Top Story with Tom Llamas - Thursday, November 7, 2024

Episode Date: November 8, 2024

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world.

Breaking news tonight as we come on the air, President-elect Trump naming Susie Wiles, his chief of staff. Wiles, the manager of his campaign, will now carry out Trump's operations while in the White House. So who else will help execute his agenda? We're breaking down which of his closest allies are vying for top spots in his administration. Are Kristen Welker speaking with Trump this afternoon what he told her about his big plans for day one? This, as President Biden vows to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. Also tonight, border surge, the Biden administration bracing for a potential influx of immigrants before Trump takes office, how they're preparing for a spike in immigration as Trump vows to crack down on border security. Wildfires raging out of control in Southern California, dozens of homes engulfed by flames and neighborhoods left completely destroyed outside of Los Angeles, thousands under evacuation orders as powerful Santa Ana winds fuel the infernal.

You'll hear from residents returning home to find nothing and the concerns the situation could worsen next week, we'll explain. The arrest made in connection to the death of One Direction Star Liam Payne. Three people charged, including a hotel employee, after the singer fell off his hotel balcony. The role prosecutors say they played in the troubling moments before he died. Hurricane Raphael slams into Cuba plunging the entire island nation into darkness once again. Millions forced to rely on flashlights. storm blasting at Cuba, packing Cat 3 strength, knocking out its already vulnerable power grid,

where the storm is headed next. Does cold medicine really work? The FDA announcing it wants to pull an ingredient used in popular over-the-counter medications after finding it doesn't actually relieve symptoms. We speak with a doctor about what that means for drugs like mucinex and Benadryl and what you should take when you get sick.

And last dance, Olympic internet sensation Raygun, announcing she's retiring from break dancing. The reason she's hanging up her dancing shoes and what's next for her. Plus, lab monkeys on the loose, police warning people to lock their doors after dozens of monkeys escaped a research facility. Top story, it starts right now. And good evening. We start tonight with that breaking news. President-elect Trump naming Susie Wiles, the manager of his campaign, as his White House chief of staff. Wiles is credited with running Trump's triumphant campaign and is an aid he truly trusts greatly.

Though she tends to stay out of the spotlight, she was the powerhouse behind his operation to win back the White House. Trump just releasing this statement about his decision saying, quote, Susie Wiles just helped me achieve one of the greatest political victories in American history and was an integral part of both my 2016 and 2020 successful campaigns. So who is she? Well, she's a Florida-based Republican strategist who helped Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. to victory in 2018, though DeSantis did not keep her in his inner circle. As the President-elect just mentioned, she also helped run his first two campaigns in the Sunshine

State. She also worked in former President Ronald Reagan's Labor Department decades ago. Wiles will be the first woman ever to hold the title of Chief of Staff. As President-elect, Trump's transition team kicks into high gear, we're breaking down who else is in line for other senior roles. Vaughn Hilliard with new reporting, leading us off tonight from Mar-a-Lago. Thank you very much. Tonight, less than 48 hours after Donald Trump's historic victory.

One of the most important positions in his new administration now decided. Trump announcing tonight that his White House chief of staff will be Susie Wiles, his co-campaign manager, one of the most respected operatives in Republican politics, and revered by Trump and his allies, the architect of Trump's return to the White House. The ice made. We call it the ice bag. It comes as the jockeying has already begun for other houses. coveted positions in his cabinet and new administration, including by a slew of old rivals turned allies. Former primary opponent Vivek Ramoswamy, Doug Bergam, Tim Scott and Marco Rubio,

the Florida senator not ruling out a role in the second Trump administration in an interview with the Today Show. Who knows? I mean, we're not even 12 hours removed from the outcome in this election. So, again, I mean, those are decisions they'll start working through right now. Trump transition officials are moling two of the president-elect's allies for Attorney General, according to multiple sources who spoke with NBC News. Matt Whitaker, who filled the role briefly after Jeff Sessions' departure in the first Trump administration. God bless the United States for America. And Missouri Senator Eric Schmidt, who has traveled with Trump on the campaign trail in recent weeks.

The president-elect also teasing a health policy role for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite his reputation for vaccine skepticism. Would you like to be nominated to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services? Like I said, I don't know if that's the post that I want. I may be more effective in the White House as the health are or something like that. But we don't know. We haven't decided we're meeting today on these issues. Trump first campaigned in 2016 on a promise to bring an all-star cast to the White House. We're going to deliver.

We're going to get the best people in the world. But the man who rose to fame for firing people... So I say, Tiffany, you fired. Nadia, you're fired. Gene, you fired. They didn't stop when he got to Washington. We learned that President Trump has fired FBI director James Comey. The president took to Twitter and announced his attorney general, William Barr, will be stepping down.

Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, the man President Trump once called one of his generals, is resigning. The president-elect with heavy turnover in his first White House. Trump, acknowledging personnel, was an Achilles heel for his first administration. The mistake would be people. I mean, I wouldn't have put a guy like Bill Barr in. He was weak and pathetic. I wouldn't have put Jeff Sessions in. Now determined not to repeat those mistakes. Howard Lutnik, one of his transition co-chairs, telling us before the election that this time they will select officials who Trump has a history with in trust from the outset. Donald Trump is going to have the best administration this time. He's a pro. He's never been a pro.

No one's ever had the opportunity to do a second term from scratch, and we are going to bring the best talent of America. All right, Vaughn, the new era of the Trump presidency is on, and I say that because we now have some breaking news that's just in as well, some reporting. I'm sure you've seen that the governor of Virginia, Glenn Yonkin, has informed the Trump transition team that he intends to serve out his term as governor of Virginia and not be offered any sort of role in a Trump administration, if that was even up for him. You're joining us now from West Palm Beach, Florida. What else can we expect? Any other decisions you think that are going to be coming about senior staff? Right. You closely reported on his first transition back in 2016, Tom.

And you know that the process between the credible and likely potential picks for cabinet administration posts versus the names of some folks who are interested in float their names out. And that's where, as you said, we're just 48 hours from his election here. And that's what is kind of descending upon Mar-a-Lago here right now. You have the likes of for Secretary of State, for instance, Marco Reby was name in the mold, but also former acting director of national intelligence from its first administration. Rick Connell, there's big divides over opinions on both of those men in the type of foreign policy they would carry out on behalf of the Trump administration.

But then also, for example, at the attorney general level, right? You have that former acting attorney general, Matt Whitaker, and then you have the like, of the senator from Missouri. And so really for this moment of time, it's not only a vetting of these individuals' actual backgrounds, but also it is a discussion over the extent to which these individuals have historically been loyal to Donald Trump, and there's belief that they would be able to serve the administration

for not just one or two years, but potentially for the full-year term that Donald Trump is about to take on. And, Von, before we let you go here, I know there is some new reporting about the Fed Chair Jerome Powell and not just cutting rates today about his sort of What's going to happen under a Trump administration? Right. Typically, the Fed chair has independence from the President of the United States, and it was Donald

Trump that actually named Jerome Powell back in 2017, the Fed chair. But in the years since, he's been highly critical of Powell suggesting that he should have more quickly dropped interest rates. And just here today, Jerome Powell made it clear that he does not intend to resign or leave his post, even if Donald Trump were to try to push him out, making him. the case that it would be against the law for Donald Trump to do so. His term ends in 2026. So unless Donald Trump tries to take him on legally, it appears that Jerome Powell intends and will carry out the next two years of his term. Tom?

Bon Hillier, leading us off here on Top Story. Von, we thank you for that. Moderator of Meet the Press, Kristen Welker, interviewed President-elect Trump over the phone just today on a wide range of topics, including his victory over Vice President Harris, policy priorities, and conversations with world leaders he's having right now. I want to bring in Kristen to talk about her exclusive interview. And Kristen, we should tell our viewers that you spoke to him before the news broke about the chief of staff, which he announced. Anything you want to add to that reporting about Susie Wiles now being hired? Absolutely, Tom. You're right. I did ask him in our telephone interview if he would, in fact, name Susie Wiles as his chief of staff. He didn't

say he was going to at the time, but he called her great. And someone who'd done, a great job with his campaign. And I can tell you, just based on my conversations with people inside Trump world, a lot of his allies were hoping that he would pick Susie Wiles to head his administration. She is someone who's widely respected in political circles and just zooming out a little bit, Tom. Think about the campaign he just ran. Yes, of course, he went off script during rallies, but it is widely seen as being the most disciplined Trump campaign of all of the three Trump campaigns, very few leaks, not the type of knife fighting that we've seen in the past. And so I can tell you that a lot of his allies inside Trump world are glad that he made this

announcement and made this announcement quite quickly after winning that decisive victory. Yeah, it shows he's getting to work. It's also pretty interesting, as you know, in Trump world, sometimes the elbows can be sharp, and that staffers were unanimous that they wanted her for the job. Says a lot about her. Okay, talk to us about your big interview with him and what you learned. Well, Tom, look. He is clearly emboldened. He talked about the fact that he believes he has a mandate because the victory was decisive, because he has gained grounds with so many groups across the country, because he made inroads in traditionally blue states and blue counties. Here's how he described his mandate. He says, quote, it's a mandate to bring common sense back to the country. So we'll have to see how that plays out. And I asked him, what's your top priority? You've talked about a range of different issues from your mass deportation

plan, of course, to tariffs. We did talk about, and the first thing he named was securing the border. Let me read you what he said, because I asked him about his mass deportation plan, Tom. I said, how much is it going to cost? Do you have a price tag? He said, it's not a question of a price tag. It's not really. We have no choice when people have killed and murdered when drug lords have destroyed countries, and now they're going to go back to those countries because they're not staying here. There is no price tag. So again, Tom, pretty defiant there and feels as though he has a mandate to move forward with those policies. And he also talked to you about some world leaders that he's spoken to. He's been receiving calls. Just fascinating, Tom. He says the calls

