Tuesday, September 29, 2026

0:00Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top-rated pros, see price estimates, and read reviews all on the app. Download today. Some say Odoo business management software is like fertilizer because of the way it promotes growth. Some say Odoo is like a magic beanstalk, scaling with you while being magically affordable.

0:30And some say Odoo's programs for manufacturing, accounting, and more are like building blocks for creating a custom software suite. But I say Odoo is all of it. Fertilizer Magic Beanstalk building blocks for business. Yeah, Odoo, exactly what every business needs. Sign up at odoo.com. That's O-D-O-O dot com. Breaking news tonight. The flash flood emergency in the southwest. New evacuations issued. The dam at risk of failing at any moment. The daring helicopter rescue, this driver, trapped on top of the vehicle surrounded by water, proves racing to reach this man. The belonging swept away and now tens of millions at risk from Arizona to Iowa.

1:12Also breaking tonight, the American Idol contestant, accused of murdering his wife, found guilty. His emotional breakdown as the verdict was read. Lindsay Clancy's lawyers bombshell claim in court why he now argues there's no evidence she killed her kids as her retrial hangs in the balance. NBC News exclusive never before seen footage of Sean Diddy Combs behind bars using an illegal cell phone. How he pays inmates to make his food, score booze, even give him massages. A toddler pulling out a loaded gun at a daycare. Now a parent is under arrest. What the police chief says happened. The Six Flags roller coaster permanently shut down after riders sued saying it caused traumatic brain injuries.

2:00And the high schoolers jumping into action to save their bus driver having a medical emergency at the wheel. How they work together to stop that bus and get help. Plus the college student miraculously surviving an eight story plunge. What broke her fall and likely saved her life. Top story starts right now.

2:23Good evening. As we come on the air, a dangerous flash flood emergency forcing people from their homes. Tens of millions at risk across the Southwest, and the worst is still to come. First responders, take a look at this in Arizona, racing against the clock to rescue stranded drivers. Teams finding this man on top of his car, surrounded by the raging waters. Streets there completely washed out, and residents' belongings seem just floating down the road. This interstate in New Mexico overtaken by flash floods, a car swept up, and at this hour, the National Guard is standing by. Here's why. Right now, this dam in southern New Mexico is on the verge of failure, forcing officials to trigger evacuation notices, urging people to get out now.

3:05And overnight, Nevada rescue teams careening down a drainage tunnel to save a man who fell into the fast-moving waters. Colorado also seen some serious flooding, this road destroyed by the storm. But the threat is far from over with areas bracing for a month's worth of rain in just a few days. Our Priscilla Thompson is tracking it all. She leads us off from Texas. Tonight, harrowing rescues in the southwest as millions are at risk for dangerous flooding. They have a male on top of the truck. He's about 50 yards in the middle of the riverway. West of Phoenix, first responders in Maricopa County, Arizona, seen here hovering above the raging water, racing to reach this man, stranded on top of a submerged vehicle, surrounded by water.

3:52Rescuers hoisting him to safety. Officials say they made multiple rescues in the county today. North of Las Cruces, New Mexico, a man seemingly trapped in his van as fast-moving floodwaters overtook Interstate 25. A flash flood emergency declared in part of Doña Ana County. Fears a dam could fail. Families in nearby towns urged to evacuate because of potential flooding. And in Clark County, Nevada, rescuers pulling this man out of a drainage tunnel overnight. All of it part of a days-long deluge, now putting 25 million people under flood alerts from Arizona to Texas and even into Iowa. In Bullhead City, Arizona, roads turned into rivers Monday.

4:35At one point, a mattress seen floating down the street as a truck plows through the high water. And tonight, the threat in the southwest is far from over. Priscilla Thompson joins us now live from Houston. Priscilla, that storm's set to batter parts of Texas. How are officials preparing there? Yeah, Tom, Texas expecting to get hit hard starting tomorrow with up to seven inches of rain possible in parts of central Texas. You've got cities like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio all in that area that could see a month's worth of rain in just a few days. already the governor here in Texas has stood up an emergency operations center that will be going 24-7.

5:13He's also activated hundreds of additional people out and crews out in the field and also those resources like high water vehicles and they are urging people to have their emergency kits ready and of course if you see those floodwaters do not attempt to drive through them as it could be life-threatening. Tom? Okay Priscilla, Tom since starting us off here on Top Story I want to bring in our good friend meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill this is a serious flood threat right now affecting several states. Walk us through the timeline. Yeah, as expected tonight, it's the worst in New Mexico. This is where we have the closest proximity to what's left of Polo as it moves through Mexico.

5:47It's not often we see almost the entire state of New Mexico covered in rain, the yellow and the reds being the heavier rain. So the storm itself will be racing through its weakening over the mountains of Mexico. So Polo is not a threat with the wind, but now we're going to start bringing it to El Paso, Roswell, Rudeoso. If you remember that had horrific flooding only two years ago, they could actually get it too. All the red boxes on here, one, two, three, we got at least nine or 10 flash flood warnings. And we do have that one flash flood emergency for that earthen dam that could possibly give way.

6:17It looks like they just reissued that there. So let's get in a little closer to show you the areas of greatest concern. This area from El Paso northwards here, heading up to Roswell, this is torrential rainfall. And this will continue probably for at least the next six to 12 hours. We also have numerous bands of thunderstorms coming out of Arizona of all places. As far as the flash flood emergency goes, it's right in here. There's only one little spot there. So we'll continue to keep an eye on that. They have done some evacuations in the towns of Salem and in Garfield. So here's the setup as we go through tomorrow, right where Priscilla is going to be located in areas through about central Texas northwards from Sonora to Abilene, Dallas, Wichita Falls to Oklahoma City.

