Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 12, 2024

Episode Date: January 13, 2024

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Tonight, a travel nightmare as the country deals with its third winter storm just this week. Plains covered in ice on a runway in Omaha, Nebraska, as a so-called bomb cyclone brings white-out conditions to the Midwest. Thousands of flights canceled across the country, a ground stop issued at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, more than 50 million Americans still in the storm's path, and now potentially life-threatening cold moving in. On Monday, caucus goers in Iowa could be met with wind chills nearing minus 40 degrees. Also tonight, Houthi rebels, vowing to retaliate after U.S. and British back strikes, targeted the group in Yemen. The U.S.-led attack was launched in response to Houthi rebel bombardments on commercial ships in the Red Sea. Could the strikes lead to something bigger, and will they have economic impacts both overseas and at home here in the U.S.?

Emergency in Ecuador, the country declaring war on gangs, following. the on-air attack at a TV station in Gayaquil. Homes raided and suspected gang members rounded up. Ecuador's new president sitting down for an exclusive interview with Telemundoz, Julio Vacero, why he says the country went from one of the safest in the region to one of the most dangerous. Back here at home and the cold case twist, a local NBC news crew in 1989, capturing the moment a father found his missing son's body. The man breaking down in tears on camera, but now 35 years later, he's charged with that child's murder.

How some of that old NBC news video helped investigators finally crack the case. Plus, the Oscar-winning director of Parasite pleading for answers after the sudden death of one of the film's stars. His death appearing to be a suicide amid a controversial drug investigation. But now his colleagues are questioning the role police and the local media played. And new body camera footage showing officers running into a burning home, finding a man stuck in a chair that was engulfed in flames, the race to get him out alive. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. Tonight, tens of millions across the U.S. facing a third round of brutal winter weather.

A potent bomb cyclone blasting parts of the eastern. U.S. with blizzard conditions and sub-zero temperatures. The storm taking aim at Chicago, forcing hundreds of cancellations at O'Hare Airport and thousands of disruptions nationwide. Meantime to the south, a risk for severe storms, including the threat for tornadoes stretching from parts of Arkansas up to Raleigh, North Carolina. This system will continue its brutal path east, bringing heavy rain and destructive winds to the I-95 corridor tonight and into tornado. tomorrow. A cruel reality for much of the northeast, as already saturated areas are prone to even more flooding. The bitter Arctic blast behind this system will send temperatures plunging

well below zero. Tomorrow's Dauphin's chief game could break records for the coldest NFL playoff game in history. Bill Cairns with the forecast in just a moment, but we're going to begin with NBC's Maggie Vespa tonight from Chicago. tonight the brewing bomb cyclone already living up to its name and derailing travel plans coast to coast how wild is it to see delays and cancellations stack up that quickly i was shot we boarded twice and we got on the plane we got off white out conditions slamming the midwest dumping up to two inches of snow per hour and coating planes on this omaha runway in ice in chicago the storm forcing a temporary ground stop at furnelling frustrated passengers into long customer service lines.

Effects rippled quickly. Tonight, more than 6,000 flights delayed, more than 2,000 canceled nationwide, among the stressed out travelers. So you're just stuck here. I'm stuck here. Shosh Savaram, whose plane from Florida was diverted, making her miss her connection to India to see family. How stressed are you right now?

Extremely. I was excited to go meet my mom. 60 million Americans tonight remain under new winter weather alerts. 25 million under wind alerts. Roads across the Midwest also a mess. Here, visibility in Kansas practically down to zero. Wisconsin, meanwhile, slammed with more than 10 inches of snow and counting. Two snowstorms back-to-back feels like a little much.

I have never seen anything like this before. The storm now roaring east. New York's governor even urging Bill's fans to avoid Sunday's playoff game against Pittsburgh. We're anticipating at least 18 inches of snow. it's just better if you stay home and tune in on television. It'll be safer for all of us. A plea for safety amid America's third severe winter system this week. And Maggie Vespa joins us now from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Maggie, what's the latest on those air travel delays and cancellations? I mean, Alison, you saw those staggering

totals in the piece, right? It's no surprise. I mean, they've been rising pretty much all day. And unfortunately, we've seen this before to some degree. This is kind of a broken record when it comes to air travel, sort of budding heads with severe weather. This could take several days for this mess to kind of resolve itself. In the meantime, with this storm still on the move, the FAA says it's on alert working with airlines to monitor the storm's impact on flights through the weekend, if not into next week. Alison. NBC news correspondent Maggie Vespa in Chicago.