keep coming in. He says he's taken about 70 calls. He says he is going to release a list. I said, well, who have you spoken to? He said, well, throw out some names. And I'll tell you if you're right. I said, OK, Prime Minister Netanyahu, he said, yes, he had spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who, of course, congratulated him. He's also spoken to leaders of the EU, the President of France, the leader of Italy, as well as, and I asked him, have you spoken to President Zelensky and President Putin? Of course, he's talked a lot about how he wants to end that war in 24 hours. He says he has spoken to President Zelensky. He has not yet spoken to President Putin, but he anticipates that he will have that conversation. And before you go, Kristen, so how did he sound? I mean, was he upbeat? Did he sound like he was

exhausted from a long campaign season? You know, it's interesting. He acknowledged that he's lost his voice a bit after having so many rallies in the closing days, but boy, did he sound upbeat and incredibly bullish after that decisive victory. He touted the fact that he had made inroads with various groups that he, for example, got more support from Latinos, from African Americans, from people who live in urban, ex-urban areas than he's seen in the past. And so that's really fueled what he called the biggest mandate in more than a hundred years. He touted the fact that Republicans now have control of the Senate. He sounded very confident that Republicans will take control of the House.

Of course, the math tells us that the path is quite narrow for Democrats at this point. But yes, he seemed quite bullish, Tom, acknowledging that his victory was incredibly decisive. Kristen, welcome for us. Kristen, we thank you for that. And as you just heard, President elect Trump is vowing to secure the border, and that message is already reaching migrants who are looking to enter the U.S. The Biden administration bracing for the possibility of a surge in crossings over the next two months as some migrants try to get in before Trump takes office. NBC's Julia Ainslie with new reporting tonight. Tonight, the Biden administration quietly making preparations in case of a surge of border

crossings. One they're predicting might come as more immigrants may scramble to get into the United States before President-elect Trump takes office. NBC News Learning Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas met this week with the leaders of ICE and customs of border protection to be sure they are ready, though DHS officials said they have not yet seen an uptick. We're going to have to seal up those borders and we're going to have to let people come into our country. We want people to come back in, but we have to, we have to let them come back in, but they have to come in legally. Years of Trump's tough rhetoric on border security and harsh policies, like family separation and remain in Mexico, have migrants on their way to the U.S.,

thinking their window to enter may soon be closing. We spoke to Gustavo Banda, who operates a migrant shelter in Tijuana where migrants wait before crossing. He said most of the 1400 migrants in his shelter now are waiting to enter legally through the Biden administration's CBP One app. But many are worried Trump may take away that chance. So the coyotes, another word for smugglers, are pressuring migrants to cross, he said. What are coyotes telling immigrants to do right now? Coyotes are telling people that they need to go at this moment before Trump is in power. We saw that a big caravan is leaving Chiapas with the goal of crossing before Donald Trump comes to power, he says.

Meanwhile, on WhatsApp, migrants are talking to coyotes and with each other about what Trump's win means for their chances of entering the United States. After the 21 of January, he'll close the borders with extreme security, one migrant said in Spanish. Is it true that CBP1 will end? I don't believe it, another says. While threatening to end legal pathways like CBP-1, Trump is touting ways to crack down on anyone attempting to cross illegally. I will immediately ask Congress for funding to hire 10,000 new border agents and to approve a 10% raise for existing agents and a $10,000 retention and signing bonus. We're doing it. There is also uncertainty for migrants living in the country, as Trump has also vowed to target millions of undocumented immigrants for deportation.

Greg Chin of the American Immigration Lawyers Association said his attorneys are already getting calls from worried clients. It is going to cause fear and anxiety throughout the immigrant community, including people who are both undocumented and people who do have legal options or legal status already. For now, those close to Trump say nothing is final until Trump himself announces it. But Trump did talk today with NBC's Christian Walker and he said addressing the border will be one of his first priorities. along with that long-stated mass deportation plan. Tom? Okay, Julia Ainsley, Julie, we thank you for that. And today in Washington, President Biden delivered his first on-camera remarks following the crushing defeat of his vice president in the 2024 election.

Biden defending his legacy and promising a peaceful transfer of power when President-elect Trump takes office. Gabe Gutierrez tonight with more on the president's message and the reckoning underway within the Democratic Party. Speaking publicly for the first time since Donald Trump's sweeping election victory, President Biden telling Americans he's spoken to the president-elect. I assured him that I'd direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition.

After a grueling campaign where the president described Trump in stark terms, Trump is a threat to this nation. It's a threat to our democracy. Today, a more unifying tone. We accept the choice the country made. I've said many times, you can't live. love your country only when you win. He urged Americans to lower the political temperature.

