Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 19, 2024

Episode Date: January 20, 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 dangerous and deadly winter blast sweeping across the country, bringing ice, snow, and brutal Arctic air to millions. A plane taken off from Dulles Airport forced to make an emergency landing on a Virginia highway. In Oregon, a state of emergency declared as an ice storm is blamed for more than a dozen deaths and leaves thousands without power. Snow pummeling the Great Lakes and northeast, forcing schools to close and making a mess of the roads, plus the accidents. The relief on the way after days of brutal temperatures will explain.

Also tonight, new charges against actor Alec Baldwin over a fader, fatal film set shooting. A grand jury indicting Baldwin after the original case against him was dismissed. The factors bringing this new case to light and the jail time he faces if he's convicted. Countdown to New Hampshire, former President Trump and Nikki Haley going head to head in what some are calling a make or break primary for the former ambassador. poll affirming Trump's position in the Granite State and how Nikki Haley is trying to appeal to voters with her age. Meet Dean Phillips, the Minnesota Congressman running against Biden in the New Hampshire Democratic primary. Phillips, who founded and owned a major gelato company, now hopes to scoop up the presidential nomination while he's throwing his hat into the ring.

Attacked on vacation, new video shows the terrifying moments. A 10-year-old is bitten by a sharp while at a popular resort in the Bahamas. The startling moment he's dragged out of the water and what we're learning about this troubling incident. Plus, why Madonna fans aren't voguing, they're suing, all hung up over her tardiness to her own concert. The new lawsuits filed after she was more than two hours late

to her celebration show. And precious cargo, state troopers going to great lengths to save a heart transplant patient's life. Faced with a construction backup, they devised a plan to make sure the organ got to a surgeon just in the nick of time. Top story starts right now. And good evening.

More than 66 million remain under winter weather alerts as a deadly cross-country storm charges across the Midwest and the Northeast. The wintry blasts making travel treacherous on the roads and in the skies. Terrifying moments of a plane taking off from Dulles Airport forced to make an emergency landing

on a busy Virginia highway. We had a report of a plane down. The wheels have struck a civilian's vehicle. Everything is calm at this time. All traffic is being diverted. And in New York, take a look at this. A scary accident caught on camera as a car tries to pass a tractor trailer,

nearly slamming into a snowplow. Wide-out conditions. You see them right here plaguing major highways in the Midwest as visibility dropped to near zero. And a dramatic rescue in Michigan. Get this. A man falls through.

thin ice, then police enlist his dog to bring him a rescue disc and pull him safely back to shore. We're going to have more on this. Behind this brutal system, though, is another bitter blast of Arctic air sending temps plummeting for much of the country. Unusual cold for parts of the Gulf Coast as temps dropped well below freezing. NBC's Emily Akkadis over all of this tonight, and she starts us off. As freezing rain and blinding snow torment communities coast to coast, Tonight, a staggering death toll from this week's unrelenting weather, now blames for more than 50 deaths. Christopher Roma died hiking in New Hampshire after getting stranded in suddenly perilous conditions. Conditions became so bad that he couldn't. He became disoriented. He didn't know which way to go.

The 37-year-old avid outdoorsman leaves behind a two-year-old son. He was just such an amazing brother and such an amazing father. The barrage of bad weather, making travel treacherous, leaving some drivers no choice but to abandon their cars. And as another storm trudges across the northeast, officials offering this warning. Things that are bad now may get worse as we see this day unfold. Adding to the chaos, a plane made an emergency landing on a snowy Virginia roadway. They're saying that the pilot landed off of Route 50 at the Wendy's. The FAA and NTSB now invest.

investigating what went wrong, but remarkably no reported injuries. Across the country, Oregon's governor declaring a state of emergency with freezing rain, coating roads and trees collapsing under the weight of ice. Tens of thousands there tonight without power in the cold. Are still out and I don't think it's going to come back on today either. Heart stopping moments in Michigan where a 65-year-old man fell through ice. When officers couldn't reach him, they attached a rescue disc to the victim's dog. Call her, call her. Who then ran to its owner.

Keep pulling on that disc. Keep pulling on the disc. Officers then pulling him to safety. Across the southeast, water pipes bursting as temperatures plunged by 20 to 40 degrees today. NBC's Kathy Park is in Tennessee. Knoxville typically receives roughly four inches of snow for the entire winter season, but parts of the area got buried in more than eight inches just this week. Digging out is a mounting task for residents in western New York.

glasted by several feet of lake effect snow and more on the way. One nonprofit is helping lighten the load. How do you ignore the fact that people have 70 inches of snow? And, you know, the single moms, the widows, the elderly, they can't get out and even get to their mailbox. Okay, it is such a wild day of weather, really a wild week of weather. Emily, it kind of joins us tonight live from Buffalo at the airport. So Emily, how is the weather impacting travel there? Well, Tom, major air travel.

impacts because of the weather. We saw multiple ground stops and delays at several major hubs in the northeast. At least 12, at least a dozen airports implemented de-icing techniques because of these brutal conditions. There were more than 1,000 flight cancellations across the country today, another 7,000 flight delays. And for those who do manage to make it to their destination, some are met by yet another travel headache upon arrival. Tom? All right, Emily, leading us off tonight here in Top Story. Emily, we thank you for that. Please stay safe out there. As Emily just mentioned, millions are bracing for brutal cold following this winter storm. Let's get right over to NBC News meteorologist Michelle Grossman. Michelle, how far are those tempest

to plummet? Hi there, Tom. Well, these are life-threatening temperatures, so not just dangerous. We are looking at temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below. What is typical for this time of year, you factor in the winds. It's going to be feeling like below zero for many of us. 61 million Americans impacted by wind chill alerts from the northern tier of the nation into the central plains, the Midwest, the Ohio Valley, down to the south. We're looking at temperatures so far below what is normal for this time of year in the south. That is because this jet stream is dipped. So it's sort of opening the doors from Canada, letting that Arctic air in, and it's streaming all the way down to the Gulf Coast states. We're going to see that tomorrow.

