NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Nightly News Full Broadcast (June 1st)

Episode Date: June 1, 2024

Atlanta facing water crisis after multiple major water main breaks; Death penalty for ‘doomsday’ murderer Chad Daybell; NASA scrubs launch of Boeing Starliner spaceship; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. A crisis is unfolding across a major American city right now. Much of Atlanta does not have any water at all and there is no end in sight. Take a look at this. This is just one of the water mains that burst on Friday. Now, more than 24 hours later, it's still gushing. One major hospital is now diverting most emergency patients and has to transport others to different facilities. The city's aquarium shut down. A major pop star's concert canceled.

The mayor late today saying there is no timeline for repairs. George Solis starts us off tonight. Tonight, a major American city is in crisis as a water outage wreaks havoc across Atlanta. The water is a valuable, a critical piece, a critical resource, and cities can't function, their lives can't function without it. It's absolutely at the top of our list. The outage sparked by multiple water main breaks that occurred Friday and tonight remain broken. Video showing the rupture sending water gushing onto streets. People need their water. People got to eat. People got to cook. We got kids. We need to help.

Atlanta's mayor apologizing for the city's initial lack of communication as he addressed setbacks today in repairs of the aging infrastructure. And I will be candid that overnight we did not do the best job of communicating. With every passing hour, the situation growing more tense as boil water advisories are extended. Emory University Hospital in Midtown Atlanta forced to divert patients. The hospital bringing in some 58,000 gallons of water via tanker trucks to use in the hospital's cooling towers, as well as bottled water. How detrimental has this interruption been to services at the hospital? It's been an unbelievable challenge, both for our staff and for our patients.

The famed Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the United States, posting it would be closed today because of the outage. The disaster also forcing the delay of rap star Megan Thee Stallion's concert scheduled for Friday at State Farm Arena. I'm not mad at that. I'm just mad at the circumstances. Tonight, a dangerous and massive mess with no immediate end in sight. George Solis, NBC News. There is breaking news tonight about the man who has been called a doomsday cult killer. Chad Daybell was sentenced to the death penalty today, convicted of killing two children and his ex-wife in a case that captivated the nation.

Dana Griffin reports. It would be appropriate to impose the death penalty. Chad Daybell, the so-called doomsday cult leader convicted of triple murder, sentenced to death. An Idaho jury deciding his fate on Saturday, two days after finding him guilty of conspiring with his wife Lori Vallow Daybell to murder Chad's first wife Tammy and Lori's kids, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old J.J. Vallow. I lost everything, but more importantly, we all lost Tylee and J.J. I was praying for a just verdict, and we got it. Today in court, like much of the two-month-long trial, Daybell sat emotionless.

What happens next? The appeals process begins, and this can take years, if not decades. The sentence marks the end of a grim investigation that gripped the nation starting in September 2019, when the two children were last seen alive. decades. The sentence marks the end of a grim investigation that gripped the nation starting in September 2019 when the two children were last seen alive. Daybell's first wife, Tammy, died a month later, just weeks before Lori and Chad married. Months later, the newlyweds dodging questions while in Hawaii. The following summer, the children's remains were found buried on Chad's East Idaho property. It has been a nightmare that you feel never ends. The state painting Daybell as a self-proclaimed doomsday prophet.

Money, power, and sex. That's what the defendant cared about. Saying he and Lori used twisted logic to validate the murders, calling their victims zombies with dark energy that needed to be casted out. I know for a fact that my children are happy and busy in the spirit world. Dana, the appeals process could take decades, but if this ruling does stand, do we know how the death sentence could be carried out? Yeah, we do. So Idaho law allows for execution by lethal injection or firing squad, but firing squad executions have never been used in the state.

Jose? Dana Griffin, thank you. A disappointing day at Cape Canaveral in Florida as NASA was forced to again scrub the first launch of Boeing's Starliner spaceship with astronauts on board. The mission is years behind schedule. Tom Costello is at the Kennedy Space Center. And Tom, they also had to scrub just last month. That's right. May 6th, they had to scrub because of a helium leak in the rocket made by United Launch Alliance. Not Boeing's problem. But then today, another problem with United Launch Alliance's rocket. The astronauts were strapped in, Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore ready to go,

and then a T-minus three minutes and 50 seconds, suddenly the computer stopped the launch. Engineers now believe that they have a hardware problem with the launch computer with the ULA rocket. They're going to try again on Wednesday, according to NASA, as they work this problem. If they get it up, it'll be the first time astronauts have been on that Boeing Starliner spaceship. Jose? Tom Costello with Kennedy Space Center. Thank you. And now to politics and the fallout from Donald Trump's historic conviction. The first polls are in, showing what impact it could all have

on the presidential election. Here's Vaughn Hilliard. Count one! Tonight, voters weighing in, reacting to former President Trump's guilty convictions. My reaction was, bleep, yes, because he deserves it. I think this whole thing has been a mockery. I'm embarrassed for our country.

