NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 10, 2025

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

Death toll rises as California wildfires rage; Altadena neighborhood of Los Angeles hit especially hard; Trump given no punishment in New York hush money case sentence.

Tonight, the death toll rising from the wildfires in Southern California as yet another inferno erupts in Los Angeles. More evacuations ordered as that new fire spreads and stunning images revealing the utter devastation. More than 12,000 homes and buildings destroyed, at least 11 dead. More than 150,000 still under evacuation orders. Plus a firefighting plane out of commission after striking a drone. The FBI investigating, and after her home was spared, actress Jennifer Garner

speaking out, the friend she says she lost in the flames. Our team across the fire zone. Also tonight, Donald Trump's sentence in his hush money case, the judge imposing no penalty but formally making him the first convicted felon to be president. You'll hear his defiant words to the court for the first time. The winter storm slamming the south. Delta passengers evacuated into the snow after an engine issue in Atlanta. Major travel troubles. More than 3,000 flights canceled.

New images from the shootout during the terror attack in New Orleans, the body cam shows, the Supreme Court hearing arguments over a law that could ban TikTok in the U.S. Just over a week from now, will the justices let it go into effect? What they signal? And as the fires rage in Los Angeles, the heroes saving some of the most vulnerable from the flames. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. With one eye on the wind gauges, the other on new fires popping up, crews in Los Angeles are taking advantage of what's expected to be a brief improvement in the weather picture as they struggle to eke out gains against the region's deadly wildfires. Tonight, the death

toll rising in the Los Angeles area where at least five major blazes are burning. The biggest in the coastal city of Pacific Palisades. That sprawling fire now 8% contained. The Eaton Fire near the foothill communities of Altadena and Pasadena, only 3% contained. More than 7,000 structures there damaged or destroyed. The death toll between the two fires now at least 11. In the fire zones, people who days ago were literally running for their lives are now returning to smoldering communities, hoping their homes will be the exception, the one standing amid the destruction. Tonight, destroyed communities anxious to know what's next, also questioning how things were allowed to get so out of control. Let's start once again with Tom Yamas from L.A.

The firefight in California now in day four. Today, we saw firsthand how homeowners continue to face the wildfires head on. Topanga's there. If we burn, Topanga burns. We need to stop this. Using water hoses, shovels, and sprinklers, these residents have been fighting for days. You're sweating, you're covered in water and dirt. Why are you doing this? Because there's a whole community behind us, and if we go, they go. With firefighters on the ground and the wind slowing down, air assets attack the blaze from above.

We're in the middle of the Palisades firefight right now. That is a fire hawk. It's a Black Hawk helicopter that has up to 1,000 gallons of water dropping it right on some of the hottest spots of this wildfire. The accuracy of those airdrops was unbelievable. Even Carmen Harmon, who is six months pregnant, spraying down her home with water. She's expecting a boy and says she's trying to ensure her baby has a place to come home to. We're ready to go if we need to. We have routes out, but yeah, we want to try and stay in fight.

And the threat isn't over. Today, new evacuations ordered as a fire broke out in Granada Hills. And last night, another new fire near Calabasas. A furious effort held back these flames. But with each new outbreak, already thin resources are being stretched even further. Today, there's one less firefighting plane in the air after a super scooper was struck by what the FBI is investigating as a civilian drone strike. The damage left a fist-sized hole in its wing, grounding the vital aircraft designed to drop 1,500 gallons of water on fire. The fires have now burned more than 56 square miles. That's larger than the city of San Francisco. More than 12,000 structures damaged or destroyed. These stunning before and after

images of the Eaton fire in Altadena showing what the fire did to a vibrant community. According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, the fires have now killed 11 people, including 83-year-old grandfather Rodney Nickerson of Altadena. And the number of dead is still expected to rise. There's still a lot of people who are unaccounted for. We don't know where they are. I think the toll is likely to go up, whether it's significant or not. Pray God it's not. Hajime White lost her father, Anthony Mitchell, and younger brother, Justin, who had cerebral palsy.

