember to treat yourself too. Number three, there is no dress code, but always leave them talking. Number two, show off different outfits. No party remains unattended. And rule number one, have it all without spending it all. Happy holidays from House of Burl, Burlington. Breaking news tonight. Right. The powerful hurricane upgraded to a cat to now closing in on the Gulf. Mandatory evacuations just ordered.

1:09Right now the hurricane growing stronger. Highways backed up for miles as families rush to get out. Businesses boarding up. Grocery store shelves empty. Alerts stretching from Louisiana to Georgia. And now the threat it may spin off tornadoes. The mayor of Pensacola joins us live. This just in defense secretary Pete Hegseth vowing to live stream the first firing squad execution in decades of the man who killed 13 at Fort Hood. The growing scandal prompting calls for President Trump to fire his ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Why did she allegedly ask a top Trump donor to pay off her$100 ,000 Amex bill?

1:49New violent clashes in Paris as thousands protest conditions in schools, officers firing water cannons, or Richard Engel is there as tear gas fills the streets. All eyes on the battle for Michigan, a Senate race that has drawn the fury of President Trump. Right now, the candidates squaring off in their first debate as Republicans fight to flip the seat. Wild video capturing an officer clinging to the roof of a speeding car, how this chase came to an end. An extreme exploration, millions watching this TikToker riding an inflatable kayak through the Congo Basin, one of the world's most deadliest jungles, will show you the dangers he could face.

2:25Plus, how well does Amazon know you? The About You section, summing up your shopping personality, leaving some customers stunned. Top Story starts right now.

2:41And good evening. We're coming on the air as Hurricane Isaias intensifies into a dangerous cat two, charging towards the Gulf Coast. Right now, tens of millions are under alerts as the region braces for landfall. Here's a look at the first Atlantic hurricane of the season already packing. Get this, 100-mile-per-hour winds as it closes in. At this hour, evacuation orders are stretching from Alabama to Florida. This highway in Alabama completely backed up as people are racing to get out of the storm's path before it's too late, really. Empty shelves seen in Florida grocery stores as people rush to stock up on food and water.

3:15Some gas stations completely out of fuel and empty pumps are wrapped up as drivers are forced to turn away. Residents doing whatever they can, though, to prevent the damage, you know, boarding up their businesses, filling up hundreds of sandbags to prevent flooding. Right now, rescue teams are being deployed throughout the panhandle, bringing highly trained crews, search dogs and life saving equipment. Tonight, 28 million are under flood watches with some areas bracing for up to 15 inches of rain and even the possibility for dangerous nighttime tornadoes. We've got full full coverage. Bill Cairns is standing by to track it all.

3:47But we start with and we have the mayor of Pensacola we should mention as well as the city braces for the possibility of a direct hit. But we begin with Jesse Kirsch on the ground in Florida. Tonight, the race to get ready. On Florida's Gulf Coast, residents filling sandbags, stocking up on supplies and some even ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Isaias charges toward land. And in Alabama, all non-residents in parts of two counties being told to leave immediately. The storm rapidly intensifying, its maximum sustained wind speeds doubling in just 24 hours. So I think people should take it seriously.

4:24There will be impacts all across the Florida panhandle. Hurricane Isaias is going to act like a bulldozer, pushing seawater onto shore as it makes its way toward the coastline. And here in Pensacola Beach, that storm surge could be over my head. Across the Pensacola area, residents racing to protect their homes. What are you most worried about with this storm? Flooding and trees. So, mostly flooding right now. Some grocery store shelves nearly empty. Even bread shelves are becoming empty. Gas also running low. Even the military securing or evacuating aircraft at Air Force bases across the storm zone.

5:05You have any of your large duffel bags, put them in the rope packs. This is multiple urban search and rescue teams are now moving in. These teams deploying from South Florida. We're anxious, but we're ready. We've prepared for this. All right, Jesse Kirsch is out there on the beach live for us waiting for this storm to hit. Jesse, you're on one of those barrier islands there and people are being asked to evacuate there. That's right, Tom. Officials say they're even pulling their firefighters off of the barrier islands tomorrow. And when conditions get bad enough, the bridges will shut down. That means people who choose to ride out the storm will be on their own until conditions improve.

5:42And you can see right now here in Pensacola Beach that there are some people still out here. But by and large, this place is getting awful quiet. And that is something officials will want to see. Tom? Yeah, it looks like you have the beach to yourself there. Okay, Jesse, that's a good sign. I want to bring in NBC meteorologist Bill Kerens now. Bill, walk us through the latest track, what you're watching. And is there anything different about this storm our viewers should know? Yeah, not a lot of surprises. And that's good. It helps people prepare for the storm. Hurricane Center forecast has been pretty spot on.

6:10They said it would be a Category 2. It is a Category 2. The million-dollar question is, what will that intensity be at landfall in just over 24 hours from right now? It could be as strong as a Category 2. We're hoping that it weakens considerably right before landfall. It's possible. I mean, if we get really lucky, maybe it would just be a tropical storm. Then we'll have a lot less wind damage. But we have to prepare for a 2 because that's kind of worst-case scenario. So here's the forecast from the Hurricane Center. Man, these are every six hours. The new one will be at 11 o 'clock this evening.

6:407 to 11 p.m. landfall somewhere just to the east side here of Pensacola. If you remember over the last couple days, this has been shifting ever so slightly to the east. So the forecast keeps improving for New Orleans. You may not have even any rain. But, Luxie, your forecast is improving. Mobile, you're still on the edge of, like, power outages and wind damage. If we can get a little more to the east, it's better for you. But then the flip side of that is everyone to the east side, your forecast has been getting worse. That includes Destin. And that includes Fort Walton Beach and now towards Panama City.

