NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, February 10, 2025

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

Trump signs proclamation imposing 25% steel and aluminum tariffs; Proposed tariffs spark anger and frustration in Canada; In test to fragile ceasefire, Hamas announces delay of hostage release; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Right now, the new front in the trade war. Moments ago, President Trump imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum, saying they protect American jobs. But will they also raise prices? The backlash in Canada as some say they feel betrayed and won't buy American. The legal showdown over President Trump's cost-cutting efforts. A federal judge ruling the White House defied his order to unfreeze billions in spending. The new protests tonight and Laura Jarrett on the emerging legal battles.

The winter storm threat, the nation's capital bracing for deep cold, heavy snow and ice. The flood threat in the south and another major storm right behind it. Cease fire in jeopardy. Hamas signals they may not release more hostages. It comes after the uproar over the condition of three Israeli men released this weekend and President Trump's controversial new proposal about Palestinians displaced by the conflict. After the fires, the toxic debris processing site raising concern while local officials say they were blindsided. Our investigation.

Good news for parents, the potential treatment for kids with mild peanut allergies. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. President Trump tonight once more wielding what could be best described as his go-to foreign policy weapon, tariffs, this time signing a proclamation requiring foreign steel and aluminum makers to pay a 25 percent tariff on goods that they import to the United States. The president also weighing the stakes globally, floating the idea of slapping reciprocal tariffs on every country. But the hardball

approach has its risks, mainly that those tariffs are likely to be passed along to American consumers. The president signing the steel tariff proclamation at the White House just a short time ago, while other big chunks of his agenda, including a massive government downsizing, face major legal roadblocks tonight as the Trump administration digs in its heels in a brewing battle over who controls Washington. Gabe Gutierrez is at the White House with late details. Tonight, as part of his campaign pledge to rebuild the American steel industry, President Trump slapping new 25 percent tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum imports. It's a big deal. It's a big deal.

This is the beginning of making America rich again. Some American steel workers now praising the move. If that happens, it's going to help our industry. We're going to be able to regroup and we're going to be able to stay alive. But critics argue the tariffs will drive up prices for U.S. consumers. Discount store owner Peter Elitzer worries they'll hurt his bottom line. Are you worried that this will hurt your bottom line? There's no question about it because we'll have to absorb some of that, which is tough in a business that works on tight margins anyway, and it will also be problematic for the economy generally. And the president promising new tariffs this week on countries that restrict the sale of American goods.

Reciprocal tariffs, and very simply, it's if they charge us, we charge them. That's all. The tariff talk comes amid a growing legal showdown over President Trump's efforts to downsize the federal government. This afternoon, a judge keeping the president's buyout offer to federal workers on pause, while another federal judge ruling the Trump administration has not fully followed his order to unfreeze federal spending that President Trump had stopped and telling the White House to release all the money. But President Trump is defending his cost-cutting efforts. And the day you're not allowed to look for theft and fraud, etc., then we don't have much of a country.

So no judge should be, no judge should frankly be allowed to make that kind of a decision. It's a disgrace. The president now telling billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to root out wasteful spending in the Education Department and the Pentagon. And employees at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are being told to stay home this week. Trump's budget director says the agency has a surplus of over $700 million and that the spigot is now being turned off. While the agency says it's won back $17.5 billion for Americans.

Democrats slamming the Trump administration for fighting for Congress. Every time you hear Doge, the Department of Government Efficiency, you just remember it is the Department of Government Evil. And in a new move, the president also literally changing change, instructing his treasury secretary to stop minting new pennies. It cost nearly four cents to produce a one-cent coin. Again, the president also gave more detail about those reciprocal tariffs. Yes, Lester, the president just said he'll announce them over the next two days. Asked about the possibility of other countries retaliating, the president said,

I don't mind. Arguing his move saves American jobs. All right. Gabe Gutierrez starting us off. Thank you. Those new tariffs promised by President Trump could be another test for the usually close relationship between the U.S. and Canada. Our Aaron McLaughlin reports from Toronto on the move that is sparking backlash tonight. With President Trump announcing fresh tariffs and renewing talk of making Canada the 51st state, tonight many Canadians say they're stealing their resolve for a trade war. We feel betrayed. Outside Toronto, retiree Susan Bright is going to battle at Vince's supermarket, searching for over an hour to find produce that's not made in America,

a tough task in the frigid Canadian winter. Betrayal is a strong word. It is. And that's how I feel. Why? Because we've been neighbors and friends and partners and allies for years, hundreds of years. With Canada a top supplier of both steel and aluminum to the U.S., President Trump's latest announcement could have a major impact on critical industries in both countries, from cars to construction. And while the president has temporarily paused his more sweeping 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods, it's all led to deep economic uncertainty and anger. Vince's store owner, Giancarlo Tremarchi. We've seen a real resurgence from our customer base as

they look to shop local and support Canadian brands. That's a huge movement right now. So customers are asking you. Demanding. Demanding. Demanding, and we don't do that very often here in Canada. Those demands stretching to travel, with many Canadians canceling their trips to the U.S. Bob Bloomer has been traveling to Florida every winter for the last 24 years.

