Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Episode Date: January 17, 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.

Tonight, all eyes on New Hampshire after former President Trump's historic win in Iowa. Trump fist held high as he headed back to a New York City courtroom just hours after delivering a victory speech in Des Moines. The former president winning the Iowa caucuses by 30 points over Governor Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley. But there will be no debate in the lead-up to the New Hampshire primary next week. ABC canceling the event after Haley said she would all. attend if Trump was. Could this election's first primary help the other campaigns, or will it be another landslide for Trump? Also tonight, deadly winter weather gripping the nation, a mix of rain, sleet, and ice, shutting down roads from coast to coast, thousands of flights canceled or

delayed. Cities like New York and D.C. seen their first real snowfall in more than 700 days, freezing temperatures causing pool equipment to explode in Texas. And in Chicago, So, electric car batteries dying at a rapid pace because of the cold is any relief on the way. New charges, the suspected Gilgo Beach serial killer, now charged with the murder of a fourth woman whose body was found buried on a Long Island beach more than a decade ago, how prosecutors say a single strand of hair and the victim's surviving daughter helped connect the killings. Dating app warning, the new security alert for Americans planning to travel to Colombia after several U.S. citizens were robbed, drugged, and even killed. The crimes now linked to dating apps.

Volcano emergency, new drone footage shows lava burning homes in Iceland. After another volcanic eruption there, the popular Blue Lagoon shut down again just days after reopening. Residents evacuated, but now losing everything. Plus, the dangerous trend spreading on TikTok, some social media users promoting the use of laxatives. weight loss as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to drugs like OZempik. But health officials are sounding the alarm about just how dangerous that is. And the wild video is showing a man in a robe fighting off a coyote to save his precious chihuahua, what was going through his head when he picked the coyote up by the tail

before putting it in the dumpster. Top story. Starts right now. And good evening. It's a tale of two Trumps. Just hours after the former president's record-setting Iowa caucus win, he made a mad dash back to a New York City courtroom. With 99% of the vote in, Trump clinched 51% of the caucus vote, a massive lead from Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, who secured 21% of the vote narrowly pulling ahead of former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley. But today, instead of hitting the campaign trail, the former president spent his day back in a courthouse. for his second E. Jean Carroll defamation trial. It comes as all-eyes shift to New Hampshire for the first in the nation presidential primary

in the Granite State. It's just a week away. Nikki Haley hit the ground early this morning as her campaign relies heavily on independent voters in the state. But today, Haley confirming in a social media post that she won't take part in the debate stage unless Trump does, forcing ABC News

to cancel its primary debate slated for Thursday. Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis, making a pit stop, not first in New Hampshire, but in South Carolina, before heading back north. A CNN poll showed Trump holding 39 percent of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, but Haley follows close behind with 32 percent, and there's Ron DeSantis, trailing with just 5 percent. There's a lot at stake in New Hampshire. Can Nikki Haley pull off a surprise victory? Will Trump dominate? And what about Ron? Will his supporters and donors keep him alive to stay competitive into South Carolina. We'll tell you about the

conservative editorial board already calling for him to drop out. We have our correspondence covering each candidate. Ali Matali is on the ground with Nikki Haley. Dasha Burns is following Ron DeSantis. And Garrett Haik has the latest on former President Trump. He leads us off tonight from New Hampshire. Tonight, former President Trump celebrating his blowout win in the Iowa caucuses. way he spent much of his campaign so far, fighting his many legal battles from center stage. I go to a lot of courthouses because of Biden because they're using that for election interference. The former president emerging from Trump Tower today with a raised fist. Trump back in a New York

City court today appearing in the damages phase of his civil trial against author E. Jean Carroll after he was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming her. Trump blasting the case on truth social today, calling on the judge to, quote, end this un-American injustice, saying he was wrongfully accused by a woman he never met, saw, or touched. The former president's legal challenges acting as jet fuel for his presidential campaign. This is where polling stood against Ron DeSantis the week of his first indictment. This is where it is now. In the Hawkeye State Monday night, Trump dominating the field, beating out Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley by 30 points. I think that more people are getting on board and realizing they're seeing what is behind those indictments, which is politically motivated to try to interfere with him running.

So I think that he has even more support because of those indictments. His win smashing the all-time record for biggest margin of victory in a contested GOP Iowa caucus. Trump winning 98 of Iowa's 99 counties. The only one he lost was by just one vote. He's the only one who can get this country back the way it's supposed to be. Trump's victories driven by big wins with key demographics. Evangelical voters, non-college educated voters, and voters over 65, all breaking decisively for the former president. In his victory speech, Trump with a somewhat condescending salute to his opponents.

I want to congratulate Ron and Nikki for having a good time together. We're all having a good time together. and I think they both actually did very well. Trump also welcoming the endorsement of a rival turned ally, Vivek Ramoswamy, who once sold himself as a younger Donald Trump, dropping out of the race after his fourth place finish in Iowa, endorsing Trump himself. This has to be an America first candidate in that White House.

