Top Story with Tom Llamas - Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

Wildfires rage on across Greece and Italy as thunderstorms roll into the Northeastern U.S. A mayor in Ecuador is killed in the street as multiple prison guards are taken hostage. A pastor is charged in the 1975 kidnapping and murder of an 8-year-old girl. Women in Latin America use the hype surrounding the new Barbie movie to highlight pressing issues in the region. And an iPhone distress signal helps save a man who drove off a cliff in California.

Tonight, the summer of extremes continues with dangerous storms, heat, and wildfires across the globe. Large wildfires ripping through southern Europe at the height of the summer travel season. Tourists trying to escape, but some flights grounded as flames near a runway in Italy. A flight from Milan to New York hit with golf ball-sized hail. Here in the United States, the record-setting heat, soaring water temperatures above 100 degrees. and 50 million people under air quality alerts again were tracking it all. Also tonight, LeBron James' 18-year-old son, Ronnie, suffering cardiac arrest during a workout. The team was supposed to be preparing for his first season at USC.

What we're learning about his condition tonight and the statement from the James family. Plus, surveillance video showing a driver thrown to the ground during an arrest in Los Angeles, why the driver says he was pulled over and is now fighting the charges, as the police department claims the use of force was justified. Ecuador in crisis, the president declaring a state of emergency for parts of the country after a wave of violence. The mayor of one coaster city assassinated in broad daylight and prison guards across the country held at gunpoint, how the country hopes to control the chaos ahead of national elections next month. Cold case cracked, a former pastor arrested for the kidnap and murder of an eight-year-old girl,

on her way to Bible camp nearly 50 years ago. How investigators say they solved the case with the help of an old diary. Devastating explosion, video showing an apartment building in New Jersey blasted apart. At least six people were hurt, dozens more left homeless. What officials say could have caused the explosion. An iPhone to the rescue. First responders in California saying they rescued a man who drove off a cliff because of his new iPhone crash detection feature. How rescuers were able to find him and save his life.

Top story starts right now. Good evening. I'm Ellison Barber in for Tom Yamis. We begin with the extreme weather here in the U.S. and around the world. New video shows skies darkening in New York City as thunderstorms move across the northeast. Millions of people across the northeast and Midwest also under air quality alerts. Overseas in Greece and Italy, raging wildfires, stranding travelers as airport shut down. The region also suffering from severe storms with a flight from Milan diverting to Rome after being pelted by hail. Airlines predicting severe weather is here to stay, but the extremes hitting both sea and sky.

Marine scientists now racing to save coral reefs and underwater ecosystems as temperatures off the coast of southern Florida, top 100 degrees. So let's begin with Sam Brock, who leads us off with that effort to save the ocean in Miami. Tonight, Florida burning up by air and sea. An unfathomable 101 degree temperature reading just north of the Florida Keys, some of the warmest waters ever recorded. You have to go deeper to, you know, to feel a little bit cooler water and definitely warmer than usual. The scorching ocean, causing a crisis for coral reefs. becoming diseased, bleached, and withered.

We are racing against the clock here because these waters are hot and corals cannot survive in really hot water. At the Keys Marine Lab, Noah providing facilities to save the endangered reefs, experts cleaning and prepping them. This tank could be the difference between preserving the coral reef and not.

That is correct. Phenor Montoya Maya with the Coral Restoration Foundation is the point person for getting these reefs from here the keys to a coral bus. We have a whole ecosystem that is a stake here. And ultimately move to a lab to keep them safe from extinction. This reef is a national treasure. It's like Yellowstone.

Today's conditions further testament to the alarming trends. Climate change continues to fuel. Phoenix now experiencing its longest heat wave ever, 26 straight days with temperatures at 110 degrees or higher. In Connecticut, parents just trying to protect their kids. We have neck fans, and for the girls, we provide cooling towels. And across the country, people going to pools, cooling centers, and beaches. NBC's Maggie Vespa is at one today.

In Minneapolis, a place known for bone-chilling cold. Today, the beaches are packed with people desperate to stay cool. But this brutal heat is just one issue. On top of that, the Canadian wildfire smoke is back, sparking an air quality alert. And back in Florida, the coral situation might look bleak. But this Noah's Ark style approach could be the lifeline it needs. Sam Brock joins us now from Miami. Sam, we've talked about a lot of high numbers.

Can we put this into context, especially for the coral reefs? Absolutely, Allison. So 86 to 87 degrees, that is generally the threshold under which these coral reefs will start bleaching, right? That's when they get really stressed. And that's also the typical water temperature this time of year. It is now about 92 or 93 degrees, which is to say six or seven degrees warmer than normal. Looking at this another way, typically you might see twice a year weeks where these reefs are stressed. It has been six times already, according to marine biologists, so far this year.

