All eyes on Alaska; Violence in New York Prisons

Summary

Here's the Scoop: Episode Summary – "All Eyes on Alaska; Violence in New York Prisons"

Release Date: August 13, 2025
Host: Yasmin Vesugin

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1. Geopolitical Tensions: Trump vs. Putin in Alaska

Overview: The episode opens with a critical analysis of the upcoming summit between former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin set to take place in Alaska. This meeting has raised significant concerns among European leaders and Ukrainian officials about the potential implications for Ukraine’s sovereignty and European security.

Key Discussions:

• European Leaders’ Concerns: Yasmin Vesugin outlines the unease among European leaders regarding the exclusion of key European and Ukrainian figures from the Alaska summit. "None of these European or Ukrainian leaders are actually invited to the US-Russia sit-down in Alaska," Vesugin explains, highlighting fears about the integrity of any potential agreements made during the summit (02:29).

• Insights from Richard Engel: Sean Williams, NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent, provides on-the-ground insights from Dnipro, Ukraine. He details a virtual call where European leaders and President Zelensky conveyed five crucial principles to Trump:

  • No Long-Term Agreements: Emphasis on securing a ceasefire without immediate territorial concessions.
  • Ceasefire First: "Don't make Any long term agreements, just try and get a ceasefire," Williams relays.
  • Security Guarantees: Ensuring that any ceasefire is backed by robust security measures to prevent future Russian aggression (02:18).

  Zelensky is quoted expressing distrust in Putin’s intentions: "He doesn't want peace. He wants to occupy all of Ukraine," Williams notes (03:51).

• Potential Outcomes and Risks: The discussion delves into the geopolitical ramifications if Trump aligns too closely with Putin, bypassing European and Ukrainian interests. Williams emphasizes the European fear of setting a dangerous precedent where "big countries could just move across their borders and gobble up their neighbors" (05:28).

Notable Quotes:

• "Don't make Any long term agreements, just try and get a ceasefire." – European leaders (02:18)
• "He doesn't want peace. He wants to occupy all of Ukraine." – President Zelensky (03:51)
• "This was a simple welcome to Marcy." – DA on lack of investigation triggers (12:10)

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2. Exposing Brutality: Violence in New York Prisons

Overview: In a harrowing deep dive, Yasmin Vesugin and senior investigative producer Dan Slepien shed light on systemic abuse within New York State prisons. Exclusive footage reveals disturbing acts of violence by correctional officers against inmates, highlighting a pervasive culture of brutality.

Key Discussions:

• Shocking Footage Unveiled: Slepien describes obtaining rare and distressing videos depicting guards assaulting inmates. One notable case involves Timothy Dixon, who was brutally beaten in solitary confinement for refusing to comply with unjust orders. “He was locked in that cell 23 hours a day with another man and he was having a problem with his cellmate,” Slepien explains (09:31).

• The Robert Brooks Incident: Another critical case discussed is that of Robert Brooks, an inmate who was beaten to death shortly after being transferred to a new facility. The footage shows Brooks being assaulted by officers in the infirmary, culminating in fatal injuries. “They’re kicking his chest to the point where his brain is bleeding and he chokes on his own blood,” Slepien narrates (10:57).

• Institutional Failures: The conversation highlights the lack of accountability within the prison system. The DA’s response to the Brooks case was dismissive, citing “a simple welcome to Marcy” as the reason for delayed investigation (12:09). This indicates a troubling pattern of neglect and indifference toward inmate welfare.

• Calls for Reform: Slepien emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive reforms, including:

  • Increased Transparency: Implementation of mandatory body cameras for officers.
  • Cultural Change: Redefining the role of corrections officers to prioritize humane treatment over punitive measures.

  He also shares the poignant story of Robert Brooks’s father, who has transformed his grief into activism, founding "In Prison Violence" to advocate for systemic change (13:55).

