Ground-stop at the Capitol; “He tells the same story”: Lester Holt on the Texas inmate facing execution

Summary

Podcast Summary: Here's the Scoop (NBC News)

Episode: Ground-stop at the Capitol; “He tells the same story”: Lester Holt on the Texas inmate facing execution
Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Yasmin Vasugin
Guests: Shannon Pettypiece, Ryan Nobles, Lester Holt

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Overview

This episode of "Here's the Scoop" dives deep into two gripping national stories: the ongoing government shutdown and its cascading effects, and the upcoming execution of Robert Roberson in Texas, a man who maintains his innocence in a controversial child death case. The show also highlights Capitol Hill dynamics, stories of everyday Americans, and a special interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on his investigative reporting into Roberson’s conviction. Rounding out the program are rapid-fire headlines covering politics, crime, art, and sports.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Impact of the Government Shutdown

Guests: Shannon Pettypiece, Ryan Nobles
Timestamps: 00:55 – 10:50

• Federal Worker Hardship

  • Federal workers are scrambling to make ends meet; some are resorting to gig work (DoorDash, Uber) or loans to cover essential needs.
    • "I spoke to one State Department employee... planning to deliver food for Doordash and drive for Uber to pay his bills." – Shannon Pettypiece [01:36]
  • Last full paycheck will be only 70% of normal pay; no further paychecks until government reopens.

• Aviation Impact

  • Air traffic controllers, already under strain, are working without assured pay, leading to airport delays and even a temporary ground stop at Nashville.
    • "Air traffic controllers already facing staffing shortages are now guiding planes without the guarantee of a paycheck." – Yasmin Vasugin [02:29]

• Internal GOP Friction: Marjorie Taylor Greene Breaks Rank

  • Rep. Greene is breaking with the GOP and with Trump on the shutdown and key issues, citing independence and concern for her constituents, especially on healthcare.
    • "I'm not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don't think anyone should be. ... I'm elected by my district. That's who I work for." – Marjorie Taylor Greene, via Ryan Nobles [04:16]
  • Greene presses for immediate healthcare negotiations and suggests nuking the filibuster to resolve the stalemate.
    • "She thinks the Republicans should be in session right now. ... talks about healthcare should start now." – Ryan Nobles [05:23]
  • Greene’s daughters rely on the Affordable Care Act; looming subsidy cuts are personal for her.

• Military & Selective Back Pay Scenarios

  • Past shutdowns have seen special efforts to secure military pay. However, Ryan Nobles and Senator Chris Murphy stress that choosing "winners and losers" among federal workers is unfair and distracts from solving the shutdown itself.
    • "How are you going to start to pick the winners and losers? ... Every single person that collects a paycheck from the federal government is serving their country." – Ryan Nobles [07:34]

• White House Rhetoric and Legal Back Pay Guarantees

  • Discussion of President’s vague comments about who "deserves" back pay. Nobles clarifies that federal law ensures all furloughed workers will receive back pay.
    • "This isn't a real issue. This is just a smoke and mirrors campaign by the White House." – Ryan Nobles [09:10]
  • White House threats of layoffs have been unfulfilled; Democrats have remained firm, and healthcare is now part of the negotiation lexicon.

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2. Death Row in Texas: The Robert Roberson Case

Guest: Lester Holt
Timestamps: 12:34 – 20:37

• Background of the Case

  • Roberson has been on Texas’s death row for 20+ years, convicted in his 2-year-old daughter Nikki’s death, with the state’s prosecution centered around "shaken baby syndrome."
    • "Robert was arrested... accused of shaking his daughter... to death. He's always maintained his innocence." – Lester Holt [13:51]
  • Modern medical evidence disputes the certainty of shaken baby diagnosis; Nikki had extensive health issues (over 40 doctor/hospital visits).
    • "She was a very sickly little girl. The jury... never heard that." – Lester Holt [13:51]

