Top Story with Tom Llamas - Friday, March 1, 2024

Episode Date: March 2, 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, the Georgia election interference case against former President Trump hanging in the balance. The decision on whether to disqualify DA Fannie Willis from the case now in the hands of a judge. An explosive end to the hearing, the defense arguing Willis financially benefited from a relationship with the special prosecutor she hired. Willis' attorney slamming that argument saying there isn't sufficient evidence of a conflict of interest. Will Fonnie Willis be removed from the biggest case of her career? and could this case be dropped altogether? Also tonight, West Coast slam, a blockbuster winter storm slamming California, Nevada. The massive blizzard set to dump, get this 12 feet of snow out west.

Hurricane force winds at extreme snowfall rates already crippling travel. Officials warning thousands could be trapped for days as conditions rapidly get worse. Rescue from above a semi-truck dangling from a Louisville bridge. The dramatic rescue as the driver is pulled from the truck suspended in the air. We hear from the first responder who repelled off the bridge to get the driver back on stable ground. Man hunt for a kidnapper, security cam video capturing the moment a woman appears to get abducted, a woman caught running out of a car before a man grabs her and tosses her back in. Local cops releasing the terrifying video in the hopes someone will recognize those involved.

Plus, children without milk? Cuba making a desperate plea to the World Food Program as food becomes scarce. The troubling requests revealing the reality of the country's struggling economy. A live report from Havana on where the crisis stands. And a co-defendant in the corruption investigation of Senator Bob Menendez pleading guilty, a New Jersey businessman admitting to bribery as he's accused of giving the senator's wife a luxury car. Now he's agreed to testify against Menendez, the stunning statement he made in court.

Top story starts right now. Good evening tonight, the fate of former President Trump's Georgia election interference case in the hands of a judge. That judge debating whether to remove Fulton County DA Fonie Willis from the case over allegations she financially benefited from a relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants arguing Willis should be disqualified due to the appearance of a conflict of interest. The judge raising questions about text messages the defense claims proved Wade and Willis lied on the stand about when the

relationship began. Willis making a surprise appearance in the courtroom. You see her here right before her attorney argued her innocence. Her lawyer denying claims that the two lied in their testimony insisting Willis was targeted and the motion should be dismissed. And this moment getting a lot of attention today in the middle of her lawyer's closing arguments, Willis walked up to him and passed him a post-it note. But the big mystery tonight, what did it say? The stakes are high if Willis is removed. Her entire office would be disqualified,

potentially upending the case against the former president. NBC's Marissa Para breaks down all the key courtroom moments and a timeline for when the judge could make a ruling. Tonight, explosive closing arguments in a Georgia courtroom. Prosecutors don't act like this. Lawyers don't act like this. These people, you're on. is a systematic misconduct, and they need to go.

As lawyers seek to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fon-Willis from the Trump election interference case over what they say was an inappropriate relationship she had with the special prosecutor Nathan Wade. This office is a global laughing stock because of their conduct. Lawyers for Trump and other co-defendants arguing the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade created conflicts of interest, particularly. particularly financially. Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis basically lived Rod and Leach's lifestyle of the rich and famous.

And they did this riding on the backs of the defendants in this case, funded by the taxpayers of Fulton County and the state of Georgia. The defense, alleging these comments Willis made at the oldest African American church in Atlanta in January, her first public comments on the scandal were a violation of professional rules of conduct. I appointed three special counsel as is my right to do. paid them all the same hourly rape, they only attacked one. And I hired one black man, another superstar, a great friend, and a great boy. Oh, Lord, they're going to be mad when I call them my own nonsense. Defense today, claiming her words and timing were calculated.

She chose to deflect and to do two things that are reprehensible. for any lawyer, but particularly for a prosecutor. She chose to pull out the race card and the God card. Judge McAfee, at one point questioning if Willis is disqualified from this case, will she need to be removed from all others? Where would be the limiting principle? The district attorney signs every indictment assigned to this courtroom. Does that mean she's off every case? No, it would be when that...

If I found that she's untruthful, is that what you're kind of suggesting? The defense team doubling down on their argument that Willis and Wade lied about their relationship, highlighting the sheer magnitude of texts and calls between them before they say their relationship started. Just in the first 11 months of 2021, over 2,000 calls, almost 9,800 texts. I don't even think love-struck teenagers communicate that much. Also calling into question the timing of these communications. Phone call from Ms. Willis between Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade, 11,000. 32 that night. Shortly after midnight, the phone starts traveling down from where Mr. Wade

lives. It ends up where Ms. Willis is staying, and he's there until roughly 4.55 a.m. Teenagers have a name for those kind of calls and those kind of x-rays. I won't go into it. Willis's attorney arguing the technology used to pinpoint Wade's location isn't always reliable and doesn't mean he was at Willis' home. These records don't prove that he laid his head anywhere. Reiterating their argument, the Willis has been targeted by people who hadn't axed to grind against her and that the motion should be dismissed. Fannie Willis entering the courtroom to listen in on the state's closing arguments, sitting just three seats away from Nathan Wade. Willis at one point even passing her attorney a post-it note, not speaking today, but remaining defiant after she took the stand two weeks ago.

