NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, September 2, 2024

Episode Date: September 3, 2024

New outrage in Israel after deaths of six hostages in Gaza; Nationwide strike by hotel workers will expand to more cities; Paralympians in Paris redefine limits of sports; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the explosion of anger and heartbreak in Israel over the deaths of six hostages in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands walk off the job and take to the streets, demanding a ceasefire and the return of all captives. This as American-Israeli Hirsch Goldberg Poland is buried. You'll hear what his mother told the crowd of mourners gathered for his funeral. Also tonight, an apparent random attack on a commuter train near Chicago. Four people killed. We've got the late details. Radar problems and a ground stop at a major airport. The potential trouble spots as millions head home after a record travel weekend. A nationwide strike by hotel workers now expands to more cities. Their demands tonight. A tight

race in the run for the White House, Kamala Harris launching a new tour in key battlegrounds, joined by President Biden in their first joint campaign appearance. The shocking video as a car comes crashing into one couple's living room, missing them and their dogs by just inches. What police are saying. The growing troubles at the Grand Canyon, and from archery to blind soccer, the athletes captivating audiences at the Paralympics.

This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And good evening. I'm Tom Yamas in for Lester. Two days after Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in Gaza, including Israeli-American Hirsch Goldberg-Poland, hundreds of thousands took part in a general strike today demanding that the Netanyahu government accept the deal to bring the remaining hostages home. Thousands more, you see them here, attended Goldberg-Poland's funeral in Jerusalem, where his mother shared the agony she has felt over her son's captivity for almost a year. In Washington, new criticism today from President Biden, who said Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu is not doing enough to achieve a cease

fire and hostage release. But Netanyahu remaining defiant, saying it's Hamas that won't agree to terms. We begin tonight with NBC's Raf Sanchez in Tel Aviv. Tonight, protesters bringing their fury to the gates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence. Public anger in Israel spiraling after the killing of these six young hostages and what demonstrators see as the government's failure to bring them home alive. The IDF says they survived more than 300 days in captivity, only to be murdered by their Hamas guards in a tunnel beneath Rafah late last week. Israeli troops reached the tunnel Saturday, but it was too late. Protesters say they could have been saved if Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire deal. And today, labor unions ordered their 800,000 workers to strike, demanding he change course. President Biden adding to the pressure.

Mr. President, do you think it's time for Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue? Do you think he's doing enough? No. Tonight, Netanyahu telling the families, I ask your forgiveness that we were not able to bring them back alive. But also giving no sign of backing down, repeating his demands that Israeli troops stay in control of the Egypt-Gaza border. He says it's necessary to stop Hamas smuggling in weapons,

but it's been a key stumbling block in negotiations. And even Israel's defense minister says it's worth conceding to save the hostages. My sweet boy. Hours earlier, American hostage Hirsch Goldberg Poland was buried in Jerusalem. For 23 years, I was privileged to have the most stunning honor to be Hershey's mama. I'll take it and say thank you. I just wish it had been for longer. His parents still wearing the pieces of tape counting the days since October 7th. Maybe, just maybe, your death is the stone, the fuel that will bring home the remaining 101 hostages. A nation's anger and a mother's grief. And Hirsch, there's one last thing I need you to do for us. Now I need you to help us stay

strong. And I need you to help us survive. And with that, Raf Sanchez joins us now live. So, Raf, what are the leaders of Hamas saying about the deaths of those six hostages? Tom, for the first time tonight, Hamas appears to be acknowledging it was responsible for killing the hostages. It says its forces have been ordered to shoot their prisoners if Israeli troops attempt to rescue. Tom. With that type of tension, it's unclear how they would reach a ceasefire. Ralph Sanchez with that new reporting. Monica Alba is at the White House for us tonight. And Monica, we heard Netanyahu's defiant stance and Hamas' threat about what they would do to those hostages. What's the message from the White House? Well, Tom, the U.S. is working around the clock

to try and secure a deal. But there are still key issues outstanding for both Israel and Hamas. The president and vice president met with top national security officials in the Situation Room today to discuss next steps, including the idea that the U.S. could offer a take-it-or-leave-it type deal to the parties in the hopes of securing a final agreement. And that's according to two sources briefed on the discussions. But the risk there would be if both sides were to reject that version, it could mean the end of American-led negotiations. Now, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan suggested that as an option and one potential path during a virtual call with U.S. hostage families on Sunday,

