With rain pouring over the southeast causing a huge mess and becoming deadly people animals trapped by the floodwaters crews racing to try to to drain all of that rain somehow but it doesn't seem fast enough we are live on the ground plus the former president making a very brief we mean very brief Appearance on the witness stand in a New York courtroom today why his words had to be almost immediately stricken from the record and then listen to this Taylor Swift's repeat stalker showing up again at her house after having just been ordered to stay away from her and It's not just her why it seems like when it comes to female celebrities dealing with obsessive stalkers law enforcement Kinds of Kinds of just shrugs it off plus big news on the economy the US growth shattering the expectations but why do so many people still feel like They're in a bad spot financially and then Alabama set to move for forward with a controversial method of execution of a Man convicted of murder why the family of the murder victim says they are frustrated and why it has come to this after so long good day I'm Tom Costello in for Hy and we come on the air today with major flood concerns throughout the southeast with more rain pounding the region one former rather one person I should say dead after losing control of his or her car a scenario that we have seen throughout The region take a look here a man used a ladder placed on top of his car to get out of a waterfill ditch outside of Houston he reportedly hydroplaned off the road crews have been out rescuing both people and animals from flooded roads and neighborhoods right now nearly 20 million people are under flood watches Louisiana living up to its reputation along the Bayou the roads and some neighborhoods overtaken by water and it's the non-stop rain that's creating such a mess because there's just not enough time for the water to drain away in Southeast Texas two dozen Rivers forecast to reach major to moderate flood stages over the next day or so if they haven't already overall this month has been an unusually wet one from Texas to the Northeast with many areas seen more than double their average rainfall so let's bring in now NBC's Kathy Park she's in Chattanooga Tennessee you're out by a dam helping that Community to keep it from being flooded but not every area has that kind of protection right and these storms have just been Relentless what's the major concern right now hey there Tom good to be with you yeah so the big concern is that the Flash flood threat really isn't over the heaviest rain shifted from Mississippi Alabama to Tennessee here in Chattanooga where we've been all day we've been slammed with several rounds of heavy showers and that's a big problem because we're dealing with a whole lot of runoff and Tom you might remember the this Region got slammed with a lot of snow this time last week some parts of the state saw 8 in of snow and temperatures today Tom in the 60s so all of that snow that was on the ground has melted and speaking of runoff you probably see a Some of that behind me um I promise there is a working Dam behind me we should know another weather headline that we're following is this dense fog uh Millions from the Midwest all the way to the East Coast or under a dense fog advisory uh but we are told that roughly 700,000 Gallons of water is spilling over this Dam right now last week that number was closer to 400,000 so a big change U just in the volume of water because of that runoff but fortunately though Tom no major problems to report the dam is working this dam is critical especially Here in Chattanooga because it holds that runoff and then prevents any sort of flooding in Chattanooga and other cities Downstream but really across the southeast as you mentioned we are dealing with a lot of issues with flash floods uh the ground is already saturated and there are some spots that Saw 10 in of rain just a short amount of time so that water really has nowhere to go in fact just north of Houston in san jinto county a judge uh declared an emergency declaration urging residents to voluntarily evacuate because the danger was in and there was so much Rising water meanwhile we saw some dramatic images that people just stranded uh motorists being stranded the the water just Rising that quickly so this is a concern all across the southeast and especially Louisiana the they're not in the clear just yet because raid is in the forast tomorrow As well as Saturday tom boy it is wet and foggy behind you all right Kathy thank you very much now to a New York courtroom where former president Trump spent under five minutes on the stand in the Civil defamation case against him with some of his words stricken from the Record seconds after he started to speak Mr Trump tried to deny the allegations made by the writer eing Carroll that he sexually assaulted her saying he considers it a false accusation but here's the thing he really can't say that why because this isn't Up For Debate any longer a separate Jury has Already found him liable for sexually assaulting Carol you see her leaving Court there today this trial is only about how much money Mr Trump might have to pay her and what we're seeing here is another example of Trump's strategy as he faces a whole web of issues to try to Run out the clock until the 2024 election and then maintain his innocence no matter what NBC's R Ellis has been following the legal developments on the case Raha uh there wasn't a ton of back and forth today with Mr Trump and the judge so walk us through what happened Well it was an incredibly tense time in this courtroom and even before the jurors were brought in for Mr Trump's testimony he was admonished by the judge because they were going over what you will they call it a profer what he would be allowed to say and not say And as he was being told what he wouldn't be allowed to say that's when uh Trump broke in and he object he started saying the very things about he didn't know anything about who this woman was at that point the judge told him keep your voice down you're interrupting these proceedings and that Is not permitted once on the stand he got admonished Again by the judge because he as you pointed out in the leadin he started saying things that the judg says are not in question it's already been determined that you sexually assaulted her and he told the judge these things you're hearing should Be stricken from the record the question becomes one Tom of whether or not you can unring that bell with a jury once they've heard it yeah that's right they've heard it listen legal experts say that he could face millions of dollars in Damages and I know you you've Got a graphic to walk us through this but this is Mr Trump who's a billionaire it may not matter to him right the cost may not matter because he views this as kind of an election election tactic yeah it's interesting that you say that because part of what was played for the Jury today was his deposition from the first trial and in that he talked about how much of a billionaire was he was bragging about the billions of dollars that he has this evidence was presented by eege Carroll's team and supposedly would imagine it's for those jurors they Wanted them to hear as they start considering how much they should award Ean Carol look at some of these numbers she's already been awarded $ 5 million from the first trial against Trump she's now seeking $10 million in this case and and an expert uh testified for uh Carol Trump that it would cost about 7 to 12 million Al loone to repair her reputation but there's also punitive damages that can be awarded in this there's no limit on what that could be it could be a lot it could be nothing at all but again based on what they were Presenting it could be a lot Tom and remember the astronomical amount of money that those Georgia election workers were awarded after being maligned by um by the Trump attorney uh sorry the Trump attorney and also the former mayor of New York Giuliani so you never know where these numbers are going Rahima thank you very much rahima Ellis all right stick with that now the thread of the former president's legal troubles because down in Georgia his lawyer is joining a motion trying to dismiss the election interference case against him over allegations made by one of his co-defendants that fton County DA Fanny Willis is having an improper romantic relationship with one of her special prosecutors Nathan Wade and then financially benefiting from that relationship in a statement to NBC News Mr Trump's lawyer also accuses Willis of attempting to quote foment racial animous and Prejudice to divert attention from her alleged improprieties NBC's Blain Alexander is in Atlanta and Blaine what's the argument from Mr Trump's lawyer here well it's a two-fold argument Tom one he is signing on to those allegations by Michael Roman and his attorney that there's an improper relationship going on between the two prosecutors and that Fon Willis is Benefiting from it but the other prong of that is basically he's saying he's pointing to the speech that Vonnie Willis gave on MLK day in front of a historically black church saying that she is improperly injecting racial animus into this case here I want to read you a section of that filing he Says these assertions by the da engender a great likelihood of substantial Prejudice toward the defendants in the eyes of the public in general moreover the DA's self- serving comments came with the added sought-after benefit of garnering racially based sympathy for her self-inflicted Quagmire now we suspect that all of this will be brought Up in the hearing that's been set for February 15th but in the meanwhile da Willis has not responded directly to these allegations though her office tells me that she plans to in a written Court filing a judge has set a deadline of that for that uh of February 2nd Tom Bla that is an unbelievable rainstorm behind you so we're going to let you get out of it before you get drenched uh but thank you very much bla Alexander following it all from Atlanta all right uh things got emotional in a Michigan courtroom today in an unprecedented Trial of the mother of a mass murder shooter with a prosecutor pinning the blame on her the mother for not stopping her son there's J Jennifer Crumbley right there crying as the prosecution shows a witness video of the shooting where four Oxford High School students were killed one witness a teacher who Was hurt in that shooting told the jury about the moments that she came face to face with her shooter I locked eyes um and then instantly I noticed I see some some movement and so I look down and um I realized he's raising a gun to Me everything that I knew to be reality wasn't this trial and another one coming up for James Crumbley the shooter's father they're both important because they marked the first time in in America really that parents are being tried for charge in the deaths of a mass shooting that their child committed both parents Are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter which could land them in prison for up to 15 years and a $7,500 fine per charge remember Ethan Crumbley was sentenced to life behind bars for taking the lives of these four teens that you see right there NBC's Jesse kurur joins me now from Pontiac Michigan Where the trial is underway Jesse Court wrapped up for the day I know in just the last hour or so it was a heavy day of Rel reliving rather something very traumatic especially for some of these Witnesses right and at one point I understand things got pretty intense prosecutors saying that the crumbly Wasn't following Court instruction right the Miss crumble wasn't following Court instruction yeah so Tom a lot of the details that were discussed today are out there in the public but of course uh as is always the case in a trial of this kind the jury's instructed to not be Paying attention to outside reporting from the media such as ourselves and so prosecutors were laying out the timeline of what unfolded in the days leading up to the shooting and on the day of the shooting as you just showed some of that testimony the harrowing accounts from Those who were at Oxford High School on that day and at one point in court a video of the shooting was being played and the defendant Jennifer Crumbley was watching this and again this is her watching her son on camera carry out a deadly Massacre and she became extremely Emotional her defense team asked uh for a a brief recess and the prosecution took issue with this because the prosecution was contending that the the judge had wanted uh everyone involved to be restraining the amount of emotion being shown in the courtroom and was contending that the defense team was not Subscribing to that and the defense pushed back on that as well so there was a little bit of a tiff there uh there was a brief recess things move forward but that was certainly a flash point between the two sides at one point earlier in the day chesse I know you Covered the the mass murder itself and we mentioned the significance of this case because this is something that we're seeing play out really for the first time how are we seeing both sides cases show up here yeah and to make a point to that Tom uh representatives from a US Attorney's office Federal prosecutors uh were in attendance today according to our team in the courtroom to observe what was going on and I think that just speaks to uh the broader attention that case and the unique circumstances of it are are garnering at this point what we heard from prosecutors was again them Laying out the timeline they showed videos they showed text messages they showed uh photos from before the shooting making it clear that the parents were aware that their son had an interest in guns uh and that leads up to the moment just hours before the shooting when they were presented with a Handwritten message AC a a literal plea for help and also a drawing of a gun that was found with their son and confronted with that information uh prosecutors arguing that they failed to act in that moment of course with the knowledge that they had just gifted their son a gun according to prosecutors So that's the prosecution side from the defense side this is interesting Tom because as you mentioned both the mother and father of Ethan crumblyy are facing charges however they are being tried separately and so we saw some Divergence in how these two cases could play out today Jennifer Crumbley suggesting that Her husband was the one who was responsible for keeping the gun secured keeping the gun uh stored in the home so she uh and the defense team also saying that Jennifer Crumbley didn't really know much about guns even though there was video shown of Jennifer Crumbley at A shooting range so clearly you can see that uh Ethan crumley's mother is trying to at arms length keep herself from her husband in terms of uh degrees of responsibility when it came to the gun safety and the the knowledge of guns in that family's household Tom Jesse I've Got 10 seconds but are the crumblies still married uh they they are to the best of our knowledge still husband and wife and that's how it continues to be described Tom interesting plane out in court Jesse thank you very much uh other news now Boeing CEO was back on Capitol Hill here In Washington today talking about transparency and responsibility as all eyes are on Boeing after the recent Alaska Airlines midair emergency when a door plug blew out airline and FAA confidence in Boeing has dramatically eroded after that incident 3 weeks ago and two fatal Max 8 crashes overseas 5 Years ago many passengers now Express concern about flying on a Boeing plane since the Alaska Airlines emergency the FAA has grounded all Max NES Alaska and United though the only Airlines to fly the plane have been inspecting their Fleet for any signs of problems and the Max 9 should be cleared to fly as soon as tomorrow according to the FAA and the airlines without the max 9 though both Airlines have had to cancel hundreds of flights a day hundreds of thousands of passengers affected so far Airline profits have also taken a hit NBC sahil Kapor following all of this now on Capitol Hill and sahil the FAA has clearly I can tell you from personal conversations run out of patients with Boeing over the last few years and now essentially ordering a pause to the Boeing uh production line no expansion No extra planes to come off the line and boen is already warning of delays in delivering planes as it struggles to keep up with orders right so now lawmakers are talking about holding hearings to look into this and a few years ago they did the exact same thing And it got prey heated that's absolutely right Tom Senator Maria kwell told NBC news that the Senate Commerce Committee that CH chairs will hold a public hearing into this uh that will feature testimony from David Calhoun the Boeing CEO she said she did meet with him that It was a productive meeting but she still does doesn't have a good sense and her committee still doesn't have a good sense of what exactly went wrong here particularly in this Alaska Airlines uh incident she said they're looking at ongoing investigations including with the national Transportation safety board The NTSB uh she wants to know how long that'll take so they can plan accordingly she said it can't take too long hypothetically can't well said if it takes six months that's not going to work for her uh she doesn't have six months the committee doesn't have six Months uh to figure this out beyond that the ranking member Senator Ted Cruz also spoke about this in Broad terms let's play what he said it it is a miracle that nobody was killed nothing is more important than ensuring that the flying public is safe and and that they can be confident when They get on a plane when you take your children and put them on a plane that your family is going to be safe and of course this committee and Congress for at large will have a large role in uh you know in in effectuating that particularly with FAA reauthorization a major deadline for That coming up on March 8th yeah it's just amazing also how much Goodwill the Boeing has has lost now I mean United now talking about buying Airbus planes and stead up Boeing planes uh my conversation with the uh CEO of Alaska clearly absolutely F Furious uh he admits furious with Boeing for Putting the lives of his passengers at risk and now the transportation department secretary P Buddha saying maybe they need to change this whole government oversight of how they kind of deputize Boeing employ employes to act as if you will FAA inspectors uh being the eyes and ears of the FAA in the Planet that seems to be a conflict of interest and may not have worked right a couple of things here Tom secretary uh Pete budajudge did uh talk about this he said they're looking specifically at manufacturing problems with the Boeing 737 max9 he talked about quote a bigger picture examination of Any and all quality issues suggesting that this goes beyond simply one plan or at least the government's response needs to to be to look at this in a more holistic manner uh beyond that Senator canwell talked about this upcoming March 8th deadline for FAA reauthorization which will include uh matters of Aviation safety air traffic controller capacity as well as oversight she said there's several specific amendments as part of that package that would respond to issues in this particular incident with Alaska Airlines and beyond that they want to get to the broader oversight of both the fa and the manufacturers to deal with safety Precautions Tom all right so Hill thank you very much good information from Capitol Hill new numbers out today show the economy finished strong in 2023 crushing estimates for a year that many thought could bring the country into a recession the GDP grew at a rate of more Than 3% 3.3% in the fourth quarter and while that's slower than Q3 when it grew by about 5% uh much much better than expected economists say it shows the resilience of the post pandemic recover recovery it caps off a year when unemployment stayed at or under 50-year lows and inflation cooled more Indications that would point away from a recession but are Americans buying it the president hopes so he's out visiting Wisconsin today touting his biomics plan take a listen experts from the time I got elected were insisting that the recession was just around the corner every month there was going to be a Recession well you know we've got really strong growth we obviously have more work to do but we're making real progress building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up and not the top down incidentally the uad H UAW rather has endorsed President Biden for president NBC's Brian Chung joins me now To break down all the numbers Brian uh look at let's look at the broader numbers right and how they square with how Everyday People view the economy they live in because we have this Harbor poll that found that while young people Young Americans have a positive view of their personal financial situation a Majority have a negative perception of America's economy overall H how do you square that up yeah well I mean here's the thing and we have to acknowledge that consumer sentiment has been trending up in fact uh one measure has gone up by 28% just since November so Some of that has been changing but look broadly speaking people are still dealing with the Ripple effects of the high inflation that we saw in 2022 into the early parts of 2023 that picture has since improved but when you look broadly it takes time for uh things that are Happening in the economy to be felt in Americans households and the way that they're using their wallets so when it comes to the overall picture that we have to acknowledge what happened in 2023 is pretty remarkable I mean you said crushing it that's the right way to Accurate to accurately portray this Because the story going into 2023 was concerns about a recession where you'd see the unemployment rate rise as a Federal Reserve raise interest rates and instead the Federal Reserve was able to raise interest rates the unemployment rate never went above 4% for the entirety of last year and the GDP Numbers we got this morning verify that the economy grew in 2023 you know I think you're 100% right but we still have inflation that's up something like I don't know 17% if you look at it from where we were 2 three years ago so when you go to the grocery store people feel That and they feel it in the housing market right because mortgage rates are still very high you've got to be making a six-figure income these days to buy a home and then we've got another Harvard study here that says housing is unaffordable for record half of all uh Us renters talk us through these housing numbers and how unaffordable stuff is if you just want to try to you know get out from under your parents roof yeah and I think a big part of the economic feel that we have here is also the dream of home ownership essentially being watered Down by these high mortgage rates and continuing appreciation of home value so for a lot of Millennials especially that have been trying to get into the market and you're being dissuaded not only by the fact that the home price is up up 20 to 30% but that the borrowing costs to Get that home are also going up as well we're looking at a median of somewhere around 6.6% to get a 30-year fixed mortgage so the story though is about Supply because we know that a lot of people that have homes right now are not going to try to sell it into a market That has 6.6% rates so that settling has had a lot of existing home owners not wanting to go back into the market to sell it so if there's not new Supply coming online then it makes that dream of home ownership even more unreachable so can supply catch up it takes time for Home builders to make new housing Supply that's going to be a big story and something that a lot of economists are saying is going to be the real key to trying to alleviate these pressures in the housing market Tom yeah and the the strange thing is that really the numbers Today were so remarkable because it does appear that the economy is shaping up pretty much exactly as the FED had hoped when it started hiking interest rates to tame inflation but this is an election year exit polles matter and they just showed this week that the economy still Is is issue number one right so there this disconnect between the real stats and the perception or the reality that people live with every day could be something that could be a problem for the president yeah well here's the thing there's still many months until the Election and the story here is that with inflation we don't know what the development is going to be there's concern even within the Federal Reserve based off of what I've been hearing that inflation could go in the reverse it's been coming down over the course of 2023 But maybe it goes in the opposite direction it's really hard to predict if that happens could that threaten the messaging that the Biden Administration has been putting out there again it's going to take time to see those reports come out on a monthly basis and we'll be watching very closely you know Brian What I always say economists have predicted 10 of the last two recessions so be an optimist Brian you're a millennial be an optimist all right check with you later thanks buddy appreciate it coming up from us some popular cold and flu cough syrups are getting recalled while they Why they could pose a big risk plus a scary seen in Turkey after a plane was forced to fly dangerously close to traffic what happened later in the Hour Oh Is Oh Oh We're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we are on the cusp of something Big We're back bottom of the hour and tonight Alabama is planning to put to death a Man convicted of murder using a method of execution never been tried before in this country it is so untested the pastor who will be with this condemned man at the time of his death Is is also actually at risk now the state received the okay from a federal appeals court late last night to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen hypoxia it involves strapping a mask to his face to feed him only nitrogen gas no oxygen and the 58-year-old is on Death row for his role in the 1988 murder of Elizabeth's Senate the state is using this myth method because prison staff failed to execute him by lethal injection 18 months ago when they couldn't find the right vein NBC's Morgan chesky is following this all from Dallas and Morgan we're hearing from the The children of Elizabeth Senate who are Furious that it's taking this long to get Justice right yeah you're absolutely right Tom in fact one of the key lines they've said throughout this entire process is that this man has now been on death row longer than they were even able to know Their mother who as you mentioned was murdered back in 1988 I want you to hear more from uh one of her sons in light of this execution which is tentatively supposed to happen later this evening take a listen he admitted to it he wrote it down on paper he was Guilty so how does that turn into a 35e weight to get Justice for what our mother suffered from you know he asked for this hypoxia whatever you call it and now he's fussing because he's got to do it now some important backstory here on this legal process Tom this man Kenneth Eugene Smith was convicted in '89 for this murder for higher plot but then was later cleared on appeal but then reconvicted in 1996 it was that year that a jury voted 111 and recommended life in prison to the judge in Alabama who then chose to override that jury Recommendation and instead give a death sentence to Kenneth Smith and that's what brings us to today Tom important to note here that an Alabama Judge can no longer override a jury decision in cases that involve the death penalty Tom yeah but he did uh before that change in the Law and there's no debating Smith's guilty guilt plea guilty plea but there are significant questions about this method of execution right to the point that even the pastor who's going to be with him is receiving his own last rights because he's at risk right and we had a chance to hear From the pastor earlier today who essentially expressed the fact that there was a lot of concern since this is a new and untested form of execution and he was asking questions about safety and and protocol uh and such and was not receiving at least in his mind an Adequately uh an adequate answer that made him feel re assured since he will be there in the room performing last rights to the inmate uh so a lot of questions right now because this is the first time the US has ever used this form of execution uh first time here if Not the world Tom and there is an anticipation of more legal challenges in the final hours before this takes place uh but again we had Smith's legal team make a plea to the Supreme Court saying that he shouldn't face an execution a second time time that was overruled and Then we heard from that appeals court saying that because they failed to prove this was a cruel and unusual punishment it still goes ahead at least for now Tom all right Morgan thank you Morgan chesky let's get you over now to the five things our team things you might want to Know about tonight number one CIA director Bill Burns is set to meet with Israel's mad director and the Qatari prime minister in Europe this weekend they're supposed to be talking about a deal to secure the release a more than 130 hostages still held in Gaza that according to a diplomat with knowledge Of the matter number two the maker of robotussin has issued a voluntary recall of two Cough syrups over microbial contamination robotos and honey CF max day adult and robotussin honey CF max nighttime adult are the affected products the company says it has not received any reports of adverse effects So far but it says using those those products could lead to potentially life-threatening health problems number three former Spanish soccer president Louis roales will face trial for kissing player Jenny aroso without her consent after the Women's World Cup last year State prosecutors accused rubiales of sexual assault and for allegedly this is Important coercing her to publicly support him after he faced the backlash he has denied any wrongdoing it's not clear when the trial might start number four former Trump White House adviser Peter Navaro sentenced today to four months in prison he is also forced to pay an almost $10,000 fine for defying a Subpoena from the January 6th committee now remember he was convicted in September for refusing to testify and provide documents to a house committee investigating the Insurrection and the attack Navaro has already filed an appeal number five after Tom Hollander says he once received a different famous British Tom's paycheck because they have Similar names this guy here Tom Holland basically but Hollander says that he was once sent a seven figure box office bonus that actually belonged to Tom Holland for The Avengers a movie that Hollander did not star in he's an honest guy and now to politics with Nikki Haley Still in the race chasing front runner for former president Trump what's her path to a republican nomination officially candidates need to earn a certain number of delegates to win Von hilard now explains the process in tonight's breakdown to get their party's presidential nomination candidates ultimately need one thing delegates Mr Chairman delegates and my fellow citizens are proudly accept your nomination a delegate is someone often a party Insider or activists who represents their Community or state at these big party nominating conventions one for Democrats and one for Republicans a couple thousand delegates show up to each candidates earn delegates from getting votes in Primaries and caucuses so how are they divvied up Democrats do it the same across the board all Statewide and District delegates are divided proportionally based on the election results so if a candidate get 60% of the vote in a state they'll get about 60% of the delegates but Republicans have a few Different methods proportional especially in early States like in New Hampshire or win or take all where the candidate who gets the most votes gets all the delegates like in Arizona and then some states use a mix the magic number is 1,25 delegates for Republican candidates to secure the nomination if they don't Lock in the majority of delegates ahead of time it'll come down to the convention now there are two main types of delegates Democrats call them pledged and unpledged Republicans call them bound and Unbound basically if a delegate is pledged rebound they have to vote for a certain candidate at the Convention based on how their state voted but unpledged and Unbound delegates can vote for any candidate it's a small slice of the total delegates but they could make a difference which brings us back to 1976 we came from behind in New Hampshire and we won through the Republican primaries and caucuses that Year incumbent President Gerald Ford didn't reach the number needed to lock up the nomination a month before the convention Insurgent candidate Ronald Reagan trailed forward by only 39 delegates with 94 still uncommitted which made the convention extra interesting Ford ended up winning by about 100 delegates I am honored by your Nomination and I accept it now this year Nikki Haley's already trailing Donald Trump with 17 delegates to Trump's 32 but but over the last year some State gops changed the system to favor a front runner making the path to a nomination even harder for Haley California's GOP For example adopted new rules ahead of this cycle any Republican candidate who wins more than half the vote there will get all the delegates and California has 169 of them more than any other state what about the Dozen delegates that Ronda santis and VI ramaswami secured in Iowa the former candidates now backing Trump but their delegates still need to support them on the first ballot of the convention there is an exception though if there's just one Republican candidate left Von hilard NBC News when we come back Taylor Swift's alleged stalker spotted at her house again just hours after leaving Court why It's so hard uh to keep people safe from their stalkers plus a new culinary craze in South Korea is prompting warnings from Health officials we'll explain that that when we come back Next He Fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty bad what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is It so tough right now news for the the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC so NBC News covers hundreds of international stories each day and it's awfully tough to stay on top of all of them so our International Teams have done it for all of us and here are some of the things they're keeping an eye on it's a segment we call the global in Argentina thousands of people took to the streets of wadis today as part of a huge Trade union protest against the country's new president they're pushing back on his plans for sweeping cuts to government services aimed at curbing the country's skyrocketing inflation in Turkey in Turkey rather check this out This crazy video of a Turkish military plane making an emergency landing right over a busy street the military says the plane had to land because of a technical problem turkey's defense minister said there were some Dam there was some damage to the plane but the pilot and Crew all got out unharmed in South Korea the country's food Ministry telling people to stop eating this deep fried toothpicks they're made of biodegradable corn starch or sweet potato coated in some sort of a seasoning videos of people eating them have gotten a ton of likes and shares online they're still Technically a sanitary product and food officials say their safety has not been verified you know a man in New York has made a lot of news lately in police custody for the third time in less than a week accused of relentlessly relentlessly stalking the Superstar pop star Taylor Swift no stranger to Stalkers she's dealt with them basically her entire career but the repeat offenses by this New York suspect show just how hard it is to keep female celebrities and women around the country safe from these stalkers take a listen to what NBC's Ellen Lopez found out out Taylor Swift arguably the biggest Pop star in the world not safe from repeated stalking two hours after this man left a court accused of doing just that stalking the Superstar he was right back in front of her home again leading to his third arrest in 5 days even after the court ordered him to stay away from Swift David Crow has been to Swift's home more than 30 times in just the past two months according to court documents Swift also targeted by stalker at her homes in California and Rhode Island she's one of countless female celebrities dealing with obsessive stalkers and the collective shrug they Can get from law enforcement often times it's just scapegoat it's like oh it's not that big of a deal oh they're overreacting oh well they didn't harm you in New York stalkers can get up to seven years in prison for the most serious offenses but a doj study found That only 12% of all stalking cases result in criminal prosecutions in a city the size of New York you're not going to be be held in jail pending a charge for a misdemeanor of this kind oh my God yes hi just last year A Man rushed the stage at a Drew Barrymore Event saying he quote needed to see her no charges were filed against the man until he showed up again Weeks Later looking for the TV host home in the Hamptons where he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor stalking that carries a maximum penalty of a few Months in jail and a small fine just weeks after that more low-level charges after he broke into an event and demanded to meet Harry Potter star Emma Watson in 2008 killbill actress Uma Thurman stalker received a sentence of just 90 days probation after he repeatedly showed up at her home with Packages and notes calling her family and sending emails the man violated that probation just two years later when he attempted to contact Thurman again California would become the first state to get anti-stalking laws on the books after the 1989 Mur murder of Rebecca Schaefer by a stalker who followed her For more than 3 years all 50 states now have similar laws in place but public figures are still dying at the hands of stalkers just last year a Washington state podcast host was found dead in her home killed by a stalker who she warned police about just a week earlier saying She had quote deep-seated fears for her safety in 2016 former Voice contestant Christina grimy was shot and killed by an obsessed fan while she was signing autographs John lenon shot to death about this hour last night Beatles Legends John Lennon murdered by his stalker as he returned home to his New York apartment in December 1980 all of the killers had either shown signs of mental illness or an obsession with their eventual targets activists say action needs to be taken sooner we need to keep pushing for these things to get stronger because I guarantee if we take stocking seriously we are going to save Lives let's not forget jod Foster stalker killed president killed President Reagan's press secretary uh elwin Swift is joining us right now and elwin uh I understand that Swift has really had to go to Great Links to try to get this under control yeah Tom unfortunately she's been down this road before including Another case right there in New York several years ago that man was sentenced to up to four years in prison after breaking into her home not once but three times and even sleeping in one of her beds her security team now going as far has to use facial recognition Technology to scan crowds for stalkers at her concerts and Tom you know fewer than a third of all stocking cases get classified as felonies and this one might be a hard one to believe but more than half of the country classifies stalking as a felony only after two or More offensives Tom it's really concerning I mean I've had friends who've been stocked Ellen thank you very much Ellen elen Lopez who's in uh Los Angeles for us coming up lawmakers are sounding the alarm on Chinese companies that are gathering genetic data on Americans you and me what they might Want with our personal biod data in our original Tonight [Laughter] From inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country in war looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this see everybody good took for all this Damage so now we want to bring you today's original with in-depth reporting on a topic we've been keeping an eye on and tonight it's an NBC News exclusive about an effort to in Congress to tackle concerns that the genetic data of Americans is being collected and possibly exploited by China as the use Of DNA data expands and helps with everything from solving crimes to preventing diseases lawmakers from both parties are now trying to ban a Chinese genomics company from getting Federal money and putting out a new bill just today mbc's kendan has that story it's one of the most promising advances in modern medical history History with the potential to cure disease and customize Medical Treatments but the DNA data Revolution also has a dark side for years the US intelligence Community has warned that China is assembling huge databases of genetic information including about Americans officials have cautioned that it could be used to tailor bioweapons hunt for Vulnerabilities that might make people susceptible to recruitment as spies or allow China to pull ahead of the West in the hugely consequential biotechnology sphere tonight lawmakers from both parties are offering a response to what they see as a grave threat introducing legislation that would ban a major Chinese genomics firm bgi group and Anyone it partners with from receiving Federal contracts we don't want taxpayer dollars being used to purchase you know genome sequencing machines from bgi or uh their testing materials because of our concerns it was designated a Chinese military company by the Pentagon after its uh efforts to harvest DNA were Revealed and yet it remains a leading supplier of genetic sequencing equipment within the American Market we think that's a bad idea and that's what we're trying to stop bgi is one of the world's largest genomics companies with well documented ties to China's military according to the defense department Export restrictions have been placed on five of its Affiliates by the US Commerce Department which found that at least two of them had used technology to repress the Wagers and other ethnic minorities in China something the company has previously denied the Commerce Department also found a significant risk that genetic data would Be diverted to China's military programs an accurate comprehensive and affordable non-invasive prenatal test in 2021 an investigation by Reuters reported that a prenatal test offered by the company in 53 countries but not the US was developed in conjunction with China's Mill military and was being used to Collect the genetic data of millions of people in a statement bgi told NBC News the company does not operate clinical laboratories or collect patient samples and has no access to personal or genetic data the statement added that none of bgi is in any way controlled by or Linked to the Chinese government or the military which US lawmakers dispute not only do they have collaboration but they've published numerous papers in conjunction with the pla with regard to their research genomics and DNA is the new oil it is it's a$ four trillion doll industry Bill evanina who retired in 2021 as the top us Counter Intelligence official worked for years to sound the alarm on bgi and other Chinese companies Gathering genetic data it's legitimate business it's also masking and intelligence gathering and Affairs purposes right there's also though the a question of using it to for example exploit vulnerabilities and and recruit Spies and potentially tailor bioweapons right well the bioweapons yes sure that's a whole other story Al together more importantly K when we look at it from a targeting perspective let's assume hypothetically they have the ability to say oh look at bill of anina okay we just found out from all these Data breaches H he's um behind that his mortgage he lost his job he's got two kids in college oh and he's got a genetic sequency marker that shows him predisposed to having hepatitis or you know power Parkinson's or this he's very vulnerable evanina said the US intelligence Community has seen evidence Of China's intent to exploit genetic data we know this because we collect this data from them covertly right this is not like madeup stuff like there is clandestine collection of their intent and their capability NBC's kend delanian is in The Newsroom with more on this you and I Were talking in The Newsroom and this is really eye openening but you know I think a lot of people may think HIPPA laws should protect Americans from their data being shared it should right it absolutely should Tom but in some cases there are user agreements that people Sign that allow that data to be transferred and in other cases uh us officials are just concerned that they're doing it illicitly now obviously you saw that this company denies doing anything of the kind but here's what the US intelligence Community knows they know that China is building vast databases of genetic information Including Americans they know that they've acquired various companies in the United States that has given them access to genetic information they don't know exactly what bgi is doing with all its devices and all its areas in the United States but they are concerned that there's a huge risk because bgi is Tied to the Chinese military it's an important Story Ken thank you for bringing it to us kend delanian still to come from us new safety features from meta that will change who can message teenagers on Facebook and in Instagram what Watch Dogs think of these new updates that's coming up Next Oh okay we're back do you have a teen are you a teen or a tween well Facebook and Instagram we tightening some default settings in their apps making it harder for strangers to send direct messages to teens as part of new guidelines and safety features announced today by the Parent company meta on Instagram teens will only get DMS from people they follow or are connected to and parental approval will be required to change certain default settings and then on Facebook Messenger users under 16 will only receive messages from Facebook friends or people in their phone contacts while adults people older than 19 can't message teens who don't follow them now the change has come as meta is facing new attempts at regulation and state lawsuits alleging harmful youth marketing NBC Stephanie gos is on the story and Stephanie meta has faced an awful lot of criticism and pressure for How it does or does protect miners on its platform so now walk us through these guidelines and how are watchdogs responding is it a good idea well they're calling it window dressing Tom which is to say they don't really think this is going to be effective but meta Is rolling this out they had other changes that they rolled out earlier this month and the idea is that when you have kids 13 14 15 years old on these platforms that people won't be able to directly message them and that if teens try to change that setting their parent Will get a message saying do you approve of that change and only if they sign off will it be changed but they're not sure the watch dogs that this is actually going to going to work I spoke to the CEO of Common Sense Media listen to what he had to say to Me what you see is almost half-hearted measures by companies like meta that say we're trying to do right by our teens but in truth they're only doing something that every teenager in America knows how to get around and that won't be effective yeah so what ultimately what they're calling on is for the Federal government Tom to step in and not leave it up to these companies to do it themselves oh yeah okay here's the skeptic in me having had teenage daughters they're older now but uh these changes are not foolproof right because the parental supervision option has to Be enabled and then the users's age has to be accurate in the app uh and I got to tell you as a parent sometimes I'm like I have no idea idea what little thing I'm supposed to flip the kids know so much more than we do they do I asked The CEO of Common Sense Media specifically how tough would it be for a teenager to fake their age and he said it would be incredibly simple uh but you know I asked meta that specific question they said that it is a complex industry uh problem to establish uh age Verification they also said they support a measure a proposed federal law that would require app stores to get parental permission for kids to download apps onto their phones um which is to say Tom they haven't really figured this out yet have they no of course not I mean I need My tens to my teens to tell me how to use my phone and now I'm supposed to it does it's not going to work that seems like a different problem Tom well yes it could be Stephanie thank you uh that is a wrap for us at this hour and the News Continues right now on NBC News Now tonight Trump on the stand the former president defending himself in the egene Caroll civil defamation trial jurors are now considering how much Trump should pay up for saying that Carol lied when she accused him of sexual abuse his testimony from the hot seat and what he Said that forced the judge to strike it from the record also tonight in an unprecedented move the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive Republican ninee NBC News obtaining a draft of the resolution that is facing major criticism even from Trump Nikki Haley also weighing in how her campaign is responding and the Statement just in from the former president Super soer Millions in the South dealing with rounds of Relentless rain in Louisiana a flash flood emergency issued as cars take on feet of water and streets quickly turned into rivers the risk for life-threatening flooding and severe storms plaguing the Region for a fifth straight day when we could finally see some relief experimental execution Alabama preparing to carry out the first execution by nitrogen gas the convicted killer who already underwent an unsuccessful lethal injection now expected to be executed in a neverbe used practice we hear from the Death row inmate himself and from the children of the woman he killed all parties concerned the method won't work again plus hairstyle on trial a Texas teen punished by a school for refusing to cut his locks his family arguing the move violates a new state law which prohibits race-based hair discrimination How the school is responding as the team awaits his day in court and Toxic Paradise after the deadliest wildfire in US history Laha is beginning to pick up the pieces but concerns are mounting over where they actually put them an area known for its beautiful coral reef Now possibly in danger we speak to one of the outraged residents who says the health of the community and the environment are at stake top story starts right Now and good evening we're following several breaking headlines involving former president Trump first Trump taking the stand today testifying in his own defense in the defamation trial brought against him by writer egene Carroll it comes after a jury already found that Trump sexually abused and defamed her today the former president Standing by his denial of Carol sexual assault claim but the judge was forced to strike down the second half of his statement we're going to explain that also breaking the former president is attempting to dismiss election interference charges citing allegations of an improper romantic relationship between two key prosecutors in the case The motion to disqualify fton County district attorney fonnie Willis and what it means for the case moving forward also tonight the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive 2024 nominee the mounting pressure rival Nikki Haley is facing from her own party now to drop out of the race Haley's Campaign firing back saying the decision should be in the hands of Voters NBC's Ryan nobl tonight starting us off right here tonight after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few minutes his testimony limited by The judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming een Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was lying he Answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tens on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the Former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement do Trump's allies slamming the proposal saying it allows 5,000 Migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first you'd have to go talk to the Minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump yet about the final product from my Point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get On a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan Noble joins us tonight from Capitol Hill to break down all this Trump news Ryan I really want to focus our conversation on what's happening on Capitol Hill there we've seen all these establishment Republicans circle around and coales Around Trump calling him the nominee saying he should be the nominee essentially doing whatever he wants so how much are his comments affecting this border Bill well Tom I think we'd be naive uh to say that they are insignificant he is playing a real role in these conversations and there are many Republicans not only in the house but in the Senate as well that take their cues from the former president and he just released a statement tonight saying that unless they get a perfect border deal that their border deal package could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats that's something that Republicans are paying very close attention to they understand that Trump has enormous influence with his supporters many of those voters they need for their own elections and that's part of why his input has been so important in these conversations Ryan game this out for us because you you got To this question when you were talking to some of the Republicans on Capitol Hill there though I mean they talk about the immigration problem every single day there's clearly a massive immigration problem in this country but if they vote for the bill is it a victory for the Current president which could be a victory come November yeah and that's that's what they're wrestling with right now is the politics of all of this Tom you talk to some members and they say they just want to fix the problem at the border they are not worried about the Politics but there are other Republicans that suggest that unless they have a deal that meets all the criteria that they're looking for there's no reason to offer any sort of assistance to Biden in his campaign that's going to be the big conversation that plays out here over The next couple of weeks as to whether or not this package ever gets over the finish line and of course we're talking a lot about the Border Tom but there's a big component of this that involves that funding to Ukraine which right now is in real danger of never Happening Ryan nobl leading us off here on top story Ryan thank you there's also some new reporting from the campaign Trail the Republican National Committee seemingly trying to pressure Republicans to wrap up the primary season and select Trump as the GOP nominee but a campaign spokesperson for Nikki Haley saying Quote who cares what the RNC says will let millions of Republican voters AC across the country decide who should be our party's nominee not a bunch of Washington insiders if R McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina unless she's also worried that Trump can't handle being on The stage for 90 minutes with Nikki Haley Von heler joins us now to give us the latest F we knew this was going to get ugly walk our viewers through what happened today and what we we and others have uncovered in our reporting there was a proposed resolution right right After a 30o loss to Donald Trump in Iowa an 11-point loss to him in New Hampshire there was a great many folks in Republican circles that wanted Donald Trump to be the presumptive nominee Nikki Haley to get out of the race Focus the party's resour on beating Joe Biden In November's general election Nikki Haley said sorry that's not going to happen Donald Trump is going to have to win more States her home state of South Carolina comes a month from now so that only drags this process out and what now the RNC uh is going to be putting Forward at next week's RNC meeting in Las Vegas is a resolution then which they're going to ask all the members they come from all 50 states these are key party activists to vote on making Donald Trump the presumptive nominee essentially what that would do would allow the party to begin investing Dollars towards Donald Trump's candidacy and making it all but harder on Nikki Haley to make the claim that she still has a chance when the party is already behind Donald so a proposal's been drafted already we've seen this they want people to vote on this and essentially end the primary process it Would almost all but end it there would technically still be the votes folks would still go vote in South Carolina but it would be the party infrastructure which has millions of dollars to its name saying Donald Trump is our guy and for Nikki Haley she's already having a Tough time with donors and with uh other Republican elected officials who have not endorsed her but endorsed Donald Trump and I think it's notable though literally in just the last few minutes Donald Trump actually just put a social media post out in which he said that he Does not believe the RNC should go forward with this plan because he wants to win the oldfashioned way were his words in Finish to process off at The Ballot Box of course Donald Trump is one who is not shy about wanting to have a big party and he believes that South Carolina is a place where he can get a great amount of support and beat Nikki Haley on her home turf once and for all this is so strange because even before New Hampshire voted you had Ron McDaniel come out with that statement essentially saying if there's a loss tonight they Got to Rally around Trump the person who proposed this Dave bossy worked so closely with the president in the during the campaign he's at the RNC now and now Trump's saying he's not with this plan I mean what's going on it's a little hectic at the Republican party here These days and Nikki Haley she wants to have a debate a one-on-one debate with Donald Trump and that's where she called on the RNC to make that happen Force Donald Trump to not make the agreement to it but so far Donald Trump has not felt compelled to take part in any Debate at this point and the Republican National Committee what they want is anything but chaos but right now over the next month we could see a little bit more of it Von Hiller with the news from the campaign Trail Von thank you for that now to the other legal drama the Former president is involved in to remind our viewers Trump along with 18 other codefendants is being investigated in Georgia on Election interference charges but one of Trump's codefendants in the case Mike Roman is alleging that fton County district attorney fonny Willis had an improper relationship with one of the special prosecutors on that Case Nathan Wade standing next to her in the gray suit there now Trump is joining that motion in an attempt to remove her from the case we've covered this extensively here on top story Trump's Council making a statement today saying in part the motion filed today on behalf Of President Trump seeks to hold district attorney Willis legally accountable both for her misconduct alleged a motion filed by Mr Roman as well as her extrajudicial public statements falsely and intentionally injecting race into this case alluding to comment she made last week claiming she and Wade are being targeted because Of her race and his race here's what she saided Three Special counsel L is my right to do paid them all the same hourly rate they only ATT that one I hired one white woman a good personal friend and great lawyer a superstar I tell you I hired One white man brilliant my friend and a great lawyer and I hired one black man another Superstar a great friend and a great lawyer oh Lord they going to be mad when I call them out on this nonsense first thing they say oh she going to play the race car Now but no God isn't it them who's playing the race card when they only question one to help us understand what's at play here I want to bring an NBC legal analyst and friend of top story Danny savalos Danny thanks for joining us tonight so Danny it seems Like things are only getting worse for da Fon Willis and the pressure is just mounting what do you think happens after this well I want to frame what this motion actually asked for it's been described as a motion to dismiss the case outright based on a relationship Between the da and the top prosecutor on her team that's not really what the motion is the motion is twofold first it says the prosecutor was improperly appointed he was essentially a private citizen getting an indictment against these defendants and so the indictment is fatally defective for that reason Part two of the motion says Hey in case you are wondering how the prosecutor could have just forgotten to to cross all the te's and Dot all the eyes here's why they were probably avoiding getting caught in this alleged relationship and the second part of the motion says hey If you don't dismiss the indictment you should throw these two prosecutors off the case because of the appearance of impropriety and attorneys like me are not judged on whether or not there is an improper event rather the appearance of impropriety is what we have to strive to Avoid according to the ethical rules so it seems to me that fonnie Willis is looking to make public statements in a venue where she's not going to field questions but this is a real problem for the Georgia DA's office and a real problem for this prosecution one of the Possible outcomes could be disqualifying the entire DA's office who then will even take up the charge but Trump's allegations go one step further because essentially what they're saying is there's this improper relationship between the da and the special prosecutor there's now credit card statements unsealed from a divorce proceedings involving that special Special prosecutor that that show trips between fonnie Willis and the special prosecutor but then she goes to the church and she says this is all about race is that a problem when we talk about ethics is that a problem can can a lawyer do that is she is she able to do That but as as the da she has to be careful as a lawyer she has to be careful exactly right and more so as the da more so as an elected official but also as an attorney injecting race improperly into a case can potentially raise an Ethics problem and I've Actually had this come up in my own cases and the problem is is that you're essentially invoking You by invoking race you're implying that the other side is engaging in racism and if you're going to make that kind of allegation you have to have to have support for it Because courts and I know this I've litigated cases where uh other parties have brought this up uh courts do not take kindly to unsupported allegations of racism because they can devastate someone's career so that's just a general proposition that really it was probably not a great idea if I think if Fonnie Wills had that moment back she might not have said what she said about race because it only created problems it didn't help her one bit Danny you know you're somebody who comes on here and you're always very measured you're not a lawyer on TV who just likes to sort of Inject anything that's exciting or salacious so I say that because it's sounding to me like you think da fonny Willis is an actual real trouble and this could come back to Haunter I do originally when motion first came out it seemed like a long shot but I've read The motion if the allegations they have in there are true for example they alleged that the special prosecutor had so little experience that they couldn't even find a case or two cases in which he had handled Rico cases that is a strange thing given you have an entire DA's office full of people who are guess what prosecutors and they're very experienced now now we get into kind of a Twilight Zone here because the defendant is essentially arguing hey you got a less experienced what about all these experienced prosecutors it's the defendant making the hey get better People to prosecute me right but the point is made is why a point why pay this person uh upwards of I believe upwards of a million dollars in fees already and you know look if you build those hours he build those hours but uh why get this person onto the case the Stronger argument right now is the technical one that the indictment may have been improperly obtained that's a problem I mean we challenge indictments on technicalities all the time you got to you got to do everything right procedurally but the second part disqualifying the da could completely Derail the case as well because it's her show who else is going to step in if she's somehow disqualified this motion is a real threat to this prosecution all right Danny savalos we appreciate all of your analysis as always we want to take a big turn now and talk about some of The severe flooding threating threatening Millions uh of Americans massive rainfall in the Southeast flooding homes and businesses and submerging vehicles the storm system turning deadly in Mississippi as officials raise for more dangerous conditions in hard hit Texas and Louisiana guad Vegas is there tonight A soaked southern region Enduring a second day of heavy rain 19 million people under flood alerts from Mississippi to the Northeast a day after Heavy Rain slam parts of Texas and Louisiana we're definitely keeping a close eye because it could get dangerous quickly in several trap cars left abandoned this person making use of a Kayak to get around after the flash floods left neighborhoods underwater in Texas authorities keeping an eye on Five Rivers forecasted to reach major flood stages after a day of rescues in the Houston area in Montgomery County firefighters rescuing 17 people from flooded homes my father start he Tred to Come on the tractor but he got stuck me way through the tractor turned off in Mississippi authorities now reporting one weather related death after after a driver lost control of a vehicle and ran into a tree numerous cities in the corridor from Texas to the Northeast getting more than double their average Rainfall for the month of January that wet winter weather now marching East threatening a dangerous end to the week guad Venegas joins us tonight from Covington Louisiana guad you're standing in front of a river tonight what's the concern there does it remain the flooding of those Rivers uh Tom you can see some of the flooding here yeah so these water ways in the area are still flooded there is River here but the water would normally be somewhere down there we still have some of the flooding in the lowline areas not just in this part of Louisiana But all across the region so authorities are asking people to stay away from these areas of course because there is a danger when people come uh to these lowline parts of the region uh the good news is that most of the rain has has already made its way through so we Didn't get as much rain today as we had yesterday as the worst part of the storm is making its way through the South Tom guad Vegas here be