Notable Quotes:

• “He was locked in that cell 23 hours a day with another man and he was having a problem with his cellmate.” – Timothy Dixon (10:10)
• “They’re kicking his chest to the point where his brain is bleeding and he chokes on his own blood.” – Dan Slepien on Robert Brooks’s assault (10:57)
• “I started a new organization called In Prison Violence, pushing for changes in laws like more body cameras, more humane treatment.” – Robert Brooks’s Father (14:07)

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3. Headlines: Quick Glance at the Day’s Top Stories

a. Record Flooding Threatens Juneau, Alaska

• Situation: Residents are urged to relocate due to a potential flood caused by a melting glacier forming a massive ice and snow lake.
• Impact: Temporary levee barriers have been erected to protect over 40,460 properties, but fears remain they may fail if water levels rise beyond expected (15:02).

b. Unemployment Trends Among Young Men with Bachelor’s Degrees

• Findings: New NBC News data reveals that young men holding bachelor’s degrees face slightly higher unemployment rates compared to their high school-educated peers.
• Analysis: Factors include a shift towards female-dominated industries like healthcare and education, combined with job cuts in traditionally male sectors such as tech and manufacturing. “[Quote:]* “It's just we need the chance to prove it.” – Computer Science Graduate (16:21)

c. Decline in Alcohol Consumption Among Americans

• Statistics: A Gallup poll indicates only 54% of adults currently consume alcohol, marking the lowest rate in nearly 90 years and a 4% decrease in the past year.
• Trends: The reduction is most notable among women and white adults, with younger demographics particularly cutting back on drinking (16:02).

d. Jellyfish Cause Shutdown at France’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant

• Incident: A massive swarm of jellyfish clogged the water intake of France’s largest nuclear facility, causing four reactors to automatically shut down.
• Implications: While there was no environmental risk, the incident underscores the broader impact of climate change-driven disruptions on industrial operations. The plant is expected to resume normal operations once the jellyfish are cleared (17:xx).

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Conclusion

In this episode of "Here’s the Scoop," Yasmin Vesugin provides a compelling mix of in-depth reporting and quick updates on pressing global and domestic issues. From the high-stakes geopolitical maneuvering between world leaders to the unsettling revelations of systemic abuse within the prison system, the podcast delivers insightful and impactful journalism. The segment concludes with a roundup of diverse headlines, ensuring listeners are well-informed on a range of topics before their day ends.

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Timecodes Reference:

• 02:29
• 02:18
• 03:51
• 05:28
• 09:31
• 10:10
• 10:57
• 12:09
• 13:55
• 14:07
• 15:02
• 16:02
• 16:21

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Note: Timecodes correspond to the transcript sections relevant to each summary point.

Transcript

[Danny Gold]

Do you want to know what it's like to hang out with Ms. 13 in El Salvador? How the Russian mafia fought battles all over Brooklyn in the 1990s?

[Dan Slepien]

What about that time I got lost.

[Sean Williams]

In the Burmese jungle hunting the world's biggest meth lab? I'm Sean Williams.

[Danny Gold]

And I'm Danny Gold. And we're the hosts of the Underworld podcast. We're journalists that have traveled all over reporting on dangerous people and places. And every week we'll be bringing you a new story about organized crime from.

[Sean Williams]

All over the world, available wherever you get your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. So today on the pod, we have prison guards accused of brutality, Americans are breaking up with booze, and jellyfish are crashing somewhere. They definitely were not invited up first, though, we got all eyes on the last frontier. You have President Trump set to square off against Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. Europe's top leaders, they jumped on this virtual call today. Think world leader Zoom minus that awkward you're on mute moment. Hosted by Germany, the lineup was stacked. Ukrainian President Zelensky, the heads of France, Britain, Italy, Poland, Finland, plus the EU and NATO as well. Trump dialed in. But here's the kicker. None of these European or Ukrainian leaders are actually invited to the US Russia sit down in Alaska. And that has got alarm bells blaring from Kyiv all the way to Brussels about what a deal might actually mean and not just for Ukraine's survival, but for Europe's own defense if Putin decides to keep pushing west. I want to bring in now NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel, who has just made his way to Ukraine. Hi, Richard.

[Sean Williams]

Hello. It's good to be with you again and not in studio, not wearing a suit. Back in the field. I'm in a hotel room right now in the city of Dnipro, which is sort of the gateway to eastern Ukraine, which is right now the whole territory. That is while Ukrainians worry on the table as we look ahead toward this critical meeting between President Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So ahead of that, obviously is this ever important meeting that was organized by the German chancellor. European leaders all gathering, wanting to meet with President Trump before he heads to Alaska. What are you hearing coming out of this thing so far?

