Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, April 3, 2023

Episode Date: April 4, 2023

Former President Trump arrives in New York City ahead of unprecedented arraignment, 35 million people bracing for severe outbreak, investigators say the Nashville school shooter planned the attack for months, questions arise after a pro-Putin blogger was killed in an explosion, and Sen. John Fetterman opens up about his struggle with depression.

Tonight, the historic and unprecedented images from right here in New York City as Donald Trump prepares to surrender to law enforcement. The former president arriving at Trump Tower late today, waving the supporters as he gets ready to turn himself into a Manhattan courtroom where he will become the first president to be charged with a crime. The NYPD on high alert with supporters and protesters flocking to the city, the new details coming in about tomorrow's highly choreographed surrender, including the new lawyer just hired by Trump to lead his defense. We will have full team coverage, plus a live interview with a former Trump insider and White House advisor Mark Lauder to walk us through this historical moment

for the country and for Trump. Also at this hour, 35 million people bracing for a severe weather outbreak just days after nearly 100 tornadoes caused mass devastation from Iowa to New Jersey. More than 30 people killed. Emily Aketa is on the ground with, families racing to salvage whatever they can before this next system takes aim. Our Roker is here to time it all out for us.

Also breaking tonight a plane carrying First Lady Jill Biden forced to make an emergency landing why that aircraft was forced to turn around shortly after takeoff. The Putin blogger assassinated video showing the moment a bomb rocked a cafe in St. Petersburg killing one of the most outspoken supporters of the war. Russian authorities tonight arresting a 26-year-old female suspect, what security footage shows her doing moments before the blast. Federman speaks out, the Pennsylvania Senator giving his first interview since he was discharged from the hospital. The emotional moment he opened up about his struggles with depression as he

recovers from a major stroke. Plus, ready to blow, urgent evacuations underway in Colombia after a volcano that caused mass devastation in the 80s has roared back to life. And would you let an AI plan your vacation. Our team on the ground in Rome testing out a brand new app that can build custom itineraries for tourists. What happened when they left their trip in the metaphorical hands of a robot? Top story starts right now. And good evening. Tonight history unfolding right here in New York City, former President Trump arriving in his hometown late today, preparing to surrender to law enforcement after he was indicted by a New York grand jury.

Trump about to become the first president to be criminally charged, and we want to walk you through some of the unprecedented images we have already seen today. Trump departing his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida just after 1 p.m., flanked by a massive motorcade,

supporters lining the roads leading to the airports. The former president that boarding his private jet, you may remember this, the same one uses a backdrop for his campaign events since 2016. Trump then landing at New York's LaGuardia airport,

secret service waiting there, to escort him to Trump Tower, news helicopters following his every move as their motorcade made their way down through Manhattan. And Trump greeted by more supporters outside of Trump Tower waving to them as he made his way inside. You see him right there. The small but devoted group waiting outside for hours

to see the president for just a few seconds. Even more people expected to show up tomorrow. The anticipation of those crowds, plus the possibility of protests, has law enforcement in New York on high alert. the entire NYPD order to be in uniform, as Trump makes the journey across much of Manhattan tomorrow from Trump Towery seat here all the way down to lower Manhattan, where he'll be in court. He's expected to voluntarily surrender and enter a plea just after 2 p.m. Inside that court with him will be a brand new face, NBC News confirming an 11th hour shakeup on the Trump legal team,

white-collar criminal defense lawyer, and former federal prosecutor Todd Blanche, reportedly taking the lead on Trump's defense the day before this is all set to go down. We have a full team of reporters and analysts standing by to break down that decision and the gravity of this moment, including a guest with a unique insight into the four. former president's thinking. Mark Lauder, a former special assistant to President Trump in the White House and Vice President Pence, will join Top Story Live in just moments. But we begin our team coverage first with NBC's Garrett Hake, who is outside that courthouse in Lower Manhattan, and he leads us off tonight. Former President Trump touching down in New York City tonight, walking off his plane into a waiting vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, escorted by the NYPD and Secret Service through Manhattan, waving as he then walked into Trump Tower.

All ahead of a history-making appearance tomorrow before a New York state judge, the first former president to face criminal charges. Tonight, the mayor with this warning to any protesters outside Mr. Trump's arraignment. Control yourselves. New York City is our home, not a playground for your misplaced anger. President Biden was asked if he's worried about unrest. No, I have faith in New York police department. The NYPD now coordinating with the Secret Service. to keep the former president's visibility low during his processing at the courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Sources familiar with the planning say Mr. Trump will be fingerprinted, but likely won't have a mugshot or DNA swab taken. Secret service agents will never be more than arm's length away from him. The former president expected to be arraigned on some 30 document fraud-related counts, according to two sources familiar with the still-sealed indictment. His attorneys vowing a not-guilty plea. He's giving up for a battle. You know, this is something that obviously we believe is a political persecution. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's investigation has centered around 2016 hush money payments made by

former Trump fixer Michael Cohen to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence about an alleged affair with Mr. Trump, which he denies. Falsifying business records could be a misdemeanor, but in an untested legal gamble, Bragg may charge Mr. Trump with a low-level felony. Mr. Trump blasting brag on social media as, quote, corrupt and his case as election interference. The charges from a Democratic DA largely uniting Republicans. I watch it happen all the time in the third world and in developing countries. They use prosecutors to go after candidates.