7:09This is where the worst storm surge will be, too, to the east of that center. And that's where we're expecting that five to seven foot. This is worst case scenario, but that's high enough for considerable damage with wave action on top of that. As far as the winds go, now that we're thinking that the eye or whatever is left of it will be heading towards the Pensacola area, look at the forecast from the Weather Service. 102 mile per hour wind gusts is possible. That would be considerable wind damage to roofs, downed trees all over the place, and even far inland. Look at Monroeville. Could gust to 84.

7:40Montgomery, 52. So we have a lot of dense forests in these regions, and it hasn't been hit by a storm in a while like this. So we could see power outages for days, and that's why our power outage map in the red is widespread. Orange shows you scattered. That possibly even includes areas all the way to Atlanta, and that's going to be because we're going to get some severe weather out of this, maybe even thunderstorms with isolated tornadoes. And that's going to be along the Alabama-Georgia border all the way through the Florida Panhandle. This will be during the night. So we could have tornadoes out there after people lose power.

8:12So that's scary. And you may not even get your alerts on your phone anymore if the cell towers go down. So just be aware of that. If you have your weather radios handy, make sure they have batteries in them and you can get those alerts in the middle of the night tomorrow. As far as flooding goes, This storm is moving fast enough that we're not going to see widespread flooding. But this area down near where landfall is, that's the best chance. That's where we could see isolated 10-inch totals, Tom. Okay, Bill Karens, thanks for that. Tonight, Pensacola, Florida, bracing for what could be a direct hit.

8:40And joining Top Story Live tonight, the mayor of that great city, D.C. Reeves.

8:47Mayor Reeves, we thank you for coming on Top Story. I was getting a little interference there. Glad you could be with us. What's your biggest concern right now? Really, it's preparation for our citizens. What we can absolutely control here at the city is making sure police and fire is ready to go. We can make sure the stormwater ponds are down. What we can't control is wind speed. We can't control cone of uncertainty. We can't control when it gets here and what kind of damage is going to be here. But we can darn sure control those things to make sure our citizens are safe. And all we're really asking and frankly imploring is that our citizens do the same, that they do the same for their families, that they do the same for their neighbors, and that they heed these warnings, that they listen to these evacuations and these protocols that we put in front of them and that they're taking action right now.

9:36Yeah, that's my next question. Do you think people are listening to you? Yeah, unfortunately and fortunately, this is an area that's used to this. Unfortunately, because of the damage. And fortunately, because I think we do heed these warnings. And people have asked a lot about first-time residents, maybe people who haven't been through this. I was born and raised here. I've been through many. But actually, we're seeing from a lot of first-time Florida residents that it's not that they are complacent. It's that they're actually overly concerned, which, frankly, is a good thing. We want people to be asking questions about what they should be doing.

10:11And that's what we're getting right now. We're getting significant support. Senator Scott was here today trying to really drum up that awareness. We have our state federal partners at the ready. We've got significant resources coming in. And most importantly, we have decades of experience in our emergency operations center at this city, in this county that has dealt with this both here and throughout Florida. So we're ready to go. Yeah, so much of your beautiful city is surrounded by water. Should your entire city be evacuated or do you think there are sections that are going to be okay? Yeah, I mean, listen, obviously, Zone A's and B, those are going to be your Pensacola Beach, your coastal areas, waterfront homes, things like that.

10:54Obviously, we follow that science and we follow all of those decades of experience of who should or shouldn't go. But ultimately, when you're not in those mandatory areas, it's a personal decision. I'll tell you, even when I've ridden out many storms in this community where there wasn't a mandatory evacuation. But I'll be frank with you, it's not the most fun thing to do, to be out without power and to go through that. So, frankly, if there's not a necessity for you to be here for many reasons, and there are reasons to want to stay, then if you have the opportunity to evacuate, obviously that's the safest thing you can do.

11:33Speaking of evacuation, right, your residents can't really go north because the storm may still affect them there for a few days. and you don't want to go too far west because you may run into the storm as well. Are people kind of going further up the east coast or down into Florida, other parts? Listen, there's evacuations. It doesn't have to be hundreds of miles. If you live on Pensacola Beach and you go 20 miles inland, you're in a better situation than you are on the beach. So we think of evacuations as these large scale where you get out of the way of every band of rain. that isn't necessary, but getting further inland, getting to a safer place, and again, following those protocols, especially if you're in those mandatory evacuation zones, that's not a tomorrow thing.

12:16That's not a Friday thing. That's a Thursday thing. So we know that the interstates have been very, very saturated getting out of town, and potentially that's a good thing because that means people are heeding those warnings. Yeah. Were you surprised that a day ago the president wasn't even aware of this hurricane? I certainly can't speak to what the president has on his plate, but what I can certainly tell you, I do know that Senator Scott spoke with the president. He made that clear. He spoke with him yesterday and that we will have the full weight of those federal resources like FEMA, like Congressman Petronas, Senator Scott, to go to bat for us.

12:55And so I fully suspect that we have the entire support of the state of Florida and the federal government. Mayor, good luck tomorrow night. I'm sure you're going to need it, and we would love to talk to you if possible tomorrow. So we'll check in with you, and we'll be thinking and praying for your community there. Absolutely. We're here, we're ready, and looking forward to chatting with you, and we appreciate you getting that awareness out there. Thank you, Mayor. We're also following breaking news out of Washington tonight. The Pentagon announcing it will livestream the execution of the gunman convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood.

13:26Kelly O'Donnell joins us now live from the White House. Kelly, a lot of questions here. This comes after President Trump ordered the execution to be done by firing squad. Pick up the new developments we learned today. Well, first of all, a military execution is a rare event. It hasn't happened since the 1960s. And if you consider another firing squad military execution, that goes all the way back to World War II. And it was Secretary Hegseth who went to the president and recommended the use of a firing squad with this particular individual who carried out a mass casualty event against fellow soldiers.

