Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Episode Date: December 15, 2022

A deadly tornado outbreak in the South, tributes pouring in after the ‘Ellen’ show's DJ Stephan "twitch" Boss dies by suicide at 40 years old, the Fed raises interest rates half a point to highest level in 15 years, and the World Cup final is set on Sunday between France and Argentina.

Tonight, breaking news as we come on the air. The deadly tornado outbreak in the south, a reported twister touching down in New Orleans moments ago. The massive funnel cloud, you can see it there, carving a terrifying path through the city. Lightning and sparks flying. The storm ripping through a medical center. Widespread damage reported on the ground. More than 40 twisters reported in just the last 48 hours. At least three people killed.

and the Midwest still buried under feet of snow, the massive system barreling east, Bill Cairns standing by with the track as we head into a dangerous night ahead. Also tonight, the death sending shockwaves through the entertainment world. Twitch, the longtime Ellen DJ, and professional dancer dying by suicide,

the emotional tribute she posted to Instagram. Plus Twitch's former theater coach joins Top Story Tonight, how she is remembering one of her most beloved students. The dramatic new details in the Paul Pelosi attack, the 911 call and police body cam footage from that night played in court. What Pelosi could be heard saying in that explosive new audio and what police say they saw once they got inside. Surveillance clue? The new image of a white sedan spotted near the scene of those horrific murders at the University of Idaho, what it means for the investigation.

Now entering, it's second month. Plus, the Fed versus inflation. interest rates hiked for the seventh time this year, making credit card debts and loans even more expensive. What the move means for your bottom line with inflation still at a 40-year high. And the incredible story from inside Ukraine tonight, a UPS driver turned American warrior pulling off daring rescues inside a war zone running straight into the danger when no one else will. Top story starts right now. And good evening. We begin top story with that breaking news, a wild night of weather.

The dangerous tornado outbreak in the south as we come on the air, multiple tornadoes on the ground in Louisiana. I want to show you an up-close look at what we're talking about here. A funnel cloud captured live on the air by our New Orleans affiliate, WDSU, their tower camera, capturing this image, broadcasting it across the scene, incredibly terrifying. You can see transformers exploding. You can also see that funnel. cloud, the tornado tears a dangerous path through the city's 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. Drivers pulling off the side of the road as the twister grew nearer. This appearing to be the

second time this year, those areas were hit by a massive tornado. And take a look at this twister. Another conformed tornado touching down in New Iberia. Look at the size of this sucker right here. Just one of nearly 50 reported across four states. That tornado heading right towards a medical center, early reports indicate major damage on the ground there. And these images of a destroyed neighborhood there just coming in, roofs torn off homes, debris littering the streets, and the threat will continue through the night with 9 million people at risk. Bill Cairns has the late-breaking news of the tornado outbreak. I want to get right to him, Bill. I'm looking at your radar right now, and it is incredibly active. Yeah, this is when

the tornado was going through the portions of New Orleans. At one point, we had half a million people under a tornado warning. That means that many people were getting the notifications on their phone going to their safe rooms as the tornado was approaching. We did get confirmation. It was on the ground, too. So that makes it even more scary. This was the pass. So this is the West Bank here, and it looks like it went almost right along the West Bank freeway. And then it crossed over the Mississippi, went into the lower 9th Ward. This area was hit by a EF3 tornado nine months ago. It's unbelievable that the same areas looked like it was hit once again. And here's the map for the last 48 hours. 42 tornado reports everywhere you see these icons in here.

And we're not done yet. We're going to get some more as we go throughout the evening. We have a new tornado watch that has just been issued for areas from Montgomery, Alabama, to Dothan, to Pensacola, to Panama City, everywhere in between here. The red triangles you see here, these polygons, that's where we have active tornado warnings. We just had a really scary scene in the Biloxi area. That is now heading out of town to your northeast. And this particularly dangerous tornado watch will be expiring here shortly.

Those are very rare. When we get those, we know we're going to have tornadoes and maybe even strong tornadoes. Tomorrow, isolated severe weather risk, not quite as bad as it was today. We still have flash flooding that's going on throughout the Deep South. And as far as the winter weather goes, we're not done. We've got this blizzard that's ongoing in areas from Rapid City to Nebraska. And then tomorrow, this mess heads into the northeast. Ice storm warnings for the mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, the Shenandoah Valley.

They're saying be prepared for power out just for possible days. Interior sections are going to get at bad. Notice Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, all under winter weather advice. Early tomorrow, a brief period of freezing rain could make it treacherous out there on many of the roads, too. So you get the idea. Snow will be the problem in Interior, New England. But right now our attention is really focused on what's happening in the south of those tornadoes. Yeah, Bill Cairns, thanks so much.

