Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, August 17, 2023

Episode Date: August 18, 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, top story is live once again from Lahaina, as a community hunts for answers. More than 110 people confirmed dead, with a thousand more still missing tonight. Tense moments as officials on Maui face the public for the first time, while they're defending their decision not to sound the emergency sirens as the wildfire spread, despite residents saying it could have saved lives. This, as the power company faces multiple lawsuits and allegations, they failed to act, despite knowing their power lines posed a significant risk. Also breaking tonight, Hillary, now officially a hurricane, rapidly gaining strength as it takes aim at California.

Bill Karen standing by with the latest track. DeSantis' debate drama, a memo obtained by NBC News outlining a strategy for the first Republican debate, written by the Florida governor's super PAC, while they're telling DeSantis to go easy on Trump, and the Republican candidate they're suggesting he, quote, take a sledgehammer tube. But is this a strategy to Santis is really willing to listen to or just an effort to shape things up before his big moment on stage.

Deadly police ambushed body camp footage just released capturing the terrifying moments, a man opened fire on Fargo police, responding to a routine traffic stop. One officer killed the chilling online trail that shooter left behind and the arsenal cops found in his car. Weapon of war, a high-octane report tonight

from the cockpit of an F-Santis, 16 fighter jet are Ellison Barber flying with the thunderbirds piloting the same type of aircraft that NATO allies have promised to Ukraine, why those reinforcements might not make it to the war zone until 2024. Plus dramatic images coming in from Germany, water gushing down escalators bursting through glass at the Frankfurt airport. The massive travel delays reported. And the church left standing. Tonight we'll talk to the Monsignor of a historic Catholic church, now a beacon of hope amid the ruins of Lahaina. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. We are reporting live once again tonight from Lahaina, where shock has turned to grief, has turned to anger, as the people of the community continue to demand answers. Every day, every night that we're here, looking at that gets no easier, and we are not from this community. We are just covering the disaster that has happened here.

Earlier today, we spent time with family members of relatives who did not make it out of there alive. Today, they are angry, they are sad, they have some closure, but they worry about the future. They worry about what's going to happen to this community, their community. One family in particular, their father was 70 years old, and he ran into a traffic jam. Too old to run out on his own two legs, the smoke overcame him. You'll hear his story tonight and their story. And even as they're planning a funeral, they're still worried about the future of West Maui. All of this, as we're seeing new drone images taken today, and they showed the charred

wreckage that is all around us. You may notice the vast landscape of gray that they show. It looked much like the images we showed you yesterday and the day before and even last week. And that is because the recovery efforts underway here have been painstakingly slow. Out of respect for the bodies still buried beneath those ruins and the remains. More than 110 people now confirmed dead. There remains slowly being moved from what has become Maui's mass. grave into the morgue as memorial services and funerals are being planned. So many of the families we have spoken to and spent time with here desperately seeking closure, but finding it is impossible not to look back to those early moments.

New videos like these continue to emerge showing the terrifying lengths people went to to flee those flames. And so many questions left unanswered tonight, including what caused this catastrophe and why Hawaiian Electric did not act earlier, despite knowing for years that their power lines posed a wildfire risk will show you exactly what we mean. You can see their repair trucks here taking up space on the road as residents tried to evacuate, but of course by then much of the damage had been done. And the difficult realization tonight that the answers to some of these questions may be harder to accept than the unknown. In particular, why Hawaiian officials tonight are

defending their decision not to turn on those sirens. Insisting if they had, this tragedy may have been even deadlier. tonight the number of victims from the burn zone keeps climbing more than 100 dead and 1,000 still unaccounted for as the head of Maui's emergency operations faces the public for the first time since a disaster do you regret not sounding the sirens I do not and the reason why and so many people said they could have been saved but when follow-up questions were asked this happened as the flames Do you want him to give you the answer? I do, but I want to get it out there.

Let him finish his answer. I'm sorry. There's a lot of people who are you're talking and I'm letting him talk. If you want to talk, come up here. I'm ready for the answer. Then wait. Even though the sirens are all hazard systems, Herman Undaya maintained they are primarily used for tsunamis. Had we sounded the siren that night, we're afraid that people would have gone Malka.

And if that was the case, then they would have gone into the fire. sense of frustration on Maui lingers just like the smoke. It's got to this point where it's like, who are these people watching us? Do they even properly care for us? High winds, dry conditions, and low humidity are being called the climate threat multipliers that fueled those deadly flames across Maui. But the root cause of the fires is still being investigated. Hawaiian Electric now being accused of years of inaction leading up to the deadly fire.