Even those expected to challenge Mr. Trump for the GOP nomination are slamming the progressive prosecutor. He doesn't want to charge people with felonies. So now he turns around purely for political purposes. and indicts a former president on misdemeanor offenses that they're straining to try to convert into felonies. That is when you know that the law has been weaponized for political purposes. All right, Garrett joins Top Story Live tonight

from Lower Manhattan outside that courthouse. So, Garrett, the entire country watching these developments, right? And we've just learned now that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is set to hold a news conference tomorrow. News organizations have petitioned to have cameras in court. Do we know if we'll see this and do we know if Team Trump has responded to this request? Yeah, news organizations have been arguing to open up this entire process, but Mr. Trump's attorneys in a filing before Judge Mershan said they do not want to see cameras

in the courtroom, arguing they would add to a circus-like atmosphere, potentially put their client in danger, and could make it harder for him to get a fair trial and a presumption of innocence. That's their argument, no ruling yet from the judge. All right, we're waiting here on that. And then, Gary, give us a sense of what was the day like? outside of court today, or today and into the night? A lot of anticipation out here today, Tom, a growing media footprint, a growing security footprint from the NYPD and court police officers who've been trying to secure this courthouse really since late last week after the indictment news came down. And just within the last few

minutes, we've started to see some pro-Trump demonstrators arrive. Of course, big protests scheduled here for 1030 tomorrow morning, or at least its organizers are promising a good turnout. the case two weeks ago the last time Mr. Trump tried to have a protest in his defense here at this courthouse. All right, Garrett Hake, leading us off tonight. Garrett, we do appreciate it. Donald Trump's presidential campaign says it has raised more than $7 million since his indictment was announced. And like we mentioned, the former president plans to speak tomorrow evening back at Mar-a-Lago, a speech we will bring you live right here on NBC News Now. It'll be the first time we believe we will hear from Trump on camera following his arraignment tomorrow afternoon.

Tonight we are joined by a special guest, Mark Lauder. He is the former director of strategic communications for the 2020 Trump-Pentz campaign. In the White House, he served as a special assistant to both President Trump and Vice President Pence. Mark, thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. I do want to get right into it. You work closely with former President Trump. What do you think is going on in his head right now? I think it's all about the fight.

These charges were filed and will be read tomorrow, and I think he's gearing up to fight them. You know, this is not something that even the DOJ or the FEC decided to prosecute. This is being done in a state court in New York. So I think he's fully prepared to fight these charges. You know, Mark, you work in strategic communications tomorrow. As we mentioned, the former president will address this indictment from Mar-a-Lago. How much do you think of that speech is going to be a defense of his case or laying out his case? And how much do you think this is going to be about the campaign of 2024?

Well, I think it's going to be about both. because this weaponization of government, targeting of conservatives who don't believe the same thing that liberals and Democrats do, is really going to be one of the heart of the campaign. And I think you see it when you look at the polls that show that Donald Trump has actually increased his lead in the primary field since the charges have been discussed and widely expected. And I think that's because even people who were mildly turned away from the former president have now come back because they realize he's being targeted by this New York attorney when not even the feds would pursue this case.

Mark, on that point, though, I do want to bring up this poll. It was from CNN. It was out this week, and it shows that 60% of Americans, 60% that responded to the poll, approve of the indictment. And if you look at this, breaking down by independents and Democrats, obviously Democrats are very much in favor, but there were a lot of independents in favor, too. You know, he can maybe win a primary campaign, but how much is this going to hurt him in the election? I don't think it'll become an issue in the general election. I mean, look, he's had allegations right before the 2016 election, and there have been all kinds of allegations.

I think the biggest thing that's going to be centered on 2024 is Joe Biden's record. He didn't have one in 2020. Mark, Mark, if I can interrupt you right there, how can you talk about President Joe Biden's record when he's fighting a criminal case in a Manhattan courtroom? Because I don't think the voters, many voters are going to go to the polls thinking about a potential criminal case involving a payment from 20 years ago that was made almost 10 years ago. They want to know about gas prices, energy prices, securing the border. And these are the things that the campaign will actually center on. I know the Democrats are going to want to make it about this case, but I think Republicans, the president, or whomever becomes the nominee will want to make it

about Joe Biden's record. Mark, as a Republican, as someone who has made conservative politics a career, Maybe you think it's even a calling. Are you excited or disappointed former President Trump as the leading candidate right now for the GOP? Well, I think the one thing that can be said is no matter who comes out of that primary field, they're all going to be running on Trump policies, whether it's the border, gas, inflation, those kinds of things. And we'll let the primary voters decide who is going to carry the banner for the party. But I think regardless of who it is, they're going to be running on Trump policies and bringing them back. They'll all just have a different take on which one's most important and the tone and rhetoric they use in terms of wooing voters over to our side.

