Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Episode Date: February 19, 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, the tragedy narrowly averted after a Delta plane crashes while landing in Toronto. The new video showing the exact moment of impact, the wing of the aircraft ripped right off. The fireball and then a cloud of thick black smoke. We hear directly from a passenger about what it was like as he was dangling upside down thinking this would be the end. Investigators looking into the potential weather that could have played a role in this. Also breaking tonight, the USDA announcing it accidentally. incidentally fired officials who were working on the bird flu outbreak. That stunning announcement as the agency now scrambles to rehire those same terminations.

And a judge refusing to block tech billionaire Elon Musk from accessing sensitive agency data, the reasoning behind the ruling. Will New York City Mayor Eric Adams get the boot? New York Governor Kathy Holtel currently weighing whether to remove him from office after several of his top deputies resigned following the Justice Department's push to dismiss Adams' corruption case. then accusations of a mayor in the pocket of the president, where those charges now stand. And the IVF mix-up, a woman filing a lawsuit after a clinic transferred the embryo of another couple instead of her own.

We speak with the woman about the moment she realized there was a mistake here after giving birth to the baby. Who are the Zizians? The cult-like group's leader arrested in connection to a string of killings, including a border patrol agent. What we are learning tonight about the mysterious sect, obsessed with the. veganism and the dangers of A.I. The jarring video of a bus driver struck by a metal bar after it smashes through his windshield. The high school coaches jumping into action to get the bus back on track and that driver to safety. Plus, scientists just upgraded the chance of an asteroid striking Earth by several percentage points. Why? We'll explain. Top story starts right now.

And good evening. I'm Sam Brock in for Tom Yamas. Tonight we are getting a closer look at that terrifying plane crash in Toronto as investigators probe how this could have possibly happened with the plane briefly on fire and then belly up. Officials just announcing that they've removed key voice recorders for further analysis here. Take a look at this, a pilot in a different cockpit capturing the stunning moment right about to happen, the Delta plane lands bursting into flames on impact, and then flipping over and coming to a stop. In the process, that wing torn right off. In a moment, you're going to hear directly from a passenger still in shock about those unbelievable moments where he was hanging upside down and then had to quickly evacuate. This all happening yesterday afternoon as the flight from Minneapolis made its final descent into Toronto's Pearson International Airport.

Now, the recent string of crash is calling into question just how safe is it to fly? This year alone for perspective, there have been 88 accidents, 13 of which proved to be fatal. But if you compare that to the past 10 years, just looking at January specifically, you'll notice there was actually a dip this year with 62 accidents reported. Our aviation correspondent Tom Costello explains just how rare crashes really are in just a minute. But we start tonight with NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gossk on the ground at Toronto Airport. Tonight, new terrifying video of Delta Flight 4819's crash landing in Toronto. The plane hitting the runway and bursting into flames just before flipping over. Tower, you're seeing this airplane just crashing.

The video apparently shot from the cockpit of another plane could be a key. piece of evidence, according to NBC News aviation analyst, John Cox. You see the right wing depart the airplane, and the lack of that wing is what caused the airplane to roll over. Remarkably, no lives were lost in the crash. Of the 80 people on board, Delta Airlines says 21 were treated in the hospital. 19 have been released. The fuselage of the plane still sits on the runway, where it will likely remain for the next

two days, according to officials. We are currently without use of our longest east-west and north-south runways. Canadian investigators with help from the FAA and the NTSB will be looking closely at the weather. Monday, the fire chief said wind was not an issue when the plane crashed, but meteorologists reported gusts as strong as 40 miles an hour in the area. The conditions were challenging, but nothing more than professional pilots can't handle. Passenger Peter Kukov says the dissent felt normal until the plane hit the ground. Did you have a moment where you thought this is it?

I think so, yeah. I mean, I was like, okay, the plane is crashing. Like, I'm going to, if the plane is crashing, you're not going to live. Drop it. Come on. The documentary producer shooting this video of people scrambling to get off the plane after being suspended upside down in their seats. Kukov struck by how the flight attendants remained calm and helpful. I feel like everybody handled it pretty well, considering we were in a plane crash.

It's still stunning to see those images. Steph Gosk joining us tonight from Mississauga, Canada, where that airport is located. And Stephanie, you mentioned in your piece that the body of that plane is still on the runway as investigators are continuing their work. Yes. So is the airport still up and running? How does that work? So, Sam, the airport is up and running. There have been flights taking off and landing. There are five runways at this airport, and because that fuselage is where it is, it is blocking two of them.

Three of them remain open, but it is hugely problematic, as you can imagine. There was actually a backlog at this airport before the crash. They've had consecutive, very large winter storms that created the backlog, and now they have an even larger one. And officials came out today, and they said, you know, that fuselage could be there for two days. so anyone traveling in and out of Toronto can expect more delays and more cancellations. Sam? All right, a logistical crunch amidst a miracle here that everyone survived. Stephanie, thank you so much.

