NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Nightly News Full Broadcast (June 8th)

Episode Date: June 9, 2024

Israel rescues four hostages in Gaza raid, reuniting families and leaving casualties; Biden welcomes hostage rescue by pushing ceasefire; Famed NASA astronaut dies in plane crash at 90; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. There is joy and relief across Israel tonight. Four hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas 245 days ago are now free. This is the moment they return home, raising their hands in celebration. They were then quickly reunited with family. One of the hostages, Noah Arghamani, seared into the global consciousness by this image. That's her there being kidnapped by motorcycle. Now there is this image, her and her dad together again, embracing. The daring rescue operation played out in broad daylight,

the Israeli military releasing these images. And while the mission was a success, it came at a heavy price, with authorities in Gaza saying more than 200 were killed as part of the operation. And 120 Israelis are still being held hostage. We have two reports tonight, and we begin with Raf Sanchez in Israel. Her screams were heard around the world. Noah Arhamani, hands outstretched in terror before disappearing into Gaza. Tonight, 245 long days later, Noah safe and smiling. Telling Israel's president, I'm so happy to be here. She and three other hostages, Al-Maghmerjan, Shlomi Ziv, and Andrei Kozlov in good health,

after they were rescued by Israeli special forces in a daylight raid in central Gaza. This operation required ingenuity and courage of the highest degree. Commandos storming two civilian apartments, finding Noah in one, the men in the other, radioing, we have the diamonds diamonds when the rescue was complete. A helicopter waiting for Noah on the beach in northern Gaza. Ready to fly her home to safety and into the embrace of her father Yakov. Celebrating his birthday with one arm around his only child, the other over one of her rescuers. We first met Yakov on October 8th.

His world crumbling 24 hours after his daughter's kidnapping. Tonight, he tells us, I'm feeling wonderful. Noah's friends at her side. She's amazing. She's strong. She's laughing and smiling. What was the first thing you said to her? Just a big hug and so glad that she's here. Almag all smiles as he hugs friends and relatives, then unable to hold back the tears.

While Andrei stunned to see the prime minister. And Shlomi speaking to his wife for the first time in eight months in tel aviv this lifeguard announcing the news of the rescue to a cheering beach but in gaza tonight searing grief the health ministry saying at least 210 people killed by israeli forces during the raid many of them women and children. This woman says she lost two cousins. They didn't commit any sins, she says. Israel's military says it called in targeted strikes to cover the commando's retreat. And joy in Israel tinged with sadness as 120 other hostages remain in captivity, including Noah's boyfriend Avi Natan, who was kidnapped alongside her on October 7th,

while her mother, Leora, is dying of brain cancer. But tonight, her final wish to see her daughter again fulfilled. And Raf joins us now from Tel Aviv. Raf, what does this rescue operation mean for the 120 hostages still being held? Jose, Israel's military is acknowledging it won't be able to rescue all of the remaining hostages, while Hamas is saying today's raid will have a, quote, negative impact on those still in captivity. Jose. Ralph Sanchez in Tel Aviv, thank you. In France today, President Biden reacting to news of the hostage release, doubling down on the U.S. commitment to a ceasefire deal. Kelly O'Donnell reports from Paris.

Standing alongside Emmanuel Macron, President Biden today welcomed the rescue of Israeli hostages. He won't stop working until all the hostages come home and a ceasefire is reached. That is essential to happen. Macron added his support for the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal that Israel has questions about and Hamas has yet to accept. Neither leader discussed publicly today tensions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the military operation inside Gaza causing civilian deaths and widespread hunger. Outside the White House today, demonstrations calling for a permanent ceasefire and release of Palestinian prisoners. Those protests are sharp contrast to the pageantry of the French state visit.

The leaders also paid respects at the tomb of France's unknown soldier. A visit that signifies this alliance, as President Biden spoke today about France as America's oldest friend. Much of this visit emphasized strong alliances. When we stand as one, our countries are stronger and literally the world is safer. Back now with Kelly O'Donnell traveling with the president in Paris. And Kelly, what's the latest on the White House's efforts to reach a ceasefire deal? Today, the president's national security advisor pointed out in a statement that that deal has been endorsed by a number of countries from Europe to the Middle East, including 16 that, has died in a plane crash. His final moments caught on camera as the aircraft he was piloting nosedived into the water off the coast of Washington state.