I also hope we can lay the rest of the question about the integrity of the American electoral system. It is honest, it is fair, and it is transparent. He also praised what he called Vice President Harris's inspiring campaign. But within the Democratic Party, a difficult post-mortem is already underway. Democrats have to do some real soul-searching. Privately, some Democrats are blaming the president for not dropping out of the race sooner. A top Harris campaign official deleted his social media account after taking an apparent swipe at the president, writing, we dug out of a deep hole, but not enough.

Still, Philadelphia's Democratic chairman blames poor decisions by the Harris campaign for losing Pennsylvania. I don't think that the Democrats that live in the city related to her. Some Democrats are also urging the party to move to the center. The far left is pressuring the party to take part. policy positions that are deeply unpopular among most Americans. But today, President Biden defended his legacy, touting major investments in infrastructure. It's been an historic presidency.

Not because I'm present, because what we've done, what you've done, a presidency for all Americans. A White House official says President Biden will attend Trump's inauguration, and they're expected to meet here in the Oval Office in the near future. Tom? All right, Gabe Gutier's first, Gabe. We thank you for that. The world watching as President-elect Trump prepares his return to the White House. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who appeared in a lengthy press conference with Trump during his first term,

reacting to the election results for the first time today, praising Trump and saying he is open to communication. NBC's chief international correspondent Keir Simmons all over this one. President Putin tonight congratulating President-elect Trump, signaling he's open to a meeting, perhaps even before the inauguration. If it makes a phone call, if he says, Vladimir lets me, so you're willing to talk to Trump. Yes, we are. Holding court for hours this evening at an annual discussion group in Russia. But it is this first reaction to the election that is making headlines, effusively praising Trump.

His behavior when there was an attempt on his life, you know, I was impressed. He is a courageous person. A person shows their true color. in these emergencies and this is precisely one of those cases and I think he acquitted himself admirably. If he says great things about me, I'm going to say great things about him. I've already said he is really very much of a leader. Far more than our president has been a leader.

Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. The two men held multiple controversial summits during the last Trump administration. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this. I don't see any reason why it would be. Vladimir, thank you very much. Two weeks ago, I asked President Putin about his long-running relationship with President Trump.

We are weeks away from the U.S. election. Russia again is accused of interfering, and that you have had private conversations with form. President Trump. Have you been speaking with him? And what have you been saying? That's all my contacts with Mr. Trump. Well, this is a thing that has been discussed through rumors. If the U.S. is open towards building a normal, healthy relations with Russia, then we will do the same. But it's going to be the choice of the future administration. Tonight, Putin even echoing Trump election themes, like his suggested ban on transgender athletes in women's sports.

The opportunity for men to compete in women's sports, you know, it simply destroys women's opportunities. Women should compete with women. The Kremlin today saying it's not planning to contact President Biden. The two have not spoken for a long time. But the Kremlin did not rule out a Putin-Trump summit before January. or even a Russian delegation invited to the inauguration. Others in Moscow still cautious of a second Trump administration. Before the election, a pro-Putin lawmaker who was jailed in America accused of spying, telling

NBC news. I served time when Trump was in charge, and the hostile sanctions were placed on Russia during the Trump era, and the expulsion of the diplomats, Russian diplomats, was was during the Trump's era, which means I would, you know, differ what people say and what they do. However, being in Russian, I always have hope. Tonight, America's adversaries and allies waiting to see what move President-elect Trump makes over Ukraine. One report said the transition team already has proposals for Ukraine. Today, two European diplomats telling NBC news those plans have not yet been shared.

Kier Simmons joins us tonight. So, Kier, we heard from Kristen earlier in the broadcast that President-Elect Trump had that phone call with Zelensky. What does his presidency really mean for the war in Ukraine? Well, what the world we live in, Tom? That conversation that Christian Walker was having with President-elect Trump. She was having that conversation just while President Putin was speaking, and you've got to think the Russian leader trying to send a message to President-elect Trump.

And to answer your question, I think that the real question now is not just about what does President elect Trump want. We know he wants an end to the war in Ukraine. But how do you achieve that? How do you persuade President Zelensky to agree to some compromises? How do you persuade President Putin, who may be feeling emboldened right now, to come to the negotiating table? And what does a deal look like in the end? what happens crucially to that territory that Russia invaded all those years ago.

You know, you touched upon this in your report, but do you foresee another Trump-Puton meeting in this next administration? Well, isn't it fascinating to hear President Putin suggest that he would be interested in something like that, maybe even before the inauguration? I would be, look, you just don't know, right? I mean, that's one of the aspects of President-elect Trump. We know that about him. But I would be surprised if there wasn't a summit of some nature,

maybe even before we get to January. But certainly, that is something that President Trump feels he is able to do to sit down with someone like Putin and negotiate. There are going to be controversy around it. Inevitably, there's going to be criticism. But I think we are very likely to see something like that, Once again. Keir Simmons for us, Keir, we appreciate that.