Nelson, we haven't even hit the hottest part of the summer yet, so you can understand the urgency and why they want to get out there as soon as possible to extract these reefs and save them before they go extinct. Alison. Sam Brock in Miami. Thank you. Tourism around the world feeling the effects of this extreme weather, wildfires forcing travelers to flee summer hot spots all across Europe, one plane on a transatlantic flight damaged by softball-sized hail. Tom Costello has more. From the American West to southern Europe, much of the world's vacation destinations are unbearably hot, even on fire.

The airport in Palermo, Italy, shut down this morning as fire reached the perimeter. Greece, a water drop plane crashed, killing two pilots as firefighters battled wind-driven flames across the islands. Already 2,500 have fled Corfu. NBC's Josh Letterman is on the island of Rhodes. The beachside resorts are normally packed this time of year, but tourists are fleeing by the thousands. Package holiday companies now canceling trips while airlines bring in more airplanes to ferry people home. Jim Papa Georgio arrived Friday from Michigan, then escaped on Saturday. We were able to evacuate by car rather than head down to the beach, like a lot of the tourists, and be evacuated via boat.

1004-degree temps to force the Acropolis to close early, while a delta plane flying from Milan to New York hit turbulence over Italy with soft ball-sized hail causing serious damage. High temps, whether in Greece or Arizona, can affect airline departures. In extreme heat, it will take longer to take off, and some airlines may have to cut weight with less passengers. and baggage. Before leaving for vacation, travel pros advised checking the extended weather forecast, monitor news of potential strikes or political instability, and consider cancel for any reason, trip insurance. If you've invested a lot of money in a trip and your money is non-refundable, it would behoove you to buy travel insurance. But be warned, you can't buy travel insurance after extreme weather is already predicted to affect your vacation location.

Alison. Tom Costello, thank you. And millions still bracing for more dangerous summer weather. Severe thunderstorms slamming the northeast tonight, carrying the threat of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. So let's get right to Michelle Grossman. Michelle, what is the latest on the track? Hi there, Allison. Well, we're looking at those storms still on the east coast and northeast. We're going to see that today. Then we get a little break tomorrow. That returns, the threat returns on Thursday. But we're also talking about that heat because coast to coast heat, we have that heat dome, tacked in place, and it is expanding over the next several days. So the northeast, the Midwest, seeing really high temperatures over the next couple of days and probably breaking records. We've broken

so many daytime monthly highs, also all-time records, and we're going to continue to do that. So taking you look at heat alerts, you can see 82 million people impacted by a heat alert. Heat advisories, that's in the orange, extending from the south central states into the central plains. The northern plains, also in Minneapolis, you're going to be really hot once again. Maggie kind of showed us that earlier. Phoenix under an excessive heat warning, because you will see the triple digits once again. So many triple digits expected tomorrow in the south central states, even up into the central plains.

111 tomorrow in Las Vegas, 100, Albuquerque, 100, Lubbock. Denver, you're going to be at 94 degrees. Still really hot in portions of the Midwest on Thursday. Look at the Northeast, New York City, 95. You factor the humidity. It's going to feel like 101. And then as we go throughout the weekend, we're going to keep those temperatures in place on Friday and Saturday.

New York City 94 degrees, but feeling warmer than that. with that heat index in place, feeling more like 97. Friday, it's going to feel like 102. And, Alison, here's a look at those storms. We do have a severe thunderstorm morning that includes Washington, D.C. until 8 o'clock tonight. Back to you. All right, Michelle Grossman, thank you so much. We are also following breaking news out of Texas, where a shooting took place inside a medical center in the Dallas area. Police say the suspect shot at least one person inside the medical center in Cedar Hill. The suspect reportedly fled from police with a long gun in his possession. He was eventually shot during a shootout with police and is now in critical

condition. No officers were hurt. The gunshot victim found at the medical center is expected to be okay. So far, no word on a motive. Next to the medical emergency for LeBron James' son, the 18-year-old was at basketball practice on Monday when he suffered a cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital. NBC's Kaylee Hartung has the latest. Tonight, the son of a basketball superstar, facing a medical emergency. Ronnie James Bullseye. Ronnie James rushed to the ER during a practice Monday at the University of Southern California. A family spokesperson saying while practicing, Brony James suffered a cardiac arrest.

Medical staff was able to treat Brony and take him to the hospital. He's now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. The 18-year-old is a son of NBA legend LeBron James and one of the most highly-touted incoming college basketball players. He was preparing for his first season on the USC basketball team when the incident happened at 9.26 a.m. Earlier this summer, Bronny James starring in the McDonald's All-American game, his dad cheering him on. He's just proud my dad, you know. LeBron not shy about his wish to one day share the court with his son. Being with him, spending a full year with him in the same uniform that would be that would be the icing on the cake tonight damar hamlin who suffered cardiac

arrest on the football field earlier this year tweeting prayers to brony and the james family as well here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death for young athletes and african-american college basketball players like james are the population at the highest risk according to a study in the american heart association journal What could have led to this? There are multiple factors that can cause cardiac arrest, whether it's something that they've had, like a disease in the heart. So it's a congenital or something that they developed after having an infection.