6:55You're in a moderate risk of significant flash flooding tomorrow. And we call this flash flood alley. This is Texas hill country. And so the water can collect very quickly and give some significant flash flooding. So we'll see how this all plays out this time tomorrow in this area from central Texas all the way through west Texas. And I also don't want to forget, we have a chance of some very heavy rain too, Tom, in areas of southern Iowa to northern Missouri. It looks like on Thursday, we're going to have a slight risk of some severe weather and also some flash flooding. By Friday, we finally get a break.

7:26Okay, Bill Kerens first. Bill, thank you. We're going to turn down to some breaking news tonight on a high-profile trial we've been following here on Top Story. Former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn found guilty of murdering his wife, breaking down in tears as the verdict was read in court. NBC's Shaquille Brewster has the latest. Tonight, former American Idol contestant Caleb Flynn breaking down in court. An Ohio jury convicting him of murdering his wife. Caleb C. Flynn guilty of murder. After just over two hours of deliberations, jurors finding him guilty on all nine counts. He's now facing a maximum sentence of life behind bars without parole.

8:03The defendant executed Ashley. In closing arguments, prosecutors argued the former music pastor was having an affair when he shot and killed his wife Ashley in February, then staged a home invasion to mislead investigators. The defendant wanted a new life. He wanted Ashley out of that life. Prosecutors pointing to the more than 100 ,000 text messages exchanged between 40-year-old Flynn and his now 24-year-old mistress, Aaliyah Botner, even playing clips from AI-generated songs he wrote to her. We danced on the edge of a life we could choose. Botner testifying against him. How would you describe your feelings for the defendant today?

8:49I hate him. Why the change from love to hate? Because I believe that he murdered his wife. Flynn's attorneys tonight promising an appeal of the verdict, pleading with jurors in their closing arguments. His being unfaithful doesn't equal murder. Flynn is expected to be sentenced October 5th. THE DEFENSE TRIED TO ARGUE SHAK BRUISTER JOINS US NOW. SHAK, QUITE THE DAY IN COURT. THE DEFENSE TRIED TO ARGUE THERE WAS A LACK OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE BUT JURORS WEREN'T BUYING IT. IT WASN'T FOR A LACK OF TRYING. WE HEARD THROUGH THE CLOSING ARGUMENTS THE DEFENSE TRIED TO POKE AS MANY HOLES AS THEY COULD IN THE CASE BEING LAID OUT BY THE PROSECUTION.

9:30THEY POINTED TO THE FACT THERE WAS NEVER A GUN THAT WAS recovered, that Flynn's hands weren't tested for gun residue, that apparently investigators didn't search the flock cameras nearby, essentially trying to say that it was the investigation that was the problem here. Essentially, the jury completely rejecting that, convicting Flynn on all nine counts. And one key piece of evidence, Tom, beyond the text messages that we laid out in that story there was the electronic data. Flynn had an Apple watch, and apparently when he told investigators he was sleeping, the Apple watch and the data from that That watch showed that he was moving around, that he was even on his phone at one point.

10:07All crucial evidence that the jury ultimately sided with. Shaq Brewster for us. Shaq, thank you. To that other major story we're following tonight, Lindsay Clancy back in a Massachusetts courtroom today. The first time since her case ended in a mistrial just weeks ago. And now her defense attorney putting forth a bombshell claim arguing there was no evidence Clancy killed her kids. It comes as a prosecutor ways if there will be how they're going to move forward with a retrial. Here's Emily Akeda. She was told. Back in court tonight, Lindsay Clancy's future hanging in the balance with no decision from the district attorney on whether he'll retry the Massachusetts mom on first-degree murder.

10:45We're doing a very thorough review right now, and we're going to continue to do our job to make sure that we do what's best for the interests of justice and the interests of the three children. The uncertainty comes as Clancy's defense urged the judge in court today to block any possibility of a second trial, shifting their focus away from Clancy's mental state and arguing there wasn't enough evidence to prove she even killed her three children. You have the woefully deficient DNA. You have the woefully deficient fingerprinting. It was not even a horrendous investigation. There was no investigation.

11:18The prosecution calling that argument laughable is a laughable argument and reiterating Clancy was of sound mind during the 2023 killings. A defendant who has mental illness can commit crimes and can be criminally responsible. Also in court today, one of the attorneys for the holdout juror, Michael Desronville, pushing back against the defense's effort to examine him and his phone. Jurors should not have to worry about coming in and having them outed because they take a stance different than everyone else. Overnight, Desronville speaking out for the first time on camera. But we want to reel everything back and put the focus on the three angels.

11:59The next court date is in November with the judge considering an acquittal, whether to question the holdout juror and when a retrial should begin if the D.A. decides to pursue one. Tom. Emily, thank you. NBC legal analyst and our good friend Misty Maris joins us now. So, Misty, we have to start with this surprising change of course by the defense attorney here. Why would he say that in court when she's already admitted to killing her three children? Yeah, Tom, that was pretty shocking, especially since this was in the context of arguing the Rule 25 motion seeking an acquittal from the judge. And it wasn't even written in the paper.

