Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, January 23, 2025

Episode Date: January 24, 2025

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 breaking news, President Trump ordering the release of the JFK assassination files. The public about to get access to the secret files after decades of speculation and conspiracies. Records on RFK and MLK Jr.'s assassinations will also be declassified. What will we learn and how much influence did RFK Jr. have on this decision? Also tonight, a federal judge temporarily blocking Trump's executive order. limiting birthright citizenship, calling it, quote, blatantly unconstitutional. And we have new reporting tonight on border agents

turning away migrants before they can even make asylum claims. The trouble with Elon Musk? The tech billionaire now using Nazi puns on social media just days after making a controversial gesture on inauguration day. And he's also trashing the president's AI initiative. Is the Trump-Musk bromance headed for a breakup? breakup. Plus, a man arrested for injecting bogus Botox in patients causing serious health issues, how you can protect yourself from a fake batch. Overseas the world's largest iceberg taking

direct aim at a British island, the animals now in danger. And the mocktail boom, sales of alcohol-free drinks surging, we visit one distillery shaking up the mocktail game, as many are saying, bye-bye, booze. Plus, rain in the forecast for four. fire-ravaged California, but could it lead to a new disaster? Top story starts right now. And good evening. Tonight, could decades of questions surrounding some of the most notable assassinations in our country's history finally be put to bed?

President Trump just signing an executive order to release a trove of classified documents related to President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights leader Martin Luther King. The political killings have long prompted skepticism and launched several conspiracy theories. President John F. Kennedy was shot while riding in his motorcade through Dallas on November 22nd, 1963. Officials concluded Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin, but some question whether he acted alone. And how was Jack Ruby able to kill Oswald? Former Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy was shot while addressing supporters at a hotel in Los Angeles on June 5th, 1968. His son, RFK Jr., who Trump has selected to lead

the Health and Human Services Department, has long believed the CIA was behind his fathers and his uncle's murders. A theory, his siblings do not support. And Martin Luther King, Jr., was fatally shot at a motel in Memphis on April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray pleaded guilty, but then later maintained his innocence. Members of the King family have also questioned that assassination. So will these new documents give us more of a full picture as to what happened, or will it confirm what officials have maintained for years? We'll speak with an expert on the topic in just a moment. NBC News Chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander starts off our coverage. They are among the most defining acts of political violence in American history,

taking the lives of three of the most iconic figures the country has ever known. President Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, and civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Tonight, with a stroke of a pen, President Trump ordering the full public release of classified files related to their assassinations, saying it will end the mysteries surrounding them. That's a big one, huh? A lot of people are waiting for this for a long, for years, for decades, and everything will be revealed. It's a campaign promise kept.

The president made a similar pledge during his first. first term, releasing many JFK files, but not all. I was actually asked by Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State not to, and he felt that it was just not a good time to release him. The swirling questions and conspiracies fueling an industry of books and films like Oliver Stone's 1991 hit movie, JFK. I never realized Kennedy was so dangerous to the establishment. The official Warren Commission report concluded Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but for many

the question still linger. Was Oswald the lone assassin, or did he have help? Was the CIA mafia or perhaps a foreign government involved? And was there another shooter on the grassy knoll that day? Kennedy's nephew, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump's pick for Health and Human Services Secretary, has long argued the truth is not fully known. CIA, yes, they were definitely involved in the murder and the six-year cover-up. The CIA has denied that allegation. Tonight, is criticizing the move, posting Declassification is using JFK as a political prop when he's not

here to punch back. There's nothing heroic about it. Then, just five years later, the stunning assassination of Kennedy's brother and presidential candidate RFK. Tonight, Kennedy reacting to the president's announcement. I think it's a great move. He's keeping his promise to have the government tell the truth

to the American people about everything. As for King's assassination that night in Memphis, members of his own family have asked if he was the victim of a government plot to kill him. With that, Peter joins us tonight live from the White House as well. Peter, do we have any idea when the public will be able to see these files? Yeah, Tom, it's a good question.

More than 60 years of waiting in many of these cases. The bottom line right now is they're not going to be handed over overnight. First, officials need to come up with a plan, Tom, and then present it to the president. All right, Peter Alexander, leading us off here. Peter, we thank you for that. I want to bring in Gerald Posner right now. He's a veteran investigative reporter who has dedicated much of his career to reporting on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He's the author of Case Closed that dismantles many of the most famous conspiracy theories about the assassination of JFK.

He was also interviewed for the frontline documentary, Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald, that is considered one of the most definitive docs on the event that's happened. He also authored many other investigative books, including one on the assassination of Martin Luther King, King Jr. Gerald, it is such a pleasure to have you on tonight. It's great to see you again. You were probably the best guest, I think, in this country to have on this topic tonight. So more than 30 years ago, you wrote the book, and you concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK by himself. As someone who's an expert, is there anything in these files you're curious about? Yeah, there are things, Tom.