I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulate him on his victory, and now going forward he will have. have my full endorsement for the presidency. And I think we're going to do the right thing for this country. Tom, two interesting things we'll see tonight from Donald Trump here in New Hampshire for the first time. The first is the debut of Vivek Ramoswamy as a full-on Trump surrogate. He is expected to appear here tonight after endorsing the frontrunner last night in New Hampshire. Ramoswamy has been running as a MAGA disciple of Donald Trump throughout this campaign. But here tonight, I think we'll see him used as something of a heat-seeking missile against Nikki Haley,

He went after several times on the debate stages up until this point. And it's a role that Donald Trump could use him to play here in a state where Haley is expected to be strong. And the other thing we'll see tonight is Donald Trump's response to his day in court in New York City today in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. Donald Trump has made the cases against him a central campaign theme throughout this race. That case perhaps more difficult to politicize, but you know he will try talking to supporters here tonight. they fully expected and they dismissed that case like all the others against Donald Trump as what they believe as election interference. Tom.

All right, Garrett Hake, leading us off tonight here on Top Story from the campaign trail. Garrett, thank you. The New Hampshire primary representing a critical juncture for the Nikki Haley campaign. Some recent polls showing Haley within striking distance of former President Trump in a state where independent and moderate voters can help clinch a badly needed win. Ali Vatali tonight, there in New Hampshire as well for us. in New Hampshire's live-free or die primary

what could be Mickey Haley's do-or-die moment and the former UN ambassador taking no chances saying she's not going to debate did we expect to see you on the debate stage in New Hampshire is Trump going to be on the debate stage

is that the metric I mean I've debated five times already and had strong debates now it's time to get Trump on the stage late today Haley confirming that with Trump sitting out yet again she won't attend the New Hampshire debate making her case against Trump on the campaign trail instead. 70% of Americans have said they don't want to see another Trump-Biden rematch.

A recent CNN New Hampshire poll taken before the Iowa caucus and before several candidates dropped out shows the former U.N. ambassador trailing Donald Trump by just single digits, boosted in part by a key endorsement from the state's popular Republican governor, Chris Sununu. This is Nikki Haley v. Donald Trump for the next week. Haley now casting the race in the same binary, her versus her former boss. Even as she failed to pull ahead of Florida Governor Rhonda Santis in Iowa last night. We deserve a new direction under new conservative leadership. Not getting it could spell problems for Republicans in a general election, too.

NBC news polling out of Iowa showing half of Haley's backers would vote for Biden over Trump in the general election. Trump and Biden both lack a vision for our country's future because both are consumed by the past, by investigations, by vendettas, by grievances. The question now, can Haley consolidate that more moderate anti-Trump vote in the famously independent New Hampshire? America deserves better. All right, Ali Battali joins us tonight from the campaign trail in Manchester, New Hampshire. Ali, I want to start with the decision not to debate Governor Ron DeSantis.

Talk to me about the calculation the Haley campaign made in making that decision. I think it's less, Tom, about debating Ron DeSantis again and more about. about the fact that Haley is trying to underscore the narrative that she wants this to be a two-person race. Now, despite how much she wants that to be the case, Ron DeSantis is still very much a candidate in this election and is clearly going to continue making himself known. But when we're watching Nikki Haley do, especially in a state like New Hampshire, in large part because of the polls that show her within striking distance of the former president, she is trying to paint herself as the only person who can take on Donald Trump, both in the

minds of voters and the minds of donors, not appearing on a debate stage, just her and DeSantis, again, continues to reinforce that narrative. But again, Trump has stayed out of debates the entire time. There's no real reason to see that he would change that strategy anytime soon, especially as it's worked for him, sort of floating above the fray of the rest of this primary field. Still, Haley, trying to force that issue. Let's dig a little deeper in that question you posed at the end of your report about the coalition, the Haley campaign, hopes to build the New Hampshire on Election Day.

It's not just going to be with Republicans, right? There's no Democratic primary, so possibly Democrats and independents, she wants to make sure they vote for her. That's exactly right. New Hampshire is really fertile ground for building a coalition that, frankly, she couldn't build anywhere else. We saw a little bit of the breadcrumbs of this in Iowa, where Haley was able to pick off a good amount of independence, though ultimately the majority of them did fall for former President Donald Trump. But here in New Hampshire, Haley is going to try to continue to parlay that, not just with independence, but with would-be Democrats who can come on over

because they don't have as much to worry about on the Democratic primary front and maybe dabble in the Republican politics of the day. When I asked Nikki Haley about this over the weekend while we were still in Iowa, I said, can you win the Republican nomination with the help of independence and Democrats? Certainly that's something that one of her rivals,

Rhonda Santis, is trying to poke at her with. But her strategy, and she reinforced this with me, was to say, shouldn't we be building a big tent? and to reinforce the argument she makes about the general election, that Republicans who have lost so many of those popular votes in general elections past should be trying to get as many independents, Democrats, and Republicans to their cause. Haley's trying to do that, not just in the short term in this primary, but trying to make that long-term argument for the general election as well, Tom.

