Good evening. Tonight, we start with another scare in the skies, leaving air travelers on edge. This time, a Delta Airlines plane forced to make an emergency landing after Hayes filled the cabin. Take a look at what it looked like on board and imagine if you were in one of those seats. You can see that thick fog blanketing the aisles, passengers covering their faces to breathe. The plane forced to land at Atlanta's Hertzfield, Jackson International Airport using inflatable slides so the passengers could get off. You can see firefighters entering the aircraft after reports of possible smoke on board. It comes just two days after a Delta flight headed to Sydney, Australia, was diverted back to LAX after smoke was detected. We're just getting air traffic control audio from that incident. Take a listen. We had a smoking CMG vent on the airplane. We need to get to a gate. Is there a gate that can get the Delta 43 At this time, they're having a smoke and the steam issues on the aircraft as it comes. This, of course, all coming amid a string of recent aviation disasters. The midair collision in Washington, DC, nearly a month ago.
The medical plane crash in Philadelphia, you'll remember. Just last week, a Delta plane flipping in Toronto, and two small planes colliding as well in Arizona. We have a lot to get to this evening. Nbc news correspondent, Emily Aketta, starts off our coverage. Breathe through your clothes, Nana. Scary moments aboard this Delta flight today as a haze filled the plane after taking off in Atlanta. Passengers seem covering their faces. The Boeing 717 was only in the air for a few minutes, looping back around for an emergency landing at the world's busiest airport around 9: 00 AM. Slides were deployed, and first responders helped people de-plane. We are being evacuated off of the plane. Kristen Morris was among the 94 passengers on the flight, bound for South Carolina. So sooner than we took off, the plane was filled with smoke. Delta says two people received medical attention, adding in a statement, Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people. The FAA now investigating what went wrong. Aviation analyst John Cox says it looks more serious than it is. This is likely an air conditioning or pressurization issue, and that would not have these people in danger at all.
On Sunday, fighter jets escorted this American Airlines plane to Rome after it was diverted because of an e-mailed bomb threat, later found not credible, according to a source familiar with the situation. And last week, a Delta regional jet crash landed on a snowy Toronto runway, even flipping upside down. As today's smoky scene in Atlanta further fans concerns over flying. Emily Iketta, BBC News. All right, we thank Emily for that next night to the latest on Pope Francis, who remains hospitalized and in critical condition. The Vatican says the 88-year-old has been able to resume work activities from his bed as he continues to receive treatment for double pneumonia and mild kidney failure. Abc's Anne Thompson has this report tonight from Vatican City. In a damp St. Peter's Square, a rosary prayed for Pope Francis tonight. Santa Maria, Madre di Dio. Though still in critical condition, the Vatican says the 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church showed slight improvement. After a weekend of a respiratory crisis with double pneumonia and mild kidney failure, the Pope felt well enough to resume his nightly call to the Catholic Church in Gaza. He is still on supplemental oxygen, but the levels are reduced.
Tonight, there is no prognosis. As a physician, that usually means that we are at a stage where his condition can improve rapidly or could deteriorate just as rapidly. That uncertainty drew American seminarians Jake Snyder and JD McEwing to St. Peter's tonight to pray for the man who is a role model. He has really tried to emphasize the pastoral aspect of the priest, reaching out to people. That's something that I reflect on often. How can I become a better leader? At the White House, both President Trump and French President Macron wish the Pope the best. While across the globe, in many different languages. One thought. I pray to God that he comes out of this. I really do. As Francis battles double pneumonia, the celebration of this Jubilee year in the church goes on. The Vatican welcoming pilgrims to pray, especially for their leader. And Anne Thompson joins us tonight from inside Vatican City. And Anne, it's starting to sound like the Pope may be improving. I want you to report a little bit about that, but also give our viewers an overview that Pope Francis essentially has been so dedicated to his flock that even in recovery, he's tried to maintain a schedule which for someone in his condition right now is probably better if he rests, correct?
Yeah, it is. Tom, this is a man who loves his job. He loves leading the Catholic Church. In fact, he has kept an incredibly busy schedule, even as he has aged and he has had mobility problems. He walks with a cane, he's often in a wheelchair because he has a bad knee, but he never wants to slow down. In fact, he took this extensive trip to Southeast Asia last year in September, just part of his dedication to reaching out to his flock. While all of that has come to a hard stop this month. He went into the hospital on February 14th. But today, for the first time since he entered the hospital, there was news of what Vatican officials call a slight improvement. However, this is all tempered by the fact that the Pope remains in critical condition. So here's what constitutes as a slight improvement. Remember, he had that respiratory crisis on Saturday. That has not reoccurred since then, so that's good news. Also, he had mild kidney failure over the weekend. Doctors are now saying that is no longer of concern. He remains on supplemental oxygen to help fight the double pneumonia that he's dealing with, but those levels have been dropped.
