Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Episode Date: January 31, 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, tensions in the Middle East flaring after Israeli forces raid a hospital in the occupied West Bank, but it's how they did that that's raising eyebrows. Security cameras capturing the moment soldiers stormed the hospital in full disguise, dressing as medical workers and civilians, all in an effort to fool the enemy. Israel saying they killed three Palestinian militants as Palestinian groups accused the country of war crimes. It comes as signs of progress over hostage negotiations teeter on the edge where things stand right now. Also tonight, ready to strike? President Biden saying he's made a decision on a response to the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers. Biden and his top aides coming to a conclusion after examining several retaliatory methods, can the president avoid fueling a wider conflict with Iran? Republicans versus Majorcas, the GOP taking steps towards a full House impeachment,

accusing the Homeland Security Secretary of refusing to uphold the law in his handling of the migrant crisis across the U.S. Democrats and Republicans battling it out right there on the House floor for hours. The concerns tonight as a bipartisan group of senators try to strike a deal on border security. Emergency at sea. First, a tourist boat, capsizing off the coast of Cancun, killing four people. The Mexican Navy jumping into action to rescue passengers from the water, wear rough waters to blame.

Plus dramatic moments as a cruise ship saves two men stranded on a kayak. We hear from one person who captured the incredible rescue. Elon's brain chip, Musk announcing his company, Neurrelink, has implanted a microchip into a human brain.

The billionaire claims the new device could allow people to use technology by just thinking. But critics are saying, not so fast, sounding the alarm over the ethics and potential repercussions. And see, to the future,

We're putting Apple's new Vision Pro headset to the test. The company vowing the $3,500 goggles, goggles could reshape the way we work and play. How the Vision Pro stacks up to other virtual reality technology. Top story starts right now. And good evening. Tonight, conflict in the Middle East is growing after Israeli troops raided a hospital in the occupied West Bank in full disguise. shocking security video captures the moment. You see it right here.

Troops stormed the hospital. Some dressed in scrubs and white doctor's coats wielding rifles. Israeli forces say they killed three militants who were hiding inside. And it comes as hostage negotiation talks continue. Hamas says it's reviewing the latest proposal, but argues the plan must ensure the, quote, complete withdrawal from Gaza. That's something Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu says, will not happen.

Netanyahu also saying there will be no. troop withdrawal, no prisoner swap. Meantime, more countries, including the U.S., are suspending funding from a U.N. relief agency in the wake of allegations linking a dozen of agency employees to the October 7th attack. An investigation to the accusations is underway. All of this is President Biden says he has decided on a response to the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in Jordan. More on that in a moment.

But first, we want to get right to NBC's Ralph Sanchez, who starts us off tonight. Tonight, security video showing the dramatic 5.30 a.m. raid inside a hospital in the occupied West Bank. Those are undercover Israeli commandos, some disguised as medical staff in scrubs, others as Palestinian women in headscarves. Their weapons reportedly equipped with silencers. Israel saying the commandos killed a Hamas operative who was planning an imminent terror attack, along with two members of Palestinian Islamic jihad. Tonight, those groups acknowledging their members were killed. One was shot at close range while sleeping in his hospital bed, according to medical officials. The Palestinian Authority condemning the raid as a war crime. Israel, of course,

has the right to carry out operations to bring terrorists to justice, but those operations need to be conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law. It comes as a potential deal to pause the fighting in Gaza for two months, and free hostages held by Hamas hangs in the balance. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from the far right of his cabinet, tonight saying he won't release thousands of terrorists from Israeli prisons, a key Hamas demand. Hamas saying it's studying the proposal, but insisting any deal must end the war, something Israel has rejected. Raf Sanchez joins us tonight from Tel Aviv once again. So, Raf, talk to us about the state

of play on this proposed deal. Is it really something both Israel and Hamas, can agree to? So, Tom, I spoke earlier to a senior Israeli official. He said this proposal is being taken very seriously by the Israeli government. It was discussed last night at Israel's War Cabinet. It has not yet, though, been voted through. And I asked this official about threats from far-right ministers inside Prime Minister Netanyahu's government to vote against this deal because they see it as containing too many concessions

to Hamas. This official said he was confident that if the prime minister can live with the deal, he will be able to get it through his cabinet. From Hamas's perspective, they say they are still studying the proposal. We heard from Ismail Hania. He is the global political head of Hamas. He is neither at this point ruling it out or ruling it in. But one of the things that makes negotiating with Hamas so complicated is you have the negotiators outside of Gaza who have to find a way to speak to the leadership inside of Gaza. Gaza, many of whom, Tom, are in those tunnels and surrounded by Israeli forces.

And, Raf, I know you and the team there in Israel have done a lot of reporting about the UN relief and works agency and those workers who were allegedly tied to Hamas and actually participated in the October 7th attack. I want to ask you, the U.S. is now cutting funding to that agency. Several other countries have followed suit. If that agency runs out of money, what happens to aid in Gaza? The whole humanitarian effort in Gaza potentially collapses, Tom. UNRWA is, in many ways, the only show in town. It is the only humanitarian organization operating at a scale to be able to support the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced inside of Gaza right now.

