NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 12, 2024

Episode Date: April 13, 2024

Truck driver rams stolen semi-truck into public safety building in Texas, police say; Trump says he will testify at New York hush money trial; Vice President Harris denounces Arizona's near-total abortion ban; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the deadly crash in Texas. A driver accused of intentionally ramming a stolen semi-truck into a Department of Public Safety office. The massive hole in the brick wall where the big rig plowed into an office that handles driver's licenses. At least one person dead, more than a dozen injured. The suspect in custody. And what happened at that office the day before that police say left him enraged. Also tonight, Donald Trump saying he would testify at his hush money trial that starts Monday. Standing side by side, Mike Johnson, as GOP hardliners threaten to oust the speaker. Will the former president help him keep his job?

Vice President Kamala Harris in Arizona slamming the state's recently upheld 160-year-old abortion law and pointing the finger at Donald Trump. Israel bracing for a potential direct attack from Iran. President Biden today with a new word of warning for Iran. Don't. The fleecing of America. How tax credit promoters are sucking up billions in taxpayer dollars and leaving small businesses to foot the bill.

We asked the head of the IRS, how did this happen? And the little friends helping these young learners read to succeed. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. We are monitoring breaking news from Texas tonight where one person has been killed and two others are hospitalized in critical condition after a stolen semi-tractor trailer was driven into a building. Officials in Brenham, about 90 minutes west of Houston, say the driver intentionally drove the 18-wheeler into a Texas Department of Public Safety office. In all, at least 14 people were injured,

one state lawmaker calling it a deliberate heinous act. Local authorities say the suspect had been denied a commercial driver's license at that same office yesterday. Priscilla Thompson is there with late details. Deadly moments in Texas. DPS, turn into DPS, it's crashing into DPS. After officials say this stolen semi-truck plowed into a Department of Public Safety building in Brenham, tearing through an entire brick wall. There is entrapment in the building. Six people were rushed to the hospital.

One died and two are in critical condition. We're starting to keep water in these windows. Great emergency, we'll need multiple trucks. The suspect, Klinnerd Parker, is now in custody, authorities say, and no further threat exists. Parker did come to the VPS Brenham office yesterday at approximately 3 or 4 p.m. where he was and it was just stolen. The crash occurred Friday afternoon after dispatchers say the truck was stolen. Investigators say it appears the crash was deliberate. The law enforcement were behind this 18-wheeler.

It was reported stolen. When they saw the vehicle, the stolen 18-wheeler took a hard right turn and went into the DPS Brenham office. The suspect was backing the vehicle up and with the intent of going into it again, our fire chief mentioned that if he had veered a little bit to the left the second time, there would have been a collapse of that building. And Priscilla joining us now from the scene of the crash. What are you seeing there and where does the investigation stand right now, Priscilla? Lester, moments ago, a truck arrived to tow that 18-wheeler away. As you can see, investigators are still on the scene here being led by the Texas Rangers

as tonight the suspect remains in custody facing multiple felony charges. Lester. Priscilla Thompson, thank you. And former President Trump saying he'll testify at his hush money trial that begins Monday, all as he met at Mar-a-Lago with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faces a threat to remove him from that job. Gabe Gutierrez was there. Tonight, on the eve of his Manhattan hush money trial, former President Trump defiant, saying he's willing to testify in his own defense in a case he slams as a partisan prosecution by a Democratic D.A. Mr. President, do you plan to testify? Yeah, I would testify. Absolutely. It's a scam. It's a scam. That's not a trial. That's not a trial. That's a scam.

What they have done is incredible. It's election interference and it's got to stop. That's not a trail. That's a scam. What they have done is incredible. It's election interference, and it's got to stop. It's a third world country. Mr. Trump facing the first criminal prosecution of a former president. He's charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low-level felony related to alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Isn't it risky for you to testify? I'm not testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. And the truth is that there's no case. They have no case. Jury selection set to start Monday. You know, jury selection is largely luck. It depends who you get. It comes as the former president is throwing a political lifeline to

House Speaker Mike Johnson. We're getting along very well with the speaker. They are sharing the microphone at Mar-a-Lago, their first public event since Johnson was elected speaker last October. He has a razor thin Republican majority and faces a threat from a top Trump ally, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, trying to oust him. I think he's doing a very good job. He's doing about as good as you're going to do. And I'm sure that Marjorie understands that. I know she has a lot of respect for the Speaker. The yeas are 273. But today, a victory for the Speaker, the House passing the reauthorization of a surveillance bill that includes a controversial spying program over the objections of Mr. Trump. And then there's aid to Ukraine, which still has not passed the

House. Ukraine's President Zelensky this week saying without it, Ukraine could lose the war. We're looking at it right now and they're talking about it and we're thinking about making it in the form of a loan instead of just a gift. Much more importantly to me is the fact that Europe has to step up and they have to give money. And Gabe, today another ruling from the judge in that hush money case. Yes, Lester, the judge denied former President Trump's motion to delay the trial due to pretrial publicity. So as of now, jury selection is set to begin on Monday. Lester?

Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. In Arizona, Vice President Kamala Harris making her first solo campaign appearance focused on abortion after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld that near-total ban from the 19th century. Yamiche Alcindor reports. Tonight, Vice President Kamala Harris denouncing the Arizona Supreme Court decision to uphold a near total ban on abortion, laying blame squarely on former President Donald Trump. Donald Trump is the architect of this health care crisis. Harris was supposed to be in Arizona for an event about

student debt, but we focused it to be about abortion. Here's what a second Trump term looks like. More bans, more suffering and less freedom. The former president has said the Arizona ruling in favor of the 1864 near total ban went too far, vowing not to sign a federal abortion ban. What we did was give it back to the states and now the states are working their way through it. But in Arizona, Dr. Paul Isaacson's patients are already confused. Care is just so necessary to provide the type of autonomy to women that men have enjoyed historically. He says his office has been inundated with calls. We are reassuring patients that if it actually comes to the point that we have to shut down,

that we can care for them in our Nevada clinic. Meanwhile, anti-abortion rights activists are trying to stop a ballot initiative that would enshrine abortion protections in the state constitution. We've come together because we agree that this amendment before us, the abortion amendment goes too far. That group called it goes too far. So they're trying to convince people to rescind their signatures from a petition that would get abortion on the ballot in November. Lester. Yamiche, thank you. Also tonight, the Mideast on edge over a possible retaliation attack on Israel by Iran, with President Biden saying he expects it. Hala Gharani is in Israel tonight.

Tonight, the Pentagon repositioning assets, including fighter jets and ships in the Mideast, in preparation for a potential Iranian attack against Israel. As President Biden is warning, a strike could happen soon. My expectations sooner than later. Mr. President, what is your message to Iran in this moment? Don't. A U.S. intelligence assessment warns an Iranian attack could include a swarm of drones or land

attack cruise missiles hitting Israeli diplomatic or consular facilities, two U.S. officials tell NBC News. All of it almost two weeks after Iran vowed to retaliate for a bombing on its embassy compound in Syria that it blames on Israel, where several top Iranian military officials were killed. Iran is a top backer of Hamas and Hezbollah, and Iran's supreme leader has warned Israel, quote, will be punished. President Biden vowing support if a strike happens. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed. The question now, as the region braces for a possible retaliatory attack by Iran,

is when and how Tehran will choose to act. Lester. Hala Gharani, thank you. In 60 seconds, the CDC and FDA now investigating botulism cases linked to injections of Botox. What you need to know next. A health alert tonight about a very popular product that many use to ease those wrinkles. Officials warning that Botox treatments may be linked to botulism-like illnesses across multiple states. We get more from Ann Thompson. Botox is used for one of America's favorite cosmetic procedures.

Made from the same toxin that causes botulism, it's approved by the FDA to reduce wrinkles. But tonight, the CDC and FDA are investigating botulism-like illnesses from Botox injections given in non-medical settings. The CDC says at least four people have been hospitalized. Dr. Pooja Soda is the director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at George Washington University. The fact that all these incidents have happened in what they call non-medical settings, does that give us a clue? I think it supports the notion that when you're operating in a more licensed environment, there is a due diligence. You're getting a product that's manufactured correctly and then being administered correctly. NBC News identified 12 confirmed or suspected cases of

botulism-like illnesses in five states. Illinois and Tennessee health departments say their cases may involve counterfeit Botox. Symptoms include blurred and double vision, droopy face, and shortness of breath, all similar to botulism. As a patient, how do I know if I'm getting counterfeit Botox or the real thing? I don't think as a patient you'll be able to know. The CDC says these cases are rare. Patients should do their homework, talk to providers, and make sure they are licensed and trained in the art and science of Botox.

