Morning News NOW Full Broadcast - Feb. 17

Thank you for joining us as we begin this

morning

with President Biden's first public comments since the United States shot down a suspected spy balloon and three unidentified aerial objects. Federal investigators are analyzing the remains of that first balloon that the United States says was used by China to Beijing denies those accusations, but the president said he will not apologize for shooting it down and that he plans to speak with his Chinese counterpart about this incident. The United States has since shot down three other objects, but the president appeared to downplay a possible connection. to China or any other foreign surveillance we still don't know exactly what these three objects were, but nothing at this time suggests that they were related to China's spy balloon program or that there were surveillance vehicles from other countries.

The current assessment by another country's intelligence community is that these three objects were most likely balloons linked to private companies. Recreational or research institutions that study climate or conduct other scientific research and contact NBC's Monica Alba now for the latest

news

on this. Monica walks us through some of the president's biggest points yesterday and why it took them so long to address these incidents, it's something almost anyone can talk about, yes Stephen, these comments came in response to mounting pressure not only from lawmakers of both parties, but also from many Americans who were simply wondering what was going on and who wanted White.

House to explain, then the president came out and said the reason he took a couple of days to make these comments is because he wanted to have all the information he could share and, as you saw yesterday, there wasn't much he could say. but at least now this hypothesis that these three objects that were shot down over Alaska, northern Canada and Lake Huron will probably end up being harmless even though those recovery efforts are still in progress and we're not quite sure when it might arrive the staff. them, but the president wanted to make it clear that he has no regrets about this and that he says anything that threatens the US in the future could potentially be shot down.

Here's a little more of what he said yesterday: We see competition, not conflict. With China we are not looking for a new Cold War, but I do not apologize, I do not apologize and we will compete and we will responsibly manage that competition so that it does not come into conflict. This has really tested the relationship once again. between the United States and China was already difficult for many other reasons, but the president wanted to make clear that the first Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the coast of South Carolina is very different from what the intelligence community is evaluating happened with these other three objects that there is nothing to indicate that they were doing the same type of surveillance as that first massive balloon that we understand is concluding in terms of its recovery and a lot of that will be really revealing for the stated purpose Stephen and Monica I know that our colleague Peter Alexander was able to speak exclusively with President Biden on the phone after that press conference, what else do we learn there?

Yes, the president was very clear when speaking to my colleague and called him because Peter was at the press conference and wanted to ask. a question there and, in fact, because so many reporters were yelling, in the end President Biden didn't answer any questions there and instead called him and Peter asked him if he would talk to Chinese President Xi Jinping at some point soon and the president said Look, we should be in communication. He feels that's important, but there was nothing on the calendar yet, so it's unclear when the two men will talk. Of course, they had that long bilateral meeting in Bali last November, which was a key point in the relationship.

Now it's unclear when the two will have a phone call in the future and you mentioned China in this, obviously after it was first discovered that the balloon was first shot down, China denied that it was a surveillance balloon. Has there been any reaction from China to the president's most recent statement? comments that we just heard from the Chinese Foreign Ministry this

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and they continue to respond and say that this was not a surveillance balloon, that it entered the US by accident, that this was not intentional at all and that the US. The US has of course repeatedly rejected this, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also said that there are no plans for the US and Chinese presidents to speak at this time and continue to claim that there were balloons over Chinese airspace, something that The United States has loudly rejected it.

To say that is simply not true, but the president was clear yesterday that he hopes that President Xi Jinping does not want to tear this relationship apart even though it is clearly more strained than ever. Stephen, okay, a little more clarity, Monica Alba, thank you. Well, there are comments from President Biden that came yesterday after he received a clear statement from hell from the White House booth. The president underwent a routine physical examination that lasted approximately three hours. Those results were then published in a five-page summary for more information on this. We're joined by NBC News medical contributor Dr.

Natalie Azar. Dr. Azar thank you very much for being with us this morning, so considering that Biden had covid last year in general, this has been good

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for the president's health from his doctor, Dr. Kevin O 'Connor. He then released this statement saying: President Biden remains a healthy and vigorous 80-year-old man who is fit to success

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y execute the duties of the presidency. So, Dr. Azar, taking a look at that summary, what are some of your takeaways from this? Yes, Stephen and of course, I always have to make the disclaimer that I'm not the president's doctor, so I don't have that kind of close microscope on his medical care, but I certainly think that his doctor's communication seems be precise, the only important change. in the last year, as you mentioned, he had covid last summer, but you know, he recovered well with no evidence of long covid, you know, when we look at an evaluation of any individual of any age, but certainly someone who is 80 years old. years, like the president, there are actually two domains: the physical, the mental or the cognitive.