I know you're going to stand by for us throughout the broadcast. We're going to check in with you because it's still a very active scene there in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana. As we mentioned, there have been nearly 50 reported tornadoes across the south over the last few days. Morgan Chesky has been covering this deadly outbreak and is in Keith, Louisiana tonight. Tonight, a huge tornado churning across New Orleans. There you can see a very large tornado. Now we've got the power flashes. Get to your safe place right now. The twister striking the lower 9th ward and parts of St. Bernard Parish. Damage unknown at this hour. It's part of a deadly tornado outbreak, devastating parts of the state. Twisters tearing across

roadways and ripping off roofs. In New Iberia, police confirmed. Two Tornadoes touchdown. Authorities there helping people trapped inside debris. We do have several units from several agencies on scene. They are rescuing people who are trapped. More than 7,000 homes losing power. Others no longer standing. Authorities say at least three people are dead, including an eight-year-old boy.

That whole trailer park gone. In Keithville, families are now left picking up the pieces. The governor telling NBC, he's investigating. whether mobile alerts went out to this rural neighborhood. I know we're in a rural area here. Do we know if these folks got any kind of warning ahead of this story? Yeah, well, I'm trying to figure that out. Quite frankly, this is an area that is so rural cell phone coverage is inadequate to begin with.

So far this week, at least 32 tornadoes have been reported across four states. Meteorologists say warmer temperatures in recent years are partially to blame for the growing number of winter twisters and could be pushing the infamous tornado alley farther east. This week's deadly southern storms, part of the major system pushing its way across the country and stretching all the way to Minnesota. Tonight, blizzard conditions are pummeling parts of the Dakotas. Storms there already dumping two feet of snow,

with more continuing to fall. All part of a dangerous and now deadly storm system that's not slowing down. Okay, Morgan Chesky joins us tonight from Keith Phil, Louisiana. Morgan, new details coming in by the minute. Where do things stand right now in New Orleans and across Louisiana? Yeah, I can tell you right now, Tom, that early damage reports from New Orleans are extensive. We do know that officials issued a shelter at place warning and warned anyone without shelter that they would be at risk of flying debris.

But what's most heartbreaking of all here, Tom, is that some of these same areas that were struck today likely saw damage from an EF3 tornado that struck New Orleans barely nine months ago. in March. Tom? And then Morgan, I've got to ask you, were people prepared for these tornadoes? I mean, I always like to ask if the warnings were in place and if the forecast, they don't have to be right, but at least did people have a heads up? There were possibilities for tornadoes? Of course, we do know that in New Orleans we could hear the warnings from meteorologists. We do know that mobile alerts went out. That was one of my first questions to the governor who toured the devastation here in this community today. And as he said, this is such a rural

area that even if people do have cell phones, it's not always guaranteed. They're going to get that mobile alert. He said his team would be looking into that. Everyone here aware of the potential for severe weather, and it's not impossible for December tornadoes to happen. That said, the speed at which they struck and the devastation they left behind has left everyone here absolutely stunned. Okay, Morgan Chesky for us. Morgan, we appreciate your reporting. Many residents across the New Orleans area forced to shelter in place. I want to bring in Lisa O'Quame by phone. She was in the suburbs of Marrero, which is on the West Bank, when one of those twisters hit. Lisa, first off, how are you doing tonight? What did you see and what did you

hear? We are good, thank God. It just got real quiet. We sheltered in place. The meteorologist, you know, all the alarms went off. So about quarter to four, we got in the closet, sheltered and then it got quiet the lights went out and then it was raining lasted a few minutes and then it was quiet and then did you guys get did you get the warnings that that the twister had touched down or was at least coming through the west bank we did meteorologists were wonderful it started in lake savage and they tracked it had it coming directly over merrero and it just it kept going all the way to new Orleans east it was just a long traveling tornado. I know you've been able to send us some photos. We're going to try to get those

on screen at some point. You saw the damage up close and firsthand, right? Yeah, the West Bank got hit hard. They really did. Like I said, a lot of power outages, a lot of debris, a lot of houses destroyed. Thank God around here, no loss of life. But we got hit hard. And Lisa, are used to hurricanes they're hitting New Orleans. I mean, what was this experience like? I am 55 years old, first time I've ever experienced this, and it's scary. Hurricanes, we leave. Tornadoes, you have the warnings, but you can't leave. So we just sheltered in place, and thank God, you know, it passed over, and we're here. And Lisa, I know the threat is not over tonight. What are the neurologists saying there in New Orleans, and what's the advice?

for all the people sort of in southern Louisiana? Right now, they were just saying rain, flash floods. As far as a set of tornadoes, we're past back, so we're good. So right now it's just the rain, cleaning up the debris, getting power restored. Energy really doesn't know how long that's going to be. So we just sit and wait. And Lisa, so our viewers know you're a member of my family. your cousins with my wife. How is the entire family doing while I have you on the phone?

We are all well, thank goodness. Everybody is well. We all got through it. So we're just thanking God. Okay, Lisa, we hope more people are just like you and we're able to survive what looks like a very dangerous night there in New Orleans. Lisa, thanks for joining us tonight. The other major headline we're following as we stay on top of everything that's happening in the southern United States. Another huge headline that broke earlier, Today, Stephen Twitch boss, the beloved DJ on The Ellen Show, has died by suicide at the age of 40. Boss, a longtime fixture on the daytime talk show, first signing on as a DJ in 24, his infectious personality and music getting the crowd moving at the start of every episode.

