NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, November 23, 2024

Episode Date: November 24, 2024

Rain, flooding and snow sock in parts of the West and Northeast; President-elect Trump makes 10 new high-profile administration picks; Another high-profile politician supports removing fluoride from drinking water; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz-Balart. Good evening. The holiday travel rush has already begun for many, and for those who plan to wait until the last minute, a potential storm is brewing that could seriously disrupt travel plans. Just take a look at this. This is a potentially massive snow and rainmaker traveling across the country from Wednesday into Thursday, just as holiday travel peaks.

Today, parts of the West Coast are underwater, battling deadly floodwaters. At least one person is killed. In California's wine country, they're literally canoeing down roads. Parts of the East Coast are still digging out from this week's historic early season snowstorm. And the airports are starting to fill up as travelers get a jump on the holiday. We are covering all of it for you tonight and we begin with Shaquille Brewster. Tonight, parts of the West Coast underwater as another round of unrelenting rain and heavy snow hit states from California to Colorado. We're always on alert. Came up much faster than I've ever seen.

The record-setting system swelling rivers and triggering mudslides. In Sonoma County, California, floodwaters forcing rescues. Authorities say one person was found dead in a car this morning. If you see water turn around, there's always another way you can go. Across wine country, some vineyard fields completely washed out. NBC News meteorologist Chase Kane is there. Here in Northern California, they got five months worth of rain in just four days. That sent the Russian River spilling out of its banks and flooding this RV park and mobile home community. And some people weren't able to get their vehicles and homes out of the way in time.

In Washington state, customers warned some will be in the dark until Monday after storms with hurricane force winds earlier this week knocked out power to more than 100,000 people. On the other side of the country, New Jersey digging out from one of its largest November snowstorms in history, previewing more severe weather expected for the week of Thanksgiving. And Wednesday is the day that we are concerned about it. A new system that could sweep across the country, threatening snow, strong storms, and heavy rain.

A forecast set to clash with the nearly 80 million people expected to get away for Thanksgiving. In Chicago, William Edwards and his family started their trip early, hoping to avoid the worst crowds. Everybody knows the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year, man. So you're avoiding that right now? Yes, for sure. I'll be on the beach. Shaquille Brewster joins me now from O'Hare Airport in Chicago. Shaq, where do people traveling next week need to watch out? Well, Jose, the latest forecast shows a potential storm crossing the Rockies and Plains on Wednesday and bringing potential snow and rain to the eastern third of

the country Thanksgiving Day. Jose? Shaquille Brewster in Chicago, thank you. To politics and President-elect Trump's fast and furious efforts to fill his administration. In the past 24 hours alone, 10 new choices. Aaron Gilchrist now on what they could mean for the economy and public health. Tonight, President-elect Trump choosing Brooke Rollins to lead the Agriculture Department, saying the Texas native will spearhead efforts to protect American farmers. Rollins, who runs a conservative think tank, is also an alum of Trump's first term, serving as his director of domestic policy. The appointment coming after a barrage of announcements late Friday night.

The president-elect naming nine key appointees, most in two areas the new White House will be focusing on, public health and the economy. Come on up, Scott. For Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, a hedge fund manager and major donor and economic advisor to the Trump campaign. Besant expected to make good on Trump's promises to cut taxes and raise tariffs on imports. And I let it be known that the tariffs will be about 100 percent. The president-elect also tapping Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez-Durima for labor secretary. And Russell Vogt to return as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vogt has written that a president should take more control of the executive branch. As an administration, the whole notion of an independent agency should be thrown out.

Trump also picking a team of doctors to work with his choice for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I'm going to let him go wild on health. I'm going to let him go wild on health. I'm going to let him go wild on the food. The team to include former Florida Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon for CDC director, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Jeanette Neshiswat for surgeon general, and Johns Hopkins surgeon and researcher Dr. Marty McCary to head the FDA. All of them expected to be disruptors to public health, potentially changing how medicines and food are evaluated.

And what is scary and dangerous to health is not RFK Jr. It's the food pyramid lie that's been out there for 60 years. The president-elect also making former aide Sebastian Gorka a senior advisor on counterterrorism after he only had a temporary low-level security clearance during Trump's first term, according to a then-senior U.S. official. Aaron joins us now from near Mar-a-Lago. And Aaron, with today's announcement, Trump has now named all of his cabinet nominees. Jose Wright, he's chosen all the people who would be in the presidential line of succession. And if Trump's previous term is any indication, confirmation hearings could begin before Inauguration Day. Jose? Aaron Gilchrist in West Palm Beach. Thank you. One of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s targets, if confirmed, is fluoride in America's drinking water. And now Florida is

