Top Story with Tom Llamas - Monday, September 11, 2023

Episode Date: September 12, 2023

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 race against time to reach survivors after a catastrophic earthquake struck Morocco. The death toll climbing to an unthinkable 2,800 after a 6.8 magnitude quake struck late Friday night. Video showing the moments of panic as the violent shaking began. Entire neighborhoods flattened. But remarkably, people still being pulled alive from the rubble. Our team on the ground near the epicenter of this disaster. The hunt for an escaped murderer entering its 12th day in Pennsylvania. New surveillance images showing the convicted killer with a dramatically different appearance on the front porch of a suburban home, how he managed to sneak through a police perimeter

and where authorities believe he could be lurking tonight. Late breaking news out of Turkey, the American trapped thousands of feet underground in a cave pulled to the surface after a risky rescue mission. Skilled climbers using ropes to pull his stretcher through narrow past. messages. The late details just coming in. Back here at home, the FDA approving a new COVID booster to target the latest variants triggering a rise in cases. What you need to know about the shot and how soon we'll be able to roll up your sleeve. Troubling accusations tonight against a popular plastic surgeon known as Dr. Laguna, patients claiming he botched their procedures

and posted images online without their consent. What one former employee says she witnessed inside the OR. Plus, the terrifying moment, part of an office chair went flying into the windshield of a car with a three-year-old inside. And Ashton Coucher and Milakunis forced to issue an apology after writing letters in support of their about 70s co-star, Danny Masterson, who was convicted of rape, how they're explaining the decision to call the disgraced actor a quote, good role model and what we're hearing from one accuser. Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. We begin top story tonight with the desperate search for survivors in Morocco, where a powerful earthquake has killed more than 2,800 people. Total devastation fanning out in all directions from the epicenter of the 6.8 magnitude quake, which hit late Friday night just south of Marrakesh. Entire neighborhoods flattened, home after home completely destroyed, piles of rubble lining every road in Strait. site. Video showing the terrifying moments the earth began to violently shake, people running for cover

as the buildings around them began to crumble. But tonight amid all of the devastation and the mounting grief, small moments of hope against all odds survivors who have been trapped under the rubble for days somehow pulled out alive and rushed away on stretchers. NBC News foreign correspondent Matt Bradley is on the ground in the disaster zone tonight and leads us off. Tonight, high in the Atlas Mountains, glimmers of hope. Survivors brought out on stretchers, somehow making it out alive after the most powerful quake to hit Morocco in over a century. This man clutching his two daughters, his other two children were killed.

These were the horrifying moments when this massive 6.8 magnitude quake struck Friday night. Sending customers pouring out of a restaurant, buildings crashing down. This man managing to escape just before the roof caved in. in the middle of a performance, a wedding band feels this rattling and rushes out. We traveled as one of the hardest hit areas in the countryside. You can smell the death here. Between 90 and 100 people were killed in this village alone, and they're no longer looking for survivors.

She says this is her bedroom right here. Four members of Hanan's family were killed in the earthquake. She says everybody was taken out right now. They're looking for things. They're looking for their identity cards and other things they need. In mountain villages like this one, the construction materials are rudimentary. As you can see, faced with a magnitude earthquake like this, they didn't stand a chance. In some cases, the remaining homes are so fragile that aid helicopters caused further damage.

Tonight, Morocco's government is facing criticism over the pace of the response. Many struggling to reach remote areas. Batul lost seven members of her family and her home. she still has an abundance of kindness. She insisted on making us tea. But her son Abdul Karim fears for the future. He tells us, without more help from the government, this whole village may simply disappear. He says that the government, all they're asking for is that the government rebuilds their homes and gives them food. That's it. They're not asking for much. Matt Bradley joins us now from Marrakech, Morocco. Matt, you mentioned in your report that the

government is receiving criticism for its response. What are survivors telling you? Well, the survivors we spoke with weren't uniquely critical of the government. They didn't seem to expect that much from the government at all. But when we were walking around, we didn't see much of a government presence. Most of the aid seemed to have been provided by neighbors and by civil society groups. But the one thing that everybody we spoke with said they need most is housing. They need in the medium to long term a place to live. And that's something they're going to be turning to the government for it to provide.

Matt, you covered the earthquake in Turkey. And after that, there were days, 10, 12, 13 days after the initial quake where rescuers were still finding people alive. Is there any hope in Morocco right now that there could still be survivors underneath the rubble? Well, Alison, I can only tell you what I saw myself with my own eyes. In that village that we went to, there was no hope. Everybody was accounted for, and quite a few people had died. But as you mentioned, when we were in Turkey, we saw these amazing sites, people getting dragged out of rubble alive almost a week after the earthquake. So there is going to be some hope, I think.

