Top Story with Tom Llamas - Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Episode Date: January 22, 2026

Tonight's Top Story has the latest breaking news, political headlines, news from overseas and the best NBC News reporting from across the country and around the world Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, President Trump reversing course over his tariff threat as he announces a framework for a Greenland deal. President Trump backing down on taking Greenland by force, announcing he struck an agreement for the territory with the NATO Secretary. What we know about this deal as markets bounce back. Also at this hour, more governors declaring states of emergency nearly half the country bracing for a monster winter storm. Cripling ice, feet of snow, brutal cold, it's all coming, stretching thousands of minds. miles, supplies flying off the shelves in Texas, power grids there threatened, are Bill Karen standing by with the track and the timing. A shooting involving a Border Patrol agent in California and now crowds facing off with

law enforcement at the scene are reporters right there. Used car warnings, illegal airbags shooting deadly shrapnel into drivers during several crashes, what you need to know. Catch him if you can, the man accused of faking pilot credentials to score hundreds of free flights, how he pulled it off. Our series, the cost of denial, one man charged nearly $6,000 for a six-mile ambulance ride. What you need to know about what could happen when your call goes to 911 and why your insurance may not cover that ride to the hospital. And fiery highway rescue deputies of Good Samaritans rushing into pull this trapped driver from the flames.

Plus, forget try January. We're going to explain why more Americans are buying into no-buy January. Top story. It starts right now. And good evening. We begin tonight with that whiplash on the world stage. In just a matter of hours, President Trump walking back two of his biggest threats against European countries and announcing there's now a framework for a deal over Greenland. That decision coming after a meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Ruda, today. Trump revealing the update on truth social. Here's what he said in part. We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic region. Going on to say, I will not be imposing the terror. that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. The markets then surging from the news, the S&P having its best day since November, a far cry from yesterday's plunge over trade war fears.

The president also ruling out military force on the island while speaking at the elite economic summit in Switzerland. But details over what the potential deal actually looks like, still few and far between. The New York Times, though, reporting the deal would give the U.S. sovereignty over small pockets of Greenlandic land where the U.S. could build. military bases. Sounds familiar. Our team of reporters fall in at all. Ellison Barber is on the ground in Greenland with the reaction from locals. We want to start, though, with Peter Alexander, who's traveling with the president tonight and leaves us off from Switzerland.

The president tonight in the heart of Europe abruptly backing off two bold threats regarding his ongoing quest to control Greenland, tariffs and military action, posting he's reached a framework of a future deal with the Secretary General of NATO. But when pressed, providing no further details. Well, we have a concept of a deal. Including this proposed timeline. Infinite. There is no timeline. Tonight, the New York Times citing three senior officials says NATO member states discussed a compromise in which Denmark would give the U.S. sovereignty over small pockets of Greenland where the United

States could build military bases. All of it is the populist president arrived at this conference of the global economic elite, amid escalating tensions between the the U.S. and Europe over his ambition to acquire the Arctic Island that has been a Danish territory for 300 years, ruling out sending the U.S. military. Because people thought I would use force. I don't have to use force. I don't want to use force. I won't use force. But demanding negotiations to buy Greenland, arguing it's a national security priority for the U.S. against looming Russian and Chinese threats. We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won't give it. They have a choice.

You can say yes, and we will be very appreciative, or you can say no, and we will remember. The European Union retaliating against the President's threats as he was speaking, suspending its trade deal with the U.S., which the President had previously touted as a win. Later, the President changing course, saying he would not impose new tariffs next month, while announcing that new Greenland framework. America's allies have been bracing for the President's visit, and it was anything but a charm offensive. including this jab directed at Canada.

Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements. That after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered this rebuke to the U.S. for disrupting the world order. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition. Peter Alexander joins us tonight live from Switzerland. Peter, I want to start with the news from the stock markets, right?

We saw them bounce back. It wasn't a complete round trip, but people's 401. case looking a little bit better. And then I want you to get into the details of the deal. I know there's still a lot we don't know, but from what we've reported out so far and what others have been reporting, this sounds familiar. Yeah, no, Tom, so let's start with that news as soon as the president announced that that framework exists, that there are going to be no new tariffs. The Dow quickly shot up about 600 points today, making up for those major losses just yesterday. And then as for that compromise, that could allow new American bases in Greenland,

And what's significant to recognize here, Tom, is that Denmark has long been open to the U.S. expanding the military presence, its military presence, on the island. Even before this feud began as allowed by existing agreements that date back decades. So in the eyes of some of the president's critics, a lot of this could have been resolved without all the back and forth that we saw over the course of the last several weeks. And, Peter, what's on tap for tomorrow on the president? The president does have another busy schedule here in Davos before he heads home to the United States. He's actually leaving 9 a.m. Eastern time. So this is going to happen early in the morning before the Today Show takes place. The president expected to deliver an announcement as it relates to that new board of peace that's going to be overseeing, governing the next stages as they relate to the rebuilding of Gaza in the Middle East.

