NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, March 1, 2024

Episode Date: March 2, 2024

Dangerous storm bears down on Sierra mountains; Huge Texas wildfire still far from contained; Biden administration announces U.S. aid drops into Gaza; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight the extreme weather, a life-threatening blizzard slamming the West and a deadly wildfire still raging in Texas. First that powerful winter storm pounding the mountains of California and Nevada. Dangerous whiteout conditions up to 12 feet of snow. Yosemite and ski resorts in Lake Tahoe shut down. We're in the storm zone. Also the death toll growing from the largest wildfire in Texas history are images from the air as at least 400 buildings are destroyed and more hot, dry conditions on the way. The truck crashing on a Kentucky bridge, the driver left dangling 70 feet over

the water. What the hero firefighter who saved her life is saying. President Biden announcing the U.S. will airdrop food into Gaza after the deadly chaos surrounding aid trucks. Two pivotal hearings that could determine the future of former President Trump's criminal cases in Georgia and Florida. D.A. Fannie Willis back in court for final arguments over whether she should be disqualified.

Thousands defying Vladimir Putin to pay final respects to opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The major announcement from CVS and Walgreens on the abortion pill. The verdict in the trial of Michelle Traconis, the woman charged with helping her boyfriend cover up the murder of Connecticut mom Jennifer Doulos. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening. As we join you tonight, we are monitoring an exceptionally powerful blizzard rolling into the mountains of Northern California and Nevada, bringing conditions likely to make

travel impossible, perhaps for days, and potentially stranding people who have not heeded urgent warnings. Five to ten feet of snow forecasted to fall across the Sierra Nevada mountains over the next few days, driven by 50 to 100 mile per hour wind gusts. Snowfall rates up to four inches an hour. The National Weather Service tonight warning whiteout conditions are expected, making travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. And in this volatile season of extremes, 1,400 miles away in Texas, a jarring contrast tonight. Wildfires taking their own brutal toll. Let's start with that monster winter blast in the West. Steve Patterson is there for us. Steve, what are you seeing? Lester, this is it. The storm is here and we are in it. Authorities say the

window to travel is now over. It is now very much time to hunker down as these blizzard-like conditions are expected to last like this or far worse for days. Tonight, relentless waves of wind-whipped snow pounding the California Sierras. The National Weather Service issuing a rare blizzard warning for the region with life-threatening blankets of blinding whiteouts on the roads. Major interstates already shutting down after accidents like this big rig flip near Truckee. If you don't have to travel, do not. Skiing, snowboarding, sledding is not that important. Your lives are way more important and we want you to be safe on the road. Areas from Yosemite to Lake Tahoe can see from anywhere from 5 to 10 feet of snow,

with more than 12 feet of snow gusting at over 100 miles per hour in the mountains. It's just going to be the storm of the winter so far, so we're just going to hunker down. There's no fun for anybody. You can't sleigh ride, you can't ski. Several ski resorts now shutting down lifts. Yosemite National Park closed until at least Sunday. Local residents preparing to be snowed in for days. Ice melt, generators, lanterns, flashlights, batteries, anything that you can think of that somebody would need for a power outage or a severe storm,

and they are coming in for it. At its worst, officials warn of two to four inches of snow every hour for days. This one is a 96-hour cycle, so it's really going to affect us in the next 24 to 48 hours. Tonight, an entire region bracing for impact. Steve Patterson, NBC News, Truckee, California. I'm Morgan Chesky in a scorched Texas panhandle where heartbreak stretches beyond the burn scars. We had to watch from three miles away as our neighborhood burned. It was pretty awful. For a closer look, we joined rancher Jason Abraham flying over a hard-hit Canadian.

I know the people that lived there, and I know the people that lived there before these people lived there. The town of 2000 now facing a recovery that could take years. There's nothing you can do with a fire like this. I can't believe we didn't kill a whole bunch of people. Authorities say the fires are responsible for two deaths and destroyed at least 400 buildings. That we face enormous potential fire dangers as we head into this weekend. No one can let down, let down their guard. As Tuesday's Inferno moved in, Steve Rader captured this video, determined to save his home. Today, he returned to a total loss.

What finally made you decide to get out of here? I was going to die if I didn't walk away. You believe that? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It's a very deadly situation. Tonight, with fires far from contained, crews on the Texas prairie fighting on. Morgan Chesky, NBC News.

It was an amazing scene that played out on a bridge today in Louisville, Kentucky, where a semi-truck crashed and then dangled over the Ohio River. A daring fire department rescuer was suspended in midair to save the driver. Here's Jesse Kirsch. A stunning scene unfolding on a Louisville bridge. A firefighter urgently rappelling down to reach a driver stranded inside this semi-tractor trailer as the truck's cab dangles above the water. First responders worried it could fall at any moment. This is very much a worst-case scenario, kind of a crazy thing that you don't expect to actually have to do until you show up.

