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who is claiming responsibility, and who is denying any involvement. plus, the border battle. the president taking his toughest stance yet on immigration as the gop-led house pushes ahead with the push to oust his homeland security secretary. also ahead, writer e. jean carroll speaking out publicly about her $83 million victory over donald trump, the message she believes the jury sent to the former president. is the conviction of a notorious double killer about to be thrown out? what we know about the potential retrail in the case of disgraced lawyer alec murdaugh. thanks for being here on a monday. it is 10:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. president biden is vowing to retaliate after three u.s. troops were killed in a deadly drone attack at a base in jordan. it happened near the border of

syria and iraq in a base known as tower 22. two u.s. officials tell us a drone packed with explosives made impact near a shelter where some troops were sleeping. we could learn more from the secretary of defense in moments when he holds a meeting at the pentagon. right now let's go to nbc news chief international correspondent keir simmons in amman, jordan and monica alba at the white house. keir, what more are we learning about this attack? >> reporter: well, details are slowly emerging. you mentioned the crucial points that these are three service people who have been killed. they are the first u.s. military to be killed by fire like this since the war in gaza began last october. so it is significant in that sense and significant because this is, of course, what had been feared, an escalation between iran and the u.s.

the group that is thought to be to blame for what happened, a group called islamic resistance in iraq is backed by iran. there is confusion over where it targeted and wheret struck. tower 22 which is part of the u.s. base on the border of jordan and iraq and syria was where it was hit. the group itself has been suggesting it was hitting a different base. never mind that confusion, though. ultimately i think the picture is clear that this kind of group, this group was behind what happened. i think we partly know that because the iranians are already trying to distance themselves, saying that they do not send orders to the groups that they back, their proxies, if you like. there will be plenty who will be questioning whether or not that is the case.

this morning the national security spokesman john kirby was asked what response the biden administration is likely to take with all of that known. >> we'll do it at a time and manner of our choosing certainly. but obviously this requires a response. >> but it's not ruled out. would you say that? >> we are not looking for a war with iran, not looking to escalate the conflict in the region. there will be a range of options that the president will take a look at. again, i don't want to get ahead of him on this. >> reporter: apologies for the sound there. you got the picture. there's huge pressure on the biden administration to respond. some republican members on the hill calling for the biden administration to respond inside iran, and that is the concern. there are allies here in this region who, while they are condemning what they're describing as a terrorist attack, they're also warning that all of this potentially further instability.

>> monica, what else are we hearing from the white house about a potential response, timing, et cetera? >> reporter: for weeks this had been the threshold set by the biden administration, if there were to be an attack by these militias on u.s. personnel, that would kill u.s. troops, that would warrant a larger response and retaliation than what we've seen so far in the counterstrikes. now they're trying to figure out what that might look like, the scope, the location. first they need to gather more information about precisely who was behind this and where they may have their own military or weapon assets that need to be depleted from that perspective and how this could be carried out. all of that still is being determined here. we did hear from the president yesterday who was traveling in south carolina who vows that there would be a response. listen. listen >> i want to point out that we

had a tough day last night in the middle east. we lost three brave souls in an attack on a base and we shall respond. >> reporter: there has been an absolute concern here about anything that would widen this war and up this kind of confrontation and escalation, ana. the other thing that's really important that's happening in the background and on a parallel track to all of this is that the u.s. is at the table here for those potential hostage talks. they want to make sure that that can continue and proceed as well while all of this is happening elsewhere that is connected to this conflict. >> a reminder we are going to be monitoring any remarks from the secretary of defense here any moment here with nato secretary-general when he addresses the situation. thank you keir simmons and monica alba. i want to bring in former ambassador and presidential adviser to the middle east mark ins berg and retired colonel

jack jacobs, an msnbc military analyst. colonel jacobs, what should the u.s. be thinking about as it plans a response and what do you see as the options? >> we have lots of plans for almost every contingency. that includes attacking iran at home, though it's unlikely that that's going to happen. up till now -- don't forget there have been more than 100 attacks on americans. up till now it's been proportional and measured and spasmodic, as a matter of fact, as the attacks have been. there's an attempt to avoid widening the war. although, the iran-backed militias have been widening the war. so there is a great deal of political pressure as has already been mentioned from both sides of the aisle on the president to bring the attacks back to iran.