In the Pacific Palisades, actress Jennifer Gardner's home was spared, but she's dealing with the loss of her own. I'm pointing to a street where a friend of mine lived, and she died in the fire right up there. So coming down here and seeing it, it's very, very, it's very real. Amid miles of destruction, the National Guard now standing outside fire zones to prevent looting. Today, Governor Gavin Newsom called for an independent investigation into the loss of water pressure in fire hydrants. This as outrage is growing and questions remain about what impact L.A.'s mayor, Karen Bass's budget cut to the city's fire department had on the response. Our local station, NBC Los Angeles, pressing the city's fire chief for answers.

So $17 million cut did not allow us to do what we needed to do. And where that impacted us specifically for Palisades was our ability to move into reserve apparatus. So that apparatus could not be utilized in this fire? We were limited with the number of resources that we could add and pre-deploy to this fire, yes. Searching for answers as to what went wrong, as so many now search for a new place to call home. Tom, let me circle you back to the top of that story. The residents you were with in Topanga, were they able to save their neighborhood? Look, Lester, we were there as those flames were climbing up that hill, but those residents would not stop with the help of the firefighters, those helicopters, and those airplanes. They took back control. By the time

we were done, the smoke had largely cleared out of the canyon. And even though they won the battle today, all the residents there know this war is far from over. Lester. All right, Tom Yamas, thanks. And you saw the images in Tom's report of Altadena, where the second largest fire has also destroyed thousands of homes and buildings. Gotti Schwartz spent the day with people there. Today in Altadena, there are doorways, stairways, entryways into emptiness and storefronts, portals and windows into ruin. From above, the loss is staggering. Over 7,000 structures, homes and businesses destroyed. And for Kim Hood, the greenhouse facing the mountain

wasn't just her dream home. It was what her parents passed down to her before they died. What was your reaction when you first saw it? Tears. Tears. My husband's like, okay, I thought you already cried out. Apparently not. She shows us pictures of her family gathering around her fireplace for Christmas, one of the only remnants left standing.

Unbelievable. Up the way, Juan Perez puts the scope of destruction into heartbreaking perspective. It's all gone. All gone. I mean, the kids were born here, raised them here, 20-some years. We built this and it's completely gone. Not just me, my whole neighborhood is gone. There's thousands of us that don't know what we're going to do, don't know where we're going to go. There's nothing left and I've been here for about an hour and a half and I don't want to leave this home. Everything that we know and love is gone. Not just this house, my whole city gone, man. The whole thing, like everything,

my whole neighborhood, everything that I grew up to love and know is burnt up. But in this working class community that feels more like a small town than a part of L.A., there's already talk of rebuilding where their roots are generations deep. Sometimes you get knocked down, but we're just not going to be knocked out. You know, it's we, you fall down and we get right back up. And when the rebuilding begins, the Altadena hardware store will be ground zero for reconstruction. Jesus.

Even if you've got building supplies in the parking lot. On the street, wherever we can put stuff to help people, we're going to put it. Yeah, we're going to do everything we can. And Lester, Jimmy says the night of the fire, his home was saved by a neighbor with a hose. When he finally got into town, they got to work saving another neighbor's home. And that's why they weren't able to come check out this shop. And even today, before that interview, they were out trying to put out another hotspot with buckets to save a friend. He says that is what defines this community.

Lester? I'll tell you, you can't help but feel they're going to get there. They're going to be okay. Gotti, thank you. Let's bring in Bill Cairns now. Firefighters catching a small break with the winds, but how does it look in the days to come? Lester, it's important we get these containment numbers up over the next two to three days because those Santa Ana winds are going to return early next week. This is the lowest that the winds have been ever since the fires erupted two, three days ago. As we go through tomorrow afternoon, they kick up a little bit into the 20 to 30 mile per hour range. That really shouldn't hamper any of the firefighting efforts. But we do expect the Santa Ana winds to return. Strong, high pressure comes down for the Pacific Northwest. This increases the pressure gradient in Southern

California. That is the Santa Ana winds. And we do think we could get wind gusts in the 40 to 60 mile per hour range Monday night into Tuesday. Now, this isn't 80 to 100 like we just saw, but this still is strong enough to cause significant problems. And also, Lester, the big climate headline today. We just found out that 2024 was the warmest year ever recorded on planet Earth. All right, Bill Cairens, thank you so much. Now to that extraordinary courtroom scene today. President-elect Trump appearing remotely as the judge gave him a sentence with no punishment in his hush money case. Trump also addressing the court. Here's Laura Jarrett. President-elect Trump defiant, appearing in a New York courtroom virtually as Judge Juan Mershon handed down his sentence.

