NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Sunday, September 1, 2024

Episode Date: September 1, 2024

IDF recovers bodies of 6 hostages killed by Hamas, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, in Gaza; Controversy over Trump’s Arlington National Cemetery visit reignites with Harris at the forefront; 3 dead after a plane crashes into an Oregon house; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, breaking news out of the Middle East. Six hostages found killed in Gaza, including an American citizen captured on October 7th. The anger and anguish boiling over into the streets of Israel today. American Hirsch Goldberg Poland, among the six found killed, more than 300 days after being captured. The new statement from his family, who have been so public in pleading for his release. The huge protests ratcheting up the pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to make a deal for the remaining hostages. I'm ready not to suffering. Reaction from families and the White House tonight.

New questions over former President Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery, the Gold Star families blasting Vice President Harris, and the dispute over whether she, too, was invited to attend. An NFL rookie shot in an armed robbery in San Francisco. The video of him standing up, look at this, after a bullet went through his chest. The latest on how he's doing. Terrifying moments as a small plane crashes into an Oregon townhouse.

The passengers on board and a person inside the home killed. A close neighbor said the explosion shook him out of his chair. And holiday hotel chaos. Thousands of staffers on strike on one of the busiest weekends of the year. So could it affect your next trip? This is NBC Nightly News with Hallie Jackson. We're coming on the air tonight with new fury and new grief in Israel. Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating in the streets.

Look at this. You can see the scale of the protests here. One of the largest since October 7th. All happening after six hostages were killed in Gaza. Israel blaming Hamas for the deaths. One of the victims, an Israeli-American whose parents have been leading voices in the push for a ceasefire. Here they are speaking at the Democratic Convention. Their very public, very painful nightmare coming to the worst possible end, 330 days after their son and dozens of others were first taken. Now, the pressure intensifying

on Israel's prime minister to reach a deal to stop the fighting, with new calls for a big labor strike starting tomorrow that could effectively shut down the country until there's progress at the negotiating table. We have team coverage tonight, starting with Raf Sanchez in Tel Aviv. Tonight, grief and anger on the streets of Tel Aviv after the bodies of six young Israeli hostages were recovered from Gaza, including American Hirsch Goldberg, Poland. The IDF says they were executed by Hamas in a tunnel underneath the city of Rafah as Israeli troops were closing in. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, I was outraged to the depths of my soul by the horrific, cold-blooded murder of six of our hostages. But here outside Israel's

defense ministry, much of the anger is aimed at Prime Minister Netanyahu. These protesters accuse him of blocking a deal to bring the hostages home. And every time it's a different excuse. Trade unions announcing a general strike tomorrow, threatening to shut down Israel's main airport unless Netanyahu accepts a deal. Among the hostages killed 40-year-old Carmel Gat. Her cousin Gil tells us the leaders of both Hamas and Israel are responsible for her death. These leaders are to blame and the terror organization is to blame and the government that decided to sacrifice the lives of the hostages. They're all to blame.

For nearly 11 months, Hersh's parents, John and Rachel, campaigned tirelessly for his release, even taking their case to the Democratic National Convention. And every morning, a painful ritual, marking the days since his kidnapping. The president and vice president both spoke to them today. Mr. Biden saying he's devastated and outraged at Hersh's murder, adding Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. Hersh turned 23 just days before October 7th, when he was kidnapped from a music festival, his arm partly severed by a Hamas grenade. Since then, his parents' only glimpse of their only son was this hostage video released in April. We met them the next day.