And a lot of folks are waiting on the government and for foreign governments to come in with heavy equipment to help them find those people. Alison. Matt Bradley, thank you. To the other major story we're following tonight, the manhunt for a convicted killer in Pennsylvania intensifies tonight. The fugitive not only stealing a van and slipping through a massive, police perimeter, perimeter, but also changing his appearance. NBC news is George Solis has tonight's report. Authorities tonight revealing the manhunt for Danielo Cavalcante contained to one park just days ago is now wide open. Unfortunately, we don't have a containment area right now,

so that's another concern and another challenge. Over the weekend, the elusive Cavalcante somehow escaped that park sneaking past 400 members of law enforcement stealing this van, abandoning it, and banishing once again. Authorities now say Cavalcante's sister has been detained by immigration officials, but would not say if she's helped her brother. She has failed to cooperate, and so there was no value in law enforcement keeping her here at this point. Police are warning against anyone assisting him.

We will prosecute you fully for those actions. Franco Rosa used to live with Cavalcante. What was he like as a roommate? super quiet guy really shy wouldn't talk much he wouldn't start a conversation they were roommates until cavalcante moved out the day before he murdered his ex-girlfriend in 2021 has he made any attempt to reach out to you no nothing at all and i hope he won't do it and he does call the police right away but he has reached out to others this is cavalcante on a doorbell camera on saturday night trying to contact a former co-worker his image drastically changed from when he escaped

prison, now clean-shaven. Authorities now say the search is entering the, quote, long game, but they believe Cavalcante is only growing more desperate. The more resources, the more tools we bring to bear, we will ultimately capture him. He doesn't have what he needs to last long term. And George Salis joins us now from Chester County, Pennsylvania. George, why are authorities so confident Calvaconte is still in Pennsylvania? right now.

Yeah, Alison, they say it's because of the way he sounded when he reached out to those former co-workers. There was video of that doorbell surveillance. They haven't released it yet, but I asked officials if it sounded like someone who was confident, someone who was nervous. Officials telling me he sounded nervous. He sounded tired. He sounded like someone who was desperately trying to find anyone that might help him, giving them a clue that he is definitely in some predicament right now, Alison. And, George, you have been following this. manhunt since the very beginning. Do you get the sense that the community's level of concern is rising the longer this violent fugitive is out there on the loose? And I'm curious if people

you've spoken to, if they have any sort of frustration with law enforcement, do they feel like enough is being done to catch this guy? Yeah, it's really a mixed bag of reaction. You obviously have a lot of people who are very supportive of law enforcement and everything that they've been doing. They understand that these are been long hours for a lot of these agents and officers. that have been going through some of this densely wooded area. But, of course, a lot of people are frustrated that their way of life has been interrupted. After all, there was the closure of Longwood Gardens. There was the closure of some schools for a while.

Some sports practices were also canceled. A lot of people skeptical that Cavalcante is still here, even within the county, let alone the state. But police are resting assured and reminding the public that they are going to catch this guy sooner or later. Allison. George Solis, thank you. For a closer look at the latest developments on day 12, of this Pennsylvania manhunt. Let's bring it in BBC News law enforcement analyst, Cedric Alexander. He is also a former chief of police for DeKalb County, Georgia. Cedric, I think the

question most people have at this point, 12 days in, is how on earth have so many different law enforcement groups failed this many times, from that initial escape to then him slipping through the established police perimeter. What would you have done differently here? Well, I think the one thing that important to keep in mind is that the correctional facility there certainly did drop the bubble by not providing the type of security that should have been provided for him to ever escape from the beginning. Now you have local, state, and federal law enforcement that are being called in who are working around the clock, working hard, working diligently, working all their sources, using all the technology and resources that they have in front of them. in trying to capture this convicted killer. So I certainly do understand the frustration of the community and the country at large, but you're also talking about an individual who comes from Brazil,

who has known to have lived in wooded areas and familiar with wooded areas, have learned how to survive in those wooded areas. You just take for an example that he's very clean-shaven now. The question becomes, to me, How did he get the supplies to shave himself so closely? Did he get help along the way from sympathetic empathizers? Did he go into a store and steal the merchandise in order to clean himself up? Those are questions I'm quite sure that law enforcement are asking.

But this may be take a little longer than we want it to take, but concerning the fact that part of the state of Pennsylvania that they're in is a very heavily wooded area. And it has been, and we certainly haven't received information, even which you all have reported, that he has had a background in living and working in these wooded areas. So his ability to survive will probably be longer than an average person, but he's got to be brought to justice immediately to take that community out of the fear of that dear end. And that may take a little longer than. You mentioned something I wanted to ask you about, the fact that his appearance has so drastically changed. Do you look at that and think that that is an indication that someone is

likely helping him? I mean, police have not answered that question directly. But as you said, I mean, that's not just I found a loose, simple razor to get that much hair off of his head and face. You would need actual buzz clippers for that. Yeah, he would need support. And, you know, it wouldn't be surprising if he have empathetic friends or our acquaintances that are out there. But they need to be aware of the fact that charges can be brought against them for harboring a fugitive. And that's not going to be to their best interests. And I would encourage anyone in that community, if you see him, notify your local, state, federal authorities right away. He needs to be taken back into custody and secured because he is still a threat to that community.

