NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, January 7, 2024

Episode Date: January 8, 2024

Passengers describe terrifying experience after piece of Alaska Airlines plane detached midair; Heavy snow blankets parts of the Northeast, causing power outages and dangerous road conditions; Fallout grows over defense secretary’s secret hospitalization; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, new details on that terrifying mid-air scare, part of a plane's cabin blown open. Now, hundreds of planes are grounded. Investigators racing for answers, what caused this hole in an Alaska Airlines jet at 16,000 feet? Frightening new details from passengers, seat cushions sucked out. All of a sudden, I hear a loud boom, gust of wind. Why federal officials say it could have been so much worse as they search for the missing chunk of that plane. The snowstorm blanketing the Northeast with up to a foot and a half of snow, trucks jackknifing on highways and the whiteout at an NFL game,

while in the South this tornado tearing down power lines. Growing outrage after news that the Secretary of Defense was admitted to an ICU for days and didn't tell the public or the president. Our Andrea Mitchell pressing the Secretary of State. Were you aware of this? When did you learn of it? Congressional leaders striking a tentative spending deal. Will it avert a government shutdown just weeks away? Body camera footage just released police shooting an 11-year-old boy inside his own home.

And an NBC News exclusive, Mary Lou Retton breaking her silence to Hoda Kotb, why she's grateful to be here after a life-threatening illness. This is NBC Nightly News with Kate Snow. Good evening. We begin with the investigation into that nightmare scenario in the sky. You've probably seen it by now. Part of a Boeing 737's cabin blown open in flight. The near disaster on Friday now sending shockwaves through the aviation industry worldwide. This was the scene just minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. Passengers describing today how the opening sucked out loose items from the cabin.

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. The National Transportation Safety Board was on the ground today trying to determine what caused this to happen. The FAA chief announcing that nearly 200 other similar planes in the U.S. will remain grounded as they search for answers. And aviation agencies across the world now are doing the same. Tom Costello leads us off tonight. New images tonight show the focus of the NTSB's investigation, the gaping hole where a sealed and plugged doorhole blew out in a violent explosion as the brand new Alaska Airlines plane was flying at 16,000 feet on its way from Portland to Ontario, California. The pilots wearing oxygen masks forced to make an emergency landing back in Portland. Alaska, 72, we just depressed us. We're declaring an emergency. We need to descend down

to 10,000. There was a big boom or a mini explosion in the rear of the plane. Today, passengers described a terrifying flight. Moisture and fluid, almost like a cloud, rushing from the front of the plane to the back of the plane. Blew my hat back. Folks in front of the plane to the back of the plane, blew my hat back. Folks in front of me, their hair was blown back. Evan Granger sitting several rows in front of the hole. I didn't want to look back to see what was happening. I knew something happened. And my focus in that moment was just breathe into the oxygen mask and trust that the flight crew will do everything they can to keep us safe.

Thankfully, no one was sitting in seats 26A or B next to the hull. But the NTSB chief says nearby seats are twisted and bent, the empty seats headrest and seat cushions missing, sucked out of the plane. A teenage boy sitting one row forward had his shirt ripped off. It happened behind the plane's left wing. An emergency exit door hole cut in case airlines want to carry more passengers. Otherwise, that door is plugged and sealed, leaving an ordinary window. Investigators will be looking at whether that plug was properly bolted in place during manufacturing. Inside the plane, the wind violently pulled the cockpit door free,

slamming it against the lavatory. Damage throughout the plane. Had the explosion occurred at cruising altitude, it could have been catastrophic. Something like that at 34,000, 35,000 feet, it's not just cold weather you're looking at. You're looking at a lack of oxygen and pretty significant consequences very early from that lack of oxygen and folks in the cabin. Tonight, with the FAA grounding the MAX 9, airlines around the world have been forced to cancel hundreds of flights. In the U.S., Alaska canceling 170, United 180, saying it's waiting for the FAA to provide directions. And Tom's with us now. Tom, we've heard the plane's black boxes have now arrived at NTSB headquarters in Washington.