Ali, Vatali, first from New Hampshire, Ali, we thank you for that. Next to Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis is looking at capitalized on his second-place finish in Iowa and ride that momentum into New Hampshire. But his first stop today was in South Carolina in a sign of the campaign's shifting focus. Dasha Burns has been following DeSantis every step of the way and has this report. Fresh off his second place finish in Iowa,

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis touting his momentum heading into the New Hampshire primary. Nikki Haley said only the top two from Iowa, you know, go on to be viable. Well, guess what? We punched our ticket out of Iowa yesterday. But in a departure, from his rivals, DeSantis flying right to a campaign event in South Carolina, where he spoke

to us exclusively. Last night, you were celebrating a second place finish. You beat Nikki Haley by about two points. Is that a margin that you're comfortable with? We obviously came in second, but amongst the broader Republican electorate, I was viewed very favorably. I mean, like what we did in Iowa, we did make an impression a lot of those folks. I had people come up to me saying, I love you, man, I'm going to do Trump this time and do

you next time. Now, that's not what I wanted to hear. But being there, we did make an impression. DeSantis, choosing to stump in South Carolina, an indication of his strategy to turn the tussle with Haley into a two-man race with Trump. Of course, he's formidable. He's a former president. No one ever said he's not a good, no one said he's not formidable.

Of course, he's one of the most famous people in the world. And to skip ahead to more conservative territory and try to knock out Haley on her home turf. He faces a tough road ahead. He's consistently polled around 5% in New Hampshire, trailing Nick. Haley and Donald Trump by double digits. In an Iowa, despite nearly 200 campaign stops across all 99 counties, DeSantis couldn't close the wide gap with Trump. We are going to fight!

He'll face a steeper climb in New Hampshire, where he's made only 43 stops so far and has struggled to connect with the famed independent voters in the Granite State. Fresh off that exclusive interview with Governor DeSantis, Dasha Burns, joins us tonight from Manchester, New Hampshire. So, Dasha, first things first. I want to get to that breaking news. How is the DeSantis campaign or the candidate responded to Nikki Haley pulling out of that next debate and the debate essentially being canceled?

Yeah, well, DeSantis is essentially saying that Nikki Haley is afraid to debate him. They've been calling for this debate. They've been asking her to give a yes or no answer on this. And now that this debate is canceled, I expect that tonight, even in the town hall, he's going to be touting that he has been ready to take the stage. and his rivals, both Nikki Haley and former President Trump, aren't doing it. And, you know, Tom, it's really ironic to me to see the evolution of Governor DeSantis. At the beginning of this race, he was the guy that wasn't talking to media.

He was the guy that was really avoiding the press at all costs. Now he's the one that perhaps is the most available to the media of them all, and now criticizing his rivals for doing kind of what he did at the outset. But now he's open. He says he's ready to debate and says the others are afraid. Let's talk about day one after the Iowa caucuses. We know he flew out to South Carolina. We saw that in your report.

But do we know why the first event or the event in New Hampshire this evening has been canceled? Yeah. So I just spoke to the spokesperson for Never Backdown, who was arranging. This is a super PAC backing him. They were arranging that event tonight. He did make it to New Hampshire. He is in the state now. but the event was canceled. I mean, really because of what you can see behind me here,

the weather just keeps following us from Iowa to New Hampshire. These conditions are just terrible. They were saying the folks that were trying to get to the event, we're slipping and sliding off the roads, the conditions I can tell you, just driving here to our live location, not good. So they're saying it is because of the weather. And I can tell you, not pretty out here, Tom. Dasha Burns for us tonight, Dasha, we appreciate that. For more in the state of the 2024 GOP race in New Hampshire. I want to bring in Jim Merrill. He's a top New Hampshire campaign strategist who has served as an advisor to multiple GOP presidential campaigns in the Granite State, including Mitt Romney in 2012 and Marco Rubio in 2016. Jim, thanks so much for joining us tonight.

Trump has the momentum coming out of Iowa. What do you think his chances are to win big in New Hampshire? Well, I mean, listen, it was a great night for Donald Trump in Iowa last night, but not surprising either. I think we knew coming in that, you know, Trump was in a good position in Iowa. electorate there was favorable to him. New Hampshire's different. So Trump has, you know, first place standing in New Hampshire right now. But Haley's been closing in for a few months here. She's in a good position right now in New Hampshire with a week to go. Will the victory in Iowa, though, give them momentum into New Hampshire with voters there?

You know, I don't think so. You know, Trump's numbers in New Hampshire have been pretty static in the last, you know, really the last year. He's been in the low to mid-40s, which is a good number, but he's not really grown in that vote share. And typically, you know, historically, Historically, New Hampshire hasn't looked to Iowa for direction on the primary. You know, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, none of them did well in New Hampshire. So I think it was a good night for him, but it stands alone as an Iowa night. Now we're in New Hampshire, and he's got to try and close the deal here. Look, it's clear he'd like to end this process the day after New Hampshire to declare victory,

and Nikki Haley, clear he's not going to cede the ground to him. Talk to me about Nikki Haley's chances there. There's no Democratic primary as we went over with Ali Vitale there. So is this going to help Nikki Haley? Do you see Democrats, you see independents going to Nikki Haley and supporting her on the primary night? Right. Well, just one clarification. So Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary next week.