careful for the Gators for more in the severe weather NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins me now Bill we know the worst of this Storm may be done but there's one right behind it yeah 24-hour break that's all these residents are going going to get for the clean up and for the water to recede before we add more water on top of it so now we're down to 16 million people under flood watches and these Flood watches from Atlanta Montgomery are actually for the next storm coming they never even dropped them from this storm so you notice we have areas of rain but we don't have anything concentrated in anymore we don't have any flash flooding that's ongoing currently thunderstorms across Georgia Are dying we do have some heavy raining between St Louis and Chicago but here's the next storm already going to form off the coast of Texas as we go throughout Friday Friday night Heavy Rain develops in Louisiana once again right where guad was standing and then this storm will be On the move this weekend Saturday is a soaking rain through the South especially the Carolinas Tennessee Kentucky and then as we go throughout Sunday all of this rain moves into the Northeast and there's going to be just enough cold air on the north side of this for some heavy wet snow it's going To be a marginal forecast temperatures are really close between it's going to be rain or snow higher elevations of course our European computer model yesterday was saying heavier snow now it's looking at lighter snow and our models have flip-flopped if you were with us last night our American model Was saying light snow now it's saying heavier snow the bottom line is it's going to take another day to kind of iron this out where we're going to be dealing with the heaviest snow on Sunday night into Monday morning in the Northeast and in the meantime Tom we're Going to talk a lot in the week ahead about our friends on the west coast an atmospheric river is heading their way with a lot of rain oh not again all right Bill we appreciate that in Alabama tonight officials set to execute a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas It's the first time ever the method has been used to kill a prisoner but people on both sides of the case say there's a lot of risk even potentially to those present at the execution Dasha burn spoke with that inmate the son of his victim and the Reverend said to deliver his last Rights the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from Kenny an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive I'm terrified it started when I was on the execu guarding uh last November now the state will try To execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen gas the fact that theyve got me lined up to be the first with gas um is really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt at lethal injection didn't work I on iing run line in my CH my head down my P the blood at my head was help me please Al and a People the third in a string of botched executions that year How could a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C Holan Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed Execution failed them too what is that emotion Ang anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed hey was guilty so how does that turn into 35e weight to get Justice for what our mother suffered from you guys are about to drive down this road Again to witness this again how confident are you that the state will succeed not much 5050 50/50 mhm it's brand new who knows what's going to happen with this one I hope nothing goes wrong that's our F yeah that's our final hope but it's all over with Wednesday Night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknown this is a method that has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of All the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in cour testifying that nitrogen gas is quotee painless and Humane Smith team has argued execution by nitrogen gas could lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a Vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and this morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to Him too when did it start to really Dawn on you that this was going to be very different from the previous times you've given last rides I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution the waiver here talks about in the event in the in the highly Unlikely event it says here that the hose supplying breathing gas to the mask were to detach an area of free flowing nitrogen could result creating a small area of risk and there it goes on to talk about other potential hazards how did you feel seeing this I mean the Existence of a waiver in the first place speaks to the fear that they have that something could go wrong this is the first time in human history that someone besides the person being executed is at risk of dying in the process and I think it's also important to point out that You know this human experiment on Kenny is also an experiment on everybody else in the room I mean there's a concern of your own safety and then there are concerns about how this could go for Kenny how worried are you about what you might witness I mean I think uh I'm Prepared to witness a horror show I kept asking questions and they kept saying trust us trust us do you trust them no Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not going to go live I'm expected to take the word of the Department of that they're going to Get it it's all about what's fixing to happen to him but nobody is talking about what he did to our mother or why he's in that situation because he killed her this is what it's about for you all yeah that's all it's ever been about what would you say to Her mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice all right Dasha Burns joins us tonight live from Atmore Alabama Dasha as you mentioned in your piece this is a very new method of EX ution and yet I understand officials they're not exactly Being transparent about some of the protocols yeah Tom that's right they did release a protocol but it was heavily redacted uh the press the Senate family and uh Reverend Jeff Hood who you heard from there have all been asking questions trying to get in more information to understand exactly how This will all unfold but a lot of those questions have gone unanswered uh Hood especially has been really dissatisfied with the lack of answers from the state about his own uh safety you can imagine he and his family are really concerned about that and Tom as we stand here Right now I'm right now in the media Center that's across the street uh from from the facility where where uh Hood will under where where uh um he will undergo this Kenny uh Kenny Smith will undergo this procedure uh we are right now waiting on some final uh legal Processes to play out we're waiting for one more word from the Supreme Court based on another case um that Smith attorneys filed trying to get this uh trying to get a stay trying to get this execution paused we're expecting to hear from the Supreme Court shortly this is Typical with these sorts of executions usually there are legal Maneuvers um sort of up until the last minute we know that when the process will really kickart is when some witnesses some of the media uh folks here that were selected as Witnesses are going to be transported there so that's when that Happens that's when we know um that the process will actually begin but when it's going to be over and what's going to transpire tonight it's still a question Tom Dasha Burns right there at the center of it all okay Dasha we thank you for your reporting on what Is a very tough story we want to turn out of Michigan in another tough story where a historic trial is underway for the mother of school shooter Ethan Crumbley the teenager sentenced to life in prison after killing four students at his high school nearly three years ago Now his parents are both facing charges of involuntary manslaughter Accused by prosecutors of failing to prevent the shooting Adrien bradus has a look at the trial Mountain her away for crumley's Mom Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors Laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with voluntary manslaughter the first Parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumley's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and accident here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that Memory still wrong I looked down and um I realized he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing so I not tonight the defense asking jurors to Keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who she was as a mother as for the prosecution they say they plan to call more than 20 Witnesses including some who were inside of the school the day of The shooting Tom Adrien broadis for us tonight Adrian thank you for that we want to head over overseas now to the ongoing negotiations to release the hostages still held in Gaza a top Us official is being tapped by the Biden Administration to help broker that deal CIA director William Burns now heading To Europe this weekend for top level meetings with more on this development I want to bring in NBC News foreign correspondent Raph Sanchez who joins us now from Tel Aviv will the CIA director Raph be able to do what so far no International Diplomat nobody from Israel Andor Hamas has been able to do it's the big question Tom the CIA director will be meeting his Israeli counterpart the head of the Mossad spy agency he'll be meeting the prime minister of Qatar who has been the key mediator throughout this process and his hope is to jump start these negotiations Towards the ceasefire towards getting those Israeli hostages released the last ceasefire Tom you'll remember collapsed on the 1st of December and the big sticking point since then has been whether any pause in the the fighting going forward will be temporary or permanent Hamas is saying it needs to be A permanent ceasefire they say they will not release any more hostages until the war ends Israel is saying only a temporary pause in the fighting they say the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and that they plan to resume military activity on the other side of a Hostage deal Tom it is worth noting it feels a little counterintuitive but the fact that the fighting is so intense right now in southern Gaza could actually be a sign that the Israeli military believes that a ceasefire is imminent and it feels it wants to make as much progress on the battlefield Before any agreement comes into we hope so you you've been covering sort of every moment of this terror attack and now war and hostage negotiations do we know what the thinking is because our secretary of state Anthony blinkin has spent so much time over there he's been Trying to do this and now they're calling in the CIA director and I just wonder what the calculation may be from the Biden Administration it's really interesting Tom we have seen the spies the intelligence officials acting as the sort of Shadow diplomats throughout this crisis so Israel's lead negotiator has Been the head of its own foreign intelligence agency the mosad this is a man who has been going to Arab countries with whom Israel does not have diplomatic relations and negotiating on behalf of the Israeli government and it may be that the Biden Administration feels that CIA director Bill Burns who Is a diplomat by background but is now the head of the CIA a man who has unparalleled insight into the vast intelligence resources of the United States that he may be the man to go in and clinch the deal here they're certainly hoping so and we actually saw Him making similar trips before that last ceasefire deal came into place back in November Tom Raph Sanchez from Tel Aviv tonight Raph thank you still ahead the shocking new allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon a former employee now accusing him of sex trafficking sexual assault and abuse also alleging She was forced to perform sex acts in exchange for her job the graphic details coming up plus the high school student now going to trial over this hairstyle why his school district has kept him at a class over his locks and why his family says that's breaking the law and Manhattan's Freedom Tower may be dethroned as the tallest skyscraper in the US so can you guess where this would be built the answer may surprise you stay with Us He News lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashon news for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free everywhere back down with some shocking allegations involving one of the biggest figures in pro wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon accused of sexual abuse And sex trafficking by a former employee and a warning some of what you're about to hear is graphic WrestleMania tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and Emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploitive you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and Aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anol a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments After an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene madeup Instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally Through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix Just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and tonight WWE's parent company TKO is also responding TKO tells NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE adding they quote take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally when we come back the dangerous traffic stop in Oklahoma a car plowing into a stop vehicle a State Trooper going Airborne luckily somehow everyone is okay but tonight authorities issuing a warning to other drivers will Explain [Laughter] yeah Oh Okay we are back now with top stories Newsfeed we begin with the death of a New York City dancer linked to mislabeled cookies according to a new lawsuit the 25-year-old went into shock after eating cookies from the local supermarket Stu Leonards according to the woman's lawyer the packaging did not Say the product contained peanuts but did the supermarket said the supplier changed a soy ingredient to peanuts that they were never notified part of a historic church in Connecticut collapsed today with at least one person inside take a look at this new video shows the Roof caved in on a church in New London search Crews were called in but officials say they believe only one person was inside at the time and she was safely evacuated no one else was hurt that church built back in 1810 Oklahoma authorities issuing a warning to drivers after a dangerous Crash caught on camera everyone in this video so you know is okay a dash cam capturing the moment a passing car slammed into a stop vehicle sending a State Trooper you see there flying to the ground found three people including the trooper were treated for injuries at the hospital but have since been Released Highway Patrol reminding drivers to pay attention to the road and always move over if you see a stop vehicle and the tallest skyscraper in the US may be coming to Oklahoma City Yes you heard that right a new rendering by AO architecture shows the proposed Brick Town Tower according to a press Release the building will be 1, 197 ft that number honors the year Oklahoma became a state it would also make it more taller than the Freedom Tower in Manhattan and the fifth tallest building in the world pretty incredible okay next tonight to an update on a Case we've Been tracking a Texas school district has now headed to court to determine whether a black high school student can continue being punished for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law NBC's in clay esmw has the latest tonight a heated dispute between A Houston area school district and one of its black height high school students is headed to trial Daryl George has been serving an in school suspension and facing other disciplinary actions for more than four months now all because of his hair why like why me out of everybody in that school The Barbers Hill district says it's because George's lock hairstyle violates its dress code policy which limits hair length for boys but George's family and critics say the move is a violation of the crown act a new Texas law which took effect in September and prohibits race based based hair discrimination I wrote The Crown Act I filed it and it is clear locks band to knots twist braids washing goes blowouts however you wish to wear your hair wigs should be accepted Barbers Hill ISD is stealing his high school experience and breaking the law a state judge Now setting a February trial date To determine if George's punishment is a violation of the law the family has a real case here especially given that the authors of the bill really believe that this is a situation where the crown act would apply the outcome of this case will absolutely set a precedent especially within the state of Texas George's mother said she was disappointed the judge did not Grant a temporary restraining order that would have stopped her son's punishment until the trial I have a son 18 years old that wants to go to school that wants to get his education and y'all messing with him why Barber's Hill superintendent telling NBC News in part the crown act says nothing about hair length adding it was meant to allow braids locks or twists which the district has always allowed the law was never intended to allow unlimited student expression in a paid ad that ran earlier this month in the Houston Chronicle pools stood behind the District's decisions the ad reading quote we will not lose sight of the main goal high standards for our students by bending to political pressure or responding to misinformed media reports these entities have lesser goals that ultimately harm kids greg p is a liar it is about the fact that he does not like Braids locks or any sort of African-American hairstyle which he said and I'm going to prove it to you we spoke with George in December shortly after he was suspended for a second time due to his hair how has this all felt for you it's very stressful I'm trying To maintain being a student while also having to deal with this why should I cut my hair for my education my hair has nothing to do with my education what does your hair and your hairstyle mean to you it just means a lot to me it make me feel more closer to My people being without my hair is like cutting me from my people not letting me you know express myself how I feel I should be Zaya NBC News okay we thank Zay for that story not a top stories Global watch a check of what else is happening around the world we start with Those six nuns we had told you about have been released after being kidnapped in Haiti the Archbishop confirmed the nuns along with two other people were freed on Wednesday it is unclear their condition or if any type of Ransom was paid as we reported the group of eight Were kidnapped while on a bus in the capital city Pope Francis had also called for their release okay Taiwan has begun its extended mandatory military service starting today recruits will serve for a mandatory one year instead of four months Taiwan announced the extensions in late 2022 over concerns about about China's Rising military Threat according to the Army conscripts will undergo more intense training operate more powerful weapons and receive combat instructions used by US forces and Costa Rica giving its residents more freedom over their last names the country's Supreme Court lifting a requirement that placed the father's surname before the mothers on Identification in many Spanish speaking Nations people often use the last names of both parents while the Court's decision now allows citizens to choose the order in which they appear okay coming up officials in lah cleaning up toxic debris from the devastating Wildfire so where is it going debris by The truckloads now being offload at a temporary dump site not far from the ocean one outraged resident joins top story he explains to us and shows us some of his evidence that officials are not doing enough to protect the area's natural habitat we'll bring you all the sides coming up after This Oh Oh Oh We're back now with our continuing coverage of the aftermath of those deadly wildfires in Laha the New York Times today reporting officials are working to dispose of thousands of truckloads of toxic debris but the chosen temporary disposal site in olalo drawing outrage from native Hawaiian residents and those concerned with Protecting a nearby prized coral reef one of those vocal opponents to the dump site is Eddie Garcia he joins top story tonight he's a farmer in olalo which is a few miles south of L on the western Maui Coastline Eddie thanks for joining us tonight you said you've been Analyzing schematics and Drone footage of the dump site and you believe the sight's overall design is flawed looking at this Drone footage and the images that we have here for our viewers why do you believe the sight's construction is an issue um well there's several factors One is um just the sheer surface area of non-permeable surface like when you're thinking about catching water off of a roof you have to have such a certain size of catchment to handle the amount of square non-permeable surface that will fill that catchment tank so if you Look on the shot that you guys are showing now you can see that with over six acres of surface area uh that thing produces about 16,000 gallons of rainwater for every inch of rain uh we're known to have 4 inch rains not that uncommon it would close to fill the Million gallon Reservoir in fact a small rain last week filled it with 400,000 gallons they didn't have anything they could do except actually stick it right back into the ground in the POR cind Cinder area and drain it right on top of a water table 600 yards from the ocean Eddie a lot of our viewers a lot of our viewers aren't familiar with this area can you can you kind of walk us through the video that we're looking at what exactly are we seeing there in that Drone footage so you're looking at a cinder cone that's really a cultural historical Site that used to have a dump next door to it so they basically hollowed it all out what you're looking on the screen right now is them actually dumping the leate water right into the ground um that's their only safe fail fail safe right now if it were to rain 4 inches on Us it would create a whole new Reservoir their only answer is that it's a closed loop system this is after they drained it they don't have a way to pull the leech eight out or the solid material they have not given us any protocol the overall top Reservoir that you see on The top of this l area which is the leate containment tank it has too much surface area as well to actually contain it it's bound to overflow on the low side and then what happens if it overflows where does that water go that's going to wind up right in the Ocean and they're saying it's not going to wind up in the ocean because you won't see it but basically this is a cinder pit one of the most Forest um sort of areas that we have in the Hawaiian islands and they usually have lava tubes underneath them in fact you Can notice they drained almost 400,000 th gallons of water in just a few hours there's really only a few places on the island you could even do that without it just saturating the ground and puddling up so this here the SES you're seeing now is after they drained it from the First rain it filled up this much here with less than four inches of rain the top one you're looking at now is the bad design and you can also see that the puddle is in the bottom corner and that only took a few inches of rain to get it To that point so this is there's thousands like we said thousands of of truckloads if you will pounds of debris from lah they have to clean it up where should It Go um well there's been a lot of um proposals put forward some companies that were willing to ship it to the Mainland and pay and um uh pack it and ship it to the mainland it was a little more expensive but there's a bunch of Solutions on the table right now including packing it into seven or 8,000 containers within the contaminated area instead of contaminating a whole another Area this place is is much more volatile due to the nature of the cinder and the drainage right into the water table this is some of the strongest wind on the island their argument is that they need to contain it and get it out of a vol volatile situation but what they're Actually doing is putting it in a much more volatile situation plus they're putting it where now everyone on the island has to pass by it within 15 feet of their way station they're putting it in a super windy area that the wind blows right offshore so they should Actually be putting signs up that this is toxic to the public people should roll their Windows when they go by the cross-contamination from the trucks is ridiculous and draining right down onto our farm next door there's a lot of aspects of this going on that are wrong Eddie you know officials yeah you know officials have promised that all the material at the dump site will be dug up and then relocated to a permanent site later but they have yet to select that destination from my understanding are residents like you concerned that once They dump it at this site it's never going to move it's in fact it's a fact probably that it's never going to move because if you look what we were told as a community it was going to be wrapped up in a burrito or a chimy chunga and then it was Supposed to be set in the temporary site and then it's then there's a possibility of moving it but think about it 40,000 trucks with 400,000 cubic yards of material but now you're mixing it with 600,000 yards of cubic material of Cinder and Blue Rock now you're soaking Water in it like a teacup so you're contaminating all of that material you just overd doubled the problem and now you still have to take that to a to a permanent site so all the arguments about the transportation the cost of moving it if it cost them $40 million to Move it eight miles and it's only 40,000 trucks imagine what it's going to cost them to move 140,000 trucks 20 miles um while the while the island has a lot more tourism and people on it because of the recovery two years from now Eddie gar we we Yeah Eddie we appreciate your Time we thank you for coming on top story tonight letting us know about this issue we're going to stay on top of it as we've covered every moment since that wildfire in lahina we thank you for your time all right we're going to be right back please stay with Us He He finally tonight we're just 6 months away from the Summer Olympics Paris gearing up to host the world's top athletes and what it's calling a new era of games our Kier Simmons is there with an inside look on how the city is prepping for this historic Event the clock is ticking down to the Paris games the merchandise already on sale the venues almost ready we got a look at the athletes Village it's going to be oh yeah that's the crucial question we are perfectly on time already early 6 months from the games and they tell us The Olympic Village will be ready in 6 weeks 3,000 apartments for more than 14,000 athletes and staff many venues are being recycled the 1924 Paris Olympic swimming pool is being refurbished are you putting the water from the sen in here no no the send the centerpiece of the games hosting the First opening ceremony outside a stadium other iconic landmarks will become venues like the plasa Concord where Olympic breaking will Premiere Sunny Choy will be there for Team USA I'll be like sitting on the plane all a sudden I feel like tears in my eyes and I'm like Wait I'm going this is happening like right now as for the hometown fans basketball is a huge draw with NBA star Victor wanyama expected to lead Team France which country is going to get gold in the basketball you sure about that actually I think the us is going to get it the us As always we'll see in just six months can't wait for those games to start and a reminder all the action on NBC we thank Kier Simmons for that report and we thank you for watching top story I'm Tom yamas in New York stay right there more news on the way I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution it's important to to state that um you know the existence of a waiver in the first place speaks to the fear that they have that something could go wrong Alabama is set to become the first State to execute a person with nitrogen gas this method is so unproven and risky that the Reverend who will be in the room at the time has been told to sign a waiver hello I'm Ellison barber in forgotti Schwarz and this is stay tuned Now 58-year-old Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed using a method known as nitrogen hypoxia where oxygen to the body is replaced with nitrogen gas it will be the first time this has been done in the history of the United States it's a controversial method largely because it is untested in other Words what seems to be happening here is a gas execution experiment and while critics are concerned it could be a very painful death for Smith the state of Alabama claims it will be Humane yesterday a federal appeals court voted to allow the execution to go forward Last mon month Smith told NBC news about his fears for a nitrogen gas execution you know it it makes it even worse um that I suffered so much last year and um so I'm still dealing with that you know I hav overcome it so um the fact that they've got me lined Up to be the first with gas um is really terrifying the state tried to execute Smith before four that's what he was referring to there about last time they tried to execute him with lethal injection in 2022 but botched that attempt prison officials failed to find A vein into Smith's hands and arms Smith has been on death row for decades he is one of three men convicted in the 1988 stabbing death of Elizabeth Senate whose husband a pastor had hired them to kill her now with nearly 36 years since the murder of their mother the sons of Elizabeth Senate they say it is time for justice to be served he admitted to it he wrote it down on paper he was guilty so how does that turn into a 35e wait to get Justice for what our mother suffered from NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns joins me now from Atmore Alabama Dasha You have covered this case extensively we saw you doing that interview there with the victim's children um Talk us about talk to us about about where things stand right now sort of the irony if you will here is that nitrogen hypoxia it's actually not even recommended for Animals unless they are Sedated uh is it fair when people say Kenneth Smith is a guinea pig is that a legitimate criticism here well that's one that I've certainly heard from multiple sources this is a story where there are no winners you've heard from the Senate the the sons of Elizabeth who was uh Smith's victim you Heard from uh Reverend Jeff Hood who will be there in the room with Smith and is himself concerned about his own safety and then there's Smith who you heard from as well who is going to be um the first to experiened this after he already survived an execution attempt Last uh back in 2022 so no winners in the story but let me give you a quick update Ellison because just moments before we came on the air there was some mov movent here we've been here in the media center across the street from uh the hman correctional facility where This is going to take place we've been waiting for some kind of movement what happens with these uh executions is usually there are legal Maneuvers up until the last minute and we were in this case waiting for final word from the Supreme Court on one more appeal one More request for aay from Smith's legal team to pause this execution they said no this is moving forward so just moments ago some of the media team there were five uh members of the media who were chosen as witnesses that were taken from the holding facility over to uh the Homean correctional facility to the execution area where they will be able to witness that so that's how we know that things are about to kick off now the questions are there are many how long is this going to take it could be quick it could not be quick and the Thing that I've heard from again the senates from um his uh spiritual adviser Smith's spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who is going to be in the execution chamber with him and could himself be at risk the questions are uh numerous and they feel like they have not been Answered the state did put out a protocol about how this was going to go but it was heavily redacted and the questions that have been asked by the Press uh by uh Kenneth Smith's family by uh by the senates have not gotten necessarily satisfying answers Ellison Dasha when you think of all these Questions that still have to be answered it seems like things are moving in a direction where this will happen regardless of those questions being answered but do you get the sense when you speak to sources or at least people who are going to be really carrying this Out within that prison the Department of Corrections in that state do they have confidence in the protocol for how they're going to carry out this execution or are they also feeling kind of the same way it seems like that Reverend is that he's just sort of not sure what Could happen if it goes well quotee unquote or if it all goes wrong the state says it does they have expressed confidence in this method the attorney general has said that they want to give Justice to the Senate family uh they argued in court the state did that This was a painless and Humane method of execution but again what I've heard from experts is that this is untested it's unproven and it's experimental and so we just don't know there are so many variables I mean the fact that there were three e execution attempts on three Different people here in Alabama over the course of about a year um that that were unsuccessful that alone has a lot of folks really skeptical about how they will do with a novel method like this Ellison all right Dasha Burns in Alabama with some breaking news there again the Supreme Court saying Alabama can proceed with uh the planned execution of Kenneth Smith using using nitrogen gas it will be the first time that has ever taken place Dasha we'll stay in touch with you and come back if there is any developments there in Alabama thank you so much we appreciate your Reporting former president Donald Trump finally takes the stand in eege Carrol's defamation case against him though today's testimony took less than five minutes it took even less time for Trump to break judge kaplan's rules on what he was allowed to say the judge made it clear explicitly clear that Trump could Not relitigate another trial that had already found him liable for sexually abusing Carol in the 9s but that is exactly what Trump did telling the jury he considers it a false accusation that statement was then Struck from the record for more let's bring an NBC News correspondent rahima Ellis hey Rahima hey Allison it was incredibly tense in the courtroom today as Donald Trump testified in his own defense in this civil Lial trial against him brought by eege Carroll the writer and it got tense even even before the jury was brought in for his testimony the Judge had been trying to get Trump to understand there were certain things he could not redo because they had already been determined it had been determined that he sexually assaulted her it had been determined that he defamed her character this case is just about how Much he would have to pay in Damages and punitive damages as the judge was making that clear to him Donald Trump blurted out the jury was not in the courtroom blurred it out where the judge could hear I don't know who this woman is never met this woman at that point the Judge lashed out at him saying keep your voice down Mr Trump you're interrupting these proceedings while your council is talking and it is not permitted once the jury was brought in Donald Trump was sworn and took the oath his testimony was taken and it took only three minutes between direct examination and Cross-examination he took maybe a total of four or five questions and on direct examination he he was asked about whether or not um he knew eege Caroll and whether or not he did anything to instruct people to hurt her he said no but then he went on to say other things In reference to not having assaulted her or not having defamed her the judge struck all of that down and went on to tell the jury that they are to pay no attention to it but it's hard to imagine how they're going to unring the bell and not include that in their thinking when They deliberate what are they going to be deling rating and the judge says it's likely they're going to get this case sometime tomorrow Carol um egene Carol has already been awarded $5 million in the first case now she's seeking $10 million and a Carol expert estimates That it could cost somewhere from 7 to 12 million to repair her reputation but this jury has also got to consider punitive damages and that's essentially whether or not they can punish Donald Trump enough to prevent him from making the family Ator marks remarks about EEG Carroll in the future sometime tomorrow In the afternoon the judge says it's likely that he will charge the jury and that panel of seven men and two women will get this case and it'll be up to them to issue a verdict Ellison NBC's Raha Ellis thank you now let's bring in NBC News legal analyst Danny savalos for more on this so Danny talk to us about that testimony less than five minutes I think it clocked in around three um are you surprised that the former president's testimony in this trial was so quick and if you can imagine you are his legal team for me What would kind of have been your pros and cons to put him on the stand or not put him on the stand in the first place not surprised it was so quick maybe a little surprised it came down to two or three questions but you saw in the Leadup as the attorneys were debating it that this really was going to get carved down to really a matter of minutes and that's because the is issues in this case were so narrowed the liability side was already established and Donald Trump obviously can't testify to uh the Plaintiff's harm so this is really just about the narrow issue of punitive damages now a lot of folks may have been wondering well wait on cross-examination why didn't the plaintiff's attorney Wade in there and spend two hours cross-examining a rare moment to have Donald Trump on the stand under oath and The answer is probably because they didn't want to open the door the plaintiffs already had Donald Trump successfully coralled his testimony limited couldn't give speeches however in the law if you raise an issue that the other side wants to inject they can argue that you have opened the door and An issue that may have been inadmissible beforehand is suddenly admissible because you accidentally stepped on that landmine as a plaintiff do you think they wanted him to take the stand his defense team or do you think this was one of those situations where he said this is what I'm going to do I'll do it anyway I mean for the the timing of it even though he did kind of go into the area as he wasn't supposed to but as far as Donald Trump goes the Outburst we've seen in court before this was relatively tame I Guess do you think his legal team was like yeah this is good what was the benefit in the ordinary case I would say you don't want to call your client in a situation like this but it seems to me at least Alina Haba the mission may have Changed a little bit they may view this as a lost cause that it's not likely they're going to win they're going to get hit for damages in some form or another does it really matter they may thinking the difference between 9 million or 10 million or 10 million and 12 million uh so why not let's just put another message in there and Donald Trump very clearly seems to be committed to getting his message in even though he knows he can't testify about things like she's lying I've never met her before and yet he persisted trying to inject That in a matter of seconds into his testimony he went into areas that he was not allowed to go to and that got stricken from the record so do I think Norm this is a defendant you would have wanted to call uh no but nothing about this case and this client and this Defense team is normal talk to us a little more about the other people we saw in court today a friend of eege carrols taking the stand hearing from her for the first time Carol Martin um how significant was that testimony so the defense's idea was they got a bunch Of her text message and one and wanted to get her on the stand and say hey weren't you texting about you how nutty you thought egene was or Genie or she had some name nickname for her and really what I think and I expect the jury probably saw this as well is that Look this is something that we all do you do it everyone does it if you have a family member or a friend that you love dearly you may talk to them they say something wacky and you and you love them and you say oh great but then you Get on the phone and you text that other friend in your text group the side group chat and you're like oh Susan's lost it right you don't mean Susan's lost it you're just saying look you're doing a little gossip and that's what I think the uh defense was trying to do is turn That idle gossip into an actual disparagement of eege Carol to make her look bad I don't know that it worked I think every juror knows someone like that whether you want to admit it or not you even the great Ellison has picked up her phone and gossiped about a dear Friend or family member who you love dearly but you can't help just having a few comments sometimes you got to go to the side family chat that yeah the they exist in every family I am told the worst part is you don't want to be left Of the side check that means you're the subject you know there is one this is true we could go on forever about this when it comes to this case and the punitive damages that are being sought here you talked about it being well what's the difference if it's 9 10 or 12 Do we have a guess at this point I we know what she's asking for but is there any sort of precedent is a silly word because I know the answer is no but precedent to say okay this might be what they're going to say no what you're Struggling with is a really key question because you have two kinds of cases here that don't lend themselves well to tangible numbers number one defam how do we measure the harm to someone's reputation I bet if you asked any 12 people on the street they would have different approaches to how to Value Reputation same for punitives how do you value an amount that will punish Donald Trump you know factored into that is how much money he has because what is punitive to you or I is not as punitive to Donald Trump so that's a factor too this is not like a normal personal Injury case where you have a a broken femur and you put it up on the board you know how many years of therapy you're going to need and you can put an actual dollar amount on that therapy and that treatment this is nothing like that it could be anything so you're absolutely Right that this testimony anyone who thinks they know what the jury's going to come back with is guessing yes there was some testimony about repair to reputation would cost maybe upwards of $12 million there's a number the jury can hang their head on but punitives I Mean it could just be a multiple of the compensatory damages which is usually what it is punitive damages are rarely based on any hard number it's just based on do I think this defendant did something really evil and does he have a lot of money that's about after that It's pretty much up to the jury all right interesting stuff Danny follows thank you so much we appreciate you being here Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in back-to-back contests in Iowa and New Hampshire but when it comes to raising Super PAC money right now it's Haley who's beating Trump so the question now Becomes will it be enough to sustain her presidential bid and what is now a two-person race NBC News correspondent Von hilard has more right Ellison that's really the key question here at this point is it enough to sustain Nikki Haley's campaign because for the former South Carolina governor and former un Ambassador she Needs more than sustaining here at this point she needs to make such significant inroads over the next month to begin to make this a competitive race with Donald Trump we're just one month away now from the South Carolina primary the next big contest for her and polls uh over the Last months have showed her down by as much as 30 percentage points and she raised for the super pack I should say affiliated uh and allied with her is raised more than $50 million in the back half of 2023 that was more than5 million dollars more than the main trump super Pack which suggests that her team or her allies are in fact raising and have raised significant amount of funds which allows her to stay on the campaign Trail and she held a rally last night she's holding two more rallies over this weekend here Donald Trump uh does not Have anything on the books in the immed mediate future in South Carolina but for her she's going to have to go back onto her home turf and continue to make the case the to the voters to stick with their uh with their South Carolina native and for Donald Trump he was in The courtroom today in the Ean Carol defamation trial uh in which he even testified and so for him his attention has by been diverted to a lot of different places but for Nikki Haley she lost by more than 30 percentage points in Iowa lost by 11 percentage points in New Hampshire And the the prospects for her are very difficult and for her to make the case to donors going into the future that she is still worth investing in she's going to have to rely on the money that they have already raised because to get that sort of backing Financial backing of Millions of dollars uh moving forward is going to be difficult unless she can prove that she can win and we're still a month out from that point in which she can really make the case that she still has a li legitimate shot to take down Donald Trump to become the Republic Omine here in 2024 Ellison Von hilard thank you don't go anywhere because we are just getting us started for the first time a parent is going on trial for the school shooting her son was behind we have those details plus cervical cancer is on the rise for women In their 30s and 40s so what's behind the spike and what's being done about it and online scammers are becoming more convincing these days even posing as celebrities to get money from victims that's all just ahead so stay Tuned [Laughter] Nearly a dozen hours after the eye Ro to shore there is some late breaking news all Right what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people know what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now welcome back here are some of the other headlines we're watching tonight a roof of a church in New London Connecticut has collapsed leaving a gaping hole and covering the ground there with Rebel local police are now urging people to avoid the area as emergency crews continue to respond Thankfully it seems right now no one was hurt former Trump adviser Peter Navaro has been sentenced to 4 months in prison for defying a congressional subpoena regarding the January 6th attack on the capital Navaro was convicted in September on two counts for refusing to testify and provide documents Navaro has Already appealed the ruling today the Biden Administration announced nearly $5 billion in funding will go towards infrastructure projects across the country projects including Bridge Replacements Highway improvements and pavement upgrades following that announcement today the president visited Wisconsin to promote his e economic policies saying that they have restored Infrastructure and created more jobs a new study says there have been nearly 65,000 rape related pregnancies across the 14 states that banned abortion after roie Wade was overturned almost 18 months ago the research also finds that there have been less than 10 abortions each month in those states with banss Suggesting that most victims were not able to get abortions in the states where they live and Raheem Morris is headed back to Atlanta the Falcons will hire Morris as their next head coach to step up from his previous roles with the team as defensive coordinator and inim Coach the news comes after the team conducted an extensive search that included 14 candidates among them former New England Patriots coach bill belich today a new lawsuit dropped involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling it alleges WWE founder Vince McMahon sexually abused a former employee during his time as CEO NBC News Now anchor Tom yis has the latest and a warning some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of Physical and emotional abuse sex sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you grants claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and Aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security security the new lawsuit seeks to anal a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she Stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is Replete with lies obscene madeup instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally Through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix Just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug in Michigan opening statements began today and the trial for Jennifer Crumbley the first parent in the US to ever go to trial over a school shooting that was carried out by their child crumbly was emotional in court today sobbing loudly at one point when school surveillance video was being shown her attorney was also seen crying leading to this tense interaction after the Prosecution accused them of trying to influence the jury we were not sobbing or making a scene in any way all my eye makeup still on I checked my camera I'm not going to I'm not I'm not having I need to run to the bathroom I need a break you'll Remember the defendant's son Ethan Crumbley you see him there he was just 15 years old when he killed four students at Oxford High School back in 2021 he is now serving life in prison Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James they are both facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter accused of not Doing enough to address warning signs from their son leading up to the shooting James crumb's trial is set for March NBC News correspondent Adrien brus joins me now with more so Adrian this trial it leads to the question of whether or not parents should be held responsible if Their child carries out a school shooting right walk us through some of the facts of this case what did we hear on this first day in court Ellison that is the big question both sides agree Jennifer Crumbley did not pull the trigger that killed those four students at Oxford High School now Prosecutors take a turn here they're saying she's not charged with murder but instead as you mentioned involuntary manslaughter in the prosecutor during its his opening statement today saying by definition it is rooted in negligence by contrast the defense is saying Jennifer Crumbley had no idea and no way Of knowing about her son's plans listen in they were murdered in an act of Terror committed by Jennifer crumley's 15-year-old son Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths she did not have it on her radar in any way that there was any mental Disturbance that her son would ever take a gun into a school that her son would ever shoot people and the prosecution spoke for about 13 minutes during their opening statement by contrast the defense 24 minutes we did learn from prosecutors that they plan to bring at least 20 witnesses to The stand to testify and they plan to introduce more than 400 pieces of evidence some of which we saw today Ellison Adrien why are both parents being tried separately I mean they're facing the exact same charges right yeah four counts each of involuntary manslaughter initially James And Jennifer were going to face trial at the same time but a motion was filed for separate charges and that or excuse me separate trials and that request was granted now we are unable to ask their attorneys why and that dates back to a gag order that was imposed back in 2022 it bans Jennifer's attorney as well as james' attorneys and the prosec ution from speaking publicly and court documents didn't offer an explanation but inside of the courtroom on Thursday today we did get some Clues the defense is painting a picture and making the case that James Crumbley Ethan's father Was responsible for storing the guns and also making the case that Jennifer really didn't have as much knowledge about guns Ellison Adrian before we let you go do we know if the son the shooter in this case is going to take the stand in at least his mom's Trial if it's up to his attorneys Ethan Crumbley will not take the stand his attorneys do not want him to testify in this case but Jennifer's attorneys did file a motion on Monday requesting a judge to compel Ethan to testify so we will continue to watch and that is Unclear that's you Adrien brought us thank you so much we appreciate it coming up we're watching some severe storms and flooding moving across the country we have your forecast But first you got to see this last week we were telling you about buffalo wing flavored lip balms well the crazy product combos Just keep coming hard Seltzer company truly they're putting a spicy Twist on your typically fizzy alcoholic drink they're putting out a hot wing sauce flavored Seltzer soon you will be able to get a boozy kick of heat to keep you fired up while you watch the Super Bowl And don't worry they're not sold out this time the drinks will be ready to order online on Monday you can get a four pack of 16 oz drinks for $24 sounds like it might be worth a try we'll be right Back Oh Oh News lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in Ash colon news for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free everywhere welcome back here are some of the stories happening out west that we're following an Orange County jury has found Marcus irz guilty of second Deegree murder for the killing of 6-year-old Aiden Leos the decision come com 3 years after a resz fired into a passenger car on a highway killing Leos who was strapped into a booster seat he faces up to 40 years to life in prison a 4.2 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California last night the trimmer was centered in the San Bernardino area but light shaking was felt across much of the region the Quake began near the San hento fault which is regarded as one of the most active and potentially dangerous fault lines there were no immediate reports of significant damage Or injuries convicted rapists and incarcerated 70 show actor Danny Masterson was denied bail on Wednesday a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge denied his bail pending appeal with worries that Masterson could flee stating that he'll most likely remain in custody for decades or for the rest of his life the Former Ranch actor is currently serving a 30-year life sentence in California on Dual rape convictions he'll be eligible for parole in 20 years flooding is the big weather story tonight as we head into the weekend right now Millions across the South are under alerts after days of rain with More in the forecast at least one death associated with the weather has been reported in Mississippi other places like Houston Louisiana and up to Tennessee they're dealing with dangerous conditions on the roads and rivers at or near flood stages Bill Kens is standing by with the forecast we will get to him In one moment but let's start with NBC's guad Vegas in Baton Rouge Louisiana with more hey guad Ellison as the storm makes its way through the South we still have some of the lowline areas that are flooded you can see this river behind me uh with one Of these walkways that is also flooded so authorities are asking people to stay away from these areas we're in Covington Louisiana uh right next to another town where we saw images of flooding uh in shopping centers and uh all across the roadways this is just North of New Orleans uh and that was in mandaville where we saw a lot of that flooding we also saw a lot of rescues taking place in Eastern Texas north of the Houston area most of that happening on Wednesday now after that storm poured all of that rain on Wednesday authorities were Worried because the ground is saturated with water so more rain on Thursday could have made things worse now fortunately the rain today wasn't as bad as the day before but again any rain to hit the region in the next few hours could be dangerous because of how how Saturated the ground is with all of that rain that has come through but the good news is that the storm is already making its way out of the region Ellison guad Vegas thank you now the severe weather threat moves East NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens has the forecast for us Bill Good evening good evening to you Ellison and what a soggy dreary foggy weather pattern so much of the country has been in it continues right into the weekend it's what happens when it's unusually warm when it should be cold there just so much moisture at the ground it's just Kind of ugly out there so we have about 19 million people still under flood watches some of these have expired during the day today some are being reissued from the next round of rain that's coming the bottom line is we do not have a lot of significant flooding Occurring now and I don't actually expect a lot even as we go through tomorrow this storm system that's been plaguing Us in the south is finally starting to weaken and move a little bit to the east rain is spreading through areas of Illinois another batch of rain into areas of Virginia these Thunderstorms are dying out in areas of Georgia so at worst some ponding on the road isolated flooding as possible additional rainfall tonight and tomorrow we can handle this up to half an inches in green Southern Louisiana that's going to be associated with our next storm and that would be mostly Friday night with The Heavy Rain threat so let's talk about this next storm this one's going to soak the same areas that just got soaked and flooded so that's why we're concerned with additional flooding so this is Friday evening at 8:00 pm and that shows you the Heavy Rain from Lake Charles all the way through Baton Rouge heading into Iberia New Iberia and also into New Orleans then as we go throughout Friday night and Saturday we take this through the southeast a soaking rain through the Carolinas during the day on Saturday this is 8:00 p.m. Saturday with heavy rain arriving In Washington DC all the way through Virginia some backside chilly rain in areas of Kentucky then on Sunday enough cold air is going be on the north side of this for some areas that are going to get heavy wet snow now it doesn't look like a blockbuster snowstorm unless Maybe you're in the Catskills or the burkers or the Poconos but we will see some snow so our two computer models we have our GFS which is our American one and our Euro European model which is typically a little more accurate a little more computing power this one is Showing light to moderate snow throughout a bunch of areas but nothing that's going to cause like major headaches our American GFS model has actually shown a heavier snow event with this storm through many areas in the Southern Tier of New York Northern Pennsylvania and right through Central And Southern New England so we're have to wait and see and fine tune this forecast we'll have a better idea of that this time tomorrow night and then for our friends on the west coast this is the Calm before the storm everything's been great today great Tonight this huge area of white is a big storm that's out in the Pacific there's a strong Pacific jet stream with us it's going to pull an atmospheric River into the Northwest and on the west coast for about the next 5 to six days so it's Going to be a long duration event so we have some showers out there as we've gone throughout the day today and this evening the heavier steady rains arrive as we go throughout your Friday it's going to be a soaking drive up Interstate 5 through Oregon and into Areas of Washington the snow levels are extremely high this is a Pacific warm air mass so we're not concerned with snow just a lot of heavy rain and melting snow could cause problems especially in the Olympics and this is through Saturday still areas of heavy Rain out there so as far as the rainfall forecast goes notice the Cascades here 2 to 3 Ines but when we get to the Olympic Peninsula that's when we could get up to four to five inches we've already got some rivers that are already running pretty high in this area so that if We're going to get any problems like maybe moderate possibly major flooding on Rivers that's where it will occur so we'll continue to watch this Ellison everyone drive careful out there it's kind of soggy and definitely foggy Bill Karens thank you after 50 years of declining cervical cancer rates the American Cancer Society is sounding the alarm about an uptick in diagnosis while doctors are seeing a dramatic drop among women in their early 20s there has been an increase among women in their 30s and 40s a new report found that from 2012 to 2019 Innovations like the HPV vaccine Led to a 65% decrease in cervical cancer among women ages 20 to 24 but in that same time period diagnoses of cervical cancer in women ages 30 to 44 Rose almost 2% every year for more on this let's bring in NBC News medical contributor Dr Cavita Patel Dr Patel Cervical cancer has been described as one of the better understood cancers so why is it that women in their 30s and 40s are seeing this rise in cases I mean I think back to when I got the HPV vaccine I'm 34 and I got it when I think I was a junior or senior in high school like 20072 2008 so I'm a little surprised to see that increase amongst women in their 30s what what is going on yeah you're right Ellison it is surprising and something that we should all be aware of January is cervical Cancer awareness month and about three factors driving this number one the pandemic a lot of people skipped visits and regular screenings number two there were some change in guidelines Ellison over the last several years where they change recommendations used to be that you would say come in every year for Your psme they change the guidance to every three to five years depending on your age and that can confuse people you just forget to do something if it's every three or every five years and then I think third is that there's a very small percentage But Rising of a more Aggressive type of cervical cancer that's a little higher up and a little harder to detect by a papsmear so all those three things are driving this but the real truth is screening and not getting the vaccines that's why we see it presenting in older women so what Should women know or take away from seeing a study like this whether they're in their 20s 30s or 4 what's the takeaway here for you yeah takeaway is getting screening and prevention and let's talk about I'm glad you did get your vaccine you can get it as young as The age of nine I generally started in patients around the age of 11 you can administer this vaccine up to the age of 45 not everybody needs it at that age but just don't forget don't think that you're too old or too young and remember it's for men and women and boys and Girls so something to remember and then papsmear start at the age of 21 and you get that generally speaking every 3 years the most common cause of cervical cancer is that HPV human papiloma virus infection it's usually transmitted by sexual contact so remember all those things get screened add in your other Screenings breast cancer too if people are noticing something doesn't feel right in their bodies when we're talking about cervical cancer in particular what are some of the symptoms or red flags where someone should say hey bring this up with your doctor during your next visit yeah absolutely unfortunately There sometimes by the time you get symptoms it's further advanced than we like like to see which is why we recommend screening but Ellison I tell women all the time that if something just doesn't feel right and often what we'll hear about are kind of abnormal bleeding Cycles so people who are just Having something about their periods that seems strange pain in the cervix the cervix is kind of that part of the lower part of your uterus so women can distinctly sometimes feel some sensitivity around that area sometimes that can happen when you're having sexual intercourse sometimes that can Happen when you're having a period and you insert a tampon anything that just feels out of the norm your body and you best so get that checked and that can be done at a simple Primary Care visit or with your OBGYN all right Dr Cavita Patel thank you so much we appreciate Your time and insight as always still to come an update from Gaza Hamas says it will release Israeli hostages but with conditions we have a report from Tel Aviv that's Next He From inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part continued reporting this is what a country in war looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this we're all safe everybody good the it took for all this damage To welcome back let's take a quick look around the world Spain's former soccer president could stand trial for kissing a player against her will Luis ubales made headlines last summer when he forcibly kissed a player after Spain's Women's World Cup medal ceremony rubiales resigned as head of the Spanish Federation in September now he faces sexual assault charges and if found guilty is looking at 1 to four years in prison six nuns kidnapped in Haiti last week have been released the Archbishop of Haiti's Capital Porter Prince told the Associated Press the nuns as well as two other people were released yesterday And everyone is in good condition $3 million was reportedly demanded for their release but right now it's unclear if any sort of Ransom was paid tourists visiting Peru's Machu Picchu had their Trek interrupted by protesters today their beef appears to be with Peru's government who they accuse of Privatizing ticket sales at the famed attraction some tourists were pretty determined though and still made it up ES escorted by police and two British museums say they are returning looted artifacts to Ghana artifacts that include uh 17 items like gold and silver pieces even crown jewels many of these Items they have not been seen in Ghana for more than 150 years this is all part of a deal where the items will be loaned back to Ghana which skirts UK laws that bar the repet repatriation of such cultural artifacts now to the isra Hamas War where fighting continues and hopes of a Ceasefire hang in the balance the US is sending the director of the CIA there in hopes of getting a deal done NBC News foreign correspondent rap Sanchez is in Tel Aviv with more CIA director Bill Burns heading to Europe this weekend to meet with his Israeli counterpart the head of the Mossad spy agency and the prime minister of Qatar the lead mediator between Israel and Hamas that's according to to a diplomat familiar with the situation the CIA director hoping to make progress towards a new ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of the Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza it is A tough task Israel