Now to an in-depth look at the safety protocols during that crash landing in Toronto, experts now saying that the measured actions of those flight attendants ultimately did save lives. NBC's Tom Costell brings us more. With the wreckage of that regional jet still resting on a Toronto runway, aviation experts say the fact everyone survived is due in no small part to the flight attendants who remained composed yet in charge ordering passengers to wait as they ensured it was safe to evacuate then move they announced not to get out of their seats so people were hanging there for I'm not I can't remember how long but just about a minute and then they were like okay like get down

veteran flight attendants call it a textbook response they were very very difficult conditions, directly inverted plane, where this flight attendant had to find the opening, make that hole, and then shout the commands to get people out safely. Also textbook the firefighting response required to be on scene within three minutes. An MIT study shows fatal commercial plane crashes are rare. Just one and 13.7 million passenger boardings globally. Release seatbelt. Leave everything. Like other airlines, Delta flight attendants go through weeks of intense training. Grab ankles, heads down, stay low. Recreating the chaos of an emergency. The FAA

requires you to evacuate a plane completely in 90 seconds. You've got to be on your game. Absolutely, absolutely. The goal is to try to get those customers off the aircraft as quickly as possible, especially in emergency. The key is to kick your feet and your arms out and slide down and let these guys catch you at the bottom. Commands must be concise and clear. purses, bags, and backpacks behind. Meanwhile, planes are built much tougher today. Seats must withstand 16 G forces and keep you secure. Interiors are flame retardant, giving passengers time to get out in case of a fire. Sam? All right, great information there. Tom, thank you so much. We move now to the extreme weather slamming still much of the country. Tonight, nearly 57 million people

remain under winter, other winter alerts. Area stretching through the Great Plains all the way to the East Coast, now bracing again for heavy snow and wind. While over in Kentucky, officials confirming at least 14 people have died due to severe flooding and more recently hypothermia, as the state now preparing for another round of disruptive storms. NBC Shaquil Brewster has the very latest. Another brutal round of winter weather tonight sweeping across the country. Heavy wind in up to a foot of snow blanketing Missouri. In Kansas City, this truck jackknifed in the storm. Firefighters in Minnesota struggling with wind chills of 40 below. Their equipment and lines freezing. In Detroit, a water main break forced families out into the cold amid freezing temperatures Monday

after a four and a half foot wide pipe failed, swamping an entire neighborhood. Face feels like it's freezing. Wind chills in Chicago hitting 23 degrees below zero. It's brutal. It gets icy out here. As the Arctic blast expands, it will plunge much of the country into bone-chilling cold, with parts of the Midwest, bracing for as much as a foot of snow. This is a snowstorm in the middle of a natural disaster. Kentucky can see up to six inches. A new threat, as towns have barely started recovering from historic winter floods. Heavy rain pushed the Kentucky River into much of downtown Beattyville.

We got the flood first, and we're trying to clean up in the cold, frigid temperatures, and the snow's coming later today. So we're doing the best we can. 14 people have lost their lives in Kentucky, including 73-year-old Donald Nicholson, whose family says his truck stalled along a highway during a flash flood. I can't tell you over the years, the times I've saw him see somebody out in the street, needing a few dollars or whatever the case may be. He had the ability to help him.

He would without a second thought. The tragic and unrelenting pace of winter weather not letting up. And Sam, back here in Beattyville, this street was one of the 300 across the state that this morning was completely closed off. We saw it completely covered in mud. But tonight, Main Street is back open. People are going through doing what they can to clean up the mess ahead of another round of winter weather. Sam? Are always encouraging to hear about the group effort there.

Shaq, thank you so much for more on the system. Let's get right to the forecast with NBC meteorologist Bill Karens. So, Bill, as far as the snow goes, what Chuck was just talking about, what are we seeing? Another southern snow. We've had more snowstorms in the south than we have in the northeast this winter. We're going from Wichita all the way through North Carolina and Virginia. Everywhere you see the reddish color, that's where we're watching a winter storm warning. Winter weather advisories, even for Dallas, Shreveport, in Louisiana again. And also our friends in northern Mississippi and Alabama.

Not a lot of snow there, but just a coating in a little ice to make things difficult. Already picked up about six inches in Wichita, Kansas City, about three inches. Now that snow is spreading through southern Missouri that someone is going to pick up about eight to 10. And it's so cold, it's just a light and fluffy snow. Easy to blow around. But if the wind's halen, it will also get some snow drifts out of this. Southern Missouri, additional four to six. Paducah, you're going to get it. And of course, Kentucky, where we just had all that horrendous flooding, you're going to get coated by at least two to four, maybe three to six inches of snow depending on your elevation. And then tomorrow

night into Thursday, we get significant snow. Richmond, 4 to 8. And how about this? Virginia Beach, Sam, up to 10 inches of snow. Probably not accustomed to seeing that much accumulation. So let me ask you this part of the narrative is the snow and ice, right? But then also we have these temperatures that are in like the single and teen digits. What are you seeing on that front? Yeah, the cold may be a bigger deal and more of a threat, too. I mean, this is some of the most significant cold air we've had in a long time. The areas that are going to watch the greatest chance for the cold air

are going to be in the central plains and then heading southwards all the way down into Texas. We are going to watch temperatures, you know, record lows. We're probably going to see about as many as 100 over the next three days. And that's something that hasn't happened in a long. long time. I mean, Bismarck, Sam, today, hey, the temperature only six degrees away from their all-time record, negative 36 degrees, and that wasn't even factoring in the wind chill. So, yes, this cold is going to be a story for the days ahead. Anything connected with the words negative and temperature, just why even leave your house? Bill, thank you so much, buddy. Appreciate it.