He did resume some work today, and as he has since October 2023, he made his nightly phone call to the Catholic Parish in Gaza to check in on them and to express his close consciousness with them. Now, this still is a complex situation, and tonight, the doctors would not give a prognosis. Tom? Anne Thompson from the Vatican tonight on that breaking news, Anne, we appreciate it. Back here at home, President Trump announcing conservative podcaster and former Fox News host, Dan Bongina, will be Deputy FBI Director. The former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer has no experience with the bureau, breaking more than a century of precedent that the Deputy Director is an active special agent. He's also espoused a series of conspiracy theories, including claiming the Secret Service intended to leave President Trump vulnerable in the run up to the assassination attempt last July. This was his response to a question at a Congress International Forum about whether the string of security failures before the shooting was due to incompetence. Everyone missed that guy crawling across the roof when he defeated the external, the middle, and the internal perimeter. You shut the door in 97 degrees.
I'm sorry. Layered intent, a layered incompetence like that is absolutely intent. Bongino has also publicly criticized the FBI and its staff, especially in the wake of the bureau's August 2022 raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. Folks, the FBI has lost. It's broken, irredeemably corrupt at this point. The inexcusable raid on President Trump's home was a straw that broke the camel's back. I mean it when I I'm saying it. It's way past time to clean this FBI house up. Fire anyone involved in the raid. I don't want to hear any more rank and file stuff. I was a rank and file. I saw stuff I didn't like. I left. It's not hard. You swore an oath to the Constitution. Our Justice and intelligence correspondence Ken Delanian has been talking to people inside the FBI all day today. He's got some new reporting to share with our viewers. Ken, let's keep this news in context, though, right before we start this conversation. President Trump railed against what he called the politicization of the Justice Department and the FBI and the campaign trail. He promised voters he would make big changes, so we shouldn't really be surprised by this, right?
That's a fair point, Tom. But actually, this one is a stunner because it's one thing for Donald Trump to nominate a MAGA outsider in Cash Patel to lead the Bureau to be the director of the FBI. But even Patel had assured FBI agents that he would keep with tradition and hire a career agent into the deputy job. That's according to the FBI Agents Association. For the 117-year history of the FBI, this job has been held by a career agent. The idea that it would go to a total outsider with a track record of maligning the FBI has really shocked and outraged a lot of current and former FBI officials that I'm talking to. Tell me what you're hearing because I know you've been talking to those agents all day. Yeah, the reaction The reason among people I've been talking to has almost been uniformly negative. Now, I'm sure there's some people that are happy with this, but people have compared this hiring for hiring conspiracy theorist Alex Jones or hiring Stuart Rose, the leader of the Oathkeeper. That's because Bonvino has built a successful podcasting career, in part on trashing the FBI with baseless charges.
He most recently accused the Bureau of lying when they said they didn't know the identity of the person who placed pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC before the January sixth attack. He As you played there, you called the FBI irredeemably corrupt after agents serve a lawful search warrant at Mar-a-Lago to retrieve those classified documents. As you mentioned, the Deputy FBI Director is responsible for essentially making sure the trains run on time, right? The day to day operations. What more do we know about what Bongino and his plans are for the FBI? Well, he said today that he wants to restore trust in the FBI. But one of the reasons that large numbers of Americans say they don't trust the FBI is they've been fed a diet propaganda by people like Bongino and told without evidence that the investigations of President Trump, for example, or of January sixth, were improper and politicized. There's no evidence has surfaced publicly to support that. The big question right now is whether the FBI can remain what it always has been an independent law enforcement agency that follows the facts and the law, Tom. Before you go, the Deputy FBI Director is not confirmed by the Senate, so what's the process from here?
Yeah, that's right. It's not a Senate confirmed job because it's never been considered a political appointment. So Dan Bongino can start work tomorrow, and that means he will have access to some of the most sensitive information in the federal government and vast investigative and intelligence gathering powers, Tom. Ken Delaney, who's been working this story all day for us, can we appreciate that? Now to another major headline out of the White House tonight. The Trump administration reversing course on a controversial email sent to federal employees over the weekend that asked them to list their accomplishments or resign from the past week. The ultimatum issued by Elon Musk as part of his widespread effort to call the federal government. Gabe Gutieris at the White House tonight for us. Helping you, Chris. Tonight, just hours from a looming deadline, President Trump is defending an ultimatum from billionaire Elon Musk, aimed at slashing the federal bureaucracy. There was a lot of genius in threatening it. But there are also new signs of a potential power struggle within the administration over how to carry out the President's campaign promise to downsize the government. Musk, who heads the administration's Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, posted on X over the weekend that federal workers needed to explain what they got done this week, saying he was acting on the President's instructions, adding failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.