Thank you. For more on those severe winter weather threats, let's turn now to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens, who joins me in studio. were tracking two separate storm systems? What are you watching? Yeah, it's getting confusing, just keeping track of all these storms, one after another. So we have our blizzard that we've been watching all day long. That's the one that's moving over the top of Chicago now. The backside of it's the nasty side. That's where the winds are howling. That's where the snow is light and powdery and blowing all over the place. Roads are extremely

difficult, if not impossible, and much of Iowa. And now in areas of Wisconsin, earlier in Kansas, and Nebraska was really bad, too. Michigan is not as windy, but it is still snowing pretty hard, especially the northern half of the state. And this is just all rain that is heading up to East Coast. So as far as the watches and the warnings go, the purple shows you the blizzard warnings. Even though it's not snowing anymore, it's like a ground blizzard because the winds are so strong there in areas of Nebraska and South Dakota. Green Bay, first time five years under a blizzard warning. And then this is the new storm that we're going to be watching all weekend with all the winterstorm warnings from Salt Lake City, blizzard warning southern Idaho. That's mostly going to

be a heavy event in the mountainous areas. And one of the stories we're going to be watching, not only what happens with this storm overnight, but Buffalo won the two feet of snow in that football game on Sunday with 60 mile per hour winds. All right, Bill, temperatures, they are set to drop dangerously in the heart of the country this weekend. How cold are we talking when we say really, really cold? It's cold as we've been in this winter, but for sure, in some areas, even longer than that. So this is the current wind chill. It's negative 42 in Montana. It's been that cold all day, just brutal. And now it's heading to the south. Notice, Nebraska, negative.

16, Kansas cities, the 10, Wichita's the 6. And this will eventually make its way all the way down to the Gulf Coast. And it's here to stay. It looks like it's going to peak on Sunday or Monday in many places, including in Idaho for the, and Iowa for the caucus. Kansas City for the football game, negative 20 wind chills. And watch out Texas on Monday and Tuesday, near record energy demand. We all know what happened a couple of winters ago, Allison, when Texas had the power outages in the midst of an extreme cold snap. I was on the ground covering that really scary situation. We hope everybody stays as safe as they can. Bill Cairns, thank you as always for bringing us that. We head now to Iowa, where candidates are battling bitter cold and snowstorms as they make

their final pitches to voters ahead of Monday's Republican caucus. Donald Trump's still holding that commanding lead we've been reporting on and gaining strength with a key group of voters. NBC News senior Capitol Hill correspondent Garrett Haik is on the ground in a frozen and snowy Des Moines. Tonight, the final sprint towards Monday's Iowa caucus, frozen by the blizzard sweeping across the Hawkeye State. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley urging supporters to turn out Monday, no matter the record cold caucus forecast. I don't think you'll ever be able to cast a vote that has more impact. It's going to be negative 15, but I'm going to be out there. DeSantis and Haley still seen in a race for second to frontrunner Donald Trump, who holds a key advantage. Raise your hand

What if this is the, you're going to caucus for Donald Trump? All three of you. The most recent NBC News, Des Moines Register poll shows 63% of first-time caucus goers, often new to politics or new to Iowa, plan to support the former president. I look at everybody, but he's my only choice. Trump's ability to recruit first-time caucus goers like Leroy Schnauthorst and turn them into active volunteers, key to his strength here. I just want to support Trump because he's put an American first, and that's the biggest reason why I'm out here. But Trump isn't alone in drawing new caucus goers. Ryan Clare's voted for Joe Biden in 2020.

Now he's crossing over to caucus for Nikki Haley. I feel like there needs to be a new generation that comes in the White House. It can't be Trump or Biden. Garrett Hake joins us now from the campaign trail, and we should note a very snowy Des Moines, Iowa. Garrett, thank you for being with us. and reporting despite all of that snow and wind around you. Look, talk to us a little more about what you've talked about in your piece. I mean, we see the weather.

It has obviously been a factor on the trail all week there in Iowa. We understand candidates are actually still canceling some events. Yeah, that's right, Alison. It's been a full-on blizzard here today with the snow and the wind, making it incredibly treacherous, even for Iowans who are used to winter being winter here. All of the campaigns have had to cancel at least some of their events. today. We're hearing word that there could be more cancellations to come tomorrow. If you had to place a bet on it, you have to think all this probably helps Donald Trump, the frontrunner. His

supporters are so committed to him. And it's those candidates, Nikki Haley, Ronda Santis, Vivek Ramoswamy, we need to find a way to shake up this race. You're going to have a much harder time doing it when they can't physically go out and meet those caucus goers here in Iowa because of all this snow. Ellison. Garrett Hake in Iowa. Thank you. And you can join our Tom. Yomis, Hally Jackson, and Kristen Welker for live coverage and analysis of the Iowa caucuses. Special coverage begins Monday night at 7 p.m. Eastern streaming on NBC News Now. Heading overseas now to Yemen, the Houthi's vowing retaliation for the airstrikes launched by the U.S. and Britain. The attack coming after weeks of mounting attacks by the Iranian-backed militant group in the Red Sea.

