NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 10, 2024

Episode Date: May 11, 2024

The judge in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial is urging Michael Cohen to stop making public statements before he testifies, a possible tornado has hit Tallahassee, Fla., leaving at least one person dead, and a report from the Biden administration finds Israel did not violate the U.S.’ weapons agreement.

Tonight, the judge in Donald Trump's hush money trial rebuking star witness Michael Cohen ahead of his testimony. The former president's once trusted personal attorney expected to testify Monday about his role in paying off Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election. The judge today urging prosecutors to get Cohen to stop making public statements about the case before his showdown with his former boss in court. Also tonight, the deadly storm slamming Florida, a possible tornado hitting Tallahassee, widespread damage, at least one person killed.

Just out, the Biden administration report highly critical of Israel's actions in Gaza, but finding it did not violate its U.S. weapons agreement as Israel prepares to invade Rafah its U.S. weapons agreement as Israel prepares to invade Rafah over U.S. warnings. Police arresting dozens of protesters at Penn and MIT as colleges try to keep commencements on track this weekend. The controversy in Virginia, a school board voting to restore Confederate names to schools. The scary moment at the Italian Open, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic

struck in the head by a water bottle and collapsing. What we know. And the spectacular show tonight, why the northern lights may be visible as far as the deep south. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome, everyone. He is the biggest witness we haven't seen in Donald Trump's criminal trial, but that is expected to change Monday morning when multiple sources tell NBC News Donald Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, will come face to face with his ex-boss and testify for the prosecution in his falsified business records case.

Cohen, who was once fiercely loyal to Mr. Trump and now a frequent and vocal critic, is expected to be questioned about a $130,000 hush money payout he says he made to buy the silence of adult actress Stormy Daniels at the behest of Mr. Trump, he says, all during the heat of the 2016 presidential race. Former President Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges he falsified business records to conceal the payments. Trump lawyers poise meantime for their chance to attack Cohen's credibility. And tonight, the judge in the case is asking that Cohen stop making public statements about Mr. Trump. Senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett has the latest. Tonight, NBC News learning from multiple sources,

prosecutors will call their star witness Michael Cohen on Monday. He called himself Donald Trump's fixer, now a vocal Trump critic. Cohen unleashing on his old boss in his book and on social media, spotted online this week wearing a T-shirt depicting Mr. Trump behind bars. The judge today directing prosecutors to inform Cohen that the judge is asking him to refrain from making any statements about the case or Mr. Trump, but not placing a gag order on Cohen. Mr. Trump remains under one, barring him from attacking witnesses and the jury. It's a disgrace. It's not a case. There's no crime. There is no crime. And they fail to show a crime. Cohen, a critical witness for the prosecution, as the jury has now read his text messages,

heard his voice and seen evidence that he paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 just days before the 2016 election so she couldn't derail the campaign. The defense says her story of sex with Mr. Trump was false, a shakedown for money brokered by Cohen, making his testimony and credibility on the stand essential. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges of illegally disguising his reimbursement checks to Cohen, his former attorney, as, quote, legal expenses to cover his tracks. The faceoff between the presumptive GOP nominee and Cohen likely to be one of the most dramatic of the trial. Cohen comes with baggage, including previous convictions for campaign finance violations and lying under oath. Meanwhile, today, the jury hearing more from former Trump aide Madeline Westerhout, who sat outside the Oval Office and confirmed Mr. Trump met with Cohen at the White House in 2017, where prosecutors say they devised their reimbursement scheme.