We head now to Mar-a-Lago, where today President Trump defended his administration sweeping cuts to the federal workforce. His team also weathering a series of high-profile resignations from the head of food safety at FDA to the acting chief of the Social Security Administration. NBC News, senior White House correspondent Kelly O'Donnell, has reaction from the White House tonight. Tonight, making his Mar-a-Lago club the backdrop for official business. The president offended steep cuts to federal programs and spending and praised the billionaire advisor Elon Musk, who is dismantling parts of the government.

Elon is, to me, a patriot. So, you know, you could call him an employee. call him a consultant. You could call him whatever you want. But he's a patriot. Asked if he has any concerns about specific firing decisions, including a move to rehire fired employees who oversee the nuclear stockpile. No, not at all. I think we have to just do what we have to do. It's, you know, you're going to, it's amazing what's been found. New details tonight on the federal workforce shakeup from big resignations to thousands of civil servants fired, prompting a fierce defense from.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Why are you not celebrating these cuts if you agree there is waste, if you agree there is abuse, if you agree there is corruption, why are you not celebrating the cuts? Conflict leads to a top official quitting at the Social Security Administration. Acting Commissioner Michelle King, a 30-year veteran, resigned after two sources said she refused access to sensitive social security records, such as citizens' financial and medical information to the Doge government efficiency team. The White House confirmed the resignation and said the president wants the most qualified individuals not to appease the bureaucracy. At the

Food and Drug Administration, the division chief over safety of the country's food supply resigned. At the Department of Homeland Security, a new round of terminations is expected among hundreds of high-level civil servants at odds with the administration's goals. According to three sources, is familiar with the matter. Listen to these numbers. This is all fraud. President Trump read from pages of spending that he called fraud and corruption, but provided no evidence. Kelly O'Donnell, joining us now from the White House.

Kelly, as you just mentioned, resignations amidst questions over access and were following breaking news tonight on that front, and that lawsuit against Elon Musk over Doge's attempts to access sensitive data for all of these agencies. What more do we know tonight? Well, this was brought by. Democratic Attorneys General from 19 states and they were trying to get a temporary restraining order to stop the Doge team from getting access to government systems. And a judge said that there is just not sufficient evidence that there was immediate harm to those states that

have brought this question forward. So it is possible that there could be some litigation at a future date if states can say that specific cuts were harmful to their citizens. But for now, Doge gets a win at the courts and will have access to the systems. So they would have to prove harm. That's the interesting sort of aspect of that. And Kelly, let me also ask you about some of these cuts at the USDA that you were talking about earlier. The Trump administration now trying to, if I understand this correctly, rehire some of the workers they didn't mean to fire? Well, they have now told us that over the weekend there were workers who were fired who were tasked with being part of the response to the bird flu. And they are

considered public safety front line workers, and they are not supposed to be fired in this kind of circumstance. So they got termination letters, and now the U.S. Department of Agriculture is saying they're going to try to quickly rectify that and bring them back. Sam? Quite the confusion. Kelly O'Donnell for us tonight. Thank you so much. Across the globe now, and concerns are growing for the health of Pope Francis. Tonight, the Vatican says that chest x-ray show the 88-year-old has pneumonia in both of his lungs. Now, the Pope has been hospitalized in Rome since Friday, first for bronchitis treatment, then it was revealed that he has a, quote, complex clinical picture and respiratory infection and is receiving cortisone antibiotic treatment.

NBC's Ann Thompson joins us now, and what else right now are we hearing about the Pope and his condition? What can he tell us? Well, let's talk about the good news. First of all, the Vatican is very anxious to portray the Pope as still working as he battles this double pneumonia. They say he's in good spirits. He ate breakfast this morning. He received the Eucharist. He said, they say, He spent his day alternating between resting and praying and reading texts. So that's the good news. The reality is he's an 88-year-old man who has a history of lung issues, starting when he was 21, he had an upper lobe removed in his right lung.

And now he has chronic lung issues, he had bronchitis on top of it. And as you mentioned, they tried, the first therapy they tried was corkosteroids to reduce the inflammation, antibiotics to kill the infection. That clearly has it worked. Now they're trying new therapy. They didn't say what it is. All right, that's an important point of context there. So the treatment, the forms of treatment, have changed.

Yes. What does this latest health challenge mean in terms of preparation for new leadership potentially, depending upon how severe this is? Well, any time a pope goes into the hospital, there's always speculation about who the next pope could be. And that happens during a conclave, which if you've seen the movie conclave, which is nominated for Best Picture, Oscar, you get some insight into what happens. But there is no, I mean, you don't see them in Vatican City getting ready for anything else other than Pope Francis coming back.

