NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, November 15, 2024

Episode Date: November 16, 2024

Speaker Johnson argues House ethics investigation report on Gaetz should not be released; Beyond Gaetz, other picks for Trump's Justice Department team have close Trump ties; Iran sent the U.S. a written assurance it would not try to assassinate Trump, U.S. official says; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the new fallout from President-elect Donald Trump's controversial choices for his cabinet. Several of Mr. Trump's picks, such as Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and RFK Jr. for Health Secretary, facing backlash. Senators demanding to see an unreleased House ethics report on Gaetz. But Speaker Mike Johnson now saying he strongly opposes it. And RFK Jr.'s controversial vaccine beliefs. Under scrutiny tonight as he eyes the nation's top health job, and if the Senate won't confer Mr. Trump's picks, will he skirt the process to appoint them? Also tonight, the trial underway for the undocumented migrant charged with murdering Georgia nursing

student Laken Riley. Prosecutors saying he was, quote, hunting for females. The chilling new details revealed in court. The scares in the air, severe turbulence forcing a U.S.-bound plane to U-turn, an American Airlines plane suddenly climbing to avoid hitting a mountain, and the Alaska Airlines plane blowing a tire on takeoff. In the Northeast, 42 million under fire warnings and tracking tropical storm Sarah tonight,

the potential impacts to the U.S. New documents revealing the Menendez brothers' life behind bars as the new D.A. speaks out about their push for freedom. And the remarkable rescue, the man trapped underground for more than eight hours, pulled out alive. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome.

Amid this week's blizzard of personnel announcements for key roles in the next administration, one name is at the center of growing debate on both sides of the political divide. Matt Gaetz, who Donald Trump wants as his attorney general, would, if confirmed by the Senate, become the nation's top cop. But there is the matter of a now closed House ethics investigation of Gaetz concerning allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, which he denies, but that has some lawmakers arguing for the release of the investigative report. While also tonight, the eyebrow-raising pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to become Health and Human Services Secretary is undergoing its own scrutiny over some of his stated positions in the past.

Ryan Noble starts us off with the latest. Overnight, President-elect Trump and Mar-a-Lago basking in the glow of his decisive election win. We swept all swing states. We won the popular vote. Oh, I love that. And revealing new cabinet picks, including North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as his Interior Secretary. He's going to head the Department of Interior, and he's going to be fantastic.

But there's growing scrutiny tonight over his selection of now former Congressman Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, with more lawmakers demanding the release of a House ethics investigation of Gaetz into allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, which Gaetz denies. The investigation ended after Gaetz resigned following his selection. And now House Speaker Mike Johnson arguing the report should not be released. It is very important to maintain the House's tradition of not issuing ethics reports on people who are no longer members of Congress. I think it would open a Pandora's box. But key Senate Republicans want it. And a House Democrat on the panel telling me senators in charge of confirming Gates should see the evidence.

I think it's essential for them to get that kind of information before they make a decision of this magnitude. And there's also new fallout tonight over Trump's pick of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Health and Human Services Secretary. If you like health and if you like people that live a long time, it's the most important position. RFK, Jr. Bobby. Kennedy says the food and pharmaceutical industries have too much power over the FDA. But it sparked backlash for promoting debunked theories linking vaccines to autism. He recently spoke to NBC's Vaughn Hilliard. I'm not going to take away anybody's vaccines. I've never been anti-vaccine. Tonight, some Republican senators seem open to voting yes.

Putting him at the Department of Health and Human Services and to enact this Make America Healthy Again agenda, I think makes a lot of sense. But the growing list of provocative picks, leaving the possibility of a nominee falling short in a confirmation vote. And Republicans are warning the Gates pick could already be in trouble. But the new Senate Republican leader said he is open to approving nominees during a recess without a Senate vote. We also are not going to allow the Democrats to obstruct or block President Trump and the will of the American people. A move Democrats strongly oppose. How concerned are you about the possibility of

