Los Angeles Mayoral Race Heats Up as Spencer Pratt Gains Momentum

CRITICAL ELECTIONS. THE WHOLE NATION IS WATCHING THE HIGH STAKES MAYORAL RACE IN L.A. FORMER REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT RUNNING AN INSURGENT CAMPAIGN FUELED BY THAT ANGER OVER THE DEVASTATING WILDFIRES. AND COULD A REPUBLICAN DOMINATE IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR IN THAT DEEP BLUE STATE? WE'LL EXPLAIN. ALSO BREAKING RIGHT NOW, A SUSPECT BARRICADED IN A CALIFORNIA BANK WITH PEOPLE INSIDE. WHAT WE'RE LEARNING. A SCHOOL BUS CRASHING DIRECTLY INTO A BUILDING. ALMOST THE ENTIRE BUS THROUGH THE WALL. STUDENTS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL. MIDAIR SCARE A MAN ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE PLANE DOOR AND ENTER THE COCKPIT. THE PASSENGERS JUMPING IN TO RESTRAIN HIM. THE FIREFIGHTER ARRESTED AFTER GOING ON AN ARSON SPREE ALLEGEDLY GET THIS

SETTING MULTIPLE FIRES HIMSELF. THE BEAR ATTACK RAMPAGE AN ANIMAL CHASING A MAN AND THEN POUNCING BEFORE ASSAULTING OTHERS. WHAT'S BEHIND THE RISE IN THE ENCOUNTERS? WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE SOME OF THE VIDEO AND THE GEN Z HOMEOWNERS DEFYING THE ODDS. HOW MORE YOUNG WOMEN ARE PURCHASING HOMES. PLUS THE HEATED DEBATE OVER THE SATS. WHY SOME PROFESSORS ARE BEGGING THEIR UNIVERSITIES TO BRING THEM BACK. TOP STORY STARTS RIGHT NOW. GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT, THE BATTLE FOR LOS ANGELES COMING TO. A HEAD. IT'S ELECTION NIGHT IN CALIFORNIA, AND POLLS ARE OPEN FOR JUST A FEW MORE HOURS. AND TONIGHT, EVERY BALLOT IS GOING TO MATTER. INCUMBENT MAYOR KAREN BASS FIGHTING FOR A

SECOND TERM. SHE'S UP AGAINST A PROGRESSIVE COUNCILMEMBER NITHYA RAMAN AND POLITICAL OUTSIDER, FORMER REALITY TV STAR. YOU MAY RECOGNIZE HIM. SPENCER PRATT. THE MARGIN BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD PLACE IS RAZOR THIN, AND TONIGHT, ONLY THE TWO TOP VOTE GETTERS WILL MOVE ON. PRATT, WHO ROSE TO FAME ON MTV'S THE HILLS, HAS BEEN GAINING MOMENTUM IN RECENT WEEKS, SLAMMING MAYOR BASS FOR HER HANDLING OF THE DEVASTATING PALISADES FIRE, WHICH KILLED AT LEAST 12 PEOPLE AND DECIMATED ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING PRATT'S. THE HOME HE SHARED WITH HIS WIFE, HEIDI AND THEIR TWO CHILDREN BURNED TO THE GROUND. IN OUR INTERVIEW LAST

WEEK, PRATT DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS THE LOOK AROUND CANDIDATE, ARGUING ANGELENOS WILL SEE THE STATE OF THE CITY, INCLUDING WHAT HE CALLS A HOMELESSNESS CRISIS AND VOTE TO MAKE A CHANGE. TONIGHT, THE THEORY WILL BE PUT TO THE TEST, AND IT'S ANOTHER CROWDED RACE FOR GOVERNOR THERE, TWO DEMOCRATS AND ONE REPUBLICAN DUKING IT OUT TO TAKE OVER FOR GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM. WE'VE GOT FULL COVERAGE OF THESE CALIFORNIA CONTESTS TONIGHT. STEVE KORNACKI IN THE HOUSE GETTING LOOSE, GETTING READY AT THE BIG BOARD. HE'S GOING TO BREAK DOWN ALL THE RESULTS TONIGHT ALL NIGHT LONG. BUT WE WANT TO BEGIN TONIGHT WITH LIZ KREUTZ IN L.A. A CITY WHOSE FUTURE IS ON THE LINE TONIGHT.

TONIGHT IN LOS ANGELES, A FINAL PUSH IN THE HIGH STAKES MAYORAL RACE HERE, DEMOCRATIC MAYOR KAREN BASS, TRYING TO FEND OFF A STRONG A CHALLENGE FROM. POLITICAL OUTSIDER AND FORMER REALITY TV STAR SPENCER PRATT. I WANT FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE IN THE CITY. WHEN YOU VOTE FOR ME, IT'S GOING TO JUST BE A MANDATE AND CHANGE. IT'S A THREE WAY CONTEST TONIGHT. BETWEEN BASS. PRATT AND PROGRESSIVE COUNCILWOMAN NITHYA RAMAN. THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS ADVANCE TO THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. PRATT ROSE TO FAME ON THE HILLS.

I WAS JUST ENJOYING MYSELF WITH MY WIFE AND I GET CRYING SISTERS IN FRONT OF ME. AND SAYS. HE WAS DRIVEN TO RUN AFTER LOSING HIS HOME IN THE MASSIVE PALISADES FIRE LAST YEAR. THIS IS WHERE I LIVE. THEY LET MY HOME BURN DOWN. AND GAINING. TRACTION BY TAPPING INTO VOTER ANGER OVER HOMELESSNESS AND CRIME. I'M THE LOOK AROUND CANDIDATE. I JUST SAY, LOOK AROUND. USE YOUR OWN EYES. DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? I'M RUNNING. I'M MAKING THE STREETS SAFE.

HE RECENTLY SPOKE TO TOM. WHAT ABOUT PEOPLE THAT MIGHT SAY, IS THIS JUST ABOUT SELF-PROMOTION? HOW DO YOU CONVINCE THOSE PEOPLE THAT YOU SAY, NO, I REALLY WANT THIS JOB. I WANT TO CHANGE THE CITY. YEAH. LET'S REWIND. EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WORKED FOR BURNED IN MY HOUSE. I STARTED THIS TO EXPOSE THE CORRUPTION AND THE NEGLIGENCE OF OUR CITY LEADERS. WE SPOKE TO BASS LATE TODAY. MAYOR SPENCER PRATT SAYS THAT HIS WHOLE CAMPAIGN IS ABOUT LOOKING AROUND AND SEEING WHAT'S HAPPENING. UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP AS MAYOR. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?

WELL, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON DOING IS CONTINUING TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET. THE FIRST TIME, TWO YEARS IN A ROW, WE'VE HAD A DECLINE IN STREET HOMELESSNESS. WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET DISTRACTED BY A TV REALITY SHOW VILLAIN. BUT IN DEVASTATED PACIFIC PALISADES, MANY VOTERS DEMANDING CHANGE. WE FIRST MET ANTONION DAYS AFTER HIS HOME BURNED TO RUBBLE. HE'S BACKING PRATT. WE HAD ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, YOU KNOW, ACTOR, RONALD REAGAN, ACTOR. THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE, BUT THEY HAD THE COMMON SENSE. SO WHY NOT GIVE THEM A CHANCE? BUT IN OTHER PARTS OF THIS BLUE CITY SIGNS, IT WILL BE A TIGHT RACE. WHO ARE YOU RUNNING

FOR? MAYOR. FOR MAYOR? I'M GOING TO GIVE. I'M GONNA GIVE BASS ANOTHER GO. OKAY. IT'S GOING TO BE SUCH AN INTERESTING RACE. LIZ KREUTZ JOINS US TONIGHT FROM L.A. BESIDES THAT MAYORAL RACE, YOU'RE ALSO WATCHING KEY PRIMARIES FOR GOVERNOR AS WELL. YEAH WE ARE. AND YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME THIS IS A VERY BUSY VOTE CENTER AS PEOPLE ARE DOING THEIR LAST MINUTE BALLOT DROPS HERE. TOM VOTERS ARE ALSO DECIDING IN CALIFORNIA WHO SHOULD REPLACE GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM. RIGHT NOW, IT SEEMS TO BE A THREE WAY RACE FOR THE TOP TWO SPOTS BETWEEN DEMOCRATS.

