NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, August 17, 2024

Episode Date: August 17, 2024

Ernesto makes landfall in Bermuda as a Category 1 hurricane; New poll shows Harris gaining in states where Biden was behind; Chicago ramps up security ahead of Democratic National Convention; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, dangerous conditions from Hurricane Ernesto and the threat that still remains. Ernesto making landfall as a Category 1 storm in Bermuda, battering the island with 80 mile-per-hour winds and flash floods from up to 9 inches of rain. On the East Coast, high surf sending this home into the ocean and creating dangerous beach conditions from Maine to Florida. Countdown to the Democratic National Convention. Chicago ramping up security with thousands of protesters expected. And the new poll showing a shakeup in the race for key battleground states.

Ukraine's new battlefront. Troops destroying this bridge as they push deeper into Russia, where the fight goes next. Global outrage over Venezuela's presidential election. Protesters flooding streets as Nicolaus Maluro clings to power. My conversation with his opponent and her warning to the U.S. Caught on camera, a hero steps in to stop an attempted kidnapping, one of two by the same suspect, police say, and just an hour apart. And why complaints about Amazon delivery drones are soaring in one town.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. We start tonight with those dangerous conditions in the Atlantic. Hurricane Ernesto making a direct hit on Bermuda overnight, the slow-moving storm, bringing a triple threat of strong winds, heavy rain, and flash flooding that's leaving visitors to the island stranded. And while it is hundreds of miles away, Ernesto's also causing havoc here in the U.S. Take a look at this house in North Carolina's Outer Banks sliding into the ocean, taken out by massive waves caused by Ernesto. That dangerous surf along the east coast also prompting beaches like this one to close in New York on one of the last weekends of the summer. We'll get the latest forecast from Angie Lastman

in a moment, but we begin with Guadalcanagas reporting from the storm zone in Bermuda. Tonight, Bermuda reeling after a direct hit by Hurricane Ernesto. The storm battering the vacation paradise before dawn with fierce winds, torrential rain, and dangerous surf, knocking out power to more than half the island. This is the force of Ernesto. You can see the boats rocking side to side by the dangerous wind gusts coming in with the storm. The storm so powerful, it shut down the international airport. Stranding U.S. passengers like Erin Kelly and her family,

who rode it out at their hotel. Talk about what it was like. Were you guys scared? A little bit. Yeah, but the door was banging all night long. It was a little annoying. Yeah, tried to put on the sound machine to keep the kids from getting too scared.

Now the big cleanup, both here in Bermuda and in Puerto Rico, where Ernesto packed a punch earlier this week. Oh, my God! Back in the U.S. today, Ernesto's power beam felt hundreds of miles away. Look at this rough surf in North Carolina's Outer Banks washing this house away.

Along the East Coast, beaches close for rip currents with waves up to 7 feet expected from Florida all the way up to Maine. A danger as this massive slow-moving storm makes its way north. As you can see, we're still experiencing dangerous conditions here. We spoke to the premier of Bermuda who told us people should stay indoors at least until Sunday when officials will assess conditions and decide how to move forward, Jose. Guadalcanagas, thank you. NBC News meteorologist Angie Lastman is tracking Ernesto. It seems, Angie, like the worst is over for Bermuda. Yeah, that's exactly right, Jose.

We still have some wind and some rain to deal with. But as the rest of the evening goes on, and especially into tomorrow, things are going to really improve. We've got wind still at 75 miles per hour, so just barely hanging on to that Cat 1 strength. It is moving northeast now at 6 miles per hour. It's going to continue that northerly and then eventually northeasterly track here as we get into Monday. We could see a slight brush past Newfoundland here as we get into Tuesday, early morning hours. But the East Coast, still going to be dealing with this rough surf and those dangerous conditions out at the beach.

We've got the red flag warnings up, four to seven foot waves, and the potential for some coastal erosion as well as those rip currents will last into early next week, Jose. Angie Lastman, thank you very much. And now to politics and the countdown to the Democratic National Convention. A new poll shows Vice President Harris gaining ground on former President Trump in four key battleground states. Von Hilliard reports. The political winds of the 2024 presidential election swirling yet again today with new polling from four sunbelt states indicating Vice President Kamala Harris is making gains on former President Donald Trump.

The New York Times Siena College poll showing the rivals within the margin of error in Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada and Georgia. States where the polls showed President Biden trailing in the race before Harris took over the top of the ticket. Hello, Nebraska. Her running mate Tim Walz campaigning in Nebraska, where he grew up. It's one of only two states that splits its electoral college votes. The people in this state are decent people who show kindness, who show generosity. In Battleground, Pennsylvania today, Donald Trump kicked off a

multi-state swing designed to counter-program the coming Democratic National Convention next week. Are you better off with Kamala and Biden than you were under President Donald J. Trump? I don't think so. For his part, President Biden at Camp David today, working on his speech set for the first night of the Democratic Convention. An official telling NBC News that he intends to highlight the achievements of the Biden-Harris administration's first term before articulating the need to help Harris prevent Trump from taking back the White House. And Vaughn, you've been covering Trump since 2015. What have you seen that's different in the campaign this time around?

