Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, January 3, 2023

Episode Date: January 4, 2023

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in critical condition after collapsing on the field. Hundreds of migrants descend on the Florida Keys as local authorities struggle to deal with the surge. The family of four rescued after their car went off a California cliff, the driver now being charged with attempted murder. And the record number of kids accidentally eating cannabis edibles.

Tonight, the new reporting on that horrifying moment on the field that brought Monday night football to a halt. Buffalo Bill's safety, Damar Hamlin, in critical condition after making a tackle and then collapsing right on the field. The team saying he suffered cardiac arrest, medics performing CPR on the field for more than 10 minutes. The entire stadium and millions watching at home stunned. We'll have an update on his condition tonight. Plus, Hamlin's high school coach joins top story. tonight. What he told me about his health, Hamlin's generous spirit and his message as fans all across the country rally to sport the 24-year-old. Also breaking tornado danger funnel clouds

spotted tonight from Alabama to Illinois as Kentucky gets slammed with flash floods. Teens evacuated from a school bus stalled in the water, the same system creating wide-out conditions in the Midwest. Bill Cairns standing by for us. Crisis in the Keys. Hundreds of migrants, many from Cuba. descending on Florida's chain of islands. Some rescued by a cruise ship as it passed by. A national park forced to shut down as local authorities struggled to deal with this surge. Our team live on the ground tonight.

Suspected killer in court, the man accused of murdering four college students in Idaho facing a judge for the first time in Pennsylvania, agreeing to be extradited what his family did in court. How soon he could be back in Idaho and when the evidence that led to his... arrest could be made public. Plus, rescued from a cliff known as Devil's Slide, a family of four crashing off the side of that cliff in California will take you inside the daring efforts

to pull them to safety. And the update late today, the criminal charges, the father, who was driving, is now facing. Top story starts right now. And good evening tonight, the city of Buffalo and NFL fans, and anyone who was watching that game last night in a state of shock. As a young athlete battles for his life in the hospital, professional football players are no strangers to violent injuries, brought to their knees by this horrific moment that unfolded during Monday night football. Demar Hamlin, a 24-year-old safety for the bills, collapsing on the field after tackling a Bengals wide receiver. Teammates and opponents alike stunned as he lay motionless on the field. The anguish clear on their faces as medics

rush to perform CPR for more than 10 minutes. Hamlin taken to a hospital in Cincinnati where he remains in critical condition. The game postponed after an hour, the NFL today announcing the game will not be resumed any time this week. But the last thing on many fans' minds tonight is football. Many of them gathered outside of Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, all of them pulling for Hamlin to recover. That sentiment echoed by Hamlin's high school football coach.

You'll hear our interview with him here in moments. I asked him about what Hamlin was like off the field, and if he had any issues, any known issues with his heart. But first, Maggie Vespas is in Cincinnati tonight and leads us off. Bring healing and restoration to DeMar's body right now. Tonight, prayers are pouring in for 24-year-old Buffalo Bill's safety, DeMarne Hamlin. This was just like a gut punch. He's in critical condition in a Cincinnati hospital. What a match of a lot in play tonight.

Following a terrifying injury that unfolded live on. Monday night football. After tackling a Bengals wide receiver in the first quarter, Hamlin stood up and took a few steps before collapsing to the ground. Now another bill's players down. Doctors from both teams and medics rushed the field performing CPR for more than 10 minutes. This is the last thing you want to see. Players formed a wall around Hamlin as he was treated. Many overcome with shock and emotion. Then the bills knelt to the ground to pray as the ambulance drove off the field. Hamlin's Mom came down from the stands to ride with him. The game has been temporarily suspended.

Both teams retreated to their locker rooms, and after a tense hour of uncertainty, the game was postponed indefinitely. Tonight, League Commissioner Roger Goodell saying the highly anticipated matchup will not resume this week. The bills say Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest when an electrical malfunction in the heart causes it to stop beating, different from a heart attack, which is when blood flow to the heart is blocked. The fastest someone can administer CPR to someone that suffered cardiac rest, the better their chances are of surviving.

It's unclear if the cardiac arrest was caused by the hit, but the team says Hamlin's heartbeat was restored on the field before he was transferred to the hospital. Tonight, his family releasing a statement, your generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Please keep DeMar in your prayers. Hamlin is in his second season with the Buffalo Bills, a sixth round draft. pick. The Pennsylvania native grew up playing football. He chose to stay close to family for college, playing for the University of Pittsburgh. I saw it on my TV. Everyone standing there praying. You get flashbacks about the kid. You know, the person you knew is in danger. In the last 24 hours, heartbroken fans flooding a holiday toy drive Hamlin started in 2020 for kids in need. The original goal, $2,500. Now donations around $5 million. Trying to do my

job a little bit better. Tonight, a powerful clip of Hamlin resurfacing online describing the emotions he felt after a teammate and close friend was injured. I just grabbed his hand a little bit harder just because, you know, you never know when like the last day could be that you get in the experience something like this, you know, so I'm just, I'm cherishing at every moment I can. All right, Maggie Vespa joins us now live outside the University of Cincinnati Medical Center where DeMarne Hamlin is being treated. Maggie, what's the latest on Hamlin's condition? And do we know who's visited him today? Yeah, we'll start with that list of visitors.

