NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, December 21, 2024

Episode Date: December 22, 2024

At least 5 killed, 200 injured after car plows into Christmas market in Germany; Biden signs funding bill after Congress narrowly avoids government shutdown; Winter weather hits coast to coast, threatening holiday travel; and more on tonight’s broadcast

Tonight, the death toll rising in that horrific attack on a Christmas market in Germany. New images of the aftermath from a car plowing into the packed crowd, five people now dead, hundreds injured, many fighting for their lives. New video of the moment the suspect was arrested and the interview he gave just one week before. The government shut down averted in an early morning vote, but new fallout today. Will Mike Johnson lose a speaker's gavel over it? Do you still want to be a speaker after this experience? The snowstorm across the Northeast, trucks flipped over, power lines down,

and as travelers head home for the holiday, long lines at airports. 15-hour travel day for an hour flight. It's Super Saturday, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, just as two major retailers plan to shut down. Blake Lively's bombshell allegations against her co-star in the hit movie It Ends With Us. Her legal action claiming sexual harassment. A runaway garbage truck on fire. How the driver jumped back in to save a home.

A baseball legend has died. We remember Hall of Famer Ricky Henderson. And our annual tradition. There was so much good news this year. The heroes who inspired us. This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. With just four days until Christmas, the country of Germany is in mourning after a driver allegedly rammed his car deliberately into a packed Christmas market. These are the images of the aftermath, the gifts shoppers were buying now scattered across the crime scene. The toll of the attack is stunning. Five people are dead, but 200 are injured, and of them, 41 are considered serious. Security has been ramped up at Christmas markets in New York, though there is no known threat there. And we are learning a lot more today about the man accused of committing this act, originally from Saudi Arabia, but appears to have anti-immigrant beliefs himself.

Danielle Hamamjian leads us off tonight. Tonight, a German city in grief after what was supposed to be an evening of festivities ended in scenes of absolute horror. They had crowded the Magdeburg Christmas market, when all of a sudden, the unimaginable. A car slamming into a crowd of people, five killed, among those a nine-year-old child. 200 people were injured, 41 with serious injuries, some of those deemed life-threatening. Authorities say it all happened within a three-minute window. The suspect entered the market using the emergency access route,

approaching slowly, then accelerating into the crowd. It was scary, this man said. All of a sudden we heard a muffled noise, an engine roaring, people screaming. Police immediately surrounding an individual seen lying on the ground. The suspect has been identified as Talib El Abdul Mohsen, Police immediately surrounding an individual seen lying on the ground. The suspect has been identified as Talib al-Abdul Mohsen, according to two senior officials. A psychiatrist seen here in an interview just last week with a right-wing activist organization. German officials say the 50-year-old man came from Saudi Arabia back in 2006. His ex-account tells the story of a man who renounced his faith, regularly posting anti-Islam views, criticizing the German government for what

he says is a crackdown on critics of Islam. Germany's interior minister saying the suspect was clearly Islamophobic. Chancellor Olaf Scholz paying tribute to the victims. It has happened a lot of times in Germany, but not near us, and it's really hard. And Danielle, what charges is the suspect facing tonight? Well, Jose, German authorities are planning homicide and attempted homicide charges still to be determined, if this attack was terrorism related. Jose.

Danielle Hamamjan, thank you. Back home, new fallout over last night's last minute deal to avoid a government shutdown. The agreement raising new questions about House Speaker Mike Johnson's future. Julie Sirkin reports from Capitol Hill. For House Speaker Mike Johnson, the deal keeps the government open, but potentially puts his job in peril. The bill is passed. The continuing resolution to fund the government signed by President Biden today

keeps the lights on in Washington until mid-March, unlocks relief for communities devastated by natural disasters, and ensures billions of dollars in assistance to farmers. An initial bipartisan deal brokered by Speaker Johnson fell apart earlier this week after billionaire Elon Musk and President-elect Trump pressured Republicans in the House to oppose it. Trump wanted the debt ceiling eliminated so he would not have to deal with it as president. I was in constant contact with President Trump. But the final bill passed by the House with nearly all Democrats and the majority of Republicans didn't address the debt ceiling at all. House leaders telling Trump it would be considered later.