and Hamas have remained very far apart since the last ceasefire deal collapsed back at the beginning of December the key question is whether a ceasefire would be temporary or permanent as part of this deal Hamas says it needs to be a permanent ceasefire they say they will Not release any more hostages until the war ends Israel says the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and it will only agree to a temporary pause in the fighting so Bill Burns trying to bridge those gaps the fact that he is making this trip is a potentially positive sign We saw similar trip ahead of the last ceasefire deal in late November a little counterintuitively the fact that the fighting is so intense right now in southern Gaza could be a possible indication that the Israeli military believes a ceasefire deal is looming and it wants to make as much progress on the Battlefield as it can before that deal comes into effect here in Israel prime minister Netanyahu under intense pressure from the amilies of the remaining 136 or so hostages in Gaza I spoke to a released hostage earlier today she is back out in Israel she is beginning to take steps to resume her Life but she was telling me every single day she is haunted by the knowledge that those other hostages remain inside Gaza she said the Israeli government needs to make one big deal to bring everybody out soldiers C civilians men women young and old she says whatever it takes however Many Palestinian prisoners need to be released Israel needs to make that deal and needs to make it now back to you rap Sanchez thank you before we go it is time for the future of everything celebrity impostor scams are on the rise one woman sent thousands of dollars to Someone she thought was an NBC news reporter that story is next so stay tuned [Laughter] Good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now new news for the generation of now is NBC News Now new guidelines from meta on how to keep teens safe online that is Straight Ahead in the future of everything but first here are some of the tech headlines we're following today Microsoft will lay off nearly 2,000 workers mostly in its gaming division that's following the acquisition of Gaming giant Activision Blizzard the cuts represent about 9% of Microsoft 22,000 gaming employees and apple says it's opening up its App Store to competitors in Europe the move will crack open the company's well-known wall Garden as it's called which controls Distribution on Apple platforms but this isn't coming from the goodness of Apple's core if you will the change is actually in line with a new European law it's a concern for many families keeping their teenagers safe online meta is rolling out new measures aimed at protecting minors they're limiting who can message teens and also making sure they can scroll safely without being Exposed to harmful content NBC News correspondent Stephanie gos has this report for parents worried about who is messaging their teenagers on social media meta says it hears them announcing changes to accounts on Facebook messenger and Instagram for teenagers under 16 years old today we're announcing a new default setting for Teens around messaging that makes Instagram safer for them blocking DMS from anyone who they don't follow and aren't connected to for parent supervised accounts changes made to that setting or any other safety and privacy setting now has to be approved by a parent we believe that parents know What's best for their individual child and we want to do what we can to empower parents to make those decisions to shape Instagram the announcement comes after steps taken earlier this month that limit teen's ability to see potentially harmful material and to alert them when They are spending a lot of time on the app at night 95% of teens use social media and are on it more than 3 hours a day which the Surgeon General says puts them at higher risk for depression and anxiety critics say these measures announced by meta today don't go nearly Far enough these changes are about as effective as a screen door on a submarine techsavvy teenagers May easily navigate around restrictions how difficult is it for a teenager to lie about his or her age and set up an Instagram account it is so simple because we've never put in age Verification and age Assurance requirements by the way a trillion dooll company can figure that out our thanks to Stephanie gos for that report now to a concerning Trend online where criminals are pretending to be celebrities to scam people out of money the so-called impostor scams are costing Americans a ton of money and can have some pretty big consequences here's NBC's Vicky win the first time I saw him was on the Today's Show Jane head of Tennessee might be the world's biggest Jacob sober off fan who wouldn't like that face last may jane posted a message on Jacob's verified Facebook page two weeks later someone responded claiming to be Jacob and asking her to message him on WhatsApp I was elated it was just like oh my my gosh they exchanged thousands of messages over the course of 6 months how often were you communicating almost Every day and there were days when the line of communication was open all day long her daughter Joanie couldn't believe a busy Network News correspondent was chatting with her mother and her instincts were right the scammers pretending to be Jacob convinced Jane to send more than $177,000 in Bitcoin and gift cards I was saying no no I can't and this person said well just let your bills go this month police say a victim in Kansas lost 94,000 to someone falsely claiming to be country singer Neil McCoy another in Pennsylvania scammed out of $41,000 by a Johnny Depp impersonator and this woman in Philadelphia told our local station she sent $290,000 to a scammer posing as golfer Phil mikkelson it started on Facebook in 2023 impostor scams cost Americans $2 billion there's an allore about celebrities and uh people wanting to believe that they are actually talking To those people that they see on TV and in the movies every day FBI special agent Andrew innocenti says scammers look for super fans they become targets for these types of uh criminal actors during our investigation we found imposters pretending to be Keanu Reeves Rea McIntyre Ryan Reynolds Dolly Parton Even me on X Facebook and Instagram what are some things social media companies should be doing to protect consumers well I don't think the entire onus should be on consumers to report when they've been contacted by a scammer impostor scams affect people of every age group every income group no matter Where you live it was very hard for me to approach her about it hoping to break through to her mom Joanie reached out to NBC News for help I feel the strain but it's only because I love her I have something that might be able to Cheer you up just a little bit I want to introduce you to somebody Jacob Jane hey thank you so much for your support and I'm so terribly sorry that you know you've gone through something now that so many people have gone through you're going to help a lot of people by having This conversation with Vicki thank you for what you do you're you're just a joy to watch in a statement meta the company of Facebook and Instagram said they take steps to protect their users and wrote scammers have always existed and they continuously adapt their tactics to new technology to manipulate people in Various ways that's why meta alongside our industry peers continues to take steps to improve detection and enforcement they said they removed 827 million fake accounts from July to September last year in addition to the accounts we found and they asked for the Public's help in reporting scam accounts X did not respond to our request for comment to to reduce your risk of becoming a victim be wary of anyone who reaches out to you claiming to be a celebrity never send money or gift cards to someone you don't know if you have lost money to a scammer cut off contact Right away and contact the bank or gift card company immediately to try and reverse the transaction and Jane has this bit of advice my journey brought me extreme happiness and then mortifying sadness but I think I'm here to point out to other people to be careful Vicky win NBC News that does it for us tonight I'm Ellison Barber we will see you tomorrow but until then stay tuned Now Tonight Trump on the stand the former president defending himself in the egene Carol civil defamation trial jurors are now considering how much Trump should pay up for saying that Carol lied when she accused him of sexual abuse his testimony from the hot seat and what he Said that forced the judge to strike it from the record also tonight in an unprecedented move the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive Republican nominee NBC News obtaining a draft of the resolution that is facing major criticism even from Trump Nikki Haley also weighing in how her campaign is responding and the Statement just in from the former president Super soer Millions in the South dealing with rounds of Relentless rign in Louisiana flash flood emergency issued as cars take on feet of water and streets quickly turned into rivers the risk for lifethreatening flooding and severe storms plaguing the region for a Fifth straight day when we could finally see some relief experimental execution Alabama preparing to carry out the first execution by nitrogen gas the convicted killer who already underwent an unsuccessful lethal injection now expected to be executed in a never before used practice we hear from the death row inmate himself and from the Children of the woman he killed all parties concerned the method won't work again plus hairstyle on trial a Texas teen punished by his school for refusing to cut his locks his family arguing the move violates a new state law which prohibits race-based hair discrimination how the school is responding as the team Awaits his day in court and Toxic Paradise after the deadliest wildfire in US history lahina is beginning to pick up the pieces but concerns are mounting over where they actually put them an area known for its beautiful coral reef now possibly in danger we speak to one Of the outraged residents who says the health of the community and the environment are at stake top story starts right Now and good evening we're following several breaking headlines involving former president Trump first Trump taking the stand today testifying in his own def defense in the defamation trial brought against him by Ryder egene Carroll it comes after a jury already found that Trump sexually abused and defamed her today the former president Standing by his denial of Carol's sexual assault claim but the judge was forced to strike down the second half of his statement we're going to explain that also breaking the former president is attempting to dismiss election interference charges citing allegations of an improper romantic relationship between two key prosecutors in the case The motion to disqualify fton County district attorney fonnie Willis and what it means for the case moving forward also tonight the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive 2024 nominee the mounting pressure rival Nikki Haley is facing from her own party now to drop out of the race Haley's Campaign firing back saying the decision should be in the hands of Voters NBC's Ryan Nobles tonight starting us off right here tonight after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republic repan front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few minutes his testimony limited by The judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist eege Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was Lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell Accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement not do Trump's allies slamming the Proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first You'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump Yet about the final product from my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan Noble joins us tonight from Capitol Hill to break down all this Trump news Ryan I really want to focus our conversation on what's happening on Capitol Hill there we've seen all these Establishment Republicans circle around and coales around Trump calling him the nominee saying he should be the nominee essentially doing whatever he wants so how much are his comments affecting this border Bill well Tom I think we'd be naive uh to say that they are insignificant he is playing a real role in these Conversations and there are many Republicans not not only in the house but in the Senate as well that take their cues from the former president and he just released a statement tonight saying that unless they get a perfect border deal that the Border deal package could potentially be what he called a Gift to Democrats that's something that Republicans are paying very close attention to they understand that Trump has enormous influence with his supporters many of those voters they need for their own elections and that's part of why his input has been so important in these conversations Ryan Game this out for us because you you got to this question when you were talking to some of the Republicans on Capitol Hill there though I mean they talk about the immigration problem every single day there's clearly a massive immigration problem in this country but if they vote For the bill is it a victory for the current president which could be a victory come November yeah and that's that's what they're wrestling with right now is the politics of all of this Tom you talk to some members and they say they just want to fix the problem at the Border that not worried about the politics but there are other Republicans that suggest that unless they have a deal that meets all the criteria that they're looking for there's no reason to offer any sort of assistance to Biden and his campaign that's going to be the big conversation that plays out here Over the next couple of weeks as to whether or not this package ever gets over the finish line and of course we're talking a lot about the Border Tom but there's a big component of this that involves that funding to Ukraine which right now is in real danger of never Happening Ryan Nobles leading us off here on top story Ryan thank you there's also some new reporting from the campaign Trail the Republican National Committee seemingly trying to pressure Republicans to wrap up the primary season and select Trump as the GOP nominee but a campaign spokesperson for Nikki Haley saying quote who cares what the RNC says will let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party's nominee not a bunch of Washington insiders if Ron McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina unless she's also worried that Trump Can't handle being on the stage for 90 minutes with Nikki Haley Von hiler joins us now to give us the latest Von we knew this was going to get ugly walk our viewers through what happened today and what we we and others have uncovered in our reporting there was a proposed Resolution right right after a 30o loss to Donald Trump in Iowa an 11o loss him in New Hampshire there was a great many folks in Republican circles that wanted Donald Trump to be the presumptive nominee Nikki Haley to get out of the race Focus the party's resources on Beating Joe Biden in November's general election Nikki Haley said sorry that's not going to happen Donald Trump is going to have to win more States her home state of South Carolina comes a month from now so that only drags this process out and what now the RNC uh is Going to be putting forward at next week's RNC meeting in Las Vegas is a resolution then which they're going to ask all the members they come from all 50 states these are key party activists to vote on making Donald Trump the presumptive nominee essentially what that would do would allow the party to Begin investing dollars towards Donald Trump's candidacy and making it all but harder on Nikki Haley to make the claim that she still has a chance when the party is already behind Donald so a proposal's been drafted already we've seen this they want people to vote on this and essentially end the primary Process it would almost all but ended there would technically still be the votes folks would still go vote in South Carolina but it would be the party infrastructure which has millions of dollars to its name saying Donald Trump is our guy and for Nikki Haley she's already having a tough time with donors And with other Republican elected officials who have not endorsed her but endorsed Donald Trump and I think it's notable though literally in just the last few minutes Donald Trump actually just put a social media post out in which he said that he does not believe that RNC should go forward with this Plan because he wants to win the old-fashioned way were his words and finish the process off at The Ballot Box of course Donald Trump is one who is not shy about wanting to have a big party and he believes that South Carolina is a place where he can get a great amount of Support and beat Nikki Haley on her home turf once and for all this is so strange because even before New Hampshire voted you had Ronald McDaniel come out with that statement essentially saying if there's a loss tonight they got to Rally around Trump the person who proposed This Dave bossy worked so closely with the president in the during the campaign he's at the RC now and now Trump's saying he's not with this plan I mean what's going on it's a little hectic at the Republican party here these days and Nikki Haley she wants to have a debate a One-on-one debate with Donald Trump and that's where she called on the RNC to make that happen forc Donald Trump to not make the agreement to it but so far Donald Trump has not felt compelled to take part in any debate at this point and the Republican National Committee What they want is anything but chaos but right now over the next month we could see a little bit more of it Von Hiller with the news from the campaign Trail Von thank you for that now to the other legal drama the former president is involved in to remind our viewers Trump Along with 18 other codefendants is being investigated in Georgia on Election interference charges but one of Trump's codefendants in the case Mike Roman is alleging that fton County district attorney fonny Willis had an improper relationship with one of the special prosecutors on that case Nathan Wade standing next to her in the gray Suit there now Trump is joining that motion in an attempt to remove her from the case we've covered this extensively here on top story Trump's Council making a statement today saying in part the motion filed today on behalf of President Trump seeks to hold district attorney Willis legally accountable both For her misconduct alleg in a motion filed by Mr Roman as well as her extrajudicial public statements falsely and intentionally injecting race into this case alluding to comment she made last week claiming she and Wade are being targeted because of her race and his race here's what she Saided Three Special counsel is my right to do paid them all the same hourly rate they only attacked one I hired one white woman a good personal friend and great lawyer a superstar I tell you I hired one white man brilliant my friend and a great lawyer and I hired one black man Another Superstar a great friend and a great lawyer oh Lord they going to be mad when I call them out on this nonsense first thing they say oh she going to play the race card now but no God isn't it them who's playing the race card when they only Question one to help us understand what's at play here I want to bring an NBC legal analyst and friend of top story Danny saalo Danny thanks for joining us tonight so Danny it seems like things are only getting worse for da fonny Willis and the pressure is just Mounting what do you think happens after this well I want to frame what this motion actually asked for it's been described as a motion to dismiss the case outright based on a relationship between the da and the top prosecutor honor team that's not really what the Motion is the motion is twofold first it says the prosecutor was improperly appointed he was essentially a PR private citizen getting an indictment against these defendants and so the indictment is fatally defective for that reason part two of the motion says Hey in case you are wondering how the Prosecutor could have just forgotten to to cross all the tees and Dot all the eyes here's why they were probably avoiding getting caught in this alleged relationship and the second part of the motion says hey if you don't dismiss the indictment you should throw these two prosecutors off the case because of the Appearance of impropriety and attorneys like me are not judged on whether or not there is an improper event rather the appearance of impropriety is what we have to strive to avoid according to the ethical rules so it seems to me that fonnie Willis is looking to make public Statements in a venue where she's not going to field questions but this is a real problem for the Georgia DA's office and a real problem for this prosecution one of the possible outcomes could be disqualifying the entire DA's office who then will even take up the charge but Trump's allegations go one step further because essentially what they're saying is there's this improper relationship between the da and the special prosecutor there's now credit card statements unsealed from a divorce proceedings involving that special prosecutor that that show trips between fonnie Willis and the special prosecutor But then she goes to the church and she says this is all about race is that a problem when we talk about ethics is that a problem can can a lawyer do that is she is she able to do that but as as the da she has to be careful as a lawyer She has to be careful exactly right and more so as the da more so as an elected official but also as an attorney injecting race improperly into a case can potentially raise an Ethics problem and you know I've actually had this come up in my own cases and the problem is is That you're essentially invoking by invoking race you're implying that the other side is engaging in racism and if you're going to make that kind of allegation you have to have to have support for it because Court and I know this I've litigated cases where other parties have brought this up uh courts Do not take kindly to unsupported allegations of racism because they can devastate someone's career so that's just a general proposition that really it was probably not a great idea if I think if fonny Wills had that moment back she might not have said what she said about race because it only created Problems it didn't help her one bit Danny you know you're somebody who comes on here and you're always very measured you're not a lawyer on TV who just likes to sort of inject anything that's exciting or salacious so I say that because it's sounding to me like you think da fonny Willis is an actual real trouble and this could come back to Haunter I do originally when this motion first came out it seemed like a long shot but I've read the motion if the allegations they have in there are true for example they alleged that the special prosecutor had So little experience that they couldn't even find a case or two cases in which he had handled Rico cases that is a strange thing given you have an entire DA's office full of people who are guess what prosecutors and they're very experienced now now we get into kind of A Twilight Zone here because the defendant is essentially arguing hey you got a less experienced prosecutor what about all these experienced prosecutors it's the defendant making the hey get better people to prosecute me right but the point is made is why appoint why pay this person uh upwards of I believe Upwards of a million dollars in fees already and you know look if you build those hours you build those hours but uh why get this person onto the case the stronger argument right now is the technical one that the indictment may have been improperly obtained that's a problem I mean we challenge indictments On technicalities all the time you got to you got to do everything right procedurally but the second part disqualifying the da could completely derail the case as well because it's her show who else is going to step in if she's somehow disqualified this motion is a real threat to this prosecution all Right Danny savalos we appreciate all of your analysis as always we want to take a big turn now and talk about some of the severe flooding threating threatening Millions uh of Americans massive rainfall in the Southeast flooding homes and businesses and submerging vehicles the storm system turning deadly in Mississippi as Officials brace for more dangerous conditions in hard hit Texas and Louisiana guad Venegas is there tonight A soaked southern region enduring a second day of heavy rain 19 million people under flood alerts from Mississippi to the Northeast a day after Heavy Rain slam parts of Texas and Louisiana we're definitely keeping a Close eye cuz it could get dangerous quickly in maidviolet Fighters rescuing 17 people from flooded homes my father start he tried to come on the tractor but he got stuck me way through the tractor turned off in Mississippi authorities now reporting one weather related death after a driver Lost control of a vehicle and ran into a tree numerous cities in the corridor from Texas to the Northeast getting more than double their average rainfall for the month of January that wet winter weather now marching East threatening a dangerous end to the week guad Venegas joins us tonight from cing Louisiana Guad you're standing in front of a river tonight what's the concern there does it remain the flooding of those Rivers uh Tom you can see some of the flooding here yeah so these waterways in the area are still flooded uh there is River here but the water would normally Be somewhere down there we still have some of the flooding in the lowline areas not just in this part of Louisiana but all across the region so authorities are asking people to stay away from these areas of course because there is a danger when people come uh to these Lowline parts of the region uh the good news is that most of the rain has has already made its way through so we didn't get as much rain today as we had yesterday as the worst part of the storm is making its way through the South Tom Guad Vegas here be careful for the Gators for more in the severe weather NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins me now Bill we know the worst of this storm may be done but there's one right behind it yeah 24-hour break that's all these residents going going to get for The clean up and for the water to receive before we add more water on top top of it so now we're down to 16 million people in are flood watches and these flood watches from Atlanta Montgomery are actually for the next storm coming they never even dropped Them from this storm so you notice we have areas of rain but we don't have anything concentrated anymore we don't have any flash flooding that's ongoing currently thunderstorms across Georgia are dying we doing some heavy raining between St Louis and Chicago but here's the next storm already going to form off The coast of Texas as we go throughout Friday Friday night Heavy Rain develops in Louisiana once again right where guad was standing and then this storm will be on the move this weekend Saturdays a soaking rain through the South especially the Carolinas Tennessee Kentucky and then as we go throughout Sunday all of this rain moves into the Northeast and there's going to be just enough cold air on the north side of this for some heavy wet snow it's going to be a marginal forecast temperatures are really close between if it's going to be Rainer snow higher elevations of Course our European computer model yesterday was saying heavier snow now it's looking at lighter snow and our models have flip-flopped if you're with us last night our American model was saying light snow now it's saying heavier snow the bottom line is it's going to take another day to kind of Iron this out where we're going to be dealing with the heaviest snow on Sunday night into Monday morning in the Northeast and in the meantime Tom we're going to talk a lot the week ahead about our friends on the west coast an atmospheric river is heading their way With a lot of rain oh not again all right Bill we appreciate that in Alabama tonight officials set to execute a convicted murderer using nitrogen gas it's the first time ever the method has been used to kill a prisoner but people on both sides of the case say there's a Lot of risk even potentially to those present at the execution Dasha burn spoke with that inmate the son of his victim and the Reverend said to deliver his last rights the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive I'm terrified it started when I was on the exec guarding uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen gas gas the fact that they got Me lined up to be the first with gas um is really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt at lethal Injection didn't work I on that I was cheing when they C line in my my head down my the blood at my head was the third in a string of bed executions that year How could a a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C hullman Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed execution failed them too what is that emotion anger anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed he was guilty so how does that turn into 35 Year waight to get Justice for what our mother suffered from you guys are about to drive down this road again to witness this again how confident are you you that the state will succeed not much 50/50 50/50 that's brand new who knows what's going to happen with this one I hope nothing goes Wrong that's our F yeah that's our final hope it's all over with Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that has never been used in the history of The world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of all the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in court testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and Humane Smith steam has argued execution by nitrogen gas could lead to prolonged pain and suffering That Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and this morning Hood received last rights Of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to him too when did it start to really Dawn on you that this was going to be very different from the previous times you've given last rights I have never ever Signed a waiver before going into an execution the waiver here talks about in the event in the in the highly unlikely event it says here that the hose supplying breathing gas to the mask were to detach an area of free flowing nitrogen could result creating a small Area of risk and there it goes on to talk about other potential hazards how did you feel see I mean the existence of a waiver in the first place speaks to the fear that they have that something could go wrong this is the first time in human history that someone Besides the person being being executed is at risk of dying in the process and I think it's also important to point out that you know this human experiment on Kenny is also an experiment on everybody else in the room I mean there's a concern of your own safety and then There are concerns about how this could go for Kenny how worried are you about what you might witness I mean I think uh I'm prepared to witness a horror show I kept asking questions and they kept saying trust us trust us do you trust them no Smith says his biggest fear is That he might survive again this is not going to go right I'm expected to take the bir the department going to get it's all about what's fixing to happen to him but nobody is talking about what he did to our mother or why he's in that situation Because he killed her this is what it's about for you all yeah that's all it's ever been about what would you say to your mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice all right Dasha Burns joins us Tonight live from at more Alabama Dash as you mentioned in your piece this is a very new method of execution and yet I understand officials they're not exactly being transparent about some of the protocols yeah Tom that's right they did release a protocol but it was heavily Redacted uh the press the Senate family and uh Reverend Jeff Hood who you heard from there have all been asking questions trying to get in more information to understand exactly how this will all unfold but a lot of those questions have gone unanswered uh Hood especially has been really dissatisfied With the lack of answers from the state about his own uh safety you can imagine he and his family are really concerned about that and Tom as we stand here right now I'm right now in the media Center that's across the street uh from from the facility where where uh Hood Will under where where uh um he will undergo this Kenny uh Kenny Smith will undergo this procedure uh we are right now waiting on some final uh legal processes to play out we're waiting for one more word from the Supreme Court based on another case um that Smith's Attorneys filed trying to get this uh uh trying to get a stay trying to get this execution paused we're expecting to hear from the Supreme Court shortly this is typical with these sorts of executions Le usually there are legal Maneuvers um sort of up until the last minute we know That when the process will really Kickstart is when some witnesses some of the media uh folks here that were selected as Witnesses are going to be transported there so that's when that happens that's when we know um that the process will actually begin but when it's going to be over and what's going To transpire tonight is still a question Tom Dasha Burns right there at the center of it all okay Dasha we thank you for your reporting on what is a very tough story we want to turn out of Michigan in another tough story where a historic trial is underway for the Mother of school shooter Ethan Crumley the teenager sentenced to life in prison after killing four students at his high school nearly 3 years ago now his parents are both facing charges of involuntary manslaughter Accused by prosecutors of failing to prevent the shooting Adrien brus has a look at the Trial M under away for crumble mom Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something She could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with involuntary manslaughter the first parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from Happening the defense appearing to shift BL blame onto crumb's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still wrong so I looked down and um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the Defendant her lawyer sit there Sobbing tonight the defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take this stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who she was as a mother as for the prosecution they say they plan to call more than 20 Witnesses including Some who were inside of the school the day of the shooting Tom Adrien broadis for us tonight Adrian thank you for that we want to head overseas now to the ongoing negotiations to release the hostages still held in Gaza a top Us official is being tapped by the Biden Administration to help Broker that deal CIA director William Burns now heading to Europe this weekend for top level meetings with more on this development I want to bring in NBC News foreign correspondent rap Sanchez who joins us now from Tel Aviv will the CIA director Raph be able to do what so far No International Diplomat nobody from Israel and or Hamas has been able to do it's the big question Tom the CIA director will be meeting his Israeli counterpart the head of the Mossad spy agency he'll be meeting the prime minister of Qatar who has been the key mediator throughout this process and his Hope is to jump start these negotiations towards the C fire towards getting those Israeli hostages released the last ceasefire Tom you'll remember collapsed on the 1st of December and the big sticking point since then has been whether any pause in the fighting going forward will be temporary or permanent Hamas is saying it needs to be a permanent ceasefire they say they will not release any more hostages until the war ends Israel is saying only a temporary pause in the fighting they say the war will not end until Hamas is is destroyed and that they plan to resume Military activity on the other side of a hostage deal Tom it is worth noting it feels a little counterintuitive but the fact that the fighting is so intense right now in southern Gaza could actually be a sign that the Israeli military believes that a ceasefire is Imminent and it feels it wants to make as much progress on the battlefield before any agreement comes into we hope so you you've been covering sort of every moment of this terror attack and now war and hostage negotiations do we know what the thinking is because our secretary of state Anthony blinkin has Spent so much time over there he's been trying to do this and now they're calling in the CIA director and I just wonder what the calculation may be from the Biden Administration it's really interesting Tom we have seen the spies the intelligence officials acting as the sort of Shadow diplomats throughout this Crisis so Israel's lead negotiator has been the head of its own foreign intelligence agency the mosad this is a man who has been going to Arab countries with whom Israel does not have diplomatic relations and negotiating on behalf of the Israeli government and it may be that the Biden Administration Feels that CIA director Bill Burns who is a diplomat by background but is now the head of the CIA a man who has unparalleled insight into the vast intelligence resources of the United States that he may be the man to go in and clinch the deal here they're Certainly hoping so and we actually saw him making similar trips before that last ceasefire deal came into place back in November Tom Raph Sanchez from Tel Aviv tonight Raph thank you still ahead the shocking new allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon a former employee now accusing him of sex trafficking Sexual assault and abuse also alleging she was forced to perform sex acts in exchange for her job the graphic details coming up plus the high school student now going to trial over this hairstyle why his school district has kept him at a class over his locks and why his Family says that's breaking the law and Manhattan's Freedom Tower may be dethroned as the tallest skyscraper in the US so can you guess where this would be built the answer may surprise you stay with Us [Applause] The fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad News lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashalon news for the generation of now it's NBC News Now streaming free everywhere out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to Be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single morning nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore There is some late breaking news all right the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on [Applause] NBC back down with some shocking allegations involving one of the biggest figures in pro wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon accused of sexual abuse and sex trafficking by a former employee and a warning some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling Facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE found and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted Her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in Return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anull a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract Claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene madeup instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to everything single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and Graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's Attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and tonight WWE's parent company TKO is also responding TKO tells NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE Adding they quote take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally when we come back the dangerous traffic stop in Oklahoma a car plowing into a stop vehicle a State Trooper going airborne luckily somehow everyone is okay but tonight A authorities issuing a warning to other drivers will Explain we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Bah here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the People in Gaza do you think what do they need most place where Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news now the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news Shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from Inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Lewis in Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country at War looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this we see everybody good the it took for all this damage [Applause] to Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC we report live from Tel Aviv from poz Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC news Now okay we are back now with top stories Newsfeed we begin with the death of a New York City dancer linked to mislabeled cookies according to a new lawsuit the 25-year-old went into anaphylactic shock after eating cookies from the local supermarket Stu Leonards according to the woman's lawyer the Packaging did not say the product contain peanuts but did Supermarket said the supplier changed a soy ingredient to peanuts but they were never notified part of a historic church in Connecticut collapsed today with at least one person inside take a look at this new video Shows the roof caved in on a church in New London search Crews were called in but officials say they believe only one person was inside at the time and she was safely evacuated no one else was hurt that church built back in 1810 Oklahoma authorities issuing a warning to drivers after a dangerous Crash caught on camera everyone in this video so you know is okay a dash cam capturing the moment a passing car slammed into a stop vehicle sending a State Trooper you see there flying to the ground three people including the trooper were treated for injuries at the hospital but have since been released Highway Patrol reminding drivers to pay attention to the road and always move over if you see a stop vehicle and the tallest skyscraper in the US may be coming to Oklahoma City Yes you heard that right a new rendering by a architecture shows the proposed Brick Town Tower according to a press release The building will be 1,907 ft that number honors the year Oklahoma became a state it would also make it more taller than the Freedom Tower in Manhattan and the fifth tallest building in the world pretty incredible okay next tonight to an update on a Case we've been tracking a Texas school District has now headed to court to determine whether a black high school student can continue being punished for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law NBC's in clay esima has the latest tonight a heated dispute between a Houston area school district and one Of its black high school students is headed to trial Daryl George has been serving an in school suspension and facing other disciplinary actions for more than four months now all because of his hair why like why me out of everybody in that school The Barbers Hill district says it's because George's Lock hairstyle violates its dress code policy which limits hair length for boys but George's family and critics say the move is a violation of the crown act a new Texas law which took effect in September and prohibits race-based hair discrimination I wrote The Crown act I Filed it and it is clear locks band two knots twists braids washing goes blowouts however you wish to wear your hair wigs should be accepted Barbers Hill ISD is still in his high school experience and breaking the law a state judge Now setting a February trial date to determine if George's punishment is a violation of the law the family has a real case here especially given that the authors of the bill really believe that this is a situation where the crown act would apply the outcome of this case will absolutely set a precedent especially within the state of Texas George's Mother said she was disappointed the judge did not Grant a temporary very restraining order that would have stopped her son's punishment until the trial I have a son 18 years old that wants to go to school that wants to get his education and y'all messing with him why Barber's Hill superintendent telling NBC News in part the crown act says nothing about hair length adding it was meant to allow braids locks or twists which the district has always allowed the law was never intended to allow unlimited student expression in a paid ad that ran earlier this month in the Houston Chronicle po stood behind the the District's decisions the ad reading quote we will not lose sight of the main goal high standards for our students by bending to political pressure or responding to misinformed media reports these entities have lesser goals that ultimately harm kids greg p is a liar it is about the fact that he does not like Braids locks or any sort of African-American hair style which he said and I'm going to prove it to you we spoke with George in December shortly after he was suspended for for a second time due to his hair how has this all felt for you it's very stressful I'm Trying to maintain being a student while also having to deal with this why should I cut my hair for my education my hair has nothing to do with my education what is your hair and your hairstyle mean to you it just means a lot to me it make me feel more closer to My people being without my hair is like cutting me from my people not letting me you know express myself how I feel I should be Zin samwa NBC News okay we thank zenclay for that story now a top stories Global watch a check of what else is happening around the world we Start with those six nuns we had told you about they have been released after being kidnapped in Haiti the Archbishop confirmed the nuns along with two other people were freed on Wednesday it is unclear their condition or if any type of Ransom was paid as we reported the Group of eight were kidnapped while on a bus in the capital city Pope Francis had also called for their release okay Taiwan has begun its extended mandatory military service starting today recruits will serve for a mandatory one year instead of four months Taiwan announced the extensions in late 2022 over Concerns about China's Rising military threat according to the Army conscripts will undergo more intense training operate more powerful weapons and receive combat instructions used by US forces and Costa Rica giving its residents more freedom over their last names the country's Supreme Court lifting a requirement that placed the Father's surname before the mother's on identification in many Spanish-speaking Nations people often use the last names of both parents well the Court's decision now allows citizens to choose the order in which they appear okay coming up officials in L cleaning up toxic debris from the devastating Wildfire so where is it going debris by the truckloads now being offloaded at a temporary dump site not far from the ocean one outraged resident joins top story he explains to us and shows us some of his evidence that officials are not doing enough to protect the area's Natural habitat we'll bring you all the sides coming up after this from inside Iran from Israel from Florida part of our continued reporting think we're all safe everybody good women Children we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mAh here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what are The people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news now hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do We know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firstand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon mem they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for the many questions will never be questioned people really don't know what's going to happen near a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore There's more good people than bad people you know right 5 there is some late breaking news the [Applause] Iowa all right me Too news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like Quicks sand and officials say and entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now it's NBC News Now from inside Iran from Israel from Florida part of our continued reporting think we're all safe everybody good women Children we report live from Tel Aviv from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC news now we're back now with our continuing coverage of the aftermath of those Deadly wildfires in Laha the New York Times today reporting officials are working to dispose of thousands of truckloads of toxic debris but the chosen temporary disposal site in olalo drawing outrage from native Hawaiian residents and those concerned with protecting a nearby prized coral reef one of those vocal opponents to the dump Site is Eddie Garcia he joins top story tonight he's a farmer in Ola walu which is a few miles south of lahina on the western Maui Coastline Eddie thanks for joining us tonight you said you've been analyzing schematics and Drone footage of the dump site and you believe the Site's overall design is flawed looking at this Drone footage and the images that we have here for our viewers why do you believe the site's construction is an issue um well there's several factors one is um just the sheer surface area of non-permeable surface like when you're Thinking about catching water off of a roof you have to have such a certain size of catchment to handle the amount of square non-permeable surface that will fill that catchment tank so if you look on the shot that you guys are showing now you can see that with over Six acres of surface area uh that thing produces about 160,000 gallons of rainwater for every inch of rain uh we're known to have 4 in rains not that uncommon it would close to fill the million gallon Reservoir in fact a small rain last week filled it with 400,000 Gallons they didn't have anything they could do except actually stick it right back into the ground in the porest cind cinder area and drain it right on top of a water table 600 yards from the ocean Eddie a lot of our viewers a lot of our viewers aren't familiar with this area Can you can you kind of walk us through the video that we're looking at what exactly are we seeing there in that Drone footage so you're looking at a cinder cone that's really uh cultural historical site that used to have a dump next door to it so they basically Hollowed it all out what you're looking on the screen right now is them actually dumping the leachate water right into the ground um that's their only safe fail fail safe right now if it were to rain four inches up on us it would create a whole new Reservoir their only Answer is that it's a closed loop system this is after they drained it they don't have a way to pull the leech a out or the solid material they have not given us any protocol the overall top Reservoir that you see on the top of this lower area which is the lee8 Containment tank it has too much surface area as well to actually contain it it's bound to overflow on the low side and then what happens if it overflows where does that water go it's going to wind up right in the ocean and they're saying it's not going to wind up in the ocean Because you won't see it but basically this is a cinder pit one of the most poorest um sort of areas that we have in the Hawaiian islands and they usually have lava tubes underneath them in fact you can notice they drained almost 400,000 gallons of water in just a few Hours there's really only a few places on the island you could even do that without it just saturating the ground and puddling up so this here the SES you're seeing now is after they drained it from the first rain it filled up this much here with less than 4 Ines of rain The top one you're looking at now is the bad design and you can also see that the puddle is in the bottom corner and that only took a few inches of rain to get it to that point what yeah there's thousands like we said thousands of of truckloads if You will pounds of debris from L they have to clean it up where should It Go um well there's been a lot of um proposals put forward some companies that were willing to ship it to the mainland and pay and um uh pack it and Ship it to the mainland it was a little more expensive but there's a bunch of Solutions on the table right now including packing it into seven or 8,000 containers within the contaminated area instead of contaminating a whole another area this place is much more volatile Due to the nature of the cinder and the drainage right into the water table this is some of the strongest wind on the island their argument is that they need to contain it and get it out of a vol volatile situation but what they're actually doing is putting it in a much More volatile situation plus they're putting it where now everyone on the island has to pass by it within 15 ft of their way station they're putting it in a super windy area that the wind blows right offshore so they should actually be putting signs up that this is toxic To the public people should roll their Windows when they go by the cross-contamination from the trucks is ridiculous and draining right down onto our farm next door there's a lot of aspects of this going on that are wrong yeah you know officials yeah you know officials have promised that all The material at the dump site will be dug up and then relocated to a permanent site later but they have yet to select that destination from my understanding are residents like you concerned that once they dump it at this site it's never going to move it's in fact it's a fact probably That it's never going to move because if you look what we were told as a community it was going to be wrapped up in a burrito or a chimy chunga and then it was supposed to be set in the temporary site and then it's then there's a possibility of moving it but Think about it 40,000 trucks with 400,000 cubic yards of material but now you're mixing it with 600,000 yards of cubic material of Cinder and Blue Rock now you're soaking water in it like a teacup so you're contaminating all of that material you just overd doubled the Problem and now you still have to take that to a to a permanent site so all the arguments about the transportation the cost of moving it if it costs them $40 million to move at8 miles and it's only 40,000 trucks imagine what it's going to cost them to move 140,000 trucks 20 Miles um while the while the island has a lot more tourism and people on it because of the recovery two years from now Eddie Garcia we we Yeah Eddie we appreciate your time we thank you for coming on top story tonight letting us know about this issue we're going to Stay on top of it as we've covered every moment since that wildfire in Lina we thank you for your time all right we're going to be right back please stay with us people really don't know what's going happen near a dozen hours after the ey roared asore more good people To there is some late breaking news the Iowa [Applause] CC all Right Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every every Sunday on NBC news for the generation of now is NBC News [Applause] Now were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared a There is some latebreaking news all Right news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC news now the fire has grown leaps and B you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty bad News for the generation of now is NBC news Now finally tonight we're just 6 months away from the Summer Olympics Paris gearing up to host the world's top athletes and what it's calling a new era of games our Kier Simmons is there with an inside look on how the city is prepping for this historic Event the clock is ticking down to for the Paris games the merchandise already on sale the venues almost ready we got a look at the athletes Village it's going to be ready oh yeah that's that's the crucial question we are perfectly on time already early 6 months from the Games and they tell us the Olympic Village will be ready in 6 weeks 3,000 apartments for more than 14,000 athletes and staff many venues are being recycled the 192 24 Paris Olympic swimming pool is being refurbished are you putting the water from the sen in here no no the send the Centerpiece of the games hosting the first opening ceremony outside a stadium other iconic landmarks will become venues like the plasa Concord where Olympic breaking will Premiere Sunny Choy will be there for Team USA I'll be like sitting on the plane and all of a sudden I feel like tears in my eyes and I'm like wait I'm going this is happening like right now as for the hometown fans basketball is a huge draw with NBA star Victor wanyama expected to lead Team France which country is going to get gold in the basketball you sure actually I think the us is going to Get it the us as always we'll see in just six months can't wait for those games to start and a reminder all the action on NBC we thank K Simmons for that report and we thank you for watching top story I'm Tom yamas in New York stay right there more news on the Way tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought against him by writer egene Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the judge quickly struck from the record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley Battle for South Carolina the warning he gave to her donors and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro sentence for defying a subpoena from the January six committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter on trial the video shown of her at a gun range With her son and the moment her tears led to a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17 18-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon the former employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash Flooding across the South we're tracking it Alabama set to carry out the first ever execution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the massive steeple collapsing at a church in Connecticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as We count down to the summer games this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rested its case in the defamation case against him by writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on The witness stand clashing with the judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay Carol potentially millions in Damages while in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president Threatening to Blacklist donors who contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan Nobles has late details tonight after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only A few minutes his testimony limited by the judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist egene Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by His deposition where he said Carol was lying he answered answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill With Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement a that Trump's allies Slamming the proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean First you'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republican an believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump Yet about the final product from my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans that a border deal Could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiators believe they could release the details of their legislation early next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right Ryan nobl thank you a former adviser in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and provide documents to a house committee investigating the January 6 attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in the Michigan courtroom today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son from shooting four students to death at his high school Adrian brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors Laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with involuntary manslaughter the first Parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumley's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was respons responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that Memory still wrong so I looked down and um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing so I did not tonight the defense asking Jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who she was as a mother Lester Adrien BR us thank you there's a man hun in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect who escaped From authorities police say Shane prior ran away after police brought him to a hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshall service says he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news involving one of the biggest figures in professional Wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of sexual assault and trafficking by a former employee Tomy yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to warn you some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex Trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and Controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anol a non-disclosure agreement From 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of Federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is replat with lies obscene madeup instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let Me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug And Tom WWE's parent company is responding to this tonight that's right Lester the parent company is called TKO and they tell NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE while this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally user all right Tom thanks very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting More than a foot the rain shifts north tonight and could impact the morning commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after strong new evidence of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has Details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the much forecast recession of 2023 never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had new business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top Line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that's correct as as as counterintuitive as that may seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the Pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the final 3 months of 2023 for the year a robust 2 and a half% fueled by strong consumer spending and hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually throughout the year we have had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of High inflation and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's Economic growth personally but back in Ben Salem tempered enthusiasm from Josh Berg what was 2023 in a letter grade A minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well- earned Year from everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing On what they decided to about interest rates how does this news factor in you know Lester we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is Headed for interest rate Cuts this year and that's part of what's been fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted murderer using a first of its kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this The stunning imag is coming in tonight from Connecticut an enormous steeple collapsing at a historic church in the city of New London opening up a massive hole in the roof inside covered in debris one woman who was inside at the time got out safely authorities don't believe anyone else was inside and no Injuries are reported we turn out of Alabama and the plans for a first of its kind execution as Dasha Burns reports the state is set to use a new untested tested method involving nitrogen gas on a death row inmate it has already tried to execute once before the state of Alabama has already Tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from K an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive terrified it started when I was on the execu guarding uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with method That's never been used before death by nitrogen gas the fact that Dave got me lined up to be the first with gas um it's really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison For 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt at lethal injection didn't work the third in a string of botched executions that year How could a a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C Holman Correctional that night in 2022 Expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed execution failed them too what is that emotion anger anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method Of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of all the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in court Testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and Humane Smith's team has argued execution by nitrogen gas could lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a vegetative state or even put others in the room room at Risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and this morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to him too I have never ever signed a Waiver before going into an execution this is the first time in human history that someone besides the person being executed is at risk of dying in the process Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not going to go right I'm expected to take the bir Department tonight the Senate will be in attendance once again what would you say to your mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice Dasha Burns NBC News ATM more Alabama all right we'll take a break coming up the new measures on Instagram aimed at keeping teenagers safe but do they do enough and why now it's a concern for so many families keeping their teenagers safe on social media now Instagram is rolling out some new measures aimed at limiting who can message teens and more here's Stephanie GS for parents worried about who is Messaging their teenagers on social media meta says it hears them announcing changes to accounts on Facebook messenger and Instagram for teenagers under 16 years old today we're announcing a new default setting for teens around messaging that makes Instagram safer for them blocking DMS from anyone who they don't follow and Aren't connected to for parent supervised accounts changes made to that setting or any other safety and privacy setting now has to be approved by a parent we believe that parents know what's best for their individual child and we want to do what we can to empower parents to make those decisions to shape Instagram the announcement comes after steps taken earlier this month that limit teen's ability to see potentially harmful material and to alert them when they are spending a lot of time on the app at night 95% of teens use social media and are on it more than 3 hours a Day which the Surgeon General says puts them at higher risk for depression and anxiety critics say these measures announced by meta today don't go nearly far enough these changes are about