that's unlikely to happen. there will be some selected targets and undoubtedly there will be attacks shortly. but the attacks on american interests, particularly in shipping through the suez canal and the red sea, that will continue and will continue to present the president, the white house, the national command authority, the secretary of defense, with very difficult choices. >> ambassador, as referenced, there have been at least 164 attacks -- 164 against bases with u.s. troops just since mid october. and now we have deaths. this seems to be quite an escalation. dozens more injured. what does it tell you? >> it tells me three things. first, the equation of deterrence has been lost by the united states. number two, we're engaged in analysis by paralysis. that is that we seem to be caught in this fear factor that an escalation of conflict with

iran is inevitable. the fact is that all of the proxies that iran controls directly, and let's make no mistake about it, all of these attacks are well known by the irgc by iran, and there's no deniability by that no matter what the iranians sa you have two choices here, a military choice and a political choice. i'm not interested in so-called escalation for the sake of escalation. but there are drone factories inside iran that are provided by iran to russia to attack ukraine, to attack israel and to attack american troops. those drone factories should be targeted. there's the political equation. all roads lead to tehran, ana. that means, in effect, the most sensitive underbelly of the iranian regime is internal dissension. the united states doesn't have to declare it, but it's time

that we begin hitting the ayatollah where it hurts, which is supporting opposition forces in iran and let the audience know that the united states is not just interested in a military escalation, but in a political effort to undermine the regime. >> ambassador, do you think iran is trying to poke the u.s., trying to spur further escalation? >> absolutely. no doubt from the houthi rebels to hmz to hezbollah, iran is engaged in an effort to escalate this conflict. it already is escalating -- in effect, look, it's trying to create the shiite crescent across the middle east to target israel and undermine u.s. tests to force americans to be involved in the middle east so iran can have clear sailing against not only the united states but also israel. we have to look at this at a far greater perspective than merely

a tit-for-tat attack. iran is the number one problem for the united states in the middle east. until we deal with iran and not its proxies, we're going to continue to have the proxies target american interests and our allies. >> colonel, while iran says it has no link to this drone strike, some republicans are suggesting the u.s. should strike back hard against iran directly. senator lindsey graham calling on the biden administration to strike targets of significance inside iran. senator john cornyn saying simply target tehran. what's your response to that, one? two, are you convinced, colonel, that iran directed these attacks? >> well, they certainly supported it. they may not have specifically said to hit at a particular time, but there's no doubt about the fact that they provide all the support necessary, including intelligence support to their proxies to make these attacks. yes, we do have plans to attack

the kinds of things ambassador ginsburg is talking about. there are other options in conjunction with military attacks, and that includes -- there's a precedence for this. back in cuba, a long, long time ago to have a blockade around iran to make i'm impossible for anything to get shipped in or out. that's also a possibility. there's no doubt iran would declare that, either an attack or blockade as an act of war. iran does not want to go to war with the united states. there are many american options, and one of them needs to be taken at least. >> colonel jacobs and avmd marc ginsberg, thank you so much. when we're back, e. jean carroll's first on camera reaction since her massive win against donald trump. is the legal fight really hope?

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kristy greenberg. $83 million, so much more than the $5 million she was awarded in the first trial. why so much bigger this time? >> it's interesting, the compensatory damages, they actually got less than what they asked for which tells you that the jury really was focused a little less on compensating ms. carroll and much more on the punitive damages in punishing donald trump. why? because he wouldn't stop talking. what's different from the first trial to this trial is the fact that after the first jury trial, defaming her again. then he took the stand and actually said on the stand, she made a false accusation. that got stricken from the record. it wasn't permissible, but the jury heard that straight from the horse's mouth.

when you continue to not care about what the judge's rulings are, storming out of court, rumbling and grumbling at counsel table and acting poorly, the jury is taking all that into account and saying this is someone who doesn't have respect for e. jean carroll, for the judge or the rule of law. i think that's the message. >> let's listen to roberta kaplan on just that, trump's behavior in the courtroom. >> trump's behavior in the courtroom might have led to the $83.3 million. >> not only in the courtroom because he misbehaves in the courtroom frequently, and he walked out on my closing argument right in the middle. during the trial he continued to post nasty things on truth social. we played that all for the jury. we said he can't respect our