The police in Pennsylvania, they are pretty adamant at this point. that they believe Calvaconte is still in the state. They say, as we heard from George Solis, reporting that that's because they believe he simply doesn't have the resources to leave. If you are in their shoes, how can you be confident of that? And if you were in a neighboring state, say, Delaware, and you were chief of police there, would you be telling your officers to take a more aggressive posture, I guess,

and keep their eyes open because he could possibly come their way? Well, the fact that we do not, and they do not, I should say know where he is. He still could be in the state of Pennsylvania, or he could have gotten across the state line. We don't know. So I'm to answer your question, if I was a law enforcement official in a neighboring community or neighboring state, certainly we would all be on the lookout for that subject and making sure that if he crosses over into our jurisdiction, he will be met by law enforcement

officials, which I can only imagine they have already been alerted to that possibility. All right, NBC News, law enforcement analyst, Cedric Alexander. Thank you for your insight. We appreciate it. Heading now to Hurricane Lee, re-strengthening to a Category 3 storm and expected to become more powerful again before gradually weakening once it turns north. The storm still set to bring dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents to the entire east coast of the United States. and Bermuda throughout the week. NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens joins me now

to time this one out. Bill, we now have a bit of a clear path, or a clear path, I guess, of where Lee is going to have the worst impacts. You would have that path. I do not. What can you tell us? Yes, well, we were hoping all along that this would just kind of make that turn and go out to sea, and we could just watch it. It wouldn't actually impact anyone, and that was the hope. That's looking less and less likely, and I'll explain why. So we know it's a category It's not going to hit anywhere as the category three. It's harmlessly north of Puerto Rico and south of Bermuda. It's going to spin itself slowly for the next two days.

Wednesday is the day it starts the head northwards. It'll go near Bermuda, not a direct impact. They'll be windy. They'll have some squalls go through with some rain. That'll be about it. We're going to get the rip currents. Obviously, the beaches have already been dangerous because of the past hurricanes. That's going to continue all the way from Florida up into Maine over the next seven,

maybe even nine, the 10 days. It's after this that the storm continues northwards. Now, it's not going to be a beast of a storm like a Categority major hurricane. It's almost going to be more like a big noreaster. It's going to be a large storm. But that cone of uncertainty now goes into southern New England, includes Cape Cod and the islands here almost in the Boston, the Yarmouth area of Nova Scotia. The next update will include the main coast. This is the forecast air.

The typical air five days out is 200 miles. So that's why it goes so wide. If this stays in this general direction and it doesn't trend either way, then eventually eastern New England will go out of the cone. Now, all of our computer models are mostly taking it up towards the Gulf of Maine and then making a right turn to the Nova Scotia. That means the storm would give the highest impacts to Nova Scotia. In other words, someone's going to get this storm and have a lot of tree damage because the leaves are still on the trees. But we still could see this is going to be a huge storm. Even in the Cape Cod and the islands, Alison, we could see wind gusts 50 to 70 miles per hour.

And that will cause some power outages and large waves and beach erosion. So, yeah, a lot of questions still to be answered with the storm. What we don't want is it to trend closer. to New England. All right, Bill Cairns, thank you. Now to breaking news out of Turkey tonight, just a short time ago, rescue crews successfully rescuing that American scientist who's been trapped underground in a cave for more than a week. Molly Hunter with the details on his harrowing journey. Tonight, the extraordinary complicated rescue mission to hoist American scientists

Mark Dickey to the surface finally successful. In the last video of Dickey, Underground, Inside Turkey's deep morca cave. He's wrapped tightly to a stretcher. Cacooned so he doesn't slip as rescuers bring him through the final feet of a mammoth 3,400 foot journey to the top. In the last few hours, the stretcher rocking and heaving, but making steady progress on the pulley system. The 40-year-old New Jersey native and experienced caver suffered from severe gastrointestinal bleeding about 10 days ago. The news reached the surface Saturday's September 2nd. And the first medical team to reach him said he was in serious, life-threatening condition. Remarkably, they performed a blood transfusion. As you can see, I'm up. I'm alert. I'm talking, but I'm not healed on the inside yet. So I need a lot of help to get out of here. When he stabilized, the complicated rescue mission began on Saturday. And tonight, the nearly 200 strong team delivering him to safety. Alison, some good news tonight. The scenes and the Torres Mountains just incredible. This is such a remote area. Mark Dickey is out. He is safe. The plan is for him to be assessed in a medical tent there on site, then airlifted to a state hospital in nearby Merson Turkey. Ellison. Molly Hunter, thank you. Now to the FDA clearing the way for an updated COVID booster. The agency greenlighting the latest Moderna and Pfizer shots just as COVID cases and hospitalizations rise across the country.