Do you think this is going to cause a headache for other candidates, other people who want to be president, one of your former bosses, possibly vice president, Pence? And I ask this because if you're at a debate and the issue comes up, the candidates on stage are going to have to address this issue. And we're not just talking about one criminal case. Potentially, the former president could be involved in at least two other cases. Yeah, I think the one thing that most of these candidates, and I know for the former vice president, but most of these candidates, they're used to having spent the last six years every day, having reporters chase them on the hill or wherever, asking about the latest tweet, the latest statement. I mean, this is nothing new for Republicans, and so I think they'll all be able to handle it.

And the big thing is, you've noticed that none of his opponents have really come out and attacked him over this issue. They've all focused on the prosecution, which means that I don't think any of them, think that this is an issue in the primary. Obviously, the news cycle moves very fast. Do you think in any way this could actually help former President Trump? Again, I like to say the timeline here. August, the debate starts, and then next year, obviously, we start with the primaries. It could be a long ways away.

This could be well in the past by then. But do you actually think this could help him? I actually do. In the short term, obviously, they've gotten a big fundraising bump. They've also gotten a bump in the polls. Do you believe that? You think they've raised $7 million? I know it's coming from them.

I mean, it's from the campaign. we haven't been able to verify that, but do you think that's a real number? I think that's a real number. If the one thing that, you know, his supporters will go up with the small dollar donations when they think he's under attack. I saw that during 2020. I saw that, you know, in the 2016 campaign. So I do think that number is real. I think the poll bump is real.

And the question is, can he keep that momentum going? And that's really going to be the case, because like you said, we don't vote for another eight months. What will be the lead story at that time? Okay, Mark Lauder, we appreciate your time and your analysis. Thank you so much for joining Top Story. There's still a lot we don't know, including what the charges will be against former President Trump. And if the public will be able to watch, I want to bring an NBC News senior legal correspondent. Laura Jarrett for more on that. Laura, I have a lot of questions. I want to start with.

First, the legal strategy here, is it a danger to bring in a new attorney right before you're going to face a judge, or is this sort of normal and not a big deal? Nothing about this is normal at all. I'm curious to bring someone in this late in the game. They have some catching up to do. On the other hand, if you think you need the experience and you need sort of the background to be able to marshal an effective defense, this is somebody, Todd Blanche, who has been a former prosecutor, somebody who knows the office well, someone who actually knows these charges quite well.

You mentioned at the top that he represented Paul Manafort, former campaign chairman for Trump. He's involved in Trump World. Manafort faced charges in New York on falsifying business records, which is the precise charge that, at least we believe, based off of our reporting, we haven't seen the indictment, but based off of our reporting, one of the charges that we think is central to this investigation as well. So it makes sense that you would want someone who knows the case and understands the process. Do we know about the cameras? I know that a decision hasn't been made. What's your sense? I mean, because it would be unusual to see cameras in Manhattan. It would, but the whole thing is unprecedented. And it's interesting. The judge hasn't ruled yet, so perhaps he's trying to weigh the options. In the past, you know, you could have a still camera, at least take photographs of Trump at the top and the back end

instead of having a live broadcast of the entire proceedings. So maybe he's going to split the baby in some way and try to do some compromise. You know, D.A. Alvin Bragg has been very quiet about this whole thing from the get-go. We're going to have a news conference now tomorrow around 3 o'clock Eastern. What does that tell you? He probably feels as though, given all of the speculation, For the last couple of days, he has not been able to tell his side of the story. And my number one question for the DA would be, why now?

Why bring this case now? Why are you doing this? So the president's going to speak as well tomorrow night in prime time. Can he endanger his case in any way with what he says tomorrow? Yeah. It's been a question on, I think, a lot of our minds, given all of his posts on social media, how inflammatory they've been, not only against the district attorney, but against the judge personally.

We actually, I want to put that on the screen. If our director, Brett Hulley, can put it up now. posting on truth social, the former president wrote, the judge assigned to my witch hunt case, a case that has never been charged before, hates me. Could that get Trump in trouble? He said even more things, but could that get Trump in trouble? Yeah, the question is whether the judge could actually issue a gag order,

preventing him from talking about anything related to the case. Now, that is an extreme order. It's not completely unheard of, but it's rare for judges in New York to just as a matter of course issue gag orders. It's not done. Obviously, he has free speech rights, just like every other defendant, especially when he's campaigning for public office.

I think a court would be low to impose a gag order, but you might see an warning of sorts. I talked to several lawyers who appeared in front of Judge Mershan, former prosecutors, and they said, you could see him saying something to the effect of, I just want everyone to be on notice, you know, to be careful about tainting the jury pool in this case. Typically, gag orders are there to protect the defendant.

Of course, the defendant is the one who actually wants to talk the most in this case. What do we think is going to happen tomorrow? He's going to, we know they already have, a DNA swab. There's not going to be a mugshot. We've had that report. It's going to be, you know, there's not going to be a lot of bells and whistles. Obviously, it's unprecedented. It's history in the making. But the actual rote routine of it, court will proceed as normal. One of the things I'm interested to see is what, if anything, the district attorney says about the threats against the office, threats against, you know, anyone that has been prosecuting this case. We know that the DA

has received hundreds of them. It'd be interesting to see whether they say nothing about it at all. and just see what Trump says himself. Finally, as you mentioned, you were talking to lawyers about this case. What is the sense within the legal community? Do they think that the DA has a case here, or do they think this is a stretch? There's a real split. There's those of us who I consider myself in this camp who say, let's just wait to see all the evidence,

let's wait to see the actual indictment before you prejudge the strength of it. There are those plenty who say, you know what, many people decided not to bring this case, both on the state and the federal level. You heard one of Trump's allies there making this type of argument that they pass on the case once. Why bring this case now? It suggests this is elect of prosecution. I think that we have to see the evidence to really judge it.