[Sean Williams]

We got this call today with the European leaders in Zelensky. They told President Trump, according to the participants there, that they spoke in one voice and they want him to agree to five principles. And those principles are don't make Any long term agreements, just try and get a ceasefire. After you get a ceasefire, then we can talk about potentially swapping land, potentially Ukraine ceding some sort of territory. Ukraine said this is too, that it is willing to cede some territory. No specifics, but in order to do that, it wants to be at the room and already have a ceasefire in place. So they told Trump, don't make any big deals, just get a ceasefire, then bring in Ukraine and the Ukrainians can talk about potentially swapping some land. But they need to know exactly what they are, that there needs to be some sort of security guarantees at the end of this process so that Russia doesn't just invade again. And that if these negotiations fail, there needs to be more economic pressure, united economic pressure on Russia. And I think when you listen to those points that I just outlined, it's the Europeans telling Trump, don't go too fast, don't make a deal. Zelensky said to Trump on this call, according to Zelensky, that he doesn't trust Putin, that Putin doesn't want peace. He wants to occupy all of Ukraine. That remains his intention. Don't sell the farm, get a ceasefire and then bring everybody in.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

It seems like President Trump reacts most fervently to the person that is immediately in front of him. So today he is listening to these European leaders and Ukrainian President Zelensky. Well, we also know the long standing relationship that he has had with Russian President Vladimir Putin. And now he has praised him both publicly and privately as a leader.

[Sean Williams]

Well, that's why they're so nervous. That's why they're so nervous. They're worried that Putin's going to show up in Alaska, it's all going to go well. And then they're worried that Trump is going to sit there and have a long meeting with him and they're going to come out and make some sort of enormous announcement that cuts out the Europeans and cuts out the, the Ukrainians themselves.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So, Richard, I think what's important for people to understand is the threat that Europe is facing right now. And what I mean by that is why is it they want to make sure that the President understands the parameters in going into this negotiation with Russian President Vladimir Putin?

[Sean Williams]

The deep concern is that it establishes a principle that might makes right or re establishes the principle, the idea that big countries could just move across their borders and gobble up their neighbors. And European leaders, European leaders, particularly because they're on, they're on the border with Russia, are worried that if Vladimir Putin is able to do just that, Cross the border, gobble up. He initially wanted to take all of Ukraine, but gobble up, say, 20% of the country, which is what Russia occupies currently, that it will reestablish that principle, that any powerful country at a time and place of its choosing can just steam across the borders and grab a piece of another country.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

For a long time, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has been saying they will not cede any territory to Russia. Do we know at all what territory he is now willing to cede to Russia if, in fact, they're able to reach a ceasefire?

[Sean Williams]

No specifics that are being made public. I'm sure in private, there's maps already being discussed. They're deliberately not talking about that, and they don't want to talk about that. That was one of the five principles that they outlined today. This group of world leaders that was on the phone with President Trump don't talk specifics, don't talk about land swaps. But if you look at the map and if you look at the battle map, anyone can get a pretty clear idea of where this territory is likely to be.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

And so now, looking ahead, the question is whether or not the President will take what he hears from these European leaders to heart and communicate that to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, or if he will fall to the sways and personality of the Russian president.

[Sean Williams]

I don't know that's predicting the future. And being a Trump psychologist, I can do neither.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

An answer that neither of us have. Yes, exactly.

[Sean Williams]

But I can tell you that that is obviously a big concern, otherwise they wouldn't have got all on the video call today and say, don't give away 20% of Ukraine. Just get a ceasefire and involve us. And don't make any decisions about Ukraine's future without consulting the Ukrainians first.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So now we wait 48 hours. Richard Angle, as always, my friend, be safe. And thank you.

[Sean Williams]

Thank you. It's good to talk to you and good to see you again.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Coming up, we're sitting down with date senior investigative producer Dan Slepien to talk about his latest story on the New York prison system. We'll be right back.

[Dahlia Lithwick]

At this very moment, we are living through a series of cascading constitutional crises, rocketing up to the Supreme Court and shaking the foundations of American democracy.

[Shannon Petty]

This is not a game of chicken where we back down from the Constitution. Like, that's not how this works.

[Dahlia Lithwick]

Hi, I'm Dahlia Lithwick, host of Amicus, Slate's podcast about the courts, the law and the Supreme Court. I've been writing about SCOTUS and the law for more than 20 years. And each week on Amicus, we draw on that deep experience to navigate these incredibly uncertain times. Search Amicus. That's Amicus to listen.