Registered undeclared voters can, but Democrats can only vote in the Democratic primary. The deadline to change their status was a few months ago. But your point is well taken, which is I expect a large group of undeclared voters to participate in the Republican primary, primarily because, you know, Joe Biden's not competing here, and Dean Phillips has failed to catch fire. So, you know, those undeclared voters, you know, they don't work as a monolith. Some are conservative, some are moderate. But they go to where the action is.

And the action right now in New Hampshire is on the Republican side. So I do expect her to benefit from an influx of undecided voters participating in the Republican primary. Do you think the canceling in this debate is going to matter at all? I don't know if New Hampshire voters were looking forward to seeing another showdown between DeSantis and Nikki Haley. you know former president trump was not going to attend is this a smart plan niki haley's part or did the voters in new hampshire deserve a debate

yeah it's it's a i'm torn on that one uh but i think it for folks that watched haley and desantis debate and i use that term loosely last week we may all benefit from not seeing another repeat performance of that um i think it's a calculated risk on the haley team's part they clearly want to couch this as a two-person race and i think they're right i mean you know ron desantis is here in new hampshire right now but the reality is that the reality is that This is a Trump-Haley race over the next week, and that's what the debate's going to be. So, you know, I think there may be some people. I personally would like to see a debate, but I don't think it's going to cost them in the end.

I want to put up something the Wall Street Journal had on their editorial pages today, obviously an influential conservative editorial board. They wrote Mr. DeSantis faces no clear path to the nomination. He's well behind Ms. Haley in New Hampshire and South Carolina. If he believes, as he says, that Mr. Trump can't win in November, he should leave the race and give Ms. Haley a chance to take on Mr. one-on-one. So, Jim, you've been part of campaigns that didn't look so strong, heading into New Hampshire, heading at New Hampshire. You know, the Wall Street Journal has put this on their editorial pages. A lot of Republicans read the Wall Street Journal. What do you think? Is this fair, or is it still too early to start asking people to drop out?

You know, I mean, as you know, there's been a winnowing process leading up to this point. You know, Chris Christie, you know, was under a lot of pressure to withdraw here in the last week to 10 days. And so, you know, listen, it's a tough decision to get into a race for president. It's a tough decision to get out. We saw this dynamic in 2016 when multiple candidates running against Donald Trump thought they had a theory of case that would help them win the nomination. That was ultimately proved to be incorrect. The field has winnowed more quickly this time. You know, Ron DeSantis had a tough night last night. He put all his eggs in the Iowa basket. He made a big investment there and he walked away from New Hampshire a few months ago. He had the governor support, the evangelical

leader support and silly finish 30 points down just ahead of Nikki Haley. So, you know, I think they've got to have that conversation amongst themselves. Let's also think that if Ron DeSantis were to drop out tomorrow, there's a fair amount of his vote that might actually go to Donald Trump, so it may not actually help Nikki Haley. It is a really good point. Speaking of Chris Christie, him dropping out, do you think most of his voters go to Nikki Haley or are they spread out? I think she'll get the lion's share of them. I think that for Some, you know, there's a lot of loyalty there going back eight years. I suspect Chris Christie's still going to get a couple of percentage points on the ballot.

Next week, even though he's not actively running any longer. But I think the lion's share will go to Nikki Haley, and she will, in fact, benefit from his withdrawal. But I can't say it'd be a one-for-one. I don't think 12% of Chris Christie's vote is going to all move to her. But I think she'll get a fairly substantial portion of that. We just don't have any data yet post-Christy withdrawal to see where exactly it's going. But I expect a fair amount of it will go to her. Jim, we saw that Governor DeSantis had the Governor of Iowa's endorsement, right?

He came in in a far second place. We know that there in your state of New Hampshire, Nikki Haley, has the endorsement of Governor Sununu. Will that help? Yeah, well, look, I think what we're about to see is not all endorsements are created equal. With all due respect to Governor Reynolds, those are very traditional endorsements. She certainly helped him out there. But look, if you see what Chris Sununu has done for Nikki Haley since his endorsement of her six weeks or so ago, He's not only done enormous work here on the ground with her, traveling with her everywhere and, you know, making personal phone calls to bring people over to her team, but he's become a, you know, a very effective national surrogate for her.

And, you know, Chris is a force of nature. And Nikki Haley is certainly benefiting for that right now. You know, my view, in a closing week of a New Hampshire primary, you've got a campaign here like you're running for governor of New Hampshire. And Nikki Haley seems to be prepared to do that. And there's no better guide to help her do that than the current governor who's been so successful. You think will it benefit Trump to hone in and really attack Nikki Haley over this next week? Or is that a bad strategy? Should he sort of play the main candidate?

Should he kind of almost play the nominee role and ignore her? Yeah, you know, he has benefited thus far. He's come into this cycle as the effective incumbent, a quasi-incumbent, and he's benefited from that in terms of the ballot standing and where he's been. And so he's largely been able to have his pack and others make attacks. Well, he's kind of steered clear. And you saw his remarks last night after winning Iowa. It was very conciliatory and trying to bring people together, which I think surprised some folks. But, you know, he's shown the ability to do that in the past. So I think that's a question, I think, for their data. You know, the Trump team is much more organized this time. They've got a strong, tough team.

