NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, December 15, 2024

Episode Date: December 16, 2024

Growing calls for action as drone sightings increase; Rare tornado hits Northern California; A grand jury indictment could come this week in the CEO murder case; and more on tonight’s broadcast. 

Tonight, the high-tech equipment being rushed in to track those mysterious drones on the East Coast, while out West, an extremely rare and destructive California tornado. Drones spotting radar devices like these now heading to New York as lawmakers demand answers. What is flying overhead? Why do we have more questions than answers? Two people arrested for flying drones near Boston's airport. And the FAA now warning of a new danger in the skies that could blind pilots. That rare tornado in California tearing across a busy street.

Cars flipped. Look at that. Trees ripped down. All as the Midwest is thawing out from a deadly ice storm that sent cars like this one spinning. Where goes my car? Our new reporting that a grand jury could hand down an indictment of the CEO murder suspect within days. Will he still fight extradition? Two oil tankers both split in two. The race now to stop an environmental disaster. Amazon facing a strike threat from some workers with just days until Christmas. What it could mean for your

holiday shopping. E-bike battery dangers. Our up-close look at how quickly they can explode and how to keep your family safe. And the show must go on. The community devastated by Hurricane Helene coming together to put on this year's Nutcracker. This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. Good evening. We begin tonight with the push to get answers. After weeks of growing outrage and questions, the federal government now deploying a new tool to try to figure out what's going on with those mysterious drones spotted in the Northeast. So-called drone detectors similar to these now on their way to New York, according to that state's governor. It comes as the feds try to reassure people about what's being spotted by folks with cell phone cameras capturing images like the ones you're seeing here. The new warnings that some of

these shapes and lights apparently are not even drones at all. They're planes, helicopters or simply stars in the sky. Still, as the mystery grows, so does the anger over whether enough's being done now. Our Maya Eaglin reports. They're everywhere. Tonight, growing calls for action over the mysterious objects being reported in the skies over New Jersey and New York. There's another one over there. An FBI official says they've received thousands of reports over the past few weeks, with less than 100 of those warranting further investigation.

But whatever it is people are seeing, local lawmakers want answers. Our local people who have questions about these drones should not have to shake an eight ball to get an answer. Today, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging federal officials to use special drone detection technology like the Robin radar. There certainly is the technology that can track the craft with precision and determine what the heck is going on. New York Governor Kathy Hochul saying federal partners are sending a drone detection system to New York. And Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas says there is no sign of foreign involvement. I want to assure the American public that we are on it. But despite these assurances, people we spoke to today want more answers.

Are you skeptical when you hear that? I mean, it's a security threat to the whole world, so I don't know how they could say that. Meanwhile, reports of mysterious objects in the sky are being reported across the country. I mean, it's a security threat to the whole world, so I don't know how they could say that. Meanwhile, reports of mysterious objects in the sky are being reported across the country, and some local law enforcement are taking action. Boston police arresting two people who they say were flying a drone dangerously close to Logan Airport. In Ocean County, New Jersey, the sheriff's office there showed us how they're using their own drones to keep a close eye above. Maybe see if we can see where they're taking off from or where they're going to so that we can just gather a little bit more information.

Adding to the concerns in the air, the FAA now saying they've received multiple reports of people shining lasers at aircraft in airspace spanning New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. I started seeing a green flash around the cockpit of the plane. Ken Dietz, a private pilot, says in his 30-plus years of flying, he's never experienced a laser being pointed at him. They were definitely tracking me. It stayed on me for a period of time. Look what's back again, same spot as last night.

For some residents, answers about the growing confusion can't come soon enough. Why haven't they found the origin of the drone? I don't know why that's a hard thing to do. Maya is joining us now from West Orange, New Jersey. And Maya, Senator Schumer has a theory about what may be behind some of these recent sightings. That's right, Hallie. He points out that an FAA rule change in 2023 that allowed people to start flying drones at night could be one factor contributing to all of this. Hallie?