12:31So that was definitely a huge pivot. But I have to say, and especially for those of us who have watched the whole case, it was on the premise that Lindsay Clancy committed the act. She just lacked criminal responsibility. But in that context, the defense raised the argument that he had asked the judge before the trial to split it into two phases, a guilt phase and then an insanity phase. The judge declined to do so. So he's making the arguments for the record to say, Judge, there might not even be enough evidence for the jury to have determined her guilt. I just didn't get the opportunity to argue it because I was forced to concede in order to raise that lack of criminal responsibility defense.

13:06Since there was a mistrial, we've been speaking about the retrial. What are prosecutors waiting for? Why didn't we find out today? Yeah, so the judge works on his own path. As far as the judge is concerned, the indictment is still alive. So you go through all of the motions and you go through all of the procedure and the judge wanted to actually put a trial date on the calendar. It was the prosecutor who said, well, we don't know if that will be a good date because there might be appeals, but the district attorney has yet to speak. And that is the person, Tim Cruz, who is going to be the one to decide whether or not this case gets tried again.

13:36Well, I'm thinking that they're probably grappling with a few factors. You know, you've got this 11 to 1 split in favor of the defense. You've got a tremendous amount of public pressure. Is there a plea deal that's being discussed behind the scenes? You know, Reddington has said, the defense attorney, that he won't enter into any plea deal where Lindsey Clancy has to spend a second behind bars only if she would be in a mental health facility. That would be a huge concession for prosecutors. But I think they're weighing their options, maybe bringing this as a murder two instead of a murder one.

14:07State prosecutors, they sometimes have limited resources, right? Correct. You have an 11 to one sort of jury that breaks down that way. Can you come back and say, okay, we got to try a whole new strategy? Or for state prosecutors, is that not going to work? There's a whole new strategy. I'm sure if we see this trial again, it will not look anything like the first time around. But there's some things that can be changed, Tom, and some things that can't. The way it's presented, the tone, the connection to the jury, some sympathy. These are comments that we heard the jurors make after the fact. But what can't change?

14:39Well, they're experts. Those experts are pretty much locked in. So what the expert said on the stand, that's what's going to happen the second time around. So the DA has to weigh what that means and how he can actually get a conviction a second time around with a different jury. Going back to that jury, 11 to 1, the holdout juror, there's calls for an investigation there. I mean, is that real? Can you investigate a juror? This is highly unlikely. Reddington, the defense attorney, is making the argument that there could have been misconduct behind the scenes. And this is the juror here that we're seeing here.

15:08Yes, seeking specific information with regard to how he answered voir dire questions, what he came forward with in jury selection, phone records. Was he on his phone during jury deliberations? Did he follow the rules or did he merely have a different opinion? That's the inquiry. The idea is to see if there's misconduct because that could potentially bolster a double jeopardy motion, which is to be argued on November 2nd, seeking to get this case dismissed in its entirety. Misty Maris, always great to see you. Thank you for being here. We're going to go to the White House now. where President Trump today hosted Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and some of the most powerful leaders in AI, despite growing fears about the tech.

15:44The president rejecting calls to slow down, saying the companies have agreed to self-police. Gabe Gutierrez with more. Hi, everybody. Tonight, the historic huddle at the White House. President Trump walking out with some of the biggest names in artificial intelligence amid sharp disagreements over whether the industry needs guardrails. The president rejecting calls to slow down. They understand that they have to self-police. And a bad actor is going to get caught, and that's why we have the DOJ. The group agreeing on what the White House calls a voluntary accord on oversight. Among those there, Elon Musk.

16:17I think by far the most likely outcome is an age of abundance. Meta's Mark Zuckerberg. We drafted a set of principles and commitments around building robust internal controls. These are good steps forward. And Anthropics' Dario Amadei, who's been warning about AI's potential dangers. The technology has very real risks. And, you know, the mechanism, how we address those risks is still under discussion. Among those risks, overnight, OpenAI scrapping the release of its new model over security concerns that researchers found during internal testing. Still, NVIDIA's Jensen Huang argues new government regulations are not needed.

16:53There's no conflict between innovation, technology, and safety. The debate even reaching the Vatican. The concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI should be taken seriously. I don't think that that is fake news, as some have said. President Trump also unveiling the new AI-powered America.gov, a one-stop shop for federal services, such as renewing passports. All right, Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House. Gabe, the White House releasing the full text of the AI Accord. What exactly did the leader sign? Oh, yes, Tom. Now, the leaders signed this agreement, which they basically agreed to having internal controls as well as to partner with independent external auditors for safety.

17:40But, Tom, there are real questions about just how binding this agreement really is. The president was asked about that earlier today, and he responded by saying that the document was, quote, morally binding. Tom. All right, Gabe Gutierrez. Thank you, buddy. We're back in a moment with new details about the rape allegations at Cornell involving seven fraternity members. What Cornell just revealed about the evidence, they turned over to the DA in 2024. We're going to have an update on that case. Plus, a toddler showing up at a daycare, get this, with a loaded gun in their backpack. A toddler with a gun.

18:12The quick-thinking staffer who jumped in to avoid a potential tragedy. And the young students rushing to save a bus driver having a medical emergency behind the wheel. You'll hear from the kids in this video ahead on Top Story.

18:48We'll see you next time.

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19:59Maggie Vespa reports and a warning. Some of these details are disturbing. Tonight, new details in the timeline of the investigation into rape allegations at Cornell University. It was two years ago when a female student first reported an incident to campus police, an incident she now alleges in a new lawsuit involved being drugged and then sexually assaulted by seven members of the Chi-5 fraternity. Her attorney telling NBC News she only told her story to one investigator, saying campus police failed to follow up on key evidence, including these Snapchat messages, now a part of the student's lawsuit, which the lawsuit describes as encouraging other fraternity members to join in on the gang rape.

