NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, January 26, 2024

Episode Date: January 27, 2024

Jury orders Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in defamation damages; Ice jam threatens flash flood emergency in Midwest; Court of Justice: Israel must do more to prevent Gaza killings; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Breaking news tonight, the massive court judgment handed down against Donald Trump. The former president ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million for defaming her after she accused him of sexual assault. The jury taking just under three hours to deliberate. Mr. Trump not in court when the verdict came down. The moment today he stormed out of the room. Also tonight, another storm system on the move after days of heavy rain and flooding. Evacuations in the Midwest as melting ice triggers flash floods. The deadly shooting at a Chicago school. Two students gunned down as they walked out.

What we're learning. The controversial execution in Alabama for the first time ever. An inmate put to death with nitrogen gas. Eyewitnesses describe him shaking for minutes. What his victim's family is saying. The U.N.'s top court ordering Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza, but not calling for a ceasefire. And the stunning allegations. Did some U.N. workers in Gaza take part in the Hamas terror attack? The first Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane to return to the sky

after that door plug blew off in midair. What to do if you don't want to fly on one. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome, everyone. We begin with the breaking news here in New York, where just a short time ago, a federal jury ruled that Donald Trump must pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, who sued him for defamation. A separate civil trial had already found Mr. Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in the 90s. The jury today tasked only with putting a price on the former president's defamatory statements about Carroll. Their ruling coming just hours after Mr. Trump bolted from the courtroom during closing arguments by Carroll's attorneys. Carroll's lawsuit claimed injury to her reputation, humiliation and mental anguish.

The former president quick to respond on social media to today's judgment against him, vowing he will appeal and declaring our legal system is out of control. Senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett has late details. Tonight, writer E. Jean Carroll smiling, a victory lap outside a Manhattan courthouse after a jury awarded her a staggering $83 million in damages in her ongoing defamation battle against former President Trump. The jury reaching its verdict in just three hours following a two-week trial. Earlier today, Mr. Trump abruptly leaving the courtroom during the closing argument

by Carroll's attorney, who accused him of engaging in defamation during the entire trial, after Mr. Trump put out this video overnight. I don't even know who this woman is. I have no idea who she is, where she came from. This is another scam. It's a political witch hunt. Carroll originally sued Mr. Trump, saying he sexually assaulted her in a department store dressing room in the 90s. He said she was a liar. It's terrible. What's going on? So it's a total false accusation. And I don't know anything about her. In May, a different jury found Mr. Trump had sexually abused and defamed Carol after he left office, awarding her five million dollars,

leaving this second jury to decide only damages for what he said about her while he was president. Carroll alleged his original remarks unleashed a torrent of threats online from Trump supporters and tarnished her reputation. But Mr. Trump's attorney tonight blasting the judge for barring Mr. Trump from denying Carroll's claims. Before I walked into court, that judge decided that every single defense President Trump had, we were not allowed to raise in front of the jury. And Laura, former President Trump and Eugene Carroll are talking about this tonight. Yes, Lester Carroll just put out a statement moments ago saying this is a great victory for every woman who stands up when she's been knocked down and a huge defeat for every

bully who has tried to keep a woman down. But Lesser, she may not see a dime of this money. As the former president says tonight, this is absolutely ridiculous. He plans to appeal. This could be tied up in court for years. All right, Laura, thank you. Also tonight, we're watching a growing flood threat outside Chicago where melting ice is making water levels rise to dangerous levels on a river. Maggie Vespa is there. Tonight, capping off a brutal week of punishing winter weather, warm rain now fueling a slow-moving disaster in the Midwest. It's kind of like a sci-fi movie, a disaster movie. You can see the ice levels begin to rise. Along suburban Chicago's Kankakee River, a flash flood emergency after officials say a 12-mile ice jam, among the largest ever recorded on that river, began melting and breaking apart this week.

The nature-made dam of densely packed ice now giving way to rapidly rising water levels, up more than 3.5 feet since Wednesday, tonight just shy of the river's record height of 13.9 feet. In the small town of Wilmington, businesses underwater. Rescue crews overnight saving more than a dozen people from flooded homes. You bought it almost 20 years ago. This is the worst you've seen? Oh, for sure. Yeah. Downstream, where more ice has yet to break apart, Eric Fosna worries his home will be next. When the ice breaks apart, you can hear it.

Yeah, they say it sounds like thunder. It's very intimidating to see it like this. It's so high up. Meanwhile, millions down south in cleanup mode after relentless rain yesterday brought staggering floods across parts of Texas and the Mississippi Delta. Back here in Illinois, this river is rising alongside temperatures here climbing into the 40s. Out east today, temps were as much as 20 degrees above average and Washington, D.C. hit 80. Lester? It's head spinning. All right, Maggie, thank you.