I just can't justify going down there right now. Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was recently caught on a hot mic saying he thinks Trump's talk of annexation is a real thing. That threat leading to this reaction to the U.S. national anthem in stadiums across the country. All of it transforming Canadian politics, forcing the conservative premier of Ontario into a dramatic U-turn. Prior to these tariffs, you yourself said you were 100% Trump. Do you regret that position? Well, Trump 1.0 is now Trump 2.0.

I never thought in a million years he'd threaten his closest ally and treasured partner. With the U.S. GDP roughly 10 times the size of Canada's, some say all they can do is wait. So how does this end? In about four years, things will get better. If you guys down south don't mess it up too much. Erin McLaughlin, NBC News, Toronto. And Laura Gerard joins me now. Laura, let's go back to the legal battles over President Trump and the cost-cutting moves. He gets this rebuke from a federal judge. How serious is this? Yeah, the words from this judge in Rhode Island, not mincing words at all, in fact, Lester. And it's the first time we have seen a court say that the Trump administration is deliberately defying a court order, which is noteworthy. Then we have another federal judge

tonight saying that the administration essentially needs to provide status reports because it needs to be trusted that it's following through on a different court order, all of which raising the question of whether the courts can continue to really provide a meaningful check. And that's a question being raised because the vice president is saying things like judges are not allowed to control the executive's legitimate power, raising the question of, of course, what is and is not legitimate. Still, the administration has plenty of legal paths to try to challenge these court orders. But for now, many of them are on hold. All right, Laura, thank you. Snow is steadily falling on South Dakota, just part of a nonstop string of storms that are going to be crossing the country this week. Bill Cairns joins me now. Bill,

from one swath of the country to another. Yeah, and this is two fast moving storms, Lester, in the middle of the work week and school week. It's going to be so much travel trouble out there. So the storm is just getting going. Tomorrow morning, we watch the snow breaking out through Kentucky. During the day tomorrow, it moves into Virginia and even Washington, D.C. Seventy million people between the two storms. The snow and the ice will be the worst in the mid-Atlantic tomorrow into tomorrow night. Richmond, you get two to four inches of snow, some ice on top of that. D.C., up to a half a foot. Not so much in Philadelphia and New York, maybe just an inch or two. In the Midwest, this is going to be your Wednesday storm. So Kansas City, very difficult. Big storm for you,

five to ten inches possible. And Chicago, one of the bigger snowstorms that you're going to have so far this winter season, getting up to about four to six inches. In addition to this, we do have a chance with these two storms of getting some flooding and also some isolated severe storms Wednesday in the south, Lester. Bill Kerens, thank you, sir. We're also tracking a small plane crash in Arizona tonight. The FAA confirming that a Learjet veered off the runway after landing and crashed into a park plane at Scottsdale Airport. We just got late word one person has died and two people have been taken to the hospital. The agency says it will investigate and is temporarily pausing flights. We just got late word one person has died and two people have been taken to the hospital.

The agency says it will investigate and is temporarily pausing flights. The FAA says they don't know how many people were aboard that airplane. We're going to turn now to the chilling case. Three defendants convicted of targeting men leaving gay bars, accused of drugging them, stealing their phones, draining their bank accounts and killing them. Ann Thompson with the verdicts just in tonight. These three men tonight found guilty of a robbery and murder scheme that terrorized New York City's gay bars for more than a year. Jaquan Hamilton, Robert DeMeo and Jacob Barrasso convicted of murder,

drugging and robbing intoxicated gay men. Two were killed, 25-year-old Julio Ramirez and 33-year-old John Umberger. Umberger's mother, Linda Clary, was in court for the verdicts. We are heartbroken because nothing is going to bring John back, but we are just so grateful to God that hopefully no one else will be hurt by these men. Clary's been on a two-year odyssey for justice that took her from her home in Georgia to New York many times. We spoke in April 2023. I can't help think about how lucky John was to have you as his mom. I was lucky to have him as my son. Prosecutors said the three men gave

their victims drugs, including fentanyl and cocaine, stole their phones, and then sometimes using facial recognition technology, drained their accounts. In a statement, New York's District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the convicted trio were motivated by greed and took advantage of people who just wanted to enjoy the city's nightlife. Linda Clary says her son loved this city. Oh, John was my oldest son, best friend and just a great human being. Tonight, defense attorneys say they will appeal, but for John Julio and their families, a step towards justice. Ann Thompson, NBC News, New York. Turning to the Middle East now, where Hamas says it will delay the next release of Israeli

hostages claiming Israel violated the term of the ceasefire deal, while Israel says any delay would itself be a violation. Yasmin Vesugian is in Tel Aviv. In what may be the biggest test of the fragile ceasefire deal yet, tonight Hamas says they will indefinitely delay the next release of Israeli hostages. Hamas accusing Israel of violating the terms of the deal by refusing to allow aid into Gaza, delaying people from returning to the north and continuing shelling and gunfire. While Israel has been allowing food and water to Gazans, Palestinian officials say they've fallen short in providing tents and caravans as agreed to in the deal. The Israeli defense minister tonight calling Hamas's

announcement, quote, a complete violation of the ceasefire agreement, adding he's instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert. Tonight, President Trump weighing in. Saturday at 12 o'clock, and if they're not here, all hell is going to break out. There's been growing concern amongst both Israelis and Palestinians over whether the deal will hold, following pleas from Hamas for more humanitarian aid and President Trump's remarks about owning and developing Gaza. Would the Palestinians have the right to return? No, they wouldn't because they're going to have much better housing, much better. Over the weekend, three Israelis were released, appearing gaunt.