Back here at home, we're going to take a turn now. A dangerous situation unfolding in Southern California. Fast-moving wildfires exploding in size, forcing thousands to quickly evacuate, whipping winds stoking flames that destroy dozens of homes north of Los Angeles. Dana Griffin reports from the front lines with a look at the damage. Tonight, the wildfire threat in Southern California, not over, as whipping winds send dozens of homes up in flames. It remains dynamic and it remains dangerous.

Santa Ana wind gusts spreading embers through this heavily populated area. Some carried up to three miles away, starting new fires. There's a fire in the backyard. 14,000 residents told to evacuate. Phil Amatia left his home of 30 years as the fire tore through his neighborhood. Or any houses burned? When I left, they were burning. How many?

One next door to me, one across street from me. and one of the top of my homes. Fire crews are going up and down this road trying to reach homes like this that are fully engulfed. You can see this plume of dark smoke billowing into the air. As this fire rips through the home, it is going to be

a total loss as it is completely obliterated. The wildfire threat has expanded beyond the West Coast, known for its dry conditions. Today, parts of New Jersey are also ablaze. Smoke visible for miles. A new fire in Burlington County, threatening more

than 100 structures. Back in California, residents are starting to return to their homes no longer standing. It's very sad. It's very, very sad, but we got out with our lives, two cars and a dog. We can't ask for much more, and we have insurance. So we're just going with that. As firefighters battle tough conditions like sporadic winds and at one point running out of water. It's intense as it gets. The hair on the back of the firefighter's neck, I'm sure, was standing up. Firefighters are committed to saving homes. and lives okay Dana Griffin joins us tonight from Camarillo this is in Southern California just north of Malibu the firefight is not over and there's another strong wind event sent to impact the same area next week are firefighters

they're prepared well Tom they say they are that next Santa Ana wind event is expected Tuesday night and officials say they are preparing now ready to respond to any impacts that could come from that event and when you've got Santa Ana winds for those those that don't know, that is when you've got that hot desert air that blows east to west from the mountains to the coast. And when you've got the three major indicators or three major contributors to a massive wildfire, like what we saw out here, topography, weather and the fuel, it creates a very challenging situation that, again, Tom, firefighters say they are up for and that they will be ready for when that comes if it comes.

All right, Dana Griffin, not too far from the fire line there. Okay, Dana, thank you for more on the ongoing fire danger in California. NBC News meteorologist Bill Cairns joins us live now. Bill, good to see you. It's been a while. Talk to us about these fires and what the people in Southern California need to know. Well, Tom, if you notice, Dana, the wind wasn't blowing behind her. So we've made it to the end of this Santa Ana wind event. So here's the fire perimeter that we've been dealing with the mountain fire. And the active portion of it today is on the northeast side burning towards the Santa Clara River. So this is kind of a very rural area, not a lot of homes. It was this area where all the homes burned yesterday when the storm was really.

really moving fast. So as far as what we're dealing with currently, we still have winds that could potentially get us gust up to maybe 40 or so in isolated spots, but they've really come down from earlier today. And once the sunsets, it'll get a lot better. Now the wind gusts are in the 10 to 25 mile per hour range, just north of an ice here, get gusting 30 to 40. So still isolated concerns, but we've made it to the tail end of this. It looks like tomorrow afternoon, the winds will gust a little bit again. So that's why we still have red flag warnings that erupt for the area, but it's not quite as bad as it was the last two days. And this is the beginning of our Santa Ana win season.

We're going to, as we mentioned, it looks like Wednesday and Thursday, significant wins, maybe even higher than what we just dealt with, Tom, with this event. Okay, Bill Kerrins for us. Bill, we thank you for that. Still ahead tonight, the arrest made in connection to singer Liam Payne's death. What prosecutors are saying happened in the moments before the former One Direction Star fell from his hotel balcony, plus bullets flying on a busy highway in North Carolina, the string of shootings during rush hour traffic and the arrest made late today. And dozens of monkeys. That's right. Monkeys breaking free from a research facility,

the warnings tonight from police, as the animals remain on the loose, will tell you where, how many, and the reasons why people have to be careful. Stay with us. All right, we are back now with an update in the death of One Direction star Liam Payne. Argentinian officials arresting three people in connection to the singer's fatal fall from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last month. Chloe Malas joins us now in studio. So, Chloe, walk us through who was charged and what exactly they're charged with. So, Tom, federal prosecutors in Argentina have not revealed the identities of these people, but we do have some details. One of them is someone who they say was with pain on a daily basis at the hotel in Buenos Aires. And they have

been charged with abandonment. The two others, which actually includes a hotel employee, are charged with procuring and facilitating drugs to pain. And so this is all very interesting because now we're getting more insight into those final moments of his life. You know, also I want to point out that prosecutors have revealed that nine raids took place as part of this ongoing investigation. And also tonight, we have new details about the toxicology report. They're saying that they found cocaine in his system, alcohol, and a prescription antidepressant. So what do we know about the hotel because one of their employees was charged? Are they saying anything? The hotel hasn't said anything yet, but this is a very

hip hotel where a lot of celebrities go. And, you know, they've obviously been conducting this. investigation just recently, we actually saw his father, Giof Payne, visit the hotel, and there were photos of him actually looking at the room in the hotel balcony where he fell. I mean, I also just want to point out that there have been fans that have continued to gather in front of that hotel with, like, tributes and flowers, and it's obviously an incredibly set situation, and he was there for over a week. He had actually been in Argentina to see a fellow One Direction star perform just a few weeks earlier. I know you have some new reporting, too, about the funeral.