But she testified the former president signed checks without reviewing them first, contrary to what Mr. Trump said in his book and other witnesses said at trial. So, Laura, we're four weeks into this case right now. Has the prosecution appeared to check all the boxes they needed and wanted to check? Lester, the challenge is that so far this jury has not seen a single document, a single tape, a single piece of evidence directly showing that Mr. Trump himself falsified any records or caused anyone else to do so. Instead, they appear to be relying on Cohen to connect those dots for him. And that's the challenge, Lester. All right, Laura, thanks very much. After a destructive

week of severe weather today, it was Florida that got slammed by what appeared to be tornadoes, leaving at least one person dead. Priya Sridhar has late developments for us. Toppled trees and scattered construction equipment. Tonight, Tallahassee, the latest in a line of cities, cleaning up from severe weather this week. At least one woman is dead from the storms after a tree fell on her home. Suspected tornadoes, hail and powerful thunderstorms roared through the city early this morning, leaving 70,000 in the dark. Carl Whittington was describing the storm to us. I looked out the window and there's just white. When another tree fell behind his home. There goes my big pine tree in the backyard.

The big top at Florida State University's famous high-flying circus was ripped apart, leaving the 75-year-old student act without a place to perform. Alarms started going off, and then you could hear the wind really howling. The deadly week-long severe weather outbreak has devastated families from Michigan to Tennessee. Like Breanne Lovett, last night we told you she was still looking for her mother. Tonight she's learned her mom, 67-year-old Cheryl Lovett, died. She was wonderful. You couldn't make her mad. She was always smiling. And back here in Atlanta, crews are still working to clear down trees. But the good news, Lester,

is the storm system will finally move off the Atlantic coast tonight, giving us a break from the extreme weather for the next few days. Thank you. Tonight, the Biden administration finds itself grappling with its response to the war in the Middle East, criticizing the war effort in a new report and pausing deliveries of some but not all weapons earmarked for Israel. Richard Engel has more. As Israel launched new attacks across Gaza tonight, the State Department issued a long-anticipated report that had the potential to block the flow of American weapons to Israel. It didn't. While the report was extremely critical of Israel's use of American-provided weapons and the high number of civilian casualties in Gaza, it stopped short of determining that Israel

violated international humanitarian law, citing, in part, the complications of war, to draw conclusion. This week, President Biden warned directly that the U.S. would stop sending weapons if Israel launched a major offensive on the city of Rafah in Gaza. But in an interview with Phil McGraw, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed it off, saying only Israel decides what's best for its security. We've destroyed about 20 battalions of the Hamas's 24 terrorist battalions. We have another four to go there in Rafah, and that's why we want to go into Rafah, because we can't leave them there. But this is what it looks like from the inside of the most dangerous city now in the Gaza Strip. Our crew in Rafah kept rolling as the Israeli military advanced,

and Palestinians ran for their lives. They're not sure where they're going, just away from the sounds of explosions. Our cameraman arrived at a narrow alley. Israel had just struck a building at the far end of it. The films as wounded children stream out, in some cases carried by other children. Israel says it's targeting Hamas with precision strikes. At the local hospital, medics treated more than 25 casualties. Most of them appear to have been children.

Two administration officials tell NBC News that defensive and offensive weapons, including small arms, are still flowing to Israel with new shipments recently sent. Lester. OK, Richard Engel tonight. Thank you. And tensions over the war continue to divide America's college campuses where there was a surreal blend of clashes and time honored tradition. Here's Liz Kreutz. As thousands of college graduates take the stage in celebration tonight at other universities, a stark contrast with more arrests made by police breaking up pro-Palestinian encampments. At the University of Pennsylvania, police in Raya gear physically removing

demonstrators detaining 33 people. And at the University of Arizona, law enforcement using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters. Police say rocks and water bottles were thrown at officers. Demonstrators still camped out on the stage where commencement usually takes place at Pomona College near Los Angeles. The school announcing it's moving the ceremony off campus. At Columbia, there will be no university-wide celebration this year, but smaller events got underway today away from the main campus. I wish we were celebrating on Morningside campus today, but alas, we are not. Meanwhile, at the University of Southern California,

the school's pro-Palestinian valedictorian, Azna Tabassum, receiving her diploma at a smaller department ceremony today. USC canceled Tabassum's speech and ultimately their entire main commencement ceremony citing security concerns. Some Jewish groups had voiced concerns over Tabassum's Instagram, which included a link to a website that calls for the abolishment of Israel. Sad to hear not speak, honestly. I'd love to hear. Asna Tabassum. At an event yesterday, Tabassum getting an ovation from her classmates. Today, Tabassum sharing what would have been her speech with the school newspaper.