I mean, you know, I'd love to see there are some files that are still sealed about the mafia and CIA plots against Fidel Castro. I'd like to know more about that. There's a document in there on Mexican intelligence information that was gathered on Oswald when Lee Harvey Oswald visited Mexico City only six weeks before the assassination. And it might disclose the extent to which the CIA knew how unbalanced Oswald was, and they didn't tell the FBI. So there could be some embarrassing things in here. It'll be interesting for history. But I don't think what most Americans are looking for, which is a smoking gun document that will turn the case on. his head and say, hey, here's who killed Kennedy, who's really part of the secret government

and here are the people involved. That's not going to happen. You gave us a little bit of a nugget there, so I do want to ask you about that. Do we know why Oswald goes to Mexico City and goes to the Cuban embassy? Yeah, it's so interesting. He's only 23 years old at the time because he just turns 24 when he gets up in a window and shoots at President Kennedy in November. He wants to go to Havana, where he thinks the real revolution is happening. He's a leftist who's went to the Soviet Union. He went after he was in the Marine Corps and said, you know, I'm turning up here and I want to be part of the Russian Revolution.

Then he hated it there. He thought that they had ruined communism. Came back to America and thought that this was equally bad. And then he looked to get to Cuba, but he was turned down in his travel plans by both the Soviets and by the Cubans. And when he came back to America, in early October, only six weeks before Kennedy visited Dallas, He was dejected and in the worst mood he had been in.

He had just failed a few months earlier to try to shoot and kill a retired Army general. So Oswald was sort of a powder cake ready to explode. And the president ends up taking a motorcade route that goes right in front of where Oswald works. It's one of those things you couldn't make up out of a movie, but it happened in reality. And just to be clear, what your book proves in a way and what that frontline documentary also proved when it came out in 1993, you think that Lee Harvey Oswald by himself assassinated John F. Kennedy by shooting him from the bookstore. There are no arguments and no questions about it, in your opinion. There's no question at all that Oswald was the assassin that day at D.D. Plaza and Dallas. So the only question is, did he do it for

himself or did he do it as part of a plot? That's always the toughest question. I've looked at those connections to see whether he did it, did he do it for the CIA, did he do it for the Russians, did he do it to impress Castro because he wanted to get to Cuba? There are all of those possibilities. But in the end, what's missing, Tom, is proof and evidence. And it's not going to be sitting there in a file that's been sitting in the National Archives for all of these decades. I think what will happen is if these files don't provide the evidence of conspiracy, which many people are looking for, and President Trump has raised the expectations with this dramatic

executive order, then Robert Kennedy and others are going to ask him to appoint, in essence, like a Truth in Reconciliation Commission, to say, let's look for assassination documents wherever they are in the government. I don't think that this case will be resolved to everybody's satisfaction after the files of race. Gerald, one of the big questions which led to a lot of conspiracy theories were how did Jack Ruby, the nightclub owner who killed Lee Harvey Oswald before he even goes on trial on live TV at the Dallas police headquarters? How was that able to happen? And do you think there might be any documents connected to that? You know, you ask the key question as far as I'm concerned as a reporter and as the

the same thing I had when I started to research the case in the early 90s, I thought it was a conspiracy because I thought Ruby's murder of Oswald, only you have a guy who looks like he's out of central casting for the mafia, shooting the accused assassin of the president of the United States two days after he's arrested. In police custody, it looks like a mob silencing, or he's been silenced. We've all seen those movies. So I was convinced that that's what it was. It's only when I went and followed the evidence that I realized it wasn't the case. Well, there'd be more information in those files on Ruby, possibly, but we're not going to find anything. We've looked already to see the mob connections.

They don't exist. We've looked to see in his background. Ruby turns out to be just somebody who's ruined the case for history by having killed Oswald for his own warped motivations, thinking that he was going to be a hero for killing the person who had killed the president. Instead, he ruined it for history. The documents related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. will also be released. In recent history, his daughter has said, I want to put this. up for our viewers here. Bernice King strongly contends that there is still a search for answers

as the assassination of her father was a culminated effort involving, quote, federal, state, and local governments, including the Memphis Police Department. More than a half century after his assassination, Bernice King told the griot that James Earl Waite, the man convicted in Dr. King's murder, was used as a diversion with the gun that he had. Could more on this potentially be revealed, and what do you think about that as somebody who's written a book on it? I think when it comes to the families, R.K. Jr., the King family, you know, it's very emotional. They're involved in a lot of things, especially the King family. They know that the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, ran the FBI. They were after Martin Luther King. They were trying to disgrace him. They had illegal surveillance on him on his personal life. So when he was killed, of course, they feel, you know, it just can't be this guy, James Earl Ray, who did it on his own. The shame of it is for the King family is that. that they've sort of absolved Ray of any responsibility. And again, Tom, I'm convinced from my own reinvestigation of the case,

I published those results in 98, James O. Ray was the fellow who shot Martin Luther King that day in Memphis. The question has always been, did he do it again for himself or as part of a plot? I think he did it for money that was coming out of the Midwest from a racist who was offering a bounty of up to $50,000 on Dr. King. So small conspiracy, but not the type of conspiracy that I think the King family and many other Americans are looking for, sort of a government secret state conspiracy.

