NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, April 28, 2024

Episode Date: April 29, 2024

At least 4 confirmed casualties as tornadoes decimate areas throughout the weekend; More college campus protest arrests over war in Gaza, tensions spill over at UCLA; Pressure mounting on Israel and Hamas to reach deal ahead of possible Israeli attack on Rafah; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, a new round of devastating tornadoes and a relentless outbreak now turning deadly. Multiple tornadoes on the ground in Oklahoma overnight, blasting through towns. New video of entire neighborhoods destroyed, trucks tossed into homes. What people there did to survive, with twisters tearing through states from Nebraska to Texas over three days. It looked like a war zone. Clashes on campus, dueling protests over Israel and Gaza colliding at UCLA, while across the country this weekend, hundreds arrested at universities.

The new comments from the family of an American hostage held by Hamas after seeing the first video of him since his capture. Now, the Secretary of State headed to the region. Is a ceasefire deal to free hostages any closer? President Biden trying to ridicule his rival at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. My vice president actually endorses me. Donald Trump's reaction today.

A conspicuous change for the NFL. The new helmets now allowed on the field that the league says drastically reduce head injuries. But will players want to wear them? And the town overrun by bears breaking into home after home. How folks there are fighting back. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We are coming on the air tonight with an unrelenting storm system now turning deadly

in one of the most volatile stretches for the middle of the country in five years. We're learning tonight at least four people have been killed with overnight twisters like this one tearing through parts of Oklahoma, stripping the roof off this massive warehouse in a powerful show of force, flipping these tractor trailers. The destruction across more than a dozen states, stretching from Texas, you see it here, all the way to here, Nebraska, where the National Weather Service issued the most tornado warnings ever in a single day. And if you look at this map here, you can see more than 100 tornadoes reported in just the last 72 hours.

And yes, it is always intense in the spring in this part of the country, but it is rarely this extreme. We've got a cover tonight with Marissa Parra making her way to hard hit Sulphur, Oklahoma. This is the moment Sulphur, Oklahoma changed forever. The eerie outline of a tornado making its way through the night sky. A theater. There's rain is. Decimating the buildings beneath it. Just to advise all of downtown sulfur is destroyed. Daylight revealing the dramatic scenes of destruction,

businesses and homes in downtown reduced to cinder blocks. We were just so scared. A postal truck tossed like a toy. This building, standing proud for over 80 years, destroyed in seconds. And a desperate search through the rubble, a woman buried under the crushing weight of a building above her. What I saw downtown, sulfur, it's unbelievable. We've had four confirmed fatalities. One was here, just right here on the corner. They just removed her body. Down the road, Bo Thompson had to rescue his neighbors, trapped in their shelter underground.

We opened the door. You had to rescue them. Yeah, I rescued them. If they would have been in there for a while, they would have been trapped. They probably would have drowned. In Marietta, OK, the walls and roof of this Dollar Tree facility shredded to pieces.

Massive semi trailers piled on top of each other. All of it part of the massive storm system that officials say brought over 120 tornado reports in two days from Texas to Missouri. States like Nebraska slammed by tornadoes Friday,

but on Saturday it was Oklahoma's turn. So it's just it's a lot to take in here. A family grieves on the cinderblocks, wants the foundation of their family business. What's today looked like for you? Acceptance. Acceptance just planning the next steps, I guess. You know, just trying to put together

what we can and move forward. Moving forward as this community begins the long road to recovery. How does last night change you? Think about life a little bit more. Think about the long picture instead of right now. Marissa is joining us now from Sulphur, where they are just starting to think about the cleanup now, right?

Hey, Hallie, I mean, I want to show you on a micro level what the devastation looks like. This was a family business 30 years in the making. You can see what is left of this furniture store, pieces of furniture buried underneath these bricks here, this sky completely exposed. On the other side here, Hallie, the governor says there were 20 people buried underneath what was left of a bar. One of them didn't survive. Hallie. Marissa Parra, thank you. In California tonight, protests and counter protests colliding at UCLA. After a chaotic weekend on college campuses across the country, demonstrators clashing with police, hundreds arrested. Adrienne Broadus is there.

Tension spilling over at UCLA as protesters clash on campus. Back up! Back up! Demonstrators storming past security barricades. Free, free, free Palestine! Dueling rallies facing off. Pro-Palestinian protesters calling for an end to Israel's war in Gaza. Enough is enough. The violence has to stop. We're here for a ceasefire. A counter-protest supporting Israel with some saying pro-Palestinian protests have fueled hate speech.

Do students, Jewish students, feel safe? Absolutely not. I think what's happening right now is making everyone feel extremely unsafe. We really do fear for our lives and the future. Across the country this weekend, hundreds arrested or detained for protesting on campuses. From Arizona to Missouri, where 80 people were arrested overnight at Washington University. Some now released. There are people who don't have the choice on whether their life is risked over this or not. If all I have to risk is maybe sitting in a cell for a minute to help that, I will.