The CDC is expected to fully sign off tomorrow with the vaccines likely to roll out by the end of the week. Dr. Sampson Davis joins us now. He is the medical director of CHI Urgent Care and the author of The Book of The Pact, We Beat the Street, the Bond. Dr. Davis, thank you for being with us. So this particular vaccine, it's formulated for the XBB15 variant, something like that, right, which was dominant in June. So how effective is this against the current strains that we're starting to see? So, yeah, the thought here is that it will follow the same trend that the vaccines have, that this would be as effective against the new strains that will, that's out now and that will develop.

The vaccine is targeted towards the sort of the proteins of the virus, the main protein. So even though the virus will mutate, changes out of shell a little bit, the vaccine is still as effective and as a promising and sort of eradicating or decrease in the virulence of COVID. Okay, I want to look at some data with you because the COVID public health emergency, That expired in May. So the last CDC data we have on boosters and how many people got them is from that. But you look at this, and only 17% had received that third booster shot by May. Are we now susceptible to a bigger surge because so many people skipped and or opted out of that third round?

So that question or the thought of the answer for that is still out, we're not for sure. The thought is that we will be okay, simply because all of us, within reason, see some form of the vaccine, rather the first shot, the second, or the booster. And then there's what we call passive immunity. So if you've never been vaccinated per se, but if you're around, if 10 people are in the room and 9 has been vaccinated, that 10 person is going to pick up some antibodies from those who's not been vaccinated. Now, I'm not saying that to encourage people not to get vaccinated or receive the booster you should. But we see in a decrease in people receiving the booster. But at the same time, there is immunity. And that's going to spill

over even in those who may be a little reluctant at first to get the vaccine or the booster. How long does natural immunity and immunity from the vaccines actually last? If you did get it, say, the second booster, but not the third, should you be considering getting this next one? I mean, I think you should get this one because they're changing the sort of formulation of what the vaccine looks like. So we're not using any of the products before for the first set of vaccines or a booster. So this is going to be a brand new booster targeted towards the most current viral strands. So we should consider now getting a booster. And keep in mind, this is probably going to be a yearly thing. similar to your flu shot, that we're going to have to receive the vaccine or to boost

once a year. So I think you should consider, especially if you're immunocompromised over than 65, or if you're pregnant, these are at increased risk of having a very hard time or very tough course with this virus if you develop it. Talk to us about the timing of when people should be getting this. I've heard when people talk about the flu shot, they say flu before you boo, get it by Halloween. Should that general rule apply for the COVID as well? I love that. I love that. And the beauties could get it together. So you could get your flu vaccine before you boo. You could get your COVID. And I mean, RSD is another strand of viruses that we worry about. That was very common last year, especially in older adults. RSV usually targets young people. But I think we have to consider RSV flu and COVID. These are all shots that we could get or immunizations that we could receive prior to October 31st. But even if you spill into November, December, there's every time is the right time. If you're behind, in your vaccinations. Because there is no longer this COVID public health emergency that is set by the government,

that means these shots will not be covered by the federal government. So if you were someone who is uninsured or if you go out of network to get this booster shot, could you see pretty hefty price tags? And what's the advice for people who might fall into, particularly the uninsured category? I think so the public emergency is over. So the government is not covering the immunizations. by private insurance are still covering, Medicare, Medicaid will cover, and there's going to be some movement with the government to help ease the cost.

So you have clinics or you have what we call it FQHCs, which is federally qualified health centers, which are for individuals, for all individuals, but especially for those who are uninsured or have underinsured. So they have opportunities to go to receive the vaccine. But this should not send a message to you if you have no insurance or if your insurance, don't cover it, not to seek out this vaccine. There will be programs in place. to help ease the cost. The only change that the private insurance is going to step in now to

help cover the cost as well as Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Sampson Davis, thank you. Tonight, Americans marking 22 years since the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. Solem ceremonies in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, paying tribute to the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day. Rahima Ellis reports. Once again, a solemn day of remember. Pell's tolling at 846 and 903, the moment when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center 22 years ago. Alvin, Peter, Kaplanman, Jr. Then the emotional reading of nearly 3,000 names of those who died that day.

And my poppy, Gerard Patrick Frank, firefighter from Rescue Company 3. I miss you and love you. I wish you got to take me fishing. We love you, Poppy. In attendance, Vice President Kamala Harris, but President Biden, under criticism from conservative outlets, for being the first president not to be at the White House or a memorial site on the anniversary. Instead, he was visiting troops in Alaska. I join you on this solemn day to renew our sacred vow. Never forget. Never forget. And the tragedy is still present in so many families' lives to this day as they're struggling with lingering health effects from the attack.