XAVIER BECERRA, WHO WORKED FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, AND BILLIONAIRE CLIMATE ACTIVIST TOM STEYER, AS WELL AS REPUBLICAN FOX NEWS COMMENTATOR STEVE HILTON. THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL OTHER DEMOCRATS IN THIS RACE, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, IT DOES APPEAR TO BE SPLITTING THE VOTE. AND SO IN THIS HEAVILY BLUE STATE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD SEE A REPUBLICAN HILTON GET ONE OF THOSE TWO TOP SPOTS AND MOVE ON TO THE RUNOFF IN NOVEMBER. TOM. YEAH, GOING TO BE VERY, VERY INTERESTING TONIGHT, LIKE I SAID EARLIER. ALL RIGHT. LIZ, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WANT TO GET RIGHT OVER TO MY GOOD FRIEND NBC, STEVE KORNACKI, WHO'S GOING TO BE AT HIS BIG BOARD ALL NIGHT. STEVE, YOU CAN

DO IT ALL. EVEN MAYORAL RACES. I MEAN THIS JUST SOUNDS AND FEELS SO CRAZY HERE. SO EXPLAIN TO OUR VIEWERS THE DATA YOU'RE GETTING BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON ALL NIGHT, HOW THE VOTES COME IN AND WHAT YOU'RE WATCHING FOR. IF THERE ARE ANY TEA LEAVES TONIGHT. YEAH, I THINK LOOK, IN THIS L.A. MAYOR'S RACE, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING HERE. SOMETIME ABOUT 1130 EASTERN TIME, 830 LOCAL TIME IN L.A. WE ARE GOING TO GET A GIANT BATCH OF VOTE REPORTED OUT ALL AT ONCE. YOU'RE GOING TO GO FROM SEEING NO RESULTS FROM TO SEEING LIKE HALF THE VOTE FOR THIS ELECTION. NOW, WHAT THAT'S GOING TO BE IS, REMEMBER, IN CALIFORNIA, MOST OF THE VOTING IS CONDUCTED BY MAIL. SO THE BALLOTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING IN UP TO ELECTION

DAY, THE ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE ABLE TO PROCESS THOSE, TURN THOSE AROUND AND BASICALLY REPORT THEM OUT PRETTY QUICKLY AFTER POLL CLOSING. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET A GIANT BATCH, PROBABLY ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR AFTER POLLS CLOSE, AND THEN PROBABLY WITHIN A HALF AN HOUR OR SO OF THAT, THE VOTES THAT WERE CAST IN PERSON. THERE ARE STILL SOME FOLKS WHO GO AND VOTE IN PERSON TODAY THAT WILL GET ADDED TO THE MIX TO THAT WILL PROBABLY TAKE US TO ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE VOTE IN. IF IT'S CLEAR AT THAT POINT, YOU KNOW WHAT THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THESE CANDIDATES IS, MAYBE WE'LL HAVE AN IDEA ABOUT THE OUTCOME. BUT IF IT'S NOT, IT COULD TAKE DAYS TO GET THE RESULT HERE, BECAUSE WHAT'S LEFT IS THEY CAN ALLOW A VOTE

BY MAIL TO COME IN FOR UP TO A WEEK IN CALIFORNIA. SO IT CAN TAKE DAYS TO PROCESS ALL OF THOSE REMAINING BALLOTS. AND THERE WILL BE A LOT LEFT UNCOUNTED AFTER TONIGHT. OKAY, SO WHAT IS THE SMART MONEY SAY, STEVE, IF KAREN BASS SURVIVES AND THEN SHE GOES OFF TO THIS RUNOFF ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 2ND, DO HER CHANCES GET INFINITELY BETTER? DOES IT MATTER WHO HER OPPONENT IS? I MEAN, BREAK IT DOWN FOR US? WELL, THAT'S THE SUSPENSE. EVERYBODY'S SO CURIOUS WHAT THE NUMBER IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR PRATT TONIGHT, BECAUSE THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, I THINK THAT THE BASS FOLKS CERTAINLY THOUGHT THIS AT THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN WAS IF THEY GOT

INTO A RUNOFF WITH PRATT, THAT WOULD BE THE CANDIDATE THEY'D RATHER FACE. WHY? BECAUSE PRATT'S A REPUBLICAN IN AN OVERWHELMINGLY DEMOCRATIC CITY. THIS WAS LIKE A 3 TO 1 KAMALA HARRIS CITY IN 2024. SO THE ODDS OF A REPUBLICAN WINNING HERE VERY SLIM. SO BUT PRATT HAS SHOWN SOME SUGGESTION IN THIS POLLING OF SOME UNEXPECTED STRENGTH, HOW REAL THAT IS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET OUR GLIMPSE AT TONIGHT. IF HIS SUPPORT IS BROADER, I THINK, THAN FOLKS WERE EXPECTING, THAT MAY RECALIBRATE EXPECTATIONS IF HE DOES MAKE THAT RUNOFF.

ALL RIGHT, THEN LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, TOO, BECAUSE THIS IS A STRANGE ONE. RIGHT. AND I'M SURE YOU'VE READ UP AND YOU'VE LOCKED IN TO CALIFORNIA HERE. EXPLAIN WHY THIS ONE SORT OF SO EXCITING AS WELL. YEAH. SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT SCENARIO HERE. TWO OF THE TOP TWO ADVANCING HERE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION. AGAIN THIS IS REGARDLESS OF PARTY IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE. YOU JUST HEARD THERE. LOOK THERE'S A GOOD POSSIBILITY. I THINK STEVE HILTON THE REPUBLICAN WHO'S BEEN POLLING THE BEST, CAN GET ONE OF THOSE TWO SPOTS. BUT THEN WHAT IS TOM STEYER THE DEMOCRAT IN THERE IS XAVIER BECERRA, ANOTHER DEMOCRAT WHO'S BEEN POLLING

WELL IN THERE. I THINK ONE THING TO LOOK AT TONIGHT, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING. BECERRA'S POLITICAL BASE. HE WAS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM LOS ANGELES, L.A. COUNTY, L.A. COUNTY IS JUST MASSIVE. IT'S LIKE 22% OF ALL THE VOTES CAST STATEWIDE ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF L.A. COUNTY. HOW MUCH OF A BANG DOES BECERRA GET OUT OF THAT? BECAUSE THE OTHER BIG POPULATION CENTER HERE IN THE PRIMARY, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, ALSO THOSE BAY AREA COUNTIES ADD UP TO 22% OF THE PRIMARY VOTE. THAT'S WHERE STEYER IS FROM. THAT'S WHERE YOU'D EXPECT HIM TO DO A WHO IS GETTING MORE OUT OF SORT OF THEIR BASE AREA. BECERRA OR STEYER, I THINK, LOOMS LARGE IN THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE.

ALL RIGHT, STEVE KORNACKI, SO MUCH TO ASK AND UNFOLD. SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE OUR COVERAGE. WE'LL TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT LATER. JOINING THE ANALYSIS TONIGHT, OUR CALIFORNIA POLITICAL PROS. MICHAEL TRUJILLO IS A DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND ADVISES ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA, A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR L.A. GOVERNOR. AND ROXANNE HOGUE IS A CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, WHO, WE SHOULD NOTE HAS ENDORSED SPENCER PRATT. THIS SHOULD BE A LIVELY AND EXCITING CONVERSATION, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. MICHAEL, AS YOU KNOW, THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS IN L.A. ARE DEMOCRATS. PRATT IS AN INDEPENDENT, BUT HE'S VOTED REPUBLICAN IN THE PAST AND HAS EARNED THE SUPPORT OF PRESIDENT

TRUMP. SORT OF. HAS HE FOUND ENOUGH SUPPORT AMONG DEMOCRATS TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS RACE? IS THERE ENOUGH ANGER AGAINST MAYOR BASS TO FUEL THAT SPENCER PRATT CAMPAIGN? WELL, I THINK SPENCER PRATT HAS RAN AN IMAGINATIVE CREATIVE CAMPAIGN. HE'S BEEN EVERYWHERE. HE'S SATURATED THE MARKET. SO, YOU KNOW, SPENCER SHOULD HAVE A REALLY GOOD SHOT AT MAKING THE RUNOFF TONIGHT. I WOULD SAY IF HE GETS 25% OR HIGHER, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET HIS TICKET TO THE RUNOFF FOR NOVEMBER. ROXANNE, EXPLAIN THIS TO ME. RIGHT. BECAUSE, I MEAN, I INTERVIEWED SPENCER PRATT. I TOTALLY GET IT. AND AS MICHAEL MENTIONED THERE, HE'S GOT A GREAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN.