• Questions About Judicial Conduct

  • Podcast episode reveals new evidence of possible judicial misconduct. The presiding judge allegedly assigned parental rights without a hearing—potentially a structural error.
    • "Larry Bowman told me specifically the name of the judge. That judge was the presiding judge in the case. So therein lies...conflict of interest, a judicial misconduct." – Lester Holt [16:59]

• Roberson’s Demeanor and Neurodiversity

  • Medical professionals and the police initially distrusted Roberson due to his flat affect, but he’s been diagnosed with autism, affecting his communication and behavior.
    • "He tells the same story. ... His lawyer says he's very literal... Turned out he has autism." – Lester Holt [18:21]

• Personal Toll and the Death Penalty Process

  • Lester Holt describes visiting Roberson on death row and the chilling routine of the lead-up to execution.
    • "He came within about two hours of execution the last time. So his description was very vivid. I dare anyone to sit and listen to that and not get the chills." – Lester Holt [19:25]
  • New motions and evidence may impact Roberson’s fate, but the clock is ticking toward the October 16 execution date.

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3. Headlines Roundup

Timestamps: 20:45 – 23:46

• James Comey Indictment

  • Former FBI Director pleads not guilty to federal charges of lying to Congress and obstructing Congress, trial set for January 5, 2026.

• Arson Arrest, Wildfire Investigation

  • Arrest made in the deadly Palisades fire that killed 12. It’s under investigation if suspect Jonathan Renderknecht is linked to another major fire the same day.

• Bob Ross Art Auction

  • 30 iconic "happy little trees" paintings to be sold, proceeds supporting PBS affiliates after severe federal budget cuts.
    • "Maybe there's some happy little trees that live back here. Just a whole line of happy little trees." – Ryan Nobles [23:05]

• Yankees Postseason Comeback & Bad Bunny

  • Aaron Judge sparks historic comeback against the Blue Jays; Bad Bunny’s eventful fall includes SNL hosting and a memorable moment at the Yankees game.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Marjorie Taylor Greene's Shift:
  "I'm not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don't think anyone should be." – Marjorie Taylor Greene (via Ryan Nobles) [04:16]

• On Federal Back Pay Guarantees:
  "This isn't a real issue. This is just a smoke and mirrors campaign by the White House." – Ryan Nobles [09:10]

• Lester Holt on Roberson’s Story Consistency and Autism:
  "He tells the same story. ... He's very literal; you know, and then she argues he would never lie because he just. He's very literal." – Lester Holt [18:21]

• The Chilling Routine of Death Row:
  "I dare anyone to sit and listen to that and not get the chills and try to think, what would I be doing?" – Lester Holt [19:25]

• On Happy Little Trees:
  "Maybe there's some happy little trees that live back here. Just a whole line of happy little trees." – Ryan Nobles [23:05]

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Segment Timestamps

• Impact of the Shutdown & Federal Workers: 00:55 – 02:29
• Ground Stop and Aviation Industry Effects: 02:29 – 02:55
• Marjorie Taylor Greene Interview/Analysis: 02:58 – 08:47
• Shutdown Law & Political Maneuvering: 08:47 – 10:50
• Lester Holt on Robert Roberson (Full Segment): 12:34 – 20:37
• Rapid Headlines: 20:45 – 23:46
• Sports/Pop Culture (Yankees, Bad Bunny): 23:36 – 23:46

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Summary

This episode expertly threads two urgent stories—the lived consequences of political gridlock and the human dimension behind a death penalty case—while providing the news, context, and human stories that matter. The show gives listeners essential updates, firsthand accounts, and deep dives, drawing on the strengths of NBC’s journalistic team, and leaving listeners better informed about both headline and hidden stories shaping America.