as effective as a screen door on a submarine Tech Savage teenagers May easily navigate around restrictions how Difficult is it for a teenager to lie about his or her age and set up an Instagram account it is so simple because we've never put in age verification and age Assurance requirements by the way a trillion doll company can figure that out Stephanie is meta doing anything to establish age Verification for these accounts you know Lester I asked them that specific question and they said that it is a quote comp complex industry challenge but they did say that they support proposed Federal legislation that would require app stores to get parental permission for teenagers to download apps onto their devices all right Stephanie Gus thank you up next we'll take you to Paris and see how the city is preparing exactly 6 months before the Summer Olympics in just 6 months more than 10,000 athletes from around the world will descend on Paris for the summer olym ipcs Kier Simmons is there with a Look and how the city is getting ready the clock is ticking down to the Paris games the merchandise already on sale the venues almost ready we got a look at the athletes Village it's going to be ready oh yeah that's that's the crucial question we are perfectly on Time already early 6 months from the games and they tell us the Olympic Village will be ready in 6 weeks 3, th000 apartments for more than 14,000 athletes and staff many venues are being recycled the 1924 Paris Olympic swimming pool is being refurbished are you putting the water From the sen in here no no the send the centerpiece of the games hosting the first opening ceremony outside a stadium other iconic landmarks will become venues like the plasta Concord where Olympic breaking will premere Sunny Choy will there for Team USA I'll be like Sitting on the plane and all of a sudden I feel like tears in my eyes and I'm like wait I'm going this is happening like right now as for the hometown fans basketball is a huge draw with NBA star Victor wanyama expected to lead Team France which country is going to get Gold in the basketball you sure actually I think the us is going to get it the us as always we'll see in just six months Kia Simmons NBC News Paris and that is Nightly News for this Thursday thank you for watching everyone I'm Lester Holt please take care of Yourself and each other good Night now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question is still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we are on the cusp of something big good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers We're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas a closer look at the good news we got about the economy if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use Them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now Streaming we days at seven news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press [Applause] News lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quick sand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now is NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together we report live from Tel Aviv from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything in let's break down what we know you got to see This news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought Against him by writer EEG Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the judge quickly Struck from the record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley battle for South Carolina the warning he Gave to her donors and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro senten for defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter on trial the video shown of her at a gun range with her son and the moment her tears PE led To a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon the former employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash flooding across the South we're tracking It Alabama set to carry out the first ever execution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the massive steeple collapsing at a church in Connecticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as we count down to the summer Games this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Hol good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rested its case in the defamation case against him by writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on the witness stand clashing with the Judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay Carol potentially millions in Damages while in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president threatening to Blacklist donors who Contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan Nobles has late details tonight after winds in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few minutes his testimony limited by The judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist egene Carrol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was Lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell Accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement Trump's allies slamming the proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants Per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first you'd have to go talk to the minority Leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump yet about the final product my point of View um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get On a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans that a border deal Could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiators believe they could release the details of their legislation early next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right ran nobl thank you a former adviser in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and provide documents to a house committee investigating the January 6th attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in the Michigan court room today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son from shooting four students to death at his high school Adrien brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible For those deaths tonight prosecutors laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with involuntary manslaughter the first Parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this been happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumb's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still Wrong so I looked down and um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing so that I did not I just I just tonight The defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aim to show who she was as a mother Lester Adrien brus thank you there's a man hun in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect Who escaped from authorities police say Shane prior ran away after police brought him to a hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshall service says he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news involving one of the biggest figures in professional Wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of sexual assault and trafficking by a former employee Tomy yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to warn you some of what you're about to hear is graphic WrestleMania tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex Trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and Controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anol a non-disclosure agreement From 2022 two settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the Complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince mcmah spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene made up instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for The WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a Blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and Tom WWE's parent company is responding to this tonight that's right Lester the parent company is called TKO and they tell NBC News m McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE While this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally user all right Tom thanks very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting more than a foot the rain rain shifts north tonight and could impact the morning commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after Strong new evidence of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the much forecast recession of 202 three never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had New business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that's correct as as as counterintuitive that may seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth Last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the final 3 months of 2023 for the year a robust 2 and 1 12% fueled by strong consumer spending and hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually throughout the year we have Had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of high inflation And the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's economic growth personally but back in Ben Salem tempered enthusiasm from Josh ber letter grade what was 2023 in a letter grade A minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well- earned Year From everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing on what they decide to do about interest rates how does this news factor in you know Lester we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there Show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is headed for interest rate Cuts this year and that's part of what's been fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted murderer using a first ofit Kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this the stunning imag is coming in tonight from Connecticut an enormous steeple collapsing at a historic church in the city of New London opening up a massive hole in the roof inside covered in debris one woman who was inside at The time got out safely authorities don't believe anyone else was inside and no injuries are reported we turn out of Alabama and the plans for a first ofit kind execution as Doha Burns reports the state is set to use a new untested method involving nitrogen gas on a death Row inmate it has already tried to execute once before the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive I'm terrified it started when I was on the exec guarding Of uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen gas the fact that da got me lined up to be the first with gas um is really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt at lethal injection didn't work the third in a string of botched executions that year How could a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's Children went to William C Holman Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed execution failed them too what is that emotion Ang anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of All the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in court testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and Humane Smith team has argued execution by nitrogen gas could lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in The Mask and choke or it could leave him in a Vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and this morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to Him too I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution this is the first time in human history that someone besides the person being executed is at risk of dying in the process Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not Going to go right I'm expected to take the word of the Department of that they're going to get it right tonight the senates will be in attendance once again what would you say to your mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice Dasha Burns NBC News ATM more Alabama all right we'll take a break coming up the new measures on Instagram aimed at keeping teenagers safe but do they do enough and why now we report live from Tel Aviv from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news Playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC news now thanks for tuning in I'm Gotti Schwarz here are the stories we're following tonight storms keep coming here in California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories tring like crazy on social media A controversy hitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it safe for investors we've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't me you got to see this stay tuned now Week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant got to see this future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to Govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what Is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon Emily they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for many questions will never be Questioned news for the generation of now is NBC news now the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there is some late breaking news all Right news for the generation of now is NBC News Now tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought against him by writer egene Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the judge quickly Struck from the Record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley battled for South Carolina the warning he gave to her donors and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro senten for defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter On trial the video shown of her at a gun range with her son and the moment her tears led to a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations against ww e founder Vince McMahon the former Employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash flooding across the South we're tracking it Alabama set to carry out the first ever execution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the massive steeple collapsing at a church In Connecticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as we countd down to the summer games this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rested its case in the defamation case against him By writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on the witness stand clashing with the judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay care Carol potentially millions in Damages While in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president threatening to Blacklist donors who contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan Nobles has late details tonight after winds in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testify for only a few minutes his testimony limited by the judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist egene Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the Last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and Funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though the Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement Trump's allies slamming The Proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed Off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first you'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be Backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump yet about the final product my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors That if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the Border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans that a border deal could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiators believe they could release the details of their legislation early Next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right ran nobl thank you a former advisor in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of Congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and Provide documents to a house committee investigating the January 6 attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in the Michigan courtroom today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son from shooting four Students to death at his high school Adrien brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the Defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted crumblyy charged with involuntary manslaughter the first parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that Would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame on to crumb's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at The gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still raw so I looked down and um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a Heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sing so I tonight the defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who She was as a mother Lester Adrien brus thank you there's a man hunt in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect who escaped from authorities police say Shane prior ran away after police brought him to a hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshal Service as he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of sexual assault and trafficking by a former employee Tom yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to warn you some of What you're about to hear is graphic wrestlmania tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him And other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anol a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped Making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is repl with lies obscene madeup instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of The truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who was not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of Them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week mcmah was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollarss but Now all eyes on the w we who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and Tom WWE's parent company is responding to this tonight that's right Lester the parent company is called TKO And they tell NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE while this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally user all right Tom thanks Very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting more than a foot the rain shifts north tonight and could impact the morning commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after strong new evidence of of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the Much forecast recession of 2023 never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had new business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that's correct as as as counterintuitive As that may seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the final 3 months of 2023 for the year A robust 2 and a half% fueled by strong consumer spending and hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually through throughout the year we have had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the lowest inflation rate of any Major economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of high inflation and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's economic growth personally but back in Ben Salem tempered Enthusiasm from Josh ber letter grade what was 2023 in a letter grade A minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well- earned Year from everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing on what they decide to do about Interest rates how does this news factor in you know Lester we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is headed for interest rate Cuts This year and that's part of what's been fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted murderer using a first ofit kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared a Shore there is some late breaking news all Right stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin get in- Dept reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be on the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays From 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now is NBC News Now News lives in the now the horrors of War on full display on both sides of the Israel Gaza border protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC news now good morning and thanks for joining Us I'm Joe frier and I'm savan sellers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between is Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy if you do have points Or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 News lives in the now it's coming at us every second from all over the world we have a news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza Many times before but never like this now is Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution It's important to to state that um you know the existence of a waiver in the first place speaks to the fear that they have that something could go wrong Alabama is set to become the first state to execute a person with nitrogen gas this method is so unproven and risky That the Reverend who will be in the room at the time has been told to sign a waiver hello I'm Ellison barber in forgotti Schwarz and this is stay tuned now 58-year-old Kenneth Smith is scheduled to be executed using a method known as nitrogen hypoxia where oxygen to the body is replaced with nitrogen gas it will be the first time this has been done in the history of the United States it's a controversial method largely because it is untested in other words What seems to be Happening Here is a gas execution experiment and while critics are concerned it could be a very painful death for Smith the state of Alabama claims it will be Humane yesterday a federal appeals court voted to allow the execution to go forward last month Smith Told NBC news about his fears for a nitrogen gas execution you know it makes it even worse um that I suffered so much last year and um so I'm still dealing with that you know I hav over so um the fact that theyve got me lined Up to be the first with gas um it's really terrifying the state tried to execute Smith before that's what he was referring to there about last time they tried to execute him with lethal injection in 2022 but botched that attempt prison officials failed to find a vein into Smith's hands and arms Smith Has been on death row for decades he is one of three men convicted in the 1988 stabbing death of Elizabeth Senate whose husband a pastor had hired them to kill her now with nearly 36 years since the murder of their mother the sons of Elizabeth Senate they say it is time for Justice to be served he admitted to it he wrote it down on paper he was guilty so how does that turn into 35e wait to get Justice for what our mother suffered from from NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns joins me now from Atmore Alabama Dasha you have covered this case extensively We saw you doing that interview there with the victim's children um Talk us about talk to us about where things stand right now sort of the irony if you will here is that nitrogen hypoxia it's actually not even recommended for Animals unless they are sedated uh is it Fair when people say Kenneth Smith is a guinea pig is that a legitimate criticism here well that's one that I've certainly heard from multiple sources this is a story where there are no winners you've heard from the senates the the sons of Elizabeth Senate who was uh Smith's Victim you heard from uh Reverend Jeff Hood who will be there in the room with Smith and is himself concerned about his own safety and then there's Smith who you heard from as well who is going to be um the first to experience this after he already survived an execution attempt Last uh back in 2022 so no winners in the story but let me give you a quick update Ellison because just moments before we came on the air there was some movement here we've been here in the media center across the street from uh the Homan Correctional Facility where This is going to take place we've been waiting for some kind of movement what happens with these uh executions is usually there are legal Maneuvers up until the last minute and we were in this case waiting for final word from the Supreme Court on one more appeal one More request for a stay from Smith's legal team to pause this execution they said no this is moving forward so just moments ago some of the media team there were five uh members of the media who were chosen as witnesses that were taken from the holding facility over to uh the Home and Correctional Facility to the execution area where they will be able to Wi witness that so that's how we know that things are about to kick off now the questions are there are many how long is this going to take it could be quick it could not be quick and the Thing that I've heard from again the Senate from um his uh spiritual adviser Smith's spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who is going to be in the execution chamber with him and could himself be at risk the questions are uh numerous and they feel like they have not been Answered state did put out a protocol about how this was going to go but it was heavily redacted and the questions that have been asked by the Press uh by uh Kenneth Smith's family by uh by the senates have not gotten necessarily satisfying answers Ellison Dasha when You think of all these questions that still have to be answered it seems like things are moving in a direction where this will happen regardless of those questions being answered but do you get the sense when you speak to sources or at least people who are going to be Really carrying this out within that prison the Department of Corrections in that state do they have confidence in the protocol for how they're going to carry out this execution or are they also feeling kind of the same way it seems like that Reverend is that he's Just sort of not sure what could happen if it goes well quote unquote or if it all goes wrong the state says it does they have expressed confidence in this method the attorney general has said that they want to give Justice to the Senate family uh They argued in court the state did that this was a painless and Humane method of execution but again what I've heard from experts is that this is untested it's unproven and it's experimental and so we just don't know there are so many variables I mean the fact that there Were three e execution attempts on three different people here in Alabama over the course of about a year um that that were unsuccessful that alone has a lot of folks really skeptical about how they will do with a novel method like this Ellison all right Dasha Burns in Alabama With some breaking news there again the Supreme Court saying Alabama can proceed with uh the planned execution of Kenneth Smith using nitrogen gas it will be the first time that has ever taken place Dasha we'll stay in touch with you and come back if there is any developments There in Alabama thank you so much we appreciate your reporting former president Donald Trump finally takes a stand in egene Carol's defamation case against him the today's testimony took less than 5 minutes it took even less time for Trump to break judge kin's rules on what he was allowed To say the judge made it clear explicitly clear that Trump could not relitigate another trial that had already found him liable for sexually abusing Carol in the 90s but that is exactly what Trump did telling the jury he considers it a false accusation that statement was then Struck from the Record for more let's bring an NBC News correspondent rahima Ellis hey Raa hey Allison it was incredibly tense in the courtroom today as Donald Trump testified in his own defense in this civil Lial trial against him brought by eege Carroll the writer and it got tense Even before the jury was brought in for his testimony the judge had been trying to get Trump to understand there were certain things he could not redo because they had already been determined it had been determined that he sexually assaulted her it had been determined that he defamed her character This case is just about how much he would have to pay in Damages and punitive damages as the judge was making that clear to him Donald Trump blurted out the jury was not in the courtroom blurted out where the judge could hear I don't know who this woman is never met This woman at that point the judge lashed out at him saying keep your voice down Mr Trump you are interrupting these proceedings while your council is talking and it is not permitted once the jury was brought in Donald Trump was sworn and took the oath his testimony Was taken and it took only three minutes between direct examination and cross examination he took maybe a total of four or five questions and on direct examination he was asked about whether or not um he knew egene Caroll and whether or not he did anything to Instruct people to hurt her he said no but then he went on to say other things in reference to not having assaulted her or not having def bled her the judge struck all of that down and went on to tell the jury that they are to pay no Attention to it but it's hard to imagine how they're going to unring the bell and not include that in their thinking when they deliberate what are they going to be deliberating and the judge says it's likely they're going to get this case sometime tomorrow Carol um EEG Carol has Already been awarded $5 million in the first case now she's seeking $10 million and a Carol expert estimates that it could cost somewhere from 7 to 12 million to repair her reputation but this jury has also got to consider punitive damages and that's essentially whether or not they can punish Donald Trump enough to prevent him from making defamatory marks remarks about EEG Carroll in the future sometime tomorrow in the afternoon the judge says it's likely that he will charge the jury and that panel of seven men and two women will get this case and will be to them to issue a verdict Ellison NBC's rahima Ellis thank you now let's bring in NBC News legal analyst Danny savalos for more on this so Danny talk to us about that testimony less than five minutes I think it clocked in around 3 um are you surprised that the former president's testimony in this Trial was so quick and if you can imagine you are his legal team for me what would kind of have been your pros and cons to put him on on the stand or not put him on the stand in the first place not surprised it was so quick Maybe a little surprised it came down to two or three questions but you saw in the leadup as the attorneys were debating it that this really was going to get carved down to really a matter of minutes and that's because the issues in this case were so narrowed the liability Side was already established and Donald Trump obviously can't testify to uh the plaintiff's harm so this is really just about the narrow issue of punitive damages now a lot of folks may have been wondering well wait on cross-examination why didn't the plaintiff's attorney Wade in there and spend 2 hours Cross-examining a rare moment to have Donald Trump on the stand under oath and the answer is probably because they didn't want to open the door the plaintiffs already had Donald Trump successfully coralled his testimony limited couldn't give speeches however in the law if you raise an issue that The other side wants to inject they can argue that you have opened the door and an issue that may may have been inadmissible beforehand is suddenly admissible because you accidentally stepped on that landmine as a plaintiff do you think they wanted him to take the stand his defense team or do You think this was one of those situations where he said this is what I'm going to do I'll do it anyway I mean for the timing of it even though he did kind of go into the area as he wasn't supposed to but as far as Donald Trump Goes the Outburst we've seen in court before this was relatively tame I guess do you think his legal team was like yeah this is good what was the benefit in the ordinary case I would say don't want to call your client in a situation like this but it seems to me at least Alina Haba the mission may have changed a little bit they may view this as a loss cause that it's not likely they're going to win they're going to get hit for damages in some form or another does it really matter they may be thinking the difference between 9 million or 10 Million or 10 million and 12 million uh so why not let's just put another message in there and Donald Trump very clearly seems to be committed to getting his message in even though he knows he can't testify about things like she's lying I've never met her before and yet He persisted trying to inject that in as a matter of seconds into his testimony he went into areas that he was not allowed to go to and that got stricken from the record so do I think normally this is a defendant you would have wanted to call uh no but nothing about This case and this client and this defense team is normal talk to us a little more about the other people we saw in court today a friend of eege Carrol's taking the St hearing from her for the first time Carol Martin um how significant was that testimony so the Defense's idea was they got a bunch of her text message and want and wanted to get her on the stand and say hey weren't you texting about you how nutty you thought Eugene Carol was or Genie or she had some name nickname for her and really what I think and I expect the Jury probably saw this as well is that look this is something that we all do you do it everyone does it if you have a family member or a friend that you love dearly you may talk to them they say something wacky and you and you love Them and you say oh great but then you get on the phone and you text that other friend in your text group the side group chat and you're like oh Susan's lost it right you don't mean Susan's lost it you're just saying look you're doing a little gossip and that's what I think The uh defense was trying to do is turn that idle gossip into an actual disparagement of eege Carol to make her look bad I don't know that it worked I think every juror knows someone like that whether you want to admit it or not you even the great Ellison has picked up Her phone and gossiped about a dear friend or family member who you love dearly but you can't help just having a few comments sometimes you got to go to the side family chat that Miss yeah the one they exist in every family I am told The worst part is you don't want to be left out of the side check because that means you're the subject yes you know there is one this is true we could go on forever about this when it comes to this case and the punitive damages that are Being sought here you talked about it being well what's the difference if it's 99 10 or 12 do we have a GU yes at this point I we know what she's asking for but is there any sort of precedent is a silly word because I know the answer is No but precedent to say okay this might be what they're going to say no what you're struggling with is a really key question because you have two kinds of cases here that don't lend themselves well to tangible numbers number one defamation how do we measure the harm to Someone's reputation I bet if you asked any 12 people on the street they would have different approaches to how to Value reputation same for punitives how do you value an amount that will punish Donald Trump you know factored into that is how much money he has because what is Punitive to you or I is not as punitive to Donald Trump so that's a factor too this is not like a normal personal injury case where you have a a broken femur and you put it up on the board you know how many years of therapy you're Going to need and you can put an actual dollar amount on that therapy and that treatment this is nothing like that it could be anything so you're absolutely right that this testimony anyone who thinks they know what the jury's going to come back with is guessing yes there Was some testimony about repair to reputation would cost maybe upwards of $12 million there's a number that the jury can hang their hat on but punitives I mean it could just be a multiple of the compensatory damages which is usually what it is punitive damages are rarely based on any hard number it's Just based on do I think this defendant did something really evil and does he have a lot of money that's about after that it's pretty much up to the jury all right interesting stuff Danny's follows thank you so much we appreciate you being here Donald Trump beat Nikki Haley in Backto back contests in Iowa and New Hampshire but when it comes to raising super pack money right now it's Haley who's beating Trump so the question now becomes will it be enough to sustain her presidential bid and what is now a two-person race NBC News correspondent Von hilard has More right Ellison that's really the key question here at this point is it enough to sustain Nikki Haley's campaign because for the former South Carolina governor and former un Ambassador she needs more than sustaining here at this point she needs to make such significant inroads over the next month to begin to Make this a competitive race with Donald Trump we're just one month away now from the South Carolina primary the next big contest for her and polls uh over the last months have showed her down by as much as 30 percentage points and she raised her the super pack I should say Affiliated uh and allied with her is raised more than $50 million in the back half of 2023 that was more than $5 million more than the main trump super pack which suggests that her team or her allies are in fact raising and have raised significant amount of funds which Allows her to stay on the campaign Trail and she held a rally last night she's holding two more rallies over this weekend here Donald Trump uh does not have anything on the books in the immediate future in South Carolina but for her she's going to have to go back Onto her home turf and continue to make the case the to the voters to stick with their uh with their South Carolina native and for Donald Trump he was in the courtroom today in The Egan Carol defamation trial uh in which he even testified and so for him his attention Has by been diverted to a lot of different places but for Nikki Haley she lost by more than 30 percentage points in Iowa lost by 11 percentage points in New Hampshire and the the prospects for her are very difficult and for her to make the case to donors going into the Future that she is still worth investing in she's going to have to rely on the money that they have already raised because to get that sort of backing Financial backing of millions of dollars uh moving forward is going to be difficult unless she can prove that she Can win and we're still a month out from that point in which she can really make the case that she still has a li legitimate shot to take down Donald Trump to become the Republican nominee here in 2024 Ellison Von hilard thank you don't go anywhere because we are Just getting started for the first time a parent is going on trial for the school shooting her son was behind we have those details plus ser cancer is on the rise for women in their 30s and 40s so what's behind the spike and what's being done about it and online scammers Are becoming more convincing these days even posing as celebrities to get money from victims that's all just ahead so stay Tuned the fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty bad Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to Be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mar Mars it feels like we are on the cusp of something Big good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that News Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore There is some late breaking news all Right news for the generation of now is NBC News Now welcome back here are some of the other headlines we're watching tonight a roof of a church in New London Connecticut has collapsed leaving a gaping hole and covering the ground there with Rebel local police are now urging people to avoid the area as emergency crews continue to respond Thankfully it seems right now no one was hurt former Trump adviser Peter Navaro has been sentenced to four months in prison for defying a congressional subpoena regarding the January 6th attack on the capital Navaro was convicted in September on two counts for refusing to testify and provide documents Navaro has already appealed The ruling today the Biden Administration announced nearly 5 billion dollar in funding will go towards infrastructure projects across the country projects including Bridge Replacements Highway improvements and pavement upgrades following that announcement today the president visited Wisconsin to promote his economic policies saying that they have restored infrastructure and created more jobs a New study says there have been nearly 65,000 rape related pregnancies across the 14 states that banned abortion after roie Wade was overturned almost 18 months ago the research also finds that there have been less than 10 abortions each month in those states with banss suggesting that most victims were not Able to get abortions in the states where they live and Raheem Morris is headed back to Atlanta the Falcons will hire Morris as their next head coach to step up from his previous roles with the team as defensive coordinator and inim Coach the news comes after the team conducted an extensive search that Included 14 candidates among them former New England Patriots coach bill belich today a new lawsuit dropped involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling it alleges WWE founder Vince McMahon sexually abused a former employee during his time as CEO NBC News Now anchor Tom yamus has the Latest and a warning some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrest media tonight one of of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional Abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys And that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anal a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an Initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene madeup Instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug in Michigan opening statements began today in the trial for Jennifer Crumbley The first parent in the US to ever go to trial over a school shooting that was carried out by their child Crumbley was emotional in court today sobbing loudly at one point when School surveillance video was being shown her attorney was also seen crying leading to this tense interaction after the prosecution Accused them of trying to influence the jury we were not stabbing or making a scene in anyway all my eye makeup still on I checked my camera I'm not going to I'm not I'm not having I need to run to the bathroom I need a break you'll remember the defendant's son Ethan Crumbley you see him there he was just 15 years old when he killed four students at Oxford High School back in 2021 he is now serving life in prison Jennifer Crumbley and her husband James they are both facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter accused of not doing enough to address warning signs From their son leading up to the shooting James crumb's trial is set for March NBC News correspondent Adrien brus joins me now with more so Adrian this trial it leads to the question of whether or not parents should be held responsible if their child carries out a school shooting right walk us through Some of the facts of this case what did we hear on this first day in court Ellison that is the big question both sides agree Jennifer Crumbley did not pull the trigger that killed those four students at Oxford High School now prosecutors take a turn here they're Saying she's not charged with murder but instead as you mentioned involuntary manslaughter in the proc prosecutor during it his opening statement today saying by definition it is rooted in negligence by contrast the defense is saying Jennifer Crumbley had no idea and no way of knowing about her son's plans listen In they were murdered in an act of Terror committed by Jennifer crumley's 15-year-old son Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths she did not have it on her radar in any way that there was any mental disturbance that her son would ever take A gun into a school that her son would ever shoot people and the prosecution spoke for about 13 minutes during their opening statement by contrast the defense 24 minutes we did learn from prosecutors that they plan to bring at least 20 Witnesses to the stand to testify and They plan to introduce more than 400 pieces of evidence some of which we saw today Allison Adrian why are both parents being tried separately I mean they're facing the exact same charges right yeah four counts each of involuntary manslaughter initially James and Jennifer were going to face trial at The same time but a motion was filed for separate charges and that or excuse me separate trials and that request was granted now we are unable to ask their attorneys why and that dates back to a gag order that was imposed back in 2022 it bans Jennifer's attorney as well As james' attorneys and the prosecution from speaking publicly and court documents didn't offer an explanation but inside of the courtroom on Thursday today we did get some Clues the defense is painting a picture and making the case that James Crumbley Ethan's father was responsible for storing the guns and Also making the case that Jennifer really didn't have as much knowledge about guns Ellison Adrian before we let you go do we know if the son the shooter in this case is going to take the stand in at least his mom's trial if it's up to his attorneys Ethan Crumbley will not take the St his attorneys do not want him to testify in this case but Jennifer attorneys did file a motion on Monday requesting a judge to compel Ethan to testify so we will continue to watch and that is unclear back to you Adrien brought us Thank you so much we appreciate it coming up we're watching some severe storms and flooding moving across the country we have your forecast But first you got to see this last week we were telling you about buffalo wing flavored lip balms well the crazy product combos just keep coming hard Seltzer company Truly they're putting a spicy Twist on your typically fizzy alcoholic drink they're putting out a hot wing sauce flavored Seltzer soon you will be able to get a boozy kick of heat to keep you fired up while you watch the Super Bowl and don't worry they're not sold out This time the drinks will be ready to order online on Monday you can get a four pack of 16 o drinks for $24 sounds like it might be worth a try we'll be right back news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's Break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC news now hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on The ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon Emily they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry my will never be questioned people really don't know what's going to happen a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there's more good people than bad people you know right there is some late breaking news [Applause] Iowa all Righto news for the generation of now is NBC News Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers The latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News now streaming weekdays at 7 News lives in the now the Front lines are still very active this is like Quicks sand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now it's NBC News Now news for the generation of now is NBC News [Applause] Now welcome back here are some of the stories happening out west that were following an Orange County jury has found Marcus irz guilty of second degree murder for the killing of six-year-old Aiden Leos the decision comes 3 years after AZ fired into a passenger car on a highway killing Leos who was strapped Into a booster seat he faces up to 40 years to life in prison a 4.2 magnitude earthquake shook Southern California last night the trimor was centered in the San Bernardino area but light shaking was felt across much of the region the Quake began near the San Jento fault which is regarded as one of the most active and potentially dangerous fault lines there were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries convicted rapists and incarcerated 70 show actor Danny Masterson was denied bail on Wednesday a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge denied his bail pending appeal with worries That Masterson could flee stating that he'll most likely remain in custody for decades or for the rest of his life the former Ranch actor is currently serving a 30-year life sentence in California on Dual rape convictions he'll be eligible for parole in 20 years flooding is the Big weather story tonight as we head into the weekend right now Millions across the South are under alerts after days of rain with more in the forecast at least one death associated with the weather has been reported in Mississippi other places like Houston Louisiana and up to Tennessee they're dealing with Dangerous conditions on the roads and rivers at or near flood stages Bill Karens is standing by with the forecast we will get to him in one moment but let's start with NBC's guad Vegas in Baton Rouge Louisiana with more hey guad Ellison as the storm makes its way Through the South we still have some of the lowline areas that are flooded you can see this river behind me uh with one of these walkways that uh is is also flooded so authorities are asking people to stay away from these areas we're in Covington Louisiana uh right next to Another town where we saw images of flooding uh in shopping centers and uh all across the roadways this is just North of New Orleans uh and that was in mandaville where we saw a lot of that flooding we also saw a lot of rescues taking place in Eastern Texas north of The Houston area most of that happening on Wednesday now after that storm poured all of that rain on Wednesday authorities were worried because the ground is saturated with water so more rain on Thursday could have made things worse now fortunately the rain today wasn't as bad as the day before but Again any rain to hit the region in the next few hours could be dangerous because of how saturated the ground is with all of that rain that has come through but the good news is that the storm is already making its way out of the region Ellison guad Venegas thank You now the severe weather threat moves East NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens has the forecast for us Bill good evening good evening to you Ellison and what a soggy dreary foggy weather pattern so much of the country's been in it continues right into the weekend it's what happens when it's unusually warm When it should be cold there just so much moisture at the ground it's just kind of ugly out there so we have about 19 million people still under flood watches some of these have expired during the day today some are being reissued for the next round of rain That's coming the bottom line is we do not have a lot of significant and flooding occurring now and I don't actually expect a lot even as we go through tomorrow this storm system that's been plaguing Us in the south is finally starting to weaken and move a Little bit to the east rain is spreading through areas of Illinois another batch of rain into areas of Virginia these thunderstorms are dying out in areas of Georgia so at worst some ponding on the road some isolated flooding is possible additional rainfall tonight and tomorrow We can handle this up to half an inches in green Southern Louisiana that's going to be associated with our next storm and that would be mostly Friday night with the Heavy Rain threat so let's talk about this next next door this one's going to soak the same areas that just Got soaked and flooded so that's why we're concerned with additional flooding so this is Friday evening at 8 pm. and that shows you the Heavy Rain from Lake Charles all the way through Baton Rouge heading into Iberia New Iberia and also into New Orleans then as we go Throughout Friday night to Saturday we take this through the southeast a soaking rain through the Carolinas during the day on Saturday this is 8:00 pm. Saturday with heavy rain arriving in Washington DC all the way through Virginia some backside chilly rain in areas of Kentucky then on Sunday today Enough cold air is going to be on the north side of this for some areas that are going to get heavy wet snow now it doesn't look like a blockbuster snowstorm unless maybe you're in the Catskills or the burkers or the Poconos but we will see some snow so our two Computer models we have our GFS which is our American one and our Euro pan model which is typically a little more accurate a little more computing power this one is showing light to moderate snow throughout a bunch of areas but nothing that's going to cause like major headaches our American GFS model has Actually shown a heavier snow event with this storm through many areas in the Southern Tier of New York Northern Pennsylvania and right through Central and Southern New England so we're going have to wait and see and fine- tune this forecast we'll have a better idea of that this time tomorrow night and then For our friends on the west coast this is the Calm before the storm everything's been great today great tonight this huge area of white is a big storm that's out in the Pacific there's a strong Pacific jet stream with us it's going to pull an atmospheric River into The Northwest and on the west coast for about the next 5 to 6 days so it's going to be long duration event so we have some showers out there as we've gone throughout the day today and this evening the heavier steady rains arrive as we go throughout your Friday it's Going to be a soaking drive up Interstate 5 through Oregon and into areas of Washington the snow levels are extremely high this is a Pacific warm air mass so we're not concerned with snow just a lot of heavy rain and melting snow could cause problems especially in the Olympics and this is Through Saturday still areas of heavy rain out there so as far as the rainfall forecast goes notice the Cascades here 2 to 3 in but when we get to the Olympic Peninsula that's when we could get up to four to 5 in we've already got some rivers that are already running pretty High in this area so that's if we're going to get any problems like maybe moderate and possibly major flooding on Rivers that's where it will occur so we'll continue to watch this Ellison everyone drive careful out there it's kind of soggy and definitely foggy Bill Karens thank you after 50 years of Declining cervical cancer rates the American Cancer Society is sounding the alarm about an uptick in diagnosis while doctors are seeing a dramatic drop among women in their early 20s there has been an increase among women in their 30s and 40s a new report found that from 2012 to 2019 Innovations like the HPV vaccine led to a 65% decrease in cervical cancer among women ages 20 to 24 but in that same time period diagnoses of cervical cancer in women ages 30 to 44 Rose almost 2% every year for more on this let's bring in NBC News medical Contributor Dr Cavita Patel Dr Patel cervical cancer has been described as one of the better understood cancers so why is it that women in their 30s and 40s are seeing this rise in cases I mean I think back to when I got the HPV Vaccine I'm 34 and I got it when I think I was a junior or senior in high school like 20072 2008 so I'm a little surprised to see that increase amongst women in their 30s what what is going on yeah you're right Ellison it is surprising and something that we should All be Ware of January is cervical cancer awareness month and about three factors driving this number one the pandemic a lot of people skipped visits and regular screenings number two there were some change in guidelines Ellison over the last several years where they changed recommendations used to be that You would say come in every year for your papsmear they change the guidance to every 3 to five years depending on your age and that can confuse people you just forget to do something if it's every three or every five years and then I think third is that there's a very Small percentage But Rising of a more aggressive type of cervical cancer that's a little higher up and a little harder to detect by a papsmear so all those three things are driving this but the real truth is screening and not getting the vaccines that's why we see It presenting in older women so what should women know or take away from seeing a study like this whether they're in their 20s 30s or 40s what's the takeaway here for you yeah takeaway is getting screening and prevention and let's talk about I'm glad you did get Your vaccine you can get it as young as the age of nine I generally started in patients around the age of 11 you can administer this vaccine up to the age of 45 not everybody needs it at that age but just don't forget don't think that You're too old or too young and remember it's for men and women and boys and girls so something to remember and then papsmear start at the age of 21 and you get that generally speaking every 3 years the most common cause of cervical cancer is that HPV human papiloma virus Infection it's usually transmitted by sexual contact so remember all those things get screened add in your other screenings breast cancer too if people are not noticing something doesn't feel right in their bodies when we're talking about cervical cancer in particular what are some of the symptoms or red flags Where someone should say hey bring this up with your doctor during your next visit yeah absolutely unfortunately there sometimes by the time you get symptoms it's further advanced than we'd like to see which is why we recommend screening but Ellison I tell women all the time that if something just doesn't Feel right and often what we'll hear about are kind of abnormal bleeding Cycles so people who are just having something about their periods that seem strange pain in the cervix the cervix is kind of that part of the lower part of your uterus so women can distinctly sometimes feel some sensitivity around That area sometimes that can happen when you're having sexual intercourse sometimes that can happen when you're having a period and you insert a tampon anything that just feels out of the norm your body and you know best so get that checked and that can be done at a simple Primary Care visit or with your OBGYN all right Dr Cavita Patel thank you so much we appreciate your time and insight as always still to come in update date from Gaza Hamas says it will release Israeli hostages but with conditions we have a report from Tel Aviv that's Next news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC news now good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started With breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy but if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people Spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7: people really don't know what's going To happen near a dozen hours after the eye roared asore there's more good people than bad people I know right there is some late breaking [Applause] news all right just me To We report live from Tel Aviv from puz Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to Be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning news for the generation of now is NBC News Now welcome back let's take a quick look around the world Spain's former soccer president could stand trial for kissing a player against her will Luis ubales made headlines last summer when he forcibly kissed a player after Spain's women's world cup metal ceremony rubiales resigned as head of the Spanish Federation in September now he faces sexual assault charges and if found guilty is looking at 1 to four years in prison six nuns kidnapped in Haiti last week have been released the Archbishop of hades's capital Porter Prince told the Associated Press the nuns as well as two other people were released yesterday And everyone is in good condition $3 million was reportedly demanded for their release but right now it's unclear if any sort of Ransom was paid tourists visiting Peru's Machu Picchu had their Trek interrupted by protesters today their beef appears to be with Peru's government who they accuse of Privatizing ticket sales at the famed attraction some tourists were pretty determined though and still made it up escorted by police and two British museums say they are returning looted artifacts to Ghana artifacts that include uh 17 items like gold and silver pieces even crown jewels many of these items they have not been Seen in Ghana for more than 150 years this is all part of a deal where the items will be loaned back to Ghana which skirts UK laws that bar the repat repatriation of such cultural artifacts now to the Israel Hamas War where fighting continues and hopes of a Ceasefire hang in the balance the US is sending the director of the CIA there in hopes of getting a deal done NBC News foreign correspondent raap Sanchez is in Tel Aviv with more CIA director Bill Burns heading to Europe this weekend to meet with his Israeli counterpart the head of the Mossad spy agency and the prime minister of Qatar the lead mediator between Israel and Hamas that's according to a diplomat familiar with the situation the CIA director hoping to make progress towards a new ceasefire deal that would lead to the release of the isra hostages Still being held in Gaza it is a tough task Israel and Hamas have remained very far apart since the last ceasefire deal collapsed back at the beginning of December the key question is whether a ceasefire would be temporary or permanent as part of this deal Hamas says it needs to be a permanent Ceasefire they say they will not release any more hostages until the war ends Israel says the war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and it will only agree to a temporary pause in the fighting so Bill Burns trying to bridge those gaps the fact that he is making This trip is a potentially positive sign we saw a similar trip ahead of the last ceasefire deal in late November a little counterintuitively the fact that the fighting is so intense right now in southern Gaza could be a possible indication that the Israeli military believes a ceasefire deal is looming and It wants to make as much progress on the battlefield as it can before that deal comes into effect here in Israel prime minister Netanyahu under intense pressure from the families of the remaining 136 or so hostages in Gaza I spoke to a released hostage earlier Today she is back out in is Israel she is beginning to take steps to resume her life but she was telling me every single day she is haunted by the knowledge that those other hostages remain inside Gaza she said the Israeli government needs to make one big deal to bring everybody out Soldiers civilians men women young and old she says whatever it takes however many Palestinian prisoners need to be released Israel needs to make that deal and needs to make it now back to you rap Sanchez thank you before we go it is time for the future of everything Celebrity impostor scams are on the rise one woman sent thousands of dollars to someone she thought was an NBC news reporter that story is next so stay tuned Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC what's the message that you're trying to to get out to young people no What is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le main part of our continued Reporting this is what a country in war looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this we see everybody good the it took for all this damage To good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that News Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 from inside Iran from Israel Florida from Le Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country at War looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this we sa everybody Good it took for all this damage To stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be on the look out for and your wallet some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays From 12 to 4 p.m. Eastern on NBC news now now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question is still outstanding news for The generation of now is NBC News Now people really don't know what's going to happen nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there's more good people than bad people I know right there is some late breaking [Applause] news all Right new guidelines from meta on how to keep teens safe online that is Straight Ahead in the future of everything but first here are some of the Tech headlines we're following today Microsoft will lay off nearly 2,000 workers mostly in its gaming division that's following the acquisition of gaming giant Activision Blizzard the Cuts represent about 9% of Microsoft's 22,000 gaming employees and apple says it's opening up its App Store to competitors in Europe the move will crack open the company's well-known wall Garden as it's called which controls Distribution on Apple platforms but this isn't coming from the goodness of Apple's core if you will the change is actually in line with a new European law it's a concern for many families keeping their teenagers safe online meta is rolling out new measures aimed at protecting minors they're limiting who can message teens and also making sure they can scroll safely without being Exposed to harmful content NBC News correspondent Stephanie GS has this report for parents worried about who is messaging their teenagers on social media meta says it hears them announcing changes to accounts on Facebook messenger and Instagram for teenagers under 16 years old today we're announcing a new default setting for Teens around messaging that makes Instagram safer for them blocking DMS from anyone who they don't follow and aren't connected to for parent supervised accounts changes made to that setting or any other safety and privacy setting now has to be approved by a parent we believe that parents know What's best for their individual child and we want to do what we can to empower parents to make those decisions to shape Instagram the announcement comes after steps taken earlier this month that limit teens's ability to see potentially harmful material and to alert them when They are spending a lot of time on the app at night 95% of teens use social media and are on it more than 3 hours a day which the Surgeon General says puts them at higher risk for depression and anxiety critics say these measures announced by Meda today don't go nearly Far enough these changes are about as effective as a screen door on a submarine techsavvy teenagers May easily navigate around restrictions how difficult is it for a teenager to lie about his or her age and set up an Instagram account it is so simple because we've never put in age Verification and age Assurance requirements by the way a trillion dollar company can figure that out our thanks to Stephanie GS for that report now to a concerning Trend online where criminals are pretending to be celebrities to scam people out of money the so-called impostor scams are costing Americans a ton of money and can have some pretty big consequences here's NBC's Vicky win the first time I saw him was on the Today's Show Jane head of Tennessee might be the world's biggest Jacob sober off fan who wouldn't like that face last may jane posted a message on Jacob's Verified Facebook page two weeks later someone responded claiming to be Jacob and asking her to message him on WhatsApp I was elated it was just like oh my gosh they exchanged thousands of messages over the course of 6 months how