A new lawsuit alleges the utility knew of the. the risks for years and fail to take steps to prevent catastrophe. Citing this stunning admission in a 2022 funding request to state regulators where Hawaiian Electric acknowledged, quote, the risk of a utility system causing a wildfire ignition is significant. Despite the warning signs, the suit alleges the utility failed to act. Hawaiian Electric declined a comment on pending litigation, saying in part, we will work with the state and county as they conduct. their review. Fire crossing the road. Not good. But now, some are also blaming the power

company for slowing the evacuation. Cole Millington shot this video as the flames approached. There was a mass evacuation occurring, and we were trying to get to safety, and it extremely hindered the chances and the speed at which we were evacuated. All of this as hope has faded for some families. You really love Lahaina. Alfredo Gallinado lived in Hawaii, for more than 30 years. He had an aloha for everybody, his family told me, and now he's gone. What do you remember?

I was actually last month. I took him to Vegas for two July. I was going to take him for an actual birthday. No, he's gone. But that's my best. Actually. He's such a loving person with my son and daughter. He loved every moment being with them and growing up with them.

Great grandpa. Great grandpa. Alfred's sons tell us he tried to escape but got stuck in the crush of cars trying to stay ahead of the flames. He was just trapped and auto cars was getting packed up there and it was the most congested area in that town. As we were walking, we were approached by Marfiel Lagazo, still waiting for word from her missing loved ones. How many in total? Nine. Nine family members.

Oh, my gosh. Yes. My auntie, cousins, yeah, my uncles. Lagasso taking to social media begging anyone who knows something for answers. Any information, please, let us know. And now balancing all this suffering against financial need, there is tension over tourism. Visitors account for roughly 70% of Maui's economy. So you want the tourists to come and spend money on Maui?

We all do. You ask anybody who works. the tourism industry which is pretty much everybody yes so many people are looking at the rubble and worrying can there be a future in West Maui we're going through fertility treatments I want to have a baby and I don't have a community anymore so you're born and raised here you look at that and I mean oh it's hard-dranging it's hard to look that way it's really hard because there's families in cars still a disaster that's already stolen lifetimes and threatens to last for generations.

All of that and amid this trail of devastation, people dealing with just everything. Residents are returning to Lahaina facing health risks and mounting uncertainty about what's next. Dana Griffin joins me now. And Dana, I know there's a concern about the air quality here. I know you're wearing a mask. I probably should be wearing one as well. Talk to us about what residents are encountering as they come over here. So we know from officials that they've said.

that asbestos, benzene could be in the air. They're telling people to wear in 95 masks. We've seen the search and rescue crews going down into that decimated area. They're wearing respirators, which is something that you use when you know the air quality is very hazardous to your health. It could pose really bad lung issues, lung disease,

and that's something that we're not taking a chance on. Even Hawaiian Department of Transportation, they're installing these dust screens, which act like a filter, as if you are wearing a mask to make sure that dust is not filtering to the community that's behind us and to the highway. And then I know people are also having issues with just relief supplies. Some of the people that were our story were complaining about a roadblock

that is preventing them from actually driving supplies to their home. It's confusing. It is so hot out here. And I can't imagine what these people are doing, just trying to get by day to day. Yeah, we've seen some of those roadblocks just in town. You've got to remember, although you've got this first phase, which one resident told me, you've got the second and the third phase in these higher elevations. People still need access to. We actually saw a group of people that came in.

They said they know a backway. The road is closed behind us, but they were able to manage to get into this area. They went to their home. They had their masks. They had their neckgators to protect themselves. But the big issue was, especially last weekend, even through the weekend, people wanted to get those much needed supplies to people here in Lahaina, even beyond to West Maui. They were so frustrated by that.

They even employed the governor to open the Lahaina bypass. And that's why we saw that move yesterday, where he opened it up so that people could get those needed resources, and I think that they're feeling a sense of relief about that. All right. Dana Griffin, thank you, you and your team. A lot of great reporting over the last week. We appreciate all of it. We do want to move on out to some severe weather that's impacting the mainland. Hurricane Hillary now barreling towards the southwest. The category two hurricane expected to rapidly intensify to a cat for by tomorrow bringing dangerous flooding rains to the region. I want to get right over to NBC News meteorologist Bill Karens. Bill, walk us

through the latest on the track. Yeah, Tom, this is going to be the next disaster in our country. We don't know if it'll be a million dollar disaster or a billion dollar disaster, but it's all possible. We're taking this large tropical system and putting it over the deserts of the southwest, just a horrible combination and rare also. So we do think that the storm will be approaching Southern California as we go throughout Sunday morning. The worst will be during the day, Sunday, and Sunday night, and then Monday the storm will be weakening quickly and heading into central portions of California. And yes, Los Angeles and San Diego are in that cone of uncertainty. How sure of we are where it's going? All of these lines are different computer models.

They're all pretty much in the same spot. We're really targeting here, Southern California. The storm track just to the west would actually be stronger winds in Los Angeles and San Diego. A track to the east would be weaker winds. No matter what, we have a ton of rain that's heading for the region. Flood watches are up. They'll be with us for the next three or four days. Again, the heaviest rainfall will be along the center of the track and just to the east of the track.

mountainous areas could see 8, 10, 12 inches of rain. We don't normally get any rain this time of year in the desert southwest. This will be an extremely rare event, Tom. So, Bill, you know, I've covered a lot of hurricanes, including that superstorm, of course, Sandy, that hit New York City. I've never covered a hurricane that has hit the West Coast, has hit California. What do we know about the history there and the infrastructure of the homes in both Los Angeles and South there?

