nbc's mike taibbi has the latest. >> manti te'o! >> reporter: in his first interview since the scandal broke manti te'o said no, never ever was he part of the fake girlfriend hoax that exploded to his embarrassment this week. >> he was completely composed, self-assured. >> te'o told scapp and other interviewers that he'd met the girl that he knew online so they wouldn't think he was a crazy guy. after saying his beloved grandmother and long time girlfriend died on the same day the imaginary girlfriend and tragic death have achieved the status of lore. >> when my lost my grandmother and girlfriend it changed my life. >> reporter: he suspected he was pranked december 6th when he got a call from one of the hoaksters in new york. >> i'll never forget the time my girlfrie girlfriend passed away. >> reporter: he said he was responsible for the hoax. and what about the girl in the picture? the picture apparently stolen and used without her knowledge but te'o says he believed was the online image of his girlfriend. an unwitting part of the

nbc's mike taibbi has the latest tonight. >> manti te'o! [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: in his first interview since the scandal broke manti te'o told espn's jeremy schaap, no, never ever was he part of the fake girlfriend hoax that exploded to his embarrassment this week. >> he was completely composed, self-assured. >> reporter: te'o told schaap he did tell his father and other interviewers that he'd met the girl he now says he only knew online since late in his freshman year so they wouldn't think he was some crazy dude for calling her his girlfriend. by this past fall when te'o played on amp saying that his grandmother and beloved girlfriend died on the same day, the imaginary girlfriend and tragic death had achieved the status of lure. >> when i lost my girlfriend and my grandmother that was possibly the hardest time in my life. >> reporter: te'o told schaap he suspected he'd been pranked december 6th when he got a call from one of the hoaxsters posing at his girlfriend. two days later he said this when he was runner-up for the he

>> mike taibbi covering for us, centennial, colorado, mike, thanks. >>> scary scene on the water in new york this morning. a ferry packed with hundreds of commuters slammed into its dock. passengers got violently tossed in the sudden impact. more than 70 people were hurt, 11 of them seriously. federal investigators are on the scene looking for the cause. >>> there are two big stories developing tonight involving performance-enhancing drugs and sports. one involves the major league baseball hall of fame and the players who today were turned away. the other, lance armstrong, who appears ready to open up with oprah. here with it tonight, nbc's anne thompson. >> reporter: today baseball hall of fame voters pitched a shutout. >> for only the eighth time since voting began in 1936, the voting membership did not elect anyone to cooperstown. >> reporter: three stars of baseball's era denied. barry bonds who went from this to this as he became baseball's career home run king. sammy sosa, who hit 609 round-trippers. and roger clemens, seven-time cy young award winner, all fell short of the 75% of

mike taibbi, nbc news, acton, california. >> thanks, mike. >>> here's your first look at some of the news going on around america. connecticut police arrested a man on a violent rampage at a walmart. the suspect attacked two men, one in the parking lot, the second one in the store when he punched the elderly greeter in the face. the one that greets you when you walk in the door. the 54-year-old is in police custody on a $25,000 bond. >>> police arrested one man and are hunting another connected to stealing 100 unique meteorites loaned to a north carolina science institute. the fallen stars recovered from the christmas eve heist are worth over $80,000. >>> it may not have the madness of times square but folks in lisburn, pennsylvania, have their own wacky way of ringing in the new year. on new year's eve the town drops yellow britches in honor of the yellow breeches creek. creative. >>> organizers in southern california applied the finishing touches to the incredible mobile flower arrangements that will make up the 124th tournament of roses parade. marching bands and floats are ready

mike taibbi, nbc news, oakland. >> that's our broadcast for this friday night. thank you for being with us. i'm lester holt. brian williams will be back on monday. in the meantime, i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today." have a great weekend, everyone, and good night. >>> a great person. she just was a great girl. and she'll be really missed. >> right now at 6:00, a devastating ending, a family grieves at the discovery that no one wanted. we're following the trail of clues as to how a 19-year-old died in tahoe. >>> and he tried to do the right thing in the wrong way. the family of a man who tried to fight back against crime with deadly consequences speaks out for 0 the first time. >> and it is the end of an era. legendary lead