often were you communicating almost every day and there were days when the Line of communication was open all day long her daughter Joanie couldn't believe a busy Network News correspondent was chatting with her mother and her instincts were right the scammers pretending to be Jacob convinced Jane to send more than $117,000 in Bitcoin and gift cards I was Saying no no I can't and this person said well just let your bills go this month police say a victim in Kansas lost 94,000 to someone falsely claiming to be country singer Neil McCoy another in Pennsylvania scammed out of $41,000 by a Johnny Depp impersonator and this woman In Philadelphia told our local station she sent $290,000 to a scammer posing as golfer Phil mikkelson it started on Facebook in 2023 impostor scams cost Americans $2 billion there's an Allure about celebrities and uh people wanting to believe that they are actually talking to those people that they see on TV and In the movies every day FBI special agent Andrew innocenti says scammers look for super fans they become targets for these types of uh criminal actors during our investigation we found imposters pretending to be Keanu Reeves Rea McIntyre Ryan Reynolds Dolly Parton even me on X Facebook and Instagram what Are some things social media companies should be doing to protect consumers well I don't think the entire onus should be on consumers to report when they've been contacted by a scammer imposter scams affect people of every age group every income group no matter where you live it was very hard for me To approach her about it hoping to break through to her mom Joanie reached out to NBC news for help I feel the strain but it's only because I love her I have something that might be able to cheer you up just a little bit I want to Introduce you to somebody Jacob Jame hey thank you so much for your support and I'm so ter terribly sorry that you know you've gone through something now that so many people have gone through you're going to help a lot of people by having this conversation with Vicki thank you For what you do you're you're just a joy to watch in a statement meta the parent company of Facebook and Instagram said they take steps to protect their users and wrote scammers have always existed and they continuously adapt their tactics to new technology to manipulate people in various ways that's why meta Alongside our industry peers continues to take steps to improve detection and enforce they said they removed 827 million fake accounts from July to September last year in addition to the accounts we found and they asked for the Public's help in reporting scam accounts X did not respond to our request for Comment to reduce your risk of becoming a victim be wary of anyone who reaches out to you claiming to be a celebrity never send money or gift cards to someone you don't know if you have lost money to a scammer cut off contact right away and contact the bank or gift card Company immediately to try and reverse the transaction and Jane has this bit of advice my journey brought me extreme happiness and then mortifying sadness but I think I'm here to point out to other people to be careful Vicky win NBC news that does it for us tonight I'm Ellison Barber we will see you tomorrow but until then stay tuned Now Tonight Trump on the stand the former president defending himself in the EEG Carol civil defamation trial jurors are now considering how much Trump should pay up for saying that Carol lied when she accused him of sexual abuse his testimony from the hot seat and what he Said that forced the judge to strike it from the record also tonight in an unprecedented move the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive Republican nominee NBC News obtaining a draft of the resolution that is facing major criticism even from Trump Nikki Haley also weighing in how her campaign is responding and the Statement just in from the former president Super Soaker millions in the South dealing with rounds of Relentless rain in Louisiana flash flood emergency issued as cars take on feet of water and streets quickly turned into rivers the risk for life-threatening flooding and severe storms plaguing the region for a Fifth straight day when we could finally see some relief experimental execution Alabama preparing to carry out the first execution by nitrogen gas the convicted killer who already underwent an unsuccessful lethal injection now expected to be executed in a neverbe used practice we hear from the death row Inmate himself and from the children of the woman he killed all parties concerned the method won't work again plus hairstyle on trial a Texas teen punished by his school for refusing to cut his locks his family arguing the move violates a new state law which prohibits race-based hair discrimination How the school is responding as the team awaits his day in court and Toxic Paradise after the deadliest wildfire in US history Laha is beginning to pick up the pieces but concerns are mounting over where they actually put them an area known for its beautiful coral reef Now possibly in danger we speak to one of the outraged residents who says the health of the community and the environment are at stake top Story start right Now and good evening we're following several breaking headlines involving former president Trump first Trump taking the stand today testifying in his own defense in the defamation trial brought against him by writer een Carroll it comes after a jury already found that Trump sexually abused and defamed her today the former president Standing by his denial of Carol's sexual assault claim but the judge was forced to strike down the second half of his statement we're going to explain that also breaking the former president is attempting to dismiss election interference charges citing allegations of an improper romantic relationship between two key prosecutors in the case The motion to disqualify Fulton County district attorney fonnie Willis and what it means for the case moving forward also tonight the RNC is considering declaring Trump the presumptive 20124 nominee the mounting pressure rival Nikki Haley is facing from her own party now to drop out of the race Haley's Campaign firing back saying the decision should be in the hands of Voters NBC's Ryan Nobles tonight sorry us off right here tonight after winds in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few minutes his testimony limited by The judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist egene Carroll now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was Lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell Accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement Trump's allies slamming the proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants Per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first you'd have to go talk to the minority Leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump yet about the final product from my Point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get On a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan Noble joins us tonight from Capitol Hill to break down all this Trump news Ryan I really want to focus our conversation on what's happening on Capitol Hill there we've seen all these establishment Republicans circle around and coales Around Trump calling him the nominee saying he should be the nominee essentially doing whatever he wants so how much are his comments affecting this border Bill well Tom I think we'd be naive uh to say that they are insignificant he is playing a real role in these conversations and there are many Republicans not only in the house but in the Senate as well that take their cues from the former president and he just released a statement tonight saying that unless they get a perfect border deal that the Border deal package could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats that's something that Republicans are paying very close attention to they understand that Trump has enormous influence with his supporters many of those voters they need for their own elections and that's part of why his input has been so important in these conversations Ryan game this out for us because you you got To this question when you were talking to some of the Republicans on Capitol Hill there though I mean they talk about the immigration problem every single day there's clearly a massive immigration problem in this country but if they vote for the bill is it a victory for the Current president which could be a victory come November yeah and that's that's what they're wrestling with right now is the politics of all of this Tom you talked to some members and they say they just want to fix the problem at the border that are not worried about the politics but there Are other Republicans that suggest that unless they have a deal that meets all the criteria that they're looking for there's no reason to offer any sort of assistance to Biden in his campaign that's going to be the big conversation that plays out here over the next couple Of weeks as to whether or not this package ever gets over the finish line and of course we're talking a lot about the Border Tom but there's a big component of this that involves that funding to Ukraine which right now is in real danger of never happening Ryan Noble's leading us off Here on top story Ryan thank you there's also some new reporting from the campaign Trail the Republican National Committee seemingly trying to pressure Republicans to rrap up the primary season and select Trump as the GOP nominee but a campaign spokesperson for Nikki Haley saying quote who cares what The RNC says we'll let millions of Republican voters across the country decide who should be our party's nominee not a bunch of of Washington insiders if Ron McDaniel wants to be helpful she can organize a debate in South Carolina unless she's also worried that Trump can't handle being on the stage for 90 Minutes with Nikki Haley Von hiler joins us now to give us the latest Von we knew this was going to get ugly walk our viewers through what happened today and we we and others have uncovered in our reporting there was a proposed resolution right right after a 30o loss To Donald Trump in Iowa an 11-point lost him in New Hampshire there was a great many folks in Republican circles that wanted Donald Trump to be the presumptive nominee Nikki Haley to get out of the race Focus the party's resources on beating Joe Biden in November's general election Nikki Haley Said sorry that's not going to happen Donald Trump is going to have to win more States her home state of South Carolina comes a month from now so that only drags this process out and what now the RNC uh is going to be putting forward at next week's RNC meeting in Las Vegas is a resolution then which they're going to ask all the members they come from all 50 states these are key party activists to vote on making Donald Trump the presumptive nominee essentially what that would do would allow the party to begin investing dollars towards Donald Trump's candidacy And making it all but harder on Nikki Haley to make the claim that she still has a chance when the party is already behind Donald so a proposal's been drafted already we've seen this they want people to vote on this and essentially end the primary process it almost all but ended there would Technically still be the votes folks would still go vote in South Carolina but it would be the party infrastructure which millions of dollarss to its name saying Donald Trump is our guy and for Nikki Haley she's already having a tough time with donors and with uh other Republican elected officials who have Not endorsed her but endorsed Donald Trump and I think it's notable though literally in just the last few minutes Donald Trump actually just put a social media post out in which he said that he does not believe that RNC should go forward with this plan because he wants To win the old-fashioned way were his words and finish the process off at The Ballot Box of course Donald Trump is one who is not shy about wanting to have a big party and he believes that South Carolina is a place where he can get a great amount of support and beat Nikki Haley on her home turf once and for all this is so strange because even before New Hampshire voted you had Ronald McDaniel come out with that statement essentially saying if there's a loss tonight they got a rally around Trump the person who proposed this Dave bossy worked so closely with the president in The during the campaign he's at the RNC now and now Trump saying he's not with this plan I mean what's going on it's a little hectic at the Republican party here these days and Nikki Haley she wants to have a debate a one-on-one debate with Donald Trump and that's Where she called on the RNC to make that happen forced Donald Trump to not make the agreement to it but so far Donald Trump has not felt compelled to take part in any debate at this point and the Republican National Committee what they want is anything but chaos but right now Over the next month we could see a little bit more of it Von Hiller with the news from the campaign Trail Von thank you for that now to the other legal drama the former president is involved in to remind our viewers Trump along with 18 other codefendants is being investigated in Georgia on Election interference charges but one of Trump's codefendants in the case Mike Roman is alleging that fton County district attorney fonnie Willis had an improper relationship with one of the special prosecutors on that case Nathan Wade standing next to her in the gray suit there now Trump is joining that Motion in an attempt to remove her from the case we've covered this extensively here on top story Trump's Council making a statement today saying in part the motion file today on behalf of President Trump seeks to hold district attorney Willis legally accountable both for her misconduct alleged emotion filed by Mr Roman as well as her extrajudicial public statements falsely and intentionally injecting race into this case alluding to comment she made last week claiming she and Wade are being targeted because of her race and his race here's what she said appointed Three Special counsel is is my right to Do paid them all the same hourly rate they only attacked one I hired one white woman a good personal friend and great lawyer a superstar I tell you I hired one white man brilliant my friend and a great lawyer and I hired one black man another Superstar a great Friend and a great lawyer oh Lord they going to be mad when I call them out on this nonsense first thing they say oh she going to play the race card now but no God isn't it them who's playing the race card when they only question one to help Us understand what's at play here I want to bring in NBC legal analyst and friend of top story Danny savalos Danny thanks for joining us tonight so Danny it seems like things are only getting worse for da fonny Willis and the pressure is just mounting what do you think happens after This well I want to frame what this motion actually asked for it's been described as a motion to dismiss miss the case outright based on a relationship between the da and the top prosecutor honor team that's not really what the motion is the motion is twofold first it says the prosecutor was Improperly appointed he was essentially a private citizen getting an indictment against these defendants and so the indictment is fatally defective for that reason part two of the motion says Hey in case you are wondering how the prosecutor could have just forgotten to to cross all the te's and Dot all the Eyes here's why they were probably avoiding getting caught in this alleged relationship and the second part of the motion says hey if you don't dismiss the indictment you should throw these two prosecutors off the case because of the appearance of impropriety and attorneys like me are not judged on whether or not There is an improper event rather the appearance of impropriety is what we have to strive to avoid according to the ethical rules so it seems to me that fonnie Willis is looking to make public statements in a venue where she's not going to field questions but this is a Real problem for the Georgia DA's office and a real problem for this prosecution one of the possible outcomes could be disqualifying the entire DA's office who then will even take up the charge but Trump's allegations go one step further because essentially what they're saying is there's this improper relationship Between the da and the special prosecutor there's now credit card statements unsealed from a divorce proceedings involving that special prosecutor that that show trips between fonny Willis and the special prosecutor but then she goes to the church and she says this is all about race is that a Problem when we talk about ethics is that a problem can can a lawyer do that is she is she able to do that but as as the da she has to be careful as a lawyer she has to be careful exactly right and more so as the da more so as an elected Official but also as an attorney injecting race improperly into a case can potentially raise an Ethics problem and you know I've actually had this come up in my own cases and the the problem is is that you're essentially invoking by invoking race you're implying that the other side is engaging in racism and If you're going to make that kind of allegation you have to have to have support for it because courts and I know this I've litigated cases where uh other parties have brought this up uh courts do not take kindly to unsupported allegations of racism because they can devastate someone's career so that's Just a general proposition that really it was probably not a great idea if I think if fonny Wills had that moment back she might not have said what she said about race because it only created problems it didn't help her one bit Danny you know you're somebody who comes On here and you're always very measured you're not a lawyer on TV who just likes to sort of inject anything that's exciting or salacious so I say that because it's sounding to me like you think da fonny Willis is an actual real trouble and this could come back to Haunt her I do originally when this motion first came out it seemed like a long shot but I've read the motion if the allegations they have in there are true for example they alleged that the special prosecutor had so little experience that they couldn't even find A case or two cases in which he had handled Rico cases that is a strange thing given you have an entire DA's office full of people who are guess what prosecutors and they're very experienced now now now we get into kind of a Twilight Zone here because the defendant Is essentially arguing hey you got a less experienced prosecutor what about all these experienced prosecutors it's the defendant making the hey better people to prosecute me right but the point is made is why appoint why pay this person uh upwards of I believe upwards of a million dollars in fees Already and you know look if you build those hours he build those hours but uh why get this person onto the case the stronger argument right now is the technical one that the indictment may have been improperly obtained that's a problem I mean we challenge indictments on technicalities all the time you got To you got to do everything right procedurally but the second part disqualifying the a could completely derail the case as well because it's her show who else is going to step in if she's somehow disqualified this motion is a real threat to this prosecution all right Danny savalos we appreciate all of Your analysis as always we want to take a big turn now and talk about some of the severe flooding threading threatening Millions uh of Americans massive rainfall in the Southeast flooding homes and businesses and submerging vehicles the storm system turning deadly in Mississippi as officials raised for more dangerous Conditions in hard hit Texas and Louisiana guad vas is there tonight A soak southern region enduring a second day of heavy rain 19 million people under flood alerts from Mississippi to the Northeast a day after Heavy Rain slam parts of Texas and Louisiana we're definitely keeping a Close eye cuz it could get dangerous quickly in making use of a kayak to get around after the flash floods left neighborhoods underwater in Texas authorities keeping an eye on Five Rivers forecasted to reach major flood stages after a day of rescues in the Houston area in Montgomery County Firefighters rescuing 17 people from flooded homes my father start he tried to come on the tractor but he got stuck me way through the tractor turned off in Mississippi authorities now reporting one weather related death after a driver lost control of a vehicle and ran into a tree numerous cities in the corridor From Texas to the Northeast getting more than double their average rainfall for the month of January that wet winter weather now marching East threatening a dangerous end to the week guad Venegas joins us tonight from Covington Louisiana guad you're standing in front of a river tonight what's the concern There does it remain the flooding of those Rivers uh Tom you can see some of the flooding here yeah so these waterways in the area are still flooded there is River here but the water would normally be somewhere down there we still have some of the flooding in the lowline Areas not just in this part of Louisiana but all across the region so authorities are asking people to stay away from these areas of course because there is a danger when people come uh to these lowline parts of the region uh the good news is that most of the rain has has Already made its way through so we didn't get as much rain today as we had yesterday as the worst part of the storm is making its way through the South Tom guad Vega here be careful for the Gators for more in the severe weather NBC News meteorologist Bill Kens joins me now Bill we know the worst of this storm may be done but there's one right behind it yeah 24hour break that's all these residents going going to get for the clean up and for the water to reced before we add more water on top of it so Now we're down to 16 million people in flood watches and these flood watches from Atlanta Montgomery are actually for the next storm coming they never even dropped them from this storm so you notice we have areas of rain but we don't have anything concentrated anymore we don't have any flash flooding that's Ongoing currently thunderstorms across Georgia or D we doing some heavy raining between St Louis and Chicago but here's the next storm already going to form off the coast of Texas as we go throughout Friday Friday night Heavy Rain develops in Louisiana once again right where guad Was standing and then this storm will be on the move this weekend Saturday is a soaking rain through the South especially the Carolinas Tennessee Kentucky and then as we go throughout Sunday all of this rain moves into the Northeast and there's going to be just enough cold there on the north side of This for some heavy wet snow it's going to be a marginal forecast temperatures are really close between going to be rain or snow higher elevations of course our European computer model yesterday was saying heavier snow now it's looking at lighter snow and our models have flip-flopped if you were with us last Night our American model was saying light snow now it's saying heavier snow the bottom line is it's going to take another day to kind of iron this out where we're going to be dealing with the heaviest snow on Sunday night into Monday morning in the Northeast and in The meantime Tom we're going to talk a lot the week ahead about our friends on the west coast an atmospheric river is heading their way with a lot of rain oh not again all right Bill we appreciate that in Alabama tonight officials said to execute a convicted murderer using Nitrogen gas it's the first time ever the method has been used to kill a prisoner but people on both sides of the case say there's a lot of risk even potentially to those present at the execution Dasha burn spoke with that inmate the son of his victim and the Reverend said to deliver his last rights the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Correction but tonight the death row inmate is still alive I'm terrified it started when I was on the exec guarding Uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen gas the fact that da got me lined up to be the first with gas um it's really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt at lethal injection didn't work I IUN line in my CH my head blood at my head Al the third in a of botched executions That year How could a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C Holman Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed execution failed them too what is that emotion anger anger anger yeah mhm they're Supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed he was guilty so how does that turn into 30 5 year wait to get Justice for what our mother suffered from you guys are about to drive down this road again to witness this again how confident are you that the State will succeed not much 50/50 50/50 mhm it's brand new who knows what's going to happen with this one I hope nothing goes wrong that's our F yeah that's our final hope it's all over with Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of Execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of all the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in court Testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and humane Smith's team has argued execution by nitrogen gas could lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will performed Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and this morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to him too when did it start to really Dawn on you that this was going To be very different from from the previous times you've given last rights I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution the waiver here talks about in the event in the in the highly unlikely event it says here that the hose supplying breathing gas to the mask Were to detach an area of free flowing nitrogen could result creating a small area of risk and and there it goes on to talk about other potential hazards how did you feel seeing I mean the existence of a waiver in the first place speaks to the fear that they have that something Could go wrong this is the first time in human history that someone besides the person being executed is at risk of dying in the process and I think it's also important to point out that you know this human experiment on Kenny is also an experiment on everybody else in The room I mean there's a conern of your own safety and then there are concerns about how this could go for Kenny how worried are you about what you might witness I mean I think uh I'm prepared to witness a horror show I kept asking questions and they kept saying trust us Trust us do you trust them no Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not going to go right I'm expected to take the bir of the Department of going to get it it's all about what's fixing to happen to him But nobody is talking about what he did to our mother or why he's in that situation because he killed her this is what it's about for you all yeah that's all it's ever been about what would you say to your mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice all right Dasha Burns joins us tonight live from Atmore Alabama Dasha as you mentioned in your piece this is a very new method of execution and yet I understand officials they're not exactly being trans parent about some of the Protocols yeah Tom that's right they did release a protocol but it was heavily redacted uh the press the Senate family and uh Reverend Jeff Hood who you heard from there have all been asking questions trying to get in more information to understand exactly how this will all unfold but a lot of those Questions have gone unanswered uh Hood especially has been really dissatisfied with the lack of answers from the state about his own uh safety you can imagine he and his family are really concerned about about that and Tom as we stand here right now I'm right now in the Media Center that's across the street uh from from the facility where where uh Hood will under where where uh um he will undergo this Kenny uh Kenny Smith will undergo this procedure uh we are right now waiting on some final uh legal processes to play out we're waiting for One more word from the Supreme Court based on another case um that Smith attorneys filed trying to get this uh uh trying to get a stay trying to get this execution paused we're expecting to hear from the Supreme Court shortly this is typical with these sorts of executions Le usually there are legal Maneuvers um sort of up until the last minute we know that when the process will really Kickstart is when some witnesses some of the media uh folks here that were selected as Witnesses are going to be transported there so that's when that Happens that's when we know um that the process will actually begin but when it's going to be over and what's going to transpire tonight it's still a question Tom Dasha Burns right there at the center of it all okay Dasha we thank you for your reporting on what is a very Tough story we want to turn out of Michigan in another tough story where a historic trial is underway for the mother of school shooter Ethan Crumley the teenager sentenced to life in prison after killing four students at his high school nearly 3 years ago now his parents are both facing charges of Involuntary manslaughter Accused by prosecutors of failing to prevent the shooting Adrien brus has a look at the trial now underway for crumble Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for Her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted crumblyy charged with involuntary manslaughter the first parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their Child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumb's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on Storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here it exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still raw so I looked down and um I realize he's raising a gun to me Crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there in I tonight the defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who She was as a mother as for the prosecution they say they plan to call more than 20 Witnesses including some who were inside of the school the day of the shooting Tom Adrian broad is for us tonight Adrian thank you for that we want to head overseas now to the ongoing Negotiations to release the hostages still held in Gaza a top Us official is being tapped by the Biden Administration to help broker that deal CIA director William Burns now heading to Europe this weekend for top level meetings with more on this development I want to bring in NBC News foreign correspondent Raph Sanchez who joins us now from Tel Aviv will the CIA director Raph be able to do what so far no International Diplomat nobody from Israel Andor Hamas has been able to do it's the big question Tom the CIA director will be meeting his Israeli counterpart the head of the Mossad spy Agency he'll be meeting the prime minister of Qatar who has been the key mediator throughout this process and his hope is to jumpstart these negotiations towards the ceasefire towards getting those Israeli hostages released the last ceasefire Tom you'll remember collapsed on the 1st of December and the big Sticking point since then has been whether any pause in the fighting going forward will be temporary or permanent Hamas is saying it needs to be a permanent ceasefire they say they will not release any more hostages until the war ends Israel is saying only a temporary pause in the fighting they say The war will not end until Hamas is destroyed and that they plan to resume military activity on the other side of a hostage deal Tom it is worth noting it feels a little counterintuitive but the fact that the fighting is so intense right now in southern Gaza could Actually be a sign that the Israeli military believes that a ceasefire is imminent and it feels it wants to make as much progress on the battlefield before any agreement comes into place we hope so you you've been covering sort of every moment of this terror attack and Now war and hostage negotiations do we know what the thinking is because our secretary of state Anthony blinkin has spent so much time over there he's been trying to do this and now they're calling in the CIA director and I just wonder what the calculation may be from the Biden Administration It's really interesting Tom we have seen the spies the intelligence officials acting as the sort of Shadow diplomats throughout this crisis so Israel's lead negotiator has been the head of its own foreign intelligence agency the mosad this is a man who has been going to Arab countries with whom Israel does not have Diplomatic relations and negotiating on behalf of the Israeli government and it may be that the Biden Administration feels that CIA director Bill Burns who is a diplomat by background but is now the head of the CIA a man who has unparalleled insight into the vast intelligence resources of the United States that he may be the man to go in and clinch the deal here they're certainly hoping so and we actually saw him making similar trips before that last ceas fire deal came into place back in November Tom Raph Sanchez from Tel Aviv tonight Raph thank you still ahead The shocking new allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon a former employee now accusing him of sex trafficking sexual assault and abuse also alleging she was forced to perform sex acts in exchange for her job the graphic details coming up plus the high school student now going to trial over this hairstyle Why his school district has kept him at a class over his locks and why his family says that's breaking the law and Manhattan's Freedom Tower may be dethroned as the tallest skyscraper in the US so can you guess where this would be built the answer may surprise you stay with Us when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the morning it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part of our Continued reporting this is what a country at War looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this all safe everybody good the it took for all this damage to News for the generation of now is NBC news [Applause] Now now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question is still out understanding news for the generation of now is NBC news [Applause] Now the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to Be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning back down with some shocking allegations involving one of the biggest figures in pro wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon accused of sexual abuse and sex trafficking by a former employee and a warning some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing Stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit Seeks to anal a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive 3 milli Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not What she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene made up instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not Been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at A critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable Claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and tonight WWE's parent company TKO is also responding TKO tells NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE adding they quote take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and Are addressing this matter internally when we come back the dangerous traffic stop in Oklahoma a car plowing into a stop vehicle a State Trooper going airborne luckily somehow everyone is okay but tonight authorities issuing a warning to other drivers will Explain what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from Inside Iran from Israel from Florida part of our continued reporting think we're all safe everybody good women Children we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's it's Mars it feels like we're on the cusp of something big what is going to happen now going back and forth all nice to see You the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are Seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon mem they have tweaked my monitor and I can see Now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize will never be questioned nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared a sh There is some late breaking news all Right okay we are back now with top stories news feed we begin with the death of a New York City dancer linked to mislabeled cookies according to a new lawsuit the 25-year-old went into anaphylactic shock after eating cookies from the local supermarket Stu Leonards according to the woman's lawyer the Packaging did not say the product contained peanuts but did Supermarket said the supplier changed a soy ingredient to peanuts but they were never notified part of a historic church in Connecticut collapsed today with at least one person inside take a look at this new video shows the roof caved in On a church in New London search Crews were called in but officials say they believe only one person was inside at the time and she was safely evacuated no one else was hurt that church built back in 1810 Oklahoma authorities issuing a warning to drivers after a dangerous Crash caught on camera everyone in this video so you know is okay a dash cam capturing the moment a passing car slammed into a stop vehicle sending a State Trooper you see there flying to the ground three people including the trooper were treated for injuries at the hospital but have since been released Highway Patrol reminding drivers to pay attention to the road and always move over if you see a stop vehicle and the tallest skyscraper in the US may be coming to Oklahoma City Yes you heard that right a new rendering by AO architecture shows the proposed Brick Town Tower according to a press release The building will be 1, 197 ft that number honors the year Oklahoma became a state it would also make it more taller than the Freedom Tower in Manhattan and the fifth tallest building in the world pretty incredible okay next tonight to an update on a Case we've been tracking A Texas school district is now headed to court to determine whether a black high school student can continue being punished for refusing to change a hairstyle he and his family say is protected by a new state law NBC's in clay esima has the latest tonight a heated dispute between A Houston area school district and one of its black high school students is headed to trial Daryl George has been serving an in school suspension and facing other disciplinary actions for more than 4 months now all because of his hair why like why me out of everybody in that school The Barbers Hill district says it's because George's lock hairstyle violates its dress code policy which limits hair length for boys but George's family and critics say the move is a violation of the crown act a new Texas law which took effect in September and prohibits race-based hair discrimination I wrote The Crown act I Filed it and it is clear locks band two knots twists braids washing goes blowouts however you wish to wear your hair wigs should be accepted Barbers Hill ISD is stealing his high school experience and breaking the law a state judge Now setting a February trial date to determine if George's punishment is a Violation of the law the family has a real case here especially given that the authors of the bill really believe that this is a situation where the crown act would apply the outcome of this case will absolutely set a precedent especially within the state of Texas George's mother said she was Disappointed the judge did not Grant a temporary restraining order that would have stopped her son's punishment until the trial I have a son 18 years old that wants to go to school that wants to get his education and y'all messing with him why barbar's Hill superintendent telling NBC News in part the crown act says nothing about hair length adding it was meant to allow braids locks or twists which the district has always allowed the law was never intended to allow unlimited student expression in a paid ad that ran earlier this month in the Houston Chronicle pools stood behind the District's decisions the ad reading quote we will not lose sight of the main goal high standards for our students by bending to political pressure or responding to misinformed media reports these entities have lesser goals that ultimately harm kids Greg is a liar it is about the fact that he does not like Braids locks or any sort of African-American hairstyle which he said and I'm going to prove it to you we spoke with George in December shortly after he was suspended for a second time due to his hair how has this all felt for you it's very stressful I'm trying To maintain being a student while also having to deal with this why should I cut my hair for my education my hair has nothing to do with my education what does your hair and your hairstyle mean to you it just means a lot to me it make Me feel more closer to my people being without my hair is like cutting me from my people not letting me you know express myself how I feel I should be zenclay samwa NBC News okay we thank zenclay for that story not a top stories Global watch a check of what else is Happening around the world we start with those six nuns we had told you about they have been released after being kidnapped in Haiti the Archbishop confirmed the nuns along with two other people were freed on Wednesday it is unclear their condition or if any type of Ransom was paid as we reported the Group of eight were kidnapped while on a bus in the capital city Pope Francis had also called for their release okay Taiwan has begun its extended mandatory military service starting today recruits will serve for a mandatory one year instead of four months Taiwan announced the extensions in late 2022 over Concerns about China's Rising military threat according to the Army conscripts will undergo more intense training operate more powerful weapons and receive combat instructions used by US forces and Costa Rica giving its residents more freedom over their last names the country's Supreme Court lifting a requirement that placed the Father's surname before the mothers on identification in many Spanish-speaking Nations people often use the last names of both parents well the Court's decision now allows citizens to choose the order in which they appear okay coming up officials in lah cleaning up toxic debris from the devastating Wildfire so where is it going debris by the truckloads now being offloaded at a temporary dump site not far from the ocean one outraged resident joins top story he explains to us and shows us some of his evidence that officials are not doing enough to protect the area's Natural habitat we'll bring you all the sides coming up after this nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there is some late breaking news all Right when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together nearly a dozen hours after the ey roared ashore there is some late breaking news all Right were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press we report live from Tel Aviv from Puz Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now people really don't know what's going to happen near a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there's more good people than bad people I know Right there is some late breaking news the Iowa cauc [Applause] all right Too we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina you're in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the People in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press we're back now with our continuing coverage of the aftermath of those deadly wildfire in Lina the New York Times today reporting officials are Working to dispose of thousands of truckloads of toxic debris but the chosen temporary disposal site in ol walu drawing outrage from native Hawaiian residents and those concerned with protecting a nearby prized coral reef one of those vocal opponents to the dump site is Eddie Garcia he joins top Story tonight he's a farmer in olalo which is a few miles south of L on the western Maui Coastline Eddie thanks for joining us tonight you said you've been analyzing schematics and Drone footage of the dump site and you believe the site's overall design is flawed looking At this Drone footage and the images that we have here for our viewers why do you believe the sight's construction is an issue um well there's several factors one is um just the sheer surface area of non-permeable surface like when you're thinking about catching water off of a Roof you have to have such a certain size of catchment to handle the amount of square non-permeable surface that will fill that catchment tank so if you look on the shot that you guys are showing now you can see that with over six acres of surface area uh that thing Produces about 160,000 gallons of rainwater for every inch of rain uh we're known to have 4 inch rains not that uncommon it would close to fill the million gallon Reservoir in fact a small rain last week filled it with 400,000 gallons they didn't have anything they could do except actually Stick it right back into the ground in the porest C Cinder area and drain it right on top of a water table 600 yard from the ocean Eddie a lot of our viewers a lot of our viewers aren't familiar with this area can you can you Kind of walk us through the video that we're looking at what exactly are we seen there in that Drone footage so you're looking at a cinder cone that's really uh cultural historical site that used to have a dump next door to it so they basically hollowed it all out what you're looking On the screen right now is them actually dumping the leachate water right into the ground um that's their only safe fail fail safe right now if it were to rain 4 inches on us it would create a whole new Reservoir their only answer is that it's a closed loop system this is After they drained it they don't have a way to pull the leech eight out or the solid material they have not given us any protocol the overall top Reservoir that you see on the top of this lower area which is the lee8 containment tank it has too much surface area as well to Actually contain it it's bound to overflow on the low side and then what happens if it overflows where does that water go that's going to wind up right in the ocean and they're saying it's not going to wind up in the ocean because you won't see it but basically this is a Cinder pit one of the most Forest um sort of areas that we have in the Hawaiian islands and they usually have lava tubes underneath them in fact you can notice they drained almost 400,000 gallons of water in just a few hours there's really only a few places on the Island you could even do that without it just saturating the ground and puddling up so this here the SES you're seeing now is after they drained it from the first rain it filled up this much here with less than four inches of rain the top one you're looking at now is the bad Design and you can also see that the puddle is in the bottom corner and that only took a few inches of rain to get it to that point what yeah there's thousands like we said thousands of of truckloads if you will pounds of debris from L they have to clean it up where Should It Go um well there's been a lot of um proposals put forward some companies that were willing to ship it to the mainland and pay and um uh pack it and ship it to the mainland it was a little more expensive but there's a bunch of Solutions on the table right now Including packing it into seven or8 thousand containers within the contaminated area instead of contaminating a whole another area this place is much more volatile due to the nature of the cinder and the drainage right into the water table this is some of the strongest wind on the island Their argument is that if they need to contain it and get it out of a vol volatile situation but what they're actually doing is putting it in a much more volatile situation plus they're putting it where now everyone on the island has to pass by it within 15 feet Of their way station they're putting it in a super windy area that the wind blows right offshore so they should actually be putting signs up that this is toxic to the public people should roll their Windows when they go by the cross-contamination from the trucks is ridiculous and draining right down onto Our farm next door there's a lot of aspects of this going on that are wrong Eddie yeah you know officials yeah you know officials have promised that all the material at the dump site will be dug up and then relocated to a permanent site later but they have yet to select That destination from my understanding are residents like you concerned that once they dump it at this site it's never going to move it's in fact it's a fact probably that it's never going to move because if you look we were told as a community it Was going to be wrapped up in a burrito or a chimy chunga and then it was supposed to be set in the temporary site and then it's then there's a possibility of moving it but think about it 40,000 trucks with 400,000 cubic yards of material but now you're mixing it with 600,000 yards of cubic material of Cinder and Blue Rock now you're soaking water in it like a teacup so you're contaminating all of that material you just over doubled the problem and now you still have to take that to a to a permanent site so all the arguments About the transportation the cost of moving it if it costs them $40 million to move at eight miles and it's only 40,000 trucks imagine what it's going to cost them to move $ 140,000 trucks 20 miles um while the while the island has a lot more tourism and people on it Because of the recovery two years from now Eddie Garcia we we Yeah Eddie we appreciate your time we thank you for coming on top story tonight letting us know about this issue we're going to stay on top of it as we've covered every moment since that wildfire in lahina we Thank you for your time all right we're going to be right back please stay with us Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about about Your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC news [Applause] Now we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered To demonstrate what are the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows For the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app Now finally tonight we're just 6 months away from the Summer Olympics Paris gearing up to host the world's top athletes and what it's calling a new era of games our kir Simmons is there with an inside look on how the city is prepping for this historic Event the clock is ticking down to the Paris games the merchandise already on sale the venues almost ready we got a look at the athletes Village it's going to be ready oh yeah that's that's the crucial question we are perfectly time really early 6 months from the Games and they tell us the Olympic Village will be ready in 6 weeks 3,000 apartments for more than 14,000 athletes and staff many venues are being recycled the 1924 Paris Olympic swimming pool is being refurbished are you putting the water from the sen in here no no the send the Centerpiece of the games hosting the first opening ceremony outside a stadium other iconic landmarks will become venues like the plasa Concord where Olympic breaking will premere Sunny Choy will be there for Team USA I'll be like sitting on the plane and all of a sudden I feel like tears in my eyes and I'm like wait I'm going this is happening like right now as for the hometown fans basketball is a huge draw with NBA star Victor wanyama expected to lead Team France which country is going to get gold in the basket You sure about that actually I think the us is going to get it the us as always we'll see in just six months can't wait for those games to start and a reminder all the action on NBC we thank Kier Simmons for that report and we thank you For watching top story I'm Tom yamas in New York stay right there more news on the way tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought against him by writer egene Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the Judge quickly Struck from the record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley battled for South Carolina the warning he gave to her donors and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro sentence for for defying a subpoena from the January 6 Committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter on trial the video shown of her at a gun range with her son and the moment her tears led to a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations Against WWE founder Vince McMahon the former employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash flooding across the South we're tracking it Alabama set to carry out the first ever execution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the Massive steeple collapsing at a church in Connecticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as we count down to the summer games this is NBC night news with Lester H good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rested its Case in the defamation case against him by writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on the witness stand clashing with the judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay Carol Potentially millions in Damages while in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president threatening to Blacklist donors who contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan nobl has late details tonight after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican FrontRunner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few minutes his testimony limited by the judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist Eugene Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition where he said Carol was lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the Last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and Funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement Trump's allies slamming the proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed Off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean first you'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be Backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump yet about the final product my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors That if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the Border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans that a border deal could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiators believe they could release the details of their legislation early Next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right Brian Nobles thank you a former adviser in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and Provide documents to a house committee investigating the January 6 attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in a Michigan courtroom today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son From shooting four students to death at his high school Adrien brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed Four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted crumblyy charged with involuntary manslaughter the first parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of Tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumley's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this Video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and accident here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still wrong so I looked down and um I realized he's raising a gun to me Crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing so I not tonight the defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to Show who she was as a mother Lester Adrien BR us thank you there's a man hun in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect who escaped from authorities police say Shane prior ran away after police brought into a hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshall service says he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news news involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of sexual assault and trafficking by a former employee Tomy yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to Warn you some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accused using WWE founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual Assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that MC Man forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new law suit seeks to anal a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive 3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million Payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene madeup instances that never Occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career Care I owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming Rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and Tom WWE's parent company is responding to this tonight that's right Lester the parent company is called TKO and they tell NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE while this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter Internally user all right Tom thanks very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting more than a foot the rain shifts north tonight and could impact the morning Commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after strong new evidence of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the Much forecast recession of 2023 never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had new business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that's correct as as as counterintuitive as that may Seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the final 3 months of 2023 for the year a Robust 2 and a half% fueled by strong consumer spending and hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually throughout the year we have had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the lowest inflation rate of any major Economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of high inflation and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's economic growth personally but back in Ben Salem tempered enthusiasm from Josh letter Grade what was 2023 in a letter grade A minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well earned Year from everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing on what they decide to do about interest rates how does this News factor in you know Lester we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is headed for interest rate Cuts this year and that's part of what's been Fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted murderer using a first ofit kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this the stunning imag is coming in tonight from Connecticut an enormous steeple collapsing at a historic church In the city of New London opening up a massive hole in the roof inside covered in debris one woman who was inside at the time got out safely authorities don't believe anyone else was inside and no injuries are reported we turn out of Alabama and the plans for a first of its Kind execution as Doha Burns reports the state is set to use a new untested method involving nitrogen gas on a death row inmate it has already tried to execute once before the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a free call from K an incarcerated Individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive terrified it started when I was on the execution guarding uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen gas the fact that Theyve got me lined up to be the first with gas is really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 but the attempt At lethal injection didn't work the third in a string of botched executions that year How could a a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C Holman Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed execution Failed them too what is that emotion Ang anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that Has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going to happen least of all the state of Alabama but state of officials expressed confidence in court testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and Humane Smith's team has argued execution by nitrogen gas could Lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and This morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could would be deadly to him too I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution this is the first time in human history that someone besides the Person being executed is at risk of dying in the process Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not going to go right I'm expected to take the word the department of going to get it tonight the Senate will be in attendance once again what Would you say to your mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice Dasha Burns NBC News Atmore Alabama all right we'll take a break coming up the new measures on Instagram aimed at keeping teenagers safe but do they do enough and why Now it's a concern for so many families keeping their teenagers safe on social media now Instagram is rolling out some new measures aimed at limiting who can message to and more here's Stephanie GS for parents worried about who is messaging their teenagers on social media meta says it hears them announcing Changes to accounts on Facebook messenger and Instagram for teenagers under 16 years old today we're announcing a new default setting for teens around messaging that makes Instagram safer for them blocking DMS from anyone who they don't follow and aren't connected to for parent supervised accounts changes made to that Setting or any other safety and privacy setting now has to be approved by a parent we believe that parents know what's best for their individual child and we want to do what we can to empower parents to make those decisions to shape Instagram the announcement comes after steps taken earlier this month that Limit teen's ability to see potentially harmful material and to alert them when they are spending a lot of time on the app at night 95% of teens use social media and are on it more than 3 hours a day which the Surgeon General says puts them at higher risk for depression and Anxiety critics say these measures announced by meta today don't go nearly far enough these changes are about as effective as a screen door on a submarine tech savvy teenagers May easily navigate around restrictions how difficult is it for a teenager to lie about his or her age and set up an Instagram account it is so simple because we we have never put in age verification and age Assurance requirements by the way a trillion dollar company can figure that out Stephanie is meta doing anything to establish age verification for these accounts you know Lester I asked them that specific question and they said That it is a quote complex industry challenge but they did say that they support proposed Federal legislation that would require app stores to get parental permission for teenagers to download apps onto their devices all right G thank you up next we'll take you to Paris and see how the city is Preparing exactly 6 months before the Summer Olympics in just 6 months more than 10,000 athletes from around the world will descend on Paris for the Summer Olympics Kier Simmons is there with a look and how the city is getting ready the clock is ticking down to the Paris games the merchandise already on Sale the venues almost most ready we got a look at the athletes Village it's going to be ready oh yeah that's that's the crucial question we are perfectly on time really early 6 months from the games and they tell us the Olympic Village will be ready in 6 weeks 3,000 Apartments for more than 14,000 athletes and staff many venues are being recycled the 1924 Paris Olympic swimming pool is being refurbished are you putting the water from the sen in here no no the send the centerpiece of the games hosting the first opening ceremony outside a stadium other iconic landmarks will become Venues like the plasa Concord where Olympic breaking will premere Sunny Choy will be there for Team USA I'll be like sitting on the plane and all of a sudden I feel like tears in my eyes and I'm like wait I'm going this is happening like right now as for the hometown fans Basketball is a huge draw with NBA star Victor wanyama expected to lead Team France which country is going to get gold in the basketall you sure actually I think the us is going to get it the us as always we'll see in just six months Kia Simmons NBC News Paris and that is Nightly News for this Thursday thank you for watching everyone I'm Lester Holt please take care of yourself and each other good night We're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we're on the cusp of something big news lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its Own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashon News for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free everywhere what is going to happen going back and forth oh right nice to see you What's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared asore there is some late breaking news all Right hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firstand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and the vi Vibes are different from action What is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon M they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for the many questions will question from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine Part of our continued reporting this is what a country in war looks like women children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this everybody good took for all this damage To what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people know what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought against him by writer eege Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the judge quickly Struck from the record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley Battle for South Carolina the warning he gave to her donor and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro sentenced for defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter on trial the video shown of her at a gun range With her son and the moment her tears led to a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations against WWE found under Vince McMahon the former employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash Flooding across the South we're tracking it Alabama set to carry out the first ever execution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the massive steeple collapsing at a church in Conneticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as we Count down to the Summer Games this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rested its case in the defamation case against him by writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on The witness stand clashing with the judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay Carol potentially millions in Damages while in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president Threatening to Blacklist donors who contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan Nobles has late details tonight after winds in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican front runner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only A few minutes his testimony limited by the judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist e Carol now a jury is weighing how much to award Carol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by His deposition where he said Carol was lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement do Trump's allies slamming The proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean First you'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump Yet about the final product my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magga camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her Campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donal show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans That a border deal could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiators believe they could release the details of their legislation early next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right Ryan nobl thank you a former adviser in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and provide documents to a house committee investigating the January six attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in the Michigan courtroom today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son from shooting four students to death at his high school Adrien brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors Laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with involuntary manslaughter the first parent in the US ever charged in a mass School shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumb's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the Gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still wrong so I looked down and Um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing I tonight the defense asking jurors to keep an open mind and we also learned Today Jennifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who she was as a mother Lester Adrien brus thank you there's a man hunt in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect who escaped from authorities police say Shane prior ran away after police brought him to a Hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshall service says he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of sexual assault and Trafficking by a former employee Tomy yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to warn you some of what you're about to hear is graphic WrestleMania tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE founder and former CEO Vince mcmah of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit a VI Grant's claims include sexual acts Involving def ation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to anal a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would receive $3 Million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's spokesperson Says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene made up instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say it up mistakes obviously you Know both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the WWE just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and Tom WWE's parent company is responding to this tonight That's right Lester the parent company is called TKO and they tell NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE while this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very seriously and are Addressing this matter internally user all right Tom thanks very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting more than a foot the rain shifts north tonight and could impact The morning commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after strong new evidence of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the much forecast recession of 20123 never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had new business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that that's Correct as as as counterintuitive as that may seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the Final 3 months of 2023 for the year a robust 2 and a half% fueled by strong consumer spending and hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually throughout the year we have had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the Lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of high inflation and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's economic growth personally But back in Ben Salem tempered enthusiasm from Josh ber letter grade what was 2023 in a letter grade any minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well- earned Year from everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing and what they decide to Do about interest rates how does this news factor in you know ler we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is headed for interest rate Cuts This year and that's part of what's been fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted murderer using a first ofit kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this the stunning imag is coming in tonight from Conneticut an enormous Steeple collapsing at a historic church in the city of New London opening up a m massive hole in the roof inside covered in debris one woman who was inside at the time got out safely authorities don't believe anyone else was inside and no injuries are reported we turn out of Alabama and the plans for a first ofit kind execution as Dasha Burns reports the state is set to use a new untested method involving nitrogen gas on a death row inmate it has already tried to execute once before the state of Alabama has already tried to execute Kenny Smith this is a Free call from Kenny an incarcerated individual at Alabama Department of Corrections but tonight the death row inmate is still alive I'm terrified it started when I was on the ex guarding uh last November now the state will try to execute Smith again with a method that's never been used before death by nitrogen Gas the fact that Dave got me lined up to be the first with gas um it's really terrifying Smith was convicted for the brutal 1988 murder of Elizabeth Senate hired by her husband an Alabama Pastor Smith has been in prison for 35 years he was scheduled to die in November 2022 But the attempt at lethal injection didn't work the third in a string of botched executions that year How could a state give something so wrong Chuck and Mike Senate Elizabeth's children went to William C Holman Correctional that night in 2022 expecting to see the Justice they wanted instead they say the failed Execution failed them too what is that emotion anger anger yeah mhm they're supposed to know what they're doing there but somehow they missed Wednesday night the Supreme Court rejected appeals from Smith's legal team over the method of execution a method legal Scholars say has many unknowns this is a method that Has never been used in the history of the world as far as we know so nobody knows what's going going to happen least of all the state of Alabama but State officials expressed confidence in court testifying that nitrogen gas is quote painless and Humane Smith steam has argued execution by nitrogen gas could Lead to prolonged pain and suffering that Smith May vomit in the mask and choke or it could leave him in a vegetative state or even put others in the room at risk like spiritual adviser Reverend Jeff Hood who will perform Smith's last rights Lord we have gathered here and This morning Hood received last rights of his own he'll be in the room when it happens and a Gastly could be deadly to him too I have never ever signed a waiver before going into an execution this is the first time in human history that someone besides the person being Executed is at risk of dying in the process Smith says his biggest fear is that he might survive again this is not going to go right I'm expected to take the bir of the Department of Direction going to get it live tonight the Senate will be in attendance once again what Would you say to her mom if she could hear you right now I love you and I hope we finally get you justice Dasha Burns NBC News Atmore Alabama all right we'll take a break coming up the new measures on Instagram aimed at keeping teenagers safe but do they do enough and why Now people really don't know what's going to happen near a dozen hours after the eye roared a short there's more good people than bad people you know right there is some late breaking news hours the Iowa caucus all right Too news lives in the now the horrors of the war on full display on both sides of the Israel Gaza of order protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC news Now we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered To demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at Us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant you got to see this future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news Now good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar mission what was it like to get that News Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of bahina here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seen people just running for their lives people running for their Lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical he doing oh pretty pretty Bad Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on [Applause] NBC tonight Donald Trump testifying in the defamation Civil Trial brought against him by writer EEG Carroll the former president on the stand today for just a matter of minutes what he said that the judge quickly Struck from the record his testimony keeping him off the campaign Trail as he and Nikki Haley Battled for South Carolina the warning he gave to her donors and one of Mr Trump's former advisers Peter Navaro sentenced for defying a subpoena from the January 6 committee also tonight the mother of the Oxford High School shooter on trial the video shown of her at a gun Range with her son and the moment her tears led to a courtroom confrontation new video of a 17-year-old murder suspect minutes after he escaped from a Philadelphia Hospital the Urgent Manhunt explosive allegations against WWE founder Vince McMahon the former employee accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking the threat of more flash Flooding across the South we're tracking it Alabama set to carry out the first ever execute ution using nitrogen gas an untested method on a death row inmate after botching his lethal injection the massive steeple collapsing at a church in Connecticut and 6 months to Paris inside the new Olympic Village as we Countd down to the summer games this is NBC Nightly News with Lester Hol good evening and welcome former president Donald Trump had his say in court today as his defense rest Ed its case in the defamation case against him by writer eing Carroll the former president spent under five minutes on The witness stand clashing with the judge over what he was allowed to say Mr Trump hoping to sway a federal jury in New York from ordering him to pay Carol potentially millions in Damages while in the political Forum Mr Trump is applying pressure to sway Republicans to Rally around his candidacy for president Threatening to Blacklist donors who contribute to his GOP Challenger Nikki Haley Mr Trump also Making Waves in Congress tonight Ryan Nobles has late details tonight after wins in Iowa and New Hampshire on the campaign Trail Republican FrontRunner Donald Trump back in a courtroom testifying for only a few Minutes his testimony limited by the judge last May Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming journalist egene Carroll now a jury is weighing how much to award Carrol in Damages if any Carol is seeking $10 million Trump was asked if he stood by his deposition Where he said Carol was lying he answered 100% yes later saying I consider it a false accusation and that he quote wanted to defend myself my family and frankly the presidency the last two statements struck by the judge meanwhile Trump the focus of new tensions on Capitol Hill with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell accusing the former president of trying to derail a spending deal that would include funding for Ukraine and Israel as well as provide new policies and funding to deal with the Border crisis are you concerned though that Trump's opposition is basically killing the supplement do Trump's allies slamming The proposal saying it allows 5,000 migrants per day to be released in the US how would you respond to critics that are saying that this is just being pushed off to make it a campaign issue for president Trump well is it being pushed off I mean I don't know I mean First you'd have to go talk to the minority leader we have record numbers of illegal immigration why because of this president's policies while other Republicans believe Trump should be backing a deal why not have him make that case to some of your colleagues I don't know what to tell president Trump Yet about the final product my point of view um we need relief today also tonight pressure is building on Nikki Haley now Trump is warning Haley donors that if they keep giving to her they will be permanently barred from the magot Camp a threat Haley seemed to welcome her campaign now selling T-shirts saying barred permanently get on a debate stage and let's go bring it Donald show me what you got Ryan let's turn back to those negotiations over the border and Ukraine Aid where do they stand tonight well Lester late tonight the former president issuing a statement warning Republicans that a border deal Could potentially be what he called a gift to Democrats despite that the lead negotiator ERS believe they could release the details of their legislation early next week they remain hopeful that a bipartisan deal can be struck Lester all right Ryan Nobles thank you a former adviser in the Trump White House Peter Navaro was sentenced to four months in prison today for criminal contempt of congress in September Navaro was convicted for refusing to testify and provide documents to a house committee investigating the January 6th attack he was also ordered to pay a fine of $99,500 he plans to appeal in a Michigan Courtroom today the first testimony in the unprecedented trial of a mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for allegedly failing to prevent her son from shooting four students to death at his high school Adrien brus has more Jennifer Crumbley didn't pull the trigger that day but she is responsible for those deaths tonight prosecutors Laying out why they believe Jennifer Crumbley should be held accountable for her 15-year-old son's actions he killed four people at Oxford High School the defense hitting back he did something she could have never anticipated or fathomed or predicted Crumbley charged with involuntary manslaughter the first Parent in the US ever charged in a mass school shooting carried out by their child they didn't do any number of tragically small and easy things that would have prevented all this from happening the defense appearing to shift blame onto crumley's husband James who has a separate trial James Crumbley was responsible for getting the gun out putting the trigger lock back on storing the gun prosecutors showing this video of Jennifer and Ethan together at the gun range and calling its first Witnesses so it entered here and exited here teacher Molly Darnell showed jurors where she was shot that memory still Wrong so I looked down and um um I realize he's raising a gun to me crumbly tearful at times leading to a heated Exchange in front of the judge to have not just the defendant her lawyer sit there sobbing so I tonight the defense asking jurors To keep an open mind and we also learned today Jenifer plans to take the stand her attorneys say they aimed to show who she was as a mother Lester Adrian brought us thank you there's a man hun in Pennsylvania tonight for a 17-year-old murder suspect who escaped from authorities police say Shane prior Ran away after police brought him into a hospital for a hand injury he has been awaiting trial since 2020 the US Marshal Service says he may have escaped in a stolen pickup truck now to the shocking news involving one of the biggest figures in professional wrestling WWE founder Vince McMahon is accused of Sexual assault and trafficking by a former employee Tommy yamas has more on the lawsuit we have to warn you some of what you're about to hear is graphic wrestl media tonight one of the biggest names in professional wrestling facing stunning new accusations including sex trafficking over several years a former employee accusing WWE Founder and former CEO Vince McMahon of physical and emotional abuse sexual assault and trafficking at WWE in the lawsuit Janelle Grant who worked there up until March 2022 says McMahon texted her quote I'm the only one who owns you and controls who I want to exploit of you Grant's claims include sexual acts Involving defecation restraint and aggressive use of sex toys and that McMahon forced her to have sex with him and other men at the WWE headquarters in return for job security the new lawsuit seeks to n all a non-disclosure agreement from 2022 settled between Grant and McMahon where she would Receive $3 million Grant says she stopped receiving payments after an initial $1 million payout if as alleged McMahon stopped making those payments she might have a breach of contract claim but that's not what she's really alleging in the complaint she's alleging violations of federal human trafficking law in a statement Vince McMahon's Spokesperson says this lawsuit is replete with lies obscene madeup instances that never occurred and a vindictive Distortion of the truth he will vigorously defend himself last year McMahon who has not been criminally charged spoke to CNBC in Broad terms about his overall Legacy let me just say I've made mistakes obviously you know Both personally and professionally through my 50-year career I've owned up to every single one of them and then moved on the explosive lawsuit and graphic allegations come at a critical time for the w we just this week McMahon was at the New York Stock Exchange celebrating their newest board member Dwayne The Rock Johnson also Netflix just acquiring WWE's streaming rights worth billions of dollars but now all eyes on the WWE who the plaintiff's attorney says they will hold accountable claiming they turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug and Tom WWE's parent company is Responding to this tonight that's right Lester the parent company is called TKO and they tell NBC News Mr McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE while this matter predates our TKO executive team's tenure at the company we take Miss Grant's horrific allegations very Seriously and are addressing this matter internally user all right Tom thanks very much we're tracking storms tonight 19 million under flash flood threats from Mississippi to New York after days of heavy rain from California to the Deep South one city in Texas getting more than a foot the rain shifts north Tonight and could impact the morning commute in cities like Chicago Milwaukee New York and Boston a surge on Wall Street today the SNP setting a new closing record after strong new evidence of the strength of the US economy senior business correspondent Christine Romans has details at this commercial Glass Factory in Ben Salem Pennsylvania owner Josh Berg says the much forecast recession of 2023 never happened the year was good the the the year was really really good you had new business maintained existing business grew your Workforce and grew your top line and bottom line numbers in a year we expected a recession that's correct As as as counterintuitive as that may seem work happening on Factory floors like this one has kept the US economy humming in fact economic growth last year GDP was stronger than the average for the entire decade before the pandemic the economy grew 3.3% in the Final 3 months of 2023 for the year a robust 2 and a half% fueled by strong consumer spending in hiring today's numbers smashing expectations continually throughout the year we have had strong growth and in this case stronger growth than expected President Biden in Superior Wisconsin today America now is the strongest growth the Lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world yet polls show Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the president's handling of the economy the ongoing effects of high inflation and the least affordable housing market in more than a generation contributing to many not feeling the country's economic growth personally but back in Ben Salem Tempered enthusiasm from Josh ber letter grade what was 2023 in a letter grade A minus a minus always room for improvement but a a well- earned year from everybody here and Christine as you know the Federal Reserve meets next week so much writing on what they decide to Do about interest rates how does this news factor in you know Lester we also got data today on the fed's preferred gauge of inflation and the numbers there show inflation is continuing to come down that lends support to the idea that the FED is headed for interest rate Cuts This year and that's part of what's been fueling the current stock market rally Lester all right Christine thanks much in 60 seconds the execution of a convicted Mur murderer using a first ofit kind technique to end his life the controversy right after this still to come on the Channel 2 News Well the waters are certainly receding now still too close to call Master reporting from Ground Zero as it's being referred to T the Haitian people know a little something about resiliency what's the biggest risk right now some of the troops who have been I want to welcome You to the first presidential debate in fact we've been told we can't go any farther you with some rilian folks let me give a h Good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the Economy but if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first Woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we are on the cusp of something big hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care About the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon Emily they have Tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry will never be questioned What's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every sing single Morning good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy but if you Do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a Lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 here's this woman smiling about to take a hike for her anniversary there's nothing you can see from those photos that they took that would even begin to suggest how it would all end it's Chilling she was a beloved doctor amazing mom Sunday School teacher she'd given so much love to others finally she'd found it for herself a handsome widower touched by tragedy his first wife died in a car accident my heart went out for him now he and the doctor were Bound for adventure a surprise Weekend away I was excited for her a romantic hike to a remote Mountain spot scenery was breathtaking the danger was too my wife is c for a block an accidental fall and she was gone I remember when what my heart sank I fell to my knees so why did it seem so Suspicious there's something going out here his first wife died it just clicked this was not an accident two wives two deaths two Mysteries nobody saw him push Tony off that clip he wouldn't do that why would he tragic horrible cruel I was broke I'm Lester Holt and this is dline tonight Andrea Canning my name is Anna Kate and I'm 9 years old I'm in fourth grade Anna Kate once had an aunt named Tony they lived a few States apart but were never more than a phone call or a letter away dear Aunt Tony how are you I have no homework We finished little pair eight days till Christmas I'm so excited I love you anate she still writes her letters even though Tony can no longer respond dear Antony are you enjoying it in heaven I miss you very much I read a book about heaven it must be great love your niece Anna Kate Anna Kate was seven when her aunt died it was sudden scary and heartbreaking so she took out an old shoe box decorated it and filled it with thoughts of Aunt Tony now she's dead now we can't see her again and our lives will never be the same Again the ripple effect of Tony's death was huge she was a respected doctor an opthalmologist who had a thriving practice first in Jackson Mississippi and later in Denver Colorado a devout Christian who sang in her church choir a mother to a little girl named Haley a Wife to a man named Harold and the older sister to Anna Kate's dad Todd berlay this story is about Tony and what happened to her one bright sunny day high up in the mountains M what you address the emergency I rescue came immediately it's also about how Secrets long buried Sometimes times don't stay that way where did Tony fit into your family she was the middle between uh two brothers uh sometimes she thought that was an advantage and sometimes she thought it was a disadvantage being the only girl with two brothers obviously we're not going to sit down and play uh Barbies with her uh you know we needed the uh extra wide receiver during the backyard football game and she had a obliges did it turn her into a little bit of a tomboy I wouldn't say she was a tomboy but she was a great athlete of Course she could do anything she she put her mind too Tony beray grew up with her two brothers around natas Mississippi the epitome of the Old South she was ambitious academically and athletically and yet did Tony embrace the the hair and the makeup and sort of The things that you would think of a Southern bell who went don't miss and yeah I mean it's coat and d and Sunday dresses for football games no sweatpants no no no not to go out she would never go out in public and S down never Tony Did have one flaw when it came to being a bell when I first got to college she felt like you know I was a little bit too skinny and and needed to bulk up a little bit and so she decided she'd going to come over and cook some fried Chicken and well Mississippi is the place to be for that Mississippi and every you know Southern lady ought to be able to cook some fried chicken and little did she know that you know when you took it out of the freezer you'd have to let it th Frozen Fried Chicken Aside Tony was someone who set goals and made them happen after college she went to medical school and in 1988 graduated in the top 10% of her class then she settled into a new practice and a new marriage with a young dentist but the woman who could do it all couldn't save A relationship that wasn't working she tried but after 7 years the marriage ended I don't think my sister took failure well and so I think that was a disappointing time in in her life Todd's wife Ronda remembers how Tony continued to thrive at work but her love life stalled her career was extremely Important and so there was a time issue there she didn't have a lot of time to probably go places to meet guys she went to church and she went to her job and to be honest I I really don't think that there was very good pickings possibly and the Clock Was ticking when It came to starting a family so in her late 30s Tony turned to a place many do to find a mate the internet she chose a Christian dating site finding a man who shared her faith was very important to her she didn't tell her little brother Or his wife Rhonda right away about her online Adventure but she did share her secret with her good friend Allison T did she give you updates on how it was going and if she was meeting anybody I didn't really ask um but I did know that She had met a couple of guys then Tony met the one handsome guy a little bit older than her Charming incredibly Charming just extended a hand immediately and well-dressed and very polished and um well well spoken very professional looking His Name Was Harold henthorne according to his dating profile he lived In Colorado and worked as a consultant to nonprofits he didn't smoke rarely drank and he said he was a planner eventually Harold flew out to Jackson to meet Tony in person and with them both being methodical types they devised a formula for lasting love they had come Up with a system to for compatibility and it was 5 C's and I don't remember what they all stood for compatibility was one of them Christianity was one of them chemistry maybe chemistry was one of them when they met for the first time they would know if the chemistry was There they had confirmed four out of the five before their first meeting so when they met it was combustion maybe that was one of them Tony ticked off her se's then she introduced Harold to everyone first impression way more outgoing way more vocal than she she was quiet I Thought this is great for her this gets her out of her shell and it gives her somebody to do some really fun things with Harold was widower and told the beray he had waited a long time for another chance at love his first wife died in a car accident my heart went out To him I I I was like wow you know he deserves his happiness you know and if it's with Tony then that's awesome you know he said that he had been lonely Harold's friend Kim lafer had been best friends with Harold's first wife Lynn what did Harold tell you about this new Woman in his life Tony he didn't tell me a lot um but but he did tell me that he really liked her after Lynn died Kim and Harold remained close now he wanted Kim to meet the new woman in his life I felt like I couldn't talk about Lynn anymore Which I understood that um but I was happy that he had moved on and I felt like it was time and that he was starting a new life so now Harold the planner as he'd said in his dating profile was ready on Valentine's Day 2000 he set out to to orchestrate the Perfect proposal Harold really studied the Jackson area to find out the perfect place to propose and he found this beautiful place in Jackson that we all love and how excited was she to tell you her news very she was excited and she had a beautiful ring it was a nice ring And um just she was very happy very happy that it seemed like it was all coming together and she was going to be very happy on September 30th 2000 less than a year after they had met in person Tony beray married Harold henthorne in a big church wedding in Jackson she looked Fantastic um happy glowing it was a lovely day it was beautiful it looked like the first day of the rest of her life it really did the future was bright Tony's career had been her Focus for so long Harold promised something different Mar May I'm wealthy I can take you away From you know your career and you know working all the time and and allow you to be the mother which is the main thing she wanted to be her night in shining armor that's it but it's amazing how life has a way of intruding on our fairy Tales when we come back a romantic surprise she's like what's going on and he says you know we're going away for the weekend a whirlwind escaped to the mountains she couldn't say no he had it all worked out it seemed Tony's thoughtful husband had planned everything almost I need an outline M Rescue Team immediately when dat line continues we report live from Tel Aviv from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC news now I think when you open your eyes you Get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning News lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to See this news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from inside Iran from Israel from Florida part of our continued reporting think we're all safe everybody good women children I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning News lives in the now the horrors of the war on full display on both sides of the Israel Gaza border Protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration Caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day There's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel And Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy what if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to Help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore There is some late breaking news all [Applause] right news for the generation of now is NBC news Now after Tony and Harold got married friends and loved ones knew the couple wanted to start a family but it turned out to be difficult for the first two years of their marriage their careers kept them apart Tony in Mississippi Harold in Colorado and when Tony was Finally able to move west to be with Harold they suffered a lot of fertility issues and um had you know had miscarriages it was a sadness to her back in Mississippi Tony's brother Todd and sister-in-law Rhonda were also struggling to have a baby but then after years of disappointment for both couples All their prayers were answered we both ended up pregnant at the same time that must have been a really happy time given what you went through to get there absolutely and all of a sudden you know good news here good news here and you know get ready cuz you know you're You're going to have a house full in June of 2005 Tony and Harold welcomed their baby girl Haley by then Todd and Ronda already had Anna Kate when the girls were a little over a year old the henthorns came to Mississippi and the new cousins got to meet it was a Very happy occasion um and I do remember uh Tony just just being so happy you know to have Haley so and so was Harold we will we promise and although Tony had always wanted to be a mom it was pretty clear Harolds was Mr Mom he was the one In charge the D change most women have to beg their husbands to do that kind of stuff he was the one he was like a nanny hands on Dad yeah he was in charge of everything about that child he's just having a good little day here with Harold such a doting father Tony was able to go back to work she soon built a thriving practice in Colorado she was a beloved doctor she had a really great bedside manner who gave Tammy abruscato managed the practice she took time she treated her patients as a whole body not just their Eyes but she was interested in their family life she just had the good oldfashioned you know Southern Hospitality Tammy saw how committed Tony was to her patients sometimes it was hard to get her to leave the office so Tammy was Charmed when one day in September Harold asked for her help you Get a phone call out of the blue from Harold yes about 2 weeks before their anniversary he phoned and said hey Tammy I want to surprise Tony for our anniversary can you help me out it was their 12th wedding anniversary Harold wanted to celebrate with a surprise trip To one of Colorado's wers Rocky Mountain National Park so you're being really sneaky in all of this I am I mean we'd all love for our husbands to call and do something fun like that so I made her schedule so that she could be done and Out of the office by 3:00 but it looked like she would be there till 5: the big day was September 28th 2012 he came into the office and the other girls thought it would be fun to really surprise her so they put him in an exam room a colleague shot this cell phone Video so she picks up a chart walks into the room like she normally would and then there's her Husband and she's like what's going on and he says you know we're going away for the weekend happy anniversary and she's like no no no no I I I can't do that and he says you can Tammy fixed the set schedule so you're ready to leave this was well orchestrated yes this Anniversary plan yes Harold thought of everything he hired babysitters for Haley he'd even packed Tony's clothes she couldn't say no I mean she just you know he had it all worked out so off they went Harold henthorne the consumate planner had pulled it off now the perfect anniversary weekend could begin The couple left Denver on a Friday after afternoon and headed north Harold booked a room at the Stanley a historic beautiful hotel in Estus Park famous for inspiring Stephen King's The Shining he scheduled an early dinner so they could turn in early it was a romantic weekend after all then Saturday afternoon they Set out for Rocky Mountain National Park to go on a hiking trail Harold had scouted out a few months earlier but just about 24 hours in the perfect weekend turned tragic M to address the emergency hello my name is Harold h I'm in the Rocky man Park okay I need an out M rescue came immediately it was just before 6 and Harold needed help urgently my wife has fallen Roston on the North summit of deer Mountain on the Deer Mountain Trail when she's in really critical condition Harold told the 911 operator that Tony had fallen from the edge of a Cliff let me be sure that you know my location first have really bad self coverage okay okay I'm I'm going pure milk immediately the park launched a ranger who was also a trained EMT but the only way to get there from the trail head was on foot and that would take Hours she conscious breathing no she's not she's not been conscious she is breathing Harold desperate pleaded for a rescue helicopter here's the thing I will pay any inal expenses for a helicopter I don't private I don't care commercial I'll play any all expenses right now that that you Dro a here the Operator tried to explain that no aircraft could do what Harold was asking not at that altitude over that terrain they can't like drop somebody out of the helicopter they from no that has not been done in my experience Harold knew Tony's situation was grave she need to Get out here she need to get to the hospital Harold didn't stay on with the 911 one operator he hung up because he was worried his cell phone battery might die then at 616 he texted Tony's older brother Barry a cardiologist back in Mississippi Barry urgent Tony is injured In Estus Park fall from Rock critical requested flight for Life EMT Rangers on way will be dark when arrive pray Todd got a call from his brother Barry Barry said that Tony had been in an accident and that he was being texted the vital signs and it didn't look Good you know he said I I don't think she's going to make it back on the mountain The Rescuers were having trouble finding the henthorns they're asking you to put as many bright items out as possible to see if they can't see you anybody near you sir no the Henthorns were all alone and time was running out the sun was setting so Harold lit a fire I started a small fire in a completely enclosed Rock enclosure with wet M on it thinking you can see the smoke now in the dark the henthorns were off the grid and still waiting just Before 7 an hour after Harold's first call to 911 an operator called back to talk him through CPR Harold this is Julius this part uh police department they tell me you need some assistance doing some CPR any help me okay is she awake no conscious okay I'm going to go through my questions Really fast with you is she breathing her breathing has gone from 10 to 5 to nothing zero okay what I'm going to do now is I'm going to count for you as you go through the breath I got my computer on and I can count so we can make sure We're getting that blood flow but Harold said he wanted to keep the line free I've got to turn off because okay to find me okay I will let you go call call 911 anytime and you get me okay Harold continued to text Tony's brother with details none were good can't find pulse He texted a friend asking if he could drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park to pick him up he called back dispatch you guys have e on the Rangers um actually there's a ranger in the area you start using your whistle he's trying to find you okay okay great thanks L he Texted Barry again CPR help 10 minutes out finally 8:09 p.m. more than 2 hours after Harold called 911 the ranger arrived prepared for a rescue but there was no rescue to be made coming up I just said is she okay and I fell to my knees exactly what Had happened up there on the mountain when dat line Continues now is raw how hard is it to see I guess our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question is still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together thanks for tuning in I'm Gotti Schwarz here are the stories we're following tonight stor keep coming here In California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories friending like crazy on social media a controversy hitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it safe for investors we've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my Voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't me you got to see this stay tuned now week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC News Now fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad news lives in the now it's coming at us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now is Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from inside Iran from Israel from Florida part of our continued reporting we're all safe everybody good women children We report live from Tel Aviv from poz Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC news for the generation of now is n BC News Now good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to Get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 news for the generation of now is NBC news Now it was supposed to be the perfect week in the Rockies but the tragedy struck during a hike Tony henthorne tumbled off the edge of a steep Cliff 8:41 Mountain Time her husband Harold texted her family two horrible words she's gone I've never say my dad cry Never and I'd say for the probably next two weeks all the constant she was his little girl mhm yeah I can tell you it doesn't matter you know what age they are you know a parent can't ever accept it Tony's friends at work couldn't believe It either I got a call from christe at our office and all she said is Tammy Tony fell what did you think when she said she fell I just said is she okay no she died and I fell to my niece and my husband said oh my gosh what's going on And I said Dr henthorne fell off the cliff everyone was heartbroken for Tony Harold and most of all the henthorn seven-year-old daughter Haley I put myself on the mountain and at the moment that she probably knew well this is it you know I know her thoughts were of Haley about 150 people die in National Parks each year in Rocky Mountain National Park the leading cause of death is falling before I wrote this book I didn't didn't know that the national park had investigators journalist Michael fleeman covered the death of Tony henthorne I just thought the extent of their police Work was to tell you to put out a you know Rogue campfire or something or don't park here or don't feed the bears but there's more to it every death in our national parks is investigated and in Tony's case the same EMT Ranger who came to rescue her now switched roles From rescuer to cop people wear different hats at the park service the guy who slept out there in the middle of the night and tried to both save Tony's life and get Herald off the mountain the next day became an investigator the ranger set out to learn everything he could about Tony Harold And what happened on that quiet Mountain Harold told him the couple had set out around 1:45 on the Deer Mountain Trail as part of their romantic anniversary weekend you can see in this selfie Harold took that the henthorns seem to be having fun on a track that many would Find challenging hikers call it a moderate hike but these are hikers who are you know scaling the sides of mountains but Tony and Harold kept at it following the trail as it snaked up and around the mountain to a point where it flattened out it was a beautiful fall Day here in the Rockies much like this Harold said he and Tony wanted to be alone it was their anniversary after all so right about here they got off the trail and headed into the woods most people stay on the trails in National Parks that's what the Park Service wants Visitors to do but Harold told the ranger the trail was so crowded that they left it to be alone although Tony was a lifelong athlete she had knee issues since her basketball playing days in high school but if the hike was tough for her it probably seemed worth it when The trees opened up to this around 3:30 Tony and Harold ate lunch right here with this amazing view as they backdrop once they finished eating lunch they continued further into the back country before they set out Harold took this photo of Tony she's smiling relaxed doesn't look like she had any inkling That anything bad was to come Harold told the ranger the ridge where they had lunch wasn't private enough so they climbed down these loose rocks looking for another spot at this point they were several hours into their hike with not much daylight left and not much time to Keep a 700 p.m. dinner reservation they ended up on a small flat area with not a lot of wiggle room and steep drops all around it's where this picture was taken at 5:00 p.m. it's one of the last pictures on Tony's camera Rangers believe Tony fell from Right here 128 ft down this is a spot that most people would be too nervous to approach without the proper safety gear but Harold said Tony was trying to capture the perfect picture of some wild turkeys and apparent just got too close to the edge Harold said by the time he Scrambled down the mountain and found his wife Tony wasn't talking she was barely breathing and she was lying in an awkward position so he told the ranger he pulled her to a flatter area then he made that first call to 911 91 what address the emergency I need an out M Rescue Team immediately but there never was a rescue Tony died too soon her friend Alison T says in the days after Tony died everyone's Focus was dealing with their grief while trying to help Haley and Herold he's The Grieving widower with the young daughter right there was no shortage of people Over there trying to help and be in the home we talked to him several times and every conversation had that that element in it of how how wonderful all his friends and his church family were being to him within a day of Tony's death Harold reached out to someone who had Always been their for him Kim lefer I got a text at 10:30 on a Sunday night Tony fell My bride is gone and I remember looking at this going what and I ran upstairs my husband was asleep and I I said Tony's gone Kim found the tragedy almost unimaginable Remember she'd known Harold for decades and had been best friends with his first wife Lynn who died 17 years earlier I just felt so sad I felt like I could not believe that Tony was gone it just felt um like I wished I could have changed it I wish I could have brought Her back but soon for some people sorrow would be coupled with another feeling suspicion coming up my husband said we can't let this go please investigate this when dat line continued out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to Be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning fire has grown a Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty bad news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like Quicks sand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually Understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now is NBC news now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this Stay Together news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC News Now were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off Guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press We report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Bah you're in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered To demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at Us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now is W now is real the fed's decision help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC News lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now is NBC news Now almost from the moment Tony's friends and family heard that she had fallen off a cliff to her death they all realized they shared the same uneasy feeling and it centered on Tony's husband Harold Charming outgoing a Hands-On dad Harold was all of those things but now Tony's friend Allison Remembered whaton had said years earlier when the couple was struggling with infertility how was Harold through the bad times when she was losing the baby was he very supportive I asked her um how how this was going that this had to be incredibly stressful and she said her Exact comments I'll never forget these words um it's life with Harold is hard brother Todd and sister-in-law Rhonda also looked back and thought about how difficult it could be to get Tony on the phone without Harold listening in you call her home number you call her cell Phone number you could call his cell phone number he would answer he would answer when we spoke to her it was never just her it was always him and her in the background Tammy recalled how Harold used to come into Tony's office as if he owned the place and how in his presence Tony the self-confident doctor seemed to melt away somehow she said well I've just learned long ago it's just better to let Harold be right do that make you kind of sad that made me very sad and that was when I really thought things are not right Tammy says that even Though Tony seemed to adore her daughter Haley she often gave up mommy time staying late at the office instead we would be done patients gone staff gone and she would still be on her computer but it wasn't work related it was playing games and so we thought that's So odd why did she stick around the office we started to think that maybe she just didn't want to go home and maybe because of Harold if there was trouble in the marriage Tony Never Said So directly not to friends not even to family Todd and Rhonda worried maybe she was afraid to Say too much I think he had held control over Tony with Haley you know his parents heard conversation that they weren't meant to hear that he help you know divorce over her head I'll divorce you and you won't you won't see Haley and you know that kind of thing that's Probably the one thing that would cut the deepest with her is not being able to see her daughter right and then there was a very strange episode that occurred a year before Tony's Death at a mountain cabin she and Herold owned did she tell you at all about the accident with the Beam at the cabin no but Harold did he made a joke that he almost killed Tony at the cabin and and you know laughed it off that did you did you hear I almost kill Tony it happened around 10 p.m. Tony despite the late hour was under the Deck she said that she was cleaning underneath the deck and Harold was walking across and as he walked across a beam came loose and fell directly on the back of her head Tony had to be hospitalized she came back to work bandaged and bruised did she seem at all rattled by it did She seem did did it CH her at all she just seemed depressed but you know people get depressed when they hurt Tony's Family looked back on that incident and wondered Texas are you starting to think that maybe the beam falling wasn't an accident I think we were there at the time maybe not Admitting it but enough to say there there's there's something going on here after the cabin incident Tony's mother told her she didn't think Tony should be alone with Harold what's interesting about about it is when my mother had that conversation with my sister my sister didn't try to correct my Mother she just said okay which I think her silence probably spoke a little bit more almost like she knew I think she knew it probably wasn't an accident and now Tony had accidentally fallen off a cliff it was as if the moment people within their Circle heard about Tony's death that they all Instantly suspected something was wrong my husband said we can't let this go so he called the park rangers and basically just said we're close with Tony we have suspicions please investigate this please he begged them I felt immediately um upon hearing the news that um we had To find out exactly what was what happened and that we had to be her voice um because the only story we were going to get was going to be his story but they all soon discovered even getting Harold's story wasn't easy did you ask Harold tell me what happened several Times I said what happened Harold you know and and he blew me off when Harold came to Mississippi for Tony's memorial service her family thought he was more interested in watching a football game than talking about Tony's last day on Earth he announced to us that day that he wanted To sit down with us and talk and he said oh I mean he totally brushed off it take about 10 minutes you know I want to watch the game at Halftime I'll we'll have a we'll talk Rhonda couldn't believe what she was hearing no that's Not going to happen it's going to be a lot longer than that we weren't letting him off for 10 minutes a lot longer they would all have to cross many miles and many years to get the whole truth coming up a revealing trip to the scene halting steps and haunting Questions would you recommend somebody who's not an expert come down here definitely not what about a woman in her 50s with bad knees absolutely not when dat line continues the fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad News lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant got to see this Future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News [Applause] Now news lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashon news for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free everywhere the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video Download the NBC News Mobile app now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on to stay Together from inside Iran from Israel Florida part of our continued reporting all safe everybody good women Children stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be on the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays from 12:00 to 4:00 P.m. Eastern on NBC News Now Kristen will hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC 3 months after Tony henthorne fell to her death in Rocky Mountain National Park her husband Harold sent out a Christmas card a photo of him and daughter Haley hiking in the forest the inscription we appreciate your prayer for us as we walk through this difficult Time now many people who had loved Tony saw these sentiments less as heartfelt and more as part of a cover up did people see Harold as the husband in morning who had just been through an absolutely horrible tragedy trying to save his wife I mean that was what was So odd we never saw any of my motion out of him when we went to Denver the only time he cried was when he got the phone call that my sister's death certific was going to say pending and that was and he was more Angry than anything else Friends and family were suspicious of Harold for many reasons including that he couldn't seem to get his story straight about what happened to Tony the night she died Harold told Tony's older brother Barry on the phone that Tony had lagged behind on the trail and he lost Sight of her until he saw her at the bottom of the cliff where she fell but later when he spoke to Tony's younger brother Todd Harold added several new details Tony was taking a picture and he had gotten received a text is that Haley was playing in the Soccer game and it was a picture of Haley playing soccer and then when he looked up my sister was gone and and she had fallen off the cliff Harold told many people Tony was taking pictures of wild turkeys while the ranger recalled Harold saying Tony was trying to get a shot of him Journalist Michael fleeman Harold gave several versions of what happened and where the stories begin to diverge is is really what was exactly happening at the time that she went off the cliff was she taking a picture of him was he on his cell phone looking at text messages friends and family weren't the Only ones comparing notes and clues because Tony died in a national park the FBI joined the investigation and the more they looked at what happened the more reasons they found for concern starting with the trail itself this is not an easy descent and people who knew Tony couldn't understand Why a woman who had had bad knees since high school would even risk it St line retraced Harold and Tony's path with the help of Joey Thompson a climbing and hiking guide who often Works in Rocky Mountain National Park is this path a path well traveled do a lot Of people come down here it seems no this this path is way out of the way for any recreational hiker to be you know scouting about and having fun in the mountains would you recommend somebody who's not an expert hiker or rock climber come down here definitely not This is a place it's very loose hi classification of how we rate the terrain this takes a lot of technical ability and sure footing this is definitely out of the way what about a woman in her 50s with bad knees absolutely not investigators also look closely at Harold's story of what happened after Tony fell remember he said it took a long time to pick his way down the mountain to his bleeding wife's side and sure enough nearly an hour elapsed between the last photos on Tony's camera and Harold's call to 911 911 what's your address the emergency I need an out M Rescue Team immediately but here's the problem when investigators retraced Harold's steps it took just a few minutes to get from where she fell to where she landed then there was Harold's statement that before calling for help he had to move Tony to flatter ground so he could do CPR but the ground wasn't Flat at all the first Ranger on the scene wondered why Harold placed Tony's head below her body Harold had told friends he was trained in first aid usually when there's a head injury one elevates the head if everything else had been normal you would just say this was a guy who Freaked out and made some bad decisions after his wife fell off a cliff I mean you have to give people a certain amount of leeway but everything else was not normal for example Harold cut his call to 911 short because he said his phone was dying can you hang on one second for Me my phone I got I'll Che back okay text me maybe text me because my is really low okay okay yet when the FBI examined his phone records They found that over the 6 hours following his first call to 911 Harold made or received 22 calls and 98 text messages He's texting his brother-in-law he's texting his friends about picking them picking them up he's on the phone with different uh agencies when was he actually performing CPR on her the first Ranger to arrive on the scene wondered the same thing Harold is sort of standing there not doing much of Anything I think he has a fire going and the Ranger shows up and suddenly Harold Zips over and starts performing CPR on his now dead wife remember a 911 operator had coached Harold on CPR but the ranger noticed Tony's lipstick wasn't smeared no signs of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation we're not Heroes all the time we do the best we can with what we have and it's a very traumatic situation but I think even factoring in all of that Harold's Behavior was extremely suspicious perhaps most suspicious of all a clue from Harold's cell phone records that he May have been on that mountain before in the weeks just prior to Tony's death pings from Harold's phone show him traveling North toward Rocky Mountain National Park many times something he never told investigators Harold said that he and Tony came to this really hard to get to Spot for the views and they are remarkable but they're not that much better than the views where they ate lunch just up the hill from here after the FBI found out that Harold henthorne had come to Rocky Mountain National Park at least nine times alone before that Trip they started to believe he was on a scouting mission for the perfect lonely location lured Tony to this dangerous ledge then a deadly push if that that sounded chilling there was something else to consider after Tony died within literally hours law enforcemen got tips saying you have to look into the first Wife yes the first wife there was a whole other story to tell there coming up we were never allowed to be alone what had happened to wife number one when dat line Continues stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be on the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays from 12:00 to 4:00 P.m. Eastern on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now is Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye Roar to shore there is some late breaking news all right Good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the Economy but if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first Woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming week days at 7 News lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now is NBC News [Applause] Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC what is going to happen now going back and forth oh yeah nice to see you The fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad when she first heard that her old friend Harold henthorne had lost his wife Tony in a fall from a cliff Kim leerer was stunned that tragedy had visited the same man twice it is possible that someone could be married to two women who both died from accidents right and At the time we thought how sad a little less than 5 years before he met Tony Harold had lost his first wife her name was Lynn Kim was Lynn's best friend they met at a Christian Youth Camp when I first met her she came flying into the Room bigger than life and she jumped up on one of the bunks and said tell me who you like here was she talking about boys then she said who do you like looking at her going who is this wild woman Lynn was funny and fiery and full Of life Kim knew she' liked Lynn right away but it was their shared spe spirituality that cemented their friendship we both were committed to serving God and she would just draw you in um and she cared about you and she wanted to pray for you she wanted to Know what you needed Lynn was already out of college and working Kim was still in school but they shared prayers and secrets Lynn told Kim what she wanted in a man a Christian husband um somebody who loved the Lord uh was a leader and strong um but yet gentle and we talked About it you know if I started dating someone or if she did and we had a check and you know we talked about that I don't know if that's the best person for you did you have to approve I did after all that girl talk about boys Lynn found a man Kim did Approve of an old friend she had first met in college his name Harold henthorne she just said there's this really neat guy you know we went to school together was Harold Charming very Charming he was always bigger than life always smiling always laughing always the center of Attention soon Kim heard the big news from Lynn Harold proposed Harold and Lynn married on September 11th 1982 Kim was happy for her friend but she would see something in Herold that day that gave her pause was it just run-of-the-mill wedding Jitters or something far more Sinister you're saying even on the Wedding day he was being controlled he was just everything is always planned with Herold you move from one plan to another coming up the two gentlemen that I was with uh they started CPR and I said I got to get her some help a husband in distress a Wife in danger I received a call from a friend who said that um I'm sorry to inform you but there's been a bad accident when dat line continues thanks for tuning in I'm Gotti Schwarz here the stories we're following tonight storms keep coming here in California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories pring like crazy on social media a controversy hitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it safe for investors we've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't Me you got to see this stay tuned now week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC News Now out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning we report live from Tel Aviv from poz Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7:00 on NBC news now the NBC News mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows For the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now what is going to happen now going back and forth oh yeah nice to see you we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon Whether it's Mars it feels like we on the cusp of some big the fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty [Applause] Bad were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together news lives in the now the horrors of War on full display on both sides of the Israel Gaza order Protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC news now we report live from Tel Aviv from bz Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina every week night it's your news Playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News [Applause] Now It started as a romantic anniversary weekend but that's not how it ended Tony henthorne had died after a fall from a cliff in the Rocky Mountain National Park her husband Harold's first wife Lynn also died in a terrible accident such an awful coincidence or was it Lynn's good friend Kim lefer says Looking back there were some early red flags you're saying even on the wedding day he was being control well he was just everything is always planned with Harold You moveed from One plan to another but Kim put her concerns aside and enjoyed the festivities Lynn and Harold started their new life together In Colorado where he had a job as a geologist Lynn got a job as a social worker Kim was happy for Lynn of course but she also felt like her friend was slipping away maybe it was the distance maybe it was her commitment to her marriage but just like it would be with With Tony years later Kim could never seem to get Lynn on the phone without Harold listening in many times I didn't know he was on the phone but I would sense that he was on the phone and I would say before I said something personal Lynn is heral on the phone and He would always say hey Kimmy Kim couldn't even get alone time with Lynn when she went to visit her in Colorado he was always with us and he was always involved in every conversation and we were never allowed to be alone even if we were together um and he would even Make comments when we would go to the bathroom you know you girls hurry up in there you know he would always make those you know like joking comments that's got to start to get on your nerves at times it did but he always dismissed it as I want to get to know You Lynn loves you I want to love you like Lynn does I want to know who this you know crazy woman is she loves but when Harold wouldn't let Lynn go to Kim's wedding even after Kim offered to help pay for the trip Kim felt like she'd really lost her best friend she Called me and said I can't come and I said why and can you tell me why and she said I need to honor my husband and that's all she would say Kim thought Lynn was okay doing what Harold said because she believed that was her role as the perfect Christian wife there was Some awe to the fact that she really um did honor her husband she would never speak um negative about him so I always looked at her and thought man maybe she's the better woman as the years went on Lynn and Kim spoke less and less frequently but then in the fall of 1994 There was a reunion of sorts when the henthorns went back to the east coast for a visit Lyn and Harold got to meet Kim's children and as true friends do the two women picked up right where they left off we talked and we laughed and it Was a good time but we were always always all together I mean even when it was time to go to bed