car accidents can be very scary. it can feel like the world is crashing down all around you. you got car repairs, expensive medical bills. it can feel like chaos. at elor brothers, we control the chaos and we fight to win. for you. call us. we're the law. brothers, call 1-800-222-2222. ♪♪ ♪♪ hello, everyone. i'm kate snow. zinhle essamuah is off today. "nbc news daily" starts right now. ♪♪ ♪♪ today, friday, january 3, 2025. breaking news. winning the gavel.

republican mike johnson is victorious in his s fighto keep his job as house speaker after some dramatic last-minute vote changing. we're tracking all the developments that unfolded on capitol hill. new evidce. law enenforcemenreveals they searched the home of the person behind that deadly bourbon street attack. what they discovered inside the home as we learn more abouout t 14 lives lost that day. america's surgeon general calls for cancer warning on alcohol, like cigarettes have. what he says you need to be most concerned about. good grief. mourners are turning to artificial intelligence to help them process the death of a loved one. could it be doing more harm than good? we begin with breaking news out of the nation's capital. republican mike johnson has been re-elected as speaker of the house in a session that's been full of drama throughout the afternoon.

>> the honorable mike johnson of the state of louisiana has received 218. >> the louisiana representative received a standing ovation from his colleagues after receiving 218 votes. that's the minimum that he needed to clinch the gavel. that came after three republicans initially voted against johnson in the first round of voting and then two of them, representative ralph norman and keith self changed their votes nearly an hour later as johnson and other republicans huddled. the vote was crucial. this congress can't do any official work until a speaker is chosen. that's quite literally the first order of business they had in the new congress. nbc's correspondent julie tsirkin has been covering the twists and turns today. julie, two years ago when republicans took control of the

house it took them 15 rounds, multiple days to select a speaker. that did not happen today. there was that drama. there was a blip that i'm sure speaker johnson wished hadn't happened. >> reporter: he wished it didn't happen, but he definitely came into the day prepared for that to happen and prepared for this to go multiple rounds, multiple days. in the case of kevin mccarthy, it took five days and 15 rounds of voting. with johnson it took one round, but the vote stayed open for an unusually long period of time. we thought they would go straight into the second ballot after we saw that three republicans voted not just against johnson, but for other republicans entirely to get the gavel. just minute by minute i was looking at the house floor and thought is that the back of keith self and ralph norman? are they changed their vote? that's what happened all within a matter of seconds. as you pointed out, johnson spent that time negotiating.

he was on the phone. his allies were working the phone. we saw them all over the house chamber trying to negotiate in real time. even though johnson has the gavel, this is the easiest thing he does over the next two years, over the next four years if we can think that far. trump, the president-elect, has an enormous agenda he's putting in the hands of johnson, that he's trusting him to execute. you saw when johnson was walking down the chamber after he was elected, he had a standing ovation except from by chip roy who did vote for johnson, but he was reluctant to do so. he was a thorn in the side of johnson when it comes to fiscal demand, cutting spending, all these things you need democrats and republicans to work together for. you can anticipate republicans will give johnson a hard time to do anything. >> julie tsirkin for us on capitol hill on a busy friday,

thank you. new orleans is trying to get back to noal today while mourning for the victims of that new year's day truck attack. people have been stopping by a memorial on bourbon street leaving flowers, lighting candles. earlier today president biden said hehad spokenwith the victims' families. the white house says the president and first lady will visit new orleans on monday. there are also new questions being raised about security in the french quarter. nbc news obtained a report by a cooperate intelligence firm from 2019 telling the city to fix bollards, the posts that you see there, that rise up from underground to create a barricade to traffic. concerns about a terror attack s with a vehicle. the fbi was back at the attacker's texas house again today. the bureau said it was conducting law enforcement activity there. that all comes as two senior law enforcement officials tell nbc news a significant amount of

bomb-making material and chemicals were found at that home. this is video obtained by our nbc affiliate kprc. the attacker's brother told our affiliate the family is struggling to understand what happened. >> i understand, you know, people want answers, but, i mean, we're just as puzzled as the rest of the world. this wasn't the man i knew. >> gadi schwartz is in new orleans today. we have nbc news law enforcement correspondent tom winter here with me in the studio. tom, let me start with you. we talked about the search of the attacker's home. i know a car was towed away earlier. what more do we know about that? what do we know about the bomb-making materials? >> this is part of the investigation the fbi has been conducting. they now believe this individual was acting alone and they haven't come upon anybody else