Maya Eaglin, thank you very much. A rare and violent tornado caught on camera in California is only one of the dangerous and deadly weather threats coast to coast tonight, and that includes an ice storm in the Midwest. Dana Griffin reports on all of it. Oh, my God. Holy moly. A rare tornado in Northern California. Flying debris raining down Saturday as frantic shoppers take cover.

This ring camera in Scotts Valley, California, capturing the EF1 funnel touching down. Let's go home. Let's go home. Drivers caught off guard. Oh, my God. Vehicles pummeled with broken branches. Several cars picked up, flipped over by the storm's force, including this Cal Fire battalion chief's truck. It appears he had to kick his way through the windshield. And this driver just yards away captures the final moments of the tornado ripping through trees before it starts to dissipate.

At least five were injured, one person in critical condition, according to officials. It was pretty much chaos at the moment when I arrived there. Across the country, 11 million are under winter weather alerts. Near Omaha, dangerous icy weather has turned deadly. A 57-year-old woman killed in a collision, according to the sheriff's office. More than 500 crashes have been reported, including this one captured on Ring video. Spinning out of control in front of a woman, visibly stunned. Across the Midwest and West Coast.

The damage looks pretty disastrous. Communities are cleaning up after a nerve-wracking weekend of winter weather. It's odd to happen in such a small community. You never think it will happen where you are, you know. Dana Griffin, NBC News. To breaking news now, in that CEO murder case, the suspect behind bars in Pennsylvania could be indicted this week, according to a source familiar with the proceedings,

paving the way for a move to New York. Priscilla Thompson reports. Tonight, the fight to extradite Luigi Mangione to New York intensifying, with a source familiar telling NBC News that this week a grand jury could be asked to hand up an indictment against the man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. We expect that to be issued any day now, and at the second that happens, I'm issuing a warrant for extradition. The possible indictment intended to strengthen the Manhattan District Attorney's case for extradition by making the charges official, as questions remain about whether Mangione will go willingly or fight it.

We're going to continue to press forward on parallel paths and we'll be ready. In a Pennsylvania court this week, Mangione's attorney vowed to challenge extradition. But in the days since, high power New York defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo has joined the team and declined to comment on the matter. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections says a team of New York attorneys visited Mangione on Friday. If he waives extradition, what then? He would then be transferred to New York state pretty immediately. So if he fights it, all it would do is delay the inevitable. So the only hope in a case like this for an argument to work would be if there literally was no evidence connecting him to New York State.

Priscilla is joining us now from outside that courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, where we're set to see Mangione again soon. Priscilla. That's right, Hallie. Mangione is due back in court later this month. But the Manhattan D.A. says that we could see him face a judge as soon as Tuesday if he were to waive extradition. Hallie. Priscilla Thompson, thank you. To politics and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. getting ready to make the rounds on Capitol Hill this week to try to drum up support ahead of formal hearings to put him in charge of the nation's health agencies. But tonight, new questions about his views on one of the most successful vaccines ever, the shots to prevent polio. Here's Aaron Gilchrist. Tonight, fresh focus on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president-elect Trump's pick for health secretary, as he prepares to court senators on Capitol Hill this week.

Kennedy still facing scrutiny over past comments about vaccines. I do believe that autism does come from vaccines. Kennedy expected to face questions about his views on vaccines now after the New York Times reported that a lawyer who's helping RFK Jr. build his team petitioned the FDA to revoke approval of a polio vaccine two years ago, drawing new fire from Democrats. This is a man who wants to stop kids from getting their polio and measles shots. And Republicans. Minority leader Mitch McConnell, a childhood survivor of polio, not blasting RFK Jr. by name,

but saying in a statement, efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed, they're dangerous. Kennedy's team responding to the Times report saying the polio vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied. Kennedy addressing concerns about his vaccine skepticism last month. If vaccines are working for somebody, I'm not going to take them away. If somebody told me get rid of the polio vaccine, they're going to have to work real hard to convince me. Mr. Trump standing by Kennedy in his interview with our Kristen Welker, saying he recently met with top drug company executives. Dr. Mehmet Oz has picked to lead the Medicare system and Kennedy. We talked about pricing and we talked about vaccines, you know, in terms of what happens.