Separately, the president made some news today saying that he's going to be meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, of course, the president of Ukraine right now. It's notable that he's going to be meeting with Zelensky, although the Ukrainians have yet to confirm that at the same time that the president is said to be announcing that Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, is going to be among those members that the president is adding to this board of peace. You know, Tom, as I spoke to some of the president's critics, Democrats and Republicans today, they said what worries them in part is the fracturing they're seeing of the global order, a realignment of sorts where some of America's friends are starting to feel like and some of America's adversaries are starting to, in their eyes, be treated more like friends.

Tom. All right. Peter Alexander for us. Peter, thank you. On the ground in Greenland, there was strong reaction, as you can imagine, in the moments after President Trump backed off his bold threats today. Our Ellison Barber is there and spoke to some of the locals. On the ground in Greenland, the framework of a NATO deal President Trump promises will be a great deal for everybody is still leaving people uneasy.

I don't believe it. I really don't. And I think after what happened with Venezuela, that was a big shock to the whole world. I think he's going to wait for everything to die down. Jack Baker lives in London and is visiting family in Greenland. He says he's worried for their future. I'm really, really scared. That's true for many Greenlanders.

What do you make of it, this idea that there could be some sort of deal between NATO? I think it's a little bit loss of respect that he just called Greenland a piece of ice. It's more than a piece of ice. Public polling shows 85% of Greenlanders do not want Greenland to be part of the United States. I think it's madness. If they want to be Americans, it's not a decision for NATO to do or for Denmark for that sake. Every day this week, Yen's Eric Kelsen has marched in front of the U.S. consulate in protest.

I'm only a simple, normal person who's doing whatever I can to protect one of the big things that we have, which is our freedom. A carpenter by trade, who was called Greenland home for 52 years, desperately hoping President Trump will listen to what Greenlanders want. The world is a garden of a lot of different flowers. We have to remain different with our different smells and our different beauty. All right, Alison Barber joins us live from Greenland tonight. Alison, so great to have you there and hear the perspective of the people that live there.

I'm curious, from your conversations, are they worried about the bigger global picture? Do you hear concerns about China or Russia, the concerns that President Trump is raising over here in the United States? Yeah, I mean, it's interesting. A lot of people have told us they do have concerns about security threats in this country, in this region from both Russia and China. And they also said that they are comfortable with and would welcome, at least in the past, an expanded U.S. military presence here. Remember, there are treaties for that following World War II. At one point in Greenland, the United States, at the height of the Cold War, they had at least 17 named military bases in this country. So people are open to that idea and have been pretty consistently because they do think there are some security concerns here. What they had an issue with was this idea of Greenland becoming a part of the United States.

Most people here were adamant that they did not want that to happen. But the security concerns, they feel those as well. And they were open to the United States having a more expanded military presence here based on the treaty. that were already in place going back decades. Tom? Alison, before you go, since you've been there, how have the people of Greenland been treating you and our NBC News team there in your interactions with them this week? You know, they've been really kind, really open to speaking with us,

appreciative that they were able to say their position on all of this. I think in a lot of ways that's what some people felt when this first started this back and forth was that their voices weren't being heard, that they were getting lost in this debate. And they were saying, you know, we are not just this in-between country. a real country with real people who live here and they wanted their voices heard in all of it. And for the most part, we've had people say that they're grateful that we're here, that they're having a chance to tell their stories and their views on this situation when it feels like the

rest of the world has a lot to say about them. Tom? Alison, Barbara and her team there in Greenland for us. Alison, thank you. Now to our other major headline, the potentially historic storm putting more than half the country on high alert. The monster system expected to bring dangerous amounts of snow, crippling ice and life-threatening cold. Preps now underway as multiple governors to clear states of emergency. Here's NBC's Ryan Chandler. Tonight punishing whiteout conditions turning roads into traps in upstate New York.

The danger leading to this massive car pile up. Some areas already buried under two feet of lake effect snow. As brutally cold temperatures grip much of the northeast. You definitely need layers when you come outside. And now the supply chain is cracking. In Pennsylvania, salt bins are already running dry. We're trying to figure out where the salt is. I'm hearing rumors now that there's no salt available.

The South is also bracing for a crippling freeze. Several states already declaring states of emergency and supplies are flying off the shelves. I am loading up on water and pre-cooked meals. Need candles just in case power goes out. In Texas with snow and ice in the forecast, along with temperatures set to dip below freezing for 48 hours straight, many are unnerved by memories of the catastrophic,

power grid collapse in 2021 when more than 200 people died. Tonight, Urquot, the state's power grid operator, says it's improved the grid, and it's ready. All major metropolitan areas from Dallas to New York City will be impacted by the storm. And experts say travel could be impossible from Texas to the Carolinas. You simply cannot expect a good roadway. I mean, we're just fighting Mother Nature. We'll do what we can. We need drivers to do.

do what they can. Ryan, we heard there in your report. Those power companies say they're ready, but I know the big concern is those power lines we see just behind you. That's exactly right, Tom. Just imagine the sheer weight of all that snow and freezing rain. And areas that are really not prepared for it like this, it could bring power lines like these down.

It could topple trees on top of them. So even though here in Texas, Urquat says they're prepared, they don't expect a grid-wide failure. Everybody in the path of this storm should still prepare for localized outages, Tom. All right, Ryan Chandler for us, Ryan, we thank you for that. We're going to keep moving on now because we want to talk to our good friend here, Bill Cairns, who's been tracking this storm for us.