Transcript

[LifeLock Announcer]

It's Cybersecurity awareness month and LifeLock is here with tips to help protect your identity, use strong passwords, set up multi factor authentication and report phishing scams. And for comprehensive identity protection, LifeLock is your best choice. LifeLock alerts you to suspicious uses of your personal information and also fixes identity theft, guaranteed or your money back. Stay smart, stay safe and stay protected with a 30 day free trial at lifelock.com special terms apply. This week on Meet the Press as President Trump threatens to send troops into US cities and tensions rise over the government shutdown, Kristen Welker sits down with Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Adam Schiff this week on Meet THE Press. Listen to the full episode now. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Welcome to Here's a SCOOP from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vesugin. Former FBI Director James Comey arranged some happy little trees are going up for auction. And Lester Holt is joining us to talk about a Texas death row case that is raising big questions about justice. But man, oh man, it has been eight long days of this government shutdown and we have never identified more with this Madonna song. And if that is how your Scoop team feels, imagine how everybody directly affected feels what senior policy reporter Shannon Petty Peace has been following.

[Shannon Pettypiece]

I've heard from dozens of federal workers since the shutdown began who described really scrambling to figure out how they were going to get by until the government reopened and they could get another paycheck. I spoke to one State Department employee in his 20s who said he was planning to deliver food for Doordash and drive for Uber to pay his bills. I heard from the wife of a DHS worker in Ohio. She said she had to borrow $600 from a colleague to cover the copay on a set of leg braces that she needs to pick up this week for her disposal. Disabled child and a small business owner told me that she's still waiting to get paid for work she's already completed for the military and wasn't expecting to get any new orders until the shutdown's over and the toll's just starting to be felt. Workers will get their last paycheck this Friday and that will just be 70% of their regular pay. It will be the last time they will see any paycheck, though, until the government reopens.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And the turbulence is not just on the ground, it is in the skies as well. Air traffic controllers already facing staffing shortages are now guiding plan without the guarantee of a paycheck the result of all of this, delays at some of the nation's busiest airports, as some controllers are calling out sick from Boston to Newark, Chicago, o' Hare to Nashville, where the FAA briefly hit pause overnight, reducing traffic and even issuing a ground stop.

[Lester Holt]

And we are currently in a ground stop.

[Shannon Pettypiece]

I'll get you moving.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And while Democrats and Republicans are at a standstill, there is a fixture of the MAGA movement who may be the first domino to fall. Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor gre. She spoke one on one with NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles. And guess who we're talking to today. Hey, Ryan.

[Ryan Nobles]

Hi. Yes, it's been, it's been so long since we talked. I was, I was starting to wonder.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

If maybe you missed me. So, Ryan, you spoke to Marjorie Taylor Greene last night, and she's breaking with the party on the shutdown and breaking on a number of issues, especially with the president as well.

[Ryan Nobles]

The one thing about Marjorie Taylor Greene is she's always been independent, right? That's, that's how she got to Congress, was by being an independent thinker. But the one thing she was consistently was consistent about was her undying loyalty to Donald Trump. She rarely, if ever, criticized him. And what we've seen play out here over the past two or three months is her being directly opposed to him on a number of issues, whether it be the release of the Epstein files. She was very much opposed to the bombing of Iran. She called the situation in Gaza a genocide, which rattled people in the White House. And I asked her about it. I specifically said, you know, you've, it's not just your party you're breaking with at times, it's also President Trump you're breaking with. And this is how she responded. I certainly support the president, but I'm, I'm not.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

What.

[Ryan Nobles]

Be the right way to say it. I'm not some sort of blind slave to the president, and I don't think anyone should be. I serve in Congress. We are separate branch of the government. And I'm not elected by the president. I'm not elected by anyone that works in the White House. I'm elected by my district. That's who I work for. And so I honestly, when I was talking to her, I was shocked at how far she went. If you listen to the sound bite, she kind of pauses as she thinks as to how she wants to describe her relationship with President Trump. And I thought at that point she was looking to moderate the way she was gonna present herself, but she went the other way. It's a remarkable shift from someone who was, if not the most, one of the most loyal supporters of Donald Trump in Congress.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

But it's also. It's also personal to her, Ryan, because oftentimes we have this conversation, we say, okay, a lot of lawmakers actually make decisions. And when it comes to legislation, especially when it hits close to home. Right? And for Marjorie Taylor Greene, that is in part what is happening here as well. And recognizing her kids are gonna be affected by the increases in their health care.