Right, Jose. Unlike in 2016 and 2020, Trump's campaign team is not trying to overly control his messaging. Let Trump be Trump, if you will. But when you're looking at Kamala Harris atop the ticket, this approach is more apparent than at any point yet. Jose? Von Hiller, thank you. And our coverage of the Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday at 4 p.m. Eastern on NBC News Now with special coverage at 10 p.m. Eastern right here on NBC. Massive security preparations are also underway in Chicago, with thousands of protesters expected to descend on the city for the DNC. Shaquille Brewster got a firsthand look at how police are preparing. Tonight, Chicago's guard is already up. Fencing lining the streets, roads closed off to vehicles.

A large protective zone built around the United Center, where Vice President Harris is set to accept the Democratic nomination for president. And just like at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, Secret Service, responsible for everything inside that hardened perimeter, local police taking the lead for nearly everything else. Is the Chicago Police Department ready for the DNC? I've said it for a while, the Chicago Police Department is ready. Chicago's top cop says there are no specific incredible threats,

but to expect a heavy police presence throughout the city. It's a huge project, but the Chicago Police Department and the city as a whole is used to working towards something this large. Looming over the convention is the promise of large-scale protests just blocks from the United Center. This is one of the streets we'll be on, yes. Despite months of legal battles over the protest area, the largest demonstration is expected to draw more than 20,000 people. Hatem Aboudea is one of the lead organizers preparing to voice his opposition to Israel's war in Gaza. What's the main message for you guys?

Yeah, the main message is that the Democrats who are going to be in that building are complicit in this war against the Palestinian people. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling says his officers received special training focused on de-escalation and respecting constitutional rights, but warns violent scenes reminiscent of Chicago's 1968 Democratic Convention will not be tolerated. Do we want to have fights in the streets with people? Absolutely not. But I want to make one thing clear. I want to make this perfectly clear. We need to know the difference between rioting and protesting. A city that says it's prepared for any situation.

Shaquille Brewster, NBC News, Chicago. Overseas, it's an aspect of the war in Ukraine few expected. Ukrainian forces crossing the border and invading Russia. Erin McLaughlin reports tonight from Kiev. Tonight, Ukrainian forces digging into Russian territory. Bombing an important bridge critical for Russia to send in reinforcements. As Ukraine tightens its grip on the Russian town of Suja, population 5,000 located six miles from the Ukrainian border. New footage from inside the key Russian hub for natural gas exports shows Ukrainian troops firmly in control.

The Lenin statue in the town square defaced. Local Russians hiding in a basement. In nearby Russian territory, an evacuation is underway. The war's script flipped. Russian civilians fleeing the Ukrainians. We were being shelled, so we were not able to take anything with us, this Russian woman says. In total, the Ukrainian military has claimed it now controls roughly 390 square miles of Russian territory. The land grab miles from the Kursk nuclear power plant. A senior advisor to Ukrainian President Zelensky tells NBC News they have no intention of seizing that plant for Ukraine. Another advisor to the Ukrainian government says a key aim is to force Russia to divert its forces from Ukraine's Donbass region, 250 miles to the south of Kursk, where Ukrainian soldiers say they're outnumbered and in a living

hell. The historic nature of Ukraine's incursion cannot be overstated. This is the first time that foreign troops have invaded Russian soil since World War II. And it's also a risky move for Ukraine because it pulls vital forces away from the front line at home. Jose. Erin McLaughlin in Kiev. Thank you. We are also following global outrage over Venezuela's presidential election. Protesters taking to the streets throughout the world as the country's opposition leader

fights for democracy in Venezuela and makes a dire warning to the U.S. Today, outrage in Miami and cities around the world. Thousands protesting Venezuela's contested election. The demand for freedom and democracy playing out in cities throughout Venezuela as well. Condemning leader Nicolás Maduro, who insists he won re-election over opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia. I spoke with opposition leader María Corina Machado, who's been in hiding, now out and risking her life with a dire warning about why this matters to the U.S. If Maduro decides to stay by force for more months, we could be seeing

millions of Venezuelans in a matter of months crossing our borders. I'm talking about three, four, five millions of Venezuela that will go all the way up Central America and many to the southern border of the United States. The protests against Maduro, deadly. More than 20 killed, thousands more arrested. Detentions continue today. Yet Machado and the opposition remain determined and defiant. How are you going to continue when there is a huge target on your back? There is a huge target in the back of many, many Venezuelans, and we are not going to let go.