The Houthi saying the attack killed at least five fighters at multiple rebel-held sites. NBC News Pentagon correspondent Courtney Kubi has the latest. Tonight, after the Pentagon says a punishing series of U.S. and British strikes destroyed more than Houthi military targets in Yemen, the first sign of retaliation. The Iranian-backed militia saying they won't stop attacking ships, firing an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Red Sea, but hitting nothing. President Biden was pressed. What would he do if Houthi attacks don't stop? We will make sure that we respond to Houthi that they continue as outrageous behavior along with our allies. President Biden has been under pressure to act following months of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, through which the U.S. says 15 percent of global sea trade travels, including oil supplies.

And some companies had begun avoiding the Red Sea a costly disruption. Last night's operation included U.S. and British warplanes dropping bombs and U.S. Navy ships, including a submarine, firing Tomahawk missiles, more than 150 precision-guided bombs and missiles in all. The White House says they demolished Houthi ballistic missile launchers, ammunition warehouses, air defense radars, and more. The targets we chose were all valid, legitimate targets that went right at the Houthi's ability to store, to launch, and to guide. President Biden writing, the strikes send a clear message that the United States and our

partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or that imperil freedom of navigation. But tonight, Iran, who supplies the Houthis with money, weapons, and intelligence, condemn the strikes, saying they are fueling instability in the region. Do you have confidence in Secretary Austin? I do. Meanwhile, President Biden criticizing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for keeping his hospitalization secret. Austin did not tell the president or the public for days that he was off the job and in intensive

care for prostate cancer treatment. Was it a lot from judgment for him not to tell you earlier? Yes. And Courtney Keeb joins us now from the Pentagon. So Courtney, in terms of these strikes in Yemen, we have the United States, John Kirby, other top officials saying these are meant to be a deterrent, but also we expect to see some sort of retaliation from Houthi rebels. They warned commercial ships not to go into the Red Sea with an American flag, at least

in the coming days. So what sort of retaliation are they? expecting, I mean, do they think commercial ships will be safe or do they expect that to be the retaliation here? So the big question is how big of a real impact did these punishing strikes last night have on the Houthis capabilities? So keep this in mind, Ellison. There were more than 150 precision bombs and missiles that were fired at these targets last night. More than 60 actual targets were hit. So you would think that would have, and Pentagon officials think, that had a real impact on the Houthis capability to conduct some of these larger-scale attacks that we've

seen in recent days, like frankly earlier this week, when they fired off more than 20 projectiles into these busy shipping lanes in the Red Sea. The belief is they really degraded that capability, but it doesn't mean they have completely eliminated their capability, and that's what we should be watching for for the next several days, and maybe even weeks, Ellison. Do they still have the ability to launch off drones, to fire ballistic missiles, and to fire in? anti-ship cruise missiles. And that's the kind of retaliation that the Pentagon is expecting to see in some form or fashion. All right, Courtney Qee at the Pentagon. Thank you. For more on these strikes and what they mean for the future of the region. I'm joined now by Steve Warren, a retired

United States Army Colonel and former Pentagon spokesperson. Colonel Warren, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Look, earlier today, we heard a lot from John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. He basically said, from the White House's perspective, we are not looking for conflict with Iran. But there is concern that this could lead to something bigger. I was struck by a statement Michigan Representative Slotnik put out today on her Twitter account where she did say that she felt like this was the right move. But she went on to say, quote, we should be worried about regional escalation.

Iran uses groups like the Houthis to fight their battles, maintain plausible deniability, and prevent a direct conflict with the U.S. or others. They've done it for years. It needs to stop. And my hope is they've gotten the message. My question here is by launching these strikes, did the U.S. walk into some sort of trap here? I mean, Iran knows what they're doing, right, presumably.

So did the United States take sort of the exact steps that Iran wanted them to? Well, it remains to be seen, Allison, generally speaking, or geopolitically speaking, I think the conversation that you had with With Courtney, it was particularly important, right? As we look at possible retaliations, there's really two sort of tiers to that possible retaliation. One is the Houthis. Their capabilities are relatively limited. They can continue striking, shipping in the Red Sea.

They can escalate. They can strike a little bit more than they have been. But that's really about all the Houthis they're capable of. The Iranians, as you point out, have much more capability. They have a broader range. They can conduct operations in Iraq. Syria and other areas throughout the region. So we have to wait and see.

There is an argument to be made that, you know, the strategy behind these strikes, which I think you can break it sort of down to 3Ds, right, deter, you know, de-escalate and degrade, will have that effect, right? The Houthis now understand that their actions will have consequences as the president, as other members of this coalition that conducted these strikes, have said publicly, these can't continue. This type of disruption of the shipping lanes can not continue. And now the Houthis and the Iranians, frankly, understand that there will be consequences if they continue. Understanding there might be consequences, caring that there might be consequences are sort of two different things.

I'm curious when you look at the Houthis, and I understand you're saying that their capabilities are nothing like Iran, certainly nothing like the United States. But this is a militant group that has a lot of experience fighting within Yemen. I mean, they have been fighting a Saudi-back coalition since what? 2015, prior to that, when they formed in the mid-90s, they'd spent decades, years fighting the government in Yemen. They're a Shiite group. They were fighting the Sunni government there. I mean, are they more capable than, say, Hezbollah or even Hamas?