He underwent a very, very thorough physical examination. He has some chronic conditions, like many people as they age. He has atrial fibrillation. He is in for a blood test. thinner so they also spend a little time describing again the very detailed neurological exam he had due to this rigidity that I think we have all witnessed or can observe when we see him walking, for example, without evidence of any chronic neurological condition such as Parkinson's, which is very reassuring. He did not undergo a formal cognitive evaluation. You know, of course, it's the decision your doctor can make.

Whether or not he needs one each. Last year he had a lesion removed that looked a little suspicious and was sent for a biopsy and those results are pending, but overall Stephen really was a pretty good assessment of his health. He wanted to ask him a little more about that injury the president had. They removed her breast and sent it for a biopsy. There's something to worry about, you know, Stephen. Skin checks, right, we recommend them practically once a year for most people, and no, not at the moment. I guess I imagine if it were like that. a very worrying lesion such as melanoma.

You may have indicated that in the report. The president has a history of removing non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basil and squamous cells. You know, his wife recently had a Mohs procedure for a similar type of non-melanoma cancer, you know, this is very routine. Stephen, they're sending him for a biopsy. If it comes back as a cancer, like basil or squamous cells, it is very unlikely that he will undergo a Mohs procedure himself, which has an incredibly high cure rate and a good reminder that those skin checks are very important and therefore So, Dr. Azer, in general, mentioned that he does not hold the White House position, but in general, is there anything here that could affect the president's possible re-election bid next year?

No, I don't think so and you know, as I read his physical exam and the report, I think about all my patients who are the president's age and the thing is, unfortunately, as we get older, you know, time becomes that commodity that just doesn't, um, you know, it's endless and there are conditions that are associated with advancing age. Falls, um, you know, the development of new, uh, you know, diseases or conditions at this time. I don't see anything that could disqualify him. from a physical point of view, you know, but again, due to advanced age, there are always things that can theoretically happen.

I wish you the best, and you know that some of these things, of course, cannot be predicted. Okay, Dr. Azar, thank you very much for the information from him this morning and will remain Health in Washington, newly elected Pennsylvania Senator John Federman voluntarily checked into Walter Reed Medical Center for treatment for clinical depression. This comes just a week after the freshman senator was hospitalized for feeling dizzy and also improved. Of course, he suffered a stroke last year while on the campaign trail; according to a statement from Fetterman's Chief of Staff, the senator experienced depression off and on throughout his life, which only became severe in recent years.

Weeks after examining John, doctors at Walter Reed told us that John is getting the care he needs and will soon be himself again. NBC News White House correspondent Ali Rafa joins us now with more on this. Ali, thanks for being here. So what else do we know about his diagnosis? Of course, he had that stroke last time. year and recovery, did any of that possibly play a role here? Yes Stephen, good morning, this news came as a big surprise to many people yesterday. You talked about recent health developments at the top and we are learning from a senior. age Senator Fetterman how those physical health developments have impacted his mental health recently this senior Aid told NBC News uh that there was sort of a sense that Senator Fetterman would have time to rest and recover after that high-profile race for the High risk Pennsylvania Senate uh in November, but they say the depression didn't follow that kind of timeline.

Aid told NBC that he had to adapt and learn more about himself, this new reality after the stroke. Fetterman, once a very lively and energetic man who is now dealing with the impacts of that stroke that robbed him of some cognitive and communication skills, we know that he now walks around Capitol Hill with an iPad that actually dictates what people say to him. around him because he now has hearing problems, so now Fetterman is dealing with depression and the problems that so many people deal with. uh, across the country, but he's dealing with it on a much more public and notable scale.

Stephen, yes, without a doubt, it is very difficult to deal with recovering from a stroke and doing it in the public eye, since we know that Fetterman's health became a big problem in the world. Do we know everything? How might this affect his role in Washington both in the short and long term? Yes, the senior advisor is saying this is not going to be a quick fix, this is going to take a couple of weeks because Senator Federman is in hospital care right now, the doctors are trying different medications on him which, first of all, will take time to take effect and then adjustments to that medication may be necessary, they say this will require more observation and this is what is needed at this time.