all of it adding to the urgency behind the scenes to get something done as soon as this week. Tom. All right, Monica, how about the White House for us? Back here at home to that horrific and deadly scene in a suburb of Chicago, four people shot and killed on a commuter train this morning. Adrienne Broaddus has the late details. Tonight, police are investigating a mass shooting in Forest Park, Illinois, just outside Chicago, aboard a commuter train,

in what authorities believe may have been a random attack. Appears to be three individuals, unresponsive, on the same road cart. Just before 5.30 this morning, police say the suspect shot four people in two separate cars. Three victims pronounced dead on scene. One later died at a local hospital. The suspect initially able to get away. Slender, black male, wearing green pants and black shirt. Police say the suspect was later located on another train line,

tracked down with the help of surveillance video. We have somebody in custody. Weapon was recovered. We have somebody in custody. Weapon was recovered. There's no immediate threat. This woman says her brother may have been on board. I just hopped out of the bed and rushed up here. So I'm just trying to figure out, is everything okay? Police now trying to determine a motive. This, you know, obviously is shocking. You know, it is uncommon, you know, to have a mass shooting like this, especially this close to home. So, you know, for people to feel unsafe, you know, it's justified.

In a statement, Chicago Transit Authority calling this an isolated incident and saying that this heinous and egregious act of violence should never have occurred. Forest Park's mayor grieving the killings. It's a horrible tragedy that four people are dead on Labor Day weekend. Adrian joins us now live. What more do we know about the victims in this shooting? Tom, I just spoke with the deputy chief, Chris Chin, who told me all four victims were sleeping on the train when they were shot. The fourth person who died at the hospital, a man believed to be in his 60s.

Tom. Adrian brought us in Chicago tonight. Adrian, we appreciate that. For millions of Americans at the end of this long holiday weekend, the most immediate concern may be getting home. And Priya Sridhar is following a technical issue at a major airport that's causing some delays tonight. Priya, what's the latest? That's right, Tom. Flights at both Newark's Liberty International Airport and Orlando's International Airport are under a temporary ground delay today. Newark's ground delay was a result of a radar issue, and Orlando's flight delays are because of thunderstorms. TSA anticipated

it would screen 17 million passengers from Thursday to Wednesday of this extended holiday travel period. That's up about 8 percent from last year. Millions of Americans are also hitting the road to return home from their Labor Day travels. Experts say this surge in travel can be attributed to gas prices being down almost 50 cents from last year. And if you're planning on driving home from this long weekend, but you haven't done so just yet, experts say the best time to do it would be tomorrow after 1 p.m. Tom. All right, Priya, we thank you for that. And adding to the anxiety of so many holiday travelers that strike by more than 10,000 hotel workers who have walked off the job now expanding to more cities.

Antonia Hilton has this story. Better pay, health care and workloads. That's what more than 10,000 housekeepers, cooks and staffers say they're spending their Labor Day on picket lines demanding. In Greenwich, Connecticut, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose and even Hawaii. This as the workers union approves strikes in additional cities later this week. It's hard to build savings, living oftentimes paycheck to paycheck. You've given this company 25 years. Yes. Are you surprised that this is where you are 25 years later on a picket line? Yeah, that's why first time we do that because how they treat the people is not make sense. The strikes center around Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton hotel chains.

Tonight, Marriott has not responded for requests for comment, while the Hyatt and Hilton both say they are willing to continue negotiations. Today, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont supporting the workers. They took some real hits during COVID, just like the hotels did. They flattened their wages. Now give them a chance to catch up. Sonia, a Hyatt housekeeper, tells me, it hurts me a lot. It makes me emotional. With staffers walking off the job, many hotels are modifying services and amenities. But some guests say they understand. Sure, they really got to the point of being fed up. People like to work and have fair wages.

And Antonia, as we see those protesters there behind you, you mentioned other cities may soon see these demonstrations as well. That's right. New strikes have been authorized in New Haven, Providence and Oakland and could begin in just a couple of days. This, of course, coming as the travel industry experiences major increases over last year, Tom. Antonia, thank you to politics now and Labor Day, the start of the final phase of the presidential campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris launching a blitz of battleground states and joined late today by President Biden in Pittsburgh. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight in the Steel City, President Biden and Vice President Harris in a rare joint campaign appearance courting organized labor on Labor Day. When union wages go

up, everybody's wages go up. When union workplaces are safer, all workplaces are safer. When unions are strong, America is strong. The vice president saying that U.S. steel should remain domestically owned rather than be sold to a Japanese company. I trust her. The latest attempt to win over blue-collar workers in critical swing states. I'll tell you something, Kamala and I are damn proud that we protected the pensions of over one million workers. Harris visiting Michigan earlier in the day. We are out here running like we are the underdog in this race because we know what we are fighting for. While her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, hit Wisconsin.

