NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, February 2, 2024

Episode Date: February 3, 2024

U.S. begins retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria as slain soldiers arrive home; Closing arguments in the Jennifer Crumbley involuntary manslaughter trial; Fulton County DA Fani Willis acknowledges personal relationship with special prosecutor; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the U.S. striking back on Iran-linked targets and retaliation for that deadly drone attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East. The U.S. launching strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria. The first video in tonight, our team aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, launching separate strikes on Houthi rebels. President Biden's message tonight, just hours after those three fallen Americans made their final journey home. Also tonight, closing arguments in the trial of a Michigan school shooter's mother, Jennifer Crumbly, back on the stand under cross-examination. The grilling she faced from the prosecution, the judge in former President Trump's federal election interference case, postponing his trial set for just a month from now as he fights for immunity.

And the DA prosecuting him in Georgia, the romantic relationship she just disclosed, how it could impact the case. Another atmospheric river storm aimed at the West Coast, potential life-threatening flooding with water levels running high. The fiery plane crash into a Florida neighborhood, three killed, two on the ground. Inside Gaza's tunnels and what we found, Israelis calling it a Hamas dungeon. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome everyone.

Breaking tonight, a campaign of American retaliation has begun in the Middle East. Long range U.S. bombers launched from the continental U.S. utilized in a series of punishing U.S. airstrikes this evening against Iranian-backed groups implicated in last weekend's deadly attack on American forces. The Pentagon confirming 85 targets were hit tonight inside Iraq and Syria, including command and control operations, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles. News of the attacks coming just hours after the somber return to the U.S. of the remains of three fallen soldiers. In a statement tonight, President Biden saying the American response will continue at times and places of our choosing and warning if you harm an American, we will respond.

It's where we begin tonight with Peter Alexander. Tonight, the American retaliatory strikes have begun. U.S. Central Command saying late this evening, U.S. forces began striking more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria using numerous aircraft, including long range bombers flown from the U.S. forces began striking more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria, using numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers flown from the U.S. The targets, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Quds Force and affiliated militia groups, hitting their command and control operations centers and intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, and unmanned air vehicle storage, among other sites. President Biden tonight saying our response began today. It will continue at times and places of our choosing, adding, let all those who might

seek to do us harm know this. If you harm an American, we will respond. The U.S. strikes come in response to that deadly drone attack by Iranian backed militias that struck Tower 22, a desert outpost in Jordan, killing three U.S. service members. That attack among more than 160 against American targets by Iranian-backed militias since October. President Biden had previously authorized limited strikes in response that even he acknowledged had not deterred the militias. And the president has been under pressure to respond more forcefully,

especially after American service members were killed. All of it just hours after the commander in chief performed one of his most solemn duties, attending the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base as the remains of those three U.S. service members returned home. The president and first lady joining the grieving families of 46-year-old Sgt. William Rivers, a soldier's soldier, his cousin said, 24-year-old Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, whose family said she was always full of life, and 23-year-old Sgt. Breonna Moffitt, her parents remembering how she could light up a room. The U.S. today also launching preemptive strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis. NBC's Courtney Kuby is in the region tonight.

I'm here on the USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea, where just a couple hours ago, nearly a dozen FAA-18 fighter jets took off from the deck of this aircraft carrier. Their mission, to stop multiple incoming drones fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen. They were supported by EA-18 Growlers, protecting the fighter jets from Houthi air defenses. Now, defense officials stress that these actions tonight were not part of the larger retaliatory actions that the U.S. has been talking about all week. Our thanks to Courtney Kuby in the region tonight. And Peter, you've got reporting on what was hit in these attacks. Lester, that's right. Two U.S. officials tell NBC News tonight that at least half a dozen

facilities were struck and that those sites were linked directly to attacks against the U.S. and coalition forces in the region. Tonight, as we said, President Biden putting out a statement saying, among other things, that he does not seek a wider war in the Middle East or anywhere else in the world. Lester. Peter Alexander, thanks. I'm joined now by Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander. Admiral, you've heard the list of weaponry and some of the aircraft involved. What does that tell you about the nature of this response? Three things. One, Lester, this is going to be a long