DeGeneres later making him an executive producer on the show, often talking about their very close relationship. Ellen today posting this touching tribute on her Instagram, the caption reading, I'm heartbroken. Twitch was pure love and light. One of Boss's former teachers joins us with more on who he was. But first, let's go to NBC's Valerie Castro with a look at the legacy he leaves behind. Tonight, the entertainment world and fans mourning the death of Stephen Twitch Boss. Widely known for his friendship and collaboration with Ellen DeGeneres as her show's DJ.

Twitch, you want to know my favorite thing that we've added? What's your favorite thing now? It's you. It was his dancing that first caught Ellen's attention alongside the rest of the world, rising to fame for his performances on season four of So You Think You Can Dance. My name is Stephen Boss, aka Twitch, I'm 25 years old, and I'm from Montgomery, Alabama. Quickly becoming a fan favorite, then returning as an All-Star and eventually becoming a judge in 2022. Fans also watched him rise from DJ to executive producer on Ellen.

Over a decade ago, I met someone who changed my life. and our show. And I'm talking about you, Twitch. Come here. I came here to dance one time to do a dance crossbe. You know what I mean? And now I've gained family, you know. He stepped his way into more hearts when he gave a glimpse into his real home during the pandemic. Boss, alongside his wife, Allison, also a performer, led followers in dance alongs on social media, calling on the public to get up and move. All we're doing is just working up a little bit of sweat, promoting positive vibes, positive energy, and raising the vibration.

Cool. The couple encouraging others online to collaborate. Shoot us some song requests, shoot us videos, pictures of yourself getting down. The result, what Boss called the Like the Way challenge. He's there every single day. He's dancing. He's laughing. He's showing you, you know, and smiling with his children and dancing. But when the lights turn off, that's when the demons come. News of Boss's death by suicide stunning his fans, his friends, and his wife, just days after their ninth wedding anniversary. She posted this video two days ago, showing the couple smiling and doing what they love, dancing side by side.

And today, writing, Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends, and community above all else, and leading with love and light was everything to him. Adding, I will always save the last dance. for you. Other tributes pouring out for the late performer, fellow so you think you can dance judge, Mary Murphy, telling top story in a statement. Twitch was an inspiration to millions with his work ethic and determination. And Ellen, writing in an emotional post, I'm heartbroken. Twitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. All right, Valerie Castro joins us live on set now. Valerie, I think so many people are shocked because

they never saw this coming. Did he ever talk about any kind of mental health issues? As far as we can tell, he never publicly spoke in detail about any specific issues. But in a 2017 podcast, he said as a husband and father, he had to account for any choices knowing that he wouldn't be the only one affected and was working through making the right choices in those moments. So he helped a lot of people get through the pandemic. Him and his wife, they love their videos on social media.

But there's also a lot of celebrities who love Twitch as well and the way he danced. As tragic as this has all been, a lot of them have been posting their favorite memories of him, videos dancing with him. The singer Sierra posted this video, the two of them dancing before her appearance on the Ellen show, and Howie D from the Backstreet Boys, posted a video of the two of them dancing to everybody, that popular boy band song calling him one of a kind. And as his wife said in a statement, his positive impact will continue to be felt as we've seen in all of these videos. Tom. Valerie Castro for us tonight on that very sad news.

For more on Twitch's life and legacy, I want to bring in his former theater coach, Dr. Tommy Tenia Stewart. Dr. Stewart, thank you so much for joining Top Story on this incredibly sad day for you and all of Twitch's family, friends, and fans out there. You taught Stephen as a teen at a Montgomery, Alabama theater camp. Did you know back then he would grow up to touch so many lives? I always felt that he would grow up to touch many lives, because Stephen was always ready to help other people, always giving, always sharing, and that warm smile and the glitter in his eyes would make you feel like you had someone you could count on. And that's who he was. You know, you two had a chance to reunite on the Today Show earlier this year in July.

I want to show a small clip from that day. Come on out, Dr. Stewart. What? Oh. Oh, God. Oh, my God. I love you. Oh, my God, God.

Oh, my God. Yo, this is, oh, my God. I need you all to understand there will not be a twixt without Dr. Stewart. Dr. Stewart, you heard it there, the ultimate compliment. What do you remember about that day and about the love you felt in your heart? That day was a joy, a joy and a chance to say to him, how proud I am and how proud we in Montgomery, Alabama are of him. My son Thomas called me and said, Mama, tell Steve Hay for me,

because Thomas was like a playmate to him throughout the camps. They grew up together. The children in the community, they've already started calling today, Colling saying that from Camp 3T, we want to do a memorial service for Twitch. I felt so good that day and so proud and so honored. And I could just, I just felt like God had spared me to witness what we work so hard to achieve.