My guess is they're looking at the data closely. They have a pretty good idea of where they are in New Hampshire. I think if you begin to see him draw some tough contrast and make some attacks on Haley, then they're nervous about where she is. All right, Jim Merrill, an expert on the state of New Hampshire. We'll see if all your predictions and some of your forecasting come to be true. We'll be checking in with you throughout the week. Jim, always great to have you on the show. Thank you for that.

We want to turn out of the brutal winter storm slamming so much of the country with freezing temperatures, whipping winds, and heavy snowfall. The system turning deadly, killing at least seven so far, And tonight, almost 100 million people still under windchill alerts as dangerous snowy and icy conditions show no signs of ending. Erin McLaughlin has the latest. Tonight, tens of millions of Americans are on ice. And nationwide, there's at least seven confirmed weather-related deaths. My hands were frostbitten, and I had on gloves.

With windchill alerts of minus 30 extending into the Mississippi Valley and temps well below average everywhere east of the Rockies. And in Chicago, electric vehicle gridlock. They tell you the charges are fast. It takes two hours to charge your car. NBC's Adrian Bradis is there. Here in the Chicago suburb, it's so cold, electric car batteries are dying rapidly. Some drivers saying they've waited and lined at this charging station up to six hours. Tonight, more than 2,200 flights canceled nationwide, according to Flight Aware,

with the frigid temps and snow, also creating dangerous conditions on the roads. And from Colorado to Ohio, the cold meant class dismissed. We were all shivering and shaking. Everybody had too much of a, like a shaky voice. We couldn't really do much. Spare a thought for multiple cities in the south, now facing possible record lows. As Nashville yesterday saw more snowfall in a single day than what's typical for the entire year. That same storm working its way up the East Coast, delivering some fun for this driver in Kentucky and ending a snow drought from D.C.

sea to New York, which had gone more than 700 days without an inch of snow. I have a sledding so long, I almost forgot how to do it. It's Hugo's first time in the snow. Do you like it, Hugo? What do you think? And Central Park is a winter wonderland. Go! In the Northeast, we could get hit with more snow on Friday and Saturday, and then

tonight over on the West Coast, they're expecting rain, snow, and ice from Washington to Northern California. Tom? Aaron McLaughlin, we thank you for that. As Aaron mentioned there, millions are still under winter alerts. So let's get right to our friend NBC New York weather anchor, Dave Price, who joins us tonight. Dave, first, great to see you. Walk our viewers through what you're tracking tonight. Well, one dose of rough weather is beginning to work its way out to the north and the east, bringing heavy snows. But keep in mind, we still have significant lake effects snow out to the Great Lakes.

And we're talking about the potential for one to three feet of additional snow as we head. into tomorrow, and as we work our way to Maine, some heavy snows as well. In the meantime, Tom, we head to the Gulf states, and we're talking about 30 million people impacted by brutal cold weather. And as we wake up tomorrow morning, those numbers could be in the single digits in places like Memphis and in the low teens as we head up to Jackson and down towards Baton Rouge. So the cold air is really in place as we head to the southeast tomorrow. And then what are we watching next? Because I know there's another storm that you You guys are tracking as well.

Yep, another storm in the pipeline. We'll go out to the northwest right now. Rain, wind, ice, big problems for Oregon. And that snow is going to work its way towards the Cascades and the northern Rockies, eventually working its way to the south, to the central plains, bringing another area of wet weather towards the southeast, as another low-pressure system really begins to emerge. And then as we head toward the end of the week, another round of snow begins to move into the northeast with blustery cold-conduble. following that, and slick roadways and, of course, the complications that come with rough weather

in one of the most populated areas in the United States, Tom. Dave Price, always a pleasure to have you on the broadcast. Still ahead tonight, the dating app warning, the security alert for Americans traveling to Colombia. After several U.S. citizens were drugged, robbed, and even killed in the South American country, how criminals may be using dating apps to lure them, we'll explain. Plus, the shocking video showing a man flying out of it. of an RV, yikes. What officials say caused the RV to crash into a median,

causing the passenger to fall out, but also we want to tell you he survived. And a major consumer alert, dozens of popular Quaker Oat products recalled over salmonella concerns, what you need to know before breakfast tomorrow morning. Stay with us. We're back now with a major development

in the Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation. The man accused of killing, stealing several women on Long Island more than a decade ago, now charged with a fourth murder. Emily Aketa with what led to the latest indictment. The accused Gilgo Beach serial killer back in court today and facing another murder charge now in the death of Marine Branard Barnes, marking the last of the so-called Gilgo 4, sex workers allegedly killed by Rex Heurman and later found near a desolate Long Island Beach in 2010. I was only seven years old when my mother was murdered.

daughter speaking out for the first time today. The indictment by the grand jury has brought hope for justice. The Suffolk County District Attorney says his office had been waiting for the results of cutting-edge nuclear DNA testing that shows a hair at the crime scene belonged to Hurman's now estranged wife. Investigators got samples of Asa Ellarups and her daughter's DNA through cans thrown out at their home and near a train station after trailing the daughter. The DA says both were out of town during all four of the killings. Nuclear DNA existed in the hair since they were first recovered in 2010. And now the science has caught up.