Well, we know we get strong winds. You know, we have fire seasons and everything else like that. So we can deal with the stronger winds. It's the rainfall that's going to be probably costing the biggest threat to lives and the biggest threat, really, just to infrastructure. So here is Hillary's forecast track, this red line. Let me add on here, the storm of record is Kathleen. This was in 1976, the purple line, a very similar track and a very similar intensity.

But this storm actually is going to have more rain with it. And by the way, Tom, that storm killed 10 people, cost 160 million. and it didn't even directly go over L.A. or San Diego. This will be a historic and unfortunately probably a tragic event unfolding in the next three days. It has been one of the most extreme summers that I can remember when it comes to weather. All right, Bill Cairns, we thank you for all of your forecasting and your reporting. Next to the chilling body camp footage just released showing a deadly ambush in North Dakota, a gunman killing one officer and injuring several others before another officer took him down. NBC News correspondent Valerie Castro has more

the suspect's troubling search history and how this shooting could have been much deadlier. We do want to warn you some of the video you're about to see is disturbing. The newly released body camera video shows Fargo police at a routine traffic accident when mayhem breaks out. The ambush unleashing rapid deadly gunfire on the streets last month. We got shots fired. In a matter of seconds, the suspect 37-year-old Muhammad Barakat killing one police officer and wounding to others. The sound of gunshots, unrelentless. That's what we got a man with an AK-47. He's shooting at us. Officers at Robinson's body camera

capturing the one-minute and 46-second exchange. Anybody who you've ever talked to who's been in a firefight of this kind will tell you, a minute and 46 seconds is a lifetime. That is a very long turn of events. We got three officers down. Three officers down. Officer Robinson running past his fellow wounded officers and towards the gunmen who is still shooting. Stop moving. Stop moving. Put your hands up. Hands up. Hands up. Hands up. After repeated calls for the suspect to drop the gun, Officer Robinson moves around the vehicle. Drop the gun! Eventually firing the final shots at the suspect. I think it's pretty evident that what you're looking at is an act of extreme courage and

valor. An individual who knew that when he was under attack, he needed to neutralize that threat as quickly as possible to allow for life-saving measures to be administered to the rest of our cops. The carnage could have been much worse. Police photos of what was found inside the gunman's car reveal numerous firearms and more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition, along with canisters of gas, a homemade grenade, and explosives. The motive, still under investigation, but enforcement detailing troubling internet searches found on the suspect's computer, suggesting his target was a large crowd. Interesting topics. Explosive ammo. Kill fast. Incendiary rounds. Mass shooting events. How to, I guess. Chillingly, area events. Area events where there are

crowds in the Fargo Moorhead area. Officer Robinson credited with ending the threat. while under fire. This isn't the type of incident that's ever going to be forgotten. He's going to, you know, remember that. The rest of his career, the rest of his life, it's a traumatic type of events. And even in a situation like that, he reacted absolutely as best as he could, as quickly as he could. Very proud of him for that. Valerie Castro joins us now live from our studios in New York.

So Valerie, law enforcement had questioned the gunman about his weapons several years before the shoot. Yeah, Tom, the FBI says it received an anonymous tip in 2021 about this suspect from someone who was concerned about his mental state and his access to firearms. At the time, the FBI says the suspect was questioned by detectives, but all of his weapons were found to have been legally acquired and he'd made no threats. The FBI says he was then listed on the Bureau's guardian threat tracking system, but never indicated any hatred of police. Tom. Okay, Valerie Castro with those images tonight. Valerie, we thank you, next to a shocking development out of Mississippi, where a judge has just declared a mistrial in the case of two white men accused of chasing and shooting at a black FedEx driver, the judge declaring a mistrial. NBC's Jesse Kirsch has more.

Tonight, outrage in Mississippi. A judge declaring a mistrial in the case of two white men accused of trying to murder Demontario Gibson, a black FedEx driver who had just made a delivery. And with great reluctance, the court has no choice in this matter but to grant the motion for a mistrial. Gibson's mother escorted from court today after Judge David Strong's ruling, a day after a police officer admitted to withholding evidence. Brookhaven police detective Vincent Fernando saying under oath that authorities had taken a videotaped statement from Gibson, but did not share it with either the defense or prosecution, as was required. to turn over matters and discovery is just something that can't be ignored in 17 years. I don't think I've ever seen it happen, but it happened here. A mistrial is a major hiccup for the prosecution, but all in all, a second trial really

saps the resources of the defense more than the state. Brookhaven police have not responded to NBC News's request for comment. Gibson says in January 2022, he made a delivery in his FedEx uniform and was driving a Hertz van with the rental company's markings, when Gregory Case and his son Brandon allegedly chased and shot at him. Gregory Case's attorney says his client only planned to ask the driver what was happening outside his mother-in-law's home, but the driver did not stop. Gibson believes he was chased because he's black.