The point is to include it in this long-term investment, this is a kind of short-term care for this long-term investment in your long-term care because, when you think about it, it only takes one month in a six-year period, so We're saying this is what's needed right now, but we want to emphasize that a resignation from office was never on the table, Stephen, and this is something that a lot of people have to deal with. What about your colleagues in the Senate? Listening to their answers is interesting because many times we learn about health problems from lawmakers after they try to cover them up.

And in this case it was just a clear disclosure by Fetterman's team to announce this. and that has been met with great support from his colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle. For example, yesterday we saw tweets from Democratic Senator Dick Durbin saying that he is glad that Fetterman is seeking attention right now. He says it's important. to take care of his mental health and it takes a lot of strength to communicate when he needs help. Republican Senator Ted Cruz says mental health is real and serious and I hope it gets attentionwhich he needs for all of them to, you know, express their love and uh, and well wishes this morning and say they congratulate him for coming out publicly and addressing this.

Stephen is absolutely happy to see that he is being so supportive. Holly Rafa, thank you and speaking of mental health, it is always a good time to remember. If you or someone you know is struggling, you can text or call the Suicide and Crossing Crisis Hotline at 988. Right now, the latest on the train derailment in eastern Ohio and the growing concerns among residents about the safety of both the air and water there NBC News correspondent Ron Allen tells that story at the County Humane Center Teresa McGuire says she hears about sick pets and livestock every day we hear a lot of this we hear a lot of decline from appetite not wanting to drink if they drink, they are vomiting.

Luke Lavin says he is too afraid to return to his house, half a mile from the crash site. I don't want to go home because I don't have the answers to go home Anger is rising in East Palestine nearly two weeks after a fire derailed a train and the controlled burning of dangerous chemicals sent a huge, dark toxic cloud over this rural community and Despite almost daily assurances that days later thousands of evacuees were able to return home safely, what do you say to people who are just scared? Know? I say first of all that I am a father, a husband.

All families want to be safe and need to know that their air is clean and their water is safe to drink. The country's top environmental official here personally tried to reassure residents. Was it the right call to tell people they could return and then evacuate? You know, the state made that statement at The Concert with the governors of Pennsylvania and Ohio made the right decision based on the data we have: officials promising to expand environmental testing to areas farther from the crash site and urging residents to Seek medical attention if you feel sick. Norfolk Southern, the train operator. tell the community that we will not go away by publishing an open letter after saying he feared for the safety of his employees if they attended a recent public meeting the company faces demands for greater responsibility, they must be here in the community and must answer questions another of Norfolk Southern trains derailed in Michigan no hazardous materials on board no injuries the company said meanwhile in Ohio residents keep a stock of bottled water and worry and you say it's fine but don't drink the water use bottled water that no It doesn't make sense that there are big trust issues here.

Officials say they are being as transparent as possible by posting as much information online as they can, including test results, but some residents we spoke to say they want the independent experts involved in this, not just government officials, to come back to You have a lot of questions, Ron Allen, thank you. Well, now on to the latest in the Georgia grand jury investigation into former President Trump's attempt to meddle in the results of the 2020 state election. Parts of their report released Thursday say some witnesses may have committed perjury. NBC News Correspondent Blaine Alexander catches us up after months of operating in private, now the special grand jury report is at least partially public, but there's still a lot we don't know in Georgia, a special grand jury investigating the former President Trump and his allies. regarding 2020 election says one or more witnesses may have lied under oath and jury recommends indictments, report only partially made public to be fair to future defendants, judge says it all stems from this phone call to the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia.

I just want to find uh uh 11,780 votes that launched a wide-ranging criminal investigation into whether he and his allies broke the law by trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, jurors heard from 75 witnesses, although Trump's lawyers say it was never called to testify as he leads investigation Willis, founder of the Democratic Fulton County prosecutor, who last year told us this I don't care what status you've achieved in life if you come to my community and commit a crime, you deserve to be held accountable if committed a crime in my jurisdiction then the Trump campaign includes it calling the president's phone call perfect saying that the sections of the report do not even mention President Trump's name adding that the former president did absolutely nothing wrong and the Prosecutor's Office has said that his decision on possible charges is imminent Alright, Blaine Alexander, thank you very much and join us now to learn more about this NBC News legal analyst, Danny Savalas.

Danny, good morning, since we just heard from Blaine. According to this report, some witnesses may have lied to the grand jury, they said that in That section 8 of the report, what could that mean to those people? Boy, we're analyzing this like it's an ancient religious text and trying to read what he says and what he doesn't say. What we think we can say is that it is much shorter. than some of the other reports that we've seen issued in other Trump investigations, but the only thing we can really leave or the only thing we're left saying is that there may be people who committed perjury and that it's not out of the question that Trump and others have recommended charges penalties against them, so it's really a wait and see.