Ann Thompson, NBC News. There's more to tell you up next. How small business owners were misled by a massive tax credit scheme that spread on TikTok in our investigative series, The Fleecing of America. Back now with our series, The Fleecing of America and the small business owners who've fallen victim to a massive tax credit scheme to the tune of billions of dollars. Ken Delaney explains. You're working on calcium. When the pandemic disrupted life in Scott Volner's small Missouri town, his fertilizer business struggled. Then telemarketers started calling, telling him he should apply for a government

relief program called the Employee Retention Tax Credit, or ERC, intended to help companies during COVID. My phone rings off the hook a dozen times a day from people saying, have you applied to get it yet? At first, I didn't think I qualified. And then they said, if you had a disruption, you qualified. Volner signed up with a company called ERC Specialists. We have filed hundreds of millions of dollars in ERC credits for small businesses. They filed paperwork for Volner's business with the IRS We have filed hundreds of millions of dollars in ERC credits for small businesses.

They filed paperwork for Volner's business with the IRS in exchange for 10% of the proceeds. Soon, Volner received $330,000 from the federal government, much of which he plowed back into his company. But it turns out he never qualified in the first place, and now he has to pay it all back. It's going to be a long, hard road to tow to get this paid back. ERC specialists did not respond to a request for comment. Determinate cost, the cost of goods sold. Fulner says he learned he was misled by the telemarketers when he met his new accountant, Larry Gray.

Of the claims you've reviewed, how many actually qualify? Virtually nobody. On YouTube, Gray warned almost from the start that the tax credit was being exploited by marketers. How to avoid the minefield of participating in a fraudulent ERC. But he was drowned out by an avalanche of online ads. This is a $250 billion loss to American taxpayers, arguably. I mean, doesn't the IRS bear some responsibility for that? IRS bears a lot of responsibility. Congress bears responsibility.

Treasury should have got more guidance out. We have seen a tsunami of bad claims emerge. Danny Werfel runs the IRS. Your office estimates there's been at least $2.8 billion in fraud from the employee retention tax credit. Is that a lowball estimate? It is. The problem is we have promoters out there who are trying to put one over on small businesses. And will those promoters be held accountable? They will and they are. That's our focus.

Officials say they are investigating promoters, though just a handful have been charged so far. Meanwhile, evidence of fraud grows. We saw that the IRS gave refunds to 21,000 businesses that did not exist during the time they claimed they had employees. How could that have happened? Yeah, there are ways in which you can unfortunately trick the IRS. In fact, a convicted murderer in prison is accused of defrauding the government out of millions. Christopher Thomas allegedly used some of the funds on a private jet flight for relatives and a party at a Las Vegas penthouse.

The IRS has launched hundreds of criminal investigations and thousands of audits. The promoters are keeping their share for now, which infuriates Scott Volman. If they demand it all at once, what does that mean for you? Well, I don't know what we'd do on that one. So, I mean, that would put us in such a bind that I can't even fathom. Ken Delaney in NBC News, Rolla, Missouri. Would you have to borrow the money? And next for us tonight, remembering a fashion icon who dressed celebrities up and down. Also, a reading club like no other. And these school kids can't get enough of it. The fashion world has lost an icon. Famed Italian designer Roberto Cavalli,

known for his glamorous style and animal prints, has died. Cavalli opened his fashion house in 1975, and his trademark designs have been worn by everyone from superstars like Taylor Swift and Beyonce to first ladies, including Michelle Obama. Cavalli was 83. And finally, the young readers practicing their skills with the help of some animal friends who come straight out of a nursery rhyme. Here's Rahima Ellis. When four little lambs go to school each spring, Miss Tosi's third grade class is a favorite place to visit. They cuddle up and listen to kids like 90-year-old Gracie Juarez read out loud. I felt like a sneeze coming on while I huffed and I snuffed. The best thing about reading to the lambs is that they never judge of how good you read. What do they do?

They just listen. The lambs are part of a school program outside of Pittsburgh, helping kids become better readers. Morning. Morning. Superintendent Dr. Laura Jacob got the idea during the pandemic as therapy for children who were struggling to read. Lucky for the kids, her family has a sheep farm. There actually is research that suggests that when children have the opportunity to read to animals, it can actually help develop their reading abilities.

She says the lambs are just one of a variety of tools the district uses to help children feel more comfortable and develop a joy of reading. Even when a lamb takes a bite out of the book, the kids take it in stride and just keep reading. It's hard to catch a bunny. Teachers say the children are gaining confidence. They're trying to work through difficult words instead of just waiting for me to jump in and help them out. Crowded, crowded up there on Moose's head. That was really good. With lambs by their side, every page the kids read is a story of success.

Rahima Ellis, NBC News, Cole Center, Pennsylvania. And that is nightly news for this Friday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.