who could be of concern. they caution it's very early in the investigation, and it is very early in the investigation. the question today is is there some new piece of information they picked up either in the houston area or in new orleans that led them to believe maybe we should double check that car. the easiest thing they do is get a search warrant for the car and then they can tow it. then it goes to their facility in houston and they can go through it and find out whatever they think could be in there, something they might want to look into and see if there's any additional evidence. >> gadi schwartz, i want to talk to you about the victims. you've been spending time on bourbon street. share the stories to give the families an opportunity to talk about their loved ones to us. >> reporter: there's one story in particular that i think keeping about. before we get there, i want to show you bourbon street is bustling today. you have music playing on every single corner.

we can turn around right here. that's the entrance of bourbon street right there. this is a block and a half and a block and a half this way is how far that truck made it before coming to a stop down there and the survivor story i keep thinking about is a woman named alexis scott wyndham. she was standing right here when she saw that truck barreling down. it was coming at her so fast that she was rely able to get out of the way. the truck clipped her leg. she felt like she was run over. then it was chaos and pandemonium. one of those memorials is right here. she says in this area she saw at least two bodies, two dead bodies. one was a man with blood coming down his head. she knew she was in dire straights. she jumps over here. the truck is going down there. she starts to hear gunfire and starts to run. she doesn't know what's going on. she can't walk anymore.

all of a sudden people are trying to extract her out. strangers are coming in to help. the police get here. she hears the gunfire. they can't move her quick enough. she's laying here unable to get out because her leg is bleeding profusely. what does she do? one of her friends calls her mom on the phone and her mom answers the phone and her mom has the foresight to say stop the bleeding. you have to stay calm and stop the bleeding. they take off her sock and tie a tourniquet around her leg. she had a bullet in her leg. a stranger comes and scoops her up and takes her to a truck and instead of waiting for the ambulance, he takes her to the hospital. to this day she doesn't know that stranger's name. she wants to thank him for getting her to the hospital. it's one of those incredible stories in those moments of chaos here on bourbon street.

>> incredible. maybe somebody will hear that story and reach out somehow. i want to show the victims that we learned of so far and the families have released pictures. these were the pele lost in the attack. as we continue to learn more, we'll bring you what we know. tom winter, gadi schwartz, appreciate you. we're tracking the other new year's day attack in las vegas. we're getting a clearer picture ofof the suspect. investigators say matthew livelsberger was behind the wheel of that tesla cyber truck. he killed himself and injured seven others. authorities are trying to piece together a possible motive. joining me now is antonia hylton. what are we learning about livelsberger? >> reporter: kate, we learned yesterday from a presser that

he's believed to have died from a gunshot wound to the head moments before the explosion that we've all seen there in front of the trump building in las vegas. we also know now that he rented this car in colorado. he's from colorado springs. has a wife and baby according to neighbors there who said they had nothing but normal interactions with him. they liked his family. liked his wife. he took the car from colorado, filled it up several times on the drive to las vegas before turning into that valet area in front of the building there. our team also reached out to the peer to peer car rental company that's at the center of this case and the new orleans case. we tried to understand the potential liability, what they may or may not have known about the two people who rented these cars. what they told us about livelsberger is that basically their records were clean. there was no criminalhistory

that would have surfaced during their security checks and background checks as part of the use of their service. they're not sure they would have been able to catch this before it happened. we spoke from experts who think one of the next stages of the investigation may be that victims, people harmed -- seven people harmed in front of that trump building that they may reach out or seek legal action against toro for their potential liability. >> antonia, thank you. president biden is blocking the take over of u.s. steel by a japanese company and the department of transportation is suing jetblue. steve kovach joins us now. >> reporter: president biden has blocked the takeover of u.s. steel by nippon. the president said this could

put critical supply chain at risk. u.s. steel shares down more than 5%. broccoli sold at walmart has been recalled over possible listeria contamination. it's fresh ready to eat broccoli. that was several weeks ago. the company is concerned customers may have the product at home. no illnesses have been reported. the department of transportation fined jetblue airways $2 million for chronically delayed fights. the d.o.t. said flights on four jetblue routes were delayed 125 times between june 2022 and november 2023. jetblue said it improved its on time rate. kate? >> interesting with so many people traveling. steve kovach, thank you. the legal battle between blame lively and