Officials say around 12 p.m., the truck and three other vehicles were involved in a collision, the truck careening off the roadway with its female driver still in the cab. The fire department says she was shaken but still talking with the rescue team. We're very concerned with the stabilization there to make sure that our people are safe. Obviously, we are willing to risk a lot to save a lot, and so, yes, we will absolutely take that risk to get her out her out firefighter Bryce Carden went over the edge to make the rescue she was just praying she was praying a lot so and I prayed with her she was super calm collected and helped me do what I needed to do to get her to safety essentially and it all worked out for the best and we'll go back to quarters and get ready

do it again if we have to. About 40 minutes after the daring rescue began, the driver was out of harm's way, was alert, and was taken to the hospital with what police believe are non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities say two people from one of the other vehicles involved do have injuries that appear to be life-threatening. Tonight, police still have not said what led to the collision which started this incident, but we are learning more about the semi-truck involved. It features the logo of food service company Cisco, which says its trucks do not transport hazardous materials.

Lester. Incredible heroism there, Jesse. Thank you. Also this evening, the U.S. about to become more directly involved in the relief effort in Gaza with American airdrops of food about to become more directly involved in the relief effort in Gaza with American airdrops of food about to begin. We get the latest from Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander. Facing pressure to ease the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, President Biden tonight announced a dramatic new step. Within days, the U.S. will start providing Palestinians

desperately needed aid from the air. We're going to join with our friends in Jordan and others in providing airdrops of additional food and supplies into Ukraine. The White House later said the president misspoke and was referring to Gaza. His announcement, an acknowledgement that aid trucks are not getting into Gaza quickly enough, though efforts to expedite those convoys remain ongoing. The first airdrops, aides say, will be ready-made meals and that Israel is supportive of the American efforts. The president tonight also said the U.S. is exploring how to deliver aid by sea. Earlier this week, top U.N. officials warned a quarter of Gaza's population,

more than a half million people, are near famine. Tonight's move means U.S. aircraft will soon be flying above a war zone. This is a tough military mission to do because so many parameters have to be exactly right. It comes just 24 hours after Palestinian witnesses in Gaza say Israeli troops opened fire on civilians gathering to receive aid off trucks. But the Israeli military says many were trampled in a stampede, and others were shot when they threatened Israeli soldiers. Innocent people got caught in a terrible war, unable to feed their families, and you saw the response when they tried to get aid in.

And we need to do more, and the United States will do more. And Peter, the demand is so great there. These airdrops could only make just a dent. Yeah, that's right, Lester. The White House acknowledges that airdrops themselves are not the most efficient or cost effective way to get food and medical supplies in trucks. Obviously, a much better way to do this. But White House officials, Lester, say it is worth it to get that additional aid in faster. All right, Peter Alexander with us tonight. Thank you. Just in this evening, the debris from another possible large balloon found off the coast of Alaska. The FBI says it was found by a commercial fishing vessel and that it's working with its

partners to recover it. A federal law enforcement source says there are no early indications that it was a spy balloon like the one from China that crossed into the U.S. last year. In Moscow, heartbreak and defiance today as thousands gathered for the funeral of Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader who died in Russian custody two weeks ago. Keir Simmons has that story. In an open casket, the body of Alexei Navalny, President Putin's most famous opponent, his family had struggled to find a church willing to hold the service but outside on the streets of moscow thousands of his supporters threw flowers as the cortege passed by each one risking their freedom

to be there they chanted his name openly calling put Putin a murderer and cried, we will not forgive you. Despite the heavy presence of Russian riot police and dozens of arrests across the country, Russian prison authorities say Navalny collapsed while taking a walk. His wife, Yulia, says he was poisoned. She didn't attend the funeral over safety concerns. Instead, she posted a social media message. Thank you for 26 years of absolute happiness. I will try to make you proud of me up there. As Navalny's mother left the church, people kissed her and told her thank you for your son.

And at the cemetery, she kissed him one last time helping cover his head. A moment of closure, but as dark fell the values mother was still there and so with many thousands of ordinary rough. No, but look how you know to be honest woman says if the Kremlin hope the values death would silence his message, tonight his supporters have replied with one voice. Meanwhile, President Putin's spokesman today told journalists he had nothing to say to the Navalny family. Lester. All right. Keir Simmons, thank you. Here at home, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was back in a federal

courtroom for a hearing that will determine when the trial over his handling of classified documents will begin. Meanwhile, his last remaining Republican primary opponent is speaking out. Meet the press moderator, Kristen Welker joins me. Kristen, Nikki Haley had some pretty sharp words for Mr. Trump. Lester, that's right. And this is all happening as there are new developments in those legal battles surrounding the former president. The key question is how many potential criminal trials could he face before the election? Nikki Haley told me she thinks they should all begin before November. And today I asked her about what she thinks Mr. Trump might do if he's reelected. Do you think Donald Trump would follow the Constitution if he were elected to a second term?