You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I'm not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial. A big part of the defense's argument, text messages between Terrence Bradley, the former law partner of special prosecutor Nathan Wade and defense attorney Ashley Merchant. These messages, first published by the Megyn Kelly podcast, appear to show Merchant asking, do you think it started before she hired him? To which he responded, absolutely. It started when she left the DA's office and was a judge in South Fulton. Bradley, taking the stand earlier this week, at one point was asked about that very text. I was speculating. Why would you speculate when she was asking you a direct question about when the relationship started?

I have no answer for that. Except the fact that you do in fact know when it started, and you don't want to testify to that in court. The judge today questioning if that discrepancy was really a slam dunk for Trump's lawyers. Is it ever definitively shown how he knew this and that he actually did know it? other than just an assertion outright, absolutely. Usually if a state has a witness that goes sideways, they've got them locked in. They've sat down with a detective.

I've got a full statement. We don't have that here. Willis's attorney arguing tonight, the other side failed to prove the conflicts of interest, casting doubt on claims Willis or Wade have benefited financially from the case. She stated a double tree in Napa, a double tree. I don't know that to be a lavish hotel.

all right we saw and heard a lot in court today the only thing we didn't get was a decision from the judge marissa parra joins us now live from atlanta so that's the big question rissa when will we know the decision tom well as you mentioned yourself there is a lot at stake here when it comes to that decision the judge said at the very end there that there's a lot of legal issues that need analyzing he said he needs time and that we should expect to hear from him sometime in the next two weeks But Tom, the big question is, will sometime in the next two weeks the judge say he needs more information, more evidence, or will he say he has all the information he needs, and we'll hear a decision, and we'll finally get an answer on whether or not Fannie Willis, and her entire team will stay on this case. Tom? All right, Marissa, par for us following all the developments from court.

Marissa, thank you. To help us break down the legal ramifications of this case, I'm joined now by NBC News Legal Analyst, Angela Senadella, and former federal prosecutor, Temadio, Ganga Williams. Thank you both for being here on Top Story. Tim, I'm going to start with you, since you're the new person here on our panel. Who do you think won today? Who did better? Which side did better? I mean, frankly, I think we all lost a bit. But I think if I had, you know, I think they both performed based on the goals they had. If I'm looking at the defense, what they want to do was to create a circus, which is what they did. They talked about everything from race to God to, you know, kind of the days of our lives, a story of.

lurid story. And what the prosecutors really focused on was, here's the law. Is there a financial conflict of interest? They wanted the judge to narrow down to something more specific and get away from whether a relationship was occurring, get away from whether they were in love or not or dating, but asked the more narrow question. So I think on that front, I think the prosecution had the edge there. I don't know that they got over the line. And what's most important is because the defense has the burden here. And I think that's how I would, I look at the way out there. And it It can be a little confusing for our viewers because we're talking about the prosecutors, the state, and the lawyers for the co-defendants.

For the purpose of this argument, the judge was asking a lot of questions, and when he was asking the questions, right, to the people who are looking to throw Fannie Willis off this case, could you pull anything from the judge's questions? And did it lead you to believe one side was doing better than the other? Yeah, so look, I actually thought the defense did a better job if you're trying to look at who did a better job on the stage today. But in terms of the people in... We say with the defense, we're talking about...

The actual defense, the actual defense attorneys, Trump's attorney, et cetera, Mr. Merchant. But in terms of the legal standard and where the judge was leaning, I think it's towards the prosecution. And that's because the judge asked questions, like, look, even if these people were lying, is that for me to judge? Is that for me to deque them? Or is that for the bar association to admonish them? So he almost made it clear to me that he was going to the prosecution. So on that issue, the issue of Terrence Bradley, he was sort of the key witness, right, for the people, looking to get Fannie Willis off this case.

He's the divorce attorney who, in the text messages, said absolutely there was a relationship before Nathan Wade started with the DA's office. How was an attorney can you prove that, okay, he wasn't lying when he texted, but now he's lying on the stand when he said he can't recall when the relationship started? Well, you actually can't, and so that's the thing. I think Terrence Bradley made Terrence Bradley look bad, but he didn't necessarily move the needle for the prosecution or the defense. That's my opinion.

Even with those text messages, and there were so many texts. messages between him and Ashley Merchant. Right, but he never proved that when he said those, he was telling the truth then. So he just looks overall suspicious. Tim, another part of the lawyers that were trying to toss Fonnie Willis from this case, part of their strategy was to hone in on her message at that church in Atlanta. Let's play a piece of that right now. First thing they say, oh, she's going to play the race card now.

But no, God, isn't it them who's playing the race card when they only question one? So what was wrong with her statements in the church? So I think the argument that the defense is making is that she was suggesting a racist intent by those who are seeking to disqualify her or challenging her appointment of Mr. Wade. And if you are a jury, which right has not been selected yet, you might be taken in that information and be biased against these defendants. Because you're now thinking these guys are racist and therefore can they get a fair trial in Fulton County? And I think that's what really the argument was centered on. Was part of it also, though, that they're saying, listen, you're the DA for Fulton County. You were playing the race card when you knew that you were in a relationship with this other prosecutor.