my name is dawn. i live in central texas. i'm a military spouse and a certified dog trainer. i started noticing there was this wall up that i couldn't push through. and that was frustrating. that's when i decided to try prevagen. i'd seen the commercials and the people seemed really authentic and it seemed to really help them. after taking prevagen, i could say unequivocally, it has made a huge difference in my life. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. [coughing] hi susan, honey? yea. i respect that, but that cough looks pretty bad. try this robitussin honey. the real honey you love, plus the powerful cough relief you need. mind if i root through your trash? robitussin, with real honey & elderberry. still living with odors? get back in there and freshen instantly with febreze air mist. febreze's fine mist floats longer in the air to fight even your toughest odors. so long stinky smells and hello amazing freshness. feeze air mist.

the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. and it could strike at any time. think you're not at risk? wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles pvention. your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel - nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients - it really works. how did i ever miss this? before you were preventing migraine with qulipta? you'll never truly forget migraine, but qulipta reduces attacks, making zero-migraine days possible. it's approved to prevent migraine to help give you that forget-you-get migraine feeling. don't take if allergic to qulipta. get help right away for serious allergic reactions, like trouble breathing, face, lip, or tongue swelling, itching or rash, which may occur when taking qulipta or days after. common side effects include nausea, constipation, and sleepiness. learn how abbvie could help you save. qulipta, the forget-you-get migraine medicine.

between hollywood star blake lively and justin baldoni on the film "it ends with us" continues. baldoni's lawyer spoke out in an exclusive interview with liz kreutz. >> reporter: justin baldoni's attorney tells me they're not

done taking legal action against "the new york times." freeman insists the truth is in those documents and blake lively used her power and influence to take control of the film. lively's team is saying they'll defend her accusations in court. in the 0-page federal complaint against baldoni, lively said she was a target of a social media

smear campaign. baldoni's lawyer denying those allegations. >> was there a coordinated smear campaign to bring down blake lively? >> 100% not. justin baldoni said i don't want to do anything negative or hurt her. >> reporter: "the new york times" reported on a separate civil rights campaign lively filed presenting text messages that suggest she was a target of a smear campaign. baldoni is suing the paper for $250 million alleging the self-serving narrative.y's among the claims being disputed lively's allegation that baldoni would enter her trailer uninvited when she was undressed. a text exchange appears to show lively inviting baldoni to go over lines in her trail while she was pumping.

>> why should people not believe blake lively? >> i'm not asking anyone to not believe anyone. i'm more than willing to take every text message that exists out there, lay them out, put them on a website for the world to see and have them see the truth and termine the truth for themselves. >> you're denying a smear campaign. are you acknowledging there may have been some behavior onset that made blake lively uncomfortable? >> there's behavior always that can make people uncomfortable. the question in this case is does it rise to the level of

sexual harassment? >> reporter: lively did not respond for comment but said, i hope my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these retaliatory actions to harm people. baldoni's lawsuit against "the new york times" said lively's husband berate him. reynolds and lively have not responded to that allegation. lively is seeking compensation from what she says is lost wages and mental pain she suffered. and mental pain she suffered. back to your gut is like a garden growing both good bacteria and bad. that balance is key to a healthy gut environment. benefiber's plant-based prebiotic fiber gently nourishes the good bacteria, working with your body to help your gut, and you, flourish. effortlessly. every day. grow what feels good. with benefiber. now is the time to go back in time. and shine a light on the family journey that led to you. learn when they said, “i do.” ♪♪ when they became heroes. ♪♪ how they ruled the school.

curious about what you might find? with billions ofecords, photos and more, you're bound to find some gems. ancestry can help you piece together the past. memberships are on sale now, so start your journey today. have you always had trouble with your weight? memberships are on sale now, same. discover the power of wegovy®. with wegovy®, i lost 35 pounds. and some lost over 46 pounds. and i'm keeping the weight off. i'm reducing my risk. wegovy® is the only weight-management medicine proven to reduce risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and obesity. don't use wegovy® with semaglutide or glp-1 medicines, or in children under 12. don't take if you or your family had mtc, men 2, or if allergic to it. tell your provider if you plan to have surgery or a procedure, are breastfeeding, pregnant, or plan to be. stop taking and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or any of these allergic reactions.

