NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Nightly News Full Broadcast (June 29th)

Episode Date: June 29, 2024

Biden returns to campaign trail as pressure grows after debate performance; New details in horrifying nail salon crash that killed four, including NYPD officer; Boeing Starliner crew remains in space after delay raises questions; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, President Biden doing damage control amid new pressure for him to pull out of the race. The president shuttling between fundraisers today, vowing to stay on the ticket. What a new poll reveals since that shaky debate. The president, above all, is focused on what do we do next. And questions about how First Lady Jill Biden could influence any decision. The first hurricane of the season has just developed. We are tracking its path. Will it hit the U.S.? A horrific accident in New York, an SUV plowing into a nail salon, four people now dead, including this NYPD officer, nine others injured, the charges the driver's now facing. Trump ally Steve Bannon one-on-one 36 hours

before he reports to prison. Staying in space, the major new delay for that Starliner crew aboard the space station. Why they may not come home for months now. More than 100 dolphins

stranded on Cape Cod. We'll show you the rescuers racing to save them. We have over 100 volunteers out here. The U.S. men's gymnastics roster now set as a series of injuries shakes up the women's team. Who's now out? And the big bangs are back. Why communities are ditching drone shows for fireworks this Fourth of July. This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening, everyone. I'm Laura Jarrett in for Jose. The Biden campaign kicked into full

damage control today as calls for the president to pull out of his reelection bid have not quieted down. If you were to read the nation's leading newspapers today, you would see a flood of editorials calling for Mr. Biden to drop out. And as the president hit up multiple fundraisers this afternoon, he was confronted with protesters holding signs that read, please drop out for the U.S. and step down for democracy. But the floodgates so far are holding with no major Democratic elected officials publicly calling for the president to step aside. And today he tried to assure his major donors that he's not only staying in the race, but he's promising he's going to win this election. Aaron Gilchrist leads us off tonight.

Tonight, President Biden attending fundraising events in New York and New Jersey, doing post-debate damage control, saying he converted undecided voters and promising, quote, we're going to win this election. This afternoon, the Democratic National Committee holding a virtual check-in meeting with members and leaders from the Biden campaign. In public, the Biden campaign making clear he is staying in the race and prominent Democrats making a full court press. The president, above all, is focused on what do we do next? What do I need to go do? Right now, the people are galvanizing and they're supporting Biden. You know, I know a lot of the conversation right now is about a debate performance.

Can we please talk a little bit about presidential performance? The pressure mounting after voters saw two different versions of President Biden on the debate stage Thursday night. With the COVID, excuse me, with dealing with everything we have to do with, look, if we finally beat Medicare. And on the rally stage in North Carolina on Friday. I know like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up. A one-day poll conducted in the hours after the debate showing 60 percent of voters said Biden should be replaced as the Democratic candidate. The New York Times editorial board out Friday with a blistering call for Biden to quit, writing the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for reelection. The first lady,

an unofficial advisor and the president's fiercest defender, saying they're not going to let 90 minutes define his four years as president. These perils the world is facing. There is no one that I would rather have sitting in the Oval Office right now than my husband. Aaron joins me now. And Aaron, out of that meeting today, the DNC leadership is saying they're completely behind the president. Yeah, the DNC is unwavering in its support of President Biden. The nomination is set to happen officially, virtually on August 7th. And right now, there are no coordinated

efforts to change that plan. Aaron Gilchrist, thank you so much for your reporting, my friend. Tonight, we're tracking the season's first Atlantic hurricane. Hurricane Beryl is rapidly intensifying and on track to become a dangerous category three or higher by Monday. Right now, Beryl is barreling toward the southern Caribbean. It is currently not expected to impact the U.S. We are learning more tonight about the terrifying moments an SUV plowed into a busy nail salon near New York City, killing four people. George Solis has details on what police are now saying about the man who was behind that wheel. Tonight, New York City's finest is in mourning after the death of one of their own. Authorities say Officer Amelia Renhack was among the four victims killed in a deadly SUV crash at a nail salon and spa on New York's Long Island Friday.

Give me whatever excretion tools you have. I have approximately three people trapped underneath the vehicle inside. The officer at the salon in preparation for an upcoming event. Police identified the driver as 64-year-old Stephen Schwalle, who they say was drunk behind the wheel. Investigators say Schwalle was speeding through the parking lot of this strip mall before crashing through the front window of the salon. It was a sound I never heard before. Officials on scene say the vehicle nearly crashed to the other side of the building. Three women, including Officer Renhak, and one man died at the scene, according to authorities.