system. >> so it was all of that plus, again, he took the stand to testify in his own defense, dave, and he didn't follow the rules. did his words, his behavior come back to haunt him? >> absolutely. this is why you need experienced trial counsel, ana, instead of joe tacopina, he had alina habba who was not familiar with the rules of evidence, who was showing her own destain for the process. when you walk out in the middle of a closing argument, that's bad enough. when you're the former president and you have a secret service detail, everyone knows it. it's different than if you or i walked out of the courtroom. this clearly caught the attention of the jurors who have to leave their families and jobs to be there. yet the defendant doesn't have the respect for the process to remain during closing arguments. all that came back to bite him. as christy said, a mass stif

punitive damage award. 83.3 million for the first verdict. the first verdict was $5 million. this shows how much this jury found him to be liable. >> they're already talking about appealing this. when would e. jean carroll see the money? >> it's going to take a while. he can essentially pay the full amount to the court and have them hold it pending appeal, but more than likely he's going to seek to secure a bond. that will be some fraction of this. he has to put down a deposit, some collateral, probably 20%. like around $16 million or so he'll have to put down. he's going to also need a financial institution to lend him money if he wants to secure a bond. given that we've got the new york city civil fraud trial coming up, and that could be a much bigger judgment if tish james gets what she's asking for. we'll see if he's able to actually put that up. it's going to take a while, he's

going to appeal and she won't get paid until the appeals process is concluded. >> roberta kaplan saying they will collect, even if trump has to sell his assets. in court he said his brands are $10 billion, talking a big game. how do you see all this playing out? >> he's going to have to pay it. he's either going to have to post a bond or pay the $83.3 million to the court to protect e. jean carroll. the new york civil fraud trial works against trump here. in the other trial he's got to say he did not inflate his assets. he's really worth all that. that's going to come back to haunt him in this e. jean carroll verdict. he's got to money so can't say i can't afford it. just in case he tries to move money around, that's why there's a bond here. he's not going to get away without paying her. it just may come a little later than a lot of usould want.

>> dave aronberg, kristy greenberg, thank you. next on "ana cabrera reports," border battle. how president biden is turning up the pressure on republicans to pass a bipartisan border deal as gop lawmakers remain split on whether sinking it is in their best political interests. fighting words. quote, temper tantrums, unhinged, loser, latest attacks against donald trump on the campaign trail. nald trump on th campaign trail otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. it can help you get clearer skin. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. live in the moment.

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a deal appears to be in jeopardy right now, serious jeopardy with former president trump warning republicans not to support it. meanwhile house republicans just released draft articles of impeachment against homeland

security secretary alejandro mayorkas, accusing him of failing to uphold the law. nbc's guad venegas joins us from near the texas border and nbc's julie tsirkin is on capitol hill. guad, you're in eagle pass, texas, where authorities are dealing firsthand with the border crisis. where do things stand? >> reporter: ana, good morning. congress has been working on this deal for months. this is shelby park, the area taken over by state authorities. as you just mentioned, we're seeing a different side to president biden, now appearing to look into these tougher border measures, like shutting it down. if that's what he needs to lock in that deal with republicans, get the aid for ukraine and also get the immigration deal. as the influx of migrants continues at the southern border, washington homing a deal to stem the tide could be close. >> if that bill were the law today, i'd shut down the border right now and fix it quickly.

>> reporter: president biden and lawmakers working on a bipartisan deal to expand the president's authority at the border, lawmakers hopeful it can pass. >> we do have a bipartisan deal. we're finishing the text right now. >> reporter: this despite former president trump opposing the deal. >> i'd rather have no bill than a bad bill. a bad bill you can't have. >> reporter: mr. trump condemning the deal in truth social posts claiming without evidence there will be major terror attacks if migrants continue to come in. republicans are pushing back. >> donald trump, the last thing he needs to do is tell them to wait to pass the border bill until the election. we can't wait one more day. >> reporter: it comes as texas governor greg abbott is denying federal agents access to an area at eagle pass that's been the epicenter of the migrant surge, now surrounded by a fence and razor wire, the state even adding more razor wife after

last week the supreme court ruling gave border patrol agents the power to remove it. republican governors from 25 states signing a letter supporting texas. >> texas should stand their ground. >> reporter: all this as house republicans unveil articles of impeachment against alejandro mayorkas, saying he displayed with refusal to comply with the law, knowingly obstructing lawful oversight of the department of homeland security. dhs blasting the move, calling it an unconstitutional evidence-agree impeachment. that immigration deal will be an open question whether it goes through or not with former president opposing it. he said it would be a gift to president biden on an election year. i should also mention that this area shall be part -- which we mentioned has been taken over by state authorities and federal authorities have no access. we should mention they do use the boat ramp.