It's obviously growing. You heard in the piece that his mom rode with him in the ambulance, so she's obviously been here. But today, reportedly, the head coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, he's been here, as has wide receiver, Stefan Diggs, a teammate on the Buffalo Bills. So again, that list growing as time moves on. At the same time, as far as Hamlin's condition goes,

frankly, Tom, it's not good news. It's not improving. He remains in critical condition inside the ICU, sedated. And at last check, he was on a breathing machine. Medical experts who we should note are not working on his case, but say in cases like this, you would want to start seeing improvements in the next couple of days. So these next few days will be crucial, Tom. And then, Maggie, you know, there was so much sort of outrage yesterday,

right after this happened, pointed against the NFL because it was taking so long to suspend the game. The NFL has sort of fought back against those claims. Where does everything stand right now? Yeah, I mean, you saw it, I saw it, that the ire on social media really at a flashpoint, people demanding to know why it took them an hour to make a decision that a lot of fans felt was so obvious. In a call with reporters Monday night, a late call to just talk about their protocol, the NFL, multiple execs saying that they followed protocol in situations like this, and they also said they left a lot of it up to the players and the coaches,

who, as we saw, were stunned on the field, crying, crying, praying, kind of taking time to absorb what they had just seen. And so they kind of gave that context and hope that helped explain it. A lot of fans, though, just say, even still, this decision should have been made immediately, and it's just the latest flashpoint in the conversation about safety within the NFL.

Tom. Maggie Vespa leading us off here on Top Story. For more insight into DeMarne Hamlin's career on the field and his life off it, we're joined now by his high school coach Terry Totten from Central Catholic High School in Pennsylvania. Coach Terry, thanks so much for joining us here. When you were watching last night's game and you saw DeMargo down, what was your initial reaction?

Just a horror show unfolding in front of me. Anyone who knows football knows what that hit is about. It is not a twisted ankle. It is very, very serious and life-threatening. You could tell from the faces on those players on the field, they were looking at a person who had stopped, his heart had stopped beating far at times. You know, the whole country's talking about DeMar Hamlin right now. You happen to be with him and you coached him during his formative years.

What can you tell us about him? He was an incredible person. Just steady is a word I've used all day. In everything he approached in life, in the classroom, on the football field, everything was just a steady, calm demeanor. And that's how he went about his business of accomplishing things. And that's why I think you're seeing this outpouring of love and support. across the country, really, to anyone he has ever met.

He's an incredible person, and he worked very hard for a career in a natural football league. And then when he achieved it, he wanted to go back into his community, or back to our high school, and help other people achieve things. And, Coach, you saw something special in DeMar once in the lunchroom, correct, with your own son that you will never forget? Yeah, my son didn't play football. He was a little older guy, and I'd often see them sitting. together, which just told me, Damar reached out across all lines to everybody.

Central Catholic's a diverse place, people from different geographic neighborhoods, different economic situations, but he embraced every bit of that and became quite a leader at that school in its norms and in its traditions. And he became a leader in our locker room, in our, on our field, in the classroom. Did you know if Damar had any heart trouble or any type of health issues that sort of came to mind when you saw the injury yesterday? Absolutely not. He suffered through some injuries, both at Central and the University of Pittsburgh, but nothing to do with his heart. And then when he was playing for you, and when he played there at Central Catholic, he talked to you about his hopes of playing in the NFL?

Oh, absolutely. And it was apparent he had a chance at that. But again, it was him going through a lot of adversity. He went to Pitt. He didn't start off with a stellar career. He moved from corner to safety. And then again, being drafted in the six round is no guarantee of anything. But he would come back and work out in our facility. He just had this confidence look at, coach, I'm going to make this football team. Yeah, you have to be a special type of player to do all that. If you could talk to DeMarr right now, what would you say to him? brother you've got so much hope and prayer going up for you because of who you are and the life you've lived and what you've given to the game of football what you've given back to your community

what you've given back to central catholic and the university of pittsburg everybody is pulling for you you know trust in god and keep fighting brother coach terry tot and thank you so much for your time while we await an update on damar hamlin's condition tonight many are wondering what caused the pro athlete to go into cardiac arrest. I want to bring in Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger. He's the chief of cardiology for the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Doctor, thanks so much for joining Top Story tonight. I have a couple of very pointed questions.

The first one I want to ask you is that the Buffalo Bills have said that his heartbeat was restored on the field. How big of a development is that? So that's a huge development. I think that it tells us a number of things. First, that there are multiple causes for cardiac arrest, but it seems like his cardiac arrest was due to something called a ventricular tachyroidmia or ventricular fibrillation.

So it's a primary electrical issue. It sounded like he got CPR fairly quickly, and he got defibrillated fairly quickly. Those are all very good prognostic signs. Were you able to watch the play where this happened, and do you think that contact had anything to do? I also want to be very transparent with our viewers saying that we are choosing not to run that play gratuitously as we cover this story. Yes, I did watch that, and there's no question that he took a pretty powerful hit to the chest. There is a condition called Commodio-Cortis, which is described exactly that way, that you get a blunt trauma to the chest.