Doctors with this advice for parents of athletes of any age. Any student that's going to start any sport should do a pre-participation physical. And that includes an evaluation of their medical history. And then also asks the appropriate questions. NBC's Kaylee Hartung joins us now from outside the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Kaylee, it feels like cardiac emergencies are happening at sporting events and practices more and more frequently, or at least we are paying a lot more attention to them now. If an emergency does happen, what is the first thing a person should do to help?

Yeah, well, a defibrillator or an AED that shocks a heart back into rhythm, that can be a lifesaver. Now, doctors encourage parents to ask their child's school or athletic facility if they have an emergency action plan in writing that includes having a defibrillator on site. Alison. Kaylee Hartung, thank you. Staying in California tonight, new details emerging after a violent arrest was caught on camera in a 7-11 parking lot. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department determining the use of force was justified, but the man in that video saying the incident cost him his job, vowing to fight. those charges. This, just the latest in a string of controversial incidents involving the department. NBC's Rahima Ellis reports.

Tonight, the driver seen in this surveillance video, fighting to have the charges against him dropped after he was thrown to the ground. Come here. I just stopped you. No, you did it. Yeah, I did. Get your hands off of him. Within seconds of stepping out of his car in a 7-Eleven parking lot. What the fuck is happening? Twenty-three-year-old Emmett Brock slammed to the pavement by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy, Joseph Benza. He starts to punch me about 10 times and repeatedly shoves my head down into the pavement. Video of the February incident provided to NBC News by Brock's lawyer, who says his client was driving

home from work when he encountered Deputy Benza having a heated confrontation with a woman on the side of the road. As I passed by, I flipped him off very casually, really not thinking anything of it. The officer's union attorney insisting his client never saw the gesture at all. My client did not pull over Mr. Brock because he was flipped off. According to the incident report, Deputy Benza says he began trailing Brock's car after spotting an air freshener hanging on the rearview mirror. Brock says the officer never turned on his lights or siren, instead following him into the parking lot. By the time I'm on the floor, my only thought is he's going to kill me.

The use of fort didn't happen because of the air freshener. The use of force happened because Mr. Brock resisted. the detention. Lawyers for both Brock and Benza tell NBC News, the LASD has concluded the use of force was justified, though the Sheriff's Department declined to comment directly. Brock, who has been charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and battery on an officer, says the incident cost him his job as a teacher and that he plans to fight those charges. Nothing was more difficult than losing my job. My kids are my life. And tonight, the same department facing a separate legal battle.

My baby three weeks, you all hurt him, bro. The mother seen in this body camera footage filing a federal civil lawsuit after she says a deputy punched her multiple times as she clutched her baby during a traffic stop in 2022. You're breaking a f***ing the f***ing the incident to determine whether a violation of federal law occurred. If you're going to hit someone, especially a mother holding her baby, how do you describe that there's an immediate threat to your safety.

According to the sheriff, the deputy involved has been relieved of his field duties. Rahima Ellis, NBC News. Turning now to politics, it's been a week since former President Donald Trump announced he was the target of the special counsel's investigation into 2020 election interference. The grand jury in the case not meeting today to vote, but despite a possible looming third indictment, the former president hitting the campaign trail, arriving today in New Orleans, as he touched down. Here's what he had to say to NBC news about the investigation. President Trump, are you concerned about your own people testifying before the special

counsel? Thank you very much. No, no, we're innocent. We're totally innocent. We have a bunch of crooked people running this country. They're dishonest and they're crooked people running this country. An NBC news correspondent, Vaughn Hilliard, is there and joins us now. Vaughn, what are we expecting from the former president as he campaigns with possibly a looming indictment? Right, Ellison, let's be clear. Donald Trump has not run away from the first and second indictment, and there is no indication that he is going to go into a cave if, in fact, he has charged and sees this third indictment

come. For Donald Trump, this is as much about the legal defense as it is about his political offense. You'll recall when he announced this 2024 presidential bid all the way back in November, that is what led Merrick Garland, the attorney general, to appoint special counsel, special counsel Jack to go and oversee this case there. And ever since then, Donald Trump has been on the attack against the investigation into him. And that is where you see him today coming in for a fundraiser here in New Orleans. He will then campaign in Iowa on Friday before making his way to Erie, Pennsylvania on Saturday for a campaign rally. For Donald Trump, this is as much about mobilizing

the masses to come to his defense as it is about waging ultimately what will play out in the court of law. And, Von, I want to ask you about the video Trump's campaign posted online of him asking Congress to investigate the election interference probe. This is not the first time he has done something like that. Trump made a similar request around his New York indictment, and House Republicans listened and pursued testimony from Alvin Bragg and the New York City's DA's office. Do we expect Republicans to keep defending the former president while he deals with a third potential indictment?

