American officials said Saturday that Cuba returned a dummy U.S. Hellfire missile that was mistakenly shipped to the country in 2014, NBC News reported.

The weapon was an inert training missile that was sent from Europe, where it was used in a NATO training exercise. Officials had been trying to recoup the missile for several months, according to the Associated Press. 

While it didn’t contain explosives, there were concerns that Cuba cold share technology with American advisories like North Korea or Russia.

The Hellfire is a laser-guided, air-to=-surface missile that weighs about 100 pounds.
 

Donald Trump criticized the Republican National Committee Saturday for “illegally” using his name in a fundraising email sent to party supporters, NBC News reported.

In a press release and a series of tweets, the GOP frontrunner accused the RNC of “deceptive Washington tricks,” saying he never authorized the use of his name to fundraise.

"The RNC, which is probably not on my side, just illegally put out a fundraising notice saying 'Trump wants you to contribute to the RNC,'" his campaign said. "The RNC does not treat me well and then they use my name, without my knowledge, to raise money for themselves." Trump said much the same in a tweet from his personal account.

The RNC did not respond to MSNBC’s request for comment, but communication director Sean Spicer told CNN that the email was in response to a star poll that allows supporters of all candidates to contribute to the “presidential trust.” 

The 2016 presidential candidates Saturday reacted with surprise and sadness to the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, with some of the GOP contenders also urging President Obama to hold off on nominating a successor.

Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took to Twitter to call Scalia "an American hero."

"We owe it to him, & the Nation, for the Senate to ensure that the next President names his replacement," Cruz said.

Democrat Hillary Clinton, the last major candidate to release a statement, sent her thoughts and prayers to Scalia's family, but also castigated Republicans for urging Obama to leave the seat open.

"The Republicans in the Senate and on the campaign trail who are calling for Justice Scalia's seat to remain vacant dishonor our Constitution," she said. "The Senate has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons."

Cruz was a clerk to then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist from 1996 to 1997. Scalia was the longest-serving justice on the current High Court, having been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

In another statement on Facebook, Cruz said: "As liberals and conservatives alike would agree, through his powerful and persuasive opinions, Justice Scalia fundamentally changed how courts interpret the Constitution and statutes, returning the focus to the original meaning of the text after decades of judicial activism."

On Facebook, Ben Carson said that Scalia's "towering intellect and trenchant wit has characterized the deliberations and decisions of the high court."

"Given the dire condition our democracy currently finds itself under Obama's lack of leadership, I call on the Senate to stop any attempts to fill this crucial seat until We The People elect a strong Constitutionalist this November," Carson said.

Another Republican candidate, Donald Trump, tweeted that "The totally unexpected loss of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is a massive setback for the Conservative movement and our COUNTRY!" 

"Our nation has suffered a deep loss," Sen. Marco Rubio said on Twitter.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich called Scalia's death "a serious loss to our nation and the court."

Republican Jeb Bush called Scalia "a brilliant defender of the rule of law."

He added: "I often said he was my favorite justice, because he took the Constitution, and the responsibility of judges to interpret it correctly, with the utmost seriousness."

Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders also sent along his thoughts to Scalia's family and colleagues, "who mourn his passing."

News of Scalia's death came hours before the Republican candidates were due to meet for debate in South Carolina.   

Connecticut politicians are reacting to the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Senator Richard Blumenthal released the following statement:

“I am saddened by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The son of an immigrant, dedicated public servant, acerbic wit, and gifted writer and orator, Justice Scalia lived a uniquely-American life. I respected his intellect and patriotism. My thoughts are with his wife Maureen and their entire family.

My hope is that the President will promptly nominate someone with strong intellect and integrity who can win bipartisan support. I will work vigorously as a member of the Judiciary Committee to achieve confirmation.”

Blumenthal is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee

Gov. Dannel Malloy tweeted the following statement Saturday evening:

“Justice Scalia served the Court – and the nation – honorably. While we may have disagreed politically, what is unquestionable was Justice Scalia’s dedication to America. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Justice Scalia was 79 years old. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 and was the longest-serving current justice on the High Court.
 

A potentially life-saving mission was underway in Hartford this weekend. Police made sure no one spent the night outside in the extreme cold.

“No one should be left out in the cold. These are bitter, nasty conditions,” says Lt. Gabriel Laureano from Hartford Police.

That’s why Laureano and his team ventured out with temperatures around zero.

They were canvassing the city and the first stop was an I-84 overpass. It’s one of the places known as a spot for people who are homeless to camp out. And sure enough there was a man perched above.

“Bud, you’re shaking! It’s freezing,” Laureano yelled to the man.

The man said his name is Eugene and he was reluctant to leave. Minutes ticked by and after a lot of convincing he finally climbed down for offers of a warm refuge and water.

It had been days since the 64-year-old had eaten.

The officers stopped at Burger King and used their own money to buy Eugene burgers and fries.