that's been one of the controversial things, whether or not border patrol can use the boat ramp. we saw them using it this morning. that's very important. that way they can access the river, ana. >> guad venegas, thank you. julie, democrats on the homeland security committee are calling the impeachment articles against alejandro mayorkas a sham. talk to us about what we know here, the impeachment threshold is high crimes and misdemeanors. what's mayorkas accused of? what laws did he allegedly break? >> reporter: it's not just democrats. you have a handful of republicans who aren't so sure about this impeachment investigation into mayorkas. they aren't sure if the house should use their time impeaching them either. that's something speaker johnson is paying attention to because the margins are slim. now a two-seat majority, so every single vote counts.

marv green, the chairman put out two articles of impeachment against mayorkas, saying he willfully refused congress's law. they also say he breached public trust. those are the two allegations you had democrats strongly pushing back on. it's not going to stop republicans from pushing ahead on. tomorrow morning they have a markup on the committee. they'll try to process these impeachment articles to get them to a full house floor. not even clear they'll get out there. the effort will die altogether in the democratic-controlled senate. >> julie tsirkin, thanks so much. let's head to the campaign trail where nikki haley remains on the defensive with donald trump with these strong words last night y her home state of south carolina. >> donald trump had a total meltdown, a total meltdown. he literally threw a temper

tantrum on stage. he threw out insults, and he talks about revenge. that's what his acceptance speech was, it was about revenge, and he talked about himself. at no point did he talk about the american people. >> let's bring in msnbc senior political contributor matthew dowd. he was the chief strategist for the bush/chain nay campaign and also with us, the host of woke podcast. nikki haley just had her best week of fund-raising of the entire campaign, raking in $4 million since new hampshire. she said, as we heard, she's going after trump much harder now. is it working? >> as i listen to nikki haley, i'm reminded of captain renault who casa blanca, i'm shocked gambling is going on here. she had an entire campaign where she functioned as an enabler of trump and not willing to criticize him.

now she gets to january, almost february, and she's suddenly aware of donald trump's behavior. i think she's raising the money to keep the campaign going. the problem is republican voters are not accepting of her. even though she did reasonably well, she lost in new hampshire, she lost among republicans in new hampshire by 49 points, 49 points she lost among republicans. she's going into south carolina, a state much more like iowa than it is like new hampshire. though she might have the resources to get to south carolina, i think it's very, very difficult. big mt. everest of a hill for her to climb in order to beat donald trump. >> here is how she's framing what she needs to do in her home state of south carolina. this is what she told "meet the press" yesterday. >> what i do think i need to do is i need to show i'm building momentum, show that i'm stronger in south carolina than new hampshire. does that have to be a win? i don't think that necessarily has to be a win? but it certainly has to be

better than what i did in new hampshire and certainly has to be close. >> danielle, at some point she needs a win. she can't just keep doing better. how long can she continue on that? >> so long as her billionaire backers continue to funnel money into her campaign, she's going to stay in. i think for biden, this actually looks like a good thing. the longer she's in, the longer donald trump is going to have his tantrums, his fits of misogyny and rage and talk about everything other than what he can do for the american people aside from give them their redemption that he's telling them they need. for biden, this is a good thing. haley will stay in as long as she has money. >> haley also said the rnc has not been a, quote, honest broker in the republican primary. your take on that. >> they've never been an honest broker in the time of the trump years. once trump took over the party, they've done everything possible to facilitate things for donald trump and any of his cronies in the course of this. donald trump has used the rnc

almost like a personal bank account in order to pay for all sorts of things that are unrelated to getting re-elected. it's not shocking to me. again, what i think is surprising to me is nikki haley just now realizing what the last nine years have been like for the rnc and republicans in many parts of america, of how donald trump is and how he conducts himself. >> matt, did it strike you that some of the language we're hearing from nikki haley is a little trumpian. it sounds a little like trump and she's using the kind of language he uses against him? >> no. this is kind of what happened in 2016 when the field finally woke up to the fact that donald trump was likely to be the nominee and people like marco rubio and chris christie and others started throwing out the insults. i actually believe once you stoop to donald trump's level, he's the only one that succeeds at that level. once you go to crassness and