So instead of saying, yes, there was a relationship, there's smoke there, you played the race card, and you did it in an historically black church that has such a big importance in that community in Atlanta. Well, D.A. Willis did not deny that there was a relationship when she was in the church. So I don't think anything she said was factually inconsistent with her position. She actually did not say, she didn't deny a relationship from the beginning. So I don't know that they get there with that argument. But frankly, you know, we have to remember DA Willis and many DAs across the country are elected officials. They're simply or not bureaucrats. I think there is a component to that job that is speaking out, that is being a member of the community,

and that is putting forth, you know, kind of an argument of self out there. Fannie Willis's team was arguing that, listen, the cell phone data, it doesn't prove exactly anything. All the money that was exchanged. hey, she paid it back, but there were no receipts, right? So they were saying that. The other side said, listen, when Fonnie Willis is prosecuting criminals, she's using cell phone data, and in money laundering cases, if there's no financial receipts, you're going to prison.

So did that hold up for the defense's side? I thought that was a great argument, but I don't really think that's a legal issue that will make the judge decide. And that's ultimately it. If this were a jury trial, these arguments made today would have swayed the jury incredibly. But the judge is going to stick to the legal question.

And really, the biggest legal question is, is the standard just an appearance of impropriety of a conflict of interest or an actual conflict of interest? You're the defense attorney saying it's just the appearance that's enough to disqualify them. And you're the prosecutor saying, no, it has to be an actual conflict of interest. Tim, you've grilled witnesses on the stand. Do you think the people here were lying, Nathan Wade, Fannie Willis, Terrence, were they all lying?

Do you think it was a... I don't know if the words conspiracy, but do you think they were not telling the truth? Here's what I'll say. When I look at Mr. Bradley, today he was under oath. Those messages that he came into evidence, he wasn't under oath then, right? And he had an incentive. So when I'm cross-examining a witness, what I'm always trying to bring out is bias or the incentive to lie. I look at Mr. Bradley, and I think they did show evidence that he was a discontent employee,

that he had reason to basically coordinate with a defense lawyer, Ms. Merchant, and that's why he would have been lying to her. When I look at D.A. Willis and Mr. Wade, I would think about whether there's corroboration for what they're saying or whether there's evidence that contradicts. And I don't know that the defense lawyers got there. They came and said, we have cell phone data that shows Mr. Wade was at Ms. Wallace's condo. But then we look at the testimony. He says, yeah, I went to her condo. They said, he was there 30 times. And the judge himself pointed out, well, Mr. Wade said he was there at least 10 times. So I don't know that the evidence of parsing out slight differences in testimony.

testimony is going to get you all the way there to saying someone was untruthful on the stand. Do you find it strange that the biggest case of Fannie Willis's life and she has sort of this problem, this relationship, is that bizarre at all to you? I think it's very bizarre. It is a massive, massive laughter judgment. But to Angela's point earlier, we have to draw distinctions between ethical concerns, professional conduct concerns, and whether or not this prosecution is unlawful. So what happens, Angela? How does the judge rule? I think the judge is going to keep them on the case. That is my best guess right now.

I think he's going to say it has to be a real conflict of interest, and perhaps it hasn't met that statement. Tim? I agree. I think he keeps them on the case, and this case moves forward. All right, two lawyers and agreeance here. We appreciate you guys being on top story. Thank you for that. Another major headline tonight at potentially historic winter storm pummeling the West Coast. A rare blizzard descending on the region dumping feet of snow in the Sierra's, residents in some places bracing for up to 12 feet of snow. NBC Steve Patterson is in Truckee, California tonight. Tonight, relentless waves of wind-wipped snow pounding the California Sierras. The National Weather Service issuing a rare blizzard warning for the region with life-threatening blankets of blinding whiteouts on the roads.

Major interstates already shutting down after accidents like this big rig flip near Truckee. If you don't have to travel, do not. Skiing, snowboarding, sledding is not that important. Your lives are way more important. And we want you to be safe on the road. Areas from Yosemite to Lake Tahoe can see from anywhere from five to ten feet of snow, with more than 12 feet of snow, gusting at over 100 miles per hour in the mountains. It's just going to be the storm of the winter so far, so we're just going to hunker down.

There's no fun for anybody. You can't slay ride, you can't ski. Several ski resorts now shutting down lifts. Yosemite National Park closed until at least Sunday, local residents, preparing to be snowed in for days. Ice melt, generators, lanterns, flashlights, batteries, anything that you can think of that somebody would need for a power outage or a severe storm, and they are coming in for it. At its worst, officials warn of two to four inches of snow every hour for days. This one is a 96-hour cycle, so it's really good to affect us in the next 24 to 48 hours. Tonight, an entire region bracing for impact.

Steve Patterson joins us again tonight from Truckee, California. What are conditions like there right now? Well, as you may be able to see, right now it is the wind that is picked up in just the last few minutes or show. About five minutes ago, I would have been able to talk to you in my normal speaking voice. That moment has passed. Sometimes the flories pick up. Sometimes they kind of speed down, but right now it is just hitting us pretty consistently. Tom?

