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

Episode Date: July 20, 2024

Global computer outage is one of the biggest in history; Amid turmoil, Biden says he'll resume campaigning next week; After calling for unity, Trump voices familiar grievances; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the global reboot after a massive computer meltdown. Tech across the planet slowly coming back online after an outage halted everything from banks to 911 call centers. Travelers facing four-hour-long lines at airports. What the CEO of the software company behind the outage tells us about how it all happened and when things will get back to normal. Plus, President Biden says he's ready to hit the campaign trail next week as he recovers from COVID, but facing a new wave of Democratic calls to exit the race.

And our new reporting, what is his family saying tonight? Former President Trump accepting the Republican nomination for a third time after surviving an assassination attempt, saying, I stand before you only by the grace of Almighty God, but along with calls for unity, repeating insults and conspiracies. The worldwide outcry after journalist Evan Grzegorzowicz is sentenced to prison in Russia on false espionage charges. Secretary of State Blinken on efforts to free him, plus Brittany Griner's message to Evan.

The king's thing, some of Elvis' prized possessions up for auction. But are they authentic? The questions being raised in our exclusive investigation. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Tonight, the recovery is still underway after one of the worst fears of the digital age became a reality, a global computer shutdown, the near unthinkable ricocheting across every corner of the planet today, turning the vital workings of everything from airline operations and 911 centers to hospital operating rooms into blue blank screens. Scenes like this playing out at airports where helpless staff

couldn't process passengers who crowded terminals as flights were grounded. The cause quickly identified as a faulty update to software used in many Microsoft-based systems. But by then, the damage was done and the domino effect is still being felt tonight. What experts say was a bad line of code reminding us of both our dependence on widely used computer networks and the risks of their vulnerabilities. Tom Costello now on the impact and where things stand tonight. It is a massive computer outage affecting all corners of the globe, which could well be the biggest outage the world has seen. Not a cyber attack, but a software update gone bad affecting Microsoft Windows computers using CrowdStrike cybersecurity software. CrowdStrike is aware of reports of crashes on Windows 4. Among the first

affected, Global Airlines, their screens suddenly showing the so-called blue screen of death from Thailand to Portugal, Spain to Scotland. And I think it's fair to describe this as organized chaos at the moment. U.S. Airlines went offline overnight, unable to process thousands of passengers. Every 15 minutes, we kept getting these text messages. Your flight is delayed a half hour. Your flight is delayed an hour. Your flight is delayed two hours. Major airlines grounded flights with Flightradar 24 showing U.S. airspace thinning out as endless lines wound through airport terminals.

We received no, no, you can't get through to the airline. I don't think it's even in their hands. NBC's Guadalcanagos in Atlanta. Passengers here reporting waits of up to four hours waiting on a line that's stretched to the end of the terminal. By late today, 9,500 delays in the U.S., 2,700 cancellations, akin to the impact from a big winter storm. We're deeply sorry for the impact that we've caused to customers. The CEO of CrowdStrike, which pushed the software update, appeared on today. So we know what the issue is.

We're resolving and have resolved the issue. But it wasn't just airlines and airports. Hospitals were also knocked offline. Nurses switching to paper orders. We can't scan the medicine to make sure you're not allergic to orders. We can't scan the medicine to make sure you're not allergic to it. We can't scan the medicine to make sure that it's even yours. Many hospitals forced to cancel procedures. Allison Ballo's father was supposed to have open heart surgery. They called and said that due to a global IT outage, they had to reschedule the

surgery. Also affected banks, 911 systems, trains, buses, and subways, retailers, FedEx and UPS, court systems, and driver's license offices. New York's governor trying to reassure the public. There is no risk to personal sensitive information that we're aware of. On X, Microsoft said it's working closely with CrowdStrike and across the industry to safely bring their systems back online. Doesn't this speak to a vulnerability that you have with Microsoft Windows that one line of code could break down the entire system? There is no vulnerability based on our knowledge. What we understand right now is that the CrowdStrike update itself was flawed in how they accessed the system, and that is what has caused the global IT outage. All right, Tom, joining us now. Tom,

how long is this outage expected to last? Well, the airlines seem to be back, mostly back, but the ripple effect from the flight cancellations could run well into the night, likely through the weekend. And it could take hospitals, shipping companies, retailers days or weeks to fully recover. Lester, that is a massive impact. Tom, thank you. President Biden facing a new wave of calls from Democratic lawmakers to drop out of the presidential race. But the Biden campaign vows to press on. And we have new reporting on what the president's family is now doing. Kelly O'Donnell with late details. Tonight, more evidence of a widening split inside the Democratic Party over who should lead the fight to November. New resolve from the Biden campaign. Joe Biden is more committed than ever to beat Donald Trump. But new rejection from Democrats who say a new leader is needed.