serious side effects may include pancreas inflammation and gallbladder problems. call your prescriber if you have any of these symptoms. wegovy® may cause low blood sugar in people with diabetes, especially if you take medicines to treat diabetes. call your prescriber about vision changes, if you feel your heart racing while at rest, or if you have mental changes. depression or thoughts of suicide may occur. common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flu, or upset, headache, feeling tired, dizzy, or bloated, gas, and heartburn. some side effects lead to dehydration, which may cause kidney problems. with wegovy®, i'm losing weight, i'm keeping it off, and i'm lowering my cv risk. ask your prescriber about wegovy®. ♪today my friend you did it, you did it♪ pursue a better you with centrum. ♪♪ it's a small win toward taking charge of your health. ♪♪ so, this year, you can say... ♪you did it!♪

this is the fast forward on nbc news daily. happy friday i'm chris chmura. we have new information in the rape case involving former san francisco 49ers dana stubblefield. he will spend at least another two weeks in jail. our bob redell joins us from outside the hall of justice with the latest. within the past 24 hours, the state department of corrections moved dana stubblefield from the corcoran state prison, which is about 160 miles south of us, to the elmwood correctional facility in milpitas, which irun by the santa clara county sheriff's office. this was the scene this morning in department 23, where stubblefield's four attorneys spoke for several minutes off the record at the bench with the judge and assistant da before eventually going on the record. now, this morning's hearing to release was continued until

january 17th for two reasons one, the prosecution needs time to review the motion, which was just filed by the defense only two days ago, and two, the judge's judge is not convinced his court has jurisdiction to decide on stubblefield's release until the court of appeals sends the case back to santa clara county, where this case was originally tried. stubblefield's attorneys say that this is a technicality they believe they can argue against. last week, a california appellate court overturned the 2020 rape conviction of stubblefield. stubblefield, who used to be a defensive tackle for the san francisco 49ers and the then oakland raiders. in july of 2020, stubblefield was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after being convicted, being convicted of raping a woman who was interviewing for a babysitting job at his home in morgan hill. the appeals court determined stubblefield did not get a fair trial, and that prosecutors violated the 2020 racial justice act by making racially biased comments about

him being black. the woman also claimed that stubblefield used a gun, but police never searched the house for it. prosecutors say the home wasn't searched, in part because stubblefield was a famous black man on trial during the george floyd protests. here is one of stubblefield's attorneys after this morning's hearing. it was important to note that the judge was very sympathetic about our situation. we talked to him for quite a while at the bench, and he recognizes that under law, he should be returned to the status that he had prior to this false conviction. stubblefield's attorneys say their first priority is to get their client released. then they say they plan to go to t judge and ask that the case be dismissed entirely and not retried by the district attorney's office. they say there might be an issue of double jeopardy. jeopardy! which would disallow a refiling of this case here in san jose. outside the hall of justice, bob redell today in the bay. fire crews are trying to figure out why an antioch gas station went

up in flames just before four yesterday afternoon. that was the scene. a fire tearing through andy's auto repair and star gas mart at lone tree way and worrell road. our sky ranger spotted significant damage afterward. fortunately, firefighters put out the fire before it ignited the fuel pumps. the gas station owner told us he suspects the fire started in the auto repair shop next door. mechanic shop everywhere is oil. you know, the floor, the walls and everywhere is oil. for now, as i see, everything is gone. he told us he's going to work with his insurance company and the city to see if rebuilding is even possible. we reached out to the owner of andy's auto repair, but we did not hear back. you might want to have an umbrella on hand today. here's cynthia pimentel's forecast. well, it was a rainy start up there in the north bay, and that line has started to push on through east and south. we'll get a break up there for the middle part of the day through novato, santa rosa, napa county, as well as that line of showers continues to push on

through into the tri-valley and the south bay. and that rain and snow showers that mix continuing into the sierra. we should get a break here as we go on into the afternoon, maybe seeing those rainbows. and if we do get a shower or two into the evening hours, it will be light up there towards the north bay. everybody else going into dry mode, not only for thiss evening, but into our weekend as well, and coming up in about 30 minutes when i join you again, i'll show you the 7-day forecast, because i think you're really going to like it. i had a peek. you're going to love it. all right. you might love this, too. the santa cruz wharf will partially reope tomorrow, far earlier than originally thought. it was just last week. a section of the wharf collapsed into the ocean during a strong storm. 17 businesses have closed since then. originally, the city said it could take weeks, if not months to partially reopen the wharf, but city leaders announced they plan to reopen it tomorrow. the portion affected by the collapse will remain closed. okay, that's going to do it for this edition of the fast forward on nbc news daily. i'm chris chmura. i'll be back in 30