341 members of the fire department have died from 9-11 related illnesses, almost as many as those who died 22 years ago. He was great. Jim Brosey's father, Joseph, was one of them. He died from lung cancer this year. Lieutenant Joseph Brocey and Jin 88. And his name was added to a memorial wall at FDNY headquarters. I walked through those always looking at names of people I worked with, people I knew, and the one thing you never want to see is one of your own family.

Pain for lost family members, both fresh and lingering. I just hope you're proud of who I've grown up to be. Thank you for loving us, Dad, and thank you for being my dad. Tonight, a nation honoring a promise to never forget. Rahima Ellis, NBC News, New York. Still ahead tonight, a deadly flood emergency overseas. A hurricane in the Mediterranean dropping feet of rain in Libya. Fears tonight the death toll could be in the thousands.

Plus, disturbing allegations leveled against a popular California doctor, what he's accused of doing inside the operating room. And Ashton Kucher and Milakunis making a public apology after writing letters, of support for their former co-star who was convicted of rape. What we're hearing from the celebrity couple tonight, stay with us. We're back with the troubling accusations against a plastic surgeon who calls himself Dr. Laguna. In a new lawsuit by the Orange County DA, the Los Angeles area surgeon is accused of touching patients without their consent and posting photos and videos of them online.

NBC news correspondent Liz Croix has the latest, and we want to warn you, some of the details are disturbing. This is Dr. Laguna. He calls himself Dr. Laguna. Allow your butt to be smaller, tidier, more athletic. Dr. Ari and Malavi regularly post videos like this on social media. We fine-tune and hone in on the butt of your dreams. But it's not all a dream for the popular Southern California plastic surgeon. The Orange County District Attorney has filed a citizen.

lawsuit against Malawi, alleging 19 unlawful business practices, including touching potential patients and patients without their consent, and publishing photos and videos of clients on websites without their consent. Like smack in, like, her bottom to, like, make it, like, be wiggly. Harmony Williams is a former employee who spoke to our Los Angeles local station, KNBC, and says she told some patients what she saw in the OR. These people can't protect themselves when they're asleep. These claims against Malawi come after more than 30 former patients are also suing him in a separate case for allegations including battery and medical malpractice.

So it grabs me about two inches above my vagina while I'm naked and grabs me right underneath my breast from behind me. This is how it's going to look. For me, it felt very aggressive. It was combative. It was combative. It was aggressive. It was humiliating. Malawi denies the claims and is suing former patient Shalene Johnson for definitive. My results are horrific and it was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life is definitely one of the biggest mistakes of my life. That lawsuit is now on hold because Malawi has declared bankruptcy.

It all comes after late last year, the Medical Board of California suspended Malawi's license for 90 days following an investigation into the death of one of his patients in 2018. According to the lawsuit by the Orange County DA, that investigation stemmed from Malawi's unlicensed. medical staff performing medical procedures on a patient. Johnson says that's information she wish she had known. I would have never gone to this doctor. Never. And NBC News has reached out to Dr. Malawi's attorney for comment we've not heard back. The 90-day suspension has ended and so despite these legal troubles, Ellison, he is clear to return to work. Liz, I also want to ask you about that separate case you mentioned in your reporting because you have actually spoken to some of the women involved in that lawsuit, right? What are they telling you? Yeah, I spoke to two women,

Alison, including the woman Shalene, who's being sued for defamation. And they both say the same thing. They say they feel that they were misled by this doctor and that the results of their surgery were not what they were told they would be. One woman told me that regardless of what happens with this lawsuit, she hopes that by speaking out and sharing her story here, that it will prevent this from happening to anybody else. Ellison. Liz Kreutz, thank you. We appreciate your reporting. Now to the recent backlash surrounding Ashton Coucher and Milakunis, the celebrity couple posting an apology video after it was revealed they wrote character letters in support of Danny Masterson, calling their former co-star who was just convicted of two counts of rape, a quote, role model. Maya Eglon has more. We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson. Tonight, celebrity superstars Ashton Kucher and Milakunis facing backlash for showing support to their former co-star Danny Masterson, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison on two counts of rape.