And do you think when they are looking and weighing the benefits here, do they approach it like a normal military would, where even if they don't have the same capabilities as Iran or the U.S., they say, we don't care, we'll go to the wall anyways. Right. Well, two things there. Number one, their capabilities have increased significantly over the last 10 years. You know, when they started out, you know, what we would see is images of, you know, some rag-tag fighters with, you know, rusty rifles and assault rifles. And now they are, you know, a full-fledged, really military, right? They have all the sort of regional or local capabilities that you'd expect in a military armored vehicles, some air power,

and, of course, all the missiles that they have. So they do have those capabilities, but they're also regular, you know, have to think about what's in their interest, right? They've lost, they, you know, they took, I think, a significant hit today. Was the U.S., this coalition strike, able to eliminate their offensive capabilities? Of course not. But they've bled a little bit, right? And so the Houthis now have some new calculus that they have to figure in.

As they are going through their decision process, they have to. have to determine whether or not whatever they think they're gaining out of these, you know, harassment strikes that they're conducting in the Red Sea, whatever it is that they think they're gaining, is it worth the price they're paying? And that's really, you know, the formula for deterrence anywhere. It's causing the enemy to determine or to think twice before they act. All right. Colonel Steve Warren, thank you so much. We appreciate your time and insights tonight. Thank you. We continue to follow that state of emergency in Ecuador. The country in in the midst of a massive crackdown on gangs following prison riots, kidnappings, and

that TV station attack. The violence has left the country on edge and has even forced the cancellation of flights from the U.S. NBC News correspondent Guadvanegas has the very latest. Tonight, Ecuador presses on a war against criminal gangs now designated by the government as terrorists. Soldiers patrolling the streets in Guayaquil, the country's largest city and epicenter of the violence. On Tuesday, a horrific 30-minute attack on a television station broadcasted live and seen by the world.

Forcing the country's president, Daniel Noboa, to double down at a state of emergency. No, we'll have to a group of terrorists detain the country. Guayaquil still crippled with fear, as 90% of stores in the downtown area remain closed. For now, even some U.S. airlines have decided to temporarily halt flights to Guayaquil with experts asking Americans to reconsider travel. Don't go unless you have to. If these gang members are doing this outside the sort of the prison system or outside of fighting each other, there's an increased risk of civilians being sort of caught in the crossfire.

In an effort to restore peace, the police, the police publicly displayed. alleged gang members they have arrested. Here we have eight people that are being judicialized for the delito of terrorism. The tensions also spreading beyond Guayaquil. Authorities reporting arson at a nightclub

in the Amazon city of Koka killing two people. A bomb scare causing a mass response in Ecuador's capital Quito and nearly 160 prison guards still being held hostage by inmates at least seven prisons according to the nation's prison agency. This woman who was scared to show her face for security reasons

says she's the wife of one of the abducted guards and has had no information about her husband's whereabouts for five days. President Noboa sitting down with Telemundo's anchor Julio Bakato today for an exclusive interview. Ecuador was one of the safest countries in the region. And today it's one of the most violent places in the world. What happened? The lack of security. is based on what has happened politically

in the previous years. We have led these international organizations and these terrorists gain ground and insert themselves in various institutions. You said that Emperor is at war. How will you win this war? And we have received full support also of the people, not only of the political class.

And together, with working hand-in-hand, we will succeed and we will have a victory. Guad joins us now from Houston, Texas. Has the international community offered any sort of support to Ecuador's president, particularly the United States? Alison, the United States is offering very specific support. The State Department now informing the group of senior officials from the U.S. will be traveling to Ecuador in the next coming weeks.

And the support they will be offering is a number of things. They're going to offer intelligence. They're also going to offer help when it comes to prosecuting these individuals and also with the criminal investigations, as well as help with the cyber activity, that malicious cyber activity that the criminal organizations are engaged with. And also, they're going to help with the prison reforms. One of the biggest problems in Ecuador has been with the prisons.

So this is all coming from a group of excerpts from the U.S. that will be traveling to Ecuador. Elson. Gwavenegas. Amazing reporting. Thank you. Still ahead tonight, falsely accused, a deputy with a heart condition going into cardiac arrest and dying after trying to detain a man outside of a motel. Now that man has been charged with manslaughter and could face life in prison. Plus, the father charged with the murder of his son 35 years after he was caught on camera, pretending to be the one to discover the body, how some of this old news footage might have helped crack the case. And some student loan borrowers will have the rest of their debt erased starting next month. We'll explain the new announcement from the Biden administration. Stay with us. Back now with a break in a decades-long cold case. A South Carolina father now charged with the 1989 murder of his own five-year-old son.

Investigators pointing to scientific advancement in forensic and a TV news crew videotape from the scene of the crime that could indicate what the father knew. NBC news correspondent Steve Patterson has this report. In 1989, five-year-old Justin Turner went missing on his way to school. Try to see if you see one end to the other end, see if he might be in there. Local and state law enforcement in South Carolina combing the area where Justin was last seen. Two days later, all something's in there.