Now some members are speaking out against the speaker. I'll tell you, I'm losing confidence with each day. Some House Republicans openly talking about the idea of Musk becoming House Speaker. Elon Musk and I talked within about an hour ago, and we talked about the extraordinary challenges of this job. And I said, hey, you want to be Speaker of the House? I don't know. He said this may be the hardest job in the world. In its 235 years of existence, the House has never been led by a non-member. But technically, anyone with a majority of votes could be Speaker,

and that election will be held January 3rd. Do you still want to be Speaker for this experience? Being Speaker of the House is a challenge in this modern era, but it's a challenge that we accept. And Julie joins us now from Capitol Hill. Julie, we have breaking news tonight about the Florida Senate seat that would be vacant should Marco Rubio be confirmed as Secretary of State. That's right, Jose. Lara Trump, the president-elect's daughter-in-law, announcing she's taking her name out of the running. Ultimately, though, it is a decision Governor Ron DeSantis will make early next year. Jose. Julie Sirkin on Capitol Hill. Thank you. Today is the first official day of winter, and in large swaths of the country,

it started off strong with snow coming down just as holiday travel was ramping up. Adrienne Broaddus has the latest from Chicago O'Hare Airport. Winter barreling into the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend, as more than 100 million are expected to hit the road for their holiday getaways. Snow blasting Massachusetts, nearly 10 inches in some parts. Outside Boston, trucks no match for slick roads. A major highway there shut down for a short time after this tractor-trailer crash. Storms hitting the Midwest also. Take a look at this spin-out caught on traffic cams in Minnesota. Trucks swerving to avoid a stuck pickup.

And then the driver and passenger escape, running for their lives so they don't get hit. And there are holiday headaches at some of the nation's busiest airports. Already today, over 6,000 delays and over 200 cancellations. Chicago O'Hare packed before sunup. For 5.30 in the morning or 6 o'clock in the morning, it's just really busy. These folks from Germany just trying to get to Kansas ahead of Christmas. What has the journey been like so far? A lot of delays.

Travel troubles coast to coast. The fog over San Diego, so thick Friday night, you could barely see out the airplane window. Still so bad this morning, more than 100 flights canceled. Back at O'Hare, Santa trying to spread some holiday cheer for weary travelers desperate to get home in time for the holidays. Adrian joins me from O'Hare Airport. And Adrian, the TSA has a warning for passengers traveling ahead of these holidays.

Jose, that warning, don't bring wrapped gifts like this in case they need to open them. Instead, bring a gift bag like this so they can see what's inside. Jose? Adrienne brought us from O'Hare. Thank you very much. Today is Super Saturday, the last Saturday before Christmas, when last-minute shoppers flood stores in one of the biggest retail days of the year. But even as spending goes up, some stores are now going under. Jesse Kirsch has more. With Christmas just four days away, tonight Santa's workshop isn't the only place buzzing. America's malls are teaming with shoppers on one of the last chances to hunt for holiday gifts. So you're not done with your shopping yet?

No, I got a few more things to pick up. This is known as Super Saturday, and this year it's supercharged. 157 million people expected to shop today. That's more than 15 million more people than last year, according to the National Retail Federation. Do you have everything you need? No. This year Thanksgiving came late, delaying Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

That meant less time to make your list and check it twice. And the National Retail Federation says as of early December, consumers on average had only made half of the purchases on their list. This is the last Saturday before Christmas. Got to get done. With time running out, shoppers on a budget may find some of the biggest savings from unexpected holiday destinations, Party City and Big Lots. Both retailers are shuttering all stores, offering up to 50% off some items.

Amazon, you can't hide! And e-commerce giant Amazon says its customers need not be concerned about the protests this week organized by the Teamsters union outside its facilities. They make billions of dollars extra this time and they give nothing back to their workers. Amazon says it offers competitive pay and benefits, accusing the union of pushing a false narrative. The scene outside a Staten Island Amazon facility today giving little indication of any impact on operations. Jesse, meanwhile, so many of us have turned to online sites for getting those holiday gifts. What has the foot traffic been there like today? You can see it firsthand. This place is buzzing, has been much of the day.

And while the National Retail Federation does expect the trends to favor online shopping this year, you can see tonight, right now, this mall has plenty of people taking an old school approach to holiday shopping. Jose. Jesse Kirsch, thank you very much. Still ahead tonight, Blake Lively's shocking new allegations about what happened on the set of one of her hit movies. Plus, a runaway garbage truck fire while the driver got back in it. We are back with shocking new allegations in Hollywood. Actress Blake Lively filing legal action against her former co-star and director

from the hit movie It Ends With Us over alleged sexual harassment that happened on set and what she is calling an effort to destroy her reputation. David Noriega has the details. Tonight, bombshell allegations from one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Blake Lively accusing Justin Baldoni, her director and co-star in the film It Ends With Us, of sexual harassment and of orchestrating a smear campaign against her. Hey, Lily, you want to do the honors?

