NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, May 16, 2024

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

Former President Donald Trump’s attorney accused Michael Cohen of lying on the stand in his ongoing hush money trial, President Biden asserted executive privilege over records of his interviews with a special counsel who ended up criticizing his memory, the Texas governor pardoned a man convicted of murdering a protester, and more in tonight’s broadcast.

Tonight, the courtroom drama. Donald Trump's attorney accusing Michael Cohen of lying on the stand. Cohen, Mr. Trump's former fixer, back under a scathing cross-examination. The defense appearing to catch Cohen off guard, casting doubt on a 2016 call he said he had with Trump over the hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, saying, quote, that is a lie, how Cohen responded as he faces another day on the stand. Also tonight, President Biden asserting executive privilege over recordings of his interview with the special counsel who ended up criticizing his memory. A rare high risk alert for life threatening flash floods in the south. The dangerous storms being called a nightmare scenario. Just in, the man convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester, why the Texas

governor just pardoned him. A Florida neighborhood terrorized. Gunmen with high-powered firearms unleashing a barrage of bullets search for answers. The Kansas City Chiefs kicker under fire for his commencement speech, urging women to be homemakers and blasting the LGBTQ community, what the NFL is now saying. And after thieves made off with a beloved Jackie Robinson statue, the community coming together to help a legend rise again. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. Good evening and welcome. A grueling day for Donald Trump accuser Michael Cohen as the former president's lawyer worked

to shake off some of the sparkle from the prosecution's star witness. Cohen has now spent a total of 14 hours on the witness stand this week facing cross-examination by defense attorney Todd Blanch. Diving once more into Cohen's history of lies, painting him as driven by revenge and confronting him with his eagerness to see his former boss rot inside. And in a key moment, leading Cohen to contradict his own testimony about a phone call he says he had with Mr. Trump regarding the hush money payments at the center of this case. Tonight, the trial barreling toward its conclusion, but with key decisions still to be made, including will Donald Trump testify?

Once again, Laura Jarrett leads our coverage. Tonight, star prosecution witness Michael Cohen facing a scathing second day of cross-examination as former President Trump's defense team tries to paint him as a spurned former employee desperate for payback. I truly hope that this man ends up in prison. The jury hearing Cohen on his podcast appearing in search of vengeance. Revenge is a dish best served cold. And you better believe I want this man to go down and rot inside for what he did to me and my family. Tension in the room building to a dramatic moment. Trump attorney Todd Blanche accusing Cohen of lying about a key part

of his testimony. Just two days ago, Cohen telling the jury unequivocally that Mr. Trump's bodyguard, Keith Schiller, passed the phone to Mr. Trump on October 24th, 2016 at 8.02 p.m. Cohen says he informed Mr. Trump at the time the deal to pay off Stormy Daniels would be done. Blanche today raising his voice saying that was a lie, showing the jury never before seen text messages suggesting the call was for another purpose entirely. Cohen had earlier reached out to Schiller for help dealing with a 14 year old prank caller and Schiller texted back, telling Cohen to call him. Logs show a call on October 24th that lasted just 97 seconds. The defense's clear implication, the phone was never passed to Mr. Trump. Cohen appearing blindsided. Blanche grilling him. That was a lie. You did not talk to President Trump. You talked to Keith Schiller. You can admit it. Cohen responding. No, sir. I don't know that it's accurate. Cohen adding, I believe I also spoke to Mr. Trump about the Stormy Daniels matter. Blanche shooting back. We are not asking what you believe. This jury does not want to hear what you

think happened. Cohen's credibility key to the state's case, as he is the only one who has testified the former president had advanced knowledge of the plan to pay off Daniels to protect his campaign and then signed off on a scheme to pay Cohen back, allegedly falsifying business records to disguise his reimbursements. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty, as his defense attorneys have argued nothing was falsified. And once again, challenging prosecutors' theory today that the former president only cared about shielding his campaign from Daniel's damaging story. Blanche pushing Cohen about Mr. Trump's reaction the first time the former president learned of Daniel Schopinger's