Then it was off to the Hartford Rescue Mission. For at least one bitter night, Eugene had somewhere warm and safe to sleep.

“I’m not going to forget about it. This isn’t a one-time thing for me with him. We got to make sure we find him something,” says Laureano.

At last check, Hartford police found eight people on Saturday night and took them to the warming centers or friends' homes. Officers promised to stay out searching as long it took to make sure everyone was off the streets.
 

Interstate 84 East in Tolland was closed for hours after a large tractor-trailer carrying frozen chickens caught fire.

The Tolland Fire Department and state police responded to the area of exit 67 for a fully involved truck fire.

The truck caught fire around 2:30 a.m.

State police are diverting traffic off the highway at exit 67 and said the highway will be closed until at least 10 a.m.

The truck was carrying chickens from Mountaire Farms in Millsboro, Delaware.

The driver of the truck was not hurt in the crash.

One person has died after an early morning fire in Putnam.

The fire department was called to 11 Walnut St. around 5:20 a.m. They found heavy smoke coming from the second floor.

Once crews got the fire under control, they located a deceased male in the basement area of the home. The male is believed to be in his late 40's.

The crime division has been called in to investigate.

Bitter temperatures flirted with record lows on Sunday as "life-threatening" conditions put millions across the country in a deep freeze for Valentine's Day, NBC News reported.

More than 38 million people from the Plains into the Midwest and East Coast were under winter-storm warnings or advisories overnight, according to The Weather Channel.

The coldest air mass of the winter brought the thermometer down to minus 6 degrees overnight in Minneapolis, while New Yorkers were urged to take "extreme precautions" against wind chill.

Parts of New England will see "bitterly cold" wind-chill factors of 40 below zero, with air-surface temperatures also below zero for much of the Northeast.

New York City could get wind-chill factor of 20 below zero while upstate New York could experience wind chill of 50 below zero.

Connecticut State Police have arrested a man they say is responsible for two bank robberies at the same bank.

Kevin Baker, 45, of West Hartford was arrested Sunday and charged with two counts each of Robbery 1st Degree and Larceny 2nd degree.

Police say that Baker is responsible for the robbing the First National Bank of Suffield on Turkey Hill Road in East Granby on Jan. 27 and Feb. 8.

During the second robbery, Baker is said to have yielded a knife and jumped over the teller counter to grab money from the cash drawers.

Baker was transported to Troop and was held on a $700,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear at Enfield Superior Court on Feb. 16.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., attempted to clarify comments he made about former President Bill Clinton during Saturday evening's GOP debate, in which he blamed the September 11th terrorist attack on the former president's inaction.

"If you're going to ascribe blame, don't blame George W. Bush, blame a decision that was made years earlier, not to take out bin Laden when the opportunity presented itself," Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Rubio also said he doesn't "trust" President Barack Obama to appoint someone to the Supreme Court seat left open by Justice Antonin Scalia's death and that it should remain vacant until the next president is elected.

Residents of an assisted living facility are being temporarily relocated after a water main break in the Mystic section of Stonington Sunday afternoon.

Stonington Police Captain Todd Olson confirms that 36 people are being relocated from the Avalon Health Center at 186 Jerry Browne Road to facilities in New London while crews work to repair a water main break in the area. Olson says they are preparing for an overnight stay.

The road is currently closed. There is no official word on how long the repairs will take at this time.

Police and Old Mystic fire crews are on scene. Check back for updates.
 

Authorities said they found a “credible explosive device” on a rental car at the Albuquerque, New Mexico, airport on Sunday, NBC News reported.

Police said the device was attached to a car that was rented elsewhere and dropped off at the Albuquerque airport. Staff processing returned cars spotted and reported it. Officials did not identify where the vehicle was originally rented. 

Roads near the Avis Car Rental facility were closed causing delays to travelers at the rental facility. They were later reopened, NBC station KOB reported.

The FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating, police said.  

Some of the victims of a machete-wielding Ohio man are recalling the attack, NBC News reported.

Debbie and Gerald Russell were in a front booth at Nazareth Restaurant and Deli in Columbus on Thursday when Gerald noticed a man barge through the door with what he thought was a baton.

"He had a look on his face that was [indescribable]," Gerald told NBC affiliate WCMH. "And it was just a lot of hate and anger, and I have no idea where the rage is coming from."

Mohamed Barry, 30, charged into the restaurant and began assaulting patrons, authorities said.

William Foley, 54, "aggressively attempted to subdue" Barry, Foley's friend Bonnie Stern told NBC News in an email. He engaged "in a physical altercation with him to keep him from hurting or even killing the other people in the restaurant. He was then critically injured in the process."  

Brutal cold lingers Sunday night and our next storm creeps in Monday.

The weekend brought record shattering cold. At Bradley Airport temperatures dipped to -13 degrees, beating the old record of -9, and in Bridgeport temps reached -8, beating the old record of 3. Wind chills made it feel even colder.