But there is always speculation, and it's human nature, and you can't stop it. But to be clear, that is very premature at this point. at this point, completely premature. Yet, on the other hand, being 88 years old and having pneumonia in both lungs, certainly, is not a good development. Ann Thompson, thank you so much. You know more than we will ever forget, or you'll forget more than we will ever know, I should say.

Hardly. I appreciate that end. Okay, still ahead tonight. The devastating IVF mix-up. We speak with a woman suing a clinic after she gave birth to another patient's baby. The shocking discovery after doctors transferred the wrong embryo. Plus, mayoral mayhem, New York's governor, Kathy Hokel, considering the extraordinary step of removing Mayor Eric Adams from office. This comes after four of the mayor's deputies resigned.

And burglars violently breaking into actress Nicole Kidman's L.A. Home, the new details that we're just learning. Stay with us. And we're back now with new developments in the case of New York City Mayor, Eric Adams. New York's governor, Kathy Hokel, meeting with local leaders today as she works to decide if she will take the unprecedented step to remove him from power. The talks coming after the resignations yesterday of four deputy mayors in the wake of the Trump Justice Department's decision to drop their bribery case against Adams, all of them playing an instrumental role in the day-to-day operations of the city. One former prosecutor with the Southern District

of New York accused Adams of being part of a, quote, quid pro quo, the DOJ. dropping the case, ensuring that Adams would help the Trump team with their immigration crackdown and policy in New York. Now, it should be noted that both the Department and Adams have denied those accusations. The coordinated resignations, though, now raising questions about Adams' ability to even lead the nation's biggest city. For more on this, I am joined by Jeff Mays, a political reporter who covers City Hall for the New York Times. Jeff, thank you so much for being with us. It's really an honor to have you here, and a lot going on right now. Talk to me about this meeting that Governor Kokel had with a earlier today. Who was she talking to, and what kind of insight was she gleaning?

It was a really remarkable meeting. The governor held court today. She spoke to the leader of the city council. She also spoke to the Reverend Al Sharpton, who's an important religious leader in the city. She spoke to a borough president who would have a decision in, you know, whether the mayor would potentially be removed. So the governor set and talked with important leaders trying to figure out a path forward. Should she move to maybe remove the governor or, I mean, the mayor or should she, should other paths be taken? Do we have any inclination or knowledge at this point as to what direction she might be leaning? No, I don't think so. There's an important hearing coming up tomorrow to determine whether the

case can be dropped. The judge is going to hear that tomorrow. And I think the governor has said she wants to see what happens with that case first. And if she does make a decision to make a move, it's not going to be a quick thing. It is going to be a long, difficult process. Now, that's interesting. So it's not like ripping the Band-Aid off. What is the process like if the governor chooses to remove Mayor Adams. I mean, how strong out could that be? It's a long process. It's almost like a court-like hearing

where she would have to present charges, and the mayor would have a chance to defend himself as well. So, you know, it's not like she says, be gone and he's gone. The mayor has also said that he's not going. He's not resigning. It's almost like a court setting is what you're describing. Right.

You have 200-plus years of history in modern New York City history of no mayor being removed before. So what is some of the calculus here involved with the governor's decision as you have four of these deputy mayors resigning that that functionally run big chunks of the city and policies like is that part of her consideration yeah absolutely the governor when the mayor was initially charged in September went through a long process of helping him

set up an administration where people felt confident help put people in place to continue to run the city now four of those people have left leaving people in doubt about how the city's being run so those hires initially were there to backfill positions that were gone, right? And that also were meant to sort of steady the ship amidst all of these charges coming down. And obviously it's had sort of the exact opposite effect with their resigning now. Absolutely. And there's political risk for the governor. She has an election coming up next year. Yeah. If she appears to just suddenly remove the second black mayor in New York

City, there could be great political consequences for her. So you're just talking about the optics holistically of this decision now. Right. So what would the next steps look like in this? And what's the morale got to be like around City Hall right now? You know, it's just a lot of confusion. People don't know what's happening. There are rumors flying. We reported earlier today that the mayor named a new public safety deputy mayor. So a lot of people are looking at what's going to happen next.

I think the mayor has sort of retreated a bit, is not talking to the media, has not spoken to the media in a few weeks. And so now we're going to wait and see what happens with this hearing tomorrow. Which is just crazy because also you have an election coming up this fall for the mayoral election and a primary in June. and all this has got to get sorted out in the coming weeks. Right. This is a messy process. You have people calling for the mayor's resignation who are currently running for mayor right now. Jeffrey Mays with The New York Times.