I'll give you just one example. Palestinians are sheltering at more than 300 UNRA facilities as we speak. The UN is trying to provide them with food. with basic medicine at those facilities. And they are saying that if this funding stream isn't resumed, they will run out of money at the end of February, and that humanitarian effort will collapse. Tom.

Ralph Sanchez, leading us off tonight here on top story. Now to the White House, President Joe Biden announcing he has decided on a response to the deadly drone attack in Northeast Jordan. That attack carried out by Iran-backed militants, killing three U.S. soldiers and injuring dozens of others. This has Republicans criticized the president for not doing enough to confront Iran. Peter Alexander reports. Tonight, President Biden says he's decided how he'll respond to that deadly drone attack on U.S. troops by an Iranian-backed militia.

Yes. The president today, pressed by NBC's Gabe Gutierrez, if he holds Iran responsible for the attack. I do hold them responsible in a sense that they're supplying the weapons to the people who did me. The commander-in-chief's decision comes shortly after a U.S. official says the president spoke with members of his national security team this morning, following this situation room meeting Monday, where the president and his top aides analyzed several retaliatory options the Pentagon had presented to him. President Biden's under pressure to respond after U.S. troops were killed by Iranian-backed militant groups for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. The latest in more than 160 attacks by militias against bases with Americans. Americans during that time. The president has ordered limited strikes in response, but they have not deterred the Iranian-backed groups.

We'll see. Sunday's attack at a remote outpost in Jordan Tower 22 while U.S. troops were sleeping. The Pentagon is examining whether the explosive enemy drone got past air defenses in a moment of confusion when a U.S. drone was also landing. The president today speaking to the families of the three service members killed 46-year-old Sergeant William Rivers, Sergeant Kennedy Sanders, just 24, and 23-year-old Sergeant Brianna Moffett, her parents devastated by the loss. If we know what we know now, we would have just said, I love you so much. Just made sure that she knew that she wasn't alone. We love her. Tonight, Republican critics say President Biden has not done enough to confront Iran and to deter the attacks. They're doing nothing that is meaningful, and now we have more Gold Star families because of it, and it's infuriating.

President Biden today did not reveal what his response will be, including whether he'll take action inside Iran, but he gave a clue about what he hopes will not happen, saying, quote, I don't think we need a wider war in the Middle East. that is not what I'm looking for. Meanwhile, the White House says President Biden will be there at Dover Air Force Base when the bodies of those three U.S. service members return home on Friday. Tom. Peter, Alexander, at the White House. Peter, thank you.

Next tonight to Capitol Hill, where Republicans are moving forward with impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. He's being accused of refusal to comply with the law by allowing millions of migrants to cross the border.

NBC's Ryan Nobles has more. Tonight, House Republicans, are well on their way to setting a controversial precedent. The actions and decisions of Secretary Mayorkas have left us with no other option than to proceed with articles of impeachment. During a lengthy and combative session today, members debated articles of impeachment that accused Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law and a breach of the public trust. Charges Democrats went to great lengths to undermine. History will judge what Republicans are doing here today, and it won't be favorably. The committee could not find a time to allow Mayorkas to testify in his own defense.

Instead, he sent the committee chairman, Mark Green, a seven-page letter where he called the committee's claims that he failed to enforce the law false, and pointed out that, quote, this administration has removed, returned, or expelled more migrants in three years than the prior administration did in four years. Still, the crisis at the border remains a hot-button issue, with more than 370,000 migrant crossings in December, a record high. While Republicans in the House attempt to push Majorcas out, a bipartisan group of senators are working to strike a deal to help calm the crisis. A deal President Biden says he desperately needs. Let me get all I can do. Give me the power.

I've asked for the very day I got an offer. But even if that deal passes the Senate, its future in the House is bleak. with former President Trump warning his fellow Republicans to vote no. And House Speaker Mike Johnson signaling today that he's not happy with the proposal. But from what we've seen, clearly, what's been suggested is in this bill is not enough to secure the border. Ryan joins us tonight from Washington. Ryan, so what happens next year? It sort of sounds like this bill dies in the House? Well, it really has to get through the Senate first, Tom.

And that is no easy task. requires 60 senators to vote. Yes, so that means both Republicans and Democrats. Many members of the Senate are really not holding off on weighing in on whether or not they'll support the package until they see the actual bill tax. That could come out in the next couple of days. That's when we'll get a real sense if this legislation has any hope of passing. And one of the most important issues voters say facing the election come November. Okay, Ryan, we thank you for that.