We're talking about a half century here, right, Gerald? So I guess my question to you is, why would the government hold on to these documents for so long, right? Because in the first Trump administration, all of them could have been released as well, and they weren't. President Bill Clinton, going back to the 90s, had made a similar promise and released some documents or had sort of set the stage so we could get to this point. And my question is, do you think the reason why they didn't release them? You could wonder, hey, maybe they didn't want to reveal information sources, Intel sources, but it's been half a century. Do you think it's because it'll look embarrassing the way they investigated it or were they fumbled clues? I think there are two reasons why you have pencil pushers inside the bureaucracy who sort of dot every eye and cross every T and they say, gee, this is the name of a former intelligence asset who's still alive.

And our role is we don't release that information. There are Social Security numbers in there. A lot of Social Security numbers. We don't release that. There are tax returns in there of Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby. Tax returns aren't released. So the bureaucratic pencil pushers, they all say, let's follow the rules and not release them. And then there are others at the CIA who, I think, decades said, you know, this is embarrassing to the agency.

Because we should have told the FBI that Oswald was that unhinged when we found out about his behavior six weeks before in Mexico City. So that's going to come out. and it should be out. So my view of this, Tom, is that one of the worst things the government has done is sealed these files and held onto them for so many decades. Because one of the first things I run into, if I talk to somebody about one of these assassinations is, hey, why do they have all the files still locked up? They must be hiding a big secret. So it's good today that Trump is ordering them to be released. Finally, you know, I have to ask you, and it can't be lost on us. President Trump is someone who survived an assassination attempt, right? Do you think that had any effect in the decision

today? It had to play a role if you're thinking about a presidential assassination. The last president assassinated was Jack Kennedy in 1963, but for an inch of difference, we could have been talking about Donald Trump as the last president assassinated. So he has to think about those files. And I do think that RFK Jr. had a tremendous impact on him. Look, the Kennedy family is split. You reported on that on the lead-in. There's no doubt about that. Many of them do not agree with him. But he is the one, RFK Jr. who has Trump's here. And I think that Trump agreed, you know, RFK Jr. backed him. And one of the agreements that was made as a quid pro quo was that these files would be released as a top of Trump's to-do list.

And he followed through today. Gerald Posner, always a fascinating conversation. We appreciate you joining Top Story tonight. Thanks, Tom. We want to turn out to some other major Trump news, the newly sworn in president, signing multiple executive orders impacting immigration policy. in the U.S. Those orders now facing some serious legal battles. NBC's senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez with the latest.

Tonight, the first legal roadblock for President Trump's new immigration agenda, a federal judge temporarily blocking the president's attempt to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. The Constitution's 14th Amendment says anyone born in the U.S. is a citizen. Trump believes it's a magnet for illegal immigration, but a judge today calling the president's move a blatantly unconstitutional order. They put it before a certain judge in Seattle, I guess, right? And there's no surprises with that judge.

The legal showdown comes as the White House says its promised immigration crackdown is already underway. Ice agents seen arresting migrants with criminal records in Boston, while the president is sending 1,500 troops to the U.S. Mexico border. They've deployed active duty U.S. military and national guard troops to the border, assist in repelling the invasion. It's not the first time. The military says the mission is mostly logistical support. We were there in 2018 as the first Trump administration sent 5,900 troops to the border. Now the president is dramatically expanding the powers of federal agencies to help

with mass deportations. Not only is it going to be ICE engaging these raids, but also they're going to have support from their law enforcement partners in FBI, ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals. Borders are, says ICE arrested 308 undocumented immigrants nationwide on Tuesday. But those operations are not unique to the Trump administration. This is every day in Boston. As we saw last month firsthand near Boston. In fact, last September during the Biden administration, ICE arrested an average of 282 migrants a day. They are hunting us, this deported migrant says. Meanwhile, from three sources familiar with the planning, NBC News has also learned the Border Patrol is looking to expand the use of

water buoys along the Rio Grande to deter migrants, while President Trump is ramping up his push against Democratic-run sanctuary cities. In a new memo, the Justice Department threatening officials who block the president's immigration policies with prosecution. Tonight, across the border in Juarez, Mexico, authorities are now constructing massive shelters for the expected bottleneck of migrants as President Trump has in effect shut down the U.S. asylum system. Gabe Gutierrez joins us tonight from the White House. So, Gabe, you You have some new reporting about Customs and Border Patrol turning away asylum seekers at the border? Yeah, that's right, Tom. Look, as I just mentioned in the piece, it is quite remarkable.

In effect, President Trump has shut down the U.S. asylum system. And now we're hearing from multiple sources along the border, including three sources directly familiar, that migrants that are presenting themselves to ports of entry across the U.S. southern border are actually being turned away and sent back to Mexico. And I spoke with one immigration attorney who says that in Tijuana, Mexico, There's a lot of desperation there. They don't know what's next. And you'll remember Tom just a few days ago, the Trump administration shortly after the president took office shut down that CBP1 app, the app used to make appointments for initial screenings. Well, now there appears to be no way for migrant asylum seekers at all to be able to start that process.