Thank you so much for your time tonight. We appreciate it. Thanks. All right, we move now to the IVF mistake that forced one Georgia woman to have to give up a child months after giving birth. She's now suing the fertility clinic that she used, which admitted it mixed up her embryo

with another couple's embryo. NBC's Priya Shrether spoke with the woman at the center of this case earlier today. Christina Murray's long journey to motherhood took a path she never thought possible. I spent my entire life wanting to be a mom. I loved, nurtured, and grew my child. And I would have done literally anything in my power to keep him. After years of fertility and IVF treatments, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy in December of 2023. What was your immediate reaction after you gave birth? I was happy. I was a mom. He was beautiful and perfect. But it was also

very clear that something was wrong. She vividly remembers the shock when she saw her baby for the first time. Whereas Christina is a Caucasian woman who chose a sperm donor with a similar appearance. The baby she delivered was African American. An at-home DNA test result that January confirmed what Christina suspected. The baby was not hers. On February 5th, Christina's lawyers reached out to the fertility clinic, coastal fertility specialist, informing that, of the mix up. And just let them know, you know, what the results were and asked for answers. In March, coastal fertility informs the other couple their embryo was transferred to Christina, that family taking legal action to obtain custody. In a family court hearing that May,

Christina decides to give up the baby voluntarily. It's like the happiest day of their life is like the worst day of mine. So like everyone's happy and joyous. And then there's me losing my entire life all at once. Now Christina is suing coastal fertility specialists in a complaint filed in a Georgia court. Errors like this should never occur in a fertility clinic. This is the cardinal sin. The actions of the fertility clinic have come very close to destroying me, have left irreparable damage to my soul, and ultimately left me questioning whether I should be a mom or not. In a statement, fertility specialist says in part it deeply regrets the distress caused by an unprecedented error. Adding this was an isolated event with no further patients affected. The same day this error was

discovered, we immediately conducted an in-depth review and put additional safeguards in place to further protect patients and to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. Christina's attorney also says government regulation is needed. Christina's situation at coastal fertility is just one example of the crazy mishaps that can occur at a fertility center because they are largely unregulated. There are no reporting requirements when errors are made. There are no random and unannounced inspections. There are no statewide or federally required certifications for the staff who work at fertility clinics. As for Christina, her long journey to motherhood is not.

over. It sounds like you haven't given up your dream of becoming a mom. I have not given up. I have started the process over again with another clinic and I'm hopeful that in the next year or two I can try again. And Priya Shrether joining us now from Savannah, Georgia. Priya, to put it mildly, this is a shocking incident, but I guess not entirely unheard of. How common is this and is there anything that families can do to ensure it doesn't happen to that? Yeah, that's right, Sam. You know, Christina's lawyer said that this is rare, but certainly not unprecedented. He's actually represented thousands of clients who were fertility patients at clinics across the country over the last 13 years. And they've had a variety of cases, including embryo mix-ups, but also freezer malfunctions that have caused embryos and eggs to be destroyed or fertility specialists who have dropped vials of eggs and embryos on the ground. He actually thinks that the prevalence of these cases may be higher than. and we even know because in Christina's specific case, it was very evident since the race of her baby was different from her own. And he believes that perhaps moving forward, anyone who has a baby through IVF will want to genetically test it to ensure that the baby is biologically theirs.

Yeah, I can't even imagine how devastating to those parents that kind of a mix-up would be. What more do we know about the other family in this case? Has Christina seen the child since that day in family court? Yeah, that's a great question, Sam. And, you know, they're really trying to protect that family's privacy. So all we know is that they live in a different state. And, you know, as we saw in the story, she voluntarily handed over the child to them in that family court. She has not seen the baby since then, but she says that she'll never live a day for the rest of her life wondering how that baby boy is doing, Sam.

All right. Quite a layered and confusing and astounding sequence of events. They're pretty sure. Thank you so much. When we come back, the leader of a cult-like group taken into custody, what we're learning about their possible ties to several killings across multiple states, including a deadly shootout with a border patrol agent. That update is coming up next. And back now with Top Stories News Feed,

and the urgent evacuation orders ongoing is cruise battle, a massive factory fire. Philadelphia, officials say that an explosion ignited the blaze late Monday night at a warehouse for an aerospace supply company. Abington Township officials there urging residents within a one-mile radius to evacuate as hazmat crews monitor the air quality. 60 employees who were inside at the time of the initial explosion, thankfully have been safely evacuated. Well, video now capturing the terrifying moment that a car flew off of a highway overpass in California, dash cam footage showing the car falling onto an interstate. This is in Sacramento. The driver remains hospitalized right now

and is in critical condition. No one on the highway below was somehow injured. Roads were briefly closed. Police right now are investigating what caused the crash. A list power couple, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban reportedly the latest targets of a break-in. Law enforcement source telling NBC News the suspected burglar or burglars broke into their L.A. home on Valentine's Day, smashing through the glass and ransacking the location before fleeing, Kibman and Urban were not home at the time. Turning now to the investigation into a cult-like group known as the Zizians, many of the members are young, vegan, tech-savvy activists,

some with ideologies that have become increasingly extreme. Tonight, the alleged leader is behind bars as authorities probe the deaths of at least six people. NBC's David Noriega breaks it all down for us. Tonight, the alleged leader of a cult-like group linked to a string of killings from coast to coast, in custody, held without bail. Prosecutors say Jack LaSoda, also known as Ziz, leads the Zizians, a fringe group of young tech-savvy vegans who share an obsession with the dangers of artificial intelligence.