So one of the things was as this investigation was ongoing and as the toxicology report was pending, they couldn't release the body until that was all done. And now that the toxicology report, Tom, is in and they have those details. They've given the findings to the family and they've now released the body. And according to reports, his body has now been transferred back to the UK where he was from and funeral arrangements are currently pending. Okay, Chloe Malas, a lot of new reporting there. We thank you here in the U.S. an update in the trial of Brian Cobra. That's the man accused of fatally stabbing four college students in Idaho nearly two years ago. His defense attorney is now asking a judge to take the death penalty off the table if he's convicted. For more and all of this, I'm joined now by NBC News correspondent Valerie Castro. So Valerie, can you bring us up to speed on the case and break down what happened in today's hearing?

Yeah, Tom, just to recap, this was the 2022 murder of four University of Idaho college students at their off-campus home. Police say they were stabbed to death in the middle of the night. Several weeks later, police announced the arrest of Brian Coburger in Pennsylvania. They say at the time of the murders, he was a college student at the University of Washington studying criminology. He was a doctoral student there. No motive has ever been publicized in this case. No murder weapon has ever been found. Koberger, even though he was charged with the murders in this case, has pleaded not guilty.

And now that he has been charged and he is facing trial next week, today his defense attorneys filed a motion asking for the judge to drop the death penalty. in this case if he is convicted. The defense argued that the state of Idaho has not been able to carry out a death penalty execution appropriately. They cited the case of Thomas Creech. He is the longest serving death row inmate in the state. In February of this year, the state tried to carry out that death penalty sentence, but there were several attempts and failures to establish an IV line in Creech's arm.

And so the lethal injection was never able to be administered that has since been postponed. And so Coburger's defense team says that it would be unconstitutional for him to be waiting in jail if he is convicted, waiting for a death penalty sentence to be carried out. Take a listen to what they said in court today. We think that the court ought to strike the death penalty in this case and not allow the case to go forward as a death penalty case because Idaho does not have a current means of executing anybody. When somebody sits on death row and there's no real means of executing them that is

dehumanizing to that person. The prosecution arguing that there's no telling what could happen in the future, that the state could have a reliable means of carrying out an execution in the state. The judge did not make a ruling on this motion today. Instead, he said he will issue a written ruling at a later date. Tom. Okay. And Valerie, you know, this case has been plagued by delays.

Do we know when this is going to go to trial? Yes, so one of the biggest delays was the defense wanted a change of venue for the trial. They argued that Coburger would not get a fair trial in the county where the murders happened. They won that argument, and the trial will now take place in Ada County. That's where Boise, Idaho is. That's where the motion hearing today took place. Trial date was set for June of next year. It was already delayed, and now is set to take place in August of next year.

Tom. Okay, Valerie Castro, when we come back, Cuba reeling after Hurricane Raphael barrels through, the storm knocking out electricity to the entire island nation. Once again, the impact relentless storms are having on Cuba's vulnerable power grid. And the dramatic video as a volcano erupts in Indonesia. Look at this. It's the second time in a week. Thousands forced to evacuate as lava threatens their homes.

Okay, we're back now with Top Stories News Feed. We begin with the manhunt for a gunman that sent terrified. New Yorkers running for cover. Video shows people hiding under benches. Look at this on the subway. After police say a man opened fire on the street above them on Manhattan's Upper West Side, the 47-year-old victim shot in the shoulder and the leg. Police are still searching for the suspect after they say he ran away and escaped to a nearby

subway station. The victim is expected to survive. A terrifying close call on a New York highway caught on camera, video taken near Whitney Point. This is in central New York. Whoa! Look at that. It shows a repair workman. diving to avoid a speeding truck seconds before it smashed into his equipment.

The force of the collision sending his hard hat flying. The State Department of Transportation says no one was hurt. That is incredible. A reminder to drivers to slow down and stay alert. OK, police in North Carolina detaining two people in connection to a string of highway shootings in Western Raleigh. Late today, officers taking two people, including a person of interest, into custody. The arrest coming after at least eight cars and two buildings were shot at over the last several days. At least one driver was injured, charges have not yet been announced.