story. Blanche asking, the first thing that President Trump said to you was that his family wouldn't like that very much. Cohen saying that's true. The self-described former Trump fixer turned foe, maintaining his composure on the stand when pressed at length about his criminal history. Cohen has been convicted of lying under oath and disbarred. The defense arguing he has a motivation to lie now and a history of doing it. Quote, you lied under oath, correct? Blanche asking him. Yes, sir, Cohen says. The defense today saying Cohen is also not telling the full story about his desire for a White House job, which Mr. Trump never offered him. You were disappointed that after all the work that you had done for President Trump for nine and a half years, nobody, including President Trump, offered you a position in the White House, Blanche asked.

That's not accurate, Cohen said. I think it was a very interesting day. It was a fascinating day. And it shows what a scam this whole thing is. Laura, let's circle back if we can for a moment. When the defense accused Cohen of lying under oath about that phone call, was there any sense of the impact? Lester, the jury was paying very close attention to that entire exchange. It was a real blow to prosecutors, no doubt about it. Now, Michael Cohen will be back on the stand for more testimony

on Monday. Lester. All right, Laura, thank you. President Biden asserted executive privilege today to keep Congress from getting recordings of his interview with a special counsel. Kelly O'Donnell is at the White House. Kelly, what was this about? Lester, this goes back to the investigation of classified documents found at the Biden home. No charges were filed. The special counsel who interviewed the president referred to him as a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.

The written transcript is public, but House Republicans want the audio recordings. The president blocked that using executive privilege. The attorney general recommended shielding the tapes to protect future witnesses and investigations. The White House counsel wrote that Republicans really want the tapes to use them for partisan political purposes. House Speaker Johnson accused the White House of being afraid for citizens to hear what's on those tapes. And separately, news organizations, including NBC, are part of a lawsuit seeking the release of this audio under the Freedom of Information Act. Lester. Kelly O'Donnell, thank you.

Tonight, torrential downpours putting 21 million people at risk from potentially life-threatening flooding in Texas and along the Gulf Coast. Rain has been soaking the region with up to a foot expected in areas through Saturday. The flash flooding risk moderate to severe in some parts through early tomorrow. Also in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott issued a pardon today to a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder in the shooting of a Black Lives Matter protester back in 2020. Steve Patterson is following this. Steve, what more do we know? Lester, Governor Abbott says this pardon is justified by Texas's Stanier ground law and comes after the Board of Pardons and Paroles reviewed the case and voted unanimously in favor of the pardon.

Last year, U.S. an intersection where Perry was parked. Perry then shot Foster from the vehicle, later claiming self-defense. Tonight, the district attorney in the case is condemning the pardon, calling it a mockery of our legal system. Lester. Steve Patterson, thank you. It was a terrifying night in a neighborhood in South Florida, a barrage of gunfire lasting 15 seconds, lighting up the street as a silver car sped past in Miami Gardens. Police say several gunmen targeted the car with high-powered weapons. The chaos caught on home surveillance cameras. Some of the bullets hit

houses in the neighborhood. The car crashed into a fence and those inside got out. Remarkably, police say there were no injuries. We'll turn out of the growing controversy over a graduation speech at a Catholic college given by a kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs. Some critics saying it was sexist and homophobic and calling on the team to cut him loose. Here's Liz Kreutz. Tonight, the NFL on defense after growing backlash over that controversial graduation speech given by one of their star players, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Bucker. I think it is you, the women, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you.