That trauma to the chest causes a electrical depolarization in the heart. And if it's timed just at the perfect time when part of the cells of the heart are excitable and part are not excitable, it can induce this ventricular fibrillation. You've treated athletes before. So there's a brief... I'm sorry, Dr. Keep going? No, so there's, I think, a reasonable possibility that that is a cause for his cardiac arrest. Anything else stand out to you about the way he collapsed? They were able to get the heartbeat back, they say, on the field, but he's still in critical condition.

He's in the ICU there in Cincinnati. Anything you're able to draw without having examined him? Yeah, I think this is a pretty typical course for somebody who's suffered a cardiac arrest. You know, I think it may be a couple days before they'll allow him to come out of sedation and be extubated. So this is, I think, a pretty typical course, so certainly it's a very critical time. And the support of care that he's getting is very, very important at this time. Dr. Goldberger, he's obviously at sort of a premier level of fitness, right? He is the healthiest of the healthy you would think to play professional football at that level.

Plus he's a safety. He's probably one of the fastest people on the field. Will that help him get over this or to bounce back from cardiac arrest, or every person's different? And sort of your medical history or your fitness level doesn't play that much of a part? No, there's no question that your underlying health. is going to be a big factor in terms of recovery. We see that on the other end of the spectrum where people have cardiac arrest and have a lot of comorbidities, a lot of other associated illnesses, and oftentimes they don't do so well

because of those associated illnesses. So his underlying health is really a plus for him. Okay, Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger, we appreciate your time. We're also following breaking news at this hour. Severe weather and possible tornadoes ripping through parts of the Midwest and the South. New video, just into the newsroom. Take a look at this. It shows a funnel cloud. This is in Holtville, Alabama, which is about 20 miles north of Montgomery. You can see it right there, clear as day. And take a look at this. This is in the neighboring

county, a home severely damaged, ripped to shreds after a suspected lightning strike there. There's a lot of weather to get to tonight, so I want to bring in meteorologist Bill Cairns. Bill, walk us through what we're watching tonight. I'm looking at your screen right there, and I can see you actually a little bit closer here in the studio. It looks like a lot of activity, And we're talking tornatic activity, possibly? Yeah, we still have active tornado warnings. Now, we haven't had what we'd call a strong tornado that has gone through a populated area today. We've had a lot of funnel clouds.

We've had a couple tornadoes in areas of Illinois. But we've avoided injuries and deaths, which is great whenever we get in these situations where we could have strong tornadoes. We're not done yet. We saw about another hour, hour and a half to go on these tornado watches. Atlanta was just cleared. You're no longer under the tornado watch. But Dothan all the way down here, Montgomery, Alabama.

These are all areas that have a chance. And there are some active tornado warnings just to the northwest side of Hattiesburg, Mississippi here. So that's one area that we'll be watching over the next hour or two. Tomorrow we're going to do a little more in the way of severe weather. So tornado threat is lower, but this area of yellow is a slight risk. This is all of the Florida panhandle, central and southern Georgia, and also a little slice here of southeastern portions of Alabama. We've also had significant flash flooding during the day today.

We had a lot of heavy rain in areas of West Virginia, and that will continue in areas of the south, too, Tom. So we had numerous concerns, and I didn't even mention the snow. I-90 was closed in South Dakota for much of today. Okay, we've been talking about California. We were talking about it all day yesterday. We know they were going to get some more severe weather towards the end of this week. What are we watching now? Tomorrow's the day.

Tomorrow into Thursday is when we see the next atmospheric river heading in. So here's the map, and it's really focused on California. All of the flood watches are from northern California all the way down through Los Angeles here. That's about 15 million people's. And the concern is that we had the New Year's Eve weekend storm. All the ground is saturated. Rivers are already running high. And this is the rainfall forecast. For the mountains, this is the Sierra Range here. And then even coastal locations from San Francisco up to Yucaya, we could easily see three to five inches of rain. That's a lot of rain. We're talking mudslides, debris flows. We're worried about the burn scar areas. Plus, the storm will have gusty winds. And Tom, when we talk about the snow by the time, you know, about three days from now, someone could easily get another four to five feet. Wow, Bill Cairns for us and a lot of weather that's happening all across the country. Bill, thank you.

And all that coming to California as the state tries to recover from historic rainfall over the last few days, as Bill was outlining for us there. All that rain triggered multiple rescues. The same system also spawning tornadoes, dangerous flooding and whiteout conditions. NBC's Miguel Almaguer has the new images from coast to coast. Even for parts of Minnesota and South Dakota, these were epic whiteout conditions, spinouts installed. jammed roadways as upwards of two feet of powder were expected to fall in pockets of the region. With 10 million battling snow and ice, the Midwest was hammered by blizzards, while twisters carved across the south. Small communities in Alabama and Arkansas taking the brunt of the

damage for now, as suspected tornadoes touched down. But 20 million are still at risk for severe thunderstorms and the chance of more tornadoes. That same storm system swamped swaths of Kentucky with fierce flash flooding. Greenville's Fire Department overwhelmed as roads went underwater, first responders scrambling to pluck students from a waterlogged school bus. Once we got here, the fire department called in their swift water rescue team. They were able to get to the bus to get the kids and get them back over to the dry side where they can get on to school. The scene eerily remembered. of the historic flooding that washed over San Francisco and Sacramento earlier this week.