So again, at this point, it appears that the U.S. asylum system in effect has been shut down, Tom. Gabe Gutierrez, with that new reporting tonight, Gabe, we thank you for that. legal ramifications from Trump's executive orders. I want to bring in NBC News legal analyst and friend of top story, Danny Savalos. Danny, I want to pick up where Gabe left off in his report, talking about the Trump administration, threatening those local officials who don't comply with their immigration orders. I want to put this up on the screen for our viewers. This is the memo that they put out, and here's what it reads.

The Supremacy Clause and other authorities require state and local actors to comply with the executive branch's immigration enforcement initiatives. Federal law prohibits state and local actors from resisting, obstructing, and otherwise failing to comply with lawful immigration-related commands. So what do you make of this memo and should local and state officials be worried of prosecution? They should be concerned. And really, the memo needs to tell the other side of the story, which is, yes, the supremacy clause generally provides that where the federal government and the state government have a overlap of jurisdiction. if the federal government, the federal sphere of influence is intended to occupy the field, then the federal government prevails. But there are other tricky issues with this.

Let me just give you an example. Let's say somebody's arrested, they're in jail, their cases dropped. What they're implying is that authorities should hold this person until the feds can come pick them up. Until ICE can go into the jail and take them. Exactly right. But the problem with that is the moment, and I can tell you as a criminal defense attorney, The moment a case against somebody ends and they're no longer allowed to be detained or kept in jail, then you're violating their constitutional rights by holding them just because someone from the federal government gave you a piece of paper that says, hold this guy until we come get him. It's not a warrant. It's just a, would you please hold him a piece of paper? And that's not enough to override an individual's rights, even in someone who's not here lawfully, to be free of imprisonment if there is no pending case against.

So they're going to set up, it sounds like, a group. that is just going to look at this, especially at sanctuary cities, right, which essentially sanctuary cities are places that before they said immigrants and documented immigrants can come here and if, you know, you can report crimes, you can ask about services and you're not going to be arrested. And in some cases, they're not going to work with the federal authorities like happened here in New York City. So let me put up another part of the memo here. This is what they write. The civil division shall work with the newly established sanctuary city's enforcement working group within the office of the associate attorney general to identify state and local

laws, policies, and activities that are inconsistent with executive branch immigration initiatives, and we're appropriate to take legal action to challenge such laws. Danny, it sounds like they are threatening the sanctuary cities and saying, if you don't play ball, we're going to come after your mayor, we may come after your chief of police. Is that what they're saying here? Oh, they're making it very clear. And just like these memos and executive voters. Is it legal? Well, it remains to be seen. I mean, the one thing we've learned about a prosecution is that somebody can initiate a prosecution, then it's incumbent upon the defendant to raise those kinds of constitutional

or other defenses to the court. So there really is, just like a lawsuit, there's really nothing to stop a prosecutor from going to a grand jury and getting an indictment, which is a very one-sided affair, hauling someone into court and then putting them on the defense

of making them prove that what they did was lawful. So President Trump's cracking down on DEI programs within the federal government. Now you have AGs, like in Texas, that are threatening the big banks saying, if you do business with the federal government, you need to get rid of your DEI programs as well.

Can they do that, or is that one step too far? Because these are private companies. Yeah, this might be an easier path for the Trump administration, mostly because the Supreme Court, in just the last year or so, struck down affirmative action. So affirmative action, they have a stronger argument to make that any kind of race or gender-based quotas are somehow unlawful. And in doing so, they certainly can go after, and by go after, I mean, companies, that to the extent, especially if they want to do business with the federal government, that the federal government can condition things on getting what the federal government wants. By the way, one of the federal government's greatest powers is not coercive.

It's the spending power. In other words, it is the carrot, not the stick. Often the federal government gets done what it could not otherwise get done by a mandate, by a statute saying thou shalt, by saying instead, hey, if you want, say, federal highway funding, all of you states need to raise your drinking age to 21. That's exactly what they did, and every state has 201. But quotas and DEIs and DEI programs aren't necessarily the same thing. They're not one and the same. They're not one and the same. And that's why I think you're going to see people looking into each of their programs to see whether or not they satisfy or meet the definition of a quota. And after all, I mean, some of these programs may have policies that are similar enough to quotas, at least in

Trump administration's mind, that it's worth taking legal action against them. Great to have you here. Thank you for explaining all that. We now turn to the unusual response from Elon Musk after critics say he used a Nazi salute on stage. The billionaire and close Trump advisor posting a series of puns involving Nazi names this morning on X. The post comes as Musk feuds with another wealthy tech mogul over Trump's $500 billion AI initiative. NBC News White House correspondent Yamish Alcindar has this one. Tonight, Elon Musk making light of a gesture some found offensive at an inauguration, celebration Monday.