campaign. We're going to bring in all kinds of assets from the long range bombers, drones, aircraft operating off ships. Number two, this is clearly a signal to Iran that we are willing to fully commit in this campaign. And number three, we are serious. It is time for Iran to back down. Admiral James DeVritas, thank you. In a Michigan courtroom today, closing arguments in the involuntary manslaughter trial of Jennifer Crumbly, the mother of a teenager who shot and killed four students at Oxford High School. Maggie Vespa now with late details. Tonight, Jennifer Crumbly's fate will soon be in the hands of a jury.

After closing arguments in her involuntary manslaughter trial, honed in on whether the 45-year-old Michigan mom broke the law by failing to stop her son from killing four classmates at Oxford High School. The shooter learned how to shoot and was given the murder weapon by his parents. No one could have expected this, including Mrs. Crumbly. Prosecutors suggesting Crumbly ignored red flags. He was struggling. He was hallucinating. He was seeing things. She did not give him the help that he wanted. The defense hitting back. Trained professionals told Mrs. Crumbly her son was not a risk. Nine days of testimony culminating with Crumbly, the defense's only witness.

She was cross-examined by prosecutors today. And you don't deny that you never once, never once took him to see a therapist or counsel? No, I did not. Prosecutors also pushing back on Crumbly's earlier testimony that her husband, James, who's set to be tried in March, was responsible for securing Ethan's gun. Well, you didn't trust him to get out of bed on time. Correct. But this is the person you entrusted with a deadly weapon. I did.

The defense making one final plea. I am asking that you find Jennifer Crumbly not guilty, not just for Jennifer Crumbly, but for every mother who's out there doing the best they can, who could easily be in her shoes. Jury deliberations begin Monday on a landmark question. At what point is a parent illegally required to stop their child from carrying out a mass shooting? Lester. All right, Maggie, thanks. In Washington, the judge in the federal election interference case against former President Trump formally postponed the start of his trial scheduled to begin next month. While in Georgia, Fulton County D.A. Fonny Willis addressed allegations that have threatened to derail the Georgia election case against Mr. Trump.

Here's Blaine Alexander. Tonight, a defiant district attorney, Fonny Will, is breaking her silence. In a 176-page filing, she acknowledges a personal relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she appointed to lead the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump. But Willis denies any financial benefit or conflict of interest, writing, While the allegations are salacious and garner the media attention they were designed to obtain, they do not provide any basis for her to be removed from the case. That's what Trump co-defendant Michael Roman has asked for, accusing Willis of financially benefiting from a romantic relationship, saying Wade used money he earned from the DA's office to pay for vacations together. But in her response, Willis today

provided her own receipts, saying travel was evenly split between the two and arguing Wade made more money than the other special prosecutors only because he did much more work. The filing included a sworn affidavit from Wade who said while the two were professional associates and friends when he was hired on the case, they later developed a personal relationship. But in a response of his own, Michael Roman says he has witnesses who will testify the relationship actually began before Wade's hiring. All of it has brought intense scrutiny to the closely watched case against Donald Trump and to Willis herself. Mr. Trump has also sought to have the charges dismissed and today posting this scam is totally discredited and over. It all comes amid new

pressure from Congress, where Republican Congressman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed Willis, seeking documents to determine whether she misused federal money. And back in Georgia, Willis and Wade have been subpoenaed to testify on these allegations in two weeks. But Willis wants a judge to cancel that hearing and vows to fight the subpoena, calling it an attempt to embarrass and harass her personally. Lester. All right, Blaine, thank you. In Clearwater, Florida, investigators are trying to find out why a single engine plane lost power and crashed into a mobile home community, causing a big fire and killing three people, including the pilot.