Really simple. It's really simple. When unions are strong, America is strong. Recent polls show Vice President Harris doing better than former President Trump nationally and in key battlegrounds by a handful of points, but within the margin of error. Compare that with polling that mostly showed Trump with a narrow edge before Biden's departure from the race. We needed a new spark. Natalie Glaspie and her husband Christian here in Pittsburgh have been union members for decades. We're a little bit more excited for having a younger, more upbeat candidate that's going to stick up for us.

Notably, though he's courted rank and file workers throughout his campaign, former President Trump was not on the trail today. He is expected here in Pennsylvania for a town hall on Wednesday, and he's hoping an updated indictment in the federal election interference case against him will bring new momentum. Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it, you get indicted and your poll numbers go up. And Gabe joins us. Gabe, this was a significant moment with President Biden and Vice President

Harris campaigning together for the first time with her at the top of the ticket. Yeah, that's right, Tom. This event just wrapped up, but it was a significant moment. For the first time in an event like this, the president introduced the vice president, a symbolic passing of the torch in front of this union crowd. We are back now with one of America's greatest natural wonders. Grand Canyon National Park draws millions of visitors each year. But this summer, the park has seen a higher number of deaths and problems with the park's pipeline. Here's Dana Griffin.

Tonight, there's growing alarm in Grand Canyon National Park following a series of tragic deaths amid extreme weather. Rescuers finding a body just last week of a 60-year-old man who had been backpacking alone, marking the 14th death this year. Days earlier, rescue teams airlifted more than 100 stranded people to safety after severe flash flooding sent a rush of mud and debris through Havasu Canyon. Shanoa Nickerson was swept away while hiking with her husband. According to the park service, after days of searching, her body was recovered 20 miles downstream. She just had the biggest heart and she would want, you know, just to spread love. It comes as utility crews scramble to restore water service after four major breaks to the park's aging water pipeline.

That forced hotels along the canyon's popular South Rim to abruptly cancel hundreds of bookings over the holiday weekend. Everyone was scrambling. Sharon Ellison and Fred Jerrigan planned to celebrate following a backpacking trip and, like many others, found their hotel closed. We didn't have cell service or a satellite phone, so we didn't know about it until we had gotten back. I can't imagine that everybody was lucky enough to find accommodation as we were. Travel chaos as park

officials urge visitors to remain vigilant amid extreme conditions. Dana Griffin, NBC News. All right, and coming up, we'll take a turn and bring you some good news about some of the most remarkable athletes you'll ever meet. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight and if you've been watching the paralympics you've seen how these athletes are able to persevere adapt and defy the odds here's emily akeda across 22 different sports paralympians in paris are redefining the impossible perfectly yes what about that from Stutzman? The man behind that bullseye, Matt Stutzman, using only his foot and a harness to shoot arrows. He's now the first armless archer to ever win gold. It's a gold medal!

I left the bow and gave it a bow and said, I'm done. And then as soon as I got back, I cried like crazy. Meanwhile, beneath the Eiffel Tower, a sport of speed and exceptional spatial awareness is captivating thousands. In blind soccer, players rely on a jingling ball and directions from their sighted goalkeepers and guides to move and pass on the field. Good steal there from... Argentina's Matias Oliveira says fans are most surprised by... The velocity of the field. Good steal there from Argentina's Matias Alibera says fans are most surprised by the velocity of the of the game. I'm whispering right now because during play the crowd has to be quiet to avoid interfering with players concentration. Except when the goal is scored you have permission to go wild. The U.S. doesn't have a team in these games, but is building one for L.A. 2028

with the help of American player Charles Catherine Caldaro. Having a disability doesn't mean you shouldn't do any sport. It's actually quite the contrary. It gave me just so many opportunities, and I want children to have those moving forward. In Paris, he's scouting the competition using a vision pad to track the ball in real time and reveling in the stadium's electric energy. It's the first time in my life that I actually feel cool being blind, right? And that's a feeling I want to bring home with me. A boisterous reminder of the power of sport. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, Paris. Those athletes are so cool and so incredible.

You can watch the Paralympics on NBC and Peacock. That's nightly news for this Monday. We thank you so much for watching. I'm Tom Yamas in New York. Have a great night.