In a statement tonight, Gibson's attorney calling the mistrial a delay in justice, calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the Brookhaven Police Department. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. All right, now to power and politics. The first Republican debate is next week. And tonight, a strategy memo has leaked from a Ron DeSantis super PAC. In it, the allies of the Florida governor urging DeSantis to, quote, defend Trump and take a sledgehammer to candidate Vivek Rameshwamy. The DeSantis campaign telling NBCU's, it was not aware of the document for more insight on the memo and the upcoming debate.

I want to bring in our guest tonight, Republican political strategist, Rina Shah. She joins us live tonight from Washington. So, Rina, thanks so much for joining us. You know, I do think viewers should take a deep breath about this story and the reporting on this story. Obviously, the memo was put out there on the Internet. Anybody had access to it. It is from the DeSantis Super PAC campaign. Sometimes Super PACs communicate with their candidates that way via the website because they can't communicate directly because of fundraising rules.

What do you make of this? Well, pulling back, I think this is a real big embarrassment for the DeSantis campaign. It makes them look like amateurs. Typically, these documents are sort of put out there, yes, on the website. But with a link that's almost as good as a backlink, what I would say just really hidden in the far corners of the Internet, not meant for public distribution and certainly not meant for all the eyes that have laid their eyes on it today. But, Rina, again, it's not the DeSantis campaign. It's the Super PAC.

Sure. Well, let's not forget. So many people have left the DeSantis campaign recently, and they went in different places. Some of them have landed up on the Pax side. Some of them that have got back to the gubernatorial side. It's really kind of hard to tell what's going on in DeSantis' world right now. But I'll say this. Only a sinking ship will leak this much.

And these leaks are certainly not something that we would have thought that DeSantis' campaign would endure at this point. Less than a week out from the debate, we are looking at a campaign that is not just floundering, It seems to be taking misstep after misstep. And yes, this is from the Super PAC side, and they're not supposed to coordinate. But these are people who are known to one another. These are people that typically have conversations over dinner. One hand is not supposed to know what the other hand does,

but we all know in the political consulting class that it does happen. And so what I would say is that Governor Ron DeSantis is likely fuming right now because this is not a good look for him going into the debate. It makes it look like he's in dicey territory. I'll be wondering if he even is able to make different arguments and what was laid out in the strategy memo. Almost verbatim, they told him what to do and say. So, Rina, I mean, you've obviously taken this to be fact.

But what if this is a head fake, right? What if this is just to be put out there? So people like Republican strategists, like reporters, and maybe like former President Trump and the other candidates, believe this, and it's all a completely head fake, and he has a completely different strategy. Well, I wouldn't doubt that. And one reason I wouldn't is because DeSantis has on his side a man named Jeff Rowe,

who is well known here in Washington, somebody that's been able to do almost the impossible for campaigns in the past. But campaigns have changed so much, Tom. Where we sit right now is in a moment where Ron DeSantis has not been able to deliver the numbers that many people thought he could coming out of the gate. And I'm talking about in the polls. Now, look, 2016 taught us. to take these polls with a grain assault.

But he is so far behind Donald Trump. And that could be for a host of reasons. But also, Vivek Ramoswamy is not far behind him. Vivek really stands to be the guy that knocks Ron DeSantis out of that spot to take Trump down next week. And that is what I think the DeSantis camp fears most. But, again, don't count anybody out because when you're this down like Ron DeSantis is, there's only up to go from here. You know, Rina, you must really like Ron DeSantis.

You have so many nice things to say about him tonight. I do have to ask you, though, in what world and what political world would you advise a candidate to go after an unknown candidate like Vivek, who is still polling in the single digits? What type of strategy is that? I mean, do you honestly believe that memo is real? You know, I actually do think there is some reality to it, because if you look at the grassroots support for Veck Ramaswami, and it sort of reminds me of 2016, where there was this establishment class of Republicans sitting right here in Washington, D.C., saying,

he's nothing. He has no shot. Don't worry about him. It was that groundswell of support. It was when I would drive from Washington, D.C., to my native West Virginia, and I would see handmade road signs for Trump. People like Vivek Ramoswamy in some way, and I'm not saying writ large. I'm not saying he's even a known name right now in major GOP circles, but he is a bit of a threat because he brings that youth. He brings an origin story of being a kid of immigrants, and he's also injecting fresh new ideas. He talks about the fatherlessness issue that's plaguing American communities from coast to coast. And he's also got a tech background. And let's not forget, the elephant in the room, no pun intended, is that he's got a strong business background. People love that

about Trump, that he wasn't a politician. He had a strong business track record, and it was wealthy on top of it. That's Vivek Ramoswami right there. Rina Shah, definitely a fan there. Okay, you've made it know. We hear you loud and clear. I do want to ask you about former President Trump. Do you think he's going to make the debate stage? Do you think he's going to be up there? Do you think he has to be there? I don't think he has to be there.