And Bill, we haven't seen a storm like this in years. Walk us through what you're seeing and the timing. Yeah, especially the size of this storm. I mean, forget the intensity, just the size and the scope going all the way from New Mexico to the East Coast with watches. And tomorrow we'll expand this through the Delmarver, up in areas of New England. We'll have easily well over 100 million people, maybe close. to $150 million at the peak of this storm impacted by this event.

So we're starting to get snowfall total forecast out there because now we're within 36, 48 hours of the snow falling in Oklahoma, Sydney and Amarillo. I state, interstate 40s, it's going to be very difficult Friday night into Saturday. Lesser totals in Dallas, all of a sudden your snow totals are going up, especially in Missouri, areas of Kansas, all the way through St. Louis, too. The ice, if we're going to get a crippling ice storm where you could go days without power, it's going to be in the blue, but especially this darker blue. I'm really concerned this area from the southern half of Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and then northern Mississippi into southern Tennessee. And then we have to closely watch what happens between Atlanta, Charlotte, and Raleigh, too. You're looking more icy now than you were, you know, maybe yesterday potentially more snow. And then the heaviest snow axis has shifted north, as we mentioned, near St. Louis, right along the Ohio River.

And now we are solidly in heavy snow from D.C. all the way up the I-95 quarter, easily the biggest snowstorm for I-95 in a couple of winters. I think it's been four or five winters since we had anything even close. like this. Our American model still a little further south. We'll negotiate this. I'll have those amounts for you tomorrow, but easily plowable and in some cases, well over a foot. All right, Bill, Karen, for us. Bill, we thank you for that. We're going to turn out of the growing immigration operations from coast to coast and a new shooting involving federal immigration agents, this time in California. And we're also now learning about a whistleblower's accusation about ice officer's training about entering homes. NBC's Camilla Bernal is falling at all for us.

Tonight crowds surrounding federal officers in Willowbrook, California. After a shooting involving a border patrol officer. Kids are scared, you know, that they're not going to see their parents when they return back from school. The Department of Homeland Security saying it happened around 7 this morning when officers were conducting a targeted operation to arrest William Eduardo Moran Carbago from El Salvador. DHS saying he was involved in a human smuggling operation. had two prior arrests for domestic violence and a deportation order from a judge. They say he weaponized his vehicle and ran law enforcement, that an officer fearing for his life fired defensive shots,

and Carbio was arrested after trying to flee on foot. DHS saying no one was hit in the shooting, though the officer was injured. All of it, as the Trump administration is also kicking off a new immigration enforcement operation in Maine. Our communities feel anxious and fearful. This council doesn't stand apart from our immigrant communities, but we stand with them. And amid ongoing protests against immigration enforcement operations in Minnesota, the Department of Homeland Security touting new arrests, including suspects with convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor,

assault and homicide. The country doesn't want to see murderers and drug dealers and gang members and coming from other countries and just stay in their area. And late today, a Senate Democrat releasing an ICE memo from a whistleblower, alleging ICE is training officers to forcibly enter homes without a judicial warrant. Tonight, DHS responding, saying officers use administrative warrants, giving full due process, including a judge's deportation order. Tom?

Hey, Camila, Bernal, with that new report. Camila, thank you. Next tonight, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today, and one of the most closely watched cases of the term because it centers around whether President Trump can fire a member of the Federal Reserve Board. NBC's Laura Jarrett joins us tonight. Laura, this is a major test of the Fed's independence.

It is, Tom. And the court, I think, has really coalesced around the idea that Fed Reserve Board member Lisa Cook did not get enough due process here. They're not questioning whether the president can fire her ever. The president can fire her under the law, but he can only do it for cause. The idea being that Congress set this up

specifically so that the Fed would be insulated from the political process, knowing that the presidents would want interest rates to come down for political reasons. And so the Fed was supposed to be different. They were supposed to remain independent, and that's why they had that four-cause provision. But the fact is that the court may be able to just sidestep that whole issue and say, you know what, it's not for us to decide whether there was cause or wasn't. Let's send it back down to the lower court and let them try to hash it out. But that would still be a win for her because she would be able to remain on the Federal Reserve for now.

So it sounds like you're getting a sense of how you think that justices will rule. We don't know for sure, but you're getting a sense? We don't know. And there are sometimes where you walk away from oral argument. You're not really sure where they went on that. They were trying to test sort of the limits of everybody's position. This is a case where I think they sort of showed their hand today. Almost nine justices I counted were highly skeptical of the Trump administration's position.

It's just a question of how far they want to go on this. Laura Jarrett, we thank you for that. Appreciate it. Okay, we're going to go back to Texas, the fate of a former Yuvaldi police officer. Now in the hands of a jury. We've been covering the story here on top story. Adrian Gonzalez is facing 29 counts of child endangerment in connection to the deadly 2022 school shooting that killed 19 fourth graders and two teachers. I want to bring in Priscilla Thompson, who's been following this one for us.