[Ryan Nobles]

Yes. She has said for a long time that her constituents are concerned about healthcare. She saw it hit home with her own children. She has two adult daughters that are both recipients of the Affordable Care act, and they both are on the verge of huge premium hikes if these subsidies that are connected to it are not extended. And that opened the door to this conversation about where she sees herself in terms of the Republican Party kind of starting from this place in the shutdown. And basically her stance on the shutdown right now is, A, if the Senate really cared about this, they would go nuclear and get rid of the filibuster and just pass it with 51 votes. B, she disagrees wholeheartedly with Speaker Mike Johnson. She thinks the Republicans should be in session right now. And then C, she thinks that they talks about healthcare should start now, that we shouldn't be waiting for the government to open back up. They should start now. And there isn't any other Republican in the House or the Senate that's talking about the shutdown in these kind of terms.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Is there a possibility now that there could be some talking? Especially when you have someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who's been so incredibly vocal within the Republican Party and is a leader of the MAGA movement within the Republican Party.

[Ryan Nobles]

Now, breaking this is how I think you should view Marjorie Taylor Greene's role in all of this. She's not what you would describe as a leader in the traditional sense of the Republican Party. She doesn't hold. She's not a chair of a committee. She doesn't serve in the leadership group. But what she is is a thought leader. She's someone who has the pulse of the base of the party in a way that I don't know anybody else in the Republican Party does. And she has a direct line to Donald Trump. Maybe she talks to Donald Trump about what she thinks is the issue here. And Donald Trump is the one that says, if this is something my supporters are concerned about, maybe I get involved in this.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So, again, we're talking about the politics of all this, Ryan. But the real World consequences of this government shutdown is pay. I know that Speaker Johnson has said that he may look for ways in which he can find emergency pay for some. What does that even look like? Has it happened before? And who are those some?

[Ryan Nobles]

So in the shutdown in 2018 there, they did pass a bunch of kind of sidecar appropriations bills that kept the military largely funded and allowed military members still to get their paychecks. And so there's always the possibility that they could establish some sort of legislation, put it on the floor and say only military members will get their paychecks during this period of time until the shutdown's resolved. But I don't think anybody really wants to do that because a, it prevents the urgency and motivation to actually come to a deal. And then secondly, how are you going to start to pick the winners and losers? You know, I talked to Senator Chris Murphy today about this, and he was like, yeah, I want to see the military members get paid, but why don't I want to see the people that work at Housing and Urban Development get paid? Why don't I want to see the people that work for the FBI get paid? You know, why is it that. And certainly we hold our military members in a certain class level of esteem, but every single person that collects a paycheck from the federal government is serving their country in some capacity. So I do think, like, you have to kind of take these proposals that people throw out at this stage of the game is more just window dressing. I don't think it's a real thing yet. And I still think we're pretty much in the same holding pattern we've been.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And then you had this ominous quote from the President yesterday as well. It really depends on who you're talking about.

[Ryan Nobles]

But for the most part, we're going to take care of our people. And there are some people that really.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Don'T deserve to be taken care of.

[Ryan Nobles]

And we'll take care of them in a different way.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

What is that about? Especially when you have a law that says you get back pay after a government shutdown that was put into place six years ago.