A majority of it, she blacked out, sending a message that she was silenced. And Lester, this is where the encampment once was, now filled with celebratory graduates. All around campus, there are signs warning students that anyone who is exceptionally disruptive today may be removed immediately. Lester. Liz Kreutz, thank you. In Virginia, a school board voting to restore the names of Confederate leaders to two schools after they were changed a few years back during a nationwide reckoning over racism. Here's Yamiche Alcindor. Tonight, people in Chandoa County are divided after a Virginia school district voted five to one to restore the names of Confederate military

leaders to two public schools. The reason why they changed the name, I kind of understand it, but we need to put it back to our heritage. This is where we're from. This is what we do. I don't like it at all, and just thinking about it makes my heart race. Stonewall Jackson, it's a part of our heritage. The process was wrongfully done. Last night, parents, teachers, and students sounded off in front of the school board. People don't take the time to think about students like me, who would not be proud to graduate from school with the name Stonewall Jackson.

He fought for slavery to be a constitutional right. The contentious hours-long board meeting lasted into early Friday morning. Please do what's right for San Antonio County, for the store of our heritage, our history, and our school names. My heart breaks for the children that are going to have to walk into schools named after people that wanted them and their families enslaved by the white man. After the killing of George Floyd in 2020, there were nationwide efforts to reckon with racism and get rid of Confederate symbols. Statues were removed from public squares. Schools and military bases across the country were renamed. Here, Stonewall Jackson High School and Ashby Lee Elementary became Mountain View High and Honey Run Elementary. But in the years since, some conservative leaders here have been

trying to reverse those efforts, which is what happened here. You cannot ignore the heritage and feelings of your Black and brown students just because of your other minority. They honor men who believe that I have less value and worth because I'm black. This reversal is a sign that the debate over how America deals with this painful past is far from over. Lester. Yamiche, thank you. In 60 seconds, the battle over electric vehicles, the Biden administration about to take major action against EVs from China. That's next. Back with new reporting from the White House, the Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on electric vehicles from China from 25 percent to about 100 percent. Sources familiar with the matter telling NBC News it comes as former President Trump argues

President Biden's push for more EVs will hurt U.S. workers. Here's Garrett Haig. They're a top target for former President Trump, arguing aggressively to put the brakes on the Biden administration's support for electric vehicles. There's a problem. They're very expensive and they don't go far. They're going to be made in China, every single one. The former president hoping to boost his appeal in the traditional automotive hubs of Michigan and Ohio, where there's anxiety that more EVs mean fewer high-paying union jobs. Mr. Trump attacking President Biden's pledge that half of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. by 2030 will have zero emissions. I'll terminate Joe Biden's radical plan to kill Michigan's economy by repealing his insane electric vehicle mandate.

But despite comments like those, the domestic EV industry is booming, including here in the critical battleground state of Georgia, which has added more than 27,000 jobs in the industry since 2020, including at facilities like this one just outside Atlanta. Ascend Elements plays a critical role in the EV supply chain, recycling spent batteries, then selling back the valuable metals within for reuse. So when I look at this, I just see scrap. What do you see? Dollars. Battery recycling at this scale used to be done only in China. How much of this industry can be done entirely in the United States in the future? All of it can be. It's a question of if we decide to. Ascend employees, including Trump

supporter Chris Bryant, largely shrugging off the former president's attacks on EVs. I think EV cars will be the future of America. The Energy Department says 60 percent of new battery and vehicle plants are planned for red states, including a new Toyota plant in Kentucky and a Hyundai EV plant in Georgia. But electric vehicles have had a rough few months. Automakers, including Ford and GM, announcing they will scale back or delay EV production. Tesla recently announcing layoffs as demand for EVs has dropped. Still, this Hyundai EV plant will bring 5,000 jobs to the district of Republican Buddy Carter, who considers himself a supporter of Donald Trump and EVs.

