NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, April 19, 2024

Episode Date: April 20, 2024

A man sets himself on fire outside the courthouse where former President Trump's trial is held, Israel launches strikes in Iran, Iran's foreign minister sits down for an interview with NBC's Tom Llamas, and more on tonight's broadcast.

Tonight, the horror outside Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York, just as the full jury panel is seated inside. A man outside the courthouse setting himself on fire, police and civilians running over desperately trying to extinguish the flames, witnesses saying he'd thrown conspiracy theory pamphlets into the air. His condition tonight. Just moments before, the full panel of 12 jurors and six alternates officially seated, and when the judge says we'll hear opening statements. Also tonight,

new details on Israel striking back at Iran, targeting an airbase days after Iran's massive drone and missile attack. And Iran's foreign minister, his first interview since the Israeli attack, his surprising comments downplaying it. In your opinion, that was not an attack by Israel last night, even though we've seen explosions on video? How he described Israel's strike as child's play. The House advancing Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to fund Ukraine and Israel and ban TikTok with help from Democrats. But will it cost Johnson his job? Video appearing to show an MLB coach in the cockpit of a charter plane while it

was flying on autopilot. The FAA investigation. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tonight, the criminal trial of Donald Trump has quickly reached a key milestone. The jury and a panel of alternates are now fully seated with opening statements set to start as soon as Monday. But for many connected to this case, it will be hard to shake the horrific and unexpected turn in the atmosphere of the trial. The images, we must warn you, hard to watch. A young man in the crowd outside the courthouse setting himself on fire, engulfed in flames as bystanders work desperately to extinguish them. The tragedy not expected to impact the trial, the New York hush

money case against former President Trump, which is moving at a quicker pace than many observers anticipated. It could be the only one of the four criminal cases he faces to reach the trial stage before the November election. Laura Jarrett has the latest, and again, some of the images in her report are disturbing. Tonight, the full jury of 12 people and six alternates officially sworn in to hear the hush money trial of former president trump but it was a chaotic and disturbing scene just across the street from the courthouse steps putting everyone on edge video capturing a man setting himself on fire in the park area reserved for protesters bright orange flames engulfing his body shortly after 1 30. I heard someone scream he's going to set himself on fire. I turned around and I saw a man dump liquid on himself on his face and he immediately lit himself with a lighter or something and everyone was screaming.

There were some frantic moments as police looked for a fire extinguisher. Police managing to extinguish the blaze after several minutes before an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital in critical condition. His exact motivation tonight, unclear. But police say they see no connection between the incident and the trial of Mr. Trump. We do not believe this was targeting any particular person or any particular group. We just right now label it as a sort of a conspiracy theorist, and we're going from there. Authorities say he threw pamphlets in the air before lighting himself on fire.

The pamphlets seem to be propaganda-based, almost like a conspiracy theory type of pamphlet. Some information in regards to Ponzi schemes. While back inside, much of the day consumed with picking alternate jurors to step in the shoes of regular jurors if needed. Several prospective jurors growing emotional. One asking to be dismissed, saying she has anxiety and worried she couldn't be impartial. Another sobbing. This is so much more stressful than I thought it would be. Two jurors already dismissed this week, less than two days after being seated.

The additional alternates picked today, four women and one man, including an audio engineer and an estimator for a construction company. This is a rigged case, and this is a case that was put in very strongly because of politics. Prosecutors accused Mr. Trump of falsifying business records to cover up his alleged role in silencing adult film star Stormy Daniels on the eve of the 2016 election. He denies any relationship with her and has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying again late today he'll testify. Laura, what comes next when this all picks up on Monday? Lester, the prosecution is going to start opening statements bright and early at 930,

followed by the defense. The prosecutor is also saying they will turn over the name of the first witness to the defense team on Sunday. Lester. Laura Jarrett in New York, thank you. Now to the retaliatory strike by Israel on Iran. Tonight we have new reporting that it was a limited response. But late today, Iran's foreign minister saying what happened last night was not a strike. He spoke to Tom Yamous. Israel and Iran tonight playing down the apparent Israeli

retaliatory strike inside Iranian territory. Video showing only glimpses this morning of anti-aircraft systems firing around the city of Isfahan. Israel fired three air-launched ballistic missiles into Iran last night, targeting an Iranian airbase, according to officials familiar with the operation. Iran did not strike back as threatened. Instead, local media, controlled by the state, downplayed the attack and showed life in Isfahan as normal, the nuclear facility nearby unaffected. Tonight, Iran telling NBC News they will not escalate their conflict with Israel, describing last night's attack as child's play. Is Iran done for right now sending any more missiles or attacking Israel?