Okay. Lord Jer, we will see you back here tomorrow. I am sure. Thank you so much, of course. And as we mentioned at the top of the show, law enforcement in New York City is on high alert. The NYPD has ordered all 36,000 officers, regardless of rank, to report in uniform, secret service and FBI also working with the department. City officials today warning against violence and reassuring residents. The city is prepared for this historic moment.

I will remind everyone that violence and destruction are not part of legitimate, lawful expression, and it will never be tolerated in our city. But people we serve know this, just as they know that the NYPD will be out there today, tomorrow, and every day to make sure that they are safe. All right, for more on the security concerns heading into tomorrow. I'm joined now by another special guest, former New York City Police Commissioner, Dermott Shea. Commissioner, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. My first question to you, if you were Commissioner right now, what would be your biggest worry?

Well, you just want to make sure that tomorrow goes off without a hitch. So certainly from a logistic standpoint, it's secure the area. We have Trump Tower, we have downtown Manhattan, and you want to get the ex-president in and out as quickly as possible, as safely as possible. How much coordination is done with the Secret Service on a project like this? He's a former president, right? But obviously, the entire world is watching this case now. How much pressure are both agencies under? Well, certainly there's a lot of pressure, but the good news here is that the Secret Service in the NYPD, not just for this incident.

This is New York City. So when you think about the U.N. and presidential visits, they work hand in hand literally week by week. You know, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green is expected to make an appearance at a pro-Trump demonstration tomorrow. We believe somewhere in lower Manhattan. Mayor Adams mentioned this, telling her to behave. What happens when sort of these big, well-known politicians come to town in a situation like this? Does something like that get you nervous, or do you think this will all be handled? Well, I think tomorrow is the beginning of what we don't know is going to happen.

And really, tomorrow, I think they will get the ex-president in. The press conferences will go on afterwards, and now the clock starts. In a situation like this, will anyone from the NYPD speak to the former president, or will everything go through the Secret Service in case he wants to make a gesture outside of court, in case he wants to get up on a car. And he hasn't done this for years. But in case he sort of, I don't want to say it goes rogue, but calls an audible and wants to say hi to his supporters, is anyone from the NYPD you think having a conversation with the former president saying, listen, security is going to be very tied here. We need to be careful.

That would happen camp to camp. So the NYPD would be coordinating with the Secret Service. But directly with the ex-president, I don't see that happen. Okay. Former Police Commissioner Dermott, Shay, Dermott, thank you so much for joining top story tonight. We do appreciate it. We do want to move on out of those devastating tornadoes and the outbreak that left dozens dead this weekend. 100 suspected tornadoes reported across 15 states from Iowa to New Jersey since Friday. So many communities now reeling left a shift through the rubble as more severe weather makes its way towards the south. Emily Akeda is in the zone tonight. Tonight a daunting road to recovery as communities sift through crumbled churches and tattered

homes. This is, am like anything I've ever seen? The path of destruction from a killer band of storms that spawned more than 100 suspected tornadoes, from Iowa to Delaware to Arkansas, where President Biden signed a disaster declaration. In the state's capital city, one resident nearly sucked out of this building, debris all around. The deadly storm system collapsing the roof of a packed theater outside of Chicago. He's going. The deadliest tornadoes tore across Tennessee. He was in all this rubble yelling for my mother-in-law and I was yelling for her and he kept telling me he couldn't find her. Gay and David Pinckney making the devastating discovery of their mother's body amid the rubble. At least 32 people have been killed by this weekend's swath of storms. X's and O's marking homes already searched by first responders. The before and after pictures are staggering. In EF3 tornado toppled a towering tree onto this home in heart hit Winn, Arkansas, killing two people inside, according to family. When you were hiding in here, you actually saw this whole wall rip off?

Yes, I've seen this wall right here rip off and just picked it up like a piece of paper. Tonight, residents like the Lee family are in a race against time to salvage what they can, as the region braces for another round of severe weather this week. Everywhere you look is more and more devastation, like, okay, where are we getting to start trying to pick up the pieces and you know rebuild a one-two punch for communities already facing a colossal clean up and with that emily it kind of joins us now from win arkansas emily you mentioned that second round of severe weather how much time do folks there have to salvage what they can and prepare for this next system tom unfortunately it looks like just a matter of hours we could see almost

a copy and paste of what we saw over the weekend playing out beginning tomorrow night leaving a A lot of residents on edge. And so that's why behind me, around me, playing out is the cleanup efforts, and they're kicking into high gear. There are several hundred members of FEMA and the National Guard assisting with those efforts on the ground in Arkansas. But so much for residents to do and sift through, facing the towering task of rebuilding with a threat of more storms around the corner, Tom.