I mean, it doesn't rule out anything, but it does seem to create some kind of benchmark in that the report concludes that there was no widespread fraud in the election and that, if that is so, it would be difficult to use an established fact as some kind of defense if people are accused of trying to subvert it and that was a unanimous vote based on the report that there was no fraud and we received comments from the former president on this. Already on his social truth platform, the president thanks the special grand jury that says the report was a total exoneration, so what do you think of that?

He says that he went on to say that the report did not mention his name, but that was the case. It's about publishing only these three parts in which there were no names, right? I love the relationship of all this. I just declared total exoneration, even if that's exactly what the report doesn't say. The report does not reach that conclusion. In fact, the worst case scenario is. that could potentially recommend charges against people close to Trump and even possibly Trump himself again, those are just recommendations, this special grand jury is kind of an anomaly in criminal law because it doesn't actually indict, it actually just creates a report that is delivered to you. the DA and DA can choose to indict, when you think about it the DA could have dispensed with the grand jury report entirely, they could have gone to a normal grand jury and requested an indictment, this is just an extra step that leaves us all wondering.

What did they conclude because ultimately what they conclude is not binding on anyone, including the DA herself, and you already mentioned this a little bit, that quote that we pulled from this? There was no widespread fraud in Georgia's 2020 presidential election that could result in an overturn. the election, so we got that part of this report that published these three sections that were published and they also explain to us how that relates to Trump and his team, if anyone Trump and his team, if any of them are accused of their participation in the attempt to overturn the election, then a defense will probably be that we reasonably believed or actually believed that what we were doing was fighting an injustice, that there was something criminal going on with this election and that we were criticizing it as is our right to do so. but with a grand jury finding that there was no widespread fraud, that goes a long way toward blurring that defense that, well, if there was no fraud, then it may not have been reasonable to fight the election results, it's not Conclusively, it is not.

It's proof that that decides the issue without further debate, but it goes a long way toward dispelling the idea that this was a defensible course of conduct to attack the results of this election, so now the ball is in Fawnee Willis, the district attorney on whether indictments are actually made is like that, she was always in his court and that's really why the special grand jury in many ways was symbolic: they didn't have the power to indict, they just had the power to investigate something the DA can do herself and she can accept or reject the conclusions and seek an indictment regardless of this report, a report we haven't really seen much of anyway, okay, Dennis goes on, thank you very much , okay, now it's time to review our morning news, now we predict Angie. lastman joins us now hi Angie hi Steven, we are of course preparing for the weekend, it's Friday, things are going to be great for a lot of people across the country, but this is what we have to have Account for this line of showers and thunderstorms and even some snow associated with the same cold front that brought severe weather to people yesterday and the day before yesterday.

The good news is that the threat of severe weather has greatly decreased. The bad news is it's going to be a bit of a soggy morning from basically Raleigh to Boston. We will see some of that rain, while inland areas of New England will see some rain. It all ends pretty quickly when we arrive in the early afternoon. Most of it will be offshore as the system continues to move eastward, but of course we could see some lingering impacts when it comes to travel. Here are those winter alerts we see right now. Buffalo Watertown Burlington, all included in the northern parts of Maine that are where you will see the most total snow and that comes during the day today, hence the reason we have the winter wind storm warning in effect in pink bright, there snow totals for that location range from two four six even up to eight inches further north in Maine, a couple of maybe an inch or two elsewhere in interior New England, but either way no snow for people on the east coast, especially New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC.

That precipitation is going to fall in the form of rain, it is quite hot. I'm sure you've noticed if you live in any of those cities, the last few days we've been feeling very spring-like, for about a quarter of an hour. inch of rain for people, this is where we start this morning in the 60s, mid 60s for some people, ahead of this front by the time we get into the early afternoon and especially the afternoon hours tonight , these temperatures drop as this front continues to move east, there is a lot of coal behind it, temperatures are in the 30s in the Midwest, so we will see some cooler conditions on the way for Saturday, but it will warm up again when we get to Sunday in places like New York Steven 55 degrees wow, not bad at all.