[Ryan Nobles]

So, yeah, I've gone on several rants on this topic, and now's your turn. This isn't a real issue. This is just a smoke and mirrors campaign by the White House. The law is very clear about this. They passed this law in 2018 or 2019 after that long shutdown, so that this would never be something we talked about ever again. And the White House finding this weird loophole kind of very legally dubious interpretation of this that somehow suggests that they could not pay back the people that are being furloughed through no fault of their own is not a real thing. And even if it were a real thing, there's no universe in which they pass a bill to reopen the government that wouldn't close that loophole to make sure that federal workers got their back pay. That's just not a thing. That's just him talking. I'm sorry. And then finally, even if all those other steps that I talked about, somehow the White House worked around, they would be taken to court. I mean, this is a law that was passed by the federal government to protect federal workers in a place like this. But I will point this out. Yes. When we talk about the White House's posture here and all of this, you know, they've been threatening, these layoffs are coming any day. We're at day eight and the layoffs are nowhere to be found. Democrats have held firm every single time they've thrown these threats out there. And this one's another example of that. And what's been the sum total of this? The day before the shutdown, Republicans were not open to any conversation related to healthcare. At day eight, they're talking about healthcare. So it just gives you an idea of, like, how these threats have manifested themselves as a result of this debate.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Ryan Nobles, thank you.

[Ryan Nobles]

Thanks, Yas.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Okay, we are going to take a very quick break. When we are back, Lester Holt is here to talk about a death row case he's been following for the past year.

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[Shannon Pettypiece]

Who's ready for some football?

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All season, the Today show takes you inside the game.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

We are going to get this party set started.

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Join us every week as we go behind the scenes with your favorite NFL teams for the biggest stories on and off the field.

[Ryan Nobles]

Big game tonight.

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Plus game day recipes that dial up your tailgate.

[Shannon Pettypiece]

Football food soup to nuts.

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From stadium lights to game day bites, the Today show is your home for all things football every morning on NBC. Hey, guys, Willie Geist here reminding you to check out the Sunday Sit down podcast on this week's episode, I get together with Oscar winner Cillian Murphy to discuss the impact of the billion dollar Oppenheimer movie on his life and his extraordinary new Netflix film. Steve, you can get our conversation for free wherever you download your podcasts.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

We are back with Here's a scoop from NBC News. We're joined now by anchor of Dateline NBC and former anchor of NBC Nightly News, Lester Hole. For a year now, Lester has looked into the case of Robert Roberson, a man convicted in the death of his two year old daughter Nikki. But now he is facing execution in just a matter of days on October 16th. After sitting on Texas's death row for over 20 years and two previously scheduled executions. Roberson has maintained his innocence the entire time, including to Lester.

[Lester Holt]

Are you guilty?

[Ryan Nobles]

A lot of people think I'm guilty.

[Lester Holt]

Or believe I'm guilty, but I'm not.

[Ryan Nobles]

I'm not guilty.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Now in Lester's first original DATELINE podcast series, the Last Appeal, he spent time on the ground in Texas reexamining the evidence against Roberson and speaking with those closest to the case, including the lead detective who now believes Roberson may be innocent. Lawyers for Roberson say that even in the very first episode, the podcast reveals, quote, highly relevant new details pointing to judicial misconduct and evidence they say strengthens their petition for a new trial. Hi, Lester.

[Lester Holt]

Hi. Good to be with you.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Great to have you in studio. So walk us through Robert's case here.

[Lester Holt]

Robert was arrested back in 2022, accused of shaking his daughter, 2 year old Nikki to death. He's always maintained his innocence. The basis of the prosecution case was this was a case of shaken baby syndrome. And they said that because at the time in the medical world they looked for three particular injuries and if they saw all three of these conditions, bleeding in the brain, bleeding behind the eyes, swelling of the brain, they knew it was shaken baby. Case closed. Since then, there's been a lot of medical evidence suggesting that no other things can cause it, including illnesses, certain medications. When the case went to appeal after he was sent to death row, his lawyer began looking at Nikki's medical condition. And turned out she had had visits to doctors or hospitals at least 40 times in her young life. She was a very sickly little girl. The jury of course, never heard that. There were other things the jury didn't hear. And this case began to garner more attention, including from the state legislators in Texas. A bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic legislators, some who were pro death penalty, asked the courts to stop this. They said, wait a minute let's take another look at what we're doing here. And that is part of the reason he's had three death dates. His current one, and the one that's obviously Most urgent is October 16th. He's scheduled to be put to death in the chamber in Texas.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Do we know what Nikki was sick with at the time?