I'm grateful that Twitch had a chance to enjoy his many wonderful years with Ellen DeGeneres. His family is so supportive. His mother Connie and his wife, Allison, he loves so much. And the children, they're three beautiful children. He was planning to come back and work with us this summer. It's hard. This is a difficult, shocking day.

But it's a day that only God. Only God knows why it happened. You know, fans, and I can tell in your voice, just like you are in a state of shock, did you know of any issues? Did anyone see any type of trouble? You know, social media is not reality, but what he and his family were putting out there

was so much love and so much joy, and I think that's why so many people are surprised today. And that's all we know. I've checked with people from his church where he grew up. One lady went and spent Thanksgiving with he and his mother, his family, and everything was fine. I talked with Twitch. I guess it was about five weeks ago, and we talked about a plan for a dance show that B.B. King's daughter wants to do. And he was telling me how to get the paperwork together.

No sign. I looked at my phone because normally he'll call me or text me or say something when he has a question, but there was no message. So this was really a shock. No sign at all. When you look back at Stephen's life, what are you going to carry with you from knowing him and teaching him? Joy. joy dreams enthusiasm hope this was a god-fearing young man joy love whenever someone says twitch that's where I go to joy any picture you see of him that's what you see

joy that comes from home that comes from blessings on the inside i even talked to him about the american theater of being and how we could could infuse being into the dance into being my daughter-in-law made a documentary about being and we're trying to get that started so the when I'm not here one day other young people can be motivated to give your best

to do your best the way is already made you just have to walk in it walk in the light and trust Dr. Stewart you know unfortunately you didn't get a chance

just like his family and all his fans to say goodbye but if you had a chance to have that one last conversation with Twitch, what would you tell him? I would tell him, as I always would say to him, never stop doubting. Believe in yourself.

Trust that God knows your heart. You are loved, and you are loved by some that you don't even know their names. And I love you so much. So proud of you, Stephen. Shine. Keep dancing. Even in health.

Dr. Tommy, Tania Stewart, we thank you so much for sharing. We know this is an incredibly difficult day for you. And we hope Twitch's legacy will live on through people like you. We thank you. Thank you. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 988 or text home to the number on your screen to reach the suicide and crisis lifeline. Okay, we want to turn now to a judge ruling tonight. The man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi will be tried for allegedly breaking into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband back in October.

The 911 call in police body cam recordings played in court as the suspect appeared for a hearing where the alleged weapon was shown. NBCC Patterson has the story. Tonight, new evidence revealing more detail about the night Paul Pelosi was attacked. The purpose of today's hearing was to establish which charges will be moving forward to trial. And today, the judge ruling all charges will go forward against 42-year-old David DePapp, including attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse. This following a multimedia presentation from prosecutors, including audio of Pelosi's 911 call, video from officer body cameras showing the moment police arrived, even the alleged assault weapon

itself waved in front of the judge. Audio from Paul Pelosi's 911 call revealing the 82-year-old at times under duress, but appearing to try to de-escalate the intruder, telling the operator, I've got a problem, but he says everything's good. Then later, Pelosi making it clear he's in trouble, saying he's telling me to get the hell off the phone. Prosecutors also playing officer body cam footage confirming the door open from the inside after police knocked. An audio from that footage revealing that within seconds of police trying to assess the situation, they screamed, drop the hammer, which was followed by labor breathing after Pelosi's skull was cracked. Finally, testimony from the police investigator who spoke with DePap after the

incident, allegedly telling her Democrats are on a crime spree and that he had other targets, mentioning California Governor Gavin Newsom, actor Tom Hanks, and Hunter Biden. We also heard today that he targeted Nancy Pelosi because, in his words, Democrats persecuted the Trump campaign, and he says he wanted to talk to her about that. Tom? Okay, Steve Patterson, with all those new developments we're learning tonight. Steve, thank you. Now to the economy in the Fed's fight against inflation, Chair Jerome Powell raising interest rates to the highest level in 15 years. The half-point increase lower than previous hikes, but the Fed is now warning the increases are likely to continue rates staying high through the next year.

Here's NBC News correspondent Tom Costello. From factory floors to farms to Main Street, USA. Every interest rate hike ripples through the economy, affecting everyday Americans. Near Philly, small business Eric and Christopher makes silk screen pillows and totes. They'd like to expand, but higher rates are making a small business loan too expensive, just as inflation drives up costs, forcing them to cut employee hours. It's kind of a scary time. I can't pursue ideas and dreams, if you will, to grow the business to other levels,

to other avenues, to other outlets at this time. The Fed's decision today to hike interest rates by another half point could put those dreams even further out of reach. This seventh interest rate hike of the year comes as inflation appears to be slowing, running at 7.1% year over year, better than the 9.1% last June, but still too high. We understand the hardship that high inflation is causing. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell today saying the Fed will keep raising rates through the new year, making credit cards and new loans more expensive, affecting mortgages and likely pushing up unemployment.