No camera, no camera. Justin's father, Victor Lee Turner, finding his son's body in a camper on the family's property. Almost 35 years later, Victor Lee Turner now charged with the murder of his own child. I can't think of a more tragic, horrendous murder. Five-year-old boy. Also charged with murder, Justin's stepmom, Megan Turner. Initially, they provided information that he got on the school. bus and went to school, but never got off of the bus. That was not true.

He never got on that bus. He never got on that bus because he was dead inside that house. The decades-old case reviewed in 2021 by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, Cold Case Unit. We have a lot of forensic evidence. We got here because of new technology in forensic medicine. And we kept pushing and plugging and pulling to finally get. what we needed. Another element investigators have been looking at for decades, this 1989 news video from the search captured by NBC affiliate WCB. The Berkeley County Sheriff pointing to the way

Victor Lee Turner enters the camper during the search. It indicates, at least to me, and a lot of investigators, that he knew where he was at because he went straight to him. And, you know, again, you have to make that determination for yourself. But that's, that's, that That's what it appears to us. Victor and Megan Turner appearing via video for their first court appearance. The couple has yet to make a plea. Justin's cousin making this statement to the court and the couple. For 35 years, you have enjoyed your freedom.

You do not deserve one day outside of those prison walls for what you did to Justin. You were supposed to take care of him, love him, and instead you tortured, abuse, and murder him. Your child, it takes a sick individual to do what you did to that baby. but you never see life outside of those prison walls. And so far, Bond has yet to be set for Victor and Megan Turner by a circuit court judge. We expect that within the next month. Alison. Steve Patterson, thank you.

Next tonight to an arrest that took a deadly turn in Florida, a deputy going into cardiac arrest and dying after trying to detain a man outside of a motel. Now that man, a Guatemalan farm worker, has been charged with manslaughter and is facing 30 years in prison, if found guilty. NBC news correspondent Stephen Romo has this report and a warning to viewers. The video of the arrest, it is disturbing. This is the moment last May that changed everything for the two men involved. Sergeant Michael Koonovich stopped Guatemalan farm worker Virgil Aguilar Mendes for, quote,

suspicious behavior outside a motel where he was staying in St. Augustine, Florida. After a struggle to arrest Aguilar Mendes, who tried to flee, according to law enforcement, Sergeant Kunevich went into cardiac arrest and died a short time later. Florida's state attorney's office is now charging Aguilar Mendez with aggravated manslaughter of an officer, and he's facing 30 years in prison. Our client's constitutional rights were violated. He was a victim of police brutality, a victim of racial profiling. Now his attorney is demanding all charges be dropped, or he says they'll sue in federal court.

He was eating outside. He had also been planning on going towards the gas station to get a bottle of soda. I'm sorry he speaks this business. Okay, body camera footage given to NBC News by Aguilar Mendez attorney shows how the encounter unfolded. You can hear Aguilar Mendez saying multiple times that he doesn't speak English. Don't walk away from me. Don't pull away from me. Sergeant Koonovich continues yelling commands to him in English, and Aguilar Mendez appears to pull away.

when Kuhnovich tries to search it. Get on the ground. The struggle continues, and another officer arrives. These next images are disturbing. I'm going to tase you. Another officer putting his hand on Aguilar Mendes' throat, throwing him to the ground. Push your hands behind him.

Kuhnavich, tasing him while he's down. With Aguilar Mendes repeating that he doesn't understand. Lay on your stomach. He ends up tased multiple times. times, with officers tackling him and twisting his arms back. One officer also appears to place his knee on Aguilar Mendez's torso. After Aguilar Mendes was in handcuffs, officers found what appeared to be a small pocket knife, which his attorney says he uses for cutting melons. Aguilar immediately told the officer he didn't understand English. His native language is

ma'am, which is an ancient indigenous language in Guatemala. At the end of the body cam video, Kunovic's breathing appears labored and a colleague asks if he's okay before he was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. St. John's County Medical Examiner determining Sergeant Koonovich died from an irregular heartbeat caused by the hardening of his arteries along with high blood pressure and heart disease. The report also said, quote, physical exertion and possible emotional stress while apprehending a fleeing suspect may have contributed to his death. Even if Kukovic hadn't, as you said, tragically died from this, would you still think that Orhalio would have a civil rights case to pursue?

I do because his constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizures, which apply not only to citizens but persons. The Constitution is very clear. It says persons, not citizens. Aguilar Mendes is currently waiting for his asylum hearing in immigration court. The St. John County's Sheriff's Office has not returned. NBC's request for comment in Florida State Attorney's Office saying they don't comment on pending cases. Ultimately, Sergeant Michael Kunevich succumbed basically to some medical issues that actually were induced by the struggle with our subject.