If Israel retaliates and comes up with a new adventurism, then we will respond. But if not, then we are done. We are concluded. Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir Adolian, would not even acknowledge an attack by Israel. Speaking through an Iranian government interpreter, he said they quickly downed the drones flying over Isfahan. They took off from inside Iran and they flew for like a few hundred meters and then they were downed and struck by our air defense. And it has not been proven to us that there is a connection between these and Israel.

When you attacked Israel, you telegraphed that attack. You let other Arab nations know this was happening. Did anyone, any other country, tell Iran last night this attack was coming? What happened last night was not a strike. But did any other country tell you something was happening and they were going to invade your airspace and attack possibly one of your bases? Two or three. They're more like toys that our children play with, not drones. It was not worth telling us before it happened. In your opinion, that was not an attack by Israel last night, even though we've seen explosions on video? We are investigating this in the matter. The claim that is made in the media, according to our information,

is not accurate. And Israel is trying to, after propaganda. The foreign minister warned if Israel struck again, Iran would respond with force. If Israel wants to do another adventurism and acts against the interests of Iran, our next response will be immediate and will be at the maximum level. A source familiar with the matter tells NBC News Israel told the U.S. ahead of time about the strike. Israel attacked Iran's embassy compound in Syria earlier this month, and Iran responded firing more than 300 drones and missiles, nearly all of them shot down by Israel with considerable help from the United States and other allies. Israel, it seems, doesn't want to escalate the shooting war with Iran either, making no public comments about it, no public reaction

from President Biden either. Only this from Secretary of State. I'm not going to speak to anything other than to say we were not involved in any offensive operations. And so, Tom, to be clear, the Iranian foreign minister indicated Iran will not strike Israel again unless provoked. Lester, the foreign minister made it very clear to me, signaling that to Iran, this conflict right now will not escalate unless Israel strikes again. Lester, the foreign minister made it very clear to me, signaling that to Iran, this conflict right now will not escalate unless Israel strikes again. Lester. All right. Tom Yamas tonight. Thank you. Let's bring in Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel in Jerusalem.

Richard, it seems both Israel and Iran are pulling back from the brink tonight. They certainly are. What you just heard, Lester, was a very positive sign Iran could have been making threats. Instead, Iran was dismissive, saying that there wasn't a ballistic missile attack, that this was just a tiny drone attack that it was quickly able to defeat. And this is what we've been hearing from the Iranians all day, saying that their attack, that Iran's attack over the weekend was so big, so powerful that Israel was too intimidated to do anything but this pathetic little attack that we saw. That is very positive because it allows Iran to claim victory.

Israel is also claiming victory because Israel was able to show that it can get through Iran's air defenses, attack Iran at a time and place of its choosing. And when you have both sides able to claim victory, you can pull back from a crisis. Lester. All right, Richard Engel, thank you. Let's turn now to the showdown over billions of dollars in U.S. aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Speaker Mike Johnson moving it forward with help from Democrats. Ryan Nobles is at the Capitol tonight. Ryan, the speaker's job could still be on the line here. Yeah, that's right, Lester. But today we saw Democrats join with Republicans to pass a key procedural measure that sets the stage for a series of national security bill votes this weekend. Among them, a bill that would provide

aid to Ukraine at a critical time for the country as they are facing setbacks in their war against Russia. Now, while that bill is expected to pass, it will do so with stiff opposition from conservatives who have threatened Mike Johnson's speakership just for bringing the bill up for a vote. Lesser. And Ryan, there's also a major headline involving Congress's attempts to potentially ban TikTok in the U.S. What's the update there? Yeah, Lester, that's right. You know, the House has already passed legislation that would force the Chinese company that owns TikTok to sell off its stake in the company within six months or be banned in the United States. Lawmakers are now proposing extending that window of time where the parent company would have to divest in the company to one year. The six-month bill currently stalled in the Senate. This new bill up for a vote this weekend is expected to pass.

That's despite an aggressive public relations campaign by TikTok to prevent the legislation from becoming law. Lester. All right, Ryan Nobles, thank you. In New York, new protests one day after more than 100 people were arrested as police took down an encampment set up by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Antonia Hilton has late developments. It's day three of protests at Columbia University as demonstrations on campus and off appear to grow. Student protesters have set up new encampments on the New York City campus just one day after Columbia's president, Manoush Shafiq, called in the NYPD to clear an initial encampment of pro-Palestinian demonstrators,

leading to the arrest of 114 classmates, many who will get their day in court in May. Those dramatic arrests ratcheted up the tension. The protesters are angry about what they say is a lack of transparency around what financial ties the school may have to Israel, writing the encampment will remain until our demand is met. Do you think the arrests have slowed the protests down, or do you think they've inflamed things? I think they've inflamed things.

