NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, February 1, 2024

Episode Date: February 2, 2024

Defense Secretary Austin apologizes for keeping his hospitalization secret from President Biden and the public; Mother of Michigan school shooter testifies in her own defense; Airport hangar collapse kills 3 in Boise, Idaho; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologizing for keeping his cancer battle secret as U.S. forces prepare to retaliate for that deadly drone strike. Austin speaking out for the first time since his hospitalization, saying, quote, I did not handle this right, adding that his prostate cancer diagnosis was a gut punch and that he should have told the president and the public. It comes as the U.S. prepares to strike back after a drone killed three soldiers in the Middle East. We asked Austin why has the U.S. waited to escalate its response.

Also, tonight, the mother of a Michigan school shooter testifying at her own trial, what she said about wishing he'd killed her instead and why she didn't think he needed help with mental health. The catastrophic hangar collapsed at the Boise airport. Three people killed, five critically injured. How did it happen? Back-to-back storms slamming the West Coast, cars trapped by floods, swift water rescues. We're tracking it.

The two NYPD officers are in Times Square. Multiple suspects arrested. Why were they released without bail? And checking in with Elmo, how his innocent question on social media got a very unexpected response. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. Offering what he says was an explanation, not an excuse, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin broke his public silence today surrounding his cancer

diagnosis and his failure to notify even the president he had been hospitalized, all in the name of personal privacy. In a Pentagon news conference, Secretary Austin offering a broad apology for his lack of transparency, keeping his recent prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment a secret from his team, the public and the president. Austin facing the press during a critical moment at the Pentagon as the war machine he oversees is being ready to answer last Sunday's deadly attack on American soldiers in Jordan by Iranian backed militants. Chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander has our report.

Tonight, with the U.S. on the cusp of retaliatory strikes, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin detailing the Pentagon's preparations. This is a dangerous moment in the Middle East. And speaking out for the first time about that controversy, how he hid his hospitalization and diagnosis from the president and the public. I want to be crystal clear. We did not handle this right. And I did not handle this right. Delivering a frank and forthcoming apology. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public. And I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people. Alston faced bipartisan outrage after revelations he spent several days at Walter Reed unable to do

his job, but kept it a secret from the commander in chief and others, today saying he did not want to reveal his prostate cancer diagnosis. The news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, today saying he did not want to reveal his prostate cancer diagnosis. The news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, especially in the black community. It was a gut punch, and frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. Even from the president. Putting my personal issue, adding to all the things that he's got on his plate, I just didn't feel that that was a thing that I should do at the time. Anyone else within the military chain of command would have faced reprimand or even dismissal. Why shouldn't that same standard apply to you, sir?

Well, let me just say that, thanks for the question, that we didn't get this right. And as I said, I take full responsibility. Austin's visible limp, a sign of the 70-year-old's ongoing recovery. I'm here with a clear message to other men, especially older men. Get screened. Get your regular checkups. Prostate cancer has a glass jar. All of it coming as the U.S. is vowing what officials call a

multi-target campaign that could last weeks in retaliation for the drone attack by Iranian-backed militia that killed three U.S. service members, among more than 160 attacks since October on American targets. Why has the U.S. waited until American service members were killed to escalate its response. As you know, we've responded a number of times. I think at this point, we should, it's time to take away even more capability than we've taken in the past. And delivering this warning to those Iranian-backed forces. They have a lot of capability. I have a lot more. Peter, what's the latest on that

Pentagon review into Secretary Austin's actions? Lester, the Pentagon inspector general's office is conducting that review. Meanwhile, Secretary Austin will join President Biden tomorrow at Dover Air Force Base when the bodies of those three U.S. service members return home. Lester. All right, Peter, thank you. In Michigan, the mother of the teenager who killed four students at Oxford High School testified in her own defense today at her landmark involuntary manslaughter trial. Maggie Vespa now with late details. I've asked myself if I would have done anything differently and I wouldn't have. If you could change what happened, would you? Oh, absolutely. I wish he would have killed us instead.