14:03This is Nadal Hassan, a medical doctor. He was a psychiatrist in the Army and is no longer, of course, in the Army. He's been incarcerated since this event and was convicted in 2013. But making this even more unusual, Secretary Hegseth said that the public should be able to see this. And he said that's important to know the consequences of what happened. So when Hassan carried out this attack, he went into the Fort Hood, Texas, community, killed 13, wounded more than 30. He was wounded and remains in a wheelchair since in return fire. And this was a devastating blow to fellow soldiers. And he was motivated by radical ideology, according to the evidence that was presented in his case, had ties to al-Qaida and so forth.

14:51And so this is the kind of case where apparently the secretary of defense wants to make this an example. And so not only using a method that has not been done in decades, but also making it public. Now, military executions and, frankly, state executions typically have a witness component where there are individuals who observe it as a public act. But broadcasting it with live streaming is really at a new level, something we've never heard of, never seen before. Tom? And then, Kelly, you know, there's this question, and I don't know if it applies here, but cruel and unusual punishment, right? Does this constitute that?

15:27Does he have a case? Can he appeal this, or is it over? It is not over. Once the execution order is signed by the president, that has been done. He has the opportunity to appeal to federal courts, so outside the military justice system. It's important to point out that Hassan represented himself. I mentioned he was a medical doctor, but he acted as his own lawyer during his trial. So we don't know if he has any intention to appeal. And certainly the courts have allowed for firing squad and other methods not in violation of the, I believe it's the Eighth Amendment for protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

16:08But there are interesting circumstances here. We'll have to see if he appeals. The date for his execution is currently scheduled, December 3rd. So there's a little bit of time for other developments to take place. Tom? Yeah, and I was actually asking more for the live stream part of it, because that would be something new, but I'm sure they'll look at that. Kelly, we thank you for your reporting as always. Now to a growing demand for President Trump to fire his ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, following allegations from a Trump donor that she asked for$100 ,000 to pay off her credit card debt.

16:39Garrett Hick has been following this one. Tonight, new demands for President Trump's ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, to be fired over growing ethics questions. A star in the MAGA world for years, she's the ex-fiancee of his son Don Jr. Donald Trump will never stop fighting for you. Tonight, a top Trump donor alleging she asked him to pay off her$100 ,000 American Express balance days before her 2025 confirmation hearing, offering to help the donor access senior administration officials. She said to me she would be my ride or die. I mean, she was begging. She was pleading. that I pay that$100 ,000.

17:20Legal consultant Eric Dieters said he had offered her a million dollars for help drawing the administration's attention to a legal case he was involved in. Dieters shared hundreds of texts and signal messages with NBC News that he says were with Guilfoyle. He says in this message, Guilfoyle sent payment instructions, writing, it won't show up anywhere if you wire money to American Express, but that he did not send it. She was so desperate for that$100 ,000. Guilfoyle's attorney has not responded to a request for comment from NBC News, but told The Wall Street Journal the ambassador, quote, disputed the authenticity of the messages without providing specifics.

17:57Secretary of State Marco Rubio on a diplomatic visit to Athens, where he spent the day with Guilfoyle, dodging questions about her conduct. I don't even know what you're reporting is true. You guys somehow walk around thinking that because some source told you something and you reported it. It's the gospel. It's not the gospel. But Democrats demanding Guilfoyle be fired. She is not qualified to be ambassador to Greece, and she should be removed. And it comes amid ethics concerns surrounding others in the president's orbit. A Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin's inner circle saying this week Donald Trump Jr.

18:31paid him back after backlash following a report that the Russian had bankrolled Don Jr.'s wedding party in the Bahamas. And the New York Times, citing two sources familiar, reporting the president's top two campaign advisors were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to travel to and advise a pro-Russian regional government in the Balkans last weekend. Garrett Haig joins us now. Garrett, the president trying to distance himself from all of this? He's tried, Tom, but it will be difficult in the case of Lasaveta and James Blair, those two political advisors. One of them ran his campaign for president.

19:05The other runs his super PAC, basically in charge of$400 million of the president's campaign funds. The president has said these guys are political consultants and they're allowed to do this. It's legal. And that is true. They're not being accused of any kind of crime here. Their sins seem to be political ones. And I think it tells you something about the way Republicans are viewing these midterms. A source told me today that these men were just gone for the weekend for this trip to Europe to advise on technical issues here. But a lot of Republicans want them locked in on these midterms with less than a month to go.

19:40And their hands, if you will, writing so many of the big checks that so many Republicans need in this final stretch. All right. Garrett Hick, we thank you. Overseas now to that mysterious death in Russia at a lab that studies the plague. Authorities in Siberia now saying they've lifted emergency measures despite global concerns about a potential spread. Here's Raf Sanchez. Tonight, as President Trump prepares to speak to Vladimir Putin about the mysterious death of an employee at a plague research lab in Russia, authorities in Siberia say they're lifting the emergency measures imposed after the worrying incident.

20:1628-year-old Daria Shibilova, who worked at a remote anti-plague institute there, died suddenly last week. Initial Russian media reports said she may have been infected after an accident at the lab, while teams in hazmat suits put the facility in quarantine and placed hundreds of people under medical observation. The regional governor now says she died of pneumonia, and that 5 ,000 tests have found no presence of dangerous pathogenic microorganisms in the area. But six years on from the outbreak of COVID in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the death in Russia is causing global concern. China didn't say much, and Russia's not saying much either, but they do say they have it very much under control.

