NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, September 27, 2024

Episode Date: September 28, 2024

More than 40 reported killed as Helene causes wide destruction and flooding; Harris makes first trip to U.S. Southern Border in three years; U.S. charges three Iranian operatives with hacking into Trump campaign; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the staggering death toll as Helene barrels up the southeast after leaving 4 million without power. The hurricane slamming Florida as a monster Category 4 storm. The impact across 15 states. More than 40 dead. Historic and catastrophic flooding. In Tennessee, dozens trapped on a hospital roof, airlifted out. A flash flood emergency in Atlanta, hundreds rescued across the region. Tom Yamas in the storm zone tonight. Also breaking, Kamala Harris making her first visit to the border as the Democratic nominee. Now she's hitting back at Donald Trump over

immigration. And Mr. Trump meeting Ukraine's President Zelensky, vowing to negotiate a deal to end Russia's war that's, quote, good for both sides. Israel striking Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut. The target, the group's top leader, Richard Engel, on the ground for us. Prime Minister Netanyahu under pressure for a ceasefire. His defiant message today to the U.N. The hacking attack on the Trump campaign linked to Iran, the U.S. has now charged. New York Mayor Eric Adams pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges. The mountain calls for him to step down.

The beloved two-time Oscar winner and star from Harry Potter and Downton Abbey, remembering Maggie Smith. And live from New York, SNL's new season kicking off this weekend, celebrating 50 years of laughs. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. The impact of Hurricane Helene has been nothing short of devastating, its wide footprint leaving an indelible and tragic mark across more than a dozen states, from Florida, where it made landfall, to the Carolinas and beyond. The fast-moving hurricane blamed for at least 42

deaths across the region and fears that number could grow. Helene slamming ashore overnight with winds of 140 miles per hour, driving a storm surge 15 feet high. The fierce winds and heavy rains inundating roads, forcing a dramatic airlift of patients from a Tennessee hospital. Tonight, Helene continuing to weaken, but the situation is still very critical in many places. Historic and catastrophic flooding continues. Atlanta recording its first flash flood emergency on record. Through it all, millions are still without electricity tonight. Tom Yamas reports now from the storm zone. Tonight, Helene no longer a hurricane, but still taking homes and lives.

The massive hurricane that slammed into Florida, overwhelming first responders. Rescues along the East Coast from Florida to South Carolina. In Tennessee, a hospital sending out an SOS when it became surrounded by water. Patients stranded, forced onto the roof, and airlifted out. Helene made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast, but the impact stretching 1,000 miles across 15 states, killing dozens. Overnight, desperate residents posting previews of what daylight would bring. And in Clearwater, fire departments battling flash floods and flames, searching for those stranded. Anybody in your house?

With that massive hurricane, now comes the massive response. Local, state, and federal resources all allocated towards Florida and the full power, of course, of the U.S. military. Here in Keaton Beach, devastation as far as you can see. We have a lot of memories of it. A lot. Boats tossed onto land and homes completely flattened. It's just sad. Janine McMullen raised her family in Keaton Beach.

Her house is still standing, but half of it is underwater. I told my oldest grandson this morning that I was pretty sure my house was gone. He said it'd be all right, and that as long as we were all safe, and we are. After crushing the Gulf Coast, Helene moved north. In North Carolina, cars submerged and roads vanished amid extreme flooding not seen in almost a century. NBC News' George Solis is there. Here in Asheville, the flooding is catastrophic. Homes, businesses completely swallowed by a river that was already swollen by days of rain ahead of Helene's arrival. And in Georgia, swift water rescue teams ushering this woman and her baby to safety.

NBC's Priya Sridther is on the ground. This is one of several neighborhoods here in Atlanta that's completely underwater. It's unclear exactly when this water will recede, so people can return to their properties and begin to assess the damage. In southern Georgia, our Priscilla Thompson talked to a homeowner who narrowly escaped Helene's high winds. What made you get in the hallway? When this first tree crashed on the top of the house.

Bill Parmalee lost 15 trees in his yard. He had just finished repairing his home from the last hurricane. A similar story back in Florida. I didn't realize that we were going to have this much damage, but it's nothing that we can't fix. Paul Millard's business was destroyed for the second time in just 13 months. It really hit me in the heart, to be honest with you. We worked so hard to bring this building where it is and to see this happen again. But among all the destruction, a bit of relief. Unable to evacuate, the staff of Tampa General Hospital set up a nine-foot

aqua fence to protect patients. As the water rushed in, turning the building into an island, the fence held. All right, let's go to Tom now, live from Keaton Beach. Tom, some have truly lost everything. Yeah, Lester, take a look behind me here. You have boats on top of homes, and tonight we have our drone over Keaton Beach. You can see the extent of the damage. I'm told many of the people here don't have insurance. They did at one point, but there were back to back hurricanes and then insurance rates skyrocketed. People could no longer afford that. So now you have a new hurricane, no insurance, the home is destroyed and now there's no money to rebuild. Lester.