So Priscilla, closing arguments also wrapped up this morning. What did each side have to say? Yeah, so we heard the prosecution laying out what they described as Gonzalez's in action, saying that he heard the gunshots. He was told where the gunman was, and he did not run towards those gunshots. Now, we also heard from the defense who said that he did in fact act, and they said that there were other officers who also arrived early and had even more of an opportunity than he did to take down this shooter. And we heard both sides really emphasizing the precedent that a guilty verdict in this case would set with the state saying that this jury could say to everyone what the level of action that an officer should take in a situation like this

and set the bar for that. But you also heard the defense saying that this could create a situation where officers are scared to act for fear that if their actions are imperfect, that they might be tried and ultimately convicted. Tom? Okay, Priscilla Thompson, good to have you. Thank you. We're back at a moment with the high-flying scam straight out of a Catch Me If You Can movie, a former flight attendant busted after posing as a pilot to get free flights, what we're learning about the scheme.

Plus, the latest on the legal battle between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the new text messages just released, including some fiery ones from Taylor Swift, and the dramatic highway rescue, a driver trapped inside a burning car, will show you how he was pulled to safety, and the deputies and the drivers that helped. That's next. Tonight, real-life Catch-Me-of-U-Can scenarios playing out in federal court. Authorities say a Canadian man spent years scamming his way onto hundreds of flights, fooling major airlines allegedly using a fake ID card to fly for free.

Our Morgan Chesky explains how he allegedly pulled it off. A former flight attendant tonight facing federal charges, allegedly scamming his way onto hundreds of flights in scenes straight out of a movie. Are you real live pilot? I sure am, little lady. Dallas Bacornick's social media appearing to capture the escapades, seen sipping a drink on a private jet, and another enjoying a trip from London to Manhattan. Federal authorities charging Bikornick with two counts of wire fraud, accusing the 33-year-old Canadian citizen of a con mirroring the plot of the. the hit 2002 film, Catch Me If You Can. The jump seat is open.

It's been a while since I've done this. Which one's the jump seat again? Prosecutors say Pekornick followed a similar script, allegedly using a counterfeit badge from a former employer to turn the friendly skies into a personal shuttle service. Court documents allege over four years. He falsely claimed he was an airline pilot and presented a fictitious employee identification card

to obtain hundreds of flights at no cost. It's really incredible that the airline, and the airport did not properly vet this individual. I would suspect it was a multi-tiered, multi-layered failure of our aviation system. Turbulance finally hit in Panama, where authorities arrested Bicornick, extraditing him to Hawaii, where prosecutors call him a serious flight risk. All right, Morgan, Tessky joins us live. Morgan, these wire fraud charges carry a max sentence of 20 years.

People at home are going to be asking, how did he alleged? fool all these people for so long. Yeah, Tom, it all comes down to something called reciprocal travel agreements. Airlines often let employees from other carriers fly for free if there is space available. But because this individual was an actual flight engine years ago, he knew the lingo, he knew how this system worked, and he allegedly just needed that fake badge to essentially unlock the door. Again, he has since pleaded not guilty, but it does raise serious questions about lapses

in security. All right, Morgan Chesky, you wonder how many people are maybe pulling off the scam right now. We thank you. Still ahead on Top Story, could the Clintons be held in contempt of court, stunning legal action from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle? Plus, the urgent warning tonight about dangerous and potentially deadly airbags, what you need to know if you drive a used car. But first, Top Story's top moment and the birthday surprise for one Louisiana Grandpa that brought him to tears. Dave, or Gramps, as he's known to the people, most important to him,

I thought he was just going to dinner to celebrate turning 90 years old, the big 9-0. But when he turned the corner, you get the shock of a lifetime. Take a look. Surprise! What a sweet surprise. We all wish Gramps a happy 90th birthday. You're the man. Stay with us.

More top story on the way. All right, we're back tonight with the latest on that ongoing legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Yes, it is still not over. Newly released court documents revealing never-before-seen messages, this time, including personal text between Lively and get this mega star friend Taylor Swift. It all comes ahead of a critical hearing in the case set for tomorrow. I want to bring in NBC's Chloe Malasso. Chloe, break this all down for us. What is the significance of these text messages? Sure. Well, you have

Blake Lively's legal team saying these text messages help support our case. And you have Justin Baldoni's team saying, oh no, these text messages prove our side of the story. So let me just case and point for you. First of all, we have a text that Taylor Swift allegedly wrote to Blake Lively, and in it she says, I think this B knows something is coming because he's gotten out his tiny violin. This is in reference to Justin Baldoni. And it all goes back. Justin Baldonies is the B. Yes.

And it all goes back to the big question as to was Taylor Swift present for a meeting that Blake Lively had at her New York City penthouse with Justin Baldoni on a day when she was trying to encourage him to go with her version of it ends with us? Remember, he's the director and the co-star of this film. Ultimately, what we saw in theaters and on streaming was Blake Lively's version. So there's also another text message as part of these documents that have been unsealed ahead of tomorrow's court date. And it's from Jenny Slate. She's one of the stars if it ends with us. And in it, now this text message, Blake Lively's team could say, supports their argument of sexual harassment on set. That's what Blake Lively is alleging, one of the things in her $150 million lawsuit. Jenny Slate says in a text message to Blake Lively,

Justin is truly a false ally, and I'm unwilling to do anything that promotes the image that he's crafting as a male feminist. She goes on to say, honestly, I have no words to describe what a fraud he is. So as you can see, first of all, the reason the internet is breaking Tom is because these are huge celebrities

that have very private lives. And now this is like, imagine a treasure chest of information that people are now sifting through. Blake Lively's deposition, text messages. They've even invoked the name of Matt Damon in some of these text messages. So that's why you're starting to see this stuff spill out like this on the internet because there's so much information for people to go through. Yeah. And then I mentioned there's this big hearing tomorrow. You're going to be there in court, Chloe Malas, in court covering it for us. Where are we in this case? Because people may be watching this. I know some of the case was dismissed. This one's still ongoing.