20:58The head of the CDC says it's monitoring travelers from the area, but noting the plague can easily be treated. It's a treatable, highly treatable bacterial disease with common antibiotics that most physicians within the United States can utilize. We are very confident that the threat to the United States is extremely low. Russia is also strongly denying reports that a second employee at that lab is now seriously sick, calling those reports fake information. Tom? Raf Sanchez with that update. Raf, thank you. We're going to stay overseas in the mounting anger boiling over in France. Thousands taking to the streets, clashing with police officers over conditions in schools.

21:38Our Richard Engel was in the middle of the chaos as officers deployed tear gas.

21:45French students aren't giving up, demanding their government spend more on their education. Thousands of protesters are here in Bastille Square, where the French Revolution began in 1789. And people here say they are continuing that same spirit of resistance and revolution. Where do you think this is going? I don't know. I mean, honestly, I think, like, all the students want to get, like, heard. MILES O' Demonstrators say the only response they have seen so far is a heavy-handed police crackdown. The police here have now just given what they say is their last warning for people to clear out of this entire area.

22:24MILES O' Many didn't budge. The police charges were quick and violent, officers swinging clubs with full force and knocking demonstrators to the ground. TEAR GAS IS NOW JUST FALLING RIGHT AROUND US. SOME OF THE DEMONSTRATORS ARE TRYING TO KICK IT AWAY, TO THROW IT AWAY. THIS IS THE HEAVIEST BALLING OF TEAR GAS THAT WE 'VE SEEN SO FAR TODAY. THE GAS KEPT COMING, MAKING THE AIR FEEL LIKE IT WAS ON FIRE. AS WE MOVED AWAY, A POLICE STUN GRENADE EXPLODED NEXT TO US. The crowds ultimately dispersed, but they vow to keep coming out until the government fixes what they say are France's broken schools.

23:15The French government says more than 70 ,000 people turned out at today's demonstrations, and the French public is deeply divided over them, mostly along political lines, with right-wing groups calling them juvenile delinquents who must be stopped, and left-wing groups fully supporting them. Okay, Richard Engel, when we come back, is there a serial killer in Michigan? Police there looking into a string of deaths, what we're learning tonight. Plus, the San Diego chef arrested after more than a decade on the run. Why he's accused of living a double life. And outrage on a Frontier flight without air conditioning.

23:49Passengers left on board in the sweltering heat with some trying to rush the exit. Stay with us.

24:01The wrongs we must right. The fights we must win. The future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.

24:31It's the holiday season at House of Burl, which means that it's the perfect moment to review some key rules. Rule number five, more style means more celebration. Number four, buy gifts, but remember to treat yourself too. Number three, there is no dress code, but always leave them talking. Number two, show off different outfits. No party remains unattended. And rule number one, have it all without spending it all. Happy holidays from House of Burl, Burlington. I'm pretty confident talking into a mic. Hey, I'm doing it right now. But home projects? I second guess everything. Is that noise normal?

25:09Is that water damage? Who do I even call? That's where Thumbtack comes in. Just upload a photo or voice note, and it uses AI-powered search to match you with the right top-rated local pro. So instead of guessing, you get clarity and can hire with confidence. For your next home project, try Thumbtack. Hire the right pro today. We're back with the investigation to a possible serial killer in Michigan after five men were killed in similar circumstances all along the same trail in the last year. Shaquille Brewster has the details. Tonight, police are urgently investigating the possible connection between five deaths along this river trail in Lansing, Michigan.

25:48One question that we are being asked is, do we have a serial killer in Lansing? The string of deaths all in the last year, targeting men who were homeless. Most of the victims, they say, suffering blunt force trauma to the head. We believe that our victims in this case were lying down, potentially even sleeping. Last October, police finding 54-year-old Gino Chouinard. Months later, on July 9th, 70-year-old Dennis Dunabak. Just four days later, 57-year-old Robert Smith also found injured and unresponsive. Then in August, 22-year-old Daniel Lusk. Ten days later, 57-year-old Louis Woodruff, all attacked along the same trail.

26:29But unlike the others, Lusk was stabbed to death. Police identifying Edward Smith as the suspect in his death and charging Smith with murder. And I'll tell you, the difference between the solved case is camera surveillance. Police say they're still investigating if there's a connection, recently starting a tip line for the public and deploying cameras and overnight patrols. He was a nice person. He was a great athlete. A move coming a year too late for Gene O'Shaunard's family. Somebody needs to pay for this crime that he did not deserve. Nobody, none of those people really deserve it. As they and the Lansing community ask who's behind these troubling deaths.

27:08All right, with that, Shaq joins us. And Shaq, there's another pattern police are looking into that these attacks may have happened at the same time of day? That's exactly right, Tom. Police saying that most of these attacks took place in the overnight hours, and that's what's made it so difficult as they've tried to investigate. There are two to no witnesses. There's very little video surveillance cameras except for that one stabbing that we talked about in the piece. And police also say they're now working with advocacy groups to move the homeless population to other areas, saying that once they started raising flags about these killings, They saw a 50 % reduction in the homeless population around those trails.

27:48But one thing that Gino's family told me is that he had collapsed lungs, but no other injuries below his waist. They believe this was an ambush, and that's why they're hoping that they can get to the bottom of this, and they don't want his death connected to any more in the future, Tom. Yeah, we hope they can get to the bottom of it as well. Okay, Shaquille Brewster, Shaq, thank you. Now to the wanted fugitive found more than a decade after police say he went on the run. but he wasn't exactly hiding. Instead of working as a head chef in San Diego, even making TV appearances. Our Liz Kreutz with how police caught up to him leaving that double life.