Switching gears now into trouble off the coast of Mexico. A boat packed with tourists capsizing near Cancun, killing four. And just hours later in the same area, the image you see here, another shipwreck causing two men to be stranded in a kayak. They were rescued by a carnival cruise ship. NBC's Liz Croyd spoke with a mom from Michigan who saw the whole thing play out. It's not something you'd expect to see from the balcony of your cruise. But for Beth Stocker and her family, vacationing on Carnival's newest ship, the Jubilee. this was their view. My daughter and I were having breakfast on the ship and we noticed

something in the ocean that looked like a boat and it was really small and I was like, well, that thing looks like a kayak. Turns out it was. These two men stranded in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of East the Mujeres. Telling authorities after their boat sank, they got in their kayak to stay afloat. It was kind of crazy. They were really out there like far in the ocean. Beth started recording this video, capturing the dramatic rescue. The men paddling through the rough ocean

water towards the ship, one without shoes or a light fest. Finally, reaching the rescue teams using rope to pull themselves up the ladder to safety. People cheer when they got back on. Was there any reaction? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Like, everybody that was on their balconies were

cheering when they got up there. Did they see him in good spirits? They looked very tired. The one guy in front, he, He appeared to be just tired and just scared. He looked scared. Carnival released a statement saying the men who have not been identified were welcomed onto the ship safely and were evaluated by the ship's medical staff and given first aid and food. The rescue happening in the same rough seas were just hours earlier a boat carrying 19 people capsize between Cancun and East La Mujarez. Officials say at least four Mexican tourists died.

The captain of that vessel is now under investigation, according to Mexican government officials. But for Beth, she's grateful to have witnessed a happy ending and experienced these two lucky men and the passengers watching likely won't ever forget. I'm so happy that these guys got rescued. You know, I mean, that's just a terrifying experience to be out there in the huge ocean and, you know, experience that. Now, the men are no longer on the cruise. Carnival says they worked with the Mexican. Navy to get the men safely off the ship. The Jubilee is now proceeding with its regular schedule through the Caribbean. Tom. Okay, Liz, Liz, we thank you for that. We want to get to some breaking news right now. The lead prosecutor in the election interference case against former President Trump in Georgia has reached a temporary agreement with his wife in their divorce proceedings.

This now counsels a Wednesday court hearing where he was expected to testify about an alleged improper relationship with the Fulton County District Attorney Fonnie Willis who had appointed him to that case. Angela, Senadela, joins us now. Angela, how big of a development is this in this case? This is a big deal because it prevents not only him from testifying, but also Fonnie Willis had been subpoenaed, so she had been expected to testify as well. Now, remember, this all comes down to, comes from credit card receipts, which had her name on it, that basically alleges that the taxpayer funds were being used to fund these lavish trips between her and Nathan Wade. So the fact that he does not have to endure this hearing, and neither does she, is a big deal.

We won't hear from them directly. And I think it's good if we get our viewers caught up, right? One of the co-defendants in this case, one of the co-defendants, along with the former president, had brought these allegations, right, that there was an improper relationship between Fannie Willis, the district attorney, and her lead prosecutor, that that that lead prosecutor had no experience trying felonies that they were not experienced for this role and that they essentially were appointed and paid, I think it's upwards of a million dollars, to get this assignment because they were in a romantic relationship with the DA. Now, we were going to get the bombshell testimony

through these divorce proceedings, but now they've settled. Will that evidence still come out if it does it indeed exist? It doesn't have to unless the judge request it. So we do know that on February 15th, Fannie Willis will have to explain to the judge, Judge McAfee, why it is that she should still stay on to the case. So it is possible that at that point some evidence could be presented, but it seems unlikely now that this information is not going to come out. It's also possible at that time, though, that they would request more evidence from anybody who disagrees with the decision and see what... So we don't know exactly if more will come out, but at this point, it appears it's not. Could Fonnie Willis be asked to testify to the relationship in a court

of law in another court proceeding now that this divorce case has been finished and wrapped up? Yes, so we expect on February 15th that she will be testifying under oath in front of the judge about the extent of her relationship with Nathan Wade and also whether or not these taxpayer funds were used. So a lot will come out in this hearing. It's just whether or not Nathan Wade will have to defend himself and talk publicly about this, as he was supposed to do tomorrow. So Bonnie Willis will have to defend herself. In fact, she also has a filing due in front of the court on Friday, again, to the same judge

where she has to explain her position, explain that her conflict of interest does not rise to the bar where she should get disqualified from the case. But that is a judge's discretion here. If he does think this conflict of interest rises to that level, he can disqualify her, which is what Trump and Roman have requested. So I want to ask you, why do you think that the couple that was going through the divorce, Nathan Wade and his now ex-wife, why do you think they decided to settle? Well, I think the timing here is extremely relevant. I imagine the ex-wife had quite a bit of leverage, knowing that this was going to become part. public the next day and that Nathan Wade likely does not want this information public. The timing is not coincidental. It is certainly influenced by trying to stop this information

from coming out because this is also how it all started. It came down to these credit card receipts. It was because her name was on plane tickets. That's the only way this was revealed through this ex-wife. She understands her power here. Angela Senadella is so great to have you here to break this down for us, this breaking news. We appreciate you in your analysis. Next tonight, billionaire Elon Musk touting a major milestone for his brain tech company, Neurrelink, which he says has successfully implanted a chip into a human's brain. It's designed to help people who can't use their limbs, control their phones and computers with just their minds.