mike taibbi is with us tonight from centennial, colorado. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. they're calling it a mini trial and here's why. if prosecutors don't seek the death penalty and haven't said yet and james holmes pleads guilty to all of the charges and accepts a sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole, there may never be a trial. more than 100 victims' relatives and victims' survivors packed the courtroom and two overflow rooms to hear details of the case against james holmes, dishelveled and bearded in court and seemingly uninterested in the proceedings. the young police officer who put holmes in handcuffs outside century 16 theater number 9 that night described him just minutes after the shooting stopped as very, very relaxed, like there weren't normal emotional responses to anything. he seemed very detached. but subsequent police witnesses describe the unspeakably gruesome scene he left behind. a tear-gas filled killing zone that left 12 dead and some 70 wounded. officer justin grizzle, who tran

as nbc's mike taibbi reports, the graphic testimony is the most detailed account yet of what happenedn that tragic night. >> reporter: more than 100 victims' relatives and survivesor packed two overflow rooms to hear details against james holmes seemingly uninterested in the proceedings. the young police officer who put holmes in handcuffs outside century 16 theater number 9 that night described him just minutes after the shooting stopped as very, very relaxed, like there weren't normal emotional responses to anything. he seemed very detached. subsequent police witnesses describe the gruesome scene he left behind, a tear gas filled killing zone that left 12 dead and some 70 wounded. officer justin grizzle broke down whether asked why he kept returning to the theater to pull more living victims into his car. i didn't want them to die, he said. sergeant gerald johnscar broke down when he recalled find nothing pulse when he checked the littlest victim, veronica sullivan. terrible details said jessica watts whose cousin was among the dead but details that have to be made public. >> it's j

nbc's mike taibbi reports. >> reporter: the kiss nightclub was packed with the usual saturday night crowdhen at 2:00 in the morning, a disaster. the ground floor was filled with smoke. club security initially blocked several emergency exits, thinking patrons were leaving without paying and that left only a few ways out. in the ensuing panic, many victims were trampled, others died of smoke inhalation. witnesses told police the fire was sparked by a pyrotechnics show on stage, according to nick ravenskroft of itv news. >> the stunt on stage with the flare made the ceiling catch fire. >> reporter: whatever the precise cause, the fire spread incredibly quickly as the crowd struggled to find ways to safety. some clubgoers who did make it out, joined firemen and onlookers in their attempts to open new escape routes using sledge hammers and axes, but it was too late for many inside. does of victims were carried to arising ambulances, if they survived. santa maria's major trauma hospital was quickly overwhelmed. >> translator: the injured are scattered around the hospital. those waiting for news

mike taibbi, nbc news, acton, california. >>> and one sports note tonight.has been a particularly black monday for nfl coaches following the end of the regular season yesterday. seven teams fired their head coaches. the philadelphia eagles, chicago bears, san diego chargers, arizona cardinals, cleveland browns, buffalo bills and kansas city chiefs all missed making the playoffs, and today their coaches paid the price. >>> when we come back, we're live from times square with preparations for the big party. and a look at some spots where they've already rung in 2013. when the doctor told me that i could smoke for the first week... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right awa

mike taibbi, nbc news, oakland. >> that's our broadcast for this friday night.nk you for being with us. i'm lester holt. brian williams will be back on monday. in the meantime, i'll see you tomorrow morning on "today." have a great weekend, everyone and good night. nd monday. have a great night. . .