28:22Tonight, a stunning case of double identity. Authorities say this man, a popular San Diego chef who went by the name Troy Williams, is actually a wanted fugitive from Iowa, 50-year-old Brian Anthony Williams. The U.S. Marshals Service says he's been living a secret life for nearly 15 years after going on the run following his involvement in a violent kidnapping. This is so wild, like Netflix-style wild. Eddie Gerardo is Williams' former roommate and the general manager of Miss B's Coconut Club, the restaurant where Williams is head chef and has worked for more than a decade. Troy's always popping off.

29:00It's where authorities arrested Williams this week. Troy, we knew, was a vegan, straight edge. He was a good guy here. Loved by everybody. Authorities say Williams has been wanted since 2012, when he and co-conspirators allegedly kidnapped, assaulted and shot a woman, then left her in a field outside Davenport, Iowa. According to the U.S. Marshals, in September, officials determined he was living in San Diego under the identity Troy Williams, where he worked as a chef and was appearing in TV segments like this one. We're just like family. All of us are really good friends. Williams was even the subject of this local Black History Month profile earlier this year.

29:38and described growing up poor in the projects of New York. Clearly not from New York. There's a whole other person that we don't know. And that's what's, honestly, that scares me a little bit, man, or a lot. Authorities tell NBC News his media appearances and interviews help lead them to Williams, who is now expected to be extradited back to Iowa. Okay, Liz Kroets joins us tonight. Liz, this is a strange one. It's interesting. He started doing TV appearances and putting himself out there. Do we know where he is tonight? And what kind of charges he's still facing? Yeah, Tom, I mean, it makes you think that he just started getting a little too comfortable, a little too relaxed in his new life in San Diego as he put himself out there.

30:20And that's what authorities say helped them identify him. We do know that he faces very serious charges, unlawful first-degree kidnapping, first-degree arson, assault. These charges, if convicted, he could face life in prison. He's currently right now in custody in San Diego. He has a first hearing tomorrow. As we mentioned, it's expected he could be extradited to Iowa. But, Tom, you saw the general manager, his friends there. They are shocked. They say they never could have imagined this. And he said they have really mixed emotions because on one hand, they are angry at him for lying to them.

30:53They're upset by these horrible allegations. But also, this is their friend. And they said he was a really good guy. So a really complicated one, Tom. Yeah, two really distinct lives. Okay, thank you, Liz. Coming up on Top Story, a major update on Sean Diddy Combs. Following our report, you'll remember about his VIP lifestyle in prison. Remember the massages? What we just learned about his release date. Plus, the wild police pursuit oversees an officer ending up on the roof of this car while trying to chase down some suspects. How it happened. But first, Top Story's top moment. An incredible athlete who just smashed a world record holding a plank for five hours.

31:31And get this, she's a grandma. Take a look. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 9, 4, 3, 2, 1. That 61-year-old Donna Jean Wilde, Guinness World Record holder for the longest plank by a woman, breaking her own previous time at the World Senior Games. What a champion. She's got to be so strong. All right, stay with us. More top story after this. I'm going to hold a plank during the commercial break. Watch.

32:10We're back now and monitoring the first debate in a race that could make or break Democrats' bid for Senate control. Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed fighting to maintain the seat left open by a retiring Democrat there in the state of Michigan. He's trying to pull moderate Democrats into his coalition after a fierce primary contest, campaigning today with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. His opponent, Republican Mike Rogers, making his second bid for the Senate in just two years. He lost to Democrat Elisa Slotkin in 2024, even as President Trump won the state. And now he's trailing El-Sayed in the polls.

32:43NBC senior national politics reporter Jonathan Allen, a good friend of Top Story, he's been watching this debate closely for us. John, El-Sayed has been trying to get Rogers on the debate stage for several months. He got his wish tonight. How are both candidates looking early on? Yeah, Tom, it's brutish, nasty, and long so far. VERY, VERY VITUPERATIVE. THESE GUYS ARE REALLY GOING AFTER EACH OTHER ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. EL-SAYED HAS SAID THAT MIKE ROGERS IS BOUGHT OFF BY CORPORATIONS. ROGERS SAID THAT EL-SAYED IS A CON MAN. THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF AGREEMENT, THOUGH. THEY BOTH WANT TO PAUSE GAS TAXES BECAUSE THE ECONOMY HAS BEEN SO HURT.

33:20AND THEY BOTH THINK THAT SOME TARIFFS, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM WERE GOOD. ALL RIGHT. RIGHT NOW, GAS PRICES IN MICHIGAN, ABOUT$4.39 PER GALLON. That's up$1.39 from a year ago. Here's some of what each candidate has said tonight about the economy. Let's listen. I know how much it costs me to fill up my gas tank. It is insane. $80. $80 to fill up your gas tank. And yes, I would support pausing the federal gas tax. But there is one thing that is actually causing this. It's the war in Iran. A war that has been cheerlead by my opponents since the beginning. Called it a win, win, win. So I've called for a diesel rebate, number one.

33:57and a pause on exports of diesel to give a temporary break. We can resume that once the war comes to an end. I do believe it's going to come to an end. We need it to come to an end. John, talk to us about how cost of living is playing into this race because it's playing everywhere across the country. Yeah, I mean, prices are everything. You named it. Unless you live in Martha's Vineyard or Jackson Hole, you are feeling prices, and even a lot of the people who live in those places are feeling the increase in prices. So that's gas, that's groceries. If you're a farmer, that's fertilizer, it's diesel fuel.

34:32No matter where you live in this country, you're feeling it. And at the same time, we're seeing interest rates go up about 7.5 % on home mortgages right now. Yeah, President Trump has been attacking El-Sayed online. He and other Republicans have tried to paint him as a radical. What is he doing to sort of push back on that narrative tonight and on the trail? Well, I think what he's done on the trail and tonight is to talk about Michigan voters and to focus on the economy as much as possible. He has said repeatedly tonight that this isn't about the personalities of him and Rogers, even though they're both attacking each other's personalities, but it's about Michigan voters.