And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you. Some critics saying this hand motion looked like a Nazi salute. This morning, Elon Musk on X with a message containing a series of Nazi-related puns, including saying, quote, bet you did Nazi that coming. The Anti-Defamation League, which initially defended must gesture as just an awkward on-stage moment, chastising him in a statement today, saying, quote, the Holocaust is not a joke. Musk has not responded to our request for comment about the incident.

It's the latest in a string of controversies ignited by the world's richest man, the close ally of President Trump. Musk undercutting Trump's announcement just days ago of a new $500 billion artificial intelligence initiative called Stargate. It's a collaboration of several existing AI brands. We wanted to be in this country and we're making it available. posting on X, quote, they don't actually have the money. Sam Altman, the head of Open AI, and one of Stargate's biggest backers firing back, writing, quote, wrong as you surely know.

Mr. President, does it bother you that Elon Musk criticized a deal that you made publicly that he said that he tweeted that? No, he hates one of the people in the deal. Must, earning a seat at Trump's inner circle after spending an eye-popping sum on his campaign, a reported $250 million. That included a daily million-dollar giveaway to registered voters who signed a petition in Battleground, Pennsylvania. If you already believe in the Constitution, you're just signing something you already believe, and you can win a million dollars. That's awesome.

But sources within the Trump transition told NBC News, his newfound influence has caused conflict in Trump world. His support of H-1B visas for foreign workers enraged the Maga faithful. And his near constant presence in Mar-a-Lago annoyed some Trump. Trump officials, with one saying, quote, he's behaving as if he's a co-president. And no, he's not taking the president. The two billionaires themselves have had a love-hate relationship with Elon Musk initially opposing his bid for president in 2016.

I feel a bit stronger that probably he's not the right guy. It doesn't seem to have this sort of character that reflects well in the United States. And although their relations warmed after Trump's first election, they've still had their differences. You know, he said the other day, oh, I've never voted for a Republican. I said, I didn't know that. He told me voted for me. So he's another bitch artist. But Musk endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania last summer

and has been a staunch supporter ever since. All right, Yamish, joins us tonight from Washington. Yamish, great to have you on Top Story tonight. This is not the first time Elon Musk has been accused of anti-Semitism, right? That's right. Some have criticized Elon Musk saying that he spread anti-Semitism. anti-Semitic messages on social media. They also say that under his ownership, X, formerly known as Twitter, has also been more inviting to hate speech. Elon Musk has denied spreading any

sort of anti-Semitic messaging. And he also says Twitter, now, of course, known as X, is a place that's really about free speech, Tom. Is anyone in Trump world, anyone in the administration, disowning Elon Musk because of his jokes about Nazis? Well, this is a key question. We haven't seen anyone in Trump world or close Trump allies break from Elon Musk because of this gesture or because of his statements even today with those dainty puns. What we have seen is Steve Bannon, who was a longtime ally of President Trump, someone who served in the first Trump administration. He has been criticizing Elon Musk for a different issue, and that is his comments on artificial intelligence and Stargate. He also has been saying that Elon Musk isn't moving fast enough

to splash government spending as he, of course, he heads that government agency that's going to be looking at government efficiency, Tom. Okay, Yamiche, great to see you. We thank you for that report. Next to Southern California's as we track the intense firefight tonight to get new wildfires under control with tens of thousands still evacuated. Crews waging massive air and ground attacks to get a handle on the flames and a new worry tonight, life-threatening mudslides with rain now in the forecast.

Liz Croyce reports. Tonight, relentless Santa Ana wind sparking multiple new fires across Southern California. forcing firefighters into what seems like a volatile game of whackamol, from Ventura County to San Diego to Los Angeles, where overnight, a brush fire ignited near the famous Getty Center, closing in on one of the city's busiest highways and prompting evacuation mornings in Bel Air. I can see it spreading in both directions. Crews knocking it down, while also waging a massive air and ground attack to get a handle on the Hughes fire in North L.A. County, which forced 30,000 people from their homes. a lot of personnel and equipment on scene in a relatively short amount of time. Across Southern California, 10 million people facing dangerous fire conditions with up to 70 mile per hour winds, but rain now in the forecast after months of bone dry conditions. Rain, is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Right now, what's predicted looks like a good thing because it's not a lot, but we're not taking any chances. The rain is also bringing concerns about mudslides with unstable land and the burn scars and all this toxic debris. Crews clearing debris, installing concrete barriers and giving out sandbags to shore up vulnerable areas. If the rain does pound for a significant period of time, there will be a slide. Despite a city on edge, multiple schools near Altadena reopening for the first time since the