We're going to see it Sunday. We do have some good news in the future by late next week. We're going to see a big warm up above average temperatures for most of the eastern half of the nation. but first we need to get through this weekend, and we need to wear the layers because we are looking in an icy cold weekend. Look at some of these numbers. Chicago, 14 degrees. They have been cold for about a week and a half, just suffering with temperatures well below normal. One degree is what it's going to feel like. It's going to feel like 20 degrees in Birmingham. The air temperature is not getting above freezing. 21 degrees will be the air temperature in Memphis. And then as we go towards

D.C., we're looking at 12 degrees. Tom, on Sunday, we're looking at 21 degrees as a wind chill in New York City. It's going to be so cold. All right, Michelle. We thank you for that. want to turn out of the other breaking news we're following tonight. Alec Baldwin hit again with new criminal charges for that fatal 2021 rust movie set shooting. A reminder, charges were dropped, now they're back. We want to walk you through how we got here. First up, October 21st, 2021 Baldwin fired the gun on set that killed photographer Helena Hutchins and injured director, Joel Sousa. Then in December of 2021, Baldwin speaks out for the first time in an interview with ABC News. Here's some of what he had to say.

Well, the trigger wasn't pulled. I didn't pull the trigger. So you never pulled the trigger? No, no, no, no. I would never point a gun at him when I pull a trigger at them, never. So remember what he said just there. In April 2022, Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office releases this footage, showing the moments leading up to the shooting, alleging Baldwin did pull the trigger. In the fall of 2022, the sheriff's investigation was handed over to the district attorney. And in January of 2023, involuntary manslaughter charges were filed against Baldwin and the film's armor, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. In February 2023, Baldwin pleads not guilty.

The next month, the DA steps away from the case. And then in April 2020, prosecutors, they dropped the charges, dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charge against Baldwin, citing, quote, new evidence and the need for more time to investigate. Remember that. But charges against Gutierrez read remain unchanged. Now today, those new charges of involuntary manslaughter have been filed once again against Baldwin by the state of New Mexico. Our Chloe Malas reporting they reopened the charges

after the forensic testing of the gun revealed that the prop gun that fired that live ammunition had not been modified and the trigger had to have been pulled. Baldwin's attorney responding to the news saying, we look forward to our day in court. If you are confused, don't worry, we got you. to help us understand what these new charges mean. I want to bring in our friend NBC News Legal Analyst, Angela, Senadela.

So, Angela, how can prosecutors drop charges and then bring them back? I know this is not double jeopardy, but it sort of feels like it. It does feel like it. It feels weird, and it is unusual, but it is not unheard of. And usually it happens when there's a change in evidence, like Chloe Malas here reported, a difference in the forensic report. And the reason is because when the prosecutors dropped the charges, they did so without prejudice.

also noting at the time they could refile them at any time, which they have. Does this back and forth hurt their case? So what I think it does is it will play poorly in front of a jury because these concepts of fairness do not play well in front of a jury. Also, it speaks to a somewhat shoddy investigation, which I think is going to be the Baldwin's team's primary argument that the investigators and the prosecutors have continually messed up this investigation. So you've got to think, though, if the investigators and the prosecutors are now bringing these charges

once again, they must feel like they have a case. What type of prison time could Baldwin face, if any, on this? So there are two charges that are being brought, but the jury can only choose one of them, and each is only up to 18 months in prison. Now, I think it's unlikely he'll even get that

prison time. It's most likely he would just get probation. So there have been a lot of civil lawsuits, and the families have settled in a lot of these cases. My question to you is, as a prosecutor looks at this, and they're using taxpayer money, was all of this time, Was all of this investigation?

Was it worth it to get back to this point? I mean, was it worth it? That's a question that only the prosecutors there could answer. But also, look, Helena Hutchins passed away. And Baldwin is not the only one who is on trial. We have Hannah Gutier's read. Her trial is supposed to start in February. I don't think it's a coincidence that charges are being brought now

just the month prior to this new case starting. Do you think they're trying to prove a point here that the rich celebrity actor can't sort of buy his, high-class attorneys and buy his way out of this, that they're going to get their day in court as much as he is. Tom, I absolutely think so, because I think the facts of this case would make it ripe for a plea agreement, and we haven't seen that here at all. Given that there's likely not even going to be jail time, why not just have a plea agreement for negligent gun charges? All right, Angela Senadella, we thank you for your time and explaining all that. We do want to turn

out to politics in the latest from the campaign trail. The Republican candidates gear up for the final weekend before the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. Donald Trump and Nikki Haley both ramping up attacks against each other as the former president gets an endorsement from a former rival. NBC's Kristen Welkers in New Hampshire with the latest. With four days until New Hampshire votes, frontrunner Donald Trump is looking for a victory that could all but wrap up the nomination. Republicans have to get tougher, but Nikki would, I know Nikki very well, she would not be able to handle the onslaught. A new poll showing him with a

17-point lead here over Nikki Haley. Trump arguing she's relying on independence allowed to vote in this GOP primary. She's not going to make it. She has no chance. She's got no way. Maggie's not going to be with it. How am I not conservative? I was a Tea Party governor. I passed voter ID. Haley focusing on age, warning Republicans against choosing a 77-year-old nominee to face off against an 81-year-old President Biden. Don't you think we need to have mental competency test for anyone over the age of 75? I actually feel better now than I did 30 years ago. And I think cognitively, I'm better than I was 20 years ago.