coarseness, donald trump is the best after it. i think it's a mistake for nikki haley to venture off into that. >> i know you agree with that, as you shake your head here, danielle. part of what we're seeing is this normalization of really inappropriate behavior by any objective measure. i think of my own kids and trying to teach them how to be in this world. it's escalating in different ways. we're seeing swatting incidents. we're learning nikki haley has had swatting incidents at her house. this is an escalation, a rise in swatting incidents that law enforcement is attributing to the contentious political climate in this election cycle. is this the new normal? how do you combat this type of behavior? >> unfortunately, it is the new normal. this is what republicans have fed and given air to, including nikki haley. now the chickens are coming home to roost because they've left the door open. when they decided that january 6th wasn't a big deal, when they

decided to make jokes about paul pelosi being attacked in his house, when they brush off the attempts of people building manifestos around trumpism and they turn the other way, what they're doing is giving permission for people to escalate in their violence. because they're afraid of the base and the monster they created, they refuse to call them out. these things get bigger and bigger over time. it stemmed from donald trump but it was fed by the republican party. >> matt, i want to listen quickly to president biden who is also in south carolina ahead of the democratic primary this week. take a listen. >> you're the reason i am president. you're the reason kamala harris is historic vice president, and you're the reason donald trump is a defeated former president. you're the reason donald trump is a loser, and you're the reason we're going to win and beat him again.

>> matthew, if you were advising president biden as he gears up for what is likely to be a rematch with trump, is that what you want to hear? >> i think what they're doing, and they recognize this as we talk about what's happening with nikki haley is if you can say things -- the worst possible thing you can say about donald trump, it seems to me, not that he's a liar and not that he's cruel, not that he's racist and sexist, is that he's a loser. that's the biggest thing to get under his skin. when you get under his skin, he has a tendency to make mistakes. i think the best avenue for joe biden is to fundamentally continue day in and day out make this a choice election, don't make it a referendum on the policies of joe biden or the economy, make it a referendum on what america would be like if donald trump were to succeed and win in november. >> danielle, we have word that the biden campaign is eliciting

the help of barack obama and bill clinton. >> just insulting donald trump and going after him is not going to win over the american people. they are exhausted by this match-up. they're exhausted by this election. so i think this is a good thing. >> sorry to interrupt. we need to go to the pentagon and secretary of defense lloyd austin speaking about the attacks on american troops. >> -- will not tolerate an attack on u.s. forces, and we will take all necessary actions to defend the u.s. and our troops. now, at this important time, i'm glad to be back at the pentagon. i feel good and am recovering well, but still recovering, and i appreciate all the good wishes that i've received thus far. welcome back, mr. secretary-general. >> thank you. >> it's great to see you. it's a pleasure to get to host you here today. in the past three years we've

worked closely together, and i want to thank you for your leadership. you heard me say that a number of times, and it is heartfelt. i have really watched you lead the alliance through some very challenging times. you've kept nato united and resolute through the most serious threat to transatlantic security since the end of the cold war. over the nearly two years since putin's unprovoked invasion -- >> we'll continue to monitor the discussion here. the defense secretary meeting with nato secretary-general. i want to go to the white house and monica alba. we're listening in to hear what he will say about the u.s. troops killed. as we await response from the u.s. about this attack, and his remarks were very brief. >> reporter: exactly, ana. he basically expressed his outrage and sorrow, his condolences for the three families who lost those service members in this attack. of course, the secretary of

defense stating that the u.s. will respond and take the necessary action to do that, again, reiterating president biden's message that that will happen in the manner and timing of their choosing. it's unclear exactly when that may come. i also thought it was notable there, ana, he did acknowledge, of course, this is his first day back at work in the pentagon after he was recovering from that procedure related to his prostate cancer diagnosis and, of course, that infection that led him to be hospitalized in the icu for several days earlier this month. he is now returning, he's been working for some time. it's his first day in person. he did remind the group that he is still recovering, but he said he is feeling good. >> monica alba at the white house, thank you so much. up next here on "ana cabrera reports," new movement surrounding a deal to release more hostages. what we know about the framework for a new deal and when it might happen. ht happen i know what it's like to perform through pain. if you're like me, one of the millions suffering