We talked about pesticides. We talked about everything. Aaron is joining us now. And Aaron, it's not just RFK Jr. Some other cabinet picks are also expected in D.C. this week, right? Trump's choice for intel chief Tulsi Gabbard is expected to have more Senate meetings this week. Meetings with defense pick Pete Hegseth were positive last week, but one senator tells us he should expect a lot more scrutiny ahead. Hallie? Aaron Gilchrist outside the White House, thank you.

Alarm bells overseas tonight over what could be a massive man-made environmental disaster, a huge oil spill after two tankers hit by a strong storm in the Black Sea, both literally split in half. Priya Shrether has more. Chaos in the Black Sea as two Russian oil tankers, each carrying 4,200 tons of oil, split in half during a powerful storm, the accidents triggering a massive oil spill in what Greenpeace says is a potentially serious disaster. This video, apparently taken by crew members inside the bridge of one of the tankers, appears to show their ship snapped in two, the bow sinking into the water as waves crash onto their deck.

Then, not too long after, this video shows another Russian oil tanker just moments before it was also sliced in two, not far away from the first ship. According to Russian authorities, at least one person was killed, but 13 other crew members were evacuated. Part of the ship ultimately getting stuck in shallow water around 260 feet away from shore. Tonight, Russian news agencies reporting the search continues for four people unaccounted for in the icy waters and that crew action during bad weather conditions caused the accidents. Priya Shridhar, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, will some workers who deliver for Amazon go on strike? The new threat to the holiday shopping season.

Plus, the dramatic demonstrations of just how dangerous batteries in e-bikes and scooters can be. And the holiday tradition that was almost ruined by a hurricane. How the city of Asheville is bringing the nutcracker back. Tonight, some workers now threatening to strike against Amazon in a move that could have a dramatic effect on holiday shopping and deliveries with just 10 days to go until Christmas. Adrian Broadus has the details. You are Amazon because of us. We need more wages. We need better pay. Tonight, with less than 10 days until Christmas, Amazon facing a potential strike threat during the holiday rush. Workers at two key Amazon facilities in New York have voted to walk off the job if necessary.

Today was the deadline the Teamsters union set for Amazon to start negotiating. We've been asking them, please, and as of today, we don't have nothing changed. A union spokesperson says it represents 6,000 workers. Luke Rene is one of them. What do you and your colleagues want for Christmas? Safety, better condition, better work environment. That's one thing we've been asking for, and we don't feel like that's something we have to beg for. Labor experts say the timing of this threat is strategic. You strike when you have more leverage from the union. You want to make sure that the customer desperately wants to get their packages.

That puts more pressure on the company to go to the bargaining table. An Amazon spokesperson told NBC News in part the company is a large network and, quote, Christmas is not getting ruined for anyone. Adding, if customers are worried, they can track delivery dates and times on the website. The company says it has hundreds of fulfillment centers in the U.S. What does that mean for folks who have ordered items from Amazon? If it's already on a truck, they should be okay. But if it's at the warehouse and hasn't moved yet, then any trucks coming in will have a difficulty in unloading. A holiday

headache during a stressful season. Adrienne Broaddus, NBC News. We are back in a moment with e-bike explosion dangers. Our up-close look at how some of their batteries can catch fire so quickly and how to keep your family safe. And the show must go on. The ballet company rising from the rubble to put on a holiday classic. A consumer alert tonight about lithium ion batteries. They're in all kinds of electronics, from e-bikes to scooters, even electric toothbrushes. But they can be dangerous, exploding and catching fire in seconds. Our Sam Brock has an up-close look.