I admit that I turned on the air conditioning last night in New York City. I wish I had trusted myself. I had to do it now. Thanks Angie, now we're back with a look. More surprising rescues in Türkiye more than a week after a major earthquake devastated the region. This man was taken safely to the hospital after spending 261 hours under the rubble. Here she is speaking to her relatives for the first time since the earthquake occurred while she was on a call and asked for an update on her parents, luckily they also survived and a teenage girl was pulled alive from the rubble after being trapped for over 10 days.

NBC News foreign correspondent Matt Bradley has more on the moment that lifted a country's spirits. that's dealing with so much anguish 148 hours after a catastrophic earthquake shook southern Turkey the miracles don't stop she is Elena Olmez, 17, rescued from the rubble of a building in the Turkish city of Kakraman Mirage she is taken to an ambulance waiting for her the crowd celebrates with applause at the local University Hospital Elena smiles as she tells reporters how she survived the 11 days I'm fine thank you she says she had nothing with me I just tried to pass the time for family members Elena's rescue is an answered prayer but for many other families in Karaman Marash the desperate search continues for one of the missing hedayat Ella Gokshu, 11, her grandparents waiting for news from rescue workers all day and late into the night I have the tied hands says I want to find my granddaughter even if she freezes to death here waiting at the University Hospital the doctors prepare to send Elena to a larger hospital in the capital city of Ankara while a journalist moves he shouts Elena you will be great, we love you all.

In Türkiye we love you very much today. Matt Bradley NBC News World Leadersof Türkiye are gathering in Munich, Germany, this morning for the city's annual security conference. Of course, the war in Ukraine is expected to top the agenda at the three-day event and President Volodomir Zielinski will deliver the keynote address later today NBC Pentagon correspondent Courtney Cubey is now in Munich with more on this . So, Courtney, this conference comes as we very quickly approach the one-year anniversary of the last Russian invasion of Ukraine. How will that influence this year's event? We know that? We are waiting to hear from Zelinski.

I mean, the war in Ukraine is basically the main focus of this event. It was the same way last year, it was on the eve of the actual invasion, now we are on the one year anniversary of the invasion and Ukraine still being the main focus here, one of the things I already hear a lot about is the need to deter Russia not only from entering Ukraine but from further expansion of any of Vladimir Putin's efforts to take other areas outside of Ukraine, but I also hear a lot of talk about the need to hold Russia accountable for what is happening to the Ukrainian people and I think that's something we're going to hear more and more about over the years.

The next two days of conferences and events here, as you mentioned, we will hear from Ukrainian leaders. We will also hear from other world leaders, including Francis Emmanuel Macron. We will, of course, listen to German Chancellor Olaf Schultz. Um and then tomorrow we'll hear from US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, most of these conversations will again be about Russia and Ukraine. According to a White House official, we look forward to hearing from Vice President Harris about our issues. like the Ukrainian people, their resilience and how Russia needs to end this brutal war against the Ukrainian people right now.

Do we know anything else that Vice President Kamala Harris hopes to talk about? She heads the United States delegation there. Do we know anything more about her? messaging and it's a huge delegation not only from the White House and the State Department, but there is a huge bipartisan congressional delegation here as well as US military leaders here for a series of meetings. I can tell you that I have been trying to participate. I've seen a lot of them and today they have back-to-back meetings all day with all the US delegations, so, but, the most important issue, the most important message that the US is trying to send here is one of support. and commitment to the Ukrainian people and I keep hearing the terms long-term commitment to the Ukrainian people, so when I ask what exactly that means, it's not just weapons and equipment, but a long-term commitment to the reconstruction of the people Ukrainian and there are and supporting them for a long time, no matter how long this war in Ukraine lasts.

In fact, it surprised me. I keep asking people here, American officials, when you talk about a long-term commitment, does that mean that even if this conflict lasts one year, two? Five years from now, the US will still be there supporting them and with things like teams with intelligence, uh, and I, I've hit all the forums saying flat out yes, wow, important question there and we're running out of time here. . Courtney, but I wanted to ask us. I know the Chinese Foreign Minister is also supposed to be at the event. The Chinese balloon incident is still marinating there.

Do we have any potential knowledge? Will you try to speak with Secretary Blinken? A meeting is possible, so right now we have I haven't heard anything official, but I have to tell you that I have been to this conference several times and we hear a lot about these types of side meetings or they call them separate meetings and you mean walk around there . You can't walk five feet without seeing some world leader so it's very possible that you'll see each other at some point if you do if you can talk I imagine that the main topic is going to be these balloons the surveillance program that the Chinese have and then also trying to reopen some of these lines of communication, the US military's hotline to China has been, they haven't responded for several months there, since Nancy Pelosi went to Taiwan.