Elson, if the past is any indication, the answer would be yes. Speaker McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, has remained a close ally of Donald Trump's. And look, when you look at the polling, right now, Donald Trump, he has really cemented this lead. In state polling, national polling, he is anywhere from 20 to 40 points ahead among his rivals. And we're less than six months away from the Iowa caucus here. So if Donald Trump were to be elected in 2024 back to the White House, these very Republicans, especially in the U.S. House, but also in the Senate, they would have to look at him as the partner. And Donald Trump has never hidden the fact that he views loyalty is very important to him.

And that is where you saw him, not only in the fundraising email to the millions of Americans, but also a direct callout to those Republican members of Congress to come to his defense. Because for Donald Trump, he has relied on them over the last eight years. And every indication is that he's going to be relying on them in the weeks ahead. Von Hilliard in New Orleans, thank you. For more political analysis on former President Trump's indictment watch in the 24th, presidential race. Let's bring in Kevin Madden, senior partner at the Penta Group and former campaign media strategist and spokesman for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign and Amisha Cross,

former Obama campaign advisor and Democratic strategist. Kevin, let's start with you. As we just heard from Vaughn, the former president shows no sign of slowing down his campaign, even if he is indicted a third time. And according to a new Monmouth poll, the majority of Republican voters believe Trump is the strongest candidate against Biden. Are indictments helping the former president politically speaking? Well, look, I think Vaughn is exactly right. I think the first thing we're going to see is the president go on the attack here against any of his perceived enemies, whether that's Democrats or whether it's prosecutors.

But yeah, I think this is actually helping him. And I think a lot of it is because of Trump's strategy. Trump, what he's tried to do is instigate essentially a Republican antibody defense against any sort of perceived legal prosecution. And I think he very much has a disdain for trying to fight this in the court of law. I think he lets his lawyers do that. Instead, what he's done every single time is try to pivot to the court of public opinion. And the court of public opinion, he believes that a mobilization of his strongest allies, attacking any of his perceived opponents here, or critics in the form of prosecutors,

is the best way to solidify not only his support with the strongest, Republican voters, but also with the institution that is the Republican Party, elected Republicans across the country. So I think you'll continue to see exactly the strategy that Vaughn explained earlier. Amisha, how do you think Democrats will use Trump's legal troubles on the campaign trail, particularly when it comes to courting swing voters? I think Democrats are going to focus a lot on what Biden's accomplishments and achievements have been. As we heard a few moments ago, I think that when it comes to the consistent legal troubles that Donald Trump has had. We have not seen that result in him losing his grip on

on Republican voters at all. Swing voters are up for grabs. I would argue that they're up for grabs from both parties, but largely are a little bit more on the Democratic side because of the issues that we see Republicans pushing that they don't agree with, like the anti-abortion rights, like some of the extent that they pushed in anti-equity. The culture wars, for instance, these are things that are going to drive those swing voters away from Republicans. I don't think that's going to largely be anything associated with the Trump investigations. Quite frankly, these continue to come, and yet Trump has figured out ways to bolster his animus towards American institutions, but not necessarily to take away his lead in the Republican primaries, or quite frankly, a means for Democrats

to kind of be able to utilize these as advancement of their own policies or their own strategy going into the next election cycle. I just don't think that this is going to be the communications give me that Democrats would need to get those swing voters either. If the past is any predictor of the future, we haven't seen it work before. I don't think that it would be the smartest strategy to do now. Kevin, I want to ask you about an op-ed written by your former boss. This is in the Wall Street Journal, Senator Mitt Romney, suggesting that donors should encourage low-polling candidates to drop out of the race by February 2024.

He said this, quote, donors may think that party leaders can narrow the field. Not so. Candidates don't listen to party officials. because voters don't listen to them either. What do you make of that? Do you think donors should sort of be the ones pushing, if you will, to narrow the field? Well, look, I think it has some merit, but just like donors, you know, I think when Governor Romney was talking about, you know, these big donors that are sort of have some sort of institutional control, they don't necessarily have the sway inside a Republican primary electorate that they once did. I think, you know, the grassroots Republicans who are really going to do a lot of the sorting inside the Republican primary are the ones that are going to have a much bigger say.

So if anything is, if, you know, if history is an indicator, so many of these candidates believe that they're not the one with a level of weakness, that they're the candidate that can, you know, take on Donald Trump, and they're going to be trying to get people to pressure everybody else but themselves to drop out. So one of the big challenges that we face, and I think Governor Romney, Senator Romney alluded to this in his op-ed, which is that we're going to have a redux of 2016. I think increasingly it's going to take folks like Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Senator Corny, other people who are leaders inside the party, to really put their power and their political operations behind one of the other candidates if they're ever really going to have a breakthrough there. Amisha, Speaker McCarthy, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, made a bit of news today suggesting that House Republicans may be close to pursuing an impeachment investigation.