Family members say they were starved in captivity and kept mostly in the tunnels under Gaza. Six Israeli-Americans remained captive in Gaza, with four presumed dead. Seventy-six hostages in all still there. And hundreds gathering tonight in Hostage Square to celebrate the birthday of a captive Israeli, instead devastated to learn about the delay. And we are now learning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be convening his security cabinet tomorrow morning in light of Hamas suspending the release of the Israeli hostages. Lester. All right, Yasmin, thank you.

In 60 seconds, it's a serious problem for kids across the country. Now the surprising new treatment that could gain popularity for some kids with peanut allergies. Peanuts have long been a frustrating and sometimes scary allergy for families. Tonight, researchers sharing information that suggests a new way of dealing with them. Rahima Ellis joins me. Rahima, what does the data show? Lester, a new research from a small study shows there might be hope for children with mild peanut allergies to one day enjoy eating peanut

products. The study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine shows children may be able to develop a tolerance by increasing small amounts of peanut butter over time. The medical team gave about half of the 73 children in the study an eighth of a teaspoon of peanut butter, gradually building up to a tablespoon at the end of an 18-month period. None of the children who ate the peanut butter, gradually building up to a tablespoon at the end of an 18-month period. None of the children who ate the peanut butter had a severe reaction, and the tolerance lasted. After a two-month hiatus, the kids could eat up to three tablespoons of peanut butter. But a warning tonight to parents, Lester, don't try this without talking to your doctor first. All right. Thank you, Rahima. Still ahead tonight, outrage in L.A., why local

officials say they were blindsided by toxic waste after those catastrophic wildfires. Our investigation into what happened and where it's going next. As recovery efforts continue following the Los Angeles wildfires, growing concerns over where the EPA is processing toxic waste. Liz Kreutz investigates the safety concerns and why local officials say they were blindsided. In the Los Angeles burn zones, it's one of the most challenging next steps, safely removing miles of toxic debris. Both President Trump and California Governor Newsom have asked the EPA to speed up the first phase of the process. We need it done in 30 days. The original commitment was 60 days. Spare no resources.

One of the EPA's debris processing sites, Lario Park, located 15 miles east of the Altadena burn zone, on land owned by the federal government but long operated by L.A. County. So this is the park that's now been turned into this processing center. It's usually a public park with a bike path that runs through here. All of it is now closed to the public, though. From what we can see, there's a large tent that's been set up. The EPA says this is where they are bringing the debris. They are then sorting it and packaging it up for disposal. The use of this site in the largely Latino and working class community has sparked outrage. Why not Altadena? Residents packing a recent town hall.

Can you look me in the eyes and say, would you allow your children, your elderly, would you live in a place where this is going on? The woman who asked that question, Salisa Luessa. This was a path of least resistance. They felt like we wouldn't put up a fight. Personally, I feel like it's a part of environmental racism too. The EPA says the site is safe and that it will ensure no negative impact to the environment or its residents. But for Luessa, it's too late. The bridge of trust has been broken. And it's not just residents. The four mayors representing the cities surrounding L'Oreal Park tell NBC News they were blindsided.

Were any of you contacted by anybody ahead of time or informed that this was going to be the site where the debris was coming? Absolutely not. No. I was watching the news, and that's how I found out. You found out watching the local news? Yes. No communication. Chief of police thought it was a sandbag distribution.

Kind of looked like a rodeo was coming to town. They question if the new 30-day timeline played a role. The governor, in competition with the president, is trying to expedite everything that's through this process. It feels like we're in the crosshairs, per se. NBC News has reached out to several agencies seeking answers about who knew what and when. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents cities around L'Oreal Park, declined to be interviewed, but told NBC News that the decision was made by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. When NBC News asked when the county first learned the park may be used as a hazardous waste site, her office did not respond. But according to the EPA, the agency first approached the county about the site on January

16th, nine days before any of the local mayors or residents say they became aware of the plan. I believe the higher-ups knew what was happening. Higher-ups who? The federal, the government, the president, the governor. They failed to inform us. We need to make sure that the assurances are there in place, that after they pick up their tents and material and leave, that we're not left in this region being affected from years to come.

Liz Kreutz, NBC News, Los Angeles. And that is nightly news for this Monday. Thank you for watching. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of yourself and each other. Good night.