What's next? Yeah, that's right. And investigators are interviewing the crew today, and they're also still asking for the public's help in finding the door to that MAX 9 that blew out. Kate? All right, Tom Costello for us, leading us off. Tom, thank you. A major snowstorm is pounding the Northeast tonight, causing trouble on the roads and cutting power

for thousands. And there's more nasty weather on the way. Kathy Park reports from Massachusetts. Tonight, parts of the Northeast buried from the first major snowfall of the year. I was expecting maybe like a few inches, but this was a lot. Heavy snow blanketing parts of New England overnight and quickly accumulating on sidewalks and cars. Snowy roads leading to dangerous driving conditions. Several tractor trailers jackknifed in Massachusetts, where parts of the state are nearing a foot and a half of snow

and thousands of customers are left without power. Massachusetts, where parts of the state are nearing a foot and a half of snow, and thousands of customers are left without power. You have your food, your canned goods, your water, you know, just in case you lose electricity, you gotta have something. The same storm dumping at least 15 inches in parts of Pennsylvania and upstate New York. We're grateful to Mother Nature for having this happen on a weekend. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, that just caught on fire. Mother Nature also spawning a tornado in Fort Lauderdale. Oh my god. Damaging marine vessels and power lines. Neighbors describing the moment of impact. Everything's flying everywhere. Some of our furniture ended up a couple doors down. Severe weather even stretching

into the NFL as the Jets faced off against the Patriots at a snowy Gillette Stadium. This weekend, shovels are working overtime after much of the region escaped significant snowfall for nearly two years. Five more inches is supposed to come. So you're going to work all day? Yeah. And into the night? Maybe, yeah. It's typical. Typical snowstorm. I miss it. Except the snow drought continues for New York and Philadelphia.

Cities have barely got a dusting. Kathy joins us now from Worcester, Massachusetts. The Northeast is on alert for more weather this week, right? Kate, that's right. As you can see here in Worcester, we got a lot of snow, roughly 13 inches. But on Tuesday and Wednesday, the region could be hit with a lot of rain. So large snow piles like this could melt and possibly lead to flash flooding. Kate? All right, Kathy Park for us in the snow. Kathy, thank you. There are new questions tonight after

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret hospital stay. Questions about why the president didn't know that Austin was in an ICU and why even Austin's second in command was not notified. And now some are calling for not only an explanation, but for consequences. Ali Rafa has more. Tonight, growing fallout over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret hospital stay and treatment in the ICU. It's worse than just he didn't notify the White House. Criticism pouring in over the lack of transparency. I do wish that it had been disclosed.

The secretary and the administration, frankly, need to step forward and give the American people the facts. Andrea Mitchell pressing the secretary of state. Were you aware of this? With regard to Secretary Austin, I wasn't aware of his medical issue. Tonight, we're learning more about who knew what and when, raising even more questions after the Pentagon announced the 70-year-old Austin was hospitalized the evening of January 1st for complications following a recent elective medical procedure. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin transferred responsibilities to Deputy

Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on January 2nd. But notably, a senior defense official tells NBC News that Hicks was not notified until Thursday the 4th, a full three days after Austin was admitted. According to a U.S. official, that's the same day the Pentagon also informed White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who then told President Biden. The Defense Department then waited one more day until Friday, January 5th, to inform the American people and lawmakers on Capitol Hill, some of whom are calling for Austin to face consequences. Still unclear tonight, six days after he entered the hospital,

what that undisclosed elective procedure was, the complications that resulted from it, and when Austin will be released from the hospital. The Pentagon says Secretary Austin remains in the hospital tonight, but has resumed his full duties, Kate. And Ali, we're also getting word of a tentative funding deal just reached on Capitol Hill that could avoid a government shutdown. What do we know? That's right. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a $1.59 trillion deal for government spending this year. The plan includes $886 billion for defense programs and $704 billion for non-defense programs. President Biden saying the deal is one step closer to avoiding a partial government shutdown. But lawmakers returned this week and both parties