We will not abandon our people. We will keep on moving this movement forward. Maria Corina Machado, who today was protected by thousands of Venezuelans in Caracas, says her fight for democracy is hasta el fin, until the end. Still ahead tonight, how this kidnapping attempt was thwarted just moments after another attempt by the same suspect. We are back with an incredible rescue caught on camera. A hero rescued a child from an attempted kidnapping just moments after a separate attempt by the same suspect, according to police.

Maura Barrett has a story. This terrifying moment caught on video shows a man grabbing a seven-year-old girl off her bike in Sterling Heights, Michigan, before running back to his car in an attempted kidnapping. The girl's aunt and cousin, faced with a fight-or-flight moment, went after him. I flew through the window to try and get her and just latch on and hold on for dear life, because I just couldn't imagine him getting away with her. A nearby driver blocked the man from driving away. The suspect, 23-year-old Andy Bala, charged in not just this kidnapping attempt, but another one just an hour before. That attempt

involving a 15-year-old girl just a couple miles away in nearby Clinton Township. While doing yard work, Paul Billiter says he noticed a car pull up next to the girl and heard a man ask her if she needed a ride. He grabs her like a sack of potatoes and I bolted towards the car because something obviously was going wrong. I grabbed hold of him by the neck. What went through your mind when you heard that, that he tried to do it two times in the same afternoon? I got sick to my stomach and it never even occurred to me that he would have went down the street and try this again. According to court documents, Bala received a petition for hospitalization due to mental illness last year and was discharged three days later. Now he's

held without bond in Sterling Heights. Corinne Childers, the seven-year-old girl's mother, says that doesn't make her feel safe. Just be aware. Don't let your children go anywhere without eyes on them. I mean, look at what happened here. Bala will be back in court at the end of August, while tonight two children are lucky to be home.

Maura Barrett, NBC News. When we come back, why Amazon drone delivery complaints are soaring in one city. And now to Texas, where Amazon's drone delivery program is facing new backlash as it tries to get off the ground. The main complaint? The drones make too much noise. Priscilla Thompson has more. This is the sound that has residents in College Station, Texas, talking. What do these drones sound like?

Well, it's like a chainsaw. They sound like a swarm of bees, or a hundred swarms of bees. That noise from an Amazon delivery drone. This community, one of the nation's first to use the company's technology. Karen Hausman just moved in last year. Then the launch pad is just back behind our neighborhood, so then you have all of them converging, so it gets even louder. Amazon says they take local feedback into account. They're considering alternate launch sites and a quieter drone. Take a listen. This is what the drone they use now sounds like. And here's the quieter one awaiting FAA approval. They're testing

technology. Mayor John Nichols says there are growing pains, but they're glad Amazon chose their city to try it out. What do you think the solution is here? Well, I think the solution is for them to identify a quieter drone, and we find a location in the community that will better insulate the noise that they are going to produce. Changes that for some residents can't come soon enough. Amazon needs to be a good neighbor. And of course, the customer's always right. And we are the customer.

The future of home delivery just taking off. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News, College Station, Texas. When we come back, there's good news tonight about the battle this firefighter won and the show of support that moved him to tears. There's good news tonight. You know, 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. I do. When Alex and Sarah Schilke got married at a Wisconsin resort this summer, You may now kiss. they had no idea, for better or for worse, would start that night. Do you see it? It's their rotation! A tornado alert hit just before their reception. Then, the power went out.

So they sheltered in the cellar with a group having a family reunion. Those strangers lighting up the room with their iPhones. Looking so beautiful. Playing guitar and everyone singing so the newlyweds could have their very first dance. It felt like the whole room was trying to give us all the love that they had.

It truly felt like everybody in that room was family. At Marvin's Family Restaurant in Tennessee, owner Dan Holt wanted to honor beloved longtime employee Cindy Jackson. Here's the case to your new car. So his family decided to surprise her with a much-needed new car. Oh, my God! Cindy's been with them for 15 years, always helping others through thick and thin. There was cheering, too, at City of Hope Orange County Cancer Center in California.

Dozens of firefighters rallied around Battalion Chief Brandon Wilson on his last day of chemo. Brandon, now cancer-free, moved to tears by the team who helped him be brave during this battle. I have some exciting news for you. I have a match. No, Megan, you're not. Yes. And this is a phone call Jessica Haas will never forget. I'm excited to be able to do this for you.

Oh, my God, I love you so much. It's the moment she found out her old college sorority sister, Megan Schultz, was a match to donate her kidney. Jessica, who has chronic kidney disease, met Megan 18 years ago when they were both members of Pi Beta Phi Sorority at Ohio State. On that FaceTime call, you both got emotional. What was going through your mind and what was going through your heart? I couldn't believe it. I get a second chance at life because of her. I'm 37. I'll get a longer life with Megan's kidney. She's an angel in so many ways. It's a gift also that really in many ways will transcend time. Being able to show her a little bit of love so that she can be healthy and just be herself out there in the world spreading so much joy, it is really an honor to be able to do that.

Jessica and Megan are already set to have their surgeries in November. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time. Good night.