Dana Griffin reports a warning for you. Some may find the video disturbing. Tonight, an NTSB and FAA investigation is underway into the single-engine, two-seater plane crash that killed famed NASA astronaut and former Air Force Major General Bill Anders. A couple watching wildlife off the coast of San Juan County, Washington, capturing this moment. The 90-year-old pilot, the only person on board taking a nosedive. It was inverted, went into this barrel roll loop thing, tried to pull out before it hit the water, but it was too low.

The plane crashes into the water, bursting into flames. Hours later, Anders' body is pulled from the water. In 2018, Anders talked with NBC's Harry Smith about his career. Probably the world's best fighter pilot, but we don't talk about that. Before astronauts could set foot on the moon, the Apollo 8 crew first had to prove they could fly around the moon and back. Wow, that's pretty. And it was the photo he took, dubbed Earthrise, that became a part of history. When the Earth came up over the lunar horizon, that's when it really impressed me as to how much more delicate the Earth was and colorful. His family saying in a statement, they are devastated. He was a great pilot. He will be missed.

NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson writing on X, Anders offered to humanity among the deepest of gifts. He traveled to the threshold of the moon and helped all of us see something else, ourselves. I'll keep flying as long as I can crawl in the airplane. A love of flying and a legacy that went beyond the earth. Dana Griffin, NBC News. A catastrophe is unfolding in Wyoming. Take a look at this. It's an astonishing caught oncamera landslide that erased part of a critical highway. It happened on the popular Teton Pass outside Jackson, connecting parts of Wyoming with Idaho. That stretch is considered a major artery for tourism, commuters, and deliveries. There has been a wave of shark attacks in the last 24 hours, two of them just miles apart.

Two people were seriously injured in those attacks. Authorities now trying to determine if they're connected. Marisa Parra reports from Florida. Video captured by a Florida spear fisherman showing close encounters of the shark kind. Filmed on the same day the beaches nearby him in Walton County, Florida, closed after back-to-back shark attacks within miles in one day. You don't ever think it's going to happen. You know, it's like crazy. On Friday before 1.30 p.m., a woman swimming near a sandbar bit in her midsection and arm.

Then an hour and a half later, just four miles away, two teenage girls seen fighting for their lives after another shark attack. And when I looked back over my left shoulder, I saw the water filled with blood. Two doctors visiting Florida on vacation saw the scene unfold and jumped in to help. We were able to apply tourniquets and apply pressure and get the response. It was a team effort. It's unclear whether it was the same shark in both attacks. It's extremely unusual for two to happen in the same afternoon within four miles of one another. Statistically speaking, attacks by sharks on humans are rare. But Friday's Florida shark attacks come on the same day of an attack reported out of Hawaii.

And after last week's attack in Galveston, Texas, when 19-year-old Damiana Humphrey had to fight a five-footer off with her hands. As soon as the shark attacked me, my body just naturally started punching it. And it was in the face. I did that and it ended up swimming away. We're only going about knee deep. Back in Florida, as Walton County officials assess next steps, warning flags line the beaches. Is it safe for people to go on the water today?

Safe's a relative term, but I don't think people should be hysterical or paralyzed only insofar as they need to be aware of their surroundings and look out for each other. Marisa is on the beach in Florida where one of these attacks occurred. Marisa, are there any extra precautions being taken there today? Well, Jose, authorities say they are watching the shoreline from the land, the sea, the air, and they said today they have observed a, quote, notable presence of sharks in the area, specifically bull sharks. But they remind beachgoers that sharks are always present here in the Gulf. An organization that promised to help extremely ill patients get the life-saving surgeries they desperately need has now abandoned them.