I wish there were a completely painless way to restore price stability. There isn't, and this is the best we can do. While gas prices have dropped, food and rent prices are still too high. The Fed is going further, and even though there's been too better than expected inflation, inflation reports. The Fed still feels like has a lot more work to do. The goal here is for the Fed to bring inflation down from 7% to 2%. Hiking interest rates still remains the best tool to get that done. Tom? We thank Tom Costello for that report. While inflation is slowly coming back down,

many Americans still feeling the burden of higher costs. NBC's Brian Chung asked Chairman Powell about that economic pressure and the threat of job losses. The largest amount of pain, the worst pain would come from a failure to raise rates high enough and from us allowing inflation to become entrenched in the economy. I do think, though, that, and markets are pretty confident, it seems to me, that we will get inflation under control, and I believe we will. We're certainly highly committed to do that. And with that, I want to bring in CNBC closing bell anchor Sarah Eisen to walk us through today's announcement and making her top story debut. So great to have you tonight.

It's wonderful to be here and see you in person. So we love having our CNBC family and friends over because they can explain these really complicated things. And I think a lot of viewers may be asking, if we have to tame inflation, why don't they just continue with very high hikes instead of sort of like this slow, smaller hikes throughout next year? The short answer, Tom, is because raising interest rates, especially aggressively as we've been seeing it, hurts the economy. Yes, it cools inflation, which is the goal. But at the same time, the Fed doesn't want to totally squash the economic recovery that we've been seeing. Step back, this Federal Reserve has already done a lot.

They have raised interest rates at every meeting since March. And the last four meetings, they raised by a triple, 75 basis points, which just means they were super aggressive. That's called front-loading all of their interest rate hikes. Now they're going to cool it down a little bit and see what the impact is. Make sure inflation really is coming down. And we've seen some good evidence to point to that. Well, on that, I want to talk to you about gas prices. We've heard about that in Tom's report.

Gas prices are down. Is that because of the Fed's actions? Is that fair? It's in part because of the Fed's actions, but there's also China. China's basically been locked down because of COVID, and that means its economy has been crushed. It's a big consumer of oil as well. So between the China lockdowns,

what the Fed is doing to slow down demand, and also the Biden administration has been draining our emergency strategic petroleum reserve to try to keep oil prices down. All of that together has certainly helped give Americans some relief at the pump. The problem is it's hard to predict. We've still got a war going on and sanctions. I want to talk about the stock market because I always like to remind viewers, the stock market is not the economy, but it sort of predicts the future.

At least investors like to think they're predicting the future. And today was a strange day. As we look at how the market ended and we saw on your show, closing bell, how it ended. What happened today? The market took away from Fed Chair Powell that higher interest rates are going to be with us longer. That was the message. And that's because inflation really isn't fully under control. It's not at the 2% target where the Fed wants it and where Americans can feel like they can afford everyday basics.

Food prices are still very high. Rents are still very high. We're paying more for recreational services, for instance, traveling. I'm sure noticed that all of that costs a lot more. So they've got more work to do. And the translation for the stock market is, if the Fed has to keep rates higher for longer, even if they're going at smaller increments and slower, it's going to be more painful for the economy. And there was a lot of recession-type stock trading today.

If you look at what stocks did well, Campbell's Soup, making a new high. That's very recessionary. We need soup when we go into recession. And this actually leads to my next question. We're going to put up a full screen in just a moment for our viewers so they can see this Pew Research study. But I want to ask you first, some major bank CEOs are still predicting a recession, right? They're very bullish on the recession. Democrats, and even some of the business community, are saying, no, it's going to be a soft landing.

But here's what Pew found, and I think this is interesting. One in four American parents struggled to pay for their family's basic needs. That's a big number, right? And more than half of low-income parents didn't have enough money to pay for food or housing. So it seems like many people are still sort of holding their breath, waiting for some relief. Does that happen in 2023, you think? It happens relief on inflation. That's the good news. The forecast or that inflation should keep coming down. And unfortunately, this inflationary surge that we're seeing across our economy,

it's hurting the low-income families the most. They don't have extra money to spend when everything goes up from food to gas prices. The bad news is as inflation comes down, the forecast are for recession odds to rise. A slowdown, a soft landing, a shallow recession, all of it means that economic growth will cool. And unfortunately, Wall Street is expecting more job losses. We've already started to see that in technology, in the media spaces. As the Fed continues to fight inflation, it'll slow the economy and potentially force more companies to lay off workers.

So that's on the negative side. But definitely, the expectation is relief on the price side. OK, CNBC, Sarah, I. And Sarah, great having you on the show tonight. Thank you. Still ahead tonight, the new clues in the Idaho murders investigation. A surveillance image. Take a look at this, appearing to show that white sedan they've been looking for near the scene of the crime.