But the suspected killer's attorney is calling that evidence problematic and says Heurman maintains his innocence. All along we've been told there's no nuclear DNA. And now for the first time, 13 years later, what was once unsuitable is now nuclear capable. We're going to have to look into that. New court documents also detail how Heerman used burner cell phones to contact sex workers as recently as last year and searched for updates on the investigation, including Sister Reveals more about Maureen Brennered Barnes' mysterious disappearance. Tonight, more than 16 years since that disappearance, Brenner Barnes' family's pain still palpable. Losing Marine has became a wound that never truly heals. It remains a part of me.

And the district attorney is also looking into other victims found along Ocean Parkway as prosecutors continue combing through thousands of documents recovered from Perman's storage units. His next court date is in February. All right, Emily Aketa for us next night to an alarming warning from the U.S. Embassy in Colombia. Officials there are raising a red flag and telling travelers to stay off dating apps after eight Americans died under suspicious circumstances in a popular tourist destination. NBC Stephen Romo has the disturbing details. Tonight, an urgent warning for Americans visiting Colombia after a string of deaths in tourist hotspots. The U.S. Embassy in Bogota urging travelers not to use dating apps in the country, writing in a security alert that criminals are using the sites to lure victims with many U.S. citizens drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates.

Embassy officials confirming the deaths of at least eight Americans traveling in Medellin possibly linked to the apps. I'm out of words to describe. I just, I don't even know how I feel right now. A situation all too familiar for the family of 50-year-old Tuzer Zhang, an artist and activist from Minnesota who we first reported on last month. He had been traveling in Colombia in December when he called his brother out of the blue asking for money. This time he was like, hey, you have a couple of thousand. I was like, yeah, no problem. And what do you want it? He said, I want it now.

I'm in a bit of a situation here. I go, oh, yeah, I can do that. Jean's family telling our Minneapolis affiliate, soon after he stopped responding to their messages, he was found dead. A local prosecutor saying Zhang was kidnapped during a date and killed when he could not make the ransom payment and that his body was found covered in stab wounds.

I was confused. To me honestly, I don't know why. you know, what the motor is. Zhang had visited Colombia in the past, posting photos and videos to social media as recently as October with an unidentified woman. The embassy's alert indicated officials do not believe all aid of the deaths are linked and said they've seen an increase in reports of incidents involving the use of online dating applications to lure victims, typically foreigners, for robbery by force or using sedatives

to drug and rob individuals. Often the reports coming from major Colombian cities like Medellín, Carthagena, and Bogota. Murders of foreign visitors went up by 29% in the latter part of 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the embassy, and most of the victims were U.S. citizens. It's a popular destination for Americans who are big contributors to Colombia's tourism industry, making up nearly 30% of foreign travelers in the first half of last year. But behind, Behind that beauty, tragedy, and unanswered questions for families like Zhangs, a case where no arrests have been announced, according to that local prosecutor. Loved ones are left to mourn from thousands of miles away. And he'll draw everybody in.

That's the type of people here is. Okay. With that, Stephen Romo joins us. Stephen, so what kind of advice is the U.S. Embassy giving travelers? Because a lot of people travel to Colombia. Yeah, a lot of people do. That's for sure. The advice actually applies to pretty much anywhere that you're dating when you find people online.

A lot of it is if you meet a stranger, go to a public place. We hear that time and time again. Also tell friends and family your plans, where you're going, details about the person and even what app you used. This one though is more crime oriented. They say don't resist physically if you are being robbed. They say people who do that, they are more likely to be killed. And also, importantly, in pretty much all situations, trust your instincts. If something feels off, just get away.

But with all of these advisories and warnings out there, it might be a good idea just to put that phone down, stop swiping while you're visiting Colombia for a little while. Good advice, Stephen Romo. All right, man, we thank you for that. When we come back, another shark attack in the Bahamas. Officials say a 10-year-old boy bitten during a shark experience at a resort.

The late detail still coming in. That's next. All right, we're back now with Top Story. news feed and we begin with the manhunt in New York City after a deadly shooting on a subway train. Police say a 45-year-old father and grandfather were shot and killed while the car was pulling into a station in Brooklyn. The shooting reportedly happened while the victim tried to break up a fight over loud music. No arrests have been made. All right, a 10-year-old boy hospitalized after a shark attack at a resort in the Bahamas. Officials say the child from Maryland was bitten on the right leg

while at a shark tank exhibit at a resort on Paradise Island. He's currently in stable condition. Police so far have not identified the resort, but the popular Atlantis Paradise Island offers shark experiences on site. They did not immediately respond to our request for a comment. At a scary moment caught on camera on a freeway north of Los Angeles, we do want to mention the person here survived. Dash cam footage captured the moment in an RV crashes into the center divider,

sending a man flying out of the vehicle and over the device. The man suffered multiple injuries, but somehow is expected to survive. Police say the man's wife, who was driving at the time, fell asleep at the wheel. A federal judge has blocked JetBlue's purchase of Spirit Airlines. The proposed $3.8 billion purchase would have created the country's fifth largest airline. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit over the deal, arguing it was anti-competitive and would hurt customers. So far, neither airline has commented on that ruling. And a big consumer update. Quaker Oates is expanding a recall over salmonella concerns.