At least 12 more congressional Democrats came forward today, calling on President Biden to leave the race. More than 30 so far. The president is not capable of delivering the message in an effective way. Including senators in tight races. New Mexico's Martin Heinrich and Montana's John Tester. And unease from Pennsylvania's Bob Casey, who has a long relationship with President Biden and has not called for him to drop out.

I don't think there's a specific timeline, but I do think it's it's it's going to be very soon where we have to begin to move forward. Today, House Democratic Leader Jeffrey's standing firm. President Biden, as I've said repeatedly, is our nominee. He has a tremendous track record of success. The Biden campaign chair calls this a tough several weeks. There's no doubt that it has been. And we've definitely seen some slippage in support, but it has been a small movement. Isolating in Delaware, still COVID positive and taking Paxlovid, the president released a statement today, writing, I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week. But in a new and parallel development, members of the president's family have discussed what an exit

could look like, according to two people familiar with the conversation. Another source close to the president said he is hurt and he is angry by the Democratic pressure campaign. Among those standing by the president, key coalitions from black and Latino communities and progressives who are concerned about a push by Democrats against Vice President Harris, too. amount of these elites and a huge amount of these folks in these rooms that I see that are pushing for President Biden to not be the nominee also are not interested in seeing the vice president being the nominee. Today, the vice president stepped out with extended family for ice cream while privately she spoke with donors on a call. Officials say the president's team asked her to fill in. According to a source on the call, the vice president touted the Biden-Harris ticket and said, tell your friends, too, we are going to win this election.

And Kelly, the president is insisting he'll be back on the campaign trail next week. The vice president will be doing the same. We know the vice president is headed to Milwaukee next week for a campaign rally. And of course, that's where Republicans were just having their big party. And notably, with J.D. Vance running with Mr. Trump as his running mate tonight, Ohio's other senator, three term Democrat Sherrod Brown, is among those saying that President Biden should end his campaign. Lester. All right, Kelly O'Donnell, thank you. Now, to former President Trump's speech at the Republican National Convention, he recounted the moments when a would-be assassin's bullet almost killed him. But

after a call for unity, he also launched familiar insults and conspiracies. Here's Hallie Jackson. Former President Trump stepping off his plane early this morning after stepping off the stage in Milwaukee. Balloons dropping on the final night of the Republican convention. I proudly accept your nomination for president of the United States. In his first speech since surviving an assassination attempt against him. You'll never hear it from me a second time because it's actually too painful to tell. Mr. Trump describing what happened in dramatic detail. I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear. Delegates listening intently, some with faces wet from tears. I'm not supposed to be

here tonight. Not supposed to be here. And I'll tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of almighty God. The former president surrounded by images from the shooting Saturday in Pennsylvania and also on stage, the gear of Corey Comparator, the firefighter dad killed at the campaign event in western Pennsylvania today. His casket carried on a fire truck ahead of a long procession at his funeral. And on Thursday, a moment of silence to honor him in the convention hall. Mr. Trump gently kissing his helmet. The former president delivering the longest convention speech ever, 93 minutes, bookended by nods to unity he'd previewed in the days after Saturday's shooting, but only briefly. I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America,

because there is no victory in winning for half of America. For the rest, he riffed, ad-libbing and repeating the grievances, conspiracies and insults that have come to define his divisive rallies. Crazy Nancy Pelosi. The China virus. They use COVID to cheat. Repeating his election fraud lies, slamming Democrats and issuing ominous warnings. Under the current administration,

we are indeed a nation in decline. The president responding today in a statement, Donald Trump's dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. The former president surrounded by his family Thursday, including for the first time this week, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner, and flanked by his running mate, J.D. Vance. The two set to campaign together tomorrow in Battleground, Michigan. The GOP ticket now official. Hallie Jackson, NBC News.

When we return, the harsh sentence for American journalist Evan Gershowitz, convicted of trumped-up espionage charges in Russia. Our exclusive details on the secret effort to bring him home. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced today to 16 years in a Russian penal colony on what the U.S. says are false spying charges. Andrea Mitchell has exclusive details on secret negotiations to get him home. Evan Gershkovich in court today, head shaven, not flashing his characteristic smile, falsely convicted of spying. The judge delivering a brutal 16-year sentence,

outraging his employer, the Wall Street Journal. We're disgusted with this verdict. It's outrageous. It's based on false charges. It's based on a sham trial. The Russian court speeding through the final phase of this trial, moving from closing arguments to verdict and sentencing in just 24 hours. At a security conference in Aspen, Colorado today, Secretary of State Tony Blinken saying the U.S. is negotiating for both Evan and Paul Whelan, another American wrongfully convicted of espionage, already serving five years.