minutes with cynthia with more news advil liqui-gels are faster and stronger than tylenol rapid release gels. ♪♪ also from advil, advil targeted relief, the only topical with 4 powerful pain fighting ingredients that start working on contact and lasts up to 8 hours. the first time you try bounce, it hits you. your laundry feels way fresher, softer. so you start to wonder. if i put a sheet of bounce on the finance guy, will it make him softer? bounce can't do it all but for better laundry, ♪ put a sheet on it with bounce. ♪

if you take or have taken humira for moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and still have symptoms... you don't have to settle. ask your gastroenterologist if switching to rinvoq is right for you. it's one of the latest treatments from the makers of humira. rinvoq works differently than humira and may help. rinvoq is a once-daily pill that can deliver rapid symptom relief, lasting steroid-free remission, and helps visibly reduce damage of the intestinal lining. rinvoq can lower ability to fight infections. before treatment, test for tb and do bloodwork. serious infections, blood clots, some fatal; ...cancers, including lymphoma and skin; serious allergic reactions; gi tears; death; heart attack; and stroke occurred. cv event risk increases in age 50 plus with a heart disease risk factor. tell your doctor if you've had these events, infection, hep b or c, smoked, are pregnant or planning. don't take if allergic or have an infection. rapid symptom relief and lasting steroid-free remission are possible with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist to switching to rinvoq is right for you. you could pay as little as $0 per month.

♪♪ bottom of the hour. here are some of the stories making headlines on "nbc news daily." we start with a story that's truly bananas. when a california highway patrol officer pulled over a rolls royce for speeding they got a surprise. that's a spider monkey. it happened north of fresno

earlier this week. the monkey dressed in a pink and purple outfit. it's illegal to keep monkeys as pets in california. the animal is only a month old and was taken safely into animal control. the driver was found to be under the influence and in possession of cannabis for sale. south korean authorities tried and failed to carry out an unprecedented arrest warrant for the impeached president. he's facing arrest over his botched attempt to declare martial law. on friday thousands of police officers attempted to arrest yoon at his presidential residence, but they were blocked by his security detail and protesters. after a standoff, they suspended their efforts citing safety concerns. the arrest warrant expires on monday. potentially they could try again to arrest the former leader. 2 people are dead and 19 others are hurt after a plane crashed into a furniture warehouse in southern california

yesterday. security footage captured the moment a massive fire ball erupted from the roof. police say the pilot requested to return to the airport and the plane crashed on its way back airport, just 200 yards short. the faa and the ntsb say they're investigating. for the first time family members of lyle and eric menendez are meeting with the new los angeles d.a. they're both in prison convicted of killing their parents. the former d.a. recommended shortening their sentences. that former d.a. lost his election in november and the new d.a. hasn't said what he plans to do. liz kreutz is following this for

us. this is a private meeting between the brothers and the d.a. what do we expect? >> reporter: we expect 20 members of the menendez family will meet with the new d.a. as we said before, the d.a.'s recommendation is important. it will hold a lot of weight as it goes to a judge to make the decision. it lands in the hands of a judge. there's a critical hearing happening in a few weeks. the family is awaiting the recommendation from the d.a. the d.a. is about to meet with the 20 family members, but previously just a few weeks ago met with the menendez brothers' uncle, the vocal member of the family not supporting their release. it's likely to be a topic of conversation as well the fact that the d.a., the new d.a., has appointed that uncle's attorney to his offense as the new director of victim services.

although the new district attorney has not said how he stands on this case, there's a relationship with that attorney. that will probably come up today in this meeting as they continue to push for the brothers' release. >> liz, i misspoke, it's the family of the menendez brothers meeting with the d.a. there's a resentencing hearing scheduled for later this month. what do we know about that? >> reporter: it's scheduled for two days because the judge anticipates so much testimony. we're likely to hear from several members of the menendez family. we heard from their elderly aunt. she spoke last month. we'll hear from other family members making a case for their release. we may hear from eric and lyle themselves from prison. we could hear from the people who do not support their release, including some in the d.a.'s office. >> liz kreutz for us, thank you. in today's daily health, if