Tonight, Jennifer Crumley on the stand testifying in her own defense about her relationship with her son, Ethan. I thought we were pretty close. And pushing back on prosecutors' core argument that leading up to the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School, she ignored clear signs her son was struggling. Did you ever believe that your son needed mental health treatment? No. I mean, there's a couple of times where Ethan had expressed anxiety, not to a level where I felt he needed to go see a psychiatrist or a

mental health professional. She testified school administrators downplayed concerns, including in a meeting with Ethan's guidance counselor the morning of the shooting. He told us that he didn't feel my son was a risk. Sean Hopkins telling the jury Monday. I felt it was better for him to be around peers and people who are his age than to be home alone. Prosecutors say both of Ethan's parents bought him the gun used in the shooting, but today Crumbly saying her husband was responsible for it. Who is responsible for storing the gun? My husband is. It was more his thing. Her testimony following an emotional

morning, several people in the courtroom crying as prosecutors played surveillance video of the deadly shooting. Because the situation was active and the killing hadn't stopped. You can't stop and render aid. Defense attorneys finished questioning Jennifer Crumbly late today, leaving prosecutors to begin their cross-examination first thing tomorrow. Lester. Maggie Vespa, thank you. Let's turn out of the collapse of an airplane hangar under construction at the airport in Boise, Idaho, leaving three people dead and nine badly injured. Liz Kreutz is there. Tonight, officials working to determine what caused this hangar under construction at the Boise airport to collapse, killing three people and injuring nine others, five in critical condition.

James Quintana witnessed the immediate aftermath, taking this video as he drove by. It was very, very shocking to see the magnitude of damage and see how big the structure was and how it seemed to have collapsed. Let's get everyone out of that collapse zone if you can. Officials described a chaotic scene as authorities responded to emergency calls around 5 Wednesday night. I don't know what caused it, but I can tell you that it was a pretty global collapse that occurred. The main structural members came down. It was fairly catastrophic. First responders pulling victims out of the wreckage. You saw people being rescued?

Yes, absolutely. Officials have now blocked off the property. They say as many as 30 people were working here at the time of the collapse. The rescue, challenging, technical, with some of the victims hoisted out. This massive crane also collapsing. They were still working on some of those structural components,

tying those together. The 39,000-squ000 square foot steel structure owned by private aircraft company Jackson Jet Center. The company saying in a statement, our focus now is on supporting our team and partners during this difficult time. A project manager for the contractor, Big D Builders, telling NBC News all the victims are their employees. It's overwhelming. It's such a tragedy. Liz, where do things stand in the investigation? Any answers yet?

Well, Lester, here at the site of the wreckage, law enforcement's been out here all day inspecting the damage. They've now turned the investigation over to OSHA. As for the victims, authorities have not released their identities yet. They're waiting to notify the families first. Lester. All right, Liz, thank you. That big storm caused by an atmospheric river brought heavy rain and flooding to parts of Southern California today, and there were swift water rescues in the northern part of

the state. The storm is over, but there is another atmospheric river on the way this weekend. A developing story here in New York, where two New York City police officers were attacked in Times Square. The suspects were then released without bail, a move that's drawing outrage tonight. Rahima Ellis has late details. The alarming video showing two NYPD officers beaten in Times Square, kicked and punched as police say they were trying to disperse a disorderly crowd Saturday. Seven suspects arrested were seen in these mugshots. Chief, what were you thinking when you saw that video? Completely outraged.