They basically shut down that communication, so I suspect it will be something they would talk about if the two men actually met here, okay Courtney Covey, besides everything, thank you very much, okay, more international news, now major protests in Beirut . NBC News correspondent Josh Letterman joins us now with more good morning, Josh Hey Stephen. Dozens of protesters attacked banks in the Lebanese capital breaking windows breaking things setting tires on fire even blocking roads They are protesting limits on cash withdrawals that have been in place since Lebanon's economic crisis began in 2019. These attacks came as The Lebanese pound hit an all-time low, exacerbating the extreme poverty that currently exists in the Vatican, where Pope Francis is making it clear he is not going anywhere, even though his predecessor, the late Pope Benedict, resigned.

Pope Francis says it should be the exception, not the rule, he says unless your health gets in the way, says there's no reason it shouldn't serve for life Francis makes those comments during a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and finally to Japan, where organizers are preparing to host the Garbage Collection World Cup on November 20, teams from around the world, including the United States, will compete for who can collect the most garbage from the streets of Tokyo in just one hour of energy and to properly sort recyclable materials. Japan has been hosting this competition for years on beaches, parks, and even river banks to try to promote sustainability Stephen, okay Josh Letterman, thanks so much for that update, welcome back, a New Jersey school board is taking on fallout for parents after tragic death of 14-year-old girl who committed suicide after being beaten by classmates on camera last night board meeting held amid growing community outrage as they search for answers following new allegations that bullying is at work at that same high school.

NBC News correspondent Emily Aqueda has more calls for change grow louder in this. New Jersey Community I'm really sick of the school because they had numerous reports about Adriana's bullying and did nothing to intervene with school officials in the hot seat during their first press conference since the tragic death of a 14-year-old . year student, can you give us any details on what could be done differently, although not in that particular case? Sorry, I'm not into that particular case, it's a legal matter. I apologize if we move forward we will continue to educate and improve Freshman Adriana Couch took her life earlier this month, family says just two days after she was beaten in the hallways of Regional High School Central captured in this video obtained by wnbc and then circulated on social media oh his father says it all was mishandled by the district I want to hold the school accountable they flat out refuse to protect our children four students have been criminally charged in connection to the incident according to prosecutors and the superintendent has resigned Adriana's tragic death comes amid surprising new data from the CDC reveals that teenage girls are experiencing record levels of violence, sadness and risk of suicide in 2011.

Just over a third felt persistently sad or hopeless. That number skyrocketed to an astonishing 57 percent a decade later. Experts say the factors that lead to suicide are often multifaceted. But a recent study found that young people who experience cyberbullying were more than four times more likely to have suicidal thoughts since Adriana's death. Other alleged incidents of bullying at the school have resurfaced. Attorney Jonathan Edmond's client was transferred out of Central Regional after he said she was attacked. Last year, the family filed a lawsuit against the school and the district. I'm horrified. I died horrified because, although we are in litigation with the school, now it has happened again and now this young woman, Adriana, has lost her life.

The schools are simply not there. Taking these threats seriously enough, school officials did not respond to our request for comment on the lawsuit, but the interim superintendent addressed those concerns. The data alone does not indicate that we are a culture of violence, we do not do it, we do not tolerate it. That earlier this week Governor Phil Murphy was asked if the state will investigate bullying at school or more broadly across the state. I can't say it specifically, but it will be in the mirror after something like this and this is a terrible, terrible, terrible tragedy. tragedy commemorated with a moment of silence as a heartbroken community searches for heartbreaking answers, Emily, thank you for that and again I want to reiterate that if you or someone you know is struggling, you can call and get help from the Suicide and Crisis Hotline, at that appears on your screen. 988 well, what prosecutors describe as a failed attempted assisted suicide was the focus of attention in court yesterday during the double murder trial of former lawyer Alex Murdoch.

Jurors were also presented with video evidence of Murdoch's interview with police shortly after that attempt. NBC News correspondent Katie Beck has those details in court Thursday on the highly controversial, long-awaited evidence of Alec Murdoch's roadside assisted suicide plot. Video from inside an ambulance, almost three months after the murder of his wife and his son. Alec Murdoch tells first responders he was shot on the side of the road while changing a The highly controversial evidence of Murdoch's highway suicide plot was finally shown to the jury Thursday in court, airing the misleading evidence Alec offered at the scene, telling investigators that a shotgun may have been used and the first descriptions he gave of an unknown assailant nine days later. would know a different story about Murdoch, the attacker was not only known but related to him, his cousin Curtis Eddie Smith Murdoch tells investigators in a recorded call with his lawyers that he asked Smith to kill him, we understand that the Things are getting ready to get really bad and uh, it would be better not to be here, they're not asking him to shoot me, they even gave him the gun to do it so his son Buster could collect on his 11 million dollar insurance policy.