you were planning on pouring yourself a glass of wine this weekend, you might want to listen up. the surgeon general of the u.s. is sounding the alarm on alcohol. a new advisory out cites a direct link between alcohol consumption and several different types of cancer. surgeon general vivek murphy should carry a warning label. joining us now is dr. john torres and ann thompson onset. ann, it surprised a lot of people to have the surgeon genel say we need warning labels. what's going on? >> it's surprising because it's not based on new research. he's looking at the compilation of research over years and saying americans need to be more aware of the possible links between alcohol consumption and cancer. he said fewer than half

americans already make that link and he said there is extensive evidence that there's a link and it involves seven different types of cancer. let me read those to you, mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, breast, liver and colon. he said the risk could start at one drink or less a day. right now the recommendations are two drinks or less for men, one drink or less for women. it could take less to increase your risk of cancer. >> dr. john, help us understand the science ann was talking about here. why can alcohol consumption lead to cancer? >> ann is absolutely correct. getting that one drink could cause some issues. the key word is possibly. they want people to be warned. that's why they're talking about

putting labels on there. there's four things that alcohol does to our body. the world health organization says there's no level of alcohol that is safe. you it damages the dna when it's broken down. it can cause stress and it can lead to greater absorpti of carcinogens. people drink where there might be cigarette smoking and that alcohol drinking can let those carcinogens in there. they want people to be warned it could be an issue. >> understanding all that, there's been conflicting news about alcohol. there was a report saying moderate drinkers had a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. how do we make sense of all

this? >> i tell people often there's no really black or white to the situation here. it's a very gray area in between of saying, depending who you are and your risks, depending on your family history and how much you drink, that can affect you. every drink you take could cause some issues. you need to be careful. if cancer runs in your family, you need to be more careful. we don't really know the full story on the heart disease issue. the links were there earlier, thinking their might be a connection between increasing your heart health and drinking. now we're not sure. it's muddied by the studies. there's not a definite answer. you want to be careful. can you have a drink for celebration? sure. should you drink on a daily basis? probably not. >> ann, i have one last question of you. is it possible these labels become affixed to alcohol bottles? we have a new president coming

in. >> that depends on congress. only congress can change the warning labels. there's no indication at this point of what their appetite is for that. >> ann thompson, dr. john, thank you. you can see more of ann's reporting tonight on the "nbc nightly news." it has been just over a year since the fda approved a new form of gene therapy to treat the blood disorder known as sickle cell disease. only a few dozen patients have received the treatments. according to the cdc there are more than 100,000 americans with the disease. our correspondent breaks down why people are having a tough time getting it. >> this is the star of the day. how are you this morning? >> reporter: some patients call what's about to begin in this d.c. hospital room a modern miracle.

this 19-year-old is about to have his cells removed as part of a therapy for sickle cell disease. lab technicians will genetically alter the stem cells that leads them to reduce red blood cells likely linked to sickle. after chemotherapy to mamake ro for the bone marrow, they'll reintroduce to cells to his blood stream. dr. david jacobson says there's not been enough of these patients. >> good to see you. >> good to see you too. >> what a journey it's been to get to today. >> i know. >> what's the holdup? >> it takes a lot of coordination of care. we have to make sure there's a slot with the manufacturing company and we have to, of course, make sure the insurance authorizes it, the treatment.

>> reporter: the months long treatment costs around 2 to $3 million. its resource intensive for the limited number of hospitals authorized to deliver it. on several dozen people have begun the process nationwide. for this boy, it could be an end to constant pain. >> it's a really sharp pain that feels like someone is jamming a knife in me. >> is the pain with sickle cell chronic? is it almost every day? >> yes. it never really goes away. >> reporter: until now the only cure is a stem cell transplant with a donor. that worked for his younger brother who was also born with sick cell. their mom whose anti-bodies prevented the same cure for him.