Then the Office of Personnel Management sent an email to more than 2 million federal workers titled, What you do last week. It asked those workers to respond by midnight tonight with five bullet points detailing what they accomplished. What he's doing is saying, Are you actually working? And then if you don't answer, you're semi-fired or you're fired, If people don't respond, it's very possible that there is no such person or they're not working. But late today, the Trump administration changed course, telling heads of federal agencies responding was voluntary and that a non-response to the email does not equate to a resignation. Still, three sources with knowledge of the process tell NBC News the bullet points from those who do respond will be fed into an advanced AI system to determine whether someone's work is mission critical or not. There have been growing confusion after some agency heads, including Trump's Captain Picks, issued conflicting guidance to workers. Some agencies, including the State, Justice, and Defense Departments, told employees either to delay responding or not respond at all. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi a word writing, Given the inherently sensitive and classified nature of our work, employees should not respond.
Today, Trump downplayed any conflict. That was done in a friendly manner. Only things such as perhaps Marco at State Department, where they have a very confidential things or the FBI, where they're working on confidential things. And they don't mean that in any way combatively with Elon. Amid mounting protests, including this upside down flag at Yosemite National Park, the President and Musk keep slashing the rise of the federal workforce, today laying off more than 1,600 foreign aid workers at USAID. In Missouri, Liv Alvarado is among thousands of workers let go from the IRS. The fact that there's going to be even less workers here now, Now, stuff's going to take even longer. And these were real people with real jobs. All right, Gabe Gutieras joins us tonight from the White House, where it's been another busy day, Gabe. There's a lot to get to besides everything you just reported there. I want to ask you about a fake video that was somehow hacked onto the TVs at the Housing and Urban Development offices this morning in DC. It's pretty graphic, so we're not going to show it here in Top Story. It essentially shows the President, again, this was an AI image, kissing Elon Musk's feet.
Do we know anything about how that video was displayed in the government building, how they were able to hack into the government building? Yeah, Tom, this was pretty bizarre. Look, some employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, as you mentioned, saw that fake video of President Trump, apparently, kissing the feet of Elon Musk. Now, two HUD employees confirmed the prank to NBC News, and the video was displayed on an internal television monitor at the HUD headquarters here in DC. It appeared to have been created with the help of AI, and it, of course, pokes fun at what critics see as the power dynamic between Musk Musk and Trump. Now, there was a caption superimposed over the video reading, Long live the real king. The White House has not commented, and we're not sure exactly how that video ended up at HUD headquarters. Yeah, and again, it was an AI video. Gabe, I also We've been following the news about the recent lawsuit filed by the Associated Press against the Trump administration for banning the news outlet from access to the White House, Air Force One, the briefing room. Are there any new developments in this case?
Yeah, a federal judge today declined to issue a temporary restraining order against the White House for denying the AP full access and covering the administration. Now, the judge is asking for a fuller briefing before making a final decision on the merits. The AP was barred indefinitely from the Oval Office and Air Force One, as you mentioned, because of its refusal to change its style on the Gulf of Mexico after President Trump renamed it the Gulf of America. In a statement following the ruling, an AP spokesperson said, The agency looks forward to its next hearing on March 20th, where we will continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a fundamental American freedom. I should mention that last week, about 40 news organizations, including NBC News, signed onto a letter organized by the White House Correspondence Association, urging the White House to reverse its policy against the AP. In a written statement late today, the White House reiterated its position that asking questions in the oval office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists and not a legal right. More directly, White House officials just put up graphics in the briefing room a short time ago that read just, quote, victory.
Tom. All right, Gabe Gutier with those late developments. Gabe, we thank you for that. This just in Vivek Ramaswana Alami has announced his run for Ohio governor. He is making it official. The former Republican presidential candidate and biotech entrepreneur making his bid official in his hometown of Cincinnati. He had signaled plans to run after exiting from the DOGE Task Force which he was initially supposed to lead alongside Elon Musk. He told me during the primaries and during those conventions that he was interested in possibly in the Ohio job. Last month, the Ohio attorney general Dave Yost, who was also a Republican, announced his candidacy to succeed current governor, Republican Mike DeWine. Okay, next night, President Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House today. As Ukraine marks three years since the start of Russia's invasion, the two leaders discussing negotiations to end the bloodshed. The stunning moment, Macron corrected the President over his claims about Europe's financial stake in the war. Richard Engel is on the ground and on the front lines for us tonight in Ukraine and has the latest. Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, President Trump tonight met with France's President Macron.