Did Alec Murdock ever say there was any risk or threat to Buster he said no, no he didn't, actually he denied it when we asked him. Did Alec Murdoch say Curtis Eddie Smith had something to do with the Mozelle murders? He denied it when we asked and our thanks to Katie for that court report. The session was adjourned yesterday and defense attorneys told the judge they planned to conduct a lengthy cross-examination of this evidence this morning as prosecutors hope to call their final witness later today and move now to a remarkable story of strength and courage that Tampa officials have posted.

New surveillance video shows the moment a woman success

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y fought off an attacker while working out at her gym, and she's now speaking out about that experience and how she was able to escape it. NBC News correspondent Priscilla Thompson has the latest surveillance video that captured the incredible moment. A Tampa woman thought of an attacker at her apartment complex's gym as I keep going if I keep pushing I keep fighting he's going to stop he's going to let go and finally he did Nishali Alma, 24, a personal trainer told the Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies. She was exercising alone around 10 pm on January 22 when she saw a man she had previously seen at the gym trying to get in when she was at the door.

I broke it and it entered my thought process like you said. Just another guy who came to work out, but after 25-year-old Xavier Thomas Jones came in, this happened. Next thing you know I get up from working out, grab my phone and he just walks up to me and not a single word was exchanged so soon. As he approached me, I pushed him and said brother, what are you doing? I told him to stay away from me and he kept trying to get closer to me and kept getting closer. The video shows Thomas Jones chasing her around the gym before grabbing Alma and pinning her down.

In my mind I knew I was stronger than him and I knew I could hold my own against the experienced weightlifter seen here holding his attacker in a chokehold while he tried to call 9-1-1 before landing more punches that led to Thomas Jones to release him. The self defense expertPatrick Lockton of the Krav Maga Institute in New York City says thinking almost quickly under pressure was the key. She fought back and several things she didn't freeze. She didn't fall into that trap. Alma immediately ran away and escaped to a nearby apartment. She is sharing her story and encouraging other women with similar experiences to do the same.

No other person should have to go through this. No, the person should feel that there is no other person who has to go through a situation like this. Experts say an incident like this should be avoided. It starts with being aware of your surroundings and moving quickly if you're in danger, getting in the way, creating obstacles, creating an opportunity, a space between you and your attacker, so it would go straight to being vulnerable, so again, just eyes hit him. and then those with a phone hit it in the throat because everyone's soft tissue, there's soft tissue in your eyes too, and that's going to hurt everyone, no matter how strong you are.

Authorities were able to locate Thomas Jones and arrested him the next day. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault, false imprisonment and kidnapping and will appear in court next month. An attorney for Thomas Jones did not respond to NBC's request for comment on the day he was arrested and the day he was caught. I saw, I saw everything. it was a relief Priscilla Thompson NBC News incredible quick thinking Priscilla thank you now we're back with a look at the nationwide shortage of a critical medication used to treat ADHD in both children and adults in recent years prescriptions for Adderall and Los Similar medications have increased dramatically, but supplies simply aren't keeping up, leaving many people unable to find the medication doctors say they need.

NBC News correspondent Tom Costello has more for adults and children in need. Adderall, other ADHD medications, and generics can all make it very difficult to concentrate and remember things near San Francisco. Single mother Lisa Javaarian and her doctor have been struggling to find pharmacies with Adderall. Both Lisa and her 14-year-old son depend on. I'm thinking about rationing now, but I don't know how that will affect me and my son. He's more important, so I'd rather not ration him Adderall and similar medications have officially been in short supply for almost six months. I have practiced medicine for 25 years.

There has never been a shortage like this. 97 percent of community pharmacists report a shortage. Teva Pharmaceuticals, the main supplier of Adderall, says manufacturing problems are mostly resolved, but demand has increased dramatically. Prescriptions in the U.S. have more than doubled in the past 12 years with a big increase during the pandemic when doctors were caring for patients remotely because Adderall can be abused the DEA sets strict production quotas it's almost similar to trying to stop living dry and drunk by not By allowing cars to be sold, people who need these drugs no longer They have access to them because of these quotas.