Trump leaving New York this weekend for his golf club in New Jersey with a planned stop tonight at a UFC fight. And now we're seeing the impact the seven-week trial could start to have on the presidential race. New polling taken after the verdict showing a majority approve of the jury's decision. Most concerning for Trump is the impact it may have on the small pocket of voters on the fence. 11% of GOP voters and 26% of independent voters, suggesting they're less likely to vote for him

now. But largely, the historic conviction keeping the Biden-Trump rematch in that same months-long deadlock. Where it is changing things, campaign coffers. Trump's team reporting it's raked in more than $52 million since the verdict, narrowing President Biden's lead in the cash race. No one is above the law was reaffirmed. Republican legislators now lashing out. Several senators, including J.D. Vance, pledging that they are no longer cooperating with Democrat legislation or approving judicial appointees. They're going to try to throw Donald Trump in prison. We're taking the gloves off.

A difficult fight ahead for the GOP as their party's presumptive nominee faces mounting legal pressures. Von Hilliard, NBC News, New York. We are tracking another major presidential election, this one in Mexico tomorrow. That country is widely expected to elect its first woman president, yet violence has overshadowed political campaigns with dozens of candidates assassinated, the most ever. Guadalcanal is in Mexico City and a warning, some of what you are about to see is disturbing. It's a historic presidential election. For the first time in its 200-year history, two female candidates lead the presidential polls in Mexico.

Frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum is the former mayor of Mexico City, a close ally to current President López Obrador, Sheinbaum, who speaks fluent English, is also an academic that has lived in California's Bay Area, studying both at Stanford and Berkeley. What I like about Claudia the most is their scientific point of view about society. Sheinbaum's top competitor is Xochitl Galvez, a businesswoman and former senator known for her center-right politics. But the historic moment of this election is overshadowed by fear, violence and death. Dozens seeking office in Mexico this election cycle have been assassinated. Some of the attacks caught on video as the country falls victim to criminal organizations. We have been living in Mexico a process of violence,

insecurity, and penetration of crime organizations trying to get control of local and municipal governments over the past 10 years. Mexico's gangs connected to known cartels also profiting from human smuggling as thousands of migrants arrive in the country daily, many with hopes of making it to the U.S. They're all over. They're here in camps like this. There's about 5,000 in Mexico City. I think there's a lot more in the north that are waiting in similar spaces.

Mexico's new president will face pressure from U.S. authorities to stop migrants heading north and avoid a new surge at the U.S. border, as well as demands at home to bring down rampant crime. Guad, with all the extraordinary level of violence in that country, what kind of security is in place for tomorrow's election? Mexican officials have announced that more than 27,000 members of the National Guard will be deployed to offer security on Election Day. And more than 500 candidates have received additional security nationwide. Jose.

Well, then I guess in Mexico City. Thank you. And in the largest democracy in the world, India, weeks of voting finally ended there today. The vote could have huge implications not only for India, but America's interests in the entire region. Janice Mackey-Frayer is there. Janice. Jose, voting lasted for six weeks in what is the world's biggest election, nearly a billion registered voters. The results are expected to be announced on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to win. But critics say it comes at a cost to democracy. They accuse Modi of cracking down on opposition candidates and ramping up rhetoric

against Muslims to rally the Hindu majority. Where India heads in the future is a crucial concern for the United States as more American companies are growing manufacturing here. And the Biden administration is looking to India to balance China's influence in the region. Jose. Janice McEfrayer in India. Thank you. Still ahead tonight. The heroic rescue caught on camera after a deadly explosion.

Plus, watching from above the insurance companies keeping an eye on your home without you knowing and how it could impact the price of your policy. We're back with the dramatic new videos from a deadly explosion in Ohio this week, showing the impact of the blast and the dramatic rescues right after. Here's Jesse Kirsch. A fire has been reported in the building. This was the moment a gas leak turned into a deadly building explosion in Youngstown, Ohio. Watch again. You can see the force of the blast on the ground floor, also gutting these elevator banks on the 12th floor. The video, obtained by NBC affiliate WFMJ, also shows this woman and her baby narrowly escaping before the blast.

Meanwhile, outside, first responders frantically race to the scene. Hey, we got people trapped in the basement as well. At one point, released body camera video shows a firefighter hoisting this woman over his shoulders, lifting her out of the rubble. Grab her. Grab her. Grab her. All right. All right. Got it? I got her. I got her. I got her. Oh,. You OK? Go ahead. Go. Go.