The recall adding two dozen products, you see some of them here, including more varieties of Quaker Chewy bars, Captain Crunch, cereals, and Gatorade protein bars, which are so popular. The impacted products have a best buy before day of January, 2024 to October 2024. Last month, the company recalled dozens of granola bars and cereals over potential. salmonella contamination. We have the full details. You can check it out on NBCNews.com. Okay, we want to move on now to some other news overseas in Yemen, where U.S. forces continue to clash with Houthi rebels who are targeting major American commercial ships in the Red Sea. Tonight, the U.S. destroying one Houthi missile launcher as they continue to receive weapons and supplies from Iran. NBC's Courtney Kubi reports on that and much more. Tonight, the U.S. striking back against Houthi rebels in Yemen again, destroying an anti-ship ballistic missile launcher that the U.S. says was preparing to attack ships in the Red Sea.

We anticipated the Houthis would continue to try to hold this critical artery at risk, and we continue to reserve the right to take further action. It comes after the Houthis hit a commercial ship with a missile today, according to the U.S. military. The Biden administration now re-designating the group as a foreign terrorist organization, according to three U.S. officials, goal to cut off Houthi financing. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, the threat is impacting commercial traffic. Fifteen percent of commercial traffic is going through that straight every single day. 30 percent of the world's container ships.

We're seeing international repercussions for these attacks. U.S. officials say Iran continues to supply Houthi rebels with weapons and intelligence, releasing photos of these Iranian missile parts headed to the rebels in Yemen. The weapons intercepted when the U.S. Navy spotted a suspicious. boat in the Gulf of Aden and sent in a team of U.S. Navy SEALs. They confiscated the missile parts, but not before two U.S. Navy SEALs ended up in the rough waters. They are both still missing tonight. The tension with Iran also playing out on land. U.S. officials say Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles into northern Iraq overnight. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard

claiming they targeted a spy base for Israel's intelligence agency Mossad in the region. U.S. officials not confirming that, saying U.S. military and diplomatic facilities were not impacted and that civilians, including children, were killed in the missile attack. Sparking protests in the streets in Urbiel, the White House condemning the attacks as reckless and imprecise. All right, Courtney, joins us tonight from Washington. Courtney, I know you have that late-breaking news about the hoodies that you reported in your piece that the Biden administration is designating them a terrorist organization. more can you tell us about that. Yeah, that's right. So we've been hearing about this possibility

for several weeks now. The administration announcing that they will redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terror organization really has more of an impact on the potential for the Houthis to continue getting financing and support. We've just heard in recent, in just the past few days, that in fact, Iran continues to supply them with weapons. Well, now this designation should cut off some more financing specifically for the Houthis. The goal of of course, to deter them from continuing to attack commercial and potential military ships in the Red Sea. And it's important to point out here that the Biden administration is actually the one who took away the designation for the Houthis as a terror organization several years ago because of the concerns among humanitarian groups that it could have an impact on getting critical money and humanitarian supplies to the citizens of Yemen, Tom.

And then I want to switch gears here. I know you have some other new reporting about the 911 calls. and what led to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin being taken to the hospital the other night. Tell us what we know now. Yeah, we just today heard it's a very brief 911 call from one of Secretary Austin's AIDS on January 1st, on New Year's Day, calling the emergency dispatchers saying that they needed an ambulance to take Secretary Austin to Walter Reed. And why this is so illuminating, Tom, is because it shows that from the very beginning there was an effort to keep his hospitalization quiet, the aid asking the dispatchers to turn off the lights and sirens as they approach the house because they wanted to keep the entire thing, quote, subtle. Tom.

Courtney, QB for us tonight. Courtney, we thank you for that. Time now for Top Stories Global Watch and a check of the other headlines happening around the world. We want to start in Japan where two passenger planes clipped wings at Hokkaido Airport. Officials say snowy conditions, you see them right here, caused a towing car that was pulling a Korean airplane to slip and collide with a Cathay Pacific plane. According to authorities, the Korean air flight had nearly 300 people on board, but luckily, no one was hurt.

It comes just two weeks after a fiery plane collision, you may remember, at Tokyo Airport that killed five people. Okay, China issuing a warning to the Philippines over remarks about Taiwan's presidential election this weekend. China summoned the ambassador from the Philippines today and urged the country, quote, not to play with fire after the president of the Philippines congratulated Taiwan's president-elect,

who supports Taiwanese independence. The Philippines then releasing a statement, reaffirming its one-China position and saying the message was only meant to acknowledge mutual interests between the two countries. And the government of Nicaragua freed 19 Catholic clergy members who had been imprisoned in a crackdown

on opposition more than a year ago. Nicaraguan authorities say 18 priests and Bishop Rolando Alvarez were released and handed over to the Vatican on Sunday. Alvarez, who's an outspoken critic of President Daniel Ortega, was imprisoned, along with the other clergymen for treason after supporting 2018 protests calling for Otega's resignation. Okay, we want to head to Iceland now, where a second volcanic eruption in just four weeks has rocked the country.