Couldn't lead to a break in this case more than a month after those four students were killed. Plus, rapper Gunna released from jail after he was arrested on racketeering charges. We'll update you on that one. And the potential breakthrough in the fight against cancer, the new treatment giving hope to people battling melanoma. Stay with us. Top story, just getting started. Okay, we're back now with a possible break in the mystery murder of four Idaho University students. Fox News Digital reporting that eight hours of surveillance video from a nearby gas station on the night of the murders has been handed over to detectives.

The gas station assistant manager providing Fox News Digital with a photo. You see it here of the surveillance video that shows a white sedan passing by a gas station in Moscow at 3.45 a.m. that night. No suspects have been identified or taken into custody yet, and officers are still asking for, any tips related to this case, but you will remember just last week they were showing photos of a white Hyundai they think could possibly be tied to this case. With that, I want to bring in Jim Kavanaugh, NBC News contributor, and the expert who has been helping us with the latest on this case. Jim, look, hindsight is 2020, right? And I can't imagine what the detectives are up against in this case. But this video was sent as a tip from a gas station manager almost a month

after this crime was committed. How is it possible that police did not collect all surveillance video in the surrounding area. Yeah, Tom, it's a daunting task, but they didn't lead with enough resources. When they talked about, you know, 40 and 50 investigators, it's just not enough people to be able to move it at lightning speed. You need to add a lot of people fast. It's hard for commanders to comprehend this sometimes because they feel that number of 50 is large, but I can tell you it's too small in a case like this.

And they should have had enough agents early on, determined. detectives, federal agents to go out and get all that cameras from all those gas stations in this small city of 24,000, locked that video down so it wasn't destroyed and start reviewing it themselves. They might have been able to pick up on different vehicles early. And then when they got the tip on the white Hyundai, they would have been ahead of the game a little bit. But that's where they are now. So, Jim, it's been six days since investigators asked for help identifying the occupants of a white Hyundai. Moscow was not a big city. How likely is that whoever the owner of this car is has fled the area? But again, since it's not so big, you think other people would think

back on that day and say, hey, I saw that car, or I know somebody who has a car like that. And Tom, you're exactly right. You've been a journalist too long. And all that information you're describing, no doubt, has come into the command post in various levels. Neighbors calling, hey, Jason has this car. Tom has that car. And, of course, the witnesses, themselves, the owners of the vehicles are calling into the police, hey, I have a car like that, but you know when I was working that night at the plant 30 miles away or whatever, but if they don't have someone, a witness who has said, yes, that was my car and I was in the college area at 3.30 in the morning, then they're still looking for the car. Now, they'll find the car,

they'll find the driver, the owner of the car. Of course, he could have by now driven the car in the lake, taken out in the woods and burned it up. They may still possess it, but they're going get to them because it's going to be a smaller number. It'd be nicer if they get to them, gotten to them faster because we have a clerk from a gas station who's reviewing tapes a month after. So that's not good. But like I say, that's where we are now. Jim, real quick, as we're running out of time here, and we may disagree on this. I don't think a lot has been leaked out about this case, right? I mean, there are other murders that we cover, other crimes that we cover where you're getting little crumbs every single day that add to a

narrative. I don't see that here. Do you think police just don't have a lot, or do you think people, they're being good and not releasing and people just aren't leaking? Yeah, I don't think they have a real lot solid during the past weeks. Look, there's no big case ever. There's none I ever worked where there's not leaks. You have to understand that's the way it's going to be. There's going to be a leak, and then you've got to leverage the information from the leak to help you in the case. So if something leaked out and now it's public, Get out there, pound on it, emphasize it, use it to your advantage, get the public to say, yes, this happened, call us with tips. You know, you just have to deal with the leak.

You have to roll with it, turn it into a victory, turn it into something that can help you. There's no big case without leaks, but I agree with you. I think it has been very tight for the most part. Jim Kavanaugh for us tonight. Jim, thank you. Coming up next, the latest on that tornado outbreak developing in the South, a massive twister. Touching down in New Orleans just moments ago are Bill Cairns. standing by with an update on this dangerous storm at this hour.

He's tracking a lot of activity you can see on his radar. He'll update us in just moments. Stay with us. Back now with Top Stories News Feeding, we begin with Atlanta rapper Gunna, pleading guilty to racketeering and conspiracy charges. The rapper whose real name is Sergio Kitchens is one of 28 defendants in a RICO case involving alleged street gang YSL. Prosecutors say the gang is interwoven into rapper Young Thug's record label.

Young Thug was also arrested. Gunna was released from jail today after several months as part of a plea deal. Today marks 10 years since the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. Events held throughout the day in Newtown, Connecticut, remembering the 20 children six educators killed in a statement President Biden today calling for stricter gun control law saying Americans should, quote, have societal guilt for taking so long to tackle this crisis. Oregon's governor commuted the sentence of all the state's inmates on death row. The 17 people will now serve a life sentence in a statement.