Now, after California was pummeled by an atmospheric river, two more are expected to hammer the state even harder. Today, there was just a brief break in the rain here, which gave communities like this one just enough time to prepare for mudslides, which seem inevitable. Tom? Okay, Miguel, thank you for that. Let's turn out of the growing crisis in the Florida Keys, where hundreds of Cuban and Haitian migrants have made landfall in just the last few days. Many of them making the

dangerous journey and handmade boats, some even rescued by a passing cruise ship. Local authorities now struggling to deal with the surge as the boats continue to arrive. This morning, a group of about 200 making it off the shore there to Key Largo. Guadvinegas is there tonight for us. Tonight, authorities announcing an immigration crisis in the Florida Keys. Hundreds of migrants making landfall in the chain of islands. Over the weekend, self- phone video taken by a telemundo reporter capturing a desperate attempt to reach the mainland. I kind of like stood out and I saw someone waving something wide. A celebrity beyond cruise ship forced to make a rescue.

The captain announced that there were some people in a boat that they were going to bring over. In the last few days, authorities say an estimated 500 migrants have arrived along the Florida Keys, customs and border protection reporting a 400% increase of migrant encounters in the Miami sector since October 1st. debris now scattered along the beaches. This morning, a group of about 200 Haitian migrants making it to land as other boats waited in the wings to make landfall. The influx leading to what officials are calling a humanitarian crisis.

You know, we've been experienced in the past. We'd have a migrant landing every week or two, but several months ago, our landing started turning into two, three landings a day. We're seeing yesterday we had 10 migrant landings. Yesterday, that increase, even shutting down the remote Dry Tortugas National Park in the Gulf of Mexico, so police and medical personnel could, quote, evaluate, provide care and coordinate transport to Key West for approximately 300 migrants, adding, like elsewhere in the Florida Keys, the park has recently seen an increase in people arriving by boat from Cuba.

Miami Border Patrol Chief tweeting out, during the past 72 hours, Border Patrol agents have responded to a high volume of migrant landings in the Florida Keys. In the last three months alone, the U.S. Coast Guard says they have intercepted. more than 4,000 Cuban migrants compared to 6,182 for a whole year from October 2021 to September of 2022. They say more than 220,000 Cubans have come through the U.S.-Mexico border in the last fiscal year. Many of those migrants fleeing from shortages of food, medicine, and power, as well as a crackdown on anti-government protest. The surge continuing to put a strain on local resources. There doesn't seem to be a plan from the federal government. It asked, I'm sure they tell you

they got a plan, but we'd like to see it. And if they have it, it doesn't seem to be working on this environment. All right, Guad Vanegas joins us now from the Florida Keys squad. The numbers keep going up and the boats continue to come. Do we know why now, right now at this month? Well, Tom, we've seen this from other countries as well, right? But I can tell you, Specifically, you look at Cuba. I was there two months ago when the hurricane hit. The hurricane took out a lot of the crops. The people that were already complaining, not just because of the food shortages,

but also the high prices, saying it's becoming unaffordable to live there. So you can imagine now what it's like, same with Haiti. These are individuals that have no other options, but to take this journey and try to come to the U.S., like we've seen it happen in the last few weeks also through land. So we're now seeing it here in the Florida Keys, Tom. Yeah, we heard the sheriff in your piece calling for the federal government to step in. And what have they done in any type of capacity so far?

Well, Tom, we spoke with the Sheriff's Department, and we asked them what they were doing. You know, today, the 200 migrants that arrived from Haiti. So what they told us is that they are offering support. So they say that whenever someone reports migrants coming in, the officers will come by for support as they wait for federal authorities to come and take over giving the help that the migrants need and eventually taking them to a processing center. Yeah, and I want to ask you what happens there because we saw a lot of of these migrants coming ashore and then high-fiving, possibly it stands to reason those

were Cubans coming here, thinking they'll be able to stay longer. Do we know after they're being processed and treated by medical personnel where they go after this? Well, Tom, all migrants that come to the U.S. land or through the ocean have to go through this processing that is done by CBP, and that's where federal officers will talk to them, they will interview them, take all their information, and decide if the internet, individuals are then given an opportunity to remain in the U.S. and seek asylum. But there is a possibility that the Haitians get put on a plane and expelled back to Haiti.

And now the U.S. has a new arrangement with Cuba, where Cubans can also be put on a plane and expelled back to Cuba. All of that is a possibility, or federal agents can allow them to remain in the U.S. as they go through that asylum-seeking process, Tom. Guad vanegas, on this breaking immigration story that is happening on Florida's border, hundreds of migrants showing up there day after day. Okay, Guadvanegas, we thank you for your reporting. Now to power in politics and the fight for the speakership in the House, the Chamber adjourning for the evening after top Republican Kevin McCarthy struggled to get enough votes to become Speaker. The battle a chaotic start to the term with Republicans back in control

of the House for the first time since 2018. NBC Senior Capitol Hill Correspondent Garrett Haig has the latest. How are you feeling about the vote? It's not the kind of history Republicans were hoping to make. for the first time in 100 years, failing to elect a Speaker of the House. A Speaker has not been elected. On ballot? A Speaker has not been elected. After ballot. A speaker has not been elected.