Sure. Well, I've actually built a graphic for all of us with your amazing team. This all started in December of 2024 when Blake Lively, accused Justin Baldoni of harassment. Then remember, the New York Times, they put out their explosive expose, as they called it at the time. And then Justin Baldoni, he went on to actually sue the New York Times. Justin Baldoni then directly sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Ultimately, though, Justin Belden... And these are huge masses of money, like $200 million...

Huge masses of money. And then ultimately, Justin Baldoni's lawsuit against the New York Times, against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, that gets dismissed, right? Taylor Swift subpoenaed, then just about a week later, the subpoena, the judge tosses it. It goes away, right? But the judge ultimately decided, though, although she's not going to be subpoenaed, which in fact she still could, according to our legal analyst, Misty Maris, those text messages, the judge said had to come public.

So Taylor Swift and Blake Lively knew that the day would come that these text messages were made public. So what's going to happen tomorrow? It is a pivotal moment because the judge is ultimately going to decide whether or not this case moves to trial in May. Each side is going to have an hour to present their side to the judge, and the judge is going to potentially issue something called summary judgment. That's what Justin Baldoni's team wants. He doesn't want to pay any money. He wants this to not go to trial. He wants it to end and wants the judge to ultimately make a decision. come to some sort of an agreement that doesn't lead to trial. But that could be slim to none.

The judge isn't going to make a decision tomorrow, we don't think. I think we're going to see this end up in a courtroom in May, and I think that this could be bigger than the Sean Diddy Combs trial in terms of fan interest. We're talking lines down the block. People waiting overnight to get into this courtroom. Okay. Chloe, Melasphros, Chloe, a lot there. We thank you for being here on Top Story.

We've got some breaking news we're tracking right now at Minnesota tonight. New video just in showing custom. and Border Patrol chief, Greg Bovino, in a tense confrontation in Minneapolis, unleashing gas on protesters. Maggie Vesp and her team are there at the scene. Maggie, or were earlier, I have the video. Talk to us about what's going on. Yeah, Tom, this video, Justin, again, we've seen these clashes, these protests popping up across Minneapolis for weeks now, right? But now we have Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino on the front lines. Check this out. Yeah, so there he is, front and center.

And again, that's the commander of border protection, patrol agents here in Minneapolis, one of the chief architects, really, of the entire Trump administration's immigration crackdown. He's been in Chicago, he's been in L.A., he's been in other cities across the country where these crackdowns are really kind of focused. And here on the ground in Minneapolis, really in the last couple of days, he's really stepped into the spotlight, having that press conference yesterday. Now he's at this protest throwing gas canisters at protesters today. The backstory of this is reportedly he and other officers went into a Speedway gas station nearby and were refused service. And Tom, we talked about this. Residents on the ground here in

Minneapolis so organized. They had their whistles. They had their encrypted chats. They got on their phones. They started texting each other. Federal officers on the ground and they just swarmed. So there was video earlier. We saw images of kind of these officers being escorted out or led out of the gas station. There's a huge crowd around them. It devolved into this. And then here you have the main face, the head of Border Patrol, really getting in there in the thick. of it with these protesters. It speaks to how much anger is on the ground here, Tom. Yeah, and how intense it's getting there. All right, Maggie, and your team, we thank you for that. Appreciate it. And out of Top Stories News Feed, we're getting to check up the other headlines tonight.

Students at Brown University returning to campus in Rhode Island for the first time since that deadly mash shooting. Today marks the official start of the spring semester there. A memorial still stands outside the building where a shooter opened fire last month, killing two students and hurting nine others. University officials say they've ramped up security measures, putting more cameras are on campus and adding new restrictions to get inside buildings. The Federal Trade Commission says it plans to appeal the ruling in its historic antitrust case against META. The FTC is still accusing the social media giant of running an illegal monopoly by buying

up its competitors. META won the case in November, which could have forced it to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. And a fiery rescue caught on camera in Texas. Take a look at this. Video shows sheriff's deputies rush into a burning vehicle after a wrong way crash killed one driver and left another trapped inside the car. The deputies working alongside a towing crew to help pull the man to safety were told he's now in a hospital but in stable condition.