He announced a peace deal could be imminent. I think the war could end soon. How soon? Within weeks. In many ways, today's meeting was the passing of the baton for Ukraine from the US to Europe. President Trump mainly focused on recouping billions of dollars in USA to Ukraine. He invited Ukraine's President, Zelenskyy, to the White House to sign an agreement this week or next that would use Ukraine's natural resources as collateral to pay the US back for support. I think getting very close to getting an agreement where we get our money back over a period of time. President Zelenskyy has so far rejected that deal. Macron briefly corrected Trump when he said unlike the US, Europe was already getting repaid. Europe is loaning the money to Ukraine. They get their money back. No, in fact, to be frank, we paid. While Macron said this is a moment for Europe to take more responsibility for security. Europe is willing to step up to be a stronger partner. Saying Europe would provide peacekeepers, but that American security security guarantees were also critical. In Ukraine, troops at the front lines are watching with concern, fearing President Trump is forcing a deal that would require Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia and pay the United United States, hundreds of billions.
When he became President, he started to set conditions that we don't accept, said Valentin Bogdanov, a tank commander in the 127th brigade. If we tried to follow it all, we'd give up, he But if we give up, we lose everything. With that, Richard Engle joins us tonight from Kharkiv in Ukraine. Richard, you were there on the front line, so I want to pick up right where you left off. Talk to me more about how these Ukrainian soldiers feel, that they're fighting and they're trying to hold land and territory that ultimately may go to the Russians once these negotiations are all done. Well, Ukrainians very much feel that they are the weaker party here, that that President Trump is looking to make a deal primarily with Vladimir Putin, and that Ukraine is something of an afterthought. Ukraine that is something that Europe is going to protect, that all President Trump wants is to extract money out of the country, and they are looking down the barrel of a peace deal that could see Ukraine surrender 20% of its land to Russia and commit itself to paying back the United States tens of billions if not hundreds of billions of dollars.
That is going down very badly here. But in Ukraine, some soldiers on the front line say they're not in a position to reject a deal. They have to make a deal because even the worst deal is still better than being taken over and occupied by Moscow. Richard Engel in Ukraine for us. Richard, we thank you for that. We're going to have much more on the issues and what's happening in Ukraine later in the broadcast, but still ahead tonight, the murder suspect at large. A California woman accused of fatally stabbing her wife, now on the run, and the incident coming years after she was convicted for murdering her first husband. Plus, the high-speed boat chase after a man reportedly stole a yacht, how the Coast Guard eventually captured him. And the wild puppy theft caught on camera, the suspect faking a seizure while another accomplice takes off with the pets. We're going to show you all that video. That's next. We're back now with the hunt for a Southern California woman, now the primary suspect in the murder of her wife, a beloved San Diego fire captain. Authorities say they're now looking as far as Mexico for the woman who plaid guilty to killing her first spouse more than a decade ago.
Here's MBC Steve Patterson with the details. Tonight, an international manhunt underway for the wife of a slain California fire captain, now a primary suspect in her death. Authorities say Yolanda Morody, also known as Yolanda O'Lani-Chek, may have fled to Mexico after her wife of more than two years, Rebecca Morody, was found stabbed to death in the couple's San Diego home. The Sheriff's office releasing images of the 2013 Silver Chevy Equinox that Yolanda Morody may have fled in and its license plate, adding she could be traveling with a small white dog. The 53-year-old has served time for killing a spouse in the past. In 2003, she pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter for stabbing and killing her husband, Jim O'Lanechek, in their home in October of 2000, according to court records. She served more than 13 years in prison and was released in 2015, according to the California Department of Corrections. Now, a potential second fatal stabbing sending shockwaves through this small San Diego community. A little unsettling, I'd say. And not knowing who and that they haven't found someone is scary. I don't know who is responsible, but it seems it was personal. The firefighters that served alongside Marody during her 30 years in the field remembering her unwavering commitment to her community.
Captain Marody's love for the job and the people was amazing. She was always a good employee that worked hard. She was just a genuinely great human being and person to be around. Steve Patterson joins us tonight live from Los Angeles. So, Steve, do we know why the primary suspect here Yoland Rwanda may have escaped to Mexico? Tom, we don't exactly know why Mexico is the focus, but San Diego Sheriff's office tells us they're working with Mexican authorities in a search that spans across the border, of course. San Diego, very close to the border, so proximity may play a role. Meanwhile, police tell us the US Marshal's San Diego Fugitive Task Force, they are leading the charger, leading the manhunt. All right, Steve Patterson, we thank you for that. Let's turn now to the Americas, where for the first time, we are getting a first-hand account from migrants who were held inside the military base at Guantanamo Bay. One migrant detailing what he called or described as deteriorating conditions. Their accounts coming as the Trump administration, halts the temporary protected status for Venezuelans in the US. The ABC's Marisa Para has this one. Dozens file out of the plane with bags, children, whatever they can carry, taking their first steps back on Venezuelan soil.