Okay, Steve Patterson, first is the weather's picking up there, as we see there. For more on this historic storm and how high those snow totals could get. NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins us now. Bill, walk us through what you're watching. We just had 152 mile-power wind gusts at about 8,000 foot elevation at Palisades, Tahoe, the ski resort. They have a weather sensor there. We're amazed that it's even still working. So that's the kind of winds we're getting at the highest of elevations. We've already had reports, many reports, of one to about two feet of snow. This is just kind of stage one of the storm.

This won't end until Sunday morning. We think we're going to get about one to two feet tonight into tomorrow, and then Saturday night into Sunday. Monday morning, probably another one to two feet in many areas. And you can just see the storm just spinning here, and all that moisture hits the mountains. It gets wrong out. It's getting colder in this region, so the snow's getting fluffier. It's going to build up higher. It's going to blow around more. So here's kind of the timing of this as we go throughout the weekend. Notice this area is where we're watching. You know, this is Mammoth, the Yosemite, all the way up to the Lake Tahoe area. This is Saturday night. And then by the time we get to Sunday, it finally begins to at least

get a little easier. The winds won't be as strong. The snow will be on and off. But five to 10 feet. anywhere in the Sierra Cascades, two to four feet. Most of the southern cascades in Oregon in the Wasatch range of Utah, one to three feet. We will get some rain out of this in areas of southern California, rainy day in L.A. tomorrow, but not a huge ordeal. And then, Tom, we still have that huge fire concerns this weekend. Red flag warnings go from Nebraska all the way down to Texas. We are highly concerned this area tomorrow in Colorado to North Texas in the exact same spots

that we still only have 15% containment on the Smokehouse Creek Fire. This is that area. Tomorrow, 40 mile per hour winds. Don't be surprised if you hear tomorrow that fire spreads into Oklahoma. It's going to be a busy weekend for you and your team. All right, Bill, we thank you for that. We now want to move on to a daring rescue on a Louisville Bridge where new video shows a truck dangling over the water with the driver still inside. A firefighter rappelling down to get her and bringing her to safety. Jesse Kirsch has that story. A stunning scene unfolding on a Louisville Bridge. A firefighter urgently repelling down to reach a driver stranded inside the semi-tractor trailer as the truck's cab dangles above the water. First responders worried it could fall at any moment. This is very much a worst-case scenario, kind of a crazy thing that you don't

expect to actually have to do until you show up. Officials say around 12 p.m., the truck and three other vehicles were involved in a collision. The truck careening off the roadway with its female driver still in the cab. The fire department says she was shaken, but still talking with the rescue team. We're very concerned with the stabilization there to make sure that our people are safe. Obviously, we are willing to risk a lot to save a lot. And so, yes, we will absolutely take that risk to get her out. Firefighter Bryce Cardin went over the edge to make the rescue. She was just praying. She was praying a lot. And I prayed with her. She was super calm, collected, and helped me do what I needed to do to get her to safety, essentially.

And it all worked out for the best. And we'll go back to quarters and get ready to do it again if we have to. About 40 minutes after the Daring Rescue began, the driver was out of harm's way, was alert, and was taken to the hospital with what police believe are non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities say two people from one of the other vehicles involved do have injuries that appear to be life-threatening. Tonight, police still have not said what caused the collision which led to this incident, but we are learning more about the semi-truck. It features the logo of food service company Cisco, which says its trucks do not transport. hazardous materials. Tom? Jesse Kirsch for us tonight. Jesse, thank you for that. We want to turn now to a breaking development in the criminal case against New Jersey

Senator Bob Menendez, a co-defendant in the criminal corruption case against Menendez, pleading guilty and agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors. It comes as another tri-state area official. New York City Mayor Eric Adams is also increasingly legal scrutiny tonight after the FBI rated two homes owned by one of his top aides. It comes amid an ongoing federal investigation to Adams. political fundraising during his 2021 campaign. Let's get right over at NBC News Chief Justice contributor, Jonathan Deans.

He's here in studio. Jonathan, a lot going on into Tri-State. Let's start with Senator Bob Menendez. This was a bombshell development. Yeah, huge development today. There are three businessmen accused of paying bribes to the senator through his wife. One of them flipped and pleaded guilty today and has agreed to cooperate fully against the senator.

And during his plea allocution today in federal court, he said, yes. I bought the senator and his wife a Mercedes, and that in exchange, he says the senator tried to help an associate of his get out of a insurance fraud case that was being prosecuted at the state level that he was counting on the senator's help in exchange for the Mercedes. Of course, the senator and his wife deny any wrongdoing. They're vowing to fight the charges, but prosecutors plan to use this man on the stand to point the finger at the senator. According to what that man said in court, it sounds like a textbook bribery case. We're going to have to wait and see what happens. But a huge development there. We've been tracking what's been happening with Mayor Adams and his staffers. Another big development today, right?