All right, Tom Yamas, thank you. Now to Vice President Harris making a trip to the southern border, set to propose asylum restrictions, but facing a new round of criticism from former President Trump over information just revealed by immigration authorities. Gabe Gutierrez is in Arizona. Tonight, Vice President Harris landing in Arizona for her first trip to the southern border in three years, but also facing new criticism from former President Trump after the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director sent a letter to lawmakers revealing more than 13,000 migrants previously convicted of homicide are currently free inside the U.S. And I've been saying this from the beginning of the Harris-Biden disaster. What they've done to our country with this is inexcusable. A source familiar with the data tells NBC News many entered

the country prior to the Biden administration and that ICE lacks resources to find them. All of it after Trump earlier today met with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Great honor to have you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thanks a lot. Trump calling it a great meeting. I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin. I think that we can work out something that's good for both sides.

Meanwhile, here in rural Cochise County, Arizona, a senior campaign official says Harris will propose tighter asylum restrictions than President Biden. There's been a record 10 million illegal border crossings since Harris and President Biden took office. We do have a broken immigration system and it needs to be fixed. Still, crossings have dropped dramatically in recent months and Harris is slamming Trump for killing a bipartisan border bill earlier this year. How frustrating was that for you? Absolutely frustrating. Harris supporter and former sheriff's deputy,

Donya Acosta, voted for Trump in 2016, but now says he's relying on fear. That's really sad that people are being used as pawns for political reasons. This has been in your family for more than 100 years. 128. Though rancher John Ladd says the Biden-Harris administration should never have ended Trump's restrictive border policies. And Trump had it figured out. Ladd took us to a border fence constructed during the Trump administration, showing us where smugglers have cut it repeatedly. He's skeptical of Harris's promise to secure the border. That's baloney.

That's an absolute lie. She doesn't care about the border. While Harris is trailing Trump on immigration, she's polling better on the issue than President Biden. And her campaign believes a trip like this to a swing state like Arizona could be crucial. Lester. All right, Gabe Gutierrez, thank you.

In the Middle East, new airstrikes by Israel inside Lebanon today, including one apparently aimed at the leader of Hezbollah, as Prime Minister Netanyahu told the United Nations Israel will not stand down. Richard Engel is in Lebanon tonight. The Israeli airstrikes were so powerful, they shook all of Beirut. An Israeli official tells NBC News the target was the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, in a headquarters underground. Hezbollah quickly said the attack was a failure. Iran, which backs Hezbollah, said Nasrallah is safe, but neither offered any proof.

I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran. If you strike us, we will strike you. The strike came just one hour after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a fiery speech at the UN, promised an open war on Hezbollah, which has been attacking northern Israel with rockets and drones since the Hamas massacre on October 7th. As long as Hezbollah chooses the path of war, Israel has no choice and Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their homes safely. And that's exactly what we're doing. Israel has recently dealt a series of heavy blows to Hezbollah,

booby-trapping its communications, killing senior commanders, and bombing suspected weapon sites. I visited one earlier today. Hezbollah says this was a motorcycle repair factory and a fuel storage location. It was directly hit by two Israeli airstrikes that completely destroyed the area. You can still smell the burning fuel. It is still smoking. And scenes like this are spreading now all across Lebanon as Israeli airstrikes in the south and in the east and in Beirut are intensifying. Nasrallah's death would be a major setback for Hezbollah, decapitating the group, which is a sworn enemy of Israel and the United States, and which has many rivals inside Lebanon. Israeli officials say it's too early to tell if Nasrallah was killed. And tonight, Israel has begun a new round of airstrikes here in Beirut.

Lester. Richard Engel, thank you. The Justice Department announced charges against three Iranian operatives accused of hacking into the Trump campaign and stealing documents, officials calling it part of an elaborate effort to interfere in the election. Here's Ken Delanian. Tonight, the Justice Department charging three men it calls Iranian government hackers with a plot to stoke discord and erode confidence ahead of the U.S. election.

The 37-page indictment describing a wide-ranging hacking campaign, alleging the men targeted Trump campaign officials' emails, stealing internal documents, including debate prep, and shopping them to the news media and the Biden-Harris campaign. The defendants' own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump's campaign in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The alleged hackers facing terrorism, fraud and identity theft charges. They worked for Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the indictment. All three live in Iran, likely outside the reach of U.S. law enforcement. The Iranian government has denied involvement.

U.S. officials are battling propaganda and disinformation efforts not just out of Iran, but also Russia and China. Microsoft, saying this staged video of men beating up a woman in a Trump shirt, was cooked up by a Russian troll farm to discredit Kamala Harris. Matthew Olson is the DOJ's top national security official. There's no question that our adversaries, Iran and Russia, China, they view our election as a moment of vulnerability for us. And that's only going to increase as Election Day approaches.

Garland said there's no evidence anyone on the Biden and Harris campaigns replied to the emails offering them stolen Trump documents. Lester. All right, Ken, thank you. Here in New York, the mayor of America's largest city, Eric Adams, appeared before a federal judge today and pleaded not guilty to bribery, fraud and other charges. Laura Jarrett is here now. How did it all play out in court? Lester, a pretty remarkable scene if you think about it. A man, once a former police captain, now the sitting mayor of New York City, going down for processing just like any other defendant. A mugshot, fingerprints all ahead of his arraignment. He pleaded not guilty in court while outside of court. His defense team already sort of previewing where they're going to go with this case, going to move aggressively and try to file a motion to dismiss as early as next week. And there are signs that this is an active investigation.