I don't know why. The generational argument appealing to 23-year-old Haley supporter Nathan Seale. Nikki Haley says it's time for a new generation of leaders. Do you agree with her? I agree with her. It's time for a new generation of leaders. I really wouldn't like a matchup between Trump and Biden again. But Augusta Patron says she's strongly.

struggling with high prices and will vote for Trump. I admire his courage and guts, and I accept the mouth. I think what he's accomplished is awesome. Then there's Doreen Pooler, who's still undecided between Haley and DeSantis. When will you make up your mind? Quite frankly, probably not making it as I walk in to actually follow my ballot. Kristen Welker joins us tonight from Manchester, New Hampshire. Kristen's so great to have you here on Top Story.

We know the big news on the trail today. Senator Tim Scott is going to endorse the former president. But I want to take our viewers down memory lane. And I want to start with a photo of when Nikki Haley, when she was governor of South Carolina, pointed Tim Scott to be a senator back in 2012. And then the other memory is when Senator Tim Scott and Nikki Haley endorsed Senator Marco Rubio for president in 2016. Now, I want to mention these two moments because now both Senator Scott and Senator Rubio have endorsed Senator I've endorsed President Trump.

Does this tell us where Republican leaders think this race is headed? Tom, it's so great to be with you. This tells us everything we need to know about where the Republican Party thinks this race is headed. Let's point out the fact that the endorsement by South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is a big blow to Nikki Haley, because, of course, she's from South Carolina, as you point out, she's the one who appointed him back in 2012. Marco Rubio deciding to endorse Trump is a blow to Governor DeSantis in his state of Florida. Of course, they would duke it out in Florida if DeSantis gets that far in this race. And it underscores the fact that right now Trump has the momentum.

Of course, Rubio endorsed him before Iowa. But he had that big historic win in Iowa time, and it has given him so much momentum heading into New Hampshire. And what we are seeing is a 17-point lead by Donald Trump right now. So the question is, what does Nikki Haley need to do to come back? She has got to win over independent voters overwhelmingly. She's got to pick off some of those supporters and those New Hampshire voters who are going to go for Chris Christie. Can she do that? That remains to be seen.

But those images you just lay out, Tom underscore, that this is really an uphill battle for Nikki Haley. It also speaks to the fact that New Hampshire is just critical. If she can't win this state where she has focused. so much attention. Where can she win? Because in South Carolina, in her home state, the road gets even tougher, Tom. Kristen, before you go, I do want you to tell our viewers, meet the press from New Hampshire this Sunday. What can we expect? We've got a jam-pack show. We have got Governor Ron DeSantis, so I'm going to talk to him about how he sees his path forward. We know he has diverted a lot of resources to South Carolina. So does he think he has a shot there? We're also

going to talk to the governor of the great state of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu. He, of course, has endorsed Nikki Haley. Does he think New Hampshire is make or break for her? And we will talk to Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan about President Biden's reelection campaign. As you know, he has a challenger in the Democratic primary here. Dean Phillips, the delegates won't be counted here in New Hampshire because Democrats have moved South Carolina first in the nominating contest. But still, it underscores the fact that there are some jitters about a Biden reelection. Tom. Yeah, we're going to introduce our viewers to Dean Phillips in just a few moments. Kristen, great to see you. As Trump and Haley battle it out in New Hampshire, the DeSantis

campaign is making an unusual move, diverting time and resources to South Carolina, a primary that's still weeks away. Our Dasha Burns on the campaign trail tonight, pressing DeSantis's deputy campaign manager late today on the reasons for the surprising choice. So let's pop down to South Carolina. Tonight, Braun DeSantis bucking political tradition in an effort to convince support. there is life after New Hampshire, where he's polling in a distant third place, focusing instead on the next contest, diverting most of his resources to South Carolina. I'm here in South Carolina to let everyone know we're going to be in the state and we're looking

forward to doing it. The Florida governor splitting his time in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary between the Granite and Palmetto states, effectively ceding the New Hampshire contest, where he has struggled to win over both the independent voters. that seem to prefer Nikki Haley and the conservative Republicans that prefer to stick with Trump. His campaign telling NBC News most of his staff is moving directly from Iowa to South Carolina. Given he's clearly struggling here in New Hampshire, do you think South Carolina is more fertile ground for you guys? Well, I don't know that we're struggling here. I mean, I think, look, we haven't invested heavily in here.

DeSantis hopes to win over South Carolina's strong base of evangelical voters, the same group he courted in Iowa. South Carolina, another state with a large base of evangelical voters, is that going to be a voter base that you guys target? Sure, absolutely. I mean, I think you'll see the governor spend a lot of time, especially up in the Greenville-Spartanburg area. We're excited to go up there and really drive home, you know, our bona fides on the issues that matter to people of faith the most. But he lost the evangelical vote in the Hawkeye state by double digits to former President Trump. And in South Carolina, he faces an even tougher uphill battle. It's great to be back in this incredible state.