These are among the first deportation flights from the United States. 242 Venezuelan men, women, and children were repatriated Monday, as new images show hundreds of migrants trudging forward into the unknown. It's the third flight of its kind, coming just days after 177 deported Venezuelan migrants arrived back home from Guantanamo Bay. Now we're hearing for the first time about the conditions inside the military base-turned detention center. In an interview with our partner, Telemundo, Kevin Rodriguez says he was detained in Guantanamo for 14 days. Now, reunited with his family in Venezuela. He recalls spending days stuck inside a dirty nine by six foot cell with little food, losing nine pounds in two weeks.. That was what me preocupaba, cuánto tiempo iba a estar ahí, cuánto tiempo iba a estar mi familia sin. This is part of our plan to make sure that we're protecting America. The news comes less than a month after DHS Secretary, Christie Noem announced on Fox & Friends that the administration was revoking temporary protected status for more than 600,000 Venezuelans in the US. Tps is a federal program that allows people from certain countries to live and work in the US when it's deemed unsafe to return to their home country.
. The move, sparking outrage and talk across Venezuelan communities in the US. I'm talking about CEOs and business owners, and I'm talking about artists and athletes. It's across all sectors. Michelle Canero is an immigration attorney in heavily Venezuelan South Florida. And as a Venezuelan herself, she says it's personal. This is directly affecting the majority of my clients. It's affecting my family, my friends, my neighbors. Roughly 40% of residents in Dural just outside Miami are Venezuelan. And President Trump's November December victory in Miami Dade, marched the first time a Republican candidate won the Hispanic County since 1988. Their communities rallied behind this administration, whether or not they voted for him. I think there was wide support from the majority of my clients who now find themselves facing deportation. They're feeling a little bit of shock. They didn't think that that's what this administration was looking for, was deporting people like them. All right, immigration and politics colliding there in that part of South Florida. Marissa Par Toma joins us tonight, live from Miami. Marissa, we understand the decision to reverse TPS for Venezuelans is now being challenged in court. What can you tell our viewers? Tom, right now, there are two separate lawsuits coming from the states of California and Maryland, respectively.
Both of those lawsuits seek to argue that ending TPS for Venezuelans is both unconstitutional and rationally discriminatory, and they seek to use the President's own words against him in those arguments. But while this is being challenged in court, immigration lawyers like the one we spoke to admitted that with the conservative Supreme Court makeup, this is a very steep uphill battle, Tom. All right, Marissa Para for us. Marissa, we thank you for that. When we return, the explosion sending firefighters running. Take a look at this video. It captures the with the fiery blasts and flames blow out those windows, what we're learning about a possible cause. The new best seller on Amazon, can you believe this? A fake ice jacket. The concern over law enforcement impersonators amid President Trump's immigration crack Backdown. That's coming up. Welcome back. We want to return to our coverage of the war in Ukraine, three years to the day that Russia first invaded. As we reported earlier in the broadcast, President Trump is now saying a peace deal could just be a few weeks away. For more where these negotiations stand, I want to bring in someone who knows the politics of this region very well, Dr. Robert English.
He's a director of the USC School of International International Relations. He has studied the politics of Russia and the former Soviet Union. Robert, we thank you for returning to Top Story. I want to start with this mineral deal that we've been hearing about because I know the ramifications and the negotiating terms have changed a little bit. Why do you think Ukraine came to the table and offered this to the US in the first place? Well, the first offer actually came late last year in the fall in a very different form. It was when Zelensky presented his victory plan. He was in the US, visited the UN back in September before Trump had even been elected. It seemed as if he was telling everyone that, Look, there'll be good business in Ukraine after the war. Please keep supporting us. We have all these minerals. He put it on the table, but he did not expect to have it come back to him in this form, which many Ukrainians are mockingly calling the the art of the steel because it's so tilted against Ukraine's long-term interest. It's essentially also a way to cover the loan payments on the security end that the US has provided, correct?
I think the Ukrainians were under the impression that they were getting grants. It turns out they have to We want to be paid back for that. This is what Zelenski has said. Trump's quite clear, whatever Biden told you, we want to be paid back. It's not even clear how it will benefit Ukraine going forward. There's this expectation of hundreds of billions which I don't think will be borne out. There's a lot of research, exploration, testing, and then simply investment in infrastructure and mining to do before we even have an idea of how lucrative it'll be. I think it's going to prove to be a lot of pie in the sky. President Zelenskyy, in this war of words with President Trump, has even offered his own resignation as one possible bargaining chip if it will bring peace to his country. Do you think that actually happens? No, I It's a sign of desperation on Zelenski's part. He actually said explicitly that if he could get NATO membership, a promise of that security guarantee for Ukraine, he would even resign. But NATO membership is no longer on the table. Trump has already conceded that to the Russians, and apparently, most of our European allies see it the same way.