Mr. Trump given no punishment, but his place in history tonight cemented. The first former president, now a convicted felon, just 10 days out from his inauguration. The judge acknowledging the extraordinary moment. Never before has this court been presented with such a unique and remarkable set of circumstances. Ultimately finding an unconditional discharge the most appropriate sentence for someone about to occupy the highest office, meaning no jail time, probation, fine, or other penalty. The considerable, indeed, extraordinary legal protections afforded by the office of the chief executive is a factor that overrides all others. The prosecution in agreement. Mr. Trump earlier for the first time speaking directly to the judge, calling it a terrible experience.

It's been a political witch hunt. It was done to damage my reputation so that I'd lose the election. And obviously that didn't work. And the people of our country got to see this firsthand. And then they voted and I won. The jury found him guilty of doctoring business records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star before the 2016 election. But jail time was always unlikely, given the low level nature of the crime. Mr. Trump's attorneys vowing to appeal the conviction. Meantime, the last legal thread still unresolved for Mr. Trump, that final report from special counsel Jack Smith on his now

dismissed cases, which we could see as soon as this weekend or perhaps even sooner if the Justice Department gets its way. Lester. All right, Laura, thank you. Now to disturbing new images from police in New Orleans releasing body cam video from the truck terror attack on New Year's Day that left 14 people dead. The video showing police surrounding the attacker still inside the truck after he plowed into the crowd. He then opens fire, sending officers running and diving for cover. Investigators say the attacker died during the shootout. Also tonight, much of the South dealing with something it's not used to, a major winter storm bringing intense snow and ice

and causing all kinds of travel troubles. Marissa Parra is in Atlanta for us. Marissa, good evening. Lester, you can see the sleet is now coming in sideways here in Atlanta. This wintry mix is hitting many areas that are not used to seeing these conditions. Tonight, a deep chill in the deep south. Snow and ice bringing travel to a grinding halt. Thousands of flights delayed or canceled from Dallas and Charlotte to Chicago and a full morning ground stop in Atlanta. The wintry mix, just the backdrop for a scary moment for passengers on a Delta flight in Atlanta headed for Minneapolis. Delta flight 26682668 with engine failure landing.

The airline confirms there was an engine issue just before takeoff. More than 200 passengers had to use slides to deplane, the airport confirming several minor injuries. It's not a triad. Snow and ice are pummeling the south. Our Kathy Park is in Tennessee, where the snow was falling an inch per hour. And what is it like seeing Broadway covered in snow right now? Quite unexpected. We don't think snow in Nashville, ever.

People are now digging out from Texas to North Carolina, with at least six states under a winter weather state emergency. 20,000 miles of Georgia's roadway assaulted in advance. But in the Atlanta metro area, the cars that didn't heed the warning were seen stalled and sliding, causing accidents along the interstate. In Kansas, a truck's windshield was shattered by icy debris flying from a passing car, a warning for the 75 million people in the winter storm's path. Risa Parra, NBC News, Atlanta. And up next, the battle over the future of TikTok at the U.S.

Supreme Court. Is it the end of the line for the popular app? Next. The fate of TikTok is in the hands of the Supreme Court tonight, with the clock ticking on a law that could effectively ban it here in the U.S. Savannah Sellers was in court. Supreme Court justices today grilling the lawyers trying to save social media giant TikTok. Representatives for the company arguing that the law requiring TikTok to sever its ties to China or cease operations in the U.S. by January 19th violates free speech protections. Am I right that the algorithm is the speech here? Yes, Your Honor. It's basically how we predict what our customers want to see. Both liberal and conservative members of the court skeptical over the premise that

an algorithm is speech. How are those First Amendment rights really being implicated here? The court has never held that a foreign government has free speech rights. And Justice Katonji Brown Jackson pointing out that the law is not an outright ban. You're wrong about the statute being read as saying TikTok, you have to go mute because TikTok can continue to operate on its own algorithm, on its own terms, as long as it's not associated with ByteDance. Former TikTok product manager Drew Kirkhoff, who worked with the company for six years, told us selling TikTok and keeping it the way it is would be impossible. Chinese people know how to run it, but in the U.S. there's