35:09And so that's been his main, his main shield is simply to divert back to the economy. Now, Rogers is accusing El-Sayed of supporting policies that would raise taxes, so the Medicare for All plan. And El-Sayed is accusing Rogers of supporting the policies that are currently keeping prices high, including the Iran war. Do we know how voters feel about Rogers? He's sort of had an interesting relationship with President Trump. He's kind of been back and forth a few times, right? Yeah, I mean, I think we're going to find out a little bit on election day about that, of course, Tom, how they feel about Rogers.

35:42But it's interesting. He's one of a couple of candidates across the country this year. John Sununu is another one, a senator from New Hampshire, who are old enough and in Congress early enough to have been there for George W. Bush and supported his wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and now are also having to deal with President Trump's foreign policy. So having essentially to run away from or at least balance their positions a little bit against presidents of their own party. All right, John, always great to see you. And I'm sure we're going to see you more in the lead up to the midterm elections.

36:15Thank you, my friend. Now to Top Stories News Feed, starting with a developing situation here in New York City. Police say a person was shot by an ICE officer during an Operation Upper Manhattan. That person was apparently in a vehicle when at least one officer opened fire. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani says a five-year-old was also in the car but was unharmed. We're told the shot individual is expected to survive. It's unclear right now what caused the shooting. Governor Holko is calling on federal authorities to provide a full report of this incident. New criminal charges against former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

36:49In an updated indictment, a U.S. prosecutor accused Maduro and his wife of conspiring to torture political opponents, as well as some Americans. It all comes after the U.S. military seized the couple from their home in Caracas to face drug trafficking charges in New York. Their attorneys have yet to comment publicly on the new allegations. And a wild ride for one officer during a dangerous police pursuit in western India. Look at this. That officer clinging to the roof of an SUV as it speeds down the highways. Authorities say it happened when they tried to pull over three people suspected of smuggling tobacco.

37:20Eventually, police got to the car and they got it to stop. They took the suspects into custody. Also tonight, passengers physically fighting back after they were stuck on a Frontier Airlines plane in Atlanta, leaving everyone on board sweltering without air conditioning. Tom Costello has this one. Frustration and anger boiling over on a Frontier Airlines plane stuck at the gate in Atlanta. as passengers tried to rush the exit, blocked by a flight attendant. Passengers claimed they were stuck on board for an hour with no AC after the jet bridge failed and electricity went out. Flight attendants worried that without the jet bridge, someone could have fallen 15 feet to the airport ramp below.

38:00Frontier tells NBC News it's looking into how long passengers were stuck, but a mechanical issue caused the jet bridge to become misaligned with the cabin door, thus precluding a full deplaning until maintenance personnel could address the issue. Meanwhile, in California, cell phone video captured the moment that John Wayne Airport police say a Delta Airline passenger tried to steal an airline tug, driving erratically before crashing into another airport vehicle. Pilots on the ground forced to sit and wait. Security breached the airport. Someone stole the tug, so they pretty much shut down for the ground stop, matter of fact.

38:37The airport says the suspect also tried to drive off in a truck that empties aircraft toilets. The Orange County Sheriff's Department says deputies arrested 26-year-old Skyler J. Barr of Everett, Washington. On charges of vehicle theft, trespassing and vandalism, he was taken to a hospital for evaluation. The airport says Barr walked through a door at gate 12, then made his way down to the ramp. If the door was also a fire door, it could not be deadbolted. Tom? We have a big update tonight on Sean Diddy Combs. Tonight, the rapper's prison release date has been pushed back following our NBC News reporting about the VIP lifestyle he was living behind bars, getting access to a contraband phone, which you can see here, as well as premium liquor, and paying several inmates to do his chores, cook him these special meals, and even give him massages in prison.

39:30Those details, according to four men who served time with Combs, We reported earlier this month that Combs had been placed in solitary confinement after that reporting. NBC's Chloe Malas joins us now. She's been breaking a lot of stories on this. So, Chloe, you have new reporting about how Diddy was sanctioned after your reports came out? Sure, that's right. So the Bureau of Prisons, Tom, launched an investigation. As we previously told you, Combs was put in something called the SHU, the special housing unit, also known as solitary confinement. He was supposed to be released in January 2028. Now he is officially going to be released in March of 2028.

40:04So as a result of our NBC News exclusive reporting, Sean Combs has lost 41 days of good conduct time. So as you are an inmate in federal prison, if you participate in certain types of programs, you can earn up to 54 days a year off of your sentence. So we had actually seen his release date moved up a little earlier. And then because of our story, now he has another 41 days on top of his current sentence that he has to serve. And we're hearing from Didi's team tonight? Yeah, so the Bureau of Prisons is not commenting on the record, but I do want to tell you, we just got a statement from his publicist who says, we have not been provided with any official findings or explanation of the disciplinary action you described, so I am not going to speculate about its basis or consequences.

40:47Sean remains focused on serving his sentence and returning to his family. Okay. Chloe Moloss, again, a lot of new reporting on this. We thank you for that. Still to come tonight here on Top Story, meet the TikToker on a journey through one of the most dangerous places on Earth, navigating the Congo Basin in nothing but an inflatable kayak. You heard me right. Plus, how much does Amazon know about you? The new page revealing observations the company has made about shoppers, things like has a bad father and is antisocial. We'll show you where to find it right after this.

41:21The wrongs we must right. The fights we must win. The future we must secure together for our nation. This is what's in front of us. This determines what's next for all of us. We are Marines. We were made for this.