[Lester Holt]

Now, looking back, yeah, the defense believes, according to their experts, that it was pneumonia. But she'd also been given a drug, Phenergan, which has a black box warning. Now for children under the age of two. It can suppress breathing. Slow down breathing. I should back up a little bit. Robert rushed Nikki to the hospital. They had been in bed. It was nighttime. He heard a strange cry. He wakes up and Nikki is on the floor like she had fallen off the bed. It was about a foot or so drop. It wasn't a big drop. They went back to sleep. He woke up and claims that she was blue, that she wasn't breathing. So rushed her to the hospital. Then the questions began almost right away. Part of the reason that hospital staff and law enforcement were very suspicious from the get go was his demeanor. He has a flat effect. He didn't seem, according to these witnesses, didn't seem to have the kind of emotion and concern that you would see in someone whose child is in that situation.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

You spoke with a nurse that saw Robert bring Nikki to the hospital.

[Lester Holt]

She talks about how this is the bluest child she'd ever seen and how horrifying it was, how the father didn't seem to really be, you know, connected to reality as to the situation his daughter was facing. And that gave her. And the police later on gave them all pause and said, something's not right.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Here because of the podcast that you guys are now doing. This has raised a lot of questions about Robert's pending case, especially considering that he is supposed to be executed in a matter of days.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah. His lawyers heard something in our podcast that they think is highly significant and they filed immediately on it. They have alleged inherent bias with the judge in the case who is since deceased. But based on our interview with the grandfather, Larry Bowman, they believe there's much more here that proves judicial misconduct, that proves there was structural error in this case and has to do with a judge telling the Bowmans that they can now assume parental responsibilities. What the defense is saying is. No, no, hold on a second. You can't do that without a hearing. You can't just, you know, assign that. And Larry Bowman told me specifically the name of the judge. That judge was the presiding judge. In the case. So therein lies, according to the defense, a conflict of interest, a judicial misconduct, and they're asking for a new trial.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

You've sat across from Robert, just separated by glass.

[Lester Holt]

Yeah, plexiglass. And, you know, he comes in wearing his white jumpsuit, and you. You hear the clink, clank of the restraints that go behind him. It's a cold room. You're in a little booth there with a telephone. But we were able to talk. I've interviewed him twice. I think each one went a little over an hour.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And what does he say to you about that night that he had to take Nikki to the emergency room?

[Lester Holt]

He tells the same story. And his defense lawyers say that shows his innocence. I mean, I'll leave that to others. But he's very. He sticks to the story. When you watch him, you. You sometimes, at least I have questions whether he fully understands what he's up against. I mean, clearly he knows he's going to die if something doesn't happen. His lawyer says he's very literal, you know, and then she argues he would never lie because he just. He's very literal. When he was in the emergency room, people thought, wow, he's strange. Fuel's lawyer thought the same thing. And so she got a psychologist or psychiatrist to look at him and examine him, and turned out he has autism. And they believe that some of his actions, some of his reactions are attributed to, you know, having autism.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

What is it like for you to sit across from someone in prison who, you know is on the road to execution?

[Lester Holt]

It's hard because, you know, I have no personal connection to Robert, but it is, you know, you can't help. There's no way you can help trying to picture what that would be like, you know, to be in his shoes. We get a little glimpse of that, which we rarely do. But he really describes that last day of being put in the van and taken to 50 Mile Drive to the death chamber. His last meal. He came within about two hours of execution the last time. So his description was very vivid. I dare anyone to sit and listen to that and not get the chills and try to think, what would I be doing? And certainly in this case, where he had at one point been told, execution's off, you're good. And then it was back on because the case was going through various judges and courts, and it wasn't until evening that his stay of execution occurred.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

So what happens next?