And in downtown Chicago today, authorities say two high school students were shot and killed as classes were starting to dismiss. Police say multiple gunmen got out of two vehicles, approached a group of students and fired, hitting the two students outside Innovations High School. Police say the victims were 16 and 17 years old. For the first time in the U.S., nitrogen gas was used to carry out capital punishment. But eyewitness details of how inmate Kenneth Smith died are reigniting the global debate over capital punishment. Emily Akata reports. A first of its kind execution in the U.S. tonight at the center of global controversy.

The state of Alabama put convicted killer Kenneth Smith to death Thursday using nitrogen gas, which deprives the body of oxygen. You witnessed the execution. How long until he was unconscious? There were several minutes there where he was awake. There were about two minutes of Kenny Smith experiencing shaking. He was slightly thrashing on the gurney there before he fell unconscious. Media witnesses say that was followed by several minutes of deep breaths slowing until no longer perceptible. Smith's spiritual advisor was in the chamber. What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life. We saw minutes of someone heaving back and forth. Prison officials say they believe Smith was trying to hold his breath for as long as possible and that involuntary movement was expected. But the previously untested method

has raised questions and concern from the White House and around the world. It is very troubling to us here at the White House. Rather than looking for novel untested methods to execute people, let's just bring an end to the death penalty. Alabama's attorney general fended off criticism, calling the execution textbook and making this offer. Alabama has done it and now so can you. And we stand ready to assist you in implementing this method in your states. For the children of Smith's victim, Elizabeth Sennett, relief. More than three decades since she was brutally murdered. Nothing happened here today is going to bring mom back, but we're glad this day is over.

And Emily, what was the impetus to go to this new method? Well, Esther, some states have trouble obtaining the drugs for lethal injections, the most common form of execution. And in the case of Smith, they couldn't find his vein in a botched execution attempt in 2022. Alabama's attorney general says 43 other death row inmates have chosen nitrogen hypoxia for their executions. Lester. All right, Emily, thank you. Accused of committing genocide. No new pressure on Israel tonight to change its operations in Gaza. But the U.N.'s top court is not calling on Israel to end its war against Hamas. Raf Sanchez now with late details. Tonight, the U.N.'s highest court ordering Israel to prevent genocidal acts by its forces,

but stopping short of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. South Africa had accused Israel of committing genocide and asked the International Court of Justice to order an end to Israel's war against Hamas. Israel has an inherent right to defend itself. The vile attempt to deny Israel this fundamental right is blatant discrimination against the Jewish state, and it was justly rejected.

Danny Danone is a member of Israel's parliament. And the International Court of Justice said there is enough evidence of potential genocide that there is a case to hear. What's your response to that? It was a fake case against Israel about a fake genocide, blaming us for a genocide. That's an absurd. The judge is highlighting this quote from Israel's defense minister as potential incitement. We are fighting human animals. But also calling on Hamas to immediately release its hostages. The court has no way to enforce its rulings, which come amid a devastating humanitarian crisis.

Families waiting for hours for a single bowl of soup. Palestinians hope the ruling will add to international pressure for a ceasefire. It makes it very difficult for this Biden administration to continue to provide cover to Israel. This reaction from the White House. We don't believe that right now a general ceasefire is the best approach. We just have no indication that they are deliberately trying to exterminate the people of Gaza. The White House saying, like the court, it's called on Israel to reduce civilian casualties. The U.S. also halting funding to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.

Amid allegations, 12 of its staff took part in the Hamas terror attack. The employees have been fired, the U.N. says, and it's launched a full investigation. And the CIA director will meet this weekend with officials from Israel and Qatar hoping to jumpstart talks on a new hostage deal. Lester. All right. Raf Sanchez, thank you. Now to the border crisis. More than 370,000 undocumented migrants crossing into the U.S. just last month. The highest monthly total ever. As Julia Ainsley reports from Denver, there's growing strain on health care and schools. Tonight, one of Colorado's largest hospitals facing a crisis. Physicians at Denver Health telling us they treat everyone who comes to the ER,

regardless of immigration status or ability to pay. But they're struggling to handle a spike in migrant patients. It's been really, really hard to take care of them, both in terms of their inability to pay, but also just the sheer volume of patients that we weren't expecting. Denver has a population of 700,000 people. And just the last year, nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived, the mayor declaring a state of emergency. More than 8,000 migrants have come to Denver Health for care,