making a major change, telling communities not to add the mineral to their water. For decades, it's been credited with keeping Americans' teeth healthy. Now, some are starting to question if it's necessary or even harmful. Here's Marisa Parra. Florida pulling the plug on backing fluoride. The state's top health official now calling fluoridation malpractice. We are issuing guidance to every community, every municipality, every county in Florida to stop adding fluoride to their community water systems. In the controversial new state guidance, the state's top health official acknowledges that, quote, evidence shows fluoride strengthens teeth, but cites studies on vulnerable populations and,

quote, the neuropsychiatric risks associated with fluoride exposure. The new guidance comes weeks after RFK Jr. vowed that, quote, the Trump White House will advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water. Superior fluoride toothpaste. A decades-long debate over fluoride started in the 1940s. That's when the naturally occurring mineral, shown to prevent cavities, began to be widely added to public water supplies across the country. The CDC, American Dental Association,

and the American Academy of Pediatrics support fluoridation, citing research that it reduces tooth decay. We know that fluoride works. All the journal articles have shown that there's a 25% reduction in children and adult decay for people that are in community fluoridated water. Some doctors and health experts argue that fluoride and toothpaste alone isn't enough for dental health. But those opposed to fluoridation point to two controversial studies from 2019 and this summer that link higher than recommended levels of fluoride with lower IQ scores in children. A federal judge in California ruled in September that while such research does not have certainty, the EPA must take action to review fluoride levels. Opponents of fluoridation

took to Buffalo, New York, where they got rid of fluoride nine years ago. Now it's back after a lawsuit from residents seeking damages from the cost of dental surgeries and pressure from local dentists. There's many stories of young children who have ended up in children's hospital needing emergency dental surgery. Marisa, does this announcement in Florida go into effect immediately? Well, that's a great question. So it sounds like this decision will be made by the communities. And currently there are 20 million people living in Florida and roughly 70 percent of those communities are drinking fluoridated water. Marisa Parra, thank you very much. Investigators are tracking another deadly outbreak in food, this one claiming the life of an infant and hospitalizing others. It's just the

latest in a string of deadly contaminations. Dana Griffin with what you need to know. Tonight, Ushung Food, the latest brand in a deadly food bacteria outbreak, this time Listeria. Twin infants have died in California, though the CDC can only connect one death to the outbreak, linked to ready-to-eat meat. Nine others were hospitalized, but the CDC says the number of cases is likely higher. Ushung Food telling NBC News, after a batch of product tested positive for listeria in late October, we immediately took corrective actions, adding they regretted what happened. The USDA announcing a recall of 72,000 pounds of Ushung meat and poultry products that have impacted four states, California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey. This store in Los Angeles

showing NBC News Today where those ready-to-eat bags have since been removed from refrigerators, packed away with a sign reading, Recall, Don't Put on Shelf. This latest outbreak follows other high-profile cases. Ten people died this summer from a listeria outbreak linked to tainted boar's head deli meat. In October, more than 100 E. coli cases from slivered onions on McDonald's quarter pounders. McDonald's has since found an alternate supplier for onions. And just this month, more than a dozen states reported E. coli cases after one person died from eating organic carrots produced by Grimway Farms. Should we be concerned about our food

safety quality in this country? We should be concerned. We should always be vigilant, but certainly don't panic. Sanitation is very key to controlling listeria. And so when you have these series of outbreaks, it really raises a lot of questions about how these facilities are maintaining their sanitation. And Daniel, what's the advice from experts if you have any of these recalled products at home? Yeah, well, Jose, first throw them away immediately and then clean your refrigerator, containers and surfaces that may have touched the recalled items because these kinds of bacteria can spread to other foods. Jose. Dana Griffin, thank you. Coming up, we go one-on-one with a man putting Bibles in every public classroom in his state

while some parents and teachers are fighting back. Also, a new warning about those credit cards many stores offer. What to know before you do your holiday shopping. There is a battle underway over a new mandate to teach the Bible in public classrooms across Oklahoma. But it has drawn backlash from some parents and teachers. Our Jesse Kirsch goes one-on-one with a man implementing the controversial plan. In a growing number of states, tonight schools facing a particularly tricky test. How far can you take religion into the classroom? We want our kids

to understand American exceptionalism, what made America great. Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters says schools need to go further. He has ordered all schools to incorporate the Bible and Ten Commandments into curriculum for grades 5 through 12. And now he says he's purchased 500 Bibles. The elected Republican's ultimate goal? Put one in every Oklahoma classroom. You're saying you're not forcing Christianity on people, but I think some people might see it as that. So what would you say to allay those concerns? Look, what I would say is you can be offended by Christianity. You cannot agree with Christianity, but that doesn't give you the right to take Christianity out of American history. And that's what we've seen the left do. We have been very

specific. The Bible is there for its historical context. It is not there to say that you should be a Christian or you should follow Christianity. Are we also talking about having a Bible in a math class, like in a chemistry class? Is that the goal to have it in those kinds of classrooms as well? Yes, when applicable. Walters' controversial plans face legal challenge and criticism, including from parents like Erica Wright, who says her son brought his own Bible to school yesterday. Public school is not Sunday school. I think that my husband and I are the only two people, along with them,