20:39Police in Ithaca, where Cornell is located, saying they were never involved and only learned of the allegations recently through the media. Tonight, Cornell saying campus police investigated and consulted the district attorney's office per established protocol. The local DA saying his office relied on the evidence turned over by campus police, namely the female student's statement. It was given to an experienced investigator from the Cornell Police Department who was trained in trauma-informed sexual assault cases. It did not set out probable cause for a criminal prosecution. The seven men were never criminally charged, Cornell at the time banning the chapter and suspending and expelling some students.

21:24One of the students accused in the lawsuit tonight threw his attorney denying the allegations, calling Cornell's investigation extensive. Student Assembly President Ishan Choudhury is calling for transparency. I think it's an utter tragedy that the case had to be reopened only after a mass media cycle came into play. All right, Maggie Vespa joins us tonight from Cornell's campus. Maggie, we have a couple questions for you. First, I know we got a major update from the university. What did we learn? Yeah, Tom, that's right. So Cornell saying in a post on its website just moments ago that campus police indeed actually turned over that Snapchat screenshot from inside the fraternity, the one that we talked about in the piece, over to the DA's office as part of their evidence two years ago, saying again he had that at the time when he decided not to press charges.

22:12That's important because the DA in an interview with a separate outlet had initially earlier this week said that he never got that screenshot. Our team reached out to him. We just got a response for bringing this first here on Top Story. the DA now saying that he misspoke in that interview and that it did not change having the screenshot or affect the legal analysis of the issue on whether Jane Doe consented to the event. So basically saying we saw it, we had it, we still made the decision we made at the time, Tom. Wow, that's a pretty big reversal. OK, now talk to me about New York's governor because she's now calling for an independent investigation.

22:45Yeah, Governor Kathy Hochul posting this today saying she's extremely troubled by the allegations made by Jane Doe and what she's read about this case. So she is now calling for what she calls a transparent independent review of Cornell University's process effectively throughout this entire case to make sure that they did everything they could to protect students and vet allegations of sexual assault and similar ones on campus. Effectively, we've heard similar calls from Ithaca's mayor as well, who actually called for a moratorium on city permits to Greek and other student events until that investigation.

23:17Again, an outside investigation is completed, Tom. All right, Maggie Vesper for us. Maggie, thank you for more on this case. I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst Kristen Gibbons Fedden, who has prosecuted a number of high-profile sexual assault cases. Kristen, thanks for joining Top Story. These allegations are horrific. It's terrible what happened to this young woman. I do want to ask you, you've seen a lot of these cases. You've worked on these cases. What stands out to you here? What doesn't add up? You know, first and foremost, what we just heard first here on Top Story that doesn't really add up is that significant discrepancy between what the DA said.

23:54He initially did not have that group chat. And now all of a sudden he says, oh, well, actually, I did. You know, I think what this really boils down to is that initially what the DA was contending was that his decision was heavily based on portions of her initial statement. And the DA had reportedly said that the statement described drug use and sexual activity as voluntary or consensual. And I think that's really important because context really matters. When you have a young woman who goes to law enforcement and reports a sexual assault, clearly she's saying something happened. Clearly she's saying that something happened that she just did not consent to.

24:32And when that happens, it really does require evidence collection, quickly evidence preservation, particularly digital evidence. Now, if the DA did have the Snapchat evidence back then, that's one thing. But look at the other things that they could have done. Were other witnesses interviewed? Was there some additional things done here? So I think one of the things that's really important here that is really critical is did someone drop the ball initially? And that's still being determined at this point. Yeah, we also know that Jane Doe's lawyer says after she gave her initial statement, she was not contacted again by investigators.

25:05The DA's office says they relied on the evidence gathered by campus police. Is that standard protocol? You know, that can be standard protocol. Look, you know, at the end of the day, Cornell Police, they are real accredited law enforcement agency. So the fact that the DA relied on the police force standing alone is not a concerning thing. But again, I know they reportedly said they were trauma informed, but it really is contradictory when you say that investigators are trauma informed when that is the statement is the only contact with the victim. That is not a trauma-informed method. So I think that's the first thing that needs to be questioned.

25:42Were these trauma-informed investigators, did they have the specialized expertise to handle the case of this magnitude? Keep in mind, this is a sexual assault case, which is inherently serious in and of itself. But then you have multiple perpetrators, and you have the facilitation of an intoxicant. So it just increases the magnitude and seriousness of this offense and requires really specialized expertise for investigation purposes. Yeah, and I guess the thing that is confusing a lot of people is that from what we've read in some of the reporting that's out there, the alleged victim goes to campus police and she reports this sexual assault, this something, right?

26:19Sexual harassment. We don't know exactly what she first told police, but she goes and she makes a complaint, right? And it's investigated. And then later the DA seems to say that it was consensual. So clearly that right there doesn't make sense. Why would you go and report something if it was consensual? Exactly. And I think that's what it really boils down to. Did people actually give this investigation the thorough consideration that it actually required, given that this was a multiple perpetrator sexual assault through the facilitation of an intoxicant? If I were to guess, you know, the fact that there was some evidence, at least based on reports, that there was voluntary intoxication, that may be why the DA decided that they're not going to investigate.