Emily Aketa now with how the device works and the concerns it's raising. Tonight, a major breakthrough for Elon Musk's brain science startup, Neurrelink, announcing the company has successfully implanted a brain chip in a human chip in a human. for the first time. Less than a year after the FDA gave the green light for a clinical study. Imagine the joy of connecting with your loved ones, browsing the web, or even playing games using only your thoughts. Neurling says the implant is intended to record and transmit brain signals wirelessly to an

app that decodes movement intention. In other words, controlling a phone or computer with someone's thoughts. Thus, the product's name, telepathy. Musk posting on his social media platform X, imagine if Stephen Hawkins, imagine if Stephen Hawkins, could communicate faster than a speed typist or auctioneer. That's the goal, elaborating on Neurrelink's mission in 2019. This, I think, has a very good purpose, which is to cure important diseases, and ultimately to help secure humanity's future as a civilization.

Musk said the patient received the implant Sunday and was recovering well. He described the initial data from the device as promising, and noted initial users will be those who have lost the use of their lives. limbs. Pages simply thinks about moving his hand up or down. In previous tests on animals, a monkey with a Neurlinks brain implant, able to play Pong on a computer, according to the company. The device also detecting brain activity in a pig.

What does this technology have the potential to do? We're just at the beginning of this area of medical device development. Neurlink is one of a small handful of companies and researchers testing brain chips in humans. Nathan is moving. moving this hand with his brain. Watch as this 30-year-old injured in a car crash, fist bumps President Obama with a robotic arm powered by his thoughts in 2016. And these patients are controlling their computers with their minds

to message back and forth thanks to Synchron's implanted device. The company says it's like brain Bluetooth. And while emerging neurotechnology offers exciting possibilities, social media exploding with sci-fi references. before has a biomechanical infusion been asked to do so much. The provocative new frontier raising questions about bioethics and regulation. We believe FDA and other regulatory agencies need to do a much better job of not only regulating this, but sharing this information with the public because all of these clinical trials

come with real risks to the patients involved. In a statement to NBC News, the FDA says it has a scientifically rigorous process to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of medical devices, adding that it will continue to monitor. the safety of those enrolled in the study for Neurlinks implant device through required regular reports. Musk did not go into detail about Sunday's procedure, but Neurlink has told prospective participants that it will use a machine to implant the device in their brain, a source of concern for Dr. Ryan Merkley. There are some companies that have non-invasive devices. They are often worn on the skull. Neurlinks device is the most invasive brain computer interface that we know of because it requires

is cutting a dime-sized hole in the skull and implanting a device with hundreds or potentially even thousands of little threads into the brain. And Neurlink has not responded to our request for more detail on the recent procedure. The company has said its clinical study will take around six years, and that's just one of a series of steps

before commercialization. Tom. All right, Emily, we appreciate that. For more on this, we're joined now by Dr. Paul Newjugian and Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He's also the director of Stanford's brain interfacing laboratory and an expert in brain machine interfaces. Doctor, thank you so much for joining us tonight here on Top Story. From a neuroscientist's perspective, can you explain how exactly NeurLink's new technology works

and why this is a game changer potentially? Yeah, of course. Pleasure to be here. This is a medical device implanted in the head that is designed to help people who can't move their arms or legs to operate something like a phone. It does this by measuring movement commands from the brain and translating those measurements into keyboard and mouse commands, similar to how you input text into a phone. This is all the science has shown. So in case you were horrid, right, it can't read your thoughts. This is the commercial translation of decades of scientific research in animals and in human

studies, some of which happened right here at Stanford that I helped lead to make this technology possible. So right now this is essentially trying to communicate with devices. Is the long play to essentially get things like people who are paralyzed able to walk again? Is that possible? One of the potential applications is to help control, for example, robotic arms or robotic limbs. There's even been some scientific studies in university settings that use these devices to stimulate arms and legs, muscles in the arms and legs that are parallel. to help move again. So, again, very early stages, we're working on it, but the hope is that we'll get there.

Are there downsides to this device? I mean, what happens if it malfunctions? Can it damage the brain? So this particular device is really only designed to read from the brain. You know, all types of medical devices, especially ones that are implanted in the brain, the so-called class one medical device, or class three medical devices. do carry risks, right? The device could have some type of problem,

and that's exactly what this study is designed to evaluate. The goal of the study that's currently been approved is a safety study, looking at exactly how safe these types of devices are, and the specific device in particular, for potential evaluation as a medical device. The people, or the human, I should say, that was tested with this device, the neuralink device.