HE'S FLOODED THE AIRWAVES. HE'S LITERALLY EVERYWHERE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIM RIGHT NOW. WHY DO YOU, AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SPENT A LONG TIME IN POLITICS, SOMEBODY WHO CARES ABOUT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, WHY ARE YOU READY TO GIVE THE KEYS TO THE MAYOR'S MANSION, TO SOMEBODY WHO HAS ZERO EXPERIENCE IN GOVERNMENT? AND NOT ONLY THAT, HAS NEVER REALLY HELD A JOB. BESIDES, YOU KNOW, I SHOULDN'T SAY BESIDES ANYTHING. HE WAS A SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY, A REALITY STAR. HE'S OBVIOUSLY BUILT A BUSINESS THAT WAY. BUT SORT OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF TYPICAL RUNNING A STAFF AND RUNNING A LARGE COMPANY. MAYBE SOME OF THAT EXPERIENCE WOULD HELP OUT IF YOU'RE A MAYOR, BUT YOU GUYS BASICALLY ARE PUTTING YOUR FAITH IN SOMEBODY WHO'S

UNTESTED. WELL, GIVEN THAT THE PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE HAVE MANAGED TO RUN LOS ANGELES INTO THE GROUND, I WOULD SAY TO VOTERS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LOSE? A SMALL CORRECTION. LOS ANGELES COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY, OF WHICH I AM CHAIR, WE RECOMMENDED SPENCER, YOU KNOW, PARTIES HAVE THESE ARCANE RULES AND PROCEDURES AND BYLAWS. AND SO WE RECOMMENDED SPENCER. HE IS THE ONLY REGISTERED REPUBLICAN IN THE RACE. BUT MORE THAN THAT, HE'S THE ONLY PERSON WITH THE COJONES TO CALL THINGS OUT AND SAY, LOOK AROUND. IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, STAY ON THE SAME PATH. BUT A LOT OF US DON'T. ROXANNE, THIS WAS A FAMILY SHOW, SO LET'S TRY TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. I DO WANT TO ASK YOU, DO YOU BELIEVE THERE ARE SILENT PRATT VOTERS OUT THERE? WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME, THEY'RE LIKE,

CAN HE REALLY WIN? I POINT TO NEW YORK CITY, RIGHT? AND IN JUST ONE ELECTION, NEW YORK CITY WENT FROM DE BLASIO, WHO WAS A VERY CAPITAL S SOCIALIST, TO MAYOR ADAMS, WHO WAS A CENTRIST, RIGHT. BOTH DEMOCRATS. BUT THE CITY MOVED VERY FAR BECAUSE THERE WAS THIS ANGER POST DE BLASIO POST COVID. I FEEL LIKE THAT EXISTS RIGHT NOW IN LOS ANGELES AS WELL. THIS ISN'T PARTIZAN AT ALL. LOOK, MAYOR FIORELLO LAGUARDIA SAID THERE'S NO REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT WAY TO CLEAN THE STREETS. BUT WE HAVE PROVEN THAT THERE IS A ONE PARTY RULE WAY TO NOT CLEAN THE STREETS. AND SO WHAT I'M SEEING IS OVERWHELMING. DEMOCRAT SUPPORT

AND INDEPENDENT AND NPP SUPPORT FOR SPENCER. I WISH ALL HIS VOTERS WERE REPUBLICANS. THAT WOULD MAKE MY JOB A LOT EASIER. THE FACT IS THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE BEING MUGGED. YEAH. MICHAEL. DID DEMOCRATS. MAKE A MISTAKE HERE IN JUST MAYBE TALKING TO EACH OTHER? RIGHT. BECAUSE I READ REPORTS THAT RAMON, WHO'S THE OTHER DEMOCRAT WHO'S RUNNING AGAINST MAYOR BASS, INITIALLY ENDORSED HER AND THEN DECIDED, WAIT, SHE PROBABLY SAW THE POLLING AND SAID, SHE'S NOT VERY POPULAR. LET ME RUN. SO NOW THEY'RE SPLITTING THE

DEMOCRATIC VOTE, ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER DEMOCRATS THAT ARE RUNNING IN THE MAYOR'S RACE. DID DEMOCRATS NOT ORGANIZE SORT OF IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER IN THIS RACE? WELL, I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO COUNCILWOMAN NITHYA RAMAN, SHE'S IN IT FOR HERSELF. I DON'T THINK SHE'S IN IT FOR THE CITY OF LA. YOU KNOW, I'M VOTING FOR MAYOR. KAREN BASS, SHE'S A FORMER EMERGENCY ROOM NURSE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO A BEDSIDE MANNER, SHE'S THE ONE I WANT TO HELP HEAL THE CITY OF LA. NITHYA RAMAN DID ENDORSE KAREN BASS HAS HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT TO KAREN BASS FOR FOUR YEARS AND ENDORSED THAT. AND SO IF SOMEONE SHOWED HER A PIECE OF PAPER WITH NUMBERS ON IT AND

CONVINCED HER THAT SHE HAD A SHOT AT THIS, I THINK SHE'S SEEN THE REALITY OF HOW HARD IT IS TO RUN IN THE CITY OF LA, AND THAT'S WHY SHE'S NOT GETTING MUCH TRACTION. MICHAEL, DO YOU THINK SPENCER PRATT'S CAMPAIGN IS A LESSON TO DEMOCRATS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? LOOK, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE THE CITY OF LA HAS HAD A REPUBLICAN IN OUR RUNOFF. IT'S BEEN SINCE MAYOR REARDON DAYS. AND SO FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN WANTING A REPUBLICAN POINT OF VIEW, A POLICY PERSPECTIVE AT LEAST DEBATED HERE IN THE CITY OF LA, WE MIGHT HAVE THAT IN A FEW HOURS OR IN THE COMING DAYS. AND THAT'S NOT A BAD THING. IF IT'S IF IT COMES DOWN TO KAREN BASS AND SPENCER PRATT,

WHO DO YOU THINK COMES OUT ON TOP IN NOVEMBER? I THINK THE MATH IS REALLY HARD FOR SPENCER PRATT. I THINK KAREN BASS WOULD ULTIMATELY SUCCEED. I THINK WE WOULD HAVE A VIGOROUS DEBATE ABOUT POLICY AND DIRECTION OF THE CITY OF LA, BUT I'M WITH KAREN BASS AND I HAVE BEEN SINCE THE DAY SHE GOT ELECTED. ROXANNE, LET'S TURN TO THE GOVERNOR'S RACE NOW. CALIFORNIA HASN'T ELECTED A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR IN ABOUT 20 YEARS. YOU'LL REMEMBER HIM. I WAS GOING TO SAY THE GOVERNATOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF TWISTS AND TURNS IN THIS RACE. THERE WAS A TIME IT WAS LOOKING LIKE TWO REPUBLICANS COULD ADVANCE. WHO DO YOU THINK MOVES FORWARD

IN THIS RACE AFTER TONIGHT? I THINK YOUR PREVIOUS SEGMENT WITH STEVE WAS RIGHT. WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY BALLOTS ARE GOING TO BE CAST IN THIS ELECTION, AND WE WON'T KNOW FOR A WEEK. SO ALL I CAN PREDICT WITH CERTAINTY IS THAT TONIGHT'S GOING TO BE A WILD RIDE, AND IT WILL CONTINUE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. I HOPE AT LEAST ONE REPUBLICAN GETS IN THE TOP TWO. IT'S LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE STEVE HILTON, BUT POLLS AREN'T VOTES. ELECTIONS ARE WON BY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE WHO VOTE. AND RIGHT NOW, THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE VOTING, UNFORTUNATELY.

MICHAEL, HOW DO DEMOCRATS REALLY VIEW TOM STEYER? HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT. HE'S GOTTEN HIS NAME OUT THERE. HE SPENT ALL OF HIS MONEY TO CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT AND NOW FOR GOVERNOR. DO DEMOCRATS LIKE HIM IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA? WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATS HERE IN OUR STATE HAVE HAD A REAL ISSUE WITH BILLIONAIRES RUNNING FOR OFFICE. AND SO THE CHOICE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS TODAY IS, DO YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR A BILLIONAIRE, OR DO YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR ANOTHER CANDIDATE NAMED XAVIER BECERRA, WHO'S COMPLETELY OWNED BY SEVERAL BILLIONAIRES? AND SO THAT'S THE CHOICE DEMOCRATS HAVE TODAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING UNDECIDEDS LATE UNDECIDEDS COME THIS WAY, AT

LEAST, YOU KNOW, TODAY IN TERMS OF THE DATA WE'VE BEEN SEEING, THERE'S A CHANCE TO REALLY HAVE TWO DEMOCRATS IN THE RUNOFF. AND IF YOU REALLY WANT TO STOP PRESIDENT TRUMP'S AGENDA AND GET TWO DEMOCRATS IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR, WHICH WOULD SUPPRESS REPUBLICAN TURNOUT, WHICH HELPS US TAKE BACK THE HOUSE, THE VALADAO SEAT, THE DARRELL ISSA SEAT THAT HELPS US STOP TRUMP'S AGENDA. SO IF YOU'RE BEING STRATEGIC, I WOULD VOTE FOR TOM STEYER TODAY. MICHAEL AND ROXANNE, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG, INTERESTING NIGHT THERE IN CALIFORNIA. WE CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOU CAN WATCH ALL OF OUR SPECIAL COVERAGE OF ALL THE MIDTERM PRIMARIES TONIGHT,

BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING STARTING AT 10 P.M. LOCK IT IN RIGHT HERE LIVE ON NBC NEWS NOW AND THE KORNACKI CAM. OH, YOU KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HOT. IT WILL START AROUND 8 P.M. CAN'T WAIT TO WATCH ALL THAT. WE WANT TO TURN NOW TO ANOTHER BIG STORY. WE'RE FOLLOWING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WITH IRAN NEW VIDEO TONIGHT OF THE U.S. STRIKING A SHIP THAT WAS TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH ITS BLOCKADE OF IRAN'S PORTS, ALL AS SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO SUGGESTING THERE'S PROGRESS IN NUCLEAR TALKS WITH THE IRANIAN REGIME. HERE'S GARRETT HAAKE. TONIGHT. YOU CAN SEE THE HELLFIRE MISSILE LAUNCHED INTO THE ENGINE ROOM OF AN OIL TANKER TRYING TO EVADE THE U.S.