And the Coney Island hot dog maker Nathan's famous just sold in an all-cash $450 million deal. The company announcing it's being gobbled up by the packaged meat giant Smithfield Foods, whose Chinese parent company is the world's largest pork producer. Over the years, Nathan's has become an iconic American. American brand known for its Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. The first Nathan Stan opened on Coney Island more than a century ago and used to sell hot dogs for just five cents. Imagine that. Okay, we went ahead to Capitol Hill in the push to hold former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in contempt of Congress. The House Oversight

Committee voting to recommend holding the Clintons in contempt for failing to testify after they were subpoenaed over the Epstein investigation. No president. No president. or former president is above the law. And I think every single person on this committee agrees with that. The Clinton's testimony is critical to understanding Epstein's sex trafficking network and the ways he sought to curry favor and influence to shield himself from scrutiny. Following it all for us, NBC's Ryan Noble, of course, there in Capitol Hill, Ryan, a number of Democrats, right, joining Republicans to advance this resolution. So where does this go next?

Well, the next step will be a vote on the full House floor, and that is likely to pass, and it will happen sometime in early February as the House is on recess next week. But it was pretty revealing that you saw a number of Democrats join Republicans and voting yes to move this contempt resolution forward. In fact, when it comes to the vote on the former President Bill Clinton, more Democrats voted yes than voted no. And the Democrats that I've spoken to said that they do not want this to be a partisan issue. They want anyone who has any sort of knowledge connected to Jeffrey Epstein to come before the committee and answer questions.

Now, that's not to say they think Bill Clinton did anything wrong. In fact, the Republican chairman, James Comer, has also said there's no evidence that Bill Clinton did anything wrong. But when they're trying to connect the dots in this vast web of conspiracy that they believe Jeffrey Epstein was at the center of, they believe that it's important to cast a wide net. And they believe that Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, for that matter, are at least people that could provide information in piecing together. all that information. So, Ryan, if the full House votes to hold the Clinton in contempt, right, are they likely to face charges? It is a very real possibility. At this point, Tom, after the House votes to recommend a contempt charge, it would then be referred to the Department of Justice for

prosecution. And obviously, the Department of Justice run now by Republicans, there would be anything political to stand in the way of a full-on prosecution of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The question is, even if they got to the point of an indictment, would it hold up in a court of law? Would they win that case? And there's legal scholars that have a lot of questions as to whether or not they're fully in violation of contempt of Congress because the question is whether or not there's a legislative purpose to this investigation, which is a key part of any sort of prosecution as it relates to contempt of Congress. But regardless, if it got to that point, it would be a very costly and potentially embarrassing situation for the Clintons. So there's still the possibility that, that there can be some sort of a negotiation between now and then to have them at least contribute or comply with the subpoena in some way. And then, Ryan, before you go, I know you're also following other news on the Epstein investigation involving Galane Maxwell, and we may see her or hear from her there, Capitol Hill.

That's right. She has now been subpoenaed by this committee to appear for a deposition. Her lawyer has already signaled, though, Tom, that she plans to plead the fifth because it could be damaging to her from a legal perspective. So even though she will be asked some tough questions, questions by this committee, it's likely that she won't answer any of them. All right, Ryan Noble's a lot of news there on Capitol Hill. We thank you. Next tonight, our series, the cost of denial where we investigate the challenges people face with insurance and

health care. Tonight, Ann Thompson reports on one man's medical emergency, the ambulance that came to help, and then the bill that left him stunned. It happened so fast. I was here preparing some batter for French toast and really started to feel unwell. So I just kind of grabbed on to the countertop a little bit. Billino says he didn't have time to think. Had you ever felt anything like that before? Absolutely not. I had no idea what was happening. And it was, it was scary. No time to ask about the ambulance service taking him from his church in Springfield, Massachusetts to the hospital. By the time I reached here, I couldn't stand anymore. I was laying flat on the concrete when the

ambulance pulled in. The source of the pain last May, kidney stones. The source of the pain today, a surprise bill. From the nation's largest private ambulance company, AMR, American Medical Response. And then I got this letter in the mail from AMR, the ambulance provider, stating that my insurance provider was declining payment and that potentially I'd be responsible for a little over $5,800 in ambulance expense. It was a six-mile ride. That's almost $1,000 a mile. That's a That's a very aggressive rate, yes. His insurer, Cigna, agreed to pay $854,

leaving Enos with a balance of more than $5,000 because the ambulance company is out of network. What did you think when you saw that bill? I thought it had to be a mistake. In 2022, Congress passed a law to protect people from surprise medical bills, but ground ambulance charges were left out. 22 states have moved to remedy the exclusion. But Massachusetts isn't one of them. Enos decided to fight.

It's literally taken hours and hours over weeks and months to deal with this, and it's stressful. AMR and Cigna blamed each other. Cigna said ambulance companies are among the most egregious billers in the health care system and that many choose not to contract with health insurers, which allows them to charge significantly higher rates. AMR told NBC News Enos's situation was the result of the complexity of the system and proved the need for patients to advocate on their behalf. Basically, my bill establishes a co-pay. Massachusetts State Senator Michael Moore wants to end surprise charges.

You call EMS. You pay $100. Whether or not the ambulance services in my health insurance network or not. Yes. Your cost is $100. So who pays the rest? The rest we picked up by the insurance provider. In Bill Enos' case, after NBC News asked about his bill, Cigna agreed to cover the majority of it. I think if nobody pushes and people get tired of chasing, they'll just give up and pay it. But you were not going to do that.