How is this person sort of located and what do they hope happens? Do you have any information on that? I don't actually have any information that isn't public, and so we know nothing about the specifics of the individual that was announced to have been implanted. But just speaking generally, because I have done clinical studies of this type before,

this is a very standard clinical trial, right? There is a rigorous process by which you ask the FDA for permission, you share with them what the inclusion criteria is, is. So typically these types of studies involve people with severe paralysis, meaning they can't move their arms. They can't move. It's usually the result of either some type of neurodegenerative disease that slowly erodes their ability to move or some type of injury, like a spinal cord injury, that has suddenly severed their ability to control the rest of their body. And those are usually the types of what are called inclusion criteria, sort of the type of the person

with certain types of physical disability that's required before you can be considered for a study like this. Dr. Last question here, because we're running out of time. What do you think the timeline is going from this sort of test case with, you know, a few humans on this planet to having this sort of hit the public? Well, this kind of thing takes a very long time. And when you say hit the public, I want to be very clear. This is a medical device.

It will only really ever be a medical device. Yeah, hit the public. people that need it medically in the public, just on a widespread scale? You're looking at, you know, a 5, 10, 15-year timeline. These are long studies, right? Comparable devices like this that have been on the market for slightly different purposes have taken 20 years. So this is the beginning of a long process that will hopefully continue to show very promising

and encouraging results. Hopefully a step in the right direction. Dr. Paul Neuji-in, thank you so much. much for joining Top Story tonight. Still ahead tonight, another big headline from the tech world. Apple's highly anticipated Vision Pro glasses are about to hit the market, but not everyone seems to be a fan. So is this the way of the future or just an expensive toy? We have a pair on set, and we're going to test them out ourselves.

You're going to watch it all. Plus the Amtrak derailment in Colorado injuring at least three people. Here are some of the images. What Amtrak says caused the dangerous scene. And literally, Baby Shark, why these new images of a great way. white shark pop could be like nothing we've seen before and a major breakthrough in shark research. We're going to explain it all. Stay with us. We're back now with the latest gadget taking the tech world by storm.

Apple's highly anticipated vision pro glasses are about to hit the market. But the early reviews, they are mixed. The augmented reality headset looks like a pair of fancy ski goggles, as you can see. They retail for more than $3,000. The new product officially goes on sale Friday, but a select group of people got the opportunity to try it early, including our next guest. We're joined now by Mark Spoon Hour. He's the global editor-in-chief at Tom's Guide, an online resource for tech product reviews, and we're fortunate that Mark actually brought the Vision Pro to the top story set tonight. So, Mark, thank you for doing that. So first question, I mean, how is it? Is it an incredibly cool gadget? It's amazing, and part of me didn't want to take

it off. And like the interface is so intuitive that when I started watching TV, I started pinching things instead of used by remote control. So it definitely feels like the future of computing because it's spatial. Like a lot of us have heard of VR headsets. But this takes it to the next level because you have your real world view coming in. So it's a combination of VR and augmented reality in one device. Let's show our viewers what it's like. So put it on and I'm going to be talking to you because I know it takes a second to set up. Sure. How heavy is the device as you're setting this up? So it's a little over a pound. And as you log in, it's actually looking at your eye, so it's called optic ID. And then what you can see in front of me

once I get this set up is I'm going to mirror this display. Is it comfortable? I would say like over the course of a couple of hours, like it weighs on you a little bit, but I would say it's like fairly comfortable if you're doing lots of work. So we see it now. So what are we looking at here? So this is the main interface. You can always like just recenter it by long pressing on the digital crown, which is up here. And again, like you have the choice of like how immersive you want this to be or not. And as I'm looking around, you could see the icons light up because it's using eye tracking. And you can still see the set. I mean, you can still see things here. Right. So like just as an example, just in terms of how the interface works, this is like how you would go through your

photos. So you would just like pinch your fingers together. You move back and forth. It's super fluid. And if you want to zoom in, you just go like this. Right. So it's very similar to the iPhone, but in 3D space. So why would this be more comfortable or a better experience than say your iPhone? Good question. Like part of it is because of how many apps you can run around you. So For example, if I come over here and I want to launch Apple Music, I can have that playing on over here. I could have, like, a different app, let's say, notes or messages. So the idea is you have an infinite amount of screens.

You know, people that have three screens think they have it all. Now you can do as many as you want. Right. And you can resize them, right? So you can just, like, put them how you want in your space. So, like, it's very customizable. The other thing is that if I'm looking at my Mac and I just walk up to it, all I need to do is just click connect.

and that goes supersized with me. So I can have these Vision Pro apps running side by side with my Mac, which is pretty impressive. And then compare this to the other headsets that are out there, right? There's been two or three that have hit the marketplace that have become sort of popular. How does this one compare? I would say in terms of like the augmented reality experience and like your real world view, the fact that there's 4K per eye in terms of resolution, no one else can match that.

And also the fact that when I'm using these gestures, like there's cameras that are pointing down. So I don't even have to lift my hands. It's just very natural in terms of how you're using it. And then there's also some really compelling AR applications. So, for example, if I wanted to be a DJ, I could open this application. I can go in and start mixing music. I would pick this room, for example. And you'll see this digital turntable appear in front of me.