Terrible. Terrible. It's, you know, very unfortunate. You know, I'm just praying. Nine others were taken to local hospitals, including one victim who was airlifted from the scene. It's horrible. It's horrible. It's going to be tough for the community. Schwalbe has been charged with driving while intoxicated and himself was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The vehicle was towed from the scene, but the aftermath of the deadly tragedy is still visible. Flowers now adorn the storefront.

Tonight, family members and friends of the victims, distraught by the tragedy. I feel like crying right now. It's almost impossible that this happened. It happened. It's just the saddest thing that I could think of right now. George is joining us now from the site of that crash. And, George, the driver could face additional charges?

Yeah, Laura, that's certainly right, With four dead and nine injured, police saying among the injured, a 12-year-old girl. Now, that suspect does remain hospitalized. No word yet on an attorney. And as you can see right behind me, that salon is now boarded up. Laura. George, Elise, thank you for your reporting. There are new questions tonight about why there's yet another delay for astronauts who took the Boeing Starliner to the International Space Station. The pair was supposed to come home weeks ago. Now it may be months before they return to Earth. Marissa Parra reports. Tonight, high above Earth's atmosphere, two astronauts are waiting to find out when they can return home. Let's go forward into

Starliner. At the time, NASA astronauts Sonny Williams and Butch Wilmore gave this tour of Boeing Starlighter, docked since June 6th at the International Space Station. They thought they'd only be there for days. Just super happy to be here on the International Space Station. But now, after a series of delays, a planned 10-day mission has become a weeks-long stay, with a return date unknown. NASA fighting back on suggestions that the astronauts are stuck. I want to make it very clear that Butch and Sonny are not stranded in space. Our plan is to continue to return them on Starliner and return them home at the right time. It was just under a month ago when Boeing's Starliner launched into the skies for its historic test flight, but helium leaks and thruster issues since are delaying its return.

NASA, Boeing saying that to leave the ISS now would mean the evidence would burn in the atmosphere upon re-entry. So they need time to study the root cause and they insist time is on their side. How much time do they realistically have? So there's plenty of food, there's plenty of resources up there, there's plenty of clothing. They will be absolutely fine for an extended period of time. NASA and Boeing are looking at extending the mission window to 90 days, but say the astronauts are in no danger and Starliner has

been cleared to return in the case of emergency. But with pressure mounting to find the cause of the thruster issues, they'll start ground testing the thrusters in New Mexico as soon as Tuesday, but that could take weeks. And how quickly they move through those tests will likely determine when these astronauts... I'll go first and you follow me. ...get the green light to come back Earthside. Marissa Parra, NBC News. A top advisor to former President Trump is heading to prison in just two days. Steve Bannon courted controversy for refusing to tell Congress about what he knew about the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Today, NBC's Vaughn Hilliard pressed Bannon about the reasoning behind that decision.

We're clearly at a political war in this country. Just before he reports to federal prison, one-time top strategist for former President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, remains defiant. We only get stronger with this. We're not going to get weaker. We're a populist movement. After leaving his position as chief White House strategist less than seven months into the Trump administration, Bannon went back to his roots in conservative media. It's Saturday, 29 June, a year of our Lord, 2024. You're in the war room. Launching an online program he calls War Room, which has rocketed in popularity among the MAGA faithful. He's went ahead and ignited a bunch of fires under a lot of people, including myself. Mr. Bannon refused to testify. to comply with the congressional investigation of the January 6th Capitol attack and alleged

efforts to overturn the 2020 election led to Bannon's conviction by a jury on two counts of contempt of Congress. The Supreme Court now refusing to delay Bannon's four-month sentence as he appeals. Why refuse to comply with the congressional subpoena? Because first off, my lawyer told me when I got the letter of exerting executive privilege from the president, the J6 committee was not legitimately structured. So therefore, their subpoenas don't mean anything. No court has so far agreed with those objections. The January 6th committee's interest in Bannon stemming in part from White House records

showing he talked to President Trump twice on January 6th, as well as the day before, the same day Bannon said this. All hell is going to break loose tomorrow. All I can say is strap in. There were personal and private conversations that he's exerted executive privilege on. Bannon, who speaks regularly around the country, Are you prepared to leave it all on the battlefield? says even in prison, his message won't be silenced.