[Unknown]

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be buried in an avalanche?

[Sean Williams]

Weird foreign feeling of despair or how.

[Unknown]

It feels to crash a skydive?

[Yasmin Vesugin]

I remember feeling my body hit the ground.

[Unknown]

These are the stories you'll hear on the podcast called what Was that Like? True Stories told by the actual person who went through it. And you'll hear actual 911 calls.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

91 1, there's a man at my back door trying to get in search.

[Unknown]

For what was that like on any podcast app [e-mail].

[Yasmin Vesugin]

And we're back with here's the scoop. So NBC News got its hands on some footage from New York prisons that you were never meant to see or hear. Corrections officers beating inmates, part of this decades long pattern of abuse hiding in plain sight. I want to give you a quick warning before we get into this next segment. Some of this is pretty hard to hear, really, the graphic nature of what took place. Our own senior investigative producer Dan Slepien is joining us now to talk more about his investigation, which first aired on our streaming platform, NBC News now. Hey, Dan.

[Dan Slepien]

Thrilled to be here and honored by the invitation.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

I watched your piece that aired yesterday on Hallie Jackson's show. Some really incredible footage to say the least. Two striking videos that you showed, right, that you got a hold of. One was Timothy Dixon, who in 2013, his hands were beaten as he was in solitary confinement. He's now out of prison. How did you get ahold of this video and tell us what you saw in this video?

[Dan Slepien]

Right. In this case, I got the video from a source. What it showed was a steel door, a man in solitary confinement with his arms dangling outside of the door. And he was ordered to put his hands and his arms back in his cell. And when he didn't, the officers were ordered to strike him with a baton repeatedly. Pull your hands in that cell, Officer.

[Danny Gold]

Grant, strike him with a B.

[Dan Slepien]

And it's terribly difficult to watch. Like I still can't watch it now without involuntarily, you know, cringing.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

You interviewed Dixon. You said why didn't you just pull your hands back in?

[Dan Slepien]

Right?

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Why didn't he?

[Dan Slepien]

Because he says that was his only way of protesting. He was locked in that cell 23 hours a day with another man and he was having a problem with his cellmate. And he said he told officers, we're having a problem. And they ignored him.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

He said, I want to talk about Robert Brooks as well, because that is even more shocking. This is a video in which this man was in prison for 12 years for assault. He was transferred to a new facility two years away from being released. And upon entering this new facility, he was beaten to death. And the only way we know this happened is because there is video you showed in your piece.

[Dan Slepien]

Exactly. The officers did not know they were recording. Their body cameras were not activated, meaning they did not hit record. There is a fail safe override on those cameras that the company who makes them discovered that they can get the video. The scene is in the infirmary in prison. They brought Brooks. You see him being carried, like from his arms are up in the back, face down, and they carry him into this room. Several officers, and they are beating this guy while he's handcuffed. They're shoving things in his mouth. They're kicking his chest to the point where his brain is bleeding and he chokes on his own blood. It's terrible to watch, but vitally important because when people watch that, what they will see is officers standing around in a room like it's a regular Monday or Tuesday morning. After the officers were arrested, one of them pled guilty last week. And at his sentencing, the DA said to the judge, for eight months, I've been investigating this case. And my question was, why? What triggered it?

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Yeah.

[Dan Slepien]

And what he said was, absolutely nothing. This was a simple welcome to Marcy. He said, it was a simple welcome to Marcy, meaning the name of the prison.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

So Timothy Dixon, Robert Brooks. These are just two cases, but that is of how many that you guys are investigating right now in New York State.

[Dan Slepien]

Well, that's the million dollar question. And the answer is nobody knows the answer. Most times people don't videotape themselves abusing people. Tape like what we got is extraordinarily rare to get. What I can tell you is that I've been in prisons in New York hundreds of times. I know lots and lots of formerly incarcerated people and currently incarcerated people. And while everyone is disgusted and shocked to see that tape, no one is particularly surprised. They're not surprised because that's the culture.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

You interviewed in your piece, the commissioner for the New York State Department of Corrections. And he basically corroborated what essentially you are saying in this piece about Robert Brooks. That he was beaten to death for no good reason.

[Dan Slepien]

Oh, yeah. Obviously nobody can justify it. He says he's taking action. He wants to Change the culture as much as he can. And he's asked for an independent review of the incident. There's now a law firm that hired an independent company to do this review. Many people believe what needs to happen is a fundamental redesign of buildings physically and of the culture of what the purpose of a corrections officer is.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Right. You spoke to Robert Brooks's dad. He's now spending his time after losing his son, helping young kids.