How do you square the way he trashes that industry with your support for it in your district? Well, you know, look, the president and I may have some different views on this particular subject. And I believe that people want to see EVs and they want to make sure that we're manufacturing them here in America. That's very important. But it can't be forced upon it. It has to be market driven. Leaving the future of EVs at the center of the national political debate, even as the industry shifts gears. Garrett Haik, NBC News, Covington, Georgia. There is more to come up next. The space storm bringing a spectacular light show.

A scary incident today at the Italian Open. Tennis superstar Novak Djokovic signing autographs when he's hit in the head by a water bottle and collapses. Reports say the bottle accidentally fell from a fan's bag. Djokovic is expected to be okay. Well, turn out of the spectacular light show you may be able to see tonight as a supercharged solar storm makes the northern lights visible in the deep south of California. Tom Costello on how to see it and the impact it may have on some of your devices. It's 93 million miles away, but the violent eruptions on the sun are about to provide a spectacular night show to a lot of Earthlings as a fierce magnetic storm brings the northern lights to regions that rarely see them.

This could actually be seen perhaps from northern Alabama along the horizon all the way out to northern California. Solar experts have issued the first severe geomagnetic storm warning since 2005. Those solar explosions called coronal mass ejections or CMEs are racing towards the earth at 500 miles per second. While humans are not in danger, it could disrupt power grids, navigation, and satellite communications. Scientists call it a rare G4 event. A G4 is really big, and we might absolutely see some effects down here on Earth. Your cell phone might not work. We'll definitely have radio blackouts. Those have already started to happen. Astronauts on the space station and airline passengers should be safe. In 1989, a solar storm knocked out power in Quebec for nine hours.

You have the initial hit, the shockwave, as we call it, that arrives, and then the magnetic cloud. The storm could possibly last all weekend. If you still have your eclipse glasses, you can see the massive solar spot 16 times the diameter of Earth. At night, use your cell phone. It might detect the northern lights better than your naked eye. Lester? We'll be looking for it, Tom. Thanks very much. Coming up, the baby named Angel who survived war in Gaza when her family was killed, the extraordinary story of what a doctor did next. Finally, on this Mother's Day weekend, a story about a tiny survivor from Gaza known as Angel, who has found a new place to call home thanks to her remarkable doctor. Here's Erin McLaughlin.

These images shocked the world. Babies struggling to survive, sparking international calls to save them. Six died during the siege at al-Shifa Hospital, according to doctors. NBC News was there when 31 babies, dehydrated and sick, were evacuated to Rafah and then to Cairo. But a little girl remained behind at the Al-Amaradi Hospital in Gaza, known only as Malak, Arabic for angel, named after the angel who'd saved her life. Many children in Gaza saved by angels. Back then, doctors told NBC News that Malak had survived much more than the siege. Her neighborhood had been bombed. Her family killed. Ambulance found this baby in the

tree. Our family died. Malak was just two days old when she arrived at Al-Shifa, an orphan remarkably stable. Her condition only deteriorated during the siege, when doctors say they were forced to prepare her formula using contaminated water. It's been four months since the evacuation, and Malak is thriving, thanks to Amal Abu-Katle, a doctor at the Al Emirati neonatal unit. Dr. Katle watched for two months as the little girl lay alone in the hospital incubator in Rafah. I got so close to her, she says. After everything she's been through, I promised to make it up to her. And so the 32-year-old doctor volunteered to take her home as a single parent.

I leave her with my sister and she takes care of her when I'm at work, she says. Everyone treats her as if she is their biological daughter. Malak is a regular visitor to the hospital that saved her life. And while they're still checking for any surviving relatives in this brutal war that has claimed the lives of so many. Dr. Kotley is now embracing her new role as a mother. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News. Nice to see smiles in a place of such sadness.

That's nightly news for this Friday. Thanks for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other.