Maybe in 15 years, but they're not going to include that. That's really not realistic. Zelenski with all this rhetoric and all these twists and turns is showing a desperation to try to get some decent deal, and Trump is taking an extremely hard line. We just heard from Richard Engle earlier in the broadcast speaking to those soldiers on the front lines, those Ukrainian soldiers who have been fighting for these three long years. They've been getting mixed messages from the Trump administration as well. Here's what I mean, right? You had last week, the special envoy to Ukraine, Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg on X, post this, saying he had extensive and positive discussions with the Zelensky, calling him the embattled and courageous leader of a nation at war. And yet this is the same man that President Trump literally has called the dictator. So what do you think is happening here? I think this is another chapter out of the art of the deal, something closer to good cop, bad cop, where the two members of the US team, one the President, one his chief envoy, are hitting and taking positions. It also reflects the fact that Kellogg, although he's pushing a hard line in these negotiations with Ukraine, is all business.
Whereas Trump, for him, it's personal. He does not forget the impeachment scandal. He doesn't even forget that back in the fall, Zelensky visited the United States during the presidential campaign and even visited an arms factory in Scranton, Pennsylvania. That's Joe Biden's hometown. Trump saw that as election interference, and he's a vindictive guy. That and other slites are why he is personally much nastier with Zelensky, and other officials are just being tough but a bit more professional. Yeah, Robert, before you go, and briefly, in 2025, will we see peace in Ukraine? I think so. It won't be a happy peace, but things are moving very quickly, and Trump is getting his way on the big issues, whether we like it or not. Dr. Robert English, Director of the USA School of International We thank you for joining Top Story. Net of Power and politics back here at home in the new twist in the race to succeed Ron DeSantis as governor of Florida. Desantis' term limited from running again, but a DeSantis may yet still be on the ballot. Here's why. The governor today talking up his wife, Casey, as a possible successor. Here's what the governor said at a press conference today.
I won by the biggest margin that any Republicans ever won a governor's race here in Florida. She would do better than me. There's no question about that. That would to happen. She's somebody that has, I think, the intestinal fortitude and the dedication to conservative principles that you know anything we've accomplished, she'd be able to take to the next level. Now, if you don't live in Florida, you may be asking, Why do I care about this? Here's why. This comes days after Trump threw his support behind the man you see right there, Representative Byron Donald, who's been on Top Story several times, a Florida Republican and prominent surrogate for Trump during his campaign. For more on the Sunshine State's governor's race and the shakeup, Axio's senior political reporter and a friend of the show, Mark Caputo, joins us tonight. So, Mark, this has been bubbling in political circles in Florida. It wasn't sure if it was a rumor. Today, the governor essentially made this a reality. Do you think she's going to run for governor? I don't know. I think it's an open question. It depends on who you talk to. A number of people think that in the end, Casey DeSantis probably won't want to deal with the hassle of it.
Ron DeSantis' own ego might not be able to handle the fact that he's going to be second fiddle or back seat or Mr. Mom or the first gentleman or whatever phrase either his critics or supporters have come up with. There's a lot of dynamics at play. But I think what you're seeing now is DeSantis is annoyed with the chatter around Byron Donalds, in part because DeSantis doesn't like the idea, like a lot of termed-out executives of people talking about who is going to succeed them because it's just a reminder their mortality. He saw the same thing, for instance, with Donald Trump recently, when he was asked about whether J. D. Vance was his successor, he snapped at that. Look, you're the expert on Florida politics much more so than me, a fellow Florida man. But I do want to ask you this. I mean, It's interesting when you look at the optics of this, Governor DeSantis, maybe he blocked Lara Trump from that Senate seat. Who knows those negotiations behind the behind-scenes? And now he's not agreeing with Trump, and he's going against the endorsement of Byron Donalds and suggesting his wife. It feels like he's clashing with Trump at sense.
I got to say this, he's one of the few Republicans doing this and maybe the most high-profile Republican doing this. Yeah, I think that's a fair take. I don't think DeSantis sees it that way. I think it's more his peak and annoyance with the chatter around his successor, around Byron Donalds having this conversation. The reality is, is Casey DeSantis is interested in doing it. During the presidential campaign, when she would give speeches during the Republican primary in 2023, a lot of people were wondering, Why isn't she the candidate? Because she's a former TV host, an anchor. She's very good on camera. She's well-spoken, and she not only can deliver a good line, but you can do it time after time after time in stound message. The last thing is the DeSantis name, the brand is strong in Florida with Republican voters. The most recent poll, I think from the University of Florida, North Florida, had her name ID as being the highest out of any one of the potential Republican candidates who might or might not run for governor. In a state like Florida, where name ID is the name of the game, heck, in most elections in most races, that's a big thing, and she has a leg up.