Here's a little of what he had to say. This is rising to the level of impeachment inquiry, which provides Congress the strongest power to get the rest of the knowledge and information needed. I believe we will follow this all the way to the end, and this is going to rise to an impeachment inquiry, the way the Constitution tells us to do this, and we have to get the answers to these questions. How does the talk of a Biden impeachment investigation impact the White House and the re-election campaign? Is it something they're paying attention to? I think it's definitely something that they're paying attention to, and they have to. But quite frankly, this isn't

something that is surprising to them, because as you can probably recall, the Republicans, many of whom are sitting in Congress right now, they actually campaigned on impeaching President Biden. They on going after the Hunter Biden, the Hunter Biden family. They campaigned on this whole analogy of Biden being part of some type of crime family and trying their darnedest to prove this, even though we know that all signs lead to nowhere. But I think that for McCarthy, this is a very interesting term because it goes to show once more that he does not control his caucus. The extremist in his caucus control him.

To the extent that I argued just a moment ago that the impeachments and that the consistent and court battles have not really changed the minds of voters on Donald Trump. I don't think that these things that lead to nowhere would change the voters that were going to vote for Joe Biden either. His best bet is going to be getting out diverse voters, particularly black voters. They are the bed of the Democratic Party. They are the backbone, making sure that he turns out women voters and making sure that he turns out younger voters.

Those are the people who are going to make the difference for his campaign. Those are the people who have made the difference in the midterms. Those are the people who have been tried and true to the Democratic Party. he needs those numbers to be as high or higher than they were four years ago. All right. Interesting analysis and context. Kevin Madden and Amisha Cross, thank you both. We appreciate it. Heading overseas now to the ongoing crisis in Ecuador, the mayor of a major city in that country shot and killed on the street amid an ongoing wave of violence.

This as multiple prison guards were taken hostage at detention centers across the country. Guadbenegas has the latest. tonight a state of emergency in Ecuador the nation's president putting three provinces including the coastal city of Manta under curfew this move after the city's recently re-elected mayor Augustine Intrigo was shot and killed this video capturing the aftermath of the brazing attack

as the mayor was gunned down along with amateur soccer player Adriana Morales. At his service, wearing a bulletproof vest, his wife giving this emotional goodbye. that authorities attribute to dispute among organized crime groups. Prisons have become a battleground. This week, the nation's Bureau of Prisons reported over 100 guards were held hostage at different detention centers throughout the country.

No, we're going to permit for no motive that the groups delinquentiales organized generate insecurity, violence, and preoccupation from the carcels. Making matters worse, a clash at the Litoral prison in Guayaquil Saturday that left over 30 dead

and more than 14 injured. Government mobilizing soldiers to enter the country's prisons and regain control freeing the guards. We did a planification combined with force armadas. We have more of 2,700

men intervening this moment, of groups tacticos. This massive escalation all just one month ahead of National elections. And authorities investigating the murder of the mayor of Montaise, they have one suspect in custody who's believed to have been driving a vehicle used in the attack, but the shooter is still at large, with the current national state of emergency expected to extend a full 60 days.

Alison. Guadvinagus, thank you. Still ahead tonight, cold case cracked how a decades-old diary entry led police to a murder suspect nearly 50 years after a Pennsylvania girl disappeared on her way to Bible camp. Plus, Koberger's defense what we're learning tonight about the Idaho murder suspect's plans to defend himself in court. And new video showing the moment of a devastating explosion at an apartment building in New Jersey, the warning sign residents say they noticed leading up to that blast. Stay with us. We're back now with a major breakthrough in a cold case that has mystified, a Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania town for decades. An eight-year-old girl abducted on her way to Bible camp in the summer of 1975.

Now, 50 years later, police charging her pastor for her kidnapping and murder. Kristen Dahlgren with the latest on this story and a warning to viewers. Some of the details are disturbing. Tonight, a cold case that is haunted a small Pennsylvania town finally cracked. 83-year-old David Zanstra arrested for the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gretchen Harrington, than 50 years ago. This man is evil. He killed this poor eight-year-old girl he knew and who trusted him and then he acted as if he was their family friend. The Delaware County District Attorney says Gretchen was walking to Bible camp in the summer of 1975 when Zanstra, a reverend at the local church pulled up and offered her a ride, but she never made it to camp. Her disappearance

causing panic in the quiet township. People were definitely afraid to let their kids After months of desperate search efforts, Gretchen's body was found in a nearby wooded area in October. 48 years later, investigators say they were able to crack this case after a new witness came forward. With a diary entry from September 1975, she wrote after another child was almost kidnapped, writing, a man tried to kidnap Holly twice. It's a secret, I can't tell anyone, but I think he might be the one who kidnapped Gretchen. I think it was Mr. Z. According to court documents, this witness also claims she was groped by Zanstra during a sleepover at his home in 1975. He is every parent's worst nightmare. This is a man who is a remorseless child predator.