In the speech at Benedictine College, the 28-year-old Super Bowl champ criticizing LGBTQ plus rights and abortion, IVF, surrogacy, while encouraging the young women graduates to focus on being a homemaker. Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world. Despite a standing ovation from the crowd, many slamming the speech as homophobic and sexist. Getting married and having kids is not my ideal situation right now. It definitely made graduation feel a little less special, knowing I had to sit through that and get told I'm nothing

but a homemaker. The NFL, which is coming off a year of record female viewership amid hype over Taylor Swift's relationship with Bucker's teammate, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelsey, now distancing themselves from Bucker. The league saying in a statement, Bucker gave a speech in his personal capacity. His views are not those of the NFL. And more than 140,000 people have now signed a petition calling on the NFL to remove Bucker from the Chiefs. So far, neither Benedictine College, the Chiefs or Bucker himself have commented. Lester. Liz Kreutz, thank you. In the Middle East, a potential humanitarian lifeline in Gaza as the U.S. military finished setting up a pier the Pentagon has said could put U.S. troops in harm's way. Richard Engel reports. The U.S. military has tonight anchored its pier off the

Gaza Strip and will, in the coming days, begin to use landing craft to shuttle humanitarian aid to the coast. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warning this could put U.S. troops at risk. It's also slow but needed because trucks are increasingly blocked and attacked by Israeli settlers and right-wing extremists. In several incidents this week, Israeli hardliners have stopped supplies and aid they suspected were heading to Gaza. And they're proud of what they're doing. The activists say as long as Hamas holds hostages in Gaza and keeps them in deprivation, Gazans should be deprived as well. Several of the trucks were sent by Jordan, and senior Jordanian officials tell NBC News

that Israel has failed to address the problem. We traveled to the West Bank, through areas where Palestinians say hundreds of armed settlers carried out arson attacks. In one case, CCTV footage showed settlers setting fire to a garage, while in the distance, Israeli soldiers appear not to intervene. Tarek Hamid, a Palestinian-American, is a community leader here. Is that common, where the settlers do things like this, attack people, set things on fire, and the soldiers just sit back? They just sit back and watch. They don't do anything. They're supposed to be protecting people. The Israeli military says it does not impede the flow of aid into Gaza, and that the alleged arson attacks by settlers in the West Bank are under investigation. Lester. Richard Engel, thank you. In 60 seconds,

a promising new drug to treat menopause, but will insurance cover it? A new drug is showing promising results and relief for millions of women going through menopause. Anne Thompson has more. Once whispered, now shouted. I'm in menopause! By high-profile women. I think I'm having my first hot flash. And millions of others who want better medicine for this phase of life. I started having hot flashes. Cindy Lothry is a once active wife, mother, and nurse slowed down by the effects of menopause. How bad does it get? I would turn really red and perspire really bad. And I'm bad enough that I could be in a social situation and people would stop me and ask if I was okay. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So, I mean, definitely noticeable to other people. Until she joined a phase three clinical trial of a potential new drug called L-enzenitin, targeting two receptors in the brain. Dr.

Joanne Pinkerton led the trials. It did work very well to reduce frequency and severity of hot flashes, and it improved sleep and overall quality of life. So it worked on all three. Cindy says her hot flashes, as many as 15 a day, disappeared. And I could sleep and fall asleep and stay asleep. Wow. And I felt really rested when I woke up. Made by Bayer, this drug could one day join Veoza as a non-hormonal option with the same high price tag, well over $500 a month. A cost most insurance plans don't

automatically cover, and some plans make women fail two other treatments before paying for Veoza. What would you say to insurance companies about the need to cover these drugs? Women and providers need to be able to pick the best and safest medication for women that they'll take. Women demanding access and choice to deal with the process of aging. Ann Thompson, NBC News. We have more to tell you about coming up. Why is a life-saving treatment only carried by a tiny percentage of rescue vehicles? Our investigation is next. Back now with our NBC News investigation. Doctors and first responders sounding the alarm about a critical lifeline that most ambulances don't have.

As Cynthia McFadden reports, they say it could save tens of thousands of lives a year. America 1 is departing. When it comes to medical emergencies, San Antonio, Texas and Birmingham, Alabama do things differently than 99% of the country. They carry blood on board at least some of their emergency vehicles. So does Palm Beach County, Florida. The district fire chief there says he has very personal proof. Blood on ambulances saves lives. I had to be carried in a bed. Several days after having her tonsils out, his six-year-old daughter, Izzy, lay unconscious in his arms after vomiting blood. What's the emergency there?