Now you're DJ Spoon Hour. Exactly. And so, like, you have the records here. You can play with these things. You can play with the knobs. And you're playing music from your catalog? Or you can play any music? You could play music from the app, or you can play music from Apple Music, so it's tied into your account.

And there's lots of applications that are like this. So, like, developers are really just getting their hands on it now. But I'll show you one other example. So let's say you want it to, let's say, go into, like, see like a real world, what does it F1 car look like in your living? So this is an application where I could just put this on the floor. It says tap to place your jig. And then you could see, like, I can move this around. I can get up, I can walk closer to the car and see that.

So just imagine how this, like, the next generation of games, education applications, there's a ton of potential when it comes to this device. So I'm going to give it a whirl to see how hard it is. You've had it for a week, but I want to see as a first-time user, how difficult this will be. You're going to set it up. You actually have, because you wear glasses, a special feature in there. I could take out these inserts. And like these are go for anywhere from 99 to 149 because I use reading glasses,

but you could like just use it in guess mode. Yeah. So I'll put that into guess mode and then hand it back to you. So Mark, you just set me up with a game called synth riders. Right. And I'm looking at, which looks like just a string of balls that are coming at me. Right. What am I supposed to do?

This is a music and rhythm games. Okay. We're not hearing the music because it's being mirrored. But the idea is that you can, like, you're reaching out and you're touching these objects as they're coming towards you. And if you look at your hands... Yeah, I'm getting points. Yes. This is pretty...

I will say. this, it is incredible. The graphics are sort of unbelievable. This is a lot of fun. I can see sort of what's on my periphery, but I don't see directly in front of me. It's completely blocked out, which is a little scary. I can't see the camera or anything, but I am really into this game. Yeah, and you have the choice as to whether or not you want to go into like full virtual reality mode, or if you want to like stay in this place. I'll give you $100 right now. A hundred dollars right now and you just walk away and I keep this thing. It's a lot more than that. I want to thank you. We're running out of time. Thank you so much for coming here to Top Story and for letting us check out

these really cool glasses. This is pretty incredible. We're going to be right back. I promise we're going to be back, even though I'm having a lot of fun with this thing. You're watching Top Story. We have a ton of news right after this. All right, we're back now with Top Story's news feed. We begin with a passenger train derailment in Colorado. Amtrak officials say a Chicago-bound train collided with a semi-truck just north of Denver. Authorities say an Amtrak worker was seriously hurt. At least two passengers suffered minor injuries. According to Amtrak, the truck which was carrying milk was blocking the tracks.

An investigation is underway. Two brothers in New York indicted over a massive weapon stash and, quote, hit list of public figures. Authorities say the two men, you see them here, are facing 130 charges after 3D printed guns, explosives, and a list mentioning cops, politicians, and celebrities were found inside their home. Authorities say they also found writings quoting Charles Manson, according to court documents, at least one of the men, has pleaded not guilty. And an update on a consumer alert we brought you last year, Phillips halting all U.S. sales of its sleep apnea machines, the move part of a settlement with the FDA over ongoing safety issues with the breathing devices.

Millions of Phillips CPAP machines have been recalled since 2020. after reports of toxic gases getting into user's airways under the settlement, the company must make specific improvements at its U.S. factories before it can sell the machines again. The process is expected to take five to seven years. And we're getting a look at what could be the first ever newborn great white shark caught on camera. Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gwana capturing what he believes is a great white pup off the coast of Santa Barbara. In the video, it looks like the five-foot shark is shedding a third. thin white film, which Guana and a shark researcher believe is part of the birthing process,

it would be a major discovery because a newborn great white has never been observed in the wild. That's drone video in case you were wondering. Okay, next tonight to a legal battle heating up between Mexico and the biggest gun manufacturers in the U.S. An appeals court allowing the Mexican government to move forward with a $10 billion lawsuit that accuses gunmakers of essentially arming drug cartels by knowingly marketing and selling their guns to customers in the U.S. who then trafficked those weapons across the border. NBC Stephen Romo reports. Their bullets ring out in deadly gunfights on the streets of Mexico.

Their very presence instilling fear. Allegedly arming organizations whose illegal drug operations have fueled an out-of-control fentanyl crisis in the U.S. and sending masses of migrants fleeing across the border. I came here because my husband was murdered. American-made guns in the hands of Mexico's violent and powerful cartels. And now Mexico says the makers of those guns should be the ones to pay. The government scoring a victory last week as a U.S. federal appeals court cleared the way for a $10 billion lawsuit to proceed against six of the biggest gunmakers in America, including Smith & Wesson, Glock, and Ruger.

Mexico accuses those companies of aiding and abetting an illegal trafficking network of weapons from American gun stores, to Mexican cartels. A market, Mexico argues, that makes those companies hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. According to the appeals court's latest ruling, Mexico must now prove that American gun companies have deliberately catered to the illegal market by design choices, marketing tactics, and selling to parties that are known dealers for the cartels. Here we are with a manufacturers of some of the most deadly weapons on the face of the earth. And they stick their heads in the sand, say we have no obligation to anybody to monitor and discipline our distribution system.