I think the arrests really triggered a lot of the student body to mobilize. Some faculty are concerned the university is not respecting students' free speech and right to organize. Joseph Howley is Jewish and an assistant professor of classics. I don't think anyone I know has ever felt so unsafe on campus as we did watching those cops march into the lawn and drag our students away. But for some Jewish students, the protests have been frightening. One of the protesters was brandishing a Hamas flag. As a Jewish student, that's deeply upsetting.

You know, I wonder if someone was carrying around the Nazi flag, what would they be told? University administration telling NBC News that they will continue to enforce their rules. The one thing they and the demonstrators agree on is that they expect those protests will continue. Antonia Hilton, NBC News, New York. In 60 seconds after a series of near misses, the FAA orders changes to cut down on fatigue among air traffic controllers. We'll tell you about the new rules. Plus, why was a baseball coach allowed in an airline cockpit right after this. With the summer travel season fast approaching, the FAA says it's taking immediate steps to address air traffic controller fatigue after a series of close calls at airports nationwide, including one just yesterday. Here's Tom Costello. Underscoring the high stakes of air traffic

control, Thursday's near collision involving two passenger jets at Reagan National Airport in Washington. The FAA now investigating whether controller error played a role. It comes after a series of high-profile close calls and a national controller shortage. Many controllers complain they're exhausted, working mandatory overtime and alternating between day and overnight shifts. Today, the FAA ordered changes. Controllers must get 10 hours of rest between shifts rather than the nine currently required, and 12 hours before starting a midnight shift, putting controllers on a par with pilots and flight

attendants. Our goal is to have a rested voice on both ends of the microphone. For the next three days, the FAA is accepting new controller applications, hoping to hire and train 1,800 this year after adding 1,500 last year. Every day, controllers handle 45,000 flights, 2.9 million people moving through, into, or out of U.S. airports. Our goal is to get to where folks aren't working overtime. But the controllers' union warns the new rest rules could make staffing shortages worse. Meanwhile, the FAA is investigating this video. Why a United Airlines crew allowed a Colorado Rockies baseball coach into the cockpit sitting in the captain's seat during a charter flight with a plane on autopilot. United says it's removed the pilots from service in what appears to be a clear violation of federal secure cockpit regulations.

Lester. Tom Costello, thank you. And up next, we'll take a turn. She was a high school senior at Columbine when the shooting happened 25 years later. Her daughter is now that age. How Columbine has shaped both of their lives. This weekend marks 25 years since the Columbine shooting that left 13 people dead. Since then, it's a tragedy we've seen repeated far too many

times. Tonight, our Kate Snow visits with a survivor from that day who now has a daughter the same age she was then. Yeah, so pretty. Preparing a daughter for senior prom is a big moment for any mother. Love it. But for Colorado mom Amy Over, it's especially emotional. 25 years ago this week, Amy went to her own senior prom at Columbine High School just three days before the mass shooting. 25 years later, you now have a daughter who's a senior in high school. I do. I can't wait for her future. And I think that's why I get so choked up when I talk about her and my kids, because the last time I was normal, not normal, but Amy normal, was prom. On the morning of the shooting, Amy stopped by her coach's office to thank him for helping her get a scholarship to play basketball in college.

Got to like give Coach Sanders a big hug and a high five and said, see you later, Coach. Three hours later, Coach Sanders told Amy and other students to run. They lived and he died. Do you look at this much? No. Struggling with grief, Amy turned down her basketball scholarship. She married and started a family. Dropping her kids off at school sometimes caused panic attacks.

I'm deathly terrified to lose my children. That's something that I struggle with on a daily basis. Amy's oldest child, Bree, says her mother's experience at Columbine has made her and her siblings more aware of the fragility of life. The way I think about it is like it happened to my mom, so why can't it happen to me? Not every day is guaranteed. Amy now shares her story with survivors of other mass shootings. I don't know why I went through Columbine, but I think I'm here to help.

It looks so pretty. This year, helping Bree prepare for prom and graduation, Amy says she's filled with hope. So many people watched what happened at Columbine, and all these years later probably wonder how you all are. It still hurts. It's never going to fully heal, but there's hope. And I get to watch my kids grow.

It's time for the next chapter. You look really beautiful. Kate Snow, NBC News, Parker, Colorado. And that's Nightly News, a program note. You can catch a new episode of Nightly News, Kids Edition, Saturday on NBC. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.