Eaton fire. Some of my best friends might have lost their homes. Only no one whose house burned to the ground, so that was a sad thing. An attempt to return to normalcy as the fire threat looms large. Okay, Liz Kreutz joins us once again tonight from Malibu. Liz, what do we know about President Trump's visit to Los Angeles? Well, hey, Tom, we expect that President Trump will visit here tomorrow, and we do expect that he will survey some of the communities that have been ravaged by these wildfires see some of the destruction here,

like in Malibu where we are, this is just part of the destruction here, these what were these beautiful homes along the coast now destroyed. There's a gentleman. I'm not if you can see. He's been sifting through the rubble of his home wearing a hazard suit because of this toxic debris. And Tom, we've also learned tonight that state officials have secured $2.5 billion in emergency state funds, which they say will go largely to the cleanup process here in L.A. Tom. Okay, Liz Croyd, we appreciate that for more on the wildfire conditions out west. NBC news meteorologist Bill Karens joins us tonight. So Bill, walk us through what we're going to see over the next few days in terms of the winds, the mudslide danger, if there's rain on the way?

Yeah, we need the rain. I mean, that's the bottom line. We have to get rid of these red flag warnings. This one tomorrow will expire at 10 a.m. local time. The winds are still going to pick up later on the season. We already got some gusts at 39. As we go throughout the overnight period, we do think the winds will finally subside towards sunrise. The Hughes fire, by the way. So far, the winds have been kind of calm. We do think they'll jump up a little bit later on tonight, but they got a good handle on that last night. They did an excellent job in really tough conditions. So as far as the forecast goes, the wind shift tomorrow on shore. And then on Saturday evening, that's when the storm comes down from the north for the first time in forever, Tom.

We are going to have rain. We're going to have some snow in the high elevations. And this will be enough for be beneficial, but not too much that we have a lot of mudslide problems. Bill, we thank you for that. Still ahead tonight, the warning over counterfeit Botox, a man under arrest accused of using fake injections and harming his own patients. Coming up, we're going to tell you what you need to look out for. Plus the multi-billion dollar settlement tied to the makers of OxyContin, the historic deal forcing Purdue Pharma to pay out victims of the opioid crisis. And Ford issuing a recall you got to, you got to know about the concerns over cars losing drive power, potentially leading to a crash. The vehicles impacted. Stay with us.

Okay, we're back now with an alarming arrest here in New York City, a man who ran a popular spa has been charged for allegedly injecting patients with counterfeit Botox without a license. Some of those patients experiencing double vision and heart palpitations. NBC's Rahima Ellis has the details and what you can do to stay safe. Tonight, New York City, aesthetician Joey Grant Luther, faces multiple felony charges after prosecutors say he knowingly and without a license injected clients with counterfeit Botox from China, making some of them sick. Luther's medical spa, JGL aesthetics, flaunted luxury self-care and offered facials

and body sculpting on its website. But inside, prosecutors say, the clients were offered a different menu of services on an iPad, including a category called injectables. Luther assured clients he was using products purchased from allergen, an American company that manufactures Botox, according to officials. But according to a complaint filed in the Southern District of New York and unsealed on Wednesday, Luther was ordering counterfeit Botox from suppliers based in China and Hong Kong. Prosecutors say one patient who paid $463 for an injection was diagnosed with botulism, a rare

but serious disease that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis. After another client messaged Luther, they went to the ER for double vision. Luther replied, it's rare with Botox and assured the patient the Botox was not counterfeit, the complaint says. Adding that three days later, Luther texted his Chinese-based supplier saying, That lot number is contaminated that I bought from you. It's on the news here. On Monday, Luther was arrested and charged with wire fraud, smuggling, and holding counterfeit drugs for sale and for dispensing. Luther and his attorney did not respond to NBC News's request for comment. The counterfeit products that have been used had 150 units, which is something that's not even made.

So right there, you would know that that was fake. Dr. Lance Brown is a board-certified dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at NYU. He says the number one thing patients can do to stay safe is to check that their provider is licensed. It's very important to make sure that you check the credentials. of anybody you go see before going to get these injections. And to seek medical care if you experience these symptoms. Blurred or double vision, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, keeping your head or neck up in position.

These are all signs that could show that you've been injected with the counterfeiter fake product. And with that, Rahama Ellis joins us now in studio. So Rahima, explained to our viewers, what did Luther do after he realized the boat? he was using was making his patient sick. It is an interesting story, Tom. According to prosecutors, Luther continued to purchase and inject the counterfeit Botox

even after he learned that the clients had fallen ill or experienced strange symptoms. Luther faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on his top charge. He was released on a $100,000 bond and has a preliminary hearing set for February 12th. Okay, Rahima, we thank you for that. When we returned the fake Kelsey merch bust, group accused of forging ex-Eagle star Jason Kelsey's signature and selling memorabilia for up to $200,000. How they did it.

Stay with us. Okay, we're back down with Top Story's News Feed. Purdue Pharma and the family who owns it have agreed to pay up to $7.4 billion to settle OxyContin lawsuits in 14 states. Under the new proposal, members of the Sackler family, would pay $6.5 billion of their own money and give up ownership of the company. The funds will go towards victims of their families and to programs that try and fix the opioid crisis. Three people have been arrested after selling merch with fake signatures from ex-Philadelphia Eagle Star Jason Kelsey.