The chaos, the result of a bitter battle between Republicans, a small but stubborn faction of right-wing members voting against party leader Kevin McCarthy. People ask me, what do you want? I want the tools or I want the leadership to stop the swing. from running over the average American every single day. McCarthy projecting confidence this morning. I'm not going anywhere. I will always fight to put the American people first, not a few individuals that want something for themselves.

But also predicting a drawn-out process. Is there any scenario in which you drop out of this race? No. McCarthy had already made major concessions to the rebel Republicans who were pushing him for prime committee seats, commitments to vote on specific legislation, and rules changes, including some that would make it easier to oust a speaker later. With the House constitutionally bound to elect a speaker before taking up any other business, rank and file Republicans, the vast majority of whom back McCarthy, growing frustrated by the small group of holdouts.

If I didn't know any better, it's like the Democrats paid these people off. Let's pay them off. Let's make it look like the Republicans can't govern and don't deserve any gavels whatsoever. That's what it makes it look like. For much of the day, top Democrat Hakeem Jeffries actually had more votes for Speaker than McCarthy. But Republicans hold the narrow House majority and the only real path to electing a Speaker, if they can agree on who. Garrett Hague joins us tonight from Capitol Hill.

So, Garrett, I want you to explain something to us. Typically, I know you know this, the rule for Capitol Hill is if you don't have the votes, you don't bring something up for a vote. What was McCarthy thinking here? Well, the Speaker's votes different, Tom. In this case, it's mandated by the Constitution that it's the first thing the House do,

Even the date is set by law. They had to have this vote today, whether they had the results or not. McCarthy also thought he could pressure some of these Republicans by grinding this process out to support him eventually. It hasn't worked today. He has won fewer vote tonight than he started with this morning. We'll see what day two brings. All right, Garrett Hake for us, Garrett, thanks for that. And a quick update before we go to break, actor Jeremy Renner, breaking his silence for the first time since he was injured in a snowplow accident.

We told you about this last night, the Hawkeye Star posting this photo to Instagram from a hospital bed. His caption, thank you all for your kind words. I'm too messed up now to type, but I send love to you all. You can see how badly injured he is there, at least from the chest up. Officials today saying Renner was run over by the snowplow near his Nevada home after he tried to climb back into the machinery while it was rolling away. His publicist is saying he was helping clear his neighbor's driveway at the time. Okay, still ahead tonight. The latest on the Idaho murder investigation, a lot of developments today. The suspected killer appearing in a Pennsylvania courtroom, the family members who showed up with him,

and how soon he could be extradited to Idaho, a report coming up. Plus, the dramatic rescue in California, this is a strange one, a family of four airlifting to safety after plunging off a cliff. The criminal charges, the father is now facing. He was striving. And the new video out of Maryland, officers racing to the scene of a plane crash. the tool one rescuer used to pull herself across the frozen pond and get to that strained pilot. We'll show you next. We're back tonight with an update out of Pennsylvania where the suspect and the killing of those four Idaho college students agreed to be extradited. He will now return to Idaho to face first-degree murder charges.

NBC Stephanie Goss with more on his day in court. Brian, Brian, did you do it? Handcuffed and in a prison jumpsuit, Brian Coburger was escorted into a packed Pennsylvania courtroom today. In a brief hearing telling the judge, he will not fight extradition to Idaho. The 28-year-old says he is not responsible for the murder of four University of Idaho students last November, according to his public defender. He believes he's going to be exonerated. That's what he believes.

Those were his words. So he's really been very easy to talk to, actually, and he's in a calm demeanor. Kohlberger grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, graduating last year from DeSales University with a master's in criminal justice. Today, heavy security, state and local police surrounded the small county courthouse. Two law enforcement sources tell NBC News forensic genealogy, the DNA of extended family members, played a role in his arrest. Kohlberger was studying to get his doctorate in criminology from Washington State, just 15 minutes from the crime scene. He drove cross-country with his father in December in the white Hyundai Alantra authorities had been looking for. Body cam footage obtained by NBC News shows Indiana state troopers pulling the father and son over on the highway.

Koeberger's attorney says they were stopped twice on that trip for speeding and tailgating. I believe it to be a random coincidence. Kohlberger's parents say they are cooperating with authorities, while the father of Kaley Gonzalez says he is eager to come face to face with his daughter's alleged killer. I want him to be sick of seeing us and sick of knowing that these people won't let it go. Stephanie joins Top Story tonight from outside the courthouse there in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. So Stephanie, what was Koeberger's demeanor in court today and his interactions with the judge? You know, Tom, Kovberger was calm. walked in, he was escorted by police. His family was sitting in the front row. They were very

emotional, especially his mom and one of his sisters. He occasionally looked back at them calmly. He told the judge that he agreed with the extradition. His attorney has told us he's eager to exonerate himself back in Idaho, Tom. And Stephanie, what is the timeline now as he heads back to Idaho? Well, it's a bit uncertain. We had thought he might leave as early as tonight, But then a Pennsylvania official said that it was unlikely that he would travel tonight, that it might be in the coming days. So we don't know exactly when. When he gets there, he will be formally charged with four counts of first-degree murder. And he's expected to plead not guilty, Tom.