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nbc news has learned lead negotiators met in paris over the weekend and agreed to the framework for a deal to release the remaining american and israeli hostages held by hamas. a draft of this proposal is being presented to hamas today we are learning. let's get right to nbc's matt bradley in tel aviv with more. matt, tell us about this deal. >> reporter: it sounds like this would be what we had reported earlier and confirmed by nbc news just today, it would be a phased deal. what we have confirmed is that it would start with the release of women and children captives, and then it would go into the releasing of palestinian prisoners. this would probably be going -- sort of alternating, maybe one month by one month. the original parameters we heard by other news organizations earlier is this could lead to a two-month-long cease-fire.

if israel gets what it wants, it would go right back to hostilities against hamas. hamas says it won't release any prisoners unless there is a full and final cease-fire. more than 26,000 people killed, most of them slin civilians. the real thing is whether or not hamas agrees to this. they have had a pretty strong line up until now, refusing all deals that don't involve a full and permanent cease-fire. whether or not they're willing to come to the table now, we've heard in the past they're flexible. their position may have changed. >> other developments out of gaza tok the negotiations are coming as we're learning about the details related to two allegations that 12 staffers for the u.n.'s main relief agency were involved in the october 7th massacre? >> reporter: we heard from the "wall street journal" and the

new york city times. the "wall street journal" reporting something like 10% of employees for unwar, the main u.n. body that provides aid to the palestinian people in the gaza strip, some 10% of them have connections to militant groups. we also heard from the "wall street journal" that about six of them, six of those 12 that were part of the original scandal here, were actually participating in those october 7th attacks. we heard earlier that at least a couple of them have already been killed. this is part of a growing problem, a growing scandal. more and more countries are withdrawing funding at least temporarily from unwar. we've been hearing very strong protests from the united nations and other humanitarian groups around the world saying that unwar is the last lifeline to the suffering people of gaza. we're seeing rumors of famine that the israelis have denied. we're seeing evidence of this from our even team in gaza talking to people about the lack

of food. really the situation there is dire. a lot of folks are saying these are just 12 people, they shouldn't be penalizing 2.2 million gazans for their participation. >> matt bradley, thank you for bringing us all of that reporting. now the two royal homecomings in the u.k. we learned a short while ago that king charles iii has been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate. meanwhile, the princess of wales, kate middleton has been released from the hospital after spending two weeks under supervision after abdominal surgery. she'll continue her longer recovery in kensington palace while the king reschedules appearances and is on the mend. a hearing over allegations of jury tampering in the alec murdaugh double murder trial of his wife and son. could there be a retrial? the latest in a michigan courtroom? will a school shooter be called

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. right now in south carolina one of america's most notorious murderers is back in court. lawyers for disgraced attorney alec murdaugh are seeking a retrial after he was convicted of murdering his wife and son

last year arguing a court clerk tampered with the jury. they claim fulton county clerk rebecca hill told jurors not to be fooled by murdaugh's claims, an allegation she denies. murdaugh is serving two consecutive life sentences for these murders, also serving 27 years concurrently for financial crimes. nbc's kathy park joins us from outside the courthouse in columbia, south carolina. kathy, what more do we know about the allegations against this clerk and how the judge plans to get to the bottom of it? >> reporter: hey there, ana. good morning to you. this is the latest legal twist in the ongoing alec murdaugh sawing ga. essentially his attorneys are accusing the clerk of court, becky hill, of jury tampering. accusing her of basically encouraging members of the jury to come to a speedy verdict, told them not to be fooled. we should note that in the affidavit, in the motion filed back in september by the

attorneys, one that stood outcomes from jury 630. just a few minutes ago we heart in the courtroom remarks from juror z. we should note that all the members of the jury who take the stand today will remain anonymous. her statements were consistent with the affidavit filed in september. what i thought was interesting and possibly could lead to a new trial was when the judge asked this juror, was your verdict influenced by the clerk of court. she answered yes, ma'am. when the judge asked how, she said, to me she made it seem like he was already guilty. when the judge asked did that affect your like she made it s like he was already guilty. when the judge also asked did that affect your findings, she said yes, ma'am. so those are the questions that all of the 11 jurors today will be asked and ultimately, at the end of the day today, the judge will come down with a ruling. that is an interesting twist