No, you go ahead. I need to take it in from here. In a newly filed legal complaint, Lively claiming in graphic detail that Baldoni repeatedly harassed her on set, including crossing boundaries during intimate scenes. I want to see you again. Now you see me. You know what I mean. During production of the film about domestic

violence, a meeting was held to address Lively's concerns with her husband, Ryan Reynolds, in attendance, according to the complaint. The complaint also alleges that Baldoni, fearing Lively would make her claims public, hired a crisis management team to destroy her reputation. In text messages included with the complaint, PR executives discussed Baldoni's desire to see Lively buried, one writing, you know we can bury anyone. And they definitely make all of the parties involved in those exchanges, Baldoni and his publicist, look somewhat calculating, somewhat vicious, frankly. Attorneys for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios deny the allegations, calling them categorically false and a desperate attempt by Lively to fix her negative reputation. This seems to fly in the face of that. It's a huge deal. A lot of reputational issues at stake here. There's a lot of money at stake. And there's the careers of two very big stars.

David Noriega, NBC News, Los Angeles. When we come back, we are remembering Baseball Hall of Famer Ricky Henderson, who had the most stolen bases of all time. Plus, a look back at our year of heroes who saved the day and inspired us when we needed it most. Sad news in the sports world. Baseball Hall of Famer Ricky Henderson has died at just 65 years old after battling pneumonia. He holds the record for the most bases stolen by a single person in MLB history, widely considered to be the greatest Oakland A's player of all time.

But he played on nine different teams throughout his 25-year career. And in Southern California, take a look at this runaway garbage truck that caught on fire. It happened in Orange County. You can see the driver jumping from the burning truck after it burst into flames. But then she then tries to get back inside it when it started to roll downhill. It hit an SUV and pickup truck, but the owner said they're thankful the driver steered away from their home. When we come back, there's good news this year. Our annual look back at the moments of hope, courage, love, and kindness that inspired us all year long.

There's good news tonight. That's how we've ended our broadcast for years. They're moments of inspiration we don't often see on the news. For my colleague, Hallie Jackson, and me, it is an honor to tell these stories. So tonight, our annual tradition, where we look back on all the amazing people who inspired us in 2024. This year, there were so many moments that inspired us. Profound words of wisdom from a beloved crossing guard retiring after almost 20 years. The world belongs to you guys. And you got to make a difference in the world. That's what I want for all of you to make a difference. There's somebody that wants to meet you there. Do you know who that is?

His name's Steph Curry. It was a dream come true for this high school student. Meeting his hero, Golden State Warriors basketball legend, Steph Curry. My dream, be a professional basketball player and be like you. There were students paying it forward too. A custodian honored with a gym and cafeteria named after them. Happy birthday to you.

On campus, these guys giving their dorm security guard a birthday he'll never forget. I'm blessed because this is the first time someone is going to celebrate my birthday for me since I've been in this country. Thank you. So much love and solidarity. No, no, no, please, no! People supporting each other during tough times. Nobody should fight cancer.

She's my hero. She will always be my hero. We saw communities celebrating our military heroes. A sing-along for the World War II. What did that mean to you? Oh, breathtaking. It'll never leave me. The kids, the shining faces, the peace on their faces. Go, honey, go! Go! And there were hugs after hugs after hugs for the nation's newest service members. Why did you all decide to do it at the same time like that?

Since we are very united, you know, we all miss you and we are here for you, you know. We saw hard work pay off. A young filmmaker and his family finding out he'd been nominated for an Oscar. I'm so excited, I'm going to put you on scholarship. College football players celebrating too. What about a scholarship? Getting surprise scholarships to finish school. You taught me so much stuff.

Teachers moved to tiers too. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am now. Me and my siblings are all very appreciative of you. Oh, honey. I miss you. Thank you. Thank you so much. So touched by letters of thanks they got from former students.

I felt safe in your class. It was the only class I felt safe in. Thank you, buddy. This is a hard, difficult job. You put a lot of time, effort, emotions into it. And when somebody appreciates it, it feels good. Across the miles, strangers finally meeting after one gave the other the gift of life. Like this little girl, jumping into the arms of her bone marrow donor. What was that like?

She just leaped into my arms and I could feel her tears through my dress. She was sobbing. Share your kindness, share your heart, share your soul. That's why we're here, is to spread love. And now, in this season of light, new beginnings. I'm happy to grant the adoption and we'll make it official. Yay! Adoption. The adoption is granted and rendered. Yay! After adoption, nearly 20 kids in all finding their forever united in song. Lifting their voices for our national anthem. A double dose of pride for this Navy sailor,

meeting his new baby and becoming a U.S. citizen all in one week. There's a joy I cannot describe. I don't cry easily, but I hot heard it. I was like, this is part of me. Becoming a U.S. citizen was like a cherry on the pie. I'm living the dream. Americans spreading joy. Giving each other hope.

All year long. And we want to thank producers Daniel Rodriguez, Kaylee Shemento, and editor Deanna Donovan for their hard work putting all that together. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night. Thank you for the privilege of your time and good night. Thank you, buddy. You're welcome.