Emily Aketa, we thank you and your team. We will be thinking about all those Americans tonight in that danger zone. For more on where that severe weather is heading, Al Roker, joined. top story tonight. Al, walk us through what we can expect over the next day. You know, Tom, the sad thing is these weather maps look eerily similar to what we were looking at Friday. Right now we've got this major storm developing. Seven million under winter weather alerts from the northwest all the way into the plains. Wind alert for 39 million people from Missouri all the way into Southern California. We're going to be watching as this storm

develops. You can see snow still out through the Rockies. Blizzard conditions will be developing. Some places picking up to two feet of snow. Heavier. showers and thunderstorms moving off the southeast. Here's where we stand. Tonight, the storm will intensify over the Rockies. Wind and snow developing. We're talking the western third of the country staying snowy and windy. Red flag warnings because of all these strong winds from Arizona all the way to Oklahoma. Tomorrow, intense low will deepen deeply, and then the blizzard conditions will continue back through the northern plains. But here's where the problems develop. We are looking for 35 million people at risk for intense wind gusts with widespread damage, golf ball

to tennis size hail, and here's our biggest concern. These areas in red, from Des Moines to Kirksville to Peoria, all the way down to Springfield, St. Louis, Little Rock, and Shreveport. This is where we could see EF2 long-track tornadoes, fast-moving storms, moving at the highway speeds, anywhere from 50 to 60 miles per hour. And the biggest problem, Tom, a nighttime tornado threat. tornadoes are twice as deadly as their diurnal versions. And then Wednesday, those showers and storms reach eastward. They continue to see that snow up into the upper Midwest. And on Thursday, Wednesday, we are looking at 58 million people at risk for damaging wind gusts of over 60 miles per hour. Tornado is possible from Chicago, Alpina, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Nashville, down to Shreveport.

Large hail is possible as well. Rainfall amounts. Heaviest rain is going to be up in into parts of Wisconsin and Michigan, heavier rain as you get down into the Mississippi River Valley. And look at some of this snow, 18 inches in parts of the Rockies. And as you get on into the planes with blizzard-like conditions and travel conditions, Tom, are going to be very impossible. But the biggest problem we are worried about tomorrow, those tornadoes stretching all the way from the Gulf into the Midwest. It is going to be a volatile situation over the next 24 hours. We know you'll be tracking it all.

All right, Al. We appreciate that. And tonight we have new information on that deadly elementary school shooting in Nashville. Investigators trying to figure out a motive, now revealing the shooter planned the attack for months and studied similar tragedies. Thousands of students walking out of class today to call for stricter gun laws as Tennessee lawmakers try and step up school security. Valerie Castro has the latest. Tonight, chilling new details about the shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville that killed three children and three adults. Investigators revealing Audrey Hale, who was armed with two assault-type guns and a 9-millimeter pistol,

fired 152 rounds inside that school. From the time the former student entered the building until the moment two officers took Hale down 14 minutes later, with less than 10 rounds, according to police. Metropolitan Nashville Police also say Hale acted totally alone, but based on writings and journals found in the 28-year-old's car and bedroom, planned the attack for months while considering, quote, the actions of other mass murderers. Police emphasizing a motive has not been established and remains under investigation. The NRA has got to go.

Monday morning at 10.13 a.m. marking the time the first 911 calls came in a week ago, students from around the city staging a walkout, marching to the Tennessee state capital to call for tougher gun laws. The rally taking place as Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called for enhancement. enhanced legislation and funding to place an armed security guard in every Tennessee public school. Our budget amendment will include $140 million. There is no excuse to not have a guard at every school. Also demanding physical school security at both public and private schools and additional mental health resources for Tennesseans. We cannot control evil, but we can do something. The governor, however, stopping short of addressing the gun debate, despite the growing calls from students and advocates.

We're turning this moment of pain that Nashville is having and turning it into a movement and demanding better from the Tennessee legislator. Through tears, the generation under fire mourning heavy losses. Hallie Scruggs, nine. Sitting down to honor their fallen classmates, recognizing all of the lives needlessly cut short. All right, Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. And Valerie, we're still looking for a motive here. investigators are looking at those journals. And also, it's been such a tough week for that community and now a tough weekend they just got over? As far as the investigation, behavior

analysts from the FBI, they're now pouring over those journals, really trying to pinpoint the motive in this case. As for the victims over the weekend, there were some funerals that were held. The youngest were laid to rest, including the nine-year-old daughter of the school's Lee Pastor and one of the adult victims, a substitute teacher. There will be two more funerals later this week, including for Catherine Coons, the head of the school, And Mike Hill, he was the custodian at the school. He leaves behind seven children of his own. Again, it is just all so sad.