After seven months in custody, a judge last month ruled Aguilar Mendez to be incompetent, something that typically happens due to mental health. But his attorney says it's so he can have time to understand the charges and the U.S. legal system, adding, he only, He only has a sixth grade education in Spanish, which is his second language. To charge our client with his death is outrageous, and it's just not supported by law. Stephen Romo joins us now in studio. So, Stephen, what happens next here? How likely is it that these manslaughter charges will be dropped? And what are experts telling you about the strength of this case?

Well, today was the deadline. The attorney said for those charges to be dropped before deciding to file that civil rights lawsuit. So it seems like that is the next step. As for the case itself, our legal expert, Danny Savalos, telling me it's likely the defense will try to show that the deputy had a heart condition that preceded this event with the suspect. But that will happen once the court case actually takes place. But for right now, Aguilar Mendez is in limbo because he's been found unfit to stand trial at the moment. So the sheriff involved in this in St. John's County is running for re-election. What has the reaction been to him, to that? And then,

this incident within the community? We have here at NBC tried to reach out to the sheriff's office and get comment, as of other outlets, and they've not really spoken much at all since right after this incident occurred way back in May. So we would like more information about that. He is running for reelection, and many of the people in the community are supporting the deputy's family, holding fundraisers for them, so there is a lot of support. But since the video, the body cam video has been released, there's a lot of attention on this

from immigrant rights groups saying that there was not decided suspicious behavior. for the stop to begin with, something many people are asking the sheriff and the sheriff's office to answer for. Stephen Romo, thank you. When we come back an update on a case we've been following out of South Korea, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning movie Parasite found dead last month in an apparent suicide as he faced a grueling investigation into his alleged drug use, why the director of that film is now calling for major change. Back now with Top Story's news feed. We begin with an update in the federal case against the Buffalo supermarket shooter.

The Justice Department now planning to seek the death penalty for the white gunmen who killed 10 black people at a grocery store back in 2022. He was indicted on 27 federal counts of hate crimes and firearm offensives. He is already serving a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty to murder and hate crime charges last year. A dramatic rescue caught on camera just outside of Detroit. Body camera video shows an officer breaking through the door of the smoke-filled home to find a man sitting in a chair engulfed in flames. Two more deputies arrive on the scene with fire extinguishers, eventually putting out the fire.

The two people inside the home were taken to the hospital and are expected to be okay. Authorities are still investigating the cause of that fire. And the White House announcing today that some student loan borrowers will see their debt forgiven earlier than expected. The Biden administration announced borrowers who signed up for the SAVE program will have debt erased starting next month, that's several months ahead of schedule. It will only apply to borrowers who took out less than $12,000 in federal loans and who've been paying that balance off for at least 10 years. We turn now to an update in the death of Korean actor Lee Sun Kuhn, a star from the Oscar-winning movie Parasite. The director of that film,

along with other leaders in the entertainment industry, now demanding A second look at the investigation into Lee's death, a scrutiny over the police's procedures, as well as local media coverage surrounding the late actor, grows. Tonight, leaders of South Korea's entertainment industry demanding answers after the sudden death of beloved colleague and parasite star, Li Sun Kiyun. The film's director, Bong Joon, saying a thorough investigation into the process is the sole path to rectify any wrongful investigative practices and prevent additional victims. According to police, Lee was found dead in a car in Seoul last month, following weeks

of intense investigation into his alleged drug use. His death appears to be a suicide. His manager told police, Lee left home that day after writing what seemed to be his will. Lee became a global sensation after playing the father of a wealthy family. dark comedy parasite, which won four Academy Awards in 2020. Parasite. Including the coveted best picture. But his on-screen success shrouded in recent months by allegations of drug use.

According to local police, Lee had been under investigation for allegedly using marijuana, ketamine, and other illegal drugs at the residence of a bar hostess. Police questioned Lee on three separate occasions about the allegations. The last time, just four days before his death for a grueling 19 hours, according to a South Korean news agency. South Korean police defending the drug probe, saying they followed, quote, legally prescribed procedures.

Before his death, Lee maintained he was innocent and insisted he was tricked into taking the drugs and then blackmailed. The Korea Herald reporting that police took Lee's alleged blackmailer into custody after his death in December, accusing her of extorting 50 million won from Lee, the equivalent of $38,700 U.S. dollars. Now Lee's colleagues questioning the role both police and the media played in his death.

Prominent producer and recording artist Yun Jung Shin asking if the biased reporting was justifiable, implying Lee's status as a public figure drew unfair media coverage, as many hope of full investigation could prevent future tragedies. Coming up, a double-decker disaster, one of London's iconic buses going up in flames, what we're hearing about the people who were on board. Stay with us. We're back now with the high-stakes presidential election this weekend in Taiwan. The top two candidates now in a dead heat at odds over whether Taiwan should defy China and move forward towards independence. NBC News foreign correspondent Janice Mackie Freyer has this report from Taipei.