Okay, Stephanie, Goss for us, Stephanie, we appreciate it. For more on this murder case that has captivated the country. I want to bring an NBC News legal analyst and a friend of Top Story, Danny Savalos, here in the house. So, Danny, talk to us about the legal process. We just heard from Stephanie there. It may take a day or two to get over to Idaho. Once he lands, a lot of people are hoping to see what was in this affidavit that the prosecutor and the sheriff there has said will shed some light on why they arrested him. What happens next is very quickly in Idaho will have what's called a first appearance.

It's not an arraignment. That happens later. In fact, he doesn't even really enter a plea at that first appearance. You really just deal with things like bail and let's get real. He's not likely to get bail or bond in a case involving four allegations of murder. So next up, the Idaho prosecutors have a choice to make. They can either hold a preliminary hearing in 14 days or they can use a grand jury to indict him. Strategically, if I were them, I would expect them to use the grand jury process because a preliminary hearing, a probable cause hearing, is out in the open. Has that process already started, do you think?

The grand jury? Oh, that I don't know. Grand juries are conducted in secret. But I would expect that's the avenue that the prosecutors are going to want to go in, especially because of the court's. in, especially because they've been investigating this for some time. Well, that's what I'm asking you. Do you think they've already started presenting evidence yet to the grand jury? Do you think that's happened yet?

Not necessarily because they proceeded by way of criminal complaint, as far as I understand it. So what will happen next is that they can, instead of having a preliminary hearing, just go get an indictment by the grand jury, and that would obviate the need for a preliminary hearing. So those steps move, they can take weeks, should take about 14 days for a prelim. They might get an indictment before that. Then you have the true arraignment in Idaho. That's where he actually formally enters his plea of not guilty, which he probably will. At least that's the indication right now.

You're a smart guy, sharp lawyer. Would you at all be intimidated by a defendant like this who had a master's in criminology, was getting his PhD in criminology, and obviously was sort of obsessed with the subject of crime? Yeah. I don't want to be offensive to people who study in that area, but studying criminal. But studying criminology does not make you a master criminal. No more than being a public defender or a criminal defense attorney makes me any better at committing crime than anybody else. In fact, if he's in the area of studies of like surveys where he's reportedly sending information and getting information from prisoners for studies, you see that a lot.

That's more sociological work. It doesn't make you the perfect criminal. So I seriously doubt law enforcement. The prosecutors are intimidated of a Ph.D. student in criminal justice, criminology, criminal anything. If you leave the evidence behind to prosecute you, they'll prosecute you whether you're a regular Joe or a Ph.D. in criminology. If they indeed, if the key piece of evidence here is that DNA, which they linked, our sources have told NBC News, they were able to link to some kind of DNA registry website through a relative somehow. If that is the way they've connected the dots here, is that tough to prosecute?

or a lot of cases now prosecuted that way? DNA has made cases more airtight than ever. They've also exonerated people as well. But in a case like this, what is just remarkable is that we live in an age now where years ago you had to rely on something called CODIS. That is the combined DNA index system. It's run by the government and it relies on individual authorities to submit DNA evidence. Meanwhile, in the private sector, people like,

you and I are voluntarily submitting our DNA to 23 and me to find out how much Irish we have in us or Hispanic or whatever the case may be. But that same evidence in the hands of a private company is easily subpoenaed or search warranted by law enforcement. And now law enforcement have this whole new treasure chest, thanks to technology, of DNA evidence. And even if the people who submitted their DNA have not committed crimes, their DNA may be close enough to a family member that this information is just a subpoena. way, whereas 15, 20 years ago, it scarcely existed in this patchwork quilt of government DNA databases. Dana, real quick, before we go, I want to ask you, just judging from his body language,

do you read anything from his body language and everything you've read about him so far? Do you see any kind of pattern there? Does it tell you anything as somebody who's prosecuted people before? Well, here's the thing I've been concerned about is what if we find out, this is one of those Leopold and Loeb's situation, somebody that had zero-connected. to the victims, but just thought, I want to try and commit the perfect crime. It sounds awful, but there really have been historically predators like that. They come along once in a while who just decide to commit a random act of violence like that.

It happens more often than we like to admit. Just to see if they can get away with it. Or they're thirsty kill. In the case of Leopold and Loeb, this is going back hundreds of years, they accidentally left their glasses at the scene, and that's what connected them. Here in the modern era, it might be DNA that was left at the scene and is the defendant's undoing. Danny Savalas, we always love you and your analysis. We appreciate it.