Mexico has extremely strict gun loss. According to their lawsuit, there's only one store in the entire country. And yet based on the latest data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, the country has the third most gun-related deaths in the world, which Mexico alleges are fueled by hundreds of thousands of weapons smuggled across the border. Former ATF special agent Chris Demline led the most recent government investigation into how this happens. We had networks that frisked crossed the United States funneling weapons down south to the cartels. They work like terrorist cells. They don't know each other.

His team found that up to 85% of firearms at cartel crime scenes are traced back to American gun stores. Those people go and buy the guns. They give them to the cell leader. Okay, that cell leader then collects those guns from all his cells. He brings them to their known smugglers, and then the smugglers smuggled them into Mexico. Homicides in Mexico have increased dramatically over the past several decades. The lawsuit alleges that just 15% of those deaths were gun-related in 1997, ended by 2021, that number had risen to 69%. This spike in the middle, Mexico points out, came shortly after 2004, when the U.S. federal ban on assault weapons expired. But American gun advocates say that the Mexican government is wrong

to blame American gun makers. There is no marketing to drug cartels. The Mexican government has failed in its moral obligation to its citizens to bring the cartels to justice. Lawrence Keene General Counsel with the National Shooting Sports Foundation says the gun manufacturers plan to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court in early April. This report is the first time that plan has been made public. The Biden administration has touted new steps to combat gun trafficking, including a new anti-cartel weapons trafficking group on the southwest border. But even improved efforts are only stopping a fraction of that traffic. Nearly 2,000 firearms were seized from last October to just this past March. Somewhere between a quarter million to a million firearms a year are trafficked

into Mexico. We have the laws. We have the capability with the largest, the most powerful country in the world. We need to stop this problem. Stephen Romo joins us now on set. So Stephen, how is Mexico so confident that these guns are coming from U.S. manufacturers? How do they actually trace that? Yeah, that's a great question. I actually asked the attorney representing Mexico in this case, and he said they're eager to present that in discovery, something they're waiting to get to right now. But we've spoken with the ATF, our own intelligence agencies here, say that they've been able to trace about 85% of these weapons founded cartel crime scenes, two, back to the U.S., that operation called Project Thor.

Mexico, in their lawsuit, estimating 70 to 90% of the guns trafficked, come to the U.S., so that lines up pretty well with that 85%. And speaking of that lawsuit, they're asking for $10 billion. How do they get that number? Yeah, I asked that question as well. That is a lot of money, and they listed so many different things, hiring more police officers, arming them better so they can combat these heavily armed cartel fighters, along with funerals because so many people have been killed.

There's a very long list that they also plan on presenting in court if it actually reaches that step. Stephen Romo for us, Stephen, we thank you for that. And according to the U.S., Mexican cartels aren't the only ones fueling the fentanyl epidemic. Chemicals from China are also contributing to the worst drug crisis in American history. But today, after years of frosty relations, U.S. and Chinese officials raised hopes of stemming the flow.

Janice Mackey Freyer is in Beijing for us tonight. With the opioid crisis ravaging the U.S., the first direct cooperation in years from China, aimed at limiting the trade of substances from China's vast chemicals industry, to drug cartels in Mexico, where it's synthesized to make fentanyl 50 times more powerful than heroin that's killing so many Americans. That's the framework for meetings between U.S. and Chinese officials here. For Americans who are wondering, can it really work, what would you tell them? I would tell them that this is an important step.

We obviously have areas of disagreements with China, but there are areas of mutual cooperation. These renewed talks follow a deal struck by President Biden and China's President Xi Jinping. The trade-off removing a Chinese police forensics facility from a U.S. entity list, sanctions that included the National Narcotics Lab. NBC News was given rare access to the lab, where Chinese authorities say their U. tracking new chemicals used by drug traffickers. As a chemist, I know that if you put these chemicals in the control list, they will quickly shift to others. Still, China sees the crisis as the U.S. demand problem.

Yu Hai Bean is deputy director of China's Narcotics Control Bureau. We need to collaborate even more closely than the criminals do, he says. I understand there are doubts in the U.S. about China sincerity. U.S.-China relations have stabilized, though on fentanyl, experts are skeptical, beyond what both sides cautiously call a good first step. China banned fentanyl as a substance back in 2019. Since then, U.S. officials say that direct shipments of it to the U.S. have effectively stopped.

Tackling tens of thousands of precursors, many of them having legitimate uses, has proven more difficult to disrupt. when cooperation on fentanyl also carries the risk of getting derailed by political tension between the U.S. and China. Tom? We thank Janice Mackie Freyer for that, and we'll be right back. All right now to Top Stories Global Watch and to the massive protest erupting in Sri Lanka over the rising cost of living there. An estimated 10,000 protesters, you see them right here taken to the streets in the capital city of Colombo. After government, the government approved new tax hikes, officers firing tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators in an attempt to disperse the massive crowds, the country which declared bankruptcy in 2022, raised taxes from 15% to 18% this month.