Shortly before the crash, the pilot called for help, saying that he was losing the engine. And we're keeping a close eye on the weather tonight in California, where yet another atmospheric river is expected to bring very heavy rain over the weekend and into next week. This on top of so much rain and flooding we've seen this week. New flood watches are already in effect tonight. Another surprisingly strong jobs report today. The economy added 353,000 jobs in January, almost double expectations. Unemployment remained at 3.7 percent. And that should be good news for President Biden, who is expected to coast to victory in tomorrow's Democratic primary in South Carolina. But as Gabe Gutierrez reports, there may be signs of trouble for November. At South Carolina State University today, Vice President Kamala Harris trying to rally a critical part of her campaign's 2020 coalition, young black voters.

Every day we fight for you. Four years ago, black Democrats in South Carolina's primary jolted the struggling Biden campaign back to life. We've won big because of you. Now, NBC News polling shows nationwide black voters favor President Biden over Republican frontrunner Donald Trump 73% to 17. But among black voters under age 34, Biden's support drops to 60% and Trump's support jumps to 28. In a tight election, that could be disastrous for Democrats. Are you excited about Joe Biden? No, not really. We spoke with Kennard Holmes and other students who supported Biden,

but had their doubts. It's very difficult to get excited because a lot of people kind of subscribe to I'm picking the lesser of two evils. Olivia Radcliffe strongly disagrees with the president's handling of the Israel-Hamas war. It's mass murder every single day. And has concerns about his age. Seeing him stumble, seeing him stumble over words, it's hard to see and it's hard to be comfortable with that. Kaylin Wright accredits the Biden administration with forgiving her mother's student loans, but acknowledges former President Trump speaks his mind. We had a panel discussion a few days ago with some students and we said we like that energy,

you know, sometimes we want that for ourselves. She feels the Biden campaign hasn't communicated well enough to young people like her. How concerned are you that this community won't show up this November? I'm very concerned. Though President Biden is expected to win big in tomorrow's primary, any drop in enthusiasm could mean trouble for his campaign later this year. Lester. All right, Gabe, thank you. Coming up, our look inside a Hamas tunnel and what Israeli forces are calling a dungeon. We'll hear from a former hostage who survived it next. In the Middle East, negotiators are awaiting the decision from Hamas on that newly proposed hostage deal. And tonight, we have rare access

with Israeli troops inside Hamas tunnels in Gaza, where some of the hostages were held. Raf Sanchez now in the chilling sights inside. Beneath the city of Han Yunis in Gaza, Hamas tunnels and a darkness that feels like it may never end. This tunnel just goes on and on and on. Until you reach this. Israeli troops showing us what they called a Hamas dungeon. Five cells with doors that lock from the outside. And a single larger room. You lose the sense of direction, the sense of time.

It was here Israeli troops found these. Drawings left behind by five-year-old Emilia Ohlone, who was kidnapped during the Hamas attacks and held here with her mother, Danielle. The only sentence I could say, please God help us, please God help us. She told us how on October 7th, they desperately ran into this safe room. Hamas terrorists were outside, setting the house on fire. I covered my daughter. I don't know why, because of course it didn't help. And I told her, I'm sorry, my love, but we are going to die here. Their awful choice, better to go out and be shot, then suffocate inside. We opened the window and I'm waiting for get killed.

Instead, they were taken to Gaza and marched barefoot into the tunnels. I was in this tunnel for one hour and it was hot and it was hard to breathe. What was it like to be there for 36 days? Horror. Suffering every minute. Every day, a battle to keep her daughter's hope alive. We told stories. We played with mattresses like it's a tent and we are hiding in the tent. Danielle appearing in this hostage video, her family's only way of knowing she was alive. They were eventually released in November. Today, Amelia is back in kindergarten. Is she still the same little girl she was before October 7th?

No. If she can't see me, she's screaming, Mom, Mom, where are you? She will never be the same kid she was. Something forever lost in the darkness of the tunnels. Raf Sanchez, NBC News, Tel Aviv. That's nightly news. Join Meet the Press Sunday on NBC when Kristen Welker has an exclusive with speaker Mike Johnson. Thank you for watching.

I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.