Okay, and a weird one, a desperate search is underway in South Carolina. For 43 monkeys that escape from a lab, police in Beaufort County warning residents to secure their windows and doors after a group of young female monkeys were able to get out of the Alpha Genesis Research Facility. The company says these specific monkeys have never been used in testing because of their young age. Officers are using traps and thermal imaging cameras to try to find the primates. They're warning residents not to try to pet them or capture them on their own. OK, time now for the Americas and the latest hurricane battering Cuba this season. High winds damaging infrastructure, flooding streets, and knocking out the country's power,

leaving its 10 million residents in the dark for the second time in the past month. Our Guadvanegas has the latest on the destruction and the recovery efforts now underway. Tonight, recovery is underway in Cuba after Hurricane Rafael. slammed into the island, leaving millions without power. The Category 3 hurricane making landfall Wednesday afternoon. Locals seemed fighting the strong winds that at one point reached 115 miles per hour. Buildings damaged as the storm tore through the western region, causing havoc in Havana and flooding streets across the island.

One resident detailing the horror her family went through as their metal roof tiles went flying through the storm's winds. The storm further damaging the national power grid just weeks after the island spent days in the dark. Cuban energy officials saying the outages are a result of damage to transmission and distribution networks caused by the storm. Cuba still recovering from the damage

caused by several storms this year. So far two major hurricanes have made landfall and two other storms, Haleen and Milton leaving a trail of destruction. Now locals bracing for days without power. It seems like it's going to last for days, said this resident, as officials assess the damage in the area's heart is hit. Guad vanegas joins us tonight, Guad, the people of Cuba just cannot catch a break.

We're going to be thinking about them and praying for them. What's the current status of Hurricane Raphael? Is it expected to impact the U.S. Gulf coast at all? So, Tom, the hurricane is no longer over Cuba. Now, the forecast indicates that it will remain in the Gulf. That's good news for the U.S. It is expected to bring heavy rain to the area and the Florida Keys just north of Cuba.

But that forecast indicates that right now, although it is a Category 2, it is expected to weaken over the Gulf of Mexico. Now, here's what people should keep in mind around the Gulf Coast. It could also bring the high. high surf and also rip currents. And Tom, we know how dangerous rip currents can be, especially in the area off the Gulf. So people should keep that in mind for any beachgoers that are

heading to the beach over the weekend. Tom? Yeah, it's a good reminder just because there's on a direct hit. It's still very dangerous. Guadvanegas, we thank you. Yeah. Not at Top Stories Global Watch, we begin with the deadly double eruption of a volcano in eastern Indonesia. New footage shows columns of ash rising nearly 800 feet into the air on the island of Flores. This comes less than a week after the volcano first erupted, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more. Thousands of residents have been evacuated as authorities warn of potential flash floods and dangerous lava flows. A potential breakthrough in the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, 13 years in the making. New video

shows a robot grabbing a sample of melted fuel from inside one of the plant's three damage reactors. It's been too dangerous in the past because of the levels of radiation to do this. The sample is the first to be removed from the plant, which was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that sent radioactive material into the air and ocean. Officials will use the sample to analyze whether they can remove the rest of the melted fuel safely. And it's the end of an era. Ray Gunn is calling it quits. The Australian break dancer, whose real name is Rachel Gunn, announcing that she is retiring from competitive braking following the next. negative backlash she received at the summer games in Paris.

The Olympian said she's working on other projects to, quote, encourage people to dance and to be creative and to be themselves. Good for her. Okay, coming up next, a top story health check, why the FDA is calling for popular cold medicines to be pulled from shelves, including certain kinds of NyQuil, Benadryl, and more. The one ingredient they all contain and why health experts say you shouldn't take them. Dr. Natalie Azar joins us to explain.

That's next. Okay, back now with Top Stories Health Check and a major headline about why some of the most popular over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines might not be effective. The FDA proposing an order that will pull medications like NyQuil, Benadryl, Sudafid, and Mucinex off the shelves. After finding the active ingredient, oral phenyloafrin doesn't actually relieve nasal congestion. For more on this, I want to bring in NBC News medical contributor, Dr. Natalie Azar. Dr. Azar, I'm going to let you say that from now on. Look, so I'm going to be honest with you, I take all of those medicines.

I think they work. Am I crazy? You're not crazy because the things that we just, that our viewers just saw that, that, you know, graphic with NyQuil and Dinkwill and all of that stuff, they contain phenolephrine, which is the oral decongestant, but they also contain a lot of other stuff. They contain acetaminophen which is Tylenol. They might contain things that we call expectorants, which help you to cough.