[Lester Holt]

Now they have a number of different motions, you know, in play, as you see in many death penalty cases. That are in dispute right now. They think this particular piece of what they call new evidence that we uncovered could be crucial in trying to save his life.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Lester Holt, it's a fascinating story. A lot of folks listening to it. We thank you.

[Lester Holt]

Thank you. It is called the Last Appeal and I hope you'll listen.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

Thanks, Lester. All right, let's get to some headlines. Former FBI Director James Comey pled not guilty today to federal charges of lying to Congress and obstructing a congressional proceeding. During a brief court appearance in Virginia. His attorney, Pat Fitzgerald waived a reading of the indictment and requested a jury trial. Prosecutors allege Comey lied in a 2020 Senate testimony when he denied authorizing leaks to the media about an FBI investigation. The Trump administration accusing him of approving a third party to speak anonymously to reporters despite Comey telling Congress in 2017 and again in 2020 that he had not Comey stated, quote, I stand by the testimony. A long term Republican who served in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush, Comey became a target of President Trump's after helping launch Special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. President Trump successfully pressured the acting head of the U.S. attorney's office to resign and named Lindsey Halligan to head the office. Though she has no prosecutorial experience. The arraignment marks the latest flashpoint in their years long feud. The date for the jury trial has been set for January 5, 2026, nine months and one day after the deadly Palisades fire tore through Los Angeles Pacific Palisades neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying thousands of homes. Federal and local officials say they've made a major break in the case. Justice Department officials announcing at a news conference that 29 year old Jonathan Renderknecht has been arrested and charged with starting the blaze. Investigators say the fire was sparked on January 7 near a popular hiking trail overlooking the wealthy coastal neighborhood. They also revealed that evidence collected from Renderk's digital devices included an image that he generated on ChatGPT depicting a burning circle. City authorities allege he intentionally ignited what became one of the deadliest wildfires in Los Angeles history. Renderness now faces federal arson charges while investigators are still probing whether there is any connection to the Eaton fire which ignited the Same day killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures across the LA area. 30 original Bob Ross paintings are going up for auction to help public television stations hit by sea steep federal cuts.

[Ryan Nobles]

Maybe there's some happy little trees that live back here. Just a whole line of happy little trees.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

You can now own some of those happy little trees. Bonhams is going to lead the sale starting November 11, with bids expected to reach up to $1.4 million. Proceeds will support small and rural PBS affiliates that air shows like the Best of Joy of Painting, America's Test Kitchen, and this Old House. The auction follows a $1.1 billion slash to public broadcasting budgets.

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Two strike pitch.

[Ryan Nobles]

It's a drive down the line. If it's Ferris's moment, it is. Pitch Tied. Judge has arrived.

[Yasmin Vasugin]

And finally, Aaron Judge spared the Yankees last night from elimination, helping the Yankees defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 9 to 6. Judge made some strategic plays, hitting a tying home run, and he went 3 for 4 with an intentional walk and scored three times. This was the Yankees largest comeback ever in an elimination game and tied for its second biggest in any postseason game. No wonder fans were chanting. Speaking of MVPs, this fall has been nothing but wins for Bad Bunny. First he announced that he'd host the super bowl halftime show. Then he hosted the season premiere of SNL with Doja Cat. And then last night, he caught a foul ball at an unforgettable Yankees game, picking it up after it landed near his seat. Sky's the limit for Benito. Totally not jealous at all. All right, that is going to do it for us at here's the Scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasmin Vasugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring, and if you like what you heard, then like us back. Subscribe to Here's a Scoop wherever you get your podcasts. All right, we'll see you tomorrow.

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