As a former TV host and news anchor, we know those are always great people. Any other credentials there, or is it just a DeSantis name? You know, That's a good question. If it were any other first lady that I've witnessed, I would say, no, Casey DeSantis isn't qualified. The thing is, she is the closest advisor to Governor DeSantis. Those of us in the press corps in Florida have nicknamed them the DeSanti. They're a package deal. They sometimes refer to themselves as us as they. I guess there's a pronoun joke in there in some way, shape or form. But they are a package deal. She has been by his side in the governor's mansion, governing with him, advising with him. She understands the ropes, the levers of power. He would occupy that role in a supersized fashion, were she governor. Now, I'm not saying she is going to run for governor or that she's going to get elected. But if she does run, I think the polling suggests, as of now, if the polling actually shows as of now, it would be her race to lose. All right, Mark Caputo, always great to have you on.
We thank you for that. I'm sure we'll be following this if she does decide to enter that race. Okay, we're also following another story tonight here on Top Story, a warning as immigration authorities carry out arrests across the country. Some people are impersonating those agents. We've shown you those stories. And stoking fear in immigrant communities, one fake ice jacket available to buy online, now even a top seller on Amazon. Mbc's David Noriega shows us. Criminals are being sent home. We're draining the swamp. As President Donald Trump and members of his administration touted their immigration crackdown. We will hunt you down. To a crowd of fervent supporters at the conservative Political Action Conference or CPAC this weekend. I think it's hilarious. It was a supporter attending the conference, wearing the words ICE and immigration on his jacket, who made headlines. Do you actually work for ICE? No, not at all. Explain the outfit. It's 2,999 on Amazon. The clip shared by the Good Liars political comedy duo on X, seen more than 3 million times. If you want some entertainment, wear this and go to a Home Depot in a sanctuary city like where I live right now, Washington, DC, and you'll see all the illegals, not all of them, but you can maybe see a lot of them start to run away.
We wanted to look at these jackets for ourselves on Amazon. If you search immigration jacket, there it is. It's the top result. It's listed as number one best seller in men's novelty jackets and It's a quote. There is a T-shirt version, too, which has a review calling it Absolutely Perfect. Amazon declined to comment on the apparel listings and the viral video. Ice did not respond to our request for comment. While the man in the video appears to be wearing the jacket as a costume or a joke, In New York, at least three people have been arrested for allegedly impersonating ICE officers since Trump took office. I'm horrified. I'm really sad of the state of this nation right now that they think that it's okay to do this to human beings. Human beings, like people who are working, people who are caring for their children. Lupe Carrasco Cardona is part of a Los Angeles organization that prepares communities for immigration enforcement activity. How does this thing, the possibility of someone impersonating ICE officers, complicate the work you do in the community? Well, I think that the main way that it complicates is that there's more chance that communities are going to be struck with this level of terror.
But really, the advice that we are going to be giving our community is the same. You don't need to speak with anyone. You do not need to open your door. You can exercise your rights, whether you're documented or not. In West Hollywood, these signs, which the mayor said are fake ICE notices meant to intimidate certain communities were taken down earlier this month by the city's code enforcement. In a video shared widely on social media, a South Carolina man police have identified as Sean Michael Johnson is seen telling the Hispanic driver of this truck that he's going to be sent back to Mexico. Don't be speaking that pig latin in my country, bro. You're speaking that pig latin here. This is America. We speak English in America. Johnson, who police say tried to report the driver for not having a license, was charged with kidnapping and impersonating a federal officer after the video circulated and could not be reached for comment. All right, David Noriega joins us tonight live from Los Angeles. David, you mentioned there have been at least three arrests of people impersonating ICE officers. The jacket is a best seller on Amazon, but you're talking to advocates in the community.
Are they worried about this? Well, Tom, the community activist that you heard from in the piece actually told me that she hasn't seen anything like this in her own community, that the people in her very mixed status community here in Southern California have actually She's been more stepping up to actually protect and help their undocumented neighbors than do anything like this. She did say, however, that just the possibility of impersonators is adding a fair bit of fear and confusion to a community that's already experiencing plenty of both. Tom? All right, David Noriega for us. David, we thank you for that. Now to Top Story's news feed, a check of what else is happening around this country. A close call for firefighters in Kansas who narrowly missed an explosion while responding to a gas leak. Here's why the new video you see it here captures the blast blowing out an auto shop in the city. Hutchinson, nearly an hour from Wichita, several firefighters racing away from the fireball. Officials say the blast happened just seconds after firefighters evacuated the shop's owner due to high gas level readings inside. Luckily here, no one was hurt. The Coast Guard was sent on a high-speed boat chase after a man stole a yacht in Honolulu.