27:05But I think it's really important to critically state that the voluntary intoxication does make legal analysis and ultimately prosecution very difficult. It doesn't turn a sexual act into consent by any means. So under New York state law, and I know this is where we're going here, it's difficult from what we understand to charge people with rape if the accuser drank or did drugs willingly. Explain that law to our viewers and how that could factor into the outcome here, because it has been stated that she, you know, the reporting that's out there, she apparently was drinking at a sorority house.

27:36She was drinking at a bar and then there was there was some drugs and or alcohol consumed at the fraternity house as well. Yeah, and I think it is important. It makes it difficult and not impossible. I prosecute multiple crimes of this nature where victims have voluntarily consumed drugs and alcohol. There's pretty much every sexual assault case on campus. But to answer your question, under New York law, if Jane Doe voluntarily consumed the drugs or alcohol, her intoxication alone generally does not establish what the law calls mental incapacitation. And mental incapacitation basically means that she was temporarily unable to understand or control what she was doing because an intoxicating substance was given to her without her consent.

28:18So if she took the substance voluntarily, that particular legal theory becomes difficult for prosecutors. But, and this is critical, that does not mean she consented to sex, right? New York also separately recognizes physical helplessness, which doesn't depend on whether she voluntarily rank or perused. What's determinative for physical helplessness is whether she became unconsciousness or physically unable to communicate that unwillingness or lack of consent. And I think the other critical thing here is that consent has boundaries, right? So consent to one person is not consent to every other person.

28:55Consent to one sexual act is not consent to another sexual act. And consenting earlier does not mean consenting to every single thing that happens afterwards. So prosecutors really have to look at her condition, her capacity, and her consent at each time of each alleged act. And it's not clear that that was done initially. All right. We thank you for joining Top Story. I'm sure we're going to be talking about this one until there's some type of new resolution. Still to come tonight, the NBC News exclusive, how Sean Diddy Combs is living in prison, the new images of him on a cell phone, and what he's allegedly paying other inmates thousands of dollars to do to him.

29:31Plus, Plus a major update on that extreme roller coaster at six flags that dozens of people say caused brain injuries. What they've decided about its future. But first, top stories, top moment, and it was the game of a lifetime for Chicago Bears third string quarterback Case Keenum last night. The 38-year-old leading his team to a decisive victory over the Eagles. But the highlight of the night coming after the game with his daughter Cadence. Take a look.

29:59Nice to meet you. Oh my gosh. This is going to go down as one of the more special nights of my life. And man, I'm so glad to share it with that team in there, with this team here at home. So really special. Well said. And get this, it had been more than a thousand days since Keenum had started a regular season game. What a victory. What a leader. All right, stay with us. More top story after the break.

30:34We're back now with an exclusive look at Sean Diddy Combs' life behind bars. NBC News obtaining videos showing Combs using a cell phone in prison as fellow inmates say Combs is shelling out thousands of dollars to have chores done for him, even massages. Chloe Malas reports. Tonight, an inside look at how Sean Combs is living in federal prison. For the first time in footage exclusively obtained by NBC News, Combs is seen using a cell phone, which is prohibited by federal law. This all comes nearly a year after Combs was sentenced to 50 months for prostitution-related offenses. NBC News spoke to four men who spent time with Combs in prison at Fort Dix in New Jersey.

31:17They were granted anonymity to speak freely about life inside prison. They described Diddy's privileged life, saying he's paid thousands of dollars a month to other inmates to do chores, like make his bed, clean his toilet and shower, even give him massages. They also cook him special meals like these, from pizza to onion rings. Those sources say the money flows from people outside prison to the commissary accounts of those inmates performing the services. Multiple sources said Diddy has used contraband cell phones to scroll Instagram, one source pointing NBC News to an Instagram account that Combs uses with no profile picture that's followed by Combs' publicist.

31:58They also say he has access to a modified tablet, which allows him to watch movies and television shows. A source calls Diddy's prison life a party, with regular access to alcohol and Remeron, an antidepressant with mood-boosting effects. The Bureau of Prisons tells NBC News inmates are not permitted to have access to cell phones. And per policy, they do not comment on any incarcerated individual. Adding, like all correctional agencies, contraband, particularly cell phones, narcotics and weapons, remains a constant challenge and we continue to tackle the problem. And tonight, a spokesperson for Combs says the media is characterizing ordinary prison life as news.

32:41All right, Chloe Malas joins us. Chloe, so we've just learned Diddy's release date has been moved up. Now you have this video showing him doing things that are against the rules. What's going to happen? That's right. Well, that's unclear, but the Bureau of Prisons did say today that his release date has been moved up from February 2028 to January, and it's unclear why. But I want to point out that having a cell phone in prison is a standalone criminal offense and carries up to a year in prison. All right, Chloe Malas for that big scoop. We thank you for that. Turning to an alarming situation out of Michigan, this is hard to believe, a toddler pulling out a loaded gun at a daycare filled with kids.

33:16Now, a parent is in police custody. Jesse Kirsch is investigating this one for us. Jesse, thanks for joining us. I mean, I can't imagine this. It's every parent's nightmare. What exactly happened here? Because you can't believe that a toddler got their hands on a loaded gun. And, Tom, based on what has been described, this could have quickly turned into a devastating tragedy. So what apparently has unfolded here is Monday in Canton, Michigan. That's outside Detroit. You had a young child at a daycare and they pull a loaded firearm out of their backpack before staff spots the weapon and secures it.