>> i was ecstatic. >> we were excited about the bone marrow transplant, but knew he wouldn't be able to get it. that's hard. >> it was sad. >> what did it feel like to be on the cusp of a sendmiracle for your family? >> i don't have the right words to explain it. >> reporter: his brother has been transformed, but he's skeptical. >> how do you feel that this might not work? >> about 60%. >> reporter: even with the complications that could come, if there's any chance of a less painful future, he said it's worth trying.. yamiche alcindor. >> thank you. some people experiencing grief are turning

in today's mental health check we're talking about grief. all of us process it dierently, right, but now some

people are turning to new technology to help them cope. they're using artificial intelligence chatbots to talk through their grief about a loved one. our next guest warns this might actually do more harm than good. joining me now is gina maffa. she's a social worker who specializes in grief. for those of us who don't know what's happening, how are people using chatbots to help with grief? >> grief is one of the biggest burdens people are carrying. there's so little services out there for people due to many barriers, cost, availability. a.i. has brought us tools to help with it. >> do you advise against generally using a chatbot or

a.i. tools for this purpose, to try to manage grief? if so, why? >> i think it's really important for us to check in with ourselves and ask ourselves what we're using it for. if we're using it for comfort, if we're using it because we have no social support or professional resources and we could use that, or we need it in addition to therapy, you know, during the hours while in bed or alone or our therapist isn't available, there can be a benefit having that companionship. where it gets tricky is where we use it to replace our loved one or deceased loved one. where it gets tricky is we can potentially put in symptoms within the chat box which is set with an algorithm and preset responses which cannot read nuance and misunderstand something as a medical diagnosis instead of understanding it as a

human wound. we have to be careful about why we're using it and which ways we're using it. >> it's so interesting. you told our producers people should check with themselves and make sure they're grounded in the reality and acceptance of their loss. how do we do that? it's so hard when you lose someone. >> it absolutely is. it's important to note that everybody is going to have a unique and individual experience of loss that will have its own timeline. i think that can be really scary and daunting, that sense of unpredictability on the grief path. it's important for us to understand what is it that i need during this grief process. at the end of the day we're grieving human attachment. it feels counterintuitive we could go to get human attachment with an a.i. tool. it shows the need for companionship and the need to have conversation and have somebody readily available when we have these moments of very

unexpected and unpredictable grief bursts as i call them. >> that's the thing. i'm sitting here thinking about all the stories i've told about mental health care and not having access. there's a lot of people that can't get in with any psychologist or therapist. is it better than nothing to have a.i.-driven chats that you can have? >> it absolutely is. if this is your only recourse, i would say as long as you can remember you're using this for comfort and not to deny or the acceptance of the reality of your loss, it could be beneficial, especially if you lack any social resources. we have to remember that a.i. is taught to read the lines which we put in. humans and professional therapists are taught to read between them. it's a really important thing to remember that a.i. doesn't necessarily help with nuance and grief is very nuanced and very individual. >> in a word, we just have a few

seconds, what would you advise someone trying to support people who are grieving in our lives? >> quite simply show up. keep showing up. remember that grief lasts far remember that grief lasts far beyond the ♪♪ whenever heartburn strikes, get fast relief with tums. it's time to love food back. also try new tums gummy bites. you'll find them in cities, towns and suburbs all across america. millions of americans who have medicare and medicaid, but may be missing benefits they could really use. extra benefits they may be eligible to receive at no extra cost. and if you have medicare and medicaid, you may be able to get extra benefits, too. through a humana medicare advantage dual-eligible special needs plan. call now to see if there's a plan in your area and to see if you qualify. with a humana

medicare advantage dual-eligible special needs plan, you could have doctor, hospital and prescription drug coverage in one convenient plan. plus, most plans include the humana healthy options allowance. get twelve hundred dollars a year. that's one hundred dollars each month to help pay for eligible groceries, utilities, rent and more. your allowance is conveniently loaded onto a pre-paid card each month. and whatever you don't spend gets carried over to the next month. plus, you could get other important benefits. most plans include dental coverage, with z zero-doll copays for coved preventive services. vision coverage, including eye exams and a yearly allowance for eyewear. even hearing benefits with routine hearing exams and coverage toward hearing aids. and you could pay nothing for covered prescriptions, even brand name ones, all year long! you'll also get zero-dollar copays for routine vaccines and telehealth visits. and, you'll have access to humana's multiple large plan networks of doctors,

hospitals and pharmacies. best of all, if you have medicare and medicaid, you may be eligible to enroll in a humana medicare advantage dual-eligible special needs plan right now. so, if you ha medicare and medicaid, call now to see if there's a plan in your area that could give you extra benefits. a knowledgeable, licensed humana sales agent will explain your coverage options. even help you enroll over the phone. call today and we'll also send this free guide. humana. a more human way to healthcare. the virus that causes shingles is sleeping... in 99% of people over 50. and it could strike at any time. think you're not at risk? wake up. because shingles could wake up in you. if you're over 50, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about shingles prevention.