Harold didn't go to bed until Lynn was in bed in other words haral hadn't changed but Kim thought Lynn seemed happy did you think Harold was good for her I did Yes what Kim didn't know it was the last time she would ever see Lynn alive May 6th 1995 it was a Cool Spring evening in the Colorado Countryside a little after 9:00 p.m. Patricia Montoya was with her family on Highway 67 about an hour and a half South of Denver basically in the middle of nowhere came around a band and there was a flare in the street and a man trying to fly cars down the man was Harold henthorne and he was in a panic Harold was at the driver window asking us for help Because the car was here here and the it had fallen on top of his wife and looking over to the area you could see her legs coming from underneath Lynn his wife of 12 years was under their Jeep it was a horrible scene we asked him what happened and he said That they had stopped to fix a flat and his wife somehow went under the car possibly to get a lugna and the Jack fell from underneath the car and she got pinned Lynn was face down with the breake rotor resting on her back the montoyas carefully lifted the Jeep all four of us Got her out and we gently flipped her over and she was her lips were already turning colors and she wasn't breathing it was a cold night the Montoya piled coats on Lynn and so that point um the two gentleman that I was with uh they Started CPR and I said I got to get her some help time was ticking down for Lynn henthorne no one had cell phones so Patricia raced toward the nearest town nearly 2 miles away it was late it was desolate she drove up to one of the few Houses I drove directly up to as far as I could get to the door and I flashed my lights and I honked the horn until the man came out and I asked him if he could please call 911 the man quickly went inside and made the call then He came back out he said that help was on its way I asked him if he could bring a couple of blankets to to cover her and uh he grabbed some blankets and he followed me back up the mountain when the 911 call finally went out accident On Route 67 roxan Burns was one of the EMTs sent out to help when we got on scene there were two EMTs working Lynn uh they were doing CPR on her I asked them what they wanted me to do if there was anything I could help them with they Said no we want you to go talk to the husband she asked Harold how it happened he said he wasn't entirely sure he did tell me that some uh lug nuts had fallen underneath the car and she must have gone underneath the car to get those lug Nuts and somehow Jarred the car or Harold thought he might have Jarred the car himself when he tossed the bad tire into the trunk roxan tried to reassure him that they could still save Lynn was she hanging by a thread do you think she had already died and they were they were Trying to revive her when you're doing CPR they're actually dead at that point and you know so you're trying to to pump their heart we had called for a helicopter because sometimes when you do CPR you can actually um you know revive somebody and miraculously it seemed they Did manage to revive Lynn we actually had a paramedic show up also on the scene gave her um a shot of epinephrine her heart started beating again so we were all real hopeful at that point that she was going to survive and got her on a helicopter and flew her but Lynn Didn't make it she died at the hospital she was just 37 years old I remember the day as if it was yesterday I received a call from a friend who said that um I'm sorry to inform you but there's been a bad accident and Lynn died yesterday it was heartbreaking for Kim That her friend was dead and that she died in a way that was not quick and certainly was painful the autopsy concluded after the 3,000lb SUV fell on her Lynn hemorrhaged into her lungs and died from asphixiation the only marks on her body imprints from the break rotor the local Douglas County Sheriff's Department opened an investigation but a few days later the coroner ruled Lynn's death an accident the case was closed did you have any reason to believe this wasn't an accident no we all believe demon took him at his word any thoughts that I might have had I just dismissed Harold Had his wife cremated spread her ashes on a mountain he said she loved and then went on with his life he even kept driving the same Jeep for a while eventually he married Tony and Lynn's death became a distant memory for some people anyway but not all nearly 18 Years later after Tony fell off that Cliff the sheriff's office called Patricia Montoya I don't understand why it took so long EMT roxand Burns got a similar call and had a similar reaction when you got the call was it sort of like I was expecting this call yeah I Did say that to him I said is this about the car accident up on on 67 and he said yeah it is and I go is it about that woman that the car fell on her and he goes yep I go oh thank God coming up was there reason to be Suspicious of this accident too made the hair on my neck stand up straight this guy was all over the map from the get-go when dat line continues from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country at War looks like women Children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this everybody good took for all this damage To news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this those who actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now it's NBC News Now what is going to happen now back and forth nice to see you were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single morning News lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashon news for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free [Applause] Everywhere thanks for tuning in I'm Gotti Schwartz here are the stories we're following tonight storms keep coming here in California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories trending like crazy on social media a controversy pitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it safe for Investors we've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't me you got to see this stay tuned now week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC news now we report live from Tel Avis we are live tonight from Harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Bah here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think What do they need most place where Palestinians and Israelis have found common ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 700 on NBC News Now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC it was 2013 nearly 18 years since she'd arrived as an EMT at the scene of Lynn henthorn's bizarre death when the phone rang a sheriff's detective on the line roxan Burns felt a great sense of relief finally sort of a chance to to make it right to make it right yep she Hadn't forgotten that night back in 1995 it wasn't just the horrible way Lynn died her own Jeep crushing her it was the husband Harold roxan remembered he just wasn't acting right you've seen a lot of these oh yeah oh yeah and he was just so calm about the Whole thing and didn't ask any questions about how she was or anything like that he wasn't screaming at me grabbing at me saying you have to do something you know desperate desperate yeah instead as roxan remembers it Harold seemed to be avoiding her he kept walking around the Car he kept you know making me follow him so I would ask him a question and he would he would walk away from me Patricia Montoya the Good Samaritan also remembers thinking that Harold was acting strangely that night for one thing even though Harold flagged down her family's car Patricia says he didn't Seem to want their help we started to get her out from underneath the car and that's when he started telling us you know get away from her don't touch her she also noticed that although the night was chilly Lynn was wearing just jeans in a t-shirt Harold on the other hand Had a nice warm coat he didn't even attempt to take his coat off and you know cover his wife with it so we all covered her with our coats then when the EMTs got Lynn's heart started roxan says Harold said something she never forgot when we put her in the ambulance and she Did have a heartbeat he said really she has a heartbeat he was more surprised than thank thankful now that Harold had lost his second wife Tony in a second strange incident the Douglas County coroner's office which had originally ruled Lynn's death in accident hired private investigator and former Denver homicide Detective Charlie McCormack to review the case File he noticed something about Harold right away on face value he's inconsistent and that's never a good sign for starters Harold told multiple stories about why he and Lynn were on that back road in the first place this Guy was all over the map from the get-go you know we were going to dinner we had been at dinner and we left the house at 3:00 we left the house at 6:00 in the police reports written in the hours and days after Lynn died Harold is quoted Giving different reasons as to why exactly they pulled over he contradicted himself on what the tire problem was was it a flat was it spongy was it soft what caused this to happen whatever shape the tire was in the henthorns Apparently tried to change it using Jacks they Normally used for a boat because Harold told the cops the jack that came with the jeep was broken he couldn't get it to work and uh he even said that he he sprayed some oil or solvent on it to try to get it to work and it didn't wouldn't Work but no oil or solvent was ever found to corroborate his story then there was the biggest question of all how do you get under a car and have a car fall on you I it just didn't make sense to me it never has once again Harold seemed to tell multiple stories Patricia Montoya remembers him saying Lynn went under the Jeep to retrieve a lug nut Lynn's old friend Kim lefer says Harold told her Lynn was going after a flashlight not a lug nut and roxan burns remembered Harold saying something else entirely he said she was changing the Tire which made the hair on my neck stand up straight because that I was like women don't usually change tires when a man is around investigator Charlie McCormack believes the original investigation was incomplete there's a lot of things that could have been looked at that would Have been easier to look at then than now for example what caused the Jeep to fall Harold said he thought it happened when he tossed the tire into the trunk but this Photograph shows a shoe print on the front right Fender I would have jumped all over that footprint that was Should have been analyzed compared to uh uh the shoes that everybody had on that was at the scene whether it be uh Harold henthorne or his wife or fire department or anybody but no one did and no one ever checked the Jack Harold said wasn't working to see if it was really broken No one ever checked with the restaurant that the henthorns were either heading to or coming from depending on which version of Harold's story if any was true I interviewed the restaurant and employees to see if they actually did have dinner there that night did they have a fight were they getting along all Right or were they not there at all whatever happened that night by the time he met Tony Harold was telling stories about Lynn's death that were entirely different from the original once while addressing a Sunday school class he said his first wife had died of cancer and here's what Tony's friend Allison heard It was one of those cars or or trucks or Vehicles where the back part opens up it hit her on the neck and broke her neck and she died instantly what Tony's Family said Harold had told them was much more vague when they learned the truth it was a complete shock your Belief was that Harold's first wife had died in a car accident that's all you knew yeah and then you get this bombshell that she didn't die in a car accident great it was a lie and the first comment out of my mouth and and I'm talking to an investigator I Said that sounds worse than my sister's case and especially in light of Tony's death they wished Lynn's case had been investigated more thoroughly the Douglas County Sheriff's Office declined to speak with us but Michael fleeman who has written a book about the henthorn cases says Sheriff's detectives did investigate at least initially Everything was progressing as if this was suspicious and then all of a sudden the breaks were put on the investigation it was declared an accident and forgotten for nearly 20 years detective Charlie McCormack thinks the reason for that was the coroner's quick ruling that Lynn's death was accidental if you're a Policeman and you're trying to investigate a crime and all of a sudden the coroner who really has jurisdiction overall says it's an accident you're a little bit cut off at the pass 2 days after a death like this to call it an accident it's unfortunate all the facts Would indicate that this was I think a rush to judgment the former coroner says there was no rush to judgment he didn't remember the case but reread the coroner's report at dateline's request and says quote hindsight is a wonderful thing but at the time everything fit there were no suspicions raised and no Reason to drag our feet nevertheless after Tony's death and McCormack's review the then Douglas County coroner changed the manner of Lynn's death from accidental to undetermined still Harold henthorne hadn't been charged with anything not in Tony's death or his first wife Lynn's so Sheriff's detectives called on Lynn's Old friend Kim what did they ask you to do they ask if we were willing to be wired best friend undercover what would she find out about Harold coming up you're taking a call in front of Harold from the police and they told me me to get in the bathroom and They would fix it my husband and I were looking at each other going I can't believe this were you a little scared I was very scared when dat line [Applause] Continues were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who is going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press from inside Iran from Israel Florida part of our continued Reporting all safe everybody good women Children news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is Conant you got to see This future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye Roar to shore there is some late breaking news all right good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sellers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel And Hamas a closer look at the good news we got about the economy if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how Does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 news for the generation of now is NBC News Now still to come in the channnel 2 News well the waters are certainly receding now still too close to call reporting from Ground Zero as it's being referred to is in fact that tast the Haitian people know a little something about resiliency what's the biggest risk right Now some of the troops who have been proud I want to welcome you to the first presidential debate in fact we've been told we can't go any farther you were some rilian folks let me give a Hint Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC two dead wives two lonely places Lynn and Tony never knew each other but they shared so much in life they both married Harold henthorne and in death Harold had them both cremated against the wish of their families we didn't find out my sister was being cremated Until her memorial service we would like to be able to go to a grave somewhere and and see her I mean first family said the same thing you know devastated never heard that you know she wanted to be cremated I mean as soon as he got that body released boom cremated And the buray added if that wasn't enough he then took those ashes and put them where he wanted them Tony's ashes Es are spread on the same Mountain that he spread the first wife's ases same spot did the exact same thing and he always claims it's their favorite spot Me we're talking he did the exact same things from start to finish with both wives crazy I mean even the same photo pose the families thought what Harold did with his wives remains was insensitive but the cops Federal and local were looking for something else evidence of murder in Douglas County the Detectives went down the list of who might know anything about Lynn's case they talked to Patricia they talked to roxan and they wanted to talk to Harold when he wouldn't agree they turned to someone he would talk to his old friend Kim leerer and asked her and her husband To secretly record a conversation with him we said no um at the time because we felt like he was innocent after all Kim and Harold had been close friends for years we prayed about it and we asked our pastor and he said if he is innocent then you will be able to reveal That and so then we agreed to do it now she and her husband were meeting Harold for a meal near her home in Virginia but first getting wired up by police the cops were hoping to use Harold's words against him Kim still hoping to exonerate him were you a little scared I Scared I would be scared to do something like that scared at first she could only think of one thing we had a a huge wire around my waist and I kept saying uh he's going to hug me um and they said no he can't and I said he's going to hug me He does that and um and they said no he can't and I was trying to process what am I going to do so don't hug me that's kind of hard that looks suspicious so when he hugged me I put my hand hand in front of me to to guard the wires crisis Averted they sat down do you think he could tell anything was up and we don't know I mean he he said many times um my attorney has told me that my friends will be wired did that send a chill no I said golly that's terrible would they really do That I could play the game Kim and her husband were told to not mention Tony and to drill down on what really happened when died so this wasn't about you saying did you do this did you are did you cause her death it was more about catching him in lies and Inconsistencies right then Harold said something which didn't make sense to Kim that he'd put his career on hold when Haley was born and he and Tony decided to keep that a secret he told us the reason he didn't work and didn't tell us is that uh Tony had asked him not to he Couldn't tell us because he was afraid that if we ever met up with a ber a that we would tell them that he was a stay-at-home dad and I'm like we would never see them and he goes well I couldn't take that chance then there was a technical glitch At one point my wire wasn't working how did you know it wasn't working they called me on the phone and so you're taking a call in front of Harold from the police and they told me to get in the bathroom and they would fix it why Are fixed Kim went back to the table Harold who was never shy about anything launched into a sad story about life without Tony we didn't do much talking he did I mean he cried and said how hard it was and how you know it was hard to Be a mom and a dad but there was one thing Harold who loved to talk never said we never asked him did you kill her um but he never said I didn't kill her he would make statements like why would I do that they're accus accusing me of this why Would I do that but he never said I didn't kill either one of them still as a longtime friend Kim couldn't bring herself to believe that Harold was capable of murder even after all of this you still aren't convinced that he's a killer not 100% no but we have lots of Questions lots of unanswered questions lots of concerns lots of things that my husband and I were looking at each other going I can't believe this after that night Kim and Harold continued to talk it took himim some time to process what Harold had said she considered his inconsistencies the differing stories he Told her and others in time she grew to believe that neither of Harold's wives her friends had died accidentally how did that sink in how did that feel sad I felt like he was such a broken person and and I just felt sad that he wouldn't even come clean and tell the Truth sad in part that a man she thought she knew seemed to be someone else entirely do you think he is the master manipulator yes I think he totally controls every situation and tries to control everyone and I think when he can't control you he becomes angry and I had Never experienced his anger until he was going on and on about if the FBI contacted me or if anyone contacted me they would tell me lies about him I said no they don't and he goes what are you talking about and I said they don't tell you Lies they ask you questions and he said well how do you know this and I said because I've talked to them did he freak out oh he freaked Harold must have wondered if Kim was talking talking to the FBI who else was and what were they saying about Him coming up yet another woman in herold's orbit I made a very good living and was living by myself in a three-bedroom house so he knew I was well established but what about Harold I work with nonprofits Harold told people he was a fundraiser for nonprofits fundraiser that's about to raise some Question with the FBI and so is this his wife's life was worth millions of dollars that if she died he would get all of it when dat line Continues now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC news now thanks For tuning in I'm Gotti Schwartz here are the stories we're following tonight storms keep coming here in California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories pring like crazy on social media a controversy pitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it Safe for investors we've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't me you got to see this stay tuned now week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at Us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now he's Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now we're breaking news NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news Now hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firstand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is Actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon M they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for many questions will never be questioned good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier And I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy what if you do have points or you have miles is Now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to Get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 what is going to happen now going back and forth oh yeah nice to see You good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 News lives in the now the horrors of the war on full display on both sides of the Israel gods of order protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through News for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC on the Christian dating site where Harold and Tony met there's a question for members what would you do if you inherited a fortune Harold wrote he'd give a good chunk away and said up a foundation to fund various Ministries as it turned out Harold had come into a small fortune although There's no evidence he gave any of it away when his first wife Lynn died Harold told police she had about $300,000 in life insurance but when they reexamined the case they found the amount was more than double that over $600,000 after Lynn's death he collects hundreds of thousands of dollars in life Insurance money and as best anyone can tell this is how he supported himself Harold wasn't living the high life on that money he lived frugally in the years after Lynn's death but by 1999 when he met Tony he may have been trying to upgrade his lifestyle there was evidence that he was Researching a number of women's Financial situations including Tony's it had been several years between wives it was during those years he met sere leas Kar when you're dating on the internet a widower is actually you know could be a good find saer was on that same Christian dating site that Harold and Tony were using she found Harold's profile appealing and reassuring because a guy in his late 40s might have a lot of weird ticks or has you know haven't had any relationship experience but a widower oh a widower that's nice um so so you think that's safe she agreed to Meet Harold for coffee he knew how to carry himself he dressed nice he was goodlook um he had a tan and um you know and seemed to present himself physically she says Harold was very interested in her work in the film industry and how She was making a lot of money and I went into detail about what I did and I made a very good living and was living by myself in a three bedroom house so he knew I was well established but sanser remembers Harold had few details to share about his work in Charities he Just seemed like he was making more of his life than what was going on he was pretty vague in his career saucer saw that as a huge red flag and decided Harold wasn't for her she can't remember the exact date they met but she thinks it was the spring of 2000 if that's Correct Harold was already already engaged to Tony who thought he was a successful consultant to Charities able to support her if she decided to quit her medical practice and be a stay-at-home mom it's what he told everyone including a friend making a home video shortly after Haley's birth I Work with nonprofits whether be churches schools or hospitals Harold and Tony had even lived apart for 2 years after their wedding supposedly due to the demands of their careers Harold told people he was a fundraiser for non profits he had an address a post office Box he had a business card um and this was his story when FBI investigators dug deep into Harold's Financial history they found no tax returns no pay stubs no evidence Harold had held a job since Lynn died in 1995 when he was investigated after Tony's death they could find no evidence at all That he ever made a dime apparently everything he ever said about his job was a lie including nearly every Thursday when he said he went on business trips just as there was no business there were no business trips the FBI looked at Harold sellphone and credit card records and found out That he really spent Thursdays at this Panera Bakery a few miles from his house eating and surfing the web so after the wedding why did Harold say he needed to in Colorado for his work why eventually did Tony have to leave Mississippi Tony's Family wondered if Harold's real Purpose was to separate her from them so she'd be easier to control and maybe to kill do you think that there's the chance that he knew his plan for Tony from the very beginning from the the time they said I do well they got a life insurance policy as soon as they got Back from um their honeymoon and so I think he was probably going down that path the life insurance policy they bought after the honeymoon was just the first one by the time Tony died there were more a huge part of this investigation was just untangling the life insurance policies And what he took out and what Tony signed off on and what she may not have known about and where the documents went at the end of the day Harold arranged it so that his wife's life was worth millions of dollars and that if she died he would get all of it investigators Discovered four policies totaling $4.7 million on the surface he would make it sound like this life insurance policy on Tony would benefit their daughter in some kind of a trust and one of the policies had named Haley as a beneficiary but Harold hadn't bought it Tony's parents had and Harold had his Daughter's name removed his name put on instead and he did it just weeks before that beam mysteriously fell on Tony at their mountain cabin then just days after Tony died he alerted the insurance companies hoping to collect all those Millions but couldn't get the money because the case was being Investigated by late 2014 the FBI had found the insurance policies and the cell phone pings to the park they knew about the near Miss of the cabin they had dissected all the lies finally they decided it was enough November 6th 2014 a little over 2 years after Tony henthorne died Harold Dropped Haley off at school then headed for home he never got there law enforcement stopped him near his house they arrested Harold and charged him with Tony's murder a good day and amongst all the bad yeah this won't have a a happy ending cuzz we won't be able to bring my Sister back but you know from here on out there will be good moments for us and that was a good moment and it had just so happened to be on my parents 55th wedding anniversary but there was still a trial to come and another battle with even more at Stake coming up Harold henthorne heads into court I'm thinking okay well this is going to be hard to prove no Witnesses no evidence what do you have would a jury buy the case against him and the question was is this man just horribly unlucky or is he a double Murderer and what would the future hold for little Haley he does not deserve to be a parent to this beautiful child when dat line continues from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Leon Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country in War looks like women Children what is it like countless neighborhoods across the region that look just like this safe everybody good took for all this Damage news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the I roar to shore there is some late breaking news all right hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are Seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon mem they have tweaked my monitor and I can see Now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for many questions will never be questioned news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headqu now is raw now is real the fed's decision help Us translate that into very plain English now is constant got to see this future is now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now news lives in the now the horrors of the war on full display on both sides of the Israel go of order protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there is some latebreaking news all right news for the generation of now is NBC News Now people really don't know what's going to happen near a dozen hours after the eye roared ashore there's more good people than bad people you know Right there is some late breaking news [Applause] theow all Right thank you by 2015 the buray had been waiting for justice for 3 years they missed Tony but felt an incredible connection to her through haly do you see your sister in Haley oh I mean tremendously smart girl I mean they are just alike and I think she grew up to be just Like her mother but when the buray went to the media with their suspicions about Harold soon after Tony's death he cut off their contact with Haley completely it was Agony for Tony's family then immediately after his arrest a lawyer assigned to represent Haley's interests in court made sure she got to see the Buray it had been a year since they had even been allowed to talk to hers she finally got to be a little nine-year-old girl and she just needs to be able to grow up without a lot adult issues around her the buray also went to court To seek custody of Haley but but Harold was still her father and even from jail made it clear he was not going to let his in-laws take his daughter he is a horrible person that I want to be put in prison for the rest of his life um he Deserves to be there and he does not deserve to be a parent uh to this beautiful child Haley stayed in Colorado man lived with her godparents the berlet's only chance to gain custody of her would be if Harold was convicted of her mother's murder Harold pleaded not Guilty and that meant the stakes were doubly High when on September 8th 2015 10 months after his arrest Harold henthorne went on trial it would be a battle for both his freedom and his daughter the burden of proof is always on the prosecution which in this case had no forensic evidence no physical Evidence no fingerprints or DNA and no Witnesses who saw Harold push Tony off the cliff juror John Johnson was skeptical right at the start because I didn't know anything about it I'm thinking okay well this is going to be hard to prove no Witnesses no evidence at that point so what do you Have but there was all that life insurance there were the cell phone pings that seemed to show Harold scouting out Tony's last hike the prosecution even showed the jury a map found in Harold's car with an X marking the spot where Tony fell and there were all those versions of What Harold said Happened on that mountain this was a case in which the evidence was not so much the physical evidence the evidence were the lies and it was lie after lie after lie after lie the defense said none of the so-called evidence added up to murder they said the pings on Harold's phone didn't show trips to the park but rather him taking a back route to his weekend cabin and as for the life insurance Tony knew all about it besides they argued Tony would still be alive if the Park Service had sent a helicopter to rescue her as Harold begged them to Do and even offered to pay for the Crux of the defense was Harold henthorne is an odd duck he says more than he should and that may make him a blo hard and an annoying person to be around at a cocktail party but doesn't make him a Killer look past his character and focus on the evidence nobody saw Harold henthorne push Tony off that Cliff there is no video of it happening there's very little physical evidence to prove anything other than it was just a fall but the prosecution had another powerful card to play although the defense Objected the judge allowed in testimony about Harold's first wife Lynn about her death her life insurance and about Harold's many versions of what happened and the question was is this man just horribly unlucky or is he a double murderer dat line returns after the Break we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we're on the cusp of something Big when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that Is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we are on the cusp of something [Applause] Big thanks for tuning in I'm Gotti Schwartz here are the stories we're following tonight storms keep coming here in California the US government just Declassified this video a lot more stories trending like crazy on social media controversy pitting lawmakers against young voters what's the state of crypto today is it safe for investors We've got another mindbending story on artificial intelligence this is what my voice sounds like when I clone it that wasn't me you got to see this stay tuned now week nights at 8 Eastern 5 Pacific on NBC news now hey I'm hie it's good to Be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibe from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon Emily they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize many question will never be questioned news lives in the now the horrors of War on full display on both sides of the Israel Gaza border protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the generation of now is NBC news now good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah s the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you of miles is now a good time to use him the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 we report live from Tel Aviv from Harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Maha every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news now the fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC News lives in the now the horrors of the war on full display on both sides of the Israel go of order protesters are on the streets here most of the time the Iron Dome works but a few get through news for the Generation of now is NBC News Now Harold henthorne was on trial for the murder of his wife Tony prosecutors believed he pushed her off a cliff but with no physical evidence or eyewitnesses the case against him was largely circumstantial after 10 days the case went to the jury John Johnson along with fellow jurors Peter Christof and Jerry tabaat told us that over the course of the trial they came to believe that Tony was a victim from the time she first met Harold online was Tony just really unlucky when she chose Harold henthorne on that website or he chose her I think he chose Her I think she was a Target because of her age for one thing you know and she wanted to have kids was vulnerable yeah the jurors thought that Harold had conned her when they met on the dating site controlled her while they were married and when they looked at this Last photo Tony took before she died they thought they saw Harold duping Tony one last time in my mind she was doing the same pose he did the last photo of him is he's on the edge of the cliff holding on to a tree like looking over Well if she gets there at the same time it's like oh Po and while Harold was not on trial for killing Lynn they believed he was responsible for her death also did everyone believe that they were somehow that there was a pattern there there was certainly a pattern absolutely yeah the similarities were Just too much to to push aside the nighttime incidents I mean um desolate areas I mean it was just like everything was just like the domino effect was falling into place in the end they had no doubt guilty it was guilty absolutely guilty yes Kim cried when she heard the verdict Cried because she knew it was right and because she thought about her two friends and their last moments on Earth I feel sad because Lim was afraid and I know Tony was afraid and that saddens me but I have to believe in a God and met them right where they were held their Hand loved them and told him it was going to be okay Harold has never been charged with killing his wife Lynn 3 months after the verdict in Tony's case Harold was back in court for sentencing Tony's Family asked that Harold be spared the death penalty so that Haley wouldn't lose both parents Forever Harold was sentenced to life in Federal prison without the possibility of release Harold told the court that day that he never killed anyone he also said he loved his daughter Haley Tony's family's Focus then turned to the custody of Haley you hope to resolve that custody issue that she can be with The Bera forever I I think that's exactly what we're hoping for and praying you fought hard for her for that little girl oh yeah her mother went through life was a great person wor hard we're doing that because Haley needs to inherit all the good things that her Mother did and she needs a secured life going forward we're doing all that for Haley and no one else December 23rd 2015 a cord in Colorado granted Tony's oldest brother and his wife guardianship of Haley we won't show her face as she looks now but it was the best gift the beray could Have hoped for hey was with them in Mississippi in time for Christmas now this little girl who has gone through so much is starting to heal she has her cousin Anna Kate to help people are saying I'm therapeutically helping her through this I don't really understand But I don't know how I'm doing this but I guess I'm just keeping her entertained and happy though all all that money Harold was after is now in a trust for Haley it won't bring her mom back but everyone who knew Tony wants to make sure Haley Never forgets her she came into the office and her mom's lab coat was hanging behind the door and I said Haley would you like your mama's work coat she said Miss Tammy I would like that a lot so I put it on her and she went it smells like my Mommy that's all for now I'm Lester Holt thanks for joining us she can lie to you make love to you kill you all in the same week and not even cry at the funeral she was living that dream California lifestyle you talk about Housewives orang County she could Have been on the sh she wrapped him around her finger just like she wrapped so many men around her finger she had it all waterfront home fancy cars millionaire boyfriend quite the life until the shots were in sets of two he saw his attacker her lover Gunn down who wanted Him dead nette would have not done it because there was no financial gain for her in this but what about her Secret friend the former NFL linebacker you lied to them for one thing I did the mystery was unsolved then came a prosecutor who took on big waves and Cold cases could he find the key to this one this isn't just a motive it's a motive on steroids Keith Morrison with deadly Trust there's a place call it a pot of gold at the end of ambition of the American dream a place the few in the lucky build Their Mansions By the Sea Newport Beach Orange County California where the most unexpected event would be Murder things like this rarely happen in New Port Beach let alone in an area that's as secure as this area let alone involving people like this attractive charismatic living large like Nanette Johnston Packard mcneel she had a beautiful home she drove an expensive car and she was sort of living that dream California Lifestyle you talk about Housewives of Orange County she could have been on the show yes in fact she told friend she turned down an offer to be on that show about over-the-top excess and Orange County oh she did end up on a TV show called American Thunder about Motorcycles showing off her own excess including a bike she bought for 50 Grand what's your favorite part of the bike I love the way it looks and then there was Eric naposki ex- football player personal trainer Wann toe actor who starred in a never AED reality show Called the Newport 40 but here's where the show ends and the real begins because of what happened in that house behind the Gates a long time ago it was December 15th 1994 900 p.m. the shots were patterned in sets of Two Two Shots Two Shots a pause and then two Shots Detective Tom V arrived to find a millionaire entrepreneur dead on his own kitchen floor his name was Bill mlin 55 years old nice guy deeply religious and a True Believer in the American dream a man who'd made his come true kind of a self-made guy right absolutely yes Bill Said his daughter Jenny was the first in his family to go to college the first to found a company the first to end up with Millions not someone you think would wind up murdered but here he was you could tell that there was no not a physical struggle there weren't things That were knocked off counters or things like that you could tell said both Bill mofon saw it coming saw his killer one of his movements was to put his hand up and try to block a shot he got shot through the underside of a finger so he Saw his attacker now V needed to figure out who was that last person Bill mlin saw you're trying to take everything in and you're trying trying to remember as much as you can write down what you feel is uh important what's going to come up in the investigation what was important what Wasn't it was hard to know in those first few hours as you can see in this video the police shot the night of the murder the house was as neat as a pin except for a glass on a table some papers es skewed from a lawsuit brought By an ex- business partner and there were six bullet casings on the kitchen floor and one more thing a posted note from his girlfriend nette stuck to the side of a lamp she'd be home late her son had a soccer game nette Johnston as she was known Back then before reality shows and a couple more marriages had been Bill's girlfriend for more than 3 years and they seemed happy despite the almost 30-year age difference said his daughter Kim they seemed to be good Companions and she was like your age wasn't she it was my age Mhm nette helped bill look after his disabled son Kevin who suffered a severe head injury after being hit by a drunk driver and she helped with some business ventures he found that interesting about her that he could have you know possibly a romantic relationship but also sort of a mentoring relationship possibly a Business partner he had hopes for this I think he did they lived together in Bill's house on the Newport Bay as did her two little ones part of the time and she brought some children correct did he like that yes he thought that was important he thought that it showed she was Compassionate on the night bill was killed nette was with her children at her son's soccer game the kids went to their dad's house afterwards and Nanette headed to the mall to go Christmas shopping she arrived home to a crime scene and to detective V anybody involved has a possibility of being the Murderer so both questioned nette and Bill's own grown kids couldn't eliminate anybody yet we looked at the girlfriend and we also looked at the daughters because anyone that stands to gain money in this situation is a potential suspect Bill's ex-wife was way off in Hawaii they'd been divorced for years Still the detectives talked to her then there was Kevin Bill's disabled son and the only other person in the house at the time of the murder Newport Beach emergency police fire paramedics it was shortly after 9:00 p.m. when Kevin heard the gunfire he was upstairs still debilitated by those car Accident injuries and he labored to make his way down to the kitchen where he found his father I can't understand what you're saying too disabled to explain that he needed help somebody's dying someone was dead Kevin was a suspect that we needed to find out the validity of his statements Whether he had gunshot residue on his hands whether he was even able to shoot a gun given his physical disabilities but a suspect they checked his hands for gunpowder residue negative you have to look at everybody unfortunately sometimes hurts feelings but you have to get down to the the facts on it Too but facts can be tricky things and in this case far more elusive than anyone might have imagined when we come back some Clues were elusive but some were right out in the front like the two that dramatically narrowed down the circle of suspects those are huge it Eliminates everybody down to only those people that have access to those two keys when dat line continues out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big questions still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC News Now [Applause] The fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant got to see this Future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news now hey I'm Hy it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been Reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are different from action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon mem they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry will never be Questioned now is raw how hard is it to see it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC news now we Report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from hus Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah you're in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seen people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to Demonstrate what are the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC news now good morning and thanks for Joining us I'm Joe frier I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the economy but if you Do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an out College athlete freeing the first woman on a LUN Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7: out I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single Morning in the days that followed Bill mcgloin's murder his children wandered overwhelmed through the essential events that follow a sudden death that funeral must have been I don't know the funeral was horrible because we were in shock and we had to hold up I don't remember much but I do Remember nette sitting in the front with each child on either end and they were both ball at the top of their lungs and then I remember my brother speaking to at the funeral and telling everybody what an amazing man he was and what a great dad he was for him Bill's Girlfriend nette moved out of the house where Bill was killed to another house he owned right on the beach Kim and her sister moved back into the family home with their brother they clung to each other for dear life we cried on each other's shoulders and did a lot of Counseling and therapy and grieving what made it worse was they didn't know who did it or why any more than did the Newport Beach police when a thing like this happens I mean it's a really an execution style killing this was obviously somebody who intended to kill your dad you must immediately have You wonder who right well you wonder if it's a completely random act some stranger and it was a mistake or a accident or you you develop a list of people that might have have a reason to have shot him to police it didn't look random nothing was taken the killer struck with Precision accuracy and got clean away but there was something that intrigued detective vote that night it was a clue they found in Bill mcgloin's closet we do a search of the house with the permission of Kevin and inette we told that there were weapons in a closet Upstairs and when you come across a lot of weapons like that it's it's a Ur rising in the few years before his death Bill had become an avid gun collector he kept dozens of them in his Newport Beach house but not just antiques there were pistols and revolvers and semi-automatic Weapons including seven modified M16 assault rifles dangerous stuff in the wrong hands we didn't know if somebody maybe was upset with the sale of a gun or something nette was worried about that too Nanette told us that bill was dealing with a lot of shady people gun Dealers and that was one Theory but there was something else too or rather someone else the only person that we knew was um frustrated with him was his business partner who he was in the lawsuit with all of them Bill's kids and nette told detective V about that Business partner because he and Mr mlin were in a heated multi-year lawsuit over the invention of the device the device Bill had made Millions from a revolutionary medical invention a machine that separates plasma from blood it's still in use today worldwide just the sort of thing Bill wanted to do Something useful helpful and make lots of money too he enjoyed learning new things discovering new things and especially if it if it helped people benefited people you know if he could make money off of an idea how fishell had worked with Bill on an early phase Of the machine it was after F left the company that the money came rolling in Fel thought his contribution to the invention deserved more than what he got so he sued his former friend and partner Bill mlin and here's the thing it was just 2 weeks before the murder that the courts Decided for Bill any day he was to get the 9 million he and fishell had been fighting over for years so was it a Revenge killing sounded at least plausible except for something the killer left behind something Fishel didn't have access to no it wasn't DNA not fingerprints something more mundane than That when we got here the door on the right was open and there was a key stuck in the lock right here in addition to that there was a key on a mat laying right next to the door here two keys two Clues one was a brand new copy of the Front door key the other was a key to the community pedestrian gate not a copy those are huge because it it eliminates everybody in the world from being a suspect down to only those people that have access to those two keys the circle of suspects is getting Smaller coming up police focus on one particular suspect who did have access to those keys and to something else house he bought a 9mm in the summer a beta 92F you lied to them for one thing I did when dat line Continues news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant you got to see This future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news now we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from hes Mexico reporting over the Skies of Bah here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for Their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News now still to come in the Channel 2 News well the waters are certainly receding still too close to call reporting from Ground Zero as it's being referred to fact that tast the Haitian people know a little something about resiliency what's the biggest risk right Now some of the troops who have been I want to welcome you to the first presidential debate in fact we've been told we can't go any farther you were some rilian folks let me give a H were you calling the shots though Mr President ultimately was the Biden Administration caught off guard by this latest surge of migrants is it clear who's going to govern Gaza once this war is over if it's Sunday it's Meet the Press what's the message that you're Trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared Asore there is some late breaking news all Right we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what are The people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place where Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news Now we report live from Tel Aviv from puz Mexico reporting over the Skies of Mah every week night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now news lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its Own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in Ash colon News for the generation of now is NBC News Now streaming free everywhere Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC two keys that demanded attention one of them was stuck in the front door the night bill mlin was murdered the other was dropped on a mat outside the person who killed Bill had obtained those keys somehow which meant whoever it was was in his inner circle or had access to it So now police began looking very closely for relationships like maybe secret ones what is your involvement in relationship n that's a pretty good friend of mine and that's how they found Eric naposki who they learned was living in a studio apartment in one of those Southern California Melrose Place sort Of complexes just not quite as nice deposi had played football but his promising career as a linebacker had fizzled too many injuries too many hours on the bench by the early '90s he was trying to figure out what to do next I was in Seattle with the Seahawks when I Retired when I left and I drove down the coast and uh it was a great place to land be kind of Nirvana for a guy like you it it was big good-looking ex- football player like him it was easy to get work and women in Southern California like Nanette he met her while working one day at this gym what' you think when you saw her I thought she was a snob when I first met a snob yeah a little stuck up she had the sunglasses on you know the expensive watch and she was a little Snobby well at least she was at first but so what made your friends proximity um she was a fun girl we worked out together um I'd say we we worked out together more than we did anything else together he was impressed by her intelligence by what she told him about Herself that she had a business degree for example she graduated early from high school and she graduated early from college by February 1994 10 months before bill mofin was killed Nanette's affair with Eric was in full bloom which given that Eric was not exactly flush turned out to be just fine because she Had no loss for money as she talked about things and as she drove her new cars and as she footed the bill for everything we did together so what did Eric know about Bill and Bill's relationship with nette the cops asked I never met I never met bill you know who He is I just knew I knew of him I knew of him and his you know his partnership with with nette as far as business goes and stuff like that Eric told us Nanette said she invented things medical equipment blood separators sound familiar and Bill she told Eric guided Her through the process that was her Mentor that was her business partner and she could make her own schedule she can work out all morning grab lunch do whatever she has to do go pick up the kids and take them to practice and be the team mom pretty nice job Eric and Nette spent time at what she said was her house right on the beach Beach what' you think it was beautiful beautiful house um right on the beach right in Newport it was Upstairs Downstairs fully furnished she had a picture of herself in the upstairs bedroom a blown up look Like kind of a glamour picture kind of a glamour shot yeah it never occurred to him he said that Nanette and Bill did more than just business together it was a business relationship and if you looked at Nanette and took into account her age and then you looked at Bill and Took into account his age you know why would you think Orange County California hello I guess I'm a rookie to Orange County but when it comes to murder and relationships sometimes Two's Company Three's a motive if Eric found out that bill was much more than just nette's Mentor was it a motive for murder so in their interview investigators got right to the point what was he doing that night I was with nette at the soccer game thought she dropped me off and took off and I got dressed and went to work later on probably about 9:30 curious thing about Eric's job he was a bouncer at a nightclub about a football field and a half away from the mlin house not that far for a linebacker so the cops asked a few more questions did you do any arm no I don't Do any arm no but that didn't mean he didn't own any guns just took him a while to tell the detective that okay you said you don't don't any Firearms at all no I I bought one um I haven't seen it in so long I uh bought one in Dallas that I gave my dad we first ask him if he has any owns any weapons he says uh he doesn't own any and then he says oh that's right I did buy one in Texas uh little 380 but I send it to my Dad in New York work and then we talk a little bit longer and he oh I bought another 380 did you have to register or anything in Dallas I guess when you just sign sign registration the light must have gone off in his head that we were going to Find out by checking registration because uh a few minutes after that he says that he uh bought a 9mm earlier in the year in the summer uh a beta 92F now that was interesting a 9 mm was what killed Bill mlin and no one knew That at the time but the cops and the Killer and there are lots of 9mm guns around but why did Eric npos seem so dodgy about his where is your N nower I have no idea you have no idea that's my statement if he thought he was helping Himself he wasn't why didn't you ask for a lawyer I didn't think I needed one innocent people don't need lawyers do we but you said some things that didn't help you out that's for sure absolutely you lied to them for one thing I did of course lying doesn't make you a Killer but jealousy maybe did napolski know he was in a love triangle did he want bill out of the way and if so did nette quite literally hold the key when we come back the young girlfriend on the make with a shady pass she was trying to hide in the big bold Print it was basically looking for wealthy man I'll take care of you if you take care of me when dat line Continues I think when you open your eyes you get to decide how's my day going to be we want to be a way to start your day lighten your load every single morning still to come in the Channel 2 News well the waters are certainly receding now Still too close to call reporting from the ground zero as it's being referred to is in fact that tastes the Haitian people know a little something about resiliency what's the biggest risk right now some of the troops who have been proud I want to welcome you to the first Presidential debate in fact we've been told we can't go any farther you were some rilian folks let me give a H stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin wat get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be on the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays From 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC news now good morning thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them the first woman on a Lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of Bah you're in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people Just running for their lives running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what are the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC news now hey I'm hie it's good to be with you tonight what do we know that voters care about the economy right you are seeing that firsthand yourself on the ground there today I know that you have been reading the vibes from DC here and The Vibes are are different From action what is actually going to happen in Congress to regulate AI anytime soon mem they have tweaked my monitor and I can see now you are in fact soaking wet I am deeply sorry I apologize for many questions will never be questioned now is raw how hard is it to See it like this our house is no longer here but we are here now is real let's break down what we know and then the big question is still outstanding news for the generation of now is NBC news now the NBC News Mobile app get connected to Your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now still to come in the Channel 2 News well the waters are certainly receding now still to close to call reporting from Ground Zero as it's being referred to in Fact tast the Haitian people know a little something about resiliency what's the biggest risk right now some of the troops who have been proud I want to welcome you to the first presidential debate in fact we've been told we can't go any farther you with some rilion folks let me give a Hint the NBC News Mobile app get connected to your favorite news shows for the top stories breaking news and live video download the NBC News Mobile app now what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got Important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now on the afternoon of the day he was murdered Bill mofin drove from a house he kept in Las Vegas to McCaron airport he climbed into the little airplane he owned and flew it up above all his troubled this is where he was free and happy pure joy up Here just around Sunset he landed at John Wayne Airport in Orange County called nette to tell her he was back and drove home to Newport to the place he was about to die but for all their efforts investigators could find not one bit of evidence in those final movements Of his nothing that would link him to the man who was fast becoming their Prime Suspect Eric naposki back at the house Bill's daughters took it upon themselves to sort through all their dad's financials maybe there'd be a clue there you had to figure all that out yourself mhm must Very complicated it was very complicated and we did not trust many people at that point understandably so Bill's daughters poured through it all the little stuff and the big stuff there' been a failed real estate deal in the desert two houses to deal with in Nevada soon money Would be coming in but when he died millionaire bill mcgoffin was low on funds and things were missing bills and bank statements check registers that kind of thing the sisters turned to nette for help because she was the person who handled Bill's day-to-day Money Matters in fact she was a trustee Of the trust that held most of Bill's money but everybody Grieves in his or her own way and Nanette was very hard to reach she just disappeared yes we'd contact her over something missing and sometimes she would return our calls and sometimes she wouldn't she wasn't far Away mind you just at the house on the beach in his will Bill left nette quite a consolation prize a million dollar in life insurance 150,000 in cash and the use of the beach house for a year but it was hardly enough frankly to fund the lifestyle to which she'd become Accustomed didn't he pay for everything for her gave her a couple of cars and even plastic surgery well he um he treated her very well he provided very Posh lifestyle for she and her children which made Bill's daughters move nette down the list of suspects I said in Front of her I believe well of course you know Nanette would have not done it because there was no financial gain for her in this after all had Bill survived Nanette and her two children might have lived very well indeed and then Bill's daughters noticed something a about his Books I noticed in one of his business accounts a $250,000 check that was written it's a lot of money a heck of a lot of money the check dated December 14th one day before bill was murdered was made out to Nanette Johnston trust you sawell the Signature yes did it look like you f the signature no and I showed it to the police detective V didn't like the looks of it either hello I hi nette this is Jenny hi the detective told the daughters to give Nanette a call and recorded well first of all a lot of Checks there there are a lot of times that I sign for him on many things uhhuh with his permission he gave you permission to sign his name excuse me he gave you permission to sign his name oh yeah I signed his name on many things huh he never let us do that although Nette told Jenny she was sure Bill had signed that particular check but then that detectives got involved and they found more money missing from Bill's accounts nearly half a million dollars and also discovered that nette wasn't exactly the person she had portrayed herself to be detective V learn she'd Grown up in Phoenix you can barely recognize her from her High School yearbook picture she' so transformed herself and despite what she told Eric she never studied business never even got a college degree she never invented anything but her own backstory married at 18 two kids by 22 Divorced at 23 and determined to leave Dusty Arizona behind for the coast of California in particular Newport Beach so this was the place she wanted to move into and said found together wasn't even finished being bill it turns out before bill before Eric naposki there was Tom M he met nette at a Nightclub and 6 weeks later he found himself moving the both into a brand new townhouse in the heart of Newport Beach she had actually found the place before she even met him what was attractive to you about her smart um intelligent definitely very determined forging ah Head on on her own two feet and wanting to make things happen oh and she did she just happened to like shortcuts which Tom discovered when he found something nette had been hiding an ad in the big bold print it was basically looking for wealthy men I'll Take care of you if you take care of me did you confront her after you found this Stu absolutely Nanette denied it was her but soon enough she had moved out and up and in with Bill mlin it was clear to detective V that Nanette Johnson was greedy and would Stop at nothing for money it was clear to him that she'd been cheating on Bill was also clear to him she'd been cheating on bill with Eric he even knew that her key to the community pedestrian gate was missing and remember there was one found could have been it on the mat At the murder scene but did all that make her a killer she and her lover Eric do you remember what you thought at the time I thought the police would be able to have a closed case wishful thinking as it turned out probably naive in fact it looked like someone or two someone's Might just get away with murder coming up if that's what they thought they reckoned without this man you're always nervous when you try an old case and without this story from a new witness she said I don't even want to know if you had anything to do with This and he said maybe I did maybe I didn't when