We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future. Kutcher and Kunis addressing the controversy in a video posted to their social media accounts over the weekend. After it was revealed, the couple had written character letters in support of Masterson to the judge in his trial. ago, Danny's family reached out to us and they asked us to write character letters to represent the person that we knew for 25 years so that the judge could take that in a full consideration relative to the sentencing. In the letters, the couple calling Masterson a role model outlining their decades-long friendship. Koonis writing, from the very beginning, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature. Throughout our time together, Danny has proven to be an amazing friend,

confidon, and above all, an outstanding older brother figure to me. Adding, Danny's role as a husband and father to his daughter has been nothing short of extraordinary. Coucher writing in his letter, he also set an extraordinary standard around how you treat other people. He has always treated people with decency, equality, and generosity. He continued, I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society, and having his daughter raised without a present father would be a tertiary injustice in and of itself. The letters, painting a very different picture of the disgraced actor than described by the testimony of the, his victims in court. The letters were not written to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jury's ruling. They were intended for the judge to reap

and not to undermine the testimony of the victims or reach homotize them in any way. We would never want to do that. And we're sorry if that has taken place. But one of Masterson's accusers not accepting their apology, saying this video was incredibly insulting and hurtful. My hope is that they learn radical accountability and the importance of self-education to learn when to keep their privilege in check, especially Ashton, who claims to work with victims of sex crimes. And as for Mila, I can only think of times up. And Ellison, many sexual assault survivors and advocates are also not accepting this apology, saying they're disappointed in the couple's response who have been extremely active in this

space for many years. Ashton Kutcher himself is the co-founder of a nonprofit called Thorn, which works to protect children from sexual abuse. Alison. Maya Eaklin, thank you. When we come back, a close call on a Utah highway, the moment, a piece of an office chair slammed into a family's windshield. And an update tonight on the dog who went missing at a Georgia airport where she was spotted. That's next. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with a dangerous explosion at an Illinois power plant.

Video shows smoke erupting from a food processing plant in Decatur. Eight people injured, seven of them hospitalized. No word yet on the cause, but fire crews have contained the blaze. This is the second explosion at the plant this year, following an April incident at the West plant. That one injured three people. Chaos breaking out of the skateboarding event in California. Video posted on the Citizen app shows hundreds of people at the second Hollywood skate jam.

A few hours after the event began, the crowd reportedly turned violent, setting fire to trash cans, and then a car. Los Angeles police arrived on scene in riot gear and cleared the area. Police say three people were arrested and charged with vandalism. A family in Utah is lucky to be alive after part of an office chair flew into their windshield. Dash cam footage recorded a highway, the car on a highway, in Lehigh, showing the moment the metal swivel from the chair just smashed into the car. injuring a young girl who was in the passenger seat, a three-year-old was in the backseat, and the mother who was driving, they were not injured. It is not clear where that object actually came from. And a happy ending to the story of a missing dog we brought you last week. Delta Airlines

announcing they found Maya the dog who went missing at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson Airport last month, while her owner was questioned by customs about her tourist visa. Airport employees found the dog on Saturday. They say hiding near a cargo. facility. Maya is in good health and will be reunited with her owner, Paula, in the Dominican Republic. Next tonight, the bombshell allegation rocking college football. Michigan State University suspending its head coach without pay amid an investigation into a claim of sexual harassment. NBC's Maggie Vespa has more. Tonight, one of the highest paid coaches in college football sideline amid an off-the-field scandal. I have suspended Mel Tucker without pay.

Calling it an interim measure, Michigan State University Sunday, suspending head coach Mel Tucker over an allegation he's sexually harassed victim's advocate, Brenda Tracy. Her claim dates back to April of last year after she spoke to the team about preventing sexual violence. According to a USA Today investigation citing her Title IX complaint, she claimed she was later on the phone with the coach when he made sexual comments about her and masturbated. In a statement, Tucker said Tracy's allegations of harassment are completely. false, characterizing the phone call as a mutual private event between two adults living at opposite ends of the country. NBC News has not independently reviewed the complaint.

So this morning's news might sound like the MSU of old. It was not. Michigan state leaders said new developments prompted them to suspend Tucker less than two years into his 95 million dollar contract. We are focused on prevention work with men. Tracy lectures collegiate athletes nationwide on preventing sexual violence after her own brutal assault in Oregon in the 90s, allegedly by multiple college football players, about her encounter with Coach Tucker telling USA Today, the idea that someone could know me and say they understand my trauma, but then re-inflict that trauma on me, is so disgusting to me. Students here on campus are frustrated by this news. It comes just five years after that half a billion dollar settlement with victims of gymnastics

Thanks, Dr. Larry Nassar. MSU leaders say a formal hearing on this matter is set for next month. Alison. Maggie Vespa, thank you. Now to the Americas and the renewed search for the victims of Chile's brutal military dictatorship. It was 50 years ago to the day that the military seized power in Chile. Decades later, the current democratically elected president launching a new search for those who were still missing. Valerie Castro reports. It's been 50 years since General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the Chilean government.

A new Chile is picking its way out of the rubble left from last week's coup d'etat, which toppled the government of the late Marxist president, Salvador Allende. His rise to power marking a dark and bloody era that would last more than 17 years. Until now, Pinochet has effectively controlled all dissent. He's exiled 10,000 Chileans and jailed thousands of others. Torture here is common. More than 40,000 people were executed, detained, and tortured during Pinochet's rule, according to government estimates.