I got it, Joe. We got it, Joe. We got it. I got it. My baby! OK, dear. OK, dear. Oh, my God. Come on. Come on. This man says the woman in that video is his girlfriend. Somebody from the back of the building came up and said, we need to get out of here.

It smells like boom. And that's when it exploded. The National Transportation Safety Board says it believes this was an accident, sharing that a crew was clearing out the building's underground level and made three cuts into some basement piping. The crew immediately realized that there was a problem and that gas had been released. The work crew evacuated the basement, alerted the bank employees upstairs, and pulled the fire alarm. Tonight, questions still unanswered. The shaken community. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News. We're back in a moment with a new way insurance companies are watching your property. There are new ways insurance companies are monitoring your property without your knowledge, then sometimes not renewing your policy.

They're watching with drones, planes and even satellites. Adrian brought us reports. From drones to airplanes, even satellites, your insurance company may be watching from above did this cause some sleepless nights in san francisco instead of going house by house jeremy solterbeck was stunned after he received a notice that safeco insurance his carrier for more than a decade wasn't renewing his policy. I couldn't believe this is how they decided based on a tiny drone image that we weren't worth insuring anymore. When he pushed for Y, they sent him this grainy image. They're trying to show that the presence of dirt indicates that water has pooled and dried out. And he's not alone. Consumer advocates say across the country, insurance

companies are dropping some customers based primarily on aerial photographs. In Virginia, Elizabeth Davis was sent this photo that her insurance company said showed discoloration and streaking on her roof. I was floored. I had a bit of a panic attack. Her options, repair the damage or replace the entire roof. She found another carrier. Sometimes there needs to be facts checked in order to make sure that that underwriting is correct. Sean Kevlin with the Insurance Information Institute says insurers are also searching for issues like undeclared trampolines, excessive yard debris and overhanging trees, which can increase risk of a loss.

Certainly insurers are using technology and innovation to make sure that they have all the variables possible to best underwrite. Eagle View is one of the companies providing aerial images to the insurance industry. But they say their drones are only used to check out damage quickly when someone makes a claim. CEO Piers Dormeyer says the technology benefits the consumer and insurer. This imagery, whether it's coming from an airplane or it's coming from a drone, is something that it's going to be part of the decision to potentially cancel a customer or raise their policies or potentially even lower them. Consumer advocates say if you receive one of those non-renewal letters, contact your insurance company.

Ask to see copies of those images and time to correct whatever problem was identified. I don't know anyone who doesn't have dirt on their roof. That's how Solterbeck fought back, paying $500 for an independent roof inspection. He says Safeco has since reversed its decision. The company has not responded to our multiple requests for comment about their use of aerial technology. Do you think the insurance company was trying to drop you? Based on what they sent us, yes.

I don't think there's any other conclusion. A new reality transforming how homeowners are monitored from above. Adrienne Broaddus, NBC News, San Francisco. When we come back, there's good news tonight. The graduating senior who had a special thank you for his kindergarten teacher. There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad. So every Saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love.

These are just some of those stories this week. Surprise! This was the moment beloved Connecticut school custodian Bill Krajewski found out just how much he means to students at Quaker Hill Elementary. There they are honoring the man they call Mr. Bill for making a spot as a top finalist in the National Custodian of the Year award. Great job. That's for real. I love Mr. Bill because he's kind and caring. I love Mr. Bill because he takes up the track. I love Mr. Bill because he's a real cool guy. I'm elated. I mean, all the dedication from the kids and parents and the whole community is just overwhelming. I love Mr. Bailbee.

Oh my God! And here's a graduation surprise for one of the WNBA's brightest new stars. That's Seattle Storm player Nika Mule. And when she couldn't make it to her own UConn commencement, her new teammates stepped in and brought the graduation to her. I present to you, Nikacamu, Storm Class of 2024. Near Tampa, there was more to this milestone for high school grad Faith Brown.

We have a special surprise for you. Oh my God! That's her big sister Abigail, who's in the Navy and wasn't expected at the ceremony. Oh my God! Tears of joy for the two, who hadn't seen each other in more than a year. Oh my God! Graduates from North Atlanta High School said their farewells to the elementary school students with this special ceremony. Jude Hamilton was one of them.

Watch what happens next. There's his favorite teacher from kindergarten, Kelly Lorette, there to wish him well after all those years. Why was that hug so important to you? Okay, you're going to make me cry. Jude has always been so important to me. I've taught so many kids. I love them all. But there's something different about Jude.

An educator and student inspiring each other with lessons that will last a lifetime. You're heading off to college and there is this extraordinary teacher who, when you were five years old, saw in you something that mattered to her. What I'm going to take from Ms. Loren's class is that I'm always going to be caring. I'm always going to look around with wonder. And I'm always going to pass on that excitement and that enthusiasm to the next person. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time and good night.

Yeah, you're tall. Where are you going to go?