Taiwan's presidential election has been described as a choice between war and peace. With growing concerns, China could invade the self-governing island, which it considers its own territory. That looming threat booked the biggest source of tension between the U.S. and China and the key issue at the center of this vote. The election here has become a very tight race, and the outcome will reach far beyond Taiwan. William Lai, with the ruling Democratic People's Party, says he's ready to defy China. We have to win because we have to protect democracy. China sees Lai as favoring independence.

Chinese military officials vowing today to smash any attempt at that. Polls show lie neck and neck with Hōi Ui of the Kuomintang Party, which is open to dialogue with the mainland. We can never ignore. existence hosts as of China, misunderstandings will lead to conflict. China makes no secret of its intentions when it comes to Taiwan. Xi Jinping in a New Year's speech saying reunification is inevitable. For years, China has increased surveillance, fighter jets, even missiles around the island.

It's also ramping up disinformation, including messaging to sow doubt about U.S. health. The message is that there will be no knight in shining armor to save you when things really go down. The third candidate, Ko Wen Zh, wants stronger ties to China and the U.S. Finding a balance between the two, he says, this is the toughest job for the Taiwanese president. A crucial vote for Taiwan, with the U.S. and China looming over it. Janice Mackie Freyer joins us now from Taipei, Taiwan. Janice, we know U.S. officials will be keeping an incredibly close eye on how this election breaks. What are we hearing tonight from the State Department ahead of the vote?

Well, Taiwan remains a huge flashpoint between the U.S. and China. The U.S. couldn't get drawn into any potential conflict here. All three candidates for president are saying they want to continue those strong ties with the U.S. and that strong military support. that comes from the U.S. As far as the State Department, they're saying they will send a delegation here after the election, but by announcing it in advance, the Biden administration is trying to telegraph the message that to the United States, it doesn't matter who wins this presidential race as long as the election is a process that's seen as free and fair.

Alison. Janice, thank you. Now to top stories, Global Watch, Israel and Qatar have reached a deal that will allow the delivery of medicine to hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. More than 100 hostages remain in Gaza, many who are said to be elderly and suffering from chronic illnesses. The delivery is expected over the next few days. Monday marks 100 days since the Hamas terror attack on October 7th. Talks for another ceasefire or the release of more hostages remain stalled.

And an electric double-decker bus bursting into flames in southwest London. New video shows flames and smoke shooting out of the bus during the morning commute, The bus was quickly evacuated and no one was hurt, but the fire did shut down roads. No words yet on what caused this fire, but there are reports of a second fire on a similar bus. And a bear rescued from war-torn Ukraine arrived at his new home. New video shows the rare Asiatic black bear settling in at a zoo in Scotland. The 12-year-old bear was one of the only surviving animals found at a bombed-out zoo in the Denetsk region in 2022. He was relocated to Belgium and then adopted by the Scottish zoo.

The bear was hurt in the bombing and still recovering. When we come back a look at what you can binge watch and listen to this weekend. The new action-packed movie starring Kevin Hart, plus the movie franchise Ted turned into a TV series and new music from Ariana Grande and J-Lo. We are back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. Joining us tonight is NBC News, Internet Culture Reporter Callan Rosenblatt, One of our favorites. So, Callan, let's just get started right off the bat.

Because this first one, I am excited about. It's a second season, which I didn't realize, I will be honest, there's a first. I was the same. Okay, good. So it's on Peacock. It's called Traders. And the host, interestingly, is Alan Cummings. Look.

Welcome to an all-new season of strategy, betrayal, sabotage, and murder. Higher stakes. Allen's dropping another bomb shape. This guy is the silent slaughterer. Diabolical twists. She's the traitor? Why would I want to have a boyfriend? Come on.

Hurry, go! Is that Johnny from the real world? No, it is like a cavalcade of like reality TV stars, so it probably is. I don't know every single person on it, but I will say it's like a beautifully shot reality show. I think it's in the Scottish Highlands at a castle, and it's like all your favorite trash TV reality stars

who are competing for a movie. I believe $250,000, I mean, what could be better than watching, like, the craziest reality stars compete for money? Yeah, and the Scottish Castle. And a Scottish Castle. It's a perfect setting. It's just, you know, I know it's the new year. I know we're getting a fresh start. But if you do need to turn off your brain a little bit, this is what you should watch.

We like it. So this next one is a mini-series on Disney Plus, and it comes from the Marvel World. Yes. Called Echo. Watch. You have so much pain and you, you, you, so much rage, that you kept contained it. I love superhero movies. There are so many, though, variation shows me.

I cannot keep up, but what do you make of this one? Well, this is incredible because the lead actress is deaf, she is an amputee, and she's an indigenous woman, and all of that is embodied in the character. The character has all the same attributes. And really, I've seen so many people talking online about the incredible representation that comes in this show. I also had my boyfriend explain a little bit of the lore to me, and that this is a counterpart to Daredevil who is blind. And so this is sort of, you know, exploring representation in the superhero world. And the lead actress actually performed a lot of her own stunts, too, which is just incredible.