I think it's anyone's guest right now. It's looking very 50-50. You know, as we know, the former president wakes up and decides what he wants to say, not that day within the next hour, and then it may shift a couple hours later. You know, this is the problem for the former president right now is that he could show up, and he really could be eclipsed by really anyone there. But we just don't know. Right now, it's looking like nobody can hold a candle to Trump.

I say anything is possible because, look, four indictments later, you've got a former president who's not only fuming, but now isn't the twilight of his life? Has he got that much fight left in him? If he doesn't show up, I think he's fine. If he does show up, I think he's still fine because he's a former president. We like that in American politics. We like somebody that says, I'm a former office holder. You liked me then?

Hey, what about me in another time, even though he lost last go-round? Okay, Rina Shah, we always appreciate your analysis here on Top Story. We thank you for your time. And we'll have much more from right here in Maui, including the incredible story of a historic Catholic church still standing among the ruins in Lahaina. But for now, I want to send it back over to the Top Story studios in New York where Ellison Barber, when she's not piloting fighter jets, is helping us out here on Top Story. Alison, good to see you tonight. Good to see you, Tom. And thank you so much.

And thank you for your reporting from there. We're still ahead tonight on top story. Officers in handcuffs, details on the months-long FBI investigation that now has nearly a dozen California police officers allegedly on the wrong side of the law. Plus, the rush to safety, 20,000 people told to leave one Canadian city, how soon wildfire flames could reach homes. And I will take you inside and up in the air with the tool that could be vital to the war in Ukraine, will show you all the ins and outs of the F-16. Next. We're back now with a rare inside look at the F-16. It's the coveted fighter jet that has been at the center of President Vladimir Zelensky's request from Western allies. I got to see and feel their raw power and capability as I flew with the famed thunderbirds.

This is an F-16 fighter. jet. They've been used by the U.S. Air Force since the late 1970s. They're fast as lightning. Ready? Yes. And I had the chance to fly with the best of the best. The Thunderbirds. It's been 70 years that we've been doing this. We get to demonstrate what it is that fighter pilots across the U.S. do every single day, day in and day out.

These days, F-16s are the jet everyone seems to be talking about. We should sell them the F-16s. Jets. Ukrainian F-16 pilots. The F-16. F-16. F-16s. The F-16s. Ukrainian pilots were supposed to begin training on jets like this sometime this month. But there have been problems. I'll send them to you afterwards.

Major Jeffrey Downey, Simmer, flies F-16s almost every day. The G-forces that are exerted on your body are immense. You know, you've got the blood rushing from your head to your feet, and you're having to strain to keep the blood up in your head so that you don't pass out. Simmer is part of the U.S. Air Force's thunderburns. In peacetime, they're known for dazzling crowds with the strength, agility, and speed of F-16s. Why are F-16 so esteemed around the globe? Yeah, so the F-16 is an incredible platform at what it does.

It's a multi-role fighter, so it does air-to-air and air-to-ground. Suppression of enemy air defenses, it's got it all. Super maneuverable, extreme amount of thrust that it's got, and it really is the backbone of the United States Air Force and our military. We wanted to see for ourselves, so I suited up. Applying pressure to the front of the mask. Got hours of training. Go.

Take that noise. And crawled in. A mask up and down. So go ahead and put your mask up. For the flight of a lifetime. The speed. The seamless turns. It's hard to describe.

Ukrainian officials thought they'd have pilots training on F-16 sometime this month, but it has not happened. A spokesperson with Ukraine's Air Force says the first group of pilots will begin training in Denmark. The training might not be complete before summer 2024, according to a U.S. official who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity. They say that's because Ukraine only recently submitted names of pilots who will undergo training, and over half, need English training first. The delays have confused and frustrated Ukrainian officials, as well as rank-and-file military members, who spoke to NBC News privately. But Ukraine still believes those fighter jets are vital for the country's defense. U.S. military analysts agree. What do you think of these delays? Do they make sense to you, or do you think it's frustrating as well?

Well, I know it's frustrating, but a couple of points here. You have to have English proficiency in order to fly a U.S. aircraft. The radar systems, the missile system, all in English. So you don't think a possible summer 2024 delay for F-16 training will hamper the counteroffensive? It is. It's already hampering it. One thing is for sure. They call these advanced fighter jets for a reason. For more on, the impact these critical F-16s could have on the war in Ukraine, I want to bring in

retired Army Colonel Jack Jacobs. Colonel Jacobs, these F-16s have been the ask from President Zelensky, right? He thinks they are vital for Ukraine's defense. Do you agree? Well, let's certainly make a big contribution to whatever offense of the Ukrainians are undertaking now and will undertake in the future. At close air support, they can protect defenseless troops on the ground from a great distance. It's a multi-role fighter, as you heard. They can do lots and lots of things. But we have balked for a long while at sending them to Ukraine because we were worried about the loss of F-16s over territory that's controlled by Russia. That argument is largely subsided. We've convinced our allies that they could send their F-16s,