Here's what it looked like. The boat's owner reported the stolen boat that was seen driving erratically in the Honolulu Harbor. But as Coast When a car crew's approached it, the ship's driver sped away. The Coast Guard eventually caught up to the yacht and detained the man. Honolulu police arrested and charged him for unauthorized use of the boat, theft, and property damage. In a puppy theft caught on camera at a pet store in in Teniel, Colorado, just south of Denver. Video shows one of the suspects collapsing to the floor. You see him right there. He's allegedly faking a seizure, while another, look closely, grabs two English Bulldog puppies from a display cage. While trying to flee one suspect suspect drops the puppies as store employees try to stop him. He scoops them back up and takes off the store's offering. Look at that dog. A $4,000 reward for the puppy's safe return and the arrest of those thief. Okay, coming up, Lawmaker Knockout, a member of Britain's Parliament caught on camera, repeatedly punching a man outside of a pub. The punishment he's now facing, that's next. All right, time now for Top Story's Global Watch, a check of what else This is happening around the world.
We start with the first foreign officer who has been killed in Haiti while trying to combat rampant gang violence there. The multinational security support mission saying an officer from Kenya was killed during a confrontation with gang members. The shooting happened during a security operation north of Haiti's capital. The UN-backed mission was sent to Haiti in June of last year. A British member of Parliament jailed for punching one of his own constituents in the head. Surveillance video footage capturing Labor Party. You see it right there. Labor Party member Mike Amesbury punching a man repeatedly back in October until a bystander intervenes. Amesbury just sentenced to 10 weeks in jail after pleading guilty to the assault. Following that sentencing, a Labor Party spokesperson said he had been removed from the party, and voters can remove him from his seat. A Chinese Navy drill in international waters, raising some alarms in Australia and New Zealand. Here's why three ships from the Chinese Navy conducted live fire drills in the South Pacific's Tasman Sea over the weekend. Those exercises forcing planes to divert from the busy commercial flight path over the area. Leaders in Australia and New Zealand saying China did not break international law, but should have given them more than just a couple of hours of notice.
Off the Coast of Mexico, promoters are preparing for the return of the infamous FIRE Festival. You heard me correct. Today, tickets going on sale for the sequel to the fraudulent event that promised attendees a luxury music experience and ultimately ended up a complete nightmare. Nbc Savannah Seller sat down for an exclusive interview with the founder about why this time will be different. Fire 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality. Eight years after the disaster, Fire Festival made Internet history. How long until water comes? Its founder, Billy McFarlon, who spent four years behind bars for fraud, spoke exclusively with NBC News and says it's back and will actually happen May 30th to June second on Isla Mujeres, price in Mexico. There are festival operators, there are hotel partners, there are concierge groups, there are ticket companies. That is a market change from 2017. Soaking wet. When attendees slept in emergency relief tents and ate viral cheese sandwiches. Why do you think those partners agreed to partner with you, given what happened the first time? So I think Fire 2 really isn't about the past, and it's not really about me. It's about taking the vision, which is strong.
Tickets on sale today range in price from $1,400 to $1. 1 million. An experience McFarlane says includes yacht accommodations and access to artists performing, though no artists have been announced yet. We're going to have artists across electronic hip hop, pop, and rock. However, it's not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning. You say we might have. Are any of these for sure haves? Are they booked? I think what makes FHIR so cool is that we are selling the experience of FHIR I want to be one of the first festivals that can sell out with no artists. But whether McFarlon will see any of this firsthand, an open question. In addition to owing $26 million in restitution, McFarlon's penalty includes travel restrictions. Can you go to Mexico? So I don't know. I'd have to ask for international travel. Mcfarlon says he knows the experience might not be for everyone. Is it a risk to buy a ticket to Fire Festival, too? I think it's always a risk. You're taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and and messed up the first festival.
The question is, will people take it? Savannah Sellers, NBC News. Starting with the death of a US secret service agent, Clint Hill. Hill famously leaped onto the back of President John F. Kennedy's limousine in an attempt to protect the President and the First Lady as gunshots rang out in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Despite multiple awards for his bravery on that day, he often said he blamed himself for Kennedy's death, which led him to retire in 1975 at the age of 43. He had served under five presidents, from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Gerald Ford. Hill was 93 years old. We thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way. Thanks for watching. Stay updated about breaking news and top stories on the NBC News app or follow us on social media.
A Delta Air Lines flight makes an emergency landing after possible smoke fills the cabin, President Trump and French President ...