My daughter's bleeding. Make sure the rescue team has had full blood. They did. Without it, doctors say, she would not have made it to the hospital. Whole blood is simply the blood that comes directly out of a donor's arm. 30 seconds after that first pump, Izzy went from being unconscious to being alert and looking around. How were you before you got the blood? Uh-huh. And then when you got the blood, how were you? Okay. And then when you got the blood, how are you? How many Izzy's might be saved by putting universal donor O negative whole blood on rescue vehicles nationwide?

Conservatively, tens of thousands, probably more than that. 40, 50, 60,000 people every year. Could. Would. Survive. Would live if we had pre-hospital blood available for everybody. Dr. John Holcomb is a combat season trauma surgeon and spent 23 years in the army. What we learn from the battlefield is that whole blood by far and away is the best product for bleeding patients.

The latest research backs him and dozens of other former military trauma doctors up, though many hospitals and blood banks do not routinely keep whole blood in stock. Instead, they store blood's component parts. Is there any credible medical opinion that you're aware of that opposes the use of whole blood in trauma situations? No. Dr. Jeffrey Kirby is a former Air Force trauma surgeon and is considered one of the nation's top trauma doctors. Where you live should not determine if you live after an injury. So why

is this intravenous water packed with electrolytes called crystalloid, not whole blood, the standard of care across the country? If you're so darn sure that this is the way to save lives, why do most hospitals use this? Because it's tradition, it's cheap, and it's available. Not because it's the best for them. No doubt in your mind? None. So why are we still doing this? The answer in large part is money. Neither Medicaid or Medicare or private insurers pay for blood given on the way to the hospital. We need to stop thinking in terms of reimbursing our ambulance services for the transport they provide. We need to reimburse them based on the treatment they can provide. And that treatment can be life-saving because a patient can bleed to death in less than 15 minutes.

These darker areas are where you're more than an hour away from a trauma center. Especially as Dr. Kirby points to a map that shows 40 million Americans live more than an hour from a trauma center. If this were a map of cell coverage, people would be losing their minds, essentially. Instead, people are losing their lives, often because the ambulance that comes to rescue them doesn't have whole blood. It was a miracle to us. Cynthia McFadden, NBC News, Birmingham, Alabama. Coming up months after it was stolen, recreating a statue of baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Our inside look is next.

Finally tonight, months after it was stolen by thieves, an honor is being restored for a baseball legend. Here's Morgan Chesky. This ballpark in Wichita, Kansas, feels more empty than it should. In January, thieves cut down a beloved statue of barrier-breaking all-star Jackie Robinson. The League 42 baseball fields founded for underserved city youth now robbed of their hero. You're sickened by what you saw even in this state of disbelief. The bronze cleats left behind now on display at the

Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. You want to wave the white flag and just throw your hands up and say okay I give up And the minute you're ready to do that, the good people step in and they step up. Donors raising more than $100,000, more than enough to rebuild the monument. Now, a skilled team at Art Castings of Colorado is hard at work, carefully painting and pouring. So this is part of Jackie's jersey. All part of the process to rebuild the iconic Dodger using the original mold crafted by the late sculptor, Kansas artist John Parsons.

His wife Carol calling Jackie his most important work. Throughout the entire process, he was always talking with the Robinson family. Yes. He wanted to get Jackie. Oh, he wanted it right. Oh yeah. And he had pictures of Jackie Robinson all over his shop. And come late summer, an identical statue will be headed back home. It means a lot. He's a person you can look up to. After every game, I'm going to ask if I can take a picture by it. That way, like, it's just more closer to me. A baseball legend. Still, daring others to drink. You can cut the statue down, but you cannot rid his spirit.

Morgan Chesky, NBC News, Wichita, Kansas. 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.