34-year-old LaSota was arrested in Maryland on Sunday, alongside Michelle Zajko, 32, and Daniel Blank, 26, and charged with trespassing, possessing a handgun in a vehicle, and other crimes. Authorities revealing few details of the arrest, but the group has to be a gun. has been linked to at least six killings. In 2019 in California, authorities arrested LaSota and three others for putting on robes and guy fox masks and blocking the entrance to a Sonoma area retreat related to AI. One of the organizers told me, Lasota spoke with an intensity about her beliefs that were just very, very unnerving.

And it seems that it was from these events that LaSota started attracting followers. Lassota and her associates eventually moved to the Bay Area onto 80-year-old Kurt Lind's property in Vallejo. As relations with Lind soured, things got strange. In 2022, Lassoda's lawyer was told that Lissota had died, and an obituary for her appeared in her hometown paper. Just months later, Lind was attacked with a samurai sword, saved by his neighbor. You can see where he got his hand on the door when he's banging on the door. And he said there and he says, I'm dying. The attackers included two people who were with LaSota at the 2019 protest.

One of them was shot and killed by Lynde in self-defense. Curtis Lind was severely injured. He was blinded in one eye. The sword, according to a witness, was actually sticking out of Lind at one point. Like, he was impaled with it during this attack. Shortly after, authorities said they found LaSota alive and well at the scene of the attack, though she was not charged. On New Year's Eve 2022, Rita and Richard Zashko,

the parents of Michelle, who was arrested on Sunday, were shot and killed in their Philadelphia home. No one has been charged for their deaths, but Lasota was arrested for obstruction and disorderly conduct in connection to the investigation, and a warrant was issued after she failed to show up for a court appearance. In January of this year, a follower of Lasota, a transgender woman named Ophelia Baukolt, died in a shootout with Border Patrol agent David Mayland, who was also killed. Days later, that landlord, Kurt Lind, was also killed, just months before the stabbing case was set to go to trial. Maximilian Snyder has been charged with the murder.

An attorney for Snyder could not be reached. Snyder once sought a marriage license with Teresa Youngblood, a passenger in the car during that Border Patrol shootout. Authorities say the car was packed with guns and tactical gear. Youngblood is currently in federal prison and has pleaded not guilty to two federal weapons counts. Her lawyer declined NBC News's request for comment. Lasota's attorney not commenting on the latest arrest

or the Zizian's links to those deaths across the country. A statement released last month on LaSota's charges in Pennsylvania, however, he did stress that his client is presumed innocent until the government meets its burden of proving guilt. Those who know them and are willing to talk to me about them are not willing to show their face, are not willing to have their name appear in any story because they don't know what these people might do next. And David Noriega joining us now from Los Angeles. David, obviously some grisly crimes here.

Have authorities made any additional progress on charges for the string of deaths? They have, Sam, and they're also drawing a direct connection between the death of the family, the double murder of the Zazzo's in Zajkos, excuse me, in Philadelphia with the Border Patrol shootout in Vermont, specifically Michelle Zazchko, the daughter of that murdered couple, has been charged with purchasing the firearm that was used in the shootout that led to the death of the Border Patrol agent in Vermont. So these incidents do appear to be connected. However, whether that translates to prosecutors being able to or even trying to pin some of these most serious offenses, especially those having to do with the murders on La Soda or Ziz, the alleged leader of this group, it could raise some pretty interesting legal questions moving forward. In the meantime, the trail at least spanning hundreds of miles there. David Noriega, thank you so much for that report.

Now to Top Stories, Global Watch, where we are following breaking news tonight out of Brazil. So the former president there, Jair Bolsonaro, has been charged with attempting a coup following his 2022 election defeat. Brazil's prosecutor general, saying that Bolsonaro and 33 others systematically so distrust, ultimately inciting that riot on the Capitol. The Supreme Court must now decide if it will proceed with charges,

and if so, Bolsonaro whether or not he will stand trial. He has denied all wrongdoing. Well, Mexico's president, Claudia Scheinbaum, threatening right now to sue Google if it doesn't change back the name of the Gulf shared by the U.S. and Mexico. Google changing the name to the Gulf of America. for users in the U.S., following an order from President Donald Trump. Now, Mexico says the move violates its sovereignty.

Previously, Google has stood by the change, saying users in Mexico will still see Gulf of Mexico on their maps. And U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships answering a Mayday call from an Iranian vessel sinking in the Persian Gulf. Five Iranian and two Indian mariners were rescued from that vessel after it began dangerously tilting to the side. You see the images there. They are okay, we're told, and receiving medical.

care on board of U.S. Coast Guard, Cutter Clarence Sutton Jr. The vessel that they abandoned has since sunk completely. Now to the historic talks today between top Trump officials and Russian diplomats. This is the first formal meeting between the two countries since Russia invaded Ukraine several years ago. For more on what was discussed today, I want to bring in Chief International correspondent, Keir Simmons, who is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tonight. Kier, thanks so much for joining us tonight. Let's start first with comments that Trump made earlier today about Ukraine, not having a seat at these negotiations. Take a listen.