Right. So the FBI search to two properties belonging to one of his top aides. She's an Asian affairs liaison. The FBI is seizing documents. All of this part of a campaign fundraising case, questions about her and whether she helped organize improper campaign bundling, straw donations, if you will, they're looking at that. That is in addition to a separate fundraising investigation, where they're looking into whether any foreign money from Turkey was bundled through a construction firm.

And so, again, it's campaign fundraising around the senator, but two federal... Around the mayor. Around the mayor, two investigations going on at the same time in fundraising and, questions about did the Senator, did the mayor know, and what did he know about any of the activities of his age? So far, he's not charged. Yeah, he's not charged. His phone was seized, though, by the FBI. We have reported that. Yes, they are taking a hard look, but as of now, the investigation for now centers around him, not on him. All right. Jonathan Dean's always great to have you here in studio. We appreciate it. Thank you. Still ahead tonight, the urgent search for an apparent

kidnapping victim in Arizona. New video shows a woman you see her here trying to run from a car, while he was at a gas station when a man is seen grabbing her by the neck and dragging her back to the vehicle. Why authorities feared this will be a challenging case to crack, we'll explain. Plus, breaking news of the death of Elijah McLean, one of the paramedics convicted of giving him a lethal dose of ketamine sentenced late today, just how long he'll spend behind bars. And a scary seat at a golf course in the Florida Keys, what we know about a small plane that crashed at a Florida golf course.

You see it right here. Stay with us. We're back now with details on a man hunt near Phoenix, Arizona. Police looking for a man caught on camera, shoving a woman into a car at a gas station. The shocking footage disturbing law enforcement and community members. Now the clock's ticking as police try to find that woman and her potential abductor. Ellison Barber reports. Tonight, in Buckeye, Arizona, a desperate search for a woman believed to be in the grips of a violent man. It's almost like a horror movie.

A gray SUV speeds into a gas station. A man gets out of the driver's seat. A woman opens a door on the other side and tries to run towards the convenience store. The man grabs her, puts his arm around her neck, seeming to choke her as he drags her back into the car. Within 30 seconds, they're gone. We believe that the vehicle's a 2021-2020-3 Nissan Rogue. All we have as far as description of this male and females, what you're seeing in the video. We don't even know their ages at this point.

The video is from last Friday night at approximately 10 p.m. local time, but police just released it. Why did it take so long to get that surveillance video and release it to the public? Certain things had to be done to make sure that we had quality video that we can release to the public, something that people can see and determine, is this a vehicle that they may have seen? Now they're desperately trying to find the woman and the man. We have investigators looking for video from commercial surveillance systems that can help us get a better idea of where this vehicle went, where it came from. And the clock is ticking. There are a lot of unknowns. Are they local? Are they from somewhere else?

were they heading somewhere else? That's why we really need folks to recognize these individuals in the video, recognize this vehicle, give us a call. You want to try to develop as much as a case as you can to bring it to resolve, or at least to identify persons to persons involved within the first 48 hours. How difficult is it to track someone down and solve something like this? How urgent is it given the time that has passed? Time is of essence, but if there's anyone out there who have an inkling, or maybe they've seen this vehicle, seen these two individuals who may have been acting strangely in public, they need to notify their local authority.

Because at best, it's worth the investigation. And very important, all of this, is that the victim in this case, who was clearly abducted against her own will to try to get her back to safety. If you have any information, no matter how small you think it is, police are. asking you to call them. The number is on your screen. If you want to stay anonymous, they say you can send a tip online. That is also on your screen. They say they cannot solve this without more help from the public. Tom. All right, Ellison, we appreciate that. When we come back, first responders causing another emergency here in New York. Surveillance video captures the moment of fire truck, lost control, and crashed right through a furniture store in Long Island. What officials say caused this frightening scene?

All right, we're back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with the latest on the death of Elijah McLean. Former Aurora Colorado paramedic, Peter Chikunak, was sentenced to five years in prison for giving McLean a lethal dose of ketamine while in a confrontation with police in 2019. He was found guilty in December of criminally negligent homicide, along with another paramedic, Jeremy Cooper. Cooper sentencing is in April.

Here in New York, a wild criminal. A crash involving a fire truck caught on surveillance camera. Take a look at this. New video shows that fire truck crashing through a furniture store on Long Island after also hitting a car parked outside. Firefighters were responding to a call when the truck appeared to swerve to avoid collision but then lost control. Two civilians and three firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. A small plane making a crash landing on a golf course in the Florida Keys. New video shows the plane with a broken wing.

You see it here and its nose ripped off. This happened at the Ocean Reef Golf Club in Key Largo. One person who was believed to be the pilot was airlifted to a nearby hospital. No one on the ground was hurt. The cause of that crash is under investigation. And a feel-good update this Friday, a six-month-old released from the hospital after she was rescued from the scene of a car crash. The baby named Lola, meaning the officer who saved her life,

body cam footage shows the moment that officer pulled the baby from the wreckage of a car near Tampa. Last month, and he performed CPR until paramedics arrived. The officer says Lola is on the road to recovery. All right, now to power and politics and Nikki Haley making some big news today and sitting down with Meet the Press moderator, Kristen Welker. Though Haley is far behind in the delegate count and struggling to explain the path to the nomination, at this point she's still, according to her campaign, raising a lot of money. This is she's preparing for what could be her last stand on the biggest voting night of the primary season, Super Tuesday.