BLOCKADE AFTER WHAT CENTCOM SAID WAS MULTIPLE WARNINGS OVER A 24 HOUR PERIOD, ALL AS SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO TELLING LAWMAKERS THE BLOCKADE, WHICH IS CAUSING THE IRANIAN REGIME TO LOSE AN ESTIMATED $435 MILLION DAILY IN OIL REVENUE, WILL STAY IN PLACE UNTIL IRAN REOPENS THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. THEY'RE FIRING ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS. SO CONDITION NUMBER ONE IS THEY HAVE TO REOPEN THE STREETS. AND THAT IRAN MUST AGREE TO CURTAIL ITS NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT. THEY HAVE AGREED TO NEGOTIATE ASPECTS OF THEIR NUCLEAR PROGRAM THAT JUST A MONTH AGO, JUST A YEAR AGO, THEY WERE REFUSING TO EVEN MENTION. BUT DEMOCRATS PRESSING RUBIO.

WE ARE THE STRONGEST NATION ON THE PLANET EARTH, AND WE'RE IN A STALEMATE WITH IRAN. AND NOW WE'RE BEGGING TO GET BACK INTO A DEAL. NO ONE'S BEGGING FOR ANYTHING HERE. THE IRANIANS MIGHT BE BEGGING BECAUSE THEIR ECONOMY IS LOSING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A DAY. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, GARRETT HAAKE IN NEW YORK JOINS US LIVE NOW. GARRETT. SO WE'RE ALSO LEARNING ABOUT SOME NEW PUSHBACK THE PRESIDENT IS FACING OVER HIS PICK FOR THE HEAD OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

YEAH, HIS APPOINTMENT OF HIS HOUSING CHIEF, BILL PULTE, IS REALLY GETTING SIGNIFICANT PUSHBACK ON CAPITOL HILL. HE WOULD TAKE OVER FOR TULSI GABBARD AS ACTING DNI. BUT PULTE HAS URGED INVESTIGATIONS OF TRUMP CRITICS. HE'S GOT NO INTELLIGENCE BACKGROUND, EVEN THE TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN SAYING TODAY THAT JOB IN PARTICULAR, CALLS FOR PROFESSIONALS. KNOW AT THIS POIF COURSE WE'RE STAYING FOR THE LATEST DETAILS, TOM. OKAY. STEVE PATTERSON, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE'RE GOING TO TURN NOW TO A DRAMATIC MID-AIR CONFRONTATION. PASSENGERS RESTRAINING A MAN AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO OPEN A PLANE DOOR AND ENTER THE COCKPIT.

NBC'S TOM COSTELLO HAS THE VIDEO. THIS HANDS BEHIND HIS BACK. IT HAPPENED ON A FRONTIER FLIGHT FROM SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, TO CHICAGO. VIDEO SHOWS PASSENGERS RESTRAINING A 51 YEAR OLD MAN, WHO THE ARRESTING OFFICER SAYS TRIED TO CHOKE AN OFF DUTY FLIGHT ATTENDANT ENTER THE COCKPIT AND TRIED OPENING AN EXIT DOOR. WHILE IN FLIGHT. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS HOLDING DOWN THE SUSPECT TOLD LOCAL REPORTERS HE'S A FORMER MARTIAL ARTS FIGHTER. I GOT HIM, I GOT HIM. VIDEO SHOWS HIM PINNING THE SUSPECT TO HIS SEAT. FRONTIER AIRLINES TELLS NBC NEWS THE FLIGHT WAS DIVERTED TO MIAMI.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BOARDED THE AIRCRAFT IN MIAMI AND REMOVED THE PASSENGER. JUST THE MOST RECENT CASE OF A PASSENGER BECOMING DISRUPTIVE IN FLIGHT. THEY WERE ABLE TO FINALLY GET CONTROL OF HIM AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO TRY TO BREACH THE COCKPIT. ON SATURDAY, A PASSENGER ALLEGEDLY TRIED BREAKING INTO ANOTHER COCKPIT. GET ME TO THE GATE! I WANT OFF OR I'LL TAKE MYSELF OFF, OKAY. IN APRIL, A PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE AIRCRAFT DOOR, UPSET THAT HIS FLIGHT WAS DELAYED BY WEATHER. SO FAR THIS YEAR, THE FAA REPORTS MORE THAN 640 UNRULY PASSENGER INCIDENTS.

PASSENGERS WHO ASSAULT OR INTERFERE WITH THE FLIGHT CREW CAN FACE A FINE OF NEARLY $44,000 PER VIOLATION, WITH MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS PER INCIDENT. ACTUALLY OPENING AN EXIT DOOR IN FLIGHT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE PLANE'S CABIN PRESSURE, BUT A VIOLENT PASSENGER CAN BACK NOW WITH THE STRING OF FIRES THAT AUTHORITIES SAY WERE STARTED BY A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. HE'S BEHIND BARS TONIGHT ACCUSED OF INTENTIONALLY SETTING THOSE FIRES AND THEN JOINING THE CREWS TRYING TO PUT THEM OUT.

HERE'S SAM BROCK. TONIGHT. POLICE SAY THE SOARING FLAMES BREAKING OUT IN THIS PHILADELPHIA SUBURB WERE THE WORK OF A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER. THREE SEPARATE SPOTS, PROMPTING OFFICERS TO RING THIS DOORBELL, WARNING NEARBY HOMEOWNERS IN ONE LOCATION. AND FIRST RESPONDERS SCREAMING FOR FAMILIES TO EVACUATE IN ANOTHER. ALL OF IT PART OF A 30 HOUR ARSON SPREE, ACCORDING TO PENNSYLVANIA POLICE IGNITED BY 29 YEAR OLD JUSTIN JOLLY. THEY SAY HE WORKED FOR THE VERY COMPANY IN SOUDERTON, PENNSYLVANIA, CALLED IN TO STOP THE FLAMES, AND THAT JOLLY ACTUALLY RESPONDED BACK TO THE FIRE SCENE IN TWO OF THE CALLS THAT FIRE COMPANY TONIGHT TELLING US HE'S BEEN SUSPENDED.

ACCORDING TO A POLICE AFFIDAVIT, JOLLY ADMITTED TO SETTING FIRE TO WOOD LOGS AT ONE LOCATION, THEN MOVING TO A DETACHED GARAGE BARN A FEW MILES AWAY, THE FLAMES RAGING FEET AWAY FROM TWO HOMES WITH TEN PEOPLE INSIDE. POLICE SAY JOLLY BELIEVED AN EMPLOYER WHO FIRED HIM IN 2025 LIVED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THAT LOCATION, THEN FINALLY CRIES FROM A CHILD COMING FROM A THIRD NEIGHBORHOOD. JOLLY IS CURRENTLY BEHIND BARS, AND HIS ATTORNEY TOLD NBC NEWS HE HAD NO COMMENT. GET OUT! POLICE SAY THEY WERE ABLE TO TRACK HIM DOWN USING A LICENSE PLATE READER AND UNCOVERED SEVERAL WOOD LOGS, LIGHTER FLUID AND A FIRE RADIO IN HIS CAR. THE 29 YEAR OLD, FACING A SLEW OF CHARGES INCLUDING ARSON AND RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT.

SAM JOINS US NOW. SO, SAM, THIS IS SUCH A STRANGE STORY. WHAT ARE WE HEARING FROM THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT? SO THE PERSEVERANCE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT DID GET BACK TO US, TOM. THEY DIDN'T MENTION ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FRAYED RELATIONSHIPS OR WARNING SIGNS HERE. BUT THEY DID ISSUE A STATEMENT WHICH SAYS, IN PART, THE ACTIONS DESCRIBED IN THESE CRIMINAL CHARGES STAND IN COMPLETE OPPOSITION TO THE CORE VALUES, MISSION AND DEDICATION OF OUR COMPANY. THE PERSEVERANCE VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY IS FULLY COOPERATING WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THEY SAY. WE WANT TO ASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS INCIDENT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE CHARACTER OR INTEGRITY OF OUR DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS. SOUDERTON,

PENNSYLVANIA HAS A POPULATION OF 7000 PEOPLE. OBVIOUSLY, THIS KIND OF THING COMPLETELY DEFIES LOGIC. THEY'RE SHOCKED. THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO PROCESS IT, TRYING TO COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THIS. ALL RIGHT, SAM BROCK, GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. WE APPRECIATE YOU'RE LOOKING. YOU'RE LOOKING A LITTLE LOW. DO YOU WE ARE BACK NOW WITH MASSIVE PROTESTS ACROSS THE UK. OVER NEW BODY CAM VIDEO SHOWING POLICE HANDCUFFING A MAN WHO WAS STABBED AND LATER DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY. KELLY O'DONNELL HAS THE VIDEO AS ANGER ERUPTS IN THOSE STREETS.