Thousands forced to evacuate, many of them watching in real time how their homes were swallowed by massive streams of lava. Officials there warning residents of more dangers to come. NBC foreign correspondent Matt Bradley has the latest. Tonight, the residents of this fishing town in Iceland on high alert, after a volcanic eruption in the southwest part of the country threatened to engulf the village. Officials in the town of Grindivik, evacuating around 4,000 residents over the weekend as rivers of lava encroached onto the village and began setting homes ablaze. The volcano erupting just 30 miles from the capital, Reykjavik, and just four miles from the Blue Lagoon, a popular tourist destination. So far, no injuries reported, but so far. some evacuated residents still losing everything.

This man was nearly finished building his new home, saying, I had intended to move into the house before Christmas. The same house I watched burned down on live TV. Feeling helpless as they watch the destruction unfold from afar. I'm born in this town. I actually live in the house that I'm born in. And it's kind of, it's a tough thought to think that this town might be over. and I would have to start all over somewhere else.

But if that's the case, then that's exactly what we'll do. But as this round of eruptions ease, officials warn of more dangers to come. What is certain is that we will have more periods of activity on the peninsula and the whole area is sort of in a stage of great uncertainty. It's the second eruption on the Rakhianas Peninsula in just four weeks and the fifth since 2021. As traumatic events like these, threatened to become Iceland's new normal. And as we mentioned, this eruption, it's just a short distance away from that popular tourist destination, the Blue Lagoon. Now, the Blue Lagoon was closed after last month's eruption.

It reopened again just a few days ago, and now it's once again closed. And it just goes to show the kind of impact that this seismic action. activity is going to have on Iceland's very lucrative tourism industry. Tom? Coming up, the dangerous TikTok trend, social media users trying to find alternatives to drugs like OZempik, now promoting laxatives for weight loss. Why health officials say that could have a harmful impact, that could be permanent. We'll explain. We're back now with the look at the dangerous shortcuts. Some people are taking to lose weight and the adverse side effects brought on by the laxatives. Savannah, Selle,

takes a look at how TikTok is spreading some new risky trends. Keeping things moving is really important to me. Doctors say don't let the laxative talk on TikTok influence you. I just like to purge my life. The promotion of laxatives for weight loss on social media worrying medical professionals. How concerning is it that people are turning to laxatives for weight loss? Laxatives are dangerous straight up and do not and should not be used in any way. to help with weight loss.

Laxatives are used for constipation and not much more. Headlines referencing so-called budget OZMPIC suggests social media users are promoting questionable alternatives to the highly popular class of drugs, like OZempik and Manjaro being used off-label for weight loss. Prescriptions for those drugs can be difficult to get and the cost steep, leaving some, including young people, looking elsewhere.

According to a new study, almost one in ten adolescents have used ineffective and potentially harmful non-prescribed weight loss products. Among them, diuretics, laxatives and diet pills deemed dangerous and associated with unhealthful weight gain in adulthood. And laxatives have surged in popularity leading to shortages on drugstore shelves. I've been using laxatives since August 2012, so like 14 years. Carly Goldberg-Black says she struggles with chronic constipation and takes a laxative with her breakfast every morning at her doctor's recommendation. I'm definitely seeing a shortage of my preferred laxative. The misuse of laxatives has serious risks. The National Eating Disorders Association says it can lead to severe

dehydration, which may cause tremors, weakness, blurry vision, fainting, kidney damage, and in extreme cases, death. We have to understand that it's difficult to lose weight and to think about methods like laxatives or starvation as methods to help people lose weight is our dangerous techniques. A stark warning against the pressure to be thin. Savannah Sellers, NBC News. All right, when we come back, man versus coyote, new video shows the moment a dog owner stepped in in front of a coyote who was trying to attack his chihuahua, how he stopped the animal from taking off with his pet, and the new measure to make sure she's safe. Stay with us. Finally tonight, one man in South Carolina stepping in to save his beloved Chihuahua Roxy from a coyote attack.

Roxy's owner grabbing that coyote by its tail and actually throwing it into the garbage after it bit him. Sophia Radbaugh from our Charleston affiliate, WCBD, has the story. Timothy Snipe was taking his dog Roxy out when he noticed her walking towards the woods. She started walking and I was like, what is she's walking at? And I couldn't figure it out. And in the woods, Roxy could see what Snipe couldn't at the time, a coyote ready to snack on the small pup. The coyote ran out instead of her coming towards me. She ran towards the coyote.

But it didn't take long before Snipe jumped into action, and his heroic efforts all caught on camera. Coyote jumped on me and put me on my leg. And I rest, I wrested him down. I choked him out. snipe got control of the coyote picked him up by the tail and put him in the dumpster until he could get help he tells me he knows roxy wouldn't have made it if he wasn't there i know i would have been all right even if i had got butt and got rabies or something i know i could get treated for him but if she had got but it was over snipe went to the doctor and got nine rabies shots he says he feels good and will now keep this coyote proof vest on roxy when she goes outside snipe says if he had to he would do it all over again to keep roxy safe Once you get a pet, they automatically are part of the family, and this is my girl, this is all girl. So, hey, Roxy. That's a tough looking vest.

We thank WCBD and our friend Sophia for their help on that story. And we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis. Stay right there. There's more news on the way.