To discuss it all and share some of her new reporting, let's bring in Kristen Welker. Kristen, great to see you on this Friday night. A lot to talk about, but first, I know this was a wide-ranging discussion you had with Nikki Haley. I want to talk about one moment where you asked Haley about the former president and the possibility of a second Trump term. Let's take a listen. Do you think Donald Trump would follow the Constitution if he were elected to a second term? I don't know.

I don't know. I mean, you always want to think someone will, but I don't know. You know, when you go in and you talk about revenge, when you go and you talk about, you know, vindication. When you go and you talk about, what does that mean? Like, I don't know what that means. And only he can answer for that. What I can answer for is I don't think there should ever be a president that's above the law. I don't think that there should ever be a president that has total immunity to do whatever they want to do.

Chris, and one thing is clear. She's not going down without a fight. Tom, you're absolutely right. It is great to be with you on this Friday as well. I spoke with a defiant Nikki Haley. You heard it there in her answer. The fact that she is not backing away from a question like that, I thought, was notable. And look, I asked her what her path looks like at this point.

If she doesn't win a state after Super Tuesday, does she have to drop out? Not prepared to say that yet, Tom. She said what she has to do on Super Tuesday is show that she's still competitive. Her campaign points to the fact that 11 of the states that are going to vote on Super Tuesday are either open or semi-open primary states, meaning that independent, some Democrats can vote for her as well. Typically voting blocks that have helped Haley. But obviously, Tom, that hasn't helped her win a state yet. She knows the math.

She knows it's uphill. And she really talks about this in the context of the Republican Party, that she is fighting for her vision of the Republican Party. And I think that's what's so striking about that sound there that you played when she effectively says she doesn't know if Donald Trump would follow the Constitution in a second term, particularly notable because, of course, she served as his former U.N. ambassador, Tom. And, Chris, I do want to ask you about the money. She keeps raising, and yes, the new numbers are from the campaign, you know, and we haven't been able to verify them yet. but they're saying they've raised millions and millions of dollars. What about an independent run, right? If she has the cash and she has support from Republicans and a lot of moderates,

I know she spoke about this today. She spoke about this today, Tom, and look, she is really brushing aside questions about whether she would run as a third-party candidate. She continues to insist she is running as a Republican first. Let me play you a little bit of what she told reporters on the trail today and do some analysis on the other side. All the talk about the independent, no labels, all of that, I haven't talked to anybody about that. I know that they have sent like smoke signals that you want me to talk to the president.

But I'm a little pocket of it. If I were to do no labels, that would require a Democrat vice president. I can't do what I want to do as president with the Democrat vice president. So really, tamping down any speculation, I should say, that she would run as a third-party candidate. And Tom, I have to tell you, I asked her about this as well, and she went even further. So we'll have that on Sunday. But again, her tone is notable because she's just gotten tougher in her tone in recent weeks.

I also asked her if she thought the court cases should go to trial against former President Trump before Election Day if he is, in fact, the nominee. And she said, yes, she thinks all of the court cases should be dealt with. We're talking about four different criminal indictments. She said, the voters deserve that. I can tell you, I've spoken to a number of her supporters, and they say, boy, she has gotten tough in these weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. They wish she had gotten this tough in the beginning of the race.

They think it would have made a difference. We'll have to see what Super Tuesday looks like. Can she pick off a Washington, D.C., a Massachusetts. that could potentially be a game changer. If on the other side of Super Tuesday, she doesn't have a W under her belt, Tom, I think some of these donations could start to dry up,

and that's when she starts to have the really complicated conversations. Yeah, we'll probably have a good sense Wednesday morning. Kristen Welker, we look so forward to that interview. We appreciate you for being here on Top Story tonight. You can see more of Kristen's interview with Nikki Haley. She also speaks with Michigan,

Congresswoman Debbie Dingle, this Sunday only on Meet the Press. And make sure to join us on Super Tuesday. Look at this lineup. Special coverage begins at 5 p.m. Eastern right here on NBC News Now. We're bringing you all the results live on a critical night in this primary campaign. Okay, coming up, Desperate for Aid, Cuba making an unprecedented plea to the World Food Program to provide powdered milk for young children. Why this request signals just how bad things are in Cuba, as the island faces a shortage of food, fuel, and medical supplies. Our report straight from Havana next. All right, we're back now with the Americas and the worsening economic crisis in Cuba.

For the first time, the communist government asking for help from the UN, requesting the World Food Program, send monthly shipments of powdered milk for children as shortages of milk, medicine, and fuel take a toll on the island. Just last month, look at this. We covered here on Top Story how Cubans are struggling to make ends meet, how the island continues to struggle with constant blackouts. This is how people are living over there. and the severe fuel shortages affecting them every single day. I want to get right over to Ed Augustine, who joins us tonight from our Havana Bureau. Ed, I want to start with that request to the World Food Program. Cuba is in such a tough spot right now.