And tonight, the NYPD also outraged, though suspects are back out on the street, released without bail on charges including assault on a police officer. In any case, when you attack our police officers, you should go to Rikers Island, you should be remanded, or bail should be set. Prosecutors acknowledging to NBC News they only asked for bail for one of the suspects. District Attorney Alvin Bragg writing, violence against police officers is never acceptable. It is paramount that we conclusively identify each defendant and specify each participant's role in the incident. Tonight, the NYPD saying the seven

suspects are migrants who came to New York in the past year. Several have arrest records since coming to the U.S., according to senior law enforcement officials. At least six others still being pursued. It's not known whether they are also migrants. Get them all and send them back. You don't touch our police officers. Tonight, we're told the two NYPD police officers are OK. Lester. Raheem Ellis, thank you. President Biden is in Battleground, Michigan tonight, hoping to get more backing from autoworkers with new signs he's facing a very tight race there against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Gabe Gutierrez has late details. Just days after clinching a coveted endorsement from the United Autoworkers, President Biden back in Michigan tonight as the battle for this crucial swing state intensifies.

We now have have in large part because of you and organized labor, the strongest economy in the whole damn world. Carpentry union worker Tracy Langenbarger credits Biden for bringing infrastructure jobs here. Joe Biden has kept us working and he's labor friendly and that's all I can ask for. But tonight, warning signs for the Biden campaign, including this new poll showing a potential head-to-head matchup here with GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. Scott Malenfort has been an auto worker for more than 20 years. I support Trump because I truly believe he does want what's best for the American worker. The former president is trying to peel off more

of those blue-collar voters, meeting with Teamsters leadership yesterday. Over the years, I've employed thousands and thousands of Teamsters, and they've done a great job. Another challenge for President Biden here, cratering support from Michigan's huge Arab American population, demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. I think he is funding a genocide. The president today said he understood that pain and passion, but that's not enough for Rory Kamla Ajlouni in the Detroit suburbs. How disappointed are you with the Biden administration? I'm heartbroken. I am so hurt that it's a feeling of betrayal. She voted for Mr. Biden in 2020. But now... There is a widespread underground campaign of Arabs, of Muslims, where we cannot morally support President Biden.

So if not President Biden, would you vote for former President Trump? No. So who would you vote for? I would write in on the ballot, cease fire, free Palestine. Even though that could potentially give the election to former President Trump. If things don't change, then I have no choice. In 2020, President Biden won Michigan by just 154,000 votes. Losing Arab Americans or union members could cost them the state. Lester. Gabe Gutierrez, thank you. In 60 seconds, our new reporting on the toxic freight train

derailment in Ohio. One year later, what we're learning as residents remain concerned about their health. Welcome back. I'm Dana Griffin with some breaking news out of Clearwater, Florida, where a small plane crashed into a mobile home park, according to the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department, causing several homes to catch fire. The crash happened around 7 o'clock local time, just south of Clearwater Mall. Now, according to the FAA, the pilot of that single-engine aircraft reported an engine failure just prior to the crash. It is not yet known how many people were on board the plane or how many may have been injured on the ground. At this hour, it is unclear if there are any fatalities as the search and rescue mission

continues. Now back to Lester in New York. This weekend marks one year since that toxic train to Remingtonment in Ohio devastating the community of East Palestine. Our Steve Romo spoke to people just now returning who say there is still a long way to get back to normal. Tonight, video and documents just released by the NTSB shedding new light on that devastating train derailment and controlled explosion a year ago, including transcripts of the conversation in the train's cab when conductors realized something was seriously wrong. We didn't get any air in the back, one says. That means we've come apart. 38 cars had jumped the tracks, some bursting into flames and leaking toxic chemicals.

Christina Dilworth says that day East Palestine changed forever. We all had to leave. It was scary. It was like a horror movie. For much of the last year, Dilworth stayed at a hotel paid for by Norfolk Southern, but that relocation program is ending. Bottled water. It's just my new normal. She hoped coming back to her house would feel more like coming home. A lot of people just think, oh, it's done. It's over. Everybody's safe to go home. I always feel like we're like the forgotten town. An October EPA report did not show any concerning levels of contaminants,

and state regulators say the tap water is safe. But many here worry about the long-term health impacts. After the derailment, Dilworth says she developed a rash and headaches. Health-wise, are you concerned just being here? Yes, I am concerned. What's my long-term future? I've already been exposed. As for the cleanup, Norfolk Southern says that is nearly complete.