But you heard from General Twitty and others, there are problems here because the Ukrainians need to find pilots who are proficient in English. It's taken them a long, long time to do that. And on top of all that, it takes about a year to take a train pilot and turn them into an F-16 train pilot and all that backed up with English proficiency. It means that it's unlikely these are going to be able to be delivered next year. I mean, this is a big delay we're talking about, right? From training will likely start in August 2023 to probably not until the summer of 2024. Maybe it seems even beyond that. Ukrainian counteroffensive is well underway right now. Is summer of 2024 or beyond going to be too late to matter? Well, it's interesting. At the beginning of this war, a lot of people,

including Russia, thought it would be over very quickly. But a lot of other people knew then, clear now that it's a war of attrition. The Ukrainian offensive now looks like it's not making very much progress. There are a couple of reasons for this, but not the least significant of them is that the Ukrainians are probing the front lines of the Russians to see where the weaknesses are before they actually make a thrust at a time of the Ukrainians choosing. The second problem for the Ukrainians is that they need ammunition and lots of it. As a matter of fact, a cogent argument could be made that they need lots more artillery and rocket ammunition, lots more of that than they need F-16s. F-16s will be helpful to be sure, but the battle is on

the ground. It's an old-style slugfest, and the Ukrainians need lots and lots of ammunition, but particularly indirect fire missiles and artillery Ellison. All right. Retired Colonel Jack Jacobs, thank you so much. We appreciate your insight, as always. When we come back just in the nick of time, frantic moments as a basketball player collapses courtside, how his teammates helped save him. Stay with us. Back now with Top Stories News Feed.

began with nine current or former Northern California police officers arrested in FBI raids. It comes after an 18-month probe into an alleged criminal network. The officers work or worked for departments in Antioch and Pittsburgh among the charges, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and falsification or destruction of records. This FBI investigation allegedly uncovered racist and homophobic text messages sent by officers. It has rocked that community. The scandal has led the civil rights lawsuits and several criminal cases involving the officers now being overturned. New evacuations ordered as wildfires rage across Canada. 20,000 people in the capital of the Northwest Territories are being told to leave their homes by noon tomorrow.

Fires were burning about 10 miles outside of Yellowknife late yesterday. There are more than 100,000 active wildfires across Canada right now. Those air quality alerts we've seen here in the U.S. all summer, now in effect, Once again, in Michigan and Wisconsin, as smoke billows over the border. And a New Jersey basketball team sprints into action to save a life. Video shows one of the players in the over 40 league sit down, then collapse to the ground. His teammates rushing to his side, one of them grabs a nearby defibrillator to try and restart the man's heart. Paramedics quickly arrived and took over life-saving efforts.

All of that kept the 48-year-old alive. He is expected to be able. OK. A new study showing some types of cancer are on the rise in younger Americans. The analysis of 17 National Cancer Institute registries from 2010 to 2019 found that early onset cancers in U.S. patients between the ages of 30 and 39 is up 0.7%. The study also finding a big increase in cancer among women and a decline for men and noting that patients who identified as Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, or Alaskan native saw the greatest increases in risk. NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar joins us now with more.

Dr. Azar from just the headlines, this is a really alarming study. What is your breakdown of it? Is it a little less scary, as it seems on paper? Well, I think the trend is incredibly important to think about and to watch. What I think the viewers need to understand is that the absolute number of, of cancers that are happening in this country are still happening to older individuals. But again, it's the trend.

It's the faster rise, especially in these colorectal cancers and bile duct cancers and breast cancers and younger women, that that is what we are really, that's what's kind of sounding the alarm and sort of making us all in the healthcare community going, what's going on here? What about our screening tests? How are we gonna pick these cancers up?

What do you think is, driving this increase? You know, in medicine, it's always nice to have one, you know, fulfilling explanation for something and something that's easily fixed. This is not the case here. Experts cite a couple of different things, Ellison, namely obesity, also behavioral things like alcohol, certainly smoking. But then there are other exposures to carcinogens. There's the microbiome, the gut, and the interplay with the environment. The short answer is a lot of different things. Not one thing, but it's definitely been a call to action for the research community to try to better understand why these patterns are happening. Yeah, for people who are looking at this as a patient, as a non-medical person, should we look at this and say,

okay, those screenings we thought we didn't need until later in life past 40 as a woman, should we be getting them earlier? So unfortunately, patients are not empowered to make that decision. Insurance will not cover it. You know, the governing bodies who sort of dictate and tell us what to order. and do, they are evidence-based, right? They want to say it's cost-effective to screen a 35-year-old woman for thyroid cancer. Right now, that's not the case, but thyroid cancers are increasing. So I think this research from JAMA is going to add to the body of evidence that these cancers are, in fact, really happening at a higher rate than we would like to see, and that I hope

within a next sort of generation that we do see some action taken that certain cancers are screened for differently than they are now. Do you expect that it will move in that direction? I do. Okay. I do. You know, especially for things like what we've known has been so difficult to diagnose early, like ovarian cancer and thyroid cancer.