recess appointments, particularly for someone like Matt Gaetz? I'm very concerned about it. It seems an end run around the confirmation process. And Ryan, there's also a new headline about Trump's defense secretary pick, Pete Hegseth. That's right. Police in Monterey, California, say that Hegseth was investigated in 2017 for an alleged sexual assault after an event for Republican women. He was not arrested. Hegseth's attorney tells NBC News that he was cleared of any wrongdoing. The Trump campaign added that Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations. Lester. All right, Ryan Nobles, thanks. It's not just Matt Gaetz. President-elect Trump also making other picks for the Justice Department, including his current defense lawyers. Laura Jarrett is here. Laura,

you have some new reporting on moves being made. Yes, Lester. Despite all these warnings from Republicans that Gaetz might not have the votes to get confirmed, President-elect Trump's pick for the number two spot at the Justice Department, his lead defense attorney, Todd Blanch, is moving full steam ahead, working with Gaetz to staff up more than a dozen roles within the Justice Department, according to sources familiar with the planning. Now, if confirmed, Blanche would have oversight over all federal prosecutors and could be acting attorney general if Gates fell through. Blanche is set to be joined at DOJ by another veteran prosecutor, Emil Bovey, who, along with Blanche, earned Mr. Trump's trust, successfully getting those federal charges wiped away very soon

and possibly now on the verge of getting his pending sentencing here in New York in that hush money case also off the table, Lester. OK, Laura, thank you. Now to the security threats to President-elect Trump and our new reporting that Iran has told the U.S. it will not try to assassinate him. Andrea Mitchell joins us. Andrea, this letter, this came in a letter from Iran. That's right, Lester. In the message sent last month to the U.S. via Swiss diplomats, Iran said it would not try to kill President-elect Trump, a U.S. official tells NBC News. That follows the Biden administration's warning to Iran it would consider any threat against Trump an act of war. Just last week, the Justice Department charged Iranian

agents with plotting to kill Trump before the election, even releasing photos of their weapons. Iran has vowed to retaliate against Trump and his national security officials for the assassination of Iran's General Qasem Soleimani in 2020. Top former Trump officials who helped approve the Soleimani killing still get around-the-clock security. Lester. Andrea Mitchell, thanks. In Georgia today, opening statements and disturbing new details as the trial got underway for the man accused of killing a young jogger on the campus of the University of Georgia. Priya Shrader has more. Tonight, prosecutors revealing chilling details about how they believe Jose Ibarra murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley while she was out for a run in February.

He went hunting for females on the University of Georgia's campus. And when Laken Riley refused to be his rape victim, he bashed her skull in with a rock. 26-year-old Ibarra is an undocumented migrant from Venezuela. The case has become a flashpoint for the national debate over immigration. The first day of the highly anticipated trial included testimony and body camera video from the police officer who discovered Riley's body. Found it. Ma'am. Ma'am. testimony and body camera video from the police officer who discovered Riley's body. Only the audio was publicly shared. Prosecutors also played a 911 call they say Riley tried to make and pointed to an array of digital evidence, including Riley's smartwatch, which tracked her

until the moment her heartbeat was no longer detected. They say Ibarra's DNA was found under Riley's fingernails and his fingerprint on her phone. The defense today attacking the evidence and calling allegations of sexual assault speculation. The evidence that Jose Ibarra killed Lakin Riley is circumstantial. And taking issue with how this case has become political. People have used this case for their own personal gain, financial gain, political gain. Earlier this year, Riley's dad told NBC News he's also frustrated his daughter's death became intertwined with politics.

It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they're just using my daughter's name for intertwined with politics. It makes me angry. I feel like, you know, they're just using my daughter's name for that. She was an angel. And Priya, we just heard from Lake and Riley's father. He was in court today. That's right, Lester. He was, along with several other family members who were very emotional. There was no jury, though. That's because earlier this week, Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial, which means his fate and any potential sentencing will be in the hands of the judge. Lester. All right, Priya, thank you. We'll turn now to those scares in the air. Several terrifying incidents aboard planes, including severe turbulence and a flight ordered to climb fast to avoid a mountain.