Trump looms large over the state's primary, leading in the polls by nearly 40 points in a new survey from Trump's longtime pollster and earning the endorsement of the state's governor, Henry McMaster. DeSantis' other rival, Nikki Haley, is playing on home turf as a state's popular former governor. Thank you, thank you, thank you. South Carolina. President Biden made a similar play for South Carolina in 2020, flying out of New Hampshire on primary night before polls, closed in his decisive loss to Bernie Sanders. But Biden was falling back on a trusted firewall,

his rock-solid base of African-American supporters who revived his campaign and delivered him the nomination. We just won and we've won big because of you. DeSantis now looking for a campaign miracle in South Carolina, vowing to stay in the race for the foreseeable future. Are you in through the end of March? Do you have the money and the staff and the ability to compete through the end of March. Yes, on that. A hundred percent. We can do that. A roll of the dice for a DeSantis campaign searching for a change in the tide. All right, Dasha Burns joins us tonight from the campaign trail in Nashua, New Hampshire. So, Dasha, is there a possibility it could actually work for Dissantis not spending time in New Hampshire? Follow me here. Because if his supporters

they're back Trump instead of him because he's not campaigning as much, it would actually deliver a knockout blow to Nikki Haley and make this a two-person race, which is what DeSantis wants. Yeah, that's exactly right. That's certainly what they're hoping for. And if he doesn't knock her out completely here in New Hampshire, they're hoping that will happen in South Carolina. And what I can tell you, Thomas, I have spent a lot of time in South Carolina.

My colleague John Allen and I did a story just a couple of months ago where we traveled the state and wanted to sort of test drive to see what kind of support she really has there. That is a state that has gotten a whole lot more red, a whole lot more conservative since Nikki Haley was governor. Her home state is Trump country now, which is really problematic for Haley, and that's what DeSantis is hoping for. And, Dasha, you know, I want to ask you about a new poll from Suffolk University and the Boston Globe and NBC Boston, specifically on the second choice preference in New Hampshire. And this is kind of interesting, right?

Because the poll shows that when asked for their second choice, 37% of the respondents chose DeSantis. That's just compared to 8% for Donald Trump and 7% to Nikki Haley. And I bring this up because it's kind of interesting because it almost sounds like they maybe had a chance in New Hampshire if they would have worked for it. Is there a reason why they decided to sort of skip out of New Hampshire? And again, I know he's on the ballot. I know he's still campaigning there, but he's not aggressively campaigning there. Right. It's a matter where do you put your resources.

Well, they decided to invest so heavily in Iowa. And the New Hampshire was coming so quickly afterwards. And so what they're hoping for is the timeline between New Hampshire and South Carolina, will help them out a little bit more because you've got an entire month between the Tuesday primary here and then the primary in South Carolina where they can essentially use the Iowa playbook in South Carolina, whereas they didn't have that kind of leeway in New Hampshire to turn those people that are considering him as like that second choice to turn them into DeSantis being their first choice, right, whereas they might have that opportunity in South Carolina.

So it's a matter of they don't have infinite resources, so they had to decide where they were going to put them, Tom. for us, Dasha, we appreciate all your reporting. We want to turn out of the Democrats in New Hampshire with an odd situation. Incumbent President Joe Biden, not even on the ballot due to infighting in the party, but as Kristen mentioned, a relative

unknown congressman who once launched a successful gelato company named Dean Phillips is on the ballot. So just who is he? NBC White House correspondent Mike Memley introduces us. For more than a century, New Hampshire has had the nation's first presidential primary. After President Joe Biden,

declared South Carolina should go first, New Hampshire defied him. Now, the incumbent isn't even on the ballot. Somebody had to have the audacity to practice democracy. But Dean Phillips is on the ballot. Don't do it. You should sit down, stand in line and shush up. The question for many, who is he? I'm going to introduce myself. I'm going to take the next number of months to say hello to voters to show up, answer their questions. Good morning, everybody. Phillips, at 54 years old, is a relative newcomer to politics. Any ice cream fans in the house, I hope? The little known congressman was a successful businessman who helped launch Belvedere vodka and Talente Gilado. He won his house seat in Minnesota in 2018 as part of the Democrats' anti-Trump

wave. He doesn't think Biden can beat the former president again. The polls are pretty consistent. Joe Biden will not beat Donald Trump. If it's Nikki Haley, he's going to lose by double digits. On the trail, Phillips sounds like most Democrats, pushing for a fairer tax code, investing in clean energy and tackling inflation. Why write him in when he's ridden us a lot? But in the closing days before the primary, he's ramped up attacks against President Biden and put some of his own millions to use. I thought I was good at hiding. So I asked around, have you seen Joe? This week, some new support and big money. Woo! Hey, New Hampshire! Former candidate and businessman Andrew Yang stumping with Phillips.

To my brother from another mother. And his campaign coffers strengthened with a million dollar donation to a Phillips super PAC by billionaire Bill Ackman. But it's still been a bumpy road for Phillips. Very sensitive. Give me one second. At one campaign stop here last week, no voters showed up. Well, sometimes if you build it, they don't come. Phillips is also getting heat from fellow Democrats.