All right, Valerie, thank you for that. Still ahead tonight, a pro-Puton blogger assassinated in Russia. Video showing the deadly blast at a cafe in St. Petersburg, a 26-year-old suspect now in custody. What Russian officials claim she brought into that cafe moments before the explosion will explain. Plus, an update on a story we've been following closely here on Top Story. The new arrest made in connection to a string of four. drugings at gay bars in New York City and a mid-air scare for First Lady Jill Biden where she was

headed when her plane was forced to make an emergency landing. Stay with us. Top story is just getting started on this Monday night. Welcome back. We head down to Russia where an explosion killed a prominent pro-Putin blogger in a cafe on Sunday. Russian prosecutors then arresting a woman who they say is responsible for bringing an explosive figurine to where he was making an appearance. But more questions remain about who did this and why. Josh Letterman with this strange story tonight. Tonight, there are more questions than answers about who killed prominent pro-Kremlin

military blocker Vladlin Tatarsky in a public cafe explosion. And why? Was it Ukrainian spies, an anti-war activist, a Russian opposition figure's allies, or maybe infighting among President Putin's supporters? The Kremlin calling it a terrorist act. And Russian prosecutors pointing the finger at this woman, 26-year-old Darya Trapova, seen here being escorted by investigators, now under arrest. Tatarsky was giving a talk in St. Petersburg on Sunday when witnesses say he was given a figurine

as a gift. This witness says Tatarsky put the figurine on a table next to him, and four or five minutes later, it exploded. Dozens were injured. Tatarsky, whose real name is Maksim Fomen, was a strident defender of Russia's war in Ukraine, with a social media falling more than half a million strong, influential enough to be invited to the Kremlin, where in September he recorded this video. He doesn't mince words. He says, we will beat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone who needs to be robbed.

Now, Russia's internal affairs ministry releasing this video. of a woman believed to be their suspect being interrogated, saying she brought a figurine of Tatarsky to the cafe where he was killed when the figurine exploded. Asked who gave her the figurine, can I tell you later? She says, before the video cuts off. It's unclear whether that video was made under duress, potentially a forced confession. A Russian libertarian news site called SVTV reporting her husband says, while they opposed the war in Ukraine, he believes she was framed. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee has claimed without providing evidence that Ukrainian special services were behind the killing,

along with agents tied to leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, currently in Russian prison. Navalny's group ridiculing that claim on Twitter. Tatarski is not the first Russian war propagandists killed since the invasion began. In August, a car bomb in Moscow killed 29-year-old Darya Dugina, a pro-Kremlin TV commentator and daughter of a prominent Russian ultra-nationalist. After both killings, Russian authorities claiming they were assassinations by Ukraine. President Zelensky, responding today. I'm not thinking what's going on in St. Petersburg or in Moscow. They have to think. Russia have to think about their cities.

But Tatarsky was also sharply critical of the Russian military's performance in the war and its battleground failures, wanting Russia to be even more aggressive in Ukraine, leaving an opening for an alternative motive, infighting within Putin's. government. A top aide to Zelensky tweeting about the explosion, spiders are eating each other in a jaw. Josh Letterman joins us tonight from London. Josh, what has the Russian government's response been to that pro-Putin logger's death? Well, Russia has claimed that this is the latest example of why they're fighting in Ukraine, saying that Ukraine's government has long been behind terrorism and assassinations. And today, President Putin signed a declaration posthumously.

awarding Russia's Medal of Courage to the blogger for displaying bravery in the line of duty, Tom. Josh, on that point, that recognition, obviously quite a contrast to the American journalist that we've been covering here from the Wall Street Journal that was arrested in Russia last week. Any updates on his case? Well, his legal team today filed an appeal of his arrest. And in the meantime, he was visited by a human rights monitor who says that he's in a quarantine cell, but has access to a change of clothes and to a television saying he's being fed porridge for breakfast and cabbage soup and chicken for lunch, describing the American as being in generally good spirits, Tom.

All right, Josh Letterman for us. Josh, we appreciate it. When we come back, John Federman speaks out. The Pennsylvania Senator opening up about his battle with depression following a months-long hospital stay, what he's saying about his recovery and his message to his constituents. All right, we're back down with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with the mid-air scare involving a plane-carrying First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. The plane diverted back to Denver after her press secretary says the aircraft experienced an issue while heading to Michigan. No word getting on exactly what went wrong, but the plane landed safely and no one was hurt. Her trip to Michigan was postponed, and it's unclear how long she will remain in Denver.

An update tonight on a second suspect that's been arrested in connection to the overdose deaths of at least two men targeted at gay bars in New York City. 34-year-old Robert DiMaio surrendered to NYPD after police issued arrest warrants for him and two other people. Both victims died after visiting Manhattan gay bars. Drugs including fentanyl found in their system. Their families say their bank accounts were also drained. The NYPD says they believe the three suspects may be responsible for at least 17 robberies. and overseas, not overseas, sorry, just south of us, Columbia raising an alert level for an active volcano following an increase of seismic activity. Officials say they have registered thousands of daily tremors on the Nevada-Beruiz volcano in recent weeks.