What is your end game? Victory or death of this republic. If we don't win, first of all, they shred the Constitution. It is the death of the constitutional American republic we know. And Vaughn joins me now from Washington, D.C. Vaughn, even though Bannon left the Trump White House early on, he and the former president are still close allies. Right, Laura. It was just over a week ago Bannon was live on air

when Trump called him on his cell phone. He very much has become a go-to source for many of Trump's most fervent supporters. There is a desperate race against time tonight to rescue a massive pod of dolphins stranded in shallow waters off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Here are just a few of the 125 dolphins that got stuck Friday after the tide dropped, struggling in shallow water. With time running out, a massive response. Volunteers armed with life jackets diving in to help, surrounding each dolphin, herding them out to deeper water. Others using boats to bring them

out and some doing triage, dousing the dolphins with buckets filled with water and even using wet bed sheets to keep them cool. More than 100 dolphins were saved. The International Fund for Animal Welfare is leading the rescue effort. This event of this size is actually fairly unusual. So this is our largest surrounding event on record in our organization's history of 26 years. And those rescuers are still keeping watch tonight and hoping the dolphins are staying far from shore. Still ahead for you, here comes the boom. Some cities ditching fancy drone shows this July 4th and switching back to good old

fashioned fireworks. And the boy of summer who's on a major league mission. Well, the last few years have brought a high tech twist to 4th of July celebrations, drone shows replacing fireworks. But this year, in many places, towns are reversing course, saying you just can't beat those big bangs. Ballard Castro explains. Two years ago, NBC News visited Gypsum, Colorado, to see its big move to drones for its 4th of July celebration. But this year, they're bringing back good old fashion fireworks. Drones just didn't cut it for the 4th of July. Yeah, they left us wanting, I would say, and it didn't feel like America. And they're not the only ones ditching drones,

along with gypsum Parker, Colorado, Redondo Beach, California, and Galveston, Texas. Across the country, more towns are switching back. Fireworks can capture attention and inspire awe like little else can. They're fun. Drones had been gaining in popularity. They're safer, easier to operate, and can do things fireworks just can't. It really is a unique storytelling medium. Rick Boss' company Sky Elements is behind some of the biggest and more innovative drone displays in the country. Are drones better than fireworks?

I would say they're different. But fireworks fans say there's no competition. Fireworks, they touch on all the senses. Phil Grucci is the CEO of Fireworks by Grucci, America's first family of fireworks. In business since 1850, they've provided pyrotechnics for presidential inaugurations and the Olympics. There's the sense of sight, the sense of smell, the sense of feel. And you hear it. And drones, they cover one emotion, one sense. It's the eye, it's the vision. Every show starts on the screen.

How long does it take you to design something like that? It's about an hour a minute. Then comes the setup. Is this the bigger version of a Roman candle? It's pretty much a commercial version of what you can go buy at a local fireworks store. But much more powerful. Yes. And when the sun sets...

Three, two, one. The show begins. But drones aren't going away. And now they're getting better with fireworks on drones. They both can do some things that the other cannot do. It's why we really love them to come together. This year, his company is testing new pyro drones that bring the best of both together. A new patriotic battle in the sky for the oohs and aahs of Americans.

Valerie Castro, NBC News, New York. Nothing beats those bangs. When we come back, there is good news tonight. The little boy stealing bases and hearts at ballparks across America. There is good news tonight about a little boy with a big league mission and the family trying to help others one ballpark at a time. At pro baseball games across the country, 12-year-old Cooper Murray's in a league of his own. What's his personality like? Oh, he is so awesome. He's earned the nickname Extra Super Cooper. Cooper's on a mission.

Along with mom, Andrea, and dad, Brady. To throw out the first pitch at every major league ballpark in the nation. Great pitch, Cooper! To raise awareness and money to help families adopt kids like him with Down syndrome and other special needs. Their non-profit is called Rod's Heroes. On average, an adoption cost is around $40,000 to be able to adopt internationally. And so we raise adoption grants to help offset those costs. Andrea and Brady adopted Cooper from China eight years ago to join their family roster that's now grown to 11 kids.

You have 11 children? We do. Yeah. Seven adopted. Plus we have our four biological children. Come on, slide, buddy, slide! Cooper's been stealing hearts and bases ever since. He kept asking if he could play baseball. He did amazingly well. Cooper's passion for the game and the Murray's efforts caught the attention of the Chicago Cubs last year. So they brought him to the mound for the very first time. What was his reaction after the first one? I mean, he celebrated like he genuinely just won the World Series.

You ready? Yeah. Let's go. More invites soon came Cooper's way. Yeah! All right. And now, with five down, this boy of summer isn't stopping until he's knocked it out of the park with all 30 major league teams.

Each one a field of dreams where love and acceptance are the real home runs. When you're watching your boy, what goes through your head? Just by him doing something he's passionate about, it just brings out the best in other people. And Cooper's hoping to hit a handful of other ballparks this summer. His parents tell us his dream pick for a pitch, the New York Yankees. Something tell me that's going to come true. That's nightly news for this Saturday. I'm Laura Jarrett.

From all of us here at NBC News, have a good night.