It's an ultrasound. It's a non-invasive test, and right now there's no protocol for screening for that. Do we need to screen younger for breast cancer? You know, those kinds of questions. I think the people who are in charge of making those decisions have a lot to think about. Dr. Natalie Azar, thank you. Coming up next to a halt, the mess inside of a German subway station, as floodwater pours inside and up in flames.

What caused a fire that engulfed the bus then jumped on to a busy highway. We'll be right back. Back now with an alarming report on missile test from North Korea. A new think tank report provided first to NBC News concludes that the ballistic missile launched by the regime on July 12th was likely the product of technical cooperation with Russia. The new missile is a significant advancement for North Korea.

Korea and significant escalation in the country's threat capability. NBC News, chief foreign affairs correspondent, Andrea Mitchell, joins us now. Andrea, what do we know about the capabilities of these missiles? Well, it's very alarming report, and this is from a new study from Beyond Parallel at CSIS, a think tank here, and Victor Chah, who is a contributor to NBC. And it was first reported by us that this new North Korean missile tested in July, July 12, is nearly identical, Ellison, in appearance and in trajectory data to a Russian missile that can penetrate U.S. missile defenses and carry multiple warheads across the Pacific and to the continental United States, in fact, as far as right here in Washington, D.C., the nation's

capital. So it is a significant advance. It's also being reported as a real trouble spot by South Korean intelligence tonight and confirmed by U.S. officials. Yeah, I mean, assuming this was, in fact, the product of Russian cooperation, which the evidence you've just laid out there is incredibly notable. What would that suggest about the relationship between North Korea and Russia right now? Well, it's been close for quite a while, but this test shows a lot of new evidence. First of all, Russia's defense minister, Sergei Shogu, met in Pyongyang with Kim Jong-un just two weeks later after the test on July 25th.

And this was to further cement their ties, and notably he came on the 70th anniversary of the armistice, so that's the founding of their nation. Then Russia was already helping North Korea with energy and food, which they need desperately. North Korea has been providing Russia with weapons to rearm it for Ukraine. So all of this is troubling. After that, Kim Jong-un came out with a statement of partnership with Vladimir Putin. So it is a much closer connection, and all of this in violation of the UN sanctions. And this will all be part of tomorrow's big Camp David summit, the first of its kind,

when President Biden is for the first time hosting the leaders of South Korea and Japan to discuss the growing threats in the region, which certainly include North Korea, but of course also what to do about China. So a lot of issues on the table tomorrow in Camp David. Alison. Andrea Mitchell, thank you. Now to Top Story's Global Watch and in Argentina, moments of panic as a crowded bus catches fire. Security camera footage captures the scary scene on a busy Buenos Aires highway.

You can see passengers escape from the bus before it is just engulfed by the flames. The fire then spreads across the highway as cars drive by, we're told no one was hurt. Authorities say the fire was sparked by an electrical issue. And in Germany, torrential downpours grinding one of Europe's busiest airports to a halt. Take a look at this water rushing down an escalator into a major subway stop in Frankfurt. Flood waters bursting through the glass at the city's airport, more than a thousand passengers stranded as runways and terminals alike were submerged.

Regular flights resumed late today as those waters finally receded. When we come back, Tom returns with our coverage from Hawaii. The church still standing as a beacon of hope in Lahaina. We'll talk to the Monsignor, leading parishioners there through this incredibly difficult time. We are back on the ground here in Maui, the devastating wildfires that erupted in Lahaina destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, but many in the area noticed one structure had been spared. You can see it right here in this video. Maria Lanakila Catholic Church in Lahaina was left unscathed as the rest of the surrounding area was completely destroyed. The church built in 1846 was untouched by flames, and now spiritual leaders are providing hope and health.

to its surrounding community who have lost everything. We are so lucky to be joined now by the Reverend Monsignor, Terence Watanabe. He is the vicar of Maui and Lanai, obviously part of the Archdiocese of Honolulu, the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor, thank you so much for joining Top Story tonight. Thank you for having us. This is your community. These are your people. This is your town.

And when you look behind us here, and you see what's left of this section of Lahaina. What goes through your head? Well, I think the, you know, the heartbreak and the devastation, just the numbers of people that have been affected by this fire and know that, you know, we are praying for everyone and trying our best to try to see how we can help the people who are here. And, again, through Catholic charities, through all of our parishes on this island, on the other side, as well as the wonderful prayers and support that has come into us from all over the United States and throughout the world. I mean, we're so grateful and really appreciative of the people's prayers and their care and their concern. And I think the thing that's amazing for us to realize is how many people have actually come to Lahaina and seen Lahaina from all over the world. And all of a sudden now the outpouring of their care and their support and just trying to stand by the people. I'm Catholic. I'm Christian. I understand the message.

You want to think that God is good. And I'm sure people from Lahaina are coming to you and asking why. why did God let this happen? Right. Well, I mean, again, you know, evil is present in our world, and so, you know, these kinds of things do happen. But I think the issue is, you know, we really need to trust in God. And if you're angry with God, feel free to be angry with God.