Now, to an incredible rescue in California, a car falling off the side of the Pacific Coast Highway and crashing into the rocks below. Miraculously, all four passengers survived. But police have now arrested that driver for attempted murder. Naila Charles has the story. A daring rescue caught on camera in California. After a car carrying two adults and two children flew off a cliff and plunge into the jagged rocks below, just missing the Pacific Ocean, sending onlookers into show.

shop. I could see in my rearview mirror just the car being, you know, straight like this, and then all of a sudden just disappeared down. Authorities now saying there's probable cause to believe the crash was an intentional act, arresting the driver for attempted murder and child abuse. San Mateo County and state officials saying the car fell 250 feet, just a turn off of California's coastal Route 1. Robin Johnson called 911. Did not think for one second anyone was surviving that. But they did, save by the timing of low tide and California Highway Patrol's incredible crew, like flight officer and paramedic, Sean Bouye. Are the victims lucky that they didn't fall into the water?

During high tide, this would have been underwater this location. In fact, where they landed was still wet from the previous tide that I can work. The area called Devil Slide, known for its scenic views and sharp drop-off. Cal-fires and Mateo firefighters repelling down the cliff first. The damage to the vehicle would indicate that it hit and then flipped. commanded mostly on trails. So we immediately went, put a plan in place, to lower rescuers down to the vehicle to get eyes and assess what we had. Then helicopters called in.

Bouye hoisted a firefighter down to the stranded people. As we got even closer, we were told that the firefighters had rescued two of the children and that the adults still needed to be rescued, but they were trapped in the car. The storm was approaching threatening the rescue. Making time more about the essence. And their survival, even more asthm. after the rescue all four occupants were hospitalized the adults with major but non-life-threatening injuries and the two children relatively unharmed according to California Highway Patrol we had four survivors in a collision where there shouldn't have been any survivors I mean it is truly a miracle that they're alive a miracle that may end with the driver in court Tom according to the California Highway Patrol the driver Darmesh Patel of Pasadena California was arrested in the hospital they say after interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence all night, they think driving off the cliff was an

intentional act. He's being treated for injuries and then will be booked into San Mateo County Jail upon his release from the hospital. The investigation is still ongoing, but an incredibly sad twist to this heroic rescue. Tom? It is. Okay, Naila, thank you for that when we come back some wild video. A carjacker caught in the act in New Orleans. Ring camera footage showing a man attempting to drive off in an SUV that was left running. what the owner of that car did to stop him in his tracks. You won't believe what he threw right there at the car being from New Orleans, or you may. That's next.

All right, we are back now with Top Stories Newsfeiting. We begin with the driver caught on camera fighting off a car thief in New Orleans. A home security camp capturing the moment a suspect jumps into an SUV that was left running and takes off. Well, the victim who was dropping off a gift just feet away, then throws a pot of gumbo at the car before climbing on top of it. He's seen reaching through the sunroof to try to get the suspect out, that suspect eventually getting out of the red SUV and jumping into another car before taking off. All right, the man behind a mass shooting on a New York City subway train has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. 63-year-old Frank James accepting all 10 counts, one for each wounded victim with no plea agreement. He admitted his intention was to cause serious harm.

In April, you may remember, Frank set off a smoke device before opening fire on board a crowded train as it pulled into a Brooklyn station. He faces life imprisonment. And we have new video tonight of a daring pilot rescue in Maryland that we first told you about last week. Police body camp footage now showing an officer racing towards that scene of a single engine plane crash at Beards Creek. That officer using screwdrivers to pick her way through the frozen water before meeting two kayakers who witnessed the crash and went to help. The three of them pulling that 71-year-old pilot to safety, he is now recovering. Now, for a closer look at cannabis and little kids, it may sound scary because it is. An alarming new study shows the rate of young children ingesting cannabis soared in recent years.

And doctors now have a message to parents tonight about keeping their edibles away from children. Emily Aketa has this story. From gummies to chocolates, many cannabis edibles look a lot like regular. snacks. But these THC-infused products are catching more than adults' attention. A report out today from Medical Journal Pediatrics reveals the rate of children under six eating cannabis edibles is skyrocketing, rising more than 1,300 percent in recent years. Nearly all of the exposures reported happened in the child's own home, and more than a fifth resulted in hospitalization. For a long part of it, we didn't know if he would be okay. Elizabeth Perry's son Oliver had to be

Medevac, after getting into her cannabis-infused gummies, recommended by her doctor as a sleep aide. She takes less than one gummy. Her toddler, 815. It looks like candy. It tastes sweet, and, you know, nothing about it to a child gives any indication that it's something that he should not consume. The troubling trend ballooned, researchers say, as family spent more time at home during the pandemic and a growing number of states legalized recreational marijuana. The symptoms, kids can get arranged quite a bit. It can be very mild and nothing can happen. We've also seen kids get pretty sick, which includes coma, difficulties breathing. The pediatric study recommends you store edibles in a locked compartment away from the kitchen. And if your child accidentally ingests

any, call your local poison control center immediately. Emily Aketa for us, Emily, we thank you for that. Coming up, the new legal jeopardy, congressman-elect George Santos, set to be sworn in despite admitting to much of his background and accomplishments being false while he's now under investigation in South America. The details next. And we are back now with new developments surrounding Congressman-elect George Santos. He's back in the hot seat tonight after weeks of controversy surrounding lies about his background.