TONIGHT, A FLASHPOINT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. CHANTS OF I CAN'T BREATHE! A PUBLIC ANGER BOILED OVER, WITH DEMONSTRATORS AIMING AT POLICE. THAT DEMONSTRATION ECHOES THE WORDS OF AN 18 YEAR OLD HENRY NOWAK HEARD AND NEWLY RELEASED POLICE BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE. NOWAK, WHO WAS STABBED MULTIPLE TIMES, DIED IN POLICE CUSTODY AFTER HE ATTEMPTED TO TELL OFFICERS HE WAS HURT. THE ACTIONS OF POLICE OFFICERS WHO HANDCUFFED THE WOUNDED MAN UNDER NEW SCRUTINY. THIS DOES. YOU'VE BEEN STABBED. WHEREABOUTS? NOWAK, WHO WAS WHITE, DIED LAST DECEMBER. THE NEW UPROAR FOLLOWS MONDAY'S MURDER CONVICTION OF 23 YEAR OLD VIKRAM, WHO IS SIKH. THE CONTROVERSY CENTERS ON HOW POLICE RESPONDED TO NOWAK AFTER

HE CLAIMED HE HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF A RACIAL SLUR. THE JUDGE SAID THAT CLAIM WAS FALSE. NOWAK'S FATHER SAID HIS SON DESERVED BETTER. HENRY DID NOT DIE WITH DIGNITY. HE DID NOT DIE WITH THE CARE HE DESERVED. NIGEL FARAGE, A FAR RIGHT MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, TAPPED INTO PUBLIC ANGER AND INVOKED RACE. THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE HIM. THE LAST WORDS ON EARTH THIS MAN HEARD WERE HIS RIGHTS BEING READ OUT TO HIM, ALL BECAUSE OF A FALSE ACCUSATION OF RACISM. BUT BRITISH PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER URGED CALM. BUT WHEN HENRY'S FAMILY ARE SAYING PLEASE DON'T DO THAT,

IT'S OUR SON, THEN REALLY, AS POLITICIANS, AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE SHOULD START WHERE THEY START AND THAT'S WHERE I START. ONE OFFICER INVOLVED HAS RESIGNED AND AUTHORITIES SAY THE INVESTIGATION INTO POLICE CONDUCT CONTINUES. TOM. OKAY, KELLY. THANK YOU. WE WANT TO STAY OVERSEAS IN RUSSIA, LAUNCHING ONE OF THE DEADLIEST ATTACKS ON UKRAINE SINCE THE WAR BEGAN. UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SAY HUNDREDS OF DRONES AND DOZENS OF MISSILES KILLED NEARLY TWO DOZEN PEOPLE. NBC NEWS CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT KEIR SIMMONS IS INSIDE RUSSIA TONIGHT WITH HIS TEAM. KEIR. THERE ARE FEARS OF MORE ATTACKS TONIGHT, OBVIOUSLY BY UKRAINE.

YEAH, THE FEARS ARE COMING FROM PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY OF UKRAINE. TOM, WHO IS SAYING THAT PERHAPS EVEN AS SOON AS TONIGHT, THERE COULD BE ANOTHER MAJOR BOMBARDMENT ON UKRAINE BY RUSSIA. AS YOU MENTIONED, THOSE HUNDREDS OF DRONES AND MISSILES KILLING 22 PEOPLE ACROSS UKRAINE OVERNIGHT, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SHELTERING AS THEY HAVE DONE. TOM, FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS DURING THIS LONG WAR. NOW, PRESIDENT PUTIN SAYS THAT IT IS RETALIATION FOR A STRIKE IN THE RUSSIAN OCCUPIED AREA OF UKRAINE THAT KILLS 21 PEOPLE IN A DORMITORY. THE RUSSIANS ARE FURIOUS OVER THAT. AND THEY SAY THAT THIS BOMBARDMENT IS A RESPONSE TO THAT, TOM. AND THEN HERE, PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY IS PLEADING FOR MORE AIR DEFENSE FROM THE U.S. BUT IT COMES AT THIS TRICKY TIME,

WHICH, WHEN WE'RE RIGHT STILL AT WAR WITH IRAN AND THERE'S STILL NO PEACE AGREEMENT THERE. YEAH, EXACTLY. THE ISSUE IS, OF COURSE, AS PEOPLE WILL KNOW, THAT THOSE AIR DEFENSES THAT UKRAINE WANTS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY. THERE IS PRESSURE ON THEM, NOT LEAST BECAUSE THEY WERE USED SO EXTENSIVELY DURING THE IRAN WAR. AND THEY ARE ALREADY ANYWAY, A SCARCE RESOURCE. SO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SAYING UKRAINE NEEDS PROTECTION, JUST AS, FOR EXAMPLE, AMERICA'S ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE ARAB WORLD ARE INDICATING THAT THEY NEED SUPPORT, THEY NEED A PROTECTION UNLESS THERE IS SOME KIND OF A RESOLUTION WITH THE IRAN WAR. OF COURSE, THE NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE IRAN WAR DRAGGING ON NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE ARE

DRAGGING ON WITH NO SIGN OF RESOLUTION. I'LL JUST NOTE, TOM, AND THIS WAS STUNNING TO ME. WE'VE JUST ARRIVED HERE IN SAINT PETERSBURG, IN RUSSIA TONIGHT. AND AS I FLEW HERE, WE HAD TO FLY AROUND IRAN. WE HAD TO FLY AROUND THE CONFLICT OVER UKRAINE. WE COULDN'T GO THROUGH EUROPE AND ACROSS THAT BORDER BECAUSE YOU'RE YOU CAN'T CROSS ACROSS THAT BORDER IN AN AIRCRAFT, IN A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT ANYMORE. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REALLY STUNNING INDICATION OF JUST HOW THE WORLD HAS CHANGED WITH THESE WARS BREAKING OUT IN RECENT YEARS. TOM. IT IS A GREAT POINT. OKAY. KEIR SIMMONS FOR US LIVE FOR US FROM SAINT PETERSBURG TONIGHT.

KEIR, WE THANK YOU. BACK HERE AT HOME. WE ARE FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS IN THE SEARCH FOR LYNETTE HOOKER. YOU'LL REMEMBER SHE'S THE AMERICAN WIFE WHOSE HUSBAND SAID SHE FELL OVERBOARD IN THE BAHAMAS BACK IN APRIL. NBC'S GEORGE SOLIS HAS THE LATEST. AND GEORGE, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US? WHAT'S NEW? A U.S. OFFICIAL FAMILIAR WITH THE MATTER SAYS U.S. COAST GUARD DIVERS ARE IN THE BAHAMAS RIGHT NOW, AND THAT DIVES COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS TONIGHT. AND THESE DIVE TEAMS IN THIS NEW AREA LOOKING FOR NEW CLUES AND EVIDENCE RELATED TO THE DISAPPEARANCE OF LYNETTE HOOKER. AND IT COMES AFTER GPS DATA COLLECTED FROM THE COUPLE'S BOAT SEEMS TO UNDERCUT WHAT BRIAN HOOKER INITIALLY TOLD INVESTIGATORS ABOUT THE

WHEREABOUTS OF THE COUPLE THE NIGHT LYNETTE HOOKER WENT MISSING. NOW, IT'S UNCLEAR WHAT THIS GPS DATA HAS REVEALED, BUT IT SEEMS TO HAVE DRIVEN THIS NEW SEARCH AREA. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT BRIAN HOOKER HAS NOT BEEN CHARGED WITH ANY CRIME. WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO HIS ATTORNEY TONIGHT BUT HAVE NOT HEARD BACK. TOM. OKAY, GEORGE. THANK YOU. WE WANT TO GO NOW TO SOME SEVERE STORMS AS WE SEE THE RAIN COMING DOWN THERE IN GEORGE, TARGETING PARTS OF THE PLAINS. IT COMES AFTER THIS WILD HAIL STORM STRUCK PARTS OF THE GREATER DENVER AREA. LOOK AT THIS. AN OFFICER RESCUING THIS WOMAN AFTER SHE GOT TRAPPED IN HER CAR, SURROUNDED BY CHUNKS OF ICE. AND THIS IS WILD, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. BECAUSE

WE'RE ABOUT TO START SUMMER. I WANT TO GET RIGHT TO METEOROLOGIST BILL KARINS, WHO ALSO LOOKS A LITTLE BIT BEFUDDLED THERE. THAT VIDEO IS ESPECIALLY WILD FOR JUNE AND THE THREAT CONTINUES INTO TONIGHT. YEAH, I'VE SEEN RIVERS OF HAIL BEFORE. I'VE SEEN FLASH FLOODING BEFORE, BUT I'VE NEVER SEEN A WATER RESCUE IN A FLASH FLOODED HAIL COVERED WATER. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, YOU DRIVE INTO IT, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW DEEP IT IS. IT'S HARD TO TELL ANYWAYS WITH WATER, LET ALONE WITH CHUNKS OF ICE FLOATING ON TOP OF IT. IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE STUFF THERE. AND YEAH, GREAT JOB OUT THERE.