I hear that, you know, they're upset about not having a seat. Well, they've had a seat for three years. And a long time before that, this could have been settled very easily. Just a half-baked negotiator could have settled this years ago. All right, we're going to touch upon that. But, Keir, first, I mean, any sign of a ceasefire right now based on the talks today? No sign, Sam, and no sign either of any kind of a summit between President Trump and President Putin. And that's notable, isn't it?

Because, of course, President Trump said during the election campaign that he would wrap things up in Ukraine quickly. Well, that, frankly, hasn't happened. Now, he did say today, in those comments that you played, he said that he feels confident that he thought the talks today were good. and at the same time, as you heard there once again, criticizing Ukraine a sobering split scream between the way President Trump today talked about Ukraine and about President Zelensky and the way his team treated the Russian delegates here in Riyadh today.

Yeah, can you dive into that, Keir? How do we explain this posture, which seems to be like the United States posturing toward Russia and putting more emphasis on its talks with Russia, and not even including Ukraine, in the overall conversation when there are two parties to this.

What are U.S. diplomats saying about that? What are you hearing about it? Yes, a stunning thing, isn't it? I mean, I guess you could call it America first. What you might have expected from today's talks, given what President Trump said during the election campaign, is for the entire focus to be on getting a ceasefire in Ukraine. And there was that.

There are now going to be high-level delegations, we're told that we'll be negotiating in the weeks. you have to think, months ahead. But there were also a lot of talks about what relations between the U.S. and Russia should look like in the future, a kind of a road map. And that was pretty head-spinning, frankly. For example, one of the proposals is that there would be a normalization of relations, maybe even diplomatic cooperation, maybe economic cooperation. economic. Now, think that America has sanctions against Russia as does Europe. Does that suggest the lifting of those sanctions? Where does that leave Europe? Europe was not part of these

negotiations today. Which is another fascinating aspect of all of this, right? Because isn't one of the tenets of these negotiations that European stakeholders would also be involved in the peacekeeping aspects of this? Should there be a deal? So how are European leaders feeling about all this? honestly. I think it's an interesting question you raised there about peacekeeping. And it's a moment to make the point that not everything went Russia's way today. So, for example, President Trump today saying that he supports European peacekeepers in Ukraine. That is something that the Russians say they do not support. And Russian and U.S. officials being clear that this is going to be a slow process. That being said, though, for the Europeans,

provided, and frankly, I think, bewildered. This has been a difficult day. Kierre Sermintz always insightful, and we look forward to more of your reporting, sir. Thank you so much. All right, coming up next, a project here at home that offers men a chance to regain their edge and sense of confidence. But it costs $18,000 to attend the three-day program and has definitely inspired no shortage of opinions. We'll speak with one of the instructors of the Modern Day Night Project next. We're back now with the military-grade boot camp promising a life-changing transformation,

drawing dozens of men from across the country, many of them working to move on from emotional abuse. But mental health experts warn that these extreme physical activities should not replace actual therapy. You're way too goddamn big should not be throwing this little piece around. Through a high-intensity boot camp offered once or twice a year. That includes hand-to-hand combat, water hosing, and crawling across railroad tracks. The modern-day night project makes a promise to men who shell out the $18,000 to attend the three-day program. You'll become better friends, better fathers, better leaders. They're stuck in a rut.

They've lost that fire. They've lost that edge as a man. Suffering leads to those superpowers. Instructor Steve Eckert says the suffering is just one snapshot of a program that strives for a deeper purpose. It starts off very loud, chaotic, and violent. They're forced to fight each other. After that, they're hugging each other. They're crying. The common thread for many attendees, he says, is a past colored by abuse and the search for some direction.

Keep going, keep going. Since its 2019 start, the project has held 20 sessions and racked up millions of views online. and plenty of questions about its purpose. In June of 2020, a participant died during a session and his family sued for wrongful death, alleging a failure to provide necessary medical care, though the party settled a few years later. In a follow-up interview, Eckert told NBC News

he did not want to discuss the matter due to privacy and respect of an extremely unfortunate tragedy, but added there was no liability. What is the modern-day nights program teaching men about masculinity? To be a civilized, savage servant. So civilized, they're going to open doors, they're going to say please and thank you. They're going to be a savage when it's needed, when it's time to be a protector.

If you're not a savage in that sense, does that mean you're not a real man? I think a man should have it to be a savage. Masculinity never even crossed my mind. Entrepreneur Michael Chernow took part in 2022 as a physical challenge. I believe that I have this sort of inherent warrior mindset, and I run towards the hard things in life. in the hard thing. I tend to feel like I am at my most sort of vulnerable place where I can start to really dig.

Chernow has been married for almost two decades, has two kids, and is a highly successful businessman. It's not that you felt broken, but you did want to address this trauma from earlier in your life. I had a very, very violent and abusive relationship with my father, and that motivated me to look elsewhere for a father figure.