They don't even have powdered milk for their babies? Well, Cuban policy is that every child up to the age of seven is supposed to, I emphasize the word supposed to, receive a kilogram of powdered milk every month to help with their nutrition. And that's one of the reasons why a little over a decade ago, UNICEF, said that this is. island was the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have eliminated at that time, according to them, severe nutrition. But given the depths of the huge economic crisis, Cuba has been going through for so many years now, it's hardly surprising that the programs like that are running into hiccups. And we've spoken to families this week who are saying, in many cases,

the milk's just not arriving, and when it is, it's arriving late. And so in this context, Cuba has taken an unprecedented step for the first time the island's history, this island that in previous times trumpeted achievements in having eliminated hunger has made a request to the UN World Food Program to help it get milk to the island's children. And then, Ed, you know, I've spoken to Cubans on the island. I've heard from Cubans who have traveled back and come back to the states, and they're saying that it's never been this bad. I mean, what are people telling you out there on the island in the country? Well, we're speaking on the very day

that the ruling Communist Party has just quintupled. That's right. Increased by five times the amount, the price of gasoline. And I want to show you a clip of somebody that we met earlier. Louis Alberto Baillac, who we met

who'd been spending hours in a long line, just trying to fill up with gasoline. At 5 o'clock, no, no. It's a tonne, more difficult. So you can just imagine, Tom, the effect of this on inflation. Economists say that the Cuban government does have to reduce these subsidies and therefore increase the price of things like fuel.

But obviously these measures are unpopular. And frankly, people are scared about the effects of knock on inflation in the wider economy. Just to give you an idea of how difficult things are for Cubans, almost anything you can think of that's so easy to get in so many other countries, sugar, rice, beans, soap, shampoo, it's all difficult, and it's all very, very hard for the average Cuban whose salary now expressed in dollar terms is as low as $16 a month to get hold of. So Cubans are very, very worried about just how tough life on the island is becoming. This, as the sun is setting there in Havana, we notice the darkness behind you and not a lot of lights on at night.

Ed, we appreciate your reporting. Thanks for being on Top Story tonight. At the top stories, global watch in another region of the world in critical need of aid. President Biden has announced the U.S. will airdrop food into Gaza. As we've been reporting, there are concerns Gaza is on the brink of famine, with people waiting in food lines for hours and even forced to give their children animal feed. The president today acknowledging there is not enough aid being brought to the enclave. He also reiterated that the U.S. is trying to push for an immediate ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

Mexico City's reservoirs hitting historically low levels this week. Officials using tanker trucks to supply its more than 21 million residents, but it isn't enough. People say they have to recycle shower and laundry water for the toilet, and they have to buy safe drinking water. Years of low rainfall and a severe drought have caused that shortage. All right. We're going to be right back. Hey, everyone, welcome back. It is Friday, which means it's time for binge-worthy. Our look at the best things to watch and listen to this weekend. And tonight here on Top Story, we have NBC New York's digital reporter Kay Angram.

Kay, welcome back. So good to have you. Thank you for having me. It's great to be back. All right. So we're talking about one here that a lot of people have sort of been into. It's gotten some buzz because it's the producers of succession. It's called The Regime with Kate Winslet.

Let's take a look. Madam Chancellor, Corporal Zubak. Not nice. What they're calling you? Butcher. There's a good man in there who deserves love. The chancellor has a bit of an infatuation. He's not dangerous, is he?

She'll lose interest she always does. What if this time she doesn't? I pretty much love anything Kate Winslet does, but I don't know about this show. Is it good? I think it's going to be a real talker because everyone knows that HBO loves their Sunday darlings. And that's what this one I'm thinking is. is slated to be. Because like you mentioned, you've got Kate Winslet. It's giving Veep vibes. Folks are saying it's a dark comedy. You know, she's playing this leader of this

totalitarian, you know, European nation. And so it's hysterical. It's moody. And it's got Kate Winslet. So it's going to be good. This next one I'm sort of excited for because it's Adam Sandler, but it's not Adam Sandler like you know him. Even though he's done a lot of drama, this is even sort of even more bizarre. It's called Spaceman. We'll roll the clip, and we're going to talk about it right after. Okay, cool. Six months in isolation.

You start thinking too much. I'm getting interference. I did not intend to frighten you, skinny human. Do not be afraid. I'm losing my mind. You wish to know if I am real. I am like you, an explorer. All right, Adam Sandler is number one in the Yama's household.

We watch all the movies, all the animation, the comedy, the drama. Yeah, but this one looks like it is going to be something new for Adam Sandler, which I'm excited about, because I think he's going to grow as an actor. But it looks like it's really out there. It is. I mean, it's literally out there because it's taking place in space. So, yeah, Space Man, it's on Netflix right now. It's a new film from Adam Sandler, who we love.

I'm going to join that family group love of Adam Sandler. But we are getting serious Adam in this, right? He's known to be a comedian and funny, but with this, in addition to having to take on space, he's also dealing with some serious issues down on Earth. So he's navigating a relationship dynamic with his wife, hoping to repair things. And interestingly enough, a fun little twist, he encounters this mysterious creature who kind of helps him pick his life back up together again. Yeah, it looks like there's a lot going on there.