. >> that was nbc's mike taibbi reporting for us. >>> for a look at the weather here's meteorologist bill karins. >> the northwest got a little rain yesterday. this is a bigger storm. the avalanche threat is high because we're getting rain at higher elevation on top of the snowpack, makes it heavier and that's when you have danger of avalanches. let's show you what happened yesterday. this is the 24-hour rainfall totals. some fell as snow in spokane area but anywhere between a quarter of an inch in most cases up to a half an inch. with the next batch of rain coming in in the next storm, the warm front to the south. as it tries to push inland, it has a plume of moisture with it and coming down pretty good. you can see the motion and movement in some of this rain drifting up to the north. the highest elevations will see snow once again at passes, though. it should be kind of a battle. may be starting off as snow and changing to rain as warmer temperatures will win out. this will be a little more impressive. our expected rainfall totals, just computer estimates, but could be anywhere be

mike taibbi, nbc news, oakland. >>> much more ahead on "today in the bay."work of art, how crews are adding hundreds of thousands of lights to the bay bridge. >>> plus the man who led de la salle football team to its 17 state titles is hanging up his whistle after more than 30 years. [ mom ] dear chex cereal, i just had to write. you can't imagine how long i've been searching for something like this for my family. i'm amazed you make so many great flavors that are gluten free. my guys are crazy for chocolate chex and honey nut chex. for me, it's cinnamon. it means a lot to be able to give them something that's good for them, that also puts smiles on their faces. 'cause i really love those smiles. we're the harris family. and we love chex. [ male announcer ] love chex? connect with us on facebook. >>> good morning, welcome back to the broadcast. 7:39 is the time, of course looking at some iconic figures in san francisco, alcatraz island, coit tower. change in the weather this afternoon, rob mayeda will be here in about five minutes to give you the full foreca

nbc's mike taibbi was in the courtroom. >> reporter: alone gunman shooting rampage that killed and injured so many so efficiently was long in planning, as shown by the evidence revealed this week. an arsenal for mass murder accumulated in a two-month buying spree, mostly online right up to the days before the massacre. finally ready, police say holmes took preattack photos of himself, some with his weapons, just before leaving the night of july 19th. and holmes himself told police after his arrest how he bobby trapped his apartment with a dozen bombs, hoping for an explosion to divert police there while opening fire at the theater three miles away. prosecutors played 911 calls from the theater, the sounds of gunshots and people screaming for help, jarring for the victims' loved ones like jonathan blunk's wife shantel. >> you can kind of imagine it, actually being there a little more. and it's something you don't want to imagine. >> from where i was sitting, i could see his face, i could see his eyes, i could see his expression, and he just looked very evil and just sat in the courtroom pre

mike taibbi has the latest. mike, good morning. >> good morning, savannah. it has been a dead lly combinatn in the past, a nightclub filled with revelers and pyrotechnics and few too ways to escape led to panic. in santa maria, it was packed with its usual saturday nightclub when, at 2:00 in the morning, disaster. a swift-moving fire filled the ground-floor club with thick smoke. witnesses said club security initially blocked several emergency exits, thinking p patrons were leaving without paying and that left only a few ways out. in the ensuing panic, some victims were trampled. most died of smoke inhalation. many witnesses told police this fire was triggered by the use of some incindiery device on stage. >> the band used fireworks and as we heard it was usual for this presentation but the ceiling was too short. >> reporter: some club goers who did make it out joined firemen and onlookers in their attempt to open new exits using sledge hammers and axes. victims were carried to ambulances and other vehicles and were quickly moved to the trauma center. >> sca

here is nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: ronaiah tuiasosopo told dr.mcgraw that as manti te'o became more famous, the online hoax he started two years earlier was sure to blow up and not hurt te'o, but him. >> i wanted to end t after everything i had gone through, i realized i had to move on with my life and had to get, you know, the real me, ronaiah -- i had to just start living and let this go. >> reporter: mcgraw says at the request of tuiasosopo's psychiatrist, he spent hours with the young california man and his parents. >> ronaiah had a number of life experiences that damaged this young man in some very serious ways. >> reporter: they all watched katie couric's interview with te'o and discussed in detail what te'o called his humiliation, falling in love with a picture of stranger, used without permission, and accompanied by a hoaxer's voice. so persuasive to te'o that even after the heisman runner-up guessed he had been had, he talked about his girlfriend, lennay kekua, as if she were real. >> i will never forget when my girlfriend -- >> absolute