33:50Those details coming from a letter that the daycare sent to parents, which we have obtained. It reads in part, we were informed that the father is a police officer, which could explain how the firearm accidentally became accessible to the child. To maintain the safety and security of all children and staff, the family was disenrolled from Children's World Early Learning Center following this incident. Meanwhile, police praising the actions of the daycare staff. The daycare center not only communicated with all the parents, again, trying to raise awareness of what's happening, but has implemented extra safety protocols such as searching bags.

34:25Now, it's sad that we have to go to that step here, but this is a good reminder of making sure that we secure our firearms. IN ANY DAY CARE CENTER, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT A PARENT MAY HAVE INSIDE THEIR BACK OR MAY LEAVE IN THERE OR WHAT A CHILD WILL BE BRINGING IN. AND POLICE ALSO ADDING, TOM, THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ONE OF THIS CHILD'S PARENTS INTO CUSTODY. SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT, THE PARENT THAT WAS IN CUSTODY, ANYTHING? WE KNOW IT IS NOT THE POLICE OFFICER PARENT, AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO POINT OUT THERE. POLICE IN CANTON SAYING THAT IT IS NOT THE POLICE OFFICER PARENT THAT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.

34:59MEANWHILE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW waiting for word from prosecutors on if they will announce any charges against the parent that was taken into custody and being held. But if there is a court appearance, we do not expect that to happen today. So that'll be something to look for tomorrow. Meanwhile, police in Canton also saying that the police officer parent is being investigated by another agency, Tom. All right, Jesse Kirsch for us. Jesse, thank you. Now to Top Stories News Feed, starting at the University of Georgia where a student miraculously survived after falling from the eighth floor of her off-campus apartment.

35:32Police say 21-year-old Kristen Sargent was dancing on a couch near a window when she fell out landing on the pool deck below. They believe a cushioned metal bench might have broken her fall. Authorities say Sargent was seriously hurt but is now conscious and alert. Incredible. And an update on a story we've been following out of California. Six Flags Magic Mountain just announced plans to permanently close its X2 roller coaster. This after riders lawyers claim more than 100 people suffered brain injuries on the ride. The coaster reportedly cost around$45 million to build. Six Flags says it's shutting the ride down even though it passed multiple safety tests calling the move the right thing to do.

36:11Okay in North Dallas video capturing a car flying off the road slamming into the side of an auto repair shop. Watch this. The vehicle barreling through the guardrail, landing straight up. Look at that. Up against the building. Moments later, three people helped pull out the driver just as the flames erupt from the car, all of them running off before officers showed up. Police say no injuries were reported. That's unbelievable. And that they're investigating what caused the crash. In Pennsylvania, a crash may have been prevented. A group of high schoolers jumping into action, helping their bus driver during a medical emergency.

36:43NBC's George Solis with the video, and he spoke to the students who made the save.

36:51Tonight, the incredible save caught on camera. Watch as this group of Pennsylvania high schoolers springs into action as their bus driver appears to experience a medical emergency behind the wheel. Rushing to the front, getting to the brakes, and radioing in for help. The tense moments unfolding earlier this month as students were getting dropped off. Here, you can see as the bus begins to drift, the door opens as one of the students asks to get off. Oh, can I get off? But they quickly notice something is wrong. That's sophomore Alexa Smith racing to the front of the bus. What did you do? Did you actually manage to get your foot on the brake?

37:31Yeah, I stopped the bus and I hit the brake and then I radioed, but like I was freaking out. Then senior Skylar Horton jumped in. I pulled the parking brake so nothing further could happen. and I opened the doors for more airflow for the bus driver. Two other students also joining in, one instructing Alexis what to say on the radio and another calling 911. The district says the driver experienced a medical emergency and that there were no reported injuries. The students say they do bus safety drills every year. My bus driver does at least twice a year where the parking brake is, where the switch for the door is, and how to use the radio.

38:07Training school principal Brianne Veneas says worked. I did not see one cell phone out recording. One of our students called 911 immediately as soon as she realized what was happening. It was extreme teamwork. The group forever bonded by their heroic actions in a critical moment. I just saw it as me helping someone that needed help. Yeah, same. I just feel like it's something that we needed to do. George, do we know how that bus driver is doing? Yeah, Tom, the school district says that bus driver is actually back on the job, recovered, already driving students. And tonight we're actually learning that some of the students that he drives were the ones that participated in the rescue, saying he is incredibly grateful to all of those students that participated.

38:51Tom. All right, George, thank you. When we come back tonight, the family targeted by Israeli settlers as they tried to return to their home in the West Bank just weeks after they were attacked alongside our NBC News crew. And Steve Kornacki is in the House breaking down the Senate polling in one critical red state that Democrats think they can scoop up this November. That's next. The GLP-1 pills you've been hearing about are on row. Yep, they're here. With clinically proven ingredients for weight loss, now in a pill, and now on row. Two FDA-approved GLP-1 pill options, both at the lowest cash pay price available.

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40:44We're back now with Top Story's Global Watch and an update in the story we brought you a few weeks ago when Israeli settlers attacked our NBC News crew and a Palestinian woman who was driven out of her home in the West Bank. Just last night, Israel's military agreed to escort the family back to their home when it was attacked and torched by dozens of settlers. Our Matt Bradley with that video. Tonight, a Palestinian family coming face-to-face with an inferno set by Israeli settlers while trying to return to their West Bank home, just weeks after a violent attack left one of them unconscious. The disturbing attack began when homeowner Mahmoud Toubasi tells us Israeli security forces had just escorted his family inside.