THOSE OFFICERS GETTING THAT LADY OUT SAFELY AND CALMLY TOO. SO AS FAR AS TONIGHT GOES, WE ARE WATCHING ISOLATED CASES OF SOME VERY LARGE HAIL. WE DO HAVE SOME BIG STORMS THAT HAVE ERUPTED IN AREAS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WE'RE SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THE DAKOTAS, LITTLE SLIVER OF WYOMING AND NEBRASKA. AND ALSO WE'VE HAD SOME ISOLATED STRONG STORMS COMING OUT OF COLORADO. WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME AIRPORT PROBLEMS TODAY. ONE BIG THUNDERSTORM MOVED JUST TO THE WEST SIDE OF DALLAS, WENT THROUGH FORT WORTH. NOW IT'S OUT TOWARDS WEATHERFORD WITH A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING. THIS HAS CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS OBVIOUSLY WITH THE AIRLINES THERE, SOME BIG DELAYS. HOUSTON, YOU HAD A BIG THUNDERSTORM GO THROUGH THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN THAT IS NOW SHIFTED SOUTH

OF I-10, AND THINGS ARE SLOWLY GOING TO BE IMPROVING FOR YOU ALSO TOMORROW. SAME AREAS OF CONCERN. WE'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY WITH OUR SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. WE HAVE GREAT DRY WEATHER IN THE EAST, UNBELIEVABLY LOW HUMIDITY. PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH ARE JUST ENJOY THIS BECAUSE IT'S A GIFT. WE DON'T GET MANY DAYS IN JUNE THAT ARE THIS, YOU KNOW, THE HUMIDITY IS THIS LOW. OPEN THE WINDOWS TONIGHT IF YOU CAN TOMORROW, THE STORMS FROM FARGO SOUTHWARDS. AND AS I MENTIONED, AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE UPCOMING DAYS, THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY IS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO WATCH THE STORMS FRIDAY, SOUTH TEXAS UP THROUGH AREAS OF IOWA. BY THE TIME WE GET TO SATURDAY, SAME REGIONS THE SOUTH, ESPECIALLY EAST TEXAS AND LOUISIANA, A LOT OF

WET WEATHER. YOU'VE HAD A BIG DROUGHT, SO I KNOW YOU NEED THE WET WEATHER. JUST DON'T WANT TO GET IT ALL AT ONCE. CHICAGO SOME BIG STORMS FOR YOU AND SATURDAY. IF YOU WANT A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL BEACH DAY EVERYWHERE FROM THE CAROLINAS UP TO AREAS AROUND NEW YORK CITY, SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND. SATURDAY IS YOUR DAY. THE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE STILL COOLISH, BUT SATURDAY IS BEAUTIFUL. THEN SUNDAY. UNFORTUNATELY, TOM. SOME RAIN MOVES INTO THE NORTHEAST, ESPECIALLY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. WE CANNOT WIN THIS. SUMMER, THIS SPRING, ANYTIME THIS YEAR. ALL RIGHT. THANKS SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT. NOW TO TOP STORY'S NEWS FEED IN THE WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER NOW OFFICIALLY

RESCHEDULED. IT'S SET TO TAKE PLACE ON JULY 24TH AT THE WALDORF ASTORIA HOTEL IN D.C. THEY'VE CHANGED VENUES. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS HE'S PLANNING TO SPEAK THERE. THE ORIGINAL DINNER WAS CUT SHORT IN APRIL BY A GUNMAN WHOSE PROSECUTOR, WHO PROSECUTORS SAY WAS TRYING TO ASSASSINATE TRUMP. ORGANIZERS SAY THERE WILL BE MORE SECURITY AT THE RESCHEDULED EVENT IN MINNESOTA. DRAMATIC VIDEO SHOWING WHAT HAPPENED WHEN A SCHOOL BUS FILLED WITH KIDS CRASHED RIGHT INTO A UNIVERSITY BUILDING. YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDING'S WINDOWS SMASHED, SCHOOL SUPPLIES LITTERED ACROSS THE BUS'S HOOD. ABOUT A DOZEN KIDS WERE ON BOARD. AUTHORITIES SAY THREE OF THEM WENT TO THE HOSPITAL ALONG WITH THE DRIVER, ALL WITH MINOR INJURIES, POLICE SAY.

THANKFULLY, NO ONE INSIDE THE BUILDING WAS HURT. BASKETBALL STAR STEPH CURRY, ANNOUNCING A NEW LONG TERM SHOE AND APPAREL DEAL WITH A CHINESE SPORTS COMPANY. IT'S CALLED LI NING. CURRY DESCRIBES IT AS THE PARTNERSHIP OF A LIFETIME. SOURCES TELL ESPN, AND THE DEAL IS WORTH AROUND. GET THIS, WAIT FOR IT. $400 MILLION. IT COMES LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER CURRY PARTED WAYS WITH UNDER ARMOR AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE. TURNING NOW TO A SURPRISING TREND BACK HERE IN THE STATES WHEN IT COMES TO THE HOUSING MARKET, AT A TIME WHEN HIGH PRICES AND MORTGAGE RATES ARE KEEPING MANY AMERICANS FROM BUYING A HOME, SOME YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FINDING A WAY IN. AND THE NEW DATA SHOWS SINGLE

GEN Z WOMEN ARE BUYING HOMES AT A HIGHER RATE THAN THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS. ALLIE CANAL EXPLAINS. I JUST BOUGHT A HOUSE. I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M SAYING THIS, BUT I BOUGHT A HOUSE. BUYING A HOME IN YOUR EARLY 20S. FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF GEN Z WOMEN, THE AMERICAN DREAM IS NOW A REALITY. NEW DATA SHOWING A SLIGHT UPTICK IN HOMEOWNERSHIP COMPARED TO THE YEAR BEFORE. AMONG GEN Z, AKA THE AGE GROUP, BETWEEN 18 AND 26. I WAS 22 YEARS OLD WHEN I BOUGHT MY FIRST PROPERTY. AND OF THOSE YOUNG BUYERS, MORE THAN A THIRD ARE SINGLE WOMEN, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. THAT'S NEARLY DOUBLE THE SHARE OF SINGLE GEN Z MEN.

I'M 23 YEARS OLD. I'VE BEEN OUT OF COLLEGE FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. MARIAH BERRY RECENTLY BOUGHT A TWO BEDROOM HOME IN CHARLESTON, TENNESSEE TO GET HER THERE. SHE SPENT A YEAR WORKING THREE JOBS AND BUILDING UP HER SAVINGS. IT WAS REALLY STRESSFUL. I DID PRACTICE A BUDGET. SURE, I HAD LESS MATERIAL THINGS AND LIKE DIDN'T GO OUT AS MUCH, BUT I WAS STILL LIVING A VERY FULL LIFE. MANY AMERICANS HAVE BEEN SHUT OUT OF THE HOUSING MARKET, WITH THE MEDIAN SALES PRICE NOW MORE THAN $400,000 IN THE U.S. AND FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, THEY MAKE UP A RECORD LOW SHARE OF THE MARKET. WHILE GEN Z STILL ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT

4% OF ALL HOME PURCHASES. STILL, EXPERTS SAY YOUNG ADULTS ARE GETTING CREATIVE TO MAKE IT WORK. THEY'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF LOW DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAMS. THEY'RE MOVING IN WITH FAMILY. SOME METHODS INCLUDE TAPPING INTO 401 K RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS, WHICH FINANCIAL EXPERTS SAY HAS PROS AND CONS, OR SELLING OFF STOCKS AND CRYPTO INVESTMENTS. FOR YOUNG HOME BUYERS TO COME INTO THIS MARKET, THEY HAVE TO BE SAVVY. BUT FOR MANY WOMEN, THE DECISION TO BUY IS MORE THAN JUST FINANCES. GENERATIONS OF YOUNG WOMEN ARE FEELING VERY CONFIDENT, NOT HAVING TO WAIT TO BE PARTNERED TO PURCHASE THE BIGGEST FINANCIAL TRANSACTION OF THEIR LIFE. AND IN A MARKET THAT'S LEFT

MANY WOULD BE BUYERS ON THE SIDELINES, GEN Z WOMEN ARE FINDING A WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR. ALL RIGHT. ALLIE CANAL JOINS US ON SET. ALI, A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING THIS ARE SAYING, LOOK, IT'S GREAT, BUT I NEED THAT 20%. WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE TO SORT OF CHIP AWAY TO GET TO THAT 20% TO SAVE, TO PUT DOWN THE DOWN PAYMENT? YEAH. WELL, EXPERTS ACTUALLY TOLD US THAT ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTIONS IS THAT YOU NEED 20% DOWN TO PURCHASE A HOME, BECAUSE MANY FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS, THEY QUALIFY FOR LOW DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAMS. THERE COULD ALSO BE LOCAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING. EXPERTS ALSO SAY IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO TALK TO REALTORS, TALK TO THOSE MORTGAGE PROFESSIONALS, SEE WHAT YOU QUALIFY FOR, WHAT