Is there any hope for getting both Evan and Paul Whelan out? Would you leave Paul Whelan behind? We'll continue to work this every single day until we bring Evan home, until we bring Paul home. For that matter, until we bring every arbitrarily detained American anywhere around the world home. WNBA star Brittany Griner rescued in a hostage trade a year and a half ago. Today with NBC's Liz Quartz. You never know when that day is going to come, but just don't lose hope. Sources tell NBC News Germany's chancellor agreed in February to give up a Russian assassin in a Berlin prison for Gershkovich. And the U.S. is now scouring the world for other captured Russian spies

who could be offered for Whelan. Now we have a hostage, a Wall Street Journal reporter. Meanwhile, former President Trump has said, citing no evidence, he could get Evan out quickly if he's elected. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, Aspen, Colorado. And we'll take a break right here. Up next, the new deli meat warning over listeria, plus new concerns over Elvis memorabilia. Our investigation is next.

We were tracking a deadly listeria outbreak tonight. The CDC says two people died and nearly 30 others were hospitalized across 12 states. Many of the ill reported eating meat sliced at deli counters. The CDC says heating sliced meats until they're steaming hot can kill the bacteria. Now to our investigation into Elvis memorabilia, his clothes, even a plane up for auction. But were they really used by the king? Chloe Maloz has more on this rock and roll mystery and the new lawsuit filed by Priscilla Presley. Graceland, the Memphis home made famous by Elvis Presley, now home to the largest collection of Elvis memorabilia.

I have it here if you want to look at it. Lead archivist Angie Marchese taking us inside their private collection, which they say includes one-of-a-kind items like this black grommet jacket worn by Elvis in 1972. This lining of this jacket is the one that's in that video. And we don't believe that there was a second one ever made. No, we only have a receipt that he made had one. Which is why Graceland boss Joel Weinschenker says he grew suspicious when they discovered the purported jacket listed for sale by GWS Auctions. We know there was only one made. And guess what? We have it in our archives. It's Elvis. You know, anything Elvis,

somebody's always got an opinion. Brigitte Cruz is the owner of GWS Auctions, the company behind the 2023 listing of the jacket. She says the jacket was authenticated by one of Elvis's tailors. Graceland's saying that they have the Gromit jacket, that there's, you know, even video of Elvis wearing the jacket and that the lining on the inside doesn't match the lining of the jacket that you were selling. Again, they never raise these concerns. If they have concerns, they should definitely reach out to me. But Graceland says they have reached out with concerns to Cruz and her former business associate, 79-year-old Priscilla Presley. You were friends as well, you and Priscilla?

Yes, very, very close. I believe we were very, very, very close at one time. From 2021 to 2023, Priscilla worked with Cruise's Auction House to help her sell Elvis memorabilia. So this is what we have today. Questionable items being auctioned by GWS, according to Graceland, include the sale of Elvis's 1976 lost plane. GWS claiming the interior had been designed by the king himself did graceland ever reach out to you and raise concerns about your relationship with priscilla and her being a part of these auctions concerns i wouldn't say concerns they were just you know inquisitive they wanted to know more graceland says flight logs confirm elvis never flew on that plane and a subsequent owner told nbc news that they not Elvis, designed the red velvet

interior. So for Priscilla to be able to recall that plane, that plane was not purchased while she and Elvis were together. So if you could kind of explain that for viewers, why even include her in the conversation about the plane? Just her memory. Wayne Shanker says he does not believe Priscilla ever intentionally tried to deceive fans. I believe that she lacked the capacity to make those decisions. Cruz's relationship with Presley has since imploded. Cruz filing a lawsuit last fall accusing Priscilla of cutting her out of lucrative deals. Now Presley filing a countersuit accusing Cruz of financial elder abuse. Priscilla has not responded to NBC News' request for comment. Priscilla is and will always be welcome at Graceland.

She's not connected business-wise, but she's always going to be connected to the Elvis legacy. He says Graceland's main goal, to make sure Elvis lives on authentically. Chloe Malas, NBC News, Memphis, Tennessee. And that's nightly news for this Friday. Tune in tonight for Inspiring America Team USA. Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and I go one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the Summer Olympics. Thanks for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.