41:28His family returning after settlers occupied their home for weeks and trashed it, damaging floors, doors, and even yanking out toilets. But moments after they arrived, a group of settlers forced their way back in, attacking the family and Israeli security forces and injuring three border police officers, according to the IDF. How did you feel when the settlers got so close to you? It was a really frightening moment, he told me. It seemed like life or death. This wasn't the first time the Tubasi family has endured settler violence. I first met Mahmoud and his wife Aida a month ago. As Aida carefully walked us toward her home, a gray car full of masked young men pulled up.

42:12Armed with sticks and stones, they smashed our car's windshield, HUMMLED OUR TEAM WITH STICKS AND BEAT 51-YEAR-OLD IDA UNCONSCIOUS. ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU OKAY? IDA HAS SINCE RECOVERED, BUT NOW HER HOME HAS BEEN TORCHED. SECURITY FORCES SAID THEY ARRESTED THREE OF THE SETTLERS AND IN A RARE REBUKE, PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU CONDEMNED THE SETTLER ATTACKS AND SAID THEY SHOULD BE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. TOM? MATT BRADLEY, OUR THANKS TO YOU. BACK HERE AT HOME TO THE BATTLE FOR THE CONTROL OF CONGRESS. with just five weeks to go until the midterm elections, we are breaking down the critical races in these battleground states.

42:50Democrats fighting to take control of the Senate, but to do that, they'll need to hang on to these three states on the left and pick off four of the states on the right from Republicans. Steve Kornacki's back at the big board, and tonight he's digging into the data in Iowa. Steve, great to have you on Top Story. As always, Republican Senator Joni Ernst is retiring at the end of her term, and Democrats think they have a shot here. How is that race looking? Yeah, Tom, it's really interesting. The polling is a bit all over the place in this one, but the backdrop for this race here is a state that's been transformed in Trump and the Republican Party's favor probably more than any other state over the last decade.

43:25Can Republicans hold those gains in a climate like this, or will they unwind completely and allow Democrats to pick this one up? What I mean is this. Go all the way back here. Remember this 2008, Barack Obama, he carried Iowa. He carried it really in a landslide over John McCain. He carried it again four years later when he got reelected. But what I want to show you is take a look especially at the eastern half of the state. This is the Mississippi River. It's old Mississippi River cities. It's all blue. The eastern half of the state, it's practically all blue. Look what it is now. In 2024, almost all the blue gone.

43:58There's no state in the country that had more counties flip from voting for Obama twice to going for Trump. It left the Democrats with just five counties in the state. These are like big college counties, places where you got a lot of kind of professional class, college educated voters. That's been kind of the backbone of the Democratic Party. Everything else, rural, blue-collar, working-class Iowa, moved very hard to Trump and the Republicans. And so the question is, how permanent are those gains? It's a tough climate for Republicans right now. Are those gains strong enough that the Republicans can hold on to a state like this, or is it in play here for the Democrats?

44:33While I have you, Steve, you perked my interest there about the polls being all over the place, just because we know that the president tried to sue, I believe it was the Des Moines Register over their poll right before the election. That got tossed out. Is the issue with the polling there, because as sort of as great as that poll was, it did have some issues in 2024. Our viewers will remember. Is that part of the problem, or it's just been these races are kind of small, it's kind of hard to sort of poll these voters? Yeah, look, I mean, that 2024 one I think was one of the biggest misses I have ever seen, honestly, in a poll here.

45:02Like you said, the pollster had a pretty good track record before that. Look, there was a recent poll that had the Republican ahead by five, a recent poll that had the Democrat ahead by eight. So it's a bit of you talk to Republicans, they're going to stress, we're going to talk to Democrats, the other. And I think just the nature of this year, I think there's just a lot of uncertainty out there about a lot of these races. And there's just a lot of uncertainty about polling in general. Yeah, and it's why it makes the night and watching you every night into the midterms even more interesting. Steve, so great to have you here.

45:28We thank you as always. When we come back tonight, the wait is finally over. The MLB postseason, it's here with some big time rivals going head to head tonight. We'll break down all the wild card action right after this.

45:42All right, we're back now with a big day for baseball fans. The MLB postseason officially kicking off with a full plate of wild card games on NBC and Peacock, including marquee matchups featuring some of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. Here to break it down for us is our good friend Baker Machado, host of front office sports today and an avid baseball fan. Baker, let's start with the Yankees and Red Sox, the game that everyone is talking about, of course. So, you know, the big headline was Aaron Judge is not in the lineup. Big G, John Carlos Stanton, is in the lineup. That was a surprise to a lot of us Yankee fans.

46:14What do you think happened here? Look, we have Aaron Judge with a calf injury. He's been out for over 66 games so far this year. Rehabbing his rib, but also then got the calf injury. Right, exactly. So it's just one injury after another. Here's a stat for you that I think you'll think is really interesting. The Yankees were 41-25 with Aaron Judge in the lineup this year, They're 52-43 without him. So you have the first-round series against the heated rivalry of the Boston Red Sox, the seventh time in baseball history these two franchises have played in the playoffs. Makes you a little bit nervous, but there were some back and forths between Aaron Boone, the manager, of whether or not Judge would be able to play.

46:50It does sound like if the Yankees do go on and beat the Red Sox, that Judge will be available for down the road in the playoffs. But, of course, you have Cam Schlitter tonight pitching for the Yankees, likely going to win the Cy Young. He's been phenomenal so far. One of the, if not the greatest pitcher in the game. Exactly. And you have basically one of the best bullpens in baseball as well. The Yankees right now are the fourth best odds to win the entire thing tonight. So if you're a Yankee fan, standing room seats are only available right now at Yankee Stadium. So if you have an opportunity to go to the game, this sounds like a good one.