this is the fast forward on nbc news daily. i'm chris chmura. this just into our newsroom. an update on that antioch police scandal. the city of antioch is taking steps to address racial discrimination by police against members of the public. the department of justice launched an investigation into antioch pd last year. that was because the fbi uncovered racist text messages that officers sent between 2019 and 2020. well, today, the city and the doj announced they've reached an agreement. antioch pd says it will now hire a law enforcement consultant, and they'll take a look at the department's use of force and its hiring and firing practices. their job will be to train officers, to train officers on nondiscriminatory policing. in a statement, the department says the messages that prompted the investigation were unacceptablee and it is committed to making sure nothing like this happens again. will

the streets of san francisco be any safer in 2025? well, the city is taking steps. san francisco recorded 41 traffic deaths in 2024, one of the deadliest years in decades. sfmta pointed to two key factors bigger cars and unsafe speeds. they say speed was responsible for a quarter of traffic deaths last year, but city leaders are taking action to improve safety this year. speed cameras will debut at 33 locations around the city. plus, you'll find lower speed limits on 11 different roads. incoming sf mayor daniel lurie is reaffirming his commitment to street safety, saying, quote, i am building a team rooted in accountability, service and change to tackle the city's historic challenges. that includes addressing street safety to reduce traffic fatalities and ensure we can all move safely throughout this incredible city. we're continuing to follow the cybertruck explosion in las vegas and the terror attack in new orleans. investigators say both men rented cars in each incident from the same san

francisco based company. that company is called turo. it's an app essentially like airbnb, but for cars. turo ceo spoke to cnbc about the company's investigations into the attacks. he says both individuals had clean criminal backgrounds and valid driver's licenses. and there were, quote, no red flags. we feel that our track record is strong in terms of trust and safety, but we want to hear their recommendations. how can we get even better? you know, we want to do everything in our power to help contribute to reducing such horrific acts in the future. the ceo said the recent publicity has not impacted toro's business. some rain around the bay area today, but how long will it stick around? cinthia pimentel has our 7-day forecast. a rainy and breezy first half of the day through san francisco and along the peninsula. we'll go on into clear mode later on tonight and continuing through the weekend, watching for some areas of fog come saturday morning. now, i mentioned that you're going to like that 7-day forecast. and

here's why. after we start with that rain for today, we're actually going to go and enjoy some clear skies into our first full week of january. back into the work and school routine. those skies will clear up and the temperatures might even start to warm in our inland valleys into some mid to upper 60s. so enjoy that. it's the rain jacket for today, but going into the next couple of days, we could be wearing those sunglasses and the short sleeve shirts as we go on and look at the first week of

on ultra processed foods. he issued an executive order today. it asks state agencies to recommend steps to limit health impacts associated with ultra processed foods and synthetic food dyes. the governor's office is also looking to help families get more affordable and healthier food. all right. that does it. for this edition of the fast forward. we'llee you at 430 with more news. have a great weekend.

when migraine strikes... do you question the tradeoffs of treating? ubrelvy is another option. it works fast, and most have migraine pain relief within two hours. you can treat it anytime, anywhere. tell your doctor all medicines you take. don't take... ...with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. get help right away for allergic reactions like trouble breathing or face, tongue, or throat swelling, which may occur hours to days after use. common side effects include nausea and sleepiness. migraine pain relief starts with you. learn how abbvie could help you save on ubrelvy. mr. clean magic eraser... wow - where has this been my entire life? learn how abbvie could having to clean with multiple products is a hassle. with magic eraser... i use it on everyday messes. i even use it on things that i think are impossible to clean. you need mr. clean magic eraser in your life. when a tough cough finds you on the go, a syrup would be... silly! woo! hey! try new robitussin soft chews. packed with the power of robitussin... in every bite. easy to take cough relief, anywhere. chew on relief, chew on a

♪ robitussin ♪

chew on a i'm craig melvin, and this is "dateline daytime" on nbc.h. he loves us so much. no one wants to have both their parents taken away from them. craig melvin: it's a tale with so many dramatic turns, the story of a young family facing heartache beyond measure. a mom who suddenly vanished, a dad suddenly under suspicion. you just hear the awful things they say. i knew they were focusing on me. craig melvin: there was no body, no weapon, no eyewitness.