He's a big boy, and he can handle, you know, you're talking to. The worst thing would be for us not to talk to God than to give him the silent treatment. And so I think it's important that we do that because God promised to be with us, both in the good times and in the bad, in the joys and the sorrows of life. So, you know, again, opening ourselves up to the Lord and trusting in him. Last Sunday, when Bishop came to celebrate Mass with the people from Lahaina, we were out at Kapalua at the church there, Sacred Hearts. And again, the reading of the gospel was Peter walking on water. And, you know, right now that's what the Lord is asking all of us to do in the community.

And I think our community here in Maui, the community of the other islands, and throughout the world, people are walking on water. Walking on water is impossible. That's right, and to trust that God's going to give us the strength and the courage to do that. But also, Peter got frightened and he started to sink once he realized the wind was so strong and he started to go into the ocean to drown and, you know, God, he's called out, God, Lord saved me. And, you know, the Lord reached down and pulled him up. So the Lord is even there with us in the terrible times of our lives as well. As I look out, is that the spire of your church over there?

Yes, exactly. So how do you explain that, Father? because it is truly unbelievable. I have flown over this damage. I have driven through this damage. I don't understand how your church is still standing. How do you explain it? We don't understand it either, but truly, for us, it's a miracle.

And what's nice about that is that, you know, hopefully that, you know, in all the church, other churches that survived, hopefully are symbols and signs to us of God's love and God's presence in our community and in our world, and that God's not going to abandon us or forget us or leave us for loss. So he's always there with us. And that's a sign of his presence, you know, and a hope for us for the future. It's like looking at a rainbow or looking, you know, people's love for us. You know, we see God's love coming through them and through what's in our world.

You were able to have some type of service on Sunday? Yes, we were in couple with the bishop. What was that like? Oh, it was a great service. It was so nice, all the people that came. At least, you know, for the first time they got to see each other. They were sharing their stories as tragic as it was. But at least they had the support.

and I think that's the most important thing right now is, you know, the people are our church, not the buildings, and, you know, the fact that that church came together to support and be with one another and to pray to God together and, you know, to have the bishop there, you know, and again, we're all, you know, part of God's family. And so, you know, on Tuesday night,

we also had an ecumenical prayer service at our church at St. Anthony's in Wailuku. And that was, you know, it was just so nice to have all the different denominations come together and pray, because we are one body in Christ. And when one part of the body is hurting, the other part of the body is going to hurt.

So that was really good for us to be together, and it was so positive. But the stories were so heart-wrenching. But they really appreciated Bishop being there and praying with them and supporting them. Montignor Watanavi, we thank you for your time. We know this is a difficult period for you and your community. Finally, tonight, as we wrap a week of coverage here in Maui,

and nine days since this disaster, It's important you understand the effort to get answers here is just getting started. That right there is Lahaina, an American community that has a rich history. Once the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, before last Tuesday, a special place where residents say they took care of each other and looked out for one another. They called it paradise, and now it's a wasteland of ash and debris. A place where kids would have wheelie competitions right out in the street, and now cadaver dogs are working every corner. All the descriptions you have heard of this disaster are true. We've seen it up close, and we hope our reporting has conveyed that as well.

No Hawaiian, no American, no one deserves for this to happen in their community. To have your home, your town, your people burned off the face of this earth. And as we look at these images, it's still so hard to comprehend why. Why was this section of Lahaina burned, and why was this section of Lahaina spared? Why did people have to scramble out with thick black smoke billowing, flames surrounding them, and a traffic jam preventing them from getting out alive? How in 2023 with a cell phone in everyone's hand could residents not be notified of the dangers in their backyards? How with storm tracking could officials not know of the impending winds? If there were sirens, why weren't they used?

These are answers that we will get from solid reporting, independent investigations, and litigation that is now underway. In the meantime, the people of Lahaina are trying to get by. For now, many are being housed, fed, taking care of. But what happens in one month, six months, before this town is rebuilt? I know I'll be thinking about people like Ina Kohler, a Lahaina native, a firefighter, who told me it was Armagedding in the streets that day. How they had no water. And even though she and her team saved countless lives, she broke down because they couldn't save everyone. And those they couldn't save, they weren't strangers to her.

They were her neighbors. I'll also be thinking of Rapha Ochoa. He rescued two families, including half a dozen children. He's haunted by what he saw, and he's angry at his government, who he says abandoned him. And how about Noah and Milo Tompkinson? Two brothers, just kids spending hours in the water with their mother, all of them keeping each other alive as their town burned right in front of them. And then there is Marifel Lagaso. We just met her yesterday.

She's still looking for nine of her relatives, nine. We have pressed the utility company here, local officials and the governor, on how this happened, and we will not stop. NBC News is committed to covering this story for the long haul. It's what we do, and it's what those people who died just behind us deserve. Don't forget Lahaina. I know I won't. Good night.