What do you say to Democrats who say, all you've accomplished in this primary challenge so far is to hasten what you said you're getting into, which is to undermine the president to diminish his political standing? Well, I think I would say to those people, you're giving me a lot more power than I really have. The reason I did this is because Joe Biden, cannot win this next election. He was the only one that could have won in 2020. He's probably the only one that can lose this in 2024. Most people know that. It is not Dean Phillips that caused the president to have the lowest approval numbers in modern history. Phillips's argument is about

electability. But a recent New Hampshire poll showed him in single digits, essentially tied with author Marianne Williamson. What does success look like for you here? You know, 1968, of course, Gene McCarthy achieved 42 percent against a right-in candidate, President Johnson. Of course, you know, happened after that. And I think we're going to see something similar on the 23rd here in a few days. So 42 percent. Is that the number you've done in it? I'm saying we're going to see something where the incumbent president, a good man, is going to be shown to be very weak, not just in polls, but in practice. And if we're in the 20s, that would be extraordinary. President Biden hasn't been to New Hampshire since early 2022. As for a response to Phillips, T.J. Ducklow, a senior

advisor for communications, responded simply, no thanks. Whatever New Hampshire voters decide, the Dean team says they're in this for the long haul. I want to give Democrats a choice. I want to have data that shows who is best positioned to beat Donald Trump. And with that, Mike Memley joins us tonight from Concord, New Hampshire. So, Mike, my first question, will he win any delegates if he gets votes there in New Hampshire with all this drama with the Democratic Party? Well, Tom, if you ask the Democratic National Committee, they say absolutely not. In fact, some top officials recently wrote to the New Hampshire Democratic Democratic,

party saying they need to educate the voters here that this is, as they put it, a meaningless election. The New Hampshire Attorney General fired back saying that that's an unlawful act of voter suppression. I talked today to the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and he made a prediction. He said there's going to be a little bit of a showdown at the convention in Chicago. New Hampshire Democrats will send delegates to the convention and then challenge the Democrats not to seat them. So then, Mike, I guess my other question is, do Democrats actually fear Dean Phillips at all? And I ask that because a lot of people think this is going to be a very close election. Is he threatening a third party run if he doesn't beat Biden, which again is a very

long shot? Well, in my interview, I pressed Dean Phillips about that, whether he would be open if this is not successful to running as a third party candidate. He said he is a Democrat. He intends to remain a Democrat and that he didn't want his legacy to be electing the most dangerous man, sending them back to the White House. Now, if you ask Democrats about what they are looking for on Tuesday night, it's all about the margin, what President Biden gets as a right-in candidate. President Johnson, when he was a right-in candidate in 1968, got 48%. Democrats might want to see that even higher. Mike, Memley, from the campaign trail for us.

Mike, thank you. Still ahead tonight, nightmare in paradise. New video shows the moment a 10-year-old was bitten by a shark at a resort in the Bahamas, the race by the staff and his family to pull him out of the pool. Plus, health officials expanding a recall involving charcutory meat trays sold at Costco and Sam's Club. Nearly 50 people sickened the warning tonight for consumers. And the material girl facing a new lawsuit why two fans say they're suing Madonna after one of her New York City concert started late.

Stay with us. Back now with harrowing new video from a shark attack in the Bahamas we told you about earlier this week. Cell phone video capturing the frantic moments after a 10-year-old boy was bitten in the leg while taking part in an underwater shark walk experience at the popular. Atlanta's resort. Guadvanegas picks it up from there. Tonight, chilling new video capturing the moment, a peaceful day in paradise, was shattered by screams of terror. In the clip obtained by TMZ, sounds of pain and confusion ringing out at the Atlanta's resort in the Bahamas on Monday as a 10-year-old boy is dragged out of the water where he was

bitten by a shark. He got bit by a shark. He got bit by a shark, mom. Police say the boy from Maryland, who has not been identified, was bitten on his right leg while on an underwater walking with sharks' experience at the popular resort. It was like just a very surreal moment, like nothing else I've ever experienced. Michael and Tori Massey were on that tour just feet from where the attack unfolded. Everybody's panicking underwater and then the other team. member there who was behind us is I was trying to ensure that my wife got out before me and the

other diver got out as well. The underwater activity is part of the resort's iconic Mayan Temple theme Aqua Adventure Zone. Guests can use helmets that allow them to breathe underwater to get an up-close look at Caribbean reef sharks and nurse sharks with no cage separating them. Blue Adventures, the company that operates the experience, sharing a statement indicating a instructor and a dive guide immediately responded, providing medical attention, adding they are deeply saddened by the incident as they began a thorough investigation. Other guests staying at the same resort shaken by the incident. My main concern that was keeping me up at night, was just seeing the horrified look on the

mother's face, the little boy's screaming in agony. Salvatore Sanka says he was sitting by the water with his family when he started hearing screams. How do you feel about the incident? I think it's just going to be a black eye on the resort. You know, do away with that excursion. You don't want to see anybody witness this ever again. There's plenty of stuff to do on the resort.

That's probably not as dangerous. The hospital in Nasha, where the boy was treated, confirming he traveled back to Maryland Wednesday evening after undergoing surgery on his right leg and adding he is recovering very well. In a statement, Atlanta's Paradise Island, Bahamas telling NBC News, quote, Our hearts are with the child and the parents.