Officials say the group attended a signing ceremony featuring Kelsey last year, where they took pictures to replicate his autograph. In total, they sold more than 1,000 items, raking in $200,000 in profit. They each face 60 felony charges. And Ford issuing a recall following concerns over battery failures. More than 270,000 vehicles are impacted, including Ford Broncos sports SUVs made in 2021 through 23 and Maverick pickup trucks produced in 2022 and 2023. Officials say the batteries may suddenly stop working, putting drivers at an increased risk of crashing. Owners are advised to get their vehicles inspected. Okay, we move now to Texas and that deadly

police standoff that happened last night. Seven officers shot after responding to a call over domestic disturbance. Priya Strether is there in San Antonio with the details. Tonight, seven San Antonio police officers are recovering after being injured during an hour's long shootout, responding to a call at this apartment complex. First officer arrived to that call. There was a call from a family member. He arrived on the scene. and he would end up being shot. Police say that call was from the family member of the suspect, stating there was a suicide in progress.

San Antonio's police chief, William McManus, says when officers arrived, 46-year-old Brandon Scott Poulis opened fire, striking seven of them. Swat arrived on the scene. The suspect varricated himself inside the apartment for several hours. At the end of the event, the suspect was found to be deceased.

The events triggering police to use tear gas, evacuate some members of the apartment complex for safety, and asked others to shelter in place. I was coughing and sneezing and couldn't really tell what it was. Mario Garcia lives in the apartment directly above. He took this video from inside as he heard gunshots and felt the effects of the tear gas. I was worried about possibly being a casualty, and I was just trying to find ways to minimize that risk. So I ended up being in my bathroom most of the time, just kind of like furthest away from the windows and the doors. Police say Poulis had been arrested on Saturday and was facing multiple charges, including violation of a protective order and three assault charges. At the time of the shooting, he was out on bond.

Police are still investigating whether he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound or from police gunfire. None of the police officers' injuries are life-threatening. In fact, six of the seven who had been hospitalized have since been released. Tom? Good, those officers are going to recover. Priya, we thank you for that. Coming up, iceberg crash course, a block of ice roughly the size of Rhode Island, heading straight for a remote British island,

why experts are sounding the alarm for wildlife on that island. We're back now with Top Story. global watch. And an update tonight, Italy's high court has upheld Amanda Knox's slander conviction. Knox was found guilty for slandering her former boss last June. She falsely accused him of the 2007 murder of her roommate Meredith Kircher. The court upholding that conviction today after an appeal, but she will face no jail time. It's the final remaining conviction for Knox who was acquitted in 2015 for her roommate's murder. The world's largest iceberg on a collision course with a remote British island.

The ice block is slightly bigger than the state of Rhode Island and is reportedly headed for South Georgia and sandwich islands off the coast of Antarctica. Experts say the potential collision threatens the island's

king penguin and elephant seal populations there because it could potentially block feeding ground access. Okay. Mount Everest climbers will also face a price hike if they want to summit the world's tallest peak. Nepal is increasing

climbing permit fees from more than 35%, which means it will cost up to $15,000 to climb Everest during peak season in April and May. The change will go into effect in September. Nepal issues about 300 permits per year. We want to move now to Thailand where hundreds of couples said, I do, at a massive ceremony celebrating the country's legalization of same-sex marriage. After decades of campaigning, Thailand now the third place in Asia to allow people of the same-sex

to tie the knot. Janice Mackey Freyer falls one couple's journey to the best. big moment. Couples wore dresses, suits, or traditional Thai outfits. There were balloons, sparkles, and smiles as hundreds walked down a rainbow-colored aisle and proudly into history. Most people at this mass wedding have been in partnerships for years. But today marks the first time in Thailand that they can register their love as legal.

We can live safely and smoothly without being a burden to. anyone she says it's so good. Thailand has long been seen as open to LGBTQ plus people but it still took activists over two decades to campaign for full legal rights. It's not only protest on the street but we also do a lot of the advocacy. Thailand's prime minister on her Instagram account said the rainbow flag has been planted gracefully in Thailand adding everyone's love is legally recognized with honor and dignity. For Maple, a single mom, and her partner, Kevin, a transgender man. Being married means more than just a piece of paper, though they've been waiting six

years to get it. This law is important because this will be like family, the real family. Maple says a legal marriage gives them stability and respect, which has come reluctantly, even from their own families. So when they arrived at the mass wedding, they were beaming. They registered their documents, got marriage certificates, and with witnesses. My big brother. Yeah, yeah, my big brother.

And photos, they were newlyweds. Thailand becomes only the third place in Asia, behind Nepal and Taiwan, to allow people of the same gender to marry. The law also grants them adoption and inheritance rights. Thailand is also hoping the marriage equality law will be a boon for wedding tourism. This ceremony, the first to celebrate progress and to say love wins. Janice McAfee-Fraeer, NBC News, Beijing. When we come back, the mocktail market boom, alcohol-free drinks not just for dry January anymore.