So just a remarkable performance. I heard the sound design in particular because it is a deaf character is absolutely. incredible on this show. So I'm so excited to check this one. That is amazing. That has made that that description you gave has bumped that up on my two-watch list. Now I'm fully sold on Echo. That's on Disney Plus. This next one is Lyft. It's a movie, right? Yes. And it's on Netflix, and it stars Kevin Hart. It does. In like a weird, spyy sort of something. Yeah, like a sort of hijack, super criminal watch. Okay, guys, listen up. Our next score is going to be our biggest yet. Nice.

Half a billion in gold is on his way to a terrorist cell. And the gold needs to disappear. What's your plan? We got to steal it mid-flight. 40,000 feet in the air. We're taking the plane? The whole plane? It's kind of hard to take half a plane. It's a heist comedy movie. It literally says it in my notes. What do you make of it? Well, so I did a little bit of digging on this before, before we got together. And I saw that, unfortunately, this does not have a great

score on Ron Tomatoes. However, the audience score is still out, and people in line seem to be enjoying it. Again, you know, some of the things that we talk about, they don't need to be the most highbrow show or movie in the world, but if you enjoy heist movies, this is for you. Go check it out this weekend. And Kevin Hart, always funny. Always funny. If you want to laugh. Yes, check it out. Good for a laugh for sure. Exactly. Okay, so this next one we have. It is a movie that is on Amazon Prime. It's called Roleplay. It's about one-wife's secret life as an assassin for hire and what happens when her husband finds out. Look. Do you and your wife roleplay often? What exactly is this about?

Do you know this man? No. Jack Bob, Bob Jack. Pleasure. He just talked for five minutes to all the victims of her churn. And then he left. The one and only. Hey, where are you?

I'll be right back. The wife's real name is Anna Pellar, wanted for contract killings across several continents. Watch it or skip it. I'm so excited for this. I'm so stoked for this. It just looks so fun and so funny, and it's such a great, unique premise. Also, I love Bill Nye. And, you know, I was like binging, I was saying binging.

I was watching Love Actually over and over the holidays. Yes. So it's nice to get a little something to watch him and Jane. So I'm very happy about it. He's a scene stealer in that movie. He never gets old. Like, I watched About Time because he was in it and anything in it. I'm like, okay.

Yeah, you just know you're in good hands. He's a legend. Okay, so this next one, it's a prequel, a prequel, actually, but it's a series. It's a series that is a prequel to a popular movie. Say that five times fast and get back to me. Ted, it airs on Peacock, and it gives us a look at the Teddy Bear's origin story. You should be going to school every day with John. No, thanks.

You might have fun. No, I would not have fun. I guard the house when you guys are out. Oh, what happened to the TV? It was an accident. You're going to school, and you're going to grow a brain. Oh, come on. And I did first see this trailer.

I was like, how are we going to air this? The amount of expedites in the trailer, I was like, can we? What do you think? You know, if you liked the, I believe it was 2012 when the first one came out, if you love Seth and McFarland, if you like the original, I think you're going to love this. It really does speak to, like, that particular brand of humor. If you like family guy or American dad, like, this is really going to be your bread and butter.

If those were not things that you enjoyed, I don't think you'll want to watch this. So it just really speaks to what your humor style is. We will not yuck your yum, whatever you want to watch. Exactly. Go for it. That's how we feel. Okay, so music, pretty big releases. Huge.

It's insane. J-Lo with a new song, can't get enough. Listen. Do good to be true Take me on it. Let's get on the movie. It's their first dance, y'all. Double of nothing.

Make some noise. Oh, do you love it? I love the music video. I do love this song. I mean, J-Lo's iconic, so you know, you can't go wrong with J-Lo. But I love this song. I think it's super fun and super cute and poppy. So, again, if this is something that you enjoy,

if you're a big J-Lo stand, you're going to love. love this. Yeah. And I love it. Okay, Ariana Grande next. Oh, my gosh. I have, I feel like I have seen more articles citing lyrics from this song. Yes. Before I even heard the song, but the song is called yes and. Tell us the dirt. Who's it about? What's it about? Well, it appears to be a sort of dig at, like, commentary online, commentary from paparazzi or, you know, gossip channels that are talking about her relationship, her alleged relationship with Ethan Slater, who was her co-star on Wicked, which is upcoming. And it is kind of the only thing that people could talk about on the internet today. It is everywhere. I really like the song. I think it sounds a lot like Express Yourself. and some people were comparing it to songs from Hairspray. So it does have like a really fun, almost a 90s flair to it. But it's really the commentary or the, you know, the remarks she's making in the song about sort of like, you know, this is my life and who are you to say anything about it? That's what people are talking about today.

I mean, it is getting a lot of buzz where I just saw pulling that line and this line. It reminds me of when she did thank you next where people were like, how many names are in this song? Yes, that is very similar to the vibe that people have today online sort of dissecting the song. Good. We love it. Thank you for being here, Callan. Rosenblatt. Good to see you as always. And thank you at home for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.