So there might be things that are not phenolephren that are in those other medicine. in those other medicines that are making you feel better. The only medication that contains purely phenyl effron and nothing else is pseudafed PE, PE for phenyl effron. But if the FDA goes through with this determination, they're going to have to, those makers of all those other things that contain the phenyl effron are going to have to reformulate. They can no longer sell it saying that it's safe and effective

for its indicated purpose. Do we know how they figured out that it doesn't work, at least according to them? Yeah. So this has been going on for a very, very long time that the FDA has been looking at this. And what they determined was that after reviewing five most recent studies that were really well and rigorously performed, that they said, you know what, at the end of the day, this medicine is no better than placebo. And the reason is actually kind of interesting and very straightforward. When you take phenyl ephrine by pill by mouth, it has to get metabolized and absorbed in the stomach and it has to get broken down by the liver, by the liver. the time your nasal passages see the medicine, you're getting about less than 1% of the active ingredient of the medicine. So what people need to understand is what the FDA is talking about is oral, i.e. taken by mouth, phenolephrine, the nasal decongestion, the decongestant that contains phenolephrine is still technically going to be available. And that goes

right into the nose. That's why it's deemed to be more effective. But so many people rely on these medicines for other things as well. Like when do they start getting pulled off shelves? Is that going to happen or is just a threat? So there's, I think we're, you know, the first time I reported on this was over a year ago when the FDA's advisory committee made this recommendation. So now the FDA agrees that it doesn't work. Now there's going to be a period of open commentary where the public can weigh in on this. I think the soonest we will see products getting pulled will be around spring, maybe in the May timeframe. And I know a lot of people are going, well, my God, it's November. I'm heading into cold and flu season. What are the alternatives? What are the alternative?

alternatives that I can take, and there are. You can do a nasal steroid spray like Flonase. You can do a nasal antihistamine like astelin. And you can also take a lot of antihistamines by mouth, Allegra, Benadryl. And there is that other behind the counter, pseudoephedrine, like an Advocodin sinus. That's still available. That's an oral decongestant that you can take. Sometimes people think of congestion too, like your lungs. Does that, is not right? It's only here. The only difference I would say is something that is an expectorin that makes you cough can definitely relieve that. But this is really for what we call upper respiratory tracts. Got it. Glad. That's why you're the doctor. That's why I'm not. Okay. Final effort.

Natalie, thank you so much. I wasn't going to say it again. I appreciate all that. Okay, coming up next, America speaks. You'll hear directly from everyday voters about the election as they explain their decision and the impact they already feel on the country. That's next. Okay, finally tonight, an in-depth look at what happened on election night, as told by the people who made the decision, everyday Americans. Our NBC News Digital Docs team marshaled the power of the NBC crews to fan out across the country and get the perspectives of voters talking directly to camera, explaining the impact of a night that changed the power dynamic in this country. Here now is America Speaks. So what happened with the election? Well, the American people spoke. They

answered pretty clearly what they felt about the direction of the country and who they chose. I think you had a populace that I'd seen what happened the past four years, exploding house prices, exploding grocery prices, and were fed up with it and wanted change. And I think it was a reversion back to what they felt like in 2016. Trump had heard these people. He's traveled all over the country, listening to everybody. I think what happened was someone who got voted in as being a person that pretty much plays on people's emotions. Trump prevailed. Trump prevailed. And Republicans actually did what they set out to do. I don't think anyone in this country trusts a woman to run this country. That's where the trust that she was.

I think she had a good, a good, if Kamla was actually a man, she had the brain enough to run this country. And just because she's a woman, that's where the trust was. I pretty much think it's an overcorrection. So it's like, hey, you women got rights, now let's take them back sort of thing. I don't know. People are tired the last three and a half years of getting stuff shoved down their throat, telling boys they're girls and girls are boys. Just in being a moral person, I'm having a hard time accepting that people are more willing to accept a convicted felon and an accused rapist.

Can I say that? Over a person who doesn't have any convictions and also who has the experience of two branches of government. What happened with the election? We had Democrats in the office for a very long time, and it seems like they didn't come through with all the promises that they did have, and it looks like the people have had enough of it. It's about economics. America's tired. Their pockets are empty, and they want support. They want help. And I think they just, they chose somebody who can give him that. Too many people enjoy the permission structure that he gives them to be misogynist and hateful and racist. I can't think of any other reason because if you listen to the words that come out of his mouth, that's if you take him at his word, then you know what he's going to do.

and you're okay with it. In private conversations, I heard people really upset about how Joe Biden was ousted toward the end of his career and she was placed in that seat and that they were not happy with the way it was done. If you love this country, which I do, I think we kind of have to get on board.

It's like anything. We did our best. We made our voices heard, but we unfortunately have to get on the train because it's already left the station. I do I want to work in benefit of the community Hispana, that he said that we did the impulse to that he could be president.

I do believe that in the next four years, in the midterms, we will speak our minds and realize that things need to change. I am excited about the next four years, and I think the numbers show you that the majority of the United States all over, they're excited otherwise this would not have happened we're gonna see hopefully our gas prices go down you know the cost of living become more affordable i want to see americans you know be able

to own a home again be able to afford a home live the american dream and i feel like that'll become a more of a reality under president trump i have no idea i have no idea where the country goes from here i don't know where i go from here and a big thank you to our digital docs team along with our crews spread out across the country i'm tom yamas new york we thank you so much for watching top story tonight stay right there more new on the way.