The opposition party says it could force millions into extreme poverty. To Kenya, where the president says he still plans to deploy a U.N.-backed mission in Haiti, despite a court ruling. As we've reported here on top story, Kenya offered to send more than 1,000 police officers. officers to Haiti to combat gang violence there. The mission, which was going to be financed in part by the U.S., was ruled unconstitutional by Kenya's high court last week. However, the president says they are working on a solution that could allow officers to be sent as early as next week. And 130 poisonous frogs were seized at Bogotas Airport in Colombia. Officials say the frogs, you see them here, were found dehydrated and stressed in the luggage of a traveler from Brazil.

Look how small they are. According to local police, these frogs cost as much as $1,000 each. The woman was arrested, but she claimed she was given the frogs as a gift from a local community in southern Colombia. She's facing a fine, the equivalent of $15,000. Okay, let's turn out of the Americas where the U.S. has reinstated sanctions on Venezuela. After the country's top court upheld the decision that bans political opponents, which the U.S. says jeopardizes a free and fair election set for some time. This year won't be free if that happens.

Wadvenegas has the latest. Tonight, political tensions between the United States and Venezuela escalating once again over concerns that the South American country won't hold free elections. The U.S. taking measures against Venezuela after its highest court blocked the presidential candidacy of opposition frontrunner, Maria Corina Machado, on Friday. Machado is a former legislator and has been a leader within the opposition for over a decade. She's been the target of the Maduro regime with sanctions barring her from holding office for 15 years, a tactic used in the past by the Venezuelan government to shut down opponents.

The Biden administration now reimposing sanctions on Venezuela after they say the country walked back on a deal the country's leader Nicolas Maduro made with the U.S. to hold free elections this year, allowing opposition candidates to run for office. The Dura regime, when they signed on in October down in Barbados, made some commitments about opposition political parties, about free and fair elections and what all that meant. And they haven't taken those actions. On Monday, the U.S. announcing it will end a plan offering relief

to Venezuela's oil and gas sector in April and is revoking a license authorizing transactions with the country's state-owned gold mining company. What does it mean for Venezuela to take the risk of essentially violating the agreement that they had made? I think it's a really tough position in which if they allow for free and for election, they stand a really good chance of losing. If they don't, and the reassertion of sanctions could continue to spell trouble for the economic woes of the country, you know, well into 2024 and beyond. The pressure now on Venezuela Supreme Court, which is dominated by Maduro's loyalists and would ultimately need to lift the band of Machado, who is vowing to stay in the race. I represent this sovereignty. No, they can't do elections without me and without the millions of Venezuelans who voted.

Machado winning the U.S. back primary with more than 90% of the vote and insisting she can become president if free and fair elections are held. joins us tonight from the Telemundo Center in Miami. So, Guad, how is Venezuela responding to these actions by the U.S.? Tom, the Venezuelan government has released a statement that says a few things among them. They're accusing the United States of blackmailing. The Venezuelan government also of attempting to interfere with their internal affairs and also destabilized their economy, but they are not mentioning that deal that the U.S. says they have broken.

We're also hearing from leaders in South America, the president of Ecuador, saying that Ecuador will not recognize the results of these elections if they are not free and fair. Tom. All right, Guad vanegas for a squad. We thank you for that. Coming up, remembering a trailblazer, Broadway icon, Chita Rivera, has died at the age of 91. A look back at her decades-long career and the legacy she leaves behind for generations of performers. That's next. Finally tonight, remembering a Broadway icon, legendary singer and actress, Cheetah Rivera, has died at the age of 91. The Broadway A Broadway icon burst onto the stage in West Side Story in the 50s, but went on to appear nearly two dozen musicals over her decades-long career, breaking barriers along the way.

Here's more on her life and legacy. One of Broadway's greatest pioneers, Cheetah Rivera, this proud Puerto Rican singing, acting, and dancing through every decade of her life. I'm so lucky. Tonight, the world remembering a legend. and a Latina who broke barriers. Many know her as Chita Rivera, but her full name. Dolores conchita, Figueroa, DeRivero,

Montesduco, Florentina, with a macro defluente. She started as a ballerina with a scholarship at 16 to the School of American Ballet in New York. Once a dancer, always a dancer. But it was her iconic performance from the classic Broadway show, West Side Story.

Anita's going to get her kicks to know, Playing the role of Anita, navigating racial prejudices in the 1950s that sparked her career and gave her purpose. It wasn't just a show. It was information about what's happening. She later was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning twice. What a wonderful honor. Rivera also performing roles in classics such as Chicago. She never stopped dancing, working on Broadway into her 80. She was the first Hispanic woman to receive the Kennedy Center Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Like her unforgettable Anita, Cheetah Rivera has shown that life can indeed be bright in America. Cheetah Rivera, what a life. She was 91. Miss Rivera, you're on. Good. Thanks so much for watching Top Story tonight. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there.

More news on the way. Thank you.