just a few minutes into the beginning of this preliminary hearing, ana. >> we will stay on it, kathy park, thank you. in michigan now, the mother of the oxford high school shooter is back in court today. in this landmark trial prosecutors are seeking to prove involuntary manslaughter charges against jennifer crumbley for the deaths of four students her son murdered more than two years ago. today's big question is will her son, ethan crumbley testify in her defense. her lawyers want him to. her son's lawyers are trying to fight it. the judge will make the call on whether to allow it. here was the judge on friday. >> you are not allowed to put someone on the stand knowing they're going to take the fifth. i cannot take a single question beyond what is your name that would not implicate his fifth amendment rights. >> let's go to nbc's adrian broaddus with more. what else are we learning from

court today and what else has the judge said today? >> the judge hasn't said anything in regards to ethan crumbley testifying. on friday she also said knowing ethan crumbley -- and i'm paraphrasing here -- will plead the fifth, what else can you ask him besides what's his favorite color? the judge also told the defense attorney that she and her team had been working behind the scenes trying to find a case that supports their request, but so far they haven't had any luck. inside of the courtroom this morning, we've heard from the owner of a horse farm. she's on the stand at this hour testifying, and the prosecution is trying to paint this picture that jennifer crumbley cared more about her two horses than she did her son. we learned crumbley spent at least $200 a month according to this woman testifying for supplements for her horses. and we also learned after friday there was some back and forth about evidence that would be introduced, and we're talking

about facebook messaging between jennifer crumbley and her husband, james. well, this morning, crumbley went on the record saying she does not want those messages redacted or excluded. her defense attorney saying they don't want to appear as if they're hiding something from the jury. those messages date back to 2021 more than 2,000 pages long. >> thank you very much. again, keep us posted. here on "ana cabrera reports" up next, it is here. today is officially the first day you can file your taxes. what's different this year? >> year >> every epic footlong deserves the perfect sidekick. order one with your favorite subway series sub today. ♪ i wanna hold you forever ♪ hey little bear bear. ♪ ♪ ♪ i'm gonna love you forever ♪

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. okay, i'm going to be that person. it's probably everyone's least favorite question this time of year. have you filed your taxes yet? today is the first day you can file, so what is new oreren thi need to know?

nbc's christine romans it here to help all of us. we've talked so much about the inflation issues this year, and there is a tax connection, right? >> it's so interesting because last year you probably had a smaller refund because all of those covid era provisions were expiring, but this year there are a bunch of provisions that are actually adjusted when there's high inflation. that could help a little bit. jackson hewitt did some research and found out if your pay didn't keep up with your expenses this year, you might be on track for a refund that's 10% higher than the year before. everybody's a little different but the irs does adjust certain levers when there's high inflation to try to insulate taxpayers. >> that is encouraging certainly. what else is different if anything this year? >> the irs are rolling out direct free file. this is in 12 states, texas, florida, new york, a bunch of states that will probably be available beginning of march for everyone. but this is really important. this is a way to keep your costs down, which i know a lot of

families care about. there are other free filing mechanisms as well. this is the u.s. government trying to broaden that free aspect for so many people. and also happening in congress right now, a big discussion to try to expand the child tax credit from currently $1,600 to $1,800 and then up in the next couple of years. that is still being debated, but that would apply to this year. so there's real news happening right now in washington that could affect how much money you get back from the government this year. >> also in washington, the looming and potentially lingering government shutdown issue, of course, if it were to happen, we were to shut down, that would impact the irs, right? >> it's exactly right, and every year i say you want to file early. you want to file online electronal, you want to ask for direct deposit. this year especially. if you have some sort of shenanigans in washington where you have furloughs for irs folks, you just don't want to have your tax return, especially if you're getting a return, a bigger return this year, you don't want to have it in limbo.

also, you want to file early so if there are any surprises, you know how to manage it heading into that april deadline. >> okay, thank you, christine romans, so nice to see you too. >> celebrations in the bay area, in kansas city last night as the san francisco 49ers and the kansas city chiefs advance to the super bowl. this marks the fourth time in the last five seasons the chiefs have reached the final game cementing that team's status as a dynasty and perhaps crucially giving america's most famous couple another moment in the spotlight. some fans concerned taylor swift wouldn't be able to make it to the big game given her concert in japan the night prior, but it does look like if she flies directly to vegas after her show she could make it. she'll have to travel close to 6,000 miles and a 17-hour time difference is in all of that as well, in case you're counting. that does it for us today, see you back here tomorrow, same time, same place. for now, i'm