It's about 80 miles west of Bogota. It's the highest number of tremors since monitoring began in 1985 when the volcano last erupted and killed 25,000 people. At least 40 families who live on the volcano's slope have been evacuated and a nearby natural park has been. closed. Okay, now to power and politics, Pennsylvania Senator John Federman is now back home after getting treatment for clinical depression since February. He's speaking out about how difficult his struggles have been and the path forward to recovery. NBC's George's release has the details. Emotional and candid, Pennsylvania Senator John Federman breaking his silence. My message right now isn't political. I'm just somebody that's suffering from

Fetterman opening up to CBS's Sunday morning about his struggles with depression that left him suffering in silence for years. He's back home now, saying he's in remission. The day that I go in was my son's birthday. His pain culminated this past February, went to the surprise of his colleagues and constituents. Betterman checked himself in to Walter Reed National Medical Center with clinical depression. I had stopped leaving my bed. I've stopped eating. dropping weight, I stopped engaging some of the most things that I love in my life. This becoming the second time the freshman senator's health was in the national spotlight.

In May, while on the campaign trail for the critical Senate seat, he suffered a stroke, which doctors say led to a hearing deficit complicating how he processes spoken language. In an exclusive interview with NBC News as Dasha Burns following his stroke, Federman used close captioning that printed out the questions in real time. Sometimes we'll hear things in a way that's not perfectly clear. So I use captioning. As the Senate seat battle intensified, his health became the focus during the race's only debate. I don't, I don't.

I support fracking and I stand and I do support fracking. His reliance on closed captioning, prompting many analysts to view the performance as a setback. And I made the decision to stay in the race that it's important that I show up for a debate. And knowing that it would be a challenging and that's what we did. Still in November, Thetterman emerged victorious over his opponent, Dr. Metmadaz, flipping a Republican-held seat,

yet his depression still left him in a dark place. Objectively, you may have won, but depression can actually convince you that you actually lost. And that's exactly what happened. And that was the start of a downward spiral. Now, back home in Braddock, Pennsylvania, the 53-year-old is focused on getting back to D.C., and making up for what he says is lost time.

My aspiration is to take my son to the restaurant that we were supposed to go during his birthday but couldn't and being the kind of dad, the kind of husband, and the kind of senator that Pennsylvania deserves. And we do hope Senator Federman gets that moment with his son. George Solis joins us now in studio. So, George, do we know what type of workload

Senator Federman is going to take when he re-enters Congress. And then also, I know he spoke a little more about sort of the depth of his depression and explained what he was going through. Yeah, for that question, the senator saying that he never actually considered hurting himself, but rather that at the time, his attitude towards himself was more indifference and apathetic. Now, as for the next two weeks, his office says he wants to spend time with his family and his constituents before returning to the Senate on April 17th when they're back in session. All right, George Siles, for us tonight.

George, we appreciate it. All right, coming up after this break, the crypto scam crackdown, the Justice Department announcing it seized $100 million taken in complicated schemes, one person losing $5 million alone. The exclusive details on how authorities track that money down. That's next. We're back now with the warning about the crypto scam costing Americans billions last year. Tonight, federal authorities announcing they were able to seize more than $100 million in stolen money.

Ken Delanyan has exclusive interviews. with some of the victims and the official in charge of this operation. The first contact came through a message on Twitter. Asked me about sort of questions related to my research, just like casual conversation. That's how he started. Soon the woman's chats with the man were calling John, a highly educated cancer researcher,

turned to investing in cryptocurrencies. He asked us to disguise his identity. As a scientist, as a PhD, you're naturally curious. and, you know, especially when you should talk about how much money you can make, I got sort of hooked. Urged on by his new friend, John began wiring money to a website that looked identical to a real-life online investing platform. And it seemed like he was making a fortune.

But when he was unable to withdraw a large sum, he realized that something was wrong. At that point, how much had you invested? More than half a million, about $560,000. Wow. And what portion of your wealth did that represent? It's everything I have. John was one of the latest victims in a sophisticated online scam known as pig

butchering, which comes from a Chinese term for fattening a hog for slaughter. The gangs that carry out this scheme are largely based overseas, mainly in Southeast Asia. The FBI says Americans have lost billions of dollars to these cons, and usually the money is unrecoverable. But tonight, the Justice Department is announcing the seizure of more than $100 million stolen in pig butchering scams, possibly in including some of John's money. It's the first seizure of its kind,

the result of a new focus by federal authorities on tracking cryptocurrency. We figured out where these accounts were and that there was funds from victims that went through various stops to get to these accounts, and then we seized the accounts from the institutions where they were being held. Unyung Choi directs the Justice Department's

Crypto Enforcement Unit. She says the DOJ has learned how to use sophisticated software to track Illgotten Crypto and then grab it. That's a bad day for the crooks. It is a bad day for the crooks. We think we're raising the costs of their doing business in this manner and preying on the United States public. Another victim we're calling Eugene, also a scientist, was lured into the con by a real person, someone he knew from graduate school.

The scammers strung him along slowly, showing statements with huge gains, even letting him withdraw thousands of dollars. He and his wife quit their jobs, liquidated their retirement funds, and borrowed from friends, eventually forking over more than $5.2 million. There's all my saving all my life with my first day of start until now. My weight dropped like more than 20 pounds. I just got not eat and sleep. But then Eugene got amazing news. FBI agent in charge of my case, they trace the money and they track down the money and they find the money. The Justice Department is now working to return Eugene and John some of their money.