Trucks and heavy machinery remain as crews rebuild the area that was dug up to remove chemicals. We want to make it look like it was beforehand. Crews also installed pumps, which are still collecting all stormwater from the site. A lot of people asking why it took so long. What was the biggest challenge at this site? You know, it's a complex site, but you know, everything we do, we've got to work with the regulators to get done correctly. Meanwhile, all day long, trains run through East Palestine and no new federal safety legislation has passed. Stephen Romo, NBC News, East Palestine, Ohio. And next, the urgent new warnings about supplements known on the street as gas station heroin. Also tonight, the FDA sounded the alarm about a potentially deadly drug. And unlike many drugs sold on the street, a lot of users are buying it at places like gas

stations nationwide. Valerie Castro with our report from Alabama. Tonight, so-called gas station heroin finding its way into stores around the country. See these little gas stations right here? These are the places they would sell them. The substance called tianeptine, found as an ingredient in some over-the-counter products labeled as dietary supplements. Chrissy Reifschneider used supplements containing the drug for three years, visiting various gas stations to buy the brand Tiana Red, fueling a $150 a day habit for an energy boost. Just because it's legal and over the counters, I compare it to fentanyl and heroin.

Dr. William Rushton, a toxicology expert in Alabama, calling it a growing threat to public health. It really acts a lot like an opioid. It's not just when you take it, but it's when you stop taking it, becoming sort of very ill, very agitated. TNeptine is not approved by the FDA for medical use in the U.S., but the FDA does not test dietary supplements before they reach the consumer, and that's the loophole that allows some companies to include the synthetic drug in a supplement. But we absolutely know now it's spreading throughout the rest of the country. The FDA now issuing new warnings about the dangers focusing on the brand Neptune's Fix,

linking it to seizures, loss of consciousness and death. The maker agreeing to a voluntary recall saying distribution channels have not reported any adverse events from the use of its products. NBC News reached out to the makers of these brands for comment, but did not hear back. These things are the devil's candy. Rife Schneider has now taken to social media with her experience. I honestly never thought I would even be here. Now almost four years sober and newly married, she's focused on sharing her story as a warning to others.

Valerie Castro, NBC News, Huntsville, Alabama. We'll take a break. Coming up, when a Muppet captures the moment, how a post from the beloved puppet set the world ablaze. We'll hear from Elmo himself next. Finally, a reminder, you're never too old to call Elmo a friend. Emily Aketa now on how a simple question from the Sesame Street star took an unexpected turn. Elmo loves you.

With his unmistakable voice and warmth and understanding. Everybody feels lots of emotions, like happy, sad, surprised, and frustrated. Elmo has touched countless lives for more than four decades. And this week, that connection proving stronger than ever. Well, it's very important to check on your friends and see how they're doing because maybe they're not doing okay or maybe they are, but it's good to talk about it. Our favorite furry friend reacting on the Today Show to the wave of emotional venting on social media this week when he posted nine seemingly simple words. Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing? Thousands opened up with the good vibing, thriving, one person wrote, and mostly the bad.

I'm having a quarter life crisis right now, someone posted, adding. I'm mentally burnt out and I have a lifetime of working to go. Even President Biden and celebrities weighing in. T-Pain told Elmo, I'm just looking for somebody to talk to and show me some love, if you know what I mean. Elmo, alongside his proud dad, Louie, says he's glad he asked. 40,000 responses. We don't even know how to count that high yet. That's right. asked. 40,000 responses. We don't even know how to count that high yet. The surprising response prompting Sesame Street to post resources for emotional well-being, all thanks to a heartfelt check-in straight from Emily Ikeda, NBC News.

And that is nightly news for this Thursday. Thank you for watching, i'm lester holt please take care of yourself and each other good night