The business has seen a surge in demand for their mock tales as well. Some even outpacing alcohol sales. We'll explain and even try some next. Finally tonight, the new mocktail movement. As dry January nears its last call, non-alcoholic beverages are actually rising in popularity, but is this trend here to stay? NBC's Valerie Castro takes a look at some of the booze-free beverages taking over the market. They're the new drinks promising you everything but a buzz. I drink this to kind of like wind down. It's supposed to me. you feel cool, calm, and collected. Non-alcoholic drinks surging in popularity. Some claiming

to ease stress, lift your mood, and help you focus, and they're even getting a celebrity boost. Here's to being open to life and drinking it all in. The first time I drink him. It felt nostalgic. Euphoric. It really helped get me through the first year of survival. Consumer intelligence firm Nielsen IQ finds non-alcoholic beverage sales have grown roughly 27% year over years since 2021, while alcohol sales ticked down slightly last year. Cocktail bars across the country are seeing an increased demand for non-alcoholic options, even after dry January comes to an end. Brooklyn Distillery St. Augustus launched their non-alcoholic phony-negroni three years ago. It's now one of the top ready-to-drink mottails on the market. How is it doing compared to your traditional liquors?

It's by far the biggest seller we have. And it actually became our best seller within two months of launching it. So it's outpaste your alcoholic beverages? Oh, by far. Yeah. Now we're selling, you know, on the San Agrestes brand, close to 90% of our sales are actually not alcohol. San Agrestes co-founder Stephen DiAngelo doesn't claim the phony Nogroney will boost your mood. But he says it does help satisfy a growing demand for health.

There was kind of a pullback regarding alcohol towards the tail end of the pandemic. People wanted to start thinking about their health quite a bit. Overall consumption trends, you know, globally are just going down. Earlier this month, the Surgeon General warning that alcohol consumption is linked to seven types of cancer. My brother, who was a big wine drinker, and the next day, you know, that that warning came out, he stopped drinking. It's only going to get bigger than, you know, the non-alcoholic trend. But while many are turning to mocktails for health benefits, UCLA Health Senior Clinical Dietitian, Dr. Dana Hunis, urges people to know what they're consuming. Adding herbal supplements in some canned beverages aren't FDA regulated,

and the data about their effects is limited. I do think that it's important to not overdo something just because it sounds really healthy because it comes from a plant. Their additives that companies are using to make their product seem healthier, when in reality, that's not always the case. The mocktail movement also creating a new space for people to gather without the pressure to imbibe. Renowned mixologist Derek Brown traded in booze for non-alcoholic beverages nearly a decade ago. Too often we are kind of thrust into drinking because of social conformity, peer pressure, stress, et cetera. And what we really need to do is step back. And dry January does that wonderfully and say, why are we doing?

this. What's our why? Brown launched an annual alcohol-free drinking festival in Washington, D.C., three years ago. Alcohol is optional, but connection is not. And so we have to really foster opportunities for that. So when we created mindful drinking fest, that was at the heart of what we wanted to do. Whether it's for health, sobriety, or socializing, it seems the mocktail movement is not just a passing trend. People probably realize that what they like is more, you know, hanging out, socializing, going to a bar, and it's less so about the alcohol itself and the drink. People are trying to be healthier, more mindful of what they take in, more active.

So I think, and now it's attractive. You don't have to sit there and drink, you know, orange juice. Valerie Castro joins us now in studio. So Valerie, who's driving the demand for these mock tales? So there's an industry research group called the International Wine and Spirits Record, and they found that millennials followed by Gen Z are really driving the demand for this. And the co-founder of St. Agrestes, who we interviewed for the piece, says he is seeing that reflected in his sales as well. He says millennials tend to be more likely to spend a little bit more money on a craft cocktail, even if it doesn't have alcohol in it compared to Gen Z.

But we should note that since the Surgeon General put out that cancer warning, alcohol companies, some major alcohol companies have seen a major dip in their stocks. Okay, yeah, it's a good thing to point out. And then are these expensive? Are they cheaper? So something like this, Sanagrestes, their phony-negronies, go for about $63 for a 12-pack that works out to a little more than $5 a bottle. I've seen them on the menu at bars and restaurants here in New York for about $10. So they're not cheap. They're not cheap. They have seen restaurants charging the same price for a mocktail as a cocktail.

$15, $16, $17. Of course, that's prices here in New York. And you have been looking at those mocktails because you're expecting. And now we're going to get to try these great drinks? Yes, so this is the phony ngroni. Of course, traditionally, when it has alcohol, it has gin in it. Okay. So take a taste of that.

All right. Valerie, we'll toast you. It's a little pinker than a ngroni. But let's try it here. It tastes like a ngroni. That's impressive. It does taste like a ngroni. Let me see.

Pretty close. I want to knock the edge off. Let's see if this works. I'll compare it to the real thing once I have this baby. All right, toast to you, Valerie. Thank you, and this was a great drink. We thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamous in New York.

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