I didn't feel comfortable being taking advantage of like that. I think it needed to be fought. Ann Thompson joins us now live in studio. So, Ann, people are going to watch us and they're going to worry. What if they get hit with a surprise ambulance bill like this? What can they do? Well, the first thing they should do is do what Bill did, Tom, and that is to make sure that you appeal the charges. The other thing you want to do is reach out to your state and see if you live in one of the states that protects consumers from this.

In Bill's case, he tried to protect himself. He paid a small yearly fee to his hometown of Ludlow, Massachusetts, for coverage in case he needed an ambulance and his insurance wouldn't cover the fee. What happened when he needed an ambulance? He didn't live. He wasn't in Ludlow. He was in the town next door, and so the insurance he had bought for that case didn't apply. Which is a cruel irony for this guy who thought he had bought into a program.

And we thank you for that. Appreciate it. Now to an urgent warning for use car owners, traffic safety officials are sounding the alarm about dangerous airbags he legally imported from overseas. They say those airbags intended to save lives have actually caused several deaths. Susan Hogan from our NBC station in Washington explains. This morning isn't just for used car shoppers.

It's for anyone driving a used vehicle, especially one that's been in a crash before. Federal investigators say eight drivers have been killed, two others seriously injured, not by the crash itself, but by the airbag meant to save them. So what's happening, though, is that these are substandard inflators, and when they're in a crash, even a minor crash, they're deploying. and over pressuring and shooting shrapnel to the face and chest of consumers or of the drivers. The Chinese manufacturer linked to these airbags known as DTN even says on its own website its products are not allowed to be sold in the United States. Yet investigators say these airbags are ending up in American cars most often after a previous crash when the original airbag gets replaced with a cheap illegal part. Somehow these these

inflators are being imported in the United States and these and they're being attached to airbag modules which are being sold we think through online marketplaces. According to NHTSA, all known deaths involved Chevy Malibu's and Hyundai Sonatas with salvage or rebuilt titles. But officials warned this may not be limited to just those vehicles. And here's what makes this so dangerous. Drivers often have no idea what airbags inside their car until it's too late. There's nothing worse than a piece of equipment that's designed to save her life in serious crashes, deploying and potentially killing you in minor crashes that you should walk away from. NHTSA says if your car was ever in a crash where airbags were deployed, especially if it has

a salvage or rebuilt title, get it checked now. If a DTN airbags found, don't drive the car until the airbags replaced with one that meets U.S. safety standards. You can report suspected illegal airbags to NHTSA, and the agency urges buyers to get a vehicle history report before purchasing any used car. NBC News reached out to the Chinese company for comment we haven't heard back. If you're concerned about the airbag in your car, especially if you had it replaced, experts say take it to a mechanic. They can check to see who manufactured it. Tom. Coming up, Prince Harry's emotional testimony, the royal nearly breaking down in tears as he speaks about how The press hacked his life.

What else he said on the stand? And the cyclone tearing through parts of Italy, the emergency situation happening right now. Back now with Top Stories Global watch and a check of what else is happening around the world. A man who admitted to assassinating former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was just sentenced to life in prison. A court there handed down the guilty verdict today. Abe, you'll remember, was shot and killed in 2022 while giving a campaign speech. He was widely regarded as one of the country's most influential politician. A powerful storm is causing major flooding in southern Italy.

Cyclone hairy bringing heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Sicily, and some of those parts are seen some of the worst damage yet. Video capturing the moment of massive waves slammed a seaside restaurant, sending furniture flying. Emergency crews say they've carried out hundreds of rescues over the past few days. And with less than two weeks until the winter games, the Norwegian ski team caught up in a cheating scandal. The sports international governing body banning two coaches,

and a staff member for 18 months for tampering with ski jumping suits. They allegedly put illegal stitching in the suits to make the jumpers more aerodynamic and fly farther in competition. Two athletes were involved in the case, but they've already served their three-month suspensions and are on track to compete in the Milan Cortina Games. Okay, we're going to stay overseas with the legal showdown between Prince Harry and the publisher of major British tabloids. The Royal getting visibly emotional in court today as he testified in the trial over alleged

of privacy tactics, saying at one point they have made my wife's life an absolute misery. NBC's Ralph Sanchez is in London tonight with more. Tonight, an emotional Prince Harry on the witness stand in London. Looking close to tears as he accused Britain's tabloid newspapers of hounding him and his wife, Megan, saying they continue to come after me. They've made my wife's life an absolute misery, my lord. Alongside celebrities like Elton John and actress Elizabeth Hurley, Clearly, Harry is suing the owners of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, accusing them of using

illegal methods like phone hacking to get details about his personal life for stories from 2001 to 2013. He felt he couldn't trust those around him, and that had enormous impact on him. Harry has blamed the media for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and suggested she may have been one of the first victims of phone hacking. She wasn't paranoid. She was absolutely right of what was happening to her. And she's not around today to find out the truth.

The newspapers say their stories were based on legitimate sources in the prince's, quote, leaky social circle. And over two hours of cross-examination, Harry was asked why he waited more than a decade to sue. He replied that before his public break with the royal family, he was bound by the palace's policy to never complain, never explain. And with that, Ralph Sanchez joins Top Story from outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Ralph, Prince Harry's testimony wrapped up. So what comes next in this trial?