OPTIONS YOU HAVE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A REALLY TOUGH HOUSING MARKET, RIGHT? AND THE WOMEN WHO WE SPOKE WITH, THEY WERE SAVING FOR YEARS. THEY TOOK ON MULTIPLE JOBS. IT TOOK THEM A LONG TIME TO FIND THESE HOMES. SO IT'S REALLY A COMBINATION OF BEING PATIENT, DOING THAT RESEARCH AND ULTIMATELY SAVING WHERE AND WHEN YOU CAN. SO PRICEY. OKAY, ALLIE CANAL, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. STILL TO. COME TONIGHT, THE WILD SCENE CAUGHT ON CAMERA, A BEAR GOING ON A RAMPAGE ATTACKING MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN JAPAN. WE'LL SHOW YOU MORE OF THE VIDEO. PLUS THE REMARKABLE ANCIENT OBJECTS BURIED DEEP UNDER THE NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL. THOSE WE ARE BACK NOW WITH A DEADLY

PROTEST ERUPTING IN KENYA OVER U.S. PLANS TO SET UP AN EBOLA QUARANTINE CENTER THERE. FOR ANY AMERICANS SICKENED BY THE OUTBREAK SPREADING THROUGH MULTIPLE AFRICAN NATIONS. NBC'S MAGGIE VESPA HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS AND JOINS US. MAGGIE, THESE PROTESTS HAVE BEEN BUBBLING FOR SEVERAL DAYS, BUT THEY TOOK A DEADLY TURN THIS WEEK. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HOW THIS ESCALATED? YEAH, TOM. THAT'S RIGHT. AUTHORITIES ON THE GROUND IN KENYA TELLING US TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED DURING THESE LATEST PROTESTS. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO, IT REALLY ENCAPSULATES THE OUTRAGE THAT, AS YOU POINT OUT, HAS BEEN BOILING OVER FOR DAYS THERE.

BUT JUST YESTERDAY, THIS MASSIVE CROWD ON THE STREETS OF KENYA SETTING THINGS ON FIRE, MARCHING THROUGH THE STREETS, CHANTING THINGS LIKE ONE TERM REFERRING TO THEIR PRESIDENT, AND THEN YOU EXPLAIN IT THERE. WHAT THEY'RE OUTRAGED OVER IS NEW AMERICAN PLANS TO BUILD A 50 BED QUARANTINE FACILITY SPECIFICALLY TO TREAT AMERICANS EXPOSED TO EBOLA IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES THAT ARE THE HOT SPOTS FOR THIS OUTBREAK. SO THE DRC, UGANDA AND SOUTH SUDAN AND PEOPLE IN KENYA ARE BASICALLY SAYING, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, THAT COULD ARGUABLY BRING CASES TO OUR COUNTRY AND ALL OF THIS BECAUSE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID THEY DON'T WANT EVEN AMERICANS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS TO BE BROUGHT BACK STATESIDE FOR

TREATMENT. THEY WANT IT TO HAPPEN ABROAD. SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN ON THE STREETS JUST HOW ANGRY PEOPLE ARE. IT'S WORTH NOTING KENYA'S PRESIDENT TODAY TELLING REPORTERS, QUOTE, THAT HE STANDS BY THE PLAN, SAYING WE ARE A RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT, QUOTE, WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING. BUT OBVIOUSLY, TOM, A LOT OF PEOPLE NOT BUYING IT. YEAH. AND THEN MAGGIE, SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO WAS PRESSED ON THIS ISSUE TODAY BY THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE. WHAT DID WE LEARN? YEAH, IT REALLY PRESSED ON GLOBAL HEALTH POLICY OVERALL AND DEMOCRATIC SENATORS IN PARTICULAR, REALLY GOING IN ON. AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR WEEKS NOW, RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THIS OUTBREAK, CUTS TO FOREIGN AID AND SPECIFICALLY CUTS TO PROGRAMS

LIKE THE W.H.O. AND CUTS TO PROGRAMS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, DEVELOP VACCINES. ONE IN PARTICULAR HE WAS REALLY GRILLED ON TODAY WERE CUTS MADE LAST YEAR, SOME $300 MILLION TO A PROGRAM CALLED GAVI. AND THAT'S THE GROUP THAT'S NOW FAST TRACKING AN EBOLA VACCINE. AND THIS IS GETTING A LOT OF HEADLINES. BASICALLY, THE SECRETARY THROWING HHS SECRETARY ROBERT F KENNEDY JR SOMEWHAT UNDER THE BUS, SAYING THAT HE WAS LEADING THE SORT OF DRIVING THE BUS, SO TO SPEAK, ON MAKING THOSE CUTS LAST YEAR THAT HE WAS PUT IN CHARGE BY THE PRESIDENT. AND THEN HE POINTED OUT THAT SECRETARY OBVIOUSLY HAS VACCINE SKEPTICISM, AND HE'S A LONGTIME VACCINE SKEPTIC AND SAID HE WANTED TO BASICALLY REASSESS THE SAFETY OF THE VACCINES. AND THEN IN TODAY'S CAPITOL HILL HEARING, SECRETARY RUBIO

BASICALLY PIVOTING, SAYING, WE ARE NOW REENGAGING WITH THAT VACCINE PROGRAM, SAYING THAT THEY WANTED TO FAST TRACK AN OUTCOME ON THIS. SO A LOT OF DEVELOPMENTS OUT OF THAT HEARING. TOM. OKAY. MAGGIE VESPA FOR US. MAGGIE, WE THANK YOU FOR THAT. IN JAPAN. WILD VIDEO SHOWS A BLACK BEAR GOING ON A VIOLENT RAMPAGE IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, INJURING FOUR PEOPLE. ONE MAN CHASED AND TACKLED TO THE GROUND BEFORE A CAR SCARES THE BEAR AWAY. IT'S JUST THE LATEST IN A STRING OF STRANGE INCIDENTS TERRIFYING LOCALS THERE. NBC'S CAMILA BERNAL. WITH THAT VIDEO AND THE STORY.

A DANGEROUS BEAR ATTACK CAUGHT ON VIDEO. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE THE BEAR CHASING A MAN IN CIRCLES OUTSIDE A FACTORY IN FUKUSHIMA, JAPAN. THE BEAR CATCHES UP AND THROWS THE YOUNG EMPLOYEE TO THE GROUND, AN SUV APPEARING TO SCARE IT OFF. THE BLACK BEAR THEN HEADING INSIDE THE COMPOUND WHERE IT INJURED ANOTHER OLDER WORKER, AND THEN REPORTEDLY TWO MORE PEOPLE. JUST TODAY. IT'S THE LATEST DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER IN A COUNTRY SEEING A SURGE IN BEAR ATTACKS, ACCORDING TO JAPAN'S ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY, A RECORD 13 PEOPLE WERE KILLED BY BEARS OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD IN MORE THAN 230 ATTACKS, THE HIGHEST

NUMBER EVER RECORDED. CLIMATE CHANGE. PART OF THE REASON? WITH LESS FOOD IN THE FOREST, BEARS COME LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITY, AND EXPERTS SAY THERE ARE FEWER TRADITIONAL BEAR HUNTERS LEFT. IN 2025, THIS BEAR ATTACKED A WOMAN ON A SIDEWALK IN NORTHERN JAPAN, AND THIS BROWN BEAR SLAMMED INTO A TRUCK ON JAPAN'S NORTHERNMOST ISLAND, CRACKING THE WINDSHIELD IN THE PROCESS. THE MILITARY EVEN DEPLOYED TO HELP CONTAIN THE PROBLEM, AND JAPAN'S ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY POSTED THIS VIDEO TO TEACH CHILDREN NOT TO GET CLOSE TO BEARS. THE BEAR IN TODAY'S ATTACK STILL NOT CAUGHT, FORCING AREA SCHOOLS TO CLOSE DOWN AND STOKING FEAR THROUGHOUT A COMMUNITY, AND THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT ESTIMATED THAT THE OVERALL BEAR POPULATION WAS AT NEARLY 58,000 IN MARCH. THEY'VE

ALSO VOWED TO TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF MUNICIPAL BEAR CONTROL STAFF AND TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF BEAR TRAPS. TOM. CAMILA. THANK YOU. NOW TO A TOP STORY'S GLOBAL WATCH AND A CHECK OF WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD. ONE AMERICAN AND ONE BRITISH SOLDIER WERE KILLED DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE IN IRAQ. U.S. ARMY OFFICIALS SAY IT HAPPENED AT AN AIR BASE OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT THE SOLDIERS HAVE NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. IT COMES AS U.S. FORCES HAVE BEEN SCALING BACK THE OVERALL NUMBER OF TROOPS IN IRAQ. AND IN INDONESIA, A MASSIVE FIRE RIPPING THROUGH THE COUNTRY'S CAPITAL. THE FLAMES ERUPTED OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL JAKARTA, LEAVING ROUGHLY 300 HOMES AND BUILDINGS DESTROYED. NO REPORTS OF ANY