and most of that is coming out of the hospital's pocket. The hospital says they need more help from federal and state government to pay for over $10 million in unpaid migrant medical bills so far. Outside a shelter, we meet Mary Anise and her three sons. She's being treated here for Parkinson's. I'm very grateful. In my country, it was very difficult. We were not able to get medicine for my condition, she said. Emergency room pediatrician Dr. Christy Rodriguez says they want to give patients the care they need, but they need funding with the hospital facing

a breaking point. Is this an emergency here? I think it's about to be. I think this isn't sustainable how it is right now. Meanwhile, Denver's public schools are also scrambling to keep up with nearly 3,000 new migrant students. So we've had around 100, which makes about 20% now of our student body. Principal Brian Clark's school now receives five to ten new students per week, what they used to get in an entire year. Now some classes have hit the 35 student limit, so some students have had to be transferred to other schools. Come February 5th, the city says they'll start restricting stays on migrants in shelters and kicking many of them out onto the streets. Some migrants we spoke to said they don't know where they'll go. Lester. Julia Ainsley, thank you. In 60 seconds,

three weeks after the midair emergency, Boeing's grounded 737 MAX 9 start flying again. We'll have details right after this. The first MAX 9 passenger flights are resuming after the FAA ordered the planes grounded following that mid-air emergency. While the planes are being thoroughly inspected, scrutiny of Boeing is mounting. Here's Tom Costello. Alaska Flight 1146 Seattle to San Diego was the first MAX 9 to return to flight as Alaska gradually reintroduces all of its inspected nines. We expect within about a week our entire 65 airplanes or close to that should be up back in full service. United plans to start flying its MAX nines this Sunday. Both airlines say passengers who don't want to fly the MAX 9

can rebook without penalty. The aircraft type is usually on the reservation and ticket. It was three weeks ago that the door plug on Alaska Flight 1282 blew out over Portland. Passengers Joan and Gilbert Marin were on board. It was very cold, but everything was rushing out, so we didn't have a smell. We just had the roar. Investigators are looking at whether the door plug was ever bolted in place. And TSB investigators were back at the Boeing plant today, as both Alaska and United Airlines continue inspecting their own MAX 9s. Most MAX 9s have two door plugs, one on the right side and one on the left side.

And it's taking maintenance teams up to 10 hours per door plugs to do the inspection, making sure that every single bolt on the plug is secure. On Thursday, Boeing stopped all 737 MAX production to focus on quality control. We, the Boeing company, are under a tremendous amount of scrutiny, and what I will say is rightly so. In Washington, bipartisan support for congressional hearings. It is in everyone's interest that Boeing continue to prosper. For that to happen, Boeing needs to have a safety culture. With the preliminary NTSB report expected next week. Tom Costello, NBC News, Washington. Britain's King Charles is in a hospital recovering after treatment for an enlarged prostate.

His wife, Queen Camilla, said the 75-year-old monarch was doing well. Charles also visited his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who's recovering in the same hospital after abdominal surgery. And up next tonight, lessons from the past from the oldest living survivor of the Holocaust and her daughter. This weekend, we mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We learned this week that fewer than a quarter million Holocaust survivors are still alive today, and two of them, a mother and daughter, are sharing their story with Stephanie Gosk. For Rhea Benicasa and her mother, Rose Jerome, remembrance isn't just one day, it's every day. Rhea was born in 1939 in Nazi Germany. My father and my grandfather were in a concentration camp in Buchenwald, but somehow they paid their way out and we went to Shanghai. Can you imagine the culture shock? Rose was in her 20s, Ria a tiny baby.

They were among some 20,000 Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai. The family eventually moved to the U.S. We were just so lucky, and mother would be the first one to tell you all the time. We're so lucky. Rose turned 112 years old this month. She's believed to be the oldest living survivor of the Holocaust. She has a great philosophy on life. She said nothing is so bad that something good shouldn't come from it.

That's a remarkable thing for someone who lived through the Holocaust to say. Correct. But that's what made her. A demographic study conducted by the Claims Conference found that less than 250,000 Holocaust survivors are alive today. 16% are here in the U.S. This country opened up its doors. And how important was that to your family? Totally important. It took us in. It offered us opportunities. Is it hard for you to see a rise in anti-Semitism here, given that history? Absolutely, because that never again phrase pops up again, you know, and it's scary because you think it will happen again.

The living memory of the Holocaust is slowly slipping away. Rhea and her mother hope the painful lessons learned won't be forgotten. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, Long Island. And that is Nightly News. Join Meet the Press Sunday as Kristen Welker interviews presidential candidate Nikki Haley. And also join us for Nightly News Kids Edition Saturday morning when I'm joined by Jamie Lee Curtis. Check your local listings. Thank you for watching, everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please remember to take care of yourself and each other. Good night.