I mean, painful is too small of a word of what it's like for any parent. Hirsch's family always urged compassion for civilians in Gaza, where a vaccination campaign is now underway to stop the spread of polio in children. How do you stay hopeful? Well, we say all the time hope is mandatory. We have been remaining hopeful and optimistic this entire time, believing, willing ourselves to believe that he is alive and that he is coming back. And Raf joins us now. So, Raf, what else do we know about the remaining American hostages? Hallie, there are still seven U.S. hostages in

Gaza. Three of them are confirmed dead. The other four are believed to be alive. And Hersh Goldberg Poland will be laid to rest tomorrow in Jerusalem. Hallie. Raf Sanchez live for us in Tel Aviv tonight. Thank you. Let's bring in Matt Bradley, who's also in the region. And Matt, the big question now is what this moment means for those ceasefire talks. It's a great question, Hallie. The last round of those negotiations ended in Doha on Thursday night. And now they're down to sort of lower-level, working-level

negotiations. Now, these hundreds of thousands of protesters are really hoping that Benjamin Netanyahu is going to compromise on the talks and get to a deal. They think, a lot of them, that the murder of these six hostages has vindicated something they've been saying all along, that Netanyahu's strategy of trying to free the remaining hostages through military pressure just isn't going to work. And they have the numbers to prove it, because so far, only eight hostages have been freed through military incursions, and actually more than 100 were freed during the last week-long ceasefire in November. Hallie? Matt Bradley in Tel Aviv, thank you. Back here in the U.S., we're hearing for the first time

directly from Vice President Kamala Harris about former President Trump's controversial visit to Arlington National Cemetery last week with the White House also denying reports that she, too, had been invited to attend. Here's Gabe Gutierrez. Tonight, the controversy over former President Trump's visit to Arlington National Cemetery has reignited. Vice President Harris slamming him for disrespecting sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt. She's calling the cemetery a solemn place and not a place for politics. We lost 13 great, great people.

It's her first time weighing in after the Trump campaign posted this highlight video on TikTok showing the former president laying a wreath in honor of the service members killed during the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan. A cemetery spokesperson said federal law prohibits campaign-related activities there. Mr. President, what do you think of President Trump's behavior at Arlington Cemetery with the visit to the fallen soldiers? I don't want to answer things. I may tell you what I think.

On social media overnight, former President Trump posted a series of videos from Gold Star families criticizing the Biden administration. You have been nothing but disrespectful to me and the families of the 13. We invited President Trump. We are the ones that asked for the video and the pictures to be taken. Even though the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was negotiated with the Taliban during the Trump administration, the former president blames the Biden White House for its poor execution. Joe Biden killed those young people because he was incompetent. And then they tell me that I use their graves for public relations services and I didn't. In an interview with

NBC News last week, Trump insisted he knew nothing about the video that was shared on TikTok and said the Gold Star families had invited him. You know who the families also invited? Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Where were they? Joe Biden was sitting at a beach. Kamala Harris was sitting at her mansion in Washington, D.C. A White House official and the Harris aide deny the president or vice president were ever invited.

Gabe is joining us now from outside the White House. And Gabe, this is all happening as we round the corner to the final two months before Election Day with plenty of campaigning left to do. Yes, Hallie, the Harris-Walls campaign is planning a battleground blitz tomorrow with stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, and a rare joint event with President Biden in Pennsylvania. Former President Trump is also expected to hold a town hall in that state on Wednesday. Hallie? Gabe, thank you. To San Francisco now, where new dramatic video shows an NFL rookie walking calmly in the

moments after being shot in the chest during an attempted robbery, a shooting that happened after a struggle with the alleged thief. Marissa Parra has the late details. Shocking video shows 49ers rookie Ricky Pearsall clutching his chest and walking to a stretcher after he was shot in broad daylight. San Francisco police say the 23-year-old was the victim of an attempted armed robbery Saturday, just hours after signing autographs at a publicity event. In a Facebook post, Pearsall's mom wrote, he was shot in the chest and it exited out his back. It missed his

vital organs. My son was spared today by the grace of God. The chaos started around half past three in bustling Union Square. The 49ers rookie was walking alone when a 17-year-old pulled a gun and tried to rob him. The two struggled, and both Pearsall and the suspect were shot. More than one shot was fired, but again, we need to confirm exactly how. In the aftermath, Pearsall was seen on KTVU video walking slowly to the ambulance with the help of first responders holding on to him. The 17-year-old suspect is now in police custody. Meanwhile, Pearsall has since been released from the hospital. We're 49ers. The rookie was on the brink of his NFL debut as the 49ers' first round pick in the spring.