As Tom Costello tells us, it all comes ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush. Panic at 36,000 feet. SAS flight 957 Stockholm to Miami was west of Greenland when it hit severe turbulence. Passengers, cubs, and backpacks thrown about the cabin. As one engine shut down, the pilots guided the plane down 8,000 feet before restarting the engine. No significant injuries, but SAS says any plane that hits severe turbulence must be inspected upon landing. Still far from Miami, the crew turned back, landing in Copenhagen. In Honolulu, the FAA says an air traffic controller ordered a departing American Airlines flight to climb fast to avoid a mountain after the crew failed to make a right turn fast enough. American says the crew requested and received

right turn clearance and complied with controller instructions. The crew was late making the turn, but they did not receive a ground proximity warning alert. So it says that they were well above the terrain at all times. Meanwhile, children braced for an emergency landing before a rough but safe landing on an Alaska Airlines flight at LAX after blowing a tire during takeoff from Washington Dulles. The scares come a week before the Thanksgiving rush kicks off, with airlines expecting to carry record numbers of flyers, paying higher prices and leaving few open seats. Lester?

All right, Tom, thank you. Let's turn to those dangerous wildfires here in the drought-stricken Northeast, with tens of millions under alerts heading into the weekend, as others are already conserving water. Emily Aketa has that story. Smoke hovering over New York and New Jersey as firefighters make headway on the Jennings Creek fire. But officials cautioning the wildfire risk for more than 40 million remains.

Forecasted 30-mile-an-hour winds could spark new flames this weekend with crews from across the country now joining the fight. It's welcomed help amid an unrelenting fire season. Of the roughly 1,300 wildfires in New Jersey this year, nearly half of them have broken out in just the last six weeks, including this one now encroaching on homes just 50 yards from here. All while crews are still battling some fires from months before. Have you ever seen a fire burn this long? I have not, no. We followed fire warden Ben Brick into the Wharton State Forest to monitor a fire that has been burning since July, thriving in the parched roots and debris underground.

We never got the rainstorms. We never got the tropical moisture this year that we normally rely on for the winter, the summer months. So, you know, we have this on our hands now, amongst other incidents. Those dry conditions prompting drought warnings and watches across the Northeast, where officials are urging residents to conserve water.

Jim McGill's family relies on well water in Hopewell Junction, New York, and now rotates shower days. One of us was in the shower and the water stopped because the well had run dry. Griffin Pump Service says they're not alone. I haven't seen this many existing wells go dry and not come back in a very, very long time. Rivers and reservoirs are drying up too, limiting where the firefighters' helicopters can pull water from to douse flames in hard-to-reach places. We're stretching our resources to the limit with all the fires that we've had. Not one at a time, but they all seem to be

following each other. Adding to the risk is that the forecast simply shows no rain in the coming days, which means progress on containing the fires around here could quickly be reversed. Lester. Emily Ikeda, thanks. We're also tracking Tropical Storm Sarah at this hour, bringing catastrophic flooding and mudslides to areas of Central America. Parts of Honduras could receive nearly three feet of rain. By midweek, moisture from Sarah is expected to combine with a front in the Gulf of Mexico to deliver showers and thunderstorms to Florida. In 60 seconds, new details about the

Menendez brothers in prison and what L.A.'s soon-to-be new D.A. says about calls to re-sentence them after so many years, plus the new ruling about a death row inmate and the legal battle in Texas to spare his life. Stay with us. Back now with the new developments in the Menendez brothers push for freedom, the brothers turning to prison employees to argue for their release. And it comes as we hear from the new D.A. in the case. Here's Liz Kreutz. Tonight, new details on the Menendez brothers' life behind bars, a 600-page legal filing including letters from Eric and Lyle about how prison has changed them, as well as from some correctional officers, one highlighting Eric's work as a caregiver mentor helping disabled and

elderly inmates, another saying Lyle has shown a remarkable commitment to self-improvement and the rehabilitation of others. This coming as L.A.'s incoming D.A. is preparing to make his own recommendation. I just wanted it to stop. Criticizing those who have formed an opinion on the murders based on the Netflix series, which dramatizes Eric and Lyle's story and their claims they killed their parents after years of sexual abuse by their father. Do you believe that the Menendez brothers were sexually abused? Again, I have not done the thorough review, and I'm not going to base my review, after years of sexual abuse by their father. Do you believe that the Menendez brothers were sexually abused? Again, I have not done the thorough review, and I'm not going to base my review,

and though I haven't seen it, on some Netflix documentary or limited series, as many people have. The original prosecutor on the trial telling Dateline they should stay in prison. If, in fact, Jose Menendez was sexually abusing Eric, that didn't give Eric the right to kill his mother. It didn't give Lyle the right to kill either his mother or his father under the law.