Adding the safety and well-being of our guest is always our highest priority and that the shark experience will remain closed while the incident is under investigation. And the company that operates the attraction says they had been open since 2006 and had never had a guest-related incident. They also say they are now fully cooperating with the authorities on the investigation. Tom. When we come back, the chilling discovery in South Carolina. Remains found buried near a sand mine, identified as a woman who's been missing for 13 years,

why officials now believe there may be other victims. That's next. We're back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with remains found of a woman missing more than a decade. Officials say remains found by a worker excavating a sand mine near Columbia, South Carolina. belonged to Adriana Laster. She was last seen going to church in 2011. An arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect who is already serving a 30-year sentence for the murder of another woman. Authorities believe there are other victims.

The publisher of Sports Illustrated laying off most of the magazine staff today. The news first reported by front office sports who says the magazine's parent company moved to revoke the publisher's license after it missed a nearly $4 million payment. The 70-year-old publication faced scrutiny last. year over reports it was using AI to generate content. More charcutory meat trays sold at Sam's Club and Costco are being recalled over salmonella concerns. You can see the affected products on your screen.

The agency says nearly 50 people in 22 states have been sickened, including 10 people who were hospitalized. Health officials are urging customers to throw out the products immediately and wash anything they may have come with in contact, wash anything they may have come in contact with. And two Madonna fans are suing the popular. icon for starting her New York City concert later than expected. According to the federal lawsuit, the performance was scheduled to start at 8.30 p.m. But Madonna did not take the stage until after 1045. The fans claimed due to the delay, they were, quote, stranded by limited

public transportation options and had to pay more for a ride share because of surge pricing. Madonna, Live Nation, or Barclay Center have not yet responded to a request for comment. Okay, we want to turn now to a new wave of student loan forgiveness. from the Biden administration, another $5 billion in debt canceled for tens of thousands of borrowers. It's life-changing for some, but others are crying foul. Gabe Gutierrez explains. Diane Stucky Bruce earned three of her degrees at South Carolina State University, and she'd been paying off student loans for almost 20 years.

It was really crushing because it was such a large debt that I know I incurred, but I thought it was necessary to get that. education that I needed so that I can be successful. She says that debt had prevented her from buying a home well into her 50s and she still owed more than $263,000 until late 2021 when she was stunned to learn all that debt had been canceled because she works in public service. I knew my life was going to change at that moment that my life goes another direction now. Despite a Supreme Court ruling last year that struck down a larger student debt relief plan, the Biden administration has been rolling out smaller,

more targeted programs. So far, the White House says it's a race almost 137 billion dollars for 3.7 million Americans. Announcing today, it's wiping out debt for tens of thousands of public sector workers, including teachers, nurses, and firefighters. Still, many Republicans argue it's not fair for people who never went to college or who paid off their debts to subsidize those who didn't. Senator Bill Cassidy says, The administration is essentially buying votes during an election year. But it's not really forgiven. It's transferred.

It's transferred to those who pay back their student loans or who decided never to go to college. Now debt-free. Diane Stucky Bruce says she's finally been able to build her dream home. It was the biggest blessing I've ever received in my entire life. A weight that's now been lifted. Gabe Gutierrez, NBC News, the White House. Time now for Top Stories Global Watch and an update on the violence out of Ecuador. Authorities saying they've made two arrests in connection to the assassination of prosecutor Caesar Suarez,

who was shot and killed Wednesday while driving in the city of Guayaquil. Suarez had been investigating the armed gang takeover of a local TV station last week. Police say they're still looking for two more suspects. A top leader of a notorious drug cartel reportedly arrested by Mexican authorities, officials in Mexico say Jose Alberto Villano was captured outside the city of Monterey. Villano allegedly leads a faction of the Gulf Cartel. That group has been accused of kidnapping four U.S. citizens last year, killing two of them after they crossed the border for cosmetic surgery.

And Japan, now the fifth country in history, to land on the moon. The unmanned spacecraft touched down on the lunar surface earlier today. It used pioneering pinpoint technology meant to help the craft land on a target. Officials believe rovers have been launched to start collecting data, but there's a problem with the spacecraft's solar battery, which means those rovers will soon run out of power. All right, coming up, precious cargo. Two state troopers tasked with delivering a patient's heart,

despite construction backing up the route to the hospital. The plan they came up with to get around the literal roadblock and help save a man's life. Back now with an incredible show of teamwork in Minnesota. state troopers and a Mayo Clinic technician going to great lengths to deliver a patient's heart through traffic because of road construction. Boyd Hooper, with our Minneapolis affiliate, CARE 11, has this story, including the emotional moment that patient met the two officers who helped save his life. The gift of life transplant house near Mayo Clinic is an unlikely place

to learn about one's boyhood misdeeds. I grew up with a colorful life in a small town. John New Enchwander was known to all the officers in his North Dakota hometown. Oh, you think? Nothing too serious. And will the following students come down to my office? But good background for the story you're about to hear. In October, John, who now lives in Fargo, was on his way to a Mayo operating room like this, to receive a donor heart being delivered to Rochester, from the Twin Cities when his surgeon had a concern. One stretch of road causing headaches for some travelers is Highway 52. For months, construction had been slowing and even stopping traffic on the route John's

New Heart was supposed to be traveling in an unmarked car. I was afraid, you know, to have, you know, a poor outcome, obviously. Mayo transplant surgeon, Mauricio Villavicencio, picked up the phone. Yes, that's definitely a new one for me. Mitch Elson, lieutenant with the Minnesota State Patrol, pondered. Time wasn't on our side. They needed the heart down there. ASAP.