The DA's office says Zanstra confessed after he was presented with new evidence. He's now charged with homicide, murder, kidnapping of a minor, and possession of an instrument of crime. We reached out to Zanstra's lawyers, but haven't heard back. I'm happy that he was caught. I mean, how many years have gone by, and this poor family never got closure. Gretchen's family saying in a statement, it's difficult to express the emotions that we are feeling as we take one step closer to justice. The abduction and murder of Gretchen has forever altered our family, and we miss her every single day. Kristen Dahlgren, NBC News. We had to New Jersey where an apartment building in Newark suddenly exploded, sending debris flying into the

air. The blast entering six and now leaving dozens of people without a home. NBC New York's Adam Harding has the details. All of something I heard this boom. That boom Jonathan Bowler heard was the apartment building next door exploding. Surveillance video capturing the violent blast. When I opened up the door, then I've seen the foundation of the building literally crumbled come down. It's just unbelievable. It's just unbelievable. Jonathan's unit is still standing, but this photo from inside his home shows the damage, a wall now missing. The family has been at a hotel since Friday. They cannot stay here. I've lost everything because due to the structural damage of the building, we are not able to go in the apartment and get anything out. The explosion so strong,

Vanessa Bowler says her daughter was literally thrown. Tonight, they're just thankful to be alive. She was standing on the curb right at the apartment where the explosion was. And the blasts on the explosion was so strong and then they picked her up and threw across the street. Police today returning to the scene, the building reduced to rubble. Investigators still working to learn what caused the explosion. They say 31 were displaced and relocated, including three children. It shook the building. I looked out the window to see whether it was a car hit the building or something.

And later on, I wanted to go into the news and see that the building blew up. And your reaction was... that I'm hoping that no one got hurt. Newark's public safety director this weekend, confirming at least six were injured in the blast one critically. The Bowler family tonight saying they want answers. Giving grace that it happened on a Friday night, Saturday, Sunday, but I do expect at least by Tuesday, Wednesday of this week, we have more concrete answers than just it's under investigation. I need more than that.

Just devastating for those families now having to rebuild. That was NBC's New York, Adam Harding, reporting. When we come back, dramatic video out of Colorado, a state trooper responding to the scene of a crash forced to jump off a bridge to avoid getting hit, how he's doing tonight. That's next. Back now with Top Stories News Feed, and we begin with, with the latest on the investigation into those gruesome Idaho college murders. Suspect Brian Koberger declining to file a pretrial alibi in the case. In court filings, his legal team also

said he may testify in his own defense. Koberger is accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last November. His trial is scheduled to start in October. In Colorado, a state trooper forced to jump off of a bridge to dodge a suspected drunk driver. New dash cam video. shows the moment the drunk driver hit that trooper's cruiser, sending the car right at him. You see the trooper there jumping over the railing. He fell nearly 30 feet to the ground. He suffered serious injuries, but is expected to be okay, that driver, now facing vehicular assault charges. And UPS reaching a tentative deal to avert a strike. The company agreeing with the Teamsters union, which represents more than 300,000 workers to boost wages and install air control air

conditioning in delivery trucks. Union members now have to sign off on the deal before it goes into effect. Voting on the agreement starts next month. We turn now to the war in Ukraine. The State Department confirming tonight that a former U.S. Marine veteran, Trevor Reed, was injured while fighting for Ukraine against the Russians. Reid was wrongfully detained in Russia in the summer of 2019 after Russian officials say he assaulted a police officer, charges he and his family adamantly denied. Reed was released in a prisoner swap in April of last year, exchanged for a Russian drug trafficker who was convicted of conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the United States. For more on this, I want to bring in NBC News Chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander, who joins us now

from the White House. Peter, we don't have a whole lot of information right now in terms of what exactly happened to Trevor Reed in Ukraine, but tell us what we do know and how is the White House responding. Yeah, Alison, the State Department tonight confirms that Trevor Reed was injured while fighting against the Russians in Ukraine. He has since been taken by an NGO, a private nonprofit group, to a U.S. military hospital in Germany. His injuries, the extent of those injuries at this time, do remain unclear. But to be very clear here, as you noted, Reed spent nearly three years detained in Russia before he was released as part of a prisoner exchange that happened last year. The Biden administration says Reid was not in Ukraine on behalf of the

U.S. government. They have repeatedly warned Americans not to travel there. And tonight, a U.S. official tells me that they are, in their words, extremely concerned about the impact that Reed's actions could have on the U.S. government's ability to bring home American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Wheelan, both still detained in Russia. Reed was swapped last year, as you reported, for a Russian pilot convicted of smuggling cocaine. into the U.S., we have reached out to the Reed family, and they are declining to comment. Alison. Peter Alexander, thank you.