I don't know. I don't I don't know. I mean, you always want to think someone will. But I don't know. You know, when you when you go in and you talk about revenge, when you go and you talk about, you know, vindication, when you go and you talk about what does that mean? Like I don't know what that means. And only he can answer for that. Now the former president was back in a Florida courtroom today where the special counsel in the classified documents case is asking for that trial to begin in July, the week before the Republican convention.

Mr. Trump's lawyers are arguing for it to begin after the election or in August. And we just learned today a judge in Atlanta will rule in two weeks over the misconduct allegations against the Fulton County D.A., who is also pursuing an election interference case against Mr. Trump. Lester. All right, Kristen, thank you. Let me remind our viewers that more of Kristen's interview could be seen Sunday on Meet the Press. In 60 seconds, the mother of five who vanished in Connecticut and the dramatic verdict in court today, right after this. It's a case that made national headlines. Jennifer Dulos, the Connecticut mom of five who vanished in 2019. Today, the woman accused of helping Dulos' estranged husband cover up her murder

learned her fate. Here's Dateline's Dennis Murphy. Tonight, more than four years after Jennifer Dulos went missing, her family says there is finally accountability. Guilty. Her estranged husband's girlfriend, Michelle Traconis, overcome with emotion after a Connecticut jury found her guilty on multiple charges, including conspiring to murder Dulos. Draconis' family calling the outcome a tremendous injustice. My sister is innocent. This is wrong. This wasn't a fair trial from day one. Jennifer Dulos went missing back in May of 2019 after dropping her kids off at school. Her body was never found. Police quickly honed in on

her estranged husband Fotis. The couple was going through a bitter divorce and custody battle over their five children. Authorities say this video shows Fotis Dulos dumping trash bags containing items belonged to Jennifer as Triconis sits in the truck. I spoke with Dulos in 2019. Did you have anything to do with Jennifer's disappearance? I did not, but I'd like to leave it at that. In 2020, he was charged with murder and kidnapping. Weeks later, he died by suicide, continuing to proclaim his innocence and Draconis' in a note he left behind. In the seven-week trial, prosecutors arguing Michelle was involved from start to finish. Look at what Michelle Triponis did for acts of behavior before and after the murder.

The defense said she had nothing to do with Dulles' death. Michelle is not the remaining half of a scheming plot. As the jury deliberated, I sat down with some of Jennifer's closest friends. Without being prying, but I think everybody would like to know how the children are doing in general. They're very impressive young people and they are going to do amazing things. Tonight, Jennifer Doulos' family thanking the jury and saying her grace, goodness and light live on through her children. Dennis Murphy, NBC News, Stanford, Connecticut. You can see much more on the case tonight in a two-hour dateline here on NBC starting at 9 Eastern. Ahead, the nation's biggest pharmacies making a major announcement about access to the abortion pill.

Plus, why applying to college and financial aid has become such a headache to so many families. The country's two biggest drugstore chains announced today they're certified to dispense abortion pills. CVS and Walgreens said they'll be providing mifepristone in the coming weeks in states where abortion pills are legal. It will require a prescription. Medication abortions account for more than half of all abortions in the U.S. Now to our series Kids Under Pressure. With spring fast approaching, millions of high school seniors will soon be making decisions about college. But for many, glitches with a key financial aid form are causing chaos. Rahima Ellis reports. Tori Bishop is focusing on her future and going to college,

and she's got several offers. But this Massachusetts high school senior hasn't decided yet because a critical piece of the admissions package is missing, the financial aid offer. It's stressing me out a little. It's stressing her mom out, too. We're middle class, hardworking people, and we do our best to try to provide for our kids, but college is expensive, so we do need help with that. College financial aid packages are based on a federal form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA. Last year, the government revised the complex form to make it easier to fill out, dramatically slashing the number of questions from 103 down to about 20 and expanding

FAFSA eligibility. What they were trying to do was very much appreciated. But unexpected technical glitches and form errors had a crippling effect, preventing some students from accessing the form and delaying when colleges received FAFSA information. That means some schools may not get their financial aid offers to students until mid-April, just two weeks before the standard May 1 decision deadline. How would you describe this impact? I think it's catastrophic. Most students around the country this year haven't submitted a FAFSA form yet. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says his office is spending $50 million to help

fix the problems. What would you say to those students who are feeling frustrated by the process? I would say to them, we hear you. We're working around the clock to make it better for you. Many colleges are pushing back their decision deadline beyond May 1st, giving students more time to consider their options. But for Tori, that just means more uncertainty. I can't make a decision about what school I'm going to until we figure out the money. And when that happens is out of their control. Rahima Ellis, NBC News, Wakefield, Massachusetts. And that's nightly news for this Friday.

You can catch a new episode of Nightly News Kids Edition tomorrow morning on NBC. I'll see you there. Thanks for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.