47:18What about the Red Sox? Because we have a lot of friends from Boston, a lot of viewers from Boston, maybe some producers from Boston that are watching this broadcast right now, working on the broadcast. Do they have a shot against the Yanks? Of course they absolutely have a shot. And look, we saw the situation last year. The Yankees sort of had an interesting series with the Red Sox. And the Red Sox, what a great story for them. They started really, really slow so far this season. Turned it around. Turned it around with one of the hottest teams in baseball. Ended up keeping their manager, Chad Tracy.

47:43So, yes, absolutely, the Red Sox could absolutely win this. But it does sort of feel like right now, the Yankees right now are going on gas. Before I move on, Garrett Cole, he's going to be the middle of the three pitchers that are starting for the Yankees. Good call, bad call. I think that's a great call. He's got the experience, but some have questioned whether he's ready to go. And if you are a Yankees fan and you win these first two games of this wildcard playoff, you can actually hold him for the later part of the playoffs. All right. It's a very smart call. So many other wildcard games, but who cares?

48:08No. There are so many other more important games. What are you watching? What else out there intrigues you? Okay. So one of the interesting matchups that I'm really interested in is the Phillies versus the Braves. That game happened on Tuesday. The winner of that one likely going to be playing the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers looking to become only the third team in baseball history since your Yankees did it in 1998 to 2000 to win three straight World Series. The Dodgers obviously the favorites right now. So that would be an interesting series against the Phillies who, by the way, had to win their final game of the regular season to be able to qualify.

48:43The Braves also really nipping at the Dodgers heels this year. That could be a really interesting matchup to watch. And then I also like one of the other matchups in the National League as well. The later game, the Cubs versus the Padres. The Padres have one of the best bullpens in baseball. You have Mason Miller, who potentially could win the MVP award in the playoffs if the Padres go far. That game going to be interesting to watch later tonight. Exciting new owners, too. And by the way, for NBC, this is great. The first time in 26 years that the baseball playoffs have returned to NBC. You have two of the Hallmark games, as we were talking about earlier, on NBC, the other games on Peacock as well.

49:16So this has been amazing. And it's been fun to watch Bob Costas back in the booth and talk in baseball, which is always so great. there's been a lot of debate over the salary caps, right? And why some teams like the Dodgers and the Yankees can spend$300 million, north of$300 million. And other teams like the Rays, the Brewers, the Guardians, they don't have that type of money. They're in the playoffs. So where does the debate go? I mean, this is going to be amazing because after the end of the World Series, Tom, the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players expires. And for all intents and purposes, we're going to have an extended lockout at the end of this year.

49:50We haven't had a lockout since 2023 that lasted 99 days, and none of the season was canceled. But most of the people that I talk to believe that we will have some of the season likely canceled next year, and it's because of this salary cap. If the Dodgers end up winning the World Series this year, to your point about how high their payroll is, this only emboldens owners to say that there has to be a salary cap. But if you have a team like the Rays or the Brewers, who are 20th and 23rd in payroll this year, end up winning this. If anything, that emboldens the players who are against the salary cap and have always been against the salary cap to say that that doesn't matter.

50:23So, Baker, you obviously have a lot of connections. You love baseball. You're in the game. You're a player, as they say. But I want to know, why did you have such bad tickets to this game? Brett, if you can take the shot. You spotted Baker Machado. That's my cousin. There you are. He's right right over here. That's my cousin. Your nosebleed. Number eight. Tickets are so – except for a few games, Tom, Tickets have been so incredibly expensive. I was looking at Ticketmaster just to see what the average ticket price for some of these games right now. The Yankees in Boston, right now the cheapest ticket you can get is$103, and that is standing room only.

50:57Now, there are some cheaper tickets. Houston and the White Sox, which, by the way, Houston's the first team in the wildcard era to not have a winning record and make the playoffs. Those tickets are only$27 to get in right now. Atlanta and Philly, the cheapest ticket,$41. And San Diego and the Cubs. $41? Yeah,$41. And San Diego and the Cubs, you got 78 bucks, but all the money right now going to Yankee Stadium. Okay. That's good if you have tickets. Baker Machado, we thank you for that. And again, you can catch all the MLB wildcard games on NBC and Peacock. Finally tonight, no one does high school football quite like Texas.

51:33And during a recent game outside of Houston, one senior who normally spends his time cheering on the sidelines got a chance to suit up and hit the field. It was a rivalry game in this Texas town just outside of Houston, and senior Mason Wisnost was ready for his number to be called. A little play here for a young man receiving the ball, and he'll score a touchdown. Mason has Down syndrome. Normally, he supports his favorite football team from the sidelines, running with the team flag and cheering his heart out. But this time he suited up helmet on, ready to play. Let's go buddy. The team quickly gets Mason the ball, and then he takes off.

52:20Sprinting straight into the end zone. Mason celebrating the epic moment on the shoulders of his teammates. Hands put your hands together for number 39 Mason. We asked Mason what that felt like. Awesome. I feel happy.

52:43An unforgettable moment for their whole family. All the people involved made that happen for him, and we're just so thankful for it. Ready? One, two, three. Just the world is so much better when we show our kindness, and that's exactly what his team and coaches did for him.

53:07What an epic touchdown. Way to go, Mason. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamas of New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.

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