He was recovering from hamstring and shoulder injuries during the preseason and said last month he was eager to play. I'm up for the job. I'm excited to get started. San Francisco's mayor speaking for fans everywhere. He has a bright future and I look forward to seeing him recover and get back on the field. It's unclear when he'll make his return to running the field. Right now, the focus is on his recovery. Marza Parra, NBC News. Federal investigators tonight are looking into a terrifying caught-on-camera plane crash

that left three people dead in Oregon, a crash that ignited a fire which spread to other buildings nearby. Dana Griffin has more. This was the terrifying aftermath. We think that an airplane crashed into the house. A row of townhomes just outside Portland, Oregon goes up in flames. Look, as the plane crashes caught on camera, a huge fireball rises above the neighborhood.

I did see the pilot started veering to the left, like, very hard. That plane must be buried in between these three condos. There's no sign of it out here. John Sampson was there when the Cessna went down, killing the pilot and passenger. It was a huge explosion that pretty much rocked the whole area. The fire jumping from home to home as firefighters worked frantically to douse the flames. One resident was killed, authorities say. The shocking moment heard on radio traffic with the Troutdale Airport Control Tower, just two miles from the crash site. Crash, crash, crash.

Big black smoke in the residential area. Troutdale Tower confirming a report in a plane crash. That's affirmative. And it was a twin aircraft. Investigators said that there was no mayday call. What do you make of that? There was no mayday call, perhaps because the pilot didn't feel it was an emergency situation. The pilot did admit to air traffic that he was having handling problems, and this was a test flight. The NTSB is moving the plane to a secure facility as

they piece together what went wrong. Five families are now displaced from a crash no one saw coming. Dana Griffin, NBC News. Still ahead tonight, the big union strike at some of the biggest hotel chains in the country right in the middle of a holiday weekend. How long it could last. Also, our first look at how the Supreme Court's striking down affirmative action has affected incoming classes at the most elite colleges in America. Back now with the big strike threatening to throw a wrench into holiday weekend plans across the country. Hotel workers at some of the biggest chains in the world now on the picket lines.

And tonight, even more of those union members say they may join in and walk off. Antonia Hilton reports. Tonight, some 10,000 hotel workers are walking off the job during the busy holiday weekend. From Greenwich, Connecticut to Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and even in Hawaii. The strike, expected to last up to three days in some cases, is affecting the Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton chains. And workers organized by hospitality union Unite Here say they're fighting for higher pay, better staffing, and reduced workloads after months of stalled negotiations. American hotel chains made major cuts to services and staff during the pandemic, but now travel has rebounded.

But the workers say they're still feeling the squeeze. The hotel industry has bounced back from the COVID era, right? They're seeing record profits now in 2024. We need some of those profits so that we can actually be back at that standard of living and moving forward. These strikes may be the first of many, with the potential for more joining in other major cities in the days ahead. How do you think the guests, the travelers, will feel this? Well, in many hotels, I think you'll see limited services. So there may not be daily housekeeping. The pool or the gym or the spa

may be closed while the guests are there. We reached out to the chains impacted. Only Hilton responded, saying they remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach fair and reasonable agreements. Workers hope the major hotel brands will come back to the bargaining table soon and that they can get back to providing the experience travelers deserve. Antonia Hilton, NBC News, Old Greenwich, Connecticut. We're back in a moment with the big impact from the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action in college admissions, how black and Latino enrollment has dropped at some of the nation's most elite universities. For the first time this school year, we're seeing just what kind of effect