Inside this building at the New York City Fire Department's Training Academy. A first-hand look at the jaw-dropping risks associated with a popular product. We're going to burn this bike inside a building. We got an exclusive demonstration of how e-bikes and e-scooters powered by lithium-ion batteries can become infernos in seconds. So this holiday season, the Fire Safety Research Institute is teaming up with the FDNY to show just how dangerous they can be. These batteries can blow up when they're being charged. They can blow up when they're being charged. They can blow up when they're not being charged. They are a ticking time bomb.

This fight could be in any New York City apartment. Now, we have to leave the building, not just because of the explosiveness of the fire, but the toxicity of the smoke. We got to go. In just minutes, it started smoldering. Then up next, a smaller e-scooter. Okay, so you're seeing smoke coming out of the batteries. It's going to go very quick.

Steve Kerber leads a fire safety research team and studies how these batteries can fail. If they're abused, they can fail. If they get punctured, they can fail. Overcharging, overheating, even a manufacturing defect could cause it to fail. If they get punctured, they can fail. Overcharging, overheating, even a manufacturing defect could cause it to fail. This bike took out an entire New York City block. It did. Yeah, it doesn't take much. Daniel Flynn is New York City's chief fire marshal. This thing is a tremendous fire from its onset and it's impossible to escape. He says the thermal runaway reaction where batteries ignite and cause other batteries to ignite is uniquely dangerous. When it fails, it releases all that energy all at once.

Nationally, 40 deaths were reported from lithium-ion battery fires in e-scooters and e-bikes between 2017 and 2023. And while the risk may not be as serious, these batteries are now in many different products. Everything from your toothbrush to your laptop to your ear pods to scooters to electric vehicles. A common mistake, fire experts say, is charging a battery with a mismatched charger. The basic rule of thumb, only buy UL certified products, don't leave them unattended, and for bikes and scooters, charge them outside. They are a risk and we're asking the public to be aware of it. An urgent message during this season of giving.

Sam Brock, NBC News, New York. A quick update to a story we brought you on Friday. In our report about the woman who falsely accused Duke lacrosse players of rape, we included a quote from someone who claimed to be former player Colin Finnerty. We have since heard from Colin Finnerty, who said it was not him and that he is not providing further comment. Up next here on the show, there's good news tonight, a Christmas comeback. How the community of Asheville, North Carolina came together to put on a holiday classic. There's good news tonight about never giving up and the North Carolina community devastated by Hurricane Helene bringing back its production of The Nutcracker, insisting the show must go on. The familiar notes.

The glittering costumes. These lovely leaps heralding the triumphant return of The Nutcracker. This weekend's sold-out show? Nothing short of a miracle for the Asheville Ballet Company. That's because so much of the city was wiped out when Hurricane Helene hit in September. This could be the end of how this all goes. Including the company's rehearsal space. Floors flooded and ripped apart. Costumes battered. Mold growing. The piano was in the corner. But its director, Ann Dunn, says while their space

was destroyed, their spirit remained strong. I've never seen anything like this ever, ever. I thought I've got to pull this together somehow. I've got to because everybody needs it. Everybody needs the Nutcracker this year. The ballet company got to work, dancers and volunteers putting the space back together. People would show up about a dozen a day and get it cleaned out first, cutting drywall, ripping out the floors. Rehearsing on weekends in a borrowed studio. Dancer Crystal Foreman's home was hit hard too.

Trees down, no power for weeks. But it was the magic and joy of this show, she says, that helped her and so many others here endure. It took me just saying like, I'm here, I have a voice and I have something to share that's going to help, you know, and I want people to come and be like, I can do it. That show so important for the Asheville community that every performance this weekend sold out, rightfully so. That's nightly news for this Sunday. But stay right here. Sunday night football is coming up next with the Packers versus the Seahawks.

I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC News, thanks for watching and have a great week.