We didn't have flight available. We had cars. You are looking at video taken from the dashboard of the State Patrol squad car, carrying the heart destined for John Neuenschwander's chest. Precious cargo. Very much. Trooper Mike Paveer was the driver. Speed range from 80 to 100.

Everyone yielded, moved to the shoulder. All right, sir. That's Trooper Pabir's body cam as he pulls over near Zimbrota to transfer the heart to a Rochester district trooper. Also getting out of the car as a Mayo technician escorting the heart packed an ice in that cooler being pulled from the back seat. A heart about to be loaded. Pretty crazy. And Trooper Quentin O'Reilly's car. I'll put that out front.

We didn't talk too much. We just got to convert or kind of hand it off. I looked at it a few times, you know, just looking at the big old cooler sitting there, you know, a foot away from me and kind of think it's pretty surreal that it's right there. With lights and siren, Trooper O'Reilly approaches the Mayo Clinic emergency entrance. Next left, correct? Inside, he removes the heart, which is then whisked away to its recipient, waiting, chest already open. They delivered my heart. benefited greatly from that speed delivery.

As soon as he implanted the heart and then started beating very strongly. In your 300 heart transplants, have you ever enlisted the State Patrol before? No, it was the first time. No, definitely. I'm not ready to lose him. He means a lot to me. Three months later, Ruth Ann Hall's, John's partner, can't stop thinking about those troopers. You saved my loved one's life.

You had a part of it. If only, big day, they could meet them. Are you the guys? Yes, sir. Wow. Thank you. Thank you. It means a lot.

Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. How you doing? Better than I deserve. I've been praying for this for a long time. Oh. Very thankful to these folks. Thank you.

Doesn't really cut it. The young John Neuenschwander, who kept the cops jumping. Just so appreciate what you did. Now stands indebted to the troopers. who helped keep John pumping. You saw the red lights from the highway patrol. You went, oh, God. Now it's a little different.

Thank God. We thank Boyd and CAREleven for that story. When we come back, happy Friday. It's time for binge-worthy. A look at what you can binge watch and listen to this weekend. Nikki Novak from Fandango is standing by for us, making her top story debut. She'll tell us how True Detective is back with a new series and new location.

and new star Jody Foster. Plus, where to stream Oscar contender the color purple and new music by bleachers. Stay with us. Back now with Bingeworthy, our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And tonight I'm joined by first-time Bingeworthy guest,

Fandango correspondent Nikki Novak. Nikki, welcome to Top Story and to Bingeworthy. I've been so busy binging. I haven't been in there before. Well, that's good news for our viewers. All right, so, Nikki, first up, I want to talk about a new TV series. series, at least a new season of this.

It's true detective. A lot of people are excited about this one because it stars Jody Foster. We have a clip. Let's take a look. I'm working on this new case. A missing scientist. Down on the edge of the villages. Frozen solid?

What do you want? It's been six years. Why are you here? Because you both know what really happened. I need my help. I've seen that before Jody Foster law enforcement

I'm getting those silence of the lambs vibes You know you hear that voice I love True Detective The original The first series was amazing Yeah I haven't really watched A lot after this

I know this season's getting a lot of buzz Tell me about it Yeah well you're not You know incorrect in saying A lot of people fell off The second and third seasons The first season of course won all kinds of awards But this one people are saying

Is return to form But what's different about it is there's a new showrunner and much more supernatural horror vibes. But you hit the nail on the head with Jody Foster being back because this is the first detective role. She's taken since 1991, Silence of the Lambs. And she said she would never do it again. If you can even imagine how many hundreds of scripts she was sent over the years asking her to come back and play this. But this was the script that she read and she said she wanted to do it.

Takes place in Alaska. Takes place in Alaska. And the entire series is during the time. time of year when it's nightfall all year round, which really adds to it. I really love the setting. If you like True Detective, this one really has, it's the set in eerie vibes because they show you these vast landscapes and the coldness. And there's also the indigenous community as part of the narrative here, right? Yes. The story is that eight men at a research facility, scientists go missing, but then they find out later that there's some ties to indigenous communities and some murders

that happened back in the past. That's getting a little bit ahead. The first season has already dropped, or the first episode has already dropped. But, like, people are enjoying it. 93% on the Tomato Meter on Rotten Tomatoes. It's on Max. I'm definitely going to watch this one.

Next up, we're going to switch gears in a big way. If you're looking for maybe a little humor, but some mystery still, there's a new movie at New Series Out. It's called Death and Other Details on Hulu. It stars Mandy Patankan. Here's a clip. Yesterday, one of our guests was murdered.

You got to be kidding me! This watch is worth more than you make it a year. Somebody has to do something. It doesn't always have to be you, though. But I'm so good at it. We have increased security throughout the ship to keep everyone safe. And we're fortunate to have a world-renowned detective on board, Mr. Rufus Coatesworth. Oh, my God.

Should I introduce myself? All right, so getting sort of knives out, White Lotus vibes, right? Almost like rich people behaving bad. to quote one of our producers. It looks like it's fun. And it's funny that you say that, because Mike Weiss, Mike Weiss, who did White Lotus,

produced and created this series. So you're definitely on the money with that, but it does have glass onion knives, out vibes, a little Hercule Perot as well in there, a little, you know, death on the Nile, so to speak. But the last one had a lot of murder in it.