Staying overseas, we head to West Africa and the American effort to combat the war on terror. U.S. forces now training special operations troops in Niger to hunt down Islamic terrorists operating in that region. And in NBC News exclusive, our own Pentagon correspondent, Courtney Kuby, was there and has the details. Tonight we're on the front lines of a growing terror threat. These special ops soldiers in the West African country Niger trained by U.S. troops, practicing door-to-door clearing operations, preparing for a fight against Islamic extremist groups.

They fight together over the same land. Lieutenant Colonel Ian McConnell is the Special Ops commander in the region. One of the key lessons that we've taken from the last 20 years from the U.S. perspective is how can I partner with forces who are in a fight for their existence? Any questions? These Nigerian forces trained by U.S. military rangers and green berets on finding and disarming roadside bombs, clearing houses, and firing their Kalishnikovs, and preparing for casualties,

like this MEDAVAC exercise. U.S. special operators train these Nigerian troops during the day and support their missions at night against two fierce enemies, J. NIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, an arm of ISIS. Fighters who target the immense poverty here and the vulnerable populations. And it's a fight that has hit close to home for the 1,100 U.S. troops now in Niger. In 2017, four U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers outnumbered and outgunned were among those killed in an ambush by ISIS fighters. It was the deadliest attack against U.S. troops in Africa since Blackhawk down.

sparking a bitter debate about the U.S. military presence here. Meanwhile, tonight, the Nigerian troops have a target, a terrorist operating in a remote area in rural Niger. I can't show you behind this door, but inside they're planning for tonight's mission. The U.S. military putting a drone up overhead to watch their Nigerian partners as they go hunting for terrorists. As the mission goes on, the U.S. military watches from here in the operation center. This is a place where all the information is coming in about what our partners are doing, what U.S. forces are doing, where they're located, and reports of intelligence related to missions that are ongoing.

This never-before-seen video shows just how closely the U.S. monitors Nigerian military missions. Are U.S. military troops who are here in danger? There's always going to be a danger in an uncertain environment. But the way in which we're operating with this remote-advised assist really does remove U.S. forces from being high. on the objective, which decreases the imminent risk where enemy actions are happening at the point of capture. Missions like the one here in Niger, where there are small, elite teams of U.S. military troops training local forces to fight the terror groups in their own country are becoming

more and more common. But like so many other special operations, missions, many Americans don't even know they're happening. Ellison? Whitney Kuby, thank you. When we come back, a different kind of Barbie. activist across South America using the iconic doll and the buzz around the summer blockbuster to draw attention to important causes. We'll tell you how one woman is using Barbie to spread

the word about people missing across Mexico. That's next. Back now with Top Story's Global Watch and we begin in Ukraine where Russian missiles destroyed a historic cathedral in Odessa. Video showing the destruction inside the Transfiguration, Cathedral. The Orthodox Church is an important symbol in both Ukrainian and Russian culture, residents using shovels, buckets, and even their bare hands to pull artifacts from the ruins. The attack comes as Russia's parliament voted to raise the maximum conscription age from 27 to 30 years old. And a massive fire consumed a giant Buddha statue in northwest China, dramatic video showing the burning temple and the smoking ruins, while the statue itself remains mostly intact,

The founding temple was largely destroyed. Local media says the statue was built in 1998 as a replica of a statue from 425 AD that was previously damaged. No injuries were reported. Now to the Americas and the Barbie craze that is headed south of the border. In many cases, the iconic doll taking on a new role highlighting some of the most pressing issues in the region. One woman in Mexico creating her own version of Barbie, an ode to the thousands of mothers and sisters, for missing loved ones, including someone very close to her heart. When it comes to Barbie mania, even Latin America is jumping on for the ride. Vendors throughout the region cashing in from a bright pink tortilla in Mexico. To a brand new restaurant in Ecuador, the spitting image of Barbie's iconic dream house. Even Latin American airlines are getting in on the fun.

Valeris says this plane will be piloted by Barbie, not Ken, but the craze goes beyond the sparkle and glitter. In Peru, anti-government demonstrators dressing up as dictator Barbie with a rifle in hand protesting the nation's president. In Mexico, a Barbie with what some say has become a lamentable traditional attire. This Barbie has boots, a black wide-brimmed hat, and a t-shirt with the photo of a missing man. Her name, searching Mother Barbie. A tribute to the thousands of volunteers who fan out across Mexico searching for unmarked graves that might contain their children's remains. For Delia Kiroa, the creator of this latest version, it is a symbol of the pain and desperate

search for Mexico's missing, like her brother, whose photo is now on the shirt of this stall. I always think of my brother in the day that not is thinking in him. Her brother disappeared

nine years ago, joining the more than 100,000 Mexicans who have disappeared, often amid violent power struggles between the drug cartels.