So, Tom, the trial here expected to last two months. We're going to hear from the other celebrities. So that's Elton John, Liz Hurley, the actress Sadie Frost. We're also going to hear from editors and journalists at the newspapers that Harry is suing. And finally, there's going to be testimony from a group of private investigators. Harry says they are the ones who are actually. hired by these papers to carry out this illegal activity like phone hacking. There is no jury in this case. It's going to be a judge who ultimately decides the verdict. Tom. Okay, ref, thank you for that. When we come back tonight, you've heard of dry January, but what about no by January? We'll break down the growing trend that has some people going to extremes to cut back on spending. Plus, the surprise send-off for a beloved teacher as he gears up to join the U.S. Navy. That's next.

We're back now with the growing trend online for people looking to cut back in the new year. You've heard of dry January, but have you heard of no by January? Americans limiting their spending to just the essentials. Take a look. What we're not doing this year is being stupid with our money and wasting it on stuff we don't need. No clothes, no knickknacks, no home decor, basically no non-essentials. You're just bored and you don't need more stuff. Go for a walk.

All right. The trend highlighted in a Wall Street Journal article titled, The Americans who are going a whole month without buying anything. Noting that Google searches for no-by January have hit a five-year high as Gen Ziers and millennials sign up for the thrifty challenge. Joining us tonight is NBC Business and Data Reporter Brian Chung. Brian, we are all consumers here in the great country of America. So explain this to me in the simplest forms. You don't buy anything? Yeah, I mean, it's pretty simple.

You don't buy anything that's non-essential. So, of course, if you need to put gas in the car, you need to go get groceries, that's. That's totally fine, but no eating out, no clothing that you don't need, no shoes that you didn't need, even skincare products, if you can, try to cut all of that out. And it's all about budgeting, especially in this high inflationary environment. People have been talking about affordability. But Tom, I think a big part of this is the social media aspect. We saw those TikToks, people saying, hey, just go for a walk. I think it's the pure pressure that kind of comes from social media as well as, yep, your friends are probably seeing the same video.

So if they're doing the no by January, then I guess so are you. And you're trying to keep each other accountable. And if it's on social media, you have to do it. That's the rule, Tom. You have to do it. I know some people that actually clear out their freezers and refrigerators during January to make sure they've eaten everything. So they don't waste anything and they actually don't end up spending anything. Do you think this has anything to do with how expensive things are right now, with inflation, and just everything feels so expensive in America?

I think it is appealing right now, especially in an era where people are trying to pinch pennies. They're looking at their budget and thinking, oh my gosh, things have gotten more expensive. And the numbers bear that out. Food prices are up 27 percent over the last five years. the cost of housing, just rent and mortgage payments, that's up 28% over the last five years. So for that reason, I think people are actually willing to embrace a trend like this, not just because of the social media aspect of it, but because it's actually financially responsible to do. Now, of course, whether that kind of behavior sticks through February is a separate question,

but it is nonetheless the case that people in this environment are trying to make sure that they can balance their budget. It's kind of wild, right, because America's entire economy is based on the consumer and how much we buy in America. So I wonder if this is going to have any effect on, I don't know, the general. GDP on the economy in general? Well, I mean, look, I mean, 70% of the economy is the consumer. Now, if you think about January, if people are not spending on those essentials, that's a 12th of the budget over the course of a year that they're not going to be spending on those things. But again,

I think it's an aspirational thing. When people say no by January, the assumption is they might cave a few times during the month. But again, the idea is you're just trying to do your best. And if you can cut your expenditures down during that month, then I think that's a win for a lot of families. Brian, it is no secret. You are a sharp dresser. You're very dapper. You like those. those nice sports coats. You got great sneakers. Are you following this? Are you not going to buy anything? So, you know, it's always hard for me to not buy new shoes, but I have not so far in January. But I will say, I saw a sweet sweater the other day at Paragon Sports Downtown. I pulled the trigger. I did it. You did? I got a new. It's got a Yankees logo on it. It's pretty sweet.

There you go. Go Yangs, man. Finally, sign Cody Bellinger. It's back. Yeah, we're back. Brian, great to see you. As always, thank you, man. Finally, tonight, the heroes send off for one Idaho educator, hundreds of students surprising their P.E. as he prepares to embark on a new journey joining the Navy. He told us about his decision to serve and the moment he will never forget. The cheers say it all. Students at Evil Rock Middle School in Idaho Falls clutching American flags and surprising phys ed teacher Sean Steeo who's about to begin his service in the U.S. Navy.

The choir singing anchors away, a song long associated with the Navy. It's a special. meaningful for Stio, whose father and grandfather also served. My grandpa was in the Navy for 20 years. My dad was in for 26 years and getting the opportunity and chance to just be a part of that. It's a real it's a real honor in and of itself. A hero's send-off for a teacher loved by so many students. That's always what I've tried to do is just be the be the good that walks into the room and let them, let the people that are around you feel like you're making things better

with your presence. I felt incredibly, I'm incredibly grateful that I got to have that that kind of send off or even just know that what I was doing mattered. And Sean Steele, we thank you for making your commitment to this great country. Thanks so much for watching Top Story. I'm Tom Yamis in New York. Stay right there. More news on the way.