This one is much more lighthearted approach to it. He plays the worst world famous detective, but what's different about the ones we've seen before, he's more real. He doesn't have it all figured out. He's not twirling his mustache. He really doesn't know what the heck is going on. And he figures out as he goes. And this one's on Hulu. How many episodes? It's a long series? 10 episodes? Okay. Yeah. And the first four you can watch now and then they're going to drop weekly every Tuesday night. So you have time to catch up on it as it goes. But yeah, I like that they're sort of going back to that rather than just straight binging because it keeps you in suspense. More of like a daytime binge. Yeah. This one has so many twists and turns to it. It's a, you know, it's a fun one to leave you hang. We look forward to that.

Next up, I'm looking forward to this one. It's called Dumb Money. It's out on Netflix this Sunday, and it's the true story of average people who got very rich by turning GameStop into the hottest company in the world. Here's a look. Yo, what up, everybody? Roy and Kitty here. I'm going to pick a stock and talk about why I think it's interesting, and that stock is GameStop.

I love this guy. Retail traders hooked into GameStop. I think they think it's a good investment. It looks like there's one. one guy driving all the buying. Who is the Shrug? Dumb Money, man. This one looks so fun, and it's got an amazing cast.

I can tell you're really into this. Were you into the whole GameStop? Oh, yeah. It was an amazing story. Yeah, and there's already been several iterations of this story. There's been a Netflix docu-series. There's been a couple of movies. But what I like about this one, it's directed by Craig Gillespie.

If you know anything about him, he did I-Tanya, which was the Tony Hardie starring Margot. He also did the Pam and Tommy series. So he really has the finger on the pulse of things that fascinated in people and sort of grabbed the media's attention and pop culture. Very much a modern storyteller, yeah. And Paul Dano is just excellent. Seth Rogan is having the time of his life. He has been on such a role producing.

He's in almost everything, I feel like. Is he? Okay. I felt like he's kind of dropped off, but maybe he's back. He's back in a big way. But this one, this one I really enjoyed. I think it's the best iteration of the story that I've seen so far. forward to that one, too. Then we have Oscar

Fever coming up to streaming. It's the color purple. We want to watch this clip. Of course, you know the title. This is a new iteration, the musical version on Phil. I know my sister somewhere in the world. Someday, we're going to meet again. Keep your head held high. Just like Mom Thomas.

It's time I be free from you and then something to creation. I die before I let that happen. Good. That's just a gone away present I'm in need. So, of course, based on the 1982 novel, such a beautiful, beautiful, impactful piece of literature, and then it was a great film,

and then it was a musical on Broadway now. The music's on film, and it's a new movie. It's a new movie, and it is a musical version. Like you said, Oprah Winfrey, of course, starred in the original. Stephen Spielberg directed it, but now she is producing this one. Fantasia Burino is playing the lead role in it.

But what I really love about it, I'm a Critics Choice member, and when I had to vote for best ensemble, they were at the top of my list. Because it feels like a true ensemble. And I think a lot of people hear the color purple, and while it is really serious subject matter. I was going to ask you about that, because I haven't seen this at all. But I remember the film and the book, and it's so powerful. How does it work as a musical? As a musical, it is what is so surprising about it?

It's incredibly joyful. It's sumptuous, the scenery, the costume is incredible. And it really feels like, that's why I talk about this ensemble cast. You feel the passion and the camaraderie in the performances, and it's incredibly moving, and I think much more uplifting than the original. By the way, there's popcorn in front of us, which I know you have every single week, but I have to mention that this one you can stream at home, but it's also in theaters still, if you want to get it on the big screen.

It is really good film. And then there's like, Fandango's also, like, promoting this, right? It's like National Popcorn Day? So you can get popcorn cheap today because it's National Popcorn Day, so if you head out to the theaters, you can get discounts, free refills. depending on the theater, they're offering all kinds of goodies. A bizarre plug, but we're going to plug it anyway because popcorn is always there in our lives. It doesn't get enough credit.

We want to transition out of music. The rock band, Slater Kinney, is out with their new album. I know you probably haven't heard from them since the 90s, but they're back. It's called Little Rope is the album. Here's the music video for the single, Say It Like You Mean It. So, Nikki, people are going to be watching the video going, okay, great song, but she looks so familiar. It's Jerry. Yeah, he loved Jerry.

Now, I heard her a succession fan. Oh, yeah, big time. Yeah, I think I'm a bigger fan. I think it's the greatest series of all time. And the fact that she is in this music video, sign sealed, delivered, I'm done. I love it. And I love her. I just fond all over her at the Golden Globes.

And glad they're back together. Finally, Jack Antonoff and Bleachers are out with their new song, Tiny Moves. music video co-directed by and featuring Antonoff's wife and actress, Margaret Kwali. Here's a bit of that. Whoa, whoa, ho. Watching it all come down. Watch you go round and round. Tidiest moves you make.

Watching my whole world shake. I love Jack. His music is amazing. Of course, you may know him from Fun and Taylor Swift and everything else. I love this song, so I'm definitely going to check out the album. I really like it. I feel like it gives me sort of 80s, 90s. New Order throwback vibes. I'm going to be dancing like this tonight later on. It's like

this is like a great, you know, expression of the music and you can do no wrong. And a very cool video as well. Nikki, you're very cool as well. Thanks so much for being here on binge. We're definitely going to have you back on. And we thank you for watching Top Story all week. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.