mike taibbi has the latest.rning. >> just to recap for those who don't know the bare bones of this improbable tale, a college football player falls in love with a girl he never meets, online, and then she dies and he plays the next day, at her request. there was never any girlfriend. the love of his life turned out to be a picture of a stranger used without permission and accompanied by a hoaxter's voice for months on end, those listening and watching could measure his credibility. >> no, what i went through was real. the feelings, the pain, the sorrow. that was all real. and that is something that i can't fake sfwlr. >> reporter: te'o says this man, ronaiah tuiasosopo, created the hoax. battle against leukemia and her need for him to stick with her. >> i'm getting ready for my first session and, um just want to call you and keep you posted. i miss you. i love you. bye. >> reporter: when he was told last september she died, the same day his grandmother died, she left this message the night before. i just want to

. >> mike taibbi of rolling stone joins me after the break to tell me why he thinks the president isg on geithner. why the bailouts may have rescued wall street but didn't fix the economy. d, she can't always move the way she wants. now you can with new stayfree ultra thins. flexible layers move with your body, while thermocontrol wicks moisture away. keep moving. new stayfree. diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. live the regular life. phillips'. live the regular life. ...so as you can see, geico's customer satisfaction is at 97%. mmmm tasty. and cut! very good. people are always asking me how we make these geico adverts. so we're taking you behind the scenes. this coffee cup, for example, is computer animated. it's not real. geico's customer satisfaction is quite real though. this computer-animated coffee tastes dreadful. geico. 15 minutes could save you 15 % or more on car insurance. someone get me a latte will ya, please? is a fantastic experience. 30 shrimp

mike taibbi is at the courthouse in centennial. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. prosecutors haven't said whether they will seek the death penalty. he could end up with a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. in this hearing, the details of exactly what happened just after midnight last july 20th are being made public for the first time. more than 100 victims, relatives and victims' survivors packed the courtroom and two overflow rooms to hear details of the case against james holmes, disheveled and bearded in court and seemingly uninterested in the proceedings. the young police officer who arrested holmes said at first he thought he was a s.w.a.t. team cop because of the way he was dressed but put him in handcuffs because he was just standing there outside theater nine, quote, very, very relaxed. like they weren't normal emotional responses to anything. he seemed very detached. detached after leaving behind a tear-gas filled killing zone where the latest "batman" movie had just started.

mike taibbi has the story. >> good morning, natalie.e staying as far from the media as possible. te'o saying late friday had nothing to do with the hoax also concedes that his own words and actions didn't help his cause. heisman trophy runner-up remains in florida, preparing for the nfl draft. but manti te'o told espn he was never, ever part of the fake girlfriend hoax. the person te'o said admitted to him this week it was his doing was ronaiah tuiasosopo. t tayo told espn, he now knows that there was no girlfriend that died tragically, lennay kekua. days after he suspected he had been victimized by a prank still talked about his dead girlfriend at the heisman ceremony in new york. >> i'll never forget the time when i found out that my girlfriend passed away. >> in what he called his biggest regret, te'o told his father and several interviewers he had, in fact, met his girlfriend when he never had. nfl watchers say it may not hurt his status in the upcoming draft. >> there are guys in the nfl who have done far worse than be involved in

here's mike taibbi. >> reporter: with the windmill down over the new england patriots, john harbaugh became the second part in a writer's dream. that's because hours earlier, his brother coached the 49ers to the super bowl. the harbaugh, you get the idea. >> they down played their story. >> not like churchill and roosevelt or anything. >> the fighters are first, playing,thy players have the most to do with it, the ones wee should be talking about. >> we're not that interesting, nothing more to learn. >> reporter: sports fans are always interesting when it's siblings fighting for the biggest prize like williams sisters in tennis and manning boys in the nfl. like them, the harbaugh brothers had family that supported them on the way to the top. >> this is the first time in american sports it's siblings head coaches squaring off, not generals or players but head coaches who love each other and hate to lose. >> reporter: their father jack was a lifer himself and wanted them to be the best. >> they wanted to be the best and the thing they had the tremendous capacity for, when they got knoc