that should have this very personal decision about who engages with our children with the Bible. The mother of three and education advocate calls the mandate an embarrassing distraction in a state whose education system has been ranked near the bottom nationally. We are struggling so much with our academic outcomes. I want my kids to be going to school focusing on math and reading and science and history. Teachers like Jenny Bobo worry they could lose their teaching certification by ignoring the mandate. So if I chose to utilize

the Bible in my classroom, I would on purpose be hurting students and I refuse to do that. Oklahoma is not the only state caught up in this debate. The Texas State Board of Education just voted to incentivize elementary schools to work biblical themes into their curriculum. Louisiana officials want the Ten Commandments on display in public school classrooms. That push blocked for now by a federal judge. New policies pushing the limits of the separation of church and state. Do you actually think these mandates from you are going to hold up at the U.S. Supreme Court? Absolutely. Absolutely. Jesse Kirsch, NBC News, Oklahoma City. Still ahead, holiday credit card alert.

A new report that may have you thinking twice before you swipe. Plus a real-life cliffhanger. The dangerous rescue caught on camera. We're back with a dramatic rescue caught on camera. Take a look at this. It's a chopper rushing to save a man clinging for life on the side of a cliff in San Francisco. You can see him holding on high above the beach. The rescue crew lowered someone down to grab him and bring him down to safety on the shore. The holiday shopping season

is here and we've got a warning about those store credit cards, you know, the ones that they try to give you at the counter for extra discounts. Well, turns out you may be paying more, mucho mas, in the long run. Rhea Schrether explains. The deals come at you fast, often as you're checking out. Open a credit card and get 10% or 20% or even 30% off. Stay away from these cards. But those store brand credit card discounts come at a hefty price. Because they're not as selective about credit quality, that's why the banks tell you that they charge such high interest rates. But this year, those high rates are even higher. We're talking extraordinarily high. I mean, this is generally about as high as they go. A new bank rate study of some of the country's biggest retailers found yearly interest rates as high as almost 36%.

Yep, $30,000 into credit card debt. It's nauseating to say out loud. Those high rates hit New Hampshire resident Meg Locker hard. She had almost $30,000 of credit card debt from around a dozen credit cards, many of them from big retail stores. After six months of spending, you've spent more on interest than you have on any savings that you would have received from the store itself. The retailers who raised rates the most this year include Big Lots, Old Navy and Petco. And Big Lots had one of the highest overall

at 36 percent a year. High interest rates are partly to blame. But according to CNBC's Gabrielle Fon Rouge, as interest rates went down, instead of allowing that to impact their profit margin, they preemptively raised rates. In a statement to NBC News, Big Lots said its interest rate increases are a result of several factors, including, quote, historical federal rate increases, rising credit losses and regulatory pressures. Experts say if you do sign up for a card because you really want that discount, pay that off the second you get a charge. Priya Shrether, NBC News.

And when we come back, there's good news tonight. A centennial celebration for a World War II veteran who's dedicated his life to serving others. There's good news tonight. You know, 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. And this is just some of the stories this week. It was a sight to behold at Barber Prep Academy in Highland Park, Michigan. Every child in there was clearly at school. Dozens of kids so thrilled to finally get new eyeglasses, trying them on one after another. The school turned it into a celebration of sight.

Bringing in the Detroit Pistons cheer squad and partnering with the county and non-profit Vision to Learn, giving eye care to kids in need. This was the overwhelming show of support for first responders in Greenwood Lake, New York. Hundreds of people lining the streets saying thanks to firefighters, EMS, police and others for putting their lives on the line battling recent wildfires in the area. For Fire Chief Alexander Nicholas and his team, it's a morale boost that meant so much.

It's heartwarming that so many people can come together. We don't do this for the thanks or the pat on the back. It was very, very emotional. I appreciate you. And talk about a winning play. That's Jake Roberts in Oklahoma Sooners' tight end, back at his old high school. How are you? Honoring former algebra teacher

Monica Minadio. You got a great heart and it's just something that really stuck with me on my behalf. And surprising her with tickets for tonight's game against Alabama. Even if you don't remember every moment, I mean, you remember how I made you feel, which that's the only thing I ever care about. Yeah. That's why I do what I do. Absolutely. Happy birthday, dear John.

Happy birthday to you. In Pennsylvania, here's a bash folks are calling the surprise of the century. I'm glad for them. It's a 100th birthday party for Chuck Hoyle. We love you. Who started volunteering at UPMC Horizon Hospital in Greenville when he was a youngster of just 79 years old. Thank you, guys. Chuck, a World War II Navy vet, says service to country and community are what make life

worth living. What's the biggest message about helping others? It's seeing people have a smile and just be in there for someone. What's helped you for all these years to remain as young and as vibrant as you are? I think mind your own business and just do something good for people. That's NBC Nightly News for this Saturday. Holly Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time.

Good night.