And those patients are now not only fighting for their lives, but for the money they say they're owed. Zinclair Semoy reports. Kathy Ernest needed a double lung transplant. I just knew I couldn't walk from here to there without gasping for air. For years, she used a well-known charity to raise nearly $13,000 for her medical expenses without issue. But in April, she checked her account and the money was gone. And I went, huh? What? You didn't know that they had shut down? No.

The non-profit National Foundation for Transplants, or NFT, had abruptly closed. Donna Sinclair says she lost $11,000 raised with NFT for treatment following her double lung transplant. How did that feel? Horrible. Horrible. Her daughter, Christina Norris, started a Facebook group for dozens of other patients. The National Foundation for Transplants. NFT was in business for decades, helping patients raise funds for organ transplant procedures. NBC News reached out to several leaders at the company and ultimately received this statement, saying in part, closure was a difficult but necessary decision, citing economic strain post-pandemic, health care inflation and rising operational costs. But

they dispute patients' claims that the money raised was earmarked for specific individuals. They did use a very particular choice of words when they say NFT also creates and maintains a personal online fundraising page for each patient. What stands out to you about it? That it's personal to that patient, not a general fund to help patients like this patient. And it's not just the monetary loss. It's about the prospect of losing life altogether. If I don't get a kidney, then I can die. You say that very matter of fact, but I imagine that's hard to hold. It is. Eric O'Brien and his wife, Pam, spoke to us from his

hospital bed where he's facing dialysis complications. He lost over $4,000 when NFT closed. So without this money, you can't get on the transplant list? No. As for Donna Sinclair, a Boston philanthropist wrote her a check for the $11,000 she lost. I felt now I have hope. Because you'd lost it. Yeah, I did. My baby. But she's worried for others, like Kathy Ernest, who is now in organ failure and may not get funding in time.

You have a lot of life to live. I do. You know, I'm still functional, you know, and I don't want to be non-functional like I was before. Zinclea Samoa, NBC News, Boston, Massachusetts. We're back with a dog rescue story that sounds like something out of an old episode of Lassie. Take a look at that truck there. See it on the creek? The driver crashed it over an embankment in Oregon. But get this. While he was trapped, his dog named Blue was with him, but then ran about four miles through rough terrain to alert family members at a nearby campsite that something was wrong.

They then alerted officials who finally found the man alive and used pulleys to hoist him to safety. 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. Talk about

a special delivery. That's beloved UPS driver Ricky McWoods, retiring after 42 years on the job. I'm going to miss you guys more. Thank you, thank you. Neighbors on his route in Missouri celebrating him, so grateful for his decades-long dedication. They can make or break us, these these people have made me. And there were these cheers for Kaylee Banuelos. She had to miss her own high school graduation because of a recent leukemia

diagnosis. So staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital threw her a party to mark the milestone. It's a moment Kaylee and her mom Brandi will always cherish. It was a beautiful moment. And I was very grateful to each and every one of them who put that together for her. They all just started cheering for me, and I felt so empowered in that moment.

Ethan Michael Walker. When Ethan Walker got his diploma from Groesbeck High School near Waco, he was surprised with his very own cheering section. Take a look. More than a dozen Texas State Troopers showed up to support him. After Ethan's own trooper dad died in the line of duty. For Ethan, these folks are now family,

walking him through life's big moments. And here's a little boy who's getting a new lease on life thanks to his preschool teacher. She's a perfect match. Are you serious? Yeah. This is the moment Carissa Fisher showed up with a life-saving surprise for Ezra Tozek and his mom, Karen. This Carissa has a liver for you.

Ezra, who's had health issues all his little life, needs a new liver. I'm going to share my liver with you, buddy. And Ms. Carissa told them she's donating part of her own. How do you, Karen, thank Carissa? There aren't words. I can't. There's no way to express our gratitude. And we cry and we laugh and we smile. It's just incredible. An incredible act of kindness, making a huge impact for the rest of his life. What kind of person would do that? What kind of person are you, Carissa? Why would you do this? I am a helper. And knowing him was just a huge bonus for us. And so it's going to be nice to be able to see him grow up and he can make another difference in the world somehow. And Ezra's expected to get that liver surgery sometime this summer.

That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time, and good night.