The drama is spilling now overseas with a possible criminal investigation looming in calls for an ethics probe. All eyes on the 34-year-old from New York. has this story. Tonight, Republican congressman-elect George Santos set to be sworn in as the fallout continues over his web of lies. Sir, do you believe that you should resign? Tight-lipped, ignoring questions from reporters at the Capitol. Do you have any comment at all on the protest going on outside of your New York State Legislative Office? The 34-year-old has been in hot water for weeks. His problems now spilling over into Brazil that could put him in legal jeopardy. State prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro will petition to reopen a criminal investigation into

Santos from about 15 years ago, according to the New York Times and local papers. The Times reporting Santos was the subject of an investigation there in 2008 over allegations that he used stolen checks to buy items at a clothing shop. Santos has denied any criminal activity in the U.S. and Brazil. Well, I think the only thing George Santos has not been accused of is telling the truth. The series of lies Santos told making waves through Washington and his district. His tales included pretending to be Jewish, previously calling himself a proud American Jew. Shabbat Shalom to everybody.

Santos brushing it off with this response. I'm Catholic, but I'm also Jew-ish. But there are more, including a false story about his mother dying in the 9-11 terrorist attacks. My parents were both down there, the day of the attacks, and fortunately none of them passed. And fake career credentials. Did I embellish my resume? Yes, I did. And I'm sorry.

He originally said he had a call. college degree, but later admitted, quote, I didn't graduate from any institution of higher learning. I'm not resigning. I have to leave Congress sky. It's going to be by a pink slip by the voters November of 2024. Santos has not responded to NBC News's request for comment. His predecessor, Democrat Tom Swazi, releasing a scathing op-ed in the New York Times, calling for him to be removed by Congress or prosecutors, and writing, quote, now we know that no one voted for the real George Santos. Congress could remove him with a two-thirds vote, but that is unlikely as it's extremely rare historically. Nassau County's district

attorney is also investigating Santos's financials, others, including a colleague from his own party, calling for an ethics probe in Congress, the distortions not sitting well with many constituents. So many other lies, I don't even remember them all anymore. Some saying the damage is done. He will be in two years. In the meantime, there's nothing we can do about it. You don't think voters here will have us back at the end of two years. No, absolutely not. Unless he does something miraculous and really helps us, but I don't think so. Although a local paper sounded the alarm on some of Santos's lies before Election Day, some are left wondering what would have happened had the news spread sooner.

Well, I think it's a shame. I think there are other candidates that would probably be more qualified with the experience and education that would better represent the constituencies. Voters have been telling me that they feel powerless. There's no option for a recall here in New York. And these investigations can take a really long time. Even if there are criminal charges, they wouldn't automatically require him to leave Congress. So voters say that if his colleagues in the House don't take action, in two years, they will, Tom.

We thank Antonio Hilton for that. And coming up, the outpoint of emotion for Damar Hamlin, the tight-knit Buffalo community in shock and sadness, now banding together. Man, it's a really personal thing for me, being a Pittsburgh. and that young man being a Pittsburgh, I've known that guy probably since he was about 12. I got a lot of love for that young man. We lifted him and that organization up in prayer. That's Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin there, sharing his hometown connection with DeMar Hamlin, who grew up in the Pittsburgh area.

Coach Tomlin, like so many others, praying for DeMar, and tonight the Buffalo community is also rallying around their injured bills defender, finding faith in each other and not giving up hope. Sam Brock is there. On the field, the players' faces and free-flowing tears told a story. The same pain channeled by a community here in Buffalo, bearing strikingly similar expressions at a vigil. I think we all watched their hearts break. We watched that on their faces. And knowing how much they love their teammates, it's of brotherhood.

We watch it every day. As they await the fate of Damar Hamlin, number three, the human aspect transcending any sporting interest. See this young man who I could have parented this young man and just as a mother to know that his mother is, you know, is sitting in limbo and waiting and I just, it's exhausting. The blow, a 24-year-old's dreams compromised moments after he just hugged his own mother. This hitting Buffalo natives on the heels of an unthinkable year that included a race-inspired mass shooting, a brutally fatal snowstorm, and for the Bill's family, the tragic death of a player's brother. just kind of feels like how much more can we possibly like have to carry, you know?

The organizer of this prayer vigil, Jill Kelly, wife of Bill's great Jim Kelly, acknowledging that Monday night football game was an unusually difficult scene to process. Jim was quick to say last night that he has never experienced anything like that, seen anything like that, and what little we did see. I mean, I can only imagine how true. traumatizing everything that happened last night was to the players and the coaches. Hamlin's cardiac arrest, ultimately prompting the NFL to postpone the game indefinitely. A lot of times we navigate unprecedented situations, and we have really high expectations of how it should be handled, what should happen. We're kind of being fueled by our emotions in the moment.

But with this community and the sports world solely focused on the well-being and recovery of Demar, Bill's Mafia has become the picture of resilience in spite of such devastating trauma. I'm not here, you know, to mourn. We're not here. It's not a vigil. We're praying and we're walking on the faith that we have that that Demire will be okay. For all of us, we're human beings before we're anything else. You know, all these other labels like don't mean anything when something like that happens.

And so it was so much greater than football. And prayer was the answer. Support and faith leading the way far outside the country. of any stadium. Sam Brock, NBC News, Buffalo. We thank Sam for that story, and we thank you for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamerson, New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.