have just 12 days to convince their own skeptical members to finalize the deal. Kate? Okay, Ali, thank you. Overseas now to Gaza, where the death toll has topped 22,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Many Gazans have lost multiple friends and family members. Matt Bradley now with the story of one man who has endured so much in a very public way. And a warning, some of what you're about to see is hard to watch. It's only one loss among so many. But Israel's killing of Wael Dadu's son echoes across the airways of the Arab world and beyond. As Al Jazeera's Gaza bureau chief, Wael has long been a witness to Gaza's struggles.

Lately, he's become a symbol of its sorrows. He was chivalrous. He was generous. He was tender. But Wael hasn't just endured this one loss. Wael's wife, his grandson, his younger son, and his daughter were all killed in an Israeli airstrike in October. How can someone accept the death of his son after losing other family members, he said. Hamza, an Al Jazeera journalist like his father, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza along with two other reporters. Yet even after his latest tragedy, Wael was back on the air just hours later. We will continue, he says, as long as we're alive.

Israel says they don't target journalists, but according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 70 reporters have been killed in Gaza so far. Journalists are facing a massacre, a bloodbath in Gaza, while said this is a horrific number and even the worst war. The sounds of Israel's assault on Gaza have been deafening. But when a journalist dies, the only sound left is silence. Matt Bradley, NBC News, Tel Aviv. Still ahead tonight, what new body cam video reveals about the night a Mississippi police officer shot an 11-year-old boy. We're back with the newly released body camera video from the night a Mississippi police officer

shot an 11-year-old boy in his own home. The boy had called 911 for help. Priscilla Thompson has the story and a warning the video is disturbing. Chilling new video shows the chaotic moment when police shot 11-year-old Adarian Murray in the chest. Adarian called the Indianola, Mississippi police for help with a domestic disturbance last May. Body cam video edited and released by Mississippi's Department of Public Safety first shows the boy's mom emerging from the home. You better come on out. Come out, ma'am. An attorney for the family maintains the mom told police the assailant was gone and that there were

three children inside the home, which does not appear to have been captured on this video. Sergeant Greg Capers repeatedly calls for a man to come out. Come out, sir. Don't make us come in. Shortly after, a Darien appears and Capers fires one shot. Oh, my God. The officer immediately calls for help. Mess that. He messed that. Mess that. We need her now. A Darien was hospitalized for days, his attorney says, with a collapsed lung, lacerated liver, and fractured ribs. Looking at the video, a little boy comes out with his hands up and gets shot.

That's unacceptable in America. The video's release comes less than a month after a Mississippi grand jury declined to indict Capers, finding he did not engage in criminal conduct. Today, an attorney for Capers told NBC News the release of the video was unexpected and that he cannot comment on his actions due to pending litigation. But Capers previously told ABC News the incident has been devastating. Definitely was an intention. I hate that it happened. I've shed many tears. Capers, who had been suspended without pay since June, was reinstated in December.

The family has filed a federal civil lawsuit and vows to keep up their fight. No justice, no peace. Justice looks like holding the city of Indianola fully accountable, as well as Greg Capers fully accountable for his reckless actions and almost killing my client. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News. The war in the Middle East and divisions here at home are sparking new tensions on college campuses. As part of a primetime special about racial healing, Shaquille Brewster spoke with students from the University of Michigan for an eye-opening conversation.