The DEA says most manufacturers have sufficient supply and have not fully met their application quota for three years, but clearly demand right now appears to be outstripping supply. Back to you, Tom Tom Costello, thank you all right now to the financial headlines despite avoiding mass layoffs, unlike its competitors, Apple is now considering making big job cuts in its own parts by CNBC's Christina and Nevolos joins us now with that and more good morning Christina, good morning, so let's start with Apple. Apple has been laying off hundreds of contractors over the past few days, some of whom work directly with Apple employees on projects.

This comes from the New York Post and they say Apple terminated them outright rather than waiting for their contracts to expire, so this is news because previously Apple had largely avoided the mass layoffs we saw at Dropbox in meta, the list continues and many of these big tech rivals have resorted to layoffs due to uncertainty. Across the U.S. and global economy, the pandemic-fueled delivery boom continues to boost the fortunes of companies like Doordash. Service revenue rose in the fourth quarter of last year as consumers spent more on food deliveries and household necessities, even as prices rose and there were more restaurants.

The reopened Doordash now has more than 32 million monthly users and its premium Dash Pass service now has more than 15 million members. Tick ​​Tock is taking a page out of the HQ Trivia Playbook and launching a series of live trivia games that users can log into between February 22nd and the 26th, with Tick Tock offering 500,000 in cash prizes to be won. will be divided among the winners. You must be 18 or older and in the US to enter, but categories include lifestyle, beauty, sports, music and trivia. about John Wick, the event there's the kicker is sponsored by Lionsgate and the upcoming movie John Wick Chapter Four, so I guess people have to go back and watch the other chapters.

There are several chapters, but people are very excited about it, okay, I should go see it. So yes, yes, you should, there are some of them, Christina, thank you very much, welcome back. Actor Bruce Willis is known for taking down bad guys in Hollywood action movies, but now his family reveals the acting legend is facing a different kind of fight. of frontotemporal dementia Kaylee Harton joins us now from Los Angeles with more information about Kaylee, so many people are giving the Willises their well wishes right now, yes absolutely, Steven in his blended family has really been on the same page since revealed for the first time that he was facing health problems. last spring they are now sharing this difficult news that his condition has progressed and say they have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.

I promise Grace that this morning the family of legendary Hollywood action star Bruce Willis will share new details about the cruel disease they say he is battling. Much more where that came from nearly a year after Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a disease that affects his cognitive abilities and forced him to retire from his Blockbuster acting career, his family said in a statement. Bruce's condition has progressed and we now have a more specific frontotemporal diagnosis. dementia, the critically acclaimed actor became a bona fide star as action hero John McLean in the Die Hard franchise, yes, I'm still here unless you want to open the front door for me, and in 2015 Willis shared that today was marking Another Bucket List Item Broadway I've never been to Broadway and as far as I'm concerned you know it's The Big Time Starring Misery, an adaptation of Stephen King's book, now the Golden Globe winner takes on to a different challenge off stage.

A rare form of dementia known as FTD affects areas of the brain associated with personality, behavior and language. It tends to occur at a younger age than other forms of dementia. Onset usually occurs between 45 and 60 years of age. Willis is now 67 years old and between 50 to 60,000. Americans struggling with this, his family says that, unfortunately, the challenges with communication are just a symptom of the illness Bruce faces, although this is painful, It's a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis. The blended family has come together, including his wife Emma, ​​his two daughters, and his daughter Bruce. He has always found joy in life and has helped everyone he knows do the same.

It has meant to the world to see that sense of care resonating in him and everyone else. There is currently no cure for FTD and no treatments to slow or stop the progression of the disease, but Willis' family says it's a reality they hope they can change as they try to shed light on this. Stephen is glad to receive so much support. Kaylee, thank you all in advance for the two-year journey of a missing Florida cat who was found earlier this week 1,400 miles away in Kansas. The adorable orange tabby named what else, but as luck would have it, a local turned him in to the Prairie Village Police Department. resident and luckily had a microchip.

Animal control officers discovered that Tabby had traveled from Miami during those years. Quite a trip, the department contacted the owner in hopes of meeting them shortly after Lucky's long vacation, a meeting we hope not to miss. and that's enough for this morning news hour, but your news continues right now. Thank you for watching our YouTube channel. Follow today's top stories and breaking news by downloading the NBC News app.