At USC Saturday, the school's famed Trojan Statute vandalized and these images overnight show tactical police units surrounding the campus they were later called off. That stand down despite students returning to the very same area on campus police cleared them from last week. All of this calling many to question the decisions colleges across the country are making about how to handle the protest. It's a very difficult thing and this particular political issue is especially hard because they're no good guys. This one's been a real challenge to find the right words, the right choices between freedom of speech and safety for students. Adrian is joining us now from UCLA.

And Adrian, we understand campus police are on the scene. Hallie, campus police are present and the barricades are in place. Members of LAPD are not here. The school says it will only call in outside law enforcement if absolutely necessary to keep demonstrators safe. Hallie. Adrian, thank you. The Israel-Hamas war also hitting home for families of the Americans taken hostage. With a new plea tonight from relatives after Hamas released a video of one U.S. citizen they've held for more than six months.

Keir Simmons reports from Saudi Arabia. Tonight's more reaction from the family of American-Israeli Keith Siegel. Keith Siegel. The 64-year-old appearing in an undated Hamas hostage video. It's second in just one week. His niece with this message for Hamas, Israel and the Biden administration. I have faith that we can do a deal now, but I also think that if that isn't possible, then the Biden administration should think about what they can do directly to bring our

American citizens home. But there are more signs of an impending Israeli attack on Rafah in Gaza, now home to 1.2 million. After a phone call between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the White House saying Biden reiterated his clear position on Rafah, while Netanyahu's office insisting preparations continue. At a meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital today, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warning it will be the greatest catastrophe in the history of the Palestinian people.

Tonight, Secretary Blinken heading for talks in Saudi Arabia before he goes to Israel. Hamas officials will be in Cairo tomorrow to study an Israeli proposal, but Egypt's foreign minister telling CNBC's Dan Murphy today a deal remains difficult and multidimensional. DAN MURPHY, Egyptian Foreign Minister to Saudi Arabia, The number of hostages, the positioning of Israeli troops, the duration of a ceasefire, the return of civilians to their original place of residence. Alongside Secretary Blinken, top Arab officials and foreign ministers from France, Germany and the U.K. will be here in Saudi Arabia tomorrow. The pressure on Israel and Hamas to agree a deal mounting.

The clock ticking. Hallie? Keir Simmons for us there in Saudi Arabia. Keir, thank you. Clearly, the president has a lot on his plate in the days ahead. But for at least a couple hours this weekend, his focus less on global events, more on the social event of the year for Washington,

the White House Correspondents' Dinner, as he roasted his Republican rival. Aaron Gilchrist was there. I want to thank you for the warm welcome. Journalism, Hollywood and politics colliding in Washington with President Biden in rare form as comedian in chief. Yes, age is an issue. I'm a grown man running against a six-year-old. The president using the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner to launch a barrage of jokes at his 2024 presidential challenger, former President Donald Trump. Age is the

only thing we have in common. My vice president actually endorses me. Biden also taking a rare swipe at Trump's legal troubles. I had a great stretch since the State of the Union. Well, Donald has had a few tough days lately. You might call it stormy weather. The president has ramped up direct attacks on Trump, but Biden's age didn't escape the night's entertainer from Saturday Night Live, Colin Jost. The economy is kind of like you on the steps of Air Force One. It feels like it's stumbling, but there is somehow upward progress. Jost also took some shots at former President Trump. Can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the United States

at an event that doesn't begin with a bailiff saying all rise? Trump reacting on social media Sunday morning, calling the dinner really bad and saying Colin Jost bombed and Crooked Joe was an absolute disaster doesn't get much worse than this. President Biden ending the night with a toast to the First Amendment. To a free press, to an informed citizenry, to an America where freedom and democracy endure. Aaron is joining us now here with more on the campaign trail ahead.

And Aaron, Mr. Trump may be reconciling now with a former rival. The Trump campaign tells us that Trump met with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this morning to talk about fundraising and to bury the hatchet after a bitter primary battle. Lots to watch. Aaron, thank you so much. Still ahead for us here on the show, the NFL's controversial new helmets to prevent head injuries. They're big, they're bulky. So will players wear them? We are back with a consequential and conspicuous NFL safety shift with the league just approving controversial new helmets to prevent head injuries. But one look at them has a lot of folks asking, will players actually want to wear them? Here's George Solis. The NFL now taking perhaps its most visual and polarizing

steps in drastically improving player safety. The league now expanding the use of these admittedly far from fashion forward soft shell helmets. Athletes now given the option to wear guardian caps beyond practice to regular season games. Engineered to enhance protection against head injuries by as much as 20 percent according to league data. The league cementing their stance. If you're going to take a punt from Mike Tyson straight to the face, would you rather put a pillow over your face or take it straight on? The NFL introduced guardian caps during training camps in 2022. We saw the guardian cap this year. The guardian cap again had a 50 percent reduction in concussions for the players who wore it in training camp.