We're really looking forward to working with victims to try to get them their funds back. Authorities say the chances of that happening improve if victims report it right away. What's your message to a victim who feels so embarrassed by this? They don't want to tell anyone. You're not alone. There are hundreds and thousands of you out there. You might think, how could I have fallen victim to this? But we've seen it happen again and again. It's a reminder of the age-old truism. If an investment sounds too good to be true, it probably is. All right, Ken Delanyan joins us tonight from Washington.

Ken, I have a couple of questions for you. I want to start with this pig-butchering process, that process where the scammers, quote, unquote, fatten up the victim by taking more of their money. Is this done over a long period of time? Yes, this is a long con, Tom. Typically, it begins with someone reaching out over social media, often an attractive potential romance partner. The new friend will slowly introduce the victim to what seems like an amazing investment opportunity in cryptocurrency.

And usually the target starts small, and they're allowed to withdraw some of their earnings at first. And that convinces them that this investment is real and they should send more money. And often these victims are picked because they're at a vulnerable time in their lives having gone through like a death or a divorce. And the scammers use fake websites made to look like real cryptocurrency platforms. The victims usually believe for months that they've made a fortune until the day they realize they can't get access to their money. And, Ken, you know, in the report, you mentioned these scams start overseas. that happens, right? There's a language barrier or a tell. Something is written in a strange manner. Usually it tells the person who's being scammed. Wait a minute. This is strange.

Is this more sophisticated? Are they getting the language part right? And then from there, they're off to the races? It's a little of both, Tom. We're told that sometimes the pitches are crude because the scammers are using language translation programs, because some of the people making these pitches are themselves being forced to do it by an organized criminal gang. And that can be a tell. But sometimes the victims are immigrants whose first language is not English, as was the case with the two people we interviewed. So they may not detect those grammar mistakes. And other times, the scammers are very sophisticated and speak English perfectly. When you think about the enormous sums of money they're stealing here, they have a lot of

resources to bring to bear. The bottom line here is that if you want to invest in crypto, you should not do it through someone you met online, Tom. All right, Ken Delaney, we appreciate you for that big warning tonight. Coming up, AI turning travel agent, guiding our correspondent through the streets of Rome for all the best sites. and the best sounds. So what could possibly go wrong? Plenty. We'll explain.

That's next. Welcome back. If you have a big trip coming up, you may be thinking about using an AI travel agent. Several apps are now using artificial intelligence software to help travelers plan their trips, and our Kelly Kobiea hit the streets of Rome to test out the software and see if it really works.

Rome, breathtaking, enchanting and at times overwhelming. And I don't want this space. It's too touristy. We need to figure out something. We have hungry kids. With so much to see and do, how do you decide, guidebooks, tours, or the latest option? AI. That's right. I'm going to let artificial intelligence plan my every move alongside someone who really knows these streets. Claudio! NBC's Rome correspondent, Claudio Lavanga.

Welcome to Rome. Let's just see what happens with this. First up, an app called iPlan.aI, a user-friendly AI-based travel planner. Choose your interests, time frame, and budget, and it offers up a full itinerary. Guess what the first location is? The Coliseum. It guides us to all of the top attractions, but there's a problem. It goes through the night.

Yeah, four in the morning, five. from 4 a.m.? At the Spanish steps at 4 a.m. Putting the strange schedule aside, we set out for the first stop. It's so big. No surprise. It's packed, long lines and a major hurdle. No more tickets.

No more tickets. Rome's big attractions have to be booked in advance. The app didn't tell us that. With entry denied, we turned to OpenAI's Chatchip-T for other ideas. Here are some of the most popular. are some of the most popular ones. Roman Forum. Hey!

Just around the corner. And also heaving with tourists. Oh. Big line. The kind of real-time information AI can't give you. So we checked out another AI guide. UseVaK.com's chat GPT itinerary planner, hoping to be taken off the beaten path just in time for lunch. Our new it brought us to this restaurant looks very authentic.

Great food. but is that the line? Yeah, that's at least an hour's way, unless you're a local and regular. Thanks to Claudio, we had a table in five minutes, and AI's recommended dish? Very good. The last itinerary was the best yet,

taking us through a charming neighborhood to a museum Claudio hadn't visited and a wine bar popular with locals. Long-time travel writer and Roman resident Natalie Kennedy says AI may not know whether that gem you think you've found is still open for business. But AI has to rely on information that's published. It really doesn't always get updated that quickly online, especially in a place like Italy

that is not super tech forward. And so that information is usually out of date. Iplanned.a.I told NBC News they're working on a more advanced version of the app. while the developers of ChatGPT said they're still studying its real-world use and impact. Maybe a glass of wine. Maybe a glass of one or two. Hello. Our final AI stop?

Another winner, a historic restaurant in a quiet square. Did AI work? Hit and miss. It's a good starting point, but at the end of the day, when in Rome. Do as the Romans do. That's right. Cheers. Kelly Covier, NBC News, Rome.

All right, we're glad Kelly also had the help of Claudio on that assignment. We do want to mention, since they shot that story, ChatGPT, has temporarily been disabled in Italy at the request of regulators there due to concerns over users' data privacy. So if you're headed to Italy, you're going to have to use a real travel agent for now. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamison, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.