Sunday night will still see temperatures below 0 inland and single digits along the shore, but with winds calming it won’t feel nearly as cold.

Monday brings warmer temperatures into the 30s but also snow. The storm is expected to move in midday and increase in intensity by the evening commute. Inland towns will see 1-3” inches of accumulation, along the shoreline only a coating-1” is expected. By 9 p.m. shoreline areas will see the snow changing to rain and the trend will continue northward across the state.

The wintry mix could cause an icy commute Tuesday morning. Temperatures will continue to rise into the 40s and by Tuesday afternoon the rain will pick up. Some areas may experience minor flooding due to the frozen ground that cannot absorb the water.

Wednesday will be mild with temperatures in the 40s.
 

Authorities said two men are in custody after a police officer was shot in the head while responding to a robbery in northwestern Mississippi, NBC News reported.

The officer, Derrick Couch, was one of several responding to an all-points bulletin after a robbery, in which the two suspects took “money bags and other things” from a grocery store in downtown Clarksdale Saturday night.

Couch was shot “right in the head,” according to surveillance video that caught the shooting. Couch, a four-year veteran of the Clarksdale Police Department, remains don a ventilator after doctors removed one of his eyes and unsuccessfully tried to remove a “projectile.”

The shooter turned himself in to police Sunday afternoon. The second suspect was taken into custody three hours later, according to NBC affiliate WLBT. 

A popular Hartford restaurant was evacuated Sunday evening after water poured into the restaurant from burst pipes, according to employees.

Scott Smith, vice president and chief operating officer for Max tells NBC Connecticut that the Max Downtown on Asylum Street was forced to evacuate after a pipe burst above them on the mezzanine level of City Place. The power is currently out and cleanup crews are on scene. Once the power is restored, the company can assess the damage.

Diners say they were evacuated from the restaurant after water starting pouring from above into the restaurant and spilling onto the sidewalk outside. Hartford fire crews responded to assess the situation. No injuries were reported.

The restaurant is closed for the remainder of the evening and Monday. They hope to make a decision about when they can reopen by midday Monday.

Smith says the restaurant appreciates how understanding the customers have been and is “very sorry” for the inconvenience on Valentine’s Day.

A Bridgeport man waiting for a heart transplant received a special gift from a donor and Yale-New Haven Hospital this Valentine’s Day.

John Pesavento, 60, found out early Sunday that he would be receiving the donor heart he’d been waiting on for the last year. Pesavento was diagnosed with stage end heart failure following complications of a heart attack he had 20 years ago. He has been on a left ventricle assist device (LVAD) for a year and a half and was listed on the heart transplant recipient list for a year.

The donor heart came from northern New England. No other information about the donor is available. One informed a heart was available, the team at Yale-New Haven Hospital immediately began preparing for the 6-hour transplant surgery, which took place Sunday evening.

The hospital released the following statement on the transplant:

“Everyone, from the doctors here at YNHH as well as the recipient’s family are grateful to those who made this heart available for Mr. Pesavento,” said Dr. Pramod Bonde. “We know that available hearts come about only because another family has experienced loss. When hearts become available and we are able to save a life, we have to act quickly. But it is because of the thoughtfulness of the donor that we are able to give this new heart to Mr. Pesavento. We encourage others to consider the gift of life when possible. While every day is a great day to save a life with a heart transplant, perhaps there is no better day than Valentine’s Day.”

February is American Heart Month. For more information on that, check out Yale-New Haven Hospital’s website.
 

Interstate 84 eastbound is shut down in Hartford due to a serious crash, according to state police.

Police say only one vehicle is involved. The highway is shut down between exits 46 and 48. There is no word on how long the road will be shut down.

Check back for updates.
 

New York City detectives on Sunday were looking into a report by a woman who says she was choked by former Governor Eliot Spitzer inside a Manhattan hotel room, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The woman, in her mid-twenties, told police she accompanied Spitzer to Manhattan's Plaza Hotel on Saturday and that at one point he choked her, the sources said.

A spokesperson for Spitzer said the accusation is unfounded.

"There is no truth to the allegation," Spitzer publicist Lisa Lindon told NBC 4 New York Sunday night.

Spitzer resigned as governor in 2008 following an investigation into financial transaction that revealed he had paid for sex.

Spitzer campaigned in 2013 to be elected as city comptroller, but lost. He has since managed the family's real estate development company. 

President Obama announced he planned to fulfill his “constitutional responsibilities for appointing a justice,” despite a call from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that the next president should nominate the successor to Justice Antonin Scalia, NBC News reported.

Many legal analysts named Sri Srinivasan as a top choice. Obama nominated him for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and he previously served as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.

Paul Watford, who was appointed by Obama to the Ninth Circuit, is also a possible nominee. Watford previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and graduated from the UCLA School of Law.

Patricia Millett, who serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Merrick Garland have also been named as possible successors.