NBC News on the field then with Washington Commanders offensive lineman Sadiq Charles. At first, I wasn't sure what to think about it, but I'm always open to change. A year later, the NFL mandating their use during practices for most players. We've seen players sacrifice looking cool to be safe in the past. And so we talk about CTE and helping avoid some of those things that affect you later on in life. I think if they're able to prove that it does reduce that, to be safe in the past. And so when you talk about CTE and helping avoid some of those things that affect you later on in life, I think if they're able to prove that it does reduce that,

then players will get on board with it. Even now, reaction to the beehive-shaped coverings has been mixed. One player writing, this is the craziest thing ever. And it's not just the pros. Some high schools have been using them for years. When we first started wearing them,

I had coaches coming up to me, making fun of us. Livonia Churchill's high school's football team in Michigan has been sporting caps during practices since 2017. I think we've been a pioneer of player safety at our school, and we're going to continue pushing that envelope for sure. But will guardian caps take the field or fumble as the NFL continues to tackle player safety? George Solis, NBC News. She's one of the greatest gymnasts ever, and I know you know her name, Gabby Douglas. She won gold for the U.S. in two Olympics, but eight years ago, an eternity in the world of gymnastics, she stopped competing.

Now, this weekend, she's roaring back. It may look smaller scale. But this Texas qualifier could mark the start of a colossal comeback. Gabby Douglas swinging onto the scene after stepping away from competitive gymnastics this weekend, delivering performances in floor exercise. Vaults and uneven bars. Familiar terrain, even if it's been a minute for the 28-year-old, who won hearts after she won gold in the Olympics all around and helped power the Americans to team golds in 2012 and 2016. Earlier this year, announcing her return to the mat. So Gabby, then the big question, does this mean you have your sights set on Paris

for the Olympics this summer? Oh, definitely. Most definitely. I'm definitely taking one day at a time, but I'm honestly like super excited to get back out there. If she makes the cut this year, Douglas would be the oldest American woman to compete in gymnastics since the 1950s.

Honestly, I'm just super grateful for my body to be able to hold up to this sport. That work now in the spotlight yet again. I would say if you truly love what you do, then go for it. Never let someone's limited view limit you and go for the moon. A lot of folks cheering her on.

We're back in a moment with the town overrun by bears breaking into homes, even cars. The serious steps some people are taking to stay safe. To a bear scare tonight happening north of Los Angeles, where some folks who wanted to get away from it all are now finding themselves getting away from the bears invading their town by the hundreds. Some caught on camera breaking into homes, even cars.

Elwynn Lopez reports. Tucked away within the Los Padres National Forest, the community of Pine Mountain Club, California has always been surrounded by wildlife. This one just doesn't even care that I'm here. But now it's turned into what some here are calling an invasion. Black bears now out of the woods and crawling onto patios, somehow opening car doors. Holy s***.

Even breaking into homes. Get, get! This one chased away by a non-lethal gun. How would you describe the bear situation here? Honestly, it's out of control. Bear in the house! Ian Sari woke up once, shocked, as he spotted a bear opening his fridge. Asked who was in the kitchen, and the bear replied with a lengthy, sturdy growl.

I just hit that stun gun, and that electrified sound made the bear jump straight back out the window he came in. Since last July, there have been over 560 bear-related incidents, already far higher than the 319 from the year before. We're going on bear patrol. We're going on bear patrol. Stan Ensgo patrols the town nightly looking for bears. Within less than an hour, we saw two of them. Hey, what are you guys doing? His goal, to scare them away. Across the West, bears are wandering away from their natural habitats, infiltrating suburban towns, backyard pools, even grocery stores.

Some experts say raging wildfires and drought have forced them to look for food elsewhere. In Pine Mountain Club, some blame the wildfires. What are you doing? You get down. Get down. Others see another culprit. We've got a few residents who think it's their job to feed the bears. So they contribute to the problem. And we're working with the authorities to deal with that. Now homeowners are doing whatever they can to keep bears from breaking in.

Ian's property fortified with electrical wire. I love our wildlife, but I also love my home and my family. The problem so dire here that dozens of homes now boarded up like this one after bears barged through. We are anticipating it getting much, much worse. But this is your new reality. This is our new reality. A new reality testing the limits of how people and bears can coexist.

Elwynn Lopez, NBC News, Pine Mountain Club, California. That does it for nightly news for this Sunday. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us at NBC, thanks for watching. We'll see you right back here next week.