If there was a word to describe the mood that you have, the feeling that you have being on campus right now, what would that word be? Anxious. Difficult. We're at a time where everyone, I think, needs to take a deep breath, calm down, try to diffuse the situation, at least on campuses, and begin to facilitate dialogues. Raise your hand if you have felt on campus a concern about your words or your feelings being misconstrued. Everyone. I feel like every day you have to watch your words on whatever you do. You can be labeled something if you just misspeak once. For me personally, I feel the only thing to be concerned about is genuine physical safety. I was in attendance of a protest and there was a helicopter circling and you know that's kind of unsettling to see no explanation. A lot of times when we are advocating Palestinian liberation in particular it's misconstrued as us like stating that we want

to like completely eradicate like the Jewish population. And I'm like, no, like our safety comes with the safety of the Jewish population hand in hand. I'm just curious when we talk about liberation, like what Palestinian liberation means to you in conjunction with Jewish safety? I think that means going beyond the system that is currently embedded within Israel and that is currently embedded within Hamas. And I think it means establishing a state that initially is going back to what Palestinians call Palestine, while also allowing all ethnicities, religions, and people to live in there with the same rules. You both used anxiety at the beginning of this conversation. What's the feeling that you get knowing that there's someone else who feels that same level of anxiety as you? Just knowing that we do come from the same shared values of love and respect and empathy and humanity. It's assuring and it's

also disheartening because it's become such a polarized issue. I think that is a great way for us to start a conversation like that shared grief, the shared fear of what the future holds. And I do hope that that is what paves the path for people to have these conversations with other individuals. Conversations like these make me more optimistic about what college campuses could be and what the future could hold for not just our democracy, but democracies across the globe. There's much more in our full special on racial healing. Join me and my co-host Zincle

Essamuah this Friday on our streaming channel, NBC News Now, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Olympic gold medal gymnast Mary Lou Retton made headlines back in October when she had a near-fatal health scare. Well, now she's talking exclusively to today in a revealing one-on-one with Hoda Kotb. You have a breathing apparatus, oxygen. I am on oxygen. I feel like you're in a very kind of vulnerable state. Very much so.

I'm very private. I know. And to come out and talk about it. And usually my interviews are, oh, yes, it felt great to win the Olympics. Yeah, that kind of stuff. This is serious and this is life. And I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here.

Because there was a time when they were about to put me on the life support. Don't miss Hoda's powerful exclusive interview with Mary Lou Retton tomorrow on Today. When we come back, there's good news tonight, how our story about this high school athlete led to a meeting with his hero, Steph Curry. There's good news tonight about making dreams come true and the high school athlete who got a once in a lifetime chance to meet his hero back in november we brought you the story about this incredible buzzer beater at Liberty High School in Peoria, Arizona. T from three-point range is 18th point of the night. Everyone crowds around him. A moment he will never forget. That electrifying shot made by junior Tonatio Ramirez, who goes by T. He's part of Coach Jesse Wilk's Unified Sports Program for students with special needs.

And at the end of that segment, I said this. T says he was inspired by his favorite NBA star, Stephen Curry. So, Steph, if you're out there, if you're watching, give T a shout out for us. Turns out the Golden State Warrior was watching and invited T to a game. There's somebody that wants to meet you there. Do you know who that is? His name's Steph Curry. Moment of a lifetime. The pair meeting. Even doing drills together. You were smiling the whole time, T? Yeah, the whole time. T's coach, Jesse, was also there watching.

What was it like to go to a game and then to get courtside? Steph shot and then gave him like this little side high five with, oh my gosh, it was just the best. Curry took the time to give T some advice. My dream is to be a professional basketball player and be like you. Like, yeah. Keep working hard. Yeah. Keep working hard. Yeah. He's working hard.

He's working on your family, your friends. Yeah. You have confidence in yourself, just like you did in that video. Yeah. That's what you want to do. Yeah. And left him with some autographed swag. Are those the shoes he gave you?

Yeah. And what else? A jersey. He gave you a jersey. He worked hard a jersey. The power of sports to unite, making one team's dream come true. I appreciate the passion of him as a basketball fan, a basketball player. His goals that he set for himself, that's what basketball can do. Bring so many people together, provides inspiration.

Thank you, provides inspiration. Thank you, Steph Curry. That is NBC Nightly News on this Sunday. I'm Kate Snow. For all of us here at NBC News, stay safe. Have a great night.