It's like somewhat of a thriller. It's obviously sci-fi. It's very deep. Look, Adam Sandler, when he does drama, it's always great as well. So looking forward to that. You said it was Netflix. Yes, on Netflix. Okay, next up, we have something on Disney Plus.

For the first time, I think, ever right, a Nigerian-American family is at the center of this story. Yes. Am I right? You're looking like I'm crazy. No, you're right. I'm excited about it. Let's roll it. Welcome to Lagos, Nigeria.

Call up your daddy has done well for himself. This is how to fish in large rivers. Otting. Where's my daughter? She's your responsibility. Find her. Be careful. Some of these people are actually dangerous.

All right, it's a series. It's called Iwashu. Yes. Tell us more. So you hit the nail in the head earlier when you mentioned that this is a big talker for a huge reason. For the fact alone, that it's the first time that Disney is collaborating on a production story that talks about African storytellers. And it's set in Africa.

So it's really neat. Oh, so I got it wrong. It's not Nigerian-American. It's in Nigeria. It's in Nigeria. Yes. So Lagos Nigeria. It's this futuristic, dystopian version of Nigeria,

some however many years out. And we've got the main character who's so sweet, Tola, and we get to follow her and her best friend, Cole, as they try to navigate different adventures in each episode, which will be on Disney Plus. But it is, of course, really interesting and exciting for me because we know that representatives, is so important. And this was Disney saying, you know what, we're going to make good on what

the production company behind Evoja was saying of like, look, we need to see more content like this. And they said, deal. Good for families or families and also older, teens, adults, everybody. It's family friendly. It's Disney. Okay, great. Also up on our list, I might be the only person on the planet that hasn't watched the show. Love is Blind. Season 6, right? We have a sneak peek. Let's look. We are falling for the same person. I'm so happy for you. I need to check myself. I was getting jealous.

What love triangle am I in? It's like a love star. These pods are scary. They're dangerous. You make me nervous, but comfortable. I'm over the moon right now. It's incredible. I was just thinking how long this sort of theme,

the blind dating, the reality show aspect of it has been on television. in America, right? Like, we're all the way back to the dating game. It's crazy. We can't get enough. This is great, though. People love this, right? They crack out on it.

People are eating. Love is Blind Up. I am one of those people that's eating it up. So, of course, like you mentioned, this is season six. And the drama is unfolding like crazy right now on Netflix, which, of course, you can watch the latest episode. We've got the last episode, the finale. Then we've got the reunion coming up.

So like you mentioned, you know, it is a show about finding love in a unique way. Will couples fall in love without seeing each other? We've seen it happen before, because this is season six. What we haven't seen is a drama that's been unfolding off of Netflix. And so, I mean, again, it is the rumors that are going on about whether or not people have entered the show already married or recently divorced, who's going on for fame. That's your typical reality. And the premise is you don't know the person, you start chatting with them, then you finally see them. Exactly.

And then everyone's hooking up. You have to agree to be engaged and maybe possibly get married. So we'll see. Okay. Yeah, this one's huge. We're going to turn out of music, MGMT, a band I really enjoy and loved. They've had a couple hits over the years, right? They popped several years ago, but they have a new one out, a new co-lab with some others, including Christine and the Queens.

Let's listen. You know, we just started. We're proud parted. Like Christian will love being dead and gone. Dancing in Babylon. I want to tell everyone I know. So the video is really. really creative. It's like an art film. The song is pretty cool. I would say it's emoish,

if you will. What do you think? I would agree with that. Emoish. When I listen to it and dancing in Babylon, as you mentioned, and what is really interesting is when I listen to it, I feel like I'm back in the 80s. Like at an 80s prom, right? Big 80s vibe, yeah. But it's chill. It doesn't like kind of pick up some of the MGMT songs from the past. These are really hit. That's not this, but it's still a great song. All right, moving on, something that does pop. Charlie or slap, as they say, Right? That's what the youngsters say. I'm trying. Charlie X-E-X, she's got a new one.

If you have kids in the room, cover their eyes. This video's a little hot and heavy. Let's take a look. Our producers are so good. That was a nice, I would say, PG-13 version of this video. Tell us about the song. It's awesome. Yeah, so Charlie X-X, X, X.

She's giving us Von Dutch. And so she's got a new album coming out this summer. And I would say similar to the title of the song, right, Von Dutch, that takes us back to the 2000s. At least it takes me with the hat. Those aren't cool anymore? Well, you know what? I think they're making a comeback. They're making a comeback.

I'll get you one. Trucker hats always kind of come back. I'll get you one. But similar to the Von Dutch style, Charlie X, X, X. She's like, she's going back to her roots. She wants to take it back to that club, dubstep music. And that's what this song really is giving. So, yeah, I mean, it's a vibe.

She's in house with Duolipa, right? Aren't they, like, they're good boys? Do they collaborate ever? You know what? Duolipa is a vibe, and I think that if they haven't, they should. They should definitely. Okay, Kay, we love you.

Thank you for being here. You're so great. Thank you. And we thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the web.