dat line continues [Applause] Nearly a dozen hours after the ey Roar to shore there is some late breaking news all right news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to understand why people had to jump in the Ocean news for the generation of now it's NBC news now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together good morning thanks for joining Us I'm Joe frier and I'm Savannah sellers the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use the first woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7 News lives in the now it's coming at us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now is Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is NBC news Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a Feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no What is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your money mental health big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC news now we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over The Skies of Mah you're in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place where Palestinians and Israelis Have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now what's the message that you're trying to get out to young people no what is in the drug Supply we've got important news this hour about your Money mental big picture why is it so tough right now news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Kristen Welker hosts Meet the Press every Sunday on NBC when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day There's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day [Applause] together What is going to happen now going back and forth C oh right nice to see [Applause] You detective V thought he had a case there were the keys the lies the other lover the stolen money circumstantial yes but he thought both Eric naposki and Nanette Johnston committed murder together I thought we had it solved as far as who the responsible parties were it was just A matter of DA's office didn't feel comfortable with filing the case two times Newport Beach police brought the case to the DA's office office and two times the DA's office said the detective had not made his case Nanette was arrested in the spring of 1995 but not for murder they got her For fraud and forgery she pleaded guilty spent a year in jail and though Eric waited for her by the time she got out she was ready to move on she married a real estate mogle much richer than bill mlin ever was they had a baby girl and once once again nette Was driving a fancy car and living where rich people live and spending lots and lots of money on clothes and lunches and hair dues and then well then she met someone else another bill so she divorced the Real Estate Mogul and agreed to receive $177,000 a month in child support could That have been her idea all along the new bill did not have millions and when he married nette he signed a prenup agreeing to let her keep for herself all the money she got from husband number two or was that number three anyway the Real Estate Mogul Eric Naposki went back East got married had kids got divorced made that reality show that never got going he was to play a big scary bad guy and what of Bill's kids they tried to live how their father would have wanted them to sort of the opposite of nette he really wanted to Help make the world a better place so he encouraged us to do things in the community that three of us kids would go to nursing homes and put on a little talent show for the elderly how unusual you need to understand where my dad came from a very low-income family as we'd Call it today and um so he always appreciated what he had and he worked very hard for it Bill's children worked hard too supported libraries in the third world orphanages in Africa gave wheelchairs to the poor in LA in America rewarding work but as time passed they began to Think the fairy tale had it all wrong seemed to them like it was the evil stepmother who got to live happily ever after certainly not them 5 years after the murder in 1999 the sisters lost their brother Kevin in a drowning accident he never did recover from the Damage the drunk driver did or the trauma of finding his murdered father so both men of the family were gone and hope for justice faded away we thought those two will be arrested next week for killing my dad and when it didn't happen month after month after month and then year after Year we had to actually just release the pain and the anger we felt from it and conscious of the fact that you had to work on that very conscious of the fact and that might have been the end of our story but for him this is Matt Murphy Surfer and at the Time a prosecutor with just possibly an excessive confidence in his ability to prosecute the murder of Bill mcglaughlin all those years ago what you had was an old old case pretty circumstantial stuff a lot of evidence had been lost it degrades over time were you a little nervous about that you're always nervous Uh when you when you try an old case but not a forgotten one Cold Case investigators kept digging they found a real estate agent who showed nette and Eric expensive houses after the pair said they were about to come into some money they found a businessman who heard From the net before the murder that she was about to have lots of money to invest and they found a neighbor of Erics from that Melrose Place type building a woman who had been too afraid to come forward at the time of the murder named Suzanne kogar Suzanne kogar was very very important Because Suzanne kogar gave the best comprehensive understanding of the way nette manipulated naposki into committing the murder Suzanne told them how she and Eric would chat by the pool how one day in the fall of 1994 Eric was angry said his girlfriend's boss meaning Bill mlin had tried to rape her totally Untrue they're engaged to be married she'd been living at the house as boyfriend girlfriend for over 3 years but naposki apparently didn't know any of that and he was in a rage about it he was in a rage about it after the murder said Suzanne Eric Sought her out said if the police came around tell them I'm a nice guy she said oh my God Eric I don't even want to know if you had anything to do with this or not and he smiled and and he said maybe I did maybe I didn't if you think about It you're accused of a murder you didn't commit how those words are ever going to come out of your mouth incriminate a but hardly one of those tangible facts that get someone set away for life this is one where every little piece of evidence had to be considered in light of all the Other pieces of evidence in fact just the type of challenge Matt Murphy was after so on May 20th 2009 more than 14 years after Bill mofin was shot dead in his kitchen nette was plucked from her well Shaw life and charged with murder nette proclaimed her inoc And her Orange County friends stood by her I'm just going to tell you that she's my friend she's a good person she's been generous and kind and a wonderful mother and a wonderful neighbor across the country in Connecticut police picked up Eric naposki and accused him of murder too Eric was also defiant it wasn't Eric naposki who shot bill mlin this is a fact and Matt Murphy's wrong I'll tell you right now on my children he's just straight wrong did Eric Kill Bill moffen did he conspire with nette or was Matt Murphy in over his head up to a jury Soon coming up first they had to face trial where Net's lawyer had an unusual defense in court you called your client I'm sure I did just because you've treated people poorly in your life as make you a murderer would a jury agree when dat line continues news for the generation of now Is NBC news [Applause] Now good morning and thanks for joining us I'm Joe frier I'm Savannah sers we're going to get started with breaking news the record number of Migrant Crossings the latest developments in the war between Israel and Hamas the closer look at the good news we got about the the Economy but if you do have points or you have miles is now a good time to use them a lot of people spend a lot of time sitting 20 minutes of exercise might be able to help out how does it feel to be an outc College athlete freeing the First woman on a lunar Mission what was it like to get that news Morning News Now streaming weekdays at 7: from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country in war looks like women children what is it like count Neighborhoods across the region that look just like this everybody good took for all this damage To news lives in the now Israel tonight declaring war against Hamas following the brutal surprise attack within its own borders now is raw we are in the West Bank City of rala protesters are on the streets here to denounce Israel now is real most of the time the Iron Dome Works but there are rare occasions that a few get through like here in ashalon news for the generation of now it's NBC News Now streaming free everywhere we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of behind here in Florida the Time to evacuate has come and gone you were seen people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place where Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night It's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7 on NBC News Now news lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quick sand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to Jump in the ocean new for the generation of now is NBC news now stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin Play get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be in the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last Minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekdays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC news [Applause] Now when I think about what the Today's Show does it's not just about the mornings it's about your whole day there's a feeling of we're in there with you then let's take on this day together news for the generation of now is NBC News Now Good afternoon afternoon 17 years after Bill mcgloin's life was brought to such a violent early End Eric deposi went on trial here in the Orange County Courthouse what I want to do at this point I want to take you folks through kind of an overview of the evidence this is my prosecutor Matt Murphy told the jury Eric deposi volunteered to be nette Johnston's deadly trigger man that he'd been copying Keys in November doing target practice and on August 2nd Mr naposki purchased a very expensive beta 9mm Model 92F once again session then a few months later it was Nanette's turn Murphy told The second jury that Nanette's greed was insatiable that she wrongly thought as Trustee of Bill's trust she'd control the money and that her stealing escalated as the murder date got closer she steals $48,600 in the month of October alone so in the month of October alone she has beaten the previous 9 months Combined with her thefts and so the prosecutor argued she asked Eric to Kill Bill before he caught on Eric's attorneys told the jury two things one Eric couldn't have done it 18 minutes before the murder he was on a pay phone at this Denny's which isn't even in Newport Beach true the phone bill which might have proved it had been lost but the point was said his lawyers he couldn't have made it all the way to Newport Beach in time to commit the murder and anyway they said Pro ladies and gentl nette did it that the evidence In this case and at this trial shows that Nanette Johnson is the person most likely to have committed this murder Eric naposki was merely the py but at nette's trial her attorney said she was innocent and it was Eric who committed the murder over the course Of this trial the evidence is going to show that he murdered Mr mcglen out of jealousy and out of greed on his own part Mutual finger pointing though nette's attorney Michael Hill had to agree his client wasn't exactly a saint hater as much as you want for being a thief a liar a Cheese thought every want to called her yeah it seems to me in court you called your client I'm sure I did yeah I can't just ignore the worst parts of the case just because you've Mur her if she thought she was getting a million dollars of the life insurance policy a Million dollars is a lot of money a million dollars is a massive amount of money to people like me but to a million dollars for her that's Pitt he was worth 55 million when he died so for long-term plan is not to be with a dead beat loser Want to be NFL player so that's hard that's truth which was in a way the question we put to the prosecutor she was getting lots of money from him she's probably stealing a little along the way and she could cheat at the same time I Mean come on why would she kill him the problem is if he lives he either finds out she's cheating or he finds out that she's stealing and she winds out best case scenario for her on the street with nothing worst case scenario she goes to jail for the embezzlement so this isn't Just a motive it is a it's a motive on steroids in the end Murphy got his verdict guilty guilty of the crime of felony to it violation then after conviction the oddest thing happened an epilogue if you like Eric called up Matt Murphy from jail and said he was finally ready to Tell the truth of course he told us too the first thing I wanted to do was clear up with Matt that I didn't do the crime but I also wanted to share some other information with him that I had had Shar with anybody in 17 years Eric had a new Story if the net wanted Bill mcgoffin dead then bill mcgoffin was as good as dead whether it was to get me to do it whether it to pay someone else to do it Eric's story now that nette asked him to Kill Bill mlin and he refused but put Her in touch with someone who could do it and they used the Baretta which said Eric wasn't his after all he'd given it to nette as a gift he said and she supplied it to the Hitman so what did Matt Murphy think of Eric's new story it doesn't make any Sense uh here's the problem with Eric naposki the first story was I had nothing to do with it and then we arrest him and he says nette's totally innocent and I'm totally innocent then we get to trial and it changes to nette's Not Innocent but I'm innocent and then I had Nothing to do with it I didn't know anything then we interview him afterwards and it changes again to something radically different again Michael Hill didn't buy it either have you ever heard of hiring a Hitman that but then the Hitman goes yeah I'll take I'll take the job but you know what I Don't have a gun could you loan me yours so Eric sits in jail and contemplates that long ago love affair with nette Nanette Johnson is the worst type of person she can lie to you make love to you kill you all in the same week and Not even cry at the funeral and she was my girlfriend h and that's what I have to that's the price I'm paying as for Bill's family they say they're grateful believing nette and Eric are finally where they belong how do you make sense of all of this stuff There is um no sense of it they are just very sick demented selfish people when we actually started learning how nette's mind worked it was really hard to comprehend in a very dark place to unravel and so she does what her father taught her she lives for others as well As herself she flies like he did and she looks for the light it comes down to what our dad taught us pass our goodness forward make this world a better place and give un others who are less fortunate and so we do that my sister And I both do that today um that's part of our mission in life and we go about with my dad our dad as an angel on one shoulder and our brother as an angel on another shoulder that's all for now I'm Lester Holt thanks for joining Us this is Sky News today it's 10:00 your headlines the king arrives at h hospital for his operation to treat an enlarged prostate will have the latest live a ruling due from the international court of justice on whether Israel should suspend its war against Hamas and Gaza will bring you that ruling live as the court considers whether Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians death Road prisoner Kenneth Eugene Smith says Humanity's taken a step backwards as he became the first person to be executed with nitrogen the Attorney General asked to review the hospital order given to the Nottingham Triple killer after complaints that it's too lenient and the head of the new independent body leading women's football on her plans to revolutionize the game in England a very good morning to you King Charles has been admitted to hospital this morning for treatment on an enlarged prostate Buckingham Palace announced last week that the king would need surgery sharing the news to raise awareness for the condition which is common in men over 50 the king arrived At the London clinic in the past hour it's the same hospital where the Princess of Wales is staying after she underwent abdominal surgery 10 days ago well Buckingham Palace says quote the King was this morning admitted to a London Hospital for scheduled treatment his majesty would like to thank all Those who've sent their good wishes over the past week and is delighted to learn that his diagnosis is having a positive impact on public health awareness I'm joined Now by our Royal correspondent Laura bundock and sky Royal commentator alist Bruce very good morning to you First uh to you both first Laura I I'll come to you just what have we learned this morning and in what sense is it incremental to to what we knew was going to happen at some point well we saw Camila and the King getting into cars outside Clarence House their London home This morning they were then driven to the London Clinic um and we now have confirmation that the king at this Private Hospital will undergo um this corrective procedure for uh as treatment for um an enlarged prostate now it was back on Wednesday last week that we had Uh the news both that the Princess of Wales had undergone uh surgery planned abdominal surgery and was being treated and had been treated at the London clinic and then about 90 minutes later we had a statement from Buckingham Palace saying that the king had received this diagnosis and that he needed a Corrective procedure um it was very unusual to have two such public statements about very private issues particularly relating to health but uh it was made clear that the king personally took the decision to go public with his diagnosis to try and encourage uh more men to get themselves Checked and that statement this morning from the palace confirming the king's admission to hospital for that procedure adding that he was delighted that there had been a positive impact when it came to um to to awareness um about this um condition um and the public health Aspect of it had had had really worked um so he's delighted to learn that we also know that he visited Kate before he himself was kind of admitted officially um she has been in hospital since she underwent that surgery we were told she would stay in hospital for 10 to 14 days She's still there um receiving a visit though from her father-in-law this morning um Alisa give us your perspective on the amount of information we're getting about uh about this compared to to what might have been the norm in in decades past there has been a significant increase in openness about The details but I think that what matters here is that because the king is a constitutional head of state all the responsibilities that he carries are carried out by the cabinet so in essence him being in hospital for a very normal procedure is covered by countless processes that make sure that nothing Will impact the process of government and uh there will be occasions during uh the period that he is in hospital that perhaps there will be papers that need to be signed but that will be dealt with by Sir Clive aleron who is the private secretary who will bring to the king Only what is necessary so the function of government while the king is carrying through this very simple and straightforward medical procedure will be all covered Ju Just on on the the earlier point though do you do you think it is a a kind of new era of openness whether We're talking specifically about this particular medical procedure but but other aspects of the last uh the last 18 months compared to the decades before well I think that when the late Queen was in declining Health uh there was felt no real need to go into great Detail but I think that the King has been extremely imaginative in making sure that the condition that he faces has been a trigger for so many other people to consider their own situation so yes that is a change but I think that the palace will continue to try and keep As they have with the Princess of Wales the very details of process and what's going on very much private to the patient and to the doctor and and Laura I guess one thing that has allowed uh this aspect of openness is that it is a fairly safe procedure we we are he is Expected um to to remain in pretty good spirits and health throughout yeah I mean we saw the queen Camila out and about abedine recently she was asked about um how is his majesty somebody asked and she said he's fine looking forward to getting back to work where Her Words which I think speak to anyone who has worked with the King and will they will all attest the fact he is a workaholic does not want to be off work but obviously in this case has has no choice but I think um yeah he he he will Be back at work as soon as he can we're told there will be U what's been described as a short period of recuperation quite how short um how long he'll be in hospital those details rightly probably being kept private right now so we won't under we won't Ever learn exactly the details of his procedure um when he'll be back to work will obviously be announced in in due course but I I think um certainly it does leave the royal family with some big gaps when it comes to the senior working Wars at the moment because we Haven't seen the Princess of Wales out and about the king hasn't been out and about and while Kate initially is in hospital and then the immediate time when she returns home the prince ofal Prince William has decided he U will be postponing his engagements to to help her with her recuperation too Alison What's your take on that aspect this slim down monarchy that we already knew was uh was taking place and uh when it gets put under strain we we kind of do see uh the the kind of consequences of that decision to sim things down well I suppose there are strains and strains What matters is that government proceeds and that is more than catered For but I think that the fact that at the moment the Duke of edur is out in St helina in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean other members of the royal family are doing their duties here and there I think all Of that will be dealt with and you know the people who have asked for Royal members to come to attend the events that they have all understand that this is just normal life for any family things happen people need to go to hospital things need to be attended to And I think that the process will will Encompass that there are going to be enough people to do what the king requires to be done and it is time when you know the nation is dealing with so many other things that the support that the royal family can give where it's Helpful will continue to be given and the King will be very keen to get back on with that as soon as he returns ju just finally I know the panace statement said we're not going to give a running commentary on every development from here which is of course totally Understandable but for this sort of procedure do we have any rough guidance of uh when things might be done and dusted such that we will get a a couple of days mean we don't know I think it'll entirely depend on how this procedure goes we don't know the details of the Procedure we won't know those details um I don't think his recovery will be as long as the Princess of Wales recovery we've been told that um once she is uh discharged from hospital then she will be um not performing or carrying out any duties for two to three months um I Would be surprised from speaking to experts in this field if the king is out of action for that period of time but at the moment we simply don't know those details Laura Alisa as always thank you both very much and we of course wish uh his majesty and her Royal Highness speedy Recoveries the international criminal court is due to rule on whether Israel should suspend its war against Hamas in Gaza while the court considers whether genocide is being committed the case has been brought by South Africa which says Israel's acts against the Palestinians are genocidal in character South Africa Has called on the international court of justice to issue an emergency order for Israel to immediately suspend military operations in Gaza but Israel argues that it's acting in self-defense against what it calls a genocidal threat to its existence from Hamas well in a moment we'll be speaking to our Middle East Correspondent alist bunkle but first to our Africa correspondent usra eler in Johannesburg you just talk us through some of the timings we can expect to unfold uh today who precisely will be in attendence and and and what the decision today may or may not be well the South African foreign Minister n lady pandor is currently at the hag she flew in uh to witness this uh interim ruling she did say this morning that they feel very hopeful that they have a very positive uh look on this case and that the core purpose for them for this case was to highlight the Plight of the Palestinians and alert the International Community to the harm being inflicted now the interm measures that the court will rule on includes an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and also increased humanitarian Aid to Gaza so they are are really hoping that this ruling comes through to prevent what They see as an incredible loss of life the Gaza Health authorities have said that at least 25,000 people have been killed in the like most recent count and 11,000 children so South Africa does kind of see itself as having taken on this case uh as as kind of a culmination of their Very long and enduring relationship with the Palestinian resistance over the years Nelson Mandela is often quoted as saying our freedom is in complete without the freedom of the Palestinians he said this in 1997 3 years after the making of the modern South African state in 1994 so that camaraderie which is what They call it has continued in the years that followed uh 1994 and people here in Johannesburg have been organizing consistently including the South African Jews for free Palestine who we spoke with yesterday uh one of their organizers Joe bluen told us that whether or not the court rules in South Africa's favor this is a remarkable moment she said that South Africa has really pushed the law to its limit there is though skepticism around the international court of justice people think that they will be bullied almost to ruling in Israel's favor and now that is really kind of symptomatic or Symbolic of how South Africa views these International courts we've seen in the past that they have um you know had relations continue to have relations with uh world leaders like Arad bashid who have been convicted had an arrest warrant out for him by the international criminal court so they don't really view This court in high favor but they are using this court as an arena to really show the world what they see is an ongoing assault uh and incredible harm to to Palestinian civilians you sure thanks so much for that uh Ally let's bring you in on on the view from Israel Of all this I mean we've we've heard what they've said about the case and the fact it's been brought but are they watching the decision today uh in Israel with some apprehension uh will they adhere to anything that is decided today or not yeah Israel has taken this very Seriously indeed uh Israel is not a member of the international court of justice and typically doesn't recognize its jurisdiction but I think you just have to look at how rigorously they have taken on this case uh to give you a sense of how concerned they are by it despite the bullish public language There is a there is a real worry amongst Israeli government that that the threshold for the court to rule against or impose some injunctions like potentially an immediate end to the fighting or allowing more humanitarian Aid in that that threshold is is pretty low and so I think there's a Feeling in Israel as insens as they are that this case has being brought and they really are very annoyed by it they think it is absolutely in netanyahu's words Preposterous there is at the same time a sense that it could go against them now the question is is would they Uh acknowledge that and would they act upon it Netanyahu has hinted that they wouldn't um the court doesn't incidentally have any kind of power or levers to force Israel to abide by its rulings that would have to probably go down the route of the UN Security Council to vote on a possible resolution Urging an end to the war but I think Israel would hope that America as it has done multiple times before even just in the last three and a half months they would hope that America would give it diplomatic top cover I'm not sure inly that is guaranteed uh but I think that Would be the hope uh from Israel's point of view the other thing is having as I said despite the fact they're not a member of the icj and despite the fact they don't recognize the jurisdiction having fought it uh very vigorously they've appointed a British lawyer Professor Malcolm Shaw who's an World Expert in international law is quite hard hard for the Israelis to then subsequently ignore whatever the icj rules if they rule against Israel Ali usra thank you both so much we are expecting by the way the court to deliver its judgment around midday today we'll bring you that live when it Happens and a whole slew of guests both to build up to it and react to it significant ruling due today around midday now prisoner on death row has been executed in the United States using nitrogen gas for the first time ever Kenneth Eugene Smith was sentenced to death for murdering Elizabeth Senate in 1988 his lawyers had appealed against the use of nitrogen to kill him saying it was cruel and experimental our us correspondent Martha Kelner has this report and her story contains details of how Smith died in a small town in rural Alabama this man Kenneth Eugene Smith Died in a way no human being ever has he was executed using nitrogen gas an unest tested method he a human guinea pig strapped to a gurnie with a mask placed over his face State experts claimed he'd be unconscious in 40 seconds but Witnesses say Smith wried and thrashed For between two and 4 minutes and breathed heavily for another five what we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life we saw minutes of someone heaving back and forth we saw spit we saw all sorts of stuff from his mouth develop on the Mask we saw this MK tied to the gurnie and him ripping his head forward over and over and over again the state of Alabama nevertheless hailed it a success he struggled against his restraints a little bit but there's some involuntary movement and some agonal breathing so uh That was all expected and it's in the U side effects that we've seen or researched on nitrogen abaria his lawyer's last minute appeal to stop the execution was denied they had argued this was a cruel and unusual punishment Smith had already endured a botched attempt at a lethal injection in 2022 an executioner tried unsuccessfully for 4 hours to find a vein this and several other failed Lethal Injections the state of Alabama says necessitates finding a new method in his final statement Smith said tonight Alabama caused Humanity to take a step backward I'm leaving with love peace and light Thank you for supporting me love all of you it was in 1988 that Smith killed Elizabeth Senate paid $1,000 by her husband a pastor to be a Hitman 34 years later as the curtain closes on Smith a new frontier potentially for how America executes its death row prisoners Martha Kelner Sky News Well around 10:45 I'll be speaking to former death row prisoner Nick Yaris uh to get his perspective uh on this latest development of nitrogen being used in the US some of the day's other news now the UK has suspended trade talks with Canada after a disagreement over beef and cheese Britain's EU trade Arrangements with Canada had been rolled over after brexit but these have now been suspended because the UK is refusing to import hormon treated beef from from Canada a court in Moscow has extended the pre-trial Detention of the American journalist Evan gersich until the end of March Russian authorities say The hearing took place behind closed doors because the case is classified gersich and his employer The Wall Street Journal deny spying allegations and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained a former head of NATO has told Sky News that conscription is not the way to bolster UK defenses Lord Robertson was speaking after the head of the army said the public may need to be called up in the event of a war with Russia conscription is exactly the wrong debate to be having because conscription is not a good way of of bolstering our defenses even although some generals are Now beginning to Advocate that you know con conscripts are not useful uh Vladimir Putin has found that out uh only only too well well let's talk now uh about is Mars experiment it's really hard to say goodbye to you tell me say thank you inity thank you for bringing us all Together thank you for leading the charge in our adventure on Mars and we will never forget you well tributes there to NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity uh which has been grounded for good because of a damaged rotorblade well Ingenuity became the first powered aircraft to fly on another Planet when it arrived on Mars with the perseverance Road over in 2021 its mission was meant to last 30 days but has gone on for nearly 3 years now the sentence given to the Nottingham killer valdo cakan could be reviewed by the court of appeal after the Attorney General received a Complaint that it's too lenient kalakar stabbed Barnaby Weber Grace Omari Kumar and Ian coats to death last June well yesterday he was sentenced to indefinite detention in a high security hospital after prosecutors accepted his man's slaugh of rather than pursuing a murder conviction the treasury Minister Gareth Davis says he will likely be held for the rest of his life obviously we've had the sentence handed down by the courts and by a judge any case has the opportunity anybody can refer uh the sentence a sentence to the attorney general for review it's not appropriate For me to comment on this specific case or any specific case but that is an option to open to anybody to have a sentence reviewed if they feel that it is UN ually lenient I will point out that the sentence does make it clear that uh the perpetrator will likely Spend the rest of his life locked up uh and that is something to be welcomed at least well our political correspondent Rob po joins me now from Westminster Rob says this is this a political decision or or one for the justice system uh so the initial decision from the attorney General is made by a minister and Law Officers but it is very much made um in the Attorney General's capacity as the uh most senior law officer lawyer in the government so um it it is not necessarily something that is done with um sort of political interests or Motivation at heart there are a um series of um quite uh serious laid down steps that they have to look at in determining whether this referral is made to the court of appeal for it potentially being unduly lenient um sentence there's 28 days that the attorney general has to to to look at This and if so it go goes back to the court of appeal and they look again at it um important to say this is about the sentence so this is about the um indefinite Detention Sentence under the mental health Act and the detention that um uh the um accused that the convicted Was um handed out it's not about valdo kak's um actual conviction so part of the issue and the concern that family members have was that he was um convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility rather than being tried for murder that is not what The Attorney General um is looking at um I think what will be very relevant is the fact that in a lot of the sentencing in the sentencing remarks there is several psychiatrists that are quoted um as saying that they believe he was not of sound mind um when he carried out um These killings kind of separate from that point of um the judicial process and the actual sentence handed down clearly a separate concern is about how the authorities behaved after these crimes were carried out there's been some concern from family members that they weren't uh kind of kept in the loop Closely enough around what was going on that a feeling that they'd sort of been railroaded a little bit into um dropping the Murder full murder trial in favor of going for an admission of man slaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and then separately of course there are questions about how Authorities acted in The Run up to these killings taking place someone that had had a lot to do with the police and Mental Health Services there'd be questions about whether valo calani could have been stopped and whether he fell through the system as yet though the government resisting calls to launch A full public inquiry Rob as always thanks so much you're watching Sky News today still the head of the new body running the top tiers of women's football in England tells Sky News of her hopes for the game the world first blood test which can diagnose brain cancer and could reduce The need for risky surgery we'll have that story and joining me shortly a human rights Barrister as the un's top court rules on a call for Israel to stop its military offensive in Gaza they locked me up for 3 and a half years and were prepared to throw away the key and within a couple of seconds there were a number of armed security an Autism patience dramatic escape from a secure psychiatric care unit Sparks a major investigation I was petrified Follow patient 11 wherever you get your podcasts news lives in the now it's coming at us every second news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military head now is raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English now is constant you got to see this future is now new news for the generation of now is NBC News Now from inside Iran from Israel from Florida from Le Maine part of our continued reporting this is what a country at War looks like women children what is it like countless Neighborhoods across the region that look just like this we're all safe everybody good the it took for all this damage To News lives in the now the front lines are still very active this is like quicksand and officials say an entire town is cut off this close to actually understand why people had to jump in the ocean news for the generation of now it's NBC news now the fire has grown Leaps and Bounds you see behind me is typical how you doing oh pretty pretty Bad we're talking possibly a trillion galaxies that is a number that is just so hard to compute whether it's the moon whether it's Mars it feels like we're on the cusp of something Big nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared asore there is some late breaking news all Right welcome back the chief executive of the newly formed independent body to lead women's football has told Sky News she hopes to oversee an era in which support for the women's game is passed on from generation to generation Nikki duet leads newco which will run the top Two tiers of women's football in England after they unanimously agreed to its formation we don't have intergenerational uh Fai fans or fandom uh there's not intergenerational knowledge of the women's game yet and I think we're at the beginning of that Journey so I think the experience of Going to a women's match I say it it's kind of like glastenbury it's a festival feeling it's welcoming it's fun it's competitive it's passionate and I think people want to be part of that so the more people get to experience that I think the more they'll want to come back And be part of it well we will discuss that story uh in more detail a little bit later with our Rob Harris now claim and counter claim continue to be exchanged over a plane crash in Russia in which Moscow says dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of War were killed Ukraine has accused Russia Of denying emergency workers access to the crash site and has challenged the number of dead our defense and security editor Deborah Haynes has the latest well there was a session last night in at at the UN in New York the security Council there where the Russian and the Ukrainian Representatives traded bars Over what exactly happened in this war it's not just been of course a war using Conventional Weapons it's also been a war of information so unless there really is an independent investigation into what exactly happened to that aircraft neither side will uh will believe the story being told by the Other side and it means that for the rest of the world watching on it makes it difficult um to be able to make a judgment especially given this air it was a Russian plane it crashed in Russian territory so Russia will be able to have much more control over um seeing What happened clearly um people do know on both sides what happened but it's more about uh trying to um shape the message to benefit each side and as we have seen having been in Ukraine for the last two weeks the war here is grinding on it might have dropped off the Headlines back at home um given everything that's going on but it's so important to to keep remembering this war the head of the British army earlier in the week in a speech made a point about how the British public may need to be ready for a future war and he Absolutely singled out what's happening here in Ukraine as being fundamentally important not just for Ukraine but for the protection of democratic values democracy across the whole uh of the western world and saying that what happens in Ukraine really matters and I can tell you from having spoken to a lot Of soldiers out here since I've been here that they're fighting hard but they need more weapons they need more ammunition and they're looking at the Russian side the Russians have massively ramped up their military industrial base in terms of their capacity to build weapons to build ammunition they're also Doing deals with Rogue States like North Korea bringing in more missiles they've got lots of drones coming in from Iran potentially ballistic missiles as well and what's happening happening in the west there's lots of strong language but there's no real change in in terms of investment in military capability at the Speed of relevance and that's really worrying Deborah Haynes there for us Professor Michael Clark will be joining us in a little while for further analysis on that story now for a check on the weather Warm memories wherever you go to fly to fly the weather sponsored by kataar Airways the rest of the week won't be stormy like recently but there'll be Spells Of Wind and Rain followed by drier and brighter interludes it'll be rather mild and gray this afternoon with outbreaks of rain or drizzle in the windy north and west there'll be a little sunshine on offer with Central And Eastern England most favored at first the rain will spread eastwards later allowing Scotland Ireland and Northern Ireland to brighten but there'll be showers there too Southeast England we'll see very little rain that's your weather the weather sponsored by Kata Airways watching Sky News Today up next We'll be speaking to the human rights bar sha Jolly as we look ahead to the international court of justice ruling on whether to order Israel to pause military operations in Gaza we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina here in Florida The time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just run running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the people in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have Found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now news lives in the now look at this you can't even see anything anymore let's break down what we know you got to see this news for the generation of now Is NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye to sure there is some late breaking news all Right we report live from Tel Aviv we are live tonight from harez Mexico reporting over the Skies of mahina here in Florida the time to evacuate has come and gone you were seeing people just running for their lives people running for their lives hundreds of Israelis have gathered to demonstrate what do the People in Gaza do you think what do they need most place for Palestinians and Israelis have found Common Ground every night it's your news playlist top story with Tom yamas streaming week nights at 7: on NBC News Now news lives in the now it's coming at Us every second from all over the world we have a full team news is more now than ever just outside of the Israeli military headquarters I've been to Gaza many times before but never like this now he Raw now is real the fed's decision today help us translate that into very plain English is that good news for us now is constant morning news now or Breaking News NBC News special report you got to see this the future is now news for the generation of now is and NBC news Now stay on top of breaking news and the biggest stories of the day with NBC news daily thank you so much for joining us I'm Morgan Radford I'm Vicky win I'm Kate snow and I'm Zin get in-depth reporting from across the country we have breaking news out of the White House and around the world questions about the Rebellion inside Russia and ways you can take care of your health what are symptoms that people should be in the look out for Andrew Wallace some really great last minute deals if you have flexibility NBC News Daily weekday From from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now nearly a dozen hours after the eye roared asore there is some late breaking news all Right you're watching Sky News today remind of the top stories this hour King Charles has been admitted to hospital to undergo a planned procedure for an enlarged prostate the international court of justice is due to rule on South Africa's request for emergency measures to order Israel to Halt its military Operations in Gaza convicted murderer in the US has become the first person in the world to be executed using nitrogen and triple killer F kakar sentence could be referred to the court of appeal after the Attorney General received a complaint arguing it's too lenient as just mentioned the International court of justice is due to decide whether to order Israel to pause its military operations in Gaza the ruling is part of a legal case brought by South Africa which accuses Israel of genocide a charge Israel denies joining me now is shaa Jolly a human rights barister at cler's Chambers thanks so Much for uh joining me this morning first uh just what exactly is being decided and announced today uh thank you very much yes um so we need to be clear first of all what the court is not doing today it's not making a finding that there uh has or has not been genocide It's being asked by South Africa to make provisional orders which you could say are like a temporary or an urgent injunction the decision as to whether or not there there is or isn't as genocide is uh many years in the making and and we won't hear from we won't have that Decision today that that's years away that decision that that decision could be years away yes there many procedural stps until you get to a trial so today uh South Africa has asked uh the court to make ruling on provisional measures uh and provisional measures on on genocide has a different legal test um So the court will award provisional measures only if it considers that there's a plausible risk that genocide is occurring or could occur um and that the situation urg urgently requires such measures but that's what the Court's looking at today so is the bar for that higher or lower than proving that Genocide takes place well it's it's different it's a it's it it's I think first of all there's two things you we need to think about what is genocide genocide is um uh one or more of a specific number of physical acts which constitute genocide so for example killing members of the group or Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group or deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of Life calculated to bring about physical destruction in whole or in part but what distinguishes genocide from other crimes against Humanity or war crimes which are also very serious is that there is a Legal requirement to prove the mental element of intent now that is interpreted in law very very restrictively it's hard to prove an intent to destroy whether in whole or in part uh a national or an ethnic or racial or religious group and so that will take some years for that trial to Be to to take place what the court will decide today is whether there is a plaus whe there's a real risk plausibly that those conditions either are have occurred or are occurring or could occur and if so whether there is then a need to take urgent measures to put steps in Place that can stop them so that's what the Court's looking at today and in terms of your assessment of both sides making their cases over over the last couple of weeks what really stands out for you on each side well I mean I think first of all you've got to situate Today's judgment with within the context of what's happening in Israel Gaza right now and both sides when they told uh their narratives to the court they told very different stories two weeks ago South Africa wanted the court to hear about the violence both the actual violence and the verbal violence you Could say um uh which South Africa said EV evidenced um genocidal intent so statements by senior officials for example in in Israel and Israel wanted the uh Court to be reminded of its own history the Holocaust history bound up with genocide uh of the second world war Of course and of the brutality of the hamus attacks of October the 7th and Israel's argument in essence was that it was entitled in law to defend itself against hamus and that its war was being waged with Hamas not with garans it said it's got no intent to destroy garans Only Hamas and South Africa of course had a different story to tell um and so I think uh I mean it it could be anyone's guess and I don't know if you were asking me to make a prediction about that um but um if the court considers that um the tests for Provisional measures are met then South Africa has asked for various different types of provisional measures so it's asked for example broadly they amount to ensuring access for humanitarian Aid food medicines Etc uh the preservation of evidence for prosecution and of course the big one which is the order For the ceasefire and Israel says that if you order a ceasefire you effectively stop it defending itself and the court can't order a ceasefire in those terms against hamus because hamus isn't is not the state party uh and therefore cannot bring or cannot be a party in the Icj it's it's interesting of course is the Hamas isn't part of this case um which is one thing what's your take on the other much discussed point that this is South Africa that is bringing the case is that in your eyes as an expert In this this area a bit rich or is it legitimate and and irrelevant who brings the case as long as they make a good case uh well you can't say it's irrelevant uh but um what South Africa is doing South Africa entitled to bring a case so there is an obligation more Broadly on on on The Wider uh International Community to prevent genocide so they also rely on that um but of course uh only States can be parties before the icj and hamus cannot be a party to this claim um it Palestine has joined the international criminal Court which is a different court and the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed by Palestinian Nationals including Hamas so that's a different case but the icj is entitled to bring a case uh as indeed uh are other countries and have and and other countries do that so for example Gambia brought a case Against Myanmar uh uh in respective um alleged genocide against rhinga for example um so the question today is is whether the court considers that the tests for provisional measures are met and if so what it will do and it's not required to uh to do um or to make the Orders that South Africa requires so for example it might decide to create or craft its own orders to ref reflect a different balance particularly because hamus is not a state party whatever they do they're likely to be very mindful not only of the political volatility around The situation on the ground but also the humanitarian emergency that continues to build and unfold every day um I think the world is holding its breath with this judgment and we'll we'll have to see what the court does but whatever it does it will have a lasting significance Not just in Israel and Gaza but also on the actions or the inactions of the much wider World sha Jolly Casey thanks so much really interesting perspective thank you very much for having me and a reminder we will have that decision live expected from midday today just wanted To bring you some breaking news a statement from the Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner following the sentencing of valdo kalakan for the man's daughter of Barnaby Weber Grace omali Kumar and Ian coats well Caroline Henry has said quote my deepest sympathies are with the families of those killed in this most tragic Incident and I understand that they and the public have some concerns around valdo cak's outstanding warrant at the time of the attack well clearly no one could have foreseen the tragedy that happened but the people of Nottingham Shire will rightly want reassurance that those who should be in the criminal Justice system are found and dealt with swiftly I meet regularly with Nottinghamshire police's Chief Constable to scrutinize the forces's performance on behalf of the public and I'm very confident the force delivers a good service overall to the people of Nottinghamshire however there's always room for improvement I will now be Seeking further reassurance over the situation with outstanding warrants across Nottinghamshire to ensure wanted individuals appear before the courts as quickly as possible now revolutionary new blood tests could mean brain cancer patients get quick and accurate diagnoses without the need for Dangerous surgery the test has been successful in a clinical Validation study where it was used to detect some of the most common types of high-grade brain tumors in adults our correspondent Matthew Thompson has this report Jim's illness and the way in which he died was the least inter in thing about him he was a incredibly funny intelligent very loved person Sarah's husband Jamie died within months of their wedding day of an aggressive brain tumor but though she was with him to the end she says the hardest part was waiting for his diagnosis we were made aware that it was very serious so we we were kind of um under No Illusion that It was going to be an easy ride but that period of time when I reflect on it was probably one of the most difficult periods of his illness um just because of that feeling of not knowing what was going to happen so I think if there were A way to speed up diagnosis um I just think that that would be emotionally a lot easier for patients and for the people that love them to not have to spend so much time kind of essentially in the dark it's too late for Jamie and Sarah but a new revolutionary test could Help others like them researchers at Imperial College have developed a way of diagnosing brain tumors just from looking at Telltale cells secreted into the blood it's a huge Improvement on current practice which requires major surgery it's risky timec consuming and not always possible 40% of patients Won't be able to have a surgical biopsy for a couple of reasons one of those is the location of the brain tumor it's in an area of the brain that it's just too risky for the neurosurgeon to access and it's absolutely this group of patients for whom this test currently is going to Really make a difference in theory it means that certain tumors can be diagnosed more quickly and more accurately that in turn should save lives but before we get too carried away it's important to point out that even the experts here at Imperial College concede it could be 2 years or perhaps Longer before patients can actually benefit if and when they eventually do though it could have a major impact on the diagnosis and the treatment of some of the deadliest forms of brain cancer larger studies are now needed to validate the results but the early signs are very promising indeed Matthew Thompson Sky News we have some uh massive uh breaking news in the world of football Liverpool manager Jurgen klopp has announced his decision to step down as Manager of Liverpool at the end uh of the season of course he's been a highly successful manager for Liverpool he's having a very Successful season thus far uh tracking down four trophies uh no less uh but uh preempting success or failure this season by saying he will go at the end of the season our Sports correspondent Rob Harris joins me now with reaction to this Rob this comes as a huge and Significant surprise yeah big shot juren klopp the Premier League's longest serving manager has been in charge of anfield since 2015 and he really has helped to bring incredible success to Liverpool he ended that elusive 30 year weight to win the English league when he landed the Premier League in 2020 amidst The pandemic and around the same time they won the Champions League in 2019 they also won the club World Cup as well in 2019 at one point holding so many trophies and he's delivered such an energetic heavy metal branders football as he calls it and really has resonated With the uh the public on Mery side with the Liverpool fans really uh being in tune with their value and he's delivered that consistent challenge at the top of the Premier League while also not having say that state ownership as we've seen at Manchester City through Abu Dhabi Which has been a formidable Force to compete against and Liverpool have managed to sort of really challenge City in a way that perhaps some didn't expect even when they fell off the uh the summit last season and were really sort of perhaps having a more difficult season missing out on qualifying for the Champions League they've come back this season yet again to be right there at the top comp competing for the premier league but perhaps it does take its toll Jurgen klopp talking about the pressure that it does put on him and the energy that is exhausted in trying to compete Really at the highest level when there is such an intense amount of football all year round um with so many competitions to to compete in and just you know reading the uh the statement he's put in he says that he is feeling healthy but certainly as we try and go Through this Lites we we are speaking now that the um you know at his age that you know it's he is fine but perhaps that um he wants to be able to sort of look ahead and look for other things to be able to certainly do as he s of looks On into next season and perhaps what other challenges um that he might have Rob uh thanks so much for that perspective I mean extraordinary breaking news everyone's exploding about it on on Twitter as you said a Titan uh of the club and coming as as a great surprise Uh of course even as an Arsenal fan almost makes you want to win the league for Liverpool this year so he can go out with a with a bang not quite uh but uh uh huge news and we're going to have more analysis of that at the top of the Next hour as well Jurgen klopp announcing his decision to step away from Liverpool at the end of this season now a death row prisoner in the US who became the first person to be put to death with nitrogen used his final words to say Humanity had taken a step Backwards Kenneth Eugene Smith was EX executed in Alabama last night he'd been sentenced to death for a murder committed in 1988 with me now is Nick Yaris a former death row prisoner himself who was then acquitted of rape and murder Nick thanks so much for joining us it's uh great to Have you with us thank you for having me so I I want to get into your extraordinary case in in a moment um but but first your reaction on a we'll get to the means in a moment as well but on another uh capital punishment execution In the US uh yesterday I mean did you think it's awful that this practice still takes place I went through a similar experience where I was sentenced to the electric chair I remember the judge telling me I was going to be taken to the Rock view State Prison where 2,200 volts of electricity would course through my body and in my life and then they changed it and made it lethal injection so I wasn't ever sentenced to be stabbed with a needle but they changed it and that's what they're doing here so what's bothering me and it's Troubling me is they tried to execute this man for hours with needles imagine laying on a gurnie and they're poking you in your groin in your neck all over your body trying to get a vein to murder you and you succeed in surviving that only to be an experiment Like a giddy Pig so this is horrifying that the state of Oklahoma and the state of Mississippi are going to start doing this because successfully opponents of the death penalty stopped them from getting the drugs and it was like I said a an ordeal to try and get the drugs Into people and so your take on this new method uh nitrogen being used is is clearly a negative one you think he was used as a guinea pig the man held his breath for as long as he possibly could this wasn't someone being euthanized who was suffering this one someone clinging To the last moment of life that's horrible well it it certainly is and uh you have personal experience of having the prospect of uh being executed ahead of you I mean I don't even know where to say what is that experience like it's the greatest experience of my life I'm So grateful that I went to death row because all my childhood friends dried of drug overdoses or violence or suicide and I was spared the AIDS epidemic and I I started to learn self-respect and self-love and I elevated my entire life because I was on death row and even Though I was there wrongly it didn't matter I needed to use that opportunity and I have since I mean that is an unbelievably positive perspective and uh it's amazing to hear you have such a perspective I guess it does rest on the fact that ultimately you were cleared I mean if That had not happened I had to ask to be executed to get that done I was physically tortured for years for being a rapist murderer they thought was mentally ill I went through a lot of degradations but I learned when people are harming you you can really find it within Yourself at that moment to love you a lot of people in life don't love themselves thank God I was openly tortured so that I could learn that I just released my new book called Mind your heart nickis 20 years of freedom I was released in January 2004 I moved to The United Kingdom in January 2005 and I fell in love with the idea that not everyone's out to murder you I mean again I'm I'm stunned uh by your perspective it's it's quite it's quite unbelievable um that that you're able to have such a positive perspective on this And I'm glad the last 20 years of your life have been so much more positive if if I may just to go back to this extraordinary experience you said there you asked to be you asked for the date to come forward yes sir I was sick in Prison I do apologize no please I was suffering from hepatitis C infection after they beat me and broke my teeth in prison and I contracted this illness that was killing my fellow prisoners so after listening to them dying horrifying fashion with the nurses taunting them I asked that my appeals be dismissed and My lawyers be dismissed so that I could be executed so at that moment presuming um you didn't have the same positive perspective you have now and you really thought genuinely the end is just around the corner when you listen to men being tortured before they die you don't want To be tortured you don't mind dying but you don't want to be tortured and they were doing this horrible thing I was convicted of raping a woman that I never met in my life and they openly tortured me for that and I didn't want to go out like That so I tried to come up with a beautiful way to die speaking beautifully on my own behalf enveloping all of the uh process as best that I could without the indignity of being ignorant that was my whole fear I spent 23 years in solitary confinement that Means every day of my life I was locked up 23 hours a day while I was being openly tortured to talk to me about when the good news arrived 2002 you you sought your own execution because of this terrible experience that you you've been telling us about released 2 years Later in that 2year Gap the new DNA evidence arrived it must have been the most fantastic moment unfortunately no the DAT that I was proven innocent my brother was having a seizure at my mother's feet cuz he was an alcoholic who had a brain injury and she couldn't Celebrate and then they took me off a death row and they put me in a mental Soul cuz they feared I was going to kill them for what they did to me so I spent the last8 months of of my life in prison in a mental ward being told that no Human being could endure what we did to you without you being angry enough to kill one of us so we're not going to trust you until we open the door I I just am completely stunned um what an unbelievable ordeal and and what extraordinary mixed emotions the fact That you're able to end all of it with a positive emotion is is truly truly commendable um I just wondered Nick your your perspective more broadly on the practice of capital punishment still existing we cannot regulate human behavior this is why drug laws do not work someone today this is sad in the State of Alabama someone's going to be murdered today statistically they have a murder a day there you know so that death penalty last night didn't do anything to stop it so I I so you you you want the death penalty to remain or to be no it doesn't work it has no Bearing on human behavior today someone out and killed someone in Alabama and they didn't care that the state executed someone so what's the point and do you think that that will ever happen in the US it's something as as you know from spending 20 years here it's one of those Things that exists in the US that that Britains are somewhat shocked remains today why does it remain in the US with enough support it's only in a few certain former slave states Alabama Mississippi Oklahoma and these are prevalent um statistics in the south of America in which they used to have open Slavery they have little regard for human life M they are pro birth not pro-life they don't mind uh putting you in prison for an abortion but then they'll take your life for if you commit a crime it's idiocy well Nick your story is quite unbelievable and extraordinary and your As I've said a number of times your perspective on all of this to to be so positive is is quite inspiring I didn't know you had a book I'm going to go out and buy what what was it called again it's called