Very active and potentially widening. NBC News confirming tonight, according to three sources, that one of Mayor Adams' top deputies, a top advisor, was actually raided today. Her phones were seized as she was landing here in the U.S. Now, her attorneys say she is fully cooperating. We're going to follow this as they're back in court next week. All right, Laura, thank you. Coming up, tens of thousands of port workers set to strike will explain the potentially deep impact all ahead of the holiday shopping season right after this. Time is running out tonight to avert a potential shutdown at several U.S.

ports. It could cost billions of dollars a day and snarl supply chains just before the election and the holiday shopping season. Christine Romans explains. These ports could stand still and the goods in these containers stalled if dock workers walk off the job. From Boston and New York all the way down to New Orleans and Houston, the International Longshoremen's Association represents at least 25,000 workers at these ports. They're at an impasse over a new six-year contract. They want higher wages and less automation. The union boss in recent weeks defiant. These companies are making billions of dollars. They should take us along. Port officials preparing for a shutdown at midnight on Monday. All activity in the Port of New York and New Jersey with regards to containerized

cargo and automobile cargo will cease. The United States Maritime Alliance, representing shippers and ports, blamed the union's, quote, repeated refusal to come to the table and bargain. A strike could cost up to four and a half billion dollars a day. Everything from canned goods and chocolate, car parts and electronics move through these ports. Some of the biggest retailers import goods here, like Walmart, Samsung and Home Depot. George Berry owns a small trucking business and hauls shipping containers at the Port of Virginia. It's actually something that touches every grocery store cart, right, and every family budget, if you really game it out. 100%. We're looking at the possibility of empty store shelves. We're looking at the possibility of homes stop being built because there's lumber needed,

there's steel needed. The president has the power to break a strike, but right now the White House says he is not considering doing that. Christine, you mentioned retailers. Will this affect the holiday shopping season? So retailers have seen this coming and they have been basically stockpiling their goods for the holiday shopping season. But if they move forward with a strike here, supply chain experts tell us for every day the ports are closed, it can take up to five days to catch up, Lester. All right, Christine, thank you. Up next, our tribute to the legendary Dame Maggie Smith from Harry Potter to Downton Abbey just ahead. Back now with a historic honor for a tennis legend, Billie Jean King, now the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. King, the 39-time

Grand Slam champ who famously beat Bobby Riggs in 1973's Battle of the Sexes, is being recognized for advocating equal rights on and off the court. And the acting world has lost a legend. Maggie Smith, who won two Oscars and then a whole new generation of fans with the Harry Potter movies and Downton Abbey, has died. Megan Fitzgerald now on her extraordinary career. When I call your name, you will come forth. I shall place the sorting hat on your head. Maggie Smith, one of the world's most revered actors, a star on stage, screen and film. Smith burst onto the scene in the 1950s, winning her first Academy Award for her dramatic role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brody in 1970. I am a teacher, first, last, always. Her comedic role as an Academy Award loser.

I need another drink. The last one wore off in the lift. Won her another Oscar. I just, I just really can't believe it. We're ready for you now. Follow me. Smith was arguably most known for two roles later in her career. Mr. Weasley. Professor Minerva McGonagall at the magical school Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies. That was bloody brilliant. And as the Dowager, the Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey. What is a weekend? My age, one must ration one's excitement. Smith, mother to two sons, was gracious and humble around fame,

with countless awards and recognition over more than six decades. But perhaps the most meaningful of all, Damehood, an honor given to her by the late Queen Elizabeth. Dame Maggie Smith, at 89 years old, remembered by legions of fans. Megan Fitzgerald, NBC News, London. And we'll take a short break here. Coming up live from New York, it's Saturday night. The good news is next. NBC Saturday night.

Finally, there's good news tonight as SNL returns this weekend right here on NBC and celebrates 50 years of laughter. Here's Joe Fryer. Little did anyone know when John Belushi and company kicked off the first sketch in 1975. Saturday Night Live would still be around 50 years later. The not ready for primfor-prime-time players have given us memorable characters both real

and imagined. With fearless comedians who never needed a stunt double. Here's you, here's me, there's you, there's... How do you sum up SNL's impact on culture? They weren't going to pander to the audience.

They were going to produce material that they thought was cool. I don't have a mean bone in my body. No one spared from their slapstick skewering. Strategery. Certainly not politicians. I can see Russia from my house. With moments that generate laughs and court controversy,

like when Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the Pope. At times, the show is criticized for a lack of diversity. But it remains a launching pad for A-list stars. Ego Wodum hopes to follow in their footsteps as she starts her seventh season. To be a part of SNL, what does that mean to you? I'm going to meet more of my comedy heroes. Just like the character Sally O'Malley. After half a century, SNL's still kicking. Joe Fryer, NBC News, New York. The fun times return. That is nightly news for this Friday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.