Tremendous amounts of repression, some of which included what would become standard operating procedure for other right-wing military dictatorships of the period, like, for instance, the disappearance of individuals without a trace. Five decades later, thousands marching in memory of those who disappeared, the scars of those brutal tactics are still felt across the country. The government says more than 1,000 people who vanished during the dirty war are still unaccounted for, including this woman's father. She now wears his picture around her neck.

I'm a daughter, Coucho and Benavides, detained and disappeared on the 21 of September of 173. As time passes, the voices of relatives only grow louder, desperate to find out what happened to the still missing. Instead of answers, all they've gotten have been dire theories. For some, the rumors are that they were thrown into the ocean. This became also a very significant tactic in Argentina during its own military dictatorship. There are so-called whelos de la Muechete, flights of death, where people would be put into these planes and then just tossed over on the side.

So far, 307 people have been found. Some buried in mass grave sites unearthed in the Aracama Desert. Obviously, there's a responsibility of the armed and the soldiers that are you doing with the cadres, it can't be. The looming 50-year anniversary of the turning point in Chile's history

prompting President Gabriel Borich to now enact a national state-sponsored search plan to find the rest. This plan has the mission to clear the circumstances of disappearance and or murder of the people victims of desamination forced and superado.

The mission, not without controversy, adding to the growing political tension caused by economic turmoil. The reality is that Cheetah is a highly polarized country, and as a result, some see this effort as re-opening old wounds. Some see this effort as a way to distract the tension from what have been some economic problems in the country under the boardage administrations. But for the families of those who disappeared, answers can't come soon enough. And Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. Valerie, there are still so many questions about the Pinochet regime and their time in power. Does the current president of Chile feel like there's more information to be gathered about the possible involvement of other countries like the United States?

So, Ellis, and just last month, the CIA actually declassified some of the presidential briefings that prove President Nixon was informed of this possible coup back in 1973. Now, to what extent the U.S. was involved is still up for a big debate. But the current Chilean president is hoping to gain some more insight to paint a better point. picture of what was happening 50 years ago. Valerie Castro, thank you. Now to top stories, Global Watch, and we begin with a deadly flood disaster in Libya. Mediterranean storm Daniels slamming the eastern part of the country with hurricane force winds and torrential rains, raising water levels by more than 30 feet.

At least 38 people confirmed dead, but the Prime Minister says the death toll could be as high as 2,000. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. In the Netherlands, authorities turning powerful water cannons on a group of climate protesters, more than 10,000 demonstrators breaking through a police barricade in the Hague, blocking a major road in protest of the Dutch government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry. Police say they use the cannons to dispel the protesters after a three-day stalemate. More than 2,000 demonstrators have been detained. And Luis Urubiala is resigning as president of the Spanish Soccer Federation following weeks of public pressure.

The former official announcing his resignation on social media weeks after he kissed Spanish soccer player, Ginny Hermoso, following Spain's victory in the women in the World Cup final. Hermoso last week accusing Rubiales of sexual assault, saying the kiss was not consensual. The board of directors says they are working to find a replacement. Coming up next, Drew Barrymore at the center of a growing controversy, the actress and talk show host bringing back her daytime show, despite an ongoing writer's strike. why she's being accused of crossing the picket line and what it could mean for the rest of Hollywood. Stay with us. Back now with actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore crossing the Hollywood picket line. In a post on Instagram, she announced the Drew Barrymore show would be returning,

despite the ongoing Writers Guild and SAG After Strikes. She said in part, quote, I am making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show that may have my name on it, but this is bigger than just me. own this choice. Reed Alexander joins us now. He's a correspondent at Insider and covers the media and entertainment industries. Reed, Drew Barrymore released a fairly lengthy statement here, but this caught a lot of people off guard. What is Barrymore's reasoning for bringing back her show? It sounded like she was implying that she was worried about others, and that's maybe

why she was doing this. You know, the rationale here, Alison, is somewhat unclear because As Drew Barrymore's statements suggest that her show was born of the crucible, of the coronavirus pandemic, and that was sort of built for getting people through difficult times. But at the same time, just a handful of months ago, she was also someone who stepped down from hosting duties of a high-profile award show in order to show solidarity with striking writers. Now, when you add in the fact that between that period and now, another union, the Actors Guild, Sagafra, has also declared a strike against leading to.