[Dan Slepien]

What's interesting about my conversation with Robert Brooks's father is that very often when we talk about these stories and we have a guy who's killed in prison, who was locked up for assault, you have your image of who that person.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Might be, where he came from.

[Dan Slepien]

From where he came from.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Yeah.

[Dan Slepien]

When I spoke with Robert Brooks's father, it adds a whole new dimension. Right. So his father for three decades has been trying to help kids. He runs an at risk community center in Rochester, New York. What he's done since his son was killed is that he started a new organization called In Prison Violence, pushing for changes in laws like more body cameras, more humane treatment. And he's dedicated his life to using what happened to his son and his name to make people more aware and help prevent another Robert Brooks from happening. I believe that my son is in heaven looking down on me, saying, go, dad. Go, dad. Do what you need to do to change this because it's ugly.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Dan Slepien, thank you.

[Dan Slepien]

It's always a pleasure to be with you, Yaz.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

All right, let's get to some headlines. Residents in parts of Juneau, Alaska, are once again being told to pack up and move to higher ground because of a possible flood. A glacier is melting, forming a lake of ice and snow. And that is what could cause this flood, pushing the Mendenhall river to record levels possibly close to 17ft. The city's put up temporary levee barriers to protect more than 40460 properties. But some worry those walls could fail if the river climbs higher than expected. It is the third year in a row of record flooding from what they call the suicide Basin, a threat that's been an annual worry since 2011 and is only getting worse with climate change. It looks like that pricey diploma is not pulling its weight, at least for young men. New NBC News data shows guys with bachelor degrees are now slightly more likely to be unemployed than those who stopped at high school. Decades of stay in school just got flipped on its head. Reporter Shannon Petty piece breaks it down.

[Shannon Petty]

One thing economists pointed me to was a major shift in the job market that now favors jobs traditionally held by women like those in health care and education. While traditionally male dominated industries like tech and manufacturing have been cutting workers. Here's what one computer science graduate told me.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

We have the qualifications, we have the knowledge.

[Sean Williams]

It's just we need the chance to prove it.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

I feel like I'm being left behind and this trend totally skipping over women with degrees who are still doing better job wise. Economists blame a cocktail of factors slower hiring, economic meh, and companies dangling fake ghost jobs that never existed in the first place. Especially rough if you're fresh out of college aiming for tech or business. Because nothing says welcome to adulthood like sending resumes into the void. Americans are putting down their drinks and not just for dry. January. A new Gallup poll says only 54% of adults now drink alcohol, the lowest since they started asking nearly 90 years ago. That is down 4% in just the last year alone. The proof is in the numbers. More than half of Americans now think even moderate drinking is bad for you, especially younger people. And for those still sipping, they're doing it less often. The average drink count in the past week just hit its lowest point since 1996, dropping from 3.8 to 2.8. The pullback is biggest amongst women and white adults, while drinking rates for people of color are holding steady. The bottom line here, happy hour is still on, but it's looking more like a coffee run. You've heard of squirrels chewing through wires and knocking out the power, but jellyfish, France's largest nuclear power plant got sabotaged by a massive free floating blob of the squishy little troublemakers. The swarm clogged the plant's water intake just like a shower drain. Hairball. Since the plant gets its cooling water from a canal connected to the North Sea, four reactors automatically shut down. No meltdown, just a seafood induced siesta electricite de France. The plant's operator says everyone's safe and there is no environmental risk. This isn't a one off though. Warming oceans and climate change are basically sending jellyfish gatecrashers to industrial sites around the world. If all goes well, the reactors will be back online this week once the jellies finish their hostile takeover. That's gonna do it for us. And here's this group from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may.

[Tom Yamas]

Taking over the helm of NBC Nightly News, a 75 year old broadcast. It's a great responsibility. Good evening, I'm Tom Yamas. You have to go out there to bring people at home closer to the store. Wildfires continue to be a threat. With that massive hurricane comes the massive response. The best reporters in our business know how to listen. And when you listen, you get the truth. For NBC News, for NBC News, NBC News, Tom Yamas. That's what we do every night. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas.

[Yasmin Vesugin]

Evenings on NBC.