But their supporters, including the outgoing DA, arguing 35 years ago the public had a different view of sexual abuse. The incoming DA saying that's not a factor as he reviews the case. Whether or not there's a cultural shift or not, that's in some ways irrelevant for whether or not the facts and the law in the Menendez case justify a resentencing and if so, what that resentencing should be. And the new DA takes office December 2nd, nine days before the brothers scheduled resentencing hearing, which could get pushed back as the DA elect reviews the case. Lester. Okay, Liz Kreutz, thank you. An update now on the case. Lester. OK, Liz Kreutz, thank you.

An update now on the case of Texas death row prisoner Robert Robertson, whose life was spared last month after an 11th hour flurry of legal maneuvering by a bipartisan committee of Texas lawmakers. But today, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Robertson's execution can go forward and that lawmakers overstep their authority when they use their subpoena power to block it. Robertson was convicted of the 2002 shaken baby death of his two-year-old daughter, a now broadly discredited medical diagnosis. Robertson has long maintained his innocence. A new execution date has not been set, but Robertson recently told me in an interview that he is at peace. We'll take a break.

Up next, he slapped his much younger opponent during the weigh-in. Mike Tyson is back in the ring tonight at age 58. A strange and epic showdown and the growing trend in how we watch big sporting events. Next. Boxer Mike Tyson began his career when there was no such thing as streaming. Tonight, the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion enters the ring for the first time in years. And the biggest winner may be Netflix. Here's Sam Brock.

In a blockbuster bout truly tailored for the streaming era. He's a manufactured killer. I'm a natural born killer. Legendary boxer Mike Tyson and YouTube sensation turned fighter Jake Paul are about to do more than just shake up the boxing world. They're landing an uppercut to traditional sports programming with their showdown airing tonight only on Netflix. Mike is the greatest heavyweight of all time, in my opinion, but it's my time. The Texas-sized tussle at AT&T Stadium could be the most watched boxing event ever and doesn't cost any additional fee for Netflix users,

as streaming platforms are doubling down on live sports, with NFL games now airing on Prime and Apple TV, inking a deal with Major League Baseball. As for the flashy fight... He says he's going to kill me. Is that what you're going to do, Mike? Because I'm ready. The intrigue has erupted for a 27-year-old who picked up boxing in 2018 after amassing millions of followers on social media, taking on a 58-year-old boxing icon who's barely fought the last two decades. A year ago, they connected on Tyson's podcast.

You are an amazing person, man. Thank you. While the outcome of this clash of brash boxers is anybody's guess, they will be taking home tens of millions and could be ushering in a new standard for streaming sports. Sam Brock, NBC News. All right, well, coming up, the remarkable rescue after hours buried in the rubble. The good news to report tonight.

We'll be back. Finally, he was trapped under concrete and gravel. But after several hours, a remarkable rescue. Maggie Vespa with the good news tonight. Caught on camera in Kentucky, a construction worker slowly lifted to safety after falling, authorities say, roughly eight feet into a hole on a Louisville demolition site, leaving him completely buried for more than eight hours. You've been on the job for more than 20 years. Have you ever seen anything like this? I have not. This was about as a worst case scenario that you can

think of. Firefighters say the unnamed worker fell through a void space or an empty area under a concrete floor with much of it caving in on top of him. Crews dug by hand with buckets, even using a vacuum truck, knowing the worker had a small pocket of air in which he could breathe. He was in a lot of pain. Everything has to move extremely slow because if you move one piece, that's going to have an effect on the rest of the scene that could cause a secondary collapse. His left arm was pinned, crushed under rubble. So my initial thought was, hey, I have his right arm free.

This paramedic climbing in to administer an IV. Hey, we're here. Help's here. We got you. Just try to relax. Try to breathe. The late night rescue capping a devastating week in Louisville after a factory explosion Tuesday left two workers dead and a dozen injured. Authorities stressing this accident is unrelated and giving thanks this worker made it out alive.

You can't save everybody and it doesn't always go the way you want. So it's a great feeling when you're able to help somebody. Maggie Vespa, NBC News, Louisville, Kentucky. And hats off to the heroes there. That's nightly news for this Friday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.