SERIOUS INJURIES. AUTHORITIES SAY THE FIRE WAS LIKELY CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT IN PARIS. ARCHEOLOGISTS ARE DIGGING UP SOME ANCIENT OBJECTS BURIED DEEP UNDER THE NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL. AMONG THE ARTIFACTS, A COIN FROM THE FOURTH CENTURY STAMPED WITH THE FACE OF EMPEROR CONSTANTINE. CREWS SAY THEY ALSO FOUND MEDIEVAL POTTERY WITH MYSTERIOUS WRITINGS LIKE A MODERN DA VINCI CODE, IF YOU WILL. THEY'VE BEEN DIGGING TO HELP MAKE ROOM FOR A NEW OUTDOOR SQUARE. AFTER THAT DEVASTATING 2019 FIRE CAUSED PARTS OF THE CATHEDRAL TO BE REBUILT. NOW TO THE RENEWED FIGHT OVER HIGHER EDUCATION IN COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS. MORE THAN 1100 MATH AND SCIENCE PROFESSORS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SYSTEM, URGING THAT THE S, A T AND A C T BE

REINSTATED AFTER YEARS OF WHAT IS BEING KNOWN AS TEST BLIND, WAS USED, MEANING TESTS AREN'T CONSIDERED AS PART OF THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. IN A TWO PAGE LETTER, THEY SAY THEY'VE SEEN A DRASTIC DROP IN READINESS AMONG STEM STUDENTS, CLAIMING THE NUMBER OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS WHOSE MATH SKILLS FALL BELOW HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HAS INCREASED BY 30 TIMES SINCE 2020. IT COMES AS MORE THAN 90% OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NATIONWIDE DO NOT REQUIRE TEST SCORES FOR ADMISSION, WITH COVID ACCELERATING THAT CHANGE. I WANT TO BRING IN DOUG BELKIN, WHO COVERS HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. HE WROTE THE STORY THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION. DOUG, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. ON TOP STORY, YOUR ARTICLE IN THE PAPER SAYS THERE'S BEEN SUCH A SHIFT AWAY

FROM THESE TESTS. SO EXPLAIN WHY THESE PROFESSORS WANT TO REVERSE COURSE. THE CHALLENGE THEY'RE HAVING IN THEIR CLASSES IS THAT THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS WHO ARE UNPREPARED, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO TEACH THE MATERIAL THAT THEY NEED TO COVER. SOME KIDS CAN'T KEEP UP AND OTHER KIDS ARE IN DECENT SHAPE, AND THAT GAP HAS BECOME A REAL CHALLENGE FOR THE PROFESSORS. SO I'M SO CONFUSED, RIGHT? BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN THIS WAS ALL BUBBLING UP. AND DIDN'T PUBLIC EDUCATORS ACCUSE THE SAT AND THE ACT OF BEING EITHER RACIST OR NOT FAIR TO CERTAIN STUDENTS? AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY WERE GETTING RID OF THEM. NO, YOU'RE RIGHT, THE PENDULUM HAS SWUNG IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. FOR YEARS. THERE WAS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON SCHOOLS TO DITCH THESE EXAMS

BECAUSE THEY TRACK ACCORDING TO RACE AND CLASS. AND SO MINORITY STUDENTS AS A WHOLE DON'T PERFORM AS WELL AS WHITE AND ASIAN STUDENTS, AND POOR STUDENTS DON'T PERFORM AS WELL AS WEALTHIER STUDENTS. SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ARGUING FOR EQUITY AND YOU WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY, THEN THESE FOLKS WERE ARGUING THAT THEY WEREN'T DOING A GOOD JOB OF GETTING KIDS INTO SCHOOL. NOW, THE SHOE IS SORT OF ON THE OTHER FOOT. AND THAT KIDS, WHEN THEY'RE WHEN THEY'RE NOT USED, KIDS WHO ARE UNPREPARED ARE GETTING INTO THESE UNIVERSITIES AND THEY CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE CURRICULUM.

WE'VE SEEN A MAJOR DECREASE IN TEST AVERAGES NATIONWIDE COMPARED TO 2015. READING SCORES WERE DOWN 83%. I THINK MATH SCORES WERE DOWN 70%. THIS IS WILD. HOW MUCH OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GO TO COLLEGE, VERSUS JUST HOW PREPARED STUDENTS ARE. THEY'RE SO INTERRELATED, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE LEARNING LOSS DURING THE PANDEMIC, THE USE OF PHONES, AND THE INABILITY OF STUDENTS AND EVERYBODY TO CONCENTRATE AND LEARN, AND NOW AI MOVING AND SORT OF REMOVING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY FROM THE EQUATION. KIDS ARE JUST NOT WHERE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OR WHERE THEY WERE EVEN A DECADE AGO. AND SO THEIR PREPAREDNESS IS REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THEN YOUR PIECE REPORTED THAT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IS LOOKING INTO REINSTATING TESTING. OTHER

SCHOOLS LIKE MIT AND YALE HAVE REVERSED THEIR POLICIES ON TESTING OPTIONS. DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW? THE PRESSURE TO REINSTATE THESE TESTS IS ONLY GOING TO GROW WHAT THE SCHOOLS DO AND HOW THEY BALANCE THE ISSUES BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, AN EQUITY AGENDA AND PREPAREDNESS IS THE QUESTION. AND I IMAGINE THAT THE PENDULUM WILL FALL BACK IN THIS DIRECTION FOR, FOR A WHILE. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THE RISE OF AI IS THESE ARE THESE KINDS OF ENTRANCE EXAMS, A WAY TO PUSH BACK ON STUDENTS RELYING ON TECHNOLOGY. THESE EXAMS DON'T USE TECHNOLOGY. THEY SORT OF TEST WHAT YOU KNOW AND HOW YOU PROCESS INFORMATION AND YOU KNOW, HOW CREATIVE YOU CAN THINK AND SO FORTH. SO IF YOU ABUSE TECHNOLOGY AND DON'T DO YOUR WORK AND DON'T DEVELOP

YOUR BRAIN, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO FARE AS WELL ON THESE EXAMS. ANY COLLEGE THAT, THAT, THAT SORT OF ACROSS YOUR REPORTING THAT YOU SORT OF SAW AS, OH, THIS SCHOOLS SORT OF FIGURED IT OUT. NOBODY'S FIGURED THIS OUT. I MEAN, THE LEARNING LOSS IN THIS COUNTRY IS REALLY SIGNIFICANT. WHAT'S KIND OF REMARKABLE ABOUT THIS LETTER FROM THE UC IS THAT THEY'RE PREDICTING THAT THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THE TECH ECONOMY IN CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS SUCH A TREMENDOUS ENGINE FOR OUR NATION. IF WE DON'T HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO DO THE WORK THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE EMPLOYERS NEED, THAT'S A PROBLEM.

ALL RIGHT, DOUG, WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE WHEN WE COME BACK TONIGHT HERE ON TOP STORY, A HEARTWARMING SHOW OF SUPPORT. THE SWEET SURPRISE FOR ONE HIGH SCHOOL GRAD FROM A DOCTOR WHO HE GRADUATION IS A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR ANY STUDENT, BUT FOR ONE TEEN BATTLING STAGE FOUR CANCER, GETTING THAT DIPLOMA WAS AN IMPORTANT GOAL THAT KEPT HIM FIGHTING YEARS AFTER TREATMENT. THE DOCTOR WHO HELPED HIM THROUGH THOSE TOUGHEST DAYS SURPRISED HIM WHEN IT MATTERED MOST. WHEN WE CAME IN, THERE WAS, THIS HUG IS A PROMISE KEPT.

DOCTOR MARY AUSTIN FIRST MET. DYLAN WHEN HE WAS 14, FACING DOWN A RARE AND AGGRESSIVE FORM OF CANCER. HIS ODDS TO LIVE WERE SLIM, BUT DOCTOR AUSTIN KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT DYLAN WAS A FIGHTER. THE TWO BECAME CLOSE ACROSS YEARS OF TREATMENTS AND SURGERIES, DYLAN EVEN CALLING DOCTOR AUSTIN HIS SECOND MOM. DURING ONE PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT STRETCH OF TREATMENT, SHE MADE DYLAN A PROMISE. IF HE MADE IT TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION, SHE WOULD BE THERE. WELL, DYLAN'S NOW CANCER FREE AND GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, AND DOCTOR AUSTIN KEPT HER WORD. WHEN WE CAME. DYLAN INVITING THE WOMAN WHO HELPED SAVE HIS LIFE, HIS SECOND MOM, TO CELEBRATE.

A WEEK BEFORE GRADUATION. MOM TOLD ME, LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, SHE'S IN THE OPERATING ROOM AND SHE'S NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT. I WAS ON CALL. I DIDN'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT HIM IF IT DIDN'T WORK OUT. SO I KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE CUTTING IT REALLY CLOSE WITH THE FLIGHTS. YEAH. THE FACT THAT SHE WAS THERE WAS JUST CRAZY. IT SHOWS HOW MUCH SHE CARES. AND SHE KEPT HER PROMISE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING.

TOP STORY. I'M TOM LLAMAS IN NEW YORK. STAY RIGHT THERE. MORE NEWS ON THE WAY