nothing like it. There's really no one here that, in my opinion, knows how to run TikTok the way TikTok runs. But the Justice Department insists with its ties to China, TikTok, which has 170 million American users, poses a national security threat. China is a foreign adversary nation that looks for every opportunity it has to weaken the United States. TikTok's lawyer insisting... We absolutely resist any kind of content manipulation by China at all. If the law goes into effect, it would ban TikTok from

app stores but not remove it from phones that already have it. Justice Alito today asking why users can't just take to a different app. I'm just wondering whether this is like somebody's attachment to an old article of clothing. I mean, I really love this old shirt because I've been wearing this old shirt, but I could go out and buy something exactly like that. But no, I like the old shirt. Is that what we have here? Now, the Supreme Court could issue a preliminary block on that deadline looming nine days from now ahead of a final ruling on the arguments made here today. Word from the court could come at any time. Lester. Savannah Sellers, thank you. Up next, an inside look at the Trump administration's plans to crack down on undocumented migrants, what his border czar is

planning. As President-elect Trump prepares to take office in 10 days, we're getting an inside look at his immigration plans from his border czar. He spoke with Gabe Gutierrez. We're going to take steps to secure the border. President-elect Trump's incoming border czar. He spoke with Gabe Gutierrez. President-elect Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan tells us mass deportation will include workplace roundups. Are we talking around Inauguration Day, even on Inauguration Day? I'm not going to forecast what we're doing and where we're doing it, but you can count on worksite enforcement coming back. Will mass deportation hurt the economy? I think mass deport coming back. Will mass deportation hurt the economy? I think mass deportation and results of mass deportation are more important to this country than anything. It will protect the national security of this country.

ICE agents have told us they prioritize arresting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Critics have asked, what about undocumented family members? Will there be collateral arrests? Yes. It's not okay to be in this country illegally. He's also promising to close Panama's Darien Gap, which migrants cross on the way to the U.S. We'll shut the Darien Gap down. Would you work with the Panamanian government? Would you send the U.S. military to shut it down? We're always going to work with the foreign government, but it needs to happen. We'll save thousands of lives. At a shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, we found worried

migrants struggling to schedule initial asylum screenings on the Biden administration's phone app, an app that Homan now wants to eliminate. Creating programs to allow thousands of people in this country that we don't properly vet and that we know don't qualify is not the answer. Homan's also working on creating a hotline where Americans can report undocumented immigrants who've committed a crime. Lester. All right, Gabe, thank you. And coming up amid the heartbreak of Los Angeles, the hundreds of animals saved in the wildfires aftermath. Finally tonight, as so many come together to help each other, are Liz Kreutz with the stories of kindness to help the animals in harm's way.

As fires ignited across LA, forcing thousands from their homes, horses, donkeys, and even a giant pig, all among those also needing to get out. Yeah, it's time to leave. This woman evacuated her 175-pound tortoise tiptoe. This is no good. This is no good. How do I get to my house? In the Palisades, a first responder reuniting this man with his beloved dog. What's her name or his name?

Tika, Tika, Tika. And now at the Pasadena Humane Society, an overwhelming outpour. Donations of blankets, food, air filters, so many in the community jumping in to help. The shelter has taken in more than 400 animals over the past two days. Some of them dropped off by evacuees looking for a safe place for their pets. Others by Good Samaritans who found them wandering amidst the chaos. So one of the animals that I transferred out is this cat. Inside, veterinarians tending to so many animals.

At first, I didn't know where they were all going to go. I didn't know if we had the number of hands to take care of them. This cat covered in soot, even a peacock. Any animal that's out there, either owned or wild, we're going to be expecting to see them. Rachel Meech says she had to come help. So it's pretty cool to help out and just be a part of this community that loves animals. A reminder that through the horror, the best of humanity shines through. People are good. You know, with all the bad stuff that's going on, people are good. And it's great that the

community is helping each other. Liz Kreutz, NBC News, Los Angeles. They are doing good work. That's nightly news. Join me tonight at 10, 9 central for our special fire and ash devastation in L.A. And on Sunday, the NFL wildcard kicks off on NBC. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.