that Supreme Court ruling, effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions, means for some of the country's most elite universities. Here's Raheem Ellis. As MIT's incoming first-year class began orientation this week in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the elite university's president speaking out about the makeup of the class of 2028. What it does not bring as a consequence of last year's Supreme Court decision is the same degree of broad racial

and ethnic diversity. The roughly 1,100 members of the class, the first shaped in part by the Supreme Court's decision striking down affirmative action in school admissions. I'm very surprised and I'm honestly shocked that it would have dropped so much. Black and African Americans making up just 5% of students compared to 13% in the previous four years. Hispanic students, 11 percent, down from 15 percent. But Asian American students, up 47 percent from 41 percent. And white students, holding steady at 37 percent from 38 percent previously. Students we spoke to here, concerned. I do think, like, when I look out at my class, you know, you

see a lot of people who look like me and much fewer people who look different from me. Diversity is actually one of the biggest reasons that I came to MIT. I definitely think it's a stunning shift. MIT professor Danielle Wood believes cutting race from the equation was a mistake. What do you think that does to the campus at large? I think it harms the campus. There is a lot of research that shows that it's important for students of all backgrounds to feel both welcomed and as though they belong. Plus, more diverse environments produce more innovation.

Wood is both the chair of the African American Studies program at MIT and a former student. I really would say that I'm in mourning, in part because I know there's people like me who might have had a chance to study at MIT and they won't have that opportunity. At least three other schools releasing their data, showing dips in black enrollment ranging from small to eight percent. How do we get the desired results of diversity without compromising merit? Deborah Alexander's son Augie is starting the college application process. She says she values diversity, but that the playing field needs to be leveled well before college. Admission to college should be based on, again, that best fit. And the best fit for an academic setting should be the academic merit of the child. Here at MIT, the university is vowing to find ways to increase diversity without violating the Supreme Court ruling. That means increasing

outreach to minority communities and promoting its financial aid programs. Nine states had previously banned affirmative action at its public universities. Most saw a drop in minority students immediately after. Are you hopeful for the future? I have to stay hopeful because that's what keeps us focused on being creative and innovating. A long road ahead in the quest for diversity on campus. Rahima Ellis, NBC News, Cambridge, Massachusetts. When we come back, there's good news tonight, how this little boy shared his life-saving news with the nurses who mean so much to him. There's good news tonight about sharing good news and the little boy who couldn't wait to tell the world about a life-saving update. Hey!

Hey! I'll get a new heart! This is the moment of joy when six-year-old John Henry Lee finally got to share his good news with staff at the Cleveland Clinic. Phyllis, I'll get a new heart! What? Oh, my goodness! to share his good news with staff at the Cleveland Clinic. There he is making the rounds this spring with mom Sarah. Giving hugs and lots of love to the nurses and doctors who'd been by his side for years. A celebration for the brave little boy born with a rare heart condition who's been in and out of the hospital his whole life. He was like, wait, we gotta go tell everybody. And I was like, we gotta go tell everybody? He's like, yeah, let's go.

A proud moment for nurses like Laura Bartokok who says john henry is her inspiration i think what we can learn from john henry's attitude is realize the bigger picture of what's going on in life we may have you know bad days but these kids have to live in the hospitals and they're still seeing the good side of life and they're still idealistic and they're still hopeful then in may john henry finally got that heart going through surgery and months of rehab before an emotional send-off this summer congratulations you can hear your mommy, okay? Everyone did this together. It's not one person did this.

This is a whole community worth of people that took care of him in order to get him where he is today. Bye, Cleveland Clinic! Now back home with his family. I'm playing outside. And spreading the word about the life-saving gift of organ donation. Organ donation has given my son a second chance of life. Without organ donation, he wouldn't be able to be a kid. You know, and he's a kid again.

It's like he has a second chance at life now. And John Henry was so inspired by all the nurses and doctors who helped him. He now wants to go into medicine when he grows up so he can do the same. That's nightly news for this Sunday. I'm Hallie Jackson. For all of us here at NBC, thanks for watching and have a great week.