41:50It's the holiday season at House of Burl, which means that it's the perfect moment to review some key rules. Rule number five, more style means more celebration. Number four, buy gifts, but remember to treat yourself too. Number three, there is no dress code, but always leave them talking. Number two, show off different outfits. No party remains unattended. and rule number one have it all without spending it all happy holidays from house of burl burlington you know recommendations can be great maybe someone recommended this podcast and here you are but home projects are different if a podcast isn't your thing you lose a few minutes if you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your tv you might end up with a lopsided screen and wall damage maybe i know a guy just isn't enough for your home that's why thumbtack works it matches you with top rated local pros with photos, reviews, and credentials all in one place.

42:46For your next home project, try Thumbtack. Hire the right pro today. Back now with a man taking over so many TikTok feeds. He's a Welsh explorer setting off on a 400-mile journey through the Congo Basin, and he's doing it all in an inflatable kayak. Millions have tuned in as he's documented his preps, and today he's setting off. Ryan Chandler takes a closer look. Day one, let's go. The daring farewell before one of the most dangerous journeys on Earth. This is the Sangha River. For the next month or so, Welsh adventurer Ash Dykes plans to float more than 400 miles from the Central African Republic to the Democratic Republic of Congo by way of the Sangha River.

43:29It's murky and it's flowing fast. Along the way, potentially dangerous obstacles like hippos, crocodiles, river rapids and parasites. All these little smiles in the water, I'm like. What is that? And he's planning to face them all in his inflatable kayak. Yes, boys. Yes, yes, yes. He won't be alone. He says he's bringing a guide and a photographer with him. And he's taking his millions of followers along for the ride too, posting, he says, using Starlink. Setting up the Starlink. It'd be amazing if that happens. Many of Dyches' prep videos going viral before his kayak even left the banks. In here, we've got a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat.

44:12Inspiring spin-offs. We've just been dropped in the Congo Basin. Support. And skepticism. Let's leave that part of the world alone. Parasites and things are pretty nasty in there. Adventurer John Bowermaster has kayaked in the Congo. Red ants, pretty viral all over. I'm sure darts will become very, unfortunately, familiar with those. Why do you think people all over the world have connected with Ash's adventure? You know, well, despite the fact that a lot of us are glued to our chairs and our devices, et cetera, I think there still is an incredible lust for adventure and for getting out there.

44:53Shut up the three tents. Tonight, Ash showing off the first campsite of a long journey ahead. Yeah, it's so good. Ryan joins us now. Ryan, I have two questions for you. First, you know, hearing about the story, one of the things I wanted to know was, do they have any weapons? Does he have any weapons? Well, you know, Tom, we were talking with that adventurer in our piece, and he actually said when he goes out, he doesn't recommend you to take a weapon like a gun to defend yourself. He said hippos are a big danger, but you don't want to cause a situation where you could cause damage to the environment around you.

45:32He said there are savvy ways to make sure you don't get in any danger like that. We just don't know, though, what kind of equipment he's taking to keep himself safe on this journey, Tom. Do we know why he's doing this? Is it all about the thrill or is it to learn something? It's about the thrill and the notoriety. You know, he's kind of made a career out of being something of an adventurer influencer. This is not the first time he's done this. He actually claims five world records under his belt. Most recently, back in 2019, he walked 4 ,000 miles along the Yangtze River. It took him almost a year.

46:10Back in 2016, he traversed the entire length of Madagascar. He actually contracted malaria while he did that. So this has been a thing that he's really built a reputation off of. And this is not the first adventure that he's doing in the near future. He's going to do five more adventures in a project he's calling Project 6. A TOTAL OF SIX DARING ADVENTURES THROUGHOUT THE NEXT YEAR, TOM. OKAY, RYAN CHANDLER FOR US. RYAN, WE THANK YOU. NOW TO THE AMAZON AI FEATURE THAT'S GETTING QUITE THE REACTION ONLINE. IT'S CALLED ABOUT YOU. AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY A CUSTOMER PROFILE THAT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR PREFERENCES AND TRENDS IN SHOPPING.

46:46BUT SOME PEOPLE ONLINE ARE CALLING ATTENTION TO THE BIZARRE, INACCURATE, AND SOMETIMES TOO ACCURATE DESCRIPTIONS. THE FAMILY IS SCARED OF MANTISES. LIKE, PRAYING MANTISES? WHY AM I SUCH A LOSER? Has a cat. Consistently maintains cat supplies. Forget the hinge profiles. I want to see your Amazon Prime insights. We asked Amazon about why the feature is giving these descriptions, and they pointed us to their website, which says, About You lets you view and edit the personal details that shape your shopping recommendations. So what does Amazon really know about you? Joining me now is Olivia Tauber, a digital culture editor at Mashable.

47:25Olivia, thanks for being here on Top Story. Appreciate it. So I want to read you a few of the wild ones that we have that have come out here so far. Let's put these up on the screen for our viewers. One woman's home and family category wrote, quote, has a bad father. Another person's product preference wrote, has flat buttocks. One woman's interests and hobbies said, used to like Ryan Reynolds, but not so much anymore. And another woman's home and family category said, husband has skinny legs. I will note most of the descriptions are a bit more tame and a bit more accurate. But how is Amazon sort of finding all this data?

47:58Yeah, so Amazon scrapes data from a few different places. First of all, it's what I found more surprising from Amazon Alexa. So a lot of information is coming from that. And then also just normal things that you would expect, like your search history and your reviews. If you place any reviews online, it can take information from there, too. You know, a lot of people, I know our family, there's multiple people on the account. So how accurate does it become when you start mixing in like different people in the family? Yeah, I mean, I think that definitely convolutes it a little bit. I have two sisters and also my mom and we're all on the same Amazon account.