television networks and studios. It seems all the more perplexing that Drew Barrymore would take this decision. It could be motivated by the simple imperative that, you know, she wants to work and other people involved with the production want to work. But the climate right now is very much anti-breaking the picket line. So it'll be interesting to see the consequences of this. Yeah, Reid, talk to us about some of the fallout we're already seen because a lot of people have taken to social media who work within these industries and really not had a lot of great things to say about her choice here. Yeah, there has been a significant and strident reaction on the internet today on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Certainly the Hollywood

press has been following this closely. People are really confused, and there has been a sharp wave of criticism directed at Drew Barry Moore. You know, a whole ecosystem of accounts on TikTok and other social media platforms have emerged in recent weeks to call out people who were allegedly crossing the picket line or working for companies that are being struck by these guilds. So I'm not exactly sure if that was something that, you know, the Drew Barrymore show and the leadership there that was making this decision didn't predict. But it seems pretty obvious that anybody working in this climate might be facing that kind of criticism right now. And that's what we're seeing directed at her. Deadline is now reporting that the talk and Jennifer Hudson's

her show that they're also going to come back. Do you think we're going to see more people start to across the picket line? Or do you think someone like Jennifer Hudson and her team will see the reaction Drew Barrymore is getting and maybe change course? I think this could certainly douse some cold water on the plans anybody had to head back to work right now. But here's the reality of the situation. The length of this strike far exceeds, at least speaking about the writers, the one that happened 15 years ago, which was just three months. We're entering like the fifth month of this for the writers and actors have been on strike in picketing since July. I think the sheer historic nature of the length of this could, you know, incentivize

some people to say if we're not breaking any union rules, but we may be breaking some sort of societal rules around, you know, showing solidarity and sport, you know, maybe the economic imperative in getting back to work is really what's key. I think the determining factor, though, will be the consumer reaction. At the end of the day, if the ratings are strong, and I personally don't think that consumers really fully understand exactly what's going on or will show Drew Barrymore the same kind of, you know, anger and disappointment that members of the strikes are, I think that could incentivize people to say, you know, what's the real downside here? These things blow over. People want to get back to work. So that's my view.

All right. Well, we know you will keep an eye on all of it. Read Alexander, thank you. Now to Teenage Tennis Prodigy Coco Gough, the 19-year-old childhood dreams realized how she has been preparing for this U.S. Open win for her entire life. Our Tom Yamis has her incredible story. Imagine at 19 winning it all. Cocoa Gough taking home the U.S. Open women's title. I'm just thankful for this moment. Like, I don't have any words for it, to be honest.

Imagine being humble enough to praise your heroes, even when it's your moment. Coco, the youngest American, to win the U.S. Open since Serena Williams in 1999. Serena, Serena, she's the goat. I mean, I'm not, I hope to do half of what she does, but I'm not going to compare myself to her. She's someone I looked up to. Imagine thinking about playing center court since you were a child. That's eight-year-old Coco, dancing in the stands of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Imagine finally making it there.

Then losing. After facing reigning champ Naomi Osaka. Imagine being 15 and confronting defeat while the, the world watched. Then, imagine training harder, playing better, and making it to the U.S. Open finals. For Coco's family, there from the very start of this journey, her dad's shirt said it all. Imagine. She was gifted as a child. She always strived to do her best. For the little girl who we watched grow up on the court, she had imagined this moment her whole life. Now, needing a moment to realize she was no longer drunk.

dreaming. I think just imagine, just imagine that your dreams can come true and you just got to keep working for it. For Coco, her family and her fans, just imagine what's next. Our thanks to Tom for that wonderful report. When we come back as we mark the anniversary of 9-11, how one community is honoring active duty military. That's next. Finally tonight, honoring the fallen, a group of soldiers raising awareness for their fellow warriors struggling with PTSD who take their own lives in staggering numbers every single day. And on this day, September 11th, a special tribute to the first responders right here in New York, who made the ultimate sacrifice 22 years ago.

On a day that will live in American infamy, these American heroes remembering their fallen brothers and sisters in uniform one step at a time. I think it means you're not alone. while you feel you might be out there on an island and you might be drowning and you might be feeling as that you're gasping for that last breath. There's somebody there that care. Active duty and retired military service members taking part in a 22-mile fireman's carry, a powerful symbol of the 22 veterans who take their own lives every day. We are failing in losing this battle on our own soil. Every time we bury one of these heroes.

Travis Ellis is the founder of Shepard's Men, an advocacy group of active duty and retired military members. They raise money and awareness for share military initiative, which provides mental health treatment to veterans of the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I didn't want to get help either. I thought I was too proud, too tough, and I'm glad I did because I probably wouldn't be here today if I didn't. The group walking 17 miles in Connecticut on Sunday while taking turns, harrying each other on their shoulders. Then, on the 22nd anniversary of the 9-11 attack, the group walking five miles through Manhattan to honor the first responders who lost their lives that day. They were running toward the throws of chaos, and they did so heroically and tragically, many of them didn't wake the next morning.

The 22-mile walk ending near the 9-11 Memorial at Ground Zero. But for these firefighters, the battle to save their fellow warriors rages on. can say if you are a veteran out there and you need help, take my example and find the help, seek the help. A small team of American heroes honoring the simple creed that no one gets left behind. Thank you so much for watching Top Story. For Tom Yamis, I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More News Now is on the way. Thank you.