Governor Kate Brown, whose term ends in the new year, criticized capital punishment. No one has been executed in that state since 1997. And a new cancer vaccine from Moderna could be a potential melanoma treatment breakthrough. The vaccine paired with an aminotherapy drug appearing to lower the risk of relapse or death by skin cancer by 44%. That's incredible. The results show promise for a new class of vaccines used to treat disease rather than prevent infections. Okay, now we want to continue our breaking news coverage on that tornado outbreak in Louisiana. We're just hearing the storm has turned deadly in the New Orleans area.

So I want to get right to NBC news meteorologist Bill Kerrins, who joins us live again tonight. So, Bill, walk us through what's happening and what we can expect through the overnight. A lot of people want information. You know, it was at 4 o'clock the tornado struck southern portions of the New Orleans city limits on the West Bank. and then it headed towards the ninth word. This white arrow shows you the path of that tornado. So it struck at 4 o'clock. Afterwards, it was pouring rain as emergency responders were trying to get to the scene. And then the sun set at 5 o'clock. So it was only one hour of daylight from when the tornado hit until when the sun sets. And that's why we just don't have a lot of pictures.

You can see the video. We do a video. We know a confirmed tornado. Estimates right now probably around an EF2 tornado, EF3. Remember, the scale goes EF0 to EF5. So definitely a tornado is strong enough to tear roofs off. injuries, definitely damage, that could be widespread, but we don't know how catastrophic it possibly was yet, Tom. We may not know until sun up tomorrow. Okay, Bill Cairns for us. Bill, I know you're going to stand by throughout the end of the broadcast. We appreciate it. We are joined now on the phone by Jo Ellen DeSales, who was working in a clinic when the tornado hit in Marrero, Louisiana. That's the

West Bank of New Orleans. Joe Ellen, thanks so much for joining us. I know you're back home in Harrahan. Can you walk us through what exactly happened while you are at work and this tornado hit? Yes. We were in our clinic nearby, and all of a sudden we heard hail, and it sounded like a freight train was going to hit the building in the tiles and the ceiling, and the 20-foot ceiling started lifting. And I said, well, we need to get to the kitchen because the kitchen was protected by cinder

blocks. So we got all of our patients and therapists to the kitchen and in a safe area until it passed over. It was a good five to ten minutes before we heard the sirens from the emergency vehicles heading to the nearby building that was devastated. And Joellen, we're looking live right now at where you were working, or at least the strip mall where you were working. You said it sounded like a freight train, and I was speaking to another resident of the West Bank earlier in the show, and I know you guys are used to hurricanes, but this had to be something completely different it was and and I do enjoy the weather extreme movies but that does this

no justice until you experience it yourself you do not know what you say that why because it was so powerful and so terrifying it was it literally does suck the air out of the building you feel it you feel every aspect of of the of the tornado happening you hear it you feel it you feel it you feel it, you know what's going on. There's no getting around it. How are you guys able to keep your patients calm and move them when all of this is happening? Just fight or flight. You know, you just kind of sympathetic nervous system kicks in and you do what you need to do

and keep everybody safe. And then, you know, after I got home, I was able to kind of calm myself down and really kind of review what happened. How bad was the damage when you walked out of that strip mall out of your office? How bad did it look? There was glass everywhere, debris everywhere. One of our employees' car, all the windows were shattered in the car. I know there was a nearby police officer that came to our aid,

but was actually spun in his car, and the local grocery store right next to us was devastated. The whole front was demolished. Joelle and DeSales, we thank you for joining us. us. We're glad you're okay. We know it is still a very rough and dangerous night out there in New Orleans, but we're glad you are okay and that you help save all those patients. Coming up next, we're going to introduce you to the American hero saving lives in Ukraine, the former UPS driver on the ground in the war zone, how he's pulling off the difficult rescue missions that no one else is willing to attempt. Stay with us. Okay, we're back now with the latest on the war in Ukraine, where today in the

city of Kiev, residents woke up to air raid sirens and blasts after a drone attack in the nation's capital. The roof of a building, you see it there, completely destroyed. Officials say air defenses help prevent severe damage. In the eastern part of Ukraine, the incredible story tonight of a former UPS driver, now inside the war zone, rushing into war-torn regions. At times, the only person willing to rush in and help pull off incredibly dangerous rescues. Ellison Barber is in Ukraine tonight with this story. Bakhmu in eastern Ukraine. The latest front in Russia's relentless war.

71,000 people used to live here. Now, this is a no-man's land. And it's where one American is carrying out his own operation to help Ukrainians. That's the building we were just in. He's documenting scenes like these on social media, where he's known as Bachmmer. Root Brad. Yeah?

Yeah? Whoa, let me see. A lone wolf of sorts. Hello? Taking rescue calls when others can't or won't. The two primary jobs are delivering aid and then evacuating people out. He'll tell you he's just Brad from the States, a guy who's had a lot of jobs, some with emergency medical training.

But most recently, he was a UPS truck driver. in Maine. Now he's driving routes few would dare to take. Under bombardment at times. And alone. I'm sort of the last-mile guy in a lot of different places. Roughly speaking, do you have a sense of how many evacuations you've done since you've been here? Dozens and dozens and dozens.