He says that in turn led to a section abusive relationship with a mentor. How did going through this program help you to address some of those years-long traumas? It brought to light some of the trust issues that I have in my life. He says he endured activities like this, digging graves in which participants lie in closed body bags for growth as much as grit. A physical breakdown is required as part of the process. Your thoughts on that. That's been my experience, too.

And I can't say that for everyone. Everyone. Licensed therapist, Dr. George James, weighed the benefits of programs like MDK and said they're not a replacement for actual treatment. I've had clients that have done really difficult, challenging things, from ultramarathons to tough mutter races, I think it's being able to, as a therapist, being able to have the conversation around, how does this directly help you to be a better father, partner, man? For Michael, the actions in this case prove stronger than any words.

Some people have to walk through the fire to know that a burn is not going to kill you. And just ahead, the school bus driver thankful to be alive. After a piece of metal crashed through his windshield, striking him as he was driving, the high school coaches coming to his rescue. And welcome back. We have now a story of a quick thinking situation in crisis, a school bus driver being called a hero. for steering a bus full of students to safety even after he had been struck in the chest.

Our Washington State affiliate, King Fives, Jim Nelson, spoke to that driver about how he managed to make an emergency stop despite being injured. So this is the windshield of the bus. Through school bus windshields, Stuart O'Leary has seen a lot of miles. It was a very quick, violent impact. But never had he ever seen anything. Like this. And it came in at about 60 miles an hour.

Through that windshield came that metal bar. That's the moment he was hit. A routine trip down I-405 from Baffle to Snowquamie on February 7th, driving the North Creek High School Girls Basketball team to a game at Mountside. Stewart was going about 60 miles per hour when just before Bellevue, that chunk of metal smashed through the glass. smacking him in the chest. There was a certain amount of pain,

and I also noticed that as I slowed down, the blood was stripping down my face because glass shards had impacted. Two coaches calmly guided him, the bus, and the team to safety. The pictures tell the story. The hole in the windshield. The perfect fit of that bar and the path it took.

One of the coaches had taken this piece of metal and put it on the dash. And I stood up and I going, that's going with me. I need that. And the surreal view of the bus stopped on the freeway, snapped by Stewart himself.

And I said, oh, hang on a minute. I got to take a picture. As Bellevue firefighters wheeled him away. Certainly have a bruise and a pretty good hematoma. But, you know, they check me out,

nothing broken. So it's all good. He was back to work just days later. And I said, put me in, coach. If I had any reservations about my abilities, it's certainly would have not done that because it's the primary directive transport kids in a safe manner. I didn't want to violate that. Even as all of that was going on,

Stewart was getting in touch with dispatch to make sure a backup bus could be sent to get those girls to their game. As he told me, getting the kids where they need to be is the most important part of the job. Also, worth pointing out, his family just set up kind of a covert operation. Stewart was reunited with those girls at their last game up in Arlington. In Bothel, Jim Nelson, King 5 News. And finally tonight, an alarming update on that possibly Earthbound asteroid that officials have been tracking. It's called 2024 YR4, and it's about 300 feet across with the power to potentially destroy a city with a direct hit. Today, NASA updating its projections for that asteroid, saying it now has about a 3.1%

chance of hitting Earth in December of 2032 for context. That's about a one in 32 chance. I know many of us don't necessarily love those odds. For more on this, let's bring an NBC news correspondent Marissa Parr, who's been following all of it. Marissa, how concerned right now are NASA officials about the situation and how worried should we be right now? Well, Sam, I can tell you that every day while we do our daily activities like getting on a car,

we have a higher risk of doing simple things like that than this. hitting Earth. So this is definitely alarming, though, when it comes to what we're not used to hearing. I mean, the last time that there was an asteroid that had this kind of probability was 2004. And since then in 2013, the International Asteroid Warning Network was created, and this is the first time. Since that network was created, that any type of alarm has been sounded. And of course, we are watching the odds very slowly and very, you know, in a very small level, creep up. It was 1% in January. It was 2.3% just a couple of days ago, and now we're at 3.1%. But in the grand scheme of things, on the larger scale, that's still 96.9% chance that this is not going to hit Earth.

A couple of things here. We are expecting to get a better view of this with the James Webb Telescope in March, and that will allow scientists to better study not just the size, which is important. Right now, it's tracking to be roughly the size of the Statue of Liberty, but also the trajectory, most importantly. and who and where would be in that specific trajectory there. And as of right now, this is not tracking to be something that would be what we saw, wipe out the dinosaurs in the Cretaceous period. This would be something known as what's called a city killer,

which, of course, is not a nice name either, Sam. But at the end of the day, scientists do have seven years to prepare for the chance, which, again, is looking 96.9% chance they won't have to prepare for anything, but they do have technology in place that they can use. utilized that in 2022 was utilized in a successful way, Sam. That's an excellent point. And thank you. We feel slightly more reassured now, Marissa Para. Thanks so much for that reporting. And thank you for watching Top Story. I'm Sam Brock tonight in New York for Tom Yamis. Stay right there. More news is on the way.