She was a young, a cheque, she is now part of that volunteer group and advocates for other families with similar stories.

And when she saw the Barbie craze, she saw an opportunity. She's been buying them in bulk from secondhand markets so she can dress more up and sell them to raise money for the search efforts. She says she hopes this will help people sympathize with them. She plans to sell each Barbie for $30 U.S. dollars, but what they represent is worth so much more. God, me, I'm going to do this, this, of the Barbie and the association, and I'm going to help, but I want to you, I want to you to me, that you help us to find it. And, although I'm going to find, I'm going to people. It is a Barbie on a mission.

She does not wish on anyone else, but with a purpose that could one day help her find her brother. Our thanks to Delia for sharing her story with us, and our thoughts are with the thousands of families, just like hers, searching for answers. Coming up next, iPhone to the rescue. First responders racing to save a man after his car plummeted off a cliff, how his iPhone called for help when he could not do it himself. That's next. We're back now with an incredible rescue in California. First responders locating an injured man who drove off of a cliff and was incapacitated with the help of a distress signal. sent automatically from his iPhone. NBC's Maya Eidlin has the details.

Tonight, the dramatic rescue of a man whose car plunged 400 feet off an L.A. area cliff. He had a major gash in his head that he had active bleeding, and so we had to stop the bleeding, bandage him up. The key to saving his life? The iPhone in his pocket, equipped with crash detection technology and emergency SOS calling capability. Without the SOS service from iPhone, I don't know when or if we would have ever found him. After spotting bent guardrails and barked missing from trees, Mike Liam of L.A. County Search and Rescue descended from a helicopter hoping to find the driver. But rescuers only able to pinpoint his location thanks to his phone. 400 feet, we hit the bottom and then found his car in the stream and him ejected next to the car.

He was able to be hoisted into the helicopter. The crash detection feature now comes standard. on the iPhone 14 and newer model Apple Watches. It was touted as a life-saving tool when it was launched last fall. Now the microphone detects impact noise. The accelerometer senses rapid deceleration. And the barometer measures a shift and pressure consistent with an airbag going off. Once a crash is detected, the phone sends a distress signal to the nearest 911 call center.

The owner of this iPhone was in a severe car crash and is not responding to their phone. If there's no service, satellite picks up the location of the phone, providing a search radius for rescue. crews, as was the case with this incident. There's nothing to download. If you have a 14 or I believe it's a 14 pro, it's already there. It's already built in. The rescue crew says the technology also helped them find a woman who broke her leg while hiking in June. And if they didn't get to this victim when they did, most likely he would have bled out at some point. Getting to him in a timely manner is what saved him. That technology and the rapid response from the LA County search and rescue, sparing this driver from what could have been a tragic outcome.

Maya Eklund, NBC News. And finally, tonight, remembering Emmett Till, Till's lynching at 14 years old in 195, helped galvanize the civil rights movement. Now on what would have been his 82nd birthday, the first national monument in his honor. Here's Blaine Alexander. Emmett Till would have turned 82 years old today. Instead, in 1955, the 14-year-old boy was abducted, beaten, and lynched after he was accused of whistling at a white woman in Money, Mississippi. And today, President Biden created the first national monument named for Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till Mobley.

We should know about our country. We should know everything, the good, the bad, the truth of who we are as a nation. The monument will have three sites, the Tallahatchie Riverbank, where Till's mutilated by, was pulled from the water, the courthouse in Sumner, Mississippi, where his killers were tried and acquitted by an all-white jury. And Roberts Temple Church in Chicago, the site of Till's open casket funeral, a decision by his mother who allowed Jet Magazine to photograph and publish images of her son's body, bringing the world face to face with the brutal reality of racism.

What do you remember the most about that day? I remember, I just remember being kind of norm. Reverend Wheeler Parker was Till's cousin, his best friend, and the last living witness to Till's abduction. He was in the very next room when a group of white men took Till from his family's house. Stretching my eyes, shaking him, talking to God inwardly, and they walk with a pistol in one hand, in a flashlight, another. What was it like there in the house that night after he was taken away? And nobody talks to anybody. It was just dark forever.

I moved from place to place or talk to anyone today like him. Parker still remembers exactly where he sat during Till's funeral. Now that church is being restored to its original 1955 appearance. Brent Legs is helping lead that effort. This will be the first national monument that memorializes examples of racial violence and political injustice. How significant is that? It's exceptionally significant so that our nation never forgets. What happened, at times, still brings Parker to tears.

But he says today's news brings some measure of healing, finally. This place here is going to be a beacon. I mean, it's going to change their hearts of people when they see it, see the story. A story, now a monument for the nation. Blaine Alexander, NBC News, Chicago. Thank you so much for watching. story for Tom Yamis. I'm Ellison Barber in New York. Stay right there. More news now is on the way.