Surely more than 100. I'm bad at counting. Hey, buddy. All of these videos are Brad's. Snapshots of a humanitarian mission few back home could imagine. I've just gotten a call about a wounded person next door to an evacuation that happened recently. This was Brad's Thanksgiving.

Hello. At nightfall, a calcane from eastern Bakhm. He was about to begin one of his most daring rescues. Hello. 69-year-old Tatiana Lerkova was desperately trying to save her husband, Valentin, who was injured in an explosion. She tried to stop the bleeding with tourniquets and kitchen rats. We have to go to a doctor now. Brad tried carrying Valentin on his back but couldn't do it alone.

So he pulled him down every step to the temporary safety of his Toyota land cruiser. Finally. After a heroin drive, they made it to a hospital. There was little time to spare. Today, Tatiana is in Western Ukraine. The memories of that night still haunt her, except for one. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice on the street. Hey, hey, hey, I yell.

Her husband of 48 years is alive. And she says it's only because of Brad. He is an unreal human, unreal. He is just an angel. I'm serious. It is impossible for a person. It is impossible for an ordinary person. I just thought that an angel had come. Brad is still in eastern Ukraine. Did you expect to be here as long as you happened?

No, no, I did not. No, I thought I probably would have already been back by now. And he says he's not going anywhere. There are a lot of people who come in and go back out. Yeah, I feel on the hook. I mean, I just, I keep looking at the need. I keep looking at the grief. I keep looking at the freezing cold and the emaciated animals

and the medical injuries and on and on and on. His reason for staying is simple. Keeping his operation going is not. He runs off of donations and a belief encapsulated. in the words of a Ukrainian poet, Ilya Kaminsky. And when they bombed other people's houses, we protested, but not enough. We opposed them, but not enough. In the country of money, our great country of money, we forgive us, live happily during the war.

Those words, he says, are a call to action. Each delivery, each rescue, his protest against Russia's war. Ellison, Barbara, joins us tonight from Kiev. Alison, this story and that footage is pretty incredible. How do people reach Brad? I mean, I know there's not like a 911 system, and he's an American. How are they able to contact him to ask him for help? Yeah, I mean, it's a little complex.

He works with different U.S.-based humanitarian groups. We actually first got in touch with him by speaking with a U.S.-based humanitarian group called assist Ukraine. But at other times, you know, he is really just getting these calls by word of mouth. That specific rescue you saw in the piece on Thanksgiving Day, that was a perfect example. The woman who he rescued, she told us that she had picked up her phone, tried to call a bunch of different numbers to get help. Either the calls weren't going through because the cell service was down or just no. one was picking up. Ultimately, she said she ended up texting with the daughter of the mayor of Bakhmud, and the daughter somehow had Brad's number, gave it to her through WhatsApp,

and then she reached out to Brad and sent him a text, gave him a call saying, I need help, and he came. So a lot of times he is just getting these calls out of the blue because he's been here for so long that people just know who he is. I mean, at times he's traveling into Bakhmut solely to make donations. He's picking up things. that have been sent from the United States and then delivering them on the ground, getting in, getting out very quickly. But every time he does that, he's taking a risk. This city, Bakhmud, it is the site of some of the fiercest battles right now.

Just four days ago, President Zelensky described this city as burnt ruins. The population there, it used to be 71,000. Now the regional mayor says it is less than 12,000. Tom. And, Alison, do we know how long he plans on staying? there and does he have the means to keep helping people throughout this war? I mean, look, he's always trying to raise money, raise donations. When we sat down with him, he needed money to replace the tires on the front of his car. He sort of takes this day by day,

but he told us he really feels compelled to do this. And he didn't think he would stay as long as he has, but he feels like he can't go home. And for now, Tom, he has no clear end date. Alison Barber and her team, we thank you for that incredible report tonight. When we come back, the state of emergency declared in Peru, violent protests erupting in the streets why police and how they're now cracking down. All right, back now with Top Stories Global Watch and COVID cases exploding in Beijing as China scales back even more on the restrictive COVID-19 policies. Officials say hospitals in the capital city are struggling to keep. up with a surge in patients. However, officials say it's impossible to track the number of new infections with mass testing

no longer required. Beijing also announcing they will stop reporting asymptomatic cases of the virus. Peru declared a national state of emergency amid those deadly protests we've been telling you about. Take a look. The declaration is suspending the rights of Peruvians to gather and move freely across the country. It also gives the military new power to control crowds.

Violent protests erupted in Peru after President Pedro Castillo was removed. by Congress, he was arrested and still remains in detention. And finally tonight, the World Cup is final is set. France now looking for a consecutive World Cup win after beating Morocco in the semifinals today. Two to zero, they will face off against Argentina, led by Lionel Messi. This Sunday for the trophy, Morocco, the first team from Africa ever to reach the semifinals, will play Croatia for third place on Saturday. All right, we thank you so much for watching Top Story tonight.

I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. There's more news on that. the way.