48:33So it said some things about like beauty supplies that I don't have or certain things that it was getting confused about. But at the end of the day, a lot of people are finding these to be pretty accurate. So when it says something like a flat buttocks, like how do you get how does how does Amazon get to that point? I mean, I don't know. Okay. But I think from what Amazon says on their privacy details, it does say that it takes information for anything that you're searching up. So maybe if you looked up a pair of pants that are, like, can fit that type of shape. Or, but I don't know. Or you looked up, like, a butt pad or something for a chair.

49:11Yeah, a butt pad. Like, anything, it can start to make assumptions about you. Okay. And, I mean, the scraping is being used through AI. So as we know, sometimes AI can get things wrong or it can pick up on a tracker that doesn't exist. So yeah, you should take everything with a grain of salt. Yeah, let's show our viewers how this works. So we have an Amazon Prime account set up on this laptop that you're going to see behind us here. Our Brave producer, Haley, has let us use her family's account here. So walk me through this. So you go into the three bars here on the left, which usually says all.

49:43Yes. And then you're going to go down to... Scroll to the very bottom. To the bottom of your account. your account. Okay, there we go. And then you'll see right there on the bottom left about you. So if you press that, it'll be able to pull up. Oh, and here it is. There it is. So this is again, this is Haley's family. She told me there's nothing too bad here. So it says that she lives in New York. That's fine. She prioritizes organic and premium food ingredients, cooks regularly at home, maintains steady grocery shopping rhythm. Okay, let's see what else anything else interesting here. Likely owns a laptop, probably has a Nutribullet blender.

50:17All right. Let's see what else. Interested hobbies, cooks at home, reads business and self-improvement books. All right. Grocery shopping, product preferences, plant-based protein supplements. All right. Nothing too scandalous there. And she says it's pretty much on the money, at least when it comes to this. So most people's profiles is closer to that. I think so. I mean, it was for me personally. But when I was discussing this with my editors this morning in our morning call, we were all giving our examples. And some people's were a little bit more outrageous. Like one of my colleagues said that hers said prefers one-armed bathing suits, even though she said she's never worn a one-armed bathing suit.

50:57So I don't know. What is a one-armed bathing suit? Like goes across the chest. Oh, okay, okay. All right. So, yeah, I think that it can probably take assumptions that from information that isn't. Maybe, yeah. But at the end of the day, we don't know. I asked Amazon for a comment. They didn't reply. SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ON WHAT IT KNOWS ABOUT US. YEAH. WHICH HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION FOR A WHILE WITH DATA SHARING. SO ONE OF THE WAYS IT PULLS INFORMATION IS FROM WHAT YOU ASK ALEXA TO AND OR IF YOU'RE SHOPPING THROUGH ALEXA. HOW DOES THAT WORK? YES. SO ACTUALLY ALEXA DOES HAVE DATA SHARING SETTING ON IN YOUR SETTINGS.

51:34SO IF YOU GO INTO YOUR SETTINGS YOU CAN TURN THAT OFF. AND THAT'S A WAY FOR THEM NOT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE LIKE ANY OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO ALEXA ABOUT. NOW, THAT DOESN'T CLARIFY IF EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING AROUND THE ALEXA IS BEING MONITORED, BUT THERE IS A WAY TO TURN OFF ANY SORT OF DATA SHARING IF YOU WANT TO. YOU CAN ALSO MUTE YOUR AMAZON ALEXA IF YOU'RE EVER CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. YEAH. OLIVIA TAUBER, YOU CAN READ HER IN MASHABLE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING ON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IT WAS GREAT. APPRECIATE IT. WHEN WE COME BACK TONIGHT, RETURNING HOME, THOUSANDS OF SAILORS ABOARD THE USS LINCOLN FINALLY PULLING INTO PORT AFTER more than 300 days at sea.

52:13Coming up, those emotional reunions, including the dads getting to meet their newborn babies for the very first time. Stay with us.

52:23Finally tonight, the long-awaited homecoming, the USS Abraham Lincoln arriving back on American shores after a record-breaking deployment, sailors and Marines hugging their loved ones for the first time in nearly a year, and some new fathers on board meeting their babies for the first time. Our Courtney Kuby was there. These are the moments these families have waited nearly a year for.

52:53Homecoming for the USS Abraham Lincoln. We were on board as the ship docked near San Diego today after a historic deployment 322 days away from home. Their time at sea was brutal, the conditions often challenging amid an ongoing war. On board, as they pulled in today, the excitement was palpable, especially for sailor Brent Ledbetter. Just days after he deployed last November, his wife Jessica gave birth to their first child. And he's about to meet his 10-month-old baby Nathan for the first time. Really, I just want to hold him, play with him. You know, he's crawling around now, so I'm excited to chase him around the house and, you know, just give him all the love.

53:34On land, tears of joy as the anticipation builds. Jessica waits with baby Nathan as the ship pulls in. Just seeing the ship from the bridge, it's like I'm almost in tears. Then, finally, this incredible moment. What?

53:56Their family of three together for the first time. It's surreal. Yeah. It's, uh, unreal. It hit me that, like, we're family. A reunion 10 months in the making. And a family ready to begin a new chapter together. Courtney Kuby, NBC News, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. So great to see those families together again. That does it for us here at Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. Stay informed with the NBC News app. Major developments out of the White House. Read, watch, and listen throughout your day. And now, unlock even more with an NBC News subscription.

54:40Get deeper reporting and exclusive articles. Plus, more insight, analysis, and content only for subscribers. When you really look inside these numbers... It's more context and clarity from the reporters you trust. Download the NBC News app now and subscribe for more.